Chapter 20
Gotham (MU)
Bruce briefly touched his bow tie to make sure it was straight as he entered the charity function with a beautiful redhead on his arm. He was fashionably late as always, causing more than a few raised brows at his scantily dressed date. His late arrival always caused a stir of rumors to flit around the room as to what he had been up to that led his tardiness.
He offered his usual easy smile to his friends, but it took considerable effort to keep it there. This was the absolute last place on earth that he wanted to be, but Alfred had insisted that it was beyond necessary bordering on dire. He had been missing from the social scene since the day Wonder Woman had supposedly been killed. It had generated a marked wave in rumors as to what had happened to the suddenly elusive playboy of Gotham.
Deep down, Bruce knew that Alfred was right. Being absent from social scene could severely jeopardize his alter ego, putting him at risk of being exposed. He couldn't let that happen…which was why he was working damage control at that moment with up-and-coming supermodel Julia Vaughn.
He smiled at Jack Cunningham, waving at his wife who gave him a sensual leer that spoke volumes as to what she really wanted from him. He turned his attention instead to Duncan Addair who was making his way towards him at that moment.
"Bruce, you old dog," Duncan bellowed with his thick Scottish brogue as he extended his hand. "I'd like to know what rock you've been hiding under these last few months."
"Been a little busy," Bruce slyly replied, his eyes settling on his date who was being handed a couple of glasses of champagne by a waiter.
"I should've known," Duncan said with a chuckle as he gazed at the redhead. "When you've got a beauty like that, you don't have much time for anything else."
Bruce turned to look at Julia, appreciating her beauty, but it didn't stir anything inside of him except for overwhelming loneliness. She wasn't Diana. Although gorgeous in everyone's eye, she didn't possess the attributes that had caused him to fall in love with the Amazon princess.
He felt a painful void with her absence, one that was growing deeper with every passing day. She'd been gone for three months now. He couldn't bear to go another day without seeing her. He had sworn to himself this morning that he was going to Themyscira tomorrow no matter what Alfred said. Even if he couldn't bring her home yet, he hoped to at least see her and talk to her in an effort to alleviate the ache that had settled in his chest.
"Bruce?"
Bruce's head snapped to the side to look at Duncan. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "What did you say?"
"I asked how business was," he repeated. "Have you got any new deals in the pipeline?"
Bruce gave him a huge grin as he clapped him on the shoulder. "I've always got deals in the pipeline, "Dun," he told him.
"Well, I'm glad to see you doing well," he told him. "I was getting worried about you."
"Nothing can keep me out of the limelight for long."
"Bruce, let's get something to eat," Julia said, wrapping her arm around his and invading his personal space. "I'm getting hungry. I haven't eaten all day."
"Been keeping her busy, eh?" Duncan murmured as he elbowed Bruce. "I'll see you later, you old dog."
"Later, Duncan," he replied before escorting his date to the table of hors d'oeuvres.
Julia picked up an hors d'oeuvre with a sexy smirk on her lips as she turned towards Bruce. "Smoked oysters," she practically purred as she held it up to his mouth. "You know oysters are an aphrodisiac, don't you?"
He opened his mouth to accept the appetizer, intentionally sucking gently on the tips of her fingers and earning a gasp. He chewed slowly as he watched her reach for the pate. He hated this with every fiber of his being, pretending to be attracted to this woman when he wholly loved another.
He couldn't help wishing that this night was over with so he could begin his patrol. He needed to clean up the streets before leaving for Themyscira tomorrow night. He hoped that arriving under the guise of darkness would help cloak his presence.
"Bruce, are you all right?" Julia asked, tilting her head slightly as she studied him. "You seem preoccupied."
"Just have a lot on my mind…including you," he flirted, his arm slipping around her waist as he pulled her against him for a kiss.
Julia melted against him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she attempted to deepen the kiss only for him to abruptly end it. "Let's dance," he suggested, taking her by the hand and leading her to the dance floor.
He took her into his arms as they began to dance, counting the minutes until he could leave. He calculated that he'd only have to stay here for about another hour before needing to find a way to ditch his date and slip out of the charity event.
Julia began to tell him all about her next photoshoot scheduled for the following week in Fiji, telling him how he should accompany her on the trip and all the fun they could have together. He barely registered what she was saying to him, his gaze continually looking towards the main entrance of the ballroom.
He kept expecting Diana to walk in at any minute, capturing the attention of every single person in the room. She always managed to do that at every gala and charity event that she attended, actually every place she went. She radiated an aura of warmth and compassion that drew everyone to her. It was no wonder she was so beloved by the whole world and beyond.
"Just think, Bruce," Julia flirted, her lips brushing against his ear. "A whole week in Fiji...with me. You could sleep in while I work for a few hours…then I would come back to our suite to wake you up…and blow your mind all over again like no woman ever has before."
In the past, Bruce might have considered her proposal, hooking up with her for a few days, but that was before Diana. Now, the offer didn't hold the slightest appeal to him. "I'm afraid I can't, Julia," he replied. "I have a couple of deals that I'm trying to broker over the next couple of weeks."
Julia began to nibble on his earlobe, teasing it with her teeth and tongue. "I'm sure you could find someone to take over for you," she attempted to coax him as her hand moved to his chest. "I'm sure they wouldn't miss you for a few days."
"Julia, I can't," he firmly stated, growing annoyed. "This just isn't going to work."
She pulled back to look in his eyes, realization dawning on her. "There's someone else, isn't there?"
Bruce sighed heavily as he averted his eyes. "I'm afraid there is," he confessed. "I'm sorry."
"What happened?" she asked, showing genuine concern. "Did she leave you?"
"In a way," he admitted, "but I'm determined to get her back."
"I really hope you do," she sincerely replied.
"Thank you," he murmured, longing and loneliness welling up inside of him as he thought about her.
It had been three months of waiting and wondering and worrying if she was going to return to him or if she was going to stay on Themyscira forever. He knew that Diana had promised him that she would return, but he'd never seen her so broken before. She might decide she didn't want to leave the safety of her island home.
"You know I never really believed all of those rumors about you," Julia told him as they continued to dance.
"Really?" he replied, his apprehension growing. "Why is that?"
Julia smiled softly as she gazed into his eyes. "I think you have a good heart, Bruce," she revealed. "I think the rumors are greatly exaggerated just to sell their papers."
The corner of Bruce's mouth ticked up into a partial smirk. "Is that why you agreed to go out with me? To see if the rumors were true about me?"
"Yes," she admitted. "You pique my curiosity. I'm glad that I found out I was right about you, but I'm disappointed that I won't be able to experience far more with you."
"I'm sorry if I led you on," he apologized. "I thought I could get over her, but she is impossible to forget."
"She sounds like quite a wonderful woman," she said.
"More wonderful than you know," he agreed, feeling a sense of excitement knowing that he wouldn't have to wait much longer.
Thankfully, this painful ache that settled in his chest wouldn't be there for long. Tomorrow, he would finally get to see her and with any luck, he'd be able to bring her back home with him.
Themyscira (MU)
Diana momentarily closed her eyes, inhaling deeply as she pushed her horse to move faster. She actually felt a sense of genuine happiness for the first time since in exceedingly long time. She knew that the heartache of losing her baby would stay with her forever, but she was learning to accept it.
She missed Bruce, his death still haunting her sleep. She was struggling with the guilt she felt over him losing his life trying to protect her and their baby continued to consume her. She should have been able to do something more. She was an Amazon warrior…Wonder Woman…and yet she hadn't been able to do anything to prevent it.
She still had questions she wanted answers to, but she also knew those answers might never come. Even if they did, it might not ever fully satisfy her. It was time to rebuild her life and move on, to find happiness and love with someone who she hoped felt the same way as she did.
She smiled to herself as she caught up to her mother, riding alongside her. It brought back memories of the last time that she'd gone horseback riding with her mother. She'd tried to talk her mother into helping out Man's World that day, but her mother had been adamantly against the idea.
Diana had ended up going against her mother's wishes by sneaking into the Temple of Athena and taking the set of armor that laid on the alter. It had been a difficult decision at the time, but she never once regretted following her heart to do what she knew she had to do.
"You're thinking of that day too," Hippolyta knowingly said as she cast a sidelong gaze at her daughter.
"It's hard not to," Diana admitted with a faint smile on her lips. "It changed the entire direction of my life."
"I guess a part of me always knew that you were fated for more far beyond the shores of Themyscira," she confessed. "I just didn't want to believe it or see it. I was selfish to want to keep you here with me and now I know that you will be leaving again."
"It's the love of a mother," she softly said, thinking of the daughter that she had lost.
"Someday you will know that love again, my sun and stars," the queen assured her. "I know your pain runs very deep as does mine knowing I lost a granddaughter, but I also believe you will know the joy that comes with a baby in your life."
Diana shook her head as she pursed her lips, her blue eyes narrowing as she gazed out over the sea. "I have to admit that I'm a little afraid," she admitted. "I don't know if I can go through that again. I can't bear the thought of losing another baby."
"I understand your fear of carrying a child again," she replied, her tone gentle and sympathetic. "You also know that there are always risks in life. You live with that risk every time you go out on a mission. That doesn't mean that we should avoid living or avoid loving again."
"I know," she confessed as she thought about Batman. She had been avoiding having to deal with her feelings for him, delaying rebuilding her life, but she found herself growing anxious to see him.
Hippolyta studied her daughter's expression, a knowing smile forming on her lips. "You know you can't hide here forever…not from the world and not from him."
Diana tore her gaze from the blue waters that lapped at the beach, meeting her mother's stare. "You're right," she told her with a frown. "It's becoming very annoying, but you're right."
The queen chuckled affectionately, relieved how her daughter had found herself over the last three months. At the same time, she knew that Diana wouldn't be staying here much longer. She would love nothing more for her daughter to stay here on Themyscira forever, but she knew she was being selfish. Her daughter was special in every way imaginable…destined to continue to do amazing things for the good of the world.
"I can see how much you miss him," she told her. "When you first arrived, you were apathetic to the point I feared you might never recover, but you have made great strides over the last three months. Now, I see a restlessness in you…a longing to return to your life and to him. It's a good sign. It means you're finally healing. You're ready to begin again."
"I can't help the sense of guilt I feel," she softly said, becoming lost in thoughts of the past…of a life in another world that wasn't her own. "I feel guilty about moving on…like Bruce didn't mean anything to me when he did. He was there for me when I needed someone so badly. He wasn't like Batman. He wasn't a superhero or have a warrior's spirit, but he had a compassion and a gentleness that spoke to me. He was just as quick and willing to help others like Batman, but different ways."
"It's all right that Bruce holds a special place in your heart," Hippolyta assured her. "It's natural that he would after everything that the two of you went through together."
"He died protecting me and Jacey," she replied.
"He died a hero," she agreed. "He wouldn't want you to mourn for him forever. He would want you to move on and be happy."
"Why does love have to be so complicated?" Diana said with a sigh.
"That's part of what makes love so very special," she told her. "Diana, follow your heart. Find out what Bruce's feelings are for you. You'll never find true peace until you do."
"You're right," she said with a sigh. "It's not fair to either of us."
"Go back to him, my sun and stars," she encouraged her. "While I'd love to have you here with me, I know you could never be completely happy on Themyscira especially without Batman."
Diana smiled fondly as she tightened her hold on the reins. "I think that I'm going to the temple to pray again before I make any decisions," Diana ultimately decided. "The goddesses have not answered my prayers as of yet, but today may be the day."
"I pray you find the answers that you're seeking," the queen told her, reaching up to cup her cheek. "I'm so very proud of you and all that you've accomplished…how you've been working through your loss like a true Amazon. You just need to trust yourself, Diana. I know that you'll come through all of this stronger and more indomitable than ever before."
"Thank you, mother," Diana replied with a genuine smile as she melted into her mother's touch. "I love you."
"I love you too," she told her.
Queen Hippolyta watched as Diana rode away, knowing that her daughter's time here was rapidly coming to an end. It broke her heart, but at the same time, she was relieved to see that her daughter was recovering from her ordeal.
While she knew that she would always carry the scars of her loss, Diana would only grow stronger from the trial, her empathy for others who have endured similar pain running far deeper than ever before. She also knew that with Bruce by her side, her daughter's future was going to shine brighter than ever before.
XXX
Diana walked into the Temple of Aphrodite, her head lowered as she approached the alter and the lit torches that were constantly maintained. She hoped that today she would receive the answers that she'd been requesting, but she also knew that demanding it from her patron goddess was not a wise decision.
She didn't want to leave Themyscira without some sort of answer. A part of her felt that she still needed them if she was going to truly be able to move on with her life. At the same time, she knew that she needed to be prepared to do that very thing if the goddesses refused to respond to her request.
Diana fell to her knees, pouring her heart out to Lady Aphrodite for the hundredth time since she'd arrived home on the island. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks, dropping onto the stone floor beneath her knees as she shared every hurt, every bit of confusion that besieged her heart, every question that she'd struggle to understand.
It felt like hours passed as she continued to plead for some sort of response. Just as she was about to give up, she felt a gentle hand come to rest on her bowed head. "Rise, my child."
Diana lifted her head, taken aback by Lady Aphrodite's appearance before her. She'd dared to hope she would come to her and now she was actually here. "Lady Aphrodite," she murmured, bowing her head once more. "I'm honored that you have chosen to show yourself to me. I apologize for my endless prayers these last few months. I'm hoping that you can help me find some peace."
Aphrodite knelt before her, her hand cupping her chin to force her to look up at her. "How could I not?" she said with a bright smile. "You're my favorite Amazon. You always honor me with the love that you carry in your heart for others…and especially a certain Dark Knight."
"I love him more than my own life," she confessed with a soft smile. "I'm afraid that I hurt him by falling in love with another. Batman wasn't willing to risk a relationship with me, but Bruce was. He was so open and willing to love. I had to know what love was really like with him."
"Ah, the Eassicion dimension Bruce," Aphrodite knowingly replied. "I'm not surprised that you so readily fell in love with him. He is a different version of the Bruce you've known, but he still shared many similar characteristics."
"He died trying to protect me and our baby," she told her. "I don't understand why I was sent there only to suffer so much pain in the end."
"I know it is difficult to understand, but you and Bruce did not suffer in vain," she revealed. "The time he had with you was the best eight months of his life since losing his parents. He regrets nothing that happened. He is with his parents now as well as with little Jacey in the Elysium Fields in the Eassicion dimension."
"He is?" Diana whispered in shock, gazing at the goddess through her tears. "He's with my Jacey?"
"She's a beautiful little girl…resembles you," she assured her, her hand cupping her chin once more. "I know that you think that nothing but pain and suffering has come from your experience, but there has also been so much good that has come from it too. You will find that out in time."
"He doesn't hate me?" she dared to ask.
"No, Diana," she replied, gently shaking her head. "He loves you and wants you to be happy. He doesn't want you to mourn for him any longer. He wants you to love again and to move on with Batman if he is willing."
Diana felt warmth flood her heart knowing that Bruce and Jacey were together, reunited with his parents. It brought her a measure of relief, but at the same time, she wished that she could hold her daughter just once. It was a pain that would stay with her forever, but it was a little more bearable knowing she was being taken care of by her father and grandparents.
"It's time, Diana," Aphrodite told her. "It's time to return home and assume the mantle of the Champion of the Gods again. You have a renewed mission that awaits you, princess…one that almost mirrors Batman's now."
Diana felt as if the pieces were falling into place as she looked back on the time that she had spent in that world. She had learned so much about herself…about love and what she truly wanted in her life.
While she loved Bruce, it had given her a deeper appreciation and love for the people she had left behind and especially one superhero in particular.
And in the end, her eyes had been opened to the tragedy of what Bruce had endured as an eight-year-old boy witnessing his parents' murder. While it wasn't identical to her own experience, she understood his trauma now…his sense of loss, seeing it through his eyes. In so doing, she discovered an even deeper love for him, surpassing any love she had ever known before.
"Man's World needs you, Diana…he needs you."
"I miss him so much," she said, wiping the tears from her face.
"He misses you just as much," the goddess divulged with a knowing smile. "Please know that your goddesses are very proud of you and the way that you've battled your way back from such a tragic loss. You have grown far stronger from this than you even realize."
Diana smiled gratefully as Aphrodite erased the remnants of her tears with her fingertips, feeling a tremendous weight being lifted from her heart. While she couldn't be with her child, she now knew that Jacey was happy and safe with Bruce. It was more than she could've hoped for after everything that had happened.
Now, it was time to take her battered heart and start life anew with the man who had captured it from the very beginning…if he was willing to take a chance on her.
Gotham (MU)
Batman threw a haymaker at one of the thugs, knocking him down in one punch with minimal effort. He whirled on his heel, ducking as a crowbar came right at his head. He came up with his fist, hitting him square in the jaw before kicking him in the middle of his chest.
The man stumbled backwards into one of his partners, both of them crashing into a stack of wooden crates. Batman didn't waste time, grabbing both of them by the backs of their necks and slamming their heads together. A four-by-four piece of wood slammed across Batman's upper back, shattering into a shower of splinters.
Batman stumbled a step forward before quickly righting himself. With a furious growl, he turned to face his attacker who took a couple of steps backwards, holding his hands up in front of him. "Sorry…please, don't hurt me," he stammered, suddenly fearing for his life.
"Too late," Batman rasped as he stalked straight towards him, throwing a right hook and dropping him like a rock.
A thug came at him from his right with a knife in hand. Batman lifted his gauntleted wrist, catching the deadly blade in one of his fins. He shoved him backwards with a snarl on his lips as another jumped him from behind, wrapping his arms around the Dark Knight's neck.
Batman flipped him off his back and into the guy with the knife, sending them both crashing into a brick wall. He swiftly spun around, breathing heavily as he surveyed the carnage that lay scattered around him. His gut told him that this was far from over.
Something more was going on.
"You never fail to impress."
"Two-Face," Batman growled.
"You singlehandedly took down ten of my best men," he stated.
"What are you up to?" Batman demanded to know.
"Me?" Two-Face asked with an air of innocence, touching his chest with his hand. "Absolutely nothing. I'm completely innocent this time. I was just paid to draw you out of the shadows."
Batman instantly grew rigid, the fine hairs on the back of his neck bristling with sudden awareness as he pulled out a Batarang. They were not alone. "By whom?" he rasped.
"By us," Grodd announced as he stepped out of the shadows, his notorious weapon in hand.
Batman's gauntleted hands clenched tightly as he watched Lex Luthor, Rampage, Bizarro, Volcana, Star Sapphire and Sinestro came to stand on either side of Grodd to face off against him. He was greatly outnumbered, but he would not go down without a fight.
"It's time to send you to another dimension," Luthor informed him.
"Like you did Wonder Woman?" Batman questioned him. "Seems to me she found a way back."
"That was just luck…or you," Grodd told him. "This time it's going to be permanent."
"We're going to be rid of the Dark Knight once and for all," Luthor said with a smirk. "After that, the rest of the League will be all gone before taking down the president. Then, I'll be the one to run the country."
"You have to catch me first," Batman shot back.
Batman threw the Batarang at Grodd as he tossed a smoke bomb with the other. "Get him!" Luthor yelled. "Don't let him get away!"
"Where is he?" Volcana yelled.
Bizarro flew up above the thick cloud of smoke, determined to be the one to find the Batman. "Me find him!" he yelled, using his breath to disperse the smoke to find no sign of the Dark Knight.
"Where did he go?" Rampage bellowed.
"I'll burn him out," Volcano decided, throwing her hands out before her, prepared to start a massive fire.
A Batarang seemingly appeared out of nowhere, hitting her directly between the eyes. A flurry of Batbombs skidded across the ground at the same time, exploding and creating enough chaos to allow Batman the opportunity to strike.
Throwing a bola, he trapped Sinestro's arms against his body. He managed to lift his hand, using his ring to break free from the bola. He quickly raised his fist, directing his power ring straight at Batman who was flying towards him on his grappling line.
A large pair of scissors appeared from Sinestro's ring, snapping Batman's line. The Dark Knight immediately used his cape to control his descent, lifting his legs and kicking Sinestro square in the chest. Knocking him to the ground, Batman delivered a bone-jarring punch that took him out of the game at least for the time being.
Batman whipped around, unleashing a barrage of Batarangs at Ramage and Volcana only to be picked up by his cape by Bizarro. "Look what me caught!"
"Don't let him go!" Grodd demanded, pointing his gun directly at the Dark Knight.
"Do it already!" Luthor yelled.
Batman swiftly pulled a razor-sharp Batarang, slicing his cape and feeing himself. Star Sapphire immediately pointed her sapphire at Batman, creating a bubble around him and trapping him. "Looks like he's not going anywhere except where we send him," Star Sapphire gloated.
"You're not sending him anywhere!" Wonder Woman yelled, her fist connecting with Star Sapphire's jaw.
Batman stared in stunned disbelief, more than relieved to see Diana for more than one reason. The bubble keeping him trapped disappeared as Star Sapphire rolled unconscious across the ground, allowing him to rejoin the fight once more.
He immediately sprang into action as Bizarro flew into the air to intercept Wonder Woman, throwing a flash grenade at Grodd and Luthor. Both stumbled backwards, causing Grodd to drop his weapon as he and Luthor attempted to shield their eyes, but it was no use. They were blinded by the light, leaving them both susceptible.
Batman wasted no time, attacking the pair with a fierce vengeance. He unleashed every bit of his rage on them for what Grodd and the Secret Society had done to Diana and the pain that they had created. He was going to end this tonight one way or another.
Bizarro suddenly flew backwards past him, crashing into a nearby utility truck as Batman traded blows with Luthor who was taking the brunt of the fight. Grodd scrambled after the weapon, reaching for it only to have a red boot stomp down on top it, crushing it into dust right before his eyes.
"You aren't going to hurt anyone else for as long as I'm around," Wonder Woman ground out, delivering a punishing slam of her fist into Grodd's face.
Blood began to trickle from his mouth as he staggered backwards, but Diana didn't let up. She continued to pound her fists into the gorilla until he could no longer get up. Rampage suddenly wrapped her arms around the Amazon from behind, lifting her up off the ground.
"You've met your match now!" Rampage bellowed.
"I was just about to say the same about you," Wonder Woman retorted.
Diana threw her head backwards, crashing into Rampage's forehead and breaking free from the bone-crushing hold on her. Diana attacked with a ferocity that had been locked up for far too long, finishing off Rampage in a matter of seconds before turning her attention to Volcana who was charging towards her.
Finishing handcuffing Luthor, Batman turned around in time to witness Volcana unleash a stream of fire at the Amazon princess, completely enveloping her in the flames. "Diana!" Batman yelled, running towards her only to be stopped short by the intensity of the heat. He threw his arms up to try to shield himself from the tremendous heat.
"Your Wonder Woman is no more!" Volcana taunted.
They watched in amazement as Diana walked right out of the flames, completely untouched by the fire that had consumed her. "Think again," Diana spat out, her blue eyes like simmering flames of fury.
"If I can't destroy you, then I'll burn down the Bat," Volcana decided with a smirk of pleasure on her lips as she turned her attention to the Dark Knight.
Before she could unleash her fire, Diana was in her face, her hand wrapping around Volcana's throat. "You will do no such thing," she sneered, tightening her hold on the supervillain.
Batman watched as Diana rendered Volcana unconscious before tossing her aside like a bag of trash before turning to look at him. He could scarcely believe that she was actually here. It had been the longest three months of his life, but now she was finally home.
They slowly made their way to each other, both wanting to say so many things to each other, but they couldn't with a semi-conscious audience. Sirens roared as police and rescue arrived on the scene to take the villains away, but Batman and Wonder Woman were barely aware of what was happening around them.
Diana abruptly wrapped an arm around him, flying both of them up to a nearby rooftop that would allow them some privacy. "Hi," Diana softly said with a small smile.
"You came back," he replied.
"I promised you that I would," she reminded him.
He nodded slightly, remembering her promise. Without another word, he reached out and pulled her to him, his arms wrapped tightly in a crushing embrace. "I missed you so much," he murmured into her hair.
"I missed you too," she responded, savoring the feel of his comforting embrace.
"Are you all right?" he asked after several long moments of just holding her like he'd dreamed, drawing back just enough to be able to gaze into her eyes.
"I'm doing better," she told him with a genuine smile that seemed to make her eyes sparkle on the dimly lit rooftop. "I still carry the scars, but I'm ready to start again."
For the first time in a long time, Bruce smiled in return, one that warmed her heart and stole her breath.
A/N: SHE'S BACK! :)
UP NEXT: Diana has a plan as she returns to the League for her psych evaluation with J'onn.
NOTE: I'm almost done with the last chapter of this fic (Chp 23)! I've already started plotting out Family Crisis. I think you all are going to like it.