It was finally time for the circus, though everyone had nearly forgotten about it in the craziness surrounding Lenorah and Bruce once the rest of the group learned of the engagement. The three amigos had been the most vocal about it, to the point where Lenorah promised them bridesmaids positions if they simply shut up (granted she did ask nicer than that at the time) and that had worked for a day or so at least.

Arriving at the Gotham Arena, the group was split up as Lenorah and Bruce had to sit down front - something about a presentation of their top contributors or some such. But the seats the others had were in a special upper box with more comfortable seats anyway, so the rest were not as disappointed in the whole thing. There was a troupe of acrobats that performed a complex routine on the ground along with small platforms and a trampoline. These were followed by a group of stunt riders with beautiful horses from around the world, and costumes to match each breed. An older couple with an amusing act involving dogs and house cats that go the audience involved, followed by the last act of the evening, the performance of the Flying Graysons. In between all these acts the audience was entertained by a troupe of clowns while the crew quickly set things up for the next main act (well, those that were not afraid of clowns were entertained anyway).

The trapeze artists were certainly the stars of the show, and kept the audience entertained and on the edges of their seats for close to half an hour. A family of five - mother, father, and their three sons - they worked like one fluid unit for all their separate pieces. And truly the star of the group was the youngest, a boy of twelve who finished off the show being tossed back and forth between his older brothers before his parents caught him together from swings higher up. Before the audience was allowed to leave, the circus performers all came back out into the ring to surround the hospital representatives and their top contributors as the customary over sized check was handed off. Those contributors included one Bruce Wayne, dragging with him a slightly reluctant Lenorah (his figuring that if he had to stand up there, he certainly was not going to do it alone). All the older members of the Flying Graysons were still up on their trapeze swings, giving the honor of carrying out the check to the youngest son.

Smiles and handshakes all around, with flash bulbs from far too many cameras distracted most of the people assembled. Everyone besides Lenorah, who wished she was back in her seat and was looking up towards the ceiling. A shadowy movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she focused on the area where one of the swings was attached to the upper rigging. Her breath caught in her throat, and in the few horrific seconds it took her to turn to get Bruce's attention, the lines snapped, and four bodies came plummeting down - to where the net had been lowered to make way for the presentation. Reacting more on instinct than anything else, Lenorah knelt down to the young boy that had moved out of the way standing next to her to shield him from the sight, exchanging a horrified look with Bruce.

For a few brief seconds, there was utter stillness as those in the arena processed the shocking scene they had just witnessed. Then fear and panic took over from the shock and everything seemed to fall into chaos. Lenorah tightened her hold on the young boy still clinging to her as a rush of bodies pressed in on them of people leaving the center ring where the accident had occurred. Order was only slightly restored as police officers moved in along with a team of paramedics - though there was little they could do at this point other than cover the bodies.

More officers arrived on the scene to assist with the evacuation of the building, all knowing that this would most likely be a very long night. Commissioner Gordon arrived on the scene fifteen minutes later, and soon set about questioning those on the arena floor and sending a crew up to investigate the rigging in the ceiling. Bruce and Lenorah had moved into a cleared area of the stands with the boy, knowing they would have to wait around for the police to talk to all of them. Bruce had handed his keys over to Taylor so that he could help take the rest of their group home. Lenorah quietly assured them they would be fine, and would catch a cab back to the apartment when they were allowed to leave.

Gordon knew he would most likely not be able to get much out of the youngest Grayson that evening, and he was glad that Bruce and Lenorah had taken it upon themselves to care for the child. He remembered an evening once before when he had comforted a young boy who had witnessed a similar event, and he knew of no one better to understand the boy's pain than Bruce Wayne. All that was left was to interview the performers and crew of the circus and see what any of them might know. It could have been as simple as an accident, but the cut ends of the trapeze wires said otherwise. Something foul had happened, and it was up to him to find out who had done it and why. He was standing in the center of the performance ring staring up at the ceiling when Lenorah approached him.

"Commissioner?"

"Miss Sorris."

"There were men up there, I couldn't tell what they looked like, but I saw people up there before it happened."

"The ends of the wires were cut, so this certainly was not an accident."

"Why would someone do something like this?" she asked, her voice cracked and tired.

"All my years on the force and I have never had a good answer to that question."

"What will happen to the boy?"

"Family services will decide that now. He has no other living family."

"Do you think they would let him stay with us? I'd hate to think of him being shuttled off to a center or crowded foster home for the night."

"Being as it's Mr. Wayne, I think they would allow it. I will certainly do all I can to help."

"Thank you."

The woman from family services, when she finally managed to make it in through all the traffic leaving the arena, had no problems with Bruce fostering the boy for the next few days at least while his family's murders were investigated. Longer than that she could not say right then, as things would have to go through the system as with any other child without family, but she had been more than happy that someone was willing to take him in right then. Lenorah she had not been too sure about right at first, but seeing how the boy gravitated towards her when she was near helped with that end of things. Knowing that she was engaged to Mr. Wayne seemed to help a bit also. Commissioner Gordon had stepped in as well stating the boy as a witness needed to be with someone he trusted. That had sealed the deal.

Two hours later, they were finally able to leave, after gathering a few items from the trailer the Grayson family had been living in. Mainly clothing, with the assurance that they would be allowed to return for other items when the police had finished their investigation. Lenorah and Bruce shared a look over the boys head, knowing that the police would not be the only ones to look into what had happened. Though the child had said very little, Lenorah had managed to get him to tell her his name. It was Richard, he had told her, though his brothers had always called him Dick. Hand in hand, with Bruce close behind, they climbed into a cab and set off to Lenorah's apartment to retrieve Bruce's car.