A/N 11-4-10: Well, I am quite the night owl, I will admit. Chapter 9 was submitted in the wee hours of the morning, and ch10 in the late hours of the evening.

Chapter 10: Breakfast

The morning Jinx's life changed forever started with her groaning awake with the first rays of the sun and the merry chirping of bird song. For a futile thirty minutes Jinx borrowed sleep by using her pillow as shelter from the bright piercing light invading her slumber. Of course in the end resistance proved futile once the alarm clock Zatanna had enchanted especially to wake her pillow-happy pupil began pouncing on top of Jinx's pillow covered head.

Sleepy eyes peered out of their den and flared pink causing the bouncing alarm on top of her pillow to float placidly to her nightstand. For a moment Jinx allowed herself to wallow in her warm sheets before "facing the day" as Maria said. With a grumble she pushed off her pillow and fell dramatically out of bed. Crossing her eyes at herself in the mirror, Jinx zoomed through her preparations picking a jean skirt, violet shirt and daring black and purple knee high socks, gave her face a parting look and zipped off downstairs hatless, absently scratching her scalp.

Maria had this pesky rule that if any hungry child wasn't down by eight then they could fend for breakfast themselves, and Jinx was sure she'd been able to charm Maria into making chocolate chip pancakes sometime in the next two days. Her pace picked up as she reached the stairs at the thought of golden, warm, chocolate goodness.

Down in the kitchen the thunder of oncoming footsteps warned the entire kitchen of the incoming blur. At the store Maria clucked her tongue, checked the time, 7:55, and checked the griddle.

"Incoming Maria," Zatanna said slyly between sips of coffee, a coy smile creeping onto her face.

"She's cutting it close today," Maria clucked snapping her washcloth over the sink of loaded dishes.

"As usual," Zatanna amiably agreed, and both women sighed in exasperation over their pink-eyed charge. Maria hummed thoughtfully.

"She's changed so much since you first brought her to Shadowcrest. She has so much more life in her now."

"And enough mischief to turn my hair as grey as yours," Zatanna harrumphed, mouth curling as she placed her cup down on the counter.

"Has she?" Maria hummed thoughtfully eyeing the Mistress of Magic's dark head. "I don't see any."

"And you never will."

Maria chuckled. "Vain aren't we?"

"I have a reputation to maintain," Zatanna returned lightly. "No one comes to see an aged performer unless they are a legend."

"Well, you'd better start working on your legendary status because here she is."

And Jinx slid into the kitchen, glanced at the clock and smiled in triumph.

"Three pancakes please," she chirped puppy eyes turned full force on Maria.

"Of course, child," Maria clucked reaching over to the cabinet, plucking a clean plate and giving the clock a disapproving stare. 7:58 am. "You cut it close again, Nicole," Maria chided. Jinx grinned, grabbed the plate with happy thanks and darted to the table.

Glancing up from the Magic Monthly section, Zatanna watched her student ferret around the stack of newspapers. "Comics are below the Classifieds," she said picking up her cup again and diverting her attention to the article before her: The First Amulet of Magic: Myth or Morgaine? "After breakfast we're going to construct a china shop from some heirlooms and refine your control." She remarked between sips of coffee.

"I thought you told me not to hex any of your heirlooms. Priceless, irreplaceable, cursed artifacts and stuff," Jinx said between a bite of syrup saturated pancake and a gulp of orange juice.

"Mouth closed," Zatanna corrected, and Jinx rolled her eyes but complied. "And these aren't my family heirlooms. They're my great aunt's twice removed on my mother's side, and trust me, they're practically pleading with me to be destroyed."

Prompt: Bird Song