For all the people asking about romance, pairing etc, the way this is written is by having only one change to the story; Evelyn's existence. Nothing else has been changed, Bruce and Rachel still love each other etc.

HOWEVER, Evelyn's presence changes a lot of the story, and if you ever have any doubts about the endgame, double check the character list and be assured.

'Bored of the new house, already, ma'am?' Alfred asked as I got out of my Mercedes.

'Not quite, but there's a ruined dress sitting in the cave I should probably deal with, and whatever I was wearing before I changed into it. There's also some damage to my suit I'd like to have fixed before I go jumping into fights.'

Alfred nodded. 'Master Wayne is down in the cave, too.'

'Not on the walls, is he?'

'He is,' Alfred replied after a small, well timed pause, 'but I think it's safe for him now.'

I nodded knowingly, empathetic, and made my way to the cave.

'Could you pass me that light?' came Bruce's call when he heard the lift.

'What am I, your butler?'

A warm laugh bounced around the cave. 'Hello.'

I tossed him the light and then found the cloth that was once a dress and put it by the lift, and then immediately set about redesigning my suit.

It took a bit of work, but I did make progress.

Bruce came down from the cave walls to see what I'd done after a while.

'Horrible shirt,' I noted, nodding at him.

To lessen the feeling of fighting in a cardboard box, I'd tightened it to fit my waist tightly and redesigned the armour on the legs to be more flexible and hug my legs tightly, too.

Bruce ran a finger over the designs. 'Is this going to give away your body shape?' he asked.

'I'm making my cape bigger and starting further over my shoulders to curl around me,' I replied, tossing a scrunched-up blueprint over my shoulder. 'It's all very well looking like a solid brick wall, but I can't move properly.'

Bruce frowned thoughtfully, knowing exactly what I meant.

I pulled papers over each other. 'When I fought Ra's al Ghul here, without the suit, it was a lot easier. I need the suit to enhance me, not hinder me.'

Bruce nodded in agreement and started sketching over the drawings, too.

A better belt... that's where I'd start.

Not bad, and from there the legs need to be taken in, plated better, and I need to be able to turn my head...

Then-

'Miss Dawes is here to see you,' Alfred said a while later, making both of us jump twenty feet into the air, snapping out of our intense focus, away from the dozens of sketches.

I put a hand over my heart. 'You didn't train with the League of Shadows, did you, Alfred?' I breathed.

Alfred looked highly amused.

Then I remembered what had happened the last time I saw Rachel and froze as I thought it over.

Bruce did much the same.

Alfred blinked at us expectantly, amusement increasing at the sight of the people who'd made the awe-inspiring and terrifying Batman and Thunder come to life standing like rabbits in spotlights.

I cleared my throat and straightened my sleeves. 'Right.'

Legs slightly stiff, we managed to get ourselves into the lift.

'Where is she?' Bruce asked.

Alfred got into the lift and took us up. 'Walking around the grounds.'

We fled through the house and found her by the lake.

'Do you think she'll be really mad at you,' I began, making Bruce more on edge, 'or is she going to be really sweet and confess her undying love?'

That broke the tension in Bruce and he nearly groaned, sending me a long-suffering look that broke my own tension. I grinned evilly.

'By the lake is very romantic,' I continued, 'and now that she knows about your secret identity, it really-,'

'Anyway,' Bruce insisted, and I laughed.

I then made the mistake of looking at his expression and doubled over laughing, unable to walk.

Peeved but not entirely unamused, he stood there staring at me as I descended lower and lower to the ground the harder that I laughed until I was crouching on the ground, the height Bruce had over me doing nothing to make him feel any less belittled by my continuous cries of laughter.

Rachel appeared, having not been able to miss the noise.

I sobered up gradually as she approached. Bruce seemed to be hanging onto my lighter energy to keep his nerves in check.

With that in mind I tried to remain collected and nodded at Rachel, beginning to walk again.

We stopped when we came closer.

'I, uh…' Rachel's face twisted in uncertainty. 'I saw Bruce the other day, at the Narrows… are… are you…?'

'Yes,' I said, now making a herculean effort to be normal for Bruce's sake, 'I'm Thunder.'

Rachel didn't know me well enough for this to be an impact. I understood this and nodded encouragingly at her, stepping aside to get her to move to speak to Bruce before he started wishing he knew the secrets to spontaneous combustion.

'Thank you for trying to help Bruce that time at the dinner,' she said quietly as she walked past.

He quickly opened his mouth, with a glance at me to try and keep his courage. 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Rachel.'

'No,' she said immediately. 'No, Bruce… I'm sorry.'

I took a few more steps back, keen to avoid the sappy conversation.

'The day that Chill died, I… I said terrible things.'

'But true things,' Bruce assured her.

I began to switch off, leaving them to it, unable to keep the grin from my face, and crouched down to look at the tiny bugs hopping over the surface of the lake.

'But then I found out about your mask.'

That made my smile drop. I immediately frowned and looked up to the other shore of the lake, staring intently, mortified as I heard what was happening behind me.

'Batman's just a symbol, Rachel,' Bruce said.

'No. This…' Rachel gestured at Bruce in front of her, 'is your mask. Your real face is the one
that criminals now fear.'

I felt my feet tense. I determinedly assigned the blame for that to the fact that I was crouching and tried to ignore the conversation around me. Back to the tadpoles…

'The man I loved, the man who vanished… he never came back at all.'

My jaw tightened and I felt a sense of "oh no I'm not going to like this" creeping over me.

'But maybe he's still out there somewhere. Maybe someday, when Gotham no longer needs Batman, I'll see him again.'

I turned around for a moment and really studied her, before relinquishing my gaze and leaving them in peace, flexing my fingers as I felt it itching in my mind.

I was very uneasy by the time Rachel walked away. Bruce noticed.

'What?' he asked, practically seeing the cogs in my mind ticking over.

I stopped and turned on the balls of my feet, still crouched by the water. 'It's a philosophy, certainly,' I stated crisply.

Bruce narrowed his eyes at me, a small smile creeping over his face.

I blinked at him, seeing he wanted me to continue. I tried. 'You're better off having happiness before you give up being Batman, otherwise, how will you know when it's safe to do so?'

He frowned, knowing from my body language there was more to it than that. 'Evelyn.'

I sighed and stood up. 'Exactly what will you be giving up?'

Bruce blinked a couple of times before replying simply, 'Batman,' and folding his arms as he got confused.

'But what's Batman?' I gestured, frustrated.

He looked a little stumped at that, confusion deepening.

'Sure, the fighting criminals, lurking in shadows, risking our lives every night, that's Batman, but what about what came before? The drive, skills, depth, ethics, experience and empathy needed to make Batman came before we even made the cowls.'

His frown deepened and he swayed a little as he pondered my point.

'That's not Batman, not really, it's your skills, your drive. Can you give up the seven years of experience to revert? The potential has always been in you, since you were born, as part of who you are. How can you even give up parts of a personality at the snap of your fingers, is it possible?'

Bruce said nothing when I finished, tilting his head as he listened.

It was silent for a long time before I felt irritation creep into me again.

'And she called this,' I gestured at him up and down, ranting with a newfound persistence, 'a mask as well. But…well… it's not. Walking around in expensive suits and party girls and walking around as Batman are masks, certainly, but this right in front of me, here, now, Bruce Wayne, in plain clothes, is not a mask, this is when all the acting isn't needed.

'Batman isn't the only part of who you are, I know you, enough to know that the dork standing here in a hideous blue shirt is Bruce Wayne.' He laughed a little at my comment on his fashion, listening attentively. I felt fed up, it didn't sit right with me to see Bruce misunderstood by the woman he loved, not when I had fought next to him in the other cowl and knew exactly how and who he was, knowing that Rachel's philosophy couldn't be applied to him in the way she thought it could.

Bruce tilted his head, considering my words, frown turning thoughtful.

'Are you even certain that Rachel will wait? It could be years before Gotham doesn't need Batman. And with nothing to bring you happiness, who's to say there will be anything left of you when you can finally take off that cape and cowl for the last time?'

His stature slipped in surprise, arm falling out of the fold as I steamrolled further and further into the previously unconsidered. 'What?'

'Playboy persona to the public eye, Batman to the private and when you can just take your own time, you're on a dangerous path of only thinking about Batman. Go on joyrides,' I suggested, gesturing to the driveway and then into the air randomly, 'learn polo, learn music, play video games, get a pet! Or else there'll be nothing left of you when Rachel finally thinks you've given up enough of Batman to be considered not wearing a mask.'

He stared at me in a stupor for a while before I dipped my head in a nod and began to head out.

'Evelyn.'

I turned my head. 'Hm?'

A million thoughts were moving through Bruce's head and at least seven different emotions were dancing over his face when I met his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak and smiled a little to himself. 'Dumplings?'

My face softened, now calm, and I nodded, moving again. Bruce fell into step beside me a moment later. 'You're not making the dough.'

He burst out in a happy laugh.

A minute later as we got up the stairs to the house, he shoved my arm lightly, pushing me away. I laughed, correcting my balance and we walked into the manor.

The conversation had long since ended, but Bruce's mind dwelled on it. He knew I'd said it only to raise my serious concerns, but it shook his unshakeable love for Rachel an uncomfortable amount. Rachel and I were very different people.

End of Batman Begins