A Pyrokenetic's Mother
Chapter 2: Don't send me back to the darkness
Disclaimer: Only Jacey, Gregory and Aiden are mine, the other characters belong to DC Comics.
I dedicate this chapter to xStarfirexRobinxo, Raven of Alaska, Broken Sword of the Morning, emeralddragon24, Lyz Shadow, Rabula Tasa and Nos428reborn
Five-year-old Juliana Celeste, otherwise known as Jacey, was running as fast as her little legs could carry her, golden-blonde pigtails swinging behind her. Her heart was hammering in her chest; her sapphire eyes wild with the terror of a hunted animal. Jacey just knew she had to escape that nightmare of a place, Jump City Orphanage. It wasn't home; a home had light and love. No, the orphanage was a dark, chilling place. All it truly did was keep a roof over Jacey's head and that was it.
Everything had changed during Jacey's fourth birthday. First, Mrs. Daniels; the orphanage matron and the woman who took Jacey in, left Jump City Orphanage on maternity leave. Jacey had never felt lonelier. Then, as Jacey stared at her birthday candles; praying fervently that her wish would come true and Mrs. Daniel's would walk through the door within seconds, the flames rose, separating themselves from the wicker and forming a heart. It had lingered for a few seconds then vanished. Jacey had blinked then observed the other children; all were too busy playing with the balloons eagerly awaiting cake to notice the dancing flames Jacey had inadvertently controlled. All save for one however.
Gregory, a ten-year-old, did indeed witness Jacey's ability. He glared at her, blue eyes filled with malice. "I saw that you little freak," he hissed in her ear. "Everybody thinks you're a sweet little princess. But I knew better and you just proved my case." Jacey shrunk in her seat, trying to curl into herself. She had clutched her amulet, using it as both a shield and a security blanket.
From that day on; Gregory and his friends would drag Jacey into the halls and command her to pull pranks using her "freakish abilities". Whenever Jacey refused, Gregory and his band of bullies would pull at her hair and kick her. When Jacey obeyed, her meals would be taken away from her.
Needless to say, as Jacey ran from the orphanage; she was starving and both her body and her heart were bruised.
She darted into an alley and leaned against a brick wall struggling to catch her breath. As Jacey rested, she heard a sound that was all too familiar. It was Gizmo, the annoying Airedale that belonged to the new matron, Mrs. Warren. Gizmo scared Jacey; a fact well known by Mrs. Warren whom sent her dog after the tiny refugee.
As Gizmo's yapping and snarling grew louder; Jacey tried to slink away. Yet as she tried to hide, Jacey realized she was slipping into the darkness; the one thing that frightened her more than Gregory and Gizmo combined.
Gizmo rounded the corner and began barking his head off upon laying his amber eyes on her. Jacey thought about calling the fire within her, but had been frozen in fear.
Gizmo bared his teeth and was about to pounce on Jacey when a green blur knocked him to the side. The green blur turned out to be a green tiger, causing Jacey to gasp in surprise. The tiger let out a roar; Gizmo scurrying away with his tail between his legs. Then a most curious thing—as if seeing a green tiger wasn't peculiar enough for Jacey—the tiger transformed into a man. A green-skinned man, but a man nonetheless. The man chuckled and shouted after the retreating Airedale's form. "Yeah! That's right! Run! Leave the little girl alone."
He then turned and noticed Jacey's cringing and petrified expression. The green man knelt on the ground and held out a hand. Speaking softly he said, "Hi little girl. Where are your parents?"
"I don't have any parents," Jacey replied quietly.
"Oh." The green-skinned man stood up and scratched the back of his head. "Uh, perhaps I should take you to the local orphanage? I hear it's pretty…" He trailed off at the sight of Jacey's tear-filled blue eyes and trembling form. Realization dawned on him. "Ohh, you just ran away from the orphan—"
"Don't send me back!" Jacey cried.
"Huh?"
"Don't send me back to the darkness!" She wailed. A ring of fire surrounded her, making her vanish from view. "Don't make me go back to the dark!"
"Hey, hey!" The man shouted. Unbeknownst to Jacey, he transformed into an emerald raven and flew into the circle, landing beside her. Reverting back to his human form, completely unmindful of the flames that surrounded them, the green-skinned man took the weeping Jacey into his embrace. "Hey…What's wrong? Was the orphanage scary?"
"There's no light there," Jacey sobbed. "Just darkness. And if you don't do what they say, they hit you and take away your food. I'm so hungry." Jacey watched as her savior frowned.
"They beat you?" He thought. "The adults? Or do older children do it and get away with it because the adults have their backs turned?" He looked back at Jacey and took in the bruises on her face and arms that he hadn't noticed before. It was then that he made a decision.
"Hey, do you want to come live with me? Be my daughter? My wife has been wanting a little girl for a while you know."
At this, the flames immediately dispersed. Jacey's sapphire eyes lit up with joy and surprise. "I get a mommy and a daddy?"
The man nodded. "My name is Beastboy by the way. But I hope you'll want to call me Daddy. Do you have a name?"
"Juliana Celeste. Everybody except for Mrs. Warren, Gizmo's owner, calls me Jacey."
Beastboy nodded. "Jacey is a cute name. So is Juliana Celeste. How old are you?"
"Five."
Beastboy stood and held out his arms. Jacey allowed herself to be lifted. "We have a stop or two to make before I take you home," he began. "Want to meet your mommy?" Jacey nodded vigorously, blonde pigtails bopping and swinging in time to the rhythm. Grinning, Beastboy pulled out what looked like to Jacey to be a yellow walkie-talkie in the shape of a circle, a giant black T painted onto it. He pushed a black button on its side and spoke, "Hey, Raven?"
Before his wife responded, Jacey asked curiously, "Your wife is a bird?"
Beastboy chuckled. "No, I'm the only shape-shifter. Well, actually, my son is a shape-shifter too."
"I get a brother too?!"
"Yep," Beastboy replied. "He's a year older than you as a matter of fact." He frowned slightly and tried contacting his wife again. "Raven? Honey? Are you there?"
"I'm here," A woman's voice came through the yellow walkie-talkie. "Sorry, just patching up Aiden. He startled me while I was meditating—again. Are you finished with your patrol?"
"Yeah, about that," Beastboy began as he shifted Jacey in his grasp. "Can you and Aiden meet me at the Little Hangleton Book Shop? There's something I want you to see."
"Okay…" Raven's voice came out a little uncertain. "Is everything all right?"
Beastboy smiled at Jacey who smiled back. "Yeah, everything's fine."
"Um," Raven began with amusement laced in her voice as she gazed at Jacey. "I hate to tell you this sweetheart," she addressed Beastboy. "But this little girl is a someone, not a something." Raven, Beastboy, Aiden and Jacey were standing in the drama section alone
because the adults knew the owners and used this area to talk in private or use their powers if need be.
"Yeah, I know." Her husband replied. "But I didn't want to give anything away. You know how I can do that sometimes."
"Indeed you can."
Raven watched as Aiden entertained Jacey with a few of his favorite animals to shift into. She smiled as Jacey clapped and smiled with glee. "She sure is adorable," Raven remarked.
Beastboy nodded. "Rae, you've always wanted a little girl. Jacey needs a home, a family. She needs people who can love her unconditionally. The orphanage doesn't have any of that. That place terrifies her. Did you see those bruises?" Raven nodded, biting her lip in thought. "The older children beat her," Beastboy went on. "They take advantage of her because she's a…" He cast around, trying to find the appropriate word. "What's that word for a person with fire powers?"
"Pyrokenectic?" Raven supplied.
"Right, Jacey's a pyrokenetic. What safer place is there for her than Titans Tower?"
Raven watched as Jacey now entertained Aiden with a small ring of floating dancing flames. He reached out to touch one and looked delighted when he saw that it didn't burn him. Aiden hugged Jacey then pulled her over to his parents. "Mommy, Daddy." He began. "Can we keep her please? Ryan has Mar'i. Can I have Jacey for a sister?" Raven looked at Aiden in slight surprise. Ryan had Mar'i for a sister because they were the twins of Nightwing and Starfire. Although the three children were great friends, perhaps Aiden felt lonely because he didn't have anyone to share that strong sibling bond with.
"What do you say, Rae?" Beastboy asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Can we be Jacey's family?"
Raven smiled. "You had me convinced when I first saw her." She answered through their mental bond. Beastboy smiled back.
"Jacey?" Raven began as she bent her knees slightly, her slim pale hands resting on them. The little girl regarded her; her small hand closed over her celestial amulet, her sapphire eyes looking into Raven's violet one solemnly. "Do you want us to be your family?"
Jacey smiled hugely. "Yes, please!" Raven then opened her arms into which Jacey launched herself, squealing excitedly, "Mommy!!" Aiden also got in on the hug, effectively knocking the new mother and daughter down.
"Mommy?" Jacey asked looking at Raven with seriousness in her eyes once again.
"Yes?"
"I-if I'm bad," Jacey began nervously. "You won't send me back to the darkness will you?"
Raven reached out and smoothed away a strand of blonde hair that escaped from one of Jacey's pigtails and fallen in front of her eyes. She gently stroked a bruise, healing it with her power. "Never, Jacey." Raven vowed quietly. "I will never send you back to the darkness."
Whoo-hoo! Finally! I am done with this chapter! I am so sorry if anybody gets mad because of the things Jacey went through. It's just for this chapter, that's it. I'm also sorry if this chapter sucks...
Points for anybody who can remember where Little Hangleton is from…
Next chapter is…well, you're just going to have to wait and find out, aren't you?
Review please!!