Disclaimer: Don't own the characters and this is a non-profit undertaking. So…don't sue.

Chapter Ten

If I Believed

With certain lightness in his footsteps that was missing minutes ago, Bruce gave her a short tour of the manor and she found herself marveling more at the rich beauty and the underlying history behind the large house. And just when she thought they reached a corner, a dead end somewhere at the far side, she was surprised that, with a few and stealthy motions, the wall slowly slid to the side revealing a path. Semi-darkness embraced them as they entered the secret passageway that led to a place somewhere.

Not far away, he led her to some sort of a cage made of wrought iron bars that hung suspended by a thick, dark rope of some sort. He opened the door of the rectangular enclosure and for a while she was hesitant on what to do.

"I know its crude…but a more sophisticated version of an elevator will soon replace this," he smiled.

Elevator, that was what it was, she thought, then stepped inside with him following behind her.

With a clank and some other mechanical sound that echoed around the small, enclosed space, the makeshift elevator descended several feet below. When the lift touched ground they stepped into more unfamiliar territory for her, much like the murky dungeons hidden below the palace in Themyscira.

It was dark. The atmosphere was humid.

And it smelled terrible.

Unconsciously wrinkling her nose at the foul smell, she followed a step behind, checking her footsteps on the rough stone that lined their path. And with every second that passed, with every step, her sense of smell had adjusted to the acrid odor. A few paces more, the ragged floor gave way to an even surface that eventually led to an area filled with some sort of modern surveillance equipments, more like a small office or headquarters built inside the dark cave.

"I must apologize," he indicated the makeshift computer terminal. "It's still a work in progress."

She walked around the area and intently examined her surroundings with renewed curiosity. She noticed that all around the place were installed several equipment that resembled that of a television set similar to that at the Kent's and a very big television screen was strategically placed in the middle. Below this was some sort of a console with square shaped buttons on the surface that had letters and numbers on them. Fronting this was a big, black leather chair and a few feet away were placed several units of equipment that were unknown to her.

She knew then that this man before her was more serious in his plans than she initially thought as her hands gingerly touched the console. She was more impressed now with his ingenuity and his drive.

"You did this all by yourself?"

"Alfred helped." He walked over to an empty stainless steel working table and sat on the edge. "He knows about my plans. Didn't approve at first."

"And now?" She followed him.

"He does some of the ordering of…materials for me, through different fictitious names of course."

"Weapons?" Her brows frowned.

"For defense purposes only."

She walked nearer and sat beside him, on his left side. She propped her hands on both sides of her, her palms feeling the cold surface of the table, her long legs dangling.

Her small movement brought a smile on his lips. Then, turning a little to his left, he folded his right sleeve and held out his arm, revealing the first of many scars still to come. "Alfred also stitched this for me."

She noticed the healing wound, a distinct red line on the smooth arm. "I'm sorry." Her blue eyes searched his for forgiveness.

He could not break free of the hold her eyes had on him. And when she looked at him like that, with all sincerity, he could give her more than his forgiveness, he could give her his… "Apology accepted." He answered, cutting off his own line of thought.

He finally had a moment to escape and instantly averted his eyes because he would drown and would slowly lose himself if he lingered. And as a subtle attempt to save his life, he fixed his own stare on the quiet, dull black screen of the monitor a good few feet away, though his mind was busy analyzing the recent, very fast, turn of events concerning the roller coaster of emotions she was able to inject into his otherwise insensitive life.

For years he lived in his anger, blaming if not himself, the world for what happened to that boy he once was. And when he grew up, the bitterness did not dissipate, did not leave, but lingered like his shadow.

But there had been a few reasons for him to change, to open up. For him to care for another person.

And he tried.

But eventually, he had to let them go, give them up. Because his feelings for them were not as strong enough to shed some light into an otherwise dark place, his heart. And he would only take them, bury them in the darkness, where a great part of his heart resided.

But now, not even a day had passed ever since she came into his life.

And he felt like everything had changed.

He found himself questioning his own feelings.

He was one of the skeptics. He did not believe an emotion as strong as love could spring as easily at a moment's passing. He knew, that if ever it would happen to him, it would take a long and careful journey before the emotion could break the barriers that he erected to protect his heart.

Well then, she must be strong. Because she was breaking through all of the walls as of the moment.

Not knowing what to do with the strange silence that suddenly settled, she lifted her right foot a little and stared at the slipper she borrowed from Martha. It was very different from the sandals she wore in Themyscira. And she found herself liking it.

She sighed, coming to terms with herself and the truth that she liked many things about this strange place that her mother had constantly warned her against, that her proud race would not be able to accept. And with this thought came the guilt feeling that she was betraying her heritage. But it could not be stopped.

Not all men were what she initially thought they were.

Kal-El, Clark…he was the kind and affectionate son, and for the shortest time, he was able to gain her trust and friendship.

Jonathan and Alfred…they were the ideal fathers to sons they do not have.

And Bruce…for the first moment she met him, he was the epitome, the embodiment of the man she and her sisters would nail on a cross in Themyscira. But first impressions were not necessarily true. The playboy may turn out to be the city's last hope.

"My parents were killed when I was young. Too young that I felt deprived of a normal childhood." His even voice that was laced with melancholy broke the hush. "And guilty."

"Guilty?" It was her turn to look at him.

"There was nothing I could do…while the gun aimed and…" All these years…pain still gripped at his very soul, clutching at his lungs. He tried to detach his mind and his voice from any emotion that the memory of the dreaded incident brought.

"But you were just a child."

He finally faced her. "But I am not a child anymore. Now I can do something."

She looked at him thoughtfully. "Revenge is not a good motive for a mission."

"It's too late to take revenge for what happened to me. But it's never too late to make sure that the same thing does not happen to another eight year old."

"Are you sure you want this life?"

"Somebody has to do something."

"And it has to be you." From her position, turning her face and body to the to look at him, strands of hair were set free as the ribbon came loose.

"I don't see any other volunteer."

"It will not be easy." Her hands were gathering her hair over her left shoulder.

His eyes were following the hypnotic movement of her fingers gliding through the silken strands. "I know. Sometimes, I even ask myself if I could make a difference. What can one person do?"

"But then if everyone thought like that…this world would be lost." Her fingers were still combing through her dark tresses, as if suddenly conscious of her appearance. "Just remember, if you choose this path, you will be giving up a greater part of your life."

"I don't pray much anymore." How he wanted to run his fingers through her hair, feel the softness of her sliding on his palm. "But there was a time when I asked Him for a sign…in a time when I was confused, in doubt, if I should go on with this plan."

"It's your choice to make." She was trying her best to multitask by talking to him, listening intently to his words all the while replacing the loose ribbon. "If you choose to become your city's protector, you will have to give up the chance to live an ordinary life, to have a family."

He could not control himself anymore and gave in to the temptation by leaning close, so close that he could feel her fragrant breath fanning his skin. His hands lifted to help her with the stubborn ribbon, at the same time trying his best to focus on securing her hair and not stare on the sensuous set of her lips that was just a breath away. It would only take one swift movement, a slight push forward…

He moved away before he looked in her eyes again.

"I'd be giving up the chance to love."

"I doubt if you could give that up. The heart can't be taught as easily as the mind." Why do I sound like an expert on the matter…it's not as if…She was surprised at her own words.

What is happening? Am I beginning to be…attracted to this mortal? I cannot…But when she looked at the handsome face before her, the intense blue eyes…

"You speak from experience?" He was suddenly curious.

"Hardly." She could not help but feel the beginnings of nervousness but she carefully concealed the feeling from him by trying to sound casual. "The males I have the chance to know are Clark, his father, Alfred and you. So my choice is limited to three."

"Three?" His eyebrow rose but a smile hovered on his lips.

She loved his smile. "I can't include Jonathan, Clark's father of course." His eyes get a shade lighter when smiles.

"And…" He held his breath for a while as her eyes looked at his lips. "…What are my chances?"

For the first time, she felt a surprising skip in the beat of her heart as she looked at his serious expression.

Is this how it feels?

Her face was the face of uncertainty as he studied her close, though her eyes were trying hard to mask the indecision, the conflict she was feeling at this very moment. And of course, he understood.

All her life she was taught that men were not to be trusted. Not to be loved.

It would be easy to read into her thoughts as mirrored in the blue depths. But as of the moment, he was also filled with his own confusion.

Though he was sure of one thing.

He wanted to kiss her.

And slowly, he inched his way forward, his eyes traveling from her eyes to her red lips. She was not moving but she was not pulling away either. That had to be a good sign.

But then…someone was cursing in a very English accent. Alfred.

The last thing that the butler wanted to do in the world was to disrupt what he could see was a very tender moment that very seldom came. But, while he was about to make a graceful exit, his feet slipped on the ragged floor and he almost lost his balance thus giving away the fact that he had been eavesdropping.

"Dinner is waiting…"

He was surprised that he did not even hear the noisy squeak of his elevator as he turned his attention the butler's way. A silent apology was written all over Alfred's features. He returned his eyes on her. "Well…"

She never thought herself as evasive, but now she was. And she found a temporary exit. "I'm hungry."

Bruce laughed.

And she liked how all of his face lit up.

"Okay then." He slid off the table. "Let's not keep…dinner waiting." He offered and she gladly took his hand.

Dining with Bruce was different. On the table were various pieces of expensive porcelain china, polished silverware and cutlery of different sizes, not to mention wine glasses. And she was confused with what to do with them. She was even unsure if she would need all of them. Clark certainly left this on his never-ending lecture.

But Bruce was only willing to teach her another different experience in fine dining and thankfully she learned fast enough. And they finished the very delicious food, from the appetizer to wine and dessert, without her breaking anything.

He led her back to the living room to entertain another business call. Feeling somewhat a little disappointed, she wondered just how many business calls he received in a day. And she wondered how long it would take this time. But her dismay was short lived when she heard a familiar music playing.

It was the song from last night.

"I remember you liking this song so much."

Her eyes smiled. "Yes."

He walked to her and extended his right hand. "Can I have this dance? Promise I won't try what I did before."

Stop this Diana…her mind warned. But her heart was way ahead and was starting to take over. "Okay."

If I believed in paradise, I swear I must be there. I swear I must be there right now with you…

"So you…are a princess."

Both his hands were linked at the small of her back. His face was touching the right side of her soft cheek. Her hands were on his shoulders as they swayed.

"Yes."

"Your Highness. I should call you that."

"I think I'd settle for just Diana at the moment." She smirked though her face was hidden from him.

"Princess of the Amazons, dancing with a notorious playboy. What would your mother, the queen, say?"

She knew he was smiling even though she could not see his face. But strangely, she could feel. "You don't have to worry about what she would say. It's what she would do to you that you should be worried about."

"If she gets to know me, she will like me." He sounded very sure.

"She will like you after she castrates you."

"Ouch!"

"But then again, you will make a fine specimen to further our race," she added. "It's a joke."

"You know how to joke?"

"Clark taught me."

Clark…

"He has taught me a lot of things."

The soft sound of her voice at the mention of the name, a name he was beginning to dislike, made it a little harder to breathe. She did not seem to notice his…difficulty.

"He also taught me how to slow dance." She laughed at a private remembrance of how many times she stepped on Clark's foot. "And he taught me how to eat properly, how to use the bathroom. He even lent me some of his clothes. Well…not what I'm wearing right now of course."

Her laugh at something Clark had done finally made him admit to what he was feeling, jealousy. And the thought of her wearing his clothes…

"Could we not talk about…him?"

"Why?"

"I'm getting jealous."

Jealous of Clark? "Why?"

"You ask a lot." He moved his head away to study her. He liked the way her eyebrow rose and the way her lips slightly tilted to one side in her version of a smirk.

"Learning process, remember?"

"Sorry…I forgot." He leaned back at again. "Okay, ask me what you want to know."

She paused for a while to search for the right words. "How do you know if you are in love with someone?"

If I believed in magic spells, it all would be so clear. A magic spell must have brought you here…

It was a question he had been silently asking himself ever since his eyes discovered the beauty that was she. And it took him awhile to answer her simple question, carefully considering his answer.

"For me…time stopped for the first time I saw her, that…special person."

She remembered the first time she saw him. She did not immediately like him. "You saw her for the first time and you already know you love her? Love happens that fast?"

"It has to start somewhere." He looked at her again. "Are you going to argue with me on every answer?"

"No…sorry, go on," she smiled sheepishly.

The music provided much help in an area, a subject that he was, more or less, unfamiliar with. It added an amount of creativity to his otherwise blunt personality.

"When you are in love…you'll do anything for the person to notice you." He said against her hair. "You want to know everything about her…what makes her smile, what makes her happy."

She felt his arms hold her tighter. "And I want to be close to her. I want to hold her and feel her heart beat…against mine." He could not believe the words that were flowing freely out from his lips…because of her.

He sighed. "It was as if I never existed until she came into my life."

I wanna believe it's love…

It was her turn to whisper. "Like I've only met that person, but I feel as if I've known him all my life."

I wanna believe my heart's not telling me a lie…

"And that I'll gladly change my life for her."

But with you I can't deny…

"That I'll go against everything I ever believed in, to be with him." She closed her eyes at her own admission.

If I believed in paradise…I swear…

"I'll never let her go."

I'm there.

He moved his face inches away and searched her eyes. There was something in there that made him more sure of what he was going to do.

"I want to kiss you and I'm going to. And I don't care if you wipe the floor with me again or break every bone in my body. It's a risk I'm willing to take---"

"Shut up and kiss me already."

He laughed. And it was a nervous laugh, because at this very moment, he was truly nervous. And soon, his smile faded to bear a very serious expression as his face slowly inched forward, seeing nothing else except her face, her eyes, her lips.

Her breath caught when she felt him moving ever slowly forward and it felt like her heart was beating erratically, jumping out from her chest. And she felt her hands were cold, but her cheeks were strangely warm. She closed her eyes and waited.

When his lips met hers, he was certain everything stopped and he could hear nothing but the faint echo of his own heartbeat. It felt like something magical was happening to him, something his mind could not explain. And for the first time, he did not care.

It felt like light, warmth was spreading throughout his body, filling him with a contentment he never felt before.

She could not name it. She learned of so many words, but this moment was indescribable. All she knew was that the feeling of his lips on her own as he gently kissed and held her…felt so right.

And now, everything she ever believed in lay in doubt.

How could something this wonderful, this magical be wrong? How could her mother, who once felt this way, deny her the privilege, the rare chance to feel the same?

Her mother, her sisters, her mission. The thought of all of them made her hold on to him, as he gently pulled his lips away and just held her tight with arms all around her, protecting her, as she laid her face against his shoulder.

With closed eyes, he rubbed his face against her sweet smelling hair. She smelled of the most fragrant flowers and he smiled.

He finally felt alive.

He finally felt complete.

He finally felt…happy.

"Diana…" he whispered. "Don't go. Don't go home tomorrow." He never begged before. But now he was ready to. "Please… stay with me."

Her fingers felt the silk material of his shirt where the sleeve joined the shoulder. "There's nothing more in the world I want than that."

He felt the uncertainty. "But…"

"There is no but," she sighed. "Just hold me."

And he did just that. He could hold her from now to forever, that was how he felt. "Don't go tomorrow."

She closed her eyes. "I will not."

No…it was not a lie, she was not deceiving him. She was not going home tomorrow, where he was concerned.

Because, when the sun rises on the new and waking day, as she and Clark saved the world from destruction, everything about her, all memory of her, would be erased from his mind. He would have no remembrance of what happened, of all the wonderful things they shared, on such a very short and borrowed time.

By tomorrow morning, she did not exist at all for him.

For him, there would be no Diana at all.

It was such a forlorn thought. It was very sad, but in all essence, it was the truth.

It was her sacrifice.

She came to him this night out of respect for a friend who was about to give up the life he knew for a cause greater than anything else. Falling in love and to lose it on the next day was the farthest thing from her mind.

But it happened.

And now, Bruce was asking her to stay. And what choice did she have?

Stay and live until daylight…or go and live forever with an aching heart?

She was just smiling ruefully at the alternatives fate had given her when the spell was broken by someone clearing his throat.

"Yes, Alfred?" Bruce looked up and she moved away a little.

"Excuse me, Master Bruce." The last thing Alfred wanted to do at the moment was ruin his charge's chances, for the second time, with this magnificent woman. "A Mr. Kent is on the line for Miss Diana."

"Clark," she whispered and looked deep into his eyes as a silent plea before she gently disentangled herself.

As he watched her disappear, following Alfred, through the open doors to the other room to take the phone call, he made a resolve to himself. He wanted to be with her…more than anything else in the world.

He was willing to leave the life he had planned to be an ordinary man by her side.

Almost a minute later, she reappeared, wearing an almost apologetic face. "Bruce…I have to go." She looked at him before turning to Alfred. "Thank you for the…splendid dinner."

"My pleasure, Miss." Alfred made another curtsy and left the two of them. "Shall I inform the driver and the pilot, sir?"

When their eyes met once more, he just looked at her, marveling at how her presence seemed to lighten the room. And as she stood beside Alfred, by the door of the living room of the large house, his house, he knew she belonged here. Not in an island far away.

She belonged here…with him.

"Master Bruce?"

"It's getting late," she added.

He sighed. "Very well."

After Alfred left, he walked to her and held her hand with his left while his right traced her face. "Have I told you already that you are beautiful?"

She laughed. "Yes, just before I flipped you over."

He laughed with her in remembrance before his face sobered to say, "Head over heels." Yes…head over heels, heart over mind. Was it possible to feel this much at such a short time? He never believed in it…until it happened to him.

Slowly, he walked her to the door. Out front, the same car was waiting to drive her to the heliport. He wanted to accompany her but he had to admit he wanted to because he was planning on convincing her to stay the night. And that was moving a little too fast, even for Bruce Wayne.

He would have to take things slow. Because she was worth the wait. And he had all his lifetime to be with her.

He walked her to the car and before he let go of her hand, he whispered. "I'll see you later."

She sighed and was glad it was not a question. In response, she just smiled warmly at him again, though her heart was sinking slowly in agony. And when the door closed, it echoed deep inside of her the sad farewell she did not want to say aloud. Instead, she looked at him with bright eyes through the lightly tinted window.

He looked back at her. And when he saw the light shimmer in the blue orbs, he knew she was holding back the tears…tears of happiness. And there was no more denying it. He loved her.

I love you.

She saw his lips move to say the words and she wanted nothing more than release the tears. She wanted to open the door and jump out of the moving vehicle and fly back into the safety of his arms. She wanted to run away from the truth, her life…everything except from him. But she did none of those things and just sat quietly, looking in his eyes, as the car pulled away.

The image of him standing alone on the patio, raising his hand to wave goodbye to her, smiling and…happy was the image that stayed with her. The image that she would keep in her heart…forever.