She slowly rubbed her head against the soft down pillows she lied upon. Her eyes remained closed as she smiled. She suddenly realized that she wasn't lying on her usual bed of choice, the sofa in her apartment. She slowly opened her eyes to find herself in a large king sized bed. She looked down upon the red silk sheets she was grasping in her hand, and looked to the familiar window across the room. There were bandages, syringes, bottles, and other various medical supplies atop the nightstand next to the bed. Selina made an attempt to stand, but felt the haunting pain in her abdomen, which was now covered in bandages. She fell back down onto the bed and groaned in pain. She squinted her eyes in frustration, knowing that climbing out from the window may prove to be more difficult than usual. No weapon was near. She was unmasked, declawed, and her whip was no where in sight. The clothing she was wearing made her look almost like a normal, everyday woman. Even if only for a second, Selina briefly reflected on the fact that she had awoken in Wayne Manor. She wore no black, only a simple white tank top and cotton pajama pants. The sun, which was rarely seen in the grey city of Gotham, was gently touching her face. Tasting the dream of living happily ended shortly. She heard footsteps from down the hall, outside of the door. Frantically she stood up again, enduring the pain. A man entered the room only to find it empty. He walked near the bed and felt the sheets in the spot where she lied. He felt the warmth in the crevices of the sheets.
"Selina. . .don't do this." He opened the window and glanced outside of Wayne Manor, but he knew that to get so far in her condition, he would have heard her screaming in pain by now. As he was looking outside, she stepped out from behind the large oak dresser. The room provided very few hiding places. She quietly walked towards the bed. Her pale hand was shaking as she grabbed a syringe from the nightstand. Bruce quickly turned his head to find Selina shaking with a vengeful look upon her face.
"Selina. . .?" He wasn't quite sure if brain damage had occurred, sufficient memory loss was possible. . .but he knew. He knew that she remembered every detail of that night, at least before she blacked out. She lunged her body and attacked him with the syringe. Both Batman and Catwoman were out of costume. . . it was simply Bruce and Selina. It was a first. She tried desperately to plunge the syringe into his neck. Fighting her off was more difficult than Bruce had expected, she seemed to feel no pain. He clenched her wrists tightly as she strained to lower him to the ground. He attempted kicking her, but the ever limber Selina dodged each attack. She managed to puncture his skin with the syringe, ever so slightly. Bruce spoke in a harsh tone.
"That's enough! You're in no condition. . ." She didn't want to hear a single word from him. She lowered the syringe and clawed at his face with nothing but her nails. It was simply instinct. She couldn't do nearly as much damage as she did with her claws, but it was something. . .anything. He swatted the syringe out from her hands. She hissed at him.
"You can't control me!" Selina punched his jaw and continued to dodge his attacks. He finally managed to grab Selina's neck.
"I don't want to control you. . ." Bruce tightened his grip on her neck and resorted to the only thing that he knew would put an end to this fit of rage.
"But if I must. . ." He thrusted his arm into her wound.
"I will." He tried to do as little damage as possible, but he soon realized that blood was running through the bandages and soaking her shirt. She screamed. Selina backed away from Bruce, barely holding her balance. She almost found herself laughing as she tried to catch her breath.
"Finding pleasure in all of this, love?" She grinned at him while tightly holding her abdomen. Bruce didn't take her attitude lightly.
"I won't let you bleed to death. Alfred needs to tend to your wound again." Selina looked despairingly into Bruce's eyes. They were his, truly his. The sad but comforting stare of her old foe. She began to feel dizzy and crouched down to the ground.
"I. . .Bruce. . ." She lowered her head. Bruce approached her cautiously. He kneeled down next to her and placed his arm around her. It was the first time he had ever embraced her this way. She looked up at him and studied his face. There were numerous marks from her clawing. But just recently, she thought she had given him a mark so deep that it would have left a scar. She touched his face and spoke.
"The mark. . .it's gone? I scratched you the other night. . .you bled. . ." He grabbed her hand as her fingers curled.
"That man was just some lunatic in a costume." He noticed the puzzled look upon her face.
"But. . .his strength. . .why are you telling me this now?" Selina almost smiled in her extreme relief that she had not been betrayed.
"I was rather busy dodging a syringe. Rest." She closed her eyes as he attempted to lift her into the bed. She pushed away his hands from her body as she looked at him in distrust.
"I still have my dignity, Bruce." She struggled to lift herself into the large bed.
"You're going to need a few more stitches to re-close the wound. I'll send for Alfred." Bruce turned away and began to head towards the door. She sat up in the bed.
"Bruce? How long have I been. . .here?" A moment of silence followed as Bruce lowered his head and spoke in a direct voice.
"You were in the hosipital for a week. You've been resting here for two weeks. . .and you're staying until you've completely recovered."
Selina scoffed at Bruce's command.
"Heh. . .says you." She turned away from him and curled up into a cat-like sleeping position. Bruce knew that there was a good chance that she would be gone the next time he checked up on her, but that was risk that went with helping Selina. He continued through the manor and down into the Batcave. He looked at the front page of the Gotham newspaper in horror.
"WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN ALLEYWAY DRAINED OF BLOOD"