Chapter 23
Gotham (MU)
Diana's hands found her hips as she looked around, a satisfied smile slowly forming on her face. She could hardly believe that it was all coming together at long last. Her eyes traveled over every aspect of the room finding her excitement difficult to contain.
"Diana!" Bruce called to her. "Come get your puppy!"
Diana chuckled as she went to see what Pepper was up to now. Walking down the hall, she found Bruce in one of the exam rooms. He was laying on the floor working beneath the desk, finishing setting up the last computer. Pepper had his teeth firmly planted on the hem of Bruce's jeans, tugging mightily in an effort to get him out from under the desk.
"Pepper, come here," she called to him as she crouched down. "You need to let Bruce finish his work."
Pepper bounded towards Diana, leaping into her waiting arms. She straightened up, holding the Dalmatian puppy against her chest as she scratched behind his ears. He stretched his neck up, licking her chin as his tale excitedly wagged back and forth.
"I think he's going to be a great addition to the clinic," Diana said.
Bruce crawled out from under the desk, setting his tools aside as he sat up to look at his girlfriend. "We'll see," he replied. "I found a puddle on the floor this afternoon."
"Pepper, no more accidents in the clinic," Diana chided him, holding the puppy up so she could look into his eyes before turning her attention to Bruce. "Problem solved. He promised no more accidents."
Bruce frowned as he got to his feet. "Just like that?" he questioned her. "Forgive me if I don't take his word for it."
"Bruce, he's just a puppy…like a baby," she reminded him. "He just needed a little reminder."
"I'm sure," he muttered as Pepper barked at him.
"He thinks you don't like him," she informed him with an amused grin.
Bruce shook his head as he patted Pepper on the head. "I don't mind the puppy. I just don't like the mess," he clarified. "Are we all done here?"
"I just finished with the waiting room," she revealed as they walked out towards the lobby with the puppy in her arms. "Tell me what you think."
"I love it," he told her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It's very warm and welcoming…like walking into someone's home."
"That's perfect," she replied as she leaned into him, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. "It's exactly what I was going for. I want women to feel comfortable and cared for here. I want it to be like walking into a friend's home."
Bruce kissed the top of her head as he tightened his hold on her. "You did an amazing job putting it all together," he praised her. "Gotham is really going to benefit from a clinic like this."
"Well, we open tomorrow," she said as she pulled out of his embrace, setting Pepper down before walking over to straighten a small pillow resting on one of the couches. "I hope it goes well."
"I have a meeting at work tomorrow morning that I can't miss, but I'll be here all afternoon to help out wherever you need me," he revealed.
Diana turned to stare at him, taken aback by his offer. "You took off work tomorrow afternoon to be here for me?"
Bruce made his way to her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. "There's no other place I'd rather be," he assured her. "Alfred has already placed an order for lunch from Palazzolo's to be delivered for everyone tomorrow. If my meeting goes well, I should be here in time to have lunch with you."
Diana slipped her arms around her lover, kissing him with all the passion that teemed inside of her for this man. He returned her kiss, knowing there was nothing that he wouldn't do for this woman. She made him want to be a better man…a better everything all for her. He knew he didn't deserve her after how he had treated her before, but he was going to do whatever it took to be worthy of her.
He had denied them both this for so long and he was going to do whatever it took to make it up to her. He wanted to savor every moment…relish every opportunity that he had with her, making the most of the time that they had together. He knew that he had wasted so much of it already.
"All right, take a breather," Dick said as he entered the clinic with Tim.
"Go away," Bruce muttered as he broke the kiss, leveling his eldest with a glare.
"You told me to be here at this time," Dick reminded him, pointing at the face of his watch on his wrist.
Bruce looked at the large clock at the wall, realizing how late it had gotten. "It's nearly six o'clock already?"
"You should leave them alone, Dick," Tim decided as he knelt to play with Pepper. "I think they're perfect together. Hey, can we get a puppy for home?"
"Let's adjust to this one first," Bruce decided.
"Yeah, but Pepper isn't at the manor," Tim pointed out. "He's staying here at the clinic."
"You can always come here to play with him," Bruce offered.
"Yeah, because every teenage boy wants to hang out at a pregnancy clinic," Dick uttered with a laugh.
Bruce shrugged a shoulder. "The clinic can always use volunteers."
"Then, I volunteer to come over and take care of Pepper," Tim said.
"That would be very helpful, Tim," Diana told him. "Pepper will need to be fed and given baths."
"I can do that," he readily agreed, laughing as Pepper licked his face.
"If you do a good job, we can talk about getting a dog at home," Bruce said.
"I want to name him Ace," Tim replied.
"We better get going if we don't want to miss dinner," Dick reminded them, casting a glance at Bruce.
"Right," Bruce said with a nod. "We don't want to keep Alfred waiting."
"But you two didn't get a tour of the clinic yet," Diana noted.
"We're going to come back tomorrow," Dick readily replied. "You can give us a tour then."
"All right," Diana murmured, walking over to turn the lights off.
Bruce took her hand, leading out the front door as Tim and Dick yelled "surprise". Diana stopped short at the sight of the brand-new blue Land Rover SUV sitting in front of the clinic. "Is this for me?" she said, looking to Bruce.
Bruce dangled the car keys in front of her, a grin on his face. "It's all for you, princess."
"I…I don't know what to say," she murmured in shock, taking the keys from him before making her way towards the waiting SUV that gleamed in the sun like a jewel.
"You're going to need a vehicle of your own to get around Gotham and to get to and from the clinic," Bruce reminded her.
"And Bruce wasn't about to give you one of his cars," Dick interjected with a chuckle.
"Do you like it?" Tim asked, nearly bouncing with excitement. "I helped pick it out."
"I love it," she replied, turning and kissing Bruce. "I've never had my own car before."
"Dick and I just picked it up for you," Tim volunteered. "It's all gassed up and ready to go."
"Do you know how to drive, Diana?" Dick asked.
"Of course, she does," Bruce replied, pausing for a moment. "You do know how to drive, don't you?"
"If I can fly my jet and the Javelin, then I can drive a car," she assured them. "It can't be that different. Who wants to ride with me?"
"Uh, I have my motorcycle," Dick said, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder at his bike.
"I think I better ride with Dick to make sure he remembers how to get back to the manor," Tim ultimately decided, quickly following his older brother.
Bruce held up his hands in defense. "I drove the Porsche here."
"Cowards," Diana said, her narrowed gaze eyeing each one of them as they backed away. "All of you are cowards."
Bruce leaned in and kissed her soundly. "Sorry, princess, but we all like being alive and would like to keep it that way for as long as possible."
"That's just cold," she retorted.
"I'll make it up to you later," he murmured, stealing one more kiss before turning away from her. "I'll see you at home…if you can find your way there."
Diana glared at him as he made his way to his Porsche. Thoughts of running over his little sports car with her SUV momentarily flitted through her mind, but she decided to just appreciate the fact that she had her very own car. It was something that she was going to enjoy…even if everyone thought she couldn't drive.
She'd show them a thing or two.
Wayne Manor (MU)
Bruce finished shaving the left side of his face, tapping his razor against the edge of the sink before starting on the other side. He hummed softly to himself, reliving the early morning hours of sunrise that he'd spent making love with Diana.
He'd never been with a woman quite like Diana before. She was everything that he'd dreamed and fantasized that she'd be and yet so much more. He mentally kicked himself for waiting so long to fully allow her to be a part of his life in every way. He'd held so much of himself back for so long it was difficult for him to open himself up, to show such a deep level of intimacy, but with Diana, it was becoming easier for him.
Lifting his chin, he carefully shaved his neck as Diana flew into the bathroom, kneeling before the toilet to vomit. He turned a worried eye on her as she finally sat back on her heels, resting her elbows on the ring of the toilet as she held her head in her hands.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"Not really," she muttered with a groan, lunging forward to vomit again.
Bruce quickly wiped the remaining shaving foam from his face before making his way to her side. "Diana, you don't get sick," he reminded her.
"I know, but something isn't right," she replied, sitting back once more.
She had an eerie, sinking feeling in her gut that she didn't want to give words to. This was exactly how she had felt when she found out she was pregnant with Jacey. She rubbed her face with her hands, tears threatening to fall with the thought of the daughter that she'd lost.
She couldn't be pregnant again…could she?
The thought excited her and yet terrified her at the same time. The idea of having a baby with Bruce was something that she'd always wanted, but she couldn't deny the fear that gripped her that she could lose this baby too. She couldn't go through that again.
"Hera, please…not again," she silently prayed.
Bruce rubbed her back, sensing the fear that was rising within her. "Diana, do you think you could be pregnant?" he softly asked, handing her a glass of water from the bathroom counter.
Rinsing her mouth, she spat the water into the toilet before drinking the rest of it. "It's a possibility," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
He took the glass from her hand, setting it back on the counter. "How do you feel about having a baby with me?" he tentatively asked.
Diana lifted her head to gaze into his eyes to find them filled with expectant hope. It stunned her to think that Bruce would want a baby with her or want one so soon. They'd only been together a little over two months…two months since that magical night spent at his apartment at Wayne Towers when they had first made love.
"How do you feel about it?" she ventured.
"I admit that the idea terrifies me, but I love the idea of having a baby with you," he assured her, his hand cupping her cheek.
She bit nervously at her bottom lip as she lowered her gaze. "I'm afraid," she softly confessed. "I want this baby with you, but what if I lose the baby just like I lost Jacey?"
"Diana, you lost Jacey because of the time differential in that universe," he reminded her. "You're home where you belong with me."
"I know, but there's no guarantee," she replied as tears began to trickle down her cheeks.
"There never is in life," he pointed out. "Let's go to the clinic and confirm whether you're pregnant or not. After that, we take it one day at a time together."
She slowly nodded her head, knowing that he was right, but it was still difficult calming that wave of panic that threatened to overwhelm her. "We might be pregnant," she told him, the corner of her lips quirking.
"I can't believe it," he responded, shaking his head. "A baby…"
"I guess there's only one way to find out."
"I guess we're headed to the clinic before I go into the office," he said, a nervous knot of excitement and fear roiling fiercely in his stomach.
Wayne Manor (MU)
"A brother?" Tim excitedly exclaimed. "I'm going to have a brother?"
"Or sister," Bruce interjected.
"How cool is that?" Tim added with a grin.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" Damian questioned them, trying to decide whether or not he wanted to warm up to the idea of a sibling.
"We won't know for a few more weeks," Bruce replied, holding Diana's hand as they sat across from Alfred and the three boys.
"Congratulations," Alfred said, beaming proudly from ear to ear. "This is marvelous news."
"Yeah, I guess it won't be too bad," Damian ultimately decided. There wasn't anything he could do to change the fact that he was going to have a sibling. "I'm not going to babysit if that's what you're thinking…and diapers. No diapers."
"Don't worry," Bruce told him. "You're not going to be on diaper duty."
"Is there anything that you need, Miss Diana," Alfred inquired.
"I'm okay for the moment," she assured him. "Leslie gave me something for nausea."
"You let me know if you have any cravings," Alfred informed her. "I'm more than happy to oblige any pregnancy cravings, day or night."
"I'll keep that in mind," Diana replied with a smile.
"So, what are you going to do about the Justice League?" Dick asked.
Diana and Bruce looked at each other, neither considering her responsibilities with the League. "I hadn't thought about it," Diana admitted.
"You definitely can't return to active duty," Bruce pointed out.
"Yes, but I've only been back with the League for two months," she reminded him. "I hate to be put on maternity leave already. I feel like I'm abandoning my responsibilities all over again."
"But Diana, you're pregnant," he insisted with a frown. "You can't possibly think you can go out on missions while carrying our child. What if you were injured?"
"I'm an Amazon, Bruce," she stated with a scowl. "I'm not taken down easily."
"But you can still be taken down, Diana," he countered, growing irritated with her stubbornness.
"Bruce!" Diana groused.
"You're not invincible, princess."
"Uh, guys?" Dick interjected.
"So, I'm supposed to just sit on the sidelines?" she demanded to know.
"You were just worried about something happening to our baby, and now you want to go out into battle?" Bruce ground out.
"I'm still worried about our baby, but that doesn't mean it's easy for me to just sit back and not do something while my teammates and the man that I love are out there putting their lives on the line," Diana heatedly stated.
"Bruce…Diana…" Dick tried again.
"I love you too," Bruce told her. "That's why I don't want you out there risking your life or the life of our baby."
"I would never intentionally put our child's life in danger," Diana snapped.
"I know that, but—" Bruce began.
"Guys!" Tim shouted, capturing their attention.
Bruce and Diana turned to find all four of them staring at them. "What?" they both yelled, clearly annoyed.
"Um, maybe you'd like to discuss it in private instead of here in front of us," Dick pointed out.
"Yeah, we should be having a party, not an argument," Tim added.
"We're not arguing," Diana uttered with a huff, clearly still irritated.
"We're just…discussing," Bruce tried to tell them with a scowl.
"Sounded like a fight to me," Damian muttered under his breath.
"I think now would be a good time to start dinner," Alfred announced as he stood to his feet. "Come along, boys. You have chores that need to be finished before we eat."
Bruce glanced over at Diana, feeling conflicted about her being pregnant and yet wanting to still be a part of the League. "How about if you continue to do monitor duty?" he suggested. "Would you like that?"
"I guess so," she murmured, trying to rein in her frustration. She sighed as she turned to face him. "I'm scared about the possibility of losing my baby again, but I feel so conflicted about bailing on the League. I was gone for so long before. Now, I'll be gone for seven months or more."
"But you'll be gone for a good reason, princess," he pointed out. "You'll be protecting our baby. There are still things you can do without throwing yourself into the heart of a battle."
"I know," she admitted. "It was so hard not being Wonder Woman in the other universe. I ended up losing myself and my purpose. I'm afraid that will happen again if I go on maternity leave."
"It won't," he assured her, leaning in to kiss her. "I won't let it. I'll be right here reminding you every day of you are and why I love you."
Her lips curled with his promise, her worries subsiding. "You're right," she admitted.
"What was that?" he teased, cupping his ear. "I don't think I heard you right."
She pushed him back into the couch cushion with a playful glare. "I said it once. I won't say it again unless it's absolutely necessary."
Bruce chuckled as he reached out, pulling her down on top of him. He cradled her face in his hands, kissing her with a passion felt bone-deep. "I know you're worried, but don't be," he told her. "You're right here where you belong."
She kissed him as she melted into him, savoring the feel of his muscular body beneath her. She knew that he was right. She just prayed that this baby would be safe and healthy…and if everything went well, there might even be another baby to call their very own.
Wayne Manor (AU)
Alfred sat in an overstuffed chair before the fire, sipping his afternoon tea. He glanced up at the portrait hanging above the fireplace mantle, smiling fondly. He was amazed by how much life had changed over the last two years. He felt a pang of sorrow as thoughts of Bruce arose in his mind. It was something that he experienced daily, his eldest charge never far from his thoughts.
Knowing he had died trying to protect Miss Diana and their unborn baby had filled him with so much pride. The Joker had told them how sorry he was that he'd arrived too late to save him. He'd also told them how Diana had been bleeding profusely when a masked man dressed like a bat had arrived through a portal to take her away.
Alfred had been more than relieved that Miss Diana had been able to return home, but he'd been worried ever since that day about baby Jacey, wondering if she had survived. From what the Joker had said, he would be surprised if little Jacey had lived. The thought had only added to their anguish over losing Bruce.
A bright light suddenly lit up the room, startling the British butler. He set his teacup aside as Diana walked through the portal and into the room. "Miss Diana," he gasped in astonishment as he stood to his feet in disbelief.
"Alfred," she greeted him with a grin, setting a gift bag down and embracing him.
They held each other for several minutes before Alfred pulled back with a sniff, failing at keeping his emotions under control. "You came back," he murmured, his hand coming to rest against her cheek. "We've missed you, my dear."
"I'm so sorry things happened the way they did," she told him, tears shining in her eyes. "I never meant for Bruce to die that night or to leave you all so suddenly."
"Shhh, we know…we know," he reassured her, leading her to sit on the couch with him. "It was a terrible thing that happened, but some good has come from it."
"It has?"
"Master Richard has become the vigilante Batman while Barbara has become Batgirl," he revealed. "They are assisting the Joker in cleaning up Gotham and keeping what happened to Master Bruce from happening to others."
"That's incredible," she murmured, stunned by the revelation.
"Your stories of Batman from your dimension had a great influence on Master Richard," he replied. "They have done so much good for Gotham. He's also taken over running Wayne Enterprises and doing a marvelous job of it."
"I can't believe it," she softly said. "I'm so happy to hear that."
"And Master Richard and Miss Barbara were married about six months after you left," he continued.
"Alfred, do you think this milk is warm enough?" Dick asked as he entered the library, stopping short at the sight of Diana sitting in the room with Alfred. "Diana!"
Diana looked up to see Dick holding a baby in his arm and a bottle in his hand. "Dick!"
Diana stood to her feet, amazed to find that Dick was a father now. He drew her into a one-armed hug, the baby in his other arm fussing with the lack of attention. "It's so good to see you," he softly said, kissing her temple. "We never got to say goodbye to you."
"I know, and I'm so sorry about that," she replied, looking down at the baby in his arms. "Who is this?"
"This is Bruce Richard Wayne," Dick revealed. "He was born three months ago."
"He's adorable," she told him. "I'm so happy for you both."
"Come sit and tell us everything," Dick said, taking a seat in a chair by the couch. "Tell us everything that happened after you left."
Diana settled back on the couch with Alfred who immediately took her hand, squeezing it affectionately. "I'm afraid I lost Jacey," she informed them. "When I returned home, I discovered that your dimension moves at a faster pace than mine, making Bruce and I incompatible. I'm afraid I never would've been able to have a child with him."
"I'm so sorry, Miss Diana," Alfred softly said, dabbing at his eyes with his handkerchief. "We were afraid that something had happened to you."
"It was very difficult losing Jacey and Bruce," she admitted. "It turned my world upside down, but I eventually found my way again. I started the Jacey Wayne Pregnancy Clinic in her honor in Gotham. It's been a great success, helping so many women already."
"That's awesome, Diana," Dick replied. "Something good came from all the heartache."
Diana smiled in relief that they were so accepting of her and all that had happened. She'd been worried that they would blame her for Bruce's death, but Aphrodite had been right. There was much good that had come from a tragic situation that she had no idea about.
"I hear that you and Barbara are doing some great things together."
"We decided that our Gotham needed a Batman and Batgirl of its own," he told her. "We took Bruce's inventions in the cave downstairs and are using them to help fight crime. I had no idea how many awesome things he made down there until he was gone. He was a real genius."
"I thought he'd created some amazing things, but he always downplayed it," she agreed with a frown. "He was afraid of his inventions falling into the wrong hands. He'd be so thrilled to know that they're being used for good."
"I miss him so much," Dick admitted, gazing down at the baby sleeping in his arms.
"I do too," she confessed. "Goddess Aphrodite told me that Bruce is in the Elysium Fields with your parents and Jacey. He's happy and wishes you all well."
Alfred dabbed at his eyes once more. "That brings me great joy knowing that he's with family."
Dick swallowed hard, needing to change the subject. "I see a large diamond ring on our hand," he noted. "I take it that you and Bruce are married."
Diana nodded her head, a smile forming on her face as she reached for the bag that she'd brought with her. "Bruce and I have been married for six months now," she revealed, pulling out a silver-framed picture. "We have a beautiful baby boy. His name is Brayden Thomas. He's two months old."
Alfred took the framed picture of the baby boy with his mother, tears welling in his eyes. "He's absolutely perfect."
"He is," she agreed with a proud smile, tears brimming in her eyes.
Alfred handed the framed picture to Dick who felt a knot forming in his throat as he gazed at the baby boy that looked so much like his brother. "I'm so happy for you, Diana," Dick softly said. "I know Bruce would be happy for you too."
Diana gazed up at the portrait above the fireplace. It was similar to the one that hung in their library of her with Bruce and Brayden. It was a picture of Dick, Barbara, and baby Bruce. It warmed her heart to know that Dick was carrying on the Wayne name with his son Bruce.
Looking at the clock on the wall, she knew that her time here was rapidly running out. "I'm afraid I have to leave," she told them as she stood to her feet. "Bruce only gave me a twenty-minute window before I need to return home."
Dick stood up, embracing her once more. "Please, come back and see us again if you can," he replied. "Barbara would have loved to have seen you."
"I will," she agreed. "I'll have to bring you an updated picture of Brayden."
"We'd love that," Alfred told her, hugging her. "Please, don't be a stranger."
A bright light filled the room, the portal opening up once more. "That's my cue," she said. "Please know you always hold a special place in my heart."
"As do you with us," Alfred assured her.
Diana kissed him on the cheek before disappearing through the portal. Bruce released a relieved sigh at the sight of his wife appearing in the Batcave. It had been the longest twenty minutes of his entire life, worrying about whether the portal would work as it had before.
He hadn't exactly been thrilled with her wish to return to the other dimension to visit Alfred and Dick, but he wasn't going to stand in her way. He knew this was something that she'd needed to do no matter how difficult it was for him to return there. In his mind, it was the dimension that had taken her away from him.
Diana walked straight into his waiting arms, embracing him tightly. "Thank you," she murmured. "I know you were worried, but it worked perfectly."
"Did you get to see them?" he asked, holding her close.
Diana released her hold on him, taking him by the hand to sit before the computer system. "I got to see Alfred and Dick," she excitedly told him. "Dick and Barbara got married and have a baby boy they named Bruce."
"So, there still is going to be a Bruce Wayne in their Gotham," he replied, amazed and relieved. He liked the idea of there being a Bruce Wayne in every universe.
"And a Batman and Batgirl," she revealed.
"Dick and Barbara?"
Diana nodded her head, excited about how things had turned out. "They're helping the Joker clean up Gotham," she said. "Dick also took over running Wayne Enterprises."
"I admit I was worried about you traveling back to that dimension, but I knew it was something that you had to do," he confessed. "I'm so glad you got to see them."
"I love you, Bruce," she told him, her hand tenderly caressing his cheek. "You've been so amazing and understanding."
"I love you too," he replied, kissing her deeply.
The sound of fussing and whimpering interrupted their kiss, causing them to turn their attention to the baby boy in the car seat next to Bruce's computer. "I think he's hungry," she said.
"That's your cue," he replied. "I'm afraid I can't help you on this one."
Diana stood up, picking the fussy baby up in her arms. "Once I feed him and put him to bed, I'll take care of you next," she told him, leaning down and kissing him seductively on the lips. "Unless, of course, you aren't hungry too."
"Are you kidding me?" he murmured, watching as she walked away with their son. "I'll be up in a second."
Bruce couldn't deny the genuine contentment and happiness that had been missing from his life for far too long. He never dreamed that his life could be so perfect after being pockmarked with so much tragedy, but he knew that it had everything to do with Diana.
They'd both suffered so much heartbreak, but it had ended up bringing them together in the end, bonding them in unexpected ways. He was thankful that, despite everything they'd been through, Diana had decided to take a chance on him. He swore to himself that he'd never give her a reason to question that decision.
THE END
A/N: Thank you for following along on this journey! Hope you enjoyed it!
UP NEXT: I'm almost half done with Chp 2 of Family Crisis! I'll start posting as soon as I get further ahead. Until then, stay safe! :)