TITLE: Sound Mind

AUTHOR: LOTSlover

CHARACTERS: Batman / Wonder Woman

RATING: T

WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings

DISCLAIMER: I love Justice League, but especially Batman and Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, I do not own the characters and, if I did, things would be much different for them.

SUMMARY: Following the events of "Only a Dream", Diana returns to the Watchtower after a mission to find a sleeping Batman.

Sound Mind

Diana landed her invisible jet in the Javelin Bay of the Watchtower, unable to stifle the yawn that sought escape. She sat back in her seat for a moment, closing her eyes as she tried to gather her thoughts. It had been a stressful four days with little sleep and far too much diplomacy. After the third day of trying to smooth over a volatile situation, she'd been more than ready to start smacking some heads together.

Thankfully by the fourth day, cooler heads had finally prevailed and negotiations had been smooth sailing from there. Now that she was back, she just wanted to get some much needed breakfast and collapse into her bed for the next day at least.

Exiting her jet, Diana was greeted by a red steak known as the Flash followed by Green Lantern."Wondy!" Flash cried, pulling her into an exuberant hug. "I'm so happy that you're back!"

Diana confusedly returned the embrace, looking to Lantern for some sort of explanation. "What's going on?" she asked as she disengaged herself from the speedster.

"You missed out on quite the catastrophe," John revealed with a grim expression on his face. "Dr. Destiny had me, Shay, Flash, and Supes trapped in our dreams. Bats and J'onn had to rescue us."

"Batman sent me a text message telling me not to fall asleep, but I had no idea what was going on," she replied.

"It's all good now," Flash told her. "We're heading out to help with a huge rebuilding project in Haiti. We'll be back later."

"Where is Batman?" she asked.

"Sleeping in the infirmary," John replied over his shoulder as they headed towards the Javelin.

"Hey, Supes went on a breakfast run," Flash informed her. "There's a whole buffet of goodies in the kitchen."

"Thank Hera," she murmured, her stomach rumbling at the mention of food.

She quickly made her way through the Watchtower, a particular destination firmly in mind despite her hunger. Kal comes out of the kitchen at that moment, a large croissant in one hand and cup of coffee in the other. "Hey, welcome back," he greeted her with a warm smile that turned into a frown. "You look exhausted. Did everything turn out okay?"

"Trying…very trying," she replied with a frown of her own. "Neither side wanted to back down or make concessions of any kind, but I finally convinced them that it was in their best interest."

"Well, I'm glad you're back," he said. "You missed out on a doozy of an attack."

"I heard," she responded. "Everyone okay?"

"Yah, Bats is sleeping in the infirmary, J'onn's resting in his quarters, and Shay took monitor duty," he told her. "I'm gotta run now. I've got to be in Metropolis in fifteen minutes for an important meeting."

"See you later," she said as she continued on to her destination.

"Bye, Di," he called as he flew down the hall.

Passing the kitchen, Diana continued on to the infirmary, anxious to see Gotham's Dark Knight. She found that she had missed him while she was away and wanted to see him even if he was asleep. Entering the med bay, she found Batman asleep in a chair in the far corner. He looked uncomfortable, but she knew that attempting to move him would no doubt wake him.

Going to one of the cabinets, she pulled out a blanket before silently making her way over to him. She carefully spread it out over him, adjusting it around his shoulders. She smiled affectionately as he snored softly. She was rather surprised that he hadn't woken up, proving to her just how exhausted he truly was.

She settled into a chair across from him, finding she was just as exhausted as he appeared to be. She sank back with a groan, quickly drifting off to sleep and dreams filled with a certain dark vigilante.

XXX

Batman woke about an hour later to find someone had covered him with a blanket. Groaning softly as he shifted in his chair, he surprisingly discovered that same person sleeping in a chair across from him. He sat there and stared at her for several minutes, drinking in her beauty and discovering that he had missed her these last few days.

It was a somewhat startling discovery for him to make. He'd been away from the League at times for a couple of weeks or more and never really felt this profound sense of longing for her. Of course, he'd always known she was on the Watchtower when he returned so it didn't bother him as much as it did now.

This time, however, she'd been sequestered away in a remote country for the last four days helping with peace talks. No, he knew that wasn't entirely the truth. He couldn't lie to himself. The fact was that he cared for her more than his other teammates and in a much different way…a way that he knew that he shouldn't.

It was dangerous.

It would never work.

She's immortal.

He's dark and she's light.

She was pure and he was broken and tainted.

The reasons why not continued to parade through his mind as he tried valiantly to steel himself against these unexpected feelings. He knew that it wouldn't be hard to do. He'd become very good at shutting off his heart and walling himself off from feelings that he didn't want to have. Now would be no different.

Still, it couldn't hurt to enjoy her presence for a little while longer. He'd been lonely lately, missing their flirty banter and the way that her blue eyes seemed to actually dance with amusement. Then, she would laugh and he swore it was almost angelic.

With a sigh, Bruce sat forward, the gray blanket slipping off him to pool in his lap. There could never be anything more past this attraction he felt towards her. That's all he would call it at this point—attraction. To call it anything else would be too dangerous, allowing things to go in a direction he couldn't let himself think about despite the fact that his dreams took him there several times a week now.

Standing to his feet, he silently made his way to the sleeping princess, his desire intensifying. He resisted the urge to stroke her hair or to kiss her soft lips. Instead, he gently laid the blanket over her, pausing to push a raven curl that had fallen across her brow out of the way.

Standing this close to her, Bruce found her heavenly scent assaulting him full force. He swallowed hard in an effort to harden himself to return to Gotham soon, forcing him away from her once more and reminding him all over again why it wouldn't work out between them.

Gotham always has and always would come first even before her.

It was a glaring truth that would never change…could never change. Gotham had become his everything in the wake of his parents' murder. Protecting Gotham was his way of atoning for the fact that he hadn't been able to protect his parents that dreadful night in that dark alley.

Many would call it survivor's guilt. He called it his mission—a tearful promise made to headstones that would serve as the face of his parents for the rest of his life. The thought made his throat constrict, knowing that he couldn't allow anyone into his private hell, especially her.

He carefully adjusted the blanket over her, his fingers lingering against her jaw a moment longer than necessary. As he turned to go, an unexpected hand captured his, forcing him to stop. His stomach dropped into his boots as he stood there for a moment before finally turning to confront those azure eyes that seemed almost able to see past all of the masks that he wore.

It seemed at times as if she knew him inside and out, better than most could ever hope to. Now was one of those times that he had to remind himself that she didn't know his true identity, didn't know that he really was the famous billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne.

"Batman," she sleepily murmured his name, her fingers tightening around his hand and keeping him there with her.

He turned to face her, keeping an emotionless mask on his face despite how his heart was thumping beneath his breastbone. "Princess," he stoically answered her.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine," he responded with a slight nod, pulling his hand free from her hold on him.

"I heard you had quite the case to solve," she said, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.

He moved his arms to his sides, allowing his cape to drape around him in a dramatic fashion that lent an air of intimidation. He used it often to keep people away from him, making them take a step back. To his surprise, though, it never worked with her as she stood to her feet.

She stood before him, folding the blanket before setting it aside on the chair she had just vacated. It never ceased to amaze him unaffected she was by his imposing stance, the scowling expressions or the brusque, dismissing tone of his words.

"Dr. Destiny proved to be a formidable opponent," he admitted, folding his arms across his chest as he assessed her present condition.

Her raven hair was slightly mussed from sleep, her blue eyes lined with fatigue and lacking the usual sparkle that they held and still she was absolutely beautiful. He quickly tried to banish the thought as curiosity about how her diplomatic mission went rose to the surface.

"How were you able to take him down?" she asked.

"I stayed awake and blocked him out of my mind," he responded.

A smile broke across her face as she studied him, her hands finding her hips. "You are the most strong-willed man I have ever met," she replied with an affectionate tone.

A small smirk formed on his lips as he stared at her. "You should talk, Princess," he teased. "I'm not the only one notorious for being strong-willed."

"Well, someone around here as to stand up to you when you're wrong," she flirted, sliding her arm through his before leading him from the infirmary.

"I'm never wrong," he insisted, curious as to what she was up to. "Where are we going?"

"The kitchen," she replied. "I'm starving and Kal made a breakfast run. Now, how were you really able to defeat this Dr. Destiny?"

Batman had to admit that he was rather famished himself. All he'd had since the battle against Dr. Destiny had begun was a large cup of coffee. "I told you that I defeated him with my mind."

"Batman," Diana uttered in exasperation as she handed him a cup of hot coffee. "You're not exactly a man with a particularly sound mind."

Batman nearly choked on his coffee with her words, wiping his chin with a napkin before settling into a chair at the table. "Are you calling me crazy, Princess?" he asked, amusement lacing his voice. Did she really think he wasn't in his right mind? Her perception of him piqued his curiosity.

She gave him a mischeivious grin as she sat down at the table beside him, placing a large bagel on her plate. "No, but you have to admit that you're mind probably isn't the nicest place to spend time in."

Bruce leaned forward slightly, his forearms coming to rest on top of the table as he appraised her. "Oh, really?" he questioned her, taking a bagel as well. "And what makes you think that?"

Diana rolled her eyes as she shook her head in amazement. "You dress like a bat, swing from one roof top to another by a thin cable, completely petrifying everyone you meet all while taking on some of the worst that the world has to offer," she pointed out as she began to spread strawberry cream cheese on her bagel. "You have to admit that's not exactly the sanest thing for a mortal man to be doing."

The corner of his upturned lips twitched, captivated by her perception of him. "So you are saying I'm insane."

"No, definitely not insane," she maintained. "Just…quirky."

A full-fledged laugh escaped the Batman's lips much to his own surprise as well as hers. "Quirky?" he repeated. "I have to admit that I've been called many things over the years, but 'quirky' is definitely a first."

She giggled in response, her hand moving up to cover her mouth as she attempted to chew her food without choking on it. She decided that she definitely loved the sound of his rich, full laughter. It fit him perfectly. It was something that she certainly wanted to hear again and very soon.

"Okay, so quirky might not be the best word to use to describe you," she confessed with mischief dancing in her eyes. "You do have to admit, though, that it is a little strange. You're definitely not like any of the other heroes."

"Who said we all have to be alike?" he challenged her, leaning in a little closer to see how she would react to his proximity. "Isn't that boring, Princess?"

Diana nearly swallowed her tongue with how close he was to her. She noticed the scruff of hair growth that adorned his chin and jaw, wanting to run her fingers over the dark stubble that had appeared there. She could feel the faint brush of his breath as he studied her with an intensity that made her stomach do flips.

"Very boring," she admitted in a low voice that conveyed her desire at that moment, her gaze briefly flickering to his lips. "I never actually said it was a bad thing…just unusual."

"I never claimed to be normal," he told her.

"I never thought of you as abnormal," she found herself confessing things that she would've sooner kept secret at this point.

"What do you think of me?" he pressed, his own gaze dropping to her lips that he wanted to kiss.

"You're stronger than all of us combined," she replied, her breakfast completely forgotten. "You're the bravest man I've ever known with a heart full of immense compassion, but you don't want anyone to know that about you. You chose to work and hide in the shadows to conceal who you really are beneath the mask that you wear in order to protect your heart as well as your identity.

"You shy away from commendation, choosing rather to stay behind the scenes and let others take the praise that you rightly deserve. You care about others far more than you let on because you fear it'll be a determent to the formidable image you need to portray in order to protect Gotham."

Bruce felt his chest constrict. He was right. She did know him far better than most and yet she had no clue as to his true identity. It was almost scary. "That's…enlightening."

"It's also true," she insisted, placing her elbow on the table and cupping her chin as she studied him.

"I don't know about that," he commented. "You don't even know my real identity."

"No, but I'll figure it out," she confidently informed him with smirk.

Bruce smiled to himself with her self-assured statement. "Oh, you think so, Princess?"

"I know so," she confirmed. "It won't be long before I discover who it is that's hiding behind that mask."

With an assertiveness that surprised her, Diana reached out to touch his face, her fingertips grazing along his cheekbone and sending a shiver of desire racing up his spine. He held his breath as her fingernails gently slid beneath the edge of his cowl. She wasn't trying to unmask him, just explore him for as long as he allowed her to.

And right now, he wanted nothing more than to let her explore every single inch of him for as long as there was breath in his body.

She studied him intently as her fingers caressed his cheekbone, slipping out from beneath his cowl to stroke along his jaw. She knew she was having an effect on him. She could tell by the way his breathing had grown shallower, his heart beating faster. She was feeling the exact same way.

She ached to kiss his lips, but didn't want to push him too far. Besides, she wasn't quite certain she was ready for that next step. While she knew he who was on the inside, she had no idea who he was on the outside. Until he was willing to share such an intimate detail of his life, she wouldn't push for anything more past this mutual attraction they seemed to share.

She couldn't help wondering what it was that he thought about her. Unfortunately, she didn't get a chance to ask. "So how did negotiations go?" he asked, breaking the steamy tension that permeated the room in an attempt to get a firm grasp on his desire.

It took her a moment to register that he'd asked her a question and another moment to formulate a response as she retracted her hand. She was disappointed the intimate moment was over, but deep down she knew that it couldn't go any further than this right now.

"Soon," she told herself.

"It was a real battle," she confessed, annoyance returning to her face as she turned her attention back to her bagel. "Neither side wanted to back down. I thought I was going to have to start threatening bodily harm by the third day if they didn't start negotiating."

Batman chuckled softly with the image that popped into his head. He could imagine how the Amazon princess's patience had been pushed to its very limits. "That's why they sent you instead of me," he replied, pausing to take a drink of his coffee. "I wouldn't have been able to hold out that long without pulling out the brass knuckles at least once."

Diana laughed in response. "It probably was for the best," she agreed. "Someone else will have to attend the next diplomatic mission. I'm all out of diplomacy for the time being. Right now, I just need a few villains to beat up."

His face grew solemn…concerned. "You look like you need to get some sleep."

She gave him a crooked smile as sighed wearily. "I have to admit bed is sounding pretty good about now."

"Get some sleep, Diana."

"Are you sure it's safe now?" she lightly teased.

"Dr. Destiny won't be haunting any more of our dreams," he reassured her.

She couldn't stop the flutter that occupied her stomach as she stared at him. The thought that popped into her head immediately escaped her lips without even realizing it as her gaze fell to his lips once more. "And what does the big, bad Batman dream about when he sleeps?"

Bruce felt warmth creeping up his chest to his neck. He tried to tamp down on it before it reached it face. If she knew what he had been dreaming about the last few weeks, she'd probably shoot him out of the nearest airlock right after tearing him limb from limb.

Still, he felt the playboy swiftly rising to the surface. "I guess that's just something else that you'll have to try to find out about me," he flirted.

"Don't worry," she reassured him as she stood to her feet. "I'll find out all there is to know about the mysterious Dark Knight of Gotham one way or another."

"You sound pretty confident," he replied as he stood to his feet as well.

"I never give up until I get what I want," she told him, pulling her long raven locks behind her shoulder.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, intrigued by this enigmatic Amazon warrior who was larger than life. She was definitely unlike any woman he had ever met before and he had met far more than his fair share.

"I'll see you later," she said, fighting the pull of sleep. She didn't want to leave him yet, but knew that it was inevitable. He needed to return to Gotham and she needed to get some sleep.

"Sweet dreams, Princess," he replied, drinking in the warm smile that she graced him with before leaving him all alone in the kitchen.

He stood there for several long moments before finally heading for the Javelin bay. He released a ragged breath as he attempted to temper the desire that still simmered within his core for her. He knew this was a very dangerous game that he was playing by allowing her to get so close to him, but he couldn't seem to help himself at the moment. She drew him in like a siren's song, enticing and beguiling him like no other woman had ever been able to do.

While the Bat screamed at him to run away…to shut her out, the man in him only wanted to pull her closer. The war was on, a fierce battle between man and vigilante, logic and desire…between heart and mind. He had no idea what was going to win, but, for the first time in his life, he actually hoped that his heart won out in the end.

Buckling himself into his Batwing, he started up the engine in preparation for the flight back to Gotham when the sound of Alfred's voice filled his ear. "Batcave to Batman."

"This Batman," he responded with a rasp. "Go ahead."

"You wanted me to notify you if the princess sent in her reservation for that event in Paris in a couple of weeks," he replied. "Her response to attend the party was just sent in via email."

The corner of Bruce's lips twitched as he thought about the prospect of spending time with the princess without her knowing it was really Batman who was in her presence. "Send in my acceptance for the party as well," he told him.

"Consider it sent."

"Thank you," he stated. "I'm heading home now."

"See you soon, sir."

Batman cut the communication, allowing thoughts of her to occupy his mind as he made his way home. He was more than anxious to see how she would visit him again tonight in his dreams, knowing that Dr. Destiny couldn't interfere ever again.

A/N: Just wanted to let you know that I'm working very hard on both To Catch a Thief (formally known as Covert Affair) and the sequel to Murder at Wayne Manor named What Lies Beneath. I'm on Chp 7 of both fics. I hope to start posting To Catch a Thief in the next couple of weeks or so! Also have some one-shots rolling around in my head that I hope to write soon, but right now I want to focus on the chapter fics. After one of those two fics is done, I'll start Family Ties (sequel to Family Matters).

Thank you all for your patience and support! :)