The passion that was Batman and Catwoman was like a supernova, burning hotter than the sun but fading in a relatively short period of time. However, it spoke well of both of them that, when the passion faded, they remained friends and even left open the possibility of a rekindling one day.
So it was that it wasn't unusual at all for Selina Kyle to stop by Wayne Manor from time to time. Sometimes she called in advance. Sometimes, like this time, she'd be "in the neighborhood" and just pop in.
She rang the doorbell and waited for it the door to open. When it didn't, she rang again. After a few minutes, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed a familiar number.
"You've reached Wayne Manor. This is Bruce Wayne, and I can't come to the phone right now. Leave a message and I'll get back to you."
She snapped the phone shut without saying anything, and looked at the immense house appraisingly.
"That's odd," she muttered. "Alfred almost never lets the machine pick up."
As she scanned the mansion, she caught a glimpse of a light in one of the windows.
"Somebody's here," she said to herself, "and Bruce would never let anybody stay here if he and Alfred were both gone."
She pulled out the set of lock picks that she never left home without and let herself in. She slipped off her shoes to avoid making any noise and began moving in the direction of the light she had seen.
At the end of the upstairs hall, she saw a door not quite fully closed and the light spilling out. She pressed herself against the wall as she approached the door. Peeking through, she inhaled sharply at what she saw.
It was a bedroom, and on the bed was Alfred Pennyworth. The covers were up to his neck. There was a glass of water on the table next to him, along with a handful of Kleenexes. He was wheezing as he laid there. Suddenly, his body was wracked with a number of harsh coughs. He weakly grabbed another Kleenex to hold over his mouth as he coughed, and as the coughing fit subsided, he dropped the Kleenex on the table next to the others.
Selina pushed the door open and said, "Alfred, you look terrible," and terrible he did look. His thinning hair was unkempt. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, which were barely open to look at her.
"Miss Kyle," he rasped, "I did not realize you were here. Can I offer you some refreshments?"
He reached for his robe as he struggled to sit up, but Selina placed a hand on his chest, pushed him back down, and took the robe away from him.
"I know the butlers' code," she said gently, "but no matter how much you want to, you're in no shape to offer refreshments or do anything else. Now lie down."
As she went into the adjoining bathroom to get a thermometer from the medicine cabinet, he tried to object.
"Really, Miss Kyle," he said, "I may be a bit under the weather, but -"
"But nothing," she said, sliding the thermometer into his mouth. "Now leave that thermometer in your mouth until I get back up here."
When she returned with a tray carrying some chicken soup, crackers, and a pot of tea, he still had the thermometer in his mouth, but he had swung his legs over the edge of the bed and he was attempting to tie the belt on his robe.
She placed the tray on top of his dresser and again compelled him to lie down again, despite his attempts to resist.
"Now I know where Bruce learned his stubbornness," she said. "Are you going to stay in bed, or do I have to tie you down while I go to the cave and get some cuffs?"
"So where's Bruce?" she asked after Alfred had finished eating.
"A Justice League matter," he said. "I believe he mentioned Darkseid."
"I can't imagine he'd leave you alone while you're sick, though," she said. "How long has he been gone?"
"It's been nearly two weeks," he said. "At the time he left, I felt fine."
"And how long were you going to wait before you called somebody?"
"I appreciate your concern, Miss Selina," he said, "but I would have been fine."
She raised an eyebrow. "In what world does a 102 degree fever constitute 'fine'? You don't know how close I came to calling the Justice Society to have them send Doctor Midnight over. Well, like it or not, you've got a houseguest until either you're well, and by that I mean well to my satisfaction, or Bruce gets back."
"Really, I don't -" began Alfred.
"Alfred, how many times did Batman try to convince me to do something I wouldn't do?" she asked.
"Quite a few, as I recall."
"And how many of those arguments did he win?"
Alfred sighed, "I don't believe he ever did."
She leaned over him and said, "So what makes you think you'll do any better than he did? Now go back to sleep." She kissed him on the forehead, pulled the covers up over him, and left with the lunch dishes.
A week of regular medicine and reluctant rest brought about a steady improvement in Alfred's condition, and Selina allowed him to come down to the kitchen to eat. "Just remember, though," she warned him, "you're down here for food and conversation. If you try to start working, I'll send you back to your room." She followed that with a wink.
Each night, despite his protests that it wasn't necessary, she tucked him into bed and took his temperature. Before turning out the light, she would give him a gentle kiss on the forehead.
On his first day of being permitted to prepare a meal, he watched her out of the corner of his eye. He thought she looked a bit less lively than usual, and she bent to kiss his forehead, he stopped her and placed his hand on her forehead.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
He got out of bed led her to a chair, said, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander," and went to the bathroom to get the thermometer.
It was a weary Bruce Wayne that trudged up from the Batcave on his way to his bedroom. Seeing the light on in the kitchen, he turned in that direction but the words "Hello, Alfred" never made it past his lips when he saw Selina sitting in his robe at the kitchen table working on a crossword puzzle.
"Selina?" he asked. "Where's Alfred?"
"Good to see you again, too," she said. "He went to the market. He should be back anytime now."
Almost prophetically, the kitchen door opened and Alfred entered with two bags of groceries.
"Welcome back, Master Bruce," he said. "I assume all went well with the Justice League?"
"Mostly," Bruce said, "Although after Plastic Man unties himself, he's probably going give Diana a wide berth for awhile."
"That sounds like a story worth telling," Selina chuckled.
"Speaking of stories worth telling, what are you doing here, Selina?" he asked.
"Well, Alfred had a nasty bout of the flu and I happened to stop by and discover it. And as the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished."
"Are you better?"
She nodded. "We've been talking about whether I had recovered enough to return home, but neither of us was in a particularly big hurry to see it happen."
Bruce raised his eyebrows, and she rolled her eyes.
"It's not like that, Bruce," she said. She got up and placed her coffee cup in the sink and said, "I'm going to go get my shower and take a nap. I'll be back down for lunch." Then she gave Alfred a peck on the cheek and added, "Thanks for breakfast, ... Dad."