Chapter 25

Diana frowned, groaning in annoyance at the unwanted feel of someone pulling on her eyelid and forcing it open despite her protests, a bright shaft of irritating light causing her to wince and pull her head away in protest. The continuous pounding in her head was in perfect cadence with every thump of her heart as she fought to clear the thick blanket of cobwebs that had infiltrated her brain.

It was robbing her of all comprehension, vital information that she knew was hiding there somewhere in the deepest recesses of her mind, just beyond her grasp. She couldn't help the overwhelming feeling of dread that crushed in on her from every side, trying to tell her that something horrible had happened and that she had been involved in it...or at the heart of it in some way.

She could feel a sudden hand rough and yet so gentle against her cheek, a thumb brushing soft caresses against her skin. She felt the tension in her body began to seep out of her, her rising panic beginning to wane in light of that familiar comforting gesture.

She wanted to open her eyes, but they refused to cooperate. As much as she wanted to see the person who was touching her, she couldn't shake the overwhelming exhaustion that kept her body locked away from the outside world.

"Well, it took time, but I think I've finally gotten the drugs purged from her system now," a woman's voice wound its way through the twisting winding turns in her mind. "Physically, she should be alright now. She just needs a little time. She went through quite a horrific ordeal it seems."

"Do you think there will be any permanent affects from the drugs that we should be concerned about?" a deep familiar voice asked, one that was warm and stirred her heart like the soft caress against her cheek, making her want to wake fully and open her eyes so she could see him.

The woman released a long thoughtful breath before finally responding. "I'm afraid it's still too early to know for sure," she reluctantly admitted. "It should help now that her super healing is back, but only time will truly tell. I wouldn't count her out just yet. She's very strong and tenacious."

"That she is," he broodingly agreed. "She never ceases to amaze me."

"I'll come back and check on her in the morning," the woman said. "Call me if you need me in the meantime, but she'll probably still sleep throughout the night and well into the morning."

"I will," he solemnly replied. "Thank you, Dr. Leslie."

Diana grimaced to herself; the worry and exhaustion in the man's voice tugged harshly at her heart. She wanted to reassure him, make him know that everything was alright but she couldn't make her body listen to her commands, her eyelids far too heavy to even try to lift.

It all felt so surreal, like she was floating, drifting through a dream she couldn't control or fully wake from. The sensations and sounds around her told her that life still went on, the world was still turning and the sun still rising. She was a part of it and yet not. She felt as though she was somehow trapped inside of her body, caught in a nightmare that she could never escape.

She tried to move her jaw, to open her mouth to speak only to find that she couldn't. Even if she had accomplished such an insurmountable feat at that moment, she wasn't sure she'd be able to make any sound or words come out of it.

Her muscles ached, her body heavy as if her limbs were filled with lead. Her mind was still a swirling whirlwind of images and memories that she couldn't begin to make sense of. And besides, the more she tried to think the worse her head hurt so she found it was easier not to.

She could hear someone softly shuffling about the room or wherever it was that she was in now. A long cheerless sigh filled the air followed by the sound of someone undressing, making her even more curious as to where she was and who was with her.

She unexpectedly felt the covers shift, a sudden coolness drifting over her body as the bed dipped slightly with the additional weight of another person. She instinctively stiffened with fear as to who it might be, images of a man's face who had hurt her flooding her mind. She felt stifling panic clench at her throat and chest making it difficult to breathe when all she wanted to do was escape.

She felt someone slide in close against her, her heart thumping harder with fear. An arm carefully slid over her stomach, a large hand coming to rest securely against her side as she was gently pulled closer against a firm muscular body that provided her warmth, security.

He seemed to sense her growing anxiety as lips softly caressed her ear, his baritone voice a soothing whisper of reassurance. "Shhh…it's alright, Diana," he murmured. "It's just me…I'm right here."

She suddenly felt a sense of peace slowly wash over her, cleansing her of the wild panic and replacing it with nothing but tranquility. She loved that voice, the deep rich sound, but even more than that she loved the man who possessed it, completing the picture of someone she desired.

This was someone she knew truly cared about her…loved her. She knew she was safe in his arms. He would protect her through the night, be her guardian and champion when she could not stand or fight, always coming to her rescue in those infrequent times when she needed it. He had always been there. She hoped that he always would be.

Lips softly brushed against her cheek making her want to weep, desperate to return the affection, but she couldn't. Something had her trapped inside of her body, confusion still clinging to her and forcing understanding beyond her reach.

His clean masculine scent was soothing to her soul, reminding her that this was someone that she loved, someone she was anxious to see. He had helped save her from something, something dreadful that she didn't want to remember. Of that, she was certain.

But it was the only thing that she was truly certain of at that moment as sleep continued to dance around the edges of her awareness, pulling and tugging her against her will closer to the waiting abyss that beckoned her with open arms.

The man next to her seemed to settle into a fitful slumber as he nestled his head against hers, his arms and hands gripping her body possessively as if she was his and no one else's. It made her feel wanted…safe. She found she wanted to know more about this man who was holding her in his protective arms, but it would have to wait until another day as sleep finally captured her fully.

XXX

Bruce was swiftly awakened by the feel of Diana struggling against his hold on her, her soft cries rapidly growing louder and more frantic as her nightmare intensified. He quickly sat up, leaning over her and gently grasping her shoulders.

Her head flew back and forth as she fought against Luthor and the Joker in her sleep, tears beginning to leak from the corners of her eyes as her body grew tense. His name was a gasping plea for salvation on her lips as he struggled with her in an effort to wake her up while hoping to avoid her fists this time.

"Diana," he firmly called her name. "It's Bruce. Wake up…you're alright now."

Her eyes suddenly flew up, a wild look of panic filling her azure gaze as she stared confusedly up at him, trying to put the jagged pieces back together again. Finally recognizing him, she abruptly flew up into his arms, nearly knocking him backwards on the bed. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, clinging to him as if he was her only lifeline, her only link to reality, to her very sanity.

He was her anchor in that moment; the only thing that she knew was real in her life right now. Everything else was still a jumbled tangled mess in her mind, leaving her feeling so splintered and fractured into so many useless pieces.

Bruce tightened his hold on her, burying his face in her luxurious hair and holding her trembling form close to him as she began to cry. It hurt him to see her so broken, so unlike the usual self-assured warrior and yet he knew that this was still her, still his Princess.

He knew that this was his Diana, the vulnerable woman behind the beautiful Princess, beneath the fierce warrior that she presented to everyone else. This was who she was in the quiet darkness of her room when she was all alone where no one could see her release her tears as well as her fears and her hurts when life grew too hard, the heavy burdens of the world too much to bear.

She was allowing him to see her with all her walls down and he found himself falling even deeper in love with her than he ever was before.

"It's alright, Princess," Bruce softly murmured as he continuously stroked her hair.

"No, it's not," she angrily replied, pulling back to wipe her tears with the backs of her hands. "I attacked you…hit you. I threw Kal through a wall."

"Diana, it wasn't your fault," he heatedly told her, gripping her shoulders. "Luthor messed with your head and tampered with your memories. He made you believe that Clark and I were a very real threat to you. That's not something you could've been able to stop."

"I should've known…should've remembered," she quietly wept. "Clark would never hurt me and you…"

Her voice suddenly broke off with a choking gasp as her fingers lightly traced the chiseled determined jaw line that drove her absolutely wild, brushing softly against the bruise on his chin in a silent apology. Her gaze was focused on his lips as she fought to gain control of her storming emotions.

Bruce stared at her face, the brokenness he saw in her eyes and the teardrops clinging to her long dark eyelashes nearly rending his heart in two. He felt so helpless, so powerless to help her at that moment, but was determined to try nonetheless.

"You would never try to…rape me…Bruce," she whispered, finding it difficult to even form the words, the haunting memories Luthor had implanted into her mind still lingering so very close to the surface.

It felt like they would always be a part of her now, sticking to her like a second skin, something that she'd never be able to rid herself of. A part of her life had been twisted and manipulated as if she was nothing but a plaything to experiment with.

Nothing she had ever learned in all of her training as an Amazon warrior on Themyscira could help her find a way to deal with it now leaving her feeling so lost and unsure of herself.

Bruce tenderly took her face in his hands, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Diana, it's alright," he told her, leaning in and gently pressing his lips against the deep purple bruise on her jaw. "If I hadn't let Luthor get away with you in the first place, you never would've been forced to go through any of it."

"It's not your fault, Bruce," she shook her head through the fresh waterfall of tears. "I was dead-set on going no matter what. I just want these horrible memories gone now."

"I'm going to have J'onn come and see if there's something he can do to help remove them for you," he said.

Diana slowly nodded her head, thankful and relieved that he might be able to rid her of the things Lex Luthor had implanted in her mind. She couldn't bear looking at Bruce and feeling that sudden welling of dread and fear she still felt inside.

"How long have I been out?" she asked.

"Two days," he soberly replied.

"And Luthor and the Joker?"

She watched as Bruce's handsome face immediately hardened, the Batman permeating his blue eyes. "No, but Clark is out looking for Luthor right now," he told her. "Dick and Tim are tracking the Joker's known hideouts, hoping that he'll turn up at one of those places. I promise you, Diana, I'm not going to stop until they answer for what they did to you."

He felt her shudder in his arms, knowing that her emotions were still running in waves just beneath her skin. Those two monsters had put her through more than he could possibly begin to imagine, further enraging him.

He leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "It'll be alright, Princess," he promised her.

"But I…I kissed…Luthor," she choked out, feeling ill at the thought. "I didn't mean it, Bruce."

"I know," he reassured her. "It was all I could do not to break his neck. Clark had to hold me back."

Diana smiled at his words, hot jealousy heating his baritone voice and sending a shiver of desire racing up her spine. She lifted her hand, placing it against his cheek, the stubble beneath her palm rough against her skin.

Hera, help her, but she was hopelessly in love with this man, this dauntless warrior who had unsuspectingly captured the heart of an Amazon so long ago without trying or even realizing it.

She knew their relationship was going to be an uphill battle with the lives they each led, his reticence and fear with letting someone into his heart and life, but she knew it would be worth every single moment of it.

Diana leaned in close, pausing as her tongue snuck out to lightly trace his lower lip before capturing it and nibbling on it gently. Before she could even finish the kiss, Bruce had her pressed back into the pillows behind her, his mouth devouring her with an urgency that surprised them both.

He quickly settled over her, covering her with himself as he kissed her senseless. She spread her legs for him, allowing him to settle more fully against her, moaning at the firm arousal she already felt pressing against her.

Bruce pulled back, resting his forehead against hers as he fought to catch his breath. He squeezed his eyes shut against the heated arousal pounding away inside of him, knowing it couldn't go any further just yet, not after everything Diana had just been through.

She instantly sensed his hesitation and concern, her fingers threading through his short black hair as she tilted her head to capture his lips again. He only half-heartedly struggled against her hold on him, his desire for her making it damn near impossible to even want to break away from her embrace.

"Diana," he softly gasped as he finally broke for much needed air. "We can't…not yet…not after…"

"I want you, Bruce," she whispered, her tongue sliding out to glide over his lips again, her teeth playfully nipping at his lip. "And I can tell that you want me too."

"I will always want you, Princess," he practically growled, brushing his nose against hers as he fought to catch the breath she'd stolen away. "I just need you to be alright. I don't want to lose you now that I've finally got you."

"It's going to take a lot more than Luthor and the Joker to get rid of me," she reassured him. "Besides, I don't plan on leaving your side…unless of course you grow tired of me."

She teasingly raised her hips, grinding against him and earning a throaty moan. "Princess, I could never grow tired of you," he breathed once he was able to finally form a coherent thought. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you for the last year and now that I finally have you in my bed, I don't plan on ever letting you go.

"You know it's not every day that I fall in love and let someone into my heart."

"I know and I'm glad that you decided to finally take a chance on us," she told him as she gazed up into piercing blue eyes that created a fierce flutter in the pit of her stomach. It was suddenly as if his eyes were like open windows into his very soul. "I'll never take that for granted."

"I know that I'm not the easiest person to love and I'm afraid there will be times in the future when I'll try to push you away, but please don't let me," he said. "I love you, Princess. I never want to cause you pain."

"I love you, Bruce," she whispered. "I've never been happier in my whole life than being here with you."

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he leaned in and kissed her deeply. "I can tell," he smirked as he pressed himself harder against her, shifting his hips to allow his hard arousal to brush against her entrance and causing her to gasp.

"Then I suggest you do something about it, Mr. Wayne," she seductively purred, raising her leg even higher to brush her thigh against his side. "You don't want an angry Amazon in your bed."

Bruce chuckled softly with her threat. "I don't know," he replied, pretending to contemplate the notion. "I may have to try that sometime."

She smiled at him, her face growing serious once more. "I am sorry that I hit you," she softly said.

"I hate to break it to you, Princess, but I'm afraid I've had far worse than this," he told her. "Besides, it'll be a good reminder to me not to get on your bad side."

"And don't you forget it," she teased.

It was his turn for his face to grow serious then as he leaned in, his lips tenderly caressing the deep purple bruise on her jaw. "And how did you earn this?"

Her eyelids fell closed with the feel of his warm wet mouth against her jaw, his hips rolling so enticingly against hers. "Luthor kissed me before he started tampering with my head," she explained. "Let's just say he didn't like my reaction to his affection."

"That's my Diana," he proudly smirked as he kissed her again, the need for talking quickly vanishing as the kiss swiftly grew more heated.

His tongue repeatedly slid sensually over hers, the taste of her making his head spin. The playfulness of moments ago was swiftly forgotten as passion heated their blood. Diana's hands moved over the chiseled planes of his back, stroking his body as they began to make love.

His hand quickly found her breast, teasing her and earning a throaty moan of pleasure-filled approval. She groaned in annoyance as his hand left her breast but gasped sharply at the feel of him stroking her entrance and finding her more than ready for him.

He couldn't help smirking to himself, loving the powerful affect that he had on her, that he alone was able to reduce the powerful Amazon warrior to a quivering writhing mess.

He also adored the fact that she had known no other man but him and he was going to make damn sure he was going to be her only and last.

He plunged into her, filling her body full with himself as they moaned in unison at the intimate connection. He pressed his forehead against hers, pausing as he fought to regain some semblance of control before he began moving.

She pulled him down for a searing kiss as they moved together in the intimate dance of lovers, their bodies moving together as one as their hearts became entwined, their bond growing and deepening once more with his every thrust.

Making love to his Princess, Bruce knew without a doubt that there was no other place on earth he'd ever want to be, his soul finally finding its other half.