The rain was pounding heavily against the windows of the buildings as the wind began to pick up. The howling wind was powerful as it made lamposts begin to shake but nothing further. The lone shadow was making it's way through the stromy weather that the city was induring. It made it's way to the car and disappeared from the streets.
"Good patrol Master Bruce?" Alfred watched as Bruce dragged himself from the batmobile and to the changing rooms. He left a water trail behind him as he walked through the cave.
"I hate the goddamn rain." He grumbles as he changes out of his suit into baggy track suit bottoms and a loose white t-shirt. He walks out to see Alfred at the computer before he takes his seat and begins to rapidly type on the keyboard.
Before long the reports are done and Bruce heads up to the Manor. As he walks past the door he freezes. He thought he was losing his mind when he heard the sound of a baby's cry. He stepped closer to the door and put his ear against it and heard the sound get louder. He unlocked the door and swung it open. No one was there until he looked down. He saw a basket that held a baby. It looked to be around three months old. The baby was wet from head to toe and Bruce knelt down and picked the baby up. The wails got louder as he took the basket and baby inside.
He went to the living room and took the baby out of the basket. He removes the blanket that it was wrapped in and sees that the baby's clothes were some how dry.
"Hey, hey. Calm down. Come on." Bruce says as he rests the baby on his arm and realises how small it was. He saw the dummy it had in the basket and gave it the baby. But it still cried.
"What's wrong?" He asks but knew he wouldn't get an answer from the baby.
"I believe it's hungry Sir." Bruce turns around to see Alfred holding a bottle of milk. He takes it from Alfred and gives it to the baby.
"Thanks Alfred." He says when the baby stops crying and drinks the milk.
"May I ask Sir, why you have a baby in the house?" Alfred asks as he picks up the blanket and lays it near the fire to dry off.
"I found the baby outside. It was crying and left in the rain. I don't know how long it's been out there." Bruce replies as he watches the small child fall to sleep once it had finished the milk.
"Check to see if there is a note in the basket." Bruce says as he leans back with the child in his arms.
Alfred rumages through the basket to find a note at last. He stands up and reads it out loud.
"Please take care of her, keep her out of harms way. Her name is Maria. She isn't your daughter but she can't be in my life or she will be hurt. Please show her the other note when she is of age to know about this." Alfred stops reading and looks for the other note and finds it. He reads it silently in his head and Bruce watches as his face changes.
"My word!" He gasps and passes Bruce the note.
"My dearest Maria, by the time you read this I will be dead. I've trusted this man to take care of you because he was an old friend. He will be your protector from now on. I'm sorry we couldn't meet again but this is what happens when I meet the wrong person. So learn from my mistake and don't let anyone take you anyway from your family. I promise you that everything will be fine. Bruce will forever take care of you. Love Mom." He reads out then looks down at the baby.
"Master Bruce, do you think-"
"Linda. She always got herself into trouble. I never thought it would come to this." He puts the note down and stands up.
"Tomorrow we're going to the doctors to make sure that Maria is healthy and then we're going to the adpotion clinc to make her my daughter." He tells Alfred and then they both part ways as Alfred quickly goes to the phone to make the appointments and Bruce takes the baby upstairs with him. He didn't feel right with leaving the baby in one of the other large bedrooms on her own. So he took her into his room. He pulled his covers away and then lay down and put little Maria onto his chest and brought the covers back up them and he put one hand on Maria to keep her in place as he fell to sleep.
He was woken up at around eight in the morning when he felt little movements on his chest. He opened his eyes and saw that Maria was awake and chewing on his t-shirt. He smiled as she looked up at him. Her eyes were a beautiful baby blue. She let his t-shirt go and looked up at him. He sat up and put her on his arm and smiled.
"What a lovely sight." Bruce looked to the door and saw Alfred entering with a tray that held a bottle of milk and a plate of breakfast with coffee.
"She is a little beauty. I give her that. Woke up to have her eating my shirt." He smiled at Maria again and he saw her smile a little bit too.
"Well, that just shows that she is warming up to you. Or that she would like her milk." Alfred passed him the bottle of milk and Bruce began to feed Maria.
"Sir, the appointment for the doctors is at eleven o'clock and the adpotion clinc is at six thirty." Alfred informs Bruce.
"Thank you Alfred. With them that far apart, it's gives me time to settle her in and get her a bed and clothes." He says.
"Would little Miss Maria be needing her own room?" Alfred asks and Bruce thinks it over in his head for a moment.
"No, not yet. She can sleep in here. I'll put her cot near my bed so she won't be alone." He replies and Alfred stands as he watches Bruce take the empty bottle out of Maria's mouth.
"You'll need to wind her Master Bruce." Bruce looks up at Alfred before realising what he had to do.
He began to gently tap and rub her back before she let out two burps.
"Good girl." Bruce praises her and puts her against his arm as he started to drink his coffee and pick at his breakfast.
"Also, Mister Kent called and wished to speak with you and would like you to call him back when you have the chance." Alfred informs Bruce as he picks up the empty tray.
"Thank you Alfred. I'll call him when we get home." Bruce replies and then a strange smell hits his nose.
"I think we may need to get some diapers for Maria." He says as he stands up with Maria in his arms.
"Already bought them Sir." Alfred disappears for a minute before returning with a diaper in hand.
"Good luck Sir." He chuckles before Bruce goes into the bathroom with Maria. Alfred was happy that Bruce had found something as innocent as Maria. He only wanted the young man to be happy and he believed he would be now that he had a family beginning to bloom.