Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or anything related to Batman. Anything that resembles the comic or the movie written by Christopher Nolan is not mine and I make no money from this. I do own any OC's and the plotline not seen in the movies or the comics. Please do not steal. Thank you.
A/N: This is a VERY long chapter, but I just couldn't break it up. So here we are. Enjoy!
"'I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy. I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done It is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."
Hanna frowned down at the ground, trying her hardest to hold back the sob that threatened to slip from her lips. Next to her stood her daughter, who seemed to be in a daze. Though, after everything that had happened over the past few months, Hanna wasn't surprised. On the other side of her was Daniel, who had let his own tears flow freely as he stared down at the gravestone in front of them. Taking his hand, she stared up at Commissioner Gordon, who had finished his speech and stared down at them. Ever since Bruce had flown away, he had been instrumental in helping to find her family. He had even been there when she practically broke down in front of them.
Hanna pushed through the large crowd of people gathered in the streets, her eyes scanning every face around her, looking for the only two people left for her in this world.
"Mrs. Wayne, hold on," Gordon said, grasping her shoulder.
Hanna resisted the urge to snap at him as he pulled her back. "I can't hold on! My family is gone! I need to see my kids. I need to know they are okay. I need… I need…" she trailed off, a sob moving to break from her throat.
"Mrs. Wayne, they're over here," he said softly, pointing to the sidewalk, where she saw her children standing with Officer Blake.
Letting out a small gasp, she sprinted over. "Daniel, Elizabeth!" she cried.
"Mom!"
Seconds later, bother her children were in her arms, crying along with her. Practically crushing them, she took a long moment to hold them before pulling away and looking them over.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt? I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" she asked, looking over her son before turning to her daughter.
"We're fine," Daniel said, his tired eyes looking down at his mother.
"Mommy," Elizabeth said, tears falling down her face.
Hanna pulled her daughter into her arms and kissed the side of her face. "Ellie, are you hurt? I'm so sorry, baby," she said, practically crushing her in her grip.
"Why did you leave?" Daniel asked, his own tears threatening to fall.
Hanna frowned and raised a hand to his cheek. "I'm so, so, sorry. I just… I didn't know how else to keep you safe," she confessed. "That was my only thought, keeping you safe, I swear."
Daniel frowned. "I just… I thought you were…" he trailed off as tears began to fall.
Hanna wasted no time in pulling him close again. "I'm here, I will never leave you, I swear."
"Where is daddy?" Elizabeth asked, causing Hanna to freeze and pull away. "I want daddy."
Hanna stared into her daughter's blue eyes, tears coming to her own as she realized she was going to have to answer her daughter. "He…" she trailed off, finding it suddenly hard to breathe.
"Mom?"
Looking at her son, she briefly felt him reach out and take Elizabeth as she began to sink to the ground. "Mommy?"
Hanna faintly felt someone grasp her by her waist as she fell, tears blurring her vision as the reality of the situation hit her all at once. Everything had happened so quickly, between realizing Bruce was alive, and then realizing he was leaving her, again. After finding out they were safe from the bomb, she had been so preoccupied with finding her children, she didn't realize she would have to tell them the truth. Bruce was…
"Oh God," she whispered.
"Hanna, you need to breathe," she heard Gordon say in her ear. Glancing up, she saw Blake speaking with Daniel, who was holding a crying Elizabeth. "You need to keep it together, you still have your family."
"I can't keep doing this," she whispered so only Gordon could hear her.
"You have to," he said firmly, "he wouldn't have wanted this for them. He asked you to take care of them."
Hanna held back a sob as she realized the truth, and wiped her eyes. This would have to wait till later. There were bigger things to worry about.
Gordon helped her stand and she stood as straight as she could. Daniel walked over, tears in his own eyes as he handed Elizabeth over, who clung to her mother.
"Come on… we're going home."
Taking a deep breath, she looked up to see Gordon standing next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She gave him a small nod before turning to Daniel, and placing a hand on his arm.
"Daniel, could you please take your sister to the manor?" she asked.
Daniel nodded and reached down to pick his sister up. "Come on, Ellie, want a hot chocolate?" he asked.
Elizabeth nodded, but said nothing else. Hanna frowned and pressed a kiss to her cheek, "I'll be up in a minute, okay?"
"Okay," she said before letting herself to be carried away.
Letting out a shaky breath, she turned toward the grave in front of her, and took a few steps toward the figure in front of her.
"I failed them. They trusted me with their son, and I failed them," Alfred said, his shoulders shaking.
Hanna placed her hand in his, causing the older man to turn toward her. "Alfred…"
"When he left with you… I thought for sure that he had finally found his way. I thought that I had…" He trailed off as he turned back to the graves of Thomas and Martha Wayne.
Hanna gave him a reassuring squeeze and used her free hand to wipe away her tears. "Alfred, you didn't fail them. You stepped in when no one else did and took care of a young boy who was lost. Without you, he would have never become the man that he did. He would have never saved the city if it was not for you. He became a wonderful father and husband because of how you raised him. You did everything right… life just… happened."
Alfred paused before straightening up and pulling out his handkerchief for her. She smiled warmly before accepting and wiping her eyes. Gazing at the graves in front of him, her took a deep breath before turning to her. "I'll give you a moment," he said.
Hanna nodded and let go of his hand, waiting a few moments before walking up to the newly placed gravestone. Kneeling in front of it, she gently wiped away dust that had not yet accumulated and stared down at the grass in front of it. Again, tears threatened to fall, but she pushed them away and looked at the name on the stone.
"I remember when my mom first brought me here, I thought you were going to be like all the other spoiled rich kids in the city, I almost thought I was right. If it wasn't for Rachel asking me to play with you guys, I probably would have never asked to come back. But after that afternoon, I knew there was more. I knew behind the mask of the richest kid in Gotham, there was a young boy, who just wanted to lose at tag." Hanna stopped suddenly, a small smile coming to her lips.
Looking to a tree not far from the manor, she recalled an afternoon where the three of them had attempted to build a treehouse by themselves. They had failed horribly and settled for building a fort and stopping Mr. Wayne from trying to take it over. The memory was soon followed by one of the three of them in High School, climbing to the top at night and talking about their plans for the future, and how they promised to never lose touch.
"This isn't supposed to be like this. We were supposed to grow old together. Not just you and me. We were supposed to sit in the sitting room of the manor as old people and making fun of the people on Family Feud. You, me, and Rachel. I guess life had other plans for us," she paused as she wiped away a few tears. "I've lost three best friends, and two husbands in this life. I don't know how much more I could take. Of course the one time I need you by my side more than ever, you're not here. Even when you promised to come back to me."
Frustration bubbled in her chest before she pushed it down and shook her head. "It's always been you, Bruce. I've loved many men, I loved Nathan, but you… you were my first, and you will be my last. Thank you. I know our road was rough, and we had every right to just give it up and go out separate ways. God knows where we would be right now. I just… I'm so fucking mad that you've left me like this. But Bruce… I wouldn't change anything. You made me so happy, and so mad, but I love you even more for it. Thank you for the life you gave me, the love we shared, and the beautiful family we created."
Taking a deep breath, Hanna stood and pressed a kiss on her fingers, before placing it on the grave. "I love you, Bruce Wayne. Till the day I die," she whispered, smiling sadly before turning away and walking up the hill.
Wiping away the rest of her tears, she stopped when she saw Alfred giving Elizabeth a flower, causing her to smile for a fraction of a second before turning back to her mother.
"Momma, are we leaving?" she asked.
Hanna nodded and brushed some of her hair out of her way. "Soon, why don't you run into the manor and grab your stuff. We're not coming back for it later," she said.
Elizabeth nodded before running into the manor, Daniel following silently behind her. Hanna frowned and looked around the large house. It might not have been the original, but it was similar enough to cause the tug in her chest when she realized she was stepping away forever, never coming back.
"Is there anything I could do to change your mind?" Alfred asked, pulling her from her thoughts.
Hanna turned toward him and smiled. "I think my mind is pretty set. We can't stay here. After everything," she trailed off, her mind flying back to her months trying to hide from mercenaries. She shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I appreciate your offer, though. I just don't I could ever get used to living in this manor by myself, even if you were still here."
Alfred smiled and placed his hand over hers. "I understand. I supposed I've just gotten used to having the children run around again," he said.
Hanna chuckled and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you, Alfred. You are more than welcome to visit," she said before pulling away, "in the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy your retirement, for real this time."
"I appreciate that, Ms. Hanna… but under the circumstances, I would have gone about it any other way than this," he said. He glanced over to the doorway, where he could see Elizabeth diverting from her current task to pick some flowers from the bushes on the side of the manor. "No matter what has, or will happen, I am forever grateful, for you Hanna."
"Alfred…"
"You were the light he needed, after living in the dark for so long. You brought that little girl into this world, into his life. Even if the manor is gone, even if the company doesn't stand… the Wayne legacy will live on. He will live on," Alfred said, "I know you will take the best care of her. If she grows to be as much of a woman as her mother… the world will be a better place."
Hanna felt tears sting once more before leaning over and kissing his cheek. "Goodbye, Alfred," she said.
"Farewell, Ms. Hanna…"
Hanna smiled as he bowed his head and began making his way to say goodbye to her children. Taking her eyes off the group, she began walking to her car, only to stop when she saw Blake and Gordon ending their conversation.
"Mrs. Wayne," Gordon said upon seeing her.
"Commissioner, after everything, I feel like you can call me Hanna," she said.
"Hanna… how are you holding up?" Gordon asked.
"Shitty," Blake answered, raising an eyebrow at him.
Hanna felt a ghost of a smile appear on her lips before shaking her head and looking at the commissioner. "I'm… dealing. Not well… but I've got to be there for the kids," she admitted.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Gordon asked, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder.
Hanna smiled and shook her head. "No, I think we're going to work through this part together," she said, "what about you? What will you do?"
"Start rebuilding the city, trying to find some good people to help me," he said, glancing over to Blake.
Hanna followed his gave before patting his arm. "I wish you luck, though I'm sure you'll be able to handle it," she said.
Gordon smiled and pulled away from her. "I know that you're probably feeling overwhelmed, I just… I want to let you know that your husband saved this city maybe more times than it deserved. There is no way any one could repay him, or you for what you've lost. I… I don't think a thank you is appropriate. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to contact me."
Hanna forced a smile on her face and nodded. "Thank you, Jim."
He nodded and stepped away to speak with Fox, who was speaking softly with Alfred. Hanna frowned and looked over at Blake, who was watching her carefully.
"I don't suppose you're staying in the force, are you?" Hanna asked.
Blake shook his head. "There doesn't seem to be a point to it anymore. Not everything that has happened," he said. "And you? Where will you go with this place being sold?"
Hanna looked back at the rebuilt manor. Despite all the memories she had built here, the thought of staying here made her stomach crawl. It wasn't a home without Bruce.
"We'll head back to West Chester. Go back to my job. The kids have some school to catch up on. I guess we'll pick up the pieces and move on," she said, looking back at him.
Blake was silent for a moment before nodded. "If you need anything-"
"John… you've already done so much. What you did for my children while I was… I can't ever repay that. I can't thank you enough for taking care of them. If I would have lost them…"
Blake said nothing as he stepped forward and pulled Hanna into a hug. The move startled her a bit, but she quickly hugged him back, holding back tears as she did. If someone would have told her a year ago that she would have trusted this hot headed cop with her life and the lives of her children, she would have thought they were lying. Yet, here she was, thanking him for keeping her children safe, even when he had no reason to. Pulling away, she placed a hand on his shoulder, and the other on his cheek.
"Thank you," she said. "If you are ever in West Chester, and need anything, just let me know."
Blake nodded and gave her a small smile. "I appreciate that," he said, "take care of yourself, and those kids. After everything, you're going to need each other."
Hanna nodded and took a step back, letting the young man glance at the manor before heading to his car. Wiping away her tears, she glanced back at her children, watching as her son kneeled down to help adjust the jacket Elizabeth was wearing. Blake was right. They needed each other. Taking a deep breath, she looked back to the manor, the copy of a place she had spent most of her childhood. Where her life had changed from the moment she stepped into the foyer. She knew once she left she would never set foot again, knowing that she would never return.
Looking back to her children, she made her way over and placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder.
"You guys ready?" she asked.
Daniel stood and nodded, swinging his back-pack to rest over his shoulder. "Yeah… are you?"
Hanna looked over the grounds, her gaze resting on the tomb stones before nodding and looking back at him. "As ready as I can be," she said. She looked down at Elizabeth and brushed some of her hair out of her daughter's face. "You ready to go, sweetheart?"
Elizabeth nodded and looked up at her mother. "Are we leaving Daddy?"
Hanna frowned and leaned down to pick her daughter up. "Yeah, baby… we have to leave daddy," she said.
Elizabeth frowned, but did not cry. "I don't want to leave him," she said.
Hanna felt the tears threaten to break through again, but pushed them back and kissed her daughter's forehead. "I know, I don't either," she confessed. "We'll figure it out. Let's just go home."
Hanna handed Elizabeth over to Daniel, and handed him the keys. "Why don't you start the car. I'll be there in a couple minutes."
Daniel nodded and began walking down the driveway, his sister in tow.
Hanna walked to the front the door and grabbed her overnight bag, stopping as she glanced around the foyer. Looking up at the many photos of the Wayne Family, stopping at the recreation of the photo of Thomas and Martha Wayne, with the one of Bruce right next to them. Her eyes met theirs before smiling and giving them a small nod of recognition before smiling.
"Goodbye."
"Hanna, why don't you come here and introduce yourself? Be polite," Sandra said.
Hanna looked up from her coloring book on the kitchen table and frowned. Despite her whining and crying, her mother had dragged her to Wayne Manor for the day, due to her father having to pick up an extra shift at the factory. Sandra, who helped to manage all the estates staff and affairs, set her up in the kitchen with Mrs. Dawes, who announced her daughter was around the place playing with Bruce Wayne. Now, it seemed her mother was determined to force her to make some new friends.
Sliding off the stool, she straightened out her skirt before walking toward the door, where her mother stood. Sandra gently grasped her shoulder, and led her into the dining room, where Thomas and Martha Wayne sat, while a young boy and girl stood not far from another door leading to the rest of the manor.
"Ah, Sandra… this must be Hanna," Thomas said, standing up and making his way toward her.
"Yes, Mister Wayne. This is Hanna Grey, my daughter. Hanna… this is Mr. Wayne, my boss," Sandra said.
"You're the guy from the newspaper," Hanna said, her six-year-old mind grasping at the memory of her father showing her the daily newspaper.
Thomas laughed and held out his hand. "I'm sure I am. It is very nice to meet you, Miss Grey. Your mother has told me so much about you," he said.
Hanna grasped his hand in a handshake and nodded. "It's nice to meet you too," she said.
Next to him appeared Martha Wayne, who kneeled to be at the same level of Hanna. "Hello, Miss Hanna. My name is Martha. It is a pleasure to meet you," she said, holding out her hand.
"Hello, Mrs. Wayne. It's nice to meet you," Hanna said.
Martha stood and gestured for the boy behind her to step forward. He begrudgingly did so, a look of boredom painted on his face. "This is our son, Bruce. Bruce, this is Hanna Grey, Mrs. Grey's daughter," Martha said.
"Hello," Hanna said.
"Hi…" Bruce said, looking her over before turning back to his mother, as if to ask what he was supposed to do.
"Since Hanna is spending the day here, maybe you and Rachel can play with her, show her around the Manor?" Martha asked.
Bruce frowned, but after a look from his father, nodded and gestured to the door. "Sure… come on," he said.
Hanna looked up at her mother, who nodded and gestured to the door. Hanna sighed and followed, waiting till they were in the foyer before turning to the other girl.
"Hi! I'm Rachel!" she said, holding out her hand.
Hanna shook her hand and smiled. "I'm Hanna," she said, "what were you guys playing?"
"We were about to play hide and seek, have you played before?" Bruce asked, though his tone seemed forced.
Hanna frowned at the young boy. "Everyone has played before," she said.
Bruce looked down, as if he was embarrassed. "Oh," he said.
"Do you want to play with us?" Rachel asked.
Hanna shrugged. "I don't really know where to hide, I've never been here," Hanna said.
"You don't have to play if you don't want to?" Bruce said.
Rachel nudged him and shot him a look. "He's kidding, you can play with us," Rachel said.
"I don't want to mess up your game of hide and seek," Hanna said.
"We can play a different game," Rachel said, "we can play go fish."
"I don't like that game," Bruce said.
"Or the floor is lava?"
"My mom will kill me if I mess up another table," Bruce said.
Hanna shared a look with Rachel, who was becoming frustrated. "Fine," Rachel said, "What about Candy Land?"
"I don't want to play in the house," Bruce said.
"If you don't want to play with me, you don't have to," Hanna said, crossing her arms.
Bruce met her gaze, his cheeks turning red, and shook his head. "No, it's not just that! You can play. I just don't want to play those games," he said.
"Well, then what would you like to play?" Hanna asked.
Bruce shrugged. "I don't know… tag?" he suggested. "Is that okay?"
Hanna looked at Rachel and smiled before turning back to Bruce and dramatically bowing. "Yes, Mister Wayne."
Rachel, chuckling also bowed. "Of course, Mister Wayne," she said.
Hanna giggled and curtsied, "Whatever you say, Mister Wayne."
Bruce frowned, but soon smiled when Rachel nudged him. "Come on, let's play tag," Rachel said.
Bruce smiled and tapped Hanna's shoulder. "You're it!"
Bruce and Rachel ran off, while Hanna giggled and ran after them, their laughter echoing through the halls.
"Mrs. Wayne, we have gone through all of your husband's estate, and… well, it is obviously not as large as the will would assume it would be," Mr. Peterson said.
Hanna nodded as she sat across from the lawyer, who traveled from Gotham to basically tell Hanna what she already knew.
Bruce had no money to give her.
Not that it mattered. Her house was paid off, she had a job, and she still had some money in her savings, so she knew that she would live. Though, she would not deny that it would have been less stressful.
"So… what does that leave my daughter?" Hanna asked, her eyes glancing around the small conference room that had been cleaned up for the meeting. There were only a couple boxes the many had brought with him, and she was beginning to wonder what he had brought.
"Well… the bad news is that because of his… current estate, there is no immediate money to deposited. The contents of the house are to be sold to settle the estate's accounts, that way you will not have to worry about paying out of pocket for the rest," he said.
"Thank you," Hanna said.
"The rest is to be split between yourself and Alfred Pennyworth, which equals about three hundred and twenty-six thousand each, after taxes. The house and grounds are to be left to you and Miss Elizabeth Wayne," he said.
Hanna paused before clasping her hands together and clearing her throat. "And if I don't want it?" she asked.
Mr. Peterson frowned and leaned forward across the table. "I understand… but technically… the Manor should go to Elizabeth, seeing as she is the last remaining heir to the Wayne fortune."
"A fortune which, if I'm understanding correctly, doesn't exist," Hanna pointed out. Mr. Peterson went to speak, but Hanna quickly cut him off. "The Manor used to represent the standing the Wayne Family had in Gotham. Now… after everything, we'll be lucky if Wayne Enterprise even stays open. Even if it did, she is six, and cannot legally buy any shares in the company even if she had the money to. The last thing she needs in her life right now, is a giant reminder that her father is no longer in her life."
She stopped, tears beginning to sneak their way out, but shook her head and let out a watery chuckle before shrugging. "It's just a house…" she said softly.
Mr. Peterson nodded and looked back to his file. "Then the house and grounds will go to the City of Gotham, on the condition that they never be demolished, altered, or otherwise interfered with, and that they shall be used for one purpose, and one purpose only," he paused to clear his throat, "The housing and care of the city's at-risk and orphaned children."
A small smile spread across Hanna's lips as she realized, even in death, Bruce was still trying to save the city. A knot formed in her throat, and she quickly swallowed it in order to speak. "Good."
"Looking into his affairs… we have found two separate accounts in a small credit union based in a small town not far from West Chester," he said.
Hanna furrowed her eyebrows and leaned forward. "They weren't hacked in the market theft last year?" she asked.
"No… because, though it seemed Mr. Wayne opened and deposited into these accounts under the names of the two recipients they were to go to," he flipped through a couple of pages before reading of the names. "Elizabeth Martha Rose Wayne, and Daniel Nathan Timothy Sanders."
Hanna's eyes went wide as she took in the information. Not only had Bruce secretly put money aside for their daughter…. But for her son as well.
"How much money has been placed in these accounts?"
"About 1.2 Billion each. These accounts are to be untouched by them until they reach twenty-one years old. They've been accumulating interest for about five years, so by the time they are able to access the accounts, they will have a fair bit built up," Mr. Peterson said, handing her the papers to read over.
Hanna practically felt her jaw drop as she looked over the paper. "Why was this not used to pay off the accounts the estate owes?" she asked.
"The contents of the house were more than enough to settle the debt. Besides, this was hidden even from his will, and was only discovered from a file that was looked through after most of his estate was settled in Gotham. Not to mention, the account is in your children's names, so… we technically consider it their money… not Bruce's," Mr. Peterson explained.
Hanna ran a hand over her face and handed back the paper. Her mind was blank as she tried to grasp the information in front of her. Both of her children were set for life. Daniel could go to any college he chose, and still have enough money to live job free for the rest of his life. By the time Elizabeth would be old enough to access the money, she would probably be one of the richest women in the US, if not the world.
"Do you have any other questions about the accounts? We still have some of the smaller matters to go over," Mr. Peterson said.
Hanna shook her head, "no, go ahead," she said.
Mr. Peterson gestured to the box to his left. "In this box is the remaining personal items left from Mr. Wayne. His journals, a few letters, pictures. Almost everything is accounted for," he said.
"Almost?" Hanna asked.
Mr. Peterson nodded and cleared his throat. "Well… it um… it would appear we might have… we might have misplaced one item," he said.
"Which item?" Hanna said.
He looked through his papers once more before frowning and facing her. "It seems a string of pearls has been missing. Ones that appeared to belong to Mrs. Martha Wayne," he said.
Hanna frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. "You mean… you lost my mother-in-law's pearl necklace?"
"It um… it would seem so," he said. "You will be compensated accordingly, of course."
"Of course. It's only the last remaining thing my daughter has of her grandparents," she said.
"I understand this is a very unique situation, Mrs. Wayne, you have our deepest sympathies for losing such a valuable item. We will do all that we can to ensure you are fully satisfied with our service," he said.
Hanna resisted the urge to roll her eyes and shook her head. "Is there anything else?"
"No, Mrs. Wayne, that is all. I just need you to sign some papers while I collect the rest of your personal items," he said, sliding over a small stack of papers. "I will be right back if you have any questions."
"Thank you," Hanna said, grabbing the stack and grabbing her pen.
As the lawyer left, Hanna glanced over at the box holding the last remaining items of her husband. All at once she felt the weight of everything in front of her fall upon her. As relieved as she was that, financially at least, she was secure for life. However, the realization that she was now, once again, a single mother. She was alone. Her best friends had left her. The love of her life had left her.
"Come back," she whispered, tears beginning to fall. "Please come back."
For the first time in a long time, in the solace of the small conference room, Hanna Wayne placed her head in her hands, and broke down.
A giggle left her lips as she ran through the hallway, Bruce right next to her.
"Come on, she'll never catch us in here," Bruce said, grasping her hand and pulling her into a closet.
Hanna shut the door behind her, and kneeled onto the floor, Bruce right next to her. Feeling another giggle rise up, she quickly pressed her hand to her lips, her eyes meeting Bruce's while he gently shushed her.
Outside the door, they heard small footsteps run past the door and down the hall, briefly hearing their names being called by Rachel as she went. A moment passed before she chuckled and looked at the young boy.
"How long do you think it will take for her to find us?" Hanna asked.
"I don't know. She's really smart, but I've never used this closet before," he said.
Hanna nodded and leaned against the wall, pulling her knees to her as she did. "I'm pretty sure your closet is bigger than my bathroom," she said absentmindedly.
Bruce chuckled but said nothing else as he sat down across from her. Silence surrounded the two six-year-old children as they waited for their friend to find them. After a few moments, Bruce spoke.
"I'm sorry about earlier. It wasn't that I didn't want you to play with us… I was just…" he trailed off.
"What?"
"I thought you would make fun of me like the kids at school. They always tease me for being Bruce Wayne. Rachel didn't care when I met her, but I wasn't sure if you would tease me too."
Hanna frowned and reached over to place a hand on his arm. "It's okay, I was afraid you would be mean because you were Bruce Wayne, but I was wrong. I'm sorry too," she said.
Bruce smiled and held out his hand. "Friends?" he asked.
"Forever," she said, grasping his hand and shaking it.
As their hands broke apart, the closet door opened and Rachel stared down at the two of them. "There you guys are! We're playing tag! Not hide-and-seek!" she said.
"Well, you can't tag us if you can't find us," Hanna said, standing up with Bruce.
Rachel pursed her lips before tapping her shoulder and smirking. "You're it!"
Hanna squealed as she turned to Bruce and quickly tapped his shoulder. "You're it! No tag backs!" she said before taking off.
"Hey, not fair! Come back!" he called as Rachel took off as well. Scrunching his nose, he chased after the two girls, a genuine smile on his lips the entire time.
Hanna fought back the tears as she held her daughter in her arms, gently rubbing circles behind her back as she did so. Sobs racked the small girl as she cried for her father to come home, only to be met with her mother's gentle rocking and soft words of comfort.
"I want daddy!" Elizabeth sobbed into her shirt.
Hanna pushed away the clench in her chest as she kissed the top of her head. "I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry, he's not here," she said softly.
"I want him back, tell him to come back," Elizabeth cried.
"I wish I could, baby. I'm sorry. It's okay, just let it out. Breathe, baby," Hanna said.
"Why is he gone? Why can't he come back?" Elizabeth asked.
Hanna bit her lip as more tears began to fall, but instead wiped them away before pulling away and wiping some of Elizabeth's tears away. "Elizabeth… we talked about this. Daddy was in an accident and could not get better. He had to go to heaven. I'm sorry sweetheart, I'm so sorry, but he's not coming back."
"Then I'll go to him!" Elizabeth said defiantly.
Hanna felt her stomach drop but shook her head. "I know you miss him, baby, but it's not your time yet. One day you will go to him, but it's not time yet," she said.
"But when? I miss him!"
Hanna leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I know, Ellie, I know you do. I miss him too. We have to be patient, though. We can't rush to see him. God will let us know when it is time," she said.
The answer seemed to placate her daughter, but silent tears continued to flow. Hanna held and rocked her daughter until her soft snores let her know she was fast asleep. Gently, she placed her daughter in bed and set up her night-light, before tucking her in and leaving the room.
Closing the door behind her, she took a deep breath and let a few more tears flow down her cheeks. Despite her best efforts, getting her family back to normal was the hardest thing she had to do. Both her children had been spending time in counseling, and she did her best to throw herself into her job in order to distract her own thoughts from getting too out of hand.
Elizabeth was taking it hard. She often woke in the middle of the night crying, and often ended up in Hanna's bed. Hanna did her best to sooth the girl back to sleep, but it often times ended in a temper tantrum, and more tears. Hanna understood, and did her best to let the young girl let out her emotions, knowing it was better to let her cry it out, rather than bottle it all up. The therapist worked with her on a weekly basis to try and help her through it but did tell Hanna it would be a long time before Elizabeth would be able to cope. Hanna took all of the therapists notes and did her best to help her daughter through it, even if it meant her own heart breaking at the sight.
Daniel, much to her surprise, stepped up and picked up the slack. He tried his best to help his mother with chores, Elizabeth, anything he could. His therapist said it was normal for him to want to step in and take over for the lack of a 'man' in the house, and despite a few nightmares, he had opened himself up in therapy and worked to get himself better.
Passing his room, Hanna opened the door and checked in on him, noting he had fallen asleep with his headphones on once again. Hanna smiled and entered his room to gently remove his headphones. Much to her surprise, she noted he had been listening to a podcast before falling asleep, rather than his music like he used to. Leaning down she placed a kiss on his head before exiting the room and shutting off the light.
Running a hand through her hair, she walked to her kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. Rain had begun to pour outside, and she could faintly make out the small swing-set Bruce had built two summers ago. Pushing away the memory of her husband playing with their daughter, she chugged the rest of her water and headed to her room.
Furrowing her eyebrows, she noted the lights had been turned off, even though she had deliberately kept them on for when she came back. Reaching over, she flipped the switch, frowning when none of the lights turned on. Giving a frustrated sigh, she walked over and turned on the lamp next to her bed, freezing when she noticed something on her pillow.
Sitting against the solid red pattern of her pillowcase, sat a string of pearls, perfectly perched against a single red rose and a note. Her eyes took in the pearls, recognition hitting her like a ton of bricks. She knew those pearls anywhere. Those pearls were hers. They were Martha Wayne's pearls. Shakily grasping the note, she turned it over and almost gasped in shock at the single phrase written on it.
I will come back to you.
A sudden knock on her front door caused her to jump and drop the note, her heart pounded as she felt her feet move of their own will. Her surroundings went past her in a blur as she reached the door, her hands on the handle, and her heart threatening to burst. A crash of lightening flashed through the night, illuminating the small house before she swung the door open, her blue eyes meeting a very tired brown.
"Hanna," he said. It was his voice. As clear as day. His eyes stared down at her, tears in his eyes as he took a step toward her. Dark circles sat under his eyes, and she noted his wardrobe looked like something he might have found in a donation box. Hesitantly, she reached out and placed her hand on his chest, a sob catching in her throat as she realized he was real. He was in front of her. He was back.
"Bruce?" she asked, her gaze meeting his once again.
"It's me," he said.
Hanna cried out as she reached up and pulled him close, her arms shaking as they wrapped around him. His arms wrapped around her as his head dropped to rest on her shoulder, tears falling onto her shoulder. The two of them clung to each other, both of them practically shaking as they held each other for the first time in months. Hanna pulled away and raised her hand to his cheek.
"You're real? You're alive?" she asked quietly.
"I'm alive, I'm real. It's me, Hanna… it's Bruce," he said.
In a flurry of motion, Hanna suddenly pulled back and threw her fist at his jaw. The contact caused Bruce to stumble back a moment, his eyes growing wide as he stared down at his wife. "What?"
"You fucking asshole! You made me think you were dead! You have put this family through hell! What were you thinking? You fucking piece of shit!" she said, throwing another punch at him.
Bruce saw it coming, and quickly grabbed her arm. "Hanna… wait, I can explain," he said.
"Explain? You abandoned us! We had to sit through a funeral for you! Your daughter has been crying for you every night! I've been dying inside every day without you! Why would you do this?" she practically shouted, moving to kick him.
Bruce quickly maneuvered them so he had her pinned against the wall, so she couldn't attack him. Tears of fury continued to fall as she struggled against him. "Hanna, sweetheart, please!"
"I fucking hate you! Why did you leave? I needed you damnit! I love you and you just fucking left me. Jesus, Bruce, you died and I just…" Hanna trailed off as she stared up at him.
"I'm sorry, God Hanna, I am so sorry," he said.
Hanna frowned and used her free hand to slap him, causing him to lean away from her and the pain. "Fuck you," she hissed.
Bruce sighed and went to speak before he felt her hands wrap around her neck and pull him to her. In an instant, her lips were on his, and her fingers were digging through his hair. Bruce practically melted into her, his arms circling around her waist and pulling her closer. Hanna pulled away and pressed her forehead against his, savoring the feeling of her body fitting perfectly with his. "Why?" she asked.
Bruce pulled away and pushed over of her hair away from her face. "I am so sorry. It was last minute thinking. I needed to keep you guys safe. I needed to make sure you and Gotham lived another day," he said.
"By why not tell me that you were going to fake your death, instead of leaving me and our family thinking you were dead?" Hanna asked.
"I had fixed the autopilot on the bat, but I had yet to actually test it. I wasn't actually sure I could make it out alive. I ejected from the bat before it exploded, but between the injuries I sustained, and the water, I passed out and washed up on shore. I was in a coma for two months before I woke up in a make-shift hospital on the outskirts of Gotham. It took me a little while to recover and gather everything I needed to come here and make a clean break," he said.
"A clean break?" Hanna asked, pulling back.
He nodded and raised a hand to her cheek. "For us. A chance to step away from Gotham, Batman, all of it. For our family to just live, and no longer be tied to anything holding us back. Just you, me, and the kids," he said.
"You faked your death, all so you could have an excuse to not go back to Gotham," Hanna asked. "You still could have told me."
"If there was even a small chance that I didn't make it, I didn't want you spending the rest of your life waiting for me to come back, only to be disappointed when I never returned. There was a very good chance that I would have actually died, and I didn't want to chance hurting you even more like that," he said.
"That is still a dick move, Bruce. Jesus… you have no idea what it has been like these past few months," she said. "All these late nights trying to stop the tears, trying to pick up what was broken. It almost broke this family, Bruce."
Bruce frowned and placed a hand on her cheek. "Hanna, I'm so sorry. I know it doesn't mean much, but I will never make you or this family go through that again. I promise you, I will never put you through that again. If you'll have me, I will never leave this family, I swear."
Hanna took a hold of his hand and met his gaze, tears threatening to fall once again. "Will you? How do I know things have changed? You tried to give up your other life before, and fell right back into it. I want you, Bruce… but I don't want to have to go through this again," she said. "How can I trust you?"
Bruce stepped back, his eyes darkening as he stared down at her. "I thought I was going to die. When I was laying in Bane's prison, I thought I was never going to see you. I thought I was never going to hold you, kiss you, or hear you tell me you loved me. I thought I would never hold my daughter, hear her laugh, see her smile. I thought I would never get to see Daniel graduate from high school and become the young man you and Nathan helped to raise. The whole time, I had one wish," he said, smiling softly as he brushed her hair back.
"I wished that I could go back and disappear with you and our family. That we could live the rest of our lives peacefully, with no masked vigilantes, no bad guys. Just us, our kids, and the future. I wished I could apologize a thousand times for putting you through everything. I just wished to be here, with my family."
Hanna felt tears fall as she reached forward and placed her own hand on his cheek. "I thought for sure you were dead. When the whole thing started, I never felt more alone and scared. Each day was a struggle to keep going. If it weren't for the kids, I have no idea how I would have been able to stay alive. Everyday you didn't show up, my heart broke a little more. I was so mad at you for leaving, for choosing them over us. I knew why you did it, and I know it was the right thing to do, but that doesn't make it hurt any less."
"Hanna," Bruce said.
"I can't do this again, Bruce. I'm serious. I can't bear the thought of losing you again. So, if you're in this… you cannot step out. You can't choose Gotham over us. This has to be the only thing you protect from now on," she paused and met his gaze. "Can you do that?"
Bruce leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. "Everyday, for the rest of my life," he said.
Hanna felt tears begin to fall and nodded. "I'm holding you to that."
A small chuckle left his lips as he leaned down to gently kiss her, only to be interrupted by a small cry.
"Mommy!"
Hanna pulled away and looked up at her husband, who suddenly had tears forming in his eyes. She gently brushed his hair from his face and kissed his cheek. "Go on… you need to see her," she said.
Bruce turned to her and smiled before walking to his daughter's room. Hanna smiled when she heard the squeal of delight, following what she assumed to be more tears. Walking into her daughter's room, she smiled upon seeing Bruce hold his child close and kiss the top of her head.
"I'm here, El… I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," he said, looking up to meet his wife's gaze.
"I promise."
"If you could have any superpower, what would it be?" Rachel asked as she finished off her lunch.
"Super strength," Bruce said instantly.
"Why?" Hanna asked, eating her chips.
Bruce shrugged. "Why not? I would be able to just punch through walls, or beat up bad guys whenever I wanted," he said.
Rachel frowned. "You're just going to go around and beat up people?"
"Bad people, Rachel… like in comics," he said.
Hanna ignored him and answered her friend's question. "I would want to move things with my mind! Or read people's minds," she said.
"What if they are thinking mean things?" Bruce asked.
"Then I call on my friend with super strength to come beat them up!" she said.
A small smile made it to Bruce's face as he shifted his weight in his seat. After a moment, he looked to Rachel, who seemed to be in thought. "What about you, Rachel? What would your power be?"
Rachel thought it over before smiling. "I'd want to be invisible, so I could beat you at hide and seek," she said.
Hanna laughed and stood up. "Bruce won't be able to find you even if you weren't invisible," she said.
"I could too!" Bruce argued.
Rachel met Hanna's gaze before smiling and standing up too. "Okay, count to twenty and come find us. If you can't then you have to treat us like Princesses!" she said.
"What if I find you?" Bruce asked.
"Then we do whatever you want for a year!" Hanna said.
Bruce smiled and covered his eyes. "One… Two… Three…"
Rachel and Hanna took off, trying their best to giggle. "Are we really going to do what he says if he finds us?" she asked.
"Don't worry… he won't find us," Hanna said.
"Why is that?" Rachel asked.
"Because we're going to hide in the only place he won't look," she said. "My mom's office."
Rachel smiled and linked her arm through Hanna's. "You're going to be my best friend, Hanna Grey. You and Bruce," she said.
Hanna smiled and nodded. "Okay! But we got to make sure he doesn't find us. I'm not picking up his socks for a year."
Bruce felt himself being pulled from his dream as light filtered through the room. Frustration washed over him as he realized he failed to close the black-out curtains, and knew Hanna would be annoyed if she woke to light shinning right in her face.
Hanna.
Glancing over, his heart lurched as he saw his wife laying next to him. When he first saw her, he thought he was going to break down in front of her and collapse. He had thought about nothing else but her from the moment he was able to gain consciousness. For days he thought about how he would approach her, how he would let her know, and how he would convince her to forgive him. He could only imagine how hard the past few months had been for her, and he knew suddenly showing back up would not fix it. Yet, as he laid next to her, he knew, without a doubt, that he was willing to work through whatever challenges they faced in order to make things right. He had stared death in the face and came out alive, he was not going to waste this moment.
"Stop staring and close the curtains, please," Hanna mumbled, turning so she was laying on her stomach.
Bruce smirked before rolling out of bed and going to the window. His eyes lingered on the backyard, noting that she had put off cutting the grass in a couple days. Nor had she tended the small garden they had started. It seemed life had stopped in the aftermath of Gotham. Taking a deep breath, he closed the curtains and turned back to the bed, where he met the tired gaze of his wife, who was watching him closely.
"You okay?" she asked softly.
Bruce nodded and moved so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Are you?" he asked.
Hanna was silent as she stared up at him before shrugging and rolling back over to her side. "I'm… I am still trying to process everything. Just because the kids were quick to accept this, doesn't mean I can," she admitted.
Bruce nodded and instinctually reached out to grasp her hand, only to think twice and drop it onto the bed. "I'm not expecting you to. I know that after everything… we have a lot to work through. I just want to know if there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know what I would do without you, Hanna. I already saw a glimpse of my life without you, and never want to see that again."
To his surprise, Hanna reached out and grasped his hand, her grip tight as she met his gaze. "I don't want to throw in the towel. I'm not going to. I just… my God, Bruce. Where do we begin? You've been declared dead. All of our friends and family, they all think you died. How do we suddenly bring you back? How do we do this while still maintaining a clean break? I just… I have no idea where to go from here."
Bruce was silent for a few long moments, his eyes tracing over Hanna's face before moving closer and raising her hand to his lips. After giving a small kiss to her palm, he met her gaze and answered. "Europe."
Hanna raised an eyebrow. "Europe? What are you talking about?" she asked.
"We go to Europe," he said, "that is our break. We have a couple houses there. We can pick one and start all over. No more Gotham. No more Batman. No more fighting to keep ourselves out of the public light. Just us and our family."
Hanna sat up and stared at him. "You're actually serious? You want us to drop everything and start a new life in Europe?" she asked.
"Yes," he answered.
"What about the kids? They have school!"
"Daniel can finish his school there, in one of the top schools in the country. Or just get his GED and go to one of the top universities there. Elizabeth is in Kindergarten, her transition will be fairly easy," he said.
"What about me? What about my job?" she asked.
"You can teach music there. I've hidden enough money away, we can start wherever we want. No pressure. No distractions. Just us focusing on our family," he said. He reached up to cup her cheek and leaned closer to her. "We can do this, Hanna. This is our only chance. We can be free from this. Free from our past. Start over and just… be together. No strings attached."
Hanna reached forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, moving herself closer to him and resting her forehead against his. "Bruce," she said softly, her eyebrows furrowing as she took in the new proposal.
"I love you, Hanna. I need you to trust me. This could be exactly what we need," he said.
Hanna pulled away before gently pressing her lips to his, her other hand reaching over to grasp his shirt. Bruce moved closer, one arm wrapping around her middle to pull him to her, his other hand lowering from her cheek to her neck. After a moment, Hanna broke away and nodded. "Okay," she said.
"Okay? We're doing this?" he asked.
Hanna chuckled and gently flicked his nose. "Don't change my mind, Bruce Wayne. Take the opportunity now before I change my mind," she said.
"I think I could do some other things to make sure you don't change your mind," he said, his hand around her middle dipping lower to rest on her hip.
"Oh? What makes you think I'm not still mad at you?" she asked.
Bruce leaned forward and captured her lips in a deep kiss before pulling away and smiling. "I know you're still mad, and I'll stop if you ask me. But, God, Hanna… it's been too long since I've seen you," he said, leaning in to kiss her again before pulling away, "since I've kissed you." His hand shifted lower to her but, gently cupping it before pulling her as close as he could in their awkward positions. "Since I've felt you."
Hanna gasped as he leaned down to kiss her jaw, his teeth grazing her skin ever so slightly. "Bruce," she gasped, her hands reaching up to tangle in his hair. "Don't stop."
In an instant, Bruce moved her so she was on her back, and he was resting in-between her legs. His hands reached up under her shirt, his calloused fingers taking in every inch of her skin as he could. Leaning down, he kissed her stomach, noting the way she twitched slightly as she shifted. "I missed you. God… I missed you," he whispered.
"Then stop wasting time," Hanna said, her hands griping his hair. "We've got about forty minutes before Elizabeth wakes up. Don't waste them."
Bruce chuckled and moved lower, taking her pajama pants with him. "Yes, Ma'am," he said.
An hour later, Bruce watched as Hanna began buttoning up her flannel shirt, her hair a mess, and a satisfied glow surrounding her. Taking a few steps forward, her reached out and pulled her against him, his arms circling her waste as he stared down at her. Hanna glanced up, a small smile reaching her lips as she stared up at him.
"You know we just got dressed… right?" she asked, a small chuckle leaving her lips.
Bruce leaned down, kissing her deeply before pulling away and kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry," he said.
"For?" Hanna asked.
"For everything. For leaving you. For not being able to protect you. I'm sorry that I didn't realize how close I was to losing you until I lost you. I should have listening to you," he said.
"If you listening to me, thousands of people would be dead. I wish it didn't have to be you, but you were the only one who could have saved us. I'm just so thankful you came back to me," she said, leaning up to kiss him.
Bruce smiled into the kiss before pulling away and pulling her into a hug. "I promise. I'm never leaving you again."
Hanna chuckled before hugging her back, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I'm going to hold you to that."
Hanna giggled as the three of them laid down on one of the many living room floors. After hours of running around, the three of them found themselves all out of energy.
"Bruce, how long would it to take to run through this entire place? Because I feel like we did that," Hanna said.
"I don't think we got all of the west wing," Bruce said honestly.
"Oh, my bad. Next time we'll get the west wing," Hanna said.
"Next time?" Rachel asked, turning to look at her fellow brunette. "Are you going to come back?"
Hanna sat up and shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah. This was fun. Next time we can play something else! I love beating Bruce at things," she said.
Bruce sat up and gently shoved her. "Hey!"
Rachel sat up and scooted closer to the two of them. "Now that we're best friends, we need to make a pact!" Rachel said.
"What kind of pact?" Bruce asked.
"That no matter what, no matter how mad or upset we get with each other, we will be friends forever," she said.
"Even if one of us moves away?" Hanna asked.
"Even if one of us moves to Canada!" Rachel said.
Bruce looked at each of the two girls before nodded and holding his hand out. "Agreed."
Rachel held her hand over his and turned to Hanna, who looked at the both of them before reaching her hand forward to join them. "No matter what."
Bruce smiled as the three of them grasped hands, only to frown as he saw Hanna's mother enter the room.
"Sorry to interrupt," she said, "it's time for us to go, Hanna."
Hanna broke away from the group and frowned. "Can I come back, Mom? Maybe tomorrow?"
Her mother smiled and looked at the small group of children before nodding. "We'll see," she said.
Hanna smiled and turned back to the group. "I got to go," she said.
"But you're coming back tomorrow. Right? We had so much fun. You have to," Bruce said.
Hanna smiled and did a mock bow to the young man. "Yes, Mr. Wayne," she said.
Rachel chuckled and did a curtsy next to him. "Of course, Mr. Wayne," she said.
"Whatever you say, Mr. Wayne," Hanna finished.
Bruce rolled his eyes and waved them off. "Whatever, I'll see you tomorrow," he said.
Rachel laughed and waved at the other girl. "Bye Hanna!"
Hanna waved and followed her mother out the room. Sandra reached out and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Did you have fun?" she asked after they were out of ear shot.
Hanna looked up at her mother and smiled wide. "Yeah. I did!"