Title: The Love Of A Child

Author: Alexz Recoro

Summary: The love of Shayera's children has helped her find her redemption, and dulled the pain in her heart. But when her children are brutally taken from her, she is forced to ask her former teammates for help. Teammates that include their father, who doesn't even know they exist.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. I do own the twins Hayden John and Haylynn Lee

Feedback: Please read and review. NO FLAMES!

CHAPTER ONE

Wonder Woman choose a small park to set down in. She needed to take a rest. The baby inside of her was currently sparring with her internal organs and distracting her from her flying. But as soon as she recognized the city in which she had landed, her face twisted in disgust and she attempted to take to the sky again. But her stomach rebelled at the thought, and her baby seconded the decision. Grudgingly, Diana sat on a secluded bench. It had been four years. Four years since Shayera Hol's betrayal, four years since Shayera had resigned from the Justice League, four years since Diana had watched her leave with tears in her eyes as well as John's.

Four years and the only thing they knew about Shayera was that she had adopted a city to secretly watch over, this city in fact. Midway City. The rest of the League had taken on an 'out of sight, out of mind' policy. Superman had finally told Lois the truth, and after a few tense month's the two had wed. They had a two year old daughter, Andrea Kent. Flash had fallen for a childhood friend a few months ago, Piper Nix, and the two were planning their wedding. J'onn was the same. And Diana had finally found a way into Batman's, and Bruce Wayne's, heart, and was carrying their second child. Their first was a quiet three year old terror named Thomas Wayne. And John...

Diana sighed at the thought of John. He had changed. He was silent and withdrawn now. He would have nothing to do with the League. He was still an active member, and he was as dedicated as ever to his duties. But he shunned all personal contact of attempts at conversation and had never returned to his room in the new Watchtower, preferring his dark and silent New York apartment. Shayera hadn't been the only one with a broken heart that day.

Diana was jerked out of her thoughts by an all to familiar voice. "Hayden! Haylynn! I'm back!" Shayera's familiar voice carried across the park. Two dark haired children broke away from the jungle gym and raced to the beautiful red head that Diana would know anywhere. Shayera Hol knelt down on the grass, arms outstretched, welcoming the two children with a huge hug, lifting them off the ground as they laughed and kissed her smiling face, calling "Mama, Mama!" But Diana almost didn't believe her eyes because the Shayera Hol before her had no wings. None.

"Please, can we stay just a little bit longer?" Hayden begged his mother. Shayera smiled at her son as she set him on the ground, brushing a lock of his jet black hair out of his bright green eyes. "What do you think Ms. Haylynn Lee? Should we give Mr. Hayden John some more time so that Mommy can talk to Aunt Sara and Uncle Nick?" Shayera said, smiling and waving at Sara and Nick King who were seated on a bench a short distance away.

"Yeah." Haylynn agreed with her twin. "Let's stay."

"Okay you two." Shayera grinned. "But only about half an hour, okay? We wanna get to the ice cream shop before it closes, don't we?"

"Yes Mama." The twins chorused before Hayden gently pushed Haylynn and she chased him back to the jungle gym. Shayera was about to join Sara and Nick when she felt eyes watching her. Scanning with her eyes, she almost fell over when she saw Diana of all people sitting on a bench, staring at her. Quickly signing to Sara that she'd be over in a minute, Shayera made her way over to the woman she hadn't seen in four years.

"Hi." She said.

"Hello." Diana replied coldly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Had to take a small break." Diana motioned to her swollen stomach.

"I wondered about the costume change. And I did see that you and Bats had hooked up. Congratulations."

"Thank you." There was an awkward silence, then Diana motioned to the bench. "Why don't you sit down?"

"Thanks." Shayera sat, and there was another brief silence.
"You have beautiful children."

"Thank you." Shayera said with a smile. "I saw a picture of your son Thomas. He's adorable."

"Thank you. Your two, how old are they?"

"Their both four."

"Twins?"

"Yes."

"Are they..."

"John's? Yes. I still love him, I could never be with anyone else." Shayera said, smiling as she watched Haylynn help a younger boy to his feet after he had fallen.

"Does he know?"

"No."

"What?" Diana was shocked. "Shayera, you can't keep this from him. I'll have to tell him." "No!" Shayera burst out, and Diana was shocked to see tears in her eyes. "Diana, please, you can't tell him."

"He has to know."

"No! Please, I've never asked any of you for anything these past five years. Please. I know he hates me, but I couldn't bear it if he hated his children. And he can't hate them if he doesn't know about them. Please, Diana, please. I'm begging you. Don't tell him. Please."

"All right. I won't tell him."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise."

Shayera breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you Diana." She checked her watch. "I better go pry the twins off the swings. I promised them ice cream, and I have to patrol later."

"Shayera where are..."

"My wings?" Shayera smiled and showed Diana the thin silver band around her wrist. It looked like an ID bracelet, with Shayera Hol written on it in a flowing script. "This is a matter displacer. It transports my wings into a small alternate dimension. They come back when I turn it off. Hayden and Haylynn have them too. A friend designed and perfected them."

"Shayera! Are you coming?!" A voice yelled. Diana looked up and saw a tall, good looking young man standing next to a beautiful woman, both of them waving.

"Coming Nick!" Shayera yelled. She looked at Diana, pleading with her eyes. "Remember your promise Diana. You can't tell him. If he hated them. . . I'd never forgive myself." Shayera whispered the last part, and turned to go, hurrying away so that Diana wouldn't see her tears. But she did anyway.
"Shy. . ."

"I have to go Diana. Good bye." Shayera whispered, her voice filled with sadness. Diana watched, her heart breaking as Shayera made her way over to the young man and woman. The young man took one look at Shayera's face and enfolded her in a hug, the young woman joining in. The two kids looked up and the same time and made a beeline for their mother, joining the group hug. With one last look at the former Justice Leaguer, being comforted by her new family, Diana took to the skies. Trying desperately to ignore the pain that was making a painful ball in her stomach. The pain of loss. Shayera was lost to her. Shayera had new friends, a new family, one who didn't care about her past. She didn't need her or any of the Justice League anymore. And that knowledge made the tears stream down Diana's face.