The following day at Wayne Manor, all of its inhabitants were in quite a frenzy. Alfred had been preparing supper for hours, a four-course meal of traditional British cuisine; Baked asparagus in Filo pastry and caramelized garlic tarts as appetizers; a salad with spiced turkey and cranberry; an entrée of roast leg of lamb with ginger, honey, cider and rosemary; and for dessert Alfred prepared fruit scones with tea. Selina and John congregated in the kitchen to help the butler cook and also to be the official taste-testers. Well, John actually helped with the cooking when Alfred banished Selina from the stove when she set two dishes ablaze.

Bruce was in the Batcave at his computer hub, searching Thomas Hindley yet again. He hadn't found anything so far, anything interesting that is. He found that Tom was born and raised in Hammersmith in London before being relocated to South America with relatives after his parents were killed in an auto accident. Bruce inwardly winced, his mind flashing pictures in his mind of falling pearls and gunshots. He cleared the screens and closed his eyes while massaging his temples.

"All work and play makes a bat pretty boring, ya know?" Bruce didn't have to open his eyes to know the speaker.

He gave a small smile when he turned to greet Ella."I don't think I'm that boring. And hey, I have company with me."

Ella looked from Bruce to the cave's ceiling, where hundreds of bats were taking up residence. She looks back to Bruce as she walks up the stairs to the raised platform. "Yeah, you're never alone down here. But conversation has to be pretty one-sided, I would think." She smiled at Bruce before taking a peek at the computer's blank screens.

As empty as they may be, she knows Bruce was investigating Tom very closely. Deep down, she was quite grateful of Bruce's vigilance and protective urge over her. But she also wished Bruce would stay out of her business. Good luck with that, she told herself.

"I think me and the bats have great non-verbal communication. But I know you didn't come down here to talk about bats…" Bruce trailed off, noticing Ella's slight hint of anxiety.

"No, I didn't. I, uh, I actually wanted to know if you wanted some human company. A game of chess maybe, if you're interested." Ella forces a smile, shoving her hands in her pockets.

In the library, Ella and Bruce sit across from each other, a marble chess set sits between them. A full five minutes goes by and Ella has yet to make her next move. Bruce looks up from the chess pieces and chances a glance at Ella. She looks as if she is thinking a bit too intensely so Bruce opens his mouth to speak, but Ella cuts him off.

"I wish we weren't having this dinner tonight. I hate this idea. Seems so forced." Ella mumbles but Bruce hears it clearly.

"I know you hate it. I would too. But you have to realize that John and I care about you and Selina's safety to a fault. We want you to be safe. And it just seems too far-fetched that someone could be at the right place and the right time. Surely, this must have crossed your mind once or twice." Bruce sighs, not knowing what else to say.

Ella chooses a piece and sets it on a marble tile."Check. And yes it crossed my mind but I'm not a detective like you. I just look at it as someone saved my life. I thanked him already. This seems like a damn investigation for someone who I've only met once…after I came out of unconsciousness." She looked back at Bruce who was keenly staring back at her. "But just so you know…I do appreciate it. Thank you."

Bruce follows Ella's move and places a piece on another tile. "Check and mate. And you're welcome. Well, we'd better start getting ready. Our guest will be arriving in about an hour or so. I'd better get a move on before Selina gets to the room and starts primping and preening like a kitten." He gives Ella a small smile before setting back the chess pieces to their original positions.

"Good idea. And thanks for the distraction." Ella smiles back at Bruce before exiting the library and retreating to her room. She gets dressed and undressed and dressed again once more, having trouble finding something suitable to wear. She wanted to be sexy, but not too sexy that it would raise eyebrows. She wanted to be classy, but not too classy like she was some stuck-up socialite. She settled on wearing the outfit Selina got for her; a black sleeveless above-the-knee cocktail dress with a modest neckline that accentuated her womanly curves and some peep-toe red heels that made her legs look heavenly.

She finished her makeup and started to put on a few pieces of jewelry when she felt arms encircle her waist and a kiss pressed upon her shoulder.

"You look so beautiful," John said, moving Ella's curls over her shoulder so he could kiss her neck.

Ella smiles at John in the mirror behind her. "I remember you saying you hated this dress. That it made me look a bit…what was the word? Cheap."She turns around to face him as his face turns beet red.

"Cheap, yeah. I did say that, didn't I?" John scratches the back of his head, casting his eyes toward the floor before meeting Ella's eyes again."But in my defense, I hadn't seen it on you yet and I thought it would look all tight and wrong. But now that I see it on you, I see how perfectly it hugs every inch of you…Is any of this working to dig my foot out of my mouth?" John smiles adorably, his eyes crinkling at the edges.

"Not so much. But I think I can help dig it out for you." Ella spins in John's arms and crushes her lips against his. She gets lost in John's warmth, relishing in the feeling of his arms around her. In the depths of her soul, she knows John is the better choice…the man she can build a life with. But she can't get Tom off her mind; his voice, his eyes, his body…

She snaps out of her daydreaming when John slides a hand up her dress, resting at her apex. He slips a finger under the fabric, touching lightly at her folds. The moan that escapes her lips urges him to move. Her hand starts a trails from his chest down to his pants where she unzips them and pushes them and his underwear down his legs before kicking off her own panties.

John picks her up and makes love to her against the wall of the bathroom. She is grateful she chose to wear her no-smudge lipstick as John is attacking her mouth with fervent impatience. When they finish, John dresses in black slacks and a tucked-in blackdress shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his elbows. He kisses Ella's cheek and makes his way down to the dining room where Bruce and Selina are already pouring wine for themselves.

Just then a knock at their door breaks their reverie. Alfred moves past them after setting the table to answer the door. "Master Hindley, I presume?"Alfred greets his guest.

"Yes, please call me Tom," Tom's voice is heard by Selina, Bruce and John before he walks around Alfred to give them a good look at their guest. Bruce is the first to greet him, full of smiles and practiced cordiality. Selina and John come around quickly enough before Tom asks to use the facilities. In the back of Tom's head, he wonders why Ella isn't with the rest of the crowd but when he walks up the grand flight of stairs making his way to the bathroom he walks past an open door.

She sits there at her vanity biting her nails, worry painting her face. If he didn't know any better, he would say Ella already knew this would be their last time together.

"It's rather rude not to greet your guest at the door, you know." His voice startled her and she jumped up out of her seat clutching her heart.

"How did you get up here?" She asked, calming herself down.

"I was looking for the loo, of course." He whispers, coming into the room and walking to Ella, then picking her up and laying her down on the bed while he climbs on top of her. He unzips his pants before ripping off her underwear and tossing them to the side. He enters her slowly and agonizingly before picking up the pace, her soft moans echoing in his mind. He attacks her mouth and explodes inside of her, not wasting one drop. He pulls out and straightens himself up before going to the door."You'd better get down their soon, child. I'm famished." He exits after winking at Ella from her spot on the bed catching her breath.

Dinner goes expressly as planned. Polite conversation, great cuisine. Bruce and John were pleasantly surprised that Tom was so well-read and fascinating. As Tom left to go, he gave handshakes to the men and kisses on the cheek for Selina and Ella. In Ella's ear, he whispers so only she can hear and she nods almost invisibly. After Alfred closes the door, Ella goes to the dining room and finds Tom's phone on the floor beneath the table.

She waits until Selina, Bruce and John retire upstairs before she walks outside where Tom is waiting for her. She hands him the phone and he grabs her wrist and pulls her to him, kissing her passionately.

"If you could erase me from your memory, everything about me…all the harm I've caused to you, would you do it?" Tom asked Ella, a slight smirk on his face threatening to betray his true feelings of sorrow.

"No," Ella says, able to read Tom's eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason, just wanted to know your answer," Tom says before leaning down to kiss Ella, "Goodbye, my dear."

Ella gives him a weary look that he chose to ignore before kissing her lightly on the lips then driving off. Ella touched her lips and turned back towards the house when Tom's car was out of sight. As she fought to compose herself, she was startled when she locked eyes with Selina.