More of My JL Drabbles

MORE OF MY JL DRABBLES

Disclaimer: The characters Batman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Superman & Flash and their respective secret identities are all owned by DC Comics. This story is intended for my own pleasure and is not for profit. It has been posted to this site for others to read. Places and characters not own by DC Comics are my own creation. This story is based on characters from Justice League: The Animated Series.

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Summary: HG/GL forum drabble challenge. Theme of "all that glitters."

The Long And Winding Road

"And how do you wish to pay for this?"

Stewart looked at the diamond brooch and sighed. He'd never spent so much money on a gift before.

"Put the brooch on this," he said as he handed the store clerk a credit card. The clerk gave him an approving smile as she asked, "Would you like this wrapped?"

Stewart nodded. "Put a bow on it."

"And these?" the clerk asked as she held up a small pair of opal earrings.

"Cash and don't wrap it." Recalling his trip to the future, he added, "It's not a gift. It's an exchange."

A/N: Changed slightly from my original submission. No apology because I'm not sorry.

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And So It Goes

(Spoiler for SoTH)

She'd insisted he keep the bedroom lights on. And he didn't object because he didn't want to miss anything this winged woman did.

She never closed her eyes and he never took his eyes off her.

"Trust me," she'd said.

And he did.

Upon reflection, it didn't feel any different. It felt like sex was supposed to. There'd been little fear that she'd ripped his soul from his body or implanted alien eggs in his belly to violently erupt at a later date.

It felt...normal.

And so right.

And Carter Hall knew she'd been worth the eight thousand year wait.

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Revelations

(Spoilers for Grudge Match)

They'd said little to each other from the time they left the death match until they returned to the Watchtower. They'd decided to meet in the cafeteria to talk.

"I really don't believe you wanted to hurt me," Mari said flatly sipping her drink. "But I was a little worry when I thought you were going to introduce my head to your mace."

"Mari... trust me... I couldn't..."

Mari stared into her drink. "Shayera, in that instant, my whole life flashed in front of me and you know what?"

"What?"

Mari stood and turned to leave, "John wasn't in it."

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Gladiatrix

(Spoilers for Grudge Match)

Bruce found Diana sitting alone in the conference room. The overhead lights were off and the room was lit by the reflected light of the planet below. She was leaning back in her chair with her arms folded across her chest.

Bruce sat down next to her.

"Mister Terrific has fixed the flaw in the communication system," he offered. "Grodd can't get to us again using the commlinks."

She nodded, continuing to look straight ahead. "Vixen. Shayera. I almost killed them both."

"But you didn't," Bruce said. He gently palmed her hand. "Trust me. Today, you weren't your father's daughter."

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The Butterfly Effect

Mari opened the door using her key and found John seated on the couch watching television.

"That's a lie!" a man on TV shouted at another. "Harry Bailey went to war - he got the Congressional Medal of Honor, he saved the lives of every man on that transport."

"Every man on that transport died!" the other man said. "Harry wasn't there to save them, because you weren't there to save Harry."

"What are you watching?" Mari asked, snuggling next to John.

"It's A Wonderful Life."

She nodded. "It's about everyone being connected and important, right?"

John's stomach suddenly soured.

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Rules of Engagement

(Spoiler for Ancient History)

The steady beeping of a heart monitor was the only sound in the hospital room. She opened her eyes to find Shayera seated next to her. John had left several hours earlier. Mari smiled weakly, " Finally come to eliminate the competition?"

Shayera smiled, shaking her head. "Twenty-four hours ago, I might have answered 'yes' to that question, but not now."

Mari frowned.

"Something changed?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light.

Shayera stood. "Twenty-four hours ago, I didn't think I'd ever learn the proper protocols."

As she turned to leave, Shayera added, "But now I know I will."

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Destiny's Child

(Spoiler for Ancient History)

It was the annual Festival of Life. Crowds had gathered along the street to cheer the royal procession as it passed by. Five year old Bashari and his father stood amid the throng.

"I'm going to marry her," the boy said pointing at the passing winged Queen.

"Don't be foolish, boy," his father scolded. "The Queen is a god. She'll never know you."

Bashari was heartbroken.

His father added gently, "But if you do good things, she will hear and will be pleased."

The lad smiled. "I will do GREAT things."

He paused. "Then she will WANT to marry me."

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Degrees of Separation - Companion drabbles to "And So It Goes"

One Degree

(Spoiler for Shadow of the Hawk)

"Trust me," she'd said as she unbuttoned Carter's shirt. She moaned the words again as she straddled him, then tightly pursed her lips in silence until he was finished.

She'd been afraid to close her eyes so she chose to fix her gaze on his chest. It wasn't Carter she feared, but the uncertainty of not knowing whose face she'd see in the darkness of her mind; whose name she might whisper in her passion.

John?

Hro?

They'd trusted her too and paid dearly. She'd hoped it would be different this time.

She needed it to be different this time.

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Two Degrees

(Spoiler for Shadow of the Hawk)

It wasn't her favorite position, but it was his. He held her tightly against him as they lay in his small bed. Mari raised her head and smiled as she looked down into his green eyes. He returned a tight smile as she gently rolled off him and on to her side facing him.

"We need a bigger bed," she smiled.

"Why would someone say their safety was none of my business?" he grumbled.

"Are we talking about anyone I know?"

John was quiet. Shayera!

Suddenly, Mari realized there'd never be a bed big enough for the three of them.

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And the Oscar Goes To ...

A/N: Offered as a companion piece to Role of a Lifetime by the wonderful Nancy Brown.

She listened carefully to every word the Nelsons said to each other - and to her. When she didn't know what she was supposed to say, when she wasn't sure of an answer, she said nothing and got up and walked away. The Nelsons thought she was lost in self pity, when in reality she was protecting herself from detection.

She slipped up only once, having lost herself in the moment, but fortune smiled on her anyway. How convenient it was that this world's Lantern liked the same movie as her dead husband.

She just might pull this off after all.

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A/N: Based upon a character in Role of a Lifetime written by the wonderful Nancy Brown. This occurs during the JLU episode: "The Balance."

Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin

They were voices only she could hear. She heard them calling her name before Diana even opened the door to Hade's library. Among them was the voice of her late husband crying out for her to find him.

Her Wonder Woman wailed in agony.

Her Superman and J'onn screamed for mercy.

She hesitated.

This experience of hearing voices in her head other than her own was frightening, but she couldn't admit her fear. It was only after the book she selected suddenly opened its eyes, allowing her to recognize her Bruce's face and cowl, did her breath catch in terror.

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A/N: Based upon a character in Role of a Lifetime written by the wonderful Nancy Brown which you should read first or this won't make much sense. This drabble occurs after the JLU episode: "Ancient History."

Always

She cradled his bleeding head in her lap. "Always," he'd whispered.

"Always," she weeped to his now lifeless body.

"Always" was the silent answer to Vixen's question as to why Shayera hadn't made her move on this John. Then she'd been forced by the Shadow Thief to make contact with the Absorbascon. She'd thought it was broken, but as soon as she touched it she knew it wasn't. The device told her of a past life with this man. Then he told her of a future where she was the mother of his child and suddenly "always" had little meaning.

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A/N: This is a companion piece to Destiny's Child. Spoilers for the JLU episode: "Ancient History."

Destiny's Child - The Prophesy

The boy had seen the winged Queen passing in the royal procession earlier today and now a priestess was going to tell five year old Bashari his fortune.

"Step forward," the seer commanded. Hesitantly the lad approached.

As she touched his hand, she gasped, frowned and said to his father: "He is on a voyage that will take him and the one he loves farther than I can see. They will travel together and apart and only when the trip ends will his spirit know peace."

"How will he know when the journey has ended?"

"A child will tell him."

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AN: This concludes this drabble series. Thank you all for reading. :)

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Tears of the Ronin

(No episode - Just for fun)

It'd been more than thirty years since the great battle, more than twenty-nine years since the Guardians had replaced him.

It'd been more than three hours since Stewart's signal suddenly re-registered on the Watchtower's communications array.

It'd been more than two hours since his debriefing and they notified Shayera of his return.

She now stood in the doorway of the medlab with tears in her eyes watching as doctors consulted with each other before pronouncing him fit for duty.

From his bed, he smiled at her.

And she flew into his arms as he softly said, "Pinocchio has come home."