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Chapter 7: Do you . . .

Nightwing paced the small space of his office, arms folded, brows together in thought, but to everyone else in the room he looked like he was angry . . . or constipated.

With the uncomfortable silence hanging heavily in the room his wife decided to say something. "Husband what is the matter? Are you not happy that friend Raven is back?"

Nightwing snapped his head up as if only just now realizing she, along with Cyborg, Kole and Drake, were in the office with him. "Oh yes, of course I'm happy she's back." he said quickly.

"Well I'm convinced." Drake commented sarcastically. He was sitting backwards in a chair with his arms folded over it.

Nightwing sighed. "Look I AM glad she's back and alive, but how am I supposed to react to this? She left for four years without so much as a phone call, and was raising a child by herself, didn't she know we would help her? We wouldn't have pushed her away. We didn't do that when she told us Trigon was her father, and wouldn't have done it when she told us she was pregnant."

"Nightwing, your taking this way to personally man." Cyborg said with a shake of his head.

"Well why shouldn't I-"

"Cuz it ain't about you man. It's about Raven and Beast Boy."

"Put yourself in her shoes," said Kole, "she's never been in a relationship before, she develops a close friendship with Beast Boy, and in the heat of the moment they sleep together and gets pregnant while Beast Boy is still in a relationship with Terra. How WAS she supposed to react to that?"

"Relationship being a generous term." Drake muttered. Everyone looked at him for him to elaborate. "Well come on? Am I the only one who saw those two just going through the motions?"

"Your not the only one," Cyborg agreed, "but that didn't give BB the right to sleep with Raven then abandon her."

"I'm not defending what he did," said Drake getting defensive, "it's just obvious that they're together because they feel like they have to be. Besides Raven isn't miss innocent either. She took off with nothing more then a note and decided to raise that child on her own just because she THOUGHT Beast Boy wouldn't step up to the plate, but we all know that's not true." Everyone looked down in sadness remembering just what Drake was talking about.

"Still that does not excuse Beast Boy's behavior, but fault doesn't belong to one or the other. They both share the blame for the situation they are in now." Starfire said quietly.

Drake shrugged. "Well at the end of the day, it's not our business. It happened, it's over nothing we can do to change it."

"Regardless," Nightwing stated, "it IS our business, maybe not their personal lives, but the fact that we now have a child in the tower means we need to rethink everything we thought we knew about keeping the tower and each other safe."

"But weren't we already thinking of what to do if a child was in the tower?" Starfire said, her hands drifting to her lower abdomen. Nightwing looked to his wife with a soft expresssion, while everyone else went wide-eyed.

"Star are you-" Cyborg began.

She hurriedly shook her head. "No, no, no, but we are trying to have a bumgorf of our own though."

"Bum-gorf?" Starfire responded to Drake that "Bumgorf" was the Tameranean word for "baby", but after that the Titans got quiet and contemplative thinking of what to do next.

"Did Raven mention to anyone why she came back?" Nightwing asked.

Everyone looked at each other, obviously not knowing the answer.

"Well Farahs what, almost four? Maybe she's showing signs of powers?"

Everyone looked back at Nightwing who was seriously considering Drakes statement. "Let's find out why she's back and go from there. But NO ONE is kicking anyone out, EVER." With that the Titans and Drake filed out of the office heading for Raven s room.

Terra nearly walked through the door of her bedroom before it opened all the way, her anger directed at the green boy behind her. Terra wanted to settle this, but was afraid of an audience, so she stomped off to the bedroom that they shared with him close behind.

"Ok we're here-" Terra spun around slapping him across his face. His head jerked but he didn't retaliate. "Okay I deserve that-"

"Your damn right you do!" She yelled. She began pacing her bedroom. "Now it all makes sense. You've felt guilty for cheating on me and its been tearing you up inside." She was speaking out loud, but mumbling as if to herself.

"Yeah okay I admit it. I slept with Raven four years ago, but I had NO idea she was pregnant."

"Maybe she wasn't. How do we know the kids even yours?"

He barked a laugh. "Seriously? She has pointed ears and changes into animals, and your wondering if she's my kid?"

She knew it was a ludicrous question but she was so upset nothing was making sense as it came out of her mouth. She stopped her pacing staring directly at him. "So what now? Go off with Raven and your kid? Have a big happy family, and just cut me out of your life?"

Beast boy sighed grabbing fistfuls of his hair in frustration. "I don't want that-"

"Then what do you want?! Why is she back?!"

"She's back because Farah is showing signs of powers and I need to teach her how to control them and that's IT!"

She scoffed folding her arms. "Then she'll leave right? Just like before. She left you Beast Boy, with YOUR child, she left without a word with your kid. How do you know she won't run off as soon as she gets what she wants then you'll never see them again!?"

"She wouldn't do that!" The slight tremor in his voice told her he had at least entertained the thought.

"Okay then. Let's just say for arguments sake that she does stay, then what? Just forget about all we've been through, just forget about-"

"DONT! Just don't go there Terra!" He shouted. "I wouldn't have done what I did if you ever ONCE thought about ME!"

"DONT YOU DARE PUT THIS ON ME BEAST BOY!"

"WHY NOT? YOU BLAME ME FOR WHAT HAPPENED TOO-"

"I NEVER BLAMED YOU-"

"YOU SAID I QUOTE, 'IF IT WASNT FOR HIS UNSTABLE GENETICS'-"

It was her turn to grab at her hair in annoyance. "THAT ISNT WHAT I-"

"DID YOU EVEN LOVE ME?!"

The question threw her off. She looked like someone had just slapped her making her mouth useless. "W-w-what does that have to do with anything?!"

"Just answer the question. I know I've said it to you, but you've never said it to me. It's always been 'me too' or 'right back atchya BB'. So tell me. Forget everything we've been through, forget Raven's back with Farah. Do. You. Love. Me?"

Terra began sputtering, "That's n-not the point-"

"Do you love me?"

"We're not talking about this-"

"Terra do you love me-"

"Your acting like a child-"

"TERRA DO YOU LOVE ME-"

"I DONT KNOW!"

Terra's hands slapped over her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief at what she just said. Beast Boy stepped back, a look on his face saying he knew this was a long time coming.

"That's . . . what I thought . . . " They stayed there in silence expect for Terra's sobs, and Beast Boys heart breaking.

Raven couldn't believe it. Her room was exactly the same. Her antiques, her bed, her books and bookcases, even her closet was still filled with her old uniforms, she was curious to know if they still fit. Looking around nastalgicly she took a deep breath then immediately started coughing.

Maybe I should clean up.

With Farah in tow she opened the drapes shaking off a thing layer of dust. Now that there was more light in the room, Farah took this chance to look around the odd looking room with her green teddy bear still in her arms. Starting off she went to the bookcase. The books were all thick, old, dusty and most of them where in different languages, nothing like the books her mother read now. Moving on Farah saw lots of candles, powders, weird nick knacks, glass balls, viles of different colored liquids and big trunks. Farah felt like she stepped into a Harry Potter book.

She noticed some bottles of colorful liquid on a shelf just within arms reach, and with her curiosity getting the better of her, she set her teddy bear down and grabbed a bottle of yellow liquid. She'd became mesmerized by the liquid as it swished around the glass bottle, looking at the top of the bottle she removed the cork and took a sniff. It didn't small like anything, but she wondered what it tasted like-

"FARAH DON'T TOUCH THAT!"

Raven ripped the bottle from a puzzled Farahs hands setting it back then placing the toddler on the bed. "Sit." Clearly she was going to have to rearrange everything if they were going to stay there.

"Mommy what Is this place?" Farah asked looking around. She fought the urge to touch stuff by clasping her fingers together tightly, but she was wanting to touch and explore some more.

Raven in her frustration responded without thinking. "This was my room when I lived here."

Raven began putting some of the more dangerous things on higher shelf and didn't catch her mistake until Farah asked, "You used to live here? I thought only superheroes live here?" Ravens mouth stopped working as her mind raced to think of something to say. "And if you lived here, why does this place look like a wizards house?"

It was bitter sweet when someone knocked on her door. On the one hand she knew she was in for a lecture, but on the other hand she didn't want Farah asking anymore questions just yet. "Come in." She said quickly.

The doors opened to reveal her former team but instead of looking like they were ready to scold her, they wore big smiles. Well at least Kole, Starfire and Cyborg did.

"Friend we have come to help clean your place of dwellings." Starfire announced, a few dusters and a some rags in hand.

"We didn't touch anything, as you can see. I hope it's okay?" Cyborg asked.

Raven waved him off. "It's perfect. Though I need to go through a few of the bottles and books, but other then that it's fine."

"Nice. Farah do you want to help us clean?" Farah apprehensively joined Kole in helping to tidy up the place, while Cyborg and Drake checked the security, and the magical wardings. Nightwing however joined Raven on the far side of the room. Both of them stood with arms folded and blank expressions, just like old times.

"Let me guess, gonna yell at me?" Raven asked plainly.

"If that's what you want." He responded evenly. "Raven you leaving hurt us. It hurt us bad, and I'm glad your back don't get me wrong, but it'll take some time to get over . . . . this."

Raven nodded feeling his sadness and pain. Nightwing turned to Farah who was helping the girls to clean. "Has she been showing powers?"

Raven nodded. "She's able to change into animals, and she MIGHT have some empathic abilities. That's why we can back, so Beast Boy can teach her how to control them."

Nightwing turned to look at her. ". . . And then?"

Raven shuffled uneasily. "One step at a time. I left because I wanted to give Farah the chance at a normal life, and to keep her safe. I still want that for her."

Reluctantly Nightwing had to except that. The idea of Raven leaving again was painful, but she had a child and SHE came first, even if that meant leaving again.

Drake finished checking the warding on the room, but when he turned around he was faced with the little blonde girl who was staring up at him with large curious eyes. Then her gaze dropped to the teal ruby around his neck.

"Um . . . hello . . . tiny human." Another thing Drake wasn't good at. Kids.

"Why are you wearing a necklace? I thought only girls wear necklaces?" Anyone within earshot stifled their laughter while Drake stared down at the innocent little girl.

"This helps me control my powers."

She continued to stare with a tilted blonde head. "What are your powers?"

"I can change into a dragon." that was the shortened version at least.

She waited a few more seconds. "Is that it?"

More stifled laughter and out of the corner of his eyes he saw his girlfriend with an amused smile on her face.

"Farah leave Drake alone." Raven said attempting to contain her laughter. Farah bounced off to explore the room some more under the watchful eye of her mother, a grumpy dragon knight sauntering over to his girlfriend.

"'Is that it?' I'll have her know I've taken down entire armies single handedly."

Kole shot him a teasing smirk. "Oh JUST an ENTIRE army?" All that did was earn her a playful smack on her behind.

Cleaning out the rest of her room actually took quite a while, mostly it was the magical odds and ends that were the most trouble, but other then that the place was cleaned and fit with an extra twin bed for Farah. The aforementioned child would follow the individual Titans around asking whatever question came to mind.

"Why are you orange", "What does this do?", "What does the bird on your chest mean?", "How come your metal dosent come off?", "Why do you keep calling mommy Raven?"

It was after that question that Raven had to explain to her team that Farah only knew her as Aderyn Taylor and hadn't seen her real appearance either. This earned her more hurt looks from her teammates. She would much rather they be angry with her, that way they'd get over it faster, hurt takes a bit longer.

Once they were finished getting their room squared away it was time for dinner, but Farah and Raven stayed behind, they're were things they needed to talk about.

Strangely Farah seemed very . . . . at home here. She was still shy around everyone, but she seemed to be adjusting well so far. Currently she was getting her section of the room the way she wanted, with her dolls, crayons, and so on, when Raven took a seat on one of her trunks.

"Farah honey there's something we need to talk about." Raven was not looking forward to this, in fact she would much rather explain talk to her child about where babies come from.

Farah went to her mother who hoisted the girl onto her lap. "You've been asking why they keep calling me Raven, and why their all superheroes-"

"I knew it!" Farah bounced excitedly on Ravens lap. "You ARE a superhero and Ravens your super hero name!" She looked around the room remembering the Harry Potter like atmosphere. "Were you a witch?"

Raven looked at her daughter with mild surprise and amusement, and slight contempt at the nickname. "Sort of. See Raven IS my name. Not Aderyn."

She stopped her bouncing. "Oh . . . So you are a super hero?"

Raven shifted. "I . . . was-"

Once again she bounced happily, her tiny butt hurting Ravens leg. "My mommy is a super hero! My mommy is a super hero! My mommy-"

Raven attempted to calm her child. "Farah honey I used to be a superhero, but not anymore."

Once again she stopped her bouncing. "Oh? Why not?"

Once again she shuffled uncomfortably. "Well when mommy had you in her tummy I couldn't be a superhero anymore and I had to leave so I could be with you."

Farah seemed saddened by this. "So it was my fault your not a hero anymore?"

Technically it was Beast Boys. "Oh honey no, I left because I didn't want you getting hurt that's all."

Raven could see the little wheels in her mind turning. "So . . . why did we come back?"

"Well you know that you've been changing right," she gave a small nod, "well Beast Boy can change too, so he's going to teach you how to change . . . better-"

Once again Farah beamed brighter then the sun. Just like her father she could go from one emotion to the next so fast it made her mothers head spin.

"Am I going to be a superhero?!"

Wow that went south fast. "No Farah t-that's not what-"

Farah hopped off her mothers lap, oblivious to what Raven was trying to tell her, and began excitedly bouncing around the room. "I'm going to be a superhero! I'm going to be a superhero! I'm going to be a superhero!..."

Raven loved it when her daughter was excited like this, once again blaming it on Farahs empathic abilities if she had any, even if Farah was misunderstanding the conversation. Raven let her bounce around a few more minutes before she had to calm her down.

"Farah honey I need-" but before she said anything else Farah vanished in front of her eyes. She gasped, but saw that Farah was only in the form of a small yellow-gold humming bird. Raven relaxed as the little bird zipped around her room, her excitement still emitting off of her like a ray of sunlight. Raven didn't have the heart to tell Farah she never planned on staying. Once Farah had decent control of her new powers, they would go right back to their simple normal life.

You know the life where Farah was teased constantly for her ears and eyes, had no father, was stuck at a minimum wage job with the boss she hated, living at the small apartment with a guy who hated meta humans. Yup she couldn't wait to go back.

Raven decided Farah was a bird for too long and attempted to bring her down, but before she could tell her to change back there was a knock at her door followed by the door sliding open.

"Friend dinner is-"

"Starfire shut the door!" Too late.

Starfire ducked with an "EEP!" as the yellow bird zipped past her and into the hallway.

Starfire looked around in a daze. "Was that-"

"Yes!" Raven ran past her chasing after Farah-bird, Starfire close behind.

"Ow!" Kole slapped away Drake's hand as he attempted to reach for the celebratory feast Cyborg had prepared. "What was that for?"

"We are waiting for Farah and Raven." she said plainly.

"Well how come he gets to eat?" He pointed at Cyborg who was already digging in.

"Cuz I'm not whipped like you are?" Cyborg said smugly already shoveling food down his throat.

Drake scoffed. "I am NOT whipped."

"Yes you are." Kole smirked at her boyfriend who hung his head in defeat.

"Yes ma'am . . . "

Nightwing however seemed troubled. "Well it is taking them a while-" the doors opened letting in a small yellow humming bird and two frantic women behind it. Those in the dining room watched bird zip around not realizing that it was-

"Farah Taylor stop this instant." Raven scolded, but the bird continued its flying undeterred.

Nightwing went pale, "Wait that's-"

"Yes we must stop her, but do not frighten her." Starfire continued flying after Farah-bird, Raven growling in frustration. Farah wasn't scared. She could feel her daughters excitement, and playfulness. She thinks this is s friggen game! Farah-bird zipped away from the Titans trying to catch her then flew out of the doors, a grumpy half-demon mother right behind her.

Beast Boy rubbed at his sore cheeks, leaving behind his girl-ish . . . friend to cool off in her room. Right now he had no idea where they stood, he just knew at this time they needed space. His ears twitched when he head the sounds of wings fluttering, like a hummingbird? Looking up from the ground he saw a yellow bird flying at him, flying being a relative term. The bird was losing altitude and would have crashed if changeling hadn't caught it. There cupped in his hands was a small beautiful yellow gold humming bird with deep violet eyes.

"F-Farah-" Instantly the bird changed to a very tired little girl. He shifted his weight catching the child whose tired blonde head collapsed against his shoulder. She was muttering something about superheroes, but he wasn't focused on that at the moment. He was holding HIS daughter in his arms. She was sleeping against HIM, snuggling into HIM. He took a deep inhale getting drunk of the scent of his cub. Sugar cookies and crayons with a hint of lavender and jasmine. The tears couldn't be held back as he thought of all that he had missed, he would give anything to go back and do things differently. Then he may have been there for when she was born, for midnight feedings, diaper changes, tantrums, walking, crawling, teething, first words, he wanted it. He wanted it so badly that it hurt and he missed it.

And there was no one to blame but himself.

"Farah Rita Taylor!" The shouting of her mother from around the corner snapped him from his thoughts. She was stomping down the hallway, eyes zeroed in on her child thinking she was trying to get out of being in trouble, but Beast Boy helded up a hand stopping her.

"Sh sh sh, she's out." Raven took a closer look, sure enough her daughter was sleeping soundly against Beast Boys shoulder looking COMPLETELY exhausted. "I guess it took a lot out of her." He joked. Raven slowly began to calm herself seeing as she can't yell at her now. "Can I . . . put her to bed?"

She looked at him for a moment. "It's kinda early for bedtime."

He chuckled. "This happened to me all the time, trust me she'll be out the rest of the night." Raven was still upset with her child, but there wasn't anything she could do about it now. Beast Boy carried the toddler to Ravens room, the demoness close behind and took notice of his emotional output. He seemed guilty about something, and sad, heartbreakingly sad.

Once in her room Beast Boy put the Farah into her bed, covering her small delicate body with a sheet, then just hovered over her for a moment longer as if memorizing the sight of his beautiful daughter, the sadness, depression and guilt getting stronger.

"Beasts Boy are you ok?" She asked getting worried.

He quickly wipped his eyes before facing her. "Yea yea, just um . . . stuff with Terra." She knew that was a lie but she didn't want to push the issue further. "Hey what's her full name?"

"Oh it's Farah Rita Taylor."

"Your last name is Taylor?"

She shuffled nervously. "No my fake name was, but her legal last name is Taylor."

Beast boys ears dropped slightly, then a small laugh. "We're did you get Rita from?"

She shrugged looking at the floor. "I didn't know your real mothers name so I just used your adoptive moms name."

Beast Boys eyes welled with tears again, but this time from joy. "That's . . . nice of you."

She smiled, before silence fell between them. "How'd it go with terra."

He shrugged leading Raven out of the room so Farah could sleep. "As well as can be expected I guess." They walked back to the common room in silence. "So what does that mean for you two?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure."

Once back in the dining room they got small plates of food and informed them Farah wouldn't be joining them, which was just as well since Nightwing had a few things to say.

"I know I speak for everyone when I say it's great to have Raven back, but it doesn't change to much about how we were doing things. Beast Boy your still suspended pending Black Canaries approval." He nodded solemnly, but earned another concerned look from Raven. "You will also be responsible for teaching Farah to use her powers responsibly, but that should go without saying." He turned to Raven. "You and Farah are welcomed to stay as long as you want no catch nothing. And you are not required to go in missions with us UNLESS you want to." She smiled but had no intention of doing anything mission related.

The rest of the evening passed in relative quiet, but Raven could see they all had questions but didn't ask for fear of upsetting Raven or Beast Boy who was still brewing with sadness.

There came a point in the evening however were Starfire and Cyborg began arguing over who was going to spoil Farah more and already made plans on how they were going to accomplish that. By the end of the evening Starfire had made plans to take Farah shopping and Cyborg was going to build Farah her own room. Raven however watched in comfortable silence and smiled.

Yup, she was home.

Kole was sleeping peacfully in the bed she shared with Drake whenever she was in Jump City. The knight in question was participating in his once a week ritual with his close friend, Landon, the demon king. Since both of their schedules were rather busy they didn't hang out socially that often, but made a commitment to spend at least one night with a bottle of scotch and comfortable silence sitting on the couch of Drake's room staring out the large window into the distance. During this time if they were speaking to each other it was never about work, but tonight they HAD to make an exception.

Drake swirled the remaining scotch in his glass. "So 'Cambion' huh? You knew this whole time?"

Landon took a drink. "Of course I did."

Drake left it at that, he knew Landon had his reasons, even if they didn't make sense. "If you didn't want to get involved then why did you get Raven and Beast Boy together?"

Landon scoffed. "I told you. I could care less about their little 'Tele novella' drama, and don't care if they make up or not. Now, IF I told cabbage patch to meet me at the park where Raven and her daughter just HAPPENED to be visiting that day, and they just HAPPENED to cross paths, it wasn't by anything I did."

Drake laughed in his throat taking another drink. "What of Trigon and his supporters?"

"Anyone who knows of the childs existance is either dead, or wish they were. No one of demonic heritage, or those that supports it, is coming within a thousand miles of this child."

Once again the two friends sat in silence staring out at the Jump City skyline. Drake listening to the soft quiet breathing of the young women who had stolen his heart. Funny, he never thought he'd ever see himself falling for anyone again. Before the evening came to a close Drake had one more question.

"Be straight with me. What are we looking at when it comes to Farah and her power?"

Landon finished his drink then set his empty glass down. "I . . . don't . . . know," he stood up buttoning his coat, "and that scares the living hell outta me."