Title: One And Only: II

Author: D C Luder

Summary: Set four years after the conclusion of Life Is Good. The Family moves on and... apart?

Rating: PG 13 for language

Infringements: All recognizable characters belong to DC Comics, not DC Luder.

Author's Note: It is highly advisable that you read Time Will Tell and Life Is Good or you may be a tad bit lost. I am writing this due to the numerous requests for a sequel. That and I am absolutely obsessed with the concept of the Bat and Cat living happily ever after.

A/N 2: References made to Robin #32 and a section of Anna Sewell's "Black Beauty" is quoted.

V

"Should we bring a gift?" I asked as I looked myself over in the mirror.

Barbara was in her bedroom, probably putting on unnecessary makeup. We had been invited up for dinner up in Bristol, and although we already were set to come up later in the week, I wasn't about to pass up on another night of Alfred's fine cuisine.

She arrived in the living room a moment later, with diamond stud earrings in her lobes and a dusting of eye shadow around her emerald eyes, "Dad, the child has everything she could ever think about wanting."

"Still, it's the thought that counts."

Barbara smiled at me as she smoothed out her sweater, "Maybe we shouldn't bring anything for Mattie, but something for Bruce and Selina."

I paused before replying, "Mood stabilizers?"

After heavy prodding, I convinced her to let me drive up to Bristol. Usually whenever we were alone together, we ended up talking about what each other was up to and how things were going. But lately our time together was spent in uncomfortable silences. I was uncertain how far to prod into her relationship troubles and she was never sure as to how much to dote over my health.

Despite years of being free of smoking, several spots showed up on my lungs last spring. It was nothing too serious and cancerous tumors had been ruled out via a biopsy. But Barbara had overblown the situation and demanded I take better care of myself. Being fifty some odd years old, walking two miles everyday, eating my fruits and drinking lots of milk obviously meant nothing to her idea of being healthy.

Then again, she had been a protégé of a man who thought a nice morning jog consisted of five miles with a bag of sand on his back.

After locking up, we rode down in the elevator in near silence, with only her knuckle cracking and my soft whistling breaking the quiet air. Once on the street, I guided her towards my car, helped her into the passenger seat, stowed the chair and finally settled in myself. With the radio tuned to a classic rock station, I tapped on the steering wheel as I maneuvered off of the side streets and headed towards the larger roadways that lead the way to Bristol.

Shortly after getting in the right lane for the exit, I finally spoke, "So how are things?"

"Fine" she replied quickly. Too quickly.

"Works going good?"

"Yeah," she looked out her window and stared at the car next to us. Her tone was amiable enough but her body language was telling me otherwise.

When she had been a teenager, I had always made sure to talk to her about anything that seemed to trouble her, which was beneficial later on as it made her a very open and mature adult. Until recently, anyway.

Tired of beating around the bush, I went for it, "So, you talk to Dick recently?"

"I don't talk to him."

"Why not?" She shot me an icy glare that made me think of Poison Ivy for some reason. Not the red hair and green eyes, but the burning anger towards men that got in her way. "Well, I was just wondering what he was up to. The detective beat must fit him like a glove considering---."

"Well, if you want to know, I'd ask him yourself."

"Is he coming to dinner tonight?"

She didn't reply and I suddenly feared for the younger man's life if he was going to be in attendance. Then I figured Bruce wouldn't let her kill him or me at the dinner table. Or maybe he was mad at her for splitting up with his eldest son. Or maybe he didn't care, had more important problems of his own to deal with. As in his youngest daughter making the big step out of the house and into the world.

From my few conversations with the Wayne family over the last few weeks of summer, the introduction of school was right on schedule and it seemed as if no problems were in sight. I recalled a weekend brunch where Mattie retold every detail she could have possibly known about her tour for kindergarten. As she grew animated and began to gesture with her hands while acting out the playground obstacles, Bruce had looked over at me and asked what I thought about private, single gender schools.

I had to wipe my face with a napkin to hide my smile.

Upon pulling up the drive to Wayne Manor, I quickly checked to see the few cars that were parked out front. I was surprised to only see a black Accord and a green four door Taurus. If my aged mind served me right, they would belong to Tim Drake and Leslie Thompkins, respectively. I pulled up next to Tim's and went to help Barbara out of the car. But the second I opened her door and put her chair next to the car, she made her way out on her own and breezed by me after slamming the door shut.

Well, I thought to myself, the ride home would sure be interesting.

V

"And then we played Duck Duck Goose, but that was after lunch, and then we had a Scavenger Hunt, and we had to find all sorts of things and..."

"Sounds like a pretty busy day," I smiled warmly and reached for my water glass.

The child nodded exuberantly, her curls bobbing in tune. After she smiled over at her father, she looked back at me, "And Barbara, then we went to the library and they have all of these couches and computers..."

As she went on about the Arthur books she had found, I leaned over to Selina, "Well, looks like she survived all right."

She smiled in return and nodded toward her husband, "He barely did. Made us go to the school forty minutes early just so that we wouldn't be late. And after we met up with her, he ran in to speak with the teacher to find out how things went. When he came back out he looked upset and I wondered if something had happened. When I asked him," her smile doubled, "He complained that everything had gone perfectly and that Mattie was one of her favorite students."

I laughed quietly, but Bruce overheard and looked in our direction. After he aimed a scowl at us I shook my head and returned to my raspberry cheesecake. Alfred and Mattie had prepared it together earlier that afternoon and he had told me that she had written a message in the bottom of the crust, SMILE. I had gotten part of the S.

My father sat on my left side, and was talking to Tim about school. From the pained expression on the young man's face, I knew it had to be the last topic he had wanted to discuss. Over the summer, we had a nice talk about his future and how he seemed to be struggling over the final decision of what he wanted to do. I had been biased towards converting him back to computer science, especially since he had such natural skill and ability. He was interested in what I had to say, but when he left, I felt that he was just as confused as when he had come.

I frowned, thinking that very weekend, Dick and I had blown apart...

"Well, little lady it is after your bedtime," I heard Bruce announce. I glanced over at Mattie to see the most adorable pout ever pouted in the history of pouts. He hardened his glare and she whined quietly.

My watch face read a quarter of nine. "He's right kiddo, you have to get to bed, rest up for another day of school."

At that, her expression lightened and she looked at Selina, "Mom, can I stay up for just a little while?"

Bruce took in a quick breath, "Am I invisible?" he muttered to himself.

Selina replied after looking at Bruce, "Only long enough to say good bye to everyone. Then we've got to get you upstairs to wash up, okay?"

She tried the pout again, got nowhere and then nodded in agreement. Moments later, as everyone rose from the table, she scooted off of her chair and skipped over to me. "Barbara, guess what?"

"What, kiddo?" I asked as I reached out and touched her arm.

She leaned over to whisper in my ear, "Chicken butt," and then did her best to contain her laughter.

I grinned and leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Guess why?" She shrugged, and looked at me, as I finished, "Turkey thigh." She laughed harder and covered her mouth with both hands.

I hugged her and said, "Well you have fun this week."

"I will," she replied before kissing my cheek.

Dad stepped over and asked if I was ready to get going. When I confirmed he glanced down at Mattie and smiled as she twirled around twice before jogging over to her parents. "Well, she looks to be about the happiest kid in the world right now."

"Just about. Add a pony to her day and she probably would be," I replied while following her steps.

Bruce turned to face us just before we paused and reached out for my father's hands, "Thanks for coming up Jim, I know it was short notice."

"Ah, no problem at all. I'd rather come up here for a nice dinner than have to choke down Chinese food at the station," he smiled and cleared his throat.

Selina stepped forward after putting her hands on Mattie's shoulders, "Did you say good bye to everyone, yet?"

Mattie shook her head stepped forward and wrapped her arms around my father's legs, "Bye Uncle Jim."

"Bye sweetheart."

She then moved over and embraced Leslie, and within seconds, was back at her father's side, looking up at him with endless blue pleading eyes. He shook his head slightly and said, "I'll take her up."

Selina nodded and then watched as the two of them left the room and headed down the hall. When they were out of sight, she commented, "She's tired."

"How can you tell?" I asked. She had seemed alert enough to me. Then again, I rarely saw the child after six in the evening.

She scratched her palm before replying, "A. She didn't fuss about taking her medicine this afternoon. B. She hardly whined about going to bed. And C. I saw the look in her eye when she left just now, and I would bet anything that she conned him into carrying her up the stairs."

"I remember those days," Dad smiled warmly at me and I sighed in disgust, "Barb always had a tendency of falling asleep on the couch after dinner. And I doubted that God himself could wake her over her snoring---."

"Dad."

He shrugged and said, "Well, it's true."

Alfred, who I had failed to notice leaving the room, re-entered through the rear door. He stepped forward, a slight smile on his face and spoke, "Mrs. Wayne, you have a telephone call."

I thought it was odd that someone would call this late, but Dad didn't seem to think anything of it, "Well, we'll get out of your hair, thanks again for dinner."

Selina leaned over and kissed his cheek, "Anytime Jim. Barbara, I'll see you Thursday, right?"

I nodded. We had decided that since I had come over for dinner on Monday, that in place of our previously scheduled dinner on Thursday, we would treat ourselves to a girl's night out. When she had followed Alfred out, I studied the near empty room before I looked back at Dad, "Scared everyone out."

Tim looked up from his cake, "Nothing scares Timbo. Heart of baboon. Courage of lion."

"Brain of invertebrate," I finished for him.

He paused, then resumed eating, "Stomach of Great White Shark..."

I laughed and told him to drop by later.

Dad was quiet as we made our way through the hall towards the front entrance. Once outside, I pulled my hair back behind my ears in an attempt to keep it in place in spite of the wind that had picked up. Dad pulled the sleeves of his shirt down and looked up at the clouds.

"Do you have to go back to work tonight?"

He shook his head.

"How about some coffee, at my place. New French Vanilla I've been waiting to try out."

"Sounds great, as long as you don't fall asleep on me. Too damn old to be carrying you around."

V

As I walked up to the third floor landing, I heard Mattie's voice and splashes of water.

I found her, and Bruce, in Mattie's bathroom. We had redone it last spring, with an array of blue and green tiles, patterned with dolphin and bird decals. I smiled thinking on how Mattie wanted to paint on the walls and how Alfred had paled at the very suggestion of it. Bruce knelt beside the tub, his sleeves rolled up over his elbows and his cell phone held between his shoulder and the side of his head. Mattie had the walls of the tub plastered with bubbles and was in the process of filling the pale green washcloth with more foam.

Once I was behind Bruce, I leaned forward and pressed my legs against his back, he turned halfway, smiled and then continued speaking into the phone, "Right... No, she had a good day... Bathtub... Hardly. Well, come up Thursday then... That's fine... Fine... Bye."

He hung up and stood, "That was Dick."

"I figured as much, Sherlock." I knelt beside the tub and put a dollop of soap bubbles on my finger and blew it towards Mattie. She laughed before I could ask, "Are we almost done?"

She nodded, "I need to brush my teeth."

"Okay, how about we rinse you off, then the tub off and then we can brush our teeth," I glanced over at Bruce, who was toweling off his arms, "You want to find her some pajamas?"

He nodded, hung the towel on the rack and stepped out into the hall. When he returned, I had Mattie wrapped up in a large towel and was combing through her hair. He set her clothes on the sink counter and said, "I'm going go get some things done. You got her?"

I nodded and whispered in my daughter's ear. Still wrapped in the massive towel, she raced over and reached up for him to lift her. He did so with a smile on his face, "Good night, kitten."

"Can you read to me?" she asked, her pout in full mode.

After a sigh and glance in my direction, "You don't want Mom to?"

She shook her head, "I want you to read to me," as she poked his collarbone.

His face grew somber, "I don't remember hearing you say 'please'."

"Please please please please..."

"Hope you're not too old and deaf to have missed that, Bruce," I winked while retrieving her pajamas. He set her down and I handed them to her, "You get dressed and when you're all set come get Dad in our room, okay?" She nodded and quickly began donning her nightgown before reaching for her toothbrush.

On the way to our room, I leaned into Bruce, "So what will it be tonight? Poe? Dumas? Perhaps some Machiavelli?"

The corner of his mouth twitched upwards and he shook his head, "The same thing we read every night."

"Ah, yes Black Beauty." As we passed through the door, I flipped the switch on and he made his way over to the dresser. After setting his phone in the charger he sat on the bed and went about removing his long-sleeved shirt. He tossed it onto the floor and then looked down at his chest. I had discovered a nest of gray chest hairs amidst the black ones and although it had humored me, it seemed to have upset him.

He rose, and retrieved his robe from the bathroom before settling back down on the bed. I reclined next to him and settled on my side before reaching out and touching his arm, "That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"First day of school. She survived, I survived, the school survived. You almost survived."

"Almost," he muttered before taking my hand into his. "Still can't believe it."

I shrugged and moved closer to him, "She has to grow up sometime. Might as well be now."

After shaking his head he spoke quietly, "She could have waited. At least until she was thirty."

I laughed at him and his lame humor while I wrapped my arms around his back. As soon as I pressed my lips to his jaw line, I heard Mattie trot into the room, "Ewww..."

"Ew?" I asked while sitting up.

"You're only supposed to kiss mee..." she hopped up on the bed, book in hand, "I want to read in here tonight," she paused and looked at Bruce, "Please."

He sat up as well and moved over as Mattie crawled over his lap in order to sit between us. Once settled, she opened the book to the third chapter and handed it over to her father. "We were here."

"We were?" he asked, "I thought we had gotten to where the Squire sold him already?"

She corrected him, "No, he's still learning. Like in school."

He half-smiled, "Speaking of school, why don't you read to me for a bit."

"Will you help me?" He nodded and held the book for her. She took a deep breath and then began, "'I was now beginning to grow hand... handsome... my coat had grown fine and soft, and was bright black.' Like my hair... 'I had one white foot and a pretty white star on my forehead. I was thought very hand... handsome; my master would not sell me till I was four years old; he said lads awh...' What's this one?"

"Ought," he replied.

"'Lads ought not to work like men, and colts ought not to work like horses till they were quite grown up,'." She looked up at him, "Now you read."

They took turns reading the book while I showered and changed for the evening. When I returned, Bruce was reading to a slumbering Mattie. I didn't know if he had noticed so I made a shushing noise and pointed at her. He nodded, "I know. Just kept reading so she could keep sleeping."

"What a gentleman," I replied. He went about putting the book up and proceeded to pick her up. I walked over to him and kissed his cheek, "Behave yourself."

"I shouldn't be long."

I touched the top of her head and then pressed my lips to her forehead, "Night Mattie."

As he left to put her to bed, and then to head out for his night of patrols, I reclined on the bed and reached into the drawer of the bedside table. I pulled out a notebook and pen and proceeded to flip to the first clean page. I made two column titles labeled Pro's and Con's. After a moment's thought, I began filling out the second column with negative aspects of the problem at hand.

With Mattie now off in school and Bruce ever engrossed in his work, I felt left behind. Over an afternoon tea with Alfred, we had discussed varied possibilities of what I could do to fill my now vacant time. Working in any concept of a normal job was completely unappealing and volunteer work would only satisfy me for so long. It was a combination of Alfred and my own thinking that we came up with the ultimate prospect. In my younger years, I had always dreamed of having my own wildcat refuge to provide a natural habitat for varied species of big and small cats that were abandoned or rejected from their previous owners.

And it just so happened that three hundred odd acres of mountain land were available for sale two hours out of the Gotham City limits. And it didn't hurt that my husband was a billionaire and into real estate prospects.

I had yet to propose the idea to Bruce, but even without his consent, I felt I would still carry on with it. Alfred had agreed to defend my decision no matter what my "better half decides on." He had suggested on outlining matters in further detail, so that I would better be able to explain things to Bruce. After all, if there were no facts to back the ideas up, he wouldn't be able to understand anything. Silly logical man.

"What are you writing?" Bruce's voice asked from the doorway.

I jumped involuntarily and closed the notebook, "Oh, nothing, shopping lists."

He stared for a moment longer than necessary and then said, "She's in bed. I set her alarm clock for seven, hopefully she can sleep that long... I'll see you later."

"Kay, bye."

He nodded then moved on, leaving the door open.

"Close call," I whispered to myself. Not five minutes later, Isis and Taffy made their way into the room and onto the bed in near synchronized, silent, fluid jumps. I decided that this interruption was worthwhile and reached over to rub both of their chins. Looking into their sharp green eyes, I grinned, "You two will have to visit your big brothers and sisters when they come." Isis meowed quietly and climbed into my lap as Taffy settled her furry form on my bare feet.

Feline for "I agree. Now pet me, human."

V

At two-thirty in the morning, I heard a soft tone over the comm. link, followed by Oracle's voice, "Well, what an eventful Monday evening."

I grunted quietly in reply.

I had been sitting between two gargoyles on the Northwest corner of the St. Michael's Church in the Neville borough. Aside from a handful of car chases, an attempted jumper on the Bridge and over a dozen muggings, the City had been relatively quiet. While the police handled the night-to-night gang troubles and drive-by's, I had managed to tour quickly through the city, catching the crimes that generally fell between the cracks.

Ones that never were filed or solved.

"Anyway, Cassandra called."

That piqued my interest. I stood slowly and prepared a jump line, "How is she?"

"Great. She loves Paris and Henri told her that she's a natural. Plus she's got a job at a local private dojo, helps train women in self defense."

For the last year, Cassandra had taken off on her own exploratory jaunt around the world. Although she was one of the finest young combatants I had ever encountered, her skills in detective work were sorely lagging. I had contacted a few of the greats that had schooled me years earlier and a few agreed to help instruct her and if they couldn't they would be able to find someone of equal skill to do so in their place.

For the last five weeks, she had been holding down in Paris, France, under the tutelage of Henri Ducard, a French man hunter who had not only trained my youthful mind, but had been available years later to somewhat aide us in our fight to prevent Ra's from releasing the Plague in Paris. And then currently to help improve Cassandra's skills. When I had contacted him, I had informed him of her past, how she had been raised by David Cain as an assassin and that she was still plagued from her first kill.

He had commented, "Ah, someone finally worthy of me." His unspoken words were clear though, reflecting back on his acceptance about killing and my unwavering hatred for it. Hence, our long and tested alliance over the years.

"Anyway, thought I'd let you know. I'm about ready to pack it in. Have to wake up early tomorrow, Dad and I are going out for brunch."

"Didn't get to talk to him much tonight," I replied, firing the grapple hook to an adjacent building.

She sighed, "You never do, Bruce."

Another grunted reply. Then after making the jump and landing securely on the next rooftop, I spoke, "How is he?"

Barbara took a moment to answer, "He's finally starting to show his years. All-nighters kill him during the week. Big cases or problems at the department aggravate the hell out of him. He never admits it, but I know he has to think that it's piling up against him. But I don't have to tell you that."

I nodded to myself.

"He jokes about retirement. Scares the hell out of me, personally."

Another nod as I walked toward the edge of the roof.

Before I could change the subject by signing off, she spoke, "Well, I'm off. Robin's already headed back to GSU. Go home, already, would you?"

With the city to myself, I made my way back to Rodgers and Crandall over in Midtown and unlocked the 'Mobile via the remote in my belt. Once in, I belted in and started the engine in one smooth move. As I toured the streets one last time, I found myself thinking about Jim Gordon. All of the hardships I had seen him face over our years together. The loss of two women whom he had the pleasure of calling wife. The trust and then safety of his daughter. And yet with each obstacle, he had moved on with his life.

Since the very first time I had placed the cowl over my head, he had been there. At first as my enemy and then as my friend. Imagining going into the night without him there as well seemed illogical if not impossible. He had been fired, replaced, and reinstated in his career, but no matter what his status, he had always been there. I suppose if he did step down from his position, it would not hamper the work that had to be done. But it would still make things different.

And different was rarely good.

I pulled into the Cave's entrance just after 3:30. Despite my limited activity, I showered and changed downstairs before settling in to log my work of the night. I updated a few files with some surveillance tapes I had checked in on and listed the few comments that I had.

At ten after four, Alfred appeared, dressed in a dark cotton robe and carrying a cup of coffee, "Good morning, sir. I take it our nocturnal adventures were free of tragedy?"

I nodded and thanked him as I took the steaming mug. He looked at the screen and studied the dark clothed forms as they unloaded crates from a storage building and placed them into the back of a large van. "My word, crime sitcoms have grown to be rather realistic, wouldn't you say?"

After enhancing the images and highlighting the faces of the four men, I sipped the coffee before setting it on the tabletop. With a few keystrokes, the faces were cut and organized on the side of the screen while the computer searched VICAP and arrest files for the state and city. Within seconds, each had a file located and matched up with their images.

"My word, what astounding detective work, sir," Alfred commented dryly as he took a step closer, "If only my duties could be simplified in such a manner. Shall I prepare instant coffee and microwave eggs for breakfast?" He paused, waited for a reply I refused to give him and then bid me good night.

By the time I finished my entries, I had finished the coffee and took the cup with me as I made my way upstairs. After a slight detour to drop it off in the kitchen sink, I walked up to the third floor and paused at Mattie's half-opened door. Her cat was curled in a tri-colored ball on the pillow next to her head and her blankets had managed to slip past her stomach. I pulled the covers up to her shoulders, pet Taffy's head gently and then stepped out of the room.

Selina was sound asleep, but the bedside lamps were still on. Before turning them off, I stepped into the bathroom and opened the in-wall cabinet just to the left of the mirrors. I retrieved a small white bottle of aspirin, popped two tablets into my mouth and dry swallowed them while returning the bottle to the shelf. When I woke in two hours, they would have taken full effect to dull my aches.

I thought back to Barbara's words from earlier. How her father was starting to show his years. I thought dryly, You aren't the only one Jim.

I abandoned my robe and slipped into bed, setting a hand on Selina's side as I settled beneath the covers. Isis, who had been keeping my pillow warm, rose, stretched and then circled the bed towards my feet before lying back down to sleep. Selina also stirred as she sighed, rolled over and moved closer to me, just as we had before I had left for the night. She mumbled something incoherent and I smiled. She could complain all she wanted about my snoring. But at least I didn't talk in my sleep.

I had just about drifted off into sleep when I heard the door open. When I looked over, I saw Mattie, stuffed horse in hand, looking back at me. I suddenly wondered if I had inadvertently woken her and before I could ask, she said, "I had a bad dream."

After rolling over, I held my arms out as she crawled up to me. She went to move between Selina and I but I kept her towards the edge of the bed. Partly because I didn't want her to wake her mother but mostly so that I could put her back to bed once she fell asleep. Selina discouraged letting her sleep in our bed, I much preferred having her with me than apart.

"Mom's sleeping, Mattie. Why don't you stay on this side?"

She nodded slowly as she wrapped her arms around my neck. As I pulled the covers over her I asked her what she had dreamt about. After a few sniffles and a big sigh, she mumbled into my shirt, so that it was difficult to make out what she was saying. I asked her to speak up and she did, "He was trying to hurt you and I had to stop him and---."

I cut her off, "Who was trying to hurt me?"

"The purple man. He was smiling..."

I took a deep breath as I rubbed her back gently, "Well, no one's trying to hurt me, okay? And no one's going to hurt you either."

As she nodded, Mattie pressed her face into my neck, "He was laughing... And trying to hurt you and I was so scared... Didn't know what to do..."

Tears that had been welling in her blue eyes finally pooled over and spilled down her cheeks. I felt them drop on me and dampen my shirt. Selina moved from behind me and touched my back with her fingers. I looked over my shoulder to see her wide awake, "Bad dream?"

I nodded, "I'll put her back shortly---."

She shook her head and patted the spot between us, "No, let her stay for a while, I can put her back. You need to sleep." After I positioned our daughter between us, her tears had faded and her sniffling had quieted. Selina kissed her cheek and told her everything was okay.

Nearly an hour later, both had fallen asleep. Mattie had her hand clamped on my wrist and her other latched onto her mother's thumb. Isis had nested on the other half of my pillow and purred quietly while Taffy had come into the room and settled at Mattie's feet. Selina had stretched her free hand across our daughter's body and had placed it on my side, and as she slept, I had done the same to her.

At that very moment, everything was okay.

V

A short chapter yes, but a long one is on the way.