Title : Return to Reality

Author : Madd13

Rating : T

Disclaimer : All credit to DC Comics to the creation of all characters involved.

Characters : Selina Kyle, Edward Nygma, Bruce Wayne, mention of and scenes with others.

Summery : Sequel to Something New, Please, Selina returns to Gotham to find she's been very missed.

Eight months. Eight very long months away from home. Selina had been living in the Twin Cities. She had developed oddly deep relationships with certain men there. There was the couple, James and Hartley who had become her best friends. They were the top two numbers in her phone. The other Rogues were good friends as well, only Evan being the outsider. Still.

Even Wally, the Flash, had managed to become considered almost a friend. He seemed to actually understand the whole criminal but not a bad person thing. The weirdest night of her life in the Twin Cities was being invited over to the West residence and meeting his family. Hartley had been there and both red heads had demanded that she go. It had been so off putting that she didn't know how to react at all that night. Linda had been a dear, making sure that she had a woman to talk with and insisted that they exchange numbers as well. The kids. Talk about hyperactive. It made her respect Linda so much more than anything else could. How that woman could put up with not just the Flash, but the two super-speedy squirts was a miracle.

Then there had been Len. He had been quiet, awkward, but a very nice man over all. He had taken James' advice and asked her out a few days after her welcome to town party. Majority of her time spent in Keystone included dates with Len. He never truly opened up, but he had gotten a little warmer towards her over time. Ultimately though, they both decided that their relationship didn't really seem to be going very far and they parted as friends. She had stayed for two more months after that, just enjoying the good company.

But home called.

She couldn't stay away from Gotham. She had barely been a criminal pest to the fastest man alive. The fact that he could catch her before she took two steps away from the building took the fun out of stealing. The banter had been fun, but other than that, there was no real reason for her to try and steal there. That was only part of the reason why she came home. She didn't consider many here true friends, considering that most would end up stabbing you in the back one way or another, but this was where she grew up, became who she was, and she wanted her life back. Sans the heartache thank you.

She stepped out on a familiar gargoyle, staring out over the dingy city. It hadn't changed. It was still the doom and gloom hole it always had been. The sirens blared and there were screams heard throughout the city. Out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw that infamous shadow. But she couldn't dwell on that. She had been able to get away with the theft last night without any kind of alarm being raised. Bruce hadn't shown up to try and stop her.

She had caused a small string of small thefts. No one knew anything until the following morning when the shop opened up. Tonight she was going big. She was going to get her groove back and feel like herself again.

The heist went off without a hitch. Two knocked out guards, no cameras caught her on film and no alarm going off. Only the cat-themed item stolen would announce that Catwoman was back. She dropped down into an alley way, glancing up and down just to be sure she was alone. Adjusting her backpack, she felt sure that no one was in the area to blow the metaphorical whistle. Hell, even a literal one. With her trademark smirk, she sauntered into the shadows, hips switching back and forth with confidence. She was headed to her bike to make the trip across the city quicker, make her seem less obvious running across rooftops. That would be begging Batman to be running by and stopping her. So not what she wanted.

But she wouldn't be getting very far anyway. A different figure had found her, leaned against her bike in a sharp suit. "You didn't have to go all the way to Keystone to get away from him, you know?" A haughty voice said, a sneer nearly present in the tone itself. The thin man pushed back his hat, grinning at the feline while fingering the top of his cane. "I could have helped you lay low."

"Oh, yes, because you are just sooo helpful," Catwoman sneered, a look of distaste on her face. "Ah, I am helpful, just not always helpful to the other people. For you, my little kitten, this time, I would have been genuine. No toxins at all." The man gave a broad smile, trying to seem friendly and as if he would have really done the right thing by her.

He gave a small sigh, seeing that her mood wouldn't be improved by what he was saying. "I could have shown you that you're perfect the way you are," He said quietly. "That there is no need for you to change and I can show you that." Well, that was oddly heartfelt and hit too close to home for Selina. She didn't realize that the cause of her sudden disappearance was so obvious. But then, look who she was talking to.

Edward Nygma. He knew everything.

Edward pushed off her bike, taking a few steps closer. That annoying part of him buried deep down below this obsessive compulsive disorder and the stronger feelings of hate and superiority, that was a soft spot. He could admit to himself that he had agreed to go to Rome with Selina first because he wanted to be somewhere nice. Somewhere nice with her. Finding out that she was going for that ring had caused a new goal to arise and a hasty bit of planning. It almost worked had she not riddled out how to best him.

He had shown his attraction to her, though it had never been appreciated by her. Granted, he had always shown interest in others as well, but he had been sincere in all his innuendos. But these past months had brought to light something that he had started out hating. It was debatable who was the first to notice the extreme lack of a certain feline thief - him or Bruce. But he spent the following month combing the papers and underworld grapevines trying to hear anything on Selina in Gotham.

Then he had to look further, try and find out where she had gone. It shocked him to learn she went all the way to Keystone. It hurt that she didn't think of him to help her, though it was understandable. And he could admit only to himself that, though not at all jealous of Bruce, he was angry at the caped crusader for causing the Cat such pain when all he had to do was bend just a little.

He himself had been on the wrong end of a few ass kickings administered by Catwoman. She was a good person, just a thief. Her moral streak aside, what made her more attractive was that she didn't condemn others for killing in the endeavors to make Batman's life a complete misery. Edward couldn't help but find more reasons to like Selina than hate her.

Selina crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the brunette man staring at her. "What do you want, Edward? Make it quick or I'll find a nice balcony to kick you off of," She hissed, knowing that if she did kick him off one, he would be hitting pavement rather than water. The Riddler blinked slowly at her threat, flashing back on that particular unpleasant dunk. "Yes, well, you may have noticed a certain apartment no longer available." He gave her a smug grin, having kept tabs on her home while she was gone. It had been put up for rental and taken off the market almost as quickly.

Selina hadn't actually thought of her apartment first thing when she got back into the city. Her first thought was using a fake name and staying under Batman's radar until she decided that she wanted to make her big return home heist. Now she realized that she didn't have any place other than that hotel room to stay in. Well, that sucked.

A knowing grin on Edward's face let her know that he had a solution that wouldn't make her happy. She sighed, waving a hand for him to spill the milk so she could complain about the mess. He gave a small nod and put a hand on his hip. "Stay with me. Bruce won't find you, you'll have somewhere better than that dingy motel, and you can stay until you find something to your liking."

Yep. Most unpleasant solution to her problem. But he made two good points. No one would think to look for her with The Riddler of all people and he was sure to have a nice place. The thief could admit that he had style, his money ensured that his place would be just as nice as his tailored suit. What would probably promise to be a luxurious home sweet home did sound better than the one room she currently occupied.

With a sigh of defeat, she brushed past the cane wielding man to sit on her bike and start it up. "I need directions," She begrudgingly conceded. She sent a silent prayer out to whoever would listen that she would find a place of her own quickly.