Chapter 15: Beautiful crazy

It was Friday. The day of Bruce's big charity event. He hoped the expensive security would ensure no repeat of the brawl the last time he threw a party.

Everything was set up. Everything was in place. Well, mostly everything.

Alfred was managing the temporary waiting and kitchen staff like a real Gordon Ramsey.

He taste tested an hors d'oeuvre and lost it. "What is this shit? Are you trying to poison our guest? Fuck off with this shit!"

He really lost it when he saw the table settings. "Am I being punked? Which one of you cunts put the forks on the right side and spoons on the left side? Fuck me! It's amateur hour in this house!"

Upstairs Bruce was in his suit trying to tie his tie. As always he was about to ask Selina for help when he had a profound recollection of an old memory.

The night his parents were murdered his dad had taught him how to tie his tie before they headed out.

He imagined his dad in the mirror standing next to him just like that fateful day. Except now instead of looking down at him. His father was eye to eye with him.

"That's it son." He could hear his father's voice. "You remember."

"I tried so hard to forget everything about that night." Bruce replied.

"The bad things were too powerful. They stuck with you. You only forgot the good things. Like this." He made his first move. "The rabbit hops over the log." Bruce mimicked his father's movement. His dad smiled. "Your mother would be so proud of the man you've become."

A tear welled in Bruce's eye. "I just wish you both could have met Selina. She's... She's my world."

His dad nodded. "She's as precious to you, as Martha was to me." He continued his demonstration. "Now, the rabbit crawls under the log."

Bruce took the lead on the next part. "Then the rabbit runs around the log."

"One more time because he's trying to outsmart the Fox."

Bruce made his last tie through. "Then The rabbit dives into his rabbit hole." He tightened it up. "Safe and sound."

"Safe and sound." His father replied with a smile.

Bruce turned and looked only to see nothing but empty space next to him. He looked back at the mirror and his father was gone.

Bruce wiped the single tear away. "Thanks dad."

Selina walked in and smiled. "Look at you. You do know how to tie one of those things after all." She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him.

He nodded. "My dad taught me. I just forgot until now." They locked eyes through the mirror. "I wish you could've met them."

She nodded. "Yeah. Me too." She then kissed his cheek. "Well if you need any help untying your tie or unbuttoning your shirt... or your pants," she flashed him her most seductive look as she walked over to the bed and sat down, "I'll be up here waiting for you."

"Still not coming down?"

"Not a chance."

"I think you'd look great in the dress I got you."

"Oh I know for a fact I'd look great in that dress. I look good in everything. But I hate dresses, and I hate old rich white people... With the exception of you of course. My hair is still a train wreck. And don't even get me started on the shit storm Vicki has put me through."

Bruce sighed and nodded. "I understand. I'll miss you for the next couple of hours." He gave her a kiss and headed down. He wanted to make sure things were good himself before it started.

"Alfred." He greeted his Butler in he ballroom.

Alfred looked at him and nodded. "Master Wayne."

Things had been tense between them ever since their augment about him being Batman.

"How's it looking?" Bruce asked.

"The security you hired seems semi-competent and should suffice. The wait and kitchen staff has their heads up their asses. I'm doing my best to pull it out. Otherwise the only thing we have to worry about is some drunken wandering guest stumbling upon any hidden entrances to your secret lair."

Bruce looked at Alfred and chuckled with a nod. "Fair enough."

Alfred looked at him and smiled. "This is the life your parents wanted for you. Can't this be enough? Do you really need the mask?"

Bruce shook his head and looked at him. "This is my mask, Alfred. A part of me died that night with them. Batman was born in their place."

Alfred's heart broke a little hearing that. "Very well." He sighed. "Will that be all for now, sir?"

Bruce nodded. Alfred went to go vent his frustrations at the staff while Bruce waited for the guests to arrive.

Soon the mansion filled with tons of guests. Just like last time, he was forced to meet and greet with wealthy and important people. All of them three even four times his age. The people who either knew or pretended to know his parents. All of them wanting to get in his good graces.

Vicki showed up in hopes for a chance to talk to Bruce, and see if she could still steal him away from Selina. Even despite his terrifying threat to stay away.

Upstairs Selina looked in the mirror and sighed. "What the hell were you thinking Selina?" She thought to herself over her butchered haircut.

"I might be able to fix that." Alfred's voice snuck up on her.

"Can you really?" She asked.

He pulled out a pair a scissors. "There's nothing under his roof I can't fix."

Alfred shaped up her hair and evened it out. He kept her bangs long and combed them to the side.

"There you go." He handed her a small hand mirror.

A bright smile made it's way across her face. "Damn Alf. You missed your calling as a hair stylist."

"I'm a man of many trades." He replied. "Now you're ready to go sweep Bruce off his feet."

She sighed. "I really don't want to go down there."

"You might not. But he wants you too. Sometimes you have to step outside your comfort zone for the one you love."

Selina sighed again. "Goddammit. You're right... Like always. Do you ever get tired of being right?"

"Never." Alfred replied with a smile.

Just like the last time, the people at this party were all so fake it made Bruce sick. Thankfully like last time there were a couple of friendly faces. One was his best friend Clark, and his plus one Lois.

He greeted them both with a smile.

"I'm really glad you guys came. And together no less. Is this like a back together thing?"

They looked at each other and smiled. "It's a work in progress." Lois said.

Bruce nodded. "I see."

"Where's Selina?" Clark asked.

"She's uh, under the weather." Bruce lied.

Clark looked at the top of the stairs. "Oh is she now?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Looks pretty good to me." Lois teased.

Bruce turned and his jaw nearly dropped to the floor. He saw Selina was making her way down the stairs in a beautiful black dress and she had fixed her hair up. She looked like a movie star. He turned back to Clark and Lois.

"If you'll excuse me."

Clark nodded. "Go get her, Bruce."

Bruce made his way through the crowd to the base of the stairs. On his way there he ran into Vicki who looked very gorgeous herself in her white dress.

"Hey Bruce glad I caught you." She looked around to make sure his girlfriend wast't there to beat her up. "Where's Selina?"

"Um.. she... there." Bruce stammered as he walked past her, barley paying her a thought. He didn't even realize it was Vicki.

Vicki looked over and almost wanted to just throw her hands up in defeat. Selina always had to show her up. And the worst part was Vicki knew Selina wasn't even trying that hard.

Everyone had stopped and turned to watch this beautiful woman descend the stairs. They wanted to know who she was. And why she was upstairs this whole time. Some recognized her as "Gotham's princess who might've cheated on it's prince." Or so the news reported it.

Their questions where answered when Bruce greeted her at the bottom of the stairs.

He took her hand and kissed it. "I thought you weren't coming down."

"Hey, I can't let the host show up to his own party stag now can I?"

"I know you hate all this stuff."

She shrugged. "I can put up with it. So long as I'm with you."

"I gotta say, I do love the hair."

"Alfred helped me make the most of a bad situation."

"Well I think it looks great." Bruce smiled. "May I have this dance?"

"Of course but I don't hear any music."

"Let me fix that."

Bruce escorted Selina to the dance floor, he let her hand go to have a quick word with the band.

She didn't hear what Bruce said but she heard the singer reply, "Yeah, we can do that."

Bruce walked back over to Selina, took her hand in his. She put her other hand on his shoulder and he put his other hand on her waist.

The band began to play the opening melody to one of Bruce's favorite love songs.

"What's this?" She asked

"It's called 'Beautiful Crazy'. It's by a country singer, Luke Combs. And it makes me think of you."

"I like the first half of that title. Not a fan of the other half."

Bruce grinned. "Just listen to the lyrics."

Just then the singer began the first verse.

"Her days starts with a coffee, and ends with a wine. Takes forever getting ready, so she's never on time for anything."

Selina chuckled and nodded. "Yeah you got me there babe."

"When she gets that come get me look in her eyes, well it kinda scares me the way that she drives me wild. When she drives me wild."

As they began the chorus Bruce spun her around.

"Beautiful, crazy, she can't help but amaze me. The way that she dances, ain't afraid to take chances, and wears her heart on her sleeve. Yeah, she's crazy but her crazy's beautiful to me."

Selina closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to his as the song went on and they swayed to it.

"Yeah. I can see why this song reminds you of me." She then opened her eyes and looked right into his eyes. "But hey, don't go thinking you're perfectly sane."

"Hey, I know I'm crazy. That's why this works. Your crazy matches mine. You're my type of crazy, Cat."

Selina smiled. "Ditto, Bat."

"She's unpredictable, unforgettable. It's unusual, unbelievable, how I'm such a fool, yeah I'm such a fool for her."

"Promise me something, Bruce."

"Anything, Selina."

"Promise me, that you'll never stop feeling this way about me."

He smiled and caressed her. "I promise, your crazy will always be beautiful to me." Their lips locked and their tongues met in a tender kiss.

To them, no one else existed in this crowded ballroom in this moment. All that existed was them.

"Beautiful, crazy, she can't help but amaze me. The way that she dances, ain't afraid to take chances, and wears her heart on her sleeve. Yeah, she's crazy, she's crazy, she's crazy. But her crazy's beautiful to me. Her crazy's beautiful to me."

A few minutes later Bruce was getting a drink for Selina and himself while she talked with Clark and Lois. Meanwhile a frustrated Vicki approached Bruce and confronted him.

"Selina cheated on you!"

Bruce nearly spilt his drink at the sound of her voice. "Who the hell let you in here?"

"You never took me off the list."

He turned to her and frowned. "That was a mistake."

He pulled Vicki by the arm to the side, out of hearing range from anybody else.

Vicki scoffed. "Aren't you mad she betrayed you? I would never do something like that! You don't care?!"

"She didn't..." he let out a frustrated groan. "Its complicated and we worked it out."

"Jesus, Bruce!" Vicki pressed her palm to her head. "I swear to god this girl could rob a bank and you'd defend her.

Bruce tilted his head knowing that statement was actually kinda accurate.

"Vicki... let it go." He sighed. "Let me go. For your sake."

He walked off and met back with Clark, Lois, and Selina.

They girls were laughing about something when he joined it and handed Selina her drink.

"What'd I miss?" He asked.

"They were laughing at my expense." Clark explained.

"I'm not a baby. I'm a big boy!" Selina mocked him followed by a laugh with Lois.

Clark blushed slightly and nodded. "It sounded better in my head at the time."

"Clark, would you mind if I stole Lois for a little girl talk?" Selina asked.

"Not at all." He answered. "I was about to steal Bruce for a guy talk."

With a smile and wink to Bruce, Selina took Lois by the hand and walked off.

"What you suppose they're up to?"

Bruce shrugged. "I know Selina better than anyone else in the world, and even I don't know what she's up to half the time. But that's why I love her. Keeps me guessing."

"Yea. Lois is like that too me." He took a sip of his drink. "What did Vicki want?"

"You saw her?"

"Yeah. I didn't say anything to Selina. Otherwise you'd be 0-2 on keeping the peace at your parties."

Bruce nodded. "Not to mention Alfred would have to scrape Vicki's teeth out of the wood floor."

"She just can't take a hint can she?"

"She's getting dangerous. Not quite Talia levels of dangerous. But dangerous none the less."

"Well it's nothing Batman and Catwoman can't handle."

Bruce looked at him. "I gotta ask. How did you figure it out?"

"Figure what out?" Clark asked him with a grin and a wink.

Bruce nodded. "Nothing."

The girls came back to the boys. "Gentleman if you'll accompany us to the dance floor." Lois said trying to hide a smile.

Selina had her typical mischievous grin on her face.

Clark gave Bruce a questing look. Bruce shrugged and took Selina's hand. Clark nodded and took Lois's hand.

To Clark's delight the band began playing Tennessee Whiskey.

Both couples danced slow and steady to the rhythm.

"What's this all about?" Bruce asked.

"I'm helping Clark and Lois get back together." Selina answered.

"Really?"

"More for his sake. That guy needs a woman in charge. She takes charge but isn't toxic. I like her. She's by far the best he's ever gonna get."

"Well, aren't you just a real life Cupid?"

Clark's heart was beating out of his chest as his hand rested on Lois' waist and they danced together.

"This is my favorite song." He said.

"I know." Lois replied with a smile.

"It makes me think of you."

"I know."

"I'm sorry for being such a... I don't even know the right word to describe how awful I was."

Lois shrugged. "I can think of a couple."

Clark chuckled. "I bet you can. But believe me when I say, I'll..."

"Clark," she cut him off. "I want you to promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Just be you. I mean the you before we broke up. Because I couldn't get enough of that guy. And letting him go and hurting him was the biggest mistake of my life. If you can promise me that, I'm all yours."

Clark smiled "Yes ma'am."

Lois smiled back and pulled him into a kiss.

Bruce and Selina did their best to contain the cheers they wanted to shout. They didn't want to ruin their moment.

"Am I good or what?" Selina bragged to Bruce.

"I know never to doubt your work." He replied.

About halfway through the song, they switched partners. Bruce danced with Lois for a while and Clark with Selina.

"So Bruce told me your figured our little, nighttime hobby."

"I did and I'm never gonna tell a single soul. I owe you one... Well two now for helping me with Lois."

"Just don't go telling anyone, and I'll keep the other favor for later."

Clark chuckled and nodded. "Of course."

"No seriously if you tell anyone I will cut your dick off. I'm done with people spilling my beans. Fair enough?"

Clark chuckled and nodded a lot more nervously. "Of course".

A little while later they switched again however to Bruce's and Clark's surprise they found themselves together. They immediately separated and backed up and straightened their suits trying to play it off cool while the girls laughed and danced together.

"You uh, see that Rogue's game?" Bruce asked thinking of a way to reestablish their masculinity quickly.

"Oh yeah. Hell of a game." Clark replied. "They got a good team. They're gonna go all the way this year."

Bruce and Clark stood to the side, keeping a good social distance of 6 feet apart after what had just transpired.

"Your girl is something else, Bruce." Clark complimented.

Bruce didn't say anything back. He just watched Selina have fun with her new friend. He couldn't think of a more perfect woman who struck the perfect balance of being sweet and playfully messing with him.

Not only that, but she had the same darkness in herself, that he had in him. It's a heavy burden to carry. But it's one they found much easier to carry together.

He lost his own train of thought as his chest pains came back. This one was pretty rough. He rubbed his chest for a second.

The song ended and the girls came back to the boys. They teased Bruce and Clark about how cute they looked together.

Meanwhile Vicki had decided to snoop around. She snuck into Bruce and Selina's room and looked around. She saw some of the pictures of them together and sighed.

"It should be me in those... It will be me in those."

She walked up to the book case and browsed some of the titles. She came across Twilight and sighed. "Team Jacob for life. I bet Selina is a basic Edward bitch."

She pulled it and nearly gasped and jumped out of her own skin when she heard the clicking sound and saw the book case move.

She then saw it was a revolving bookcase and inside saw the hidden room. In the center was a black duffle bag. Vicki walked inside, grabbed it and walked back out. She didn't even notice the elevator buttons on the side of the wall.

She placed the bag on the bed unzipped it and was very pleased with what she found. "I knew you were hiding something!" It was Selina's Catwoman suit. Vicki took some pictures, put the bag back the way she found it, and made her escape.