A week had passed since the incident at the cave.

Zatanna hadn't contacted anyone, not even Artemis who was starting to get worried about her absence.

She had tried checking on her once, but that ended in disaster. Zatanna wouldn't talk, just stare out the window blankly and sigh every few minutes.

But Dick wasn't fairing any better, everyone noticed his mood change since the confrontation, he was more reserved, quiet and more reckless on missions or patrol.

Bruce was starting to worry about his ward's health and emotional wellbeing. It wasn't like him at all to take something like that to heart if it wasn't big. So he knew that she meant something to him, after asking around and getting no answer to what had happened and why Nightwing was in such a state he sifted through the security footage in the cave and came across the fight.

It did explain why he came home that night, and with a hand mark on his face. The slap looked like it hurt, it sounded like it hurt, and he had no idea that Zatanna could hit so hard.

So the week passed with no contact from the magician, she had called time off for the League and her work, spending her days at home blankly staring out the window, as if she was waiting for something to take her away.

Dick went to work as usual, he followed his normal routine but there were differences, his fighting had become less aero and more physical and planted on the floor, none of his usual flips or tricks, but cool hard moves that aimed to maim seriously.

Finally Wally, Artemis and the senior Team had enough and forced him to sit down to talk to him about his behavior.

With Nightwing in full costume sitting impatiently on the table they had put him in, surrounded by his peers who were standing and looking down at him, he just looked away and kept tapping his foot. The awkward silence wavered on for ages, until Conner snapped,

"What is wrong with you?" He growled out, blunt and sharp.

Dick took a sharp intake of breath and replied easily, "What do you mean?"

"You know what we mean." Artemis snapped, "The hell won't you man up and go talk to her."

There was a frozen second where she thought he was going to attack her like she was the Joker, or the Penguin. But the second was gone and he relaxed visibly, calming her nerves. Didn't mean she was going to have an easy sleep though.

"Talk to who?" He gritted out between his teeth, his jaw clenched tightly and his eyes narrowed dangerously into the famous bat-glare. He wasn't avoiding the subject- he wasn't. He just… didn't want to talk about it right now.

"Don't avoid the subject, Dick." M'gann intervened, her arms crossed over her chest, "Go and talk to her, and just apologise." She scolded in her motherly tone, he didn't know why but it kind of got to him- not in a god way, but in a- that's really annoying please stop talking way.

"Have you even talked to her?" He shot back to her, pleased with himself when she couldn't answer properly.

"Dick." Wally said, commanding attention, "go talk to her."

And that's how Dick Grayson, last of the Flying Graysons, adopted son of Bruce Wayne, the first Robin, current Nightwing and former leader of the Team found himself knocking on the door of Zatanna's apartment. With nothing but himself in his extremely boring get up of jeans, sneakers, a t-shirt and a hoodie.

His mind was ticking quickly and he was sure he was thinking as fast as Wally, but he couldn't shake the nerves that plagued him.

What if she hated him? What if she didn't want to see him? What if she had ran away? What if she couldn't stand to look at him?

All the what if's plagued his mind as he could hear the light footsteps nearing the door, his heart beat faster, his breathing became desperate and his mind was moving to quickly to think straight.

Then, the door opened, revealing a bleary eyed, crestfallen, heartbroken Zatanna. Who was surprised to see him here, she thought he wouldn't come, his mission was too important.

Now it was her turn to think, as they just stood looking at each other blankly, could she let him in? Would she let him in? Not only into her apartment- but back into her life? She was going fine on her own, really- she was.

"Richard." She acknowledged, frowning when he visibly winced, maybe it had come out harsher than intended, but she was fully in her right to be mad at him.

"Hi, Zatanna." He sighed, "Can I come in?"

"Why?" Zatanna asked, noticing the use of her proper name, not his usual Zee.

"I just want to talk, please. I messed up, okay? I get it, but I want to make things right." He pleaded, hoping she would give him a chance. Just one chance.

"Fine." She decided, moving out of the way and watching him carefully enter her home.

They silently walked over to the couch, not one of them trying to make conversation or talk. Dick sat on one end of the couch, and looked around- her apartment had a, almost, mystical vibe to it, dream catchers hung on the wall, a crystal orb in the middle of the coffee table, spell books scattered around the place and a distinct smell of roses, cinnamon and chocolate.

Zatanna slowly sat down on the opposite of the three-seat couch and looked at him intently, he looked tired. That was seriously wrong, Dick was never tired- yes he was tired in the literal sense, but he never showed it because if he did the Team would get the wrong impression of their leader.

"Zee," there it was- "I'm so, so, incredibly sorry for what I did. I never meant to hurt you or anyone, I thought I was going the right thing by excluding more people- I know you don't think it was right, but I had to. We would have gone down if it hadn't gone the way it had and we would have lost maybe half of the Team if we ever confronted Kaldur and Artemis working for them."

She knew it was true, over the week she had a lot of time to mull things over and sort it out properly in her head. She knew he was right, but it didn't make it hurt any less, or feel any less painful.

"I know." She whispered, looking up at him in full seriousness, "You did what you had to do, I can understand why you needed the Team to be in the dark about the plan, I do, but you could have included me. I'm just one more person, Dick. It wouldn't have made a difference anyway, I'm part of the League and they were your mission. You should have told me, that's what hurts the most- you used me to get that glamour charm and totally disregarded my feelings." She said, holding a strong front to what felt like a collapsing building behind the walls she had built up.

"I'm sorry Zatanna." He whispered, his blue eyes meeting hers, the dark and light fighting for a place in the world. "I should have told you, I know, I shouldn't have kept it a secret, I know, and I didn't send out to hurt anyone. Especially you. I'm not asking for forgiveness, I don't deserve to be forgiven- I just need to you to know I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry for what I put you through."

He knew what ever was going on between them was probably long gone, especially after what he did- but it didn't stop him from hoping. Dick was still fighting her a place in her heart, he had always been fighting his whole life, and this was no different. But it was- everything was different about this fight, it was more desperate, more essential- a necessity he felt like he had to have.

Zatanna knew that what ever he would say she would forgive, she couldn't help it- her father had raised her up to be compassionate and forgiving, it was basically the only thing she had left of him. But she didn't know if she could let him back in so easily, the confusion, pain and heartbreak she had ultimately suffered in her lifetime was primarily caused by him, whether he knew or not. She had all the choices in the world to make about this, but if she let her head get to her heart first, she may not make the right one.

"I forgive you, Dick." She said slowly, as he gave her an unbelieving look from across the couch- did he really think she wouldn't forgive him? "But this doesn't mean we can go back to the way things were before." Zatanna said firmly.

Heart or head…

"Zee." He said, lost for words. She shouldn't be able to forgive him, she shouldn't have to. He knew what he did was bad, he wouldn't forgive himself- and he won't. But the fact that she had forgiven him so easily was so mind boggling that he couldn't comprehend why she would. Yes, he knew she was an extremely compassionate person, but this?

"Why?" Dick said, finally coming to form a word.

"Why what?" She blanded, blinking a few times in confusion, did he seriously ask why?

"Why did you forgive me? I don't deserve to be forgiven, not after what I put everyone through. So why is it so easy for you to forgive me?"

"Because some people are just worth forgiving." She answered with a slight smile, the first genuine smile that has graced her face in the week.

"Why me?" He slumped; it shouldn't be bugging him this much, yet it did. Maybe his inner demons were just running wild.

"Because why not."

As he was about to answer and press onto the matter that plagued him, he received an alert from his Team phone. Cursing under his breath and checking the alert he sighed and got up.

"Sorry, Zee," Dick apologized, "The Team needs me, I've got to go. Thanks for listening and forgiving me, even though you shouldn't have," he mumbled under his breath, but it was loud enough for her to hear- she frowned at him for that comment, to which he sent her a charming smirk. "We'll talk later ok?"

"Ok." She said, escorting him out of the apartment. Her mind whirring at different ways it could have gone. She should have told him- No, Zatanna. He hasn't earnt it yet, maybe later- but not now.

"Thanks, Zee. Really, you have no idea what this means to me." He said as he started leaving the door. Zatanna made an impulse decision and called out to him, "Wait!" Halting him in his tracks. Dick turned around slowly, confusion mapped out on his features and looked at her as if to say 'what?'

She looked up to him, making sure she had his utmost attention. "You wanted to know why I forgave you so easily." Zatanna said slowly, "I said it was because you were worth forgiving and you asked me why."

Dick was still so confused, he could solve algebra in a second, knew how to escape from different handcuffs with a twig, recite Batman's book of criminals backwards and lead a team of teenage heroes into battle, but this was just beyond his ability. Why would she say this again, was it some sort of riddle, a case to be solved and put to an end?

But all these thoughts in his head were shut down when he felt her soft lips on his, taking a moment to comprehend what was happening, he relaxed into it. Letting the moment envelope him, he could smell her, she smelt like lavender, chocolate and vanilla, the feeling of her body pressed against his, the sparks he felt when she weaved her hands into his hair, tugging on the strands, as if she needed him as much as he needed her. And suddenly it felt like home- like they had been drifting in the ocean for as long as they had been apart and had returned to land.

With one last breath she broke the kiss, leaning into his hand that was placed on her cheek.

Looking up to him through thick lashes she smiled and spoke, "That is why I forgave you, Dick." She said softly, biting her bottom lip when he looked at her, eyes filled with emotion that she could only have dreamed about. "Because Richard John Grayson, I love you. And I will keep loving you forever, even after my last breath on earth."

He chuckled, and felt his heart soar, "I thought I was supposed to be the cheesy one here." He said jokingly. "I love you too, Zatanna Zatara. And I promise to love you forever. Uoy evol i."

Her eyes widened, he just spoke backwards. Suddenly she was reminded of all the reasons she loved this man.

Heart not head…

"You are the cheesy one." She chuckled through tears.

"What can I say?" He said, flashing a million-dollar smile, literally.

"You've got to go." She reminded grimly, taking a step back and grasping his hands in her own.

He nodded silently, bring her hand up to his mouth, giving it a tender kiss.

"I really do love you, Zee." He reminded her, "I'll come back later, maybe we could do a movie and dinner?"

"That sounds great." She replied, stepping back into the territory of her apartment.

"I'll see you then." He said, turning and walking away- and she couldn't help but notice the extra spring in his step.

I guess you can't wipe a history after all…

A/N: I am SO sorry! This totally slipped my mind and I feel awful! I am so, so, so SORRY again!

But I really hope you liked the last part of the story. :)

-The Missing X