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Chapter 6

Diana stood before the three-way mirror, her fingers lightly caressing the pristine white satin that adorned her body. Reminders of the burns that she'd received from her battle with Typhon still marred her forearms and hands, but her injuries had healed dramatically since then. Thankfully, her bracers had taken the brunt of the attack. By tomorrow, no one would even know that she'd been burned so badly.

As she studied the woman gazing back at her, she couldn't believe that it was her reflection that she was seeing in the mirror. The gown was the most beautiful that she'd ever seen, so graceful and elegant. She hoped that her future husband loved it just as much.

Bruce. Just his name alone could incite such feelings of warmth and love within her, a soft smile suddenly playing on her lips.

She became lost in her thoughts as she allowed herself to imagine her wedding day, marrying an amazing man that she could hardly believe was truly hers. The thought alone made her heart flutter with excitement. It was something that she had wanted for so long and now that her special day was almost here she found herself more than a little scared about how it would all turn out.

Would she be able to hold it together long enough to make it through her vows without looking and sounding foolish or would she completely fall apart before everyone, stumbling and stuttering through her promises of love and faithfulness to a man that meant absolutely everything to her.

As badly as she wanted to marry Bruce, she was beginning to think that maybe she should've talked him into a private ceremony, one that involved just the two of them with no one there to watch her make a spectacle of herself or embarrass Bruce in the process.

That was what she feared the most, embarrassing him and ruining their special day. She felt her throat constrict with a painful knot of unwanted tears. She had never wanted anything more than she wanted to marry Bruce and to be his wife for as long as the gods allowed, but she was no longer the Diana that he had fallen in love with and she feared she never would be again.

"Diana!" Donna called. "Come out and show us your dress. We're dying to finally see it."

"Yah, Di!" Shayera chimed in. "Get your Amazon ass out here already!"

Diana drew a deep ragged breath, thrusting her fears and anxieties to the darkest recesses of her mind before turning to exit her dressing room, forcing a smile to her face that she wasn't exactly feeling at that moment.

Entering the area where her bridesmaids were waiting, Diana was startled when all three of them stared at her, wide-eyed and slack jawed. The statuesque Amazon nervously brushed her long raven hair back over her bare shoulders, her forehead creasing with sudden panic as she ran her hands over her gown.

"What's wrong?" Diana demanded to know, looking down at her dress in dismay. "Don't you like it?"

Several moments of silence followed her question as all three women struggled to gather their thoughts. "Wow," Lois exclaimed, finally able to make her mouth work. "Diana…you look…wow…"

"Bad?" Diana asked, fearing that she'd picked the wrong dress.

"No, Di," Shayera adamantly said with a fierce shake of her head from the couch she was sitting on with Lois. "Definitely not bad."

Diana threw up her hands in exasperation. "Well…what then? Tell me!"

"Try drop dead gorgeous," Lois crossly muttered, eyeing the flawless woman before her and wishing that she possessed even just a fracture of her amazing looks. "Damn Amazon."

"You're going to have Bruce and every other male in attendance drooling like a fool the second they see you in that dress," Donna commented, coming to take her sister's hand and squeezing it in reassurance.

Diana looked at her sister, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. "You really think so?"

"Yes…after Bruce regains consciousness of course," Shayera added with a grin.

Diana turned away to look at her reflection in the mirror behind her. "I really hope so."

Donna closed the distance, taking her sister's hand again in concern. "What's wrong, Di?" she softly asked as Shayera and Lois argued about how Bruce was going to react to seeing his bride on their wedding day.

"Just nervous I…I ggguess," she admitted, squeezing her sister's hand in return before pulling free from her hold on her.

"Di, you look positively gorgeous in that dress and you're marrying a man who is completely and utterly head over heels in love with you," Donna reminded her. "You have absolutely nothing to be nervous about. I just wish you could see the way that Bruce looks at you when you're not looking. It makes me jealous. I wish I could find a man who looks at me the way he looks at you...without all the dark and brooding of course."

A genuine smile graced Diana's face as she thought about her husband-to-be. "Every time I try to sn…sneak a glance at him, I…I find that he's already looking at me."

"See?" Donna said, hugging her sister without crushing her gown. "Absolutely nothing to worry about."

"Oh, Miss Diana!" Genevieve gasped as she approached, fanning herself as tears instantly filled her eyes. "You look positively radiant. You are by far the most beautiful bride who has ever passed through my doors."

"You are far too kind, Gen," Diana replied with a rosy blush of embarrassment as she hooked a raven lock behind her ear. "I'm sure you make every bride beautiful."

Genevieve chuckled with Diana's compliment. "Well, we try our best, but sometimes we only have so much to work with. With you, my dear, it was completely effortless. We had nothing to do with this. Mr. Wayne won't be able to take his eyes off of you on your special day."

"I hope so," Diana said with a nod.

"And just wait until you see Mr. Wayne in his tux," Genevieve gushed, clasping her hands and holding them against her chest. "He looked most handsome the other day."

Diana beamed, excitement suddenly humming through her with the thought. "I have no doubt about that."

Genevieve animatedly flitted around the Amazon princess, making sure everything was perfect with her dress as she muttered to herself. "You look stunning…just stunning."

"Hell, she'd make a gunny sack and flip-flops look fashionable," Lois leaned over and whispered to Shayera sitting beside her.

"Jealous?" Shayera teased, cocking an eyebrow.

"That obvious?" Lois asked without batting an eye. "Don't get me wrong. I love Diana and I'm very happy for her and Bruce, but does she have to be some damn perfect all the time? Even her speech impediment is endearing in a way."

"I'm worried about her," the Thanagarian confessed to the reporter with a sudden frown. "This whole speech problem has really rocked her world and turned it upside down. She's having a terrible time dealing with it."

Lois sighed, feeling guilty for complaining about her friend. She watched as Gen fawned over Diana, noticing the hint of sadness that reflected in Diana's blue eyes. She should be bubbling over with happiness over the upcoming wedding. Instead, there was an air of sorrow and apprehension about her that was unmistakable.

"Clark told me that she's been pulling away from everyone including him and Bruce," Lois revealed, keeping her voice low. "It's really tearing Bruce up because he feels helpless to fix it for her."

"Maybe I should try talking to her again, see if I can find out what's upsetting her so much," Shayera thoughtfully muttered, more to herself than to Lois.

"Wouldn't hurt to try," the reporter agreed. "Bruce's been worried sick about her and Clark isn't much better. Those two have been treating her like she's made of glass ever since all of this happened."

"I know," Shayera snorted in response. "John and Wally haven't been much better. J'onn and I are the only ones who treat her like nothing happened to her, but Bruce is starting to push her more. I thought they were going to come to blows during a founders' meeting the other day."

"Alright, Ladies," Gen suddenly interrupted the two with her sing-song voice. "Now, that we have the bride all squared away, it's your turn."

"I'm so thankful Diana has good taste or we could have been stuck with wearing some pretty ugly dresses," Lois told Shay as she followed Gen to their changing rooms.

"I would nnnever have done th…that to you," Diana said with a laugh as she passed them on her way to her own changing room.

"Good because I would've gotten revenge on you if and when Clark finally decides to ask me to marry him," Lois threatened her.

"Do you think that he'll ask you soon?" Donna called out from her changing room.

"He better if he know what's good for him," Lois said, her annoyance more than evident.

"I'm sure he will," Shayera joined in the conversation.

"I was hoping that Bruce proposing to Diana might give him the idea, but obviously not," Lois grumbled as she removed her boots.

"Why don't you just ask him to marry you, Lois?" Donna suggested, huffing in annoyance as her long raven hair fell into her face as she slipped into her dress.

"That's not my idea of romantic, Donna," Lois called back.

"Well, when you figure out how to get Clark to propose to you, let me know so I can get John to ask me," Shayera added. "He's taking his sweet time too."

"What's the rush?" Donna asked with a frown as she adjusted her dress before stepping out of her changing room.

"Leave it to an immortal Amazon to ask 'what's the rush'," Lois groused as she held up her dress to put on.

"Hey, can someone help me with my zipper?" Shayera hollered in frustration. "My wings are in the way!"

"Come on out and I'll help you, Shay," Donna offered.

"Are you changed already?" Lois exclaimed in surprise. "Damn Amazon."

Ignoring the snarky reporter, Donna quickly made her way to Diana's coat lying on the couch. "Hey, Di! Your phone is ringing," she yelled as she picked up the phone. "It's Bruce. Want me to answer it for you?"

"Yes," Diana called back. "I'll be right out."

"This is Diana's phone," Donna pleasantly answered with an overly sweet tone. "This is your favorite future sister-in-law speaking. How may I help you?"

"Who is this?" Bruce asked. "Artemis?"

"No, it's not Artemis!" Donna snapped. "You know it's her sister Donna!"

"Hi, Donna," he greeted her with an amused chuckle with her irritation. "May I please speak with my future wife?"

"Sure, she's just changing out of her wedding dress," she told him. "You better prepare yourself for your wedding day because you are going to faint when you see her in her dress. She looks drop-dead gorgeous. Every man in the room is going to be falling all over her."

"They better not be," Bruce growled with jealousy.

"Oh, stop that, Donna," Diana chided her as she came out. "You'll get his hopes up."

"I can't wait to see her," Bruce dreamily replied. "She always looks beautiful no matter what she wears."

Diana took the phone from her sister, her expression brightening. "Hi, Bruce," she responded.

"I hear you look ravishing in your wedding dress, Princess," he answered her, low and husky. "Do I get a private sneak preview?"

"No way," she adamantly stated. "Lois told me that it's bad luck for you to see me in my dress before the ceremony."

"What does Lois know?" he huffed in annoyance at the reporter's interference. "I can hardly wait to see you in it and I'm even more anxious to take it off of you after our wedding."

Diana could feel her cheeks growing warm with his flirtatious comment, causing her to turn away from her friends. "I hhhear you looked quite dashing in your tttux," she softly said. "I…I cccan't wait to marry you. Can we just run away now and get married…just the two of us?"

Bruce was silent for a long moment, making her suddenly feel uneasy about her suggestion. "I thought you wanted a big wedding with our friends and family?" he finally asked her, concern evident in his voice.

"I…I do…really," she confessed with a heavy sigh. "It's jjjust that I'll be happy when this is all over."

"Soon, Princess," he promised her. "Soon, we'll be on our honeymoon and it'll just be you and me and no interruptions for a whole week."

"Alright," she relented.

"Are you almost done?"

"Yes," she replied. "Why?"

"Because I can see you standing there in that red skirt I love," he admitted. "I want to kiss you so bad right now it's taking everything I have not to just come right in there and get you."

Diana quickly looked around, not seeing him anywhere. "Where are you?"

"Sitting outside waiting for you," he told her. "I came to pick you up and take you out for dinner tonight."

Diana's lips quirked into a smile. "That sounds wonderful. I'm absolutely starving."

"I'll be out here waiting for you."

"I'm coming right now," she said, ending the call before slipping her phone back into her coat pocket. "If I'm not needed any longer, I have a dinner date with my handsome fiancé."

"I'm just finishing with Miss Lois," Gen informed her. "You go ahead and enjoy your date with Mr. Wayne."

"We'll see you later, Di," Donna said, giving her sister a hug. "Have a good time with Bruce."

"Thanks," Diana said with a wave goodbye as she draped her coat over her arm and exited the shop.

Gen sighed dreamily as she watched the Amazon princess leave. "They are just so in love," she murmured. "It's so beautiful…like something right out of a book or a movie."

"You have no idea," Lois muttered with a roll of her eyes as she lifted her skirt to return to her dressing room to change.

XXX

Diana stepped outside to find the handsome billionaire of her dreams leaning against his car outside of the bridal shop, his legs stretched out before him with one crossed over the other. He was dressed in a navy blue suit, his short black hair perfectly placed and a mischeivious smirk on his face as he slipped his phone into his jacket pocket.

He straightened up as she drew near, opening the passenger car door for her. "This is a pleasant surprise," she told him, leaning in and kissing him before getting inside.

Bruce closed her door for her before making his way around to the other side. Closing his door, he immediately turned, reaching for her and pulling her into a desperate kiss that spoke volumes about what he was truly thinking about at that particular moment.

Retreating, Diana gasped, trying to regain the breath he'd just taken away. "Wow," she murmured, her tongue slipping out to run across her bottom lip. "What was that for?"

"I missed you and you look very sexy in that short red skirt," he replied, his eyes roaming hungrily over her.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," he said with a grin.

Diana narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she studied him, trying to figure out what he was up to this evening. "Can you at least tell me if I'm dressed appropriately for this mystery date?"

Bruce reached over with his right hand to gently caress Diana's bare thigh, loving the way her skirt inched further up her thighs when she sat down. He pressed down on the gas pedal causing his sports car's engine to roar with the power it contained, the tires squealing in response.

"Trust me, Princess," he said with a leering smirk. "You look incredible."

"If you say so," she muttered, unconvinced.

Her left hand shifted from her lap to hold his hand that was resting on her thigh. She loved his hands, loved everything about him, but there was just something about them that she loved even more. His hands were full of such strength for a mortal man, experienced and dangerous in a fight; aggressive and so very skillful when it came to bringing her mind-blowing pleasure her.

They could incite such heated passion that she thought she'd surely be burned alive and at other times so gentle and caring that it nearly brought her to tears. She loved the feel of them tangled in her hair or holding her close, the sense of love and security that they silently conveyed to her with even the briefest contact.

It was in that quiet moment of sweet reflection as they raced through the streets of Gotham that Diana suddenly knew that they could get through all of this together. She just needed to trust him, trust that their love was truly strong enough. They had made it through so much already, so much adversity that had only managed to draw them closer together, further binding their hearts together as one.

Bruce glanced over at his fiancé, her focus on their joined hands. A gentle smile graced her lips, her eyes shining brighter than the most precious sapphires. Affection flooded his heart as he watched the most serene expression slowly envelope her beautiful face. She was truly breathtaking in every way.

"What is it, Diana?" he inquired, squeezing her hand.

Diana lifted her head to meet his curious gaze, his piercing blue eyes causing her to flush inside. "I was just th…thinking about how much I love you," she softly confessed. "It just overwhelms me sometimes…how much you tttruly mean to me."

"I love you too, Princess," he replied, her heartfelt expression of love warming him clear to his toes. He had never dreamed that someone as incredible as Diana could ever love someone like him.

He suddenly found himself wishing they were alone so he could be with her instead of in his car zipping through the streets of his city. "Soon, Bruce…soon," he reminded himself as he pulled the car up to the curb in front of the new five-star French restaurant that was opening its doors for the first time tonight in Gotham.

Diana was stunned to find themselves at Bonne Santé. She had heard that the French restaurant was going to be opening soon, but she hadn't realized it was tonight. "Bruce, how in the nnname of Hera were you able to get a reservation here?" she asked. "I had heard that th…they were already booked up for the next four months before th…they even opened their doors."

Bruce flashed her one of his patented playboy grins as he opened his car door. "Easy," he said with a shrug of his shoulder before exiting. "I'm Bruce Wayne. I just bought my own permanent table."

Diana rolled her eyes, laughing at the cheesy grin he'd just given her. It may have worked on socialites and supermodels over the years, but Diana had seen through that fake smile from the very beginning. She knew there was far more to him than the playboy he pretended to be.

Bruce flipped his car keys to the valet before making his way to the other side of the car, ignoring the paparazzi already beginning to take pictures and yelling their questions. He opened the passenger door for his fiancé to a frenzied chorus of excitement, offering her his hand as she stepped out into a blinding flash of camera bulbs.

Diana's stomach instantly became a tangled knot of nervous apprehension and fear as reporters went wild at the sight of the famous couple. Cameras flashed quicker than lightning could ever hope to strike, reporters shouting a barrage of questions that turned into a loud buzz of senseless chatter.

She immediately dipped her head as she brushed her hair behind her shoulder, wanting desperately to just get inside where she could enjoy a nice quiet evening alone with her fiancé. Memories of her last encounter with a reporter after her fight with Rampage bombarded her mind, reminding her that the world knew about her speech disability now. It had spread faster than Flash could ever hope to run.

She had been too ashamed to tell Bruce about it at first, even now feeling the disgrace of it all heat her face and make her heart race. She fought to control the panic that suddenly had a stranglehold on her, the sheer force of it trying to shake her confidence and question who she was.

Sensing her trepidation, Bruce quickly took her hand in his as they began to make their way towards the flurry that awaited them at the front entrance of the restaurant. She leaned into his shoulder, tightening her hold on his hand, the force of her grip making his hand begin to tingle and ache.

"Wonder Woman! Do you have permanent brain damage from what Lex Luthor did to you?"

"Will you be able to regain your ability to speak?"

"Bruce! Will you break off the engagement and find someone better?"

Diana felt her heart in her throat with every step she took, every hammering question cutting deeper and deeper into her spirit. It built uncertainty deep inside of her, planting seeds of doubt in her mind as well as her soul that she didn't need there right now. She had just come to realize that with Bruce by her side she could handle this, but now she felt that confidence begin to escape.

"Are there any other complications that you're suffering from?"

"Will you still marry Wonder Woman even though she has brain damage?"

"Any talk of having children?"

"Talk? Wonder Woman can't talk! She can only stutter!"

Bruce came to a sudden stop, his rage nearly boiling over with the idiotic questions bombarding them. Everyone froze at the dark glower on the normally foppish playboy's face that they had come to know over the years.

"I will say this once and only once so make sure you get it right," he spat out, his words like a poisonous venom. "Diana is still the same woman that I fell in love with regardless of any lasting effects that that madman Lex Luthor did to her.

"If anyone writes any blasphemous comments about my future wife, you can rest assured that I will sue you and your employers to the fullest extent of the law. You will never be able to find a paying job ever again once I'm through with you.

"Now, if you will all excuse us, I'm going to have a nice quiet dinner with my beautiful fiancé. Thank you."

Diana's Amazonian pride was suddenly inflamed hotter than an inferno having a man speak for her like that and yet her heart was filled with such love for him she could barely draw a breath. Entering the restaurant, she quickly turned; grabbing hold of the lapels of Bruce's suit jacket and pulling him in for a heated kiss that nearly buckled his knees.

He eagerly returned the kiss with equal fervor, savoring the intimate moment as paparazzi continued to take pictures of them through the glass wall. Neither of them really cared in that intimate moment of exchanging love, each of them wishing they could take it further, but knowing that would have to wait for later.

Diana was the one to finally break the kiss, her breaths coming in exerted pulls as she pressed her forehead against his. "I…I didn't kn…know whether to hhhit you or ki…kiss you for th…that," she breathlessly confessed.

Bruce chuckled softly as his hands came to rest on either side of her neck, his thumbs caressing her jaw and loving the subtle flush that adorned her cheeks now. "I'm glad you picked the latter."

"I…I don't kn…know," she replied with a playful smile. "I still mmmight hhhit you."

"Save it for when we get home," he told her with a smirk before kissing her again.

A sudden clearing of a throat broke through the private moment shared between lovers, causing them to reluctantly release their hold on one another. "Mr. Wayne," the maître d politely interrupted in his thick French accent, his hands clasped patiently behind his back. "I have your table ready, Sir. A bottle of our best champagne is chilled and waiting for you as well."

"Thank you," Bruce replied, taking Diana's hand to follow the maître d to their table in the back corner away from prying eyes.

Whispers could be heard all over the crowded restaurant, curious gazes watching the couple's every move as they wound their way between tables. Diana kept her focus straight ahead of her, refusing to meet the eyes of those openly gawking at her. She could hear the flurry of whispered gossip filtering through the restaurant; feel their inquisitive stares boring straight through her, searching for signs that she was no longer the heroine they had come to know and love.

"There's Wonder Woman…I'm surprised she'd even show her face in public again."

"Man, is she ever hot. I'd love to have a shot at her even if she can't talk right."

"I'm shocked Bruce Wayne hasn't dumped her by now and moved on to someone else."

"Poor thing. I hope someone can fix her."

Diana swallowed hard, past the rising lump in her throat. She hadn't anticipated all of this attention, how fast the news of her speech problem had spread and yet it was right here surrounding her and making her face it head on whether she liked it or not.

"Could you please loosen your grip, Princess?" Bruce turned to whisper in her ear as they approached their table. "I'm losing feeling in my fingers."

"Sorry," she murmured in embarrassment, releasing his hand altogether.

She detested feeling like this, loathed the insecurities that welled up in her mind and threatened to break her will. She'd never really had to deal with anything quite like this before. She had battled fierce enemies, fought against evil and faced incredible odds that had endangered her life more times than she could possible count and yet, despite all that, she found herself now being beaten down by something as simple as a speech hindrance. And she had no idea how to handle it.

She knew it was because it wasn't her body taking the blows, but her Amazonian pride...her spirit.

The maître d took Diana's coat before pulling out her chair for her and pushing it in as she sat down. He handed them both their menus before pouring their champagne and leaving them to peruse their dinner choices.

Glancing over the top of his menu at his fiancé, Bruce could see the tension in her face; feel her frustration rolling off of her in waves. He hadn't meant for tonight to turn out like this. He had hoped to surprise her with a quiet little dinner for two, something to get her mind off of things for a few hours. Unfortunately, that was not the way things were turning out.

"I'm sorry, Princess," he finally apologized, laying his menu down and reaching across the table to take her hand. "I never intended for you to go through that."

"It's alright," she responded with a sigh. "It was bound to happen eventually. I guess I should have prepared myself for it after what had happened the other day."

"You're not having doubts about getting married, are you?" he asked, knowing the reporters had upset her with their idiotic questions.

Diana could see the worry in the tense way he held his body. Guilt pierced her heart for even considering not going through with it. "No, Bruce," she adamantly said with a shake of her head. "Never."

His expression was stoic, but his blue eyes were swimming in a pool of trepidation. She leaned over and brushed her lips against his, kissing him softly with suggestive promises for later before allowing her tongue to slid against his and earning a throaty moan of approval. He finally turned away from her luscious lips to find her ear.

"I am still beyond amazed that you chose to love me," he murmured low in her ear, his hand finding her thigh again beneath the table, caressing her soft skin. "I can hardly wait until you're finally mine."

"I…I already am yours, Bruce," she replied with a smile that conveyed the pure happiness that that statement brought her.

"I know, but I can't wait for it to be official, to wear your ring on my finger for the entire world to see," he clarified.

The waiter came at that moment with their salads, apologizing profusely for interrupting them. He quickly rushed off to place their orders, allowing the couple to be alone once more at their secluded table in the corner.

Bruce moved from her thigh to find her hand again. "Diana, I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be completely honest with me."

Her forehead creased as she gazed at him. "Always, Bruce," she responded, apprehension creeping up inside of her. "What is it?"

"Do you really want to run away together and get married…just the two of us?"

"No, we've ppput so much into this wwwedding already," she told him with a shake of her head. "I want to mmmarry you in front of our friends and family."

"If that's not what you want then please tell me," he pressed, his tone serious. "If you want it to be just the two of us, then that's what we'll do."

"No," she adamantly said as she suddenly grasped hold of his tie and drew him close, kissing him again in hopes of reassuring him. "It was just a st…stupid sssuggestion. Forget I even said anything."

Bruce thought for a moment, his eyes roaming over her face. He could sense that there was something more beneath the surface, but he didn't want to push her too much. She was beginning to let him in once more. He didn't want her to abruptly shut him out again because he had pushed her too hard, too fast.

"It does sound tempting, though…doesn't it?" he ventured, watching her closely for her reaction. "Just the two of us…on a beach somewhere warm with no one else but a minister."

Diana got a faraway look in her eyes as she imagined a small intimate ceremony with just the two of them – no eyes studying her every move, waiting with bated breath for the moment that she would suddenly stumble through her vows, the pity and sympathy that everyone would show her.

"It does sssound nice," she softly admitted before suddenly straightening her shoulders. She would do anything for Bruce especially knowing how much this meant to him. "Everyone will be disappointed if we changed it all now. Besides, I wwwant to see my handsome fiancé in his tux."

The fine lines around Bruce's eyes softened with her response, the tension finally easing from his body. "I only want you to be happy, Princess. I want this to be a special day you'll never forget."

"I'm sssure it will be," she assured him. "The girls are al…already taking bets on how you'll react when you see me in my wwwedding dress."

Bruce chuckled. "Really?" he asked. "Just what kind of reactions are they are anticipating?"

She pursed her lips as she picked up her fork, thinking back on the conversation that she'd overheard earlier. "I believe Lois imagines that you'll fffaint, Shay thinks your jaw will drop and Donna was leaning towards a fffierce growl."

Bruce nearly choked on his salad with the last revelation. "A growl?" he repeated, stunned and yet amused. "Does Donna honestly think that I'll growl at my own wedding?"

"Evidently she th…thinks your other half will surface during the ceremony," she teased. "Either that or you'll be so turned on you'll jjjump me right there in fffront of everyone."

"Hmmm…" Bruce thoughtfully hummed. "I think I like the sound of that. Might as well get the honeymoon started as soon as possible."

Diana felt a shiver race up her spine with the wolfish leer that he was giving her. "Bruce Wayne!" she gasped in shock. "You wouldn't dddare!"

"I don't know, Princess," he teased. "If you look half as good as everyone keeps telling me you'll be in trouble if I can't control myself."

She covered her mouth with her cloth napkin to stifle her laughter. "This cccoming from the man who's only re…response to me was curt one word answers and sssnarls for fear of sh…showing too much emotion."

"Hey, it was all I could do not to push you up against the nearest wall and ravage you senseless every time I saw you," he shot back in defense. "I was just fighting for my own sanity."

"Oh, yes," Diana joked with a roll of her eyes. "Hera forbid you sh…showed me how you really fffelt about me. That would've just turned out catastrophic now wouldn't it have?"

"It could've been," he asserted, his face suddenly growing solemn. "I just wasn't ready to let you in yet…and I don't think you would've wanted me at that point either. I had several things that I still needed to deal with.

"Besides, I was afraid you'd be destroyed by the darkness inside of me if I let you in. I never dreamed that your light and beauty would be so powerful and radiant it would actually suppress my demons."

"I will al…always be with you to mmmake sure it never comes back," she reassured him, her hand coming to rest lightly against his cheek.

"You better be, Princess, because I refuse to accept anything less from you," he replied, taking her hand from his face and pressing his lips against her palm as he once again lost himself in her bright blue eyes.

She was his life and nothing was going to take her away from him.