*Dear readers, I'm glad you enjoyed that last chapter. I try to take into account your requests but I can't always fit them in the course of the story, so I need to adjust them first. Bear with me.

With bittersweet feelings, I announce that the next- not this- chapter will be the last of this series of light, family BMWW ones. As much as I'd like to keep on giving you chapters, every story needs to have an end, right? And truth be told, I don't really have many ideas on writing about Diana and Bruce as pensioners. You can suppose they played cards with Alfred every afternoon, travelling to the League Tower occasionally and spending time with their grandchildren. So, to commemorate the lovely time I have had writing these for you, I intend to make this chapter almost like a double one, having two 'stories'. As always, thanks for reading and if you like it, leave me a review. See you at the end!*

CHAPTER TWELVE

Part One

Alfred spread the front doors open and smiled widely, upon seeing the two royal women approaching. Once Hippolyta was up the stairs, he bowed deeply and she laughed a hearty laugh.

"Oh, Alfred, don't you think we're past the bowing now?" The Amazon Queen said, passing from him and letting her lush, white tunic graze the marble floors.

"No, not at all, your Majesty." He said, starting to follow her but turning his head back and running to the front door again. "Princess! Please give me the bag!"

"Please, Alfred." Diana said, refusing his offer. Her mother's luggage was as light as ever and of course she was more capable of lifting weights than Alfred.

"As you wish, my lady." Alfred said, striding to Hippolyta again. "I hope you'll find the Manor of your taste." Diana in the background, barely contained a giggle.

"My friend," the Queen said, "the Manor is bigger than my palace. I'm sure I'll find it quite of my taste." Alfred nodded in understanding.

Hippolyta was, in general, very reluctant towards leaving Themyscira for reasons like visiting the children of her somewhat-exiled daughter, but all of the Amazons understood and let her leave with nothing but positive feelings. The trips were rare, too, so there wasn't a problem at all. Most of the times, besides, she met with her grandchildren at their cottage in Greece and she was back in Themyscira in no time. This was the second time she was visiting them abroad, though, and the first time she came to Gotham. See, Iphigenia's college wasn't in Gotham, so her graduation two years ago was held in New York, at her college. Little Thomas, though, was in Gotham College, so they would be in their hometown and Hippolyta would finally get to visit their house.

She was, deep down, extremely proud of her grandchildren. They had both been accepted into College before turning eighteen and Iphigenia graduated at nineteen and now Thomas was graduating at eighteen. They had several dreams for their career and, as she didn't know much on that subject, appeared to be supportive of everything, claiming that their degrees would certainly open doors to many prestigious positions. Their parents said so themselves, so she supposed they were right.

"When is the ceremony to happen, my child?" Hippolyta said, once Diana left her bag on the floor of her guest room.

"Tomorrow. Get some rest for now, we'll have dinner together tonight."

Hippolyta nodded and Diana exited the room with a smile.

Her daughter had grown quite a lot since she left Themyscira. Hippolyta hadn't quite approved her choice but Diana was very strong willed and, well, she was satisfied with her life. The Queen of the Amazons, though, was just a bit saddened with seeing her daughter age. It was a necessary evil, since she had forsaken her immortality, but an evil nonetheless. She looked younger than she was, of course, but that wasn't important.

Hippolyta brushed those thoughts away, thinking that she would still live longer than normal humans and she would get to see many of her grand-grandchildren at least. With that, she went for the luxurious double bed.

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

"Where's the man of the day?" Hippolyta asked after they had all sat down at the dining table.

"He's a busy boy!" Diana replied.

"Let me call him." Bruce said, taking his phone out. He pressed a button and the dial tone came from the speaker.

"Yes, Dad?" A mature voice picked it up.

"Where are you?"

"I'm driving home. The traffic is horrible."

"Where were you?"

"Enough with the parental control, Dad. I'm eighteen."

"Your grandmother is waiting for you, Thomas. I'm not 'parental controlling' you."

"Oh. Well, I needed to settle some things for the ceremony, nothing much. Don't wait up for me, start eating and I'll be back when I'll be back."

"Very well."

"Bye, Dad."

Bruce hung up and put his phone down. "We'll start, and he'll be home soon."

"Oh well." Diana said, shrugging, and grabbing her fork. "You heard him. Let's begin!"

"Thank you, Alfred, for the incredible dinner!" Dick said, licking his lips, before swallowing a big chunk of marinated chicken.

"It was my pleasure." The butler replied.

Hippolyta gave Dick a side glance, gently munching on some Italian pasta. She would never, ever manage to understand that man's age. She had seen him numerous times, from Diana's wedding, to their summer vacations and Iphigenia's graduation, but she could never guess how old he was. Diana had told her that he is a member of the family, much like an older brother to the kids, and there wasn't much the Queen could say on that. She did wonder, though, if he was involved in dark magic practices, as he didn't seem to age; he always stayed the same. The kids seemed to love him very much, and he was indeed very kind to her, but Hippolyta would always be troubled about him.

Diana laughed internally, watching her mother glance at Dick, knowing what was going through her mind, as she had shared her thoughts with her before. She was surprised that Hippolyta was more preoccupied with the seemingly non-aging Dick, and not the literally non-aging Connor, sitting just a across of her.

The young man was staring at his plate, eating silently, trying to avoid anyone's eyes. Iphigenia, by his side, was quite talkative tonight and seemed to engage in conversation with anyone. She kept caressing his hand every few minutes and Diana smiled, knowing that she was quite happy with Connor. Although they had met accidentally and Connor wasn't exactly social, Iphigenia was attracted to him from the very first moment. She was the perfect woman for challenges and he was, indeed, a challenge that she pulled through. Diana also knew that Connor, though not too expressive, loved her daughter fiercely and he was something like Clark's son, which was a good thing, in retrospect. She didn't judge him just because he appeared to be unsocial and brooding and hot-headed. Much like her daughter, she had decided to love a man like that too, and she knew firsthand that happiness is subjective and appearances trick. Her husband, though brooding and unsocial and hot-headed as well, made her happy and she loved him more than anything, as she knew he did too. So she felt happy for Iphigenia. Bruce, on the other hand, not so much.

Diana always had a good laugh with Iphigenia when it came to Bruce and Connor. At first, Bruce had pressured Clark to work with Connor and had bothered to check on the boy himself too, acknowledging his virtues. He knew that Dick was his friend and could guarantee of the quality of his character too and that he wasn't a lost cause. He had also funded the research on the non-aging genes suppressing substances, allowing his daughter to practice at that lab too. But when Iphigenia announced that she was with Connor as a couple a year after they met, Bruce felt like losing the ground under his feet. Suddenly, Connor was unstable, untrustworthy, violent, a Neanderthal and definitely not suited for his precious daughter. Diana and Iphigenia had sided together, though, and there wasn't much he could do. Dick and Thomas approved and Alfred was neutral, so he couldn't find any allies.

"So, you'll be staying over, Connor, yes?" Diana asked, trying to engage him in some sort of conversation.

Connor hesitantly lifted his head and nodded. "Yes, I hope I'm not a burden."

"Of course not!" Diana said, shaking her hands. "Don't ever say that again."

"Thank you very much. Thank you for your hospitality and care, sir." He said, turning to Alfred.

"You're most welcome, my child. Do you like the meal?"

"It is perfect, thank you."

"I'm glad." Alfred replied, smiling lightly under his moustache.

Diana bit her lip, trying not to giggle loudly, after seeing the look Bruce gave the boy. It was cold and hostile and could have pierced through anyone. Yet no one seemed to bother with him, still thinking that Iphigenia was a child, even though she was marching through the twenty first year of her life. Diana kicked his shin underneath the table and he averted his eyes to her.

Diana smiled gently and whispered in Greek to him. "Not very nice to look at your guests like that."

"He is not my guest." Bruce replied in Greek too. "He's your daughter's guest."

"It's your daughter too and your Manor too, so be silent and stop glaring at poor Connor."

Bruce growled and turned to his wine.

"Are you studying, Connor?" Hippolyta asked, taking everyone by surprise, as no one expected her to take any interest in him.

"Um, no, I am with the League." Connor replied.

Hippolyta shook her head, making a 'tsk' sound with her mouth. "You'll fit right in. Nothing but superheroes and businessmen in this family." She smiled and Connor smiled timidly back. Hippolyta had examined the Wayne history when Diana announced her engagement to Bruce, and soon discovered the Wayne Enterprise legacy, that her grandson would continue.

"And law enforcement!" Dick said, high-fiving Iphigenia.

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

"Are you certain that I don't look ridiculous in this?" Hippolyta asked, fiddling with her hat.

"No, mother. It's just a hat."

"A big hat."

Diana didn't reply and turned her look on the stage. The podium and the chairs were ready and the ceremony would shortly commence. A whole row of seats was occupied with Thomas' family and friends. Hippolyta, Diana, Bruce, Iphigenia and Connor, Lois, Clark and son, Dick, Barbara, Alfred, Lucius Fox, John Stewart and J'onn, Dinah and Shayera with the twins, along with a couple other friends of Thomas.

A professor in a black suit climbed up the podium and tested the microphone. Alfred readied his camera.

As the professor gave the initial speech, Diana turned to Bruce.

"Happy much for your son? I know I am."

"Yes."

"I think he'll be a precious asset to the Wayne board."

"He will. He's a Wayne and a marketing genius."

"Or at least Lucius says so."

"And Lucius knows."

Diana shrugged. "I suppose. And it's a good career. He'll be successful."

"As long as money doesn't blind him, he'll be fine."

"It won't. Thomas is a thoughtful and kind-hearted kid. He'll do wonders with his money, I know."

"He does resemble Thomas Senior…"

"What are you mumbling about?" Hippolyta intervened, nudging her daughter. Bruce rolled his eyes at his 'beloved' mother-in-law.

"Thomas."

"Pay attention to the man's speech, it's very nice."

Diana didn't comment, as Hippolyta wasn't quite familiar with the typical graduating speeches, and it was natural that a cheesy monologue would appear fancy to her. Soon, the speech was over and the roll call began. They waited patiently, since the calling was alphabetically.

"Ward Paul, Mathematics and Applied Sciences." The Professor announced. A stout man climbed up the stairs, received his degree, waved at his family and took a seat among the rest of the graduates.

"Here he comes!" Clark said loud enough for the whole row to hear. His infant son squealed from his lap.

"Wayne Thomas, Business and Economics." The man said and they all applauded loudly while Alfred's finger abused the button of the camera. A tall and toned man walked on the stage, waving confidently at them. Dick whistled loudly and Thomas laughed. He appeared handsome, with dense black hair combed carefully and a pair of clear blue eyes under a pair of well-shaped but dense eyebrows. He received his degree, shaking the hand of the Professor and taking a seat as well.

"The little brat is so handsome!" Iphigenia said and mentally, Hippolyta and Diana agreed. Their little boy was a grown man now, and a very charming one.

After all of the degrees were handed out and the ceremony was about to end, the graduates stood up. The professor wished them all a good course in their lives and the crowd cheered as dozens of hats filled the sky over the stage.

Soon, Thomas joined them and was greeted with a barrage of hugs and congratulatory hand shakes. He embraced his father and mother, towering over them, and mumbled a 'thank you', knowing only his parents could hear him. Diana cupped his face and looked adoringly at it, almost shedding some tears. Bruce tapped his shoulder and nodded. Thomas knew that that meant that he was very proud of him.

"Photographs. Now." Alfred ordered.

No one dared interfere with the butler's photography, so the memory card was soon filled with pictures of Thomas in his blue graduation robes with everyone separately and then in groups. Alfred's personal favorite had Thomas grinning widely, having passed his hands over the shoulders of his parents –now being a good deal taller than both of them, and Iphigenia standing next to her mother. They all smiled, even Bruce seemed to have a wide grin, and looked at the camera, happy and beautiful. Alfred was going to print this one and the one he was alone with Thomas and place it in his personal album, right after the photos of his sister's graduation.

"Let's take one altogether!" John suggested and they all agreed.

"Allow me to take it." Alfred said but the rest disagreed.

"We said altogether, Alfred." Clark insisted.

"Fine, fine."

Soon, they found a father of another graduate willing to help them out. After Alfred meticulously explained to him how to press the button of his beloved camera, they lined up.

"I… I can't quite fit you all in the frame without walking a mile away!" The man said and so, they positioned themselves like a soccer team taking a group photo. Bruce, Clark, John, J'onn, Lucius, Dick and Thomas' friends kneeled in front and the rest stood behind them. "Say cheese!" They all grinned and the man pressed the button, capturing the moment.

Alfred quickly reclaimed his camera and took a look at the photo, deciding that it also deserved a place in his album.

"Get ready for a big promotion and a big salary raise, young man!" Lucius told Thomas, after J'onn was done congratulating him again. "College degrees can work miracles."

"And can ruin people…" Thomas said somewhat bitterly.

"What do you mean, Thomas?"

"I mean that so many of the students graduating with me are so deep in college debts, it's sad. I don't even know if they will ever be able to pay them back with level-entry jobs."

Lucius nodded "It is sad, indeed. Luckily, you are in a much better position."

"Me, yes of course. I'm a Wayne, with a high-paying job already, but, you know… It's not like that for everyone."

A couple of meters away, Bruce heard Thomas' words. He shared a look with Diana, she nodded, and soon was off to find the Professor. Just when the first people were about to leave, the Professor climbed up the stage again.

"May I have your attention, please. I have a last-moment announcement to make. Kind Mister Bruce Wayne just offered to pay off every graduate's loans debt."

Loud mumbling came from the crowd. Some cheered, some hugged each other, a mother even burst out in tears. Thomas turned to see his father casually chatting with his mother and grandmother and smiled. He wanted to be such a man one day.

"So much like his father…" Bruce heard an old man say when they were leaving and half-smiled, clutching Diana's hand.

Part Two

"Diana, what on Earth do you mean you can't take me back?!" Hippolyta shouted in Greek at her daughter.

Diana had a devilish grin on her face. "I mean that I will be taking the jet and leaving for Japan in two hours and I can't take you to Themyscira now." She said in Greek too.

"You promised you'd take me back!"

"And I will, when I return. You will stay here with the children and Alfred."

"You-"

"Mother, don't throw such a fit. We will be back in four days and I will get you back."

"You didn't tell me this when you asked me to come!"

"That's because I want you to stay here a bit. The children asked so themselves, they want to spend some time with their grandmother."

"Diana, this is hardly an argument on doing this to me!"

"What am I doing exactly? Is staying in this amazing house with your grandchildren so dreadful?"

"That's not what I said."

"It is what you implied. Listen, I deserve this trip and I'm not cancelling it to get you back to Themyscira when you have nothing important to do."

"How d-"

"Come on, mother. It's summer, not even the villains are at work and we both know the days there go by as smoothly as ever. I've lived there, I know."

"Diana…"

"Come on, mama. I was supposed to go on this trip three years ago, but the Sinestro Corps thought differently and one thing brought the other and I haven't been on a single trip with Bruce for over five years. I need it."

Hippolyta sighed and hung her shoulders down. "This is framing the Queen, you know. This is treason!" She said, somewhat playfully.

"And what are you going to do?" Diana said, playfully too. "Exile me? I'm already an exile. You're also in my country, so officially on foreign grounds, and you have no power here."

"Little Diana grew up and speaks back to her mother…"

"I grew up a long time ago." Diana said smiling and exiting the guest room. Outside, Thomas and Iphigenia had shamelessly eavesdropped on their conversation and nodded happily at her. She shook her head and headed to the jet, to make the final checks.

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

"Konichua, Mr. Wayne and Mrs. Prince." The secretary of the five-star hotel greeted them. "Did you have a pleasant trip?"

"Yes, yes." Diana replied.

"I'm glad. Now, here are your room cards. Your jet will remain parked in spot number five for the whole of your stay with us. For any complaints or requests, just dial nine on your phone and you will be connected to the secretariat."

"Thank you." Bruce said, taking the room cards. They used the spacious elevator and went to the tenth floor, easily finding their suite. Their luggage was already inside.

"What a nice room!" Diana said, observing the pieces of Japanese art decorating the walls.

Bruce went straight to the mini-bar and took a vial of whiskey out. "Perfect."

Diana seeing it, winked at him and headed for her suitcase. "You pour it and I'll go take a quick shower, alright?"

Bruce nodded. Diana disregarded her garments, throwing them on the bed and entered the bathroom. As soon he heard the hot water running, Bruce abandoned the whiskey, took off his clothes too and entered the bathroom as well.

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

"Unbelievable…" Thomas mumbled.

The old-fashioned lamp hung over the round table, shedding its light around them. Four stern faces looked carefully at each other and then at the cards lying on the green tablecloth. Piles of casino marks were gathered in front of Hippolyta and Alfred. Iphigenia and Thomas were left with very few. None of them expected the newbie Queen and the resourceful butler to have such unreadable poker faces and be this good.

"Fold." Iphigenia said.

A satanic grin spread over Hippolyta's face, as she pushed all of her marks in front. "All in."

Thomas' jaw dropped. Alfred simply raised an eyebrow.

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

Diana never expected a shrine to be this beautiful.

The clean paths were very welcoming to visitors. Tall trees, filled with green leaves and flowers created a breathtaking scenery. The shrine huts were further inside, very near a small river running through the park. Small wooden bridges helped visitors cross it.

Bruce took her hand and led them inside, walking underneath the trees and taking photos. They reached the shrine huts, watching some local girls tending them and Bruce led them just behind the main shrine hut. They passed a small bridge and just after that, Diana saw several splashes of pink among the green trees and realized why Bruce wanted them to move further. They walked a bit more, until pink blossoms completely hid the sky from them.

Diana took a look in front, seeing a long, straight path, paved with blossoming cherry trees, sakuras. A light scent filled their nostrils and a small breeze shook the blossoms, bringing down rays of pink petals. Diana absentmindedly giggled. When her eyes took enough of the image in, she felt Bruce's hand brush against her face and turned to him. He pushed her hair behind her ear and placed a big, bright pink blossom there.

Diana smiled gently at him and leaned in, to kiss him tenderly. A gush of wind ruffled her kimono and her hair and when they stopped kissing, she pouted, stroking her hair. "I lost my blossom!"

Bruce half-smiled. "Doesn't matter, Princess."

"But it was so pretty…"

"You're the prettiest of all the blossoms I see."

"Aw, stop it you!" She said, her cheeks turning the shade of the flowers. She snatched his hand and they started walking the sakura path.

Somewhere along the way, she gave him a light nudge with her shoulder.

"Mm, what?"

"I love you."

"And I love you too."

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

"And that was the story of how Ares tried to destroy our island and your mother stopped him." Hippolyta said, taking a sip from her 'Americano' coffee. Alfred really did make it good.

"She's cool." Thomas said, diving underneath Hippolyta's floating pool chair and coming up on the other side, to splash his sister.

Alfred, in a long pair of swimming bermudas, sat by the poolside, dipping his feet inside, trying to remember if he had applied sunblock to his receding hairline or not.

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

Bruce opened the light books like they were something from another planet. He really couldn't understand a word, or even if he did, he doubted he'd find any of these interesting. Yet his daughter seemed to be obsessing over them.

"So you're telling me," he told his wife, "that Iphigenia reads and loves this thing that I'm holding right now."

"Yes, my love." Diana said, having her embrace filled with manga tomes. The queue to the checkout wasn't long, but they had to wait a bit.

"I really don't understand her."

"Neither do I but she really did want all of these."

"In Japanese."

"In Japanese. Have you forgotten that your daughter is fluent in Japanese as well?"

"No, I remember."

"Then don't wonder anymore."

"But she's a twenty-one-year-old woman, specializing in forensic science! What interest could she have in these…comics?"

"Everybody has hobbies and interests, Bruce. Relax."

Bruce shook his head and handed the booklet to the cashier, as Diana let the dozens of manga tomes down. Bruce took his credit card out.

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

"And they do this every afternoon?" Hippolyta asked Alfred.

"Not every afternoon, but as often as they can."

Hippolyta nodded and turned her attention to the rose bushes again. "I really like the work you've done with this garden."

"Why, thank you, your Highness."

"Oh, enough with the 'your Highness'."

"What is it with you and your daughter not accepting your rightful titles?"

"They're weird when they're coming from a friend, Alfred."

"Will you accept me calling you 'my lady', then?"

"I suppose."

"Well, then, my lady."

Hippolyta smiled, as Thomas yelled across the garden at his sister and tried to grab her shirt. Iphigenia dodged his hand, though, and was soon running even further in front of him, passing from Hippolyta's and Alfred's spot like a flash of light. Thomas ran behind her fast too.

"I'm not losing this race!" He shouted and Iphigenia laughed loudly.

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

"Sushi and sake. Wonderful!" Diana exclaimed, looking at the exquisite dishes.

"Let's have a toast to this nice get-away." Bruce said. They lifted their glasses, toasted, and drunk their first sake shot. It burned their throats pleasantly.

Diana took a bite of her salmon sushi, closing her eyes in delight. "Mm, so very tasty…" She mumbled. Bruce watched her facial expressions and smiled to himself, swallowing one of his mixed-fish sushi bites. "How did you know this restaurant?"

"Lucius suggested it. Said it makes the best sushi he's ever had."

"Well, he was right. Damn. It's amazing." Diana agreed, eating some more.

"So, I bought you something to commemorate this trip." Bruce said and caught Diana's attention.

She wiped her lips with her white napkin and looked at him frowning. "What is it?"

"Give me your hand."

Guessing, Diana gave him her left, where she bore no rings. Being spot on, Bruce passed a ring over her left index, and Diana thought of his proposal, quite a lot of years ago.

She withdrew her hand and examined the ring. It had the shape of a sakura. Its petals were made of shiny ivory and in the center, there was a small yellow diamond. "It's amazing, Bruce. You shouldn't have."

"But I wanted to. There's also an inscription on the ring, but it's in Japanese."

"And what does it say?"

"Find out yourself." Bruce said playfully, drinking some of his sake.

A couple of days later, Iphigenia informed her that it wrote 'to the most beautiful sakura'.

*Here's the double chapter! I hoped you enjoyed it, I know I did! I don't know if summer is the sakura blooming season, but I had it that way for the sake of the romance. Anyway, I will see you again at the next and final chapter. Thanks for reading!*