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On with the show!
Chapter 8-Blood
"Mommy, mommy look at this one!" Farah leapt from the dressing room wearing yet another article of clothing she adored bringing her clothing count to about six and she still wasn't done. The grumpy empath hated going to the mall, but Starfire was adamant about taking the girl she considered to be her niece shopping.
Thus Starfire vs. Cyborg began.
Round 1.
"It's beautiful sweetie, but you can only get one of them. Mommy doesn't have the money for-"
"Worry not!" Starfire hushed Ravens attempts. "Today Fra'nok Starfire is making all purchases."
Starfire explained that "Fra'nok" meant someone of an uncle or aunt, still it confused the little Farah, but she still happily bounced back into the dressing room to try on some more clothes. Raven sighed in frustration. "Starfire you don't have to spoil her."
"Oh but I must! I must earn the title of favorite Fra'nok!" Once her decleration of an impending victory, Starfire shifted uncomfortably getting a little more quiet. "Besides I have much time to make up for." Farah modeled more clothes before disappearing into her dressing room, Raven finally decided now was as good a time as any.
"Look Starfire . . . I'm-uh . . ."
Starfire held up a hand to silence her. "Apologies are not necessary. What's done has been done, though I do not understand your reason for leaving, I am just happy you are alive," she gave Raven a small smile, "With a child no less."
Raven could feel the sincerity behind her words, making the empath smile. She was lucky, aside from Beast Boy, Starfire was the most forgiving person she knew. Speaking of, "Hey why is Beast Boy suspended?"
Starfire scrunched her face in thought. She wasn't entirely sure why herself. "Nightwing says Beast Boy is having issues with his head, so he needs to talk to a tiny person about his problems."
It took Raven a moment or two to put that all together. "A shrink?"
"Yes that's it!"
Raven processed what she was hearing. Beast Boy needed to see a therapist? Why?
Thump!
Starfire and Raven both looked towards the dressing rooms, specifically Farahs, were the thud came from.
"Farah?" No response. Both women approached the door, panic beginning to set in. "Farah!?" Still nothing. Without wasting another second Starfire went ahead and pulled the door off of its hinges.
There was Farah . . . laying unconscious on the ground.
Cyborg was in the middle of his "special project" when someone screaming his name caught his attention. A scream that was so bloodcurdlingly terrified it rattled the walls and windows of the tower. He sprinted down the halls of the tower until he met the frantic looks of Starfire and Raven.
"Raven what's-" his voice caught in his throat when he saw the limp body of Farah in her mothers arms.
Raven rushed the girl to him. "She-she-she's barely breathing." Cyborg grabbed the child from her mother, running as fast as his mechanical legs could take him to the med bay. Farah was taking very shallow breaths and was getting paler by the second. He threw her onto a medical bed, and began hooking her up to whatever he could think of to scan the child, her frantic mother watching from behind.
"What happened?" Cyborg asked, his tone void of any usual joviality.
Raven couldn't compose herself long enough to formulate a sentence, so Starfire had respond. "She was in the room for dressing and . . . just fell."
Cyborg at them, that didn't help him at all. "Well did she hit her head, or someone hit her-"
"One second she's happy and fine the next she's unconscious in my arms!" Raven shouted, her hand over her mouth, tubes and wires now sticking out of her child.
Hearing the screaming Nightwing and Beast Boy finally joined them.
"What's going-" Beast Boys heart sank, his stomach twisting into knots once he saw his daughter being hooked up to the machines. His primal reaction was to push Cyborg away from his cub, but he fought that side of him as had as he was able. They were trying to help is cub is all. His heart softened further when he felt the sobing head of the empath being buried into his chest.
"I-I-she was-" Raven was trying to make sense of what had just happened, and unable to hold it back anymore fell into Beastb Boys arms. Unable to take his eyes off of his child, his arms acted on autopilot as they wrapped themselves around Raven's petite, trembling frame.
"Nightwing get them outta here and find Drake." Cyborg ordered. Reluctantly the frightened parents left the metal man to his work, but now with them gone he could focus much better. Farah had an oxygen mask of her small face, but still had difficulty breathing on her own, she was losing color in her face and her little heartbeat getting slower and slower.
"What happened?" Drake began looking over the little girl, looking for any injuries or something he could help with, but wasn't finding anything.
"They don't know." Cyborg snapped. "She just fell . . . and she's fading fast. Can't you heal her?!" Drake could see Cyborg was very scared for this child.
"I can't heal her unless I know what I'm healing-"
"Well Raven can't focus enough to do it so someone-"
"Settle down!" Drake demanded, but Cyborg simply couldn't.
"I can't! She's DYING and I don't know-" one of his scanners beeped. "Well this can't be right."
"What is it?"
Cyborg looked from the girl to his scanners. "It says she's severely malnourished."
Drake looked at the child. "From missing dinner once?" Cyborg didn't have time to think about that, her heartbeat was getting faint . . . Drake could hear it.
Cyborg continued to try and stabilize her. "Well if you can't do anything get the hell outta here."
Drake wasn't listening, his mind attempting to put it together.
Malnourished? She looked healthy. Was she sick recently? Don't know, wouldn't Raven have mentioned it. Raven . . . . Beast boy . . .
Slowly Drake was starting to get an idea, one that just might save her. He bolted to the fridge on the far side of the med bay, while Cyborg continued to bring the little girl back from death.
It sounded like Drake found what he was looking for, but Cyborg wasn't paying the least amount of attention to what he was doing. "Get that off of her face." Drake was speaking of the oxygen mask.
"If I do that she'll die!" Cyborg barked back.
"Don't and she'll die." Cyborg was about to argue some more, but reluctantly pulled the mask off of Farah hoping Drake knew what he was doing. Then nearly lost his lunch when he saw what Drake was forcing down Farah's throat.
The remaining Titans waited in the common room, Nightwing holding his wife, Kole pacing back and forth, and Terra sitting staring off into space. Sure she may have some animosity towards the little girl, but she didn't want any harm to come to her either. However she couldn't help the jealous anger bubbling in her chest as her boy-ish-friend held the demoness in his arms. He was sitting on the couch, Raven laying her head on his lap as he rubbed her shoulder gently. She wasn't audibly crying, but tears were falling down her cheeks, all thoughts on her daughter.
Everything finally become clear to Terra. She knew what she had to do.
Finally an hour after Raven brought the unconscious Farah back to the tower, Drake came into the common room. Everyone getting to their feet as he walked in.
. . . .
. . . .
. . .
"She's gonna be okay."
The group released the breath they were holding. Starfire let out a long sigh of happiness, wrapping her arms around her husbands neck. Raven couln't contain herself as she buried her face into Beast Boy's neck. Kole wrapped her arms around the Drake, but he wasn't done. "Raven what kind of care did Farah get when she was a baby?"
Raven, finally aware that Beast Boy had his arms wrapped around her, wriggled away from him, a puzzled expression on her fake face. "What do you mean? I went to all my check-ups, she's caught up on all of her shots, I took care of myself, she eats fine-"
"Is that it?"
Raven racked her brain. "Yeah I'm telling you, Farah was just fine then she just passed out. Why won't you tell me what's wrong with her?" Raven was getting anxious again which was clear with her powers beginning to act up.
Drake sighed in exasperation. "Raven you did all the right things for and 100% HUMAN child, Farah isn't fully human. A fact that your either forgetting or ignoring-"
She was getting more annoyed. "Okay she's not normal, I get it, what happened-"
"She's a Cambion that being the case as an infant she needed a steady diet of . . . fresh blood." Drake waited a moment for that to sink in, and it was clear by everyone's queasy expressions that it sunk in enough. "Honestly it's a MIRACLE that Farah lived this long."
Raven's mouth dumbly hung open like she forget to use it. "N-no I never needed to eat-er-drink blood or anything."
"Your certain of that?" Nightwing asked. She was about to respond quickly, but really Raven couldn't answer that, she had no idea what she was fed as a baby, and she wouldn't have known any better. Suddenly somthing clicked in her head thinking back to when Farah was a baby. She was always a biter. On her nipple when she breast fed, on fingers, but there was one instance when Farah was in daycare and she bit one of the workers and she swore Farah was sucking on the blood. Raven didn't pay much mind to it, thinking that's just what babies did.
"How did you help her?" Beast boy asked.
Drake shuffled his shoulders uneasily. "I-uh-had to use some of the blood you guys have stored away for transfusions." Once again everyone felt sick to their stomachs. Drakes communicator dinged. "Cy says Farah's stable now. You guys can go see-" Beast Boy and Raven were already gone.
Farah's parents didn't acknowledge Cyborg when they tore into the med bay. Already the little girl was getting color back into her face and her breathing was steadier. All thanks to the bag of blood dripping into her veins from the IV stand. They took a seat by their child, both taking her hand, before turning to the metal man.
"Thank you, Cyborg." Raven said emotionally.
He didn't turn to acknowledge her. "I didn't do it for you." He said plainly and stomped out of the room. They shared an uneasy look, but Raven told herself she'd deal with it once Farah was awake.
Besides the steady beeping of the various monitors, it was quiet in the room, both more focused on the child then each other, at least until Raven noticed their own hands touching as they sat overs Farah's. She pulled her hand away.
"Look I-uh, sorry I was-um-I threw myself at you . . . "
Beast boy gave a small smile. "It's okay, I needed the comfort probably as much as you did." He looked at the little blonde girl. "I don't know what I would have done . . . if . . . " Raven replaced her hand on top of his, both of their eyes meeting each others. Though it wasn't on his mind at the time, the feel of her body against his own, her scent assaulting his nostrils, it reminded him of just how much he missed her. And she would be lying if she said she didn't miss him either. Those arms . . . they cared about her, she was safe there, and she missed him so much.
A soft moan from the bed pulled their attention. Beast Boy pulled his hand away as Raven got into Farahs line of sight.
"Mmm mommy . . . " Her tired, but still vibrant eyes slowly fluttered open meeting the shape of her mother in.
"I'm right here sweetie." Raven took her daughter's hands.
Farah's eyes were only opened a crack. "Wha-what happened . . . "
Unsure how to respond, Raven came up with the best thing she could think of. "You . . . uh, had an accident. It's okay though, uncle Cyborg gave you some medicine and you'll be fine."
Farah just blinked a few times, her eyes finding Beast Boy. She gave him a small smile. "Hi Beast Boy."
He smiled back. "Hey princess. "Do you want anything?"
Farah thought. "I want Greenie."
Beast Boy looked to Raven. "Her green teddy bear. I'll get it. You stay with her." Raven stood and left the med bay heading to her room to retrieve the doll.
On the way to her room however she passed by an empty room where Cyborg could be seen tinkering about. Mustering her courage she stepped inside the room.
"Farah's awake. She's still tired, but she's doing okay." she said. Cyborg grunted with a small nod not turning to face her. Raven didn't need her abilities to see that he was upset, but why was he upset? "We can't tell you . . . how thankful we are for what you've done for us."
He grunted again. "Did Drake tell you how he helped her?"
He still hadn't turn to face her. "Yeah . . . he gave her blood." she managed a half chuckle. "I never would have thought of that."
He snorted. "No you wouldn't have."
Raven, annoyed with him now, got defensive. "Hey how was I supposed to know that I had to give her-"
Cyborg slammed his tools down, then spun around to face her. "YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN IF YOU HADN'T LEFT!" He didn't mean to shout at her, he really didn't, but this coupled with his unresolved feelings, he just exploded. Raven's jaw dropped. She wasn't expecting an outburst from Cyborg, if anything she expected it from Nightwing, not the metal teddy bear. Cyborg took a few deep breaths before turning back around again, leaning on his work table.
Raven looked to the floor sighing. "Cyborg . . . I am so sorry for leaving . . . I didn't mean to . . . "
Cyborg turned around again. "To . . . what? Leave us? We didn't think you just 'went away' Raven, we thought you were DEAD, and it seems like you want to forget about everything that we've been through."
She scoffed softly. "Wouldn't you after what I've been through. Father's a demon, life of danger-"
"But we went through those dangers together," Cyborg said calmly, "we beat your father back TOGTHER. We were family, we were together . . . then you left us. You left all of us."
Raven saw the tears in his eye, bringing tears to her own. "I thought about you all every single day of that life-"
"But Farah dosen't know us, she dosen't know anything about us. How can you say you loved us when you tried to forget about us-"
"I didn't want to forget about you! I missed you all, I missed this life-"
"Then why do you have the ring on still?!" He pointed an accusitory finger and the finger that wore her holoring. "If you aren't ashamed of us, or who you are, then why are you still trying to run away from this life?"
A mixture of feelings went through her, "I'm . . . . not-"
He stepped up to her, tilting her head up to look up at him. "Raven. When you continue to wear this ring, it's an automatic out. It tells all of us that your not planning on staying, that your not planning on telling or showing Farah who you really are, and if Farah dosen't know who you really are, it's easy for you to leave us. Am I right?"
Raven looked up at her older brother figure, tears slipping down her cheeks. She wanted to answer, to tell him "No" . . . but she couldn't. Cyborg nodded. "Well when you leave, don't let the door hit you on the way out." Cyborg pushed past her, leaving Raven alone to stand in the center of the room.
Choking on her tears.
"Terra are you sure about this?" Nightwing asked.
With heaviness in her heart, she nodded. "This is what's best for everyone."
Nightwing began to walk back in forth. "Terra you don't have to leave us though."
Starfire, who was in the kitchen, spoke up. "Do you not like living with us, or being a Titan?"
She gave her a sad smile. "Starfire don't get me wrong. I love you guys, I love being here, and I love being a Titan," Terra's gaze fell to the floor, "I just don't think, being HERE is the right place for me."
Nightwing tried to talk to her. "Terra, why don't you just sit down so we can talk about this."
Terra snorted a laugh, her eyes misting over. "Where do you want me to sit Nightwing?" Terra motioned to the couch. "Maybe there, where I bugged the TV and remote, so I could moniter what you guys did on the main computer? Maybe in the kitchen, where I set up surveillance cameras in the corners? Or maybe in the couch in my room, where I sat when I sent the email to Slade saying it was fine to attack . . . ."
Starfire approached the geomancer. "Terra that isn't you anymore."
"Maybe not," she looked around the common room again, "but the memories are still here. I've been thinking about this for a while, way before Raven came back. I just think this is the best thing for me, and for everybody."
Nightwing looked over the young blonde with soft eyes, eyes that told him that she was very much a mature young women now, who was ready to move on from the past and move forward, and that meant moving on from this team, and Beast Boy. He gave her a smile.
"Alright."
Raven walked back into medical room, Farah's teddy bear in one arm, and a laptop in the other. Farah was sitting up now and was eating a large bowl of spaghetti, Beast Boy sitting next to her with a smile as his child scarfed down the noddles.
Raven smiled, eyeing her child as she ate. "Hungry?"
Farah, with a mouth full of noodles and face painted with red sauce, nodded. Her blonde curls bouncing as she did so, clearly she was doing much better. Beast Boy looked to Raven. "Landon still needs to look her over a little more, but he zapped in left this for Farah, and took off." Raven's stomach turned, looking back at the bowl of spagetti, specifically the RED sauce.
"Do I want to know what's in the red sauce?" Beast Boy shook his head. "Right." Raven cleared her throat and took a seat on the other side of Farah setting her green bear on one side of her and the laptop in front of her.
"Are we watching movies?" Farah asked, her mouth still full.
"Don't talk with your mouth full." Was what Raven wanted to say but the words came out of Beast Boys mouth. Farah did as she was told, while a wide eyed Raven stared blankly at the changeling. "What?" he asked noticing her stare.
She waved it off turing make to Farah. "Farah do you remember when you were wondering if I was a superhero?"
Farah finished her noodles, Beast Boy whipping her face with a napkin. "Yup." she responded.
Raven nodded, then lifted the laptop turning it on. With a few clicks she pulled up some old training footage of the five Titans when they were younger. "This is some old video of Titan while they trained." It wasn't unusual for Nightwing to record their training sessions and make notes and whatnot, she was just lucky she was still able to find them.
Beast Boy looked at Raven, wondering where she was going with this, but sh ignored it for the moment. She hit the start and suddenly the screen was lit up with images of the Titans going about their training sessions. Farah watched with wonder in her eyes at the Titans. She "oh'd" at the grace and ferocity of Starfire, she cheered for Nightwing, who was Robin at the time, who used his various martial arts and acrobatic skills to take down different obstacles, and cheered louder when she saw Cyborg. Shouting a "BOO-YAH!" along with him.
Then she saw Beast Boy, and his incredible shifting abilities. "Beast Boy, am I going to be that good?" Farah asked.
He laughed. "No Farah . . . Better." Farah bounced excitedly, but then something on the computer caught her eye. It was another Titan, she was pale with a blue cape, a black bathing suit looking outfit, purple hair, a red stone on her head, and-
"Mommy who is that? She has purpley eyes like me?"
Raven reached over and paused the video. "Farah honey . . . " Farah's little blonde head looked over to her mother. Raven took a deep breath, out of the corner of her eye she saw Beast Boy sending her a comforting smile. That smile that she trusted and settled her nerves instantly. She met her daughters eyes. "That's . . . me."
Farah furrowed her brow, then looked back and forth between the two images. "But . . . she has purpley eyes and hair? You . . . don't?" What's odd was that Farah believed her mother, it's just that her eyes were telling her a different story.
Once again Raven took a deep breath. "Farah it is me. Watch . . ." Raven reached for the ring on her middle finger and removed it. In an instant, the fake fair skin, fake black hair, and fake blue eyes disappeared. Sitting before them now was soft pale skin, a red chakra stone, shoulder length purple hair, and dazzling amethyst eyes. Raven set the ring down on the bed . . . and waited.
Farah was startled by the change at first, but once she settled she looked over the new appearence of her mother. Raven could see her little mind trying to put the pieces together. Farah reached up with her hands cupping this new face staring deeping into the matching violet eyes. Then Farah smiled.
"We have the same purpley eyes." Raven exhaled in relief, while Farah, as if sensing her mothers distress, wrapped her in a comforting hug. "I knew that other you wasn't you." she said into her mothers neck. A crying Raven looked up at an equally crying Beast Boy.
Just one more secret to go, she said to herself. But one thing at a time.
Beast Boy wiped his face. He had been crying way to much lately. "Hey Farah wanna watch your mom kick butt?"
Farah pulled away from her mother. "YEAH!" Beast Boy resumed the video and they settled into watch, however Farah's mind was still going.
So my mommy has purple eyes like me, and Beast Boy has pointy ears and changes into animals? Hmmmmmmm.
Cyborg walked to the medical bay to check on Farah, but wasn't expecting to see Farah fast asleep, Beast Boy sitting in a chair with his hand on Farah's, and HIS Raven sleeping next to her daughter. Cyborg sniffled seeing his sister was back. He picked up the ring from the bed.
"Boo-yah."