Disclaimer: I own nothing, as sad as that is.
A bright, intrusive light was the first thing Kory registered that morning. Her bright emerald eyes flitted open to find a blinding light trying to delve into her brain and melt her retinas. With a loud groan she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There had to be another way to go about this. After a few long moments she summoned her resolve enough to rise into a sitting position. Kory opened her eyes slowly to adjust her sensitive eyes to the malicious light that seemed resolved to blind her.
It took a minute for her to finally note that she was not in her apartment. In fact, she did not recognize any of her surroundings. She was sitting on a futon mattress in the middle of a room that seemed to be covered in all sorts of animated characters that were popular with her students. Tearing her gaze from the brightly clad cartoons, she focused instead on a foul-smelling basin next to her sleeping place. She grimaced when she recognized what she had spent about half the night puking in it. Slightly grossed out, she looked away and then began to ponder why she was in an unfamiliar place with an aching body and a vomit-filled basin.
"Oh, damnit." She murmured in a hoarse voice. The only recollection she had of last night was the strange reunion with both Terra and the newly dubbed Garfield, her introduction to Sex on the Beach, and dancing with the Robin look-alike. Somewhat disturbed with these memories, Kory lurched to unsteady feet and paused for a moment to get her bearings. Alcohol was the absolute worst, she concluded with a sour smile. With this thought in mind, Kory shuffled through the doorway and into what appeared to be a small kitchen.
"You're awake." Terra's voice came from behind her. Kory turned, trying to hold back a whimper at the sound of her voice. She was quite relieved that she had ended up with Terra and Garfield, rather than the guy from last night.
Terra stood with an amused grin on her face. Her platinum locks were damp and slightly wavy, and her face was bare of all make-up. Kory assumed she had just gotten out of the shower. With a wan smile, Kory mustered up the energy to give a murmured hello. Terra smirked while brushing pass her and into the kitchen.
"Would you like some breakfast, my lovely little drunk?" She chirped at her obviously hungover friend. Terra was feeling a bit more mischievous than usual, due to Gar's constant nagging to check up on Kory and to help a puking Kory into pajamas and then to get up early to make her breakfast. Gar was definitely more responsible and mature than he let on. Terra gestured impatiently to a stool next to the counter and waited until Kory had seated herself. Smiling cheerily at the mussed Kory, Terra took out a skilled and set it on the stove. Kory winced at the sound of the iron skillet hitting the stovetop, rubbing one of her temples softly. Terra chose to take pity on her friend and stopped her bustling about the kitchen.
"Why don't you take a shower? It's at the very end of what is supposed to be a hallway." Terra told her friend, noting the signs of relief on her worn face. "Trust me, you could use it." She finished with a smirk. Kory gave her a glare before flouncing into the bathroom. Terra smiled to herself as she began fixing up some bacon and eggs. It was nice to have a friend around.
Kory stepped out of the shower feeling both refreshed and rejuvenated. She grabbed a washcloth from under the sink to wipe the mirror of all steam. Smiling at her reflection, Kory began toweling herself dry. Her stomachs began growling as the scent that wafted from the kitchen reached her. Invigorated with the delicious scent, she wrapped the towel around herself and stepped out into the hall. She was instantly met with the sight of Garfield and Terra arguing over a pan of bacon.
"You told me to make breakfast! Since I'm making it, you don't get to be so anal about it!" Terra shouted, more peeved than angry.
"Oh come on. You know the way it works." Garfield towered over her, his eyes narrowed at the blonde.
"Yeah, yeah. No meat. You're like a broken record." Terra retorted, not reacting to his close proximity. She continued scrambling the eggs while keeping a watchful eye on the sizzling bacon.
"You know why. And yet you continue to pay no attention to what I have to say." Garfield sighed.
Kory got the feeling that they had this argument quite often and decided not to get in the way of it. She tiptoed past the pair and into the room she had stayed in before, quietly shutting the door behind her. True to her word, Terra had removed the basin and somehow the rank smell was gone and replaced with a somewhat earthy, flowery scent that reminded Kory of Terra.
"Look you giant booger!" Terra's voice came through the door, "I only bought a pound of bacon for me. I also bought your damn tofu bacon crap that you like so much. So. Get the fuck over it, I eat what I want."
Garfield's sigh could be heard through the door, sounding weary. "Back down you harpy. That's all I needed to know."
Obviously her friends were still nurturing their inner childish sides, Kory mused to herself as she sat on the folded up futon. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Yo, Kory. I left you some of my clothing on the futon. I'm pretty sure since it's a Saturday it really doesn't matter how you dress, right?" Terra said from the other side of the door. The sound of her retreating footsteps left an overwhelmed Kory in her wake. She had forgotten about Karen and the day before completely. More importantly, the invitation that had been extended for tonight; that she had accepted. In a flash Kory dressed in the clothes Terra had laid out, a pair of slim jeans and a white button up shirt. Slipping on a pair of socks, she decided that perhaps she wouldn't be the only one in for a reunion tonight. She grinned at the thought and floated through the doorway to her two unsuspecting victims.
"Okay, I understand why we are here. What I don't get is why we have to get dolled up." Terra complained, not at all as annoyed as she was pretending. In all honesty, she loved dressing up. At the same time, she loved putting up a fuss to annoy the hell out of others. And by the look on Gar's face, it was definitely working.
"Shut up, Terra." Garfield hissed, plucking at his dress pants. He hated this. Hated the fact that he had to wear a collared white button-down and dress pants, hated that he had to actually shower, and hated that he was to reunite with friends he hadn't been in contact with for over four years. He was testy, and although he did not want to admit it, a bit excited. For reasons unknown Kory had always acted as the cement to the Titans friendship, and without her they had all fallen to shambles after tense searches, terse arguments and angry accusations.
"Thank you both for agreeing to come with me," Kory said with a soft smile. They were riding in Garfield's jeep after he had pointed out that they didn't want to catch any diseases that lingered in Terra's mustang from the mysterious stains in the seat cushions. Terra had gone with a grumble, but eventually they managed to leave by seven in the evening. They had to stop by Kory's place though, for Terra didn't really own anything appropriate for the formal evening.
After a few moments of silence Garfield asked, "Is it the left or right turn on 69th Avenue?"
Terra was instantly in a fit of giggles, obscuring Kory's answer. Garfield turned around to glare at her, and then decided to just ignore her. Normally, he would have been rolling on the floor with laughter as well. However, he was much too nervous to really let it affect him.
"Left is right." Kory answered with a smile. She did not quite understand what had turned Terra into a helpless mess of laughter, but she got the gist of it. Garfield shook his head at her antics, then turned onto the next street. He let out a low whistle at the sight that met his eyes; Terra had stopped giggling immediately and instead turned awestruck eyes at the rows of extravagant buildings.
They were all silent as Garfield turned his jeep into a garage. Once inside, the all stepped out of the car and surveyed their surroundings. It was a large underground garage, and contained several glamorous vehicles within it. Garfield's eyes were threatening to pop out of his head and Terra had to be restrained from Kory to keep from touching them. Remembering the directions Karen had given her the day before, Kory dragged the two gaping idiots through the gilded doorway and into the receiving room.
A man stood before them, his attire reflecting that he was the butler of the house. He dipped his head briefly at the three of them to acknowledge their arrival. Garfield was somewhat intimidated by the air of seriousness that surrounded this man, while Terra was sizing him up as if she wanted to take him on or take him to bed. Kory smiled, unsure of what to do.
"Mrs. Stone received your call earlier and is more than pleased at the choice of your two guests. She has prepared for your arrival." He informed them. "If you will follow me, I will take you to where both Mr. and Mrs. Stone are awaiting."
Without another word he turned on his heel and began striding through one of the many elaborate hallways. They all shared a glance, and then quickly began to follow; for the fear of being lost in this maze of a mansion was too fearful a thought to entertain.
The butler was silent as he led them through many corridors, much to the dismay of both Terra and Garfield. The longer it took to reach their destination, the more they both muttered under their breaths about ritual murders and serial killers hiding out. Kory had an amused smirk on her face at their antics; they were obviously very nervous and the increased time it was taking to get there was adding to their nerves instead of steadying them.
"Here we are." The butler announced as he led them into a brightly lit parlor. A stone fireplace was lit, giving the room an extra glow of warmth. Many paintings decorated the golden walls, and a few were portraits of the family; Kory recognized Kaylie in more than one painting. An intricate rug that looked to be from the Middle East lay in front of the fireplace, and there were two large couches facing each other. They were both gilded with gold and had olive green cushions.
Instead of announcing the guests to their hosts, the butler dipped his head at the two figures inside the room and left. Ignoring Garfield's look of panic, Kory stepped forward into the room with both Terra and Garfield behind her. Before them stood Karen in a simple yellow dress; it had no straps to hold it in place, but fit quite snugly around her body and flowed down to her knees. Strappy black heels made up the ensemble, with large diamond earrings and a surprisingly simple diamond necklace. Her hair was in an elegant bun, and she had very little make-up on. When Kory entered the room she smiled widely, and then stepped away from where she had been standing before.
Victor stood, looking almost the same as he had before. This time though, he was wearing a suit. His human eye crinkled when he smiled at them, and he held his arms open. Kory – ignoring the fact that she was in black stilettos and a black cocktail dress – closed the distance between them and gave him a hug. Stepping back to survey her, Victor was struck by how different and yet familiar she was. Terra tackled them next with a hug and before anyone knew it, the five friends had reunited in a group hug.
Karen began laughing as she stepped back and smoothed the front of her dress down; it was oddly like old times. Victor looked to his wife, very aware of what her thoughts were like. However, once the hug was over they both remembered their hosting duties. Garfield was already lounging on one of the couches, his legs crossed and his arms spread with a grin on his face. Victor scowled down at him, taking a swipe at him. Karen gave her husband a warning glare before turning to Terra.
"What would you like to drink? Victor here will make it for you." She said with a smile. Terra pursed her lips in thought, but was interrupted by Garfield before she could answer.
"Hey now; I'm the bartender here, and I will make the drinks." He stated, jumping up from his comfortable position. Victor snorted in derision and rolled his eye. As if he would trust the little imp with his drink. Garfield glared from the stand where all the ingredients were held – he knew exactly what Victor was thinking.
Sensing the tempestuous mood between the two males, Kory stepped in and thanked both Victor and Karen graciously for receiving them. She turned to Garfield with a lovely smile curving her lips and asked if she could have a mineral water – she was finished for alcohol for awhile. Karen silently appraised the other woman for her quick thinking. Kory had managed to soothe both males without ruffling their feathers even more. Terra, oblivious to the mood change, thumped down on the couch and gave a huge grin to Victor.
"So metalhead, how did you manage to score a pad like this?" She asked, knowing that Gar would take care of her drink without her needing to give a specific name. Terra touched her hair, slightly annoyed that Kory had put it up into a stylish ponytail instead of letting it hang about her face. Karen sat down next to her, a martini in hand.
"Well, Victor finally put his talent to working with machines to use." Karen said simply, watching her husband talk with Garfield animatedly about some new video gaming system. Turning to Terra, she laughed and said, "Of course my designing clothes may have helped."
Kory sat with the other females, bringing a drink over to Terra as she did so. A pout crossed Terra's face when she realized what it was. However, she refused to give Gar the satisfaction he wanted from the trick. Seething silently, Terra sipped at her water and ignored the understanding twinkle in Kory's eyes. Garfield had hoped for an irate Terra, so he had given her water instead of some of the more expensive liquor.
Over at the cart, Garfield watched with a careful eye for Terra's explosion. Victor had been warned earlier, when the mischievous bartender was pouring the drink. Instead, she was sipping at the glass with a calm serenity as the three females chattered over Karen's new fashion empire. Slightly disappointed, he gave a shrug to Victor at the lack of response. Perhaps this was Terra's way of showing that tonight the game was not in motion.
Victor hid a smug smile in his coke and rum. His friend had obviously not outgrown his annoying pranks. Well, that was just as well – for Victor had missed his partner in crime. Their little spat four years ago had been absolutely absurd, and he was glad that they could both be civil now.
"So my man," Victor began, knowing this subject would cause Garfield to burn in jealousy, "Have you heard of the new gaming sphere? It's supposed to come out in a week."
An air of excitement instantly flared up around Garfield.
"Yeah! The one that is revolutionary in the gaming world, that will actually pop up into a screen that you can touch and the game is 3D?!" He practically shouted.
Victor suppressed a grin. This would be easier than he had earlier thought.
"Yes, well, I already have three. They are actually as good as the reviewers have said."
Garfield's mouth gaped open, his eyes threatening to pop out of his head, and without a thought he jumped onto his friend.
"You HAVE to show me, let me play them, dude!" He shouted unintelligibly. Karen gave the males a look of disdain and was about to warn the two of them to watch the cart when a maid entered the room.
"Dinner is served." She announced quietly, not meeting anybody's eyes. That being said, the maid practically scuttled from the room in her haste to get away from everybody.
"Maybe later yo. Right now, food calls." Victor said, grabbing the front of Garfield's shirt. "Now get off of me and let's eat."
Snickering at the silently tearful Garfield, the three females left the room with their arms linked. Karen was in the center, with Kory to her left and Terra to her right. Victor sighed and grabbed the collar of Garfield's shirt, following them into the dining room. Once there, he dropped Garfield onto another ornate rug and sat down at the head of the large oak table. Karen sat at the other end of the table, gesturing for Terra and Kory to sit on the left side and Garfield to sit on the right. With a sigh, Garfield slithered into his seat and was met with the sight of more food he had ever seen in his life - which was saying something.
Three large dishes sat at the center, each holding a different item. In the center was what looked like a large turkey – it was, in fact, a tofurkey for the non-meat eater. Countless lobsters were piled onto another platter, and the last held a large roast pig. Smaller dishes fanned out around them, covering the white tablecloth. There were bowls of soups, mashed potatoes, various plates of vegetables and fruits, a few loaves of bread that were already buttered, small jars of jam and honey, a dish of gravy, a tiny bowl of roast nuts. There were tiny plates filled with coldcuts such as ham, turkey, pastrami, salami, chicken, fish, and a variety of cheeses. Baskets of small grilled partridges and fish completed the lineup. On a separate surface stood four different wine bottles, each already opened but not yet sampled.
Laughing at the faces of her three guests, Karen waved an arm at the feast. "Dig in everybody. I'm sorry, but this is all we could scrounge up on such a short notice."
Three pairs of awed eyes turned to her at those words, refusing to believe the significance behind them. More food than this? Simply unthinkable.
Everybody began helping themselves to different items of food. Conversation was held off for a few long minutes; the task of stuffing their faces was much too important to stop for polite conversation. Once that was completed, Victor sat back in his large chair. One subject kept pushing to his mind, and he wanted answers. From what Karen had told him of her encounter with Kory yesterday, Victor had concluded that their alien friend had lived a less than positive life in these past seven years. He wanted to know what had happened. The only thing the previous Titans were left with was the sound of a sobbing Kory escaping the Tower, escaping Robin. He had refused to help them search for her, had ignored their rage and accusations. Well, the time for answers was now.
"Kory, you can't keep it a secret forever," He began, both eyes focused on her, "We have a right to know your story. We deserve to know what happened. We searched for you… We never stopped looking!"
All four watched as Kory's expression shuttered close. She was retreating into herself, and her body language spoke of a stiffness that she was assuming at his words. She knew that she would have to give the story sometime, most likely sooner rather than later. After a moment of thinking, Kory decided that if they wanted the story so bad, she would give it to them.
"Alright, but be prepared for a long story of an innocent girl who learned the lessons of the world the hard way…"
Author's Note: Well hello all! I am so very sorry for the long absence, please don't kill me. Unfortunately, I have been uber busy with work, family, and friends. Have I ever said how much I hate drama? Oh yeah, well I do! Sorry again. Hopefully this will please you all; I wrote it in two days and revised, edited, revised, and edited it countless times. I'm still not happy with this chapter, but oh well. It's about what you all like, after all! Okay, so. WARNING: the next chapter will be a flashback of Kory's past, and it contains STRONG themes. Do NOT read if you can't handle drugs, sex, and violence. Those are the only spoilers I am giving. Also, please note. I am trying to give a story that doesn't jump in too fast, and seems like it could happen in real life. Sorta. Thank you to everybody who reviewed, favorited, and added this story to their alert list. Without you all, I would not continue writing this story.