Title: Hanging By A Moment

Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics, Donna Troy, Wonder Woman, or Batman. Pity.

Beta-ed by the wonderful Lavender Gaia!

"I'm falling even more in love with you, letting go of all I held on to, I'm standing here until you make me move, I'm hanging by a moment here with you" -Lifehouse

Flashback

That night had been fitful and restless. Finally, unable to sleep, tormented by her helplessness and her memories, Diana had again made her way out to the courtyard on the Embassy grounds where she had stood only hours earlier, wrapped in the arms of the Dark Knight while she had unleashed the emotions that had plagued her ever since she had learned of the death of her beloved sister, Donna Troy. Even now, it was hard to stomach that she would never see those blue eyes so like her own, the radiant smile, and the vibrant personality that all combined to make her Donna, that separated her from Diana and had made her so special and unique.

And now, that person was gone, ripped from this life and hurled into another, an afterlife that Diana wasn't sure was prepared for the likes of her little sister. With a smile on her face, she considered all that had come before, all the special and tender moments between herself and her sister, from making pancakes for breakfast to sisterly chats curled up next to one another on a sofa in the apartment. Tonight, she sought only to find meaning in her sister's death, to understand why the gods had chosen to strip something so precious from the world and leave her empty and alone inside.

She remembering something, a flicker of a memory from earlier this evening, when she hadn't been alone, but had been comforted, allowed for a moment to find solace in the arms of a man who wasn't known for his sweet and gentle personality, but his darkness, the harsh view he took on reality and the strength it took him to face down the worst the world had to offer and come away unbroken, if bruised.

Diana respected that. It had been one of the things about Bruce that she'd been so drawn to, so intrigued by. A personality such as his own, the challenging, domineering man who clung so desperately to the shadows, was a beacon in hope in a way that few could truly understand. She wasn't even sure that he understood, and that alone amazed her. He didn't seem to need the glory or the recognition, just the perfection that was doing his job and saving lives.

In a way, she came to understand much later, that he was saving through his work in Gotham, saving the part of him that had been shattered so many years before, broken in the wake of his parents' deaths. But he had persevered, he had picked up the pieces, and how could Diana not respect that ability, that strength?

For a man who tended to shy away from all outward emotion, Diana mused, he had been remarkably thoughtful and tender earlier tonight, content just to hold her while she sobbed out her grief. He hadn't given her words of comfort and sympathy and from him she hadn't needed them. She had simply needed him.

And now, she was amazed that it had taken her so long to realize that those emotions were inside her, that she had been unable to recognize what lay within her own heart, within her own soul.

A part of her wanted to go to Gotham, to seek out the Dark Knight and tell him of her feelings, but she also knew that he would reject her, that he would simply see her actions as springing from grief rather than true emotion. Batman was nothing if not logical. With a weary sigh, she sank onto one of the benches, unable to stop the single tear that traced it way down her cheek like a finger, soft and unnoticed.

But she looked up in surprise when a gloved finger traced the path of that single tear, catching it on the tip before rubbing it between thumb and forefinger as if forcing it to disappear. The figure swept back his cape and sat down on the cold stone bench beside her, once again enveloping her in his arms and lending her his warmth and the comfort that only he could provide.

"Bruce?" she whispered, not wanting to break the spell of the moment, the tenderness of the gesture, so rare to the Batman that she thought she had known prior to today. But today had brought out a different side, a part of him that identified with her grieving and had allowed himself to break down his instinctive barriers and show her that he cared, that he understood.

"Bruce? Why did you come back?" she asked, her head buried against the heat of his neck, her hand over his heart, feeling the steady pounding beneath her fingers that proved that, even though his actions didn't always suggest it, Batman did indeed have a heart. Popular debate in the League always seemed to question its existence and Diana sighed; it was nice to know that tonight his heart beat for her.

"Patrol was finished," he answered gruffly, obviously not wanting to go into the reasons behind his sudden reappearance. "Thought you might have trouble sleeping." And with those words, Diana squeezed him a little tighter, thankful that he understood how hard tonight was going to be for her, how hard it was to say goodbye to her sister. He knew was it was to lose family and he knew what it was like to lose someone close to him, like Jason. If anyone would value what she was feeling right now, it would be the Dark Knight, the man who had lost so many.

And suddenly, she wished that she could take some of his strength. Her Amazonian physique simply couldn't hold up under the emotional demands of her sister's funeral service, and she was grateful for his support, for his arrival here tonight just when she had started to feel so alone.

And that moment, that quiet almost embrace in the darkness, solidified her feelings, making her realize that no matter what Bruce thought, her feelings for him had emerged today, had finally made themselves known to her. Now, it seemed that she couldn't tamp them back down, push them back into the depths of her soul where they had been hiding for so long, unbeknownst to her. She wondered if perhaps this was the irony of the gods at work – that she had to lose her sister in order to gain love, or at least gain knowledge of what love felt like when it was allowed to be set free.

Of course, she hadn't told Bruce; she didn't even know if he returned her feelings. All she knew was that for a man most considered cold, reserved, and aloof, he had gone out of his way to give her the solace and the comfort that she had so desperately been craving. Without words, without her asking, he had simply provided the basic need of her heart – warmth.

At the funeral, she had wondered if she would ever be warm again, if she would ever be able to heal the jagged wounds that had been sliced into her heart when she'd found out that her sister had died. And he had given her that warmth. Odd that it had taken something so horrible in order for her to understand her feelings, to allow her to give up the outer strength that she carried in order to see into her own depths, her own emotions. But, then, that was the capriciousness of the gods, playing with her life and that of her sister's at their whim.

Her sister was dead and she wondered if there was a purpose to it, something greater than the revelation of her own heart. That was insignificant in comparison to Donna's life, but she knew that the gods of her faith worked in mysterious and sometimes incomprehensible ways. Her questioning them wouldn't change the truth: Donna was dead.

"Bruce," she murmured into the shadows and his arms tightened around her, sharing his warmth and the darkness of the night with her. He didn't say anything more, but Diana knew that he was listening and without a second thought, in the next emotionally charged moment, she whispered, "Thanks," and tilted her head, meeting his lips with her own in a bold gesture that stunned and rocked them both…

To be continued…

Please review!

To Reviewer T – Yeah, people rarely seem to review on weekends. Lots of other things going on, I guess. And this time of year, everyone's gearing up for the holidays, buying presents and attending parties and whatnot. Hopefully this chapter is a little less emotional and shows that things are definitely changing between BMWW for the better, for the future. I'm so glad that you like my stories and that you think I'm talented! I do enjoy the compliments. My life is a little crazy these days, so compliments are like candy to me. Necessary for survival! Hehe. Or chocolate or something. And my first guess as to where you live – England. You seem to review about the same time the other Europeans do as well. If not, then it's a very interesting coincidence.

To Reviewer Lauren – Yup! BMWW will definitely continue and their relationship will grow. I think that sometimes it takes a moment like this for two strong people to come together and finally admit their feelings for one another. Hopefully I can show that.