TITLE: Meeting of the Minds

AUTHOR: LOTSlover

CHARACTERS: Batman / Wonder Woman

RATING: T

WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings

DISCLAIMER: I love Justice League, but especially Batman and Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, I do not own the characters and, if I did, things would be much different for them.

SUMMARY: Bruce invites Diana over for dinner to meet his family. How will it go?

Meeting of the Minds

"Why do I have to wear a necktie?" Tim whined as he attempted to tie the offending silk for what felt like the hundredth time and finding little to no success.

Dick shook his head in amusement as he came to his younger brother's rescue, tying his necktie for him and adjusting it before taking a step back to appraise his handiwork. "Because Bruce said we needed to that's why," he replied.

"Did he tell you anything?" Tim asked as he tugged at the collar of his shirt.

"Nothing," Dick revealed. "Tightlipped as ever. You'd have better luck trying to get something past Alfred then trying to get information out of Bruce."

"This must be pretty important if he asked us all here tonight," Barbara commented, smoothing out the skirt of her pink dress.

"Yah, asking us to get dressed up for this dinner means it's very important to him," Dick agreed. "He's trying to impress someone, or he has a big announcement of some sort."

"He has been pretty happy lately, so I'm betting it must be a woman," Barbara decided.

"What makes you think it's a woman?" Tim asked as he pulled his suit jacket on over his dress shirt.

Barbara smiled knowingly as she studied the two boys standing before her, one like a little brother and the other that had captured her heart long ago. Though it didn't work out between them, Dick would forever own a part of her heart.

"Nothing puts a smile on a man's face like that than a woman," she informed them, her forehead creasing in thought. "Actually, nothing puts a smile on Bruce's face so I'm at a complete loss as to what it could be. I mean it could be a woman, but she'd have to be pretty amazing to have found a way into his heart."

"He has seemed different the last couple of months," Dick agreed. "He's not been quite as brooding. It's got to be a woman."

"It could be something else," Tim suggested, the young teenager's face instantly brightening with the thought. "Maybe it's a dog. Maybe we're finally getting a dog. I've been wanting one forever and he would never budge. Maybe he's finally changed his mind."

Tim's excitement was unmistakable, but definitely wrong. "Not a chance," Dick replied. "First off, Bruce will never get a dog. Second, he wouldn't make us get all dress up just to show us a puppy."

Tim's shoulders slumped as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his dress pants, a sorrowful expression gracing his face. "Yah, I guess you're right," he grumbled in disappointment. "It's probably just some woman then."

"I hope it's not Selina," Dick muttered.

Barbara's nose turned up at the thought of Catwoman gaining a permanent place in Bruce's life. While she somewhat understood Bruce's attraction to her and occasional flings with the thief, Selina was not the right woman for him though she was certain Selina believed otherwise.

"If it is Selina, I'm leaving," Barbara readily decided with a frown.

"Me too," Tim added as he tugged on his necktie, gladly looking for any opportunity that would get him out of his suit and tie.

"Master Timothy," Alfred said as he appeared outside of the formal dinning room. "Please do not tug on your shirt and tie. Our guest will be here soon. I expect you to be well-mannered, young man."

"Ah, Alfred," Tim grumbled as he lightly kicked at the marble floor with the toe of his dress shoe. "I hate getting all dressed up. I just want to go out on patrol."

"This night is very important to Master Bruce," Alfred revealed, his hand coming to rest on Tim's shoulder and squeezing it affectionately. "We need to do our very best to make it a special evening for him as well as his guest."

"Come on, Alfred," Dick said with a knowing grin. "Can't you give us a hint about who it is?"

Alfred smiled warmly at Dick, mischief dancing in his eyes. "I'm afraid not," he replied. "I'm under strict orders not to divulge a single detail about this evening or Master Bruce's special guest."

"Please, Alfred?" Barbara sweetly pleaded, laying her head on his shoulder as she batted her eyelashes at him. "Not even just a tiny hint? Bruce won't know."

"Bruce knows everything."

The three sidekicks all stiffened with the unexpected baritone voice that appeared behind them out of thin air. "Oh…hey, Bruce," Dick greeted him with a sheepish grin. "We were just asking Alfred about what we should expect tonight."

"You can expect to be on your best behavior or else," Bruce sternly stated with a matching glare that settled on each of his three partners as he adjusted his tie. "She should be here any minute."

"So, it is a woman," Barbara smugly announced, impressed with her deductive skills. "Told you."

"What woman could've possibly gotten past the Kevlar and the steel walls of the Batman's heart?" Dick asked with a smirk.

"Maybe she doesn't know he's Batman," Tim suggested.

"No way," Barbara said with a definitive shake of her head. "There's no way he would introduce her to us if she didn't know about the Bat. It would be too easy to make a connect between us and our alter egos."

"Maybe he's going to tell her he's Batman tonight," Dick thoughtfully proposed.

"Nah, he wouldn't do that," Tim countered. "He'd want to make sure that she was okay with him being Batman before letting her know about us. He wouldn't take the risk."

"I bet it's some bimbo that's somehow worked her way into his…" Dick's voice abruptly trailed off as he was about to say bed, glancing at his younger brother. "…heart."

"Batman doesn't have a heart, does he?" Tim questioned him.

"Of course, Batman has a heart," Barbara defended him. "He has a very big heart. It's just really, really broken. The right woman could help heal it."

"You're such a romantic, Barbara," Dick said with a chuckle. "There isn't a romantic bone in Bruce's whole body."

"I'm standing right here you know," Bruce uttered with a frown, his brow knitted in irritation. "I'll have you know I can be very romantic."

Alfred smiled to himself as the three sidekicks stretched their detective skills by trying to deduce the identity of their mysterious guest. He had only learned of the recent development when Master Bruce had returned from the Watchtower a couple of months ago with a dreamy smile on his face and a noticeable bounce in his step.

He had even heard his surrogate son humming while he shaved that morning, an unusual occurrence that had never graced the manor in all the years that Alfred had known him. Master Bruce had finally admitted that he and Diana had spent the night together much to Alfred's absolute delight.

There had been a definite change in Master Bruce since then, a certain weight lifted from his heart with her presence in his life now. The dark shroud that usually hung over him had seemed to lessen some, revealing a peace and happiness within him that had been missing for far too long. It was a welcomed change, one that he hoped and prayed would continue as their relationship progressed.

"It's Selina, isn't it?" Dick asked him, his expression shifting to worry as another thought occurred to him, one that horrified him even more. "Oh no…please tell me it's not Talia."

"No, it's not Talia or Selina," Bruce insisted with a scowl. "I haven't seen Talia in forever and Selina and I haven't been together for over a year or more."

"Just so there haven't been any unexpected reunions with any ex-girlfriends," Dick replied.

The sound of the doorbell caused everyone to freeze, a sense of nervous energy settling over them. "Go find your seats at the table," Alfred instructed them, gently herding them into the dining room.

"I'll get the door," Bruce readily decided, not giving Alfred a chance to argue as he quickly walked away.

"I guess I'll get the salads then," Alfred said.

"I'm worried," Tim mumbled as he shuffled into the dining room behind Dick and Barbara.

"Worried about what?" Barbara asked as she took her seat at the table.

"What if we don't like her and he ends up marrying her?" Tim asked, wrinkling up his nose at the thought.

XXX

"What if they don't like me?" Diana asked, a wave of nervousness washing over her.

Closing the door behind her, Bruce pulled her into his arms, kissing her soundly. "How could they not?" he asked. "You're smart, gorgeous, kind and compassionate and, on top of that, you're Wonder Woman. They'll be thrilled."

"Bruce…be serious," she chided him with a tilt of her head, her lips curved into barely suppressed amusement "I know how very important your family is to you. I just really want them to like me."

Bruce smiled at her, deeply affected by the fact that she was worried about getting along with the people who meant so much to him. He kissed her again, savoring the feel of her in his arms and the taste of her on his tongue before finally forcing himself to pull away.

"Diana, you're absolutely perfect in every way imaginable," he reassured her. "I promise they'll love you. Alfred already does so that's one down and three to go."

"I hope so," she murmured, pausing to draw a fortifying breath. "So, do I look okay?"

"You look beautiful," he told her as his gaze roamed over the lavender dress she wore. It was simple yet elegant, fairly modest and yet completely alluring at the same time. "Now, stop worrying, princess. You've already made it through the worst part."

"The worst part?"

"Yes…winning me," he told her with a smirk as he took her hand in his. "The rest is a breeze compared to that."

She rolled her eyes as she tightened her hold on his hand, a smile on her lips as they made their way towards the dining room. "I think Hercules had it far easier with his Twelve Labors than I did trying to break through your tough shell."

"Oh, please, princess," he said with a chuckle. "It wasn't quite that bad."

"That's what you think," she murmured.

He stopped her outside of the dining room, holding a finger to his lips as he paused to listen to the trio talk. "I'm afraid it's the meeting of the minds in there," he whispered in her ear.

"I mean what if she's really ugly?" Tim asked. "We'll have to look at her every single day for the rest of our lives!"

Dick chuckled as he ruffled Tim's hair, the younger man promptly jerking away to smooth it back out. "Do you really think Bruce would date an ugly woman?" he questioned him. "He's freaking Bruce Wayne, playboy to the stars. He has to be seen with a beautiful woman on his arm. It's like some sort of requirement or something."

"You never know," Tim maintained. "Maybe she put a magical spell on him and he has no idea what he's doing. He doesn't know it, so he can't try to break free from it."

"Then, we'll just have Zatanna break the spell if there really is one," Barbara reassured him. "You worry too much, Tim. I'm sure she's very nice or Bruce wouldn't want to introduce her to us. Besides, if she turns out to be evil, we know three hundred and fifty-six ways to take her out."

Diana put her hand to her lips, stifling the amusement that rose up in her throat. Bruce smiled in response as well, his thumb caressing the back of her hand. He had to admit that he had been a little nervous about tonight, but now that Diana was finally here, he knew it was the right move despite what his young proteges might think right now.

"Yah, but what if he marries her and she turns out to be an evil witch?" Tim tried again, his voice becoming haunted with fear. "I don't want an evil stepmother!"

Bruce and Diana shared a stunned look with the mention of marriage, both quickly looking away as a faint blush suffused Diana's face. While they both knew they were fully committed to this relationship, the notion of marriage wasn't something that either had discussed let alone thought about.

"Okay you two…enough," Barbara announced. "We need to be in agreement about this. Whoever it is or whatever Bruce decides, we need to support him no matter what because this is the happiest we've ever seen him and she's obviously very important to him. Got it?"

"I agree," Dick readily replied.

"I guess, but I still won't like it," Tim groused as he played with his fork, reluctantly agreeing. "If she's ugly, I'm eating all my meals in my bedroom."

"I guess the meeting of the minds has finally reached an agreement," Bruce murmured. "Should we allay their fears?"

"I think it's time," Diana agreed.

"If you three are done speculating, I'd like to introduce you to my girlfriend," Bruce revealed as he entered the dining room with Diana, all three heads snapping up to see who this mysterious woman was.

"Oh…my…word…" Barbara murmured as she stared at the couple in stunned disbelief, her jaw hanging open.

"No way!" Dick exclaimed with a look of pure incredulity as a huge grin broke across his face.

"What?" Tim asked, confused as he looked from the couple in the doorway to Barbara and Dick for some sort of explanation.

"I'd like you all to meet Diana," Bruce introduced her to them. "You also might know her as Wonder Woman. Diana, this is Barbara Gordon, that's Dick Grayson, and the chatterbox over there is Timothy Drake."

"Wonder Woman!" Tim yelled, his eyes wide as comprehension dawned on him, his fork automatically dropping from his hand and clanking loudly as it made contact with his plate.

Wonder Woman was Batman's girlfriend.

His surrogate father was dating Wonder Woman.

"Wonder Woman is going to be my stepmother?" Tim yelled with building excitement, the words tumbling free without realizing it. "I get to have Wonder Woman as my mother!"

"We're not getting married," Bruce evenly stated with a frown.

"You're not?" Tim asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Don't you love her?"

"Yah, where is this relationship going?" Dick demanded to know as he folded his arms against his chest. "We need details here."

"You don't want to get married?" Barbara questioned them.

"I never said that," Bruce responded, turning to fully look at his princess. They hadn't even said that they loved each other yet. How could they talk about marriage already? "I think we'd like to take things slow for now. I just want to make sure I don't screw things up."

"You're doing just fine, Bruce," she reassured him, leaning in close and kissing him.

Bruce returned her kiss, his free hand moving to cup her cheek. "I guess there are a few things that I do very well," he cheekily replied, his lips quirking into a smirk as a blush suffused Diana's face. She dipped her head and averted her eyes as she recalled just how well he did last night in her quarters on the Watchtower.

"Gross," Tim grumbled.

"Aww, they're so cute together," Barbara said with a dreamy sigh. "I want to be a bridesmaid when you two finally decide to get married."

"Okay, enough you two. You guys can kiss all you want later," Dick announced. "I'm starving. Let's eat."

"Richard Grayson," Barbara scolded him. "Don't be rude in front of Wonder Woman. She's practically family now."

Bruce rolled his eyes as he led Diana to her chair, pulling it out for her. As she sat down, he scooted her chair in for her before taking his seat at the head of the table. Diana reached under the table for his hand, taking it in hers once more and lacing their fingers.

He smiled softly at her with the unexpected contact. He hoped he didn't mess things up by refusing to talk about marriage just yet. He wanted to make sure they could make this work with their respective duties and responsibilities before even thinking about proposing marriage.

They hadn't decided yet how they were going to handle going public with this relationship, whether Batman should be with Wonder Woman or Bruce Wayne with Diana Prince. To add the topic of marriage on top of all that was a huge step. It caused doubts and fears to rise up within him, threatening to steal his happiness, but he quickly tamped down on it. He wasn't about to let anything ruin this evening.

Sensing the subtle shift in his mood, Diana squeezed his hand in reassurance, causing him to look up at her. She gave him a warm smile, allowing him to see her feelings for him reflected in her eyes. He visibly relaxed as he returned her smile, his gaze softening.

"This is a celebratory dinner," Alfred announced as he entered the dining room with a large silver tray. "So, let's celebrate."

"Only if you join us, Alfred," Bruce said.

Alfred looked at him in absolute shock. "Master Bruce, that would be most inappropriate."

"Nonsense," Diana replied. "Please, come join us, Alfred. I'm here to get to know Bruce's family and you're most definitely family. Besides, I'm sure you have some great stories about Bruce's childhood that you're dying to share and I for one would love to hear them."

Bruce groaned with the mention of his childhood, suddenly rethinking this whole evening as a scowl settled over his face. This could turn out to be an utter disaster, one that had him solely at the heart of everyone's amusement depending on which stories Alfred decided to tell and just how much detail he went into.

Diana leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek as Dick and Barbara ushered Alfred into a chair before leaving to get the food. "What was that for?" he asked as he turned to look at her, his expression softening.

"A thank you for inviting me here tonight," she softly replied. "I know this is kind of a big step for you. I appreciate you making the effort to let me into your life."

"Anything for you, princess," he murmured with a crooked grin.

"Hello? There are children in the room," Tim loudly announced, forcing Bruce and Diana to pull apart. "That's better."

"Master Timothy," Alfred scolded him.

Bruce shook his head in amusement, his mind already making plans to let his three partners handle patrol tonight so that he could spend the night alone with Diana. He more than anxious to introduce her to his bed and to wake up to her beautiful face in the morning.

He smiled to himself as Diana and Tim talked like old friends, noticing how perfectly she was already fitting into his life and into his home. It scared him senseless, and at the same time, it warmed his heart. He knew they were going to have their ups and downs, moments when they were going to fight and butt heads…times when he would try to push her away out of fear, but right now, he was going to enjoy every moment of this time with her and his family.

UP NEXT: "The Doomsday Sanction"