A/N: Sorry the update's a tad later than usual, but the chapter is the longest yet, so I hope that makes up for it. Thank you so much to each and every one of you reading and reviewing this story. Your comments and support never fail to brighten my day. This chapter really starts to widen the scope of the story as we check back in with some of our favorite YJ families: the Wests, the Allens, the Morse/Logan siblings, the Bat clan, and now the Roth/Zatara cousins.

Friday Nov 11, 2016. 2:16 PM CST

Central City, Missouri almost always witnessed a seasonal chill by mid-November. Though the mild cold couldn't compete with the snow that blanketed the Northeast year after year, most of the midwestern urbanites used the cloudy, windy days as a good excuse to curl up inside by the fire with a warm drink. The indoors were a haven against the chilly air and overcast skies, a way to block out the blues that came with the shortening days.

But inside the West home, the air felt twice as cold as anywhere in the country. No matter where Mary cast her eyes, inside or out, she saw ghosts of her son. Her one and only child dead before his twenty-second birthday.

No college degree would ever hang beside his high school diploma on the mantle. There would be no more smiling or goofy pictures from the red-headed, green-eyed boy, usually with his arm wrapped around the smiling blonde that had become as much a fixture in the West home as he, until late. There would be no more report cards for Mary to hang on the fridge despite his protests that he'd been making straight A's since kindergarten and it was nothing to get excited over. No more opportunities to smile as her friends bragged about how smart, how handsome, how polite her Wally was, how blessed Mary and Rudy were to have such a wonderful child.

They had been blessed. For 21 beautiful years they'd been blessed. After all the crying and worrying and tests and medications and pregnancy specialists, Rudy and Mary had finally been able to hold their own perfect baby in their arms for the first time 22 years ago today. What she wouldn't give to hold him one last time. She never even got to say goodbye.

Mary hadn't meant to go to the grocery the day before. As if waking from a round of sleep walking or some deep trance, she'd simply found herself parked in the driveway, sitting in a car loaded with more food than two normal adults could eat in a month. And today she'd found herself snapping to in the same fashion to discover she'd been stirring a batch of chocolate frosting. She'd tossed the mixture- bowl, spoon, and all- into the garbage.

She couldn't take it anymore. Mary walked briskly towards the garage, grabbing her keys and coat as she went. She had to get out of the house. Out of this great big, empty house full of ghosts and memories and silence where there'd once been laughter and love. Rudy was holed up in his office at the university, as usual. That's how he coped. He locked himself and his emotions away. Away from her. Away from the world. He'd barely even cried when Artemis had shown up on their doorstep that horrible night, confirming the darkest of all Mary's fears with a single tear. He barely cried and Mary couldn't stop sobbing even five months later.

Mary yanked back the door, coming to a startled halt at finding herself face-to-face with hauntingly familiar green eyes and red hair. She'd forgotten how much Wally resembled his aunt.

"Iris," Mary said, collecting herself. "I wasn't expecting you. Rudy's still at the office, I think, if you're looking for him."

"I was really just hoping to catch either one of you while you were at home," Iris said. "I figured you might want some help or some company given…what day it is. Whatever you need, Barry and I are here for you."

Mary managed a small smile. "Thank you, Iris, but I know you've got your hands full with the twins."

Little more than a month before, Iris had given birth to two healthy babies, a boy and girl. The daughter they'd named Dawn, the boy Donald. Donald Wallace. Mary hadn't known quite how to take the middle name. On the one hand she was honored, on the other horrified. It was Barry and Iris' way of remembering their nephew. The masked soldier that sacrificed himself to save the planet. That's how the world would remember Mary's son: as a fallen hero. Not as her little boy.

"It's no trouble if you want to come over," Iris insisted. "Or if you want one of us to stay here tonight. We can always get Cassie or one of the girls to Zeta over and babysit, although I hear Zatanna's got her hands full with- Oh, hang on just one second." Iris dug through her purse for her cellphone, which was vibrating with the force of an angry bee. "Hello?" Iris asked. "Oh, hi, honey. Yes, I'm with her now. Rudy's still at the office. What? Right now? I really just got here." Iris' eyes went wide as Barry said something on the other end that Mary couldn't hear. "I-yeah- Okay. Okay, I will. Yes. We'll be there soon."

"Something wrong?" Mary asked.

"Not 'wrong' exactly," Iris said. "But I think you should come over right now. This is probably something better discussed in person. Barry said he'll get a hold of Rudy and have us all meet at our house."

"Well, alright."

Iris had an air of calm about her as they walked towards her car, but Mary wondered how much of that calm came from her sister-in-law's work as a reporter. Iris was used to keeping a brave face on even in the most troubling situations, which made Mary all the more uneasy about whatever news awaited her at the Allen's home.

As Iris drove, they talked about idle things: the weather, the new department store opening north of town, the ugly billboard right off the interstate they both wished someone would do something about. Mary was fine most of the way, but then something as insignificant as passing the mall brought tears to her eyes.

"Do you remember," Mary said to Iris, "when that hobby store for kids opened in the mall all those years ago?"

Iris nodded with a sad smile. "Wally was around six, wasn't he? He always insisted on stopping by there on our days out together. Said he just had to check out the latest telescope or ant farm or sciency thing."

"He could spend hours in there," Mary said. Suddenly, Mary found herself laughing at the memory of her young son coming up to her with a pile of scientific books and toys taller than himself. "We definitely spoiled him. But it wasn't like he was stocking his room full of video games. How do you say no to a child who's practically begging to use his birthday as an excuse to learn?"

The smile faded from Mary's face as she said in a quiet voice, "There's only one gift I would give anything to take back. That chemistry set Rudy and I gave Wally on this exact day nine years ago. Who would think that a 13 year old, even with such a high IQ, could recreate the experiment that gave his uncle super-speed? I've never been so scared as when I heard the explosion in the garage, except maybe when we were at the hospital, wondering what would happen. I wasn't sure Wally would make it, but he did. Not only did he baffle every doctor and nurse that looked at him with how quickly he healed, his powers made Wally seem almost invincible. But he wasn't. He knew the risks involved in working with the League. We knew the risks. I just…somehow never really thought it would happen."

Iris put a comforting hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder. "You're not to blame, Mary. No one is to blame. I know it doesn't make it any easier and it doesn't bring him back, but Wally gave his own life to save millions upon millions more."

"I know, Iris. But I miss my baby."

Mary hadn't meant to say as much as she already had. Her sorrow was the sharpest pain imaginable, and Mary wouldn't wish it on her worst enemy, let alone make her sweet sister-in-law, who had two healthy babies and a world of well-deserved happiness, share in Mary's burden. But once she started talking, Mary found she couldn't stop. The floodgates bursted and all the feelings she'd stored in her heart for so long came rushing forth.

"Some days, without thinking, I just pick up the phone and start to dial his number before I remember there's no one there to answer. It doesn't feel real. I didn't even get to say goodbye. I don't know how to move forward from here. Everyone's been so kind and helpful, but even when I'm in a room full of people, I feel alone. Rudy's no help. He just goes on like it's another day, never willing to talk about what happened. Am I supposed to keep smiling? Keep laughing?

"What do I do when it's Thanksgiving and I realize I won't have to put locks on the pantry so the guests don't starve? What do I do at Christmas when I realize there's no stocking to hang, no baby ornaments or old family albums to embarrass him with? Did you know, Wally used to turn redder than his hair, especially when I told Artemis stories about how he used to scream and cry whenever we went to see Santa. And New Year's. How do I face that? I remember what a fuss Wally made every year. Remember when everyone thought the world might end in 2012 because of the Mayan calendar? Well, Wally told me it would definitely end if he didn't do something about his one-year-anniversary with Artemis. He was already in trouble for forgetting Valentine's Day the year before and- oh, God, poor Artemis.

"When she came to us that night and Wally wasn't with her…I knew." Mary's body wracked with sobs. "It's not right, Iris! Parents having to bury their kids. We'd already watched Paula have to hold a funeral for her own daughter, thinking she was dead. I don't know how Wally kept from telling us. He loved that girl so much, and Rudy and I loved her, too. She was like a daughter to us, but if we didn't lose her when they faked her death, we lost her when we lost Wally. The League up and moved her halfway across the country. I lost everything that day. My son, my husband, the girl who should have been my daughter-in-law."

"You haven't lost everything, Mary," Iris said as they pulled into the Allen's driveway. "I know it feels that way. I know my brother's been distant, but he will come around. As for Artemis, she's had her reasons for staying away."

Mary shook her head. "Of course I know the League sent her off to protect her. I would never want her to get hurt, but-"

"Mary," Iris interrupted. "Barry and Rudy are here. Let's go inside. We can all talk about this together. Along with some other important things we need to discuss."

"Other things?" Mary asked.

"Come inside."

Mary's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but she followed behind everyone else as they filed into the Allen home. Barry directed the group to the living room. Mary turned the corner and her heart stopped.

There on the couch sat Artemis Crock. Her hair was shorter, her frame lost beneath a blanket wrapped tight around her shoulders, and she lacked her usual spark and confidence as she looked from one adult to the other, a mix of guilt and nervousness in her eyes. They hadn't heard from her in months. Five years in their lives, then gone as if she'd never been.

But none of that mattered.

Without a moment of hesitation, Mary raced forward with a speed that could put her own son to shame and wrapped Artemis in a loving embrace. But something prevented Mary from hugging the girl as she normally would. The blanket fell from the blonde's shoulders and Artemis tensed as Mary looked down and noticed the sizable curve of her stomach. Artemis bit her lip, bracing for shock, anger, confusion, anything but Mary's sudden high pitched peels of laughter.

Artemis cautiously returned Mary's enthusiastic embrace. A few moments passed, and Artemis found Mary's reaction contagious as a cautious giggle bubbled from her own throat. Decades seemed to pass as the two laughed and cried together, needing no words to express the bizarre combination of joy and sadness this news brought.

Rudy could only stand there, mouth agape. As the father and brother-in-law of superheroes, Rudy had witnessed many strange things in his 46 years of life, but this definitely took the cake. Of all the million questions whirling through his mind, the only thing he managed to ask was, "It is Wally's, right?"

Barry laughed while Iris elbowed her older brother in the ribs. "Yes," Iris answered. "They are."

"They?" Mary asked. "You mean-"

"Twins," Artemis said, simultaneously beaming and trembling. "Must run in the family."

"Speaking of which…" Iris said as the loud wail of a baby boy sounded from the upstairs nursery, closely followed by his sister's cry. She excused herself and Barry followed, giving the Wests and Artemis a much-needed moment alone.

"My God," Rudy said, sinking into a chair and running his hand over his face. "How did this happen?"

Mary sat beside Artemis, keeping an arm wrapped around the girl's shoulders in a comforting, protective manner. "Don't be daft, Rudy. Artemis, dear, how far along are you? I want to know everything."

"I'm nearing five months," Artemis said. "I'm sorry for not coming sooner, for not telling you sooner, but I didn't know if things would…turn out alright. And I couldn't bear to put you through it all again. I understand if you're angry-"

"Angry?" Mary asked. "Artemis, we couldn't be happier." She took the young woman's face in her hands and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, the same way Wally used to.

Mary smiled. "You've given me a reason to look forward when all I've done for months is look back. When Wally died, I feared all his dreams had died with him. But you have got two precious reminders of the love you two shared, and a part of my little boy lives on in those babies. Oh, Rudy, we're going to be grandparents! Are they boys? Girls? Oh there's so much to be done. We'll need to buy clothes, and toys, and it's never too early to start a college fund. We'll need furniture for the nursery- of course you'll move in with us. We have a guest room that would be perfect for-"

"Mary!" Rudy said. "Slow down. You're scaring the poor girl to death. Artemis hasn't said a word about moving to Central, let alone living with us."

"What?" Mary gasped, looking from her husband to Artemis. "Well of course she is, Rudy. Where else would she go?"

Artemis gently squeezed Mary's hands in her own. "I haven't made any decisions yet, Mary."

Mary looked horrified. "But you can't possibly be thinking of raising two children alone. Not in that big, unforgiving city with the smog and the cold and Lord-knows-what-else."

"Now, dear," Rudy said. "You're getting ahead of yourself. Iris and I were raised in Keystone and we turned out alright."

"But you need to be here," Mary pleaded with Artemis. "With family. You are family, now, Artemis. You and the babies. Oh, and don't fret about Paula. We can arrange to have her move to Central, too. We'll all be close. All here to love and protect those kids."

Artemis flinched at the mention of her mother, remembering how she'd taken the news. It had been Artemis' first trip to Gotham since she'd assumed her identity as Linda Park. Artemis agreed to return with Dick for a brief visit to see her mom and the Wayne family physician. Artemis hadn't been home in what felt like ages. It had been hard, facing her mother, after putting her through so much heartache when faking her death. Paula had forgiven Artemis the first time, wrapping her in a hug and breaking down in tears at seeing the child she'd feared forever gone. Paula wasn't so welcoming the second time. There was only so much heartbreak one woman could stand, but her words still stung Artemis, even in memory. "How long will you keep living these lies? You and your sister. You're so much alike. Running off. Not telling anyone where you've gone. Turning back up with children. I hardly know my own daughters. Must I miss out on my grandchildrens' lives, too? How many times must I lose you?"

"It's a boy," Artemis said, answering Mary's earlier question. "And a girl. One of each, just like Wally wanted."

"I'm so glad," Mary said, letting Artemis rest her head on her shoulder. "When he was young, the one gift Wally always said he wanted, the one we couldn't give him, was a younger brother or sister. But I think this year he's given us the gift. The most amazing one he could."

Artemis gave a teary smile as Rudy walked across the room to join the women in their embrace. They were a family. This is how they would move forward. Together.

Later that night, Barry asked who else had heard the happy news.

"Outside the family, only Nightwing," Artemis said. "And not because I wanted him to know. But you know how the Bat clan are. They just pop up wherever they please."

"Do you think you'll tell the others soon?" Iris asked, passing each guest a cup of warm tea.

Artemis nodded. "I've especially wanted to talk to Megan about it. I tried calling her cellphone. Tried our telepathic link, too. But maybe it's rusty. It's been so long since we last talked."

"I doubt that's why you're having trouble getting through," Barry said. "I heard from the League it's been pretty crazy over at the Jump City base this week. I'm sure Miss Martian's been very busy."

Artemis looked puzzled. "Busy with what?"

Friday Nov 11, 2016 3:13 PM PST

"Remember, she's vegan," Megan said, handing a flustered Zatanna a heavy stack of papers on top of the ones Wonder Woman was handing the magician to sign. "They didn't have animals on Azarath, for obvious reasons, and the method of Azar teaches that all life is sacred. Those are some recipes I've learned over the years cooking for Gar. I've also written down the names of a few groceries in New York where you can find all the ingredients. It should be enough to get you started."

"To get started. Right," Zatanna said, staring at the papers like they'd eat her alive.

The Team had all congregated in the living room, the teens grouped in various corners, Kory, Conner, and Victor assembled in the kitchen, while Megan, Zatanna, and Diana discussed the legalities of Raven's adoption.

Megan continued educating Zatanna on her cousin's needs and habits. "She drinks one cup of chamomile every night before bed. If she still has trouble sleeping, give her half a melatonin, but no more or she'll be tired the next day. She meditates three times daily: morning, noon, and night. If she gets a headache, give her some space. If it doesn't fade in half an hour, put some lavender in her tea. Call me if you need anything at all."

Zatanna nodded, making a very long list of mental notes.

Wonder Woman regained the magician's attention and pointed with her pen to a card bearing Raven's picture.

RACHEL ROTH

DOB: 12/13/2003

Hgt: 5-0

Eyes: PURPLE

Hair: Black

Class: Z

Blood Type: A

IF FOUND PLEASE CALL…

"That's the ID she'll need to register for school," Diana explained. "You should each keep a copy with you at all times."

"Do not forget these!" Kory said flying across the room and dumping a large pile of shopping bags at Zatanna's feet. "The girls and I went shopping at the mall for Rachel's new school clothes. Rachel and I have been learning of Earth's customs together, though she did not seem to enjoy the female bonding ritual of painting nails and braiding hair."

"Uh…thank you, Kory," Zatanna said.

The Tamaranean smiled and flew off to rejoin the other girls.

"Are you sure you're up to this, Zatanna?" Wonder Woman asked, somehow managing to look both concerned and maintain her usual sternness.

"Yes," Zatanna said, though she wasn't sure she sounded convincing even to herself. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed."

"When will you guys ever learn to just be whelmed?"

"Well look who's back!" Cyborg said as everyone turned to find Nightwing standing in the door. "Long time no see, bro."

"Richard!" Kory greeted. "It is good to see you home."

Cassie, Tim, and Conner also joined the small group gathering around the tower's unofficial leader.

"Hey, guys. Hey, little bro," Dick said, giving Tim a fist bump. "I forgot how packed this place gets when you guys come in for the weekend."

Zatanna moved to join the others, but was stopped by an iron grip on her arm.

"Wait," Diana said, pointing to a line on a clipboard. "Sign here. Initial there. And…done."

Zatanna breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally."

"When did Zee and Diana get in?" Dick asked Conner, taking notice of the Justice League members present.

"Zatanna's been here the last few days. Wonder Woman just got in. A lot's happened since you've been gone."

"I can see that," Dick said. "Someone want to fill me in? Megan?"

Megan fidgeted slightly from where she'd come to stand beside Conner, unsure where to start when it came to explaining Raven.

"You first. Where were you? You were supposed to be back days ago."

"Change of plans. I was making sure a friend from Gotham got to Central safely."

"Artemis?" Megan asked telepathically. Dick gave a slight nod.

"Is she alright?"

"I think it's best you ask her yourself."

"So you wanna tell me what happened while I was gone?" Dick asked again.

Megan sighed. "It's a long story."

So give me the short version.

Megan shrugged her shoulders. If you're sure.

The Martian's eyes glowed green as images from the last week at the tower played out like a movie commercial in Dick's mind, a sort of summary of all that'd happened without the finer details.

"Well," Dick said. "Barry wasn't kidding when he said you all'd had a crazy week."

"You met up with Flash?" Conner asked. "Why?"

Dick shot Conner and Megan a look that said Later.

"Excuse me just a second, guys," Nightwing said, making his way toward Zatanna. Tim rolled his eyes at what a flirt his adoptive brother was and Cassie laughed.

"Hey, Zee. Long time no see."

"Hey yourself," Zee said, self-consciously fiddling with her hair, trying to straighten her frazzled appearance.

"How have you been?"

"Oh, you know. Just spent the last 72 hours here after Zeta-ing to the other side of the country to get to know my cousin who I just found out a few days ago existed. Oh, and did I forget to mention she's from an alternate dimension that got destroyed? And I kind of agreed to foster and mentor her. So I've been filling out all this fun paperwork to legally register my new alien-refugee protege/foster child."

Dick chuckled. "So only a slightly weirder week than's usual for us."

Zatanna laughed. "Only slightly."

"Looks like she's already popular with the boys," Nightwing said, watching as Gar and Bart chatted with the unfamiliar dark-haired girl on the other side of the living room. "Must run in the family."

Zatanna laughed and gave her old friend a teasing wink. "You are such a flirt, Dick Grayson. You never change."

"We've all changed, Zee," Dick said with a suddenly distant, forlorn gaze. A somber tension settled between the two which Nightwing attempted to break by clearing his throat and asking, "So, your cousin. You said you'd been getting to know each other, but this whole thing's been pretty sudden. How do you two get along?"

Zatanna shrugged. "Honestly, it's hard to say. It was kind of a big bomb the League dropped on me when they called, telling me that the aunt that died when I was little had a daughter. We haven't spoken much, Rachel and I. She doesn't talk a lot in general. I don't know if she's just naturally reticent or just not used to connecting with people. I mean, she grew up in a temple isolated in its own dimension with only a dozen other people or so. Doesn't exactly build social skills. I think I can be a good mentor. Her Azarathean name is Xon-siva, which backwards forms the Latin words Nox-avis. Night-bird, the Azarathean term for a raven. So clearly there are some similarities in how we use spells. But then there's also her empathic and psychic powers to handle."

"I didn't know you spoke Latin, Zee."

"I spent my whole childhood in private Catholic schools. I know enough to get me through Mass."

Dick frowned the way he always did when puzzling over something. "You said you think you'll be a good mentor," Dick observed. "But you're taking on more than that. You're also this girl's foster parent." Nightwing thought of the importance his own adoptive father played in shaping his life. Dick didn't like to think where or what he would have ended up if he'd had to face the dark, cold world alone at the age of nine, the memory of his parents' murder always looming over him like a shadow. "It's a big job, you know."

Zatanna sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "I know."

"You don't seem too sure of all this."

Zatanna shrugged. "What choice do I have? I mean, I have to at least give this a try, don't I? I'm Rachel's only family. And I know too well what it's like to be without that. We'll make it work. We have to."

"Who is that?" Raven asked observing the exchange between her cousin and the new arrival.

"Oh, that's Nightwing," Bart said. "Ex-leader of the Team. Or maybe he's leader again. No one really knows. Sometimes he's here, sometime's he's not. Depends on the day. Either way, he's usually the one in charge. He's also Batman's oldest protege. Generally pretty suspicious. Runs in the family, so don't be alarmed if he asks you lots of questions and doesn't trust you."

Gar noticed Raven's shoulders tense visibly. Gar had noticed several little things that seemed to set the mysterious young girl on edge over the last few days. And who could blame her? From what Megan had told him, Raven had woken up frightened and confused on a foreign planet with no idea how she got there only to find a demon attempting to kidnap her. She'd lost the only people and the one place she'd ever known and been thrust into a crowded, chaotic world filled with countless new sights, sounds, customs, practices, and faces, including a family Raven hadn't known she had.

Gar knew all too well what it felt like to have your whole life turned upside-down in an instant. Maybe because he was raised around animals, Gar also had a skill for reading non-verbal cues. He saw the way Raven froze like a woodland creature sensing the gaze of a hunter whenever someone got too close or asked her personal questions. She gave vague answers, sat in the corner, hid out in the guest room she occupied, and ate meals quickly as if the company of so many people distressed her. The only person that could touch her in even the most casual of ways (a hand on her shoulder or an accidental brush of skin) was Megan. Clearly something had happened to cause the girl so much anxiety. Something that she didn't wish to acknowledge. She didn't need Bart adding to her worries.

"Don't let Motormouth here freak you out, Rae," Beast Boy said. "You and Nightwing will get along great. Like two birds of a feather." Gar laughed.

Raven only gave him a blank stare.

"You know, because you're both named after birds," Gar explained.

Raven's expression didn't change. "I understood the joke," she said. "It just wasn't funny."

"Girl's smart," Bart said.

Gar ignored the speedster's jab and decided to change the subject. "So…What do you like do for fun?"

"Read," she answered with a shrug of her shoulders. "The followers of Azar didn't make use of electricity or other modern technologies."

"Wow," Bart said. "Sounds like Azarath was a regular party."

Gar glared at his friend. What an idiot, he thought. He knew Bart wasn't the most subtle of people, but the kid seemed to have no filter at all. Had the future been so devoid of tact?

But rather than get upset, Raven simply looked pensive, then said, "Well, there was this one time Azar let me borrow any book that I wanted from the restricted section of the temple library, so I read through an ancient manuscript on the healing effects of tree roots from the Vegan star system. That was enjoyable."

The boys exchanged horrified stares. "Oh we are definitely introducing you to video games," Gar said.

"Yup," Bart agreed. "This calls for immediate intervention."

"Not tonight," Megan said. "Rachel, I think Zatanna's just about ready to go. Are you all packed?"

Raven nodded. She looked toward her cousin, who was blushing at something Nightwing had said and standing as if she wanted to bolt but also didn't want to end her conversation with the young man. Raven shook her head wondering if she'd ever understand the complexities of human emotions.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now, Raven," Kory said, nearly causing the empath to spring off the floor like a frightened cat as the Tamaranean pulled her into a hug.

"Just for now," Megan said, bringing the girl into a hug of her own, which Raven didn't seem to mind as much. "We'll see you here next week with the rest of the weekend crowd."

"So Raven is joining the Team?" Bart asked. "Crash."

"After some training, yes," Diana confirmed.

"Good," Cassie said, joining the group. "We could always use more girls around here."

"So I guess we'll take a raincheck on introducing you to video games till next time," Gar said.

Raven managed a small smile. "Alright. It can't be as bad as getting manicures."

"Rachel," Zatanna called from the door. "You ready to go?"

Raven nodded and joined her mentor.

"Are you going to take the Zeta-Beam?" Dick asked.

"No," Zatanna said. "I've got a spell I've been working on and thought Rachel and I could go ahead and start our training now. Think you can help me teleport to New York City, Rachel?"

The girl nodded. "So long as that's not in another dimension. That tends to wear me out."

Zatanna laughed. "Not quite that far. Okay then. Focus your energy and leave the spell to me. Ekat su emoh!"

In a flash of darkness, the cousins were gone. The pair rematerialized in front of a worn apartment door with an antique handle. Zee balanced their bags on her arms while she fiddled with the key. With a click of the knob, the magician stepped inside.

"Home sweet home," Zatanna said, dropping the many bags on the hall floor of her Manhattan apartment. "Come on. Let's get your room set up."

Raven took a deep breath and took her first step through the door to her new life.