Summary: Takes place a few days after the previous chapter. Now August of 2018

Disclaimer: I don't own DC

Zatanna collapsed on her bed, groaning. Today's mission had been grueling on her, on top of having been assigned a new protege by the League since she did so well with her last one.

She couldn't really complain there. Khalid was a great kid, which meant she was seriously doubting the boy was really related in any way to Nabu. But handling one kid was hard enough. Two just made her wonder how Dick managed.

Dick…

She was missing him like crazy.

It had been nearly a whole month at this point since he left, and she was starting to worry about him. She knew he could handle himself, and she trusted him with the promise he had made to return to her, but he wasn't in the best of mindsets when he left. Maybe she should have accompanied him, just for safety…

The doorbell knocked Zatanna out of her thoughts, and she jumped out of her bed to answer it. A small part of her was actually hopeful it was Dick, wouldn't that be a welcome surprise.

But since when did he use the doorbell? He usually just knocked.

Zatanna rubbed her eyes to try and get rid of the bags under them and did her best to freshen up before reaching for the handle. Even if it wasn't Dick, she didn't want to look like a slob at the door. But she was really praying to the Lords of Order that it was Dick. She opened the door slowly in anticipation.

It was most definitely not Dick Grayson.

And she was absolutely not expecting him to show up.

Dick ran a hand through his hair as he wandered around the beautiful city of Rome, smiling. Even if this place wouldn't help him like he hoped it would, he couldn't turn down the view.

Seeing it reminded him of Zatanna, not completely out of the question since this was her hometown.

He missed her, a lot.

He'd been getting regular calls from Barbara and Tim over the past few weeks, a few from Cass, too, but none from the magician. He supposed that was his own fault for not telling her about the secure phone he had "borrowed" from Bruce.

What could he say? He was holding off until he got back home.

But regardless, he missed her like crazy now. He'd been in Rome for a few days, and he hadn't really done much here. The place wasn't helping him the same way he thought it would, and that frustrated him to no end.

As Dick kept stumbling around the bustling streets he saw a familiar streak of insanely long, fiery-red hair. He blinked and thought he was seeing things as the figure vanished into the crowd, so he pushed past a few people to try and find them.

"Kory?" The Tamaranean princess turned around and smiled, and Dick could hardly believe his eyes. He hadn't seen her for more or less a year and a half now. After they had broken up from their short fling, she had left to find herself with no further contact.

"Richard?" He hurried over to the taller woman and hugged her. "What are you doing here?"

"Long story. It's been a while, I didn't expect to see you here. You look good." She broke off and nodded.

"You as well." She grinned and motioned to a nearby coffee table. "Shall we?"

Dick followed her into the stand. It was good to see her again.

"Hey, luv. Mind if I come in?"

Zatanna hesitantly nodded and stepped to the side to let John Constantine into her apartment. The Brit took out his cigar, mystically making it vanish, and walked in almost expectantly.

"Hey, John. It's…been a while."

"That it has."

"So…what're you doing here? Do you need something?" He looked her over and nodded.

"I've run into a bit of trouble here, luv. Need a place to lay low, and seein' as I'm in the neighborhood…" He motioned to her, and Zatanna sighed.

"John, I'm exhausted right now, and I can't deal with this today. We both know why you're really here, and you can forget it. We don't have that kind of relationship anymore." He inched closer to her, but Zee pushed him away.

"C'mon, luv. Just this onc-"

"Sorry, John. But no." He raised an eyebrow.

"You back with your ex?" She sighed.

"No…we're not…but you and I were just a fling, something small that wasn't meant to last. I don't want to linger on that anymore, and I think it's for the best if you didn't either." He scoffed.

"You never could say no before, Zee. Something's changed with you…I don't know what, but something's different…" Zatanna's frown deepened.

"A lot changed. I don't have time to explain it all to you, but either way…" She motioned for the door, and he shrugged as he started to leave. "Good luck, John."

He nodded. "Oh, and, uh, sorry bout that…Flash Kid. Take care of yourself, Zee." Zatanna nodded before shutting the door on him.

A few months ago and she may have actually let him stay.

But she wasn't that person anymore. She wasn't as lost nowadays. She actually had a compass now, and she was going to follow it.

"I heard about Wally's passing. I am very sorry, Richard." Dick frowned but nodded.

"After it happened, I guess I needed space. To process it all. I didn't really know what to do with him gone." Kory placed a hand over his own.

"Believe me, I know the feeling. It's why I started to travel the world. I wished to find myself after all the tragedies we underwent, and I knew I couldn't stay there when I had so much to process. I guess now we are in a similar predicament." He smiled. Ex or not, she was still his friend, and despite being an alien princess, she was really easy to talk to sometimes.

"How's that been goin' for you?" She rubbed her arm.

"Truthfully, it has been rather slow. Sometimes the answers we seek lie far beyond where we can go." He nodded.

"Wally and Artemis were out of the life. I brought them back in. And I know I did everything I could, and I know that even if I hadn't brought them back, he would have been there to help us out, but I just can't shake the feeling that it's somehow my fault. I…I think the worst part of it all is that I never got to make it up to him before he died. My best friend died hating me, and that's always gonna haunt me." Kory gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"No, he did not. I have been away a long time, Richard, but one thing I know couldn't have changed was the bond you two shared. He may have been frustrated with you, but he still loved you. You were his best friend, and I know that in his final moments, he thought back to that connection. And if there was a way for us to speak with Wally, I know he would say the same thing."

Dick stayed silent for a moment, thinking that over.

If there was a way to speak to Wally…speak to Wally…maybe…

"Kory, I think I…I think I know what I have to do. Thank you." She looked puzzled.

"What did I say?" He chuckled, but stood up to give her a hug.

"Nothing. I just got an idea. But thank you, for the coffee…and the advice." The princess smiled.

"Of course." Her smile dissipated as quickly as it had appeared as she realized what this meant. "Does this mean you will be leaving now?" He rubbed his arm.

"Yeah…don't suppose you'd come with me?" She shook her head.

"My path is one I must travel alone, and I believe the same can be said for yours. But if I ever need anything-"

"I'll be there. I promise." She smiled.

"Take care of yourself, Dick."

"You too, Kory." He hugged her one last time before hurrying off to the Zeta he used to get here only a few short days ago.

For the first time since Wally died, he actually had an idea of what to do.

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