Finally

"Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right."
— Marilyn Monroe

Gotham Heights

One day, twelve hours, fifty-three minutes and three seconds later, Clark was lying on the couch and Diana was sitting across from him in one of the armchairs. She was multitasking, reading but at the same time there was a countdown going on in the back of her mind. She wanted to finish the book she'd been reading, but there were always those other thoughts flittering through her mind.

The Capital

Fog covered the city. Avignon stood on the dock watching as she slowly made her way up the gangplank. She seemed so frail, but when she finally reached the top she turned and smiled. His pale angel was escaping the Capital. He gave a hesitant wave in return. Something good came out of the nightmare.

The murders had been solved, but none of the officials in any of the factions wanted to make it public. Their roles in the creation of the killer would be buried. Avignon expected nothing less. It got her out, though, and that was all that was really important. Prefect Castor had come through on their deal and she was on the boat to America. Maybe there she would have a chance against the TB.

He knew the disease had weakened her eyesight and from this distance he was probably just a gray and black faceless part of the crowd. Still, she moved to the rail and stared out as if she could see only him. Avignon had another ticket for the ship in his pocket. He could go with her, yet here he stood, rooted to the spot. He could make out every detail, from her thin fingers clutching the railing to her shallow cheeks, reddened by the chill in the air.

He knew she didn't have the voice to call to him, and he couldn't seem to get the words out. They were there, just on the tip of his tongue, yet they stalled and turned into ash in his mouth. If he could only get one out, Wait; perhaps he could get the rest to come. Perhaps his fingers, desperately clutching the ticket in his pocket could move and bring it forth, but that would necessitate him moving forward. He remained silently in place.

"Fear makes cowards of us all."

Avignon turned his head to see Sasha standing next to him. How the great bear of a man had managed to get this close without him knowing was a mystery.

"Excuse me,' Avignon said, his lips and tongue finally working. Sasha just turned and gave him a sad smile. He glanced away, raising his hand to wave at her.

"You got the quote wrong you know,' Avignon feebly replied.

"Yes, I know,' Sasha said, not turning to look at him. "The undiscovered country from whose bourn

No traveller returns, puzzles the will

And makes us rather bear those ills we have

Than fly to others that we know not of?

Thus conscience doth make cowards of us all.

I know my Shakespeare, Avignon, but I believe fear is what makes cowards of us all."

"Have it your way,' Avignon quietly said, both his hands thrust into his pockets now.

"She's still waiting for you,' Sasha offered.

"I know, but it's better this way,' Avignon replied. Sasha finally turned and looked at his friend.

"For who?"

"Her."

"And what about you, my friend?"

"I'll go on as before and try and forget her."

"I know few things, Avignon, but I know if you don't go to her, you'll regret it,' Sasha gently said. "Oh, I know you can tell me a thousand reasons why you shouldn't, but they all mask the real reason, fear."

"Is that so,' Avignon asked.

"Yes,' Sasha replied with a nod. "Fear is what always holds us back. Fear makes cowards of us all, Avignon. We live our lives always struggling with it. Those times it wins we always regret. Better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all."

"You are just full of quotes today, aren't you,' Avignon replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"Dismiss it if you will, but you know I'm right,' Sasha replied. "Each of us must face it sooner or later. Most try and deny it, thinking they will get more chances, yet always regretting the ones that slip away."

"What do you regret, Sasha,' Avignon asked. The bigger man dipped his head as if the memory was still too painful to speak of, but then he turned and looked Avignon in the eyes.

"I regret the part I played in this,' he said, gesturing to the Capital surrounding them. "This war, I was too afraid of not being part of the crowd, the herd to follow what deep down I knew was right. I was a coward because I gave up being an individual for the cause. The Red, The White, The Black, it really doesn't matter which cause you surrender yourself to; you become part of the crowd when you do. Life isn't about causes Avignon, it's about moments, individual, personal moments. An individual doesn't blindly follow orders or the words of another, the mindless crowd does. My regret is I let my fear of not belonging stop me even though I knew it was wrong. I will have to live with that for the rest of my life."

The sound of the ship's horn cut through the din and signaled it's eminent departure. Avignon glanced up and saw she was still standing at the railing.

"This is your moment, Avignon,' Sasha began when the horn stopped. "Will you give into fear as so many others have, or will you do what you know it right and what you want to do? You see, my friend, it always comes down to the individual and the choice they make."

Sasha gave him a smile and clapped him on the back. In his bellowing voice he called out her name and waved. Avignon glanced up and saw her wave back at hearing him. He stood there as Sasha turned and walked back into the fog that covered the city. On the crowded dock, Avignon felt more alone then he'd ever felt in is life.

The second horn blasted and he knew there would be one more before the ship departed. His eyes scanned the dock, but kept returning to her standing at the railing. Slowly his fingers emerged from his pocket, the ticket still clutched tightly. Would he let his fear stop him or would he take a chance?

The third horn sounded.

Diana turned the page to find that it was the last one. That was the end of the story. She looked at the spine of the book to see if a page had been ripped out, but couldn't see any sign of it. So did Avignon get on the ship or not, she wondered? What a strange unsatisfying ending. Diana knew what she would do, she would get on the ship, she thought. Then it hit her that was the point of the story. It was asking you what path would you take?

Two minutes until the bet was over.

Diana glanced over and saw that Clark was stretched out on the couch, his arms above his head and his eyes closed. He looked peaceful, as if he didn't have a care in the world. Diana sat there just watching him. In less then two minutes things were going to change between them. Thinking about the question the book poised in relationship to her own life, Diana knew there were reasons to feel a little fear about what happens next.

The whole world of the Amazons, the world she'd grown up in considered a relationship with a man folly. The very history on which they were founded attested to this. She could imagine what her sisters would say once they heard.

That was secondary really, Diana knew. The truth was this was all new to her, her first time and she was nervous and a little afraid of what might happen. She knew their feelings for each other right now, but what if it didn't last? What if she gave herself and her heart to him and then things fell apart? It happened to couples everyday and they had much more experience then she did. It wasn't like Kal and her were destined to be together or anything, they had found each other in this most improbable situation.

This wasn't the fairy tale and things weren't guaranteed to be happily ever after. They were just the same as any other new couple in love. There was always a chance it wouldn't work out for them. Diana wondered if she could handle that if it happened? She was about to take a step that couldn't be undone with this man and she found herself a bit afraid of what might be.

The alternative was to do nothing, let the bet end and go back to her life. That was the safe path. Yes, she had always faced every challenge that came up in her life, but this was different. This was being vulnerable as never before with another person. This was a leap into the unknown that might end in disaster for both of them.

Twenty two seconds left.

Looking at Kal, the man she'd gotten to know in the last month, Diana made a decision. She wouldn't let fear stop her or rule her life. She would take this chance, this oh so important chance. She knew deep down she loved him. She also wanted him like nothing she'd ever wanted before. It was a greedy, primal feeling of wanting him to be hers and no one else's. He would be hers and she would be his. They would face whatever comes together.

Fifteen seconds.

She set the book down on the end table and stood, the countdown continuing in her head. Slowly she moved around he coffee table towards him, each step bringing her closer to the end of the bet and a beginning with him.

Five seconds.

She stood over him, a smile spreading across her lips. Shifting on to one foot, she stretched out her other leg over him.

Two seconds.

Easing herself down, Diana was straddling his waist.

One second.

Times up, she thought as she sat down on top of him and leaned in to kiss his lips. As their lips met, she reached up and clasp his hands in hers, holding them above his head. As she finished that first scorching kiss, she moved just far enough back to see his face. His eyes were open and he was smiling up at her.

"Something on your mind?"

Clark had been counting down the hours, minutes and seconds too. Outwardly he was calm, but his thoughts were anything but. He did have a little more experience at waiting then Diana had. Sometimes it seemed his whole life he'd been waiting. When he'd stretched out on the couch opposite her, he could feel the excitement building within him. He made sure he took his shoes off, as he'd gotten the glare when he'd mistakenly done that once before. No shoes on the furniture and no feet on the table. She definitely liked things a certain way. He glanced over as she started reading the book and just looked at her.

He knew they were on the edge of something major in both their lives. A month ago, he would have thought even the suggestion of them in a relationship other then as friends was ridiculous. A lot had changed in that time. A month, he thought as he closed his eyes, it was hard to believe it had already been a month. He was nervous and probably a little afraid of what might come, but found he was strangely okay with it too. He knew he was in love with Diana and also that he wanted her more than any woman he'd ever known.

He knew others would think it was because of her beauty and she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He'd known that from the first moment he met her and yes, that was part of it, he was a guy after all. It was so much more though. His mind flashed to moments from their month together. They came rather randomly to him, her innocence at getting one bed and her reason why, being one of the first. Others followed, from her defiance against her mother and not backing down even if it meant a wedding to her vulnerability when they were alone and she explained why it was so important to her. The nerve wracking driving lesson, their first dinner out and their first kiss that followed. Watching her laugh with Ma and Kara or barely containing her annoyance at his bumbling act in the theater, he could tell all of her emotions now just by her expression.

Her anger and jealous he would not soon forget, he knew. Those expressions he would make sure to watch for. He did enjoy teasing her though, just to watch her reaction. He was also a little worried about how good she was getting at teasing him. She could certainly played havoc with his libido when she wanted to. Once she realized just how much she overwhelmed his senses every time she was near him, he was going to be in big trouble.

Moments continued to stream through his mind as the seconds ticked down. He smiled as he remembered her sense of wonder at the grocery store or her over-protectiveness with the kids in the pool. There were terrible moments too, seeing her limp body surrounded by blood in the water. The awful, gut wrenching waiting to see if she would live or die.

The happy moments continued though. The sight of her when she did finally returned still made his heart beat faster. He could taste her kisses on his lips and vividly remember the feel of her body against his. He'd finally overcome his fear and told her that he loved her. He knew he would never regret saying it.

The time was almost up.

He felt her sit on him and then her lips against his. He could feel the passion from her and towards her. When she pulled away, he opened his eyes to gaze up at her loveliness. He couldn't help teasing her just a little bit.

"Something on your mind?"

"The bet is over, Kal, and so is my promise,' she whispered seductively to him.

"Has it been a whole month, are you sure,' he continued.

"Yes, thirty days, down to the hour, minute and second,' she replied.

"You know some months have thirty-one days, Diana,' he playfully suggested.

"Not this one."

"So I guess you won,' he said to her.

"More then I ever expected," she replied and then kissed him again. One kiss followed another, each succeeding one hotter than the one before.

"Mmm, so does this mean we're not married anymore,' he asked. He was enjoying the kisses, but her body pressed down on his was rather distracting, in a good way, but distracting.

"Uh-uh,' she replied, slowly shaking her head back and forth with a satisfied smile on her face. "Still married, Kal."

He tried to move and bring his hands down to her, but Diana playfully wouldn't allow this. She pressed herself down firmer against him and cut off further conversation with more passionate kisses.

"Di-Di-Di-Diana,' he tried to say, but her lips stopped him again and again.

"Shh, we're on our honeymoon, Kal,' she finally whispered.

"I like the sound of that,' he managed to reply.

"I do to,' she said, leaning back and taking the sides of his shirt front in her two hands. The time for anything coming between them was over. She gave the shirt a quick jerk and ripped it from his chest.

"That was a new shirt,' he complained.

"You have others,' she replied with a smile.

He was about to slow things down, as this was second nature to him, when it suddenly hit him that there wasn't really a reason to slow down. The bet was over, along with any promises to others. This was now just about the two of them. As amazing as it seemed, looking at her, he realized this was a woman he didn't have to worry about slowing down with. His smile grew as he slipped his thumbs between the buttons on her blouse and with a flick of his wrists tore it from her just as she had done to him.

"I think I just satisfied a million fantasies,' he chuckled. Diana gave him a confused look of not understanding.

"You have? Whose,' she asked in her most innocent way.

"Mine,' he replied and gently pulled her back to him. Diana liked this reply and eagerly moved to him. A month of pent up passion started to let go, but as it usually happens, something interrupted them. This time it was the doorbell. Clark closed his eyes with a groan, even as she kissed him again.

"The doorbell, Diana,' he muttered between kisses.

"We're not answering it,' she replied, barely stopping her caresses.

"It might be important."

"It might not."

He managed to glance towards the door and using his vision saw it was Cubby and LuAnn.

"It's Cubby and LuAnn, Diana,' he informed her.

"Oh Hera, them, let's just pretend we're not home,' she offered.

"They know we're here,' he replied. "Our cars are in the driveway."

"Couldn't we just be the rude neighbors that don't answer the door,' she asked, grinding against him in hopes it would help her win.

"Oh Jeez,' he groaned. The doorbell rang again. "They aren't going away."

"Why do they have to be so friendly in the suburbs,' she lamented, still not moving to answer the door. He managed to sit up, even as she continued to straddle him and hold his arms hostage.

"We have to answer the door, Diana."

"I don't want to. This is the start of our honeymoon, Kal,' she said with almost a pout.

"If we don't they'll just keep coming back,' he suggested. She kissed him passionately again. "I'll-I'll get rid of them, I promise."

Diana was frustrated, but knew he was probably right. She never cared for the neighbors, especially that LuAnn, but knew the rude woman wouldn't take a hint.

"You'll get rid of them,' she asked.

"As fast as possible,' he quickly replied. "I want to start this honeymoon just as much as you do."

Diana smiled at this and then reluctantly got off him. Clark slowly stood up, taking a deep breath to try and get himself under control. Diana watched him with a playful smile.

"Something wrong, Kal,' she asked in her most innocent voice.

"Yes,' he replied, watching her try and not laugh. "I'd prefer not to answer the door quite so excited."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Oh yes," he immediately said. "But not till after we answer the door."

Taking another deep breath, Clark shook himself and then glanced at her blouse.

"Might want to pull that together a bit, honey or Cubby will never want to leave,' he teased.

"You too or I'll have to throw LuAnn out this time,' she countered.

They moved towards the door, trying to straight their clothes and appearance. They looked at each other and nodded. Clark opened the door.

"Well, there you are,' LuAnn said gaily. "We were beginning to think you weren't going to answer."

"We weren't…" Diana started to reply, but Clark cut her off.

"We weren't expecting guests."

"I see,' LuAnn said, her eyes immediately moving to Clark's exposed chest.

"A little afternoon delight, eh, pal,' Cubby joked, his eyes growing wide at just the hint of what lay under Diana's blouse.

"So, um, ah, what-what can we do for you two,' Clark asked. He was standing in the doorway block their entrance. Diana also had her hand on the door.

"A party, a special party we're having,' LuAnn said, looking only at Clark. "It's tonight and we really want you to come, Clark. Oh, and you too, Diana."

"Yes definitely you too, Diana,' Cubby chimed in, unable to take his eyes off her.

"Tonight,' Clark asked.

"Yes!"

"No,' Diana quickly replied. "We have plans. We're going to spend the night…"

Again Clark cut her off, a little afraid of what she might say to them.

"Work, we have work plans, can't be helped,' he said.

"Are you sure,' LuAnn asked, moving just a little closer. "We really want you to be there tonight, Clark."

"We're sure,' Diana answered. She was starting to push against the door to close it, even as Clark held it open.

"Damn shame,' Cubby said. "We were hoping you two would join the rest of us tonight, but if you have to work, you have to work, we understand."

"We really do,' Clark nodded. Meanwhile he was struggling with Diana over the door.

"Speaking of work, have you considered my proposal about siding the house, Clark? You have to strike while the iron's hot,' Cubby continued.

"Still-Still thinking about it, Cubby,' Clark replied, his grip on the door a little harder as he could feel Diana trying to push it closed.

"We have other things on our mind,' Diana added, adding just a little more force behind trying to close the door.

"You're going to shatter the door if you keep this up,' Clark whispered so low only she could hear him. Cubby had continued his spiel about aluminum siding, but they weren't really paying attention. Diana kept the pressure up on the door, but reached her hand around Clark's body and gently grazed her fingertips up his side. He reacted and this was all she needed.

'Thank you both for stopping by,' she immediately said. "Good bye now."

The door closed in the next moment. Clark glanced at her and saw a satisfied smile on her face.

"I didn't want to waste any more of my life with that,' she said in justification.

"Aren't you immortal,' he asked.

"Theoretically, but I still don't want to waste it when I can be doing something else,' she replied, moving to him and putting her arms around his neck. "I believe we were on the couch before we were so rudely interrupted."

"I'm not sure the couch is sturdy enough,' Clark joked.

"The bed,' Diana offered.

"Wouldn't want to break it, would you?"

"No, I really like that bed,' she replied. Her eyes began to scan their surroundings and finally landed on the pool.

"The pool, Kal,' she said with a ardent smile.

"But that's where Lashina attacked you, Diana,' he protested, uncomfortable with the whole memory.

"Time to make new memories, Kal,' Diana warmly said. She took his hand and led him out the patio doors to the side of the pool. Excitement and nervousness seemed to spiral together inside of her, making her dizzy with anticipation.

"There is that party tonight on the station, Diana, to settle the bet,' he offered, moving in and wrapping his arms around her. If we don't show up, they'll come looking for us."

"That's a million miles away from this moment, Kal,' she said, embracing him.

"Diana, I know this is your first time and…" he started, but she cut him off.

"Yes, it is, Kal, but there is no holding back now,' she offered. "Besides I have a vivid imagination."

"Do you now?"

"Let me show you,' she replied and then pulled him into the pool with her. Their lips met just before they went under the water. They floated down, locked in a passionate embrace. When they finally surfaced they were both a little out of breath and not from being under water. She slipped his shirt off his back and he did the same with hers. Between heated kisses they managed to strip each other until nothing remained between them. Their eyes were locked the whole time. Diana moved one of her legs up the side of his body and hooked it around his waist. One of his hands formed a seat for her, while the other supported her lower back

He could feel her hot breath against his face as she moved her other leg so she was in position. They were both breathing hard, never taking their eyes off each other's. Diana gave a little gasp as he entered her for the first time. They held still for what seemed like forever, but was only a few moments, relishing the sensation of being joined.

"Finally,' she whispered.