CHAPTER 7

 Diana's POV

And there we were, just him, me, and the air between us. Air that was slowly encroaching inward the longer we stood in front of one another.

"By Gaia," I mouthed.

His breath quickened as heat only matched by the scorching sun radiated off of him the longer we stood in silence. His haunting blue eyes sent a shiver down my spine. There was a hunger hidden behind them. A hunger I once thought was gone the moment he left to be with Lois.

"I'm sorry for not being there to protect you," he said with a deeper hint to his voice.

His words broke the silence between us and pulled me back from the brink. The way his eyes bored into my soul as he apologized made my chest tighten. The open room around us suddenly lost its spaciousness. There was tension in the air that I needed to escape.

I half-heartedly laughed, "It takes a lot more than some words to break me."

The piercing blue of his eyes saw through my words. Even after ten years, he still knew me. My heart rate always became irregular when I lay. What good would telling him the truth do for us now? It was ten years too late. Lois's article did break me. She brought up things, things she shouldn't have merely to turn the closed-minded people of Man's World against me.

Sexuality in my world wasn't a big deal. If it was pleasing, then it was pleasing. Man's World knew I grew up on an island of women, a fact I never hid from them. Thinking back on it, I shouldn't have gotten under my skin, but I was too tender-hearted then. The countless days of being hounded for a relationship with a fellow Amazon, one that she knew was at great risk of harm, took their toll on me. Artemis came to Themyscira as one of the first from outside the Greek world. Her lover was taken captive, she had fled a murderous horde and her ship crash-landed on our island. Hailing from the fallen Carthage, Artemis lived her life as a woman. She was the first of my sisters to treat me like a human being, even though I wasn't. To watch her being harassed for something that, in my world, was another facet of existence left me in tears. Even though our sexual relationship ended long before I came to Man's World, she was my truest friend. I sent her back home after someone attempted her life. So I'd lost my closest confidant and Clark in a matter of a few months. All for the one woman's bruised ego. Lois knew she'd won the moment Superman left the League, but she's never been the kind of woman to let a persevered slight go unchecked. I was alone with no one to turn to and what hurt the most was the fact that he never knew what she'd done. Or at least I prayed he hadn't known. I sighed. No, it was better to leave the past in the past. I'd seen him truly angry once and it was a frightful sight to behold.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice him placing a gentle kiss on top of my head.

"But my leaving did," he said into the top of my head.

I looked up at his face and our eyes met.

"Then why did you leave us?" I asked without thinking.

I couldn't bring myself to ask him, why did he leave me… The truth could have been more painful than the lie I'd lived with for a decade. He stared into my eyes, he saw right through me. I was hiding something from him. He sighed as he wrapped his massive arms around me. As he held me close, I melted into his powerful frame.

"Because I was afraid of what they might do if I choose to be with you," he said. "Being away from you was supposed to take away the temptation of wanting you."

Finally the truth. After ten years of hopping on a lie, my worst fears came true. He'd truly left his whole life to get away from me. Me, the cause of so many woes. Who's life hadn't been harmed by being in mine. First, my mother, then Artemis, and now Clark. The truth hurt but I needed to hear all of it. I was the living symbol of TRUTH. The lie was only going to continue to hurt me. I stared into his barreled chest as I let the negative thoughts race through my mind. Tears welled up in my eyes as I took a deep breath.

"Did it?" I replied as my voice cracked.

Again I spoke without thinking, but I need the lies between us to fade into the ether. I needed to hear the truth, no matter how much it hurt. Superman pulled away from me. He looked down into my tear-filled eyes. There was a fire burning behind their pale blue hue.

"No," he replied.

Suddenly, he leaned down and claimed my lips. The air in my lungs left me, for he sucked the very air from them. Like a moth to the flame body molded against him. I wrapped my arms around him. His warmth felt right.

"By Rao, it didn't," he growled as our lips parted.

I could no longer hold back my tears as they ran down my cheek. His powerful hand cupped my face and wiped a single tear away.

"I love you, Diana,"

My heart stopped. He loved me… Once more silence engulfed us. I took my gaze away from his and looked up into the ceiling.

"... Diana, please say something," he said, his voice in a panic.

I closed my eyes as his pained words hit my ears.

"Superman I…"

Alert, Alert…

Level two threat erupted on the streets of Downtown Metropolis… Team Alpha report to the teleporter room for immediate deployment.

Saved by the bell. Immediately I turn towards the exit without saying a word. As I rushed towards the door Superman grabbed my arm and stopped me.

"I've got to go Superman…"

"...I'm coming with you," he replied.

I shook my head.

"Let us handle this…"

Superman pressed down on his comlink.

"J'onzz where is this attack taking place?"

"Near the Planet…"J'onzz replied. "It looks like one of Lex's AIs malfunctioned and is headed straight for there."

Superman suddenly cut the link with J'onzz.

"You're too close to this one," I said as I pulled my arm away from him. "I'll keep them safe, I promise…"

As I press the door to my room open Superman said. "Why attack the Planet of all things?"

"Lex hates you," I replied.

As I stepped through the door he continued, "Lois is the only one who knows I'm back…"

Once more my heart stopped. She wouldn't put all those people's lives at risk… would she?

"Fine…" I said, reluctantly.

With a nod, we both rushed out of my quarters and down the corridors. As we ran Barry and Hal came up behind us.

"Big Blue is back in business!" Barry shouts as he zoomed past Superman and me.

There was a faint smile on Superman's lips as he gave Hal a Green Lantern hi-five.

"It's good to have you back Clark…" Hal said with a smile.

"It's good to be back," Superman replied as we all reached the teleporter.

Batman stood in front of us scowling.

" Are you sure you want to come with us?" Batman asked.

Superman nodded as we all took our positions on the teleporter pad. Hal leaned over to Superman.

"She's missed you, you know…" Hal said as he look over his shoulders at me.

He winked.

"Focus Jordan," Batman growled.

Hal gave Batman a sarcastic salute.

Superman laughed.

"I missed her too."