Disclaimer: As I'm sure you already know, I don't own any of the Batman characters.
Chapter 1: He Thinks He's Batman
"Looks like heavy rain and severe thunderstorms for the next few days here in Gotham. Keep your umbrellas with you at all times, and don't expect to see the sun for quite awhile. We're in for another gloomy weekend." Nora turned down the car radio and put her windshield wipers on high speed, struggling to see out the windshield. For once the weather report was accurate. Rain was pelting against the small vehicle as if trying to compact it into the pavement of the road with great force.
"Auntie Nora, did you hear me? I have to PEE."
"Benjamin, we're just a few miles from the city. For right now, you're going to have to hold it. There aren't any bathrooms around here. We're still in the country."
Nora Wood had just traveled to her hometown of Boston, Massachusetts to take her five year old nephew, Ben, off the hands of her sister. Andrea Wood was on her way to spend a week in Mexico sipping pink drinks under palm trees with her husband, and had kindly asked Nora to take care of their only son while they were vacationing. On the two hour drive back from Boston, Ben had not once stopped talking about how excited he was to go to Gotham, a city under the protection of the ever admirable Batman.
"I could go pee in that castle." Ben pointed nonchalantly, pointing a tiny finger out of his foggy window. Nora looked to her right and noticed, even through the partially blinding rain, an enormous mansion that looked to be at least one-hundred years old. She recognized almost instantly that it was Wayne Manor, which had burned down not too long ago only to be rebuilt brick for brick by a man who appreciated himself the most and his money the least, Bruce "Playboy" Wayne.
Nora pushed a strand of her shoulder length, pin straight black hair behind her ear in aggravation. Sighing, she peered at Ben in the rear-view mirror with a look expressing not only annoyance, but exhaustion.
"Ben, that's Wayne Manor. You can't just ring the doorbell and ask to use the bathroom. Bruce Wayne isn't the type of person to welcome random strangers into his home, not to mention strangers with a nonexistent social status." Nora, of course, knew that Ben would not understand a word of that. However, she had been to the Narrows enough to realize that the real scum of Gotham were the rich, who frolicked in their wealth and paid little attention to those less fortunate. Giving to charities said nothing about them except that perhaps that they enjoyed holding charity balls, bragging to the upper class about just how much they could afford to give away, and patting themselves on the back for donating a mere fraction of their money, as if they were God for doing so. It was disgusting, and Nora always stood for the suffering Gotham citizens – those who were not so unaware of reality and who knew the value of a dollar.
After she silently revisited her views of Gotham's self-proclaimed cream of the crop, Nora turned her attention back to Ben who was now wiggling in every which direction to avoid peeing his pants. She sighed, looking out into the woods from her window. He would just have to relieve himself there. There was no way she was going embarrass herself by asking to use Bruce Wayne's spotless restroom, reserved for himself and his frequent guests with much more than lint and a few crinkled dollar bills in their wallets.
"But I have to go! I can't pee my pants 'cause I don't want to pee my pants 'cause that's gross! Besides, I'm Batman! I can do whatever I want! Bruce Weiner can't stop me!" Bruce Weiner? She'd have to remember that one. She smiled slightly, about to respond to his silly argument, when she heard a loud "POP!" that could have only come from one of her tires, since she felt the car sag to the left in response. She cursed under her breath, slowed the car to a stop just a few feet away from the entrance gates to Wayne Manor, and reached under the seat for an umbrella.
"What was that? Is the car broken? Good, 'cause you can fix it while I pee in the castle!" Ben exclaimed happily. Nora, after a great deal of rummaging, found her old umbrella and pulled it out from underneath her. The ancient thing had many rips and tears in it and looked as if it could wilt away into nothing at any minute. Frowning, she turned back to Ben.
"You'll just have to go in the woods. The gates to Wayne Manor are closed, and they don't allow people in who did not merit an invitation. I'm sorry, Ben." He crossed his arms and scowled in defeat. Tilting his chin down, he allowed several strands of his strawberry blonde bangs to fall into his eyes.
"I don't want to go in the forest. It's dark and scary and wet."
Nora opened her car door and stepped out into the wetness and gloom that was Gotham. Though they were not yet in the city but only in the outskirts, they were still in what was considered Gotham which meant that they were subject to the darkest, most horrid weather possible. She managed, shockingly, to open her old umbrella. It guarded her from a few measly drops of rain and allowed for the rest to soak her completely while she bent over to look at her deflated tire. Hearing Ben sigh dramatically, she chuckled.
"You're afraid of the woods? Gee, I thought Batman wasn't afraid of anything." Usually a little bit of coercing worked like a charm when it came to five-year-olds.
"I'm not Batman, I just lied to you. Batman is big and strong and he doesn't look like me. He wears all black," he replied. 'So much for that idea,' thought Nora. She bent over, her red V-neck tee and dark denim jeans now soaking wet along with her jet black hair, and noticed a strange and very sharp object on the ground. It appeared to be some sort of car part, yet when she looked closely it oddly resembled a metal wing, perhaps of a bird. Just as she went to pick it up, she heard a polite voice calling out over the sound of the torrential downpour.
"Excuse me Miss, but may I assist you?" An old man poked his crooked nose through the steel gate, flashlight at hand. His English accent added a touch of wisdom and suggested that he possessed a great deal of kindness.
"Um, well, actually…yes. That would be wonderful. You see, I think I ran over this strange metal object. It looks like a wing of a bird…or perhaps a bat? I'm not sure if I can see well enough to change the tire, and my nephew has to go to the bathroom, and I…" While she rambled, the old man unlocked the gate and approached her with haste. He looked somewhat worried. Once he reached Nora's side, he bent over to pick up the metal piece. Tucking it under his arm, he offered Nora a small smile.
"Ah, well, I am quite skilled in changing tires, Madam…?"
"Wood. Nora Wood."
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Wood. You may call me Alfred. Now, if you will allow me to escort you to the house with your delightful young nephew, I would be happy to let him use our restroom. And as soon as you are inside I will tend to this problem right away," he informed her, bowing his head a little. Nora was taken aback. Never did she expect such hospitality.
"Oh, please, that will not be necessary-"
"But I insist, Madam." She hesitated, but agreed after witnessing Ben's face light up when the pair of them looked in his direction. Alfred smiled at him warmly. Nora walked over to his side, umbrella still at hand, and opened the door for Ben to step out. He quickly stood and continued to fidget. Alfred gave him an enchanting smirk.
"I have to pee, Mister. You have to let me use the bathroom in your castle, please! You don't know who I am but I bet you'll let me use it if I tell you that I'm…Batman," Ben told Alfred, clutching Nora's leg. Ah, so he was identifying himself as Batman again. Nora only hoped Bruce Weiner would not come up in conversation.
Alfred looked up at Nora with sparkling eyes.
"Well, Batman, of course you may use our bathroom. In fact, we love it when Batman comes to visit us. However, you would have been allowed to use it even if you weren't Batman, you know."
"Okay! Let's go, Auntie! See I told you. Now hurry!" Ben said, tugging at Nora's arm. Nora smiled down at him, unable to avoid his cuteness. She avoided being dragged in by her nephew for a few moments while she waited for Alfred to catch up, then the three of them quickly jogged up to the large oak doors.
Once inside, Alfred quickly led them down the hall to the left of the foyer. Nora briefly caught a glance of the sparkling crystal chandelier hanging from the tall ceiling, the ornate rugs and pieces of artwork, and the spotless wooden tables with fresh flower arrangements strategically placed among them. Before she could take in the grandeur of the mansion and the vastness of the rooms, she was pulled into a large white bathroom by her eager nephew. She thanked Alfred quickly before Ben slammed the door, pulled down his pants, and went to it. She heard Alfred say he was going to change her tire through the door. What a nice man.
Ben finished, sighing in relief, and let Nora lift him up so he could reach the sink. He grinned when he saw his reflection in the mirror that was three times his size.
"Don't get any ideas. As soon as Alfred finishes changing the tire, we're leaving," Nora warned. He shrugged, dried his hands, and they exited.
This time, once back in the hallway, Nora had time to take in the glory of the home. She found herself completely awestruck. The ceilings seemed to go on forever, and the 18th century décor was absolutely gorgeous. She somehow navigated them back to the foyer, where the chandelier towered over them. Ben smiled up at the crystal object above his small head.
"It's over one-hundred years old." A deep yet soothing voice startled Nora, and she noticeably jumped. She turned around to find Bruce Wayne, a face she recognized from the newspapers and magazines, standing on the staircase in Levi jeans and a form-fitting black tee. He gave her a warm smile after noticing her dark chocolate eyes widen with surprise.
Nora gulped down the lump in her throat. Despite her views of this man, she had to admit that he was quite intimidating. Not only was he a multi-billionaire, but he was overbearingly attractive. It was easy to see that he was incredibly physically fit, with biceps pulling at the sleeves of his shirt. He had a haircut that was young yet professional. At the moment, though, his hair looked rather boyish. It was ruffled, and his bangs were loosely scattered across his forehead. His thumbs were stuffed into his tight pockets. Despite his somewhat stubbly chin and the hint of exhaustion in his expression, his sparkling eyes and the half smile playing at his lips made him exceedingly charming.
Nora was lost for words. She could only stare at the beautiful human being in front of her – she took in everything from his bare feet against the plum carpet to his broad shoulders, thick neck, and pouty pink lips. Ben looked up at his aunt, wondering why she was not speaking. When he realized she was not about to break from her trance, Ben spoke up.
"What's over one-hundred years old?" Bruce Wayne broke eye contact with Nora, then looked down at Ben. He traveled down a few stairs before reaching the floor of the foyer.
"The chandelier above you. And who, might I ask, are you?" He approached Ben, who stood to the right of Nora, and knelt down in front of him with a grin. Ben squeezed Nora's sweaty hand when he realized how close this stranger was getting.
"I'm Batman. Who are you?" Ben questioned, as if the fact that he was Batman was the most obvious thing in the world. Bruce raised his eyebrows in surprise. He then glanced up at Nora, who smiled down at him.
"His name is Ben. He thinks he's Batman," Nora informed Bruce, laughing.
"I AM Batman!" Ben growled, distastefully glancing up at Nora. He then let go of her hand and crossed his arms in anger.
"You told me you weren't Batman in the car, when you refused to go into the forest. Remember?" Nora said, surprised that she found her voice. She playfully ruffled his hair. Ben mumbled something in frustration.
"Well, Batman, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name's Bruce Wayne. You can call me Bruce. And who is this pretty lady?" Bruce asked Ben, nodding towards Nora. Nora blushed.
"Auntie Nora. She doesn't believe I'm Batman, but I am." Bruce looked up at Nora again and gave her a wide grin. Her stomach fluttered against her will. Standing, Bruce placed his hands into his pockets and returned his gaze back to the adorable child.
"Well, since you're Batman, you probably don't want to tell everyone you know. I hear the identity of Batman is supposed to remain a secret. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone your secret. And, well, if your aunt does not want to believe you, so be it. You know the truth, right?" Bruce asked sweetly. Nora was amused by Bruce's ability to interact with children, seeing as he ran his own company and usually had models clinging to him at all times. Kids don't seem to really fit into such a life.
Ben nodded, smiling slightly. Bruce then, once again, found Nora's eyes.
"Alfred told me about your situation. I'm sorry about your car, and I'm sorry you had to be outside in such weather. Anyway, I'm Bruce Wayne. Nice to meet you," he said coolly, holding out his hand. Nora took it, finding it hard to breathe. What the heck was happening to her? This was Bruce "Playboy" Wayne. This was Mr. "Hot-shot." Mr. "I'm the Greatest Thing since Sliced Bread."
"Nora Wood. Nice to meet you, too. You have a beautiful home," she admitted, taking in her surroundings once again. Anything to keep her from losing herself in his coffee eyes. She noticed that his handshake was firm, almost too firm, and that his hand was twice as large as hers. It engulfed her small fingers as if she were shaking hands with a baseball mitt.
Bruce thanked her, and she finally let her hand slip from his after a long-lasting handshake. They stood there, awkwardly, until Bruce spoke again.
"Can I get you anything? Coffee or tea? A towel?" Nora looked at him with question, and then it occurred to her that she was sopping wet. She was probably making puddles right there on Bruce's floor. Ben, of course, was damp. Yet Nora still had droplets of water running down her face and arms. Her hair was sticking to her head, and it felt stringy. She probably looked like she just walked out of a swamp. Suddenly, redness filled her cheeks. Before she could respond, however, the front doors opened to reveal Alfred.
"Ah, Alfred. How did everything go?" Bruce asked, aware that he had made Nora uncomfortable. Guiltily, he diverted his attention to his old butler.
"Excellent. I am happy to say that I was able to change your tire with ease, Miss Wood. Whenever you wish to continue on with your journey, you may. However, do not feel hurried at all. You are welcome to stay as long as you would like. And that goes for Batman, as well," Alfred said, giving Ben a wink. Bruce and Alfred shared a knowing glance, and Nora felt like she was missing something.
Ben shushed Alfred, who apologized immediately after learning that Ben was now trying to keep the fact that he was Batman a secret.
"Thank you for everything, Alfred. And thank you for allowing us to use your bathroom, Mr. Wayne. It was very nice of you. I'm afraid, however, that we should get going. It's getting late, and we really must get home," Nora said tiredly.
"It was no problem, Miss," replied Alfred. Bruce's smile faded, and he looked disappointed.
"Really, don't sweat it. But, you're welcome. And call me Bruce."
Author's Note:
Please review! It's my first Batman fic, so go easy on me. :) Thank you for reading.