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Starlight Mints-Eyes of the Night
Chapter 23
Another week passed at Wayne Manor. Edward called Isabelle every night that week to be sure she was okay. During those phone calls she would reassure him that she was doing just fine. She wouldn't tell him where she was staying though and she wasn't sure when she'd be back in the city. Jim had told Oswald she wouldn't be back but something in her gut told her that was far from the truth. She would listen as Edward told her about any happenings at work and sometimes she could hear video game sounds in the background. The first call had surprised her though.
"Hello?"
"Isabelle!" the familiar and cheerful voice sounded in her ear.
"Edward!? How did you-"
"Your Uncle Gordon gave me your number. I…I was there in the station when you were…unconscious. I was trying to get you conscious, actually."
Isabelle gasped. "Oh gosh Edward."
"It's quite all right. I was just worried about you even though your uncle said you're fine. You, um, well you just so happen to be, possibly, hopefully, one of the few friends I have in Gotham, actually. I was hoping, maybe to cheer you up, we could meet up again?"
She could hear the nervousness in his voice and she smiled. "I would like that."
~O.o~
Another day had passed of Isabelle reading through the library in the Wayne Mansion, of moments where Bruce and Cat and sometimes Isabelle bonded. Isabelle taught the two to play Ninja and even convinced Alfred to join in for a couple of rounds. They played for hours until dinner, after which Cat wandered into Isabelle's room where she had just finished painting her fingernails black.
Cat stretched out on the bed. "Could you paint my nails?"
"Sure," Isabelle smiled and proceeded to paint Cat's fingernails with the black polish.
"So, you like Bruce," Isabelle stated.
"What? No way. He's just a kid."
"So are you. He likes you too."
Isabelle could see that Cat was concealing a smile as her cheeks turned pink.
"Don't worry; I won't say anything to him," Isabelle promised.
"It doesn't matter. I don't like him."
Isabelle looked at Cat. "I have an instinct about these things," she teased.
Cat rolled her eyes and then the two of them busted into a fit of laughter.
"So, Alfred's not that bad, I guess," Selina remarked.
"Not that bad looking, you mean?" Isabelle teased.
"Ew," Selina exclaimed and the two of them had another fit of laughter.
Alfred appeared in the doorway, about to say something, when the girls saw him and laughed even harder.
Isabelle had a hand to her chest, waving the other in front of her. "I'm sorry," she tried to get her breath. "Alfred, what is it?"
"Nothing, just coming to say that your little camping idea is all ready to go in the backyard Miss Gordon."
"Great! We'll be out there in a few minutes. And Alfred? It's okay if you call me Isabelle."
Alfred nodded and left the room.
"Camping?" Cat asked.
"Well, both you and Bruce mentioned you've never been camping before. I know doing it in the backyard isn't the same, but, it'll be just as fun."
Cat considered the idea as she inspected her freshly polished nails. "Will there be s'mores?"
Isabelle smiled. "Absolutely."
An hour later the three youngest people were seated around the fire snuggled into sleeping bags and wrapped up in hats and gloves to keep the cold night air out. Alfred was sitting in a chair, wrapped up as well. He couldn't help but smile at his three young charges as they made s'mores and laughed amongst each other. They were making up a story, each of them taking a turn and adding to it, causing the story to grow more ridiculous by the minute.
Alfred smiled when Bruce handed him a s'more he'd just put together. "Thank you Bruce."
"No, thank you Alfred, for letting Cat and Isabelle stay here. I haven't had so much fun in quite some time."
Alfred smiled warmly at Bruce before ruffling his hair with his free hand. Bruce chuckled and gently smacked Alfred's hand away.
There were two tents set up, one for the boys and one for the girls. After a while the s'mores were gone, the laughter died down and the fire did the same. When only hot coals remained Alfred noticed Cat and Bruce's eyes getting droopy and suggested they climb into the tents and get some sleep.
~O.o~
Oswald was frustrated after not getting anything on Isabelle from poor Timothy but he was pleased to find that Fish had a rat in Falcone's ranks. Oswald decided to pay a visit to Fish after finding the perfume in Liza's apartment. Fish's words from before still plagued his thoughts and he wondered if Jim Gordon had really been telling the truth about Isabelle. Oswald had avoided calling her, even though he considered it numerous times a day.
Isabelle was on her way down the stairs when a beeping sound came from her phone. "Oh, hold on Edward, I'm getting another call."
Without even looking to see who it was, she answered, "Hello?"
A sigh of relief. "Isabelle."
"Oswald."