Firstly, can I just say that I am so so so so sorry that this thing took me ages to update! I was mental blanking for weeks on this chapter, and now I've just finally finished writing it. Thanks for the support for the first chapter! I've had this idea for a long time, and I'm excited that I am finally able to write it!

Okay, here are a few things that you should know before hand: Zatanna doesn't have her magic powers. I'm not saying that she wont ever have them, I'm just saying that right now, she has no magic abilities.

And secondly, I sincerely apologize about my writing of the characters. I haven't heard much about Damian or Jason, so they might seem really OOC, which is exactly the opposite of what I want to happen.

And the last thing you need to know, every chapter is about a week long, but I don't write about everyday, because it would be boring and repetitive (Zatanna's a maid, she cooks and cleans, it's pretty boring.) The first chapter is just about showing her initial relationships with the characters, and throughout the story my goal is to really show ho her relationships change (especially with Dick.)

Yep, that's all I have to say! Please give me any kind of feedback, it inspires me to write more!

Week 1: Meet Your New Maid

Zatanna gave herself an appraising look in the stainless steel kettle she was now brewing coffee with. She had chosen her outfit carefully, not wanting to look to dressy, but still wanting to look good, because hey, if she was going to be a maid, she might as well be a hot one. Not that her cheap black skinny jeans and white top was exactly 'hot' or anything, but she did put eyeliner and mascara on, so like, she tried.

Today was her first day as the official (temporary) maid of Wayne Manor. She had arrived super early in the morning (okay, she had arrived at 9, but for someone who's been unemployed for nine months, it's really super early) to get ready for her job. The other boys of the Manor had already left for school, and Mr Wayne informed her that his eldest ward, who usually lived in Bludhaven, was going to come and spend three months to keep an eye on the house. Then Alfred, the trusty butler, escorted Zatanna around the house. He gave her a set of keys, showed her the guest bedroom, and then gave her detailed instructions on how to manage the household. Just when Zatanna was about to think Alfred was going to give her a demonstration on how to use a feather duster, Mr Wayne dragged him away and rode off into the sunset, wishing Zatanna good luck as he left.

So yeah, that was where Zatanna was now, trying to prepare lunch for the boys, who were probably due back any moment now. Zatanna was glad that Alfred had already prepared lunch, so all Zatanna had to do was set it out. She had no idea of what she was going to for dinner though, because she sort of maybe but couldn't really cook. And being able to cook was like one of the perquisites to being a maid. Zatanna had actually lied on her resume (everybody does it) and she sincerely hoped that none of the Wayne kids had seen it (who reads a resume anyway?)

But she'd figure the cooking thing out later. Like her dad always said, 'if fate let it be.'

Not that Zatanna really believed in magic or anything. She was a magician, but what she did was just glorified pick-pocketing, really. Prestidigitation, or sleight of hand, and illusions. That's the only magic she ever needed to believe in.

Her dad though, he was different. He was very much a believer of the sacred science; he was super sure magic existed. For some reason, though, he never allowed Zatanna to touch his 'magic' books. Probably thought she'd become a satanic cult worshipper or something.

Zatanna finished laying out the last of the silverware and sat down with a sigh. Doing chores was hard work, and for three months, chores would be all she was doing. She was so desperate to get a job though, Zatanna didn't really mind. Well, at least not yet. She was still trying to be extremely grateful that Bruce Wayne had even given her a job.

"You're not Alfred."

The sudden noise of a person speaking scared Zatanna so much that she practically jumped out of her seat and shrieked. She whirled around to realise that it was only a little boy, one who was pretty much giving her the most deadliest glare she had ever seen on a person. Her heart was still beating erratically, but she tried to calm herself down.

"Where did you even come from?" Zatanna asked him, her voice going shrill, she put a hand over her racing heart.

The boy ignored her, totally non-pulsed by her actions, "You're not Alfred," he repeated.

Before Zatanna could answer, another boy, a young teenager, walked into the dining room. His eyebrows rose in surprise when he saw Zatanna, "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you're our new maid."

Zatanna nodded, and opened her mouth to speak, when another black haired boy, a little older than the last, walked into the room. Seriously, how the hell did they just keep appearing like that?

The eldest boy gave her an appraising look, and then said, "Hot."

Zatanna didn't exactly know how to take that, seeing as the boy looked seventeen and she was around 21, but she did appreciate the compliment (she had put make-up on, for crying out loud, didn't people understand how much effort that took?)

"I'm Zatanna. Didn't Mr Wayne tell you that you were going to have a new maid?" Zatanna asked.

"Yeah, but we didn't expect someone… like you," the middle-aged boy said carefully, "I'm Tim, by the way. And Damian is the youngest, and Jason is on my right."

The boys stood awkwardly in front of Zatanna, Damian scowling at her, Tim looking nervous, and Jason was more than definitely staring at her chest.

"Alright, guys. I just put the car in, and Jason, for the love of God; can you not eat French fries of the back seat and leave grease marks all over the leather? You know how much Bruce hates it," A new voice called out from behind the dining room doors.

Zatanna stiffened. She knew that voice, knew it almost too well. Sure enough, the dining room doors opened, and an incredibly good looking guy with shaggy dark hair and the bluest blue eyes walked in.

In short, Dick Grayson, Zatanna's high school… friend, had just walked through the door.

Zatanna could feel her breath catch in her throat, and Dick's eyes locked on hers. For a second, they just stood there, staring at each other. Zatanna couldn't believe how good looking he was. Perfect build, perfect muscles, perfect everything. She can't believe he had changed so much in nine months.

Okay, so the truth was, she and Dick had a… history. They were friends in Gotham Academy, and they had kind of had this thing. Sometimes it was platonic, sometimes it was more. Dick had been Zatanna's closest… uh, friend with benefits for years.

She hadn't seen Dick since her dad's funeral nine months ago.

"Wow… uh, hey, Zatanna, it's been a while," Dick said softly.

Zatanna wasn't sure how to respond. Give him a complete cold shoulder? Have a passionate make-out session with him in front of his brothers?

Zatanna chose to go with the third option, a regal nod of her head towards him, and then point out the food at the table, "Lunch," she said, "or afternoon tea. Whatever you guys call it."

"Looks great, doll face. You make it?" Jason asked.

Zatanna glared at him, "Okay, so firstly, it's never going to happen, so don't call me doll face or any other nickname, and secondly, Alfred made it, so could you all please just sit down and eat? The endless staring is kind of freaking me out."

Tim let out a snort of laughter, and Dick rolled his eyes in a relaxed manner, "Always the drama queen. Take a seat, Zatanna. I guess we have some things to talk about."

Zatanna smiled at them, took a piece of pie, and tried to just go with the flow.

The next few days went by like a blur. There was a certain system in the Manor, and Zatanna was still trying to adjust. She would wake up early in the morning, prepare breakfast, and eat with the boys before they went to school/work. She would then spend time cleaning different rooms of the house, Monday was dining rooms/living rooms (because this place had like, seven. No joke) Tuesday was libraries, and so on. She already knew she would hate Thursdays the most. They were toilet days.

She would lay out afternoon tea, and then spend the day talking to random members of the house. She mainly stuck to talking to either Tim or Jason, because Damian just glared at her and she had no idea what Dick would want to say to her. She actually spent a lot of time avoiding him.

After Zatanna laid out dinner, the boy would go off and do their own things. Zatanna was strictly not allowed to clean any of the boys' rooms, or Bruce Wayne's study. Those areas were completely out of bounds. She was however, allowed to go anywhere else in the house, and seriously, it was very hard to get bored in Wayne Manor.

Today was a day like any other, she was half-heartedly listening to Jason and Tim argue until Jason asked her a direct question, "So, Zee, what are we having for dinner?"

Zatanna thought for a moment, "I have no idea. I'll see what Alfred had prepared."

She walked to the kitchen, rummaging in the fridge for Alfred's prepared meals. Suddenly, she could feel her blood turning to ice.

They were all out of Alfred's packaged meals.

Oh God, she would have to cook dinner tonight!

Oh my God, Zatanna, think! How does she get out of cooking dinner?

"Um, hey guys, who's up for pizza tonight?" Zatanna called out from the kitchen.

"We had pizza on Friday," Damian muttered from the dining room.

Okay, was it bad that Zatanna really wanted to strangle a nine year old kid?

Jason walked up to the counter of the kitchen and leaned against it, "I was kinda hoping that you could make dinner tonight. I mean, in your resume, it says you were a chef's apprentice."

Agh! They had actually bothered to read her resume? Who even does that? Okay, remember when Zatanna said she couldn't cook? Well, maybe she had put a tiny white lie on her resume saying that she was a five star chef's apprentice.

Hey, in her defence, she had really needed a job.

"You know what, Jason, you are absolutely right. You go ahead and wait in the dining room, I'll need some time to cook," Zatanna told him cheerfully, waving him away.

As soon as Jason sauntered out of the room, Zatanna felt like breaking down and crying, She surveyed the room, spotting a window that was too small and too high to climb out of.

Damn rich people and their ridiculously high ceilings.

Okay, you know what? Zatanna could do this. She could try cooking. Everyone cooks. Cooking should be easy. Spaghetti was easy, right? All you needed were tomatoes and those stringy things. She was pretty sure she saw some in the pantry.

Zatanna opened the pantry, and found a large packet of hard spaghetti strips. She dunked them in a bowl of cold water, hoping that that would soften it. She then got four tomatoes and squashed them. She couldn't help but squeal as tomato juice splattered all over her face and top. She added the squashed tomatoes to the water and started trying to stir the pot. The spaghetti was still hard, so Zatanna decided to try and put it on the stove. As she was walking with the pot, she slipped on some tomato juice. The pot crashed to the floor, most of the contents spilling on her. Zatanna wiped the mixture away from her eyes, and picked up the pot. Half the spaghetti was still in there, so she could use that. She shoved it on the stove top, and then began to scrub away at the stuff on the floor.

"Zatanna, what happened in here?" Dick's voice floated over her shoulder.

He was looking in from the kitchen door, surveying the disaster kitchen.

Zatanna got up, trying to act non-chalant, "Oh, you know, just cooking dinner."

"Really?" Dick asked, stepping inside the kitchen.

He walked over to Zatanna, too close, so close that she could practically feel his body heat radiating off him. He plucked a goop of tomato juice from her hair, and Zatanna shuddered.

"It sounded like a war zone in here," he said in a low tone.

"Spaghetti. Very violent," Zatanna replied, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

Dick suddenly moved away from her, and Zatanna nearly fell. He walked around the kitchen, and stared at Zatanna's creation.

"Is that supposed to be spaghetti?" he asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Um… do I have to answer that?"

Dick laughed, his usual cackling laugh that had Zatanna smiling, "Wow. I knew that you couldn't have been a chef's apprentice. I still remember cooking class from high school. You nearly burnt down the kitchen… twice."

"Those were totally accidents! And you started one of them!" Zatanna protested.

"Yet I still managed to pass with honors," Dick replied, smirking.

"Look, are you just going to mock me, or are you going to be useful?" Zatanna asked him.

"What kind of useful do you have in mind?" Dick asked flirtatiously.

Never one to back down on a challenge, Zatanna slid her body closer to his, running her fingers down her arm, "Not the kind of useful you're thinking of," she whispered in his ear.

She pulled back, laughing at his bemused expression, and then handed him a mop, "Help me clean up, and then, maybe you could help me make dinner?"

"Only if you stop actively avoiding me," Dick replied.

Zatanna felt a blush rise to her cheeks, "You noticed?"

"You practically ran down the hall when you saw me coming down the stairs."

"Subtlety was never my strong point," Zatanna said sheepishly.

"I'm not going to interrogate you, Zatanna. I haven't seen you in months, and now we practically stay in the same house. We were friends, and I don't want to spend the next three months not being able to say hi to you. Nine months was bad enough."

"Dick…" Zatanna said softly, not knowing how to respond.

"I'll help you cook, and then you stop avoiding me. Deal?" Dick asked.

Zatanna smiled, "Deal."

The Batcave was strangely silent without Batman in it, which was weird, because Batman was very, very quiet.

Dick, now fully dressed in his Nightwing attire, walked into the Batcave with Tim, now Robin, by his side.

Dick was always slightly amazed by the Batcave. Everything here was so pristine, so methodical, so Batman. It had all these cool kinds of gadgets and gizmos, and it even had that dark, gritty feeling that accompanied Batman.

The rest of the house was still asleep. Well, Dick hoped that Damian and Zatanna were. He had no idea about Jason, who seemed to do his own thing as the Red Hood. Dick didn't want to admit it, but he could feel Jason slipping from them. He was already barred from the Batcave, and the Red Hood was just becoming more and more ruthless. Dick felt it was only a matter of time before he and Batman would have to hunt down the Red Hood too.

"Zatanna's pretty cool," Tim said, cutting into Dick's thoughts.

Dock nodded, clicking on the computer, "She's very cool. I just wish that Bruce had told us she was going to be the maid."

"You know Bruce, mystery all the way," Tim joked.

Dick smiled slightly, watching Tim open a couple of files. Tim was booting up the live webcam so that Bruce and them could have their weekly chats.

Dick was still confused about Zatanna. They had had this thing, and then she had just up and left, and now she was back. He didn't really know what to think. He was still trying to process that after nine months, she was back in his life again.

"Good evening, boys," Bruce said through the webcam, and Dick was jerked back into reality.

"How's the undercover mission?" Tim asked.

"It's going," Bruce answered, as cryptic as always.

Bruce's 'three month business trip' was actually just a cover for a Batman mission that Bruce had wanted to take alone. He had taken Alfred with him for 'back-up.' Batman didn't say much else about it, so Dick guessed that this was Bruce's own private war.

Either that, or it involved Selina Kyle or Talia Al Ghul.

"How's Gotham?"

"Crime rate is the usual. No unusual spikes of activity. Last night, Nightwing and I put Two-face back in Arkham Asylum. The Scarecrow is still unaccounted for," Tim informed him.

"And the Manor? How is the maid?"

"Manor is secure, the maid-" Tim was cut off by Dick.

"Why didn't you say it was Zatanna? Why didn't you tell us this maid that you hired us to protect is Zatanna?" Dick asked.

"It didn't make a difference. Objective was still the same. There are people after Zatanna, and I hired as a maid so you could protect her at all times," Batman replied sternly.

"But why? I could have just kept tabs on her. There was no need to hire her as a maid. You know that," Dick said.

"I know. I could've sent either you or Robin to watch over her. But she needed help, and I made a promise to her father that I would keep her safe. That I would take care of her," Batman replied.

"You knew Giovanni Zatara?" Tim exclaimed.

"He was a good man. I have to go now. Same time next week," Batman said, and then he cut the connection.

Robin and Dick stared at each other for a moment.

"I can't believe someone would want to hurt Zee," Tim said.

"Well, we're not going to let that happen. Get on the R-cycle," Dick said, already clambering on top of his own motorbike.

"We're going to the warehouse on the pier, right? The one with the mob bosses?" Tim asked.

"Race ya there!" Dick cackled as he sped out of the Batcave.