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“I don’t know if I’ll be enough to convince him.” Bruce Wayne leaned over the rail of the bridge and stared down at the water as it ran under their feet.
Diana suppressed a snort and came to stand next to him. He was taller than her. Broader by far, and the doubt he expressed just a front. She knew what he wanted. Same thing he’d been after since they’d decided on this mad quest. Put on the armor again, take up her shield, and fly through the sky. Become a beacon of hope and living proof to the human race that they had not been abandoned.
He knew as well as she that nobody could replace Superman in the hearts of the people. And even the poor example she might show could ultimately hurt more than hinder in the coming war. Their quarry might hide even further underground, exactly opposite the reaction she and Bruce wanted.
“You always said you were a citizen of the world. But the Louvre?" The deep male rumble was the last thing in the world Diana expected. And definitely not a voice she’d ever expected to hear again.
Next to her, Bruce tensed, hand going for a utility belt he didn’t have on. Diana laid a hand on his arm and shook her head, then took a deep breath to steady herself. Turning slowly, she scanned the man in front of her. Shorter than Bruce, but still taller than herself. Large, long-fingered hands tucked into the pockets of well-worn cargo pants. Heavy work boots, a black Henley. The silver necklace was gone. Not even the outline under his shirt. Medium brown skin, bald as ever. And the eyes. Brown and hard. The rest of his face was smooth, but Diana wasn't fooled. Dominic Toretto was very good at hiding his rage. That he wasn’t snarling at her just meant he was still deciding what do to do about her. When he knew, then he’d bare the teeth.
Diana opened her mouth, then caught sight of who stood behind her old friend and snapped her teeth together. The look Letty had on her face was savage. Not entirely unexpected, even considering the fact that the two of them had spent a total of two hours together that didn’t involve Letty trying to injure one of Dom’s team. The baby, though. What on earth were the two of them doing with a baby?
A gentle hand rested on Diana’s shoulder. The promise it held was anything but. “Diana?”
She reached up to pat Bruce’s hand. “It’s ok,” she told him. “They’re old friends.”
Dominic tilted his head and eyed Bruce. “Friends? And here I thought we were family.”
Getting punched by Ares hurt more. But barely. How long had it been since she’d allowed herself bonds? Friends? Yes. Family? She couldn’t remember. But she was sure that last time, she hadn’t had to worry about them realizing she wasn’t dead after all.
“Bruce,” she said, turning so she could see everyone at once. “This is Dominic Toretto. And Letty-“
“Toretto,” the other woman interrupted.
Diana blinked. Well. That was a bit of a surprise, but not unexpected.
Bruce saved her, holding his hand out to Dom. “Pleased to meet you.”
Dom took the hand. “Right back atcha Mr. Wayne.”
Letty snorted. “Get a ruler and yank ‘m out already."
Diana couldn’t help it. The look on the men's faces were identical. She laughed. They both turned to give her an evil eye.
“So,” Dom said, taking his hand back and turning away from Bruce. “Mind telling me why you’re not a smear on a runway in Spain?”
“France isn’t a place I expected to see you,” Diana replied. It was a stall. She knew it. He knew it. But how to explain?
“It wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact you can fly, would it?”
Diana reached out and clamped a hand around Bruce’s wrist before he could say or do anything to make this worse. He made a fist, then let it go. He’d let her handle this. “I am sorry Dom.” Sorry didn’t cover it. Couldn’t cover it. Sorry wasn’t near adequate enough.
Dominic took two steps forward and loomed in her face. “Han went to Tokyo. Did you know that? He’s dead, chasing a dream the two of you had together. Elena is dead! Hobbs went out a fourth-story window and could have died. There was a nuclear missile about to go off! I won’t ever see my brother again! My sister. My nephew. My son!“ He stopped and looked back at Letty. Diana swayed back and looked around the bridge. It was mostly empty, thank the gods, but a few people at the other end were whispering and pointing.
Dom turned back to her and curled a lip. “My son nearly died too.” He said more quietly. “The things I had to do to get him back. I had to go to Shaw for help. Both of them. The man who killed Han had to help me save my son."
“And there you were. World news. Flying. You’re fucking indestructible.” He took another step forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Give me one good reason. One good reason.”
Diana sighed. This man. He was the stuff of heroes, whatever background he came from. He was-
He was Dom. And he deserved the truth.
“I am ageless, Dominic Toretto.” Diana slipped her hands up between his arms so she could cup his face. “I have walked the world of men for a hundred years. I have loved. And lost. And stood helpless as age and disease and war took my friends and comrades. Tell me. Is it easy, knowing you live and your father doesn’t?”
His fingers tightened. Beyond him, Letty snarled. Bruce made a grab for Dom’s hand that stopped just short of disaster.
Diana smiled up at her old friend. His whole face quivered. The fury in his eyes damped by sorrow and grief. “Where is Brian, Dom? Why won’t you see him again?”
He let go of her and backed away. “You’ve been watching us.”
She lifted a shoulder. “I check in. Now and again. Not in a little while though." She glanced at the baby, then back at Dom. "It is impossible to tell the heart to leave something behind and expect it to obey.”
“But you still did it,” Letty said. “You still abandoned your family.” She hitched the baby on her hip and glared at Dom. “If we were ever family to you at all.”
Oh, they were. Meeting Dom while hiding in the cartel had been a gods blessed accident. The only good thing to come out of that ill-considered attempt to understand the darker corners of the world of men. She had found a place with him and his people. A place she hadn’t realized how much she wanted. Not since Steve had she felt so…loved.
“You know better than that.” For a second Diana thought she’d let her thoughts slip out of her mouth. Then she realized that Dom was talking to Letty. One hand on her face, the other cupping the back of the baby’s head. “Never give up on family. I didn’t. You didn’t.”
Bruce took half a step forward, face full of questions, although he was smart enough not voice any of them yet. She ignored him, still watching the tableau before her.
Finally Letty nodded. Dom grinned, then sobered. Taking the baby from his wife, he came back to Diana. His eyes were still shadowed. “So,” he hefted the baby. “I’d like you to meet your auntie. Some people call her Wonder Woman. Diana,” he looked up at her, and she realized that before he'd set foot on the bridge, he'd known her real name. “Meet Brian.”