Summary: (BM/WW Wedding-fic) When Batman finally gathers the courage to ask Wonder Woman to marry him, the Dark Knight gets more than he bargained for when the entire League decided to pitch in and help plan their impending nuptials – contains fluff, random humour, a temperamental Amazon princess, drunken bachelor-party escapades, and various attempts on Superman's life!
A/N: Happy holidays! Sorry for the wait - finished my Post-Grad degree for the year and am looking for employment... ugh. Adulting isn't fun. Adulting isn't fun at all.
Finishing this at least, so it's all good. Sad, but good.
Disclaimer: Nope, nope, nope... one day, perhaps, but for now, no. DC Comics and everyone and their uncle owns any and all related intellectual property.
Bridezillas & Kryptonite
~Chapter Eighteen~
1.
-Paperwork-
Usually, Shayera wasn't the type that stared… which was saying something considering some of the things she'd seen the past month alone.
She was staring now.
Sitting at the corner table in the kitchen at Wayne Manor, too dazed to comment, Shayera watched as Bruce moved around making coffee, dressed more casually than she's ever seen him before in sweat pants and a t-shirt.
Diana, dressed similarly, was sitting in the chair across from her and had a newspaper open on the table. She paged through it casually until Bruce came around and hummed in happiness when he set down a cup of tea in front of her and kissed her cheek.
When he handed Shayera her cup, Bruce moved to sit down next to Diana and took the section of the paper she'd already set aside for him. The two of them settled into a causal, almost lazy sort of daze - perfect for a Saturday morning and so out of odds with everything she knew about them.
It was downright domesticated.
"So…" Shayera began conversationally, "Where's Alfred?"
"He went into town earlier," Diana answered, blue eyes amused as Bruce smirked into his coffee. "He's gone shopping."
Shayera raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"He's been doing it a lot lately." Bruce said dryly, paging through the business section. "He found a baby store on the other side of town a few days ago. He and Dick went to scope out the merchandise. Tim and Jason tagged along."
Shayera blinked in surprise. "Huh… alright then." She said before sitting up a little straighter in her seat. "Anyway, I have to say, though, I am still a little lost why you both wanted me here."
"There's a reason for that." Bruce said simply, giving nothing away. Just then, they heard the doorbell ring throughout the house and he stood up. "I'll get it."
"Are you expecting someone else?" Shayera asked as he left the kitchen.
"Just Clark." She explained with a mysterious smile.
"Okay? Is it serious?"
"No, no, it's nothing like that, but it is important, I promise." Diana said, reaching over to squeeze her friend's hand.
"I'll take your word for it. But, now, since Bruce isn't here… how was the honeymoon?" Shayera asked, grinning mischievously.
Diana had to bite down on her lower lip to keep herself from full-out grinning.
"That good, huh?" Shayera teased.
"Better."
"Yeah?"
She let out a sigh which told Shayera everything she wanted to know. "Mmm…"
"Damn… The moment we're alone, I want details." She demanded. "I'm just surprised you didn't want any more time alone."
"We did, but we both have responsibilities, and Bruce and I both agreed it wouldn't be fair to expect the boys to watch over Gotham on their own for too long."
"You're still lucky. I remember I spent most of my honeymoon in outer space in a cramped ship with Kilowog tagging along for the ride." She said ruefully. "I couldn't exactly jump John like I wanted to."
At the look Diana gave her, Shayera coughed. "Okay, fine, I did, a lot, but those walls aren't soundproof and we didn't have a lot of time between the aliens shooting at us."
"Admit it, you would have been bored if you just sat on a beach the whole day." Diana teased.
"…Maybe… It got a whole hell of a lot better after we kicked Kilowog off, I'll tell you that much." She allowed and Diana laughed.
Bruce came back not too long after that with Clark walking in behind him.
"Diana, Shayera," he said, acknowledging both of them with a warm smile.
"Kal," Diana said, smiling back at him as she stood up to meet him halfway with a hug, "it's good to see you."
"Coffee?" Bruce called over his shoulder, walking over to the cupboard.
"That'll be great, Bruce. Thank you." He said and went to sit at the table. "I got your message, you wanted to talk to me about something?"
"We did." Bruce said. "Diana, do you…?"
"I have it here." She said, setting the newspapers aside and pulled out a nondescript grey folder underneath. "Kal, Shayera."
She held it out for one of them to take, and when Clark took it, Shayera leaned over to read with him.
They sat like this for several minutes until the soft gasp from Shayera broke the quiet and Clark looked up, blinking like he'd been in a daze.
"Wait… am I- am I reading this right?" he started.
Bruce walked up to him and set Clark's coffee down in front of him. "We thought we might as well get everything down on paper and legalize it." He said with a shrug as he took his place next to Diana again.
"Bruce, Diana, this is…"
"We know." Diana said with a nod.
"It's a little formal way of asking, don't you think?" Shayera said, equally stunned.
"Then maybe we should just cut to the chase." Bruce said. "Will you or will you not be our child's godparents?"
A stunned silence followed after this until Diana spoke.
"You don't have to answer right away." She said. "Take a few days to consider it, we won't rush you."
That was a suspicious gleam in Shayera's eyes, and even Clark had a subtle hitch in his throat when he answered. "Are you sure?"
"We are." Diana assured. "We know it's sudden, but we would be honoured if you agreed to it."
"Really? You both did?" Shayera asked, looking at Bruce.
"We needed people we could trust." He said simply. "It turns out, the decision wasn't that hard to make after all."
Shayera considered this for a moment before she sat back in her chair.
"Well then, you don't have to wait for my answer." She said matter-of-factly. "Do you have a pen?"
They did, and when Shayera turned to where a signature was needed, she made her initials on the bottom line.
When it was Clark's turn to answer, the Kryptonian swallowed the lump in his throat and smiled as he took the pen. "You didn't even need to ask." He said, his hand only slightly unsteady as he signed his name.
"Thank you." Bruce said quietly.
Shayera let out a wry snort. "Just don't screw up, right?"
He allowed a smirk. "Obviously."
"No guarantees, but hey, we'll try."
Diana laughed. "That's all we ask." She said. "…Also, there may be one other reason I asked you to come over to day."
Shayera caught the look Bruce gave her and felt her curiosity pique.
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
"Bruce and I've been talking about the situation with Harry, and, well… could we get our dog back?"
A few days later…
"So, Hal, how long are you staying this time?"
The Green Lantern shrugged as he, Green Arrow and Black Canary made their way out of the Watchtower's cafeteria. "I'm not sure. I've been wondering lately if I shouldn't make the move back to earth and stay."
"It's not a bad idea, can't say we wouldn't mind the extra help around here." Oliver said reasonably. "I'd just talk to Supes first if you make up your mind."
"I might just do that."
"You know you're always welcome to stay with us in the meantime, Hal." Dinah said.
"Thanks, but I can't keep bumming it at your place. I'll start looking for an apartment once I made my decision."
Oliver nudged him with his elbow. "Well, hey, at least this trip was memorable, right?"
"I'd say it was more weird than anything else, but we wouldn't be us if it wasn't."
The archer snorted. "Tell me about it."
Just as they turned the corner, they happened to pass Batman halfway down the hall. It didn't escape their notice that the vigilante had a small brown dog on his heels, tail wagging as it followed after him obediently.
Hal did a double take, but didn't bother calling afterwards.
"Is that…?" he asked after a while.
Dinah just nodded. "Yup."
"That's not normal."
"Welcome to the Watchtower." Oliver said dryly, linking his arm with Dinah's. "Meetings are every other Monday, poker night's on Thursdays. Bring beer."
Hal blinked. "Huh… okay then."
And just like that, the three of them walked on.
2.
-Conversations-
Diana let out a irritated huff as she shifted around uncomfortably in the seat in the Monitor Womb, yanking at her uniform, trying unsuccessfully to take off some of the pressure around her steadily growing midsection.
Every once so often she'd scowl at the reflection in the screen in front of her, actually growling at what she saw there.
She looked up and glared when the effort earned herself a low chuckle from her current shift partner. "This isn't funny, J'onn."
The Martian in question merely smiled back at her. "My apologies." He said, red eyes bright. "But if I may, wouldn't it be easier to change out of your armour?"
"I can't exactly walk around the station wearing sweatpants."
"Why not? I don't think anyone here would think less of you if you did."
"J'onn…"
He made a mild humming sound. "There's more to this than a simple matter of pride, isn't there?"
She huffed again. "…Perhaps."
When she didn't say anything else, J'onn fell quiet and turned his attention back to the screen.
Time passes with little to no excitement and little more than a few sentences between them until the sliding doors open and Batman steps through.
His mouth perks up slightly when Diana looks away from the monitors and smiles at him before he looked over at J'onn, brow arching behind his cowl questioningly.
Something passed between the men without either of them saying a word, and in a matter of heartbeats, the vigilante's carefully bland expression turned decidedly smug.
"J'onn," he asked out loud. "When is the Founder's meeting?"
"I believe it's not for another hour, Batman." J'onn answered without looking away from the monitors.
"Do you think you can…?"
J'onn looked like he was trying not to smile himself. "I'm sure I'll manage on my own."
Diana looked between the two of them, suddenly suspicious. "What is…?" she began as Bruce walked over to her. "Bruce? What are you doing?"
"I think," he said casually as he scooped her up in his arms, "than you need to relax, Princess."
She couldn't keep herself from snorting but didn't resist. "Isn't that type of sentiment ironic coming from you?"
"Absolutely." He said and left it there.
Diana narrowed her eyes at J'onn over Bruce's shoulder. "You didn't…"
He was definitely smiling now. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're referring to, Wonder Woman."
The door slid shut before she could say anything else, and she tried to glare a hole through the steel through sheer force of will.
Pesky, well-meaning Martian…
"He's just worried." Bruce said matter-of-factly as he walked down the hall. "He mentioned something about your armour?"
"I didn't take J'onn for a gossip."
"Do I need to be worried too?"
"Of course not."
He didn't look convinced.
She sighed. "Fine… If you have to know, Wally and I were talking-"
He scoffed at this. "I can see where this is going." When he caught the look she gave him, he relented. "I'm sorry, go on."
"Thank you. We were talking, and he noticed how I kept trying to adjust my amour."
"You were?"
"Some things weren't meant to stretch." She pointed out.
He frowned, and although he didn't look happy he didn't say as much. "Then what?"
"Nothing, really - he asked me if I was comfortable how I was, and we left it there."
"…Somehow I don't think that's his exact words."
"No." she grumbled before looking at him seriously. "Will you be honest with me on this if I asked you something?"
"Of course."
Her eyebrows knitted together. "Do you think I'm squishing her?"
There was a pause. "'Squish'…?"
"Wally." She said simply like it explained everything - and it did. "Don't look at me like that, I'm serious. I don't want to not be helpful around the Watchtower, and I'm fully committed to staying as long as I'm able, but… what if I'm hurting her, Bruce?"
"You're not."
"But there's a 'but' at the end, isn't there?"
"But… the last thing you want is to put any unnecessary pressure - physical or otherwise - where you can avoid it." He said and Diana frowned. "So what do you want to do?"
She let her head fall against his shoulder. "It's not like I really have another choice, do I?"
"We can change your armour."
"We can try, but…" She sighed again. "Even if we could somehow get it to fit right now, it wouldn't be a permanent solution. Not for long anyway. Leslie scheduled my leave two weeks as it is."
"You don't sound very happy about it."
"I'm not. I'm going to have a hard time convincing myself I'm not going to be a burden for the next few months."
Bruce snorted. "You know Alfred was looking for an excuse to spoil you even before you agreed to marry me, right? I doubt you could ever be a burden even if you sat around and did nothing the whole day."
"I am ridiculously fond of that man, but I'm going to have to draw a line somewhere."
"You can try, it'll be good for him if you did."
The corner of Diana's lips perked up, and despite herself, she smiled.
"We'll figure something out, Princess." He said, and after a while, "…Anything else?"
"What do you mean?"
"Is there anything else bothering you?"
"Are you sure we should be talking about that here? Now?"
"Why not? Most of the League is off-duty or away right now."
"…That and you have access to the security footage."
"That too."
"Well then, if you insist, yes, I do in fact." She said. "My feet."
"What about them?"
"They resemble sausages." When he coughed, she narrowed her eyes. "I don't think you grasp the extent of the situation. They're swollen up and they hurt if I stand for too long, Bruce. It feels like I'm walking on balloons most of the day."
"I'm sorry."
She sniffed. "You should be. It's your fault." She said matter-of-factly but not harshly, making Bruce laugh. "Also, the amount of times I have to go to the bathroom is ridiculous."
"…Do you need to go now?"
"No… but that isn't the point, I'm just talking in general. And don't get me started on my lower back."
"Maybe I can help with that last thing."
They arrive at Diana's quarters, and with one arm still balancing the Princess, Bruce reached out with the other and typed in the access code before she handed her tiara to him. "Because it helped so much the last time."
Bruce smirked and hung it over the control panel.
"But now, how do you propose to help, Mr. Wayne?"
He walked across the room before gently depositing her on the bed, pulling off his cowl once he did. "As you should know, Mrs. Wayne, I am very good with my hands."
"Mm… well, I definitely don't have any complaints… but I would like a reminder."
"Your wish is my command."
"Then you better get to it."
They ended up being fifteen minutes late for the meeting, and even then, the others did a double take when Wonder Woman showed up in a baggy t-shirt and leggings, barefoot and tiara-less as her hair was a mass of stray curls.
"Sorry for being late, Kal." She said sweetly, unconcerned by the looks she got.
"We lost track of time." Batman said as they took their usual seats.
Superman looked between his two best friends in confusion until understanding dawned on him and his cheeks darkened.
"Um, I - no, it's, it's fine. Fine. We were, uh… talking about… something…"
"The Injustice League." J'onn said easily.
"Right, them."
Meanwhile, once the Kryptonian slowly started his briefing, J'onn spared both Batman and Wonder Woman a brief, albeit amused nod.
Hawkgirl grinned and gave the Amazon a not-so-subtle thumbs up, Green Lantern shook his head, and Flash just looked lost.
"Wait… what?"
3.
-Paint-
Brows knitted together and brush in hand, Diana stepped away from what she was busy with and bit her lower lip. "I don't think this is working out."
Next to her, Bruce's hand paused over the white sparrow on the wall across and looked over his shoulder. When he saw her attempt, however, he tilted his head slightly and squinted.
She saw this and stood back, wiping her hands on her already paint-stained coveralls."It seems my goddesses haven't blessed me where my painting skills are concerned."
Bruce's lips curved upwards at the corners. "It isn't that bad."
"What is it?" she asked sullenly.
He opened his mouth but decided better of it. "What did you want it to be?"
"You're avoiding the question, but I'll let you get away with it this once." She said. "It was supposed to be flowers. Clearly it didn't turn out like that."
Bruce kissed her cheek, but just as he did, a glint entered his eyes. "…You have something on your…"
Diana absently reached up and wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand. "Where?"
He raised his brush and, with great care, drew a line of white paint down the length of her nose.
Diana blinked in disbelief until she narrowed her eyes at him playfully. "You do understand, of course, this means war."
Bruce flashed her a grin before running a line over both her cheeks and finished off with a stripe down her chin. "Love is war, Princess."
Acting with as much dignity as she could, Diana up her brush down and dipped her hands into the yellow paint can. Despite the eyebrow raised in a silent challenge, Bruce held perfectly still as she drew a line along his jaw, traced his cheekbones and ran a line over his lips.
When she was done, she grinned as she then wrapped her arms around his waist. "We match."
He drew his arms around her shoulders. "Absolutely."
A mischievous glint entered the princess's eyes, and with a sweet smile that instantly had Bruce suspicious, he stilled when he felt her hands go low before settling firmly over the backside of his jeans.
"An opportunity presented itself." She said matter-of-factly, trying and failing not to laugh.
"Oh really?"
"I couldn't pass it up."
"Mm-hm…"
Just then, however, there were footsteps in the hallway, and Alfred walked in. "Pardon the interruption, Master Bruce, but-" he broke off when he saw their faces and stopped walking. "Well… this looks interesting."
"What is it, Alfred?" Bruce asked, looking over his shoulder.
"Mr. Fox called, sir." The older man said, amused now. "He wanted to discuss those improved Bat-Plane designs of yours."
Bruce nodded and with another parting kiss to Diana's cheek, he left, passing Donna as he stepped out of the room.
The younger Amazon did a double take when she saw him, and couldn't quite keep herself from staring at the twin set of handprints on the back of his jeans.
Diana just smiled as she sat in the rocking chair while Alfred and Donna looked at her and Bruce's handiwork.
"It's coming along nicely." Alfred commented, looking at the row of white sparrows in flight across the blue wall.
"Bruce did that," Diana said. "I'm afraid my own attempts didn't work out quite as well."
Donna carefully traced the outer edges of the pink and yellow flowers that framed the window. "Themyscrian lilies?" she asked, surprised but pleased.
"I thought I might bring a little of Paradise Island into the room." She admitted. "I still think I made a mess of it."
"You got the shape right." She said and hesitated for a moment. "Do you mind if I…?"
"Go ahead."
Donna took a thin brush before dipping it in the darker green paint can at her feet. With great care, she then started filling in little details, paining smaller leaves as Alfred came to stand next to her.
"You've a steady hand, miss." He commented. "I didn't know you had an interest in paining."
"I don't, but Dick and I went to this art exhibit the other night in Blüdhaven, and I thought I might as well try it out for myself."
Diana sat up a little straighter, interested. "Is that where you were?"
"It's not like that. He wanted backup - he got a tip that they were going to break in, and he wanted to case out the place before anything happened."
"Good heavens," Alfred said. "How did that turn out?"
"We stopped the thieves." She said cheerfully. "And we got pizza afterwards."
"Did he pay for it?" Alfred asked, and when Donna looked at him with amusement, he sniffed primly. "When on an outing with an exceptional young woman like yourself - who, amongst other things, helped you foil a robbery - it's expected that one buys her dinner as thanks."
Donna laughed. "I insisted we split the bill. Don't worry, you raised him well, Alfred."
"Good! I'd rather not give a lecture where none is warranted."
Donna giggled. "…Maybe a little one. Just to get the message to sink in."
The older man's mouth pulled into a smug line. "I suppose it couldn't hurt, Miss."
Diana watched the two of them. "Poor Dick, he has no idea what's waiting for him."
"I'm sure he'll survive." Donna said breezily.
"He'll be bodily sound at the very least."Alfred agreed.
Diana shook her head and looked up just as Bruce came back. "These two are plotting your son's downfall."
"We did no such thing, Madame." Alfred said with a dignified sniff. "We were merely discussing proper procedure."
"Sounds good. Which one?" Bruce asked mildly.
"Master Richard."
Bruce sat down on the floor next to the rocking chair. "Why wasn't I invited?" He joked, relaxing when Diana reached over and ran her fingers through his hair and stopped at the back of his neck.
"You were out, sir." Alfred said simply and left it there.
All was well.
4.
-Gifts-
Jason felt oddly fidgety as he walked up the steps that lead to the front door. Maybe it was because he hadn't been at the Manor since he moved out after the wedding a few months ago, maybe it was the soft weight he kept under his arm, but he stood there for several minutes before he rang the bell.
He waited until the door opened, actually shuffling his feet as he did. Instead of Alfred like he expected, however, it was Diana that answered.
When she saw him, the Amazon smiled. "Jason. This is a nice surprise."
He actually believed her when she said that.
He'd never really been alone with Diana for an extended period of time since his Robin days, but as far as Jason's experience went, she's always treated him with respect.
As a habit, he was inclined to do the same in the presence of women who could easily throw him into outer space.
"Hey," he said, playing it casual. "Uh… sorry for dropping by unexpectedly-"
She was still smiling. "Not at all."
"Is the old man home?"
"I'm afraid you just missed Bruce. The League called him in." She said. "Some kind of incident with a giant robot in Japan."
Jason felt his eyebrows nearly disappear into his hairline. "No kidding?"
"Sounds terribly exciting, doesn't it?"
He felt himself grinning at the grumpy edge in her voice. "Yeah, like something out of a cartoon." He agreed. "It, uh… must be rough staying out of all the action, huh?"
"I would have settled for Monitor duty but Bruce insists it's not a good idea to beam up too many times." She said, rolling her eyes. "So here I am."
He let out a low chuckle. "Like I said, sounds rough."
"It's mostly just the boredom." She said. "But that's not important. Can I help you?"
"Nah, just dropping something off." He said, awkward again as he held it out for her. "Since Bruce isn't around, you might as well take it."
Diana blinked as she looked down at the gift before carefully taking it from him. She held it up at eye-level like she was inspecting it, but just as he started feeling fidgety again, her eyes lit up and she beamed - honest to god beamed - at him.
"Jason…" she said, hugging the large stuffed bat to her chest. "This is adorable."
He'd deny the warmth he felt spreading in his chest and his face until his dying breath… Still, it didn't mean it wasn't nice to be appreciated.
He tried (and failed) not to look too pleased with himself. "I figured I should get the kid something. I didn't want to be the 'bad brother'."
"Never." Diana carefully ran her thumb over the bat's pale blue glass eyes. "This doesn't look store-bought. Did you make it yourself?"
He had the pinpricks from where the needles caught his fingers to show for it, but, always cool, "Yeah, just don't spread that fact around."
"I won't." she promised, and Jason believed her again. "…Would you like to come in?"
He hesitated. "…You wouldn't mind?"
"Of course not. It's been so quiet since you and Dick left. I miss the noise." She admitted, stepping aside and held the door open for him
Surprisingly enough, Jason didn't hesitate to step through.
The house was strangely quiet when Bruce came out of the study that night. This didn't sit well with him at first, as silence in the Wayne household usually meant multiple injured parties, attempted murder and/or property damage.
"Diana?" he called down the hall. "Alfred?"
It was only when he started down the stairs that he heard music drifting from the living room. When he went in to investigate, he found Diana sitting between Tim and Jason on the couch, his youngest son's head on her shoulder, asleep, as a popcorn bowl passed between his older son and wife.
As for Alfred… the older man was asleep on the recliner.
It was a rare and unusual sight, and Bruce regretted not having his phone with him.
The two awake didn't seem to notice him, too busy paying attention to the screen in front of them, and Bruce decided to walk up behind them, not making any noise as he did.
From behind the couch, he leaned down and asked, "What are we watching?"
Jason's grip on the bowl tightened and his shoulders tensed in surprise, while Diana merely smiled up at him and kissed his cheek when he lowered his head.
"Jeez, Bruce…" Jason grumbled. "Really?"
The older man snorted lightly before clasping his shoulder. "It isn't my fault you weren't paying attention to your surroundings." He said matter-of-factly. "Now, what are you watching?"
"I don't know, a musical or something." At Bruce's raised eyebrow, Jason shrugged. "The princess's got good taste, it's not nearly as bad as I thought it'd be."
"Only after I persuaded you to stay." Diana teased.
"What can I say? I'm a sucker for women with magical weapons who knows how to use them."
She laughed good-naturedly. "I wasn't going to use my lasso on you, Jason - if you really didn't want to watch this, I would have gone for my sword first."
Jason looked at Diana with barely concealed awe before turning back to Bruce. "Never let her go."
"Wouldn't dream of it." Bruce said.
Diana patted Jason's knee fondly. "Remind me to introduce you to Artemis."
Bruce grimaced. "That might not be a good idea, Princess…"
Jason grinned. "Meaning that's definitely happening."
Sensing he was fighting a losing battle, Bruce leaned against couch and shook his head until something caught his eye on the loveseat next to the coffee table.
"…Is that a bat?"
5.
-Ice-Cream-
It wasn't often that Bruce admitted to himself, or anyone really, that he was tired, but after thirty-six hours, two League missions and Scarecrow terrorizing Gotham, 'dead on his feet' didn't nearly cover how he felt at that very moment.
It was around 2 AM by the time Bruce eventually got back, the lights in the master bedroom were off and Diana was asleep. Even the damn dog was curled up by her feet.
He changed quietly but in a daze, but when he finally got into bed, his wife stirred.
"Bruce…?"
"Hey…" he said softly. "Don't wake up."
She hummed sleepily and curled against him when he laid down.
He wrapped his arm around her and closed his eyes. He was just about to drift off when he felt Diana kiss his jaw. "Bruce?" he heard her say again.
He didn't open his eyes. "Mmm?"
"Can I ask a favour?"
Still not moving, "Mm-hm…"
"Do you remember that ice-cream parlour we went to in Italy…?"
It took a minute, a long minute, but when the implications set in, he sagged against the mattress in resignation.
"Chocolate chip?"
She hummed again before nuzzling her face affectionately against his cheek.
Bruce stared up at the dark ceiling for a moment, and once he gathered his strength, he got out of bed again.
A frustrating half an hour later (he could still hear J'onn very loudly not laughing at him through the comm. link when he made the request), Bruce retraced his steps to the bedroom with a tub of expensive Italian ice-cream under his arm and a spoon in hand.
Diana was waiting for him, sitting up and cross-legged with the lights on.
He forgot about the bone-weariness he felt for a moment when he saw the happy look on her face.
She offered him a taste when he handed the tub over to her, but while he didn't accept the offer, he did watch her for a while until everything started getting blurry around the edges.
The last thing he remembers before falling asleep is a brush of cold-warm lips against his temple and, vaguely, the smell of chocolate.
He slept deeper that night than he had in a long, long time.
Finale.
Clark tapped the rim of his coffee cup nervously as he stared out of the diner window, not really taking in anything until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, startled at first but then smiled when he saw Bruce and a heavily-pregnant Diana there.
"Hey!" he said, the relief coming out more clearly in his voice than he intended. His friends, being as perceptive as they were, noticed this immediately.
"Kal," Diana said warmly. "We didn't expect to hear from you today."
"Everything okay?" Bruce asked as they slid in the booth across from him. "You sounded… tense over the phone."
Clark laughed nervously. "That's one word for it…" he said and leaned forward a little. "I… kind of need to talk this out with someone before I lose my nerve, so…"
"Sounds serious." Bruce said.
"It is." He said, and with a shaky breath, he then dug into his jacket's side pocket and pulled out something small. "It really is."
Turning his hand over so the palm faced up, when his friends saw the simple golden band there, Diana's breath caught as Bruce's eyebrows shot up in mild yet genuine surprise.
"Clark, that's wonderful!" Diana said happily. "You're going to ask her?"
He nodded. "Tonight." He said sheepishly, pocketing the ring again. "I think have everything ready, but, now it's just nerves, I guess?"
"Did you talk with her father?" Bruce asked.
"I went to see the General last week. He, uh… well, let's just say I know where Lois gets her temperament from."
Bruce smiled. "That must have been fun." He said before reaching out to shake Clark's hand firmly. "Congratulations, Kent. It's about damn time."
"We're so happy for you," Diana said sincerely, reaching over to squeeze Clark's other hand. "And, yes, it's about damn time. Lois is a very lucky woman."
"Thanks, but I'm the lucky one, really. So, you don't think I'm moving too fast, or-" When his friends let out a near-identical snort, and it's enough to almost make Clark laugh. Almost. "…Or not."
"Definitely not." Diana said matter-of-factly. "I think you've kept her waiting long enough."
"…I have, haven't I?" he said, grinning.
"She isn't going to let you forget about it any time soon." Bruce said wryly, signalling the waitress over to them. They needed to celebrate somehow.
"I know. I'll make it up to her." And he would, absolutely and wholeheartedly.
All she needed to do was say yes.
Later…
Diana found herself pacing in front of the mirror in the master bedroom late that afternoon, tension and restless energy coiling itself tight in her chest until a gentle nudge from the inside stirred her from her mood.
With a sigh, she laid her hand over her swollen abdomen. "When are you joining us, dearest one?" she said quietly.
The kick she got in reply was enough to make her smile until a knock at the door made her look up.
"Madame?" she heard Alfred call.
"It's open, Alfred. You can come in."
He did, but when the Englishman poked his head inside, he frowned when he saw her. "Are you feeling well, your majesty?"
She waved off his concern and forced a smile. "I'm fine."
He didn't look convinced. "Are you sure? You look pale."
"It's nothing…" she managed before patting her stomach. "Someone's just restless, that's all."
This made Alfred soften slightly. "I suppose the little Miss has been rather busy of late, hasn't she?" he said, and after a brief pause, "Very well… but would you like me to get you something in the meantime? Tea perhaps?"
"No need," she said, straightening up. "I'll walk down with you."
Alfred knew better than to argue with her but frowned as he stepped out of the way.
They managed to get as far as the staircase, but just as she took the first step, a sudden stabbing pain shot through her system, white stars erupting behind her eyes as she doubled over by the literal breathtaking force of it.
Alfred hung back, having heard the bitten-off whine she couldn't keep from escaping her throat and let out a startled sound of his own she'd never heard from him before. "Good Lord…!" he said, immediately going to help her up right. "Princess Diana?"
Her right hand went to her stomach while the other went to the railing, nails digging into the woodwork, but just as she could answer him, her spine stiffened as she felt something trickle down her leg.
Alfred followed her line of sight and gasped. "Is that…?" he asked, sounding breathless.
She nodded with great difficulty. "Get Bruce." She managed, sinking down to sit on the top step. "Please, Alfred - Get Bruce."
Pale in the face himself at that point, the Englishman seemed torn to just leave her there, but with a nod, he rushed to the study.
He was busy talking to John over the monitor in the Batcave when Bruce heard rapid footsteps coming from the stairs and looked up when he heard Alfred call him.
The younger man sat up immediately, immediately picking up on the frantic edge in his voice. "Alfred?"
"Master Bruce, come quick. It's the Princess, she- the baby's coming."
Bruce was on his feet before Alfred finished the sentence. He hung back only to look up at the screen. "John-"
"You don't have to say anything. I can handle this on my own from here on out." The Lantern said, a knowing look in his eyes.
"Are you're sure?"
John smiled and shook his head as he chuckled. "I'm sure. Get out there, man."
Bruce nodded. "Thanks."
"But, hey, Bruce?" John said before closing the link. "Good luck."
Metropolis
Rolling her shoulders back, Lois pushed away from her desk when heard a knock on the door to her office, but didn't have to look up to see how it was.
Clark poked his head in when she called him in. "Hey… are you done for the day?"
"I am right now. You've got good timing, Smallville." She said, stretching her arms out over her head. "You ready to get out of here?"
"Not exactly… Not yet, anyway." he said and cleared his throat when she looked at him curiously. "Do you think you can meet me on the roof in ten minutes?"
"Sure…" she said slowly. "What for?"
"It's a surprise." He promised.
"Well… in that case, I guess I can procrastinate for a few minutes… as long as you make it worth my while…"
He flashed that all-American almost-dimple smile that made her insides turn to mush. "You can count on it."
Lois waited exactly six minutes before her curiosity got the better of her. Taking the elevator until it couldn't go any higher, when she stepped out onto the roof, she found Clark standing there, two glasses with red wine in his hands, and looking handsome (more so than usual) in a casual white shirt with the top button undone.
"You were supposed to wait." He said wryly though unsurprised.
She walked up to him, taking the proffered glass. "Honey, it's me - what were you expecting?"
Clark just smiled. "Good point… but, this place isn't exactly romantic, is it?"
"Oh, is that what you were going for?" she teased. "I thought you brought me here to drink wine for the hell of it."
"Huh… I'd better change that."
"Clark?"
"This'll only take a minute." He said, giving her his glass before vanishing in a white streak and a gust of air.
The roof transformed in front of Lois's eyes, and in a matter of moments spanning heartbeats, a table, chairs, candles and flowers of all different shapes and colours appeared out of thin air.
She blinked and Clark was back, barely looking winded.
"Better?" he grinned, taking his glass back before leading her over to the table.
"Consider me romanced." She said as Clark pulled out the chair for her. "But, you know, with all the times this thing's fallen off, is it really smart sitting here?"
"Are you worried?" He asked, sitting down.
"I'm just pointing out the obvious. With our luck, you never know."
"...I'd catch it."
"You always do. I'm still having a hard time figuring out what we're doing up here, though. What's the occasion?"
"Can't a man spoil the woman he loves?" He asked innocently. When Lois made a mild humming noise and started tracing invisible patterns over his forearm. He then cleared his throat. "A lot has happened here, on this exact roof, hasn't it?"
Lois snorted lightly. "No kidding. Do you remember that first night you took me flying?"
"I do..." He said, face tender. Then, slightly more light-hearted, "I also remember the article the next day too. What was it called again? 'My Night With Superman'."
"Don't start." She laughed. "Everyone had something to say about that. I remember you didn't even want to look me in the eye a week afterwards."
"Well, I had to sell Clark Kent, awkward farmboy, didn't I?"
"Did a damn good job of it too. I was still surprised when you told me." She said, reaching up to cup his cheek.
"But you knew by then, didn't you? Before I..."
She smiled. "I did, or, at the time, I hoped... I'm glad I was right."
"I wouldn't change a thing about any of it. My world's that much better with you in it, Lois."
Lois's breath caught in her throat, and speaking became difficult. "You looking to make me cry, Smallville?"
"No, never... but I do need to ask you something."
He made to get something out of his pocket and Lois froze. But just as Clark was about to shift from his seat, the spell was broken by the sound of his phone going off.
Lois's breath came back to her in a disappointed gust of air as she exhaled. "That killed the mood."
Clark fumbled as he got out his phone, eyebrows knitting together when he saw the caller ID. "It's Bruce." He said and frowned. "Lois..."
"You should get that." She said. "But when you're done, you're gonna ask me what you want to ask me before anything else happens. Got me?"
He flashed her another grin. "Yes ma'am." He said, almost (almost) deciding against answering at all.
He was about to speak when Bruce beat him to the punch first with a growl, "Get your ass over here ASAP, Kent."
"Bruce, now isn't really the-"
He heard the phone change hands. "Clark Joseph Kent." His back stiffened at the ice in Diana's voice. "You had better be at this hospital in the next ten minutes, or so help me, you and I are going to have a talk the second I get out of here."
"Wait, hospital?" Clark repeated, dumbstruck.
"Yes, Gotham General. My water broke." Diana said impatiently, the pain edge coming through loud in clear once the words registered in Clark's head.
"Diana, that's-"
The sentiment was cut off by a hybrid of both a pained grunt and yet another growl that would have stopped the Dark Knight in his tracks. "If you say 'wonderful' I will hurt you, Kal-El. Now move it, mister!"
The call ended abruptly and Clark was left reeling inside.
Lois stared. "What with that look?"
"Diana, she- she's having the baby."
Lois's eyes lit up. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get over there."
The ring in Clark's pocket suddenly weighed heavily, and for a minute, he regretted taking the call at all until the expectant, amused look on Lois's face brought him back into the moment.
He smiled. "Let's go."
Much Later...
Gotham General
It was past midnight by the time Dick arrived at the hospital. He'd been on patrol in Blüdhaven when Bruce's call came in, and despite nearly breaking his leg when he'd gone back to his apartment to change, breaking a dozen traffic regulations on the way over, and the stares he got when he stepped into the lobby, he was in one piece and excited.
"Oh, god. Is that him?" He heard, and when Dick looked up, he saw Wally and Donna, both in nondescript civvies, waiting for him at the reception.
He waved them over, swatting away a stray balloon around his wrist before waving at his friends. "Hey!"
Wally whistled lowly. "Did you rob the gift shop?"
"Nah. They were out of those 'It's a Girl' and the bottle-shaped ones so I'm overcompensating." He said matter-of-factly, shaking the speedster's hand before giving Donna a quick, one-armed hug.
"We'll hand them out between everybody here." Donna said, fishing out a sparkly yellow 'Get Well Soon'. "...We might need more balloons."
"Huh... the whole gang's here?" Dick asked, tying it around her wrist.
"Like we'd miss this. We started getting complaints that we're blocking the hallways." Wally grinned. "We've been making coffee runs since eight."
"How's everyone?"
"Excited, I think." Donna said. "They're taking bets on names, if she'll have Diana's eyes or Bruce's smile. Those kinds of things."
"Speaking of... what about Bruce? Diana?"
Wally started laughing. "Oh... oh, dude, that was amazing, and scary like no one's business... but amazing. The doc gave Di pain meds when Shay and I went in to see how she was doing."
"Dr Thompkins had to double the dosage because Diana wouldn't feel the regular amount." Donna explained. "I don't know what Leslie gave her, but it had a kick like a horse."
Dick groaned. "Please tell me someone had their phone with them."
"Nah, Bruce went all ninja on us, so we didn't even know they were gone until we started reaching for them." Wally said. "Doesn't matter, though. Really Cuddly Diana will live on in my memory forever..."
"Seriously Growly Bruce, on the other hand... not so much." Donna said with a nudge at Wally with her elbow, making the redhead shudder.
"Damn..." Dick said with a low whistle, "I wish I could have seen that."
"Well, my sister might not try to pull you onto bed next to her-"
"Like I said, amazing." Wally sighed wistfully, busy tugging at a Spider-Man balloon.
"-But," Donna went on, eyes gleaming, "the drugs are wearing off, so we're in ramble territory now."
"I can work with that." Dick said, grinning all the way as Donna lead him down the hall by the hand.
Several Hours Later...
Bruce tried not to wince as Diana's held his hand in a death grip, holding on tighter and harder than she'd normally allow herself to with him. Her face was flushed and her hair a riot of sweaty curls as her breathing came out in short, shallow pants that occasionally turned into whimpers.
They were the only ones in the room, and in the rare moments where she wasn't in pain, they'd listen to their friends and family (which were mutually exclusive at this point) outside the door, the noise level going down as time wore on.
With the hand not caught in his wife's steel vice-grip, he leaned forward and brought her pale knuckles up to his lips and kissed it. "We're almost there, Princess..."
She breathed in deeply and nodded, her free hand clenching around the bed sheet as another spasm went through her. "It's been thirteen hours, Bruce, I would hope so."
"Should I get Leslie? Maybe she can-"
Diana shook her head, cutting him off, "No, no... it's not fine, but I'll survive."
Bruce frowned. "Don't be stubborn-"
She managed a gust of air that might have been a laugh. "Isn't that ironic coming from you?"
"Diana-" he said, making to stand up.
If it were possible, her grip tightened, cutting off the circulation in his hands. "Just... please, just stay."
He bit back his immediate response and another wince, and nodded. "You don't ever have to worry about that. I'm not going anywhere."
She breathed out shakily. "Good."
At that exact moment, Leslie came in, looking perversely cheerful at six in the morning. "I'm just coming in to check up on things. How close are the contractions?"
Diana let out a choked-off sound that had Bruce on his feet in a heartbeat. He was pretty sure he'd just heard the bones in his hand pop.
Leslie closed the door behind her with a snap. "Close enough apparently."
Meanwhile...
Clark felt his face drain of colour as he listened to what was going on in the other room, wishing not for the first time that night that his hearing wasn't as sensitive as it was.
He, and everyone else, visibly cringed at the wordless shout of pain, so when Lois tugged at his hand and stood up, he went along more than willingly enough.
"It's our turn to get coffee anyway." She said, leading him away.
Clark just nodded numbly and let her, not really able to speak until they turned the corner and at least some of the noise died away.
It was just then when they happened to pass a pair of stairs and a sign reading 'Roof Access', and Clark had an idea. When he stopped walking, Lois looked at him curiously until he tugged at her hand gently.
"I don't think we're allowed up there, Smallville."
He pushed the door open and grinned. "I know."
The playful way he said this made Lois grin back and followed him up.
Of course, it was raining - it wasn't more than a light drizzle, but it did its part to remind Clark just where they were.
Lois didn't seem too impressed herself, but she followed him when he stepped out into the open.
His hair was wet when he turned to her. "Marry me."
Lois's head snapped up, blinking as raindrops ran from her hair, trailing twin lines of black as her mascara ran down slowly over her cheeks. "What?"
To that, Clark got down on one knee, still holding her hand. "Lois Lane, you are the single most stubborn, bravest, kindest person I've ever met - you turned my world upside down the minute you walked into my life and I don't want to spend a single day without you. Will you marry me?"
Despite herself, her voice broke a little when she spoke. "You sure about that? If I say yes, you're kinda stuck with me forever."
"Is that your answer?"
"Depends - do you have a ring for me?"
He dug into his pockets and held it out for her.
"Huh... now, are you going to slide that on or am I going to have to do that myself?"
"Depends," he echoed, doing just that for her, "Is that a yes?"
She answered him by throwing her arms around his neck and kissing the ever-living daylights out of him. When she pulled back, she pressed their foreheads together. "Damn right it was. Now shush and kiss me again."
Clark's arms came around her waist, pulling her closer. "I can do that."
At that exact moment, in the floors below, he paused when he heard a baby's squall, the sound of new life.
Lois noticed. "Mm...?"
He just smiled and kissed her again.
Downstairs...
He held his hand stiffly, awkwardly, only vaguely aware of the dull throb there as he was too preoccupied with the bundle in her arms. Leslie would look at it later, but for now, Bruce couldn't look away from his daughter.
Diana watched on from the bed, beyond simply tired but unwilling to miss a moment.
"How is she?" she asked, sitting up despite feeling numb from the waist down.
There was something indescribable in Bruce's eyes when he looked up, and with a look that could only be pure astonishment, he brought her over. "See for yourself."
When he handed her over, Diana traced her fingers carefully down a soft cheek. "Hello, little one... we've all been waiting for you."
There was an excited commotion at the door, and when they heard their friends' voices, Bruce and Diana shared a look.
"They can wait a little longer..." Bruce reassured.
"For now, but if they break down the door, it's on you."
"I'll risk it."
Diana hummed, amused, before, "...Bruce?"
"Yeah?"
She let her head rest against his cheek. "We're making the next one out of clay."
He couldn't stop the bark of laughter that escaped him, and when his daughter stirred, he laid a hand behind her head. "Deal."
"Who knows the way I see the world and know where I belong,
Who knows my words before they've come, before they're spoke of -
I wonder how the fight would go if I was all alone,
But you've got my back, I've got your back, our house is standing strong."
- Gangs of Ballet, 'Follow' Lyrics
"And I would stop and take you in, all of you, and when our eyes lock we'd just stare into each other's souls and all of the lost time would come out in the shape of a big smile, a few tears and a tight hug that feels like... I don't know, it would feel like home."
― Morgan Parker, 'Non Friction'
A/N: Slightly abrupt... but done. Just... done.
Officially this is where it all ends, but there will be an epilogue that fills in a few blanks, answer a few questions and foreshadow what is to come... maybe, I'm kinda on the fence about that.
I've been working on this for five years people, it's been one hell of a ride.
I think I've responded to most of the reviews already via PM that warranted answers, but let it be known that those of you have left a review, asked questions and pointed out my many, many mistakes - thank you, god bless, and be patient with me, the best is still come.
Until next time,
GoddessofDawn out