Charlie turned her keys over and over in her hands as her eyes made one last quick sweep over her empty apartment – just to make sure it was still, in fact, empty. Once she was satisfied, she turned and with her hand on the doorknob took one last quick glance over her shoulder before stepping out into the hall. She quickly locked the door behind her before stuffing her keys into her destroyed leather purse. She'd had it for a while now. She had expensive taste, and at the moment didn't have the funds to support a new purse. At least, not the kind she liked. But she could easily make due with the one she had. Never one to complain, she kind of liked her old purse. It was reliable. It had character. She was a bit attached to it. It was to a point where she would be sad to see it cast aside. A lot had happened while she had this bag; a mixture of good and bad.

She pushed open the door to her building, holding it open for an elderly patron with a smile. The woman thanked her, Charlie nodded and let the door fall shut once again. She stepped out onto the streets of Gotham City and hailed a cab.

"Where to?" The driver asked. The cab smelled like pot. Charlie did her best to breathe through her mouth. She hated the smell of weed. She quickly gave him the name of the restaurant, hoping that with any luck, he was one of those cabbies who drove like a maniac. Predictably, he was. She grinned to herself as he skidded around the last corner and she spotted Joy waiting outside the door.

She handed the driver a couple of bills before sliding out of the car. Joy beamed over at her and Charlie was once again in awe of how confident she was. Even with all her scars, Joy was stunning. She had long blonde hair that curled perfectly around her face and came to rest just below her shoulder blades. It framed her olive skin and bright blue eyes. It was her eyes that completed her, Charlie had decided. For Joy's eyes held a mixture of pain, pride and strength the likes of which most people had never seen. Charlie blamed herself for it. She had brought this pain on her oldest friend. She had introduced her to Richard. She had indirectly put those scars on her face and that cane in her hands. She hated herself for her part in it. Most of all, she hated him.

"I can always tell when you're thinking about it." Joy accused, narrowing her eyes.

"Sorry."

"Lighten up. Remember what you said when we moved here? New start, right? Let it go."

Charlie smiled, "Right. Shall we?" She gestured dramatically towards the large glass doors to the restaurant.

Joy giggled, "We shall."

Charlie let her smile fall as she followed her friend inside. Joy had no idea how impossible it was for Charlie to just let go. What had happened back in Seattle with Richard still haunted her, and now it was happening here. She saw him everywhere. At work she would look up from her orders and see him standing in the window, looking in at her. While volunteering at the new Gotham General, she would look up from helping a patient and he would be there. She had experienced over two full years of freedom from that mad man, but now she doubted if moving had done them any good at all. He had somehow found her. That was the reason she gave the restaurant a once over before they sat down. Joy didn't know. Charlie couldn't bring herself to tell her. That...and she had reason to feel safer here than back home. For a reason that, again, she would never mention to her friend.

"Jesus. Can we afford this place?" She hissed, looking at the menu.

"No." Joy stated bluntly, looking at the wine menu. "Want wine?"

"Not really, but you go ahead."

"Don't mind if I do." She winked. "Do you know what you want?"

Charlie shrugged, "I'm honestly not that hungry. I come for the conversation, mostly." she grinned.

"Ah. Of course." Joy closed her menu and set it off to the side on top of Charlie's already forgotten one. The waiter came quickly to take her order and Charlie didn't miss the curious and shocked look he had when he initially saw Joy's full face. He recovered quickly, but she knew Joy would have noticed. Both women had learned to ignore it by now. The ones whose opinions mattered all loved Joy now that they'd gotten to know her properly. Joy thanked the waiter, handing him the menus, before leaning her elbows on the table, "So. How's work?"

She shrugged, taking a sip of her water, "I work in a fast food kitchen. It's not very thrilling, by any means. I fry up burgers for drug dealers and pimps. Living the dream."

They laughed.

"How's the hospital coming along? I hear they've got one more wing to finish up."

Charlie nodded, "Pediatric. Should be done by the end of November, so they say."

"That's good to hear." She leaned back in her seat as the waiter set her wine in front of her. "Thank you." She smiled at him.

Charlie's eyes strayed from her table and wandered around the restaurant. There was a young, very affectionate couple sitting in the corner to their left – newly weds, maybe – a pair of elderly women in fur coats and expensive jewelry sat immediately behind where Joy sat with her back to them. Off in another corner – in what looked like a private booth – sat an attractive dark haired man who she was certain couldn't be any older than thirty, in a navy blue, pinstriped suit. There was a much older man sitting across from him. He had dark skin and hair that reminded her of pepper. It wasn't entirely gray yet, but not quite black either. He was dressed in very much the same way, only his suit was plain solid black. Clearly, they were businessmen. Her eyes roamed over young, beautiful women all huddled around another large table close to the booth. The looked like models to her, but she couldn't be sure. Next to them was an elderly couple that Charlie couldn't help but smile at. As her eyes moved on, her blood ran cold as the focused on the table behind the one at which the fur-coated women sat. A man sat alone, with his arms folded in front of him next to a glass of water. Bright, horrifying blue eyes stared back at her from under the rim of a brown, faded ball cap. She couldn't imagine how she had missed him, since he looked incredibly out of place in such clothes. She gulped, ripping her eyes away and focusing her attention on re-folding her napkin.

"See anything interesting?" Joy joked, moving to have a look around her self.

"No! – I mean…nothing, really. Just checking."

Joy sighed, "As usual." She took in Charlie's shaking hands. "Are you alright? You look spooked." She started to sound nervous as well.

"No. Nothing." She glanced up and Richard tipped his hat in her direction. "Just thought I recognized someone for a second."

"Good looking?"

"Not in the least."

"That's unfortunate." She thanked the waiter again when he set her food in front of her.

"Looks good." Charlie commented idly when really, her mind was screaming for Joy to hurry the hell up.

"Shit!" Joy hissed as her wineglass tipped into her lap. She groaned, "Damn it. I'm going to go attempt to wash some of this out." She smiled apologetically, getting to her feet, muttering something about staining her new pants.

"Good luck." Charlie chuckled dryly as Joy brushed by her, making a bee line for the rest room. She made sure Joy was out of site before she forced herself to stand and, on shaky legs, she walked over to where Richard sat, watching her with an expectant smile.

"Charlie." He greeted, gesturing for her to sit with him.

She didn't move an inch from where she stood, "What are you doing?" She hissed, trying not to make a scene. "Leave. Please." She couldn't command it of him, for she had nothing to threaten him with. The police back home had no way of connecting Richard with Joy's brutal beating nor had she been able to provide them with any solid evidence to prove that he was stalking her. It was her word against his, and he was a smooth talker. He had even managed to get in good with the cops working the case. The bastard. He made bail easily.

"I'm having dinner." He explained this slowly as if he were speaking to a child.

"Really? Here? Alone? Coincidentally at the same time as Joy and I? I suppose you showing up in Gotham was a huge coincidence as well?" She had raised her voice, and the elderly women and the newly weds were shooting them uncomfortable glances. She brought it back down, "I'm begging you, leave us alone. I've already notified the police. You can't keep turning up like this."

"I think you're being paranoid, Charlie." He sighed. His calmness only fed her anger.

She slammed her hand on the table in front of him unthinkingly as her eyes welled up with tears of rage and pure fear and desperation. Other tables were staring their way now, "I know what you did to her, you insane son of a bitch, and I won't – can't - let it happen again–"

He pried her hand off the table, holding it tightly in his as she tried to yank it away, "Shh." He muttered, stroking it with his thumb, "I have no interest in Joy." He reached up with his free hand to stroke her face. She flinched away.

"Don't touch me!"

"Sorry to interrupt," It was the dark haired businessman from the booth. And Charlie could plainly see that he wasn't sorry at all. He was staring pointedly at where Richard had Charlie's hand in a grip so tight that his knuckles were turning white. "Is there a problem?"

Charlie gave a frantic nod at the same time as Richard gave a polite 'No.'

The man surveyed Richard's all-to-calm smile before slowly glancing over at Charlie, "Do you know him, Miss…"

"Bennett. Charlie…And No – well, Yes, but-"

"She's my wife." Richard explained.

Charlie's mouth fell open in disgust, "I'm not his wife!" She insisted desperately. "Please."

"And...you are?" The question was for Richard.

"Richard Carlton."

"I see. Well, Dick, it seems as though Miss Bennett is either not your wife, or won't be very soon, so I suggest you let her go and remove yourself from my restaurant before I have someone do it for you. And I promise, they won't be gentle." He smiled smugly, although he was quite serious.

His restaurant? Oh! This man was Bruce Wayne. The Bruce Wayne. She gave him her routine once-over: She'd always assumed that he would be older…clearly, she needed to watch more TV. Once she had a TV, that is.

She felt Richard's grip leave her hand. She cradled it in her other hand, rubbing it absently as he brushed by her and made his exit. She let out a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding and smiled as if nothing had happened when she saw Joy emerge from the ladies room. Such perfect timing. She turned to thank Mr. Wayne, but before she said anything he simply nodded his head in understanding, giving her a small but reassuring smile before returning to his table.

He wasn't all that bad, She thought, and she wondered why he had such a bad reputation as she slid back into her seat across from Joy to pretend as if nothing had happened.

reviews/encouragement/suggestions on how to make Charlie more likable would be so appreciated :) after all, the story is written mostly for the readers and if you guys don't like my OC, then it's all for shit because no one will read it. So, give me your honest opinions of her so far.