Author's Note: Just want to say that this was written for fun. It's short and I think with this particular story I'll keep the chapters that way. I know most people like long chapters, but I think this makes it feel a little more lighthearted, which is how I want it to be. For now at least.

And not to sound like a broken record, because I'm sure pretty much all fanfic writers who happen to be in school say this, but updating will be unpredictable pretty much with the school year starting and all. I'll do what I can.

Anyway, now about the story. It's obviously an AU, Alternate Universe, and it's a bit of a Batflash take on Maid in Manhattan, only in New Jersey, at the shore and with two guys obviously. I was inspired to write this both while at the beach and from a conversation in the forums. It's mostly centered on Flash, my favorite of the original seven. I hope I'm keeping everyone in character, it's like one of the hardest things I think for writers to do…

A few things you might want to know for the story, in this strange AU it's not unusual for people to have supernatural powers or to wear their spandex superhero suits, cowl not included, in public despite the fact that there are no secret identities. So Bruce Wayne can wear his Armani business-wear and then wear his lovely armored super suit later that day without so much as an eyebrow raised in his direction. It's just one of those weird AU quirks.

Also I happened to feel the urge to bring in some Marvel characters. My feeling is that it is already AU, so why not. Don't be surprised to see other superheroes outside of DC or Marvel possibly, wouldn't it be a blast for Captain Planet to make an appearance, lol. But no promises!

That's it for now. Any questions about this story go ahead and ask me.

Disclaimer: I do not own any DC or Marvel comic characters, Maid In Manhattan, or Aquafina, just so we're all clear.

Warning: Slash in future chapters.

Special Thanks and Dedication To: My beta, Sibaas, thanks a lot for your help.


Maid In Jersey


Rompano Beach was a Jersey beach far southeast from Gotham City. A favorite for those looking for relaxation, it was a no brainer that there would be plenty of hotels and day spas dotting the shoreline. Each establishment looked lovely, and from the water one might describe them as pastel gingerbread houses. These particular beaches were reserved for the usage of the businesses' guests.

The humble folks that actually lived in the town were accustomed to the beaches bordering the bay area instead, the only public beaches they had to call their own. The ocean side beaches were private and those able to afford the accommodations were happily tucked away from Jersey and the rest of the world.

Hotel Aquafina was owned by a friendly African native nicknamed Storm. Her long white locks, deceiving to her true age, was usually twisted elegantly and her typical outfit was a fitting white bikini and matching wrap skirt, occasionally accompanied with a long, white pashmina. Her primary staff consisted of a bellboy, three maids, two cooks, one manager and an activities director. At the advice of the activities director there would be more added to the payroll such as a yoga instructor, masseuse, or, even once, an acupuncturist.

The bellboy was an impish teen who, coincidentally, was blue and furry. His name was Kurt, and several years before he had been an exchange student from a certain place he never wanted to remember. He was a self-teleporter, and his choice of outfit, when not in the bellboy khakis and polo, was a navy and red spandex suit easy for his favorite means of transportation. His golden brown eyes were always lit up in mischief, usually with a practical joke in the works.

He was good friends with Wally West, and had even introduced him to his own best friend shortly after they first became coworkers. Of course Kurt and Gar were destined to become best friends as soon as they met; both were jokers and fuzzy, though Gar was green. Gar had the ability to change into animals; consequently, he worked at a local vegan café a few blocks down from the Aquafina.

Now, Wally, he always was convinced he was cursed, thus how he had ended up at Hotel Aqua. Before becoming part of the Aqua team, he had been, barely, paying his way through the local college by working at an auto body shop. He had known the owner since he was just a kid and the old man, along with the other grease monkeys, accepted him with open arms into the trade when he turned the appropriate age.

Unfortunately, the owner unexpectedly had a stroke the spring before Wal's college sophomore year, and the business was sold, as he had to move back west to stay with his daughter. As the fates would have it, Wally and the new owner didn't exactly see eye to eye. As the redhead would cheekily say, "That guy was a major prick."

For two weeks after quitting, or getting fired, (Some say tomato…) Wally looked for a new job. It didn't last long before he'd found that none of the auto shops within a 50-mile radius were in need of a university student looking to make his rent or college payments. It probably didn't help matters that he and his last boss had parted on bad terms. Apparently references were a big deciding factor between getting hired and being left on your ass. And that's when he finally turned to his friends for assistance.

Roy was absolutely no help. He was too lazy (says Wally) to really come up with any good answers. He didn't need to worry about his job. He was a junior assistant to some multi-million-billionaire. The douchebag was exactly where he wanted to be for the time being. All Wally could say was to hell with his telemarketing idea!

But at least the douchebag was there to give him suggestions.

It seemed that Dick was way too busy helping his boss with whatever trust fund babies need help with to get back to him. He had left at least seven messages.

Well, then again, maybe Dick left his cell in the bathroom when he was having one of his grooming sessions, again. Sadly they all knew from experience that hair gel was impossible to get out of those tiny circuits. And besides, Wal couldn't stay mad at his old chum.

Finally luck seemed, at the time, to give him the thumbs up when Vic told him he knew a chick that worked at some nice hotel in town. He said her name was Kori or something, but apparently everyone who knew her called her Star. Wally refrained from mentioning any semblance to stripper names as Vic quickly informed him (Because apparently Wally was too way predictable) that she was a fellow carrot-top. Reds gotta stick together!


Meeting Star was…strange, to say the least. He suspected she was perhaps from… Eastern Europe (?). Her speech sure did relay that English was not her first language, and she even seemed stranger to some of the most simple and common things. Mustard for example (Didn't they have mustard in Europe?). Though Wally would rather not have to explain what happened there.

No. Stop thinking about it. Just, ew...stop.

She took to him almost immediately. Vic had assured him she was like that to everyone, and no, she was not hitting on him in a strange, new European way. But after everything was said and done, Wal took to her as well; in a more sisterly-brotherly way of course.

Once Star heard of Wally's situation she quickly volunteered to get him an interview at her place of employment and reassured him that there was a dutiful position currently open there. Her pledges and promises were so earnest he had trouble escaping the café they had met up at. Everyone had been staring at the two redheads who were going on like lunatics. One screaming, 'STAR! LET ME GO!' and the other one shouting, 'I SHALL HELP YOU MY FRIEND! FEAR NOT!'. Ah, New Jersey...

One week after talking to Strange Red, Wally received a phone call and he was set up with an interview in four days. A day later Wally was plagued...err...blessed...with a visitor. One dressed in dark red and white spandex. Who just happened to be a nephew he never knew about and, of course, had no other place to go.

After a few hours of Bart asking endless questions about the coffeemaker and the ice cube trays, Wally was starting to think Bart came straight over from the same country as Star, only with a better understanding of English. It seemed that Wal really needed that job now, cause it was beginning to look like Bart was going to be staying a good long time.


"So, Mr. West, you are only 19 years old?" the composed owner of Hotel Aquafina first asked Wally at his highly anticipated job interview. Bart had woken him up five hours early so he could get ready. Wal had been tempted to lock the kid in the crawl space under the stairs he called a closet. But Wally was too much of a nice guy to do that. (More than once…)

The shaggy haired man grinned lopsidedly and resisted the urge to nod his head even slightly. Somehow he figured the less he moved the more likely he'd be able to resist the urge to fall into nervousness and start rambling like a fool, both mentally and physically. Hmm, much like he was doing right now, and he wouldn't go down that path.

Maybe he'd fix that later. With therapy. Someday. Maybe. Right, now, interview, in the middle of, yeah.

This hotel looked too perfect for him not to get the job, and revealing his rather spazz-tic ways would not help in the least. It was just not what a possible future employer needed to see at this stage. He'd hold back until day two, at least.

Instead, Wally straightened up in his seat and put on his most articulate voice. "I will, in actuality, be turning 20 at the beginning of August."

Storm suppressed a smile and continued. "So you are nineteen years old with five years experience at a local auto body shop? Auto Central." Wally blushed and unconsciously scratched the back of his neck in unease. "Well, only 3 years officially as a working mechanic, a year of which as a 'junior mechanic'. The whole two years before was more like me… assisting the mechanics."

Storm hmm-ed and nodded, sorting a few papers on her tidy desk. "So I assume it's safe to say you can take some instruction."

Wally blinked and, forgetting decorum, shrugged a little. "Well, yeah, I can take…them. Instructions, I mean. You tell me what to do and I'll do it in an instant. Drop of a hat, snap of your fingers, speed of sound, sound of light… Because, you know, I-" he coughed, realizing that he was edging into that dark rambling area (At rapid speed) he'd sworn against. "and...the...yes. Yes, I can." Storm let a smile slip in and tucked a stray lock behind her ear.

"And why do you believe you would be suited to working in Hotel Aquafina?" she asked in the most professional voice she'd acquired during the entirety of the interview. Wally suddenly became nervous again, and the tapping sound she made when she straightened her pile of papers against her desk was so not helping.

"Well, I'm great with people, even if they're bas- rude. I've gotten practice with that one. I can… be pretty invisible to the guests if I have to be, 'cause I know how upscale hotels like for staff not to come in contact with guests unless necessary, or whatever. Plus, I'm not such a bad cook, and believe me, I eat enough every day to have built up some skill in that department. Though there was this one time...well...never mind about that..." Poor kitty. Mr. J'onzz still didn't know about that debacle. Or did he... Crap. "And, and, uh, well, I guess I could call myself fairly accommodating. And reliable! I'm definitely reliable!" Storm smiled at his rambling (He did that a lot), nodding calmly at his rapid assurance. Wally only hoped she wasn't laughing at him secretly.

"But can you clean?" Storm, hands folded on top of her desk, finally asked when silence had settled in the room. Wally could have sworn her tone was almost teasing. "Uh, well, yeah. I've been looking after myself for the last couple of years. I don't clean too often, but when I do it shines." (Sort of...) "I'm pretty good, actually. Like a one man army," Wally finished proudly, silently deciding he'd have to make Bart to do some household chores while he was staying with him in the apartment.

"Well, then I see no problem here. The only position we currently have open is for housekeeping, a maid if you will. I was skeptical at first about this, but Koriand'r's persistence was very… well, you obviously know the girl, and I couldn't refuse an interview at least. And now, meeting you in person, I think we'll all be very happy to take you into our little family."

Wally slumped back into his chair and smiled; half in appreciation and half in relief. Things were looking up, even if being a maid was somewhat of a blow to his male ego… "And I'm sure you're glad to finally have found a job now. I hear you've taken your nephew in. Children can be quiet… invigorating."

Wally froze in alarm at her last statement as several scenarios ran through his head. It only took half a nano-second for him to leave all rationality behind and concoct conspiracies ranging from kung-fu stalkers to an unmentioned telepathic power. And shit if she did and was reading his mind, including now, why in the world would she be hiring him? Surely she had to know about all that had been going on in his head from the very beginning? How did the kitty fiasco not turn her off. Uh, not like that, not like that! Sorry! Please don't melt my brain into goo!

Didn't she know it was common courtesy to reveal the possession of such a probing ability. Even if she was in a higher position, it was just plain ru-

Storm's lilting voice cut his inner prattling short.

"The staff here happen to have friends who like to drop by from time to time around lunch. They often spread local gossip." She explained with an amused smirk. "I heard a little something about this young boy possibly being your own son, but you'd have been six years old at conception," she said it with a laugh and it took all that Wally had in him to stop both his eyebrows from shooting up.

"I can't believe my new boss just said that," he said out loud instead. Fortunately, Storm simply smiled serenely at him. "So you accept your position then?"

Wally sighed and hung his head in defeat. "I guess I really have no choice."

NO telemarketing, thank you! "How soon can I start?"


And that is just about how Wally West, charismatic redhead college student, amateur mechanic, reluctant uncle and guardian, and local legendary flirt, became a maid at Hotel Aquafina.


A/N: Hope you liked the story and nothing offended you or whatever. And by the way, I didn't mean anything about eastern Europe by that tidbit, just that, if you met Starfire, where on this Earth do you think she'd be from? I'd say either Africa or Eastern Europe to be honest. What do you think?

Requests are welcome, and reviews are embraced.

Peace.

xx Steph.