"You didn't have to come, Selina." Gwen sighed to herself as they rounded the corner.

"I needed to get out of the city." Steering the car out of Gotham and onto the expressway, Selina smiled to herself. She really did need to get out more often from the chaos that was Gothan. Though she would not live in the country, the beauty was in fact captivating. "Besides while you two have your fun times in the backseat, I can just drive you back upstate." A pause. "Or a motel."

"Yeah?" Laughing a bit, Gwen questioned, "You gonna wait for us in the car?"

"Nah," she waved that notion off. "I'll just hitch a ride from a friend or something."

"A friend?" Before she said anything Gwen contemplated the repercussions but didn't care. "Like Bruce Wayne?"

"You gonna get on about that too?" Raising a brow, Selina was not amused with this.

"Honestly?" She shrugged. "This could be either the smartest or stupidest thing you've ever done."

"I'm going with stupidest." Luckily the jail wasn't too far away and they would be there in less than twenty minutes if the traffic was good, which since it was late enough to be past rush hour and they were headed out of the city, the traffic had been great.

"I'm just surprised." Looking over, Gwen told her. "Didn't think he was your type. You know that rich boy, asshole guy. You usually just let those ones alone if you're not trying to make a dime on them."

"He's not that much of an asshole." Selina defended the man a bit and felt Gwen react. "What?"

"Nothing." Her head shook.

"Just tell me." Knowing that she wasn't going to like whatever Gwen was going to say, Selina just went with it.

"It's just the first time you're not completely shitting on a man that you went on a date with." Gwen informed.

"It wasn't really a date." Not that Selina truly wanted to get on this topic, she let it come to her.

"Really?" Looking doubtful, Gwen wanted to know. "Then what was it?"

"A business meeting."

"A business meeting?" Yep, she was not happy with this turn in the conversation. "Selina you can't go back…"

"I'm not. It's been a decade since I turned any tricks." Assuring her friend that she was not going back to Division Street, Selina admitted. "He's helping me get into some big parties."

"In exchange for what?" Gwen was no longer the happy wife getting her husband back, but was becoming more of the older friend who knew better. Usually she did but Selina was going to look past that for now. "A man like that, there's always something."

With a bit of quick thinking Selina answered, "It's really a shared interest." Though Gwen didn't say anything, Selina could feel her reacting and so continued, "Turns out the seemingly obnoxious playboy hates the mob just as much as the rest of us. He caught wind of what I do and saw an opportunity for us to work better if there were two of us instead of one."

"A business meeting?" Her tone was still one of disbelief.

"That's all." Selina assured.

"I don't believe you." she said flatly.

"Why?" Eyeing her friend from her peripherals as her true focus had to be on the road, since they were now nearing the facility.

"You guys looked way too happy for it just to be a business meeting in the pictures." Gwen wasn't going to stand for this.

"I think you're being too hopeful." Selina argued.

"I think you're being too blind." She retorted. "Even from that blurry picture that was more than a business meeting."

"We're really good actors." Now she was glaring at the road ahead of her.

"Honey," Gwen gave her a withering look, "no one is that good of an actor."

"It's a…."

"All I'm saying." Interrupting her friend, Gwen explained herself. "Is that it doesn't hurt to have a little fun on the side."

"So you're encouraging me to screw Bruce Wayne, just for clarification." Selina wanted this out in the open and so she could perhaps blame someone else for future happenings.

"He's hot and obviously interested." She shrugged. "I'm saying don't let it go to waste as long as he isn't using you, why not have fun?"

"Who said I wasn't going to?" Slowing the car to a stop, Selina looked over to her friend. "Ready?"

"You have no idea." Gwen jumped out of the car and the side-door of the prison began to open and out came Bill. He walked towards them but as soon as he saw Gwen, he broke out in a run. Not wanting to hold herself back, Gwen jumped into his arms and he caught her.

From the car, Selina watched the couple and smiled at them. She could hear the squeals and shouts from both Bill and Gwen as they greeted each other and then they were muffled when the kissing began. Their happiness caused Selina's and she was content with that. They were wrapped up in each other's arms and Selina felt a tinge of loneliness. She never remembered being that carefree and wrapped up in someone else. Sure there was Slam for a bit and others before him but to be that close with someone, she didn't know what that was like at all. It was easier to keep people at a distance especially with her job. Usually it was more difficult to tell the person that you care about that you would most likely never see them again for their safety. Too many questions came out of that conversation so Selina stayed cleared away from the need of having that conversation.

But right in front of her, it was so simple to see the happiness radiating off of these two people that most assuredly saw a bright future ahead of them. They had been able to erase everything and start in a new place. It was honestly something that Selina saw only in her dreams. A second chance, no, she had used up her nine lives already and she wasn't willing to risk her last one.

Seeing that they were finally heading back to the car, Selina did a quick check and text before they both hopped into the back. Turning around a bit, she smiled. "Welcome back. You guys are lucky, there's a Four Seasons ten miles away towards your new home."

"That doesn't answer my question." With eyes looking at the road, Bruce sped back towards the city.

"Do you really expect me to answer your question?" Selina eased her seat to a proper comfort level. He didn't say anything and she sighed. "I was helping out a friend. She and her family are moving upstate and her husband just got released today."

"What were you doing at a hotel then?" When he didn't hear anything, he took the chance to glance over at her and her face told him all he really needed to know. "How long had he been in?"

"A little over a year." She watched the scenery go by, now she could fully enjoy it rather than being forced to keep her sights on the road. "Got on the wrong side of the Falcones."

"The O'Hare case?" Noticing her sharp look, he knew that he said too much and turned back to the focus elsewhere.

"Case?" Selina immediately became interested. "What do you know about it?"

There was a beat before he said anything, then finally. "Nothing ever made sense in the case. An officer down. Allegedly a man, William Altamont had seen what happened but was withholding evidence."

"And you never got to him because he was arrested before anyone could talk to him." She nodded. "Sounds about right.

"He could…"

"No." Selina stated in a firm yet quite voice.

"He might have the information we need." His brows narrowed at the thought. "We would be giving up evidence."

"They don't want this any more." She told him. "I'm not going to make them come back for one case."

"We might have to." Bruce admitted.

"If I even catch wind of you traveling up there, I will personally see to it that you will loose the ability entirely to physically have children." As an afterthought, Selina added. "Not that you want any."

"What does that mean?" His head turned slightly towards her.

"I get it." She shrugged. "The whole loner thing, you can't anyone attached." There was a strange silence that followed and Selina acknowledged it. "Wait. Do you…"

"That was a long time ago." Hoping she would take a hint, Bruce continued the silence.

"So why not now?" However, Selina had a different plan. She was intrigued by this thought of him wanting something else to attach himself to. "She dump you?"

"No." God, she just wasn't going to get it, was she?

"You dump her?" There was no basis that Selina needed to know this but in her head she reasoned that she was still investigating this man. To what extent, she wasn't sure.

"We shouldn't be talking about this." The anger was beginning. Blinding, unadulterated anger that Bruce had spent his lifetime controlling was starting to show itself.

"Did she cheat on you?" But Selina just kept pushing, unaware of the signs he was giving off. Perhaps in time she would get them, but right now they were not even there.

"This isn't up for…"

"With a friend?"

"She's dead." The scary part was that he didn't yell. Selina immediately went quiet and the sound of Bruce's breaths were the only thing in the expensive car that anyone could hear. To top it off they were stuck in traffic.

"I'm sorry." Selina stated after a few moments.

He didn't reply, just kept his eyes straight ahead of him.

"I lost good friend last year." Not wanting this to be completely one-sided, as well as wanting the trust of this man, Selina gave up a bit of her past as well. "She was…"

"Don't." Bruce interrupted.

Giving a nod, Selina thought for a moment and then went on to say. "We can't do this."

"What?" His brows furrowed in question.

"We know so much about another," Before he could refute, she kept going, "but we don't actually know another."

"Your rule." The damn traffic was practically at a standstill.

"Well it's a good thing that I'm not very good at listening to those." She shrugged. "I guess we can't keep all of our personal lives out of this, can we?"

"We weren't together." Though he didn't actually state what they were going back to, he didn't need to because she became quiet and began to listen to him. "She died before we ever got that chance."

"Did she know?" There was not a need to explain that sentence either. Though they may not know each and every single beat of another, their nighttime activities had brought them together, as well as their intellect.

"Yes." Bruce nodded, finally some of the traffic was letting up.

"And I'm guessing she wasn't a fan." Selina questioned.

"No." He told her. "It was one of the reasons that we weren't together and she started seeing other people."

"As you did." That comment received a sharp look and she shrugged. "What? I read the tabloids from time to time. I never saw you with a repeat."

"It's not like that." Bruce insisted, not really sure why he cared about her opinion so much.

"That's what they all say." She chuckled.

"It's the truth." Again, why did she have to push him so much?

"Right."

"No really."

"Fine." Selina rolled her eyes. "When was the last time you had sex?"

"What?" Well that was unexpected and Bruce tried not to squirm. It was not as if he wasn't uncomfortable with the subject but it was not something that he spoke about on a regular bases.

"Sex?" She noticed the slight discomfort and was seconding guess his public persona. "When was the last time?"

His pause was both for a moment of trying to put down the shock of the question from practically a stranger but also to think about the answer. In his frustration at the answer, he sighed and admitted. "A while ago."

"Seriously?" Selina smiled still thinking that the number was relatively low. "A couple of weeks, days…"

"A while." Was all he said because honestly the thought was both a painful memory and it was indeed unfortunately a long time ago.

"You're being serious." The smile of playfulness stopped and Selina watched him for a moment. It took her a moment to realize just how uncomfortable he was with this and knew that the playboys she was familiar with were much more open about who and what they did. Unless he was the strange gentlemen type, however with those looks, he was obviously not. Her smile returned. "Well, well, well, Bruce Wayne isn't all he's cracked up to be."

He gave a heavy sigh.

"Though this does explain your pent up aggression."

A sharp look.

"And the tension…" Daring herself, Selina reached out and touched his arm. They were at a stoplight and he took a moment to catch eyes with her. Tracing the muscles of his arm, Selina murmured to herself. "So much tension."

"Stop." He snapped back to the road and continued to drive.

"What?" She went further and dropped her hand to his thigh. Underneath her hand, Selina could feel just how much the man had perfected his body. Needless to say, she was pleased. Not that she wasn't knowledgeable of what his body was capable of but she had really only thought of it as a weapon used against her. Now that they were partners, perhaps their level of interests could expand. "Is this bothering you?"

"No." It wasn't exactly a lie. Her touches weren't bothering him per say but they were requiring him to use concentration techniques that he hadn't in a while.

"So if I do this," her hand moved further up on his leg and Selina smirked at the hitched breath he gave, "it doesn't, say, make you think certain thoughts?"

"I never said that." Again at a red light and he looked directly at her and Selina found herself feeling her heart beat just a bit faster. They held each other's gaze for a moment before he broke at the honking of the horn behind him. As her hand began to move to a much more intimate position, he finally took the initiative to catch it. "Don't start anything you can't finish."

"I don't." The lower register in her tone caught his attention and Bruce slowed down to her apartment building's driveway. Leaning over as he came to a stop, Selina felt him go ridged and her lips came next to his ear. "How about we take this partnership elsewhere."

Bruce paused. Though he got many offers to do such a thing, he usually turned them down without a second thought. He wasn't a complete celibate man but explaining scars and new bruises was very tiresome. This was a time that he wouldn't have to do that. They knew each other, it was simple. He did not have to give an excuse of why he couldn't stay or why it would be easier to just screw in the car, they could have a bed, a nice comfortable bed where he could nap before going out. Above all, Bruce found himself strangely drawn to this woman, which he reasoned that it was due to the fact that she was one of the very few people who knew who he was. That was what he had told himself at least.

"We shouldn't…" He began but she stopped him by coming closer and letting her hands wander.

"I wasn't asking." Her lips grazed the side of his neck and Bruce was finding it very hard to say no right now.

"Stop." Turning his head to stop her and the maddening thoughts that raced through his mind, Bruce also grabbed her hands. "We need to have clear heads."

"Don't you think that if you come up that you'll have a clearer head?" That smile did not leave her lips.

"No, I don't."

There was a strange silence and Selina watched him for a moment before backing off. Bruce wasn't exactly sure what was running through her head but he knew that despite his extraordinary ability to control his mind and body, images flashed in and out that would make many people blush. In all honesty, Selina's thoughts were not much different but his instance that they stop was interesting to her. She could see that he wanted her, hell she felt it. However, who was she to push him further into something that he didn't want? Or at least she could see how long they could play this fun game until he gave in.

"I'll see you tonight then." Finally she spoke and stepped out of the car, before closing the door, she bent door and informed him, "If you ever want to release some of that tension, let me know."

Before he could come up with something clever to say back, the door closed.

Marla lit the cigarette in her mouth as lay propped up in her bed. The sheets clung to her body and she had already put her robe on. In the semi-darkness, she watched the man before her dress slowly due to his hand injury that had taken place years ago leaving him the outcast of the family. He was also her son's age, perhaps a few years older but roughly his age. Oh, if her late husband could see her now, he would laugh at her.

"I take it everything is prepared for next week?" Alberto's voice was always quiet and Marla surmised that it was mostly due to the fact that everyone else in his family was loud and obnoxious. When someone spoke up at peculiar times then they captivated the family, until another fight broke out.

"It would seem that way." Blowing out her smoke, Marla watched the bones of his ribs jut out against the pale skin. He was certainly built like her late husband. Lanky, somewhat tall, and skinny, no matter how much he ate. "The wedding should be a perfect place to start."

"And get the publicity that we need." He nodded, buckling his pants, he went over to her. "It's not too late to back out, Marla. This could ruin your entire company and your son's…"

"This is better my son's life." She assured him, lifting a hand to touch his sharp cheek. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

"Has that cat-burgler bothered any more of your supplies?" Alberto questioned as the moment of tenderness left the situation. "I know my father said that your shipments would be safe but…"

"Nothing is guaranteed." Finishing for him, Marla took another drag. "It was just a few cases of medical supplies going to some clinics, nothing important."

"It could be important later." They had an understanding between them. This was nothing more than a business arrangement. "She's becoming a nuisance."

"We'll get rid of her then." Marla shrugged. The Catwoman was less important that the Batman to her. "She's just another masked nut."

"Father thinks that she's working with him." Not bothering to leave any time soon, Alberto stretched his body across the bed.

"I doubt that." Her voice was raspy from the smoke and just her natural tone. "This Catwoman is using him for her own gain."

"You think the Batman would let someone use him like that?" Alberto asked doubtfully.

"He let's the city use him how it suits him." Taking the last inhale, Marla stamped out the cigarette. "She's part of that city and a woman…"

"I doubt that he would ever let a woman get the best of him." He sighed. "Something tells me that he's not really a great partner in anyway."

"Everyone gets lonely." When that word came up, Marla used to feel sadness come over her. Now, lonely was just something to use against others and for her, it meant nothing. "It's only a matter of time before either screws up."

"I think you're being too positive about this." He smirked.

"The Bat and Cat shouldn't worry us." Clearly the two masked people did not bother the woman as much as the others. "We need to be focusing on our agents."

"The last two need to slip into place." Alberto nodded. "After this wedding, we'll have a better sense of how far we'll be able to take things."

"Good." Marla jerked her head. "Now go before anyone sees you."

Well, I needed a break from studying and wanted to finally get this chapter up! It had been far too long! So I hope that everyone enjoyed the flirting between Bruce and Selina here.

-EV