Hal walked the dark halls of Wayne Manor, even after several years of living here he was still slightly nervous that his father-in-law was going to emerge from a corner even though that had yet to happen. He opened the door to the parlor, the only light in the room was coming from the roaring fire in the large fireplace, he quietly approached the wingback chair that was sitting before the flames casting a large shadow behind.
"Looking for someone?" asked the older gentleman sitting in the chair, smirking at Hal.
"You always know, don't you, Bruce?" asked Hal, sitting on the ottoman that was beside the chair.
"She's always been able to get away from you," smirked Bruce Wayne as he glanced at his son-in-law.
"It was annoying as hell while we were dating," sighed Hal, thinking back to the stolen glances at the Watchtower and soft kisses in the shadows.
"Admit it, Jordan, you loved the chase," said Bruce handing Hal a glass of water from the tray beside him.
"I feel sometimes like I'm still chasing her," said Hal quietly, moving the ice around in his glass, "I mean, she's like this shadow, one second she's there the next she's gone, when will this stop?"
Bruce shook his head, "Hal, you've been making this work for over five years, and after knowing her for as long as you have do you think you really want her to stop?"
Hal thought about the question his old friend had posed him, and smiled before answering, "No, it's who she is, and I fell in love with that girl so I guess it really doesn't bother me that much."
"Good," said Bruce, "How's Melanie?"
"Doing very well," said Hal, thinking about his little girl asleep in her room upstairs, "She's really excited about starting kindergarten in the morning."
"I still can't believe she already starting school," sighed Bruce, remembering back to when his granddaughter was just a small tiny bundle that fit snugly in the crook of his arm.
"The years just seem to fly by," said Hal, "Should I go look for her?"
"I think tonight's the night to leave her alone," replied Bruce, sipping his water.
"Why?" asked Hal, wondering why this night was different from any other.
"You don't remember?" asked Bruce, not really surprised that Hal had forgotten.
"No, and I feel like I should," huffed Hal, frustrated with his memory skills, or lack there of any.
"It's the anniversary of the attack on Arkham City," said Bruce quietly.
Hal did not say a word, he understood all too well why this night was important to his wife, and he felt like a complete idiot for forgetting, "Should I call her?"
Bruce nodded much to Hal's relief, and he whipped his cellphone out of his pocket, hitting his speed dial and hoping she would answer.
Aubrey stood behind the railing of the clock tower's peak, looking out at the water, taking in how eerily calm the old city was tonight. She took a deep breath and savored the smell of the air that blew off the Gotham River, ever since she could remember that had been the smell she most associated with her home, if someone could really call it that. The only place she could smell this clean air was either there at the clock tower or down at her old house, everywhere else smelled like gunpowder and death with no reprieve.
"After all of these years, the place hasn't changed," whispered Aubrey, her voice barely louder than the wind that whipped through her gold-brown hair. She felt her phone vibrate against her thigh and she quickly reached for it, seeing it was Hal she immediately answered, glad that he had decided to check in on her.
"Hi, honey," said Hal, she was relieved to hear his voice, the most pleasant sound in the whole world.
"Hey, baby," said Aubrey, smiling as she thought of her husband sitting at home waiting for her, "Is something wrong? Are Dad and Melanie alright?"
"Everyone's fine, nothing's wrong," sighed Hal, she knew he hated her asking about her father and daughter before he had a chance to speak about why he actually called but those two were always foremost in her mind, "Melanie's asleep upstairs and I'm sitting with your dad here in the parlor enjoying a glass of water with a roaring fire melting the ice in the glass."
"Why'd you call?" asked Aubrey and she could hear Hal sigh heavily even though she knew he had held the phone away while he did.
"I wanted to see if you were somewhere safe but now I might just ask you to pick up a pizza on your way home from God knows where," said Hal slightly exasperated.
"Hal," said Aubrey in her mothering tone and she knew he would knock off his crap.
"Alright," said Hal, "I called to make sure you were alright, you know, because of what tonight is."
"Dad reminded you, didn't he?" asked Aubrey a smirk on her face when she heard Hal groan.
"How? Just tell me how you always know when I forget?" asked Hal.
"Daughter of the world's greatest detective, remember?" said Aubrey smiling.
"Yeah, yeah," sighed Hal, "Anyway, are you alright, honey? Do you want some company?"
Aubrey leaned onto the railing, thinking about asking him to come and sit with her, "Not right now, Hal, maybe later on if I don't come back before sunrise."
She heard Hal sigh again, that was obviously not the answer he had wanted to hear, "Honey, I just want to be alone for a while, I promise I'll be home before Mellie leaves for kindergarten."
"Aubrey, I just don't like the idea of you being alone out there," said Hal, the concern in his voice screaming at her loud and clear.
"You never used to worry about me being out alone," muttered Aubrey into the receiver.
"You weren't my wife or the mother of my child before," said Hal sternly, "Are you at least armed? Please tell me you have some way of defending yourself."
"Of course I do Hal, I took your ring," said Aubrey trying not to burst out laughing as she imagined Hal patting down his pockets and looking on his finger for his Green Lantern ring, like he always did whenever she would say she had it.
"I hate it when you say that," growled Hal, every time she told him that it always sent him into a panic, and each time he found it he would always feel a rush of relief and irritation.
"I know," said Aubrey giggling, "that's why I do it, anyway, you should be in bed."
"Not without you," yawned Hal, "Well, I might be persuaded to rest a few hours in that nice soft, comfy bed that's big enough for ten people."
"There had best not be you and nine other women in that bed when I get back," growled Aubrey as Hal laughed.
"You know you're the only one for me," said Hal and Aubrey felt her heart soar, "What should I tell Mellie if she asks why you're gone this time?"
"You shouldn't have to make up an excuse for me tonight," said Aubrey, pulling her jacket tighter around her body as the wind picked up, "I'll be back before she wakes up, I just want to sit and remember."
"Aubrey," said Hal, she could tell by his tone he was getting serious, "I love you."
"I love you, too, Hal," said Aubrey, wiping the tears that were spilling from her eyes, and they hung up at the same time. She resumed her post of watching the tiny waves form on the river as it moved towards the south of the city, the glow of the Wayne Tech building emanating on the water's surface, she thought back to when she was just a child and she would climb up to the top of the tower and look out at that building dreaming about life across the river. There were so many memories here, some were good though most were bad, each building, every alleyway, even some of the blood smears held a story for her. She sat down on the cold ground, even though this place was hell on Earth it was where she got her start, it was in her blood and no matter how hard she had fought she always felt drawn back.
"How I ever made it out of this place as sane as I am, I'll never know," said Aubrey quietly to herself, and she reflected back on her turbulent and tumultuous childhood.