It was a week after the battle of Gotham City that, finally, the world started to move on. Gotham City was a fresh wound for the world, and the media had taken full advantage of it. All week on TV there had been endless coverage of the events, footage and images playing on loop. There had also been debates about everyone involved. Every damn politician, official or civilian had an opinion on what had happened whether they'd been there or not.

For Barbara and the others, it was so odd to watch it back, as if it was just some movie. It had really happened though. She'd been there and seen it all for herself.

But after a week the coverage slowly started to disappear. Somehow the world seemed to be moving past it and trying to look forward. Eventually, the day came when Barbara realised she would have to do the same… she would have to leave the last months and all their heartache buried in the rubble that was slowly being cleared from the streets so that they could rebuild a new Gotham. Better. Stronger. Brighter.

Then again, that was easier said than done. After all, funerals had never been her forté so to have so many so quickly was enough to knock the life out of Barbara.

The first was hard in a different kind of way. Standing in the graveyard, surrounded by so many GCPD men and women in blue was overwhelming. Together they paid their respects to their fallen brothers, and sisters, now lying row on row.

But it was watching their families that almost broke Barbara. They hadn't signed up for this… for this pain and heartache… They looked like she did, stood all in black. It was a sombre and macabre sight as they wept and saluted.

When Foley's wife and son stepped forward to lay their wreath… Well, Barbara had had no words. Not as Harvey reached out to pat the young boy's shoulder, and Moira embraced Foley's new widow.

Barbara half expected her stubborn instincts to kick in - to tell herself 'no crying'. After all, she had cried enough in the last week when people weren't there to see her. She felt stupid at the thought. Crying was natural. Even if it did make her feel about a thousand times worse afterwards.

Then again, the GCPD philosophy on funerals was that there should be no tears and that people should pay their respects, sharing the happy memories of the deceased's life. It was this motto she and her father was trying to adopt that day.

So she wiped away the stray tear on her cheek and held her father's hand tightly. She watched, feeding off his strength as he said a few words. She tried to pay attention to what was being said, but it was rather hard to concentrate when there were so many coffins only a metre from her, covered in an American flag and decorated beautifully with flowers and wreaths.

They were going to be gone soon, just like all decorations were removed from graves older than a week, but for that moment it was oddly beautiful, yet sickening, to see. Yet, try as hard as she might, she couldn't look anywhere but directly at it.

All things ended so that new things could spring in their place.

"We won't let you down," she whispered.

The second funeral had been painful in an altogether different way. It had just as bleak an affair despite the somewhat grander location. Then again, Wayne Manor had never looked so dismal.

Even with the brink of spring approaching, the whole estate looked dead with the withered trees and bare lawns full of weeds. The house looked empty and lifeless, an oddly apt sentiment as if it could feel its own loss keenly. The last of the Wayne family, gone from its hallowed halls.

Barbara squeezed Alfred's hand as she watched him make his way over toward them, gathered in the family plot. Yet more souls lying row on row. She could see his heart breaking all over again.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, though she knew it would do little to ease his pain. But it was all she had to offer as she stood there, letting the others take charge of the intimate ceremony they had arranged.

"I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy. I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence," her father read softly, eyes lingering on the book wedged in his trembling hands.

She'd picked the reading. She didn't know why. It had always been a favourite book of her's and her father too, and that day the words had felt too apt to ignore.

She failed to hide the faint stream of tears that trickled down her cheeks with every word her father spoke.

"It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done. It is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."

By god, she hoped that was true. She hoped he had found peace so that he could rest. After all he had sacrificed for this city, for her family, he had earned it. He'd earned much more than that and her heart ached that they'd never be able to grant it to him. Sure, they could build crappy statues inside City Hall, they could declare liberation day a city-wide holiday… but it was nowhere near enough to praise the efforts of the man who had effectively saved them all. Batman… Bruce Wayne. The man who should have been stood beside her, watching the new dawn of Gotham.

The night before she had sat there and cried.

"It could have been me… it should have been me," she had repeated over and over as if somehow saying it would make it true. It would reverse that day on the bridge, and it would bring Bruce back.

But he was gone. He made a sacrifice… for them. All of them. He had chosen to take that burden from her, to allow her to keep on living, to keep on fighting. That was what she had to do now. There was no other option. Or so John had reminded her, cradling her close and letting her cry as she watched the sunset over Gotham.

The new Gotham.

Their Gotham.

What Barbara would have given right then for another bottle of Vodka. Or tequila. Or anything that would make standing through this ordeal any less painful.

As if sensing her distress, John slid his arm around her waist and held her close inside the warmth of his coat. Her gratitude was instantaneous as she nestled in tighter to his embrace. The warmth of his body against hers, and the faint hint of cologne, had become so familiar to her that her heart fluttered in relief.

Having Diane stood beside her was also a massive comfort. Ever since the battle of Gotham - as it was now known - the three of them had been inseparable.

It was why Barbara had understood Diane and John's reluctance to return to their own homes… their old apartments. After living together for four months, the idea of living alone felt terrifyingly odd. So, when she caught Diane curled up in her bed in the safe house, she had crawled in beside her. She also draped a blanket over John's shoulders as he had nodded off on the couch.

There was no rush to leave. All their apartments and their old lives would be there waiting for them. But for now… family and friends were more important. Finding the courage to accept the new world waiting for them was a group effort and they knew that better than most. A team was always stronger than an individual.

They had each other's backs. They could be there to hold each other when they laughed and cried. They understood what no one else could.

Like that morning, Barbara had felt numb as she slid on the black dress and jacket she had chosen for the occasion. She had straightened her father's tie. She had held Diane's hair back as she slid her necklace on… she was everywhere except in her own head. Barbara almost swore she was floating but it was them… them that had kept her grounded, just as John was doing now with his soft kisses and comforting embrace.

To her immense relief, her father had actually been ok with the news of their relationship. They had told him together the truth, not that they had to. Their kiss after the battle had made it quite clear how they felt about one another. In fact, if Barbara didn't know any better, she'd have said he was almost pleased to hear it. Her father had been oddly supportive, but this was John Blake after all they were talking about.

He was unlike anybody she'd ever dated in the past, and they'd been through hell and back together. He'd proved his worth in every possible way imaginable.

That didn't mean the Commissioner was quite ready yet to see his daughter and ex right-hand man kissing one another. Barbara had chuckled at the blush in his cheeks when he'd first caught them pressing a stolen kiss to each other's lips before heading out for the morning into the streets.

Some things never changed, and her father's instinct to protect his daughter's supposed innocence was one of them. At least he hadn't tried to do the whole 'if you hurt my daughter' speech yet. It was also a good thing he was oblivious to everything that had been happening under his nose for the past few months.

Barbara sighed, smiling across at him as they all began to turn away from the fresh grave.

However, they didn't get far before she heard the soft crunch of footprints behind them on the gravel.

"Can I change your mind?"

Her father's voice was clear as he called, causing them both to turn.

"About quitting the force?"

Barbara tightened her grip on John's hand as she watched him shake his head. They'd talked about this topic enough that she knew he had his answer and nothing was going to change it. No matter how hard her father seemed to want to try. "You know what you said, about structures becoming shackles?"

Her father nodded slowly.

"You were right," John continued firmly, "and I can't take it. The injustice. I mean no one's ever gonna know who saved an entire city."

"They know," her father replied softly. "It was the Batman, the Batgirl and the Black Canary."

The three of them shared a long look as they finally turned back to the awaiting vehicle behind them, letting the words hang in the air.

One thing Gotham was known for was its tenacity. It was a city that had experienced suffering and chaos like few other cities worldwide ever had. However, as the buildings lay in ruin, the people did not.

The weeks after Bane's occupation ended seemed like mere seconds as people resumed their lives in the ways they could. Shops opened, schools opened. More importantly, life began to flood back into the once desolate streets.

As Barbara had sat at her bedroom window that night, applying the finishing touches to her hair she couldn't help the smile that lingered on her lips. Even through the gap in her window, she could hear the sound of children laughing as they played in the streets below. She heard the symphony of music playing from a fire escape and swore nothing had ever sounded so perfect.

There had been no hesitation when Diane had suggested this night out. God knew they needed it like nothing else in the whole world. They needed a night to feel free, alive and like the world still existed around them - a world they craved to be a part of once again, no longer full of fear, death and hate.

It was why Barbara beamed, casting a last approving glance down at her dress. She looked pretty damn good in the rather short, silver dress - even if she did say so herself. The look was only made even better with the addition of the small pendant that hung around her neck.

A small silver chain hung about her neck, a gift from John. That much was apparent by the small bird-like charm that was on it, the hint to the identity of the owner. A robin. Like her Robin.

It was their secret, and even now the thought of it made her heart skip a beat as she toyed with the chain. Only she was privy to his true birth name and the history that came with it.

She let her eyes wander back to the mirror as she took in one last look of approval. With that, she hurried out into the evening.

As they had strolled into the club, Diane and John at her side, Barbara felt like she was walking on air. The cliché had never felt truer than just then.

She had danced till she couldn't feel her feet. She had sung till her throat ached. She drank till the world around her dissolved into a glittering haze of life and jubilation.

They were alive and she planned on fucking celebrating that fact every day for the rest of her life.

A few more weeks passed in the mere blink of an eye.

Wayne Manor. It had always been a place of life and grandeur. Generations of Gotham's finest parties had been held in the hallowed halls of the mansion. Yet, that early spring afternoon, John Blake couldn't help but think the mansion had never been as full of life as it was then.

Even in the kitchen the echo of footsteps in the halls, the cries and laughter of the boys that now occupied the house, flooded every crevice of the building.

He stood at the kitchen window, staring at the garden in full spring splendour. It was just in time for the grand opening ceremony the week after.

He paused, eyes drifting across the window. John couldn't get enough of it: watching the children running back and forth on the lawns with such joy, such freedom, in their beings. Their laughter was a symphony in the afternoon air.

Just staring—and listening to that beautiful laugh… Barbara's laugh.

He slowly rubbed a hand over his chest at that sound—the joy in it. It was like nothing he'd heard and he wanted to hear nothing but it till the day he died.

Close. They had all come so close to not seeing days like this ever again. This place. Each other. And he knew that the laughter … it was defiant and celebratory of reaching this moment.

"You going to stare out that window all day, or are you going to join me?"

Barbara's voice startled him out of his reverie. His head turned on instinct, his breath hitching as he saw her standing there. A glass of champagne in each hand, and beaming, Barbara looked like a dream.

"How could I refuse such a tempting offer?" he purred, closing the distance between them. His hand took a glass from hers and his other slid around her waist. "What's the matter? The boys not entertaining enough company for you?"

"Behave," Barbara scolded, giggling as she did so. It was impossible to do anything other than laugh when he was kissing her cheek like that. "Why are you hiding in here?"

John didn't answer. It was in the silence that Barbara finally heard it: the laughter from the boys outside. She sighed in understanding, pressing a tender kiss to his lips as she murmured, "it's real, John. It's all real. We made it… we did it."

"Maybe one day I'll realise that."

"Maybe," Barbara chuckled softly. "But until then you've got me to remind you every single day until you tire of me."

"I like the sound of that," he purred, holding her close. "And I'll never tire of you."

Barbara's smile grew tenfold as she stole one last kiss. It was a beautiful sentiment, and deep down she knew she felt the same. "Let's go home."

They'd put this off for far too long. Stalling the inevitable, flitting instead between John's apartment, and Diane's, and the safe house. It was as if they were afraid of what they'd find, left behind.

Even pushing back the door to their apartment… their home… it was as if she was re-entering a dream. Everything was exactly as she'd left it… As she approached her old home she sighed. She did miss it; this old building, with its shabby window frames and faded brickwork. Memories of her childhood flooded back to her as she climbed the steps, reaching for the door handle. Somehow they felt like a lifetime ago.

A soft gasp escaped her lips as she stepped inside. Crossing the doorway was like crossing the threshold into the past, a perfectly preserved time capsule from months ago… So. Apparently Bane and his goons hadn't been here. Nothing seemed out of place or damaged in the slightest - not that she could tell as she wandered spellbound through the once familiar space.

Relief filled her at that realisation. She didn't know why, but their home had been spared even down to the crap stacked on the kitchen table in odd piles, just as she had left it. A perfect snapshot of the night it had all gone to hell…

Her fingers skated across the smooth wooden surface, feeling every bump and crevice of the table affectionately. She did not even mind the coat of grey dust that settled on her fingers as she pulled them off.

And she realised with startling clarity that her old home was indeed the same, but they … they were not. None of them were. The people they'd been before the uprising, before Bane… they were mere ghosts, haunting every nook and cranny of the apartment.

It was enough to knock the breath right out of her.

A warm hand on her shoulder pulled her back into reality. She knew it was John without even having to turn. She squeezed John's hand so tightly she thought he'd complain, but he only squeezed right back.

"What is your mother going to think when she sees the state of this place?"

Barbara shot her father a wary smirk. "Dad, relax. She isn't possibly going to be worried about this place."

John chuckled affectionately at the pair of them. "What time does her flight get in?"

"Later tonight." Her dad rolled his eyes as if he was dreading that.

"See? Plenty of time to tidy up if you're so worried."

Barbara did not understand how John seemed so calm about the whole thing. At this rate, he was going first with the broom and if he wasn't too careful she'd put him to work with a mop as well.

Then again, she could use his support to distract her from the thought of seeing her mother again. Bane had been one thing, but mother Gordon was a whole other threat.

It wasn't that she hadn't missed her, because Barbara had. It was more the fact she still, even now, didn't know how to react or feel around her. To hear about her new life in Cleveland always made Barbara's stomach churn uncomfortably. Then again, it wasn't as if she was the same girl she'd been last time she'd been in the same room as her Mom.

They both had new lives now. They were both new people in their own ways. Maybe it was time to lower both their walls and try to get to know one another again. This was their fresh start, after all, the one Bruce had given his life for… Barbara wasn't about to dare waste a second of it.

A ringing phone pulled her out of thoughts.

Her father paused, the obvious culprit as he reached into his pocket. He sighed, looking down at his phone. "I better get this, it's Harvey," he explained. "He's probably wondering what time we're meeting for dinner, Sunday."

"Say hi for us," Barbara called, smirking as she watched her father disappearing into the hallway.

The thought of having a full family dinner again was odd, if not comforting. It had been so long, and to think her Mom and brother would actually be back in the city… it was one more piece to add to this puzzle that was her life now.

In some ways, the war had been simpler.

"So," John smirked, drawing her back into the room. "Where do we start?'

"I don't know."

She didn't. The whole place looked like it needed some major TLC, from the thick layer of dust everywhere to the cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling. She didn't even want to start thinking how much stuff needed to be put through the washing machine.

Instead, she chose something simple to draw her focus.

The floorboards creaked as she padded over to the window, masked by the lengthy drapes hanging over it. Her hands took the fabric and tore them apart, allowing sunlight to finally burst back into the room and the home.

"There," she smiled, dusting her hands proudly. "That's better."

"Much," John agreed, heading over toward the cupboard by the door. Barbara could hear him rustling through the various household and cleaning supplies stashed away inside it. "We could start with the vacuum?"

"You volunteering?"

"Maybe. Depends on the motivation."

Barbara laughed. He was incorrigible. "Is my love and devotion not enough?"

"Tempting!" he echoed, his voice muffled as he freed himself from the cupboard and sauntered closer. The devious look was enough warning for Barbara as she tried to push him away. "But I think I need something a little better than that."

"You're a pain in the ass."

"Your pain," he corrected as his lips found hers, his arms snagging around her waist to draw her close.

Barbara didn't even try to fight as she returned the gesture. One day she'd tire of being able to do this when and where she liked, but today was not that day. In fact, it seemed incredibly far away by Barbara's reckoning. Had she had her way, they'd have done more than a kiss but it was suicidal to risk anything when her father was still only a couple rooms away.

Hence, she was surprised it was her phone buzzing - and not her father - that was responsible for interrupting their display of affection a minute later.

"Hang on," she grumbled, "I better see if it's Diane. She was supposed to call to let me know when she's coming back from Starling."

John sighed but surrendered. He released her from his grip but pressed a soft kiss to her head in compensation as Barbara looked down at the screen.

However, he hadn't expected her face to drop so dramatically. In fact, Barbara didn't say anything for a minute, just blinking as if trying to figure out what to say.

"Babs?" he prompted, peering down at the screen for himself. "What is it?"

"You're not going to believe this."

"What? Why?"

"It's Selina. Selina Kyle."

John blinked.

Had he had a glass of water Barbara was sure he'd have completed a perfect spit take.

"Excuse me?"

Barbara nodded. "And if that's surprising wait till you hear what she has to say."

With that, she turned the screen towards him and let him read the text for himself. The way his jaw dropped told her all she needed to know.

He couldn't believe it either.

He's not dead. Coffee? x

Having coffee with a ghost was a new experience, and considering the last year, that was saying a lot. After last night and her mother's awkward arrival back in Gotham Barbara felt as if she had become a pro at awkward reunions.

If she'd survived that one, she could definitely survive this.

Or at least that was what she'd told herself as she'd made her way down the busy street and towards the coffee shop located at the end. A narrow building of bright red brick, and glistening gold letters hanging over the door, Barbara could hardly miss the place. Selina had been very specific in her instructions after all.

Barbara could hardly blame the woman for her discretion. Gotham had bigger priorities than arresting her right now, but Selina had had enough attention for a lifetime. Or so the wide-brimmed black hat and sunglasses suggested.

Sitting there, in the afternoon sun, Selina looked like a movie star from some silent motion picture. Barbara had almost felt bad shattering the illusion, dropping into the empty seat opposite in her worn yellow converse and a coat that had seen better days.

Then again, they hadn't arranged this meeting for a simple social soiree - a fact Barbara was desperate to understand as she had begun grilling the woman who never seemed to run out of surprises.

It was only after the third coffee that it began to make sense, Selina piecing together the missing elements of this bizarre and surreal narrative.

Bruce was alive.

He'd escaped the Bat, allowing the bomb to detonate harmlessly over the sea.

Now he and Selina were leaving? Together?

Barbara couldn't have wished for a better ending for both of them. God knew they'd earned it. She also, selfishly, was grateful for the weight of her guilt she felt slipping away at the knowledge she hadn't failed Bruce after all. It was enough to quell any possible outrage she may have felt at realising Bruce had shared her identity with Selina. After everything they'd been through, Barbara trusted Selina to keep the secret to herself. That, and it was liberating to finally be able to talk without masks and personas between them.

"Does Alfred know?"

"No," Selina replied, sipping her coffee with incredible composure. "I believe Bruce wants to let him know somehow. I didn't really ask."

"But you're telling me?"

"Bruce felt you were owed the truth," Selina continued, "and I agreed. I know you and I saw you after you thought he was dead. You have enough on your shoulders without that ridiculous guilt."

"Thank you."

Selina smirked. "You don't need to thank me. I'm simply repaying the debt we both owe you. Gotham wouldn't have lasted in his absence, something I realised too late. My actions nearly cost us everything. Without you and Diane, we wouldn't be having this annoyingly cheesy happy ending."

"Very true."

"And it wasn't as if he could risk doing this in person."

Barbara chuckled at the thought. "Also true."

In a way, she admired the sentimentality she knew had also brought Selina here. It wasn't just practicality that had encouraged the woman to reappear in Barbara's life once more, even if it felt odd to be doing this face to face. Selina had wanted to say goodbye. A proper goodbye.

"So, what's ahead for you both?"

"Europe. Asia. Wherever," Selina smirked, the excitement clear in her pale brown eyes as she looked at her over the rim of her own cup. "The world is our oyster, and for once we can go anywhere, and be anything we want."

"I'm happy for you."

And she was.

"What about you, and Diane, and Blake?" Selina continued, leaning back in the seat. She clearly enjoyed finally turning the tables on this mock interrogation. "What do your futures' look like?"

That was the question; one Barbara herself had been muddling over the last week or so.

What did their futures look like?

What did hers look like?

John had made his decision regarding the force and Diane had made the decision to go home for a while to spend some much needed time with her family.

Barbara, well she could hardly decide what to do. There were so many possibilities, so many ways she could go, and it scared her. Sure, she had John, and she knew she wanted to be with him. She also knew she wanted to spend time with her Dad, and Diane, and go back to how it used to be, as much as that wasn't entirely possible anymore. But Batgirl…

Barbara didn't know where that fit in in her future.

"Diane and I have work to go back to, I think," she began smoothly, biting her lip in thought. "Gotham is going to need us to handle everything since the breakouts. Things are worse than ever, with escapee criminals, and Bane's men still hiding in the city. But, we have each other. Diane's gone back to Starling for the week to see her family, and John and I… I think we're just looking forward to going on a date. A real date."

"That sounds like a lot of fun."

Barbara smiled. "That it should be."

"Speaking of the oh-so-handsome John Blake, where is he?"

"Collecting something Bruce left in his will to us and Diane."

"Wonder what it is…"

"No clue," she shrugged. She doubted it was anything to do with trinkets or silverware. What had the billionaire left them? "We'll see soon enough."

Apparently, it would be sooner than Barbara had thought. She'd only just looked up when she noticed the car parking across the street and the man that got out of it. John had been quicker than she'd thought he'd be at the solicitor's.

She also wasn't the only one to notice the new arrival. Selina had turned too, smirking as she noticed the ex-detective marching toward them.

"Well, that's my cue," she purred, easing to her feet and slipping her bag over her shoulder. "I better be off. I have a plane to catch, and this time, your handsome beau won't be stopping me."

Barbara just giggled, looking at him for herself as she got to her feet. That felt like a lifetime ago and in some ways it was.

It that fact wasn't clear before, it certainly was by the way John waved at them both before daring to greet Selina with a cheerful, "Hope I'm not interrupting you, ladies."

Selina smiled. "Never, I was just leaving."

"What a shame."

"I think not." Selina's grin was wicked as she laughed under her breath, shaking her head and reaching to briefly embrace Barbara.

She was surprised by the affectionate gesture, but smiled, taking it anyway.

"I'll miss you," Barbara choked, surprised to find she meant it. "Take care of yourself, and … you know who."

It went without saying but she couldn't help it, giving the woman one last tight hug before releasing her.

"You got it."

"See you, Miss Kyle."

"See ya around handsome," Selina purred, brushing past him, and winking at them both as she rose a hand, hailing a passing taxi cab. One instantly appeared, drawing to a neon yellow halt, the engine still running. "And Barbara," she continued, turning back to smile at her one last time. "Don't forget: we strong women have to stick together. You're braver and tougher than you think - I'm only ever a phone call away though."

Barbara nodded warmly, knowing it to be true. "I know."

Selina just grinned. "I'll send you a postcard."

"Do that," John chuckled, giving her a brief wave, and slipping an arm around Barbara's waist, pulling her closer into his side.

They stood, watching on the kerb as the taxi disappeared, leaving them to it, in their city.

Barbara had to admit, she was sad to see her go. Selina Kyle wasn't the most typical of people, but she had a good heart. Barbara knew that was what Bruce saw in her, and she did too. She wished her the best, both of them, even. They deserved it.

"Ready to go?" John asked slowly, catching her attention back to the present.

"Yep. I am." She nodded, gazing up at him warmly, liking the way he looked, with the sun shining down on his face, creating an almost angelic hue. Ever since this whole thing had ended, it was as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

It felt good. Good, to be able to smile, and feel the sun on their faces, without Bane looming over them, and their city.

They'd done it.

They were free.

"Good."

"I have to say I like this. Us. Free Gotham." Her eyes trailed upwards, and around them, taking it in.

His eyes followed hers, and she could tell he felt the same. "I agree entirely, Babs."

His lips lowered towards hers, and she tilted her head, accepting them with a small giggle, as her hand rose to cup his cheek. He was still a little taller than her, and she rose on her tiptoes to compensate the difference, as her heart fluttered in her chest. She particularly liked this.

"So," she whispered, pulling back after a moment, and returning to their previous position. "How did it go this morning? What did Wayne leave us? His china set?"

"Nope." John stopped, brushing a hand through her hair, and smirking as she waited for more information than that.

"Then what?"

"Get in and we'll see."

Barbara raised her eyebrow, and was about to ask, but saw the car awaiting them on the curb. John had already taken a step towards it, and she did the same, having learnt by now secrets tended to reveal themselves eventually.

She slid into the passenger seat and fastened her belt. That was when she spotted the duffel bag, wedged between her seat, and John's. She paused, looking inside at the contents.

A note was pinned to the top, though it granted little insight into what was happening. In fact, the sight of the Wayne Enterprise logo bossed at the top of the paper made her all the more confused as she read.

Diane and Barbara,

I hope this contribution will aid you in your future endeavours. I wish I could have been of more service to you, but I can already see Gotham is in more than capable hands. You also might need this small token if you plan on expanding your team…

Bruce Wayne

P.S. - remind Robin that every bird eventually needs to learn to fly.

"GPS? Ropes? Why does this seem odd to me?"

"Bruce Wayne wasn't exactly your usual kind of man," John retorted, doing his own belt and starting the engine.

"So, he left us this?"

John nodded, pulling the vehicle back into the road, and gesturing to the GPS device laying between them. "Yep. So, I think we should follow his clues. See what this is about."

Barbara just nodded, unable to refrain from her curiosity. She picked up the device in her hand and hit the button on the front. Instantly, a location appeared, portrayed by a beeping pulse of red light, hovering in an x over the screen. Well, as they said, x marked the spot.

"What are you up to Mr Wayne?"

It was about an hour or so later that they reached the end of Bruce's bizarre treasure hunt. Even from beyond the grave, Mr Bruce Wayne still had them running after him, and his secrets.

Barbara had watched as they made their way out of the city, the thick skyline of buildings being replaced by dense forest on either side of the road. Despite knowing the area as well as she did, Barbara had no clue where they actually were.

Signposts had long since disappeared from view as they veered off the actual road, instead, making their way across a beaten dirt track that seemed to draw them deeper and deeper into the woods.

Eventually, John knew the car could go no further. It was on foot from here.

"Where the hell are we?" he whispered, opening the door and stepping out into the unknown terrain.

"I wish I knew - it just says to go this way." The device was pulsing animatedly in Barbara's hand, indicating somewhere up ahead of them. Well, she said ahead of them but considering there was nothing but trees ahead, she felt as if she was running on blind faith here.

She held the device, thanking her decision to wear her beaten converse today as she hurried up the incline, leaving John to retrieve the duffel from the car. Somehow, she knew they were going to need it.

"Just a little further," she cried, turning back long enough to check John was following her down the trail, which winded down through the trees, heading towards – what sounded like- running water.

It was then John took a step forward, clambering up onto one of the mossy mounds ahead. He turned back, offering his hand down to Barbara. "You got it?"

"Yeah," she smirked back, a little confused and tired, as she jumped up beside him, and gazed around them to the mass of water surrounding them.

It was a massive river, stemming from a large waterfall, which cascaded the water down the cliff faces around them. The roar of the water was deafening, echoing off the rock faces surrounding them on either side.

There seemed no clear route ahead.

"Where now?"

"Just down there," John breathed, pointing to the GPS, and then looking back at the duffel bag of ropes.

Well, now they made sense, even if Barbara was a little hesitant to start abseiling and rock climbing. However, John just reached in the bag and took the ropes in hand. By this point, it took more than this to rattle them.

"A waterfall? Fun."

"Scared of a little water?"

Barbara scoffed, and stepped past him, taking the ropes for herself, and staring down below. "I'm just grateful I didn't wear jeans."

John laughed again, watching as they assembled their route down, through the waterfall. Eventually, it was time to go.

"After you," he smirked, testing the line with his hands. After he was satisfied he'd secured it properly he handed it over to her. "Ladies first?"

Barbara just stared at him.

Ok.

Seemed she was taking the leap of faith here. Good thing she never ran from a challenge.

"See ya at the bottom."

With that, they went, swinging their way through, becoming drenched as they hit the wall of water, and landed with a splash, in the deep waters beyond. It was so dark and cold. Barbara instantly gasped, releasing the ropes and turning, taking in the surroundings, hearing John land beside her.

"Oh… my… God…"

"Is this…?"

It was. There was no denying it. There was a suit, then the computers… this was where he'd been hiding all this time? Working out of here? This cave?

Then it hit her. This was what Bruce was leaving them? The three of them?

The Bat-cave.

Suddenly, she felt the weight fall on her shoulders, as she realised what it meant.

"No… way…"

She felt John wade beside her, taking her hand in his. Then she knew; Barbara Gordon finally knew what her future looked like, and it started here, the same way Bruce's had, rising from the darkness.

Oh my god. Here it is - the end of this story. I actually can't believe it. When I started publishing this story almost two years ago I never imagined I'd make it to the end, nor have such a wonderful following. Every single one of you who've read this, reviewed or favourited has honestly made this such an incredible experience. I couldn't have wished for more and I hope I did you justice.

I know I mentioned it before, but I am working on a sequel to this story. It won't be quite as long as this one but I don't feel quite ready to let these characters go just yet. Sorry! I have no idea when exactly it will be up, so keep an eye on here and follow the story as I'll likely post an update here to let you know it's live.

All the best,

Thesilentmage x