Sons and Daughters
6.
Bruce was roused from his sleep by the feeling of something tickling his nose. Instinct urged him to react, habit dissuaded him. He recognized the smell, the texture, and the sound. Jasmine, warm, soft. And breathing. He smiled in content as he took in their position. He was currently spooning her, one arm around her waist. His hand came to rest over Diana's belly -and their child. She shifted in response, snuggling closer to him.
Diana had been sleeping when he returned early in the morning, and he hadn't had the heart to wake her up. She was tiring easily lately, as the baby was growing more and more active. Even though she had assured him that she had gone through the same with Hippolyte, he didn't like feeling her out of sorts. Bruce reflexively breathed in her scent, pressed his mouth to the nape of her neck. They had a ton of things to cover this morning, many more to deal with upon leaving this room. But he didn't want to leave. He never wanted to leave.
He felt her breath hitch, heard her sigh and relax. He kissed her again, gentler, moved his hand on her waist and down her hip. He felt her responding shiver.
"Morning," he whispered.
She turned around, a less graceful maneuver now that she carried their daughter, but no less enticing. Her hair was in a tangled mess, halfway covering her face and her eyes had yet to open. She pushed him down on his back, laid her hair on his chest and settled her hand on his abdomen in a way that Bruce knew meant he was not allowed to move yet.
"Morning," she replied sleepily.
"Did you sleep alright?" he asked.
"Mmmmmm," she hummed neutrally. "Your daughter kept me awake late. I didn't hear you return."
"My daughter?" he echoed, amused. "So that's how it's going to be?"
He felt her fingernails dig into his skin, like a warning.
"If you have any complain, you can carry her," Diana purred. "I am certain you will be delighted to deal with the mood swings, swollen ankles, nausea-"
"My daughter when she's trouble, got it," he muttered, and got a chuckle in reward.
It was easy to forget they had a world to face out there, when it was just the two of them stuck in bed. No stranger accosting his son, no murderer who may or may not be coming in Gotham next, and no time traveler warning of the arrival of an ancient witch up to mischief. Bruce wondered if he would ever get used to this eerie sense of normalcy. Probably not. Perhaps in a couple years?
"We are meeting Zatanna this afternoon, I hope she can give us answers," Diana said quietly absentmindedly, as if reading his thoughts. Or perhaps she was mentally going through all they had to do that day. "Tony is thrilled with the new security and Hip is never alone."
Bruce had made a personal phone call to Gotham PD to put them on alert. Gordon had reluctantly dispatched extra help to reinforce the surveillance in the museum, and had been put in contact with an agent of Interpol for any direct updates.
"Speaking of your son," he said. "Isn't the house too quiet?"
Diana fell silent and frowned. She seemed to find the quietness suspicious too. After a few moments, she relaxed.
"Alfred was taking him to the construction site this morning," she announced. "We're alone."
Bruce remembered the butler had mentioned something along those lines the previous day. Hip had been very curious about the renovation of the old manor for a while, as he knew it would soon become his new home. Neither he nor Diana had had the time to give him proper attention later, and he was glad the butler had volunteered to take him off their hands a few hours. His thoughts were interrupted by a suddenly much more awake Diana, who took upon herself to straddle him and rest her hands on his shoulders. Her hair was still a mess, but they formed a strange sort of halo around her face, and her twinkling eyes. He knew she was beautiful, was realizing every passing moment how enchanting she could be. When she looked at him like this–
"Should we take advantage?" she suggested, her hands already caressing his bare torso. She had put the nightgown with a low cut, and her baby bump was showing under the fabric. It was the kind of sight that put him to his knees without even trying. And that smile – her smile –both soft and tempting and wicked –turned his stomach upside down. Not for the first time, he wondered how he ended up getting here and where this road would lead him –and at the same time, not caring a damn bit, because he had never felt so happy.
He moved into a sitting position, cupped her cheek and pulled her down for a kiss. Their lips brushed gently, once, twice, before she slid her arms around his neck and he directed his hands over her back and pulled her flush against him.
"We should definitively take advantage before the kid returns." They shared another slow, more enticing kiss, before Bruce couldn't help asking: "You think Hip will be alright on a construction site?"
He immediately regretted the words as Diana pulled back at once, a worried frown on her face.
"You think he might get into trouble?" she wondered out loud –and he knew they were both thinking the same. There was someone out there who seemed to be after their family. And Hippolyte was a child whose curiosity trumped his fears. He could easily get distracted if something caught his attention.
"Alfred is there," Bruce eventually said. "He'll watch over him."
A few seconds later, Diana nodded in agreement.
"True, Alfred is there, and the site is secured," she echoed. Her body pressed against his again. Half of Bruce's blood immediately went south. "What can possibly happen?"
S&D
Hippolyte had never been on a construction site before. He had seen a few from behind high barriers, with high cranes and high scaffolding on big buildings –and smaller ones –and he found it intriguing. Unfortunately, Mother had forbidden him to even consider visiting one because it was not the place for a child. But Alfred had promised to show him the old Wayne manor –and incidentally his future house –so he had made sure the butler would take him there.
And so, he was now standing outside a house with workers busily bustling around it like ants around their anthill. It was fascinating. The house itself was grand and imposing and old-looking. Father had told him it had belonged to their family for at least four generations, but he hadn't lived in it for a long time. Lots of repairs were needed, thus the many people –he counted at least thirty!
"Can I help you?" one of the workers asked as they approached.
He too was wearing a helmet and a blue uniform, and safety glasses over his forehead. Hippolyte stared a bit, because the man was not as tall as father, but his shoulders were big and broad too, but he soon lost interest. Alfred explained something –Hip didn't listen, his attention back on the house, as materials of all sorts was being carried through the front door. He suddenly really wanted to explore the inside.
Hippolyte quickly glanced at the construction worker and the butler, still in deep discussion, and decided he could go ahead and peek real quick. Just peek and return. If he stayed away too long, Alfred would get angry and tell mother and father, and he didn't like it when his parents were angry. Especially if he did something wrong while knowing it was wrong. Peeking was harmless, he only had to sneak in and out unnoticed, and then return before they realized he was missing.
And so he trotted away, ignoring everyone else. Hip had realized some time ago that if he pretended to be invisible, then others would not notice him. It was really useful when he wanted to avoid the teacher at school. He had to focus very hard though, like he had a blanket wrapped around him. People left him alone when he switched into 'invisible mode'.
As he approached the main door, he thought the house looked really big up close. He waited until no-one was entering anymore to slip inside. And then he looked up, stunned. The inside was huge, with stones and carpet and more iron scaffolds everywhere. People were working on the parts that weren't done yet, painters mostly. He craned his neck up. Even the ceiling looked so high! And to say he would be living here soon!
"Watch out kid!"
Someone grabbed him by the waist and he was violently jolted away. He landed on his side with a pained grunt, but any whining was cut short when he noticed a huge metallic beam falling and smashing the spot he was standing in seconds ago. Hip could only stare, stunned, and workers bustled around for a very different reason. The scaffold the metallic beam belonged to was crumbling down with a loud noise.
The men cursed and got away from the crash zone. Hip scrambled on his feet and ran in turn. He only got as far as the closest wall, still out of range of the falling debris, and watched the wreckage with a racing heart. Iron bars, dust, paint spread on the floor and all over the plastic covers on the ground. Everything that seemed so clean and proper was now a big messy mess.
"You okay kid?"
Hip glanced up, only now realizing that one of the workers was standing near him. Probably the one who pushed him out of the way. He opened his mouth to thank him when an odd feeling came to him. The man looked young to be on a construction site. He had black hair, and his face was halfway covered by a mask to protect from dust. Reasonably, Hip had no reason to have met that man, but he felt…familiar, for some reason.
"Have we met?" he asked instead, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
The man rolled his eyes and stood straighter.
"Kids!" he growled. "You help them out, and that's all the gratitude you get!"
The intonation betrayed him and Hippolyte grinned widely. It was him!
"I could give you a thank-you hug, but you didn't want it last time."
He waited to see if his assumption was correct, and was gratified by the man stiffening and stepping away. Hip didn't quite see his eyes, but he could feel he was stunned. And so the boy bounced forward, determined to give the man one of the bear-hug mother and father seemed to like best-
"Hippolyte!" he heard someone call in the afar, and recognized Alfred's voice.
The man was startled out of his stunned state and moved right in time to avoid his stretched arms. He then took off running without looking back. Hip pouted at the retreating figure. The man was fast, and Hip was still small and could never run after him now. Next time though-
"There you are!"
Alfred's hands were grabbing his shoulders and the butler was suddenly sitting in front of him, his face pale. Hip suddenly felt really guilty, because the older man must have been really worried. It showed on his face, and he could feel it too.
"Do not take off like this again, Master Hippolyte," he said severely and was Hip imagining things or was the old man's voice a little high pitched? "What you've done I very, very silly indeed!"
Hip nodded wordlessly, the guilt worsening by every word. He decided then he would not speak of the man. Speaking of the man meant he would have to tell about the scaffold almost falling on him, and if he spoke about the falling scaffold, he would be grounded for life! And life was a very long time, and he would never find the man to give him his hug!
"I won't do it again," he promised. "I'm sorry Alfred."
The old man's expression hardened.
"Sorry is sometimes not enough, Master Hippolyte. Your parents will be told immediately."
Hip nodded and reluctantly followed the butler outside, dreadfully expecting his fate.
S&D
"It was an accident –unfortunate structure -someone was careless when they set up the whole thing."
Diana observed the fallen structure as Bruce's frown deepened. She knew he was preparing himself to give a long, well deserved rant on security. They had just ended their morning activities when Alfred had called in and told them about the whole affair. The only thing that had stopped her from flying straight to the site was his assurances that her son was not harmed. The chief security had received them in panic, obviously terrified about the state of his future business with Bruce Wayne. Alfred had been standing on the side, looking every bit the angry placid Englishman. Hip had stood by his side, looking both guilty and sulking.
As her husband was busy observing the fallen structure with the workers, she turned towards her boy and knelt to stay at his eye level. He barely dared to meet her eye.
"I hope you understand you are in trouble," she said sternly.
"I already said I'm sorry," he mumbled, head low. "But I really wanted to see inside!"
His regret sounded genuine. She was not appeased.
"If I was there with you instead of Alfred, would it cross your mind to leave without my permission?" He shook his head. "Then what made you think you could come and go unnoticed? Do you think Alfred is any less smart than your father or me?"
"Of course not!" he protested immediately, and this time, she spotted the gleaming tears forming in his eyes. "I swear I won't do it again! I'm sorry!"
Diana hesitated to say more. Hippolyte had so rarely disobeyed she did not know how to scold him, or what kind of punishment to give. She wondered if she should consult Bruce on this, and decided there was one thing that could be more efficient than grounding him.
"I'm glad to hear that. However, we will be cutting your time with Dick for a while." Hippolyte's crestfallen expression nearly made her reconsider her decision, but she had to stand firm. Else, he would never listen again. "Don't make that face," she went on. "You were extremely lucky to escape that fall. You could have been hurt!"
"But I'm fine!" he protested again.
"You might not be next time," she pointed out very calmly, even though she really hoped he would not try to defend his cause again. "And until you understand that your actions have consequences-"
Her phone rang, interrupting what she intended to say next. She pulled it out, checked the caller. Clark Kent. She frowned uneasily; he wouldn't contact her unless there was an emergency.
"You are not going anywhere, understood?" she told Hip warningly. Her son pouted but nodded resignedly. Only then she picked up: "Yes?"
"Hi Diana," Clark spoke. "Can I speak to you now?"
She glanced around. All the workers were stuck around her husband like bees around their queen, and Hippolyte was kicking stones with a dejected expression on his face. She could spare a few moments.
"Make it quick," she said then.
Thankfully, he complied:
"Last year, Hip was taken by a man working under a Russian guy named Anatoli Knyazev, right?"
She paused, uneasiness creeping into her body. Her son had been snatched away at the airport as they had come to greet Bruce, back when she lived in Paris. It turned out to have been a spur-of-the-moment distraction to cover a much bigger plan that Interpol had been following for a while, and succeeding in stopping. She hadn't given much thought of the incident since she left Paris, as the kidnapper had been killed and Mo had sworn he was keeping an eye on the ongoing investigation. Bruce had investigated Knyazev because of the ties she knew he had with Luthor Sr., but that had slowly been replaced by higher priorities as the businessman had perished in the alien invasion. So far, they hadn't found much.
"He was," she confirmed.
"Anatoli Knyazev is back in the States. He was seen in Metropolis two days ago."
She froze. That didn't bode well.
"What?"
"According to Lois' informant," Clark went on, ignoring her stunned tone, "he just returned. They had a hard time finding him because he has been traveling around the world, but he suddenly showed on a camera in an international airport a week ago."
"And now he is back in Metropolis," she concluded. She wondered if the Russian had returned to work for Luthor's son. She would definitively have to talk to her husband about it. Time to hack back into Luthor's servers for an update, she thought grimly. "Thank you for letting me know."
She was about to wish him well and hang up, but something held her back. She thought of the kryptonite tests, and that Clark was still not likely aware of the existence of a particle capable of weakening him. He had just called her to inform her of something that might come into play in the near future. She instinctively glanced towards Bruce, who was staring at a stack of papers the workers had handed him, and frowning even more.
Ah. She recognized that expression. He had found out something unpleasant –and from experience, something she would not appreciate as well. She really hoped it wouldn't be a major problem, she was growing sick of a new danger popping out of nowhere every day. She glanced back at Hippolyte, who was now crouching in the field and picking pebbles. He looked a bit lonely, she thought with a pang of guilt. No wonder why he was anticipating Brianna's arrival so eagerly.
"Diana? You still here?"
Clark's voice brought her back to ground, and she made up her mind. They were allies, and he had just warned her of a potential danger. She owed him the truth too.
"You should join Miss Lane tomorrow," she'd have a full day to convince her stubborn husband to share the result of his research. "There are things you need to know."