Son

22

Paris, 2 months later

Diana looked around the office, feeling a slight pang of regret. After today, she would no longer be an employee of the Louvre. Her departure had been received with various degrees of disappointment. In spite of her strictness, she had been regarded with respect and though she hadn't been very close to them, her colleagues had still thrown a surprise goodbye party. They had even offered her farewell presents: a book on the full history of the Louvre with every employee signing a word in their own department chapter –for her to remember them, they had teased –and a funny hat. Why the funny hat, she did not know, but it was handmade by one of the employees –flashy yellow with pyramids stickers and lilac and white roses -from someone's personal garden –held together with vines branches. It would be temporary, as the flowers and leaves would eventually fane –but it was an odd piece of art nonetheless –and she did earn a few odd looks on the way home.

She would have to ask Bruce to delete the pictures from the server later though.

And so there she sat in Mr. Berne's office, admiring the art exposed in glass case, pieces that waited to find a different place to be shown to the public. The man had momentarily absented himself for a last minute call, but as she still had some time before her next meeting, she waited patiently. This was only a formal goodbye, her staff had already been packed and shipped back to her apartment. Half of said apartment was empty and Hippolyte now impatient to return to Gotham. Her close friends had grudgingly accepted that she had chosen a life on the other continent, but had her promise to return to visit often using her new hubby's private jet.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her former head of department entered the room again, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Mr. Gauthier is racking a scandal again –he petitioned for your office ever since he learned you were leaving." The man huffed. "I have already assigned it to Johanna. It was time she left that cabinet she'd been stuck in for years." Diana nodded in agreement. As her replacement, Johanna deserved to occupy her old desk. Berne sat on his chair with another heavy sigh. "Tis a shame we have to lose you to the other continent, and to the Gotham Museum of all places."

Her eyes twinkled when she replied bluntly:

"My husband does live there."

Mr. Berne pouted, an odd expression on a grown man. Ever since she had returned from her holidays married, he had shown all the disapproval of a disappointed father who had never got to meet the groom. Diana had found his behavior endearing, especially since she knew he had a daughter in her mid-twenties who lived in India with a husband he had only met through Skype.

"And I will never meet the lucky man," he retorted, following her line of thoughts. "I am sorry I could not make it to the ceremony." She had invited him out of courtesy –and because she did feel genuine affection for him, but an emergency had held him back at the last moment. "I was wondering, my dear, is he Hippolyte's father?"

Mr. Berne was a kind, intelligent man, something she had appreciated upon the few years they had worked together. The respect she felt for him was the only reason why she nodded in response. She wasn't surprised when he inquired further:

"Diana, I hope you will not think my question out of order, but have you married him for your son's sake, or do you truly love him?"

Had anyone else asked, she would have glared until the subject was changed. But she trusted Berne and truth be told, his grandfatherly behavior towards Hippolyte and genuine concern for her softened her. He didn't see Bruce Wayne the billionaire, but a man who would be living by her side.

"He has his flaws, but he is a good man," she replied honestly. "Recent events brought us closer and…we were in Metropolis that day."

No need for details, the alien invasion was still weighting in many people's mind; especially since 'Superman' had gone public and was starting to help people around the world. The man's jaw dropped in shock.

"Oh mon dieu, and I had no idea you were there! I assume you are both safe, since you have returned on schedule. You were not injured?"

"No, I wasn't. And Hippolyte was nowhere close to the site."

"Good," he muttered and leaned back in his chair, relieved. "I'm very glad to hear that." He paused a few seconds, then smiled at her. "You are glowing, Diana. Being in love suits you."

Her cheeks heated a little, but she didn't try to hide her smile. 'Love' was still a strong term to use, but she was getting there. Bruce and she were still exploring the facets of a relationship but trust and the desire to make it work existed. The lasso incident, as they called it, did help a lot to reinforce their bound. Each knew what the other felt, and that more than anything helped them built a solid foundation.

"Thank you."

Mr. Berne stood up, and so did she. He walked around the desk to show her out and accompanied her through the corridors. The staff waved at her on the way out, the occasional coworker stopped to wish her the best. She had no idea why these farewells were making her more emotional than the others, but every well-wish made her teary. When they finally reached the door, Mr. Berne sighed and crossed his arms. He was blinking rapidly.

"Should you need a recommendation, please call."

"I will," she promised.

"And even if you don't need a recommendation, please still call. I'd like to have some news from time to time. And I'm sure the department would be happy if you dropped by anytime you fly back to Paris."

He gave her a hug, which she returned with equal warmth. And then, the door was opened and she walked out of the Louvre. She waved one last time at the janitor, exited the door, and walked in the sunshine. She paused for a moment, gathered herself, and determinedly continued her road to the Eiffel Tower. The clock was ticking, and her three o'clock appointment would be expecting her soon, and she did not want to be late.

Son

Bruce was fidgeting on the couch in Paris. His laptop was open, the security camera streaming around the meeting point of Diana and Kent. He had hacked the system, making sure the potential spots Diana had picked for her conversation would not be accidentally recording. They had spent the past two days choosing at least three hideouts where they could speak and not be overheard, see but not quite seen. Surprisingly, it hadn't been that hard to find. The hardest part was to make sure the angles of the camera would be shifted a few millimeters so they would be caught in the dead angle.

He shifted again, stood from his couch, headed to the kitchen to pick up a drink. Diana had made him swear he would not follow her, and he had promised. Hippolyte had had trouble falling asleep for his nap –which he only had himself to blame. It seemed their son was growing more and more emotionally sensitive as the time went by. They'd have to work on him controlling his emotions. Diana wanted to introduce him to martial arts and meditation to help him focus. Bruce couldn't say he disagreed.

He found a can of soda, popped it open and returned to the couch. It was barely two forty, but he immediately spotted Kent in the crowd, checking his phone while discreetly eying his surroundings. Kent had had the good sense of dressing to blend in, even though he was taller than most tourists strolling around him. He had even worn glasses and a cap 'I 3 Paris' and a cheap touristy camera was hanging low around his neck.

Good, Bruce thought as he took a sip. The bubbles and cheap flavor irritated his palate, but he would find no other distraction now. Hacking Luthor's servers had turned out easier than planned, as his employees were too busy elsewhere to keep an exceedingly vigilant eye against outside attacks. The only bad turn was that the data had somehow gotten entangled altogether, so a thousand different files were spread out in complete disorder. He suspected Hip had played with the keyboard of the cave computer when he had his back turned. The little boy had acted oddly docilely after that incident. So Alfred had volunteered to stay in Gotham again and attempt to sort them out while Bruce accompanied Diana to help her with the moving. According to his butler's latest report, he was halfway done with rearranging the files, so Master Wayne was not to mingle with that work.

So no Luthor's files and Bruce had no desire to focus on his day job. Diana would kill him for following on her and he was not too keen on provoking her ire so easily. Especially since Kent seemed to have more powers than she knew of. Data collecting was his area and she had promised not to hide anything from him again. She had agreed to take a silencer of his own making so passer-byes wouldn't overhear them, which had soothed his mind a little. With the confidence that their conversation was safe, streaming surveillance cameras would be his tools by default.

A loud 'BAM' suddenly echoed in the otherwise quiet apartment. A second BAM, followed by a third one followed suit. Bruce was immediately on his feet, as the sound had come from a very scary place: upstairs, where his son was napping.

"FATHER!" Hippolyte screamed.

He bolted, skipping the steps three by three and was in his son's room within seconds. Hippolyte was backing against the headboard of his bed, his eyes wide and mouth open, staring at something across the room. Bruce was by his side in a flash, standing before him and blocking him from whatever was scaring him.

His jaw dropped in turn.

Instead of the bookshelf and the white wallpaper, a huge black hole-like opening, filled with swirling dark clouds and electricity –or were they thunderbolts? –seemed to draw the contents of the room. Toys and papers flew widely, hitting the wall or were drawn by the fascinating occurrence. In the middle of the mess, a man dressed in red and wearing an odd metallic-like reddish helmet was reaching out for them. His eyes were set on Bruce, narrowed and determined. In the midst of the thunderous noise, his voice was barely heard:

'Bruce!' he called, and Bruce could only stare, far too stunned to react. 'Themyscira! Circe sent them on Themyscira! Find them! Find them before the Amazons kill him! We're not strong enough to hold our own against her.' The man paused as he shifted his attention on Hippolyte. Bruce didn't even have time to react before the man's expression shifted into shock. 'Am I too early?' he said before the hole suddenly shut down and the room became silent again.

Bruce slowly edged closer to his still stunned-shocked son. When nothing seemed to move, he quickly grabbed the boy and hurriedly carried him out of the room. Hippolyte clung at him like a lifejacket, his whole body trembling, his breath far too fast. He ran a hand up and down his back, rubbing in soothing circles, until he felt Hippolyte slowly calm down. Once he stopped shaking, Bruce sat on the couch, Hip still glued to his chest, his own mind reeling.

Of all the words the man had said, the last ones had anchored in his mind. Too early? Too early for what? And he had been watching Hippolyte before saying those words. A time traveler? Another metahuman? Dimension distortion? And why had Hip anything to do with that reaction? Was Hip older whenever that thing would happen?

What the fuck is going on?

"Father," Hip's voice came out quietly –and worriedly. Not as worried as the night Diana had the fabulous idea of handling the lasso, but close enough. "Who was that?"

And Bruce swore he would figure it out, because if the stranger was to be believed, he now needed to find Diana's homeland before the Amazons killed someone and triggered some kind of catastrophe. Well that, and ask Diana if Circe really was the goddamn mythological witch. And had he ever mentioned that he hated magic?

"I have no idea."

Son

Clark shifted nervously on his feet. He had showed up early, eager to begin this conversation long overdue. He glanced at his watch for what seemed the tenth time and the needles still hadn't moved faster. The temptation to go after Diana directly had gotten very strong, especially the first weeks. She still hadn't returned to her house in Ireland though he suspected she had left it shortly after he did. Looking up her name on the internet hadn't been easy, as virtually no pictures of her could be found. But then, he heard Lois speak of how she had been seen by Perry on the Metropolis site, helping out where she could.

She hadn't openly used her strength to help, but she had been there. She had a son at home, but had still left him behind to help others, while he had flown back to Smallville to care for his Ma. Not that Martha Kent had needed his help –she had already found a neighbor's house to crash to while her house was being rebuilt. He had stayed with her like a dutiful son, but how many people could have he as Superman helped back in Metropolis too?

He brushed those feelings aside for now, focused on today. He had helped a lot of people in two months, believing it was the right thing to do. He would know better, should such an event happen again. People were suspicious of him while others had accepted him. His good deeds helped, mostly, but he still heard the occasional comment in the street. Perry was right, he thought morosely. Two opinions were forming about his presence on earth. The smoother he was accepted by the majority, the faster people would move on -if they ever got used to the idea of an alien living amongst them.

Was his silence hurting his image or helping it? Many newspaper including the Daily Planet backed him, but for how long? Since he joined their ranks, Clark had gotten a better idea of Perry's psychology and while he felt like 'Superman' was the new kid being picked on by his classmates –or in this case, newspapers- he endured the responsibility of being the first 'outed'. If Diana was different, then her son might be different too. And if there were two of them, how many others could be hiding?

"Hello Henry."

He jumped, turned around and found himself facing the very woman he had been thinking of. She wore black short pants and a sleeveless red top, a pair of sandals and large dark sunglasses. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and her skin still seemed to glow under the sun. Even in comfortable clothing, she looked stunning. The remains of his long-time crush peeked back, only to be squandered by the memories of her holding a bloody sword to his neck.

"Hi Diana," he replied, though not as coolly as he might have wanted to. "You look good."

Diana smiled slightly.

"Thank you. Shall we?"

She nodded towards a corner where people seemed not to linger too long. As he did not want to be overheard either, he followed her. The spot she stopped in was surprisingly isolated.

"What do you want to know?" she asked softly, and her demeanor reminded him of the woman who had taken him in for a month.

"Who are you?" he retorted. "Is Diana Prince your real name?"

Her smile faded and was replaced by a more serious look.

"Before I answer that question, I will have to ask you to swear to keep what I will say to yourself. There is a reason why I didn't tell you about my particularity when I last hosted you."

"Hippolyte?" he guessed.

"Partially. I am thinking more of friends and people that are family who would be in great trouble if their connection to me was revealed. Some I have known for a very long time and I do not want their loyalty to me to hurt them."

He frowned but nodded in agreement. Secrecy, if only for the little boy, he could do.

"Diana is the name my mother give me. 'Prince' is the surname a friend gave me. I often change last names for practical reasons. Protection and anonymity, mostly." She seemed to consider something before adding very quietly, so that only his sensitive hearing would pick up: "My name is Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons and Zeus, King of Olympus gods. I am literally over two thousand years old and have arrived in Man's World during the First World War."

Of all things Clark expected to hear, this was not it.

"Seriously?" and he used his hearing ability to listen to her heartbeat and-

He frowned, stared at her chest, then glimpsed at her hands. He spotted the wedding ring immediately and felt…something quiver in his chest. Disappointment, mostly, but also relief. She was completely out of his reach now. She had moved on entirely. Good for her. And good for him. Lois and he had started courting –or something close enough, and now he could give her the full attention she deserved. He focused back on her face. Diana was watching him calmly, waiting for his response. In spite of the heartbeat disturbance, he could tell she was not lying.

"I don't know what to say to that," he replied. Diana smirked, clearly amused.

"You are taking this well enough."

"Well, you aren't lying," he pointed. Or at least, he believed she was not lying. His response seemed to encourage her as she went on:

"My people were born on earth. As far as I know, I am not an alien," she added, as if an afterthought: "Some believe I am a metahuman, and that I'm not alone."

He supposed 'some' included her husband. He would not inquire further in that matter; he didn't want to know more of her personal life than he ought to.

"And are they right?"

"I know metahumans exist," she admitted. "I've met a few over the years. I thought you were one too, the first time." She paused. "I apologize, for not telling you. I know how lonely it can be."

She sounded really remorseful and guilty, no more able to hide her feelings now than she did back then.

"Well, with my coming out, I will be under a lot more scrutiny, so maybe others will take a step in the light," he pointed out sarcastically before returning to a point he wanted to discuss too: "Why did you kill Zod? How did you kill him anyway?"

Diana rolled her eyes, and Clark had the distinct feeling she had this conversation before.

"My sword is special and I will leave it at that. As for ending his life, if I hadn't been there, you would have had to do it. I've seen too many desperate men with no more anchor –he would have killed many others before you were forced to take lethal action and nothing on this earth could have stopped him." She paused, eyed him. "And you are a civilian."

Clark frowned, ready to protest, when she interrupted him:

"As an Amazon, I was taught to fight ever since I was a child. I made the choice to take down Zod before he became unstoppable. Though I suspect you are physically stronger than I am, I could take you down in Metropolis and I will take you down again if needed. You may have superior speed and strength, but no fighting experience." She shifted in her position, her arms crossed, and something in her eyes reminded him of the woman holding the sword. "It's not a bad thing," she added, softening her stance. "I hope you will never have to learn how to fight." And the smile reappeared. "I also hope we can be allies and you won't feel uncomfortable reaching out for me if you need anything."

Sharing the spotlight would not be an accepted answer, he thought but nodded nonetheless. He didn't have many friends, or allies. His relationship with Swanwick was friendly but motivated by the need to protect the planet. Lois could only do so much and…yes, he wouldn't mind having Diana as an ally.

"Deal," he said. "I have your number."

She smiled genuinely. Then, something crossed her mind and she went on:

"I have to ask, did Lois recognize me?"

"I didn't realize you were so familiar with her," he replied, frowning slightly at the use of her first name.

"I'm not, but we did have coffee last time we met. And I believe we will meet again soon," she added under her breath. "My husband has a particular relationship with the media."

"She didn't recognize you," he told her. Lois had tried to grill him about Diana, and might attempt to learn more after today. He believed the truth would come out some day or another. Perhaps he should initiate that conversation with Lois? She would keep her secret too, he was certain of it. "So, I suppose congratulations are in order?"

He nodded towards her ring finger. Diana's cheeks flushed slightly as her smile stretched a little. She looked genuinely happy.

"Thank you," she replied.

"Did you marry him because of the baby?" he wondered out loud.

"Hippolyte isn't a baby anymore," she pointed out.

"I'm not talking about- I have X-ray vision and enhanced hearing. I can hear the heartbeat…" he started and when she looked confused, realization dawned upon him. She didn't know? -okay, breathe, he thought, how do you announce this? He decided there was no tactical way, so he merely blurted it: "Diana, you're pregnant."

For the first time since he had known her, Diana lost her serene countenance and stared at him agape.

"What?"

Many thanks to those who read, reviewed and followed this story up till now. This is the last chapter of 'Son'. A sequel is currently in the writing, but it won't be published for a while (kinda stuck with the storyline and RL aside). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this and I'll see you in another story !