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Chapter 1: Questioning
Friday, March 06th, 2054 2:42 P.M. | Neo-Gotham City
The Batman was on patrolling the streets.
He noticed that he had an incoming call but didn't look at the caller identification. "Hello?"
"Hi, its me." The female voice answered back making him instantly grin.
"You're gonna really like the dress I bought for tonight. I just know it. You wanna guess what it looks like?"
Terry smirked. "Trust me, I know I will.
"Right, sometimes I forget who exactly I'm talking to."
"Yeah, same here." He softly chuckled.
"Hey, watch it McGinnis."
"It was a joke, you know that."
"Yes, I do." A cheerful laugh was followed by a momentary pause. "Um, Terry, could I ask you a question?"
"I already have an idea of what that is. And I'm having a hunch that you already thought of what I was gonna say anyway."
"You got me. Sounds like you've been pursuing a certain career a little too long."
"And you already figured that I'm on-the-clock right now. But you'll find out what I have to ask soon enough."
"I'll see you later. You better take care of yourself." Dana hanged up.
Terry slowly deep exhaled. "I don't need to any deductive reasoning to find the meaning of that out."
"There was a moment of empty silence. Peaceful and calm.
"She really cares about you." Bruce's voice suddenly connected with the [Com-Link] implemented within the Batsuit and Batmobile.
The occurrence had momentarily struck Terry odd due to Bruce's permanent retirement from crime-fighting and no longer opening the passage to the Batcave or even calling his smartphone which is connected to the same satellite frequency as the Bat computer.
"Of course she does."
"That dinner reservation is in a few hours. Save your strength for tonight."
"Yeah, there's not much activity going on. At least for know anyway. I'm just gonna take one more sweep around the city before heading back. Just to be sure its clean."
"Don't take too long." Bruce disconnected.
"You got it old man." He smiled warmly.
It had not been a full week since the thirty-year-old had his late-night discussion with Amanda Waller. Although, the shock of the dark truth had soften once he had realized that he never performed those vivid cognitive scenarios, angrily confronting his crime-fighting mentor of a biological father; ending his long-term relationship with the love of his life; as well as withdrawing from his position as a part-time member of the Justice League Unlimited.
'Tonight will be a night to remember.' He smiled in hope.
4:56 P.M. | Wayne Manor's Den
"I'm back." Terry deattached the iconic cowl from his face.
"I can see that. You don't have to announce it." Bruce gave him an annoyed glare as he was sitting in his chair with the cane near the crook of the seats arm.
"Nice to know that your still in a good mood." Terry opened the bottle of prescription pills and a glass of water.
"Once in a while, its a little bit nice." Bruce swallowed and exhaled.
Terry gently shook the round orange plastic container. "Almost running out. I better get it refilled later."
"Focus on that tomorrow. You have to take care of a high priority tonight."
"Your health's a high priority to." Terry took away the medicine bottle and emptied glass.
"This isn't exactly a normal date, whatever she answers determines how your relationship will either continue or crash and burn."
"I already knew that before buying the ring." The younger man rubbed his hands up and down his face in frustration.
"Terry," Bruce made direct eye contact with the younger man.
"What is it?"
"You're stubborn but so is she. Odds are it'll work out." Bruce gave a tiny, wry smile.
Terry placed his hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Thanks for the encouragement. You sure are more talkative than usual. Anything going on?"
"I'm fine." Bruce responded. "Go get dressed and pick up the ring and make no mistake." His facial features displayed a glare.
"Bat's honor." Terry began to exit the spacious area.
"And remember this: don't ask her before the appetizers, only after dessert. I don't want to be stuck with a bill that has no meaning behind it." Bruce instructed.
"Someone is getting sentimental today." Terry grinned lightly, only to be given the iconic glaring of the man who was sitting before him.
"He was only mere hours away from asking four words. Those words would determine whether or not a long-term relationship will crumble in a single instant; or unifying the possibility of the Wayne Manor again receiving the gentle touch of a woman. A loving, caring, supportive woman.
A touch that had become foreign to the premises in decades.
The chances of gaining a successor for the head of the Bat-family, in terms of moral and ethical means on Dana's answer.
Bruce Wayne himself, was silently terrified, yet at the same time completely confident there will be a positive outcome in the end.
6:57 P.M. | Deckards Kitchen | Neo-Gotham City
Thankfully, he had called the three-star restaurant with time to spare.
Thankfully, he also knew the manager as an old friend of his from his earlier years as the Dark Knight of Tomorrow.
Thankfully, he was able to dress in his rather dapper black-coloured tuxedo with a white dress shirt combined with a red neck tie and pick up the name engraved circular trinket for his beloved.
'Still can't get a break from the red and black.' Terry straightened his posture.
And thankfully, she was still not sitting across from him, yet.
Minutes pass by. Restaurant patrons come and leave.
Everything is sent.
It was then he saw her, his Dana.
The young Asian woman was surely a sight for sore eyes. Her figure was decorated in an hour glass form fitting V-neck, red open back halter gown with a black sash in the middle. Her left leg as well as half a pair of open-toed white high heel pumps was shown behind the knee-high slit of the dress. Her forearms were adorned by black lace sleeves, although still revealed that her delicate, manicured fingernails were painted pink. Dana's short black hair had made the pink diamond drop earrings more noticeable while firmly grasping the white clutch purse.
"Hello there, handsome." She taunted him with a seductive wink.
By the sound of Dana's tone of voice, Terry could just tell: she meant business. Personal business that is.
Terry quickly came back to his senses and blinked. "Hello there, beautiful."
He gently placed the hand of his girlfriend into own and softly pulled her chair out of her.
"Now, there's the gentleman I know." Dana smiled as her boyfriend courteously applied the seat forward with a tender amount of force.
"Sorry I'm late." Dana gave a half smile as she glided her slender finger on the touch screen of the menu tablet.
"No need for an apology." Terry sat back down.
Dana looked indecisively towards the seemingly myriad of dining options.
"Order whatever you want. Its Bruce's treat." Terry said attempting to ease her tension.
Dana looked up her with a warm smile. "How is Bruce?"
"He's doing good, even better after his surgery a few months back."
"That's great to hear. We should pay him a visit sometime." Dana replied.
"We?"
"You know, me, Max, your mom and Matt."
"Yeah, that could happen. But you know Max might end up having to take a raincheck."
Dana sighed. "Being the CEO and senior VP of Wayne Enterprises sure has its drawbacks."
"Being the chair isn't exactly a walk in the park either." Terry added.
"I know." Dana touched his warm hand.
Terry also mentioned that having his younger brother appear at the manor may interfere alongside his professional schedule as an officer employed at the Neo-Gotham Police Department as well as being a student enrolled in Neo-Gotham University majoring in social work with a minor in criminology.
He also was not certain about his mother due to AstroTech being on the verge of confirming another moon belonging to the Milky Way galaxy.
"You decide yet?" Terry stared lovingly in her black eyes and smiled.
"I'm trying to go easy on Bruce's wallet." She winked.
"Are you trying to get me in trouble with him?"
"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not." She overlapped her fingers with his.
After their dinners and desserts, Terry gently instructed the woman across from him to close her eyes. "It'll only be for a couple of minutes."
Just then, Terry signaled the restaurant manager.
Melanie Walker quietly sauntered over to the table with a white plate in her hands. She lightly placed the porcelain object in front of Dana and left after lightly tapping Terry's shoulder and a thumbs-up.
"You can open them now."
Dana separated her hands from the top half of her face and raised her eyebrows in puzzlement.
The plate had been decorated with cursive lettering:
Please look to your right.
She glanced towards the said direction and releases a gasp in surprise.
Terry was right beside her, kneeling down on one leg. "Will you marry me?"
There was silence.
Music stopped floating in the air.
The laughter and conversations and dining of the other patrons arrived at a full halt.
Terry could feel his heart skip a beat, however kept his confidence intact somehow. He felt that at each millisecond that had passed by was an unintentional dagger poking at his heart, as Dana sat there stunned by what was presently happening. He struggled with the thought of repeating the words that had taken nearly twenty years to speak. He struggled with the thought that Bruce's words of encouragement from earlier would end in vain.
He breathed sharply. "Dana, do you want to marry me?" His voice remained steady.
Dana fought to blink away the joyous tears away from her pair of black eyes. "Yes I do." She suddenly lowered her sitting body and wrapped her arms around her beloved's neck, nearly knocking out the red velvet box out of his hands in the process. "Yes, I do. Yes, I do. Yes, I do want to marry you."
The couple sat back up in their seats.
Melanie congratulated the couple, whom in turn was invited to the engagement party and upcoming nuptials as a thank-you gift due to her assistance as the clapping from everyone else in the building ceased.
The atmosphere returned to normal.
Dana's eyes were captivated towards the dedication engraved as the outside bottom of the golden diamond ring had spelt, 'To my Dana.'
"Terry, do you remember how I wanted to ask you about something today?"
He nodded. "Ask away."
Dana went into her small purse and took out what appeared to be a circular piece of jewelry.
"Will wear this?" She stretched out her arm and opened her hand. It was a black Tungsten ring with a silver inlay and three small fragments of white diamonds centered in a straight line.
After accepting it, Terry noticed the red writing inside of it. 'Dana loves Terry'.
"Dana, you really didn't have to go through all that trouble." Terry slid the ring onto his left hand.
"I just couldn't come here empty handed."
The couple sat together holding hands until the restaurant closed for the night.
They had attempted to persuade Melanie in terms of assisting with the closing as a way to express their gratitude. She dismissed with the explanation that fine dining does not operate as such also that the pairing deserve to have their own privacy.
They blissfully depart from the building and into the pleasant nightfall hand-in-hand.
They stopped in front of Dana's car.
Terry leaned his lips forward pressing into her own before opening her car door. "I wish it tonight didn't have to end."
"Hey, its alright. You've had a long day." Dana hugged him warmly. "Not to mention that Friday nights are technically your times for monitor duty."
"So, we'll tell everyone tomorrow then?" Terry gently closed the vehicle door.
Dana nodded in agreement with warm smile before driving away.
A few minutes later now in his own car, Terry had contacted the manor via his smartphone.
When the call was picked up he continued to stare at his own engagement ring.
"Hello?"
"Bruce, its me."
"What happened Terry?" Bruce questioned sternly.
The young man smiled warmly. "She said 'yes'."
"You didn't make a mistake. That's good."
Thank you very much for giving this chapter a chance. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a message in my PM box.