I AM BACK! This chapter took a while because I wanted to get it right. I also had to look at some videos to make sure that I was going in the right direction. Please read and review!
LAST CHAPTER! ENJOY!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS. ALL CHARACTERS ASSOCIATED WITH JL, BATMAN, and WONDER WOMAN ARE PROPERTY OF DC COMICS. MY INTERPRETATION OF PERSEPHONE AND HADES IS SIMPLY MY DISCRETION.
Athena angrily studied Aphrodite and Persephone and Hades from where she stood. It was a petty anger, she knew it, and by the look her uncle gave her, she knew that he saw it too. Of course, he did. That's who he was. It was his gift.
She had planned on approaching him and handing the Lord of the Underworld his ass if Wonder Woman did not return to Man's World. Lo and behold, the Champion had returned, but it was not Diana that bore the mantle gifted by the gods. It was Donna.
Donna was not Diana, not the chosen one they intended to wear the armor when it was crafted, but the younger Amazon Princess was bringing glory to the Greeks through her actions. The goddess frowned as she realized that she actually respected them for the loophole they'd found.
She approached the trio with a subtle nod of her head and Aphrodite beamed, "Finally tired of glaring across the room?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Athena remarked.
The Goddess of Love and Beauty giggled, "You're impressed by us, Thena, admit it."
Persephone's eyes sparkled but she said nothing as she sipped her wine. Hades said nothing but he was watching Athena out of the corner of his eyes.
Finally, the Goddess of Wisdom remarked, "You outsmarted me. I truly did expect you to force Diana to return to Man's World."
"The request, Hades remarked in his deep voice, "was that Wonder Woman returns to Man's World. It was never specified who had to wear the armor or bare the title."
Athena nodded, "It was a brilliant move, Uncle."
"We're known for them once in a while," Persephone remarked with a smirk, her eyes dancing with pride.
"You'd be the ones to tell me, how is Diana?" Athena whispered her Champion's name. Diana hadn't called on the Goddess of Wisdom since her request.
"She's fine. Heartbroken, but healing." Persephone answered and Aphrodite added, "Diana will call on you again soon, Athena. She hasn't forgotten you."
"I hope you don't think me weak for-"
"Only Ares and Eris would not care for my daughter's well-being, Athena. It is a good thing that you did not inherit their maliciousness." Hades commented, "I do not hold it against you but only because we were able to find another way around my brother's request."
Athena held his dark gaze but nodded, "Thank you, Uncle."
Hades continued, "I am also worried for Diana. She's got a fighting spirit, and remaining on Themysicra, regardless of her promise, will change. She will return to Man's World without her powers."
"She still as her strength," Aphrodite remarked.
"Diana told Donna that her heart was divided among Bruce's family. There is one she still has not gifted anything to, but she will. Diana loves with her entire being, and if she says she has given each of them a part of her heart, then she has a gift she will sacrifice for them." Persephone explained.
The four fell into a tense silence, not because of animosity towards one another, but concern for someone they all loved. Again, it was the Lord of the Underworld that spoke.
"I have taken precautions. There is a Lampade, one of Hecate's that prefers little jobs I offer her. She has been in my service guiding souls while her sisters follow Hecate with her hauntings. She swore her allegiance to me when Diana was given life. The two are connected, and she is my way of keeping track of my daughter. I have made her aware of her duty for years and she reports to me of Diana's dreams and nightmares. It was the Lampade that informed me that my daughter would take the Champion's armor that night." He looked at the four women around him, "Should Diana decide anything, I will know about it and be able to prepare."
"She's how you know that Diana will eventually leave."
Hades nodded at Athena's observation.
Persephone was going to speak, but as she opened her mouth, the goddess closed it again. Her eyes immediately went to Hades, "Diana is summoning me."
He nodded, "Then go to her."
"I'd like to join you," Athena stated causing Persephone to look at her. "I want to see her for myself."
"Then I'll come too," Aphrodite stated.
"I will return home then. Give Diana my love, Wife." Hades remarked as he walked off.
Diana was sitting on the beach, staring longingly in the direction of Gotham. Her heart was there, moping and grunting around the manor as he healed. It made her chest ache. Her eyes drifted skyward, where she knew the Watchtower floated through space. She wondered if Kal had given Donna her old room or if he'd issued her a new one. Her red lips pulled into a sad smile. She missed Donna.
Donna's decision to don her armor had surprised her, but as she thought about it, of course, her younger sister would do as she had done. She wanted to see Man's World for herself, to meet and test Bruce and his brood. Diana knew that Donna needed to know that they were worthy of every gift she sacrificed.
'They're worthy, Donna.' She wished that Donna could hear her.
"You didn't have to rush," Diana remarked to the approaching footsteps.
"We had nothing better to do."
Diana glanced over her shoulder, her brow furrowed but her blue eyes widened when she saw that Persephone wasn't alone. Aphrodite and Athena stood on either side of her and the Amazon stood in shock.
"Peace, Diana." Athena soothed.
Diana bowed her head, "I apologize, I hadn't expected-"
"They wanted to come along and see how you were doing." Persephone interjected, "And clearly you're fine."
"You can't even tell she's given up her gifts," Athena remarked with a mixture of approval and awe.
"Why did you call, Diana?" Persephone asked.
Diana looked from Athena to Aphrodite to Persephone, "I'd like to offer my strength to Jason Todd."
"Does the boy need to lift weights?" Athena questioned as she crossed her arms.
"Jason...he and Bruce aren't on good terms. Bruce loves his son just as Jason loves him, but...they're stubborn, foolish men that don't know when to quit."
Athena's gray eyes sparkled, "He sounds a lot like you, Princess."
A thrill ran through the Amazon Princess at Athena's comment. Jason, like Richard and Tim, had needed Bruce to take them in, and Diana had hoped, as she had heard with Richard, that Jason would love her as a mother too.
"I met Jason once or twice. He suffered nearly as much as Bruce. He was the one that Bruce lost, the child that was taken from him and tortured and twisted by a monster that wanted to see them both break. He survived because he's his father's son, but he was not the same boy. Bruce was never the same after his parents died, and Jason was not the same after his own..."
"Death." Persephone finished. She'd remembered the boy, had seen him in her husband's kingdom but then he was gone. His stay had been short, but she knew that even that short amount of time would alter a mortal soul.
"Jason has been afraid to love his father again. He wants all of that back, but he's not the same boy they lost. Some of them have made attempts, they've begun mending bridges, but...the one person Jason really wants to reach out to...is the one person he knows could destroy what's left of him."
Aphrodite's crystal blue eyes were bright with unshed tears, tears for Jason and for Bruce, but mostly for the beauty that was Diana's heart.
Athena stepped forward, and Persephone's hazel eyes watched the other goddess carefully. Aphrodite gently took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. 'She won't hurt Diana.'
Athena stopped in front of Diana, "You're a stronger woman than we even anticipated. A better Champion than I believed you would be. Diana of Themyscira, Champion of the Gods, I give you the freedom to come and go as you please from your homeland, no longer bound by the deal given to you by Hippolyta."
Diana stared at the goddess in shock before her red lips pulled into a smile. She bowed, "Thank you, Athena, for your kindness and understanding. I will keep it in mind in the future, but right now, I still need to heal."
Athena nodded, "Wise decision. Take your time, Princess."
Persephone stepped forward, a gentle smile on her face, "As for your original request, Diana, my King and I will do as you wish, simply say the right words."
Diana's smile widened, "I offer up my physical strength to Jason Todd, to give him the courage and the dedication to look past his own fear and take the first step back to his family so that his own strength can grow."
Jason stared at the wrought iron gates and tried to find the strength to open them. His eyes drifted to the elaborate W on either gate and then he looked back to the manor. It stood isolated and alone in the distance. To the outsider, it was a dark and lonely place, but to those that called it home, it was filled with warmth and love and laughter. He missed that.
Jason looked at the gates again and with a shrug of his shoulders and a quiet, "Fuck it," Jason vaulted over the gates and made the trek to the Manor. The wind blew and he smelled her perfume, the woman that his father loved; Diana. His thoughts drifted to her.
She'd hunted him down while he was on a case. It wasn't often anyone snuck up on him, but she had. He had even wondered if Bruce knew she was in Gotham. She'd watched him work quietly and with genuine interest. She didn't interfere or try to stop him. She didn't lecture him on his ways of dealing out punishment. She just observed. When it was all over, she was waiting for him on a rooftop a few buildings away with milkshakes and burgers.
"You don't eat enough." Diana had commented before sitting down.
"What are you doing here?" Jason demanded.
She bit into the burger and hummed in pleasure before she gestured at him to sit down too. He'd considered walking away. He should've walked away. But Wonder Woman had bought him a burger. And a milkshake. He couldn't walk away from that kindness.
So he grudgingly sat down and took the food she offered him. He wouldn't have taken off his mask for anyone else, but Diana was trustworthy, especially if Bruce had ignored his paranoia enough to date her. Jason would never admit that the happy gleam in her blue eyes meant anything to him. It had burned a small hole in him, reawakened a pain he thought he'd long since forgotten about. It was a look his own mother had given him, a long time ago.
"So why are you feeding me?" He asked gruffly, ignoring that pang in his chest.
Diana chewed her food thoughtfully before she responded, "Dick and Tim mentioned you liked the burgers from this diner. I thought I'd try it and share with you. Alfred says you don't eat enough."
Jason's eyes narrowed, "So you're here because of them?"
She ate a few of her fries, "I'm here because of you. They just told me how to get you to talk to me."
He unwrapped his own burger and took a bite to save himself from responding to her. They ate in comfortable silence for a while, and he watched as she looked around and took in the sights of late night Gotham. There was wonder in her eyes and appreciation for the dark jewel that was his city. His father's city.
"Why did you want to talk to me?" Jason asked as he dipped a fry into his milkshake.
"You're Bruce's son, despite the distance. I'm trying to meet each of you because I want to know you. You're important to Bruce and to Dick and Tim. I want you to be important to me too."
Every man wanted to be told by a woman as gorgeous as Diana that they were important. And the small, broken boy that still lived in Jason was ecstatic but Jason squashed the voice of that child and instead gave the Amazon a nonchalant shrug.
"Bruce and I don't really see eye to eye anymore. I'm the black sheep, Princess. You don't want to have anything to do with me if you want to keep the Old Man happy."
His comment lit a fire in her blue eyes as she finished her burger. He watched as she balled up the wrapper the burger came in and placed it in the now empty bag. She politely wiped her hands and her mouth with a napkin, that fire simmering in her eyes. She drank from the remains of her chocolate milkshake and Jason suddenly realized that she was preparing to pounce.
"There are times when parents and children no longer see eye to eye. You underwent torture and death and when you returned from Tartarus, it buried itself deep in your soul. You kept it with you out of anger and vengeance. That darkness is the weapon you wield against the thugs and monsters of Gotham. Bruce's darkness is internal like yours, it's not that shard of living shadow that demands freedom and retribution through bloody violence like yours. He's the other half of that coin, and he thinks that there was a way for you to go back to that, but after what happened to you...after what the Joker did to you, Jason there's no going back, and that's not your fault."
She leaned back on her palms, "I watched you work tonight so that I could gauge for myself what kind of man you are. Yes, you used a gun. Yes, you beat them till they bled but those men will live. They will live through your brutality just like they live through Batman's. You already hold back all that rage and darkness. I cannot judge you, Jason, and I will never blame you for the decisions you make." Her blue eyes seemed to shine brightly, "You're a good man, Jason Todd, and no one will ever take that from you."
Jason couldn't breathe. Her words washed over him and made a wave of happiness and appreciation wash over him and curl around his wounded soul. Her words were honest and he repeated them over and over in his head just to soak it in. She was too pure for the world and definitely too pure for Bruce. His eyes burned and he blinked them away. Her words shouldn't matter. Her opinion of him shouldn't be important. But he took in the sight of her through his blurred vision and he loved her. He loved her for the peace she brought him and the compassion with which she spoke to him.
"You don't know what you're talking about." He snapped.
Diana rolled her eyes at him, "I'm not so in love with your father that I forget myself, Jason. I do not listen to him when he says stupid things and I will not listen to you either. Hide behind your patriarchal bullshit, Jason, but I will see through it."
And then he was laughing. She was so pure that to hear a curse word fall from her red mouth was too much for the vigilante. His laugh was rich and full and through his tears, he could see Diana was smiling.
"That sounds more like you." The Amazon remarked kindly.
He wiped his eyes, "Thanks, Princess. I needed that laugh."
She gave him a knowing look and Jason knew that the Princess understood he was thanking her for so much more. He stood and walked toward her to offer her a hand. She took it and he pulled her up.
"Thanks for dinner Diana." He commented but froze when she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
"Be stronger than him Jason, because he's too foolish to do anything about the rift between you. Reach out to him when you're ready and he'll be there. We all will."
Her perfume surrounded him like a blanket, made him feel safe and warm. He was reminded of her strength and that hug she gave him that night, it left him feeling as if she'd passed that strength on to him. He felt it again and that was what gave him the courage to knock on the door. He waited for Alfred to answer the door. It opened and he froze.
"Di-You're not Diana."
Her eyes were the wrong shade of blue as she studied him, "No. I'm Donna, Diana's younger sister. You smell like her perfume. Guess that makes me your aunt."
"Stop saying that Donna! It still sounds weird." Dick remarked as he came up behind her and he paused, his blue eyes widened in disbelief "Jason."
Jason was going to make a snarky comment but then his older brother was flying at him with a happy, wild grin. Then the world was spinning and pain shot through his body as his back and head hit the pavement.
"Ow."
"You're both children," Donna remarked with a scoff.
"Who's a child?" Tim asked as he came to the door, "Jason?"
"Get off me, Grayson!" Jason snapped.
"Quick Tim! While he's weak!" Dick yelled and Tim joined his older brothers on the ground as Jason tried to escape Dick's hold.
"What the fuck?! Let me go you freaks!"
"Jason Todd you will accept our love and affection you stubborn prick!" Dick snapped.
Donna cracked a smile as Alfred came up beside her, "Hmm. It would seem Miss Diana sent him right on schedule."
The Amazon nodded, "She's had some interesting timing lately."
Alfred gave her a smile, "If you had ever seen Miss Diana with Master Bruce, you'd know her timing was always impeccable, he cleared his throat, "Masters Dick and Tim, please allow Jason to stand so that he can join us for lunch."
Tim and Dick were on their feet quickly both of them grinning like idiots down at Jason as they each offered him a hand. He took both and they pulled him up and the black sheep came face to face with Alfred. The elder butler held his gaze as if sizing him up before his arms shook in hesitation and Jason found himself walking to Alfred before the man could make a decision. Their hug said everything. Grandfather and grandson. Family.
Dick ruffled Jason's hair, "Come on. Bruce is gonna die when he sees you."
"Word choice Dick." Tim admonished.
"I'll catch you guys later. I've got Monitor Duty. Don't forget our training session, Richard." Donna remarked before she flew off.
"No problem Princess!" The eldest called after her.
"Donna is now Wonder Woman," Tim answered Jason's unasked question.
"Oh. Diana isn't here?" Jason asked.
"Miss Diana and Master Bruce are no longer together. She has returned to Themyscira, bound never to return to Man's World. It was her decision." Alfred explained, but Jason heard the curt bite in the butler's words.
"What are you doing here?" A young demanding voice informed Jason that his youngest sibling was still at home.
"I see the chihuahua is still here," Jason remarked at Tim and Dick.
"Bruce said we could keep him if we promised to train him and make sure he didn't pee in the house." Tim countered earning a snicker from Dick and a smirk from Jason but Damien scowled.
"Master Jason, go collect Master Bruce. He's late for lunch." Alfred ordered.
"He's down in the Cave," Tim added with a hopeful smile.
Jason nodded and left the room. Damien's scowl deepened, "He shouldn't even be here."
"You have a lot to learn about this family, Master Damien, and you're making progress, but the one thing you should know is that Master Bruce loves his children above all else," Alfred remarked as he disappeared into the kitchen.
Richard ruffled Damien's hair, "Jason deserves to come home, just like you did."
Jason walked through the passage behind the grandfather clock, slightly concerned about the fact that Bruce hadn't changed it. His father would never leave it, especially considering Jason's current run as a vigilante. Unless Bruce knew he'd come back. That thought warmed him. The darkness of the cave was welcome and familiar and Jason could hear the bats chittering above him. He could hear Bruce typing away at the keyboard and the familiarity of the sound encouraged him to walk faster.
"I won't be joining you for lunch," Bruce remarked without turning around.
Jason shrugged, "Since Alfred sent me I'm guessing I'm supposed to strong-arm you into attending lunch."
Bruce stopped typing and looked over his shoulder. He stood and ignored the cane at his side. Jason watched carefully, he saw how Bruce's body shuddered despite the man's strength and self-discipline. He was still in the stages of recovery.
"How've you been Old Man?" Jason asked.
"Why are you here?" Bruce asked and Jason rolled his eyes.
His father was always stubborn.
"I'm here to see my family. Heard you had a building dropped on you and you're thick skull broke it. Wanted to see it for myself," Jason snapped before he turned around.
"Jason." He froze at the soft tone he heard his father use.
He waited and time seemed to slow as he listened to Bruce limp towards him, heard the cane help him along. His chest constricted and his palms were sweaty. He closed his eyes and took a breath. Only his father could make him this nervous.
Diana's gentle smile and compassionate eyes greeted him, "Be stronger than him Jason because he's too foolish to do anything about the rift between you." Her perfume wrapped around him like a warm embrace.
"I-I came because this is my home. I wanted to be with my family. I wanted to see that the stubborn old man that raised me was still here." Jason heard Bruce come to a stop behind him. "I forgive you Old Man."
He heard the breath his father took in and turned to look at him. Diana's perfume intensified and Jason's eyes widened. It was as if a veil were lifted from his eyes and he saw the pain in Bruce's eyes and he saw how deep it ran; all the way to the soul.
"Dad, I forgive you."
Jason watched something in his father shatter. Bruce reached forward and pulled the younger man into a hug. It was strange and unprecedented but the shard of darkness in his own soul diminished at that moment. Her perfume engulfed them and Jason heard her promise.
"Reach out to him when you're ready and he'll be there. We all will."
He blinked away tears and in that blurred vision he saw her standing behind Bruce, her own eyes wet with unshed tears and her red lips pulled in a brilliant smile of love and compassion. She was beautiful in her white chiton and her loose raven hair. A goddess on earth.
They made their way upstairs in comfortable silence. Jason knew he should be shaking or nervous but the subtle scent of Diana's perfume was enough to keep him from shaking. It was like she was here.
"Jason!" He paused long enough to catch Cassandra as she launched herself at him. "Welcome home." She whispered in his ear.
He sighed and took a step back, "Thanks, Cassie."
"Have a seat Jason," Alfred remarked as he brought in a salad bowl and a tray of sandwiches. He took a seat beside Tim who grinned proudly. Yeah, this was home.
He'd been bitter when he woke up in the Watchtower infirmary and found that Diana hadn't returned, but sent her younger sister Donna instead. It ate at him to see Donna in the seat beside him at the meetings, to see her wearing Diana's uniform and to share Diana's mannerisms. It was his fault. He had pushed her away and expected to keep her in his life. He had hoped she'd run back to Themysicra so he couldn't be tempted by her. Now he had a constant reminder of her in the League, and it tore him apart to know that Donna wore the uniform well, that she honored Diana, but she wasn't Diana.
Bruce watched his family. They were broken and small but they were stronger together. He was stronger because of them despite his still healing body. He remembered the fear of losing Damien and Dick all too well and the worry over Alfred's injuries. All of it had been eating him up inside and he hadn't been able to handle it other than to throw himself into his work. He hadn't been strong enough to find a way out, to save his children when they needed him. Diana, in her unlimited capacity to love, had. She had saved his family and made them stronger. She had been there for them because she knew how much they meant to him. His blue eyes drifted over every member of his family. Jason was trying to convince Alfred not to pile food onto his plate while Tim laughed. Dick was grinning like an idiot and teasing Damien about being just like Jason while Cassandra smirked. The Manor was suddenly so much brighter and less empty.
His eyes drifted to the seat directly across from him and he froze, his heart in his throat. She was sitting there, smiling at the people around her and he heard her laugh at something Dick said that made Jason throw a napkin at him. He shivered at the sound and finally her eyes met his. Her eyes were glowing with happiness as she smiled at him. He closed his eyes tightly, she wasn't there, she was miles away on Themyscira.
His breath caught as he felt arms-her arms- fall across his chest and her cheek pressed against his own. Her perfume enveloped him and he took a deep breath as a soft kiss ghosted over his skin.
'I love you, Bruce.'
Diana was wrapping her wrists in preparation for training with Artemis. The other Amazon had figured out that Diana was nowhere near as strong as before and was determined to make sure that Diana was properly trained. Diana enjoyed knowing that one more of her Amazon sisters was aware of her changes and willing to work around them.
The Amazon made her way to the training ring and grinned at Artemis in greeting. The redhead nodded and tossed a spear at Diana, "You're looking better, Princess."
"I had a wonderful dream, Artemis," Diana answered as she took a defensive position. "It gave me hope."
Persephone, Aphrodite, and Athena stood silently over Diana's training. The goddesses watched carefully as their Champion continued to hone her skills. Bruce Wayne, the Batman, was safe, as was the hope he represented for his dark city. Wonder Woman had returned to Man's World, and Donna honored the uniform and the sister that wore it before, but the world needed Diana. The goddesses would send her back into Man's World.
Soon.
Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed and even favorited. You guys are awesome and I can't wait to see what ya'll think of this one. Thanks again!