Ignite [Book Three In The "Fire And Lightning" Series]

Chapter Forty-Seven- Changes

June 10, 2018. 12:45.
New York City
~~Willow~~

"Four to see Zatanna Zatara." 

The intern at the desk didn't even look up from her computer. "Fifth floor, room eighteen." She drawled boredly. 

Megan, Artemis, Emma and I looked at each other nervously. What would she say? Would she want to see us? We'd called ahead to Raquel, but Zee had been napping then...

"Well," I said, breaking the silence, "Allons-y!" I hooked my arm through Emma's and walked down the hall towards the elevators, leaving Arty and M'gann giggling in our wake. 

After a brief ride on the elevator that felt like an eternity, we knocked on the room the intern had told us.

I adjusted my gift bag from one arm to the other, looking at the blue gift bags that my friends also had, filled with all sorts of nonsense junk we thought she'd need.

After a quiet moment, Raquel opened the door, her three-year-old son, Amistad, balanced on her hip. She smiled at us, stepping aside to let us in.

"She's been waiting for you, but be quiet- he's sleeping."

The room was filled with blue gifts that matched Zee and Emma's eye color, along with rainbow balloons exclaiming "Congratulations!" Obviously, the League had been here well before us.

"Hey, Zee," Megan pushed back the partition so we could see her. Her shiny black hair was limp, and she looked paler than a bat-kid, but other than that she seemed extremely happy.

"Hey girls." Zatanna smiled back at us, while we set our gifts on the couch pushed up under the window.

I noticed the red blanket wrapping up something in her arms.

"Is that...?" I started.

Zee's smile grew brighter. "Artemis, M'gann, Emma, and Willow, I want the four of you to meet my son, Nathaniel Giovanni Zatara."

Even at only three days old, he was so tiny, with pale skin and a thick head of black hair. Emma and Megan were instantly cooing over him, sitting on the edge of the bed to get a closer look.

"So this is why you needed a year or so off." Artemis smirked, folding her arms and shifting her weight to one foot.

"Yup," Zatanna nodded, popping the 'p', "Especially after this happened." She held up her hand so that we could all clearly see the dark gold band on her third left finger. 

"Who's the lucky guy?" Emma asked, curious as always.

Zatanna looked down at her son, pulling the blanket closer around him. "You'll find out when he's ready to tell you."

Emma looked like she wanted to ask more questions, so I cut in. "Who else came to see you?" I asked, letting Nathaniel wrap his tiny fingers around my big one.

"Well," Zee sank back into her pillows with a playful smile, "Rick and Barbra stopped by with enough diapers to last me until he's four." Comfortable laughter rippled through the room.

"Batman's already offered to pay for his schooling, Karen stopped by yesterday afternoon, before she went on a date with Mal, Raquel's been here around the clock,  and Wonder Woman pops in every time she has the chance. She even brought a special protection charm from Doctor Fate." Zatanna held up the golden glowing Ankh symbol hanging on a fine golden chain, and I could see a few tears in her eyes.

Emma looked up at Raquel appreciatively as while Rocket tried to keep her son from fussing and waking up the other baby.

"Dinah said she'd come by with a surprise as soon as she was able." I informed them, playing with the string on a blue balloon declaring "It's a boy!"