Chapter Nineteen: The World
Bane watched from a safe distance as the emergency medical personnel and GCPD swarmed the hotel parking lot turned crime scene.
The burning of his raw, bleeding bullet wound brought his eyes to the torn flesh. He rooted through the first aid kit Jenifer had put together and performed some shoddy field surgery and bound his shoulder tight.
He forced himself to drive back to Jenifer's at a law-abiding speed. He wanted to press the accelerator to the floor and return to Livia's side and the new life that was growing inside her.
Bane had not even put the bulky SUV in park before the front door of Jenifer's home opened and Livia was running towards the driver's side.
He managed to set the emergency brake before he pushed open the door and wrapped her up in his arms, feeling himself become whole again. The ill feeling in the pit of his stomach evaporated as he swallowed her up in his formidable embrace.
Jenifer and Barsad watched from the large bay window a moment before pulling the curtains closed and giving them privacy. Barsad closed down the many computer programs that were running and set the laptop aside, he didn't plan on needing them again.
Bane gathered up Livia in his arms, she was dressed poorly for the brisk morning. He carried her bridal style over the threshold. Jenifer treated and cleaned up his wound before stitching it closed and securing it with clean bandages.
Later that night before Bane drifted off to sleep, he felt Livia's hand press against his chest, over his heart. "No more fighting," she whispered to the dark.
Bane settled his hand over hers and held her hand closer. "No more fighting," he confirmed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just about One Year Later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Livia save some hot water for everyone else," Jenifer shouted up the stairs and listened to Livia's grumbling as she turned off the faucet.
Bane looked up and chuckled when Livia appeared in their bedroom doorway, wrapping her wet hair up in a blue towel.
As Livia towel-dried under the weight of Bane's stare, on the other coastline, Sara Gordon bustled about the kitchen that faced the majesty of the Pacific Ocean.
"Is there more coffee?"
Sara smiled and carried the half-empty carafe to the round kitchen table. She pressed her lips to Jim Gordon's temple as she refilled his ceramic mug with the chipped handle.
"Do you have physical therapy today with Rob or Maya?" Sara asked as she topped off her own mug and took a bite of crispy hash browns glistening with the oil she had fried it in.
She hid her smile when Jim grumbled about having to see Maya.
The hotel shoot-out had left Jim with his life but also bullet fragments lodged in his lower back and weekly physical therapy. Sara was pleased he needed to retire early and relocate to the other coastline and be closer to her family. Maya was a sweet woman but a drill sergeant when it came to the physical work.
As Jim finished his coffee and prepared for a strenuous therapy session, back in the heart of Gotham City, Livia pulled her wet hair into a bun and slipped into some loose drawstring pants and a hooded GU sweatshirt.
She spun her dazzling ring set back into place, smiling as she remembered the four of them taking an impromptu trip to Vegas and having a double wedding.
"Thank you," Bane said as she slipped on a pair of green-striped socks.
Livia looked up when he repeated himself.
"Thank you for a life I never knew was possible and thank you for him," Bane said and rocked their sleeping baby boy Gaius Mikhail.
Livia closed the distance between them and settled next to Bane and their sleeping child.
"Thank you for giving me the world," he murmured before he was content to listen to their combined breathing until the earth stopped spinning.