CHAPTER THREE: Labor Day
The first day of September dawned bright and sunny. Labor Day in Gotham meant speeches in Grant Park, fireworks and large crowds of people milling about the streets, getting in on the last party of the summer before resuming the deadening routine of school and work. And so, rare as it was for Gotham, there was a mood of celebration in the air, despite the threat of a star-spangled psychopath going on a killing spree. Historically, holidays did not go well in Gotham.
Perhaps that was why he was so apprehensive about this barbeque. Bruce was used to feeling guilty or distracted during social functions: if he was enjoying himself, it felt wrong because he was needed elsewhere. And if he wasn't enjoying himself…it was because he was needed elsewhere. And as amusing as that inherent contradiction was when he joked about it with Selina, hosting a social event on a major holiday bordered on irresponsibility. The invitations sent out for the barbeque gave him more reason for pause – the guest list was small but specific.
People who knew about the Mission. That's all.
The thought was enough to give him an ulcer.
However, Selina had been so committed to the idea of a party. He found it more difficult to resist her wishes than he was comfortable with. Perhaps it had been the way she posed the idea.
"Please?"
"No," he managed, watching her move above him in the dim moonlight of their bedroom. She flexed her thighs and he shuddered convulsively, fighting to retain control. If she would just stop moving for a moment he could concentrate and-
"Please?" More movement. And she was doing something with her tongue…
"Fine."
She was persuasive, to say the least. Bruce mentally forced himself back to the present. He watched as Selina and Lucy covered picnic tables in plastic red-and-white checked tablecloths and set up plates, napkins, utensils and condiments. He'd reopened Wayne Manor, at least partially, to play host. They could hardly entertain from Selina's East End apartment and if small children would be in attendance it was far better that they play on the spacious green lawns of Wayne Manor than in the streets of Crime Alley.
Barbara and Dick were the first to arrive, Dick walking slowly across the lawn to keep pace as Barbara wheeled herself over the uneven ground. Selina took Lucy's hand and approached the couple cautiously, but the child slipped from her grasp and ran to Dick, who scooped her up in a bear hug.
"Luce! Hi!" Dick said warmly, his natural affability and ease with children evident. Barbara watched the display for a moment, turning coolly to Selina.
"Hi. Beautiful day, huh?" Selina tried awkwardly. Barbara barely nodded. Dick, still holding Lucy, kissed Selina on the cheek and stepped back a little. The shape of her pregnancy had become much more evident over the past few weeks. She had started to buy maternity clothes and had forsaken her accustomed high-heeled Manilow Blahniks for sandals. Wearing a light yellow summer dress that did more to reveal her condition than hide it, Selina looked happy and relaxed. Inside, however, she knew she was facing the wolves.
"Don't look so nervous," Dick advised, whispering in her ear. "They're just people."
"Who've arrested me on numerous occasions," Selina reminded him. She thought Dick looked tired, a little worn-out. Still, he managed to smile and listen as Lucy began to tell him about the trip to Hawaii. Other cars began to pull up to the manor. Selina watched the arrivals with a sinking feeling, the glares Barbara had been shooting her way only adding to her apprehension. She felt better as Bruce came to stand by her side, taking her hand. He said nothing but continued to watch as people came across over the wide green lawn, her silent protector. She wanted to run, or maybe try to make him smile.
"Roy!" Dick called out, crossing the lawn to clap a tall, red-haired man on the back. Lucy hung back, eyeing the dark-haired little girl at Roy's side with visible apprehension.
"Grayson, hey," Roy replied happily. Selina watched as the two men embraced each other and grinned, smiling as Dick knelt to address the little girl.
"Hi, Lian. Glad you could come."
Lian beamed and caught sight of Barbara. "Hi, aunty Babs!" She sprinted across the lawn, launching herself into Barbara's lap. Barbara grinned, laughed, and hugged the little girl. Lucy watched the entire display with narrowed eyes, noting every detail from Lian's casual command of her body to the way Barbara received her, drawing closer to Selina for protection. Another car pulled up, and this time a petite blond woman with fantastic legs emerged, crossing around the car to help an older, thin and goateed man from the vehicle. Selina noted the man's wasted appearance and his use of a cane.
"Who's that?" she whispered into Bruce's ear.
"Oliver Queen. The Green Arrow. He and Dinah just returned from Southeast Asia. Malaria."
"Jesus!" she breathed.
"He'll be fine; he's survived worse," Bruce informed her sardonically.
Another man, younger than the first Dick had addressed as Roy, got out of the backseat. The small group approached and Selina stepped forward, her hand slipping reluctantly from Bruce's grip. "Hi," she said, hoping she sounded friendly. Queen, Dinah and Roy all focused their attention on her, each looking slightly confused. She took a deep breath, telling herself that if she could disarm the security protocols of the most sophisticated vaults in existence, meeting Bruce's friends shouldn't be so hard.
"Selina Kyle. We've met, I think?" she said, extending her hand. Dinah was the first to react. She brushed Selina's hand aside, hugging her.
"Yeah, sure, that time on Apokalypse, the Watchtower thing during the Prometheus attack…" Dinah said, warm, wide blue eyes telegraphing friendship and support. Had the Black Canary always been this…nice? Selina couldn't remember. "When are you due?"
"Uh, December," Selina said, taken a little off-guard by the other woman's friendly demeanor and warm acceptance. Hard to believe this woman was a Gothamite. Dinah turned around, clasping Selina's hand.
"This is Ollie," she said, gesturing to the sickly-looking older man. "Excuse his Cryptkeeper appearance – two months in the Cambodian jungle can really take it out of you."
"I can imagine," Selina muttered just as Oliver Queen came to life, shooting an amused glare at Dinah.
"She really is a nice girl," Ollie assured Selina, "you just have to ignore the mouth."
Dinah pinched Oliver's arm, which made Selina grin. Feeling slightly more confident, she turned to the young man at Oliver's side.
"Conner," he said, extending his hand, and Selina instantly sensed his reserved, meditative nature.
"Selina," she replied. "Please, help yourselves to food, and don't let Bruce trap you into conversation."
Queen and Dinah chuckled, although Roy and Conner both glanced at Bruce to check for his reaction. Sidekicks, Selina realized. Who were afraid of Bruce. The thought made her grin.
More guests began to arrive. Lois and Clark landed by the river and approached from the west, making as low-key an entrance as possible given the fact that they'd flown in. Slam, Holly and Karon pulled up in Slam's dented old Plymouth, lingering for as long as possible in the car.
"Do we…do we really belong here?" Holly asked softly. Karon glanced at her girlfriend, squeezing her hand.
"Selina does," Slam reminded them. "And if we want to be a part of what she's doing now…well, let's go make ourselves sociable."
"Just try not to punch anyone," Holly said, hopping out of the car. She paused, wide-eyed, at the sight of an impossibly tall, beautiful black-haired woman landing gracefully near the cars. She alone had come in costume, which allowed Holly and Karon to recognize her instantly.
"Wonder Woman?" Karon murmured, a little in shock. "Holly, how does Selina know all these people?"
Holly glanced at Slam, who simply shrugged and lit a Duke. Thanks Slam, Holly thought.
"Uh, Catwoman's been in the business a long time. She knows people."
Karon pursed her lips. "I would have said Bruce Wayne knows Wonder Woman – it's a little more credible. When were you going to tell me that he was Batman, anyway?"
Holly's mouth dropped open. She again looked to Slam for help, but he was busy studying the battlements of Wayne Manor. His message was clear: you're on your own with this one, squirt. Holly bit her lip.
"I guess we should talk about some of this…"
Diana, Lois, Barbara, Cassandra and Dinah clustered around the refreshment table, munching on hamburgers and swapping war stories. Dinah related the details of her mission to Thailand and Cambodia, although Barbara noted some rather significant omissions in the story. Diana and Lois chatted about some new UN resolutions passed during yesterday's session, but mostly the women kept an eye on Bruce and Selina.
Bruce, always so self-restrained and imposing, seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. He even smiled at a few of Oliver's jokes, and he kept in constant physical contact with Selina, always rubbing her shoulder or encircling an arm about her waist.
"I feel sorry for her," Diana said softly after a few moments. "Despite what she has done. Bruce is a…complicated man. I think it will be very difficult for them to be happy."
"Happiness is relative in this job," Dinah sniffed, wolfing down another hot dog. "You find somebody who makes you happy, who's great in the sack, who you can get along with. Then you love him like hell until the world falls apart. Only option we have, really."
Barbara nodded, clearly a little bored by the subject. She'd spent too much time in the last few months discussing Selina Kyle to find much of interest in it anymore. "I think it's mostly because of the baby," she said quietly. "If she hadn't gotten pregnant, I'm pretty sure Bruce wouldn't have gone after her."
The women fell silent, not knowing quite what to say at Barbara's unexpected bitterness. Lois narrowed her eyes, smelling a story but unwilling to pursue the issue quite so openly. A good reporter learned subtlety and timing as a necessary skill. "I'm sure she has her flaws..."
"And Bruce has his," Barbara admitted quickly. "But for some reason, those flaws are more forgivable in him. They make him human. I'm still not sure what Selina is."
Diana regarded Selina carefully, her hand coming to rest unconsciously on her golden lasso. She frowned, the expression worthy of a classical portrait or an opera. She had thought, at one time, that she and Bruce might have made one another happy, but she did not begrudge him the joy he had clearly found with the Catwoman. Still, if there was a chance this woman would betray him-
"Excuse me," Diana said, taking her leave of the other women. Lois and Dinah exchanged a worried glance.
"I know that look," Lois whispered. "Diana's going to work her mojo."
"Terrific. They'll either engage in mortal combat or Wondy'll have someone to compare notes with. I think Bruce should be terrified," Dinah pointed out, marking the Amazon's progress across the lawn.
Barbara's eyes narrowed as Diana stopped to say something to Bruce. Barbara wasn't certain that her fears about Selina's inevitable betrayal of the Mission were at all justified, but she was glad someone on the superhero team had taken the initiative to discover Selina's motivations. At Bruce's nod, Diana went into the house, trailing Selina into the Manor's kitchen.
"Thanks for offering to help – I'm still not much good in the kitchen," Selina was saying, hoping she didn't sound as if she were talking too much. Diana observed her quietly, her intense blue eyes following Selina's every move.
Selina began to lay out another round of hot dog and hamburger buns on a serving platter, adding mustard and ketchup to the breads. She laid out a piece of cheese on each, and was about to pick up the tray and escape the Amazon's cool regard when Diana finally spoke.
"There are some concerns," Diana began gently, waiting for Selina to turn and face her. When she didn't, Diana frowned. She knew this woman to be a thief and a liar; she had never suspected Catwoman of cowardice.
"Concerns? From whom?" Selina asked, willing herself to keep the edge out of her voice. She had expected someone to say something, but had guessed it would be Barbara. Selina had thought – hoped – that Wonder Woman would restrain herself, practice some of that famous Amazonian diplomacy. Obviously, the superhero set considered her relationship with Bruce to be a bigger threat than she'd anticipated.
"Barbara Gordon believes that you will hurt him."
Selina leaned on the counter, squeezing her eyes shut and counting to five. The cruelty of the accusation felt like a blow to her solar plexus. "And what do you think?"
"I do not know," Diana replied, coming to stand next to her. "I do not know you. I have learned during my time in Man's World to judge people by their actions. And I know enough of your history to doubt your intentions."
Selina snapped her head up to meet Diana squarely in the eyes. It was not easy to hold the goddess' gaze: Selina thought for a moment that she had never seen anyone so pure, so good, so righteous. Clark concealed his essential goodness behind a mask of farm-boy humility, but Wonder Woman's royal heritage only served to accentuate her pride and self-confidence. She did not blink, and it was Selina who first looked away.
"What is it about me that you people find so threatening?" Selina muttered, turning to stare out the window. She watched the others mingle together on the lawn, talking easily, sharing a laugh or two. Bruce and Clark were in deep conversation; she often wondered what they found to talk about, given their disparate personalities and very different approaches to life. Perhaps it said something about the nature of those two men, that they could have absolutely nothing in common...and be the best of friends.
"We do not understand you," Diana said quietly. Selina turned to meet her eyes once again, and this time the Amazon's gaze was soft, compassionate. "You once stole for a living, hurting others and rarely letting it trouble your conscience. And now...now you work for the side of the angels. I suppose we worry when the pendulum will swing back the other way."
Selina sighed, leaning back against the counter and folding her arms across her chest. "Yeah, uncertainty is a bitch, I'll give you that." She paused, considering Wonder Woman's face. "I guess it doesn't matter to you why I started to steal, or even why I decided to stop."
"There is a way I could know, for certain, what your intentions are," Diana offered, placing a hand on the lasso hung at her hip. "It could be a gesture of good faith, on your part."
"Just what is it that you suspect me of?" Selina finally asked, shocked. So it had come to this? She wondered what had possessed her to ever believe she had a chance with these people.
Diana shrugged. "Inconstancy," she said simply. The two women locked eyes for a moment, neither of them backing down. Finally, silently, Selina extended her wrist.
"Get it over with," she sighed.
Diana began to uncoil her lasso, but paused. She glanced at the window, locating Bruce amidst the small crowd. He was watching Lian and Lucy play, his stance relaxed, arms folded across his chest. In eight years, Diana could not remember a single time when she had seen her friend so happy, so at peace. She did not know if it was the doing at the woman who now so bravely offered to bare her soul, or if it was only a deeper kind of change at work in Bruce himself. Whatever its source, she welcomed the shift. Diana replaced her lasso.
"Perhaps, for now, ignorance is best," she decided. Selina's eyes asked a question. Diana glanced at Bruce again outside the kitchen window.
"Happiness does not last in this world," Diana said. "I have learned that, at least. Perhaps it is best not to question it when it does arrive, nor grieve too much when it departs."
"Very zen," Selina said dryly. "You know...I'd step in front of a bullet for him. And maybe if, someday, things fall apart and I go back to my bad old ways...I'd still step in front of a bullet meant for Bruce, and he'd do the same for me. That's how it's always been between us."
"I suppose that is part of what concerns us," Diana said softly.
Another, very late addition to the afternoon party pulled up in a Plymouth ancient and dented enough to give Slam's car a run for its money. A tall, slender man dressed in a trenchcoat and fedora stepped out of the car, cutting the engine. Slam, who had been leaning against the hood of his car, stood up a little straighter, dropping his cigarette to the ground and snuffing it out with his shoe. The two men eyed each other, then grinned.
"Great taste in fashion, pal," Slam smiled, extending his hand. "Slam Bradley, P.I. Selina's friend."
"John Jones," the other man replied politely, shaking hands with a firm grip. "Pleased to meet you. You operate out of Gotham?"
"Yessir," Slam replied, settling back against the Plymouth's hood. "For about three years now. Before that, Star City, and Central before that. Metropolis for a little while, too."
Jones nodded, scanning the grounds and checking to see who was in attendance. "How do you know Selina?"
"It's a funny story, really, and takes a long time to tell. Let's just say I met her on the job. You?"
"I don't know her very well, actually," Jones replied. "I'm hoping to change that. I wanted to meet her, and her little girl."
"So you're…Bruce's friend?" Slam prompted, hoping he hadn't said something he shouldn't have. Did Jones know about Wayne's double life? He could see right now keeping all these secret identities straight was going to be a hell of a headache.
"Yes, the Batman and I are good friends," Jones replied, as if sensing Slam's discomfort. "We…met on the job, as well."
"Hmm," Slam muttered, "didn't know he had any friends." He was about to light his Duke when something in the stranger's posture changed, fear imprinted on his bland Midwestern features. "Something wrong?" Slam asked instantly, paused with the lighter in his hand. Jones backed away.
"Forgive me," he said softly. "I'm afraid fire makes me nervous."
Slam instantly clicked his lighter shut and pocketed it, then tossed the cigarette to the ground. "I should quit anyway. They say these things'll kill you."
Jones met his eyes evenly, searchingly, and then smiled sadly and shook his head. "No, my friend. Cigarettes will not kill you."
With that, Jones moved off down the lawn towards the rest of the group.
Slam whistled, long and low. "So that's a Martian. Huh."
"J'onn!" Clark called out in greeting at the approaching figure. J'onn J'onz smiled slightly in greeting, shaking hands with Clark and Oliver.
"My friends, good to see you. Oliver, I am glad to see you are well."
"Thanks, Kermit," Oliver replied, grinning, "But the jury's still out. Seems me and ol' Plasmodium malariae are gonna be bunkmates for a while."
"I am sorry to hear that," J'onn said gently. He turned to Bruce and Selina, extending his hand.
"Hello," he said. "I am J'onn Jonze, the Martian Manhunter. You must be Catwoman."
Selina smiled broadly. Bruce had told her about this one. "Not right now. Right now, I'm just Selina. Are you comfortable like that? Feel free to slip into something a little more natural. You're among friends."
J'onn blinked and nodded slightly in gratitude. He understood now why this woman had come into Bruce's life and, more importantly, why she'd remained there. Without further hesitation, Detective John Jones of the Colorado police force disappeared, replaced by a six-foot-four, green skinned, red-eyed Martian. Selina barely blinked.
"I get a little tired of masks sometimes," she confided in him. J'onn nodded again, glancing for a moment at Bruce. He had been watching the exchange intently, a thoughtful expression on his face. When J'onn had shifted shape, Bruce had moved a little closer to Selina, a protective instinct overriding his trust and affection for his friend. J'onn recognized all this, smiling slightly.
The sound of a final arrival drew Bruce's attention and, upon recognizing the vehicle, he excused himself and made his way back to the parking lot, his purposeful stride faltering slightly when he saw the car contained only one occupant rather than two.
Leslie Tompkins forced herself to let go of the steering wheel and emerged from the car, brushing the wrinkles out of her skirt. "Hello, dear," she said, taking Bruce's hand and letting him buss her on the cheek. "Good turnout, hmm?"
"Yes," Bruce agreed, shuttering his expression rather than reveal any further disappointment. "Selina's a big hit."
"She's a charmer - that's what she does," Leslie agreed, taking Bruce's arm as they walked slowly to where the rest of the party was gathered. "You're very lucky to have her, you know? I think she will bring a great deal of sunlight to this dreary old home. And with the baby coming-"
"What was his excuse?" Bruce asked, cutting her off.
Leslie frowned. "He didn't offer one. I suppose he didn't believe it was necessary."
Bruce looked away, his body tightening in anger. "I wanted him to be here, Leslie. It was important to me, and to Selina."
"Perhaps you could have called, then," Leslie admonished gently. "Or come in person. He's not made of granite. A simple apology…"
"How can I apologize?" Bruce asked, coming to a stop to face her. "How can I ask forgiveness for what I did?"
Leslie's eyes widened in surprise. "I thought-" she breathed deeply. "I thought you were angry with him, for betraying you."
Bruce shook his head. "He did what he thought was right. I was acting, as always, in my own best interests without regard for the feelings of others. Whether I was right or not to use Lucy as I did – and I believe I was right," he added calmly, "I should not have put Alfred in that position."
"And have you told him that?" Leslie asked. Bruce shook his head. Leslie glanced up at the cloudless blue sky, squinting a little in the sunlight. "You know, I think he was more disappointed in himself than anything else. He's learned over the years that it is impossible to sway you from a given course. We've both learned that lesson. But we still believe we can try. Alfred is not a man who accepts failure easily. Where do you think you got it from?"
"Do you think he was right, to take Lucy and go to Selina?" Bruce asked her. Leslie sighed.
"You would have transformed that girl. Into what, I am not certain. But I truly believe she is better with both of you looking out for her, guiding her, than she would be alone with either you or Selina. Lucy has the potential to be one of the most powerful metahumans on the planet. But for now…" she paused, tempering her response. "But for now she simply needs two good, decent, loving parents."
"And she'll have to settle for us."
"That's not very funny, Bruce," Leslie said.
"Wasn't meant to be. At any rate," Bruce said, perking up slightly, "enjoy the party. Selina went to a lot of trouble for this."
"I hope she's not straining herself, Bruce," Leslie said sharply. "Is she eating more?"
He nodded, then paused, smiling slightly. "I came home from work the other day and found her asleep on the couch, surrounded by those cats of hers. She blamed the heat, but it's just the second trimester. She won't admit to any weakness."
"I'm glad it amuses you."
"I identify with it, Leslie," Bruce replied simply. "She's stubborn and irreverent and she pushes herself too hard, and I can't for the life of me figure out why she came back. I'm…I'm only grateful she did."
Leslie glanced up at him but Bruce's face was, as always, impossible to read. She didn't feel it appropriate to point out that his quiet statement about Selina was the closest he had ever come to admitting he loved someone, apart from his parents. Leslie wondered if it was as significant as it seemed.
The afternoon passed, everyone relaxing more as the day wore on. Holly and Karon, who had only recently emerged from some forgotten wing of the Wayne manor, a little flushed from argument but closer to mutual understanding, still hung back from the others, overwhelmed by the heroic stature of their company. Everyone else seemed involved in a match of tag football at the north end of the park, which changed dramatically once Wonder Woman entered the fray.
Lian made a few gestures towards friendship with Lucy and finally, after much coaxing, the two little girls began to play together with Mr. Pickles and some of the toy dump trucks Lian had brought with her in the car. Bruce noticed J'onn's careful study of the two girls and approached his old friend softly.
"What do you think of her?"
J'onn shifted his weight, considering Bruce's question carefully. "She has much power. I believe Selina listed her abilities as telekinesis, telepathy and precognition?"
Bruce nodded. J'onn returned his attention to the two girls as they played on the shady, grassy lawn of the Manor's grounds. "Her power may rival my own one day."
Bruce closed his eyes. "And what sort of future do you believe she will have?"
J'onn narrowed his eyes. "Why do you ask? Do you fear for her safety? Or the safety of others?"
"I don't know, J'onn. Metahumans do not earn their powers, and as a result they do not have the self-knowledge needed to temper their abilities."
"We have had this argument before, my friend," J'onn said. "Many times. As always, I find it ironic, given the people you consider your closest friends, that you are so innately suspicious of metahumans. Not every such person is predisposed to violence and destruction. I would think Dinah Lance, Clark, Diana and myself are examples of that principle."
"But the potential is still here, J'onn. That potential for evil."
J'onn glanced at his old friend, so focused on Lucy and Lian in their play. "Is that truly what you see when you look at Lucy? Only what may happen?"
"What do you see?" Bruce asked, rather than answer. J'onn couldn't shake the feeling that even now Bruce was formulating a protocol to neutralize whatever threat Lucy represented. Did he have a bed at S.T.A.R. labs already reserved for the little girl?
"I see a child who has been very badly abused and mistreated," J'onn replied. "One from whom everything has been stripped away, and one who will know great pain in later life when certain truths about who she is and where she came from are revealed. She needs someone to protect her, Bruce, not suspect her. She needs a father."
Bruce showed no outward reaction to J'onn's advice. Instead, he shifted attention to Dick, Conner and Roy as they made a try past Diana's end and were repelled by the Amazon.
"Selina asked some very tough questions about why I brought Dick on as a partner. And Jason, and Tim. I had no answers for her."
J'onn nodded. "I suppose 'love' was not an acceptable reply?"
Bruce sighed, feeling much older than he was. "Sometimes it's the only thing that makes sense. That and loneliness. But Lucy won't be a soldier in my crusade, J'onn. Selina made that very clear. I'm not sure how to relate to her, otherwise. What business do I have with a child I'm not training as an equal?"
"And you don't believe you could love her? Perhaps think of her as a daughter?"
Bruce did not reply. J'onn returned his attention to the girls. "Lian is very lucky. She is a normal, healthy little girl. But do you suppose that is why Roy loves her? Because she is not a metahuman?"
"I don't know why people love each other, J'onn," Bruce said. "I only know why they can't."
...to be continued...