"Hello?" Carly called loudly when she let herself into the mansion. She was weighed down with her purse, laptop and office paperwork but that didn't stop her from wandering in and calling for Dick and Alfred like an unexpected guest. They must have been towards the back of the house since neither of them answered her right away. Carly dropped her things off in Bruce's study since she still didn't have her own home office yet.
"Carly!" Dick came flying out of one of the rooms. He launched himself at his foster mom and wrapped his arms around her neck. It took a half step back to balance the weight, but she was able to catch him. "Is it six o'clock already?" He asked, burying his face in the crook of her neck. It reminded her so much of Leo the cat she couldn't help but laugh.
"Not quite." She chuckled. "Its just about lunch time."
"That it is Mrs. Wayne." Alfred said, now joining them in the hall. "If you don't mind my asking…"
"Bruce is still at work." She answered his question. "He told me to go home early because I couldn't stop thinking about how much I miss you two!" She squeezed Dick to her chest in a tight hug. "I still have some work to do, but I can get to that later. What are you two up to?"
"We were just about to eat." Dick told her excitedly.
"Oh good, I'm starving." Carly put Dick down on his feet. "Lead the way my little acrobat." Carly and Alfred followed Dick towards the front of the house. He found his way back mostly unaided. The adults only had to correct one wrong turn that he made. As they neared the enormous dining room, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it, Al." She decided. "Dick you go on with Alfred, I'll be along in a minute."
Alfred led Dick off and left Carly alone to answer the door. She didn't recognize the woman on the other side of it at first. Her guest wore her hair up in a neat and tight bun and was dressed in a stylish blouse and pencil skirt. The woman's brown eyes were hidden behind a pair of thick black glasses. Her face was angular and strong, but her eyes were warm and inviting. She smiled.
"Carly!" The woman exclaimed when the door opened. Carly's mind was blanking on where she knew the woman from. She assumed that she was supposed to know this woman as she clearly was acting as if they'd met before. Carly racked her brain trying to think of when they could have possibly met.
"I am sorry," The woman apologized. "This is the first time that we are meeting like this." She gestured up and down, indicating her business casual clothing. "No wonder you do not recognize me. It's me, Diana!"
"Diana? Bruce's Diana! I'm so sorry!" Carly waved the Wonder Woman inside. "Come in please! Bruce isn't home, he's at work. Really, he won't be home for a few more hours."
"It is alright. I am not here to see Bruce." Diana explained, stepping inside. "I came to see you."
"Oh." Carly tried to think back on their previous conversations for a reason why Diana would come all this way to talk, but the truth was they hadn't really discussed much the last time they were together. "Well, we can talk in Bruce's office."
"Thank you so much for taking the time to see me." Diana said as the two women sat down next to each other on the small couch in Bruce's study. "I don't think Bruce would like it if he knew I was here talking to you."
"Why not?" Carly asked, tilting her head. "You are friends after all."
"You know him best," Diana suggested with a smile. "But it's been my impression that Bruce prefers to keep his private life very private. I do not think he would want us to blur the lines between the two worlds by socializing frequently."
"Well I won't say anything if you don't." Carly offered a smile and waited for Diana to explain what had brought her so far from home.
"It's just that, I was speaking with Bruce earlier and he mentioned that you are not sure you can balance work and being a mother."
"Well, not all of us can balance our double lives." Carly shrugged. "Bruce needs someone who can support him as a wife, and Dick is going to need a mother."
"But what about what you need?" Diana asked.
"The only thing I know is that I want them both in my life." Carly told her. "I don't want to do anything that might cause me to lose them."
"Carly, I know that Bruce cares deeply for you, he wants only for you to be happy. I have heard many stories about you from him and I have often heard how he talks about you with his voice full of delight." Diana said. "With many couples a marriage becomes about one person bowing their will to the other. I do not see that being a happy ending for you or Bruce. Neither of you would want the other to sacrifice an ounce of who they are for them."
"Thank you, Diana I will try to remember that." Carly promised. "Honestly, I'm surprised that you are so invested in what happens with Bruce and I."
"The Justice League is a team." Diana explained. "Bruce has had many opportunities to display his loyalty to us through his actions or words of encouragement. Often times, Batman does not give us the chance to repay the favor. I was glad for a chance to prove to him that we also support and value your family. And on a more personal note, I never want to hear that anyone, though especially a woman, feels less than capable of doing their job just because they have a child."
"I really appreciate you taking the time to come all this way, Diana. Bruce will never say as much aloud, but I know he does too. Will you join us for lunch?" Carly asked, rising to her feet.
"No, no." Diana shook her head. "If you'll see me out, I should be going. I am on watch tonight and I still have some things to do before I report for duty." Carly led the way through the halls until she and Diana stood at the front door once more.
"Enjoy your lunch Carly. I hope that when you're ready you and Bruce will introduce Richard to us." Diana suggested hopefully. This gave Carly a sudden idea as her friend reached for the doorknob.
"Say Diana, before you go, there one more thing I'd like to ask your advice on."
A/N: Look who's back from the dead, y'all its me! After getting a PM today asking me if I was ever planning on updating this story I took a look into my files and found a chapter or two that I'd already completed but never published for some reason? So I'm gonna go through and make sure they're all good before posting them. I know it's been a minute but thank you to everyone who's supported this story!
