This is the Sequel to Who We Once Were and Who We are now. I recommend you read that one first but I understand that you are an independent individual who might like to live on the edge. I am taking a poll for Lilly's love life in this story! Should she be with Bane or should she be with Batman? You can PM with your vote! Also I am looking for someone to proofread my chapters. I am still undergoing treatment for my Leukemia and I get tired very easily which causes me to get lazy with proof reading. I want to put my best work out there so if you are interested PM about that too. :) Please Review! I love reading your reviews and my nurses love hearing about them! They inspire me to write faster, ;) Thank you for giving this story a shot! Oh and thank you to the Guest review that told me my story sucked, you are awesome!

A shrill ringing from my office phone yanked me out of the coma like sleep I had been in. Just before answering I stopped to wipe the drool from my chin while clearing my throat.

"This is Lilly White speaking."

The sound of sleep was still heavy in my voice but luckily the person on the other line didn't notice. It was my patient Tracey. I attempted to listen to her latest family drama but I struggled to do so. I switched the call to speaker phone, paying more attention to the crackling of my bones than to Mrs. Webb. My back cracked when I stood up causing me to let out a sigh. I paused worrying my patient could hear me but she continued thinking out loud about how evil her step daughter was while my thoughts were drifting to the fight from last night. The four thugs that I fought weren't like the usual ones. I couldn't describe them as thugs at all really. They were educated, trained, and precise. They were not after the normal cheap thrill. These guys were scoping out the stock exchange, they were discussing the ins and outs of it but I couldn't figure out why, it seemed like they were on the verge of revealing the reason when one of them wandered off. I had been watching them when he had ventured off a little ways down the alley, a few minutes before the other pulled out a phone to call someone. I was creeping closer to the group when the straggler attacked a girl. I was surprised when I didn't have to intervene. The leader or who I assumed was the leader took care of him for me. He didn't even speak; just shot the man then left. If I had been paying attention to him and not staring in surprise at the body I would have noticed him throw me a glance before taking off. I missed that though so when I followed the three men I unknowingly made it easier for them. They were expecting me. I should have never been out there last night, I hadn't trained in almost three months, I wasn't sleeping as much or as well as I should and my new lackadaisical habits just made me an easier target. These guys didn't seem to be trying to hurt me though, only to get me to stop tailing them. In fact the leader had every opportunity to kill me but he didn't. One of the men held me down while the leader approached me. He was a tall, slight man however it was clear he was not one to mess with; his stance was strong and poised. He appeared to be former military, an observation that peaked my curiosity even more. He squatted down on my level and gently removed my mask; we stared at each other in silence before he broke it.

"I'm sorry about this." What surprised me was he came off as genuinely apologetic; his hazel eyes gave him away. That didn't stop him from knocking me out with his gun though.

Waking up I half expected to be in the middle of the narrows, certainly not in an abandoned building with a blanket over me. This worried me even more then it would have if they just left me in a random spot. These guys were a part of something much bigger and I wanted to stop it before it hit Gotham, unfortunately I wasn't doing that great of a job. Fighting crime alone in Gotham and being the leading therapist in Gotham wasn't easy. It was catching up to me that was for certain. Every day I was catching myself either not paying attention to my clients...like now or skipping training. Most of the time it was both; I took Tracey off speaker phone and sat back down at my desk.

"Tracey maybe you should just try to listen to Kayleigh, she is trying to adjust to a new mother figure. Both of you need to make an effort if this blended family will work." The woman on the line continued talking about her stepdaughter when a knock sounded at my door. When I didn't answer a tall man entered and sat across from me. He placed a bag down on the desk and pulled out two sandwiches, placing one in front of me. He didn't bother to wait for me before he started eating, a simple act that pinched a nerve in me.

"Yes you can come in if that would help you, why don't you consider bringing her too, for a joint session? Two is perfect. Okay, see you then." Finally I got to hang up. I studied the man in front of me. His brown hair was pushed back but slightly coming forward into his blue eyes. He really needed a haircut but I kind of liked the long hair on him. His normally crisp white shirt was rolled up to his elbows showing off his muscular forearms, his tattoo barely peeking out from his left side. Before I began to eat my lunch I walked around to the other side of the desk and moved his lunch to the side. I sat on top of the desk placing my arms around his neck.

"Hey hot stuff." He laughed but wrapped his long arms around my waist.

"Hey, yourself." Derek leaned in for the kiss which I returned enthusiastically. I wasn't sure if I loved this man but I did love kissing him that was for sure.

"Rough day?" I went back to my side of the desk and began eating my lunch.

"Not really, I will be late-"

'I heard, its okay I have a meeting anyway."

"Who with?"

"John Daggett." I grimaced. I hated that man; he gave me the heebie jeebies to the max. It was very clear to me that he didn't give a shit about Wayne Enterprises, only the money within it.

'About what?"

"Nothing to worry your pretty little head about; were you and Gabe able to finish packing up your place last night?" Shit I forgot about that. Gabe wasn't even in town. But Derek thought he was helping me pack, he didn't know that I was actually out patrolling. I swept my hair into a ponytail and smiled, instantly I tensed when I noticed him eyeing my forehead.

"Lilly what the hell happened to your head?" He was up and by myside immediately. While he examined the cut and bruise I tried shrugging him off.

"Oh you know how clumsy I am; I tripped carrying a box downstairs. It's okay though Gabe made sure I was fine. Anyway yes, it's all ready to go." I gave him my best fake smile which seemed to calm him down. He walked back over to his side of the desk while babbling on and on about what time the movers will be there and how unpacking will go. While he talked about these things my mind strayed to the thought of Bruce. I wondered how he was doing but then remembered that Bruce didn't want anyone checking on him, much less me. Moving in with Derek was a huge step for me, for us. It meant that I was going to have to stop patrolling at night; it was time I left that for the cops and maybe one day for Batman. More importantly though it meant I was really putting Bruce and me behind, I just wished I could stop thinking about him completely. I'm ashamed to admit that I called Alfred not only to see how he was doing but to check up on Bruce, I worried about him more and more. He had become a hermit and was slowly destroying everything his family ever built. I worried he would snap out of it and regret his decisions but Alfred reminded me over and over again that it was not my responsibility to take care of Bruce or his business; after all my degree was not in finances or business.

Things were really hard after Rachel and Harvey died. Bruce decided that the city didn't need Batman but to him that meant the city didn't need Bruce...and I didn't either. Every day he became more and more bitter about it all, which soon creeped into our relationship. He then became bitter that I was still patrolling, the fights we got into about me going out were horrible, until finally we just agreed not to talk about it. Some nights I wouldn't even tell him I was going, I would claim to be staying at my place then go out. Jesus, it's hard to believe that was six years ago. It's even harder to think that we made it for four of those years. I had started to worry about the future of Wayne Enterprises then, I would notice the struggle the orphanages were having every week that I stopped in there to volunteer and so I got this second job. I became a family therapist as well as working at Arkham. Everything I made working here I would have Fox put into the foundation, trying to help anyway I could. It wasn't enough though and I soon realized that somewhere along the way of working eighty to nighty hours a week then patrolling that I lost not only myself but my relationship with Bruce. I would stay up talking to Alfred about it, trying to figure something out but eventually even he started to give up. He was the first person to tell me to leave, he asked me why I was killing myself for someone who didn't care and I listened to him. Everything was just so different now, including me. I had a chance to get a little piece of my old self back though and I was thinking of taking it.

"Arkham wants me to start working there again." Blue eyes studied my green ones, choosing how to approach the topic.

"I don't really think that's a good idea, aren't you happy here?" My body deflated a little.

"Yes, I am happy but...this isn't exactly the career I wished for...helping families become blended or husband's think of excuses as to why they aren't faithful...it's..." My sentence trailed off, I had to be careful this is what his father and mother did after all.

"Mediocre?" I winced at his biting tone. My silence didn't deter his words from flowing easily between us.

'Lilly, you have a good thing going here, you get paid well, you have a steady client list, and it's safe. Besides I make enough money that you don't really need to work." I didn't have the courage to debate with him about this further, it wasn't the first time we had this conversation and he made it clear he doesn't even want me to be working. I never thought I would be the type of woman to bite my tongue around a man just to please them, but I also knew that I was lucky he didn't push for me to quit work all together. Derek Redwood came from a very rich family. When I started to work here his father was on the brink of retirement and his mother had retired years ago. They were old money though and didn't really need these jobs. His dad hired me immediately and soon after was introducing me to his son, "the stock broker on the rise." Derek was sweet, charming and good looking, he never pushed me in fact he became my friend fast, he understood that I wasn't ready for a relationship but clearly that didn't last forever. I was the perfect woman for him according to his mother, I was humble, use to the press, and intelligent; exactly what he needed. Sometimes I appreciated the difference between my old life and my new, the old one I was the playboy's plaything and everyone questioned when we would break up, then I was the recluse's only link to the outside world. Now I'm Derek Redwoods girlfriend, and the questions were more on the lines of "when were we getting married? What a breath of fresh air we are." I tend to snort at those articles because what they really mean to say is "Typical wealthy family picks safe normal girl." When in reality they would die if they knew what I did at night. Maybe one day I'll just be Lilly White in the papers. Nah, I don't really want to be in the papers at all now that I think about it.

"Yeah, you're right; I guess I just like having options." Patting my hand he nodded his head in understanding.

"Don't forget tonight is Gordon's thing at the Wayne manor. We'll have dinner with my parent's beforehand, okay?"

"Okay." We finished the meal in silence, I gave him a brief kiss then he left. I was relieved when the day was over. I went home to see my things being packed up, ready to be moved to my new home but I didn't really care. I stopped caring about things like that a while ago. Maybe I should go see a therapist myself...ha. Laughing to myself at my train of thought I walked into my now bare room, the only things left inside it are the things I needed for tonight's occasion. In the shower I tried washing my melancholy mood away and to motivate myself for tonight's party. It would be nice to see Alfred and Gordon and dinner with the Redwoods was never horrible, just normal. I slipped into the black halter dress before pinning my hair back making sure it was off my neck so that the attention would be on the halter of the dress. I slipped into my heels and then gazed in the mirror. I hated what I saw now. Refusing to ponder on that thought I just did my makeup instead. My eyes were smoky, but my lips were nude and in an act of defiance I placed the drop diamond earrings that Bruce gave me in my ears. A knock sounded on my door and when I turned around Derek was leaning against the door frame.

"You look beautiful." When Derek said things like that my heart didn't flutter nor did I need to worry about blushing. Those things didn't happen at all anymore; a fact that didn't bother me as much as it should have.

'Thank you, are you ready?" He nodded and we left for the restaurant. Conversation flowed between the four of us while we ate. We talked about work, friends, Gotham news and the reason behind tonight's event. All through dinner his parents doted on me, they complemented my dress and his father asked him multiple times how Derek won a "girl like me", the clichés of it all almost relaxed me. It ended much too soon in fact. I sighed deeply at the thought of going to the Wayne manor. This was not going to be fun that was for sure, I was well aware that my attitude about Bruce and everything that took place resembled a high school break up, I just didn't know how else to act. That man drove me over the edge; I hadn't even been back since we ended things. The only contact I had to Bruce now was what Alfred told me in our weekly chats. Thinking about this took me back to that day.

"Bruce...will you please talk to me?"

"About what Lilly?"

"About us? Life? Hell you can even tell me about the tea you're drinking. Just please talk to me."

"I don't have anything to say that hasn't been said."

"You haven't had anything to say in months Bruce...I'm worried about us, about you. You're hiding from the world now, you're not talking to me, to Alfred, Bruce we hardly have a relationship now. This isn't healthy; you're living life like a ninety year old man. Is it because I'm working two jobs? I know that I don't have a lot of time but...well Bruce you need the money your foundation its-

"I don't want to hear it."

"Okay. Well, I'm trying to have an adult conversation with you, could you at least pretend to care? Can't you pretend to want to help this relationship?"

"Don't you have some saving to do?" I rolled my eyes at the immature comment.

"We've been over this Bruce, just because you're not Batman right now doesn't mean Gotham won't need him later, besides Gotham needs Bruce Wayne right now. I need Bruce Wayne."

"Stop pretending to understand Lilly! I'm nothing if I'm not Batman; I'm going out of my mind not helping people, being nobody." His hand shot out knocking the glass to the side making it shatter against the wall. His anger surprised me causing me to jump back.

"How can I understand if you won't talk to me? You are someone, you are a HUGE part of this city, not Batman but Bruce Wayne, this city would go to shit without your foundations and company, your MY significant other, I wouldn't be sane without you. Bruce we're a team, talk to me, tell me what I can do to fix this; to help you. "

"Don't try to shrink me, go out and save the world, I'm fine."

"Fine." At this point I just sounded desperate. We went through this everyday it seemed. When I walked out of the room I was met with the sight of Alfred.

'Lilly..." he pulled me into a hug but I wasn't bothering to cry.

"I just don't know what to do Alfred; this isn't healthy for any of us."

"Lilly you can't save a man who just wants to drown. You have a life, maybe it's time you go live it and not kill yourself for him, he's not the Bruce you deserve; you deserve to be happy and to have someone who puts just as much effort into your relationship." I went and tried to talk to Bruce once more before I left for good. He didn't say a word to me when I told him I was leaving just stared out his damn window.

Derek speaking pulled me out of my lost thoughts; I smiled at him and nodded to whatever he was saying. He suddenly gripped my hand, pulling my eyes away from the window.

"I was going to wait to do this but I know you don't like grand gestures and I don't want to wait any longer." I don't like grand gestures, you're right about that.

"Can't wait for what Derek?" Ice gripped my heart when I watched him pull out a little box from his pocket. Oh great, I couldn't decide if I really wanted to be in this relationship but the gods decide to make him propose?

"Lilly, marry me. Make me the happiest man alive. Marry me?" Tears filled my eyes whether from joy or sadness I wasn't willing to admit. Derek deserved love. He deserved to be happy, am I really what makes him happy? If I was, I wasn't sure I could break his heart, he was too nice.

"You really want to marry me?" He scoffed at my question; the ring was already on my finger. It was heavy, it felt out of place. I told myself I only felt that way because I wasn't use to it. I guess I didn't really need to answer him, besides he was already leaning in and kissing me. He gripped my hand and occasionally kissed me all the way to the party. When we arrived it was just how it should have been for a couple like us. Everyone congratulating us, giving hugs, kissing cheeks, smiling, laughing, and happy but I just felt like I was being suffocated.

"I'd like to go tell Alfred..." I whispered in his ear.

'Would you like for me to come?" No because I also need to tell Bruce and both hate your guts, well Alfred does, Bruce doesn't know you.

'No, you stay with your friends." It didn't take me long to find Alfred.

"Everything is still running as smoothly as ever it seems." His head whipped to me and a sad smile graced his features.

"How are you doing my dear?" Here it goes.

"Well…I'm engaged." He tried to cover the look of disappointment. I saw it anyway. I tried smiling anyway.

"I guess congratulations are in order, Mr. Redwood is a lucky man." He wrapped me in his arms which I returned gratefully.

"I'm sorry Alfred."

"You have nothing to apologize for Lilly Rae, I never expected a woman like you to be overlooked for long. I just hope you're happy." We stared at each other for a while, my secret evident on my face and his pity evident on his.

"Is he upstairs? I would like to be the one to tell him before it's in the papers." Alfred nodded and squeezed my shoulders once more before sending me on my way. I heard talking coming from the room so I waited for a bit before going in, when the woman stepped out of the room we briefly made eye contact before she continued on her way. I didn't bother to knock, I simply walked into the room. His back was turned to me, he looked like my Bruce, except my Bruce would be outside laughing and charming his guest, my Bruce would be by my side, he wouldn't be a living dead man. I cleared my throat to gain his attention. Leaning heavily on the cane he turned and faced me. A look of longing crossed his features briefly but he schooled his expression so fast that I thought I imagined it.

"Lilly-what, what a surprise...I didn't think you, well you look beautiful." I didn't miss his eyes going to my earrings or the flutter in my stomach at his words. Huh, maybe I could still suffer those feelings after all.

"Bruce I um-"I cleared my throat, I know that if I was going to face Bruce then I needed to get my shit together and do it like an adult. That required a steady voice.

"Bruce I have something I wanted to tell you, I didn't want you to hear it from someone else." He stared at me in silence, no trace of the love we use to share on his face. I almost felt like I was a business associate and nothing more. Maybe if I handled it that way I wouldn't feel like I was going to throw up.

"Go on." He seemed bored. I was embarrassed now. Was I doing the right thing by telling him myself?

"Der-I just wanted to tell you I was thinking of you, that if you need anything I'm here for you." Yeah…I'm chicken shit and I couldn't do it. I know I looked like a coward and my eyes probably portrayed my every emotion like they always did. His eyes however didn't betray any kind of emotion, he almost looked bored.

"Thank you Lilly." I rolled my eyes at his over polite response but was surprised he even responded at all. I nodded once at him and then turned and walked out of the room. Leaning against the side of the door I closed my eyes and let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. A million thoughts were running through my head but the main one that kept going around and around was that if I was going to marry Derek then I needed to find a way to not loose myself. I couldn't let all of this ruin me. I liked patrolling, I enjoyed fighting and saving lives; even if it was the occasional random drunk. They deserved saving too. I glanced back at the door I knew held my best friend and also a part of me but instead of walking back in, I walked back outside and joined my fiancée. I smiled and thanked the well-wishers, held Derek's hand, and planned on how to get my life together.

Derek told me on the way home that he was going to drop me off, he had a meeting with John Daggett and one of his business associates. That gave me the opportunity to go out tonight and I had no intention of passing that up. Once I was in action I went straight to my usual haunts, keeping an eye out for easy criminals to catch. I wanted to start training again and a few practice rounds couldn't hurt. I thought I found one so I dropped silently into the alley hoping to sneak up on him, when he turned to grin at me I knew I had been set up. Two guys behind me attacked first but I managed to roll out of the way and slam my hand into the first man's nose. Hearing a satisfying crunch and feeling the spray of blood I moved my attention to the others. They knew what they were doing but I was quick…for the first half hour. Then one finally caught me, wrapping his beefy hand around my neck and squeezing it till my breath cut off. Thinking fast I dropped all of my weight down causing him to release me and letting me swipe the legs out from under a smaller guy. Once he was down on the ground I knocked him out, but before I could finish the job my wrist was caught in someone's hand, I couldn't tell who's at this point. The man snapped it back causing me to yell out in pain and rendering that hand useless. I didn't have a chance to focus on the pain. Two more men appeared in the alley and ran at me. I continued to fight but I was starting to get tired and the pain was definitely getting to me. My mind was racing, a thousand thoughts per second. Where were all these men coming from? How did they know I was here? How did no one hear us fighting? I lost focus for a second and then a shot rang out. I bit my lip to stop from screaming, one of the men shot my left knee. I dropped like a sack of potatoes. I was done and I knew that but I refused to admit it. I wanted my answers. When they approached me I struggled back into a corner, I was nothing more than a caged animal at this point. One tried reaching for me but I grabbed his wrist and snapped it in the same manner that mine had been snapped.

"An eye for an eye dick." I spat on the man's shoes. The others simply backed away after that, confusing me. I watched as they all stood in attention and turned away from me. My focus shifted to behind me, landing on the same man from before with another two men behind him. Just like before he crouched down in front of me before speaking to me.

"Once again I am sorry for this."

'Sorry for what? Who are you?"

"You'll see." Something slammed into the back of my head making my vision blurry, then everything went back.

Waking up I was laying on the cold ground, my body ached. My knee hurt the worse but shooting pains danced up and down my arm. I tried sitting up but all I managed was a wince.

"Lilly? Lilly are you okay?" Fear gripped my heart. That was Derek's voice. All I could think was a desperate plea for that not to be him. I rolled over ignoring the protest from my body. My heart stopped when my eyes met his blue ones. Just like this afternoon, except one of his eyes were swollen shut. He had been beaten.

'Derek? Why, what?"

"Lilly I swear I'll fix this, I'll get us out of this, I swear, I'm so sorry." Why was he apologizing? "Derek I-"male voices cut my thoughts off. The man from earlier entered with a much larger one beside him. My eyes widened at the sheer size of the man, a mask covered most of his face only leaving his dark eyes visible, everything about this man screamed for me to get away. He ignored Derek and stared at me. The intimidation caused me to look away, focusing on Derek. Derek glanced at me before starting to cry. He was terrified that I knew but why was he here?

"How did she do?"

"She did much better than I was expecting, you were right."

"I know."

"What do you want me to do with him?" They were talking about us like we weren't even there but it didn't stop me from praying that they would let Derek go. I hadn't realized I made the plea out loud.

"You request for this man's freedom but you have no idea the crimes he has committed."

"Derek hasn't done anything, let him go, you want me, so let him go." The hulking man casually walked over to me, placing his boot dangerously close to my hand, when I went to pull it away he placed the heavy boot on top of my hand. I almost wanted to laugh at the sheer size difference between my hand and his boot.

"Please…" I could hear Derek's sobs. Every time he sucked in a breath I winced but the man standing above me didn't seem fazed at all.

"This man has been working to bring down Wayne Enterprises behind your back, he's been going behind your back and stealing from the foundations you continue to give money to, he's been stealing from the poor to keep his pockets full, all behind your back."

"Wha-what?" I stretched and looked at Derek who only cried harder.

'I'm sorry Lilly, I'm sorry-"Distracting me from Derek's pleas the man placed all his weight on my hand. Several of my fingers cracked. I bit my lip so hard that I tasted blood in my mouth. I tried to keep my gaze on Derek, praying for someone to come and save us. I could hear him apologizing but the only thing I could think was where the hell was Batman?