The Attack

And thus, we reach the climax. Enjoy!

The next morning, Ariel awoke to find Ace sitting by her side, gazing at her with his large brown eyes.

"Are you still mad at me?" she whispered, her voice still constricted from the previous night's dream. Ace merely licked her cheek before nuzzling her shoulder. Smiling in relief, she placed an arm around the dog's neck, hugging him tightly. "Thanks, Ace."

She faintly recalled Ace returning to her side sometime in the night, but couldn't remember much else, as she had been half-asleep at the time.

"Okay, get off," she ordered the dog, sitting up as he jumped off the bed. Grabbing a brush from her desk, she went into her bathroom and began brushing her hair.

Unfortunately, her tossing and turning the previous night had caused her hair to tangle rather badly, so she struggled with it for a good fifteen minutes before giving up, brushing her teeth and returning to the bedroom. Ace tugged at her sleeve slightly and she shook her head.

"I'm not coming out, boy. You go ahead." She opened the door and Ace reluctantly left after giving her a sad look. Sighing, she pulled out her portable keyboard and began working on the music for her song while keeping the sheet of lyrics in front of her.

Bruce approached her room twice that day, trying to get her to come downstairs and eat something, to which she didn't respond and merely stayed silent until she heard him leave. She had no wish to face him, especially after what she had said.

Finally, her growling stomach and desire to practice her music on the grand piano downstairs took over and she went downstairs, noting the time: seven in the evening.

Grabbing an apple from the kitchen and rinsing it, she peeled the apple, remembering that she hated the skin. Unfortunately, she cut her finger on the peeler.

"Slaggit," she swore, examining the small cut and grateful that Bruce didn't hear her. Deciding that the injury wasn't anything to worry about, she merely put a Band-Aid on it before returning to her apple.

Ariel bit into the fruit and then gave Ace a greeting smile as the dog came into the kitchen.

"He's not here, is he?" she asked softly after swallowing and Ace made a negative sound, glancing over at the grandfather clock in the study. "Oh. He's working?" Ace bobbed his head up and down. Finishing her apple, she tossed the core into the garbage bin and made her way into the study. Uncovering the old piano, she sat down at it as Ace went downstairs into the cave, probably to keep Bruce company.

Running a hand over the ivory keys, she pressed a few notes tentatively. It had been so long since she had played the piano. She ran a finger up the length of the keys before humming her mother's lullaby.

"Under the bright...blue...endless sky..." she sang softly as she played, ignoring the accidental notes that appeared every time her fingers slipped.

"Wait

I remember that

How I know that song

I remember

Sitting in the moonlight and that feeling

What's that feeling

I remember..." she began to sing the melody she had written for the talent show.

"Yes

How I know that song

Though it's been so long

I remember

Happiness without a floor or ceiling

What's that feeling

I remember..." she trailed off, then picked up again.

"Oh, I remember her

And how we were

I remember

Watching what the evening would be bringing

I remember singing

Under the bright blue endless sky

Waves try to measure

Days that we treasure

And I, I remember

I remember music

And I'm never going back

To the silent law they wrote

I will sing in every tempo

Every last chromatic note

Now I, I remember her

I remember music

And I remember

Love..." she finished, letting the last note on the piano linger before letting go of both the note and the pedal she had been pressing with her foot.

Suddenly, she heard a pair of hands clapping and whipped around to find Joker smirking at her.

"How the hell did you get in here?!" she snapped.

"The door was open," he quipped.

"Get out," she snarled.

"Aww, and this is the greeting I get after coming all this way to see an old friend," he mock-sighed, then dodged a punch. "Sloppy, Ariel, very sloppy. Brucie hasn't been teaching you well."

"Don't call him that!" She kicked out, but missed and the Joker twisted her arm back as she screamed. He threw her back and her head hit the opposite wall.

The world went dark.

"Ariel! Oh no, Ariel, wake up!" she heard as a hand shook her shoulder desperately.

"Terry," she moaned weakly, forcing her eyes open as he sighed in relief.

"Where's Wayne?" he asked, suddenly worried once more.

"I don't know, in the cave would be my...guess..." she broke off, eyes wide. "Joker. He was here. Oh God, he went after Bruce!" She struggled to control her sudden hyperventilation and Terry gave her a brief hug before racing down the stairs of the cave.

Shakily standing, she went across the room and knelt down beside Ace, who was lying on the floor among the broken glass and strewn articles around the study.

"Ace..." She rubbed his head gently as he whimpered softly. "He really did a number on you, didn't he, boy?" Carefully, she dropped a kiss on the dog's head before hearing a faint manic laughter in the cave. "Bruce," she whispered. Forgetting the fact that her knees were about to give out and her head was pounding already, she ran into the cave, leaping down the stairs.

Ignoring the reflexive dropping of her stomach, she skipped the last few steps, racing over to Bruce's side as Terry grabbed a chemical-filled vial and an injection gun.

"Ariel, you should have stayed upstairs," Terry reprimanded, returning as she dropped onto her knees beside him.

"Not a chance," she shot back before turning to Bruce, tears filling her eyes. "It's okay, Bruce." She took his hand and he squeezed it weakly, giving her a faint smile. "I love you."

"...Ariel..." he managed, but then Terry gave him the injection and he gave in to unconsciousness.

"Oh God," she whispered, burying her face into Terry's shoulder as he dropped the injection gun, hugging his friend back.

"It's okay, Air. It'll be okay." Not knowing what else to do, Ariel merely allowed him to comfort her. She had never been so scared in her life.

With a cloth, Ariel wiped the sweat from Bruce's forehead as he slept.

"The anti-toxin's done all it can," Barbara said from behind her, "Now it's up to him."

"That won't be a problem," Terry commented, smirking slightly, "He's too stubborn to die." His attempt at humor earned a small laugh from the teenage girl before she turned back to Bruce, smiling as the old man's hand closed around hers unconsciously.

"Thanks for coming, Barb," she spoke finally, her voice quiet, "We didn't know who else to call."

"Who else is there?" the commissioner returned with a smile.

"That reminds me, I'd better check on our other patient," Terry stated, leaving the room to check on Ace. Barbara made to follow, but then stopped upon seeing Ariel's upset look.

"You okay?" The younger girl looked up before sighing.

"I guess I'm finally realizing how close I am to losing him." A tear escaped from her eye.

"Air, he'll be okay." She allowed Barbara to hug her gently. "It's okay." There was a long silence between the two. "Maybe you should get some sleep," Barbara suggested finally.

"I'm not tired," Ariel replied stubbornly, "I want to stay with him."

"Just promise you'll get some rest soon, though, okay?" After receiving a nod from the girl, Barbara left.

Ariel turned back to Bruce, squeezing his hand gently and feeling him return the gesture.

"I love you," she whispered.

"...Ariel...?" he asked weakly, eyes opening slightly.

"Shh, go back to sleep," she murmured softly, stroking his hair.

"...don't leave..."

"I won't. I'll be right here, I promise." He relaxed at that, closing his eyes once more as his breathing evened out.

It was nearly dusk when Bruce awoke once more and Ariel looked up from her spot at the window.

"Hi." He sat up, leaning against the pillows.

"Hi." She remained at the window, staring determinedly at the setting sun. "You okay?"

"Fine."

"You're angry with me, aren't you?"

"No." Her voice broke slightly and he raised an eyebrow, but was surprised to see that she had been crying as she turned around.

"Ariel, come here." Hesitantly, she came over, sitting down beside him as he moved over. "Air, it's okay." It was the first time he had ever used her nickname.

Slowly, she laid her head on his shoulder as his arms went around her.

"It's okay." Something about the soothing tone to his normally harsh voice made her break down. The tears fell uncontrollably as she sobbed silently into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she whispered as he rubbed her back gently.

"I know. Me too." Surprisingly, the short words comforted her more than any other gesture would have.

"I love you." As expected, he didn't respond, but merely tightened his grip on her.

"I heard your song last night," he said finally to break the silence.

"You did?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes." He squeezed her shoulder and she knew that meant that he liked it.

"At least you have an unbiased opinion," she teased and he ruffled her hair.

"Is Terry still here?"

"Yeah. He went to interrogate Tim a couple hours ago, but he should be back by now." Bruce raised an eyebrow. "I'm not about to question Terry's thought process." She stood. "I should probably check up on Ace. Poor mutt's been really depressed." She gave him one last hug before making her way to the door.

"Ariel?"

"Yeah?" In the second that she turned back, their eyes connected and then Bruce shook his head.

"Never mind." Smiling slightly, Ariel left the room. She had a feeling she knew what he was going to say.

Yay, main climax over! Gosh, I've wanted to write this scene for so long! Oh, and the song in this chapter is also from Little Mermaid 3. It's called I Remember. And next is the final face-off against Joker. R&R!