KITTENS
DISCLAIMER: I don't own "Batman" or "Catwoman" D.C does.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Fans of my other BAT & CAT fic, "Don't Leave Me Here Alone", musn't fear, I have not abandoned that fic, it's just that the idea for this fic popped into my head the other day, and I thought it best to get it done as soon as possible since I don't plan on "KITTENS" being anything more than a one-shot. Anyway this fic is a brief exploration of a possible future for the BAT & CAT, and I'm pretty sure that it does not resemble most of the other Bat & Cat fics on this site, the title of the story should give you some clue as to what the story entails. Oh and I'm aware that some people will likely be baffled by how I've written Selina here, I admit it may be somewhat out of character, I really don't know, I just say read it and enjoy it for what it is.
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It's stormy tonight, rain, thunder, lightning, I'd hate to be stuck outside. But to my good fortune I'm indoors, where it's warm and toasty, safely snugg under a layer of soft bedsheets, in my generous four-poster bed, in my spacious, finely furnished and decorated bed chamber, in Wayne Manor. I feel like a queen in this place, an empress. Though it's late, I do not sleep, I wait, for my lover, my husband, my king to return, Bruce. He patrols the city at night, he'll be back near dawn, to sleep the day away, he's promised me that he'll retire on his birthday, one week from now, hang up the cowl for good, for we have more important things in our life these days.
There's a soft creek at the door, is it Bruce, no, still too early, it's something I adore just as much though.
"Kittens, is that you?".
two small, dark shapes appear through the doorway.
"Mommy, there was thunder! and lightning, we got scared, we had nightmares!".
"Come here then, I'll protect you".
The two of them rush to the bed, as fast as their little legs can carry them, scrambling onto the mattress. I giggle and cuddle with them as each snuggles in beside me, one on the left, the other on the right, Jason and Thomas, my kittens, my babies...my sons. Twins, each only five years of age, like two minitaure Bruce Wayne's they are. It's funny really, I never wanted children, not in a million years could I have ever dreamt this, live fast, die young, that was my motto, but to look at them now, to remember those nine months, feeling them grow inside me with each passing day, my two darling little boys, I can't imagine life without them.
"Mommy?".
Thomas speaks, looking up at me, wide eyed.
"Yes, kitten".
"Can we go down to the garden again tomorrow, with the kitties and a picnic?".
"Of course sweetie".
I smile, placing an arm around him, cuddling him, as he snuggles in closer.
"Your soft mommy, even softer than the kitties".
"Really, I think the kitties are softer".
I tickle him and he giggles, flailing his little limbs all about.
Yes, it had been a beautiful day down in the garden, all clear blue sky and sunshine, the vibrant colours of the garden fauna all springing to life, hard to imagine it was pouring down now. Alfred had packed us a picnic, the boys and the cats and I had strolled down to the garden. We spent most of the day there. Sitting on a rug in a sundress and hat, I watched the boys play with the cats, teaching them to jump through hoops and do backflips, like Ziegfried and Roy they are. If only Bruce had been there to see it, I think he'd smile, smile the way he did when Jason and Thomas were born.
The whole scene was so perfect, so idyllic, it reminded me of one of those stories by that british writer, what was her name, the one who'd write those little storybooks about animals that dressed and acted like people, Beatrix Potter, that's the one. My favourite was the one about that family of cats, where the three kittens go off to play in the garden and ruin all their new clothes. The images in those books were all that kept me going as a little girl, I'd steal them from a second hand book store in the East End. I don't want my children to experience all the terrible things that Bruce and I had to, the pain, the tragedy. That's why I've convinced Bruce to give up the Bat completely, I've seen the things it's done to him in the past, I know he's the best in the world at what he does, but I refuse to take any chances with my children, Bruce has a family now, a "real" family of his own, he doesn't need the bat anymore, we're all he needs.
"Mommy?...Will Daddy come with us?".
Thomas queries. There's nothing more painful than answering, no, to that question.
"It's Daddy's birthday in a week, Thomas, we'll do something special with him then, okay sweetie?".
I smile down at him.
"Okay mommy".
"Mommy...Daddy's scary".
Jason speaks, timidly. His words terrify me, I hope he's not talking about what I think he's talking about.
"...kitten?...what do you mean?".
"When I walked through the clock...he was scary".
"Walked through the clock?".
"The big clock was hanging off the wall, and there was a door, so I went through it and down stairs, it was dark down there, I heard daddy's voice but I couldn't see him, so I called him...and...and then".
He hesitates, I can see it in his eyes, fear, I make sure to comfort him, gently stroking his hair.
"There was...a monster...a big black monster...with horns and wings...and...and it spoke to me...it called me my name...it...it's voice was like daddy's...I wanted to run, but I couldn't, the monster was so scary, so I closed my eyes...but when I opened them Daddy was there...and he said not to be afraid...mommy?...is Daddy a monster?".
I was always terrified this may happen, we had always taken so many precautions, but it seemed we had slipped up. Of all the times he could have forgotten to close the grandfather clock, it can't have happened that long ago, knowing Bruce he probably just didn't want to upset me, after all he'd be retiring soon.
"No sweetie, Daddy isn't a monster".
I spoke in my most tender of motherly voices.
"Everything you saw, I will explain it to you when your'e a bigger boy, but you must promise mommy that you will never tell anyone about this, promise?".
"Promise".
"And you musn't be scared of Daddy, you know why, because Daddy was once just a scared little boy too, so if he did scare you he never mean to, you mean the world to him, he would never harm you".
"Ok mommy".
"Now come on, you should both get some sleep, or you'll be too tired to play in the garden tomorrow".
The two of them snuggle in close, my arms wrapped around each of them, their eyes close and soon, both have drifted off to sleep, and so too have I.
The creek of the door awakens me at dawn, as a tall, broad shouldered figure moves quietly toward the bed, Bruce, in dark pyjammas. He smiles down at me through his tired, weary face and I smile back, still holding the boys in my arms. He quietly climbs into bed beside me and whispers in my ear.
"Only one week to go".
THE END.
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