Birthday (DCEU)

"Does anyone have eyes on Diana?" Batman yelled into his commlink as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"No!" Aquaman responded with a grunt as he used his trident to stop another intruder.

"Not here," Flash responded.

"Last I saw, she went to help Supes!" Cyborg informed him.

"She's not with me," Superman revealed.

Batman cursed as he fired another shot, wondering what had happened to Diana. The fact that no one had seen her, and she wasn't answering his hails was not sitting well with him at all. He hoped that she was all right. They were taking heavy hits which had him more than a little worried that she was lying hurt somewhere and he couldn't get to her.

"We need to wrap this up ASAP," Cyborg reminded them. "We've got people waiting on us."

"Trying to, but it's…not happening," Aquaman retorted.

"They don't want to cooperate," Flash agreed.

"I'll see if I can find Diana," Superman interjected.

"Good," Batman responded. "I'm going to try to finish this."

"What have you got up your sleeve this time, Bats?" Aquaman demanded to know as he threw a right hook.

"Just get back," Batman told them as he flipped a couple of switches, waiting a few seconds until his teammates were out of the way.

"All clear!" Flash yelled.

Batman hit a button, a couple of missiles shooting from either side of his recently upgraded Batmobile that was now severely damaged. Thankfully, it was still drivable. Both missiles streaked across the night, hitting their intended target and exploding on impact. A whooping holler from Arthur filled his ear as the spacecraft burned before them.

All right!" Arthur yelled.

"Why couldn't we have done that sooner?" Flash asked.

"There were too many drones trying to escape into the city," Batman told him.

"I've got her!" Superman revealed.

"Is she all right?" Batman asked.

"She will be," Clark confirmed.

"Let's get back to the cave," Batman stated, anxious to see his wife. "We're already running late."

"See you all there," Flash said.

XXX

Batman exited the Batmobile, tossing his cowl and gauntlets on a nearby worktable as he stalked straight to the medical bay to check on his wife. Superman was cleaning up a burn on her forearm and one on her right cheek. Other than that, she didn't appear to have any other injuries that he could see.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he approached.

"I'm fine," she attempted to reassure him with a smile followed by a wince.

"Liar," he softly muttered.

"I'll let you finish with her," Clark said. "I need to fix up Arthur and Barry before we head upstairs. They took some fairly good hits as well with that strange weapon they had."

Bruce frowned as he took over cleaning her burns. The Batmobile had taken some direct hits that had caused some significant damage, but it had thankfully held together. "You had me worried," he told her.

"Sorry," she apologized, reaching up to touch his bruised forehead. "You took a hit too."

"Just banged my head on the steering wheel," he replied. "My cowl took the brunt of the hit. It's nothing that some aspirin won't help."

"We don't have time for this," she decided as she began to shift off the medical bed. "We need to get upstairs. They're waiting on us."

"Alfred and Lois have everything under control," he reminded her. "A few more minutes isn't going to make any difference."

"It will to her," she told him, feeling tears forming in her eyes as she averted her gaze. "I wanted this party to be perfect."

"It will be," he assured her. "Everyone she loves is here and that's all that matters to her."

Diana sighed, her eyes falling closed as he dabbed at the burn on her cheekbone. "I guess you're right," she admitted.

"I'm always right," he stated with a smirk.

She gave him a narrowed glare, her eyebrows knitted in annoyance. He chuckled softly as he kissed the furrowed spot between her eyebrows before finding her lips in a sweet kiss that erased her displeasure. She sighed with his kiss, returning his gesture of love.

"All right, you two," Arthur yelled from across the medical bay. "Save it for later. We've got a party to get to."

Diana looked over Bruce's shoulder to find Arthur limping to the changing area. Following behind him, Barry didn't appear to be in any better shape with his left arm in a sling. Even Clark was moving a little slower and stiffer than what was usual for him.

"This is going to be a great party," Diana muttered in disappointment. "We all look like we've gone a few rounds with Doomsday."

"She'll love it," Bruce insisted. "Come on; let's go get cleaned up."

XXX

"Alfred, where's mama and daddy?" Alexa asked, worry filling her eyes as she stood on her tiptoes gazing out the window.

"They just arrived back and will be up in a few minutes, Miss Alexa," Alfred told her as he set another platter of food on the table.

"So, how many candles are going to be on your birthday cake?" Lois asked, rubbing her belly.

Alexa ran to the couch where Lois Lane-Kent sat with Iris West, crawling up to sit beside Lois. "Six whole candles," she replied with astonishment filling her voice.

"You're a little lady now," Iris told her.

Lois smiled at the little girl that she loved like her own, reaching over to run her fingers through her silken hair. "You're getting to be such a big girl," Lois told her. "When you get older, you'll have to come to Metropolis to babysit for us."

"I can hardly wait," Alexa squealed, clasping her hands together excitedly. She leaned forward until her mouth was close to Lois's swollen belly. "Hi, Jonathan. I can't wait until you are born, and you can play with me."

Lois laughed as she stroked Alexa's hair, looking up to see her husband walk into the room. She could tell by the way that he was walking that he'd been in quite a fight. "I think we have ourselves a babysitter in the making," she told him.

"Uncle Clark!" Alexa yelled, standing up on the couch and leaping into the air with all the faith in the world. She knew with all her heart that Uncle Clark would catch her. He always caught her.

Just like she knew he would, Clark caught her in his strong arms, chuckling as he tossed her up into the air. "Happy Birthday, Hugabug," he told her, kissing her on the cheek.

"I'm six years old," she reminded him. "Iris said that I'm a little lady now and Aunt Lois said I can babysit Jonathan when I'm bigger."

"I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job," he agreed. "You aren't going to charge me a lot of money to babysit, are you?"

"A whole ten dollars," she told him, holding up all ten fingers.

Clark laughed as he went to the buffet table, taking a Caprese garlic bread and popping it into his mouth. "That sounds like a bargain."

Alexa frowned as she tilted her head in thought. "Are you hurt?" she asked, her forehead wrinkling with worry. "Was it a bad fight? Did we win?"

"We always win, Fishy-Face," Arthur reminded her as he limped into the room.

"Uncle Arthur!" she cried, wiggling out of Clark's arms to see the Aquaman. She stood before him, her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face as she leaned back as far as she could without falling over. "You're hurt too. Didn't you use your trident?"

Arthur laughed as he bent down and picked the little girl up. "Of course, I used my trident," he insisted. "They didn't stand a chance against me and my trident."

"I knew it," she confidently replied. "You know it's my birthday today."

"And you're ten years old, right?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "I'm only six."

"Well, you act like a ten-year-old."

"More like a sixteen-year-old," Bruce said as he walked in with Victor.

"Victor," Alexa greeted him. "It's my birthday party. Are you going to dance with me?"

"That's why we're all here, dimples," he said with a grin. "We wouldn't miss this party for anything in this world."

Diana walked in with Barry, carrying another platter full of appetizers. Barry had already eaten two of them and was popping a third in his mouth. "Hey, did someone say something about a party in here?" Barry asked.

"The whole Justice League is hurt," Alexa noted in exasperation, frowning as she took in each one's appearance. "I guess I'll have to go fight if any more aliens show up."

Bruce swept his daughter up into his arms. "Do you think you know how to fight, Ally-bug?"

"Yes, daddy," she insisted, touching his bruised forehead with a frown. "I'm the daughter of Batman and Wonder Woman. Of course, I know how to fight. I just need mama's bracers and lasso."

"I think you're still too little to be fighting aliens," Bruce informed her.

"Iris told me I'm a little lady," Alexa revealed as she looked around the room. "Hey, where's Mera?"

"She's home with AJ," Arthur told her. "He has a cold."

"Can I babysit AJ too someday?" Alexa asked.

"Hey, if you can find a ride to Atlantis, you can babysit any time," he promised her.

"Daddy, can I have a submarine?"

"Look what you started," Bruce told Arthur with a scowl. "Now, she wants a submarine. Before you know it, she'll want an airplane too."

"How about we just celebrate your birthday for now," Diana suggested, taking her daughter from Bruce.

Alexa's expression grew sad as she gently touched her mother's cheek. "Mommy, you're hurt," she softly said. "You're cheek looks so sore."

"It's all better now that I'm here with you," she assured her, kissing her forehead.

"I believe the birthday girl requested a red velvet cake for her special day," Alfred announced as he entered the room with a beautifully decorated cake.

"Are you going to be able to blow out all those candles by yourself?" Victor asked as Alfred set the cake down on the table.

"Believe me…she's got plenty of hot air," Bruce teased her. "She never stops talking."

"I wonder where she got that from," Clark said with a grin.

"You know it wasn't from me," Bruce quipped.

Diana slid her arm through Bruce's giving him a warning look. "Think long and hard on this one," she told him in mock annoyance. "Where do you want to sleep tonight? With me or the dog?"

"You…definitely you," he readily decided, kissing the tip of her nose.

Alexa scrambled up into the chair before her cake, her eyes wide with excitement as Alfred lit the candles. "All right, Miss Alexa," he said as Alexa closed her eyes. "Don't blow them out until—"

Alfred barely got any of the words out before Alexa opened her eyes and blew out all six candles in one breath.

…we've sung to you," Alfred finished with a frown.

"Did you at least make a wish before you blew out your candles?" Bruce asked.

"I sure did," she said, gazing at her family with a huge grin on her face. "I wished that my family would stay safe and not get hurt anymore."

Everyone was silent for a long moment, touched by the little girl's birthday wish that had nothing to do with herself and everything to do with all of them. "That's very sweet of you," Lois softly said.

"Let's eat!" Barry yelled, rubbing his hands together.

"Barry…" Iris chided him, pressing her forehead against his shoulder. "You're worse than a child."

"He is a child," Arthur said as he grabbed a plate.

"Hey, I'm just a growing boy," Barry insisted as he patted his stomach before stepping in line in front of Arthur.

Alexa laughed as Alfred began to cut her cake, Arthur putting Barry in a headlock. These were the times that she loved the most—when all of her favorite people…her special family…were all together like this in one house. She wished they could all live here with her, but this was still the best birthday ever.

XXX

Diana kissed her daughter's cheek as she tucked her into bed. "I'm so proud of you, my sun and stars," she told her. "Your birthday wish was so sweet and selfless."

"Well, it's what I want most," she replied, fighting to keep her eyes open. "I don't like seeing my family hurt."

"There are going to be times when one or all of us are going to get hurt but remember we all love you very much and don't want you to worry about us," she reminded her. "We'll always do our best to come home to you."

"I love you too, mama," Alexa murmured.

"Hey, what about me?" Bruce asked.

Alexa giggled sleepily. "I love you too, daddy."

"That's better," he decided, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Happy Birthday, Ally-bug."

Bruce and Diana stood in the doorway of their daughter's bedroom watching her as she slept. "I can't believe that we made something so beautiful and amazing," Diana whispered.

"I can," Bruce murmured, kissing his wife's cheek. "She's just like her mother."

Diana turned towards him, kissing him with all the love she felt in her heart for him. She knew beyond a doubt that their daughter wouldn't be the way she was without him as well. "She's also like her wonderful father."

Bruce gave her a crooked smile, his nose brushing against hers. "We did a pretty good job."

"We did a great job," she readily agreed, tilting her head and kissing him deeply as her arms slipped around his neck.