"Please?" Bart Allen turned huge, almost puppy dog eyes onto his houseguest.

Max Mercury, Bart's mentor, was fighting the impulse to strangle his young charge. Helen Claiborne (Max's daughter who happened to be about the same age of him due to time travel issues) pet her father's shoulder gently until Max unclenched his teeth just a tiny, tiny bit. Which left only Zatanna, all around mage and friend of the aforementioned time traveling-teeth clencher, who was doing her part by simply ignoring the young boy.

Outside the house on Maple drive, heavy rain continued to fall. The heat wave, which had consumed the state and all other parts south of the Mason-Dixon line, still had yet to break. The temperature outside held at a solid ninety, making the rain seem more like a warm shower than a cooling breeze. As such, the heat and the rain had destroyed Bart's plans to go out with his friends.

So, Bart was upset. So, he asked Zatanna to help, but she had said no. So, he had begged her.

And that got Max upset.

And when Max was upset and rude, that put Helen in a bad and disapproving mood.

Which left Zatanna to sit back and be amused, even though she had a headache because Bart's pleading had not stopped.

"Just say it!" Bart looked at her hopeful.

Zatanna shook her head and resumed her conversation with Helen, tactfully avoiding the teen speedster. However, Max had gotten to the end of his patience with the pleading and shouted, "She's not going to do it! So leave her alone!"

Bart frowned. "Please?" Woosh! He dashed off and reappeared twenty seconds later holding a temperature gauge. "Look at the temperature. One hundred and ten!"

"It doesn't count if you take the temperature in the Sahara!" Max retorted dryly.

Bart ha-rumped and crossed his arms. He sat down on the floor in front of Zatanna. "Doitdoitdoitdoitdoitdoitdoitdoitdoitdoitdoitdoit!"

She continued to talk, leaving Max to handle the extremely hyper Impulse. He pinched the bridge of his nose in the 'Why-can't-you-be-normal-and-leave-me-alone-to-get-two-seconds-of-peace' gesture he was awful fond of.

"Why don't you just go somewhere else for a while until it cools down?" he suggested wearily.

"Where?"

"Anywhere!"

Bart paused to think about this, then shrugged it off. He hated the cold, but right now, he hated the heat. Actually, he really hated the cold. Skiing was just a stupid pastime and ice was only good with zambonis.

But it was hot. And sticky. But Zatanna could make magic! And he could show it off to all his friends!

"Nah," Bart shrugged. "Come on, please?"

"She's not going to do it Bart. What will the neighbors think if it suddenly starts snowing in July?"

"El Nino?"

"That was a few years ago."

"Grife." He looked outside at the heavy rain and got up and kicked at the floor. "I just wanted snow," he muttered. "Just three tiny words. Pleeeeeease?"

Zatanna smiled at him. "It doesn't work that way. I can't just wave my hand and say 'Wons ot niar.' like you'd like me too. I have to be responsi—oh boy."

The foursome looked outside at the heavy snowfall that had spontaneously started. Zatanna shrugged. Max shook his head, and Bart whooped in delight. Helen watched as people started to come out of their houses, amazed at the change in the weather. Snowfall in July, in Alabama, when it was 90 degrees outside. Only in Manchester.

Max turned to Bart. "See, look at the neighbors. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Bart grinned and shrugged. "Enoyna, thgif llabwons?"

fin

~story index~