Disclaimer
This is a work of fanfiction. I do not own or hold any rights to any DC or Warner Brothers Studios characters. The work takes place after the events of the first Wonder Woman movie but ignores Wonder Woman 1984.
London, England
Diana Prince sat in her office completing invoices and balancing accounts. She had always enjoyed owning her own businesses, but the paperwork that came with it was unavoidable.
Diana had many jobs over the last century. She had worked as an archeologist, anthropologist, and a restorer for several world-famous museums. Diana had also opened many restoration and antique shops, dealing everything from vintage lamps from the early 1920s to swords and armor from the middle ages and farther back.
Chief had taught her how to create an identity for herself in 1918 and though advanced technology through the decades made it more difficult, Diana kept up with the times. She always moved to a new place every ten years. She would start off in the area at the age of twenty-five and stay until she was thirty-five based on what date she had set her birthday with the identity. She could pass for either of those ages and it gave her a time period to work, to add to her accumulated fortune and most importantly, her lack of aging would not be noticed.
Socially Diana strived to remain in the background of life. She was well respected in every field she worked in, but those fields weren't known for bringing fame.
The one thing Diana would not change, despite the risk, was her name. Diana was the name her mother had given her, and Prince was the name Steve had given her. She held on to those two names with pride and would sooner live off the grid than live under another name. It was a risk, but it was one of the few risks she took, and she had gotten away with it so far.
Her current business was an antique and restoration shoppe. The shoppe specialized in procuring and selling rare antiques and restoring items for customers ranging from large museums to private collectors.
She named her business Prince Antiquities and Restoration. Diana had decided to make this business a bit larger, hiring more than one employee for the first time. She had three restorers, four sales agents and five buying agents. This business needed to make more income and that meant increasing the volume of business while minimizing her time involved. Though she had accumulated wealth over the last century, she preferred to live off current income and personal expenses over the last eight years had grown exponentially.
A child was expensive.
Eight years ago, she had saved the infant who would become her daughter.
Diana had been living in Chicago at the time, working as a curator of the Field Museum of Natural History.
Diana's mother and her aunt Antiope had always spoken about fate as she grew. Diana was not happy with fate if it truly existed. Other than Napi, who would always be Chief to her, all of her friends grew old and died. Sameer died in 1962 of a heart attack while Diana was on the other side of the world. Charlie died in 1926 of cirrhosis, finding peace from the ghosts that haunted him since the war. Unlike Sameer, Diana was by Charlie's bed when he died, holding his hand. Etta had moved to New York with Diana after World War Two ended and they stayed roommates until 1970 when Etta died of a stroke at the age of eighty-five. She often joked that she only lived so long so Diana wouldn't be lonely.
She had not seen Chief since World War Two where he assisted her on a few missions while she was part of the S.O.E. British resistance, embedded in occupied France. He was traveling the world, helping those in need, or watching over his people. He told Diana they would see each other again when she needed him, but her journey must be walked alone if she were to ever find her place in this world.
She completed her mission by killing Ares, but it came at such a high personal cost. She had fallen in love with a man in days and lost him in days. She had left home to complete her purpose yet instead of a reward, she was unable to return home.
Etta's death had a profound and lasting effect on Diana. She had stayed away from relationships of any kind, never making friends, never searching for love, never daring to take the chance of caring about someone who could be taken away either by tragedy or time.
That changed when Diana was walking in downtown Chicago, looking for a small but high-end dress shoppe a coworker had told her about.
She smelt the smoke before she saw it. When she turned the corner, flames were bursting out of the open window. People in the streets were shouting, tenants of the building were fleeing but no one was going inside. It was likely she was the only one who could have heard the baby crying over the panic.
Diana rushed into the smoke-filled apartment building and followed her ears to the sound that only a baby could make. She found a burnt dead man on the couch, still holding a bottle of liquor in his hand and had possible remains of a cigarette in the other that had caught the couch on fire. The flames had spread to the curtains and rugs. She found the baby's room and was relieved there were no flames yet, but smoke was rushing through the door now that she had opened it.
The baby was dressed in a pink gown, trying to pull herself up on the bars of her baby bed. Diana grabbed her quickly, covered her with a blanket and ran her outside.
When she exited the building, Diana and her racing heart slowed she truly looked for at the baby in her arms.
Donna Troy's eyes were wide open, staring at Diana. Despite what the baby had just suffered through, she had stopped crying.
Diana had never been more captivated in her life. She had always adored children, especially babies, but never had a desire to have one. There was something special about this little girl. Diana felt an instant connection. She accompanied Donna in the ambulance and stayed in the room with her waiting for relatives that never came.
A social worker had arrived and told her of the child's potential fate.
Donna's mother had died during childbirth six months ago. Her father Frank had been raising the girl. The initial investigation suggested that he had been drinking and fallen asleep on the couch while smoking, confirming Diana's suspicion.
The girl had no grandparents, aunts, or uncles. She had no one. Donna would be placed in the foster system.
Diana would not allow anyone else to have this child. She used all the contacts she had gained over the years, greased as many palms with cash as she needed to and left the hospital a week later as the legal mother of Donna Troy Prince.
Diana had quit work for four years learning to be an excellent mother. Like everything in Diana's life, when she decided to do something, she wanted to be the best. She poured her heart and soul into giving Donna the best care and being the best mother, she could be.
Four years ago, Diana had decided to move. She had no wish to raise Donna through her formative social years in Chicago and decided they needed a fresh start. After forging identity documents for the two of them, they moved to London. She listed Donna as her natural child, helped by the fact that they looked similar and could easily be biological mother and daughter.
Diana found a quaint double bedroom conversion flat in the residential area of Brixton District and opened her business in the retail section only three blocks away.
Diana could finally understand her mother's pain when she left. Donna was her world, her only link to humanity, whom she centered her life around. For the first time she didn't feel like a visitor to this world. When she was with her daughter, she felt at home. She no longer spent her nights longing to return to Themyscira. Now she spent her nights thinking of the best she could give her daughter.
Her phone alarm rang, and Diana instantly smiled. Grabbing her bag and coat, Diana left her office, greeting her restorers in the workshop and continued to the front of the store where the retail area was located. She told her manager she would not be coming back and to ensure the shoppe was secure. The security system was top of the line considering the rare and expensive items Diana dealt in.
At times she would pick Donna up from school, bring her to the shoppe, give her an afternoon snack, then finish her paperwork while Donna read from an assortment of books Diana kept for her. Tonight, she had promised her daughter an afternoon away from the office, an early start to a long weekend of fun.
She walked to the parking lot in front of her residence and drove to the school.
Her car was another sign of Donna's impact on Diana. Since Diana had come to man's world, she had driven fast cars. She didn't buy many luxuries for herself, but sports cars were a must.
Now she drove a silver Audi E Tron SUV. While it was a very safe and environmentally responsible car, it wasn't known for its horsepower. It was a safe family car that seated six, important because Donna was a popular child who had many friends and Diana often toted them around to events.
Traffic wasn't heavy on the short drive to Daile Academy. The Academy was a top primary school in the city and a major reason Diana decided she could not spend all of Donna's childhood being a stay-at-home mother if she did not want to touch her various hidden savings accounts. The fees of the school were outrageous, and Donna was only in year three. She could imagine how costly nine more years; four years undergraduate and two to five years postgraduate would cost. Donna could decide to go to medical or law school. Regardless of her choices, Diana thought she may need to resort to using her savings or powers to rob banks when all was said and done.
She waited in front of the school patiently for the bell to end the day. The small courtyard filled with students, running to their parents. Donna was usually at the front, and today was no different.
"Mum!"
"Hello Princess." Diana greeted her, kneeling down, and kissing her on the cheek. "How was your day?"
"Wonderful. How was your day? Did you sell anything?"
Diana nodded. "I sold as much as I could. We will be able to eat for at least a few days, assuming you are okay with eating only noodles."
Donna laughed and took Diana's hand ready to leave. Rather than walking her to the car, Diana spotted her teacher, Ms. Gentry and walked towards her, Donna in hand.
"Hello Ms. Prince! How are you today?"
"I am doing well. I have questions about Donna's curriculum. Her English vocabulary and pronunciation are well advanced which is what I expected from this institution considering her high intelligence. It is foreign languages about which I am concerned. I have asked her if she needs help in Latin as she has spoken nothing of the subject. I learned that there have yet been any lessons in Latin. It was my understanding when I enrolled her, that Latin would be a priority this year as it is a particularly important language in regard to farther academic pursuits. May I ask when the lessons will start? We are halfway through the school year."
Miss Gentry, a woman of twenty years teaching experience, began to feel uncomfortable. Diana Prince was a friendly and gracious woman but also not a woman to be trifled with.
"We believe that language, especially one as difficult as Latin should be taught organically. Over the next two months we will be introducing words and phrases and focus more intently on the lessons in fourth year."
Diana stared at her for a moment, her face making it obvious she was not impressed by the answer. Miss Gentry began to feel extremely uncomfortable and fidgety. Though she had dealt with hundreds of unhappy parents over the years, something about Diana Prince slightly frightened her. The sudden tension in the air was broken when Diana finally spoke.
"Donna is a natural at languages, as brilliant as she is in all her subjects. She is already reading at a seventh-year level, much more advanced than any other student at this institution. Must I teach her myself or should I find another ridiculously expensive primary school that believes communication in this world should be a priority?"
The teacher tried to clear her throat and loosened her collar. "I…I would hate that. As you have said, Donna is brilliant and one of our most well-behaved and intelligent students. Even at this fine institution, she is ahead of most children in many grades above her. It is difficult at times to believe she is only eight. This is no doubt due to your excellent parenting as well as her intelligence. I suppose I could begin advanced instruction after the holiday break, perhaps if she stayed after class."
Diana sighed, realizing this woman knew nothing of Latin and it would be a waste of Donna's time. Her daughter would be best learning from her over the summer holiday.
"Don't bother yourself. I will teach her Latin myself. I am not sure what you mean by organically introducing words. I do not pay for organic lessons, I pay for organic food at the market. I pay the school for structured education and for my daughter to speak and understand complete sentences in other languages, not random words mixed in with English. I will speak with the head administrator about his curriculum. I understand you are only doing your job. Good day, Miss Gentry."
Diana walked hand in hand with her daughter to her Audi.
"I like Miss Gentry; she is a nice woman." Donna said.
"She is an imbecile." Diana grumbled under her breath.
"What?"
"She is a very nice woman, I'm sure." Diana agreed with Donna, a false smile hiding her disappointment with the school.
Once she had her daughter secured in her booster seat in the back, the two drove off into London traffic.
"Did you eat everything I packed for you today?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
Diana smiled, pleased as always that Donna followed the nutritional plan she prepared every Sunday for the week ahead. Donna took her health as serious as Diana did.
"And your activity at recess?"
"I played on the monkey bars for ten minutes. I also played tag but only for a few minutes. My uniform is not good for running."
"Good?"
"Ideal." Donna said after a few seconds thought.
Diana grinned. "Excellent, Princess. By my calculations, you must have at least eight ounces of protein at dinner. Where would you prefer to dine this evening?"
"Ernie's Grille. I am in the mood for fish and chips."
Diana tended to keep Donna away from fried food but there were always solutions.
"You can, so long as you eat broccoli sprouts for your snack. Deal?"
"Deal!"
Once the two reached home, Diana prepared her daughter a bowl of broccoli sprouts and sat next to her on the couch, sharing the vegetable and turning on the television. BBC Two was playing an adaption of Shakespeare's As You Like It.
"Mum?"
"Yes, Princess?"
"Can we watch Sofia the First?"
Diana raised her eyebrow, caught off guard. "You would rather watch a poorly animated television show than one of Shakespeare's brilliant comedies?"
"Yes." Donna answered without hesitation. "All my friends watch it."
Diana sighed and turned to the show. Donna squealed in delight and curled into her mother, making sitting through the childish show easier to swallow for Diana. She was glad she had no television growing up. Had she had grown up with cartoons she may have spent an inordinate amount of time watching them, rather than pursuing worthwhile endeavors like education and training.
"What was your favorite cartoon when you were my age?"
Diana chuckled. "I never owned a television before you came into my life. I had no shows of any kind to watch."
Donna frowned, not liking the sound of that. "Then what did you do for fun? Did you not have any fun?"
"Of course, I had fun. My mother would read to me the most fantastic stories until I learned to read myself. I had older sisters who would play with me when I wished. I climbed trees and tall hills and swam in the ocean."
"Where are your mum and sisters now?"
Diana sighed. "I've told you; she is far away, much too far for us to visit. The island is a little-known place you wouldn't find on a map."
"She never calls." Donna pointed out.
"There are no telephones there. I wish you could meet her. One day I will explain why you cannot. One day you will know everything about my childhood. Today is not that day though, Princess. Today, we focus on cartoons and later fish and chips."
Donna looked at her mother curiously. "Did you learn the stories you tell me before I go to bed from your mum? Were you the princess in the stories, or was your mum? Was your mum the queen? Did she wear golden armor and carry a large sword to protect her people?"
Diana ran her fingers through Donna's hair. "Yes, I tell you the same stories my mother told me when I was your age. They are just stories. They encouraged my imagination and influenced my behavior. My mother was a very brave woman, wise and extraordinarily strong. One day I will tell you everything about my childhood but today is not that day. Go prepare yourself for dinner."
"May I wear blue jeans?"
"Of course."
Donna ran off to change while she called Ernesto's Grille or Ernie's as Diana enjoyed calling the eatery. The manager knew Diana well and she asked them to hold her regular table, prepare the fish and chips they would order baked, rather than fried, and say nothing of the changes to her daughter.
An hour later the two sat at their favorite table next to the large window looking out onto the sidewalk. Diana drank wine from her glass and Donna sipped grapefruit juice from a similar glass. The two could have been older and younger doppelgangers of each other as Donna carefully watched everything Diana did and repeated it, from crossing her legs to the way she held her glass.
Diana noticed of course but pretended not to, enjoying Donna mimicking her movements.
Diana had just finished her drink when she noticed a particularly attractive woman walking by. The woman wore faded blue jeans that were very tight, stiletto boots over them, a white leather bustier for a top, showing ample cleavage and a small black leather jacket over her shoulders. Her hair was as dark as Diana's and even longer, hanging straight down her back rather than dark waves like Diana sported.
Though this strange woman kept her head down as she walked along, she did raise her eyes to meet Diana's. Seeing Diana looking straight at her she averted her eyes once more and walked hastily until she was out of sight.
Based on her dress, the woman could have been a streetwalker or an Oxford or London College student looking for a club. Brixton didn't have a shortage of those. It was certainly too cold out for her wardrobe. That was not Diana's biggest concern.
The way she met Diana's eyes and then averted her gaze was indicative that she was watching them. Being a spy and saboteur in World War Two may have made Diana a bit paranoid but it also gave her certainty when she was being watched.
Not knowing if this woman could be a threat or not, Diana decided sitting by a large window next to a sidewalk with Donna was not the time and place to find out.
She paid the check quickly and watched to be sure she wasn't followed on the drive home. She took many twists and turns to lose a tail if she had had one.
It took an hour for the two to complete the normal twenty-minute drive home. She rushed a slightly confused Donna into the building. Once Donna was brushing her teeth, Diana was in her office, checking the cameras that covered not only her home but the block around her.
She saw nothing but that meant little. The cameras were not all knowing, especially at night when there were many shadows in the alleys.
Diana drew a bath for Donna, then prepared her for bed when she was done. The two moved into Donna's bedroom for her nightly story.
The mother kept her daughter enthralled for the next half hour, telling a fantastical story about mermaids who swam with dolphins and battled sharks. They could also grant wishes to any who saw them. The story was adventurous but also a warning about the danger of wishing, taking the easy path rather than forging your own.
Once Donna was asleep, Diana stepped into her own office and opened the highly secure vault in her closet. It was a tall vault, taller than Diana and required fingerprint, voice and facial recognition before the code could even be entered.
When it opened she walked inside and stilled for a moment, taking in the red, gold, and blue armor she had not worn in over a century. The shield still had dried blood from battles in Belgium. The tiara that had belonged to Antiope hung on the wall and the armored boots were still covered in mud from the battlefield she fought Ares on.
The lasso of Hestia was coiled and clipped to the waist of the armor, a golden color that glowed in her hand when she wished to use it.
Next to the shield was a sword. Diana had lost the sword she believed was the Godkiller to Ares but in the fifties had begun the search for remnants of a mythical Amazon she had been told of by her mother. Like most of her mother's stories, Diana wasn't sure what was real or not.
Following clues in her mother's story and ancient myths, Diana found an underground temple in Greece that had once imprisoned thousands of Amazons. She searched the area for weeks, finding many bones of soldiers in armor, obviously slain in battle. She was certain this had been where Asteria held off the armies of men and wondered if Asteria could have survived.
Diana doubted it when she found the sword. The sword was obviously crafted differently than those around her. She recognized ancient Amazon symbols on the hilt. It had been shoved into the rocky ground blade first and took Diana's incredible strength to pull it free. The blade was still straight, solid, and sharp. If Asteria had survived, she would not have left the sword.
On the right track, she began searching for Amazon symbols carved into the rock. She was successful and the symbols marked a trail, leading to a small hidden cavern where Asteria's golden armor lay.
Diana never found bones or any solid proof of Asteria's fate and took the armor and sword. She kept the sword with her armor in the event she was every called to battle to defend her daughter. She kept the golden armor in a similar vault in her bedroom.
Diana changed into the armor, surprised by how familiar it felt even after all this time. She moved back to her office and continued watching the cameras. If the provocatively dressed girl could find her there, it reasoned she knew where Diana lived.
Across the street, hidden in the shadows of an alley, Zatanna Zatara, watched the second floor flat. The shades were closed, and the lights were dim inside. It was ten o clock at night and having no frame of reference for what time a mother went to bed, she thought it might be best to leave this woman till tomorrow.
She had cast a spell earlier that morning that brought her to London, outside of Prince Antiques and Restoration Shoppe. She entered the store hesitantly, but a quick review of the retail sales personnel told her they were not the one she was looking for. Most were older and she sensed no inherent power radiating off of them. She knew there were restorers in the back and the owner had an office there as well. A card by the front checkout gave out Diana Prince's name as the owner of the store and her instincts told her she was the one she sought. It was remarkably high end, had an eclectic selection of objects for sale and no shortage of customers prepared to spend thousands here, rather than take their chances at an auction house.
Zatanna left but stayed across the street watching the store. Around 2 PM, a gorgeous woman dressed in a stylish red pantsuit and black jacket walked outside. Zatanna knew it was her. The magical power she was sensing from the woman was greater than she had felt from anyone. Yet the woman was no mystic, or sorcerer. She was something new Zatanna had never crossed before.
As the woman drove off, Zatanna lost her, not having a car of her own, one of the pitfalls of traveling blindly by teleportation to another country with no local currency, identification, or idea of how to get about in a place as large as London.
Locator spells were always tricky without something personal of the one being located. She did her best and was led to a stylish residential building.
She was there thirty-six minutes when Diana Prince returned. To her surprise, a complication was with her, a small girl, who walked hand in hand with Diana into the building.
Zatanna wasn't sure what to make of this. She needed help from her partner. Texting Diana's name and address to him, she waited for more information.
He did not respond as quickly as he usually did. When she saw Diana and her daughter leaving hours later, Zatanna was prepared. She grabbed a taxi and did what she had only seen in the movies. She told the driver to follow them. The driver had refused of course, not wanting to be involved in a potential stalking or murder case. Luckily, it only took a simple persuasion spell to do as she asked.
She watched the woman have dinner with her daughter by a large window. She looked like a happy mother having an excellent dinner with a precocious daughter who made her laugh often and copied her mother's every move. People would notice her beauty but only someone like Zatanna could truly feel the power radiating from her, even outside.
Wanting to take a closer look, she walked the sidewalk in front of the restaurant slowly. She wasn't sure if it was her normal dress which did not scream out modesty, or the woman's natural instincts but when Zatanna glanced her way, Diana Prince met her eyes. Zatanna looked away quickly and moved faster but she could feel Diana's eyes following her as she left. She thought she should have smiled, pretended to only be interested in her appearance. Instead, her nervousness no doubt set Prince on edge.
She returned to Diana's residence, took note of all the cameras in the area and found a blind spot in an alley to watch and wait for her friend to contact her.
He finally called.
"Bruce, what took you so long?!" she asked feigning anger to hide her nervousness. "The woman made me in seconds on a sidewalk. She has great instincts, or she sensed magic from me. I have sensed great power from her as well."
"You have confirmed your hunch about Diana Prince. Is she a sorcerer?"
"I'm not certain what she is. I didn't sense she was one of my kind. Tell me you have found something."
"I have found quite a bit but have only scratched the surface. She is an enigma. The name Diana Prince shows up on an adoption record from eight years ago in Chicago for a Donna Troy, a six-month-old orphan. I found a newspaper article around the same time, indicating a Diana Prince saved the child from a building fire but refused to have any pictures taken or offer any comment to the paper. Other than that, no records of her exist in Chicago or before her time there.
"Four years ago, Diana Prince and her biological daughter Donna Prince moved to London. Though obviously the same person, this Diana Prince had documents showing she was a British citizen, having been born and raised in London. Diana opened an antique business, and it became successful quickly. She acquired a wide range of hard to find and rare items and gathered contacts that hired her services immediately. It was as if she already had these items and the contacts. I've traced numerous accounts she may have used over the years. Her shoppe is a success but does not account for the amount of money I have tracked so far. She is obviously good at hiding past identities and forging electronic and paper documents. I've found no records before Chicago, but her name appears numerous times in history along with a few photos that match her appearance."
Any doubts about Diana being the one she needed were gone from Zatanna's mind.
"She changes identities often but keeps the same name and has built wealth under these different identities for years. You said history? How far back do her appearances go?"
"Very far back. She is rarely mentioned in newspaper articles but every time she is, the subject revolves around her saving someone or archeological finds. I haven't finished researching her but so far, records indicate she was alive in nineteen thirty-two. The search is still ongoing."
Zatanna felt a chill, wondering what this could mean. An immortal woman? Her kind lived much longer than homo sapiens, but Diana Prince was no homo magi.
"I need to know more before I approach her." Zatanna decided.
"There is no time. Three objects needed for the Amulet of Aite have already been stolen or obtained by whatever organization Barbara Minerva is heading up. Only two remain and we cannot take on Minerva again while obtaining the two objects. Whatever beast she turns into, nearly killed the both of us. Your spell led you to someone who could defeat Minerva. This is obviously Prince. It is only a matter of time before Minerva attempts to acquire one of the remaining objects. We need her now."
Zatanna sighed, knowing he was right. She was the one who approached him with her theory when the first two items, including her father's book were stolen. Despite his skill and tech, both were lucky to be alive after their run in with Minerva.
"Continue to search for the temple where the hellfire forge is located." Zatanna told him. "I will speak to Diana Prince. If you don't hear from me by morning, assume Diana Prince has killed me, find my body, and spend a ridiculous amount of money on my memorial service."
Zatanna crossed the street and rang the bell before she could change her mind.
"Yes?" the voice from the box answered.
"Hello, is this Diana Prince?"
"It is."
"I apologize for the late hour, but I need to speak to you. It is of the upmost importance."
"You could not have spoken to me when you were following me earlier?" her voice asked.
Zatanna cringed.
"I apologize. I was not sure if you were the one who I sought but I am certain now. I swear, I mean no harm."
"Hold for a moment."
Zatanna stood by the door, wondering if she would be buzzed in or if the police were on their way. The police she could manage but she wasn't sure if she could manage this woman. Zatanna didn't know her skills, but Diana Prince did not know Zatanna's skills, an advantage if the situation turned hostile.
A minute went by, then two minutes and Zatanna felt she was being left out in the cold until she felt a sudden breeze behind her and heard the sound of metal on concrete. Before she could turn, she was struck and blacked out.
When she returned to consciousness her head felt on fire and she fought to regain her bearings.
Her vision finally cleared, and she became aware of certain facts immediately.
She was sitting in a wooden chair.
The chair was sitting on a large plastic tarp.
The tip of an exceedingly long, very sharp sword was less than an inch from her body, over her heart and held in Diana Prince's left hand, where she stood in front of her, wearing the strangest outfit.
Her torso was bound in a very warm, glowing golden rope held by Diana's right hand.
"I will ask you questions. You will have no choice but to answer truthfully. When you do answer, do so quietly. My daughter is asleep and if you attempt to scream, or prove yourself a danger, I will cut your heart out, wrap your body in this tarp and dump you far away from here."
Of the thousands of things she could have said only one came to mind in her panicked state.
"You keep a tarp in your home? Does this happen often?"
The lasso tightened around Zatanna, and she hissed.
"First question, who are you?"
Zatanna felt the magic immediately. There was no chance of lying. Hopefully, the truth would satisfy this woman who was definitely not human.
"My name is Zatanna Zatara and I desperately need your help."
"My help with what?"
"Saving humanity."
Diana sighed, having gone down this road before.
"Of course, you do."
