A/N: Yes, it's the next chapter. I know my last update was six months ago, but a lot of things happened in my life. But I'm back and my updates will be more regularly now. I hope that there are still some people who are interested in reading this story.

Oh, btw, this is not beta-ed. I'm not sure if my old beta-reader is still up for beta-ing my stories. If not, it would be great if someone volunteered to be my beta-reader.

So, I'm really, really… really sorry… and enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: Not mine!

Chapter Two:

Changes

/ You can brave decisions. / Before you crumble up inside. / Spend your time asking everyone else's permission. / Then runaway and hide. /

"Bruce…?"

The first time Angela Marie Roth had met Bruce Wayne, she was sure that he was an arrogant, self-absorbed jerk. The more she got to know him, she realized that – in fact – he really was an arrogant, self-absorbed jerk – a womanizer – and sometimes a snob and so much more. But Angela also realized that there was more about Bruce Wayne… more than his arrogance and seriousness and playboy-attitude. He was a mystery… something like a puzzle and although Angela wasn't really someone who loved to solve puzzles, she longed to know more about Bruce Wayne.

Because more than anything else, Angela Marie Roth loved to help other people.

"Angela."

He had always been calm. Calm and almost… stoical.

It had been a while since anyone had called her by her birth name… and Arella realized that she preferred the name given to her by the monks of Azarath.

It was almost comical… the way they stood there and regarded each other.

'The perfect scene for a soap opera.' Arella thought and for a moment a small smile hushed over her face.

Just as Arella decided to speak up, Raven decided that she needed some attention. Her soft wailing filled the large room and both adults turned their glances towards the little girl. Arella sprung immediately to action: she took the baby from the cradle she had been sleeping in and cradled her in her arms.

"Shhhhh darling," she spoke softly to her baby. "It's alright… nothing to be afraid of here."

"She's probably hungry."

The black-haired woman looked up in surprise as Bruce continued to speak. "You should feed her. I'll leave you alone," he said and his steel-blue eyes were fixed upon the baby.

"Raven…" she heard herself say and his right eyebrow rose at her words. "Her name… it's Raven."

Arella watched at his features softened a bit and with a slight upward-curve of his lips, he spoke again. "I'll better leave now. Just come downstairs when you and… when Raven is finished."

Bruce was about to leave the room when…

"Bruce…? Arella called out and she saw him turning his head to her direction. "Than you…"

He looked at her for a while before nodding slightly, "You are welcome." He grumbled and closed the door behind him as he left.

/ I don't know. / This could break my heart or save me. / Nothing's real, until you let go completely. /

Half an hour later, Raven was sated and content and with her little girl in her arms, Arella made her way to talk with Bruce. But once the young mother had closed the door behind herself, she felt incredible lost and overwhelmed. She had never seen or been in anything that was as large and roomy as this mansion.

"Oh my dear god," Arella whispered awed to Raven. "Have you ever seen anything this big and beautiful?" Raven looked up at her mother with her big, purple doe-eyes.

With slow, deliberate steps the young woman walked down the steps that led down to the huge entrance hall of the mansion. She was just happy that her room was situated in the first floor.

But once she reached the bottom of the steps, Arella felt lost again: She was downstairs now… but she didn't really know where exactly Bruce was waiting for her. This house… mansion was large and there were several floors that led to different rooms.

Arella sighed, "What do you say Raven? Which one of these doors will lead us to the right place?"

The little girl blinked with her doe-eyes before stretching her little arms to grab one strand of her mother's long, black hair. Once she managed to take hold of her mother's hair, Raven let out a gurgling sound and Arella smiled softly down at her child.

"I see, you are as clueless as I am," the raven-haired woman said to her child.

"Ms. Roth?"

Arella turned towards the source of the voice, only to see an elderly gentleman. A friendly smile graced his lips and Arella was faintly reminded of a nice, old grandfather.

"Master Bruce is waiting, for you in the library. If you would like to follow me, Ms. Roth." The spoke kindly, leading her though the huge entrance hall and towards a large wooden door.

With each step, she took, Arella got more nervous and more frightened… Bruce had never frightened her before. Arella had always been nervous when it came to Bruce, but she had never been frightened.

But Bruce had changed… she had changed and it would be silly to think that everything would be as it was three year ago.

Nothing could be the same.

The blue-eyed woman looked down at her daughter. Who was peacefully lying in her arms. She had more important things to think about now… more important than anything else in her life.

"Ms. Roth?" The butler's voice brought her out of her deep thoughts. "Master Bruce is already there," he gestured towards the door.

"If you would allow me to take your daughter, I could find something suitable to wear for her."

Before the old man could finish his suggestion, Arella had clutched Raven to her chest, her eyes growing wide and desperate. She couldn't give her daughter away. She would never let anyone take her little girl away from her again. Arella had done that mistake once and she would never do it again.

Alfred must have read her thoughts, because he gave Arella a reassuring smile. "I will surely find something to wear for her without you handing her to me."

The raven-haired woman relaxed visibly at his words and smiled at the man.

Without saying anything else, Alfred knocked on the door and held it open for Arella.

There, on an old dark-brown chair was Bruce. He looked up from the papers, he seemed to have been reading in before Arella had entered.

"I will leave you now to prepare the dinner, " Alfred announced, nodded at Bruce and then left without another word - and leaving Arella and little Raven alone with Bruce in the library.

Bruce was looking at her expectantly with his unreadable blue eyes.

Arella just couldn't stand this silence, it was making her nervous, so she decided to break the silence. "Did you help me to get away from those…?

She didn't need to finish her sentence for Bruce to understand. Bruce gave her a calculating glance before answering, "Yes."

The young woman's first instinct was to ask 'How?', but something in Bruce eyes stopped her. Instead, she said, "Thank you…"

Another calculating glance from his steel-blue eyes and then he said, "You are welcome."

'So much for a nice little chat…'Arella thought sarcastically when once again a silence fell over them. 'What am I supposed to do?' She asked herself. 'We can't stay here forever and stare at each other. I need to find a place for Raven and myself… I need to find help and…'

"Angela…?"

Arella looked up in surprise and found Bruce staring directly into her eyes. She didn't even realize that he had moved from his place.

"It's… Arella now," she whispered and regarded how his eyes narrowed in thought. He had always narrowed his eyes when he had been deep in thoughts. He-

"I need to go," the raven-haired beauty said suddenly, taking a step back from Bruce.

Again this look… "Where to?"

"Huh…?" The blue-eyed woman asked confused.

"Where do you want to go?" Bruce asked calmly.

Arella dropped her eyes. "I don't know…" She answered him honestly.

"You need help." He spoke again, letting his eyes wander from her face to the baby in her arms.

"I know…" was her short reply and Arella looked down at her daughter who was looking back at her mother with wide, innocent, violet eyes, and then back at Bruce's blue eyes.

"A lot of things happened…" The young mother said in an attempt to explain.

"I know."

Arella smiled grimly. "You don't know the half of it." It came out far more accusing than she had intended to and she didn't knew why she was feeling the way she was. And still – Bruce never broke the eye contact.

"You could explain everything… and I could try to understand," the millionaire finally said after a while of silence.

"Will you explain your changes as well?" Arella asked sarcastically and watched as a guarded expression fell upon his face.

"You wouldn't understand it." The dark man replied curtly.

"I could try to." She said.

"I have changed Ang- Arella. I am not the man I used to be," Bruce tried to explain, but he was cut short by the bark of laughter Arella left out.

"You have changed?" She shook her head and her expression saddened. "Believe me, more than anyone else, I understand that a person can change…" As she spoke her words, her fingers traced her daughter's soft face, "… more than anyone else…"

"You'll share first?" Bruce said, smiling softly at Arella.

"I will share first…" Arella agreed.

/ Face to face. / No telling lies. / The masks, they slide. / To reveal a new disguise. /

A/N: I know that Bruce/Batman is totally OOC, but you have to see this story as an AU. So, the characters may not be as you know them but let me tell you that Bruce/Batman will eventually turn into the man we all know – and love. Although I have to say that there will be some differences between 'my Bruce' and the 'real Bruce'.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and reviews would be very much appreciated…

Take care,

Alena!