EPILOGUE

THREE YEARS LATER. . .

"Happy birthday dear Hayden and Haylynn, happy birthday to you!" The smiling seven year old twins both took a deep breath and blew out all the candles on their cake. The Watchtower shook with cheers as the entire Justice League, old and new, clapped and cheered the twins. Both twins were desperately trying to ignore the fact that their daddy wasn't there. Just one more birthday he had missed.

"Hey, how come Hayden's name was first?" Haylynn mocked whined, nudging her twin with her shoulder and grinning at him. Hayden laughed, sat back and crossed his arms.

"Well, I am the oldest." He pointed out. "Runt."

"Don't call me runt!"

"Why not? You're the younger twin!"

"By half and hour Hayden John!"

"Half and hour is half an hour Haylynn Lee."

"Stop it you two." Shayera said with a laugh, sitting down between them and putting an arm around her daughters shoulders, mostly to hold her back. It wouldn't do for her to give Hayden a black eye on their birthday.

"Haylynn, Hayden is the older twin by half an hour. Hayden, don't call your sister a runt. Haylynn, Hayden's name came first in the song, but I made sure that your name was first on the cake. Hayden, not a word."

"Yes mama." The two chorused, grinning, while the rest of the Justice League laughed.

"Now, cake time!" The Flash yelled, yelping when Piper smacked his arm.

"You're a dork Uncle Wally!" A young voice said, and Haylynn looked up.

"Thomas!" She yelled, flying into the arms of the slightly taller six year old who had just arrived with his father.

"Hi Haylynn!" Thomas said with a laugh as the over excited seven year old literally bowled him over and they both rolled across the floor.

"Should we be worried?" Diana whispered to Shayera as she took Haylynn's seat, holding the newest addition to the Wayne family, three year old Mackenzie Caroline Wayne, more affectionately known as M.C.

"Maybe when their older." Shayera whispered back, then laughing out loud as the smaller and lighter Haylynn pinned the younger but taller and heavier Thomas on his back.

"You missed seeing me blow out the candles." Haylynn told the boy, crossing her arms and sticking her bottom lip out.

"Sorry." Thomas said with a shrug. "My dad took forever." Thomas had turned out to be just as precocious as Hayden and Haylynn were, and were causing his parents the same amount of headaches.

Haylynn uncrossed her arms with a laugh and rolled off of the boy and offered a hand to help him to his feet. Thomas took it with his usual good humor and let Haylynn pull him up. Once he was on his feet, the impulsive Haylynn gave him a quick hug before scrambling back to her mother and climbing up between her and Hayden.

"Hi baby. Finished beating up Thomas?" Shayera teased. Haylynn laughed.

"Mama, I wouldn't beat up Thomas, he's my best friend! Besides Hayden that is." She added quickly. Hayden laughed.

"Glad to see how I rate." Hayden teased his sister. She punched his shoulder, then smiled innocently up at her mother, who laughed.

"All right you two. Are you ready for presents yet?"

"Not really." Haylynn whispered, lowering her eyes. "I wish Daddy was here."

"Oh, sweetie." Shayera said, hugging her daughter close. "I wish he was here too."

"And who said I would miss this?" A new voice boomed from the doorway.

"DADDY!" Both twins yelled, throwing themselves, wings and all into his arms. John used his ring to save the two packages in his arms as his children tackled him and set them down gently as he laughed and twirled the twins around.

"Hey guys! Did you miss me?"

"Yes! Of course!" Both said, hugging him tightly. John laughed and set them down, handing them each a present.

"Well, then get over there and open your presents." John told them, turning them around and giving each of them a playful swat.

"Yes Daddy!" They both laughed, running over to where the rest of their presents were waiting. John stayed in a crouch watching them for a few seconds before straightening up and making his way over to where Shayera was sitting with Diana, who had M.C. sitting on her lap.

"Hey you." He said. Diana and Shayera both smiled at him, and Diana stood up to let John sit down. As she passed, John reached out and touched M.C.'s soft hair. "Hey there Kenzie."

"Hi Uncle John." M.C. said shyly, before burying her face in her mothers neck. Diana smiled at him also.

"Hello John."

"Hey Diana." John responded, giving her a smile before passing her to sit on the couch next to Shayera.

"When did you get back?" She asked with a grin. John sat down and simply grinned at her.

"About five minutes ago. What did you do to yourself?" He asked, motioning to the bandage on her cheek and the arm strapped to her chest. "I leave to go undercover for a few weeks and you try to get yourself killed? Are you mentally unstable or something?"

"You wanna cut the wisecracks and come say hello properly?"

"Love to." John whispered.

Ignoring the party guest, most of whom were watching the twins open their presents anyway, John pulled his lover and the mother of his children into his lap and proceeded to kiss her. John's arms came up and wrapped around her waist as she kissed him gently, then pulled back and rested her forehead on his.

"I missed you." Shayera whispered.

"I missed you too. But the Watchtower seems a little more crowded then it was when I left. My room still free?" John cracked.

"It is if your still interested in sharing my bed." Shayera said with a laugh, tossing her red hair over her shoulder, her green eyes snapping with amusement. She took John's face in her hands and kissed his upturned, smiling mouth.

"Trust me, I'm still very interested." John whispered once they parted again.

Shayera laughed and moved deftly out of John's lap. "Later Marine. Right now, watch our children open their presents." John laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they both watched the twins.

It wasn't until later, as John and Shayera were snuggled into their shared bed in the Watchtower that John pulled Shayera close and kissed her ear.

"What's up?" She asked, smiling at the surprise in his eyes. John always kissed her ear before telling her something.

"Marry me." John whispered, his eyes locked on hers. Shayera froze for just a moment before letting a huge grin cross her face.

"Really?"

"Really Shy. Marry me."

"Yes." Shayera said, hugging him tightly. John touched her chin and pulled her face towards him, kissing her gently and sweetly, yet passionately at the same time. Shayera pulled back first and grinned at him.

John looked at her, and but Shayera's eyes shown with joy.

"What's up?" He also asked, repeating her words. Shayera reached for his hand, then covered it with her and rested both of them on her stomach. John stared for a moment, uncomprehending, then it suddenly dawned on him.

"You mean you. . . I. . . we're. . ." John stuttered. Shayera laughed and pulled John close, resting her head on his forehead.

"You remember that night before you left, when we had your good luck party?" Shayera asked. John nodded and grinned also.

"How could I forget?"

"Well we forgot one thing that night." She whispered, smiling at the joy in John's eyes, the joy that echoed her own. "I'm pregnant John. We're going to be parents again." She said, her voice raised slightly in excitement.

John whooped and pulled Shayera in for a kiss. After a second, he pulled back and looked at her.

"What?"

"How are we going to tell the twins?" He asked. Before Shayera could answer, both heros heard a yelp in the hallway, followed by muffled laughter and the unmistakable sounds of two pairs of wings traveling away from their room and towards the twins.

"Somehow, I think they already know." Shayera said with a laugh. John laughed also before pulling his girlfriend, no, his fiancé, in for another kiss.

THE END

AN: There it's finally finished. Come on, you didn't really think I killed John, did you? If you did, that just means I wanted you too. Anyway, I'm thinking of making this into a sereis, with the next one maybe having the twins along with Thomas, Mackenzie, Andrea and maybe even the Flashes kids messing around in Batman's lab and getting thrown through demensions to the Justice Lords! Or not. What do you think?

Anyway, thanks so much for reading my story. Love you guys!

Alexz