A/N: Good news and Bad news: Good news is I will be updating more often since I had an idea boom. Bad news is they will probably be shorter because I don't want to pack too much into a single chapter. Even better news? I've been promoted ot the Varsity Lacrosse team. Yay for me.

Disclaimer: If I owned the Teen Titans...well, let's just say the show would be MUCH different...

TT2

Sunday September 20, 2019

"What did I do wrong?" Jenna asked Victor over coffee the next morning. "What parenting mistakes did I make to have him run off on me like that? Does he hate me? Am I really that bad of a mother?" The waiter came by and put two coffees in front of them. Jenna quickly thanked him before turning back to Victor with her innocent gaze and pouty lips.

"No, no, never think that. You're a great mother. If he just needs time to chill, I'm sure he'll take it and come back to you. He can't stay away forever. I promise, you're not a bad mother, and he doesn't hate you. You didn't do anything wrong."

Jenna smiled softly. "Thanks. But that doesn't stop me from worrying about him. I love Jake, so much it hurts."

"I know you do, Jen. Don't worry, it'll work itself out. He can't have gone too far."

Jenna took a small sip of her coffee. "Speaking of people missing, have there been any developments with Kori yet?"

Vic sighed and rubbed his bald head. "Not yet. Richard and Raven think they might've found evidence of her being somewhere in Florida, but I think they're just desperate to find her. Don't get me wrong, I am too, but they love her more than I could ever. Richard would die for her, and Raven would kill for her. Kori is Raven's best friend, and Richard is Kori's first true love. It's twice as hard on them as it is on me."

Jenna looked away and nervously tapped the rim of her coffee cup. She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs in her tight black skirt. She would have to go straight to work after this, even though it was Sunday. "I wish I could help some how."

"You can help me," he whispered, reaching over the table to take her hand. Jenna looked up through her lashes and smiled at him.

"And how is that?"

"I've been wanting to talk to you about this and I know this isn't the best place, but I want to try and take down the HIVE. Gather up everyone you know to fight against them. I don't want you living with this black cloud over your head. And I'm looking out for Jake, too. I don't want him growing up with this influence," Vic whispered.

"Neither do I, but I need to wait. If I start a rebellion now and fail, they will be furious. I need to wait until they think their plot is successful, and then we can move in. I'll tell you when we can start planning, but for now, don't talk about it. You never know when they are listening," she informed him, making a zipping motion across her lips.

Vic smiled. "Sure." He released her hand and looked at his watch. "Oh, I'm sorry Jen but I have to get to work."

Jenna shrugged. "It's ok, so do I." They both stood and grabbed their coffee cups, sharing a chaste kiss. "I love you. Call me tonight with plans. No doubt I'll be bored out of my mind without my favorite little teenager around."

"I love you, too. I'll talk to you tonight, babe." And with one last lingering glance back, he sauntered out of the coffee shop.

Jenna gathered her things and slung her bag over her shoulder. She walked from the coffee shop and began her half a mile trek to the restaurant she worked at. Her head was swimming, and more than anyhting she was worried about Jake. She had been thinking about him all day, and all night, He invaded her dreams, even when Victor offered to stay the night with her. She took him up on that offer, but since she couldn't think of anything else, she was preoccupied and they ending up just getting to sleep right away, instead of talking like she normally would've preferred.

She tucked her hands into her coat pockets and shrugged herself inside her coat. Life had been getting tougher and tougher since she was assigned to 'woo' Victor. And worse, she had fallen in love with him. And Jake had fallen in love with Clara. This was making things impossible.

And, finally, it hit her. She was being a hypocrite. If she refused to let Jake see Clara but continued to see Victor herself, even if it was dangerous, wasn't that just being a downright hypocrite? This made things much worse.

So, now she was a bad mother, a hypocrite, a liar, a deceiver, and a horrible person in general. Her list was growing by the day. Surely, too, Jake would have a few things to add alongside those.

TT2

Richard sat in the chair of his office, his feet on his desk, leaning back, daydreaming. Normally, the perky and jubilant voice of his secretary would snap him out of his daydream at this time of day, but no such luck. His secretary was still missing, and he was still in a funk.

"Star," he asked himself, reaching over to grab her picture from his desk. It was a picture of her when she was younger; they were at the park, dressed normally, and she was wearing a skirt flowing to her knees and a cute top. Kori was twirling with her hair and skirt twirling with her. "Where are you?"

He sighed and put the picture back on his desk. Richard, with the power he held as richest man in the city, had asked the place of the reception and the chapel to hold dates for October 3. If he found Kori in time, they could still hold the wedding. So, he now had two extra weeks to find her, just in case. If he didn't-

Well, he didn't want to think about that.

Richard put his feet down and bent over his work, sighing in frustration as he picked up his pencil and nervously jiggled it. There was a timid knock at his door, and he looked at his clock. "Come in, Raven," he announced, his eyes fixated upon the papers in front of him.

She slipped in quietly and without a word.

"How are you?" he asked without looking up.

"Are the formalities apart of your grieving over losing Kori? Usually when I come into the room you don't bother with that crap," she noted.

Richard sighed, dropping his pencil. He ran his hands through his onyx locks and looked up at her through thick lashes. "I lost her once, Rae. I'm not going to lose her again. Even if I have to give my own life to find her, I will not lose her again."

"I always knew you'd admit it, one day."

"Admit what?" he asked, confused.

"That your love for her overpowers anything anyone else could possibly feel," she whispered timidly, smiling softly. "I remembered as kids you were always so shy about it. Love was new to you, and we all knew that. But Star was the only one who managed to get inside your shell and help you see the beauty in things. And eventually you saw the inner beauty in her, even if the outer was already apparent. It was like love at first fight."

Richard half-smiled. "And I remember how you always said you believed in opposites attract. Too bad you never realized it would pertain to you and Gar. You really do love him, don't you?"

Raven smiled, looking away. A small blush crept across her face. "I do. I have. I always will. I'm just glad he feels the same." Raven walked over to his desk and jumped up to sit on an empty patch, staring him down. "We're a few of the lucky ones to have found love like this."

"And to have best friends like this. You, Victor, Gar. You guys mean everything to me," he whispered.

There was a slight silence, before he stood and enveloped her in a hug. "I love you, Raven. You're my best friend. Don't forget that."

"I won't." She sighed. "We better be getting home soon. We need to start looking for Kori again."

"Ok, I'll be joining you soon. I have some work Bruce sent me, so I'll be home in about an hour, maybe half an hour if I work fast," he told her. "Get along, go rest up. And eat something! You're eating for two, remember!"

Raven smiled. "Don't worry. How could I forget?" She patted her stomach lovingly before walking out of his office with a small smile on her face.

But far, far away, a young Tamaranian woman was crying herself to sleep, a silent coma bringing her even closer to death.

TT2