Author's Note: I'm back with a new story for the new year.

Like my previous stories, this is set in the DCAU, drawing inspiration from the Batman and the Superman animated series, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, and Batman Beyond, then adjusted slightly so the timeline all fits. It will also be a first-person tale, but if that's not your preferred narrative perspective, I hope you will still give it a chance. I am just as committed to finishing this story as I was those that preceded it, but as I first mentioned in my profile (where you can always find a note on the current status of my stories), chapters are proving longer than those I wrote previously, so I'm going to aim more for consistency in posting rather than speed.

All named and recognizable characters used in this non-commercial work are the property of DC Comics.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

I pull myself from my thoughts, turn to the marksman who walked up to the window to stand beside me. "Yes." I look left, return my gaze to the Earth below. The blue planet fills nearly the whole of the hallway window before us. "It seems so wonderfully peaceful from here."

"I'd like to think we've helped a lot with that over the years." Ollie laughs as he pockets his hands and leans his right shoulder against the thick window.

I smile and nod. After a moment, my expression falls and I turn away as a great sadness takes hold. "It's a perfect note to end on."

With a solemn step—the first, I'm sure, of many on this day—I begin to walk away and down the hall. "End? What do you mean by that?" I close my eyes, let my smile fade, and continue on without pause. "Hey! Wonder Woman!"

I head for the elevators, taking one up to the private administration floor above the transporter and command decks. Unsurprisingly, I find Superman in our conference room, up from the surface and preparing for our next founders' meeting. I can't wait another day for everyone to be together.

"Kal."

He turns to me cheerily. "Afternoon, Diana." He pauses, taking stock of my quiet tone. "Is…something the matter, Diana?"

I smile in response, but it is without joy or humor. I cross the room purposefully, sit in Flash's regular seat beside the Man of Steel. There's no sense stringing him along with clues before I get to the point. "I'm going to resign from the League and return to Themyscira."

"What?" He is flabbergasted and his shock, his near outrage, come as no surprise. "Diana, why?"

'Though perhaps I could have softened the blow before tearing off the Band-Aid...' I blink, smile. "Man's World is a far more peaceful place now than when I first arrived to help you and the others fight the Imperium. I've more than accomplished my mission in coming here."

He doesn't look convinced. He doesn't even look like he's listening to my explanations and yet I still drone on. "With the way things are now, the League is strong enough a force of peace and justice that it will not suffer from my absence."

I smile dryly, but the Kryptonian merely folds his arms and straightens in his chair. "You're lying, Diana." His expression darkens as my eyes widen. I'm a little surprised that he caught me, but more so that he's calling me out. "You're leaving because…because of him…aren't you?"

Emotions sweep over me and despite the ache in my heart, I force another smile, this one more painful to achieve than those that preceded. "Diana, please! You know how stubborn Bruce is. We both know how he feels about you—all three of us probably do—but he's too pigheaded… You have to let it go, Diana. You'll only hurt yourself if you keep trying. Please, Diana, let go and move on. Let yourself heal, but don't leave the rest of us behind to do it."

I lean left, over the conference table, and rest my forehead in the crook between my thumb and forefinger. "You're right, I will only hurt myself if I keep trying, but I can't change where my heart lies so easily, Kal."

I look out past the underside of my fingers. Kal's frown is disheartening to see. "Then you're a coward, Diana," he whispers.

I see the line for what it is: desperation, an attempt to present me with a challenge that my pride will not let me back away from. Unfortunately for us both, I've already tried to motivate myself with the same accusations. I smile ruefully and sit up. "Then a coward I'll be. I just can't keep going on like this." As I raise my hands toward the corners of the ceiling on either side of me, I lift my voice and add, "Look at me, Kal! I live aboard a constant reminder of him. I could move to the surface, but I could never be a part of the League without being reminded of him."

I drop my arms carelessly, my left falling onto the table with a smack as my right hits me in the side. I drop my voice again. "I can't give him up, even if I wanted to. I love him, Kal, but if he won't have me, I need to get him out of my thoughts. The only place I can go and be at peace is home to Mother and my sisters on Themyscira. I'm sorry, Kal. I've already made up my mind."

He turns toward the table, closes his eyes. He clasps his hands together as he lifts them onto its surface, leaning down over the joined appendages as his apparent sadness takes firm hold. I lift my hand and reach forward, place it on his near shoulder supportively. I'm about to speak, but he twists his shoulder out from under my hand and abruptly rises.

He turns his back to me and walks to the window, his arms hanging rigidly at his sides. He stands unmoving before the glass, even the reflection of his eyes blocked from my sight. With nothing else left, I give him my heartfelt thanks for all that he's done for me and again for the friendship we've shared, bid him one last farewell, rise, and leave the room.

I return to the elevators. The car carries me down to the command deck, where I find J'onn and Mr. Terrific. My Martian friend meets me at the elevator's door, waiting for me when it opens. He steps into the car and the door closes behind him.

His hand moves to the elevator controls, typing in a few commands before it falls back to his side and the car comes to a halt. We both stand stock still for nearly a full minute. I know what he is doing and welcome it, opening my mind to the telepath.

Finally, J'onn splits the silence. "I have been waiting for this, Diana."

"You have?"

"Of course. I have been sensing things building for the past month and especially in the past week. It is the reason I am here aboard the Watchtower today."

"Well, I'm guessing you know why." He nods in response and I smile to joke, "And you're not going to try to stop me?"

"Could Superman?" he solemnly returns without missing a beat.

I drop my gaze, remembering the painful encounter with the man who has been my closest friend during my years among men. As I think, J'onn lifts his right arm to place his hand atop my shoulder. "Thank you, Diana, for all that you have done for us and for everything you've done for me. It is with many thanks to you that I am who I am today."

His understanding opens emotional floodgates in my heart. Almost before I realize what I'm doing, I wrap my arms around him and pull him into a friendly, appreciative hug. "I'm sorry, J'onn. Thank you."

He embraces me and lets me hold him for a time, but eventually takes me by the shoulders to lean me back, helping me to stand tall again. "You will be greatly missed, Diana—I will miss you greatly, but…" He pauses, smiles. "I wish you only the best."

"Thank you, J'onn. I'll always treasure our friendship."

He nods. "As will I. Thank you, Diana. Should you ever need anything, please do not forget that I will forever be but a thought away." He returns his hand to the elevator controls and the car begins to move almost immediately. He floats up and back out through the closed door, leaving me alone on the way for my next visit.

I make my way downstairs again, finally coming to a lounge on one of the residential decks. Wally and John are with a few other Leaguers watching one of Flash's movies on the room's big screen. Despite the allure of explosions and gunfire on screen, the speedster sees me almost immediately and lightly hits John with his elbow. I wave the pair over and we move down the hall so that our conversation will neither be overheard nor interrupt the film.

"Diana, what's up?" Flash asks. "You want to join in our movie marathon? We only just started, like maybe fifteen minutes ago."

I shake my head in reply. I need to get right down to business. "No. I came to tell you that I'm leaving the League. I'm going to go home to Themyscira."

Both men are shocked. Flash stutters as he tries to ask me why. "We've made a lot of progress working together. From the rich to the poor, everyone has benefited from our efforts immensely. There is little left for me to accomplish in Man's World."

John looks doubtful, suspicious, but Wally draws my attention. "Come on, Diana! There's lots left for you to do!" He pauses, clearly hoping I will see reason with only that little said. "There're still tons more exotic foods for you to try, hundreds more movies for you to see—you can start right now! We're watching Devastator 3—a classic Donald Shaltenpepper action flick—no one'll mind if we restart it."

He begins to say more, but John stops him with a firm hand on his shoulder that immediately darkens the speedster's expression. The ex-Marine then offers me his free right hand. I reach out and let him share a handshake with me. "Thank you for everything you've done for us and with us, Diana. You've honored your people."

I thank him, barely getting the words out before Flash jumps me, hugging me tightly. I can tell as I return his hug that he's fighting back tears. It's depressing to feel the quick shivers run through him, but I still manage to smile supportively as I stand him straight again. "Good—"

"No!" Wally interrupts. "No goodbyes, Diana….just…" He sniffs rather loudly as he forces a friendly smile of his own. "See you later."

I nearly chuckle as I shake my head with amusement. I begin to turn. "See you later, then," I say before I turn my head as well and leave two more good friends behind.

I get nearly halfway down the hall before I hear Flash call after me, "That's a promise, Diana! Don't...don't you dare break it…" I close my eyes and push down a wave of turmoil that seems to rise as his voice falls. I can't answer him, not even to acknowledge his words. His is a promise I'm destining myself to break.

Pushing past my thoughts, I realize I have only one last visit to make. It doesn't take me too long to arrive at one very special door from among the countless others like it. I knock, hoping there will be no answer. When I'm sure I've waited long enough, I reach up for the League communicator in my ear.

The system beeps once. "Security override. User code: 003"

"User identity: Wonder Woman, confirmed," the computer's synthetic female voice rings in my ear.

"Unlock this door," I command, following the familiar script.

After but a moment, the light beside the door turns green and it slides open. I close it behind me and move to sit on the edge of the bed, under the room's sole window. There, looking out at the stars, I wait.

It takes a surprisingly short amount of time before the door opens again. I don't turn. I don't need to, not yet. The door closes again and the lights come on. "Well, this situation seems like it's been done before."

I finally turn, another smile on my face as I look across the room at the familiar face of Shayera Hol. "What is it this time, Diana? You need me to go to the Underworld with you again, give Hades a few good whacks?" she asks as I stand.

I laugh a good, genuine laugh. It's refreshing. "No." I stand slowly. "I wanted to thank you."

"What for?"

"For everything you've done for the League, for the Earth, and for her people. Most of all, I wanted to thank you for coming through for us in the end during the invasion." I leave it at that. There's nothing more I need to say, she already knows exactly what I mean.

"Diana…what are you…" Her eyes widen with realization. "You're leaving, aren't you?" Her voice is nearly a whisper of disbelief.

I can only nod. I'm growing weary of answering that question aloud. It keeps getting harder to say.

"Well...why? There's got to be a good reason, hasn't there?"

"We've done enough, I've done enough for Earth, for Man's World," I can't help but lie again. That's a lie that's growing easier. Perhaps because it's based in a tiny shred of truth.

She is silent for a moment, then laughs abruptly with contempt. "That's crap, Diana, and you know it!"

I begin to deny it, but I hold my tongue and nod as I turn back to the windows. After a short silence, I realize that Shayera has stepped up beside me. "You're giving up on chasing him, aren't you?" Her voice is quiet, gentle. I nod again.

She sighs with exasperation. "At this rate, he'll never learn—you'll never learn. Why don't you give it one more shot? Take just one last gamble?

"Go to Gotham, say your piece, do everything you can—let nothing be left unsaid, undone—and then, if you still can't get through to him…then leave. After all, don't you think it'll be worth it even if you have him just once? Wouldn't it be better to hold even a single memorable experience forever than to live an eternity of regret?"

I'd almost rather just disappear from Bruce's life. I can't say goodbye to him, I know it. I highly doubt my present resolve could handle another meeting with Bruce. Yet I'm sure Shayera is right and that my unrequited love will do me more harm than good if I simply leave it alone.

I nod in response to Shayera's suggestion. Her hand lands supportively on my shoulder and I look sidelong at the Thanagarian, then turn and smile as best I can. I hope against hope that he will accept me, that he will return my feelings, but I am sure that he will turn me away, afraid of what pain a relationship might cause, of the danger we would risk.

I thank Shayera again and offer her a sisterly hug. She replies in kind before we part and I head for the door. "Go get 'im, Diana!" she calls just before her door closes, leaving me in the hallway, once again alone.

I smile at the note of humor, then head to the hanger to board my invisible jet. As I enter myself in the queue of departures and arrivals, I check the Watchtower's orbital position. "Good," I begin to tell myself aloud. The Watchtower is above North America's eastern coast. "I won't have too long of a flight to Gotham." My smile falls. '…And very little time to change my mind…' I finish silently.

As I pilot my invisible plane down, out of orbit, I decide to make the best possible use of my time. It'd be a waste to let my mind fill with idle thoughts. Instead, I consider options, refine arguments, think of any angles I might take advantage of to ensure Bruce will give me every available chance.

I nearly throw away more ideas than I come up with. Still, there's one idea in particular that I feel drawn to. If I make just the right offer and can present it just right…

When I finally reach Gotham, I park my jet alongside the winding driveway up to Wayne Manor. I climb out and fly up to the door on my own, setting myself gently upon the front landing. I feel the butterflies in my stomach as I lift my hand, close it into a loose fist. I take a deep breath, sighing as I exhale. Steeling myself, I knock with a hope, an anxiousness, and an unmistakable giddiness that I haven't felt in a long time.

Author's Note: Since we're restricted to two, picking a genre was a difficult task. I chose to declare Family alone, because I feel it will be most strongly represented throughout the three arcs I have planned. Still, you can certainly expect Romance, Humor, Drama, Adventure, Mystery, Angst, Tragedy, Hurt/Comfort, and Friendship. There will be ups and there will be downs, but it'll all be worth it in the end. There's a long road ahead and I hope you're all looking forward to it as much as I am!