Waking up, I rolled over and found Jonathan already awake. He was laying on his back staring at the ceiling, this thumbs twirling themselves as his hands rested on his chest. I smiled and reached over and touched him. He looked at me and gave a smile, "I'm glad you're awake."
"DId you sleep well?" I asked.
"As well as I could."
I gave a small frown, "Same here, I'm afraid."
Jonathan leaned in and placed a small kiss on my forehead, "I'm glad we're safe."
"Me too." I kissed him gently, "How long have you been awake?"
"Only a few minutes, I promise."
I gave a small smile, "Good."
Jonathan moved and stood from the bed, stretching as he looked around the bedroom, "So… this is where you stayed?"
I smiled, "Yes."
"Very nice."
I nodded, "Bruce kept it the same after the fire. I'm actually very grateful for that. Martha, his mother, designed this room for a princess. Instead, she got Bruce."
Jonathan let out a small laugh, "I doubt Mr Wayne would have liked this room."
Standing, I said, "No I don't think so either." I smiled at him, "Alfred will be making breakfast, shall we go downstairs?"
"Yes."
We both got dressed and together we left for the dining room. My mother and Bruce were already seated at the table, sipping at mugs of coffee and eating their breakfasts. As Jonathan and I sat down, my mother got up from the table, saying nothing to either of us, and left the room. I looked at Jonathan and gave him a reassured smile before sitting down. He followed suit and we began eating.
We were all quiet for a moment, then Bruce said, "Did you sleep alright, Crane?"
Jonathan looked up and gave a curt nod, "I did, thank you."
Bruce nodded, "Well… glad to hear that."
I frowned at Bruce, and said, "Any news about what is happening in Gotham?"
He shook his head, "No. The police are dumbfounded on how the Joker got out, and they're scrambling to find him and his crew."
I frowned and took a bite of my toast. After chewing for a while, I said, "So what, we're just supposed to sit in this house until he's caught?"
Bruce frowned, "I… I don't think it is safe going out into Gotham while the Joker is loose… but I also can't imagine that it would be all too dangerous from going in during the daytime."
I nodded, "Good."
"Not even here for twenty four hours and you already want to leave?"
I frowned, "Bruce, my mother is none too happy that I left, and I'm sure she's even more pissed that Jonathan is here. Would you like to be here to watch that shit show?"
Bruce gave a small smile and a chuckle, "No, I would not."
We were all silent for a moment, then Jonathan said, "I'll need to go into the city eventually…. I have a job that needs to be done."
I nodded, "I can drive you back to your car at the penthouse… I'll just hang out there while you're at work."
"You both can come back here at night if you need to," Bruce said, "The penthouse is the safest place in the city for you, but out here really is ideal. There is a safe room there."
I frowned, "You never said anything about a safe room!"
He shrugged, "To be honest, I didn't think you would need it."
I nodded, "Well… guess I'll need that information, just in case."
"Of course."
Turning to Jonathan I asked, "When do you need to go to the city?"
"Not for a while."
I smiled, "Okay."
Finishing breakfast, I took Jonathan outside to walk around the extensive gardens for a while. We were silent for a moment as we stode through the grounds, then finally Jonathan said, "I don't think you should be the one to bring me into the city."
Turning to him I frowned, "And why not?"
Sighing he said, "You know why."
"Because it's not safe."
"Yes."
I was quiet for a moment. Looking up at the house I felt my chest tighten with dread. The thought of spending any more time in this house, especially alone with my mother, was not one I was willing to consider. I thought about Bruce and how he would feel about me not coming back tonight. My mother will no doubt be livid. I would be subjecting Bruce to her wrath by not coming back. I was trying to seperate myself from her, and coming back here every night would give her some sense of control.
Turning to Jonathan, I said, "If you're going back to the city, I will be going with you. I understand that I'll be putting myself at risk of running into the Joker, but… I do not want some madman to determine how I go about my life. We can not show him that we are afraid of him. We have to continue life as normally as we can… and for us that means going back into the city. I will be safe hanging out at the penthouse."
Jonathan frowned, but he nodded, "You're right. He lives on making others fear him. If we show him that we aren't afraid, maybe it'll take the wind out of his sales."
Smiling, I kissed him, letting him pull me to him in a tight hug. The sound of footsteps came and we pulled away as Bruce approached us, "Sorry if I'm interrupting," he said. He gave us a smile, but his eyes were tight, which usually meant he was upset. "I was just wondering if either of you would like a ride back into town?"
"Yes, thank you, Mr Wayne," Jonathan said.
Bruce nodded and said, "I guess you can call me Bruce."
Jonathan gave a small shocked look and replied, "Then I guess you can call me Jonathan."
I frowned at the two of them before throwing my hands in the air, "Come on, boys. Lets go."
"Lets… you're coming too," Bruce asked.
"Yes I am. I'm staying at the penthouse, so don't freak out."
Bruce frowned then said, "Expect a lot of visits from me then… your mother is going to be a nightmare."
I gave a small laugh, "Of course. I'm so sorry."
Holding out his hand and gesturing towards the house, Bruce said, "Shall we?"
Jonathan placed his hand on my lower back and we walked together to the mansion where we followed Bruce out to his car. Getting in, Bruce drove us in silence into the city and to the penthouse. Getting out, I bid both Jonathan and Bruce goodbye before entering the lobby. A security guard at the front desk gave me a smile which I returned. Entering the elevator, I made my way up to the penthouse and sat down in a chair, staring blankly ahead of me. I counted down the minutes and hours until Jonathan got off work.
