A/N: Many thanks to DaisyJane for the awesome beta.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
METAMORPHOSIS
Her mother was not pleased.
Diana had a sense that deep down, the pull that she felt toward Bruce was something that her mother understood. After all, the romantic debacles of the Queen of the Amazons were well known.
Diana glanced over at the two leather bags she had brought with her. One contained a few personal possessions that she decided to bring with her from the island. There wasn't much, her departure had been so abrupt that most of her things had been left in her room on the Watchtower that was now occupied by Donna. The other bag was from the Queen to be given to Donna. It contained a set of armor, belt, bracers, and lasso – similar to those worn by the Amazon champion. They had been crafted by Hephaestus at Aphrodite's request when Diana had first returned to the island. Apparently the Goddess had faith that Bruce would retrieve her and she and Donna would both choose to leave Themyscira. It saddened Diana that despite the fact that she had been prepared for the eventuality and knew this was as the Goddesses wished it to be, Hippolyta was still despondent that both of her daughters had left the island to become emissaries to Man's world.
While Diana had a conversation with her mother, Bruce had waited in the Javelin, circling the island. Diana knew that despite his natural self-confidence, when it came to her, hidden insecurities bubbled to the surface. When she flew out to the Javelin and boarded, he had stared at her silently for several seconds. She sensed his relief when she finally joined him. Apparently, he hadn't been certain if Diana would actually return with him, even if the Batman wouldn't allow his relief to show. He simply sat down and set the flight path to the Watchtower, not having said a word.
Now, as she and Bruce flew back in silence, Diana stared down at her hands which were alternating between smoothing the skirt of her chiton and being folded in her lap. She reflected on the encounter in her room, the conversation that she had just had with her mother, and the uncertainty that the future held. Right now uncertainty was fine with her. At least she and Bruce had taken a step forward.
As if he knew what she was thinking, Bruce's black gloved hand entered her line of sight, breaking her out of the deep train of thought. The fingers of his left hand slid against her palm as thumb rested on the back of her hand. He lifted and brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. When she looked up at him she saw that he'd pushed back the cowl and her eyes met his.
All of his emotion was laid out for her in his heated gaze. She could hardly comprehend how exhausting it must be to constantly repress emotions so strong and she was amazed by the strength of will he must have. He was no longer repressing them and although he still had issues and concerns that could bring everything between them to a painful and abrupt end, at that moment he seemed almost happy. At least he was as close to it as she had ever seen him be.
He released her hand as he prepared the Javelin to leave the Earth's atmosphere. Once they had entered space and were on the trajectory that would take them to the Watchtower satellite, Diana finally broke the comfortable silence between them.
"Do they know that you left to bring me back?" she asked.
Bruce shrugged as he adjusted the headings on the Javelin. "Dick and Donna watched me leave. They knew where I was going. I would imagine that at least the founders are all aware that I went after you. But they don't know that you agreed to return with me."
Diana tilted her head to look at him and smiled softly. "Donna will know."
"How and what does she know exactly?" For obvious reasons, Bruce was extremely interested to learn everything he could about the dynamic between Diana and Donna.
"She'll feel what's in my heart and know that I've come back with you. She knows already, I think, considering lately she has been more tuned into my emotional state."
The autopilot docking system took over as the Javelin approached the Watchtower. Bruce turned in his chair toward her. "Diana. These changes intensify as we grow closer. I still believe that it is important that we take this slow and don't make mistakes that could cause you harm."
Diana again smiled softly and sighed in response. "I'm fine Bruce, but if this is what you need, I will try to understand. Find out what you need to know. Just don't go too slowly. You've already kept me waiting for years."
He looked at her hungrily and Diana could tell that the years of waiting had also been hard for him as he nodded his head in agreement.
The Javelin docked and they both stood and faced each other. Diana reached up and gently pulled the cowl down over his eyes. She had turned and reached for the cockpit door when Bruce abruptly grabbed Diana's right elbow and spun her around. He took several steps forward to back her up against the door.
For several moments, neither of them moved. She looked back into the white lenses and knew that although she couldn't see them, his eyes were again searching hers. His face was so very close that her eyes couldn't help but be drawn to his mouth. Diana's lips parted as she began to breathe a little harder. Bruce leaned forward slightly, just enough to brush her lips with his – once – twice – before slipping his hands around her waist and pulling her to him for a slow, lingering kiss. She fisted his cape in her hands as it deepened and she was swept up in the heady sensation of his lips and tongue exploring hers.
When the kiss ended, he lay his cheek against her temple and whispered in her ear, "Once we open that door, I don't know how long it will be before I can do that again. Are you ready?"
She nodded her head, "Yes."
He sighed, "I'm not. I don't want to share you, but they're waiting." Bruce reluctantly pulled away from her and allowed Batman to take charge. He briskly opened the door and exited the plane, with Wonder Woman following close behind.
She had yet to retrieve her star spangled regalia, but as far as the five Leaguers waiting in the Javelin bay were concerned, Wonder Woman had come home. As soon as they caught sight of her descending from the aircraft, the waiting group began making their way toward them.
Of course, Flash was the first to reach her when she got to the bottom of the ramp and he quickly grabbed her in an embrace that was accompanied by a flurry of words. "It's so great that you're back Wondy-don't get me wrong-love the kid-but we really missed you."
The second that Wally's hug became longer than just a friendly greeting and rapidly began to approach 'copping a feel' territory, a very quiet but deeply threatening baritone uttered, "Enough."
Wally jumped back immediately while Diana turned and gave Bruce an admonishing look at what was, in her opinion, a blatant display of jealously and possessiveness. It was not a move tolerated by an Amazon. Batman didn't react to her disapproval or move from her side while, one by one, the founders each took their turn greeting Diana.
The emotional climate of the Watchtower, which had been cold and bitter since she'd left, seemed to immediately warm the moment she stepped off of the aircraft. Looking particularly relieved to see the princess, Shayera jumped in after allowing J'onn and John their turns saying hello.
"Eventually you will have to tell me what he said to get you to come back. In the meantime, let me know if he falls out of line again and I'll beat him with my mace," Shayera whispered in Diana's ear as she hugged her.
Batman's sound-enhanced cowl easily picked up her commentary, of course, and Shayera found herself on the receiving end of a Batglare. She just laughed in response and stepped aside for Superman to say hello. Those glares never did have the desired effect on her.
Diana sensed his discomfort though. She flashed him an affectionate smile that immediately melted away some of Bruce's tension. They were both struggling with the intensity of their emotions and the complexity of their situation. Their nonverbal communication conveyed a silent agreement of patience and understanding.
On the way to the conference room, Diana entertained questions about her stay in Themyscira, including questions about how her mother felt with her recent re-departure.
"How did Queen Hippolyta take the news that you'd be leaving again?" asked Shayera.
"She was unhappy, to say the least," Diana replied. "She made no secret that she disapproved of my leaving and the reasons for it." She ended her statement with a subtle glance in Batman's direction.
The four men looked at Batman sympathetically. No man wanted to face the wrath of an Amazon, let alone their Queen.
"At least you made it out unscathed," offered John.
"I waited in the car."
There was a moment of shocked silence. His comment took them all by surprise.
True to form, Wally broke the tension, "Wait - did Bats just make a joke?"
They were all still laughing – except Batman himself – as they entered the Founder's conference room and took their seats around the table. Diana's presence seemed to have erased any signs of the tension within team.
"Where is Donna?" Diana asked before Superman had a chance to bring the meeting to order.
"In Gotham with Nightwing, I think," responded John. "We had a transmission sent to her as soon as we knew you were back."
Shayera winked at Diana, "I'm sure she'll turn up, but probably not right away." With a sideways glance at Batman, she continued, "Pretty boy seems to be a lot more fun than his—"
"We have a number of issues to discuss." interjected Superman as he called the meeting to order and disrupted another Batglare directed at Shayera. Outwardly, he was all business but Clark was relieved that the tension within the group had lifted.
Superman paused briefly to smile at Diana before he continued, "Diana, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are very happy to have you back. Would you like to return to full, active-duty immediately or do you need a little time to settle back in?"
Diana's forehead crinkled thoughtfully. "Active duty, I think. Although there should be some consideration given to Donna's role in the League as well, if she still wants one. I would like to speak with her about it right away. In the meantime, J'onn, since Donna is staying in my room, is there a room available for me on the Watchtower while everything is being worked out?"
"I'm sorry, Diana, not currently. Perhaps you can stay in another founder's room – someone who has a permanent residence elsewhere? Superman?"
Clark nodded his head and immediately agreed. "Of course—"
Batman cut him off. "Alfred is expecting you for dinner. You can stay at the manor tonight and decide on living arrangements tomorrow."
As he said this, Batman had been looking down at the table at his PDA, getting updates on the criminal activity in Gotham. The silence that followed his directive caused him to look up. Five members looked back at him with a combination of surprise and amusement in their expressions. One member – the most important one – was frowning at him, decidedly not amused. He swallowed as he suddenly realized that his normal commanding tone conveyed an entirely different meaning under the current circumstances of their relationship. Things were definitely changing. Not that Diana had ever let him get away with giving her orders anywhere but while in battle, and not always then. This would take some getting used to.
"That is, you are welcome to stay at the manor tonight if you'd like."
Diana smiled, "I would love to, thank you." In all actuality, seeing Alfred, dining on one of his gourmet creations, and spending the evening at the manor was exactly what she would have wanted anyway. She subtly reached for Bruce's hand under the table and gave it a quick squeeze. He squeezed back although what could be observed of Batman's expression below the cowl remained stoic and unchanged.
Superman cleared his throat, "Ok, now that we have that settled, there is another issue to address. I would suggest that we next discuss Batman's recent physical…transformation."
"There is nothing to discuss, I'm fine. I'll handle it myself," Batman growled in response.
"Batman, it appears that in addition to whatever – extrasensory – connection you've developed with Diana, you seem to have also developed meta healing ability and meta-level strength. You don't have experience with this kind of power, there are certain precautions that need to be taken. It needs to be tested, analyzed. We don't know your limitations. You don't know-"
Obviously in no mood to listen to Superman's list of concerns, he cut the superhero off again. "Superman. I know more than you do about the strength and physiology of every meta on this satellite. Including yours. I will handle it myself. And as far of the rest of the League and the public is concerned, any 'connection' between Wonder Woman and myself, as well as the circumstances and reasons behind her return are nobody else's concern. Right now I need to return to Gotham." Batman stood and stalked out of the room, effectively ending the meeting but with Superman at his heels.
Superman followed him down the empty hallway. "I don't know much about what's going on with you and Diana. These connections, dreams – whatever – it obvious that there is something emotional behind them. I don't need to know the details and honestly, I'm not sure I want to hear them anyway."
Batman stopped and turned to stare at him. It was made very clear a few minutes ago that anything between he and Diana was not up for discussion. Superman was on thin ice.
Undeterred, Superman continued, "All I ask, and I am saying this as your friend, is that you be careful. Particularly on patrol. Until you understand your limitations and what's behind this, it is easy to forget that normal humans are fragile and can break easily." Superman paused and looked away from the cold stare he was getting, "I don't want to see anyone get hurt. Physically or otherwise. Especially her."
Batman turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Superman staring after him with a look of deep concern. When Batman reached the transporter room, Diana had already retrieved her bags from the Javelin and was waiting for him.
"You went a different way," he accused.
She grinned. "It seemed like you and Kal needed some male bonding time."
As she suspected, he wasn't amused. "Right. Thanks for that," he said sarcastically. She smiled sweetly at him in return.
They walked side by side to the transporter pad and Batman punched in several numbers. In a flash of white they disappeared and rematerialized on the transporter deck of the cave.
They made it down two of the ten steps leading to the cave floor before Bruce reached for her again. When their lips parted this time, instead of pulling away he blazed a trail of kisses along her jaw to her neck just below her ear. She tilted her head to the side allowing him easier access.
"Is this what it means to take things slow?" said Diana as she sighed contentedly.
He paused briefly between kisses to whisper into her ear, "Maybe I was wrong about that."
"Wait – what did he say? You have super-hearing, did he just say he was wrong about something?"
They pulled apart abruptly to find Dick and Donna standing at the bottom of the stairs looking up at them. The two seemed not to have the least bit of concern or regret that they had interrupted Bruce and Diana's private moment. Bruce glared at Dick who stood smirking back at him.
Donna smiled brilliantly at Diana's flushed cheeks, clearly thrilled to see and feel her sister's happiness. Diana flew down the stairs to envelop her sister in a hug.
Bruce followed behind her, pushing back the cowl and still glaring at Dick as he descended the stairs. "So, you brought someone new to the cave, then?"
Dick replied dryly, "You know, I figured it would be okay since she's Diana's sister and you recently took two bullets for her."
"What? When did this happen?" asked Diana as she looked from Bruce to Donna then back again.
Bruce glared harder at Dick as he passed him but kept walking toward the cave's massive computer system. "It was nothing," he said, not bothering to turn around. "Another time."
Diana looked at Donna who just shrugged. Diana sighed. Despite their growing relationship, some things had definitely not changed – like Bruce's temperament. She didn't want or need him to change for her, so she decided the issue wasn't worth pressing. At least not right now. She could get the details from her sister later, if necessary.
Arm in arm, Diana and Donna followed Bruce and Dick to the main chamber of the cave. Bruce immediately sat at the computer and ignored the others as he began to check the log entries from the last several days.
"Ah, I see that despite the recent brush with death – and other more significant events – have not damaged your charming personality or sunny disposition, Master Bruce."
Bruce grunted in reply.
"Touche'," Alfred replied before he turned to their guests. "Miss Diana, I must say that given the circumstances of our last meeting, I am overjoyed to see you. I trust you are being treated with the utmost courtesy and consideration?"
Diana smiled at Alfred while she noted Bruce's slow, deep inhale and exhale of air. It was clear that her departure had caused significant strain between the two men. She again felt a strong desire to ease Bruce's tension. "I have no complaints, Alfred," she said with a smile.
"Very good. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. Miss Diana, may I take your bags? Perhaps you would like to change before dinner? Everything else you might need is your room upstairs, including your freshly laundered uniform."
Discussion of Diana's sleeping arrangements prompted Bruce to turn his chair and regard Alfred suspiciously. "Alfred, which room have you prepared for Diana?"
"Why the master bedroom, sir. Why do you ask?" His tone and expression were innocent, although it fooled no one.
"She will need to have another room prepared," Bruce responded.
"Certainly, sir. I will make those adjustments after dinner. In the meantime, sir, as you typically utilize the facilities in the cave, I'll assume Miss Diana is welcome to use the lavatory in your room?"
"Of course," Bruce sighed. He knew full well that Alfred had no intention of moving anyone's belongings. Nothing would make Alfred happier than for Diana to take up permanent residence in the master bedroom immediately.
Diana, Donna, and Dick had watched this exchange with fascination. Alfred was a master at managing Bruce's moods, attitudes, and idiosyncrasies. It was truly a battle of two indomitable wills. Bruce's somewhat defeated demeanor indicated that this round had gone to Alfred.
Alfred repeated his earlier question. "Miss Diana, may I take your bags up to the master bedroom?" he asked, ignoring the glare Bruce directed at him before turning back to his work.
"Yes – I mean no. I'm sorry, I mean just one of these bags is mine. The other is for Donna." Diana turned to her sister and handed her one bag. "Something mother asked me to bring you from Themyscira. Gifts from Aphrodite, I'm told, handcrafted by Hephaestus."
Donna grabbed the bag eagerly, suspecting what might be in the contents. She opened the bag and peered in. She quickly began to pull out the contents, item by item and hand them to Dick. Gold breastplate, gold belt, silver bracers, gold lasso.
"Alfred, look! Will these work ok?" Donna asked with obvious excitement.
"Wait – what could happen with this lasso touching me? Umm, could I just start confessing things?" asked Dick uncomfortably. The others ignored his questions.
"Yes, Miss Donna. I believe these will work beautifully," Alfred replied as he looked over the items Dick was still holding.
This question puzzled Diana. "Work with what?"
Donna turned to her sister to explain. "Diana, what I've been able to experience over the last few weeks has been … simply incredible. I've loved doing so much good on such a large scale. But as rewarding as it has been, the whole time it hasn't really felt right. I felt like I was pretending. Pretending to be you. Everyone wanted me to be you." She paused and glanced over at Dick and smiled before she continued, "Well, almost everyone. Now that you're back, I want to be me. Alfred is helping me make my own uniform."
Diana took this in with a mixture happiness for her sister's enthusiasm, guilt that she had been made to feel like a substitute for the real Wonder Woman, and a little uneasiness that Alfred was making Donna's new costume.
Uncomfortably, Diana asked, "Alfred's making it? What will it look like?" She reddened, hesitating a moment before continuing, "You won't end up looking like a new Batgirl will you?"
Bruce, who had remained silent during this exchange, snorted in amusement at her question. Donna rolled her eyes and walked over to one of the workbenches that held a variety of materials for repairing and constructing the various 'Bat' costumes. She bent over and began to sketch something onto the open page in a large notebook, using several different colored pencils and displaying a well developed drawing skills. After a moment she straightened and came back to Diana holding the large white notebook out for her sister.
The page revealed a new uniform. It had red halter top, black pants with a large white star on each hip, and black boots. Donna had added the gold eagle breast plate, double W belt, and lasso.
Smiling ear to ear she said, "See Diana? I created the design myself and Dick insisted I bring it to Alfred. I promise it will definitely be more 'Wonder Girl' and not at all 'Batgirl'. I am an Amazon princess after all and an emissary of our people just like you. I would never forget that.
Diana smiled at her sister's worlds as she again looked down at Donna's design and said, "I love it."
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X
At 3:00 AM, the Batmobile roared into the cave after patrol, driven by a very pissed-off Batman. He had just found out from Commissioner Gordon that Superman had relocated Bane to Louisiana. The Kryptonian had no business interfering in something he didn't understand.
The evening had started off remarkably well. There were some initial tense moments, but once the group gathered for dinner things relaxed considerably. Tim was beside himself that Diana was there and Dick and Donna's easy, mirthful banter created a lighthearted atmosphere. He hated to say goodbye to Diana to go on patrol, but knowing she'd be there when he returned made it easier to go. He couldn't hardly believe how comfortable he was with his change in attitude toward having Diana in his life.
He stopped first to see Zatanna. She was Batman's connection to all things mystical and the most logical place to start investigating the situation with Diana. He needed to know how and why it happened in the first place and what could happen if he let it continue.
When he arrived at her apartment, he silently slipped into the darkened living room. A minute later she passed through the living room on her way from the bedroom to the kitchen. She stopped just before she reached the doorway to the kitchen.
"Smelling the Kevlar, Bruce. What do you want? I'm off tonight – no performance and no League and you really are the last person I want to see right now." She flipped on the lights in the living room and turned toward him. Impatiently, she crossed her arms in front of her. "Besides, I heard you brought Wonder Woman back, so why aren't you somewhere trying to make it up to Diana for acting like such an ass all those years?"
"You smelled the Kevlar?"
She chuckled at his question and gestured for him to sit. "You have that 'new Batsuit' smell. As long as you interrupted my evening of rest and relaxation, you might as well tell me why you're here as I'm this isn't a social call."
Bruce fought the urge to roll his eyes at her sarcasm. "I need you to look into something." Pushing back the cowl, he sat and told her everything. He told her about the dreams, when they first started and when they started again. He left nothing out, including Diana's reasons for leaving and how he had reacted. He finished with the physiological changes and his reluctance to move things further with Diana, troubled that there would be some price to pay later. She asked questions throughout the story and he tried to answer them fully. Her provided more personal information than she probably needed and certainly more than he was used to giving. But he wasn't taking any chances. He wanted her to have all the information she could possibly need to find the answers to his questions.
Zatanna sat in silence for a few seconds when he finished, looking down at the floor as if she were deep in thought. Her eyes lifted slowly and she looked sideways at him. "Ok, Bruce. I'll help you figure this out. Under one condition." She lifted her head and her eyes sparkled with mischief, "Show me."
Now in the cave, Bruce rolled his eyes at the memory as he changed out of the Batsuit. He wondered why he seemed to surround himself with people that liked to push his buttons. He'd known Zatanna long before he had gotten most of his scars, but that didn't stop her from pushing to verify his story. And they may be just friends but that didn't stop her from wanting to check out his body for her own amusement.
After leaving Zatanna disappointed and in mid-lecture about his need to make Diana a priority in his life, Batman had tried to patrol for several hours. This was easier said than done. Despite how it appeared, he had taken Clark's concerns seriously. As loathe as he was to admit it, this was a subject where the Kryptonian really knew what he was talking about. Throughout the evening, he relied heavily on his bolas and grapple gun to take down the various run-of-the-mill thugs he came across. The use of Batarangs ended immediately after he embedded the first one he threw deep into a concrete wall. If this new strength was going to become permanent, he had a lot of retraining to do.
After the last 'package' was wrapped for the Gotham PD, the Batsignal went up, leading him to GCPD headquarters. Having heard about his activity across town that evening, Gordon took the opportunity to debrief Batman on the events of a few days ago. This is when he had learned from the Commissioner about Bane's incarceration at Belle Reve, information that had been glaringly absent from personal logs, updated by Dick and Tim in his absence.
Bruce emerged from the changing area freshly showered and dressed in cotton pants and a t-shirt. He was still angry at Superman's interference, but decidedly calmer. He walked over to the computer system and stood staring at his chair. His normal routine was to update his logs before going to bed.
He looked toward the stairs, conflicted. Nothing significant had occurred on patrol this evening. He decided the logs could wait. Diana was upstairs. The desire to be around her had always been a constant since the day they had met – the second time – despite his behavior and claims to the contrary. Whether because of her extended absence or their new…attachment, the pull was now exponentially stronger. He decided tonight's logs could wait and ascended the stairs to search her out.
It didn't take long. Immediately after stepping through the grandfather clock in the library, he found her asleep in a chair and wrapped in his thick navy blue robe, monogrammed with the Wayne "W" in gold. She'd been covered in a blanket, no doubt by Alfred. The book she had fallen asleep reading was lying discarded on the table next to her, apparently not having captured her interest. Bruce knelt in front of her chair and watched her sleep several moments, once again completely captivated by her beauty.
Suddenly making a decision, he stood, picked her up, and carried her upstairs.
E/N: Review please!