TITLE: Read my Mind

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 and Diana go out on their first date since the birth of their daughter, leaving the Batfam to babysit Amari. Will they be able to handle it?

Read my Mind

Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, and Damian Wayne all stared down at the one-month-old baby girl staring back up at them in wonder with big blue eyes. She yawned, her little hands curling into fists before one of them found its way into her mouth.

"What does that mean?" Tim anxiously asked with an air of anxiety. "That means something doesn't it?"

"It means she's sleepy," Dick told him with an annoyed look.

"Putting her fist in her mouth could mean she's hungry," Damian pointed out. "Babies do that you know."

Amari tilted her head as she gazed up at her brothers from her bouncy seat, kicking her legs furiously.

"What do you think she wants?" Tim questioned them, worried they were missing something their little sister needed.

"She probably wants to run away from here," Damian joked, folding his arms against his chest with a frown. "I would if I were her."

Dick scowled as he cast a glare at Damian. "A one-month-old doesn't know anything about running away yet."

Damian laughed as he stared down at his sister. "Too bad they didn't have a baby boy," he said. "They could've named him John."

Tim and Dick looked at him with incredulous expressions on their faces. "John Wayne?" Dick repeated. "Do you really want a brother named John Wayne?"

Damian shrugged. "What? It'd be funny."

"You need help," Tim decided, turning his attention back to his sister. "I wish Alfred was here tonight. Then, we wouldn't have to worry that we were going to mess it up somehow."

"It's a baby," Damian pointed out. "I don't think we can mess it up that much."

Tim looked up sharply at Damian. "She could be traumatized forever if we screw this up. I don't want to be responsible for that. She's our sister!"

Dick snickered as he reached down and tickled her belly. "I highly doubt that she'll remember anything about this night," he pointed out, Amari smiling with Dick's fingers dancing across her belly. "See? She's smiling. That's a good thing."

"Yeah, just three more hours to go," Tim huffed, moving to drop into a nearby chair.

"Look, Bruce and Diana never would've left Amari in our care if they didn't think we could handle it," Dick reminded them. "Besides, they just went out for dinner and dancing. You know if there's a problem Diana can be here in like two minutes."

"You're right," Tim agreed, relaxing a bit. "It's just a huge responsibility taking care of a baby."

Damian went to the coffee table, picking up the schedule that Diana had left for them to follow. "It says here that we should check her diaper," he announced.

"Not it!" all three yelled in unison.

"Crap," Tim grumbled.

"Literally," Damian quipped with a smirk. "Do you smell that?"

"I'm the oldest," Dick replied with a roll of his eyes. "I'll do it. It's that not big of a deal you know."

"It could be," Damian said with a retching sound. "That's the worst smell!"

"I smell it now!" Tim exclaimed, covering his nose with his hand.

"Come on, Amari," Dick gently cooed as he lifted his baby sister out of her bouncy seat, holding his breath. "Let's get you cleaned up."

"How something so cute so can smell so bad is beyond me," Damian said, trying not to gag.

XXX

Diana smiled softly as Bruce's hand came to rest on top of hers on the table. "Stop," he gently told her with a tender expression on his face. "They're fine…she's fine."

"I'm sorry," she apologized as she laced her fingers with his. "It's just our first time being away from her."

"And she's in good hands," he reminded her. "The boys are very responsible. If they can handle the Joker, they can handle Amari."

Diana chuckled softly as Bruce brought their joined hands to his lips to kiss her fingers. "I know…you're right," she conceded with a sigh. "Poor Tim. He seemed so nervous about babysitting."

"I think he was too, but Dick and Damian are there to help," he pointed out. "Besides, we're just a phone call away and so is Alfred."

Diana looked sheepishly at her husband. "I also have Kal on standby," she admitted, biting at her bottom lip.

A deep, baritone chuckle escaped Bruce's lips as he reached for his glass of wine. "Don't feel bad, princess," he replied, pausing to take a sip. "I have Flash on standby too."

"Oh, Bruce," Diana groaned, her free hand moving to cover her mouth in disbelief. "We're horrible! We don't even trust the boys to babysit their sister for three hours."

"We trust them," he corrected her. "We just don't trust anyone else."

"You have the best security system in the entire world," she reminded him. "No one is going to get anywhere close to the manor without us knowing it."

"We need to remember that and enjoy ourselves this evening," he readily decided. "We're going on our honeymoon next month. How are we going to survive being away for a whole week when we can't even get through three hours?"

"You're right," Diana agreed, straightening her shoulders with overt resolve. "Amari is in good hands so there's nothing to worry about. We finally have some time alone. Let's enjoy ourselves."

The corner of his lips quirked into that characteristic half smirk of his that she loved so much. "You look really beautiful tonight," he told her as he tilted his head to kiss her.

Her hand found his chest, her fingers wrapping around his tie as she pulled him even closer to her. Her tongue slipped inside in a sweeping gesture that hinted at more later that night. "Now, I really can't wait to get home tonight," she said with a sexy lilt to her voice.

A low growling groan emitted from Bruce's throat as he stole a second kiss. "Let's enjoy dinner first," he replied. "Then, we can enjoy the second part of our evening."

"You mean the boys are going to handle patrol tonight too?"

"They volunteered," he revealed.

"Now, if we can just get Amari to sleep through the night, we'll be all set," she decided.

"That probably won't be for another couple of months."

Diana gave him an incredulous glance. "You've been researching baby development again, haven't you?"

"I just want to be prepared for everything."

"I think it's cute," she replied, leaning in for a kiss. "You're a great father, Bruce. Amari is completely enraptured with you every time you hold her."

He smiled softly as he thought about his daughter. "I'm in awe of her," he confessed. "She's so perfect and she's all ours."

Diana squeezed her hand before standing up. "I'm going to freshen up. Go ahead and order dinner," she told him. "I'll be right back."

He nodded his head in agreement as he watched his wife weave her way between tables before disappearing around the corner. He immediately pulled out his cell phone and called Dick. "How are things going?" he asked. "Is Amari doing all right?"

"She's great," Dick reassured him, noticing that Tim's cell phone was ringing at that moment too. He began to laugh. "Diana is calling Tim right now."

Bruce rubbed his forehead, knowing they were both being ridiculous. "Sorry," he apologized. "We know you're doing fine. It's just the first time away and—"

"We know…it's okay," Dick said. "Damian is feeding her right now."

"Call if you need anything."

"Just enjoy your evening out with your new wife," Dick instructed him. "See you later."

Bruce quickly slipped his cell phone into his suit pocket as Diana returned to the table. "Everything all right?"

"They're fine…I mean I'm fine," she quickly corrected herself.

"I know you called Tim."

Diana looked up sharply. "How did you…?"

"I called Dick while you called Tim."

Diana laughed. "We are going to get better at this, right?"

"Definitely," he confidently agreed only to falter. "Maybe…I hope so. We'll see."

"We're in so much trouble," she decided with a sigh.

XXX

Alfred glanced at his cell phone for the hundredth time, a frown adorning his face. Leslie smiled softly as she nudged him with her elbow. He gave her an apologetic look as he forced himself to put his cell phone back into his suit pocket.

"I'm sure they're fine," she assured him.

"I know," he reluctantly concurred with her.

He'd been looking forward to seeing this opera for the last month. It was one of his favorites, but he couldn't help being somewhat concerned about the boys babysitting their sister. He had repeatedly offered to cancel his plans tonight so that Master Bruce and Miss Diana could have an evening out without worrying about the baby, but they had adamantly refused that he change his plans for them.

"Would you feel better if you called them?" Leslie whispered.

"No, I'm sure they're doing just fine," he softly replied. "They promised to call me if they ran into any problems."

Leslie patted Alfred's forearm, knowing how he worried about those in his care. "Relax and enjoy yourself for once," she encouraged him.

"You're right," he agreed with a definitive nod.

They sat in comfortable silence as they watched the opera, Alfred beginning to relax a little with Leslie's reassurances. Soon after birth, little Amari had captured the hearts of everyone in the family as well as their friends. She had brought so much joy in the short month since her birth.

He had longed for Bruce to find a good wife and have children for years. Now that it had finally happened, he found himself anticipating the next member to join the Wayne family, but he had a feeling another baby was still quite a ways off. They were still trying to navigate the unfamiliar waters of having an infant in the house, but they were enjoying every moment of it.

Intermission soon arrived, allowing him a chance to stretch his legs. "Would you like something?" he offered as he stood to his feet.

"I'll take a glass of champagne," she decided.

"One champagne coming right up," he replied, making his way out with the crowd.

As soon as he exited, he quickly pulled his cell phone from his pocket, finding a relatively quiet corner to make a call. "How is Amari?" he asked as soon as Dick answered.

Dick chuckled in response. "You're the third phone call we've gotten tonight," he informed him.

"I'm sorry," Alfred told him. "I just wanted to make certain you didn't need anything."

"We're doing fine," he reassured him. "Tim finally calmed down. I changed her diaper and Damian fed her. She's sleeping in her bouncy seat right now."

"She didn't spit up, did she?" Alfred inquired. "Sometimes she does that."

"She did on Damian's shoulder, but he survived it."

Alfred could hear Damian complaining about it in the background. "Just have him change his shirt and I'll wash his other one in the morning."

"I think he said something about wanting to burn it."

"That won't be necessary," Alfred assured him. "Call me if you have any concerns."

"Aren't cell phones supposed to be silenced during performances?"

"Yes, well…I'm making an exception."

Dick shook his head in amazement. "You're almost as bad as Bruce and Diana," he told him. "Go have fun and don't worry about us."

"All right," Alfred reluctantly agreed. "Have a good evening."

"How are the children?"

Alfred turned to find Leslie standing beside him. He gave her a sheepish grin. "They're fine," he revealed. "Amari spit up on Damian."

"Well, if that's the worse they experience tonight, they'll be fortunate," she teased.

"I'm sorry, Leslie," he apologized again. "I promise I won't worry anymore tonight."

"It's okay, Alfred," she replied. "I think it's sweet that you're so concerned about them. Amari is like a granddaughter to you. It's only natural for you to be worried."

"Come," Alfred said. "Let's get some champagne and enjoy the rest of the evening."

Leslie followed him, knowing that dear Alfred wouldn't be settled until he'd arrived home to check on every one himself. She understood his concern for his family. How many years had they worried about Bruce after the death of his parents? They had become his surrogate parents in a way, working together to raise him into the man that he was today.

And she couldn't be prouder of him…even if she wished that he'd hang up the cape permanently.

XXX

"Okay," Damian stated. "Is there anyone else that's going to call and check up on us?"

At that moment, the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" Tim wondered aloud in exasperation.

"You two stay here with Amari," Dick sternly instructed them. "I'll see who it is."

Tim and Damian waited with bated breath, wondering who had gotten past the security system to be at the front door. Their curiosity was quickly sated when Dick returned with Jason in tow. "What are you doing here?" Damian demanded to know with a glare.

"I heard you three monkeys were home alone babysitting Amari tonight," he informed them. "I thought I better stop by to help you to make sure you don't screw it up."

"We know what we're doing," Tim insisted.

"We'll see," Jason said as he went to check on Amari asleep in her bouncy seat. "Well, she looks like she's in one piece so far."

"She's doing great!" Damian stated in no uncertain terms. "She's been fed and had her diaper changed."

"Hey, how did you find out that we were babysitting tonight?" Dick questioned him, crossing his arms against his chest in a defensive stance.

"Relax," Jason told him. "I talked to Bruce last night. He told me."

"Oh," Dick muttered, his shoulders slumping somewhat. "He doesn't trust us to do a good job of taking care of our sister, does he?"

"That's not it at all," Jason claimed. "I was asking him about a case he's working on. I asked him if he was working on it tonight. He told me he wasn't because he didn't have any new leads and that he had plans with Diana."

"Yeah, he turned the case over to me to handle," Tim announced.

"Wow," Jason murmured. "Married life and parenthood have really changed him. He never would've just let one of us take over a case like that before."

"He's trying to have a real life for a change and I for one am thrilled that he's finally doing it," Dick replied. "He was working himself into an early grave before Diana came into his life."

"He's even letting us handle patrol tonight," Damian revealed.

Jason slowly shook his head in wonder. "I guess a leopard really can change his spots."

"Diana has been really good for him," Tim told him. "He still cares about Gotham and taking care of his city, but he knows that he can't continue to do that if he doesn't allow himself to have some sort of a life."

Jason looked down at his baby sister. "She is the cutest baby I think I've ever seen."

"Bruce just dotes on her," Tim informed him.

"We all do," Dick pointed out.

"One month old and she already has all of us wrapped around her little finger," Jason agreed.

"Not me," Damian maintained.

"Whatever," Dick said with a snort. "One little whimper and you're over at that bouncy seat before anyone can make a move."

"I wanted to make sure she wasn't choking or anything," Damian maintained.

Dick's phone rang at that moment, making everyone groan. "It's Barbara," he revealed as he answered. "We're fine. The baby is fine. Don't worry."

Damian tapped his commlink. "On my way," he responded, turning his attention to his brothers. "Gotta go."

"Where do you think you're going?" Tim asked.

"Titans need back up," he revealed as he made his way to the door. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"We didn't get any calls," Dick pointed out.

"I think it was a fake to get out of babysitting," Tim grumbled.

"He gets to change the next smelly diaper," Dick decided.

XXX

Bruce held Diana close as they danced, relishing the feel of her in his arms and her cheek pressed against his. While he was enjoying every moment alone with her tonight, he couldn't help wondering how his daughter was doing. This was the first night that he wasn't there to tuck her into bed.

"Stop worrying," Diana gently murmured.

He snorted softly in amusement. "I was just thinking I'm not there to tuck her into bed."

"You can see her when we get home."

"You're handling it well after a rough start to our evening," he commented.

"I was just thinking that maybe mother could come to help Alfred with Amari while we're gone next month," she thoughtfully wondered. "I wouldn't want to put it all on Alfred to take care of her."

Bruce chuckled softly. "I highly doubt that Alfred would mind having Amari to himself while we're gone," he pointed out. "That will be if the boys let him have her long enough."

"They've all grown very attached to her."

"I'm going to have to start calling her princess."

"I don't want her to be spoiled," she decided. "We'll have to be careful to put our foot down when necessary."

"I can do that, but can you?"

Diana pulled back to stare into his eyes with an impish grin. "Really, Bruce?" she questioned him. "She already has you wrapped around her fist and she's only a month old."

"I'm a very strict disciplinarian," he tried to tell her.

"With the boys," she reminded him. "You haven't had to do it with your own daughter before."

"We'll see," he replied. "Do you want to go home?"

"You read my mind," she said with a smile, kissing him. "I love you."

"I love you too," he told her, taking her hand, and leading her off the dance floor.

Hopefully, they would be able to survive being away for a whole week next month. If not, Bruce knew it was going to be the shortest honeymoon in history.