June 29 06:13 Wayne Manor

The constant light scratching at the door made Bruce stir in his sleep. He let out a groan as he opened his eyes, moving his head away from the unwelcomed light that had begun to shine through his bedroom window. He mentally reminded himself that he would need to close the drapes before bed, lest he continue to wake up to the sun shining in his face.

There was another scratch at the door, followed by a nearly inaudible whine and Bruce let out another groan as he sat up in the bed. His hand wiped the last remnants of sleep from his tired eyes as he glanced towards the door, mentally cursing himself for keeping Ace out of the room last night; it had become a habit whenever Diana had stayed over, as Ace would find it acceptable to make himself comfortable in the bed with her, no matter how much he scolded the both of them.

Ace scratched the door once more, hitting the piece of wood harder with his large paw, letting his insistent whining grow louder. He wanted in, and he wasn't going to stop until Bruce gave in. Bruce wasn't sure who was more stubborn, Diana or Ace. Letting out a large sigh, Bruce glanced over his shoulder at the clock on his nightstand, a grimace on his face when he saw the time. He had had a late night at the office with Diana and a few members of their logistics department, and although he wanted nothing more than to come in to work later, he knew he had a busy day ahead of him.

He slowly got out of bed and walked to the door, opening it to see Ace laying on the floor. He looked up at Bruce, his big brown eyes sad, as he silently asked to be let in. Bruce only rolled his eyes and sighed, moving to the side, watching as the canine bolted inside the room. Ace quickly trudged over to the bed, glancing at the empty bed, his eyes sad when he saw Diana was not in the room. With a small huff, Ace walked out of the room, no longer interested in being in the bedroom, which only made Bruce tilt his head, watching as the dog left him without any further acknowledgment. "Hello to you too," he said, watching as Ace turned to look at him once more, before trotting out into the hall.

Without another thought, Bruce walked into the bathroom and started the shower. He let out another sigh as he stripped the remaining clothes off his body, before he stepped under the hot water, letting it gently massage the knots in his back. He thought back to the previous night, a smile forming on his face when he remembered his conversation with Diana, one that would change their future together.

June 28 22:37 Wayne Enterprises

"Does anyone have any further questions?" Lucius looked up at the six people surrounding the table in the middle of the board room. He watched as Craig, the head of Logistics, glanced behind him at the clock, silently wondering when he would be able to leave and return to his family; his wife would be upset he had missed dinner once more.

Andre Griggs, junior financial advisor, and Diana's partner for the newest project for the Children's Hospital, stretched, trying to contain the yawn that threatened to spill from his lips. "I think we've gone over everything possible," he said, drinking the remaining tea from their impromptu dinner.

"Diana," Lucius said, turning to face the woman on his left, "Do you think we'll have enough security for the event?"

Diana turned to Lucius, raising an eyebrow when she realized she hadn't been listening to anyone for the last few minutes. She opened her mouth to apologize when someone spoke in her place. "We should be fine," came a voice at the end of the table. Everyone turned to face Paul, who wiped his mouth on the napkin in his hand, before he leaned back in his chair. "Diana and I will be there, and we can contact the Gotham PD for some extra officers. We can also employ a private company for some added security."

Lucius glanced down at Diana, who only smiled at Paul, before he nodded. "Good," he said, his attention turning to Bruce, who sat on his right, his attention focused on the woman across from him. "I think we'll be ready to present this tomorrow morning, yes?"

Diana nodded. "Andre, are you ready?"

Andre only nodded, his smile wide. When Diana had told him she was going to have to miss the meeting due to other obligations with the security team - they still had yet to figure out who was hacking their system - he had stepped right up to the plate. He wanted to do everything he could to help the hospital after everything they had done for his family. "I won't let you down, Diana." He turned to Bruce. "Or you, Mr. Wayne," he said. He watched as Bruce tore his eyes from Diana, before he acknowledged the man with a small smile.

"I have no doubt," Bruce said, watching from the corner of his eye as Diana gently moved the full plate of food away from her. She wasn't feeling well, that was evident. He thought she had been better lately. Guess not.

"Good," Lucius said, concern on his face as he continued to watch Diana sit in silence. Something was wrong with her. He only hoped it had nothing to do with Bruce, or he would have to give that man a stern talking to. "If that is all, then I will see you all tomorrow." With that he turned off the screen behind him and stood from his seat. He watched as both Andre and Paul stood from their seats, followed by Craig and his sister Anna. They each said their goodbyes, gently picking up the area around them, before they left, wanting to get a good night's sleep before the meeting with the financial department in the morning.

When it was just him, Bruce, and Diana, Lucius turned to the latter and raised an eyebrow. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked. He watched as she slowly stood from her seat, gently cradling the top of her stomach, before her eyes closed and she took a deep breath.

"I'm okay, Lucius," she responded. "I think I ate something bad this afternoon that is not settling with me very well."

Lucius raised an eyebrow, unsure if he believed what she had just said. He glanced over at Bruce, who only continued to stare at the woman, concern written all over his face. Whatever was going on with these two, he figured he'd let them handle it. "I'm sorry," he said, picking up his dirty plate.

"I can finish cleaning up," Bruce said, stopping Diana from cleaning the table before she could even start. "We'll see you tomorrow Lucius."

Lucius only nodded before he walked out of the room, a smile on his face when he realized Bruce Wayne was offering to clean up after not only himself but others. Diana was making an honest man out of him after all.

The two silently watched Lucius leave the room, before Bruce turned to Diana. "So, what's really going on?" he asked, reaching for the empty food containers in the middle of the table. He watched as Diana shrugged, picking up her half empty cup of water, before she tossed it into the trash bin behind her chair.

"Just a little nausea," Diana explained.

Bruce took a step towards his girlfriend, depositing the trash in his hand into the bin, before he placed his hands on Diana's shoulders. "You need some rest," Bruce said, leaning in to place a kiss on her forehead.

"I would, but my boss keeps running me ragged," she said with a smirk. She listened to Bruce chuckle, before he kissed her cheek softly. "But once we figure out this security breach, I'll be able to rest easier."

Bruce pulled away from Diana, grabbing the rest of the garbage off the table. "You work yourself too hard," he said. He tossed the trash into the bin, wiped the table off with a few napkins, and cleaned his hands. "You know people aren't going to let you work this hard when you start to show more," he said. He leaned against the table and crossed his arms over his chest, before he nodded towards her growing baby bump.

Diana sighed and nodded. "I know, I know," she said. She gently placed a hand on Bruce's arm and offered him a smile, knowing this was the perfect opportunity to bring up what had kept her up the night before. "Speaking of people knowing," she began. She watched as his eyebrow raised, intrigued with where she was going to go. Had someone found out? Had she told someone? "Friday," she began, "That's when we can go public."

Bruce watched as her smile grew, his own lips curling into a smile of his own. "Why the change?" he asked, opening his arms to allow her into a small hug.

Diana shrugged as she stepped closer to him. She placed her head gently on his shoulder, and let out a content sigh. "I figured people will eventually find out," she said, tugging her shirt down to emphasize her words. "And I figure half the people in the room watched as you stared at me the whole meeting. It's not going to take long for people to put two and two together."

Bruce only chuckled. He knew he should have been more conspicuous, but he couldn't help it. She was beautiful, and he found himself more and more intrigued with her each day. "And the living situation?" he asked cautiously. He knew this was still something Diana was still on the fence with. Neither of them had openly admitted exactly how they felt about each other, so he wasn't sure if she was ready to make that step just yet.

Diana chuckled nervously. While she had to admit that being in the same bed with Bruce night after night was heavenly, and being under the same roof once the baby got there would be an immense help, she couldn't help but feel they weren't there just yet. "Um," she began. She stopped when she felt Bruce squeeze her gently, knowing what she was getting at.

"I'll make you a deal," he said. "You stop overworking yourself, and I won't bring it up again until I know you're ready." He pulled back from Diana, watching as she contemplated his offer.

"Deal," she said, offering him another smile. "Let's get ourselves to Friday first."

Bruce nodded. "Friday," he repeated, before he leaned in for another kiss. It was another three days from now, and he wasn't sure his heart would be able to take the anticipation, but he knew one thing: he would let Diana be in charge of how it became known. "Now, you go home and get yourself some rest, and I'll see you tomorrow afternoon." He kissed her one last time, letting his lips linger on her longer than necessary, before he pulled back to stare in her beautiful blue eyes.

Without another word, he walked out of the room with Diana, flipping the lights off before they walked into the hallway towards the elevator, both on cloud nine.

June 29 07:52 Prince/Hol Residence

Diana walked out of her room, a grimace on her face as the thought of going into work made her even more ill than she had been last night. She had had a terrible night, barely getting any sleep as her stomach continued to torture her with unpleasantries, and the more she tried to get it to settle down, the more she couldn't wait until the baby got here, when the reoccurring bouts of nausea would disappear all together- she would never take being able to eat a meal without wanting to throw it up for granted again.

She continued to walk into the living room, stopping when she noticed her roommate and best friend, Shayera Hol, staring at her. "What?" she asked innocently, continuing her journey until she was able to sit on the couch next to the detective.

Shayera only raised an eyebrow as she continued to stare at the brunette. "Are you alright?" she asked, pulling her red hair into a ponytail. She watched as Diana nodded half halfheartedly, before she placed her hand on her stomach. "No you're not," Shayera said, watching as Diana leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "I heard you moving around all night, and now you look like hell."

Diana opened her eyes and raised her head. She stared at her roommate and sighed, knowing there was no way to deny she felt terrible. Maybe she should take the day off. Bruce would understand. "I just feel….weird."

Shayera clipped her badge to her hip and shifted on the couch. "You've been working yourself to exhaustion," she explained. "You need to take a break."

Diana only shook her head. "There's too much I need to do. Bruce and I-"

"Bruce will understand," Shayera said. She watched as Diana stood from the couch and walked towards the bathroom, before she shook her head. Diana was stubborn, and although she had grown to understand it took a lot to get her roommate to change her mind, she knew Diana needed to take it easy. She was making herself exhausted with all the work she was doing, and that wasn't good for either her or the baby. "Don't make me hide your car keys," Shayera threatened, as she got off the couch and followed her into the bathroom.

June 29 07:52 Wayne Enterprises

Bruce walked into his office, taking a sip of the hot coffee Alex had been kind enough to get for him. He was going to need it today. He quickly made his way to his desk, taking a seat in the chair behind the computer, before he pulled out his phone, wanting to message Diana. He knew she hadn't been feeling too well last night and he wanted to make sure she was doing alright. He quickly placed the coffee on the desk and turned his attention to the phone in his hand. His gaze quickly caught the blinking red icon in the top right corner of the screen, and he mentally cursed himself for not putting his phone on the charger last night before crawling into bed. He quickly tried to send Diana a text message, wanting to let her know he was thinking about her and that he would see her later today, when his phone shut off completely. "Perfect," he said to himself, before he leaned back in the chair and let out a groan.

Without another word, Bruce got out of the chair and walked to the door, poking his head outside just enough to see Alex typing away on the computer in front of her. "Alex," he began, watching as she stopped typing mid sentence to turn to him, an eyebrow raised. "You wouldn't happen to have a charger here?" he asked, lifting his dead phone for her to see.

Bruce watched as the younger woman stared at him, unsure if she was annoyed with his question, or trying to remember if she in fact had a solution to his problem, however when she opened the top drawer of her desk and rummaged around the mess, before pulling out the tangled charger, he knew it had been the latter. Without a word, Alex extended her hand, silently asking for her boss' phone. Bruce obliged, placing the temporarily useless object in her hand, watching as she plugged everything in and set it next to her computer. "Thank you," he said, flashing her a wide smile. "You deserve a raise."

"I'll hold you to that," Alex responded, causing Bruce to smirk."Now, don't you have a meeting to get to?"

Bruce only nodded, as he stepped completely out of his office and closed the door behind his back. Without another word he walked down the hall and towards the elevators, letting out a sigh as his hand rubbed his temples. He tried to will his mind to focus on this meeting, knowing it was a big step for Diana and the hospital, but whenever he tried, his thoughts rushed back to Diana and their conversation last night. She had agreed to go public with him. She had agreed to be thrown into the limelight, agreed to be scrutinized by everyone, all for him. She had agreed to let the world know that someone like her was dating Bruce Wayne, having his child - he didn't think she, or Gotham, was ready for what that would all bring, but he knew they both welcomed the challenge. He quickly stepped into the elevator once it arrived in front of him, and watched as the doors closed, before it led him up to the fifth floor.

The doors opened with a small ding, signalling it had reached his desired floor, and Bruce stepped out into the hallway. He flashed a smile at Norman, watching as the janitor gave him a small wave, before he waved back; he liked Norman, he was a hard worker, and he genuinely enjoyed his job.

Bruce continued to walk down the hallway towards the largest boardroom. He watched as some of his financial advisers made their way into the room, some with cups of coffee in their hands, others with folders containing crucial financial information.

"Mr. Wayne," Bruce heard from behind. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Mr. Billings as he trudged towards the billionaire. His eyes were tired and his hand was trying to stifle a yawn as he stopped next to the younger man.

"Late night?" Bruce asked, fully knowing the answer. Mr. Billings had a habit of spending too much time out with the boys, playing poker and visiting strip clubs when he should have been home with his kids. It had bugged Bruce, but never enough to say anything. After all, he would be a hypocrite for calling someone out on their late nights, when that's all he was ever seen doing. But now, it was different. He was about to be a father. He had more responsibilities, and watching Mr. Billings act the way he had been for years was starting to take its toll on Bruce's patience.

Mr. Billings only nodded as he tried to stifle another yawn. "Remind me why we need this meeting, if you're capable of green lighting the financial backing of this event yourself."

Bruce turned to face Mr. Billings, his eyebrow raised as he tried to think of a response that wouldn't publicly humiliate the poor man. He needed to be the better person. "I'm trying something different," was all Bruce said, as he took a step away from the man and into the room, flashing a smile at all of the employees that were seated and ready to start. At least he had some people in his company that were ready to work.

He quickly walked up to where Andre sat, a smile on his face as he watched the man look down at his notes one final time. He was nervous - that much was understandable- but when Bruce saw the photo of his daughter in his clenched hand, he knew why. Andre had so much more riding on this than he did. He had the hospital to thank for his daughter's life. The least he could do was try to give another father that same hope.

Bruce watched as the rest of the board members shuffled into the room, taking their seats, whispering among themselves. Some were eager to hear the ideas that would help the children's hospital, some were there because of curiosity. And some, like Mr. Billings, were there simply out of obligations - Bruce hoped they would soon change their minds.

"I believe we're ready to start," Lucius said, rising from his seat near the head of the table. He watched as everyone began to stop their side conversations, turning their attention to the older man. "Mr. Griggs," Lucius began, nodding to the younger man.

Bruce watched as Andre took a deep breath and placed the photo of his daughter in his shirt pocket for good luck, before standing from his seat. He made his way to the front of the room, silently grabbing the remote for the projector off the table, before he turned towards the sea of faces. He opened his mouth to speak, wanting to thank Lucius, when another voice was heard. "I thought Ms. Prince was in charge of this task," Mr. Billings said, his face scrunched in disgust. If he had to be here, so did Diana.

Andre only glanced over at Lucius, who shook his head. "She is," Andre replied.

Mr. Billings scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "And where is Ms. Prince?" he asked.

Andre watched as a few seated members nodded, also wanting to know where Diana was. He had worked with some of these people for over two years. He had heard their snide comments when Diana had been named head of security, and he had known they would do whatever they could to prove someone like her did not belong in such a prominent role in the company. He was just as determined as Bruce to prove them wrong. Andre opened his mouth to put them in their place, when he felt Bruce's hand on his shoulder. If there was anyone who was willing to vouch for Diana more than him, it was Bruce.

"Ms. Prince is currently dealing with another work matter. I will remind everyone that she is heading up this project as an extracurricular. She still maintains full control of not only our security team, but also of the company's privacy and security features." He glanced around the room, watching as everyone nodded. "I think her absence can be forgiven, given the fact that Mr. Griggs is more than capable of presenting their ideas with you all." Bruce turned to Andre and gave him a wink, before he extended his hand towards the younger man. "Take it away," he said, taking a seat in the chair Andre had occupied previously, giving the man the seat at the head of the table. Today was his day.

Without another thought, Andre began his presentation, capturing the room with both his visual slides and persuading speech. He flashed photos of children who had been treated at the hospital, gave stories of those who had been helped by the hospital and their staff, and explained the need to invest.

Bruce watched Andre speak, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the presentation, giving the illusion that he was paying attention. He, however, had other thoughts on his mind. He had heard this presentation multiple times, having helped Diana research and put together a compelling argument. He knew everything he needed to. Which is why he didn't feel bad about zoning out on Andre's speech, letting his mind wander back to Diana. He hadn't heard from her all morning, and the more he thought about it, the more it worried him. He assumed she would have stopped by his office before the meeting, or had at least sent him a text explaining why she wouldn't be able to see him until later that evening; the latter he blamed solely on his phone dying. Either way, he couldn't wait to end this meeting and speak with her.

Ever since she had agreed to go public with him, his mind had been filled with thoughts of her. He couldn't wait to take her out to a nice dinner, one where they wouldn't have to hide their relationship. He couldn't wait until they could walk down to the coffee shop on their lunch break, whispering to themselves as he held her close. He couldn't wait until the baby was born and he could show the world that he was not damaged goods like everyone always thought he was, that his parents' murders had defined him and would continue to haunt him until the day he died. He was more than ready for the newest chapter in his life, and as soon as Friday came, he couldn't wait to pull Diana in his arms without a care in the world of who saw them.

Andre's presentation had lasted half an hour. What had followed had been chaotic and stressful, and for once, Bruce was glad Diana hadn't been around. The amount of questions and arguing would have spiked her blood pressure, and he knew that wouldn't have been good for the baby. But Andre was a champ, answering any and all questions calmly, assuring everyone they had thought out every possible detail. When it came time to vote, Bruce had stayed quiet, not wanting his voice to persuade anyone's decision. He wanted to truly know what everyone thought of this. As expected, Andre was met with some backlash from some of the older members. They were overly cautious and worried the carnival would make Wayne Enterprise seem like a joke to the outside world. Those concerns were met with scrutiny by others, who deemed the proposal necessary to shed rumors that Wayne Enterprises was becoming too much like LexCorp after the disaster in Metropolis. When it came time to vote on whether to allot the funds towards the event, it had been passed nearly unanimously; only a few straggling minds had deemed it unnecessary.

After the meeting, Bruce had congratulated Andre, letting him know Diana would be proud of him. He had promised to let Diana know the verdict as soon as he spoke with her, and Andre had gone back to his office, happy to know things were working out and the children's hospital would no longer be in the financial state it found itself in now.

Without a word, Bruce walked out of the elevator, a smile on his face as he walked towards his office. "I take it the board approved everything," Alex said, watching as Bruce nodded, his smile growing wider. "Good." She quickly unplugged Bruce's phone from the charger and handed it to him. "Better tell Diana."

"Already on it," Bruce replied with a small nod, watching as the phone began to boot up now that it was fully charged. "Thank you," he said over his shoulder, as he stepped into his office. He let the door close behind his back and made his way to his desk, gently pulling out the chair as he watched the various icons pop up on his screen, reminding him of all the notifications he had missed. His phone began to vibrate in his hands as a few notifications began to pop up on the screen. Letting out a sigh, he swiped the screen, his heart stopping when he saw three missed calls: one from Diana, two from an unknown number. He quickly opened his voicemail, letting the phone rest against his ear, his heart dropping into his stomach when he heard Shayera's voice on the other end.

"Bruce," she said, her voice angry. "You better be dead or I'm going to ki-"

The door to his office opened and Bruce pulled the phone from his ear. He stared at the woman in his doorway, his eyes widening as he watched her heavy breathing; she had run up the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator. "Where is she?" he asked, shoving his phone into his pocket, staring the redhead in the eye. He watched as Shayera clenched her hands into fists, wanting nothing more than to punch the man in the face for not answering her calls, but once she saw the worry in his face, she knew it would have to wait.

"She's in the hospital," was all she got out, before Bruce was out the door and down the hall, leaving the detective to race after him.

June 29. Gotham General Hospital. 11:22

Bruce raced into the doors of the emergency room, his eyes roaming over every inch of the waiting room as his heart continued to race. When Shayera had pulled up to the hospital he hadn't even waited for her to stop completely before he had jumped out of the car, wanting, needing, to be with Diana as soon as possible. He needed to make sure she was okay. He needed to make sure the baby was okay.

The whole ride Shayera had remained quiet, silently gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. Her nostrils had remained flared as she sped through the streets of Gotham, knowing if she let Bruce know how angry she was at the moment, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from slapping him across the face. Bruce had tried to get her to talk, tell him what had happened, but she only shook her head and told him Diana needed to talk to him.

Bruce quickly walked up the receptionist, who only raised an eyebrow at him, wondering why Bruce Wayne was here in her emergency room. "Diana Prince," he said, not bothering to stop his rashness with pleasantries. "I need to see her."

The receptionist only stared at Bruce, quietly contemplating whether she should allow the man into the room. "I don't think-"

"Please," Bruce pleaded. His eyes locked with the receptionist's and she was able to see just how much he needed to see the woman that had been brought in an hour ago.

"She's in room eight," she said with a sigh, opening the door. She watched as Bruce silently thanked her with a nod before he rushed into the back, knowing he needed to get to Diana soon before she lost her job for disobeying protocol. He would properly thank her later.

Bruce ran down the hall, trying to ignore the looks from a few nurses, as he read the numbers on the wall by each door. He finally arrived at room eight, taking a deep breath as he gently knocked on the wooden door that closed the room off from the busy, noisy hallway. Not waiting for a response, Bruce opened the door and peeked his head inside, stopping when he saw Diana.

"Diana," he whispered cautiously, taking a step into the room. He carefully closed the door behind him, letting the silence engulf the room, as he cut them off from the rest of the hospital. He watched as she continued to stare at the ceiling, giving him no acknowledgement he had even entered the room. Her hands gently clenched at the sheets of the bed she laid on and her nostrils flared as she let out a steady breath; she was trying to hold back her emotions.

Bruce whispered her name once more, taking another step towards the bed. He was once again met with silence as she turned to face him. His heart broke when he saw the trail of tears that had yet to disappear from her cheeks. Without a word, she shook her head, answering the unspoken question that laid between them louder than any words possibly could, before she let her head fall back onto the pillow and began to cry once more.

Bruce walked up to the bed and joined her, careful to mind the equipment surrounding her body, as he wrapped his arms around her. He felt her head fall onto his chest and his grip around her tightened as she continued to cry. His mind grew numb as he processed what had happened. He had fallen in love. He had had a family. And in a matter of mere moments, it had all been ripped away.

Guys,

Let me just say this. Real life happens. Let's leave it at that.

I was trying to avoid the end of this chapter as it hit closer than I would have liked, but you all deserve a full story.