Diana was in shock for more than three seconds. She couldn't believe what was happening. It should have been some kind of dream. Bruce couldn't be kissing her now. And yet it was all real. Like a cartoon character who behaved as childishly as a youngster and a high school kid -or a college one?- She couldn't remember. It'd been ten years since the last time she'd used these words.

She closed closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the feeling of his lips, but then it all stopped. She shot her eyes open and saw him looking at her questioningly.

"Are you alright, Diana?"

"Yes, um, I mean... I'm fine," she answered, more strained than ever before.

"I told you that I've missed your temper and you seemed a bit lost afterwards. Is something wrong?" He kept expressing his interest about her, not in the way she expected though.

"Not at all," she quickly replied and stood staring at him, searching frantically for a sign that the kiss was real, that she hadn't just imagined it happening. When she found nothing, her heart sunk. That intimate moment -the only moment when she felt truly happy in ten years- was just a fragment of her imagination.

"Don't you think it's getting cold out here? What if we go back inside?" She heard him asking and got even more disappointed.

"I can't feel cold, as you know," she responded shyly. "But, please, let's go back. Someone may be searching for us."

She led the way out and didn't get to see him scorning in the safety of her shadow. He didn't want their private moment to end awkwardly either. But they couldn't do anything for it anymore. Or could they?
He reached to grip her arm and drag her back to the garden, but instantly regretted it and pulled his hand away.

As soon as they got back inside the grand hall, Diana excused herself and left to congratulate the newlyweds once more. That was the best excuse she could fathom in order to get away from him quickly.

In the meantime, a group of five heroes; Clark, Shayera, J'ohn, John, and Lois, kept a close eye and ear to everything Bruce and Diana did under a very good cover. All five of them sighed in disappointment when they saw Diana diverging from their brooding friend.

"Where the Hell is she going?" Shayera wondered in exasperation. "I'll go bring her back."

"You won't do that," J'ohn stopped her leaving by grasping her hand. "We must respect her decision and leave her be."

"Were you looking somewhere else all this time we've been here?" The Thanagarian insisted. "They were both on the verge of reuniting! They just need a little push!"

"So close yet so far," John commented stoically.

"I say we let them handle it on their own and stop intervening!" The Martian Manhunter kept stating.

"We can't do that!" Clark disagreed. "If we do, Diana may stay here for ten more years and their pride and prejudice won't let them say a word to each other about their feelings!"

"First, we must learn what happened that night in the Cave," John suggested.

"Diana will definitely tell me," Shayera ensured them.

"Once we have more information, we'll meet again and form a plan to bring them close," Clark finished their small council and they dispatched.

"I'll go get the kids from Alfred and I'll meet Bruce here. He left for Gotham just a minute ago," John said to his wife while they were making their way back to the reception. "Let's hope he'll tell me what happened in the garden and Diana left so abruptly."

"I'll talk to her tomorrow. She went through a lot tonight," Shayera told him and approached a group of superheroic guests when John put on his ring and threw himself in the air, flying straight to Gotham City.

"Did you really fantasized he was kissing you?"

"Has it never happened to you?" Diana wondered anxiously, hoping that she wasn't going insane just because she had a fantasy.

Shayera was looking at her questioningly. They'd been discussing over cups of iced mochas for more than an hour and the conversation -though interrupted by three particular children- seemed to relieve Diana a bit.

"I never needed my imagination, since I always just do what I want and not think on it for years."

Wonder Woman stared at her while cocking her head on the side and rising her black eyebrow.

"Should I remind you of the time when you were struggling with your feelings about John while he was with Vixen? You actually thought on it for two years. Am I wrong?"

"Well, you aren't," Shayera admitted with embarrassment. "But it's not the same thing. I mean, I wasn't fantasizing, I had actual memories to reminisce."

"I do too," Diana replied boldly, making her friend's eyes grow huge and spit some of her iced mocha.

"I hope you mean that incident from the Thanagarian Invasion. You know, when you had to kiss in order to take cover."

"Actually, there's another, more recent one," Wonder Woman explained to her.

"Spill the tea. Now," Shayera practically ordered her.

"I don't have any tea to spill," Diana felt confused. "Do you want me to make some? Then again, why spill it?"

"It's a new slang phrase," Hawkgirl made it clear to her, not being able to hide her laugh with her literal approach to it. "Wally and Linda taught me it."

"That's really all you asked her?" John looked at Bruce annoyed. "How long she's going to stay?"

"Don't you think that this is the most logical question when it comes to someone you haven't seen for years?" The last Wayne descendant thought he was just stating the obvious. "I mean, it's unbelievable that all these days you hadn't asked her yourselves. She can leave tomorrow without a warning and you won't even know that."

"You could have told her how much you've missed her," John pointed out.

Bruce let a bit of silence fall into the library. They were alone, while John's children were still playing with Alfred. So, they had some time available before the Batman would leave for patrol.

"What tells you I've missed her at all?" He finally asked without even blinking. "I never had time for women, much less women like her, how could I ever feel I miss her? God, I'm Bruce Wayne. I can have whoever I want with just a wink."

"You can indeed have whoever you want, but we all know you've been longing for her these ten years," John insisted. "And now that you finally have her back, you pretend to be ignorant and too busy to care. Honestly, how could you stand this week she's been here without contacting her?"

"You could have done the same when Shayera came back from her self exile after the Thanagarian invasion, yet you didn't," Bruce shot back at him.

"It's not the same!" John disagreed. "Shayera is practically you with boobs, red hair and wings."

"Don't forget to add that she's shorter than me," The Batman remarked.

"Diana is a literal angel walking this devilish land and you are truly lucky to have captured her heart," Green Lantern went on, ignoring him.

"Since when has a marine grown to a poet?"

"Ever since a billionaire forgot his sense of logic in some street of Gotham."

"I think we've already discussed why anything more than a mere friendship with Wonder Woman is a grave mistake and an extremely bad idea. Maybe you don't remember because it's been twelve years, but I can freshen your memory," Bruce barked out, while getting into the Batmobile. It was almost time for him to leave.

"I do remember," came John's blunt response.

"Well, my opinion is still the same."

Then, The Batman pushed the pedal, turned the engines on and was just about to leave. John put his hand on the car, not letting it go.

"It's been a decade, Bruce. A whole decade you've lost. If I were you, I wouldn't spare a minute. We both know how you truly feel. Why don't you let her know as well?"

Bruce didn't answer. He just drove away into the dark of the night, leaving Green Lantern shaking his head in disappointment and disbelief of his friend's blindness on the obvious.

"At least he's gotten more talkative than usual," he observed with a half smile. "That's a nice start."

"If anything, Bruce was actually right on one thing he asked you," Shayera pointed out and looked at her watch for the tenth time. John should have been back with the kids quite a while ago.

"And that is?" Diana questioned.

"The how long are you going to stay part. It's something I've thought about too these days. When are you planning to go back to your kingdom?"

"I left in secret, just like I had the very first time," the Queen of the Amazons revealed. "So, I honestly don't know when I'll get back. I believe that this will be made clear when my counselors contact me."

"I see," Shayera replied, trying to hide her enthusiasm. "Does this mean that you could return to your Justice League duties for some time?"

Diana took her time to answer. Her brain screamed to decline, but her heart shouted to accept. She had learned to hear both, but in truth she -almost- always follow her heart.

"I suppose that would be a pleasure," she said with a huge smile of her dazzling ones.

"Great!" Hawkgirl practically squealed and then came back to her normal self. "Sorry, I guess I've been hanging out with Wally and Linda way too much."

They both laughed at that.

"Anyway, I think we should let all the other Founders know about your decision. I'm more than sure they'll be excited just like I was," Shayera suggested.

"Of course, but can we do it tomorrow?" Diana asked with a yawn. "I'm unbearably tired. I need to sleep as soon as possible as you do."

"You're right," the redhead agreed. "There's no need to wait for John, he has his keys. Time to sleep. Goodnight."

"You too," Diana muttered and let her eyes close, as she watched her making her way to her bedroom. She laid on the couch and soon drifted to a dreamless and refreshing sleep.

As it seems Diana is here to stay and so am I!

After all these months of absence, I'm back for good and I can't wait to write all these things coming in this book!

I hope you're still here with me. If you don't want me to continue this story, just let me know. I have dozens of drafts to publish.

Anyway, let me know what you think of the chapter!

Thank you very much for reading! See you on the next one (if you want it of course) :)