A/N: I am not a native English speaker so sorry if there're any grammar/vocabulary mistakes.

**I got an infection in the eye (that hasn't disappeared yet) so I have been quite in pain during this last week. I'm sorry that I couldnt' update before but I didn't feel for writing/doing anything else. I hope you understand and I also hope that you enjoy this chapter! :)


9. I'll See You in the Morning

'Bane,' Jane shook his arm carefully, her voice was soft, she was afraid of startling him, 'Bane, wake up.'

It was earlier than usual, not even six in the morning, and he wouldn't open his eyes. Jane had received a phone call at five informing her about the new schedule that Bane had to follow that day, the day previous to the trial. She had rushed to the hospital with only an apple inside her stomach and now she felt like the time that she had saved was being wasted by him. She felt envy about his sleeping, so calm and relaxed, like his consciousness was completely clean and free from trouble and worry. She shook his arm once again. His eyes moved quickly under the eyelids, he turned his head to a side and began to open the eyes very slowly. Jane wondered at what time he had fallen asleep. His sleepy blue eyes stared at her full of emptiness, almost groggy.

'Are you awake?' she asked approaching his face and trying to see through his eyes, 'Bane?'

He blinked a few times disoriented, Jane backed away.

'I am,' he murmured still a bit confused, 'I am…' He sat up on the bed, his languid body looked heavier to move now that his mind was just coming back from the world of dreams. His fingers reached his eyes and he rubbed them tiredly, he covered them with the palm of his hands for a while.

'Not a good night?' Jane said.

'Not at all.'

'Too noisy outside?'

'Too noisy inside my head.'

'I understand,' and she did, she had been experiencing that during half a year, 'so, there are a few changes today. The trial is tomorrow and they want you to be completely locked in here before nine, that means that the rehab has been rescheduled and we should be heading to the facilities…' Jane checked her clock, 'about now, there won't be any patients until eight. You'll have a doctor checking you after that and they'll probably send someone to inspect the situation and prepare everything for tomorrow's transfer.'

Bane remained silent.

'What about breakfast?' he asked pretending to be serious. Jane sighed and hid a smile.

'After the doctor has seen you.'

'Everything is in order, then,' he stood up and stretched his body. The size of his torso extended together with his arms and his back crackled. Jane distracted herself playing with the handcuffs in her hands, not wanting to look at him because she was completely sure that her cheeks would blush again. She heard him chuckle and then felt how he put on a shirt. 'Ah, Jane, you won't change, will you?' he laughed again entertained.

Jane put cuffs around his wrists and ankles, ignoring his mockery. She stood up and faced him.

'It's gonna be crowded out there so I don't want any stupid movements, do you understand?'

'I don't think I'm capable of stupidity,' his eyes wrinkled as Jane rolled her own and pushed him to start walking.

When they got into the operation area, Jane reached to touch her gun unconsciously. It was crowded with surgeons, orderlies pushing beds and more people that she could not recognise. Most of them turned to him once they closed the door and appeared in the middle of the corridor. Jane saw how his back stretched, his ego growing inside of him. He moved his head to a side and looked at Jane out of the corner of his eye.

'I think you should be more careful with these people, Jane. They do look slightly irritated.'

'Just keep walking.'

People whispered around them, Jane nodded at a few doctors and assured them that everything was under control, although naturally they didn't seem very convinced about it. The patients that were fully conscious stared at him frightened, holding on to their bed sheets, almost shaking. Some of them were uncontrollably angry and yelled at him, recalling the names of the people that they had lost, asking if he was human, asking if he felt good about it, if he could sleep at night. Probably most of them were there because of the explosions that he had triggered, and Bane knew that very well but he didn't care. Jane sighed and kept walking behind him. Bane's pace was steady and he remembered the way so they reached the room much quicker than the last time. Jane was thankful for that and allowed herself to breathe when she locked the door and the light of the card reader turned red.

Bane followed his routine of exercises and Jane followed her routine of sitting on the bench and walking around. Her stomach was growling and her mind felt slow and a bit dizzy, she hadn't had a good night either. She yawned and leaned against the wall. Bane was running on the treadmill at a quite fast rhythm.

'Is that the sign of a long night?' his voice sounded strong and powerful, his breathing was intense.

'Yes,' she yawned again, 'oh, yes.'

She looked at him. She remembered the night before and their last conversation, he also did and knew that she was thinking about it, he could see it in her face, in her grey eyes staring him. She looked away feeling intimidated, it was disturbing to see him running there because it actually looked like that big mass of muscles was moving towards her. When he was done with the exercising, Jane allowed him to use the showers in the facility before coming back to the room, she didn't think that she had much of an option. When he came out he was wearing his shirt again and looked satisfied. They came back to the room following exactly the same way. They received more uncomfortable and frightened looks, more yelling and more arguing, Bane breathed deeply every now and then, annoyed at the situation. Jane kept her eyes open, not sure if some of those surgeons were considering using operation tools on him. Apart from some threatenings, nothing important happened and they reached the room just in time to meet the doctor. It was a different one and he waved at Jane when he saw her. He looked a bit shocked about Bane's appearance and gulped while shaking hands with the woman.

'Hi, I'm doctor Kent.'

'Officer Jane Sykes.'

'So I'm here to certify that he's in good health for the trial, I have to see how his breathing is going, the scars and you know, his general condition.'

'Sure. Would you like to come in?' Jane was doubtful about this one, he definitely looked more brave than the other one but one could never be sure enough.

'Of course.'

The doctor told Bane to take off his shirt and to sit properly on the bed with his back as straight as possible. Jane observed everything with curiosity, wondering what Bane was thinking and if he had ever been to the doctor, to a proper doctor. Doctor Kent seemed to be in a shock, his hands were a bit shaky at the beginning but when Bane actually did as he was told to do, he calmed down. He put the stethoscope on Bane's back and told him to inhale deeply and to release the air normally. The doctor checked a few spots on his back and then moved to his chest. He snorted.

'That sounds like a very strong heart,' Bane simply nodded and continued with his deep inhaling. The doctor told him that he could stop and then he began inspecting the scars, 'your lungs and heart sound perfectly normal to me, do you feel any pain?'

'No more than the usual,' he said. The doctor gulped again and kept looking at the scars.

'Yeah, it looks just fine. I'll send a certificate directly to the central police station.'

'Great, thank you very much,' Jane said shaking his hand again.

'It's just my job,' the doctor turned to Bane and held out his hand, 'good bye, sir.'

Bane stood up and stared at the man, he shook his hand. The doctor and Jane breathed relieved.

'Thank you for your services, doctor,' Bane said formally.

Doctor Kent left and Jane stayed under the doorframe. She saw one of the nurses bringing the tray with his breakfast. Her stomach growled again.

'I'm going to eat something, your breakfast is coming.'

'Excellent,' he shook his arms as if he were getting ready for a feast. Jane was about to lock when she heard his voice again. 'Jane?' he waited until she turned around, 'I feel like my beard growth has reached its maximum extent and it's starting to be a bit uncomfortable.'

'You mean you want to shave?' she said surprised.

'Yes.'

'Alright, I'll see what I can do.'

She tried not to laugh in front of him. Its maximum extent. She shook her head amused and left the room. This time she didn't rush with her breakfast, she didn't think that she could stand on her feet during a single second more without anything feeding her body. She hadn't thought about the possibility of Bane wanting to shave but he was a man after all, although her brain didn't seem to accept it yet. She left the money on the table and went to the information desk to ask for directions on where to get razors. She visited the storage room, filled up a form and then left with a razor in her hand. They wanted to have total control of what Bane did or didn't do in the hospital and of course of the items that he had access to, just in case something would happen. When she came back, he was leaning against the door, softly hitting the metal with his fists, Jane could hear it from the outside. She knocked on the door, he moved away and she went in.

'I got your razor,' Jane hesitated for a moment, perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to give him blades.

'I could kill you with my bare hands, I don't need a razor for such a simple task,' he appeared to be reading her mind, he extended his arm and showed the palm of his hand, 'Jane?' he sounded like a father requesting something from his child.

'You're right,' Jane put the razor on his hand, 'but you are not keeping it, I want it back.'

'Thank you.'

He turned around and went to inspect the tray. Jane could see how he got a syringe and a new vial of morphine, he got four a day, one for each meal and another extra just in case he needed it. He took his shirt off and inserted the needle into his skin, right on the lower part of his abdomen. Jane then realised that he had a bruise in that region, probably from all the needling. She approached him slowly, Bane looked at her and then at the purple mark on his skin. He rubbed his fingers against it as if he were trying to erase it and then stared at Jane again. She was about to ask something but she decided to shut up and just looked away from his stomach. His eyes were serious; his eyebrows, flat. He put the empty vial back on the tray and tossed the syringe into a bag. He leaned against the bed and waited for the drug to take effect. Jane moved towards him and sat on the white chair.

'Aren't you tired of it?' she asked with a soft voice, almost wishing that he hadn't heard her. She never really dared to ask him questions because she didn't feel she was in the right position to do so. He moved his head up and his blue eyes met hers. Her heart shrank for a second, she felt scared.

'I am used to it, pain has been my companion for a long time now,' he looked at the clock on the wall and breathed loudly. Jane could feel a sharp pain inside her chest caused by a slight hint of sadness. He raised his left eyebrow and smiled, 'are you feeling pity for me?' he asked in amusement, 'don't be foolish, Miss.'

'I'm sorry, I can't stand pain myself.'

Jane tried to compose herself, stood up and stretched her legs. She glanced at her watch and began to walk around, staring at the tiles of the floor, following their pattern with her eyes. Only Bane's mechanic breathing and her steps perturbed the silence. One could easily feel isolated inside that room, so empty and white, so full of nothing. Jane tried to imagine how it would feel to sleep there at night all alone with a single glass as a window to the outside world. Well, he deserves it. She sighed and stopped walking. There was a short, sharp sound, a click, and then there was silence, complete silence. No steps, no breathing, nothing. Still following the lines between the tiles, she began to turn her head around, scared of looking up. She felt the sharp pain in her chest again, her heart rate increasing. She saw his feet first, then her eyes followed the lines of his legs, covered the length of his torso and finally, she reached his face. He was staring at her from a distance seriously, the mask in his hands, his fingers around it.

'Surprised?' he said drawing a small furtive smile with his lips, the skin of his cheeks folding around them. His face was very expressive but Jane needed to look at his eyes to verify his mood.

'Not really,' she said in an almost inaudible volume, 'you look so normal.' She approached him and inspected his face more closely, trying not to be very rude. She looked up and down, matching his eyes with the rest of new features that had just been uncovered. She felt the impulse to grin but decided not to, although Bane noticed it.

'I wouldn't advise you to laugh at me, Jane,' Bane furrowed his eyebrows, his mouth curved.

'I'm sorry,' she stopped analysing his face and focusing all her attention on his eyes again, she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable, 'it's just so strange that you don't look that different, it's still you,' she wanted to touch his face to check that it was real, that there was actually something under the mask.

'Yes, indeed, it's still me,' he stood up, took the razor and went to the bathroom, he left the door open so Jane followed him and stayed under the doorframe. He used his hands to pour water onto his face and then proceeded to shave. He looked so normal, so human and the fact that he was about to start shaving made him look even more ordinary. She remembered William's father when he did the same in front of the mirror in their bathroom, that scene was just too common for her and Bane didn't fit in it. She stared at him reflecting on the life that she used to have, she missed those familiar moments. Bane's shoulders relaxed, he put his hands on the sink and then turned his eyes towards her annoyed, holding the razor tightly. Jane apologised and left him alone. She waited by the bed, looking at the mask every now and then, trying to figure out how it worked. He came out after a few minutes, his face looked fresher and younger. He handed the razor over to Jane.

'Oh, thanks,' she took it and kept it in one of the pockets of her jacket. Her cellphone rang, it was James Gordon. 'Good afternoon, sir.' she turned around and walked away a few steps to have more privacy.

'Hi, Sykes. I don't have much time so I'll be quick. We are sending two more officers to spend the night in there, I told them that you leave at around twelve so they'll be in time. We'll need you in the morning to help them escort him to the car. Are you ready for that?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Good. He's been granted an attorney for tomorrow, he would like to have a chat with him later today-'

'I don't need a lawyer,' Bane stood close to Jane, she jumped scared not knowing that he had been so near, 'I can defend myself,' he walked away from her again.

'Ok, I don't know why but I expected that. Alright, let's see,' Jane heard the sound of papers moving around, 'I'll send some documents by fax that he has to fill up for that, you go and get them and make sure that he signs all of them. I think that's all. I have to go now, Sykes, good luck tomorrow and I'll see you in court.'

'Good bye, sir,' she turned to Bane, 'you'll have some papers to sign later but I really think that you should consider having a lawyer.'

'Lawyers are not fair, why would I trust them?'

'Well, are you fair?'

He crossed his arms over his chest and then brought his right hand to the chin, passing his fingers over it, stroking the skin.

'I believe I am, yes. But you have to consider that fairness is a very subjective term, just like right and wrong.'

'My mind is not ready for philosophical discussions yet.'

'Are you scared that we will end up talking about your son's death? You have to fight that fear and get over it.'

'You tell me to get over it when you loose your own child,' she turned around and walked away. Bane's steps sounded noisily behind her, he quickly reached her and forced her to face him.

'I raised that woman,' his eyes were infuriated and full of pain, his furrowed eyebrows flinching.

'She wasn't your daughter.'

'I loved her just as much.'

'You liar, piece of shit,' Jane slapped him in the face as hard as she could, she was breathing heavily and the palm of her hand was burning and itching. His cheek reddened slowly as he reached to feel it with his own hand. There was an awkward silence, Jane couldn't stand the pressure of his glaring look so she gave up and looked away. 'I'm sorry,' she mumbled.

Bane grabbed her head with his hand and pressed her cheeks, bringing her face close to his. He leaned over her and softly put his lips close to her ear. Jane could feel his cheek against hers, his warm breathing on her hair. He whispered something.

'I know you are not.'

She shook her head with disdain to release her face from his grip. He held her tight for a few seconds and then let her go. Someone knocked on the door. Jane quickly straightened her uniform and went to open. It was one of the women that worked at the information desk, she handed some papers to Jane and after taking a look at Bane over Jane's shoulder, she left. Bane was sitting on the edge of the bed, his arms crossed, the mask laying behind him. Jane took a pen from one of the pockets of her jacket and gave it to Bane together with the papers. He read them thoroughly playing with the pen in his hands.

'You have to sign here, here, here and here,' Jane turned the pages as she spoke, pointing at some spaces between paragraphs. Her voice was very soft, she was scared of bringing back their previous conversation and wanted to make sure that he understood she wanted to ignore it. He stared at her during a few seconds and accepted the truce. Then, he drew a simple check mark on all of the spaces. 'Don't you have a signature?' Jane asked sitting next to him comfortably and looking through the pages that he was holding.

'I've never needed one.'

'Write your initials then,' Jane told him. He wrote a B. next to each check mark. 'Don't you have a surname?'

'You may call me Mr. Bane,' he turned his head towards her, his face crinkled up in a smile.

Jane took the papers from his hands trying really hard not to smile and then she put them on the bed, next to the mask. She instantly looked at the clock.

'How long does the morphine last?'

'About three hours for my size,' he also glanced at the clock, 'quite an effective opiate drug, isn't it?'

'I suppose,' she took a deep breath and stood up, taking the papers with her, 'I have to send these back and then I'll have lunch. I'll also get rid of the razor,' she looked at his unmasked face, examining it again, 'it was a pleasure to meet your face, say goodbye from me when you put that thing back on again.'

'Surely, I will,' he said while rubbing his cheeks. Jane smiled to him and closed the door.

She waited next to the information desk for a few minutes before they could send the fax to the police station. She remembered Bane crying on the floor and the feeling of the tears running through her fingers while she held his face. She regretted calling him a liar, but didn't regret the slap, that had felt like glory. She wrote the fax number on a paper for the lady working at the desk. She didn't understand how he could love that woman and be willing to let her kill herself with a nuclear bomb. Maybe he hadn't cared because he would also die, he wouldn't suffer her loss, he wouldn't suffer anything, actually. Perhaps, he wasn't that brave and emotionally strong, maybe he was just a coward that would prefer to die rather than to endure the loss of a loved one. Then she remembered all the times that she had repeated 'I want to go with him' in tears when William had died, and all the times that she had considered dying to achieve it. Bane might have actually felt the same way when that nuclear bomb was about to explode. She dropped a few coins after paying for the food and two newspapers.

'I'm sorry, ma'am.'

'That's okay, sweetie,' the lady picked up the coins and warmly smiled at her.

Jane came back to the room, she gave him one of the newspapers as an apology for the slap and then went out to read hers. There were news about the trial everywhere, people asked for a death sentence, some others for life imprisonment. Jane thought that it hadn't been a good idea to give him the paper, she went in. He had the mask on again.

'So… are you ready for the trial?' she closed the paper and rolled it.

'Gotham clearly is,' he chuckled while turning a page, 'what would your sentence be, Jane?'

'Probably, life imprisonment and social work.'

'Social work?' he rose one of his eyebrows.

'Yes, helping the children that got injured. Then you would know the reality of what you did.'

'I think I know the reality of what I did very well. Don't you think I am aware of what a series of explosions can cause? Don't you think I planned it so it would cause the greatest damage possible? It wouldn't affect me to see that, Jane, I would be glad to do so. It would be like a sightseeing tour!'

There was a silence.

'You're hopeless.'

'So I have been told before.'

He smiled at her and made a gesture with his hand, as if he were bowing. Jane sighed and opened her paper again. They kept reading in silence until night. At eleven thirty, the two officers knocked on the door and indicated Jane that she could go home for the day. She picked up her jacket and backpack and got ready to go.

'Sleep well tonight, you have a long day ahead tomorrow.'

'You too.'

'I'll see you in the morning.'

'Good bye, Jane,' he fixed his eyes on her during a few seconds, making her feel uncomfortable. She smiled at him and waved her hand. Bane's eyes wrinkled again, but this time he was grinning. 'Good bye.'

...

It was four a.m. when the telephone rang. Jane woke up startled, her heart pounding quickly.

'Who's this?'

She heard James Gordon's voice.

'He's escaped, Sykes. He's gone.'


A/N: If you don't remember Bane crying on the floor, go to chapter 3 when he heard about Talia's death! :D

-Things that I have learnt while writing this chapter: how morphine works!