N/A Don't own any of these characters.

Special thanks to Lady Isis for the beta. Hope the craziness chills out soon! And to DaisyJane for helping me somewhat get out of my writers rut.

Enjoy all.

Hide and Seek

Bruce opened the front door to the manor and placed his briefcase down on the floor. He removed his overcoat and hung it up, then picked up his briefcase and made his way upstairs.

Alfred was just exiting a room when Bruce landed on the last step.

"Master Bruce, how was your day?" Alfred inquired.

Bruce sighed; the day had been a little longer then normal. The software division was running into some major bugs on there latest software program. Bruce had spent most of the day with the head programmers trying to figure out what the problem was.

"Long," was all Bruce said to Alfred "Where is Athena?" he asked his butler.

"Miss Athena is in her play room, sir," Alfred said as he walked by Bruce. "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes, Master Bruce." Bruce nodded his head as Alfred descended the stairs. Bruce smiled as he walked towards the door. He placed his briefcase down.

"Where is my little angel hiding?" he called out. He heard her run around the room then it was silent. He smiled to himself. The same game each day. Athena would hide somewhere in the room. Bruce would have to find her. Which wasn't that hard because she wouldn't hide that well.

He walked into the room and noticed all the toys laying on the floor. Next to a large toy box he could see little Athena's socked feet sticking out.

"Oh I don't know where my little princess is... What should I do?" he said loudly with a large smile on his face.

Athena's little feet started to wiggle around as he heard her sweet little voice giggle.

"I guess she's downstairs, I will have to look for her there." Her little feet stopped moving. A second later her cute little face popped up from behind the box. Her curly raven hair had fallen on her face. She used both hands to remove the long strands from her face.

"I'm here, Daddy," she called out.

Bruce looked surprised as she got up from behind the box. "There's my little princess, you're getting too good at hiding on your poor old dad," he smiled as he walked towards her.

Athena returned the smile. She could be a mini Diana he thought to himself as she looked up at him. Her hands raised up waiting for her daddy to lift her up into a hug like everyday. He picked her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He walked them over to a chair and he sat down with her still wrapped tightly in his embrace. She slowly let go and sat down on his lap.

"I wasn't really trying, Daddy," she told him, matter of fact. Her little face looked serious. He nodded his head in agreement.

"I know, darling. How was your day?" he asked the six year old. She then regaled him with her day's events - how school was and what she and Alfred had done until he came home. He listened intently to her as she moved her hands around well she talked.

"Your day sounded better than Daddy's. My was so boring," he told her.

Athena nodded her little head and patted him on the shoulder. "Daddy need to sit with me so we both can have fun," she told him.

Bruce chuckled out and nodded his head in agreement. Athena then looked a little upset. He looked confused at her sudden change of attitude. "What's wrong, Princess?" he asked her with concern.

She looked directly into his eyes. "Why can't Mommy be here right now?" she whined a little.

Bruce sighed. Diana was on a mission off-planet for the Justice League. She would be back hopefully soon. She had been gone almost a week now. "You know Mommy is off helping people, Athena. Uncle Clark needed her," he told her again.

Athena knew about this but still asked each and everyday when her mother would be home. "Why does Uncle Clark always take Mommy away?" She sounded upset at this.

Bruce sighed. "Mommy likes to help people, she is needed elsewhere at the moment. If she could be, she would be right here. But other people need her help now," he explained to his little daughter.

"Uncle Clark is strong enough, he doesn't need my mommy," she cried, and hugged him.

Bruce wrapped his arms around his daughter. He wish too that she was here, but life as a superhero never was simple.

"Yes, Uncle Clark is strong and so is your mother. But not everyone is strong, my little princess, that is why your mother is off helping the ones that can't protect themselves." He gently kissed her thick black hair.

She sighed and stopped crying. "I know, Daddy. I just miss her." She rubbed her face against his shirt. Bruce smiled down at his little princess and thought the same thing. Hopefully Diana would be home soon.

"When Mommy and Uncle Clark get back we all can go and have some ice cream together," he told her. This lighted up her face. "But you have to be a strong little warrior like Mommy if you expect ice cream," he continued.

Athena pulled away from him and gave him her version of the bat-glare. Her little blue eyes gave him the look of Don't be threatening me, mister.

He chuckled and changed his mind. "Okay, we can go and get some ice cream after dinner just the two of us, and when your mother gets back we all will go and have some more," he said.

Her little face softened as she smiled up at him. God she had him wrapped around her little finger. He would do anything for his little princess. He wrapped her in his arms and stood up. "Time for dinner, we don't want Mommy upset that you are not eating right," he told her as he left the play room.

Athena wiggled in his grasp and moved her face towards his ear. "I love you, Daddy," she sweetly said as she kissed him on the check. The long day was totally forgotten at that moment. Bruce's heart filled with love. He thanked what ever gods that might be out there for Diana and their little princess.

"I love you too, Athena," he said as he kissed her forehead. Tomorrow would be another day of hide and seek for the both of them, and Bruce wouldn't want it any other way.

The End.