A/N: AU where Zatanna came to the Wayne Manor instead of going to the cave.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the future OCs!
After the initial shock had passed, she had felt as if she had lost everything. The single most important part of her young life, gone. Well, not gone really, just not here. Because yes, there is a difference between the two. Gone meant not coming back, and she refused to believe that. Not here was more of a...a temporary absence. That's all it was. Her father was coming back, he had too.
But, until then she would just have to suffer. Suffer in this crippling, dark loneliness. It was a new and scary feeling. It was hard to hope when you were lonely. There is no one to nurture it and see that it survives the dark times. This is why she could say quite confidently that she had, in fact, lost everything.
Flashback-
Zatanna sank to her knees as her father donned the helmet and left with the criminals as Doctor Fate. She barely registered the light weight and warmth of the arm wrapped around her shoulders. And she isn't sure how long she has sat their crying but when she looks up everyone is gone except Robin who is sitting next to her, and Batman who is facing away from them saying something quietly to the communication device in his ear.
Zatanna sniffs and wipes her eyes, but makes no move to stand up. Robin says nothing, he just remains a quiet companion, and Zatanna is grateful for his silence. It isn't long before batman turns and looks at Robin, who stands but stays where he is. When Batman's eyes land on her she looks down and wipes her eyes again.
"Zatanna," His deep, gravelly voice punctures the silence, " You are going to come stay with me and Robin, at my home. We need a night to get the preparations done, so tonight you will spend the night at the cave."
Zatanna nodded solemnly, not really caring right now. Robin held out a hand which she took, and the boy helped her up. The three of them stood there for a while, Zatanna wasn't sure what they were waiting for until she hear the roar of an engine, and the famous batmobile skidded to a halt in front of them. If it was any other day, she might have been excited, but not now.
The drive to the cave was probably a long one, but she still wasn't registering much other than her father was gone. She choked back another sob, if either the Bat or Robin heard her they ignored it, and she was grateful.
Batman and Robin had stayed long enough to make sure Ms. Martian had a bed ready for the young magician before they got in the batmobile once more and peeled out of the cave.
End flashback-
She was in that bed now. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't hers. She wasn't in her house. She wasn't even in a house. She was under a mountain right now. And this...this was so unlike home.
She wanted to go home. She wanted her father to be waiting for her with open arms when she got there. This just wasn't fair. How had she let this happen? And yes, it was her fault! She was the one who put on the stupid helmet! Her father was gone, she was alone, and it was her fault.