A/N - Sorry for my long absence....sicknesses have been my excuse. I have been plugging away at this during that time and the revising it over and over....I hope it turns out well. Thank you for all the reviews! It makes my day to know that someone is enjoying this!

Cheers!

----------

An hour and a half earlier...

Olivia was certain that she was dead. She opened her eyes for a brief second only to be welcomed by a bright light. She quickly shut them again. Her entire body felt warm. The last thing she remembered was her trip to the hospital in Commissioner Gordon's car and hearing him repeatedly call her name before she passed out.

Once again, she tried opening her eyes. She had trouble focusing them but she did see a figure appear in front of her who gently touched her hand. Olivia was certain that it was her grandfather who had passed away when she was fifteen years old. She heard a soft voice and she was sure that it was he who was there in front of her, welcoming her to heaven. It wasn't until she recognized a British accent in the voice that she became confused. She forced her vocal cords to say something, anything.

She mumbled.

Olivia heard the man softly shush her before the shadow of a woman approached her. Olivia felt cold hands touch her wrist and she closed her eyes once again.

"Olivia, open your eyes again," a voice said, strongly in her ears. She knew that voice. "Come on, honey. Open them up."

She did as she was told and slowly opened her eyes, fighting the remnant's of the anesthetic as she squinted against the ambiance of the small light in the corner of the room. Olivia looked up and saw Alfred smiling down at her along with Jill Craig next to her.

Jill flipped open a chart in her hand and jotted down some notes before she happily turned her attention back to Olivia.

"Whe...?" Olivia said roughly, before her eyes opened more with the remembrance of the night before. "David?!"

"He's fine," Alfred assured her gently. "He was here earlier. I sent Master Bruce and David home early this morning to get some rest. You gave us all quite a scare."

She sighed in relief. Olivia gently touched her stomach where she remembered the bullet had hit her. She wasn't surprised to find a dull pain.

"You've got eleven stitches there, 'Liv," Jill said, catching the woman's attention. "And then four more on your left leg. From what I heard, it was pretty nasty."

"I must have passed out," Olivia said. She coughed as her throat was still quite dry. Alfred handed her a glass of water and helped her to hold it in her weak grasp while she took a sip. The cool water felt great on her dry throat.

"I'm not surprised," Jill said. "You lost quite a bit of blood. I was told that you were white as a sheet and in the process of going into shock when the Commissioner brought you in."

Olivia looked over at Alfred, as more memories of the night came to mind; the Joker, the explosion, David's cries, Bruce's face and Batman. It had felt like a dream.

"When can I go home?"

Jill laughed. "Hun, you were shot twice; once in the leg. You just had major surgery. You aren't going anywhere for at least a few days."

"Surgery? For what?"

Jill's smile faded. She looked to Alfred, who spoke. "The bullet did some damage that had to be taken care of."

Olivia nodded in understanding.

"And I'm sure the doctor will go over everything with you when he comes in later on this morning," Jill added. "But until then, rest. I'm going to return to my rounds and I'll check on you later. Maybe we can have lunch or something."

Jill looked up at Alfred. "Make sure that she rests."

She watched as Jill left the room and Alfred sat back down. Olivia looked over at him. He appeared to be exhausted.

"You don't have to stay," Olivia said. "I don't seem to be the best conversationalist right now."

Alfred chuckled.

"I told Master Wayne that I would keep you company until he returns later this morning."

"So, David and Bruce are all right?"

Alfred nodded. "Right as rain, Miss Olivia. They appeared unscathed which is surprising considering they ran through a burning building together. David told me most of the experience in glorious detail. He fell asleep on the couch so I sent him home with Master Bruce. The poor boy looked like he hadn't slept in days and Master Bruce looked just as bad."

Olivia smiled as she sighed. Her mind was still wrapping itself around the fact that Bruce was Batman. She assumed that Alfred knew as well but she was too tired to form decent thoughts into words.

"You need to rest, Alfred." She saw him open his mouth and she knew what he was about to say. "Just tell Bruce that I sent you home."

Alfred smiled and sighed, knowing that it wasn't a battle he was willing to fight. "How about I wait until you fall asleep and then, I'll leave."

Olivia nodded as she sighed and closed her eyes.

------------

7:58am

January 1st

David glanced over at Bruce as he shifted the engine into the next gear. David could see just enough out the window from the passenger seat of the Lamborghini to know where they were. He looked back at Bruce as he drove.

"Bruce, can I ask you something?" David asked.

Bruce looked over at him before turning his attention back to the road and smiled. "Sure."

"I was just wondering if maybe I could...you know....if it'd be all right if I...."

Bruce could sense the boy's anxiety and he smirked, hoping to ease any nervousness. He heard David take a deep breath.

"Since you are my dad, would it be okay if I called you that? Dad, I mean."

Bruce was surprised. The name, 'Dad' seemed so foreign to him. It was a name that would bring his own father's image to mind. From the time he knew that David was his son, it never dawned on him that it was a name that he was now entitled to as well. It made him feel honoured that David would even want to call him 'Dad' considering he'd been out of his life for so many years. Bruce nodded and looked over at David.

"Sure, if you want to," Bruce said. "I wouldn't mind."

A smile grew on David's face as he looked back out the window and saw the giant building ahead of them with the 'H' on the tallest part of the hospital, indicating that they had arrived.

----------

Bruce walked through the revolving door and into the hospital lobby with David carrying his bag on his back alongside him, holding his hand. Being a holiday, the clinic's and outpatient services were closed for the day so the lobby wasn't as busy as it usually would be. Bruce pulled off his sunglasses as he entered the lobby and walked up to the visitor's desk. He found Olivia's room number and made their way up to the 6th floor. After they stepped off the elevator, Bruce looked in both directions, looking for an indication of what way to go. They made their way down the hallway and Bruce stopped when he saw Olivia from the hallway through the glass window. She was awake with Dr. Forsyth talking with her. Before he knew it, David had the door open and was walking in. He watched as Olivia's attention was brought to the door and David ran towards her. He saw Doctor Forsyth excuse himself from the room as she gently hugged David and caressed his face.

Dr. Forsyth walked out of the room and smiled when he saw Bruce standing outside the door.

"Mr. Wayne," he said, shaking his hand.

"How is she?"

"She'll be fine," Dr. Forsyth replied. "I was telling her about her physiotherapy treatment that she would be starting at the end of next week and the appendectomy but I didn't get a chance to tell her about the partial oophorectomy that I had the perform. She seemed to be a little emotionally unset about having to stay in the hospital for a longer duration than she hoped and I didn't want to give more unsettling news without loved ones around. I think the combination of the meds and lack of sleep might be affecting her emotions."

Bruce sighed, as he looked through the glass while she lovingly talked and hugged David as he lay next to her on the bed. David had a book in his hand and it appeared that he was reading aloud. He could see Olivia wipe the tears from her eyes as she smiled, listening to David read. Bruce turned back to the doctor and nodded.

"I'll tell her."

Dr. Forsyth nodded before Bruce pushed the door open and listened to the conversation that was being held on the bed.

"What else is in your bag?" Olivia asked. David joyfully sat up and pulled the bag forward from his feet and began to pull items out of it.

"Alfred told me to bring some things to keep me busy," David said as Olivia laughed. She was glad to know that Alfred knew David well enough. He had colouring books, activity books, coloured pencils, cards, cars, books, and a lot of trinkets that he refused to throw away. David had officially become a pack-rat.

"Those will certainly keep you busy for a while," she commented with a smile. Olivia lovingly ran her hand through his hair and kissed his cheek.

David nodded as he opened up a book.

"Alfred said that you have stitches," David said excitedly, with a cheeky smile. "Can I see them?"

"Maybe later," Olivia said, with a smile. "I'm still quite sore."

"When are you coming home?

"Not for a while honey," she replied, sadly. "But you can visit me whenever you'd like and I want you to listen to Bruce and Alfred until I come home."

David nodded, disappointed. Olivia noticed it right away. She tipped his head up by his chin to look at her.

"Hey, how about when I'm out of here, we go visit grandma and grandpa," she told him, as his eyes lit up and he smiled broadly.

"Can we go to the ocean too?"

"We sure can. We'll make it into a vacation."

"Could Bru...I mean, Dad come with us?"

Olivia smiled and glanced over at Bruce as he stood by the door. He walked over to the bed and sat down in the chair beside her.

He smiled back, enjoying the sound of 'Dad' coming from David's mouth. He watched as Olivia looked back at David. "If he'd like."

"I'm so glad that you're all right," she said to David, looking down at the book in his hands.

David looked over at Bruce beside him before turning his attention back to Olivia.

"Batman saved me," he said, softly. Olivia smiled at David and looked over at Bruce.

"I know," she said, with a smile. "I told him to."

"He took me for a ride in his car!" David said, happily as Olivia glanced over at Bruce.

"I hope he didn't drive too fast," she said, looking at Bruce.

David didn't answer but instead jumped off the bed and walked over to the television that was on but muted across the room.

"Can I watch TV?"

Olivia nodded. "Keep the volume down though."

She turned to Bruce as David turned on the television and sat a few feet in front of it. Bruce grinned.

"How are you?"

"I'd be lying if I said that I felt good," she replied. She looked over at David as he sat, engrossed in a cartoon. Bruce pulled his chair forward, closer to her bed. "Thank you for taking care of him for me and for getting him out of there alive."

Bruce looked down at his hands.

"I've never been scared like that in a long time," he said. "Even after we were safe I had to check to make sure he wasn't injured and until I knew for sure, I couldn't relax."

Olivia smirked. "Welcome to parenthood."

She looked at him. Olivia had so many questions; so many things she wanted answered that she didn't know where to start. She frowned as she sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Bruce looked up at her, his hands together. "I'm sorry."

"We're you even planning on telling me?"

"I was about to tell you when we were alone at the convention centre two nights ago before I was to give that speech," Bruce said. "And then I was going to tell you once we got home, but things went a different way."

Olivia smiled knowingly, as her anger was fueled.

"So, you decided to sleep with me in the event that I flipped out and never wanted to see you again, is that right?" she exclaimed softly.

"No! No!"

Bruce glanced over at David, his attention still on the television screen.

"That was the furthest thing from my mind," he said, softly. "The only reason that I slept with you is because I love you. It had nothing to do with...my secret or the fact that I was afraid what would happen if I did tell you. I love you."

Olivia's face softened and she sighed.

"I'm trying to be angry with you but I can't be," she told him. "I've kept as much from you as you have from me. Can we really have a solid relationship if we can't even trust each other?"

Bruce looked down at the floor as Olivia felt tears begin to come into her eyes and her throat constrict as she fought to keep from crying.

"I can't lose you," Bruce finally said. "I almost lost you today and it was my fault."

"I'm fine," Olivia said. "And it wasn't your fault. You weren't the one with the gun."

"Those bullets were meant for me," he said softly, pointing at himself as he took her hand. "I could have taken them."

"I would've done it again," she told him.

Bruce shook his head.

"The bullet that hit you in the stomach did a lot of damage. You had more than just an appendectomy. The doctor said that he had to remove an ovary. He couldn't repair it. Your chances of having anymore children is not so good. Olivia, I could have taken those bullets for you," he told her. "I could have handled them. If they were aimed higher, you could have died and that's not something that I could have lived with."

Olivia took a deep breath, letting the news wash over her. She gazed over at David.

"Bruce, I lived through hearing about your supposed death once. I didn't want to go through it again and neither could David," she said. She looked back at Bruce. "As for not having anymore children, I'm okay with it. I'm glad to have David in my life....and you. I'm ready for things to get back to normal again."

"Olivia, my life is anything but normal," he said as Olivia grinned.

"If you're trying to scare me away, it's not working," she said. "I've seen your dark side. Hell, I've touched your dark side and it's not that scary to me. When I say normal, I mean not living in a hospital and getting David back to school. That kind of normal. I think it's great that you're helping the city, but please don't use it as a reason for us not to be together."

Bruce reached forward and brushed his hand along Olivia's face.

"I'm not," he said, smiling. "And as for the trust issue, we'll work on it."

Olivia smiled and nodded as Bruce leaned over and gently kissed her lips.

---------

Roof of MCU

January 2nd

12:34am

Gordon pulled the collar of his coat up higher. The howling wind of an impending snow storm was whipping through the city at an impressive speed. The roof of the MCU building was a far cry from being a shelter in the storm. Gordon found himself standing beside the giant air conditioning unit and used it to protect himself from the strong winds. The cold was the least of his worries. His stomach had been in knots since he got the news from his detectives. He wasn't sure how Batman would react to the news knowing how close he was to Olivia Thornley. A sudden, familiar shadow to his right caught his attention. With everything that had been going on, he wasn't surprised that he was startled.

"I got your message," Batman said, approaching him out from the shadows.

"I wasn't sure if you'd come considering what's been going on," Gordon said, catching his breath from being surprised. "How is she?"

Batman paused, unsure if he should or how he should answer. He knew that Gordon knew his identity and had proved to him time and time again that he could be trusted, but it was the possibility of other ears around that made him hesitate. Finally, he nodded. Gordon took that as his answer.

"We have a problem," he began. "The forensics and my detectives handed me the report twenty minutes ago. The Joker's body is missing."

"Missing?"

Gordon nodded. "They couldn't find him within the debris. They did find what they thought was a blood stain on the floor where he was shot down but it turned out to be dark red paint mixed with cranberry juice."

Batman's heart began to pound and he turned away from the Commissioner.

"I should have cuffed him but I never thought that an unconscious, gunshot victim would pose a threat. He must have had a vest on," Gordon stated bitterly, as he shook his head. "I have every precinct in the city on alert and I've also sent two officers to the hospital for Olivia and I'll be sending a cruiser to Wayne Manor."

"Send them to the penthouse," Batman said. "I'll get Wayne, the butler and the kid there. I can keep an eye on both the boy and Miss Thornley."

Gordon nodded. "I don't want to take any chances. He knows who you are."

He watched as Batman walked to the edge of the building.

"We'll find him," he stated.

"And when we do, what are we going to do about what he knows about you?

Batman looked over his shoulder at Gordon before jumping off the building.

---------------------

A/N - Dun dun dah! I was seriously going to kill off the Joker at one point, but gosh.....I like this scenario better. :)

--------