Chapter 14
Watchtower (MU)
Superman flew through the doors of the Founders' conference room to find everyone assembled around the table save for Diana. He was relieved that he'd finally been able to convince Bruce to be at the meeting. They needed to hear the story from Batman, not him. Besides, he didn't think he could get through this without breaking down.
"Sorry I'm late," the Man of Steel announced as he took his seat. "I had to help Mister Terrific with a situation."
"So, tell us!" Flash exclaimed in obvious exasperation. "Did you find Wondy?"
Superman looked to Batman who was looking as stoic and tightlipped as ever. "He won't talk…at all," Shayera informed him as if tattling on the Dark Knight. "He hasn't said a word since he arrived."
"We've tried everything to get him to talk, but he just sits there like a statue," John agreed.
"Yah, it's starting to freak me out even more than I already have been," Flash replied.
"Batman was able to locate Diana and bring her home last night," Superman revealed, glancing at Batman out of the corner of his eye.
"Yes!" Flash yelled as he jumped to his feet, pumping his fists. "I'm going to go see her!"
"Sit down," Batman barked. "She's not here."
"What do you mean she's not here?" Flash demanded to know. "You just said you brought her back."
"Wally, there's something that you all need to know," Clark said. "Diana was four months pregnant when Batman found her."
"No way," John muttered in disbelief.
"Good for her," Shayera uttered with a proud grin.
"Not my Wondy," Flash adamantly decided. "She's not the one-night stand kind of girl."
"It wasn't a one-night stand," Batman growled.
"She has been living with the Bruce Wayne of that universe," Clark calmly revealed.
"About time," Shayera murmured, pleased that Diana finally found what she had wanted for far too long.
Batman leveled the Thanagarian with a withering Batglare that she ignored. "The universe that Diana was transported to has a time stream that is moving at a faster rate than ours," he explained. "She said that she has been gone for close to eight months."
"That's wild," Flash gasped. "No wonder she hooked up with that Bruce."
Batman growled low in his throat, his gauntleted fists tightening beneath the table. "Diana lost the baby," he revealed.
"Oh no," Shayera whispered in shock. "Is she okay?"
"Physically, yes," J'onn informed them. "She is already healing quickly from losing the baby. Unfortunately, she's enduring great emotional pain."
"By the time Batman got to her, Bruce Wayne had just been killed by a robber," Clark continued. "He died in her arms. She lost the baby soon after that."
"I can't believe it," John muttered as he shook his head. "That has to be completely devastating."
"That is why Bruce has taken her to Wayne Manor to recover," Clark revealed. "She's going to stay there for the time being."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" John asked with a frown. "I mean…considering the situation she was in."
"J'onn feels it would be best for her to be in familiar surroundings right now," Clark replied. "Alfred and Diana have become close since she's lived there for several months. He's thrilled to have her back in the manor and is more than willing to help her recover."
"I guess that probably would be better than staying up here in her quarters," Flash admitted with a disheartened sigh. "When do we get to see her?"
"No visitors until Diana says she's ready," Batman stated, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"That's not fair," Flash grumbled as he folded his arms against his chest.
"This isn't about you," Batman growled. "It's about Diana and her recovery. I don't want her being badgered with questions and visitors. She's going to need time to get past all of this. When she says she's ready, I will let you know when you can come visit her."
"I've placed her on a leave of absence until she feels she's ready to return to duty," J'onn announced.
"So, are we going to least tell everyone that Diana is alive and that she's back?" Shayera asked.
"I'm going to make an announcement to the League and the world that Wonder Woman has been found, but is on a personal leave of absence," Superman said. "No one and I mean no one, Wally, is allowed to tell anyone about Diana's pregnancy. That is her personal business and no one else's."
"Hey, I wasn't going to say a thing to anyone about it," Flash grumbled, clearly upset by the assumption. "I wouldn't do that to Wondy. She's one of my best friends. I wouldn't hurt her for the world."
"We know, Wally," John said, patting his shoulder. "We just don't want this getting out unless Diana wants to tell people."
Shayera scowled darkly at them. "You all act like Diana did something wrong," she angrily spat out. "She has every right to fall in love with someone and act on that love. You all know Diana doesn't just love casually or have flings, so he obviously meant something to her. Besides, it's not like she cheated on anyone."
Batman refused to meet Shayera's glare directed right at him, his anger simmering hotly in his core. "No one is saying that about her," he hissed, not appreciating the unspoken allegation.
He knew it was his own fault that Diana wasn't with him before all of this had happened and because of it, he was reaping the consequences for his lack of action. Now, there was a chance they might not ever be able to get past this and move forward together.
"No one thinks Diana was wrong about anything that happened in that dimension," Clark said, frowning. "We just don't want rumors being spread about her or assumptions being made. It's Diana's decision to talk about if she wishes. For the time being, this information stays here between the seven of us."
"Has she said anything about what happened in that world?" John asked.
"We haven't talked to her about it past what we've told you," Bruce stated, trying to keep his temper in check. "We're giving her some time before getting a full report to file in the Justice League logs."
"Just don't treat her like one of your cases, Batman," Shayera warned him.
"I don't plan on it," he countered.
"In the meantime, we are telling everyone she is taking some time away to recover from her ordeal," Clark informed them.
"Have there been any more signs of the Secret Society or Grodd making a reappearance with that weapon?" John questioned them.
"Yah, it's been a little too quiet lately," Flash agreed. "I don't like it. It usually means there's trouble brewing."
"I haven't heard any rumors on the street," Clark replied. "There haven't been any more appearances since their fake gun attack."
"That was just stupid on their part," Shayera muttered with a roll of her eyes.
"They clearly thought they could intimidate the League by just brandishing the weapon," J'onn stated.
"It did work to some extent," Clark admitted. "We were working overtime trying to avoid that weapon being pointed at us. Because of that, they ended up getting away."
"The next time could be for real," Batman informed them. "We need be prepared because Diana wasn't an isolated incident. There will be more attempts."
"You think they've already built a new weapon?" Flash asked.
"They've had plenty of time and we need to be prepared to counter it," Batman said as he stood to his feet, needing to return to the manor to check on Diana.
They watched as Batman exited the conference room, the tense silence blanketing the room nearly deafening. "He's not going to handle this very well," John finally said after several long moments.
"I wouldn't discount him just yet," J'onn replied as he too stood to his feet. "He's had the last month to think about a lot of things."
"What do you mean?" Shayera asked. "Do you know something you're not telling us?"
J'onn merely offered her a slight smile before disappearing through the floor of the conference room, leaving the four heroes alone. "I hate it when he does that," Flash muttered.
Superman shook his head as he stood up. "You know he won't divulge anything that he inadvertently learns from his friends."
"I wonder if we could bribe him?" Flash mumbled to himself as he zipped out of the room.
Wayne Manor (MU)
Batman appeared in the Batcave on the transporter pad, his expression fixed in a fierce scowl. He immediately began the task of removing his uniform, his mind replaying the Founders' meeting he'd just left. He didn't appreciate Shayera's insinuation about his and Diana's non-relationship. It was as if she had been pointing the finger at him, saying Diana wouldn't be going through all this pain now if he would've just told her that he loved her.
The whole thing was ludicrous. It wasn't his fault. He'd been the one searching for Diana for the last month, refusing to give up on her and trying to bring her back home. He already carried a heavy weight of guilt. If he had only gotten to her sooner, she wouldn't have started a relationship with that world's Bruce. She wouldn't be going through this trauma now.
He was really worried about how she was handling the devastating loss. She'd been through so much between being transported to a different world that wasn't her own, losing the man she had obviously fallen in love with and then to lose their baby.
While he was still struggling to come to terms with everything, he refused to abandon her. He loved her too much to just walk away now. At the same time, he couldn't just step in to fill that void in her life. She needed time to grieve and he wasn't going to settle for being a substitute of what she had just lost.
After changing into regular clothes, he headed up the stairs into the manor. He hoped that Diana was doing a little better since bringing her here. She'd been withdrawn when he'd first seen her in the infirmary this morning, barely making eye contact with him or speaking to him. He'd told her that he was taking her to the manor to give her some time away to recover.
She hadn't argued with him or insisted on staying in her quarters on the Watchtower. She hadn't done anything but to obediently go with him, transporting directly from the infirmary to the Batcave without a word. Her response was all too familiar to him, reminding him all over again of the loss of his parents.
This was not the same woman that he'd known before Grodd had taken her away from them. She'd been forced to cope and adjust to a completely new universe, to live a life that hadn't included any of them…hadn't included him or her powers. It caused his chest to tighten with the thought.
Entering the manor, he followed his nose to the kitchen to find Alfred preparing dinner. "Ah, Master Bruce, your timing is as impeccable as ever," he greeted him a warm smile. "You are just in time for dinner."
"Where's Diana?" he asked without preamble.
"She's in her room," he informed him.
"Has she come out since I showed her to her room this morning?"
"I'm afraid not," he revealed with a disheartened expression. "I've never seen her so hurt before. The poor thing hasn't eaten anything all day."
"I was afraid of that," Bruce murmured to himself. "Is that plate for her?"
"In fact, it is," Alfred confirmed with a nod as he finished preparing a tray. "Would you be willing to take it up to her?"
"I don't think that's a good idea," he flatly stated, crossing his arms against his chest. The look on his face spoke volumes as he stared at the tray.
"Why in heaven's name not?" Alfred demanded to know.
"Alfred, Diana had a relationship with a man who was technically my twin," Bruce pointed out. "They were going to have a baby together. Seeing me is only going to remind her of him. It's better if I remain out of sight."
"Perhaps…perhaps not," the British butler responded with a frown. "Miss Diana is strong and highly intelligent. She knows that you are not the man she had a relationship with. I believe it would be a measure of comfort to see a version of you that is alive and well."
"She chose someone else, Alfred," he ground out, his anger flaring the more he thought about it.
"Ah, but it was you…so to speak," Alfred reminded him.
"But I'm not him, Alfred," he stated, a measure of bitterness infiltrating his voice despite his best efforts. "I'll just remind her of what she's lost."
"Master Bruce, I believe she still loves you regardless of what she experienced in that other world," Alfred told him. "Not even being in another dimension with another Bruce could completely erase that. She just needs a little time to be reminded."
"It's too soon, Alfred," Bruce stated with a shake of his head. "She needs comfort and a shoulder to lean on."
"Then be her friend and the shoulder she needs right now," he encouraged him. "Be patient and see where that leads you."
Bruce's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he stared down the British butler. "You wouldn't be trying to play matchmaker would you, Alfred? Because I'm not interested in being a substitute for what she really wants."
"Who? Me?" he innocently said with faint smirk as he handed Bruce the tray. "Make sure she eats all of it."
Bruce scowled at him as he walked out of the kitchen with Diana's tray in hand. He couldn't believe that Alfred had managed to talk him into taking Diana her dinner. A relationship with Diana after all they'd been through and were wrestling to come to terms with was not going to happen now if ever.
It had felt like the door on their future together had just been slammed shut, locking forever. He had been too late, waited too long to tell her how he truly felt about her. Now, he'd be nothing but a reminder of everything that she'd just lost.
Jealous anger began to bubble up inside of him, threatening to overtake his steel-like self-control. The thought of Diana being with another man was too much to bear, knowing that man was another version of himself made it that much more difficult for some reason.
He couldn't help wondering what that Bruce had that he lacked, what similarities or difference attracted Diana to him. Donna had told him that Diana loved him. So had Alfred. If she loved him, then why did she give herself to the other Bruce? Was it to finally have what she thought she couldn't have with him?
He growled to himself as he climbed the winding staircase, mentally shaking himself. He was going to drive himself crazy with all the questions and self-doubt that continually assaulted his mind and tore at his heart. He'd have to talk to Diana to eventually learn everything that he needed to know…or maybe he didn't want to know.
Stopping before her bedroom, Bruce gently rapped on the door with his knuckles. "Diana?" he called. Not receiving a response, he knocked again, cracking the door open and peeking inside.
Opening the door, he entered to find her curled up on her side on her bed, staring at the wall on the far side of the room. He smiled to himself to find her wearing his Gotham Knights sweatshirt and a pair of leggings. It reminded him that he needed to have her things moved from her quarters on the Watchtower to the manor for the time being.
He silently made his way to the small table, setting her dinner tray down before pulling a chair up near her bed. He felt completely out of his element but he knew that he needed to try for her sake. They sat there in silence for several long moments before Bruce finally broke the tense silence that had fallen over them.
"How are you feeling?"
She stared straight ahead for a long moment before finally responding with a muted reply. "I'm all right."
"It's okay not to be, but I appreciate the effort," he reassured her with a forced smile. "I brought you some dinner. Alfred instructed me to make sure you eat all of it."
She finally met his worried gaze, the anguish that permeated her eyes almost too much for him to bear, but he forced himself to not look away from her. "He's been so sweet," she replied, her voice sounding dead even to her.
"He's worried about you…we all are."
"I'm sorry," she murmured, turning her focus to the comforter that she laid on. "I didn't mean to upset everyone."
"Diana, you're not," he assured her. "We're relieved to have you home again. We want you to be all right, but we know it's going to take some time. You've been through a lot."
"That's very kind of you, Bruce," she replied. "I don't want to impose or make things awkward for you."
Bruce shook his head as he pursed his lips, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Diana, this isn't about me," he insisted. "This is about you and no one else."
He watched as she continued to stare at the comforter, not really making much eye contact with him. His heart sunk to think that she couldn't even look at him. He knew this was a horrible idea from the start. He was just making things worse for her. She should have stayed with Lois and Clark.
"I'll leave you alone," he muttered as he got up from his chair.
To his surprise, Diana abruptly reached out and caught his hand, forcing him to stop. He stood by her bed with his head lowered as she gripped his wrist, fighting the tumultuous storm of emotions roiling through him at that moment. It felt so good to feel her touch again.
"If I'm making things too difficult for you, I'll leave, Bruce," she softly said. "I don't want to make this any harder for you than it already has been. I can always return to Themyscira."
Her words were barely above a whisper and yet they felt sharp, cleaving his heart in two. He didn't want her to leave him again. He slowly turned to look at her before he finally sat back down in the chair, leaning forward again to rest his elbows on his knees.
"You're not making this hard for me," he confessed with a sigh. "I just don't want to cause you any more pain."
"You're not," she murmured, gazing into the eyes that she'd come to love long ago.
The tension between them was palpable, so much they needed to talk about and yet was left unsaid at that moment. They were only separated by a few feet and yet it felt as though they were miles apart from one another, a gaping chasm keeping them from reach each other. He absolutely hated it.
Bruce bit his tongue. He had so many questions dancing on the tip of it begging to be asked, but he didn't want to push her. "If you ever…need to talk…" he began, his voice holding a slight tremor that he hated. It made him sound vulnerable.
He received a slight smile for his offer. "I appreciate it, Bruce," she replied. "I know talking isn't your strong suit."
Bruce paused, searching for something to say to make her feel better, but came up with nothing. "Why don't you try to eat something?"
"Thank you, but I'm not hungry."
"You really need to eat something," he told her as he stood up again.
"Maybe later."
Bruce studied her for a long moment, the ache in his chest expanding. Seeing her so broken and looking so frail was almost more than he could handle. She was always so strong, her spirit so fierce and her presence so commanding. To see her like this…he needed to help her get back what she'd lost, get past the painful loss.
And no one knew what that was like better than him.
At the same time, he wasn't exactly the best person to help her learn to handle the loss. Coping has never been his strong suit and running away from her pain wasn't an option…unless she decided to return to Themyscira for good. The thought nearly buckled his knees.
As painful as that would be, it might be good for Diana to return to her island home for a while, to spend some time with her mother and sisters. Dick had already contacted Donna who was coming over this evening to see Diana. Hopefully, seeing Donna would be enough to keep Diana here instead of her leaving them forever.
"Please, try to eat a little something?" he asked of her.
She nodded silently as Bruce turned to leave. There was so much more he wanted to say to her, but he couldn't…not now. There was too much raw emotion, too much hurt they needed to work through. She needed to heal, and he needed to come to terms with the fact she had chosen another man.
XXX
Donna opened the door to Diana's bedroom, poking her head inside to find Diana still lying on the bed where Bruce had told her he had left her. That had been over two hours ago. She frowned as she spotted the tray of untouched food still resting on the table. She knew it was going to take time and would no doubt be an uphill battle, but she wasn't about to let her sister stay locked inside her grief.
"Diana?"
Diana looked up to find Donna standing at the foot of her bed, her lips curling slightly at the sight of her sister. "Donna," she whispered her name as she sat up.
Donna sat on the edge of the bed, the sisters enveloping each other in a fierce embrace. Donna tightened her hold on her sister in an effort to keep from being knocked over by the overwhelming grief that radiated off her sister. It was impossible not to feel it, impossible to buffer it any way.
"I'm so sorry, Diana," Donna murmured as she fought back tears. "I can feel how painful this has been for you."
"I lost him…and I lost our baby," she whispered. "I wasn't strong enough."
"I wish I could bring them back for you."
"It…it wasn't meant to be," she said. "It never should have happened."
"What do you mean?" Donna asked, pulling back to hold her sister's face in her hands.
"We were incompatible," she replied. "We never could've had a baby together. His universe moved at a faster pace than ours."
"Oh, Di," she softly said. "I'm so sorry you went through all of this heartache."
"Why, Donna? Why would the gods send me to that universe to find love with a Bruce who actually loved me back…who wanted to be with me and have a baby…only to rip it all away from me?"
"I don't know why the gods allow some things to happen and other things not to work out," she gently told her as she stroked her hair. "It makes no sense."
"I love him…I love both of them," she softly confessed. "How did I let this happen?"
Donna knew that she meant both Bruce's. She could feel it inside of her, felt it deep in her soul. Diana genuinely loved both men, not one more than another…one not better than the second. They were both accepted, and both loved for who they were, and what they meant to her.
"I know you do," she assured her. "Here…lay down. You need to get some sleep."
"I don't want to sleep," she insisted as she shook her head. "If I close my eyes, I'll dream about him and the baby."
"I'll stay with you all night," she told her. "I'll be right here with you. I won't let anything happen to you."
Diana reluctantly moved to lay on the bed, her head sinking into the pillow. "I wanted to return home so badly, but now that I'm back, it hurts so much."
Donna laid down next to her sister, holding her hand. "I know, but each day will get a little better," she attempted to assure her. "We're all here to help you through it."
Diana turned her head to gaze at her sister. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you too."
"I feel like my heart has shattered," she whispered as her eyes grew heavy.
"I know, Di…I know," she gently replied as she stroked her hair, relieved when she finally fell asleep.
Donna felt rattled to the core of her being as she watched her sister sleep. She'd never seen her quite like this before. She was always so in control and larger than life. Right now, it appeared as though all the life had just been sucked out of her, leaving nothing more than a broken shell that she barely recognized.
She had to find a way to help put her sister back together again, but she knew it would ultimately take Bruce to do it.
Batcave (MU)
Bruce felt the burning fatigue in his muscles, but he ignored it, pushing himself even further as he grappled with everything that had happened over the last twenty-four hours. Breathing heavily, he finally dropped the weights, sweat trickling down his neck and chest.
He wiped his face with a towel as he headed to the shower, unable to get his mind off Diana sleeping upstairs in the bedroom next to his. It was an incredible relief to have her back where she belonged. He'd missed her deeply and now she was finally back, but she wasn't his like he'd hoped she would be.
Turning the shower on, he stepped under the hot water, allowing it to rinse away the sweat of a workout that had been meant to clear his mind and calm the tempest brewing inside of him. Unfortunately, it had done little to help him.
The palms of his hands came to rest against the wall of the shower as his chin fell to his chest. His heart had felt as if it had been held in a vice-lock, growing ever tighter after she disappeared. Now, she was back, and that vice-lock still had a painful grip on his heart.
He had been prepared to confess his love for her, ready to try to make a life with her. He had never guessed that she would move on in her new world, making a new life for herself with someone who happened to be a different version of himself. He had been reeling since the revelation and yet he couldn't blame her.
She'd been gone for months in the new world she had found herself in, likely leaving her to believe that she wasn't going to be returning home. She had no way of knowing that he had been spending day and night searching for her, working tirelessly to rescue her.
His throat constricted as unwanted tears started to build behind his eyes. He loved her with every ounce of his being…still wanted to make a life with her, but how could things possibly work out between them now? He could never be what she had found in that other Bruce, couldn't give her what he obviously could.
He felt overwhelming helplessness, wanting so badly to take away her pain and yet there was nothing that he could do for her. He just hoped that in time she would be able to recover from the devastating loss, allowing him to be a part of her life in some small way.
Shutting the water off, he exited the shower and dried off, donning his uniform so he could prepare for patrol tonight. He made his way to the platform, needing to check some case files before heading out for the night. He had a couple of cases that he was determined to solve this evening for the sake of the families.
He began typing, interrupted by an incoming message. It was one that he had been expecting. "You found her?"
Batman nodded his head, keeping his expression emotionless. "Diana is safely back home, but Bruce was shot just as I got there. He died in her arms."
"You're kidding?"
"No, robbery gone bad," he told him. "He died protecting Diana."
"And the baby?"
"She lost the baby," he informed Lord Batman.
"I had a feeling it would come to that," he regretfully replied. "That universe she was transported to had a somewhat unstable time stream. It moved too fast."
"That's what we determined to be the cause as well."
"I'm sorry," Lord Batman stoically stated. "I know it must have been difficult for you finding her like that…watching a version of yourself being shot and dying. Has to remind you of what happened to your parents."
"I'm fine," Batman snapped. "Diana is all that matters."
"Of course," he said with a nod. "How is she?"
"Physically, she's almost fully recovered," he replied. "Emotionally, it's going to be a long road for her."
"I can imagine," he murmured.
"Thank you for all your help," Batman told him. "I couldn't have gotten her back without your help."
"I'm glad it worked," he responded with a nod. "Bruce, don't do what we always do and run away from her. She needs you now more than ever."
"She doesn't need me," he uttered with a fierce scowl. "She needs him."
"You may think that now, but don't give up on her," he continued, knowing he was treading on dangerous ground.
"Thank you for your help," Batman abruptly stated. "Batman out."
Bruce sat there for several long minutes trying to process what Lord Batman had said to him. He had no idea what it was like to be prepared to give his heart to someone only to have it ripped out of his chest. He hung his head. That wasn't true. Lord Batman knew all too well with his own situation with Lord Wonder Woman and look at them now.
They decided to take a chance and look at how well it had worked out. Maybe he could take a chance too. He growled to himself as he rubbed his face with his hands. His thoughts and emotions were raging like a tempest, swinging one way and then another…hopeful one moment only to grow angry the next.
All he knew in that moment was that he couldn't give up on her.
Batcave (Justice Lords Universe)
Lord Batman sat there for several minutes just staring at the black screen where his counterpart had been before abruptly ending the transmission. He grappled with the urge to contact him again, but ultimately decided not to, knowing that he wouldn't answer.
Besides, he would only dig in his heels and refuse to change his mind no matter what he tried to tell him. He was just as stubborn as he was which was quite typical of many of the Bruce's that he'd discovered in many of the other universes.
He pulled his cowl off with a frustrated growl, tossing it aside. There had to be a way to get through to him, but he had no idea how. He understood all too well how he must feel right now. His gut had clenched when he'd discovered Diana in that other universe, sleeping with the other Bruce and carrying his baby.
He could hardly blame her for trying to start a life in the new world that she had found herself in. The Bruce in that dimension was a gentler, far more open version of himself than the Bruce that she'd left behind. He was willing to love her when her own Bruce had closed himself off to her.
It was unfortunate that Diana's disappearance had been the key to unlocking Bruce's heart. At the same time, it gave Diana a small taste of what she'd wanted for so long. It just wasn't fair. They deserved to know the happiness that he and his Diana had been able to find together. He'd been given a second chance with Diana. He hoped that his counterpart was given that same chance.
The feel of a hand sliding across his shoulder to settle on the back of his neck pulled him from his thoughts. "Penny for your thoughts," she murmured as her fingers played with the black strands of hair on the nape of his neck.
He slowly shook his head in thought, uncertain about what he should feel at that moment. "Diana lost the baby," he revealed. "The Bruce in that universe was incompatible with Diana's makeup."
"Hera, no," she softly gasped as she moved to stand in front of him, leaning against the edge of the desk as she folded her arms against her bust. "That's terrible."
"It is," he agreed with a nod. "At the same time, it's like a reset for both Diana and Bruce…a second chance for them to start anew."
"I guess it is, but it's so traumatic," she agreed. "What about the other Bruce?"
"He was killed," he explained. "It happened just as Batman arrived to bring Diana home."
Tears stung Diana's eyes, wondering how much more could happen to their counterparts. "I can only imagine the pain that she's going through right now," she murmured. "At least she has Bruce to help her through it."
"I don't know if he's going to be able to help her much," he replied. "He's really struggling with it all. It was a definite shock to find her pregnant with another version of himself dying in her arms. Not to mention, it was robbery like what happened to his parents."
"I hope he doesn't push her away," she softly said, a tear slowly trickling down her cheek.
Bruce reached out and pulled her to him, his arms slipping around her waist as his forehead came to rest against her swollen abdomen. "I'm just so relieved that you decided to take a chance on me," he uttered with a strangled breath, pausing to kiss their baby growing within her.
She smiled down at him, wiping the tear away before gently stroking his hair. "How could I not?" she asked him. "When everything was stripped away from me, I realized all I had left was my love for you."
"Yes, but you could have so easily hung on to your anger with me…that feeling of betrayal," he pointed out.
"I was furious with you at first," she admitted as she caressed the back of his neck. "I felt so betrayed…probably similar to how Bruce feels now with Diana moving on with another man, but I realized that you betrayed me in order to save me from myself and what I had become.
"You risked me hating you forever in order to save me and the others from the vile beings we had become. When I looked in the mirror, I didn't even recognize myself anymore. I realized that that was some kind of love that you had for me to do what you did and a love like that doesn't come but once in a lifetime."
Bruce lifted his head, a faint smile on his lips despite the worry that permeated his blue eyes. "I do love you," he confessed. "I wanted my Diana back…not the one that you had become, but the one that I had fallen in love with."
She smiled softly at him, kissing him gently on the lips. "Don't worry," she assured him. "I have a feeling that Bruce and Diana will find their way to each other. They just need a little time right now."
"How do you know that?"
"Bruce and Diana belong together in every universe," she lightly teased him.
He snorted in amusement, remembering the various combinations that he had witnessed. "I wish that were true," he stated, trying to erase the images from his mind of Superman with Wonder Woman.
"If they feel half of what we feel for each other, they won't be able to ignore it," she pointed out. "The love they share is still there. It's just buried right now beneath a lot of anguish and hurt, but they'll find a way to help each other through it and come out stronger than ever before in the end."
"How did you become so wise?"
"Blessed by Athena?"
"Oh yah," he muttered, pulling her down into another kiss that was deeper and longer than the last one.
"Care to continue this conversation upstairs…in our bedroom?" she ventured with a grin.
"I'll be right there," he promised her.
She kissed him once more before disengaging from his embrace and heading towards the stairs. He watched as she disappeared upstairs, turning his attention back to his desk. He opened the bottom desk drawer, pulling out a small, navy-blue velvet box.
He opened the top to stare at the large diamond engagement ring inside, deciding tonight was the night that he was going to ask her to marry him. He just hoped that his twin allowed himself the same happiness that he had found with his Diana.
A/N: Ugh! It's so good to have Diana back where she belongs! Now, we just need to help her heal and find herself again.
UP NEXT: Clark confronts Bruce about Diana and Diana gets a gentle push from Bruce. :)