Part two of LD (Little D[amian] for the guessers). Some people have guessed what's gonna happen next. And wow... I'm so glad people are excited for this arch. Uh, just remember, Bruce is "retired" but is still training his kids to defend themselves. if he can't do the same... =D Enjoy

Demons Lie

Silently he slipped through the shadows of the hidden complex. He managed to neatly avoid every guard and zealot in this horrid place. More than likely his target wouldn't be in these dank halls, but in the nicest section near the center of the place. Her father always did favor her with everything her heart could possibly desire.

Only for one brief moment did the roving shadow think he was heard, hiding himself away seconds after to ensure he didn't sound any alarms. This time he needed all the stealth he could get. Good thing he wasn't too out of practice.

Finally he made it to his destination, already plotting his escape route once the alarm was sounded. And he would be causing quite a ruckus. But after four months of searching and nearly three years of blindly believing what he was once told, he intended to make as loud a noise as he could. You just didn't lie to people like that. Especially about that.

The inner sanctum of the fortress had an Arabic princess feel to them. Sheer curtains hung nearly randomly around the marble room. Velvet cushions littered the floor and donned the artistic furniture. A silver tea set rested on the coffee table before one of the lounging chairs, ready for use.

He could see a figure through the many sheer curtains, the person he was looking for. At the moment she was alone, finishing up her luxurious scented bath. He sat down on the chair, poured himself a cup of jasmine tea, and lounged on the cushions, waiting and watching her from a distance. She'd see him soon, and he could wait a few minutes. It'd be worth it to see her face when she finally saw him again after all this time.

It was hard to control his ever racing heart. Last time he saw her, she broke his heart after a stake was already driven through it. Her lie… the last thing she ever really told him… and now he was going to correct that deception. He was going to get the truth.

As the curtains were pushed back or avoided, coming closer to him, he wondered if she still favored those sheer robes she'd wear in her old apartment. When the last curtain parted, he knew she did. Just as beautiful and lustrous as ever.

"Hello Talia."

At his voice her head shot up, eyes wide in surprise. Talia Al Ghul truly had not expected to ever see this man again. "Beloved?"

A mocking smirk stayed on the man's lips. She looked up and down him in surprise. "What are you doing here? How did you get in? And in that… Are you the Batman once more?"

Bruce hadn't worn the uniform in years, hadn't had to since his deal with the League. Being an unknown member and financier had its advantages; not dressing up as Batman was one of them. Only when one of his children were in danger did he dare don cape and cowl before the deal was made. And this time… well, it was partly revenge. Ra's and Talia wanted Batman to be their willing accomplice, not really Bruce Wayne.

"For tonight." He waved a gloved hand over to a nearby seat, motioning to the tea. "Please, sit. The tea is quite excellent. Even Alfred would be impressed."

"You haven't answered my questions." Talia folded her arms defiantly, glaring at him slightly. "How did you get in here?"

"The same way I intend to leave." The Bat took a sip of the tea, teasing her for the moment. He hadn't done this in quite some time. She was a hard act to follow.

"Really detective," she started, "this isn't the time for games."

"You'd be surprised what games I play with the kids," he stated evenly. "Tag and hide-and-seek are very good training methods I find. Ninja in the dark is another popular one. And," his smirk only grew, "I always enjoyed sneaking around my buildings to see if there are any holes in the security. My skills have not deteriorated in the slightest."

"Is that so." She shook her head, taking in a breath before repeating her first question. "Beloved, why are you here? After rejecting Father's offer, he made it clear you two would be enemies. The only reason you haven't been killed is because he believes you may be useful in the future."

"Me," he leaned forward with his empty cup, "or my son?"

As the cup touched the table, the echoing tap filled the room. Batman nearly glared daggers into the woman's eyes. She stiffened slightly, trying her hardest not to break contact. She would not be intimidated.

"Father is not interested in those ill-bred strays you took in Beloved. Only Cassandra was of any interest to him, and you have foiled that."

"Neither of you ever tried to know them. You only saw them as barriers, hindrances on your plans. Distractions. Even Cassandra was nothing more than a tool to you." The dark knight continued to glare up at the lady. It was becoming hard to believe he once loved her. She had changed so much… or maybe he never really knew her. "You were planning on sending them away after we were married."

His ex gave him a superior chiding look. "We're far above them Beloved. They are—"

"You know," he stood up, still glaring at the woman before him, "every time you said 'Beloved' back then, I took it at face value. I thought it meant you loved me, more than anyone."

"I did—"

"More than your father!" His glare intensified as he continued to accuse her. Her taken back look was lost on him. "But that's a lie isn't it. You can't love anyone more than your father."

Talia looked away, pursing her lips and breathing through her nose to calm herself down. "I did love you. I swore my heart to you. But after losing the baby, I couldn't face you."

"Quit lying to me." Now glaring daggers, Batman slowly move around the coffee table separating them so he could confront her properly. He had to confront her about this. "I was more than willing to still marry you even after that. And even the miscarriage was a lie."

Her eyes grew wide for a moment before narrowing with a snap towards him. "How dare you. To insinuate I would—"

"I saw the artificial womb Talia." She nearly stopped breathing at that statement. "I know all about how you transferred our son to it that night. All those scans, all that proof, they were to fool me into believing you really lost the baby. But you didn't. And you used this lie as an excuse to break away from me.

"Why?" It was the one thing he hadn't figured out. As far as he could tell, the two of them were in love then. "Why did you do this? To me? To us?"

Talia's lips tightened for a long minute before she finally answered. "There never was 'just us' Bruce. It was always about something else. Gotham, justice, those children you adopted in your loneliness, you always had to feel needed by someone. When you first learned I was pregnant, you were always hovering over me, talking about how the baby would be. Do you remember how protective you were back then? I was always wearing furs, eating organic foods, forbidden from horseback riding, all because you were worried for my safety and the development of our child!"

She threw her hands up in the air as she continued to glare at him. "It was if you cared more for the baby than me! It was always the children more than me! Even more than your mission! What kept you away from accepting to be my father's heir, couldn't compare to those children!"

"Talia—"

"I did love you Bruce, more than anything. But there were always others on your mind. Always!" Her insistence as she brought out her true thoughts at last brought tears of frustration to her eyes. "And you tried to swallow me up in that world! Tried to make me a mother to those who didn't deserve me! Who weren't ours!

"All I wanted was you. Anything and everything else could fall by the wayside. All you had to do was love me and me alone, and I would have stayed. Forgotten my father and his plans, just to be with you. But you never thought of me the same way I thought of you 'Beloved'."

Batman clenched his jaw for a moment before even trying to reason with her. "I did think of you Talia, often. For over a year after you left I wondered where you went, wondered where I went wrong, wondered how you were holding up after… Ever since we first met my mind would wander to you. There was one time Jason—"

"And there you go," she started, ignoring his try at reason, "telling stories about those lost children you felt obligated to take in. You were always talking about them when we were together!"

"And I was always telling them about you!"

His outburst shut her up for a moment, long enough for the dark knight to run a hand over his cowl. "I was always telling them stories you told me, about your childhood, about your life. I wanted them to know you just as much as I wanted you to know them. That was how serious I was about you. I loved you so much…"

It was hard for him to really express how much it pained him to let her go all those years ago. To think he lost their child… He closed his eyes for a moment. That lie… He had to know why. "I wanted to marry you Talia. I wanted us to be together. All of us, as a family. You didn't have to trick me that night. You didn't have to be pregnant to keep my attention. You had it.

"But," he fixed a glare back upon her, "you had to fake losing our child as an excuse to break-up with me. Why? What was the real point of it all? Why did you—"

"You were controlling and overprotective," Talia spat out, trying to make it his fault again.

And for that part he admitted it. "It was my first born child! I've never been an expecting father before! I didn't know what to expect or what to do! I heard things, read books, but none of it really prepared me. I didn't want anything to happen to you."

"I am a strong woman. I can handle myself."

"So could my mother," he stated quickly. "She still had miscarriages! Before and after me! Nearly lost her life once. Talia, I was both scared and excited. Can you really blame me for overreacting?"

She looked away, keeping her face as still as possible, but Batman could tell what she was thinking. At least once upon a time he could. "I'm sorry for how much I overreacted. I should have had more faith in you back then. But that still does not justify your actions. Talia, why did you do this? Why did you leave with our child and not tell me the truth?"

The woman kept her eyes away from the man, becoming as still as a statue. Silence kept its hold on her, further baffling the detective. After a minute or two, he had to edge her on. "Talia, why did you lie to me? Why are you keeping me away from my son?"

"How do you even know about him?" She finally looked at him. "Father and I have kept ourselves away from him since his birth, kept him far from any prying eyes. He is the Shadows' most well kept secret."

"I have sources." Some dismay played on his face. "You haven't seen our son since his birth?"

"Long enough to name him," she stated coldly. "He will be a fitting heir to both our legacies. Our genetically perfect child. His studies started a month back."

"Studies." Batman took in a deep breath. "Talia, he shouldn't be even two yet. Barely able to walk on his own and say a handful of words clearly. 'Studies' shouldn't even be in his life until he's four or five."

"Never too early to start learning." Her smirk now mocked him. "Our son has much to learn to fill in both yours and my father's shoes."

"Does he even have a say in the matter?" Talia didn't speak, but her expression told him plenty. She thought he was being silly asking for a child's opinion on anything. The dark knight shook his head. "Talia…"

"He will be perfect," she stated flatly. "And he will accept the life prepared for him. One day he will be a fine ruler."

"No." Slowly all the soft bits of humanity seemed to leave him as he glared at her once again. This woman would not see reason and did not understand the first thing about parenting, let alone being human. "My son is going to grow up to be whatever he wishes to be."

"Excuse me?" The lady raised an amused eyebrow.

"I'm taking him home. Right now."

The woman started to laugh. "You are a fool Beloved. The boy isn't even with me. Even I am unsure where he is at the moment. If you think you can just find me and then find him, you have truly lost your touch."

"I've lost nothing but time," Batman stated plainly, looming over her. He was deadly serious and nothing was going to stop him. "It's you and Ra's who have lost your touch."

"Oh really?" Talia folded her arms across her chest, very amused.

"You haven't kept tabs on me. Or my activities." A slight smirk played at the corner of his mouth. Something beeped on him. "I learned quite a bit from the two of you back then, about teams and directing groups."

"Is that supposed to scare me?"

"Yes." The smirk was a smile now. He had received the signal at long last. "I have a League of my own now."

A light appeared inside the lady's mind, surprising her greatly. "You… You're the one telling that Justice League about us!"

"And in return they do small favors for me." Very small on the global scale, but very personal ones at that. Saving his children was one of the League's top concerns. He tipped an imaginary hat to her. "Good-bye Talia. I'll tell our son all about you."

She tried marching after the man as he started to leave. "You can't just—"

"You haven't been in contact with him since his birth," Batman stated evenly, looking over his shoulder to her. "That's neglect, by law a form of child abuse in the states. I have every right to take home my son and raise him properly under these circumstances. And if the courts ever learn about what you and your father truly does, they will give me full rights without any possibility of visiting.

"I'm taking my son home. You lost your chance to raise him with me when you lied about him being dead."

The finality of his words struck Talia through the heart. Batman took the stunned silence as an advantage and swiftly left the room. Getting out of this place would be trickier, but it would be worth it.

"Seriously?" Flash started as he winced through the crying. "It was that easy?"

Superman held the kid out at arms' length, his wails hurting his ears greatly. "Yeah, seriously. It was that easy. Anyone know how to make him stop?"

"Not me!" the speedster stated quickly. "I've just got a teenage nephew by marriage! Hal?"

"Are you kidding?" The space cop was even more lost than his friend. "My sister-in-law wouldn't even let me hold my nephew for years! Said I'd break him or something."

They looked over to Diana, who scowled at them. "There are no children on Themiscara. And don't think just because I am a woman I should know everything there is about babies."

J'onn flew up to the toddler and tried making faces, speaking to them mentally as he tried to calm the kid's wails. My daughter was a much calmer child, but I am not certain how human children differ from Martian. Arthur?

The Atlantian was actually reading a parenting book at the moment. He was expecting his first born soon. He looked up and stumbled just as much as they did. "Uh, maybe it's his diaper?"

"No, that's dry," Superman stated quickly, lifting the toddler up and down a few times in attempts to calm the screaming. "Maybe he's hungry?"

"Oh I think I know!" Hal tried again. "You took him from his maid and the only person he knew and he's scared! That's what's going on!"

"Seriously? Even after the lady practically gave the kid to him?" Flash still couldn't believe the story. All the man of steel did was come into the nursery, told the lady taking care of the kid what was going on, and she just handed the kid over, saying every child deserved to be with their parents, particularly one who would love him unconditionally. Superman offered to take the lady with them, but she refused, saying the Shadows would find her anyway.

"He's like one and a half right?" GL pointed out. "He doesn't understand half the things going on around him. He just knows the person he knew best and most is gone and he's with a bunch of weirdos in tights."

"He's right."

They all jerked their heads around as the unofficial seventh member of the Justice League appeared through the doorway. Batman's uniform was a bit ragged from some kind of fighting and explosion, but he seemed relatively unharmed. They hadn't seen the man dressed like that in years, and yet he still looked by far the most intimidating of them. Yet under that mask and surrounded by kids, he could be one of the most cuddly of characters.

He crossed the main room of Mount Justice quickly, coming straight towards Superman as he explained. "Children need stability in their lives, particularly in their early years. Being taken away from the one who cared for him would put anyone in this state. But Damian should calm down soon enough."

"Damian?" Many of them exchanged looks. No one knew the kid's name until then. Or did the man just name his child then and there? They were expecting him to be called Thomas or something.

"That's his English name." Batman stopped short of Superman's shoulder, looking over the man of steel's grip. "You're holding him wrong. Hand him over."

"Take him. Please. Take your son." Quickly the toddler was thrust into his father's awaiting hands, still crying and yelling at the top of his lungs. "He's been like that ever since the lady handed him over."

"I see." Carefully the Bat drew his boy closer to him, catching his attention at last. The screaming subsided as he stared at the new comer, completely different from the rest. It was more of a surprise value and a little awe than anything else. Batman's lips turning into a warm smile brought the tears to a near stop. "Hello there Damian. I'm your daddy."

The kid just stared at him now, his eyes transfixed on the cowl as if he was trying to look through it. Supporting his boy in one arm, Bruce pulled back the mask to reveal his true face to his son. Smiling at his boy, so glad to finally hold him, he repeated what he said before. "I'm your daddy, your father."

"Fwa… Fwader?" Little Damian looked up to the man innocently, as if both linking the word to him and to something he was told. Perhaps in a story or dream.

And it only made his father proud. He pulled the toddler into his chest and gave him a much wanted hug. "Yes Damian. I'm your father, your daddy. And I'm going to be taking care of you from now on."

At first the little boy did nothing, surprised for some reason, then one hand clutched onto the man's cape and started to nuzzle his shirt in affection. Those around watched in amazement as the two newly united father and son started getting acquainted, so quickly. The man really had a magical touch with children, and seemed to work faster with his own flesh and blood.

Bruce looked over to the others there, particularly to Superman and gave a very gracious smile. "Thank you."

A/N: honestly didn't know how to end it. One more part before this arch is over!

Uh, yeah, um... I dunno if anyone caught it, but the whole conversation between Talia and Bats would be incredibly awkward if it weren't in text format. *looks away embarrassed* I just remember in one Talia story she wore sheer clothes in her chambers. The place had an arabic princess feel to them too. Yes I put Batman in costume again, he does wear it on occasion when the situation calls for it. It's also his backup Halloween costume, so long as he smiles and uses his normal voice. =P bats is only "retired" after all *coughnotreallycough*

Now for Dami, I gave him the cute can't-quite-understand-him two year old speech pattern for now. Eventually he'll say Daddy instead of Fwader though. He just knows about fathers from stories his maid told him. Heard about him being raised by a maid from another fanfic and thought since Talia really didn't raise Dami it made sense. Also I remember seeing little kids left alone in nurseries and crying their heads off until someone similar to their mom or dad popped up. Thought with Dami's personality in the comics, he'd do the same until his real father appeared. It'll take a while before he's adjusted to his new world. Oh, if anyone knows when Damian's Bday is, please tell. So far I'm putting him in October

can't wait until the kids see him. ^^V