13. Unexpected

"Batman"

The next instant the face of Shayera Hol Wayne disappeared leaving the screen blank, its dull glow illuminating the two people in the cave.

"You're late" commented the flat voice from the chair. But the person, towards whom the statement was directed, caught the slight undercurrent of raw emotions. He had been watching her….something had happened….something that pushed him back into the past.

"Yes" no explanations were demanded and none given.

"Did you find anything?" Batman continued, his voice and emotions under steeled control.

"No"

Batman turned to gaze at the 'small' woman standing behind him. A small smile appeared on his 'un-cowled' face.

"I'm fine" she replied, answering the unspoken question.

Batman nodded, still giving her the once over – it was a force of habit.

"Done?" she asked, waiting patiently for his gaze to rake over her body. "….Dad"

"You have an aggravating sense of humor" he commented, tension leaving his body. 'His daughter' – his elder daughter – that was she was. She had grown from the fourteen year 'child assassin' he had chanced upon, into a beautiful woman – one with near meta-human skills. They had been through so much together – the Gotham earthquake and the ensuing no man's land fiasco, the war games, Bludhaven's problems, the League wars and the attack on the manor and now….the war against the 'Dark Sovereign'. She was more like him than anyone else, including his sons – Dick and Tim and even little Shaye. She 'was' his doppelganger.

"I learnt it from the best" she quipped, turning the comment right on its head, another quirk of his she possessed.

"How was your mission?" she asked him, curious about the cause of his 'earlier' emotional state.

"Successful" was the terse reply.

"Good" she knew better than to goad him. But she didn't even to read his body language to know that he was keeping something from her. His singular reply told her everything she needed to know.

"I am going to bed" she informed him, turning away and walking to the stairs.

"Diana's back" he said to her back as she removed her mask, running a hand through her short sweaty hair.

"….and so is Flash" the words stilled her hand and stopped her mid-step – if only for a moment.

"Good" she replied, her own voice labored with emotions.

"He was being used as a human 'hamster' – to generate electricity" he added, providing the complete description in just a few words.

She nodded her head, her shoulders tense. "Good night" she managed before walking away.

"Good night" replied Batman, turning back to the bat-computer.

----

Zatanna and Diana were still talking – albeit about Zatanna and J'onn's family life, when the 'cave-entrance' door slid open and a short dark figure stepped through. A smile appeared over Zatanna's face. Diana, who had her back to the door, was confused by her sudden reaction. Looking over her back she was momentary startled by what appeared to be a miniature version of Batman – except for the body curves and a woman's face…a familiar face from the past.

"Batgirl" exclaimed Zatanna, uncrossing her legs and standing up to welcome the new arrival.

"Zee" came the blank answer, topped off by a characteristic bat-smirk. "Wonder Woman" she wished, reaching their couch and offering a hand.

Diana took the Batgirl's hand, surprised by her firm grip. The three of them made a interesting group, with Diana towering over both of them – five inches over Zatanna's 5'7" and seven over Batgirl's diminutive 5'5".

"Well even though you two appear to know each other, let me do the formalities" Zatanna sounded al little light headed from the two shots she had had.

"Batgirl, this is Wonder Woman, Princess Diana of Themiscyra" she stated with a slight bow.

"And Diana, this Batgirl, Cassandra Cain, Batman with different body parts, but with the same endearing, frustrating dead-pan attitude" she ended with a slanted grin.

"Cassanadra…." Diana gasped, the images of a young silent, teenager with deep penetrating eyes, flickering in her mind. "You have….changed….a lot" she remarked, noting the fuller body and mature facial features. One thing that hadn't changed was the eyes and the way they saw through to your soul.

Cassandra merely nodded her. "Nice to see you" "Goodnight" she stated, walking to the stairs leading to the upper level rooms.

"She's…." Diana hesitated, trying to find the correct words.

"Terse, blunt, mysterious, aloof" offered Zatanna. "…..exactly like Bruce"

"I was going to say reserved, but that yours' is a better description" agreed Diana. "But I guess, she was like this when I met her the first time."

"Yes, and living with Bruce doesn't help matters" stated Zatanna, returning to her comfortable seat, her legs stretched out to the coffee table. "…even if Alfred and the rest of us try out level best, she is too much like Bruce to open up like the rest of us." "But even then….there was something different about her…she seemed stressed" she ended, pondering the various possible causes of her friend-sister-daughter' tense mood.

"Maybe it was a mission….or maybe she's just tired….." offered Diana.

"Diana…when have you seen the Batman or his Bat-babies get tired" Zatanna snorted at her remark. "Oh god…it completely slipped my mind…" she gasped as the real cause of Batgirl's tension hit her.

"What….what slipped your mind?" Diana sounded concerned. Things had got tense again.

"Don't you worry your sweet little princess brain" drawled Zatanna, the drinks and weariness, finally lulling her to sleep.

Diana took a look at Zatanna, and then at the clock, showing 3:45 AM. They had spent over four hours on the couch. It was time to get some sleep. Gently lifting Zatanna, she flew to her room for the night, not knowing where J'onn's and Zatanna's suite was and not wanting to leave her on the couch.

----

Next morning,

Zatanna woke up with a throbbing headache and found herself in an unfamiliar room. Looking around to investigate she found Wonder Woman's costume and lasso hanging in the closet.

"Diana must have brought me here" she thought aloud, cursing herself for drinking. True it helped to loosen her, but it always gave her killer hangovers. 'And that too after only two shots.'

Ten minutes later, she walked into the dining room, still clad in her costume, straightening her hair, rumpled from the night's sleep.

"Good morning Miss Zatanna" wished Alfred, immediately appearing at her side. "Freshly prepared coffee, just the way you need it – hot and black, with no sugar."

Mumbling her gratitude, she took her place on the dining table, joining its other two occupants – Wally and Diana.

"Where is everybody else?" she asked no one in particular.

"Master Bruce and Miss Shaye had an early breakfast and are in the training area, helping Miss Shaye with her flying lessons. The last I saw them they were busy working on a very difficult maneuver of hop-scotch" Alfred informed with the barest smirk, and disregarding the sudden snort from Flash. "Master J'onn is on monitor duty."

Before he could say anything more, Flash piped up. "Aw Alfred, J'onn is the only one Zee wants to know about. After all she is his wife."

"Shut up Flash" growled Zatanna, sipping the hot bitter liquid.

"What Zee" Flash looked at her, adopting his best debonair pose. "I don't know what you saw in ol' greeny, when you have the best ladies man in front of you." His smile was however wiped off his face as new entrant spoke from the door.

"Maybe because he's faithful and doesn't run off on you." Turning around Flash saw Cassandra walking towards the table.

"Cass…." Flash whispered, his voice both expectant and shameful.

"Morning Alfred, ladies" she wished as Alfred drew her chair back. "….Flash"

Diana was silently observing the sudden tension in the room. Both Alfred and Zatanna silenced and turned away to their respective work, Alfred serving Cassandra and Zatanna digging into her pancakes.

Meanwhile, out of the other two occupants, Cassandra was doing everything to avoid Flash, whose eyes were stuck on her, his body tense and a lost look on his boyish face. 'That's the cause of her tension' mused Diana, absorbing the fact of a Wally-Cassandra relationship. It sounded so absurd, she had been a kid, barely fifteen while Flash had been in the League and engaged. On a second look, it didn't look so odd. Cassandra was beautiful woman while Flash wasn't very much older than her.

Shaking her head, she wondered, what all else had changed. 'J'onn and Zatanna, Flash and Cassandra……Bruce and Shayera.'

----

Lost in her thoughts, Diana didn't notice, Cassandra leaving the room and Flash immediately following her.

"Cass…." called out Flash, from a couple of feet behind her.

"Yes Flash," she sounded tightly. "What can do for you?"

'Flash' he thought, 'Flash….not Wall…not Wally…but Flash' "You look nice" he commented lamely.

"Thank you" she responded, turning to him. "Anything else…" she looked up at him, her dark eyes tearing into him.

"No….YES" he blubbered. "I was wondering if we could talk."

"Talk…about what?" she responded, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Talk" "About everything…it's been so long……about….about us" he finally managed.

"We already had that talk….four years ago" "…or have you forgotten that…like everything else" her even tone turning bitter with emotion.

"Cassie…." Flash started, his hand reaching for her.

She immediately withdrew and turned away from him. "You said all you wanted to say…." she ended, walking away, her body taut with resolve.

----

Flash watched after her, standing there even after she turned the corner.

Finally he let out a loud dejected sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He had made a horrible choice and didn't know how to fix things.

Lost in his thoughts, he missed the crossed look on the man standing in the door….almost.

"Study…now" grunted Bruce Wayne.