Sorry it took so long to publish something but I decided finally that I still want to work on this story, if you could get me in contact with a beta reader it would help me a lot, please contact me at . Your comments would be greatly appreciate and happy reading!

It was the third time she had met with this person and even though each time has cost her a fortune the information she had been gathered has been more that had by her own means had gotten since she started this investigation

She waited patiently sit in a table that was very apart, she passed the waitress a tip in order to get this table. The envelope with the money was laying in the table, and hoped that the two grand were more than worthy because she was getting desperate now.

A lady walked by to the table she was sitting. "Here early?" The blonde middle aged woman asked.

"As usual… I don't have much time, so sit…" She pointed the chair, the lady reluctantly sat down.

"I see you always keep your promise…" The lady said, extended her hand to take the money but Marianne was quicker and put her hand over the envelope before she could reach it.

"Talk…" Marianne ordered her,

"Same as your mother… so tempered" She chuckled, and then took a cigarette out of her purse and then she lighted it on.

"There's a diary… it comprehend the time you were born and until she died," She snapped her fingers so a waitress could see her. The girl quickly came and she ordered a whisky in the rocks.

"How I'm sure you are not lying?" Marianne didn't want to get excited but if that diary existed it would help her understand why her mother has been murdered.

"I'm not…" She searched in her purse and took out three photos of her mother. She put it over the table, never has Marianne seen this. "Where did you get this?" Marianne touched them with the tip of her fingers there was even one when she was pregnant.

"See this…" The woman pointed, to the photo her mother was carrying a black book, and it seemed more like an agenda. "Now look at this one and this one too" She pointed the other two photos she was carrying the same notebook.

"Can you get it?" Marianne tried to regain her coolness and show no weakness.

"That's going to cost you a lot of money… "The mysterious woman said,

"I'll pay you… 100 grand if you get this for me…" She said, "You have two weeks…" She slid the envelope across the table and the woman grabbed it.

"It seems my niece have more money than she appeared to have" She cruelly laughed.

"I'm not your niece… if you were a near friend of my mom you wouldn't be doing this" She hissed.

"This is for protection honey… what you are trying to find out is very dangerous and the sources I'm using are expensive… but secure for me, and even for you" The woman explained.

Marianne looked at her disgustingly. "I could have help your mother… but now she instead decided to run to Thomas… her beloved Thomas" The woman said in a very bitter tone.

"Thomas?" She had completely lost her, who was this Thomas?

"No more for tonight, maybe that diary would give you enough answers" The woman took a zip from her drink.

Marianne was about to reply but she knew better than that. The woman wasn't going to talk so she stood up. "Call me when you get it…. Lisa" She said before walking away.

"If she only knew what she's getting it too…" Lisa looked as Marianne walked out of the bar. "Everything your has mother worked for… you are about to ruined it" She laughed before taking another zip.

Marianne walked through the streets as fast as she could, the thoughts in her head were driving her crazy but she had to focus, to reach to the sub and get away from here as soon as she could. She heard some steps behind her but she tried to ignore it, two more blocks and she would reach to the entrance of the sub.

The steps came closer and closer but before she could turned to the other street and hand grabbed her by the hair and pulled her against the wall.

"What a pretty lady…" The man said, as he whispered against her cheeks.

"Get off me…" She whispered as she tried to assess the situation, the guy was almost 6'2 compare to her 5'9. The way he was holding her indicated her that he was strong because she couldn't move her legs or feet.

"I will but before we are going to have some fun…" He said as his hand went down from her shoulder, pass through her breasts and then her went down to her stomach making her shudder under his touch.

…….

He was crouched in the emergency stairs that was just in the top of where this was happening, he wondered why in the world a girl like Marianne was doing in the Narrows but before his question was answered what he seeing surprise him even more. She was fighting back.

……

"You bitch…" The man said as he touched his lips and when he looked he was bleeding. This makes him even more furious as he launched himself to her and tried to punch her but she easily ducked him and kicked him in the stomach and then punched him in the face.

Batman was looking at the fight debating whether if to interfere or not the guy was obviously bigger than her but she was faster and she was hitting him in parts that would cause him great pain, she was skilled and well trained.

As she was about to finish the guy he saw her with drawled from the guy and saw her covering her face. In that moment he jumped from the stairs.

"Not so tough now bitch…" The man laughed as he threw her sleeping spray thinking this would hold her down, he walked by to her only to be received a punch in her upper cut which completely knock him out.

Marianne felt dizzier and dizzier; this wasn't good she was away from home. She tried to walk a little further but then everything went dark and her knees give up on her and when she was about to fall down she felt someone that caught her and they started moving.

Marianne tried looked up and only saw a man, with a dark mask. "Hold on…" He said in a deep and rough voice. After that everything went dark.

She opened her eyes and looked at the watch that was over her night table. It was 6:00 a.m. she abruptly sat down. "How in the world she got here…" She looked at herself she was still wearing the clothes she had on only that her coat was laying in the chair that was in front of her room. She stood up but a deep pain came into her head.

"The spray…" She remembered, she was about to pass out but someone caught her. His voice was deep and low but at the same time it was comforting or so she little perceive. Then it hit her, Batman has saved her life but how in the world Batman would know where she lived?

"Not good… not good" Getting under Batman radar's was never good, but then she remembered that in her purse she had her driver's license and it stated her address.

She sighed somewhat relieved, she had nothing to worry she wasn't a criminal and the he had save her because that was he does, save people.

"I'm going to be late…" She whispered as she got out of bed and started to get ready for work but she aware it was going to be a long process because the numbing pain I her head.

…..

"You came in early…" Alfred said as he brought his breakfast, Bruce was getting ready to go to the office. "I didn't do much last night… but I did save a damsel in distress…" He explained as he took a toast and started munching on it.

He got Alfred attention as he turned around to listen to Bruce. "Remember Marianne Winston… the girl who is…" Bruce was interrupted by Alfred

"Working for Lucius, I know… she's has come twice to deliver some documents, wonderful young woman" Alfred recalled receiving the young woman.

"Well I saved her in the Narrows, she was about to faint…" Bruce explained.

"Really? How come she was there?" Alfred asked.

"I don't know… she came in to my view and she was about to be robbed but it seems that she can take care of herself…" Bruce remembered how she literally kicked the crap out of that guy.

"She knows some self defense… that's normal, we are living in a dangerous world Master Wayne" Alfred wasn't surprised.

"But that's wasn't only self defense… she's trained Alfred, and very well..." Bruce was very intrigue by this girl, suddenly she was turning to be a femme fatale.

He check her file, she was foster kid like himself her mother died in car accident when she was 4 years old; there wasn't anything about her father. She was raised by her nana and when she was 15 years old she went to study in abroad in an international school in Japan for 3 years.

She came back to the states and studied in Brown a degree in English Literature and also and business administration, doing this in a record time because she finished everything in 5 years.

She traveled around the world for a whole year and then she came back to start a life in Gothan City, working in the Public Library liderazing a project to automatized the arcaique archives doing this also in a record time of 6 months and now she landed in a position she was now and she was only 25 years old.

"She seemed normal to me…" Alfred pointed out he wondered where did Bruce wanted to get wit this

"One thing I know Alfred, Marianne Winston is anything but normal" She was a puzzle that was waiting to be resolve and he was up for the challenge.

…..

She made a mental note to make a special prayer to God because that Mr. Lucius wasn't in the office until the afternoon. She was felt her head thumbing, it made her wondered what the hell that spray had and why it had that effect on her. She lay down her head against the cool desk, hoping that after two aspirin they pain would disappear, but it has been 45 minutes since then and she was getting worried.

"Are you alright?" Megan came by to Marianne's cubicle to bring her some coffee.

"No… I'm not, my head is killing me" She murmured, as she put her hands over head.

"Do you want a Tylenol or something?" Never has Megan seen Marianne this way, she wondered what was wrong.

"I took an aspirin but for some reason it didn't work…" She lift up her head, Megan almost gasped, she looked terrible, her eyes were almost red and since she didn't bother to put make up on and she had her hair loose.

"I'll bring you the Tylenol; maybe you need double dozes or something…" Marianne only nodded before putting her forehead against the desk once again.

Megan walked by to the kitchen and took a package from the first aid kit and then she proceed to pour some water down in a glass. She heard a knock in the door, "Marianne… I was" She stopped abruptly when she saw that Mr. Wayne was standing in front of her.

"Miss Liu…" He greeted her,

"Mr. Wayne, how are you?" She asked politely as she put down the glass.

"I'm fine, is that for Miss Winston?" He asked, he walked into the office when Megan was talking with her.

"Yes… she's not feeling too well…" Megan responded. "Let me… I'll carried it to her desk" He offered,

"No, is ok… sir is my job" She said nervously, why in the world he would want to do that.

"I insist, I'm going to her cubicle anyway…" He grabbed the glass of water and the Tylenol package.

"Ok…" Megan said nervously, she knew that Marianne would kill her for letting Mr. Wayne see her like that.

Marianne groaned as she felt a hammer pounding against her head, she heard that someone steps. "Megan… it really hurts can you hurry…" She murmured, as she put her hand to receive the pills, seconds later the two pills were put on her hand and she grabbed them and put them both in her mouth and swallowed them easily, now she needed the water so she lift up her head only to be in shock when saw that Mr. Wayne was standing in front of her with the glass of water.

"Mr. Wayne…" She quickly sat up straight, even though it caused her head to hurt even more.

"Megan said you were not feeling well…" Was that spray that powerful? It was practically as she had a bad hangover.

"Is nothing… I'm just, not myself today, clearly" She cleared her throat and started arranging the papers, and the same time wondering why in the world he was bringing water to her.

"Is ok… why don't you take the rest of the day… you are evidently not yourself, is better if you rest" Bruce suggested,

"Is not that bad Mr. Wayne… is just a simple headache…" She didn't want to be excused but suddenly she stopped talking as she her vision turned blurry.

"Marianne…" He called her seeing that she was blinking rapidly.

"I…" She murmured

"That's it… you are going home" He ordered, starting to get worried.

Marianne didn't answer but proceed to shut down her computer. Then she stood up and grabbed her purse, Bruce following close behind to the elevator

"I'll be back tomorrow as new…" She pushed the bottom so she could go down.

"I'm taking you home…" He said, as he took out his cell phone. "Alfred… get the car ready, we are leaving immediately…" Bruce announced before putting the phone away again.

"Mr. Wayne… really is not necessary, I'm just having a bad bad headache, I'll be fine tomorrow I promise…" She felt horrible but that was unnecessary trouble and unwanted attention.

He didn't respond but he gently grabbed her by her arm and led her to the now open elevator door.

"You would be home in no time…" He gently said

She didn't have any strength to fight him suddenly she hear and saw in her minds thousands of picture they were too hard to recognize any as everything went so fast and then everything went dark and she loose all conscious but before she could hit the floor Bruce caught her in his arm.

"Shit…" He cursed as he caught. As the elevator door opened he walked by to the parking lot where Alfred was awaiting with car with the engine running.

"What happened?" Alfred asked as he saw Bruce putting Marianne in the car.

"She fainted… " Bruce entered to the car.

"To the hospital sir?" Alfred asked,

"Right away… it seems that whatever he spray her with, she's having secondary effects" Bruce said, closing the door.

Bruce looked at Marianne who was completely unconscious. "I've should have done something…" He said as he put his hand over her forehead.

"You did something sir, you save her… twice now" Alfred tried to comfort him; it was useless trying to feel guilty now.

Once they reached to the E.R. he pulled her out of the car and practically ran into the receiving room.

"Someone please help…" He exclaimed, as a blonde doctor turned back and walked by to where they were standing.

"What happened?" She asked, as she motion to a nurse so they could bring in a bed.

"She fainted… she was sprayed with a type of sleeping spray?" Bruce explained as the nurse brought in the bed and he put her down.

"You know this?" The blond doctor asked as she started checking her vitals.

"She told me… it happen in the narrows" He wondered how he was going to explain this to Marianne when she woke up.

"Everyday they are using something different… lets go people! Mr. Wayne I may have to ask you to stay here and wait" The doctor said as they were already carrying to the other room.

Bruce only nodded as he stopped walking and saw how they were carrying away. He felt helpless but he knew that there wasn't much he could do at least not yet.

Later that night…

Marianne slowly opened her eyes and looked around. "Where am I?" She whispered as she felt her whole body numb.

"Hospital…" A voice answered her, she look to her left side and found Bruce sit reading a magazine.

"What happened?" She said as she tried to sit down but she was too weak to move.

"You fainted…" He explained as he stood up in front of her. "Take it easy.... you've been out for 5 hours" He push her gently so she lay down again.

She tried to remember what happened before she fainted but everything was blurry. "How long you've been here..." She murmured as she played with her fingers nervously.

"Since I've brought you here... can I ask you why were you in the Narrows?" He boldly asked.

How in the world he knows I was in the Narrows, she thought. "I... was visiting a friend" It was the first thing that came into her mind and she wasn't exactly lying. "How you knew?" She asked

"You told me before passing out…" He said,

"I did?" She didn't remember any of that.

"Yeah… you were murmuring and gasping for air before you passed out" He said convincingly and he wasn't lying she did worried him.

"Oh…I'm very sorry Mr. Wayne, I didn't expect this to happened" She was so embarrassed, she couldn't blow her cover like that.

"Bruce… call me Bruce" He corrected her, he knew that if he wanted to get any information from her he had to be patient and gentle.

She only nodded; she has not only be saved by Batman and by Bruce Wayne in the same day.

"You should rest…" He said as he carefully sat down on the border of the bed.

"How long would I be here?" She asked, blushing a little bit she didn't quite understand this man; he was been so nice with her it was almost everything she had read about him was not truth.

"Two days or so, they need to do some exams…" He explained.

"Can I ask you something?" She said lowly… suddenly feeling over conscious about herself.

"Sure…" He responded, it was curious seeing her being that shy.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked said as she lifted up her face and looked right into his eyes, looking to see if there were any second intentions behind all of this.

"That's a good question….. Honestly," He paused, looking at her with the same intensity.

"I can't answer you… because I really don't know" She didn't say anything but smile a little, at least he was being honest or so his eyes tell her.

"Thank you…." She simply replied,

"Your welcome… now rest" He regretted the moment that answer came out of his mouth, something along because she was employee or some other excuse would have sound reasonable but admitting that he wasn't sure made him seem more vulnerable than he let people to see.

He waited until she closed her eyes and after a while she sounded as she was asleep once again. "What are you doing, Bruce?" he whispered, he couldn't get attached not like this, not anymore. The last and the only time he got too attached one of the person he treasured the most ended up death.

….

Lucius Fox was talking with the attending doctor about Marianne condition.

"Is she going to be alright?" Lucius asked worriedly

"She is… but one thing I can tell you she's alive because a miracle… I can't explained it" The blonde doctor said.

"What do you mean?" He was curious now,

"Whatever she was sprayed with, was potent enough to kill 10 horses… and yet she didn't loose conscious until 12 hours after…" The doctor explained

"How long would she be here?" Lucius asked,

"Two days maximum… I need to be sure she's completely desintoxicated" She explained,

"Well thank you Ms…" He started

"Meredith… my name is Meredith, and don't thank me Mr. Fox, whoever is up there didn't want her to join them" She said before walking away.

Lucius looked at the waiting room and Alfred was sitting there, he walked by to him.

"Would she be alright?" Alfred asked

"Yes…. I need to get my hand on those exams; Bruce probably would look into them" Lucius said

"How long do you think we can keep this away from him… he's going to deduct it sooner o later" Alfred knew how inquisitive Bruce was.

"He may… but for now the best is to keep him in the shadows" Lucius answered

"Thomas would have shared this with Bruce…" Alfred pointed.

"Yes… but for now lets not make this more complicated … is better they both don't know what she's capable of"

"He's reacting to her…" Alfred said

"Like father, like son…. so did Thomas react to Ana Lucia" He remembered those days.

"Let's hope we are not wrong Lucius…" Alfred just hoped.

Lucius only nodded, but he knew deep down that sooner than later the truth about Marianne would be reveal and it was for sure they were going to start looking for her, once again.