Homecoming

            Mardi stepped out of the car, thanked Jesse for the lift, and then waved goodbye to her friend as she drove away.  The Saturday afternoon sun had almost completed its slow journey down to the horizon.  Decisions had been made, action taken, and now all that was left was for music to be faced.  Swallowing down her fear she went inside the house to find it completely empty.  He was nowhere to be found.  Not upstairs, not downstairs, not in his little play area in the caves, though the latter she could only assume because the clock entrance was closed up and they hadn't bothered to give her the secret password, handshake, decoder ring, or whatever was needed to open it.  In the backyard she spotted Ace lying next to his doghouse.  He looked up at her skeptically, as if to say 'What are you doing back?'  Dismissing the animal she walked back inside and wondered where he could be.

            In the kitchen she searched the refrigerator for a bite to eat when she heard sounds out front.  Pushing through the door she made her way down the hall and the first thing she spotted was Isabella, who noticed her at the same time.  "Mom!" the girl cried happily and ran to her.

            Mardi drew her into a big hug.  Pushing her back a little she said, "Bella, sweetheart, what are you doing home?"

            The girl cocked her head and squinted her eyes as if wondering if she read the question correctly.  "What do you mean?  Didn't you know Dad was picking me up?"

            Mardi looked over her head and saw him standing there, glowering at her in a way that for a moment made her think being dead right now would actually be preferable.  Arranging her face in a welcoming smile to cover her growing anxiety, she said to her daughter, "Of course I knew.  What I meant was what are you doing home so soon?  I didn't expect you back this early"

            "Well Terry does drive like a maniac," Isabella responded haughtily.

            "Hmm, I'm sure.  Now why don't you go unpack your bag.  And stay in your room until I come up to get you, okay?"

            "Why?"

            "Please just do as I ask?"

            Isabella shrugged.  "Fine.  Can we go to out for Chinese tonight?  I'd really like an egg roll."

            "Sure, sounds fun," Mardi replied, thinking, If I'm still in one piece, that is.

            "Great!"  Isabella said and turned back to her father and Terry who were still standing just inside the door.  To Terry who was carrying her suitcase she said, "Come on up.  I'll show you my room."  Then she bounded up the stairs

            Terry started forward but stopped as Bruce's cane came up to block his path.  They shared a silent moment and Terry nodded insistently before he was allowed to continue.

            After he'd gone Mardi walked into the library, crossing her arms across her chest for comfort.  He followed her in.  "And just where have you been?"  The question was controlled, quiet, almost casual, but when she turned around to look at him her stomach clenched.  She had never seen him angry.  Sure they had had their share of disagreements, but she was usually the instigator and normally ran out of steam because he would refuse to offer more than a few unemotional words on any subject.  But now he was staring at her so hard she knew he must be keeping a tidal wave of fury held back.

            "I was staying with Jesse," she replied weakly.

            "And she doesn't have a phone?"

            "I just figured you had more important things to worry about."  The sarcasm came out before she was even aware of it.  There was still a lot of resentment buried deep inside.

            He exploded, shouting in a way she'd never heard before.  "What the hell were you thinking?!  I thought you were dead!  I was about to tell your daughter you were dead.  How could you be so inconsiderate?  So selfish?"

            Mardi knew she could play this one of two ways.  Though yelling back was her first instinct that wasn't why she'd returned.  So instead she marched purposely forward until she was right in front of him and then placed her hands on either side of his face, reaching up to kiss him in a way she hadn't for a long time.  He seemed unsure how to handle her unexpected and intimate response, and stood motionless for several seconds, but then she heard the sound of the cane dropping to the floor.  One arm wrapped around her waist and the other hand cupped the back of her head as he began to kiss her back.

            She pulled away slightly and whispered in a rush of air, "I was wrong, I know that and I'm so very sorry.  But I was scared and confused.  So much had been thrown at me in a short amount of time that I just couldn't process it all."  Her hands slid down and settled on each of his shoulders.  "And part of me still wanted to hurt you," she admitted with a touch of guilt.  "For not trusting me with your secret, for not letting me know who you really were.  I felt like I was just a footnote in your life, not as important as that other stuff."

            He pursed his lips and then gripped her about the waist firmly.  "You are going to listen to me, and listen well because I am only going to say this once.  Batman was simply a tool I used to do what I had to do.  A hard, cold, emotionless tool.  A means to an end.  But if I had told you about it part of me would always have to be Batman, and believe me when I say he could never love you as much as I do."

            "Oh," she said, taking it all in.  "You could have mentioned that sooner."

            "You never gave me the chance," he growled.  "Now I want you to tell me everything that happened."

            "Not much to tell really.  One minute I'm standing in Powers' office, the next I'm knee-deep in the river.  Somehow I managed to swim to shore."

            "He said you never showed up.  There's no record of you ever being there."

            She shrugged.  "You're surprised?"

            He let go of her and started walking to the phone.  "I'm calling Barbara to have her send an officer over here to take your statement."

            "No."

            He stopped.  "What?"

            "No.  I did not come back here for that.  I came back for you."

            "Mardi," he explained patiently, "Powers tried to kill you."

            "I'm painfully aware of that."

            "He needs to be put behind bars."

            She nodded her head briskly.  "Yes.  Yes he does.  He needs to be in a dark hole for the rest of his life and become the girlfriend of a large man named Bubba, but I'm not going to be the one to do it.  It's only my word against his; if he sees I'm not a threat maybe he'll let things be, realize it's a stalemate."

            He looked at her like she'd gone insane.  "You can't be serious."

            "I'm deadly serious Bruce.  Why do you think no one admitted to seeing me there that day?  Because he owns them all.  He probably has half the city in his pocket for crying out loud.  How long do you think I'll stay alive if they arrest him?  Or worse," she said, dropping her voice, "what if he decides to go after Isabella?"

            "You've got to trust me," he insisted.

            She smiled slightly.  "Trust who?  You or Batman?"

            "Both of us."

            "I'm sorry, but I can't, not with the stakes so high.  He wins this round.  I'm afraid and I won't fight him anymore.  If you insist on bringing the police here you won't like the story I give them."  She turned her head in shame.  "I'm sure he'll do something else down the line you can catch him at."

            "Even if he succeeds in killing someone else?"

            "And if he succeeds in killing me?  Is that alright?" she asked, her voice rising with temper.

            "I won't let that happen."

            "You can't stop him!"  She pointed her finger at him accusingly.  "You owe me this, Bruce Wayne!  After everything, you owe me."

            "I don't like backing down."

            "Frankly neither do I, but there's too much at risk."  Watching him she became acutely aware of the rift, the line separating the man from the mask as they warred over justice versus his family's safety.  This is it, she thought.  This was why he stayed alone for so long.  The choice was almost too much for him to bear.  She went over to him and put her hands on his shoulders.  Looking into his eyes she tried to locate the man she knew.  He was right, he'd become Batman again and looking him full in the face was by far more terrifying than the brief glimpses she'd seen over the years.  "Please," she quietly pleaded with him.  "Don't let your war into this house.  Do what you need to down there, but leave the insanity outside.  I came back for you.  Don't make me regret it."

            His face was like stone, but he nodded.  She shivered and leaned forward, pressing her cheek against his chest.  A hand came up to gently graze her hair, and then settled on her shoulder pushing her back.  "Your daughter wants to go out to dinner tonight.  You should go make sure she's ready."  His voice was distant, almost unfriendly and it wrapped around her like ice.

            Unsure, she walked slowly to the door where she paused and turned back to him.  "Are we okay?" she asked.

            With empty eyes and toneless voice he replied, "We're even.  That should be enough for now."  Then he turned away from her.

            In the ensuing silence she was certain she heard the sound of something break.

            Terry laid the suitcase on the large canopy bed with a frilly pink spread.  Isabella thanked him with a sweet smile.  He turned around to leave the room when he heard the shouting from below.  The words were indistinguishable but the tone still ominous.  Terry glanced over at Isabella who was picking through her things obliviously.  He supposed in this one instance her deafness might be a blessing.  He was uncomfortably reminded of his own parents' loud arguments that lead up to their divorce.  His brother Matt would sneak into his room and they would huddle together as the angry voices battled each other with vengeance.

            Not wanting to go downstairs while Bruce had it out with his wife, Terry shut the door and began looking around the room.  Roses matching the color of her bedspread dotted the wallpaper.  One entire wall was devoted to shelves of stuffed animals.  Opposite the bed was a desk with row upon row of books ranging from War and Peace to Through the Looking Glass.  The walls were full of pictures, awards, and ribbons.  Trophies dotted all available surfaces around the room.  They were for a wide variety of activities both athletic and academic.  Swimming and gymnastics were the dominant sports, but there were also several equestrian blue ribbons surrounding a picture of her on a large thoroughbred horse.  She was in full riding gear and smiled brightly into the camera, holding up a silver cup.

            "Beautiful, isn't he?" she spoke, standing just behind him.  He jumped slightly, unaware that she had finished unpacking.

            "Yeah," he replied.  "Yours?"

            "No," she sighed wistfully.  "Mom would never let me have one of my own.  His name is Haven's Way.  He belongs to the school, but I was the only one he liked.  He's about the only thing I'm going to miss about that place."

            Terry had noticed that a few of the certificates of merit spelled out her entire name, Isabella Martha Wayne.  "Martha, that's your grandmother's name isn't it?" he asked to keep up the conversation.

            Her nose wrinkled in distaste.  "Yes.  I hate it.  It's such an old lady name."  Realizing what she'd said, she looked a little shameful.  "Please don't tell my dad.  He'd be really hurt."

            "I won't.  Scout's honor," he replied, holding up his right hand with the thumb and pinky finger bent down.  She smiled in relief.  "So is your first name after anybody in particular?"

            Her head bobbed.  "Yep.  Queen Isabella of Spain."

             His eyebrows shot up.  "You're named after a fifteenth century Spanish monarch?"

             She laughed at him.  "Mom wanted me named after a powerful, historical female.  It was a toss-up between Isabella and Cleopatra."

            "Wow, she made the right choice," he said.  "Just don't let it give you delusions of grandeur," he teased her.

            "Nope, no delusions," she grinned.  "Hey, my thirteenth birthday is in a couple of months."

            "Really?  I'll have to remember to get you a present."

            She batted her eyes at him.  "I was thinking maybe you could take me out for pizza or something."

            Terry had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.  He'd had plenty of girls hit on him before, but never one whose father could literally make his life hell.  "I don't think your dad would like that very much," he told her.

            "Oh don't worry about him," she insisted, which was even more amusing, because Terry had a sneaking suspicion she got her way more often than not.

            "Actually, I have a girlfriend."

            "Oh."  Her face fell dramatically and Terry felt sympathy for the girl, but before he could say anything he heard a soft bell ring and a small light started blinking over the door.  Seeing the signal, Isabella rushed over and opened it, revealing Mardi looking worn and tired, her eyes tinged with red.

            She looked from Isabella to Terry and back to Isabella.  "So what's going on in here?" she asked, and Terry, at least, could hear the sharp edge of the question.

            "We were just hanging out, Mom," she replied, and then dropped her voice into a hoarse whisper that carried all the way back to Terry.  "Don't you think he's cute?"

            With a raised eyebrow her mother replied, "I think he's a little old for you."

            Isabella took a step back and placed her hands on her hips.  Her voice was loud and clear as she said, "Well Daddy's like twenty years older than you!"

            "We'll discuss this later."  Mardi brought her hand up and motioned for Terry to leave the room, her eyes never moving from Isabella.  "Now change your clothes so we can go out to eat.  We'll meet you downstairs."

            Terry moved past them into the hall and Mardi closed the door.  She turned to him with an eerie smile.  "Looks like someone has a bit of a crush."

            He laughed.  "Yeah I guess so."

            Still smiling, she said, "Make sure you don't do anything to encourage it."

            "Wha..?  She's just a kid," he replied, stunned, feeling an uncomfortable sense of deja vu.

            "That's right," she continued, the humorless smile never leaving her face.  "And I'm sure you can imagine what her father would do to you.  Double it and you'll have an idea of what I'll do."

            "I've got a girlfriend!" he cried.  What was wrong with these people?

            "Perfect," she replied, slapping him on the shoulder.  "Keep it that way and we'll all be a lot happier."  Then she turned and walked down the hall, calling over her shoulder, "You are welcome to join us for dinner," before disappearing down the stairs.

            Terry McGinnis shook his head in utter amazement.  He'd once thought the strangest thing about Bruce Wayne was the fact that he'd created the Batman.  Now he wasn't sure that even came close.