TITLE: Half a Mind

AUTHOR: LOTSlover

CHARACTERS: Batman / Wonder Woman

RATING: M

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: Set during To Another Shore, Diana runs into trouble as well as Agent King Faraday. Will it put further stress on Diana's already strained relationship with Bruce? BMWW

Half a Mind

Batman's fingers flew across his keyboard with expert speed as he made notes on the near month-long case that he'd finally wrapped up this morning. To say that it had been tedious and time consuming would have been an understatement of great proportions. He was more than anxious for a good night's sleep that consisted of more than just two or three hours at a time.

He'd spent countless nights doing surveillance that lasted well into the morning. Days and nights had become nothing but an endless blur of hours that morphed into each other, constant switching between personas with little time to fully adjust. Things at Wayne Enterprises had been too busy to ignore or be put on the back burner for any length of time, leaving him running nearly non-stop.

He didn't know the last time that he'd had a chance to get to the Watchtower let alone join a League mission. The last four weeks had consumed nearly all his time, trying to find the sadistic serial killer who had been terrorizing Gotham's young women for far too long.

He sighed to himself as he raked his fingers back through his jet-black hair as thoughts of Diana abruptly invaded his mind. He missed her deeply, longed to feel her body pressed against the length of his—skin against skin, limbs tangled and breath mingling. He couldn't remember the last time that he'd even kissed her let alone make love to her.

They'd had a terrible argument a couple of weeks ago, one that he greatly regretted now…especially the things that had been said in the heat of the moment that he wanted more than anything to take back. He knew deep down that she had only been trying to help him. She'd been worried about his well-being and safety and in response, he had berated her for trying to keep him from saving lives and protecting his city.

Bruce hung his head, holding his head with both hands. He'd feared this long before they'd started a relationship…had known that it was eventually going to happen. He was going to become consumed with a case, shoving her aside as if she meant nothing to him when in reality, she had become his absolute everything.

She had picked the worst moment to try to talk to him. It had been the morning after he'd discovered the body of a seventeen-year-old runaway girl in a dumpster, viciously stabbed to death and another victim of the serial killer he'd been trying so desperately to stop. His failure to protect this poor girl had reflected in her vacant stare as he had retrieved her body that had been tossed aside as if she didn't matter to anyone.

He knew he needed to find Diana to try to make it right, try to make it up to her in some way. He'd all but completely ignored her this last month. He had warned her there would be times like this when a case in Gotham would overtake him, but he still knew that he'd been unfair and cruel to her.

"Good morning, Master Bruce," Alfred greeted him as he approached with a tray in hand. "I take it patrol was profitable last night?"

"Yes, I finally caught him," he rasped almost hoarsely, but there was little relief in his voice. "Alfred, how badly have I messed things up with Diana?"

Alfred sighed as he set the tray down and began to pour his surrogate son a steaming cup of coffee. "Well, sir, I should say that while you did manage to royally screw things up, I do not believe they're irreparable."

Bruce lifted his head, exhaustion lining his face as he looked at the British butler. "Where is she?"

"Honestly, I haven't a clue," Alfred revealed. "Miss Diana left after your argument and has not returned since then."

"She's been gone for two weeks and I didn't realize it?" Bruce uttered in shock. "How could I have not noticed?"

"You have been rather fixated with finding this sadistic serial killer," Alfred pointed out. "You've pushed yourself to your very limits, exhausting yourself to the very bone in order to stop this monster."

"And in the process, I pushed away the woman I love," he softly admitted. "Why can't I find a balance? Why do I allow myself to become obsessed with cases like this?"

"I believe your unrelenting need to save everyone from going through what you did as a child is likely the culprit," Alfred told him.

Bruce could only nod his head wearily in response, his mind in an almost panic as he tried to figure out where Diana could possibly be. He needed to see her right away. "What day is it?"

"It's Friday, sir," he informed him.

He cursed under his breath as he leaned back in his chair. "The global warming conference," he muttered more to himself than to Alfred. "Diana had asked me to go with her a couple of weeks ago. She didn't want to go because she didn't feel that she was a diplomate, but her mother had insisted. She wanted me to keep her company, but I blew her off…accused her of trying to take me away from Gotham. It's what had led to our horrible fight."

"Miss Diana is a very understanding person, Master Bruce," Alfred reminded him. "I'm sure once you've had a chance to talk to her, you'll be able to work everything out."

Bruce automatically went to work bringing up satellite feeds on the location of the global warming conference. He had half a mind to transport there now, surprising her with his appearance and hopefully making amends if she didn't punch him in the face first.

His blue eyes narrowed as he spotted Diana standing on a balcony with none other than Special Agent King Faraday. His jaw clenched with the way that Faraday was looking at Diana, but he could hardly blame him. She looked stunning in her dress suit, regal and full of grace just like her royal upbringing demanded.

He angrily punched a button, shutting down the satellite feed from the conference before he had to see any more of them together. King Faraday was there with Diana where he should have been. He had practically pushed her away, effectively shutting her out of his cave and out of his life.

"I should've been there with her," he softly said. "I knew she didn't want to go. She was feeling so uncomfortable about playing the diplomate that she wanted me to go with her."

"Just because she is speaking with Agent Faraday does not mean you have lost her," the British butler reminded him.

"She asks so little of me and yet I couldn't even give her the time of day that morning," he said. "I was too consumed with my own anger and sense of failure that I didn't even take the time for her. I was so cruel to her."

"Might I suggest that you get a good night's sleep before speaking with Miss Diana?" he told him. "You're absolutely exhausted and emotions are still running high after dealing with that serial killer."

"You're probably right," he murmured as he stood to his feet, lost in his tortured thoughts. He just prayed that he hadn't lost her forever. "I'll call her tomorrow and invite her for dinner."

"That would be an excellent start," Alfred agreed. "I will start preparing the menu for the evening."

"She hasn't accepted the invitation yet, Alfred," Bruce pointed out with an air of defeat. "She might not want to talk to me let alone see me."

"I don't think that you're giving Miss Diana enough credit," he said. "She loves you, Master Bruce. She's not going to leave just because you had an argument. She's far too stubborn to give up on you that easily."

"I can only hope so," he softly uttered as he headed towards the steps that would lead him up into the manor.

XXX

"Agent Faraday, what are you doing here?"

"Not smoking," he told her, blowing a bubble as he turned to offer her a piece of gum. "Want some?"

"No thanks," she replied, crossing her arms against her chest.

"I'm here with a special security team," he revealed. "The vice president is attending, but you know that already. I saw you reading him the riot act earlier."

Diana frowned at him, not amused to be reminded of her failure to keep her temper in check. "I'm not much of a diplomat."

"Don't sell yourself short, lady," he replied as he walked away. "You're an international incident waiting to happen. By the way, if you raise your voice to the VP again, my men are under orders to shoot you."

Faraday turned and pointed his finger at her as if it were a real gun, popping his gum like a bullet being released from the chamber. Unfazed, Diana stared him down, raising her right arm, and flicking her bracer with a fingernail. She almost hoped there would be a fight of some sort. She was itching to let off some steam.

She turned her attention back to the snowy landscape, her thoughts turning to Bruce. She missed him so much, wished that he were here with her despite the horrible argument that they'd had two weeks ago. She hadn't seen him since then leaving her to wonder how he was and if he'd been able to solve the case that he'd been working on.

He had accused her of trying to take him away from Gotham, trying to keep him from saving innocent lives. It was the last thing that she wanted to do. She just wished that he would allow her to help him or at the very least, get some sleep so that he didn't get himself killed out on patrol.

Standing there lost in her thoughts, the ground suddenly shook, forcing her to grab hold of the steel handrail to keep her balance. Releasing it, she immediately spun into action, changing out of her business suit and into her uniform in a blinding flash of light.

She was no longer the diplomat, but the superhero the world needed. Her own problems would have to wait for now.

XXX

Diana could feel the tears still threatening to fall as she walked towards her quarters, her mind consumed with so many thoughts and her heart with fluctuating emotions. She knew that it was going to be good for J'onn to leave the safe confines of the Watchtower and to connect with humanity. At the same time, she was going to miss her friend dearly.

It had been an exceedingly long day filled with everything from frustration and fury to relief and loneliness. The Viking prince was safe from whoever was ultimately trying to get their hands on him, and her friend was finally opening himself up to finding a connection with the world that he now lived in.

The biggest cause for her loneliness right now was Bruce. She had considered reaching out to him but thought better of it. She didn't want to add any more stress to what he was already enduring nor did she want to pressure him into wanting to spend time with her. It was something that he needed to come to realize on his own. She couldn't force him nor would she try to change him. She loved him even if he was a stubborn piece of Cerberus dung at times…even if she did want to hog-tie him and force him to listen to her.

She wrapped her arms around herself as the door to her quarters slid open and granted her access, deciding that a long hot shower and sleep was just what she needed to help her feel better. She headed towards the bathroom, dropping pieces on the floor along the way and deciding that tomorrow she would tackle her problem with Bruce.

She spent her time enjoying the hot water and the steam that enveloped her, washing her hair, and scrubbing every inch of her body clean. She found she already felt a little better as she stepped out and began drying off. She sighed as she towel-dried her hair, her heart heavy and finding her longing for Bruce deepening by the moment.

She slipped on a pair of shorts and a tank top before exiting the bathroom in a billowing cloud of steam. "You know you're not supposed to use up all the hot water on the Watchtower, princess."

Diana's heart nearly stuttered out of rhythm with the deep, grating rasp that she loved so much. She found him sitting in a chair by her desk, much like she had found him in her hotel suite in Paris those early morning hours when she'd finally returned after a night out on the town with Princess Audrey.

He stood to his feet, not making any move towards her more because of his wariness of her response to his presence after being a complete ass to her the last time he'd seen her. She suddenly flew towards him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"I've missed you so much," she softy uttered with a gasp as the tears escaped against her will, her loneliness overriding her anger with him.

Stunned, he slowly wrapped his arms around her, holding her protectively against him as his cape cloaked them both in their own private cocoon. He pressed his face into her wet hair, more than relieved with her response to his being here in her quarters. This could have gone incredibly wrong, but he'd gambled, and thankfully, he'd won.

They held each other for several long minutes, just absorbing each other's strength and presence. He finally let go of her long enough to remove his gauntlets and cowl before leading her over to her bed and sitting down on the edge of it beside her.

"Please, talk to me, Diana. What's wrong?" he asked her, taking her hand in his. His gut told him something more was going on beside their fight. He wasn't certain he wanted to know.

"I finally confronted J'onn about spending all of his time on the Watchtower for the last two years," she tearfully revealed. "He agreed and decided to take a leave of absence."

"Diana, you did the right thing," he reassured her, rubbing her back. "J'onn was isolating himself from the world. It wasn't healthy."

"I know," she murmured. "It's just been a very long day and it was so hard to see him go."

"Did something happen at the conference?"

"Giganta, Killer Frost, Heatwave, and Devil Ray showed up," she informed him. "They were trying to free a Viking prince taht was found frozen in the ice a month ago."

Bruce's piercing gaze narrowed with the unexpected news. "What did they want with him?"

"They wanted to find out the source of the prince's invulnerability," she revealed with a sigh, her tears subsiding as her anger returned with a vengeance. "Someone sent them there to retrieve the prince, but we didn't get to find out who it was. When J'onn probed Giganta's mind to find out what they wanted, her mind short-circuited."

Bruce didn't like the sound of what she was telling him. "That's exactly what Lantern said happened when he tried to question Metallo. Something sinister is going on. There's been a lot of increase villain activity lately."

"Who do you think could be behind it all?"

"There are a few who could be heading it all up, but if I had to guess it would be Luthor or possibly Grodd."

"I wonder what they're end game is," she thoughtfully said.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling we'll be finding out sooner or later," he replied. "We'll have to be prepared for anything. In the meantime, I'm going to start doing some research to see what I can find."

"Does that mean you're leaving already?"

He smiled softly, leaning in, and kissing her. "No, I'm not leaving you," he reassured her as his forehead came to rest against her cheekbone. "I'm so sorry, princess. I know I hurt you and if I could take it all back, I would in a heartbeat."

"I know," she told him, tilting her head to brush her lips against his. "You'd had a horrible night and my appearance that morning didn't help at all."

"You didn't do anything wrong," he firmly stated as he pulled back to gaze into her eyes. "You were only worried about me and wanted to help."

"Bruce, I saw the newspaper later that day," she revealed, her hand coming to rest against his cheek. "I know you found that seventeen-year-old girl in the dumpster. I'm just so sorry you had to go through that."

"I caught him early this morning," he replied. "He's finally behind bars where he belongs."

"I'm so relieved," she said. "I knew if anyone could find him, it would be you."

"You always have so much faith in me," he murmured, nuzzling his nose against hers. "I don't know what I'd do without you…and I never want to find out."

"Good thing you won't have to."

He seized her lips with his, his hand moving to her shoulder. She winced as she abruptly pulled back, causing Bruce to worry. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," she tried to tell him. "Devil Ray shot me with one of his poisonous barbed spikes."

"Are you all right?" he asked, examining the wound on her shoulder.

"I found the antidote in Devil's Ray's belt," she explained. "I'm much better now."

Bruce frowned as he stared at her, not liking at all what could have happened to her if she hadn't been able to find the antidote. "I should have been there with you."

"Bruce, you had responsibilities in Gotham," she reminded him as she caressed the back of his neck. "There are going to be times when our duties separate us, but we'll always try our very best to come home to each other at the end of the day."

"You had better, princess," he growled.

"You had better, Dark Knight," she adamantly stated, poking him in the chest with her forefinger to make her point.

He quickly grabbed hold of her finger, bringing it to his lips to kiss the tip of it as he stared into her eyes. "Yes, ma'am," he replied, kissing her finger again.

The lustful glint in his eyes sent a shiver up her spine. It felt like an eternity since they had been together in the physical sense, her desire for this man burning like the flame of a torch inside of her. However, she knew now was not the time for making love.

She gently pulled her hand free from his hold to cradle his face. "Bruce, you look absolutely exhausted," she told him, her worry for him superseding her desire at that moment. "When is the last time you slept more than two hours?"

He took her hand from his face, knowing that she was putting his wellbeing ahead of their physical hunger for each other. "I tried to this morning, but I couldn't," he admitted with a sigh, lacing his fingers with hers. "My bed was too lonely. It seems that I don't sleep very well if you're not there."

"I think you should get undressed and get into bed," she encouraged him.

The corner of his lips quirked with mischief. "Your wish is my command, princess."

"To sleep, Bruce," she insisted. "You need to sleep. I don't want you to get sick or injured on a mission."

He frowned as he stood to his feet and began to undress. "This is definitely not what I had in mind when I transported up here to see you."

Diana chuckled as she began pulling back the covers. "I'm not saying no, Bruce," she pointed out. "I'm just saying not now. Once you've gotten a good night's sleep, I'll make love with you until you're too exhausted to move again."

"I'm holding you to that, princess…as long as you take your clothes off too," he said as he slipped his boxer briefs off.

Diana turned to find him standing there in all of his magnificent, Adonis-like nude glory. It did absolutely nothing to quell her need for him in the least. If anything, it was making it harder not to throw him onto her bed and take him right there and then.

She groaned as her head fell back, her eyes falling closed. "You are not helping at all."

She was met with the unexpected feel of his muscular arms snaking around her waist, his mouth finding her injured shoulder. He kissed her healing wound gently, careful not to cause her any pain. He kissed a languid trail from her shoulder along her collarbone and up her neck to her ear.

"Why can't we make love now and later?" he huskily asked, his mouth circling her earlobe and sucking hard.

Diana groaned as sparks flew through her, heat pooling low in her pelvis as his fingers slipped beneath the waistband of her shorts. "You are bad, Bruce…" she murmured with a moan before continuing. "Very…very…bad."

"And you're making me very…very…hard," he teased with a chuckle against her throat as he pushed her shorts past her hips.

"I used to have unlimited resolve until I met you," she ground out in frustration as he pulled away from her long enough to lift her tank top over her head. "Now, I crumble like a weakling when it comes to you."

Tossing her tank top aside, he swiftly drew her to him, his mouth hungrily descending on hers and effectively silencing any more protests from his lover. He turned as he kissed her, both of them falling into her bed. He settled over her as he continued to devour her, his heart already beginning to race with the feel of her against him once more. He had missed this…missed her…very much.

Her fingers threaded through his hair, gripping it as she bent her knees and pressed them into his sides. She moaned her pleasure as he kissed and nipped his way down the length of her body, causing her to arch her back with a sharp intake of air. Her hands fell to her sides, clutching at the sheets beneath her as Bruce made love to her.

She gasped as he nipped and sucked, his fingers digging into her hips as he suddenly surged forward along the length of her body, imbedding himself deep within her. She cried out her gratification, relishing the feel of him inside of her once more. It had been far too long.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as she found his lips, intent on rolling him over and taking full control. Breaking the kiss, Bruce shook his head. "No…not this time, princess," he breathlessly uttered. "This is all about you…just lay back and enjoy it."

She brushed his hair from his forehead, gazing up into his piercing blue eyes. "I love you, Bruce…nothing will ever change that."

He smiled softly down at her, his eyes reflecting his feelings for this amazing woman. "I love you too," he replied, "and I'm going to make sure you feel every ounce of it."

"Just as long as you know I'm going to return the love," she promised him with a grin.

"I'm looking forward to it," he murmured as his lips found hers in a searing kiss, his body beginning to move in the timeless dance of lovers as his fingers skimmed along the length of her thigh.

She bent her head back as a gasp escaped her throat, her hands finding his shoulders as he took her. Her fingers pressed deeply into his back, her body moving in perfect unison with his. Her vision gradually began to tunnel with the overwhelming passion that was building within her to near unbearable levels, fireworks exploding through her entire body.

Struggling to catch her breath, Diana had half a mind to start up another heated argument with him later if making up was always going to be like this.