Last chapter you guys!

Disclaimer: I still don't own these characters.

I flash into the Batcave, surprised by how dark it is inside. I let my eyes slowly adjust to the darkness, blinking every so often until they are acclimated, before I glance around the cave, looking for any sign of either Bruce or Damian. I had assumed Bruce would have been in the cave, working tirelessly to stop the latest drug that had hit the streets of Gotham. Maybe he is finally getting the sleep he so desperately needs; I could hear the exhaustion in his voice when he had called me an hour earlier.

I take a step closer to Bruce's computer, letting the dim light from the monitor light my way. There is a shuffle in front of me, and I freeze, before a light comes on, blinding me. When my eyes adjust, they widen when I realize Bruce is sitting in front of me. His head is slumped into his hands and although he is hiding his face, I can see he is in agony. His normally clean shaven face is covered in stubble, and he looks disheveled. "Bruce," I whisper, placing my hand on his shoulder. I watch as he turns to face me, my heart hurting when I see the red laced eyes. He's been crying…..Bruce Wayne doesn't cry.

"Bruce," I repeat, cradling his head. He quickly pulls away from me, not wanting me to see him like this. "What happened?" I ask, watching as he walks away, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. He remains quiet as he turns to face me, and his eyes narrow as he releases a sigh. I take a step towards him but stop when I see him raise his hand, telling me not to venture further. Why is he pushing me away?

"You were in DC," he states dully, as he crosses his arms over his chest. I nod, watching as he drops his head, before I let out a small sigh. He is upset I ignored his calls. He is upset I was with Steve. "You were with him?" he asks, clearing his dry throat, "You chose him."

"Bruce, I-"

He holds up his hand, silencing me, and shakes his head. "Why did you come back here?" he asks. He takes off his gloves and throws them onto the desk, hitting a few items, and we both watch as the items fall to the ground, scattering on the floor. "Did you feel the need to gloat? Did he promise you things I can't give you?" I take a step towards him but he takes another step back, not wanting me to be close.

"Bruce, you need to listen to me," I say softly, taking another step towards him. "I need to tell you-"

"You need to leave!" he exclaims, turning away from me. I watch as he unzips his suit and pulls the top half off his body, throwing it to the side. It crashes with a tray containing medical supplies, sending everything crashing down, creating another mess onto the floor, but neither of us are concerned with that right now. I need Bruce to listen, but he is intent on pushing me out. He is convinced I have chosen Steve, convinced I have come to let him know I no longer want to see him. He is convinced I have decided to push him out of my life. But I am stubborn, and I will make sure he hears what I have to say.

"Bruce!" I say, this time louder, letting it echo throughout the cave. I hope he will hear my tone and know what I have to say is important, but when he turns to glance at me, his eyes still narrow, I know he still wants no part of it.

"I broke up my engagement for you! I let my fiancé leave, and I was an idiot to not go after her thinking I had a chance with you." He takes a step towards me, closing the gap that is between us. "You led me on, Diana. And when I finally thought I had my chance, you went back to…..to him." His voice cracks and my eyes meet his, silently pleading for him to stop. He takes another step closer and crosses his arms over his chest. "You hurt me, Diana. And right now I don't want to see-"

Finally having enough, I close the gap between us and claim his lips with my own. I kiss him hard, wrapping my arms around his neck, holding him close, wanting him to know exactly how I feel. I chose him - I love him. It was always Bruce. I smile against his lips when I feel Bruce uncross his arms, before he places his hands on my hips.

"I'm sorry," I say, pulling away from him. I place my forehead against his and take a deep breath, trying to calm my breathing, but the way Bruce's fingers are teasing the skin on my hip is making it nearly impossible to concentrate. "I had to tell him in person," I begin, taking in a sharp breath as Bruce's hand moves to my back. He dips his hand under my shirt and delicately palms the skin of my lower back, gently pushing me against his body so that my chest is against his. "I owed him that."

Bruce takes a deep breath and drops his head to my shoulder. "I'm sorry," he says, placing a kiss on the clothed shoulder, letting the hand on my hip trail up my arm.

"It's okay," I whisper, letting my eyes close as Bruce continues his slow torture on my body. I know we should talk about this more, discuss everything that has happened within the last few days, but the way my body is responding to his gentle caresses has made any thoughts I concoct nearly incomprehensible. "But it was always you."

He lifts his head from my shoulder and looks me in the eye. He has to know how I feel. He has to know I am in love with him. Without a word he dips his head and kisses me again, placing one hand on the back of my head, keeping his other firmly pressed against the small of my back.

His kisses are hard and erratic, and I can't help but respond the same way. My hands snake up his bare chest and find their way into his hair, which is still slick from sweat, either from his latest outing as Batman or a hard workout, I am unsure, nor do I care. He pushes his tongue against my lips, begging for entry, and I oblige with a small moan.

In one swift movement Bruce sweeps me up into his arms and walks towards the stairs, our lips never breaking.

My head tilts to look up at Bruce as my fingers gently trace the scars along his chest. I hear him let out a small grunt and I turn to see his eyes are still closed. He is still lost to his dreams, still content with how things have played out.

When we had left the cave and had climbed the stairs into the manor, Bruce had whisked me into his room where we had finally decided to cross that line, going from friends to lovers in only a way we knew how. It wasn't soft, nor was it slow and sweet. Instead, it was rough and full of raw emotions; it was exactly what we both needed after months of denying our feelings for each other. When we had finished, we had fallen asleep, our naked bodies wrapped around each other and in the satin sheets.

I had woken three hours later, a smile gracing my lips when I realized Bruce was still deep in slumber, his lips curled into a faint smile as his arm held my body close to his. It was relieving to see him so calm, so content. It was strange, but the only time I had ever seen his face this soft was when we were together in Gehenna. I would sometimes wake and find Bruce still asleep on the other side of the fire, the features of his face softly illuminated by the flames. His brow would no longer be furrowed, his eyes would no longer be narrowed, and the scowl on his face would be replaced by a faint smile. He was at peace when he slept. His demons did not seem to reach him when he was asleep.

I trace another scar on his abdomen, placing my lips to his chest as I hear him stir in his sleep. He moves his arm and his fingers gently graze my bare hip, before I see his eyes blink open. "Morning," he says softly, letting his fingers trail up my bare body, a smirk on his face when he hears me breathe in sharply.

"Morning," I reply, tilting my head up to let my lips meet his. He gives me a chaste kiss, and when he pulls away, there is a smile on his face. "You know you snore," I say, watching as his smile disappears and he furrows his eyebrows, shaking his head in disagreement.

"I do not," he says, feigning hurt by my comment.

I let out a small chuckle and nod, kissing his chest, before gently patting the muscles underneath my hand. I trail my hand up his stomach and over his chest, stopping when one particular scar catches my attention. It's nearly six inches in length and starts at the middle of his sternum, going down in a straight line. My finger gently runs over it and I can't help but think back to that night.

I continue to watch Bruce bleed on the floor, his eyes fighting hard to remain open. His grip on my hand begins to weaken and I know if I leave Bruce on this floor and don't do anything, he's going to die here. I carefully scoop his body up, wincing when he lets out a weak groan, before I run to the cave we have taken shelter in for a the last year.

When I reach the cave, I gently place him near the fire, letting the flames illuminate his bleeding and broken body. I quickly tear away the shirt he wears, letting the blood pool on the ground. It soaks my knees, but at the moment, that is the last thing I care about. My best friend is dying before my eyes, and I need to do everything in my power to make sure he makes it through the night.

I place my hand over the bleeding wound, watching as the blood oozes around the appendage, before I close my eyes and pray to the gods. They're the only ones who can save Bruce, and although I know he doesn't believe, right now I need him to put his faith in me. "Please, Bruce," I whisper, as I reach my hand out to grab the sword near my hip. "I need you."

I place the sword into the fire and watch the blade, turning it every so often to ensure every part of the metal is heated, before I take a deep breath and pull it out of the fire. Without another thought, I place the hot blade onto the wound, trying to ignore Bruce's weak screams as the hot metal burns his skin, cauterizing the still bleeding wound. It is the least I can do to make sure he doesn't bleed to death in my arms. I gently turn him onto his side, heating the blade once more, before I do the same to the wound in his back. He lets out another scream, his eyes never opening, but I can see he is in agony. When I am finished, I gently lay him back onto his back and grab the last remnants of his torn shirt, using the fabric to clean the blood and dirt from his chest.

The rest of the night is quiet, thankfully, and I don't leave Bruce's side for anything. I have to make sure he makes it through the night. I have to make sure he makes it home. I have to make sure I am able to tell him how I feel. I know that if he doesn't make it through, then my chances of getting home are non existent. I can't do this without Bruce.

Bruce gently places his hand over mine and squeezes it, forcing my eyes up from the scar to his eyes. "I'm fine now," he says, reminding me we were able to get through the biggest trial in our friendship.

I give him a small nod and let out another sigh. "Four days, Bruce," I say, feeling him squeeze my hand once more. "I watched and prayed for four days. I didn't know if you would come back to me."

Bruce brings my hand to his lips and gives it a kiss, before I place it on his cheek. My thumb strokes the stubble that is still on his face, and I know he has mentally made a note to shave as soon as he leaves this bed. "But we made it back, together. You brought me back."

I give him another small nod. I don't know why the gods decided to intervene and help Bruce, not allowing him to make his way to Elysian, but I am forever grateful. They brought back my best friend.

I watch as Bruce sits up, placing his back against the headboard of the bed, before he pulls me up against him, letting my bare chest settle against his as he wraps his arms around my waist. "I'm sorry I never told you," I say, "I should have told you how I felt months ago. I should've kissed you back then."

Bruce shakes his head, placing a kiss on my forehead, before he runs a hand through my hair. "Don't be sorry," he replies as he uses a finger to gently trace my collarbone, sending a shiver down my body. "We were in a difficult position, someone was going to end up hurt."

I let out another sigh as I settle into his lap, letting my head dip down until my forehead rests lightly on his shoulder. "Alfred told me about the nightmares." He stops his caressing, surprised by my admission. I knew I should have eased my way into the conversation, but I want to get everything out and in the open now. We both deserve that. "I used to have them too."

Bruce lets out the breath he has been holding, before he drops his head back onto the headboard, exposing his neck to me. I take this as my opportunity and place a kiss on his throat, watching as he swallows hard before he speaks. "Being there, fighting all that time, took a toll on my already fragile psyche. I know I make it seem like I'm alright, but we both know I'm only a man, and I can only handle so much." He takes another deep breath, clearing his throat, before he continues, "I kept seeing you die, Diana, and every night I would wake up calling your name. I kept myself awake for as long as I could, going days without sleep…..anything to avoid being back in that place…..seeing you get hurt."

I lift my head from his shoulder, and watch as he lifts his head. Our eyes meet and I give him a small smile, letting him know that we are no longer there. We are here, together, and we can make it through whatever life throws our way. "But tonight," he begins, his hand falling to the thighs that are now straddling his lap, "Tonight was the first night in years I was able to sleep without a nightmare." He leans forward and kisses me softly. "And I have you to thank for that."

I place my hand back on Bruce's face and pull him into another kiss, this time letting his lips linger on mine longer than before. There are no more need for words, as our soft kisses and gentle touches are able to convey more than what we could ever say to one another.

Bruce's arm wraps around my waist and he gently pushes me back onto the bed, letting my back hit the soft mattress, before he climbs over me, bending down to claim my lips once more. It doesn't take long for us to start reveling in the feeling of one another, finally succumbing to the temptations that have plagued us, only this time it is soft and tender, and every time I look into Bruce's eyes I can see the emotions that lay behind them. We have been through hell together, and I know our secrets nearly tore our lives apart. But as I lay there with Bruce, making love to the man I have been in love with, for what I now know has been ages, I can only hope that whatever problems come our way, we can face them…..together.

And that's all folks. Thank you so much for sticking with this. I appreciate all the kind reviews and PMs. Please, let me know what you all thought of this :)

Additional notes: So now that both Secrets and Halloween are complete, I need to start working on some new stuff. I have a few weeks of craziness ahead of me, but I would like to get started on a new project, but I want to know your guys' opinions on the matter. So I have put a poll on my profile for you all to decide which stories you'd like to see me do. Please feel free to vote! I'll probably close the voting near the end of the month.

Also, remember tomorrow, Sunday Sept. 2nd, is our WonderBat event #WhyIShipWonderBat. Feel free to post on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram the reason(s) you love Bruce and Diana. There is also a list of DC people who you can tag, to let them know our ship exists. Also, feel free to tag me, or any of the other awesome members of the WonderBatCrew. We love to see all those fellow WonderBat shippers.

Until next time,

AJ