Friday, February 11, 2000; 8:53pm – Café Presto; Hilo, Hawaii

Originally she had second thoughts about this. Firstly, all she had promised to do was take him to see Mauna Kea. Dinner was another story. But somehow, Bruce had managed to convince her that they should grab something to eat before turning in for the night.

And that brought her to her other doubt. The restaurant she had in mind, the restaurant she had just pulled into the parking lot for, was no place for a billionaire. It was like a four-star restaurant for her, and like McDonalds for him. The fanciest place in Hilo that she knew of only took reservations, required formal attire, and a dinner for two cost more than a tank of gas. But if there was anything that she learned today, Bruce Wayne and money were only associated by reputation. Bruce himself was nothing like the playboy billionaire the tabloids raved on about.

That thought alone was the only reason why she turned off her truck and now walked alongside said boy billionaire, fighting down her sudden anxiety with a smile.

What was wrong with her? By now, she knew he didn't care. It had to be her mother's habits instilled in her now making her nervous.

Her mom used to hate having company over. With their small house always a pigsty, she always feared that others looked down their noses at them because of it. Now, with a startling realization, Ana understood that she had that same anxiety instilled in her. Unconsciously, she would probably always think that anyone who had more money than her, such was Bruce Wayne, looked down their noses at her.

She tried to shake the feeling off, but her suddenly sour expression gave her away.

"Are you alright?" he suddenly asked, startling her.

She glanced up at him quickly with a nod. "Yeah, of course. Just tired is all."

He eyed her suspiciously while she pretended not to notice as they approached the door.

As the gentlemen she had quickly learned him to be, his long arm reached the door first to hold it open for her. Even though he'd been acting chivalrous all day, she still wasn't quite used to it and slunk through the doorway as her cheeks flushed.

The hostess greeted them with a friendly smile, even though it was barely five minutes before they closed, and led them to a small booth that lined the windows. There were only a few people left up at the small bar, and a couple of other couples scattered around the restaurant, all of whom were talking quietly with the sounds of classical music and the occasional clattering dishes. Without speaking, Ana absently buried herself in the menu while she assumed Bruce did the same. And as she looked over all the different entrées, she wasn't even sure if she was hungry. Sometimes she had the appetite of an elephant, which made even some of the guys at the firehouse stare in awe as she won food eating bets with Travis. But other times she could go two or three days without eating anything more than just an apple.

Apparently today was one of those days.

Deciding on a shrimp appetizer that she figured she could stomach, she lowered the menu to find Bruce gazing out the window, that dark expression back. But she only caught it for a moment before his attention returned to her.

"What are you getting?" he suddenly asked.

She quirked a brow. "I think that's the first serious question you've asked all day." Now he rose his eyebrows beneath those long bangs. "You've always turned my questions on me." He still looked lost. "Never mind. Shrimp. What are you getting?"

He shrugged, "Shrimp sounds good."

She scoffed, "Bruce, you can't get the same thing as me. That's…cheating."

He laughed—actually laughed, a deep chuckle that made her smile, "Cheating? I'm just saying shrimp sounds good. So what if that's what I want?"

Sheesh. She was beginning to think he was worse than Travis. "Forget it." She went to fiddling with the folded menu in front of her, her fingers bending the already-bent edges while she studied the pictures on the front.

"We make a great couple," he added, causing Ana's gaze to dart upwards to him again. Did he just say 'couple'? "Neither of us like to talk much."

She eyed him as he remained in his relaxed position, slouched back with his arms crossed. But after a moment, her gaze returned to the menu as she shrugged with an accompanying small smile. "Sorry I'm not full of fun topics to talk about. But I can suspect why you'd be sick of talking, talking to reporters and those people that stalk you."

"Like you?"

Her eyes met his dark ones again. "Hey, I do not stalk you. I—"

"Relax," he chuckled. "I was kidding."

Yes, he was really funny. Her eyes narrowed at him before they returned once more to the menu, just as their waitress approached. "Hi, my name's Mary and I'll be taking care of you folks tonight. Can I start you two off with some drinks?"

Both Ana and Bruce looked at each other, almost daring the other to go first. Giving in as the waitress chose to lock eyes with Ana, she spoke up, "I'll just have a water, please."

"And for you, sir?"

"A water, too."

Ana shook her head, which Bruce noticed, but the waitress did not. "Alright, two waters it is." And she was already on her way, glancing over her shoulder hesitantly towards Bruce.

Poor Bruce. Already instantly recognized by the waitress. Either that, or she just thought he was too handsome to resist looking at. Ana snickered at the thought.

"Now what?" Bruce asked in response to her snicker.

"According to the tabloids, you go to Yale. How's the Ivy League treating you?" Ana suddenly replied with, surprising herself.

A forced smile made its way into Bruce's expression, causing more questions to pop into Ana's mind. Maybe she could actually ask them all now. Get the interview of a lifetime, even though she wasn't much of a reporter. And even if she was a reporter, the questions she was thinking about that forced smile and those dark looks that she now associated most with Bruce were not ones she would publish. "Fine. Just how an Ivy League is supposed to," he finally managed.

Ana looked at him, disbelieving, "Really. Hilo isn't much of a university. The Ivy Leagues are like the stereotype. Like, for instance, surely you're in a fraternity."

Bruce's smile fell and he shook his head. "No fraternities. I thought the tabloids would tell you that."

"Well, to be honest, I have no clue where I got Yale from. I really don't read the tabloids. If you remember, it took me how many times meeting you to figure out that you're the Prince of Gotham? And if I hadn't met your butler the other day, I probably still would only know you as Bruce."

Her backtracking seemed to improve his mood a little. He looked ready to smile again. "Well then, since you seem to be clueless while the rest of the world knows my whole life story, I should probably fill you in. Just so you don't feel left out," he added with a smirk.

Ana grinned, "Hey, if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to, smartass. I did find out how touchy you are about your name."

"Yes, but that was before I learned you be different from most people," he said quietly, before continuing on more lightheartedly, "You don't care if I have billions or live in a box, you still keep bothering me."

"Oh, bothering you now? Fine. You were free to be parted from me; it was you who insisted on dinner."

He smiled, his dark blue eyes hiding something now as they moved from Ana to the approaching waitress. She gently set down the two water glasses on the coasters before whipping out her pen and notepad. "There you folks go. Now, do you two want any appetizers to start with or do we already know what we want?"

Once more, Bruce and Ana exchanged unsure glances, but this time Bruce spoke up before too long of an awkward silence could pass. "I think we're ready."

"Alright, then. What would you like?"

"I'll have the fillet," Bruce continued, since it was obvious the waitress's full attention was now on him.

"And how would you like that cooked?"

"Medium rare, please."

"And what kind of sides?"

"I think I'll go with the baked potato and mixed vegetables."

"Perfect." The waitress finished scribbling her shorthand and turned to Ana, "And what would you like?"

"I'll just have the shrimp appetizer, please."

"Sure thing. And I'll get those right out to you both." She paused, getting ready to step away from the table, but decided against it and turned back towards Bruce. "Excuse me, but you look exactly like Bruce Wayne, the billionaire. I'm sure you get that a lot."

Ana, who was already taking a drink of water, nearly choked while Bruce replied as smooth as ever, "Yes, I do. But he's a bit older than me and his voice is a bit deeper."

"Hm," the waitress muttered as she pondered the idea for a moment before finally turning away and heading towards the kitchen, where a couple other waitresses hovered.

Once she was out of earshot, Ana couldn't contain her laughter any longer. She managed to swallow before coughing and laughing at the same time. Bruce watched her humorously. "I'm betting you do that a lot."

"Every chance I get," Bruce replied with that devilishly handsome smile of his.

Friday, February 11, 2000; 9:24pm – Café Presto; Hilo, Hawaii

"I attended Gotham University for about a year and a half, which isn't an Ivy League school, mind you," Bruce was saying in between astonishingly gentleman-like bites.

They had strayed from the topic of Bruce's recent history to cover Ana's, much to her displeasure. But she suspected it was because Bruce was waiting for their waitress to drop off their food and leave them in piece for a little while, while he could explain himself.

Ana nodded, absently finishing off the shrimp in her fork before pushing the tail off the utensil.

"Now I've been at Yale for another year."

"Why'd you leave Gotham University? Your house—er, mansion is in Gotham, right?" Ana interrupted, but Bruce didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

"I figured it was best if I got out of the city. My friend, Rachel Dawes, had already gone on to Harvard, so I had little keeping me there."

"What about Alfred?"

Bruce smiled slightly. "Sometimes I think Alfred likes it better when I'm gone."

Ana shook her head, her fork stabbing another shrimp. "I doubt that. He seems less like someone who works for you and more like your friend." Bruce's smile fell again, causing Ana to move on, "What are you majoring in?"

Bruce shrugged, taking another bite of his own. "Medicine, business, engineering," he started once he'd finished eating. "Right now I'm back to being undecided."

"Wow. You should combine all three. Create a new major, just for you."

He chuckled.

"So why didn't you like any of those areas?"

"Well, medicine was my father's specialty. It was the first thing I tried, but…" he fell silent for a moment, causing Ana to worry. Though she hadn't mentioned it to him, she knew the other part of the Bruce Wayne legend. He wasn't just a playboy billionaire, but an orphaned one. She knew him well enough by now that that was definitely a topic to be avoided.

Ana was munching absently on the next piece of shrimp when he continued, "Business is what started my family fortune. Not only would it 'properly' prepare me for managing Wayne Enterprises, but it's an easy major. But the engineering classes I took I actually had an active interest in—"

The waitress suddenly approached, that wary smile still in place. "How's everything over here?"

"Great," Ana said for the both of them, while Bruce clearly wasn't in the mood any more to put on a show. "Thanks."

Mary nodded, hesitating again before disappearing back towards the kitchen.

"So what brings you here, Bruce?" Ana began for him once Mary was gone again. "Alfred gave us the technical details, that your jet engine, like, swallowed a bird." That brought his spirits back; she was getting good at this. "But what were you doing in Australia?"

"The honest and simple truth? Alfred kidnapped me."

Ana laughed. "Well I can see why. He missed you and you never visited him."

"I'd better not let you talk to him anymore. You might give him more ideas that I might not like."

She smiled, but it faded into a more sentimental one as her fork stabbed at the decorative lettuce on her plate. "One more question for you, Bruce. How has your make-shift vacation in Hawaii been so far?"

Bruce smiled as well, hesitating as he seemed to be debating about what answer to give her. "Honestly, it's been the best vacation I've had yet." Ana beamed, but Bruce continued with that air of playfulness he was so skilled at when it came to his sarcasm. "I'm not being hounded by paparazzi and I'm not in the hospital, but this stalker just might ruin it all for me."

She rolled her eyes as she scoffed. "If you call me a stalker one more time, I'll actually start acting like one."

He laughed, "I don't think you could be one if you tried."

"Oh yeah? Well look at all the stuff I know about you now. I'd probably be the best—and worst—stalker you've ever had."

A/N: First off, I want to thank all of you who have made it this far, added this to your favorites/alerts, and even reviewed it. Thank you. But as much as I appreciate your reviews, they've all been too positive, motivating me to keep going. If you all could find it in your hearts to leave me some reviews with some criticism, it would be greatly appreciated, and I might just return the favor when I get a chance. Like, these past couple of chapters leave me feeling like I keep repeating myself. Using the same words and phrases.

Once more, thank you all for reading!