'God I hope she changed her mind,' Bruce thought. Bruce watched her closely as Mr. Smith repeated the question but she hadn't taken her eyes off of Mr. Jones. "No," she spoke looking at the head of the board, "I have no objections to staying with Mr. Wayne."
With that Jones slammed his case book closed and quickly left the room. All the members seemed shocked by this but it didn't phase Catherine who just looked at her cuffs.
"Miss Kyle you are now under the legal care of Mr. Bruce Wayne and are here by released from Arkham Asylum. Congratulations," Mr. Smith says.
"Thank you," Catherine whispered as a guard came up and took her cuffs off.
"Meeting adjured."
Bruce tried to be as discrete as possible but he did get over to her rather quickly. "The guards will get your things. We can wait in the lobby," Bruce said as they walked out of the board room.
The two waited there in silence for ten minutes. Bruce studying his file and watched Catherine out of the corner of his eye. Catherine paid no attention to him, she simply looked at the architecture of the lobby.
The guard came back out with a backpack and sketch pad. "Mr. Edward?" Catherine asked the guard as she ripped a page out of her sketch pad; "Will you give this to Mr. Bonds who works in the cafeteria?"
The guard looked down at the picture and smiled; "I think he'll like this." Then walked back into the prisoner's ward.
Bruce had picked up Catherine's bag and she carried her sketch pad as he held the door open for her. An older gentleman stood in front of the car waiting for them; "Hell miss, I'm Alfred."
"Nice to meet you," she said as he took the back pack from Bruce and loaded it into the back of the car. Bruce opened the door for her and they got into the back seat. Alfred watched the two who sat in silence in the back of the car. Bruce could barely take his eyes off of his daughter; he felt she would disappear if he didn't. Catherine ignored him trying to keep the asylum in her sights until it was clear that it was gone, her face went a little pale then she closed her eyes and focused on the car ride.
"We're here," Bruce whispered as her eyes shot open and she stepped out of the car. Alfred handed her the backpack, then Bruce lead her upstairs.
Bruce walked up to the third floor, turned left and went to the end of the hall. The last door on the right. "These will be your apartments," he said. Catherine's apartments were just that apartments. Four rooms that were connected and set up just for her use. A living room was the focus which had two large suede couches, two reproduction chairs from the twenties, a large coffee table, two side tables and a large entertainment center. A bedroom which had a grand canopy bed, two chairs, a dresser, a cabinet, a vanity, and a fireplace in it had a connecting bathroom. The bathroom had a pestle sink, toilet, and glass shower.
When she went into the bedroom to find fancy bags and boxes covered the bed. Catherine raised an eyebrow at her father. "Clothing," he said, "unless of course you enjoy the uniform," Bruce looks at the standard light blue uniform all inmates wore. "If you need me I'll be in the study."
Catherine looked through her new clothing. High ranked labels and expensive material over took most of the bags. Eventually she found a simple tee, jeans and sneakers, then put the rest in the cabinet. She was glad he didn't buy her any makeup, every time someone bought it for her she felt obligated to wear it.
Alfred knocked coming into her room; "Is there anything I can help you with miss?"
"No Alfred. I'm fine," Catherine answered.
He nodded and rearranged the bags that were originally in the room, then picked up the sketch pad looking at the drawings; "Is this London?"
Catherine nodded getting out of her chair; "I needed to get away from Selena for a while so I climbed to the top of Big Ben. It took my brothers four hours to find me."
"You seem to have a strong connection with your siblings."
"We depend on each other. Before we came to Gothum we had never been split up," Catherine smiled looking down at the picture.
"Would you like some hot soup?" Alfred asked starting to leave; "my father taught me a particularly good recipe that should be ready."
She smiled; "I would like that."
Catherine and Alfred walked down to the kitchens; "I do remember London. I enjoyed working there some years ago," Alfred said.
"Where did you work?" She asked.
"Buckingham Palace, the queen enjoyed peanuts and lemonade," he smiled, "but then I became the butler here for Mr. and Mrs. Wayne nearly forty years ago.
Catherine studied Alfred, "What were they like?"
"Your grandparents were some of the most honorable people I ever had the privilege of knowing," Alfred said as they ascended to the second floor, with a finality to his tone.
"I don't belong here," Catherine said.
"I have heard that out of three different young men when they felt lost in this house. This is the Wayne manor and you like others before you will soon call this place home. For you are and from this day forward a Wayne," Alfred told her as they stepped onto the ground floor. Together they enjoyed hot soup in the kitchen while Alfred told her stories of his life. Including a rather funny story of Bruce Wayne's first and only riding lesson.
"Well my brothers and I are not really alike," she said; "Christopher is a daredevil and enjoys a challenge. Anthony on the other hand is a little more polite and seems almost spiritual. And I... I just follow orders."
"There is more to you than you let others believe, I can tell," Alfred said clearing the dishes; "which is why I believe Master Drake enjoys your company so."
"Tim?"
"His room is down the same corridor as yours but Master Drake is studying for exams."
"So it would probably be better if I didn't tell him I was here yet?"
"That would be considerate," Alfred said.
"Thank you for the soup Alfred," Catherine said.
"Your welcome miss."
Catherine left the kitchens and began to walk around. First she walked around the older part of the building where libraries, studies and smokers' rooms took over. The newer part had fitness rooms, art exhibits, and different cultural rooms that museums would die for.
"What are you doing?" A voice came.
Catherine spun around to see Dick Grayson standing there glaring at her; "I was just looking."
"Looking for something to steal," he countered.
"I don't steal."
He laughed.
"Selena steals I don't."
"Like mother, like daughter."
"Selena hasn't been my mother in a long time."
He glared at her; "I don't trust you. You've done something to Tim and I don't like it when someone messes with my brother."
"I haven't done anything to Tim."
He came up to her, close enough to almost force her back a step; "if he gets hurt in anyway because of you, I don't care if you are Bruce's daughter, you will regret it."
"I have no intention of getting Tim in trouble," she responded.
"You better not," with that he walked out of the room. She had respect for him, he protected Tim like Christopher protected her. Dick's threats were empty to her though; he would never be able to catch her and even if he did, he was no match for her. She had looked at their skills for the last five years and they all had limits.
Tim could be taken down with a few hits to the inner thigh when he kicked out. Barbara was easy enough with a direct hit on her side ribs when she punched. Dick was easy to take out with his legs tied; his footwork was his base. Finally she could dispose of Bruce; you would have to fight with purely skill then kick him at the base of the skull. She could take them all out within an hour and not even wear down. She was very controlled and wouldn't but it was something to keep her going if she ever got mad, just knowing would always be a triumph.
She was in an extremely good mood though, she had turned down a return to her former life; Cat knew she would never go back but the fact that she turned them down flat made it even more sweeter. She would not turn into Selena, she would be normal and no one could take that from her, no one. Slowly and quietly she went downstairs to the study perhaps she would find out what would happen to her brothers.
Bruce Wayne was typing on the lab top as Catherine came in and gracefully sat down on the couch pulling her feet up next to her. He terminated the connection with the office, he needed to lay the ground rules before she got to comfortable. He got up and moved towards her keeping a solid face, but he kept wanting to protect her, to follow her around and pounce on anyone who threatened her.
"The rules," he announced, "your dirty clothes need to be down stairs in the laundry room for Alfred on Wednesdays. Breakfast is at seven, lunch at twelve thirty and dinner is at seven, make sure you eat all of them. When school starts you'll do your homework before you go out, and if you are going to be out past midnight you'll call before eleven thirty. I'll give you a cell phone and a pager tomorrow and I want them on at all times. Don't be surprised if I send someone to come and get you at any time, from any where. Also, you need to wear this at all times." Bruce pulled out a blue case handing it to her, opening it she found a simple stone on a chain. Quickly she put it on and it changed to the color of her shirt. "It's a camellia stone," he explained; "it'll change to the color of whatever your wearing."
"Is there a tracer on it?" She asked.
"Yes," he tried not to grin but kept a straight face; "any questions?"
"Do I really get to go out on my own?" She asked trying not to sound hopeful.
Bruce was a little shocked but then remembered she had been living with Selena for her life who liked to keep people on short leashes; "as long as I know where you are. Oh and please don't bother Tim until he is done with his exams."
(A/N): just remember Bruce is not insane.