Disclaimer: I do not own Batman, Marvel, or any characters associated with them. I do however, own my OC. Please don't use her without my express permission.
Summary: Bruce is losing himself to work and Alfred is losing himself to boredom. That is, until an unexpected Gift arrives- and changes not only their lives but their whole way of looking at the world.
Rating: Rated T for future chapters, will include angst and character whomp in appropriate quantity (Not too much, not too little). NO SLASH!
A/N: Reviews may give me the energy to get chapters up quicker! So review if you want to give me constructive criticism, lots of love, or any other feedback. I will answer ALL reviews!
Alfred Pennyworth was- as much as he hated to admit it to himself- at a complete and total loss. He had cleaned every inch of the manor, polished the silver until it offered a better reflection than any of the bathroom mirrors, and a thousand professional maids would be hard pressed to find even the tiniest speck of dust. During all the extra moments he had throughout the week he had read so many improving books that if he ever saw the words "self-help" again he would most likely be literally sick, and he had spent so much time in the garden, kitchen, and office working on everything from creating recipes to paying bills that all he wanted to do was sit somewhere dark and quiet, and hibernate for the rest of his life.
So in the end he had secluded himself in the Batcave with a nice cup of tea and a tiny plate of shortbread biscuits. It was even more dismal and lonely in the caves than usual- seeing as his young master had been away for over a week now- but at least it was peaceful, if not interesting. Lengthy trips were not Bruce's style, but every other year or so since he had joined the Justice League, there seemed to be some sort of earth shattering disturbance that would call him away for more than just a few days. It was on these occasions that Alfred was given time to realize that his life was really fairly mundane without the excitement that serving Batman generally caused. He wasn't tired of being a butler, but he was starting to dread the days when Bruce was not at home, the days when nothing interesting seemed to happen and there was no one to socialize with.
He chided himself quietly. "I'm getting far too accustomed to having a constant stream of fascinating occurrences. Butlers are supposed to have quiet, dull lives. I used to be more than happy with humdrum; I can be satisfied with it now." Even saying it out loud didn't make the boredom any easier to bear.
One sip into his tea and a security monitor lit up, showing a map of the underground waterworks and sewer tunnels that let from the Batcave through the rest of Gotham. A tiny blinking red dot was intruding on the passageway that led directly to the cave entrance. It was moving slowly, but with purpose. Alfred cheered up slightly, taking his rifle off of its place on the wall and checking to make sure it was loaded. He wasn't looking to hurt anyone- he was hoping it was merely a wandering soul gotten lost- but he was at least happy for the sake of having something to do.
The hallway was long and dark, but Alfred didn't turn on the side wall lights. He knew this particular tunnel like the back of his hand and would be able to walk it effortlessly in his sleep if he had to. As he reached the point of intersection with the blinking red dot, he became more cautious, lifting the rifle to shoulder height and stepping out into the dimly lit section of passage.
"Show yourself, intruder!" The dedicated butler called out into the shadow, "This is private property, I will have to request that you leave immediately." A figure dressed in white stumbled forward, looking almost ghost-like in the darkness. As his eyes adjusted, Alfred realized that the stranger was actually a young woman, seemingly clothed in only a bloody straitjacket with broken straps, leaving her thin arms hanging free. Her long brown curls fell in front of her face as her knees buckled and she fell to the concrete with a weak gasp. Alfred caught her before she could injure herself further by hitting her head on the ground. "Miss? Miss!" Alfred lifted the nearly unconscious girl as gently as possible, all too aware of her quiet moans of agony as his arms jostled her frail body. "It's all right Miss, I'm here to help you." He said reassuringly as he slowly made his way back through the tunnels.
The patient coughed wetly as Alfred laid her out onto the examination table in the Batcave's medical center. Her lips were moving as if she was trying to say something, but no sounds were coming out of her mouth besides pained whimpers, her head jerking back and forth wildly. As the tears started to stream down her cheeks, Alfred began to realize that it wasn't a fever causing her distress… she was delirious because of fear. And as he treated her wounds to the best of his abilities, further realizations about his new charge soon caused his emotions to overflow from his eyes as well.
A safe dose of anesthetic soon had the girl in a deep- though restless- slumber. The bloody and torn straight jacket she had arrived in was tossed to the side, to be disposed of later. Once Alfred was sure that he had done all he could for her injuries, and was able to move her confidently without causing further damage- he maneuvered her into one of his young master's old t-shirts. Bruce never wore them, much preferring to be in his batsuit as often as possible, either that or formal attire. Alfred had worried about finding her underclothing, but thankfully that particular issue was null-in-void, as she already possessed a modest set of them- as modest as they could be considering her figure. While she was definitely malnourished, her curves were not unpleasing, and Alfred supposed that- if a more healthy weight- she would be an astounding beauty. A light dusting of freckles covered her nose and danced across her delicate cheekbones, her soft porcelain skin setting off the auburn undertones in her hair rather nicely. It was a miracle that her face had not received the same abuse that was afflicting the rest of her body.
He sat in a chair near her prone form, ready to jump up at any second if she would need his assistance. Although he was almost positive that the presence of the straight jacket meant she had made her way there from Arkham Asylum, surprisingly enough, it didn't worry him in the slightest. The girl on the table didn't strike him as someone dangerous, or mentally unstable, merely very VERY frightened, and very VERY physically traumatized. He wanted to move her up into the manor, as he could surely make her more comfortable in the spacious mansion, but as it was his conscience could not allow him to do so. He wasn't sure if she had been awake enough to see the Batcave and make assumptions at any point in which he had brought her in, and if she woke up in Wayne Manor… well. The leap from Bruce Wayne to Batman would not be that far of a jump.
Alfred didn't have the heart to throw her out though; even if she had seen the Batcave. He knew that it wouldn't make Master Bruce very happy, but he'd have to deal, because this time Alfred was not giving in. This strange young lady would be staying. She would stay as long as she needed to rest and recuperate, and then as long as she wanted after that. It had been too long since a young person had traipsed around the grounds, and kept the housekeeper company. There were not nearly enough guests to suit him these days. Alfred needed someone to care for, someone to talk to. And even though he would never admit it… Bruce Wayne needed the exact same thing.
A tiny glimmer from the girl's wrist suddenly caught Alfred's attention. Why he hadn't noticed it during his examination of her he had no idea, but after a closer look he realized that it was an Arkham Asylum I.D bracelet. At least that proved his theory about where the straight jacket had been from.
#37005 GIFT Female Age-N/A Date of Birth-N/A Address-N/A MD-Dr. Crane
"So her name is Gift." Alfred mused to himself. "That seems appropriate, although, knowing Arkham it's also possible it could be an alias for something." The only thing that did bother him slightly was the fact that there were so many pieces of information simply missing from the bracelet. 'Not Available'… but why?
The girl- Gift- shifted in her sleep, making a tiny whimpering noise, and Alfred decided he would try to figure it out later. Perhaps Master Wayne would be able to help with the mystery on his return, but at the moment, he had quite a lot of redecorating to do, an activity he was greatly looking forward to.