Chapter Thirty Seven

Adriana sighed as she looked over at the exhausted looking Lisa, "Okay, Lisa, that is all we can do here for the night." Lisa nodded, looking a little frantic.

"Jesus, Miss Stark look!" Adriana looked at the TV in her office that Lisa was pointing at, running a hand over her quickly unravelling bun.

GCN was covering a hostage situation downtown in one of the new office buildings being constructed over looking the harbour. Adriana felt certain that she had been there at the ground breaking ceremony. Bruce had been her date. It felt like a life time ago.

"Oh my god!" Adriana's hand flew to her mouth as she watched the SWAT team attack the building. It looked like they were going after the Batman just as intensely as they were going for the clowns. "Jesus!"

"This town is going to hell in a hand basket!" Lisa whispered emotionally.

"Go home! Go home now, before anything else happens and stay there." Lisa nodded at Adriana's demand.

Lisa looked at her boss, "Will you be ok, Miss Stark?"

Adriana looked at the younger woman, "Oh, I'll be fine Lisa."

Lisa chuckled, "I guess you and Mr. Wayne will be flying off to Switzerland or something till this all cools off then?" Lisa picked up her bag and jacket. Adriana wished the girl would hurry up, as she kept watching the TV, it seemed the SWAT team had lost Batman but no new information was on the screen. What was going on? Was Bruce ok? Why on earth where they trying to stop and subdue him?

"No, no," Adriana shook her head, "Bruce wants to stay here."She explained, watching the TV.

"Oh," Lisa said sounding a little surprised. There was a brief silence and then Lisa stopped at the door and looked back at Adriana again, "It's nice that you have Mr. Wayne in your life, Miss Stark. He seems like a really nice man. I mean… I saw you guys on the news when you went to that boys home, you both looked so glamourous and wonderful, and helping out those poor boys and all. Just made me think there was hope for Gotham." Adriana looked up at Lisa, "I've been here my whole life, and I think that people like you and Mr. Wayne, you are this city's future, trying to make it better. I mean people think you are just doing this for the money," Lisa waved a hand indicating the hospital, "but I see what you are doing in the inner city, even if you don't want it publicized." Lisa shrugged, "Good to see Gotham has a future inspire of the wacko's running around in war paint and masks." She smiled and turned.

"Lisa," The girl looked around at her boss and Adriana smiled, feeling herself getting all misty, "Stay safe, have my driver take you home and walk you up to your place ok?"

Lisa smiled, "Thanks, Miss Stark."

With that she left Adriana to stare at where the younger woman had been standing. Lisa was about twenty two, angling to be a big shot corporate assistant, but Adriana figured she would get tired of that pretty quickly, Lisa was a bright girl, meant for more than setting up meetings and answering phone calls. Maybe Adriana could find a lower level position for her to start at, either in her hospital or maybe she could talk to Bruce, see if there was something available in Wayne Enterprises.

Adriana couldn't help but think back when she was twenty two. She hadn't had everything she wanted together and on track. She had been a total mess… dragged back home, practically by her hair… living in her brother's house for lack of anywhere else to go. She had been a complete mess, but as far as the civilized world was concerned that year didn't exist… it had disappeared, 'expunged', that was all that mattered. And, the fact that things were going well for her now, no need to drag up her deep dark secrets.

After shaking her head she snapped out of it. She ran around to her coat closet and pulled out her Medi-Kit, for mobile emergencies. She went back to her desk and opened up the bottom drawer of her desk. Her set of old violet scrub's, her lucky scrubs, from her days as a resident, sat at the bottom. She grabbed them and threw them in her kit. She grabbed the bag, hoisted it over her shoulder, grabbed a set of car keys from her desk and took off out of her office.

A/N: Ok, all, we are starting to get into previously hinted at parts of Adriana's past. I am very excited to finally be coming almost full circle, or at least starting to :P I hope you are all as excited as me! Please keep reading, your support is greatly appreciated! I have lots more to come, Adriana and Bruce's story is far from over

P.S. Sorry it is so short, I am building to something! Trust me on this! See you soon with a good long chapter! -Cat