"But why doesn't she just heal herself?"
Ulrich looked from one family member to another.
"Her powers are weak now that she's pregnant. Besides, is she tried to heal herself she would only take energy from herself and the children."
Mina was looking at the wall, still a bit shaky.
"Can't we heal her?"
"We're not strong enough Ulrich. We can barley heal cuts."
The boy sat down again.
"You can come see her now."
Mina ran past the doctors and into her mother. She was lying there, monitors put up to overlook both her and the children. Now all of them were weak. Even Mina could tell that.
Her mother had a big bulge on her stomach now, not really that surprising considering she was almost 4 months pregnant with triplets. Mina ran over to her mother side.
"Mom."
"Hi angel."
Her voice, it was so weak. Mina got tears in her eyes again, but she didn't let them run down her cheeks. That was the last thing her mother needed right now.
"Hi Raven."
Her father was on her other side.
"Mom."
The twins where standing next to their father.
"Hi boys. Don't be scared. You're big boys now."
The boys nodded, but both of them where on the verge of tears. The doctor came in.
"Hello Mrs Logan. Mr Logan. Mrs Logan, you have a virus infection, now this wouldn't normal be a problem, except for your condition. If we don't deliver these children Mrs Logan, you will die."
"Will they survive?"
"We will do our best, but most likely no."
"Then no."
Mina could feel her mother holding her hand tight.
"But Raven."
"I said no Garfield. I will not sacrifice my children for my own sake."
"Mrs Logan, you will most likely die anyway, and with that your children."
Ravens eyes where firm, and Mina could feel her love. Raven looked from her sons to her husband to her daughter. Then she looked down at her stomach.
"I can't. I'm sorry. But I will sign a weaver so you won't get into trouble. They are my children. I can't just sacrifice them for my self."
The doctor nodded and left. The room got deadly quiet.
"That's selfish of you."
Ulrich ran out of the room.
"Ulrich wait."
Gavin ran out after him. They needed time together. Beast Boy just sat there looking at her.
"You think I'm selfish?"
"No, you're being unreasonable. Would four deaths be so much greater than three?"
She just looked at him. It was clear he didn't understand.
"Can you get me something to drink?"
He looked from her to Mina and back again. Then sighed, and got to his feet.
"Okay."
The room was very quiet.
"I don't think your selfish mom."
Mina lay down and rested her head on her big stomach. She could feel them, just like she felt them through the screen four months ago. Inside there where her brothers and sister. She would have done the same thing. She closed her eyes.
It was cold. She opened her eyes and was startled to see she was in a big black room. Or not entirely black, more like greyish getting blacker. She looked around and screamed to find her mother, surrounded by two blue and one pink orb.
"Mom?"
Her mother just smiled to her.
"Hi Mina."
"Where are we?"
Her mother came closer, the three orbs still circling her.
"Inside me."
"How? Did you take me here?"
Raven laughed. She looked so youthful here. Younger. Healthier. Like nothing could hurt her.
"No, it's all you."
Mina's eyes widened.
"But how, I don't have any powers."
Her mother smiled again.
"Then how do you explain being here?"
Mina opened her mouth to say something, but nothing got out. To be honest, she had no clue.
"So what am I doing here?"
"If you can hold them, I can heal myself with out hurting them."
Raven had pointed to the three orbs.
"You mean they are the children?"
She nodded.
"How do I do it?"
"Hold out your hand."
She did as she was told, and Raven grabbed it. The three orbs flew along their mothers hand and over to their sisters. Mina had never felt anything like that.
It was warm, and cool at the same time. The orbs flew around her and swiped her arms, legs, hair and face. They where playing with her. Mina couldn't help herself. She reached out and touched one of the blue orbs. Suddenly laughter filled the room. His laughter.
"That's Gau."
"Gau. Nice to meet you. I'm your sister."
Gau laughed again, and flew and hid under her loose hair. She could feel him against the back of her neck. The other blue orb came and she touched that one too. He was warm. Like fire.
"Edan."
"His so warm."
"I know."
There was only the pink one. Her sister. When she cam closer Mina saw that she wasn't light pink as she thought earlier, she was actually more light purple than pink. Mina touched her. Suddenly a smell of lilac filled reached her, and she couldn't help smiling.
"Chloris."
"They're beautiful."
Raven nodded, and now she had tear in her eyes.
"Keep them safe okay."
Mina nodded, and it was like her siblings knew for they came even closer.
Raven closed her eyes and went into a meditating state. Mina watched as her mother pulsated wave of wave of light, replacing the black room. A few times she had to duck or drag one of her siblings out of the way of one of the waves, but most of the time she just stood there. Watching.
It was so breathtaking. She looked so calm. So at peace. So whole. Like this was the way she was meant to look. Finally opened Raven her eyes, and touched down. Mina looked about in the room, and she had never seen anything so white.
Her mother came over and took her hand. The orbs flew to their mother, but all of them stoked her before they left. Like they where saying good-bye.
"Thank you Mina."
"It worked?"
"Yes. I'm healed, and your siblings are safe. You saved their lives."
Mina couldn't help crying. Raven bent down and kissed her cheek.
"Get back home now."
"How?"
She was lying over her mother. As her eyes fluttered and opened her father ran to her side. He had been sitting and watching. Not daring to move either of them in case he ruined something.
"Are you okay Mina?"
Mina looked up at him, smiled and gave him a hug. She looked down at her mother, and she was sleeping. Beast Boy led her to a chair while the doctor was taking some tests on them. After a while he took a step back, and had a weird look on his face.
"I don't know how, but she's fine. They are all fine. You're a very lucky man mr Logan."
"I know."
Beast Boy put an arm around her, and she just smiled weakly. The doctor left.
"What happened?"
"I don't know. Suddenly it was like I was inside mom, and she told me to watch the children while she healed. And the room went from black to white, and, oh the children. They where so lovely."
Gavin sat down next to her, and Ulrich sat by her feet.
"You met the children?"
"How are they? Are they nice?"
Mina smiled.
"Gau, he's wonderful. You should have heard him laugh dad. It was so beautiful. And Edan. He was so warm. He felt so safe, you know, like he would never hurt you. And Chloris, she smells like lilac. And I think she'll get purple hair. Like mom."
"Unfair. I want to meet the children."
Beast Boy bent down and gave his youngest son a hug.
"Don't worry Ulrich. You will. When they are born."
"But I thought you didn't have powers Mina. How could you suddenly be inside mom?"
She turned to Gavin.
"I don't know."
"You're powers are linked to children."
The foursome jumped as a weak voice came from the bed.
"Honey."
"Mom."
They ran to her side. She looked tired, but better.
"You're powers have always been linked to children. When you get upset, all of the children are upset. When you are happy, the children could never have been happier. You know when a new child is coming, and instantly know what to do to make them safe and happy."
Mina sat down, not quite knowing what to say. On the one side she was happy she actually had powers, but she would have wanted them to be a bit cooler. She didn't think of them as powers. Just instincts.
"Your powers saved their lives Mina. You have the ability to heal them before they are born."
"I didn't heal them."
"Yes you did. They where infected too Mina, not just me. You saved their life, not only by allowing me to heal myself, but by healing them."
"You healed them?"
"That's so cool."
Mina was in a slight shock. She hadn't even known she was healing them. Then she remembers touching them. At first she had thought it was because she was curious, but maybe it was something else.
"But why can't I heal the other children?"
"Your powers are linked with children, which means they are growing. To be honest I don't know what you would be capable of with time."
"So I can heal them now?"
Her mother shrugged.
"I don't know."
Mina sat very still. She had gone from not having powers, to maybe having powers.
"This is very confusing."
Raven smiled, grabbed her hand and squeezed.
"I know angel. Just remember. Even if you don't have the healing power now, you did save your siblings lives."
Mina flashed her a smile, but inside everything was chaos.
"I'm going to stay here until the children are born."
Mina was biting her lower lip as she watched Speedy. He had a deadpan look on his face, but he did look like he understood.
"If you don't want to continue my training I do understand, and in that case I just…"
"Do you want to continue training?"
Mina had a small shocked look on her face.
"Of course. I love training with you, even when I hate it. It's not that. My mother needs me, and I need to be here."
"I'm glad you have your priorities straight at least. How long until she gives birth."
"Three months. Triplets are always premature."
He just nodded.
"You will be missed. Can you continue to practise on your own?"
She nodded.
"Bee and Cy are on their way to visit. I asked them to bring the bow back with them, if you can just give it to them."
He nodded and smiled to her.
"Bye then."
"Bye."
She fell down on the couch. Suddenly a little black head popped up.
"Hi P.C."
"Is it true? Are you staying?"
"Until aunt Raven gives birth."
She dragged the kid over the couch and sat him down next to her. She liked sitting next to P.C. She always got so calm around him. Like William made her brave, Luanna happy, Gavin compassionate, Ulrich competitive and Erlea patient.
"What is it?"
P.C. was only 7, but acted like he was older than Luanna, William, Ulrich and even some times Gavin. Probably one of the reasons she always felt calm around him.
"Things are changing, and I don't know how I feel about that."
"Well, did you like things the way they where?"
Mina thought back, about the crying, the sadness, the guilt and the jealousy.
"No."
"Do you like where things are going?"
"Kind of."
She pulled her knees up under her chin, a position that made her look very vulnerable and young.
"But I'm not sure. I went from having no powers to maybe having powers."
"I always knew you had powers."
Mina looked confused at him. He was looking at his feet that where dangling over the edge of the sofa.
"You make me feel happy when you're happy, and when I'm upset you always know what to say to make me feel safe and happy again. We all feel like that. That what's makes you so special?"
Mina smiled sadly. He didn't understand.
"That's not a power. It's instincts. A lot of people have them. That doesn't make me special."
P.C. looked down at his robotic arm.
"My daddy has the same arm as me. Does that mean I'm not special."
Mina bit her lower lip, but smiled and dragged the boy into a hug.
"Of course you're special P.C. There is only one you."
"And there is only one you. So if you're special, I'm special. But if you're not special, I'm not special."
She let out a chuckle.
"Sometimes your too smart, you know that."
He smiled up at her.
"I know."
She made a sigh of defeat.
"Okay. We're both special. Happy?"
"Only if you are."
He gave her a hug and jumped of her. She smiled as he skipped out of the common room, leaving her all alone.
The music was blasting out of the stereo. It was a week since Mina had helped her mother heal, and she had finally come home.
Robin was dancing with Luanna, while Starfire had lured William to dance with her. Raven, because of doctor's order, was sitting on the couch. Gavin had Erlea, Beast Boy was dancing with Ulrich, and Mina was currently dancing with P.C.
The smell of pizza still made them hungry, thou it was little left of the six they had ordered. She twirled the boy around as the common room door opened and P.C. let out a tiny yell at the sight of his parents. Every one stopped dancing and ran over to greet the last two titans.
"We've missed you."
"Welcome back."
"Did you get me anything?"
Cyborg laughed and picked up his oldest son.
"Now what kind of greeting is that?"
The boy blushed.
"Welcome back. I've missed you. Did you get me anything?"
They laughed. Mina felt like someone was looking at her, and looked past her aunt and uncle. She was a little taken back by him, but didn't want him to see that.
"You know, if you want to continue peeping at me, you should practise more. You keep getting caught."
"I wasn't peeping."
She took a step closer, not realising everyone else was looking at them, and crossed her arms.
"Oh no? Then what are you doing?"
"Stalking. Big difference."
"Yeah, longer jail time."
They smiled and gave each other a hug.
"Yes, and we brought a friend."
"Hi I'm Lochan."
He smiled. He then looked back at her.
"Nice clothes."
She was wearing her cloak, a short brown skirt, and a green top. Her hair pulled back in a high ponytail.
"But I do prefer your bikini."
He looked over the edge of his sunglasses, making her the only one to see the spark in his blue and red eye. He pushed the glasses back up. She stuck out her tongue at him, which only made him laugh even more.
"My father, Beast Boy. My mother, Raven. Uncle Robin and aunt Starfire. And you have already met uncle Cyborg and aunt Bee."
She leaned in as he suddenly realised that all of the titans had heard his little joke.
"Making jokes about my clothes, in front of very overprotecting family member. Not a good idea."
He swallowed hard, and she laughed. He was so easy.
Luanna went over to him, brushed her pink dress and looked up at him with big eyes. It was clear to everyone she had a crush on him.
"I'm Lua. I'm the youngest daughter of Robin and Starfire. I'm nine."
Lochan bent down.
"Hi Lua. That's a very pretty name."
"It's actually Luanna."
"That's even prettier. Can I call you Luanna?"
The little girls eyes widened, and a big grin grew on her face. She nodded, completely star struck.
"Is that pizza I smell Luanna?"
She nodded very eager to please him.
"I'll get you one."
She ran past her parent and to the kitchen. He got to his feet. Mina smiled thankful towards him.
"That was nice."
He shrugged, but smiled.
"Come on, let's get this party relay started."
Cyborg turned the music even louder, and the crowd loosened up. Mina went over to her mother to help her back to the couch.
"He seams nice."
"Well, he has his moments."
Raven sat back down and Mina fell down next to her. Lochan, with Luanna close behind him, came over.
"You're not dancing?"
"I need a partner first."
Mina smiled and pointed at Luanna, whose eyes widened even more. Mina had never seen her so go-go eyed.
"I think you have someone right there."
He turned and saw Luanna, standing on her tipi toes. He bowed.
"Luanna, will you do me the honour of dancing with me?"
The poor girl just nodded. She was so ecstatic; she was actually lost for words. She grabbed his hand and dragged him away. Mina couldn't help let out a chuckle. She turned to her mother, and saw she was smiling at her.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Mina shook it of, but every time she looked at her mother that night she had that weird smile on her face.
"Don't you ever take a break?"
"Of course I do."
Cyborg and Robin had built her a shooting rink in the basement. It wasn't as professional as Speedy's, but it did the trick.
"Just not when I'm practising."
"You're always practising."
She had just finished a round and pushed the button to make it come forward. Of course it was completely high tech. She turned towards him while she waited.
"Why did you come here?"
He shrugged.
"I wanted to see you again."
"But why?"
"Because I wanted to get to know you."
She turned and checked out her score. She had improved very much since before Speedy started to train her. She pressed the button to get a new target. She started to shoot, but this didn't stop Lochan from talking. He had taken of his sunglasses when he came down, since it was only them down there.
"Believe it or not, I don't usually start kissing random girls. At least not twice."
"Not? Come on Lochan. You're a guy."
She let out a snicker, but didn't let that break her concentration.
"And what has that to do with anything."
"Nothing, except teenage-boys are known for having uncontrollable hormones."
"You where kissing me too. Both times."
She made a quick glance over her shoulder.
"I never said I didn't have hormones. I'm a teenager too you know."
He pouted.
"So it didn't mean anything to you?"
"I didn't say that. I simply said we should treat them like what they were. Lust and hormones."
"Oh, so you did lust for me."
She made a surprised scream and turned around. Not by what he said, but him suddenly standing next to her. She let go of string and the arrow flew, ricocheting of the walls.
"Get down."
She threw herself on him and knocked him out of harms way. The arrow died down and fell to the floor. She was lying on top of him.
"Is this the part where you are lusting for me."
She hit him before trying to stand up. He placed his arms around her waist, and she couldn't move.
"Let go of me."
"But I like you on top of me."
"Really?"
She smiled seductively, and took out her ponytail. Her long hair fell down her chest, moving as she breathed in and out. She was happy she wore jeans, and pulled down the zipper on her red jacket to reveal a white top underneath. Also glad she wasn't wearing her cloak.
She could tell he liked what he was seeing, and that made her even more eager. Making up for her lack of practise. She bent down and kissed his cheek, chin, grabbing his hands. She moved her mouth close to his ear as she pried his hands of her, thou in a seducing way.
"The next time you make me miss a shot, I'll just shoot you instead."
She pinned his hands to the floor as she jumped of him. She started to walk out of there, and took a quick glance back to see what he was doing. He was just lying there, in shook, and Mina chuckled as she opened the door and left him alone in the room.
She was sitting on the roof; still smiling for the way she had gotten back on Lochan. She had put on her cloak again, and she was now just sitting in a beach chair, reading. She loved to read on the roof. She felt so in tune with the world.
"Now what was that about?"
Someone suddenly blocked out the sunlight and she sighed as she looked up at him.
"I was just proving my point."
"That?"
"That emotions are very easily deceived. What we think is the beginning of something more, is often just lust. Given to us by uncontrollable hormones."
He took of his sunglasses and looked down at her.
"So you thought I might have a crush on you, and that was your way of telling me I haven't?"
"I never said that. Stop putting words in my mouth. I don't know, nor do I care, about how you feel."
"So why did you kiss me back?"
Mina made a cry of annoyance as she got to her feet. How could guys be so dense?
"Lust. Hormones. Do I really have to sit on top of you again?"
He grinned.
"If you want to."
She screamed again and turned to get of the roof. He grabbed her arm, making her turn and look at him.
"I'm sorry. Don't be mad at me. But tell me, miss know it all, what is love then?"
"Love is what my parents have. They have been together since they where teenagers. They fight sometimes like it was world war three, but in the end they know that the other person didn't mean to hurt them. They are willing to, not only put their lives in the other persons hands, but their hearts and their sanity."
He let go of her arm, but she didn't move.
"They say to the other person, I give you everything you need to kill me, because I believe you wont. Total trust. That's love."
He pulled his fingers through his hair.
"And the fireworks?"
"The hormones. We get drugged so that we dear to trust the other person. Otherwise we would never give in. Never give up our control. The control we need to give the other person. The trust."
He pulled of his red t-shirt, leaving him only in his jeans. She rolled her eyes.
"Really Lochan, you could at least try to control them."
A pair of angel wings suddenly folded out of his back. She gasped.
"You have wings?"
He put on his shades.
"I gift from my mother."
"So you can fly?"
He smiled and reached out his hand.
"What?"
"Trust me."
She looked at him, at his wings. She did trust him, but she didn't trust him with that information. Thou, she had always wanted to fly.
"Not on your life, just with mine."
She grabbed his hand and he rapped his arms around her. She laid her arms tight around his neck.
"Hold on."
"Just don't let go."
His wings started to flap, and Mina was afraid he would actually blow her away. She closed her eyes, so not get dust in them. Suddenly she felt something lift her up, and she opened her eyes in time to see the roof drift away from the. She screamed.
A part of her hadn't thought he could actually do it, but there she was. At the mercy of a boy she didn't know. She had to be crazy. She felt her legs be pulled downwards, so she rapped them around too around him. She could feel his stupid grin, but was too afraid to hit him.
"You do know what you're doing right?"
"Of coarse. This isn't my first time flying. Thou you are my first passenger."
"Oh, I feel honoured."
He suddenly turned in the air, having him under her. This made her feel a little safer. She looked up at him, and took of his glasses. He didn't seem to mind.
"You want to know how I can just lie here without flapping my wings."
"Resting on a current?"
He looked a bit stunned.
"My dad told me. He likes to tell me stuff like that."
"Oh I forgot. That would be something Beast Boy knew. He has been a bird enough times." "Actually he learned that when he got his master in Zoology."
His eyes widened with shook.
"Isn't he a superhero? Why would he need an education?"
"My mother challenged him. She bet he wouldn't last a year in collage, and he bet her otherwise. Five years later, he graduated with a master in Zoology."
She lied her head down on his chest.
"He always says that was one of the best things he ever did. Since he now understands much more about what he does when he morphs. He says people can take a lot away from you, but knowledge is not one of them."
Mina chuckled.
"My mother always gets a bit taken back when he says that."
"Why? Because she doesn't agree?"
"No because she does."
Mina smiled.
"That's why they named me Minerva. After the roman goddess of knowledge."
They flew a bit in silence. He took his sunglasses back and put them on.
"I need to turn around."
She tightened her hold as he turned around. She made a small yell of delight as he swooped down and landed in an empty ally.
"You can let go now Mina."
"Oh, yeah. Sorry."
She let go of him and landed on her feet. She saw as his wings shrunk until they where totally gone. No one could have guessed they where there.
He had landed by a boardwalk alongside the beach. They walked down and looked at the odd shops selling everything from food, to clothes to new age trinkets.
"Can I go in there a moment?"
Mina went into a new age store, and Lochan followed. It was very tiny, with things overflowing from the wall. Mina was standing by the fairy department. Looking at the different tiny statues.
"I do believe in faeries. I do. I do."
"Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie. Read any of them Lochan?"
"No, just the videos."
She turned and gave him a smile.
"My favourite books as a child."
"Why, didn't you want to grow up ms Logan?"
"No, on the contrary. The books made me want to grow up."
He leaned against one of the shelves, which only made the contents of it to fall down so he had to pick them up.
"Why?"
"Because it made me want to be a mother."
He just looked at her before starting to laugh. She got hurt and angry. She ran out without buying anything. Lochan suddenly realised that he probably hurt her feelings, and ran outside after her.
"Mina, I'm sorry."
"So tell me."
She turned and looked directly at him, something that was hard since he was wearing sunglasses.
"Tell you what?"
"Tell me your fantastic dreams that are so good you can make fun of mine."
He just stood there. She placed her hands on her hips, not going to let this go. She had been really hurt. Finally he sighed.
"I don't have any."
"What?"
"I don't have any dreams, okay?"
Her arms fell to her side. She was a bit taken back. He was actually upset.
"When my parents died my priorities got a bit shaken up, and my old dreams didn't seem so important anymore."
"I'm sorry."
He pulled his fingers through his hair.
"Don't be."
The walked down the boardwalk in silence when suddenly Mina saw something that made her eyes widen and a smile crawl on her face. Arcade.
"You want to go?"
She nodded. He let out a chuckle.
"What?"
"I never figured you for an arcade person."
She turned and smiled to him.
"I am my fathers daughter after all."
She turned and went over to one of the machines. It was a race machine.
"Race you."
They sat down, and it started. Mina stepped on it and actually got a big lead. She was on her fourth and second last lap when he suddenly flew past her. She tried going past him, but he crossed the finish line seconds before her.
"Cheating."
"How did I cheat?"
"I don't know. I want a rematch."
He smiled to her.
"As you wish. I can beat you again."
And he did. He beat her three more times before she finally gave up.
"Okay, you might beat me on this, but I will kick your ass on that."
It was a basket ball game.
"Okay."
Of course he whipped her ass.
"How did you get so good?"
"Five years of playing on the basketball team."
She pouted.
"You could have told me."
"You never asked."
They played almost every game in the arcade, and he beat her in everything. Soon she was upset and angry.
"Do you always get so childish when it comes to arcades."
She stuck out her tongue.
"I'm not childish."
He laughed at her.
"Okay, you're not childish."
She stopped. Her eyes caught the dancing machine. The one where arrows blink on the screen and you have to step on the right arrow at the right time to get a point. She pointed.
"Last one."
"Okay. But why don't we make it a bit interesting."
She raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
"A bet. If I beat you, I get a kiss."
"I thought we agreed you would control your hormones."
He grinned.
"You agreed that. I never did."
"Okay. And if I win."
"Anything you want."
She thought about it, before giving him her hand.
"Okay."
She turned and put money in the machine. He went on to his place as she picked the music.
"So what are we betting here?"
She turned and smiled.
"Anything I want."
The game started.