Happy Wednesday, readers! I feel like I make up for last week's chapter here, but enough of that fufu shit! We also need to go back to the main plot. Yes, angst is coming your way! Enjoy! P.S Don't get used to super early updates, I woke up 20min before my alarm went off and I took advantage of the time.

13

We all walked back to the palace after the show the Amazons and I put for everyone. I was pretty exhausted and so was Steve, but the moment we were alone in my chambers suddenly I found myself with all the energy in the world.

I walked deeper into the room and I could feel Steve's eyes on me. I looked over my shoulder and gazed at Steve directly in the eyes and I hoped they would convey what I wanted him to do.

He took tentative steps towards me until we were basically touching. He laid his hand gently on my cheek and I put mine on his waist. I felt myself sway at his touch and I closed my eyes at the warm sensation forming at the pit of my stomach.

I felt his fingers rub against my cheek and they slowly started traveling down my neck and shoulder, eventually they stopped at my back. Opening my eyes, I saw he was waiting for me to stop him or reassure him in some kind of way.

"Do you remember how the buckles work?"

He nodded and with an exhale he said, "Yes,"

"Good,"

I closed the space between us and this time there was no rush, there was no immediate danger and there was nowhere to be in the morning. We clung to each other and no corner of our bodies was left unexplored.

Now, with Steve's head resting on my stomach and my fingers running through his hair, I ask with no fear or doubt,

"Will you come with me to Paris? Stay with me?"

He smiles sleepily at me and nods. "I'll follow you anywhere. You're stuck with me, I'm afraid."

I smile, "I've had it worse. We'll have to think of how to get you in now. You can't just show up with me. When we get to Nice, Bruce will have to fill out some documents for the Coast Guard and they will notice an extra passenger on board. They will probably ask for some kind of documentation to confirm you are there legally,"

Steve's brow creases in thought. "We'll have to falsify documents, but where though? We're in the middle of the ocean,"

"We'll talk to Bruce. He may not have powers, but he sure has an ability to make things happen in a blink of an eye. I'm sure he'll know how to help you,"

I feel Steve nod against my stomach and that's the last thing I remember before sleep takes me under. I wake up with the sun hitting my face, my chambers bathed in bright yellow light. I turn my head to see I'm alone in bed. I frown and turn my head to look around the room. I notice the balcony doors are open, the curtains being blown inward by the gentle wind.

I stand up, wrapping the bed sheets around my body and walking towards the balcony. I see Steve standing there, wearing only his pants, hands resting on the railing. I wrap one arm around his stomach, kissing his shoulder and resting my chin on it.

"Good morning,"

He runs his hand up my arm and turns his head to look at me. "Good morning,"

I pull back a little, and reading my movements perfectly, he kisses me. If it weren't because 1) we're in the balcony and 2) we're supposed to go to the great hall to have breakfast soon, I would have let go of the bed sheets. I pull back before we both lose control.

"What are you doing out here?" I ask him looking over his shoulder at the ocean.

"I knew the island was beautiful the moment I crashed into the ocean, but from up here – Themyscira is truly a marvel, isn't it?"

I hum in agreement. Steve once called it 'Paradise Island' and it truly is. There isn't a single corner of this place that's not beautiful or peaceful.

"We should try to come here as often as we can after we leave, don't you think?"

I'm brought out of my daydream by his comment. "What?"

He turns and I lift my chin from his shoulder. "After what's to come, I think we'll need a vacation and what better place than your home? Besides, you've been far away from your family long enough. Trust me, not having family with you is hard. You still have them, don't push them away."

I'm momentarily stunned by the sudden shift in conversation. I selfishly forget that Steve's dad, his only family, died right before he enlisted and me, having my family very much alive, decided to distance myself from them.

I think Steve confuses my silence for something else and he quickly backtracks, "I don't mean to tell you how you should treat you family. I just – I don't want you to later regret not spending more time with them, like I did."

I shake my head. "No, you're right. I think Mother would like that. I would like that," – I take his hand – "You're right."

He nods and smiles. "Get used to it,"

I laugh and push him playfully. "Shut up,"

We get ready (and get slightly distracted, but none the matter) and head down to the great hall. Everybody was already there, so all eyes were on us when we walked through the doors late. I felt the heat climbing up my neck, but I kept walking to my place next to Mother. Steve sat besides me.

"Now that we're all here" – Mother looks quickly down at me and I turn to look at Steve, both of us lowering our heads trying to hide an embarrassed smile – "I want you all to understand the importance of what it is about to happen. In a few days, when my beloved daughter returns to Man's World, we will have forged an alliance that has never been forged before. Amazons and mankind will fight together to defeat an enemy to all – an enemy that threatens the very thing both of our people desire. Peace."

Yes. The influence Bruce Wayne has is a great one and with his contacts with the government, especially his contact with Amanda Waller, an alliance forged with him is basically an alliance with the US government. I still have my doubts about how they will react to this, but Mother doesn't know how they operate and our people and Bruce, Steve and I, need her words and encouragement right now for what's to come.

"For centuries the Amazons have fought evil as it landed in our shores, but this time we are coming their way. No more of us waiting, no more surprises. This time we will surprise our enemies and we won't do it alone."

All Amazons, warriors and tutors alike agree with Mother, as their heads nod in ascent and a roar ricochets off of the walls. This is a perfect example of a leader rallying her troops.

"Amazons and mankind were created by the same Gods, and it is today that we become brothers and sisters. We will protect you until our dying breath and I now know, you will do the same for us." She looks at Steve intensely and he's taken aback by it. I take his hand and squeeze. I know what that look from my Mother means. It means thank you. It means she acknowledges what you did and she respects you for it.

She nods and Steve nods back. He looks at me and I smile. The sacrifice he made was never acknowledged. Nobody ever knew that Captain Steve Trevor gave his life so that millions could live. They never knew they owed everything to this one man. Only five of us knew. Only one, 100 years later. But now, a whole population, albeit small, knows what he did. I know Steve never did anything for the recognition, but he deserves to know that people respect and commend what he did, and he now knows.

And hey, it's not too bad to know that the Mother of the woman you love respects and likes you.

"Captain Steve Trevor and Bruce Wayne, please rise."

I see the surprise in Bruce and Steve's faces, but they rise anyway.

"For your dedication and bravery for fighting alongside my daughter and fighting for peace, I, the Amazon Queen, award you honorary citizenship to Themyscira. From this day forward you are welcomed on this island. From this day forward, you can consider this your home. Thank you. May the gods protect you."

"May the Gods protect you!" Everyone one in the great hall, myself included, exclaims. A cheer erupts and I stand up and hug Mother. I don't say anything to her. She knows what this means to me. I look at Antiope over Mother's shoulder and she smiles at me. I smile back and make a mental note to find the time to talk to her before we leave for Paris.

I turn to Steve and kiss him softly. The cheers from the Amazons grow louder.

"How does it feel to be an Amazon?" I ask teasingly.

His eyes dance with excitement. "All of a sudden I feel like I could punch through a wall,"

I laugh, "You probably can now,"

Everyone settles down eventually and we have breakfast. I look over Bruce's direction and see how the Amazons just seem to be drawn to him like a magnet, but in an unexpected turn of events, he only has eyes for Venelia.

Dear God, I think. Could he actually…?

I shake my head. What needs to happen will happen, I guess.

Later, Mother, high ranking warriors, senators, Steve, Bruce and I head to the throne room to discuss what their plan is and how and when we could possibly meet in Man's world.

"First of all, I would like to start this meeting by thanking Phillipus. She made the decision to step down from her position as General of the Amazonian army to allow my sister, and former General to take her place. She was not asked to do this nor was anyone suggesting she did, and yet she did it anyway. Phillipus, your counsel has been greatly appreciated and the warriors have great respect for you. As a token of my appreciation, I name you my hand; a position that has remained empty for centuries trying to find someone worthy. You are worthy of it, Phillipus."

Phillipus takes a step forward and goes down on one knee. "Your Majesty, everything I do is for the good of our people and the mission the Gods gave us. I am humbled by your offer and I will do my very best to advice you as best as I can."

Mother nods. "Rise. I know you will. Antiope."

Antiope steps forward and looks at us. "As you might have noticed by now, we do not have the numbers mankind does, but we have the strength. One Amazon can easily take on 10 men and with our army of 3,000 warriors, I think we can prove to be quite helpful. Unfortunately, even with the information the Captain and I brought back from the Underworld, we are still at a disadvantage. Until we know for sure what powers Steppenwolf possesses, we won't know how to attack best. In terms of weapons, the Mother Boxes are our best chance. We need to find one and we need to study it. The scholars of Themyscira are certainly the best equipped to do that,"

I see Bruce and Steve wince a little at that.

"General, you should know that my government won't be as welcoming as you have been to us. They play a game of power and if they find any of the Mother Boxes first, you can be certain they won't surrender it that easily, if at all." Bruce says matter of factly.

Steve exhales, "They haven't changed much, huh?"

"They're 10 times worse. Having the best military in the world hasn't helped them stay humble either,"

Antiope looks annoyed by the realization that the alliance might be one way. "What do you suggest then, Bruce Wayne?"

He thinks for a minute, "There's a woman. Her name is Amanda Waller. She's in command of A.R.G.U.S, which is a United States federal agency operating under the jurisdiction of Homeland Security."

Bruce just said a lot of words that went right over Mother and Antiope's heads. I will have to explain to them how governments work in general later on.

"In a nutshell, her job is to defend the interests of the US by researching into people who possess super powers and using them as 'weapons'. She is a high-ranking government official. I can talk to her and explain the situation, see what we can do."

"I do not mean offense by this, Bruce Wayne" – Mother says slightly exasperated – "But this Amanda Waller does not sound like a woman looking for peace. Actively looking for people with special abilities to use them as weapons? I don't think it is within our best interest to join forces with her,"

I agree, but that's not how things work in Man's world. Governments in general are full of people only serving themselves and not the people they were sworn to look after. But they are the ones with the power, so they are the ones we must join forces with. The consequences of fighting Steppenwolf without including them could be seen as an act of war and that could be lethal.

"Your Majesty, I'm not disagreeing with you. Amanda Waller is ruthless and I have certainly doubted her intentions many times, but we need access and she has the keys. Having her involved is crucial."

Mother looks to Antiope and she gives her a look that says the decision is up to her. Antiope looks at me and asks,

"What do you think, Diana?"

"I agree with Bruce. I have observed Amanda Waller and as much as I disagree with her methods, she is someone we need in order to begin a conversation with the high-ranking officials of the US government. We must tread carefully, but she is definitely important."

Mother and Antiope nod and their eyes move left and right, analyzing every single detail over and examining every single threat before making any decisions.

"Phillipus, what do you think of this?", Mother asks.

"Your Majesty, the General and yourself had decided to send a small group of us to Man's world in order to introduce ourselves and our intentions with the upcoming war, but with this new information, I believe that is not longer a wise decision."

"What do you suggest?"

"I suggest Diana is sent as our ambassador. The people of Man's world are already familiar with her and they know what she fights for. And if it is Amanda Waller's job to find people with superpowers, then she must know of Diana. There is fear in the unknown. They know more about the intentions of Wonder Woman than they do of the intentions of an unknown group of warriors from an unknown island. Diana is both Amazon and citizen of Man's world. In my opinion, she is the best person to deliver our message."

Phillipus looks to me and nods respectfully. I nod back in appreciation to her words.

"You speak wisely, Phillipus. Are you comfortable in taking that role, Diana?"

"I am, Mother. I know how to talk to them,"

I do know how to talk to them, but I'm not looking forward to it. I've somehow managed to avoid contact with Amanda Waller, but Phillipus' assumption is not wrong. I am almost certain Amanda Waller may know a little too much about me, but since she hasn't made her move yet, I haven't made mine. But that ends the moment I talk to her. She will research until she finds everything there is to know about me. She may find out about Steve and that's where I have to be careful. After what she did to Enchantress and the way she manipulated her and used Rick Flag's love for June Moone to subdue the witch, I have to be extremely careful. If Amanda Waller dares to put one finger on Steve…

"It's decided then. Diana will go in our behalf and when the time comes, we will fight. When do you think you will set sail back to Man's world?"

I look at Bruce and Steve and see they are leaving the decision to me. "Two days, Mother. We leave in two days,"

I see the sadness in both her and Antiope's eyes, but they hide it immediately. "Very well. I declare this meeting over. Thank you all for your time and cooperation,"

People start exiting the throne room and I stay back so that Steve and I can talk to Bruce about what we'll do in two days.

"Have you two love birds decided what you want to do next?"

It almost seems he saves his annoying self just for me.

"I'm moving to Paris with her. Obviously." Steve says.

Bruce smiles an almost sincere smile. "Yeah, that was obvious. Don't worry about all the legal documentation. I just need your full name, where you were born, your age and I'll do the rest."

Steve looks surprised at Bruce's offer. "Oh. Are you sure you want to do that? I wouldn't want you to take unnecessary risks for me."

Bruce laughs softly. "Like I told your girlfriend here, I can do that in my sleep. It's no bother."

He nods. "Okay. Thank you."

"Sure."

We stay quiet for a few seconds and sensing that I want to speak with Steve privately, he says, "Well, since we're leaving soon I might as well do a bit of sight seeing."

I nod and Bruce leaves the throne room followed by the guards that were at the entrance.

"Steve, we need to talk about what's going to happen once we're in Paris. I don't think you shou-"

"Let me stop you right there. If you're about to say that I should sit this one out, the answer is a resounding no."

I exhale. I'm not surprised at all. I knew this would be his answer, and yet I still feel completely unprepared for his willingness to fight, even after everything that's happened. Even after everything I know about him.

"I need you to understand something, Steve. This is not like before. We're talking about an alien being that's coming with an army, which powers we still don't know about. You can't just dive in, head first on this one. This fight is different."

He looks at me as if I just stated the most obvious thing in the world. "I know. We both know the exact amount of information about this Steppenwolf. I know. But I'm not doing nothing. I simply can't."

I start feeling my frustration grow bigger and bigger with every word coming out of his mouth. Why can't he see that I don't want him to risk himself? Why can't he see that I can't bare the thought of him leaving me again? Why can't he see that I'm trying to protect him?

"And what's your plan exactly? Grab a shotgun and start shooting at them? Or are you going to infiltrate their camp?"

I know I shouldn't be talking to him like that. It's not fair. But right now, that's the only way I'm able to speak; my frustration coming out in anger and annoyance.

My words hit their target though, because the expression on his face changes from mild frustration to one of anger.

"What do you want me to do, Diana? Drink a cup of coffee and eat a croissant while you, your friends and family and who knows who else, fights? You know who I am, and you know I can't do that."

Now I'm angry. Why is he so stubborn?! "There's nothing you can do! Understand that. Please!"

He shakes his head. "I know I'm just one man. But I can talk to this Amanda Waller and maybe she ca-"

I cut him off. "You know nothing about Amanda Waller. You don't know how far she's willing to go to get what she wants. Your government is not what it used to be, Steve. What? Do you want to go knock on the Pentagon's door and see if they'll welcome you with open arms?"

He's trying to contain his anger, but his eyes betray what his words don't express. "I know my government! Don't forget I used to be a part of it. You don't need to tell me how things are. Plus, you've seen what I can do. What I'm capable of!"

"I'm not questioning your abilities, Steve! I'm saying that your abilities are not going to be enough this time!"

He rubs his face. "It's not about what I can do alone. It's about what I can contribute to the group! I know how politicians are and if you can understand how they think, then I -"

"Stop, Steve! You don't get to tell me how things work anymore. Don't forget that I've been on this Earth longer than you ever were. Longer than you will ever be!"

I close my eyes. Why did I say that? Why did I say that?

He exhales loudly and with his hands on his hips, he looks at the floor. "I know what you're doing. But Diana, I can't just sit by while you risk your life for mine and everyone else's. Don't ask me to do that. I can't. I can't."

I look at him and wonder what is it exactly that goes through his head before making these decisions. I know what goes through mine, but Steve does not have powers like I do. So I guess in other words, he's braver than me.

"Put yourself in my shoes for a second, hm? What would you do? Because right now, if we were fighting this alien, I would constantly be looking over my shoulder to make sure you were okay; that you were still alive, and that's not only dangerous for me, but for the people fighting alongside me. What would you do, Steve? I want you to tell me 'cause I don't have the answer. What would you do if I had been the one dead for a century and suddenly I came back?"

He shakes his head, exasperated and he opens his arms wide. "I don't know! I don't know, Diana. The only thing I do know is that I made a promise to my country and to myself that I would fight to protect my home and to fight for what is right, and that's what I did. For God's sake, I gave my life for the greater good!"

"Yes! Yes, you did. But how many times are you willing to give everything, Steve? It's not just you anymore. Don't you get it? I need you. That was made extremely clear to me over this last century. And maybe it's selfish, but you know what? I don't care. Every day I fight and every day I give my all to, just like you, fight for what is right, but when do we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor? We deserve happiness too. We have the right to put ourselves first every once in a while."

This is a thought I've had every now and then. But then the cynical part of me would always say 'What's the point? With whom are you going to share that happiness?' It didn't matter how many times I tried to be happy, actually happy, at the end of the day it was just me and that was never enough.

Until now.

"Listen to what you're saying, though. You're asking me to do nothing. You're asking me to stay in your apartment in Paris and wait for you to come back to tell me that this alien is gone, and what if you don't come back? I need you too. I came back from the Underworld and risked everything because it wasn't enough. I need to be there, right next to you. It may sound stupid. I know I'm just a man and you're half God, and if it really came down to it, I know I probably wouldn't be much help, but I can't bare the thought of you risking your life and I'm doing nothing other than wait. Even if it means being in an office and making phone calls, I have to do something."

It's the honesty in his words that completely disarms me. The anger slowly fades to reveal the fear I feel at the thought of something happening to Steve. And I get it. I get where he's coming from, 'cause I couldn't just wait for someone else to fight a battle for me. Especially someone I love. But my heart and mind are at conflict. So I give it one last chance, even though I know it will be futile.

"What if something happens to you? Then what? 100 years, Steve. I thought about you everyday for 100 years, and you came back to me, against all odds, you came back. I want you safe. Please, do this for me. Please."

I see the internal battle and I know he's trying to find within him the one little piece that agrees with me 100%. But I know him well enough to know he won't find it. It's simply not who he is.

He shrugs and shakes his head. "I can't do that. I'm sorry. Try to see it from my perspective. What if I asked you not to go? To stay with me and let the league and everyone else deal with Steppenwolf? You wouldn't agree to that 'cause it's not who you are. It's not who I am."

I understand now why people say that being with someone similar to you is difficult. Steve and I are both stubborn; we both fight for what we believe is right, and we both try to protect each other from harm even at the risk of the other. I have no other choice but to accept that and the same goes for him, but that doesn't mean I always have to like it. And right now, I don't.

"Everything I fought for during all this time has always been for you and for the good of people and now, I will also fight for us. Just make sure there's an us at the end of this war,"

I start walking towards the door and when I walk past him, he calls my name.

"I need to be alone. I'll see you tonight."

And with that, I exit the throne room and make my way to the highest point in Themyscira to try and find the inner strength to prepare not only my mind, but my heart for what it is to come.

AN: Yes, they fought. I wanted to portray a realistic relationship between Diana and Steve. If you were looking for the perfect couple story, this is not your fic. Every relationship goes through ups and downs and I wanted to portray that here. They fought because they care. And I also thought it was poetic the way the chapter began and how it ended. I hope you liked it. And since some of you have been asking, yes, we'll see a lot more Antiope next chapter. See ya next week!