A/N:Two words on the portrait drawn by Martha Wayne are most puzzling. What do they mean? Sammie is in her sixth month of pregnancy and she suddenly comes down with a mysterious illness. Tim is with the Titans talking to new recruits, and one of them is from a far different place. Does he hold the key to Samantha's mysterious illness?

Neptune's Daughter

By

Part 6: Speculation on Both Sides

Samantha was dreading mornings. She had not slept well, not since that night. And this morning was just as bad. It has been more than six weeks since she had experienced that disorienting feeling from the scent of blood in her nostrils. Something had changed that night, the night Tim came home bloody and beaten from the Joker, a change that worried her to no end. Was she becoming a monster? She was also having dreams, strange dreams that she could not explain. They were dreams of voices in a language that sounded like ancient Greek, and yet there were differences that made it even stranger still, clicks and whistles that didn't sound quite human, and she could understand every word. They were telling her it was time to come home. Home? Home to where? Samantha was drawn to it in a way she could not explain. She was also feeling ill. She would not be able to hide her illness much longer. Samantha looked in the mirror at the growing number of white spots on her arms.

'This is bad," Samantha thought. 'Tim is sure to notice.'

Samantha continued to stare at the spots, then she quickly grabbed a long sleeve shirt and pulled it over her head. The weather was unseasonably warm, but she didn't care. How was she going to explain these spots to Tim? Besides the spots, her skin appeared scaly, not just flaky when dry, but actual scales, like that of a fish. The scales seemed to glisten with a rainbow iridescent sheen. The scales only showed up under certain kinds of light, especially when Samantha had been out of the water for more than a week.

'What am I?' Samantha started to panic. 'What if Tim finds out? What if Tim doesn't want me anymore? Where will I go? Back to my island home? What about our children? Will they be like me? A monster?'

Samantha started when she heard someone knocking on her door. The knock came a second time. "Just a minute."

"Sammie?"

It was Tim.

Sammie finished getting dressed and opened the door to her fiancé. He was so handsome standing there.

"Hey, I haven't seen you for a month," Tim said, wrapping his arms around Sammie. "I thought we would go get some breakfast."

"Breakfast?"

"Yeah, the meal you have after waking up from a long sleep."

"I'm really not that hungry," Samantha said, as she rubbed her growing belly.

"You should eat, our twins need the nourishment."

"Do you love me?" Samantha suddenly asked.

"Yeah, of course I do."

"Would you love me if . . . "

"If what?" Tim tilted his head curiously.

"Nothing," Samantha added quickly and lowered her gaze. 'Maybe I'm being foolish.'

"Sammie, it can't be nothing," Tim stated. "You have a very odd look on your face, like you're freaking out about something. I know I've been gone for a month with the Titans and it's been a strain . . . "

"I've missed you," Samantha said and wrapped her arms around Tim's neck.

"I missed you, too." Even so, Tim could tell that Samantha was hiding something. He hoped nothing was wrong with the children Samantha was carrying. She would tell him if there was anything wrong. "Let's go eat. I'm starving. I can't wait to tell you what went on this month."

Samantha followed Tim out the door. If only she could rid herself of this irrational growing unease in the pit of her stomach.

KTSKTSKTS

Kaldur arrived at the Titan's Tower location. Sent by Orin, Kaldur was hoping that someone could help. Garth had told him about the water entrance he would use when he was a Titan. Kaldur found it and slipped inside, then suddenly alarms were going off. The Titans arrived and surrounded him.

"Who are you?" Conner demanded.

"You smell like fish," Beast Boy stated, then turned into a walrus. "Should I bounce him back into the water?"

"Let's first find out why here's here."

"My name is Kaldur," the Atlantean teen said. "I've been sent by King Orin of Atlantis, not only to ask for your aid, but to replace Garth."

"Garth?" Beast Boy questioned.

"You know Tempest?" Cyborg also questioned.

"Tempest has decided to remain in Atlantis," Kaldur didn't know how much to reveal, maybe a partial truth was better than an outright lie. "He and King Orin haven't been seeing eye to eye. To be honest, he's left Atlantis on a private mission. No one knows if and when he'll return."

"You mentioned needing help?" Cassie stated.

"Yes, the King has discovered that his former wife bore a child, a girl. She would be around 17 by now. It is rumored that she was born on one of the islands in the Bahamas."

"You want us to find some lame girl?"

"Conner, that was uncalled for. If Red were here, you wouldn't say that. He'd jump at the chance of looking for the girl."

"We don't have anything else to go on."

"Orin can provide you with more information. Look, the king is ill. He wants to find the girl. She's his only heir."

"I thought Garth was his son," Beast Boy stated. The others looked at Garfield. "I know about him. Garth was adopted. Why doesn't Orin name him his heir?"

"It's complicated," Kaldur stated. It wasn't his place to mention. "Look, I'm also looking for the person named Raven. Garth mentioned she could heal. Our healers in Atlantis have not been able to help the king."

"Raven isn't here right now, but Red Robin might know someone," Cassie stated. "He knows quite a few of us Titans, and he might know someone else who can help."

"Yeah, there are quite a few of us. Some go on to be Justice League members or they retire. We'll do what we can to help."

Conner scowled. This wasn't what he signed on to do, but he had no say in the matter. He wasn't the leader. Cassie or Cyborg seemed to take over when Red wasn't here.

"Thank you."

"Make yourself at home, Kaldur," Cyborg stated. "And welcome to the Titan's family."

Kaldur nodded his head then started looking around the area. He thought it would be bigger than this. The shape of the building was strange to him. He was used to the organic shapes within his home of Atlantis. Straight corners and flat ceiling and walls felt alien.

"We better contact Red Robin on this," Cyborg stated. "None of us have been to Atlantis."

"Nightwing has," Beast Boy replied.

"I know, but he's not leading anymore."

'I know, but he's been to Atlantis."

Cyborg shook his head. "You just want to be able change into a whale and see all the pretty girls that Nighwing bragged about."

"Speaking of girls, when are we going to meet Red Robin's girlfriend?" Beast Boy asked, changing the subject.

"What makes you think Red's got a girlfriend?"

"Here, let me show you around if the others aren't going to offer a tour," Cassie said as he grabbed Kaldur's arm. "My name's Cassie. They call me Wonder Girl."

"I overheard Red talking to someone when he was in the cafeteria, grabbing something to eat. He didn't see me."

"That's because you turned yourself into a fly to listen in on his private conversation," Conner replied. "When are you going to learn that's not cool. I could do that, but eavesdropping wouldn't be a nice thing to do."

"I got her name," Beast Boy said.

"Who is she?" Conner questioned.

"Her name's Sammie."

"What kind of name is that? Bunker questioned. "It sounds like a guy's. Are you sure he's got a girlfriend and not a boyfriend?"

"It's a nickname," Kid Flash zoomed into the room. "Sorry, had something to take care of in Keystone City. Could stand for Samantha."

"That's nothing special," Bunker scoffed.

"It is a girl, because I could hear her voice, and the way he was talking to her like she was special. He even asked her about the kids."

"The kids? Could he be dating a married woman?" Kid Flash asked.

"That's illegal for both of them," Cyborg pointed out.

"That woman is dating a 16-year-old. And if they've had sex, that's even worse. That means she's raped him. She's taking advantage of him. Someone needs to talk to Nightwing about this.

"I'll talk to Nightwing," Cyborg stated. "If Red Robin is involved with an older woman, we'll soon find out."

Continues with Part 7