Mirror Image

By: The Angelic Temptress

Disclaimer: I don't own them, but if I did… I think a whole lot of people would hate me for the terrible things I do.

Rating: PG-13

A/N: You might want to skim through the first two stories of this series, "Parallelism" and "Mimicked"

Spoilers: Just keep up with the series, people. (Question Authority)

A/N2: Thanks to Missy for the many beta readings. Without her, my stories would sound as if a kindergartner wrote them. : )

VvV

"You're becoming predictable."

Her slender form straightens at the sound of my voice before she quietly closes the roof's entrance.

A new exhibit which already had a stay in Metropolis is now being held in Gotham's museum. The Cat's Eye Diamond, on loan from London, is touring the country. My city's little thief could have picked any other museum to loot.

But she chose to wait and rob Gotham's.

"Am I?" she counters and slowly turns to match gazes. She places both hands on her hips and walks toward me. When she stops, our faces are mere inches apart. "I don't hear you complaining."

Her bright eyes sparkle in a way that makes me want to smile, but I don't.

"You will."

My reply forces her eyes to narrow, and I recall a pair of green eyes belonging to another. I find myself worrying for both women.

"I need you to quit stealing, Selina."

Her red lips curl into a seductive grin I remember dreaming of in another life, a life when I thought the League had been a good idea.

"Didn't we have this conversation several times before?" Selina wraps an arm around my neck as a finger traces the insignia on my chest.

"No."

"Please. You don't forget those kinds of things."

"Things are different this time."

I watch as her mouth moves closer to mine. "Are they?"

Though my mind's siren is warning me of the intimate danger lurking in this woman's smooth skin, soft lips, and brilliant eyes, I give into my desire. My mouth covers hers before she can kiss me.

Selina accepts my advance openly. Before I can stop her, her hands force my body to mold against hers. And when our lips part, I can tell she knows I'm not myself.

I whisper, "You need to lie low. If something were to happen to me –"

"What?" She slightly drops her jaw with shock and questions, "Why are you talking like that?"

"If I'm defeated, you'll be a target. I can't let any of them lay a hand on you." I know they'll hurt her. Things are different now that Flash is dead.

"Who? Tell me. I'll help."

"You can't." I take her hand and rest a list of names in her palm. "These are people you can contact if you need anything. No one else is to be trusted."

When she lowers her stare to read the names, I slip away without a word.

VvV

I knock on John's door and subconsciously fold my hands behind my back. It's a stance he knows all too well, one of anxiety. With my wings pulled close to my shoulder blades, I wait for the door to slide open. When it does, I resist changing the serious expression I've plastered on my face.

It resembles the one Batman wears frequently.

"Shayera?" His radiant eyes widen slightly at the sight of me. With a wrinkled forehead he asks, "Is there something I can help you with?"

Trying to control my breathing, I nod and request entrance into his quarters. Though he hesitates, John quickly steps aside and motions me in. He doesn't wait for the door to shut before he begins his familiar interrogation.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No." Before I can add more to my answer, he asks if I've heard of what happened between Mari and him. Again I say, "No" and somewhat tilt my head. It takes me two seconds to realize that I'm showing interest.

"We… I ended our relationship."

"Why?"

"Well, I sort of thought it was obvious."

My heart jumps into my dry throat, and I nearly choke on the words climbing into my big mouth.

"Because you still have feelings for me?" I blurt and mentally kick myself for speaking.

"In a nutshell, yeah."

Part of me wants to jump for joy, and the other half is silently screaming. Bruce's image flashes in my head as I swallow the lump in my throat.

"John –"

"Don't try to rationalize this." He takes a huge step toward me and grasps my shoulders. "There are too many good reasons to love you, Shayera."

Love? Even after everything I've done?

It's all happening so fast, and I'm about ready to race from his room. My eyes move away from his and to the tidy bed stationed just a yard away.

"I need to go, John."

VvV

"The last piece of Kryptonite is in the safe," Nightwing states as he joins me by the computer. Nothing is said for a few minutes. Alfred conveniently interrupts our awkward silence.

"Master Bruce, you have a visitor."

Shayera slowly makes her way down the stairs. Before I ask him to leave, Nightwing excuses himself once he greets her. I don't look at her until his cycle has left the cave.

"What did Lantern say?"

"I didn't ask." Because I don't speak a word, she corrects herself by adding, "I couldn't do it."

"Why not?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Apparently, it does." I stand from my chair and slightly touch her elbow, only to have her quickly shrug me off. I immediately understand. "He and Mari called it quits," I conclude and note that her eyes haven't left the cave's floor since she walked in. "And he wants you back."

This time, I get Shayera to lift her gaze.

It's enough to prove my speculation.

"Bruce…"

I turn my back to her and pretend to glance through my computer's files. "Perhaps Lantern will listen to our theories."

"I'm not going to use him."

"I'm not suggesting that you should." Something grows hard in my chest, but I ignore it. "You love him."

Her soft hand falls to my waist as the other moves to rest on my left hip. She leans her head against my back, and I close my eyes. For a millisecond, I pretend we are in love and not just lonely.

I pretend she loves me.

As quickly as the idea floods my brain, it seeps back out. "You should go to him."

"Why?" she questions. I know her lips are against my cape.

Because you'll have his son, I should say. "Because you want to," I say instead.

VvV

Our laughter lessens, and I take a final bite of the beef fried rice before I announce I'm ready to explode.

John's eyebrow rises. "But you barely ate," he says sarcastically and motions to the empty boxes lying on the floor between us. "Don't tell me you're dieting."

"No." I smile and can't help focusing on how well his deep crimson shirt fits him. It's been a long time since I've seen him in civilian clothing. Though I prefer John in uniform, as I do all men, I love his ass in jeans.

He interrupts my thoughts.

"You look nice today."

I shrug and glance down at my ensemble: ballet flats with dark brown Capri pants and a peach satin tank top with green lace trim. "I guess it's nice."

Silence ensues, and he starts to clean the mess we've made on his carpet.

"Let me help."

"But you don't like cleaning," he remarks with a smirk.

With narrowed eyes, I get on my knees and lend a hand. We opportunely meet in the center, simultaneously grabbing the same takeout box. Again our eyes meet, and we both smile like kids would on their first date. I wish it were that simple.

John suddenly kisses me tenderly, and I envision making it simple.

For once, maybe it could be.

"I'm sorry," he whispers when he leaves my mouth. "That was inappropriate."

I swallow hard and stand with the boxes still in my hands. "I think I should go." His mouth opens, but I speak before he can protest. "No. I know I should go. You just split with Mari, and I think we both need to… think about what we're doing here." I walk to his kitchen and dump the garbage in his small trash can.

I grab my short coat and head for the apartment door. I'm stopped by the hand holding my elbow.

"Listen, I know it's abrupt. But you and I aren't like other people."

My eyes fixate on his as I shake my head. "Things have changed, John. I'm not the Hawkgirl you cared for."

"But you're the Shayera I loved… love." John takes my face into his hands to be sure that I see his lips move. "I love you. I always have but couldn't tell you."

It's been so long since I heard those words, and I remember once hoping he would slip and tell me how he felt.

"I need to go."

Just last week, I thought another man loved me.

I guess I was way off base.

VvV

"So where's your girl?"

I resist glaring at Arrow for I know it would just be a waste of energy. As a substitute, I ignore his question.

"I'm asking 'cause she's usually all over you like white on rice." Without another word wasted on the subject of Shayera, Ollie drops a manila folder on my lap. "Q's got some of his own ideas; he and Huntress have been scoping out J'onn and Superman. Since we lost Wally, our fearless leader has been plotting a way to kill Luthor."

"I already know this."

"But what if we rub out Lex before Superman can? Would that stop the inevitable? Question even volunteered to do it, though I'm sure Huntress would love to help. I'm not saying that I'm for eliminating Lex, though it would probably help the world a ton, but maybe we could stick him into Arkham?"

I open the folder and see a photo of Wally West, The Flash, lying in the hallway of the Cadmus headquarters. Part of me believes we're too late to stop Clark's anger.

Part of me hopes we're powerful enough.

VvV

My heart flutters when he wakes from his sleep. I spent half the night watching him, remembering when we were hiding our feelings from one another and later hiding our relationship from everyone else.

He doesn't open his eyes when he says, "Morning, Sunshine."

"Morning."

"Hmm. How'd you sleep?"

"Who said I slept?"

"Bad dreams?"

"No. Good ones."

The skin at the corner of his eyes crinkles when they open due to the sunlight leaking in through his window, but he smiles nonetheless. I pull the blanket tighter around myself and lay my head on his broad chest; he wraps his arms tighter around me. His fingers play with my hair as my fingers trace the ridges of his chest through the cotton fabric of his shirt.

The night before, we both fell asleep watching an old John Wayne movie. Since we've started seeing each other, all we do is take walks and watch movies. We haven't "slept" together in the "Biblical sense," as John says. We agreed on taking it slow.

He thinks he knows my reasons. In reality, he has no idea.

"Shayera?"

"Yeah?"

"I've got a confession to make." John carefully slips out from beneath me to sit up. I follow him. "Last year, something happened. Batman, Diana, and I were shot into the past and then into the future."

"And you didn't tell anyone?"

"Diana doesn't remember, so there was no use in it."

I nod and pull my knees to my chest.

"What happened isn't important, but who I met is." He turns his head and takes hold of one of my hands. "I met Rex Stewart."

I think for a moment, as if I am trying to recall a face to match the name. "Rex Stewart?"

"My son… Our son."

My jaw drops, and I rip my hand from his. "What?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I couldn't."

"Is he the reason for this reunion?" I demand, my eyes clouding with tears. "Is that why you left Mari?"

"I'd be lying to us both if I said he didn't have some influence on my decisions." John tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and caresses my cheek as he states, "He had your eyes, and they haunt me every waking moment."

"Great Thanagar," I whisper and allow a tear to slip down my face. "Who else knows?"

"Only Bruce."

Bastard.