July 1, 1945

A late afternoon day saw Washington living up to its reputation as a sleepy southern town. In the Pentagon, the unbearable heat had caused all windows to be opened and all uniform jackets to come off, as the War Department sluggishly went about its work.

"Well that should be it for today," Steve leaned back and exhaled, "You two can go now."

"Thanks," Etta wasted no time in snatching her jacket and hurrying out the door, "See you tomorrow."

Diana looked up from her paperwork and smiled at Steve, "She has a date tonight. Chief Petty Officer Hallahan from Naval Ordnance."

"Good for Etta," Steve smiled and rose from his chair, "How about you, Diana?"

She shook her head, "My evening is dull and lonely."

He rolled his sleeves back down and straightened his tie, "Well Diana, nothing would give me greater joy than asking if you could have dinner with me tonight, but I've got an important meeting at General Blankenship's house."

"Does it concern this project you haven't been telling me about for the last two months?"

"It does," Steve nodded, "I've been pushing the general to let me fill you in, but he said it's no go for another ten days. That's when the big test will come, and I'll be allowed to tell you everything then."

"I understand."

He put on his cap and jacket and looked at her with a trace of regret, "Look Diana, I really feel guilty about not being able to do anything for you tonight."

"There's nothing to be guilty about," she said reassuringly.

"Well even so, I'd feel better if you let me drive you back to your apartment. Riding the bus in this heat won't be a pleasant experience."

Diana smiled and rose, "All right," she said, "I accept."

They made their way to the vast parking lot, where Steve's official staff car was parked.

"I still think this place is too big," Diana idly remarked. "Once demobilization begins they’ll really see how much space they wasted when they built this place."

"I agree," Steve chuckled as he unlocked the door on Diana's side and held it open for her. Then, he went over to the other side, got in, started the car and drove off.

Ten seconds after Steve's car began moving, another staff car in the parking lot started and began to discreetly follow.

Behind the wheel, an angry determined face with a grizzled moustache and graying hair, stared at Trevor's car with nothing but pure hate.

"Now this is it, schweinhund," he whispered, "Now you pay."

Thirty minutes later, after driving across the Arlington Memorial Bridge and through the busy streets of Washington, Steve stopped his car in front of Diana's apartment house on K Street.

"Try to have a good evening, Diana," Steve squeezed her hand slightly as she prepared to get out, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Steve," she smiled, "Good luck with the meeting."

"I will."

Diana went up the steps to the main entrance and turned to wave as his car began moving off.

Suddenly, Diana saw another staff car careen down the street toward Steve. Stunned, she could see a blurred glimpse of a mustached visage at the wheel, holding a gun out the window.

Quickly, she backed inside the building.

Steve had pulled out barely twenty feet when he looked in his rear-view mirror and saw the staff car bearing down on him, and the outstretched arm of the driver holding a gun.

Four years of West Point training kicked in automatically, and he quickly ducked down. And then, he heard and felt the concussion of a shot slamming through the rear windshield. The bullet deflected off the top of the wheel grazing his right hand. and caused Steve to instinctively let go of the wheel.

The staff car swerved out of control to the right, and crashed on to the sidewalk against the front steps of the apartment house two doors down from Diana's. Ignoring the searing pain in his right hand, he reached down and pulled back on the emergency brake.

Trevor got to a sitting position and grasped his bleeding hand. He turned around and saw that the other staff car had stopped and the driver had gotten out and was making his way toward him, brandishing his pistol.

Numb, he tried to reach for his own gun inside his jacket. But then he heard a cold, menacing voice say in accented English, "Don't even try."

Trevor looked up just as the man reached down and stripped away his revolver.

"So we finally meet," the man said with venom as he cocked his pistol, "And at last, Colonel Trevor, I will have my revenge."

"Who are you?" he whispered.

"SS Standartenfuhrer Dietrich Bolle," pride filled his voice, "Two years ago Colonel, you led the team that broke up the top German sabotage ring in America, the Iron Brigade."

Trevor dimly nodded, "I remember," his expression hardened, "And now I get the connection. The leader of the ring was Major Gunther Bolle." he paused slightly, "Your brother?"

"Yes," Bolle grabbed Steve by the lapel, "And I swore that my last service on behalf of the Fuhrer would be to avenge Gunther's death."

"Your brother brought it on himself," Steve said coldly, "He refused to surrender peacefully and I acted accordingly."

"You should have thought twice, Colonel," Bolle cocked the trigger, "It has turned out to be the greatest mistake of your illustrious career."

Suddenly, Bolle was yanked from behind and tossed into the air. Steve looked up and smiled in relief when he saw a familiar star-spangled sight.

Wonder Woman.

Bolle hit the pavement twenty feet from where he'd been thrown. Sprawled out, he looked up and saw the mighty Amazon walking toward him with a contemptuous smirk.

Enraged, the Nazi fired madly at her. Wonder Woman's arms went up and the small lead projectiles ricocheted harmlessly off her bracelets. A technique that was all too familiar to her. Bracelets made from the indestructible mineral feminum that only existed on Paradise Island. One of the many elements that gave her strength and power that no other mortal could ever possess.

Finally, Bolle's gun clicked empty. Wonder Woman planted her boot on his hand and towered over him with her hands on hips.

"Get up," she commanded.

Initially, Bolle seemed to comply. But as soon as he was on his feet, he suddenly blurted, "No woman can defeat me!" and he lunged at her with a karate motion.

But Wonder Woman expertly timed his lunge, grabbed him by the arm and threw him up into the air where he did a perfect somersault before landing flat on his back.

The SS officer was moaning in pain as Wonder Woman threw her golden lasso over him and pulled him back toward her. She then bound him up tight and hitched the lasso to the car bumper.

"You won't be going anywhere," she said coyly, "Next time, don't underestimate a woman's ability. That kind of thinking lost you the war."

She turned around and headed back to Steve, who was slowly getting out of his own car.

"Are you all right, Steve?"

"Yeah," he nodded as he began wrapping a handkerchief around his bleeding hand, "I'll be all right. It's just a flesh wound. Nothing serious."

"Who was that?"

He grimaced as he tightened the makeshift tourniquet, "He's an SS officer whose brother was killed when I broke up the Iron Brigade ring two years ago."

Wonder Woman shook her head in disgust, "Even when they've lost, they still don't give up."

"Yeah," Steve nodded, "God, I'm glad you were here, Diana, or I would have been--"

Abruptly, he stopped and looked up at her in sudden embarrassment. Wonder Woman was staring at him in stunned shock.

"What did you call me?" she barely managed to get her words out.

Steve sagged against the car and awkwardly looked down at the ground.

"I know, Diana," he whispered, "I've known for a long time."

Ashamed, he turned away from her, "Let's get Colonel Bolle taken care of. And... well, we can then talk about this."

He made his way down to Bolle's car where the SS officer sat bleeding from the mouth, and still moaning in pain. It was almost a full minute before Wonder Woman felt composed enough to follow him.

In the space of a few seconds, Steve had accelerated the timetable on how she was going to deal with her future. And at the moment, she was still uncertain as to how she was going to handle that.

An hour later, with Steve's hand freshly bandaged and Bolle left with the Washington MPD, they drove back through the downtown streets, heading northwest toward Georgetown.

"I already called General Blankenship and canceled my meeting with him," Steve said as he delicately held the wheel, "For now, I think we should go to my place because unless you're going to change back, you shouldn't be seen going into your own apartment."

"That's fine," Diana's voice was flat.

He glanced at her in agony, "Diana, I'm sorry. I knew you'd tell me yourself one day when you thought it was right, and I was willing to wait. But I was just in so much shock from the whole thing that it slipped out. I'm really sorry."

"I'm not blaming you for anything, Steve," she shook her head and tried to soften her tone, "I just..." she looked at him, "How long?"

Steve sighed and kept looking ahead, "Since December 1942."

"That long?" her eyes widened, "How did you figure it out?"

"I don't work in intelligence for nothing," he said, "After a while, I thought it was very odd that I'd never seen you and Diana Prince together. And there were one or two occasions when you saved my life and it seemed to come just as Yeoman Prince had quietly disappeared into thin air."

He paused to take a breath, "Once I started developing a suspicion, I noticed other things. You were the right height. Your voices sounded remarkably alike. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was the perfect cover for you. How else could Wonder Woman lose herself amongst the public than by passing herself off as a plain-Jane, unexcitable person? And I realized further that it seemed the only way for you to keep track of what I was doing, and always know when I needed you."

Steve glanced at her again, "I want you to know how grateful I've been for everything. Not just for all the times you've saved my life, but even as Diana Prince you've come to mean a lot to me. The more I got to know you as Diana Prince, and saw how warm and compassionate you were, the more I knew that my hunch was right."

Diana sighed, "If you know, then do you think anyone else does? Etta? General Blankenship?"

"No," he said firmly, "No, I've never said a word to them. You can rest easy Diana. I was able to figure it out because I'm the only person who's ever had close contact with you on both levels. I think your altar-ego works very well with everyone else."

He pulled into his parking space at his Georgetown apartment house. Decorations and war hero fame had enabled him to move out of the spartan officers barracks at Fort Myer, and into more comfortable accommodations.

"Let's go in and talk some more," he said as he got out. Somewhat dazed, Diana followed him in.

Moments later, they were inside his modest two-bedroom apartment. Steve disappeared into the kitchen, while Diana stayed in the living room.

Diana noticed that the furniture was moderately upper grade, and the walls were adorned with photos of Steve posing with a number of prominent people, including Generals MacArthur, Eisenhower, Marshall, Bradley and Patton. From the political arena, there was Steve with House Speaker Sam Rayburn, Senator Arthur Vandenberg, and most prominently, a signed photo of Steve with the late President Roosevelt. Diana came up to it and read the inscription. "To Major Steve Trevor, a true American hero of the first order-FDR."

On the other side of the room, were photos of Steve with entertainment and sports personalities. Betty Grable. Dorothy Lamour. Jimmy Stewart. Bob Hope. Ted Williams. Joe DiMaggio. Joe Louis.

Then, above the small fireplace, Diana noticed three pictures that stood alone. On the mantlepiece, small framed pictures of Steve with herself as Diana Prince, and another with her as Wonder Woman, flanked a larger picture of herself as Wonder Woman, where she stood all alone.

She let out a sigh and looked back toward the kitchen, "Would you prefer I change back into uniform?"

Steve frowned as he emerged with a bottle of wine and two glasses, "How are you going to do that?"

"It's quite easy." she did a slow pirouette and in the wink of an eye, her costume disappeared and she was back in uniform, her hair swept up and her glasses in place.

His mouth dropped open and he almost dropped the wine glasses. "How did you do that?" he said in disbelief.

"It's an old trick I learned back home on Paradise Island."

"Paradise Island?" Steve managed to set the wine and the glasses down, and he dropped into his leather chair.

Diana sat down on the sofa across from him, "Now that you know who I am, I might as well tell you everything about me."

Dimly, he poured himself a drink, "No offense, Diana, but I think I'd feel easier if you told me this as Wonder Woman."

She smiled and did another graceful pirouette. In an instant, the plain, dowdy image of Diana Prince was gone, replaced by the image of perfect female beauty.

Steve disbelievingly shook his head, "I have a feeling I'm in for a long night."

Diana's smile widened and she began.

"It all begins three years ago, when you were shot down over the Atlantic by Captain Drangel, the Nazi spy who was trying to destroy the Brooklyn Navy Yard and the Norden bomb-site factory..."

For over an hour, Steve sat with rapt attention as Diana told him the full story of Paradise Island and the Amazon tribe, and how she'd been led to America to take part in the fight against the Nazis. Throughout her narrative, he said nothing, but his wide-eyed expression revealed his fascination.

"It's incredible," he murmured, "A lost civilization that goes back 2500 years. And my God, that means you're..."

"2500 years old," she finished for him and smiled, "But only 25 in normal terms."

"There are some things I still don't understand. What was that part about you being created from a statue?"

Diana let out a long laugh, "That was a story my mother always told me when I was a child. That she'd received her daughters as divine gifts from Aphrodite by molding clay statues in the form of a child, and then the breath of Aphrodite brought them to life."

"And you believe that?" he looked at her quizzically.

She shrugged, "I don’t have any reason to doubt it Steve. The same is true for all of us who were born after the arrival of the Elders on Paradise Island. It’s always been taught to me as a real event, not a metaphor or an allegory, so I’ve always regarded it as true. Maybe someday I’ll find out that there’s another way of looking at the story, but for now...." she trailed off and shrugged again.

"I see," Steve uneasily folded his hands, "Then in that case do you still believe that Aphrodite and all the ancient gods are real?"

Diana smiled thinly and gazed at the ceiling, "I've been taught to worship obediently at a temple to Aphrodite for 2000 years and I don’t think I can ever give that part of me up. But I will admit that the fact that the rest of the world regards them as mythical fantasies has been a telling lesson for me. The true test of a religion should be its ability to endure. And if the old deities have not endured, then it seems possible that they have no place in the world today." she paused and looked at him with faint concern, "Steve, are you asking me these questions because of the ramifications regarding your own religious beliefs?"

"I guess I am," he admitted.

"I think you’re being concerned over nothing," Diana sounded reassuring, "My religion has no place in the world beyond Paradise Island because the ancient goddess, real as she might have been, lacked the power to provide more important things to the people of this world. The hope of eternal life, salvation and redemption that Christians, Jews and Moslems seek through their religion. Maybe it’s true that the Deity you worship is the most powerful of all gods, and the ones that I worship were in the end subservient to that same Deity and had to step aside so to speak. Aphrodite might still have dominion over what is basically her own creation, but for someone like you, Aphrodite is irrelevant."

"I see," Steve nodded, feeling reassured just a bit, "But out of curiosity, did your people ever know anything of the belief in one God before your Exodus?"

"The Hebrews?" Diana shrugged, "We knew of them, but not directly. Their faith seemed strange to us. A mysterious single God with no name, no graven image in art. A kingdom in Judea that had been overrun by Babylonians, then Persians, then Greeks. We didn't regard the Hebrews as evil and barbaric, as we did the Greeks. It's just that they seemed so passive and weak. I never would have thought that their religion would be the only one from my time that still endures. The fact that it has and mine hasn't, tells me that perhaps that belief in a single all-powerful Deity is the correct one for all non-Amazons, and that my race represents a last enclave controlled by one of the minor gods."

"I could see it that way," he nodded. "I'm a little puzzled though about some other things. If your people has spent 2500 years in isolation from the rest of the world, and knows next to nothing about what has happened in the years since, then how have you been able to develop technologies like guns and bullets for that....competition you went through in order to leave Paradise Island?"

Diana grinned wryly at him, "Feminine ingenuity, Steve."

He chuckled at her answer, "My apologies. Is that the kind of masculine arrogance that drove your people into seclusion?"

"You might say so," she answered. "But believe me Steve, I think you're an entirely different kind of man."

"I'm glad I've been able to impress you."

"You have," she chose her words carefully, bracing herself for what she wanted to say next. "You've helped me learn a lot of wonderful things in this world. And even after three years, there's still so much I don't know enough about."

"What are your post-war plans going to be?"

Diana sighed, "My mother wants me to return to Paradise Island and resume my place as the heiress to the Amazon throne."

Steve's smile faded and his face grew crestfallen.

"Mother's never been comfortable with my being here," she went on, "It took a lot just to convince her of how serious the Nazi threat was. On V-E Day, she actually sent Drusilla here with a virtual ultimatum that I return."

Trevor tried to keep his voice even, "What did you say?"

She looked directly at him and her face broke into a perfect smile, "I said no."

Wonder Woman rose from the sofa and came over to him, kneeling down in front of him.

"I told Drusilla to tell her that I wasn't coming back," her voice was soft and tender as she placed her fingertips on his cheeks, "I'm staying for the same reason why I wanted to come to America. I happen to love you, Steve Trevor."

With that, she kissed him softly on the mouth. Stunned, Steve managed to wrap his arms around her upper body as their kiss became long and sustained.

"I love you," Diana repeated the words, "From the moment I first laid my eyes on you on Paradise Island, I've loved you. I've always wondered when I'd finally be able to tell you that, and I guess I'm glad you forced the issue."

Steve looked into her eyes, his expression full of awe.

"I've always loved you, Diana," he whispered, "Knowing that you've always been there for me, and saved me from all sorts of trouble that could have killed me. There hasn't been a night for the last three years that I haven't dreamed about you and waited for this day."

They got to their feet and they kissed again, this time with a passionate embrace as well. And then, Steve began to nuzzle her with a series of kisses.

"You're the most perfect woman in the world," he whispered, "My Wonder Woman. My beautiful angel. I love you so. I want you to be part of my life forever."

And then, Steve looked into her eyes, "Marry me, Diana."

Diana's eyes filled with tears as she relaxed in his embrace, "Becoming your wife would mean more to me than all the treasures of the Amazon throne," she whispered, "Yes."

They looked at each other in moonstruck joy as they settled on the couch and continued to hold and kiss each other.

Finally, Steve managed to reluctantly pry himself loose, "We shouldn't carry this any further, Diana. One thing I've always believed in is that the wedding night is the proper time for that."

"It's all right," she leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, "For you, I'd gladly wait."

He exhaled and began to stroke her long thick hair, "What would our marriage mean for Diana Prince?"

"That's a good question," she admitted, "Would I still need the privacy offered by a secret identity? And do you publicly marry Wonder Woman or Diana?"

She looked up at him, "I think all of that should wait until after the war is officially over. For now, it's best to maintain the status quo. And then we can move ahead."

"That won't be long," Steve said, "In two weeks, if all goes well, the end will be clearly in sight."

"What do you mean?"

"The project I haven't told you about," he said, "In two weeks, there's going to be a test in the New Mexican desert of a weapon that will make the Japanese surrender without our having to invade the mainland."

Diana adjusted her posture and allowed herself to relax more, "Tell me about it."

Steve leaned back against the sofa, "I already asked General Blankenship if I could let you, Wonder Woman, come out to New Mexico and watch the test firsthand, and also boost the morale of the men there. They've been working in almost total isolation for the last three years. He said that would be fine."

"I'd be glad to come out as Wonder Woman," she said, "What's this weapon called?"

"It's connected with the Manhattan Project," he said, "It'll be an eye-opening experience."

The term meant nothing to Diana, "I hope so," she put her arm around him, "For our sake."

Steve smiled and their lips met again in another passionate kiss.

Inside, Diana felt no regret or shame for having turned her back on the ways of her people.

She felt only a sense of wondrous liberation. And an even larger sense of contentment.