Title: The Right Knight
Plot Summary: After Infinite Crisis, everything jumps One Year Later. Catwoman has given birth to a daughter, Helena, and Batman returns to Gotham. (This is how it should have been..maybe a little sappy, but still!)
Disclaimer: the cat, the bat, and everyone else are property of DC Comics and are used without permission.
East End.
As usual before heading out for the night, Selina stopped by the hospital to see how Slam was doing. Since Black mask had tortured him, Slam had been in a coma. Selina knew she could simply call Sam and he'd tell her his father's condition had not changed, but she told herself she needed to see him with her own eyes. And though she did do it to see Slam, it was also a reminder that she had really messed up. Slam was in that hospital bed because of her. She stopped by every night...reopening the wound...never letting it heal.
It's my fault he's there. If I would have gotten rid of Black Mask sooner, none of this would have happened. Slam would be okay...Maggie would be okay...Simon would be...alive. I should have put a gun to his head a long time ago. At least Holly, Karon, and Leslie are...hell, who do I think I am? I'm no hero. I wasn't meant to be one. But it felt right...helping people...making sure the scum paid for hurting poor, innocent people. It felt good. But, she sighed, I didn't do it because that's who I am. I did it because someone told me to. Zatanna and the JLA...they changed who I was.
"No!" yelled a little girl as she ran across the street. Behind her, two men shouted names at her. Catwoman followed. She saw the men pulling at the girl.
Catwoman was quick with her whip. Usually, she would have gotten their attention with a sly remark, but not tonight. Tonight, she just wanted to pound on them. She left them pretty battered on the side of the street and told the girl to go home.
She climbed up onto a roof and looked up at the sky. It was still early. I can't do this tonight, she thought, I might end up hurting someone instead of helping. Might as well go home. When she arrived at her apartment she noticed it was a little past ten. Holly was there.
"I didn't know you'd be home so early. I was trying to clean up a bit before you got here. And I would have made you something to eat, but you have nothing here." Selina smiled at her. Holly continued, "Okay, where did I leave those menus? Aha—Noodle Express...delivery all day and all night. Perfect!" Holly called and placed an order.
"You don't have to clean up, Holly."
"I don't mind. Besides, one of us has to," Holly said, finishing up with the kitchen. She got her jacket and gave Selina a big hug. "I can't stay and eat because I promised Karon I would help her close up tonight, but you have to eat something, Selina...okay? I'll stop by tomorrow, or I'll call you...but pick up your phone, okay? Okay, bye!" yelled Holly as she closed the door behind her.
ooo
Bruce's plane had just landed. He took a cab from the airport to Selina's. Since leaving Japan, he knew what he wanted to say to her. Now, as he got closer to her apartment, he wasn't so sure.
What time is it, he wondered. He checked his watch. Ten fifteen. It was too late to show up unannounced. She was probably out. What time did she go out on patrol? Well, she didn't exactly go on patrol. She might have stopped going out, though. No, thief or not, she enjoyed the prowl.
He considered checking into a hotel and going over in the morning, but he knew that if he didn't go tonight, he wouldn't go at all. So, he decided to wait for her. As the cab approached, he noticed her light was on. He took a deep breath and got out of the cab.
ooo
Selina had changed into a pair of black shorts and a green baby t. The door bell rang.
"I'll be right there," Selina yelled, took out some cash, and opened the door.
"You guys are fast," she was about to say, but only managed a "You." Then, worried she appeared too surprised, added, "What are you doing here, Bruce?"
"Hello, Selina."
"I was expecting someone else."
"Should I leave then?" Bruce asked, a hint of sadness in his voice. At this, Selina felt her confidence and composure return.
"I meant a delivery guy. Chinese food. You can come in."
She closed the door slowly, and just as slowly turned around. As he saw her do this, he thought he might have made a mistake. They looked at each other in silence. Both tried to force a smile to their face.
What are you doing here, Bruce, she thought.
You're probably wondering why I'm here, he thought. Then the doorbell rang again. Selina spun around to open it.
"Hi. Here you go, thank you," she closed the door. "Hungry?" she asked as she walked over to the coffee table and put the food down. Either, their portions are getting smaller, she thought, or they forgot a box.
"You sure you weren't expecting company?" he asked eying the four boxes of food.
"No," she smiled, "Holly ordered extra just in case I had a handsome guest unexpectedly join me," she was starting to feel like her usual self, "C'mon, I know you like Chinese. There's more than enough for both of us."
They sat down on the couch and ate. Selina looked at Bruce. He looked nervous. He never looked nervous. Selina decided to speak before things got more awkward.
"So..." they both said in unison. Bruce's eyes narrowed. Selina smiled and shook her head. "Alright, Bruce, what's going on? You come over. Don't say anything. And you're eating faster than I've ever seen you eat. What's wrong?"
He took a deep breath, "I just...I just wanted to see how you were doing...I left—"
She turned serious. "You mean after what your friends did to me?"
He nodded.
"Well..."she wasn't sure how to proceed. She looked down at her food, then up at him, "Honestly Bruce, I don't know how I'm doing." She paused. "I tried to go on as if nothing had changed but..." she looked away, "Never mind."
"No, tell me," he reached out and touched her hand, "Please."
She pulled away and put her plate on the table. He looked embarrassed, "I'm sorry, "he began to say as he stood up. Why had he come here? he wondered. She was Catwoman. She didn't need him. She'd told him as much many times before. Now he was trying to make her feel better? Caress her hand? He didn't do this... wasn't much good at it.
"No, don't be. I'm just...look, Bruce, what do you want from me? What they did to me...what Zatanna did...I never felt more violated in all my life. Even when Ivy had me do things I might have been prone to...it wasn't as bad as this. That was just...this was to change my life. To change me. All of me."
He walked towards her and sat down next to her.
"It was difficult at first, but it's been three months. It's getting easier. I stopped going out at night. I tried to do other things to make me forget. Drinking didn't help. Nor stealing, nor...anything else." His eyes narrowed. She stopped. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped again. After a few minutes, she continued, "I talked to Leslie and then I went to go talk to...my sister…" Bruce's eyes softened. "Just talking to her, saying everything out loud...having my sister listen and not judge me...I...I felt better. But then reality. Just seeing her like that...my sister in that chair, not moving, looking blankly at the window...I knew I couldn't just walk away from what I started here. I couldn't let what happened to her happen to anyone else." She paused again. "I was not going to let them decide my fate. I've always played by my own rules and I wasn't going to stop now. The JLA has no power over me. I decided I would to do whatever I wanted to do."
"But you see," Bruce said, "they didn't change you. You're still you. You were never evil, Selina. You never hurt anyone. You never killed—"
She stood up, but he reached for her hand, "You have always been good, Selina, even if you tried to hide it deep down inside because you didn't want anyone else to see it."
"Well...thank you for saying that. I know it wasn't easy," she paused and looked into his eyes, "Is this why you came over, Bruce? You wanted to see if I was okay?"
"Yes," he replied and suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
She's so beautiful, he marveled, her eyes...her lips, red...full...
He really is handsome, isn't he? Deep blue eyes...black, soft hair...dimples...hmmm, dimples? Where'd those come from? she wondered
He leaned in. She closed her eyes. Then the doorbell rang and they both jumped up.
"I'll get it," Bruce said, clearing his throat. He opened the door and it was the man from before, "You already paid for this but I forgot it in the car. Sorry. Have a good night," and he was off.
Bruce closed the door, "You really like Chinese, don't you?" He put the box on the table and opened it to see what else she ordered.
"Uh-uh," she said, getting up, "We were in the middle of something and you don't get to change the subject." She walked towards him, placed her arms around his waist, and asked, "Now, where were we?"
He wrapped his arms around her and leaned down to kiss her.
