Mary and Andrea sat across from one and other at Mary's kitchen table. They
have decided that any conversation of Andrea's troubles in front of Matt
would be out of the question. Andrea was impressed by both her grandsons,
but completely won over by Terry. Andrea thinks aloud "Terry is so much
like his Grandfather I could cry."
Her daughter's ears perk up the sudden noise from her mother. Mary is still confused by her mother's reluctance to speak about her father. She asks, "Why did you leave dad? There must have been more to what you've told me. If he loved you half as much as you loved him he would have ran away with you."
"You're right. He would have and lost everything that meant anything to him, and he would have been glad to do it. I just couldn't live with myself if I had taken him away from everything. How could I look in the mirror knowing I ruined his life?"
Mary wasn't sure what to say. She had wounded her mother terribly. Maybe if she started talking about Terry would make her feel better. "Terry has become quite the young man. He was even mentioned on the news during the blizzard."
"Really." Andrea sat up grateful to get her mind off of him. She missed him and ached to see him, but was terrified she might hurt him or that he would turn his back on her for what she had done.
Mary saw a spark and decided to continue telling her mother about her very hard working son. " Yes, he's working for a regular Gotham celebrity. I still can't believe that Bruce Wayne is Terry's boss, even after almost three years. I tell you mom he works Terry to the bone, but whatever Terry wants he seems to get. That boy is always coming home with something that is entirely too expensive to be had on his pay. And when Terry forgets to pick up groceries on the way home the next day I get bags of groceries delivered to the house and all the grocers will say is that Mr. Wayne requested it. I swear that man is infuriating, but he really cares for Terry and he even babysat Matt once or twice. Matt didn't seem to mind and his homework got A's." Mary stopped rambling with a slight laugh. In spite of herself she liked the old man.
Andrea eyes had grown wide at the words coming from her daughter's mouth. She began shifting in her seat like a trapped animal; with each word of how Bruce had found and taken in Terry burning into her head. Her heart was racing, but she tried to stay calm.
Mary continued, "Mr. Wayne is a strange one, but I don't think that there is anything that he wouldn't do for Terry. The man isn't one to show what he's feeling, but whenever I see him & Terry together I can see how much he honestly cares. He has a sense of respect and pride in Terry that is barely contained, and that's saying something for a stone faced man like Mr. Wayne." Mary sips her coffee missing her mother's reaction to her oration. "Terry even mentioned he was worried about you to the old man, and then he came right here through the snow to talk to me. Terry must have been pretty unnerved by meeting you and then knowing that you were having trouble to get Bruce worried."
Mary again stops and the doorbell rings interrupting "Terry will you get the door?" She turns to her mother and continues. "Mr. Wayne even asked if he could help us. I'm not sure what he could possibly do, but if he could do something to help the boys I wouldn't turn it away either." At this last statement Andrea's heart sinks. After everything that he has seen and been through he still wants to help people. She can't take the strain anymore and begins to cry. Mary tries to comfort her and find out what's wrong, but Andrea is beyond talking.
Waiting, patient as he was Bruce hated waiting. He had tried to find Andrea at the hotel, but she had left. He wasn't even sure she was here, but it didn't matter. He needed to talk to Mary and Terry. The door opened to Terry. Bruce begins to open his mouth to tell Terry that he has found something that will make everything in both their lives change when he hears something he instantly recognizes and dreads. He moves forward asking, "What's going on?"
"I don't know; mom and grandma are in the kitchen talking" Terry responds with uncertainty.
Before Terry can finish his sentence Bruce is moving to the kitchen. He knows that sound; the crying that he could never remove from his mind. Her sobbing, a sound that made him want to die. He had to go to her, to hold her. Bruce had no choice he loved her, his heart pulled him through the house to her. He found her there with Mary trying to make some sense of her tears. Bruce came to her and pulled into his arms knocking her chair to the floor. Holding her close all his sense washed over him. Her sobs, her smell, the way she felt hadn't changed; neither had his feelings for her. "Don't worry everything is going to be alright now. We'll finish this. I'll take care of it. Don't cry Andie, it doesn't matter anymore, none of it matters. We'll be ok."
Terry runs to find Bruce pulling his grandmother into his arms and talking to her in a voice so soft that it made even his kindest tone seem cruel by comparison. His grandmother's sobs slowly quiet and disappear with his words and she pulls to look at him. Terry can see in her eyes that the man that has looked after him and shared his very strange and important mission with him is the same man his grandmother left behind and loved dearly. Terry finds his voice and motions to the file Bruce had dropped, "Do I need to ask what is in this file."
Bruce slowly pulled his head up from where it had been resting on Andrea's. He looked at Terry with a smirk and flatly replied, "I doubt it."
Mary has had enough for one night and is beyond that point of caring. She stiffens and commands to know what is going on. Bruce looks blankly at her and then slowly smiles. He takes Andrea's chair and places her on his lap. Andrea doesn't even react to Bruce's nonverbal commands. Mary begins to understand as Bruce begins to talk softly, "Andrea and I met when we were in college. We fell in love and were happy for a time. I asked her to marry me, but her father had made a few mistakes and he left with her. I received her ring with a note saying that she was too young and that I should forget her, as if that were possible. Ten years later Andie came back into my life. I had hoped to stay. It wasn't meant to be. Her father had come to Gotham to kill the men responsible for putting a contract on their lives. He managed to kill two of the men, but the four had become the Joker. In the end they never found Her father body, but it was unlikely that he could have survived. The mob was in chaos and they wanted payback and it fell on your mother. She ran before I could do anything to stop her; before I even knew that she was gone. I searched for her for years, but with no luck. "
Bruce looked down. He could barely contain his feelings, but he couldn't let them get the better of him for Andrea's sake. She was exhausted and couldn't take it right now. Still the events of the day had left him tired and completely off guard. Regardless of how he felt he had to keep it together for her.
Andrea soaked in the words Bruce was saying. She new he was lying about her father. He had covered up for her and she realized that Bruce had compromised his vow to his parent for his love of her. Her heart fell into her stomach. He loved her and would stand by her even after everything she had done. She feels the sobs coming back in her throat as she tries to speak, "I can't ruin your life again Bruce. I can't let you ruin your life over me now either."
"You aren't ruining my life Andie; not having you in my life has been ruining it. Don't you realize that" Bruce tried to speak flatly, but the pain came threw and was obvious to everyone in the room. He pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead putting his hand to her cheek. Bruce then turned to Terry, "So care to guess what's on the file?"
"Gee, a DNA comparison of me, mom, you, and my grandmother?" Terry proudly responded.
Bruce smiled at Terry and responds, "Not that it really matters now. I don't think anyone in this room has any uncertainty about the connection between us now." He turns to his daughter and pause to look at her as his for the first time. Taking a deep breath he sighs, "I'm sorry Mary. I didn't know."
"Sorry, for what. How could you know, and if Terry hadn't gotten you involved you wouldn't have made the connection. I still don't see how you can possibly manage to fix this mess, even though I'm sure that you want to." Mary looks down and wishes she could cry, but she knows that it won't solve anything.
Andrea rubs her neck. The stress of the past few days has taken a toll on her. She has no strength left to fight and places her head on Bruce's large shoulder. It was surprising how strong and quick he still was. Even after all this time he was still a force to be reckoned with. She was grateful he was on her side. Andie closed her eyes and took in the sound of his breathing, the feel of his chest moving under her as she leaned on him. She felt safe and it had been a long time since she could honestly say that.
As Andrea rested herself against him Bruce looked down at her. Her realized that she was exhausted and need rest. "I think we've all had about all we can stand for one night. Terry, look over that disc and be at the house tomorrow as early as you can. We need to figure out a way to resolve this and fast." Bruce turns to his daughter, "Its late and I think I should get your mother home so she can rest."
The words washed over Mary. Her father was here and speaking to her. She looked at Bruce in a totally different light and realized that this was man who had seen many tragedies and survived them all. Mary knew that he would find a way to fix things. She wasn't sure how, but clearly he had resources and skills she hadn't even begun to realize. She smiles and nods at a man she is just beginning to really know.
Bruce pulls Andrea up as he stands holding her to him for support. He can feel her legs struggling to keep her upright. He moves her through the house and stops to mess Matt's hair causing the boy snap around at him as he guided his lady to the door. Jackets found there way to their owners and the door opened. Bruce turned and took Mary by the shoulder and kissed her on the forehead. A fatherly gesture she had missed all her life. "Don't worry, we'll find a way to make things right tomorrow. Until then try and get some rest, we're all going to need it."
As the door closes Andrea looked at Bruce and asks cautiously, "Where are we going?"
Bruce responded in a no-nonsense fashion, "Home."
She knew that Bruce has made up his mind and that an argument would be a waste of both their time. Andie pulls close to Bruce and they step onto the elevator down and then home.
Her daughter's ears perk up the sudden noise from her mother. Mary is still confused by her mother's reluctance to speak about her father. She asks, "Why did you leave dad? There must have been more to what you've told me. If he loved you half as much as you loved him he would have ran away with you."
"You're right. He would have and lost everything that meant anything to him, and he would have been glad to do it. I just couldn't live with myself if I had taken him away from everything. How could I look in the mirror knowing I ruined his life?"
Mary wasn't sure what to say. She had wounded her mother terribly. Maybe if she started talking about Terry would make her feel better. "Terry has become quite the young man. He was even mentioned on the news during the blizzard."
"Really." Andrea sat up grateful to get her mind off of him. She missed him and ached to see him, but was terrified she might hurt him or that he would turn his back on her for what she had done.
Mary saw a spark and decided to continue telling her mother about her very hard working son. " Yes, he's working for a regular Gotham celebrity. I still can't believe that Bruce Wayne is Terry's boss, even after almost three years. I tell you mom he works Terry to the bone, but whatever Terry wants he seems to get. That boy is always coming home with something that is entirely too expensive to be had on his pay. And when Terry forgets to pick up groceries on the way home the next day I get bags of groceries delivered to the house and all the grocers will say is that Mr. Wayne requested it. I swear that man is infuriating, but he really cares for Terry and he even babysat Matt once or twice. Matt didn't seem to mind and his homework got A's." Mary stopped rambling with a slight laugh. In spite of herself she liked the old man.
Andrea eyes had grown wide at the words coming from her daughter's mouth. She began shifting in her seat like a trapped animal; with each word of how Bruce had found and taken in Terry burning into her head. Her heart was racing, but she tried to stay calm.
Mary continued, "Mr. Wayne is a strange one, but I don't think that there is anything that he wouldn't do for Terry. The man isn't one to show what he's feeling, but whenever I see him & Terry together I can see how much he honestly cares. He has a sense of respect and pride in Terry that is barely contained, and that's saying something for a stone faced man like Mr. Wayne." Mary sips her coffee missing her mother's reaction to her oration. "Terry even mentioned he was worried about you to the old man, and then he came right here through the snow to talk to me. Terry must have been pretty unnerved by meeting you and then knowing that you were having trouble to get Bruce worried."
Mary again stops and the doorbell rings interrupting "Terry will you get the door?" She turns to her mother and continues. "Mr. Wayne even asked if he could help us. I'm not sure what he could possibly do, but if he could do something to help the boys I wouldn't turn it away either." At this last statement Andrea's heart sinks. After everything that he has seen and been through he still wants to help people. She can't take the strain anymore and begins to cry. Mary tries to comfort her and find out what's wrong, but Andrea is beyond talking.
Waiting, patient as he was Bruce hated waiting. He had tried to find Andrea at the hotel, but she had left. He wasn't even sure she was here, but it didn't matter. He needed to talk to Mary and Terry. The door opened to Terry. Bruce begins to open his mouth to tell Terry that he has found something that will make everything in both their lives change when he hears something he instantly recognizes and dreads. He moves forward asking, "What's going on?"
"I don't know; mom and grandma are in the kitchen talking" Terry responds with uncertainty.
Before Terry can finish his sentence Bruce is moving to the kitchen. He knows that sound; the crying that he could never remove from his mind. Her sobbing, a sound that made him want to die. He had to go to her, to hold her. Bruce had no choice he loved her, his heart pulled him through the house to her. He found her there with Mary trying to make some sense of her tears. Bruce came to her and pulled into his arms knocking her chair to the floor. Holding her close all his sense washed over him. Her sobs, her smell, the way she felt hadn't changed; neither had his feelings for her. "Don't worry everything is going to be alright now. We'll finish this. I'll take care of it. Don't cry Andie, it doesn't matter anymore, none of it matters. We'll be ok."
Terry runs to find Bruce pulling his grandmother into his arms and talking to her in a voice so soft that it made even his kindest tone seem cruel by comparison. His grandmother's sobs slowly quiet and disappear with his words and she pulls to look at him. Terry can see in her eyes that the man that has looked after him and shared his very strange and important mission with him is the same man his grandmother left behind and loved dearly. Terry finds his voice and motions to the file Bruce had dropped, "Do I need to ask what is in this file."
Bruce slowly pulled his head up from where it had been resting on Andrea's. He looked at Terry with a smirk and flatly replied, "I doubt it."
Mary has had enough for one night and is beyond that point of caring. She stiffens and commands to know what is going on. Bruce looks blankly at her and then slowly smiles. He takes Andrea's chair and places her on his lap. Andrea doesn't even react to Bruce's nonverbal commands. Mary begins to understand as Bruce begins to talk softly, "Andrea and I met when we were in college. We fell in love and were happy for a time. I asked her to marry me, but her father had made a few mistakes and he left with her. I received her ring with a note saying that she was too young and that I should forget her, as if that were possible. Ten years later Andie came back into my life. I had hoped to stay. It wasn't meant to be. Her father had come to Gotham to kill the men responsible for putting a contract on their lives. He managed to kill two of the men, but the four had become the Joker. In the end they never found Her father body, but it was unlikely that he could have survived. The mob was in chaos and they wanted payback and it fell on your mother. She ran before I could do anything to stop her; before I even knew that she was gone. I searched for her for years, but with no luck. "
Bruce looked down. He could barely contain his feelings, but he couldn't let them get the better of him for Andrea's sake. She was exhausted and couldn't take it right now. Still the events of the day had left him tired and completely off guard. Regardless of how he felt he had to keep it together for her.
Andrea soaked in the words Bruce was saying. She new he was lying about her father. He had covered up for her and she realized that Bruce had compromised his vow to his parent for his love of her. Her heart fell into her stomach. He loved her and would stand by her even after everything she had done. She feels the sobs coming back in her throat as she tries to speak, "I can't ruin your life again Bruce. I can't let you ruin your life over me now either."
"You aren't ruining my life Andie; not having you in my life has been ruining it. Don't you realize that" Bruce tried to speak flatly, but the pain came threw and was obvious to everyone in the room. He pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead putting his hand to her cheek. Bruce then turned to Terry, "So care to guess what's on the file?"
"Gee, a DNA comparison of me, mom, you, and my grandmother?" Terry proudly responded.
Bruce smiled at Terry and responds, "Not that it really matters now. I don't think anyone in this room has any uncertainty about the connection between us now." He turns to his daughter and pause to look at her as his for the first time. Taking a deep breath he sighs, "I'm sorry Mary. I didn't know."
"Sorry, for what. How could you know, and if Terry hadn't gotten you involved you wouldn't have made the connection. I still don't see how you can possibly manage to fix this mess, even though I'm sure that you want to." Mary looks down and wishes she could cry, but she knows that it won't solve anything.
Andrea rubs her neck. The stress of the past few days has taken a toll on her. She has no strength left to fight and places her head on Bruce's large shoulder. It was surprising how strong and quick he still was. Even after all this time he was still a force to be reckoned with. She was grateful he was on her side. Andie closed her eyes and took in the sound of his breathing, the feel of his chest moving under her as she leaned on him. She felt safe and it had been a long time since she could honestly say that.
As Andrea rested herself against him Bruce looked down at her. Her realized that she was exhausted and need rest. "I think we've all had about all we can stand for one night. Terry, look over that disc and be at the house tomorrow as early as you can. We need to figure out a way to resolve this and fast." Bruce turns to his daughter, "Its late and I think I should get your mother home so she can rest."
The words washed over Mary. Her father was here and speaking to her. She looked at Bruce in a totally different light and realized that this was man who had seen many tragedies and survived them all. Mary knew that he would find a way to fix things. She wasn't sure how, but clearly he had resources and skills she hadn't even begun to realize. She smiles and nods at a man she is just beginning to really know.
Bruce pulls Andrea up as he stands holding her to him for support. He can feel her legs struggling to keep her upright. He moves her through the house and stops to mess Matt's hair causing the boy snap around at him as he guided his lady to the door. Jackets found there way to their owners and the door opened. Bruce turned and took Mary by the shoulder and kissed her on the forehead. A fatherly gesture she had missed all her life. "Don't worry, we'll find a way to make things right tomorrow. Until then try and get some rest, we're all going to need it."
As the door closes Andrea looked at Bruce and asks cautiously, "Where are we going?"
Bruce responded in a no-nonsense fashion, "Home."
She knew that Bruce has made up his mind and that an argument would be a waste of both their time. Andie pulls close to Bruce and they step onto the elevator down and then home.