Author's Note: I got a request on my Tumblr to do an AU of the scene from 3x22 when Alfred's in the hospital and Selina comes to check on Bruce, were Bruce doesn't send her away. Hope you enjoy!
Bruce was sitting in a hallway of the emergency wing of the hospital, waiting for news about Alfred. His head was in his hands, and to an outside eye it would look as though he were crying; but he wasn't. It's not that he wasn't sad -- he was, but the tears just wouldn't come, maybe he was still in too much shock.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been there, but it felt like an eternity. No one had come to tell him how Alfred was, or to try and comfort him. Good, Bruce thought, I don't deserve comfort.
The sound of footsteps coming towards him startled him out of his train of thought. He looked up, thinking, hoping it was someone coming to tell him that Alfred was alright. ...It wasn't. Instead, Selina Kyle stood in front of him.
Bruce stared at her for some time, surprised that she was here considering the last time he'd seen her she tried to fight him.
Finally, Selina broke the silence. "Hey," she said in a gentle, if slightly strained, voice. "I heard about Alfred. He gonna be okay?"
Bruce continued to stare at her; he questioned her intentions for being there, but he also didn't want to be alone. "...I don't know," he said softly, looking back down at the floor, "No one's told me anything."
Selina nodded and took a few steps closer to Bruce. She hesitated, then asked, "Can I sit?"
Bruce shrugged in response, not looking up. Selina figured that was closest thing she'd get to a response from him, so she sat down next to him. They stayed quiet for a long while before Selina spoke, "...What happened to him?"
Bruce shook his head in response, and Selina sighed. She rested her hand on his back, tracing small circles on his sweater with her thumb.
Bruce spoke finally, in a broken whisper, "It was my fault," he looked at Selina, "Alfred... It was my fault. I-- I did it."
"Did what?" Selina asked, a little confused by what Bruce was saying.
"I... I tried to kill him," Bruce said, the tears that refused to come earlier now filled his eyes to the point of spilling over. "I tried to kill Alfred!" he said again, anger and fear in his eyes as the words he'd just spoken sunk in.
Selina put her hands on Bruce's shoulders, trying to calm him down, though what he was saying still didn't make any sense to her. "Hey, look at me, what the he'll is going on? Why did you try to kill him?"
"They did something to me... the people who took me. I... I couldn't think... Couldn't feel... Anything."
"You mean they brainwashed you?" Selina asked. Bruce nodded, "Yes."
Selina nodded, "Okay. Listen carefully to what I'm about to say: You were brainwashed. It wasn't really you who tried to kill Alfred. It wasn't your fault. ...Alright?"
Bruce stared at her, tears spilling over his cheeks. Then he hugged her, tightly, burying his face into her shoulder. Selina's eyes widened in surprise, but she hugged him back, patting his back as he cried.
It was strange seeing him so vulnerable. She couldn't remember ever seeing him cry like this, apart from that night in the ally --but then, he'd never tried to kill his guardian before.
They stayed like that for several minutes before Bruce managed to stop crying. He slowly sat up and wiped the remaining tears from his cheeks with the sleeve of his sweater. He took a shaky breath and gave Selina a small smile. "...Thank you, Selina," he said softly. "Don't mention it," she replied, returning his smile.
They sat in silence for several minutes until a nurse came walking towards them. "Mr. Wayne?" she asked Bruce. He nodded in response. Selina took his hand, feeling him tense up, and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Your guardian, Mr. Pennyworth, pulled through the surgery. He's currently in intensive care, but we're confident that he'll be alright."
Bruce let out a sigh, tears of relief coming to his eyes this time. "Thank you. ...Can I see him?" "Of course Mr. Wayne, please come with me."
He stood up and Selina stood with him, "Do you want me to come?" she asked. Bruce nodded and squeezed her hand slightly; thankful that she came to help him, despite everything that had happened between them.