Chapter 15

Secret Society (MU)

A chair flew across the top of the table, crashing against the far wall. "I knew it was too good to be true!" Clayface roared. "Grodd made us believe Wonder Woman was gone for good, but she's back. We'll never be rid of the Justice League."

"This whole plan was ridiculous from the start," Sinestro groused. "I knew it was too good to be true."

"I was going to get rid of Superman permanently," Parasite added. "That was just a pipe dream."

"I think you all need to give Grodd credit," Giganta interrupted the grumblings around the table. "Something had to have worked because we got rid of Wonder Woman for over a month."

"Big whoop," Killer Frost grumbled with a roll of her eyes. "No Wonder Boobs for a whole month. She's back now and she's going to be an Amazon on a warpath to take us all out."

"I think we need to cut and run while we still have the chance," Shade added. "If we all go our separate ways, Wonder Woman and the League won't be able to find all of us."

"Good idea," Copperhead agreed as he stood to his feet. "I'm outta here."

"No one is going anywhere," Luthor stated as he entered the room with his hands clasped behind his back.

"We don't have to answer to you," Clayface spat out, his chest heaving with fury.

"Yes, you do," Luthor responded, pulling a similar looking weapon to the one that Grodd had used on Wonder Woman. "If anyone tries to leave, you'll find yourself in another universe."

"Not like you'll stay there," Sinestro muttered under his breath.

"That was not our doing," Luthor ground out. "The League somehow found a way to locate her and bring her back. Do you honestly believe that if I transported you to another universe that the League would come looking for you? They'd be too busy celebrating the fact you were gone to even think about trying to bring you back."

"So, now what are we going to do?" Giganta asked with a huff as she folded her arms against her chest.

"We continue with our plan," Luthor announced. "If we hit them fast and hard, there won't be anyone left to search for them to bring them back."

"We need to go after Batman," Clayface insisted. "He's the brains of the League. Without him, they won't be able to bring anyone back home."

"Grodd and I are already working out a plan to eliminate Batman permanently," Luthor revealed with a wicked grin. "Once he's gone, it'll be like shooting fish in a barrel. After that, we go after the president."

Wayne Enterprises (MU)

Bruce rubbed his forehead as he attempted to read the contract again for the hundredth time, but he was finding it more than difficult to concentrate. All he could think about was Diana and how she had moved on with someone else, pregnant with his baby.

It should have been him, but he'd been a coward. He'd let her slip through his fingers and now there was no way that she would ever want to be with him. He had no idea what his twin had that he didn't, the character traits that had drawn her to him, but he was certain he'd never be able to measure up.

He raked his fingers back through his jet-black hair, releasing a ragged sigh. His mind had been caught up in a constant whirlwind of thoughts since Diana's return, his heart battling the continuously shifting emotions that besieged him. It left his head and his heart spinning out of control.

Jealousy over the fact that another man had taken her to his bed wrestled with the anguish of seeing her so heartbroken. Anger vied with the shock of her pregnancy; overwhelming hurt grappled with the deep abiding love for her that refused to diminish despite all that had happened.

His battered and beaten heart had finally been ready to confess his love for her, not expecting that she had moved on with another man. It was something that he was struggling to accept and yet he feared he might never be able to get past.

Everything inside of him screamed at him to run away, to disappear and never look back. His heart, on the other hand, refused to give up on her. She had found a way inside of him with scarcely any effort on her part, something that no one had been able to achieve like this before her.

Bruce silently cursed himself as he reached for his coffee to find his cup empty. He frowned as he sat back in his chair, turning to stare out the window at the blue sky. He couldn't help wondering what Diana was doing at that moment, unsure of how to help her get past this pain.

He brought her to the manor four days ago. She hadn't left her room since then, not eating anything despite Alfred's best efforts. It greatly worried him, steadily becoming frantic to find a way to break through her wall of grief. He wasn't exactly the perfect picture of someone who dealt well with their emotions, even less so when it came to talking about them.

A knock on his door tore him out of his reverie. "Come in," he called, turning back towards his desk.

His secretary Carrie poked her head inside his office. "I'm sorry to bother you, Mister Wayne, but you have a visitor who insists on seeing you."

Bruce frowned as he sat up straighter in his chair. "Who is it?"

"It's Mister Kent from the Daily Planet," she informed him.

Bruce bit the inside of his cheek, knowing that Clark wasn't going to go away. He was either going to have to see him now or see him later tonight in the Batcave. This was the lesser of the two evils. "I'll see him."

"Yes, sir," she replied, stepping aside to allow Clark to walk through the doorway.

"Thank you for seeing me, Mister Wayne," Clark formally greeted him as Bruce stood to his feet, coming around his desk to shake his hand.

"No problem," Bruce responded, indicating a chair for the reporter to sit in as Carrie closed the door to allow them some privacy. "What do you want, Clark?"

"Good to see you too, Bruce," Clark quipped as he adjusted his black rimmed glasses.

Bruce drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You obviously came all this way for a reason. I'm assuming it has something to do with Diana."

"How has she been?" he asked. "She won't respond to any of my calls."

"Not good," he replied, moving to sit on the edge of his desk. "She hasn't left her bedroom since I brought her home. She doesn't eat…barely sleeps because she keeps having nightmares. She's worn the same clothes for four days straight."

Clark's heart sunk with the news. "I was afraid of this," he murmured. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Me?" Bruce snapped. "What do you mean what am I going to do about it?"

"Come on, Bruce," Clark responded with a scowl. "Everyone knows how close you two are. You're in love with her and you know she loves you. She needs you right now more than ever."

"She doesn't need me," he spat out. "She needs him…and I'm not him."

"I understand that, but you don't believe for one second that she still doesn't have feelings for you."

"I don't know what to think about anything anymore, Clark," he bit out as he began to pace. "Everything I thought I knew…thought I believed has been turned upside down. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do or feel right now."

"Do you still love her?"

Bruce's head snapped to the side to glare at his friend. "Of course, I still love her," he snapped. "That has never changed."

"Then, I don't see what the problem is."

"You wouldn't," he grumbled under his breath.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Everything is always so black and white for you," Bruce stated. "You never seen the gray areas."

"And you always make things far more complex than it should be because you overthink everything," Clark countered. "You love her. Diana loves you. She needs you now more than ever before so just be there for her."

"I don't know how," he growled as he stopped before the floor to ceiling row of windows in his office, his arms crossing over his chest. "Besides, I don't even know how she feels about me."

"Or you're too scared to find out."

Bruce grunted as he glanced at him over his shoulder. "When did you become a psychiatrist?"

"Doesn't it give you any comfort that she basically chose you to build a life with…to have a baby with in that other universe?"

"No," Bruce bluntly stated. "It makes me wonder what he had that I don't."

"Maybe it was simply the fact that he was willing to love her when you wouldn't."

"That's not helping," he groused.

"Look, Diana did what any one of us would've done if we had been in her shoes," Clark told him. "She tried to make a life in a new world where she had no hope of trying to get back home. She was forced to adapt, and she sought you out to do it. You, Bruce…not me or Wally or John. It was you. It's because she loves and trusts you more than anyone else. She knew in her heart that you were the only one who could truly help her. That has to be some sort of consolation to you."

"I guess," Bruce softly replied, staring out over Gotham.

Clark smiled to himself, knowing that he was getting through to his friend. "Just be there for her…be her friend," he encouraged him. "I'm sure you two will be able to figure everything else out along the way."

"I wish I could share your optimism."

"Please don't do what you always do," he told him. "Don't push her out of your life and walk away. It's brought you nothing but more pain in the past. Fight for her, Bruce. Just show her that you love her by being there for her and taking care of her. That's what she needs right now."

"I'll think about it," he finally relented, hoping that Clark would leave. He really didn't want to think about all of it let alone talk about it. This was so outside of his comfort zone.

"I can't imagine how hard all of this has been for her," Clark continued with a shake of his head as he considered all that had happened to her. "First, she gets thrust into a completely different universe, not knowing who she can trust. She has no idea if she'll ever find a way home, so she's forced to begin the process of rebuilding her life only to lose the man she fell in love with as well as their baby. Now, she's finally back home, but I'm sure she's feeling lost. She needs a sense of security and normalcy in her life, something that she can grasp on to."

"And that's supposed to be me?"

"You know she would be right there for you if this had happened to you instead of her."

"I know," he confessed, knowing how true his words were.

"Hey, why don't you and Diana come over for dinner one night next week?" Clark suggested. "Lois would love to see Diana and I'm sure it would do Diana a lot of good to get out…spend some time with friends who love her."

"Maybe," he replied, turning around to face Clark. "Right now, I can't even get her out of her bedroom. I don't know how I'm going to get her to go to Metropolis."

"You'll find a way," he reassured him with a grin. "Diana has always responded to you. If anyone can get through to her or talk her into something, it's you."

"Did you come all this way just to give me a pep talk?"

"Well, I just happened to be in the area and thought I'd stop by to see how you and Diana were doing."

"Right," he responded with a skeptical expression gracing his face. "You could've just called you know."

"And you would have answered if I called?"

"Good point," Bruce conceded.

Clark stood to his feet, adjusting his glasses once more. "Let me know when a good time would be to stop by to see Diana," he told him. "I don't want to push her too much, but I'm anxious to see her."

"I'll talk to her and see how she feels about having company."

"Great," Clark said. "I'll see you later."

Bruce nodded his head as Clark left, leaving him alone in his office once more. He knew deep down that he was going to have to make an effort to reach Diana if he wanted to eventually have a relationship with her. Maybe it was time to actually stop running for once in his life and take a chance on the woman that he truly loved.

Wayne Manor (MU)

Diana sat on the balcony of her room that overlooked the sprawling grounds of Wayne Manor, a blanket wrapped around her. It wasn't that she was necessarily cold as much as she felt a sense of security in the tight cocoon that she had wrapped herself up in. She liked to pretend that it was Bruce's arms surrounding her, holding her close, but she knew better.

She drank in the pristinely kept lawn that was a bright shade of green, the trees and shrubs trimmed with great precision. It looked immaculate…almost too perfect to interrupt its tranquility by inserting herself into it. At the same time, she found herself wanting to go out to explore the grounds and the surrounding woods that she had discovered the last time she had stayed here. In a way, it reminded her of Themyscira.

She had to admit that she'd greatly missed this place since moving to the new Watchtower two years ago. It had been difficult to move out, a piece of her heart remaining here with the people she loved, but she knew it had been time to leave. It was obvious that Bruce wanted to move on with his life without the houseguests that had occupied his home for over six months.

She'd secretly hoped that Bruce would ask her to stay, but that request never came. In fact, he had gone to work extra early the day that she had moved her things out of the manor and into the Watchtower, making sure that he wasn't around. She had taken the opportunity to roam around his bedroom—sitting on the edge of his bed, lightly running her fingers over his pillow and bedspread, sniffing his bottle of cologne as her mind took her to a dream yet to be fulfilled.

She knew it had been a silly thing to do, imaging a life that wasn't meant to be at the time, but was unexpectedly realized in a different world with a different Bruce. It was completely unanticipated, but definitely not unwelcomed. Despite the anguish she was enduring now, she didn't regret one moment of her other life.

It had been dream-like in every way imaginable, almost surreal as she drifted through each day with the man that she had fallen in love with. She smiled to herself as she thought about him, fondly remembering how excited he had been about their little girl they were going to have.

Diana felt a tear unexpectedly trickle down her cheek, causing her to quickly wipe it away. She had somehow known deep down in her heart that the life that she had been living in that dream world wasn't a certainty. Despite how right it had felt, it had almost been too good to be true, causing her to fear it was all going to be ripped away from her.

Unfortunately, that was exactly what had happened.

She drew a shuddering breath, knowing that she needed to find a way to deal with this pain, to move on and start her life over again. She was an Amazon after all. She needed to bury her pain, tapping into the inner strength and resilience that had been instilled in her since being formed by her mother.

She hadn't left her bedroom since Bruce brought her here from the Watchtower. She internally cringed, knowing that she was still wearing the same clothes she had put on before leaving the infirmary. She needed to rejoin the land of the living…take a shower and eat something before she gave Alfred a heart attack. He'd been trying to coax her with some of her favorite foods, but she hadn't been able to eat anything.

She knew that she had greatly worried everyone these last three…or had it been four days? She shook her head as if trying to shake the cobwebs loose from her mind. She felt as though she'd lost track of time since returning home. It had felt that way too when she had been in the other universe, time moving at varying speeds at any given time. It was quite unsettling now that she looked back on it.

Diana frowned as she thought of Bruce, knowing that she had hurt him. After he had come to see her that first evening, he had stayed away from her. She hadn't seen him since that night, leaving her to worry and wonder what was going on in that head of his.

She wasn't certain if he was just trying to give her some space or if it was too unbearable for him to see her like this. She could still see the look of shock and hurt on his face when he'd first discovered she was pregnant, his emotions evident despite the cowl that covered a portion of his face. It was something that didn't think she'd ever forget.

She had no idea if he actually hated her or pitied her now. It was difficult to tell when he deliberately locked his heart away from prying eyes, refusing to allow any true emotions to reach the surface. She didn't think that she could bear it if he truly hated her.

At the same time, she knew she had nothing to apologize for and would not apologize for the choices that she'd made. The few short months that she'd spent with the other Bruce had been amazing, the memories that she had of that time something she would always treasure.

She just hoped that this Bruce would be able to come to terms with it all, someday moving past the awkwardness that had settled between them. Losing his friendship and support would kill her for sure. She needed him in her life even if it wasn't the way that she had desired for so long.

"Di?"

She turned her head to see Tim peeking his head out of her bedroom. "Tim," she said.

"I didn't mean to bother you," he quickly apologized. "I just thought you might like a little company."

"You're not bothering me," she told him. "Come sit with me."

Tim grinned excitedly, slipping into the rocking chair next to her. "How are you doing?" he tentatively asked. "I mean I know how you're doing. You're not doing well at all, but I guess I was hoping that maybe you were feeling a little better."

"I know what you mean and it's okay," she reassured him. "It's been really hard, but I'll be all right. I just need some time to get past all of this."

"That's good," he said with a relieved sigh. "Everyone is so worried about you…especially Bruce. He doesn't know what to do for you. I think he feels so helpless right now. He spends a lot of time pacing or in the training room beating on the punching bag. He's destroyed at least five bags already."

"I'm sorry to worry everyone," she replied, her heart sinking knowing that Bruce was struggling with all that had happened. "It's just been a lot to wrap my mind around lately. I still feel out of sorts…being in one universe for months and then suddenly returning home."

"I can't imagine what you've been through," he agreed with a sad shake of his head. "I'd be devastated too if I were you. I'm just so sorry we couldn't have found you sooner. Maybe there could have been something we could have done to help you."

Diana reached across to place her hand on his forearm, squeezing it affectionately. "It's no one's fault, Tim," she assured him. "I've come to accept that it's something horrible that happened, and no one is to blame for it. Bad things happen in life that we can't explain or prevent no matter how badly we want to. We just have to try to learn from them and move on."

"Yah, but it still sucks," he groused. "No one should go through what you did, Di. I mean you were so happy with that other Bruce and you two were going to have a baby."

The corners of her lips lifted slightly with the reminder. "A little girl," she wistfully revealed. "We were going to name her Jacey."

"That's a cute name," he replied. "I bet she would have been beautiful like you."

She pulled the blanket more firmly around her as she focused on the flower garden that Alfred worked so diligently to maintain. "I like to think she would've been beautiful too," she softly murmured.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked, continuing on when she nodded her consent. "What was the other Bruce like?"

Diana thought for a long moment, making Tim wonder if she was going to answer him. "He was actually a lot like our Bruce in many ways and yet they were very different," she thoughtfully began. "He was generous and hardworking, always ready to help someone in need. He had a very compassionate heart…one that he wore on his sleeve, but he could be very stubborn."

"You make that sound like a bad thing."

Diana and Tim looked up sharply to find Bruce standing in the doorway of her bedroom. She looked away, somewhat embarrassed for him to hear her talking about his counterpart from another universe. She was trying to shield him from being forced to hear about his twin unless he asked. She didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. Things were very awkward between them as it was without adding to it.

"No, not bad," she replied. "It was just…very familiar."

Tim stood to his feet, deciding Bruce and Diana needed a little privacy. With any luck, they would be able to work things out between them. Then, Diana wouldn't have to leave the manor ever again. "I need to go work on my homework," he announced. "I'll see you later, Di."

"Thank you, Tim," she said as he left, Bruce taking his chair.

They sat in silence for several minutes, neither of them looking at each other before Bruce finally spoke. "I'm sorry," he softly said.

Diana looked at him, confused by his apology. "For what?"

"I haven't been a very good friend to you lately," he admitted, looking out across the lawn. "I should have been here for you the last few days, but I wasn't. That's going to change."

"Bruce, I understand," she replied. "I know this hasn't been easy for you either."

"That doesn't matter," he said as he shook his head, his forehead creasing. "You're all that matters right now, Diana. I guess I just needed a few days to get my head on straight."

She turned to look at him, hurt swimming in her eyes. "Bruce, I—"

"Don't, Diana," he softly said to her. "You don't owe me or anyone else any explanations."

She nodded as she drew a shuddering breath, wishing that she'd taken the time to do something about her appearance. She was certain she looked just as bad as she felt at that moment. "You're still going to want a report of everything that happened in that universe."

"Yes, but not now," he replied. "We have plenty of time for you to tell your story. Right now, I just want you to focus on you. You've been through quite an ordeal, being torn from your home like that."

"I missed you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I thought I was never going to see you again…any of you."

Bruce felt his heart beat a little harder with her confession, hope springing anew in his soul. Maybe he did still have a chance with her. He stood to his feet, moving to stand in front of her. She gazed up at him in question, wondering what he was up to.

"Come," he simply said, holding his hand out to her.

Diana looked down at his hand, uncertain of what he was doing or if he even knew what he was doing. She finally released her hold on the blanket, allowing her hand to slip out to take his. He gently pulled her up to her feet as the blanket fell away from her body. It felt like she was letting go of her lover to take a chance on the man that she had loved from the beginning.

They stood there for several moments facing one another as he held her hand, staring deeply into each other's eyes. The swell of emotion swimming in her eyes stole Bruce's breath, the amount of compassion in his eyes causing Diana's heart to skip a beat.

Bruce finally broke the intimate moment, leading her back inside her bedroom and straight to her bathroom. Diana was surprised to find a bubble bath waiting for her. She looked questioningly at him, uncertain of what exactly he wanted. Was he planning on sharing a bath together?

"It's okay, princess," he told her, closing his eyes. "Go ahead…get undressed and into the bathtub. I promise I won't peek."

Diana stared at him for a long moment, contemplating his offer. She wasn't certain what he was up to, but the bathtub looked very inviting at that moment. She quickly shed her clothes before climbing into the bubble bath, moaning softly as she submerged herself in the hot water that smelled of roses and vanilla.

Hearing her moan, Bruce opened one eye to find her in the bathtub, her nudity hidden by the bubbles. She was leaning back with her eyes closed, her head resting against the wall. "Take your time, princess," he encouraged her. "I'll be back in a little bit."

She silently nodded her head, not even bothering to open her eyes. Bruce wondered if it was okay to leave her, fearing she was going to fall asleep and drown in the bathtub. Deciding she would be fine for a few minutes, he exited the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

He immediately went to work finding her some clothes to wear. He'd had her things transported to the manor for her, hoping it would help her adjust. Nothing had been unpacked yet, her things still in boxes just as Shayera had packed them for her.

He found a pair of jeans that he'd always loved seeing on her. They hugged her curves like he'd dreamed of doing. Sorting through another box, he found a lacy bra and panty set that he found himself staring at for longer than he should have. He quickly tucked them beneath the pair of jeans so he could focus on finding a shirt.

Looking into another, he stopped short when he found a framed picture of him with Diana at a charity event that they had both attended last year. They had been captured together, laughing as they had danced. He remembered it as if it had just been yesterday. He'd told her a story that he knew would make her laugh just because he loved the sound of her laughter. The evening had obviously meant a lot to her too.

He lightly ran his fingers over the picture, the genuine smile on his face catching him off guard. He looked incredibly happy and content, something that he hadn't seen in himself in more years than he could begin to count. He knew it had everything to do with her.

He tucked the picture back into the box, his stunned disbelief still lingering as he searched for a shirt. Was it the evening that had meant something to her or had it truly been him? Donna had told him that Diana loved him. He had believed her until he had found Diana pregnant with another man's baby. After that, he had dismissed the notion of love, refusing to believe that she felt anything for him past a fleeting attraction.

Now, he wasn't so sure.

Finally finding a shirt, Bruce reentered the bathroom to find Diana exactly as he had left her. He set the clothes down on the vanity before making his way to the bathtub. "Diana?" he gently called her name. "Are you awake?"

"Sort of," she murmured, forcing her eyes open.

He sat down on the ledge of the tub, grabbing a cup. "Lean forward."

Diana willingly obeyed, drawing her legs up and wrapping her arms around them as Bruce turned the water on. Filling the cup, he began to wet her hair, Diana tilting her head back. He took his time washing her hair, gently massaging her scalp before refilling his cup to rinse the soap away.

"Bruce, you really don't have to do this," she told him.

"Shush," he said. "You would do no less for me."

Picking up a washrag and bodywash, he began washing her back before moving from one arm to the other. He handed her the washrag, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. "Here, I'll let you finish," he murmured, getting up.

He made his way to the other side of the bathroom as Diana finished washing up, grabbing a couple of large bath towels. Returning to the bathtub, he found her already beginning to stand up. "Wait," he said, opening the towel up before closing his eyes.

Diana couldn't stop the small hint of a smile that formed on her lips, his modesty touching her heart. "It's okay, Bruce," she tried to assure him.

"Just humor me," he told her as she took the towel from him, wrapping it around herself.

"Everything is covered," she informed him.

He opened his eyes to find her standing there wrapped in the fluffy towel. She looked breathtaking, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. He gave her another towel to wrap her hair up in, knowing he needed to excuse himself so she could get dressed.

"I'll let you get dressed," he said, leaving the bathroom.

Diana stood there for a moment, staring at the doorway he'd just passed through. This was all so unexpected, so unlike the Bruce that she'd come to know and love. She wasn't sure if he was just doing this because he felt sorry for her or because he actually had feelings for her. It was making her head spin trying to figure it all out.

She quickly dressed, exiting the bathroom to find Bruce waiting for her. "Turn around," he told her.

She gave him a curious look before finally turning around, more than a little surprised when he began running a brush through her hair. It felt so good having her hair brushed. At the same time, it was almost surreal to have the fearsome Batman brushing her hair and taking care of her like this.

"There," he finally said. "What shoes do you want to wear?"

She turned around with a frown, running her fingers through her raven mane. "Where are we going?"

"Downstairs," he matter-of-factly stated as he found the box that held several pairs of shoes.

"I'm not sure—" she began, biting at her bottom lip.

"Definitely not these," he muttered to himself as he held up the red high heels that she had been wearing that night in Paris when she had returned to her hotel room. "Ah, these will do."

Bruce straightened up, handing her a pair of slip-ons. She reluctantly took them, putting them on her feet. "I really appreciate all this, but I'm not sure that I'm very good company right now."

"Too bad," he replied, taking her hand in his. "You're eating dinner with me."

Diana sighed as he led her out of her bedroom for the first time in four days, down the stairs and to the dining room. She glanced down at her jeans and t-shirt before looking back at the elegant setting. "I'm really not dressed for this."

"Nonsense," he assured her. "It's just dinner, Diana, not a charity event."

She allowed him to pull out her chair for her, sitting down as he pushed it in. "Thank you," she murmured as she took her cloth napkin and laid it across her lap, feeling awkward.

Bruce took his seat as Alfred entered with a large, covered tray. He had a slight smirk on his lips as he lifted the silver lid to reveal two plates of lasagna, salad, and garlic bread. She couldn't help the way her stomach growled in response to the food. Alfred's lasagna was her absolute favorite.

Damian came bounding into the dining room at that moment, pulling out a chair and receiving a heated glare from his father. "You're eating in the kitchen with Tim tonight," Bruce informed him.

"Aw, man," he grumbled, pushing the chair back in before stalking glumly back out of the room.

"Enjoy," Alfred said before leaving the couple alone.

Bruce poured her a glass of wine before filling his own glass. "I saw Clark today," he ventured, feeling uncertain of himself and what they were going to talk about, but he was determined to make the effort.

"I feel horrible," she replied as she poked at her dinner with her fork. "I haven't returned any of his calls."

"He'll get over it," he told her. "He wants you and me to come over for dinner one night next week."

"Maybe," she murmured as she finally took a bite of her dinner. It tasted as amazing as she had remembered.

"We'll go only when you're ready or we don't have to go at all," he assured her.

"Thank you, Bruce," she said, meeting his intent gaze as she reached over and covered his hand with hers.

"There's nothing to thank me for, Diana," he replied, the truth of his words permeating his azure eyes as he turned his hand over to grasp hers. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you."

A faint smile appeared on her lips as she squeezed his hand, her heart beating a little harder as she lost herself in his eyes. Maybe her future wasn't as dark as she had believed.

A/N: I loved how this chapter turned out. *sigh*

UP NEXT: Diana finally ventures outside the manor and finds herself opening up to Bruce. :)