DISCLAIMERS/NOTES

1. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.

2. As always, I'll point out this was written over a decade ago. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of Unlimited wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, The Savage Time. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.

3. This is an alternate take on my series of Justice League: The Animated Series stories, crossing over into the future of Batman Beyond. As stated above, I wrote this over ten years ago. At that point, the (absolutely stupid) revelation of Terry McGinnis being Bruce Wayne's biological son hadn't happened. As far as this tale is concerned, Terry is simply Bruce's latest protégé. Meanwhile, the history of this veers off from my Wayback Wednesday timeline before Bruce and Diana married. Also, because this is an alternate reality to my series, I didn't feel giving it a number was appropriate - hence it being a Special.

4. That being said, in this chapter Terry does refer to Bruce as a father. But it's purely metaphorical - as he would now see Bruce as a father figure.

5. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness.

PART 8

Diana stared at the photo in her hands.

She had been staring at it for over an hour… but she had not noticed. As far as she was concerned, she had only just picked it up.

It was a photo of her…

And Bruce…

She sighed. How could things have turned out the way they had? From looking at the photo… it was mystifying.

They were smiling. Bruce was actually smiling. He used to say he hardly ever smiled. Only Dick's presence in his life had made him smile before. And when Diana came into it, Dick was getting more and more out of the picture. He was spending more and more time solo.

But no matter how much warmth Dick brought to his life, Bruce always said it was nothing compared with Diana. He used to tell her how he loved her… they'd lie there in bed, holding eachother… and he would just explain everything he liked about her.

Diana had to admit… it made her feel special. To bring such joy to someone so dark… so alone. But whatever she had given to him… he had more than given to her.

She never thought men could be so noble. So caring. But Bruce was the love of her life. She knew she wanted to spend all eternity with him.

And she still did. Despite everything she did… everything she HAD to do… she never wanted to leave him. She wanted to be with him, always…

But it was too late.

He was gone.

Diana closed her eyes, and fresh tears rolled down her face. Her face was already red from crying. She had been crying for a week…

She wondered if she would ever stop…

She heard footsteps nearing. She did not bother to turn around.

"There you are," a young voice said. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

Diana smiled. It was half-hearted. "I haven't left this room in days…"

"I know," the voice said. "But I was hoping you'd gone ANYWHERE else."

Diana turned around, and looked at Terry. She noticed that his face was red as well. "I take it they're here?" she said quietly.

"Yes," Terry said. "They're waiting outside."

Diana turned back to the photo. "I guess… I'll be off then."

There was silence.

Diana's mouth trembled. "It's a horrible feeling."

Terry frowned. "What is?"

"Knowing that you've made the wrong choices," Diana said, "and it being too late to go back."

Terry went upto her. "You haven't talked about it. Do you want to?"

Diana wiped her tears away. "My sisters are waiting…"

"They can wait," Terry said. His tone was authorative. "I'm listening."

Diana slowly turned and faced him. "My life's a waste."

Terry said nothing. Diana knew he partly agreed.

Diana began to pace around the spare bedroom… the room that she had not left for five days. "I ruined his life," she said. "I see that now. And in ruining his life, mine has been wasted. I loved him. We loved eachother. And I turned my back on him."

Terry sighed. "I understand why you…"

Diana leant against a table. "DON'T. Just… don't." She let the tears flow freely. "It was no excuse. Any of my sisters could have become queen. But… I wanted to keep tradition… I wanted to keep it in the family…" She closed her eyes. "I was selfish."

Terry remained silent.

"All these years…" Diana said slowly. "I never stopped thinking about him. Never stopped… loving him. But it's only now that… I realise… I… he was my life. As he used to say I was his. I made the wrong choice…" She looked out of the window, at the stars in the sky. "Hera forgive me…"

Terry sighed. "He wouldn't… want you to torture yourself…"

Diana looked at him. "I have to. I have no reason to live now. I've… had no reason… for so long. Without Bruce… my life was meaningless. I kept telling myself my island needed me…" She looked at the photo, which was on the chair she had been sitting in. "He needed me more."

Terry held the back of his head. "He was like a father to me…" he whispered.

Diana looked at him, sadness in her eyes. "No one should have to lose two fathers…"

A tear ran down Terry's face. "It's amazing how one man can make our lives so full… and so empty when he's gone…"

"Now you know how I've felt…" Diana said, "for four decades."

They looked at eachother in silence.

Terry then stepped forward…

Diana gave a faint smile, and held her arms out.

They embraced, and Terry rested his head on her shoulder…

They held eachother for a long, long time…

/

The grandfather clock was pulled away, and light shone down the staircase.

Terry took a deep sigh, and slowly walked down the steps. He reached the bottom, and took a long look around the cave.

It seemed so empty now…

Diana had gone. After their talk, she had left the manor and joined two of her sisters, who were waiting to pick her up. They had left in a small jet that Diana had had built during her reign.

And now Terry was alone. Truly alone.

His second father had gone. Bruce was dead.

He had left Terry everything.

Everything.

Terry remembered going through Bruce's computer files after his death. One contained his will… recorded the very night he died. He had left everything to Terry. The house. The money. The cars. Everything.

And then there was the stuff the legal people did not know about. The cave. The suits. The car. Via an encrypted attachment on the file, that only Terry could open, Bruce had written that everything to do with Batman was now his.

He never knew the old man would do that. To be honest… he never considered Bruce would be gone. He just assumed… he would always be there.

As far as the public knew, Bruce Wayne had died of simple old age. And that was true. It WAS a simple heart attack that he had died of. But left out was what brought about the heart attack…

The fact that the eighty-year-old was fighting for his life against an immortal madwoman.

There had already been a public frenzy around his passing. The funeral was attended by over a hundred people… most Wayne/Powers staff. But several, Terry noted, seemed out of place. People who apparently had no connection to Bruce whatsoever.

And they did not… at least, not with BRUCE WAYNE…

Messages had come in from around the world. People who had been successful in business, inspired by Bruce's ventures. Relatives of people Bruce employed during his prime.

And then there were the "out-of-place" people… Superman. Big Barda. The Atom. Green Lantern. Warhawk. The Flash. And countless other heroes who had worked with or had heard of the legend that was the Batman.

And just the day before, Terry had received a phonecall from a certain Mr. Grayson…

Terry heard small footsteps behind him, and turned around to see Ace coming down the steps. The hound went up to his feet, and looked up. He pined… as if he knew what had happened. Terry fondled his ear.

His mother and brother would be moving into the house tomorrow. The next few months would be difficult. A lot of change.

Terry went up to the glass cabinet, and took out the black suit. He silently put it on.

He looked at the clock on the wall. 7:58pm.

His second father was gone.

He pulled the mask on.

It was time to go do his father's work.

THE END