Two broken glasses and nearly an hour later, the two were wrapping up. Kate had sent the bartender and barback home early, and, after Kate promised they'd still be paid their full wages, accepted without resistance.

"You've really turned this into something, K," Sophie said, wandering to the jukebox in the corner. She plugged it in and dropped a quarter into the slot, navigating through the list.

"Thanks, it's been a good start," Kate called from the bar where she was supposed to be shelving the remaining glassware but instead found herself distracted by Sophie for what felt like the umpteenth time that night. Kate stopped blaming it on the dress Sophie was wearing - she could have chosen a burlap sack for the night out and still unravel Kate.

"Your jukebox ate my quarter," she called out. "Is this broken?"

"No, it's not broken. It'll play any song you want as long as it's 'Purple Rain'."

"Of course," Sophie chuckled before turning away from the box. She slid down the wall and sat on the ground next to the glowing lights emanating from it. She stared at Kate across the space, "Hey, real talk for like, two minutes."

"Anything," Kate responded, pouring another finger of whisky from the bar.

"Why did you really come back?"

A silence lingered between the two as Kate recorked the bottle, so Sophie continued, "You left the Academy and I didn't hear from you for four years. Now you've returned as," Sophie waved her hand in the air, "a club owner dash real estate investor dash whatever."

"It's technically just a bar. A club has a whole different set of licensing and approval requirements," Kate added matter of factly, walking toward Sophie. Kate knew she was stalling - she wasn't exactly prepared to answer the question truthfully. Was it flattering to tell an ex you came back because she was abducted or creepy? Especially after years of not speaking. On top of all that, the ex was married. While the latter was no longer an issue, it all seemed like a cloud of irrational embarrassment at this point. And it's not like her swooping in had saved Sophie - at least not to Sophie's memory. That was Batwoman.

Sophie rolled her eyes dismissively, "But you get what I mean. For three years all you could talk about at the Academy was your dream of becoming a Crow - of following in your Dad's footsteps. You then spent four years after that training around the world and now you've just, suddenly given that up?" Sophie asked, her brow furrowing as she wrangled with Kate's decisions. "Like, why now? Why not come back sooner if it wasn't what you wanted anymore?"

Because you weren't in danger before Kate said to herself.

Sophie continued, emboldened by an evening bourbon and taking advantage of Kate's ongoing silence, "I know Jacob offered you a position. So either you already knew you'd say no, or something changed when you got back."

Sophie was fishing. She heard enough from Mary to know Kate's return wasn't entirely coincidental. She knew Mary had called Kate the night she went missing. What Sophie didn't understand was why it brought her back. Four years was a long time to forget someone she thought before reversing the criticism on herself: That's a bit hypocritical, don't you think? If that was true you wouldn't still be thinking about her either, she chastised.

"That's easy," Kate finally replied coolly, swirling the liquid in her glass around as she continued, "I couldn't imagine working for my Dad. The Crows aren't what I remember. Maybe they were always like this and I'm finally really seeing the raw, unromanticized truth for the first time, but all of this - this… they literally destroyed buildings and lives tonight. I don't want that. That's not what I spent years training to do." Kate wasn't lying exactly. In fact, the honesty of her answer surprised her. The aspirations of being a Crow came from a child's dream of helping Gotham - fighting the crime Batman failed to act on. But now? Her entire perspective had flipped: the Crows weren't for the people of Gotham, they were for their bank accounts. Batman was the people's real hero.

"But why return now?" Sophie pressed as Kate sat down beside her.

"Also easy: I heard you'd been kidnapped and figured they'd be looking for a replacement," Kate teased.

Sophie rolled her eyes and swatted her hand dismissively toward Kate, "You're an ass, you know?"

Kate laughed into her glass as she took another sip, "Well what about you? You've been a Crow for years. Why get suspended now?"

Sophie laughed, "Honestly? It's been a long time coming."

"Oh-ho, say more Ms. Moore."

"Jacob and I haven't exactly been 'best buds' for at least a few months now. If I had to guess, I think he's struggled persuading the board to demote their number two in command, but last night's code of conduct infraction was the straw that broke the camel's back."

"So why stay? If it's been bad for that long, I mean."

"And do what? Join the GCPD? This is the only way I know to try making some sort of difference to the city. Unless you think Batwoman is taking résumés for a sidekick."

Kate nodded thoughtfully. She'd always known Sophie to be caring - it was one of the reasons Kate had initially been so attracted to her at the Academy. She balanced out Kate's bull-headed, reactive qualities with a more contemplative attitude. She wasn't quick to anger like Kate, but it meant she would also quietly suffer through things on her own. Sophie lasting as a Crow for as long as she did while Kate couldn't stomach one day with them was only the most recent example of that.

"I told my mom," Sophie offered, unprompted. She was staring into her glass as she said it.

"That you were suspended?"

"No," Sophie replied. "She was in town last week."

Kate immediately understood.

"How did she take it?"

"As expected. She promptly left."

"Soph, I'm sor-"

"Don't," Sophie said quietly, cutting Kate off. Her eyes glistened in the dim lighting and Kate struggled not to do everything to comfort her. Sophie coming out was the single biggest obstacle in her life, and Kate knew that. Kate had spent years frustrated that they had to keep their relationship secret - that Sophie somehow felt ashamed for her feelings for Kate, and now, Sophie was taking steps.

"After everything with us, and now Tyler… it was time." A tear betrayed Sophie and she quickly wiped it away.

"Want me to go beat her up?" Kate offered jokingly.

Sophie chuckled softly, "Thanks, but no. I'm sure my dad would have something to say to that," she added to the joke.

"Oh, well I can beat him up, too, if he's feeling left out," Kate laughed in response. They both knew Kate could never beat Sophie's dad - he was a 6'-6" former high school football player who had spent his life protecting his family. He was the last man Kate imagined ever crossing. When the two settled, Kate turned to Sophie, "I'm proud of you, Soph. I get what that would have been for you, and I couldn't be happier. It'll all work out. Soon enough your mom will come around, and you'll spend half your time keeping women at bay."

"Ha, not so fast," Sophie said.

"I told you about when I came out to Grandma Kane, right?" Kate asked. After a moment of thought, Sophie shook her head no. "She almost sent me to a camp."

"No way. Sweet old Grandma Kane? But she was always having us over!"

"Yep. She threatened stripping me of my inheritance unless I went."

"How old were you?"

"Thirteen?" Kate offered, trying to remember.

"But you didn't go, right?"

Kate laughed, "Not a chance. I told her to keep the money, and she wrote me out of the will. She was furious for months - wouldn't talk to me or dad no matter how many times we reached out," she continued. "But then, we stopped reaching out to her, and Christmas came and went, and it was right around Valentine's Day she called asking me over for dinner." Kate paused, chuckling as she got lost in the memory, "She even made dinner. She never cooked a day in her life. It was just blue box, but that didn't matter. The point was that she wasn't putting on an act - she gave the kitchen staff the night off, and we made such a mess of it."

Kate turned to Sophie, locking eyes with her, "What I'm trying to say is, even my status-driven grandma could find it in her to change her view because her love for me outweighed her beliefs. I mean, how many times did you and I spend the weekend with her? That'll be your mom. She is a brilliant woman and a fair bit like her daughter. She'll come around - it may take a while, but it'll happen."

Sophie stared back at Kate. She had always assumed Kate's story of coming out was easy - that she didn't deal with any backlash from her family. She had no idea Kate's grandmother had reacted so fiercely; Kate had never let on that a fissure had once existed in between her and Grandma Kane in all the times they had spent together. There was only unconditional affection and admiration for each other. Sophie filed away Kate's story, secretly hoping for the same fortune with her mom.

"So why did you do it? I mean, what changed?" Kate asked after a minute.

Sophie smiled nervously in response. She didn't quite know how to answer Kate.

"What is it?" Kate asked, genuinely curious.

"Well… it was, it was actually Batwoman" Sophie started cautiously.

Kate stared at her genuinely confused. Batwoman? Three years together and nothing, but one kiss on a rooftop with Batwoman and boom she's out? "How do you mean?" Kate pressed, forcing herself to keep her voice neutral.

"This is going to sound absolutely nutter, but, we sort had a moment a week ago an-"

"A moment?" Kate asked, a tightness in her gut growing as she absorbed Sophie's blushing tone. She didn't know if she wanted to hear this from Sophie.

"I kind of… I kissed Batwoman," she admitted, avoiding Kate's eyes in embarrassment.

"What? You're joking," Kate reacted. This was not something she expected Sophie to admit - especially not to her - and a slight wave of jealousy cut through her as she realised Sophie's want to come out was because of someone else in her life. But you were the other woman, remember? She stifled her reaction and feigned surprise, "So, then what?"

"Nothing else happened," she added quickly.

Kate fake laughed, "Oh, right, sure; so, you and Batwoman. Is this a thing? Sophie Moore is off the market less than a week after entering it? This is why you're out now?" Kate could feel her line of questioning and tone toe the line. Don't be the jealous ex, she said to herself, but it wasn't easy. This was Sophie introducing the idea of another woman to Kate - even if that other woman was still Kate.

"No, no, it's," Sophie stared off, as though trying to put it into words for the first time. "No," she said more forcefully this time, "it's not like that. It was just that once."

"Until the next time," Kate teased on the surface, but felt her defenses going up in the process. You were there, remember? Remember, Kane? You ended it. There isn't a next time. Kate stressed to herself. You know nothing is going on between Sophie and Batwoman, so calm down.

"No. There isn't a next time," Sophie said, voicing Kate's own words out loud, "and what I meant about it being Batwoman wasn't about it being Batwoman. It's about what came after all of it."

Kate stared at Sophie but remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I realised Batwoman wears a mask to protect herself - to protect others. And for her, it makes sense, right? Like, she is literally the face putting Gotham crime behind bars. But I also see that because she lives this life, she'll never be happy. Until she takes off the mask, she'll be Batwoman when she's fighting crime, but what is her life beyond that? It's all an act," Sophie said. "And I guess… I guess I just realised it was time to take off my own mask and be happy for once."

This was not at all what Kate expected to hear. A story about a crush, maybe, but the psychoanalysis of a vigilante and the metaphorical application to Sophie's life? Not a chance.

"So, you're telling me…" Kate began, struggling to find words an oblivious person might say, "You're saying, you kissed Batwoman… had a moment… and after all of that, you realised you weren't happy because Batwoman wears a mask? Is - is that what you mean?"

"What? No, no, I just mean… I'm probably not making any sense. You should have been there though, Kate. She was talking about needing to wear a mask so she could protect those she loved, and that, as Batwoman, she couldn't be in a relationship, and after all of that, I realised what's been holding me back is that I live like that. I can't wear a mask to keep my parents happy - or anyone happy. Does that make any sense at all?"

"Yea, that actually makes a lot of sense," Kate mused, and after a moment: "So, was she a good kisser?"

"Do you actually want to know?" Sophie asked, noting Kate's jealous tone.

"Well, I mean, if Batwoman is out kissing all the most eligible bachelorettes in town, I want to see how much competition she is."

"Mmmm, so it's research," Sophie nodded skeptically.

"See? You get it."

"You're still a terrible liar," Sophie said matter-of-factly, batting Kate on the arm. Kate scoffed in surprise. "Oh come on Kate. That thing you do? Where joke to hide a lie or misdirect? Classic Kate Kane. You cannot fool me."

Kate rolled her eyes, if only you knew.

"But if you must know, she's definitely top-2 territory," Sophie said, "so, I'd watch out."

Kate laughed, "well, with your illustrious history with women, Batwoman has been bestowed a high honor."

"It's a tough tier to crack into," Sophie said, "I should probably tell number two she's recently been dethroned…"

Sophie laughed at Kate's look of shock. "Me? Second?! You only think that because time has eroded your memory," Kate quickly recovered.

"My memory is just fine, K," Sophie countered with a side-eyed glance before breaking into laughter.

Does Sophie know she's flirting? Kate wondered as she stared into Sophie's eyes - bright and warm. Kate realized there was almost a whole new depth to them. She imagined it was brought on by Sophie telling her mom. Kate recalled the days she'd spent getting lost in them at the Academy and suddenly the experience felt tenfold. There was a pang of regret that their time together hadn't included this change in Sophie, because it may have all ended differently. Or not ended. Kate watched Sophie's smile at their conversation, and she found her eyes lingering on Sophie's lips a moment too long. She was struck by the memory of kissing them on the rooftop a week ago. That instance was far too short for Kate's liking. A warmth filled her as she recalled the feeling again, and she wondered if Sophie had thought about it since - the fullness of Sophie's lips on hers, hands running down her body, grabbing at her, desperately trying to get closer...

"I… we- we should get out of here," Kate said, interrupting her own thoughts. "It's late - you should get home."

"Oh, uh, right - sure," Sophie responded, caught off guard by Kate's sudden transition. Kate stood quickly and walked her glass over to the bar. "This was - it was nice to catch up," Sophie said, trying to break the weird vibe that had just hijacked the night's mood.

"Yea," said Kate distractedly. You're a gnat, Kate accused herself, why are you fighting this? You're having fun.

"Right well I-"

"Although, I've been meaning to ask - oh, no, sorry, you go," Kate conceded, rolling over on her split second of courage.

"Oh, no, it was nothing. What'd you want to ask?" Sophie pressed.

"Oh, uhm, just - I was just wondering if you knew how you were going to get home tonight?" You are pathetic Kate chastised herself.

"Oh, I -"

"Because I've got my bike," Kate said, "and could give you a lift - if you needed it, I mean." Good recovery, Kane, she mentally applauded herself.

"Oh!" Sophie replied, clearly taken aback. "But you've been drinking all night, Kate."

"Nah, I switched to kombucha before Mary left. The staff keeps it in a whisky common bottle behind the bar."

"Oh, that's clever," Sophie said, except I've been blabbing my tipsy mouth off like a fool for the last hour to a sober Kate Kane. "I had planned on just grabbing a taxi… but if - if it's not too much trouble, a ride would be - that'd be great." Sophie stammered out in response, and was privately kicking herself for not seeming cooler about it. Throwing caution to the wind, Sophie realized she wasn't ready for the night to end.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this relaxed. Maybe being on suspension was going to do her some good. It didn't hurt that Kate made it feel like she had been transported back four years to when being carefree was something she flirted with.

"Great," Kate half choked through her enthusiasm mixed with gut-wrenching nerves. Sophie is going to be on your bike, she thought. And you sound like a teen with a crush.

It took only a few minutes to lock up the bar. Sophie lingered as Kate made the rounds, and she felt her stomach flutter with butterflies in anticipation. She couldn't count the number of times she'd been on a motorcycle with Kate. They had used it to leave campus at least weekly to get some privacy, so this was nothing new, but Sophie's mind was reeling with anticipation. This is just a ride home, she tried convincing herself, this isn't anything more than that, Moore. Pull yourself together.

"All set," Kate said, swapping the bar keys into her pocket as she pulled out the bike's keys before tossing Sophie a helmet. "Sorry, you get the dinky helmet," she said with a smirk.

"I see that hasn't changed."

Kate watched Sophie put on the dopy little helmet. Having a second rider was such an uncommon occurrence that Kate never bothered to upgrade the second helmet, but as she saw Sophie strap it on, she remembered how adorable she wore it. She shook herself and approached the bike, "You remember how to ride a -"

"Ride a bike? Yea, Kate. It's not rocket science."

Kate was trying desperately to keep it cool. She had stalled in the bar locking up - rechecking the locks twice before leaving the space. She climbed onto the bike, suddenly aware of how close Sophie would be to her in mere moments. She turned back toward Sophie just as she climbed on the back, and the weight of the bike shifted. Sophie's thighs rested against Kate's lower back, and she felt a warmth against her back. Kate couldn't remember the last time they'd been this close - the rooftop kiss was one instance, but the batsuit wasn't the most intimate of materials.

"Uh-uhm, all - all good?" Kate asked dumbly. The only way to make this 'all good' is to take you back into the bar and kis-

"Yea."

"Great," Kate choked out before starting the bike. She felt Sophie's hands find her waist and Kate felt herself exhale sharply. Be chill, Kane, Kate muttered to herself before shifting into gear and pulling out of the alley into the street.


Less than fifteen minutes later, Kate was slowing down in front of Sophie's apartment building. Sophie had spent the entire ride wishing it would never end: the rush of the crisp night air and the contrasting warmth of Kate against her. There was an ease with which Kate rode a motorcycle, and in the midst of it all, Sophie didn't realize she had slowly slipped her hands around Kate's torso, pulling them closer together. Upon slowing, she noticed and quickly recoiled them back to a more platonic spot on Kate's waist.

Sophie begrudgingly prepared to dismount the bike as Kate brought it to a halt. She realised by the continued hum of the engine that Kate wasn't planning to linger. A second wave of disappointment swept over Sophie as she adjusted herself to leave. She leaned into Kate, grabbing her waist to steady herself as she stepped off the bike. She felt Kate tense slightly at Sophie's touch and suddenly hoped it wasn't too obvious a gesture.

"Want to come up for a nightcap?" Sophie offered. You really shouldn't have done that, she immediately regretted. This wasn't a drunken fling or a casual hook up. This was Kate.

"It's pretty late, Soph," Kate began, fending off her impulses to jump at the opportunity. Kate had spent the entire ride weighing her options about Sophie. She'd spent all night trying to explain away her feelings for Sophie as purely nostalgic, but their time at the bar only solidified how Sophie was still the beautiful, charming, caring person she'd been in love with for years. That made what Kate knew she had to do so hard. Sophie deserved someone who could be committed and reliable, and Kate realised that to be that meant living a life without Batwoman.

Luke's words rang through her ears about Bruce's constant struggle with his life beyond the mask. Kate was only now just realizing the pain that could bring.

Kate looked at Sophie standing in front of her - her hair a mess from the helmet, wearing that simple, perfectly form-fitting black dress. Kate had spent years falling in love with her and even more years being in love with her. She was absolutely perfect.

Kate cut the engine, "That'd be great. As long as you have La-"

"Lagavulin? Of course," Sophie responded with a knowing glimmer in her eye.


"Well, this is it," Sophie said, flipping on the lights as she entered the apartment.

Kate trailed closely behind her, pretending like she'd never seen the space before. To be fair, she hadn't - her one and only other visit here had been limited to the terrace, but she had seen enough through the windows to get a sense for the layout.

Sophie walked into the kitchen, and the sound of clinking glassware meant she was portioning out the next round. Kate took in the space more properly: the flat was a modest, open-planned unit. The entrance brought you directly into the main living space. To the right was the kitchen, half-concealed from the entrance by a partial wall, but it opened up and an island united it with a small dining space just beyond that. A line of floor-to-ceiling glass ran along the edge of the apartment, and Kate quickly identified the terrace just beyond. She also noted wooden doors: one presumably to the bathroom, and the other, more importantly, to the bedroom.

"How did you know where I lived?" Sophie asked suddenly from the kitchen. She re-entered carrying two glasses of slightly differing brown liquids.

Kate paused, realizing she only knew because Batwoman knew. "You told me, no? Back at the bar."

Sophie stared back at Kate skeptically. Her eyes were narrowed trying to recall the instance, "Are you sure?"

Kate forced a laugh, "Yea Soph, maybe you shouldn't have that nightcap."

"Honestly, I don't remember," she responded, offering Kate her glass, "but I also don't remember the last time we'd been alone together this long without fooling around, so," she said, raising her glass, "here's to that."

This is going to end so badly, Kate thought to herself.