TITLE: Mended Hearts

AUTHOR: LOTSlove®

CHARACTERS: Batman / Wonder Woman / Superman / Other JL Characters

RATING: R/M

WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings

DISCLAIMER: I love Justice League, but especially Batman and Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, I do not own the characters and if I did things would be much different for them (Really? Superman and Wonder Woman?)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm pretty clueless about the ins and outs of the Justice League Universe, but hope to learn along the way. Please forgive any mistakes that come through along the way. My sole focus in writing this is to just explore the love between Batman and Wonder Woman, nothing more exciting than that I'm afraid.

So for all the die-hards out there, please don't criticize me too harshly! And if you don't like how I wrote Superman, please forgive that too. I'm still trying to figure him out.

SUMMARY: Wonder Woman is severely injured in an attack forcing Batman to finally face his feelings for her, but how will Superman react?

Chapter 1

"Diana!"

The sound of Bruce shouting her name echoed through her mind and forced her back into a hazy state of semi-awareness. She tried to fight through the thick cloud of confusion that seemed to consume her, her mind racing to put the muddled pieces together, pieces that just didn't want to fit.

Everything sounded so far away and yet so close…too close. Explosions roared violently in her ears and at the same time it felt like she was in a tunnel thousands of miles away from reality. It was as if she was a part of what was happening and yet so detached from it all, hovering somewhere between light and dark, cold and warmth…life and death.

"DIANA!"

His voice suddenly seemed so much closer, frantic even for the steely Batman. Was there actually worry in his voice? Panic maybe? It was so unlike the formidable, always fiercely intense Dark Knight to be reacting this way.

Diana tried to open her eyes to see what was happening, but it took too much effort. Her head was pounding like a sledge hammer on an anvil, her entire body wracked with pain the likes of which she'd never experienced before.

It felt like her entire body was on fire, burning up from the inside out and threatening to consume her whole. She felt like she couldn't catch her breath, could barely draw in enough air causing her panic to suddenly explode inside of her.

She attempted to draw a deep breath only to feel a sharp searing pain jolt like lightning through her side. She tried to move only to find that she couldn't for some strange reason that she couldn't quite comprehend. Something warm was rapidly pooling beneath her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what that was either.

She was having a very hard time focusing her thoughts, comprehending what exactly was going on. All she knew was that she was in trouble. There was shouting all around her, explosions rocking the ground. Her friends…they were in trouble. She needed to help them.

Diana gritted her teeth, trying to force her body to obey her silent commands, but it refused to cooperate no matter how hard she tried. Everything felt so cold and on fire at the same time, sharp and yet numb.

"Diana," he breathlessly gasped her name, his gloved hands grasping her face. "Don't try to move."

It was Bruce. His voice immediately began to soothe her, helping to calm the furious panic racing through her. She tried to say his name, but it came out barely above a choking whisper.

"Bat-man…" she gasped, but ended up coughing violently which only created shockwaves of pain to shoot through her body.

"Shhh…it's going to be alright…I promise," he soothed her, his voice so gentle, so…Bruce that it stunned her. "I'm going to get you out of here."

Diana suddenly felt something brush against her forehead, something soft and warm. Was it his lips? Had he just kissed her forehead? She could feel his breath like hot blasts against her face as he cursed angrily under his breath. He was so near, so close to her. It soothed her heart.

He seemed so upset, so unlike the usual stoic, self-reserved persona that he always presented to those around him when he was the Batman. What had happened to make him lose that steel-gripped control that he always held on his emotions and his heart? This was so different from the frightening facade that he had worked so hard to create.

"Superman!" Batman barked into his commlink. "I need you…now! Diana's hurt!"

She tried to say no, opening her mouth, but nothing came out as she tried to form the word. They needed to stop whatever was happening first. It was far more important than her. She could hold on a little while longer.

"Dear God…Diana…" he gasped. "No…"

It was Kal's voice that suddenly intruded on her jumbled jagged thoughts. Her two best friends were here with her instead of fighting to protect the earth. Why weren't they fighting? They needed to fight.

"So…c…cold…" she whispered, her breaths shallow pants in an effort to keep the pain at bay.

She suddenly felt something drape over her as she began to lose consciousness. She couldn't stop shaking, couldn't fight the overwhelming pull of darkness that was drawing her down into its welcoming depths. She was so exhausted, just wanted to give into the powerful tug on her.

"Hurry!" Batman growled. "She's going into shock!"

There was a sudden rolling like thunder, a load crack and then the numbness seemed to lift a little bit only to be replaced by blinding pain. Tears leaked from the corners of her closed eyes against her will, but the pain was still so overwhelming it made her want to vomit.

"I've got you, Diana," he whispered in her ear as he brushed the tears from her face, a soothing sound that brought sudden peace to the chaos that gripped her.

She suddenly felt strong arms gently begin to move her, the pain multiplying tenfold as she felt herself being lifted off the ground. A sudden loud scream of pain tore from her throat despite her best efforts, the need to give into the cold darkness sweeping over her in a heated forceful rush.

"Hang on," Batman demanded as he gently cradled her in his arms. "Don't you dare die on me!"

His gravelly pleading voice seemed to almost crack with emotion as he began to carry her away. It was the last thing she was aware of.

XXX

Batman sat on a cold steel bench outside of the operating room of the Watchtower, his elbows on his knees and his pounding head cradled in his hands. He suddenly pressed the heels of his hands into his eye sockets, a futile attempt to banish the horrifying images of Diana partially pinned beneath that rubble, a piece of twisted metal sticking out of her side.

He wasn't sure what had happened except that the Akusu had attacked with relentless skill, unleashing some sort of weapon that he'd never seen before on Wonder Woman. In that moment, he had thought for certain that he'd lost her for good.

He released a ragged sigh, doing his best to swallow down the thick painful lump that had lodged in his throat ever since falling to his knees beside her bloody broken body. His insides were twisted into agonizing knots that nearly made him sick.

After tearing his cape off and draping it over her to keep her warm, he had picked her up as gently as he could, her cry of pain causing his vision to momentarily blur with unwelcomed tears that were resolutely banished just as quickly as they had appeared.

He had held her close for a moment before handing her off to Superman to take her back to the Watchtower for emergency treatment. That had been hours ago and there was still no word on her condition.

He cursed under his breath, his frustration and anger swelling. He thought he would go mad with the sheer horror that consumed him, his mind racing, his heart breaking. What would he do if Diana died? How would he ever find the will to go on?

She would die without ever knowing how he truly felt about her. She would never know how much he loved her, how she made his heart soar just with her smile alone or the way she lit up his world just by entering a room.

Batman felt a sudden hand on the back of his shoulder. "Diana is strong," Superman softly said from his position on the bench beside him. "She's pull through this."

Bruce swallowed hard, doing his best to remain the cold detached Dark Knight that everyone knew him to be, but he was finding it near impossible to maintain the image when the woman he loved was lying on an operating table fighting for her life.

"I know," Batman finally responded, his raspy voice barely above a whisper. It didn't hold much conviction in it, though.

He knew that Diana was strong, the most powerful woman he had ever met, but even immortal goddesses had their limits. He was terrified she had just met hers and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

A sudden red blur came to a stop directly before Batman and Superman, his eyes revealing his fear. "How is she?" the Flash asked, his usual goofy grin missing. "Any word yet?"

"No, Wally," Superman sadly shook his head. "There's been no news yet."

Wally's shoulders slumped even further, mirroring the heaviness of his heart as his chin fell. "What's taking so long?" he asked. "They've been in there working on her for hours."

Batman didn't bother looking up at him, keeping his head buried in his hands. "She was hurt badly this time. I don't know if her super healing is going to be able to keep up with the extensive injuries she received."

"You can't think like that, Bats," Wally exclaimed in shock at the thought. "She has to pull through this. She's part of the very foundation of the Justice League. You can't give up hope yet. She's going to pull through this."

"Just because you want something to happen doesn't necessarily make it so," Batman ground out, his voice gaining heat from the furious storm raging inside of him.

Wally stared helplessly at Superman before turning his stunned gaze back to the Dark Knight before him. "We just can't give up on her," Superman agreed. "Diana is a warrior. She will fight with the same ferocity and obstinacy that she takes into every battle she's ever faced."

"And what if she doesn't…or can't? What then? How will I…we…" Batman's gruff voice suddenly broke off as he swallowed hard at the painful thought. "How will we go on? We all know that she's the heart of the Justice League, always has been."

Superman stared at him, stunned by his almost admission to feeling something for the Amazon Princess. He'd suspected Bruce had had feelings for Diana that may have gone beyond just friendship, but nothing had ever come of it. Now, he was beginning to suspect it ran much deeper than that.

And he wasn't certain that he liked it.

Wally glanced from Batman to Superman, but Clark's silent shake of his head and deadly glare kept the Flash from saying anything about Bruce's almost admission. Batman never admitted his feelings about anyone, never even admitting to so much as a friendship let alone something more.

What he had just said was huge even if Diana was nothing more than just his friend. To see him this shaken up about it greatly unnerved the Flash. This was so unlike the cold, detached caped crusader.

"Let me know as soon as you know anything," Wally finally said before disappearing.

Superman stared at Batman as the Dark Knight finally sat back, leaning his back against the wall. He stared straight ahead of him at nothing, his face set like stone. Despite that, he could tell his friend was hurting.

"Are you alright, Bruce?" Clark asked. "You seem…"

"I'm fine," was his clipped response, cutting his friend off in midsentence. He didn't want to talk right now and definitely not about his feelings for Diana especially with Clark.

He was still struggling to come to terms with it all himself, what it all truly meant. He had felt something for her for a long time now, but had refused to allow it to grow. Somehow, though, it had taken root despite his best efforts, growing and consuming his heart until he could hardly breathe around her.

And the sensual dreams that he had about her weren't helping any.

He had been doing his best to push his feelings for her aside, but she always managed to interrupt his thoughts sooner than later, working her way to the forefront of his mind and heating his blood the way only she ever could.

He was beyond frustrated that she had such an overpowering affect on him, the only woman who had ever been able to distract him like this. Without even trying, the Amazon Princess had gotten under his skin and he found that he didn't want her to leave.

Superman's mind was racing as he thought through the countless times that Batman and Wonder Woman had been together over the last several months. Had he missed something? Had there been signs that Bruce was falling for Diana all along, clues that he hadn't even noticed?

He didn't know why it bothered him so much if Bruce was in love with her. He had every right to find love, but why Diana? Couldn't he have picked someone from Gotham instead? One of his previous flings?

Clark knew why though. Diana was an incredible woman, a breathtaking goddess with a heart of gold and strength of character that many women lacked. She was compassionate and yet ruthless when necessary, full of nobility and grace that rivaled none. Who wouldn't fall hard for her; want her for their very own?

If he was honest with himself, there was a part of his heart that had always belonged to Diana. She was his best friend, his trusted confident, his teammate. She'd always had his back no matter what occurred, standing with him through everything life had thrown their way.

He had never thought of himself as the jealous type, but he was beginning to wonder now.

Just then, the door to the operating room opened, a man wearing a mask coming out. His eyes were heavily lined with fatigue, his brow furrowed. He came to a stop before the pair of super heroes who quickly jumped to their feet.

"How is she?" Bruce asked, his raspy voice choked with fear.

"She's holding her own for now," Dr. Bennett replied with a sigh as he pulled off his surgical mask.

"What do you mean 'holding her own'?" Bruce demanded to know. "Is she going to be alright?"

"She's stable for the moment, but the next couple of days are going to be very difficult," he admitted. "She was almost dead when Superman brought her here. She's lost a lot of blood, has severe internal injuries and several broken bones."

Bruce felt as though he'd just been punched in the gut by the Man of Steel standing beside him. He couldn't lose her, couldn't lose the one thing in this life that he loved and brought him a measure of happiness. She was the single bright ray of sunlight in his otherwise gloomy dark world.

"Won't her healing factor help her recover from this?" Superman finally asked, stunned just as much as Bruce was at that moment.

"It doesn't seem to be kicking in this time for some reason," Dr. Bennett informed them with a deep frown. "I don't know if whatever that alien hit her with inhibited her super healing or if her injuries are just too extensive for her healing abilities to fix, but we almost lost her a couple of times during the surgery in our attempts to repair the damage.

"Either way, she's going to have to recover on her own just like any other regular human being this time."

Bruce could barely believe what he was hearing, the things that the doctor was telling them too difficult to hear, too painful to comprehend. His heart was hammering, his chest suddenly so tight he could barely breathe.

He couldn't believe that this was happening…not to her, not Diana. She was a goddess, immortal and imbued with incredible gifts from the gods themselves. She couldn't die, couldn't leave him like this.

The horrifying memories of watching his parents gunned down came flooding forth in his mind, reminding him of the terrible pain that he'd already been forced to endure, forever changing his life. Losing Diana would put him right back in that dark terrifying alley all over again, broken and alone.

He feared he'd never escape the darkness if that happened.

"Is there anything more we can do to help her?" Clark asked, his heart in his throat.

"We've done all we can for her," the doctor grimly told them, using his surgical mask to dab the sweat from his forehead. "It's up to her now."

Bruce could barely connect his thoughts, his mind numb with grief. "When can we see her?" he finally asked.

"Give just us a few more minutes to get her settled in the infirmary," Dr. Bennett replied. "I'll be checking her on her frequently. I will tell you this – if she survives, she's going to need a lot of time and care in order to fully recover from this."

Clark nodded his head in understanding, Bruce still standing numbly at his side, too overwhelmed with fear for her to form any more words at that moment. "Thank you, doctor," Superman softly said.

Dr. Bennett nodded his head in response, turning to reenter the operating room, leaving the two men stunned and alone in the hallway. Neither one wanted to express the overwhelming fear that suddenly ate at them. Giving voice to it would only confirm the fact that Diana could actually die, be lost to them forever.

It was unacceptable.

Bruce suddenly turned on his heel and began to storm away, causing Clark to look up. "Where are you going?"

"To analyze the weapon the aliens used on Diana," he gruffly said. "I want to know exactly what those monsters did to her."

Clark couldn't help the shiver that raced up his spine with the Batman's words, his voice filled with barely controlled rage. There was definitely more than just friendship for Diana driving the Batman's emotions now and he definitely did not like it.