TITLE: Mind Games

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: Following the events of The Balance, Diana struggles to come to terms with the things that she learned in the Underworld from Hades. BMWW

Mind Games

Diana stared out the large viewing window of the arboretum on board the Watchtower, affording her a breathtaking picture of Earth. Despite the amazing view before her, she wasn't really paying attention to it, her thoughts running rampant along with her fears.

She tried to tell herself that she was being irrational, needlessly worrying about something that she shouldn't, but she was having a difficult time being sensible at this moment. Too much had happened, too much had transpired that had turned her world upside down. She had told herself that she didn't believe it…had told him the very same thing, but she knew deep within her that he had been speaking the truth.

She wrapped her arms around her torso as if holding herself together, her chin falling to her chest as she considered the ramifications of the unexpected revelation that had rocked her entire world and shook the very foundation of her belief. It forced her to rethink everything that she had every thought or believed about herself, causing to question everything.

Her eyes fell closed as his words continued to echo in her mind like a taunting mantra. Everything in her world had been so perfect—her mission as Wonder Woman, her relationship with Bruce, the removal of her banishment from Themyscira. It had been far better than she had ever imagined that it could be.

Hades' revelation had just obliterated all of it.

What would Bruce say if he knew that the god of the Underworld…the Ruler of the Dead…was her father? He struggled as it was with the notion of magic and she was a being of magic. On top of that, she was a Meta, another quality that made Bruce's paranoia spike at every turn.

Then, there was the pantheon of gods and goddesses that she firmly believed in and worshipped, the very beings who had blessed her with her gifts. Bruce wasn't very accepting of the whole notion of Greek gods and goddesses. It was something that had just been a myth until he'd been forced to face it head-on when Hades had escaped from his prison in the Underworld.

Since then, Bruce had reluctantly accepted their existence, but still refused to accept their deity. She knew much of his disbelief was rooted in the fact that his parents had been violently taken away from him at such a young age. He'd lost all faith in any religion at that point.

Now, she was forced with the prospect of telling the man that she loved that her father was the Greek god Hades.

Diana didn't even bother turning around as the doors to the arboretum softly slid open, revealing an unexpected visitor to her quiet sanctum. She didn't really feel like talking to anyone right now, not even the man that was making his way to her.

"Diana," he called to her "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she softly said without looking up as he came to stand beside her.

"You don't seem fine," Clark gently pressed. "You came back from Themyscira and the Underworld three days ago and you have yet to leave the Watchtower or talk to anyone."

"Are you checking up on me?" she asked, her voice lacking any real emotion.

"Sort of," he admitted, standing next to her with his arms crossed and his eyes locked on Earth. "Bruce has been really worried about you. He said that you haven't answered any of his calls."

Diana bit at her bottom lip, guilt swelling in her chest. "I know…I'm sorry. There are just some things that I needed to work through."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Diana," he told her. "We're both just worried about you."

"I'm surprised that Bruce didn't come looking for me," she commented.

"He wanted to, but I told him to give you some time to work through whatever was bothering you," he informed her.

"Is that why he sent you to check up on me?"

"I know he has trouble showing it, but Bruce does care about you," he said. "I think he's worried you're going to leave the League and return to Themyscira permanently."

Diana smiled to herself, knowing that Clark still didn't know about the change in her relationship with Bruce. "Shayera told you?"

"Shayera only said that your mother had lifted your banishment from Themyscira," Clark told her. "She said that if we wanted to know any more that we had to talk to you. She didn't feel it was her place to reveal anything else that had happened during your mission to the Underworld."

Diana was somewhat taken aback by the revelation, relieved that Shayera hadn't said a word about Hades to anyone. It restored a small measure of the trust that Diana had lost in Shayera during the Thanagarian invasion. Perhaps, she really was earnest in her desire to make amends and restore their trust in her.

"You know I'm always here for you if you need someone to talk to," he reassured her. "I really think you should probably talk to Bruce, though. I know he's not the easiest person to get along with, but I know he really cares about you and you have feelings for him, Diana. You two share some sort of connection whether he'll ever admit to it or not."

A wistful expression formed on her face, her blue eyes softening. "I do love him," she confessed. "I just don't know if he'll understand this, Kal."

Clark placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Try him. He just might surprise you."

"I hope you're right," she softly murmured.

"Trust your heart, Diana…trust Bruce," he encouraged her. "Just promise me that you won't give up on him. He really needs you in his life. I just hope that someday you two will find the kind of love that Lois and I have."

Diana nodded her head, wishing that she could tell Kal that she and Bruce had already found it, but they were still trying to decide how they wanted to proceed with everything. She knew that Kal was right whether he realized it or not. Knowing it, though, didn't seem to make it any easier.

XXX

Bruce sat before his computer entering his reports from a long night of patrol. He raked his fingers back through his hair still damp from his shower, his thoughts consumed with one person. She'd returned from Themyscira three and a half days ago and she had yet to make any contact with him.

It was beginning to drive him to distraction, his mind constantly trying to reconcile all the reasons why she could possibly be distancing herself from him. None of them gave him the least bit of comfort, all of them creating a roiling sense of dread in his gut.

All his fears and insecurities...his paranoia was running rampant, his anger rising along with it. He knew that Shayera had told Clark that Queen Hippolyta had removed Diana's banishment from her island home, leaving her open to return whenever she wanted to…possibly forever.

The thought scared him to no end. He had given his heart to her, told her that he loved her. He'd opened himself up to her and let her see the dark, fragmented pieces of his soul that he'd never let anyone into. Only she had been able to breech his walls and find her way deep inside of his heart. Now, he was in danger of losing her.

How would he ever survive that?

His every muscle tensed with the sound of the transporter announcing the arrival of a visitor. He dared to hope it was Diana but was afraid that it was only Clark coming to tell him Diana was returning home. His heart told him she wouldn't leave him, but his fear told him she was already gone.

Drawing a deep breath, Bruce stood to his feet, steeling himself and his heart for what was about to come now as he turned to greet his visitor. If it was her, he would not beg her to stay if she wanted to leave him. He would let her go if that was what she truly wanted.

He swallowed hard as he watched Diana step off the transport pad. She was wearing a short, white chiton and sandals that wrapped around her legs, her raven hair flowing down her back and over her shoulders. His breath caught in his throat with the sight of her, standing frozen in place as she closed the distance between them.

His legs felt like lead as he drank her in, assuming and fearing the worst. Was this goodbye?

"Bruce…" she murmured as swiftly wrapped her arms around him.

He stood there for several moments, not quite knowing what to do. He tentatively lifted his arms, slipping them around her as he lowered his head. He pressed his face into her silken hair that smelled like jasmine and vanilla. It caused him to flush warmly, his eyes falling closed as he savored the feel of her in his arms again.

They held each other for a long time, neither of them saying a word. Diana finally broke the silence, a nervous flutter erupting in the pit of her stomach. "I've missed you," she whispered into his neck.

The feel of her lips brushing against his throat stirred his desire for her. He'd missed her so much these last few days. "I've missed you too."

She pulled back to crush her lips to his, kissing him with all the love and longing that she felt inside for him. He greedily returned her kiss, relief beginning to gently drift through him and wash away a degree of the fear that had gripped him for the last few days.

She threaded her fingers in his black hair, her tongue in a fierce clash for dominance as passion flared. She broke the kiss, breathing heavily as her fingers traced his jaw. "I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner."

His brow furrowed as he stared at her, his hand coming to rest against her check. "Why didn't you come?"

The hurt and confusion that clouded his azure eyes as well as his voice caused her chest to clench with remorse. He didn't typically show his emotions like this, making her feel worse. In her attempt to reconcile the things that she had learned, she had unintentionally hurt him. She tightened her hold on him, burying her face in his chest as her emotional way abruptly cracked.

Bruce's heart began to beat a little harder as his worry engulfed him, making it difficult to breathe. He kissed the top of her head, wishing more than anything that she'd talk to him. "Diana, what is it?" he prodded, doing his best to be there for her and not run away like he was inclined to do. "What happened?"

He could feel her tears on his t-shirt before he actually heard them. He pulled her even more firmly against him, just holding her close as she silently poured out her heart. Every second that ticked by felt like an eternity as he waited for her to talk to him and tell him what was wrong.

He could feel his fear and worry rising up from somewhere deep in his chest, threatening to choke him. It was hard enough knowing that she was crying without even knowing why she was so upset. He feared she was choosing Themyscira over him.

"You're scaring me, princess," he pleaded with her, his heart in his throat. "Please, just talk to me."

Diana pulled out of his embrace, turning her back to him as she tried to gather herself once more. "I'm so sorry, Bruce," she softly apologized.

He stared at her, fighting the urge to go to her and wrap his arms around her. Fear attempted to render him immobile. Love made him move. "What is it?" he asked as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Are you leaving me…returning to Themyscira for good?"

Diana turned in his arms, her hands cradling his face. "I'm never leaving you, Bruce," she swore to him as she stared into his eyes, wanting him to see the truth of her words. "I don't think I could live without you."

Bruce released the breath he'd been holding, relief seeping through him. "What is it then? Did something happen with Shayera? Was it your mother or Hades?"

"I found out something that I'm having a really hard time accepting," she revealed, drawing a deep breath in an attempt to steel herself. "Hades told me that he is my father."

"Hades is your father?"

Diana slowly nodded her head as her hands fell to her sides. "He told me that he helped my mother form me from clay…he had a hand in my creation so he's technically my father."

"Maybe it's not true," he said with a frown. "He could've been lying to you…trying to play mind games with you. You know how he can be."

"No, I think he's telling the truth, Bruce," she told him.

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him that I didn't believe him," she revealed, looking down at her hands to find that she was wringing them. She forced her hands apart as she began to pace, balling them into fists. "I know who raised me and that was all that mattered."

"But it does matter…doesn't it?" he pressed as he watched her walk back and forth before him, his own mind racing with the ramifications.

"Yes…it does," she angrily confessed, throwing her hands up in the air as her emotions began to seep out of her. "Why didn't my mother tell me that Hades helped her create me? Why would she hide this from me, Bruce? I told Shayera that I know who raised me and what I believe, but I don't anymore…not now. It has me questioning everything about myself...everything that I have ever known."

Bruce closed the distance between them his hands coming to rest on her shoulders, forcing her to stop. "You're still the same person you were before you left for Themyscira, princess. Nothing has changed that."

"But who am I exactly?" she questioned him, desperation lacing her voice. "I don't know anymore. How much of me is Hades and how much is my mother? I don't want any of him to be a part of me. Look at me, Bruce. I even have his hair."

"No matter how much we wish we could at times, we can't choose who are parents are," he pointed out, running his fingers through her raven curls. "And I for one love your hair."

"I came to Man's World to make a difference…to spread the Amazon's message of love and to promote peace," she countered, shaking her head with a sudden sense of grief that threatened to overwhelm her. "How can I still do that knowing what I know now?"

"Hades may have helped to form you, but he didn't raise you or train you to be the amazing woman that you are," he reminded her. "You can still be who were you before you left for Themyscira because of what I know beats in here."

Bruce gently placed his hand over her heart, feeling it beat a little faster with his touch. It caused the corner of his lips to tick up, loving the effect that he had on her. It was a definite ego boost knowing what he could do to the powerful Wonder Woman, but especially knowing that he was the only one who could do it to her. It blew his mind even now.

The anger that simmered in her sapphire eyes vanished, replaced with the love she felt for this man. Her hand moved to cover his still resting against her chest, keeping it there as her lips found his in a passionate kiss that only grew more heated as time slipped by. Hera, she had missed this man.

He pressed his forehead against hers, his hands settling on her hips. "Were you worried that I wouldn't want you anymore if I knew that Hades was your father?" he asked, his breathing ragged.

"Well, it's not exactly something that solidifies a relationship, Bruce," she told him with a frown. "How was your day, sweetheart…oh, by the way, my father is a Greek god and the ruler of the Underworld…let's make love."

Bruce chuckled with her response, a deep sound that she loved hearing. "I guess it is a daunting prospect," he agreed. "Good thing that I'm not very easily intimidated."

"So…you're really okay with this?" she asked.

"I already knew what I was getting into when I fell in love with you, Diana," he replied, his fingers threading through her hair. "If I can handle your mother being queen of the Amazon nation of warriors, I'm pretty sure I can handle Hades being your father."

"Yes, but mother and my sisters don't know about you yet," she reminded him. "Are you sure you're going to be able to handle them when we make our relationship public? It could get pretty ugly."

"I've gone up against Bane, Joker, and Darkseid," he told her. "Your mother and sisters can't be that much worse."

Diana chuckled softly, her expression growing serious as she gazed at his handsome face. "I love you…more than you know," she told him. "There isn't anything that could take me away from you."

Her mouth found his once more as her hands searched for the hem of his t-shirt, nibbling and sucking on his bottom lip and teasing it mercilessly. Bruce swiftly picked her up, carrying her over to the medical bed as she removed his t-shirt and tossed it on the floor. He set her down on the edge of the bed, keeping himself positioned right where he wanted to be most at that moment—between her legs.

He pushed her chiton off her shoulder, allowing the diaphanous material to pool around her waist as he kissed her with all the pent-up emotion that he'd been harboring since she left on the mission with Shayera a few days ago. He needed her to know how much he loved her—how much he missed her and needed her, how thankful he was that she had come back and had chosen to stay with him.

Her hands roamed over his muscular chest, appreciating every part of him all over again as they lost themselves in a passionate exchange of kisses and caresses. She tilted her head as he kissed along her throat, his hands lifting the skirt of her chiton up past her hips.

She pushed his shorts off, needing to feel him inside of her now. She felt so complete when they were joined as one, their bodies united and connected heart and soul. It was something that she craved with him, longed to share with him now more than anything else in this world.

His hand settled low on her back, pulling her forward as he thrust his hips, completely sheathing himself inside of her. Her head fell back with a gasp as her filled her so very full, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. She gripped him tightly as if holding on to him for dear life, his forehead coming to rest on his shoulder as he began to move inside of her.

He set a steady rhythm that only grew more demanding as he kissed along her throat, his emotions right beneath the surface and coursing hotly through his veins. He didn't think that he'd be able to handle her leaving him for Themyscira…never seeing her again or being able to touch her. He wanted her with him always.

He fondled and caressed her soft skin as he made love to her, driving their mutual pleasure higher. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as her orgasm tore through her like a bolt of lightning, Bruce following right after her with a guttural cry of her name.

He held her against him, her legs wrapping tightly around his body as she kissed along his collarbone. She couldn't help but notice the marks that she had left on his shoulders, instantly feeling horrible about hurting him. "Bruce, I'm so sorry," she murmured, pressing her lips against the marks.

"Don't be," he teased with a smirk, kissing her softly. "I love you, Diana…all of you just the way that you are…even if your father is Hades."

"Bruce…" she groaned, pressing her forehead against his shoulder in irritation.

"I love that you're fierce and have a fiery spirit and I love that you allow it to come through when we make love," he reassured her. "Don't you ever hold back for me, princess. I can handle all of you…even your dark side."

"I don't have a dark side, Bruce," she stated in mock annoyance as she smacked his shoulder.

Bruce chuckled as he lifted her off the medical bed, his hands firmly settling on her backside. "Maybe you would care to discuss this further upstairs in my bedroom."

"Don't you think we should get our clothes first?" she asked as he carried her towards the stairs.

"Alfred is in England for a few days visiting family and Tim is spending the weekend with Dick in Blüdhaven," he informed her. "We have the entire manor to ourselves for the whole weekend."

"Really?" she asked, her lips curling into a grin.

"Really," he confirmed as he entered the manor, "and I had Clark take us both off duty until Monday."

Diana's brow creased with curiosity. "How did you know I was even going to show up here this morning?"

"I'm Batman, princess," he said with a smug grin.

"Hera, help me," she muttered with a roll of her eyes.

"I think it might be 'Hades help me' now," he teased her.

"You are going to really get it if you keep it up, Bruce," she threatened him with a growl.

"That's what I'm hoping for," he said, his lips claiming hers as he carried her into his bedroom to his waiting bed.