Bruce
Wayne Manor
"I'm sorry." Bruce said, changing his clothes and watching Zee rock Thomas. "The phone just kept ringing."
He hadn't been doing a great job of keeping his promises recently...or finding balance. Work was consuming all of his time. It didn't help that he had called and said he was coming home early, but ended up getting stuck until after six. Thomas sniffled and buried his face in his mommy's neck.
"It's okay," Zee said, rubbing his back. "He just misses you. I shouldn't have told him you were on your way home."
"No, I should have come home like I said I would. But, I have an idea. How about Thomas comes with me to the meeting?" A little blue eye peeked out from her hair. "If he wants to, of course."
"I...Bruce I'm not sure that's a great idea..."
"Go if Dada?"
"You know, he almost announced to the entire city who Batman was today at the park."
"Go Dada?" His head lifted up and he wiped his nose.
"And if I don't let him go now, he'll be mad at me for a week," Zee sighed.
"Go Dada!" He reached for him with a smile.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't pick up too many trade secrets."
"Fine. But you'd better have him back before bedtime. Also, he's not dressed right." She held out her hands. "Sserd rof a wohs."
With a flash, he was in a tux with long tails, holding his stuffed bunny.
"Bun!" He held it out proudly.
"No top hat?"
"You want to try to keep a top hat on his head?"
"Not especially. But I do feel like there should be some fatherly representation in here somewhere," he said, studying the outfit.
"Turn him."
He swung him around to find a gray bat symbol on the back of the jacket. "Back? It's on the back?"
"Yes, it's on the back. I don't want to ruin the aesthetic. Now stop being a pain or I'll put the Superman onesie back on him." She kissed his cheek and then Thomas's. "Make sure he sits in my old spot."
"Pretty sure he'll be in my lap...which is your current spot."
"Don't be raunchy in front of our son," she said, giving them a wave when they got into the Zeta tube.
They arrived and Thomas started looking around at all of the monitors and babbling on about what he was seeing. Diana was the first to dart around the corner and snag him.
"Di. Bun." He held his toy out to her.
"That's a very nice bunny. Did you pull him from a hat?"
"Fom Mama."
"Of course it is. Well, it's about time you joined the League. We've been without a sorcerer for too long."
"Don't take him on any missions yet. His mother won't approve."
"How is his mother? She's been quiet recently."
"Still worried. Spends hours every day studying and practicing. Anything on your end?"
"No. And I hate that I can't find anything. Maybe I should go to LA and confront her."
"That a terrible idea, Diana," Bruce said, walking with her to the meeting room. "Don't worry...Zatanna's doing enough of that on her own. Just keep close tabs with your sources."
"It's been so long, Bruce. I don't like waiting around for something to happen. I know you don't, either."
"You have us on this too," Clark said when he entered, quickly picking up on the conversation. He was next to grab Thomas. "Nice outfit, kiddo. You ready to start taking down some bad guys?"
"Cark!"
"Mr. Wayne. Want to go for a flight after the meeting?"
"Oo! Go fy! Fy! Fy! Fy!"
"I'm still working on interpreting his words, but I think that means yes," Bruce said, sitting down at the table.
"Flights are my role, man," Victor said when he entered, holding his hands out. "What's up, T Dub?" Thomas obligingly moved to him, used to the routine of being passed around whenever anyone visited.
"Okay, okay. Stop fighting over flight rights with the visitor and let's get started." Diana walked to the front of the room and pulled up information on their active cases. Thomas eventually made it back to Bruce's lap and listened while everyone talked. By the end of the meeting, he was curled up against him and humming a sleepy song to try and stay awake.
"I'll talk to the President. If the National Guard can give us a little help in New Orleans, we can have the dam repaired before the next hurricane threatens the city."
"Thanks, Bruce. I'll get down there and help with the construction. Arthur is willing to lend some troops to the effort, also," Victor said.
"Good. That should make things go a lot faster."
"Okay, that's it for today. See you all next week," Diana said, concluding the meeting.
"You ready for your flight, Thomas?" Clark walked over and held his arms out. After a grin and a nod, Clark picked him up and got in the Zeta tube. "I'll drop him off shortly, Dad."
"Okay. Not too late. He has a curfew."
Diana walked back over to him. "How are you really doing? You seem exhausted."
"I am exhausted."
"You can ask for help, you know."
"I have help."
"You can ask for more."
"I have it under control. I can handle Gotham. You just look after the rest of the world."
"Oh, well, you don't ask much," she said, punching his shoulder.
"Ow, dammit. Go home."
He stepped into the tube once she vanished and returned to the manor. Zatanna was floating in the bedroom, a book in front of her face. "Hey, how did it go?"
"Fine."
The book closed and she looked around the room. "Um...you forgot something kind of important."
He smiled and walked over to her, tossing the book aside and pulling her close until she wrapped her legs around his waist. "He's on a joy ride with Superman."
She leaned in and kissed him. "Did he behave?"
"Yes. And I think he forgives me."
"Good."
"How about you?"
"Don't worry about me."
He kissed her again, knowing she was more upset than she was letting on. "I always worry about you. I want you to be happy and I'm not making you happy."
"You are, Bruce..."
His lips stopped hers and he kissed her until she relaxed in his arms. It was the first time he'd felt her relax in weeks. "I want to make you happy. Go out with me tomorrow night. No training. Just you and me and a long overdue date."
"You have to monitor."
"I don't. Stop worrying. Just let me be your husband for a night."
She put her head on his shoulder and sighed. "Okay."
A thud on the balcony got their attention, so she lowered herself to the floor and walked over to open the door.
"Mama! I fy!"
"I take it you had fun."
"Giggled like crazy the whole time," Clark said, handing him over.
"Thanks, Uncle Clark."
"You're welcome, Zee. Bruce, take care." He waved and took off again.
"You worn out after your big day, bud?" Thomas nodded and yawned. "Wow. Admitting defeat and everything. Quite a day. Let's have a snack and go night night."
Zatanna
Wayne Manor
Thomas had fallen asleep in record time. Despite the fact that she wasn't sure him spending time on the Watchtower was one of Bruce's finest ideas, she was glad that he enjoyed himself and had a chance to spend time with his daddy. He already idolized him and wanted to be around him all the time. She returned to the bedroom and walked back out onto the balcony. The evening was cool and the air smelled of distant rain, so she closed her eyes and breathed in deep. She lulled herself into such a trance that Bruce startled her when he came up behind and wrapped his arms around her.
"Geez. Thought you were down in the cave."
"Not tonight," he whispered. He kissed along her neck and down to her shoulder, brushing her hair aside. His lips were warm against her cold skin. "I love you."
"Is that so?"
"Yes." He turned her and pulled her mouth to his. "Help me get some sleep?"
"No. No sleep." She smiled and pulled his shirt off before something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. "Damn it," she sighed.
"What?"
She reached up and turned his head toward the bat signal shining in the night sky. "No sleep for Batman."
"Zee, I..."
"Go. It's okay." She took a step back from him and dropped her eyes to the floor.
"Zee. I will make it up to you."
Nodding, she turned to face back out over the city. "I love you. Please be careful."
He left silently, off to do his duty for the people of Gotham. Between the tour and the demands of Gotham, she felt like they never spent time together anymore. His nights off were never nights off and Thomas required as much attention as she could give him. They needed to find ways to deal with all of the demands made upon them, but they never stopped. They never would stop. Sighing, she returned to the bedroom and brought the book back in front of her face, ready to settle into her usual pre-bed routine.
"Dark magic. Asshole magicians. This has got to be rotting my brain."
She picked up where Bruce had interrupted her, looking through page after page of spells and conjurations. After an hour, she heard Thomas crying. He rarely woke in the night anymore and this cry sounded different from what she was used to. It reminded her of way he cried when she took Bruce's fear on the Watchtower. He was terrified. She quickly hopped down to the floor and ran to the nursery. Her magic was already tingling at her fingertips, ready to take down an intruder with vicious force. Instead, she found Thomas alone, standing in his crib and calling out for her.
"Hey, hey. Shh shh, baby. Everything's okay." She picked him up and held him tightly while he shook. "What happened? Did you have a bad dream?"
"Mama," he mumbled through his sobs. "Mama."
"Oh, my poor little man. It's okay. Just a dream." She took him over the chair and sat down, letting him cry it out. "Go back to sleep, sweetie, it's okay. Nothing's going to hurt you. Mommy's here."
"Seep if mama. Peese."
She sighed and kissed his forehead. "Okay. Daddy's gone, anyway. You can stay with me till you fall asleep."
Despite her general rule against him sleeping in their bed, she took him to the bedroom and laid down with him cradled against her, not wanting to leave him alone in case the bad dream returned. Humming soft songs, she lulled him back to sleep.
Batman
Gotham City Police Department
It had been months since Gordon had lit his signal. They hadn't spoken more than a half dozen words since their argument after Elliott was stabbed, so he was more than a little curious what had suddenly broken the trend.
"Commissioner." He landed on the roof of the building and walked to face him.
"I need your help."
"Anything, Jim."
"Don't say that. You don't mean it. But I need your help with Elliott. I need him to talk. I need to know what he knows about Two Face and how he got out of Arkham. I'm tired of playing this game, damn it."
The frustration was pouring off of him. He paced along the rooftop, smoking a cigarette.
"Didn't know you smoked. You shouldn't."
"Huh?" He looked at the cigarette and tossed it to the ground. "Oh. Stupid old habit. And I don't need a PSA from Batman about smoking. I need answers."
"I thought you wanted me off of that case."
"No, I wanted you to stop working against me."
"Tell me what you need."
"I need information. And I need the Waynes to help."
"The Waynes?" Don't ask me this.
"Yeah." He pulled out another cigarette and lit it. "Elliott wants to talk to them. That's who you've been protecting, right?"
"This has nothing to do with them."
"Do you think I'm blind? Or stupid?"
"Of course not."
"Every single one of those murdered girls...black hair, blue eyes, early 20s. Just like..."
"Thousands of women."
"But only one of which is married to Thomas Elliott's childhood friend that he's demanding to speak with."
"Back the hell off of them! They have nothing to do with this!"
"I'll do whatever the hell I need to if it means protecting the people of Gotham! That used to be something we agreed on!"
Their voices were echoing over the rooftops and they stood toe-to-toe.
"I will not involve them in this. Is that clear?"
Gordon took a step back and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, we're very clear. Get the hell off my roof."
"Let me question Elliott."
"Your current methods aren't welcome in this investigation."
"Just let me talk. I won't touch him."
He sighed and nodded. "Fine. I'll tell my guards to be expecting you. Don't lay a finger on him." Jim walked over and flipped the signal off, tossing his half-smoked cigarette down. "Not a goddamn finger!"
Batman grappled up and out of sight. He wanted to get home, but had other plans now. The sadness on Zee's face when he left was something he'd never wanted to cause again, and he knew she would just go right back to obsessing over Tsaritsa. She never took a break.
Take care of business tonight, no interruptions tomorrow.
Making his way to the hospital, he organized his thoughts. This was his opportunity to get what he needed out of Elliott without further pissing off Gordon. It had been difficult to wait, but it was going to pay off. Pulling up to the back entrance, he found a guard waiting for him.
"Elliott."
The guard held the door open. "Right this way, Batman. Gordon told us you were coming." She led him down an empty corridor and up the stairwell to the fifth floor. The security ward was nearly empty, but the hallway was still lined with guards. Elliott's room was at the end of the hall. "I'll be right outside," the guard said, closing the door. Elliott was sleeping, only a dim light illuminating the room.
"Wake up," Batman said, voice low. "Wake. Up."
"Fuck off, I'm sleeping."
"Wake up!"
Elliott jumped and pulled on his handcuffs. "No! No! Guard! Nurse!"
"No one's going to come. Shut up or I'll fuck your face up even more."
He pulled at the cuffs again. "Get out."
"You're asking for Bruce and Zatanna. Stop. If you don't stop, I'll take you back to your prison cell and you'll never see the light of day again. No nurses. No doctors. No bed. No warm meals. No pain medication. Just me and my fists for the rest of your pathetic life."
"Just leave."
"Who was helping Harvey Dent?"
"Leave."
He stepped closer and put his hands on the rail next to his head, gripping it tightly until the plastic started to crack. "Who?!"
"I don't know!"
"Liar!"
"I'm not lying. Please. I can't...I swear I don't know. All I knew about was the gas. Please don't take me back there."
"Why are you asking for them again?"
"I'm not."
Letting go of the rail, he raised his fist and slammed it into the wall above his head, destroying the sheet rock. "Don't fucking lie to me!"
"Alright, alright! Don't! I just want to talk to them. Just let me..."
"You'll never see them again. Ever! Do you understand me?"
With his eyes tightly shut, he nodded and turned his head. "I won't ask again. I won't. I swear."
"If you do, you're mine. If you don't tell Gordon every single thing you know about Two Face, you're mine. If I find out you knew more than you're telling me, you're mine."
"I don't. I don't. Please leave."
Batman leaned down, putting his mouth next to his ear. "There will never be a day when I'm not watching you. One word that puts them in danger with the police or anyone else, and you...are...mine."
He nodded again, still keeping his eyes shut. He was a broken man...weak and cowardly. All of his arrogance and hubris had been drained from him. There was a time where Batman had feared he'd never truly broken him. Now, he was sure that he had. He hadn't given him the information he'd hoped for about Dent, but he got the promise of silence he needed for his family. For the time being, that was enough. Zatanna and Bruce were safe so, for once, he could take good news home.
When he opened the door, the guard held her hand up momentarily and studied Elliott. "Well, you tore up the room, but Gordon only said he didn't want him touched. Good by me."
She moved aside so Batman could pass.
When he returned to the car, he breathed a sigh of relief. One less worry. He phoned Gordon and told him that Elliott would tell him what he wanted. He was awarded only with a grunt and a disconnect, but he hoped it would be a step in the right direction for them. Driving home, he glanced at the clock. It was after 11:30 and Zatanna would be asleep. Robin had monitoring covered for the night, so he smirked and sped up. Time for a wake up call.
After a quick shower, he hurried upstairs. Arriving at the bedroom, he eased the door open, only to find something he wasn't expecting. Zatanna was curled up with Thomas pulled close against her chest, deep asleep. He never slept in their bed unless it was a quick nap. He walked over and gently brushed Zee's hair back from her face. Rather than wake her, he crawled in bed and put his arm around her waist. He fell asleep with the smell of her hair surrounding him and planning the next night. I'll make it perfect.
Dr. Jonathan Crane
Gotham City
His eyes were tired from the long work day, but he had to meet his deadline. The next night was going to be a big step in determining just how effective his toxin could be. The small scale tests had gone well and now it was time to turn things up. Downtown Gotham was always bustling, especially the theater district. It would be the perfect location. This would just be a test...a taste...a preview.
The people go to the theater district for a show. They will certainly get one.
It hadn't taken too many daily exposures for Dent to lose it. Now he just needed biweekly treatments to keep the psychosis at the forefront of his mind. He hoped his new formula would prove even more potent. It was far too weak when Batman had been exposed, though the conditions weren't ideal. Rooftops were too windy and the gas would have dissipated too much for him to receive the full impact. A crowded street between buildings? Ideal...especially if the weather forecast held up. Calm winds, dense crowds. Chaos. Fear.
He laughed and pulled his mask over his face. Fear.
Zatanna
Wayne Manor
Thomas started to wiggle and wake a little after 7:00. Bruce's arm was around her and she hadn't heard him come in.
"Mama?"
She put her finger to her lips. "Whisper, baby. Don't wake Daddy."
"Daddy's awake," Bruce said, lips close to her ear.
She sighed and kissed Thomas's forehead. "Sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep with him in here."
"He didn't wake me. Everything okay?"
"He woke up crying and screaming. Bad dream." She rolled them over and Thomas crawled onto Bruce.
"Hey. Bad dream, huh?" He nodded and laid his head down on his chest.
"I've never heard him cry quite like that. Must have been something pretty scary."
Bruce rubbed his hand along his back. "It's okay. It was just a dream."
Alfred knocked at the door and brought in their breakfast. "Master Thomas, I wasn't expecting you to join here."
"Would you mind taking him for a minute?" Bruce asked, handing him over.
"Of course. Breakfast, sir? Eggs Benedict? Croque Madame? Pancakes?"
"Pa-cake!"
"Ah, yes. A refined palate." The door closed behind them and Bruce lifted her head to look in her eyes.
"Well, he's already forgotten the dream. The magic of pancakes."
"Glad he's forgotten. Scared me half to death when I heard him. I was ready to throw down on whatever was after him."
"That's because you're worrying too much. About everything. Zee, you can't keep this up."
"I know."
"You said it yourself...you can handle an idiot like Tsaritsa."
She smiled and shook her head. "I need to get a grip."
"You need to relax. You can't be a superhero and a super mom all the time. So, that leads me to tonight..."
He rolled over and laid on top of her.
"Ah, yes. Tonight. No training."
"No training. No studying. No worrying. All you need to do is be ready at 6:00."
"Attire?"
"Cocktail."
"Okay. I'll be ready."
"Okay. Now, for some good news," he grinned and kissed her. "I went by the hospital last night. Elliott won't be talking about or asking for Bruce and Zatanna again."
"You're sure? After weeks of him asking?"
"I'm sure. Batman was very persuasive. He'll keep quiet and you never have to go near him again. He'll live out his days in prison."
"Just like that."
"Just like that," he kissed her again. "See? One less worry."
Looking in his eyes, she gauged his sincerity; she didn't want him to just tell her what she wanted to hear to get her to relax. There was no doubt on his face and he wasn't being deceitful.
"Good. One less worry." She smiled and nodded. Bruce's alarm went off, so he rolled off of her and started getting ready for work. She went downstairs and found Thomas elbows deep in pancakes and syrup. "Wow. I could toss you up against the wall and you'd stick there."
He smiled and took another very messy bite.
Alfred laughed. "The bath is already drawn, ma'am. I'll see to it. He was rather insistent on the syrup."
"Okay. Thanks, Alfred. Just make sure he doesn't attract too many ants. I'll be in the library."
Setting about her daily routine, she called down several books and alternated studying and caring for Thomas until her phone rang a little after 1:00.
"What are you doing?" Bruce asked in a husky voice.
"Reading. You?"
"Thinking about you."
She tossed her book to the side and leaned back on the couch. "Tell me the thoughts."
"Short dress. High heels. Hair down. Red lipstick."
"I can make all of that happen. What else?"
"Underwear...completely optional."
Laughing, she rolled her head to the side. "Noted. Where are we going?"
"Not telling. Any requests for me?"
"Don't shave. Dark suit. No tie. Messy hair."
"Your wish is my command, Mrs. Wayne. What were you reading?"
She squirmed slightly. "Nothing."
"Were you studying again?"
"No."
"Don't you lie to me, woman."
"Fine. Fine. I'll stop for the day."
"Stop altogether. And relax. You'll need to be very relaxed for what I have planned tonight."
"Oh, that makes it sound like I'll be contorting. I like it."
"You will." She heard another phone ring in the background. "I'll be out of here by 5:00. Get yourself ready."
"I will. See you soon." She hung up the phone and tossed it onto the couch. Thomas was busy stacking blocks. Whenever he'd get to the fourth one, the cat would reach up and calmly topple the stack.
"No, Fuffy." He started again, only to be thwarted again. "Fuffy...no."
Asshole for life. No way will this game remain peaceful for long.
"Okay, how about we all go outside for a walk."
They slowly made their way down to the creek, where she shed her shoes and waded in the water, helping Thomas in his unsuccessful attempts to catch minnows. The cat was much more successful, gobbling up several before running off to cause trouble elsewhere on the property. When he got frustrated with his failures, Thomas laid down on the grass and looked up at the sky. She sat down next to him and put her hands on his temples. His mind was calm...happy. No trace of stress left over from his nightmares. Taking a deep breath, she laid down beside him and brushed his hair back from his forehead.
"It's unreasonable how much I love you, kid."
"Mama...bird." He pointed to where an eagle was soaring over their heads.
"That's right. He'd better stay up there or your cat will get him." A butterfly landed on a flower nearby. She pointed at it. "What's that?"
"Bu-fy?"
"Good job. And what's….this?" She put her finger on his belly and started tickling. He grabbed it with a giggle.
"Tomif."
"Thomas. Mama's sweet boy."
They laid there for the next hour, spotting wildlife and giggling before she finally let her mind start to drift toward the evening and Bruce. She was excited. They hadn't had a proper date since the honeymoon. A little after 4:00, she picked up a wiggly, giggly boy and stood.
"Okay, sweetheart," she said, walking back toward the house. "Time for Mommy to get ready for a nice night out."