STEEL THY HEART

A/N: This is based off of the "Superman Returns" movie, in that it is after the Man of Steel has returned to Earth. It is also based off of the "Justice League" and "Justice League: Unlimited" cartoons.

The idea in this story was discussed by me and a friend of mine, Karyl, to whom this work is dedicated.

As usual, I don't own nothin' except my story…'nuff said.

Synopsis: What happens when, after each suffers a devastating breakup, the cat and the man from Kansas get together?

CHAPTER ONE

Selina Kyle made her way through the boutique, letting her sorrows be drowned in shopping rather than liquor. Spying a dress that cost a small fortune, the thief eyed it, speculating if she should pay for it, or just simply put its theft on her "to do" list for later on after the store was closed.

I've got to stop thinking about him! She admonished herself.

Her thoughts turned back to 24 hours ago. She flashed back to a certain winged vigilante, and a posh hotel room. When she had contacted Bruce Wayne, Selina had decided after almost a decade of pussy footing around (pardon the pun,) that she would finally make her choice to snag the bat. It wasn't as though she didn't know who the Dark Knight was, and she knew that, despite their bad luck in relationships, they could make it work if they thought things through and took a chance.

Besides, she reasoned as the crow's feet starting to creep around her eyes attested, she wasn't getting any younger, and there were laugh lines developing around Bruce's mouth too, despite his attempt to hide them. She went through a systematic check of the room. The tuna steaks she had ordered were cooked to perfection: lightly seared, with just a hint of garlic and peppercorn; rice, brown and healthy; salad made from the crispest Romaine lettuce, plum tomatoes, and a bottle of white wine from California. She had even paid for all of this, not expecting Bruce to pick up the tab since this evening was by her design.

There was a knock at the door. After one final check to see that her hair, makeup, lime green dress matching her eyes and her peridot colored earrings were in place, Selina opened the door.

Bruce stood in it, his navy designer suit resplendent. The crisp, white shirt and matching navy trousers caressed his muscles like a long lost lover in all the right places. He had flowers in one hand, and catnip for her cats in the other. His deep royal blue eyes, always intense, always serious, did a leisurely perusal of her gown and the upsweep of her dark hair.

"Bruce," Selina mocked, taking him by the arm, "what a pleasant surprise."

Bruce allowed a ghost of a smirk on his face. "I was in the neighborhood," he greeted smoothly, now totally in his 'playboy' element, "and I thought I'd stop by."

"I have dinner for us," Selina said, gesturing to the table. They ate, keeping a companionable silence, then Bruce casually wiped his mouth.

"What did you want to see me about?" Bruce asked, all business as he usually tended to be.

"I never was one for small talk, so let's cut to the chase," she said. "You know that it's more than evident that we have been dancing around each other for…what has it been now…ten years?"

"Actually," Bruce remarked, shaking out his napkin and putting it beside his empty plate, "it's been about nine and a half."

Selina waved his accuracy away, saying, "Whatever. The point is that we don't have any more secrets hanging between us. I think that we should take our relationship to the next level."

Bruce raised a brow, saying slowly, "We already did that."

"No, no, not that!" Selena told him. She took a breath, ignoring her hands which were now sweating beneath the table.

"I mean, no one knows you like I do, and no one knows me like you do, and I really think that we were meant to be together…forever," she said. Selina took the small black box that was in her other hand and slid it over to Bruce. For once, something she never thought she'd see on The Batman's handsome face made an appearance: Bruce was shocked. His eyes widened as he took in her sincere expression. He opened the box and saw a man's engagement ring, its red stones clustered amongst the gold bands in it.

"Say something," Selina bid softly. She tried to take Bruce's hand, but he stood abruptly, crossing over to the huge window with the view of Gotham's night sky. Crossing his hands behind his back, he became distant, just as he always did.

"And what made you arrive at this decision?" he asked after a moment. "Did you do this because now you know that I'm Batman?"

Selina went to stand behind him. He could smell her sweat and the essence of wildflowers. "No, Bruce," she answered. "I care for you, and you care for me, I know it. I don't know if that's love, per se, but I do know that we respect each other, and we work well together…"

"Except when you go against the law," Bruce reminded her. Selina went as stiff as a frozen fish stick. She felt her anger rise as it always did whenever Bruce or anyone else mentioned her life as Catwoman.

"All right, Bruce," she said, "you know as well as I do that I've never been a girl scout. But it seems to me that you are the pot calling the kettle black. You go against the law all the time."

Bruce turned around, his blue eyes piercing as he spoke his next words with his deep, Batmanesque voice: "Yes, but when I do it, it isn't by choice. It's because I have to. You do it because you want to."

"And that makes it right?" she flung back at him, her tone venomous. "Breaking the law is breaking the law!"

Bruce's lips were in a thin line as he said in a cold voice, "That's why it will never work between us. I'm sorry Selina, but the answer is no. I can't marry you."

Selina swallowed the tears that threatened to form as she said, "I see. Well, I guess there's nothing more to be said…"

Bruce crossed over to her, saying a little more warmly, "There is something else. I was going to meet with you anyway before you called."

"Why?" Selina asked, feeling a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach all of a sudden.

"I've met someone," Bruce said simply. He handed her back the box with the ring in it. She stared down at it, her mind not quite connecting with what had just happened. Okay, she reasoned, he said that he had met someone, but Bruce was always meeting people, especially rich, desirable women, and he never went home with any of them. How bad could this be?

"Who is she?" Selina asked in a small voice.

"Her name is Diana, and she's—" Bruce started explaining.

Selena cut him off sharply, snapping, "Is she a six-foot-four Amazonian princess from Themyscera, by any chance?"

"Yes," Bruce said patiently, "and sheath your claws, kitty cat. We've been seeing each other off-and-on for awhile now."

"How long has this been going on?" Selina asked, totally crushed.

"About six months," Bruce told her. His next words held a touch of sympathy as he spoke them. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but I wasn't sure how this relationship would progress," he said. "I am sorry, Selina."

Not waiting for a response, Bruce walked out of the room, and out of her life.