Hi folks,

I have always been a large fan of the bat and the cat, still can remember myself watching that 70's series starring Adam West and Julie Newmar.

I really loved the Tim Burton movie, seeing Michelle Pfeiffer setting her claws for the completely overwhelmed Michael Keaton and ended up so disappointed when she refused his offer to live with him.

Imagine me at the end of TDKR... ^_^

Well, as you will realize, I am not a native speaker and would be thankful for someone correcting my biggest flaws.

Thanks!

My story takes place after the events at the end of TDKR. This is my version on how Selina and Bruce end up so happy in Florence.

Neither Batman nor any other characters in this fic belong to me, I will just borrow them for my fantasy.

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Their words echoed in her head as she watched him fly away with the bomb dangling at the bat, swinging from the left to right side like an oversized pendulum clock, counting down the time, that Gotham had left.

"Save yourself. You don't owe these people any more. You've given them everything."

"Not everything. Not yet."

She had not known that he would go as far as offering his life to these people. These people, who did not earn his sacrifice, who would have killed him a month ago because they thought he had murdered their beloved Dent.

Now, while he was saving their meaningless lives, they would name streets and parcs after him and would put a bronze bust of him in front of the city hall.

Him- "Batman" she hissed inaudible to Commissioner Gordon, who was still standing close to her. Neither would know, it was Bruce Wayne, who was the hero.

Soft snowflakes melted on her cheeks as Selina clenched her fists at the wrongfulness of life.

He could have left with her, start a new life without the burden of being the Batman. She wasn't as naive as to think that his new life could be with her.

She looked over to the truck, which had contained the bomb and her eyes stopped at the sign of the dead woman, supposably Miranda Tate.

Wasn't she Bruce's girlfriend? Selina had seen the way they acted around each other, full of intimacy and affection. Those loving glimpses and the sweet promise at the stock exchange "I won't forget about you" Bruce had given her.

Was it mean to think on Selina's part: "Nevertheless, you are dead now, sweetheart"?

Seconds before she killed Bane by a blast of the BatPod, she had seen Miranda running out of the building, leaving the mercenary to murder Batman, Selina presumed. She had let him down, too, not being the girl she pretended to be. Poor Bruce, always choosing the wrong women.

However, that Miranda was the kind of type for him, smart, beautiful and -most important- a social player.

It wasn't that Selina got struck by jealousy, but a tiny little part of her felt some affection for the caped crusader, since dark things had always caught her attention.

This last kiss had felt so good, so right to her, silently wishing, that it was no farewell thing. Unconsiously she ran her tongue slowly over her upper lip, trying to taste whatever was left of him.

Nobody would ever understand him as she did, being forced to wear masks, being forced to be someone you don't want to be any more.

A sudden explosion pushed her back to reality, rocking the ground lightly, but rocking her heart hard.

Selina inhaled sharply, trying to gain her posture.

Bruce Wayne is dead.

Gotham city is alive.

Commissioner Gordon sank to his knees, digging his hands desperatly in the dirt of the street, slowly turning his head to Selina, his mouth open for a silent cry, his eyes wet and his breathing heavy.

"B-Batman" sighing "Bruce Wayne's dead."

"Yes", I realise that she thought, he died for this city of crime and sin.

Gordon stared at her as if he expected her to say something more, to do something more.

The cat burglar and the head of the police embracing over the loss of the Batman, sharing sentimental feelings, giving each other comfort?

Selina shrugged at the image forming in her head.

That man should know who she was and should await nothing more and nothing less. Nevertheless, his eyes kept boring into hers.

Dealing with the emotions of two people was way too much she could handle right now, therefore she decided for a sudden retreat, leaving the mourning man and the pod behind.

Originally she had planned upon exiting the town with it, but now, she didn't want a reminder of him, immediately scolding herself for being so emotional. She didn't owe him and she didn't love him, why did she feel so baffled?

Let alone her mind screamed, trying to get off the picture of his face, the sound of his voice, the taste of his lips, the smell of his skin, while Selina rapidly moved from rooftop to rooftop to arrive at her flat.

She elegantly flew through the open window into her living room, instantly starting to collect a few things, throwing them into a carryall from an exquisite french brand, she had pulled out from underneath her bed, since her trolley case was still at the police station, where young Blake had interrogated her. It wasn't that Selina felt addicted to any manors, but she still needed some clothes for changing and a place to put the money, she had 'collected' over the past few years. She had no idea what would happen to her accounts after the use of the clean slate program, hence she planned to stop at the next cash dispenser outside of Gotham to get as much money as feasible, overriding the internal security codes. When she was as far away from Gotham as possible, she would erase herself from the world, getting a fresh start she had always dreamt of, but never dared to believe in. While hurrying through her appartment, she realized she was using the time she had not had when Batman had asked her to open the tunnel.

At the thought of his name and the memory of their shared moment, when he had made it clear that he trusted her despite herself, Selina collapsed.

"There is more to you than that." His confession repeated itself in her head, over and over.

She sank to the floor, her back against the side of her bed, her legs pulled up tightly to her body, one arm around them, the other to hold her head and its hand to cloak her eyes.

Out of nowhere she started to cry, giving into the grief she had tried to fight effortlessly at the end.

Hot tears ran down her face, soft sobs escaped her mouth, her body shaking with the sudden emotional outburst at the death of a man she had hardly known, but who had touched her more than she would admit to herself. Suppressing any kind of feelings had always been her aim and now she was cowering on the floor like a pile of mush, unable to get over the loss.

"This is enough!" a strong voice in her head suddenly screamed and Selina felt the needed power coming to her, shutting off the blur of images and sensations. To wash them off completely, she slammed her fists onto the floor next to her sitting position, giving her still shaking body the longed for push to stand up and finish the packing in order to leave everything behind connected to Selina Kyle.

Her walls were back up and her instincts rebooted, too, but it was too late she realized, somebody had witnessed her weakness and took a toll, moving outside of the shadows behind her, while she tried to knock him or her out- but it was no use, a bad smelling cloth was being pressed over her nose and mouth and she fainted within seconds before she could lay eyes on her attacker. So Bane's guys had found her.