Redemption

Nightwing came quickly to his feet and he didn't do it carefully. He felt more fit than ever, it was like he could run with the speed Wally once had. Zatanna lay on her back in front of him and he stooped down to examine her. Her pulse was steady and so was her breathing. She was fast asleep and it was no wonder. Zatanna had given Nightwing all the energy she had left when she healed his wound. She needed a proper rest and so Nightwing wanted to take her back to her bed room, but first he had to take care of their enemies. Ra's Al Guhl and Lady Vic needed to be taken back to their own lairs, before they would wake up. Nightwing gave them each a dose of sleeping gas from his utility belt to keep them out cold for a while. Once that was done he lifted Zatanna into his arms and made for the exit. He had taken two steps when he heard something fall on the ground. He looked down and saw a short black wand, lying on the red carpet. Its handle was different than that of Zatanna's wand. Nightwing looked from the wand to the sleeping Zatanna and smiled.

'She even had her father's wand as a back up and still she did it all on her own.' He thought. Carefully he picked up the wand and once he had put Zatanna into her bed he laid the wand next to her, on her dresser. Then he went back to collect the two foes and set them carefully against the wall in a dark alley below Zatanna's department. It was a perfect covered spot and there were no people on the streets. Nightwing slunk back into the far corner of the alley and contacted the Bat Cave.

"Bat Cave." He heard Batman say.

"Batman, it's me. I have something for you." Nightwing said and there was a silence.

"Understood, I have your coordinates." Batman said after a while. The silence meant that Batman knew what it was about.

"Can you bring Batgirl with you?" Nightwing asked him before he could break off.

"Sure, we will be on our way." Batman replied and he broke off the call.

Batman and Batgirl arrived within half an hour and Nightwing knew he had to thank the speed of the Bat mobile for that. Silently the two bats walked into the dark alley where Nightwing waited with his catch.

"I suspect you know what occupied me over the last month?" Nightwing said to Batman."

"I know most of it." Batman replied with his usual scowl. "Robin filled me in about the last details.

"Right then, I need you to take these two back to their lairs as soon as possible." Nightwing stepped back and gestured to the two bodies against the wall. For a moment the masked eyes of both Batman and Batgirl widened when they saw two of the most dangerous villains lying there. Batgirl walked past Nightwing and stooped down to examine them.

"He's been impaled." She said in a whisper that was both shocked and informative.

"Yeah, Zatanna redirected Lady Vic's dagger, which was meant for me, to him." Dick replied nonchalantly

"Where is she now?" Batman wanted to know.

"Upstairs, she used up all her energy and needs to rest."

"It sounds like you two barely made it out alive, but you look fine." Batman said thoughtfully.

"Thanks to Zatanna and also the reason she cannot speak to you right now. I've put her through a lot." Nightwing said and he looked up to her window.

"I asked Zatanna to leave you alone. I thought it would be best for you to sort things out on your own. I guess that was wrong of me." Batman said and it made Batgirl smile in the shadows. Of course he did not see that. "You could have asked for help." Batman went on. "Robin told me why you didn't and I understand, but I hope that you know that we all know how to take risks."

Nightwing couldn't see his eyes, but he knew exactly what look he was giving him.

"I hope you trust me to help you next time, you had us worried." Batman said at last and he gave Nightwing one of his rare smiles.

Nightwing grinned back innocently. "Thanks Batman." He said.

"Now let's take these two home." Batman said and he walked towards the two foes and hoisted them up, each under one arm and walked away. Batgirl stood up and her gaze followed him, but she didn't leave. Instead she approached Nightwing and halted just in front of him.

"You knew that it would only take one to take those two away, didn't you?" she said.

Nightwing gave her a meaningful smile. "Yes, I asked him to bring you because I wanted to talk to you." He said.

Batgirl didn't look surprised, she had expected this. "Alright, I'll listen." She said calmly.

"I know I've been not fair to you and I know I haven't explained myself." Nightwing began.

"Well you don't need to." Batgirl said, as always she sounded resolute, but she also smiled and her eyes were calm and gentle. "I've always known I couldn't replace her for you. I tried and I also tried to forget my own problems. We will always have each other, Dick," She said softly and she laid a warm hand on Nightwing's shoulder. "but we are a better family than a couple."

Nightwing nodded and he grinned at her. He knew that she was right. Right now she had retaken her role as an older sister, who shared her wisdom with her brother. "And together with Tim we can help Bruce." She said.

"You're right." Nightwing agreed. They all knew that they were Batman's greatest strength and weakness and that would never change, even now that Nightwing no longer stood by his side. He actually missed it.

Batgirl watched him and seemed to know what he was thinking. "Say, why don't you come and train with us again?" she suggested. "it will be good for you to be among friends."

Nightwing smiled. That was exactly what he had in mind. "I will, but not tomorrow." He said.

"Good, we will see you come then. I'll tell Alfred, it will cheer him up." With a last friendly smile Batgirl walked away and soon she too was devoured by the darkness of the night.

Zatanna woke up peacefully from her sleep. She looked at her alarm clock to see the time. It was midday, 2 o'clock pm. Her father's wand lay next to it. 'Nightwing must have placed it there.' Zatanna thought and she looked at it and smiled. In the end, she didn't even need it.
She stood up and walked to the kitchen to make herself some brunch. Her energy had completely returned to her and now she felt hungry. While she was busy with cutlery and bread she thought about the events from the past few days and wondered where Nightwing was right now. No doubt he was off fighting again in Blűdhaven. That would be most likely and he would be saving the town like always. She wondered when she would see him again. Then, just when her toast was ready, her phone rang. With the piece of toast in her mouth she took the ringing phone out of its stand and looked at its screen to see who was calling. It was Dick. Quickly she swallowed her bite of toast and picked it up.

"Zatanna." She answered, like always.

"Zatanna, how are you?" Dick asked directly. He sounded interested, but not concerned, he knew by now that she could handle herself.

"I'm fine, I just woke up." Zatanna replied. "I'm sorry if I worried you, healing spells are very easy to overdo." She said. "What are you up to? You're not on another mission already, are you?"

"No, I'm just about to pay a visit." Dick said casually.

"A visit? To whom?" Zatanna asked. There was a silence and she waited patiently for him to answer.

"Thanks, Ze." Dick said, suddenly very softly and it made her heart skip a beat. "This whole mess made me realise how ungrateful I've been. Especially to Batman. Yesterday I had a good talk with him and I agreed with Barbara to come and train with them again. I'm done living in solitude and placing blame upon myself. You were the first person to help me realise that."

There was another silence. Zatanna didn't know how to react to this and so she said nothing.

"So," Said Dick suddenly in normal volume and he awkwardly cleared his throat. "how do you feel about dinner in Chicago tonight?"

"Sounds good." Zatanna replied cheerfully. She was glad he sounded like himself again. It was not like Dick to feel down for too long. She didn't repeat her question, maybe he would answer that tonight.

"Great, I'll pick you up around six then. I have to go now, I've already rang the doorbell and Mrs West will probably answer it soon."

Dick hung up and Zatanna put the phone back with a satisfied smile on her lips. 'So he is finally going to Wally's parents.' She thought happily.

The door opened and Mrs West's friendly face looked up at him. Dick took off his sunglasses and gave her a guilty smile. "Hi Mrs West, I hope you still remember me." He said.

"Dick Greyson, of course! Come in." she said friendly and she stepped back to allow him into the small hallway that lead to the living room. "Do you want some tea or something else?" she asked as she walked into the room.

"Something else if you have it." Dick replied. If he could help it he rather had no tea this time. Too much tea still reminded him of the stiff people who used to visit Bruce when he lived there.

"I have pineapple juice, if you like." Mrs West said smilingly.

"I have that please." Dick said politely. Mrs West went to the kitchen and he sat himself down upon the sofa. It took her not long to come back with a glass of juice in her hand.

"How are you, Dick?" she asked him while she set the glass on the table in front of him and took the seat across it. Dick looked at her. It was a simple question she had asked and a common one too, but still he had feared it. Mrs West had gained some wrinkles and grey hairs since he last saw her, but she was still the same kind woman who he had known for years. Her look was encouraging and sympathetic, she knew she asked him much.

"I begin to feel better." He replied slowly. "I'm sorry I didn't visit you for so long. I know you and Mr West had it harder than me."

Mrs West sighed. "We don't blame you." She said softly. "It has been hard, but we have support from the family and it makes the pain bearable. Every one grieves in his or her own way. I trust you know Artemis?"

Dick nodded.

"She used to come here often, but at time she stopped coming. I guess she wants to move on and I agree with her. To go on and enjoy live again, doesn't mean we have forgotten Wally, it means that we will try and live for him. We will never forget him." Mrs West said and her voice shook a little. Dick nodded, she was right and it made him very happy to hear her say her sons' name.

"Thank you, Mrs West." He said. She had tears in her eyes. It was obviously still very hard for her to speak of this. Every time she did, it was a confirmation of her son's death.

"I thought that I needed to move away from everything I used to have." Dick confessed. "I thought that solitude might ease the pain and I only blamed myself. Someone pulled me out of it and I'm very grateful to her. I realise now that I want to go back and I will try to return, without Wally."

"I hope you will, but it will be hard." Mrs West said.

"I know, but this time I won't be alone." Dick said and he gave her an encouraging smile.

That night Dick and Zatanna had dinner in a small restaurant in Chicago. Now that Dick had had his talk with Mrs West as himself, without his sunglasses, he wished he could take them off again, but he couldn't. They both would be easily recognised and to safe Zatanna from trouble with the paparazzi, he kept them on. Zatanna didn't mind and she simply used it as something to tease him about. She wanted to forget the mess with Ra's Al Guhl and Lady Vic and look to the future. After all, this was not the first live-threatening mission they had had.

"So, you're still not planning on joining the Justice League?" she asked him quietly.

"No, but I will return to the Watch Tower and see if the Team still wants me back." Dick said grinning. He knew that Zatanna would love to have him finally in the League, but he was still not planning to.

"Hm, it's a start." Zatanna said, but she gave him a grin back. "As long as you don't forget me." She said.

Dick didn't reply, but instead leaned over the table and kissed her. Zatanna kissed him back and gently took of his sunglasses. Now he looked with his brilliant blue eyes into hers and said:

"I will never make that mistake again, Ze. I love you."

AN: Sorry, it took so long, but I wanted to be perfect. I hope you liked it and I hope you will review!