VII

"She agreed?" The Batman eyed Gordon from the depths of the cowl.

"She really wants to talk to you." Gordon said.

"And if I refuse?"

"I'll have to let her go."

"You would do that?"

"I promised Selina that I would let her speak to you, if she let me take her in." Gordon raised his palms as if to indicate, 'I am powerless'. "I'll keep my word, or I'll give her back her freedom… at least for now."

"You're risking a lot," Batman was beginning to sound as if he were about to pull one of his patented disappearing acts.

"I know. I guess I was counting on you to do me the favor." Gordon admitted.

"…Where is she?"

Maybe he was feeling warmer towards her because she had momentarily forgotten her self-preservation instincts and done something truly noble; risking her life and freedom to tangle with The Joker and save the Commissioner and his family. Maybe his feelings towards her had never been that chilly in the first place.

Selina Kyle had taken the mask off again. She was sitting on the Commissioner's bed, cross-legged and waiting. She didn't look the least bit surprised or intimidated when The Batman appeared in the doorway. Gordon was on the phone in the kitchen, talking to his frantic wife. The kids were pretending not to eavesdrop on the two conversations going on in the other parts of their home.

"Hi Bats," Selina said in that same breathy voice that she always used when the two of them encountered each other late at night.

"What do you want?"

Selina brushed a hand over her face, "Surprised?"

"No."

Her smile fell, "You knew who I was?"

"I suspected."

"Why didn't you turn me in sooner?"

"I had to catch you in the act," he growled, dipping his face low so that his mouth and chin had better shadow in the lamplight.

"No, you didn't," her eyes were intense on him, suspicious and angry.

"I appreciate you doing the right thing."

Catwoman smiled and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I wish I could say the same thing."

He said nothing, but watched her brood, waiting for the elaboration or a point.

"Why did you go after me?"

Still he refused to speak. What could he say to that? He couldn't tell her the truth: that he had let his personal feelings interfere with doing what had to be done, for the first time in over two full years of protecting Gotham, he had made the wrong choice, intentionally.

"For the record—I have no idea what The Joker was doing there. I came to steal the diamond and he just… I don't know why he was there—but then you showed up and I was sure you would go after him, and let me take the Harlequin diamond—I mean—priorities?! Right?" she was growing exponentially angrier with every phrase—her voice was loud enough that she felt fairly confident that the Commissioner and his family could hear everything. "And you caught me, and let him go."

"Priorities."

"Yes!" said Selina, exasperated. She got to her feet, "Priorities… you could have caught a homicidal psychopath or a jewel-thief." He raised her hands pointedly.

"…Would you believe me if I said that, for once… I was thinking more about my own safety than about the safety of this city."

"No. You never think like that."

"I did, for a split second, I made the selfish choice."

"Well…" she looked a little confused, but quickly covered it up with a sly, sensual sway. She walked towards him, "What's good for Batman is good for Gotham… I just don't understand why I am such a big threat to you." She stopped, barely a foot in front of him and stared him down, "Then again," she leaned into his face, but didn't let their lips touch, "Maybe I do."

He placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back a ways away from him, "Is that all?"

"No," she snapped. "You unmasked me."

"You're a criminal."

"And what are you? I don't want you to be exposed in front of the whole city, but I want to know. I think I deserve it."

"Why?"

"Because of all we've been through. Because I know I affect you, and because I'm just as in love with you now as I ever was, and I think you feel the same way."

"I read the tabloids. You're with Bruce Wayne," said Batman.

"I steal jewels for kicks, and Bruce Wayne owns more of them than any man in Gotham—I think we're over, as of last night."

"I was never meant to be a person-" he was starting to get exasperated. This was a very bad idea. Too much of Bruce was coming into Batman tonight.

"-I know. You're a symbol," she cut him off, "…I know. But there's a man under that cowl. I want to know who he is."

Batman was saved the trouble of giving her any kind of reply by a ragged shrieking from the front room. He disappeared in a black blur to see what was wrong. He ended up in the front room. Gordon had just found Amy in the closet, the kids were with him. Little Barbara moved aside as Batman appeared.

The girl was hysterical, "Commissioner!" she screamed, "Commissioner, this crazy woman-"

"-it's alright, Amy! It's alright, I'm glad you're okay… they're gone."

"They?" Amy suddenly noticed Batman. She let out an ear piercing shriek, as the Dark Knight hurried to disappear from her sight. The poor Commissioner began a futile attempt to calm her down, while Batman went back into the bedroom to find it empty.

Selina had changed her mind. He realised this with a painful nudge inside his chest. She must have realised that he wasn't going to give her anything that was worth exchanging her freedom. The window was open. She might not have gotten far. He thought about going after her. Then he went back to the cave.

Fun Fact: This is the last chapter without The Joker/Harley. After this, it's all about those two crazy kids… Batman and Catwoman aren't the focus here. They just serve as a good example for comparison. I think.

Song of the Chapter: Muse, "Map of the Problematique".