'Cause everything's so wrong
And I don't belong
Living in your
Precious memories
'Cause I need you
And I miss you
And now I wonder....
If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time
Would pass me by
'Cause you know I'd walk
A thousand miles
If I could
Just see you
Tonight
A Thousand Miles, Vanessa Carlton
After the cab dropped her off at the manor mere hours before dawn, Grace stumbled up the stairs and into her parents' bedroom, closing the door softly behind her. Maria and the baby were both asleep for which she was grateful. She just didn't have the energy to deal with them.
Still in her torn and dirty dress, she glided over to her mother's vanity table and touched all the bottles one by one. Avoiding her reflection in the mirror altogether, she picked up the framed photo of her family and felt a tear fall slowly down her cheek. She took the photograph over to the bed and fell across it in a heap. She was suffocating in her grief, it surrounded her and she couldn't shake it off. If only she could get away, for just a little while…
2044
"Mom! She keeps running away from me!" Isabella's voice ricocheted off the old manor walls as she chased after her energetic sister. "Mother!" She was coming to the conclusion that she preferred being an only child.
Suddenly, with the instincts of predator, Mardi stepped into the hallway in front of the rampaging toddler and scooped her up into her arms. "And just where are you off to little lady?"
"Belly funny," the child giggled. "Belly chase."
"Um hmmm." Mardi looked up to her other daughter, a month away from her eighteenth birthday and growing more beautiful each day. "I thought I asked you to watch her," she calmly reprimanded the panting teenager.
"Watch her? I did. I watched her run around like wild animal! She's hopeless."
"She's three. Give it time. Now why don't you try to get along better?" she asked starting to hand Grace over, but Isabella waved her away.
"No way, can't. I've got to get ready for my date."
"Date?" Mardi frowned. "I thought Terry was on patrol?"
"He is. The date's not with him." Her eyes shifted away. "I'm going out with Jeremy."
"Oh. But I thought you and Terry…?"
"We were," Isabella replied sharply. "But now he's saying how it was a mistake and that he owes Dana a second chance. It's all bullshit."
"Language please," Mardi hissed. "Well anyway, Jeremy's nice. And Gracie likes him, don't you sweetheart?"
"Jammy has paints. Me likes to paint."
"I, sweetheart, it's 'I like to paint.'" Then she smiled. "Aren't you my little artiste?"
Isabella rolled her eyes. "I've got to get ready."
"Go see Daddy," Grace demanded. "Play with bats. Now!"
"We don't play with bats honey, they're dirty and nasty."
"Actually Mom they're not really…"
"Please don't start the bats-are-misunderstood-creatures speech. I just don't think I could take it again."
"Yeah whatever. I've got to get going."
"Bye bye Belly," Grace waved as her sister walked away. "Go see Daddy?" she asked her mother.
"Sure honey."
"Daddy!" the little voice echoed from above. He looked up and watched her carefully negotiate one step at a time, Mardi following close behind like a mother hen, ready to reach out and grab her should she start heading in the wrong direction. Something inside of him warmed up at the sight and he briefly wondered why he waited so long to have a family. "Puppy!" Grace cried out as she reached the cave floor and Ace happily padded over to her. He licked her face and she laughed out loud patting him on either side of his muzzle. The dog had seemingly adopted his young mistress and could be counted on to make sure she stayed out of trouble while visiting the cave.
"Working hard?" Mardi asked as she stepped over to Bruce. "You know you've been down her for over 18 hours."
"I know," he replied as he watched the little girl climbing on the now reclining Ace. "I've got more work to do," he told her simply.
"Fine," Mardi sighed. Accepting and understanding were two completely different animals, he mused. She'd somehow accepted the role Batman had to play in their lives, but she'd never wholly understand the necessity. And so there would be constant power struggles as to which 'job' took precedence.
Grace waddled over and put her hands in the air. "Pick up Daddy. Lap time."
"No, honey," Mardi tried to stop her. "He's busy."
"She's fine," he corrected and bent down, hauling her onto his lap. She squirmed until she got comfortable and then immediately reached forward to the computer console. "No," he said, grabbing her hands. "That's not for little girls."
"Why?"
"Because you don't know how to use it," he said with the utmost logic, which never works on a three-year-old.
"Me play," she insisted and reached forward again.
"No," he said patiently and pulled her back again.
"Play!"
"No."
"Play! Nownownownownownownow!" she chanted.
"No."
"Now!" Bruce remained silent this time and she turned to look at him. Patting his face with her tiny hand she solemnly asked, "Daddy?"
"What?"
"Play now!"
He sighed and caught Mardi attempting not to laugh. Keeping her face neutral she said, "I'll just take her back upstairs."
"You can leave her here."
She was taken aback and stood with her lips parted for a moment. "She's overdue for her nap so she'll probably just fall asleep. Call me if you need anything." She started to leave but stopped. "Oh and just in case you hadn't heard, Isabella has a date with that Jeremy boy tonight."
Bruce frowned. "I thought she and Terry had…?"
"Yes, but apparently he got cold feet. Maybe you should talk to him."
"Why?"
"Well she is your daughter."
"All the more reason to stay out of it."
"You're such a romantic Bruce Wayne," she said with a mockingly sweet voice. Then she was gone.
"I hope you're not going to be as much trouble as your sister when you grow up," he said to the child in his lap who only giggled in return. He leaned forward and hailed the Batmobile's communicator.
"Hey what's up?" Terry chirped into the microphone.
"How are you doing?" Bruce asked.
"No problems yet. You really think they're going to try for the warehouse tonight?"
"That's what the evidence points to." He paused. "I hear things between you and Isabella have cooled."
"Oh, uh…" Terry stuttered.
Bruce smiled. Always catch them by surprise. "What happened?"
"Well thing's were just moving too fast. And besides I got a call from Dana. She wanted to give it another chance. I guess I owe her that much. What do you care anyway? I figured you'd be happier with me out of the picture."
"I don't care about your love life McGinnis," he growled. "But when you start treating my daughter like a disposable commodity I do tend to pay attention."
"Hey that's not fair! I like her - a lot - but I just got to thinking that maybe I only liked her because she knows everything. It would just make things so much easier not to have to cover my tracks all the time."
"Could be. I guess you'd better know for sure before you try to take things further again." He smiled to himself. "Not that it may matter anymore. She's going out tonight with another boy."
Terry was immediately on alert. "She is? With who? Not that twip painter?"
"Jeremy treats her very well."
"He's a loser. No personality. She deserves so much better." He paused for several long seconds. "I'm sounding jealous aren't I?"
"I don't know, are you?"
"I've got to go. Batman out."
Bruce bent his head down to Grace. "First thing you've got to learn is that reverse psychology works every time."
She looked up at him with her big blue eyes. "Reberse sychogy?"
He pursed his lips. "You also have to work on your diction. When she was your age, Isabella was speaking Latin."
Her only answer was, "Go potty now."