Chapter Six – In Any Form

As soon as Bruce entered the room, Francine stood up, her nerves were obviously strained due to what was going on with her fiancée. She loved Kirk. There wasn't anyone else quite like him and nobody who she had connected more with. What people might have trouble understanding is that she didn't see him as some strange bat monster, no, to her Kirk was sweet and kind and she loved him. The other stuff wasn't so important to her as long as he kept his mind the same.

"How is he?" Francine asked as she looked over to Bruce. The Waynes could have any information that they wanted to, that was what the city had spoken about for generations and so finding out the identity of the half-man and half-bat creature was going to be easy for him but the way in which he was trying to help frightened her. Why would anyone burden themselves so much that they would just help him? Help came at a sacrifice.

"He's resting, for now, I'm not sure how long it will take the toxin to get out of his body and with the amount of damage that that form has already done," Bruce commented before turning to Francine. "What do you see in him anyway?"

"Excuse me," Francine coughed as she raised an eyebrow. She couldn't believe that he had just asked her that question. Obviously he wasn't one to see anything at more than face value and she hated that the socialites of Gotham kept things that way. "The reason I love my future husband isn't anything to do with what he looks like."

"But the species is usually kept the same," Bruce said and Francine glared at him, her eyes narrowed and her hand was shaking as she wondered whether to smack him or not. With Kirk on her mind, she placed her palm against the wall and drew some deep breaths in and out.

"Yes," Francine nodded, "That is the truth, the species is the thing that is most…common between two individuals but Kirk is human. Would you not want to show compassion towards your loved ones were they cursed? Are you not the kind to give second chances?" she continued and Bruce sat down. Francine concentrated on him, wrapping an arm around her chest to steady herself. She had to stay strong for the one she loves.

"I mean, you're in the middle of a one-way street," Bruce commented and Francine paused, "You either stay where you are neither progressing or taking some steps backwards, you pull reverse and that means you're leaving a man who thought he had a chance at marrying you…"

"Or I put my foot on the accelerator," Francine grinned. She sat down opposite Bruce and leaned forwards, a fire burning in her eyes and a flame that was specifically ignited in Kirk's name. "I'm going to marry Kirk. I am going to make sure that he doesn't get hurt or confused and if you threaten to hurt the man I love or the beautiful future that we imagine together then no amount of money will be able to protect you, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce chuckled, "Well, I'll see that I only offer you support. I'm hoping that he'll only rest less than an hour now, you can go see him if you want. Alfred can lead you that way," he said before sighing. "I do apologize that my friend had to leave."

"Went to his bat's nest?" Francine asked with a raised eyebrow and Bruce chuckled again, trying to make sure that she was being convinced that he and the Batman were two separate people, it seemed she was more concerned about her fiancée.

"Something like that," he hummed as Francine left the room.

…..

…..

Francine wasn't expecting much when she was taken to the guest room, there were a lot of pill bottles and different medical devices but in the bed she could see Kirk and he was looking at her, watching her with those gorgeous eyes of his. Francine walked over to him and gently pushed away his hair. "I was so worried about you, darling," she told him as she let her hand slide down his cheek.

"I'm…" Kirk said before his hand started to twitch, he closed his eyes looking as if he was fighting a deep pain and Francine immediately turned to Alfred.

"There's a doctor, you used a doctor or at least some kind of medical information, Bruce Wayne…Mr. Wayne he knows what to do if there's an emergency," she panicked but Kirk took her wrist and shook it. He leaned back and gently pushed the respirator mask off as he found no use for it.

"Francine," he whispered, his eyes steady and a smile on his face as he thought about how gorgeous she truly was. "I'm okay. It's okay. You don't need to worry any longer."

"Are you sure?" Francine asked. She sat by his side and kissed him passionately on the lips. She hung her head and began to cry feeling selfish for doing so when it was Kirk's battle but there was no way of describing how she had felt as his future wife. If she had had to take care of his monster form then at least she would still be with him. "Your face."

"I…I think that…" he shook his head and Francine kissed his cheek and turned to Alfred, "an addiction. I feel an addiction to the drug that I took. An unnatural yearning to live as that thing."

Francine sighed, she could imagine that pain that he was enduring but she truly hoped that he could fight with it. She was always willing to fight alongside him. She would have to brush up on how to get through drug rehabilitation.

"If he touches that stuff again?" Francine had to ask and Alfred shook his head.

"That monster that he was will come back. It has to be a strict withdrawal from his system," he said and Francine nodded before turning back to Kirk. She looked around the room a little in awe of the prestige it carried with it. She slowly took deep breaths before kissing him again.

"Let's talk about wedding details," she said in an attempt to keep him motivated and concentrating on the beauty and wonder in life despite the small horrors that they had been through. "I think that an outside wedding would be wonderful, a lot of flowers and nature. I think that it would be good if it wasn't raining but we can always put a wedding tarp up."

"You'd marry me?" Kirk asked her and Francine turned to him, a bit shocked by the question.

"Of course I'd marry you," she said as she looked to him confused. She saw the fear in his eyes and brought her head down so that their lips could slip together easily. She put her hands on his shoulders and then looked into his eyes, a smile never leaving her expression and the love never leaving her eyes. "No matter where we are or what time it is or what form we're in, I will always love you. I will always want to marry you."

"I love you," Kirk smiled, "You are a perfect woman, Francine," he tried to tell her and Francine kissed him on the lips in a reply. It wouldn't be long until the two had realized the painful truth, Francince would be a glorious She-Bat.

End of Chapter Six

Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated