Wake Up and Live

by batmanbane

"When in doubt, choose to live."

- Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time

Chapter 7

Juliet's meeting with Lucius Fox could not have unfolded more smoothly. While the pastries she prepared were in the oven, the sweet-toothed President of Wayne Enterprises conducted a formal job interview with her. Later, he enjoyed the samples she prepared for him and told her that he would contact her in a few days once he had made changes to the kitchen staff.

Suddenly her life was coming together again. If all went well, she'd get the job and a more stable life along with it. It seemed like a blueprint for happiness… except for the fact that she didn't exactly feel like jumping for joy.

She'd thought a lot about how she and Bane had fumbled the possibility of sleeping together. Bane had unexpectedly manhandled her, and she had reacted badly. He then suggested that they were destined for an affair, but she felt certain that it was never meant to be.

There was another reason for her blue mood. She'd learned that the mercenaries would be leaving soon. Barsad had left the house at midnight to meet with someone who provided him with the details of their departure. Juliet was still awake when the key rattled in the door as he returned hours later. She should have been relieved because it meant she would no longer have to live a lie. Jeffrey, Jim Gordon, and her friends at Eden Market deserved better of her.

It was one thing to harbour fugitives in her home; quite another to have an affair with one of them. She had wanted things to be different after liberation. The city's near-death experience had brought everything into focus, so why not wake up and live as if today were going to be her last? Why not flirt with the beautiful terrorist downstairs, and sleep with him?

Only now she'd come to realize that all her fanciful notions were born out of her own selfishness. Bane had proven himself to be a cruel man, committing terrible crimes against the citizens of Gotham. How could she possibly consider sleeping with him when he had destroyed the livelihood of so many citizens, unleashed the city's most violent criminals, and degraded the bodies of Captain Jones and his men? He had planned to torture the citizens of Gotham with hope and then pull the rug out from under them by blowing up the city.

Simply horrific.

It was high time to dispense with the fantasy of a love affair with this man, and the unrealistic impulse to reform him. She had no concept of what had driven him to commit such heinous acts, so it was absurd to even consider that she could save him from his past.

After months of fear followed by uncertain economic times, stability was within her reach. She wasn't going to blow it. She desperately needed structure, routine and income, and she needed to be with friends instead of isolating herself. And although she didn't deserve Jeffrey's loyalty after the way she had treated him, maybe – just maybe – he would forgive her and take her back.

Barsad lay flat on his back on the sofa bed, staring at the ceiling and obsessing about his failure to enchant the electrifyingly beautiful daughter of Fredo Bertolini. He had made it obvious that he was attracted to her, but his attentions had yielded zero results. He'd never had a problem charming the women of Gotham before, but it seemed Nico Bertolini was only interested in Bane, and what she could do for him.

"Let that be a lesson to you, brother," the masked mercenary taunted. "It seems you are not the lothario that you've always imagined yourself to be. Besides, I have said many times that any man who indulges his baser appetites is doomed."

Barsad sighed dejectedly. "Ordinarily, I would have made a hard-core effort to seduce her if the stakes weren't so high. But you know, I couldn't jeopardize our escape from Gotham. And I definitely didn't want to piss off her old man by making a move on her against her wishes. I really wanted her to hit on me!"

Bane groaned. "My heart grieves for you, and I thank you for your noble sacrifice in service of our mission. You always enjoyed plenty of female company while we reigned in Gotham. Your celibacy now will strengthen your resolve and produce a better man."

But the second-in-command continued to wallow in self-pity. "I've got this weird feeling that I'm finished – that I've lost my mojo. Nico didn't even acknowledge my interest in her! I feel so… rejected!"

Annoyed, Bane decided to take the conversation in another direction. "I for one will be glad once our journey is complete. We have relied far too much on the Bertolini family. The members of the Mafia are the bottom-feeders of the underworld," he observed scornfully. "Their methods are crude, and they lack vision. As soon as we are safely away in Dakar, our relationship with them is terminated."

Minutes later, Barsad fell into an exhaustive sleep in front of the tv. He'd been awake for 24 hours and could no longer keep his eyes open.

As the sniper began to snore, Bane turned his attentions to the stairs. It had been almost two days since he had seen Juliet. He smirked, imagining that she was avoiding him out of fear. He had made the mistake of pouncing on her in her bedroom, leading her to believe he meant to harm her. It could have been a serious blunder, but the upside was that he was in control now, because he had called her on her flirtatious games.

He knew she was in the kitchen. He could hear her moving about, and he smelled something vaguely sweet. She was cooking again, but he would put a stop to that. He was a man who never left a job undone, and although he encouraged Barsad's celibacy, he would deny himself no more. This was his moment, and he was eager to finish what he started the night before last.

This time he would not ascend the stairs silently as he had been trained to do by Ra's al Ghul. No, he would mount each step deliberately. She would hear his ominous approach, and she would cower in anticipation of the man who would appear at the door. Bane smiled, dropping his right foot heavily on the bottom step as his manhood swelled in his pants.

Juliet jumped at the sound of the heavy footfall. When it sounded again, she realized that someone - likely Bane - was climbing the stairs. In no way did the approaching stomp belong to John Barsad.

At the sound of a fourth footfall, it occurred to her that he was trying to intimidate her.

"Smartass!" She muttered under her breath as she stirred the custard she was preparing on the stove. This was the man who had terrorized Gotham, now reduced to childish pranks…

She would tell him just as soon as he came through that door.

She would tell him that she was glad he was leaving because she needed to rehabilitate herself. She needed to give back to the community after hiding the architects of Gotham's misery from the authorities. And, she would tell him that there was no more spark between the two of them because she had snuffed it out.

The noisy squeak of the sliding pocket door interrupted her reverie, and Juliet looked up from the stove to find Bane in full masculine glory. He was wearing the form-fitting black shirt that hugged every thrilling curve of his muscular physique. He stared, his chest heaving suggestively, and she felt her knees grow weak.

The mercenary's brow quivered, and there was a dangerous gleam in his eye. "Turn it off," he ordered, waving his forefinger at the saucepan on the stove.

"I… I can't! It has to be stirred constantly until it thickens or it will be lumpy." She knew she sounded ridiculous, but the very sight of him in the black shirt had robbed her of all poise.

"Leave the damned pot!" He growled.

The unemployed caterer uttered a nervous sigh as she removed the saucepan from the hot element and switched off the stove.

"Alright, then," she said, calming her nerves with the methodical removal and folding of her apron. When she was done, she set it neatly on the kitchen counter, and turned to him. "There. Are you satisfied now?"

Again, Bane smirked. He took another slow step towards her. "Not quite," he rumbled lowly. There was no mistaking the desire in his gaze.

"I...I don't like that look in your eye."

"You put it there, dear Juliet."

"Wait a minute," she gulped, holding him off. "You said you weren't like other men, and that sex was a pacification you didn't need…"

Amusement flashed in Bane's furrowed brow. "I said many things, didn't I? I have given all our conversations a great deal of thought. You say that war is inevitable, Juliet. The same can be said for us. I now believe your observations to be correct. Indeed I do want what every man wants, and I have come to collect."

"But, I... I have something to say." Her heart hammered uncontrollably in her chest and she was certain her voice sounded shrill and frightened.

"The time for talking is over, my dear. You have done entirely too much of it during my time in your home." The fingers at his sides twitched maniacally as he moved closer.

"I want to say that it's good that you're...I mean, I'm glad you're -!" She was supposed to be telling him that she was glad he was leaving, but she was babbling, thanks to a whiff of his scent - the devastating combination of gunpowder and leather. The butterflies in her stomach threatened to overwhelm, and her resolve ebbed like water swirling down a drain.

"It's just that I've decided…" She pushed her palms against his chest, steeling herself so her knees wouldn't give way.

Bane was leaving. It could be tomorrow, it could be the next day, or it could be next week. She was afraid to ask, and suddenly she felt very empty.

"Why do you tremble so," Bane rumbled, enjoying the sensation of her warm palms resting on his chest. "Where is that teasing woman of just a few days ago - the one who accused me of having the same dreams and desires as other men?"

Sighing in surrender, Juliet whispered into the mask. "She's right here, damn it, and since you're going to be leaving, she's decided that she doesn't want to have any regrets. Do you?"

Bane gasped, smug satisfaction shining in his dark eyes as Juliet leaped into his arms. In no time he had settled her on the kitchen counter and had begun to grope her hungrily.

Shocked by his intentions, Juliet protested. "No...not here! Barsad is downstairs!"

"Barsad will not disturb us," Bane rumbled. "He will be pleased – that is of course if he awakens from his deep slumber."

The mercenary reached behind her leg, passing the rough tip of his forefinger along the inside of her knee, moving upwards along her leg beneath the hem of her A-line dress.

"We will both enjoy this..." Bane murmured into her ear.

Juliet squealed into his shoulder at the sensation of his touch. "Shouldn't we go upstairs? Someone might come to the door!"

The mercenary greedily took the hem of her dress in hand, and in one fluid effort, tore it up the middle. He did the same with the white body shaper she wore underneath, revealing her breasts.

Bane smiled at his handiwork. "Do not be concerned, my dear." Gripping her milky white breasts, he played with the nipples until they hardened. "Risk of discovery will only enhance our pleasure."

Juliet sighed again and smiled. So much for going upstairs.

White hot pleasure shot through her core like molten metal. The mercenary had a touch like no other. Though his hands were roughened by years in the field, he used them like a pianist or a sculptor. Bane was an artist, and the sensations he triggered sent her hurtling into the stratosphere. She tugged at the hem of his shirt, her eager hands sliding underneath to explore his abdominals. Underneath the shirt, he was everything Juliet imagined him to be.

Bane groaned in approval of her actions, and the respiration of the mask escalated with his desire. His hands slid to her waist - a notoriously sensitive area for her and she squirmed in the embrace of his strong arms. He found her panties, tearing them off with one stroke of his finger. From there his extraordinary digit traveled to the sensitive area below her belly, and took its time driving her to distraction. He touched and teased, until she squirmed so much she slid off the counter. Bane set her feet down on the floor as he tossed off his shirt and slid his finger inside her. She was saturated.

Collapsing against him, her hands gripping his powerful biceps.

"I am a large man." He slid a second finger inside, stretching her further. "I could hurt you."

"I don't care." She breathed deliriously. "This is going to happen, do you hear?"

Bane could barely contain his male pride at her declaration. A zipper sounded, and in the next moment the mercenary lifted her off the floor, easing her over his erection. She gasped in both shock and fear at his initial intrusion. He was enormous, and yet somehow she managed to accommodate him.

Warm wetness coated his manhood as he pushed inside. He groaned when he felt her greedy softness take hold, and she wrapped her legs around him as if she would never let go. Bracing her backside against the edge of the counter, he began to thrust at an even pace.

Gasping, Juliet traced the long scar along his spine until her hands came to rest on his backside. Reveling in the feel of his muscles flexing with every thrust, she cried out again.

The ardent mercenary pushed her right leg up and away from him. With the new position he was buried deep, and pounding his lover relentlessly. Juliet met his increased pace, grinding shamelessly in pursuit of the perfect peak. Bathed in sweat and panting heavily, Bane grabbed a section of her hair, forcing her to look at him. Dark chocolate eyes captured deep green as they shared an exhilarating netherworld where each thrust took them higher and higher.

He'd never known such a feeling. An intense physical pleasure like no other, spreading throughout his core. Instantly addictive. Nothing mattered but the giving and receiving of pure pleasure. Barsad was right. Man was put on earth for one thing...

And it was the one thing that Talia had always denied him.

An exhausted Juliet realized she was close to the edge. "I..." she gasped.

Bane easily sensed her approach, encouraging her. "Come for me now, Juliet…" He whispered.

At his affirmation, her body seized and then shook with runaway sensations of pleasure. Burying her face in his shoulder, she screamed as she rode out the storm.

Bane's own climax beckoned, and he uttered a low growl as his seed shot into her. They clung to one another, panting with exhaustion.

On her feet again, Juliet positively glowed with a new emotion. Bane, too, was flushed from the exhilaration of sex. They stared into one another's eyes for a time, until Juliet entwined her fingers in his, silently leading him out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her bedroom.

Hours later, she lay over top of Bane's nude body, her dark hair spilling across his chest. She sighed as he gently stroked her naked back with his fingers.

"What am I to you, Bane," she asked softly. "A rebound affair?"

"Rebound affair?" The masked man's brow furrowed, and his hands stilled.

"A rebound affair happens when a long relationship comes to an end, and one of the parties enters into a new -"

Bane nodded, interrupting her. "I know what it is..."

"After your defeat, the media speculated that you were romantically involved with Talia al Ghul."

The mercenary blinked. He was no expert in navigating the troubled seas of the male-female relationship. How could he ease Juliet's fears…as well as his own?

"I assure you that my relationship with her never progressed as far as ours has today."

"But you wanted it to, didn't you?" She raised herself up and reached for a sheet to cover her nudity. Bane's uneasy expression was increasingly troubling to her.

Feeling helpless, Bane finally asked, "Why does it matter? She is gone."

"She's not gone." The green-eyed woman pressed two fingers against Bane's erratically beating heart. "She's in there. You just don't see her anymore."

Frustrated, Bane now understood why Barsad had often warned him never to become seriously involved with a woman. He'd already had a taste of it with Talia, and now the same thing was happening with Juliet. Women were complicated creatures.

He sighed, closing his eyes as he centered himself in thought.

He had made a great sacrifice for the daughter of Ra's al Ghul. If not for him, she would never have had the opportunity to continue the legacy of her father – the father she loved only after his death. Buoyed by the twin prospects of completing his work and vengeance against Bruce Wayne, she abandoned Bane at City Hall in order to secure the bomb. Crushing all his hopes and expectations, she said "Goodbye my friend", and left him to die with Bruce.

He brought himself back to the present and opened his eyes. "When I saw you that day at City Hall, I could not have anticipated that you would eventually ease me through grief and shame."

Eyes filling with tears, Juliet sighed. "Ohhh… you're so sweet," she whispered softly as she stroked the cylinders of his mask with the back of her hand

"I suspect you are correct. The League of Shadows' legacy is riddled with fairy stories, possibly invented by Ra's al Ghul himself. If he were alive today, he would be my sworn enemy for having cast me out. No matter that he rescued me from the pit. He betrayed me, and if I had it to do over, I would never blindly follow him. No, not even for her.

"But, she was your whole life, Bane…" Juliet cautioned. "The media said - "

"I protected her from the inmates who raped and murdered her mother. I raised her, and as she grew to womanhood, I…" Bane stopped for a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"I will always miss her, but I cannot carry on the work of a dead woman, as she did for her father. Bruce Wayne is dead, and there is no point. In answer to your previous question, yes, I wanted Talia. Indeed, she promised herself to me many times, but never delivered."

Juliet swallowed hard, somewhat shocked by his words. He'd raised her, and fallen in love with her.

"I…I'm relieved to hear it." She said frankly. "I'm sorry if that sounds selfish."

"Do not be sorry, my dear. Your honesty always pleases me." His eyes narrowed, and he slyly pulled the sheet away from her body, exposing her breasts to him again.

"Well, that's good!" She replied, deliberately pushing his hand away. "Because there's an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed."

"What elephant?" He growled, dreading another "relationship" question.

If not for the last few hours, she might have withstood Bane's departure. But now that she had slept with him, she was feeling even more vulnerable.

"This isn't just casual sex, Bane. It means something to me, and I think it means something to you too. So, I need to ask. If you are leaving Gotham, then what does it mean for us?

Author's Note: Bear with me, this is going to be one of my favourite stories. Thank you all for your favourites, follows and reviews..