Chapter 7: Acting

Author's Note: Thanks again for the reviews. I know some of you are getting a little bit frustrated with Niamh, but just bear with me! This is more of a filler chapter so I apologise if it isn't that exciting.

**3 days after Bruce's arrest**

Niamh sat at her desk massaging her temples slowly; she had the headache from hell, literally and metaphorically. Bruce had been detained in the high security prison on the outskirts of Gotham, he had been denied bail at any cost and his visits and phone calls were limited. She felt lost without him, the house was empty and while she was used to him not being there at night, she wanted to cry because she knew he wouldn't be coming back without some miracle. Bruce's absence in her personal life was only part of the problem, however, the government had limited the actions Wayne Enterprises could take, particularly the purchases they could make until the matter was resolved one way or another, with some accounts being frozen. The board members were understandably concerned, as were suppliers and clients – both Niamh and Lucius had spent the whole morning inundated with phone calls from concerned and in some cases irate businessmen and women from across several continents. Lucius walked into her office, smiling half-heartedly, handing her a press statement.

"What time is the press conference?" Niamh asked, straightening her crisp white shirt, but she didn't really care what she looked like anymore, it wasn't her biggest concern.

"Three o'clock. There is something else though and it isn't something we haven't really discussed yet" Lucius sat opposite her; she nodded for him to continue. He passed her the mornings newspaper, she gasped at the article he had highlighted.

"Shit" was the only word she could manage for a few moments. The paper had linked Bruce Wayne's imprisonment to the absence of Batman on Gotham's streets during the night. Scanning through she noted that there was no real evidence, but Niamh knew that rumours were all that it would take in this city. Especially as the absence was likely to continue until they could legally prove that Bruce was innocent and that meant identifying the true culprit. "How are we going to disprove this?" She looked helplessly up at Lucius.

"We can spread some rumours, create some false sightings on social networking sites and the like, but what else can we do other than deny, deny, deny." He began. Amy popped her brunette head around the door; smiling apologetically.

"Sorry Niamh, but that Mr Anderson is on the way up, I thought that you would like to know!" Amy explained before disappearing.

"Wonderful" She gathered her thoughts together and chucked the newspaper into one of her drawers. "Mr Anderson what can we do for you now?" Niamh tried her best to be polite and helpful.

"Just a few questions Ms Niel. There are some rumours that Mr Wayne is the Batman – is this true?" He said seriously. Lucius looked at the floor waiting to see how Niamh would play this. She laughed.

"I'm sorry you actually think that Bruce is Batman – the caped vigilante who spends his nights running around the city stopping crime. That would require him being totally altruistic; and while Bruce is very generous in his donations to charitable organisations – let's face it he has the money to fritter away. He's way too self-absorbed and vain to spend his nights doing something to help ordinary citizens. Bruce is more the type to sit with a bottle or three of red from an excellent vintage." Niamh lied, the drama lessons she had taken at school were finally paying off.

"But you're dating him?" Anderson questioned somewhat surprised at her candid response.

"Exactly – so I should know him best. And I think I would have noticed if he kept sneaking off in the middle of the night, I'm not one to silently put up with adultery so I would have questioned it Mr Anderson. Although feel free to search Wayne Manor for traces of Batman if you like, don't worry about getting a warrant I'll call ahead to Alfred." She had shocked him and thrown him off the scent.

"No, Ms Niel thank you for your help, I appreciate it."

"Not a problem – I'll help in any way I can to prove Bruce's innocence. The rumours – did they come from Sam Harker? He's a reporter for the Post and has hated Bruce for years, something to do with him sleeping with Harker's wife. He went through a rebellious phase before my time here." Niamh smiled sweetly as Anderson exited her office.

"Wow!" stated Lucius after they were sure Anderson had left, "I'm impressed"

"Thanks" Niamh said as she sat back down at her desk, Lucius left and she sat deep in thought, how on earth were they going to quash the rumours about Batman's identity? A thought crossed her mind, it was drastic; but there was one way that Batman could continue to watch the streets with Bruce behind bars.