Zatanna sighed, her meeting with Archie had gone on longer than she'd wanted it to and worse she had to confide in him about Wyette and John. Although she was all too certain Archie was anything but a threat, she wanted to keep the lid on the secret for as long as she could. Eventually, the world would know about the twins, this was a given. After all between her civilian life, the former renowned magician and Dick being the first adopted son of Bruce Wayne and the last of the flying Grayson's, even people with very minimal interest would tune in to find out more.

How'd Zatanna and Dick Grayson end up in the same circle? How long was their affair? Was the pregnancy why she retired? Are their kids going into show business as magicians or acrobats? Were they entitled to the Wayne fortune and the Zatara fortune? How did they manage to keep it a secret for so long? What do they look like?

Questions.

Questions she didn't want people asking and questions she damn sure didn't want to answer. She hated the idea of strangers trying to take pictures of them or intruding on their privacy and ruining what little innocence was left of their childhood. She wanted them to have normal lives; whatever that meant.

Normal, the word racked itself round her brain and tortured her. What did she know about being normal? The most normal person she knew growing up was Dick and he was a secret super hero and the son of a billionaire; certainly, that didn't qualify him as normal. Between the two of them how could she hope that their kids could have a normal life? They were practitioners of magic and could easily do a gymnastics routine that should be considered advanced for their years. Though they hadn't the slightest clue, they had enough money in the bank to buy several small islands and then some. Moreover, they still didn't know who their father was and why he hadn't been in their lives…..normal. As if.

She stood up with her tea in hand and looked at her phone, Dick had texted and offered to bring the twins to Shadowcrest in about an hour or so. She eyed the text suspiciously then replied her consent.

They had some talking to do.

"What time is Zatanna coming to pick up the twins?" Barbara asked Dick as he sat at the computer in the Batcave. She stood behind him closely and brought her lips to the inside of his shoulder blade.

"I'm dropping them off actually." Dick told her.

"Oh?" Barbara mused.

Dick turned around to face her, "Yeah, I am."

"Why? Did she ask you to?" Barbara asked.

"No," Dick answered her honestly, "She didn't, I offered."

Barbara looked at him skeptically, "Why?"

"I need to talk to her." Dick said taking her hand in his. "And I can't do that here."

"Because of me." Barbara inferred.

He shook his head, "Of course not."

Barbara looked at him dubiously. "Well she's certainly not a fan of mine."

"So I guess that makes the two of you even," Dick countered. "Look Babs, I don't know what happened between you two a few months back, but she's still the mother of my kids."

"Then I guess that makes us even." She pointed out.

"I'm not following you." Dick told her point blank.

"You don't know what happened between the two of us and I don't know what happened between the two of you a few months ago, or even a few years ago so I guess we are even." She said pulling her hand away from his.

Dick looked at her incredulously before turning back towards the computer.

"Come on, Dick. Talk to me." She implored him.

"About what Barbara, nothing's happened." He muttered.

"Okay maybe nothing happened two and a half months ago but something happened five years ago. Why else would she have left, knowing she was pregnant?"

"You'd have to ask her that yourself."

"I did." Barbara said stubbornly.

Dick turned around to face her again, "You what?" he spat.

"You wanted to know what happened the last time she came here; and I am telling you. I confronted her about what she did to you."

"Why?" Dick groaned. "Why would you do that?"

"Because what she did was fucked up and I wanted to know why she did it."

"She had her reasons Babs."

"What reasons could justify this Dick? How could she do that to you?" she snapped. "And why aren't you fighting her, why am I the only person who seems interested in her disappearing act?"

"Because it happened, it's the past and now," he said raking his hand through hair, "now I have Wyette and John. Now I know they exist and I know Zatanna is alive, and so now it's over. That whole thing is over and so is this conversation."

Barbara scoffed, "Of course it is."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dick asked.

"Nothing." Barbara mumbled as she started to take her leave. As she reached the stairs she turned back to look at him, "Just remember I'm on your side Dick."

"I know." Dick replied.

"Yeah, well act like it." she said before leaving.

"Hey guys, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Wyette and John looked up from their play things and gave Barbara their undivided attention.

Tim and Damian looked at Barbara skeptically.

"Can I talk to the twins alone please?" she asked mulishly.

Damian cocked a brow and after a beat Tim stood up to leave. "We'll be just outside if you need anything."

Damian who had been entertaining John (teaching him martial arts moves in spite of Dick and Zatanna's blatant disapproval) seemed more reluctant to leave. Although he would be the last person to admit it, he had grown rather fond of the twins, John in particular; he saw him as his own personal protégé and although he constantly scolded John on his 'overtly nice' demeanor had come to see him as a younger brother of sorts.

John was everything Damian thought a little boy ought to be, kind, curious, smart, and without bias. The boy had clung to Damian since the moment he arrived at the Manor and initially it vexed him, but instead of shooing him away, he thought he'd 'befriend' him the only way he knew how; fighting/teaching him to survive. In that time he'd really come to appreciate him and even the way Zatanna and Dick had chosen to raise them.

The last thing he wanted now, was for anyone (even Barbara) to get in the way of what was now their norm and their budding relationship/apprenticeship.

"It'll just be a minute." Barbara told him.

Damian got up and sulked out of the room.

Barbara sat down at the play table and motioned them to do the same. Wyette and John sat down excitedly.

"I need your help guys." Barbara told them.

Wonder and amusement sat on their faces.

"Okay." Wyette agreed.

John looked at his sister nervously and then back at Barbara.

"What do you know about your dad?" she asked them softly.