Together
Title: Together
Summary: A one shot centered on Mas y Menos and their life until joining the Titans East. Number five in the same series as Touch, Quiet, Waiting and Noon.
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans
Pairings: Teresa/Miguel (twin's parents) Grams/Gramps (twin's grandparents)
Warnings: Slight angst, mentions of abuse, character death
Winter-Rae: If I knew Spanish I would probably have written all of it in Spanish to make it more realistic. But I'm not that skilled. Enjoy anyway. A big thank you too acosta perez jose ramiro for translating the dialogue for me! Much love to you and I hope you enjoy!!
Together
Think back about 13 years ago to a small hospital in Barcelona, Spain. It's around 2 o'clock in the morning and sitting in the waiting room is a young man in his mid twenties; even though his job as a construction worker makes him look about 10 years older. He's sitting in his chair with his hands folded under his chin; he looks like he is praying for someone, three someone's in particular.
Moments later he gets up and starts to pace the room nervously. He's feeling anxious thinking to himself that it's been way to long now. Just when he is about to go and ask the nurse at the desk about the condition of his wife, who has spent the last 12 hours in labour, the doctor comes out of the room to greet him. He is wearing a large smile on his face as he sticks out his hand to the young man.
"Felicidades," he said, "Son gemelos." (1)
The mother of these two beautiful twins is lying in her bed thanking God for the safe delivery of her first children. However she is now also begging that the smaller of these little ones survives through the night. The younger of the twins is healthy and currently laying in a small incubator next to his mother's bed. His eyes are wide and alert as if he feels something is wrong, knowing that someone else is supposed to be here with him.
He begins to cry; the nurse picks him up and lays him on his mother's chest. She holds the little boy gently kissing his forehead. She speaks softly to him and he begins to calm down. She looks up at the nurse and smiles. She speaks to her as well, the baby is not sure what she is saying but soon he is being lifted again and being taken to another room. He begins to cry again, wanting someone other then this stranger to be carrying him.
He is placed down minutes later on a warm bed next to someone; someone he knows and someone he is very familiar with. The baby opens his eyes and looks to see his brother next to him. His identical twin is lying with tubes coming out of his mouth which are connected to a big machine. He can hear the beeping of a heart monitor. He's not sure what all these things are for but he reaches out and grasps his brother's hand.
"Estoy aquí," he thinks, "Estarás bien." (2)
Two days later the younger and stronger of the twins is able to be taken home but the mother refuses. She tells the doctors and nurses that the older boy needs his brother with him now and she isn't about to separate them. The father rolls his eyes at this but listens to his wife. She was a twin too so she has experience in things like this. One nurse agrees wholeheartedly with this as she saw how the other reached out and took his brother's hand, it helped.
A month goes by and soon both little ones are given a clean bill of health, for the most part. The older of the two has been diagnosed with a heart condition called 'Mitral Valve Stenosis'. What this means is that one of the valves in the little one's heart is not opening all the way, so one part of his heart is not being filled with as much blood as it should be.
The doctors are not optimistic that he will survive very long. They say five months, if he's lucky. The father is of course devastated. He has prayed for sons ever since he married his wife, now to hear he might lose one of them. The mother however is passive. Saying that her sons will both live full and happy lives; the doctor is surprised by her boldness but he smiles. He hopes the child will be alright too, these twins seem special.
Each day with the twins is a gift; they are both bright eyed and happy children. They are also never far from each other. They are fed together, bathed together, and sleep together in the same room and crib. Their family does not have a lot of money so having two cribs was very impossible. But the babies don't mind, they prefer to be together then apart anyway.
Five months has come and gone and both babies are doing just fine. A visit to the doctor tells them that their older son, Gabriel, is doing much better. Dreams are dashed once more as the doctor tells them to always be on the watch with their son as his condition could flare up at any time and cause him terrible pain and possibly even kill him. The younger twin, Michael, sits on his father's lap while Gabriel sits on his mother's.
The years go by until the twins are six and have been in school for a few years now. The teachers have tried to encourage them to play with the other children but they both refuse, preferring to be with each other and on their own. By now both of them have developed their own distinct personalities and ways. Little Michael is quiet and reserved while older Gabriel is loud and straightforward, often getting himself in trouble.
Their mother is happy that the both of them are doing so well. She hides the fact that she herself is not well. Cancer, you see, has invaded her body and is slowly killing her. She is late for supper as she has to go for treatments. This angers the father when he comes home from work drunk again. He hits her but still she says nothing, soon he is packing his things and leaving, trying to take little Michael with him.
He tells the other boy how Michael is his son and he isn't. This makes Gabriel angry; he won't let that man take away his brother from their mother, or from him. He hurries to his brother and grabs his hand telling him that he doesn't have to leave and that they can both stay with Mama. Michael nods and grips his brother's hand tightly. Suddenly, and out of no where the two of them are gone, no one can catch them.
They return home hours later to find their mother crying at the kitchen table. When she sees them however her tears vanish. She gathers them up in a hug and swears that no one will ever separate them. She tells the little boys that she loves them both more then anything and that she always will. She also tells them never to separate or leave each other as they are strongest when they are together. The boys nod, they couldn't agree more.
The next day they are moving to stay with their mother's parents. It's fun. Gramps always has a good and funny story to tell them about when they were babies and Grams cooking is almost as good as Mama's. Their mother has to work in a restaurant now while they go to school. She wants them to get a good education and be doctors one day. Neither of them wants to be a doctor but they do their best to get good grades, for her.
The twins eighth birthday rolls around and while having cake and ice cream with their family Mama falls to the floor in a faint. The twins are at her side in an instant holding her hands tightly. She is taken to a hospital where the doctor tells her parents that she only has a few hours at the most to live. The twins are in shock, how could their Mama be that sick without them knowing it?
Gramps tells them that their Mama is a very headstrong woman and that she didn't want them to worry about her. Gabriel is angry with her while Michael is just sad, yet he understands his brother's anger. She promised that they would never be separated right? So why was she leaving like this? Why now? He doesn't understand it at all really. He places his hand on his brother's shoulder and offers a smile.
"Estoy aquí," he says, "Estará bien." (3)
Gabriel smiles back and takes his brother's hand. The two of them are allowed to say goodbye to their mother. They go into her room and she pulls them up onto the bed with her. She tells them that she's sorry she has to go like this and that she loves them with every part of her. Whatever anger they might have felt towards their mother vanishes in that instant. She's not leaving them for good; they will be together again one day.
She holds them close and rocks them how she used to when they were babies. She tells them that she wants them to do great things. She wants them to stay in school and work hard. Always help someone who needs help she tells them, make lots of friends and never leave each other alone. She goes on to tell them again that their power is only strong when they are together. They don't really understand what she means but they nod.
"Mamá," Gabriel says, "Te amamos." (4)
"Por siempre." Michael adds. (5) She smiles
"Lo sé, mis ángeles. Yo también los amo, para y por siempre." (6)
They both fall asleep in their mother's arms. She leans and kisses their fore heads, looking at Gabriel you would never have known he was so sick as a baby and Michael is slowly coming out of his shell. She knows they will both be fine with her parents. She has called her sister to tell her about them. She knows her sister won't make it before she dies but she knows that she will make sure they understand, her eyes close for the last time.
The morning comes and the boys realize that she has passed on. Their eyes fill with tears not really believing it as she still looks beautiful. She even has a small smile on her face, a smile she saved for them. Grams and Gramps take the boys home and start to prepare for the funeral. The two of them are hurting too as she was their little girl. Her twin sister hasn't been home in years but today she called and said she's coming.
Their aunt arrives the next day. The first thing she does is catch them up into a bone breaking hug. They look at her; she looks to much like Mama, not nearly as pretty though in Gabriel's mind. She smiles at them and says she is here to help Grams, Gramps and them if they want her too. Michael nods while Gabriel shrugs. He doesn't care either way, he's angry with this woman. Where was she when Mama was so sick?
She can read his face and knows what is running through his mind. She tells him that she and his mother got into a fight many years ago and that it was her fault not his mother's. She was stubborn and refused to see things from their mother's point of view but when she heard about her being sick she wanted to come home and be with her, she felt her sister's pain she said. This statement interests Michael very much, he wonders if his mother and aunt have a connection like him and his brother.
After the funeral they show her what had happened the night their father tried to take Michael away. After holding hands they took off at super speed, tearing around their grandparent's farm and stopping in front of their aunt. At first she looks at them in shock and then she smiles. She kneels down to their level and places her hands gently on their shoulders.
"Tú eres Mamá y yo podría hacer lo mismo," she said. (7) She then went on to tell them that the two of them shared a magnetic connection so if they were ever lost or separated they could always find each other no matter what. Gabriel frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. He told her that they were never, ever going to be separated so they wouldn't have to worry about it. She smiled and nodded, patting his head.
At ten years old the two of them had been training and living with their aunt. She became like a second mother to them. They were still in school like their mother had wanted them to be; Michael was getting straight 'A' while Gabriel was more of a 'B' and 'C' kinda kid. But now they were being trained to be superheroes too. This was what Gabriel liked, this was fun for him and they finally had a handle on their powers.
Their aunt told them what she and their mother had fought about that day. Their mother had wanted to stop the crime fighting and settle down to have children and she wanted her to do the same since their power was useless without the other. She went on to say that she wanted to prove she could do things on her own and do she left, never talking to their mother for years.
She also said that she wished that she had the chance to say sorry to her sister because she was right, having children was the most rewarding experience in the world. Gabriel couldn't believe that she really regarded them as her own children instead of just her nephews. His eyes welled with tears and he hugged her, apologizing for being mean to her before. She returned the hug and kissed his forehead.
"Los amo a ambos," she told them. "Siempre y por siempre." (8)
They continued living with her for another few months until someone came to their door looking for them. By now they were donning their superhero outfits their aunt had made for them on a regular basis. They had even picked out names for themselves. Mas y Menos. Plus and Minus. They both thought it fitting as when they were together they were fast but when they were apart they were no faster then any other 10 year old.
Their aunt was out for the afternoon so they answered the door. There, looking down at them, were three older teens. They looked like heroes, judging by the spandex. There was a girl who made them think of a bee, some red head pretty boy with a comb, and an ebony eyed young man. Mas and Menos looked at each other and raised an eyebrow not really sure what to make of these three.
"Hi," the girl said, "Is your mother here, can we come in?"
"No y No," they replied. (9) She frowned while the pretty boy snickered. The other young man offered his hand.
"I'm Aqualad," he said, "This is Speedy and Bumblebee."
"We came to talk to Mas and Menos," the one called Speedy said.
"Somos nosotros, niño bonito," they said. "¿Qué es lo que quieres?" (10)
"We want to offer you a place on our team," Bumblebee said, "We're forming the Titans East, you ever heard of the Teen Titans?"
The twins nodded.
"Well we have heard about you both and thought you would be a good asset to the team."
"¿Podemos hablar sobre esto primero?" (11)
"Sure," Aqualad said. The twins had zipped across the room.
"¿Qué es lo que piensas?" (12)
"¿Por qué no? Puede ser divertido; especialmente molestar al chico bonito." (13)
"Estoy de acuerdo. ¿Qué hay de nuestra tía?" (14)
"Podemos decirle cuando regrese a casa; ella va a querer que continuemos con la escuela, por supuesto, así que podemos hacer eso y todavía estar en el equipo." (15)
"A Mamá le hubiera gustado esto también¿verdad?" (16)
"Claro; ¿no recuerdas lo que ella nos dijo que hiciéramos?" (17)
"Si." (18)
"¡Esto será todo eso y más!" (19)
"Okay, entonces hagámoslo." (20)
"¡Más y Menos si podemos!" (21)
The twins zipped back over to the others.
"Okay, de acuerdo, les ayudaremos, chicos; sólo tenemos que preguntarle primero a nuestra tía." (22)
"Perfect," Bumblebee said handing them each a communicator, "Once you've done that call us on this and we'll come and get you and bring you to Steel City where our Tower is."
The twins nodded and waved as they left. Their Auntie came back soon after and they told her what had happened. She smiled. They could tell she was happy for them but she was also wrestling with herself. They knew their mother would have wanted them to stay together but this was a really wonderful opportunity for them to pursue everything she had wanted them to do. She gathered them into a hug and nodded.
"Ustedes dos harán cosas grandiosas," she said. "Tanto su madre como yo estamos muy orgullosas." (23)
"Gracias por todo, Tía." (24)
"Yo estaré aquí si me necesitan." (25)
They got in contact with Bumblebee and told them they were all packed and ready. She and the other two came and picked them up to bring them to their new home. Once there the twins immediately ran through the building, checking out every inch of the place in about 2 minutes, they made a stop of two. They were impressed to say the least. It was big, roomy, and had lots of space for them to run.
"No está mal," they said. (26)
"Yeah it's not finished yet," Aqualad said, "But it's nice."
"Place is a dump," Speedy muttered. Bumblebee tossed a drill to him.
"Get to work boys," she said, "We have a tower to build."
"¡Más y Menos sí podemos!" (27)
Winter-Rae: Was that bad? I hope not. I think this one is my favourite out of the five. Mas and Menos are the cutest little things out there. When I first saw them I think it's safe to say that I squealed in delight. I mean come on, who doesn't love hyped up, quickster twins who you don't understand a word of what they are saying? And how excited was I when I found out that they are the first characters who were only made for the show to be added into the comic!?!? I don't read the comic but I love that fact they are being added into it. Anyway I still want to try and write one for each of them separately but for now this will do. Next? Jinx, I think.
Translations
1. "Congratulations," he said, "Its twin boys."
2. 'I'm here,' he thinks, 'you'll be okay.'
3. "I'm here," he says, "It'll be okay."
4. "Mama," Gabriel says, "We love you."
5. "Forever," Michael adds.
6. "I know my angels, I love you both too forever and for always."
7. "You're Mama and I could do the same thing," she said.
8. "I love you both," she told them, "Forever and for always."
9. "No and No," they replied.
10. "That's us pretty boy," they said, "What do you want?"
11. "Can we talk about this first?"
12. "What do you think?"
13. "Why not, could be fun, pretty boy looks like he'd be fun to annoy."
14. "I agree, what about Auntie?"
15. "We'll tell her when she comes home; she'll want us to keep up with school of course so we can do that and still be on the team."
16. "Mama would have wanted this too right?"
17. "Of course, don't you remember what she told us to do?"
18. "Yeah."
19. "This will be everything and more!"
20. "Okay then let's do it."
21. "Mas y Menos yes we can!"
22. "Okay sure, we'll help you guys out we just have to ask our Auntie first."
23. "You'll both do great things," she said, "You're mother and I are both so proud."
24. "Thank you for everything Auntie."
25. "I'll be here if you need me."
26. "Not bad," they said.
27. "Mas y Menos yes we can!"