It took me a few minutes to process the info that was currently making my mind explode. It was just to weird, I was looking at Bruce Wayne dressed in the Bat-suit. Alfred cleared his throat to break me out of my stupor.
"Miss. Heartly, do you require a chair?" I shook my head from side to side rapidly, trying to find my voice.
"No thank you Alfred. I just need a minute to take this in." Alfred nodded understanding and turned to Bruce, I mean Batman, I mean Bruce / Batman. Uhhh, I'm confused. He put down the tray he was carrying addressed Bruce with very regretful tone.
"Master Bruce I apologize profusely for this, but if you would tell me when you had company such indiscretions wouldn't happen." Bruce looked thoughtful until it looked like a light bulb went of.
"Actually Alfred you may have just cleared up an issue for me." Bruce turned to my shocked face and continued.
"You and Emma couldn't be safer anywhere else than Wayne Manor." My mind couldn't seem to process everything so I just turned back to Alfred.
"Actually Alfred I thing I need that chair after all." Alfred nodded politely and brought over a chair quicker than anything. Gratefully I sank into the seat and put my head in my hands, I heard the padding of footsteps coming up. Looking over I saw Robin looking at Bruce and Alfred and then me with a face of shock that rivaled mine.
"I thought..." The boy began to speak, but Bruce cut him off.
"Change in plans Tim." Shrugging his shoulders the boy took of his domino mask and ruffled his slicked back hair. Which instantly transformed him from the Boy Wonder to Tim Drake who smiled at me really big.
"Hi Miss. Ashylin how are you? I mean besides well everything." I took him in for a minute and tried to smile back.
"Good to see you again Tim." Bruce cleared his throat to gain my attention.
"Ashylin please, this situation has become even more dangerous than even I could have anticipated. These people I'm after knew where your daughter went to school, it's safe to assume that they know where you live. The only place you'll be truly safe is at the Manor." Thinking about it for a moment, I tried to think of a way out of it. After all I'm a stubborn woman and don't like to sacrifice my independence, then again I've got a little girl who's dependent on me to keep her safe. However my practically practical mind found a wrench in Bruce's perfect fix.
"Won't people talk about that? You know it will seem really strange, Bruce Wayne taking in a single mother and her six year old child." Bruce put a hand to his chin for a moment and then without another word went to his super computer and began to type. I had no idea what the man was doing because he was working so fast. It was probably twenty minutes before he turned back to me with a satisfied look.
"Done, now as far as the world is concerned you and Emma are now my distant cousins." I shook my head in disbelief, but taking a breath I finally agreed.
"Alright Wayne I guess your not going to give me a real choice so we're in." Bruce looked pleased with my answer and Tim even more so.
"Great, it gets boring and quiet around the mansion. It'll be cool having another kid in the mansion." I looked at Alfred with a pitying look I asked in a half teasing, half serious voice.
"Do you think you could keep up with another kid around Alfred?" Alfred gave me a kind smile, his eyes looked like they were laughing at me.
"Please Miss Heartly, I do have a few good years left in me." Standing up and crossing his arms Bruce started to plan in a thoughtful voice.
"I'll arrange for your things to be pack up essentials like clothes will come to the Mansion. Things like furniture and the like will go to one of my storage facilities." I nodded my head and we spent the next half hour discussing the particulars of this new move. We had a bit of a battle over what I was going to pay him in rent. I'll be darned before I let this man take us in for nothing, I mean I know he can afford it but I still have my pride. Soon I went to follow Tim to the small cot where Emma was sleeping, now I had to break this news to her. God only knows how she's going to take it.
Back at Emma's school. Jen's POV
I could not believe when I heard about the school. Well maybe I could have, but I absolutely refused to believe it. The only reason I even heard about Emma's school was because I was checking the maintenance log for the Javelins and saw that one had been deployed under Vigilante's I.d card. So I went and did some digging, and about had a heart attack when I heard. When discovering that Ashylin had already gone, I assumed that she went with Vigilante. As the role of best friend and godmother it was incumbent on me to get there as soon as possible.
It didn't take that long to get there, well expect for one little speed bump. The guy that was suppose to be manning the transporter was actually snacking on a ham on rye, and couldn't be bothered to help me. Luckily after a little friendly persuasion, which involved a vivid description on where I would put his precious sandwich he was very forth coming. So before you could say 'Chocolate River' I was on the sidewalk across from Emma's school, and the sight really shocked me. People were everywhere and it was absolute chaos that not even my mind could comprehend.
After wandering for a little bit I finally saw a familiar site, a white cowboy hat sticking up in the crowd. I must have looked like a charging bull as I rushed over to him shoving a few poor people out of my way. Vigilante's eye's widened when he saw me running towards him.
"Miss. Jen, what in the Sam Heck are you doing here?" Rolling my eyes at him I replied in my smarmiest voice.
"I shopping for the best deal on skim milk. What in the world do you think I'm doing here." The look the man was giving me probably meant he was questioning my sanity. That was fine, I'd been given that look many times in the past.
"Are Emma and Ashylin alright?" Vigilante nodded his head and answered me in a reassuring voice.
"Don't worry they're both fine. They've been taken somewhere that's safe." I nodded my head taking a sigh of relief, that was all I needed to hear for now. Looking around everything that was happening, well I had to voice the question.
"Is there any thing I can do to help here?" Before I'd even finished Vig was already shaking his head no.
"It's fine Jen we're just wrappin up here. Actually you should probably head on home." This time it was my to shake my head no.
"I left in the middle of my shift to come here. I need to get back as soon as possible." Vig looked around a moment like he was afraid someone would be listening. Taking me by my elbow he lead me to a quieter place and spoke in a quieter tone.
"Listen Miss. Jen somethin's happenin that I can't tell you all about. Ashylin and Emma's been takin to a safe house, and you are as close as anything. I believe that you should go home and lay low for a few days, I'll take care of the particulars." Eyes wide I tried to take in all that. Was Ashylin in some sort of trouble? Gathering my wits I looked up at him and nodded my head.
"Alright I guess that'll be alright. So I better start walking." I went to walk away but Vig stopped me with his hand.
"Whoa what do you mean walkin'?" Answering without a beat missed I answered.
"Well my poor baby truck past away a little while ago. I'm obviously still in morning so I don't have another one yet." Vig looked me up and down for a moment before responding.
"'Fraid we can't have that." Breaking my gaze Vig looked around into the crowd and cried out loudly.
"Hey there Justin, get over here a moment." Looking where his gaze was and saw the glimmering chain mail of the Shining Knight waltzing up. Sir Justin got to us and gave me a quiet smile that would have made any princess swoon, but I'm certainly not a princess so I managed to keep my feet (barely). Vig began to give instruction.
"Justin, Jen here needs a little looking after. You wouldn't mind escorting her home would you?" I was about to protest the idea I needed 'looking after', but Justin beat me to it.
"Certainly not, provided that the lady does not object." He looked at me expectantly waiting for me to answer. I was pleasantly surprised with him, men normally don't just wait for a woman to agree to something like that. Realizing that he was still waiting for my answer I smiled up at him.
"I'd be honored." He held out his hand to me which I took without hesitation.
Hey there guys. So there you are, don't worry I'll get the ball rolling on Vig's romance soon. What do think of a Jen/Shining Knight pairing. Review and give me your thoughts.