from the start

by KelleyGaither2342

prebop background btwn Selina and Bruce. How they almost had it all, and how Selina being pregnant wHelena changed their relationship forever. i don't own any of the characters in this story. they belong to WB and DC comics. no profit intended.

After six months of dating, Bruce had invited her to his home, just for the weekend, he said. One weekend had become two months at his behest. The night that changed her life had begun innocently enough, with a business party at his home. She wore a long sleeved sequined Kelly green evening gown that dipped in the front to emphasize her ample bosom, with a slit to the hips. Her hair was tempered in a French twist, with dangling diamond earrings. What seemed to be hundreds of people were attending, many of whom she had burglarized in the past. She tried to be as inconspicious as possible, until he came up behind her, kissed her ear, and whispered in it.

"Don't worry. You look absolutely enchanting. I'm sorry about this. Believe me, when I asked you here, I didn't intend for there to be anyone but us here for the duration of your stay. This party just ambushed me. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Don't worry about it. It's not a problem, really."

She smiled.

She could hear the smile in his voice.

"How about I keep that promise right now? What do you say we ditch this party and go have some fun?"

"But your guests . . . "

He took her in his arms.

"Can get along fine without me. Trust me. They won't even know I'm gone. My advisors will tell me Monday if I missed anything important. You'd be doing me the huge favor of saving me from a coma brought on by boredom."

She laughed. Seeing her smile brought one on his lips. He spoke to her.

"Go to the bedroom, and get into some jeans, and a top you can allow to get dirty."

"What are we doing?"

"You'll see. Meet me on the far end of the estate in about thirty minutes."

"Bruce, are you sure? We . . . "

He put a finger to her lips to silence her.

"Get going. If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have asked."

She smiled at him as she turned to leave. When she reached the room, she began to walk toward the chest of drawers to retrieve a sweater and blue jeans, but the corner of her eye happened to catch the four post bed. Lying on it was a sweater, and a new pair of designer blue jeans. As soon as she was dressed, she began heading toward the far end of the estate, as he had asked her to.

When she reached her destination, she saw a vast fenced in area, with hundreds of horses grazing the miles of grassland the area enclosed. She walked closer as one of the horses, a blue roan mare, came to the fence and stretched her neck, wanting attention. She petted the mare, and as she talked to her, she noticed a black dot almost out of sight range approaching at a reckless pace. As the dot came closer, she was able to make out a male figure on horseback. She was then able to tell the identity of the man. It was Bruce, and he reigned his heaving mount in a few feet from where she was standing. He dismounted, patted the stallion on the neck, and began walking it to cool it. He was dressed in a black sweater that showed off his well-muscled arms, black blue jeans and boots. She spoke to him.

"So, this is your surprise, huh? You wanna go horseback riding?"

"Nope. Got a lot more than this planned."

"Really? Like what?"

His endless blue eyes sparkled, matching the smile that crossed his mouth, showing off his white teeth. He moved his shoulder length black hair out of the way as he moved toward her, pulled the part of her accessible to him over the fence, taking her neck in his cupped left hand, pulled her mouth toward his, and, in a kiss that was as tender as it was passionate, kissed her. His tongue stole into her mouth, exploring its inner reaches. Returning his kiss, her hand enveloped the back of his head. His kiss grew harder as she moaned her pleasure, breathing against his lips.

She broke the kiss, looking him in the eye, speaking huskily.

"I want you. Right now. Take me, please."

He looked at her. God, he wanted her, too. He had to forcibly hold himself back from jumping the fence and taking her right here. His loins shouted their ardor for her as well. No, he wouldn't do it, not here, anyway. When it did happen, he wanted it to be a true union of love, not just a rutting.

He shook his head, swallowing hard, trying to catch his breath.

"No, not yet. Believe me, Selina, by the end of tonight, you'll be glad we waited. Come on, I'll introduce you to your horse."

She walked through the gate, and followed him into the stable.

They stopped at a stall at the tail end of the huge barn. As he opened the stall door, she looked into the huge enclosure that held a massive albino Andalusian gelding. She moved backwards as he attached a lead rope to the animal's halter, and began walking it out to the cross ties, where he secured the animal between two ropes, walked into the tack room, and brought out a saddle blanket, saddle, and bridle. After saddling the animal, he took the bit in his hands, and rubbed the cold steel between them, making the bit less uncomfortable for the horse. As he finished buckling the bridle onto the horse, he let loose the cross ties, and she mounted. He reached for the lead rope, assuming she didn't know how to ride. She took the lead away from him, and, urging the horse forward into a walk, she stopped outside the barn's door. He laughed, and, upon reaching where she was, whistled. The black stallion he had ridden earlier neighed in response, and galloped up to him. Before he realized it, she had galloped away from him, and he spurred his horse madly to catch her. Upon doing so, he drew hard rein, as did she. As his horse snorted and sidestepped impatiently, he spoke to her.

"Come on. I've got something I want you to see. We've got to hurry if we want to see it."

After allowing him to take the lead, she spurred her horse, following a few paces behind him. After about ten minutes of hard riding, he drew rein. Upon waiting for her to catch him, he dismounted. He pointed toward the horizon.

"Look."

As she dismounted, she looked toward where he was pointing. She gasped. The sun was setting in the hills. Its fiery red hue set the sky ablaze, as it did the water of the waterfall it was beginning to hide behind. The sound of the waterfall seemed only to enhance the sight of it. As the water fell from the waterfall, each droplet took on a color of the rainbow, some of them so red that they themselves seemed to be on fire. The hues of the sky ranged from pink, to orange, to blue, to yellow, from light whites to dark grays. The sky spoke of a coming rain. Horses of all tinctures were there for water, their colors mirroring and enhancing the ones of the sky.

It seemed almost a disappointment when the sun finally settled beneath the horizon. He looked at her. As much as he hated for this moment to end, he had other, better ones he wanted to share with her. He turned his horse, and grabbed the reins of hers. Only the sound of the heel of his boot meeting the left stirrup of the saddle broke her attention from the spell the setting sun held over her. She looked at him as he mounted, and when he had mounted, he took a large blue blanket from one of his saddlebags, having noticed she was shivering. Grabbing the reins with one hand, he held the other hand out to her, inviting her to mount in front of him. She accepted his hand, and when he had gotten behind her, he covered her shoulders with the blanket. He then put his arms around her, taking hold of the reins. As he kicked the horse into a walk, he kissed an exposed part of her neck, then covered it with the blanket as well, leaving only her head exposed.

When they had reached the stable, and he had cared for the horses, he placed a blindfold over her eyes. He warned her not to peek, she would ruin the surprise. She laughed as he led her into the house, warning her when he was opening doors. When he finally took the blindfold off, they were standing in a grand ballroom. She looked around, mesmerized, taking it all in. She gasped as she looked at the ornate furnishings. The floor, made of oak, shined with a fresh coat of wax. The crystal chandeliers sparkled like diamonds, each crystal caught the light, reflecting it in such a way that it seemed to almost be a light source of its own. The song, "Just The Way You Are" played. The sound system was hidden, as hers was. Suddenly, the lighting dimmed. He walked toward her, bowed, and took her in his arms. As they danced, he spoke to her.

" You know, I really am sorry about that party. I never intended to cause you any embarrassment. I would never hurt you intentionally. These past few months have been heaven on earth for me. I never knew I could let myself feel this way about anyone, especially after my parents' murder. After they died, I just kind of shut down emotionally. I didn't allow myself to feel anything for anyone. I thought it was too dangerous, too painful. Then you came into my life, and all that changed. With you in my life, I've been reborn. I'm a new man, and I have you to thank for it"

She looked at him, mystified.

"Bruce, what are you trying to say, without saying it?"

His face took on the look of a puppy who had just peed on the floor, and was waiting for the punishment it knew was coming. He sighed.

" I'm saying that I love you, Selina Kyle. I know you weren't expecting this so early in our relationship, and I won't blame you if you think I'm crazy and want to leave, but I couldn't keep it inside any longer. I..."

He could say no more, for she silenced him with a bruising kiss. He pulled her hard against himself, returning her kiss with equal voracity. He broke the kiss, whispering to her.

" I've got one last surprise. Come with me."

She smiled as he took her hand, leading her down a hall and up a staircase. When they reached the last door on the left, he put his hand over her eyes, walking her into the room, and shutting the door behind them. When he removed his hand from her eyes, she looked around. It his bedroom, with a huge fire roaring in the fireplace directly across from a four-post bed, the posts of which supported thin white veil curtains. He motioned toward a door.

" Go in, and see what I have waiting for you. Enjoy it for as long as you want to, then come out for the surprise."

This wasn't the surprise? She mused.

She entered the room, closing the door behind herself. The room was a huge bathroom, larger than her apartment, she guessed. A hot bubble bath was drawn for her in the huge garden tub that occupied the side of the left wall. Red rose petals floated in perfumed water.

She removed her clothing, and slipped into the water and sighed as it enveloped her. She began thinking. In all her years as CatWoman, and the expert at burglary she had become, and all the things she had stolen, she had never amassed any where near this level of opulence. Did she enjoy the independence her actions had allotted her? Certainly. She depended on no one. She was her own person. With her wealth, she would never have to ask anyone for anything. Never surrender her independence. That had been her credo. Call no man master. Never depend on anyone but self. She had learned that lesson when the hard way when her mother died. Living with an alcoholic father, she had learned that if you wanted something, you had to go out and take it, no one was going to hand it to you. Yet, it seemed that was exactly what the enigmatic Mr. Wayne was doing. What part of herself would she have to sacrifice in return? It remained to be seen. At this juncture, all it seemed he wanted in return was her love. That was hard in itself, for she had loved before, and, like an improperly handled bullwhip, it had come back and bitten her. Was it time to let down the walls built over the course of a lifetime? Let someone in? She knew the man waiting for her in the adjoining bedroom truly owned her heart. When she would don her CatWoman costume to burglarize, he had been her nemesis, tracking her every move. But the exhilaration of evading him made her passion for him rise all the more. Their rooftop rendevous had become increasingly more frequent, and more erotic each time. The only way in which he had disappointed her was by never making love to her at any of their meetings. She knew that he desired her as much as she desired him. The taste of his kiss, God, the taste, the sweet, bruising brutality, the passion of his kiss.

She sighed as she rose from the bath water. These things would work themselves out in the coming days. Nothing had to be decided tonight. As she dried herself off with a towel, she looked around the room, and noticed five knee length gauzy silk nightgowns laid out on the couch that was situated in the far end of the room. Their colors varied, one of them deep blue, one of them royal purple, one of them the color of red wine, one of them midnight black, and the last one jade green. She chose the gown that was the color of red wine.

After putting it on, she walked out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. The bedroom was completely dark, except for the light of the fireplace, and the light of hundreds of small white candles. The bed was strewn with red rose petals.

He was lying on the bed, eyes closed, though not in sleep, but as though he was deep in thought. Kenny G music played from a hidden sound system. He was dressed in silken black pajamas, and, noticing her in the room, poured them both a glass of champagne from a chilled bottle, still in the ice. He walked up to her, and handed her one of the glasses. He spoke to her.

"I was hoping you'd choose that one. It brings out the green in your eyes."

"Bruce, I don't know what to say about all this. It's too much."

He lifted her gaze to his with a crooked finger tucked under her chin.

" It's funny you should say that, cause I don't think it's nearly enough. There's one other request I want to make of you. You're going to think I'm out of my mind, and maybe I am, but if I am, it's with love for you, and you alone, Selina."

"What is it, Bruce?"

He took her left hand in his right, got down on one knee, and pulled a velvet box out of his pajama top pocket. He opened the box, revealing an engagement ring with a huge diamond in the main setting, and a waterfall of fifteen baguette diamonds surrounding it. He looked into her eyes.

"Selina Kyle, will you make me the happiest man on earth, and marry me?"

Tears coming to her eyes, she nodded, speechless. He slipped the ring on her finger.

He took the champagne from her hand, and sat it with his on the chest of drawers. He took her in his arms, and kissed her, hesitantly at first, as though testing her reaction, but when she finished returning his kiss with a flick of her tongue across the middle of his upper lip, he could stand it no longer. He picked her up, carried her to the bed, and laid her on it.

He lay on top of her, kissing her gently as he removed her hair restraint, letting her long blonde hair flow free across the pillow that cushioned her head. She gasped as he first kissed the nape of her neck, then touched it with the tip of his tongue, then gently blew on the wet area. He kissed her this way all down the left side of her neck, and, reaching up, moved the strap off of her shoulder. He kissed his way down to her now exposed breast, and reaching up, rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger. He then cupped it with his left hand, and, taking it into his mouth, suckled deeply. She cupped the back of his head in her hand, forcing his mouth down harder on her breast. He licked with his tongue the aroused nipple, and, closing her eyes in ecstasy, she moaned her pleasure. He then repeated the process with the right breast while rubbing the left with his free hand.

He then removed her gown slowly, revealing her body to him a little at a time. As he would reveal a part of it, he would kiss the exposed area. He did so until he reached the saffron curls of her womanhood. Taking his time, he buried his face inside of her, licking and nipping, her nub erect, he took it in his mouth, and tugged on it like a puppy with a chew toy. Unable to control her reaction, she moaned his name loudly, and seeing that she was about to reach her peak without him, he jerked off his pajamas, revealing himself already hard and ready for her. As he bucked himself into her, the fingernails that had once played so gently across the silk of his top now dug into the skin of his back. He began to move within her slowly, deliberately, as though he were planning each movement ahead of time. She wrapped her legs around his hips, moving with him, trying to guide him into the rhythm she wanted. He would have none of it, and took control. In the end, as he climaxed, and shouted her name, taking one last thrust as he did, a thrust that as his seed left him to enter her, was so deep it impaled her womb, she too, was glad that he had taken control.

As she lay on her left side, sleepily wrapped in his arms, she basked in the moment. After a long silence, he kissed her exposed neck, and was the first to speak.

"I love you, Selina."

She sighed contentedly.

"I love you, too, Bruce."

Then, she said something he had not expected.

"Bruce?"

He answered her, more than half-asleep himself, and more than content to spend the rest of the night, hell, the rest of his life, with her in his arms.

"Uh-huh?"

"About what's happened these past six months, no regrets?"

"No, of course not. Why would there be? I mean, you wanted it too, right?"

"Of course."

"Why would you ask something like that? Is there something wrong, Selina? Something I can help you with?"

"No. Nothing's wrong. Everything's perfect, Bruce. I couldn't have dreamed a night, or a life, more wonderful than the one you've given me."

She became silent, and in a few minutes, he could tell by watching her chest rise and fall that she was asleep. He propped his head up on his left hand, supporting it with his elbow. He stroked her hair lovingly, almost reverently, taking in her scent, mingled with the smell of the love making that had went on in that room. She always loved it when he played with her hair, and he was always glad to oblige, rather enjoying the soft feel of it, loved burying his face in it, taking in the smell of the strawberry shampoo she always used. God help him. He loved the woman laying beside him so much. He would kill himself at her command if he thought it would bring her a moment's happiness. Not long after strengthening the grip of his arms around her, pulling her closer to himself, did he himself fall into the blissful world of dreams.

The light of the new morning streamed through Bruce Wayne's bedroom window, hitting him square in the eyes. He winced, and then woke to see his butler, a balding, white haired elderly British gentleman by the name of Alfred Pennyworth spreading the heavy red velvet draperies that comprised the curtains of the bedroom, letting the sunlight streak in. He sat upright, pulling the cover over his waist, propping the rest of himself up against the headboard of the bed, noticing Selina's absence, he spoke to Alfred's back.

"Alfred, where's Selina?"

Alfred turned to face his master, revealing the face of the man Bruce considered to be a second father, the man that had raised him since he was ten. Alfred smiled, his bright, clear blue eyes joining the expression on his face, eyes that saw the world through pince-nez eye glasses. In a gentle, clear voice, completely unwavered by age, he answered.

"Master Bruce, I believe Mistress Selina has retired to the pool house. She requested your presence once you woke. She asked that I not wake you."

Bruce smiled as he thanked him, waited for Alfred to leave, and then rose, went to the chest of drawers, and retrieved a pair of black swimming trunks. After donning them, he left the bedroom and walked to the pool house.

Upon reaching it, he opened grabbed the brass door handles on one of the two heavy oak doors, opening them with a creak of protest coming from the doors. The motif of the room he entered resembled more a Greek temple than a pool house. The cathedral ceiling was made to look as though it were being held in place by pure, ornately carved marble pillars placed along the walls of the structure. Green ferns grew from terra cotta pots placed all along the back walls of the room. A skylight illuminated the room, and he looked in the pool, and saw her swimming. Her hair was wet, plastered to her skin, as was her blue bikini. She swam to the left near side of the pool, and spat out water. She spoke.

"Hey."

He grinned.

"Hey. I didn't think cats liked water."

"Lots of 'em do. Tigers, leopards, jaguars. All of them can swim if they have to."

He came extremely close to her side of the pool. She grinned, and grabbed his bare leg.

"Let's see how much bats like it!"

He yelped in suprise as she pulled him into the water with her.

Chapter 1

As the bubbles in her bubble bath swaddled her body, Selina finally felt serenity for the first time that day. She sighed deeply as she let the hot water in her bathtub claim her. As Beethoven's Fur Elise played on the hidden sound system in her bathroom, she began to feel equanimity invite her. Just as she was beginning to let sleep have its way with her, she felt the sandpaper tongue of one of her cats lick her in the face. She opened her eyes to see Isis, a jet black cat with green eyes, a favorite out of the fifty cats that called her penthouse home, looking her in the eye. As Isis jumped from the edge of the tub, Selina knew someone was at the door, for that was the only time Isis was a nuisance. She reluctantly put on a robe. Feeling the bathtub beckoning her, Selina pleaded silently "Please, Please, let it be a Jehovah's Witness, or a Mormon, someone I can slam the door on." As she neared the door, she heard the voice of the person on the other side calling her name.

She recognized the owner of the voice. It was Barbara Gordon. She called to her.

"Just a minute, Babs."

When she opened the door, a beautiful red-haired woman with eyes the color of jade stood before her. The woman was a half-inch taller than her, which was remarkable in itself because Selina was 5'8". Today she didn't have her usual self-assured grin. Barbara was worried about her best friend, for reasons Selina hadn't explained over the telephone, but she seemed distraught. As she sat on the sofa, and Selina sat beside her, facing her, she spoke.

"What's wrong, Selina?"

Selina sighed, and, pushing a stray lock blonde hair behind her left ear, took Barbara's left hand in hers and spoke.

"Well, I've got to tell you something, but first you've got to swear to me that you won't tell anyone."

"Depends on what you want me to swear me to secrecy about. I can't promise anything, if it's illegal, I've got an obligation to say something."

"No, it's nothing like that. Barbara, ever since I moved to this city, you're the only person besides Bruce I've been able to open up to, to trust unconditionally. This is something I can't even tell him."

"What could you possibly not tell him, Selina? I mean, it's not like you're pregnant or anything..."

Selina stopped her mid-sentence.

"Actually, Barbara, it's a lot like that. I took a pregnancy test earlier this morning, and it's positive. I'm pregnant. Bruce is gonna be a father."

Barbara's hand went over her mouth in awe.

"You're absolutely sure?"

Selina nodded, tears filling her eyes, finally collapsing into the arms of her friend, who readily accepted her into them, and stroked Selina's right arm with her left, soothing her. Many moments later, Barbara spoke, her voice, low, authoritive, though still soothing.

"You've got to tell him about the baby, Selina. He deserves to know, he'll want to know. He'll be thrilled, you know that. You know he'd do anything within his power to make you happy. He's madly in love with you, and a baby would be the icing on the cake."

"I can't tell him, and you know exactly why. It's not about me, or my safety. I don't give a damn about my well-being. Any danger that comes my way, I put myself in, knowing the consequences. But Barbara, we're talking about a baby here, a complete innocent. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to my child. You know full well what kind of element is gunning for the Batman, 'cause they're gunning for you, too. If they knew he had a child, don't you think it'd be a feather in their cap to kill it? I know he'd love for he, I, and our baby to be one big, happy family. I'd love it. You don't know how much I'd love it. But just like I couldn't live with myself if something happened to our child, I know he couldn't, either. Just for the moment, let me be happy, and share my happiness with me. That's all I'm asking, Babs."

As she stopped crying, and wiped her eyes, she sighed as Barbara handed her a tissue.

"I'm so scared, Barbara."

Barbara stroked the left side of Selina's face with her right hand, and whispered to her.

"I know, baby, I know. Everything's gonna be okay, you'll see."

Selina touched her still flat belly in awe, as though she couldn't believe that another human being was growing inside of her. Though she wanted to stifle any kind of reaction to the news until Selina had accepted it, Barbara couldn't stifle a small smile. When it came, she didn't try.

Chapter 2

That night, as Selina dressed in her nightgown, readying herself for bed, she felt an inexplicable urge to go to the roof of the penthouse she lived in. When she reached the rooftop, she let the freezing night air embrace her body. She would miss the freedom that being CatWoman brought, of that there was no doubt. It wasn't just the money that kept her in that costume. Money was important, no question, but it was the adrenaline rush of getting in and out of houses undetected, the feel of the night air in her face as she plummeted toward the ground after jumping off a rooftop, like a cat, always landing on her feet, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. And then, of course, there was him. The man whose baby she was now carrying. She never saw herself as the maternal type. Her lifestyle was too dangerous. She was too self-centered. But if she had to be pregnant, she wanted no one else to be the father. She hated to admit it, but she had fallen in love with him a long time ago, and if circumstances were different, she might even consider his marriage proposal.

After finishing her silent good-bye to the night, she turned and walked toward the door that would take her down the stairwell. When she reached the door, she paused. She felt his presence. Her suspicion was confirmed when she felt his cape around her. He spoke to her as she turned to face him. She smiled seductively, tracing the emblem on his suit with the forefinger of her right hand as he took her in his arms, holding her in a tight embrace, finding the familiarity of it somehow comforting, his voice almost a whisper, low and raspy.

"A little cold to be out here dressed in so little, isn't it, Selina?"

"I could be dressed in a lot less, you know. I wish you'd come down to my penthouse, and let me show you how little I can wear."

"A tempting offer. I wish I could, but you know my schedule, and you know this city. If I'm not there . . . "

She laughed.

"What, the world's going to end? The sky's going to fall? I've got news for you, Chicken Little, just because an acorn falls on your head doesn't mean the world's ending and we should all run for cover. Gotham can do without you for a few hours, Bruce."

He smiled. She could be such a smart ass.

"Selina, I . . . "

Her mouth claimed his, and he pulled her to himself as she wrapped her arms around him, and this time it was he who moaned in pleasure as she bruised his lips with her kiss, this time it he that was left wondering how his legs were still supporting him after such a searing kiss, because they felt like jelly beneath him. She spoke to him breathlessly as she broke the kiss, returning his cape, speaking to him from over her shoulder as she slowly walked away, as though she were giving him time to reconsider her proposition.

"You know where I live, and you know my window's always open to a certain irritating, big, black bat. I love you now, and I will always love you, Batman."

By the time he found the words to speak, his words had no ears to receive them. She had shut the door behind herself.

"I'll always love you, too, CatWoman."

He wanted so desperately to follow her, to hold her in his arms forever, keep her safe, never let anything hurt her again. Why did it feel like she was saying good-bye? He wanted so badly for her to let him in, to make her understand that he wasn't going anywhere, that his place was with her, and hers with him. That she could finally be free to be herself, that neither of them had to hide behind masks anymore. Something Carolyn Lance had told her a long time ago obviously still had a hold on her. She had pretended the remark hadn't hurt, but he knew better. Carolyn had told her long ago that she would never be anything more than a one night stand to him, a whore, a mistress that came and went as his libido rose and fell. That all the jewelry he gave Selina, all the exotic places they went on vacation, and the white tigress cub he had gifted her with on her birthday, that those things had no real affection behind them, they were simply payments to his whore for services rendered. Carolyn couldn't have been more wrong. As he watched her shut the stairwell door behind herself, a part of him knew that, as much as he had to fight himself to keep from running after her, to hold her down and make her listen, make her see exactly how much he loved her, he also achingly admitted to himself that if he did that, he would be no better than the pervert of an ex-husband that had forced his affections on her when she had married at an all too young age of 14, no better than the countless johns Carolyn had thrown up in her face, disgusting men that she had prostituted herself out to when she was twelve years of age to have a roof over her head for the night, food in her belly, shoes on her feet, a bed to sleep in, and clothes on her back. He would have to let her have things the way she wanted them, at least for the time being, because otherwise she wouldn't be happy, and her happiness was the one thing that mattered most to him.

He stifled a sob as he saw what she had placed in the palm of his right hand when she had returned his cape to him. There, in the palm of his hand, lay the engagement ring he had given her. She had made her decision about their future together known without saying a word.

As he shot his grappling hook into a crevice in the next building over, he knew exactly whom he needed to go see next. She'd know what to do. She always did. She had to. And he knew that, even this late at night, she'd still be up, the room in the back that she always kept open for him wouldn't be occupied by anyone but her. If he ever had a problem, he knew her ears were always wide open, but he also knew he couldn't risk anyone making a connection between her and his alter ego. Too many people hated him, and he couldn't risk them hurting her to get to him.

When he made it to the 12th street mission, he repelled down the side of the building in total darkness. After checking to make sure that no one could see him, he removed his mask. It had been an unspoken rule between them since he had become the Batman. Whenever he was in that room, no masks. It wasn't that she didn't know who he was. She was the second person he had told, the first being Alfred. No, it was psychological, he supposed. Gave him nothing, real or imagined, to hide his feelings behind. When he opened the door, he stepped inside the familiar room, and looked around. It was a small room, though large enough to suit the purpose for which it was designed, which was to give her a place to relax and sleep after handling the affairs of the shelter each day. The familiar smell of pine wood burning tickled his nose, and drew his attention to the only source of light available in the room, a rather large fireplace, in which a fire now roared, a loud, angry pop being heard when the flame hit a knot in the wood. Two stout pine, slat bottom rocking chairs sat some distance apart, one on either side of the fire, though still facing one another, with cushions tied to the seat. The one on the left containing a dark red cushion, the other, a country blue. As he shifted his weight uneasily on both feet, he could feel, and then hear, the hard oak floor giving just slightly beneath the pressure of his weight.

A door he knew to be there, but could not at the time see, opened and shut. He knew then that she had finished her responsibilities for the day, and would be able to give him her undivided attention. He could hear her turn, and lock the door behind herself. She could walk through the door and be inside the shelter in an instant if she was needed, but she didn't want anyone who might do her harm coming inside, either. As she became visible to him, she stopped, ran her hand through her cropped salt and pepper hair, and sighed, smiling. She looked into the shadows, and spoke, her voice gentle, almost hypnotic in its ability to soothe, but firm and unwavering. It was a voice that had calmed a frightened little boy of ten, the night she had taken him in after witnessing his parent's murder, and, twenty years later, it calmed him even now.

"I know you're there. You tried to hide from me when you were ten, and I found you then, Bruce. What difference do you think twenty years is gonna make?"

He chuckled slightly, and came out of the shadows. She motioned for him to sit in the rocking chair with the country blue cushion. He didn't want to, he generally preferred standing, but he acquiesced. She walked into the kitchen, and filled a tea kettle full of water. She then turned a knob on the stove top, letting the water begin to boil. She returned to the living room, and sat in the chair opposite him. They sat in silence for a few moments, and then, she, seeing that he was not going to initiate conversation, spoke.

"What's the matter?"

Although the face that met her was grinning, she saw the sadness he was trying, and failing, to hide.

"Who says anything has to be wrong for me to drop by to see an old friend?"

She leaned forward, and, with her left hand, moved a strand of stray jet black hair out of his eyes, and pushed it back behind his right ear.

"I know you, Bruce. You know I've known you long enough and well enough to know when something's on your mind. Don't try to hide from me, it doesn't become you, and you know it."

He sighed wearily, and turned his gaze towards the fire that raged a few feet away. Enough of his visage was still visible to her, however, that she could see tears beginning to form in his eyes. She said nothing, but reached to stroke his left cheek. His voice, though barely audible, shakily rose above the din, his gaze never turning to meet hers.

"She's gone, Leslie."

A look of concern shot across her face. She had not seen him cry since the night of his parent's murder.

"Who's gone?"

"Selina. She's gone. She doesn't want anything to do with me anymore."

"What happened?"

"That's just it." His hands raised in frustration as he reclined hard into the back of the rocker, with it threatening to tip over at his sudden movement. " I don't know. I honest to God wish I knew, but I don't. My God, I can't live without her, Leslie. What do I do?"

She sighed, and rose, hearing the tea kettle whistling. She knew the answer to his question, but she also knew he probably didn't want to hear it. Still, honesty had always been a virtue of hers, and it was one of the qualities that had endeared her to him. What had driven Selina Kyle away? Only God Himself knew the answer to that one. The woman was, even for someone like Leslie, who prided herself on being able to read people, an enigma wrapped in a puzzle, wrapped in a riddle. She was beautiful, breathtakingly so, but that wasn't what had attracted Bruce to her. No, it was the fact that she was a breath of fresh air in the amazingly stale world of the socialite elite. Most of the women Bruce had dated prior to meeting Selina bored him silly, because, though they might be beautiful, they didn't have an original thought in their heads. She had challenged him on a new plane. An intellectual one. She was opinionated, outspoken, original, and unbelievably brilliant and funny, all wrapped up in a beautiful, 5'8", 150 lb, green eyed, blonde haired package. What thrilled Leslie to no end about the woman, however, was not that Selina was smart, and had her own opinions. No, it was the fact that Selina Kyle had managed to do what even she herself couldn't. Selina Kyle had gotten Bruce to come out of his shell, to lighten up, and enjoy the little things in life that made it so worth the living. Most of all, Selina had given Leslie the invaluable gift of finally getting to see Bruce smile, and, miracle of miracles, laugh.

After grabbing the tea bags and setting them on the counter beside waiting teacups, she took the mauve colored tea kettle off the burner, silencing its piercing whistle. She poured the scalding water slowly into the respective cups, reached to her left, and grabbed a handful of sugar packets, placed the tea cups on a portable tray, and walked into the living room. She served him first, and then, setting the tray beside her chair, sighed heavily as she sat down, a sigh borne more of frustration for the problems of the man sitting across from her, a man she had begun to consider her own son, than out of true weariness. Dunking her tea bag slowly up and down in the water, she reclined as far as she could into the chair. It was amazing, she thought. The man who sat before her, head in his hands, put the fear of God into the criminals he encountered, the very mention of his name sending chills down the backs of the most hardened of criminals, he was invincible, they thought. The man had no Achilles's heel. If they only knew, she mused, if they only knew the heart of the flesh and blood man that terrorized their worst nightmares. If they only knew that the love of one woman, a woman they all thought hated him as much as they, had brought him to his knees, made him an emotional cripple.

"So, Bruce. Where do you go from here?"

He sighed.

"I'm not sure, Leslie. Why would she do something like this to me? I've been completely faithful, never so much as thought about another woman, much less acted on it. I didn't want, or need, anyone else. I had her. I gave her everything. I opened up to her, Les. I showed her who I really was, heart and soul, inside and out. I kept no secrets from her. I would've given up everything for her if she'd have just said the word."

Suddenly, the reasons for Selina's actions hit Leslie Thompson like a freight train.

"Maybe you were willing to give up everything Bruce Wayne has, but" she touched the bright yellow emblem emblazened on his suit. "Are you willing to give him up?"

Chapter 3

As Selina lay down on her bed, she, for the first time in her life, didn't have a clue as to what to do next. So many possibilities presented themselves. She had no family to speak of, and even if she did, she wouldn't turn to them for help. She prided herself on self-reliance, refusing handouts. She'd had too many of them as a child, and she hated the fact that those who seemed all too eager to help when she was in need either called in the favor when they wanted something in return, or threw their charity up in her face each time she came near. The only person who'd given her anything without asking something in return, or mentioning his gifts to her, was the man she'd spurned not thirty minutes ago on the roof, the man who fathered the child now growing inside her.

Suddenly, life wasn't as simple as it had been just weeks before. Suddenly, there wasn't only herself to think of. She had another person, a total innocent, to think of. CatWoman would have to be retired, of that much she was sure. She couldn't endanger the baby growing inside of her. The people she sold her stolen goods to were far too dangerous to even consider keeping her current occupation after giving birth. In an odd way, Batman had gotten what he wanted. He'd finally provided her with a valid reason to give up crime.

She sighed, turned over on her left side, reached to her left, putting her hand on the oak night stand positioned directly beside her bed, and grabbed the remote that lay on top of it. She then stretched her right arm outwards towards a lamp that stood just beyond the nightstand that had held the remote, grunting with the effort that came with extending her arm farther than it truly wanted to go, and was promptly rewarded for her effort by gravity, nearly toppling her out of her bed. She broke the impending fall with her right foot, the ankle of which popped loudly, sending shooting pains up her leg, sending Selina into a cursing fit.

She covered herself in the white comforter that encompassed her bed, sighed, turned on the CD of Beethoven she always kept on repeat while she slept, propped the injured appendage on a pillow, turned on her side, and hugged Isis close as the cat lay down at her side, purring. She had nearly fallen asleep when knock came to her door. Cursing under her breath, swearing she'd kill Bruce if he'd waited til this late to talk to her, no jury in their right mind would convict her. It'd be justifiable homicide. She was certain that waking an already sleep-deprived pregnant woman was adequete cause.She grabbed a robe, put it on, as she put weight on her feet, her injured ankle reminded her of the insult dealt it by her clumsiness, sending shooting pains up her leg. She hobbled towards the front door.

She answered the door, and found a familiar man standing before her in the hallway. He was tall, about 6'2", in fact. His once jet-black hair was now beginning to be tinted with gray at the roots, his endless eyes gray blue. His clothes consisted of a black polo shirt, and black jeans, both stolen from someone's clothes line, she was sure. She touched his back, and guided him inside quickly, shutting the door behind him.

She shook her head.

"Come on in, Eddie. It's gonna be life when they catch you this time, you know that, don't you?"

A huge grin crossed his face.

"My dear Selina, that's if they catch me. You haven't changed a bit. Still one of those depressing "glass half-empty people" aren't you?"

"No, Eddie, I'm not pessimistic, I'm a realist. Why'd you leave? You only had a few more months on your sentence, and you would have been free outright, no strings attached."

He stroked her right cheek affectionately with his left hand.

" 'Cause, 'Lena, I'm too much like you. I don't do small enclosures. I hate feeling trapped."

She hugged him fiercely, and as he took her in his arms, returning the hug. Suddenly, he felt something wet hitting the lapels of his shirt, and he felt her body begin to shake. He pulled away from her, though not releasing her from his grasp, and looked her in the eyes, and saw tears flowing freely. A look of concern held his face captive.

"What's wrong,'Lena? Why are you crying?"

She sniffled, and dried her eyes, and pulled away from him.

"It's nothing, Eddie. Nothing you need to concern yourself with. I've just been going through a rough time, that's all."

"Well, if it's something of concern to you, it's of concern to me. Whether you believe it or not, Selina Kyle, I care about you a great deal. You're my best friend. When I was in Archam, the only person that gave enough of a damn to come see me was you. The only person that remembered my birthday, and all the holidays was you. You were there every visitation day, I can't recall a one you missed. You have a caring, giving heart. You're a good person, Selina, whether you choose to admit it or not. Don't you think it's time someone gave you back a little of that in return? Now, tell me what's wrong, please. I won't breathe a word of it to anyone."

"Come into the living room and sit on the couch with me."

He acquiesced, and, as soon as they were settled, she took his left hand in both of hers, and sighed.

"You know I've never been one to beat around the bush, so I'm just gonna come right out and tell you. Eddie, I'm three weeks pregnant."

He hugged her again, this time so tight she fought for breath until she pushed away from him. He spoke.

"What are you going to do?"

"The only thing I can do, Eddie. I'm leaving town. I've got a place in France, I'll stay there until the baby is born, and decide what to do from there. There is one favor I want to ask of you, though."

"Of course, anything. Name it."

"Edward Nigma, would you do me the extreme honor of being my baby's godfather?"

The smile that held the man known to the criminal world as The Riddler's face was endless.

"Selina, I'd be honored." He touched her belly lovingly, looking as though he were on the verge of tears. "When's it due?"

"Christmas Eve."

"My God, I'm so happy for you, honey. Have you told Bruce?"

She shook her head.

"No. That's another request I want to make of you. Please, please, Eddie, don't say anything to him. I don't want him to know anything. Especially where I'm going."

Edward Nigma shook his head. There were things about Selina Kyle he'd never figure out, she had her own, odd logic for every situation. Still, there was one thing he could say for her reasoning process. If she wanted things done a certain way, one could be sure she'd thought it out before hand. Selina was never one to do anything half-cocked.

"Alright. I must say I don't understand it, but if that's the way you want it, then that's the way it'll be. I won't say anything, I promise, 'Lena. Just one more thing, though."

"What's that?"

He hugged her again, crying openly now, though the were tears not seeping into his voice.

"I am gonna miss you so much. What am I gonna do without 'Catty' around to keep me halfway in line?"

She backhanded him playfully the back of his head.

"Don't you dare call me what Jack Napier calls me. You know I hate that name."

Rubbing the offended area, still grinning, he spoke.

"Sorry, 'Lena."

She rose to return to bed, speaking to him over her shoulder.

"You can crash on the couch for as long as you want. You know where I keep all my bedding."

As he took off his shoes, and settled in, she reached her bedroom door, and leaned against the doorframe, bracing herself with her hands on either side of the left side of the white frame. She looked at him, smiling.

"Oh, and Eddie?"

He returned her gaze.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

He grinned.

"No problem, 'Lena. No problem."

Chapter 4

Five years later, Paris, France

"Okay, Helena. Watch me." Barbara jumped on the uneven bars, and started her rotations, showing the inquisitive five-year-old girl what she would be teaching her in gymnastics when classes started in earnest a week from then. Barbara was an Olympic level gymnast, more than qualified to teach the class she was starting in a matter of days. More than that, she loved the sport, loved passing what she knew onto kids, and loved seeing the light bulbs go on in their heads when what she was trying to teach them finally took hold. Of course, children as small as Helena wouldn't be ready for the uneven bars for years. It took a sense of balance and coordination that, even for someone as coordinated as Helena, wouldn't set in for many years to come. No, even if a child had a natural sense of balance, it had to be honed and perfected, otherwise a child could be hurt, or even, God forbid, killed, on an apparatus as dangerous as the one Barbara Gordon was now using.

After finishing her routine, she dismounted, and noticed that Helena, who had begged her so profusely to show her how good she was on the bars, was now nowhere to be found. Barbara cursed under her breath as she frantically ran around the gym, looking for Helena, screaming her name. She asked everyone she encountered, though her French was broken at best, if they had seen a little five year old, black haired, blue eyed girl. Exasperated, and thinking she had checked everywhere, she suddenly remembered there was one place she hadn't. Saying a small, but extremely frantic prayer, she walked into the women's restroom. When the door had shut behind her, she called out her name.

"Helena, are you in here?"

No response.

Barbara began to get worried.

"Helena, are you in here? Answer me, baby. Don't worry, you're not in trouble. I just wanna make sure you're ok."

The stifled sob of a small child came from a closed stall in the back of the restroom. Hiccups interrupted the child's answer.

"Bar. Barbara I'm in here."

Sighing with relief, Barbara walked to the stall, and as the stall was opened to her, she took the little girl inside into her arms, hugging her fiercely before releasing her, and taking in the sight of her, the child, who had moments before been laughing, and encouraging Barbara to get on the uneven bars, now presented herself to Barbara with tear-stained, flame red cheeks. The child's deep black hair, which her mother had so carefully French braided that evening before she left with Barbara, was now beginning to struggle free of its bonds, only to be trapped by the sweat that had poured off Helena's brow. Her ice blue eyes were held captive by the redness circling them, that had come from crying. As Helena sniffled, trying to regain her composure, Barbara questioned her.

"What's wrong, Helena? Why are you crying? Did one of those boys you were playing with earlier hurt you?"

An immediate frown crossed the five year old's face, her arms immediately folding across her chest, huffing, as though a great indignity had just been dealt her. She prided herself on being able to play with the boys, holding her own, being just as tough as they were. To insinuate that one of them had bested her was bad enough, but to imply that one of them had hurt her bad enough to make her cry, well, that was just unconscionable. She hated it when people told her she couldn't, or shouldn't, do something just because she was a girl. In her mind, she was just as good, or better, than those cootie faced weaklings. She couldn't understand why these grown-ups didn't see it that way. The only one that didn't seem to treat her that way was Barbara, and even now she was beginning to doubt her. Her, Helena Alexis Kyle, crying 'cause of a boy. Ha! That was real funny. She reached out and hugged her savior as tightly as she could.

"I'm sorry I ran, Barbara. I got sick, and I had to run to the bathroom to keep from pukin' on myself."

"Helena Kyle! What did your mother tell you about using that word?!"

Helena sighed, rolling her eyes. Grown-ups were hopeless. She separated herself from the hold she had on Barbara, and looked her in the eyes to answer her. In her best imitation of her mother's voice, hands on her hips, she answered.

"Proper ladies don't use that word, and if I hear it out of your lips one more time, you're gonna get a spanking."

An index finger pointed in the child's face accentuated Barbara's point.

"That's right. Now, I'm gonna let it slide this time, but next time, you're bottom's gonna be on fire, you hear me?"

Helena nodded, and as Barbara tousled her hair, she grinned like the cat that ate the canary. She held her arms out to Barbara to be picked up, and as Barbara acquiesced, she grunted with the effort, and kissed her on the forehead, and noticed the child was running a fever. Helena wrapped her arms around the familiar neck, nestled her face into the base of it, and, by the time Barbara had made it to her car, Helena was sleeping soundly, snoring softly. Barbara sighed, opened the passenger door of her jade green mini-van, sat a still-sleeping Helena in the seat, pulled the seatbelt taunt over her, fastened it, reclined the seat slightly to make her more comfortable, covered Helena with her oversized buckskin jacket, shut the door, walked to the other side, got in the driver's side door, adjusted her mirrors, put in the key, cranked the vehicle, and drove away.

As she drove, she remembered the night the girl sleeping in the seat beside her was born. Helena didn't know it, but her birth had very nearly taken the life of the mother she so dearly loved. Barbara had been the first person to hold Helena, had dried her off, had cut Helena's umbilical cord, and had handed the squalling 8 lb, 9 oc. Baby girl to her mother, who began crying unchecked tears of joy the moment she held her in her arms. She remembered thinking how odd it was that the child came out with a complete head of extremely black hair, and how, in the coming months, her blue eyes only lightened in color, becoming the piercing ice blue shade her father's gaze held, not reverting to the cat-like green of her mother's.

Barbara's mind returned to the present as they pulled into the driveway of Selina and Helena's home. She exited the car, retrieved Helena from the other side of the car, and walked into the house. As she walked in the front door, she was met by Selina, who was dressed in a light peach silk nightgown, cut off at the thigh, covered by a matching robe that was loosely tied by sphagetti string ties that matched perfectly the straps holding the gown on her shoulders. As she approached Barbara, she smiled, and took the sleeping child in her own arms. She murmured to her daughter.

"Come on, baby. Let's go to bed."

She then kissed her on the forehead, and touched her forehead to Helena's in an extremely cat-like greeting. She frowned as she felt the heat coming from Helena's forehead, realizing she had a fever. She carried her across the living room, and down a long hallway, pushing a door at the end of it open with her left foot. Barbara followed behind, making it to the door of the room moments after Selina did. A soft light radiated from a small lamp that was shaped like a white carosuel horse, its ornate features illuminated by the light bulb attached to the pole that ran down the horse's middle, and a pink lamp shade covering the bulb.

Barbara stepped into the room, and pulled down the carousel horse covered comforter that engulfed the queen sized wrought iron frame bed. Selina placed the sleeping child in the bed, and covered her, stroking the side of Helena's face with the back of her hand. Without being bidden, Barbara went into the adjoining restroom, and retrieved a paper cup, filled it with water, opened the medicine cabinet, took out some Tylenol, shut the cabinet, and walked back into the room, handing Selina, who was now sitting in a wooden rocking chair placed beside the bed, what she had retrieved. Selina thanked her, and tried to rouse her daughter long enough to take the medication. She shook the child gently, speaking in a nearly inaudible whisper.

"Helena, come on, honey, wake up. You've got to take this medicine so you'll get to feeling better."

The child's response was merely to moan, and turn on her side, away from her mother.

"Come on, baby, I know you don't feel good. Just take these, and you can go right back to sleep, I promise."

Helena woke, looked at her mother through half-closed lids, rose enough from the mattress to take the pills and water from her mother, swallowed the pills and water, handed the cup back to her, lay back down, and returned to sleep.

Selina rose, kissed Helena's right temple, lovingly stroked her hair, walked out of the room, followed by Barbara, who shut the door behind herself. She followed Selina out to the wooden patio overlooking the lake behind their house. Selina shut the sliding glass door behind them, and, after Barbara sat in the patio chair on the right, Selina sat in the one on the left. When she didn't speak for an inordinate amount of time, Barbara broke the silence.

"What's wrong, Selina?"

Selina, looking as though she were off in her own little world, jumped when she heard her name.

"Huh?"

"I said, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. Just got a lot on my mind, that's all."

"Don't lie, Selina. Tell me what's bothering you. Maybe I can help. At the very least, I can listen."

Selina rose from her chair, and walked to the edge of the deck, bracing herself with her arms. She sighed.

"He was here while you and Helena were at the gym, Babs. He's found us. I'm gonna have to pack Helena up and move somewhere where he can't find us."

Barbara was taken slightly aback, and though part of her assured her she should have known who Selina was referring to, she decided to be sure.

"Who was here, Selina?"

"Bruce was."

"Does he know? About Helena, I mean?" Barbara's face took on a hopeful look. She had hoped for the past five years Selina would tell Bruce about their daughter, and that the two would reconcile, and both of them could finally have the happiness they both so obviously found in one another, a happiness that, for some reason explicable only in Selina's mind, they could never have.

"No. I didn't tell him. I don't intend to tell him. Everyone will be better off if he never knows." She sighed, as though speaking those words somehow brought finality to the idea, set it in stone, never to be erased, but one that Selina herself either really didn't want to happen, or hated to admit that it had to.

Barbara sighed.

"So, what did he say?"

"He got here about fifteen minutes after you left. We talked for about thirty minutes, little stuff mostly. But I knew he didn't come all the way here just to ask me how my day went, so I leveled with him, asked him what he really wanted. He said he wanted me to come back with him, try to work things out, be as happy as we used to be."

"Why can't you, Selina? What's so hard about telling him about Helena? Don't you think she ever wonders why the other kids have daddies and she doesn't? Don't you think she deserves to know who he is, and he deserves an opportunity to make up for lost time with her? With you?"

Selina spun on her heel, a look of absolute, unadulterated rage on her face, fighting hard to keep her voice at a reasonable level, and failing miserably.

"I am all the momma and daddy my baby needs! Can I help it if he wasn't secure enough in his manhood to put away his costume and settle down? If I even had the faintest hope that he could do that, you're damn right I'd have let him know about Helena. But let's be realistic, Barbara, he's not going to, is he?"

Barbara rose, and walked to her, looking her directly in the eye, meeting her gaze, not blinking.

"Maybe if you'd tell him about her, you'd give him reason to. Besides, you knew full well about the dedication he had to his night job before you got involved with him, so don't try to feed me that line of sanctimonious bull-crap about everything being his fault. If he'd have known you were pregnant, things would have been very different, I promise you that."

Selina snorted.

"What, he'd have only risked his neck only on even numbered nights? I'd have only had to sleep by myself, tuck our child in by myself occasionally?" Shaking her head slowly, Selina's voice cracked, tears threatening to fall unchecked from her eyes. "Oh, yeah, Barbara, that would really be a stable family life, wouldn't it? What makes you think she and I aren't doing just fine on our own, hmm? Am I not a good enough mother to her? Don't you think I'd love to let her meet Bruce? Let her know why she has black hair? Let her know why her eyes are as blue as they are? It'd be the answer to a million of my prayers if I could do that. I'd love to be able to tell her about what a wonderful man her father is, give her the benefit of his name. Hell, I'd love to be able to hold Bruce in my arms again, feel that feeling that only he could give me, that while I was in his arms, no one could ever hurt me again, nothing bad could ever happen to me again, because he wouldn't let them. He's the only man I've ever been with that's given me that feeling, or anything remotely close to it, and trust me, Barbara, I've been with more men than you can imagine. If he could give up Batman, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I gave up CatWoman for Helena's sake. Giving up Batman is the least he could do."

"You're absolutely right, Selina. I know you'd expect nothing less of him, and you shouldn't. It wouldn't be fair to Helena to have to live in that kind of danger her whole life. So, what are you going to do?"

Selina shrugged.

" He wants me to go with him to dinner tommorow night."

"So, go. It's about time you surrounded yourself with something besides these four walls, and had some adult conversation."Barabara grinned coyly, shrugged, and poked Selina gently in the chest with her right forefinger. "And, who knows, maybe the evening might end with a little "adult fun"."

Selina returned the grin.

"I'll go, but I don't know about the "adult fun" part. Last time I indulged in that, I got what's sleeping in that room we just left. But what about Helena? I've gotta get a babysitter, if I stay out too late, that'll ruin their evening."

"Hello?! What am I, chopped liver? I'll keep Helena. You're not worming your way out of this one, Selina Kyle. You're going to go, and you're going to have a good time. That's an order, you hear me? Don't worry about a thing. She'll be fine. We'll be fine. We'll rent movies, camp out in my living room floor, stuff ourselves silly on chocolate, eat popcorn, and drink Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew until we fall into a lethargic hibernation for the next six months. It can't hurt us, bears do the same thing every winter, right? We'll have so much fun, they'll have to dart us and relocate us somewhere deep in the woods to keep the townspeople safe."

Selina chuckled, and hugged her best friend, whispering "thank you" in her ear, sounding on the verge of tears once again, and then releasing her. Barbara moved a strand of Selina's dirty blonde hair from in front of her eyes, and tucked it behind her right ear.

"You can thank me by going and having a good time."

"Yes, mother."

Barbara chuckled, slapping Selina playfully on the rear with her hand as she followed her back into the house.

Chapter 5

As she put the loop of the evening dress she was wearing behind her neck, Selina smiled as she appraised herself in her dresser mirror. The dress itself was black, and form-fitting. It wrapped itself around her body like a bath towel, accentuated and pointed out every curve she had. She carefully lifted cascade diamond earrings off the dresser, and placed them inside the piercing of her ear lobes. As they sparkled, hanging seemingly precariously from her ears, she was reminded that this was how she used to dress when she was a high dollar prostitute, going out for the evening, fulfilling the fantasies of dirty, disgusting, perverted old dinosaurs, for a price, of course. Everything she did back then came with a price tag attached to it. Selina Kyle didn't come cheap. No, if you wanted her services for the evening, it was going to cost you, and at a going rate of a $1000 dollars for a five hour evening, only the richest men could afford her. But, somehow they always did, for she was never without a steady stream of customers. The only men she serviced that she truly despised were the ones that wanted to, after using her for their bodily pleasure, before throwing her out of their beds, out of their hotel rooms, wanted here her tell them that they were the best she'd ever had. Truth being, none of them were. Not a one of her clientele knew how to use his equipment with any skill, but hey, at a thousand dollars a night, she could fake real good. No, the only man who'd ever made her feel happy, or special, inside the bedroom or out, was the father of the little girl lying on the bed behind her, her little hands propping her head up, her little legs crossed at the ankles, smiling at the sight of her mother so dressed up. Her child's voice radiated excitedly through the room.

"You look so pretty, mommy!"

Selina turned to face Helena, smiling from ear to ear at her child's compliment. For her, it was one thing to hear such a thing grown men, she heard it everyday, and forgot about it, but there was some indescribable something about hearing it from the lips of her baby that made her want to cry, made it memorable. Perhaps it was the sheer innocence of the person it came from, one who didn't hope to have anything personal to gain from saying it, one who was simply stating it because she loved her mother, and she really did think her mommy looked pretty.

She sat on the bed beside Helena, and pulled her into her lap, Helena wrapping her arms firmly around Selina's neck. Helena rested her head on her mother's bare collarbone, and nestled her right cheek into it. Selina spoke to her daughter.

"You're gonna have to be good for Barbara, you know that, right?"

Helena looked her mother in the eyes.

"Ain't I always?"

"Yes, you are. And it's Aren't I always, not ain't. Ain't isn't a word, baby."

Helena grinned wide, showing all her teeth, except for a small gap in-between her front top teeth, evidence of a recent visit from the tooth fairy.

"You just said it, mommy, that makes it a word."

Selina laughed at her daughter's reasoning, and stroked her hair.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"The man you're going out with tonight, is he my daddy?"

Selina's breath caught in her throat. She always knew one day the question would come, and thought she had prepared herself emotionally to answer it. Certainly, the child deserved to know her father, but what implications would that knowledge have in the long run, for Helena and for Bruce? She was about to level with her daughter when a knock on her bedroom door interrupted her.

"Knock knock!"

Helena leapt from her mother's embrace, and yelled as she latched on to the bottom of her baby-sitter's legs.

"BARBARA!"

Barbara smiled, looking down at Helena, tousling her hair.

"Look, Selina, I told you I have a growth!"

Selina smiled as she slipped on her black high heels.

"I see that. Do you think we should take you to the hospital and have 'em remove it with a scalpel? A blowtorch maybe? Or do you think they could freeze it off?"

"No, I've seen this kind of growth before, and it only comes off with a lot of chocolate ice cream, pop corn with loads of butter and salt, and Dr. Pepper, and heavy doses of cartoons."

Helena grinned.

"And we're gonna stay up all night, too! Right, Barbara?"

Barbara laughed slightly, returning her grin.

"Right!"

She then made sure Helena wasn't looking at her, held up eight fingers, and mouthed to Selina "8 o'clock", indicating what time she knew Helena would be asleep. Selina grinned, and nodded. Barbara touched Helena on the top of her back, and when she met her gaze, Barbara spoke to her.

"How about hopping in the car for me? I've got it on your favorite radio station already." Taking that as a cue that the grown-ups were going to be talking about something interesting ('cause they never wanted her around to hear "the good stuff"), Helena whined, and, pouting, crossed her arms across her chest.

"Barbara, don't make me go to the car, please! When you talk to mom, it takes forever."

"HELENA ALEXIS KYLE! Do you want to go watch movies at my house, or not?"

"Yes ma'am, but..."

"Alright then, no buts. You march yours out there to that car, and you wait on me to come out there, you hear me?"

Silence.

"I SAID DO YOU HEAR ME?"

Helena's shoulder's slumped, and, as she marched towards the car, looking every bit as dejected as she felt. As soon as her daughter had left the room, and shut the door behind herself, Selina spoke.

"You're gonna kill her, Babs."

Barbara shrugged noncommitedly.

"She'll live."

Selina laughed quietly, and grabbed her black purse off the chest of drawers, slinging the strap over her shoulder. Barbara spoke again.

"So, where's he taking you?"

"I don't know. He wouldn't say. Knowing Bruce, it's probably the most high-dollar place in town."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"For the old Selina Kyle, the one who wasn't a single mother to a five year old little girl, I'd say no, and that I deserved it. But now, now Barbara, I just don't know anymore. Things have changed. I've changed. My priorities are so much different now than they were five years ago. I've got Helena to think of. After you left last night, I did a lot of thinking. I came to the conclusion that, no matter how bad it may make me feel in the short run, it's in everyone's best interest if I cut Bruce off at the pass. Before you cut in with how my actions are so assinine, and how I'm cheating Helena out of knowing her father, and cheating myself out of a wonderful man who loves me more than life itself, let me ask you this. If you were in my shoes, wouldn't you do the same thing?"

"I can't answer that, Selina, 'cause I've never been in your shoes."

"My point exactly."

"So, are you going to tell him over supper?"

"Hopefully, it won't get that far. Bruce is pretty perceptive, he'll pick up that things aren't exactly kosher, and he'll want to know why. That's when I'll tell him. Don't worry, Babs, I intend to let him down easy. How he takes it is completely up to him."

A look of sad resignation took posession of Barbara's face.

"You do love him, don't you, Selina?"

Selina, a slow huff of frustration escaping her lips, sighed as she answered, not able to meet her friend's gaze, focusing instead on the door to her bedroom, suddenly wishing she was walking through it, able to escape the situation she had involuntarily allowed herself to be placed in.

"Of course I do. But Barbara, here in the real world, love doesn't always conquer all. Why can't you get that through your thick, naive little skull?"

"I'll get it through my skull when you give it an opportunity to prove that it can't, Selina. You wanna know why it can't be? I'll tell you why. "Cause you're afraid of what could be if it did, that's why. You're running scared. You're scared that someone else could make you happy besides Helena, because she's the one person you don't have to give up any of yourself to, the one person you can allow yourself to love without fear of having those feelings blow up in your face."

The knock at the front door saved Selina from having to come up with a rebuttal to Barbara's argument. When she answered the door, and found Alfred there waiting to take her to the limo that was waiting for her, she let Barbara step out of the house before her, and then closed and locked the door behind her.

Chapter 6

God, she's beautiful. Bruce had been thinking the same thing over and over all evening. And as he took her sleeping form in his arms in the horse-drawn carriage, drew the flannel, red and black checkered blanket around them, so that nothing was showing above it on either of them except their faces, he thought it again, clearing stray blonde hair from her face, as she snuggled close to him, thinking how good it felt to finally be able to hold her again, touch her and know that this wasn't one of the countless dreams he'd had every night since she'd left, the ones that were nightmares, not because of their content, but because when he woke in the morning, he'd realize that her presence had all been a dream. He'd wondered many times over the past five years, sitting in Wayne Manor, if that was what her presence in his life had been all along. A mere dream. A mere figment of his imagination, that ran wild with the prospect that someone like her, who was so open with her life, someone who possessed such an enate sense of joie de vive that it spread like wildfire the moment she entered a room, could love someone as brooding, as dark, that kept as many secrets as himself. Selina Kyle's angelic beauty came not only from her physical attractiveness, which was undeniable. No, it came from so many other facets. It came from the cat-like grace with which she moved, the raw animal magnitism with which she enveloped the attention of everyone in a room when she entered it, then, within five minutes of being in said room, proved how worthy she was of their attention by showing her genius level intelligence in conversation. It seemed everyone wanted to know her, but she chose carefully those whom she let into her space. Bruce had never met anyone who knew so many people, and yet, so few people really knew. He thanked whatever god cared to listen that he was one of those lucky people that really knew her.

She sighed, snuggling even closer to himso that no space was left between he and she, finally opening her eyes. They were in the city park, she remembered, and, a dinner, a movie, and a horse carriage ride later, she still hadn't gotten around to business. As the rhythmic sounds of the metal shod hooves of the massive white stallion that drew the carriage hitting the pavement hit her ears, she realized that she'd better say what she had come to say, although with all the wine she'd had with dinner, it wasn't going to come out like she'd rehearsed it a million or so times in her head before she'd gone on this date.

Before she could say anything, he spoke to her, his eyes smiling at her.

"Hey, sleepyhead. You finally decide to rejoin the land of the living?"

She sighed.

She sighed.

"Bruce, there's really something I need to talk to you about, something that's been a long time coming, and I... "

Suddenly, the sound of his cell phone ringing broke her train of thought. He spoke.

"Can you hold that thought?"

He stopped the carriage driver at the gate of the park, where Alfred was waiting with the limo, paid the driver, opened the door for Selina, and as soon as she got in, entered the car himself, shut the door, and answered the telephone in an annoyed tone as they drove away.

She sat looking out the window of the right side of the vehicle, her head supported by her right hand, which was propped by her elbow against the sill of the window frame. As other cars sped past them on the highway, and the now flood-lit Effiel Tower forcefully imposed its behemoth height on the Paris skyline, the crossed her mind that she was going to have to relocate. Uproot Helena from everything, and everyone, she'd come to love. Selina hated doing it, god, the city, the people, had grown on her. Helena had friends at school that she played with, it was the city she'd been born in, the house they occupied together the only house she'd ever lived in. It wasn't that Selina couldn't afford it financially, she could afford this move and a hundred others countless times over. No, it was the cost to her baby's happiness that she was worried about. But, what had to be, had to be, and this most definently had to be.

Alfred pulled the limo into Selina's driveway as Bruce finished his call. He shut the silver cell phone off, returned it to his coat pocket, and told Selina he'd walk her to her door, when she shocked him.

"You wanna come in for a night cap? There's something I need to talk with you about."

Smiling, he nodded, and asked Alfred to go back to the hotel, he'd call him when he needed him to pick him up. The elderly British gentleman nodded knowingly, smiling his usual, warm smile.

" Of course, Master Bruce, I am, as always, at your discretion."

"Thank you, Alfred."

Selina smiled at the older man..

"Thank you, Alfred, it was so good to see you again."

"I concur, Mistress Selina, it is always a pleasure to be in your wonderful company."

Selina and Bruce had stepped inside the house, and closed the door behind themselves, and he had taken off his leather bomber jacket, and placed it on the coat tree, when another knock came to the door. Selina answered it, and, standing before her was Alfred, smiling as always, holding in his leather gloved hands a long haired,sleek, jet black cat with piercing green eyes. He handed it to her, and spoke, a laugh in his voice.

"I believe someone wanted a ride. I went to sit in the driver's seat of the auto, and I found this rather handsome fellow waiting for me in the passenger seat. I assume he's yours?"

She laughed, and stroked the cat, who meowed before jumping from her arms, and trotting non-chalantly into the adjoining room.

"Yes, Osiris is mine, Alfred, thank you. I take him with me sometimes when I go somewhere, and he doesn't seem to mind whose car he gets in, he thinks everyone will accommodate him."

He turned on his heel, not speaking, and left.

She shut the door behind herself, and walked into the living room. He sat on the couch as she took off her high heels, and scooted them across the room with her foot, both landing in a neat pile under a vanity table that lined the back of the left wall nearest the entrance. She then sighed, and joined him on the couch, taking his hand in hers.

"Bruce, there's been something I've been wanting to tell you, and it's been a while in coming... I"

Then, it happened. All of her well laid plans stopped, when he looked into her eyes, moved a strand of stray hair from her face, and kissed her passionately. She spoke to him as they both came up for air.

"Bruce, I.."

He smiled at her.

"Shh, let me love you, Selina."

He kissed her again, and began to move down her neck, and whispered to her.

"Let me love you."

He stood, scooped her up in his arms, and with no protest from her, walked them into her bedroom, laid her on the bed, and began his ministrations. They continued their lovemaking through the night, and into the morning.

Chapter 7

Selina woke as the first rays of sunlight stabbed through the venetian blinds that constituted the covering for the windows in her bedroom. She grabbed her head, feeling the headache, generated, she was sure from the massive amount of Merlot she'd had the night before, the night that she'd spent with... she looked at the sleeping form beside her in the bed. The sleeping, quite obviously male form beside her in the bed. Bruce. Dear God in heaven, she'd slept with Bruce. Again. She didn't understand the hold this man sleeping beside her had over her, but one thing she knew for sure. He'd gotten too close this time. She reached over, and stroked his shoulder-length jet black hair, as he curled both his hands in a prayer like position, sighed and snored slightly.

As she rose, she began to dress herself, as silently as possible, hating herself for doing what she was doing, but justifying it by saying it was better for everyone, including Bruce, if it happened now rather than later. As she finished dressing, and put her shoes on, she looked at him, there, sleeping in her bed, well, what used to be her bed. She knew what Barbara was going to say when she told her what had happened, and her and Helena's future. She'd tell her that she was doing what she appeared to be getting better and better at. Running. When things get too tough, run. When problems arise, run. People getting too close to her emotionally? Run.