Hm. Finally a new chapter of Matriarch has arrived. So, the whole storyline is worked out and I did rewrite and fix some things from chapter 1 in case someone of the previous readers hasn't read it. Not much of an update but it needed to be done for future chapters. Already updated Brood, so its natural I get this up too. It's a lot harder writing for the Justice League than Batman though. So it's taking a little longer to write them. Anyway, enjoy. I don't own Justice League or any of its characters.

Chapter 1 – Gossip

Diana sat in the Watchtower cafeteria sipping on an iced mocha as she was joined by Shayera and Wally, aka: Hawkgirl and the Flash. Her close friends sat with her, Wally opposite side of the table from Diana while Shayera sat beside her. The amazon's gaze targeted the tray full of food Flash brought with him; the size of his plate never ceased to amaze her. She was unaware of her red-haired friend's smirk and sly look on her face as she stared at her.

"So, I'm guessing this thing with Batman is getting… serious. Rather fast, I say."

Diana looked over at Shayera and replied, "We've known each other for too long and wasted too much time not to act on our feelings…"

"So he does have them. I assumed with all that glaring his face would get stuck like that and he'd be on automatic 'bat evil-glare mode' all day," Flash spoke with food with his mouth.

A disgusted Shayera and Diana glared at Wally. "What?"

"Manners, Wally."

"Sorry, can't blame a guy for being hungry, can ya?"

"But we can if you start spewing it out in our faces!" Shayera slammed her hand on the table as Flash jumped back and lowered his head.

"Sorry."

"Anyway, Bruce has been hesitant for so long by the time we got there everything has just been a whirlwind. Sometimes I just feel like it just happened over night."

Shayera rolled her eyes. She understood that feeling. "It seems that way when you realize it after you've been rolling around in the man's bed," she raised an eyebrow coyly at Diana as she blushed and looked away.

"Woooootttt! Woot woot woot!" Wally rolled a fist up in the air as Diana let out a small glare, but it didn't stop his hollering. "Come on, there is nothing wrong with a little hanky panky. We're all adults here."

"Maybe physically…" Wonder Woman muttered under her breath.

"Ouch, D. Shayera's sitting right there," Wally gets playfully smacked by the later.

"Keep talking like that and it'll go from my hand to my mace," Wally gulped at the threat. "Look, we're happy about you and Batman. It's a little bizarre though that we actually see him in the Watchtower smiling. He doesn't do it often, but it's better than he did before: which was never."

Wonder Woman played with her drink as she tried to suppress her giddiness. "I guess I have that effect on him."

"You'd do that to any man, D. Still, if it's getting serious like your saying that means you'll be part of the…" Flash put two fingers up above his head and hoarsely said, "bat-family."

"The what?"

"Yeah, that's what Huntress calls anyone working with Bruce within Gotham. I guess those are the people who have his 'permission' to get his back. Apparently they're too good for us."

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you're jealous," Diana smirked as Shayera pouted.

"As depressing and dark as Gotham is, you can never run out of work there. The crazies are everywhere and you can never get bored smashing their faces time from time."

"I disagree. From what Dick tells me it almost never leaves you with much of a social life."

The two women looked at Flash. "But that's the cost of being a hero," Diana replied.

"…Says the woman who's had sexy time a couple of hours ago," Diana glared at Wally as Shayera held back a chuckle, "and another one who's probably going to have sexy time later." The Flash, with his impressive speed, avoided the almost equally fast swipe from Shayera.

"You know, it's easy to make those shots when you're not dating anyone," Hawkgirl emphasized.

The Flash got defensive as he jumped back, "t-that's no one concern. Why I've been busy fighting gorillas, dodging boomerangs, and helping old ladies cross the street… they've been neglected lately…"

"…Uh huh," both Diana and Shayera dully noted.

A flustered Flash swung his arms up and down, "you girls sound like Dick; he's like 'Wally, if you want me to set you up with someone all ya had to do was ask,' and I was like 'Richard, you know me, I do well for myself.' Gave him the pearly whites and everything was a-okay!"

"… You done lying to yourself?" Flash pathetically nodded at Shayera. Turning to Diana, she brought up, "speaking of Dick, does he and Tim know about the two of you?"

"I'm not sure if he's mentioned an actually romantic relationship with his kids, but I think Dick suspects or knows. The rest of his kids…"

"Woah, woah, woah. The rest of his kids? I thought he only had Dick and Tim? Did he adopt Batgirl at some point? Is he just collecting them for fun and opening up his own personal army of Robins and Batgirls?"

Flash stroked his chin. "Well, if he did, it's a good plan; get'em while they're young. Of course, that would mean a lot of creepy kids in black and red popping in and out of nowhere."

"Yeah, that doesn't sit well with me either, but how many kids does he have?"

"Five," Wally and Diana spoke as they looked at one another.

"Wally, you talk to Dick frequently and Tim at times. Have you met or spoken with anyone else in the family?"

The Flash frowned. "Only those two, but they've talked about the youngest; from what I got from Dick, he's adorable, spirited, and definitely as brooding and aggressive as his father…"

"Is this his blood son or another adopted kid?"

"Blood," both spoke simultaneously again.

Shayera thought about the child for a second and shuddered. "That child's going to be frightening to handle."

"That's what Tim says. He's arrogant, condescending, acts like a know-it-all, violent… an overall asshole."

"Wally," Diana put her hands on her hips, "that's not nice to say about a ten year old…"

"That kid's ten!? Please don't tell me you and Bruce is planning to have kids anytime soon…"

"Shayera…"

"Diana, I'm just concerned that reproducing with Bruce might have consequences for the rest of civilization, and that the public needs to be warned beforehand," when Wonder Woman gave Hawkgirl a bat-glare, the later exclaimed, "dear god he's already got a hold of a you. Wally, say goodbye to the precious Wonder Woman we know. She'll be back in all black by tomorrow."

"Like Donna. Both of them can work it," Flash snapped his fingers twice in the air turning Diana's attention to him. "Eeep."

"So, what about his other two sons?" Shayera broke the tension.

Wonder Woman took a sip of her drink and looked up to the red-head. "One son, one daughter…"

"Bruce raised a daughter? That's hard to believe."

Diana nodded. "It's true. She's doing some work in Hong Kong for several months, but she plans on coming back to Gotham in a month."

"I've heard something about her from Tim. I think her name is Cassandra," Flash added.

"I can't wait to meet her. It'd be nice to have another woman balance out the testosterone in that family," Diana and Shayera chuckled at that answer.

"Yeah, well she's the quiet one of that family…"

"There's a quiet one? What do they consider quiet?" Shayera questioned.

"She didn't know how to speak when Bruce found her and has been struggling to learn for a while; so it's not her fault necessarily, but she's fierce," Flash played with a french fry when his head popped up as he looked at Diana, "when you meet her, I want to be there!"

"Wally, no…"

"Oh, c'mon D. I'm giving you all this useful…"

"…Useless…"

"… info on Bruce's kids, and you're just going to shoot me down like that? You heard, Shayera, if nothing's done now I'm going to die of loneliness. You wouldn't want you bestest friend Wally to grow old alone, do you?" he pouted and gave puppy eyes at her as Shayera rolled her eyes.

"I don't believe it matters because I just somehow know you'll pop in and introduce yourself anyway. Just try not to say anything to offend her." Wally stood up smiling at Diana when he heard that.

Shayera placed a hand on Wally's shoulder, "you're not going to die alone. You've got two good friends on your left and right willing to work out your frustrations."

Flash looked to his left and right and saw no one there. "I-I don't see anyone."

"Look down at your plate."

The speedster looked at his hands holding a hamburger and spouted, "hey! That's horrible."

"I know, but once in a while I just gotta get a jab or two in there."

A short silence hit the table as Diana quietly spoke, "what about his other son? Does Dick or Tim ever talk about him?"

Flash finished chewing his food as spoke softly, "they didn't say anything. Both of them changed subjects pretty quick. I guess he's kind of a taboo subject."

"Taboo in the bat-family… that's hitting Joker territory," Shayera said.

The silence filled the table as the only sounds that could be heard was Wally finishing his meal and Diana sipping the remains of her mocha. As he finished his meal, the Flash excused himself to dump his tray. "I'm finished here. I'm up for monitor duty in a few minutes. Nice having girl talk with you ladies. Shayera, D, see ya at the meeting later. Oh, and D…"

"Yeah."

"Just do you. If this thing you got going on with Bruce is getting serious, you shouldn't change for their behalf or his. That just makes things weird, and whatever issues going on will resolve, I'm sure of it. Just let them get ya caught up at their pace."

"Okay, thank you, Flash." The speedster flashed a smile as he ran out the room calling out a passing Zatanna.

"He's right. I know Batman isn't the most open person, but obviously he cares about you; if he wants you in the family then just get ready to accept everything that comes with it: the good and the ugly."

"Isn't it bad?"

"Ugly sounds better," Shayera yawned as she stood up proceeding out of the room. "I'm going to take a nap then I have a mission after the meeting with J'onn and Superman off world. So get me caught up with the drama at Wayne Manor when I get back, ok?"

"Yes, I will. Take care, Shayera."

"You too, Diana," stretching her wings and letting out another yawn, Hawkgirl proceeded out of the cafeteria leaving Diana alone at the table contemplating their "friendly" input. As she looked around at her fellow colleagues in their own conversations and activities, it slowly dawned on her the deeper she Bruce became, the larger their family would become. His would be hers, and hers would be his. He wasn't the only one with skeletons in his closet, but they'd deal with them one day at a time, as long as Flash doesn't put in his two cents and hits on Donna or Cassandra.

Now, one thing I recently found out is that Cassandra and Wally do know each other in the comics because they were apart of Justice League Elite. Never read it, but I'm interested in what it is. So, I'm guessing some of you out there is pointing at Shayera as OOC; never been great at writing her attitude so hopefully that wasn't too farfetched for any fans. Why didn't I add Superman in this chapter? Who else better would know the bat-family better than Bruce's best friend? Made things too easy, and he'll be an important component to a future chapter I'm writing for the crossover of this and Brood of the Bat. Please review and until next time… one love.