Title: What Lies Ahead: XXVI
Author: DC Luder
Rating: T
Summary: While the Wayne Family leave on a vacation, a new and yet oddly familiar face shows up in Gotham.
Author's Note:
^V^
"Why aren't you coming, Alfred?"
I looked up from my task of arranging winter clothing in a suitcase for young Miss Mattie. She was sitting on the other side of the bed, her beloved Taffy resting in her lap.
"I'm afraid…" I began.
… I'm not the swashbuckling type…
"Afraid of snow?" she finished when my words failed me.
"Not in the least… but I am well beyond the age that makes cascading down mountains on bits of plastic remotely appealing."
For the weeklong February vacation from school, Master Bruce had decided to take his family to Colorado for an alpine adventure. Originally, they had intended to go over the Christmas holiday but with passing of James Gordon and the revelations he had made to his daughter, Master Bruce had little cheer to share with his family. Nevertheless, they were to stay at the private cabin that had been in his name for nearly fifteen years but to my knowledge had never once set foot in.
Despite the tension that had developed since December within the Wayne Family, each seemed legitimately enthusiastic for the trip. Master Nathan had already declared that he was going to make the world's biggest snowman. His older sister, however, was far more excited about learning how to snowboard. Ms. Selina seemed to be interested in lounging about the fireplace for the week.
Master Bruce was grateful to spend time with his daughter.
In the two months since Miss Mattie had been informed of her father's true life, it had been difficult to stand by and watch repercussions of his confession. For nearly a week, the child was furious with him, as well as her mother and the rest of her family. Meals were cold and silent and she passed on all extracurricular activities, spending the hours following school hidden in her bedroom.
With such radical change in her life, I had decided to do what I could to return things to normal. Each afternoon I presented her a snack and beverage to go along with her studies. I offered an ear for her to vent her troubles but she always politely declined. After dinner, as she promptly returned to her bedroom, I offered to read with her or to play a game of Risk, of which she also refused.
On the fifth day, she finally gave in.
After joining her one afternoon, she asked me to take a seat at her desk while she stood beside me. Without even looking at the macadamia nut cookies or chocolate milk I brought with me, Miss Mattie declared, "I don't hate him, Alfred… I just… I hate that he lied to me."
"That is to be expected… No doubt you feel betrayed," I tried to offer her words of comfort.
She nodded, "Exactly, but… it's not like it was just him, it was everyone… Mom and Dick and Tim... Cass and Barbara… even you Alfred. If he had told me sooner… I wouldn't have told anyone, I swear…"
I reached out and touched her hand, "Miss Mattie… those who have learned the truth are forever in harm's way. Although the Batman has many allies and followers, he has that many more enemies, all willing to stop at nothing to hurt him in any way possible."
"But he's not Batman anymore."
I nodded, "Yes but… the worst of his enemies do not know that. And at any rate, it is him they loathe… him they wish to seek vengeance upon." When she did not respond, I proceeded, "But what concerned your father the most was his need to shield you, not from those that would wish harm upon him and his loved ones but… from the world he had lived in for so long. He wanted you to be able to have a normal upbringing, not one spent worrying about his welfare or frightened by what he had experienced."
"I don't understand…"
After a quiet sigh, I continued, "If your father had told you when you were younger, while he was still Batman, you would have been aware of the injuries he suffered, the exhaustion he faced from long nights… Not to mention the tragic losses he has endured over the years from his own errors… and as a result from forces he could not control. By not telling you… yes he delayed the inevitable but in a way… he preserved your childhood."
That night at dinner, Miss Mattie hugged her father and kissed his cheek before sitting next to him at the table.
After dessert, he showed her the Cave.
It had then been a non-stop education, father teaching daughter about her family, her true Family. He showed her the various costumes he had worn over the years, the tools and vehicles he used as well as his collection of evidence he kept as reminders of his accomplishments.
And failures.
When he had shown her the glass costume displays, she had immediately been drawn to the boldly colored Robin guise that had once belonged to Jason Todd. She had asked him who he was but instead of responding, he promised to tell her another day. Instead of pushing on the matter, Master Bruce had said that she had accepted it and moved on to look at Ms. Barbara's old Batgirl suit.
"It's unnatural, Alfred," he had told me one evening after spending nearly three hours with his daughter in the Cave's gymnasium, "She's taking it… too well. All she wants is more information, more stories…"
"I detect worry in your voice, Master Bruce."
"It does worry me," he had confessed, "I dread catching her one day sketching her own costume on the margins of her math homework…"
"Might you nip this worry in the bud, so to speak?"
He had paused before replying, "I don't know if she would take that as well… forbidding her from a life that her entire family is involved in. But encouraging it… I can't, Alfred. I won't."
After folding a sweater and handing it to me, Miss Mattie let Taffy step off of her lap, "Well, I promise to take lots of pictures with my new camera."
I set the last article of clothing in the case before replying, "That would be splendid, my dear," I replied as I went about zipping up the massive piece of luggage. Having already tended to Master Nathan's preparations the night before, all that was left was to see to it that the elder Wayne child was also suited for a week of wintry exploration. Ms. Selina had been in charge of packing for herself and her wayward husband.
"Where'd Mom go this morning?" the young girl asked as she slipped off of her bed.
"Ms. Barbara invited her down for brunch."
Miss Mattie smirked before saying, "Like a girl's morning... Instead of a girl's night."
"Precisely," I said just as Master Bruce appeared in the doorway.
He offered a slight smile and asked, "All set, kitten?"
"Yep... are you sure we can't take Taffy?"
The child had been inquiring about taking her feline friend since the vacation had been planned. Master Bruce had declined a number of times, not so much concerned with the animal residing in the cabin but more so for the actual plane ride out. "You heard Mom, Taffy would much rather stay home, where she knows her surroundings. Alfred will take care of her."
I stood and flattened my sweater, "I shall even allow her to sleep in my chambers."
"Okay," Miss Mattie replied, "Are we leaving soon?"
He nodded, "Mom's almost done at Barbara's, and we'll pick her up before going to the airport. Why don't you get Nathan and I'll carry your luggage down."
"Sir, I insist…" I began. Although I was indeed getting up in years, I was still more than capable of tending to the family. Leslie was constantly ragging on me about taking better care of myself but inactivity only aggravated my arthritis. I would much rather clean the kitchen or weed the rose garden as opposed to icing my fingers and sitting in an overstuffed chair.
Master Bruce was growing to share her concerns although he wore his worry silently.
He interrupted, "Enough… I'll take them…"
Miss Mattie grabbed my hand, "Let him, Alfred, I'll need help getting Nathan into his mittens."
^V^
In order to prepare for brunch with Selina, I had seen to it that the night before my darling husband patrolled all over Bludhaven so that he would sleep in.
Sinister, no. Devious, slightly.
While he snored in bed, I snuck out of his arms, showered and dressed before closing the bedroom door. Even in his comatose form, his freakishly heightened sense of smell would no doubt force him to rise and stumble down the hall to investigate.
Having a desire for crab for the last few days, I had decided to go all out and make Blue Crab Frittata for brunch. A little extravagant compared to the English muffins, bacon and scrambled eggs I made for Dick most mornings but considering it took about as much time and skill I couldn't resist. When we had gone grocery shopping the night before, he had been impressed at the variety of items on the list and had even asked, "Hot date?"
"You could say that," I had smiled before sending him off on a quest for produce.
After setting the coffee maker, a strong Tanzanian blend Bruce had gotten me for Christmas, I went about slicing and frying up the potatoes and onions. As they cooked on medium heat, I mixed eggs, cream, Tabasco as well as salt and pepper and set the bowl aside. I was just retrieving croissants from the pantry when I heard the front door open. Loud click-clacks made their way down the wide corridor before stopping in the kitchen.
When I appeared a moment later, I caught Selina looking through a drawer, "Where do you keep your corkscrew?"
"Little early for that utensil, isn't it?" I asked as I opened the drawer to her left and retrieved it.
She answered, "I have to ride in a plane with Bruce and the kids for four hours… I need liquid courage."
As she went about opening a bottle of champagne, I retrieved two glasses and set them on the island counter for her. For a simple day, she had dressed nicely, black knee length skirt and a fitted purple top with three quarter sleeves and plenty of cleavage. Dick had joked once that she must truly be part cat because no woman would look like her after having children.
I returned to the stovetop and poured the egg mix over top of the vegetables, stirring quickly to mix them. After taking the bowl of crabmeat I had Dick prepare the night before, no doubt under the impression I was making him crab-stuffed mushrooms. I dumped the contents on top of the fast cooking eggs and turned the heat up slightly. While Selina prepared mimosas, I put the croissants in the oven to warm for a few minutes.
"Here you are, much better than coffee," Selina handed me a glass and we clinked before drinking.
"Agreed…" I smiled but couldn't help thinking I could use the liquid courage myself. As I removed the croissants and set the cast iron skillet in under the broiler for a bit, I asked, "Excited?"
"I am for the kids, Mattie's already signed up for daily snowboard lessons and has been talking about it since Christmas. And they have a... I guess winter pre-school that Nathan's in… they learn to ski, they do crafts and make snowmen," she drained her glass and went about making another, "And of course Bruce is convinced he's going down a black double diamond slope."
"Is he?" I laughed before downing the rest of my mimosa as well.
Selina nodded as she took my glass, "Here we have time to ourselves while the kids are out on adventures during the day and he wants to try to break his neck on a mountain."
I checked the frittata to see it was perfectly browned. As I took it out of the oven and turned it off, I commented, "Poor prioritization."
"Always has been his down fault…. Bruce, look at my new nighty…" she acted out before speaking in a baritone, "That's nice, I'll be downstairs…. Stupid men."
"I'll drink to that," I said as she handed me the refill.
We ate right there in the kitchen at the small table in the back. For a while the topic stayed on the trip and how Selina was still sad that she couldn't convince her family to travel to warmer climates. She even recounted a conversation where Bruce said he'd rather risk frostbite in place of UV radiation on the children.
I nearly had mimosa go up my nose.
"So, where's your dumb man?" she asked as she delicately cut up another slice of the frittata.
"Sleeping… He had a pretty busy night in Bludhaven."
She took a small bite before saying, "I still can't believe he goes out there… what, three, four nights a week."
"Like you said, dumb… But… it's hard for him to just leave everything behind. That was really his first chance to prove his worth without a looming pointy-eared shadow behind him."
"True…" she took another bite before finishing off her fourth mimosa. I had opted to have only two before switching to coffee. After setting her glass back down, she smiled at me, a smile I had only seen beneath purple leather, "So, you going to tell me why you asked me here this morning?"
"To send you off, a week without you? It will seem like an eternity."
"That's sweet, girl, but a lie. Nathan has a better poker face when he's denying his involvement in ripping up Bruce's Italian ties."
Damn, I should have stuck with champagne.
"All right… but you have to promise not tell anyone, even Dick," I demanded.
"What, you're leaving him for Alejandro the busboy at Gardenia?"
I tired not to smile, knowing how fond Selina and I were of the young staff member at one of Bruce's restaurants. When we there as a group, Selina and I were entranced as he bent over to clear tables… Poor Bruce thought we were just having a good meal.
When the present returned, my face went solemn, "When… when the Joker shot me… there was damage to a number of vessels, one of which was a branch off of my uterine artery. They thought it was under control after surgery but to be safe we opted to harvest eggs. Thankfully we did because a blood clot went through the next day and… I never… I never told Dick but… they ended up doing a partial hysterectomy… like yours…"
Selina's fingertips reached across the tile-topped table and touched mine.
Without any further prompting, I continued, "Back then I never… I guess, I knew some day I would settle down and want a family, but I never thought it would be with Dick. I couldn't convince myself that it would actually work. But so much has changed since then… I… I know he wanted children eventually, but later… when we were a bit older. Any time we brought the subject up, I just couldn't tell him that I wouldn't be able to…"
"Barbara…"
"Please… I started to think about it more when we found out you and Bruce were trying to have another child… I know we have the same blood type and it would only take a few minor tests to check for complete compatibility, but I was starting to think that maybe after you and Bruce… that you would be able to… if you wanted to…" I looked up to see her green eyes were shimmering.
No doubt my own green eyes were in the same state.
"And then after Nathan, I guess I just put the idea away in the back of my mind. It wasn't important then, making sure you and the baby were going to be okay, that was what I focused on. I really didn't start thinking about it again until Trey had his baby and then Jim and Maureen…"
"The baby bug is a terrible vector," she tried to smile but it didn't work with a trembling lower lip. When I didn't reply, she said, "Well, we'll just have to find you a new baby mama."
"Selina, please… I---."
"Nonsense. You know your father's going to throw a livid fit upstairs if he finds out you're giving up on getting the Gordon name, even the hyphenated name, out to the next generation."
I finally sighed and said, "I think I need another drink."
We finished the bottle of champagne, leaving the orange juice untouched on the counter. For the better part of an hour we discussed the necessary requirements in a surrogate mother. Fairly young, healthy, willing to sacrifice a year for the birth of someone else's child. Also, it needed to be someone we trusted, close to the Family.
"Canary what's her face," Selina suggested before hiccupping.
I shook my head, "I'm sure she would be willing but I would fear for what her Canary Cry would do to the doctors upon delivery."
"Good point… hmmm, someone with fewer super-powers then…" a grin spread across her face.
I glared at her, "If you even think about saying Huntress, I will---."
"No, I was thinking younger, shorter, less chatty."
"You can't be serious."
She shrugged, "Well, it would hinder her nightlife, but… she'd do anything for you."
I sat back in my chair, "I know… But, she's more like a little sister to me… I mean, I was her only friend in those first few months she came to No Man's Land. I bought the first tube of lipstick for her, for crying out loud."
"You scratch my back…" Selina began.
"What about scratching?" Dick's voice said as he passed into the kitchen wearing blue cotton pajama pants. He looked down at the table and spoke in the voice of an eight-year-old boy, "But that… that was… my crab meat…"
I smirked, "Dumb."
Selina grinned as her cell phone chirped, "And Dumber," she said after checking the Caller ID. As Dick muttered while pouring himself coffee, I listened as Selina answered, "Yes, my love… Oh we're about done… Of course… Oh, and make sure you bring the coloring books… On the table… in the bedroom… His bedroom… All right, I'll be waiting."
Dick walked over and took the last piece of the frittata, "Have a fun morning, ladies?"
"Without you, it was a blast, wasn't it Barbara?"
"A true delight," I added to my husband's dismay.
"Champagne, crab egg thing… the raisin croissants I picked up after work yesterday… I bet it was a delight… Well, if you need me, I'll be having a Pop-Tart that I found in the couch cushion the other day."
He made three steps towards the door before I admitted, "Dick, your crab stuffed mushrooms are in the fridge, bottom drawer."
Where he had been moping a moment earlier, his entire form filled with glee and he dashed back over to me, kissing me on the lips before racing to retrieve a plate of his favorite appetizer that I had made after he left for patrols the night before.
Once we were alone again, Selina said, "See, you already can handle the big baby, it will be a piece a cake with a little one."
^V^
"Can I tell you something?"
Babs sighed on the comm. link, "Is it about how Bruce never took you anywhere as a kid?"
"Uh… Maybe?" I pulled out a pair of binoculars and aimed them at the street corner below. A trio of prostitutes were huddling together, smoking and striving for warmth.
Pretty much the most excitement they, as well as I, had seen in Gotham all night.
"I don't know… I should be too mature to be jealous but… I guess I wish could alter time and space and… somehow be raised by this Bruce as opposed to 'Did I slap you on the back too hard, chum?' Bruce."
She snickered softly, showing not an ounce of understanding for my troubles, "Dick, first of all, if you were too mature to be jealous of a pre-teen and a four-year-old, you wouldn't still have that stuffed Scrappy Doo hidden on the shelf in the closet."
"Hey, I won that for you at the Gotham County fair when we were young… it's sentimental."
"It's ugly, and you didn't win it, I saw you sneak it out of the prize bin after that kid beat you in the water rifle game."
I paused before saying coolly, "I disagree… but continue."
"Second, if the Bruce of today had raised you, you would be completely different and I would no longer have the man that I love today."
"Aw, Babs," I replied as the three girls finally gave up on the bitter cold and began heading down North Ave towards an all night diner, "You really do love me… Mushrooms for breakfast, a backrub while I played Zelda on Wii… You're not leaving me are you?"
I laughed, "To death do us part."
Another pause before, "You hired a handless Deadshot to take me out, didn't you?"
"No, Robbie," she said, her voice near giggling.
"Good… because now that he's out of commission, I could totally take him," I declared as I decided to head west towards the diamond district. Although Valentine's Day had passed, there was always some one seeking to make off with a few hundred thousand dollars in fine jewelry.
At least I hoped there was.
Quiet nights had always been torture for me. When patrolling, I had to stay active, even when I was a child out way passed my bedtime. Sure I zonked out on the way home in the Batmobile but I was always a ball of energy from the first rooftop I climbed to the last alley I raced through.
I should have been happy the city was safe for a night but I was too bored.
"I'm sure you could," she replied, "The Boss said he'll be out as soon as he's back from the JLA meeting."
"Oh I bet that's more fun than what I'm having…" I muttered as I nearly slipped on a patch of melting snow.
"Marginally… J'onn brought Oreos and hot cocoa, though…"
"Damn Martians."
"Want me to patch you through, so you can tell him that?"
I thought of the mighty Martian Manhunter and his countless abilities before saying, "I'll pass."
"Well, I need to help Dinah out, scream if you need me."
I went to reply but she already logged off.
Since that morning she had alternated between being very sweet and loving to almost rude and uncaring. Although she had been doing reasonably well since her father had passed away, I couldn't help but think she was hiding her troubles from me. Whenever I had offered to talk, she brushed me away saying everything was all right.
Similar to one of Bruce's terse I'm fine's.
On my way, I contacted Batgirl and found her fairing better than I. She apparently had picked the busier side of the city and had found a small ring of Rasta Boyz that were trying to get their vile gang back and running. When I asked if she needed help, she had curtly decline, "No, they're dirt napping."
"What?"
"The construction zone in the Bowery, they fell in big pile of dirt."
Better than throwing them in dumpsters I supposed.
Back to solitude I finally found some action, although I wasn't the first upon the scene. Huntress was enthusiastically taking out a mugger as a young woman scattered off, clutching her broken purse. Once the thug was down for the count, I dropped down and commented, "I hope he deserved that."
She spun around, her face already smiling, "It was an Armani purse… he deserves worse."
I glanced down at his bleeding face and suddenly was glad that Barbara never found out about the time I dropped one of her Gucci toiletry pouches in the toilet.
She suddenly asked, "Where's the big bad bat, usually he hunts me down at least once a night."
"Oh, you know, outer space."
"Ah… the League of Extraordinary Ladies and Gentlemen."
I nodded and watched as she bound the unconscious man by the ankles and wrists, "They who watch from above." For a moment, I nearly asked if she missed working with them but I decided that her already loaded crossbow was enough of a deterrent to keep my mouth shut.
When I offered to call it into the police she shrugged, "I was going to let him lay there and think about it over night but if you want…"
Women were very weird.
I did call in the perp but instead of continuing on my own, I found myself touring with Huntress for nearly an hour. We had a long and bizarre past, most of which I regretted but some of which I missed. She was good at what she did, perhaps too good. I couldn't count the number of times Bruce complained about her recklessness and excessive force but in the end I knew he was just upset that her skill was being wasted on violence and vengeance.
"So…" she said after a few rooftops.
"So."
We worked together to stop a hold-up at an all-night corner store.
"So…" she said afterwards.
"So…" I replied.
An arson attempt.
A jumper attempt.
Finally, as we neared the diamond district, she asked, "How's the old man?"
"Uh... I wouldn't call him that… He may be two time zones away right now but he probably heard that."
"Oh, where is he?"
"Family vacation."
She smirked, "I'm sorry… I'm still having trouble picturing him as a real person."
I tried to joke, "Oh he's real enough… I think he's scarier without the mask." There was a sudden flash of a figure a block away and I pulled out my binoculars again, "So I saw you at Jim's reception in December."
She paused, trying to see what I was without aided vision, "Yeah… I didn't even know he was sick. How's Barbara?"
I focused in on the small, lithe figure and lost it as it disappeared behind an air condition vent, "Good… I mean, as good as she can be…"
"I meant to drop by but… What are you looking at?"
I increased the magnification and waited for the figure to appear, "Not sure…"
The person came into view once more, crouching above a window skylight on top of the Cartier building. She was small framed, sporting what appeared to be a skintight suit and high heels. I zoomed in again and began to laugh despite the fact that the young woman had unlocked the skylight and had dropped inside.
"What, what's so funny?"
I waited to reply until the figure returned, a small bag on her back. I handed the binoculars to Huntress and listened as she swore softly. When she handed them back, she asked, "You're just going to let her go?"
"Oh, I'm sure she'll be around for a while," I locked her in my sights once more, grinning at the sight of a small pointy-eared cowl and the bullwhip at the jewel thief's hip. "After all, when the bat's away, the cat will play…"
^V^
Unfortunately, the second to last day of our trip there had been a vicious snowstorm that prevented the kids from attending their daily mountain top adventures. Mattie had pouted for most of the day but Nathan had only been bummed until I suggested we bake cookies.
The week itself had been far more enjoyable than I had expected. Although I was never one for snow, I had gone out the first day to watch Mattie's first snowboarding lesson and also to see my son tackle the Junior Bunny slope. Mattie had taken a few initial tumbles but had laughed as she slid down the hill on her backside. Nathan's first trip down the faint incline on his tiny skis had him crying the whole way down but once he learned he could ride the conveyer belt up to the top again he was suddenly delighted.
Where Bruce and Mattie sampled the slopes each day, Nathan explored the world of Colorado in his Mountain Adventurers class, learning about the mountains, wildlife, weather as well as a number of winter sports. They even played ice hockey, but instead of wearing skates they wore tiny sneakers with little cleats.
Even though I wasn't partaking in the outdoor activities, I was still having a wonderful time staying inside. There was a day spa not far from our private cabin and I treated myself twice that week, even taking Mattie along one day. When I asked if Bruce wanted to go for a couple's massage he had said that there were only one set of hands he needed on his body.
Mrrrrow.
I also spent my time alone reading, working on grant proposals for the Preserve and of course a multitude of catnaps. The rest of my family generally arrived at the cabin around four in the afternoon and after showering and changing we went out for dinner at any one of the restaurants in Colorado Springs. Although, at her request, we stayed home one night and Mattie cooked for us. And when I tasted the chicken marsala, I could have sworn Mattie had packed Alfred in her suitcase.
The night of the storm, Bruce had gone to pick up some take out from the restaurant in the hotel a few miles away. Mattie had wanted to go with him but with the snow falling an inch an hour he was adamant that it was safer for her to stay here.
As we had waited, Nathan came up to me while I sat on the couch beside Mattie, "I wanna col-ah."
"Hmmm, well where's you're coloring book?"
He shrugged his little shoulders, and I suddenly noticed he had two handfuls of crayons ready for action.
Mattie sat up on the couch and put a bookmark in the Harry Potter book she was reading for the fifth time, "He used up all the one's he brought."
"Uh-oh…" I said, "Wait, I think there's the one from the plane when we came out… And I think Daddy put it in his briefcase…" I told Nathan to wait on the couch while I went to get it from the master bedroom.
As I navigated up the stairs, I felt my phone buzzing in my jeans pocket. Without looking, I answered, "Please tell me they had fried brie."
Bruce replied, "You'll have to wait and see."
"Grr… Oh, did you put Nathan's coloring book in your briefcase?"
"Yes… it should be right on top. I'll be back in a few minutes, I'm behind a plow right now."
I smiled as I turned the light on in the bedroom, "Take your time…" after opening his briefcase, I added, "I'll try to prevent cannibalism… cookies do make the best appetizer."
The coloring book wasn't on top; it was underneath a packet of dog-eared white papers.
As Bruce replied, "Only two a piece… I just didn't risk my life for them to not finish dinner," I read the cover sheet of the packet that was dated a little over a year ago: The Will and Testament of Bruce Wayne.
It was then, as I managed to reply to Bruce on auto-pilot that I loved him, that I remembered the plane ride over. Nathan had been sitting next to Bruce, coloring in pictures of football players while Mattie and I had been cuddling on the sofa seat watching a movie. Bruce had been reading through papers, marking things with a pen and scribbling in notes.
Damn him.
I hid the will in the small end table beside the bed and returned to the den, a smile on my face as I handed my son his NY Giants coloring book. As he found the last page he had been working on, I asked Mattie if she wanted a cookie.
She looked up and said, "That's okay, I can wait… I s Dad almost home?"
I nodded and sat between my children, "He just called actually, he should be back in a few minutes."
After dinner, I told myself, I could wait until after dinner to flay him.
While Nathan was occupied, I stepped into the kitchen and began setting the table. I had begun to retrieve silverware when I heard Mattie's footfalls on the tiled floor.
"Done reading?" I asked.
"For now… Mom, can I ask you something?"
"Only if you fold napkins," I smiled and handed her four pieces of dark blue linen.
She took them and carefully folded them before placing them next to the empty plates, "Did you fall in love with Dad because he was… you know."
Before I could respond, I heard the front door open and Nathan shout out in glee, "Daddy!"
I winked and said, "We'll talk tomorrow… we have mani-pedis scheduled at four."
Bruce appeared in the open kitchen entrance, his arms full of white paper bags while Nathan had a death grip on his thigh. I went to pull Nathan off but Bruce set the bags down on the counter before saying, "He's fine… Not much of a take down though."
Mattie smiled as she watched Bruce gently twist Nathan off his legs before lifting the child in the air with his back pinned to his father's chest. Nathan laughed and tried to squirm free but Bruce did not yield and instead had Mattie tickle her little brother's tummy.
After putting an end to the chaos, Bruce left to wash up with Nathan while Mattie and I finished setting up dinner. Apparently the hotel restaurant had been closed and he had instead dropped by a Greek place that happened to be open. Not one for simple take out, Bruce had returned with Greek side salads for everyone in addition to lamb chops, sautéed eggplant and mussels as well as a plate of Phyllo cups filled with Feta.
And just for me, fried Brie from the restaurant we had gone to our first night in Colorado.
Maybe I would make his death slightly less painful.
After dinner, I helped Nathan bathe and change for bed while Bruce and Mattie read in the den in front of the fireplace. It was nice to see they had returned to their normal relationship, if not even closer than before. Those first few days in December had been brutal, for all of us…
When I was coming downstairs after tucking my son in, Mattie met me as she was ascending them. I asked as she walked by me, "Bed so soon?"
She shrugged, "I guess… Dad looked tired so I figured I wouldn't make him stay up reading…" Mattie took a few steps back towards me and kissed my cheek, "Night, Mom."
"Good night," I replied after kissing her back.
I found Bruce reclined on the leather couch, watching the fire dwindle. He did look tired but that wasn't going to get him out of the trouble he'd made for himself. When he spotted me approaching, he smiled and patted his lap. When I chose to stand and stare down at him, he asked, "What?"
"You know what."
"I'm afraid I don't."
"Do you remember when you stepped down… you promised not to keep things from me, ever again."
"Of course---," he began.
I interrupted him, "And then when you had cluster headaches, you promised again not to keep things from me."
As he stood, Bruce tried to ask, "Selina, what are you---." Although I had intended to control myself, I reached out to hit him but he was quick enough to grab my wrist and block the blow. He continued, "What is going on?"
I threw the will down on the coffee table and it landed on Nathan's coloring book, "Bruce… this is a family vacation. I know you don't have much experience in them but the general standard of conduct includes not working on your god damn will with your son sitting next to you drawing with crayons!" my voice rose considerably and I suddenly feared Mattie had heard me. Bruce took a step forward and I retreated, "Don't… Don't even think about it."
"Selina… I'm sorry… I… with Jim gone I… I had to alter it. To assign what I was going to give to him to his son and Maureen…"
Normally when we argued, especially in the department of him keeping secrets from me, his voice was just as loud and aggressive as mine. The look on his face was usually reminiscent of some of the more severe Bat-glares I had endured in my time.
His words were barely above a whisper.
His eyes were glassy.
Damn him.
Before he could say another word, I stepped towards him, "I want to make one thing absolutely clear."
He nodded.
"If you die before I am ready for you to die, I will bring you back to life... I don't care if I have to use a Lazarus pit to do it… and then I will kill you myself. Understood?" He opened his mouth and I cut him off, "If you say 'Yes, dear,' so help me God, Bruce, I'll---."
"Yes, de---."
That time his reflexes weren't as sharp and he took my fist square in the jaw.
With a smile on his face.
^V^
"Well, at least we know it's not Selina," Dick commented as we all stared at the blurry video surveillance tape of yet another Catwoman burglary. In the last week there had been practically two each night and this was the first time we had managed to catch her in the act on video.
Barbara enhanced the footage and zoomed in, "It is rather difficult to be on a Rocky mountaintop and a Gotham City rooftop at the same time."
Dick said, "No I mean… Well there's that but… you know."
I looked up from the monitor and said, "Oh, please, do tell."
He shrugged, "Well, look at her…" I did as told, spotting the slender young woman carefully cutting through a glass case with her claws.
"You're right, Selina would have gone through the top of the case."
Dick sighed, "No, Tim, I mean, look… they're different physically… you know… booby-wise."
Barbara threw him and icy glare that would have sent Bruce running for cover, "Excuse me?"
"No," he tried to defend his observation, "It's not like that… this girl is young, right, maybe an A-cup and we all know Selina has---."
"Richard," she growled.
When he looked to me for support, I shook my head silently. He finally grumbled, "Never mind… I'm going to go out and see if someone will shoot at me."
"You do that," Barbara growled before returning her attention to the screen.
Once he had sought refuge outside of the Clocktower, I rose from the chair beside Barbara and stretched my arms and back. I had dropped by a little after six to spar with Dick and had then stayed after to look through footage Barbara had hacked into featuring our new feline foe.
Luckily no cat related details had made it into the papers yet so at least Bruce and especially Selina would be unaware of our new nocturnal nuisance. With them returning the next day, I had finally convinced myself to confront the young girl. If she was still in Gotham when the former Catwoman returned, I feared there would be a redefinition of catfight.
One that neither current nor former Batman would be able to prevent.
"Cass managed to get a tracking pin on her last night when she was leaving the art gallery on Hudson so at least we'll be able to corner her tonight…" Barbara said as she brought up a grid that mapped out Gotham from an aerial view. She used it each night to maintain our locations and to help provide routes that steered clear of heavy late night traffic.
Our girl was in the East End heading west at a slow pace, most likely on foot. From what I had seen, as well as Nightwing and Batgirl, she was almost worthy of the mask she wore given her agility and stealth. In the ten burglaries she had performed, she had left not one viable piece of evidence behind aside from the seventeen seconds of security footage…
Of which she wasted two seconds blowing a kiss to the camera.
Everything about her reminded me of Selina when she had worn the guise. Although I had known her long after she had become a figure of interest to Bruce, I still wondered what it had been like back when they both had first started out. I couldn't help but think of how many times I had seen her get the best of Bruce when he still wore the cowl, and that had been a decade after they had first started chasing each other on rooftops.
Dick's story about how Batman had pinned her down on a roof one night and ordered him to round up evidence always brought a smile to my lips.
"Heading out?" Barbara asked.
I cleared my throat, "Might as well… The sooner I can talk to her the better."
She sat back and smiled up at me, "I still like Cass's idea, let Selina and her fight it out."
"As much as I would love to see that… as well as about eighty million YouTube users… I'd rather give her a chance to bail on her own… And if she doesn't… then I guess it will have to be a Animal Planet showdown."
"Meow," she laughed and returned her gaze to the computer screens in front of her.
Since I had taken the Honda over to the Clocktower, I stopped by the Townhouse before heading to the Sat-Cave. After parking in the garage, I ran inside quick to let Robbie out before leaving him home alone for the night. I was surprised to see the lights on in most of the rooms of the first floor and Robbie's crate empty.
Following Cass's voice, I found her and the dog in the kitchen sharing a roast beef sandwich. When she spotted me, Cass smiled and asked, "Were you going to finish this?"
I shook my head and closed the space between us, reaching down to scratch Robbie behind the ears, "No, that's all right, he needs it more than I do… our growing boy."
Robbie licked his lips and then stared intently at the small wedge of sandwich left in Cass's hands. She took a bite, offered the last morsel to me and when I declined, she held it above Robbie and said, "Sit pretty."
The dog planted his haunches on the tiled floor and then slowly brought his front end up off the ground, letting his paws rest on the sides of his chest. She rewarded him with the last bite of which he didn't even bother chewing.
"Ready?" she asked without looking up.
I nodded, "Yeah I just had to drop the car off and let him out… but I didn't know you were still here."
Cass finally looked up at me and smiled, "Sorry… cat-nap."
After smiling back I let out a low laugh. Although the jewel thief was in fact a criminal preying on businesses of Gotham, we had been fairly light-hearted about it all week and been loose and free with the jokes. With Bruce and Selina returning, the humor honeymoon was over.
I snuck in a quick kiss before scratching Robbie's head one more time, "I'll meet you on Madison for cocoa at eleven-thirty."
"It's a date," she replied.
As I made my way to the Sat-Cave on foot, I mentally mapped out my evening. A quick tour of midtown followed by the theatre district just as the evening performances let out. After any altercations there, I was to move into the diamond district and wait for a game of cat and…
Bat.
As I worked through the beginning of patrols, I tried to figure out the best way to confront this girl without things getting carried away. No doubt she idolized Catwoman, not only evident in her costume but her methods as well. I had gone back through some of the earliest logs and files Bruce had on Selina when she still prowled the rooftops, the resemblances were uncanny.
While pummeling a mugger who had snagged a couple leaving a performance of Equus, I figured the best approach was to be stern and scary right from the beginning. There would no doubt be a physical confrontation, some attempted distraction of her trying to seduce me followed by a chase of some sort only to conclude when she realized I wasn't playing along.
Or something like that.
With twenty minutes before I had planned to meet Batgirl for a mid-patrol break, I checked in with Oracle on the current location of our girl. She responded immediately, "Two blocks west, the Harris gallery. You're practically stepping on her tail… sorry, that was a bad one."
I allowed myself a fraction of a smirk, "No, it was very good," before signing off. It took less than five minutes to reach the roof of the Harris gallery, of which was displaying a jewelry collection from Paris for the week. I approached one of the darkened skylights and peered down to see a lithe figure standing beside a display case.
Rather than crashing in to scare her, I chose the silent method. After picking the lock and disarming the electric alarm signal, I dropped the two stories to a spot fifty feet behind her. Since the gallery often housed massive pieces of art and sculptures, it appeared empty and cavernous with only a dozen or so glass display cases.
With her focus intently directed at cutting into a case holding a number of ruby pendants, I closed the distance between us silently. With less than a yard between us, I spoke quietly, putting an extra growl in, "The gallery closed at seven-thirty."
She spun around, dropping a handful of pendants as she reached to her right hip, retrieving a retractable nightstick before taking a swing at my head. I latched out and grasped it before twisting it sharp enough to free it from her hand. Instead of reaching for her other hip where the bullwhip was, she instead flung out a clawed hand at me, missing my chest by a good eight inches.
I took another step closer, bringing me into the faint moonlight. It was then that her form softened and a smile stretched over her lips, "Hey there, handsome. Come here often?" It would have been amusing save for the fear in her voice.
"I am going to give you three options," I growled.
"Please tell me one of them includes us keeping the masks on," she moved forward and reached out to touch my face.
I snatched her wrist and twisted it down against her hip, "This is not a game."
"Party pooper…" she grinned up at me with the confidence of a lioness but her hand quivered in mine. As I looked over her face carefully, I realized she couldn't have been more than eighteen years old.
"Your first option is to turn yourself in."
"Pass."
"Second, I take you in."
"Now that sounds like fun---."
I interrupted her and increased the pressure on her wrist, "Third, you continue what you're doing."
"I'll take door number three," she blew me a kiss before stomping down in the instep of my left foot with a stiletto heel. Although it stung, it wasn't enough to cause me to let go and when she spun to run away, I strode forward after her and managed to grab onto her other wrist, pinning them behind her back in one of my hands. "That's okay, I like it---."
"You didn't let me finish explaining your third option." She looked up at me; a hint of fear now making it's way into her hazel eyes. "You can continue what you're doing but… Tomorrow night, the real Catwoman will be back in Gotham City. And when she finds out what you've been doing…"
"But she's been gone for years, I thought that---."
Oracle buzzed in my ears, "I've got her image running the data banks right now, try and keep your face aimed at hers."
I locked my gaze with her and said, "Gotham is her home, but cat's like to expand their territory… But she will be back tomorrow and when she finds out what you've been doing… even I won't be able to save you."
She stammered, "You're joking, you're just trying to scare me…"
"Am I? Why do you think she's the one criminal I can't catch?"
There was a moment where I thought she was going to start crying but instead she managed to say, "Well, what's fair is fair… she can have Gotham, I'll just get my own city and---."
Oracle chimed in again, "Alexandria Marie Townsend. Eighteen years old, spent six months in Juvie for stealing from her neighbor… four thousand in jewels and another couple of grand worth of sculptures and art... Lives on North Cutter and 134th with her mother, Jane Townsend-Carter and her stepfather David Carter. She's been on a missing persons watch for the last twety-four hours…"
I leaned in closer to her, my face inches from hers, "And she'll find you. Wherever you go, she'll hunt you down. She'll always be watching… Is it worth it, Alex?"
Her eyes doubled in size, "How did you…"
"Because I'm always watching, too."
^V^
"You're not mad at me."
"Oh, really?"
"No, you're not."
"And why do you think that, oh great detective?"
As Mattie and Nathan slept through the last hour of the plane ride back to Gotham, I sat with Selina in the private bedroom watching her try to read a magazine. She had been reading it since we had taken off from Colorado, doing her best to ignore me. Naturally, she had taken the pillows and propped herself up to sit while she read, leaving me to sit against the headboard.
I leaned over at the page that was open, "I scored as a Doting Dude on the Is He Devoted? quiz. If you were truly mad at me, I would have been a Lame Flame."
She tried not to smile as she turned the page, "Well, don't get your hopes up quite yet, you were a Close but No Cigar on the Intimacy quiz."
"Oh really?" I asked as I moved closer to her.
She held up a finger without looking at me and said, "I can't guarantee the welfare of whatever part of you that touches me right now."
I kissed her cheek and felt a sudden stabbing just below my bottom lip. When I quickly pulled back I saw that she had used her pen as an impromptu dagger.
As I reached up to touch my chin, she sighed, "You're not bleeding."
Moving back away from her, I replied, "Yet."
Thankfully, I hadn't instigated trouble until the trip had been nearly over. I could only imagine how miserable my life would have been had Selina found the copy of the will earlier in the week. Not that I had intended to do so in the first place…
A vast majority of the conflicts that came up between Selina and I boiled down to our very different views as to what was normal and what wasn't. I found the time on the plane as an opportunity to finally look over the will in order to make necessary adjustments, then I would be able to fax my notes back to my lawyers in Gotham so I would be able to enjoy the vacation without the task looming over my head.
Selina had seen it as a morose and monstrous deed and had done her best to remind me of my ill choice of action since she had discovered it.
Again, different views.
With the kids in bed when Selina had confronted me, it had been easier to put everything out there in explaining my view on the matter. I had lost a dear friend, one to whom I had bequeathed certain things to that now needed to be assigned to someone else. Most notably the future Mr. and Mrs. James Gordon, Jr. Not to mention a college fund to help provide for their daughter's formal education. After I had explained everything to Selina, I could tell she was no longer angry with me, but simply upset that I hadn't informed her before I had acted.
Knowing this, I proceeded through the remainder of the vacation making sure Selina knew my every move. When I told her I was going to brush my teeth after breakfast on the last day, she threw a winter boot at me, "All right, I give up!"
For the plane ride home, Mattie and Nathan chose to watch a few movies, both exhausted from their week on the mountain. Mattie had graduated from a beginner status on the snowboard well into the intermediate novice ranking and had gone down several of the fairly advanced slopes with me. Nathan's week had been very active; from skiing to sledding, to hockey and snowshoeing. They even went on a dog sled ride across the lake in town, of which had him pleading for a husky for the rest of the week.
Although I had all intentions of tackling the most heinous slope on the mountain, a treacherous double black diamond course that had sent someone to the hospital in a helicopter our first day there, I had settled for the single black diamond that still had me facing a few close calls. The morning after I had navigated the slope, I had trouble getting out of bed.
Selina had smiled and said, "Serves you right."
After which she rubbed my shoulders and back down with liniment.
She loved me.
Not convinced she was truly going to inflict harm upon me, at least not to the point where we would have to make an emergency landing, I rolled over to stand on my hands and knees above her. Without even looking up from the page she was pretending to read, Selina muttered, "If you'd only learn…"
"If at first you don't succeed," I began as I went in to kiss her neck. It was then I felt sharp French tips place themselves at my carotid.
"If you 'try, try again' I'll be needing that will of yours before we land." The growl in her voice was only countered by the amusement in her eyes.
With every inch I moved closer to touching her, her grasp on my throat tightened. As I made contact, I couldn't breathe. Luckily it didn't take long to distract her and by the time I had her ear lobe in my teeth, she had released her hold just enough to allow oxygen to pass through. Rather than warning me again, her lips occupied themselves on my throat, gently biting where she had been pinching moments earlier.
I heard her throw the magazine on the floor just before I felt her hands on my hips. Just as I was about to make a joke about the Mile High Club, I heard a soft rapping at the bedroom door before Mattie's muffled voice, "Dad, the DVD is skipping."
Although I growled a curse, Selina laughed quietly, "Close but no cigar…"
I kissed her once more, feeling her smile grow under my lips. After reluctantly rising from the bed, I crossed the room and unlocked the door before opening, "Well, how much is left on the movie?"
Mattie answered, "The credits… but I want to watch them, and they have that little fish at the end that eats that big pilot fish…"
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that Selina was making herself more comfortable by removing the pillows from behind her so she could lie down. Close but no…
I left the door opened and followed my daughter into the small recreation area of the plane's rear cabin. Nathan was passed out on one of the seats, a stuffed snow leopard in his grasp. I looked up to see that the DVD had stuck just after Marlin the father fish had sent his son Nemo off to school, alongside a baby sea turtle, sea horse and dozen other ocean dwelling creatures. I had seen the movie well over a dozen times and had unfortunately memorized it from start to finish.
As I removed the DVD and checked it for scratches, Mattie asked, "Were you getting dressed, Dad, is that why the door was locked?"
"Excuse me?' I questioned before putting the disc back in the drive. When the menu came up, I chose Scene Selection before skipping towards the end of the movie.
Mattie took a seat behind me, pulling a blanket over her legs, "Well, your belt's undone."
Just as the credits began to roll to the tune of Beyond the Sea, I glanced down to see that my belt and the button of my jeans had been undone, without any recollection of them being touched in the three and a half minutes I had been kissing my wife. Sneaky thief…
As I quickly secured them, I turned around, "Sorry, but yes, I wanted to change before we landed… Do you want to change?"
She grinned at me and said, "No, I'm okay… Is Mom changing too?"
"Mattie…" I growled lightly as she began to giggle.
When I returned to the rear of the small private jet, I found Selina on the phone and from the look on her face, she was back to pretending to be angry with me. Rather than initiate more trouble for myself, I decided to check through to make sure all of our carry-on baggage was ready for when we landed.
Even though she wasn't listening to me, I excused myself before returning to Mattie and Nathan, "All right, let's make sure everything's packed up… We'll be landing---."
A soft chime sounded on the overhead speakers before Andrew Koening, my pilot for most corporate jaunts, announced, "Mr. Wayne, we'll be arriving at Gotham International in twenty minutes."
Although we arrived at the airport on time, it was a bit of a traffic jam on the private runways. We toured about the sky for another fifteen minutes before making a final approach. Selina, Nathan and Mattie pretended to be on a roller coaster, their arms up over their heads as they cried out. With some prodding by Selina, I joined them.
As our luggage was being unloaded, I went to retrieve the car as well as hot chocolate for the kids. They were going to meet me at the private strip pick-up zone that was almost a quarter of a mile from the parking garage. Alfred had offered to pick us up but I told him I didn't want to interrupt his Sunday afternoon. After he harrumphed on the phone for another minute, he had wished me a safe flight home.
I decided to pick up the cocoa before the car, that way it would be able to cool down a bit before they drank it and burnt their tongues. There were a multitude of coffee places in the main area of the airport, but I settled on a Starbucks that was just before the entrance to the parking garage. The line was less than eight people and knowing the flair and speed the barristas had, it wouldn't be too long of a wait.
Just as I went to reach for my cell to call Alfred to tell him we had arrived, I felt it buzzing in my pocket. After retrieving it, I saw Dick's name on the Caller ID. I answered with a quick, "Yes?"
"Hey, are you on the ground yet?"
"For about twenty minutes now."
"Good, good… Selina and Barbara were talking for like a half hour… sounds like it was a good trip."
I went to respond when I felt a slight amount of pressure in my jacket's side pocket.
Without moving, I used my peripheral vision to see a young man standing just behind me to the left, his eyes locked dead ahead and his face far too concentrated to be worrying about coffee.
Finally, I replied, "It was great, the kids really enjoyed themselves."
"I bet…" he replied. For some reason, his voice reminded me of when he had lied about finishing his homework as a young boy. Just as the pickpocket managed to snag a finger on my wallet, I reached back just as he was beginning to retreat with his prize. My fingers were like steel as they grabbed onto his, and I felt two of his knuckles pop as they let go of my wallet. When he made a quiet yelp, I turned around and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, did I cut ahead of you in line?"
The man, or rather teenaged boy, clutched his fingers before shaking his head and running off. I heard Dick ask what had happened, and I replied, "Nothing, just getting some cocoa for the kids."
"Yeah, damn cold today… I keep trying to convince myself spring is on its way…"
"Only because it's your birthday," I replied quietly. "So, anything happen this week?"
He cleared his throat, something else he did when he was lying to me, "No… Not really."
"So the cat thief has been taken care of then?"
Even if he had been able to sell his lie more smoothly, I had already spoken with Barbara about the Catwoman situation. With it being resolved, I had planned on waiting to tell Selina but after the will incident, I was forced to tell her earlier that morning before we had left. She had only hissed and growled for twenty minutes before I assured her Tim had sent her packing.
"Oh, like you sent me packing?" she had asked before rolling here eyes, "No matter, if she turns up again, I'll make sure to de-claw her."
Meow.
Dick stammered on the other end of the line, "How… how did you…"
Thinking back to the conversation Barbara had played for me of Tim's encounter with the young imposter, I smiled, "…I'm always watching."
^V^