A/N: Good day to all of you, and welcome to chapter 10, where things really get interesting. Bruce has become the Batman, and Olivia knows. Things are going to heat up.

Disclaimer: I do not own either story arc, but if I did, you'd know.

Chapter 10: Partner

"Back from your little excursion sir?" asked Alfred as he watched Bruce enter the cavern through the old well entrance. "I heard on the late night news that a certain vigilante took out an entire drug and sex trafficking warehouse at the docks tonight."

"Yes Alfred," he replied, taking off his mask and stepping up to the computer he had installed. "It was rather easy to take those swine out, but that's only because they had no idea what was coming."

"Exactly sir, you won't have the moment of surprise later on, and the criminals won't stay ignorant for long."

"I'll worry about that later. Right now we have bigger problems." He hit several keys on the computer, bringing up several security camera images. "Falcone's bringing in drug shipments alright, but from what I gathered, some are going to one dealer, while some are going to another."

"From what I gather from the police and barrister programs, isn't selling to more than one dealer normal for a drug kingpin like Falcone?"

"Kingpins never go to the dealers, the dealers come to them. So why is it that Falcone is taking the trouble to haul half his shipment to an alternate site?" Bruce asked, adding several recorded conversations into the computer's hard drive. He wished he had gotten whatever Falcone said to Cassidy in the limo, but that was beyond even the Batman's reach, for now at least.

"Well sir, I believe Batman will figure it out eventually. For now though, Bruce Wayne needs some nourishment. I'm heading to the kitchen."

Bruce looked back at his butler. "You never stop looking out for me Alfred?"

Alfred smiled, "Never." With that, he turned and walked toward the elevator. Bruce smiled as well and continued to ponder the riddle involving the diverted shipments.

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Out in the intersection between the main road and the driveway to Wayne Manor, Olivia sat in her GPD issue sedan, silent. She had been waiting for nearly two hours since leaving the crime scene at the docks, and seemed to be paralyzed by the emotions running through her head. "It was Bruce," she whispered, breaking the still air within the car. "It was Bruce. There's a vigilante running around the city in a Bat costume and it's Bruce. Bruce Wayne, my best friend." These same thoughts had been spinning in her mind for the entire time she had been sitting here. No matter how hard she thought or how many scenarios she played out in her head, for the first time since that night on the park bench eleven years before, Olivia S. Benson had no idea of what to do. It both angered and terrified her.

The sudden buzzing of her phone jarred Olivia out of her thoughts. "Not now Elliot," she muttered, thinking he was calling about the Falcone case. Yanking it out of her pocket, she noticed the caller ID declaring it wasn't Elliot, but her cousin Alex. "Alex?" she answered, pressing talk.

"Liv, did you see the news? They got Falcone!"

"Yeh Alex, I was there. It was really weird too."

"Let me guess, there was a guy dressed up like a bat who took down the warehouse."

Olivia was stunned. 'Alex knows too?' "Why would you say that?" she finally stammered.

"Because I saw him Olivia."

That surprised her even more. "You saw the Batman?"

She could hear her cousin chuckle over the phone. "They're calling him Batman now? Seems a bit childish don't you think?"

"I think it fits, nice and direct," she bristled. 'Wait,' she thought, 'Why am I defending Bruce?' "Besides, they aren't calling him that, we found a witness that said he called himself that."

"Makes it even more childish."

"Hold on, why did the Batman come to you?" asked the cop in her.

"Falcone sent some thugs to kill me. This Batman saved me and gave me evidence that Judge Taft has been sleeping with underage girls."

"What?" blurted Olivia, feeling slightly jealous that Bruce went to Alex instead of her. 'Where did that come from?' "You need to send those to me and Elliot ASAP."

"No way Liv. I know that you want to collar him for this, but I need those photos to silence him. If he's thrown in jail for statutory rape, then there will be another judge assigned that Falcone will buy."

"I thought you were a servant of the law Alex!"

"I'm sorry Liv, but I have to think of the big picture here. This is the best chance to get Falcone behind bars for the next hundred years. Please understand."

Olivia sighed, "You're right Alex, I'm just a little irritable right now." 'Which is completely true.'

"Go get some sleep Liv; you'll need all you can get for tomorrow."

"You sound just like Elliot!" exclaimed Olivia, laughing one of those grim laughs used just to relieve tension. "Good night." She sighed and looked at the sky. "God what should I do? Give me guidance."

A sudden wave of anger ripped through her. Olivia picked up her arms and slammed her clenched fists into the steering wheel, letting out a scream. She almost never lost her cool, but now, after finding out her best friend had been lying and keeping secrets from her, not to mention the fact that he could die or be arrested, she did just that. 'I almost lost him once. I can't lose him again. He, Alfred, and Alex are the only family I have!'

Finished beating the shit out of the wheel, Olivia took a deep breath, calming herself. "You can do this Liv. You're Badass Benson after all, a detective in the Gotham Police Department." Calmly, she turned the ignition and made her way toward Wayne Manor, still not sure of what she would say.

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Spreading mustard on a large slice of rye bread, Alfred was startled to hear a loud banging on the front door, loud enough to reverberate throughout the whole mansion. "This can't be good," he muttered to himself as he rushed to the door. "In my experience, nothing good happens after two AM." Still in his gentlemanly demeanor, he unlocked and then opened the door.

"Where is he!" growled a woman's brusque voice, obviously not in a mood to take bullshit from anyone.

"Miss Olivia?" he asked, hoping this wasn't about his ward's little excursion, though if it was thankful it was Olivia.

"Don't give me the ignorant act Alfred. Where is Bruce?"

Alfred gulped, for Olivia only called him that when she was mad. 'This must be how she talks to the criminals. Poor buggers.'

Before he could say anything else, Olivia's eyes widened and she slapped her head with the palm of her hand. "Son of a bitch, the secret door in the study!" With that, she marched upstairs, her footsteps echoing through the manor.

Sighing, Alfred decided it was time to turn in for the night. If he knew Olivia, which he did, poor Master Bruce was in for it. "At least she won't hurt him, that much at least."

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Being a detective, Olivia had a habit of memorizing even the most obscure detail. As Elliot had told her on her first day over three years before, anything might be crucial to solving a case. "How right he was," she said to herself, tapping the exact same keys on the piano as she did four days ago. With a thud and a click, the bookcase opened and Olivia walked in, revealing a surprisingly well lit hallway with an old chain elevator at the end. Stepping inside, she pulled the lever and descended, hopefully to where Bruce was.

Still going over the surveillance photos and taps of the warehouse, Bruce didn't turn when he heard the elevator reach the cavern. "Alfred, come look at this with me. Maybe I'm missing something."

Olivia just stood there, staring at Bruce, his back turned to her. Some part of her had clung to the hope that this was all just some crazy fantasy in her head, but there he was, clad in the outfit of the Batman, the helmet only three feet away on a worktable. Once again her mind was overloaded with thoughts, whether to thank him for finally getting Falcone or try to talk him out of it before he got himself killed or arrested.

"You Bastard!" she finally spat, surprising herself by the amount of venom in her voice.

Wheeling around, his face white with shock, Bruce stared at his best and closest friend, who had somehow stumbled on his entire plan. 'Shit!' he thought, knowing he couldn't deny anything since she had caught him in the actual act. "Hey Liv," he croaked, feeling the need to say something.

Bad idea. "Don't you 'Hey Liv," me Bruce!" she snarled, walking closer to him. "What the hell were you thinking? I thought you changed since I last saw you but nooo!" She purposefully drew out the last word, watching his face grow ever paler. "No; you're the same immature asshole who almost killed Skinner seven years ago!"

Shaking slightly, Bruce had never seen Olivia this angry before, and it shook him to the very core. How was he going to deal with this? "How did you find out?" asked Bruce, desperate to avoid the current topic, knowing that Olivia wasn't up for an explanation right now.

She laughed, but more like a Hyena's laugh than something comedic. "First of all Bruce, I'm a detective. Second of all, you should be more careful of where you keep your helmet schematics; lying out in the open on your desk isn't very private. Thirdly," she gulped, unsure of how to put this. "It was your damn eyes Bruce! When I saw you at the station, and yes I know that was you too, those eyes of yours could see right through me. You're the only person who could do that, not Elliot, not Alex, not even my own drunk of a mother could. Only you, my best friend!"

Bruce stood, shocked to the very fiber of his being. Part of him said that he should have been more careful, that Olivia would have been the only person who could put it together on his/her own. However another part felt relieved that she knew, even if it put her in danger.

"Wow!" he blurted, slightly amazed at her performance. "I never thought I'd see a live demonstration of Badass Benson. If you're this hard on me, I pity the poor suspects."

Olivia was about to tear him a new one when she realized he was sincere. Letting out a sob, she ran too him and gave him a bone crushing hug, her anger fading into concern for her friend. "What were you thinking Bruce? You could have been arrested, or killed." She loosened her grip just enough to stare into his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, realizing at that moment what was bothering her, the fact that Bruce didn't trust her.

Staring back, Bruce felt her dark brown eyes stare back at him, boring straight into his soul, the same as his did to her. "I couldn't do this as Bruce Wayne Liv. I had to protect the ones I love from reprisals. The night I left, Falcone told me how easy it would be for him to kill you, Alfred, and Alex. I couldn't lose you the way I lost my parents. It would kill whatever is left of my soul."

Squeezing him one more time, Olivia broke the embrace and stepped back, still staring into his eyes. "I understand Bruce, and thank you for thinking of me and the others, but I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. It's just…" Feeling exhausted, she collapsed into one of the chairs Bruce used to tinker with his gear. "I know you didn't wake up one morning and say, 'Huh,'" she growled, mimicking his voice. "'I'm going to dress up today as a bat and take down the mob.' No Bruce; that's not you. I've never known you to act impulsively since we were kids. You also didn't learn how to take down Falcone's private army by yourself, and I'm sure Alfred didn't teach you." She smirked involuntarily, which made him chuckle a bit, defusing the tension. "Tell me Bruce, no BS, what happened while you were gone."

Letting out a heavy breath, Bruce sat down as well, never taking his gaze off Olivia. "It's a long story Liv."

She smiled at him. "I have time and besides, being a cop taught me to function without sleep."

Bruce proceeded to tell her everything, his conversation with Alex, his meeting with Falcone, and subsequent decision to go off and learn the ways of the criminal. Olivia sat transfixed through the entire story, looking at her friend with a new respect. 'Bruce hasn't just matured, he's changed completely. He has a true purpose now, one he hadn't had since his parents died.' Hearing the tale of the League of Shadows, and how his mentor trained him to fight like a true warrior, her mind started racing once more. An idea popped up in her head, one which she dismissed as crazy. The more she tried to fight it however, the more and more appealing it became.

"So this Ra's al Ghul," she interrupted him, a little confused, "Wanted you to do what?"

"He wanted me to be an executioner, someone who becomes the same as a criminal in order to destroy one. No matter how angry I was after my parents died, I just couldn't do it. I couldn't become one of them." Casting his eyes downward, he felt a soft hand on his.

"You're a good man Bruce. You always were. What did you do with them? Do I have to be afraid they'll come to Gotham?"

"No, Ra's al Ghul is dead and the League of Shadows is no more. I saved Cragen, but he's all that's left of them. I do thank them though for one thing."

"Which is?"

"Turning into a criminal, even for the greater good, is not justice, but that doesn't mean that we have to embrace injustice either. That is why I became Batman, to provide just enough of a push to make Gotham save itself."

Olivia nodded, and then suddenly remembered something. The day Bruce turned against his mentors was the same day of the Billy Tripley arrest, when she lectured Elliot about the meaning of justice. What had all her years as a cop done for the greater good? The city was even worse than when she signed up, and for every victim that she saved, another was robbed of justice by the corrupt system. Eleven years of playing by the rules had done nothing, while two hours of pushing the envelope changed the entire face of Gotham itself. Deciding what would likely be the most important decision she would ever make, Olivia summoned all her inner strength. "Bruce, I have to ask you something."

Raising an eyebrow, Bruce gave her a confused look. "What?"

'Out with it Benson!' "Let me join you."

His mouth dropped, not expecting that at all. After what seemed to be hours, he collected himself. "No goddamn way Olivia!" roared Bruce. "I will not let you risk your life out there!"

"I'm a cop Bruce," she spat, grateful for his concern but furious at his tone. "I risk my life every fucking day!"

"That's different and you know it! I am just an ordinary citizen, so this is all I can do. You have a job where you can actually make a difference every damn day!"

"Yes Bruce, I do, and what do I have to show for it? Just two weeks ago, a guy rapes and murders four people, torturing them for hours while making their kids watch. He then takes the kids and tortures them, savoring their terrified screams. After we catch him, he's sent not to prison Bruce, but to Arkham, declared mentally unfit for trial. Why, because he worked for Falcone! Imagine that happening every fucking day! You talk about getting justice, but you've never seen it day in and day out! My own mother was raped because she caught one of Falcone's underlings raping the fifteen year old sister of her friend, and she had no justice. You think Skinner makes you the only one to feel the pain of the corrupt system, but you aren't!" The cavern was completely silent, with nothing but the steady rush of water punctuating the din. Olivia stared at Bruce, her breath heavy from the tirade. "Well? Say something!" she barked, to which he just stared back. Seeing a flash of pain in his eyes, Olivia gasped, realizing what she just said. "Bruce, I'm sorry." She leaned forward and hugged him, tears falling off her cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's alright Liv," he replied, hugging her back. "You're right though. I can't imagine what you must go through every day. On my journeys, I deliberately avoided such criminals because I didn't have the stomach to handle what you handle. You are a strong woman Olivia, and God knows it would be helpful to have you fighting beside me. It's just that I don't want to put you in harm's way. You, Alfred, and Alex are all that's left for me, the only family I have left. I couldn't bear to lose any one of you."

"You won't Bruce. You forget I'm Badass Benson, the woman who can kick your ass anytime, anywhere." She jabbed a finger in his chest, smirking.

"Oh, I've learned a few tricks since the last time we fought." Seeing his classic Wayne grin made her smile.

"Doesn't matter, I will always kick your ass in the end." She looked at him. "So, what do you say?"

Bruce sighed, making what was bound to be the second most important decision in his life. "Much as I would rather work alone, the only person who I would be comfortable fighting alongside is you Liv. Since the alternative is probably getting arrested," she rolled her eyes at that, "you can join me."

Olivia squealed with glee, hugging him. "Did Badass Benson just squeal?" asked Bruce, a snigger escaping his lips.

Realizing what she did, Olivia's face flushed a bright red. "If you ever tell anyone I did that, I'll kill you in your sleep."

"I believe you. Now about this little arrangement of ours, I have a few conditions."

She bristled, wondering if he'd stick her behind a desk; she'd knee him in the balls if he did say that. "What are they?"

"First of all, this is not a joke. We are dealing with serious people Liv, people who would not hesitate to kill you and enjoy every minute of it."

"Once again Bruce, I am a cop," she said, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"Second, you tell no one about any of this unless you clear by me first and vice versa. Not Alex, not Stabler, no one."

"Ok. Besides me, who knows?"

"Only two people, Alfred and Lucius Fox, an employee of Wayne Enterprises who, uh, supplies me unofficially."

"Got it, what else?"

"Third, since you didn't go through the three years of League of Shadows training that I did, I'm going to have to teach you myself before we fight together."

"You teaching me how to fight?" Olivia's mouth contorted into a mischievous grin. "That'll be fun."

"Lastly," he said, trying not to laugh himself, "I would like it if you kept the current motif."

"You mean the bat one?" At his nod, she continued. "I kind of like it myself. So," she extended her hand. "Partners?"

Bruce looked her in the eye before grasping her hand. "Partners."

A/N: So there it is. The Batman has a partner. Cue the trumpets.

This was fun to write, got it done in less than two hours in one shot. It was interesting to try and capture Bruce and Olivia's personality. Each was shaped by the same general principle, a loss/struggle in early childhood and the feeling of helplessness in the face of a corrupt system. Hope I did it justice.

Next up, the aftermath of the appearance of Batman, plus another visit to Mr. Fox and Bruce sees Alex for the first time since getting back.

Please Review!