A/N: Set after sometime after Secrets Undercover. The next chapter to SU will be posted soon, just sit tight. Read, review and enjoy
Disclaimer: I own what is mine.
Bahamas
She hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time. Her hammock was gently swaying side to side as an afternoon breeze swept by cooling her heated flesh. The sounds of the waves casually rolling onto the shore only added to her serenity. It wasn't until a shadow obscured the sun's light on her face that Audrey realized someone had joined her. Her sapphire eyes lazily drifted to her left, she smiled as she saw her husband.
Bruce on the other hand was not as content as his wife. He was tired and a little put out. He had his jacket in one hand, his shoes in the other and his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows making him look very out of place on the sandy shores of the beach. Audrey noticed his mood as he continued to just stand there and lightly glare at her.
"Hey." She murmured, she had a fairly good idea while he was irritated but found she was currently enjoying his grumpy mood.
Bruce raised an eyebrow, "Hey? Is that really all you have to say to me?"
Audrey pursed her lips innocently, "How was New York?"
"New York was great." Bruce answered sarcastically, he had the bruises to show just how great it was, "I was gone just two days and I come home to find you had disappeared without a word."
"I left a note." Audrey smiled demurely as Bruce's eyes flashed dangerously.
He dropped his things before he dug into his coat's pocket and removed said note before reading it out loud, "Bruce, went to the Bahamas with Alfred. Be back in a few days. Love, Audrey"
He met her eyes a moment later, "What the hell is that?"
"A note, I believe." Audrey replied offhandedly, "I'm actually surprised you came out here. You hate leaving Gotham for more than a few days."
"I tried calling you to make sure you were okay. When you didn't answer your phone I decided I better go and make sure you didn't get yourself killed." Bruce said crisply, "You do remember what a phone is, right? That device you should have used to call me when you spontaneously decided you had to come to the Bahamas."
"Actually, I wanted to go to the Virgin Islands. Alfred, however, informed me that you owned property in the Bahamas." Audrey corrected. She had purposely ignored his calls in order to worry Bruce. She figured it was the only way she would get him down here.
"I must have forgotten to turn my phone back on." She continued as Bruce glowered at her.
Bruce narrowed his eyes at her as he remembered his arrival back at Wayne Manor almost twelve hours previously.
He had held back a yawn as he wandered into the foyer. The bag he had slung over his shoulder was a reminder of how little sleep he had managed the past few days. He was more than glad to be back from New York. He wanted to curl up with his wife and sleep for the next twenty hours.
It was late, almost two in the morning and without turning the lights on he made his way up the stairs and into his bedroom. Bruce froze the moment he crossed the threshold, though. His bed was empty…his wife was not cocooned in a mass of blankets. Any feeling of fatigued disappeared as he began to quietly search the manor. It seemed like no one was there.
"Alfred!" Bruce called out. It was then he realized that the manor really was empty.
On his second pass through the kitchen he noticed a piece of paper stuck to the fridge. Moving closer he read the note his wife had left him and grumbled under his breath before snatching it from its resting spot. He was going to kill her.
"Why the hell didn't she call me?"
Seconds later he had his phone pressed to his ear and was directed straight to Audrey's voicemail. After three attempts at trying to reach her and a few tries at trying to get Alfred on his phone, Bruce bit back a frustrated sigh and went back upstairs.
Back in his bedroom he dumped his dirty clothes out of his bag and replaced them with fresh ones before he went to take a quick shower. As soon as he was dressed again, Bruce was out the door and heading back to the airport.
"We own this property." Bruce corrected as he continued to stare in annoyance at his wife, "What was the point of this impromptu trip?"
"I decided that Alfred could use a vacation." Audrey answered as she pointedly looked over to where she knew the older man was currently dozing.
Bruce followed her gaze and held back a smile as he saw his guardian. Alfred was passed out on a lawn chair, not far from himself and Audrey, his wicker hat was pulled down to cover his face from the sun. A half empty glass of brandy was slowly growing warm next to him.
"Apparently, he agreed with you." Bruce remarked dryly.
"Yes, he did." Audrey responded as she finally stood to give her husband a proper greeting.
Bruce's annoyance slowly started to drift away as Audrey's soft lips caressed his own. He began to draw her closer when he noticed something lying on the hammock she had just vacated. Audrey sensed his sudden distraction and pulled away to see what was wrong. When she saw his eyes darkening slightly she turned to look at what was bothering him and winced. Her cell phone was lying face up and a blinking envelope showed she had just received a text message.
"Forgot to turn your phone on, huh?"
Bruce's eyes were now focused on her once again and Audrey squirmed as her mind rushed to come up with a plausible explanation. She didn't have a chance to voice any excuse as Bruce suddenly hefted her over his shoulder and began to move towards the water.
Audrey let out a muffled shriek, "Bruce, don't you dare!"
She didn't see his wicked smile at her words. The next second Bruce threw her into an oncoming wave, not caring that his pants were getting soaked. He was too busy enjoying his retribution.
From his lawn chair, Alfred opened his eyes at Audrey's yell and smiled at the scene that greeted him. His smiled turned into a chuckle as Audrey managed to drag Bruce the rest of the way into the water. He was suddenly glad he had let Audrey talk him into coming down here. This vacation was just what he needed…what they all needed.