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Foundation Formation 8

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Chapter 8: Recovery Time

Even with the help of Raven’s healing powers, Changeling’s recovery was going to take some time.  Superman entered the infirmary just as Changeling was finishing lunch.  

“Hey, boss.  How’s it going?” Changeling chatted.  Superman chuckled.  

“It’s nice to see you’re on the mend.  We’re missing that T-Rex form of yours,” Superman replied.  “I came to tell you that I talked to Batman and Wonder Woman and we wondered if you’d like to spend some time planet-side while you recover.”

“Where would I go?” Changeling asked, adjusting his posture.  Superman took a step forward to push a pillow in behind him and then replied, “Call your kids.  I’m sure they’d love to have you at Titans Tower.”

“Did Raven call them yet?” Changeling asked.  “Vic said she promised she would.”

“We sent her out on mission right after breakfast.  I don’t think she did it,” Superman replied.  Changeling took a deep breath and blew it out slowly as he reached over to the nightstand to get the phone.  Superman smiled and patted Changeling’s shoulder before leaving the room.  The connection picked up on the third ring.  

“Titans Tower, this is Beast Boy!” a voice answered merrily.  Changeling couldn’t help a smile—Caleb really did sound like him at that age.  

“Hey, sport, how’s it going?” Changeling said, grinning wider when Beast Boy gasped.  

“Hi dad!  You should have been here last night!  Toby had a really bad dream and he kept saying that there was something wrong with you and mom.  I told him it was okay and offered him one of my stuffies but we used Emily’s mirror instead and we saw you and mom cuddled up asleep and we knew you were okay so Livie told Toby to go back to sleep and we all went back to bed.  Now you’re calling!  Livie and Emily were right, weren’t they, dad?  You’re okay!” Beast Boy babbled.  

“Yeah, big guy, dad’s okay.  Where’s Livie?  I need to talk to her,” Changeling replied.  Beast Boy’s ears drooped a bit.  

“You sound tired…are you okay, dad?” Beast Boy said more softly.  He started winding the phone cord around his finger with concern.  

“I told you I’m okay, buddy.  I may be coming to visit for a while, okay?  I need to tell Olivia so that she knows that I’m coming,” Changeling said.  He listened as several more voices came into the room on the other end and little Beast Boy cried, “Livie!  Come quick!  Dad’s on the phone and he says he might be coming to visit us!”  

Changeling could feel the apprehension in his oldest daughter’s voice when she took the phone from Beast Boy and responded, “Daddy?”  

“I’m all right, sweetie,” Changeling tried to say.  

“Toby’s dream…he was right…something’s wrong.  What happened, daddy?” Hummingbird demanded.  

“I don’t want you kids to go panicking here,” Changeling said.  “I want to make sure you understand this—I’m all right.  Your mother has been using her healing powers to help me and everything…I had a heart attack last night, Livie.”  

Changeling wiped his free hand down his face as he heard Hummingbird gasp and drop the phone as she started to cry.  Catalyst and Thetis must have been right behind her, because Catalyst grabbed the phone before it hit the ground and Thetis could be heard in the background, comforting Hummingbird.  

“Dad, what’s going on?” Catalyst said in confusion.  

“Your dream was right, son.  I had a heart attack last night and that’s what you must have felt.  Superman just told me that I need to take some time off to recover.  He suggested that I come back to the Tower to be with you kids for a while,” Changeling said.  “If I transport down this afternoon, can you guys be ready?”  

“Sure thing, dad, we’ll set up one of the guest rooms for you,” Catalyst said.  Now Robin could be heard in the background as he coaxed Hummingbird to stand up and take a deep breath.  Changeling took a deep breath as Catalyst asked one more question.

“How’s mom handling this?”

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Intuitive Catalyst had no idea how right he really was.  The Justice League had decided that the best way to help Raven get over her traumatic experience was to keep her too busy to think about it.  When she arrived back at the Watch Tower and finished the debriefing she teleported into the infirmary only to discover that Changeling’s bed was empty.  

“No…” she whispered.  “No…”

“Raven?” said a voice.  Raven turned and Torque was standing there.  “What’s wrong?”

“Where’s Gar?” she mumbled, still not able to take her eyes off the empty bed.  

“Didn’t Superman tell you?  He suggested that Gar take some time off and stay at Titans Tower for a few weeks,” Torque said, resting a hand on Raven’s shoulder.  

“He—he’s okay?” Raven said, swallowing a sob.  

“He’s fine, Raven.  Everything’s okay,” Torque said.  Raven succumbed to tears and buried her face in Torque’s shoulder as she cried.  Torque stood for several minutes holding Raven, assuring her that everything was okay.  

“I didn’t even get to say goodbye,” Raven sobbed.  

That night, another emergency mission took Raven out into the field.  There would be no time for Raven to mourn the loss of opportunity.  

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Several uneventful days went by at Titans Tower.  Rosemary had settled into her new room, and Changeling was doing his best to be patient with his doting children.  He knew that they meant well, but they were trying far too hard to make him comfortable.  He didn’t want any special attention.  He simply wanted to spend some quiet time, get better, and go back to full time duty—both as a hero and as a husband.  This time without Raven beside him was almost as painful as the heart attack had been.  

About a week after Changeling began his leave at the Tower there was a knock at the door.  

“I got it!” yelled Rumble, thudding down the stairs and opening the door.  On the other side, slowly soaking in the light early morning rain was Raven.  

“Auntie Raven?” Rumble said, standing aside and closing the door after Raven had entered the tower.  By the time she was inside, the rest of the young Titans were emerging into the entry hall.  

“Mom?” Thetis said, coming forward to hug her mother.  

“What are you doing here?” asked Hummingbird.  As she hugged Raven, she noticed what her teammates had not yet seen.  Hummingbird lifted the edge of her mother’s cloak and revealed the sling that covered Raven’s arm.  “Mom, what happened?”

“A stupid mistake,” Raven said, gritting her teeth.  She recalled the story of a mission where Raven had gotten into a hand-to-hand situation with a foot-soldier and had lost.  The minion had gotten the upper hand and dislocated Raven’s right shoulder.  If one of their teammates had not been there to cover her, she might not have lived through the battle at all.  

“It’s not like you to not concentrate during a battle, mom,” Catalyst said.  

“Batman and Wonder Woman decided that since I can’t seem to focus since your father’s heart attack, that it would do me just as much good to be here as it should be doing him,” Raven replied, sinking into a chair.  

“Raven?” said a familiar voice at the top of the stairs.  Changeling hurried down the staircase and Raven met him at the bottom, throwing herself into his arms.  

“Baby, what happened?” Changeling cried when he spied the sling.  

“I messed up,” Raven muttered. “I haven’t been able to concentrate on anything since you left the Watch Tower.  I didn’t even get to say goodbye before you left.”  Changeling brushed the tears from Raven’s face with his hands and smoothed her hair, the void in his daily life filling little by little with even this little bit of contact.  

“I missed you so much,” Raven murmured.  

“My angel,” Changeling replied, taking Raven carefully in his arms and kissing her.  When their lips touched, both spontaneously leaned into the kiss, venting the longing each had been suffering without the other.  

“Eww…”

“Yikes!”

“Eep!”

“Um, dad?  Why don’t you take mom upstairs and help her get settled?  She’s probably tired from the trip,” Catalyst laughed as Beast Boy peeked out from beneath Catalyst’s cape.  Changeling smiled and guided Raven up the stairs with him, the two still talking in hushed tones as they went along.  

“That’s so romantic,” crooned Thetis.

“That’s so gross!  They’re our parents!” squeaked Beast Boy.

“For the moment, I’m just glad that they’re together again,” Hummingbird said.  “The transmission I got from the Justice League was pretty clear.  Mom could have died out there.”  

“Then it’s a good thing that they have us,” Catalyst said.  “They raised us, now it’s our turn to show gratitude and take care of them.”

“They’re by no means helpless, Toby,” Jason said, starting the procession back up the stairs.  

“I never said that they were.  I’m saying that it’s common sense for us to be as good to mom and dad as we can while they’re recovering,” Catalyst explained.  

“I’m glad Auntie Raven is here,” said Rosemary, folding her long arms over her chest.  “Uncle Changeling was being a grumpy-pants.  Maybe he’ll be good now.”   The other Titans laughed.  

“Let’s hope so, sis,” said Robin with a grin as he patted her on the back.  “Let’s hope so.”

* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Recovery Time"

Summary: Changeling is recovering from his heart attack, but he's not the only one not feeling like himself.

TT and JLU: DC/CN
The Young TT: Me!
Aries: ~animania
Silver Nova: ~meglet
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