Title: A Cat's Presence

Author: snuffybaby

Disclaimer: I don't own the DC Universe, the characters or the show… lots of other people do…

Rating: PG

Pairings: BMCW, mentions of Connor/M'gann, Red Arrow/Cheshire, etc

Spoilers: Young Justice (entire season 2)

Summary: AU Young Justice; similar relationships as in my other YJ FF "A Cat's Influence", but Season 1 ends with the six JL's (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Hawkwoman, Martian Manhunter) sent to Rimbor by Savage, as in the cartoon. Selected YJ Season 2 episodes with Catwoman.

AN: Japanese from google translate

201 Happy New Year

Selina shut off G. Gordon Godfrey's editorial. "They better get their ducks in a row. Catherine isn't doing a very good job of stemming his vile."

Having his own misgivings, Alfred couldn't help but agree. "It does seem convenient that Mr. Godfrey was able to gain access to the UN's surveillance."

She hummed her agreement. "I wonder why he's trying to cause mass hysteria. I know he loves to rant his anti-alien spiel, but this? He's making everyone paranoid that their neighbors might be aliens in disguise."

"Perhaps, it would be beneficial to the League if you assist Miss. Cobert. You have a natural ability to make the best of things."

"Pfft, not a Leaguer." She stood and headed to her office. "Let Bruce and his playmates deal with it."

Bruce stepped into the dining room with a grim look. "I have news."

"Dick already updated us." Selina sat stiffly in her chair. "You have a clue now to what happened five years ago and your missing sixteen hours."

Taking his usual seat at the table, he simply said, "Yes."

"Dick's sending M'gann, Connor and Garfield off-planet to help you look into it, because every Leaguer is on a criminal watch list." She crossed her arms. "You're planning on going off planet, aren't you?"

"If I have to."

She rolled her eyes. "I know very well that you know that you'll being going off planet. No 'if' about it. My question is, why? Why do you have to go? You live on Earth, not some stupid planet in another space sector. Let the aliens deal with this."

"Selina, it's the right thing to do. We did nothing wrong-"

"You didn't, but you'll most likely be punished for it." Selina shoved away from the table and left the room.

Alfred cleared his throat. "Miss Selina is concerned… and rightfully so. There's been too much loss in this family."

"I know Jason's death hit us all hard… and then Aquagirl… and Aqualad," he shook his head, "but this… this was something else." He stood to follow her, walking past Dick and Tim.

"No dinner?" Dick looked around, baffled. Not attending family dinner was punishable by death. Only death, kidnapping and save-the-world missions were allowable excuses for absences.

"Miss Selina has not taken the news of Master Bruce's impending departure well."

The boys each took their seats. Tim glanced at Dick. "I don't think any of us want Bruce to go."

"But he's been accused of something that the Light was responsible for. He – and the other League members – will want to clear their names." Dick rubbed his neck, uncomfortable. "I should have warned Bruce that Selina knew."

"Bruce knew." Tim smirked, "We all know what you know, Selina knows. You don't keep anything from her."

"Like I could if I wanted to."

Bruce found Selina curled up in their bed. Climbing in behind her, he wrapped his arms around her. "What's going on?"

"I hate your stupid nobility and your stupid moral code," she mumbled.

None of that was new to him. "Selina-"

Growling in frustration, she pulled away from him and turned over on her back. "I was going to share the news at dinner." She handed him a pregnancy test.

He was stunned silent for a moment, staring at the results on the stick. "You're pregnant."

"Three months." She sighed, turning to look at him. "I know you have to go, but I don't like it."

"I don't like it either. I especially don't like it now." He pulled her back against him. "Are you happy about this baby?"

"I was shocked at first." She tucked her head under his chin. "We never really discussed having kids of our own – you know, biological ones, because we have so many children as it is. But when I finally thought it through?" Her hand went to her flat belly. "I'm excited. We created a life."

"This baby will be well loved."

"Connor," Selina said in surprise when he stopped by to visit. Ever since he ended things with M'gann, he'd kept his distance from her as well.

"Mom." Connor had taken to calling her that when he knew he had to apologize. "I'm sorry I haven't been around."

"Hmm, I know things between you and M'gann ended badly. You needed to take your time." She gestured for him to sit down beside her. "How have you been?"

"Heartbroken, disappointed… jealous…" He slumped down beside her. "I don't want you to hate her."

"Pfft, too late. You might have kept your lips sealed, but I know my little darlings. I saw the implosion of your relationship coming well before either of you two did."

Before he said more, his eyes narrowed as he started looking around the room. "Is there someone else with us?"

"No. We're all alone."

"But I hear another heartbeat; a quick one." He looked at her when he pinpointed the location of the sound. "You're pregnant?"

Selina's hand instinctively went to her belly. "Yeah, there's a bun cooking in there."

A grin spread across his lips. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you. Just… don't spread the news around. The family doesn't know yet and-"

"Bruce doesn't want anyone to know; safety of you and the kid and all that." He nodded, "I get it… and I agree."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you agree with keeping me safely tucked away in the manor?"

"Well… at least… for now?" He shrugged. "We all know you're capable of protecting yourself. It's just… if you're pregnant… you shouldn't take unnecessary risks."

Sighing, she huffed, "That seems to be the consensus."

"But feline independence," he rolled his eyes, knowing her stubbornness.

Her eyes softened. It took a while for her to accept it, but she knew in her heart that she wouldn't do anything to risk this baby. She and Bruce both had too many enemies to count, so to protect the new life inside her womb, she would hang up her catsuit and her claws – at least until the baby was old enough to defend him or herself. "No, I've decided that the consensus is correct – no prowling and if I plan to go out, I'll bring someone with me."

"Well, you can count on me. Kind of excited to have a new sibling."

"You mean all your brothers weren't enough?" she smirked.

"I've never had a baby sibling. Jason and Tim were already teens when you took them in." He sobered at the thought of the second Robin. "Know that I'll do anything to protect them."

Her eyes teared up at the sentiment. "We all will." She sniffed slightly, before returning to the original subject. "Now, I know you felt betrayed by what M'gann did to mess with your brain – I would too – but are you sure you can't forgive her?"

He wasn't surprised that she somehow knew or figured out what happened between them. Instead, Connor considered the answer to her question. He'd known M'gann on an extremely intimate level – psychically – from the very start of their relationship; practically his entire life. For her to use her telepathy to try to control him, to make him forget… He shook his head. "I don't know."

"Well, think about it; figure it out; and then get over it. She's heading toward dangerous territory with her telepathy. I'm worried that she'll go too far before she realizes what she's doing is wrong." She placed her hand on his arm. "If that happens, can you be there for her? To steer her back to what's right?"

"She has La'gaan."

"Pfft. Total rebound guy. Besides, he's got the emotional depth of a brick and the maturity of a two year old. I swear I want to smack him every time he says 'Neptune's Beard'. Why Dick agreed to allow him on the Team, I'll never understand."

"Tell me about it," he muttered under his breath. Seeing that she caught him, he tried to cover, "Probably because Aquaman asked."

"Well, La'gaan isn't ready."

"Hey, I'm just glad he's not on the Zeta team going off world."

"Ah," she purred, "so we're finally at the topic that brings you to visit me after all this time."

He blushed; flustered that she knew him so well. "I just… wanted to see you before I left. Just in case, you know."

"You'll be fine. If Adam can survive on a planet a galaxy away, I'm sure you can too."

"You know that Strange guy?"

"Of course, I occasionally chat with him while he's tuning the zeta beam system. He's a fount of knowledge." She didn't say it, but it was also during his maintenance that she snuck some of her own programming into the League's transport system. She was excellent at distracting people.

Connor knew well enough not to question her further. "It's not being on Rann that concerns me. It's what we'll find there. Especially if there's those other aliens – Kroloteans. That one that Lobo ripped out of Secretary Tseng; who knows what the Kroloteans are doing on Earth or even on Rann."

"You can handle it." She admitted to him, "I'm more concerned about what you'll find out about what happened five years ago."

"Whatever it was, they weren't responsible. Bruce wasn't responsible."

"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean that he won't be held responsible for it."

"Even if he is. So what? He'll figure it out. We've both seen him do impossible things." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "And we both know that he will do the impossible for you… and most definitely for that baby of yours."

Selina sighed, taking comfort that the faith she had in Bruce was shared by someone she trusted. "Be careful on Rann, Connor. Watch out for that little beast. If anyone's too young to be on the team, it's him."

Alpha, Beta and Gamma dispersed after receiving their assignments. Gamma didn't have far to travel, so they wouldn't be heading out just yet.

Tim stopped at a monitor to review the mission parameters and the scan. It was a soft target, so it shouldn't be difficult, but it was his first mission as team lead.

"Little bird, don't worry so much," Selina's voice chimed in his comm.

"Right," he felt reassured by her words. "Just something to get my feet wet."

"Nightwing wouldn't have asked you to lead if he didn't think you were ready. You can handle it."

"Thanks, Selina." He could handle it. This was what he'd been training for. "Do you think you could stay on comm with me?"

"Little bird, that's what Mal is for."

"Please?"

"I'll be monitoring the action from the cave. Call me if you think you need me. I don't think you will though." She disconnected before he could say more.

Tim took a deep breath. "I can do this."

"Congratulations on a successful first mission." Selina ruffled Tim's hair. "I said you could handle it."

"Thanks," he blushed. "Just needed that extra vote of confidence."

"So? How did you like being in charge?"

He smirked, "I see why Dick likes bossing people around so much."

"Dude," the man in question shouted from the change room, "I can hear you!"

Tim offered an impish grin before disappearing upstairs to the dining room.

Dick appeared, dressed in civvies. "Selina, are you heading up?"

"Soon. I just have to finish something. Start dinner without me."

"Is there something going on?" he asked. "I know you're worried about Bruce and Connor, but there's something more, isn't there?"

"There's always something, darling, isn't there?" She sighed, walking over to the Batcomputer. She connected into the comm. "Batman?"

"Yes, Selina?" he answered immediately.

"The little friend that was captured tonight, perhaps have Blue with you to help interrogate him? The beetle seems to understand the Krolotean language."

"He's not ready."

Dick smirked as Selina mouthed Batman's words even as he said them.

"Batman," she cajoled, "how will he ever learn if he doesn't have experience? And don't tell me you don't trust the beetle. J'onn will be with you and he should at least be able to gauge the truth of anything either say. You trust J'onn, don't you?"

Batman grunted. "I'll take your suggestion under advisement."

She frowned at the monitor when he disconnected. "Stubborn fool."

"Please, he'll listen." Dick took her hand. "He always listens."

"Not without wasting a few days with J'onn first." She allowed him to lead her away from the computer and toward the manor. "Blue needs a mentor. Someone who will help him understand what the beetle is."

"Do you want Tim to help you hack Kord Industries?"

"Pfft."

"Right. I forgot who I was talking to."