His heart was nearly in his throat as he drove onward. Alfred continued to breathe quickly as he made his way through Gotham. The words that had been uttered to him on the phone had unraveled him to his very core. His whole frame was trembling as he continued to let the words sink in. The Wayne family had all but been obliterated. The only thing that kept the butler from giving into the deep seeded sorrow was the fact that he was needed.
His hands shook as images of Bruce flashed before him. When the phone call had arrived, he hadn't had much success in finding out how much the boy had witnessed. The one thing the Sargent did tell him, was that the young boy hadn't uttered a single word. He knew Bruce was in a bad way. Leaning forward, the butler frowned as he saw dark clouds gathering above. The weather seemed to mirror his own sorrow as he continued to make his way to his destination.
Finally, he spotted the flashing lights from multiple cars. Putting the car in park, Alfred stole a moment to steady himself. Glancing over his shoulder, his breath caught in his chest as he saw Bruce conversing with a young man. From the short distance away, he could see Bruce was trembling ardently. With out a moments hesitation, he turned off the engine and exited the car.
Alfred felt his chest tighten, when he saw Bruce catch sight of him. The way the young boy threw off the blanket, and ran towards him was almost too much. The moment Alfred had Bruce in his arms, he knew the boy had seen every horror that had occurred. The way Bruce held tightly to him, arms around his waist, spoke volumes. Every single fiber in the boy seemed to tremble as he clung tighter to Alfred. The soothing motion of rubbing Bruce's back seemed to help slightly. But Alfred could barley focus on his conversation with the police officer as he heard Bruce's soft cries.
Coming from the boy who had rarely cried in front of the butler, this was huge. With in moments the two turned and strode towards the car. Alfred froze as Bruce absently got into the back, with out waiting for the door to be opened. Once inside, Alfred looked behind him and saw the boy had fastened his seat belt and was leaning to the side with a hand shielding his eyes.
The butler started the car and put his own seat belt on, and with in moments the two were on their way. Once they made it to the highway, Alfred steeled himself and tried to comfort the boy.
"You safe now..." Alfred uttered calmly, glancing at review mirror.
The moment the words fell from the butler's lips, the young boy fell forward. Alfred gasped as he heard Bruce's soft cries emanating forward. By the time they made it to the Manor, Bruce's entire frame was wracked with heaving sobs.
Quickly, Alfred placed the car in park and turned oft the engine. Exiting the car, he made his way around and opened up the back door. Leaning in, he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and used his other to unfasten the seat belt. He froze when he felt a clammy hand snaked itself around his neck and pull him in.
"Come on old boy..."Alfred soothed. "Let's get you inside."
As if to prompt him, the sky rumbled ominously. Alfred winced as he felt the boy jump slightly. Slowly, he helped Bruce make his way out of the car. His eyes followed as Bruce's legs began to buckle. Alfred also noted Bruce's complexion had paled. Gently, Alfred pulled Bruce close and began to guide him towards the entrance. He gasped as he felt the boy wrap an arm around his waist.
"Easy..." Alfred uttered.
No sooner had they set foot inside the manor, did the downpour ensue. Alfred looked down and saw Bruce had his eyes closed. Multiple tears had made their way down, his face as his chin continued to tremble. Turning, Alfred sighed as he eyed the long staircase before them.
"Come on Bruce..." Alfred encouraged. "Up we get."
The boy opened his eyes and met Alfred's gaze. He then turned and took his first step. Stepping in tandem, Alfred continued to hold onto Bruce's shoulders as the young boy's entire frame continued to shudder. One by one, the duo conquered the stair case, step by step.
Finally, they reached Bruce's room. Moments passed as the two did not move from the spot. Movement caught his eye, as Alfred saw Bruce fumbling with the buttons of his coat. His lips were drawn in a line, and fresh tears were falling rapidly. Alfred swiftly walked around and knelt down in front of the boy. The moment he put his hand over the boys, Bruce froze.
Alfred could hear the muffled cries as Bruce gave in a dropped his hands to his side. Alfred felt his own throat burn with tears as he unfastened the coat and gently removed it. Tossing it on a chair, the butler stood and took off his own coat and tossed it on the same chair. Turning, he put his arms around the trembling boy. With in seconds, Bruce was wailing into Alfred's vest.
An hour later, Bruce had showered, changed, and was sleeping soundly. Alfred surveyed the sleeping child in the bed. As he saw Bruce's body was twitching slightly, he heard the storm gathering intensity outside. Sighing heavily, he made his way towards the door.
"Good night Master Bruce."
Alfred made his way to his quarters. Upon entering, he eyed the bed in the room. His gaze then shifted over to his desk, as he knew there were phone calls to be made. Sighing heavily, he wondered over and sat down. A sudden boom of thunder caused him to jump. Shaking his head he picked up the phone.