A/N: I own nothing you recognize.
Being the introvert with no friends that I am, I've been flying through writing this, so I thought I would post the first chapter of the rewrite.
Wayne Manor
Monday, April 26, 2004
2047 EST
Buzz, buzz.
"Yes, Alfred?" Bruce Wayne asked distractedly, his eyes never wavering from the paper evidence in front of him.
"It's almost nine o'clock, Sir," Alfred Pennyworth said over the intercom. "Would you like dinner now?"
Bruce sighed and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Yeah, I'll be right down."
"Very good, Sir."
Bruce stood and stretched out the kinks in his back before walking to the door of his study and heading downstairs. He entered the grand dining hall and went straight through to the informal dining room, which consisted of a heavy wooden table that could fit six. But still he walked through.
The last door he entered brought him to the kitchen, which was where servants would normally eat. But it had been years since Bruce had used the dining rooms, any of them, if he wasn't hosting an event.
"Good to see you, Sir," Alfred said as he placed a warmed plate in front of Bruce.
"Thanks, Alfred," Bruce said before digging in. Alfred set a glass of water in front of Bruce and it wasn't until he took a sip that he realized how thirsty he was. He quickly finished the glass and Alfred was there immediately to refill.
The sound of glass shattering reached the pairs' ears and Bruce was immediately on his feet. He rushed from the kitchen and hurried to the main part of the house.
In the front entrance, the remains of a large vase lay scattered on the polished wood floor. Alfred appeared behind Bruce. "What would you like me to do, Sir?" he asked.
"Search the bottom floor," Bruce instructed. "I'll search upstairs."
Several minutes later, Bruce met up with Alfred downstairs.
"Nothing, Sir," Alfred said once Bruce arrived.
"Whoever was here must have left," Bruce sighed. "And I didn't see anything missing at first glance."
"Neither did I, Sir," Alfred said. "Would you like to finish your dinner?"
"I'd better," Bruce replied. "I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day."
They walked back to the kitchen together, Alfred a step behind Bruce. When Bruce pushed open the swinging door to the kitchen, he froze mid-stride, causing Alfred to almost run into him.
Sitting at the kitchen island, finishing off Bruce's meal, was a young girl. She caught a motion out of the corner of her eye and immediately she looked up. Her dark brown eyes widened and the fork slipped out of her grasp. It clattered against the plate loudly, causing the girl to jump slightly.
For a minute, the silence stretched on. Finally, Bruce spoke up.
"Uh, who are you?"
The girl swallowed thickly. "Maddie Charles," she said.
Bruce almost bought her lie. She's good, he thought. Very good. He narrowed his eyes, going into Batman-mode. "I want the truth," he said.
"I don't know what you mean," the girl responded, and by now, Bruce was getting impressed.
"I think you do," Bruce countered, his eyes burning holes into the girl's forehead.
For a moment, Bruce thought she might continue to argue. Her eyes flashed defiantly and she raised her gaze to meet his. How old is this girl? She finally dropped her gaze, and she suddenly seemed years younger.
"I-I don't know," she said, almost inaudibly.
"I said I want the truth!" Bruce snapped, slamming his fist on the table. The girl flinched violently, but to her credit, she didn't burst into tears, like Bruce was expecting.
"I'm telling you the truth," the girl said evenly. She glanced up briefly and Bruce couldn't detect a lie.
He let out a sigh and slid into the stool across from her. "I'm sorry if I startled you," he said in a quiet tone. "But can you tell me anything about yourself?"
A small, wry smile crossed the girl's lips. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she said.
"Try me," Bruce said. The girl glanced up again and met his eyes. Finally, the girl let out a breath and started to speak.
Now, Bruce had heard many things in his short twenty-six years. But nothing, nothing, could have a prepared him for the tale the girl spun. When she finally finished, the kitchen was filled with a heavy silence one of Alfred's expertly sharpened knives couldn't have cut through.
"Alfred," Bruce said finally. The older gentleman stepped forward. "I will need another plate," he said before turning back to the girl. "Would you like anything else to eat?"
The girl stared at him with wide eyes. "You mean you believe me?" she asked.
Bruce nodded. "I've seen and heard a lot of wild things in my life," he said with a slight chuckle.
The girl let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she said breathlessly. "And I'm sorry about the vase and the food."
"I never liked that vase very much," Bruce answered. "So, would you like anything else to eat?"
"No, thank you," the girl said. Bruce nodded and then glanced at Alfred, who walked to the stove and prepared another plate.
Alfred set the new meal in front of Bruce. "Thank you, Alfred," Bruce said before tucking in.
For a while, the only sounds were those of Bruce eating. The girl looked around awkwardly and Alfred made himself busy by tidying up the already spotless kitchen.
When Bruce was done, he pushed his plate away and Alfred immediately came by to take it up. "Thanks," Bruce said as he wiped his lips with a napkin. "And before you go to bed, would you please make up one of the guest bedrooms?"
"You mean I can stay the night?" the girl asked immediately, looking between the two men.
"Yes," Bruce said with a slight smile. "And in the morning, we can talk about what to do with you." Despite the ominous words, his tone set the girl at ease and she smiled back before hopping off the stool and following Alfred out of the kitchen.
When Alfred came back, he stood across from Bruce and clasped his hands behind his back. "Which orphanage would you like me to contact in the morning?" he asked.
"None," Bruce responded.
"Sir?" Alfred asked, unsure what the young Wayne was thinking.
"You heard her story," Bruce said. "She's never had 'normal,' so what's the big deal about me taking her in?"
"Well, your evening activities might be a problem," Alfred pointed out.
"But she's seen worse," Bruce argued. "I could take her in, teach her the ways of a hero. Her skills would be perfect for it."
"Sir, I hate to remind you, but she was being trained to be an assassin," Alfred said levelly.
"But she's just a girl," Bruce pushed. "I think there's time to mold her before any of her previous training takes root."
Alfred let out a deep sigh to let Bruce know he was very unhappy about the turn of events, but he said, "Very well, Sir."
Bruce nodded once as if to finalize their unspoken agreement. "That will be all, Alfred."
"Yes, Sir," Alfred said before turning and exiting the kitchen, leaving Bruce to ponder if he had made the right choice.
In the end, Alfred talked Bruce out of straight-up adopting the girl. He reminded Bruce that he was only twenty-six, and what with his schedule, it might be better for the girl to go to another home. When Bruce had put up a fight, Alfred agreed to find a family within the Justice League's circle.
The next day, Bruce had explained to the girl that he wouldn't be able to take her into his care, but that he knew of a nice family that lived very close who would be more than happy to take her in. The girl had asked him if she would be able to continue her training and lessons at this other family's house, and the idea that the ten-year-old wanted to continue the lifestyle she had before made Bruce realize how rigorously disciplined the girl had been. But he said that if that was what she wanted, then he could arrange something for her.
After smoothing out a little snag—choosing a name—Bruce set up everything Naomi Sanders would need to live as normal a life as possible.
While everyone waited for the paperwork to go through, Naomi stayed with Bruce. Every day possible, the Scotts stopped by to get to know Naomi, and after a few days, the young girl was getting used to the idea of "normal."
Two weeks later, it was cleared. The Scotts would be named the girl's official guardians, and Bruce would arrange for any trainers or tutors to come to his house if she wished.
David and Lisa Scott were thrilled at the idea of having another child. They had one boy, James, who was two years older than Naomi, but after complications during the pregnancy, it had been declared too risky to try again. Now, their little family was growing.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed and stay tuned! I should be posting somewhat regularly (on Saturdays). If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to ask.
Until next time.