Tequila Sunset Part 5: Margaritaville
Bruce waited impatiently at Lidia's restaurant in midtown Gotham; he glanced nervously at his watch noting that Selina was now almost 20 minutes late for dinner. After checking his cell phone for messages for the 5th time he looked up and was greeted by his fiancé smiling mischievously at him from across the table.
"I'm sorry that I'm late Bruce; I know I should have called but I was trying to get here as fast as I could. Have you ordered yet?"
Bruce stared at her without answering.
"The wedding planner is insane." Added Selina while looking at the menu.
"You weren't with the wedding planner."
"I never said I was with the wedding planner I just said that she's insane." Selina replied without looking at him.
"Why are you so late?" he asked.
"Dick needed a ride to the airport." Not missing a beat she took a sip of his cocktail.
"Ewww Bruce! What is this drink? Absinthe? It tastes like ass!"
"It's a gin martini and you're stalling."
Using her dazzling smile she ignored Bruce's comment and flagged down the waiter.
"Yes, Madame, are you ready to order?" the waiter asked.
"Not quite. But please be a dear and get me a double shot of your finest tequila."
He nodded silently and left.
Bruce eyed Selina suspiciously, his disapproval displayed prominently on his handsome face.
"Is it that bad Selina?"
"What? Is what bad?"
"Whatever it is that you're hiding from me."
"What makes you think I'm hiding something from you?"
"You usually are."
"True, but listen, this is different. You're putting me in an awkward position here."
"We promised each other that there would be no secrets or lies between us." He replied.
"Of course we did and in retrospect I think we should have included some kind of clause where information was shared on a need to know basis."
"This involves my son, I think this qualifies as "need to know."
"Where the hell is that waiter with my drink!" She muttered looking around the restaurant avoiding Bruce's eyes.
"I know you were with him last night." Bruce whispered.
"Surely you're not implying that I-."
The waiter appeared at Selina's side to deliver her cocktail. As she took a drink Bruce dismissed him.
"I'm not implying anything Selina but I have to admit the thought did cross my mind. The way you two have been sneaking around lately of course I've been wondering what the hell is going on. And where is Donna? I thought she and Dick were seeing each other?"
Selina took another drink and reached across the table taking his hand and looking into his eyes.
"Bruce, by now you must know how much I love you; I thought you wanted peace between your son and me."
"I did, I do but if he's in some kind of trouble I want to know about it."
"He came to me and asked for help."
"He asked you for help with what?" By now his anger was starting to show.
"Well he needed someone with my special set of skills to retrieve a DVD."
He pulled his hand away from hers and paused to think.
"What was on it?"
"Lets' just say it was of a personal nature involving Dick and Donna in a private moment."
"Did you succeed?"
"Don't I always? Now let's just forget about all of this and enjoy our dinner."
"Let me get this straight, you broke into someone's home and stole a DVD at my son's request. That doesn't sound like something Dick would do."
"He was desperate, and he knew I could get the job done, what's the big deal?"
"What's the big deal? Breaking and entering is a crime Selina!"
"So is blackmail but that didn't stop Dante Morgan from trying to squeeze a couple of million out of Dick."
"Dante Morgan?"
"Yes, he drugged them and threatened to sell the tape to the public. While we were there we uncovered-."
"We? Dick was with you? The two of you broke into Dante Morgan's house together?"
"Is that a problem?"
"It was irresponsible of you to include Dick."
"Last time I checked your son was a grown man who is more than capable of handling himself."
"Why do I get the feeling that you're leaving something out?"
"Sure Bruce, I left out the part about me banging your son behind your back."
"I told you before, I didn't mean to imply that you and Dick were lovers; I just don't like you going behind my back and doing something illegal together."
"He asked me for help."
"You could have refused! You know how I feel about you committing crimes!"
"Dante Morgan is the criminal!"
"That doesn't give you the right to-."
"This is ridiculous! What the hell were we thinking? It doesn't matter how much we love each other it'll always come back to this!"
"To what? You stealing?"
"No, you not trusting me. I get the feeling that if Dick had gone to Dianna for help you would have a totally different attitude."
"Don't bring Dianna into this."
"Why not? She's here! She's always here right in the middle of our relationship!"
"Only because you put her there! Is it too much to ask that you remain crime free?"
"I can't believe I didn't see this sooner; you're disappointed in me once again because you can't mold me into the mirror image of your perfect Amazon princess!"
"Dianna has nothing to do with this Selina, you and I had an agreement!"
"Well I'm going to make this easy for you and step aside, after all who am I to keep you from your dream woman!"
"Selina."
"Don't Bruce, I can't do this anymore." She slipped the engagement ring off her finger and placed it carefully on the table before quietly walking away leaving Bruce puzzled, heartbroken and alone.
He toyed with the idea of going after her but he was too stunned to move. As much as he hated to admit it to himself Selina was right, he did not trust her completely.
Days later Selina contacted Alfred and asked him to send her belongings to her apartment. Alfred pleaded with her to reconsider but she respectfully declined. Bruce made several unsuccessful attempts to call her but Selina refused to return his calls. The bottom line was, Bruce did not trust her completely and a marriage without trust was doomed to fail.
By the end of the week Bruce was a complete mess. He raided the liquor cabinet and barricaded himself in the bat cave.
Alfred was seriously worried after Bruce changed the security code. He knew there was only one man who could get inside the cave and force Bruce out of his depression.
"Clark, thank you for coming on such short notice."
"How bad is he Alfred?"
"I haven't' seen him in days. He locked himself in the cave and he refuses to let me in. I can't believe he changed the security codes. I didn't want to call Master Richard because-well; Bruce emptied the liquor cabinet before barricading himself down there."
"You did the right thing, I'm sure he would never want his son to see him like this. Don't worry Alfred, I'll find a way to get through to him."
Clark made his way to the entrance of the bat cave and effortlessly removed the door, setting it aside he quietly made his descent only to find Bruce lounging comfortably in his chair and clinging to a bottle of Jack Daniels.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Bruce asked.
"Checking on you my friend." Clark replied reluctantly moving out of the shadows and into the light.
"Excuse me? I'm sorry did I ever give you the impression that we were friends?"
"Bruce listen-."
"How did you get in here? Oh let me guess you ripped off the door, I'm sending you a bill for that. Now kindly get out of my house."
"I'm here because I was invited and I'm not going anywhere."
"Remind me to fire Alfred."
"What?"
"I wasn't talking to you; I was talking to Jack."
"Who?"
Bruce responded by raising a bottle of Jack Daniels into the air with a wicked grin and taking a long swig.
"What's this nonsense about; you and Selina calling off the wedding?"
"Oh that's not nonsense my friend."
"I thought you said we weren't friends?"
"It's true only I didn't call off the wedding she did. She gave back the ring. Can you believe it? Catwoman returning a 10 carat diamond? She was always full of surprises. So unpredictable so incredibly beautiful. Inside and out." Bruce mumbled sadly to himself in deep thought.
"How much have you had to drink Bruce?"
"Is it just me or are you getting dumber? This is bourbon Clark, bourbon. Only beer drinkers know how much they've had to drink. Anyway who cares it's not like I'm driving."
"Selina loves you."
"I know she does but I don't deserve her. She's right you can't build a marriage on mistrust and doubt. Hey Clark, I know you're an alien, but can you drink? Have a drink with me. Let's do a shot of tequila together you know tequila is Selina's favorite."
Clark watched Bruce stumble to retrieve a bottle of liquor. He had known Bruce for many years but had never seen him drunk before. He was there to help his friend and was shocked by his behavior but a small part of Clark was amused by how the man he knew as batman was behaving under the influence of alcohol.
"Why don't I ask Alfred to brew a fresh pot of coffee you look like you've had enough booze."
"Clark Kent, the eternal party pooper."
"Bruce I'm here to help."
"Well if you want to help then have a drink with me humans don't like drinking alone."
Clark reluctantly took the shot glass from his hand. He had consumed alcohol before and knew that it had no effect on him; he decided that drinking with Bruce was harmless perhaps if he could get him to open up more and he could figure out a way to get Bruce and Selina back together again.
"I propose a toast. Let's drink to women. To your wife, to Dianna, to the smoking hot woman that was supposed to be my wife. I blew it Clark. This time I really blew it."
The two men quickly downed a shot and Clark stepped away from Bruce to compose his thoughts. He was accustomed to seeing Bruce pretend to be drunk but he was not prepared for the real effects that alcohol would have on his friend. Gone was the control that "batman" always seemed to carry. His darkness had been transformed into self pity. Angry arrogant, paranoid Bruce was the man Clark had come to know and respect but under the influence of alcohol Bruce was loose, free and uninhibited. There was an honesty about him in this state, Bruce was not in control he was transformed into a man driven by honesty and regret.
"I had my chance Clark, she asked me point blank if I trusted her and I couldn't give her an answer. I was so wrapped up in my own sense of morality that I couldn't bring myself to tell her that I do trust her. I have never approved of her lifestyle but I wouldn't have her any other way. She is who she is and she lives the life she wants to law or no law but underneath it all Selina is an honest woman. She may not see the world as I do but at the end of the day she always does the right thing. And she really threw me for a loop when she mentioned Dianna."
"Dianna? What does she have to do with any of this?"
"My words exactly. Apparently Selina has it in her mind that I want her to be like Dianna."
"Do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Want Selina to be more like Dianna."
"Of course not. I love Selina as is, the way she is right now at this moment. I never wanted her to be anything but herself. I just hate the risks she takes the way she puts herself in danger. You don't know how lucky you are to have a civilian wife whose' only fault is an addiction to doing her job."
"But isn't Selina doing her job as well? I agree with you on one thing, I don't approve of any criminal activity but she has managed to channel her need for stealing things into something good she's still working for the government isn't she?"
"That's what she tells me."
"Bruce let's have some real talk shall we? Your problem isn't really with what she does, I get the impression that you were really upset that she formed a bond with your son and the two of them have formed a relationship that excludes you."
"Who the hell do you think you are? Dr. Phil? And how dare you imply that I'm jealous of Selina and Dick's relationship? How many times have I told you that I wish they would find common ground and get along?"
"More than I care to count but admit it, you never expected them to hit it off so well and when his back was against the wall he turned to her instead of you that had to sting!"
"You're damned right it did! I love that boy like he was my own flesh and blood and when he gets into a jam, a real sticky situation he goes to my fiancé behind my back and the two of them cook up a scheme together without me!"
"Why didn't you just tell her that? Oh I get it, Bruce Wayne could never expose that much of himself."
"Go to hell."
"You always have to be the strong one, the lone wolf!"
"No, I'm the lone bat!"
"It doesn't matter if you're a wolf, bat or man at some point you really do have to let your guard down and let her in!"
"I did let her in!"
"All the way in Bruce! Not in some superficial be-who-I-want-you-to-be way! You've been pushing Dick away for years how the hell was he suppose to know that he could come to you with anything. You have always demanded nothing but perfection from him and in spite of all that pressure he has somehow managed to become an honorable man!"
"Dick knows how I feel."
"How could he? When was the last time you told him how proud you are of him? How much you love and admire him? Kids need to hear that from their parents even grown up kids."
"I did the best I could and Dick knows that."
"Sure he does Bruce, he knows you love him but when was the last time you told him? When was the last time you forgave him for screwing up without making him feel like a complete disappointment."
"It's easy for a man with no kids to sit in judgment! You have no idea how hard it was to pick up where his parents left off! The Grayson's were great parents, they knew exactly what they were doing before he came to me he had a happy normal life with two parents who adored him."
"I'm not judging you Bruce. I have always marveled at your kindness, taking Dick in when he lost his parents when you were really just a kid yourself. I'm sure that Dick's parents would be grateful for everything you've done for him too don't forget that when he came to you he was an angry, damaged little boy but you took that anger and taught him how to channel that into something positive, you did the best you could and you deserve the credit for shaping him into the man he is but at some point you have to pull the wall down and tell the people you love how much they mean to you, it's okay to be weak."
On the other side of town Selina Kyle stood alone on her balcony looking up at the night sky. She could barely stand as she leaned against the railing looking out at the rooftops of Gotham and thinking about Bruce.
"He's probably out there right now protecting his beloved city, relived that he no longer has to put up with me." She mused.
Holding up her half empty bottle of tequila, she examined the contents before taking a long swig. One of her cats brushed against her leg to offer sympathy and comfort. She looked down smiled sadly and was poised for another drink when she felt a strong gust of wind.
"Did you save some for me?"
Selina turned to her right and was surprised to see Dianna standing in the shadows.
"Of course Dianna no one would ever call me a tequila hog." Said Selina as she offered the bottle to Dianna.
Dianna smiled and took the bottle from her hand finishing it off and handing it back to her.
"I guess you were thirsty."
"Selina I didn't come here to drink with you, I came here to talk some sense into you."
"Good luck with that. How did you know?"
"About the breakup? It's all over the league; believe it or not superheroes are not immune to gossip. And Bruce left a disturbing message on my cell phone about you telling me that you called off the wedding."
"And you didn't rush to his side?"
"No, of course not, I came to see you first, to hear your side of the story."
"Does Donna know?"
"No, I don't think so. She's in Paris doing a photo shoot."
"Well I appreciate your concern but there's nothing you can do for me. You should be at Wayne manor comforting Bruce. It's you he really wants."
"I thought we had moved past this, you know there is nothing but friendship between us. I am his friend but you are the woman he loves."
"The woman he loves but just can't trust."
"He does trust you; he has trusted you more than anyone he has ever known. He gave you his heart; he let you in, do you know how hard that was for him?"
"I know that Dianna and I don't doubt that he loves me but I just can't live under a microscope, I can't be a perfect little angel who does what she's told."
"I am your friend and you were there for me when I needed you so I will be as honest with you as you were with me. You are a free spirit Selina, right or wrong you have always been true to yourself, Bruce knows that and its one of the things he loves most about you, he told me that himself."
"Do you know why I love cats Dianna?" Selina asked while opening another bottle of tequila.
"Why Selina? Why do you love cats?"
"I love cats because they don't give a shit. Cats don't care if you love them, accept them or even feed them; cats hang out with you because you're there. They don't ask questions, and they don't care what you do for a living or about your issues; they just hang out with you because you're you. Oh and they don't drink your booze…well most of them don't that little grey haired Siamese cat is an alcoholic."
"Selina, the people who love you don't care about your past either, we know you're not the woman you were way back then."
"You're right, I changed Dianna. I did change not just because he wanted me to but because I knew it was time. But I will never see the world the way he sees it to him everything is black and white and for me there are so many grey areas."
"No one sees the world exactly as he does. You and I both know that Bruce Wayne is a very stubborn opinionated man, but for all his intelligence and bravado you know better than anyone what an insecure man he really is. Has it occurred to you that maybe this isn't about your criminal past?"
"Of course it's about my past, it's always about my past what else could it be?"
"I believe that he is upset because he feels left out."
"Left out?"
"Yes. Donna has told me how you and Dick have become so close in such a short time. It's obvious that he feels close enough to you to go to you with his problems perhaps Bruce wishes that he had that kind of relationship with his son."
"Dick adores him; he does everything he can to win Bruce's approval."
"True, but Dick didn't have to do anything to win your approval other than be himself. For all your talk about me being perfect and perched on a pedestal most of us envy your position Selina."
"What kind of Amazon plant have you been smoking? I'm the reformed criminal, the woman with a past my whole life has been one mistake after another."
"Exactly. That is why those of us who know you feel fortunate to call you a friend. You have never held yourself to unrealistic expectations you are one of those rare creatures who has learned to accept yourself the way you are, I can't speak for Dick but I know that if I made a mistake and found myself in a pinch you are the first person I would call."
"Why? Why me?"
"Because you don't judge or criticize you size up a situation or a problem and figure out a way to solve it. After my Superman debacle you never lectured me on how I should have been wiser and made better decisions. You listened and found a way to make me feel good about myself and for that I am forever in your debt. I love Bruce as a friend and I have come to love you just as much, I would never as you say sugarcoat my words I am here to help you see the truth."
"What truth?"
"That you and Bruce belong together, as flawed as he is, as flawed as you both are the two of you belong together and it is foolish to throw your love away because you are scared to face this truth."
"I'm not the one with trust issues you should deliver this speech to him not me."
"Should I? I know how strong and wise you are but giving your heart to a man is scary and dangerous. You love him and deep down inside you know he loves you too. No one said that this would be easy, that loving a man like Bruce wouldn't come with doubts or complications. But if any woman can rise to this occasion it's you. Put your pride aside and take a chance, the two of you have something special, that magical thing that most of us only dream about. Don't let your fear or your pride stop you from being with the man you love."
Selina crossed her arms and hung her head in deep thought.
"Selina? I am sorry, did I say something wrong?"
"No, you didn't, you don't owe me anything Dianna, and now that the tables are turned I think I owe you a very big apology."
"There's no need-."
"Damnit Dianna! I'm embarrassed that you compliment me for being understanding and non-judgmental but I have done a shitty job of not judging Bruce and understanding where he's coming from. Sure, he's a pompous, pain in the ass but dammit he's my pain in the ass and I love him. I see now that I've got to stop judging him and let him be who he is."
"That would be a great place to start. I wish you luck with him, you are right, he is a pompous pain in the ass and I am so glad that he is your pain; I have enough to deal with."
Dianna and Selina shared a laugh.
"He can be difficult can't he?"
"Try working with him."
"I passed on that one." Selina replied.
"Smart woman."
"Well it's the only way our relationship could last; honestly can you imagine me and Bruce working together?"
"I can't imagine anyone working happily with Bruce except Dick and Tim; I guess those guys must be gluttons for punishment."
"Yeah, I wonder how they do it."
"I hope this means that the wedding is back on?"
Selina looked seriously at Dianna before releasing a smile.
"Well, yes, I guess it is who else would be crazy enough to marry Batman?"
"No offense, but I can't imagine him with anyone but you."
"I'll call him tomorrow after I've had a chance to nurse this massive hangover. I hope it's not too late."
"It's never too late." Clark whispered from his perch at the end of her balcony.
The women turned in the direction of the male voice that interrupted their conversation.
"Dianna, either I have had waaaay too much to drink or Superman is hovering on my balcony. Is that Superman? Or am I hallucinating?"
"Unfortunately you are not. What are you doing here Kal-el?"
"It's good to see you too Dianna, I'm here to retrieve Selina."
"Retrieve me? What am I a package? Who are you UPS?"
"Bruce needs to speak with you; I think you should hear him out."
"You talked to him?"
"Yes, and to be honest with you he's a mess. Alfred is worried and so am I, he's been drinking and-"
"Bruce? Drinking?"
"Yes Selina he's been drinking for the last couple of days. Alfred called me because he was worried."
This news came as a big surprise to Selina. She never thought that Bruce would care so much about ending their relationship that he would start drinking. The idea of him inebriated over their break up piqued her interest.
"Come with me now, talk to him, I'm sure the two of you can work this out. I know you're not my biggest fan and in the past I haven't given you all the respect you deserve. But Bruce is my friend, he needs you and I'm taking you to him whether you want to go or not."
Selina looked at Dianna, Dianna shrugged her shoulders.
"As you know from experience arguing with Kal-el is pointless, go with him, talk to Bruce, and hear him out as you say what have you got to lose?" Dianna added.
Before Selina could respond Superman scooped her up and draped her over his shoulder in an instant she found herself flying over Gotham city with the man of steel.
"Don't be offended if I blow chunks all over your shiny red cape!" Selina shouted.
He ignored her and minutes later set her down in front of the outside entrance to the bat cave.
"I need to warn you that Bruce is intoxicated his behavior is-."
"Save it blue, I've seen him wasted before and I'm not in any shape to have this conversation with him. So if you will excuse me-."
"You're not going anywhere except into that cave to talk to Bruce!"
"Who the hell do you think you are? Snatching me off my balcony in the middle of the night! I told Dianna that I would talk to Bruce in the morning but nooooo you had to fly in with your blue tights and kidnap me!"
"Kidnap? I would hardly call this-."
"Then what would you call this blue boy?"
"Listen, just go in there and talk to him!"
"I'll talk to him tomorrow."
"You'll talk to him tonight!"
"If you don't fly me back home right now I'll- I'll-."
"You'll what?"
"Don't think that just because you're invulnerable I won't find a way to take you down!"
"I'm trying to help!"
"If you really want to help, take me home I've had too much to drink tonight and so has Bruce, that's a recipe for disaster."
Superman made a quick decision. Realizing that it was pointless to argue with Selina he grabbed her and flew into the cave. While she was getting her bearings he went back to the entrance and sealed it.
Selina stumbled a few yards and stopped when she saw Bruce sitting on the floor of the bat cave with a bottle in his hand. He was having a little trouble focusing and didn't notice her right away. When he did spot her staring at him he assumed that she was a figment of his imagination and sat the bottle of bourbon on the ground next to him.
"Bruce? Hey Bruce, that's a hell of a way to say let's talk, sending your super powered goon to fetch me."
"Selina? You're really here?" He slurred.
"I guess I am I flew here courtesy of Superman."
"I didn't tell him to get you; you shouldn't be here right now I'm a mess."
"Ah don't sweat it. I'm pretty wasted myself; he said you wanted to talk to me."
"Why haven't you answered my calls?"
"I didn't want to talk to you, we broke up, it's over, remember?"
"We didn't break up, you broke up with me and you didn't give me a chance to explain."
"Explain what? How and why you don't trust me?"
"I do trust you; this whole thing was blown way out of proportion. I admit I didn't bring my concerns to you in the best way."
"No you didn't, I still can't believe you accused me of screwing around with Dick behind your back."
"I didn't accuse you of that you assumed-."
"I assumed because you implied it. But that's not the issue here, that's not why I called off our engagement."
"Oh yes, it was the whole trust issue well I've got news for you, you were right I don't trust you completely, hell I don't trust anyone. I admit I'm a paranoid control freak I'm sure that comes as a big surprise to you."
"Paranoid control freak? Yeah that's an accurate description. Well I'm a commitment phobic hypocrite, and it's so nice to meet you. Now that we've been properly introduced why don't we spend the rest of our lives driving each other crazy?"
Bruce hesitated for a moment.
"That's exactly what I had in mind but you dumped me remember? You said you couldn't marry a man that didn't trust you."
"I meant what I said but I was wrong."
"What? What did you say? I'm sure I must be hearing things; I thought I heard Selina Kyle admit that she was wrong."
"You heard me right, I was wrong, I was wrong to break things off because you don't trust me. A friend helped me realize how hard it is for you to trust anyone that's just who you are. I love you Bruce and I'm willing to put up with your bullshit, if you're willing to put up with my mine so we may as well make it official because no sane human being would put up with either one of us."
Bruce didn't respond. The room was completely silent. Their eyes met. Selina gave him a weak smile then her eyes drifted to the liquor Bruce had perched on the computer console. He noticed that his stash had drawn her attention and smiled brightly at her before handing her a bottle of tequila.
"You were expecting me?" she asked returning his smile.
"No but since you're here, you might as well make yourself at home."
"I see you and Jack are cozy."
"Well, you know I don't drink very often but I do have a weakness for bourbon. And cats, I have a weakness for bourbon and cats."
"Your buddy Clark is an asshole."
"Finally, we agree on something." Bruce declared as he stumbled to his chair.
"Easy there, sexy, you have to train for that kind of drinking."
"I'm fine, really now that you're here."
Selina gave him a wicked smile.
"So, we're trapped here." She stated.
"It looks like we are." He replied.
"I wonder when he's coming back."
"Hopefully not anytime soon."
"How will we pass the time?"
"I don't know do you have any ideas?"
"Wanna make out?" she asked while slowly invading his personal space.
"I thought you would never ask."
Untangling himself from the softness of her limbs Bruce was the first to awaken. Part of him had thought that his reconciliation with Selina was just another dream. The dream he had been having since she had given him his ring back days ago. He tried to rise from the makeshift bed but the pain in his head made him reconsider his options. It was an intense throbbing that reminded him of why he chose not to drink in the first place. Turning his head slightly he admired the love of his life in slumber. He didn't approve of Clarks methods but he was beyond grateful for the results. Selina was here, in his arms where she belonged. Together they had managed to overcome two of their biggest obstacles, trust and commitment. After she left him he decided that if he ever won her back he would never again question her loyalty, he would believe in her and the love she gave him without questioning her motives. It was a complete surprise to him that she didn't use his trust issue as a way out. Bruce knew that making this commitment was hard for her and once he had given Selina an excuse to bail he was sure that he would never see her again. But to his joy and surprise she had come back to him strengthening their commitment to each other. Bruce felt all of his fears melt away. Last night he had the assurance that he needed that they had an unbreakable bond, that she loved him, all of him even the broken parts as much as he loved all of her.
"It helps if you don't make any sudden movements." she whispered.
"You're awake."
"Unfortunately I am. Can you do something about the tequila goblin that's trying to pull my brain out of my ear?"
"Sorry but I'm struggling with the bourbon elf that's playing guitar hero in my frontal lobe. I've never felt this bad in my life. Why do people drink?"
"We drink because once this is over, we forget this part all we remember is how much fun we had singing Margaritaville at the karaoke bar."
"Well that's it for me. I'm never doing this again."
"So you're breaking up with Jack?" She said with a small giggle
"Jack?"
"Last night you were clinging to a bottle of Jack Daniels and talking to it like you were best friends." She could no longer keep her laughter in check Selina was laughing in spite of the pain in her head.
"It's entirely your fault. If I hadn't been so crushed over losing you Jack and I never would have met in the first place."
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry Bruce I overreacted."
"I'm sorry too, for giving you a reason to think I don't trust you. Now that we've cleared this up, tell me what you and Dick found at Dante's place."
"We found a huge stash of some new designer drug. Dick had it analyzed and it's a real threat. He's decided to use his contact with Dante to go undercover and find out who's really behind this."
"That's a good idea, Dante is small time, there's no way he could manufacture and distribute a new drug it's obvious he's not acting alone."
"We worked out a preliminary plan for taking the operation down."
"He needs to be extra careful."
"Yes he does. I feel better knowing he's not doing this alone Donna wants in on the plan."
"That's good, Dick can get emotional at times he will need a partner on this who can keep him grounded."
"Yeah and it doesn't hurt that the girl can bench press a tractor. She has inner strength too, something they will need, and you know as well as I do that undercover operations are hard. I don't know why he was so worried about telling her. He told Donna everything, she watched the tape and she didn't fall apart I don't know why Dick thinks that she's so fragile, she's a freaking Amazon princess."
"Yes well she's a pillar of strength but to him she's a delicate flower and a man needs to feel that he can keep the woman he loves safe. I understand why he felt so bad. Barbara was his first crush but Donna was his first love. You should have seen him when he came home after his first weekend with the Titans when she joined. All he talked about was Wonder girl and he had this dreamy smitten look on his face."
"What happened?"
"Roy got to her first and he was crushed. He barely ate for two weeks and kept to himself I felt bad for him but I never knew what to say. Then he met Kory and moved on."
"Or so it seemed. Do you really think that he's in love with her?"
"He has been for years I'm glad he's finally stepping up to the plate and letting her know how he feels. It's a big risk but whether she feels the same way or not finally letting his feelings be known will be worth it in the end."
"Bruce I never knew you were such a romantic."
"I never knew you were a Jimmy Buffet fan."
"So I like to sing Margaritaville at karaoke night. What's the big deal?"
"I would give my entire fortune to see that." Bruce chuckled.
"Go ahead and laugh it up but Buffet is a legend."
"Thanks for being there for Dick when he needed you." Bruce stated as he pulled her close.
"Well I'm a sucker for pretty boys in distress."
"I promise I will make an effort to let him know how proud I am of him."
"Just talk to him Bruce you have to let him know that you're not perfect and that you don't expect him to be perfect, come hell or high water you will always love him and he needs to know that no matter what he will always have your respect."
Bruce smiled lovingly at her as his mind raced calculating ways to get out of the bat cave.
"Let me guess, you're trying to figure out how to get us out of here? No worries, you are in the presence of a world class thief I'm as good at breaking out as I am at breaking in."
"I know you are but what's the hurry? Right now I have everything I need."
Selina expressed her agreement by drawing him into a slow passionate kiss.