A/N: Again - thanks AQ! And thanks to all my reviewers!

Chapter Seventeen - Watergate

It hadn't taken Lois long to work out that something was wrong with her husband when he got back to the office. Especially since he hadn't done the top two buttons of his shirt up properly, or put his glasses on. So, consequently, anyone with an observant eye – like, say, a roomful of reporters – would have been able to bust the biggest secret in the history of Metropolis. As soon as the elevator doors opened, she grabbed his hand and yanked him back into it.

He blinked at her like she'd gone mad. "Lois, what–?"

"What the hell are you thinking, Smallville?" she hissed. "Top button, hello?! And where are your glasses?"

He looked down, saw the blue of his suit poking out. "Oh."

That was it. Just 'oh'.

"Oh?!" she repeated. "For God's sake, Clark, Jimmy would have guessed it with you looking like that!" Rolling her eyes at him, Lois reached up to button the shirt closed.

"Right. Yeah. Sorry."

Feeling slightly alarmed now, Lois took his face in her hands. "Clark? Are you alright?"

He absentmindedly brushed his cowlick back. "Fine..."

"Seriously, what's wrong?"

He swallowed hard. "Roof."

A few moments later, they emerged on the roof, and Clark sat down on the edge, his face in his hands. "You know Diana's pregnant, right?" he asked.

She nodded. He'd told her as soon as Diana had told the Founders, but then the next second she'd flown off to Themyscira and hadn't communicated with anyone for the past seven months.

"But that's not all," he told her. "She's carrying twins… and Bruce is the father."

Lois plopped down next to him. "Wow. This is the biggest story since... Watergate..."

Her husband chuckled. "I should have known that would be your reaction."

"So what are you worried about?" she asked. "I get why you have to sit on it, but still..."

"What am I worried about? This is Bruce Wayne we're talking about, Lois. And Diana... I have no idea what Diana thinks she's doing."

"What do you mean?"

"They're not...together. As far as I can tell, it was a one-night stand –"

"One-night stand? Diana?"

"Exactly," he said, confirming that his reaction had been much the same as his. "And more than that, she doesn't mind that they're not together... I actually think... that maybe Bruce wants it more than she does."

Lois blinked. "Bruce? Wants a committed relationship? We are talking about the same Bruce Wayne here right? The goddamn master at avoiding having a serious relationship with any woman, be she reporter, superhero, cat thief, or super-villain's daughter?"

Clark nodded numbly.

"So what are you going to do?" she asked. "I mean... Wonder Woman being pregnant is bad enough, but considering who the father is –"

She was cut off by Clark's cell phone ringing. He pulled it out and checked the caller ID. "It's Diana."

"Diana has a cell phone?"

"Her secret identity does."

"Diana has a –"

He flipped it open. "Clark Kent."

---

"Shayera?"

The redhead smiled at Diana from her chair in from of the monitor screens. "Hey, Diana."

The princess pulled up a chair next to her friend. "I have a favour to ask you."

"Alright, go ahead." She watched in slight puzzlement as Diana checked furtively around for anyone else before she answered.

Finally the princess turned back with her hands resting gently on her abdomen. Shayera tried not to feel a shock of pain… and failed. What if she never – No. Don't go there, Shay. She swallowed. "What is it, Diana?"

"I would like you to be godmother to one of my children. Bruce and I have discussed it –"

"What, what?" she interrupted. "Bruce? What the hell's Bruce got to do with –" She cut off as her eyes widened. "Oh my God. Diana!"

A blush spread from Diana's chin right up to the roots of her hair. She nodded. "Yes. Bruce is the father."

Shayera leaned back into her chair with a long, low whistle. "Fuck me."

"Shayera! I hope you're not going to use that sort of language around the children," Diana said, her expression becoming severe.

Shayera grinned. She loved it when Diana went into princess-mode. "Alright, no potty-mouth around the kids, but seriously! Bruce?"

"Yes."

"So are you...?"

Diana raked a hand through her hair in frustration. "When are people going to stop asking that question?"

"Ah. Sore spot, huh?" She tapped the handle of her mace and smirked at her friend. "Want me to have a… word with him?"

"No!" Annoyed that she'd lost her cool again, Diana took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "It's not Bruce, I... I'm not sure I know what I want anymore, and while I'm pregnant and my hormones are..."

"Everywhere?" Shayera supplied helpfully.

Diana chuckled. "'Everywhere' works, I guess. Still, while I am the way I am, it's not fair to make a snap decision that I might change my mind about ten seconds later. As it is I get myself ready to tell him I never want to see him again at least a dozen times each morning."

"But that's not how you really feel, is it?" Shayera asked.

"No, since come lunchtime I decide I'm completely in love with him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him."

"Yeah, I can see why you want to wait to make your decision."

"So what do you say? Will you be one of the godmothers?"

She nodded. "I'd love to be." She grinned. "Thanks, Diana." Suddenly her grin disappeared. "What the hell are you going to tell your mother? I take it she doesn't know –"

The princess grimaced. "Uh, no. She has no idea. As far as she knows, I'm still..."

"An image of the virgin goddesses?"

"Exactly. I suppose I'll have to tell her at some point, but... maybe that's another conversation to save until after the birth."

"Wow." Shayera raised her eyebrows. "You are going to be doing a lot of talking once those babies are born. Speaking of, how does 'Diana Prince' know Hawkgirl well enough to make her godmother to her child?"

Diana's smile was slightly devious. "Well that's easy. You're a member of the Justice League, after all. I'm a member of the general public. Superheroes such as yourself regularly have to save people like me."

"Ah. So I saved your life once, and in your gratitude you made me a godmother?" Shayera eyed her doubtfully. "Sounds a little dubious, Di."

"Well it won't be exactly that simple. Say you were wounded; not seriously, but enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. I performed first aid until help arrived, and then we agreed to meet for coffee, then lunch and..."

"Hey presto! We're friends?" Shayera asked dryly.

"Exactly," Diana grinned.

"Good plan." The Thanagarian stretched with a yawn. "God I'm tired. What time is it?"

"Two a.m. GMT."

"Urgh. Great. I'm on till eight."

Diana frowned. "I though the monitor duty hours only lasted six hours each?"

"Batman changed them after you disappeared. Think he was trying to make everyone as miserable as he was. That's Flash's theory anyway."

"Miserable?" Diana frowned. "Why would he be miserable?"

Shayera's expression indicated she was beginning to doubt that the princess really had the wisdom of Athena. "Diana, you disappeared for more than six months. The man has been in love with you for years, did you not think he'd miss you?"

Diana looked away. He had said he'd missed her, but... "I sincerely doubt he was in love with me before I left, Shayera." She scowled. "He turned me down enough times."

"Well yeah, but that's the beauty of now, don't you get it?" When Diana continued to look mystified, Shayera elaborated. "Look, if I know Batman – as much as anyone actually knows Batman – then he pushed you away because he was afraid of losing you. He needed exactly what you gave him – a taste of what life without you would actually be like. Trust me, Di, he did not like the reality of it." She shrugged and turned her attention back to the screens in front of her when a small alarm sounded on the console. "It wouldn't surprise me if he never wanted to let you out of his sight again."

Diana was silent, shifting uncomfortably as a slight pain shot through her lower abdomen. "Shay?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think... maybe I should talk to him before the birth?"

"Up to you, Diana, but if you're worried about how long he's going to wait...you shouldn't be." She rolled her chair over to the communications array. "Watchtower to Question and Green Arrow, looks like Copperhead's robbing the Guggenheim. Go take care of it."

Ollie's voice came back. "Roger, Watchtower, we're on it."

Diana ended up spending the rest of Shayera's shift with her, taking a break only to go and grab something to eat when her stomach pains persisted. She came back into the Monitor Womb with an iced mocha for Shayera and a packet of Oreos with some mayonnaise for herself. The redhead's iced mocha sat forgotten, getting steadily warmer while she watched, disgusted, as Diana feasted on the cookies and condiment.

"That might be the most revolting thing I've ever seen."

Diana grinned. "It's delicious."

"It's disgusting."

"You just wait – when you get cravings during your pregnancy, I'm going to –"

Shayera's jovial expression vanished immediately, and she looked down and away. Diana frowned. "Shayera? What's wrong?"

"You still don't... remember anything from the mission you went on with John and Bruce, do you?" she asked. "The one where you conceived."

Diana shook her head. "Nothing. Aside from this, it never happened for me. Why?"

"Because... when you went to the future, you met my son."

Diana's mouth fell open. "Your son?"

Shayera nodded. "My son. Mine and John's." She ignored Diana's wide-eyed look and carried on. "At some point in the future – or that future," she interjected bitterly, "John and I get back together, and we have a son. I asked Bruce for the details and... he told me."

"What did he tell you, exactly?" Diana asked. She herself knew precious little about that mission, aside from its more obvious repercussions.

Shayera kept her voice quiet, but it was brimming with emotion, and tears began rolling slowly down her cheeks. "His name was Rex. Bruce said he fought more like me than John, but he looked like his dad. Apart from his eyes, he said. Rex had my eyes." Her hands gripped her chair-arms hard. "But John made it clear that we won't be getting back together anytime soon."

Diana turned her chair gently and wiped Shayera's cheeks dry. "I am so sorry, Shayera," she breathed, gathering her friend into her arms.

"I'm so afraid, Diana," she whispered. "I want my son so badly. I've never met him and I can... feel the space where he's missing. What if John never breaks up with Mari? What if, even if he does, he finds someone else?" Shayera shook her head. "I mean, Diana... who am I kidding? I don't get to have a happy ending – not after everything I've done."

She drew back, and Diana frowned. Shayera had always displayed such a defiant front. She'd made her choice – Earth over Thanagar, and that was that. It was one reason why it had taken so long for Diana to forgive her – she could see no sign of repentance. Had it been tearing Shayera up all this time?

"Shayera..." she started. "Of course you deserve happiness. You've made mistakes, and you've rectified them. There is no one in the League who blames you or would begrudge you the chance of happiness. You love John."

Shayera snorted resentfully. "It doesn't matter how much I love John. If he doesn't love me enough to 'be a puppet of fate', then what I am supposed to do?"

Diana shook her head. "I don't know." She forced a smile onto her face. "Want me to have a word with him?"

That got a watery chuckle from Shayera. "I don't think it would do much good," she said, wiping her cheeks and squaring her shoulders. "Right, I'm going to –"

Suddenly, a pain stronger than the ones she'd been having all day shot through Diana's abdomen. She gasped, feeling a horrible foreboding when warm wetness began to seep through her chiton. "Oh Hera," she whispered.

"Diana? What's –"

She was cut off by a red blur stopping next to them. "It's seven fifty two a.m., ladies, I believe it's my turn for monitor duty. So how was your – Holy shit!"

Diana swallowed and forced herself to remain calm. "Alright – my water just broke."

Shayera stood up, taking charge. She helped Diana slowly get to her feet. "Right, we're going to the infirmary. Wally, call Batman, get him up here."

Wally blinked. "Huh? What the hell is Bats gonna do?"

Diana rolled her eyes. "He's the father, Flash, now just get him up here."

"On it, Wondy." He tracked Batman's com-link; it was just coming up to three a.m. in Gotham, and his tracking signal was in the Batcave. "Watchtower to Batman."

Nothing.

"Batman, come in!"

Still nothing.

"Seriously, man, get your bat-ass on this bat-channel –"

Another, much younger voice came over. "Uh, Watchtower? This is Robin. Batman's not going to be available for a while."

Wally rolled his eyes. "Tim, you know, right?"

"About the princess? 'Course I know."

"Good, because Diana's gone into labour."

There was a pause. "She's what?"

"She's gone into labour, Tim! You know, about to give birth to two little Wonder Bats?!"

"Shit."

"Yeah. Get Bruce's ass up here right now!"

In the Cave, Tim and Alfred exchanged a glance, and then looked down at Bruce's very unconscious form. "Uh, that's gonna be a problem."

---

A/N: Review please! Oh, and please visit my profile, since I'm trying to decide if I should do a sequel to this or not. The poll will be open until I finish this story, so please put yes or no :)