A/N: I haven't written in forever oh my gosh, but I found this lil nugget in my documents folder when I was cleaning it out today so I thought I'd put it here. Sorry for being gone for so long and I hope to actually get back into writing soon. Things are a little tense right now at home so I'll try my best! Enjoy!

AU in which Rachel comes to tell Bruce who she's chosen

Rachel walked through the Wayne Mansion, the clicking of her heels echoing through the marble room, the sounds bouncing off of the stone and ricocheting in all directions. She felt chills down her spine as she walked towards the room. Bruce's Room. She had finally decided on her answer. She had decided that she was going to marry Harvey Dent. And she, though reluctantly, had decided that the honorable thing to do was to tell Bruce in person.

She knocked on the door, taking a deep breath for what was to come next. She was dreading it: breaking his heart. For the longest time, she had waited for him. She had waited for the day that Gotham would no longer need Batman—when she and Bruce could be together freely. But now she was most certain that there would never come a day that he would not need Batman. Batman was a part of him; a part that he would never, could never, forget. A part of him that allowed him to be the hero of the day.

The mask he wore, the façade he had mastered, it wasn't the cowl of the Batman. It was his face, the face of the man she had loved for years. That was his mask. That was what he hid behind. The man that left Gotham so many years ago, the man that she missed every single day, he never came back. He was still lost. Lost out there with everything else she had thought she ever knew about him.

The door opened with a familiar creak, one she'd heard many times before. There stood Bruce, his hair gelled back and attire fancier than usual. No doubt he was going to one of his charity events; he had to keep up the billionaire playboy look for the press. It wouldn't do for the Prince of Gotham to be a recluse any longer. Alfred simply wouldn't hear of it. "Rachel," he said, fixing his bowtie. A smile twitched at his lips, and walking over to the mirror at the other end of the room, he yelled over his shoulder, "Come in."

She walked in with a small smile. It broke her heart to see him so happy, and unbeknownst to him how broken he'd be by the end of the visit. "You're looking like the proper Prince of Gotham," she stated. His chuckle warmed her heart and sent a layer of goosebumps across her skin.

He ran a hand through his hair, messing up the overly-gelled look, and keeping it more natural but not too gruff. "I should say so. Alfred all but smothered me in guilt for 'shaming the family name'." Bruce shook his head, a ghost of a smile flashing across his lips. He lifted his chin to grab hold of his unmade bowtie and started to fold this way and that. He glanced at Rachel quickly, the smile still there. "You're wearing the dress," he commented.

Rachel nodded, looking down at her attire. The dark red looked beautiful against the lightly tanned tone of her skin with her dark brown locks curled and toppling over the fabric. Bruce had seen it in Paris while on a business trip. He said he simply had to buy it for her. "It's beautiful Bruce, thank you again," she said, to which he replied, "It's my pleasure, Rachel."

Taking a deep breath, she plunged head first into the subject, taking no prisoners. "Bruce, we need to talk." She swallowed a lump in her throat. How was she supposed to tell him what she needed to say? How could she break his heart like it was a simple task or chore?

"Rachel, I think it'll need to wait," he said, his face twisting as he struggled with his bowtie.

She noticed him and chuckled. She walked over to him and gently swatted away his hands. She tied his bowtie neatly, glancing up at him with amused eyes. "You can fight off ten men without breaking a sweat, but you can't tie your own bowtie." She shook her head in goodhearted disbelief. "Charity events are nothing out of the ordinary, Bruce, and you being tardy is nothing but expected." When she was done, she laid her hands gently on his chest, feeling the unwrinkled material of his suit beneath her palms. "Bruce, I need to talk to you about Harvey."

"Oh yes," he said with a smirk, "how is our lovely District Attorney?"

She knew how he liked to mock her boyfriend and she only shook her head with a grin. "Harvey is fine." She took a deep breath. She could feel the atmosphere getting serious as his smile faded into that "Bruce Wayne" façade he wore frequently. "Do you remember how I said that I would wait for you?"

He nodded slightly. "When Gotham no longer needs Batman," he answered.

"Yes. And I meant it. I meant it with all my heart." She let out a deep breath. Her hands came up to cup his face, her thumb rubbing gently across the apple of his right cheek. "But now I most certainly know that there will never come a time when you don't need Batman," She said softly. It broke her heart to say it. The familiar spark in his eyes went out and he tensed but did not turn away. "This is who you are now, Bruce. I love Harvey and I'm going to marry him." She could feel the burn behind her eyes as his eyes became hollow. But knowing Bruce, he wouldn't show his emotions. Not in front of her. Not in front of anyone. "I hope the day comes that you won't need Batman anymore. And when it does, I will be there for you. As a friend."

Rachel leaned forward to kiss his cheek. Her heart tore in half as she felt a wet trail beneath her lips across her skin. Without another word, she began to walk away. She couldn't look at him. She couldn't see what she was doing to him; it was too painful. She stopped at the door and looked back, seeing him standing there. She couldn't tell if he was shocked, heartbroken, or just taking what he knew was coming. "I'm sorry I let you down," she said softly. "If you've lost your faith in me, please keep your faith in people. I love you, Bruce. I'm sorry."

And with that, she walked out, feeling her heart go numb. She would wait for the day that Bruce would no longer need Batman. She knew she would wait forever. But if that was the price for her Bruce, she would gladly pay it.