"I'm back" he whispered into her ear as she smirked. Turning around she leaned up and kissed him gently. "So what happened which resulted in you having to leave me?" She asked as the music blared in their ears. "It was nothing Tim took care of it" he said as the ebony raised an eyebrow. "Well Boy Wonder its getting late and stuffy. Walk me home?" She asked batting her blue eyes up at him. His phone buzzed as he checked the text from Bruce. Running a hand through his hair he sighed.

     "Sorry Zee but I am really needed back at the Manor" he said as she frowned but nodded. "Walk me to the corner?" She asked as he nodded kissing the top of her head. Children walked around them in costumes giggling and knocking on doors to retrieve candy. When at the corner he grabbed her hand and pulled her to his chest. "I love you" he whispered leaning down and giving her a soft kiss. "Be safe" she said as he nodded watching her walk away. While walking down the sidewalk she checked the texts on her phone.

     A smile made its way onto her face when she saw that her Dad texted her. "See you when you get home :)" he texted as she put her phone away and began running home. Her Dad had been gone for a few days and she has been dreadfully missing him. The first odd thing she noticed was that the store door was left open. "Weird" she whispered walking into the dark store. Turning the lights on her face paled as her stomach dropped. "Dad?" She asked now slightly worried seeing the broken glass on the ground.

     It crunched under her feet as she walked through the aisle. "Dad?" She asked raising her voice slightly seeing the more mess the further back in the store she got. It was eerily quiet as the buzzing of the lights echoed in her ears. Turning out of the aisle towards the cash register she began seeing blood on the ground. "If this is a joke its not very funny" she said in a shaky voice. Slowly approaching the crimson blood it lead to behind the counter. "Daddy?" She asked sounding like a scared little child.

     Looking behind the counter she screamed an ear piercing scream. Her father Giovanni was lying on the floor with blood oozing from his chest where six bullet holes laid. "Daddy!" She screamed falling to her knees and crawling over. Lifting his head onto her lap she began to sob. "Zatanna" he said in a weak voice as she began to cry even harder. "Daddy I'm right here!" She cried out taking his hand and resting it against her wet cheek. "I love.....you" he said before his eyes closed and his hand fell to the ground.

     Her eyes widened as she began to shake him. "Dad, Daddy wake up" she said before taking her cellphone out. Clumsily dialing nine-one-one she tried to hold back her sobs. "911 emergency state your problem" the lady on the phone said in a soothing voice. "Please send help I came home and my D-Dad he's shot and just please!" She cried out as tears streamed down her pale cheeks. "Okay sweetie what's your name?" The lady asked as Zatanna backed up into the wall seeing how much blood was on her.

     "Z-Zatanna Zatara" she stuttered out before beginning to sob even harder. Sirens were heard in the distance as she listened to the lady on the phone. "Listen sweetie we need you to go somewhere safe the intruders could still be in the vicinity" she said as Zatanna nodded looking around. "O-okay" she whispered standing up and using the counter to help her stand straight. The shock was making her legs shake uncontrollably. Quietly walking down one of the aisles she heard thumping upstairs.

     Scurrying over she hid in the supply closet sliding down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. "Oh god I'm going to die" she whispered into the phone. "No honey just stay calm okay? Officers are a couple minutes away. Can you see the intruders?" She asked as Zatanna looked through the crack in the door. A shadow moved in front of the door as she slapped her hand over her mouth. "T-they're right outside the door" she whispered in a shaky voice. The small closet began to feel very small.

     The sound of shoes walking over broken glass bounced through her mind. "The lights weren't on before man" the deep voice said sending chills up her spine. "Sweetie are you still there? Zatanna?" The lady asked in a calming voice. "I'm going to die" she whispered as the steps were becoming closer to the closet door. Her heart was pounding through her ears as she squeezed her eyes closed. The sound of the doorknob turning filled her ears. "Shit its the cops!" Another voice yelled as thumping was heard as the intruders ran around the store.

     Gun shots rang in her ears as she yelled. "Sweetie where are you hiding? The officers are coming to get you" the lady said as she opened her eyes. "In the supply closet" she said as the door abruptly opened causing her to scream. Dropping her phone on the floor she began to sob. "Please don't kill me!" She cried out as the shadow kneeled down in front of her. "Hey its okay" a feminine voice said as it held its hand out to her. Reluctantly taking it the light in the store revealed the shadow to be a police officer.

     "Are you hurt?" The officer asked as Zatanna shook her head still in shock. "My Dad-he's going to be okay right?" She asked as the officer took her outside. "Listen I'm sorry but-" the officer began but Zatanna burst out into tears falling to her knees on the pavement. The red and blue lights bounced off of the brick walls and the pavement. The officer kneeled down and engulfed her in a hug. "How about we take you back to the station?" The officer asked helping Zatanna up to her feet.

     The ebony shakily walked to the cop car still in a rack of sobs. Sirens blaring they drove through the City to the police department. Everyone stared at her as the officer sat Zatanna down on a seat outside of the office. Staring down at the blood on her Halloween costume and her hands she cries even harder. Pulling her knees to her chest she sat on the chair trying her best to muffle her distraught sobs. After what seemed like an eternity the commissioner came out who was a lady as well.

     Sitting on the chair next to Zatanna she gently touched the girls shoulder. "Do you have anyone we can call?" She asked as Zatanna looked up with her bloodshot eyes. "My boyfriend. His name is D-Dick Grayson" she sniffled out as tears continued to stream down her puffy cheeks. Nodding the commissioner walked back into the office as an officer brought a blanket draping it around Zatanna's shoulders. Not even twenty minutes later someone burst through the front doors.

     She looked up seeing Dick standing there running a hand nervously through his hair. Standing up he saw her and ran over engulfing her in a hug. Both falling to the ground he held her like this was the last time he would ever touch her. "Zee I'm so sorry" he whispered into her ear as she sobbed into the crook of his neck. Her hot tears stained his blue hoodie as he kept kissing the top of her head. "I love you so-so much Zee" he whispered continuously to try and calm her down.

     "Mr. Grayson can she stay at your place for the night until other arrangements are made?" The commissioner asked as he looked up and nodded. Standing up he helped her up with him before kissing her head again. "Shush it will be okay" he said holding her face in his hands as she gave him an uncertain look. Wrapping his arm around her they left the station and went to the Manor. Her mind and body were numb as she kept spacing out. "Master Dick what on Earth happened?!" A surprised voice said as she snapped out of her hypnotic daze.

     They were now in the Manor and she forgot that she was still covered in her father's blood. "Not now Alfred" Dick said as the old butler nodded. Taking her up to his room she stood there beginning to space out again. "Zee are you okay?" He asked shaking her shoulders as she turned her head to look at him. A wave of emotion hit her as she shook her head. Lip trembling tears began to spill down her cheeks again. Leaning forward he gently kissed her tears away as she hugged him.

     Rubbing her back soothingly he kissed the top of her head. "Look I'll get you some clean clothes alright?" He said as she nodded walking over and sitting on his bed. Pressing her hands over her eyes she tried to suppress the tears to no avail. He walked back in and handed her one of his black T-shirts with a blue bird-like symbol on the front. Shuffling into his washroom she changed out of the blood stained costume and into the oversized T-shirt. He waited outside of the washroom until she walked out.

     "Can we just go to bed?" She asked hoping everything was just a dream. Nodding they went back to his room and fell onto his bed. Wrapping his arms around her she quietly sobbed into his chest. "Its okay Zee I've got you" he whispered holding onto her protectively. A relieved sigh escaped her lips as she quickly wiped her wet cheeks. All of the crying had made her extremely tired as she slowly drifted off to sleep. Not even an hour later her eyes shot open from a nightmare.

     The images of her father dead on the store floor with blood pooling around him plagued her mind. Dick sensed that she was awake and crying as he kissed the top of her head. If she couldn't sleep then he was going to stay up with her until she could. "Dick he's dead" she whispered in a shaky voice. The feeling of loneliness was a feeling he knew all to well. "It hurts at first but the wound will soon heal so you may live again. Trust me I know from experience" he whispered as she nodded.

     Eyes falling closed once again she finally had a peaceful slumber. He woke up first but didn't dare move in case he woke her up. From his experiences sleep was something he cherished. Being able to sleep peacefully was rare when the images of his parents scarred his mind like hers will now. Dick only had Bruce and Alfred which wasn't much comfort but this time it will be different. This time he will be there for her when she needs him to be there. News was going to spread fast since it was cold blooded murder that was committed.

     Running a hand through her tangled midnight coloured hair he kissed the top of her head. Puffy blue eyes slowly opened as she looked around. It wasn't a dream; her Dad was really dead. Sitting up abruptly she covered her eyes and began to cry. He sat up and wrapped his arms around her whispering comforting things into her ear. Blankets pooled around them as a knock at hid bedroom door sounded. The door slowly opened as a blonde scurried in. "Zatanna?" The voice asked as the ebony looked at the head on the bed.

     Cassie stood there nervously rubbing her arm with an oversized red T-shirt on. Her face was all bruised up from the fight that occured the night before. "I'm sorry" she said after a long pause of silence. Zatanna nodded, still as frozen as a statue in Dick's arms. With that the blonde left Dick's room going back to Tim who was waiting in the hallway for her. "So Zee do you have any family to call?" He asked as she shook her head as more tears made there way down her puffy cheeks. His phone was buzzing like crazy on the nightstand.

     Reaching over she grabbed his phone seeing all the messages coming through. One of them specifically stood out to her though. "I'm coming over now" the text said which was from Artemis. Her and Zatanna were really good friends to the point that they were almost sisters. That's when the doorbell downstairs rang.

Skycrystal23  ;)