Thank you for all the reviews! You guys are amazing as always. Hope you enjoy a little angst followed by some sexy fun.

Also, if you haven't had a chance yet, go check out Dinasis's new fic "Pure Beauty". It's the bomb! :)

Chapter 4

Batman slipped through maximum security level of Arkham Asylum like a wraith, a specific destination in mind. He needed to have a little one-on-one meeting with Lex Luthor to make sure Lex knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was still being watched. He didn't want Lex getting any ideas about planning an escape or plotting another attempt to get to Diana back again.

He did not like the way Lex had set his sights on his princess nor did he like the fact that Lex had picked up on his feelings for Diana. He needed to do a better job of concealing his feelings for her, making sure that he knew full well Diana was with Bruce Wayne and not Batman.

He could not let Luthor connect the two. He would go to any lengths to protect not only his identity, but his fiancé and family as well.

Turning a corner, Batman paused and listened, knowing the guards would just be finishing their rounds on this side of Arkham. He could hear the soft jingle of keys hanging on a belt, the periodic smack of a wooden baton against the palm of a hand as well as the rhythmic muffled scrape of boots on the linoleum gradually growing fainter over time.

The Dark Knight silently made his way down the long corridor, keeping close to the shadows that he felt most comfortable in, allowing the darkness to shield his presence. He passed by cells filled with deadly criminals both Meta and non-Meta alike, but he had only one in mind right now.

Staying close to the far wall, he caught suddenly sight of Rampage pacing in her cell, a noticeable limp to her gait. His every muscle immediately grew taut as he paused to study her for a moment. The corners of his lips curled slightly with pride at the beating she had obviously received from Diana.

Numerous bruises and abrasions covered her face, her right arm in a sling. As much as he wanted to send his own warning to the powerful woman, he could tell that the message had already been pounded into her by his lover.

While Clark would not doubt object to the fierce beating Diana had given to Rampage if he found out, Bruce had no problem with it. He and Diana both held the same belief that, as brutal as it might seem to others, a forceful message needed to be sent sometimes.

Continuing on, Batman finally arrived at the last cell at the end of the corridor. He stopped, leaning his back against the wall to silently watch Luthor. Lex was sitting on the edge of his bed with a pen and a pad of paper in hand. A calculating expression veiled his face, his brow furrowed deep in thought.

He suddenly paused to rub his hand over the top of his bald head, releasing a frustrated breath before ripping the sheet of paper from his pad. He angrily crumpled it up into a tight ball before pitching it into the waste basket in the corner where numerous other wads of paper lay scattered around the small basket.

Batman grew angrier the longer that he studied him, knowing in his gut that Lex was plotting something. There was no doubt in his mind that he would never give up until he had what he wanted most. He was a power hungry sadist who could never be reformed. His sick ambitions were ingrained in him, ran far too deep…just like the Joker's, but not nearly as twisted or demented.

Thoughts of Diana and what she had been through swiftly inundated his mind, reminding him once more how hard she'd been struggling with what had happened to her, the toll it was taking not only on her but also their relationship. He took an unconscious step forward into the dim lighting of the corridor, his jaw locked in a fierce glower of pure rage.

His chest tightened as his heart began to pound. He drew a deep breath to calm the rage pulsating through his veins as Luthor suddenly looked up, noticing the Dark Knight standing outside of his cell watching him. A sinister smirk slowly spread across his face as he set his pen and paper aside before standing up.

"Well, isn't this an unexpected surprise," Luthor greeted him as he folded his arms across his chest. "I wasn't expecting any company tonight. If I had known you were coming, I would have dressed a little better."

Batman just leveled him with a searing glare, struggling to remain in control of an ire that threatened to slip through his fingers at any second. Losing control would not get him the answers that he was looking for and it definitely wouldn't rid him of the dread that still swam in the pit of his stomach like a dark bitter thing.

The rasping grate of the Batman's voice cut through the special reinforced plexi-glass separating them. "Just making sure you're not making any plans for escape."

"Why?" Luthor asked, coming to a stop on the other side of the barrier. "Are you worried that I might try coming after Wonder Woman again?"

There was an almost imperceptible flinching in Batman's jaw as he glared at the man before him. "I'm worried about you hurting anyone, not just Wonder Woman."

Luthor slowly looked him up and down, trying to plot out his next move in this verbal little chess match they were playing. He decided to follow his gut and dig a little deeper to see where it took him. "How is my beautiful Amazon doing?" he finally asked with a smug grin. "I saw a very interesting interview with the princess tonight on the news. Seems she's having a little trouble speaking. It wouldn't happen to be related to that brain chip that I implanted in her head would it?"

Bruce felt his insides coil sharply, every fiber screaming out to beat this man senseless, but he forced himself to restrain it knowing that Luthor was trying to goad him into a reaction. "She's not yours and she's fine," he bluntly stated, refusing to discuss her with him.

"She didn't seem fine on the news," Luthor gloated with a darkening smirk. "Don't get me wrong, though. Diana is just as sexy as ever and that stutter is almost charming in a way. It's a shame that I never had a chance to fully…enjoy…the incredible pleasures a woman like her could give me, but I guess there's always next time."

Batman could feel a tremble of hot fury tear through him, his heart hammering and his blood pounding in his ears. Besides Joe Chill, he didn't think that he'd ever wanted to hurt someone so much in his entire life as badly as he wanted to destroy Lex Luthor right now.

"There won't be a next time," Batman's surely rasp cut like a knife through the plexi-glass, his lips twisted into a sneer.

Luthor laughed at him as he began to slowly pace back and forth before the barrier that kept Batman from pummeling him within an inch of his life. "Does Diana know how you feel about her?" he questioned him. "You know she's marrying that billionaire oaf Bruce Wayne in a couple of weeks. Are you going to be able to handle watching her walk down that aisle and marry another man?"

Bruce inwardly smiled to himself, knowing that Luthor was trying to get a rise out of him. It wasn't going to work, not like he had hoped it would, and yet he had a part that he needed to play right now. He took a threatening stop forward causing Lex to suddenly stop in his tracks to look at the dark brooding hero before him.

"If Wayne makes her happy, then I'm happy."

"Very noble of you, Batman," Luthor shot back, somewhat disappointed that he hadn't been able to stir more of a reaction in him, but he should've known better. This was the Dark Knight. He rarely if ever cracked. "Still it must be killing you inside to know that fool Wayne gets to spend every single night with that amazing woman in his bed."

"I'm not here to talk about Bruce Wayne's love life," he barked. "I just want to make sure that you know I am watching your every move so don't even think about coming after Wonder Woman or the Justice League again."

"So you're warning me to stay away from your girlfriend?" Luthor mocked him. "And what if I don't? What are you going to do about it?"

Batman took another step closer, the tips of his black boots pressing against the plexi-glass. "I will make your life a living hell."

Luthor raised his arms to indicate the area surrounding him, a degrading chuckle escaping again. "You mean more than this?"

"You have no idea how much worse I can make things for you."

"I'm shaking in my shoes," Luthor drawled, impervious to the threat as he pretended to make his hands shake before him. "You and your friends have knocked me down time and time again and yet I still come back so why don't you find someone else to intimidate."

Luthor turned his back to the Caped Crusader, making his way back to his bed. He only made it half way before he found himself face down on the cold cement floor, a heavy boot to his back keeping him pinned there. Batman leaned down low with his forearms resting on his bent knee, his mouth close to Luthor's ear.

"This is your last warning," he hissed. "Stay away from Diana and the League or I will bury you so deep no one will ever be able to find you."

"Get off of me, you Bat freak!" Luthor yelled, trying to squirm beneath Batman's boot. "You can't come in here and threaten me like this! I have rights too you know!"

"I will do whatever I damn well please in order protect my friends from slime like you," he rasped, digging the heel of his boot into Lex's back a little more.

Luthor growled in frustration, cursing and struggling only to suddenly feel the pressure on his back abruptly ease. He drew a deep breath before quickly flipping over onto his back to see the plexi-glass back in place and no sign of Batman. He swore to himself as he sat up, brushing his hands off on his pants before finally getting up to his feet.

He smiled as he sat down on his bed, picking up his pen and paper again. Knowing that Batman had feelings for Wonder Woman could definitely work out in his favor. He just needed to get out of this hell hole so he could begin once more with his plans to take down the Justice League.

XXX

"Come on, Princess," Bruce encouraged her. "I promise I'll make it fun."

Diana gave him a skeptical look that told him that she wasn't convinced in the least. "How?" she asked with a frown, folding her arms against her chest in disbelief.

"You'll just have to come with me to find out," he smugly grinned at her, reaching out and grabbing her hand. He pulled her along with him, determined for her to at least give it a try. "You're going to love this form of practice."

Diana allowed him to drag her towards the library, wondering what he was up to. "I thought you had to go into work this afternoon for a meeting?"

"I postponed it until next week," he replied, casting a furtive glance back over his shoulder at her. "This is more important to me."

"More important than running a multi-billionaire dollar company that secretly funds the Justice League?" she questioned him.

"Yes," he firmly stated as he came to a stop in the doorway of the library, turning and pulling her right into his embrace. "You're by far more than important to me than anything else in this world."

He slanted his mouth over hers, his tongue repeatedly sliding over hers. Diana moaned into his mouth, savoring the passion that he always kindled deep inside of her. If this was what he had in mind, then she was definitely game.

"You two need to get a room…preferably not this one," Tim suddenly piped up, interrupting the lovers' heated embrace.

Tim sat in an overstuffed chair with one leg slung over the arm, a bag of chips in his lap. He was watching television and yet not really as he texted back and forth with Dick and Barbara. A smirk played on his lips as he watched them kiss; approving of the fact that Bruce had finally allowed himself to find love and happiness in Diana. He was more than happy that she was going to be a permanent part of their family.

Bruce reluctantly released his intimate hold on his fiancé, turning his attention to his surrogate son. "Actually, we need the library now. I'm going to help Diana with the speech exercises that Carly gave her to work on."

"Can I help?" Tim excitedly asked, sitting up straighter in his chair as he sat his can of Coke down.

"Maybe next time," Bruce replied, leading Diana towards the couch.

"Yes, you can, Tim," Diana agreed. "This isn't going to just go away overnight. It's obviously so…something that the gods feel I need to learn to deal with."

The anger and resentment in her voice was obvious to both Bruce and Tim. "We'll get through it, Princess," Bruce reassured her.

"I'm sorry, Diana," Tim apologized, standing to his feet. "I wish there was some way to make it better for you."

"Thanks, Tim," she said with a forced smile, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek.

Tim beamed in response, his hand coming to rest on his cheek where she had just kissed him. "Well, I'll be in my bedroom if you need my help."

"I think we'll just be fine," Bruce reassured him, shooing him out of the library before closing and locking the door behind the teenager.

"Bruce, he was just trying he…help," she pointed out.

"I know, but I need you all to myself for this without any distractions," Bruce said, taking her by the hand and leading her to the couch.

A wide grin spread across her face, her eyes growing brighter. "I lllove the sound of that," she murmured, capturing his lips in a sensual exchange as she pushed him back against the arm of the couch.

Bruce had a very difficult time disengaging himself from the kiss, but finally had to because of the burning in his lungs for much needed air. "Wow," he gasped, breathing heavily and fighting the urge to just pin her to the leather couch and take her right here. "That wasn't quite what I had in mind…but I definitely do now."

"I can tell," she purred with a proud smirk as she kissed along his jaw, her hand finding the obvious bulge in his pants.

Bruce groaned low in his throat, his eyes screwed tightly shut in an effort not to lose control right then and there as she caressed him through his blue jeans. He somehow managed to find the strength to grab hold of her wrist, pulling her hand away from him.

"Princess, this isn't going to help you get better," he tried to remind her, rubbing his hands over his face in an effort to tamp down on the arousal pumping through his body.

"It can't hurt," she teased with a sultry smile.

He grabbed hold of her upper arms, forcing her to sit up and putting a little space between them in an attempt to keep temptation at bay. "Work with me here," he pleaded with her, reaching for the flashcards that Carly had left behind for Diana to work on.

"Fine," she huffed, running her fingers back through her long mane. "Your loss."

"Don't remind me," he muttered in frustration. "Now, let's see how you do with this. I'm going to show you a flashcard. If you can say it correctly, then I will take off a piece of clothing. If you struggle with it, you have to take off a piece of your clothing."

Diana cocked an eyebrow in response as she stared at him, folding her arms against her chest in annoyance. "You do realize that I could have my wwway with you with or without your permission, right?"

Bruce flushed hotly inside with her threat, wondering what the hell he was thinking by refusing his feisty princess. The idea of his sexy Amazon dominating him suddenly sounded a lot more fun and intriguing than working on speech flashcards.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, releasing deep breath as he tried to banish images of Diana tying him up with her golden lasso from his lustful mind, knowing that they needed to work on this if she was ever going to improve.

"You are not making this easy," he ground out, trying his best to sound annoyed rather than completely turned on…which he was…and uncomfortably so.

The corner of her red lips quirked in amusement, loving the affect that she had on the usually stoic Dark Knight with the notorious formidable restraint. He had prided himself on his iron will and self-control, his ability to not let anything affect him and yet he always seemed to crumble in her presence with nothing more than a flirtatious comment or even just a kiss. Some restraint.

"This rrreally isn't fair if you're the one de…deciding how I do, Bruce," she claimed. "I'm going to be naked and you're going to be fffully clothed by the time we're done."

Bruce flashed her a devilish smirk, lust blazing in his eyes. "And your point?"

"Let me go ppput on a few more layers," she suggested as she started to stand up.

"Hell no," he adamantly stated, grabbing her by the arm and forcing her to sit back down on the couch facing him. "You're perfect the way you are."

"Fine, we'll do th…this your way…later, we do it my way," she relented, glancing down at her jeans and t-shirt, knowing this was going to be over in five minutes…tops. She did appreciate his willingness to help her, his creativity though she knew he'd end up getting a lot more out of this then her, but she loved him for it nonetheless.

Bruce felt a shiver of desire shoot up his spine, causing him to grip the plastic flashcard in his hands even harder, his knuckles beginning to turn white. He was not going to survive this. "Alright," he finally said, swallowing hard and clearing his throat as he held up the card for her. "Let's try this one first."

"Bruce, I…I feel ssso dumb," Diana confessed as she looked away. She couldn't bear seeing such hope shining in his eyes when she knew in her heart nothing was going to fix this. The sooner that she accepted it, the sooner she could get past all of this. Her life was never going to be the same again.

His hand moved to hers, the warmth of his love silently conveyed through the gentle caress of his thumb on the back of her hand forcing her to meet his penetrating gaze. "You are the most intelligent, most beautiful woman that I have ever met…and believe me when I say that I've met quite a few women in my time," he teased her.

Diana's blue eyes narrowed with sudden fierce jealousy. "I don't think I would remind mmme of that if you want to be able to wwwalk at our wedding."

"I'm only teasing…well, partly teasing," he amended with a crooked grin.

"Teasing about me or all the women you've dated and slept with?"

"The women, Princess, and I haven't slept with as many as you think," he replied, hoping she wouldn't make him go down that shady twisted road of his past. "Now, give this one a try. I know you can do it."

Diana released an annoyed breath, tucking a raven lock of hair behind her ear. She sat up a littler straighter, deciding to behave and cooperate with him. It was the least she could do seeing how he had rearranged his work schedule just so that he could stay home and help her with the homework Carly had given her.

"S…Sam needed new sk…ski boots and…" Diana paused, taking a deep breath to calm herself and center her mind before trying again. "Sam needed new sk…ski boots and sk…ski pants."

"Good," Bruce encouraged her.

"Good for who? You or me?" she asked.

"Me," he quipped as his eyes roamed over her, his gaze settling on her breasts. "Let's see. Remove your…"

"Bruce…"

"Left sock."

With a huff of annoyance, the Amazon uncrossed her legs and pulled off her left sock. She held it up by her fingertips, letting it dangle for a long moment as she stared hotly at him before finally letting it drop to the floor.

Bruce swallowed hard again, finding his throat was a desert already and they hadn't even gotten to the good part yet. "Now, try it again. I bet you can do even better."

Diana sighed heavily, but was more than determined to overcome this not only for herself but also for Bruce. Their wedding was less than two weeks away now. "S…Sam needed new ski boots and ski pants."

"Great, Princess," Bruce told her with a proud grin, suddenly leaning in and kissing her passionately.

Diana drew a deep breath as she slowly opened her eyes to find he'd pulled away from her again and was already reaching for another flash card. "What was that for?"

"Your reward," he replied. "When we're done, you get all of me as your ultimate reward."

"I like how you think, Mr. Wayne," she murmured with a grin of her own. "Your shirt."

"What?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"Please remove your shirt, Bruce," Diana repeated with a mischeivious gleam in her blue eyes. "I pronounced my words well so now you have to remove your shirt."

"That's not how this works."

"You said…" she began in a sing-song voice as she leaned forward; her fingers eagerly find the buttons on the front of his white shirt and slowly undoing them one at a time. "If I get it right…"

"I know what I said, but…oh, fine," he conceded with a huff, brushing her hands away to finish unbuttoning his shirt before removing it and tossing it onto the floor with a growl of annoyance.

Diana's eyes hungrily wandered over the incredible expanse of muscled chest displayed before her, the countless scars that were marks of his true warrior spirit that was akin to her own. She suddenly found it getting very warm in the library.

Bruce noticed the way that Diana was gawking at him, her teeth biting at her bottom lip. It was doing nothing to help his own self-control with her looking at him like he was lunch. "Well, it's hopefully better than practicing with me like this than with Carly."

Diana pretended to think about it for a moment before responding. "I don't know," she thoughtfully said. "Carly is a pretty good ki…kisser too."

Bruce instantly glared at her as he closed the distance between them again. "What?"

"I'm just sssaying Carly gives good rewards too," she maintained, her blue eyes sparkling brightly with amusement.

Bruce swiftly grabbed her around the waist, his lips hovering dangerously close to hers. "No one else had better be kissing you except for me."

"Jealous?"

"Insanely," he murmured before kissing her hard and stealing the air from her lungs.

Just as Diana's arms snaked around his neck, losing herself in the heat of his kiss, his fingers found her sides as he began tickling her relentlessly in retaliation. Diana broke the kiss with a gasping giggle, squirming beneath his frantic assault as he pinned her back on the leather couch.

"Br…Bruce!" she squealed. "Sss…st…stop!"

He finally pulled back, sitting up with an amused expression on his face as Diana sat up as well, straightening her shirt and hair. "Wwwhat was th…that for?" she asked.

"Revenge," he simply stated.

"Do it again and I'll br…break your arm," she threatened him with a mock glare.

"Then I won't fit into my tux, Princess," he pointed out. "Besides, you deserved it for trying to make me jealous."

She reached over and squeezed his hand. "Oh, my poor Dark Knight."

"Alright, let's focus on your homework," he said. "You're getting me distracted."

"Me?"

"Yes, if you weren't so damn beautiful and enchanting, I wouldn't be so distracted," he claimed.

"And yet you managed to sh…show sssuch amazing restraint over the years, giving me the cold ssshoulder for the last two plus years," she reminded him.

Bruce shook his head with a roll of his eyes. "If you only knew, Princess."

"If I only knew what?"

"How much you always torment me especially during League meetings or when we share monitor duty or when we're on the same missions," he counted off. "Hell, just being in the same room with you is pure torture most of the time."

"What did I do?" she questioned him in amused confusion.

"Nothing…that's the problem," he admitted. "You don't have to do anything. Just being near you and not being able to touch you the way I wanted to or kiss you, not being able to make love to you like I was aching to was torture enough, knowing I had to constantly hold myself back from what I wanted most."

"You nnnever have to hold back with me, Bruce," she told him. "I lllove it when you let yourself l…lose control."

"You should love it," he replied with a disgruntled snort. "You're the only one who has ever managed to do that to me."

"It's a pleasure to be able to do that to you," she smugly said, tenderly caressing his jaw.

"It's infuriating," he shot back with a frown.

She brushed her lips against his as she crawled into his lap, her tongue sliding sensually against his. "Are you su…sure you st…still want to pr…practice?" She paused to kiss him again before finally continuing. "Or we could go st…straight for the ultimate reward part."

Bruce's hands slid around her waist as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, his breathing growing ragged as he savored the feel of her in his arms, the taste of her on his tongue. "Princess," he admonished her between kisses as his hands slipped beneath her shirt to touch her warm skin. "We really should practice your speech exercises."

"I can think of sssomething else we can practice for," she seductively murmured along his defined chin and jaw line.

"What's that?" he managed to asked, leaning his head to the side to give her more room to work with.

"Our honeymoon," she purred.

Bruce groaned, his fingers pressing hard into her waist. "I can't wait to have you all to myself for a whole week…no interruptions."

"Well, then I guess we ssshould practice to make sssure we get it right."

His laughter was temporarily muffled by her lips and tongue as she kissed him breathless before suddenly changing directions and wandering down his neck. "I think we mastered that from the very beginning."

"Where are you tttaking me?"

"It's a…ah," he paused, gasping as her teeth scraped over the sensitive spot behind his ear. "It's a surprise."

Diana growled her frustration which did nothing to quell his arousal in the least as she suddenly sat up on her knees, placing her hands on her hips in irritation. "Don't I…I get a hint?"

"Nope," he firmly replied with a grin as he reached out for her, more than anxious to continue what she had just started.

"How will I know what to pa…pack?"

"I'll be packing your bags for you."

"Oh, Hera!" she exclaimed with a roll of her bright blue eyes as she looked down at him. "That means I'll be tr…travelling with empty luggage."

A rapacious grin spread across his face, one that matched the craving in his eyes for her. "What?" he innocently questioned her as he sat up to grab hold of her again. "I'll make sure there's a toothbrush in there for you."

"Bruce!" she cried, playfully pushing him back against the arm of the couch.

He chuckled softly as he sat up, rubbing his chest in mock hurt. "I'm just teasing, Princess," he told her. "I'll make sure that there is plenty of sexy lingerie in your bag for you to wear just for me."

Diana leaned in close, her lips lightly ghosting over his earlobe and causing him to tremble as she nipped at it before speaking low and husky in his ear. "And wwwhat will you be wearing for me?"

"A great big smile," he said, earning another punch from his Amazon lover.

Bruce suddenly lunged forward, pushing her back and trapping her between the couch and his muscular body. He kissed her deeply as she slipped her arms under his, her hands coming to rest on his shoulder blades. She was not about to let go of him this time, not when she finally had him where she wanted him – on top of her.

He began a deliberate assault on her throat, determined to ravish every inch of her and yet equally determined to help her with her speech therapy homework. He just hoped his plan worked. "Okay, Princess," he murmured. "Tell me about Sam."

Diana moaned as he suddenly pulled her shirt up and over her head, his mouth sucking lightly on her collarbone. "S…Sam who?"

"Sam and his ski boots."

"Is this fo…form of therapy approved by Carly?" she teased as she repeatedly raked her fingers through his hair.

"It's my own recommended form of therapy," he responded with a kiss. "Now, tell me about Sam."

"Sss…Sam needs new sk…ki boots and sk…ski pants," she muttered between gasps and whimpering moans as he kissed down her throat to her chest.

"Good…do it again," he insisted as he nuzzled her breast through her lacy black bra.

Diana growled again as he pulled her bra aside to plant a hot wet kiss against her soft skin. "You…you're mmmaking it impossible to th…think ssstraight."

"Concentrate, Princess," he encouraged her as he slid his hand beneath her to unhook her bra, his mouth finding her exposed breast.

"I…I don't give a da…damn about S…Sam and his…"

Diana was silenced by his hot mouth on hers, his hand kneading her breast in place of his lips. She pushed her chest up into his hand, silently pleading with him for more attention as he squeezed and caressed her.

"Try again, Diana," he told her as his mouth moved to her ear.

The Amazon huffed in annoyance, but she had to admit practicing this way was so much better than the traditional method. "Sam…ohhh," she gasped, her fingers pressing into his head as his mouth returned to her breast, his tongue repeatedly swirling around it and causing fire to shoot through her veins. "Sam needs new ski boots and ski pants…and I need you inside me now."

Chuckling against her breast, Bruce suddenly pulled back, staring down at her with pride shining in his azure eyes. "You did it!" he praised her, a pleased smile on his face.

"Good…I want my reward now," she breathlessly replied, leaning up and crashing her lips into his.

Bruce pressed his body into hers, allowing her to feel his full weight and knowing that she could easily handle it and more. His arms wrapped around her, losing himself to the amazing feelings and sensations that she always inflamed within him.

Breaking the kiss with a gasp, he struggled to regain the breath she'd just taken away. The flashcards fell forgotten from the couch, scattering on the floor as he reached between them to unbutton her jeans. Even though he knew they needed to work on her therapy, something far more pressing had just come up and was in dire need of being taken care of…right now.