Sorry, I haven't updated. School sucks, not much time, yada yada yada. On with the show!
I own nothing.
Life Unexpected
Chapter 3
Gotham City Courthouse
Elissa's dark heels click on the concrete steps of the building as Bruce and Diana follow behind her leaving the courthouse. The two adults wearing grim expressions on their faces.
The teenager's black coat keeping her upper body warm from the cold air of the winter season, the same could not be said about her bare legs. Should have worn pants, she chides herself internally.
"Well, that turned out exactly as I didn't want it to go" the girl says aloud.
The Greek woman sighs, "Well, we should talk about this to see what we're going to do" she says as the three gathers into a little group out of the way of people coming and going from the courthouse.
"Agreed" Bruce responds.
Elissa simply sighs.
"So, uh, what do you want to do, Elissa?" Diana asks looking at the dark-haired girl nervously.
"Well, I didn't exactly want to be back with people who don't want me" the girl grumbles.
"That's not true!" Bruce barks, he does want her, God he wants to be in her life.
Elissa simply rolls her eyes.
Bruce looks to Diana, "Why were you at the hearing?" he asks.
"Same as you" she says back heatedly.
Elissa rolls her eyes once again as her birth parents get ready to rumble, and she doesn't want to put up with it. "Okay, time! Time out" she calls, gaining attention to herself as the dark-haired adults cease anymore heated spats.
"The judge says I have to go with the two of you" the teenager states with a grimace, summarizing what the judge ruled in the courtroom. "But I don't want to so…" the girl trails off, "I'm just going to go back to my sucky foster family and let the two of you go back at each other's throats" she finishes with a smug smile and starts to walk off.
"You can't!" A female's voice calls out stopping the teenager in her tracks. Elissa turns her head back over to Bruce and Diana, the latter wearing an anxious and worried expression on her face.
Elissa quirks a curious eyebrow.
"I-I" Diana stutters, "I don't want to say goodbye again. I can't" she pleads.
The girl's eyebrows furrow in anger, it's always about what she wants. She didn't want me fifteen years ago, and now she doesn't want me to go.
"I'm not some toy that you want one minute and then don't want the next!" she roars completely turned to face her mother. "Did you for one minute even want me when I was born?!" the girls temper getting the better of her.
The question causes Diana to turn her azure eyes to the ground, Elissa takes that as her answer and walks off, "Have a nice life!" the girl hollers as she leaves the two adults alone.
"I did." Diana whispers to herself her eyes shut as her only daughter walks away, "I did think of keeping you when you were born" her hands covering her face as she struggles not to cry.
Bruce stands behind her having not said a word during the exchange between mother and daughter. Bruce having heard what Diana uttered to herself about keeping Elissa moves him as well as causing him to hate himself even more than before.
Suburbs
Elissa returns to her foster home and is greeted by the sight of her belongings packed up. Already exhausted from her hearing, her confrontation with her parents, as well as her trip back here, have worn her down. And now it looks like she's being kicked out. She has lost count of how many foster homes she has been kicked out of.
Her shoulders sag as this seems to finally beat her for the day. Guess she shouldn't have told her current foster parents to go to hell.
She numbly walks up to her stuff and picks up her teddy bear that sits atop her suitcase. She hugs the stuffed animal to her chest tightly and sniffs. She moves to the nearest wall, her back pressing against it and slides down to the floor.
The girl finally breaks down and silently sobs.
Bruce Wayne's Penthouse
Bruce and Diana both decided to retreat to his penthouse in the city to discuss on what they are going to do with Elissa.
The two have ended up at the penthouse's bar with Diana sitting on a stool and with Bruce standing behind the bar. A bottle of scotch open with less than half a glass full of the beverage resting in front of Diana, her hand squeezing the glass, her other arm occupied with her elbow leaning on the bar top with her hand pressing into her face to support her head.
Defeat evident on her face. She finishes her glass, gulping down the liquid and slamming the glass down on the bar top, the noise made by the contact between the two objects echoes throughout the room.
The two have been at the bar for hours, talking here and there. The sun having set an hour ago.
Bruce nurses his drink, taking a sip here and there, knowing he can't drink too much seeing as how he has patrol soon.
Diana takes the bottle and pours herself another drink.
"Diana" Bruce calls, gaining the woman's attention. "Drinking yourself into a stupor isn't going to help our situation."
The woman scoffs, "Hello, pot. My name is kettle" she responds and takes another drink. The drunk playboy billionaire has no room to judge her on having an evening to indulge in alcohol.
Bruce ignores the jab, and stealthily pours his drink into the bucket that rests on the top shelf under the bar. "It's getting late. Let me get you a ride home."
Home. Diana scoffs, inwardly at the word. She's supposed to go home knowing that her daughter hates her and doesn't want anything to do with her and the Greek woman has absolutely no idea what her status with Steve is. Her boyfriend? Her ex-boyfriend? Or are they on a break? She has no clue.
Bruce subtly takes the bottle away from her, allowing her to finish her glass off before going home. He puts the bottle under the bar and goes around to sit next to the intoxicated woman.
She quickly polishes the last of the scotch off, and examines the inside of the glass, "Good scotch" she compliments.
"1930s" Bruce utters, telling her the age of the alcoholic beverage.
The woman's lips quirk, "Rich boy."
"Philistine" the man counters, his expression neutral until his lips quirk as well.
It was an old thing they use to do in high school. When ever they would get into an argument, Diana would call Bruce, "rich boy", while Bruce would call Diana a 'Philistine', each describing the others background. After a few minutes the two would cool off and laugh about what they were fighting about in the first place.
Both were a little happy that the other still remembered their little thing.
Bruce examines Diana face trying to find the right words to express his condolences on how their interactions with their daughter have been going in the wrong direction. He can't come up with anything good, so he simply responds with what he has, "I'm sorry."
Diana is taken off guard by Bruce's apology, his tone conveying perfectly his regret and sympathy for what has happened between the two.
"It's… It's okay" Diana stammers, her head clearly hazy from the scotch. "We both were too young for parenthood and I'm sure Elissa would have been worse off with us than without had we been the ones to raise her."
Bruce shakes his head lightly, "She hasn't been raised by anyone, Diana" he whispers. "The girl's been in foster home to foster home and no ones been able to keep her for too long."
The dark-haired woman looks away in shame, "I know" she sniffs. Tears forcing there way to the surface. The way she's feeling is like someone is trying to choke her. She quickly wipes her tears away and turns back to Bruce, whom, has given her a moment to collect herself.
The man rises from his seat and pulls out his phone and attempts to call an uber, but Diana quickly stops him by placing her hand over the screen of the electronic device in the large hand of the man.
The dark-haired man looks to her questioningly and lowers the phone as the woman applies some force silently asking for him to lower his hand.
She leans forward, her lips lightly parted, the scent of alcohol clear on her breath, "What are you doing?" he whispers.
She doesn't answer. She simply leans her face closer to Bruce's and lifts her left hand and caresses the side of his face. The stubble on his face grazing her smooth palm.
Perhaps it's the alcohol that's making her act like this. Or the fact that her relationship with Steve is in limbo. Or perhaps seeing Bruce again after all these years have brought back so many feelings that were thought buried.
After almost fifteen years, he still looks so ruggedly handsome.
As he gazes upon her, taking in his face, he apprises her, and he realizes she was beautiful in high school. After all these years, she's breathtakingly gorgeous.
They both breath heavily gazing at each other all these buried feelings coming to the surface like a mighty geyser until…
They capture one another's lips in a heated kiss.
Her hands capturing his face between them tasting his lips.
His hands running though her thick raven locks.
Tasting the alcohol on one another's tongues.
Until…
Bruce pulls away. His mind once hazy from nostalgia clear. She's drunk and she has a boyfriend. Bruce Wayne is a lot of things but he's not a relationship wrecker as well as taking advantage of a woman clearly intoxicated. Besides, the two of them are going to have to put up with the other now that they have joint custody of their daughter.
Diana leans in again to kiss him again but her quickly turns his head away.
"Diana, you're drunk" he says as his hands move to her shoulders to keep her at bay.
"I'm not drunk!" she retorts.
"Do I have to make you walk in a straight line?" Bruce responds.
The radio jockey pulls away from him completely and crosses her arms across her chest. Displeased about being turned down as well as being called a drunk putting her in an even annoyed mood.
"Diana, I'm trying not to be the reason you make a huge mistake" the man tells her trying to explain his point.
The woman scoffs turning her head to the side with her eyes closed not even looking at the man, whom is trying to soothe her aggravated mood.
She suddenly uncrosses her arms and walks to the black leather sofa behind the two. Her shoes clicking with each step. Every few steps she wobbles unsteady on her feet as she approaches the piece of furniture. Her hands press on top of the sofa as she catches herself from falling.
Once she secured her hands, she walks around the furniture her hands never leaving it as a preventative of falling over.
As she walks around the sofa, she plops down resting her elbow on the armrest holding her head.
Okay, so she's a little drunk. She's had a bad day. Sue her.
Bruce, whom has had his back to her since she walked off, sighs, "Why don't you stay here tonight and get a ride home in the morning?" he states only for silence to answer him.
Is she really giving him the silent treatment because he wouldn't sleep with her?
Suddenly, he hears a noise causing his head to shoot up and whips his head and body to the sofa.
"Diana?" he says aloud hesitantly.
Snore. He looks over the sofa and she the woman sprawled on the piece of this furniture on her side passed out.
The dark-haired man shakes his head and sighs. Well that takes care of one problem.
Now, it's time he tracked down his wayward daughter.
Somewhere in Gotham
The winters in Gotham are usually the harshest every year, especially at night.
Elissa finds this out personally. A heavy coat, gloves, boots, pants and a scarf are all that protects her. From the weather. Not from the criminals that suck this city dry.
She walks down the street with her hood up and dragging her rolling suitcase behind her.
She's had a sucky day. Her hearing doesn't go the way she wanted it to go. Her birth parents are at each other's throats. Her foster family kicked him out. And to top it all off she's lost.
In below zero weather. What else can go wrong today?
She had to ask.
Nearby
Randy walks down the street in his dark green heavy coat, hood up and his hands in his pockets.
His head down as he walks. He just got released from police custody for attempting to burglarize a jewelry store with his two pals. He's got a court date next week.
However, the damn Bat and his kid threw him and his friends through a damn window. Randy shakes his head to himself, Stan's still in the hospital getting glass pulled out of his ass" he monologues to himself.
And to top it all off, the damn Batman tells him he's on his radar!
Please, he scoffs, Randy thinks to himself, "I'm small time. Not worth the Bat's attention a second time. The Bat focuses on the big timers. Like the Joker or Two-Face."
Yeah, that's it! There's so much crime in Gotham that the chances of Randy running into the Bat again are as slime as the winning the lottery, he cheers himself up.
He'll never see Batman and Robin ever again.
He'll be smarter. So, smooth the Bat will never catch him again.
Randy finally looks up from the sidewalk to see a young girl walking further ahead of him.
She's cute. And he could use some cheering up. A mugging sounds like just the thing to cheer him up.
Randy smirks to himself. And walks faster catching up to the girl.
Over the sound of her footsteps and her suitcases wheels rolling on the sidewalk, she hears heavier footsteps.
The sound causes her heart to beat faster. She's out late at night all alone in a bad neighborhood. Great she's about to get mugged.
The teenager picks up the pace walking faster trying to be subtle and not wanting the guy walking behind her to know she's on to him.
The footsteps keep following her. She swallows and a nervous sweat run down her back.
Elissa decides to throw caution to the wind and goes into a sprint the best she can with a suitcase rolling on the ground behind her.
She sees a right coming up and quickly takes it. Only to see it's a dead end. The alley sealed off by a wooden fence.
Elissa stops ten feet away from the fence and tries to catch her breath as the cold reality begins to be processed.
Hope not yet dead, the dark-haired girl turns thinking she can leave the way she came in.
That hope is quickly and most brutally killed as a man stands at the start of the alley with a sickening smirk on his lips. He walks into the alley approaching the girl, with every step he takes, anxiety and fear builds up in the girl's body, as he walks, he pulls out a switchblade from his coat pocket.
The smirk never leaving his lips, "Gimme your shit" to finally speaks. He gets a good look at her face and gives a moan, "You look good, girl" the man continues to speak, a perverse look on his face, "looks like tonight's a two-fer."
The only thing the girl can do is swallow and pray that someone helps her.
Across from the alley a dark figure crouches atop the roof of a building wrapped in a black cape. The figures white eyes glaring at the mugger so hard daggers could be embedded in his back. It was good thinking he put a tracker in her coat's hood.
His teeth grit so hard the strain they are being put through almost breaks them. How dare! How dare that piece of walking garbage hold up his daughter!
The figure leaps off the roof like a rocket, his cape coming to life and an electric current goes through the fabric and turns into a glider.
The horned figure glides through the night zeroed in on his target and if all goes well the crook won't ever walk again.
Elissa pales as her mugger gets closer to her. She instinctively takes a step back and turns her head back to the wooden fence praying that it was just an illusion, praying that she can escape him, but it isn't, it's real and so is the mugger.
She turns her head back to her attacker, realizing he's closer than before, and she prays that it all ends quickly.
Randy's smile never leaves his lips as he gets off on the fear in the young girl's eyes.
But his smile slowly disappears as he sees that it's getting darker around the two. Curious, he turns his head to look over his shoulder to get a look at what's happening. And what he sees chills him to the bone.
Batman.
"JESUS CHRIST, NOOOOOOO!" Randy screams. He thought the bat would never see him again. He was dead wrong.
Elissa's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates and on autopilot dives to the side to get out of the way.
Her move was the correct one because at the speed the figure was coming at them it would have crashed into her as well.
She hits the ground with a hiss as her knee gets scraped on contact.
She hears three things. Randy's screams. The sound of the wooden fence exploding. And an angry yell. It sounded almost like an animal.
Elissa slowly gets to her feet, breathing heavily, shaking her head to gather her wits and turns to the left and her eyes widen.
In the middle of the fence is a huge hole. Small pieces of wood landed outward of the hole while most fell inward.
The girl leans her head forward to get a better look through the hole. But she only sees darkness.
Her eyes narrow as she sees some movement. "Oh my God" she murmurs to herself.
The darkness slowly rises. Two horns are seen and slowly she can make out the head they rest upon. A cape can be made out and an arm.
Said arm hold's her attacker by the scruff of his jacket. Blood trickling down his nose passed out.
The teenager can only stand there frozen and stares, her mouth agape, struggling to form words. "Y-You… You're t-the Batman" she struggles to let the words out. She always thought he was a myth.
Upon hearing his name, the figure turns to her. His white eyes staring intently at her, making her feel uncomfortable and turns her gaze to the ground, feeling as though she's a little child being scolded.
"Go home" he rasps. His tone jolts her head upward, she nods dumbly.
"T-Thank you" she responds meekly. She turns to grab her suitcase but pauses. She turns back to the man staring at her through the hole. "W-What if I don't have a home?" she asks.
The cloaked man stares blankly at her, a long pregnant pause occupies the alley. "Then go to where you feel the safest" he says breaking the silence.
Elissa simply nods and walks quickly out of the alley with her belongings in tow.
Batman gazes at where the teenaged girl made her exit and unceremoniously drops the unconscious thug to the ground a groan escaping the man, now coming to.
Randy rubs his head wondering what the hell hit him? He slowly opens his eyes looking into a pair of white. He shrieks at realizing Batman is standing over him his head looking down at him.
Randy desperately attempts to get to his feet in a vain attempt to run but a black boot holds him in place crushing his hope for escape.
"I told you, if I saw you again it wouldn't be pleasant" Batman finally breaks the silence between the two leaning in closer.
Wayne Penthouse
Dawn swiftly peaks over the horizon as a new day dawns in the City of Gotham.
A dark-haired woman groans awakening from her quiet sleep. She slowly sits up on the leather couch her bare feet touching the floor. The cool floor chilling her soles helps her to wake up fully. Only for the splitting headache to make her wish she were asleep once more.
She rubs her eyes with the heel of her hands rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She looks around wondering where she is until memories of last night resurface. She groans holding her face in her hands, embarrassed by her actions.
Curiosity breaks her away from her embarrassment as she removes her hands from her face and looks around for the man, she spent the night with. Finding him nowhere in sight she decides to get up and go home. She can deal with the aftermath later. Right now, she needs a hot shower and a cup of coffee to deal with this hangover.
She takes the blanket off her lap and puts it over the side of the piece of furniture. She wonders to herself when did she get a blanket? She shrugs it off and puts on her heels and heads to the door.
She quickly, leaves the penthouse and hails a cab back to her place.
Almost an hour later she arrives at her house. Paying the cabbie, she gets out and walks to her front door.
Her shoes click with each step as she rummages through her purse for her house keys. She reaches her front door and pulls out her keys having finally found them. She puts her key through the lock and turns the key until something catches her attention out of the corner of her eye.
She leaves the front door and walks towards what she noticed. She squints as she struggles to identify the object.
It looks like a light blue blanket wrapped around something long. The woman reaches out and pokes the bundle receiving a moan. Diana's brow narrows, "What?" She pulls the blanket away revealing her daughter. "Elissa?" Diana exclaims bewildered by her daughter's sudden appearance on her doorstep.
The girl groans, "What the hell?" she mutters her eyes half shut. She rubs them furiously so she can give the person who woke her up a piece of her mind. Her azure-eyes now clear recognizes Diana, "Oh, hi" she greets.
"Hi" Diana responds back. The woman inspects the girl and sees her usually tanned skin tone no doubt a result from her genes are unusually pale and red, "Have you been out here all night?" she questions.
"Pretty much" the girl answers. "I was planning on going to Bruce's but I'm a little short on cash for a cab" she explains. "I'll go if you don't want me here?"
"Get your stuff and come inside. I don't want you getting sick by sleeping outside in this weather" Diana commands.
Elissa simply nods and gathers her belongings with the aid of Diana as the two walk through the door entering the house.
"I've a guest room you can use if you want it?" Diana informs her daughter as she locks the front door.
The two walk into the living room as the Greek woman sheds her coat.
"Thanks" Elissa replies. Diana motions for her to take a seat on her couch. The teenager complies and sits shedding her blanket revealing her still skinned knee and damaged pants. Stupid mugger.
The Greek woman takes notice of her daughter's wound. "What happened?" she asks concerned. Her brow furrowed as she inspects the wound.
"I tripped" Elissa lies waving it off, not wanting to inform Diana about her run-in with a mugger and quite possibly her would-be rapist.
Diana eyes narrow suspicious of the girls' explanation. However, she concedes and leaves the room to get a first aid kit.
Alone, Elissa looks around the living room and it's a very nice place. Lovely white walls, nice lime green couch, good throw rug and stained wooden floors. She also notices some big boxes stacked atop one another here and there around the room.
Uneasiness overtakes the foster kid, wondering if her birth mother's boyfriend would like her being here.
The sound of footsteps causes the girl to look up and sees Diana enter with the first aid kit.
The woman in front of the younger girl and tells her to roll up her pant leg. She does so. And Diana begins to tend to her wound.
The dark-haired teenager hisses as the antiseptic burns.
Diana finishes bandaging the girl's knee and returns all the materials used back into the kit. Once finished she rises and then takes a seat next to Elissa.
The two sit in an awkward silence for a few minutes. The two just stare into space straight ahead neither moving their heads.
The atmosphere starts to get to the teenager as she lowers her head and swallows. She opens her mouth ready to speak but the woman cuts her off.
Diana rewraps the girl in her blanket, "Keep this wrapped around you" she tells her. She presses the back of her hand to the girl's cheek, "You're ice cold."
The dark-haired girl just nods and wraps the blanket around her tighter.
"Bruce and I discussed our situation" Diana starts, "You will be living with me during the school week and you will live with Bruce on the weekends" she finishes. "Once our homes are approved by your social worker."
Elissa grumbles, "I don't…"
Diana immediately cuts her off, "Enough" she says sternly. "I am the adult. You are the child. You may not like me, but I want you." Time for tough love. "There will be rules, but I hope we can get along."
Elissa pouts and then grumbles more, "What about Steve? Is he going to like me living here?"
Diana gives a sad smile, "I don't think you have to worry about that."
Elissa whips her head to Diana, "What happened?" A guilty expression covers her face, "I hope it wasn't because of me" she somberly. She may be angry with her mother but she's not that spiteful.
The woman shakes her head towards the girl, "No, no, no no. It was my fault. I actually don't know what our relationship status is but that has nothing to do with you, okay?" She tries to reassure the girl.
"Okay" she utters meekly.
The sit in silence once more not sure what to say to the other. Until a thought comes to Diana's mind. "It's Thursday" she says simply with a smile. Elissa gives her a confused look. "Happy Birthday!"
Elissa completely forgot her birthday is today with everything that's happened. "Oh, thanks!"
Diana leaves the couch and goes to her bedroom closet where she now keeps a wine-colored box. The same one Steve snooped through and she moved so that no more questions would be asked. If only she knew what she knows now that it was pointless to hide it.
She quickly returns to her daughter back on the couch and sits. "Happy birthday" she says again and hands the girl the box.
The girl takes it and gives her a look of surprise. She hadn't expected her birth mother to get her a gift. She slowly lifts the lid and is greeted with a birthday card. "Baby Girl's 1st Birthday" she raises an eyebrow in confusion, she's not one years old. She looks back to Diana, whom, simply lifts her head upward gesturing back to the box.
Elissa sighs, and returns her gaze back to the box. She looks closely at the card and on further inspection the card looks faded and some of the corners are bent. She takes the card out of the box and sees a second birthday card for a two-year-old. Then another and another. A card for each one of her birthdays throughout her life.
She slowly turns her to Diana, her mouth agape her face covered in shock.
A small smile on the woman's ruby lips, "There was never a year I didn't think about you." She reaches over moves some of her daughter's raven hair behind her ear. "I always wondered what happened to you. I was only able to go about my life by believing you were living with a good family" she tells her. Her expression turns to one filled with remorse, "I swear, I did not know what happened to you. I hope one day you can forgive me for abandoning you. But, is it possible for the two of us to start over?" she finishes and asks.
Hundreds of emotions overwhelm Elissa. Her mother has always been thinking about her. She gives Diana smile that is a struggle to keep straight, "I'd like that."
Elissa moves in and gives Diana a warm hug, which catches the woman completely off guard. The hug is returned fully. The girl feels so warm and so does the woman. They soon break.
"Come on" Diana gestures getting up from the couch. Elissa soon follows her mother up the stairs and down the hall to a room. "This okay?" she asks.
"This is my room?" Elissa asks in disbelief. The room is a little small but big enough for her. It has a bed with a white quilt on top of it with two big fluffy pillows. An antique marble top dresser and a nightstand next to the bed with a lamp.
"Of course, where else are you going to stay?" Diana replies humor laced in her voice.
"Wow" she whispers entering the room.
"I'll let you get settled in. I have to shower and get some sleep" Diana informs.
"Don't you have work?" Elissa asks curious looking back from examining the room.
"The show doesn't start until noon. We switched with the noon hosts because one of them was having surgery" Diana answers back.
"Okay."
"Don't you have school?"
"I'm skipping, again."
Diana eyes the girl ready to scold her but considering that she has been sleeping outside for the night she bites her tongue. She sighs, "Okay, you can stay home, but school tomorrow. And then we will talk about rules of the house."
"Okay" Elissa chimes back.
"I should be home by seven" Diana calls out from the hallway leaving the teenager be.
Gotham Morning Madness Studio
Diana arrives at the studio with twenty minutes to spare.
She enters with a double shot of espresso to help with her hangover and promises herself to never drink on a school night again.
She sees her coworkers as she passes through the hallways, giving a small smile and wave.
She meets her producer Etta Candy, a lovely woman, whom, Diana, considers a friend.
"Good. You're here!" the plumb blonde greets her with a smile. The woman hands Diana a piece of paper. "These are the points for the show today."
The Greek woman simply nods her head in thanks, her hair bopping as her body moves.
She gives the piece of stationery a look over and seems fine with everything.
The woman then heads to her work station and catches a glance of blonde hair. Steve's here already.
Anxiety overtakes her like a strong wind that threatens to knock her down. She swallows the lump that suddenly formed in her throat and steels herself for this moment.
She briskly walks into the room confidence evident in her stride. She sits in her seat stationed directly across from her cohost.
Taking note that no one else is around proving this to be an opportune time, she takes a deep breath, "Steve, we should talk?" she asks. The man for the first time since the raven-haired woman entered the room looks at her.
"About?"
"Us."
The blonde-haired man sighs, "I don't care that you have a kid that you gave birth to when you were in high-school. I only care about honesty. I thought you do as well."
"I do" the woman replies quickly.
"I want you to be open with me. I'm already doing the same. Some reciprocation is necessary if we are going to still be dating" Trevor finishes.
"You're right. You deserve that. And I'm willing to do better for us. There still is an us? Right?" she asks hesitantly.
The puppy dog eyes Steve interprets from Diana's apologetic expression causes him to cave, he gives a laughing sigh, "Yes, there is still an us. But, let's hold off on moving in" he answers causing a reaction of distress on Diana's face. "I'm sure your daughter wants to have a place with you. Are the two of you better?" he asks.
A small smile appears on the woman's lips, "Yes, we are doing better. She's staying with me" she answers back.
"I'm glad you two are working things out."
Suddenly, Etta comes in, "Two minutes" she reminds them of when their show starts.
They nod in understanding to Etta, as she quickly exits leaving the two alone.
They smile at one another happy that they are making this work.
Gotham Gazette
Vicki Vale, the red-haired star reporter of Gotham Gazette sits at her desk typing up her latest story.
Suddenly, she hears running and heavy breathing, leading her to look up from her computer.
She is greeted by her intern and photographer, Michael. Fresh out of college and hungry for a story.
The woman raises an eyebrow silently asking the young man what is it?
"Have I got something for you" the dark-skinned man says breathlessly.
Patience starting to wane, "Well?"
He pulls out some photos from his shoulder bag with an excited smile.
She takes them from the photographer and starts going through them. Several photos consist of three people. A teenage girl. A dark-haired woman. And a dark-haired man.
She immediately recognizes the man as Bruce Wayne. She looks up from the photos to Michael silently asking for an explanation.
"I was at the courthouse taking photos for Killer Croc's arraignment. When I'm outside taking a break and I see Bruce freaking Wayne with a woman and a teenager. So, I start taking photos 'cause I know Wayne sells papers" Michael recounts. "That's when I start picking up on the conversation" Michael's excitement gets even bigger. "That girl is in Bruce Wayne's and the woman's joint custody" he finishes.
"Custody?" Vicki parrots. She reexamines the photos looking at the closeup of the woman. "Don't I know this woman?" she asks aloud.
Michael answers, "You do. She's Diana Prince the radio host from Gotham Morning Madness. She's on a few billboards around town." He rummages through his bag again and then pulls out another piece of paper and hands it to Vicki, whom accepts it.
Her eyes widen as she recognizes it as a birth certificate as well as the names on it. She looks back to Michael heatedly, "This is legit" she asks sharply.
Michael shakes his head, "Yeah, I checked it out. I thought it was something you would be interested in. Are you?" he leads off.
A smug smile appears on Vale's face, "Very" she answers as she saves her work on her computer before closing the window and moving on to something more interesting.
Wayne won't know what hit him.
Diana's House
Part of Elissa's day consisted of her putting her belongings away in her new room. The rest included a shower and sleep. But sleep proved difficult. She got a few hours, but every so often of her day, she was too anxious to return to her slumper.
She saw him.
She saw him.
SHE SAW HIM!
Last night seemed like a dream to her. She never thought Batman was real. The way he tackled her mugger through a wooden fence. His voice sounded like gravel crunching beneath someone's boot.
She couldn't believe it. Now she knows why all those fanboys at her school and those dollar store shops had bat on the brain. He's so cool!
The girl leaves her room and heads downstairs with the kitchen in mind to end the hunger in her belly.
It's dark on the first floor of the house. She continues to walk to the kitchen unintimidated by the lack of light. She glances at her watch and sees it almost eight. Worried by Diana's absence, she wonders if she should call. The woman told her she would be home by seven. She hopes nothing harmful has happened to her.
She flicks the light switch on and is greeted with a boisterous and loud, "SURPRISE!"
The girl shrieks startled as she is greeted by Diana, Bruce, an older gentleman in a suit and a teenage boy her age.
The teenager's eyes are the size of dinner plates as a hand rests upon her chest attempting to sooth her rapidly beating heart.
The four before have smiles on their faces. A happy birthday sign hanging behind them and a birthday cake in Diana's hands.
Elissa takes a minute to calm down and once she does, she hesitates to ask, "Wh-what is this?"
"Your surprise party" Diana answers her with a smile.
"What?" the girl utters. She never had a surprise party before. This was new and it just adds happiness to her life. "Thank you" she exclaims happily.
"Your welcome" Bruce responds joining the conversation. He gestures Elissa towards him and the other two males at the party.
She walks to them curiosity at her back. Bruce places a hand on her back and introduces her to the men.
"This is Alfred, my butler and friend" the dark-haired man gestures with his hand the balding individual.
"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Elissa" Alfred greets with a proud smile. "Your father has been telling me all about you" he holds out a white gloved hand. Elissa wordlessly takes the offered appendage, "I hope we get further acquitted soon" the man asks happily.
The teenager can only smile, "I'd… like that" she replies.
With that said, they move on to the only one in the room, who is her age. "This is Dick Grayson, my adopted son" Bruce introduces, "I hope you two will get along.''
"Hi" Dick greets her with a wave. His natural positive attitude apparent to her.
Elissa, a little insulted by his existence, greets somberly, "Hi."
Her tone does not go unnoticed by the two males, who are trained to read people, and of course, Alfred.
Diana, also aware of Elissa's disposition, decides to intercede, "Alright, everyone, this cake isn't going to eat itself" she proclaims, lighting the candles to her child's birthday cake.
That gets the group to huddle around the cake, resting on Diana's kitchen table, with Elissa in front of the baked good.
Soon, everyone sings, happy birthday. And once they finish singing Elissa blows out the candles.
Resulting in a round of applause.
Diana starts cutting the cake after kindly telling Alfred to sit down in a tone that makes the man obey. Elissa kindly joins him and the two begin to have a pleasant conversation.
Bruce and Dick hang back watching the scene before.
Dick however worried about a future with Elissa present asks, "Bruce, what does this mean about us? About our late nights?"
Bruce turns his head to his adopted son stoically, "It changes nothing. It just means we will need to be more careful about our comings and goings."
Satisfied with this Dick nods in agreement. But another thought comes to mind as he looks back to the festivities before them, "She doesn't like does she?" he asks.
"She doesn't know you. I suspect she feels that I replaced her with you."
"I didn't ask for you to take me in."
"No, I did that."
"What do I do? I kind of like having a sister."
Bruce responds, "Like all things. One step at a time."
"Bruce! Dick! You two want a piece?" Diana hollers over to them.
The two approach the table to truly join in the festivities.
Bruce sees Elissa smiling at something Alfred had said, which brings a smile to his face. His daughter is fifteen. And for the first time in a long time he's happy.
Thoughts?
So, I'm not updating any of my wonderbat stories for a while, but that doesn't mean they are dead. On the contrary, they are quite alive and updates will be coming. I want to put my energies into The Dark Knight of Tomorrow, I have been neglecting it for too long. What I have planned is the story will be updated until it has five chapters to its name and then I switch to the other stories. I am so sorry to all those that enjoy my stories and ask for a little more patience, I promise it will be worth the wait! Please review! Fav or Follow!