A/N: This is a short chapter, but it was the right place to end it, I think. So I hope you agree, and enjoy reading! I don't own Louis Armstrong or anything he recorded. And one more thing – how many Javelins does the League have? I know there's a reference to Javelin 9 in the JLU, but does that mean there are nine of them? Help!
Chapter Twelve – Dancing
Bruce hadn't gone far; only back to the Hall of Weapons, and not to examine any more of the weapons, but to think. He'd never felt so…naked. For years, he'd done nothing but wear masks, hidden from that night and its consequences. It was so easy to distance himself from everyone when there wasn't one person who understood what drove him. The same thing had happened to Dick, but Dick had never been truly alone – no, that wasn't quite true. He had been alone, he'd been the same lost little boy that Bruce had been…but unlike Bruce, Dick had gone out and found people. Hadn't been too afraid to step out of the dark.
But now…Diana did understand. Christ, she knew now. When it came to the princess, he'd always been in conflict, but now it was an all-out internal war. The Bat kicked and struggled against the idea of anyone knowing what was so vital to its survival, but Bruce was just…relieved. He'd never have told anyone, and he certainly didn't believe in Fate, but for whatever reason, Diana had been chosen - and it felt right that it should be her.
Pushing aside all the emotion that that caused to well up, he focused instead on what he could do now. Either he'd do as she feared, and push her away, or…allow the knowledge to bring her closer. But there was only one more logical step they could take, and they'd have to take it together. And he was Batman. Batman didn't have togethers. And because of that, neither did Bruce. There was no one who could understand the importance of the mission, who wouldn't demand more of him than he could give. Except Diana. Thinking about it, there had never been another woman in his life who had so much potential as she did. Talia, Selina – he'd had them. It sounded callous, but it really was a case of 'been there, done that' – not so with the princess. It was a cliché, but she was different. He remembered what thinking you were falling in love was like, and this was nothing like it. She was-
Before he could get any further, his League communicator went off. "Clark," he said, actually a little surprised that he hadn't been in touch sooner.
"How is she?" Superman's concerned voice asked.
"Better now we're here," he replied. "She's still aware of other's emotions, but is ignoring them."
"And how are y-"
"Fine," he answered briefly. "But you didn't call to enquire about my health."
"No," Clark said. "But Hawkgirl's returned, and asked me to give you her report; she's in-"
"Gotham, I know. Did Hippolyta know anything?"
"No, but she took Shayera to an audience with the gods. Apparently Skatha is the sister of Eris, the goddess of-"
"Discord. Do they know how to find her?"
"They've gone to do that now – Hera, Aphrodite and Athena. Shayera gave Hippolyta a League communicator so that we know when to bring Diana before them-"
"They want us to bring Diana to Themyscira? Unless the transporters are working again that's flying over all of Europe, and even if they are, Diana will still be able to feel the emotions of every Amazon on the island. Not going to happen," he said flatly.
"You're not her keeper, Bruce. And the transporters on the Watchtower aren't working, but we can still do a site-to-site transfer."
"Understood. Anything else?"
"That's about it. Oh, could you show Diana something?"
---
It was at least a solid minute before either Shayera or John spoke again. "Twins?" the redhead breathed. "We're having- we're having twins?!"
"Yep," Dr Thompkins beamed. "Congratulations."
John, apparently, couldn't speak, but beamed wordlessly and hugged his fiancée, burying his face in her hair. "I can't believe it."
For a moment, they just held each other, wallowing in parental bliss. Dr Thompkins printed off the blurry photo of Shayera's womb, pointing to two tiny, slightly more defined blurs. "There. Those are your children."
"Oh God," John said, suddenly realising something. "Flash is gonna be godfather to two of our kids."
"Flash?" Shayera asked. "Who said Flash is going to be godfather to my children?"
"Well who would you pick to-"
Leslie interrupted by clearing her throat softly. "Sorry to interrupt," she smiled. "But I have another appointment coming soon, and you have another thirty four weeks to decide on godparents."
"Of course," Hawkgirl said, wiping the gel from her stomach. "Thank you, Leslie."
"No problem. Anything you want to discuss, here's the number to my cell. It's on all the time. And I'll see you in another six weeks or so for another scan. With twins, it's recommended that you have more than the usual three."
They both nodded. "Ok. Thanks, Leslie," GL said.
A few moments later, the two heroes left the clinic and headed back up to their jet, and then the Watchtower. John insisted on piloting it back up into space, until Shayera pointedly tapped her mace and told him that on no account was she going to let him coddle her for the next nine months. Shayera flew back from Gotham.
When they got up to the Watchtower, it was to find all hell breaking loose.
---
It was just as Skatha opened her mouth to curse the red-clad hero that the warm shiver raced up her spine. Forgetting Flash, she spun away and prepared to find somewhere secluded to spirit away. She skidded to a stop with a hiss when a sword embedded itself in the floor, inches away from her feet.
"Skatha!" a very loud, very resonating, very furious female voice bellowed.
She transformed into her natural form - waist length dark hair and white gown - with a snarl. "Athena!"
"Come with us," the other goddess ordered.
"So you can confine me once more?" she sneered. "Never." She threw an arm out at the nearest mortal, letting all her destructive power loose down the limb. The poor mechanic she'd armed at simply dissolved into nothing but a small pile of ash on the floor.
Suddenly Skatha found herself surrounded in a triangle of goddesses – Athena, Aphrodite and Hera facing her. "Cease this!" the queen of the gods shouted.
Skatha's only response was to target the newly arrived Shayera, flinging another wall of heat at the Thanagarian. However, before she could kill her, the other deities stretched out their arms, electricity joining their fingertips together. The magical interference caused Skatha's magic to miss Shayera, instead blowing up the communications array in a flurry of sparks. All four goddesses vanished into nothingness, leaving the Watchtower stunned and silent.
They ended up on Olympus, as Skatha had expected. Feeling fatalistic, she laughed. "All this for one Amazon? Hera, really? She is one immortal!"
"She is one of Earth's greatest heroes!" Hera thundered. "You will release her from your curse, Skatha. Immediately."
"I'm curious as to why I should."
Athena looked ready to pop from rage. "If you do not, we will-"
"You will what? Confine me to a prison for the rest of eternity? If that is the best you have to threaten me with, I am afraid the poor princess will just have to stay cursed."
"What will it take for you to release Diana from your curse?" Aphrodite asked, the calmest of the three.
Skatha thought about it until a deviously evil smirk spread across her face. "I want the mortal to beg me."
Aphrodite paled, pink spots of rage appearing on her cheeks. "Out of the question! You cannot be trusted to-"
"If you are so determined to see her have love, Aphrodite, then I am sure you can patch something up. That is my condition. I want her mortal to beg me to lift the curse – without any interference or advice from you."
"You will only twist his words!" Hera hissed. "You cannot make mortals simply dance to your tune-"
"If he is careful then I cannot," Skatha defended. "That is my condition. Take it or confine me for all eternity for all I care."
Unable to see another alternative, and bound by her oath to Hippolyta, Hera inclined her head with a heavy heart. "Very well. Your condition is granted – and then you will be confined forever."
"Then your Amazon will be an empath no longer, as soon as her mortal comes before me," Skatha said.
---
Unable to sit and read Shakespeare anymore, Diana closed the book for good and put it to one side. She got up, debating for a moment whether or not to go after Bruce, but deciding not to – he needed space to think. So did she, for that matter.
"I'm in love with him," she said aloud. "Me! An Amazon, in love with a man!"
Realising just how echoey the ice was, Diana clamped her mouth shut and prayed to Aphrodite he hadn't heard that. She wasn't ready to tell him anyway. She wasn't sure she ever would be. Releasing a sigh of impatience at herself she moved over to a small silver device in the corner of the room that she'd noticed but hadn't yet had time to discover what it was. It looked vaguely familiar though…almost like a compact disc player.
When she experimentally pressed one of the buttons on the top, she realised that was exactly what it was. A whirring sound issued from it, before the soft, elegant sound of a jazz trumpet echoed from the ice walls. She raised an eyebrow, somehow not being able to put Clark and jazz together. It was impossible to tell where it was coming from – but when the gravelly voice of Louis Armstrong began, Diana figured it didn't matter. She loved jazz, she always had. It had been astonishing to her that music could sound like that – they had music on Themyscira, of course, but nothing like trumpets or double basses, and saxophones were still incredible to listen to. She'd never known such a sexy sound aside from this – well, jazz and a familiar baritone asking her for a dance in Paris.
Settling herself back on the couch, she felt herself beginning to unwind for the first time since they'd arrived at the Fortress. Her foot tapping along to the music, Diana closed her eyes and began singing along to the song. "I can't give you…anything but love…baby, that's the only thing…I've plenty of…baby…"
She'd gotten to the chorus by the time she opened her eyes again, to see Bruce standing at the doorway, a slight smirk on his face. "You really can't sing, you know."
She smiled. "I'll leave that to you."
He came further into the room, holding something behind his back. He stopped in from of the couch, and she got up. He took a deep breath. "Diana, if it had to be anyone…" He trailed off, but she knew what he wanted to say. If it had to be anyone…I'm glad it was you.
Bringing his hand out from behind his back, he handed her the rosebud he'd picked in the biome. It was the same bloom she'd given Clark for his birthday, and from the smile on her face, she recognised it. "Clark must have planted it after we left."
"I didn't think it had survived," she said, delighted. "Bruce…thank you."
He took it from her fingers and tucked it gently behind her ear, keeping her hair back slightly and pretending not to notice either her blush or the slight tremble of his own hand. He stilled when she reached up to take his hand again, smiling.
"Dance with me?"
---
A/N: There you go, fluffy, I know. I just picture both of them – especially Bruce – liking jazz for some reason. But there you are lol – hope you liked it! And as always, review please!