"I am going to torture you until you beg for me to kill you. That's a promise I will keep!"

"Ah!" Alena jumped up from her pillow; taking her blade in hand and reflexively

threw it across the room, sticking into the wall. She caught her breath; her dreams of her past life haunted her every single night. And they were getting worse; they were becoming more vivid. She could see the blood splattered over the bathroom walls, the dagger in her hand, and that letter. He would get his revenge.

Just then, Alena had a horrible realization. Bruce. They had been good about dodging the paparazzi, but how much longer would it be until Joker found out? She knew he would be watching her; she knew he would do everything in his power to torture her as he triumphantly did before.

That was it; that was what had to happen. Alena felt herself swell up with tears, but she knew it had to be this way.

The doorbell rang at Wayne Manor the next morning, and Alfred was the greeter of Alena. Bruce hadn't told Alfred about the information he had found out two nights ago, so Alfred was normal and casual as always.

"My dear Miss Barrington, how lovely to see you! May I take your jacket?" he asked as she entered the great hallway.

"No thanks Al. Unfortunately, I won't be staying long." To him, Alena seemed distracted and unlike herself. However, he shrugged it off and began to walk away to get Bruce.

Just a few moments later, Bruce stood before her. Alena secretly swooned as she saw Bruce enter the room; he was wearing nothing but tight black workout pants and a white sleeveless t-shirt, and was dripping in sweat.

"Did I come at a bad time?" She asked sarcastically, trying to keep the conversation light.

Bruce smiled, and then wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Just working out. No big deal. Are you feeling better?"

Thinking of the tears she had shed two nights ago, she instinctively asked, "Feeling better? When did I feel bad?"

"You know, when I came to visit you. You had that bruise on your head."

Alena chuckled nervously and nodded, "Right. Yeah, I do feel better. It's practically gone now."

"Good," Bruce took a step closer to her and held her in his arms, "So, what did you come over for?"

Just as he was about to kiss her, she pushed him away slightly, "I came to talk, actually."

Bruce thought as much; he expected her to come clean to him about her true identity sometime. He could tell that she generally liked him. Or, at least, he thought he did. Until, she said something he didn't expect.

"I quit my job at Wayne Enterprise."

Bruce couldn't believe his ears, "Wait, what? When did you do this?"

"This morning," she looked at him somberly, "I came here straight afterwards to tell you that, and, something else."

Worried, he took her back in his arms again, "Alena, what is it? Just tell me."

Looking down at her fake, green eyes she pretended were her own, she told him, "I can't see you anymore."

Bruce's hands dropped. He didn't know what to say. But, Alena spoke for the both of them, "There are a lot of things I'm dealing with right now. Things about my past; I have to disappear from your life Bruce. This is a big distraction. Don't get me wrong, I think you're…well, I think you're…"

But she couldn't say it; she didn't want to keep him attached to her. She wanted to make sure he wouldn't pursue her; that he wouldn't get hurt, or murdered. So, Alena slowly walked back up to him and kissed him once sweetly on the lips. Then, she whispered into his ear, "I'm sorry."

And then, just like that, she was gone. She had left his house before he even had time to think. Once he did, he sighed and went down to the Bat cave.

About half an hour later, Alfred came down to find out what had happened. So, Bruce told him the whole story; what Alena had told Batman two nights ago, and what happened when she came over.

"It's just done. She's too wrapped up in her revenge on Joker. She can't let anything else stand in the way; she just didn't want to be with me, not even for a little while."

After Bruce's little speech, Alfred began to laugh at him. Bruce looked up at him, annoyed, and asked darkly, "Is something funny?"

"No, just stupid. And that would be you, I might add!"

"You know, I'm not paying you to insult me." Bruce interrupted clueless to Alfred's point.

"Don't you see what she's doing Bruce? She's not abandoning you for her revenge; she's trying to protect you from that bloody lunatic! I mean, he killed both her parents and her fiancée! If I was in her position, I think I'd stay away from the ones I loved too."

With that last sentence, Bruce piped his head up hopefully, "You think she loves me?"

Alfred began to walk back up the staircase, and turned around slightly, "Master Bruce, the way you and Alena look at each other, and it's blatantly obvious. The only other couple I know that looked at each other that way was your parents. And I don't need to describe that one to you."

Bruce thought about that, hard. Suddenly, Alfred called down to him, "Well, go get her will you!"

Grinning, Bruce got up from his chair, but stopped.

"What is it Bruce?" Alfred worried, under the influence that time was running out.

"Alena, she doesn't want me near her. If I went to her apartment, I know she wouldn't even answer her door. There's no possible way I can see her!"

Alfred smiled and commented, "There is for Batman." And finally, he turned and walked up the dark and dreary staircase.

Bruce pondered a moment, and then a sly grin grew onto his face. Alfred had the best ideas.

"I cannot believe this; never in my entire life have I done something as sinful as that!"

Alena confessed.

She threw away the empty carton of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and stretched out her black workout pants. She sighed; feeling bloated, and went and stood in front of her mirror. Alena groaned as she held her aching stomach, standing at an angle to she could see how fat she was.

Her tight grey tank top made her feel even worse, "Ugh, I hate this!" she messed up her already wild brown hair, annoyed with her looks.

However, it wasn't her looks that had depressed her so tremendously. It was Bruce. She felt completely awful about earlier that day; how she had broken his heart. And he didn't even say a word.

"Not a single word!" She grumpily confessed aloud, "I don't get it; why didn't he bother? Why didn't he protest? Am I that undesirable?"

She looked at herself again, her violet eyes annoyed with anticipation. But, she shook her head. Deep down, she knew why Bruce hadn't said anything. He was surprised, she figured. Ever since his parents died, Bruce has had no one to count on except his wonderful butler Alfred. And from the headlines in the papers about his former dating conquests, he hasn't met someone who would fit the actual 'girlfriend criteria'. No, sadly, Alena had a feeling she was the first person to tear him away from what could, or might be, love.

But it scared her, love. The last man she loved ended up dying in an exploding car. And worse, her parents were brutally murdered, and it was all her fault.

As much as she hated it, Alena knew that she had made the smart choice, the right choice. She was saving Bruce from a world of pain and destruction, even if she would bear a life without him, alone.

Just as these thoughts struck her mind, a terrible crash of thunder moved her humble abode, and a flash of lightning quickly followed. Alena glanced nervously into the corner of her mirror reflecting the storm going on outside and breathed deeply.

However, she took a second, harder look in the corner of her mirror again, and she realized she wasn't mistaken. Alena turned around and walked to her balcony door, for Batman was standing right outside of it, staring at her.

As strange as it was for him to be staring at her, Alena didn't care; she knew she could trust this batty character. However, she did feel naked since she was just in her grey tank top and black slacks, but obviously with the look on the hero's face, this was urgent.

Opening the doors, Alena looked up at him and smiled sardonically, acting as she always did around him.

"Why is it you never consider using a door? And why are you here again? I promise you, there's nothing else about my past I haven't told you about. Well, nothing important at least."

Batman didn't move, he didn't flinch a muscle. He just kept staring. Even the pounds of water falling on his head didn't move him. He was like a piece of stone. Grateful that she was covered by her roof, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms, imagining how cold he must be.

After the long silence, she asked seriously, "What are you doing here?"

"You've been seeing Bruce Wayne the past month, haven't you?" He put in his normal cold and insensitive voice.

Surprised by the question, Alena answered quickly, but honestly, "Uh, yes, I have. Well, until today. I broke up with him."

"Why?"

"Because of all this! What I told you the other night cannot happen again; I will not let myself be vulnerable to Joker. I do not want to take any risk of him finding out what is going on in my personal life. I just won't let that manic hurt him…"

She couldn't believe what she was saying to him. Batman! Bats! She wondered why he was the only person in the city she vented to; it was so bizarre. But, for some strange reason, she knew she was safe with him.

Batman could see she was upset, but inside, he felt calm. Even though he knew before he had come there that she was only trying to save him, the fact that she told his alter ego, Batman, whom she claimed to hate, was quite mesmeric.

Suddenly, something unplanned and never once thought by Batman before, came out of his mouth, "Do you love him?"

"What?" Alena asked, not really paying attention but simply having a hand on her head. Batman felt too stupid to answer her, and remained silent.

When she looked at him finally, realizing what he had said, a very upset expression moved across her face.

"How can you ask me that? What? Are you my therapist now? Do I just have to tell you every little thing?"

By this time, Alena had advanced on him, fuming. And even though she was getting wet, Batman couldn't see the slightest bit that she even noticed where she was.

She kept talking all the while, "You really wanna know Bats? You want to know what I think of the billionaire who over a month ago I despised? Well, I did a 180 on you Bats; I love that crazy amazing completely perfect billionaire! But I can't have him! There, does that make you happy?"

He couldn't believe it; he was speechless. When he had originally thought about what he would say to her when he was driving here, he never would have guessed she'd say that. Alena loved him, she loved him. Once those words escaped her wet, sultry lips red from talking so much, Batman could only go with his instinct.

Forcibly, Batman grabbed Alena's arms and drew her close to him and told her, "Alena, I need you to shut up."

Her eyebrows jumped, but just as she was about to speak, Batman lifted his hand and pointed his index finger at her. She caved in, not opening her mouth. So, he spoke, "I can't bear to listen to you talk about this any longer. Alena, when I first saw you, I didn't know what to think. And for a very long time, I believe I could never trust you. But now, I would give my own life to save you, even if it isn't from Joker, but from the pain of being alone forever."

He let go of her finally, and said, still in his cold voice, "To prove how much I trust you, I will be honest with you; completely honest."

Batman put his hands on his mask, and began to remove it. However, Alena stopped him, "Bats, no! You can't do this! You don't want to do this! I appreciate what you're trying to do, but me knowing who you really are doesn't help our situation with Joker!"

"But it can't make it any worse! I am going to do this Alena, I have to." After suffering under the dark disguise for so long, Bruce finally removed the mask he wore.

He looked down at Alena, but her eyes were not looking upon him. They were shut.

"I will not look at you Bats! You're making a huge mistake; you can't possibly have that much faith in me!"

Suddenly, Alena felt something cold and wet slip into her right hand. She could feel it was his mask. However, her eyes remained closed.

Bruce, standing there still in the pouring rain in front of Alena, wearing his bat suit, could not take it anymore.

Batman placed his hands tenderly on her face, and for the first time, from Alena's point of view, spoke softly for the first time, and more astonishingly, said, "Allie, I love you."

Oh my God! Was Alena's only thought. Her jaw dropped, and her eyes immediately opened. Again, she had the same thought.

Bruce smiled slightly when he saw her violet eyes emerge finally. He was so happy to be looking face to face with her again.

Alena couldn't believe it, she just couldn't, "Bruce?"

But, he didn't say anything, he only smiled. Finally, Alena instinctively wrapped her arms around him, throwing her head into his chest.

Bruce held her tightly, he couldn't believe it himself. He was so glad to just be with her again. But, something disturbed him suddenly.

Very quietly, Alena repeated over to herself aloud, "I must be dreaming; this isn't real!"

Bruce pulled her away to look into her eyes. He placed a hand on her cheek and told her, "This is not a dream; I'm here. I'm Batman."

Surprising Bruce, Alena made a weird face and asked, "Really? You're Batman?"

"Yeah, is something wrong with that?" He asked feeling offended.

"Well, no, I guess. It's just, the way we are with each other every night; fighting side by side. We've never gotten along until the other night, here on the balcony. And even that was out of the ordinary for us. I mean, if you haven't noticed, we've never gotten along. You're always so discourteous and I'm really sarcastic towards you. It's just constant bickering-"

"You're honestly telling me that you weren't attracted to Batman, this part of me, before I even came out?"

Alena thought for a moment, "It's more like a suppressed attraction: forbidden fruit; I knew I couldn't have you."

Bruce grinned slyly and brought her closer to him saying, "Oh, I know the feeling."

Alena looked him up and down again, declaring, "Oh my God, I really can't believe this! I can't-"

But before she rambled on even further, Bruce forcefully brought her lips to his. Not detesting his move what so ever, Alena wrapped her arms around him again, just wanting to touch him.

Suddenly feeling the rain, Bruce picked Alena up as they kissed and stood her up inside the room. Alena dropped the mask unknowingly on the floor and shut the doors behind her, neither of them parting lips.

Bruce found himself kissing Alena all over; he couldn't stop himself. All he wanted to do was touch her, be with her. Alena moaned softly as Bruce kissed to her ear lobe, then to her neck and to her chest.

Suddenly, she was hit with a wave of passion. Alena forced Bruce's lips upon her once more, and tried to take off his armor. However, it was quite impossible.

Trying to hold back a laugh, Bruce let go of her and began to remove the suit. He first took off his gloves, then the top armor, and then the lower. After he removed his boots, he was left in his boxers.

Smiling, Alena asked him, "It's funny; I always thought in that suit there wouldn't be any room to have on underwear!"

Thinking about the feeling, Bruce admitted, "There's not; but it'd kill me if I didn't wear any!"

Alena laughed at him, come close and kissed him again. Bruce placed his hands on her waist, and lifted her tank top over her head. He pulled it off, and then helped her take off her pants. Tossing the clothes to the floor, Bruce commented, "Your clothes are soaked!"

"Yeah, unlike you and your metal armor or whatever it's made out of, I have to wear normal clothing that gets wet in the rain!"

"Oh, I'm not complaining about the wetness." Bruce added, gazing at Alena, completely naked. Her wet body glistened as he looked at her in awe; she was flawless.

Alena's eyes narrowed, she didn't like the fact that Bruce was being too perverted. She took him by the neck and said, "Come here."

They kissed again, and this time, they didn't stop. Bruce grabbed Alena and pushed her legs up and wrapped around him. They moved over to her bed, and he laid her down gently.

They kissed deeply and passionately, never wanting the moment to end. Still very wet, Alena moved her hands to Bruce's sides and slid his boxers off. Their lips parted for a moment, and Bruce's blue eyes met her violet ones. Exchanging trusting looks, they kissed again. Slowly, Bruce pushed into her, getting into a sync rhythm fast. Alena's legs wrapped even tighter around Bruce. They both felt as though there was an itch between them that was impossible to scratch.

Bruce suddenly felt as though he was going to explode. He could hear Alena moan beneath him, as they both moved rapidly together. Finally, he let out a deep sigh, and slowly fell on top of Alena in contentment.

After a few moments, Bruce moved to the side of her, taking her in his arms. Alena placed her hand on his chest, admiring his muscles which had been hidden from her.

Finally, she whispered, "I never realized how strong you were; I knew that you could fight off the men pretty well, but man! You're incredible!"

"I am surprised as well; you're a lot stronger than I thought!" He responded, kissing her softly.

Kissing him gently again, Alena thought of something, "Bruce, I meant what I said to you. I mean, on the balcony. Even though I thought I was talking to someone completely different, and I was ranting half the time, I still meant it when I said I loved you."

Bruce smiled affectionately at her, rubbing his hand up and down her back, "I know."

Feeling great relief after so long, Alena laid her head on Bruce's chest and fell into a deep sleep. She had no nightmares.