Mari was sleeping one afternoon in the morning room at Wayne Manor. She was a few short weeks to giving birth and Mary had things under control at the office. Mari was exhausted today for some reason. She had not slept well lately and Bruce had been kept busy chasing Catwoman. Catwoman had been on a spree and Bruce though she was gathering things to make some kind of strike but she was too tricky to predict and Commissioner Gordon had no clues either.

Dimitri was a constant presence lately for Mari. He was able to scare off Andre once but he still called her office line, e-mailed her and tried to send her gifts. Bruce was aggravated but Mari was concerned. Andre was getting closer and closer to being obsessed with her. He would send her bottles of her favorite perfume, her favorite books in new editions would be delivered, if her favorite musicians came to town tickets would be in her office the day after the concert was announced. Bruce and Mari had talked to Jim Gordon about it. He kept his eye on it but Catwoman was a huge distraction for the Gotham PD.

Alfred, came in and found Mari sleeping, "Mrs. Wayne. Ms. Anna."

Mari's eyes started to flutter open at the familiar voice. "Alfred?"

"Yes, madam. You fell asleep on the couch. I would suggest that your bed in the master suite would be better suited to a rest. Especially when trying to build up your store before the new young one arrives." Alfred said helping Mari to her feet.

"Alfred, normally, like Bruce, I'd argue every point you just made. But you used such clear logic that I'm not going to argue with you today. Mark the victory on the calendar, Alfred." Mari joked as she walked from the morning room to the stairs and up to her room to sleep.

Bruce came home later that day and found Mari still sleeping. Her hair which had grown longer was lying across her face. He smiled as she slept peacefully; he reached down and moved her hair out of her face. She stirred slightly and breathed deeply. She smelled his cologne and she sighed feeling safe. He walked away to change out of his business suit from the day.

When he came back out, she was waking up from her nap. She stirred and was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She tried to sit up but had been sleeping for so long she couldn't quite make it. He spoke up, "Here, Mari. I'll help you, sweetheart."

Her eyes lit up, "Bruce, when did you get home?" she said surprised.

"Not too long ago. You were sleeping when I came in. I wanted to let you rest."

"Oh, so that's why my dream ended so well. I just got this safe feeling as it ended. It was like I smelled something that made me feel safe and knew I would be ok. It must have been your cologne." She said smiling at him.

"I'm glad I was able to make your dream a good one. Here let's get you up as Alfred probably has dinner ready for us. How was your day?" he said walking to her side.

"Good. It was quiet since Ella was at her play group this afternoon with Natalie. I feel like I slept all afternoon. Alfred even had to wake me up from my couch in the morning room."

"Well, your body knows what it needs for you and the little one here." Bruce said as he helped her to her feet. Arm in arm, they walked out of the room and downstairs to where Alfred and Ella were waiting for dinner.

About 2 weeks later, Mari and Bruce were at Gotham Memorial for the birth of their new little family member. After waiting about two hours, Dr. Jacobs came out to where Bruce and Alfred were waiting. Instead of a pink blanket in her hands as with Ella's birth, she held a little blue blanket in her hands. Both Alfred and Bruce smiled as she walked to them. "Well, Mr. Wayne. I guess you can tell what I have here. Here's your son. Mom is doing well; she's just resting right now. We are getting her ready to move and place in her own room."

Bruce smiled as his son was placed into his arms. "Thank you so much Doctor."

Alfred spoke next, "He's a very healthy looking young man, Master Bruce. Do you and Mrs. Wayne have a name picked out for our little gentleman here?"

"Christian Jacob Wayne. He looks like Mari. Ella looks more like me, but this little guy is his mom. Here you go, Doctor. Tell Mari he's perfect and I'll see her soon." Bruce said smiling. Alfred and Bruce stood as they watched Dr. Jacobs take Christian back to Mari. Bruce started to speak again. "A son, Alfred. A little boy."

"Yes, sir. A young man who can carry your name into the future."

"But not my night missions. I will not let my son have to deal with the burden of being Batman. My daughter will not take this up either. I don't want them having to risk their lives or have the ones they love dealing with the stress that Mari has had to."

"Sir, I understand your feelings but let's focus on the happy event of today. You have a new little boy who will look to you to shape his future. Let's at least celebrate his arrival."

"Thank you Alfred. Oh, will you let the Gordons, the Mayor and Angela, and Lucius know about Christian?"

"It would be my honor, sir." Alfred said as he walked out to make a few phone calls.

Mari and Christian were home at the Manor the next day. Christian's birth was announced through the papers that day. Mari and Bruce got a laugh out of the new title given to little Christian. He was now as his father had been the 'Crowned Prince of Gotham'. Ella had been called Gotham's Princess from the moment of her birth so it had been expected by Bruce and Mari. Calls came in from all over as did cards and letters, Nancy and Mary, who had come from the office to help, were sorting through the mail after it had been screened by security at Wayne Tower.

Catwoman though used this time to strike, with the birth of the new Wayne heir there was a distraction that would give her time to begin to go after her goal of Bruce Wayne as hers. That and Anastasia Wayne's necklace would the icing to her desires. She had entered the Wayne Manor before with Scarecrow but that loser had only interfered with her goals so she finally was free of him and could take her own steps after her own plan. It was the night of the young prince's return to the Manor overlooking the city. Lights on the lower floor were of no concern to her. She was headed for the nursery and the young heir who would lead his proud father straight to her controls.

Alfred, Nancy, and Dimitri were all downstairs in the library sorting more mail that had been delivered from Wayne Tower. They were dividing up letters and cards, gifts were being sent to charities, flowers were given to local growers for compost piles. Mari was resting upstairs with young Christian in his bassinet near her. Bruce was caught up in a late night meeting at Wayne Enterprises. Ella had been put to bed in her new room near the nursery and her parents' room but she was no longer directly across from her mom and dad. Ella enjoyed it because as she said 'only babies stayed in the nursery and she was a big girl.'

Mari awoke from her sleep, a feeling of being in danger swept over her. She looked at Christian who slept soundly for now. She slipped on a robe and began slowly to walk to Ella's room, pushing Christian's bassinet with her. Her strength was still coming back after Christian's birth. Seeing Ella sound asleep made her feel slightly better but she still felt as if there was danger near by. She walked back to her room with Christian and called down to Alfred. "Alfred?"

"Yes, Ms. Anna?" he answered back from the library she could see on her phone.

"Is there anything out of the ordinary going on down there?"

"No, Madam, Dimitri, Ms. Nancy, and I have been sorting the new delivery of mail from Wayne Tower. Why do you ask, Ma'am?"

"I just woke from a sound sleep with this feeling that there was danger nearby." She said still worried.

"I'll go look at the security system. I'll have Dimitri do a tour of the house and the grounds and I'll send Ms. Nancy up with you and the children."

"Oh, Alfred, you don't have to do all of that."

"Ma'am, your instincts are very good, as we have seen over time especially with protecting your children. I'd rather be safe then sorry." Alfred said hanging up the phone. Nancy walked in moments later carrying a sleeping Ella. She sat near the door while Mari rested in bed with Ella at her side and Christian in his bassinet. Suddenly, a crash came from the nursery. Nancy called to Dimitri who entered first and found Catwoman standing in the center of the nursery. "All of this for a little prince, guess it only fits." She said standing to face Dimitri.

Dimitri faced off against her. Catwoman saw a woman walk from the Master Suite and stand in front of the door. She realized that her goals were in there and not here in the nursery. The Wayne children and their mother were being guarded from her. She quickly dealt with the male guard and began towards the woman when flashing lights caught both women's eyes. The butler, Catwoman thought to herself. He must have called the police. She turned to the woman standing in front of her. "Well, guess the prince gets saved from the big bad cat for now." She then jumped out of the window and disappeared into the darkness.

Nancy then went to the master suite to check on Mari and the children. "Who was it, Nancy?" Mari asked.

"Catwoman, ma'am."

"Did she say anything?"

"She was surprised about the security even in the nursery and said that the prince was saved from the big bad cat for now." Nancy said knowing that Mari would want total honesty.

Mari was shocked and gasped. She looked quickly at her young son. He was only a few days old. Why would Catwoman want to hurt such a precious little boy? Mari reached for the phone to make a call but it was already ringing. "Hello?" Mari answered her fear showing in her voice.

Bruce spoke through the line. "Mari, why didn't Alfred get the phone? You sound upset. Mari, what's going on?"

"Bruce, I… Just get here please." Mari said starting to cry.

"That's why I called, I'm almost there Mari. I promise." He said his concern rising. Mari hung up the phone and Bruce only drove faster. The police on the grounds worried him even more. He was let in and quickly went in the house. "Alfred, Mari, where are you?" He yelled walking in the door.

Alfred answered first, "Shhh, sir. The children are still sleeping thankfully."

"Alfred, what happened? I called to say I was on my way home and Mari picked up the phone. She was scared."

"Catwoman was in the house, sir. The nursery to be exact."

"Christian." Bruce said as his eyes grew large and dark.

"Young Master Christian is quite safe sir. Mrs. Wayne had him in his bassinet still, sir. She had fallen asleep and had not moved him to the nursery, sir. She woke up feeling concerned and asked about it. I sent Dimitri to do a search and Nancy went to collect Miss Elizabeth and took her to Mrs. Wayne and stayed with them to ensure their safety. I checked the security system and saw Catwoman enter. I immediately called the police. She escaped the house and is believed to be on the grounds somewhere." Alfred said as they stood outside of the Master Suite doors.

Bruce knocked and said, "Nancy, its Mr. Wayne let Alfred and me in."

"What is the password, sir?" Nancy called following the procedures they had all set-up for security.

"Faberge." He answered. A moment later, Bruce heard the lock to the door release and Nancy looked before opening the door. She stood back and allowed Bruce and Alfred in. Bruce walked straight to Mari's side who stood to meet him. "Mari, are you okay?"

"Bruce, thank god. All I knew is a feeling and then there was a crash in the nursery."

"I got home as soon as I could." He said pulling Mari close to him. He turned to face Nancy. "Did she ever get close to Mrs. Wayne or the children, Nancy?"

"She got to the door, Sir. But I was standing between her and it. The police arrived on the grounds before she could deal with me or enter here, sir." Nancy said quietly.

Bruce just nodded to them, Nancy and Alfred, and they turned to leave. "Come on, Ms. Nancy. The police will probably want to speak to you." Alfred said leading her from the room.

Mari just held Bruce close trying to calm her fear before Ella or Christian woke up. She took a deep breath and began to feel better. Ella stirred and opened her eyes. "Mama, how did I get to your room?" she asked looking up to her parents.

"Ms. Nancy brought you here, sweet pea. There was a bad person close and she wanted to make sure we were all together and safe." Mari answered as calmly as she could even though Bruce could feel her shaking still.

Ella seeing her dad went to him for a hug, "Did you scare the bad people away, Daddy?"

Bruce held her close and answered, "No, Princess. Commissioner Gordon sent his policemen and they did. I got here after they did and Nancy kept you, Mommy, and Christian safe until I got here."

"Oh, okay, Daddy." She said yawning.

Mari spoke up holding a sleeping Christian to her. "Why don't you lie down here on Daddy's pillow for now and try to go back to sleep, baby girl?"

"Okay, Mommy." Ella said snuggling down as Bruce covered her. Mari walked to her vanity still holding her son close.

"Mari, it's okay. We're all safe."

"Bruce, you don't understand. I asked Nancy if Catwoman said anything while she was out there. Nancy said she told her that 'the little prince is safe from the big bat cat FOR NOW."

"She did what?!" he said yelling

"Shh, Bruce, the kids." She said warning him.

"Sorry, Mari. I can't believe she'd try to go after a baby only a few days old."

"Well, he's your son, Bruce. We know that she wants you for her own. To take your son would pull you to her and place you under her control." Mari said.

"That will never happen. My place is with you and you alone, Mari. You and these little ones here are my life and my heart." Bruce said holding her close to him looking down at their sleeping son.