Hunter's Night

By Serena

A/N: Thanks so much, everyone! :)

So I finally finished my novel - still needs editing, but the major part is over. :) I'm REALLY excited about it.

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Dick sat in the main computer chair, staring up at us with round eyes. It had only been a matter of time before he found out, I surmised, but Bruce was not taking the situation lightly. His face was hard, stern, and his arms were folded over his chest as he gazed down at Dick with a scrutinizing eye.

"No going back now," my fiance said grimly. "Let's talk about this."

Dick leapt to his feet. "You're the Batman and Wonder Woman! The Dark Knight and the Amazon Goddess!"

"Sit," ordered Bruce.

Dick reluctantly returned to his seat.

"Well, isn't that interesting," I said, shooting a smug grin to Bruce. "Goddess, Bruce. They call me a goddess."

He rolled his eyes. "Little do they know," he said dryly.

I socked him in the arm, and Cass let out a breathy snicker.

"You guys have the best cover," Dick breathed. His eyes widened even further. "That's why you brought me here! So you guys could protect me!"

"Partially, yes," conceded Bruce. "Zucco will never find you here."

Dick's jaw tightened. "You're going to go after him, aren't you. You're going to find him." When Bruce nodded, he jumped to his feet once more. "No. I want to be the one to get him! He killed my parents!"

"This is one reason why we didn't tell you," said Bruce darkly. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed shortly. "Dick, I don't want you to go through the same thing I did. Revenge leaves no winners. I don't want your childhood to be clouded with the same bitterness and rage that mine was."

"That's not your call to make," Dick said, his voice shaking with anger.

Bruce gazed down at him, and I saw the hesitation and conflict in his eyes. "You're right," he said finally. "But I won't let your life be tainted with revenge like mine. If we do this, we do it my way. Justice, not revenge. Is that clear?" His tone brooked no opposition.

Dick nodded slowly. "Yes, sir."

"And before we do this, you have to know what you're getting into. This is Gotham, Dick. The criminals out there - they don't care about hurting people. Men, women, children - it doesn't matter. In fact, some of them prefer to hurt children. Barbara Gordon... She'll never walk again." Bruce's voice was icy. "They are deadly, and they will kill you. Do you understand?"

Dick nodded again, apparently unfazed. "But you'll be teaching me, right?" When Bruce nodded, Dick added, "And you said that no one else was at your level."

"He says a lot of things," I muttered under my breath.

Bruce shot me a deadly glare.

"Honey, if there was no one here to tell you otherwise, your ego would be skyrocketing up to Olympus," I reminded him sweetly.

"Olympus, my ass," he muttered.

"Watch your language," I warned.

Dick gazed up at me in awe. "Are you really an Amazon?"

"Afraid so, hon."

"So - wait - are you like... really old? Are you immortal? Is your mom immortal? Wait - are the others - my aunts, are they Amazons, too?"

I paused. "No. No. Not anymore. Yes."

Dick's brow furrowed. "So... how did - "

"Long story," Bruce interrupted. "Complicated. Very, very complicated. Diana is not immortal, but she does come from powerful, immortal origins. The Amazons, and the Greek gods that you thought were myth... they're not. They're demi-gods, so to speak. Diana comes from the immortal race of the Amazons, but when her mother brought her here, she retained her powers, but is not immortal. The other women aren't, either, but they do have an extended lifespan. Don't try to understand it - magic is more trouble than it's worth."

"You know it," I said, smiling wryly. "Sorry, kiddo, but you've ended up in a very, very strange family."

"That's okay," Dick said, dazed. "You guys... you guys are awesome."

"Wait till you get to know us," I said. "Then see how you feel."

Dick grinned and looked around. "So when can I start training?"

Cass, sitting on top of the back of the computer chair above Dick, prodded his shoulder with her foot to get his attention.

You have to have a name, she signed.

"A name?" Dick said, still struggling to understand her.

"She said you have to pick out a name," I explained.

"Oh." Dick thought about it for a moment. "Robin," he said finally.

"Like Robin Hood?" I asked curiously.

"Um, sort of." Dick's eyes grew dark, and I realized that was not at all what he'd meant. It meant something else, something personal.

"All right," I said, thinking it best not to pry. "Robin it is."

"Can I get a hood?" asked Dick.

"No," said Bruce, moving around him to the computer screen. "Hoods can be used against you. You can have a cape, but no hood."

Dick made a face but nodded reluctantly. "Fine."

I want to be Robin Hood, signed Cass. You can be little John.

Dick scowled. "I don't want to be Little John. You can be..."

If you say Maid Marian, I will punch you.

"Cass!" I chided. "Don't hit your brother."

"I was going to say Will Scarlet," said Dick. "Not Maid Marian. FYI."

Cass shrugged. I'm hungry, she announced, hopping off the chair with ease. Maybe Gramps can make some pancakes.

"It's four in the morning, Cass," I reminded her. A pause, then, "You know what - I'm hungry, too. I'll make you some." And as I walked, I changed into my regular clothes and glanced over my shoulder. "You guys want some?"

"No thanks," Bruce said, focused on the computer.

"Dick?"

"In a second," Dick said, still slightly dazed.

"All right. You two stay out of trouble down here." I entered the elevator with Cass and picked her up, hugging her tightly. "You did good, sweetie," I told her softly in Themysciran, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Good work. I'm proud of you."

Cass managed a small smile and hugged me back. Thank you, Mom. I had some help with the guy back there.

"Help?" I said, surprised. "From whom?"

Cass shrugged. I don't know. Some boy.

She didn't say anything else about it, and so I let it go for then, despite my puzzlement. However, all current thoughts disappeared when we entered the kitchen only to find a startling sight. My jaw dropped, and I nearly dropped Cass.

"Mom? Alfred?" I stared at the two of them, calmly eating English muffins and drinking tea. But they looked... like hell. Dirty, covered in bruises, blood... "What happened to you?" I demanded.

Mom sipped her tea, unfazed. "Nothing, honey."

"Just a little night out," said Alfred, spreading some jam on his muffin. "Nothing serious, my dear."

Cass and I looked at each other. I sighed, defeated, and shook my head.

"Oh, good grief."

Despite my lack of sleep that following day, I knew that Bruce was equally, if not more exhausted than I. I decided to surprise him at lunch, get him some more coffee, catch up. With four Amazons in the house, and now three kids, including Barbara, the house had gotten more hectic than I would've ever anticipated. Not that I was complaining... but Bruce and I needed some time to ourselves. So far our only conversations had pretty much related to the kids or something work-related, mostly Zucco and Maroni.

And there was Harvey Dent. I still was on the fence about him. I decided to ask Bruce if we could invite Harvey to dinner or lunch sometime soon, see if we couldn't figure him out. So far the man's record had been clean... But

And then there was his assistant, Dinah Lance. I'd done some digging on her, and she was an impressive young woman. Around my age, from a good family background. She could be an ally, and, I hoped, maybe a friend in the long run.

My mind was running so fast I hardly had time to even think about the fact that Bruce and I had not even thought about when to set a date for our wedding. Distracted, I entered the living room to find Artemis sharpening her sword.

"Artemis," I said suddenly. "I've been thinking."

"Never a good thing," she replied dryly.

I gave her a look. "I've been thinking... We have so many other friends in this network of ours. You, the Unspoken, Helena... and I keep meeting others. I've been thinking... With you here, with all of your abilities.. I might want to start a new group. A separate group, one that could handle other problems that Bruce and I can't get to if we're in the middle of something. I want to start a network, really."

"All women?"

"I guess, yes." I hadn't really thought about it like that.

"Good," she said. "Men just get in the way." She sharpened her sword again.

"All rightie then," I said dryly. I hesitated, then added, "So I guess I was just imagining you you eying Jim Gordon at dinner the other night..."

The scraping of steel halted, and the look she gave me would've scared Ares himself into hiding.

"You were just imagining," she said, her voice frigid.

I grinned. "I'm sure."

"Diana -"

"Hey," I said, "Look. I know you're not a huge fan of... Man's World, if you want to keep calling it - but you're here now. And there are guys here. And you have to learn how to deal with it. And Jim Gordon is one of the best men I know. I trust him with my life, with my children's lives. You should trust him, too."

"Trust is earned," said Artemis shortly.

"He has earned it," I replied. "Again and again. If he hasn't proven himself..."

"Men are inconstant and liars," said Artemis. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you mentioned his wife left him."

"That was on her," I argued. "She was the inconstant one. Although..." I sighed. "Sometimes it's not anyone's fault. She couldn't handle Gotham, but who could blame her? And Jim is tied to this city - we all know he'll never leave it. Like Bruce, he's rooted in this city now. So don't go judging him. Get to know him first. He's been there for us from the beginning. Just... give him a chance. Not every man is Ares."

Artemis glared viciously at me and sharpened her sword with more ferocity. I rolled my eyes at her ridiculously stubborn behavior and walked away.

"You like him," I sang out as I left. "Admit it!"

The only response I got was a louder noise of sword sharpening against steel, and a vicious string of Themysciran curses directed at me.

"YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH, ARTEMIS!" Mom roared from down the hall.

I grinned and went to get my keys.

After I grabbed some lunch for the both of us, I stopped in Starbucks to get some coffees. As I waited in line, I heard a voice from behind calling my name. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw it was the assistant D.A., Dinah Lance. I smiled and turned fully around to face her.

"Hi!" I greeted. "Dinah, right?"

"Yes," Dinah replied with a smile. "Nice to see you again."

"You, too. Lunchtime pickup?" I said, motioning to the menu.

Dinah nodded, chagrined. "I can't go a couple hours without coffee. It's pretty sad, actually. How about you?"

"I can't live without my white mocha," I said frankly. "I was just on my way to meet Bruce for lunch."

"Very nice. I'm picking something up for a few people in my office. Sadly I'm the only one who drinks coffee black. Harvey - Mr. Dent - likes his coffee with extra cream and sugar." She made a face. "I don't know how he can drink that."

I laughed. "Not a huge fan of cream myself." A pause, then, "How long have you been working with Harvey?"

"Just a few weeks now. It's been crazy," she admitted. "I knew it would be rough, but this... I didn't expect it. Not that I'm complaining. I much prefer working hard to having nothing to do. If I'm not doing something productive, I go crazy. But this... well, this is Gotham." She shrugged, smiled. "But it's good. We're making progress, so... That feels good."

"Couldn't agree more. Thank you for what you're doing," I told her. "Hopefully with people like you, we'll be able to get this city to where it needs to be."

"Exactly," Dinah agreed. "It's not going to be easy to say the least, but if we just stand by and do nothing, Gotham will just sink deeper and deeper into a pit of chaos and crime. My dad worked very hard to ensure our streets were safe. He's gone, but I'm not, and I want to continue the work he started - the work he dedicated his life to. That's one thing I can say about Harvey Dent - he's dedicated."

I hesitated, then asked, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"What is your honest opinion of Harvey Dent? What do you think of him?"

Dinah thought about it for a moment. "He's passionate," she said. "He's dedicated to Gotham's justice system. Now that the former commissioner Loeb is finally in jail, Mr. Dent is even more determined to bring Gotham up to the level of, say, Metropolis. He wants to get criminals off the streets and either in jail or Arkham."

"He's a good man, then?"

Dinah paused. "Yes. I think so, yes." She shot me a small smile. "I'm guessing this inquest is because of your fiance?"

"What?"

"Your fiance? Bruce Wayne? You were thinking about giving Harvey a donation, possibly?"

I blinked. "Oh, yes. Well... yes. We'll see."

"See about what?" another voice chirped in.

Dinah and I turned to see Helena coming up to us. I grinned and hugged her quickly.

"You look nice. On lunch break?"

"Absolutely." Helena pulled back. "You look exhausted."

"Thanks," I said dryly. "Well, I am. Late night. Work. You know how it is."

"Indeed I do," said Helena. She glanced at Dinah. "Who's this?"

"Dinah Lance," answered Dinah, holding out a hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, sure," replied Helena, shaking it shortly. "Listen, Di - I need to talk to you for a minute. 'Scuse us," she said to Dinah, and pulled me out of Starbucks.

"Bye, Dinah!" I called, waving as Helena tugged me onto the sidewalk. I saw her with a confused frown, waving back. Whirling, I jerked away from Helena's hold. "What was that?" I hissed, nudging her.

"What?" Helena retorted.

"You were so rude to her. She's really nice - what's your problem?"

"My problem? I don't have a problem - I just don't waste my time on completely useless people, especially stupid blonde chicks in stupid little pencil skirts who think they can try and fix Gotham's justice system by flirting with it."

I stared at her. "Wow, that's harsh."

"But true." Helena shrugged. "I have enough problems as it is. She works for Dent, probably a lot more than just as his secretary or whatever - and I'm not sure I care for Dent. You shouldn't be cozying up to the D.A."

I just shook my head, flabbergasted. "She's a nice woman, El. She's got a good head on her shoulders - and I still haven't made up my mind about Dent."

"Look," hissed Helena under her breath. She pulled me aside and gripped my arm tightly. "Di, you can't afford to be making friends right out. You have to keep the circle small. Very small."

"Helena -"

"Listen to me, Diana. Last night I was out on patrol. There's been whispers around Little Italy. Talk about Maroni, Zucco... They're scared, Diana. And men like that are dangerous when they're scared."

"What are you saying?"

Helena lowered her voice even more. "Diana, I think something's going down. I don't know what, or when, or who's really behind it. But you and Bruce need to watch your backs. Maroni is a cornered rat, and cornered rats bite. You need to be extra careful. If he's working with that guy from before -"

I tensed. "No. Ra's is halfway around the world being interrogated by the Israeli police. He won't be going anywhere for a long time, thanks to Bruce."

"Well, then it's someone else. Bane, maybe. Who knows. But all I'm saying is... you need to be careful. I'll do some more digging, see if my cousin can get me more information. I'll use what connections I have to the mafia. And look, I know I'm talking to you. But even you're not invincible... and now, you have kids. A big family. Making friends with people in the D.A. is not something you can afford right now. Who knows if we can trust them? They certainly haven't been trustworthy in the past. Vic was telling me -"

"Vic?"

"Shut up. He was saying that Dent's record is clean so far, but he hasn't finished digging. He doesn't trust him."

I threw my hands up. "Sage doesn't trust anyone. He's a paranoi - wait, Vic, Helena? Vic? When did this happen?" I demanded.

"It didn't happen," Helena argued stiffly. "Nothing happened. Whatever. Just be careful, all right?"

I nodded, somber. "All right. Thanks for the head's up, El. Be careful yourself."

"You know me." Helena hugged me quickly and strode away, shooting me a loose salute. "Enjoy your lunch with your billionaire boyfriend!"

Rolling my eyes, I sighed and watched her go with a troubled mind. If what she said was true... if Maroni was trying to pull something even more horrifying than letting Zucco murder the Grayson family just over protection money... Bruce and I would have to squash this right away. Before things got bad.

This was Gotham. Things never got bad. They got really bad.

Bruce Wayne

Bruce sat in his office, investigating ideas for a new vehicle he desperately wanted - a jet of some kind. Although Diana had flying power, he, however, was not so lucky. And he wouldn't just let her carry him around all the time. No, he needed something light, fast, and easy to maneuver in a dense city.

A knock on his door, and Lucius Fox entered.

"Good morning, Mr. Wayne," said the older man with a smile. "How are we this afternoon?"

"Not too bad." Bruce hid a wince as he stretched one of his sore, bruised arms. "Yourself?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Here are the quarterly reports you wanted. Also... I have a few other things you might want to check out."

Bruce hid a smirk. "Any of them involving aerodynamics?"

"Could be," said Lucius.

Bruce started to answer, but his phone buzzed. It was Diana texting him, letting him know that she was heading into the city and wanted to grab lunch. He smirked. She would like to see this.

"Maybe your lovely fiancee would like to stop in and see it as well?" said Lucius shrewdly.

Bruce grinned. "I think she would. She'll be here in five minutes."

"I'll be in my office, Mr. Wayne." Lucius smiled knowingly and left the room.

Bruce texted Diana back and looked over the reports. Wayne Enterprises was booming, and thanks to Mr. Fox's stellar management, their revenues would continue to rise, and he could expand the company even further.

Satisfied with the news, Bruce stretched his neck. However, he heard a loud voice from the other side of the door. Frowning, he rose to his feet -

And a red-haired woman threw open the door and stormed into the room. She was dressed in a tight pencil skirt and a tight blouse that revealed a generous amount of her chest, including a lacy black push-up bra.

Bruce held back a groan.

"Mr. Wayne!" said his assistant, flustered, "I'm sorry, sir, I couldn't get her to -"

"Oh, save it," snapped Vicki Vale, tossing her head of red hair. "I want to speak to you, Mr. Wayne, and I'm not waiting any longer."

"It's all right, Renee," said Bruce. "I'll handle this."

Renee shot Vicki a dirty look and shut the door.

"Mr. Wayne," said Vicki Vale, sauntering into the room. "I think it's about time we had that interview."

Bruce really wished he could just shoot a tranquilizer dart into her neck. "Miss Vale, I'm afraid I can't talk right now. I'm just about to meet with Mr. Fox -"

"I've been trying to get a hold of you for a very long time now, Mr. Wayne," said Vicki, blocking his path with a sultry smile. "I think Mr. Fox can wait a few minutes. Or more." Her gaze raked over him.

Bruce's eyes narrowed, but he forced a smile. "Set up an appointment, Miss Vale - " And he tried to go past her.

One red-nailed hand pressed against his chest. Her nails were sharp.

"I've tried that, with no such luck. They say you're unavailable for... months, I think. And I'm a journalist... and my readers want answers."

"Miss Vale -"

"Vicki."

"Miss Vale," repeated Bruce, removing her hand from his chest, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I have an appointment I can't miss."

"Your appointment can wait," insisted Vicki. "Just a few minutes of your time, Bruce. That's all I ask." She smiled up at him through thick, clearly fake lashes. "And I promise... I don't bite... not unless you want me to."

Bruce really had to work hard to resist karate-chopping her neck. "I'm afraid a few minutes is more than I can spare. Excuse me."

"I'm not leaving until I get my interview, Mr. Wayne," warned Vicki. "You may weasel your way out of one-night-stands, but you won't do the same with me."

"Then I'll have to call security," said Bruce easily. "Have a nice day, Miss Vale."

Vicki grabbed his arm, turned him back to her, and pressed her chest against his. "Not so fast, Mr. Wayne," she breathed, her perfume nearly suffocating him. And before he could move, she leaned forward and kissed him.

I had fully intended on surprising Bruce a few minutes early in his office. Passing Mr. Fox in the hall, he gave me a warm smile and told me I'd find Bruce waiting, along with some new schematics for a vehicle Bruce had been wanting for a while now - a jet of some kind. Bruce's secretary was at lunch, and Bruce's door was ajar. I heard a familiar voice along with Bruce's - but the other voice was not one I'd expected to hear.

I leaned my head towards the door and listened in with my Amazonian hearing.

.."Not leaving until I get my interview, Mr. Wayne," breathed a woman. "You may weasel your way out of one-night stands, but you won't do the same with me."

"Then I'll call security," Bruce's voice replied, calm with a slight edge. "Have a nice day, Miss Vale." His voice brooked no argument.

I raised an eyebrow. Vale - as in Vicki Vale. Reporter. Stalker, more like.

"Not so fast, Mr. Wayne," Vicki replied, her voice breathy -

And then came silence.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside to see Vicki Vale plastered against Bruce, her arms wrapped around his neck, and her lips locked onto his. His eyes were wide, and he pushed her away instantly as gently but firmly as he possibly could, detaching her arms from around his neck. He suddenly scowled, glaring at her with dark, intent eyes, and she stepped back, startled by his sudden change in behavior. Bruce opened his mouth to speak, when his eyes suddenly latched onto me. His eyes widened.

"Diana," he said, his voice strained.

I wasn't sure whether to laugh at his horrified expression or just up and sucker-punch Vick Vale in the face. I settled for neither - for now. My lips thinned, I walked right up to them and placed the bag of lunch on Bruce's desk.

"Got you lunch, love," I said smoothly, as if I hadn't just seen my fiance being kissed by another woman - a scantily-clad woman, for that matter. "Chicken salad, extra chicken. Low carb dressing." And I leaned up and wiped Vicki's deep red lipstick off his lips with my hand. "Not a good shade on you, honey," I said with a small smile, and pressed a warm but soft kiss to his lips. I could almost feel him deflate with relief.

Hearing a gasp and a squawk, I turned to face the woman in question. "Vicki Vale, right? I've read your stuff. Can't say I like it. You might want to take a page from Lois Lane's book - I hear she's going to get a Pulitzer for her latest piece. She likes to tackle the real issues... Not go stalking and sexually harassing honest businessmen. Engaged businessmen."

"Engaged?" squeaked Vicki Vale. "Bruce is not engaged!"

I flashed her the ring. "Sorry, crazy lady. He definitely is. I'd leave if I were you. Before you humiliate yourself even more. And before I punch you in the nose. Although, I'm sure it wouldn't make much of a difference, seeing as how I'm sure it's had more plastic surgery than Joan Rivers."

Vicki gaped.

"Out!" I snarled, stepping towards her. "Now!"

Vicki stumbled, muttering under breath, and slammed the door shut behind her.

Bruce sighed and furiously wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "That woman is crazy. Certifiably insane. I wonder if I could have her committed to Arkham."

"Now, baby," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck, "Be nice. I don't think that'd be fair to the other inmates."

Bruce smirked, but quickly gave me an apologetic look. "Di -"

"Don't, Bruce. I heard the whole thing. She's a psycho."

"I know. I would've liked to see you deck her, though," he said thoughtfully.

I shrugged. "I'm sure she'll give me plenty of chances. Now no more talking about her, and no more talking about Arkham or anything work related."

"Agreed," Bruce breathed, leaning down to kiss me deeply.

I angled my head as the kiss deepened, and I was ready to melt into him -

"Oh, crap." I pulled back, and Bruce's eyes narrowed. "No, not you. I just remembered - I know I said no talking about work, but I just ran into Helena, and -"

"Princess." Bruce's hands ran up and down my back. "Slow down. Talk."

I let out a breath. "She told me that something's going on with Maroni. Something bad. She's not sure what, but she told us we need to be careful."

"All right, we'll work on it." He leaned in again, pressed his lips to mine, and then pulled back, hesitating. "On that note, Lucius just sent me the schematics for the new aircraft we've been working on, which will make it easier for us to track overhead -"

"Oh! Where? Up on your computer?" I glanced over his shoulder at his desktop.

"You want to see?"

I bit my lip, hesitated. "Yeah."

We were hopeless, the both of us. We spent the next hour looking over the new aircraft - the Bat, as Bruce had decided to call it. After I finished eating, I sat on his desk, cross-legged, analyzing reports from Little Italy and DNA samples - anything that could help lead us to Zucco and Maroni, who had completely fallen off the grid.

"Dick's eager," said Bruce after a moment of silence. "But he's almost too eager. I'm afraid he'll be rash and do something stupid in the field."

"Give him time," I said. "He's just a kid."

"A kid with no training and two dead parents," said Bruce grimly, leaning back in his chair. "Recipe for disaster."

"I don't think so. He's a smart kid. He'll listen to you. You just need to take the initiative and be there for him," I urged. "Like you were there for Cass."

"Cass is... different," he said awkwardly.

I frowned. "How so?"

"She's a fighter. She has a different spirit. Dick... Given the circumstances, I would say that he might turn out like me, but I don't think he will. He's wired differently. He's got a completely different view of things. He's more trusting than I am, for one. And I'm just afraid it'll get him hurt."

"Not if he has the proper training," I said. "He only just started." I slipped off his desk. "Speaking of which, I should probably head back. I have to pick up Barbara on my way out."

Bruce rose to his feet, slipped his arms around me. "I'll see you at home," he said, his voice low. He leaned down to kiss me -

There was a low whistle, and Bruce and I turned to see a man standing in the doorway. The man was tall, fit, and wore a suit very well. His fox-red hair was slicked back, but a few strands had fallen near his intelligent hazel eyes. He looked vastly amused.

"I did knock," he said, motioning to the door.

Bruce threw him a small, thin smile. "I'm sure." He stepped away slightly but retained a hand on my back. "Didn't think you'd actually make it by here."

"It's been a while since I've been here," said the man, coming up to us. "Place has changed quite a bit." His gaze turned to me for a long moment before he looked back at Bruce. "And we never did get those beers. Had the afternoon off, and although I'm neck deep in charts... Thought I'd ignore those for a while and play hooky."

"Wish I could," said Bruce. "But I'm afraid I won't be able to get out of a meeting this afternoon."

"Meeting," the man said with a wink. "Right." He flashed me a knowing smile.

I raised an eyebrow, folded my arms across my chest. "I don't think we've met. I'm Diana, Bruce's fiancee."

The man flashed me a smile and held out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Di. I'm Tom - or Tommy, as I used to go by. Tommy Elliot."

Thoughts?

Heading back to college, fun times. I'll keep you guys updated on the novel business. Editing time! I do like to step away from my work for a bit and come back to it. Gives me time to think.

I probably won't be able to update as often as I'd like - I'm an illustration major and taking all studio classes this semester... so it's going to be a lot of work. But I will do my best! We're getting to the good stuff. :)

- Serena