The next few days Ann got up two hours earlier than usual and began doing a thorough workout in her basement which had been created into a gym.

For a few weeks she kept doing her new routine until one day when she was about to leave work at the time she had been leaving for a year now someone knocked on her door.

Ann put a hand to her head looked at the door when the person knocked again, opening it she was about to sigh when her eyes fell upon someone she hadn't met before and she would remember him since he was quite handsome.

For a split second she frowned before she put her 'mask' on where no emotions showed on her face but the mysterious guy had seen the frown "Ann Johnson?"

Ann nodded "Yes?"

"I was sent here to talk to you to make sure I am mentally stable after my seven year absence and apparent death." He had a little twinkle in his eyes when he said this and Ann spotted it.

Stepping out of the way she motioned for him to enter the room. Closing the door she went to her computer and asked "Name?"

"Bruce Wayne."

If she had guessed who he was she wouldn't have come up with that so she looked at him to see if he was lying then shrugged typing it in after the file came up she motioned for him to sit down on one of the couches.

Noticing his look Ann smiled "You really don't want to be here do you Mr Wayne?"

Bruce smiled "Is it that obvious? Also please call me Bruce."

"Very obvious actually and call me Ann." Leaning back she asked "So want to talk about anything?"

Frowning slightly Bruce says "Aren't you meant to be asking me questions not having a normal conversation with me."

Standing up Ann went and stood in front of where Bruce sat "I rather have conversations rather than boring questions. I still get the answers I need for my reports through a conversation. As I will read your body language and listen to your tone of voice and see if and how you react to certain subjects."

Bruce nodded "I like you better than the other psychiatrist who use to work here."

"Thank You." Sitting down opposite him she asked "So what would you like to talk about?"

"You?"

The question caught Ann off guard and her emotions where displayed like an open book "You can choose anything to talk about and you want to talk about me."

"Well if I am to come and talk to you regularly then I would like to know the person I am talking to." Ann watched him very closely when he said this and noticed the fake 'play boy' persona almost instantly and wondered why he wanted to act like that.

"Look up my name and you should find everything you want to know about me."

She was being defensive and for a good reason she didn't want to be 'friends' with Bruce she wanted more and that scared her since she only just met him. Maybe it was the fact he was wearing a proverbial mask and so was she in a way, what would happen if she knew Bruce would wear more than one mask and that one was someone who protected people with a different name like Araneae.

"I want you tell me and if I look you up I will get other people's opinion when I want to make my own."

Nodding Ann smiled tightly "After High School I was kicked out of my home by my parents because I didn't agree to marry a guy who was a lot older than me and rich. I moved to New York where I got a job in the Science Museum…"

"What were you during High School?"

Ann frowned not realising it was like they had switched places her the 'patient' and him the psychiatrist "A loner, a geek and most of all a nobody."

Bruce smiled having noticed the fact they had practically switched places "What changed?"

Ann made eye contact and if Bruce had been stood up he was would have needed to sit down by the mere strength of her gaze in that second "I was on the receiving end of a stab wound so I joined a self defence class. Then I met the person who changed me forever…" Bruce was now watching her very closely noticing the look in her eyes which was a mix of pain, grief and a familiar spark.

"I… I fell in love. My father killed my mother I killed him, I went to jail for a year nearly got raped countless times. The man I fell in love with got in an accident where his face and other parts got severely burned." Bruce could see the pain and grief becoming stronger and was going to stop her but saw that she needed to vent. He could tell no one had ever thought that the psychiatrist needed to talk as well as listen, I mean if they talked to her like he was doing now they would see she was a person as much as them and needed help just as much she gave help.

"Then trying to help New York he died the same day I got the job offer, from here actually. A few weeks later after the funeral I moved into my new home which isn't far from yours actually and now here I am talking to you." Ann managed not to cry but Bruce could tell she wanted to. Smiling Ann added "Thank You for asking me that I haven't had the chance to talk like that like everyone that talks to me does and I've needed that for three years now."

Bruce smiled "I didn't expect you to say so much but I could tell you needed to vent."

Ann laughed while nodding "So what brings the dead back to Gotham?"

It was Bruce's turn to laugh "I wanted to come back and I knew it was time for me to come back."

Hearing the tone in his voice that was saying a lot more than he actually was Ann smiled a sweet smile "Your tone to me is practically screaming that what you meant to say was 'Gotham Needs you' as much as it needs a hero or something close to it."

"Does Gotham really need a hero?"

Play boy cockiness was now rearing its head "Gotham needs someone to look up to, who can help against the crimes that happen every day and everywhere you look."

"Aren't the police doing enough?"

Ann glared at Bruce not caring that he was Bruce Wayne "Gotham needs a lot more help than the police force since its corrupted. The only person I trust among the police is Lieutenant Jim Gordon now if you ask me that is bloody pathetic only being able to trust one among many."

Bruce leant forward "Maybe you don't trust them because of your time in jail."

In one swift movement Ann was stood right in front of Bruce looking down until he stood up but still she held her place "I deserved that time in jail and I don't regret what I did but I have done everything I have since then to help people. So don't you dare start judging me when you don't know me at all."

"You're right I don't know you but I know a lot from what you said and how you said it with both your body language and your tone of voice."

Ann grounded her teeth then turned and walked to her computer gripping the chair to the point it started breaking slowly "I'm not judging you and yet you're judging me." Looking at him he froze seeing the understanding in her eyes "I know what it's like pretending to be someone you're not. Placing yourself behind a mask that not many people can see as a mask. I've worn my mask for three years and more than likely longer because of the things I have had to witness what's your excuse?"

Bruce stepped forward "When I was a kid my parents where shot dead in front of my eyes."

Ann laughed "I feel sorry for you seriously I do but at least they loved you. My mother apparently did and I bet she did but my father… all he thought of me was a means to get more money." Pausing for a second she looked in his eyes "Look Bruce we both wear masks me one that makes almost everyone think my life is perfect and I am perfectly alright. Yours is the play boy mask which is hiding who you really are which I bet is a compassionate guy who wants to help Gotham more than just giving it money."

They both then thought the exact same thing Soon that won't be the only mask I wear. However Ann's had wore hers once before but for Bruce it would be his first time wearing the mask of a protector.

"Compassionate?"

The sexy smug grin he had on his face made Ann want to punch him at the same time as kiss him "Get Out."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me get out. Look Bruce I've got enough for my report and I want you to leave." Bruce nodded but didn't move so Ann just glared.

"Why do we wear masks?"

Ann stopped glaring and answered him hoping that would get him to leave "I suppose we wear masks to protect our selves because if someone truly knows us they get close to us and when that happens its easy to feel that pain again when something goes wrong."

"We're afraid?"

Ann shook her head disagreeing completely "No not afraid just wary of feeling that pain again." Her hands shook slightly and Ann asked in a near whisper "Bruce please leave."

Bruce stayed where he was "Why?"

I'm starting to relate to you and you know me better than anyone has known me for years. It's scaring me that someone is starting to know me as much as Harry did and that someone has only just met me. Instead of saying what her heart wanted to say she said "It's complicated."

"Then explain in more detail why you want me to leave?"

Ann looked away "I can't Bruce. I can't explain because I don't even know all the reasons why I want you to leave apart from the fact you're bugging me slightly with the obnoxious play boy routine."

Bruce walked to the door then before opening the door said "I'll wait for the whole answer while you figure it out." With that he left and closed the door.

Ann quickly wrote the report and went home where she lay on her bed and let the tears of confusion and grief freely flow.

Would the days get any easier? Will her grief turn into something else? Will the confusion finally end? Only time would tell and Ann knew that but for once wished someone would give her the answers like she gives others.