Author's Note: Once again, I own nothing except my OCs.

Chapter Two

The rest of the day had passed without incident or excitement. Beth made it home well after Allie had dropped Alex off at preschool, but she had been able to sleep a bit and then pick him up for some much needed quality time prior to her next shift. She had kissed him goodbye, promising that she would be off the next few days after her shift that evening. He had made quite a case that on Saturday they should take the ferry to Metropolis to visit the city zoo, and Beth had been unable to refuse the precious blue eyes pleading with her to make the excursion.

Just a few hours into her shift her name was called over the hospital's intercom system for a phone call, causing her heart to skip a beat. At first she had feared it might be Allie calling because something had happened at home with Alex, but when she checked her cell phone and saw no missed calls or text messages. There was only one other source of the call that she could think of, and she made her way to the nearest phone as quickly as she could manage.

"This is Beth," she said into the receiver, expecting to hear Alfred's accented voice on the line.

"I'm sorry to disturb you at work, but I have spent my entire day being told by Alfred how ungrateful I was for your help this morning and I believe I owe you an apology," the male voice on the other end of the line said.

Beth's breath caught in her throat at the sound of his voice and the realization as to who exactly she was speaking with as she held the phone to her ear. After a moment she finally managed to stutter out a single question, "Mr. Wayne?"

"Bruce," he corrected as he had earlier that morning, and she could almost hear the smirk that was likely playing at his lips.

"Is everything alright?" she asked. "I had told Alfred that should your condition…"

"Beth," his voice interrupted, causing her to trail off, "I'm fine. Alfred informed me you had stopped to help at the fire on your way home from a shift. I just wanted to tell you myself that I do appreciate you helping this morning. There are a lot of people who would have just continued on their way and left it to their colleagues who were on the clock."

"I was raised to believe that we have an obligation to help others if we are able to do so," she said in response, studying her shoes as she spoke. Taking compliments, especially when she felt she was simply doing what any decent human should do, had never been her strong suit and she could already feel a slight blush creeping into her cheeks. "A trait I believe you also possess from what I saw this morning, so I'm sure you understand."

Before he could respond, she continued on, "And, while I sincerely do appreciate you taking the time to call this evening, it wasn't necessary. I saw an opportunity to help and I couldn't just ignore it. It really wasn't anything that special…I was simply doing what anyone in my position should do."

"While that all may be true," he countered after a moment, and she could have sworn she could hear his smirk at her babbling through the phone once more, "you still have my thanks."

"You are certainly welcome, Mr. Wayne," she said softly, figuring their conversation was likely about to be over. There was a soft chuckle on the other end of the line, causing her to raise an eyebrow slightly as she said, "What's so funny?"

"I'm just wondering how many more times I'll have to insist on you dropping the formalities," he responded, and Beth felt a slight blush creep into her cheeks once more. It was a defense mechanism and she was well aware of her habit of using formality to keep others at an arm's length.

"Sorry...habit from the hospital," she said softly, leaving it at that.

"Perhaps we might work on that over dinner as a thank you?" he asked and Beth felt herself go speechless for a moment. "Saturday night, maybe?"

If someone had told her that morning that she would not only meet Gotham's wealthiest man but get asked on what appeared to be a date she would have laughed in their face. It was difficult to live in the city and not aware of his reputation and what was written in various gossip columns about him, so Beth was quite sure she was not his usual type.

"Mr. Wayne...Bruce," she corrected before he could even say anything, "while I'm flattered, I can't….I have plans for the day on Saturday and I can't disappoint my date."

"I see," was the response.

Beth took a moment to consider her options. She could allow him to continue under the false assumption that she was seeing someone and therefore off the market. It would likely put an end to whatever he had been thinking with his invitation and would mean she wouldn't have to worry about him pursuing her further. Yet, that wasn't being honest, and part of her knew she owed him that after he took the time to call her personally. Generally honesty led to the same result anyway, a quick loss in interest, and she took a deep breath before making her choice and speaking again.

"He's four and was rather upset this morning that his mom missed preschool drop off," she told him. "As much as he loves his babysitter, it's not the same. I had to promise to take him over to Metropolis for the day to make it up to him...he's been wanting to ride the ferry again for a while now."

She waited for a brief moment for the inevitable. This was not a new road for Beth, it was one that was all too familiar. She wasn't particularly interested in dating, but if she had been then admitting she had a child was generally a good way to send any man she was interested in running as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

"Then, how about breakfast in the morning after you drop him off," was the response that caused Beth to almost drop the phone in surprise. "Unless your husband will be waiting for you to arrive home."

"No...that's not the issue," she said, he voice trailed off for a moment, trying to decide the best way to respond.

"I usually don't have this much trouble convincing a beautiful woman to have a meal with me," was the response to her silence, causing Beth's lips to twitch into a smirk of her own.

"Usually the type of women you're linked to don't come with strings attached," she countered. "However, you'll find me tomorrow at 8 am at the preschool near Grant Park...and I'll understand if you think better of it and don't show up. It won't be the first time...I mean...I get that it's just breakfast...I just…"

"You have more than yourself to consider," Bruce said on the other end, causing her to smile slightly that he had easily read between the lines of her babbling. "I get it, and as you said it's just breakfast. I just want to thank you in person and spend a little time getting to know you."

"Alright," she said softly. "Just breakfast."

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, Beth," he said. "You have my word."

To Beth's surprise, he was in fact true to his word.

As she rounded the corner at the bottom of the steps that led to the preschool, she was brought to a stop when she spotted him just down the street casually leaning against his Mercedes. She offered a soft smile as she made her way over to him, tucking her phone into the pocket of the sweater she had thrown over her scrubs before rushing out the door with Alex. They had exchanged pleasantries as he whisked her away to a quiet cafe on the waterfront. The morning air off the water was cool, but pleasant as Beth sipped at her coffee.

"I know this city has its problems, but spots like that make me glad I gave it a chance," she said, looking out over the Delaware Bay.

"How long have you been in Gotham?" Bruce asked, drawing her attention from the boats on the bay.

"About four years," she shared. "My son, Alex, was just a baby when we moved here. It seems like just yesterday, honestly, and yet it's the longest I think I've lived anywhere."

"Was your family military?" he asked before taking a sip of his coffee waiting for her answer.

"My dad was," she said. "He retired a few years ago and he and my mom bought a house in the mountains in North Carolina. Three of my brothers are currently serving. We lived all over the world, which makes for incredible stories but isn't really great for connecting with people."

Growing up she had often felt like she had just started to settle into a place and make friends when it was time to leave and start all over somewhere new. Home had been her family, not a physical location. It had in some ways been a relief the last several years to wake up in the same spot and truly put down some roots in a community.

"After I had Alex I wanted to give him some stability," she offered. "I wanted him to have what I didn't growing up. An old friend of mine from college contacted me about a position in the emergency room here and it just came at a time I needed a bit of a fresh start. It was a bit of an unconventional way to do things...but my life hasn't exactly been conventional I guess."

"That's a sentiment I can understand," he responded, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"What's kept you in Gotham?" she asked, turning the tables a bit on the questions.

"My family's history is so intertwined with this city, I don't think I could ever truly leave it behind," he said. "As you said, it has it's problems, but it's home."

The conversation continued on with the swapping of stories from various parts of the world they had visited as they waited for their breakfast. While Beth had thought her travels had been diverse it seemed nothing compared to his, and she was fascinated by all of it. It was easy to see how a woman could get so caught up on the man on the other side of the table. He was clearly intelligent and confident, although his eyes seemed to have a haunted quality she found herself wishing she could ease.

The smart watch on her wrist buzzed at the same time their food arrived, drawing Beth's attention away from Bruce for just a moment as she checked the notification. When she looked back up, she offered a small smile of apology.

"Sorry," she said. "That was Alex's teacher reminding me about a class party next week."

"Don't apologize," Bruce offered. "He's a lucky little boy to have you."

"He's a sweet kid," she said. "It hasn't always been easy trying to juggle work and being a single mom, but every time he smiles at me it's worth it."

"Do you mind if I ask what happened to his father?" Bruce asked, causing Beth to stare out down at her plate and study her food for a moment. It's not like it wasn't an obvious question to ask, but there were still times she wished she didn't have to answer at all. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to talk about it," he continued, drawing her eyes back up to his once more.

"I…" she started and paused for a moment, taking a breath before admitting, "he was in the army. He was killed overseas. I was about six months pregnant at the time."

"I'm sorry," he offered. "I guess it's not hard to understand wanting a fresh start."

"I told you my life hasn't been conventional," she said, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Conventional is overrated," he said, with a smirk, the mood lightening a bit once more.

As they finished their meals the conversation stayed light, and she was able to find out a bit about the various aspects of Wayne Enterprises, including the Wayne Foundation which funded some of the clinics she had volunteered to work at in Gotham's poorest communities. In a city with so much crime and darkness she couldn't help finding it a bit refreshing that he took so much pride in helping those who were less fortunate. They continued that way on the short ride back to her apartment building, and as she settled back into the comfortable passenger seat she could finally feel the fatigue of working the night shift prior to breakfast settling in.

Parking just down the street from her building, Beth allowed Bruce to walk her to the entrance, a bit of a pit forming in her stomach. The conversation over breakfast had been amazing, and she would be a fool if she tried to convince anyone that she didn't find him attractive, but her mind kept playing over all the things that could go wrong between them and just how much harder that was in her situation.

"Thank you for breakfast, she said softly, stopping on the landing in front of the door that led into her building. "It was nice to have a conversation with another adult outside of work."

When she turned to face him, she found herself staring up into his hazel eyes once more. There was a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth and Beth felt her breath hitch ever so slightly in her throat. One of his hands had found hers, and she was surprised by the rough calluses that trailed over her skin. It wasn't something she expected in a man she assumed spent most of his days in his tower office.

His other hand was about to make contact with her cheek when she said, "Bruce….I don't know if this is a good idea." His hand fell away from her face and she took that opportunity to take a small step back and lean against the wall behind her, pulling her hand from his in the process. She tried not to dwell on the fact that she missed the warmth almost instantly.

"I like you….and I really did enjoy getting to know you this morning," she offered, trying to ease the disappointment in his eyes that matched her own carefully hidden emotions. "It's just… you said it yourself last night, I have more than myself to consider." She watched as he took a step back towards the opposite wall, mirroring her as he leaned against it. "I can count on one hand the number of men who have stuck around past the first date in the last four years….Honestly I can probably count on one hand the number of men who have stuck around for even that after they found out about Alex."

She paused for breath, looking out at the street for a moment trying to gather her thoughts. Five years ago she had expected her husband to be done with the military and for them to be raising their children in some quiet suburban neighborhood. He had only just left for his final tour of duty when she had discovered she was pregnant. While she always knew losing him had been a possibility it certainly had never been a part of her life plans. So, she had been going it alone, finding it easier not to count on anyone.

"I don't make a habit of judging people based on what others say," she said, her eyes finding his once more. "I believe in coming to my own conclusions, but at the same time I can't pretend I don't know your history with women. I...I guess i just need you to know I'm not like them...I'm not someone looking for a quick mention in a gossip column and I won't put my son through that either. I have to be able to be fully present for him...I'm all he has."

Pushing off the wall she added, "Anyway...I've babbled on enough. I'm sure I'm keeping you from something more important than the ramblings of a single mom."

She turned towards the door, but stopped, frozen in place, when his hand caught her arm. Slowly, gently he turned her back to face him once more and he brought his other hand up to her other arm almost as if to stop her from bolting away from his patient gaze. Pushing people away was her natural defense. She had a feeling he suffered from that as well which would explain the never ending supply of fodder for the gossips of Gotham, but he certainly had less at stake.

"I enjoyed breakfast too," he said, causing a bit of an uncertain laugh to escape her lips. His turned up into a small smile as he added, "I also understand why you're hesitant. We can take this slow...see where it takes us."

"I'd like that," Beth told him, feeling his hands slowly fall away from her arms as he was likely sure she wasn't going to run away.

"Are you working on Sunday?" he asked, and she shook her head to indicate she was not. "Have dinner with me then. We could talk some more then."

"Ok," she said, "dinner Sunday it is."

"I'll call you tomorrow," he told her, starting to turn away.

"Bruce," she called, causing him to stop and look back at her once more. Before she could think better of it, she closed the distance between them once more and placed a quick kiss on his cheek, before adding, "See you Sunday."

For perhaps the first time since she met him, his smile reached his eyes. Deep down she ached to see him smile like that all the time, but she quickly brushed all thoughts of that aside as she watched him turn and make his way to his car. With one last wave he disappeared inside, leaving Beth to wonder if her racing thoughts would allow her to get any rest with the remains for her morning.

Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading! I love reviews and constructive criticism. Also, would love to find a Beta Reader, so if you want to get a preview of the chapters before anyone else sees them drop me a note.

Special thanks to Wowjeena and BellaMeShipper for the reviews!