17. Name Calling

Summary: Something to put a punch into their story.


"Bruce dahling."

The saccharine sweet voice of Veronica Vreeland, one of Bruce Wayne's high society friends wafted over the background music being played, at yet another gala that the Billionaire Playboy seemed to have even other day. This time it was for the Wayne Foundation Charity for Abused Children.

"Veronica!" Bruce plastered on his best 'happy'-surprise' look to greet the chatterbox and Uber-snob Veronica. The term 'upper storey vacant' fit the woman to a't'. Her three passions were evidence enough. They listed as, money, anything materialistic and using money to get whatever caught her eye…no matter what the cost or the effect it had on others.

"Brucie m-waah, m-waah," she did the whole kiss on the cheek thing, (utterly useless according to me) and then leaned in further to rub her 'upgraded to version 2.0' breasts against the front of Bruce Wayne's designer Armani. "Its been so long Brucie."

"Really," the ignorant Playboy routine was in full flow and getting a complete workout. "Didn't we meet last week at the…what was it….uh, what was it…."

"Come now Brucie, don't' trouble that precious mind of yours," Veronica patted his hand, taking advantage of the situation to slip her hand around his. "No date for tonight?" She did the whole rub-a-dub dolly thing all over again.

"I-uh," Bruce was still thinking about the last time he ran into the lovely Veronica. In truth, he had been ready to fall on his knees and pray for the Bat-signal to go off or the League beeper….anything to get him out of spending a whole night among this 'water in a teaspoon' deep people.

"What do you say we…."

"Sorry miss," a husky female voice cut sounded from behind the couple, interrupting whatever words of wisdom Veronica was about to spew. "But we'd appreciate you getting your hands off our date."

"Of all the…." A red-faced Veronica whirled around, yanking Bruce with her. Ready to set the intruder straight, her mouth fell open as she looked up at the two most beautiful she had ever seen, let alone in the room.

"Uh, hi ladies," Bruce rubbed the back of his neck, a caught with a hand in the cookie box, look on his face. "This is Veronica Vreeland, a dear friend, and Veronica these are…"

"Ms. Diana Prince," the woman on the left stepped in to introduce herself, her red and blonde highlighted hair falling in soft curls around her spectacled face.

"How nice to meet you Diana," Veronica put forth a shallow but tight smile, her eyes going to the ground to check for the heels on this Ms. Giganta. Sad for her, it was just a three inch one, and even with her own five inch heels, poor Veronica was still more than half a feet shorter than either women.

"And you are…." She turned to Bruce Wayne's second date for the night, an equally stunning twin of the Ms. Prince. However, unlike Ms. Prince, this one had no highlights in her jet-black hair, which pulled back from her face were highlighting her exquisite cheekbones and jaw-line.

"I am Mrs. Daena Wayne," the woman introduced herself. "Bruce's sister-in-law"

----

Earlier in the day,

"Hera."

"No."

"Aphrodite."

"No."

"Daena."

"No. Too similar."

"Deana."

"No. Too similar too."

"Dinah."

"Eeeww. That's wrong."

"Dina."

"Nothing starting with a 'D'."

"Artemis."

"Mmph…mmph…hahahaahahaha."

"What's so funny?"

"You don't have an Artemis on your world, on your Themiscyra. Right?"

"No."

"That's why. We do, and let me tell you. You are no Artemis. Now come on think of some other name. Hey Di, why don't you chip in? We could use your help."

"Yes Diana. You got off with an easy one. I could have used that."

"Yes, but you are not going as a 'Miss' Diana. You are going as a 'Mrs.'. So think of a Mrs. type name."

"Hmph. Gaea."

"Too motherly."

"Donna!"

"What? Gaea is the mother of all life…and even though Diana is going to be a mother herself, using Gaea will be overkill."

"Nevermind. Callisto?"

"Nah."

"Niobe."

"Leave Zeus and his brides alone. Come into the modern world."

"Modern world? How about yours? Donna."

"Double-Eewww. Batman is Dick's father and Dick is my best friend. Its even worse than using Dinah."

"How about Martha?"

"Who's Martha?"

"Bruce's mother."

"Hmm….good name. Mother type too."

"But we can't use that…..I am supposed to be his sister-in-law, not his sister. Using Martha is one coincidence too many."

"You have seriously been spending too much time with Batman."

"She's right. I should have thought of that before suggesting it."

"No Diana, it's a perfectly good name. Its just that…."

"Okay, okay, you two are getting off the subject. We are here to find a suitable name for Mrs. Whatever Wayne for tonight's party."

"I still don't understand why we have to go?"

"Because Leslie invited her during her medical check-up and us after that."

"But you aren't going."

"No, because I have monitor duty at the Titans Tower, and besides, two Amazons in disguise will pass off, but not three. Although I wonder, why hasn't Batman objected to this."

"Because it is from Leslie."

"Yes."

"Glad to see you both agree on that. Now if we can just agree on a suitable name, we are set. Alfred has the dresses and the makeup ready and waiting, including highlights for you Diana."

"Why do I have to wear the highlights? What's the need for it?"

"One, to give you two a different look from each other, and two, because she is pregnant and doesn't want to take any chances with chemicals. Don't' know what it can do to Amazonian physiology."

"Helena."

"Helena Sandsmark. So NO. Also, too close to Diana."

"Helen?"
"No. Nothing with a ina, ena, pina, ana. Nothing. Although….how about…..Selina."

"NO."

"Okay, okay. Sheesh. You both don't need to bite my head off. I was just suggesting…."

"NO. No Selina. No Talia. No nothing."

"Hah. I give up. We'll think of something…after all, its just a name. How difficult can it be?"

"…."

"Okay, stupid question. Now lets go."

----

After hours of deliberation, (read: arguing) finally, the name, 'Daena' was chosen. As for its origin, the story concocted was that the twins' mother was from Greece while their father was of Persian decent. Hence the names for the two.

----

Introduced to his dates, a miffed and more than slightly embarrassed Veronica made a quick retreat from both Bruce Wayne and from his party. If was highly coincidental that she developed a headache.

Mrs. Daena Wayne, the pregnant Diana in disguise, also did the same, although for very different reasons. During the day and in the time before the party, she had noticed that something seemed to be off in her twin. She had a sort of introspective look, one that Diana found mirrored in Bruce's eyes. Something had gone on between them, something between yesterday afternoon and this morning. Whatever it was had shaken the two. Wanting to give them their privacy and maybe, well, not maybe, certainly driven by her wish to see the Diana and Bruce of this world have the same happiness that she had attained on hers…with her Bruce, she had taken an early leave, using her pregnancy for an excuse.

----

"May I have this dance?" Diana's eyes widened as her 'date' for the night, stepped into her field of vision, almost into her personal space. After all, he was Bruce Wayne and she was his for the night. 'If only the night lasted a lifetime.' A small part in him called out.

The way Diana regarded him, he was sure she would refuse it….especially after what happened last night.

..we are destined to be alone.

That is what had hurt him the most. Not because she said it about him, or even about her…it was the tone in her voice, one that he had heard hundreds of time from the man inside the bat, that went right through to his heart.

"Of course…." Diana stepped forth and took the proffered hand, feeling him caress with his thumb. "….Brucie dahling."

"Cheapness doesn't suit you Princess," he said, drawing her closer with more than the needed force, causing her to bump against his chest, a couple of errant ringlets falling in front of her eyes. It was almost as if they were not dancing in a ball, but sparring on the watchtower.

"But it suits Bruce Wayne's style…..and tastes," Diana shot back, a shiver running down her body as a firm hand rested against the small of her back. Even though her costume covered far less than what she was currently wearing, and even though those hands had touched her dozens if not hundreds of times, there was something different about it now….it wasn't the same as before. Maybe it was just that his hands wasn't gloved and that her back, using covered by the fabric of her bodice was bare with her neck fastened gown. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the events of the previous night that had a charge running through both of them, almost as if she was a positive to his negative or south to his north. Whatever it was, whatever the reason, she didn't care and from the look in his eyes, neither did he.

----

They moved in a slow harmony, coming closer and then drawing apart, only to come closer again, as if mirroring the nature of their relationship in real life. At the time of the formation of the league they had been reluctant teammates, growing closer only to be driven apart by the 'protocols' debacle and Ra's Al Guhl's theft and use of them. That had driven a wedge, not only between the two of them but in the league itself, causing a wound that took a long time to heal. As time passed, the same dance began again and after their decision to not pursue a romantic relationship, they had retreated from each other….just like before. So, what was this? The next step in their never-ending circle or something new, something that could be attributed to the arrival of the other Diana. A Diana who had not only fallen in love, but also allowed herself to love the same man as that who was moving next to her. Could this…?

"Mind if I cut in?" Her thoughts and their dance were interrupted by a female voice….a familiar female voice, the woman's name escaping from Bruce's lips.

"Selina."

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Note: Will be posting Chapter 17 through 20, today...to get the story upto speed with both my site and with JLAU. Please...please...please...review!