Bruce offered his date the popcorn. Selina smiled, taking a piece. He had decided to take her on another date. After a few business meetings and one luncheon, he still thought he needed to investigate her foundation. It was all very charitable, but some of the donations… did not seem legal. Of course, Selina was a smart and beautiful business woman who was using this as a chance to boost funding and publicity for her company, but most women he 'dated' where also using him for similar reasons. At least she ran a women's shelter, instead of hoping to get new Wayne tech or money for designer dresses out of him.
Of course, Alfred would always point out he never really 'dated' anyone, but Bruce needed to keep the mask of 'Brucie the Playboy Billionaire Who Is Way Too Dumb to Even Be Considered As Batman's Secret Identity' up.
Either way, the public nature of the circus would allow many pictures of the two to circulate, allowing the publicity they both wanted, and the extended time he was sitting next to Selina would allow the small computer in his cuff link to sort through any message or other documents on her phone that seemed illegal. He could sort through anything it caught later at home.
Selina quietly chewed on the snack, using the time to think. Bruce Wayne seemed to be slowly wrapping around her finger, and given a little time and a few more dates, she was sure she could snag quite a bit of donations from him. She slowly eyed the man up and down. Rich, handsome, liked donating to charities, not too bright, and high-profile. The perfect catch- and she would know, she had done this before. Steeling the hearts- and money- of men was never as exhilarating or as fun as taking gems from a museum, but she was just as good at it. And some of her funding had to have obvious, lawful explanations after all.
"Like what you see?" He asked, raising one eyebrow roguishly.
Selina smirked. "Maybe." She leaned against his arm. She almost stopped- he was ripped. Much more ripped than silly rich boys who weren't known for sports usually were. But it wasn't that weird, maybe Wayne just cared about his health. Wasn't that weird.
The lights went down, and a few performers came out around the ring. Selina watched as one, a clown, juggled scarves.
"I hate clowns."
"I hate clowns."
Selina looked up in surprise. Bruce Wayne's eyes met her own, slightly wider at the fact they had murmured the same thing at the same time.
"Well, we are Gothamites." She murmured as she turned back to the ring, where an old man had stepped out. Wayne chuckled slightly besides her.
The two watched the acrobats spin around in the air. They really were spectacular, flipping three or four times between the trapeze. A smaller figure jumped in, swinging and tumbling between his parents. The pair below watched in awe of their control, their strength.
The little boy flipped back up onto the platform.
The audience clapped.
The woman twisted, grabbing the man's arms as she fell to his trapeze.
The chains of the swing buckled.
The pair swung back upward.
The chain broke.
The swing fell.
The audience gasped.
The man threw the woman as far up as he could.
The woman reached out her arm.
The other trapeze was too high.
The woman fell.
Two bodies hit the floor.
The audience screamed.
The little boy fell to his knees.
Selina Kyle stood up with the crowd, but fell back on her date.
Bruce Wayne steadied her absently, eyes locked on the bodies.
Then they were moving forward, down the steps, onto the sand.
The little boy was climbing, stumbling down the ladder.
The ringmaster was by them, calling for an ambulance.
Calling for the police.
The little boy stopped by Selina's leg.
"No… Momma… Papa…Momma! Papa! NO!"
The little boy fell forward.
Selina caught him, steadying him on his knees.
Bruce took off his jacket, covering the faces of the acrobats, just as another man had once covered his own parents.
"Look at me Kitten, look at me." Selina said, kneeling down to face the boy. "Shhshhshhhh… just look at me Kitten, look here." She grasped him by the shoulders. He gasped through his sobs.
"No no no no!" Selina pulled him into a hug, keeping his head on the shoulder away from his parents. She rubbed his back.
"Don't look over there, Kitten. Just breath. In and out. In and out. You are all right." She looked up at Bruce. "You will be all right." She amended.
"His parents?" The tall man quietly asked the shaking ring master.
"Yes." Pop Haly muttered.
"Any other family here?"
The other man just shook his head.
Bruce sighed. Of course not. He looked down. The boy had fallen back into tears, still as Selina held him close.
"He shouldn't stay here, not with…" Bruce motioned to the bodies.
"Would you mind just getting him to sit over there?" Pop Haly asked, pointing to the nearest seats. "Don't let him leave the tent… Not until the police arrive. I… I don't know what to do." His shoulders slumped as he blinked back tears.
Bruce only nodded. He touched Selina's shoulder.
"Let's get him over there." He whispered, nodding his head to the stands. She rubbed the boys back, pulling him up.
"Let's sit over here, Kitten." She tried to steer him, but he dug in his heals.
"No… No! I can't," he spun around. "My Mum… Moma!" he tried to get closer, but Bruce blocked him.
"Sh, shhhh. Sport, your mother isn't there anymore. Come over here. No, no, that isn't her. Just take one step, then anther. We'll get there. Shh.. shhh…" he quietly guided the boy, who was stumbling blindly, to the chairs.
Selina turned to Pop Haly. "Is there any place that boy can sleep tonight, here? Or… does he have any family? God-parents?"
"His fam- they had a car on the train. His own little bunk. I don't mind him staying here, with us. But no family. His Ma's family ended up in another circus, but they were killed in a crash. His Pa's family is long gone. They were… the last of the Grayson's."
Selina nodded. With no family, she didn't know if CPS or even the GCPD would allow him to continue living in this circus- he was underage, and not formally schooled, and this was an internationally traveling business. On the other hand- there weren't all that many foster homes in Gotham- and she would know that whatever they were like, it was bad. A couple of good orphanages though, and maybe he could even stay in one of her shelters until a place out of the city was found. As long as he stayed in state, he could be assigned to any foster home. Well, if the police report ever made it out of the city. She sighed, not knowing wat to do. The police or the EMTs- they were coming into the tent now- might want to question him, but what was there to ask? This was just an accident, and he was physically fine.
Looking over, Selina saw that the boy was rocking back and forth under Bruce's arm as the man continued to whisper to him. She walked over and sat on his other side. She draped the cardigan she brought over his shoulders.
Poor little kitten, she thought. You poor little kitten.
Bruce stared steadily out on the road. The police had taken the boy to the station with them, to find a CPS agent and place for him to stay.
"Pop Haly said he doesn't have any other family." Selina said, her voice hoarse.
Bruce looked over at his passenger seat. "I know." He sighed. "Commissioner Gordon will make sure he's taken care of." He had when it had been Bruce, after all.
Selina nodded. "I know, I just… I think I'll check in on him tomorrow. Make sure."
"Mind… Mind if I join you?" he asks, surprising himself.
Selina hadn't expected that either. "Uh, yeah. I was think around 11, but when are y-"
"11 is fine." Bruce said. "11 is-ah, shoot, I'm going back to the Manor. Sorry, where is your apartment again?" he must have been on auto pilot. Stupid, careless Bruce. He chided himself. Concentrate. You aren't going to have time for a long patrol as it is tonight, and-
"No, no, I… I'm sorry to ask this, Bruce, but can I just crash on your couch tonight? I… I don't want to be in an empty apartment tonight." Not when all she could do was remember how her mother had looked when… or hear her father in all the empty rooms like when she was… She shook her head. "No, sorry, it's all right, I can-"
"Its fine." Bruce interrupted. "No, I understand. I… after tonight… yeah." Smooth, Bruce. Get it together. "You can stay in a guest room, I don't mind." And Alfred wouldn't, especially once Bruce told him about it in the Cave. And there wasn't anyone else in the manor to disturb. Just the ghosts.
"Thank you, Bruce." Selina said, deciding not to argue. This time. She huddled up against the arm rest.
Bruce turned the heater up.