A/N Okay guys, I have edited this story so GO BACK to the beginning. A lot has been cleared up and some things have changed. So DO NOT continue until you have started again. Hope you like the changes and the additions.

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A small girl was playing in rolling hills of green grass. She stopped, having heard something coming towards her. She placed her small hand over her eyes to shield the sun that was blinding her at the moment. Two puppies were running in her direction; she squealed in delight, clapping her hands together and bending down to receive them. As they got closer she saw that one was white and the other black as night. Their bright eyes seemed to smile at her and they ran faster. They reached her, quickly reaching for her face to lick it. The little girl laughed, their tongues tickled her and she lost her balance. The puppies played with her hair and face while she laughed joyfully. She was still laughing when she noticed the light around her was beginning to diminish. When she opened her eyes, the puppies were gone and a large, dark cloud covered the sky. Before she could even register the change it was pitch black, and the ground underneath her was hard and wet.

She hugged herself as she walked toward what seemed like a light, large tears covering her face. Loud roars behind her made her turn her head violently. The two puppies she had been playing with earlier were back, panting. She smiled, reaching her hand out to touch one of them. Then she heard the roar again, a low guttural sound that became stronger as the two puppies in front of her grew in height and in ugliness. She screamed and ran towards the light she had seen earlier. Her sobs grew louder as she felt the dogs catching up to her.

Something suddenly swooped her up, out of the way of danger. A pair of arms surrounded her, hugging her close to a soft bosom that smelled like flowers and sunshine. Her fear disappeared, replaced by a sense of safety and happiness.

A soft feminine voice soothed her, telling her how much she was loved. A green blanket then replaced the arms; she looked up, the sun bright in her face. The voice smiled to her, then yanked the blanket off her, sending her into a swirl.

She screamed, a dull pain in her chest. She didn't feel fear this time, only pain, as she fell down a dark, dirty tunnel that filled her senses with awful smells she didn't recognize.

"Ahhhhh! Daddy!"

Alfred hurried to the bed, hugging her tightly.

"Shh, Gabrielle, shh, your father will be here any minute." It had been the third time tonight; he had called Master Wayne after the first one, knowing full well the cycle. She would calm down enough to begin pestering him to bring her daddy, then sleep would win her over and she would doze off, only to awake screaming a half hour later from another nightmare.

"I want daddy." Her crying after a nightmare always came in panting, emotional sobs, her lower lip quivering incessantly and her chest rising when a cry seemed to have gotten stuck on the way out.

She jumped out of Alfred's embrace as she heard the familiar footsteps down the hall.

"Daddy!"

Alfred let a small sigh of relief escape as he watched her jump out of the bed and ran out to the hall.

She turned the corner and spotted Bruce, who quickly hugged her to his chest. She cried against him sobs shaking her small body.

Chloe watched with a mix of fascination, anger, and wonder.

He had asked her if she didn't mind. Did she mind what? The detour? No. Going with him? Definitely not. Him consoling her daughter? Hell yeah.

"Come join us." He said to her breaking her out of her thought and led her to a sitting room across from the bedroom. Honestly she was quite amazed at his willingness to share this much of his life with her. He was known as a private man; everyone knew of him, but little could boast of knowing him. Did that mean he was considering her part of his private life? She didn't dwell much on the question and sat across from them.

There was a small bookshelf full of children's books, Bruce walked up to it, Gaby in one arm, grabbing a book with the other.

"Not exactly the date I had planned." He smiled at her as he sat down and opened the book to read.

"I don't mind, you have a beautiful daughter." She smiled back, turning then her attention on the redhead on his lap. Gabrielle stared right back at her, her small eyes probing hers, giving her the same look from the times they had seen each other at the office. This time, the curiosity in the four-year olds eyes was stronger.

"Daddy?" she asked, not taking her blue eyes off Chloe. "Who is she?" She had seen the lady at her daddy's office, but now having her so close piqued her interest.

"My name is Jacqueline, but you can call me Jackie." she answered her question.

"Jackie, are you daddy's girlfriend?" Her eyebrows knitted together in a frown that was meant to intimidate her; she had seen her father do that sometimes.

"Well, no, actually, we work together and we are friends, is that okay with you?" Chloe asked her as seriously as she could, without breaking into a smile.

"Then what's a date?" she looked up to her dad for the answer to that one.

Chloe and Bruce both raised an eyebrow; She shrugged her shoulders, giving him the obligation of answering.

"A date huh? What do you think it is?"

"That's what uncle Dyck says he does when he goes out with girls, and they always end up kissing in the mouth." she twisted her face in disgust at the memory.

Bruce laughed, trying to think of a way out of this one, Gaby had never been too fond of any woman that entered their circle, much less if there was kissing involved.

The book by now was forgotten; the whole setting seemed almost unreal.

"Well, uncle Dyck and I tend to do things differently, Jackie is a friend, and I would like for her to be your friend too."

She mused over his answer, not sure whether it satisfied her or not.

"Do you like her?" she asked seriously

"Yes, I think I do." he answered, staring directly at Chloe, followed by a deafening silence.

Gaby then grabbed the book from Bruce's hand and got down from his lap, walking straight toward Chloe. She put the book in her lap. Chloe looked down at the book and then at the little girl in front of her, a questioning look on her face.

"Read it to me." She said almost defiantly, as if testing her. Chloe looked at Bruce. He nodded, encouraging her.

"Okay,"

She opened the book and began to read, but stopped when she felt a small body scurry into her lap. Gaby had gotten up on the couch and was trying to get comfortable on top of her. Chloe smiled and blinked away the tears that threaten to come; she took a deep breath and hugged her small body to her bosom, trying to hold the book with her free arm. Bruce saw her struggle and sat besides her, holding the book for her.

Gaby was used to her father's wide chest, but this wasn't so bad, it was much softer, and although smaller, she quickly found her spot.

Chloe began to read, but after the first page, Bruce put his hand softly on her mouth, drawing her attention to the now sleeping girl in her arms.

"She liked you, it usually takes me a couple reads of the book to get her to go to sleep." he whispered, smiling.

They stared at each other in a comfortable silence. Her arms so full of love that her eyes reflected it, moving Bruce in a way no one had been able to in his life, hoping that what he saw was because of him.

He let his feelings take over and reached his hand out to gently grab her face, his large hand covering the back of her head, his thumb slowly rubbing her cheek.

He pulled her towards him, reaching down to meet her face halfway. His thumb had found its way to her lips, softly touching them. His face was now inches away from hers, her breathing suddenly sharpened at the anticipation of a kiss.

He stared directly into her eyes before closing them slowly, pulling her face the rest of the way until his mouth covered hers.

She hadn't expected to feel like that, so soft, yet demanding, her mouth melting into his against her will. His hands combed through her head as he grabbed a hold of the base of her neck, pulling her closer.

She gasped against mouth, giving him full access to hers. Gaby then stirred in her arms, making her pull away. Bruce didn't let her go so quickly, slowly loosening his hold on her, giving her small kisses along the way.

She smiled as she looked down on Gaby, who was still asleep.

"So does this make for a Dyck-like date?" she asked him.

He took Gaby from her arms, Chloe had to hold back her need to protest. He got up and gave Chloe his free hand. She took it and followed down the hall to her bedroom, only letting go when he placed Gaby in her bed, tucking her in.

"No, Gaby used girls, as in plural. If I have it my way you will be the only one I'll be kissing for a long time." Her stomach turned at the unexpected answer.

He smiled down at her, placing his hands around his waist, pulling her towards him.

"If you'll have me, of course." She looked up at him, trying to decide if this was a scam he was playing on her to get her to sleep with him, having been played many times before by Lex, she didn't know what to think. His eyes looked sincere enough and she was in this for her daughter, not him.

She put a smile on her face and pulled his face down for a kiss.

She was too smart to fall in love again, or was she? Her resolve suddenly dissolving as the kiss deepened, making her feel again.

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