T -1 Year

GOTHAM

THE EAST END

NIGHT

"What about Paris? I could arrange for her to steal her own ring from that exclusive jeweler she loves so much." Batman tossed out the question as his fist slammed into one of the gang members he was fighting with Red Hood.

Hood jerked the gang member he was fighting to his feet. "Tell him that reminding a woman of her criminal past when you're proposing to her is not romantic."

Frantically the man looked between Hood and Batman unsure if they were serious. Deciding that they were actually serious the man bit his lip. "Ummm, yeah, sorry Bats. I gotta go with Hood on this one. But ya know, congrats and all." The man paused and whispered to Hood. "Does this mean they're gonna have kids of their own? Cause I could start a pool."

Hood considered the man for a brief moment then head butted him knocking him unconscious.

WAYNE MANOR

KITCHEN

MORNING

"Do you think she would like Rome?" Bruce walked into the kitchen as he asked the question.

Tim slowly looked up from his tablet. Alfred didn't even pause from wiping down the kitchen island.

"You plan to spend time with Miss Selina in Rome? I am sure she would be thrilled to have a vacation with you." Alfred spoke as he wiped the island. Tim hid his smirk behind his cup of coffee.

"What? No. There's a Zeta tube there. We would go for dinner and the proposal. We wouldn't stay."

Tim lowered the cup of coffee. "You've survived Joker, Intergalactic wars, Darkseid, and any other number of nasty things. In the end it's Catwoman who's going to take you out."

GOTHAM

WAYNE ENTERPRISES ROOF

NIGHT

Batman and Nightwing perched on the WE roof overlooking the city. Noises from below echoed up at them – car horns, the occasional siren.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea after all." Batman rumbled.

"Did we finally find something the Big Bad Bat is afraid of?" Nightwing teased. Batman looked out to the far side of the city. Nightwing's jaw almost dropped. "You're not really afraid, are you?"

Batman's head snapped back. "No. All of you have shot down every idea I've had. What if I do the wrong thing? What if she says no?"

"Batman." Nightwing's voice dropped to a barely there whisper. "Bruce." His voice rose again. "She won't say no. Even if you mess it up, she won't say no. We're only shooting down the ideas because we're as nervous as you are. It's like…..we're all proposing. You'll figure it out. We'll help."

Batman nodded at his oldest son and they sat together in companionable silence.

STAR CITY

QUEEN MANOR

EVENING

"So, Bruce, what is taking so long?" Oliver's eyes twinkled.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Bruce frowned at him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Clark flush guiltily and look away. What had the Boy Scout done?

"Oh, come on. If you had done the deed Dinah would know and so I would know. Dinah doesn't know so why haven't you asked Selina to marry you? I don't believe for a minute she said no." Oliver was grinning.

Bruce narrowed his eyes at Clark. "Somehow you're responsible for this. Only the family knows and none of them would have talked."

"Ummm, it was an accident?" Clark said hesitantly.

"How, exactly, was it an accident?" Bruce asked through gritted teeth.

"Well, the last time I saw you, as Matches, you had a box in your jacket. I just had to make sure. That it wasn't lead lined. That's when I saw the rings." Clark had the grace to look away. "It just sort of came out when I saw Ollie." Clark's came back up to Bruce and he frowned. "Why did you have the rings as Matches?"

"So all of Gotham, including Selina, wouldn't know Bruce Wayne had a wedding set in his possession." Bruce gritted out.

"Which still doesn't explain how come you haven't proposed yet." Ollie was thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Selina is a complex woman." Bruce sighed.

"Ha!" Ollie snorted. "That's great! The World's Greatest Detective can't figure out how to propose to his own girlfriend!"

"I took Lois on a picnic to the Fortress." Clark smiled softly. "It was perfect.

"Does Selina seem like the picnic type to you?" Bruce privately thought that picnics were probably more Clark's thing than Lois' but she was often happy to indulge him so it probably worked out just as well.

"Maybe you should ask Selina how to do it. After all, she figured out who you were before you figured out who she was." Oliver's tone turned teasing.

"I had it figured out. I simply needed to confirm the facts. Not all the details…." Bruce stopped for a moment. He abruptly stood up. "We'll have to do this another time. I have to return to Gotham."

GOTHAM

THE KANE BUILDING

NIGHT

Catwoman stretched and balanced on the edge of the building. She had put in a long night already. It was going to have to end soon though. For some mysterious reason Alfred had replaced her normal slow burn snacks with double dark chocolate brownies. Not that she minded any opportunity to indulge in those sinful delights but when she crashed she was going to crash hard.

She jumped up to balance on her toes and flipped her way along the ledge of the building. The night was quiet and peaceful. The com was quiet with little to no chatter from the kids. The flipping stopped and she pirouetted on the toes of one foot on the ledge, her other leg stretched straight out.

The sensation of being watched overwhelmed her and she spun so the stretch of roof was in front of her with an expanse of empty air behind. Her body relaxed.

"It's you." Her lips curved. "I thought you were busy with your friends." She hopped down off the ledge and began to move forward. "I missed you Tiger. Did you miss me?"

He didn't speak just watched her walk seductively towards him. As soon as she was within striking range he grabbed her and pulled her tightly up against him. Any number of defensive moves or escape techniques rushed into her mind and through her muscle memory. She blew out a breath and forced herself to remain calm. This was all very familiar.

"Well now, this is quite a playground. A girl could have herself quite a time." Her hands splayed across his armoured chest as she spoke. The words weren't exact, it had been a long time, but they were close. What was he up to?

His head lowered towards hers. She stretched upwards but he held her firmly in place. With a slight growl of frustration she gave in. He obviously had a plan but if he denied her as he had the first time there was going to be problems. She closed her eyes and waited.

She needn't have been concerned. There was no denial. They kissed like they had been apart for years. Her hands fisted in his cape as if it would anchor her to reality. He dragged her up on to her tiptoes in an attempt to pull her closer to his body. When they finally pulled apart they were both breathing heavily.

"You taste like chocolate." His voice was ragged even with his normal rumble.

She stared at him for a moment. That explained the change in the snacks. Was this some kind of anniversary she had forgotten about?

"Yes, yes, I suppose I do."

"That doesn't change the fact that I'm missing some diamonds and I think you have them." He looked down at her from his full height.

"Really?" Catwoman smirked at him. He wanted to play 'good old days'? He was in an odd mood. "Search me." Her hands skimmed down her body suggestively. "I have nothing to hide."

"Oh, I bet you have all sorts of pretty things hidden under there." Batman began running his own hands down her body searching for his missing diamonds, crowding into her space. She felt his fingers slip into one of the pouches on her utility belt.

"Well, well. What do we have here." Batman pulled a stunning antique diamond ring out of the pouch and flashed it in front of her eyes.

"That is not mine! I did not put that there!" Catwoman's temper blazed. Someone had slipped that ring into her pouch without her noticing but whom? No one had even been close to her except for Batman. Suddenly, everything clicked into place including where she had seen the ring before.

"You put that ring in there." The ring, its origin, the significance of it slammed into her and stole her breath away. With some difficulty she got enough air back to speak. "Why would you do that?"

"You don't want it." His tone was flat.

"Want it? I suddenly feel like I've been waiting for it my whole life and I didn't know it. Of course I want it." Catwoman swallowed. "I'm an ex-thief from the East End. That ring was hers. It isn't right."

"The ring is mine to give. There's no one I want to give it to besides you." He tilted her head up. "I think if she knew you she would more than approve. My mother knew character and strength when she saw it." Batman paused a moment. "Can you take your gauntlet off so I can put it on now?"

Catwoman nodded and undid the latches to release her gauntlet. She slid it off and held out her hand to Batman. He slid the ring on her finger. It fit snugly like it had been there all along.

"It fits." She breathed.

"I was going to have it sized but it turns out you and my mother are the same size." Batman smiled slightly. "It looks beautiful on you."

"It is beautiful." Catwoman smiled up at him. "We're going to get married. Wow."

"We need to get home though." Batman took her hand. "Agent A and the kids are waiting to see if you said yes. Hood probably started taking bets on whether I screwed this up, how badly I screwed this up, and if you said no as soon as I left the Cave."

Laughing, Catwoman followed him off the roof.