Okay, I don't mean to toot my own horn here but for someone who hasn't updated my Young Justice Stories in so long, I think I'm killing it. Lol please credit all of these updates to my muse & my podcast, which I encourage you all to subscribe to. "Body of an Extravert", it's absolutely free to support and full of incredible content - there's a whole episode on fanfiction! So please support on Youtube, Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. I would really appreciate it and might even post a new chapter very soon to celebrate.

Yes that's me bribing you. Support the podcast!

Home. It was all she could think about, like a child going to Disney, she felt anxious and excited all at once to be in the arms of her favorite people. The week away had gone much better than she had planned and for that she was ceaselessly grateful.

Zatanna managed to speak to Wyette and John during breakfast and at supper every day after the first and had even gotten a glimpse of bedtime with Dick. To say she went beyond the grain in restraining the need to micromanage from a distance would be an understatement.

She had daily phone calls with Alfred, Janelle, and even Tim; all of whom acted as her eyes and ears and they reported no casualties. By the fourth day, she coaxed herself into believing them and did not magically enchant the stuffed animal she knew Wyette slept with, to create a magical barrier around them while they slept.

Considering her original plan was to teleport to Gotham every night to check on them before Dinah had warned her against it before, she felt she had done quite a good job.

She sighed as they drove towards the Manor, yes, she had managed to scale down her micromanagement some while she was away. Which meant Dinah was right, hell, everyone was right; Dick was a responsible parenting partner. This came as no surprise but part of her ached to hold her babies and not have to share them for a period of time. She looked forward to the long drawn out summaries they would give her about their week away and the snuggles they would drown her in. She planned on having a pillow fort slumber party in her master bedroom tonight so they'd get to stay close and cut loose a little. She smirked wondering who exactly was going to be having more fun once they got home.

She resisted the urge now to simply teleport to Wayne manor as she looked over at Archie who was driving as cautiously as possible. He drove like he carried precious cargo which made her smile to herself.

New York had been a good trip, a needed trip.

Zatanna took a final bow among her students as the audience roared, they had sold out every single performance, including the bonus show for charity. She poofed backstage in an eccentric cloud of smoke and confetti, enticing more roars from the audience for her students to enjoy.

She walked towards her dressing room, which often had very little within it aside from gargantuan bouquets of flowers, fruits, and other varied gifts from hopeful prospects. Other theaters had caught wind of her shows and sent her invitations alongside welcome back cards. Talk show hosts did the same and while she appreciated every grand gesture, she thought it more appropriate to leave the attention to the stars of the show; her students.

They had worked hard to present their acts, using their varied talents to create a dynamic line up she was proud to close for. Granted there had been a mistake here and there but it was to be expected and it was nothing she couldn't handle.

She asked Mikey every night to distribute the gifts among them as a means of encouragement to continue on the business. Mikey did so without fail, stripping the gifts of the long-winded requests from their senders and having those letters and cards forward to Zatanna's hotel room.

She replied swiftly to all of them with generous thanks and carefully shifted the attention from her reappearance to the work she was focused on in Gotham, reestablishing the theater to its former glory and bringing in more inner-city kids into the program in order to keep them off the streets.

Mikey, whose fiance was a pediatric surgeon, convinced her into putting on three small shows of her own at the children's hospital and she loved every minute of it.

The best part of her day by far though was being able to talk to Wyette and John who had so many incredible stories about what was happening at the Manor, she questioned whether or not they were making it up or really experiencing it.

She sighed as she entered her dressing room for the last time, after all these years Mikey knew her well; mostly because her dressing room had a secret exit to the back of the theater which allowed her to come and go unseen by anyone. She left a bouquet of flowers, gift cards, and a note of thanks for each of the stage crew and faculty members, who worked tirelessly to upkeep the space wherein the performances were held.

She left nothing for Mikey but knew they would be having another dinner tonight and then finalizing her plans for her visit to Gotham. Mikey insisted on meeting the twins herself and Zatanna couldn't find it in her to deny her long time friend.

She walked to her hotel, in the crisp night air, thankful for the moments of peace, quiet, and reflection she had been able to take advantage of. The doorman at the hotel bid her a good night as she walked in and slipped into the elevator. She arrived on her floor and walked to her room leisurely only to be met by a familiar sight.

"Archie?"

The young man paced in front of her hotel door and she wondered briefly if she should have secretly changed rooms before brushing the thought aside.

"Zatanna," he said sheepishly, his cheeks pinked and eyes downcast. "Can we talk?"

He had been avoiding her as best he could throughout the week, which she both appreciated and found irritating. It had given her the opportunity to focus on her priorities but made their work relationship increasingly more awkward.

"Sure," she smiled as she used the room key to open the door to her room, "We can use my balcony, I've been using it all week and it's easily the first thing I'm going to miss when I get back to Gotham."

He smiled gratefully at her graceful attempt at normalcy.

"You have a balcony?" he asked, surprised.

Zatanna laughed, "Don't judge me but it's in my contract. I used to meditate first thing in the morning and so it only made sense to have a balcony in whatever room I stayed in."

Archie chuckled, "And here I thought you were the humblest performer, I'd ever met."

Zatanna shrugged playfully as she walked over to the full-length windows and pulled on the handle that led to the small balcony.

"What diva wouldn't kill for this view?" she responded as they stepped out together and took in the breathtaking view of the park and skyline; a view she would never tire of.

"Wow." He breathed.

"I know." Zatanna said coyly.

"I can't believe you get to meditate like this every day, it can't be the same in Gotham." Archie said idly.

Zatanna snorted, catching him off guard. "Definitely not, especially when I have four-year-olds who can only sit still for about six minutes. Well, that might be an exaggeration, they can sit still without talking for maybe 3 minutes."

He laughed buoyantly now. "I can't imagine what it's like raising twins on your own, but it sounds adventurous."

"Oh, it is,"she agreed, "to say the least. This week was the first time in years that I got to sleep in, I don't think I've ever felt so rested. I plan on making my last quiet night count," she joked, "what'd you want to talk about?"

Archie threw his right arm behind his neck and coughed into his free hand, his blush returning.

"Well," he said, bringing his hand together now to fidget, "I actually wanted to apologize about the other night. I clearly misinterpreted what was going on between us and it was unprofessional of me. I feel like I really made an ass of myself and I want you to know that although it wasn't my intention to put you in an uncomfortable situation, I understand that overall that was the result. I'm sorry, I really hope that we can still be amiable coworkers."

Zatanna smiled in relief and in earnest, "I accept your apology but just coworkers? I thought we could at least remain friends."

He looked at her in disbelief.

"Unless it's too hard." she countered.

"No," he exclaimed, "I just didn't think…..I….I would love to be your friend Zatanna." He finished.

"Good," Zatanna laughed, "I think you might be my only one in Gotham."

"You're kidding." he gasped.

Zatanna shook her head before cupping her chin in thought, "Well maybe one of two. I've not really thought about it."

Archie bowed dramatically, "Well I'm honored, my lady. I'll even give you a ride home from the airport if you'd like."

Zatanna pursed her lips and held one finger up to garner his patience as she waltzed back into her room. She returned with two glasses of dark liquor and handed him one.

"I'll take you up on that offer. Cheers," she said, bringing the burning liquid to her lips smoothly, "to friendships."

He met his glass with hers and smiled broadly, before choking slightly and downing the drink best he could.

An hour or so later, after the two had finished drinking leisurely, Zatanna walked him to the door of her room.

"Goodnight Zatanna. Thanks, for….well being a friend. I really thought I blew it, thank God for second chances, huh," he quipped.

Zatanna cocked her head against the door, her mind roaming back to the place she held so dearly in her heart, the place that currently held what she considered her heart. Her heart, her children, were safe right now because she had both given and received a second chance at friendship.

Wyette and John would know their father because of that second chance, she had regained a semblance of her former life because of that chance, Mikey had given her that chance, Alfred had done the same and without prejudice. Without judging her, shouldn't she do the same…..for him? For them?

"Zatanna?"

Zatanna snapped out of her small trance, "Huh, oh right, yeah. To second chances, may we give them as often as we get them."

Archie smiled at her warmly. "Good night Zatanna."

"Good night Archie." She whispered, her tone soft, husky, and utterly consuming. She closed the door on a fawn faced Archie and marched over to her bed. She sat cross-legged in her meditative pose and released a deep cathartic breath before reaching over and grabbing her phone. It was late but he would answer.

"Hello?" a deep gravelly voice responded.

Archie pulled into the Wayne Manor driveway and whistled in a low tone. "Geez Zatanna, I've got to say, I want to meet your other friend. If he's anyone that lives in this mansion, then you may not need many friends."

Zatanna rolled her eyes and directed him towards the front door, "If only you knew Archie," muttered cryptically, "You can pull over there. I'll grab my own bags."

He nodded mutely and did as instructed. Like a true gentleman, he brought her luggage to the door.

"Zatanna, I can't thank you enough for such an incredible week. You've saved the theater, really had an impact on these kids, and have opened so many opportunities for them. I really don't have the words to thank you."

"Then don't." Zatanna replied.

Archie looked at her plainly.

She placed her hand over her hip and huffed an exaggerated breath, "Look Archie, that's what friends are for; helping one another. This trip was, well, it was just as beneficial for me as it was for you and the theater. So don't worry about it, besides, I do work for you." she reminded him.

He smiled as he watched her ring the doorbell, toting her bags. The door swung open and he watched as two obsidian haired, rose-cheeked children barreled into her.

"MOMMY!" they erupted, before yelling what seemed to be synopses of their week without her.

Zatanna choked back a sob as she clutched her children close to her, she could feel them wriggling in her grasp trying to tell her so much more than she was prepared to hear but she held them tight until they finally gave in to her unending embrace.

"Mommy, you're squishing me." Wyette whined.

Zatanna laughed as she loosened her grip on them and brought her hand to the nape of their necks, bringing their heads together in their special embrace.

"I missed you guys so much." she whispered after a brief moment.

"Me too, mommy." John said as he broke loose from the embrace and threw his arms around her neck. "I missed you all the time."

"Oh yeah?" she asked, before looking down at Wyette who had made herself comfortable by partially sitting on her lap. "How about you Miss Thing? Did you miss me?"

Wyette flushed and nodded, her shyness a rarity and the only expression of her great emotion.

"Welcome home Zatanna." A gravelly voice said warmly.

Zatanna looked up at Dick and smiled, standing to her full height, holding John on her hip and pressing Wyette's head to her thigh. She looked over him fondly.

He looked worn, like he had been on missions all week between while running a marathon in his civilian life; the way he did when they had been closer in what almost seemed like another life now. His eyes were bright though they looked a bit sunken, like he hadn't slept. He had small child themed band aids over his rough hands and his hair was unkempt.

Her mouth popped open in shock a little before curving into a knowing smile. He smiled back at her brilliantly before shrugging. "Okay, so it wasn't so easy, but it wasn't so bad." he said nonchalantly.

"Oh?" she breathed.

"What can I say, I'm a natural." He joked.

Zatanna smiled easily at him, noting how John and Wyette looked over at him trustingly and implicitly. "I should've never doubted you."

The weight of her words did not go unnoticed by him and they seemed to lift a small burden of her shoulders.

She felt hot tears prick at the corner of her eyes and she closed the distance between them, hugging him fiercely. "Thank you." she choked, as he brought his arms around her and his children.

An awkward cough broke the emotionally charged moment and Zatanna felt her cheeks burn in chagrin. She turned to Archie who had clearly connected the dots and looked ashen-faced.

"Dick, this is Archie, my boss, and friend from the theater. Archie this is-"

"Richard Grayson, son of Bruce Wayne." Archie finished, grabbing Dick's extended hand in a firm handshake. He looked over at Zatanna who looked at him smugly. "The man needs no introduction."

Zatanna laughed," Yes, how could I have forgotten."

"Nice to meet you." Dick replied.

Archie looked at Dick and then over at Zatanna who still held her children, both of whom were bidding for her attention.

"I'll see you Monday, Zatanna, again thank you for this past week. It's been...magical." Archie joked as he walked back to his car, tripping over his own feet, making Zatanna giggle. Dick studied him briefly as his eyes flicked between him and Zatanna.

"Mr. Grayson." Archie said in departure as she got in the car.

Dick nodded in acknowledgment and watched as the car drove away. Wyette and John were notably trembling with excitement, the need to tell Zatanna everything that had transpired fueling them. He grabbed her bags and lugged them in. "Lunch should be ready soon, Alfred made all of your favorites." Dick informed her.

Zatanna blinked at him.

Dick chuckled, "You didn't think you were going to just come and go, right? We're having a family luncheon, then we'll head over to Shadowcrest."

As Zatanna helped pack the last of the twins' belongings while they helped Alfred and Tim clear the table, a soft knock reached her ears.

Zatanna smiled, "Hey."

Dick smiled softly in return, "Hey yourself, how was New York? I heard it was the show of the decade with you resurfacing and all."

Zatanna rolled her eyes, "They have a show of the decade every year. It's all mush mouth."

Dick looked at her incredulously, "I've been to your shows, it's never mush mouth. It's the opposite, its mouth mush?"

Zatanna laughed, "Ouch, you can better than that boy blunder."

Dick's brows shot up in shock, "Boy blunder?" he echoed, "I haven't heard that name in years." He told her.

"Well, they say the wind carries the secrets that only a few can ever hear or remember."

Dick looked over her intensely now, his gaze apprehensive. "Does that mean she's back? The girl who was like the wind?"

Zatanna sighed in earnest, "I don't know." she replied, "I don't even know if I want her back, I don't even know that I'd recognize her, do you?"

Dick shrugged, "Maybe, maybe if she would come out of hiding. Maybe if she knew it was safe again."

He watched as her cyan blue eyes steeled like ice for some unknown reason, the barriers of her soul shrinking back into place. She was gone again, the wind, but not entirely.

"Listen," he continued, "I was thinking, what if you left a few of their things here. In this room, it's theirs, you know."

Zatanna looked around the room and nodded, she snapped her fingers and they watched as the closet populated itself full of children's clothing and toys.

Dick looked over at her, his expression dumbstruck.

"What?" Zatanna asked, "it's an exact double of what they have at Shadowcrest. So you have everything, next time they won't have to pack clothes."

"Next time?" he echoed.

Zatanna cocked a brow at him and he chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

"I just..I didn't think it would go over this smoothly. Without some kind of, I don't know, argument." he admitted.

Zatanna shrugged, "Well, I….I realized while I was away that maybe, maybe I need to be better at giving this a real chance."

Dick shook his head, "I don't know what happened in New York but remind me to send you out there more often."

Zatanna smirked, "Yeah, yeah don't push it."

"Did you see Mikey?" he asked, as he gestured that they head down the stairs where they left the twins.

Zatanna nodded following him through the door and down the corridor, "Yeah, she was a sight for sore eyes. She really made the whole trip worth it."

Dick smiled, "I knew it, she was always a good influence on you." he teased.

"Which explains why she didn't like you." Zatanna told him.

Dick scoffed, "What? I don't believe that, she loved me. You know we've hung out more than a few times over the years. While we were looking for you," he told her, "She really considers you a friend. Reminds me of Artemis to be honest, except definitely less threatening."

Zatanna blinked back tears as she laughed, "No way."

"Yes, way. I'll tell you about it some time." He promised as they reached the foyer, where the twins waited beside Alfred. "After we've both gotten a good night's sleep."

Wyette gasped as she ran up to them.

"Mommy, can Dick come to the pillow fort slumber party?" She asked excitedly.

"Please." John persisted.

"At Shadowcrest?" Zatanna asked rhetorically, "Oh sweetheart, I think we need to give Dick a break. He needs to rest. "

"Well," Dick said replied, "I guess I can rest in a pillow fort, if there's space of course."

The twins gasped and looked at their mother who looked at Dick in stupefaction.

"There's a lot of space!" John exclaimed. "You can sleepover."

Dick smirked, "Well what do you say Zee? Can I sleepover?

"Of….of course you can." she heard herself say.

Oh it's about to get hot and heavy now - this next chapter is all about the pillow talk. *fans self* Lol. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast for a sooner post! 😜