Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

A/N: *IMPORTANT* I finally saw Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises for the first time in late August, and while I absolutely loved the movie, due to the Dinah/Bruce arc that I have chosen to include in my story, it will require altering a few things from the film's ending, including the following:

1.) Bruce/Batman returns to Gotham after the bomb detonates, so no one thinks he's dead.
2.) Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) is no longer dating Bruce, but she will most likely make a special appearance somewhere in the storyline later on. After all, you can't have Black Canary, Huntress and Catwoman all in the same story and not include a Birds of Prey arc.
3.) Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine), Bruce's butler/confidant/father-like figure, returns to Gotham to assist him once again. He and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) will probably make a few appearances in my story.

Chapter Twenty-One: Honesty

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," Dinah smiled as she approached Bruce's small table outside of Metropolis' Coffee Stop.

"Not at all," he grinned just before she planted a friendly kiss hello on his cheek. "I'm glad you had a chance to meet me for coffee on such short notice."

"I didn't have much to do this morning," the blonde explained while she seated herself across from the handsome billionaire. "Besides, Ollie's busy helping out a friend of ours right now."

"Which means I'm free from getting grilled by your jealous hound boyfriend yet again," he chuckled.

"I'm sorry," she laughed with him for a moment. "I should have given you an advance warning prior to the three of us having dinner the other night. I know Ollie's a bit tough to take. It's just because he's so protective of the people he cares about."

"Well, from that death glare he kept giving me every time I mentioned something about our past, you must be at the top of his list."

"Yeah, I guess I am," she admitted with a faint blush.

"Think he's the one?"

"I think it's a little early to be asking me something like that, but if you're wondering whether Ollie makes me happy, the answer is yes. He makes me very happy."

"Happier than I did?"

The question threw Dinah so off-guard that had she been holding anything in her hands, it would have dropped right then and there. Deep down, the blonde knew this sort of question would inevitably arise during one of their conversations while he was staying in Metropolis, but now that the question here—popping up the very first time they're alone together since his unannounced appearance on her doorstep—she still hadn't prepared herself for how she would answer him.

As happy memories of their whirlwind romance flashed through her mind, several moments of silence passed between the pair until a twenty-something waitress brought their coffees out to them. Bruce thanked the young woman, giving her a large tip and one of his world-famous charming smiles.

When she finally had the courage to speak again, Dinah took a gulp of her coffee to clear her throat before saying, "Bats, I don't think now is—"

"You don't have to say anything, Di. I'm sorry for putting you on the spot like that. I was just curious. After all, we've been friends for a long time and I want to make sure he's treating you right."

"He is—he does treat me right. You don't have to worry about that."

"Good," Bruce nodded softly, then took a sip of his coffee. "I'm glad to hear his infamous playboy days are long behind him."

"Are yours?" she questioned him, throwing him a curveball. He gave her a quizzical look while she replied, "Selina told me that the two of you broke up after you turned out to be too much of a Goody Two-Shoes for her taste."

"Wait—how do you know Selina Kyle?"

"Give a girl some credit, Bats," she smirked. "You're not the only superhero who gets around."

"Where did you two meet?"

"In Gotham a few years ago, when I was out on patrol one night. I caught her trying to steal a sapphire necklace from Mayor Garcia's wife. After I took it from her, we had a long talk and we've been in touch on-and-off ever since. She's a little rough around the edges, but I like her. She does a lot more for the word of justice than she's willing to admit."

"I know. That's why I liked her, too."

"…and that's when Tess revealed to us that Zod is also after the Kryptonian stones we've been searching for."

Kara had just gone over explaining what had recently occurred at the Fortress to Oliver as they stood in the middle of the Watchtower, yet while the blonde waited for her leader to make a response, she noticed that his thoughts were elsewhere. He was lost in a daze, not concentrating on the delicate information she had just given him like he should have been.

"Oliver!" she snapped at him, which brought him back to reality. "What's up with you this morning? I just got finished telling you that my uncle's greatest nemesis is alive somewhere on Earth, trying to locate Kandor for his own world-dominating agenda, and you're acting like you've seen a ghost floating across your grave."

"I'm sorry, Kara. Guess I've got a lot on my mind."

"Obviously. Anything you want to talk about?"

He threw her a disapproving look. "This is league business, all right, kid? I'm not about to discuss my private life with you over a bowl of ice cream and some chatty girl talk."

"We can skip the bowl of ice cream, but I think we both know you'll actually concentrate on league business if you tell me what's bothering you."

"Thanks, I'll take that under advisement, Dr. Phil," he said with sarcasm.

"C'mon, Oliver, just tell me what's going on. Is it Dinah? Are you two having problems?"

"What—? No, it's not Dinah! She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Then what's wrong?"

"It's not a 'what' that's the problem, Kara. It's a 'who'."

The headstrong blonde nodded once and decided to take a guess as to who that mystery person was. "An old boyfriend from Dinah's past?"

Ollie stared at her for a brief moment, flabbergasted that she would know on the first try. "How did you—?"

"I may not be from this planet, but after what my Aunt Lara and Uncle Jor-El went through with my father, romantic entanglements are easy for me to spot."

"See, that's the thing. I don't know for sure if he's Dinah's ex-boyfriend."

Now it was Kara's turn to be surprised. "You mean, you haven't even asked her?"

"Hey, settle down there, kid. Most of my relationships have never lasted long enough to reach this particular stage, so excuse me for—"

"—acting totally immature?"

"I would prefer being a novice in the ways of love, if you don't mind."

Kara rolled her eyes at him. "So what makes you think this guy is one of Dinah's ex-boyfriends?"

"I don't know. Everything, I guess. He says he's an old friend of hers from college, but you should've seen the way he was looking at her when we had dinner with him the other night—like she was the only person in the room. He hung into Dinah's every word whenever she talked. He never stopped complimenting—"

"All right, I get the picture. He's attracted to her."

"Yeah, like moths to a flame."

"Well, if you think this guy is more than who he says he is, why don't you just ask her for the truth?"

"Because I've already gotten into one fight with her over him and I don't want to do it again."

"In other words, you're choosing not to be honest with Dinah," she points out, an accusing look on her face.

"Okay, since you seem to have all the answers, Dr. Love, what's your advice for me?"

"If you really think Dinah had a relationship with this guy once, confront her with your suspicions and talk it out."

"That's the best you got? Talk it out? I could've gotten better relationship advice from the latest issue of Cosmo."

"It's better than this pathetic guessing game you've been playing!" she angrily spat.

Throwing his hands up defensively, Ollie calmed down in hopes that it would also calm her down. "Fine, I see your point."

"Do you really, or are you just saying it because you think that's what I want to hear?" He said nothing in return, his silence speaking volumes as it filled the space between them until she spoke up again a few moments later. "It's good that you care so much about Dinah, but don't you think you should trust her more?"

"Oh, that's rich coming from you, Kara. Tell me, when you went out with Jimmy the first time, did you give a damn that you were hurting Chloe's feelings in the process?"

Taken aback, Kara was shocked Oliver would throw that in her face—especially since he wasn't even around when it happened. However, once she let his question really sink in, the Kryptonian girl began to realize where he was coming from.

Seeing the hurt spread across her facial features, Oliver instantly regretted his choice of words. Kara was his teammate and friend. She was trying to help him make sense of a potential problem in his love life—and here he was pointing out her flaws of what it means to be a good friend. He had no right to point out her past relationship mistakes when he wasn't even angry with her.

"Kara, look, what I just said was completely out of line. I didn't mean to—"

"No, you're right. I didn't care about Chloe's feelings, but bonding with Davis over these past few months and seeing what he shares with her has opened my eyes, helped me understand how important human emotions really are. So if you love Dinah as much as you say you do, then you have to be honest with her about everything. Don't hold anything back."

Listening to her response, the handsome billionaire knew she was right, yet too many things still worried him. He was unsure if he wanted know whether or not his Pretty Bird had a past relationship with Bruce. He was afraid that the guy's playboy days were anything but over—and she was next on his list. Most of all, he was terrified of screwing things up with Dinah over his jealous insecurities and not knowing where he crossed the line until it was too late.

"It's not that I don't trust Dinah. I trust her with my life and I know she loves me. But I also know guys like Bruce Wayne. He's the kind of guy who enjoys flaunting the pretty girls in front of a large crowd of cameras, yet really after the ones he can't have. I know that because I've done it myself—more times than I can count. And the last thing I want is to lose Dinah to a guy who's exactly like me."

"Then tell her that."

"Do you remember the night we snuck into the university's pool area after hours?" Bruce asked Dinah over their second cup of coffee.

"How could I forget? It was the first time you convinced me to go skinny dipping in a public place—only for campus police to catch us in the act two hours later. We almost couldn't get our clothes back on fast enough."

"The guy chasing us probably needed some exercise anyway. After all, it's not every day campus police gets to pursue a couple of college students just looking for a little fun."

"There was nothing 'little' about your kind of fun, Bats. You brought a whole new meaning to the word 'rebel' when we were together."

"I take that as a compliment."

"You would," she giggled. "Alfred, on the other hand, would lecture you for it."

"You have no idea."

Acting like two love-struck teenagers floating on Cloud 9, Bruce and Dinah stumbled through the front door of Wayne Manor soaked from head to toe, laughing hysterically over their exciting night at Gotham University.

"Did you see that cop's face when we hopped into the car?" the billionaire playboy asked her breathlessly. "I thought his head was going to explode."

"If he had gotten any angrier, it probably would have."

"Then it's a good thing we ran when we did."

"And who knew you were such a fast runner?"

"I didn't know it would be so hard to imagine when—"

"—when I know you're so athletic from doing other physical activities that require endurance and stamina," Dinah finished his thought, smiling coyly at her boyfriend.

Her spontaneous response increased the sexual tension between them twofold, which made Bruce very eager to pick up where they left off at Gotham University's heated pool. He brought her into his arms, cupped the back of her head and pulled into a deep, sensual kiss.

When the pair finally came up for air several moments later, he whispered to her, "If you come upstairs with me right now, I'll show just how fit I am."

Laughing at his humorous attempt to get her upstairs, she replied, "Is that your way of trying to seduce me after we trespassed on school property and ran a marathon in wet clothes in order to not get caught?"

"Is it working?"

"If your evil plan includes sharing a bubble bath and drinking a hot cup of cocoa in front of a fire, then, yes, it's working."

Just as the young couple started kissing again, Alfred suddenly walked into the foyer and interrupted them by clearing his throat.

"Are you two going to stand there all night trying to catch a cold, or do I need to call one of the maids to assist you in drying off?"

Still holding onto Dinah, Bruce replied, "I'm sorry for the late-night disturbance, Alfred. Hope we didn't wake any of the maids."

"We didn't mean to upset you, Alfred," she apologized.

"Don't be silly, Miss Lance, you're no trouble at all. Master Wayne, on the other hand, is an entirely different story."

"So I've noticed."

"Shall I have Gretchen prepare a hot bath for you, Miss Lance?"

"I appreciate the offer, but no thank you. I will do it myself."

Bruce turned to the blonde and said softly, "I'll join you upstairs after I talk to Alfred for a few minutes."

"All right," she smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips before leaving to go up the staircase.

After Gretchen brought Bruce a clean towel to dry himself with, he and Alfred walked into his study for a bit of privacy.

"Do I dare ask why you and Miss Lance returned home looking like you've been traveling through a heavy rainstorm when there hasn't been a single drop of rain out all night?"

"We were just having some fun on campus," Bruce left it at that while he rubbed his damp hair dry with the towel.

"You two seem to be getting quite close."

"You don't approve?"

"On the contrary, Master Wayne, I do indeed. Miss Lance is a beautiful, bright young woman and she comes from a very good family. Any man would be lucky to have her at his side, but I think the real question is whether or not you care for her."

"Except for Rachel, I've never met anyone like Dinah. She's all the things you said and more. She makes me laugh…makes me happier than I've ever been."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I think I'm falling in love with her, Alfred."

Stunned by his admission, the faithful manservant remained silent for almost a minute until he finally knew what to say.

"Have you told Miss Lance how you feel about her yet?"

"I don't know how to tell her."

"It's very simple, though, Master Wayne. You just—"

"No, it isn't. Not for me."

"Because you've never told anyone you love them since your parents died," Alfred concluded.

"It's more than that. Her life's dream is to go to Metropolis and work for the Daily Planet someday. I've seen Dinah work at the campus studio and the passion she has in what she does every day on that set. She has the talent and determination to really make something of herself in the world of journalism. I won't allow my personal feelings stand in the way of her dream."

"Well, when you put it that way, I can't decide if you're being incredibly naïve, or if you're just looking for an excuse to end your relationship with this girl because she's making you feel things you've never felt before."

"I'm not looking for a way out, Alfred. I'm just trying to do the right thing."

"Dreams change over time, but love is forever. If you truly wish to do the right thing, you must tell her how you feel."

"Sound like you're speaking from experience."

"No matter how cliché it might sound, Master Wayne, life is too short to not tell someone you love them."

"By the way, where is Alfred?" asked Dinah, snapping Bruce back to reality. "I haven't seen him at all since you arrived."

"Taking the day off. We've have been working day and night with Fox to help restore Wayne Enterprises to the wonderful world of business again after the Miranda Tate fiasco."

Upon hearing that woman's name, Dinah instantly became tense and uncomfortable. Miranda Tate was only another example of why Bruce's notorious playboy days probably weren't behind him.

"What is it?" he asked her, picking up on her sudden change in attitude. "What's wrong?"

"Selina also mentioned Miranda Tate the last time we talked. She turned out to be Ra's al Ghul's daughter, Talia."

"And did our favorite cat burglar forget to include the part where Talia stabbed me while she revealed her backstory?"

"No, she included that part," the blonde said softly, her tone turning more solemn with every word she spoke. "What I wasn't too happy to hear about was that you slept with Tate when you barely knew her—but I wasn't entirely surprised, either. How could I be when your track record with women is identical to Ollie's?"

"It was a mistake, Dinah. I had just lost everything—including Alfred—and I was drowning in grief. I was desperate to feel anything, anything at all, and Miranda was there. She wasn't after my money. She reminded me of Rachel in many ways. Everything I knew about her up to that point sucked me in like a vortex…gave me some sense of hope that I could defeat Bane and find happiness."

"So your idea of trying to 'feel anything' was to screw the first woman who walked up to your front door?"

"I was at the front door, actually. I locked myself out because I didn't have a set of keys to the mansion."

The blonde couldn't help but crack a smile after he said that, knowing that Bruce was intentionally poking fun at himself to get on her good side again. He always did know how to make her laugh.

"I'm sorry, Di," he said apologetically, as he reached across the table to hold her hand with his own. "I never meant for my actions to hurt you or make you think less of me. You mean more to me than she ever did."

"I know," she whispered, seeing the sincerity in his eyes and giving his hand a light squeeze. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed a friend, Bruce."

He gave her a weak smile before lifting her hand to his lips to kiss her knuckles. "If it's any consolation, getting stabbed by a woman hell-bent on revenge taught me that I really need to get to know the women I meet before I hop into bed with them."

"Well, at least you learned that."

A/N: I'm sorry that Chlavis wasn't included in this chapter, but I felt it would have been too long if I had included the Clark/Chloe/Davis scene I mentioned in the previous chapter. Plus, I've had The Dark Knight Rises on my brain ever since I watched the film, so it was impossible for me to not center this chapter on Bruce. Anyways, I have included a few more spoilers below and I hope you like them. :)

Coming up!

- Mason/Zod finally uses his friendship with Chloe to get close to Clark and Davis, but that doesn't mean his eye is off the prize: He still intends to keep Chloe for himself and make her his queen!

- Dinah admits to Oliver that she and Bruce were once lovers. Ollie is less than thrilled to have his suspicions confirmed, but she promises him that he is her future.

- Still manipulating both sides for her own agenda, Tess confronts Emil at S.T.A.R. Labs and offers him a tempting deal in exchange for his help.

Down the road…

- Chloe's initial suspicions of Mason start resurfacing due to the amount of time he wants to spend with her at Isis. Will her hunch be enough to uncover the truth, or will Zod's charming ways manage to play it off again?

- Ollie has a run-in with Bruce that quickly turns ugly after he pushes the Dark Knight to admit just how close he and Dinah used to be.

- Jimmy wants to take his relationship with Kara up to the next level, but does she with everything else that's going on?

Thanks for reading! Please review!