I neither owned nor created Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Leslie Thomkins, Lucius Fox, or even Fredrick. I did however, create Madge and introducing Evelyn Elizabeth Thomkins and Juniper the dog.

This story is for entertainment purposes only, so please read and be entertained.

Leslie had been up and about the house for an hour after tossing in her bed for two. She'd woken within the dark cavern of her room around 4 AM and found herself unable to fall back into sleep. When her doorbell rang around 7 AM, she opened the door just a crack. As she peeped out, her mouth dropped open. She shut the door, undid the chain lock, and flung it open. Then she looked the figure more like her own up and down before staring at the other on her doorstep drooling upon it. Leslie pointed to this furrier visitor and shouted, "Evelyn Elizabeth Thomkins what is that?"

"It's Juniper my dear sister."

"Juniper" gave a woof and low growl at his reluctant host. Dr. Leslie Thomkins stared down at the beast with a slight scowl of her own while drawing herself up to her full height and pursing her lips. "And why have you brought him up onto 'my' porch, dear little sister?"

Evelyn Elizabeth Thomkins shrugged. "What else am I supposed to do after learning my 'only' sister was kidnapped and held hostage for nearly 24 hours." She gave the other woman a slight grin. "Am I allowed in, Leslie?"

The lady of the house set a hand on her hip. "It's not 'you' I'm unsure of letting in."

Evelyn lifted her chin and put fresh snootiness into her tone. "Oh pish-posh. Juniper's house-trained, I assure you. 'And' I've just the thing in this bag to make you two fast-friends." She held up a rather flat paper bag with a rectangular shape inside it pushing against its sides. It made relatively little noise when she moved it so.

Leslie peered at it with narrowed eyes. "And what exactly is this affection-inducing miracle you have with you?"

Evelyn smirked. "Bacon."

. . .

The sisters drank tea while bacon sizzled on a griddle atop Leslie's stove. Juniper sat beside Evelyn's chair staring up at the steam rising into the air his nostrils twitching. Evelyn still held the other end of his leash. Leslie turned her still-hard stare upon her younger sister again. "Where did you get this one? He looks old."

Juniper chose that moment to lower himself onto the tile floor with evident stiffness. Grey hairs poked out of the russet-brown spots on his otherwise white coat. He gave a soft canine sigh of strained patience even as his tail swept across the floor.

Evelyn sipped her tea a bit and pursed her lips while staring sadly down at the creature. "He belonged to Anne."

Leslie's face creased in sadness. She made a slightly guilty face as she lifted her teacup to her mouth again. "Oh."

"You know we were always dear friends, sharing a love for dogs that not 'everyone' feels." Evelyn turned her own blue eyes back upon Leslie while sipping her tea again.

Leslie rolled her eyes while setting her cup back down in its saucer. "Yes, well, cats 'are' quieter."

"Spoken like someone who's never owned a pet of any kind."

"I've always had plenty of humans to look after, Evelyn."

"And now you need more than humans to look after 'you'."

Leslie quirked up an eyebrow. "Oh, do I?"

"If you're going to get caught up in all the dangerous doings around here, you'll need more protection."

"Alfred, Lucius, and Fredrick are all still around."

"You 'know' Fredrick won't be here much longer, and Alfred and Lucius don't live with you." Evelyn smirked and lifted her teacup to her mouth, "much as you'd like that, sister dear."

Leslie rolled her eyes. "Please, you're the one who's always flirted with Lucius."

"And I remember the look you gave me when I flirted with Alfred once."

"You were married!"

"Oh, I just liked watching the Englishman's face go red and hearing him sputter. I didn't know I'd illicit the same reaction from you too … then. I've figured it out now." Evelyn winked at her sister.

Leslie stared back with narrowed eyes while drumming her fingers on the table. A creak came from upstairs. Leslie glanced up and then back down while picking up her cup again. "I have guests … I feel much safer with them than I will with your solution." She turned narrowed back upon the dog lying on the floor beside her sister.

For the first time that morning, Elizabeth frowned, and her tone took on a testiness. "If you keep having such 'guests' over, you'll probably need protection from at least a few of them."

Leslie drank another sip of tea before advancing her next argument. "I was kidnapped in the parking lot of the clinic, not from my own house."

"But you might be taken from here the 'next' time."

Juniper woofed. Leslie noticed the bacon slices on the stove were curling up in crispiness. She turned around in her chair, rose, and stepped over to pick a fork up from the counter. "So how did you decide on 'Juniper' for me."

"I was going to keep him for myself. He'd been keeping Anne company since her husband died and is used to 'elderly' owners with smaller apartments and yards. Being a 'senior' himself he's not fond of exercise anymore, so your old bones don't need to worry about that."

Leslie rolled her eyes as she picked up one bacon strip and set it off away from the others on the opposite end of the griddle. "How droll, Lizzie ..."

Eveyln Elizabeth, or "Lizzie," grinned at Leslie's back as she continued. "She spoiled him rotten those few last years. In return he greeted everyone at the door to a positively terrifying bark that almost shakes the house. You can see how he's guarding me now. All it takes to go from being the 'guarded-against' to being the 'guarded by,' though, is a strip of bacon."

Leslie glanced over her shoulder at the dog staring up at her and now licking his lips. "I suppose I better not let 'that' tidbit of knowledge get loose on Gotham's streets."

She watched a bit off drool drop from Juniper's jowls to land on her kitchen floor. She flinched and turned back to the bacon. Her sister chirruped behind her. "So, you'll keep him then?"

Leslie set her fork down on the stove-top with a clang. "Lizzie. I am not keeping a dog."

At her tone of voice Juniper rose to all four of his feet and growled. Lizzie began to run her hand over his head and back while cooing. "Leslie, I'm certain you'll both soon be the very best of friends. You're both really just two, big softies with only a little bit of bite: paranoid about those you care about, loving toward those your loyal too."

"Oh please …"

"I worried for you when I heard from Lucius."

Leslie turned sadder and softer eyes over her shoulder to meet Lizzie's then serious gaze. The big sister sighed as her shoulder's dropped and she turned back to the food. "I figured."

"Why won't you give me this, so I can rest easier tonight?"

Leslie turned back to the bacon and let out a huff. Silence covered the room except for sizzling and popping. Leslie pulled a piece off, held it up in the air, twirled it around to cool and then bit off a piece herself to see if it burned her mouth before tossing the rest toward Juniper's front feet. She'd have to clean the floor later anyway, or someone would.

As Juniper wolfed up the strip, Leslie glanced a scowl at her sister who was grinning at her as if she'd won. Juniper was chomping down the last bit of meat in his mouth and was now standing on all four feet wagging his tail and staring up at Leslie with a panting, happy grin and wide, brown eyes The latter gleamed with adoration in the fluorescent lights above them. Leslie huffed, but her own gaze softened as she met his gaze. She gave a half-smile.

Madge strolled straight in through the swinging door. She nearly fell back on her bottom at the ferocious "woof" Juniper gave as he bounded between her and Leslie. Then he lowered his head. A low growl filtered through his throat as the hair on his back spiked upwards.

Madge had a death-grip on the door handle. Her knuckles turned white. Her wide brown eyes stared back into the face of the hound.

Leslie spoke in a droll tone behind her guardian. "It's alright …" She lifted another strip up on her fork. "My sister brought bacon . . ."

. . .

Bruce flipped to one more page in the photo album. They were both nine. His smile was grimmer then, hers still bright. Bruce could see his own hands clenched into fists at his sides in the photo. He touched the image with a fingertip.

. . .

She came up to him, gentle and slow. He sat in the shade of a building, head bowed. He didn't know why they'd brought him here. They'd said the change of continent would help, but it hadn't. It was just another place they weren't.

She sat down beside him. He didn't move away. She hadn't been like some who thought they were "helping." He wished everyone would leave him alone and stop trying, when there was nothing they could do. No one could do anything except help him be the one to find and stop "him." If they couldn't do that then why did they keep trying other things?

Her dark hand appeared under his face for a moment before slipping away again. A folded piece of paper landed in his lap. Bruce blinked at and then stared at it for a full minute. The dull despair that usually bound him continued to hold him still during that time, but the natural curiosity buried deep beneath the belief nothing mattered anymore bubbled up and took control as he let it at least for now.

He reached out and took hold of the paper lifting it up to hold it closer beneath his eyes. It was old paper, not ancient but a few years old at least. He unfolded it and read the familiar handwriting after giving a start.

"To my Favorite student,

Know I am so proud of you! Getting to know you and teach you has been one of the greatest thrills of my life, and to have you in my class of all times and places is a wondrous surprise and honor! I was astounded by your quick mind and firm work-ethic, your brimming desire to know more and challenge yourself and others around you! I thank God for leading you to us, and look forward to watching as you grow in body, mind, and soul! God Bless all your endeavors for him and may they all be good. You've got far to much power in that head of yours for the earth to take it if things turn out otherwise. So, be wise in how you use it for his glory!

God Bless and keep you always on the straight and narrow!

Martha Bridgett Wayne

A soft smile played over Bruce's lips. He mumbled words under his breath he hadn't meant for a long time, "Thank you ..."

She smiled up at him shyly. He gave a shy, bashful grin back.

"Bruce! Bruce!"

He looked and smiled at the younger boy rushing up to him with a big smile. "Can you see my project now?"

Bruce rubbed his chin and mouth while gazing at the youngster. He'd seen the others hurrying the frowning boy away from him, overheard them telling him he'd have to talk to him later. The younger boy could not perhaps entirely yet grasp Dr. and Mrs. Wayne weren't coming back and how much that had changed the older boy from America who was "smart like him." He wanted to show off everything he'd been working on for someone who understood. Bruce didn't really feel like engaging in such an activity, but …

"Sure." He held out his hand.

The other boy grabbed it and pulled him off the bench and back into their world.

. . .

Well over a decade later, Bruce closed the photo-album and rose to his feet. He put it away, went to the piano, played the string of notes, glanced up to see the clock slide aside for him, stepped through the opening behind it, stood in the elevator as it went down, exited on the right floor, changed and walked up to the cot. He stared down at the man lying on it. "Time to go to work, Lawton."

Hi everybody, sorry it's been so long. Hopefully this was worth the wait. Tell me what you thought.

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes