Chapter Four

Third Person POV

"Ally, it's wonderful to see you again. When did you get back?" he asked, looking over at the young girl. Allyson smiled softly. "I got back last night. I would have come sooner...but I had some things I needed to do."

Jim looked at the young girl sitting in the chair and smiled. She had grown up a lot since the last time he had seen her. He had practically watched her grow up. He felt bad for the girl when Alfred had brought her here to Gotham without her father. She was so young and didn't understand what was going on.

He made sure to stop by the mansion every weekend to see her as she grew up. He felt she needed a father figure in her life. She had Alfred, but he was more of the grandfather type. He would take her out on the town with him sometimes when things weren't that dangerous and she loved riding in the patrol car.

She always told him she wanted to be a cop when she grew up. He smiled at the memory.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Don't worry about it. I haven't been up for visitors lately anyways." he told her. Allyson's brows furrowed. "If you want me to leave, I can." she said, getting up to leave. "No. Don't go. Your company is always welcomed." he said.

Allyson smiled and settled back down into her chair.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, placing a hand on his. Jim laughed a little and shook his head. "Like I've been shot." he said, causing Allyson to chuckle. "I'm sorry this happened to you." she said after a moment of silence.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Ally. It's not your fault." Jim said, giving her hand a light squeeze. Allyson shook her head and sighed. "If I had kept my promise, I would have been able to keep you safe." she said. Jim could see the pain in her eyes.

"You never promised anything." he said, pushing his glasses up onto his nose and giving her a stern look. Allyson shook her head. "I promised you I'd become a cop and work by your side." she said, tears filling her eyes.

"You were 10 when you made that promise." he said grinning at her.

"A promise is still a promise, Jim. No matter what the age." she said, smiling a little at the memory of her and Jim sitting in his patrol car after getting ice cream. She had promised him that she was going to become a cop and protect him.

Jim had only laughed and ruffled her hair, telling her she would make a good partner. Then he drove her home.

She never forgot that day. That was one her favorite memories from her childhood. At school, she was always the rich girl who no one wanted to be seen with. "Ally?" Jim asked, interrupting her thoughts.

She looked up at him and smiled.

A nurse rushed into the room then. "Sir, I think you should turn the TV on." she said. Jim reached over the table beside his bed and turned the TV. Allyson glanced outside to see that it was getting dark out. She looked back at the TV and frowned.

There was a huge car chase going on in downtown Gotham. She groaned to herself when she who they were chasing. The message scrolling across the screen didn't help the matter in the least.

The Dark Knight Returns?

Allyson shook her head and looked away from the TV. She just hopped her dad would make it home safe.

Allyson left the hospital after the news broadcast of the chase ended. She said her goodbyes to Jim, promising to come visit him the next day. She hugged him and left the room. Now she was driving up the rock driveway of the mansion and into the garage.

Putting the keys back in the sun visor, she got out and made her way into the mansion. She knew where her dad and Alfred were, but she wasn't in the mood to feel the disappointment she felt whenever her dad came back from a 'night out'.

Allyson made her way to her room. She shook off her jacket and hung it on the back of her desk chair, reaching into the pocket to pull out the paper from earlier. She crumpled it up and threw it into the trash can.

She groaned and ran her hands across her face. She collapsed onto her bed and laid there for what felt like hours. She sat up and stripped off her shirt and threw it into the hamper and stood up to do the same with her pants. Not even bothering with night cloths, she crawled back into bed and fell asleep quickly.