If I Believed. Once More

AN: It has been a pleasure writing for all of you again . I dearly wish I would be blessed with more inspiration to keep on writing. And all of you will still be here to impart a moment of your time to read my stories. PS...please visit your doctors for regular screenings, okay?

Now on with the last chapter

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"Why are we stopping?" She looked at Bruce who did not answer her inquiry. Instead, he got off the car to open the passenger door for her. She got out and thought that the place looked strangely familiar.

"Follow me." It was more of a command than a request. So much for the earlier act of chivalry.

For a moment, she had this funny thought that he was going to take a bathroom break.

"Breaking and entering? On Christmas Eve? Seriously, Bruce?" She complained when he forced open a window on the side of the large building. "What if somebody..?"

He was already inside the building. A hand shot out from the window to assist her, as if I need his help…

"What is so important inside this compound that we have to…sneak in?" She was suddenly deducing the reasons. She even thought that he agreed to join dinner because he had another agenda. But what is it? Is there a secret government installation here somewhere? A hideout?

"What about the guards?"

"No guards." He sounded so sure as they walked in the darkness. "I tipped them."

Before she could even ask why he had already flipped on the switch. A subtle amount of light illuminated the hall that turned out to be an old auditorium.

Her heart was suddenly starting to beat fast as she looked around. That was why the place seemed so very familiar. It was the place where they very first danced, so long ago. In a few more seconds, he was at her side.

"I remember this place…we danced here," she recalled. "The buffet table was here…and someone was singing over…" She burst into a smile when the intro of the song started playing on his phone.

"Sorry, but it's the best that I could do. No one is available to sing…" He moved closer.

"Bruce…do you know you are being very…cheesy?" She managed to say but her heart was starting to tremble a little erratically.

"That's supposed to be my line, but yes. I know," he held out his hand. "So would you care to dance with me?"

She looked at his hand and considered the offer. It felt as if there was more to this than just a dance. It felt that if she accepted, it was as good as opening her heart once more.

"I promise I won't bite."

She smiled at the words that he said then. But her expression was thoughtful when she raised her eyes to his, searching behind the blue orbs his reason for rekindling the past.

"It's just a harmless dance…" He seemed to have read her thoughts.

In the semi darkness, she could feel him smiling. Then with a sigh, she took his hand and they danced, a harmless dance, for what remained of the song.

But if I don't believe in paradise, and miracles aren't real…then someone tell me what is this I feel?

She closed her eyes at the simple but overwhelming feeling of being this close again to him, her cheek brushing the side of his face. She could drown in his scent, feel his every movement, the warm touch of his hand on the small of her back, the loud beating of his heart under her palm.

She could not help her thoughts from drifting to the past. They were holding each other close, the same way his arms held her right now. But there was no previous history between them in that time, he was just beginning his secret undertaking and she was on a temporary mission. But in that short borrowed moment, and the day that followed, they fell in love. What most people look for such a long time, they found in a heartbeat.

It was a love that he forgot and she remembered. A love that eventually found its way to his heart once more, though as short lived as the first time. And then fate was cruel enough to turn the tides against them once more, when she forgot and he remembered.

And now, they were both back where it all began, when there was no more forgetting.

But it was more difficult now, knowing what she knew, being what she was.

If he only knew how much she loved him still. Yes, there was no denying that now. When Kal, dearest Kal, opened her mind and returned her memories the feeling gradually returned. It was never gone at all, she thought. It was merely hidden from her. And now, here it was inside of her, stronger than ever. But with that love came the fear of losing, of loving too much and hurting as equally when…

She tried to block the thoughts from ruining this moment. But she knew it was true. Soon, he would be gone. Just like the song, it was such a short song. And like he said once, everything ends.

Everything ends…everyone dies…he would die…

Gently, she pulled away when the melody faded. "Shall we..?" she asked a little uneasily. "It's going to be Christmas soon. You don't want Alfred to eat Christmas dinner all by himself."

"What about you?"

"I'll keep J'onn company at the watchtower." She started walking away, remembering the wonderful dinner she had with him and Kal at the farm. And bleakly thinking how many Christmases like that were left.

She stilled when she did not hear him follow. When she turned, he was still where he was when the song ended, looking at her intently.

"Spend Christmas with me."

It was not spend Christmas with us…it was just me. And the way he said the words made it easy for her to fully comprehend the meaning behind his invitation.

"I can't." The words were very hard to utter.

"Can't? Or won't?"

All she could do was shrug.

"Well then...let's just talk."

"We can talk any other day-"

"That's not what I meant."

She stepped back to be near him. "What are we going to talk about? The past? It's over and done with. The future..? There's only one future for me..."

Alone...she knew he understood fully what she meant.

"What about right now? Just about right now…"

She looked away from him and cast her eyes at the far corner of the room. "Right now…is just fleeting. And then…" She could not believe why she was feeling all gloomy. It was going to be Christmas in a few minutes, it was supposed to be the happiest day of the year.

"I know you're shutting me out…because I am a mortal."

She knew what he meant. But that did not make thing easier to consider. "You were once right, when you said we could not be together…because I belong to a race of immortal warriors…"

"I was wrong."

She opened her mouth to speak, but she was suddenly speechless. He admitted he was wrong.

He walked closer. "I know it's unfair to ask you again, when you said you did not want to choose. But I have given you enough time to...reconsider," he smiled ruefully.

"Two years-"

"Not just two years, Diana," he refuted.

"Bruce…I am not the same person." Her eyes drifted downwards, not able to face him with her next words. "Maybe it's better if we...remain friends."

"Why?" He was standing so close now, as a hand lifted her chin to make her fully face him.

She took a deep breath. "I've…loved twice." She could feel him flinch at the admission. "And I've lost twice. And I will lose you ag-"

"You are going to lose me one day…that I have no control of. But I am going to do my best to stay with you as long as I could."

How long would that be? She shuddered at the thought. If she could wish to the gods to give him a longer life, she would…if only to love him a little longer.

"I know how you feel...when someone you love dies," his voice was a whisper. "A part of you, a large part of you dies with them. I always thought when my parents died there was nothing of me left. When you died, I realized…how wrong I was."

The way he spoke, he was trying to keep his voice even but his emotions managed to seep into his words. It was the side of Bruce Wayne that he never let anyone see. And right now, with her, in this quiet moment…he was as vulnerable to sentiments as she was. And when she felt his thumb wipe the dampness in her face, it was only then that she was aware she was crying.

"I lied," he began. "When I said this is just a harmless dance. I wanted to feel like how it did when you are with me." He did not bother concealing his feelings when a proof trailed down his cheek. "I wanted to feel like how I did when…you were in love with me. Because it is one of the few times when I was at peace with myself. When I was happy."

His honesty tore down all the walls she managed to erect for the years she pretended that she did not love him, that she could not love him. And the rueful smile on his face tugged at her heart. Immortal or invincible she might be, she was powerless to fight what she was truly feeling.

He leaned and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes and did not pull away. And when she felt his breath on her lips, her eyelids fluttered to see that he was so unsure if it would be right to kiss her. She was not unsure anymore. She tilted her face and in that one, small move their lips finally met.

She closed her eyes once more and let the feeling take hold of her, as his lips tenderly kissed her. Time stopped and the world dissolved around her and she was only aware of him, his touch, the rapid beating of his heart that was in tune with hers.

And her fears…for the moment she silenced them all aside because there was no room for fear in this love that she felt.

Gently, he paused and with glazed eyes searched her face. "I am done fighting with my emotions. I love you, Diana. It is the one truth that fate, nor time, could not change."

A fleeting image of the first time he confessed his love for her passed in her mind, when he stood at the patio of the manor…just before the sun arose and the memory was taken temporarily away from him. Then she recalled how he admitted his feelings after the tender moment they made love.

And now…for the third time, he was opening his feelings to her. Whoever said that he could not love was wrong, because he had the capacity to love as anyone else. Maybe, even more.

"I love you too…"

She saw his expression change. His blue eyes were happy. It was possible to be happy again, after all.

"Please…say it again."

She knew he wanted to erase the last doubts from her.

"I love you."

He took her into his arms again. "I love you, Diana…daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta."

He shifted a little and she had to grin as he played their song again. They danced for the second time that night, only this time...it was perfect. Then he reached inside his coat pocket just after the second dance ended.

"This is my…real gift."

He held out a small box. She knew what was inside. She knew what it symbolized.

"Bruce…" She opened the box and stared at the precious stone for a while.

"Are you having second thoughts?"

She looked at him with a doubtful expression. "Isn't this...?"

"Too sudden? I don't think so. And I am not getting any younger," he reminded her with a gentle voice. He removed the ring from the velvet casing and placed it on her ring finger. It fit perfectly. "So I guess I'll have to go to Mt. Olympus and Themyscira again. So I can ask your parents for their blessing."

"I am very old enough to decide for my own," she smiled.

"Are you sure? I do not want lightning to suddenly strike me down. Because sooner or later, you're going to have a surname." Now he was smirking, the same, very familiar smirk. "And Wayne sounds just…"

"Now you are really cheesy," she stated. "You totally…suck at this."

"Do I?" He laughed. "I haven't proposed before so forgive me."

She looked at him thoughtfully. "Can we make this work?"

In all confidence, he answered. "Yes."

It was all the confirmation she needed. Then somewhere a chime announced the time, signalling a joyous occasion. She kissed the tip of his nose. "Merry Christmas."

He smiled against her lips. "So…you're going to spend Christmas with me?"

"Yes."

"And New Year's."

"Yes." She took the hand he extended as they walked back to the window.

"And Valentines."

"You celebrate Valentines?" She laughed.

"Now I do. So?"

"Okay."

He stopped in his tracks a few feet away from their exit, with seriousness etched in his handsome face as outlined by the faint light from outside.

"And forever? At least, my definition of forever."

She understood. With all her heart and mind. "And forever."

He was right. Fate and time could never change the love that they felt for each other.

And just like what the song said…

But with you I can't deny…if I believed in paradise I'd swear, I'm there.