Hey, guys! Thank you for all your amazing reviews! I don't know why, but this chapter was really hard to write. I redid it three times. Hopefully it came out somewhat decently!
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"How are we all supposed to fit in this thing?" asked Ella, straining to hold up Bruce's weight. Selina was piling Bruce's gear behind the seats into a fold-down compartment.
"Make do," replied Selina, reaching back to help with Bruce. It took a lot of grunting and straining, but they finally managed to maneuver the unconscious man into the passenger seat. Selina stood up and stretched her back, then sighed, "Okay. Make yourself fit. I'm driving." Ella stared at the minimal amount of space between Bruce and the dashboard and raised an eyebrow. This was not going to be a fun ride.
Once the roof had closed, and the Tumbler was barreling down the road after Vince, Ella grunted and groaned, shifting to face Selina and tried to comfortably situate herself at Bruce's feet. "Tell me what's going on," she said. "Why did you take off Bruce's suit? What if everyone sees him in here? They would logically insinuate that Bruce is Batman."
"No one will insinuate anything," said Selina, shifting gears and whipping the vehicle around a corner. Ella groaned when her shoulder was rammed into something hard to her right. Selina ran her eyes over the dash and took mental notes of what weaponry was available to her. "He won't use guns, but he drives an actual armory. Doesn't he realize his life would be easier if he just shot a few people?"
"I know nothing," replied Ella. "I didn't even know he was Batman until a couple months ago. He's only gone out on patrol a few times since then. Why doesn't he use guns? I know hardly anything about Batman."
"Sounds like he's really opened up to you," said Selina.
Ella frowned at the sarcastic comment, "Yes, he has. Just not about Batman. Bruce is a person. He has a life apart from fighting bad guys."
"And wouldn't he instantly stop whatever he was doing if Gotham needed him?" asked Selina, taking another sharp turn. Ella's shoulder would be bruised before this was over.
"Well, maybe," shrugged Ella. "Like I said, he hasn't been Batman very often since I moved in. He got hurt and has been recovering."
"I think he needed a little longer," surmised Selina, casting a quick glance at the sleeping Bruce.
"You're the one that knocked him out," shot back Ella.
"He was on his way down," replied Selina. "The man could barely stand. I did him a favor and gave him a nap. Now do exactly what I say. That's Vince's car up ahead. Don't speak unless I ask you a question. Hold tight."
The Tumbler shot forward and spun into a half-circle, grinding to a halt facing Vince's sports car. Ella could see nothing from her spot on the ground, but she could hear the squeal of Vince's brakes as he tried to stop.
"Stay," hissed Selina as she crawled from the Tumbler, closing the top behind her.
"Bruce, wake up," whimpered Ella, twisting to face her father and shaking him. "Come on, Bruce! They'll find out who you are! Wake up!"
Bruce responded with a deep moan, but his eyes stayed closed. Ella growled and began looking around the dash for a communication device. There had to be a way to contact Alfred from inside this thing. Maybe a button labeled 'Batcave'? Ella smirked despite herself. The first time she had heard Bruce say Batcave, she had almost laughed at how ridiculous the name sounded. Bruce had seemed irked by her reaction and hadn't used the term again since. Suddenly, flashing lights lit up the inside of the Tumbler, and sirens filled the air.
"He's in the car with the girl!" came Selina's muffled voice from outside. Seconds later, the top opened, and a man sporting a large mustache and worried-looking eyes peered inside.
"Hi, kid," he nodded, reaching a hand down to Ella. "Don't worry, I'm Commissioner Gordon of the GCPD. You're safe, now." Ella nervously took his hand and crawled out of the Tumbler, getting a look around her surroundings for the first time. They were in a vast, open space that struck Ella as a sort of airfield or military base. She wasn't sure which one, but it gave off official vibes. Vince's car was sitting just fifty feet away, and he was bent over the hood while an officer handcuffed him.
"I'll be right back," came Selina's voice from Ella's left. The woman was standing on the opposite side of the Tumbler and now began walking towards Vince.
"Your dad's going to be just fine," said Gordon, putting a hand on Ella's shoulder. He chuckled as he assessed the shivering girl. "You look cold, kid. Here." He removed his jacket and put it around Ella's shoulders. "There we go. Here, stand aside." Gordon maneuvered Ella away from the Tumbler as medical units moved in to take care of Bruce. He began to lead her away from the scene, but Ella pulled against his grip and shook her head.
"No! Wait! Bruce, no!" she cried. Her heart rate soared, and she watched, terrified, as medical personnel lifted Bruce from the car.
"Hey, hey, it's okay!" said Gordon, holding her tightly and placing a compassionate hand on her back. "They are going to take good care of him. How about you come over and sit down?"
Sitting down sounded rather nice to Ella, especially if it was on a seat that provided legroom and didn't hold the possibility of smashing against a dashboard. Her legs suddenly felt very shaky and she allowed Gordon to support her weight as they walked towards his car. Once she was sitting sideways in the passenger seat, a shock blanket thrown around her shoulders, Ella's mind was flooded with questions, but she kept her mouth shut, remembering Selina's order.
"It'll be alright," promised Gordon, crouching down in front of her. "Don't worry. Are you warm enough…hey, what the…?" He stood and bolted away, and Ella stood up to see what had alarmed the commissioner. The blanket dropped from her shoulders, and she stepped around the car just in time to see the Tumbler barreling away. There was no sign of Selina or Vince.
"I…, I don't know what happened!" cried a young police officer, waving his arms as he talked to the Commissioner.
Ella gasped and raced towards the ambulance, but her fears were stilled when she saw Bruce was still there. He lay on a stretcher with an oxygen mask strapped over his face, and two men were lifting him into the vehicle.
"Hey there, kid," came a friendly voice. A big hand grabbed Ella's arm and turned her around. She found herself face-to-face with a smiling policeman whose nametag read J.S. Cooper. "Don't worry about your dad. He'll be fine. There is someone over here who wants to see you." Ella was barely aware as Officer Cooper led her away from the ambulance, and it wasn't until they were well away from the large group of first responders that Ella turned and saw where they were headed.
"Alfred!" she cried, breaking free of Cooper's hand and running across the ground directly into the arms of the loving butler.
"Oh, my girl," whispered Alfred, holding her tightly to his chest.
"Alfred," sobbed Ella, tears overwhelming her as she melted in his embrace.
"Officer," said Alfred, looking up at Cooper, "please send some of the paramedics over. This child is burning with fever."
"Right away, sir," nodded Cooper, turning and jogging towards the group of ambulances.
"I'm fine, Alfred," whimpered Ella, her cheeks soaked with tears. "Let them help Bruce."
"There are more than enough people to help Master Wayne," said Alfred, running his hand through the girl's hair. "Let's not neglect our own selves, hm? Are you hurt in any way?"
"No, sir," hiccupped Ella, gripping the butler's shirt tightly in her fists as she cried into his chest. She was barely aware of hands pulling her free of Alfred's grip and helping her onto a stretcher. Alfred's hand grasped hers and hurried along beside the group as they went back to the ambulance, his voice assuring her everything would be alright.
…
"Checkmate," said Ella, planting her queen firmly on the chessboard.
"Hm. You must have cheated," said Alfred, furrowing his brow as he studied the chess pieces.
"Bruce taught me well," smirked Ella, shifting in her bed. It was her second day in the hospital, and the doctors had promised she could go home the next morning if all looked well. Hospitals, Ella had found, were incredibly dull places to be stuck, and this was the third chess game of the day. Several police officers, including Commissioner Gordon, had been in to talk to her, but not before Alfred prepped her on what to say without giving away Bruce's secret.
"Well, since I can't seem to beat you, how about we take a little break and go down to visit Master Wayne?" suggested Alfred.
"Can we!" cried Ella, her eyes lighting up. They had been told to let the man rest for the morning, and it had been torturous to stay away from him.
"I think he would rather us be with him," nodded Alfred, moving the chessboard to the side. "Come on, love." He handed Ella her shoes and pulled his suit coat on as the girl got ready to go. "For someone who has just recovered from the flu, you have more energy than a sugared-up toddler."
"Well, you did give me sugar this morning," said Ella, jumping up from the bed that the nurses had insisted she stay resting in.
"Don't tell anyone," smiled Alfred, taking Ella's hand in his.
They hurried through the walk to Bruce's room and entered just as a nurse was leaving. "He's awake," she smiled, stepping aside so they could pass through.
"Bruce!" cried Ella, breaking away from Alfred and hurrying into the room. She went straight to the side of his bed and dropped down, taking his hand in hers.
"Hiya, missy," he smiled, slowly turning his head to face his daughter. Alfred settled himself on the other side of the bed and looked lovingly at the two people that meant the most to him in the world.
"How are you feeling, Master Wayne?" he asked.
"Been better," said Bruce, shifting his eyes toward Alfred. He was obviously weak, and his skin was pale and cold. "Thanks to you two, I have been diagnosed with the flu. That's what I get for dedicating myself to your beck and call for two days."
"Not to mention a gunshot wound," said Alfred, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, that smarts a bit," chuckled Bruce. "I tell you what, though, my knee is in bad shape. Hurts like crazy."
"I told you to use the crutches longer," admonished Alfred, shaking his head. "It's catching up with you."
"Hey." A woman's voice caused all three to look up and see a tall, beautiful woman with her dark hair pulled back into a tight ponytail.
"Selina!" gasped Ella.
"Let's keep that quiet," smiled Selina, approaching the bed. "I've only got a few minutes. My plane leaves at three. Just thought I'd let you know the armory is back in your cave."
"Armory?" asked Bruce.
"The Tumbler," translated Ella, remembering Selina's comments on the weaponry of the car.
"Your costume is in the built-in cupboard," said Selina, crossing her arms.
"It's a suit," mumbled Bruce. "Storage compartment."
"And Vince Ferrera won't be bothering you anymore," said the woman, raising an eyebrow. "He won't be bothering anyone ever again."
"What do you mean?" asked Ella, standing up and turning to face Selina straight on.
"He's dead," shrugged Selina.
The news floored Ella. She dropped into the chair beside Bruce's bed and took a shaky breath. Alfred hurried around the bed to see to her, and Selina came closer to Bruce.
"Batman did a wonderful job rounding up the other members of Ferrera's gang while the Cat rescued Bruce Wayne and his daughter from the murderous Detective," she said, smiling seductively at Bruce. "Many thanks to him for letting me use his car while he battled the bad guys in another part of the city."
"Who are you?" asked Bruce.
"I can't miss my plane," said Selina, turning and walking towards the door. "It was nice to meet you, Ella."
And, as mysteriously as a cat, Selina Kyle was gone.
"Dead," whispered Ella. "He's dead." Alfred pulled Ella into his arms and held her close, sharing a knowing look with Bruce. The last link to the girl's past was now gone, and it was overwhelming for her.
"Are you alright, love?" asked Alfred, patting her back.
Ella was silent a minute but slowly nodded her head, pushing back from Alfred's arm, "Yes, sir. I'm…relieved. I was so scared he would hurt us, and he did. But we're still here."
"Takes more than that to get me down," chuckled Bruce, reaching over to cover Ella's hand with his own.
"Do you think she was telling the truth?" asked Ella, looking straight into Bruce's eyes. "Do you think my brother is dead?"
"I don't know much about Miss Kyle," said Bruce, "but I tend to believe her."
Ella sighed and nodded, "Okay. I'm not sure how I feel, but I think its relief."
"Alfred, maybe you better take her back to bed," said Bruce quietly.
"No!" cried Ella, "Bruce, I wanna stay with you!"
"Alright," chuckled Bruce. "You can stay."
Alfred maneuvered Ella out of the chair then sat down, pulling the girl onto his lap. "I think we should all just relax for a while," he said.
"I could relax for a week," said Bruce. "And I am looking forward to getting out of this hospital as soon as possible."
"I think we can all agree on that," chuckled Alfred, holding Ella close. "But a little medical attention more experienced than me won't hurt anybody."
"Ugh, hospitals," muttered Bruce.
"I agree," said Ella, trying to block the memory of her brother from her mind. The sudden announcement of his death had shocked her, but she had to admit the relief she felt was more significant than her astonishment.
"At least we are all together," said Alfred, smiling at his young master. "The three of us."
"Yeah," smiled Bruce, his hand still holding Ella's. "The three of us together."
"The three of us together," nodded Ella, leaning back against Alfred's shoulder. And for the first time in her life, Ella felt completely safe.
…
Finally, we are rid of the *whispers* bad guys. Now...NOW...it's time for cuteness.