Selina tried not to let herself get too depressed over how she'd parted from Bruce Wayne. After her question, he'd gone from laughing and flirty to cordial and quiet. She told herself there'd never really been a connection between them, just her responding to such a famous figure with such a pretty face. He was a white, pompous asshole after all.

Lies she told herself.

She also tried to get a hold of that cop Vengeance worked with, Jim Gordon. It led down a disappointing road. In this reality, he was the Police Commissioner. Made sense considering how crime-free this Gotham was compared to hers. Unfortunately, it meant he didn't take his own calls. She'd hung up the phone in frustration when his secretary told her she could get an appointment for six weeks from now.

On the other hand, she adored spending time with her mother. For so many years of her life, she'd thought about what it would be like if her mom walked back into her life. It was all she could have imagined.

They visited Selina's work to arrange to get her car back to the house. Everyone gave her such a gracious welcome, even the clients with their cats in the waiting room! She had to use the amnesia excuse since she didn't actually know any of their names. She couldn't help but feel bad for the other veterinarian there. The poor woman looked overwhelmed and her face fell when Selina told her she didn't know when she'd be back to work.

Maria also enlisted Selina's help to decorate the gym at her school for the fast approaching prom. Without much of a budget, they used the same theme of a willow grove each year, named for the school. Huge foe willow trees with pink silk flowers came out of storage to line the walls. A beautiful archway of branches woven together stood at entrance, a perfect spot for pictures. With the lighting just right, it really looked like a hidden hideaway in a willow forest.

After working all day on it, Selina wrapped her arm around Maria. "This looks amazing, Mama." She didn't quite hide the tears in her voice well enough.

"Oh, baby. It's the same every year, just like when you had your prom here."

Selina wanted to tell her mom that she'd never gone to her prom. She'd dropped out of school a month beforehand to escape her horribly abusive foster family. Her getting to be a chaperone here the next night would be her first prom.

"I wish I could do more," Maria lamented.

"Mama, for some kids, this is everything."

She'd been right. When the next night came, the kids loved it, not caring one bit the decorations were recycled. The girls, some wearing the donated dresses, squealed with delight walking through the willow archway. The boys, some obviously wearing their father's oversized suits, fist bumped each other in greeting. The DJ played popular dance music and kids crowded together to dance.

Selina stood in an emerald gown she'd dug out of the back of her closet. She poured out cups of red punch and lined them up on the snack table. She'd almost snorted when her mother gave her the job of making sure nobody spiked the punch. She would have been the one doing it back in her teenage days.

"Hey," said a familiar voice behind her.

Selina spun around. "Bruce! What are you doing here?" She hadn't expected to see him again, especially not at a senior prom.

He grinned sheepishly. "My mom told me you were going to be here. Can I show you something?"

Caught off guard, she motioned over one of the other chaperones to man her station. Then she nodded and followed him out to the parking lot. He led her to a very red, very expensive Lamborghini. She wanted to roll her eyes but resisted. Was he trying to impress her? Turn on the rich boy charm after he'd left her so cold last time?

"Your car is amazing," she told him, figuring it was what he wanted to hear. She wondered if she could hot wire it.

"Huh? Oh, right. Actually, that's not what I wanted to show you."

"Oh?" she asked, surprised.

"You mentioned something the other day that caught me off-guard. Something I haven't thought about in a lot of years." He opened the trunk and pulled out a beat-up notebook. His name was scribbled in childish handwriting on the green cover. He opened it and flipped to the page he wanted. As he turned it to hand it to her, he said, "I didn't show this to anybody except Alfred."

Selina didn't know who Alfred was but assumed he had been some kind of confidante to Bruce. She looked down at the page in front of her, eyes widening as she scanned it. Three colored sketches of the Batman stood out prominently. They differed in shape and color, like someone brainstorming a superhero costume. The top one was rougher in navy and grey. The one below it colored black but the bat symbol stood out on the chest in yellow. The last one was the most familiar to her, all black and slicker. Notes lined the side margins, saying things like "Kevlar plates" and "utility belt". At the top, in large letters, it said "VENGEANCE."

"You drew this?" she whispered. It was all she could get out as her chest tightened with the realization of what she held. Her eyes remained glued to the page as he spoke.

"When I was eleven, I was a pretty angry kid. My dad was getting beat up in jail for snitching to the cops. I lost all my friends over that. Crime spiked with Falcone still running things from his own prison. People were getting hurt. I felt so helpless. All I wanted to do was help, but I was so small. I thought I could design a suit to make me invincible against the bad guys.

"But then my dad got out of jail, Falcone got killed in that prison riot and Jim Gordon became Police Commissioner. He cleaned Gotham up. The city didn't need a superhero anymore. I completely forgot about Vengeance until you mentioned it the other. How did you possibly know about this?"

Selina barely heard his question. The neurons in her brain fired as everything finally connected together. How had she not realized it? Her eyes snapped up to his.

Vengeance looked back at her. She'd found him, or more accurately, he'd found her. Bruce Wayne had always been The Batman, but she'd refused to acknowledge the part of herself that already knew it.

The intensity of his gaze made her shiver. On impulse, she dropped the notebook back in the trunk and pulled him into her. His lips met hers and there was no hesitation like Vengeance had before. This version of him apparently had a lot more confidence in this sort of physical contact. His one hand rose up to cup her face as his mouth moved against hers with delicious friction.

Damn, he even tasted the same. Just a hint of berries.

Selina's heart raced. Her want for him heightened knowing his true identity. Of course she knew this wasn't really her Vengeance. That her Bruce Wayne had led a much different life than this one. A much sadder life. At the moment, she didn't care as she wrapped her arms around his waist to pull his body flush with hers.

"Hey, isn't that Ms. Kyle's kid?"

"Is she kissing Bruce Wayne?"

"Stop acting like horny teenagers!"

The gaggle of kids gawking at them broke out in giggles, then ran off.

Bruce and Selina broke apart, panting. Their breaths mingled together. As if the giggling from the kids infected her, Selina began to laugh at the absurdity of this whole situation.

A small smile formed on Bruce's face but his eyebrows were drawn together in question. "What?"

Selina shook her head, trying to get control of the laughter. "Sorry! I can't help it. So much craziness has been going on that I can't even explain it. To find out that you're...you!" She took a steadying breath. "I promise I'll explain it all soon. Then you'll just think I'm totally nuts. But right now, it just feels so good to laugh."

"You're the most intriguing woman I've ever met, Selina Kyle. I can't fathom how you could know about some drawings I did as a child, but I can wait for an explanation. In the meantime, would you honor me with a dance?" He offered her his arm.

Selina realized the notes of sweet slow music floated in the air around them. Yes, she very much wanted to dance with him. She slipped her arm around his with a broad smile on her face.