A/N: Hello all! Thanks once again for the reviews...Midnite than you for being such a loyal fan! Well here's the next installment and I hope you continue to enjoy.

December 30th

Wayne Manor

New Gotham

Helena knocked on the slightly ajar door and peered into her father's plush office. He was sitting behind his massive cherry wood desk, a blazing fire keeping the winter chill at bay. His eyes glanced over in her direction and he nodded when she entered hesitantly at first. They hadn't hardly spoken since their hours long talk in the training room three nights ago.

But she wasn't about to ruin her reputation, so the confidence kicked in and her back straightened as she swaggered into the room and slid into one of the expensive chairs and settled her feet on his desk. "You beckoned?" she asked casually, trying not to smirk too much as he glared at the booted feet on his expensive furniture.

Bruce curbed his strong desire to make a digging remark about her irritating habits, realizing that was exactly what she wanted. She didn't realize that he had practiced playing this game for years with her mother. So after a moment of studying her challenging features, he leaned back in his own chair and mirrored her actions. He almost allowed himself a smile when he saw the slight flash of disappointment in her eyes. It was quickly followed with an almost predatory look.

Let the games begin, he thought to himself wryly.

"We haven't talked in a few days and I was just wondering how you were doing?" he began with a shrug.

Her eyebrow crept into her hairline. "What, Alfred or one of the others couldn't tell you?"

Long years of practice kept his face blank and his eyes unreadable. "Actually, most of them say very little to me right now."

She gave him a mock pout. "Poor Bruce," she sighed dramatically "Not used to not getting the red carpet treatment while you're at home are you?"

"And I thought we were beyond this Helena," he said flatly.

"Let's just get something straight here," she told him as her feet dropped to the floor and she leaned towards him, her eyes glinting gold in the firelight. "You seriously hurt those people, and from what I understand you have YET to say sorry to them. Sure we had our little chat the other night, but all that means jack to me until you apologize to them for what you did."

"Fine, I'll take care of that before I leave, but first we have some business to discuss," he said bluntly as he too placed his feet on the floor and sat back up.

"Whoa, wait a minute here," she said pushing her chair back as she stood. "Don't tell me you're gonna do the disappearing act again!?" she shouted.

"Helena sit down," he told her calmly.

"No!" she told him defiantly, her voice raising as her eyes grew more feral with her emotions. "Are you going to ditch us again?"

"Helena sit down and I will be happy to discuss with you what's going on," he ordered in a steel tone that had normal people quaking instantly. She didn't wither in fear, but at least she calmed down enough to obey even if it did include glowering -and to his slight surprise, some growling -in his direction.

"I've been gone too long Helena," he explained. "There's nothing left for me to do here, and everyone has made it quite clear that they can get along just fine without me. Old Gotham was mine to protect, New Gotham is your legacy now. I'm not going to disappear like I did last time, but I can't stay here. I think you can understand why."

She stared at him, unsure of what to say as he stood to pace in front of the fire. "You have yet to touch any of your inheritance, and that's your choice. But Wayne Industries cannot continue to function for much longer without someone to take control. I want you to take the reins Helena."

"Wh-what?" she breathed shocked.

"I know you aren't ready by any means to handle what I'm asking of you. And I wouldn't expect you to jump into things with out guidance first. Dick is more than capable of showing you the ropes, and I can trust him to help you manage the corporation until your ready to do it on your own. I have also spoken with a former business acquaintance of mine- someone I respect and I believe I can trust- and he and his wife said they would be willing to help out as well.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Helena, everything in this house and what lies beneath it, is my life. I haven't been there to give you anything, and now this is all I can offer you. I'm handing you the key to everything that I was…everything that I am… to do as you see fit with it."

Silence encompassed the room, save the soft crackling of the fire, and Helena stared blankly at the floor in complete and utter shock. Bruce allowed her time to comprehend what he was offering, seeing the wheels finally turning in her head. Finally she shook it, and lifted her gaze. "I have to think about this," was all she said as she stood and began to exit the room. "In the meantime you need to make a few apologies, or there will be no deal" she told him firmly before she slipped out.

Bruce sighed, and brooded for the next hour until Alfred quietly approached him with some coffee. Bruce gratefully accepted the caffeine. "Alfred," he said quietly, halting the aging butler before he could retreat from the room.

"Yes Master Bruce?" he asked politely.

"Sit down for a minute…please," he added.

Alfred sat, and waited, his normally warm features guarded. "Alfred….I'm sorry," he forced himself to say. He winced at how uncaring it sounded and he sighed in frustration at himself. "Damnit, I'm not any good at this," he muttered.

There was a moment's pause and then he heard the older man shift slightly. "Then perhaps it is a good thing you're practicing on me first instead of Miss Barbara or Master Dick."

Bruce lifted his eyes to see his life long friend give him a patient smile- the first smile he had been bestowed with since his arrival. He sighed in relief, and the rest just came out naturally. "You've always been there for me old friend, but this time…."

"I understood more than they did sir. You were re-living what had happened with your parents…an event you had strived so hard to keep from re-occurring. But did you really think so little of us- of me- that you couldn't even tell me of your whereabouts? Surely you knew I would have kept it a secret if you wished it. You have been like a son to me Master Bruce, and it pained me to not know how you fared."

Bruce sighed heavily as he hung his head and closed his tired eyes. Alfred was right…he shared a closer bond with the older man than he even had with Dick. He had had no right to shut out so completely the man that had been there for him through every thing.

"I'm sorry Alfred…I never meant to hurt you…to hurt anyone."

"I know" Alfred sighed. But after a moment of silence he straightened and his tone lightened into his normal pleasant tenor. "Now go straighten things out with Master Dick and Miss Barbara so that we can put all this unpleasantness behind us."

"You sound like you've been talking with my daughter."

"Miss Helena is a very vocal person- whether one wants to hear or not."

Bruce chuckled as the butler stood and took his leave so his employer could begin his search for his two former protégé's.

Castle Wyvern

Manhattan

Early evening

Goliath looked around the table and tried not to sigh. He could tell this was as hard on Diane and Peter as it was himself. Even Xanatos was looking decidedly uncomfortable with this meeting- something no one would expect to see from a man who owned a multi-billion dollar corporation.

"We don't want to impose on you Mr. Xanatos," Diane was saying, shifting restlessly in her seat.

"Mr. And Mrs. Maza this is the least I could do for your family and the Clan. Besides, even with the positive publicity, I doubt having a large number of gargoyle delegates from all over the world checking into the Biltmore would go over so well. This castle would be the perfect location to host the various Clan representatives, and as Goliath mentioned, they would probably feel more at home here with Clan Wyvern around."

"How many delegates did you say have requested to attend?" The Police Commissioner asked, still amazed by the number.

"At present, there have been close to one hundred and fifty. The entire Avalon Clan has requested to attend, and a large delegation from Ishimura Japan. But there have been several other clans from around the world that Elisa came into contact with over the years that have also requested to send at least one or two representatives," Goliath answered.

"And the list keeps on growing each night as word spreads through the media about the funeral," Xanatos added. "This funeral is providing the gargoyles with an opportunity to all be together in one place at one time. Now that the media has begun to report on this gathering of sorts, other clans that have been in hiding have contacted us as well."

"Two days after the funeral, we are going to plan on holding a meeting with the representatives of all clans who wish to attend," Goliath informed them. "It will help us to find out just how many there are of our kind out there, and to let them know of the coming changes. If we have open lines of communication now, it will make things run more smoothly in the near future."

"Smart move," the Commissioner agreed. He looked down at his notes and then closed his pad and stood.

"Well then, if there are no more questions, I think will take my leave and see to it that all the preparations for the funeral are finalized according to your wishes."

Everyone stood, and the Maza's smiled sadly at the Commissioner. "Thank you for being so accommodating Commissioner. I know some of our requests deviate a little from the normal formalities, but we appreciate your help with these matters."

"Again…it's the least we could do for you and for the Clan. I will be by the night before the funeral to go over the formal aspects of the ceremony with your family and the Clan so you know and understand everything that will happen next week."

"Thank you."

"Mr. Xanatos, thank you for your hospitality this evening. Please feel free to contact me if you have any further question or concerns."

Everyone nodded, and the Commissioner left the room with Owen as his escort.

Goliath desperately wanted to escape the room for some fresh air, but he didn't want to abandon the Maza's with Xanatos, since he knew they were still trying to come to terms with his involvement with everything. Peter cleared his throat as he looked at the billionaire.

"We would like to thank you for overseeing the travel arrangements for the various gargoyle delegates. Elisa would have been honored to know she'd had such an impact on their future."

Xanatos blinked, surprised to be receiving the expression of gratitude from Elisa's father. "She gave her life to protect not just this Clan but all gargoyles. It is unfortunate that it took something as tragic as her death and the Dock Wars to create this opportunity. But I owe both Elisa and this Clan more than I can every repay, and this is the least I can do to help."

Peter nodded and then moved towards the door, his wife and Goliath following him.

"Mr. Maza?"

Peter turned back towards the billionaire, intrigued by the tone and the posture of the powerful man. "Yes?"

David Xanatos looked at him and then lowered his head and sighed. He looked for all the world, defeated. "I'm sorry," the bearded man said quietly.

Goliath felt a sense of pride run through him, and the Maza's were stunned by the genuine humility and regret in the former criminal's voice.

"I know that I can never make up for what I have done to your family. But I'm sorry for all of the pain and suffering my greed had brought upon you and yours."

"You know, I could never understand how it was that Elisa could actually step foot into your home after what you did to Derek and the others- even if Goliath and the Clan had moved back in," Peter admitted. "When I finally couldn't stand it any longer, she said that while she was always on her toes around you, she knew you were living with the consequences of your actions every day. I never fully understood that until just now."

Xanatos nodded. "Every time I looked at her and the Clan, I am reminded of what I did to them…to the Mutates…to the clones. And yet Elisa was willing to give me another chance to prove myself. She never cut me any slack, but I didn't expect it," he told them with a wry grin.

Peter chuckled. "Elisa was always perceptive like that. Even as a child- she knew who to be gentle with and who needed to be kicked in the pants." He paused for a minute and then glanced over at his wife, who was smiling gently.

"Goliath told us about what she said when she died. You came through when it counted Mr. Xanatos, and you helped to saved thousands...perhaps millions of innocent humans and gargoyles. Most importantly, you helped her protect the people she loved most- including those that you have wronged in the past. You may never be able to fix what you did, but in Elisa's book, you have certainly atoned for them- and that's good enough for my wife and I."

The Maza patriarch walked back towards the billionaire and held out his hand. Xanatos looked at it, surprise actually on his face as he clasped it in a firm handshake. "Thank you."

"Thank you, for being there with Elisa when she died. No one wants to die alone, and it comforts us to know that she was in the company of friends when she did finally leave this realm."

Xanatos nodded, feeling an uncomfortable and unfamiliar tightness in his throat. Peter Maza finally turned back towards his wife and left with a final farewell. Goliath looked back at him before leaving and actually graced him with a smile.

And a sudden weight finally lifted from the billionaire that he never thought he'd get rid of.

Wayne Manor

New Gotham

When he didn't find Barbara resting in bed, he knew there was only one other place that she would be. Knocking softly on the door to the room Dinah had been given once Leslie felt it was safe to move her, he entered the dark room quietly and found the redhead dozing in her chair next to the sleeping teen. He moved over into a corner of the room, and simply watched the two sleep, his sharp mind taking in so many tiny observations from such a simple act.

Barbara had grown into a beautiful woman- on the inside and out. He had always known she had a good heart, but she had proven to have the heart of a lion. Deep down he had always envied her, even when she was a brash young teen trying to prove herself to him, because she dared to risk it all. She dared to open herself up to others…to feel and to love.

That risk had obviously taken its toll on her over the years. He could see, even in the dim moonlight as she slumbered, the small weight that seemed to keep her shoulders lowered just a fraction more than they used to be. And, he could also tell from the way she had been avoiding him this past week. She had been hurt one too many times recently.

Scared one too many times as well, judging from the way she'd been hovering so protectively over Dinah since the teen had been brought out of her coma. A soft smile turned up his lips ever so slightly as he watched Barbara unconsciously soothe the girl as she began to grow restless in her sleep. He had never pinned Barbara as the mother type. A good teacher most definitely- with her eidetic memory she paid close attention to even the smallest of details. But she had served as more than just a guardian or mentor to his daughter and now Dinah- she had nurtured and loved both girls as if they had been her own.

She had done a far more admirable job of caring for them, than he had for Dick. Helena had been better off with Barbara, of that he was certain. And perhaps that was one reason why he had not regretted leaving. His daughter had grown into so much more than he could have ever expected or hoped for. There was so much potential in that sharp mind and strong body, that even she could not see yet. But Barbara had seen it- and she still saw it.

He owed so much to her. And yet, of those closest to him affected by his disappearance, she had been hurt worst of all. Helena and Dick were pissed, but Barbara…. His eyes drifted over the chair, and he closed his eyes against the image. She had been struck down in the prime of her life- a life he had helped to shape- and he hadn't been there to help her pick up the pieces.

"I know you're hovering in the dark over there Bruce," Barbara said quietly without opening her eyes, her voice slightly rough from sleep.

He arched an eyebrow and she smirked. "Hel lurks in the dark all the time. I've become attuned to the feeling of being watched, even when I can't see anything."

"How's Dinah?" he asked quietly, not bothering to move from the darkness just yet.

Sleepy eyes finally opened and squinted over at him as Barbara shrugged, and then winced as she moved her broken arm. "Improving. She's still suffering from some pretty wicked migraines, and exhaustion, but Leslie's managed to keep the pain to more tolerable levels. Alfred coaxed her into eating a light sandwich today and she felt better after the solid food."

Bruce nodded. "Were you aware of her potential?" He tried to phrase the question as neutrally as possible, because he knew Barbara was well aware of his past distrust of meta-humans. It was ironic, really, that his own daughter was a meta herself.

There was a soft sigh after a minute - one filled with sadness and regret. "Only just recently. I don't know how much Hel's told you, but Dinah's only been with us for a couple of years, and her powers were just beginning to really strengthen and expand before….before Quinn attacked last year."

There was a great deal of pain behind those words, and he could sense how much it had taken Barbara to force them out. To admit an oversight.

"After the attack. We lost focus, and Dinah began to hone most of her growing powers on her own. It wasn't until she started training with Dick a few weeks ago, that any of us realized just how strong she had been getting…how powerful her gift had become."

"I watched her fight by Helena's side at the dock's the other night. You've done a good job Barbara- with both girls."

She was quiet for a moment, and he watched her stroke Dinah's hair back. "I should have done better," the redhead whispered, castigating herself. "I let things go this past year, and we were just lucky someone wasn't killed. If Dick hadn't been here these past couple of weeks to step up her training-," she broke off the statement unable to finish as a shudder ran through her body.

"He may have taken her to the next level, but the skill and discipline were already there." He stepped forward, coming out of the shadows now, as his blue eyes pierced through the darkness to fix on emerald. "You put those there Barbara. Hel told me about Dinah's past. You took a frightened teenager, who had spent her childhood in an abusive environment, and gave her the confidence to face her destiny head-on."

The redhead looked down at the blonde, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I don't know what I would do if I lost either of them Bruce," she admitted in a bare whisper. "I almost lost them both last week…I almost lost Helena a year ago, and I can't get that fear out of my head."

He rested a hand on her uninjured shoulder, and waited for her to look up at him. "We all have that fear Barbara. Why do you think I was so hard on you and Dick? Why do you think I left?" he asked, his voice even more gravelly than normal.

"Why Bruce?" she asked, the hurt in those green eyes piercing through him. She knew- she was too intelligent to not know. But she needed to hear it from him.

"Because," he said, crouching beside her chair. "I couldn't live with the fact that I had failed you…that I had lost you. Selina had been killed, you had been shot, and it wasn't something I could fix. The nightmare…my nightmare was being repeated all over again. I built my life around preventing this from ever happening again. I spent decades of my life under that mantle, but when it really mattered…when it really counted- I was powerless to stop it."

Barbara's eyes bore into his. There was something more…she could sense it. "I never blamed you Bruce. Not even when I first woke up and found out that I would never walk again. We take risks in this business, and we all accept those risks knowing every night out there might be our last. Or that it might be the last for someone we are fighting beside," she added with quiet regret. She suspected Bruce had never gotten over Jason's death. The suddenly troubled look in her former mentor's eyes confirmed it.

"When I finally found the Joker, I lost control, Barbara," he admitted, so quietly she almost hadn't heard it. But the sharp intake of air confirmed that she had, and he pressed on. "All I could see was the people in my life that he had hurt or killed. All I could think of, was how much he had enjoyed hurting them….of how much he enjoyed hurting me, and for the first time, I almost crossed the line. I beat him so badly, the paramedics almost couldn't revive him. For one split second I wished they couldn't and I had a pure rush of pleasure seeing him like that."

And there it was. Barbara felt like someone had punched her in the gut, because she was unable to draw in a breath for a long time. She had expected his reason for leaving to be remorse over what had happened to her and Selina. Guilt, or some such emotion for not being there to stop the Joker and his men. But not this. She motioned for him to follow her outside the room, knowing she wouldn't be able to keep her emotions in check for much longer.

Bruce followed her back down the hall to her room, which was still thankfully empty, and sat in a chair across from where she parked herself. He hadn't been prepared for the right hook that caught him neatly across the jaw and sent him sprawling to the floor, rather ungracefully. Looking up slightly dazed, he was not surprised to see a fire burning in her eyes that nearly matched her hair.

"All these years I thought it was because you felt bad for what happened to us. That I could have accepted. But this!? You left because you almost crossed the line and killed the man that both started and nearly finished your life as Batman? Christ, Helena was right about you! You're so full of yourself, and so above everyone else that you really do think you're invulnerable. Well welcome to the real world Bruce- we're all human and we all have our moments when we actually enjoy hurting the people that have hurt us for so long."

Bruce rose to his feet, anger flashing in his eyes. "Did you not hear what I just said back there? I will never forgive myself for what he did to you…for what he's done to my family. It wasn't just about one thing Barbara. I lost control of everything- including myself. Damn it Babs you of all people should know what that cost me! I rode a fine line between being Batman and sinking into something far darker. That night, as they took the Joker away, I came this close to becoming just….like…him…" he told her coldly.

"You could never become like that Bruce," she whispered back at him, her throat suddenly dry as she saw something in his eyes that she had never seen before.

He shook his head slowly, reigning in the dark beast that had suddenly swelled up before her, giving her a glimpse into just how close he truly had become to losing it that night. "I can, and I almost did Barbara. He had already broken me. Had I come home that night to face what he had done to you and Selina, I would have descended into the same dark madness that drives him to kill. Can you honestly say that if that had happened, you would have sat by and let someone else deal with me?"

Barbara looked away, tears in her eyes. It had been an unspoken pact between Bruce, Dick, and herself. "You know I wouldn't…and neither would Dick."

He was crouching in front of her again, earnest blue eyes searching her out. "That's what kept me from returning Barbara. The Joker may have taken your legs, but I wasn't about to take your soul."

"Damn it Bruce we needed you," she told him vehemently as she slammed her hand on the side of her wheelchair hard enough to make him wince. "We needed you then more than ever."

She knew there was nothing that could be done about the past anymore. And as much as she hated to admit it, it had probably been the wisest thing for him to leave. If he had truly gone off the deep end, she doubted she could have handled the emotional fallout from being newly paralyzed and having to hunt down and stop her former friend and mentor.

Still, it felt good to finally say those words. To finally be able to freely admit just how alone and scared she had felt those first few months.

He bowed his graying head, and sighed heavily. "And for that I will never forgive myself Barbara. I don't expect you to forgive me for what I did, but I wanted you to know that I'm sorry. And that…I'm proud of you. I always knew you were far braver than me Babs. That's why I can live with the fact that Helena had you to raise her after Selina was killed." His eyes lifted to convey the truth behind such a rare admission.

"Then you don't regret that I introduced Helena to the world that has taken so much from us?" It was a question that had been haunting her for years.

He smiled at her slightly. "Given her heritage, it was inevitable. Those girls trust you with their lives Barbara…so do I," he told her firmly as he stood. "This new generation of crime-fighters is going to give the crime world a run for its money," he added with an amused look. "You've made one hell of a mentor Babs."

Her lips quirked upwards slightly. "I had a good teacher."

"Get some rest," Bruce said as he squeezed the hand that had rested on top of his for a second. He moved to leave, but she spoke his name quietly just as he reached the door. He glanced back.

"Breakfast tomorrow?"

He nodded. "I'd like that. There's more we need to talk about." And then he left her to ponder that statement as he set out to locate Dick.