Isabella awoke in the middle of the night, listening for the sound that had pulled her from her sleep. The faint scent of sandalwood still filled her bedroom, and she reached out with one hand to try and find Bruce. At first, her hand only met with air, but then strong arms enveloped her.
"I didn't meant to wake you." he whispered gently, placing a gentle kiss on her temple. She offered a tentative smile.
"I'm a light sleeper. What's going on?" she asked, reaching up to run her fingers along his face. She felt his arms tighten around her, and heard the gentle smile in his voice when he answered.
"Nothing that can't wait until morning." he replied. Isabella quirked an eyebrow.
"I certainly hope it wasn't another late night visit from Batman." she said.
"Another? Something you want to tell me?" he asked, a teasing tone in his voice, but under it was the all too familiar hint of someone in on a private joke, which only further confirmed her suspicions. She grinned widely, running her hands along his chest, finding a small scar.
"How did you get that?" she asked, though she had an idea. Bruce seemed to get a tad uncomfortable, and his tone told her he was lying.
"I had an accident when I was traveling." he replied, and Isabella leaned down to press her lips to the scar, grinning as she felt his quick intake of breath.
"You are a terrible liar, darling." she purred. One of Bruce's hands slid along her leg, pulling her close to him.
"That's not true, I happen to be a very good liar. You are a human polygraph." he accused. Isabella threw her head back and laughed, allowing Bruce to attack her neck. She moaned his name when he found the sensitive spot near her ear, and he growled in response, pinning her down to the bed.
"I have many more talents than that. For instance, I can pick apart a modulated voice and identify the person talking, if I hear enough of it." she said, and felt Bruce tense above her.
"And you don't work with your uncle because?" he asked, his tone falsely light, nonchalant, and she could feel his eyes staring at her.
"It only works with people I already know. Of course, if I throw them off guard enough for them to drop the act, it helps." she replied pointedly, and Bruce sighed. Suddenly his weight was gone from over her, and she sat up hurriedly to grab his arm.
"I should have known I couldn't fool you for long." he said, and his tone was weary, and lost. Moving to her knees, she crawled across the bed to face him.
"Your secret is safe with me, Bruce. I'm not going to tell anybody." she said, her tone soothing. His arms slid around her bare waist, pulling her into his chest. She went willingly, leaning against him.
"But now you're in danger. The only people who know my secret are Alfred, Lucius, and…and Rachel." he spoke so softly, Isabella had to strain to hear it. She pushed against his shoulders so that she was face to face with him, and when he tensed under her hands, she knew she had locked him with her unseeing gaze.
"Are you trying to tell me that because of what happened to Rachel, you think that anyone who knows your secret is doomed to die violently? Because I have to point out a flaw in that logic. Namely, one out of three is better than average." she said.
"Iz, the Joker murdered Rachel for fun. He knew she was important to me, and he intentionally lied about where she was so I wouldn't be able to save her." Bruce said, gripping her arms like her was afraid she would slip away. Isabella frowned at him.
"The Joker took her because she was Harvey's fiancée. He didn't know that she knew who you really were. Hell, if he did, she would have endured a lot worse before her death." she snapped. Bruce frowned.
"She was going to marry Harvey?" he breathed, his tone surprised, unwilling to believe. She sighed and pulled back, winding a sheet around her body before sliding off her bed.
"She told me that afternoon. He asked her a few days before, and she had accepted that morning. I'm sorry." she said before heading into the bathroom. Once she had closed the door, she dropped the sheet and turned on the water, stepping under the scalding spray to drown out the sound of her sobs. She had heard the undercurrent in his voice when he had talked about Rachel, and she had known he had been in love with his oldest friend, but the sheer heartbreak she heard when she had told him of her engagement was almost more than she could bear.
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Three days later, Isabella finally emerged from her apartment and made her way to Lorenzo's. When she arrived, she did not say a word to her friend, merely moved to her usual table and sat down. Lorenzo seemed to realize she was not in the mood to talk, and brought her a cappuccino. She sat and sipped her drink silently, not even paying attention to the bell over the door as it jingled. When she had finished her drink, she paid and left the café, moving through the streets absently. Suddenly, she ran into someone, and the someone grasped her arms.
"I'm sorry. I really have to pay more attention to my surroundings." she mumbled, and moved to step away, but the hands on her arms tightened.
"Really, my little chickadee? I would almost think this was intentional." that familiar sinister tone almost cooed in her ear, and she fought to keep her face neutral as she caught the smell of greasepaint.
"I really didn't mean to run into you, now if you'll excuse me, my uncle is expecting me." she lied, her voice hardly wavering. But it was apparently enough for him to notice, as he began to pull her toward the curb.
"Actually, Miss Gordon, I think that I would rather enjoy some more of your company." he nearly growled in her ear, as the sound of a door sliding open in front of her warned her of what was about to happen. She struggled to pull free from his grasp, screaming at the top of her lungs, bucking and kicking as hard as she could. The Joker easily yanked her into the van, but before he did, Isabella heard a familiar British voice shouting for her.
Isabella slammed against the far wall of the van, and spread her palms out along the cold metal. As she listened closely, the door slid closed and a single man's breathing reverberated in the small space. Her eyes slid closed as she drew out the shape of the compartment she was sharing with the insane criminal. One sliding door, maybe a pair of doors at the back. The question is, can I get out before the Joker can get to me, and could I get away once I get out of this van? she thought. The van was swaying side to side as it moved through traffic, and she tried to focus on the turns to have an idea on where they were going.
"Where are you taking me?" she demanded, anger overruling fear. That set the Joker off again, and his insane giggles made Isabella cringe slightly.
"And how exactly would that help you? It's not like you can see the sights." he said, his tone highly amused. Isabella scowled towards the doors where he leaned.
"At the moment, I consider that a blessing." she snapped, and the Joker's laughter increased.
"I think I could enjoy having you around. You're a little spitfire, and you aren't afraid of me." he said, his tone gleeful. Isabella's eyes narrowed at him.
"Of course I'm not afraid of you. You use your appearance to strike fear into the people around you. Kind of hard to do that with the blind." she hissed. Suddenly, she was pressed against the wall of the van behind her, and a warm blade was pressed against her face. She stiffened, but otherwise showed no sign that she was afraid. Inside, she was screaming in fear.
"Is that so?" his voice was low, deadly. The blade pressed ever so slightly against the corner of her mouth, and she whimpered softly. "I do like 'em with a little fire in them." he purred, a sadistic cat toying with a bird. The van slowed and stopped, the doors sliding open. The blade at her mouth vanished, and strong arms grabbed her and yanked her out, hauling her to her feet.
She heard the boat horns, and smelled the river a short distance away. As the arms holding her dragged her away from the van, she dimly heard what almost sounded like a jet engine powering down nearby. Her fingers brushed against a doorjamb and she was shoved from behind. As she stumbled forward, her sharp ears caught the low hum of a single fluorescent light. She was shoved into a cold metal folding chair, her wrists bound before her. Isabella closed her eyes and strained her ears, praying to hear the sound of someone sneaking into the small warehouse. She let the murmurs of the Joker's henchmen wash over her, and echo off the walls of the building. Finally, the smallest creak of a window made her ears perk up. She kept her eyes closed but tilted her head in the direction of the sound. The barest swish of cloth drew a small smile to her lips. After a second, she felt someone standing before her.
"Would you like to share with the class what you find amusing?" the Joker's voice was still deadly quiet, but it only made Isabella keep smiling that serene smile.
"Are you afraid of the dark?" she asked, her voice loud enough that she was sure her words echoed in the building. Something whistled through the air, and Isabella heard the light above her shatter. Isabella threw herself backwards, landing heavily on her back when the chair fell. She could hear the men around her shouting, trying to get their eyes to adjust in the dark. Hands hooked under her arms and pulled her from the floor, into a broad, familiar chest.
"Hold on to me." that deep voice purred in her ear, and her wrists were released from the rope bindings. She slid her hands over the armor and around his neck, right before her feet left the ground. Startled, Isabella tightened her grip, pressing her face into his neck, the soothing scent of sandalwood washing over her. After a moment, she was being settle into a large seat, and the warm arms around her vanished, making her whimper. She felt him move to her left, and something slid over her head. A gentle hand wrapped around hers, making her jump.
"It's alright. I'm going to take you home." Batman said, his strange voice almost soothing at the moment. And really, I should think of him as Batman right now. Even though it is Bruce behind the mask. she thought.
"Whose home?" she asked quietly. The hand on hers tightened tenderly as the engine roared to life.
"Mine."
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Isabella turned her head to the fire Alfred had lit when she couldn't stop shivering. She held a cup of tea in her hands, but she didn't drink. A gentle cloud of sandalwood drifted over to her and she felt Bruce wrap his arms around her.
"How do you feel?" he asked softly. She turned in his arms and rested her head on his broad chest. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. It made her feel safe, being in his arms.
"Safe." she sighed, slipping her arms around his waist. Bruce tightened his hold on her, and she could feel the fine tremors in his body.
"When Alfred called me, and told me the Joker had snatched you off the streets, my heart about stopped. I was so terrified that somehow the Joker had taken you because of me." he whispered, burying his face in her hair.
"Bruce, the Joker grabbed me because he knew I am Commissioner Gordon's niece. That's all. The day he escaped, the Joker went to city hall. I ran into him, but I didn't know it was him that day. I didn't realize I had run into him until the day Jimmy spent the night at my apartment. What happened today had absolutely nothing to do with you." she said. After a moment of silence, Bruce pulled her forward, his mouth crashing into hers. She eagerly returned the kiss, pressing as close as she could to him. She could feel his muscles shifting under her hands, and he pulled her into his lap, threading his fingers through hers.
"Isabella I'm sorry. I should have stayed and talked to you." he said. Isabella sighed and pressed closer to Bruce's chest.
"It's okay. I understand why you were upset. Right now, I am just really glad you found me. I was terrified, but I was trying to hide it. If you hadn't been right behind us, I probably would have lost it." she replied. Bruce chuckled, the sound reverberating through his chest.
"How did you know that there was only one light in that warehouse?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair. She closed her eyes, the motion soothing to her.
"I could hear the hum. If I listen hard enough, I can hear the separate hums of fluorescent lights, and I only heard one. I'm glad you caught on to what I was saying." she said. Bruce's lips brushed over her forehead, her eyelid, and finally her lips.
"Great minds think alike." he whispered, and she could hear the smile in his voice. She tilted her head back, and met his lips with hers. Just then, she heard someone clearing their voice behind them.
"Pardon the interruption Master Bruce, Miss Isabella, but Commissioner Gordon has arrived, and is rather insistent that he see his niece." Alfred's voice was most definitely bemused, and Isabella could imagine the hidden smile on his face. Isabella laughed softly as Bruce stood up, pulling her with him. His hands slid over her arms and settled her hand at his elbow before leading her down the hall to the main entrance where she could smell stale coffee, and her aunt's perfume.
"Uncle Jim, Aunt Barb? Why are you two here?" she asked. Suddenly, Bruce's arm vanished from her side and a pair of arms crushed the breath out of her, her aunt's sobs shaking her whole body.
"Izzy, we were so worried! The Joker sent your uncle a picture of you, and said that he had you and how pretty would you look when he was done with you!" Barb sobbed. Isabella frowned as she pushed her aunt away gently.
"Aunt Barb, the Joker only had me for an hour. Batman rescued me. He must have been nearby when I was grabbed. He brought me here, and Bruce and Alfred have been taking care of me." she said. She heard her uncle Jim sigh.
"I got the photo several hours ago. I called you and got no answer, so I thought the worst." he said.
"Uncle Jim, I went to Lorenzo's this morning. I left my bag at home because I wanted to be alone. I promise I won't do it again." she replied, her tone turning mildly bitter.
"Damn it Isabella don't take that tone with us. We have done all we can to help you since my brother died and you lost your sight but you cannot treat us like the villains here." Jim shouted, and Isabella turned his way, her brow furrowing at his words.
"What are you talking about?" she whispered, confused.
"I'm talking about how you always get mad at me when I am just trying to protect you. I know you can get around wonderfully, but you have to face the fact that you are blind. You can't guard against everything." he snapped, but Isabella caught the slightly frantic undertone that told her he was trying to smooth over his last statement.
"That's not what I am asking about. You said since I lost my sight. My whole life you have told me I was born blind." she said, her tone deadly quiet. She felt Bruce come up behind her, felt his hand pres gently into the small of her back, just telling her of his presence.
"It was a slip of the tongue." Jim said, but Isabella caught the tremor in his voice.
"You're lying." she hissed, leaning closer to Bruce. His hand slid around her waist.
"Relax. Don't tear apart your family in anger." he breathed, his voice so soft only she could hear him. She leaned against him and took a deep breath, trying to calm her frantic thoughts.
"Can we just talk about this later? Now, I've arranged for protective custody, so we should get going." Jim said, his voice shifting away from her as he moved to leave. She felt Bruce tense behind her, and her head shot up.
"No, Uncle Jim. I'm not leaving. The Joker has no idea where I am at the moment, so I'm probably safest here with Bruce." she said. She slid her hands over his hands.
"I agree. The manor is one of the safest places in Gotham on a normal day. I promise I can keep her safe here." Bruce's voice was calm, even, and she caught the tone of relief and protectiveness.
"Jim, she'll be fine here. Just look at the way he's holding her. You had the same look on your face right before you proposed. I still see it on your face at times." Barb said quietly, but Isabella heard it and smiled. She heard a small laugh from her uncle.
"You're right. Isabella, if you need anything, I don't care if it's three in the morning, you call me. Promise?" he said. Isabella nodded.
"Prometto." she said, and her aunt Barb laughed, moving closer and kissing her cheek.
"I'll talk to your uncle, and maybe we can have a family chat in a week or so." she whispered, before returning to her husbands side. A moment later, the door opened and closed, leaving Isabella in Bruce's arms. Taking a deep breath, she turned in Bruce's arms and lifted her head.
"Bruce, I need to borrow your eyes."
A/N: Well, she met the Joker. I know it wasn't very long, but I was having a very hard time writing the character. Heath Ledger was awesome, but I just can't do it well. Please hit that little button, and Let me know how I did
