Chapter 36

Bruce sat before the bank of computer monitors in the Batcave with Nicholas sitting on his lap. The Batman was completely lost deep in thought as he prepared for patrol, studying the evidence that he'd gathered so far from the explosion as well as the murder spree in Gotham.

The murder spree number had climbed to twelve now, the bodies piling up and the evidence still more than scarce. It was beginning to drive Bruce crazy. He should have been able to crack this case wide open well before now, before this many people had to die.

Whatever the Penguin was up to, he was doing an excellent job of covering his tracks.

Tim bound down the stairs to get ready for patrol as well, stunned to find Nicholas in the Batcave with Bruce. "Hey," Tim greeted him with a confused frown. "What's the little bat doing down here in the cave and does Diana know about it?"

"Diana's asleep and Nicholas is down here because you decided to see if he liked Coke. He won't go to sleep now," Bruce turned an annoyed glare at his son. "Nice move, genius. For future reference, never ever give a toddler caffeine especially before his bedtime."

Tim's hands immediately went up in front of him in self-defense. "It was not my fault," he maintained, his eyes wide. "I was sitting on the floor playing a video game. When I turned to take a drink of my pop, I found Nick drinking from the straw. Who knew that he would figure out how to drink from a straw?"

Bruce shot him a look that said "really…that's your excuse", causing Tim to sheepishly avert his gaze in embarrassment. That's when the teenager decided it was best to change the subject, his attention shifting to Nick sitting on Bruce's lap.

"You're really letting him play with your cell phone?" he asked, incredulous. "He slobbered all over mine the last time he got his little hands on it."

"First of all, it's turned off," Bruce explained as he began to type away on his computer. "Second, the case is waterproof and third, it's keeping him occupied. It's more than worth it."

Tim watched with amusement as Nicholas turned the phone over and around in his small hands in an effort to discover how to turn it on, thoroughly examining it from every angle. He was giving the device a patented bat glare that would no doubt make his father proud.

"It's your old phone, isn't it?"

"Yah…took the battery out of it," Bruce replied with a devious smirk.

Nicholas suddenly made a growling sound in the back of his throat, frustration written all over his little face as he began to shake the phone with both hands in an effort to make it turn on. Bruce could barely contain his amusement with his son's annoyance.

Nicholas never ceased to fascinate and charm him with his curiosity and happy disposition. He couldn't help but wonder if this was how he had been when he was Nicholas's age and all had been right in his world. He wondered how different things would've been had he never lost his parents, his entire world crushed.

At the same time, he could totally see Diana in their son's every movement, his utter curiosity with everything, his perpetual amiable attitude. He hoped that their daughter was just like Diana as well.

Nicholas suddenly stuck the corner of the old phone in his mouth, chewing and slobbering all over it. "Dada?" Nicholas jabbered, holding up the wet phone to his father to help him turn it on.

Bruce's hand fell on the back of his son's head, affectionately stroking his hair. He didn't think he could possibly love this little boy anymore than he already did only to be proven wrong. Sometimes he thought for sure his heart would burst or completely melt away with the amount of love that Diana and his family continually poured into it.

"Sorry, little man," Bruce replied with a smile. "Someday when you're older I'll get you a real one that works, but this one is going to have to do for now."

"Any luck so far?" Alfred asked as he approached.

"No, still wide awake," Bruce informed him. "If we didn't have so much to do on patrol tonight, I'd make Tim stay home and keep Nick occupied until he finally fell asleep."

"What do we have going on special tonight?" Tim questioned him.

"We're going to try a different tactic at catching the Penguin tonight," Bruce told him, handing his young son over to Alfred.

The British butler happily took the little boy into his arms, holding him close as Nicholas showed him the phone covered in drool, his face still contorted with annoyance. "Don't worry about us," he said. "I'll watch after Master Nicholas and Miss Diana while you're away."

Bruce stood to his feet, ready to go get changed for his nightly activities. "Thank you, Alfred. Is Diana still sleeping?"

"Yes, last I checked," Alfred replied. "I have a feeling she'll sleep well into tomorrow after everything she's been through."

Bruce drew a ragged breath, nodding his head in agreement. "I hate leaving her tonight after her blood pressure spiked this morning, but I have to find out what the Penguin is really up to."

"Don't worry," Alfred reassured him. "I'll contact you if there are any changes."

"Thank you," he responded before leaning in to kiss his son on the forehead. "I'll see you in the morning."

Nicholas was still frowning, his attention fully on his phone, his little fingers repeatedly pressing the screen in a futile effort to make it do something…anything. "Come, Master Nicholas," Alfred said as he turned to leave. "I think it's time Grandpa Alfred used an old-fashioned remedy for sleeplessness."

"What's that?" Tim asked.

"Warm milk and a rocking chair," Alfred answered over his shoulder as he took his charge upstairs.

Tim followed Bruce to the changing room, itching to get out on patrol. After everything that had happened to Diana, all the worry and fears about her and the baby, he was more than anxious to get out and beat on some bad guys.

"So where are we going to start tonight?" he asked.

"The docks," Bruce informed him.

"What's going on there?"

"I'm not sure, but we're going to find out," he cryptically replied.

"Hope we find out something soon. The body count is piling up."

"I know," Bruce agreed with a frown. "That's why we need to get down to the docks and see if we can shake things up a bit."

XXX

Peering through a small window streaked with dirt and grime, the white slits of Batman's cowl narrowed as he attempted to find something that would help blow this case wide open. He was sick of being one step behind the Penguin and whatever game he was playing.

Spying movement in the shadows, his hand immediately went for his batarang in preparation. The shadow began to grow darker and larger as his prey stealthily moved through the building. It was time to make their move.

Sid lit his cigarette as he made his way through the factory, his thoughts on anything but his purpose for being there. He didn't know why the Penguin had sent him here in the first place especially when there were other less important guys that could have been sent on this wild-hair errand of Penguin's.

He just wanted to get the package and get out of here. He had a girl waiting for him back at the Iceberg Lounge and he didn't want to keep her waiting any longer than necessary. Taking a long puff on his cigarette, he couldn't help the lustful grin that caused his lips to curl as he thought about Anita's legs. He was anxious to see even more of her tonight.

Grumbling under his breath, he made his way to a set of wooden crates marked "fragile". Grabbing a crowbar that had been left on the concrete floor beside it, he quickly set to work, freeing the lid from the crate. Wrenching it free, he tossed the lid aside along with the crowbar before reaching in.

"What are you looking for, Sid?"

Sid instantly froze, the fine hairs on the back of his neck and on his arms immediately standing on end. It was the only voice that managed to inflict that sick gut-twisting fear inside of him. Now was no different as he slowly retracted his hand before turning around.

"You're trespassing, you know," Sid managed to say despite the thick fear that had clenched at his throat.

"And what do they call what you're doing?" Batman deeply rasped.

"Running an errand for the boss," Sid maintained, folding his arms against his chest and straightening his spine in order to appear fearless when he was anything but at that moment. Insides were trembling. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for some information," Batman informed him.

"What kind of information?" Sid questioned him, his gaze instantly narrowing with this unexpected turn of events. The Gotham vigilante had rarely sought him out for information.

"What do you know about the special military grade weapons coming through Gotham?"

Sid's lips pressed into a thin grim line of confusion and thought, still feeling unnerved to be involved in a cordial visit with Batman himself. He'd never had an encounter with him that didn't end with him picking up his teeth, limping away to lick his wounds or waking up in jail.

"What's it worth to you?" the thug finally responded, suddenly feeling a fleeting sense of boldness.

Batman took a threatening step closer, allowing his larger size to intimidate the man. "I'll let you walk out of here without needing medical assistance this time."

Sid chuckled softly, something almost nervous as he thought through his options. He could tell by the twitching of Batman's clenched fists that he was rapidly running out of time. "I might know something, but it's not much."

Batman just stood there glaring at him with a look that could have caused a shift in the whole issue of global warming. He took another step closer, the tips of his black boots touching the cheap fake leather of Sid's motorcycle boots. He grabbed the man by the front of his leather jacket, lifting him an inch off the ground with one hand.

"Okay…okay," Sid said as he held up his hands. "I know a little something, but you did not hear it from me. If the Penguin finds out, I'm good as dead."

"I'll take that risk," Batman growled with a sneer. "Talk…now."

"The Penguin has a new partner, actually it might be more than one," Sid began to explain. "I think I heard something like Falcon or Falcona or something like that, but I can't be certain."

Batman froze with the unexpected news. Could the Falcone family be back?

"My death will be on your head if I wind up dead because I told you," Sid stated.

"Don't worry, Sid," Batman murmured.

Sid closed his eyes as he released a long sigh of absolute relief, his hand falling back as he fought to calm the hammering in his heart. "That's a relief because…" he began as he finally lifted his head and opened his eyes to find himself all alone again. He released a sigh of relief as he leaned against the crates to support his weight, his hand on his chest. "That is just too creepy."

XXX

Diana woke up to the sound of familiar voices outside of her bedroom. She pressed her head further into the pillows, burrowing deeper under the covers as she fought to break free from the unconsciousness that still gripped her.

She finally opened her eyes, sunlight from a nearby window streaming through the sheer curtains that fluttered with the breeze that entered through the open window. Her eyelids fluttered as she tried to adjust to the brightness that filled the room, her head pounding with the intensity of the light.

She groaned softly as she finally rolled onto her back, her hand automatically reaching out to find that her husband wasn't beside her. She frowned in disappointment as she lifted her head off the pillow in search of him, finding that her head hurt a little worse by doing that.

Bruce had told her that if it had been anyone else, the severity of her concussion would have killed them. She had actually been thankful that it was her who had taken the full brunt of the explosion, knowing that she could handle it better than one of the civilian crewmen who had been helping her with the inventory.

Sitting up, Diana brushed her hair back over her shoulder, her brow furrowed as she fought to connect her thoughts. Looking around the room, she tried to figure out where Bruce had gone, but found no sign of him.

They had talked for quite a long time last night, sharing their dreams and fears for the future especially where her immortality was concerned. It had been a good conversation, one that had been very long in coming between them.

They had also kissed for quite a long time, savoring the feel of having one another in each other's arms, finally being forced to stop when things became far too heated for them to continue. She found herself longing to pick up where they had left off despite how much her head hurt.

"I think she should be in here by me."

"That's too far down the hall from our room."

"I can take care of her if she needs something."

"You'll sleep through the whole thing."

Diana's brow furrowed even further as she tried to figure out what they were talking about. She knew that she had a head injury, but it shouldn't be this difficult to decipher. Before she could pull the covers back and exit the bed, the bedroom door cracked open.

She looked up to find Bruce poking his head in. A smile spread across his incredibly handsome face as he pushed the door further open with his foot, entering with a tray in hand. She readily returned his smile with one of her own, her heart melting at the sight of her husband.

"Morning," she said as she propped herself up against the mountain of pillows behind her.

"Afternoon, Princess," he replied, kicking the door closed in Tim's face.

A muffled "hi mom" was heard through the closed door, putting a smile on Diana's face. "Hi, Tim," she called back as Bruce set the tray of food down on her bedside table. "He could come in you know."

"No, he can't," Bruce adamantly stated as he moved around to the other side of the bed so he could lay right beside her. "I told him that you were all mine right now. He can see you in a little bit."

She gave him an admonishing look, but the way that her blue eyes sparkled told him that she was anything but annoyed with him for it. "Is it really afternoon already?"

Bruce leaned in and kissed her temple before taking a plate of food from her. "Afraid so," he replied. "You slept through breakfast and lunch."

"You shouldn't have let me sleep so long," she gently chided him.

"You obviously needed it," he told her, reaching up to hook a raven curl behind her ear. "Remember, we made a deal last night? You behave yourself and I won't have Leslie and J'onn put you on bed rest until the baby's born."

Diana turned sharply to look at him, her blue eyes narrowing dangerously. "I may have a head injury, but I definitely don't remember making that deal."

"I was hoping that I could slip that in on you," he teased, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Nice try, Mr. Wayne," she smirked at him. "I have a very hard head, remember?"

"All too well and I have to say that I'm more than thankful for it this time," he said, suddenly growing quiet as the ramifications came crushing down on him all over again.

Sensing his trepidation, Diana grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "So what were you and Tim talking about out in the hallway?" she asked, changing the subject to keep her husband's brooding at bay.

His countenance immediately brightened with her question. "Tim thinks the new nursery should be closer to his room so that he can help more when the new baby comes."

"So, he's planning on helping with midnight breast feedings?"

"Evidently," Bruce replied with a chuckle. "We really should start working on the nursery soon."

"I was going to start painting next week," Diana told him, popping a strawberry into her mouth.

Bruce gave her a disapproving frown. "I don't think so, Princess."

"I am more than capable of painting a bedroom," she insisted.

"I'm not saying that you aren't, but J'onn said that you're supposed to be resting," he reminded her. "I'm just going by J'onn's orders. No stress for you."

The smug grin on his lips both annoyed and excited her. Why did he have to be so damn irresistible? "One of these days, I'm going to be able to withstand your charms."

"Doubt it," he continued to grin. "I've got you wrapped around my finger."

"Oh you think so?" she laughed, leaning in close to him so that her mouth was dangerously close to his.

She allowed her thinly clad body to brush seductively against him, her Meta hearing picking up on the subtle hitching of his breath, noticing the way that his blue eyes immediately darkened with sudden lust.

"Are you sure it's not the other way around?"

Bruce swiftly leaned forward to capture her lips in a kiss only to have her turn her head at the last minute, her mouth finding his throat and creating a slow sensual caress. Her teeth and tongue joined in, causing Bruce's fingers to curl tightly around the edges of his plate as if it could somehow help him survive his wife's delicious torture.

"Princess…" he gasped, his breathing growing ragged as his pulse began to race.

"Yes, Bruce?" she sweetly murmured softly in his ear before taking the lobe into her mouth and teasing it mercilessly.

Her right hand moved to take his plate away before sneaking down his body to stroke his manhood through his workout shorts. An indecipherable sound sprang from his lips as he pressed the back of his head against the headboard, a noise that was something between a gasp and a strangled moan.

His heart was pounding wildly now as Diana blew lightly across his ear. "Are you sure that I don't have some sort of an effect on you?"

Bruce nearly whimpered in response to the feel of her hand on him, knowing that he should pull away from this now and yet so afraid that she was going to stop. She had him teetering on the very edge of losing his mind in a blissful release, his body begging for more from her.

"How was patrol last night?" she asked between tortuous kisses.

"Found out…some…" Bruce paused to gasp her name before continuing, "…valuable information…"

Without realizing it, Diana had managed to move the plate from his hands. She suddenly moved to straddle him, her hand trying to work him free from his shorts. She was as anxious to feel him inside of her as he was to be there.

Bruce quickly gripped her hips firmly, pushing her nightgown up. "We…we can't…" he somehow said between panting gasps, his breath suddenly catching as she lowered her hips over him, taking him fully inside of her and causing a low hiss to slip past his lips

"J'onn never said we couldn't do this," she murmured in triumphant as she began to move her hips, smiling to herself as his eyes fell closed and his mouth fell open.

"You're supposed…to be resting," he said with a growling tone. "This is definitely not resting."

"I did already," she breathlessly reminded him as she kissed and nipped along his prominent jaw line that she loved to tease. "Now, I want you."

Bruce swiftly lost all sense of coherent thought as Diana moved over him, her hips rising and falling in a sensuous cadence to grind against him. His fingers dug almost painfully into her hip, his other hand clutching at the sheet beneath him as if holding on for dear life.

The slow steady pace she had set was driving him absolutely wild, his entire body taut with the pleasure pounding through his veins. He was growing more and more desperate for the release that she was intentionally denying him, pushing him to the verge of throwing her down and taking control.

With her injuries, though, he was afraid of hurting her. He knew that he should put a stop to this, but heaven help him it felt so amazing being able to be with her against like this after almost losing her forever.

Releasing the sheet, he grasped the nape of her neck, pulling her mouth from his neck to his lips, his need to taste her again overwhelming him as he kissed her harder than he probably should have, but he was having a very hard time trying to hold himself back.

He swallowed Diana's moan as he plundered her mouth, kissing her senseless. His hands moved up and down her sides, caressing and kneading her flesh before finally gripping her hips and holding her down as he took control. He swore if he didn't find his release soon, he was going to explode.

Bruce's grunting pants filled the room, mingling with the sounds of their love making as he drove into her. The overwhelming love he felt for her seemed to wash through him like a mighty river, pouring from his heart and into every move of his hips, every caress of his fingers, every bruising kiss.

His mouth found her ear as he pushed them closer to the edge. "Don't ever leave me…please…"

He suddenly came with a cry, her name torn from his lips as he emptied himself deep inside of her. Diana clung to him, recovering from her own release as she fought to catch her breath as well, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

"I'm not going anywhere," she softly promised him, kissing him deeply to seal it.

Diana held him for a long time, stroking his hair and reassuring him with her presence. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, absorbing her strength and love as he held her in an almost crushing embrace of his own.

Her side ached from the broken ribs, but she refused to say anything to him, knowing that he needed this now more than anything. She wished that she could banish all of his fears and demons, hoped that in time she could do that for him someday.

His nightmares had lessened dramatically since they had first begun their relationship much to her relief. She just hoped that she'd be able to fully heal his heart in time as well, knowing that she could never replace his parents, but hoping to mend the broken pieces that had been left behind.

Unfortunately, accidents like the one that she'd just been in weren't helping in that regard at all.

Feeling something wet trickling down her chest; Diana pulled back, her hands managing to cradle his face despite the brace on his wrist. "Bruce, what is it?" she asked with concern, stunned to see his cheek wet with a thin trail of tears.

It was the first time that she had ever seen him cry even though it wasn't much. It was unnerving to say the least and yet she was touched that he had felt he could lower his barriers and allow her to see him so broken like this. He always felt it meant he was weak; she reassured him he was only being human.

"When I…I got the call from Clark that there had been an accident, I…I just…"

His voice abruptly broke off, his eyes red from holding in so many tears still begging to be released as well as so much hurt. It broke her heart.

"I'm so sorry, Bruce," she told him as she caressed his face, leaning in and using her lips to erase the single track of tears.

He threaded his fingers through her thick raven hair, holding her so he could gaze into her eyes. "J'onn told me what you feared with your immortality, how you're afraid of being left behind," he admitted. "I don't want you to ever feel that way, Diana."

"And I don't want you always worrying that you're going to lose me," she gently yet firmly replied. "No matter what happens, I'll always fight until my very last breath to find my way back to you."

"You better," he stated with an unconvinced sigh that told her he still wasn't persuaded about giving up his constant worrying over her. "I'll never forgive you if you don't."

Diana chuckled softly in response, running her long fingers through his hair. "Well, than I guess I better make sure I honor my promise."

"Yes, you better," he murmured before suddenly leaning forward and pinning her back to the mattress, being mindful of the baby.

A stunned gasp escaped Diana's lips with the sudden change in position, but loving it nonetheless. "You realize we're not going to be able to do it like this for much longer at the rate my belly's growing now."

"You're far from huge, Princess," he told her before he began to attack the slender column of her throat. "Besides, I thought we were pretty clever coming up with different positions when you were pregnant with Nicholas before."

"We definitely didn't let him slow us down, did we?" she said with a lilting chuckle that quickly morphed into a moan as Bruce sucked hard on her throat.

He swiftly descended on her mouth, claiming her with a heated passion that left her gasping for air and hungry for more. She growled low in her throat in frustration when he suddenly began to climb off of her.

"Where do you think you're going?" she demanded to know as she pulled him back over her where she wanted him.

"You're supposed to be recovering, not making love with me," he pointed out with a mischeivious glint in his eye.

Her fingers played with the hair that rested against the back of his neck, adding a little more pressure in order to force him mouth even closer. "I promise I'm much better than what I was."

"Says the woman with the brace on her broken wrist," he teased.

"It didn't stop you a few minutes ago," she reminded him with an arching eyebrow, leaning in to kiss and nuzzle his neck.

"You were straddling me…had me pinned against the headboard," he stated in defense. "What was I supposed to do? I was completely defenseless."

"Defenseless against a pregnant injured woman?"

"So you do concede to being injured," he said with a grin against her chest he continued to explore her with his mouth and hands. Conversation was beginning to grow more and more difficult the more heated things became, though.

Diana gasped as he raked his teeth over her skin, raising her hips to grind against his. Unfortunately, her belly was in the way. "Need something, Princess?" he breathlessly asked.

"Hera, Bruce!" she growled with mounting frustration. If he didn't do something soon, she was going to have to force him into submitting to her, pinning him down and taking what she wanted again.

An ancient Greek curse word escaped her lips as he chuckled between kisses. "Careful," he chided her. "None of that language around the baby."

"Bruce Wayne, by all that is good and sacred if you don't…"

Bruce silenced her with a powerful thrust of his hips, giving her exactly what she had wanted and causing her to cry out. As he began to make love to her, he couldn't help the relief that welled in his heart that she was alright. She was safe and with him and nothing could be better in this world to him that that.