AN: I own nothing except my OCs

Chapter 8

Saturday passed without any further incidents between them. It had been a relatively quiet day, with Alfred teaching Alex how to fish while Beth saw more of the grounds with Bruce. She had discovered both beauty and sadness intermingled along the property's many paths, each allowing her some small insight into the man at her side. His family history truly was intertwined not only with the city, but also the expansive estate property.

The day had passed too quickly, and Beth found herself sitting in the living room on Sunday morning in denial about having to return to her apartment. There was a mist rising off the lake, giving it an almost ethereal look, and she could hear Bruce on the other side of the house reading to Alex who had insisted on packing his copy of Where the Wild Things Are. A feeling of contentment washed over her as she allowed herself a moment to just enjoy the present moment.

Alfred emerged from the kitchen area, carrying a tray with two cups of tea on it. He placed the tray on the coffee table before handing one of the cups to Beth.

"Thank you, Alfred," she said softly.

"My pleasure, Ms. Andrews," he said, taking his own cup and settling in a nearby chair.

"Is there anything I can do to convince you to call me Beth?" she asked, taking a sip of what was likely the most perfect tea she had ever tasted.

"I fear formalities are much too ingrained in me at this stage of my life," he told her with a smirk.

"Fair enough," she said, taking another sip of tea. Then she added, "Thank you, by the way, for taking Alex fishing yesterday. He told me all about the fish he caught at least three times. He doesn't get to spend a lot of time doing things like that in the city."

"Having the two of you here was a breath of fresh air," Alfred told her.

"I was worried about an entire weekend feeling a bit like an intrusion," she admitted.

Alfred sipped at his tea, as if choosing his next words carefully, before answering, "There's always growing pains in the beginning. I would welcome you and Master Alex here any time, and I am quite certain Master Wayne feels the same."

"I would gladly accept the invitation," she told him. "Although, to be honest, I think Bruce may prefer his privacy."

"Have patience, Ms. Andrews," he told her. "You're dealing with a pair of old bachelors who are quite set in their ways."

"How did you get so wise, Alfred?" she asked, giving him a small, grateful smile.

"Years of trying to steer Master Wayne in the right direction," he said, "only to have it generally fall on deaf ears."

Beth smirked as she finished her tea. Across the way she heard Bruce clear his throat, raising an eyebrow slightly in Alfred's direction indicated he had heard at least part of their conversation. She set the cup back on the tray as Alex came running out from behind Bruce to settle next to Beth on the sofa. There was a slight aching in her chest knowing that the next morning she was going to wake up back in her own apartment and miss the quiet serenity of the lake and the company of two men who had gone above and beyond to assure she and Alex had the best weekend visit possible.

"Alfred, would you watch Alex for a few minutes?" Bruce asked. "I need to speak with Beth privately."

"Of course, Master Wayne," Alfred responded, standing and setting his cup back on the tray before picking it up and heading towards the kitchen. "Master Alex, I do believe I promised you cookies before you left."

Beth laughed as Alex bounded off after Alfred around the corner to the kitchen area. She turned her attention back to Bruce a moment later, noting the tension in his shoulders and the way his jaw was set. A knot formed in her stomach and she was quite certain he was preparing himself for her to not like whatever it was they still had to talk about before he took her home.

Getting up and crossing the short distance to where he was leaning against the wall, she took his hands in hers and asked, "What is it?"

"You were right the other night," he told her. "There are...there are things I haven't told you. Things that you should know before we go any further."

"Okay," she said softly, trying to hold back the fear that her world was about to come crashing in around her when he revealed whatever secret he was hiding. "You can tell me anything. I don't scare that easily."

"It's probably easier if I show you," he told her, causing her to raise an eyebrow curiously.

Releasing one of her hands, he turned towards the paneling that ran along the length of the second sitting area. She knew on one side a large panel hid the entrance to the bathroom, but she had always assumed it's twin on the opposite end of the wall was merely for aesthetic purposes or some sort of storage. To her surprise it opened, revealing what appeared to be an elevator inside.

She followed him inside, her hand staying firmly clasped in his as he disarmed the security system and the platform began to descend. Neither of them said a word as the platform slowly lowered, Beth trying to keep her breathing steady while her mind raced trying to figure out where he was taking her and what it was he hid beneath the lake house.

When the elevator stopped he led her off into a work area. She looked at him, confused as she took in the work tables covered in tools and various projects and computer monitors that lined one of the walls. However, when she looked in the opposite direction out the large window that opened to the area below her breath caught in her throat and her hand finally pulled away from his as she took a few steps closer to the window to ensure she wasn't seeing things.

Parked below was a car known to anyone who lived in Gotham, the Batmobile. Beth's hand flew to her mouth as she tried to process what that meant.

"Oh my God," she said softly, when she had finally recovered some of her ability to speak. "I...that's…Oh my God."

She turned back towards Bruce, who was waiting in the same spot he had been standing in when she released his hand. His expression was guarded, unreadable. She was sure he was waiting to see how she reacted before saying anything, likely afraid she would bolt like a frightened deer at any sudden movement. She was sure there were very few who knew his secret, and the fact that he trusted her caused tears to form in her eyes.

"Friday night...when you hurt your shoulder," she said, blinking away the tears, "this is why you couldn't tell me how it happened, isn't it?"

He nodded, and she took a few steps towards him, taking his hands in hers once more as he told her, "I've been struggling with how much to tell you. I kept coming back to the fact that you deserve to know the whole truth before you decide if you want our relationship to continue."

"Thank you," she responded, giving his hands a gentle squeeze, "for trusting me."

"I've wanted to tell you since that night you took Alex to the clinic," he admitted. "I had wanted to make sure you two made it home safe, but I lost sight of you for a few minutes when you got off the bus. It took everything in me to not tell you right there after you yelled at me about lecturing you."

She brought her forehead down to his chest, trying to hide the blush the crept into her cheeks as the memory played in her mind. With a sigh she said, "I still can't believe I did that."

She felt him chuckle softly as she leaned against him before he placed a quick kiss on the top of her head.

"Come on," he said, leading her towards the stairs that would take them to the lower level.

She walked with him, her hand once again holding on to his, allowing him to lead her down the stairs towards the Batmobile. Across the way she spotted two suits. One she didn't recognize hanging mid-air in some sort of display case, and another she knew instantly. She took in as much detail as she could as they made their way along the walkway, so much falling into place in her mind as she took it all in. The sudden disappearances, the deflection of questions, it all made sense as she looked around in awe.

"This is incredible," she told him. "Obviously I couldn't have known...yet...it somehow makes sense."

Entering the room on the opposite side of the cave from where they entered, she took a minute to take in the juxtaposition of the two suits contained within. The Batsuit stood on the far end, ready for use at a moment's notice, the lighting behind it giving it an almost life-like quality. The second suit which hung in the middle of the room caused Beth to stop in her tracks.

Across the chest were yellow spray painted letters that read Ha Ha Ha The Jokes on You Batman. The edges of the cape were in tatters, the suit telling the story of a violent end to whoever had worn it, and suddenly the dark reality of Bruce's secret came crashing in around her. She tightened her grip on his hand slightly, unable to tear her gaze away from the suit and the bright yellow paint that marred its appearance.

"Who was he?" she asked softly, her eyes still fixated on the suit in front of her.

"My adopted son," he told her, and Beth turned to look at him finally.

As she looked at him, his eyes also staring at the suit before them, she found a new level of understanding for the man next to her, her heart aching for him. Losing a child was perhaps one of the most difficult things anyone could experience, the suit serving as a memorial it seemed, or a reminder.

"I failed him," he told her. "I couldn't save him."

"Bruce," she said softly, but there were no words of comfort she could offer, and her voice trailed off. Instead she simply took his other hand in her own so he would turn to look at her once more. "I'm so sorry."

"I can't promise you there won't be any risk to you or to Alex," he said, finally meeting her eyes once more. "I will do everything in my power to keep you two safe, but...I have a lot of enemies and if any of them found out who I am they would stop at nothing to take revenge."

She nodded in understanding, biting her lower lip as she released his hands. She felt the knot in her stomach once more as the full weight of his words hit her. On slightly shaky legs, she moved towards the stairs, taking a seat. He didn't follow her, and she was secretly grateful for the space even though a part of her missed the feel of his hands in hers.

"I know it's a lot to process," he said from across the room, causing Beth to smirk before looking back over at him.

"It is," she responded. "Obviously my first priority is keeping Alex safe."

"As it should be," he told her. "Beth...I care about you both. The last two months have been the best I have had in a very long time. I want you both in my life, but only if you decide this is a life you want."

They hadn't often talked about their feelings for each other, relying more on showing each other how they felt, and hearing him say out loud that he cared about her and Alex nearly brought tears to her eyes once more. With a small smile, she patted the spot next to her on the stairs as an invitation to join her and was thankful that he took it. Once he sat down, she moved closer to him so she could lean against him, her head dropping to his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her back.

"I'm glad you told me," she said softly. "I want you in my life, and Alex's. I just...I need some time to get used to the idea that you're him...you're Batman." She felt his arm tighten around her, as his cheek came to rest on the top of her head. She laughed slightly as she added, "You're certainly full of surprises."

"I promise you, there are no more surprises," he said with a chuckle. "At least not like this."

"I'll hold you to that," she said with a smirk as he placed a quick kiss on the top of her head. "There is one thing you can promise me though."

"Anything," he said, looking over at her as she raised her head from his shoulder.

"Next time something doesn't go according to plan and you get hurt like on Friday, don't shut me out," she told him. "I'm not trying to 'play nurse'... I care about you too and if you need my help you have it. No questions asked."

"You have my word," he said, before leaning over so his lips could find hers.

They sat there for a time, their kisses soft and tender. Eventually though, need and desire took over and they found themselves pulling away when the need for air outweigh the need to continue their exploration of each other's mouths.

"We should probably head back upstairs," he said, his smile slightly guilty making her laugh.

"Probably," she answered, giving him one more quick kiss.

He stood then, offering her a hand to help her up which she took. She let him lead her up the stairs and back towards the elevator, taking one last look around before they started the ascent back up to the lake house above. Beth took a deep breath, keeping her hand in his, trying to push away the fears that were quietly running through her mind.