The sunrise filled Wayne Manor's study with a warm glow that reflected its owner's heart. Bruce had slept well, but woke early. He had watched Andrea sleeping for at least an hour before he decided to move from his happy spot and go through his morning rituals; yoga, martial arts practice, weights or running before turning his attention to coffee and the concerns of Wayne Enterprises. Usually he was grateful to be able to still push himself, but today he had cut his morning business short to fix breakfast for two. He had snuck upstairs and place a note on the table next to Andie for her to meet him downstairs. The sun completed breaking the horizon as Bruce finished reading through the morning mail from the office. Andrea appeared in the doorway and was greeted by the smells of fresh coffee, fruit, and freshly baked muffins and rolls. Bruce turned to her and was stunned to see how kind the years had been to her beauty. She was captivating. He moved from his desk, "Would you like some eggs or toast, I would have made them, but I thought I'd let you sleep."

"Actually this looks amazing. I see you paid attention to Alfred when he was cooking." Andrea quietly giggled.

Bruce smirked as he joined his lady at the couch "Are you kidding, Alfred made me learn, and this morning I'm grateful." Bruce leaned over and kisses her brushing his face against hers softly. His mind wondered to their making love and falling asleep in each other's arms and he blushed slightly at her.

As she poured her coffee Andrea notices Bruce's smile and blush. Her mind is sent back to the night before and she returns the glow. She realizes that Bruce had put himself in a very compromising potions covering for her. Andrea's need to know the truth wins out over her desire to let the morning pass quietly. "Why did you lie for me?"

Bruce takes a sip of coffee and coolly replies, "I didn't really, I told the police the story you gave me and left it to them to figure out the truth. Their investigation led them to believe your father was the killer and I just chose not to contradict them." Bruce paused and sipped some more coffee. Leaning over to grab a roll he continued, "It was over. What point was there to continue on with the tragedy? I decided to let the police handle it once my alter-ego's reputation was saved."

Andie realized that Bruce compromised himself and his promise to his parents for her. She knew that if she had stayed he would have married her & they could have raised their daughter together. "How could you forgive me after everything that happened?"

Bruce just looked at her like it should be obvious and he can't believe she doesn't know the answer, "I love you Andie. I was ready to leave Batman behind for you. If you had stayed there would have been no more late nights and I would have been happy."

Andrea paused to contemplate the scope of what he has said and the implication of it. She was a fool and still he didn't care. Bruce breaks her silent thought, "So why didn't you ever call? I was beginning to worry." He breaks into a smile and stares at her.

She quickly replies, "Do you expect every woman you meet to call you?"

Bruce finishes teasing her with, "Only the one's that are smart enough to dial a phone."

Staring into her coffee Andrea smiled, "I can't believe you remember that. God it was so long ago. When did we get old?"

"Speak for yourself; I'm still twenty-five, it's my body that's old." Bruce interjects while taking a bite out of his breakfast roll and picking up his coffee. He watches Andie contented that somehow everything will work out. For a brief moment they have one another and no one was going to take her away. Bruce sighed and leaned back.

"How long do you think this will last before trouble finds us?" Andrea sighs pensively at Bruce. Just as she finishes the phone rings.

Bruce looks at the phone and then back at his lady with a smile, "You had to go and say something, didn't you."

Dick waited for Bruce to answer the phone. He needed to talk to him before his meeting with Barbara. Detective Montoya entered the room and sat waiting for his partner to finish his call. Bruce's voice comes through the line "Wayne". Dick pauses before starting in, "Hey its me. We need to talk."

A flat response greets Dicks ears, "You planning on telling me what you need to talk about. It would be helpful if I had a clue." The detective drew a long breath. He hated to give Bruce news like this, especially over the phone. To his relief Bruce continued, "Let me take a guess then." Dick wasn't sure where his father was going, but he didn't like it. Bruce moved forward, "Your calling about Andrea Beaumont and the Valestra crime family. So how long do we have before the dregs hit Gotham?"

Dick was grateful and confused at Bruce's quick grasp of the situation. He needed to know, "Do you know where Andrea is?"

The line fell dead for a moment and then a low response came threw, "Yes, she's here. I still don't have the whole story. How much time can you give me to sort through this?"

"I can give you till tomorrow, but I can't risk letting it go much farther. I need to interview her and get the information she has by tomorrow end of day. I'll be meeting with Barb this morning. Should I tell her about Andrea?" Dick's concern was growing. This woman had ripped Bruce's soul to pieces and she was sitting at his breakfast table while he tried to keep her alive. What did he have with her? The connection eluded him.

Bruce snapped Dick back into the conversation, "All right, I'll get everything together by tomorrow morning. So if you're in Gotham why aren't you at the house?"

"Well, um, I came here with my partner and the BPD doesn't know about you. I just thought that it would be better if I kept a low profile until I had a lid on things. I'm sorry I should have called you sooner to let you know." His concern was growing. He didn't like leaving Bruce alone with this woman. Then again Bruce never let any other woman make a fool of him, so maybe Andrea wasn't what she seemed to him.

"I need to go if I'm going to get things together by tomorrow. I'll call you and let you know if I find anything that can't wait." Bruce's voice was slightly lower and less emotional than it had been when he had first picked up the phone. Dick knew that the tone in his voice earlier was because of Andrea and that this business was now overshadowing his happiness.

Dick realized that Bruce already knew about the situation, maybe even more than he did. He also regretted interrupting his father's breakfast, it was clear that he was avoiding the trouble and trying to enjoy the moment with Andrea. "I know, don't worry about this. I'm sure we can take care of things. I'll call you later to let you know, Ok?"

"I'm not worried. Things are going to work out, because this time I won't let them not work out. Get to your meeting and tell Barb I'll call her later with what I have." At the end of the matter of fact statement the phone went dead. It was Bruce's style and Dick knew that Bruce's mind was now clearly on how to resolve the issue facing them both.

Carlos Montoya looked at his partner trying to figure out what he was doing, "So who was that?"

Dick looked down and back at Montoya. What could he say, "I was talking to my father. I recognized a person from the Valestra file that he knows; thought it might be our mystery lady."

"And?" Montoya wasn't going to stop until he knew everything.

Dick realized that he had better come clean with his partner and fast, "Listen what I'm about to say stays in Gotham, and the only exception is what goes in the police file, understood." Montoya was stunned, but trusted Dick. He nodded and Dick continued, "The mystery lady is Andrea Beaumont, her father had a contract on his life and snapped. He killed two bosses and would have killed two others that were involved. Andrea and my father know each other. I figured that if she were here he'd know about it. The old man went a step farther, she staying with him."

Montoya let out a small laugh, "Your old man's a player, huh?"

"My fathers Bruce Wayne." With that short statement Montoya realized that everything had changed. "We're in Gotham now and it's a whole new game. I need you to trust me on this Carlos, and don't tell anyone in Bludhaven about who my father is, I want respect for what I do. If the guys find out they'll start treating me like a rich boy playing cop and I am not."

"Ok, but we are going to have to be extra careful to do this by the book, or the case won't make to court. I'll leave Bruce Wayne in Gotham. So what do we do now partner?" Montoya was off his home turf and it was clear that Dick new his way around things in Gotham. For the time being he was willing to take a back seat.

Dick stopped and smiled, "First we go and see Commissioner Barbara Gordon and let her know what we're up to. If we're lucking she'll give us some help, but she won't get in our way either." Dick moved to the door and Montoya followed wondering just how much Dick knew about their new playing field.

Bruce turned back to Andrea and closed his eyes for a moment before letting her know the news. "That was Dick, he's in town on police business. He knows about you and the Valestras, at least as much as is in the police file. I never really told him about what happened. At any rate we have until tomorrow to get a head start on this." Bruce pauses and then thinks out loud, " Terry and I are going to have to work overtime to get this one done."

"What do you mean you and Terry are going to have to work overtime to fix this?" Andrea's eyes narrowed at the thought of her grandson being in the line of fire.

"Terry, well.." Bruce realizes that Andrea didn't know about Terry being Batman, he can tell that she isn't going to like his answer and he stammers for a way to recover. "You see, um, Terry found his way up to the house and well had managed to get himself into some trouble. I actually tried to get rid of him, but he wouldn't let up."

He watches as Andie's eye grow wide as she makes the connection. She shoots up from the couch. "Bruce Wayne, tell me you did not get our grandson mixed up in all this nonsense." Andrea demands were too late to make any difference and he knew it, but he wished that he could have stopped Terry.

"He didn't exactly give me a lot of choice in the matter Andie. Terry took the suit and wouldn't return it. I knew that I could either help him or he'd get killed. You have no idea how much Terry is like me when he puts his mind to something. I decide that if I couldn't change his mind that I would make every minute of wearing that thing a nightmare for him to persuade him to give up, but he didn't. Maybe I didn't try hard enough, but I doubt it would have made any difference." Bruce flew through the explanation pausing only long enough to take a breath. She could see that he really hadn't liked the idea of Terry being Batman, but she also noticed that the farther along he went the more pride he had in his grandson.

Realizing that Terry had fought hard and won him over long before she had returned Andrea sadly relented. Terry was so much like Bruce, but she had no idea just how deep it ran until this morning. Knowing that she could no more change the planets than alter Bruce and Terry's course she sat. Bruce was worried over the pain he had caused her without any intent, but he couldn't change the past. He pulled a gold locket from his pocket and held it out to her silently.

Recognizing the locket Andrea takes it slowly from Bruce and opens it. Inside she finds their picture as well as a new one from Terry's graduation. "You have all the people you love with you and you don't need to hide anymore. Now you need to tell me everything you know about the Valestras and the location of the evidence that you've gathered."

Andrea nodded to him. It was time to turn and fight and she knew it.