2051
The doorbell chimed. Grace looked up from her homework. It was quarter past four in the afternoon. Isabella and Dad would already be downstairs training, which is where she would be if reducing fractions wasn't so hard to master. Her mother was out back tending to the garden all women were supposed to keep when they reached a certain age, so Grace figured it was up to her to answer the door.
She pushed herself away from the desk as the chime sounded again and again in rapid fire. "Hold your horses," she muttered in annoyance as she grasped the knob. The door swung open and she looked upon the visitor standing there with disinterest. About forty with short, jet black hair and green eyes, much like Bella, she thought absently, only where her sister always seemed on the verge of smiling, this woman seemed to wear a perpetual frown. Scowl lines had already imbedded themselves in her handsome face.
The woman eyed Grace like she was a bug that had crawled out of her salad. "Well?" she asked in a voice dripping with disdain and impatience.
It took her a moment, but Grace remembered her manners. "What can I do for you?" she asked, her inflection implying service was the furthest thing from her mind.
"You're one of them aren't you?" the woman spat, but before Grace could ask her to elaborate she said, "I'm here to see the old man."
Grace's face started to heat with rage. "I think you'd better leave," she commanded from the depth of her ten-year-old soul.
"No, I think you'd better get out of my way and let me in," the other countered.
"Who is it Gracie?" Mardi called as she walked towards them, wiping her hands with a towel.
"I don't know. She refuses to give me her name."
"You didn't ask," the woman snapped.
"Well, I'm asking then," Mardi said, placing a hand on Grace's shoulder and squeezing ever so gently.
The woman hesitated, looking rather unhappy that her way was being blocked. Instead of answering she remarked, "You're his wife." Mardi nodded even though it hadn't been a question so much as an accusation, and the woman pressed her lips together as she looked back and forth between them. "My name is Helena Kyle."
"And what business do you have with my husband?"
"Just tell him I'm here," she barked.
Grace knew her mother didn't usually back down from a fight, which is why it surprised her that Mardi pulled on her shoulder so that they moved out of the way and motioned for the woman to enter. "Please come in. Can I get you anything?"
"Just Wayne. I don't need your hospitality," she replied curtly and turned away to marvel at the art and architecture of the old house. At least Grace hoped she was marveling at it because to her it looked a lot more possessive.
"Gracie honey," Mardi spoke softly. "Can you stay here and keep our guest company while I go get your father?"
She heard the woman snort in derision, but ignored it. "Sure Mom." When Mardi had disappeared Grace studied the woman more closely. She was dressed all in black, which only served to accentuate the paleness of her skin like a vampire or some other malevolent creature of the night. Her fingernails, which she clicked together impatiently, were extremely long and pointed and Grace had the disturbing idea that used correctly they could be lethal. "Why do you hate us?" she heard herself blurting out loud with no recollection of the thought forming in her head.
The woman who had announced herself as Helena Kyle slowly turned back to her with a sharp gaze and for the first time actually smiled, a small evil smile that chilled Grace's young heart. "Why shouldn't I hate you? You've gotten to enjoy everything that I was denied."
Grace blinked back tears of confusion at the bold and enigmatic declaration. She wasn't sure how to even respond and luckily she didn't have to. Helena's eyes shifted to look behind her and Grace turned to see Bruce standing there wearing about the strangest expression she'd ever seen on him. He walked over to them, never taking his eyes off the stranger. Grace wanted to say something to him, be reassured by his presence, but she didn't know what to say and was pretty sure he wouldn't hear her anyway.
"Who are you?" he asked.
She regarded him with a sneer. "Well for the World's Greatest Detective you're pretty clueless. You know who my mother was. Connect the dots."
His eyes closed for a moment and his shoulders sagged in a way they only did after he'd spent days down in the cave and was completely exhausted. "How did you find me?"
"I saw a picture of your other daughter, the pretty one. Actually someone else saw it and commented we could be sisters. I worked backwards from there."
"She never told me," he said sadly. "She left town, disappeared. I couldn't find her."
"That's because she didn't want to be found," Helena replied coldly.
There was a small cough and they turned to see Mardi and Isabella watching too.
"Someone want to fill me in on what's going on here?" Mardi asked.
"Well don't keep them in suspense," Helena urged.
He looked at the three of them – his wife and children – and said, "Helena is my daughter. With Selina Kyle."
"Catwoman?!" Isabella burst out.
"Get out!" Grace exclaimed in surprised disbelief.
Expressionlessly, Mardi turned and calmly walked up the stairs. Isabella didn't hesitate for more than a second before following. Grace stayed, more curious to find out the gory details. Unfortunately her father had other ideas. "Go check on your mother," he told her pointedly, unwilling to listen to any arguments.
Upstairs she found them sitting side by side on the bed, Bella's arm around Mardi's shoulder as she wept softly. "It's okay Mom," she soothed, looking at Grace expectantly.
She went over and sat on her mother's other side. "Well this kind of sucks," she announced.
The weeping ceased momentarily as Mardi looked at her in reproach, but instead of saying anything she wrung her hands together. "How can he do this to me again? I just don't understand it, I asked him who she was and he said a thief, just a thief. Ha! I guess she was pretty damn good, I mean she must have stolen something pretty important, for THAT to happen!" She sobbed a little bit more as Grace gave a small bark of laughter only to be swatted on the back of her head by her sister.
"Maybe there's a mistake. How could he be so sure after just meeting her? They'll have to take tests, we need to make sure this isn't some scam," Isabella suggested, trying to be of some comfort.
"She could be lying," Mardi agreed through her tears. "Doesn't she look like the type of person who would lie?"
"Are you two kidding yourselves?" Grace declared incredulously. "She looks just like Isabella twenty years older." Her sister scowled at her over Mardi's bowed head, Grace countered with a silent raspberry. "Besides, I'm sure Dad knows what he's talking about. We should trust him."
"Senile old coot," Mardi muttered. "Wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him." She stood up suddenly. "I need a drink."
Isabella got up and touched her arm gently. "How about some food instead? It's close to suppertime, I think we could all use something to eat."
"I know I could," Grace offered.
Bella glowered back at her sister. "You are a bottomless pit, you could eat your way to China." Grace silently informed her sister that she was still number one, who in turn used their special sign language to reply that Grace would be dead by the end of the night.
"That's enough you two," Mardi chided mildly, even though the entire exchanged had occurred behind her back. "Let's go down to the kitchen and see what we can scrounge up."
"Can I cook?" Grace asked excitedly as she slid off the bed.
"I don't know, after the fire last month…"
"C'mon Mom, you know that wasn't my fault," she wheedled.
As they entered the kitchen they spotted Bruce sitting at the table, alone, holding a steaming cup of tea. He looked up as they entered, focusing on Mardi who stopped short and gave an audible gulp. "Where is she?" she asked moving closer to him. The girls stood side by side just inside the door.
"Gone."
"Will she be back?"
"Probably not."
"Did she want money?"
"Yes."
"Ha! Blackmail, right?"
"No."
"No?" He shook his head and took a sip of tea. Mardi looked a little confused and slid into the chair next to him. "So are you going to tell me what's going on?"
"Her mother died last year after a long illness. The medical bills are astronomical, among other things."
"Oh? Am I supposed to feel sorry for her now? You? Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?" He sighed. "It's just like Talia all over again! But that's not the point is it? You lied to me Bruce. A bold-faced, out and out lie! I asked you about her and you said nothing. Nothing!"
"There was nothing to say. It happened a long time ago. I didn't plan it and I never expected it to come up again."
"Well it did! It came right up onto our doorstep and insulted us! And she didn't even know who you were? You didn't even bother to tell the woman your name. You just kept your mask on during the whole sordid thing? Is that what passed for a romantic evening in Gotham back then?"
He flinched imperceptibly. "It wasn't like that. I loved her."
"Didn't trust her though did you?" she pointed a finger at him. "Trust is a pretty big part of love Bruce…Oh wait, who am I talking to, trust isn't even your vocabulary!"
"Enough!" he bellowed and slapped a hand against the table hard enough to spill the tea. Grace gripped her sister's hand desperately unused to such outbursts from him. "I can't deal with your histrionics right now."
She leapt from the chair, causing it to rock slightly. Her mouth opened and closed uselessly like a fish gasping for air in a way that would have been comical under different circumstances.
Then in his quiet irreproachable voice, he said, "And I don't even think about leaving. You're not going to pull that stunt again."
She made a huffing sound and then moved away, going through cupboards and the refrigerator to find something for them to eat. Years later Grace and Isabella would talk about it and try to figure out how many plates, glasses, and jars she broke this night. They would never settle on a number, but both would agree that if she hadn't something much, much worse might have been broken.
"Dad," Grace said, surprised to find she could speak.
"Yes?" he replied.
"She said she hates us." She could feel Bella looking at her from above.
"I know," he said quietly.
"Are we going to have to invite her over for Christmas?" Across the room a plate dropped with a loud crash. "Being that she's our sister and all?" The pressure on her hand increased exponentially.
"I don't think we'll have to worry about that right off."
Later in the evening Mardi found herself wandering about the old house, going into rooms long closed up. She couldn't sleep, couldn't relax, couldn't stop thinking about it. She was in a particularly dusty room full of sewing equipment. She had the idea that Martha had enjoyed making her own clothes. How utterly quaint.
Walking out of the room wiping the dust from hands, she ran into Bruce and immediately sneezed. "Bless you," he said. As she tried to move away he wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Leave me alone," she mumbled trying to push him away.
"Mardi," he insisted, keeping his grip firm. "You have got to understand something."
"What?"
"I had a life before I met you. I did a lot of things and knew a lot of people. I can't apologize for everything that happened in the past. But you gave me a new life, which is something I'd never hoped for. Something I wouldn't change for anything."
"It just hurts so much Bruce," she cried softly.
"I know and I am sorry you have to suffer from my mistakes."
"How many more things are going to pop up? What else should I expect?"
"I don't know. I'd like to promise none, but I can't. But nothing will change how I feel about you. Ever."
"I don't ever want to see her again and I don't want the kids anywhere near her."
"I promise that won't be a problem."
"What is it? There's something you're not telling me."
"She goes by the name Huntress…"
"How sweet. When do I get a clever nickname?"
"I thought you had one already. The Shrew?"
"Touché. Continue please."
"She's a mercenary. A gun for hire. Ruthless from what I hear, and deadly."
"Oh my god."
"I told her I wouldn't tolerate anything like that in my city…or my family."
"You gave her a choice?"
"Yes." Mardi closed her eyes and reeled slightly. "She wants nothing to do with us. Don't worry, she's gone for good."
"I'm sorry Bruce," she said humbly. "You don't need to lose any more family."
"I have my family right here."
A/N: This part of the story was actually inspired by a reader's comment, though I don't think it came out quite as the reviewer had envisioned ;) I've obviously taken many liberties with the Huntress character, she's kind of an amalgam of Helena Bertollini from 'No Man's Land' (the novel, I don't read comics) and the character from BoP with a bit of my own twist. Anyway, it just goes to show that everything said is free game for my demented mind! Thanks for all of your kind support and always feel free to make suggestions. Stay tuned for more!