Chapter 4

"Which one?" Wally asks.

Lara steps forward and her face lights up as she recognises who the new arrival is. "Scandal!" she shouts happily as she blurs across the room and takes their unexpected guest in her arms and proceeds to kiss her passionately.

"Beloved," Scandal whispers softly from her lover's arms.

"What are you doing here?" Lara has to ask.

Scandal arches an eyebrow. "My girlfriend vanishes off into a different universe and you expect me not to worry?" she asks rhetorically.

Lara smiles. "Aw. You are so sweet sometimes," she comments.

Scandal smiles back. "Yes...maybe...but don't go spreading that around. I have a reputation as a heartless bitch to uphold."

Lara snorts out a laugh. Her girlfriend was blunt sometimes but Lara loved her that way and besides she wasn't as heartless as she liked to pretend. She had a softer, even a hidden romantic, side that she only lets Lara see. She puts her arms across her girlfriend's shoulders. "We were just getting to know everyone," Lara explains.

"Guess that means I missed all the fun then?" Scandal laments. She loves a good brawl but she had had to wait impatiently for hours while Ray fixed the trans-dimensional portal stick and seriously he needs to come up with a shorter name for it.

"Sorry but maybe next time."

Wally takes in the two of them which helps clarifies some details of his fantasy. "So this is the...um...girlfriend then is it?"

Lara smiles proudly. "Yep. Scandal meet a whole other Justice League. Everyone meet Scandal Savage."

"Savage?!" several voices exclaim at that familiar name.

"Savage?" JLSuperman asks his double.

"Yes. Vandal Savage is her father," SRSuperman confirms.

"Unfortunately,"Scandal adds. "Bastard that he is," she then adds for good measure. She hates his guts. Truly utterly despises him with every fibre of her being. "Let me guess he exists here too right?"

Every one of the JL nods in confirmation.

"But you haven't heard of me?" she assumes from their tone of surprise at her name.

They all shake their heads.

"Even better," she remarks before she says "You know I don't like people sneaking up on me." She turns to find the JLBatman standing directly behind her. "What?" she asks at his expression. "Surprised that I heard you? You weren't the only one trained by the League of Shadows you know."

All that does is make Bruce more suspicious of her. Yes he did receive training from them before he understood exactly what they were and that is essentially a league of assassins. He quit shortly after that and never looked back.

Scandal half-smiles. "Ok I know what you want to know. Yes I was an assassin and a mercenary and I was damn good at both but unlike certain individuals you may be familiar with we could use as an example...oh hell lets just name him, the Joker, I never took any pleasure in it. It was a job pure and simple and I was a professional. Also unlike the previously mentioned Joker I never made my victims suffer or torture them for my own amusement. When I killed someone I made sure their deaths were quick and painless."

"Why did you stop if you were so good at your job?" JLBatman inquires of her.

"Firstly let me say that I am a lot older than I look," she explains. She was actually near 60...she thinks. Or perhaps even older. There are gaps of years she just can't quite remember. Bottom line is that that means Scandal lost count somewhere along the way as to her true age. Anyway like her father she is immortal...probably or at least slow ageing and very tough to kill.

She continues, "To put it simply I got tired of it. That was my life. One job followed by another followed by my father making my life a living hell followed by another job which isn't really a life at all except that is all I had known since as far back as I can remember. I was never given any other choice as to how to live my life until one day someone helped me realise that I did have a choice. That is what I learned from Superman. That I did actually have a choice so I chose to stop. I chose to let love for Lara fill my heart. I chose to be on the side of the good guys although the no killing policy really cramps my style."

"Scandal," Lara lightly chastises.

"What? I was joking. Beating the crap out of people is plenty fun. Not to mention all the times I get to scare people so shitless they pee their pants. That has an entertainment value too." She takes a moment to make sure Batman is looking her right in the eye as she takes Lara's hand into her own and gives it a squeeze before she finishes off by saying "For the first time in a long time I am living again. Not merely existing as I was before but actually living."

To put it simply Scandal was a bit world weary when she met Lara. Those she considered friends were either old or dead. Her beloved Knockout was dead, murdered due to her father's manipulations, and frankly Scandal had basically had enough of life. When she first met Lara she was unsuccessfully trying to drink herself into oblivion. Then she met this young, beautiful woman so full of life and zest that it melted even Scandal's hardened heart. As Diana said to her once Kents just have a way of working their way in under your skin and into your heart and before you know it you are hopelessly in love with them and as far as Lara is concerned it turned out to be true. Lara makes her feel alive again instead of the empty shell she had been before they met.

Scandal finishes off her words to Batman. "Now if you don't think that it is the case that I have changed...well frankly I don't give a shit what you think but we'll be leaving your universe soon so you won't have to worry about me any more."

Batman locks stares with her for a few moments before he simply turns and walks back across the room.

"Eloquently put," Lara remarks.

"Yeah I thought it had some nice poetic overtones to it."

"Well you do have a very talented tongue."

"That's the reason you scream my name every night baby."

"Scandal!" Lara says...well scandalised. "You are so bad."

"Yeah. You going to punish me?" she asks suggestively.

Lara thinks on it for a moment before pulling Scandal to her for a kiss and then she plants little kisses along Scandal's jaw line until she reaches Scandal's ear where she proceeds to whisper exactly how she intends to 'punish' her girlfriend later on when they get home. The smile on Scandal's face can only be described as one of salacious anticipation.

SRSuperman screws his eyes shut. Sometimes superhearing is not an attribute. He so doesn't need to know about things like this particularly when it involves his daughter. He accepts she is an adult and can make her own choices as to whom she dates but really...TMI.

"And people say I'm shameless," Olivia remarks.

"You are," Jon tells his girlfriend.

"I don't remember you ever complaining about it."

"I haven't ever complained about it."

"I'm confused," Olivia admits not quite sure where this conversation is heading.

"No change there then," Jon quips.

Olivia slaps him on the shoulder before having to shake her hand out.

"You know you shouldn't hit me like that," Jon gently rebukes her. Due to his invulnerability hitting him hurts. He takes her hand into his own hands and rubs it gently.

"Yeah well just wait until we get home and I look the blue kryptonite out. Then you'll be sorry," she promises him. Blue kryptonite was a variant of kryptonite that suppressed Jon's, and by extension all Kryptonians', abilities. It was the only way he and Olivia could be intimate without fear of him hurting her.

Jon leans into her and whispers saucily "When we get home and you look it out then I'll be the one making you scream my name."

Olivia is a little taken aback. That is more forward than she usually expects from Jon. He is usually quite shy. It is kind of a turn on. "Promise?" she whispers back.

"Promise," he confirms for her before they share a kiss.

Again, SRSuperman thinks to himself, he so doesn't need to know these things.

"It is completely depressing you know," Power Woman complains to Connor.

"What is?"

"That my baby cousins are getting more action at the moment than am I. I have to resort to going solo."

"Kara! Really!" Connor protests. "Too much information."

"Come on Kon I'm single," she laments. "It's alright for you you have a wife."

"Who is extremely pregnant and cranky," Connor points out which means he is getting any action either which is just torturous beyond belief because he finds Cassie incredibly sexy even more so when pregnant but she is likely to castrate him should he even try anything so sexual frustration abounds.

"Well maybe but it is still depressing. It isn't just you either. Kal and Diana are no better. I mean they do it at the drop of a hat."

"Kara!" SRSuperman yells at his cousin trying to make her stop.

"But you do!" she argues with him. "The only miracle about you two is not the fact that you have children but the fact that you only have 4 of them. The way you two go at it there should be like a dozen of them by now."

Connor looks at Clark. "Do you want to kill her or shall I?"

"How about we both do it and then we can cover for each other with the police."

Connor scoffs. "The police will thank us."

"You two are about 5 seconds away from an good old fashioned butt whoopin' from yours truly," Kara warns her two cousins.

SRDiana steps forward, puts her fingers in her mouth and whistles real loud to get everyone's attention. She cannot believe this has descended in yet another domestic argument. She means really.

Every.

Single.

Time.

It has to be an El family trait.

"In case it escaped everyone's attention the portal is open which means it is time to go home," she points out.

Power Woman manages a smile. "Now I know what Kal sees in you."

SRDiana narrows her eyes at Kara. "Kara in about 5 seconds I will show you exactly what it means that I am an Amazon princess if you don't get going," she threatens.

Kara holds her hands up. "Alright. Alright. I'm going! Sheesh! Lighten up Diana," she says with a shake of her head as he floats herself through the portal.

SRDiana then shares a farewell with her double but can't leave without letting her mischievous side say one more thing. She leans in and whispers in her double's ear. "One more thing about about being with Kal. He always lives up to his name."

JLDiana pulls back a little bit and looks at her double a little confused. SRDiana smiles and leans in once more. "He really is the Man of Steel."

JLDiana's cheeks flush with colour as do both Supermen's cheeks having overheard what Diana said.

SRSuperman moves to his wife's side. "I'm going to get you back for that," he assures her.

She smiles seductively. "Promises. Promises."

Connor shakes his head. In one way Kara is right. Clark and Diana still go at it like newly-weds. As SRSuperman wraps his arms around Diana's slim waist and floats them both through the portal Connor says his farewells to this universe's Supergirl.

"Well nice meeting you," he tells her.

"You too," Kara says genuinely.

"Before I go one more thing. You said Clark visited your clone what about you? Have you visited her?"

Kara shakes her head.

Connor draws his lips into a thin line. "Did you ever forgive her for what she did?"

Kara avoids directly answering the question. "I don't entirely blame her. I know how she must have been brought up and what lies were fed to her."

"Did you forgive her?" Connor asks again.

Kara slowly shakes her head. She hadn't been quite able to find it in herself to forgive Galatea.

"Maybe you should and maybe you should tell her that you do. Someone has to take the first step. For me it was Clark. For her maybe it has to be you."

Kara looks at him and Connor can see some real conflict in her eyes. "Look I'm not telling you to do it. Just...think about it. After all what's the worse that can happen? She rejects it and stays locked up. At least if you try there is a hope she will realise about what is right and what is wrong."

"I'll...think about it," Kara decides at Connor's words.

With a small smile Connor concedes that is as much as he could ask. While saying his final farewells it has meant everyone else has gone so he is the last to float through the portal and head home. It leaves all the JL members standing there looking as the portal vanishes and thinking about many things...about many possibilities that they have been shown. All except Wally that is. He is simply standing there listless as a pool of drool forms under his feet. His mind had turned off at Scandal's words about making Lara scream every night.

The SR universe.

"Home sweet home," Connor just has to say as he gently lands himself on the other side of the portal where the others are still standing around in a group along with Ray and J'onn. "And now if you will excuse me I am going home to check up on my wife," he informs them all.

J'onn stops him before he can go anywhere. "You will in fact need to go to Themyscira," J'onn corrects him.

"What?"

"Cassie went into labour while you were gone."

"Alright!" Jon and Lara shout in stereo and give each other high 5s happy at the prospect of another member of the family about to join the world.

"What??!!" Connor utters in complete shock. Cassie may have been overdue yet the shock of actually being told she is in labour isn't lessened any. The colour drains from Connor's face until he becomes almost deathly white. "I'm-I'm going to be a father?" he asks disbelievingly. His legs seems to lose all their strength and it takes Clark to catch him before he falls over.

"Men," Kara says with a roll of her eyes at Connor's reaction. "What a bunch of wusses."

"I hear you," Scandal says in agreement.

"Quite correct," Diana says in agreement with both of them.

"Diana!" Clark protests.

"Kal when you have given birth to 4 half-Kryptonian half-Amazon children only then will you be a position to dispute it. Not before."

"Hey. I offered to create a birthing matrix for you." A feasible option once it became clear his and Diana's genes were compatible. It was the way Kryptonians had reproduced. It was essentially an artificial womb which meant no pregnancies and Diana wouldn't have to suffer through it all again but as he reminds her of her reply when he offered "You refused."

Diana had been totally unimpressed with that idea. She had muttered in response that that way would mean no sex so no thanks.

"Birthing matrix?" Scandal queries from Lara who explains to her girlfriend what it is. "It means technically you don't even need men," Lara continues. "You just need genetic samples from two compatible beings."

"Huh. I might have underestimated your race there Superman. They were geniuses," Scandal remarks. Her and men...she'll tolerate them but not one of them will ever share her bed. Personally she thinks the world would probably be better off without them and hey that birthing matrix actually removed the need for them.

Clark ignores her. He doesn't have the time to debate with her right now. They need to get Connor to his wife.

"We'll catch up!" Lara shouts after them as Clark, Connor and Diana port ahead.

Jon moves next to his sister. "You know what this means?"

"Yep."

"Another Kent joining the clan."

"Can't wait."

"We'll have to teach them the secret catchphrase."

They look at each other and each burst into a huge grin and yell simultaneously, while leaping into the air and giving each other another high 5, "Kents Rule!"

Both Scandal and Olivia rolls their eyes at the display. "I can't believe we're dating them," Olivia just has to say.

"Tell me about it," Scandal says in agreement. She loves Lara sure and Lara does have this bad girl side of her that she finds irresistibly sexy but equally like right now Lara is a complete and total dork.

Olivia sighs. "They just have to be so damn adorable though don't they," she laments at the fact that even when dorky Jon is just too cute for words. He is also not only her lover but her best friend in the whole world. He has been since as long as she can remember. Somehow that makes it all the more special what they have.

"We're doomed," Scandal decides.

"Hopelessly so."

Jon and Lara check with J'onn to see if he still needs them before they go and get to see their new cousin. J'onn says they can go so Jon and Olivia say a quick farewell to their respective partners. Scandal actually pouts at not receiving her 'punishment' and it is all Lara can do not to grab her, pick her up and take her to bed right there and then. She is gorgeous when she pouts.

Jon shares one last kiss with Olivia who wraps one shapely leg around his hips just to make sure he knows exactly what he is missing. She also takes a moment to run her hand through that wayward lock of hair that flops over his forehead that he inherited from his father. It is an almost irresistible urge. Olivia must have spent hours playing with it when they are in bed together. In response to this it takes all of Jon's self-control to stop his body reacting in what would be a very visible and embarrassing way.

That done the twins depart with their cousin Jade. Kara stays. The whole screaming in agony giving birth thing is not something she has any wish to see or hear. She'll just wait until Cassie and Connor return home to see the little sprog.

"So anything happening that needs taken care of?" Kara asks J'onn.

He shakes his head. "No. Thankfully the rupture was closed before it could cause any damage to the planet and it has been a remarkably peaceful day otherwise." He then returns to doing some work at a computer station.

"What is that about?" Kara asks him.

"Just finalising preparations for the Daxam delegation's arrival," he informs her. Daxamites were actually an off-shoot of the Kryptonian race and possessed many of the same abilities as their Kryptonian cousins. However unlike Kryptonians their weakness was to lead so any trace of the element had to be removed from wherever the delegation would meet with Earth officials.

Kara looks down the list of the delegations to see who is coming and if she knows them. Her eyes bug out at one name. "Mon's coming!"

"Yes," J'onn confirms for her.

Mon-El as he was known on Earth although his real name was Lar-Gand was an incredibly hot, hunky man who Kara had had a relationship with but he had had to return to Daxam due to the fact he can't stay on Earth for long periods due to its lead content. While he was here Kara must admit to being really quite happy and not just due to the fact Mon was physically compatible with her but because he was a great upstanding guy. Although Kara won't say that the physical compatibility thing wasn't really great too.

"Why did no-one mention this to me?!" Kara angrily demands to know.

"It did not seem relevant," J'onn replies.

"Relevant!!" Kara screeches. "Relevant! Let me tell you something J'onn because of this oversight I now only have 2 days to get ready. I need to get my hair done, my nails...Great Rao I have nothing to wear. I have to go shopping. I need new shoes!" She turns sharply on her heels and marches out muttering darkly about Martians having no understanding of women.

About Kara in particular J'onn would agree with that assessment. Kara was strong and forth-right. If a man looked at her in the wrong way she was as likely to punch him as talk to him yet if it is a man she likes Kara turns into...J'onn believes the phrase would be that Kara turns into such a girl.

The JLU universe.

Clark is just finishing his shift. Kara had already left a little early saying something about wanting to see and talk to her clone Galatea. She mentioned something about how meeting Connor made her think that perhaps Galatea deserves another chance. Clark hopes she is right and that Galatea will listen to Kara unlike the way she listened to him. It is Clark's belief that Galatea, despite everything she did, deserves more than simply being a failed and now essentially discarded experiment. It is not Galatea's fault that Cadmus trained her into being basically an assassin. If only Galatea would see that there is another way to live her life then that would at least be a start. Oh well Clark can hope. His life has been defined by hope.

Clark is about to beam down to Earth and go home when he bumps into Diana. "Oh hi Diana."

Diana was lost in her own thoughts and hadn't noticed him so she jumps as he speaks before she says back "Hi Kal."

"Interesting day," he remarks.

Diana smiles slightly at his joviality. "That is certainly one way of putting it."

Clark looks at her and for the first time he can ever remember feels slightly uncomfortable in her presence. Meeting his double, his children, it has allowed his mind to stray into an area he never allowed it to before about what if he and Diana were more than friends. It seems odd that the thought never crossed his mind before now. After all he would have to be dead not to see how beautiful and desirable a woman she is but he always considered her way, way out of his league. She is a royal princess, albeit currently one who is exiled from her home, with Gods for patrons. He is just a farm boy from Kansas. He would say that Diana is probably his best friend in the whole world. There is no-one who knows him better than Diana. For all his pursuing of Lois he would have to admit that she didn't actually know him all that well.

Diana too has the same uncomfortable feeling which she doesn't like. Thoughts she never allowed to enter her head before are passing through her mind now. It was what she was thinking about when they bumped into each other as to why she never noticed Kal before the way her double obviously had. Of course she noticed that by most standards Kal was a very handsome man, perhaps even the word beautiful could be applied to him. He was also her very best friend. The very first male friend she has ever had in her life and throughout her exile Kal had been the one there for her the most. Bruce was always too obsessed with his mission but Kal always found the time for her. He would sit and listen to her and never ask for anything back. He always gave selflessly, almost too selflessly. It had left him far too alone. If anyone deserved to have that special someone to fill their life it was Kal. A thought strikes her about what if that someone was her like her double obviously was to the other Superman.

Diana decides to take a chance. "Kal."

"Yes Diana."

"Would like to go out to dinner...with me?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

Diana nods and waits nervously for Kal's reply.

Clark has to resist the urge to pinch himself. Diana is asking him, him, Clark Kent, out on a date and what about all that stuff he was thinking about her being out of his league? However as he thinks on his double who seemed so happy Clark decides 'What the hell!'. He might as well take a chance for once in his life.

While Clark takes his moment to respond Diana is praying that this is not going to ruin what they have. Her fears ease as Kal breaks out into that wonderful adorable goofy smile of his and replies. "Sure I would love to."

Diana smiles back at him. They then link arms and head to the teleporter together. Their encounter with the other universe now having changed their perspective on things forever and both think that maybe, in the end, that is not such a bad thing. Sometimes change is good.

The End.

Author's Note: I never planned to make this a long story so I will wrap it up here. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. I always appreciate them.