A/N: Did anyone bother to check out my story on deviantart?
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.
Cyborg did not stay by Kale's side this time.
He felt guilty, but he could not handle it anymore. The drama, the sickness, the fear. It was too much to bear. So, after depositing Kale in the sickbay, he headed to his room, calling out behind him that he was tired; trying to ignore the sad stares his friends gave his back.
He laid on his metal 'bed and stared at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to claim him. When it did not, his thoughts slowly drifted from the dreams he was trying to force himself to have.
What could Kale be? Why can't she just be normal? Hell, is anyone I know normal? I knew she was too good to be true.
As his thoughts began straying down this path, Cyborg growled. He was not being fair to her, he knew, but he did not seem to have the energy to care at this point. All he wanted to do was slepp forever. Or at least until all of this was cleared up. Concentrating, he delved into his manual actions and found his energy switch. He set the timer to allow him to wake up eight hours from then. He lay back down and watched his robotic parts turn gray in the polished ceiling before darkness overtook him.
Kale opened her eyes slowly. Her head felt heavy, but she knew that was just because she had taken in a massive amount of information in the past few hours. It was not an easy transition, having only vague memories to knowing everything she could ever want, crystal clear and indisputable.
So… here she was. The weight of everything she now remembered pressed heavily upon her. She felt guilty and angry and unwanted. But that was in the past now, right? Her friends were always going to be there for her.
Right?
With a groan, she raised herself onto her elbows. She felt, rather than saw, movement around her. The sides of her bed were lined with her friends; Robin with his arm around Starfire to her left, Raven and Beast Boy (whose hand was unconsciously covering Raven's comfortingly) on her right, and Aqualad at the end of her bed. Her brow furrowed. Someone was missing.
Cyborg. Kale thought. She was unsure of what to make of this, but did not have time to dwell on it. Her friends were worriedly asking her if she was okay, and what was going on.
She smiled weakly; putting both of her hands up to silence her friend's concerned questions and exclamations. "I'm fine." As everyone quieted down, she said quietly, "I have regained my memories of my past." Kale looked about the room. "Where's Cyborg?"
Suddenly, the room was very quiet indeed. When she tried to meet the eyes of… anyone, they suddenly found something much more interesting to look at. As Robin and Starfire exchanged a certain look, Kale knew with sinking certainty.
"I see," she said quietly, looking at her hands.
Her whole body felt numb and hollow. She wanted to be angry, but she could not be. She had no right to expect Cyborg to stay up all night for her (especially since he had already done that not twenty four hours ago). Still, it felt as if her waking and him not being there had some sort of significance, as if there was a finality to it.
Slowly, deliberately, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, causing Beast Boy to take a step back. She looked to the ground for a few moments longer than necessary, almost not believing that she was the one moving. When she lifted her head, she knew her eyes were watering. However, when she spoke, her voice was strong and sure.
"I'm going home. Aqualad," The young man looked at her almost guiltily, "will you explain things?" Aqualad nodded his affirmative. She forced a smile, "Bye everyone! I'll see you later."
And then she walked out, as if it was just another day.
As soon as the door closed behind Kale's back, Aqualad felt all eyes in the room turn of him with an almost predatory gaze. He swallowed dryly before clearing his throat. "It's a long story; let's get out of here."
When they had established themselves in the living room, the team on the couch and Aqualad sitting on the coffee table, there was absolute silence. Aqualad rested his arms on his knees and put his head to his hands. He knew Kale's story by heart; anyone who lived in Atlantis did. However, he had never actually told it to anyone, and the events that took place were spread out and happened in groups; fact and fiction melded with the tale often, but he knew at least some of the facts.
Without looking up at the group he began to speak in a low, trance-like voice, "There are certain behaviors expected of those in a position of nobility. These behaviors rule their lives completely, like iron-tight laws. Most who find themselves trapped inside these laws resent them, and occasionally break a small one to give them a short thrill. However," it was at this point Aqualad laced his fingers together, flattened them, and pressed his face (just beneath the nose) to them, "there are certain rules that should not… should never be broken."
The wind blew in Kale's hair as hot tears squeezed their way out of the corners of her eyes. She stepped, and her foot did not connect with solid rock. She looked down. However just above the surface of the rocky beach, as if on an invisible step, was her foot. Her heart sank.
She began to run, and not once did her feet touch the ground.
A/N: Review!