Look at me with the updates. Please enjoy!
TW: Mentions of abortion. Nothing graphic and it doesn't even happen, but I'm putting this here for anyone who needs it because I know it can be sensitive for some people. And please no fighting in the reviews.
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Diana rifled through Lily's temporary closet, admiring the outfits her daughter had acquired. "These are lovely," she said approvingly, examining a pink pair of overalls. She could appreciate the beauty in simplicity; her outfits on Themyscira had seldom been grandeur. "Bruce really outdid himself, I'm impressed."
Lily sat on the bed with her knees hugged to her chest. "Yeah," she said quietly. "He was great."
Diana frowned, tucking the overalls back into the closet and placing herself next to her daughter. "Is something wrong, darling?" she asked, worried. "Is it Bruce?" She sincerely hoped that he hadn't said anything out of line. However he felt about their future child's presence here, he had no right to take it out on Lily; especially when she was with child.
But Lily shook her head. "No," she assured the older woman. "Bruce was great, if you can believe that. He's just scared. It's-" She sighed, her fingers digging into her thighs. "I-" The woman from the future seemed to struggle to get the words out.
Diana's heart throbbed. "My little Sun and Stars," she began gently, cupping her daughter's soft cheek. "You can tell me anything. I'm your mother."
She hoped this would be enough. She hoped Lily would open up to her in a way she simply never could to her own mother. She hoped Lily hadn't grown up to shut people out like Bruce did everyone in his life.
She hoped that she hadn't failed her daughter before even having her.
The princess waited with bated breath, only sighing in relief when Lily leaned into her palm. "I'm scared," she whispered, holding Diana's hand to her cheek. "I didn't ever- I never planned this. I was careful, Mom, and I still messed up." She choked out her last word, a tear rolling down her cheek.
Diana instinctively thumbed it away. "Am I correct in assuming Warhawk is the father?" A short nod. "He seems like a good young man, and he seems to care for you greatly. I am certain he will want to be by your side."
At least he better be. The protective urge to give Rex Stewart a piece of her mind swelled up, but Diana tamped it down. Rex didn't even know about the baby, that wouldn't be fair. And she trusted John and Shayera's parenting; she had to believe he would do the right thing.
Lily tugged on her hair. "I'm not worried about that," she stressed. "Everything is going to change. I won't be able to go on missions for Hera knows how long. Batman will be alone in Gotham. I can't even wear my uniform. I..." She blinked, her blue eyes dimming. "I'm not ready to be a mom."
Diana frowned. "Lily-"
"It's true," insisted Lily. She opened her mouth to elaborate, but pressed it closed again and sighed. "I was taking birth control, I was being careful. But the doctor prescribing me conveniently forgot to tell me that the migraine release I was taking would cancel it out."
How irresponsible. She could see why Lily was so upset.
Diana squeezed her hand. "Are you keeping it?" she asked quietly. Abortion had been around for millennium and was far from a foreign concept for the Amazons. She hadn't been around, but she knew many had been performed after Heracles and his men's invasion of Themyscira. To learn that it was largely frowned upon in America and around the world had been extremely off-putting.
Lily bit her lip. "I... yeah," she decided hesitantly, her eyes darting around the room. "I would never judge another woman for it, but I-I can't." Her hands drifted to her abdomen. "I would always be wondering what if and- and-" Her daughter took a deep breath and Diana watched in amazement as her face completely shifted, all traces of vulnerability suddenly gone. Her expression was now one of complete control and conviction.
"You always taught me to always make the choice I would least regret," said Lily firmly.
Diana pondered these words. "That sounds like something I would say," she admitted. It wasn't in the nature of an Amazon to hold onto regret, after all. They kept moving forward, they adapted and overcame.
Pride swelled in her chest; she had truly raised a warrior.
A knock interrupted them and Diana stood to answer it. To her utter surprise, it was Bruce on the other side. He seemed nervous- as nervous as The Batman could be, anyway. "Batman," she greeted. "I... wasn't expecting you."
She was still frustrated with him, but tried to keep it out of her tone. She didn't do a good enough job, apparently, because Bruce held up the bags in his hands as a peace offering. "I come bearing gifts," he told her.
Diana hummed, suspicious, and turned to her daughter. "Your father is here," she announced. She knew Lily was upset and didn't want her to have to face anyone she didn't want to.
Lily looked at them curiously, then nodded. "He can come in."
Reluctantly, Diana stepped aside. She watched, carefully, as Bruce approached their daughter. He seemed a lot less guarded, a lot more gentle. It must have been a nice shopping trip.
Bruce handed her the bags. "From Tim and Alfred." He paused, tugging off his cowl. His cobalt eyes were softer than she had ever seen them. "And me. For the baby, since we won't be there for the baby shower."
Lily stared at him for a long time without saying anything and- oh Hera- was Bruce fidgeting? Diana wished she could get the moment on camera. But after a minute or so, Lily reached out to take the gift bags. "Thank you," she spoke quietly. She opened Alfred's first and gave a tiny smile. Baby dishes and utensils, diapers, and a onesie that said 'Mommy's Little Boy.' "Thank Hera for Alfred."
Bruce grinned a bit. "He does come in handy." A strange feeling simmered pleasantly in Diana's chest. She wasn't sure whose relaxed expression made her happier.
Lily moved on to Tim's next. Opening it, she revealed a brown bear with a blue ribbon tied around its neck. "How cute," she cooed, her mouth gently curling upwards. She really did have Bruce's smile. "Tell Alfred and Tim thank you for me."
"That was nice of them," Diana remarked, finally moving away from the door. She drifted to sit on the other side of Lily's bed, content to watch the father and daughter. Something had definitely changed between them and Diana's only regret was that she hadn't been able to witness it.
Lily nodded. "Yeah," she agreed. "It was." She moved onto Bruce's gift, but gasped when she looked into the bag. Even Diana's lips parted in awe when Lily pulled out a delicate glass mobile.
It was simply beautiful. The glass had been formed into various animal heads such as lions and giraffes, but the way the light passed through it made it look like the animals shone as bright as the stars just outside the Watchtower. Lily held it a bit too carefully, as if afraid she might break it.
"Bruce," murmured Diana, peering at him. "Is that yours?"
Bruce nodded, but his eyes never left their daughter. "My mother picked it out," he admitted and Diana stilled. Usually, Bruce only mentioned his parents to her as a defense mechanism, their deaths one of the primary reasons why he pushed her away. To hear him mention them like this warmed her in a way she couldn't quite explain.
"Dad," said Lily, shaking her head. "I can't take this. It's too important."
But Bruce was adamant. "You're important," he insisted. "It's just collecting dust in the attic anyway. She would have wanted you to have it." There was that sensation again.
Lily looked like she was going to refuse, but didn't, instead taking a small cube-shaped device out of her pocket. "This will keep it safe," she told them. "Until I get back home." The device whirred to life and formed a protective shield around the mobile before taking it in. The technology of the future was truly astounding.
"It's beautiful," she continued, her eyes just a little shiny. "Thanks, Dad." Bruce nodded and Diana didn't miss the way his mouth twitched.
It was at that moment that Diana realize, what exactly, was happening. She wasn't simply looking at Bruce and Lily, she was watching a father and daughter. She had a front row seat to Lily stealing Bruce's heart. And what a beautiful sight it was.
That was what he had feared the most, wasn't it? That someone could be just as important to him as the mission. That his heart and devotion could be compromised. Hera, did he even realize how taken he had become with their daughter?
And Diana couldn't help but wonder; would Hades have been the same? Would he have looked at her like that? While she stood firm in her belief that she had never needed a father, would she have wanted him to be hers? Did his heart even have enough room for her?
Two days ago, she would have said no. But something about watching Bruce with Lily made her think differently.
Of course, one couldn't change what had been done. Diana knew it was too late for her and her self-proclaimed father. But she was elated to know that it wasn't too late for the three of them.
Maybe they could be a family in the future, maybe they couldn't. Only the Fates knew for sure. But for now, she was content with this.
Lily laid her head on Diana's shoulder. "Tell me a story," she requested. Diana noted how drowsy she seemed. Someone must not have been able to sleep last night. Or maybe it was something else. Lily had become rather sluggish shortly after she first arrived.
How odd.
Bruce raised an eyebrow at her. "A story?" he questioned. "Did we not tell you enough in the future?"
"You did," Lily answered. "But you guys are different here. I wanna see if you tell it differently." Her eyes went wide and imploring. "Please?"
Diana could already tell that this would be a problem in the future. "I... suppose there's no harm in it," she relented because, apparently, she had suddenly lost her resilience. "Is there one you had in mind?"
The younger woman gave her a silly grin. "When you danced in Paris," she said. "I loved that story as a kid."
Diana smiled fondly at the memory, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Where should I start?" she asked playfully. "I was sent on a mission in France..."
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They had only just gotten to the part when Bruce had rescued her from obtrusive diplomats when Diana noticed that Lily's breathing had even out. Glancing down, she realized that her daughter had fallen asleep and was snoring softly. "Aw," she cooed, unable to look away from the delicately slumbering face. "She's precious."
But Bruce was frowning. "Is it normal for pregnant women to be so tired?" he asked. And Hera, he sounded genuinely confused. She would have laughed if she wasn't afraid of waking Lily.
Diana shrugged helplessly. "I'm almost certain that Lily is the first pregnant woman I've encountered," she reminded him. "How would I know?"
Bruce didn't say anything else about it, but she was certain he would spend at least two hours researching pregnancy symptoms later. "So," he began instead. "I was your saving grace?" he teased. A hint of a smirk tugged at his mouth.
"Yes," she answered because she was nothing if not honest. Those people had been suffocating her. "Or, maybe you were their saving grace. I was about two seconds away from shoving past them."
He snorted. "I don't doubt it."
Silence. Diana didn't often mind quiet moments with Bruce; they were comforting. She also liked to take it as a sign that he enjoyed her presence enough to be at ease around her. But Hera, if she wasn't aching to question him. If he could love Lily, did that mean there was hope for them? Or was he merely enjoying time with her while he could, knowing that when she left his walls would be even higher?
His cobalt eyes drifted to her. "Is there something on your mind?" he asked.
Attentive; quite unusual for him. Was this a good sign? Or was it yet another trap he set before retreating back into himself?
Diana decided not to voice this, however. The moment had been so nice and she didn't want to ruin it just yet. So, she shook her head. "Just thinking about how we're technically grandparents with Shayera and John. The baby will be an Amazon and a Thanagarian."
Bruce gave her a dull look. "Could have been worse," he mused. "Could have been a Speedster."
Diana chuckled at the thought. "Could you imagine having a little West running around your manor?" Hera, the child would give poor Alfred a heart attack.
"Scary," he remarked.
She smiled, but it faded soon enough. She had meant it when she told John she would love Lily with all her heart, even if she never had her. But by the gods, that didn't mean it didn't hurt. To get to know this wonderful woman with the knowledge that she may not ever exist was torture. She couldn't say that she didn't know how John felt.
But she would rather face the pain head-on than leave herself wondering what could have been. Who Lily could have grown into. How it felt to be a mother. She would rather have that only for a week than never wonder at all.
However, Diana wasn't going to tell Bruce any of this. She loved him, but that alone wasn't enough. He either loved her back or he didn't. If Lily wasn't enough to convince him that they had a real chance together, she didn't know what was.
How long would it take? Years? Decades? She may be immortal, but she couldn't- wouldn't- wait forever. She couldn't put herself through this game of cat and mouse. She was so tired of being tossed aside whenever Bruce got bored. She was the Princess of the Amazons; she was far from limited to one man. Even one as exceptional as Bruce.
Maybe after Lily left, it would be time for her to move on.
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DID SOMEONE ASK FOR ANGSTY DIANA! No? Well, you got her anyway :D I've always really liked the idea of Diana pulling away just when Bruce starts to open up. Also, rewatching Justice League has reignited my love for GreenHawk (of course, my love for WonderBat never dimmed). I hope you liked it and please review!