The Bat and the Cat Come Back
Chapter 34
"…and he just announced to the board that you are Batman?" Alfred asked.
Right after the board meeting at Wayne Enterprises ended, Bruce and Selina made their way over to the hospital to visit Alfred.
The only thing that Bruce would have done differently would to have had Alfred present for his speech. He would have wanted Alfred to see his dedication to his family and his family's legacy.
Bruce smiled and nodded. "He sure did."
"The best part was when the whole room started to laugh," Selina said.
"I'm still not sure if I'm offended or not," Bruce said.
Selina put her hand on his forearm in an act of comfort. "It just means you've done a good job with your act, Mr. Wayne."
"I don't think we're done with Luthor totally, but I think he's going to think twice about ever coming after Wayne Enterprises again."
"What did he say to you when he wanted to talk to you man to man?" Selina asked.
Bruce rolled his eyes. "He told me that he hired the Joker, Nigma, Harley, and Poison Ivy to kill us."
"What?" Alfred and Selina replied together.
"And he told me he wished you really were a model," Bruce said. "I wish I had decked him when I had the chance."
"I think that would have worked against you in your argument that you weren't Batman," Selina said. "And people have always said stuff about me, Bruce. It doesn't bother me anymore."
Alfred was incredibly proud that Bruce had done what he had. He'd known that Bruce would never have let anyone, especially Lex Luthor, run Wayne Enterprises, but this was amazing.
"Bruce, would you do me a favor?" Selina asked.
He took his eyes away from the monitors that Alfred was hooked into for a split second to look at his wife. "Of course."
"I would love a coffee," Selina purred.
"I'll be right back," Bruce said in a confused tone while Selina smiled up at him.
He kissed her cheek and was out of the room a second later.
"You clearly wanted to talk to me alone…" Alfred smiled. "What is it?"
"Do you think that Bruce would prefer to stay here in Gotham? To not move back to Italy?" Selina asked.
She was trying her hardest to wear a brave face, but she was terrified that she was going to have to do the right thing for Bruce and stay here if that's what he wanted.
Alfred smiled at her. "Do you really think he wanted to stay in Gotham?"
"I don't know. He seems to want to do both, but I would never want to have him choose. I would stay here for him…"
The door to Alfred's private room opened a second later, but it wasn't Bruce. It was Nurse Bonnie, the woman with the epic crush on Mr. Pennyworth. And after she smiled at Alfred, she looked once as Selina and grinned.
"How far along are you?"
Selina looked down at herself and her hand that she had absentmindedly put across her stomach. Then she shook her head. "I'm not expecting, I was just…"
"Nonsense," the woman waved her hand. "I've been a nurse 35 years. I can spot a pregnant woman at 50 yards," she said as Bruce opened the door with his hip as he held an armful of coffee. He wore his own shocked expression. "I hope that's decaf, Mr. Wayne," she said as she took Selina's hand. "Let's go get a test run on you."
"That's unnecessary…I can't be…" Selina said, her eyes wide.
"I should warn you," Alfred smiled. "That one there," he pointed to Bonnie. "She won't take no for an answer."
Bonnie smiled again. "Come on, Mrs. Wayne, come with me."
Selina wordlessly let herself be pulled from the hospital room. Bruce still hadn't said a word or moved out of the doorway.
After another moment of silent contemplation, Bruce moved into the room and the door closed.
"What the hell?" was what he finally managed to blurt out.
"Nurse Bonnie seems to think your wife is with child," Alfred smiled. "And after getting to know Bonnie, she's been right more times than wrong…daddy."
Bruce took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I was out of the room for two minutes," he said.
"Don't look at me," Alfred said. "I think the fact that she's pregnant lies squarely on your shoulders. Now I have an even greater reason to get well quickly: we need to celebrate with a cigar."
Bruce set down the coffee cups. "Hold on. We don't even know…" he said. "And the other…"
"I don't have to explain to you that it is possible for women to conceive every month, do I?"
Bruce finally cracked a smiled. "Oh, please," he said in a mock-disgusted tone.
"Oh my, I've embarrassed the great Bruce Wayne," Alfred laughed.
"Alfred, have I expressed how happy I am that you're recovering?" Alfred laughed.
Alfred grinned. "Oh, only every day of the last two weeks of my hospital stay…."
"Tell me more of Luthor's smug face…"
… …
Selina had gone with Nurse Bonnie, but she almost went running out the door when the woman had left her alone. Selina knew she was a hell of a lot faster than this lady. But, in the same vein, she'd piqued Selina's interest.
As she waited in the exam room for Bonnie to come back with the cup that she was likely going to have to pee in, she wracked her brain to try to determine when it could have happened.
She and Bruce had been stressed to the max since they had come to Gotham. Their sex-life between the times Alfred had been found kidnapped and to when they had found him alive had been non-existent. And there was the small matter of her hospital visit when she'd been poisoned by Ivy…it was determined that she wasn't pregnant then. So, it had to be within in the last two weeks.
The door to the exam room flung open and Bonnie strolled in. "Ooops! I forgot to knock!" she laughed.
"So, are you ready?"
"I could use a drink," Selina muttered.
"No more drinkies for you, mommy…"
Selina refused to believe it. "I don't think you can tell by looking at me. I…"
"I have all daughters. All of them are married with four to six children a piece. I could tell within 36 hours…well, except for Stacy…"
"I see…"
"They thought they were being sneaky and quiet on Christmas Eve…Stace and her husband…but my late husband and I heard them…if you know what I mean. I could tell she was going to be pregnant in the morning," she smiled. "I've got 30 grandchildren, Mrs. Wayne. I've had plenty of time to hone my skill."
"What an interesting super power to have…" she said as she accepted the urine sample cup.
"I trust you know what to do…" Bonnie smiled as Selina hauled herself down from the exam table.
"After your impressive resume. It hardly seems necessary," she groused.
"Got your mouth washed out by your mom fairly regularly, didn't you?" Bonnie asked.
"Can't say that I did. This sarcastic attitude came after my mom's passing," Selina replied.
Nurse Bonnie put her hand to her mouth in shock to quiet herself. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea…'
"How could you have?" Selina said quietly. "I promise, it's okay."
Selina wished she hadn't opened her big mouth. Now things were really awkward.
"How old were you?"
"Early teens. It's all right, really. I've come a long way since my parents died," Selina said.
Now Bonnie was totally bawling.
'Um…N-nurse Bonnie?"
"Sometimes I just open my big mouth and say anything and everything that comes to mind. And then I dredge up feelings…Did you say parents?"
Selina nodded. "My mom…she killed herself and my dad died of alcohol poisoning. But it was almost 20 years ago. I've moved on. Please stop crying. It's-it's making me more anxious."
Bonnie composed herself immediately. "We should be celebrating!" she said in a cheerful tone.
Selina began to seriously wonder about this lady's own mental state. She sensed that there was some kind of mental balance.
"I'm just going to go pee in this cup so you can tell me for sure…"
Selina hustled out of the room, cup in hand, as quickly as she could. She didn't need to have any more crazy coming at her for a long while. And she definitely didn't want it coming with her to the bathroom.
… …
"Well, like I said, I don't expect Luthor to just roll over and say 'thanks for humiliating me' but…"
"I think he's going to leave you in peace for a bit."
"People think he's crazy. I can't lie; I kind of like that," Bruce smiled.
Selina knocked once and entered the room, totally pale.
"What is it?" Bruce said, his smile gone.
"Holy shit, Bruce. I'm pregnant. For real," Selina told him before hugging him tightly.
"I told ya! I'm never wrong! Well, I'm never wrong about babies!" Bonnie yelled.
Selina let go of Bruce and ran to hug Alfred.
"Congratulations!" Alfred said happily into her ear. "You're going to be a wonderful mother."
"I hope so," Selina told him. "I do hope so."
… …
Both Selina and Bruce couldn't stop smiling as they exited the hospital and headed back to their hotel. It was their makeshift home until they made the move back to Italy. There would even be enough space for Alfred to finish his recuperating in style.
But even in her happiness, Selina knew there were some things that would have to be addressed. And therefore, she got quiet.
"What's wrong?" Bruce asked as they maneuvered through the traffic in Gotham City. "Alfred said that you think I want to stay here in Gotham," Bruce said when Selina didn't answer.
"You…" she sighed deeply. "Alfred told me she wouldn't say that to you."
"I told him that I wouldn't tell you that he told me, too," Bruce said glancing at her quickly. "Didn't really stop me."
"I get that," Selina replied.
"And I don't want to stay in Gotham City, Selina. With the tech available, I could go to some remote island and still help run Wayne Enterprises. I want to be wherever you want to be. I want to be where you are."
"I hate you so much," Selina shook her head, but smiled. She couldn't really be mad at him.
"I get that a lot."
… …
Author's note: okay, so here's the next update! What did you think? Let me know! Please and thanks!