Author's Note: Fair warning – the last bit of this... err, most of this, should probably be rated M, for "mushy crap that was really awkward to write". Just saying.
Also, this chapter is actually the original chapter from which I pulled the title of this story, though it wasn't so obvious in the first draft… oh well. Not much happens here, but it's leading up to something plot-related. Just hang on a little bit longer.
The living room filled with the sound of screaming and stomping feet as the children chased each other in circles.
"He's too strong!" The little girl yelled, her blonde hair flying out behind her as she ducked behind the sofa, "We can't defeat him, Robin!"
"Yes we can!" The boy beside her adjusted the mask on his face, "Trust me, Raven – we can do it!" He turned around to face her, taking his eyes off the creature looming towards them – a fatal mistake.
"RAWWWRRR!" The creature roared, sweeping the boy off his feet and into a giant headlock.
"Starfire!" The boy yelled out to his comrades, "Raven! Help me!"
"We're coming Robin!" Another girl, similar in appearance to the first, leapt out from behind a chair and together they charged the monster. Within moments it was on the ground, and the Tiny Titans attacked it with blankets, wrapping it up tight and sealing its fate once and for all.
"We did it!" The little boy pumped his fist in the air, "Way to go Titans!"
"Yes!" His teammates joined in the celebration, which was cut short suddenly when the monster rose to his feet.
"Good game, guys," He laughed, "You sure showed me!"
"Aww, Dad!" The Boy Wonder frowned, "You're not supposed ta get up!"
"But supper's almost ready!" The monster protested, laughing, "Can't you smell the pizza?"
"Pizza!" The children's eyes lit up, and all character was lost as they scrambled towards the kitchen, leaving their father behind to tidy up the mess.
"Kiran, Awnii, Aisha!" He laughed again, "It's gonna be another minute – wait for me!"
"Do you remember when they used to pretend to be the Titans?" Rachelle smiled at the memory, and Garfield couldn't help but laugh as he looked down at the pictures.
"How could I ever forget?" He shook his head, gently taking the photo album from his wife and flipping to another page, "You made them the best Titans costumes this world has ever seen."
"It was my first time sewing too," Rachelle admitted sheepishly, "Thankfully I had an old cloak lying around, which helped a bit."
"I noticed that none of them ever wanted to be me," Garfield frowned at the photos of his children, "Kiran was always Robin, and Awnii you… Aisha was Starfire – wasn't I cool?"
"Not really," Rachelle smiled, "Maybe the next one will dress up as you."
"I sure hope so," Garfield smiled down at her stomach, "You hearing this little guy?"
"Or if it's a girl…" Rachelle pursed her lips, "Bumblebee?"
"Or maybe Terra?" Garfield laughed when she scowled at the mention, "Or Kole?"
"Better." She leaned into him, "I guess we'll just have to see, won't we?"
"I can't wait."
They stayed silent for a while after that, just enjoying one another's company and flipping through the album. Neither one really knew why they had gotten it down – or why they were flipping through it at four in the morning – but they were both having a good time with it, walking down memory lane…
"Do you think…" Rachelle's words were so soft that for a moment Garfield wasn't even sure she had spoken. He looked down at her.
"Do I think what?"
Her face grew pink, and she looked down at the floor before finishing her thought, "My powers," her voice was still soft, and Garfield had to lean over to make them out, "They couldn't have… inherited our powers… could they?"
"I don't know," Garfield answered honestly – this was a conversation they had had before, "Did Star's kids inherit hers? Or how about Aqualad's? Nobody can know for sure… although most of us are pretty safe, aren't we?"
"Mmm," Rachelle met his eyes again, "You'd think we would know by now…"
There was another silence as the couple wrestled with their thoughts, until finally Garfield spoke up,
"We did do the right thing… didn't we? I mean, in not telling them?"
Rachelle sighed softly, "I don't know, Gar," she said honestly, "I really don't."
"Me too," He agreed sadly, "I just… I wish I did."
"Don't we all?"
He walked around the small island, sighing inwardly as the sun climbed in the sky above his head. It had been a while since his last visit, and he was eager to get inside but, as always, he had a nagging feeling that it was wrong – one that left him with a dull aching in his head every time. And yet, he told himself, almost laughing at the absurdity, he came back every time.
He forced open the metal doors (the passcode had long ago become obsolete), and stepped into the dimly-lit area. Making his way through the lobby and another set of doors (these ones were terminally open), he walked through the main room and sat himself down onto the table top.
Everything looked the exact same here – it was as if time had frozen, just in this one place. This one, special place.
Looking around his old home, Richard Grayson couldn't help but miss the way things used to be. It sounded ridiculous – even to his own ears – but life was much less stressful back then. He'd had a lot resting on his shoulders then, but in hindsight – he had a lot more now. Being a father and husband was a lot harder than crime fighting, that much he knew.
If only we… He stopped himself, shaking his head and hopping down from the table. No more what ifs. This is the way things are now. I'm just going to have to live with it. He walked over to the old couch, staring up at the bigscreen TV and remembering the times when he would play video games with his friends… stop that.
He sighed, reminding himself that the past was in the past. He was no longer Robin – he was Richard Grayson, and nothing could change that. He had known things would never be the same when he first split up the team, so why did he still have these thoughts? Why did he still come here at all?
His wife Kori didn't know about these trips down memory lane… and he didn't want her to. She wouldn't want him returning here – and he didn't want to worry her. He already did enough of that on a daily basis.
As if in response to his thoughts, his cellphone trilled in his pocket, and Rick reached for it with lightning reflexes – salvaged from his time as a Titan, no doubt.
"Grayson," He answered automatically, and was met by his wife's frantic rambling.
"Rick! Where have you been – I could not contact you at your work!"
"I'm sorry, hon," Rick frowned at her tone – something sounded off, "Is everything okay?"
"No!" Kori's voice rose, and Rick started for the door of the Tower, "The school just called – there's some sort of problem and I have to go over there and–"
"Whoa, slow down there," Rick frowned, "The girls' school called our house? Why?"
"Your children are causing problems, Rick."
"My children?" The ex-Boy Wonder laughed, "I'm pretty sure it's a two-way deal, but nice try."
"Oh, I do not know what to do with them, Richard!" He heard the sound of a car starting up in the background, and figured she was on her way to the school, "It is only the third day of school and already I've had calls from both teachers!"
"I know, hon," Rick suddenly felt very tired, "I'll see what I can do tonight, okay?"
"Okay," She sighed softly, and Rick wished he was standing nearby to give her a big hug, "You should probably get to work."
"Probably," He checked his watch, exiting the Tower and sliding the doors shut as silently as he could, "I'll bet the chief is looking for me."
"Mmm," Kori paused a moment, as if considering something else to say, but seemed to think better of it, "I will see you tonight?"
"Absolutely," Rick promised, "As soon as I get off work." He climbed into his own vehicle, glad he had opted to leave the bike behind, "Don't worry too much about the girls, okay? You take care of the other kids – I'm sure it will all work out."
"Oh, I do hope so, Rick." She sighed again, "I just wish we could do something to make this easier for them… for us."
"I know you do, hon." Rick said sympathetically, "Don't we all…"
"Are you feeling any better, sweetheart?" Karen peeked her head into her daughter's bedroom. She had stayed home sick today – after much protesting on Jynks' part – and Karen was doing her very best to ensure that she had a good day nonetheless. A mini TV had been set up in front of her bed, and a glass of coke sat on her night table, emptied long ago. The little girl looked up at her mother, smiling tiredly.
"Yes,"
"That's good," Karen sat down on the bed, reaching out a hand and rubbing Jynks' forehead, "You're cooling down; that's good."
"We don't have to go back to the hospital, do we Mommy?" Jynks asked suddenly, and Karen felt her heart breaking as she stared into the brown eyes of her little girl.
"No, baby, we don't," she said softly, bending over to give Jynks a hug, "You can stay right here where you belong."
"Okay," Jynks seemed satisfied with this answer, and leaned back into the cushions of her bed, "Mommy?"
"Yes, baby?"
"Can I call my friends after school maybe? I mean, if I'm feeling better – I want them to come over so I know what I missed."
"We'll see," Karen smiled, rising to her feet, "Let's just focus on getting better right now, okay? You still have hours until school's let out."
"…okay," Jynks agreed, turning her attention back to the TV as her mother snuck out of the room. Karen walked down the hall and through the living room, making it back to her office at the opposite side of the large house.
She sank down into her chair, staring at her laptop and the new case she had agreed to the day before. She was doing this one pro bono – free of charge. It was something she did every once in a while to pay the world back for its kindness towards her years ago.
She closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, suddenly flung back down memory lane – back into the world of hospitals and uncertainty and tears… not a place she liked to go very often. Compared to this, Titans East was a walk in the park.
"I just wish it didn't have to be this way…" she thought aloud, blinking away sudden tears as she tried to get back into her work. But then, don't we all…?
"It's all been going so nicely…" Her blonde hair fell in her eyes as she protested, meeting his dark eyes as she tried to dissuade him, "We can't let it get in our way now!"
"I'm sorry, darling," Her husband's voice was tight, and his resolve threatened to waver, but he was firm, "This has to be done – it's for the better."
"But do we really have to split up?"
"Only for a short time," He turned then, taking her face in his hands and kissing her softly, "I have to protect our family, you know that."
"I… I know," She melted into his arms, and for a moment they did nothing but stand there, reveling in one another's company, until he pulled away again.
"I'll let you know how it goes as soon as I make contact, all right?"
"Okay," she nodded slowly, "You're going to find a place in Jump City, then?"
"I'll see if I can't stay with one of my teammates."
"Ex -teammates." She reminded him sternly, and he sighed.
"Yes," he agreed after a moment's pause, "Ex-teammates. Now can you go get the kids into bed? They're still upset with me because we're moving… again."
"Of course, darling," And with that, she left the room, leaving the former Titan alone to sort through his thoughts.
Things just keep getting better and better.