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My Black Little Soul
A hush of silence washed over the banqueting hall as the young, blonde woman dressed in royal blue satin, stepped up onto the stage. She smiled nervously and tapped her microphone, before clearing her throat.
"Uh, good evening ladies," Amelia said, her voice quavering slightly, her face burning from the heat of over a hundred eyes on her, "Good evening. I hope you are having a wonderful time so far,"
An appreciative murmur went around the room and Amelia swallowed, her nerves dissipating slightly.
"I'm so grateful…and honoured you could come tonight, to help celebrate this wonderful charity and the fantastic work it does in Gotham City. If you haven't met me already, I'm Amelia Wayne and the president of 'Women of Gotham',"
There was a little round of applause and Amelia smiled gracefully. She stared out into the crowd, half expecting to see a white and red painted face staring back at her, but to her relief and comfort she met Gordon's eyes. He smiled at her reassuringly.
"We have quite a night planned for you tonight, ladies," Amelia continued, "We have some excellent entertainment from the ballet of this fine Opera House you're sitting in. I think you'll agree it's quite a venue,"
Again there was another round of applause and Amelia noticed another Officer appear at Gordon's side, speaking quietly into his ear. She saw Gordon's face change and her stomach lurched. He shot her a quick glance and then hurriedly followed the officer off the floor. She swallowed, her heart fluttering nervously.
"But before we begin celebrating I want to say a few words about a real hero that tonight we have been denied the company of. Clarissa Hart went missing a few days ago and I know you'll all join me in wishing her family all our love and best wishes at this terrible time. Clarissa has been organising the Women of Gotham events for many years and over the last two years has been a huge help and support to me. Everything you see here tonight from the exquisite table arrangements to the menu is all a result of Clarissa's hard work and I know you share my feelings when I say at this time we are thinking of her and preying that she is alright. So ladies, in a moment dinner will be served and then we will have a short presentation on some of the fantastic things that have been happening with the charity this year. Thank you and enjoy you're evening,"
Amelia smiled tightly, hurrying down the steps. She avoided the eyes of some of the guests as she rushed through the hall, darting between tables, saying a quick hello to some of them that called out to her.
She flew through the large double doors just as the catering staff entered with hot plates and silver serving trays, brimming with steaming, filled plates.
Something was boiling inside her and she felt that something was terribly wrong. She spotted Gordon in the foyer, deep in conversation on his cell. He saw her coming towards him and abruptly ended his conversation.
"Mrs Wayne…" he held out his hands as she stumbled towards him, she was trembling all over.
"What's going on?" she blurted out frantically, "I saw you leave the hall and then…"
He gave her a thin smile. "It's fine. Its fine!" he ushered her over to one of the gold chaises that were dotted all around the foyer and forced her to sit.
"But you left…"
"I had a phone call," Gordon began, taking one of her hands, "There was a break in at Wayne Manor, but you're husband is there now,"
Amelia's hands flew to her mouth. "Libby, oh God!"
"Your daughter is fine…everyone is fine. The good news is we've caught The Cat,"
Amelia let her head fall forward into her hands, her elbows propped on her knees. She let out a sigh of relief.
"She was there for Libby," she said, "God; I should never have gone ahead with this dinner. I shouldn't have left her. She was going to kidnap my daughter. Why are they doing this to us?"
Gordon sighed. "It's a good question Mrs Wayne. But at least we have one of the main suspects now. She won't be climbing the walls of Gotham City for a long time to come,"
"I need to speak to Bruce…" she cried suddenly, "Please can I talk to him?"
Gordon felt around in his pocket and handed her his cell phone. "I'll be in the back office when you're done, but my officer isn't far away. He'll stay close,"
Amelia nodded and watched him shuffle away. Frantically she dialled in Bruce's cell.
It rang for what seemed like an eternity and finally he picked up.
"Amelia?" he said urgently, "Are you Ok?"
Amelia was so relived to hear his voice that tears welled up in her eyes.
"Bruce I'm Ok….Libby, is she…?"
"She's Ok, Amelia," Bruce replied, "A few scratches and bruises but nothing she will ever remember. It was a close call,"
The thought of her daughter being taken away from her, the thought that Sarah could have hurt her, made a sickness rise up inside her.
"Bruce, I want to come home!" she said firmly, "This is madness being stuck here, waiting for the Joker to just show up. Bruce he's in the building somewhere I know it! Something awful has happened here…"
"I know about the fingernails," he finished for her, "Gordon called my other number straight away. Amelia you have to stay put! Gordon is right; this is our chance to finally catch him. I'm taking Libby somewhere safe and then I'm coming right over,"
Amelia blinked. "Somewhere safe?"
Bruce was silent for a moment at the other end and she suddenly felt her legs weaken, like they were filled with lead.
"Amelia….something has happened here. Sarah shot Alfred,"
Her lips were pressed so tightly together that she couldn't speak. Words choked up in her throat. When she didn't answer and the only sound was Bruce's breathing on the other end, finally he spoke.
"He's in New Gotham General now. She thought she had killed him and called it in. Believe it or not, she gave herself up,"
Hot tears trailed down Amelia's face and she hurriedly wiped them away.
"Is he alright?" she breathed and she heard Bruce swallow at the other end.
"No, he's critical," he replied, his own voice faltering, "Amelia if anything happens to him…."
"I'll kill her myself!" Amelia vowed through gritted teeth, "I swear I will. I'll kill them both,"
////
When Bruce snapped his cell shut he cast a look at the defeated looking young woman huddled in the corner of the police van they were sitting in. Sarah stared blankly ahead, digging her fingernails into the palms of her hands. Her bottom lip was swollen from where she had chewed on it so hard.
Bruce placed the palms of his hands on his knees and leaned towards her. She met his eyes reluctantly.
It was so strange how he could see it now. He could see the subtle difference in her face, the new nose and larger lips, the change of hair. She had sculpted herself to resemble a woman that she had never met. But when you really looked at her, it was startling, blindly obvious. She was still the stubborn, tough little cookie that he had never really taken to all those years ago. Except now she had been broken in half.
"I cant believe that I didn't see it before," Bruce whispered and Sarah huddled further into the blanket that one of the officers had wrapped around her shoulders before cuffing her wrists, "I cant believe you nearly destroyed us,"
Sarah's eyes brimmed with hurt tears. "You were doing a good job of that all by yourselves. All I did was give you a little taste of something new,"
Her voice was bitter and Bruce could tell that even she didn't believe her own words. Her face was twisted in self hatred, the reality of what she had done, churning her heart up like a grinder.
She couldn't bare him looking at her like this. She felt naked in the stark lighting of the police van.
"There is good in you Sarah," Bruce told her, "You did the right thing,"
Sarah snorted. "You sound just like the old man,"
She saw his face change, twist with worry and regretted her words, but she couldn't stop herself.
"You think you're so self righteous, that you know me, that I'm really good on the inside," she was raving, "But you know nothing about me. And you can hardly talk! I don't remember you shying away when I kissed you,"
Bruce looked away, the bitterness in her voice made her so ugly.
"I could have had you right there. Your marriage is a sham and you've known it for years. How awful it must be for you Bruce…knowing that she was with him….knowing that she lay sleeping in his arms, that he made love to her….and she wont let you touch her!"
Bruce rose from his seat with such force that it shook the van and Sarah scrambled across the floor in fear. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close, his fingers digging so hard into her upper arms that she yelped in pain.
"You wanted me….you still do," her lips were close to his. He stared into her eyes and saw the black pit that was her soul. There was nothing left there.
"What I wanted was a lie," he breathed, "Amelia is twice the woman you'll ever be. She's good and compassionate, even to those who don't deserve it, like you. And for that alone, I could never betray her. She is the other half of me. The Joker has taken what little good there was left in you and twisted it for his own gains and that's something he has never been able to do to her. And it kills him,"
He released her and she fell back on the floor breathing hard.
Bruce stared down at her. "What is he planning on doing?"
When she didn't answer he reached for the silver door handle. He heard her move behind him and he turned. She was looking up at him, her lips trembling.
"I don't know what he wants. I don't know what he's planning. But I know that there is a small, tiny part of him that loves her. That's the side you have to reach and who knows…maybe you can save him,"
Bruce's face softened, he looked at her for the longest time until she finally broke his gaze.
"Maybe I can save you too, one day," he said before throwing the door open and jumping out of the van. Sarah jolted as the metal door slid shut.
She bit down on her lip, fighting her need to cry as she slid the knife out of her black sleeve. She stared down at it.
"I doubt it Bruce," she whispered to herself, "I doubt it,"