AN: Based on events around "Doomsday Sanction" with some significant changes towards the end of the ep. ;)

JL: The Newest Recruit

Part Sixteen:

Doomsday Sanction

Clark sighed. It was lonely not having Diana around. Ever since he'd known Diana, he hadn't been away from her for more than a week. Even if he didn't get a chance to talk to her when they were just friends, seeing her was enough. Now it's been six weeks since he left Diana on Themyscira and he was downright miserable.

Clark did his work at the Daily Planet and at the Justice League in top form as always but there was something different about him. He was all business and not as social as he usually was. It wasn't noticeable at first but as the weeks passed on and Diana was still gone, Clark was growing more miserable.

Batman spotted Superman in the Justice League cafeteria. His food was placed before him untouched and he was staring out the window into the darkness of space, thinking about Diana. Only J'onn and John Stewart knew Superman and Wonder Woman were seeing each other. John only discovered it through Superman and Wonder Woman's behavior when they were turned into children. John never approached the pair about it but went to Batman, whose silence on the matter was enough for John. Flash was still in the dark; even flirting with Diana right in front of Superman. It was possible the newly reinstated Shayera knew but she never talked about it. Not that she would.

The newest additions to the League didn't know about the relationship but that didn't stop them from speculating. Even now, no one would dare approach Superman about his behavior so Batman decided it was up to him to help his lovesick friend out.

Clark, thinking he was helping Bruce with a case he was on, arrived at Wayne Manor the next evening. Clark used the entrance to the batcave and found it empty. "Batman?" When his friend didn't respond, Clark looked through the batcave and found Bruce in the kitchen.

Clark left the cave and went to the kitchen. Bruce was altering between popping popcorn and making root beer floats. Clark stared him puzzled. "Bruce, I thought you needed help with a case."

"That was just to get you here." Bruce glanced at Clark over in his red and blue suit. "I have a change of clothes for you in your guestroom. Relax. You won't be working tonight."

Bruce Wayne was telling him to relax? "What's going on?" He stared at Bruce confused as he fixed the floats. He knew Bruce for years but never seen him fix anything in the kitchen. "Where's Alfred?"

"He has the night off. He went to the movies." Bruce poured popcorn into two large bowls. "Clark, you are a love sick puppy with Diana gone. Stop mourning over missing Diana for one night. She'll come back to you."

"Is it really all that noticeable?" Clark lamented.

"Clark, even Flash has noticed something's wrong with you. So change--" Bruce blinked. Clark disappeared and reappeared in jeans and T-shirt. "Clothes. I see you've already done that."

Clark grabbed two of the bowls and left the kitchen followed by Bruce who was holding the drinks. "I could see this from Flash but you?" Clark let the rest of his words hang.

"I like to time off from my work, too. Unlike what others think, I do find time to relax."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "Really? When?"

"I was in China recently."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Bruce, you were there to extradite a criminal back to Gotham."

A sly grin turned up Bruce's lips. "It was fun pulling him out of that building."

Clark grinned, too, thinking how Bruce pulled that off. "I bet it was. I wish I was there to see it."

Both men laughed as they entered the entertainment room. In an average house, an entertainment room would be a forty inch flat screen TV, with a DVD player with a shelf where all the DVDs were stored. In Wayne Manor it was a small theater that could seat fifty people in reclining chairs and movie choice was just a click away.

Clark found his seat and handed Bruce his popcorn bowl. "So, what's on the agenda tonight?"

"Your choice. You've been through my movie collection enough times to know what I have," Bruce answered taking a seat in his recliner.

"How about a classic: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom?" Clark suggested. "Diana and I saw this one weekend. Actually we made a night of watching all of the Indy movies."

Bruce stopped before he selected the movie on his screen, "Here we go. You wanna talk about missing Diana first before we see the movie?"

"I…what?"

"It's on your mind," Bruce said.

"Is it wrong that I miss the woman I love?"

"No, but I rather not hear about it as we watch the movie. You never told us everything that happened on Themyscira. Does the queen know about you and Diana?"

"I had to fight Diana's sisters to prove I'm worthy of her. The good news is I got most of the Amazons and Queen Hippolyta's approval."

"That's good."

Clark gave a nod to Bruce's praise. "Hippolyta said something to me that's going to change my relationship with Diana forever."

Bruce caught the seriousness in Clark's voice. "What's that?"

Clark grinned. "What do you think I'm saying?"

"What, you and Diana are going to finally sleep together or have you done so already?"

"Does it look like I've slept with Diana?" Clark complained.

Bruce couldn't resist. "No. You still have that miserable look on your face. I'm surprised you haven't already but I guess you really are a boy scout. So, what is it? Marriage?"

"Something like that," Clark said. "I want a commitment ceremony to Diana in the way of her people. Marriage is still foreign to her but following her tradition shows I respect her and her people. Maybe in time, Diana will like to do a marriage ceremony but that's not important to me now."

"Good luck telling your parents that," Bruce quipped. "So, does that mean you will need a Maid of Honor on Themyscira during this union ceremony? If it's me, count me out."

"I'll get Flash to do it," Clark said with a wide grin. "He'll do anything to be on an island with beautiful woman."

Bruce and Clark shared a laugh and resume the movie.

Clark stayed the night at Wayne Manor and awakened early the next morning to fly back to Metropolis. He went to the batcave, planning to leave through its entrance when he spotted Bruce going to his jet. "Where are you doing up this early?"

The humored and good natured Bruce from last night was gone and replaced by the serious and stoic Batman. Clark could tell Bruce was upset about something as he got in his jet. "What's going on?"

"Cadmus."

Clark was sharing the same face as Bruce. "What are they doing now?"

"Cadmus is planning something big. I get the feeling it's gonna happen soon. I think whatever they are planning to do will somehow tie to Lex Luthor's upcoming formal announcement on running for President of the United States."

Clark scowled. He was furious when Lex mentioned to the media he was thinking of running for president and shocked at the number of people supporting him. "How can anyone think of voting Lex for president? There's also no funding for Cadmus by the federal government. I bet Lex is funding the whole operation."

"It's a good guess."

"You don't think he is, Bruce?"

"I'm more inclined to think Luthor is funding part of Cadmus. Not all of it. Government officials could be funding Cadmus as well… off the books of course," Bruce explained. "Cadmus has had it in for the League for a while."

"But we've done nothing to provoke such actions," Clark argued.

"We've haven't but events around us has caused government officials to fear us."

Clark crossed his arms over his chest. "Such as?"

"The government has become wary of you after Darkseid brainwashed you and sent you to attack the Earth. I think Cadmus was born on that day. In fact, I think Cadmus initial goal was finding a way to take you out for good if you go nuts again but then more meta humans were discovered and Cadmus began to wonder if *they* will go rogue. The Justice Lords didn't help things. It escalated their paranoia. We also have a nuclear weapon aboard the Watchtower that we can point to any area on the Earth. Not a comforting thought."

Bruce was right but Clark didn't like the implications Bruce was making. "Bruce, you're making it sound as if you agree with them. You're not taking their side are you?"

"I'm only understanding the enemy." Clark noticed Bruce didn't answer the question. "I have to go. I'm paying a visit to Amanda Waller to see if I can get anymore information about her on Cadmus."

Clark watched Bruce fly out of the cave. It bothered him Bruce never answered the question but he trusted his friend. Bruce could never think Cadmus was right.

Clark left Gotham and flew home to his apartment in Metropolis. After a change of clothes, he spent an uneventful day at the Daily Planet. When he arrived home, Clark intended on making a quick dinner before going to the Watchtower, but discovered he wasn't alone. Someone was in his apartment. He could hear the heartbeat from his hall. Once he recognized, the beat, his sped up in anticipation as he called out, "Diana?"

Diana smiled as she appeared from the hall. "I said you would be the first person I see when I got back and I kept my promise."

She wasn't dressed in her Wonder Woman attire but as Diana Prince in her black boots, black skirt and red blouse. They met each other halfway and embraced. Diana held onto Clark tightly. "I've missed you, Kal."

Clark returned the hug, "Not as much as I missed you." He let Diana know how much he missed her in his kiss as he plundered her mouth mercilessly, his hands moving from her back to her hips pulling her closer. Diana's fingers were exploring as well, with one hand moving through his hair and the other caressing the hardness of his chest through his shirt all the while subtly moving against him.

They stayed like that for several minutes where Diana had no choice but to pull apart or pass out. "I should leave for home more often to get a return like that."

Clark picked up Diana and carried her to his sofa. When he sat down, he kept Diana on his lap. "How was your time on Themyscira?"

"Wonderful. I love spending time with my Sisters and my home again, but at the next Feast of Five you're coming with me. Did I miss anything important here?"

"Bruce is looking into Cadmus. He-" Clark received a call from his ear piece. "Hold on. Superman here. Diana and I are on our way, J'onn." He smiled as he looked at Diana. "Yes, she's back." He looked at Diana seriously. "We've got to go."

"What's going on?" Diana asked.

"J'onn has been following the events on San Baquero's. A mountain has been threatening to erupt for a week now. It looks like it's going to happen tonight and it's power can wipe out the island. We need to help with the evacuations. Bruce also got information on Cadmus for us"

Diana got off Clark and when he stood, he said, "You can change in my room," he said remarking on her outfit.

Diana smiled at him. "I don't have to do that. Watch. A trick my mother taught me." Diana held her hands out and turned gracefully. Clark watched in awe as Diana's red blouse, black skirt and boots magically disappeared in a flash of light and she appeared in her Wonder Woman attire.

"Wow," Clark said. "Any other tricks you learned?"

Diana gave him a quick kiss. "Later."

Diana was greeted with warm welcomes and hugs from members of the Leagues before meeting privately with the founding members about the new information he had on Cadmus and confirming what he and Clark discussed earlier about Cadmus motives against the Justice League.

"There's something else I discovered. We know Cadmus is behind the Supergirl clone, Galatea, which makes me think they were behind Doomsday's creation."

"Doomsday." Diana knew who that was. She wasn't here when Doomsday arrived but she saw past footage of him and the bloody battle with Superman where he almost died. She never met the monster or fought him herself but it sent a terrible shiver down her spine thinking about him and what he did to Superman.

Bruce sent another shiver down Diana's spine when he said, "And I think Cadmus has revived him."

"What?" Diana gasped and shot worried eyes in Superman's direction. Superman's face was like steel.

"How do you know this, Bruce?"

"I got The Question involved in my investigation of Cadmus. After Justice Lord Superman lobotomized him, it wasn't known who captured Doomsday. The Question discovered Cadmus got a hold of him."

"But that was over a year ago," Flash argued. "Why would Cadmus be holding Doomsday all this time?"

"To undo the lobotomy and send him to attack Superman," Diana said calmly, her eyes locked on Superman. "They are waiting for the right moment to strike."

"Which could be anytime," Superman said coolly. "We'll talk more in detail about Cadmus tomorrow. Right now we have more pressing matters. The mountain on San Baquero will erupt tonight and it can wipe out the entire island. Diana, Flash and I will go. Diana and Flash will help with the evacuation. I'll hold off the eruption until everyone is off the island."

Meeting adjoined, everyone left the room except Clark, Diana and Bruce. "I think there should be more than three of us, Kal." Diana told him. "This new information about Cadmus. Doomsday. Bruce even said they are going to strike soon. What if it's tonight?"

"You can't think like that," Clark said moving to Diana. "We'll deal with this situation on San Baquero and talk more extensively about Cadmus tomorrow."

Diana nodded her agreement. "I know. It's a good thing they don't know you as Clark. I'm not sure I'd let you out of my sight otherwise."

"I don't think that would be a bad thing," Clark grinned as he kissed Diana.

"Don't mind me. I'm just sitting here," came Bruce's sarcastic response.

Clark and Diana turned to see Bruce sitting in his chair. "Diana is right about one thing. Cadmus is going to strike and soon. They've been sitting on this information for a while and have grown bolder with each strike against us. You're there number one target, Clark. I'd be careful if I were you."

"Wouldn't you be a better target?" Clark joked. "After all, you're rumored to be the brains of our little operation."

Bruce didn't smile as he rose from his seat. "I'm not a metahuman."

While Superman dealt with the impending volcanic eruption on San Baquero, Wonder Woman and Flash helped the evacuees get onto ships leaving the island. Wonder Woman and Flash went all over the island, even traveling to dense remote areas of the island to get people to the docking area.

Though helping the evacuees, Diana made sure to check on Superman in the volcano on his situation. Not only to know how much time before the volcano blows but knowing if he was alone. Superman was in a tight and vulnerable spot to be attacked in.

Once Diana got another group to a ship, Diana check in on him. "How's the situation with you?" As she talked to him, she watched Flash bringing another group of people on board.

"It's n….better. There's no stop---…. the eruption." Clark's voiced barely made it over the static.

"You're breaking up."

"The….deeper….volcano…..we'll….cut off."

Diana sighed. "The quicker you're out of the volcano the better I like it. I--" Diana stopped when she heard the sound of something crashing in on Clark's end followed by Clark's scream. Diana's heart jumped. "Kal, what's going on? Are you being attacked?"

"Doomsday." Clark answered over the sound of punching.

"I'll come help!"

"No!" Clark yelled. "Don't worry….me. Evac…..island."

"Kal?" Clark had cut her off. Diana's worry grew. "Kal!" She called again. She looked at the volcano. It rumbled violently. She wondered if that was the volcano itself or if that was Clark in battle.

Flash came up behind her. "Diana, you okay?"

Diana turned to him and looked back at the volcano. Clark was fighting Doomsday. She wanted to help but knew she couldn't and knew Superman wouldn't want her, knowing so many innocent lives depended on her for their safety.

"Let's continue with the evacuations."

"What's going on with Superman? I heard you calling his name."

Diana pushed down her concerns as she focused on the situation at hand. "He's in a bit of a situation but we are going to stay here and help these people. They come first."

Flash gave a playful salute. "You're the boss."

Flash sped off to help with the evacuation and Diana contacted J'onn in the Watchtower and updated him on the situation on San Baquero while continuing to help the people. Though worried about Clark, Diana was confident in Superman's ability to fight off Doomsday. He defeated him once. He could do it again.

As the rumbles in the volcano grew more violent, Diana and Flash quickly hurried and got the last of the evacuees on the docks. As Diana quickly but diligently hurried the people on the ship, J'onn contacted her again.

"Diana, you have got to get everyone off the island now!" J'onn informed her. Though calm, Diana could detect panic in J'onn's voice.

"What's going on?" Diana remained cool but her heart was racing with fear.

"Cadmus has launch a kryptonite nuclear warhead on island. It's heading for Superman and Doomsday but the magnitude of it will destroy the island and everyone within the vicinity."

Diana looked at the mountain Superman and Doomsday were fighting on. "Give me the warhead current coordinates. I'll stop it."

"Batman is going to stop the warhead. You have to get the people out of there!"

"But Batman's only…." she was going to say human but stopped herself. She didn't want to think of her friend incompetent but this was a nuclear warhead and she didn't feel he should take this on by herself.

"Diana, you have to hurry!"

"I'll take care of it, J'onn."

Diana went to Flash who was helping people on board. "Flash, get the rest of the people on the ships and get as far away from this island as fast as you can!"

"But where are you going?" Flash asked.

"I'm going after Superman!" Diana didn't wait to explain and flew towards the mountain as fast as possible. An explosion rocked the skies to her left. Diana didn't stop to watch but she suspected Batman stopped the nuclear warhead. When she reached the volcanic top, lava was already spewing. Avoiding the lava shower, Diana search and found Clark collapsed and completely exhausted. Lava was coming towards him and Clark was too tired to move. Diana swooped down and pulled Clark away from the lava before it consumed him.

Diana landed on a ship where Flash was waiting. Diana embraced Superman, his blood spilling onto her. "Oh, Kal, are you all right?" Her fingers touched the scars on his face and chest. "Your wounds."

Superman breathed heavily against her, completely worn out by his fight with Doomsday. "I'll heal."

Flash rushed to them. "J'onn filled me on what was going on? Are you okay, Supes?"

"I'll be all right," Clark said. "I had no choice but to hurl Doomsday into the volcano. It was the only way I could stop him but it caused a chain reaction to destroy the island."

"You had no choice," Diana told him soothingly. "The good news is we've got everyone off the island, you're safe and Doomsday has been dealt with."

"Doomsday isn't dead," Clark admitted. "He's only subdued. Cadmus can't get to him until the lava cools. We'll get J'onn to send some people here and recover Doomsday before Cadmus tries to."

"Diana, come in!" J'onn yelled into Diana's earpiece.

"I'm here, J'onn. I have Superman with me. He's safe."

"What about Batman?" J'onn asked. "Batman stopped the warhead with the Javelin but I lost contact with him."

Diana looked out to the sea. "You mean… When was the last time you spoke with him?"

"Ten minutes ago. Green Lantern, Green Arrow and Vixen are on their way to search for Batman."

Diana looked out at the waters. Time was of the essence. They had to find Batman alive now otherwise they will be recovering his body. Not wasting another moment, Diana flew off the ship and over the waters where the she remembered the explosion took place. She saw pieces of the warhead and the Javelin in the water. Diana refused to think the worse. Bruce was a dear friend and very skilled. If anyone could survive this, it would be him.

Diana came upon an escape pod with Batman inside. It was badly damaged with water seeping in slowly. Batman laid in the escape pod unconscious and bleeding. Diana ripped the pod open and gently pulled Batman out of the pod.

"J'onn, it's Diana. I have Batman. He's seriously injured and needs emergency surgery."

Given how Batman was still wary of trusting any of the medical personal, it was up to J'onn and Diana to take care of his injuries. As much as Diana wanted to be with Clark now, she knew her friend Bruce needed her more. After the surgery, Bruce was taken to a private room where he could heal and only the founding members could access him. Diana stepped out of the room and saw Clark was waiting outside. He looked refreshed in a new suit but she could see the weariness in his eyes and a few scars on his face.

Diana embraced him. "How are you?"

"Still sore but I'll heal soon. How's Bruce?"

"He's resting now but he was hurt very badly."

"Flash has joined Green Lantern, Green Arrow and Vixen to recover Doomsday. Cadmus can't get hold of him again. Doomsday is a menace that just won't stop. There's only one way to deal with him."

"How's that?" Diana asked.

"The Phantom Zone." Clark sighed heavily not liking the decision he would have to make. "I went to get the Phantom Zone Projector while you and J'onn were working on Bruce. I have it ready in the tribunal room. I wish there was another way."

Flash entered the hallway. "We got Doomsday. He's trapped in cooled magma. He won't be breaking out of that soon."

"We'll try to get answers out of him," Clark decreed. "If not, we'll do what we have to make sure Doomsday doesn't harm anyone again."

Diana, Clark and the rest of the founding members except for Batman interrogated Doomsday. When he refused to answer their questions about Cadmus or listen to Superman's plea that Cadmus was using him, Superman sent Doomsday to the Phantom Zone.

Afterwards, Diana and Clark decided to see Bruce alone. "I didn't want to send Doomsday to the Phantom Zone, Diana."

"You had no choice, Kal." Diana told him. "Doomsday's a monster that will never stop killing. After he finished you, he would've went after the League and then the rest of the world. No one would've been safe. The Phantom Zone was the only prison that could hold him."

Clark sighed heavily. "Yeah. I'm just not used to making decisions like this."

"We all agreed. It wasn't your decision alone." Diana wrapped an arm around his. "Come. Let's check on, Bruce."

Diana and Clark entered Bruce's private room. Bruce laid in his bed with bandages on his upper arms, his broken right wrist and his chest covering four broken ribs. He also wore a neck brace that limited his movement.

Diana thought it was best to lighten the moment with a joke. She knew how Bruce never likes to be invalid. "He'll do anything to avoid monitor duty."

Bruce wasn't smiling and Diana decided a joke wasn't the best thing to open with. "Sent him off to the Phantom Zone, did you?"

Clark was regretful with his decision. "He left us no choice, Bruce."

Bruce scoffed, "Spoken like a Justice Lord."

Clark and Diana both were shocked at what came out of Bruce's mouth. "What?" Clark was the first to respond.

"Bruce, how can you say that?" Diana asked.

As painful as it was Bruce craned his head in Clark and Diana's direction.
"Passing judgment like Gods? With our super powered army and our orbiting death ray, Cadmus is right to be scared. The human race wouldn't stand a chance."

"Bruce," Diana was hurt at Bruce's accusations towards her and the Justice League, "where is this coming from?"

"We would never go that far," Clark defended the League. "It isn't in our nature."

"Isn't it?" Bruce questioned. "What if Luthor becomes President like he did in their world? What would stop you from doing what that Superman did?"

"There's that kryptonite you carry around," Clark joked.

"You don't get to joke! Not today!" Bruce yelling took Clark and Diana by surprised. "I took a bullet for you!"

"And that gives you the right to attack us? Your friends?" Diana jumped in. The fire in her eyes let both men know she was not going to accept Bruce's insults.

"Diana," Clark gently warned but even he knew it was a losing battle with Diana.

"How can you talk that way to Kal after all the times he saved you?" Diana asked, her Amazon temper getting the better of her by the minute. "If it wasn't for him, you would've burned in the fire in Metropolis harbor after you two teamed up against Joker and Luthor. You would've been Brainaic's puppet had Kal not disguised himself as Batman and stopped him. You would've died when you crashed the Watchtower if Kal hadn't gotten there in time. Kal has saved your life so many times. In fact, I and the rest of the League 'took a bullet' for you and our other team members but we do not throw it in each other's faces. We are a team. We do not keep petty score on who saves who."

"Apparently, you are," Bruce remark sardonically. He glared at Clark. "Seems you keep nothing from her."

Diana let that remark go but she didn't hold back when she said, "And since you're comparing us to the Justice Lords, let us not forget your counterpart was one, too. So, does that meant if we turn rogue, will you as well? Says a lot about you."

Clark expected another smartass remark from Bruce that would send Diana off again but to his surprised, Bruce laughed.

"No matter how many alternate worlds between us one thing will always remain. Diana will follow and defend Clark whatever way he chose to lead. If he's good or bad, Diana will always be by his side." His grin was bitter. "I bet *they* were a couple just like you too, keeping it a secret, hiding it from everyone."

Clark grabbed Diana's arms. Diana wouldn't hit an injured Bruce but he thought best to hold her back just in case. "I know what you are doing, and Bruce I swear if you weren't so badly hurt, you would be already."

"I won't hit him," Diana assured Clark as she gently pulled herself out of his grasps. She pleaded with Bruce, "Don't let Cadmus' poisonous minds get to you. Can't you see how hypocritical they are? Cadmus and Luthor have created super powered, criminally insane slaves for fighting. They are manipulating the government they wore to protect to get rid of us over a paranoia that we will go bad. And yet, Cadmus thinks the Justice League are the bad people because we have a space station and a nuclear weapon, which we've only used once as a last offense to save this planet. Kal is paying for a crime he may never commit and he only sent Doomsday to a prison that will hold him. Kal could kill Doomsday and all of Cadmus but he won't because of who he is. He's not that other Superman."

Diana stepped forward and touched Bruce's shoulder. "You're a dear friend to me, Bruce. Other than Kal and my Sisters, there's no one else I would have on my side fighting the last battle. You have one of the most brilliant minds on this planet. Your detective skills are second to none, but you are completely wrong here. I pray that you see that." Diana kissed his forehead and left the room.

The room was silent for a long moment. Neither man knew what to say after Diana put Bruce in his place. Naturally, Bruce spoke first. "She talked me down without insulting anymore of my injured pride and yet she still treats me like a friend after I insulted you both. As they say, 'What a woman.'"

And just like that Bruce and Clark knew things were good between them again. Bruce and Clark grinned at each other as Clark bragged, "And she's all mine."

"Don't be so sure. After I get well, I may go after her."

"Do that and I'll put you back in this room," Clark joked. "Get some rest, my friend. We'll see you tomorrow."

Diana was waiting for Clark by the elevators. As soon as they were both inside, Diana spoke her mind. "The nerve of Bruce, insulting us, comparing us to the Justice Lords. Who is he to get on a high horse and talk to us as if we're simpletons? He should know he wouldn't get away with that."

"You know Bruce. Things don't go his way so he has to take it out on someone."

"We are his friends, Kal."

"That's why he takes it out on us. He knows if he goes too far one of us will put him in his place like you did." Clark laughed as he thought how Diana tore into Bruce. "Kind of funny when you think about it."

The elevator doors opened and the two stepped off. "Let me guess. You two patch things up."

Clark shrugged as he followed Diana down the hall. "We're guys." Diana shook her head as she entered her room. Clark made sure no one else was on floor before he followed her inside. "I'm used to him acting this way. He knows how to push your buttons. You don't like when someone insults me."

"No, I don't," Diana answered her irritation still evident.

With Diana's door closed to any outsiders, Clark grinned wickedly and pulled Diana close to him. "Do you know how beautiful you look when you're angry and how much of a turn on it was to see you defend me?"

Diana's mouth opened in surprise. "What?"

Clark used Diana's parted mouth as an invitation to brush his lips over hers lightly before claiming them with a more powerful force. Diana secured her arms around his neck, kissing back more fervently. Her body ache for him in a fierce hunger she didn't want to control at the moment.

Diana felt Clark lift her off her feet and laying her on the soft satin sheets of her bed, her hair spilling across the pillow. Clark laid on top of her trapping her beneath him. His thighs parted hers and he moved against her in grinding movements that even clothed Diana had no doubt as to what she was feeling.

Clark pulled back, his hungry eyes gazing at her. "We should stop."

"I don't want to," Diana whispered and to prove her point pushed her hips against his and he involuntarily rocked against her in return.

Clark closed his eyes briefly to get control over himself. "Diana, I know my strength and I know your strength. Everyone will know what we're doing if we don't stop."

"We could control ourselves," Diana suggested.

"Diana, you don't control yourself with me when we spar. You won't do it if we're making love. I know you." Clark covered his mouth over hers in a hot, tantalizing kiss that Diana thought Clark changed his mind but once more he pulled away and sat on her bed. "You're so tempting. It's so hard to say no to you."

Diana wrapped her arms around him pressing her body against his. "Then don't."

"I want to wait and do this right."

Diana teased. "You're such a boy scout."

"Maybe but we have a lot to do with Cadmus stepping up it's battles against us. It won't be long before they finally fall and when they do, I want to take a serious step in our relationship."

Diana maneuvered so she was looking at him. "What do you mean?"

"Your mother asked me what future I have for the two of us. I told her I want you to be with me always. I want to marry you."

Diana's eyes widen stunned. "Marry? I--"

"I know you don't see the big deal about marriage but your mother mentioned ceremonies Amazons performed and if you are willing, I would like to perform an Amazon union ceremony with you."

"You would?" Diana looked hopeful at the idea. "It wouldn't matter to you if we don't marry like your parents?"

"As long as you are happy and we're together, it doesn't matter how it happens," Clark explained. "I also want to show to your people I'm willing to honor their traditions and accept their way of life."

Diana embraced him. "Oh, Kal. You don't have to explain. I love the idea and I love you."

"I love you too, and I promise, there will be no holding back when I finally have you," Clark vowed.