5. Shame

'Thank you God'

That was the last thought the man had, right before his car door was yanked open and pulled out and thrown against the wall. Shaking his head he looked up directly into two cold white slits.

"Oh shit…" was all he could get out, before Batman caught his throat and pulled him nearer.

By that time, Diana got out of the car and staggered upto them. "What are you doing?" she demanded of Batman.

Seeing her bravado, the man gained some courage, "Hey man, she offered it...completely consensual…..ask her yourself

Batman ignored Diana, his attention on the man; he spoke two words "GO. AWAY." causing the man to nearly piss himself."

As soon as he left the man go he rushed to his car, croaking at Diana "I don't know what you did lady to piss of the Batman, but you are bad news." With that he got into his car and drove away, trying to get away before the Bat' changed his mind and came after him.

Meanwhile, Diana was facing off with Batman, "How dare you do that?"

Batman ignored her, pulled her closer and fired a grapple and took off to the roof, where the Batwing awaited them.

Once on the roof Diana attacked Batman, "Who do you think you are? You have no right to stop me? No man has ever stopped me?" she yelled clawing at Batman's face.

Batman realized she was heavily intoxicated, he reached behind her neck and pressed a pressure point completely rendering her senseless below the neck.

Diana fell to the ground. Batman lifted her up and slung her over his shoulder and carried her into the Batwing and flew towards her apartment. Diana lay immobile next to him but kept on berating him.

Once in the apartment, he took off his mask, facing her as Bruce Wayne, he pressed her pressure point to give her sensation and control back. Diana tried to attack him again, but he held her hands apart. She thrashed around and then kicked him sending him back. He fell to the ground and Diana landed on him, her hands still held in his iron grip. Bruce rolled over straddling her, held her hands together in one hand and slapped her hard across the face. Diana was shocked at his actions. Gaining some sense she looked at him. She had never seen neither Batman nor Bruce Wayne like this. He was sad and angry at the same time. She couldn't face him after what she had done and she looked away, tears starting to flow down her face.

Sensing her relax under him, Bruce got up and lifted her to her bed. Stepping back he sat down on chair. He stared at her and simply said,

"Why?"

When she didn't answer, he repeated himself, louder this time, "WHY? Answer me."

Diana couldn't meet his eyes; she lowered her head, her long black hair falling around her, she whispered slowly, "I wanted to feel."

"You wanted to feel" repeated Bruce incredulously. "What did you want to feel? Getting ravaged by a drunken stranger, losing your self respect or maybe you suddenly wanted to makeup for thousands of years of lost male companionship. What did you want to feel Diana?"

"I wanted to feel emotions?" she said sobbing softly.

"EMOTIONS" yelled Bruce. "You wanted to feel emotions. So you decided to get drunk, strip and have sex with a stranger in his car. What did you want to feel….friendship, lust or maybe you wanted to feel love. Which I take you don't feel from me?"

"No, its not that"

"Then what?" Bruce was starting to lose control. He couldn't believe his eyes, when he had seen Diana with that stranger. They had spent a great day together and Bruce was feeling great when he had returned to the manor. But the night had brought the day to a crashing end.

"What did you want to feel that drove you, Diana, Wonder Woman, Princess of Themiscyra, Champion of the Gods and Justice League member to act like a common………?" He couldn't himself to continue and say the word.

Suddenly Diana became enraged, "I am not any of those. I have been banned from Themiscyra, I am no longer a Champion, I am no longer Wonder Woman and I don't even deserve to be a League member………I am just Diana…..just….." she broke down again.

"What did you want to feel Diana?" Bruce asked again.

"I wanted to feel shame" came the answer.

Bruce was stunned by her answer, "Why did you want to feel shame?" he asked with a softer tone.

"I let myself lose everything I ever had and I still didn't feel the shame. I lost my home, my mother's love, my gifts from the gods, my identity and now…." she looked up at Bruce before continuing. "….and now, I've lost my love."

Bruce stood up and sat down on the bed next to her. "What do feel now?" he asked evenly.

"I feel……shame……regret…..loss…." she murmured.

"Does it make you feel better?" he queried

"No"

Bruce placed a hand under her chin and lifted it up till they were facing each other.

"You haven't lost anything. You still have a home, except that it is here. Your mother still loves you, your 'gifts' didn't define you, they weren't your identity, they were just a small part of who you are. And……" he wiped away her tears and pulled her close to his chest. "You still have your love"

Diana started bawling again. She felt deep shame and regret at her actions but at the same time she could feel the deep love for and from the man holding her. A man who everyone believed to be incapable of love, but who had given so much love and done so much for everyone he came into contact with. But he had always received hurt in return and now she had done the same, she had also hurt him. This thought made her cry even harder.

Bruce held her firmly till the time she fell asleep from fatigue and the affects of the alcohol. He then laid her gently on the bed and stepping out of the room, called Alfred.

"Yes sir" answered Alfred.

"Alfred, cancel all appointments till further notice and ask Dick, Tim and Cassie to take care. I will be busy." He stated evenly, giving orders to his butler to manage both Bruce Wayne's and Batman's affairs. "I am taking Diana back to the watchtower."

"I take the trackers in the various pieces of jewellery were useful" he said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Yes Alfred, they were very helpful. Goodnight Alfred" said Bruce.

"Goodnight sir" with that Bruce ended the call. Putting his mask back on he started to gather Diana's clothing.

A few minutes later the Batwing was took off from the roof of the apartment and flew towards the Justice League watchtower.