Ok, readers, here it is! Time for Bruce and Diana to finally find each other. Hope you enjoy! :)

Chapter 20

Diana couldn't stop crying, the thought of Bruce not loving her too painful to even believe. "This isn't real…this isn't real."

She kept repeating the words over and over again, praying to the gods that they would hear her desperate pleas and rescue her from this hell. Instead of targeting her body, someone was targeting her mind, her heart. They had discovered what she feared the most and was using it against her now.

She tried to remind herself of that fact, but it was next to impossible. This was all too real to her – the sound of Bruce's baritone voice, the welcoming warmth of his touch against her skin, the painful anguish that expanded with every beat of her heart.

It didn't help that her body was failing her, the Hydra's poison killing her slowly but as surely as a sword's blade could. Her head was spinning, her heart racing. The indescribable pain that coursed through her body was beyond anything she'd ever experienced before. There was no doubt in her mind the poison held elements of dark magic from the Underworld, magic that not even her Meta healing could overcome.

Steeling herself, Diana knew that she had to force herself to face this head-on. She couldn't give in to the pain or the fierce battle being waged in her mind. Gritting her teeth, she lifted her hands from her face only to discover that she was no longer at Wayne Manor.

She slowly stood to her feet, stunned to find herself standing on a rooftop in downtown Gotham. She turned around, trying to figure out why she was here. None of this made any sense and yet it felt so very real to her in every way.

She could feel the cool night breeze brushing against her skin, could see the thousands of stars that littered the night sky. The sounds of honking horns and screeching tires drew her attention to the busy night life below. She peered over the edge at the cars driving down the street, couples holding hands as they walked along the sidewalk.

She was suddenly swept back in time to that night almost two years ago as she watched one couple stop and kiss. It had been a night much like this, one that she had shared with Batman on stakeout as they had kept watch over Gotham's Natural History Museum.

It was the night that Diana had hinted at her desire for more with Bruce only to be shot down by his ridiculous reasons. As disappointing as that conversation had turned out to be, it had still given her a spark of hope that he had felt something for her too. He had obviously considered pursuing a relationship with her if he had spent that much time coming up with all of those reasons not to.

She felt her lips curl slightly as she thought back on how things had changed between them since then, how they had continued to grow closer despite his foolish reasons not to be with her. While their relationship had progressed much slower than she would've liked, she had finally been granted what she had wanted most—a life with Bruce.

Now, though, she didn't know where he was, if he even still loved her or wanted her in his life any longer.

She drew a shuddering sob as tears blurred her vision once more. Hades was trying to destroy her and Bruce and he was winning. Despite how hard she had fought, despite her training and Meta abilities, despite her profound love for Bruce, he was winning.

Exhaustion threatened to drag her into unconsciousness as the poison pumped through her veins, threatening her life. Her chin fell to her chest as overwhelming loneliness consumed her. She missed Bruce so much it hurt to breathe. She just wanted out of this hell once for and all.

She had no idea how long they had been trapped down here, but she knew that her wedding was fast approaching. Maybe two…three days away? This was supposed to be the happiest time of her life, marrying the man that she loved above all else. Instead, she was down here battling for her very life, for the life of the one who had captured her heart.

Would they ever be granted succor in their lives, a chance to just be Bruce and Diana?

Hearing an unusual sound from behind her, Diana turned to notice a dark familiar figure against the backdrop of night. He was crouched low on the next rooftop, a gauntleted hand resting lightly on the edge of the building as he gazed out over the city.

Her breath caught in her throat, her voice gone as she attempted to call out his name. She slowly began to walk towards him, trembling with every step she took. It was like waking from a deep sleep to find the one that she had been dreaming of. Could it really be him here with her now?

"Bruce," she murmured, but the sound of his name was drowned out by the bustling city life below.

Her bottom lip began to quiver as she came to a stop at the edge of the roof. He hadn't seemed to even notice her presence, his focus still locked on the city below. Was she back in Gotham or was this all still in her mind?

Out of the shadows, another figure appeared on the same rooftop as Batman, one that was definitely female as she sauntered towards him from behind. He didn't seem to be aware of her presence either as he straightened up, his black cape swirling dramatically around him.

"Behind you!" Diana attempted to yell, but it came out as nothing more than a breathless whisper lost in the wind.

The sudden cracking of a whip told her exactly who it was that was sneaking up on Bruce. It inflamed her anger like only Catwoman could as the feline thief raised her claws to the Dark Knight of Gotham. Frozen where she stood, Diana could do absolutely nothing but watch as Bruce finally turned around, unfazed by the cat burglar's appearance.

Using her whip, Selina managed to wrap it around Batman, trapping him right where she wanted him. Diana knew that Bruce could easily break free from her hold on him, but why wasn't he even trying? He just stood there as if waiting to see what she would do next.

Without uttering a single word, Selina slowly strolled around him, purring with apparent approval as she dragged a single finger over the contours of his chest, around his shoulders and back to his front again. She paused before him, staring him down as he met her hard gaze with one of his own.

Diana's mind screamed at him to do something to stop her, to break free from the whip's hold on him, but he did nothing as Selina closed the distance between them. She felt as though her heart was going to burst from her chest as Catwoman wrapped her lithe body around him, kissing him with a passion that stunned the Amazon.

She kept waiting for Bruce to push her away, but he never did. Instead, he seemed to be kissing her back, harder and with more passion than he had been greeted with. Diana felt nauseated as he finally broke from the whip only to wrap his arms around Selina and hold her even closer against him.

"No!" Diana cried as tears leaked from her eyes that were wide with horror.

Neither of them seemed to hear her nor were they aware anyone was watching them as they continued to kiss passionately. Bruce finally broke for air, catching his breath before he kissed her once more. "I thought you were never coming."

"Did you really think I would miss our date?" she purred like a cat in heat as she rubbed her body up against him. "It's the only time I can get you alone and away from that damn Amazon."

"You know you're the only one that I truly love, Selina," Bruce reassured her as he stared into her eyes, his hands continuing to stroke her sides.

"Why do you put up with that Amazon anyways?" Selina huffed with disdain. "That constant stuttering and stumbling when she tries to speak is so irritating. I don't know how you can stand it. She's just a broken princess now. She's no good for you or your image."

"I can't help it. I feel guilty about what happened to her," he confessed with a sigh. "I have to stay with her…at least for now."

"You never should've proposed to her in the first place," she snapped. "I should be your wife right now, not her."

"I thought she'd get better with time, not worse," he defended himself. "Besides, I think maybe I did feel something for her at one time, but it died months ago."

Selina stepped away from him, wrapping up her whip and hooking it on her uniform. "You should just divorce her and get it over with. You're not doing her any favors by leading her on like this. What if she gets pregnant? What then?"

"I've taken care of it," he reassured her. "There's no way she's going to get pregnant…at least not by me."

"That's not very reassuring."

"I know," he replied, obviously growing exasperated. "I told you before that as soon as the time is right I will leave her. Then you and I can be finally be together like it should've been all along."

"I'm not a patient woman, Bruce," she stated, "and I definitely don't like sharing what's mine to begin with."

Batman closed the distance between them, taking Selina into his arms once more and holding her close. "I know it's not easy, but I can't just walk out on her especially after everything that she's already been through. Besides, we've only been married for six months."

"Your loyalty and sense of duty is infringing on our time together," Selina reminded him, her arms snaking around his neck as she molded her petite frame against him. "I thought you loved me more than her."

"I only love you, Selina. No one else," he insisted. "Just be patient a little while longer. I promise I will fix this and then we can be together for the rest of our lives."

"I'm going to hold you to that promise, Batman," she purred seductively, dragging her tongue across her bottom lip. "Now, where should we go? My apartment or would you like to just have me right here?"

From where she stood, Diana could hear a deep growl emanate from Bruce's throat as he began kissing Selina, pushing her back into the shadows and disappearing from view. She dropped to her knees in shock, her mind numb with what she had just witnessed.

Who was uncovering her most secret fears and breathing life into them like this, forcing her to watch?

The sounds of Bruce and Selina's passionate exchange reached her ears causing her to swiftly clamp her hands over them to make it stop. She couldn't bear it a moment longer, believing that Bruce would want or love another.

She was about to close her eyes, refusing to believe that this was really happening when a sudden movement on the rooftop where Bruce and Selina were caught her attention and made her blood run ice cold. It couldn't be him.

It was Joker. He was here.

Diana leapt to her feet, racing to the edge of the rooftop across the street from them, desperate to get to Bruce before Joker could get near him. "Batman!"

Her scream went unnoticed as the Joker pulled out a pistol and crept closer to where Batman and Catwoman were still making out in the shadows. "Sorry to interrupt your little tryst, but it's time for Batman to pay for all the trouble he's caused me."

Batman came out of the shadows all alone, Catwoman nowhere in sight. "I'm taking you in, Joker."

The Joker replied with a hair-raising cackle that Diana swore was the embodiment of pure wickedness. She tried to move to help him, to stop the Joker before he hurt Bruce, but she couldn't make her body cooperate. All she could do was stand there and watch as the horrifying nightmare played out.

It was one of her greatest fears, losing him to his mission. As much as she loved and respected him for the noble way that he always fought, the sacrificial way that he risked his life in order to protect others, she feared him leaving one night and never returning home to her.

Her stomach lurched as the Joker pulled the trigger on his gun only to have a red flag pop out of the barrel of the pistol with the word "bang" written on it. He broke out into maniacal laughter with his joke as the Batman glowered darkly at him.

"Stop this…please…" Diana murmured, shaking her head as tears continued to stream down her face. "Please, make this stop."

"Your wish is my command, Princess."

His voice caused an icy chill to shoot up her spine as an arm snaked around her waist. She could feel his breath hot against her skin as he pressed his body against her back. She tensed as his lips softly caressed her cheek. Her heart thundered with his touch as she silently willed her body to react, but it still refused to obey her commands.

"Have you missed me?"

"Get your hands off of me," Diana spat out.

A low rumbling chuckle reverberated in the cool night air and vibrated in her chest. "That's the fiery Amazon Princess that I've come to love," Luthor murmured in her ear.

"What do you want?" she demanded to know.

"You, of course," Luthor drawled, a gun suddenly coming into view as he waved it in front of her face. "I'm going to eliminate the competition."

"No," Diana ground out. "You hurt him and I will kill you."

Luthor chuckled once more, tilting his head even closer to hers. "You don't kill," he reminded her. "Besides, you'll thank me for this later."

Everything seemed to move in slow motion – Luthor's arm rising, the firing of the gun, the way Batman's body dropped lifelessly onto the roof of the building, the gleeful cackle of Joker's laughter piercing the air.

"No!" she screamed. "Bruce!"

Each second felt like an hour as she waited and watched, silently praying that he would move. Nothing ever kept him down for long. He was mortal and yet nearly invincible, his iron will alone giving him the drive to persevere despite the insurmountable odds against him.

But he wasn't moving. Why wasn't he moving?

Diana couldn't catch her breath, couldn't find even the slightest respite from the excruciating pain that was thrumming through her body and stealing her life…her sanity. Her heart was beating far too fast, too hard to survive much longer.

She felt so very cold all over, numbness mingling with the pain. It was similar to what she had felt after the Akusu attack when Batman had first gotten to her. It was that same indescribable feeling like she was floating, trapped between two worlds.

This was it. She wasn't going to make it to Bruce in time no matter how hard she battled against the pull of death. There was absolutely nothing she could do to prevail this time regardless of how desperate she was to stay with him.

She drew one last shuddering breath as her heart finally failed her; Bruce's name a breathless apology on her lips as her eyes closed for the last time.

XXX

Batman's eyes flew open as he gasped sharply, drawing in a deep cleansing breath. Pain pierced his side as his ribs screamed in protest to the movement. He quickly rolled over onto his hands and knees, fighting back the overwhelming need to vomit. What he had just experienced in his mind would no doubt haunt him for the rest of his life.

He leaned over to press his forehead against the ground as he squeezed his eyes closed against the terror that still clawed at his heart. He swallowed back the bile that had risen in his throat leaving behind a bitter taste.

His gauntleted fingers raked across the dirt as he struggled to regain control over his body once more. He couldn't stop shaking, couldn't silence the sound of his mother's scream or the gunshots that rang in his ears reminding him of the impossible choice he'd been forced to make.

He couldn't banish the sickening images of Diana lying on the ground raped and tortured, the way the Joker's knife blade glinted in the street light as it arched in a sweeping motion in an attempt to slice her throat and take her from him.

Drawing a couple more breaths, Bruce forced himself to center his mind, to find that calming center that could bring him a small measure of peace, but it was next to impossible when he had just witnessed his worst fears coming to life right before his eye only to be forced then to choose between saving his parents or Diana.

His heart still hurt, hammering wildly in his chest. The emotional agony he was experiencing now was worse that any physical pain that he'd ever been forced to endure. He had learned long ago how to deal with physical pain, how to compartmentalize his mind in order to cope with it and keep going. He had learned to deal with emotional trauma over the years as well, avoiding emotional ties at all cost and pushing people away to keep from getting hurt.

Until Diana.

She had managed to get in and now he didn't know how to handle this fear of losing her, didn't know how to cope with all of the intense feelings that she always managed to invoke deep within him. Even though those feelings were amazing and beyond anything that he'd ever experienced before, it still brought with it moments of fear and uncertainty and panic.

Now, though, he needed to channel those powerful emotions into finding her before it was too late. Deep down, he was terrified that it already might be. Something was very wrong, something had changed. He could feel it deep in his bones.

He pulled himself up onto his feet only to find the same woman from his nightmare standing before him now. "Who are you?" he growled something dark and dangerous.

He wasn't in the mood for anymore of this relentless hell he was being put through. He couldn't begin to imagine what sort of trials Diana had been forced to experience. It made him sick knowing that he hadn't been able to protect her from it.

"I am Melinoë," she revealed, her gaze intently appraising him as if fascinated by the mortal before her.

Bruce stiffened with her introduction. He knew who she was and what she was capable of. "Unless you're here to help me save Diana, get the hell out of my way."

"I just have one question for you before I let you pass," she said, seemingly unaffected by his brazenness or his blatant anger. "I am quite intrigued by your decision to save the Amazon over your own parents. I felt such immense pain within you from wounds on your soul both old and new. You had the chance to have what you have always wanted—to have your parents back with you again and yet you chose the woman you love. Why is that?"

"I don't have to tell you anything," he bit out, his hands clenching and unclenching as he struggled to keep his breathing even despite the panic that was pulsating through him with what he had just experienced, what he was about to find when he finally got to Diana.

"No, you don't," she thoughtfully replied, her brow furrowing. "If you answer my question, I will tell you where the Amazon is."

Batman took a threatening step towards her, the white slits of his cowl narrowing. "Where is she?"

"Answer my question and I will tell you."

"You're wasting my time," he spat out.

"It is you who is wasting time by not answering my question," she pointed out.

Batman turned away from her as he bowed his head, struggling to find the words to explain something that even he himself did not fully understand let alone could justify. He had just given up a chance to save his parents, to have them with him in his life once more and he had passed it up for Diana. It was a decision that he would no doubt grapple with for a long time even after all of this was finally over.

"As badly as I want my parents back, I can't change the past or what has made me who I am today," he finally confessed, refusing to make eye contact with her.

"But I gave you the chance to change the past and have what you've always wanted," she countered.

Her push for more of an explanation was tearing him up inside, further ripping open old wounds that had already been incised. "I had to save Diana," he softly admitted.

"So you love her more than your parents?"

"No, not more…just differently," he argued, not with her but with himself as he fought to make sense of all that had happened to him in the nightmare. "It would have been selfish of me to sacrifice her life for my parents who were already lost to me."

Melinoë seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding her head slowly in acceptance. "You have shown admirable selflessness, mortal. Your Amazon is just over that ridge, but I'm afraid that you are too late."

Bruce's breath caught in his chest as he lifted his head to find Melinoë pointing to his right before she disappeared from sight. He took off in a dead run, his heart racing once more. The pounding of his boots against the ground echoed distantly in his ears as dread clawed at his throat. It felt as though time had abruptly slowed to a painful crawl, keeping him from saving her when she needed him most.

He climbed over the ridge, clawing his way over the rocky dirt as his boots slipped in the scree that attempted to keep him from getting to her in time. He cursed under his breath, ignoring the sharp pain that relentlessly shot through his injured shoulder.

Finally clearing the ridge, he spotted someone lying on the ground in the distance. It was her. His heart leapt into his throat causing it to tighten painfully. He was too late. He had failed her and now she was gone.

"Diana!" he yelled as he raced towards her.

Fast wasn't fast enough, each second that ticked by like an hour. Sweat trickled down his back as his stomach churned at the sight of her lying there so lifelessly, so broken and bloody. "Diana!" he cried again without receiving a response.

He ripped the cowl from his head, tossing it aside as he skidded to a stop on his knees beside her, noticing the horrible gashes that scored her back. He tore his gauntlets off, carefully rolling her over as his hands brushed her raven hair away from her face in a frantic attempt to find life still beating inside of her.

"Don't do this to me, Diana," he angrily growled as he cradled her face in his hands.

She was badly injured, even more so than he had imagined. Her face was badly bruised and streaked with dirt. She had a nasty wound on her forehead, dried blood crusting over it and along the side of her face. The tracks of her tears on her cheeks were more than evident as his thumbs gently attempted to erase them.

"Diana, please!" he begged, his breath coming in ragged pulls for air as he pushed back the terror that threatened to crush him.

Receiving no response from her, he checked her pulse to find none. He began doing CPR, blowing a couple of life-saving breaths into her mouth before starting compressions on her chest. "Don't you dare leave me, Princess," he barked as he paused to breathe more air into her lungs. "You promised me, damn it! You promised not to leave me!"

He began another round of chest compressions, mounting desperation mingling with anguish. "Come on, Diana! Fight, damn it!"

He continued alternating between chest compressions and giving breaths for what felt like an eternity when he finally sank back on his heels in exhaustion. Looking down at her, he could no longer contain the tears that had been burning behind his eyes since first spotting her.

Bruce gently gathered her up into his arms, his heart breaking as he pulled her into his lap. He buried his face in her raven hair, heart-rending sobs filling the air around him. His body trembled with the sorrow that had had gripped him in that moment.

His head fell back as he clutched her tightly to his chest; a guttural scream of utter grief torn from his lungs as realization of what he had lost washed over him, pressing in on him from every side. Nothing made sense to him anymore, life becoming so very empty and meaningless as he held her in his arms.

Tears that hadn't been shed in thirty years broke free to drip down his face, not wanting to ever let her go. He had failed her. She had needed him and he couldn't get to her in time to save her. She had stolen his heart soon after invading his life and now she was taking it with her.

He felt like there was a large cavity in his chest where his heart had just been ripped out. His fury seared through him—angry with Diana for making him fall in love with her, furious with her for leaving him like this. He was livid with Hades for putting them through this nightmare, for taking her away from him.

Bruce pulled back, pressing his forehead against hers, his tears falling onto her face. Persephone had told him that he'd know what to do when he had found her, but there was no way to save her now, nothing he could possibly do to get her back with him where she belonged.

His fingers dug deep into her flesh as he tightened his hold on her, his lips brushing against her forehead, each eyelid and cheek before tenderly kissing her lips. His tears came harder when he received no response from her. She didn't return his love like she always had in the past; reminding him even more of what he had lost.

"I love you, Princess," he murmured against her cheek as he pressed his forehead against her brow. "Please…don't leave me like this."

After sitting there for what felt like an eternity, he finally lifted his head to find himself back where this hellacious nightmare had first started—Hades' throne room.

"You!" Bruce hissed as he stared up into the face of Hades. "This is your fault!"

"I did not kill her," Hades calmly countered, his face an emotionless mask as he stared at the mortal holding his daughter's body in his arms. "It was the Hydra's poison that stole her life. I offered to save her from death, but she refused my offer. She wouldn't give up on finding you."

Hades' confession only added to Bruce's anguish as he carefully laid Diana's body on the floor before leaping to his feet with all the venomous rage and grief that consumed him at that moment. "If you hadn't brought her here, she'd still be alive," he yelled, closing the distance between them in three swift strides.

"She demanded to come with you," Hades reminded him.

"Bring her back," Batman bit out with a deadly calm that gave even Hades a moment's pause. "Take my life for hers."

"You really expect me to believe that you would be willing to sacrifice your life for hers?" Hades countered in disbelief. "You would stay here in the Underworld for all eternity so she could live?"

"You have two options—you either trade my life for hers and let her leave here or you send me to be with her in Elysium because I'm not leaving here until you do."

Hades stared at the mortal man before her, shocked by his demand. This unusual man had not only survived every single one of his tests, but he was willing to sacrifice his life for the woman he loved. Despite what Hades had originally believed to be true, Batman had proven himself to truly be a remarkable man.

"Enough of this, Hades," Persephone stated with authority as she stepped out of the shadows of his throne room. "He has more than proven himself worthy. Fix this now."

Hades scowled in response as he lifted his hand towards Diana, flicking his wrist almost imperceptibly. Batman turned on his heel, kneeling down beside her as he waited with bated breath. His gently placed his hand on her forehead, gently stroking her hair from her face as he watched for any sign of life within her.

Diana suddenly drew a shuddering breath, her body arching. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring up into the tear-filled eyes of the man she loved. "Bruce," she weakly murmured.

A single tear broke free to slowly trail down his cheek as he lost himself in her beautiful blue eyes. "Princess," he whispered, finding it more than difficult to make his voice work.

Diana forced herself to sit up despite her countless injuries or the weakness that still limited her movements. She wrapped her arms around him, unable to contain her own tears any longer. "I was so terrified that I'd never see you again," she softly confessed, drawing a shaking breath as her tears fell. "I'm so sorry, Bruce."

He held her close, being careful of her injuries and relishing the feel of her alive in his arms once more. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"You two have completed your trials," Hades announced, interrupting the lovers' reunion. "However, you are not allowed to leave the Underworld just yet."

"What more do you want?" Bruce demanded with a sneer as he helped Diana to her feet. "Diana already lost her life because of you. How much more can you take?"

"This isn't a test, but a choice that my daughter must make," Hades told him, raising his hand to halt the Batman's tirade.

"What sort of decision?" she asked, leaning heavily on Bruce as they stood before her father.

Someone walked into the throne room at that moment, someone Diana hadn't expected to see here. "Am I too late to claim my beautiful prize?"

"Ares," Diana hoarsely hissed with unmistakable loathing.

"What is he doing here?" Bruce angrily demanded, not liking the way that Ares was leering at Diana.

"I'm here for my Amazon," Ares gloated. "It's about time you finally saw the light, Diana. We were always meant to be together."

Diana glared at the god of war, her breathing ragged. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"You haven't heard my offer yet, daughter," Hades pointed out. "You have a choice. You can either leave the Underworld with Batman and lose your immortality or keep your immortality and marry Ares."

"What kind of choice is that?" Bruce snarled in disbelief. "You already put her through hell and it cost Diana her life."

"I'll give up my immortality," she calmly stated as she struggled to remain upright.

"Diana, I can't let you do that," Bruce insisted as he turned to face her. "You're not giving it up for me."

"She will lose it if she wants to be with you and have your child," Hades revealed. "She's barren. When I remove her immortality, I will open her womb."

"Deal," Diana immediately responded without a second thought.

"There has to be another way," Bruce growled, grabbing hold of Diana's arms. "I won't let you give up your immortality just for me."

"It's not for you, Bruce," she told him with a soft smile. "It's for us. I want this. I want a life with you for as long as the Fates allow and I want to have a baby with you."

"Hades, you promised me I could have her," Ares snapped.

"I never promised her to you," Hades corrected him. "I merely said that she might be available."

"I should just take her now regardless," Ares spat out, taking a step towards Diana.

Batman moved to stand in front of her. "Over my dead body."

"I am more than happy to oblige," Ares said with a smirk.

"Enough!" Hades bellowed as he raised a hand towards Ares. "Be gone."

Ares disappeared from sight, bringing a small measure of relief to Bruce, but it was slight knowing that Diana was so willing to give up her immortality in order to be with him, to have his baby. He turned back towards her, his intense blue eyes practically burning through her to gaze directly at her very soul.

"Princess, I—"

Diana placed a single finger against his lips, silencing him. "It's mine to give up and I willingly and happily surrender it if it means that I get to be with you," she informed him. "If there is anything that I have learned since being separated from you down here in the Underworld, it's that I don't want to spend another day…another hour away from you, Bruce Wayne. I love you too much to live without you."

Bruce swallowed back the thick knot that unexpectedly lodged in his throat with her heartfelt profession of love. He pulled her finger away from his mouth and interlaced their fingers, a small smirk on his lips. "May I speak now?"

"Depends on what you have to say," she lightly teased him.

"I love you, Princess," he murmured, his hand coming to rest against her bruised cheek.

"By the way, you're welcome," Hades interjected.

"For what?" Bruce asked with a dark glower.

"I corrected her speech problem," he replied with a dark grin. "No daughter of mine is going to stutter. Now, both of you be gone. I grow tired of your presence in my realm."

Persephone breathed a sigh as Bruce and Diana disappeared from sight, more than relieved that it was finally over. She just hoped that her husband didn't plan any future interference in their lives. They had both been forced to endure far more than necessary, but their love for one another had proven true.