A Mother's Day Story
Author's Note:
This is another holiday fic, but for Mother's Day this time. So…enjoy. This may seem short, so bear with me. I had to do something quick before I went to a friend's house. So, please don't be too mad!

-Raven A. Star

It was a sunny afternoon in Jump City. The sky was blue and people were out and about in the park enjoying the wonderful weather. The Titans were at the park as well.

The boys (along with Starfire) were once again playing football. Raven was off meditating under a nearby tree.

So far, the day was going great for Raven. No villains. No corny jokes from Beast Boy. No pudding meals from Starfire. Lastly, nobody was bugging her. However, that didn't last long.

A little girl showed up at the park without anyone with her. She walked over to Raven and tugged at her cloak.

"Um...excuse me?" Raven peeked out at the girl and sighed. 'This was just too good to be true.' The girl tugged at her cloak again. "Um, miss Raven, can I ask you a question?"

'Here I go, the answer department.'

Raven relaxed her arms and looked at the girl. "Sure, why not? What is it?"

The girl shuffled her feet nervously. "Well, my name is Emily and well, soon it will be Mother's Day and I was wondering if you would help me get a gift for her..."

Raven blinked. 'This girl disrupted my meditation to ask me if I would help her get a GIFT for her MOTHER!' Raven wanted to yell at the girl to buzz off and bother someone else, but instead, Raven stood up and took Emily's hand.

"Sure. I'll help."

The girl smiled brightly at Raven and the two headed off downtown.

The two walked down the main street and looked into the windows at many of the gift shops they had there. There were candle shops, book stores, shoe stores, clothing stores, anything anyone could ever dream of.

Raven looked into a store that had a bunch of crafts in the window that were made for gardens.

"So, what exactly are you looking for?"

The little girl bit her lip and looked at the ground. "That's the problem. I don't know exactly."

Raven wanted to smack herself on the head for agreeing to this search. She bent down and looked the girl straight in the eye.

"Do you know what your mom likes?" Emily shook her head. Raven sighed. 'Okay, this was going to be harder than I thought.'

Emily must've noticed the frustration in Raven's expression, so she tugged at Raven's cloak again.

"I have an idea for a gift!"

Raven looked down at her while rubbing her temples. "What?"

The girl smiled. "The gift has to be able to live through the wind and rain and the hardships of winter!"

Raven picked up the girl and carried her over to a garden store with a lot of little items that are used in gardens.

"Why didn't you say so before?"

Emily tilted her head. "Cause I never thought of it before."

Raven patted the girl on the head. "Cute. So, anything in mind, a plant, a decoration, gazing ball, you know..."

"They wouldn't last very long."

Raven stopped in her tracks. "But it wouldn't stay outside forever, won't your mom take it inside?"

Emily frowned. "My mommy won't be able to move anything."

Raven tilted her head. "So your mom's injured?"

"Kinda."

"Why don't you make something for her? Mom's like cards and drawings and..."

"My mommy won't be able to see it."

Raven groaned. "Is she blind?"

Emily's frown deepened. "Not the blind you might be thinking of...she just...won't be able to see it."

"How about get her a tape cassette or CD or something. Music, everyone likes music..."

Emily looked like she was going to cry. "My mommy can't hear it either."

Raven wanted to scream. 'So, this mother can't do anything, she can't see, she can't hear, what is she, dead?'

Raven looked at the girl firmly. "How about I see your mother?"

Emily hopped out of Raven's arms and landed on the ground gracefully. She took Raven's hand and lead her out of the city towards a large, grassy area where large business' hadn't taken over yet.

In a few minutes, Emily had led Raven down a dirt road with trees on either side. Raven was getting impatient now.

"So, where's the house? Where's your mom? Where are we going?"

Emily took a turn towards a small gate that was in the middle between two big trees. "Follow me." She pushed the gate open and the hinges squeaked. Raven walked behind, following the child.

Emily walked through the brush with Raven close behind. Finally, a clearing was up ahead and the girl ran out into it. Raven walked briskly into the clearing.

Seeing nothing, Raven snorted. "Alright, what's going on? Where's your mom?"

Emily sat down by a fairly large slab of rock that was stuck in the ground. Raven turned and was about to start lecturing the girl but stopped when realization hit her full force.

The girl's mother had passed away.

Emily was sitting and crying while she stared at the rock. Raven took a closer look and saw words inscribed on it. 'Laura Hemmingway: died at the age of 28 due to a car accident.'

Raven felt her eyes begin to water. She kneeled beside the girl and hugged her. "I'm sorry. I didn't know..."

"Nobody knows. Not even daddy, but he's been gone too..."

Raven looked curiously at the girl. "What do you mean he's been gone too? Did he...pass on?"

Emily nodded. "I just don't know where he is now. I only know where my mom is."

Raven felt horrible. "So, who are you living with?"

Emily wiped the tears from her eyes. "I ran away from the place they kept me at because they wouldn't let me go outside and get a gift for mommy. They wouldn't even let me mention anything about her. They forced me to do chores to try to keep my mind occupied but I wouldn't let them do anything about making me forget. I will always remember my mom."

Raven hugged the girl even more. She wanted to make the girl feel wanted in this world. She couldn't let Emily go back to the orphanage. Suddenly, an idea popped in Raven's head. "How about you come and live with us?"

Emily looked up with a surprised and tear-stained face. "Me, with you? And the other Titans?"

Raven nodded.

Raven then took her cloak's edge and wiped the tears off of Emily's face. "I know that I could never replace your real mom, but how about I be your best friend instead?"

Emily smiled faintly and then squeezed Raven in a child hug. "That would be most wonderful! Thank you so much! My mom would be so happy if she were here to see this! She would really like you. You are very nice!"

Raven picked up Emily and then began to walk back to the gate. She then walked down the road and entered the city several minutes later. She went back to the park and met up with the other Titans.

Beast Boy ran over to her. "Yo, Raven, we were about to go on a search for yah. Where were you?"

Raven gently placed Emily on the ground. She looked up to the other four Titans. "We will be having a new family member if it's alright with you." She nodded to Emily. "This is Emily. She needs us to be her new friends."

Robin stepped forward. "But wouldn't she be better off with someone else?"

Raven glared. "She isn't going with anyone else! She's staying with us!"

"But the orphanage..."

Raven cut in. "The orphanage tried to make this little girl forget about her past life with her mother and father. They forced her to work, they were mean. I won't tolerate that. And besides, who's going to laugh at Beast Boy's jokes?"

Beast Boy grinned. "I'm in! Emily stays!"

"And try new types of food?"

Starfire flew over and hugged the girl. "My vote is in! Emily shall stay with us!"

"And play video games and wax the T-Car?"

Cyborg grinned. "You got me there!"

"And help us train?"

Robin paused. He then sighed. "Alright, she can stay."

Everyone cheered. Raven just smiled. She then tapped Emily on the shoulder. "We'll be right back. We have to get something for a certain someone..."

The four other Titans followed Emily and Raven through the path and into the clearing. Cyborg was carrying a large package wrapped in brown paper that was tied in twine.

Emily led them to the stone that was stuck in the ground and kneeled before it. Raven used her powers to lift the old stone out of the ground and set it off to the side.

Cyborg placed the package on the ground and Emily unwrapped it. She smiled faintly and looked up to the other Titans. She then sighed.

"Mom, even though you may not hear me, but I have a gift for you. It is also from my new friends and family. I love you mom. This new gift will last long, but not as long as my love for you." She wiped her eyes which started to water as she spoke. Raven knelt down beside her and gave her a gentle hug. "Happy Mother's Day mom."

Cyborg lifted up the package and placed it where the old stone was. It was a brand new gravestone. Polished and etched in fine detail was 'Laura Hemmingway: died at the age of 28 due to a car accident.' Also, included in it was a picture of an angel in the background with her wings spread delicately like lace. The stone was a light shade of pink.

Emily bent forward and kissed the angel's face on the stone and stood up. Raven took her hand and the six walked home to the Tower.

The End