Disclaimer: Batman does not belong to me. I make no profit from this. Batman created by Bob Kane.
Author's Note: First off, I want to say thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts this story has gotten. This is now my first story to reach six reviews!
Secondly, the story. A2zmom was saying that it would be nice to see a plot. There is no better time ask that question than now. Chapter Nine was the last of the introductions. This story isn't going to be a planned multi-chapter fic with a single storyline, with different subplots and whatnot. However, the different oneshots are all connected, so there will be multiple chapters that take place in the same time, dealing with the same events. These short storylines will have their own lasting effects on the series. Jdcocoagirl also asked about Bruce's relationship with Talia. That relationship will be explained...right...about...now.
"Bruce, are you coming?"
Bruce Wayne looked up from the newspaper he was reading. The voice he heard sounded strangely like Talia al Ghul.
"Bruce, it's Talia. Did you forget about our plans?"
Oh, it was Talia.
Bruce and Talia had been...going together, as Alfred had so politely put it, for a few weeks now. It had been about a year since his final surgery. He'd been acquainted with her previously, but had only now begun to seek her companionship.
"Just, just a minute, Talia."
He jumped up to open the door. He suddenly felt embarrassed as he saw Talia standing there, wearing light makeup that accentuated her lips, her loose and hanging beautifully on her shoulders. Bruce's own face was covered in unruly facial hair. He was fairly certain the hair on his head was just as unkempt.
As he welcomed her inside, he also began to feel shame at the state of the apartment Ra's was paying for. There were blankets and pillows strewn across the couch (Bruce had developed insomnia since his injury). The sink was overflowing with with dirty dishes and cups. The whole room had a musty smell.
Bruce made polite small talk with Talia, (as usual), apologized profusely for the mess (as usual), his hair (like he did last week), and for the sticky door handle, (this one was new, but he was probably going to do it again next week).
"Bruce, please stop apologizing."
Bruce looked up from the dishes he was frantically attempting to wash.
"I'm not here to make you perfect. You are perfect, Beloved."
Bruce stopped what he was doing, and looked at Talia. Her face seemed to be the very epitome of confidence. She believed what she was saying.
She believed in him.
I'm not terribly certain about that ending, so don't be surprised if I revise it. This is the first chapter in the story arc that will go through Bruce's relationship with the al Ghuls, up to Damian's birth, or somewhere in that time.