The sun comes up as it shines to all over the mansion. Passing through the thin white curtain, it touches the resident empath's skin that makes her stir up from her good sleep, reminding her that it's time to wake up and start a new day. She's on her violet pajamas and on her real appearance, not wearing her Holoring for she doesn't need that for her sleep. She glances at her side, where the changeling was supposed to sleep, but there's no sign of the said changeling, assuming that he already got up earlier than her. Without further delay, she puts her Holoring, changing her appearance into her civilian form, and changed her clothes for a casual ones.
After a few minutes, she got up from their room and started wandering the hallways of their son's mansion. No matter how many times she looked everywhere, she couldn't help but still be mesmerized by it. She then asked some of the maids and the bodyguards for her partner's whereabouts. Eventually, she found him on the mansion's wide balcony, together with their son Garry, as both of them were playing chess against one another. Garry was on the white pieces, while Beastboy was on the black pieces, and they were currently in the middle game.
She decided to check on them, wearing a smile that could melt someone into goop, "Hello, boys!" she greeted as Beast Boy noticed her and gave each other a peck on their cheeks. She then asked them sweetly, "So, who's winning?"
Garry answered her, feeling the frustration on his face, "I don't know, mom. We're still in the middle of the game, but Dad might be winning."
"Are you sure, son?" Beastboy interjected before moving his queen piece.
"Is that so?" Raven asked as she left the two alone and went to the kitchen, where she saw Martha and Starfire cooking something.
"Oh, hello girls!" greeted Raven, "What are you both cooking?" She then took a look at the casserole to see what it was. Her stomach suddenly twisted, and she felt like she wanted to hurl and puke. The vegetables were way too thick and not peeled or sliced properly; the meat was in disproportion to one another, and the broth's color was in the mix of green and black, as if they were making a potion instead of a meal.
"Oh hello, friend Raven! Friend Martha and I have been cooking Beef Stew for everyone!" Starfire exclaimed as she gave her friend a bone-crushing hug, resulting in Raven tapping her friend's arms frantically, before letting go. Raven coughed up and took a deep breath, pinching her nose from the foul smell before speaking, "This is a Beef Stew? It looks like a mess."
"Really? I followed everything from the recipe from a magazine though." Martha added as she showed the said magazine to Raven, who read the contents. After which, she gave the two girls a loud sigh, not believing that even her granddaughter-in-law could be so exotic and disastrous as Starfire when it comes to cooking. Dropping the magazine and sighing in defeat, she went into the kitchen rack and got an apron of her own. "Buckle up, darlings. I'll show you how to cook the REAL Beef Stew." Raven said as she raised and clenched her fist in front of the other girls. Martha and Starfire then smiled brightly from delight and immediately went beside Raven as they taught the other girls their cooking expertise.
"Yes! I won!" Garry exclaimed joyfully as he beat his dad at chess.
"Well done, son! You've definitely become better." Beast Boy complimented his son, who was still in the middle of celebrating. Just then, Raven suddenly appeared and called out to them, "Darling! Garry! Lunch is ready!"
"Lunch? I thought Mom was making us snacks?" Gary wondered, taking his cane.
"Maybe there's a change of plans." Beast Boy said as he stood up from his chair. "Let's go inside." He then replied, and both of them walked into the house. After a few minutes, they reached the dining room, where Raven, Martha, and the other three Titans were already seated with food in front of them. They both took a seat of their own and gazed at their food.
"Beef stew? What's the occasion?" Beast Boy asked, grabbing his spoon and fork.
"Nothing special, honey. Martha and Kori wanted to cook one. So, I helped them." Raven replied, not forgetting to use their aliases as she took her own utensils.
"Really? Well, let's eat then." Beastboy said as he took a portion of his meal. Everyone else followed suit and eventually, they all took a bite. A moment of silence passed before most of them began squealing and squirming around in delight, except for Beastboy, Raven, and Garry, who found the dish to be normal and delicious.
"This is beef stew? I've never had such a delicious stew in my whole life! I'm so glad I got to try it!" Martha exclaimed internally as she savored the flavor in her mouth.
"Tamarenean cuisine is definitely delicious, but this Earth delicacy is absolutely delicious on its own!" Starfire internally squeals with delight as she caresses her cheek with her free hand, chewing the meat inside. "So good!"
"I already had beef stew several times before with Bruce and the others, but this... This is a work of art! A masterpiece!" Robin thought to himself as he took another sip of the stew.
"Oh, the meat is so tender; it's like eating marshmallows! The flavors in the stew are so divine and blend together perfectly! I want more!" Cyborg mused as he raised his plate and scooped the entire stew into his mouth with his spoon.
Eventually, Beast Boy, Raven, and Garfield finished eating their meal peacefully. The three of them sighed in satisfaction before Garfield started sharing his thoughts, "Ahhh! That's so delicious, just like the old days, mom. I absolutely missed your cooking."
Raven smiled at her son, "Thank you, Garry! I do miss this life with you and your dad too."
Suddenly, several plates were raised onto them, gathering their attention. "Another serving, please!" Martha, Starfire, Robin, and Cyborg cheerfully asked, showing their enthusiasm in front of Raven. Smiling, Raven stood up and started walking to the kitchen, saying, "Alright then. Fall in line and I'll give you all another serving one at a time." Like some children, the four people in question cheered and immediately went after Raven, who was preparing the spare stew on a silver cart provided by a maid. Just then, the doorbell went off, grabbing everyone's attention.
"A maid should take care of it, don't worry." Garry dismissed it pretty quickly. After a moment, a maid appeared and went to Garry, giving a respectful bow before notifying the master of the mansion. "Master Garry, Madame Sarah has arrived and is currently heading towards the dining room." The maid said politely.
"Okay, thank you. You may leave." Garry replied as the maid did another bow before leaving the room. Raven finally took her seat before Garry asked the two of them, "So, Sarah's here, mom, dad. What are you going to do?"
The pair looked at each other first before Beastboy answered his question with a smile, "We'll see."
After a while, a gray-haired woman in her seventies, strong, yet petite due to her age, wearing a red scarf, white blouse, black slacks, and black stiletto heels, entered the dining room with a gentle expression on her face. "Hello, Garry! It's been a year! I missed you!" The woman greeted the manor of the mansion, who returned the same sentiment to her.
"Hello, Sarah! I missed you too! How are you?" Garry replied as he gave her a warm hug.
"I'm fine, thank you." Sarah replied before noticing the Titans, three of whom were still eating actively while the other two were just looking at her and Garry, like a parent watching their child having fun with their friends at a birthday party. Confused, she asked her older brother, "Garry, who are they and what are they doing here?"
"Oh, about that…you won't believe this one. Take a guess who they are?" Garry said excitedly, totally wanting to mess with his sister for a moment. Sarah then looked at the two of them, inspecting their features, before looking back at Garry. "What are you talking about!? What's so special about them!?"
With a wicked smirk, Garry then got closer to her, "You'll see…" He then looked at the pair. He cleared his throat and addressed the two of them, not revealing their identities first, "Well you two, What are some things that only our parents would know about Sarah?"
Instantly, Raven went first, saying, "Her full name is Sarah Isabelle Smith, and she was born on December 25th, 1935—a Christmas baby." Beast Boy followed suit, adding, "She's known for being a troublemaker inside and outside the house, but still a kind and gentle little girl." Both of them continued to answer alternately.
"Her favorite color is red, but she hates seeing blood."
"She likes eating candy and ice cream, but she doesn't like broccoli, carrots, or peanut butter; they look gross to her."
"The boys in the neighborhood are so scared of her because she punched three boys once, and one of their teeth were pulled out."
"She's also good at sewing and baking."
"She had also once punched both of her first and second boyfriends, leaving them bloodied, for cheating."
"She usually names her teddy bears, and her favorite teddy bear is the brown one with a red tie. She calls him 'Michael,' and I've even seen her cuddling him in her sleep several times."
"She also hates Barbie dolls, and that is because she's afraid she won't look like them when she grows up."
"There was one time that she almost got injured when she climbed up a tree and then slipped. Luckily, I managed to get there in time to catch her. Finally…"
Both of them then take a deep breath and then say to them one last thing at the same time with a gentle smile, "We always love our little adorable gremlin!"
Sarah stood stunned, unable to believe that a complete stranger could tell her so much about herself. She then looked at her brother, who was also in a state of shock, and asked him, "Did you tell them anything about me, Garry?"
"What and why would I even tell them!? I don't even remember most of it!" Garry said in defense. "Beating up boys was one thing I knew, but your nickname? What the hell!"
"I was a free-spirited child at that time." Sarah shamefully said, then looked back at the pair. "Regardless, knowing all of these things about me, don't tell me..."
"Yup. Those are our parents." Garry stated as Beastboy and Raven waved their hands at her. "Hi, little baby!" They both greeted cheerfully. In that moment, that shocked her even more. Her parents? Alive? In different bodies? She didn't want to believe that it was true, but fate played her like a fiddle. Just then, tears started rolling down her cheeks as she slowly walked towards them and gradually raised her arms.
"Mom? Dad? Is that really you? Can I believe that both of you are really there?" she asked in disbelief, having a fleeting thought of hallucination. It was only dismissed by her mother's warm and gentle voice, "It's okay, sweetie. Your mom and dad are here. We're finally back home." With that, Sarah ran straight to their arms, hugging and crying the life out of them. The pair returned the favor by gently hugging her.
"Mom! Dad! I'm so glad that both of you are alive!" she exclaimed between her tears, "I missed you two so much!"
"We feel the same, Sarah." said Beast Boy. "We miss you too." He gently stroked her hair and continued, "We're also glad that we're alive."
That went on for a while. Martha and the three Titans stopped their eating spree for a moment. Everyone around couldn't help but tear up at what was happening, just like what had happened yesterday, especially Starfire whose tears were like floodgates opening, also just like yesterday.
Sarah had never been so happy in her entire life. After all, she finally met her parents after they passed away many years ago. Now, the family is finally together, within each other's grasp and arms.
Later that night, Sarah eats her beef stew, taking her time to chew the meat and savor its rich taste, leaving her squirming with delight as she exclaims, "This stew is so delicious! Nothing can really beat my mom's cooking!"
"You can take some more if you want, sweetie." Raven reminded her gently.
"Okay!" Sarah nodded in a childlike manner as she continued to eat. After a moment, she started asking them, her mouth still full of meat, "Since when did you recover your memories?"
"Hey, don't talk while you eat, Sarah." Beast Boy said, taking a clean cloth from the table.
"You don't have to do that to me anymore, Dad! I'm an elderly woman already!" Sarah pouted. Regardless of her age, both Beastboy and Raven found her adorable. "Anyways, answer my question."
"Oh, right! Well, we recovered them about three weeks ago." Beastboy answered.
"How did you manage to get them back?" Sarah asked curiously. Beast Boy and Raven suddenly tensed up a bit; they shouldn't have known about their duties as superheroes. Raven tried to cover it up by saying, "Well, your dad and I happened to be in an accident. It was a huge shockwave, and the two of us just happened to be in its vicinity. So, we were the ones who got blasted. Luckily, both of us are alive and well."
Sarah takes a sip from a glass of water before speaking, "What are your status with each other before that shockwave you spoke of?" Raven was taken aback by her question. Now that she thinks about it, what did she feel about Beastboy before the accident happened? At one end, she found him annoying, childish, and an idiot. One who could ruin someone's day just by his presence alone, and that someone happened to be her. On the other end, he could be the most reliable friend and ally you could ever have. He could be mature and understanding most of the time, completely contrasting at what he usually was. Judging its pros and cons, Raven eventually found an answer. "He's my best friend." She answered with a small smile on her face, and so is Beastboy. Even before the accident, he found Raven smart, beautiful, kind, and graceful, despite the times she was angry at him for the pranks and shenanigans he did in the past. Now that both of them have their old past lives' memories, it only intensifies his feelings more, and no other woman could ever be above her when it comes to basically anything. With that, he also answered with whole honesty and love and a grin on his face, "She's also my best friend, more than I could ever have."
Both of them blushed at each other's view of their relationship. Sarah, on the other hand, had just finished her meal with a sigh of satisfaction. Afterward, Garry entered the dining room, carrying four tickets in his hand. The three of them noticed it, and Sarah then asked, "What are those for and when did you get these?"
"This actually, I managed to buy us earlier some tickets for a theatrical play like we used to do." Garry explained as he put the tickets on the table, showing them to the three occupants. "I just wanted to, you know, spend some time as a family, just like before." He meekly said, squirming around from his shyness, like a kid asking permission to go with his friends, despite being at his old age. The three of them gave him a loving stare, Sarah then holding his hand and Raven answering his request for all of them, "Sure, sweetie. We can go there if you two want."
"Yes!" Garry exclaimed in joy, punching the air upward from too much glee as he was excited for their upcoming family bonding tomorrow. The other three couldn't help but be amused by his little victory dance.
"Are you ready now, hon?" Raven, wearing a lilac floral summer dress, white sling-back heels, an equipped Holoring, and her hair in a ponytail, raised her voice, calling out Beast Boy who was still inside the mansion, together with Garry and Sarah. Jerry and Martha happened to be out on their own date, while the three other Titans had to go back home, reluctantly refusing Garry's offer to take them home by his driver, not that they know their other means of transportation.
"Don't worry, love! I'll be there soon!" Beastboy replied loudly from the inside, rummaging through something unknown to everyone. After a few minutes of waiting, Beastboy finally emerged from the house wearing a white muscle shirt, green jacket, blue denim jeans, black Air Jordan shoes, and his own equipped Holoring. He also carried a Polaroid camera in his right hand.
"Took you long enough! We're getting bored here." Raven pouted at his slight tardiness.
"Sorry about that. Anyways, let's take a picture, just the four of us." He then set up the Polaroid camera to ensure everyone was in the frame for a selfie. After clicking the button, a piece of small photo paper ejected from the camera. Beastboy took it and shook it, revealing an image of all four of them smiling in their selfie. They were all pleased with the result.
"Shall we?" Raven asked, receiving multiple nods from the other three before they all got into a blue minivan with Lance driving.
"Please take care of us, Lance." Garry said to his personal butler.
"Rest assured, sir. I will ensure this travel is safe and sound." Lance humbly promised. Just then, their minivan was on the move, eventually leaving the mansion's premises.
They traveled ten minutes before reaching the theater, where there was a moderate number of people, mostly composed of adults and the elderly. Garry instructed Lance on what to do, which he simply obliged before leaving with the minivan. Everyone lined up, waiting for their turn to submit their tickets. Then they entered the theater, grabbed some popcorn and soda, and found their respective seats, waiting for the play to begin.
Beast Boy whispered, "I never thought Everlasting Summer was still around these days. I just thought it would be buried underground since theater plays aren't as popular anymore."
"Well, it's a good piece actually. Maybe this time people will appreciate this one, since there are also young folks out there." Raven replied, still whispering. "Besides, some of the cast members were youngsters too. I heard some of them were actually the sons and daughters of the previous cast members of the same play."
"Aren't we technically young folks too?" Beast Boy whispered quietly, mostly joking.
"I suppose we are…" Raven agreed. "But we have the memories of the old soul. So maybe, we were always out of the loop."
"Shhh! The play's about to start!" Sarah shushed her parents, reminding them as the lights suddenly became dim and the red curtains were raised, revealing the stage with the living room as its background.
The play went smoothly for a while, and it was evident that the family of four were deeply enjoying it. They laughed, they cried, they were shocked and terrified. The actors and actresses, along with the staff and crew members behind the scenes, made the play even more interesting in their own right. Just as it was heading towards the kissing scene, someone shouted out of nowhere from the back row, interrupting the whole play. "Boo! It's so boring; I could even make a better story than that!" that person complained loudly. Everyone turned around to see who it was, including Beast Boy and Raven. Both of them were horrified to see who it was: it was Control Freak.
"What are you babbling on about, fat man?" one man in the audience spat at him, which irritated the obese teenager.
"If you really want to see a good play…" Control Freak threatened, taking out a remote controller. "I'll make you all become part of my play!"
"Don't!" both Beast Boy and Raven shouted, but it was too late as he pressed the play button, causing everything in the room to be covered by strange, colorful, swirling lights, and teleporting all of them away to God knows where instantly, leaving no trace of their presence behind.