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Previously: I turned to see who my captor was when my eyes met a pair of familiar chocolate ones. The hand slid off my mouth and I gasped in astonishment, my heart freezing inside my chest.

"Bruce?!" I yelped, feeling faint.

"Hi princess," Bruce said weakly, a smile spreading across his face.

I stood there in a daze, reeling from the blow that my best friend was, well, back from the dead. No one moved as I tried to process what was going on.

He was dressed in muddy rags and there was a crude bandage wrapped around his left forearm. He was clean shaven and his dark brown hair was combed and slicked back out of his face, only slightly ruffled from our struggle. His face had sharpened over his absence, making his chin and cheek bones more prominent. He stood with his hands at his sides, straight and proud. But his eyes were what made me see the truth.

Since he'd disappeared I'd dreamed that one day I'd be somewhere in Gotham and, suddenly, I'd look over and meet his eyes. I'd know immediately who he was and we'd finally reunite- Bruce and Laney: the dynamic duo. Standing in his parent's old room, staring at him and not quite believing he was really there and that I was just dreaming; I looked into his eyes and it all clicked for me.

He was here.

And I was furious!

I launched myself at him, beating at his chest and screaming profanities in a mixture of English and French. Not anticipating my attack, Bruce fell backwards onto the floor and I toppled with him.

"Où diable étiez-vous, idiot stupide? J'ai attendu sept ans pour que vous appelez, ou d'écrire, et dire que vous étiez d'accord! Et vous tout d'un coup spectacle et tout ce que vous pouvez dire, c'est "HEY PRINCESS?" Je dois vous tuer! Je vais vous tuer! Où est une batte de baseball? Une fois que je suis avec toi, vous souhaitez vous n'avez jamais été né Bruce Wayne!" Alfred finally got to me and hauled me off of Bruce, still thrashing and bellowing in French. Bruce just stood and brushed himself off, watching me with an amused smirk in place.

"I missed you too, Lane," he snarked, sending me into another fit of rage.

They both let me curse him into oblivion until I began to lose steam. I sat heavily on the edge of the bed, catching my breath while Bruce kneeled in front of me and took my hands in his. I glowered at him while Alfred quietly excused himself, giving us privacy.

"Please, Laney," he begged quietly, "Give me a chance to explain everything and then you can hate me all you want." I shook my head.

"I don't hate you, Bruce. I'm hurt and confused and tired and all of these other emotions that I can't even begin to sort out right now. I think I'm done being angry though," I smiled as his quiet chuckle surrounded me. Without another word, he swept me up into a bone crushing hug and I buried my head in his broad chest. With that gesture, it was as if a great weight was lifted off my shoulders. The thing I'd been praying so long for-Bruce's safe return-had finally been granted, so I let myself be calmed by the steady thrum of Bruce's heart.

"So …what did you say in all of that? All I could pick up was 'idiot' and 'baseball bat.' It didn't sound very promising," he chuckled as I blushed and pulled away from him.

He led me out of the room and into the kitchen where Alfred was making a pot of coffee for us.

"I must say, Miss Delaney, you nearly gave me a heart attack with your screaming," he chastened. I shrugged.

"Well, I wasn't really thinking about your health, so much as trying to get away from the maniac who was going to kill me," I retorted, elbowing Bruce in the stomach. I was pleasantly surprised when he swiftly dodged it.

"Hey, you were the one who came at me with an economics textbook, nonetheless," he snorted. I had to give him that one.

Alfred and I took a seat at the island while Bruce fixed us all a cup of coffee and began his story.

"So I guess I should start after I left the courthouse…"

The story took more than two hours to tell in its continuity. He told us about visiting Carmine Falcone at his restaurant, who showed him that he had everything to lose: Alfred, Rachel and I. After being roughed up by some of Falcone's thugs, he'd hopped a trading ship and sailed for Asia, where he learned what it meant to be a criminal. He also told us about the first time he stole.

"It was so that I wouldn't starve. I lost many assumptions about the simple nature of right and wrong. And when I traveled, I learned the fear before a crime and the thrill of success. But I never became one of them," he promised. I took his hand in mine and kept it there until he was finished.

After getting involved with a smuggling ring stealing Wayne Enterprises equipment (this I'd laughed whole-heartedly at the irony), he'd been sent to prison where the inmates ganged up on him on a regular basis. After taking on six men at one time ("That's my boy!" I'd cried out before being shushed), Bruce was thrown into solitary confinement. There, he met Henri Ducard who was a messenger for Ra's al Ghul. He explained that Ra's al Ghul was the leader of a select group of fighters in what was known as The League of Shadows.

"Fighters as in…what, ninjas?" I snickered. Bruce just looked at me and I fell silent.

"Wait, you're serious?" I asked in disbelief. He nodded and I sat there for a moment, before looking up at him again.

"That's badass, bro," I said finally. Alfred chuckled as Bruce's drink of coffee he'd just consumed shot out of his mouth and narrowly missed me. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it with a shake of his head and continued.

For months, he lived in the monastery training in the techniques of theatricality and stealth while also becoming a skilled fighter. His final test was to overcome his fear and use it to his advantage in the ultimate fight against his trainer- Henri Ducard.

"I was told I could be initiated as soon as I did one more task…I had to execute a prisoner who'd murdered his neighbor," he looked down as I unwillingly let a gasp slip past my lips and clutched his hand tighter. I couldn't imagine how hard that would have been for him.

"I told them I couldn't do it," he whispered, intertwining our fingers together. He grasped my hand like it was a lifeline. "I looked at that man, and I saw you two and Rachel…and my parents…and thought of what you'd say to me if you knew. You'd be so ashamed of me and I didn't want to be like him." He spat the word out with complete repugnance and I knew he was talking about Joe Chill. He glanced back up and held my gaze as he continued the account.

When he realized that Ra's al Ghul wouldn't let him leave alive, he fought the entire army, burned down the monastery, and saved Ducard's life before making his way into the village and leaving the unconscious mentor with a trustworthy man.

"And then I called Alfred," he finished. Alfred sent me a smile as he began cleaning the dishes we'd used.

"Imagine my shock when there was a collect call from Tibet saying that Bruce Wayne was alive and well and was ready to come home," he teased.

"Wait," I interrupted, holding my hands up, "you said how you came home, but you didn't say why. C'mon Bruce, it's been seven years. You could have stayed away, but you didn't. Why?" I saw him and Alfred exchange a look.

"I came back to save my city from the criminals and corrupt," he answered nobly, "I came back because it's time that Falcone and anyone else who thinks they own Gotham is put into their place. That not everyone can be bought."

"But you said you tried that the day you left and he just ignored you. What makes this time different?" I asked.

"Because this time, I won't be going as Bruce Wayne," he answered simply, "Bruce Wayne can be ignored or picked off. But a symbol? As a symbol, I can't be paid off or corrupted. I can do things that Bruce Wayne can't. That's why it'll work."

"And what were you thinking this symbol might be, Mr. Ignored-and-picked-off?" I mocked sardonically.

"I'm not sure yet. But that's why I have you, isn't it?" he smirked as I rolled my eyes.

"That's all I'm good for: making up a secret persona to keep my best friend's ass from being grass," I muttered.

"Don't quit your day job," Alfred remarked. I snorted before realizing what he'd said. My eyes widened.

"Oh crap! I'm never going to be able to get up in time for work," I groaned, rubbing my eyes.

"I'm sure Mr. Earle won't miss you for one day, Miss Delaney. I'll contact Wayne Enterprises tomorrow for you and tell them you'll be out. In the meantime, I must be going back to sleep. Good night Master Wayne, Miss Delaney." He gave the two of us a nod and disappeared back to his room.

"Good night Alfred," I called back. When we heard his door swing shut, Bruce rounded on me.

"You work for Earle?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm his executive assistant," I sighed, standing from my stool and stretching.

He contemplated for a moment. I popped my back and yawned, finally feeling the effects of being up at almost six in the morning. My eyelids felt heavy and I struggled to stay awake.

"What happened to Princeton?" he asked at last.

"Changed my mind," I mumbled.

"Because of me?" he demanded. I shrugged.

"Changed my mind," I repeated, staggering towards the stairs. I heard his footsteps behind me before he suddenly picked me up into his arms and carried me up the stairs. I was too tired to protest, instead just leaning against his chest and closing my eyes.

My favorite sound was the steady drumming of Bruce's heart. It helped me remember that he was really there with me and so far, he wasn't going anywhere.

Carefully, trying not to jostle me, he walked up to my door and placed me on my bed. Tucking the covers around my body, he bent down and kissed my forehead like he always did when I'd go to bed.

"Goodnight, Laney," he whispered.

"Bruce?" I called sleepily. I felt his hand on my forehead as he turned back to see what I needed.

"What's up?" he murmured. I yawned and snuggled deeper into the bed, opening one eye to peer at him.

"I'm glad you're back. I missed you," I said. He was silent and for a moment, I'd thought he'd left.

"I missed you too, Princess" he whispered softly, brushing my hair away from my face.

"As much as Rachel?" I asked again, closing my eyes. I wasn't sure what possessed me to ask, but I did.

"Maybe even more," I barely heard him chuckle as my eyes closed and I drifted off to sleep.

Translations: Where the hell were you, stupid idiot? I waited seven years for you to call, or write, and say you were okay! And you all of a sudden show up and all you can say is "HEY PRINCESS?" I ought to kill you! I will kill you! Where's a baseball bat? Once I'm through with you, you'll wish you were never born Bruce Wayne!

A/N: I'm BAAAAAACK! Hahaha, so yay Bruce is back! And I had a lot of fun making Delaney go off on him in french. :D So, tomorrow is the day I start school and I might not post that much only because I'll have a ton of homework and I want to stay ahead of the chapters I post. But ya'll can thank my aunt for letting me use her laptop over vacation so I could write more. I promise that I'll try to work over weekends but not making promises. My parents aren't very supportive of the whole 'spending my life on the computer' thing. :( Anyway, hope to see you when ever I post! and as always PLEASE REVIEW! ~Brooke