A/N: Conclusion. Thanks to all who stuck with it – especially those who left reviews.

BlizzardAngel – Although this is the last chapter, the promised feedback will be much appreciated. Who knows if I might actually do something original someday – but this is a totally fun way to practice just in case… :-D

I've got another story almost finished that I will be begin to post in the next week or two. It's a little different genre – it's less of a 'crime' drama than this one is. I'm still trying to work out my niche so feedback from everyone is desired – for this and the next (and any others that might pop up).

No spoilers, just brief reference to the animated 'World's Finest'.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

LOVE

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love." – Sophocles

He waited. She was late. He was not surprised. It probably took quite some time to make the appropriate arrangements to assure that the asset she had acquired today could be safely stored.

She entered and turned to close the door behind her. She paused, still facing the door with her back to the room.

"I know you're here."

"Where is she?"

She turned. He stood glowering in the middle of her living room.

"Deja' vu. Didn't we just do this?"

"Where is she? She has a debt to pay in Gotham."

"Gotham's DA offered a plea. Life without parole. She took it. Now she's being held in a federal facility as a threat to national security."

"Right. Why take her at all? She's more disturbed than her father was. She'll be even harder to control."

"I believe it will be worth the effort. She has talents that her father didn't have. They could be useful to me."

"Make sure you keep her contained."

"Better than Arkham? That won't be hard. She is at a specialized, security facility where I can best study her particular talents. Don't worry, I'll make sure she keeps your secret."

In an instant she found herself pinned against the wall, a strong gauntleted forearm pressed against her collarbone.

He snarled, his face centimeters from hers. "You think that's my concern?". She closed her eyes as he pressed harder. His next words were spoken in a soft whisper. "If she gets out and hurts her I'm coming after you."

Abruptly, the pressure lifted from her chest. Her eyes darted around the room. It was empty.

It was Friday. It had been five days. Five days since he had failed her. Again. They had embraced and spoken briefly after the daughter of Hugo Strange had been apprehended. He then returned to Gotham to arranged for the confinement of Gesine Strange. Diana had stayed in New York to spend a time with her sister.

That was Monday.

On Tuesday she called Bruce Wayne at the office. Their conversation had been brief. She told him she was going back to Africa for a few days to work on a new project. It involved a new initiative of the Stone Foundation and she was providing assistance that was beyond lending her name and visage to the cause. She had explained was escorting several private citizens should remain on the continent with them for a few days unless needed for a League mission. He assumed that Dylan Stone was part of the group of private citizens. She didn't say. He didn't ask.

During the week she found that the ability to make or receive personal communications was unpredictable so since she left they had just been able to speak over the comlink. As a safety measure, communications via comlink were recorded and archived at the Watchtower, so their conversations were primarily limited to League matters.

Her time away gave Bruce far too much time to analyze his relationship with Diana. Bruce knew what he wanted. He wanted her. However, he was still not convinced that being together was in either of their best interests – especially hers.

It had been a long week.

Despite the fact that he would see her, he was someplace that he really didn't want to be. Alfred had accepted the courier-delivered invitation for him without hesitation. It was sent by Diana. Diana would never be denied anything if it were up to Alfred.

When he told Alfred he wasn't going, the older man responded that he certainly well was going. When he tried to argue, Alfred became angry. If Alfred was angry, he rarely showed it. He did that evening however. Bruce shook his head, recollecting the scene. When it came to Diana, Alfred would rarely back down.

"Master Bruce, Miss Diana is expecting you. You will not disappoint her. Not tonight, and if I can intercede in time, never again. This is the perfect opportunity to begin the process of retiring the shallow billionaire playboy and introduce the world to a reformed Bruce Wayne, completely besotted with Princess Diana of Themyscira. I suggest you take it. It will be easy. Stop acting and be what you are. Stake your claim or prepare yourself to allow someone else to come in and ease her pain."

So, here he was. The event was another formal fundraiser. This time in Metropolis. It was meant to introduce the world to the project that had kept her away from him all week. Another charitable venture of the Stone Foundation.

He arrived late, as would be expected of Bruce Wayne. What was not expected, however, was for him to arrive without at least one beautiful woman on his arm and without a dramatic scene.

He emerged into the large ballroom quietly, just in time to see Diana join Dylan Stone on the dance floor. She wore a sapphire blue floor length evening gown. It had a plunging V-neckline with sheer black tulle overlay with beading and sheer tulle ruffles on the skirt. The back was cut low and the straps wound in an X across the middle of her back from her shoulders and reattached low on the bodice. Her hair was swept up in a twist with raven curls hanging loosely around her neck. As usual, she was enchanting.

He stood frozen as he watched Stone place his hand lightly on her waist, the tips of his fingers curling slightly to just touch the bare skin of her back. She rested her right hand on his shoulder and he took her left hand. It wasn't intimate contact, yet Bruce felt his gut clench with jealousy anyway.

How long the scene before him had captured his attention, he didn't know. He stood there watching until a voice from behind him uttered quietly, "Excuse me Mr. Wayne. I have to say that glare might even scare Batman himself."

Without turning, "Hello, Clark."

Clark Kent stepped up to stand shoulder to shoulder with Bruce Wayne, looking out at the dance floor. He whispered, "Bruce, I'm really not sure what you are doing still standing here. She's yours, go get her."

When Bruce didn't respond or make a move, he continued, "Bruce. You need to do something because you sure as hell are doing a lousy billionaire playboy impression tonight. Maybe it's time to give it up for good?"

First Alfred. Now Clark. Without saying a word, he gave in and walked across the dance floor toward Diana.

The only real acknowledgment he gave of Dylan Stone's presence was to tap him on the shoulder to interrupt their dance and utter a low "excuse me" to cut in. His eyes were locked on Diana's before he had even reached them on the dance floor. Oblivious to the pair, a small, wry smile crossed Stone's face as he shook his head and walked away.

They stood there looking into each others' eyes for several moments without saying a word. The band began to play 'You Are So Beautiful' and Diana broke the silence.

"You do still owe me a dance."

"I know."

He held her loosely at first, with one of his hands holding hers and the other resting lightly on her bare back. The urge to have her closer quickly overwhelmed him, however, and he pulled her closer. He rested his cheek against hers and inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of jasmine, tuberose, and orange blossoms.

She whispered in his ear, "I missed you."

He didn't respond. She couldn't see him close his eyes at her words.

They danced for a few more moments. Realizing she wasn't going to get a response to her statement, she attempted to ease him through his discomfort and she began to tell him about what he had missed prior to his arrival. "You missed the big announcement, Bruce. The Stone Foundation is setting up expanded trauma and crisis counseling centers in refugee camps, safe houses, and schools. It will help traumatized children better understand what happened to them and help them heal. When I mentioned the idea to Dylan and he loved it, I introduced him to Kate. She's going to direct the entire project. Worldwide."

More silence. This time Bruce felt Diana stiffened slightly at his lack of reaction. "Bruce, you've said – quite literally – just two words to me. Sometimes your silence stings."

He sighed. "I don't mean for it to. You've just been gone awhile."

She pulled back and looked at him. Teasing a little, she replied, "Five days. Bruce, you seem to be bothered a lot from lack of companionship for someone who constantly says he prefers to be alone."

"Maybe that's how it's supposed to be."

Diana's smile quickly turned into a frown before she let go of his hand and slid it up his arm. With both arms resting around his shoulders, she lay her head on his shoulder with her face turned toward him so she could be clearly heard only by him. Their intimate contact caught the interest of many onlookers, but at that moment neither of them seemed to care.

Her words came out in a whispered flood of barely repressed emotion. "Bruce, don't you dare. I don't want to live in a constant state of instability, wondering when the time will come that you will pull away again. I want you to know that you can love me without compromising your mission. I don't want you to keep putting yourself at risk because you feel guilty about things that are or were beyond your control. Or because you survived them. I don't want you to push me away because you might lose me, fail me, or not deserve me."

"I don't deserve you. In Gesine, I saw what I could have become – what I could still become."

"Hera, Bruce. You had and have one very important thing in your life that she didn't. It made all the difference. You had someone to love you unconditionally your entire life. First your parents. Then Alfred. The strength of your character, your parents as a role model, and Alfred's continued devotion. You'd never become like her. He wouldn't stand for it."

"I still don't know why you want this."

"Because I love you. We have a lot to work through. In the end though, I just want you to be happy, Bruce. You promised that you'd try to."

He squeezed her tighter in his arms. "I know. I am just unused to needing anyone."

Diana chuckled lightly and pulled back slightly to look at him. A small, mischievous smile played across her red lips as she replied, "Bruce, you've needed me for years. You just couldn't admit it to yourself."

They looked into each others' eyes again for a few seconds until flashbulbs going off made them conscious of the attention they were getting.

She pulled away. "We should probably finish this discussion another time, Mr. Wayne."

He nodded and kissed her hand. "I need to get home to…work. When will I …see you?"

She smiled, "Soon, I promise."

He stepped away from her and forced himself to leave her side as she was surrounded by hopefuls who wanted to be the next lucky man to dance with Wonder Woman.

As he left, he passed Katherine Blakemore sitting at a table, speaking with several members of the Metropolis media. The group included Clark Kent and Lois Lane.

"Excuse me Dr. Blakemore, I'd like to make a donation to your new project." Bruce pulled a white envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her. It contained a check that Alfred had written earlier that evening.

She stood and accepted the envelope. "Thank you, Mr. Wayne."

He nodded to her and her table companions, "Lois, it's wonderful to see you. You look ravishing."

Lois responded with the smile reserved for someone she was about to ask a very difficult question. He stiffened a bit and braced himself.

"As do you, Bruce. I must say it is unusual to see you alone at such an event. Any particular reason why?" She winked knowingly at him. He looked over at Clark who blushed.

He responded with the last remaining bit of billionaire playboy he had in him. He smiled broadly and placed his right hand over his heart. "I'm still pining for you Lois. Waiting for you to give me a second chance."

Lois laughed. Clark glared. Mission accomplished.

"Have a good evening everyone," Bruce said, attempting to extricate himself from the situation.

As he turned to leave, Katherine suddenly seized his arm. She asked, "Could I speak with you a moment privately?"

The brief look of concern that flitted across his face was quickly replaced by Bruce Wayne's casual, careless demeanor. He followed her away from the table.

She stopped and looked at him seriously. "I wanted to thank you again…for everything."

Warily, Bruce responded. "Of course, Dr. Blakemore – I'm happy to support your new project."

Katherine's forehead creased with concern, hesitating briefly as if she were searching for the right words. After quickly looked around her to make sure they were out of everyone's earshot, she leaned closer to him. Her voice dropped to a very low whisper.

"My life's work is to observe and interpret the behavior of others. Just let me say that the expression I observed on Diana's face while you were dancing is quite similar to the one I see when she speaks about…one of her colleagues. Not many people would notice this and it is an observation that I would never share with anyone, but I thought it appropriate to let you know. That said, I am forever indebted for what Diana and her…colleague have done for me and if there is anything that I can ever do to repay that debt, I would honor the opportunity."

She stepped back and they regarded each other a moment in silence. Katherine knew instinctively that he wasn't going to respond to anything she had just said.

"Please – one last thing before you go. It seems wholly inadequate to call someone like her special. The word doesn't even begin to cover it. She, more than anyone I've ever known, deserves to be happy. You appear to be in a unique position to make that happen – from what I've seen, I honestly doubt anyone else could. I sincerely hope that you take the opportunity to do so."

She held out her hand, which he shook firmly. He met her eye with a stoic expression and responded only with, "Have a good evening, Dr. Blakemore. I wish you luck with your project."

He wasn't happy that someone else suspected his secret. It surprised him to find, however, that he wasn't terribly concerned about it either. As he walked back past the table, Clark Kent caught his eye. Of course Clark had listened to the entire conversation. A woman that did the kind of work that Katherine Blakemore did was likely trustworthy. However, as Clark sent him a look that indicated he would be watching the woman all evening, Bruce's paranoia rose to the surface. It couldn't hurt to make sure.

It was three in the morning when Batman returned to the Batcave after patrol that evening. He showered and changed, then went to the computer to update his logs. It had been an average evening, so he finished the task in just under an hour.

Just as he finished the report, an email came through the Justice League's secure server. Superman. Despite the security of the server, emails were still written cautiously to convey as little personal information as possible.

Nothing disclosed this evening by KB. I'll leave it to you to brief Diana. The attached article was sent to me by a friend at the Daily Planet. It will appear In the Saturday morning edition. I thought you might find it of interest.

Bruce opened an attachment of an article intended to tomorrow's society pages. It was coverage of the fundraiser held earlier that evening in Metropolis. Most of the information was about the Stone Foundation project with a bio about Katherine Blakemore. A number of photos were included, two of which caught his attention.

The first photograph was of Katherine dancing with Dylan Stone. The two looked very enamored with one another. For a moment, Bruce studied the image displayed on the largest of his computer monitors.

Huh. Well, good.

He pulled another image up on the large screen. This one was of Diana and himself, at the very beginning of their dance together. The shot caught Diana's profile, looking at him with adoration. He knew the look well and it never failed to send a surge of warmth through him when he saw it.

The look on his own face took him completely by surprise. The photographer had caught his expression in its entirety. The seductive leer was noticeably absent, his expression conveying just one thing. Bruce Wayne, famed playboy and womanizer, was completely, desperately, and undeniably in love with Wonder Woman.

He felt rising anxiety. All of the old concerns came to the surface. This continued to get more and more complicated. He was an accomplished liar, so he could attempt to deny it, but it would be difficult. Nobody who had seen this would believe him easily.

He wondered when he had started to look at her like that. A relationship between them was most certainly damaging to Wonder Woman's reputation. It could also be dangerous…for Bruce Wayne. The wrath of a thousand Amazons was something that should cause fear in any normal man.

Then suddenly, the anxiety and apprehension drained away when he realized that there was really no decision to make anymore. This is how it was. It was still necessary to distract the populous from making a Batman-Bruce Wayne connection, so he would need to alter his persona from playboy to paramour. It wouldn't be an act and it was something nearly as incompatible with Batman's image as it was Bruce Wayne's. He smiled wryly. Thank God for the cowl.

"I've never seen a photograph where you looked more like your father," came Alfred's voice from behind him.

Bruce's eyes continued to study the image on the screen. He was right. "I know," he replied softly. "He always seemed to be so happy. So content."

"Hmmm. That only came after your mother. And without ever becoming distracted from his goals and objectives. I daresay, with her support he became more effective, not less."

He gave Alfred a sideways look. His point was more than clear. "You're usually a lot more subtle, Alfred," he said with a sly grin. "You know that it's not really the same thing."

"No, it's not," he agreed. "But it is also not as different as you believe it to be either."

Bruce turned his chair away from the screen. "Alfred, I've never thanked you for….for everything."

He was not surprised when Alfred didn't need him to explain. "And you never have to. It's been an honor. I wish I could say I hadn't made mistakes along the way. That perhaps you'd have been on a different – happier – path had I made different decisions."

"You didn't choose this path for me."

"I didn't. But my regrets are not really about the path you've chosen. It's about those that you haven't chosen. I pleases me greatly that you appear to be at the beginning of such a path. Now you just need to walk up it." As he spoke his final words he gestured up the stairs to the manor with a nod of his head.

He stared at Alfred a moment before giving him a grateful smile and rushing up the stairs to the manor. There was a low light visible under the door of the master bedroom. As he approached, he caught the scent of jasmine and orange blossoms. Silently, he entered the room.

Diana was lying fast asleep in his bed. Her raven tresses cascading across the red wine silk pillowcase the matching sheet outlining the curves of her silhouette.

Quickly shedding his clothing, he slipped under the sheets beside her. As he pulled her to him, she turned to rest her head on his shoulder, sliding her hand across his waist. An unfamiliar feeling of serenity flowed through him.

He wasn't used to being happy and hadn't even really tried to be in over thirty years. A part of him still wasn't sure he could be, should be – or deserved to be. There were habits and behaviors that would be nearly, if not completely, impossible to break. It wouldn't be easy. There would be drama and conflict. It would require facing things that he had spent his whole life avoiding or channeling into darkness, rage, and vengeance.

He looked down at the expression she wore of utter peace and contentment. He smiled. Fortunately, she was blessed with kindness, patience, and diligence. She would need them.

He would face his demons if he had to, because he knew for certain that there was nothing that he wouldn't do to make her happy. Maybe if he could make her happy, he could be too.