Title: She's got me hooked, it just ain't fair...and I think she knows
Disclaimer: I don't own them, etc.
Notes: For those of you who think that this is creepy? Its about to get creepier. So stay away if this ship freaks you out, OK?
It was weird to say so, but Terra actually liked living with Slade. It was definately better than when she had to work for him, when everyday meant new bruises and more pain. The fact that it all meant more control made up for it. Well, right up until that suit...
She involuntarily grabbed her elbows, running her fingers over the scars. It was so easy to forget them when he was being so...nice. Or at least, he was working to help her for real. No more, "This will help, now let me use you as a punching bag." He'd gotten her into a private school, inventing a fake family that died when Trigon attacked Jump City (which Slade later filled her in on.) Now, she was Tara Markos, who was now an orphan. She was already taking classes at Murakami School, and had met two girls who were kind of nice, named Lindsey and Maggie. The uniforms weren't so bad either, if you ignored the ties.
Not that her life was suddenly so simple. She still had to deal with terrifying nightmare, and daily aches and pains. Not to mention all sorts of medications Slade perscribed her. Her body wasn't used to living, so to speak, and she would probably have to take medication for the rest of her life.
"Still," she said to herself, "There's nothing like being able to walk on your own." Her feet skipped lightly over the hardwood flooring. She ran around the table, collecting the silverware and cups she, Slade and Wintergreen had left behind from dinner, when Slade walked back in. "Hey!" she said with a grin. "I was about to bring these in, but if-"
"Terra, forget the dishes."
She stopped short, and looked up at him. Slade hadn't used that tone in ages. "What's wrong?"
"We need to talk about our-your future."
"Oh." she sat down slowly in one of the dining room chairs, and placed the dishes next to her on the table. "What about it?"
He took a deep breath, and sat down next to her, and said "I've just been thinking about your, well, life. I think it would be in our -your best interests if we tried to get you settled back into the city, with a foster family, and-"
"I thought the story was that you were my legal guardian," she said quietly.
"Well, yes, but living in this building and never really interacting-"
"I go to school, and I interact!" She didn't mean for it to sound so harsh, but Terra didn't like the direction Slade was taking anyway.
"I know, but what I mean is-"
"Are you telling me that I have to leave?" Terra interrupted him again. It crossed her mind that he'd be mad, but instead he kept trying to persuade her.
"It will start to look suspicious if the Titans figure out that you're no longer a statue, and if we set you up with a family somewhere outside of Jump City, or at least away from the center of the city, you won't have to worry about them tracking you down." He tilted his head to look at her. Terra was looking at her hands on her lap, looking as if she was about to cry. "Terra?"
"No."
"No?"
"I can find my own way. I don't need your help with this." She stood up and walked out of the room, Slade only a few feet behind her.
"We can talk about this Terra-"
"You don't need to talk, I just don't need your help." she said, picking up the pace as she headed down the hall. "I'm just gonna go pack, you don't need to follow me." she added, yelling over her shoulder.
"Terra, I'm not going to make you do this if you don't want to!"
"It won't last anyway!" she whirled around to face him, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "It won't matter that I don't care what anyone says! I don't care how creepy it seems to anybody, because I'm happy here! I like living here!" she took a deep breath; "God, I just-I wanted to...I want to stay here," she finished quietly, turning and walking into her room.
"Terra," he started again, following her in, "It's not because I don't care-"
"No? Well, why would you anyway!" she shouted angrily, trying to pull a half-full suitcase out from under her bed.
"What do you mean why-is that what I think it is?" he said, staring at the suitcase.
"Yes, it is!" she said angrily, and continued on without waiting for his reply. "I ran away from you the first time I met you, and then ran BACK to you, expecting to be welcomed back. Then I had to leave again, and when I finally came back, I betrayed you!"
"I don't care about that, Terra!" he ran over to her side, and grabbed her hands. "If I was still mad at you about all of that, do you really think I'd let you stay?"
"Slade..."she said slowly, staring at their hands, "What are you say-"
"I don't care about anything but your well being and...and you."
Her head snapped up to face his. She almost blurted something out, but she just let her mouth close without saying anything. He was looking at her with complete seriousness. She stared into his blue eye, and felt herself blush. She knew why she wanted to stay, and, looking at him, she couldn't remember why she'd ever want to leave...
His hand moved up to her elbows, covering her scars, and half-guided her to him. She whispered his name just once right before he kissed her.
When they moved apart, she swallowed hard. "Um," she started, then looked at the ground.
"I'm sorry," he said quickly.
"Don't be-I just, um..." she kept her eyes on the ground, neither of them sure what to say. "I'm gonna go unpack."
"Fine."
She sat on the edge of her bed as he walked away, feeling blood flow away from her cheecks as her blush faded.
The one thought that stayed with her was that the last time they had been that close, they were fighting.
The two men sat across from each other, both seemingly intent on the game of chess set up before them, but the dialogue told a different story.
"Damnit," Slade mumbled, surveying the chessboard.
"I warned you."
"I know!"
"A bit late for that, now, isn't it?"
"I realize this!"
"Still, a brilliant way to tell her to leave-"
"Would you just-stop?"
"I'm sorry, sir, but I told you to send her away before this sort of thing happened! I mean, honestly, what good is going to come out of this? And can I just ask you," Wintergreen continued, "What were you thinking!"
"...I don't know."
Wintergreen massaged his temples slowly before he continued with the conversation. "It wouldn't work anyway. And when I say this, I'm focusing mainly on the age factor here." he paused, then asked "Does she know about your son?"
Slade's eyes flickered up from the board, briefly. "Do you think she would've let me if she did?"
"No." He paused for a moment. "But it did happen. And now you have to do something about it."
"What do you expect me to tell her? That I don't care anymore?"
Wintergreen held one of his pieces poised over the game board as he asked, "Do you?"
Slade forced himself to slowly move his head back and forth. "No."
--
Terra pulled her head back away from the door, squeezing her eyes shut, and whispering one quick sentance to herself as she ran back into her room:
"You don't care, don't let him see you cry. You don't care, don't let him see you cry..."
--
Wintergreen looked up at him with a mixture of disbelief ond digust, and said "You're lying!"
"Did I at least do it with a straight face?"
"...Yes."
"Well, fine then. I'll go talk to her now." he said simply, knocking over Wintergreen's king.
More Notes: I probably should've stopped after Terra's bit there, but again, the Idea had been bothering me all day.
For all you Monty Python fans, I was seriously considering writing "Intercourse the dishes!" instead of "Terra, forget the dishes." But I thought that it would ruin the flow :D
Music for tonight: Lovestoned/I Think She Knows Interlude