Smile

"They smile to your face, all the time they want to take your place, Backstabbers"

Gotham Heights

Everyone can lie, but not everyone is good at it. Those that are good liars understand that the best lies have some truth in them. Most people get caught up in the details. They are not used to lying, so they overcompensate and give far too much information. It's those details that always trip them up.

Lashina was a very good liar and had no problem lying to Diana. With Thor gone, it wasn't a great stretch of the imagination for Lashina to realize that she could be next. If Clark could kick Thor out, then Diana could kick her out. That was the one thing Lashina wanted to avoid. She had some advantages that Thor didn't. For one she was a shameless, unrepentant liar when the need arose. Two, she had Clark on her side, but most important she knew more about the Princess than Diana probably realized.

She wasn't going to underestimate Diana, as that would be a huge mistake. Lashina knew Diana was smart, with a cunning mind and would easily see through most lies. The fact that the Princess hated Lashina also presented a challenge. On the plus side, the Princess was in a good mood. Clark was out getting dinner, so Lashina knew now was the best time to strike. She found Diana sitting out by the pool and approached her,

"May I talk to you a minute, Princess,' Lashina began.

"I've asked you how many times not to call me Princess, Lashina!"

"Of course, I'm sorry, Diana,' Lashina replied.

This caught Diana off guard. The last thing she expected from Lashina was an apology. She turned and looked at the other woman. Diana knew she was up to something, but would have to let her get to it her own way.

"All right, Lashina, have a seat," Diana said, gesturing towards the seat across from her. Lashina took it, and then paused before she began.

"We don't like each other,' she said. Might as well get the obvious out of the way right at the start.

"Yes, I know,' Diana replied. She kept her voice neutral, but she was on guard.

"I want Kal-El."

"Yes, I know that too."

"But I'm not going to get him, am I,' Lashina asked.

"That's up to him," Diana replied. In her mind she was thinking, not a chance in Tartarus, honey, but she kept this too herself. Lashina gave her a weak smile.

"I think you have more to say about it than you're admitting, but we'll let it go for now," Lashina said. "I'm not oblivious to my situation, Diana. If you say the word, I go the way of Thor. I understand power and you have all of it."

"What's your point, Lashina?"

"It's rather simple, I have nowhere else to go." She dipped her head just a bit, as if it was killing her to admit it. It was time to slip in just a bit of the knowledge she had of the Princess. "I don't imagine you know what it's like to not be able to go home. By leaving Apokolips, I forfeited any chance of ever returning."

Diana's mind flashed on her own banishment, but she was still on guard around Lashina. Diana understood that Lashina was smarter than Thor. She wouldn't come at you head on as he had. She was much more the viper rather than the bull.

"Are you trying to say you regret your decisions,' Diana asked.

"No."

"We both know, Lashina, you didn't leave for a second chance, well not the kind you told Kal anyway. You admitted under the lasso that you are really here for him. I believe your exact words were something to the effect of, you'd rather see him with nobody than with me."

"I'm not denying it,' Lashina offered. "I don't like you and I never have."

Diana was about to respond, but Lashina held up her hand.

"Please, let me finish,' she asked. "You already know everything I said under your lasso is true. What you don't know is why. He's the only being I know that would give me a second chance. I have no one else."

Diana actually believed her on this. The only reason the League was willing to help her was because of Kal. It was the reason Diana was allowing her to stay.

"That may be the case, Lashina, but it really changes nothing, does it?"

"I'm not a fool, Diana,' Lashina replied. "Need I point out he fought for you, not me. Thor's absence attests to where his heart lies."

Diana had to suppress a smile at this. It might be primitive and barbaric, but she found she liked the idea that Kal would fight for her. Sometimes actions do speak louder than words. She couldn't let it distract her though, as Lashina was still very dangerous.

"So you're giving up? Is that what you want me to believe,' Diana asked.

"I know you're not a fool, either, Diana,' Lashina responded. "No, of course not, but my situation forces me to accept certain realities. Kal-El would kick me out if you gave the word. I'm simply asking you not to."

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't,' Diana said.

"Because I'm asking you not to, please,' Lashina replied. The words were like acid in her throat, but she knew words have an impact. Diana was all the things Lashina despised, good hearted, kind, generous and caring. As much as the Princess might hate her, Lashina knew she was not a bully. Diana wouldn't take advantage of another when they were down. By framing the conversation the way she had, Lashina was taking a risk and betting on the fact.

Diana wasn't sure what to think. Almost every fiber of her being was telling her this woman was pure evil and not to be trusted. If the tables were turned, she wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of the situation. The problem was that many of the things Lashina said had a ring of truth to them. Diana understood Lashina's situation was different that Thor's. He was probably back in Asgard by now, turning the story around so he was the generous one that decided to leave. Kicking Lashina out wouldn't solve the problem of what to do with her. She supposedly couldn't go back to Apokolips. The one person worse than Lashina was Darkseid. The Dark Lord tolerated none of his subjects acting on their own. Freedom was a word he despised. Jail was the best place for her, but barring that, no one wanted her wandering around Earth on her own.

While wisdom was one of the gifts her Gods had given Diana, they had also endowed her with compassion. Wisdom reminded her of the old adage, keep you friends close, but your enemies closer. If Lashina was going to try anything, Diana wanted to be there when she did. Compassion was something Diana shared with Kal. She might not offer it as freely as he did, but it was part of the core of her being just like him. If Lashina really was telling the truth, which Diana didn't believe, then she had to give her a chance.

"All right, Lashina, you can stay, for now,' Diana finally said.

"Thank you," Lashina replied and then stood up.

"One wrong move, Lashina and that fight you promised me will happen much sooner than you intended,' Diana warned.

"I understand,' Lashina said. "I will not promise you that my interest in Kal-El will cease. You wouldn't believe that if I did. One doesn't forget a physical relationship like we had, ever. His actions, though, have spoken where his words haven't as to where his heart lies.'

Lashina turned and walked into the house. Diana watched her the whole way. She didn't see the smile on Lashina's face, for it was a cold, wicked smile.

Later

It had been a quiet evening and Clark was already in bed. His 'discussion' with Thor had been rather strenuous and after the last few, long days, he was looking forward to a good night's sleep. The lamp on the nightstand was on and he was doing a little reading before finally turning in. The door to the bathroom opened and Diana stepped out.

She was smiling at him. He'd noticed she'd been smiling at him most of the night. It was certainly a change from this morning where she hadn't even looked at him for the most part. He gave her a look as she went around the bed and climbed in her side. She didn't say anything, so he went back to reading. This proved more difficult than he would have imagined, as he could feel her looking at him. Finally he put the book down and turned to her.

"You seem in a good mood this evening,' he offered.

"I am,' she replied with a smile.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it,' he said, not sure what else to say. He gave her a smile and then slipped down in the bed and pulled up the covers. He was just about to turn off the light, when she reached out and stopped him. In one fluid move, she was sitting on his stomach, smiling at him.

"Don't you want to know why I'm in a good mood, Kal,' Diana asked.

"Okay, um, why are you in a good mood?"

"Because you fought for me,' she replied, beaming at the thought.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it is. You fought for me, Kal. Don't try and deny it, Kal, I know Thor bothered you," Diana said. "Your little guy trip with him was your way of kicking him out, wasn't it?"

"Maybe."

"You were jealous, admit it,' Diana said, shifting her upper body closer to his.

"I wouldn't say jealous, exactly,' he teased.

"You were, just admit it."

"Okay, maybe I was,' he finally said. "He's also kind of a jackass, so that didn't help either."

Diana's lips were barely inches from his now. She was happy and feeling a little playful. She shifted against his body watching his face the whole time. When he closed his eyes and gave a slight groan, she smiled even more.

"You were jealous,' she whispered. "You don't like other men flirting with you wife, do you?"

When he didn't answer right away, she moved sensually against him, bringing another groan from his lips.

"No, I don't like other men flirting with you, satisfied,' he finally admitted. Whenever she was this close, he always had a hard time concentrating on anything else. Clark had never experienced anything like it before. Diana literally overwhelmed his senses. She shifted against him one more time and it was almost too much.

"So now you're going to torture me? Is that you plan,' he asked.

"Yes."

"Why do I have the feeling you're not exactly angry about Thor leaving?"

"He's a good man,' she started, but he interrupted her.

"God."

"Whatever, Kal,' she said, giving him a light smack on his shoulder. "I know what he was trying to do, but I wasn't really interested."

"You certainly acted like it this morning."

"I wasn't happy about you being alone with her,' Diana replied. "Her being half naked didn't help, either."

"Nothing happened, we just talked,' he quickly replied. "I suppose you're going to want her to leave as well, aren't you? I can't exactly argue with you, if you do."

"No, I decided she could stay, for now,' Diana said.

"Um, thank you,' he replied, a little surprised by this. "Just so you know, you have every right to kick her out if you wanted to. I'm glad you didn't, but I would understand."

"I don't want to talk about Lashina, Kal,' Diana said, moving down to kiss him. "Let's concentrate on the two people in this room."

"You are so going to get me in trouble,' he whispered, just as their lips met. She smiled, but didn't reply, just continued kissing him.

The Pool House

Lashina moved out to the pool house once Thor vacated it. She stood at the door wearing only the shirt and glanced up at the bedroom window. There was a rather cruel looking dagger in her hand and a wicked smile on her face.

"Very soon, Princess, very soon,' she said in a cold whisper.