Twenty-four hours. Zatanna had been gone twenty-four hours and the Wayne manor would never be the same. There were no words to truly capture the havoc that took place but if there was one thing Dick would never do again, it was forsaking the schedule.
Flashback.
"Love you mommy." The twins promised as Zatanna hugged them tighter.
"Oh my babies," she choked softly, "I miss you guys already. You guys be good for Dick, okay?"
"Okay." Wyette beamed while John nodded solemnly beside her. Zatanna pressed her lips to the center of their heads before bringing their heads together for a moment and running her hands through their obsidian locks.
As she stood to her full height, Dick walked up to stand behind the twins. Zatanna parted her lips and Dick held a hand up to stop her.
"I've got the schedule, the numbers, the contingency plans, the back up plans for the contingency plans and the manor has been retrofitted to grade A security. Superman couldn't get in here undetected if he tried. They're gonna be fine, Zatanna." He told her.
Zatanna pressed her lips together and nodded in reluctant agreement. She threw her arms around him in a soft embrace, one he awkwardly returned.
"Thank you." She whispered, "And good luck Dick."
"Thanks," he mumbled, "break a leg out there and tell Mikey, I said hello."
Zatanna's smile faltered.
"She called." He explained shortly before continuing. "You should see her, she was really worried about you all these years. When she heard you were going to the Apollo she reached out to me too. She just figured since you are going through the university, you'd be in Gotham and then she connected the dots from there. I haven't told her anything but she manages the Apollo now, so you're likely to see her."
"No escaping then, huh?" she joked weakly.
Dick shrugged as he opened the door to the black town car bringing her to the airport.
"I wouldn't put it past you." Dick smirked.
Zatanna smirked and ducked into the car.
End flashback.
That was the last thing that had gone according to plan. That was roughly 5pm.
5:05 PM
John scrunched his face up and looked up at Dick before pouting, Dick wondered if he would be the start of the long-expected breakdown. After all the twins had never been without Zatanna, it would be no surprise to anyone for them to experience the emotional and physical withdrawal.
"I'm hungry," John muttered sullenly. "Can we eat?"
"Right on time then," Alfred announced from behind, "supper is served."
Wyette and John ran eagerly into the manor to prepare for supper, although it was a bit early by the bats standard. Dick walked into the manor and pushed the door closed behind him.
"I hope we're not late." Bruce said as he caught the swinging door and walked in with Damian and Tim in tow.
Dick smiled, it had been a long shot but he had requested the attendance of the full family for the night. He knew how busy they all were and he was well aware of the fact that crime in Gotham never took a break, but this dinner meant something to him. He had easily cornered and coerced Tim and Damian into coming, but Bruce was no easy target. It didn't come as a surprise, but it was as though Bruce barely spent time in the manor at all aside from the bat cave.
In fact, Dick was beginning to wonder if the cave wasn't attached to the house if Bruce would even stop by. He had accosted him in the office though and pleaded his case before Bruce was rushed to yet another meeting.
"If it means so much to you…..I'll keep you informed." Bruce had said.
Dick couldn't help the stupid grin threatening to split his face, "No, you're right on time. I really appreciate it."
Bruce glanced down at his wristwatch, "I don't know how much time I'll have."
Damian scoffed "It's 5pm father, it's practically morning. You can spare the time." He muttered before brusquely making his way towards the kitchen dining room.
Tim jumped up and placed his hands over Bruce's shoulders, "This'll be fun." He laughed as he gently shook Bruce.
They walked into the dining room which had been grotesquely overdone by Alfred for their guests of honor. The food consisted of vegan and vegetarian options, with one source of protein which was a roasted pig in the center of the table.
Wyette screamed and turned into Alfred as she spotted the dead carcass on the table.
"What is that?" John asked with undisguised disgust.
"Pork." Tim answered easily. "It used to be a pig. It's delicious and even tastier when Alfred makes it."
"I thought our guests were vegetarians," Bruce stated as he sat down at the head of the table with Alfred on his left and Dick on his right.
"Yes well, since it was a special occasion, I thought it would contribute to the aesthetic," Alfred explained sheepishly.
"Well considering everything else on the table is a variety of plants that hardly seem edible, I suppose this will have to do." Damian snapped.
"But you can't eat that, it….it has legs." John gaped. "And it has a face."
Damian narrowed his eyes, "Even better."
"If it has a face, it has a place." Wyette said solemnly. "You can't eat it. It has a place, a place in the world!"
"It has a place in my stomach." Damian agreed haughtily.
"That's not it's place, Damian!" John snapped. "It's a pig."
"It goes on a farm." Wyette finished for him.
"Alright alright no need to get upset." Dick said in an effort to deescalate the situation.
"Maybe the aesthetic wasn't well thought out." Alfred confessed to Bruce, who shook his head in disapproval at his son.
"I'll say." Bruce agreed, before getting up and grabbing the offending platter.
"Okay, it's going back to the farm." Dick conceded quickly trying to placate the twins, "That's why we also have -"
Barabara rushed into the dining room unannounced, "Sorry I'm late, work stuff. I'm starved. Ughf."
She bumped into Bruce and they watched in unified horror as the pig's head fell off the platter and onto the floor where it rolled around precariously.
"Piggy!" Wyette shouted in horror.
"Oh fuck, sorry Bruce." Barbara exhaled breathlessly.
John gasped and Dick shot a glare at Barbara.
"Whoops." she muttered.
Before Dick could say anything else, Bruce cut him off. "What in the world?!"
The table turned to Bruce as one as they watched the cooked carcass of a pig jump up and start running around headlessly.
Zatanna opened the door to her hotel room and sighed. She glanced around the room and found herself smiling. It was beautiful.
The room was a play on cream and white palettes that highlighted the soft pink florals around the room. Her room was curated to her tastes which she knew was no coincidence and she knew exactly who she would have to thank for this. Her fingers itched to grab her phone and text her old friend but her cowardice stilled them. How could she face Mikey knowing she allowed herself to fall precisely into the trap that she had been warned of. She anxiously patted the side of her head and wheeled her luggage further into the room.
The bed was towards the back wall and big enough to sleep a family of six comfortably. It was a soft cream sheet adorned with so many pillows she wondered if they had left any for other guests. She looked to the ceiling to floor window panes that allowed her to look out over the famed central park and city skyline. It was a breathtaking view of the city that never slept and she could feel a part of her, a part she had starved for so long, breathing in the wonder, the freedom, the exhilaration. It had been too long.
She pulled the sheer blinds closed so that it would dim the city lights and turned back to the room. She walked past the bed and into the bathroom where she released a low gasp. The bathroom was easily the same size as the room itself and she couldn't help but fawn over the enormous sunken tub and glass tiled shower. She pressed her hand against the glass and watched as a small screen of shower head options, pressures, and temperatures were presented to her.
Consider me impressed, she swooned.
She walked back into the room and stood by the bed, running her fingers over the cotton sheets before turning around falling into its embrace without reproach.
She laughed aloud mildly and made blanket angels as she threw her limbs around wildly.
How long had it been since she had a space all to herself? How long had it been since she had looked at a wall without crayola art all over it? She stretched out as far as could over the bed and ran her finger through her hair, unwinding it from its travel braided bun.
She felt exhilarated, exhausted, and anxious all at once. She had spent the entirety of the plane ride wondering if she should turn back, thinking of all the things that could go wrong, she tried endlessly to think of an excuse that would pull her back to Gotham before finally forcing herself to breathe and trust the process. Trust Dick with her…..their kids.
Their kids. She tossed the term around in her mind. Biologically, technically, legally it was true - they belonged to him just as much as they did to him. She knew this, the logical side of her could understand this, and yet when it came to the moments that mattered - nothing scared her more.
She threw her arm over her face and tried unsuccessfully to forget the panic that seized her when she had learned of Wyette's tantrum. She should have been there, she should have comforted her, she should have been able to fix it. But she didn't. She missed the call.
Dick on the other hand, handled it masterfully. It was undeniable, the smile on Wyette's face said it all.
The twins marveled at Dick, not the hero or the cop, but the man. He had done nothing short of being himself and they were infatuated, John in particular. He could do no wrong in his eyes, if Dick said the sky was magenta during the day and yellow at night, there would be no convincing John otherwise. Zatanna wondered if John was even conscious of how he tried to mirror Dick. He was starting to walk like him, head high, shoulders squared, and easily mimicked his facial expressions; Zatanna was counting down the days before he started making up his own vocabulary. Wyette on the other hand had found another unsuspecting victim to charm into her bidding and she would have it no other way.
Richard Dick Grayson was the perfect father figure; go figure. She watched day in and day out as he doted on them, learned from them and taught them so much, she watched as he embodied the family man she knew he could always be and it was heartwarming and wrenching all at once.
Dick Grayson; perfect until he wasn't. The Grayson tagline. How long could this bliss last? When would Wyette and John feel the brunt of it?
She took a steadying breath, these were the thoughts that plagued her from sun up to sun down.
Was there really such a thing as a perfect parent? No. She knew this and yet…..the thought of her babies being heartbroken by Dick Grayson, perfection personified was terrifying. It would be easier if he was just an average role model, father, partner. It wouldn't hurt so much having to get over something or someone that could be replaced. But replacing Dick Grayson wasn't an option, she knew this first hand.
But didn't he deserve a chance at least to be a father to them? Didn't they deserve the best? If only for a little while at least? Hadn't he earned at least that much? If not from her, than from life? It was all he ever wanted; family.
She would trust him. She had no other choice. She would not crowd him or magically check in the way she had originally wanted, she would simply trust him. It was the only way this relationship would have a chance at working. Trust.
She would trust the man who broke her heart, with the only two things that mattered to her in life…. her babies.
Just as she began to give herself a headache there was a light rap on the door. She sat up immediately and walked over to the door. "Yes?" she replied quickly, eager to escape her thoughts.
"Zatanna?" Archie called out from behind the door.
She pulled the door open and looked at him plainly. He wore ill fitting jeans and a hideous yellow plaid flannel that did little to emphasize his features.
"I hope I'm not bothering you." He said breathlessly.
Zatanna looked back towards the comfy bed and turned to smile at him. "No not at all, I was just settling in. How can I help you?" she asked politely.
Her hair sat like a wavy cape over her shoulders and her face was flushed from her brief exercise. Her white blouse which had been neatly tucked into her slim black business pants was a bit undone and she looked…...divine.
Archie blushed and swallowed incredibly hard. "I..I was wondering, you see I've never….never been to New York." He managed, his voice breaking only once. "Before today."
Zatanna raised her brows in acknowledgement. "Oh?"
He cleared his throat violently.
"Yeah and I know you lived here for a brief period of time and while the students are out and about, I figured maybe you could show me around. If you weren't too busy that is. I mean, I would hate to intrude." He sputtered.
"Oh." Zatanna said knowingly. "It's actually not a great time for me." she said glancing at her watch. "I was getting ready to call my kids."
Archie slapped himself on the head with the small tour map in his hand before smiling sheepishly. "Of course you were. Duh! Responsible parents do that! I can't believe I'm so dense sometimes. This is a bad time for you, maybe next time, huh?"
Zatanna smiled weakly at him. "Definitely. Well, good night."
"Good night!" He said a bit loudly as he retreated down the hall.
Zatanna closed the door and bit her lip to keep from smiling, he was cute in a goofy kind of way. In the kind of way she found admiring, he was a great friend and even better coworker, but they wanted different things.
She sighed, she would have to let him down easy. She picked up her phone and called Dick, it was just a little before eight, which meant she would catch them right at bedtime.
7:45, Wayne Manor
Dinner had been an unmitigated disaster. Everyone, the twins included, would be forever scarred by the zombie pork with a vengeance.
After the pig had come to life, the twins had screamed in terror, John eventually passing out and Wyette bawling her eyes out. The undead pork ran around the room and the Wyane family, not to be outdone gave a valiant chase before Bruce and Tim trapped it in the largest pot he had ever seen.
A nice formal family dinner was effectively ended and they ordered takeout, chinese and pizza to be exact with no meat. The living room was a mess so they ate in the tv room and Dick prayed Zatanna wouldn't come to find out that he caved on the junk food hours after her departure.
Bath time had gone smoothly, the twins seemed pretty self-sufficient in that area but needed supervision nonetheless.
Dick prayer bedtime would go just as smoothly, but as he drained the water from the tub, his hopes were immediately dashed as he heard shouting coming from their room.
"STOP IT! GIVE IT BACK DAMI!" Wyette demanded as she stood in her bed trying to wrestle a small stuffed animal from Damian.
Dick marched into the room and frowned.
"What's going on in here?" Dick demanded.
"Dami won't give Wyette her snuggles!" John reported obviously flustered by the situation.
"My name is Damian not Dami and this doll is preventing them from going to sleep so I am removing it from them at once!" Damian growled.
"Damian, this is not what I meant when I suggested you help them get settled into bed." Dick told him.
"You asked for my help Grayson, this is my help. How are they supposed to sleep with proper posture if she is canoodling that contraption all night? The babying stops now." Damian barked, he locked eyes with Wyette and gave a final tug that sent her plopping onto the mattress unceremoniously.
"Ninjas don't sleep with dollies." he told the twins.
"Mommy said-" John started.
"She's not here!" Damian snapped. "You said you want to be a ninja, this is the beginning of your training."
"Give. It. Back." Wyette said through clenched teeth, her eyes pupilless and glowing.
Before Dick or Damian could reply or comply, an unseen force blew them back against the wall roughly.
No no no, not a tantrum. From what he understood of their powers, they were closely connected, putting an abrupt end to the tantrums was the only way to subdue them or else it became a tandem tantrum, Zatanna had warned him of this and if it happened, then he would HAVE to call her.
As if on cue Dick watched as John, who held his head between his hands, shook his head as if trying to clear it before his eyes began to glow as well.
Bruce, Alfred and Tim who had run to see what the commotion was all about, peered into the room.
"Oh no." Alfred deadpanned.
"Give it back." They spoke in unison now.
Danger. That was the only thought his mind could process as a chill ran down his spine and straight into his gut. He stood to his feet quickly and tried to make his way towards them though there was a force that stopped him from doing so but he couldn't afford to concede this battle, not after having come so far, not after having finally convinced Zatanna that he could be more than a glorified babysitter.
He could not fear them or their powers, he could not alienate them with his fear if he wanted a place in their lives as their father. If this was what his parenting journey was going to look like, then he would face it head-on.
"Damian, give me the bunny." He ordered. Damian without complaint handed him the doll.
He fixed his face and spoke firmly,
"Wye, John it's time for bed." he told them sternly.
"Now!" Their unison voice bellowed.
They all watched mouth agape as Dick was lifted off the ground and brought to the edge of the bed.
"Get the sedatives." Bruce ordered Tim.
Of course, he would have prepared sedatives, Dick thought, he never did anything without a backup plan.
"No." Dick barked, "I can do this, I can handle this."
Bruce narrowed his eyes while the rest watched in disbelief.
"No one gets the bunny if they are not in bed, I am going to count to five. If you two are not tucked in bed by the time I am done counting, you will be in timeout until you are five." He promised.
Neither twin budged and he wondered just how conscious they were in this state of supernatural influence.
"Five! Four! Three! Two!"
He had not finished counting before he was dropped to the ground like a rag doll and the twins were in bed, tucked and eyes drooping closed from their power high. He walked over quickly and tucked the doll under Wyette's arm. Not a second went by before they were both breathing and sleeping soundly.
It was pin-drop silence in the house. Wyette nuzzled her bunny and curled into a small ball facing her brother.
"They're asleep? Just like that?" Tim asked.
"The amount of power they wielded must have drained them." Dick reasoned.
"Well done Master Dick." Alfred coughed. Tim smiled broadly at his older brother before walking over and clapping him on the back.
"Bed time warrior, you didn't even flinch, and they're asleep 2 minutes before 8! Talk about an overachiever." He boasted.
"Just what happened in here?" Bruce demanded. "What triggered this response?"
Dick turned to glare at Damian, "Damian," he hissed, "thought it would be best to take Wyette's stuffed bunny."
"All that over a stuffed animal?" Bruce asked.
"How ridiculous." Damian muttered. "What, so they get what they want, when they want it? How do you expect to raise them if all you do is mollycoddle them?"
"What's wrong with a stuffed animal?" Tim asked.
Damian rolled his eyes, "You would have to ask, wouldn't you Drake?"
"Oh I get it the League of Assassins didn't let you have any, maybe you should talk to Dinah about that." Tim prodded.
Damian shoved past him muttering under his breath and Tim winked before following him out.
Bruce's eyes never left the sleeping children, something not sitting quite right with him.
His scrutiny not going unnoticed makes Dick uncomfortable. "They're just kids, kids throw tantrums." he mutters.
Bruce looks over at him and says nothing, it isn't the time or place, but they know they aren't on the same page and that makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
His phone vibrates and he picks it up.
"Zatanna." he answers cooly.
Asleep, her babies are already asleep by 8, which is their bed time but she is shocked that Dick has actually managed to have them sleeping by this time.
"Wow, I've got to give you credit where credit is due. I don't even think they've fallen asleep that fast on my watch." she laughs her tinkling laugh.
Dick chuckles, "It certainly wasn't without effort, they sure know how to tucker themselves out."
She looks at the facetime and her heart clenches at the thought of not being there to kiss them good night.
"Well okay, I won't wake them up then." She sighs, "And thank you Dick, you're…...you're doing great."
She can feel more than hear his shock over the line.
"Thanks Zatanna."
The space between them, though they are no longer in the same state, feel charged, labored even.
"Well the night's still young in the city, go out and grab a drink." Dick encourages, "Let loose for all four of us."
Zatanna opens her mouth to reply in the negative but Dick beats her to the punch.
"Zatanna, I've only had them for a few hours and I don't take the responsibility lightly. You've been a single parent for over four years, you're allowed to be an individual too, that's why there are two of us. We're a team. Trust me with this, enjoy the city, meet up with Mikey. You deserve a life too. Be her, the girl, the wind."
She sucks in a sharp breath over the phone.
"Good night Dick."
Good night Zee.
Zatanna chews her lip for a moment, the night is still young and so is she. She knocks on the door in front of her and waits for the ugly yellow shirt to blind her.
"You still up for a little adventure?" she asks.
Archie runs into his room, loudly rummaging through what she assumes is his suitcase and she watches as he trips over a lap and knocks it over in his haste.
"Yeah, yeah, I'd love to, let's go." he says breathlessly.