Diana focuses on her mission and starts searching for more evidence to help in fixing what's been changed.
Chapter 9: Do A Little Research
It appears that the rumors of vigilantism are once again running rampant through the streets of Gotham City, and this reporter is on the record as saying it's about time. I for one am showing my support for someone that wants to make a positive difference in this city. After years and years of failure, for the first time in recent memory….
Diana turned off the television in her room after listening to a small portion of the morning news. She had to head down to the training area for Bruce's physical therapy. Things had started off sluggishly for him after returning home to the Manor so early. It was clear for the next few days that he'd bitten off more than he could chew, but he was as stubborn as ever in his refusal to return to the hospital. Instead he began to work on learning to conceal the pain that was evident on his features. By the third day, the only one that was still harping on him that he needed to take it easy was his mother. Alfred had returned to caring for all those in the Manor, and Thomas was working harder at Wayne Enterprises picking up the slack that was there with Bruce's absence. Martha had asked Diana to join in her argument with Bruce, but Diana knew better. Regardless of what timeline she was in, there was no changing Bruce's mind once it was made up. The only thing she could do was help him by monitoring his physical therapy and trying to ensure that he didn't push himself too hard.
Today Bruce planned to remove the protective bandaging wrapped around his torso so that the wound could breathe and then replace it with new gauze. While it was prudent to ensure that no infection was setting in, his insistence on not needing help was a nuisance to say the least for everyone around him. Regardless of how well he hid the pain and discomfort from others, Diana had dealt with the emotionless Batman, and this Bruce simply wasn't as well versed at hiding things. Thinking about that, Diana rolled over to look at the clock she had on the nightstand which revealed the late morning hour. She immediately jumped out of bed, scurrying over to the dresser for a sports bra and shorts to change into. How Batman could keep such late hours and still function on that little sleep was beyond her at that moment. Perhaps he was a Meta after all, and his power was the ability to go days with little to no sleep. She quickly changed and left her room in a rush, running through the halls while focusing on her enhanced hearing to ensure that she didn't accidently plow over someone in her path. As she burst came through the entrance, she halted immediately at what she saw before her.
There Bruce was on his own in the room that had been set up to go through his physical therapy. He was holding his right arm above his head while unwrapping the old bandages from his midsection. Diana couldn't stop herself from staring at the vision before her. She'd just confirmed again that Bruce wasn't as chiseled in this timeline as he was in the other, but he was still certainly no slouch either. There was definition of each muscle on his body still and no scars for the eye to see, but he was going to have his first when his wound did heal. She wondered just how hard he had to work for this physique, and that made her wonder just how much more grueling Batman's training regimen had to be. "Late night?" Bruce asked while trying to hide the sound of discomfort in his voice caused by his movements.
Diana forced herself to stop staring, and closed the distance before taking the bandaging from his hand. "You wouldn't be checking up on me now would you?" She teased as she removed the last of his bandage and began inspecting around the healing incision. "Your wound is healing nicely. I'd bet within a few weeks, you'll barely even be able to notice the scar that will be left behind."
"That'll just give me a trophy to show off when I tell of my escape from danger." Bruce responded, equally teasing in return. That was until Diana's smile vanished and was replaced with a serious frown. Bruce quickly grabbed one of Diana's hands while she was still inspecting the wound to draw her full attention. "Diana, I was just kidding around."
"Where is everyone else?" Diana asked, wanting the subject to change. This Bruce just wasn't a warrior, and the scar was just going to be a reminder of how close he'd come to death. If that would've happened, she knew that she would blame herself in the end. Especially after her dream with Athena and Aphrodite.
"Dad's at Wayne Enterprises and Alfred's out in the flower garden with mom." Bruce answered before turning serious himself. "For the first time since I got out of the hospital, we're alone and can speak freely."
Diana didn't like the sound of that. She'd been avoiding the topic of her promise since that night, with Alfred and Bruce's parents there at most times, it was impossible to discuss what she knew was coming, but she'd given her word and she wouldn't back out now if Bruce asked for the answers she had.
"It's time to discuss the elephant in the room Diana." Bruce began. "I know that you're much stronger than you lead everyone to believe, and faster too. It's also obvious to me that you're the one going out at night now, and not that Kal from Smallville. And since you knew him by a different name, that begs the question, how do you really know him? Are you an alien too?"
Diana was shocked for a moment before realizing that Bruce had seen aliens during the White Martian War as well as seeing Kal's spaceship. "I'm…" Diana began before trying to decide how best to describe things so that Bruce wouldn't think she was completely insane. "I'm not sure where to begin."
"How about from the beginning?" Bruce suggested.
"There's not enough time in the day." Diana replied quickly before recanting. "But I'll do the best I can to explain. To start off, no I'm not an alien. I am human, but still different at the same time. I come from an island called Themyscira..."
Diana went into detailed descriptions about the Amazon heritage and the principles she'd been raised on. She described how the gods had bestowed powers unto her, and as their champion she was expected to complete tasks or missions that they deemed necessary of their involvement. She tried to answer him fully about whom and what she was. She did omit the part about her creation and was able to avoid mentioning her current mission. Those two topics were thrown out just based on the look on Bruce's face as he listened to her. Occasionally he would nod to indicate that he was following along or ask small questions for more details, and he remained quiet for a few moments once Diana had given her full answer. She wondered if he was debating whether or not to call Arkham for a new resident or not. "So….You're an Amazon." He said aloud, his voice thick with a mixture of disbelief followed by acceptance when he saw her seriousness exuding her. "All this time the tale of Amazons was thought to be a myth. So you can lift cars, move fast enough to block bullets being fired at you, and can fly. What else are you capable of?"
"I also can heal quickly from injury and won't age like a normal human." Diana responded.
"Why did you hide this from me?" Bruce asked as he slipped on his shirt.
"When I left Themyscira, the first place I ended up was in Metropolis." Diana started. "It became more than evident there that things weren't just different than I'd anticipated, but also if you weren't a part of the Green Lanterns you were initially thought to be an enemy if you have powers like I do."
"Like you were one of the White Martians." Bruce recalled.
"Exactly." Diana confirmed. "And I was looking for friends that would know about this world and how much different it was from what it should be. I realized that I had no friends there so I came to the next city, and that's when I found you."
"You knew that I'd be here?" Bruce questioned as he started to feel slightly apprehensive.
"I didn't know for certain, but I believed it to be a good possibility." Diana replied.
"Explain." Bruce demanded more than asked. He was starting to wonder just who the hell he was really dealing with. All this time he'd thought that they had met by chance and now it seemed that she was seeking him out like all the other females that he'd shunned away from. Diana seemed so different. She never asked for anything from him or expected anything to be given. Instead he'd offered it freely to her, and that made him feel like a fool.
"It's because of my mission Bruce." Diana tried to answer, but Bruce began to reveal a tense frustration. She wasn't going to appease him with vague answers any longer, so she sighed in defeat and continued on hoping that he'd believe her. "This version of the world has been altered Bruce. My gods protected my memories because of someone that is making changes to the world and altering the timeline. There are many things that are very different in this world from the way it should be. Kal was supposed to come to Metropolis where he would become the city's champion, and later a champion for the world. Instead it appears that he came to Gotham City and lost his battle due to the insanity of the Joker. Superman isn't the type of hero that is needed to face off against that type of madness. In that timeline he was the best of friends to me, as well as other heroes that don't seem to be here or are in hiding for different reasons."
"So he came to Gotham City by mistake?" Bruce questioned as he desired more information. "Then what's to become of Gotham? Is there another hero that makes any difference here where he fell short?"
"Yes, but it's a different kind of hero." Diana answered.
"How?" Bruce asked immediately. He wanted to know who this hero was so that he could find them and save Gotham from itself and the Joker.
"His name is Batman." Diana explained. "He is different in that he is the only hero that has no extra powers. He's countered that with years of training in many different styles of combat, both armed and not. He also spent that time honing his body to the point of utter perfection, and used many different types of gadgets and nonlethal forms of weaponry. He also created a variation of different battle suits for protection, constantly improving everything as technology became available to him."
"A normal man with toys can save Gotham, but a super powered being from another planet that you described as virtually invulnerable couldn't?" Bruce questioned. "Seems a bit farfetched if you asked me."
"Batman has a drive of will that is unmatched by anyone I've ever come across." Diana continued. "He is much more violent when it comes to Gotham and serving justice, but he always maintains his one rule that he will do whatever is necessary to save the city, but he won't allow himself to become an executioner. It's those methods that are why Kal wasn't be able to do what is necessary to make a lasting change in a place like this. He's not a warrior like Batman, but a farm boy from Kansas that only wants to make the world a better place. Batman's main concern is saving this city from itself and whenever necessary, from the Joker."
"Who is this Batman?" Bruce asked point blankly. "You have to know him."
"Yes, but it took years to find out." Diana answered. "I'd rather not tell you who he is. You likely wouldn't believe me if I did." Bruce merely crossed his arms over his chest and waited. He wasn't about to budge on this subject. Diana turned away from him before she answered. She didn't want to see his look of utter disbelief, and she just wanted his questions to stop. "He is the reason I…the reason that I came here when you invited me to the charity. He….is you Bruce."
Bruce stood there silently for a moment. His parents had always claimed that he was going to be the one to change Gotham for the better. They'd believed that he was capable of a great many things, but this? How could he be a hero? Sure he had the funding to buy all the gadgets and weapons he'd need, but what about the rest? "Why aren't I this Batman?" Bruce asked.
"You didn't travel abroad learning different fighting techniques, never went to school to study criminology, psychology, or forensics." Diana answered as she kept her back facing him. She didn't want him to see the troubled look on her face.
"Fair enough." Bruce said surprising her a little in the process. "Since you've stayed here under false pretenses, I'm asking that you help me prepare. I need to know everything that I knew then."
"Bruce." Diana called out with tears beginning to grow in her eyes. "I have to complete my mission. When that is done, you will be Batman again. You'll have experienced all of the pains and strains that come with it. All the scars from the various stab wounds, gun shots, and everything else that you've dealt with in the world as it should be. If you want to be Batman, then I need to discover who is responsible for these changes and stop it."
Bruce thought it over for a few moments, and that silence was enough to finally cause Diana to face him again. He could see that there was still something else she wasn't saying, but he was more interested in saving the city at that moment. If that meant helping Diana, then that was precisely what he was going to do. "Alright." He conceded for a moment. "But while we search for your answers, you have to promise to help me train to become the man that you know me to be. Gotham deserves to be saved one way or the other."
Diana stood there looking at the man before her. She could almost see him transforming into the Bruce that she'd grown to know. She was happy to see her friend again, but there was a part of her that was saddened by it as well. Would he be willing to help if he knew that becoming Batman meant losing his parents? She felt absolutely terrible for this man. He deserved happiness while the rest of the world seemingly suffered. It didn't seem fair that this good man would have to be the one to suffer when the world was back to normal, but she knew she didn't have a choice in the matter. Not with what damage had already been done to the time stream. "Very well." She accepted. "Where do we begin?"
~~ JFK Airport ~~
John was waiting at the car rental desk for his paperwork to be approved. He believed that he'd done such good saving lives so far. The selection process had been tedious for him, but he completed his first list and needed a break. For now he was going to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He was finally coming home, and was going to celebrate his sister's graduation from college properly. Their parents had set up a party at their home, and he wasn't about to miss it for the world.
In actuality though if John were to be more honest with himself, then he'd admit that the multiple trips and changes that he'd made were stretching his mind thinner and thinner. Each trip had forced him to remain isolated until the splintering effect he felt in his mind dissipated. During these trips back in time, he'd also realized that the further back he went, the longer it took him to recuperate enough to go again. He'd also found that because of all the changes that he made in the distant past, he was having a difficult time keeping track of what really happened and what didn't. He needed this retreat to calm things down inside, and during his flight while researching his next potential target, he'd decided that going so far back would only be for extreme cases. He wasn't going to save any politicians or public figures as there was just only so much that he could discover about who that person really was. He'd figured that he had made enough positive changes with the thirty-seven lives that he'd saved. Now it was time to remain more focused on lives that he deemed qualified for savior in the recent past. The goal there was to hopefully leave his mind less splintered as there would be only so many changes to adjust to from a few months to a few days versus the multiple years that he'd been traveling back to. He planned to keep his eye on the news for any perceived wrongful deaths and correct them as time progressed going forward.
While John was waiting for the rental car associate, his cell phone began to ring. He pulled it from his belt clip and smiled as soon as he read the caller ID. "Hey sis." He answered joyfully. "What's going on?"
"No need to wait for the rental Johnny." Sarah stated. "Mom and I came to get you from the airport."
"I thought my coming home was supposed to be a surprise." John responded. He'd hoped that his parents were going to keep the secret, but was more than alright with them letting it slip.
"It was." Sarah replied happily. "Surprise!"
John turned around from the car rental desk and looked out the window where he saw his sister standing in front of their mother's car parked next to the terminal loop for drop offs and pick ups. Forgetting about his car rental, he quickly ended the call and picked up his bags. He could feel a difference in his body as his feet became lighter from the anticipation of getting to be with his family again. It was going to be nice seeing them all together, as his six months of grueling isolation had begun to eat away at his sanity. His list was complete for the time being, and he believed that his good deeds had earned him a vacation.
As soon as John reached the car, Sarah jumped into a big bear hug with her brother. They'd been so close over the years. He'd always been the best big brother for a little sister to have, and she'd missed having that security blanket around her. Besides, she had some big news to tell the family about once they were all back home, and she was excited to share her news with all of them.
John loaded his bags into the back of the car before they both climbed in, ready to head home. Ready to be a whole family again for however long they could be. If John had things his way, then it would be for the foreseeable future.
~~ Wayne Enterprises ~~
"Another dead end." Bruce exhaustedly stated while rubbing his eyes. "I don't know that I have the motivation to look at the computer screen again today. We've been at this for hours."
That was something that Diana hadn't expected to ever hear come out of Bruce's mouth. Apparently in this timeline, her friends were all more apt to giving in, but with Bruce she had an ace up her sleeve. "In my timeline, Batman wouldn't have ever uttered those words." She countered. "He wouldn't stop for sleep or for food at times until he found a lead worthy of investigating."
"Alright, alright." Bruce conceded. "But you have to admit that we're looking in the wrong places. There's nothing here to find with this scientist that you say was murdered in your timeline."
"He was." Diana affirmed. "I recall it because of his reputation. He was a renowned scientist even before his death, and his specialty was in the field of biometrics and DNA research. Batman had studied his work, but that wasn't the only reason that his murder stood out. It was how he was murdered that makes his death more pronounced. He was killed by his own daughter in claims that the murder was performed by following role playing games and methods described in some forms of the occult."
"Well I can certainly see why a case like that would stand out in anyone's mind." Bruce agreed initially. "But there's still nothing else aside from the fact that he wasn't killed, and his daughter was convicted of attempted murder instead."
"We should go and talk with him at least." Diana suggested. "Perhaps there's something that he or even his daughter left out of the reports as to just how he escaped his own death since she still made the attempt."
Bruce sighed as he held his head up with his hand using his elbow against his desk to support the weight. "We'll follow this lead if you really want to Diana." He dejectedly stated. "But after that we've got to focus more on what you really know or have known since you originally left your island in the other timeline. That means more than famous murders that you really had no involvement with. So anything in the last three years that would stick out has to be more prevalent to your memory. Honestly this search is reversed. It's going to be more difficult to locate a change when there's no real way to search. It's like finding a needle in a haystack right now."
Bruce stood up and stretched out to fight off the ache from sitting so long. He didn't know how he could possibly last as long as Diana had indicated that he did as this Batman character. He was curious to know more about the other him that she'd been vague at best in describing, but he had to get her to take at least a small break from their search. He glanced back to see that she was pacing again for what seemed like fiftieth time as she was going over something in her head. He continued to work out the kinks in his body and waited until she was done. "The only thing that I was informed of about this mission was that the Fates informed Hades that the life threads of mortals were being tampered with." Diana recounted, breaking a silence that she hadn't been aware of.
"Life threads?" Bruce questioned. This story was just getting odder by the minute he thought.
"Yes." Diana answered before elaborating. "Three sisters called the Fates spin, measure, and cut the life threads of each mortal's life. Each thread represents the life of a mortal from birth when it is spun to their death when it is cut. It appears that the measurements are being altered and the final sister is being forced to wait longer or work more quickly than she'd have to before cutting the life thread. So it's possible that some threads are being shortened while others are lengthened. I wasn't given specific details, but that's the only thing that would logically make sense. The Fates have never had their life threads altered before this."
"So this person is going back in time, and saving or possibly taking the lives of people." Bruce half questioned, but at the same time didn't. "Even still, I assume then that these changes have a less desirable consequence."
"If I don't stop this and correct what's been done, then it is very likely that the timeline will shatter and bring about the end of everything." Diana admitted. "I've seen some of the changes in this world, like how much more unsafe Gotham City is, and Kal's choosing to return to Smallville as two prime examples. The world also seems to be much more tumultuous in this timeline than it should be. I'm not sure if that is a sign of how this person is damaging the timeline or not, but that's beside the point now. I already know the consequences as Apollo has seen it, and that is why I need to find this person. There is no telling how soon the world's end could be coming."
"Fair enough." Bruce complied. "Let's find this scientist and make contact to see if he knows more than he's letting on. I'll find him by morning and we can travel then. If you don't mind though, it's getting late, and even though I'd like to see how much potential I really have to help the city, I'd like to avoid another incident like the airport."
Diana looked at Bruce questioningly for a moment. "We could just fly to the Manor." She offered.
"No." Bruce replied. "While I'm alright with you having added powers, like you've already noticed the rest of the world isn't. The less attention you draw to that the better for the time being. Besides, there's something that I want to show you. Plus we can start formulating another approach to take in the event that this scientist was just more fortunate this time around than in the corrected timeline."
Diana was curious just what it was that Bruce wanted to show her. She knew that she should just find the scientist tonight, but felt that she owed it to Bruce because of his willingness to help her. Even in this timeline, he was still a man that would do what was right it seemed. So she joined him and they left his office entering a close by elevator. Bruce pressed one of the buttons and waited as the doors closed and the elevator began moving down to the floor he'd selected. When the doors opened, it revealed a large and mostly open area aside from some heavy equipment placed here and there throughout. "This is what my father and I had been planning on separating from the rest of the company." He explained as he led her into the area. "It was going to be my own company to run as I saw fit. Right now it's just the R&D section, but when we branch it out on its own, we were planning on naming it WayneTech Enterprises."
Diana looked around at all of the concepts that were stored there as well as the technology that was available. Bruce started unlocking and opening cabinets, and when he was done he called Diana over to show her some more specific things. Inside the first cabinet was a biomechanical suit. "We developed this for the marines, but it was never cost effective enough for the government to warrant such a purchase." Bruce explained. "The plans were eventually scrapped and only this prototype is left. Does it look like something the Batman you know would have used?"
Diana knew exactly what Bruce was asking, but she couldn't stop herself from reaching out to brush her hand down the chest plates of suit. It was heavily armored like Batman's suit, but a tad more bulky. "It's close." She admitted. "But you'd likely find that it hindered your movement and flexibility too much after a few battles. Plus it's missing the Bat insignia and the cape and cowl."
"I'm not sure that I'd want a cape." Bruce contemplated aloud. "It could get hung up on things and put me into vulnerable moments."
"Or it could be a weapon to utilize and a form of helping should you get knocked from a rooftop." She countered quickly before doing a mental forehead slap to herself. She shouldn't be encouraging this when this Bruce didn't have the necessary training. He'd only get himself killed and she wanted to avoid that if at all possible. "We'd better hurry and get back to the Manor Bruce. It was late before we came down here."
Bruce didn't want to but he knew that she had a valid point, and he was still sore from the gunshot wound as well as the surgery. He went ahead and locked up the cabinets and then escorted Diana out of Wayne Tower to the car. She went ahead and drove him home and along the way, their conversation returned to trying to help with her mission. Bruce was the one to start it off to her surprise though. "I think we need to try creating a list to go through." He suggested. "You were on the right track I think with going to what was most familiar to you in your friends initially. We know why your Superman quit, but what we don't know is why he came here instead of Metropolis. We also know that I'm not Batman. But there had to be others that we can add to the list."
"There was John Stewart, a Green Lantern." Diana began. "But I came to find that he'd been killed while fighting the White Martians. We were also teamed with a different Martian. He called himself J'onn Jones and was an integral part in the victory over the White Martians of my timeline. I'm not sure if he was captured by the government like he was in our timeline or not. Next would be Shayera Hol. She is better known as Hawkgirl, and also is an alien from the planet of Thanagar. If she is here though, I'd expect that she is remaining hidden for the most part because of how poorly aliens are thought of here. And finally there is the Flash of Central City. He is known as the fastest man alive, but I've not been able to find anything about him yet to go off of. It would help if I knew his secret identity, but unfortunately I don't."
"Alright, that should be enough to get a better feel for what's going on." Bruce replied. "Maybe if we can find the fastest man alive, he'd be able to help us locate whoever this guy is."
Diana wasn't so sure of that. She didn't even find rumors of a red blur anywhere in the country. She did hope though that Flash could be found and that he did have his powers. She knew that Kal wasn't going to help, and Hawkgirl wasn't going to be easy to track down. If J'onn was alive, he was likely hidden by the government, and there was no Batman to hack into government agencies for information that they could use.
Soon they were back at the Manor safe and sound. Martha had been concerned when they left the mansion earlier that day, but Bruce had promised to be back before sunset, and they were able to keep that promise…barely. They weren't in the house ten minutes before the sun had set over the horizon. Diana stayed for dinner and waited until Bruce's parents retired for the evening before she decided to head out into the city again. There might not be a Batman, but this city still deserved to be saved, and if Diana were to admit it, she wanted to seek out justice because of what had happened to Bruce before. She wasn't satisfied with just the criminals that had attacked them being put behind bars.
Bruce stayed with Diana until she changed into something dark to conceal her identity overtop of her Wonder Woman armor. She'd shed that layer once she was back in the city. Bruce wished her luck and asked that she be careful. It was sweet of him she thought, but completely unnecessary. She gave him an appreciative kiss on his cheek for the concern he showed. She was happy that things were getting back to how they were before Bruce had been shot. There was some ill placed concern that Bruce would be like the rest of the world and shun her away when he discovered she had Meta powers. She began to wonder if that was happening when his anger began to flare up until she realized that he just wanted some answers from her in the end. Giving him those answers surprisingly helped to ease the tension between them more than she'd anticipated, and she was looking forward to seeing the scientist with Bruce in the morning. She knew in the end that two heads are always better than one, and she also knew that she would complete her mission with Bruce's help much more quickly than without it. He was obviously still brilliant in this timeline. It was just that until recently, his brilliance wasn't as focused on the criminal element more so than anything else. So long as he believed that he was helping to better Gotham though, that focus was definitely on the task at hand, and for that Diana was thankful.
~~ Gotham streets ~~
Joker backhanded a lackey that had been standing before him. "So you have Bruce Wayne surrounded, and you let him get away." He growled. "And your whole Joker crew was beaten to a pulp by a billionaire brat and his super model girlfriend? You Billy might be the worst joke I've ever seen."
"B…But Joker sir." The stooge nervously replied. "She wasn't no normal human. She could fly and was ten times stronger than all of us."
"You don't say?" Joker questioned to himself. Could it be true that this other person with extra powers still wanted to come in and try to get control over his city? "I've been wondering if this one breaks as easily as the other one did. Billy my boy, you've brought a smile to this clown's face that's been sadly missing since that S branded jock left town. This is going to be fun."
Billy began to nervously laugh joining along with the Joker' s laughter right up until a gun shot rang through the streets and Billy collapsed to the ground, dead long before gravity had finished pulling his body to the ground. That caused the Joker to laugh even harder as his mind began to race about just how to get this new super powered woman to show herself. He'd been waiting for a challenge, and warring with the mafia just wasn't all that fun anymore. They were all scared and could easily be beaten down if he wanted to do it. But breaking another would be do gooder, now that was a challenge that he was gladly going to accept and greatly enjoy when he had a hand in breaking this one's spirit as well. Especially with the news that he'd received from Billy.
~~ Wayne Manor grounds ~~
Bruce was standing by the cliff, watching as the sun rose to warm the night sky. It was a clear sky, which seemed like a rarity for Gotham. He wondered if Diana's gods and goddesses had made it happen with all the good she was doing for Gotham as a way of thanking her. It also served as motivation for what he'd discovered while Diana slept. He'd found out that the scientist was located forty miles west of Washington D.C. and even though it was the house that he'd been attacked in, he still resided there. He'd also discovered that there were no sightings of a hawk like woman or a speeding man to be found anywhere, but he wasn't done searching yet. He felt that there was an answer there to discover, and it was just going to require some patience and hard work. Neither of which was he unaccustomed to. As he stood there soaking in the morning sun, he could just make out the sound of footsteps on the damp grass behind him, and he turned to find Diana was awake and carrying two cups of coffee to share with him. He took a refreshing sip and then looked into her brilliant blue eyes, trying his best not to get lost in them. Finally he shook free of the hold her eyes seemed to hold on him. "Ready to go?" He asked.