I look disbelievingly at my family sitting around the picnic table. It's my sixteenth birthday. I just blew out the candles.

"We know that you have been missing the Titans." Says Alex halfheartedly. "And we know how much you loved being a Titan. So we've come to an agreement. . .We want you want to go and live with the Teen Titans. We want you to go back to Jump City."

My heart stops.

"Is this what you guys want?" I ask dumbfounded.

The Omegas look down at the table morosely. Holly tucks a strand of her long blond hair behind her ear before looking up. "No. Not really." she wishers. "But if it's what you want, we'll support you."

I look around. This is my family. My brothers and sisters. Sure we aren't actually related but, family is more than blood. Is about those you hold closest to your heart. And for me, the Omegas are as close to my heart as dirt on a pig. Could I really leave them behind.

"And like . . . you wouldn't be leaving us forever." states Tyler. "We could still get together."

"Totally!" exclaims Jayden. "We could like, get together every weekend!"

The table quiets down. Im conflicted. On one hand I have my family. And I would throw myself in front of a bullet without a hesitation. And on the other I have the Titans; a group of crime fighting teens who fight crime like its no one business. And I would help them even if I was halfway across the country.

Alex places his hand on my lap. "Its just an idea." he muses quietly. "Don't feel like we're telling you to leave."

I slip his smooth hand in mine and stroke the top of his hand with my thumb."You guy would really be willing to let me go live with the titans?" I ask. "What about PrimaTech? What if they come back? What if they come after you guys?"

Jayden huffs and rolls her eyes. "Puleeze! I don't think Prima Tech will be bothering us anymore. I mean, you saw how Chase ran from us last time!" she exclaims. "And besides. They have what they want. They created their ultimate meta so . . . why would they bother us? What do we have that they don't already?"

"Besides for charm, good looks and a serious sense of style?" denounces Madison. "Not much."

"Exactly!" exclaims Jayden.

Despite felling sad, I smile. True - I didn't see any real reason as to why PrimaTech would come after us again.

I sigh. "Are you guys sure? You all ..."

"FOR GODS SAKE GIRL! WE SAID YES!" shouts Logan.

"We have all made a life here." says Danny. "Yet you still dream of fighting with the Titans. We have all started living our own lives. We go to school and we have made friends. We have all found our place. It's time for you to do the same."

Alex drapes his arm around my shoulder. I look up. The sun sets his blond curly hair on fire and the yellow light illuminates the shadows under his features.

"It'll be ok." he says. "It'll be ok."

Alex kisses me on my forehead, and before he steps away, I close my eyes and try hard to memorize this moment. I want to remember him exactly as he is right now, how his arms look perfectly tan against his white shirt, the way his hair is a little too long in the front. Even the the fading bruise above his lip.

Then I'm watching them as they wave goodby through the back window of the taxi cab. The car glides across the asphalt and they get smaller and smaller.

At that exact moment, I thought that I might never see them again. . . because it felt final. I always believed that we would find our way back to each other every time. That no matter what, we would be connected—by our past, by our blood. But this time, this last time, it felt final. Like I would never see him again, or that when I did, it would be different, there would be a mountain between us.

I knew it in my bones. That this time was it. I had finally made my choice, and so had he. He let me go. I was relieved, which I expected. What I didn't expect was to feel so much grief.

I turn around in my seat and look strait forward. The driver asks where to and I reply by saying, "Jump. Jump City please."

This is an anthem to the homesick
For the beaten
The lost, the broke, the defeated
A song for the heartsick
For the standby's
Living life in the shadow of a goodbye

Do you remember when we learned how to fly?
We play make believe
We were young and had time on our side
You're stuck on the ground
Got lost, can't be found
Just remember that you're still alive

Lyrics for Paradise Fears - Battle Scars