Hey dudes and dudettes! Been a while! But you know, life can keep you busy... So just enjoy and SMILE!

Names

It was a peaceful Saturday morning in the Logan household, or at least as peaceful as it could be there.

"Can you pass me the ketchup?" twelve year old Gem asked her five years younger brother, pushing her green bangs out of her eyes.

Aurum gasped and his purple eyes widened: "You ruin perfectly sweet, homemade tofu-waffles with ketchup?!"

"Y'know I 'm not that fond of sweets, 'Rums, so shut up and pass me my favorite!"

"That would be a crime, Gem! I'm not going to assist you in this!" he objected.

Diamond, Gems' twin brother who sat right next to Aurum, didn't seem to share the same fears and encircled the ketchup bottle with his dark powers to pass it to her.

"Oh no, Monty, you're not gonna help her either! You're already condemned for eating meat, you shouldn't enlarge your sentence by assisting another crime!" Aurum argued and tried to stop the older one with his own black energy.

"Can't you three behave just once at breakfast?" their eldest sister Jewel now meddled in and tried to break both of their powers with her own demon powers.

Gem, the only Logan child who couldn't use the black demon powers, used her own special powers instead and turned into a green squid and grabbed the bottle with her eight arms.

The fight for the ketchup bottle started to get out of hands, literary. "Stop that, Gem!" "No, you two let her eat what she wants! We live in a free country after all!" "But it's a crime!" the siblings argued. Suddenly the bottle couldn't withstand the pressure anymore and just exploded, decorating the whole kitchen with her former, very red content.

"Oh no! It's always the innocents that die in battle!" Gem sighed theatrical as she had transformed back.

"Look at this mess, Gem! That's your entire fault!" the eldest declared pointing at her stained shirt.

"Yeah, just because you wanted to commit a food crime! You should know better!" Aurum chimed in.

Diamond just rolled his eyes, then turned pale as he discovered their mother at the doorstep. Obviously Raven Logan wasn't happy at all… She had her arms crossed over her chest, wore a frown and her eyes displayed the slightest hint of a red glimmer, always a sign of danger. She had had the night watch and just got home as Gar had left for the day shift after preparing breakfast. Apparently the night had been rather rough considering her low amount of patience.

"Care to explain why my kitchen is in such a state this early? Your father and I leave you alone for five minutes and this is how you show us how grown and responsible you are?" she scolded them.

The four children lowered their heads in shame and fell silent. Only Aurum dared to mutter: "But it was a food crime…"

With a snap of her finger Raven made the mess disappear.

"Before any of you continues his breakfast, you deserved each a half an hour of your personal punishment so you can think about your actions!" she pursued.

All her kids groaned in annoyance, they knew what this meant, though their mother would repeat it as always, plus their waffles would have to wait.

"Aurum – meditation! Gem – eyemask! Diamond – take care of the greenflies on my violets! And Jewel – "

"I know, I know, I listen to the thunderstorm tape, got it…" she mumbled and earned a stern look from her mother.

They all hurried to their punishments, they knew it would only become worse, if they objected further.

With an exhausted sigh Raven let herself fall on the next chair at the table and served herself a share of waffles. She was glad to be home after this horrible night, even if the first thing she had to do was to put the offspring into place. The last night she had to come to help Melvin, Màs y Menos and their team at a fight against Johnny Rancid and his son Teddy, who went high wire with some robotic pets. In the end she had put the villains in jail and the young heroes in hospital. Maybe she was getting to old for the hero business, she mused. At least she would get a half of an hour of peace now. Or so she thought, as the doorbell rang.

With another sigh she got up and opened the door. To her relieve it was Melvin standing in front of her. The blonde woman had become like a little sister to her and after the events of the past night she was glad that she was still there.

"Melvin! They already released you. I'm glad," she stated.

"Hey Raven!" the younger heroine greeted her with a weak smile and a hug, "Yeah, they patched me up rather quickly, but Màs is still there waiting for Menos. He got it rather bad, but at least he is out of danger…"

"Do you want to come in and wait for the two inside? You surely hadn't had any breakfast yet." Raven invited.

"Thank you," Melvin said before a sob escaped her lips and she fell into Ravens arms crying, confusing the elder woman entirely. She dragged her in after she made sure that Bobby was comfortable lying in the garden in front of the house, of course invisible for the world but a big patch of flattened grass gave his position away.

As they both sat at the kitchen table, a mug of tea and a plate of Gars' tasty tofu-waffles in front of each, Melvin had calmed down mostly.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Raven inquired. Usually her husband took care of those friends and relatives in tears, so she felt a bit uneasy.

"Màs and I… had a fight. He said I shouldn't be out fighting anymore in my… condition. If I would have stayed home, he and Menos wouldn't have gotten hurt in order to protect me… But I'm a heroine! I can't just sit at home when there is crime to fight! I…"

"Wait, Melvin, what condition?" the empath interrupted.

The blond woman blushed as she said: "Màs and I are expecting a baby!"

Ravens jaw hit the floor as she said: "You know you're pregnant?"

"Yeah. I'm only in the fourth month, so I didn't want to tell to too much people in case something got wrong…"

"Melvin! You know you're pregnant and still out there fighting. That's why you lost so easily last night. And I already thought why you all fought so miserably…" Raven scolded.

Melvin lowered her head in shame and repeated: "But I'm a heroine…"

Raven put both her hands on the younger woman's shoulders as she said sternly: "As a heroine you are responsible for your team too, and your team can't fight right when you are putting yourself in unnecessary danger, what is exactly what you did last night. It is important to know when to better stay back, even if it's hard for you."

"You're telling me the same thing as Màs is…" she huffed with crossed arms.

"Then he is right! Melvin, he loves you. And I'm sure he doesn't want you or his unborn child in any danger. He was very upset when we drove to the hospital and you were unconscious. I healed all of you as good as I could, but even my powers are limited to my exhaustion point. "

"But he shouldn't have yelled at me like this in public!" she pouted.

"You have to consider how worried he is right now. Not only he and Menos share a special bond but he is also just half as powerful without him. You were very reckless, Melvin!"

The imagination manifester started to cry again: "Oh Raven, I'm such a horrible wife!"

"Now you're exaggerating again, dear," the purple haired woman said, taking Melvin in a hug to comfort her.

After a while, the young woman calmed down again and they sat in silence for a while until the starving Logan kids returned from their punishments.

"We are deeply sorry for our irresponsible actions, Mom!" Jewel stated in the name of them all as they waited at the kitchens doorstep to be allowed in again.

"Fine, you are forgiven. Now come in and say hello to Aunt Melvin."

The children greeted her joyful and even the blonde women lightened up in their presence.

"So when is your baby coming, Auntie Mel?" Gem asked curiously as they all sat at breakfast again, her waffles topped with ketchup. Aurum didn't dare to interfere again but he wore a disgusted look as he glanced at his sisters' plate. At Gems' words the other three watched the adults in confusion.

"Gem, have you been eavesdropping during your punishment?" her mother frowned.

"It's not my fault I inherited Daddys' enhanced hearing!" the teen objected.

"Your children get punishments?" Melvin asked playfully faking shock.

"They have to confront their discomfort when they have misbehaved, so they have time to think about their misconduct actions and feel the discomfort they caused the other," Raven explained patiently.

"Just the way back you used to treat Garfield when he misbehaved in his youth?" the younger asked with a wicked grin, causing Raven to blush slightly.

"That… was absolutely different."

"You're not still punishing him when he acts out of line, are you?" Melvin taunted.

"We're in front of the children, Melvin. And if you'd like me to shut up in front of your child about how you treated Mas before your wedding, you should keep your quiet now…" the empath threatened.

The kids had followed the conversation with interest but where deceived, as their mother had shut their visitor this fast.

After a while eating in silence, Gem dared to repeat her question about the expected birth date.

"In about five months," Melvin replied with a sheepish smile.

"Have you already chosen a name for it?" Jewel inquired. She knew from experience it was a rather big thing.

"Not yet. It's still early though."

Raven smiled softly at her eldest: "Do you remember how you used to help us find names for your brothers and sister, Jewel?"

"Urgh, don't remind me! That is so embarrassing…" she moaned.

"Would you mind to tell me, how you found the names for your children?" Melvin asked timidly.

"Woohoo, time for a story!" Aurum cheered.

And even the twins chirped: "Yeah, come on, Mum!"

"Alright," Raven gave in, much to Jewels dismay.

In her seventh month of pregnancy, Starfire kept bugging everyone about names, but no one as much as Raven, who would give birth in two months as well.

"Friend Raven, I insist we go through those lexica of names! You can certainly not wait until your baby is born to think about this matter! In Tamaran we believe that the name greatly influences the future of the child!"

Raven sighed. If only they already had moved into their new home, but she still had to wait six months until their house was built. To her big dismay, that meant that she was to spend most of her time with Starfire alone, while the males of their team were busy either fighting crime or surveying the progress of their houses. She liked Star, she was her friend, but she was almost unbearable during her pregnancy. Considering that Raven was expecting as well, it was no wonder she wasn't that patient either.

"Kori, I won't decide on a name without Garfield."

"But you can make the considering which names would be a possible choice!"

Again the dark empath sighed, this time in defeat and gave in: "Alright. To make the time pass…"

When Changeling, Nightwing and Cyborg returned this evening, Starfire had written a three feet long list of names, she considered while Raven hadn't found one that really stroke what left her in a rather bad mood. As she had gotten too depressed, she had left her pregnant companion and awaited her husbands' return in their room.

"Good evening, beautiful! How are we tonight?" Gar grinned as usual despite his tiredness when he entered. Just the sight of him made her feel better.

"We're okay. I was just a bit down because I couldn't find a single name in Starfires' books I liked."

He put his jacket on the hook and walked over to her, putting her in a tight hug.

As he kissed her on her forehead he comforted her: "That's because our little treasure is very special! We can't give her an ordinary name from a stinky book, Rae."

Raven smiled slightly at him. She was a bit embarrassed as she thought how helpless she currently was without him, but then she got an idea.

"As what kind of treasure you would describe her, Gar?" He gently caressed her swollen belly and kissed her on her neck while she asked him that.

"Maybe a Jewel? Something unique and special and valuable?" he suggested.

She cupped his face with her hands and locked her eyes with his.

"'Jewel' it is then," she said before they shared a passionate kiss. She was persuaded she wouldn't waste another day with such pointless problems when she could solve them together with him in mere minutes.

Gem snorted: "Unique, special, valuable?" what earned her a punch from her older sister.

"Shut up you two. So how were Gem and I baptized?" Diamond said in his signature monotone.

Raven and Garfield sat on a bench in their garden on a warm day in the middle of July discussing some matters concerning their yet unborn twins. In about two months they would be born. In the meantime, three year old Jewel was playing with her doll, letting her float around occasionally. After a while she started to look at her parents with interest, as they discussed names, got up and walked over to them.

She tugged on her fathers' arm to gain his attention and asked: "Daddy, why did you name me Jewel?"

"Because we treasure you very much, puppy," he responded with a smile.

"So my baby sister or baby brother will be named like a treasure too?"

Raven and Garfield exchanged a look and smiled now at each other.

"That is a brilliant idea, puppy!" Gar said joyful, "Thanks goodness that you use your brain like your mommy…"

"Any suggestions, Jewel?" Raven inquired.

After a big thoughtful pause she said: "My biggest treasures in the world are my friends Xand'r and Iris, but their names are already taken…" Jewel didn't understand why her parents had laughed after her answer, but neither took any offense in it. Apparently she had said something funny. She liked to be funny.

"What treasures do you know people hunt after, Jewel?" her mother pursued after composing herself.

"Power… Fortune… Fame… Love? But I don't like those names…" the toddler frowned.

Her father picked her up and placed her on his lap, declaring with a huge grin: "You are the wisest three year old girl in the world, puppy! And I am very proud of you!"

She returned his smile then said: "And you are the best Mommy and Daddy in the world! I wouldn't trade you for gems and diamonds like the girl in the movie did the other day!"

They all shared a hug before Jewel left them again to return to her game.

"What do you think about 'Diamond' and 'Gem', Gar?" Raven asked as they watched her first born play.

He laid an arm around her and pulled her closer as he answered: "They really fit perfectly." They had a brilliant little girl.

"So Jewel chose our names unintentionally?" Diamond asked unbelieving with a dropped jaw.

"That is really a cute story!" Melvin stated touched.

"Yeah, yeah, we're a big, happy family, yatada, yatada. But what about my name?" Aurum pressed.

As Raven got pregnant with Aurum it was rather unexpected, but they looked forward to welcome him like the three before. Like the last time, they intended to decide on his name as a family during Ravens seventh month, but things got in between. As they finally managed to discuss the topic together, it was already two weeks before the expecting date and they still hadn't a name that fitted.

"How about 'Iris'? I like that name," Diamond stated.

"You dummy! Iris is already Iris! Plus 'Iris' is a girls' name!" his older sister objected.

"He should be called 'Ketchup'!" Gem interrupted loudly.

"Uhm…" their father turned helpless to his wife.

"So what would you name our baby-brother, miss know-it-all?" their son still argued with Jewel.

"How about 'Gold' or 'Silver'? We are all named after some treasure…"

"Sure, why not call him 'Goldie'? Or 'Goldielocks'…" the boy snickered.

"Ketchup! Ketchup! Ketchup!" Gem still insisted jumping up and down on her seat.

"Uhm…" Gar repeated.

Raven massaged her temples to prevent a headache to come up, as she listened to the conversation of her children about their youngest siblings' name. Suddenly a smile appeared on her face and she looked up.

"What do you think about 'Aurum'?" she said quietly. Knowing that her whole family was gifted with enhanced senses she didn't need to speak up louder to be heard. The former bickering stopped immediately and all eyes were on her. "It means 'Gold' in Latin," she added smiling.

Gar grinned and agreed immediately.

"I told you 'Gold' or 'Silver'!" Jewel shot sticking out her tongue to her brother who plainly ignored her.

"'Aurum' sounds cool…" Diamond added.

Only Gem pouted slightly: "I would like him more if he would be called 'Ketchup'!"

They all sat laughing at the kitchen table as Raven had finished telling her story. As they calmed down one by one, Aurum nudged his sister in the side mocking: "You wanted to call me 'Ketchup'!"

"I truely would have liked you better if you were called 'Ketchup'…" she shrugged sincerely.

"I'm glad that Mom and Dad chose Jewel to inspire our names… Imagine how you would have been called, if she had a saying in it, Monty!" Aurum taunted.

"Beside the fact, that it wouldn't have been possible, genius, I would have chosen a great name for my twin brother," Gem stated huffing.

Diamond gave her a glance then turned slightly paler as he said: "You seriously would have called me tomato!"

"It doesn't sound that bad in Latin, you know!" she said offended.

"Yeah, because 'Lycopersicum' is such a cool name…" Jewel agreed sarcastically.

Before the bickering could go out of hand, Melvin got up.

"Thank you very much for breakfast and everything, but I'll leave now."

"Didn't you want to wait for your husband and your brother in law?" Raven wondered.

"Raven, I'm about to start a family like yours, I should take more responsibility on the family I already have. I'm going back to the hospital apologizing to them and look after Menos. Afterwards I guess we need to organize a replacement for me for the rest of my pregnancy…"

Raven got up, smiled at her sister-like friend and hugged her: "I'm very proud of you, Melvin. Go ahead and do the right thing."

They all gave her their goodbye and started to clean up the kitchen.

"You know, if I'll ever have a son, I'll probably call him 'Lycopersicum'… We could call him 'Persy' for short." Gem mused.

"For the sake of your children, please let your future husband choose the name of all of your children," her twin begged.

Meanwhile Jewel thought about another name-related matter: "You know, Mum, maybe Aunt Starfire was right about the relation between names and future. I mean, look at Aurum. His nickname is 'Rums' and he makes a lot of things explode so…"

"Shut up! I don't' do it this much anymore!" her youngest brother shouted, but unfortunately blew up the light bulb in the kitchen lamp in the same time.