Chapter 16

Lakehouse; May 7th, 09:01 EST

Diana sipped her cup of tea, pondering everything that had taken place over the last week or so. It had been a whirlwind, to say the least, one that she was still trying to wrap her mind around. It was proving difficult, but she knew one thing for sure. They had taken down Luthor and his gang, effectively ending the threat that had loomed over them for a while now.

She leaned her back against the kitchen counter, wondering what Luthor was going to try to do next now that he was finally locked away once more. She had no doubt that he was already plotting and scheming for a way to get free from his confines despite the fact that he'd only been there for a handful of hours.

"Penny for your thoughts," Bruce murmured, kissing her cheek before pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Just wondering what Lex Luthor is doing now," she revealed. "I don't know how we're going to be able to keep him locked up. He found a way out the last time. What's going to keep him from escaping again?"

"I've done my best to make certain that he will be located at the highest level of security," he replied, pausing to drink his coffee. "The security guards have been vetted and background checks done. I'm sure he'll try to bribe his way out the front door. We can only hope that no one will take him up on his offer. I'll be keeping closer tabs on him and if he does get out, we'll be there to stop him again."

"I guess so," she said with a sigh. "I'm just relieved that Deathstroke is no longer a threat to you."

"I still need to do something to keep him from connecting me to Batman," Bruce said.

"How are you going to do that?"

Bruce gave her a smirk. "I have a plan."

"Of course, you do," she replied with a grin. "So, how long do you think this bit of peace and quiet will last us this time?"

"Not long," he confessed. "This is Gotham. Nothing stays quiet here for long."

"The team did really well last night," she pointed out. "We worked well together, complimenting each other's abilities, and stepping in when needed."

"J'onn and the Green Lantern are going to be vital additions to the team," he agreed, leaning against the counter next to her.

Diana slowly shook her head. "J'onn was still apologizing before he left this morning for his reaction to Firefly's fire."

"It wasn't his fault," he stated. "I can't imagine a whole alien race being eliminated by fire. What he must have gone through with the loss of his family…his friends. His entire life and race were completely wiped out. He's the only one left now."

"I may be the only Amazon in this world, but I take great comfort in knowing that my mother and sisters are still alive and well on Themyscira," Diana told him. "If I was the only one left of my people…I can't even begin to…"

Diana's voice trailed off, visibly choked with emotion as Bruce wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "He has us now," he comforted her. "He's not alone and neither are you."

Diana tilted her head to rest on Bruce's shoulder. "We have each other," she agreed.

"And an even bigger team to lead now," he reminded her, the corner of his mouth ticking up. "We're going to need more chairs."

"And don't forget the son you've always wanted," Barry happily pointed out as he unexpectedly appeared in the kitchen with them.

"I thought you were heading home," Diana said.

"Alfred talked me into waiting until I'd had breakfast," Barry replied. "He was worried I'd run out of steam part way back to Central City. You know it's kind of sad everyone went home."

"We have a League meeting next week and Clark and Lois's wedding in three weeks after that," Bruce reminded him.

"Aren't you going to get lonely with all of us gone, though?" Barry questioned them. "What will you do?"

Bruce and Diana looked at each, sharing a knowing look. "I doubt it we'll be lonely," Bruce reassured him, already making plans for him and Diana now that they finally had some alone time.

"We have plenty of work to keep us busy," Diana revealed. "The renovations on the manor are underway and I'll be starting my new job next week."

"I need to get back to Wayne Enterprises," Bruce said. "I've been gone for the last week trying to round up Luthor. I can only imagine the work waiting on my desk for me."

Barry sighed as he rested his arms on the counter opposite the couple. "Yeah, I have to work tomorrow," he confessed. "My name was submitted for a promotion, so I guess I better be there just in case I get it."

"Good for you, Barry," Diana congratulated him.

Barry grinned at them. "I'm going to visit my dad when I get home later today," he told them. "He's going to be super excited when I tell him about the promotion."

"And you helped take down Luthor and his gang," Bruce pointed out. "Not bad for a week's work."

"Now, we just have to worry about Darkseid," Barry said with a frown.

"We'll be prepared," Bruce reassured him.

"We're going to need far more than the eight of us," Diana reminded them. "We need to find more who are willing to fight. Darkseid isn't going to come with just a handful of Parademons. It's going to be a massive invasion numbering in the tens of thousands."

"We can't be all over the world at once," Barry replied.

"That's why we need to be prepared," Bruce stated. "We're going to have to find more heroes."

"Enough doom and gloom talk," Alfred said as he entered the kitchen. "Time for a breakfast celebration."

"Too bad the others didn't stay for breakfast," Barry grumbled. "Oh well, more for me."

"Mera needed to get back to Atlantis and Arthur went with her," Diana told him. "Everyone else had to return to their jobs."

"Wouldn't it be awesome if we could just be superheroes all the time?" Barry decided.

"I like having a life separate from the cape," Bruce responded, taking Diana's hand in his as he gave her a tender smile. "I've found that taking time for a normal life helps to keep me sane."

"Well, now that you mention it, there is this girl I met," Barry confessed, getting a dreamy look on his face.

"What's her name?" Diana asked.

"Well, I've only met her once, but her name is Iris," he revealed.

"Don't let her pass you by," Diana encouraged him. "Everyone deserves a chance at love."

Barry smiled in response, deciding that he'd try to find her. He couldn't stop thinking about her or their all-too-brief meeting. He was anxious to see her again. When he returned to Central City, he was going to track her down and see where it led them.

Gotham; May 10th, 18:49 EST

Bruce Wayne exited his Aston Martin, handing the keys to the valet before going around to the other side of the car and opening the door. He offered his hand to the beautiful new curator at the Gotham Museum, helping her out of the car.

Camera flashes went crazy as the couple held hands, entering the Gotham Museum gala welcoming their newest employee as well as the Greek artifacts that she had so generously donated. The press was buzzing with excitement as the couple entered the museum, not the least bit surprised that Bruce Wayne had already managed to be dating the stunning beauty.

"You look amazing," Bruce murmured close to her ear, thoughts of what he wanted to do with her at that moment infiltrating his mind.

"You cleaned up pretty well yourself," she lightly teased. "I wish they hadn't gone to all of this trouble just for me. This is too much."

"They're excited about you joining the museum," he reminded her, "and you'll be close enough we can meet for lunch dates."

"I'd like that," she replied, her brow creasing with concern. "Do you really think your plan is going to work?"

Bruce looked at her with curious surprise. "You don't think it will?"

"I think it has a high chance of working," she confessed. "I just don't want anything to go wrong."

The corner of Bruce's lips quirked with satisfaction. "Let's just say that Deathstroke is never going to connect me with Batman ever again once it's all said and done."

"I hope you're right," she murmured in thoughtful consideration.

"You'll see," he told her. "I've already made sure that Deathstroke and Luthor will see all of it."

"You always think of everything, don't you?"

"Always," he agreed, spotting Lois and Clark across the room.

Clark nodded at them in greeting, raising his glass of champagne to his lips. "Bruce and Diana are here," he told Lois.

"Oh, great," she said. "I was hoping to talk to Diana tonight. I'm anxious to find out how much I can write about her relationship with Bruce for my article I'm writing about her."

"I'm sure Bruce will want to have a say in that too," Clark pointed out.

Lois patted Clark's chest with a grin. "I plan on getting a scoop from him too."

Clark just shook his head in amazement. "We're supposed to be coming here to report on Diana's hire at the museum, not her relationship with Bruce Wayne."

"Their relationship is just an added bonus," she replied. "After seeing pictures of Bruce and Diana together tonight, everyone will want to know about the woman on his arm."

"There are going to be a lot of females with broken hearts out there," Clark agreed as a petite woman with jet-black hair walked past him straight towards the famous billionaire of Gotham.

Bruce felt a hand on his back as he spoke with the museum director with Diana at his side. Turning, he immediately bristled with the unexpected appearance of the woman before him. "Excuse me," he murmured to the museum director before turning his attention to the woman at his side. "Selina, what are you doing here?"

"It's good to see you too, Bruce," she practically purred. "I couldn't miss an opportunity to meet the new curator of the Gotham museum and your new flame."

Diana smiled at the shorter woman who was standing far too close to Bruce. "Hello, I'm Diana Prince," she politely introduced herself, extending her hand.

Selina smiled as she shook the Amazon's hand. "Selina Kyle, Bruce's ex-lover," she said.

Diana wasn't about to let this woman get under her skin. Selina may have had Bruce in the past, but he was hers now. "He told me all about you."

Selina glanced at Bruce who looked like he could chew through steel at that moment. "I hope it was all good," she replied, wrapping her arm protectively around Bruce's.

"Actually, not at all," Diana informed her. "If you'll excuse me, I have some important people I need to meet."

With that Diana walked away, leaving Bruce to deal with Selina. Bruce did his best not to laugh at how well Diana had handled her. Selina Kyle glared darkly at Bruce, more than a little vexed by her first meeting with the Amazon. It hadn't gone at all as she had dreamed it would.

She ground her teeth as she released her hold on Bruce. "I don't like her."

"I didn't expect you to be best friends with Diana," he evenly stated. "What are you doing here? I thought you left town for a while."

Selina shrugged a shoulder as she snatched a glass of champagne off of the tray of a waitress passing by them. "Luthor's in jail," she reminded him. "The coast is clear as far as I'm concerned. No reason not to come home now."

Selina watched as Diana spoke with a patron of the museum. It was a man that Selina had robbed about three years ago, divesting him and his wife of several hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewels. The Amazon was statuesque and beautiful in every sense of the word. She wore an A-line V-neck floor-length chiffon dress with beaded lace in a pewter gray color. The chiffon skirt flowed like liquid steel, the slit allowing a generous view of her long legs.

It was no wonder Bruce was head over heels for her.

Glancing at Bruce, she couldn't help but notice the way that he looked at Diana. It was more than obvious that he was in love with her. This wasn't just some passing crush or fleeting romance for the benefit of the tabloids. This was real and it felt like a knife to her gut.

Bruce glanced at Selina, not willing to pacify her whims or play her games. "If you'll excuse me," he murmured, walking away from her and straight towards Diana like two magnets that couldn't stay away from each other for long.

Selina downed the rest of her champagne in a single gulp, deciding this had turned out to be a fruitless endeavor. With her tail between her legs, she left the museum, deciding that a little jewel thieving might help to soothe her hurt and ire.

This was far from over.

Bruce was relieved to see that Selina was leaving. He couldn't believe that she had shown up here tonight on Diana's special night. Then again, this was Selina. He reached for Diana's hand, interlocking his fingers with hers.

She turned to smile at him, making his heart feel as though it had just sprouted wings. "I'm sorry about that," he softly apologized. "I had no idea that—"

Her finger gently pressed against his lips, effectively silencing him. "It's alright," she reassured him. "You're mine now. Right?"

His lips curled slightly as he nodded his head, fighting the urge to kiss her finger still on his lips, drawing it into his mouth to suck on.
"You love me, correct?"

He nodded his head again, wishing they could be alone for a little while, but he knew he couldn't take her away from her special evening.

"I love you too so we're fine," she continued, pulling her finger away only for him to suddenly capture it. "She's not a threat that we need to worry about."

"You're amazing," he replied, his voice revealing his awe of her as he kissed the back of her hand. "I just want to focus on nothing else but you right now. Let's just enjoy your night."

She smiled at him, her hand coming to rest against his cheek. "That sounds wonderful," she agreed, excited about the new life that she was making for herself and the future that lay before her.

It was looking brighter and brighter every day.

Blackgate Penitentiary; May 10th, 23:03 EST

Deathstroke huffed in annoyance as he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Someone had left the television on, the volume up high for some reason. It was bad enough that he'd been locked up in here. Did he have to hear what was happening in the outside world?

Thoughts of escaping and putting a bullet in the head of Bruce Wayne paraded through his mind. He was more than determined to put a permanent end to the Batman—no games, no taunting, no torturing. Quick and clean. Put an end to him.

Clasping his hands behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling, deciding that his first wrong move was getting hooked up with Lex Luthor. He should have just taken the information and run with it. Getting drawn into Luthor's psychotic scheme had been his undoing.

It didn't help that Wonder Woman had gotten involved. He owed her for defeating him and sending him here to this hell hole. What was worse was the fact that Luthor, Black Manta, and Firefly were in here too. First chance he got; he was going to punch Luthor's face in.

"And now we have breaking news that is just coming in," the news reporter announced. "Bruce Wayne was just held up at gun point tonight as he left the Gotham Museum gala welcoming Diana Prince. He was seen arriving with Miss Prince on his arm, creating a fury of speculation that they are indeed a couple."

Deathstroke sat bolt upright, suddenly finding interest in the news story. He went to the door of his cell, peeking through the small window at the large screen television on the wall. With a little luck, the gunmen shot him.

"Mister Wayne was held at gunpoint by two men dressed in black," the news reporter continued. "Batman was able to interrupt the robbery, stopping the two men before Bruce Wayne could be injured."

"What?" Deathstroke yelled, watching the scene unfold on the screen.

Right there before his eye was Bruce Wayne standing with Batman and the two gunmen. The entire incident had been caught on video by some of the press that had been there to cover the gala. Wilson clenched his jaw tight like a steel trap, his hands balling into fists of pure fury.

Lex Luthor had set him up. Bruce Wayne wasn't Batman. He could hardly believe it. He'd been so sure that Luthor was right, but it had been nothing but a scam on Luthor's part. "Luthor!" Wilson bellowed his name. "I'm going to kill you!"

Luthor frowned as he watched the news, knowing that it had to be some sort of trick. "You can't believe that!" Luthor yelled. "It's some sort of trick! I'm telling you the truth!"

"I'm going to rip your lying tongue out of your mouth!" Wilson threatened him, seething with rage.

"Keep it down!" Black Manta shouted. "I'm trying to sleep here!"

"Watch your back, Luthor!" Wilson warned him. "I'm coming after you next!"

"No…it's not right," Luthor muttered to himself, staring at the television that showed images of Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince dancing at the welcome gala. "I know he's Batman. I know it."

"I think you're losing it, Lex," Firefly told him. "You might want to set up another appointment with your psychiatrist."

Ignoring him, Lex Luthor wandered back to his bed, slowly shaking his head as he sorted through all the proof he'd collected over so many months of intense labor. He knew that Bruce Wayne was Batman as sure as he knew that Clark Kent was Superman.
Laying down on his bed, Luthor swore to himself he was going to get to the bottom of this one way or another.

Batcave; May 10th, 23:13 EST

"I can't believe we pulled that off," Barry said as he threw his black ski mask onto the table. "It was kind of fun playing the bad guy for once."

"And we didn't have to go to jail for it," Victor added, giving him a fist bump.

"You two played your parts well, but J'onn was the best," Bruce agreed, placing his hand on J'onn's shoulder. "I don't know how to thank you for your help. We wouldn't have been able to pull it off without you."

"It was my pleasure," the Martian Manhunter replied. "It was nice playing Batman for a change."

"Did he just make a joke?" Barry asked, stunned. "I think he just made a joke."

"Now, let's just hope that Lex Luthor and Deathstroke buy it," Diana said.

"I made sure that the news was on, and the volume was up for their viewing pleasure," Bruce reassured them.

"You even had the voice down pat," Barry pointed out. "If I hadn't known better, I would've thought it was really Batman arresting us."

"You played your part well," Victor complimented Bruce. "You look worried."

"Because I was worried Diana was going to come flying out of the museum to rescue me and ruin it," he teased, grinning at the Amazon.

Diana folded her arms against her chest as she gave Bruce a mock glare. "I knew the plan," she insisted. "I wasn't about to interfere in your little play."

"It wasn't a little play," he told her. "It was a well-thought-out plan to deter the criminal element." "It was a stunt," she clarified, causing the others to laugh.

Barry visibly shuddered the more he thought about it. "I'm just relieved Diana didn't come out to beat us up," he replied. "I wouldn't be able to start my new job."

"You got your promotion!" Diana exclaimed. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Barry said with a shy smile. "I'm pretty excited about it."

"And what about Iris?" Diana asked.

Barry grew sheepish as he looked back at all the eyes focused on me. "I'm working on it."

"I have good news to report," Alfred announced as he joined the group. "It appears that Mister Wilson is threatening to dismember Mister Luthor for lying to him about Batman's identity."

"That's the best news I've heard all day," Diana commented.

"That's a relief," Bruce agreed.

"I guess we can call it a night then," Victor decided. "We'll see everyone at the League meeting in a few days."

"I look forward to it," J'onn responded. "Good night."

Barry, J'onn, and Victor all left the cave, Alfred excusing himself to bed as well. Diana took Bruce's hand in hers, gently pulling him along with her to head upstairs. "I think it's time for bed for us as well," she decided.

"Diana, I really need to go out on patrol," he reminded her, finding it difficult to say no to the Amazon as she led him upstairs.
"Batman was already out on patrol," she tried to tell him.

"That wasn't me," he pointed out, finding his resolve crumbling as she began to pull her hair out of the intricate updo she wore.
"No one knows that except for us," she replied, leading him to their bedroom.

"But…I have to…oh, hell," he muttered, pulling her into his arms and kissing her hard.

Metropolis; June 4th, 17:05 EST

The violins played as Diana walked down the aisle, unable to take her eyes off of Bruce who looked incredibly dashing in his tux. She found that he couldn't take his eyes off her either. He smiled softly at her; his brown eyes shining with the love he felt for her.

Clark smiled at Diana as she took her position, Lois's sister following next. Everyone stood to their feet as the music changed, and the bride appeared in the entryway. Lois could barely keep the tears from filling her eyes as she began to walk toward the man that had captured her heart.

Clark took Lois's hand as they stood before the minister, the love that the couple shared more than evident as they said their vows. Diana glanced at Bruce, finding him staring at her. It felt as if every time she looked for him, he was already looking at her. It made a warm sense of love drift through her.

Bruce barely registered the ceremony or the music that was sung. All he could think about was Diana. He was so relieved that she hadn't let him break things off with her in Paris after spending their first night together. He'd been a fool to think that she would believe him, but a part of him felt as though he had to try in order to protect her.

Her entrance into his life had been the best thing that had ever happened to him. From the first moment he had laid eyes on her at Luthor's gathering to the moment she had dropped down from the heavens to save him from Doomsday, he had known there was something extraordinary about her and he had been right.

She had proven to be his own personal redeemer. She had not only saved him from Doomsday that fateful night, but she had managed to save him from a path of self-destruction and complete solitude. She had given him a chance at a future that he never dreamed possible for himself. He'd admired Clark for being able to balance the cape with a somewhat normal life. Now, he had been given that very same gift with the most remarkable woman that he'd ever met.

Offering his arm to Lois's sister Lucy, Bruce escorted her down the aisle, anxious for the reception when he'd have Diana in his arms. He was looking forward to spending the evening with her, dancing and celebrating Clark and Lois's nuptials.

Walking to the back of the church, Bruce noted an unfamiliar man sitting in the back row, one who gave him a tiny smile. Bruce's eyebrows furrowed in question as he studied him. Was it J'onn? He'd have to ask Lois and Clark to find out what they knew about him.

Glancing to the right, he noticed a shadow hiding behind a pillar. A flash of silver told him it was Victor. It made him happy to know that Victor had come for the ceremony. He couldn't help but wonder what they could do to help make it easier for him to be out in public. It was something that he'd have to look into.

"Penny for your thoughts," Diana whispered against his ear.

He looked at her with a small smirk. "Just thinking," he simply replied, taking her hand. "You look gorgeous."

"Thank you," she responded.

"Shall we head to the reception?" he asked, offering her his arm.

"I wish we could persuade Victor to come with us," Diana softly said, smiling at the Cyborg hiding in the shadows.

"Did you see that man in the back row on the right?" Bruce inquired as they headed to the reception.

"I think it was J'onn," Diana decided.

"Hey, are you two ready to party tonight?" Arthur asked.

"You clean up pretty well," Diana complimented him.

"Did Mera help dress you?" Bruce quipped.

"He did it all by himself," Mera reassured them.

"Save me a dance tonight, Diana," Arthur told her.

"We'll see," Bruce said, continuing on to the reception hall.

Diana chuckled as they made their way to their table reserved for them. "Are you jealous, Bruce?"

"No," he claimed, pulling her seat out for her. "I just want you all to myself."

Diana leaned over and kissed him, her hand coming to rest on his thigh. "Can you believe we finally made it to this moment?" she asked as they took in their surroundings.

"It felt like months ago that Clark asked me to be his best man," he agreed, watching as Arthur laughed at something that Barry said.
Barry was holding the hand of a pretty girl that Bruce assumed was Iris. He was happy to see that Barry's future was so full of hope and opportunities. He deserved it after all that he'd been through. Now, if only they could prove his father's innocence.

Diana gently caressed Bruce's thigh, a dazzling smile on her face as she watched Clark and Lois enter hand-in-hand. They had never looked happier than they did at that moment. Their love had come full circle from Clark's death to his resurrection and now this new beginning for them as a married couple.

Bruce couldn't help but smile fondly as Alfred spoke with Martha Kent. It was nice to see Alfred relaxing for a change instead of always needing to keep after him, making certain he was alive and well. He owed this man his life, knowing that he had become the father figure that he had lost so many years ago.

"Let's dance," Bruce decided, standing to his feet, and offering Diana his hand.

She took his hand as she stood to her feet, feeling such an overwhelming sense of peace and happiness. Lex Luthor was back in prison where he belonged, Deathstroke was no longer a threat to Bruce, Amazo was gone for the moment, and they had found more Kryptonite in case they needed it.

She still didn't understand where these nightmares that Bruce had been having stemmed from. It greatly concerned her, knowing that they were too detailed…far too precise to be conjured from the depths of his mind. He had seen the future.

She knew, though, that the future was constantly in flux. It was never set in stone, sometimes changing dramatically depending on the decisions that were being made. What Bruce had seen in those visions might never happen now, but the possibility still remained that it could.

Dancing in Bruce's arms, Diana watched as Clark and Lois danced as well, the pure love on Clark's face speaking volumes. Could he be capable of breaking if Lois were to die? She hadn't believed so before, but now she wasn't so certain. She was obviously his world. What would happen to the Kryptonian if he lost his world again?

Diana decided those worries were better left for another day. Today was a day of celebration. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy this evening and the man that she had fallen in love with, savoring the feel of his arms around her.

"I love you, Bruce," she whispered in his ear, her cheek gently caressing his.

"I love you too," he murmured, turning to press his lips against her jaw.

"Are you two going to be the next to tie the knot?" Arthur asked with a grin as he danced beside them with Mera.

"Arthur," Mera chided him. "Leave them alone."

Bruce turned to look into Diana's chestnut brown eyes, momentarily losing himself in the emotion he could see brimming there for him. "Never say never," he replied, unable to take his eyes off her.

She beamed in response, unsure herself what she would have wanted him to say. She wasn't certain she was ready for marriage. However, knowing it was something not to be ruled out by him was more than enough for her at that moment. She was content just taking it one day at a time with him for now.

Their future was looking so bright. Hopefully, it would stay that way.

Apokolips; June 30th, 10:06 EST

Darkseid paced back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back, a grim expression on his stony face. This was taking entirely too long. He should have been to Earth by now, but Desaad had slowed the process with his needless worries.

He'd wanted to make sure everything was ready before taking on Earth. He didn't want to encounter failure as Steppenwolf had with the Justice League. Darkseid, on the other hand, just wanted to get to Earth so he could crush the Justice League and show the world how truly weak their heroes were compared to him.

There would be no stopping them once they invaded Earth. No amount of superpowered beings would be able to stop him and his Parademon army. The League was nothing more than a group of insects that he would squash with his fist, putting their broken bodies on display for the world to see just how worthless they really were.

"My lord," Desaad said as he entered Darkseid's throne room. "It's time."

Darkseid's mouth curved into an evil smile. "Ready the boom tubes."

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: That's all, folks! I so hope you enjoyed this! It was fun to write them in the DCEU for a change. :)

UP NEXT: The final fic in the Family Series titled Family Tree.