Disclaimer: Still don't own Justice League, cartoon or comic.

So, turns out the ideas for my this story develop faster than those for my Yugioh GX story, so I'll just keep posting here as it comes.

That said, thanks to Rebel-Renegade-Fett for beta-reading.

Also, I got the title of this chapter from the song of the same name by Elle King.

Enjoy!


Ex's & Oh's

Saturday morning the week after her visit to Wayne Manor, Zatanna was sleeping peacefully in her room, unaware of the imminent threat to her slumber. This changed when a small body sailed through the air and landed on top of her, excitedly crying out: "Auntie Zee!"

"Wah!" Zatanna exclaimed, having been startled awake by the little bundle of energy known as Mari Grayson.

"Great job waking her up, Mari," Dick congratulated his daughter, grinning at Zatanna's reaction.

"What's with the wake up call? And for that matter: How did you get in here?"

"Hey, I'm Dick Grayson," he shot back as Mari hopped off the bed to re-join her father.

"So... what? You picked the lock?"

"Nah, I just bribed the cleaning lady."

"Dick," she muttered under her breath. "I can't imagine what ever possessed Kory to marry you."

"Why, my dashing good looks and natural charm, of course," he said with a smirk.

"Sure, whatever. Again, what's with the wake up call?"

"Daddy's spending time with mama, so he's leaving me with you today, Auntie Zee," Mari piped up.

"You haven't forgotten about our... agreement, have you now?"

"No, but would it have hurt to let me know ahead of time, instead of dropping Mari on me like this?"

"Probably not, but why take the chance? Now Mari," he spoke to his daughter, going down on one knee and putting a hand on her shoulder. "I need you to behave for Auntie Zatanna while I'm gone. Can you do that?"

"Yes daddy!"

"That's a good girl. Come on, give your old man a hug." The cheerful little girl wrapped her arms around her father's neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye daddy! Have fun with mama!"

"Thanks dear. Now, if you ladies don't mind, there's a goddess outside who's waiting for me to sweep her off her feet. Ta ta!"


After getting dressed for the day and convincing Mari to settle down long enough to allow her to get some breakfast, Zatanna took the little girl outside for a walk to the park. Holding her hand as they walked the street, Zatanna was almost dragged along by the energetic child, but managed to keep them at a more reasonable pace. When they arrived at the park, Mari made to run onto a play set, but her attention (along with that of many other people) was drawn to a man sitting on a bench playing "You are my Sunshine" on a guitar. The man in question was quite handsome, with a certain boyish charm, had curly golden hair and sang beautifully, his voice and music practically mesmerizing his audience and passerbys. "That was really pretty, mister," Mari complimented him when he was finished playing.

"Well, you're just an adorable ray of sunshine," he replied, giving her a bright white smile. "What's your name, little one?"

"I'm Mari Grayson. Daddy's friend Auntie Zee's looking after me today," she pointed to Zatanna standing close by.

"It's nice to meet you, Mari. I'm Alfred Paul Oland, but you can call me Paul, if you like."

"Nice to meet you too, mister Paul. Auntie Zee, can I go play now?"

"Just make sure to stay where I can see you, don't go too far, and don't fly off the swings."

"Okay!"

"What a cute little child," he said as Mari cheerfully took off toward the slides.

"That she is," Zatanna agreed. "And an energetic one to boot. I can already tell that I'll be tired at the end of the day. That said, she was right about your music, you really are good."

"I should hope so," he said proudly. "After all, music is something of a... speciality of mine, though I also dabble in poetry and art."

"This may be a coincidence, but a friend of mine mentioned a man named Paul who taught, or rather, attempted to teach him music, poetry and art."

"Would your... friend... happen to be Hector Anderson by any chance?" he asked, a knowing smile on his face.

"I take it you're the 'Paul' he talked about?"

"The one and only," he said, standing up to give a flamboyant bow and kiss the back of her hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Ms. Zatara."

"Has Hector told you about me?"

"Not directly, but Anna, another of his teachers, paid him a visit and then spread the news about Hector's newfound girlfriend to myself and a few others."

"He hasn't mentioned an 'Anna' before. What did she teach him?" Zatanna asked, curious.

"Essentially, she taught him 'The Art of Love'. Things like how to be a gentleman, how to treat a lady, romance, etc. Speaking of which, I can assure you that you'd have a hard time trying to find a better man than him."

"Yes, Cassandra has said something along those lines before. Actually, she pretty much set us up together in the first place, although I suspect she got a few laughs out it all."

"She's a... special kid that one. I suppose she could use a little help developing some of her talents, but she really has great potential, not surprising, given her parents."

"Auntie Zee!" Mari called over.

"Sorry Paul, looks like I'm needed elsewhere."

"Of course, have a nice day." Zatanna then went over to Mari while Paul put his guitar back in its case and walked away, musing to himself. "I wonder how upset Hector would be if he heard how much I was hinting about Cassandra's 'special talents'. Oh well, I'm sure that boy will tell her all about it at some point." Paul then walked into an empty alleyway, and, satisfied that no one was looking, vanished.


In another part of the city, Cassandra was out for a leisurely stroll by herself, since she had no homework or activities, and her friends were otherwise occupied for the time being. Humming a tune to herself as she made her way through the streets, she eventually came across a small cafe and decided to take a break. Stepping inside, she went to the cashier and got a pastry and smoothie, then, as she was deciding where to sit, she spotted an auburn haired woman with green eyes who was reading a book alone. Sensing that the woman in question was vaguely familiar, she decided to approach her. "Excuse me?"

"Can I help you?" the woman replied, lowering her book to look at her.

"I don't mean to intrude, it's just that you seem kind of familiar. I don't suppose we've met before, have we?"

"Can't say I remember ever meeting you."

"Sorry to bother you. I'm Cassandra Anderson."

"Shiera Hall," the woman offered in return, setting her book down on the table. "Why don't you have a seat, Cassandra? You seem like decent company, and I wouldn't mind having someone to talk to for a while."

"Thanks," Cassandra said gratefully as she sat down. "It's funny, but my big brother used to go out with a girl named Sara Hall when he was a teenager. Now that I think of it, she kind of looked like you. I don't suppose the two of you are related?"

"You must be talking about my sister," Shiera stated, taken by surprise at the revelation. "Her name is Sara, and we've always been told we look alike, but it's been years now."

"That's a shame. I remember she was really nice, and when I had trouble sleeping she'd sing this strange song for me. Never could understand a single word, but it would always have me out like a light."

"Would you mind telling me more? It's just been so long since the last time I saw her, it'd be nice to have some news, however old it may be."

"Well, I was only four or five years old when she left my brother, but I'm sure I can give you something. So..."


Flashback

Hector and Sara had been left to their own devices, since Cassandra's mother had taken her out for an appointment, so they'd decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and go outside for a hike in the woods. Sara was carrying snacks and water in a backpack and wore a plain white hat, while Hector wore a silver baseball hat with a black bill and had his share of supplies in a pouch at his waist. "So, if I understand this correctly, in exchange for Mars teaching you how to fight, once a year he'll send a monster after you in order to test your combat skills. Is that it?"

"Pretty much. It's the price I have to pay for his lessons, plus it keeps me sharp."

"I can imagine, since you never know when it'll come, or even what it might be. It actually reminds me a little of my own training, except I just had to worry about 'who' instead of 'what'."

"Still, from what you've said already, it doesn't sound like you've had it all that easy yourself."

"Yeah, sometimes I wish I'd made different choices back then, but as the saying goes 'What's done is done.' Besides, I may miss my family, but at least I've found something worthwhile here. I'm glad you took it so well when you found out the truth about me, especially considering how I reacted to your... accidental discovery."

"Hey, your reaction, while admittedly a tad violent, was understandable, since I did stumble upon you while you were taking a shower."

"True enough. Of course, you have gotten a little more used to seeing me like that now, haven't you?"

"Well, at this point I suppose I have," Hector muttered, his cheeks turning a little red.

Sara chuckled at this, then planted a kiss on his lips. "Alright, I think that's enough sappy and embarrassing stories for now." The two of them continued their hike in silence for a few minutes, until Hector spotted something in the sky, which turned out to be a flock of rapacious half bird/half women hybrids.

"Harpies," Hector stated.

"Now this is my kind of date," Sara said eagerly, dropping her backpack and pulling out a round, spiked metal mace. "I take it this is your next test, eh?"

"Something like that." Hector then took off his hat, twisted the button and detached the bill, holding it in one hand while he hung the rest by the Velcro strap to the back of his collar. The bill quickly morphed into an elegant bow, black as night, while the rest became a quiver strapped to his back, filled with silver arrows.

Sara whistled in an impressed manner at the sight of his weapon. "Very nice..." He then put an arrow to his bow and let it loose, the projectile streaking through the air and landing a headshot on one of the harpies, killing it instantly. "Hey, leave some for me!"

Hector merely smiled at her as he put another arrow to his bow, and said: "Gotta keep up."

Flashback end


With Cassandra now gone, Shiera was sitting by herself again, reminiscing about her sister. "It's been over ten years now, and this is the first time I've heard of you since you went on that secret mission," she muttered softly to herself. "I do miss you, and I wish I could see you again sometime. It's strange how we both ended up coming to earth. At least it sounds like you met some good people, and you were happy during your time here. Still, I wonder about this guy you dated. This... Hector Anderson."


Hector was currently occupying Frieda's usual space at the local farmer's market, employing the more honest skills he'd learned from Marc. The reason he was at the market instead of working at the farm was that Frieda had caught a cold, so he was there selling their products, which normally included some of her homemade pies, only this time he'd made them himself the night before. "Excuse me, my good sir," someone spoke up while he had his back to them.

Turning around to face the individual in question, Hector recognized him as Dick Grayson, accompanied by his wife, the model Kory Anders. "Hello there," he replied politely. "How are you doing today, M. Grayson?"

"So you know who I am, do you?"

"But of course, the media and gossip magazines do love to talk about their celebrities. And you must be Kory Anders."

Kory nodded in affirmation at this. "That is correct. And you would be...?"

"Hector Anderson, at your service."

"Nice meeting you, Hector," Dick said, shaking his hand. "But please, call me Dick."

"Certainly. So what can I do for you, Dick?"

"Well, my wife and I were looking to enjoy a picnic together, and a few other vendors mentioned that you sell some of the best pies ever, so we thought we'd see for ourselves."

"Would you like to try some?"

"Yeah, sure." Hector then grabbed a pie he had for sampling purposes/enticing potential customers and cut two small pieces, which Dick and Kory each disposed of in a single mouthful.

"By gods, this is so good!" Kory exclaimed.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but this might even be slightly better than Alfred's," Dick added.

"I have one apple, one rhubarb and one cherry remaining. Any preference?"

"Yeah, we'll take all three."

"Dick, don't you think three pies is a bit much for a two person picnic? Even if they are incredibly delicious."

"We can always save some for later. Besides, what kind of parents would we be if we denied Mari the chance to partake in such a wonderful dessert?"

"I suppose you do have a point. Very well, we'll take them all." With a nod and a smile, the pies switched hands in exchange for money, Hector adding on the leftovers of the sample pie as a bonus.

"Hey, Ms. Anders..."

"Please, call me Kory."

"Alright, Kory. I was just wondering... are you any relation to Alice Anders?"

"How do you know her?" she asked, apparently surprised.

"We were good friends back when I was in high school. And we used to date. Frankly, she looked like a mirror image of yourself."

"She would be my twin sister. Have you heard from her recently?"

"Unfortunately no, I haven't seen her in several years. One day she just left for no apparent reason. I was actually hoping she might have said something to you."

"I'm sorry, although she did speak to me before leaving the country, she said nothing about why she was leaving, or even where she was going."

"That's a shame, but I suppose there's no point in moping over it."

"I suppose so," Kory agreed. "We should probably get moving now, if we want to enjoy our picnic. It was nice meeting you, Hector."

"Hey, if you're ever in Bludhaven or Gotham, give us a call, will you?" Dick said, passing him a piece of paper with his phone number on it. "We should talk again sometime."

"Will do," Hector shot back, quickly ripping off a strip of paper and writing down his own number, which he gave to Dick. "Here, just in case you're ever interested in some more pie."

"I'll be sure to take you up on that sometime. So long!"


Flashback

A number of clothes lay scattered about the room, a sock on the back of a chair, a shirt on the floor, a pair of panties on the desk... these and more had been flung off of the couple wearing them in their hurry to get undressed. The couple in question was Hector and his girlfriend Alice, who were currently on his bed, passionately engaged in certain activities most people would avoid discussing in public.

"Hector..."

"Alice..."

"Hey guys, we're ba-" Cassandra began as she walked into the room, stopping in her tracks when she saw her brother and his girlfriend naked on the bed. "EWW!" she cried out, covering her eyes.

"I thought they weren't supposed to be back for another two hours!" Alice said, quickly grabbing the sheet to cover up the both of them.

"Yeah, so did I," Hector replied. "I also thought you locked the door."

"I thought you did that."

"Obviously not!"

"What's with all the ruckus?" Cassandra's mother asked as she walked over. A blank look appeared on her face as she contemplated the sight of her adopted son and his girlfriend's state of undress, and her daughter shielding her own eyes from it. "... Cassandra, honey, I'm sorry you had to see this. Hector, this is your problem now and I expect you to deal with it."

"Mother..."

"Deal. With. It," she said in a tone that brooked no argument. "I'll give you two a few minutes to make yourselves decent." She then took Cassandra by the arm and lead her out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"I swear that this is going to haunt me sometime in the future," Hector muttered as he and Alice tried to find their clothes so they could get dressed.

"Just imagine how your sister must feel at the moment," Alice butt in, handing him his shirt. "Not to worry, I will help you through this. We are both to blame for this incident after all."

"Thanks for the support." The two of them soon managed to make themselves presentable, then went into the living room and sat on the sofa, facing the chair Cassandra was seated in.

"So, um... what were you guys doing?" Cassandra inquired after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"We were-" Alice began, only to be interrupted by Hector.

"We were just wrestling!" he piped up.

Cassandra's mother let out a snort from her place in the kitchen. "Ha! I'll give you credit for trying, if nothing else."

"If you were wrestling, why were you in bed? And why were you guys not wearing clothes?"

"Well... the thing about that is..."

"Hector," Alice spoke up, gently laying a hand on his shoulder. "I believe it may be for the best to simply tell her the truth."

"I guess you're right. Okay Cassandra, listen up, because I reeeeeeally don't want to have this conversation twice. So, when a boy and a girl care for each other very much..."

Flashback end


Having left the farmer's market a little while ago, Dick and Kory were now enjoying their picnic in the countryside, sitting on a blanket with the food spread out between them. However, at one point in their meal, Dick couldn't help but notice the contemplative look on his wife's face. "Is something the matter?"

"I was thinking about my sister. After we escaped our captors we both came to earth together, but while I met you and the others, she lived quietly during her time here, away from the spotlight."

"It has been a long time now," Dick admitted. "But who knows? Maybe you'll have the chance to see her again someday."

"Perhaps I will..."

The couple enjoyed a moment of silence as they ate their food, until Dick decided to speak up again. "So, that guy at the market, Hector... he seems like an interesting fellow. Wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, he does. I remember during one of her occasional visits she spoke of this boy she had met. She had joined her school's wrestling team, and he was their star athlete, but when she wished to compete with him he refused, because she was a girl and he, quote: 'Did not know where to grab her'."

"Oh yeah, I remember that."

The two of them enjoyed a laugh at the memory. "Do you think that Hector knew the truth about her?" Kory wondered out loud.

"Well, he does seem like a smart guy, and if the two of them were close enough it's possible he would know she isn't from earth, but... it's hard to tell just like that."

"You're right. I say we leave this matter for another day."

"Amen to that. Now, let's just focus on enjoying ourselves."


Sometime that evening, after Dick and Kory had returned to pick up Mari, Zatanna found herself collapsing on her bed, tired from looking after the young child. As she lay there resting, wondering how her friends managed, she got a call on her phone and answered when she saw it was Hector. "Hey, how're you doing?" she asked.

"I'm pretty good. How about you?"

"Just a little tired at the moment."

"Okay, well I just wanted to see if you'd be interested in joining Cassandra and I for supper. I made seafood chowder, salad and chocolate pudding if you're interested."

"Oh man, that sounds awesome. Look, I don't really feel like walking right now, so is it alright if I just 'poof' over to your place?"

"Sure, supper's ready, so you can come over anytime."

"Thanks, I'll be there in a minute." Zatanna then stood up off her bed, straightened her clothes, grabbed the sunglasses she'd borrowed and cast the necessary spell, appearing in the middle of her boyfriend's apartment a second later.

"Whoa!" Cassandra exclaimed, having been startled by her sudden appearance.

"Sorry Cassandra. Hey Hector, thanks for lending me your sunglasses," she said, giving him back the item in question. "They worked like a charm and no one suspected a thing."

"You're welcome," he replied, putting the shades in his shirt pocket and finishing setting up the table. "Have a seat."

"Wait a sec," Cassandra spoke up as she and Zatanna sat down at the table. "What's this about you using his 'special' sunglasses?"

"Well, you see, some of my friends in the Justice League have been teasing me about my love life, so to get revenge on them I borrowed your brother's sunglasses and used them to mop the floor with them at poker."

"And here I thought heroes were meant to be incorruptible," Cassandra commented with a smile.

"Your brother said the same thing. But don't worry, it was just for the sake of getting back at my friends, plus I donated half of my winnings to charity."

"In that case, I guess it's not so bad," the teenage girl said as Hector set the pot of chowder on the table. "Now let's dig in!" Three generous bowls of chowder were served, along with sides of salad and bread, all three of them happily partaking in the meal. "So, Zatanna, how was your day? Did you go on a mission with the Justice League to save the world?"

"Nothing quite so heroic. I was just babysitting a four year old girl as a favor. It was... tiring."

"Yes, looking after little girls does tend to do that to a person," Hector pitched in, giving his sister a meaningful look that had her sticking her tongue out at him.

"By the way, I ran into your music teacher Paul earlier today," Zatanna mentioned.

"Let me guess: Anna told him about 'us', right?"

"Apparently, yes. So, you really had a teacher for romance?"

"Anna is something of an... expert on the subject. For whatever reason, she basically decided that I was her little brother, and as such I simply had to have an education in the fine art of romance. Still, it wasn't all bad, even if there were a few embarrassing moments. That said, you weren't babysitting for Dick Grayson and Kory Anders, were you?"

"How could you possibly know that?"

"I didn't, it was just a stab in the dark based on the coincidence of having met them at the farmer's market earlier today, and no, Cassandra, I did not get his autograph. We did exchange phone numbers, and no, you're not allowed to use it for fan-girling purposes."

"Spoilsport."

"Celebrity crush, eh?" Zatanna teased her.

"Can you blame me?"

"I suppose not. Anyway, what was your day like?"

"Nothing special, pretty much just relaxed and went out for a walk," Cassandra answered. "The highlight of my day was when I stopped in this little cafe and met a woman who said she was Sara's sister. She even looked like her."

"Who's Sara?"

"She was my girlfriend back when I was 14," Hector explained. "Haven't seen her in a decade though."

"Have you had many girlfriends? Just curious," she added when he raised an eyebrow in question. "I mean, you're a smart guy, good looking and athletic, so I'm assuming you've had at least a few girlfriends."

"I thought talking about exes was normally considered taboo."

"Well yeah, but... I can't help but be curious."

"Hmm... Alright, if you really want to know. I've only dated two girls before, the most recent of whom was almost seven years ago. I've only ever entered a relationship if I was serious about it. And at the risk of being sappy, I want you to know that you are... precious to me."

"That was... thank you," Zatanna said sincerely, touched by his words. She then reached out and took his hand, but Cassandra chose that moment to remind them of her presence.

"If you guys are gonna start making out give me a heads up, cuz I'd rather not be in the same room."

"..."

"Hey Zee, would you like to see some photos of Cassandra when she was younger? I was thinking of one album in particular you might be interested in." Hector said the last part with a foreboding tone, giving Cassandra a mild glare.

Zatanna caught on to this and smiled deviously. "I think I would."

Cassandra couldn't help but shrink a little and say: "I brought this on myself, didn't I?"

Hector merely replied with: "Yes. Yes you did."


Beyond Sector 2814

Out in the depths of space, there was a planet, abundant with enough resources to attract trade and commerce, but small enough to be relatively quiet and peaceful. In one of it's cities was a bar that looked ordinary, yet prosperous, clean and well kept. The establishment in question was owned by two good friends: One, a Thanagarian woman who also worked as a bartender, and the other, a Tamaranean woman who also worked as a bouncer. Of course, not all of the patrons were always in an agreeable mood, as two burly looking men were currently getting in each others' faces over some trivial matter, likely influenced by the number of drinks they'd consumed.

"What did you call me?" one of the patrons said to another. "I dare you to say it again. Come on, say it."

"I called you a pile of-" the other man started, only to be cut off when the first punched him square in the face. The two men quickly degenerated into a slugfest, until they found themselves dangling a foot off the floor a brief moment later, held in the Tamaranean woman's iron grip. She then walked to the door and proceeded to unceremoniously dump them on the ground outside.

"The two of you are free to fight between yourselves to your heart's content, but such behavior will not be tolerated in this establishment," she said firmly, giving them a hard look that dared them to defy her. "Are we clear?"

"Yes ma'am," they mumbled obediently.

"Good. Now leave."

The two brawlers did as they were told, and the Tamaranean, apparently satisfied by this, turned around and returned to her job. "You know..." the Thanagarian spoke up as her friend walked back in. "If this weren't our place, I wouldn't mind a little barroom brawl. Feels like it's been forever since I've had a good fight."

"Then perhaps we should go out sometime," the Tamaranean replied. "I'm certain we could find somewhere or someone able to accommodate you."

"Yeah, it would be fun to have a girls' night out again." A patron coming up to the bar cut short further conversation, though the Thanagarian woman quickly became irritated after a moment of him hitting on her and speaking in a flowery manner. Her patience ran dangerously thin when he used one too many terms of endearment, at which point she slapped the counter with two hands and said: "Listen up, pretty boy, my name is Sahra Hol. Understand? Sah-ra Hol."

"Ah, such a fiery temper. You're even lovelier when you're angry, little flower blossom."

"Alisand'r," Sahra addressed her friend. "Would you be so kind as to 'escort' this gentlemen outside?"

"With pleasure," she replied with a grin.

A few seconds later... "AAAAAAH!" screamed the man as Alisand'r literally threw him out the door.

"Thank you," Sahra said gratefully. "Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I'm confident you'd have little problem dealing with anyone who crossed you, although you'd likely break a few chairs, tables or bottles in the process."

Sahra chuckled a little at her friend's words. "Too true."


So, there you have it, please review, hope you liked it, etc, etc.

One last thing: If no one picks up on the stuff I'm hinting at in this chapter (not so subtly, I might add), I swear I will burn every single pair of socks I own.