AN/ I sincerely apologize for not updating sooner! Distracted once again. Plus I was having trouble deciding how I wanted to end this chapter. I desperately need the DVD to come out so I don't keep confusing myself with details. The excitement will be picking up soon, Bane will be appearing more as well! It's just the calm before the storm~ ;) Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! Please continue to let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, I do not own, so please do not sue!
"He hate's Wayne, why is he going to his party? And why is he making me go with him?!" Julie snapped as she sat at her vanity, slipping on a pair of pearl earrings. She was wearing a plain, floor length, black dress that floated around her ankles when she walked. The empire waistline accentuating her figure. Pearls hung around her throat and pinned her long, dark curls on top of her head in elegant swirls. A scowl was plastered across her face as she slammed her fist onto the table, turning to look at the black cat that was sitting on her bed, watching her intently.
"Maybe he's hoping I'll wreak his house or something." She sighed, getting up to slump over to her bed, kneeling in front of it to pet Dametri. The cat yawned hugely, nuzzling her hand with his head, purring loudly as Julie straightened up, adjusting her dress. She would have thought that she'd have gained at least one night of rest after her long flight, but no. She would have to endure jet lag AND a high class party that evening. At least there was alcohol, she could easily slip away with a bottle of champagne.
Her plan for the evening was to drink as much as possible and explore the extensive manor, hopefully meeting the elusive millionaire in the process too. Julie had seen him before, when she was a little girl, but she never had the pleasure of meeting him. She would make it a priority this evening. Bonus points if it irritated everyone.
Flouncing towards the door, she snatched her purse from the top of a set of drawers, exiting her room in a flurry of silks. Julie's heels clicked noisily against the marble as she stomped into the living room, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at her father. Styver, who was standing next to him, leered at her, his eyes raking over her body as she leaned against the front door. She shot him a look of disgust and made a noise of impatience as John took his time, fastening his cufflinks with a smug smile on his face.
"Julie, come here." John commanded, beckoning her forward as he motioned for Styver to hand him the manila folder that he was holding.
Julie approached him hesitantly, watching him with suspicion as she eye'd the folder in his hands. When she was standing next to him, John opened the folder, revealing a record of some kind. A black and white photo of a woman with dark hair was in the corner. She had an angular face, full lips and dark eyes. The name next to her photo read 'Selina Kyle.' in capital letters. Under that listed her stats and misdemeanors. Miss Kyle had quite a long list of misdeeds over the past few years.
Julie looked up at her father, questioningly "What about her?"
"Selina is going to be at this party doing some work for me. I want you to see that she does what she says she will." John said, pulling out a small pile of other pictures, handing them to his daughter. "Be as discreet as possible, she won't like being spied on. That bitch has quite a temper." He snorted.
Julie gave him a dark look, flipping through the pictures as she said "And if I don't, then what?"
"Than you and your brother are sleeping on the sidewalk tonight!" he said cheerfully, snatching the pictures and the file back, patting her on the shoulder. She stared blankly, open-mouthed at his retreating back, gaping like a fish before she collected herself, hurrying after him with a look of purest loathing.
Miles was standing off to the side of the room, his arms folded over his chest. A black button down dress shirt and black slacks adorned his body. Julie frowned at him questioningly. Once upon a time he wouldn't have been caught dead in such clothes if he was not at some sort of special event. Now he wore them with ease, along with a touch of arrogance. She had spent the evening in deep thought, wondering what had happened while she was away that would change him so much. No answers came to mind.
Nodding to her sister with a blank expression, he turned and left the room, leaving Julie to sprint after her father and Stryver, whom were already tucked inside the golden elevator.
The trio descended in the shining elevator to the garage, standing in silence. Julie felt Styvers eyes on her from behind like something physical. Her muscles tensed and she wanted nothing more than to turn around and sock him in the face. She had dealt with his lewdness and stalking since she had turned fifteen. Julie felt lucky that she was able to protect herself, or she would have a real problem on her hands.
Her lips were pursed at the elevator doors slid open with a merry ding, revealing the parking lot beyond. The three walked towards a black Lincoln and climbed inside, Stryver holding the door open for the two Daggett's. Julie hunched herself as far into the corner as she possibly could, not watching to be in physical contact with either her father, or his assistant.
As John motioned at the driver of the car to go, Julie slipped her iPod from her clutch, sticking a pair of earbuds into her ears to drown out the resounding silence that filled the car. She spent the next thirty minutes of the car ride in an almost trance like state, her mind completely focused on the music. Her gaze never wavered as she stared out of the window, watching the city meld into trees. Wayne Manor was quite secluded. Julie couldn't see the lights from the distant city anymore. It was clear that the Wayne family liked the solitude. Not that they could be blamed, especially with a city like Gotham.
The winding driveway lead them up to the front of the manor, parked cars lined the parking lot, suited drivers standing outside of their vehicles with cigarettes as they chatting with each other. The Lincoln slid to a smooth stop in front of a walkway that wrapped around the manor and the three climbed out of the car. Julie adjusted her dress, shoulders hunched as she sulked after the two men that had already started off down the path, her heels clicking with each step. There were small lights along the ground illuminating the walkway before her, as well as as lanterns that hung above. The dim lights picked up the the slight shimmer that was shot through her skirts, making them sparkle around her legs as she walked.
The hum of voices was growing louder now and she could make out the top of a white tent not too far away. Scrunching up her face, she let it relax into charming smile, releasing a huge breath and unclenching her fists. Since she would be avoiding the festivities, she would be a gem to anyone she came in contact with. Her false sweetness usually got Julie her way, which would make it easier for her to wander around Wayne Manor undetected as well as spy on Ms. Selina Kyle.
She watched the socialites mill about the garden area, waltzing a few paces behind the two men in front of her. Daggett and Stryver were immediately welcomed with open arms into a conversation with a group of men. Julie hurriedly slipped past them, meandering towards a large buffet full of food and drinks. She eyed the surrounding carefully, taking in each face that past her. She saw Mayor Garcia laughing with one of the congressmen. Commissioner Gordon was slinking along the outer edge of the crowds of people, drink in hand as he looked over the papers he was holding. Julie was bored already and quickly sprung forward to snatch up a drink and a shrimp ball from the table, turning once again to observe the crowd.
As horrible as she thought Gotham's socialites and politicians were, Julie found them fascinating. She loved to watch people, to see how they lived and interacted, even if she was disgusted by what she saw. The indulgence and smugness that oozed from her surroundings made the seafood hard to swallow. It was no surprise Wayne was hidden away in his huge house. She didn't blame him one bit. Unless the stories she'd heard about him were true. That he just didn't care. Julie was hard put to believe anything her father said about anyone though. Her gaze flickered up towards the ceiling of the tent. Crystal chandeliers... In a tent... Really? She masked her disgust with a quick drink from her champagne flute.
She watched the mayor climb up to a podium between two pictures of Harvey Dent, setting his drink down before smiling around at the gathered crowd. The gentle hum of music died down, as did the voices as they turned their attention onto the mayor. Julie covered a yawn as he started to speak, talking about the rise of Gotham, the heroics of Harvey and the treachery of Batman. All the things she had heard every year for the past eight of them. She took a larger gulp of her champagne, looking around.
There were several people besides herself that were not paying attention. The deputy commissioner Foaly, one of the congressman and James Gordon himself. Foaly and the congressman were speaking idly out of the corners of their mouths as Gordon slowly started to approach the podium, a round of gentle applause accompanying him. Her father was standing off to the side of the two men, drink in hand. He was eying a woman in a black dress with white frills around the neck and a tiny apron around her waist, obviously a waitress or a maid. Just as she was about to roll her eyes in disgust, she caught the angular face, full red lips and dark hair. John caught her eye, giving her a significant look as the woman offered the congressman food. So that was Selina Kyle. She was good, very good. She blended in well, her demeanor meek as she nervously offered all of the higher ups food.
She watched the woman slowly work her way through the crowd, setting the silver platter onto a table before hurrying up to the manor. With another look from her father, Julie rolled her eyes with a huffy sigh and traipsed after the woman. Walking inside the large manor. There were more people inside, mingling with drinks in their hands, conversing in various corners of the room. Her eyes followed Selina as she walked down a hallway off to the side, disappearing into what could only be the kitchen, judging by the noises that came from it. Julie leaned against a wall in boredom, waiting for her to reappear again, not wanting to draw attention to herself.
Her feet started to hurt after awhile, her shoes pinches her toes, as she crossed her arms over her chest. Clearly Selina's waitress duties were not yet over. She let out another grumpy sigh, slipping her shoes off and looking around the room surreptitiously. The surrounding people were too deeply immersed in their conversations to notice as she slowly making her way up the marble staircase, champagne flute and stiletto's in hand. 'Where should I start my exploration?' she thought, a mischievous smirk tugging at her full lips. Closing her eyes, she held out her arm, pointing her finger in front of her. Spinning in a few circles until she was dizzy, she halted, her index finger pointed down a hallway to her right, towards the east wing. She would just have to lie to her father and tell him Selina did whatever it was he had asked her to do. Julie refused to wait around all evening when she could be starting her explorations.
The halls she ventured down were in deep shadows. Not all of the lamps that lit them turned on. Only the glow from the moon outside illuminated several of the corridors, making them appear eery. Her bare feet slapped against the cool marble, echoing around the stark hallway.
Julie thought the manor was cold, figuratively and literally. The high walls were covered only with classical paintings of landscapes as well as a few abstract pieces. Nothing that made the place feel remotely like a home though. It could have been a model home for all it was worth. The small jolt of pain and sympathy she felt almost made her stop in her tracks. Bruce Wayne was a very lonely man.
She knew the original mansion had burned down years ago. Julie wondered the previous building had felt less empty than this, surely will all of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne's possessions it mustn't have? She wondered if it had been a relief to be able to start over though. As heartbreaking at the thought of losing all the relics of the past must have been, growing up in a tomb, being haunted by each painful memories or your deceased loved ones sounded much harder in Julie's humble opinion.
Entering a small parlor, she approached the first door in front of her, finding it locked tight. The girl frowned, backing away from the door to gauge her other options. There was another door to her right, she held her breath as she reached out to turn the handle, grinning as it slid easily open. A small office lay beyond. It didn't look the slightest bit personal either. No laptop, books or mug full of fountain pens littered the top of the desk. It was completely untouched. Julie continued on, glancing between a second oak door and a glass one that lead out onto a veranda. Julie decided on some fresh air, wondering what the view from up there would be like.
The brunette was pleased that this door was unlocked as well, carefully opening it and slipping out into the cool night air, her shoes and champagne still clutched in her thin hands. She took a deep breath, a light gust of wind rippling the skirt of her dress as she walked towards the stone railing. She could see the entire gathering below and heard the tail end of the Mayor's speech as the crowd broke into applause. Julie watched Commissioner Gordon ease his way up to the podium where the Garcia had stood before, still nervously clutching his speech in his hands.
She hung lazily over the railing, swirling her golden drink around in the crystal glass absently, feeling bored as the mans voice carried up to her. Her gaze flicked from the people below, to the view that was spread out before her. She could see Gotham's lights from beyond the large trees, twinkling in the distance, all of it's noise silent all the way out here. It was almost pretty.
You could see more stars from up here too. That was another thing Julie loathed about the city. There were no stars above Gotham. Only a void of blackness that stretched as far as her eyes could see. The glaring lights drowned them. Her school in Sweden was secluded in a beautiful woodland area. Miles away from the cities. The stars drowned all of the darkness there.
"Hopefully Mr. Gordon won't bloviate as much as the the mayor. It gets quite boring, don't you think?" Julie almost screamed, startled from her thoughts as she spun on her heel, eyes wide with shock. A shadowy figure hobbled towards her, leaning on a cain, a robe billowing out from behind him. He was at least a foot taller than she, even hunched over as he was.
"You must be Mister Wayne." Julie said, trying to keep her voice as even as her heart beat frantically in her chest. When he came closer, she could make out his face. He looked tired, grievously so. Deep lines etched into his face, making him appear older than he was.
"I am indeed." He said, coming up to stand beside her, looking out at the crowded lawn as well "And who might you be? You do realize this part of the house is off limits to guests..."
"Julie Daggett." She replied brightly, turning around once more, taking a sip of her drink "I know, I just like to explore. Are you going to throw me out?" Julie smirked, sending him a teasing, sidelong glance.
"Ahh, John Daggett's daughter! How delightful. Has he sent you to spy on the poor reclusive billionaire?" Bruce laughed softly, though the humor did not meet his brown eyes "Adventurous little thing, aren't you? I wouldn't dream of it. That dress is far too pretty to ruin by throwing you out. Although, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave soon."
Julie nodded with understanding "Sorry for invading your privacy. I didn't mean to intrude. I didn't think I'd see you around here and I just wanted to look at the rest of the house. It's quite lovely." She murmured, watching Gordon slip his papers into his jacket, changing tack entirely. The girl raised a brow in curiosity. How very interesting!
Julie could see a smirk on his lips, hidden by facial hair as he scoffed lightly "Sorry indeed. What were you really doing up here, now?" He was good, he was very good Julie had to give him that. He could see through the facade she had slipped on this evening like it wasn't even there. Granted he had probably seen more fakes in his life than the average person, being one of the richest men in the world.
The girl chose to ignore him, turning her attention back to the end of the Commissioner's speech "I wonder what the truth is." She said aloud, her voice soft as she glanced at Bruce, who was also looking down at the man below, his expression thoughtful.
The man shrugged his shoulders "Probably nothing that needed to be said. At least not yet..." Julie scrutinized his mysterious expression. He looked almost guarded now. Well, more guarded than he had been previously. Her curiosity was piqued and she wanted to continue to speak to him, but new her welcome was wearing thin.
"That was a good speech." She said as Gordon walked briskly away from the podium "Just like the last seven he's given." Bruce chuckled, eying the drink in her thin fingers.
"Yes, it was. Are you even old enough to be drinking that?" His voice had taking on a stern, yet teasing edge as he reached forward to take the flute from her, examining its contents before drinking the rest. Julie's lower lip came out in a pout as she glared at him. "Nope, but that never stopped me, or anyone else before." Bruce gave her a disapproving look, setting the glass down on the stone railing.
"What do you think about all of this?" He asked, motioning down towards the people below "Harvey Dent, the Batman..."
Julie shrugged "I don't really have an opinion, sir. I was just a little girl when all of this shi- excuse me, all of these things went down..."
Bruce smiled kindly, the teasing in his voice still present as he said "Age never stopped anyone from having an opinion before. I know you have one, the sassier the mouth, the stronger the opinion, I believe."
She grinned at him, rolling her eyes up to the sky "I think it's good. What Harvey did, though I'm sad about the Batman. I never thought he'd be a killer... I think there had to be some sort of misunderstanding there, you know? I mean, Batman had been cleaning up the city just the same as Dent. Why would he kill him out of the blue? It doesn't make sense to me."
Bruce was resting his chin in his palm, leaning against the railing as he watched her thoughtfully "You're a very smart girl." He said eventually, after several minutes of silence. He straightened, gripping his cane, his small smile still in place as he beckoned her forward, holding out his arm. Julie took it with a theatrical flourish, making Bruce chuckle once more as he lead her off the veranda.
"It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Wayne." Julie said with a charming smile, fluttering her lashes as he lead her through a hallway, towards another marble staircase. He stopped half way down another hall, informing her that the ground floor was just to her left and he would not be accompanying her. Ever the gentleman, he leaned down and kissed her hand with a wink, hobbling back up the hallway and out of sight.
If Julie hadn't been repulsed by her fathers actions before, she certainly was now. In the short while she had been in the company of Bruce Wayne, she had not found a thing wrong with him. He was nothing like her father had described and thought he was quite charming, even if he had stolen her drink from her. Her father was corrupted by money, it was clear Bruce was not. He had seemed humble, normal. Not a trace of arrogance on him. He was a good person, he didn't deserve whatever it was John was planning for him.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft click of heels on the marble staircase. Julie quickly ducked off to the side, hidden by thick drapes over a set of windows. She peeked out carefully from behind the curtains, watching as Selina Kyle strutted down the hall, a tray in her hands. It was clear she was off to feed Bruce. Julie didn't know what else her father wanted her to do, she wasn't about to amble through the house and get caught once more. Mr. Wayne might not be as forgiving this time.
She slowly crept out from behind the curtains, once Selina's footsteps had died away. Trotting down the stairs, she halted at the bottom. There stood her father, accompanied by an elderly man and a woman. The three turned to look at her as she hovered awkwardly on the bottom step, her hand still on the railing "Hi!" She trilled awkwardly. The older man gave her a look of disapproval before turning to the woman to say "I'm sorry, Ms. Tate." in an accented voice before shuffling away, leaving the three alone.
Julie hung back, slipping her shoes on once more as she listened to the conversation between her father and 'Ms. Tate' smirking slightly as she reprimanded her father. She liked this woman very much already. John's lips tightened in anger as he quickly motioned for Julie to come forward, forcing his smile back into place through his irritation. He cleared his throat "Miranda, this is my daughter. Julie. Sweetheart, this is Miranda Tate."
The girl gave the woman a genuine smile, reaching out to shake her hand "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Tate." She was taller than Julie, by a few inches. Her dark hair curled around her neck and her eyes were a stunning shade of blue. They sparkled when she smiled down at her.
"Hello, Julie." Her voice was a heavily accented purr. Julie couldn't place it exactly though, European perhaps? Or maybe Middle eastern? Either way it was lovely "Please, Call me Miranda, sweet one. I was unfortunately just about to leave, since I am unable to see Mr. Wayne. It was lovely to meet you." With that, she turned on her heel, sending her father a small smile and a look of barely concealed contempt as she meandered off down the hall.
"I like her!" Julie chirped, beaming at John who was scowling after the woman, mumbling insults under his breath. He shot his daughter a harsh glare, turning on his heel to storm down the room towards Stryver.
"We're leaving, go to the car." He snapped over his shoulder. Julie grinned happily, bouncing down the hall in Miranda's footsteps. Her night had been a success. She had explored the manor, met Bruce Wayne AND irritated her father. Her heels clicked loudly against the floor as she all but ran out of the manor, glad to be leaving at last. As fun as her adventures had been, she hadn't wanted to be there in the first place.
When her feet met the stone walkway outside, she made it ten paces before a hand grabbed her shoulder, pushing her back against the side of the house. Julie let out a tiny shriek that was stifled instantly by a hand. Long, slender fingers gripped her jaw, turning it from side to side as a feminine voice drawled in her ear "Well well well, Daggett brought his precious little girl to spy on me. How rude." Julie squinted through the darkness, making out the sharp features of Ms. Kyle.
The woman pressed herself closer, moving her face down to her ear "If you're going to follow someone, little mouse. I suggest you work on your technique. Yours is a little sloppy, I spotted you in an instant." Julie struggled a bit in the woman's grasp, but her grip was strong. Selina hushed the girl, tapping a long finger against Julie's lips "Now now, calm down. I'll let you go in a minute. I just want to get my point across..."
The girl stood stock still, lips pursed as she hissed "And what might that be, Ms. Kyle?"
"Stay. out. of. my. way." Selina said, her voice soft and deadly, her grip tightening "Go back and tell your daddy that he'll get what he wants and that he's very lucky too, your interference could have blown the whole thing."
Julie let out a small snort of disbelief "What did I do? I was just hanging around."
Selina released her face, taking a small step back. Julie rubbed her jaw tenderly. The woman sure had claws... "Your presence could have alerted... certain people." She growled. Julie's mind flashed to Bruce, than back to Selina. Could she have been caught too? Bruce had just disappeared back upstairs a few moments before Selina. Oops. She hoped he wouldn't think that she had been a distraction, whilst the woman in front of her did whatever John had asked of her.
"Tell your father I'll be waiting with his goods at Tony's, the bar in the Narrows." Selina took a step back, reaching up to pet Julie's face with a smirk "Stay out of trouble, little mouse, and work on being as small and quiet as possible. It'll come in handy in the future." The woman was out of site before Julie could blink, striding purposefully off across the lawn, ripping the white cuffs and collar away from her black dress.
Julie stared at her open mouthed as she crawled into a car, watching as it sped off down the driveway "Well, that was interesting..." Adjusting her dress she emerged from the shadows, her pace even and slower than before as she rubbed her sore jaw. Selina Kyle was certainly interesting. Julie wanted to know what it was her father wanted from Wayne and why Ms Kyle was the only one that could get it for him. Her head was buzzing with so many questions she was in front of the black Lincoln in moments, sliding inside without a word to her father or Stryver, whom were already seated inside.
"Selina wants you to meet her at Tony's in the Narrows. She say's she has what you want." Julie said distractedly as the Lincoln took off down the narrow driveway. John grinned happily, it was not a pleasant sight. Whatever made her father happy was usually something that would make someone else very sad.
"Excellent!" He said jovially, rubbing his hands together with delight "Bane will be pleased." Julie raised an eyebrow in a silent question, but John ignored her, pulling out his cellphone to make a call.
If Julie didn't get answers to her growing list if inquiries soon, she felt like she would explode.