AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Okay, another chapter.

This one is a little lighter, but the angst is still there.

PS Rachel is dead and Selina Kyle is Bruce's ex and the only woman he ever truly loved.

=P

****

Tara picked up one of the little mini cucumber sandwiches from the silver metal tray that Alfred had set on the table in one of the empty dens, three sleeping bags sprawled out on the floor. The original plan had been that the girls night was going to be held at Jessica's house, but since Bruce had his accident, Tara had begged her and Marie to have the sleepover at the mansion. It was a little iffy for Bruce since he didn't want Jessica or Marie to snoop around and figure anything out, but honestly Tara didn't think that was going to be a problem at all, seeing as how neither of them really cared what Bruce Wayne did after hours—not even Jessica.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute—you're officially dating Edward Nigma, now?" Marie asked Jessica, who was sporting a wild grin on her face about her new boyfriend…her new boyfriend who hated Bruce.

Jessica nodded vigorously. "Yep—he officially asked me to be his girlfriend yesterday."

Tara laughed and shook her head as she bit into the mini sandwich. "I really can't believe that you're my best friend and you're dating a guy that has it out for Bruce. You remember Bruce, right? Tall, dark and handsome? Lets me live in his house? Gave me a job at his company? Any of that ringing a bell for you at all?"

Jessica rolled her eyes and shrugged, grabbing a mini sandwich herself. "Look, the men can fight all they want to it has nothing to do with us. Eddy is an intelligent man and he's rather sweet and I'm lucky to have him. I mean come on, Tara, you're the only with the rather dysfunctional love life. I have Eddy, Marie has Harvey, and you're pining after a guy fifteen years older than you that's your godfather."

"She has a point, Tara." Marie told her with a shrug after swallowing her bite of sandwich. "I mean I think it's about time you got yourself out there into the real world and got yourself a man that was capable of returning your feelings."

"Are you saying Bruce isn't capable of loving?" Tara asked them, even though she knew for a fact that wasn't how they had meant it.

Tara shoved a whole mini sandwich into her mouth and tried desperately to just focus on how damn good the sandwich was and not on how her friends were looking at her. The three of them had been through everything together and it was incredibly important to her that they side with her on the subject of Bruce even though it was incredibly hard for anyone to do that. Not only was the age gap between them so significant, but he was her Godfather, and even though Alfred was her close relative and it was his job to care for her after her parents passed, but it was kind of Bruce's job as well. She was sort of his pseudo daughter, and that in itself was going to have him shut the idea of the two of them ever being together down entirely—Bruce had morals.

"I think you know exactly what we're saying, Tara." Marie told her, reaching out and squeezing her hand. "We're not trying to be mean or too blunt, but we don't want to see you wasting away for a guy that isn't going to reciprocate anything."

Tara was about to respond when the three heard a loud noise and they came out into the hall and turned to see Bruce sighing because he hadn't meant to alert them. He had been trying so hard to be quiet, but had lost his footing and ran into a cart that Alfred had left in the hallway as he cleaned, and now Tara was going to give him Hell. Alfred had decided to keep to the room he was cleaning, knowing Tara would have it under control and also knowing that Bruce would listen to her. No one aside from Jessica and Marie even knew about Tara's unrequited love for Bruce, but everyone understood the care and respect that lay between the two, and most people let them be to handle things together since they seemed to like it that way.

"Bruce Wayne!" Tara exclaimed.

Bruce sighed loudly and then shrugged. "I am not apologizing, all right? I am hungry and I am going downstairs to the kitchen to make myself a sandwich."

"Like Hell you are." Tara replied, Jessica and Marie rolling their eyes and laughing as Tara made her way over to him and pointed to his room, firmly standing her ground in front of him in between him and the stairs. "The doctor told you to stay in bed so you wouldn't tear your stitches! Alfred and I are perfectly capable of getting you food!"

"Tara, I am not a child!" Bruce exclaimed, but he sighed and headed back to his room when she continued to block his descent down the stairs. "You have friends to get back to, so why are you focusing attention on me?"

Tara laughed and followed him into his room. "Neither Jess nor Marie are in any danger of reopening their sides, so you're my top priority, Princess."

She flashed him a teasing smile as he looked at her shocked, not happy she called him that, but not able to keep the laugh in. He knew she was simply worried about his well being, but he couldn't help but wish that she'd give him just a little more space to breathe because he hadn't being inactive—hated feeling helpless. On the other hand, he knew that she knew who he really was, and if he reopened his side, there was no way he was going to be able to put on his rubber suit and stalk the night. It was bad enough he wasn't going to be able to be out tonight, and since he was hungry and she was unrelenting, Bruce went ahead and gave in.

"All right—I want a cucumber sandwich and one of my shakes." Bruce told her.

Tara beamed at him and shrugged a little. "That gross shake of yours I can make for you easy, but the girls and I ate all of the cucumber sandwiches already cause Uncle Alfred made them for us. Want something meaty instead, Bruce?"

"You know how much I like those sandwiches!" Bruce protested loudly.

"You are such a baby, Princess. I'll make you a cucumber sandwich—take a chill pill already." Tara told him, both of them smiling because they knew he was actually mad at her. "Oh and by the way…Jess is bringing Edward to the gala this weekend."

Bruce's jaw dropped. "Edward? As in Edward Nigma? Tara! Why do you insist on letting her make my life complicated?"

"Because you hate it when things are easy." Tara replied, leaving the room and heading downstairs to tend to Bruce's hunger needs.

Tara quickly whipped up one of Bruce's energy shakes, and then grabbed out the cucumbers and chopped them up, getting out the bread and the cream cheese, and making mini sandwiches she was sure weren't as good as Alfred's. She had hoped that the art of finger food would be passed down through blood or something, but as she tried one, as good as they were, they just weren't Alfred's masterpieces. Even though she was fairly certain that Bruce's taste buds would be tainted by the shake anyway, she felt a little bad about giving him finger sandwiches with no magic to them.

"What kind of face is that?" Bruce asked her as she cam in and handed him the plate and the glass.

Tara sighed and shrugged. "They don't taste like they were made by magic elves in trees."

Bruce chuckled and put one in his mouth. "They're damn good though."

Tara nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. "I know they're damn good, Bruce, but I was kinda hoping that there was some sort of inherited magic you know?"

"You were meant for more than this, Tara." Bruce explained, and held out his hand for hers.

She rested her hand in his and she blushed a little and Bruce noticed, but wasn't sure what to think of the reaction. He knew that since her parents died she had been a little guarded when it came to human contact so it could have been that, but for some reason the look on her face reminded him of Selina. He actually hadn't thought about Selina in a long while, but Tara reminded him of her sometimes, and he couldn't deny that. Shaking the thought away he gave her hand a squeeze and looked her in the eye, giving her one of his dazzling smiles.

"Think you could help me with a Batman related problem, Tara?" Bruce asked her, grinning when she said 'duh' and nodded. "Good—tomorrow after the sisterhood leaves, we can start."

Note: Sorry this chapter wasn't action packed at all: it's a filler though. Joker action happens in the next one, as well as a Wayne Enterprises Gala. =D Also, next chapter is a little…some themes come into play not everyone will appreciate or enjoy, so you're warned now and I will warn you again at the beginning of the next chapter.