Life is in shambles right now. Thankfully, I have this wonderful fanfic and Matriarch of the Wayne, which I've also neglected, to rework on since I've had time to recuperate and think about this. I've done some corrections and minor changes in the preludes of both chapters so check'em out. Still keeping out the decision to the combine the stories after thinking over future chapters and seeing how they just won't work out in correlation with each other. Playing Dragon Age also helps with depression (Couslands rule). Anyway, I've got storylines set up for both this and Matriarch, up to the upcoming [sort of] crossover with one another so be patient. I do not own Batman, Wonder Woman, or any of its characters. Of course if I did, Cassandra Cain would still be there (she is a godsend and the best Batgirl to date).

Chapter 1 – Insecurity

Damian sat from the banister as he watched from a distance a conversation Dick and Diana (Wonder Woman) had been having for over an hour while watching a movie (some romantic comedy he assumed). As they laughed and Dick gets emotional as he yells at the screen, "kiss her, you idiot," his eyes continued to burn a glare at the woman beside him. Just watching how his brother let his guard down with her so easily (unlike father, who held resistance to her charms at first) put a bad taste in his mouth.

He had not trusted the woman for many reasons. She was Wonder Woman – a meta. Despite Dick's rather biased arguments, it didn't reassure him that she wouldn't use her strength, her magical weaponry, her feminine wiles, and he longevity to take advantage of his father; after all, he had a lot to offer this world and threaten her own: money, power, influence, intelligence, and strength. Metas were a danger that they themselves could not comprehend unlike "normal" humans like him. Though, sometimes his father's actions made him wonder if he was a meta himself: after all, Batman's abilities were enough to challenge the best of them. In that case, Damian would truly be proud and certain of his future greatness, but that didn't change the fact that she was a guaranteed meta whom posed a threat to everyone. Though, it'd be shameful to look like a hypocrite if he happened to be one.

Bruce had also been slightly distracted as of late. Alfred had mentioned that love would do that to a man; in that case, Damien wished to never know the feeling. As he observed his father earlier in the week, he found it to take time away from Damien as he was preoccupied with setting up appointments and romantic rendezvous with this woman. Luckily, it hadn't affected his duties as Batman, but the young Robin felt it was a matter of time before it would happen. Then something worse would happen, like the woman coming on patrol with them, the nerve! It was bad enough with Drake and "Fatgirl" running around the streets believing what they did mattered, but they didn't pose the same threat on their territory as she. Why, it may make people lose fear in Batman and make him appear weak, and in congruence, the Wayne family (though Damien did believe Todd and Drake already fit that category and was already an embarrassment).

Dick and Diana stood up and left for the kitchen to grab something to eat as Damien hid from their view. The eldest son looked up at the banister where he knew Damien was "sleuthing." He frowned at his brother's paranoia and wished he would join them, but he couldn't push Damien into it without upsetting him further and making him more defensive. He'll approach them when he's ready.

Bruce, however, had a different idea about parenting. While Alfred tended to Diana and Dick in the kitchen, the patriarch exited his office upstairs to observe his blood born son hiding against the wall. "Damien, what are you…"

"Shhhhh!" Damien put a finger up toward his mouth, "They'll hear you!"

Bruce nodded as he played along with his son's odd behavior. Crouching down and sneaking towards him, he softly asked, "What are you doing?"

"Since your infatuation with this woman is clouding your judgment, I'm monitoring her to prevent Grayson, Alfred, and you father from being bludgeoned by her using human beings as her toys. So far she appears to be studying us and avoiding any red flags that might raise our guard. She's more cunning than Grayson made her appear."

Bruce looked bewildered at his son's logic as he slowly crept across the banister. As Damian made his way downstairs, Bruce pulled him back up by the collar of his shirt and pulled him aside to the corner he was previously hiding. Damian struggled with no success.

"F-Father! What are you doing? She's alone with Grayson and Alfred!"

"And that's how we're going to leave it. Meanwhile, you and I need to talk," carrying Damian in one of his arms, Bruce proceed back into his office far away from prying (Alfred's) ears. He sat the youngest Robin in his chair as he shut the door behind him. "Does dating Diana bother you that much?"

"I prefer if we call her by her designated alias, Wonder Woman. Using her civilian name means you have a friendly, personal relationship that could be permanent."

"Ok. Do you have a problem with me dating Wonder Woman?" The youngest Wayne did nothing but mumble under his breath while having his arms crossed. "Damian…" his tone was becoming sterner as Damian's eyes softened.

"I'm concerned that you'd let a meta into this household so casually leaving us vulnerable to her learning out secrets."

"She's been in the batcave before. We've made some upgrades since anyone from the League has been there but…"

"WHAT!? We're already compromised?" Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to think of a way to calm his son down.

"Everything is alright Damian. The League hasn't done anything to abuse or misuse my equipment, I made sure of that, and none of them would cross the line unless it was for an important reason."

"Like any of them are competent enough to comprehend our databases…"

"You've never met Mr. Terrific," Bruce smirked.

Damian did not like this version of his father. He was smiling more, not as brooding. There was energy about him that he hadn't seen outside of his work. In some ways it reminded him of Grayson, but in a more mature, dignified type of way. This did not settle well with Damian.

"Regardless of your cohorts, I suggest locking down some of the other rooms in the house, set up three or four more firewalls in the computer, and place armored plating on the mansion just in case…"

"Damian, I'm dating a woman, not preparing for World War 3. Next you'll want the mansion to turn into a mobile fortress in case the Watchtower prepares for an attack."

"I have sketches of the fortress I believe you'll be most pleased to see," Damian smirked with pride as Bruce glared at him.

"None of those things are happening. Listen to me: as long as Diana is a guest in this house, regardless of how frequently or long she'll be here, you're going to be a well-behaved gentleman and try to get along with her, otherwise I'll strip you of patrol and you can sit in your bed sulking all night. If you keep acting this way, I'll put you on patrol with Tim. Understand?" Bruce scowled so Damian understood the severity of his threat.

Damian looked down and frowned as he looked at his hands on his lap. "Yes, father. Is it wrong for me to be concerned though? She's a meta, and we must always have a contingency plan to battle them because of how unpredictable they are."

Bruce knelt down and placed a hand on Damian's shoulder. "I promise you, she's one of the good ones."

"For now, but what if, out of outrage for a trivial matter, she strikes the walls of the mansion and tears down a wing of the household? I heard that women on their menstrual cycles often lash out in the most inconvenient moments."

"Where did you get that information from?"

"I assumed it after witnessing Grayson and Gordon's 'backwards' relationship and Fatgirl lashing out after our last patrol together."

"Damian, the biggest advice I can give you about women is to never call them fat, even if they are. Frankly, I'm surprised Stephanie hadn't sent you to the hospital," Bruce kept a frown on his face seeing his son's not-so-graceful interactions with women. "Once more, you already know about the current list in the cave."

"I doubt that is a legitimate list, but I'll take your word on it," Bruce kept a straight face in hopes Damian didn't press on about that. He couldn't trust his son with such a thing, especially with his girlfriend in the house.

"Why can't you take your brother's example and at least let yourself be seen by her? You haven't even given her a minute of your time."

"I'll do it when I'm ready."

Bruce wished he had Dick up here to get Damian to try to consider what he was saying. At the same time, he didn't want to use his eldest as a crutch to discipline Damian. "Are you afraid I'll forget you?"

"N-No. I know my standing within this family. Like some random woman could replace me," the ten year old tried to turn away from Bruce.

"Damian, I'll always care about you son and I wouldn't neglect you, but you have to try to get along with Diana for me. Please," it was a word foreign to Bruce, but with how serious his relationship with Diana was becoming, he had to keep the peace someway. Knowing how stubborn Damian is, he would have to make himself vulnerable first in order to allow the boy to open up and trust him.

Damian watched his father for a several minutes contemplating his next move. They had few intimate moments, the last one being him admitting how proud of him he was. There was a sense of guilt within him as he looked at his father. While Damian had his resignations, he wanted his father to have the best for his life and he believed he could find the best companion in this woman. His own paranoia and insecurities kept him from trusting her, but he'd do this for his father because he lo… cared about him.

"I will… try, father…"

Bruce hugged Damian close to his breast and whisper, "thank you. You're a good son."

Those words were still foreign to him as Bruce stepped out the room. Damian took his time to proceed downstairs when he overheard Diana's departure. The raven haired beauty got a quick view of Bruce's youngest as she vanished out by the Watchtower's teleporter. The young Robin didn't smile or emote in anyway; he merely looked through her in the hopes she truly wasn't there. He wasn't going to let his father be taken by her… or become his mother. He had one of those; he hated her for trying to take him away from his father and brothers, for trying to kill his family, and he didn't desire to have another one take them away from him. He refused to, and whether they'd like it or not, he'd make sure she'd go away forever. It was for the better of the family.

Rather short, but I'll do better next chapter. Anyway, Tim is being introduced next chapter. Working on Matriarch at the moment so that'll be up later this week. Please review and one love.