Mommy and Daddy

Robin sighed as he stepped on a small plastic truck. It had been two days since Bo left the Tower. He picked up the truck and carried it to his mission room. Collapsing in his chair, he turned the toy over in his hand and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. Nobody had to say it. The Tower wasn't the same without their youngest family member. It was bigger, more lonely, empty even. Robin set the truck down on his desk and walked back into the livingroom. Starfire looked up at him, and then back down at an armful of crayons and scribbled tablet paper.

"I miss him so much," she sighed sadly, setting the bundle of artwork on the coffee table. "Do you think he has forgotten us yet?" She sat down on the sofa and tucked some hair behind her ears, staring at one of the pictures. It was an array of scribbles, but the alien knew what they represented. A green scribble, a pink scribble, a blue scribble, a red scribble, and a purple scribble. The smallest was yellow.

"We were fooling ourselves to think we could be parents to him anyway," Robin sat down beside her. "Bo deserves people who know what they're doing." He picked up one of the other drawings and smiled. Batman, no doubt.

"But," Starfire hesitated. "Any individual who is raising a child for the first time has little experience, correct?" She shook her head. "Forgive me, I do not mean to sound so…"

"It's fine," Robin patted her hand. "Believe me, I miss him too." He glanced at the hallway. "Has Raven come out of her room yet?" Ever since she returned from the police station, Raven had holed herself up in her bedroom, coming out only for food or to go to the bathroom.

"She is hurting emotionally more than any of us," Starfire glanced at the hallway as well. "As much as we would all prefer to call Bo our own, he really belonged to Raven."

Robin didn't argue. Of course, he'd felt twinges of jealousy. Once Bo had learned to walk and talk and grew fond of Robin, the Titan had grown equally fond of him. He wanted to be the child's favorite because he felt he loved Bo more than any of them, but it was not true. Realistically, Raven was Bo's favorite, and she loved him the most. She didn't always spoil him like the others, and she was quicker to punish and scold him, but wasn't that what real parents did?

Beastboy walked in at that moment and patted a brown paper bag. Starfire and Robin glanced curiously at him. The green Titan grinned and said, "Picked her up some Thai takeout. Rae loves Thai food."

"Good luck," Robin nodded at him.

---

"Rae?" Beastboy knocked on Raven's door and it opened. The half demon girl was on her bed, sitting cross-legged, meditating. Beastboy found it sad. Since Bo had come into their lives, Raven rarely meditated. There was no proven explanation, but they had a feeling Bo kept the girl's emotions balanced pretty well. Beastboy set the food down on her dresser and sat down on the bed beside her. She stopped meditating and opened her eyes. "What time is it?" She asked, looking at him.

"Time for you to eat, Girl." Beastboy walked over and grabbed the food. He went back to her bed and began taking Styrofoam containers out of the bag. "It's still hot."

"Beastboy," Raven took one of the containers he handed her and fingered the plastic lid. "It was horrible to leave him there." She looked up at the ceiling. "That little monster knows how to get to me." She placed her hand over heart and said more quietly, "I feel so selfish because every time I try to tell myself that it's best for him, I think of me."

"Your whole life you've thought of what was best for everybody else," Beastboy reminded her. "You gave up having fun, laughing, showing your emotions." He opened one of the containers and stuck a fork in it. He then put the fork in one of her hands and the container in the other. "I don't think you're doing anything wrong by thinking of yourself for a change."

"Do you think Slade will still pursue him?" Raven asked, nibbling at her food. She set the container back in her lap. "How will we know?"

"I dunno," Beastboy put his spoon to his chin. He then smiled. "Let's go find out."

----

"We just want to see him," Beastboy told Miss Pinkerton, clutching onto the counter at the police station. "I mean, we only had him since he was in diapers, lady!"

"Beastboy!" Raven warned, though her thoughts weren't far from what Beastboy was saying.

"You do know this will be harder on the baby, right?" The red-haired woman stared at them. "I will arrange a visit, but can you really go through with it knowing that it's going to put a kink in his new routine?"

"Hey, I once put on a Halloween mask and told him I was from Closet World," Beastboy told her. "My conscious will be fine."

Raven rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly. She remembered the incident all too well. Beastboy had been so excited to purchase a scary goblin mask at the grocery store. When he brought it home, he put on an elaborate performance of being sucked into the living room closet and turning into his evil alter-ego, Closet World Beastboy. Bo had wailed and held onto Raven like there was no tomorrow, and Raven had simply used her powers to give 'Closet World' Beastboy a good wedgie.

"Well then," Miss Pinkerton stood up. "I'll call the Oaks and let them know you're on your way over." She picked up the telephone and stared at the pair as she dialed a number. "Hello, Mrs. Oaks? Yes, this is Miss Pinkerton. No, no, there's no problem-" She glanced at Beastboy. "Um, two of the Titans would like to see Bo. Yes, that's what I told them, but they insisted. I know, I know." She sighed.. "Oh, yes! Well, anyway, I'll send them over for a brief visit and they should be fine after that."

She wrote down the address and thrust it in their direction. "Try to make under fifteen minutes," she said curtly. Beastboy frowned and replied dryly, "We'll try."

---

"Well, this is a nice house," Beastboy commented as they approached the front door of a large, two-story red brick house. He glanced at Raven and noticed she was biting her bottom lip indecisively. "Rae?"

"Maybe we shouldn't," the girl sighed. "Maybe it will make things worse." She looked back at the road, and Beastboy took her hand. She glanced at him uneasily. He leaned over and kissed her, rubbing her hair affectionately. "You need this," he told her. Raven only nodded, still unsure, and Beastboy rang the doorbell. A young woman with short, curly blonde hair answered and Raven recognized her immediately. Mrs. Oaks. She smiled awkwardly and greeted, "Hi, you must be Raven and Beastboy."

Beastboy shook her hand smoothed out his shirt. "Uh, yah, we're here to see Bo."

"Of course," Mrs. Oaks nodded. "Come in." She stepped aside and two Titans entered the house, somewhat nervously. It was nice house, a warm fragrance filling the air, and a playful dog danced around their feet.

"Woodsey, down." Mr. Oaks entered the living room and glanced at Raven and Beastboy. "Oh, hello." His eyes fell on Raven, recognizing her from the police station.

"Where's Bo?" Raven looked around. She tucked some hair behind her ear. "I mean, can we see him?"

"He's in the den watching a movie," Mrs. Oaks informed her. "Um, just follow me." She laughed, but nothing was funny. Raven and Beastboy knew she wanted them out as soon as possible. They followed her into the den and Raven's heart fluttered. Lying on his back, his head turned to the television, was Bo. He was holding his worn blanket, sucking on the end. She smiled slightly. Cyborg was always complaining about him chewing on his blanket. Beastboy started to say something, but Raven put a finger to his mouth.

"What's up?" Beastboy whispered, his brows furrowed.

"He's fine," Raven said quietly. She turned the other way and so did Beastboy, still eyeing her curiously. "He's fine," she repeated. "Let's go."

"You don't even want to talk to him?" Beastboy sounded disappointed, turning back to Bo. Raven shook her head. She had envisioned him curled up in a ball on the floor, sobbing. She had envisioned him throwing his dinner plate off the table in a tantrum. She had envisioned him sitting up in bed, wailing. However, he was content, and happy, lying on the floor, sucking on his blanket. She smiled at Mr. And Mrs. Oaks and said quietly, "We're just going to go."

Mrs. Oaks smiled back and nodded. "Okay."

Woodsie suddenly barked, and Bo turned around. Beastboy and Raven stared at him sheepishly, and Bo sat up slowly. Beastboy threw his arms helplessly. "Hey, Dude!"

The toddler continued to stare at them, and then the tears came, followed by the wailing. "MOMMY!" He got up, stumbling slightly and raced over to Raven, flying into her legs and waist. Raven bit her bottom lip, but picked him up anyway. "Hi there," she whispered, kissing his face. She carried him to the living room and asked, "What are you watching?"

"Sesame Street," Bo told her, sticking his thumb in his mouth. He fingered Raven's hair. "I'm going home with you?" He smiled at Beastboy, who approached the two of them, and held out his arms for the green Titan to take him. Beastboy complied and asked, "Aren't you having fun here? You have such a nice house? And a good dog."

"I wanna go home." Bo's bottom lip trembled. "I wanna go home and see Wobin and Cyborg and Stahrfire." He leaned his head on Beastboy's shoulder and the Titan's heart melted into liquid. He kissed the baby and held him tighter.

"Isn't it nice that your friends came to visit you?" Mrs. Oaks asked, reaching out to stroke the toddler's hair. Bo pulled away from her with a whine and Raven made a face at him. "No, Sir," she told him. "That's not nice."

"We're going to go out for Pizza in a bit," Mr. Oaks said, prodding Bo.

"That sounds fun," Beastboy said, trying to pry the two-year old off of him. "Pizza's always good."

"I'm gonna go home and eat pizza with you?" Bo asked hopefully.

"You're going to eat pizza with us, remember?" Mrs. Oaks took him and he struggled against her, reaching for Raven. More than anything, she wanted to reach back for him, but she did not. She leaned forward and kissed him. "Be good, okay?"

Bo began to whimper and then cry. Mr. Oaks frowned and turned to Raven and Beastboy. "He'll be okay," he informed them. It was an obvious hint for them to leave. Raven only nodded, and Beastboy scowled. They walked out the front door and Raven whipped her head back around. Beastboy glanced at her curiously. "Are you alright, Raven?" When she didn't answer, the green Titan touched her shoulder, and to his surprise, she jerked away.

"No," she said quietly, but angrily. "I'm not alright."

"This is isn't really what you wanted, is it?" Beastboy knew that much. Everyone knew. It was just something people did. They said they wanted something for the greater good, but secretly, they wished they'd never suggested it.

"I want Bo to be safe," Raven sighed, tucking some hair behind her ears. "I want him to be happy, to live life like he should."

---

Hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks. Long weeks. The tower grew eerily quiet, and even with the television or radio playing, one could hear a pen drop in the lonely household. Bo's remaining items had been packed up and sent to the Oaks' home. The only things that remained besides drawings was the little black onesie the child had been wearing the day they rescued him from Slade. Raven had kept it, and alone in her room-which was dark again, she fingered it, fighting back tears. For years, she had kept her emotions locked tightly away, careful not to let them seep through for fear of what she might do. Now emotions flooded through her, and she welcomed them. She needed them.

"Hey, Rae." Beastboy entered her bedroom one evening, balancing a slice of pizza on a paper towel on his palm. In his other hand he held a mug of herbal tea. "I brought you some dinner."

Raven only nodded, staring at the black suit she held in her lap. Beastboy sighed and sat down beside her, carefully setting the food down on the nightstand beside the girl's bed. He patted her shoulder and glanced down at the little outfit she never seemed to let go of anymore. He furrowed his eyebrows and picked it up, holding it up to eye-level, cocking his head slightly. "That boy was once this small?"

Raven smiled a little. "He was a tiny thing when we got him, wasn't he?" She tucked some hair behind her ears. "And so skinny too."

"I know," Beastboy grinned. "I used to tease him that if I didn't help him out of the tub, he'd go right down the drain."

"I just don't understand how I got so attached to him," Raven sighed. "I've always been strong. I've always kept myself at a distance from people, from missions, and then Starfire hands me this babbling baby and I'm done." She laughed slightly, shaking her head. "I love that kid so much."

A knock sounded at the girl's door, and Raven croaked, "Come in."

Robin entered, waving the phone, his eyebrows raised. "It's Mrs. Oaks," he said.

Beastboy and Raven exchanged confused looks, and Raven stood up and walked over to the other Titan, taking the phone. "Hello? Is everything okay?" If Bo was hurt…well, heaven help the Oaks.

"Everything's fine," Mrs. Oaks said, chuckling slightly. Something didn't sound right about the chuckle. "Um, well, no…no it's not…". Raven could hear her inhale deeply and then say, "Raven, we can't keep Bo."

"Is he okay?" Raven was growing irritated. "Is he hurt?"

"He wants his mommy," Mrs. Oaks said, beginning to cry on the other line. "He wakes up in the middle of the night sobbing, and he sits by the window for hours at a time waiting for one of you to come and get him."

"Miss Pinkerton said it would just take time, "Raven reminded her. "She said he would be like that for a while until contact tapered off." She was still bitter about how casual the social worker was about the entire situation.

"Time can't heal what's happened to this little boy," Mrs. Oaks replied. "This little boy, this amazing little angel, tells me all about his family and how wonderful it is. He already has a family, Raven, and parents." She sniffled. "And I can't take that away from him. I just can't."

"Somebody's out to hurt him," Raven said, trying to keep her own voice from cracking. "If he stays here, he'll get hurt."

"Listen," The woman lowered her voice. "I know it sounds risky, and I know it sounds bizarre, but it's worth it for the sake of Bo." She paused. "Are you listening?"

"Yes," Raven said. Anything for the sake of Bo was worth listening to.

"I've been thinking about it, ever since I heard about your case," Mrs Oaks said, her voice still quiet. "Canada is one of the safest places on Earth. Even if you're still worried about somebody coming after Bo, there are quiet parts of the country. Take Bo. Quietly get out of the US. Go to Canada."

Raven felt her heart pounding. What would the Titans think of her plan? What if they didn't want to move? Robin certainly wouldn't want to move out of the country. He loved America too much. She couldn't see Cyborg or Beastboy moving anywhere "quiet", and Starfire, well, Starfire wouldn't leave anywhere without Robin.

"Do you really think it could work?" Raven glanced over at Beastboy and Robin, who were conversing on the far side of the room.

"Canada, Sweden, Australia…" Mrs. Oaks rattled off different countries. "Nobody would search the world for him. He needs you, Raven."

Raven wasn't so sure about the first statement. Slade just might search the world for the little boy. She swallowed hard and glanced over at the boys. She then cupped the mouth piece of the phone. "Can I talk to him?"

She heard Mrs. Oaks call the little boy, and then heard her coaxing him to speak into the phone. The toddler finally asked, "Hello?"

"Hey, Munchkin," Raven felt herself smiling. "What are you doing?
"Waven!" Bo exclaimed, and the Titan could actually see his face lighting up on the opposite side of town. "Hey! Waven's on the phone!"

"Listen," Raven spoke quickly. "I'm going to come get you tomorrow. Make sure you pack your things, okay?"

To Be Continued…