It was early morning and Alfred was studying a security camera footage of Bane at the stock exchange when he heard a loud thundering roar and he turned round only to find the bat had literally smashed its way through the waterfall, spraying cold water everywhere. The cube rises up slowly and the bat lands neatly on the top of the cube.
He makes his way over to greet Bruce and Hermione and the bat door opens and Bruce comes out, holding Hermione tight to his chest and carried her bridal style. Hermione looked completely exhausted and worn out.
Alfred took one worried glance at Hermione but he did not say anything as she was fast to sleep in Bruce's arms.
"Shall I tell the neighbours you got yourself a leaf-blower?" He gave a slight grin. Bruce put down Hermione in a near by chair and took of her cowl and wrapped her up in a warm blanket.
"We bought all the neighbours." Bruce merely replied as Alfred took Hermione's cowl of him.
"How is she?" Alfred nodded towards his grand-daughter and he wondered why she went out as batgirl in her condition for the thousandth time. He shook his head and knew that he would not understand Master Bruce or Hermione's reasons.
"She's fine, a little drained since she used wandless magic and a little light headed. But both her and the twins are in good health."
"She shouldn't have used wandless magic."
"That's what I thought. Especially when she's so far into the pregnancy but I guess it's my fault for her becoming Batgirl in the first place."
Alfred took one last glance at Hermione before pointing towards the large computer screen. Next to the image of Bane fighting was a news report, showing Batman and Batgirl on the motorbike with the headline: Batman a soon to be father? "From the look of the television coverage, both of you seem to have a taste for destruction back there."
After taking of his own cowl, cape and gloves of, Bruce retrieved a USB drive from his pocket. "I retrieved this."
Alfred frowned almost disapprovingly at the usb drive. "Shouldn't the police be gathering the evidence?"
"They don't have the tools to analyse it and if they did, one man's tool is another man's weapon."
"In your mind perhaps. But there aren't many things you couldn't turn into a weapon."
Bruce was about to protest when Hermione grabbed his hand gently. "Please stop fighting the both of you. You both remind me of Harry and Ron back in Hogwarts when we were younger...It pains me to see you both fight." She whispered tiredly, her eyes drooping.
Bruce kneeled down next to Hermione and kissed her hand. "I'm sorry Hermione. I did not mean to upset you."
Alfred nodded. "Nor I." Hermione gave a tired smile before she fell asleep once more.
"You thought I didn't have it in me." Bruce whispered almost accusingly after a few seconds of silence had passed.
Alfred looks at him and puts down Bruce's cape and cowl. "You don't. You and Hermione lead a bloated police force on a merry chase with some fancy new toys from Fox. What about when you come up against him? Especially with Hermione so late into her pregnancy, what then?"
Bruce glared at the screen. "I'll fight harder. I always have." He moves to switch off the monitor but Alfred grabs his hand and points to Bane again, ignoring the news report beside him showing Batgirl's pregnant stomach.
"Take a good look." He zoomed in on Bane. "At his speed, his ferocity, his training. I see the power of belief. Of the fantastic. I see the league of shadows resurgent."
"Hermione said he was excommunicated."
Alfred nodded. "By Ra's al Ghul but yet, who leads him now?"
"Ra's al Ghul was the league of Shadows yet I beaten him. Bane's just another mercenary and we have to find out what he's up to." He shook his head before he plugged in the USB and hits a key, the footage of Bane fighting and the news report disappears and its replaced by text scrolling down.
Bruce frowned. "Trades of some kind, codes..." The screens are blank and two fingerprints appear.
Alfred's eyes widened. "Is that-"
"Mine and Hermione's. Courtesy of Selina Kyle." He took out the USB and hands it to Alfred. "Get this to Fox, he can crack the code and tell us what trades they were executing." He lifted up Hermione gently and made his way to their bedroom. Alfred looked at his Master before he looked at the USB which he turned over and over in his hands and sighed.
Later that day, Bruce met Alfred at the bottom of the stairs after he had seen to Hermione and made sure she was properly relaxed.
Alfred lifts up the USB drive at him. "I'll get this to Fox, but no more."
Hearing the tone of Alfred's voice, he turned around.
Alfred sighed. "I've sewn you and Hermione up and set your bones...but I won't bury either of you. I've buried enough members of the Wayne and Granger family."
"You'll abandon us? Even when Hermione needs you most?" Bruce looked disbelievingly at him.
"You and Hermione only seem to see one end of your stories. Leaving is all I have to make you both understand: you aren't Batman nor Batgirl anymore, you have to find another way now that you have twins coming along the way."
"And one day I will. When this mess with Bane has ceased to exists and Gotham is in safe hands once again."
Alfred frowned. "Before you became engaged to Hermione, before you even met her, Rachel meant to everything to you. What if...what if Rachel wasn't intending to make a life with you?"
Bruce shook his head. "She was, I can't change-"
Alfred holds up his hands and silences him. "What if, before Rachel died, she wrote a letter? A letter explaining that she'd chosen Harvey Dent over you?"
Bruce eyebrows fused together, his eyes showing confusion.
"And what if...to spare your pain...I burnt that letter?"
Bruce stares at Alfred, shocked that his dear friend would do such a thing.
"Why would you say such a thing? That's like saying to Hermione Ron Weasley has come back from the dead."
"Because I have to make you understand." Alfred replied, patiently. "Because you and Hermione are as precious to me as you were to your own mother and father and I swore to not only just your parents, but my own child as well that I would protect the both of you and I haven't."
"You're lying!" Bruce hissed, his cheeks becoming red.
Alfred shook his head. "I never lie to you Master Bruce. Except when I burnt Rachel's letter."
Bruce looked furious at him. How could Alfred do such a thing?
"How dare you use Rachel to try and stop me."
"I'm using the truth. Maybe it's time we all stopped trying to outsmart the truth and just let it have its day. I'm sorry."
"Sorry?! You expect to destroy my world and leave Hermione and expect to shake hands?!"
Alfred sighed. "No, I know what this means-"
Bruce clenched his fists. "Then tell me Alfred, what does it mean?"
"It means your hatred. It means losing the people I've cared for ever since I heard their first cries echo through this house. It might even mean losing my great-grand children. But it might also mean saving your life. And that is more important."
Bruce seethed and glared at Alfred before saying possibly the worst words he has ever said to his long time friend and knowing that Hermione was going to be very upset with him later that day, knowing that he was going to regret them.
"Goodbye, Alfred."
Alfred gives a slight gulp before giving a slight bow, sadness in his eyes. "Goodbye, Bruce." He replies, very quietly.
Bruce mounts the stairs and heads into his and Hermione's room. Alfred took one glance in the direction Hermione was in and sighed before turning to leave.
He only hoped that he would still get to see his great-grandchildren one day.
Bruce was sat next to Hermione's sleeping form in their bed, stroking her long brunette curls before her eyes fluttered open and she gave a slight smile as she saw her fiancee next to her.
"Hey sleeping beauty." Bruce commented, giving a slight smile. Hermione chuckled before sitting up and giving a slight stretch.
"I needed that. The twins kept me up for a while by kicking...I blame their father." Bruce couldn't help but smile.
"Hermione...I have to tell you something."
Hermione's looked concerned. "What is it? Is it Bane?"
He shook his head. "No. It's about Alfred."
"Is he okay? You two haven't fallen out have you? Oh, it's just like Harry and Ron all over again." She saw the look on Bruce's face and her hand went over to her mouth to cover up her gasp. "No. Please tell me Alfred hasn't left us Bruce...Please..."
"I'm sorry Hermione...So sorry." He murmured as Hermione cried into his chest, her firsts holding onto his shirt and he held her close, resting his head on top of hers and whispering words of comfort.
They sat like that for a few hours, sitting together in need of comfort for each other.
"Bruce...?" Hermione whispered, her throat sore after crying.
"Yes Hermione?"
"Promise me you won't leave me."
Bruce looked at her, surprised but he suddenly turned serious. "I promise. I will never leave you or Morgana or Ivar. That I promise." He kissed her and Hermione sighed, her fingers curled around his shirt and closed her eyes.
It was just her and Bruce now. They will have to fight Bane together.
Alone.