I have to say I'm almost too ashamed to come back right now. Almost.

Anyway, please read and enjoy! We're onto part two!


Chapter Twenty-Eight

October 22nd

Six weeks flashed by. Between work, Batman activities, extra training, and wedding plans, Dusty felt absolutely swamped. Granted, most of the things she did were her choice, but each was necessary in it's own way. Finally Dusty's last full day of single-hood dawned. She lay in bed for a full thirty minutes, relishing the sensation of doing nothing, knowing that in the next few hours, last minute preparations were going to hit the fan.

She had chosen her bridesmaids. There was Sana, her maid of honor, Rachel, and two other girls that had randomly popped up out of nowhere that Dusty had decided were suitable for the job. One was Clementine Daveridge, most aptly described by Sana as 'the cheesecake of the world' She was platinum blonde, a supermodel, and fit all the clichés generally associated thereof. Isabelle Carson was much more quiet and withdrawn than Clementine, especially for someone with the same vocation, and even more especially for someone who looked almost identical to someone like Clementine.

Her last bridesmaid was Selina Kyle. Bruce had almost choked on his dinner when she had told him of her decision, before Dusty calmly explained that she would rather have a member of the League actually invited to the wedding, rather than them trying to sneak in. As with before, any attack specifically on her would be suspicious, and put the secrecy of the League in jeopardy. Whether or not that was actually a factor in things anymore, it wasn't certain, and prompted Bruce to hire a veritable riot force for protection, and order several different honeymoon packages to throw them off.

However, on other wedding matters, the bridal shower, however late, was going to be held that day. As to such things, Dusty hadn't felt that the dreaded thing actually was important, considering that half the questionable items would be stuffed in a closet. The other half would probably be burned. Grudgingly, she got out of bed and started to do her morning exercises. Afterwards, she took an extra-long hot shower, during which she tried to wash away all of the frustration of the past six weeks. Even though Bruce had been letting her in on more of the Batman activities, he'd had yet to let her go out at night with him. Luckily she'd been able to beat on him a few times in the training sessions that he'd given her.

She dried off and dressed quickly, twisting her hair up in a towel turban. Then, walking into her room, she laid back down on her bed, trying not to feel put-upon. It was all her choice, she knew, but she'd come too far to back out now. There was a soft knock on the door. Praying it wasn't Bruce, she told the mystery person beyond the door to enter.

Alfred walked in. "I thought you might like a breakfast in bed today, miss." He said. She sighed, nodding and sitting up in bed. He put the breakfast of sausages, hash browns and an apple pancake, one of her favorite breakfasts, down in front of her.

"Thank you, Alfred." He studied her for a moment.

"Miss Grayson, I can see that as a somewhat unwilling bride, and on top of that a somewhat unwilling bride to both Bruce Wayne and Batman, you aren't quite as calm as I think you would wish to be. Is there anything that I can make or arrange to calm your nerves so you won't dispatch Master Wayne at the altar tomorrow morning?"

Dusty sighed, putting her fork down after taking a bite. "Do you think you could make Angel Food Cake, and arrange for me to shoot someone?" She said. Alfred smiled.

"Your cake will be ready in approximately two hours, but I'm afraid you'll have to content yourself with throwing darts or some other threatening apparatus at a target. However, I can produce a picture of your bridegroom, if you wish." Dusty smiled, and shoveled another bite of breakfast into her mouth.

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm not that mad at him. We haven't sparred for a while anyway… You know, not getting bruises before the wedding and all that…" She trailed off, twirling a piece of sausage around in her syrup. She must have been quiet for a while, because Alfred spoke.

"A penny for your thoughts, Miss?" She looked up and at Alfred.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about the wedding. Half of me wants to run and hide somewhere resembling the boonies of Russia, and the other half of me can't wait until tomorrow." Stabbing the sausage with more viciousness than what was probably needed, she crammed it into her mouth, and chewed furiously. Now she'd really put her foot in it.

"I gather you're not completely opposed to the wedding, then?" he asked. She sighed.

"What women in her right mind wouldn't want to marry Bruce Wayne, knowing what I know?" She asked, half emphatically, half defensively. He smiled.

"What woman indeed?" He asked. Then, standing, he excused himself. Dusty looked down at her food. When she was younger, she could always rely on one person when she needed a friend to talk to, especially when Sana wasn't around. After she finished her breakfast, she pulled out her cell phone, scrolling through an almost disgusting amount of amassed numbers she'd gathered since her arrival back in Gotham. Finally, she reached the one she wanted, pressing the 'call' button. Holding it to her ear, she heard it ring twice before the person at the other end picked up.

"This is Gordon." Biting her lip, she almost didn't say anything. She'd talked to him before at certain functions, and even had a luncheon with him when he'd had a day off, but they'd never been able to talk like they had before she'd left. Would he even want to after this long?

"Jim? This is Dusty Grayson. Hey, what are you doing for lunch today?" She asked, biting her lip in anticipation. There was a pause.

"I'm not doing anything for lunch. How about you and I go hit a pizza place?" he asked. She smiled. The only 'pizza place' he would refer to was called Caesar's and most often they would take out, and eat in the park nearby. She smiled.

"Sounds great. I'll meet you at the police station at around twelve, okay?" She said. She could almost hear him smile.

"You could come around eleven thirty and hang out around here for a while. My files need organizing." She laughed.

"I thought I told you it was a one time thing. In fact, I think I tell you that every time I clean out your file cabinet. How do you get me to do it all the time?" She asked.

"I bribe you with lunch, I think." He said. "So eleven thirty? I'll throw in a smoothie from Jamba Juice." She groaned theatrically.

"Oh fine. There had better not be any mice in there this time. I have a wedding tomorrow, and if I die, I'll haunt you until you clean out your own desk." She said. Suddenly there was very awkward silence.

"Dusty, about the wedding – " She cut him off.

"Jim, I need to talk to you about it later anyway. I promise you'll hear everything." She said. "Well, you probably have some very important case you're working on. I'll see you at eleven thirty."

"Eleven thirty. See you then, Dusty." He said. She responded in kind, and hung up. Lying back on her bed, carefully avoiding her tray, she looked at the clock. It was almost ten. She would have to leave in a half an hour if she was going to get downtown in time for her lunch with Jim. Sitting up, she sighed, and went into the bathroom for her hairbrush. After making sure her hair was sufficiently dried, she ran the brush through her hair, before quickly braiding her hair in a waist long rope.

As she picked up her jacket and put on her socks and shoes, she remembered to grab a few documents to slip in the police mail for Bruce, and also wrote a note to Bruce telling where she'd gone and when she'd most likely be back. Then she grabbed the keys to her car, and headed out to the garage. She climbed into her car, and sighed, wishing Rick wasn't at school. It wasn't anything new, but she still missed him terribly until he came back each day. Then, shutting the door to her Mazda, she drove out of the large garage and tore down the road toward Gotham. As she drove down the highway toward the city, she turned on the radio, and set it on low volume. It was uncanny, but the radio seemed to be able to tell what mood she was in, and seemed to soothe her better than anything.

Since today she followed the speed limit, she made it into the Gotham City limits around fifteen minutes later. Turning onto the appropriate street, she found it curiously empty. Well, maybe not empty, but curiously few cars were around. Pulling out her phone, she speed-dialed Alfred.

"Yes, Miss Grayson?" He asked. She was confused for a moment, considering it was the house phone she'd called and then remembered that they'd installed caller ID a few days before.

"Alfred, is today a holiday or something that I'm not aware of?" She said, "Old Cannon Road is almost completely empty." There was a moment's pause.

"I believe it would most likely be the time. It is almost eleven thirty, you know." He said.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Alfred." She said.

"Always at your service, Miss. Is there anything else I may help you with?" He asked, perfectly politely.

"No, that's pretty much it." She said, switching lanes to be closer to the turn-off.

"In that case, might I ask when you'll be home? I presume I don't have to remind you that you have an outing with your bridesmaids at three." Dusty blew out in exasperation, but then spoke in a calm tone.

"No, I know. I'll be home around two or two thirty. Well, I'll see you when I get back." She said.

"Good-bye, Miss Grayson." He said, and Dusty closed her phone with a snap. Switching another two lanes, she turned into a side street that would lead her to the police station. She looked at the clock. She had a little over ten minutes to get there. Taking her time, she drove leisurely into the police parking lot a little earlier than her appointed time. Nevertheless, Jim was waiting for her at the check-in desk. After she was checked in, she gave him a hug.

"I missed you." She told him, as she walked down the hallway beside him. "I'm sorry I seemed so distant at last month's luncheon. I had a lot on my mind." Gordon turned his head slightly and surveyed his young friend. She carried herself differently from when he first met her as a young teenager. A transformation from the intelligent but insecure girl of thirteen to... something else. There was something else. Something that reminded him very much of a veteran police officer, but it seemed to go beyond that. Something had happened over the past few years.

He shook it off. Today was to realign the past and the present with Dusty, and he wasn't going to let any misconceptions get in the way.

Once they reached his office, Dusty took one look at his filing cabinet and winced. "I swear, that's worse than Bruce's desk." She said gingerly walking over and picking up what was probably a month-old Styrofoam cup. Holding it at arm's length, she walked over, all the while shuddering dramatically, and threw the cup away. Gordon laughed at her theatrics and set her to work. Ordinarily he would do it himself, but he knew that it was one of her well-hidden hobbies, and if he knew Dusty like before, She would enjoy every single minute of it, even if she was complaining.

In the meantime, though, the two struck up a friendly conversation, much reminiscent of the times before Dusty left. As he thought this, he gave Dusty another searching look. As she took a handful of files out of the cabinet, she caught his gaze.

"What?" She asked. He shook his head.

"I'm just wondering why you left, that's all." He paused. "Gotham just wasn't the same without you." She sighed, and leaned on the filing cabinet, resting her head on her hand.

"It was a mistake, I realize that now. I just…felt I couldn't stay. At any rate, the consequences weren't all bad." Gordon looked up at her questioningly. She shrugged, and got back to work. "I mean, I got to go abroad, finish my education, build as many custom sports cars as I felt I ever needed to, and…work out the grief that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise." She said, taking Gordon's flashlight and shining it cautiously into the drawer. Breathing a sigh in relief at the sight of only a few dust bunnies, she set it down and took the paper towels and cleaner she had brought with her from the janitorial closet.

"But what about Rick? How did he take it?" He asked. She closed her eyes briefly.

"He thought I was dead. Not surprising, but still, it was one of the things that convinced me that it was a mistake."

"You didn't realize it while you were gone?" Dusty looked up over the filing cabinet out the nearby window.

"I chose not to, I think. I'm not sure. Sometimes I feel like I had an out-of-body experience for eight years…" She said, putting the files back in the cabinet and looking into the next drawer. Gordon sighed and stood.

"Then why did you leave?" He asked. She turned to him, her eyes worried, and curiously conflicted.

"I - " She stuttered for a moment. Then she quieted. "I don't know. Well, I don't know what I can say that doesn't connect into other people's secrets…" She smiled, and looked at the clock. "Well, it's twelve. Do you want to hop out to eat now?"

Gordon looked at the clock, acknowledged the time for himself, and grabbed his jacket to protect him against the cool late October air. "You can hop. I think I'll just walk for now." He said, handing Dusty her coat. She smiled and followed him out of the room, switching off the light as she went.

They picked up their pizza for take-out and went to eat in the park nearby. Since it was chilly outside and still early in the lunch hour, the park was relatively empty. They walked a short distance until they came to a spot that had a bench and was far enough off the well-beaten path that they wouldn't be interrupted for a while.

"So," Gordon started, taking a bite of his pizza. "What was it exactly that you needed to talk to me about on the day before your wedding?" He asked. At the mention of the next day's ceremony, she put down her pizza and sighed.

"I don't know if I want to get married." She said, putting her head in her hands and barely missed putting her elbow in her pizza. "I just feel so…insecure about doing it without my mother. She was always there for everything, and to do it without her…" She sighed, and picked up her Italian pie dejectedly, "I just don't know if I can do it." Gordon smiled, trying to keep it small enough that it wouldn't hurt the girl's feelings.

"Dusty," He put his arm around her shoulders, the very image of a father comforting a daughter, "I was exactly the same before my wedding. My father wasn't there. He never really was there at all, but once one gets past that, they're fine. I'll be there for you. So will Alfred, and Rick, and especially Bruce." He said. "Especially Bruce, because I'm sure he's going through the exact same thing as you."

Dusty looked forward, taking this in, the pain and confusion clear on her face. "I just don't know if what I'm doing is the right thing." She said, putting her pizza down without taking a bite of it.

"Believe it." She turned her head, and looked into his clear blue eyes, her expression grim.

"Believe what?" She asked. Her question was deeper than it's face value, and she felt Gordon knew it.

"Believe what you feel is the best thing. For what it's worth, all these years with Barbara have been the best of my life. But only you know the best thing. Believe in love, Dusty. It's out there, and you're right in the middle of it. I know it." He said. He looked down at their pieces of pizza, both having long since lost all warmth.

"What do you say to getting another piece of pizza?" He asked. Dusty laughed.

"Okay."


Dusty drove home, her heart lighter than it had been in a while. She looked at her clock. It was almost two. She had almost an hour before people started to show up. Selina had told her that she wouldn't be able to come – something to do with Watson – however, the other girls would be able to make it. Dusty pulled into the garage, turning off her engine before sitting in the driver's seat for a moment or two, just relaxing. Like it or not, it would probably be her last relaxing moment for the next week or so.

"Dusty?" Bruce's voice jolted her back into reality. She jerked her head around.

"What's wrong?" She asked, mentally running through all the things that could have gone wrong. He shook his head.

"Oh, nothing. It's just two thirty, and I haven't seen you yet. Alfred said you'd driven in a half an hour ago." Her eyebrows rose. She'd fallen asleep! Well, It wasn't completely unheard of. She'd had a brief bout of a narcoleptic-like condition when she'd first started training herself, and she had been getting a little less sleep than usual recently.

"Oh." She said, far too late. "I must have fallen asleep." She said, tucking the stray strands of her hair behind her ears. Bruce helped Dusty out of the car, taking in her rumpled T-shirt and jacket look.

"Lunch go okay?" He asked. She nodded, grabbing her purse before Bruce closed the door. "Feeling better?" He continued. She turned around.

"What gave you the impression I wasn't feeling good to begin with?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Alfred said that you were…discontented." He said. Dusty laughed at Bruce's over-sophisticated and under-stated adjective.

"I'll bet you're quoting him too. I'm fine. I just went and had a talk with - "

"Lieutenant Gordon." He said in unison with her. At her confused expression, he explained. "Your note said. I didn't know he was a friend of yours." He said, taking her arm and walking with her to the stairwell.

"Well, we lived next door to him when I was about eight. I didn't even know he existed until I accidentally ran into the wrong house when I scraped my knee. Instead of shooing me out of the house, he cleaned out my knee and put a bandage on it, and then sent me home. He's been one of my best friends ever since." Her eyes didn't fully reflect the smile on her face.

"But?" Bruce prompted. She sighed.

"But, some friendships are a little harder to renew after a while. Especially when you disappear for eight years." She opened the door to the house and walked inside. Once inside, she walked down the hallway to the kitchen. "Speaking of friendships, has Sana gotten here yet?" She asked.

Bruce leaned up against the counter. "Nope. The orange lady –"

"Clementine?" Dusty inserted.

" – yeah, her. She called and said she'd be a little bit late, but to start without her. Something about a long photo shoot." Dusty breathed a sigh of relief. Bruce raised his eyebrows. "Something wrong?" He asked.

She wiped her relieved expression off her face, and replaced it with a slightly guilty one. "Um…nothing of consequence. She's a little…over or underwhelming. I haven't decided yet. One minute you're amazed at how intrusive she can be, and then next you're kind of disappointed that she can't do anything worthwhile with her rather obvious talent."

"Of?" She gave Bruce a slightly bemused look.

"Being able to talk to anyone about everything at any time. And of course, that gorgeous face of hers. If that isn't a talent – or a serious asset at least – then I am a purple duck." Bruce gave her small hug.

"Well, you don't look in the least bit a duck. Or purple, for that matter, except for the blueberry stain on your jacket." He said, fingering the bluish purple stain on her collar gently. She looked at him, smiling.

"Well, you know me. Just saving it for later…" She trailed off rather whimsically. Bruce laughed and tightened his hug. She rested her head on his shoulder briefly. In a sudden ill-timed swoop, the doorbell rang, which prompted a hasty exit for both adults.


It was Sana at the door, bearing four different gifts, and with Rachel in tow, with a few gifts of her own. Alfred arranged the ladies and the presents carefully, making sure they were all situated in the parlor comfortably, and making sure that Dusty had enough time to get dressed in suitable clothes. Isabelle arrived soon after, dressed in a cute pink dress with a matching bag and shoes, carrying several shopping bags.

"Dusty! I went to the boutique and got a few things for you. You look adorable in that dress!" Dusty looked down at the neat dark grey cap-sleeved dress.

"Thank you." She responded, "You look very nice as well." Isabelle looked down and laughed.

"I think it's a little pink. I brought a slightly more comfortable outfit with me. Once we all get here, I think I'll change." She said softly, giving Dusty a small smile. Dusty returned it gladly. Isabelle was one of the quietest, politest girls in the world, but never seemed to be put upon, or forced into doing stuff that she didn't want to. Dusty found her quite likable, and tended to talk to Isabelle more than Clementine.

Time slowly passed, and with it came Clementine, more food and approximately fifty perfectly humiliating presents for the "young bride". As the party drew to a close and as the models left, Dusty, Rachel and Sana started to fall into deep conversation. Or, more appropriately in mildly deep-but-mostly-mocking talk.

"So, Dusty, tell us. How many times have you fallen in love before you met Bruce?" Sana asked with all of her usual subtlety. She took a Dorito from an almost empty bowl and popped it into her mouth. Dusty tilted her head back in a thoughtful gesture.

"I don't know. Probably four times. Well, twice if you don't count movie stars." She said, smiling and putting on a posture of being completely confident. Inside, her stomach was churning. Oh, how she hated girl talk. It wasn't the actual information that was the problem, but it was the fact that she was divulging said information. It was counter-intuitive, and felt distinctly wrong. It helped to be vague, but with this particular crowd, she knew that it would work for probably five point two seconds, and then after that she would be forced to reveal said information. Knowing Rachel and Sana, they'd probably torture her as well…

She smiled, and looked at her watch. Three, two, one…

"And? Who were these people?" Sana asked. Dusty laughed.

"I knew you were going to ask me that." She paused, looking between Rachel and Sana, "They were George Clooney, Richard Dean Anderson, Damon Richards and…I think his name was…Jack? I can't remember." She said trailing off.

"Goodness! For falling in love with guy, it's shocking that you don't remember him very well." Rachel remarked.

"Oh come on, Rachel, I was six. We were in first grade together!" Dusty protested. "Jack Holbrook! That's it. Jack Holbrook. He spent two days holding my hand everywhere. Probably the highlight of my early romance years." She said. Sana leaned forward.

"And what about Damon, eh?" She said conspiringly. "He took you out once, didn't he?" She asked. Dusty laughed.

"Yeah. Probably the only time I have ever really felt like I was walking on the world. Until I got in trouble with my parents because I was fourteen and we left without telling them. Plus I wasn't even allowed to date until I was sixteen. I didn't really get punished, though, because it was the day before he moved. I just had to promise never to do it again." She said smiling, thinking of all the follies of her youth. For a supposed extra-intelligent girl, she sure had made a lot of mistakes. She only hoped that her adulthood had gone at least a little bit better. She doubted it, though.

"What about Andrew? He was your boyfriend for a month or so, wasn't he?" Sana asked. "You annoyed me to death with your griping after the two of you broke up."

Dusty laughed, and it wasn't more than half forced, "That, my dear girl, was hormones. I suppose you remember my fish died in that period of time as well? Hmmm?" Both Rachel and Sana laughed. Dusty turned to Rachel.

"So, are you like Sana and have a flavor of the month, or are you more like me and have a non-existent social life?" Dusty asked, grabbing for the bowl of chips herself, and licking the orange residue off her fingers afterwards. Rachel smiled.

"Neither I hope. I've had a few boyfriends, but none of them really stuck, you know?" She shrugged and grabbed a Twizzler from the open bag from the floor. Both Sana and Dusty nodded.

"So, tell us a few of their names…" Sana prompted. Rachel and Dusty looked at each other worriedly. Then Rachel shrugged.

"Well, Preston Miller, Zack Aarons, Bruce Wayne…" Sana's eyebrows shot skyward. Then she looked at Dusty accusingly.

"You're marrying her boyfriend?!" She said incredulously. Dusty thought about it for a moment.

"Well, yes. And you've made it all possible by arranging the wedding. Thank you, Sana." At the rather thunderstruck look on her best friend's face, she started laughing. Rachel started laughing as well.

"Trust me, Sana," Rachel said, "I wouldn't have let him go if I really felt we were meant to be. But to tell the truth, for us, it could only be a platonic relationship. We've been best friends since we were kids and we still are." She looked at Dusty, "Besides, the times of our respective relationships never overlapped. I'm not worried." Dusty laughed.

"I'm not sure you should be anyway. In a contest for beauty, you'd probably win, and a lawyer is more prestigious than a mechanic anyway." She said, taking another Dorito from the bowl.

"Of course, you also happen to have several million dollars." Rachel pointed out. Dusty gave her a gesture that translated across as 'good point.' Then she paused.

"You don't suppose that's his ulterior motive?" She asked. As if on cue, all three 'adults' burst out laughing. It would be several more hours before they went to sleep.


Okay. First things first: I'm sorry I'm late with the new chapter. The tenth flew by me so fast that I was kind of speechless, plus I was having medical issues that day (which are now all resolved), and the seventeenth I didn't have the reviewed and revised chapter yet from my beta. So. Lame excuses, but excuses none the less.

Now, thanks to Bryt, my ever-faithful beta, who's in a good mood even when I send a frantic e-mail to her demanding to know why she hasn't abandoned her life to make sure mine goes smoothly. Thanks for about 3 years of hard work (especially with me), and thanks for another few more.

Also, thanks to my reviewers for chapter 27: Bryt and motherduckatschool, you guys rock my socks.

Also, thanks to all those who have added me onto their story alert!

Until next week,

~Sabre.