Chapter 23

A little while after Diana left Wayne Manor, the youngest and oldest residents decided it was time to confront Bruce about Miss Diana. Currently, they were all in the living room with Bruce on the couch alone, Barbara was sitting on the piano bench, Alfred was standing in the archway between the rooms, and Tim was standing in front of Bruce.

"Sooo, what's up with you and Miss Diana?" Tim asked bluntly.

"Nothing," Bruce answered.

"Ya right, and I'm a circus clown," Tim responded sarcastically. "You like her."

"I do not," Bruce insisted.

"Then why were you watching me and her read in the library?" Barbara questioned.

"You must have been seeing things," Bruce replied quickly.

"Well then it must have spread because I recall seeing you outside the library door for the last several hours," Alfred said promptly resulting in glare from Bruce. "There's nothing wrong with liking a young lady, Master Bruce. It's quite normal if I do say so myself. Anyone care for some tea and biscuits?"

"Heck yeah!" Tim exclaimed.

"Language, Master Timothy," Alfred told him.

"Yes, please Alfred," Tim said with a dejected expression.

"I would like some as well please," Barbara said politely.

"Very well, I will back shortly," Alfred stated before leaving for the kitchen.

"In all honestly though, do you like her?" Barbara asked Bruce.

"I hardly see how it's any of your business," Bruce answered shortly.

"It is because if you marry her, she's apart of the family and I don't want a crummy sister-in-law," Tim complained.

"Since when do you care who I marry?" Bruce asked.

"Since the last woman you courted turned out to be a floozy who treated you and the rest of us like trash," Tim stated bluntly.

"I think what Tim is trying to say…" Barbara started with a little edge in her voice. "Is when you get married you get the family. And while we want you to be happy…"

"You also want my wife to be someone you get along with, correct?" Bruce guessed. The two looked at each other before nodding.

"Yeah pretty much," Tim said.

"I have returned with the biscuits," Alfred stated promptly as he returned with the tray. "The tea will be ready shortly." He placed the tray on the center table.

"Great! Thanks, Alfred!" Tim exclaimed before shoving a biscuit in his mouth.

"Slow down, and smaller bits, Master Timothy," Alfred instructed before surveying the other Waynes. He was surprised, however; to see that Bruce had left the room. While Barbara and Tim munched on biscuits, Alfred headed for the one place he knew he would be.

"Somehow, I knew I would find you here," Alfred said as he approached Bruce. "You always went to them whenever you were struggling even as an adult." The pair were currently in front of the graves of the previous owners of the manor, Bruce's parents, and Alfred's old friends.

"They always knew what to do," Bruce said to no one. "I wish they were here."

"I do as well Master Bruce," Alfred responded. "I miss them very dearly." Silence followed briefly.

"Alfred…" Bruce started. "When my father was courting my mother, how did he know she was the right one?"

"Well, I believe he realized it the time your mother when on a vacation for a month," Alfred told him. "He realized he did not want to live another day without her and the day she came back he proposed to her." Bruce paused before sighing.

"I thought Selina was the one," Bruce admitted. "And now…I don't want that to happen again."

"I know sir," Alfred replied. "But as I told Master Timothy, refusing to move on from the past is just as dangerous as forgetting it. I want you to be happy, and if you think it's with Miss Diana, I will support your decision."

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce said sincerely.

"So will you be going back to Wayne Manor tomorrow?" Alexa asked her niece while the trio was eating dinner. Diana nodded.

"If you don't mind that is," Diana responded.

"Oh of course not," Alexa replied. "We don't mind, do we, Howard?" He shook his head.

"Not at all," Mr. Gardener said.

"Has there been any letters from Lois?" Diana asked. The couple shook their head.

"No, none that I'm aware of," Alexa answered. "Why?"

"Well, it's just odd that I haven't heard from her yet," Diana admitted.

"Is there any news?" Lois asked her father.

"Yes but not the good kind," Hades admitted. "We're tracking them now and we suspect they are in London."

"I'd better tell Diana," Lois declared.

"Yes please, you'll need all the help you can get dealing with my wife while I'm with the Colonel, and hopefully Mr. Gardener, in London," Hades responded.

The next day came and Diana returned to Wayne Manor. However, she was not the only visitor to the Manor today. When she came into the living room, she was greeted by the rest of the Kent family. The whole family stood up once she entered the room. They all bowed/curtsied to each other. Some, like Clark, and herself, remained standing while Pamela, Bruce, and Mr. and Mrs. Savage sat down.

"Miss Princeton," Clark greeted hesitantly. "It's…it's nice to see you again."

"It's good to see you as well," Diana responded.

'Did he know I was coming?' Diana thought. 'Or is he just nervous?'

"So…how is Miss Lois?" Clark asked.

"She's…she could be better," Diana answered hesitantly. "But, all things considered, she is doing well."

"Oh, that's good," Clark responded nervously.

'Yeah, he had no idea I was here, or he did, and he was caught unprepared,' Diana thought. 'I'm glad Barbara told me the Kents were coming.'

"So, Miss Princeton," Pamela began. "What brings you to Wayne Manor?"

"I was invited by Mister Wayne to visit for a few days," Diana explained.

"Really? Interesting," Pamela responded.

"So what brings you here, Miss Kent?" Diana asked politely.

"We are here to pick up my sister," Pamela informed her. "And then my brother has business to attend to afterward."

"Last one down is a rotten egg!" they heard a young boy exclaim. Just then they heard a sound resembling stampeding elephants down the stairs.

"Oh, no, you don't," a young woman (probably Kara) said.

"Hey! Cut it out!" the boy exclaimed. Then they heard a loud bang as someone landed on the ground.

"I win," Barbara declared from the other room.

"No fair," the boy complained.

"Well you snooze you lose," Barbara stated.

"Why do I always lose?" the boy grumbled.

"Because you are small fry," Kara teased.

"I am not," the boy proclaimed. The girls giggled but stopped once they entered the living room and realized they had guests.

"Oh, um, hi Pamela, Audrey, Clark," Kara said nervously. Then Tim entered the room and you could see the embarrassment and fear on his face.

"Kara! How could you act so unladylike?" Pamela questioned as she stood up to scold her sister.

"I'm sorry, we didn't realize you were already here," Kara responded sincerely.

"Even so, you shouldn't have acted so childishly," Pamela stated. "You're fifteen, not five. And racing down the stairs is for boys, not young ladies."

"Pamela, while I do agree the timing was bad, they didn't mean any harm by racing," Diana said politely. "If they had known there were other people here, I'm sure they wouldn't have done it. It was an honest mistake that I'm sure they won't repeat." Diana turned to address the younger three. "You will pay more attention next time, correct?" The three nodded.

"We're sorry," all three apologized. "And it won't happen again."

"Good," Diana responded before turning to the boy. "Now, I don't believe we've met. What's your name?"

"Timothy," he told her. "Timothy Wayne. Though everyone calls me Tim."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Tim," Diana replied. Bruce smiled from his spot on the couch.

'She's a keeper,' Bruce thought.