Justice League does not belong to me. Just Artemis & Thomas.

Big thanks to The Book FANGIRL and Janizary for reviewing! You guys are just plain awesome!

Am I Blue? was sung by Batman in the JLU episode 'This Little Piggy'.


That picture in Artie's hands... Bruce had been expecting to see something like it. But that still hadn't prevented the shock he felt when he saw himself standing with his arm around Diana. Who was wearing a white dress.

Apparently, Lord Batman had a completely different view on relationships than he did. Of course he wanted to be with Diana. But he was terrified of losing her. And with what had already happened to Artemis's mother...

Artemis started humming to herself as she gazed at the photo. And he recognized the song after three beats.

Am I Blue. The very song that he had sung for Diana, when Circe had transformed her into a pig.

"How do you know that song?"

She paused, looking up at him, "Hmm? Oh. It was Mom's favorite song. And it was one of the songs that Daddy used to sing Tommy and I to sleep when we were little."

Circe transformed Diana into a pig while she was with me on a mission to investigate Intergang. After the Lords tried to take control of our dimension. Which means that Intergang never existed here and their Batman and Wonder Woman would never have gone on that mission. And Circe would never have transformed Diana. Which means their Bruce would never have sung that song for her. How, then, could it be their Wonder Woman's favorite song?

Seeing the confusion on his face, Artemis chuckled, "Dad picked it up on one his cases. That was before the League was formed. I believe it had something to do with a certain singer being held hostage-"

"I remember that case. I believe his name was Ricky. Or something like that."

She nodded her head, "Right. Dad had that song stuck in his head for weeks. And Alfred played it when Mom and Dad had their first date here."

He raised his eyebrows at her, "Their first date was here? At the mansion? That sounds too fast, especially for your father."

Artie smirked, "That's what Flash said. Or so Aunt Shayera told me," she finished sadly. "I can hardly remember my Uncle Wally, Bruce." She set the frame carefully in her lap and wrapped her arms around herself, "I can't live with myself if I forget her like I've forgotten him."

For the first time since he'd first laid eyes on Artemis, she wasn't acting like a miniature version of him. She was acting like the child that she still was. Terrified not only of losing her mother's memory, he was sure, but of losing her father as well.

He moved closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "It's never easy, losing a parent."

She stiffened, then relaxed against him. "Does it always hurt this bad, Bruce?"

"At first, yes. It does get easier with time. But the pain never really goes away." That much was true. He still thought of his parents often. There were times, especially when everything was quiet, that he'd find himself visualizing his father's face, or remembering what one of his mother's hugs had felt like.

Artemis shivered and he automatically rubbed her upper arm. He was surprised how easy comforting her was. It was probably instinct. After all, in a way, she was his flesh and blood. That, and he sympathized with her.

"How do you deal with it?"

He gave her a look and she shook her head, "Oh yeah. Sorry, Batman. I'm not exactly thinking straight right now."

"Understandable. I'm actually surprised that you've managed to hold yourself together for so long."

"Keep in mind whom I'm related to. Bruce?"

"Yes?"

"Don't waste the time you're given, okay? You never know what moment's going to be your last." That sounded suspiciously like Alfred's wisdom. She's right. But I can't risk Diana's safety. She was almost killed because she'd been distracted by me. Bruce knew that she'd been thinking about him when Lord Superman had come within striking distance of her. I'd rather have Diana alive and furious with me then dead. He suppressed a shiver of his own at that thought. His worst nightmare.

Artie's breathing deepened and he looked back down at her to find that she'd already fallen asleep. With his arm still wrapped around her. Looks like I'm not going anywhere for a while.


Diana tossed and turned. But, try as she might, she couldn't sleep. She turned over and looked at the glowing numbers of the alarm clock that was sitting on the nightstand. 2:15. She'd been trying to sleep for three hours now. She'd been trying to quiet her mind, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the confrontation downstairs in the 'Cave. She'd never heard Bruce speak that gently to anyone before. In fact, by his expression, it had seemed like he was even willing to listen to her. Which she'd been hoping for.

But, instead of taking advantage of the opportunity, she'd lashed out at him out of embarrassment and hurt. He'd just scorned her not even that very morning. And then he had the guts to actually act concerned!

Of course, she'd gone into defense mode.

After years of longing to make her true feelings known to him, she'd found herself pushing him away. Hera, why did I do that?

After fifteen minutes, she finally gave up on sleeping. I need to talk to Bruce. Apologize.

Ignoring her high heels, she walked quietly, barefoot, to his guest room. But he wasn't there. He's probably still down in the 'Cave, working. She'd known him long enough to know that that was how he dealt with emotional stress.

Diana was on her way to the study entrance to the 'Cave when she heard it. The sound of a soft snore coming from the den. She hesitantly stuck her head through the doorway and smiled softly at the sight that greated her. Illuminated by the soft light of a small lamp in the corner, Bruce was sound asleep on the couch. Artemis was curled up against him, looking more peaceful than the Amazon had ever seen her.

And she couldn't bring herself to disturb them. So, instead, she curled up on the lone recliner across from them. It wasn't long before she finally fell asleep herself.


The sound of angry muttering echoing through the frozen corridors woke Batman from his fitful slumber. He opened his eyes, squinting them painfully against the bright light of his cell. Never in a million years would I have thought that Clark would stoop this low. But I guess that I should have suspected it the moment that he murdered Luthor.

Still, I can't believe that he... He squeezed his eyes shut. It had been a month since Superman had shown him that video. And he still couldn't believe that his Diana, the love of his life and the mother of his children, was gone forever.

He remembered how his daughter had stood right in front of Superman, just daring him to kill her. He remembered holding his breath, his body shaking in fear when Kent's eyes had glowed red in the video. He'd fallen to his knees when his Princess had jumped in the way, yelling their little girl's name. But he hadn't cried then. He still hadn't wept for his wife. And he wouldn't until he was free of the Kryptonian and both of his children were safe in his arms. As it was, his fear and worry for Artemis and little Thomas was all that had kept him going for the past month. He missed them so much that it was a physical pain. He was terrified for their very lives...

But the very fact that Kent hadn't come to gloat yet meant that his kids were still safe, at least.

That was when the Kryptonian came around the corner, a smirk on his face. Bruce felt his heart stop. No. No, no, no. Not my children. Not my babies.

"Would you like to know what your little Bat is up to, Bruce?" At that moment, Bruce could care less about maintaining his tough facade. He let out a sigh of relief. They're okay. For the moment, they're okay.

Superman kept going, completely ignoring his prisoner's reaction, "She's brought three of those Leaguers here. One was walking the grounds of your mansion when I went to visit. I'm sure you can guess who..." The Kryptonian let his sentence trail off suggestively, an evil smile on his face.

Their Diana. Batman clenched his fists and tried to stand, but he was so weak from the month of torture that all he could do was sit with his back to the wall. Superman laughed and Bruce growled at him.

"Now that I think about it, I actually could have killed her right then. But I guess it's a good thing that I didn't. Now, at least, I know that I have a good chance of getting the satisfaction of seeing you watch as I crush her skull. After I kill your precious children, of course."

"You'd better watch your back, Kal-El," Bruce spat out venomously from his spot on the floor. Fervently wishing that he could wrap his hands around the alien's throat.

"Or what? You'll glare me to death? Bruce, Bruce, Bruce," Kent shook his head disappointedly. "The days when you could intimidate me with just a look are long gone. Especially now that I can see you for what you really are. A pathetic excuse of human life not even fit to wipe the dust from my boots."

"You're the pathetic one, Clark," Bruce spat. "You not only murdered the woman you loved, you ended her husband's life as well. You killed one of your closest friends and left her children motherless. No, I'm not pathetic. You are."

"Those deaths were necessary. And, if I remember correctly, you were the one who said that Luthor's execution 'Had to be done.'" At the mention of his wife's murder being necessary, Bruce tensed. But anger would get him nowhere. He needed to stay calm. For both Artie and Tommy.

"I was wrong, Clark. We had no right to do what we did. We had no right to make ourselves lords." Why am I even trying to talk with him? One side of his mind was reasoning with him that the Kryptonian had been his friend and could still change back to what he was before Wally's death. The other half was screaming that Kal-El was nothing more than a murderer and that he didn't deserve a second chance. He was more inclined to go with the latter half.


Please R&R.