"Hey, Zatanna…do you mind if I join you?"
The magician was watching the sea on the beach next to the debris of Mount Justice.
"Conner! I didn't heard you…"
She replies without her usual energy and without looking to the kryptonian.
"I was asking if I can sit with you"
Conner notices the lack of connection between Zatanna and the world and repeats himself.
"Sure. The floor is open to all the members that her/his partner keep a secret from them"
He detects the bitterness in her words. He can now see why Nightwing was so down but he understood the woman.
"Yeah…"
He slowly sits next to her.
"I didn't take you as someone that likes brooding time"
She does her best to use her usual mischievous voice but he knew her for too long to know that she wasn't herself.
"I might not spend as much time with Dick as you but he has his way to pass his habits besides talking like him"
Conner sees how the magician flinches with the mention of her boyfriend.
"If you are here to def-"
"Hey! Same team, remember?"
He lifts his hand to show her that he came in peace.
"Yeah. Sorry…it's just I can't believe that he hide something so important and big from me. We always say that we are equals, best friends, partners, soul mates, lovers and-"
"It was a heavy hit"
Zatanna sighs and takes more air before continuing.
"No shit. No everyone makes you believe that one of your closest friends double crosses you to join his evil dad to kill other of your closest friends…for someone that didn't want to be like Batman he sure knows how to be him"
"For what is worth… I could tell that he was suffering for not telling you. He was always on the edge and was extra Batman"
The magician scoffs, despite of the lies and everything, she was more upset that he was acting like Batman than the actual lie. He was her beacon of hope, in some ways, he was the anti-Batman in her eyes. Batman was cold, he was warm; Batman was distance, he was close; Batman showed not emotions, he lives with his heart on his sleeve…at least with her.
"Yeah. He told me that and it was Kaldur's idea to keep the secret from everyone but at the end of the day he agreed to it and live regretting that decision since the first second. I'm so mad at him and Kaldur and Artemis and Wally"
"Yeah but at the end it was his decision, right?"
"Yeah. It wasn't like Kaldur was with him all the time to make sure that he didn't tell me and he knows…he doesn't want me to blame this on Kaldur, Artemis or Wall. He knows that it was his fuck up"
Sigh*
"He was so broken when he told me and I was so mad"
"Yeah, it was really awkward. I wasn't sure why Dick went to sleep with us in the warehouse for a couple days until he blurted out to Lagoon Boy and me the secret"
"I was so freaking scare. He was all pale and on the verge of tears…I thought that Kaldur had killed someone else or someone else had died"
"So you sent him with us? Was the couch too good for him?"
"It was but no…he leave on his own. He wanted to give me some space and I'm grateful for that. I might have said things to him that I could be regretting now"
"So you two aren't breaking up?"
The silence after his answer make Conner nervous. He loved Dick and Zatanna together.
"I don't know…I love him like I never thought that I'd love someone but I need to see for myself as well"
Her words said one thing but her heart others. She couldn't live without him and she knows that he can't live without her.
"I need to ask you something"
"Shoot"
"How does that bond of yours work?"
She looks confused at him. Conner never seemed to interested in that, he was usually just happy with the couple not questions asked.
"We feel each other's heart and emotions"
She puts her hand on her chest.
"And before he told you, what were you feeling?"
"Pain, shame, regret, sadness but I thought he was still reeling from Jay, Tula and Ted and well the not so dead Artemis"
"And now what is he feeling?"
"The same"
"Look. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. I have make a lot of my own from my hot head, to the shields and everything in between and with Luthor's ge-"
"You are nothing like him…well maybe you are as smart as him and that's not a bad thing because you have a kind heart unlike him"
"Thanks but as I was saying-"
"I know. Dick has been there for me always even when I keep secrets of my own…he has never give up on me…on us"
"What are you saying?"
"That I can't live without that knuckle head. I need him but I'm setting boundaries with him for good…not more secrets between us"
Conner smiles, so many years with Megan and her romantic movies were paying off. He stands up.
"Where are you going?"
"I thought that you were going to talk with Dick"
"No. He needs to suffer some more besides, it's my turn to whelmed you and be the shrink. So sit"
"Zat-"
"Don't make me use my magic on you Conner Kent"
Defeated, the kryptonian gets back to his spot.
"Alright. Alright. You win. So Megan…"
Present
"John and Mary are out. They really tired themselves out…."
Grayson comments to Zatanna. They were just back from Conner's ceremony and hologram, the twins cried non stop and Zee wasn't much better.
"Mmm"
"Do you want some tea?"
"Please"
Dick kisses the top of her head before making his way to the kitchen and prepare something for her. After having the water ready, he pulled out some treats for her.
"Here you go gorgeous"
"Thanks"
As soon as Dick sit on the couch, Zatanna moved from her place and put herself on top of him and turned into a ball.
"I miss Conner already and I can't imagine how Megan must be feeling"
"I miss him too. I don't like that she stayed on Mars…I know she has her family there but-"
"But we are her family as well. I just want to hug Megan so so so tight"
Zatanna hides herself deeper in the crook of his neck.
"Stop thinking that. We are here, I'm here Z"
"It's h-hard b-b-because t-t-the m-more I think a-about it…t-the m-more I-I-I-"
Her brain was playing mind tricks with her. She couldn't help herself and imagine Dick being the one not coming home, the memories of all the times she thought she had loose him came back to her in waves.
"Don't you dare to die on me, you hear me? If you do I'm killing you"
"Loud and clear, Z"
"I don't know what would I do without you"
"Me neither and I have not plans in you and our kids finding out"
"How can you be so sure?"
"You might not notice but being a dad has its perks, not only the jokes but now I have father's strength. Didn't you see me open the jar the other day with such ease?"
She laughs softly.
"I did. My hero…I was so turn on"
Dick taps her thigh a couple of times.
"C'mon. Let's go to bed. We need to rest as much as possible before the twinies wake up"
She didn't move but Dick knew that he had to carry her to their room, no that he was complaining, he loved to carry her.
"Alright. Don't make much noise that your mom is super tired and needs to sleep. I'm going to feed you and put you back to sleep, okay?"
Dick whispers to Mary and John. Zatanna was out for the count and he managed to sneak into the twins room without waking her, something almost impossible since she was on top of him.
"I know that you don't like to drink from the bottle but it's still mommy's milk…"
John was reluctant to drink from the bottle. Mary was easier to handle since she was more at peace at her father's arms while John was more comfortable in his mother's.
"Don't do this for me, do this for your mom…how that sounds?"
Dick didn't know if he understood or not but the mention of his mom did the trick and Johnny started drinking.
"That's my boy"
Mary was much less complicated than her brother. She just started drinking as soon as the bottle was close. Instead of putting the babies back on their cribs, Dick opted to put them in the mattress that the couple put on the floor of the nursery room to lie with them. He gently places 2 of the 3 loves of his live on his chest.
"You are really lucky to have Z as your mom, y'know that, right?"
From the Zatara Grayson's room, the magic beauty was slowly waking up, feeling uncomfortable of not being in her man's embrace. She thought that he might've gone to the bathroom but those thoughts were cast aside with she heard her voice thanks to her spell to increase the sounds from the twins' room.
"She's the most amazing person in the world…more like existence…or at least she was…"
Zatanna frowns hearing that.
"Now, she shares that place with you two. She's as strong as she's beautiful so you can imagine how strong she is. In my opinion she's the strongest hero of them all and she's also my favorite"
More sleep than awake, Zatanna gets up and makes her way to Mary and John's room.
"She's so smart, mischievous, gorgeous…there's not enough words to describe your mom and make her justice. She shines more than any star and just wait until you see her perform…life changing"
Slowly, Zatanna gets closer.
"If you make me choose between watching a sky full of stars or your mom for the rest of my life…I'd choose your mom and it's not even close"
Dick caresses his babies.
"But don't get me started on her angry side. You better learn from me to do not make your mom angry. I'm talking from experience"
"What do you think you are doing? Having a family time without me?"
Zatanna lies on the mattress and thanks to Dick's large build she manages to cuddle on his side with the babies still on top of him, instinctively, the twins moved closer to their mom.
"Why do I bother buying pillows and mattress when the three of you seem to enjoy more being on top of me"
"Shhh, daddy. Don't you see that we are trying to sleep?"
Dick smiles and just allows himself to enjoy that perfect moment.
Giggles* Giggle*
"Mmm…what time is it?"
The most beautiful sound in the world wakes the detective Dick Grayson up. He opens his eyes and meets eye to eye with Little J, who starts touching his father's face.
"Hey, bud. Good morning"
The man blinks a couple of times before realizing that Johnny was flying. The baby giggles as he flies away from his dad and Dick quickly gets up thinking that his baby just show up his powers.
"What's-"
He looks the room and sees that not only Johnny was flying across the room but Zatanna and Mary as well.
"Yay. Daddy is up"
Zee cheers as she flies to her husband and takes his lips in a quick kiss.
"Sleep well?"
He answers with a smile on his face.
"Not as amazing as waking up to this"
"I almost forgot. Etativel!"
Zatanna cast her spell without warning and Dick starts floating around.
"You know who we are?"
The mischievous on her voice was everything in this world to him.
"The last time I checked you three were my family, my smoking hot wife and my unbelievable cute babies"
"Of course silly but we are something else…"
"Care to enlighten me?"
Zatanna took some distance with her hubby and pull the babies closer to her.
"We are the flying Graysons!"