AN this is a follow up to 'You Don't Scare Me Sorry' and 'He Had Haunted Her For Five Years'

You don't need to read them but it would help.

"You can't be serious?" She struggled pointlessly with the door knob.

"You refuse to listen." His voice was a low rumble and she wasn't sure but she thought there was a touch of laughter under it.

"You refuse to compromise." She screamed at the door.

"Not with your safety." He shook his head and turned away from the locked door. "Never with you." He whispered the words as he walked down the hall. When he got back later she was going to be enraged. She would scream and yell and he might get kicked out of his own bedroom. It would be worth it though. She was worth any price. Any punishment.

"This is going to make the fight over our last trip seem like a walk in the park." Her voice followed him out into the hallway and he couldn't help but smile. Not at the fight. He didn't like that at all. The making up on the other hand was worth the torture. They had spent an entire weekend hidden at his lake cabin. No phones, no criminal masterminds, no boys in tights looking for their mother figure.

He had spent the time memorizing the smattering of freckles that covered her shoulders. 123. Better than any constellation for finding his way home.

He struggled out of the tumbler into the cave to find her sitting in his chair. Arms crossed and angry scowl firmly in place. He could see she was about to start yelling until he stumbled. He watched as the anger left her face, replaced by concern. Rushing towards him she wrapped her arm around his waist and led him to the back room. Helping him up onto the table she didn't speak as she went about removing his chest plate and checking for wounds.

"Where does it hurt?" Her voice was soft. All her earlier anger gone.

"I'm sorry." He whispered the words as she continued her triage.

"Don't. When you are better we are going to have a long talk about the word equal." She found the cracked ribs and poked them to make sure they weren't broken.

He sucked in air at the pain and stopped trying to talk. There would be time for that later.

"They're not broken but they are definitely bruised if not cracked. Lets get you up to bed." She moved to help him up and he pulled back.

"Call Alfred."

"I will not wake that sweet man up from his slumber because you suddenly think I'm made of glass." She moved around the table and slipped her arm around him, helping him lean forward and slip off the table onto slightly unsteady feet. He stopped for a moment. His eyes holding hers as his hands moved to her swollen abdomen. A gentle smile touched her lips as she felt the life within her stir and kick. She watched Bruce's eyes light as he felt it to.

"If anything.." She cut him off. Knowing exactly why he had suddenly gone from her partner in every sense of the word to her keeper.

"I wouldn't risk him. I would never risk him or you." She reached one hand up and traced his jawbone, her other hand covering his over her belly.

"I know."

"Why don't we head upstairs and you can apologize to me at length and tell me all about how you are never going to do it again." She laughed as he put an arm around her shoulder. His heart swelled.

5 years ago she had recruited him for her silly league and he had almost let her get away. Actually he had but luckily the de facto leader of the league played cupid and made him see the light. Made him see she was his light.

Who would have ever thought that he would have gotten a happily ever after. A fairy tale.

He stood in the shower letting the hot spray ease his tired muscles.

"Hurry up in there. I'm cold." He smiled at the sound of her voice. Maybe there wouldn't be any screaming after all. He shut off the tap and toweled off as quick as possible. Slipping between the sheets she slid next to him and smiled as his arm wrapped around her and pulled her closer. She was already drifting off to sleep and he listened to her breathing as it evened out.

"I love you." Her sleepy voice went straight to his heart. Made it feel light and eased the pain of his bruised ribs.

"Love you too." He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. No longer haunted. Her scent wrapped around him and snuck into his dreams. Dreams filled with laughter and joy. The nightmares came back every once and a while but she was always there when he woke to chase them away.

He could laugh at that. Him the big bad protector of the city and the tiny blonde that kept him safe. It was irony perfected.

The End?