Authors note: Thank yall so much for the kind words! I'm new to all the fanfiction stuff, so forgive me for not responding yet! Yall are so amazing for taking the time to give feedback. It's much appreciated.

I wanted to give yall a little explanation of this story and the motivation behind it. My goal is to explore this grieving as we see sometimes in movies or in comics that once someone dies we get a little bit of a glimpse of how it effects people, but after a while it is an afterthought to the ongoing plot. I wanted to show that the feelings about the death of a loved one linger for a long time. In this particular story, I am taking part of my own reactions to a loved one's death from three years ago and incorporating into the different reactions we see in these characters: Wonder Woman's curling up into Clark's bed, Bruce's stoicism around people, Kara's distraught rant…people grieve differently in different moments. My aim is to make his death the entire theme of this and the rippling effect it has across different groups.

I meant to add this to the last two chapters, but alas my mind had left me temporarily! Anyway, enjoy!

Curious

After someone dies mortals and immortals alike dig through memories to attach themselves to these beautiful pictures as their favorite moments with loved ones. Typically the dead get put on this pedestal of wisdom and kindness. Those are the memories that are on repeat when they first die or when they are brought up in some fashion. They are reverberated constantly to the point where you start to forget they had faults themselves, and that it was okay that they did.

It's the memories that spring on us without warning though…they are the most painful. It's the ones where they are doing something considered insignificant at the time such as taking a shower, typing on a computer, or brushing their hair. They merely pop up destroy the soul all over again.

Grief is like the ocean tides coming in, out, stronger, weaker…it is never ending though. One learns to how to handle the ever changing currents.

The sun. Will I ever look at it without thinking of him? Diana sighed softly leaning her head back on the trunk of the olive tree. This was her favorite spot on Themyscira looking over the lagoon towards the west. It was peaceful and calmed her. The waterfall, birds singing, and breeze always allowed her to focus.

I swear I can hear him singing that silly song now…closing her eyes, Diana began to hum "You Are My Sunshine" as she sat up in the tree tapping her foot on the branch.

The last time he had sang that to her was right before he lost his gifts. Life was…simple. As simple as it could be for them.

He was rubbing the towel over his head after a long shower and came in singing that ridiculous song. Diana was laying in the bed trying to recover from the never-ending night before. She had heard the room grow quiet and peeped open her right eye and saw him simply standing there staring at her smiling.

"Clark, may I ask why you are staring at me as if Eros himself has struck you?" she asked muffling into her pillow.

He chuckled taking off the towel around his waist, "How do I not know your cousin hasn't paid us a visit? Especially last night. Looking at you lying in my bed," he paused sliding under the sheets next to her, "I don't know if I will ever get used to it." He kissed her shoulder, "There are moments where I wonder if you are actually here, and if I need to pinch myself to make sure this isn't all a dream."

"I can assure you this is exceptionally real," Diana smiled turning over on her back, "Would you care to see how?" She touched his face tenderly while stroking his cheek.

He kissed her chest, "Please do."

She turned Clark on his back and climbed on top, "You have to close your eyes, my love."

Like any man being ordered by a goddess, he complied.

She leaned over working her way down his chest planting kisses and rubbing her hands in a sensual motion. Clark sighed and moaned in contentment.

"Now, Clark, I will show you how this is all not a fantasy…" Diana whispered.

He laughed, "Doing this, you're not convincing me yet."

She suddenly stopped, grabbed his sides, and began to assault him with pinches, playful bites, and tickling.

Clark jumped and yelped. Diana did her best to hold him down as he squirmed as she giggled hysterically. Suddenly he got the upper hand by grabbing Diana and turning her over on her back. "You do not fight fair, you devious Amazon heathen!"

She laughed as he assailed her with kisses.

He suddenly paused and stared at her once more while hovering over her, "You are so beautiful, Diana. And brave." He planted a kiss. "And endearing." Again. "And incredibly sexy." Again. "And I hope you know I will love you until the day I die."

"Well it's a good thing that is a hard task to accomplish, my beloved," she smiled, "Now shut up and make love to me as you did last night."

He gladly obeyed.

Suddenly Diana stopped tapping her foot and wiped her eyes, Oh the irony…she sighed, Was that the last time they made love too? There is was again…the heartache. She clutched her sides and began to weep. The tears felt warm sliding down her cool cheeks. I wish to go at least one day without tears. ONE DAY!

After death, we not only torture ourselves by replaying the amazing memories, but also the regrettable ones. Isn't everyone full of regrets when they lose someone special to them? We enjoy stinging ourselves over and over again even though there is nothing we can do to change the past.

She heard footsteps approaching and jumped down from the limb and into the lagoon. Just wash away the tears and pain please, Gaia. Let no one see this in me.

"Your majesty!" Diana looked towards the voice and only saw the brown-eyes of Phillipus, the captain of the Amazon guard peeping over the lagoon, "Counsel is meeting to discuss your deployment of scouts."

"Right," she said to herself then lifted her head towards her old friend, "I am on my way!"

A distraction well needed. Wait until they hear about my expanded plans for the Amazons though…I may be disposed of, she laughed to herself.

….

"Majesty, I suggest putting scouts in these locations as they are general hotspots to devious activity," Mala spoke pointing at the hologram map. Her slender frame was almost as tall the picture in front of them.

Phillipus added, "We may need to put more than one group in more high-risk areas, my queen."

Diana nodded, "I agree with both of you, and maybe we add one or two more locations. I shall make decisions on in the immediate future pending on some scouting on my part. What say you, General? You know this world almost as well as I."

The redheaded warrior Artemis stepped forward to the map, "I agree with your majesty and my sisters, with one more suggestion that your majesty may already have in mind." She pointed to Washington, DC, "It is well protected without us, but I believe we should maintain a permanent presence there as we have seen massive strikes from the enemy in the past during my days of scouting here."

Diana smirked not looking away from the hologram, "Agreed."

The other women began to stand to leave when Diana spoke up again, "There is one more matter…" they all paused, "Donna Troy."

"The traitor?" chimed in the bronzed skinned Amazon called Demeter.

"She is to return here along with Cla-Superman's cousin, Kara Zor-El for training. Donna will be here paying for her crimes and working with all of you as well as the other Amazons around the island," no one disagreed outright, but the queen could see looks of disapproval, "I know there is no unanimous approval of this, but I assure you she is recovered and in her right state of mind."

Mala spoke softly, "You highness, forgive me for my boldness, but I know you have suffered a great deal this past month and a half-"

"Lieutenant, I know you have great love for the queen and her conscience, but we need to support her in this," Artemis spoke up, "Donna Troy has demonstrated through the group called "The Titans" that she is able to work with a team and is in control of her emotions on a more stable level. She wishes the rest of her sisters' forgiveness."

Diana nodded and turned towards where the other Amazons stood, "It is true that she is much recuperated, but there is still lingering effects in the form of guilt and rage. Donna was much of a victim as our brothers. She was born with no inkling of this world or its dangers and believed every word of a person she presumed to be her mother. She was brainwashed by those who betrayed us."

Eyes around the room met hers and she could feel the empathy as she continued, "Those who called themselves Amazons failed her once. I shall not let those trespasses happen again to my sister."

….

Hera watched her husband gather his golden battle armor that was fashioned recently by Hephaestus. It was as strong as it was beautiful with filigree patterns of past conquests etched across it. There was a moment where Hera found her husband quite handsome with lustful feelings stirring within her. They came to a pause as soon as she remembered his true nature and her face twisted with distaste.

Zeus fastened the scabbard for his sword, "What is it, wife? I thought you would be satisfied with my absence from Olympus once again."

"I am simply surprised you agreed to reward life back to Kal-EL for your daughter's happiness," Hera replied honestly, "Though I do wish you would tell me what exactly you are considering there that could bring him back."

Zeus turned and walked towards Hera, "I am looking for a specific artifact, a weapon."

She mulled it over in her head what he could possibly be talking about. A weapon? Here I believed he would go straight to the Fates. Persuade them in some way. Create another bastard in return for their services. What could he possibly mean by "weapon?"

Hera went through many scenarios of what the king of the gods could possibly be scheming to use, The only one I can recall is…

Her eyes widened with realization that this is weapon he sought and then her eyes met his, "You cannot be serious, Zeus! What you seek is impossible to recover!"

"Do you have a more reasonable idea?! And this shows how much you know of our family and wars we waged. When we were victorious, I did not make it hopeless to claim. It is very much reachable," he narrowed his eyes, "and once I do and restore life, no one will dare challenge my might."

His voice rose as he pointed his finger, "And you will do well to remember that this was your undertaking! You made it clear if I did not find a way to bring that damned alien mongrel back that you and the rest of Olympus would rise against me!"

She held her hand close to her heart, "Do you know what this means for the rest of us if you do undertake this task down into Tartarus? If you fail?"

"And you will have no one to blame but yourself!" His jaw switched as he calmed himself looking over his reflection one final time, "You will need to warn the Amazons in time. The barriers will weaken once I have traveled further down, but for now do not create any panic. Tell the god of war if you must and our children, as I'm sure some will have already pried on this conversation, but no one else."

Hera slowly nodded, "I will not tell certain children as you know they will wreak havoc and…discord." She shifted, "Please do not so this alone, husband. Take reinforcements with you."

Zeus laughed, "And give them a chance to take my glory?"

"This is no game! If you die there we are severely weakened against any form of vengeance," the queen of Olympus paced around the pillars and across the marble floors, "If you are determined to take this challenge then at least do not be foolish enough to go alone."

Tartarus is not for the weak-willed or feeble spirited. If he does bring loyalists with him it would have to be ones that cannot be bargained with or easily fooled. Zeus thought over his own weaknesses and vulnerabilities. He must find those to go with him that can counter this and vice versa.

"Very well. I will choose two to follow me down into the pits of hell," he walked over to Hera and took her hand while looking into her eyes, "Do not worry, wife, I have every intention of living and returning where no one will question my authority over this dominion ever again."

She let go of his hands without saying a word and he left.

Behind a pillar on the outskirts of Zeus' chambers was the goddess of discord known as Eris, or "Strife," listening to the juiciest of news, "Daddy will be gone again? This time to Tartarus for our baby sister's dead lover? Curious…"