Zatanna has finally finished working under cover for Clarion the witchboy, and she goes to their apartment.
Dick, though still on break from the team and the league, occasionally goes out at Nightwing in Bludhaven.
Zatanna starting taking off her costume but hardly seemed there, distraught, as something Clarion said while being taken away by Dr. Fate rings in her head over and over. "Your power might have won today and I'll give it to you, that you are a powerful magician indeed, but not even all of your power can save you from a hero's fate. To live alone, unhappy, unrealized, and unloved. So in the end, you'll always lose as long as you remain a hero.!" He screamed through unveiled poignant laughter.
She looked at her…her father, she forced herself to think the words, and could see what Clarion meant. She thought of her best friends, who had lost the loves of their lives and were trying to put the pieces back together again.
How many hero's had put their lives on the line every single day, only to be treated so unjustly by life.
She was in the shower now, letting the hot steamy water work its way unto her body after fully drenching her long black hair. She held herself there, thinking…
It was around one in the morning when Nightwing came home. He was surprised to see her awake, cooking and cleaning no less at this hour. It could only mean she was stressed, but nonetheless he walked over to her while was working the stove and put his arms around her waist.
"Hey," he said nonchalantly. Placing kisses around her neck, she laughed nervously, which was odd for her and kept her eyes fixed on the thick Italian soup she was making.
He moved his mouth up and down her neck, not waiting for a response. He knew it relieved her stress and he could stay in this moment forever, but suddenly she turned around in his arms and grabbed his face; kissing him fiercely.
He responded though not with the aggression and need that her body exuded, without breaking the kiss she pushed him back unto the counter. Then she broke the kiss momentarily to grab a quick breath and bite his lip momentarily.
That did it.
He spun them around swiftly and hoisted her up unto the counter and pulled her robe open, his kiss trailing down her neck unto her tender breasts. She ran her fingers through his hair, wrapped her legs around his waist pulling him closer to her, and hugged him.
Oh no, not a hug he thought
"Dick, wait," she whispered, loud enough for him to hear.
"Hmmmmm?" he said, kissing the outline of her jaw. She laughed a breathless and shaky laugh. "Wait," she said again.
He pulled back and frowned at her. She gave him the pouty face, she knew he always fell for and he sighed in defeat. She gently took off his domino mask and let his ocean blue eyes flood into the vision of her own.
She looked at his handsome and strong face, thinking about just how lucky she really was to have him and how much she really truly loved him.
Her words got stuck in her throat, her face began to flush and she looked around the kitchen. "Want soup?" she asked.
"No, I want you," he said, voice still rough. She got goosebumps on the back of her neck and to distract herself from how his proximity made her feel she pecked him on the lips three times. Dick knew, the minute she started pecking him, he was losing the battle.
"Oh come on Zee, don't tell me, you did all of this so I would eat your soup. Because for the record, I would've eaten it anyway!" he protested. She turned around and open the cupboard behind her, and grabbed one small bowl and a large bowl.
"I made garlic bread too." She countered, just as she said that the timer made a ding letting them know the garlic bread in the oven was done. He sighed, pulled her off the counter and walked over to the oven and turned it off, then looked at the pot of soup. After the long night he just had, he could eat the whole pot himself.
Zatanna smirked as she walked over and saw the way he eyed the food. He looked back at her, "This isn't over yet," he warned.
She laughed, "Okay, okay." she agreed throwing the over mittens at him. She grabbed the ladle and they served themselves dinner.
They had finished dinner and were washing the dishes together, when Dick notices how obsessively spotless everything was, urging him to wonder what was going on. Not that Zatanna didn't clean often, but there was always something wrong whenever the tiles behind the stove sparkled. "Care to share your thoughts with the rest of the class?" he asked.
She smiled, he knew her so well, though the a.m. dinner could've been a giveaway. It was no secret that Zatanna loved her sleep. She sighed, putting the last of the wet dishes on the side of the sink. Her lilac silk robe was still open and she was wearing a matched pair of lace underwear. She jumped up to sit on the counter, where Dick had placed her earlier. He grabbed the wooden stool and sat across from her, "Did something happen?" he asked, pressing her to start.
She still couldn't get the words out and shook her head in response, without her permission tears started to brim over her eyes.
"Zee?" Dick asked in a tense and worried tone now.
"It's the stupid witchboy Clarion," she said, "he got in my head today. Dr. Fate and I finally trapped him and he said no matter how powerful I am or become, that I would never escape a hero's fate."
"What? The witchboy? He's deranged, what does that even mean? He's just trying to phase you Zee." Dick said trying to soothe her quickly.
"No, Dick, he's right. It's like no matter how much good we do, no matter how many lives we save, we never get our happy ending. Just look at Wally and Tula, and Artemis and Kaldur because of that. Or my dad and Fate.? It's like we give up so much only to end up alone and…."
"Zatanna, what.? What are you saying.? They were heroes, we are heroes…our lives are always on the line. It comes with the territory, it's hard but….." Dick struggled to finish.
"But what Dick? What's the point? I don't think I can do this anymore." She said softly. She moved off the counter and walked over to him, he opened his arms and she sat in his lap surrounded by his warm embrace. She placed her dainty but strong hands on either side of his face. "I can't lose you Dick, I don't know what I would do. Artemis and Kaldur…what they've gone through. I just can't. I won't."
Dick looked into her eyes seriously and intently. "What are you saying?" he asked again in a clear and strong voice.
Zatanna still looking firmly in his eyes, took a deep breath. "I want out, out of the hero business for the both of us. It doesn't have to be forever, but I can't afford to lose you right now. I love what we have too much and I don't even want to risk it. You can just be Richard Grayson and run Wayne Inc., and instead of doing my shows, I can teach. I still have my degree in education and we can just live a civilian life. We could start a real life here Dick, not some pretense, we could just be ourselves, we could even own a pet, I mean we would have to start small like a goldfish but just think about being normal. Haven't you ever wanted that?" she asked.
"Of course, I have I just thought maybe I would do that later on in life." He said. "Maybe sans the goldfish though." He joked.
"But that's just it Dick, the chances of their being a later is slim with our line of work. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, not with memories of you." She hesitated as confessed, her face felt like it was on fire and fresh tears were springing into her eyes. "I love you so much Richard Grayson, if I lost you it would be like losing part of myself. I want to do this for you, for us, for our future." She closed her eyes and placed her warm forehead to his.
"I want a life with you." She whispered.
They knew they loved each other but this was a whole new level of commitment, this was a life choice. A whole new ball game as civilians, as partners in life, and if he wasn't ready for that yet, if he rejected her…..they couldn't move on from this. This was something they both knew.
"My biggest fear is not having you come home," she continued with a breaking voice.
He chuckled, "I know, I know, that's why I put in twice the effort to make sure I get back here."
She took a big shaky breath. "Dick, I'm pregnant." She said finally.
He took in a sharp rattled breath of his own. They were silent for a long moment before he finally spoke.
"Well, good thing we ate before this conversation because otherwise the shock paired with an empty stomach would've just about killed me." He joked shakily.
She bit her bottom lip and he took her face in both of his hands, "You don't have to worry so much Zee, I promise, I'll come home to you and this baby every day. I don't go out as Nightwing as often anymore, just when the team or league needs a hand,"
"Which is often," she interjected.
He laughed. "Yes, which is often, but I hear you Zee and you don't have to be scared to ask or want that of me, because I am yours and if this is what you want for right now, then we'll take a break together. We'll live civilian lives, be parents, join the PTA and the whole nine yards. Hell, we can even get the goldfish, as long as we're together," He said.
She started crying completely then, knowing how much she had just asked of him. He hugged her close while she cried and kissed his neck.
"So, I'm gonna be a dad, huh?" He said still a bit shell shocked. "Batman is gonna have a cow,"
Zatanna pulled away to read his face. "But we'll have a baby and a goldfish, I think we win." She chuckled through her ever cascading tears. He didn't respond for a long moment and she brushed his face with her fingers. "Are you scared?" she asked softly.
She knew that Bruce was like a father to Dick. That his opinion, meant the world to him and he would want his support on this decision.
He looked at her beautiful face, before letting his eyes rake over her body, still visible with her open robe. He got down on both knees, and placed the side of his face to her stomach before looking up again. "Of Bruce having a cow? Not so much. About being a good parent? A little but I have to say, I am really feeling the aster right now."