Disclaimer: I do NOT own Batman
Thanks to grapejuice101, ZabuzasGirl, highlander348, Roc2Roll, misslulucup, and kindleflame5 for your reviews (and your patience =D)
~Later that day~
Bruce headed home after our adventure into Applied Sciences, the survival suit and other gadgets he'd wanted being placed gently and secretly into the back of the Rolls Royce Alfred had driven to pick him up.
"I'll be home around 5:30," I promised, watching them drive out of the parking garage. Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my purse and I pulled it out.
Rachel Dawes
"Uh oh," I muttered, pressing the accept button, "Hello?"
"Delaney! Did you hear Bruce was back?" Rachel demanded. I cringed.
If I told Rachel I hadn't known; she'd see right through me. I lived in the man's house for Pete's sake! If I told her I did know; she'd be crushed that I didn't tell her immediately after I'd found out.
"Well…" I trailed off, scrambling to think up some way to cover my tracks.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, hurt. I groaned.
"Look, Rach. I'm sorry, but Alfred and I were just as surprised as you are. We just… needed some time to adjust. We were going to call you, tonight actually, and invite you to dinner," I sighed, blowing a stray hair away from my forehead.
"No… it's okay. I have a lot of work to do down here at the office. I might stop by later though. Give Alfred my love." She sounded disappointed and I wasn't sure if it was because she had to work or if it was because I hadn't told her Bruce was home.
Rachel and I had never really been close. I secretly wondered if she was slightly jealous of the attention Bruce had always showered me with when we were younger. Since I was the youngest and the most dramatic (my rare tantrums were hell to deal with), if I wasn't included I would kick up a fuss and Bruce, unable to ignore my crying, would make Rachel modify their plans. And even then, Bruce would always keep a close watch on me and only half pay attention to their game.
I, on the hand, was very resentful of Rachel. She had always been brainy and beautiful, graduating with honors from Law School to the joy of her mother, a former worker at the Manor. Bruce used to praise her awards and accomplishments while he hadn't even been to my high school graduation. Academics seemed so effortless for her while I worked my tail off trying to get where I was. After Bruce's disappearance, we knit ourselves together with the agreement to put aside our prides and search for our missing friend. Now that Bruce was back in Gotham, I wondered how long that truce would last before we would go back to being silent rivals.
"Will do. See you soon Rachel," I hung up my phone as the door from the garage to the building slid open and I made my way back to my desk.
"What the hell was that?" Jessica exclaimed as I sat heavily in my chair, "Was that really Bruce Wayne that was showing me how to improve my golf swing?"
"The one and only," I bit back, scrunching up my face into a cynical sneer.
"Wow," she sighed dreamily. I rolled my eyes as my office phone rang.
"Mr. Earle's office: this is Delaney," I said brightly in my business tone, reaching for my note pad to take a message.
"Miss Martin? This is Emmeline Wilson from the Gotham Press, I was wondering if you could comment on Bruce Wayne's recent return to Gotham?" came the professional reporter's voice. I swore under my breath. The paparazzi already?
"I'm sorry," No I'm not, "but I can't answer your question at this time. I'm afraid this is my work number so if you could refrain from calling it again, I'd be much obliged. Thank you!" I slammed the phone back in its cradle, rubbing my forehead in frustration. This could be a long day…
For once, I hated to be right.
Nonstop, my cell phone and my work phone rang with reporters from newspapers and T.V. stations; hounding me into interviewing with Bruce about his reappearance in Gotham. By 5:00, I was ready to jump off a cliff or push someone off the cliff.
"No, I will not comment on Bruce Wayne or anything having to do with his life!" I snapped, losing patience and not bothering to look at the caller I.D.
"Uhhh…I won't ask then," answered a hesitant, familiar voice after a moment. My eyes widened.
"Christian! I'm so sorry, the paparazzi have been hounding me all day and I thought… oh I'm really sorry," I sputtered, blushing beet red. He chuckled.
"It's okay. I was just… calling you to see how… you were doing. I saw that Bruce Wayne was back and… well… hi," he said, stuttering. I giggled as his awkwardness. Once a nerd around girls, always a nerd around girls.
"Thank you. It's been pretty hectic around here, but I'll manage. What are you up to?" I asked, glancing at the clock. 5:25. Yes!
"Sitting in a boring board meeting, talking to boring board members, and… trying to work up the courage to ask a pretty woman to dinner with me tomorrow." My breath caught and a smile bloomed across my face.
"Well, she'd be pretty stupid to say no to a gentleman like you," I played along, shoving random things into my bag.
"I don't think she could ever be considered stupid. Stupid is not part of her many character traits," I laughed, heading for the door.
"What would some of those character traits be exactly?" I teased.
"Beautiful, witty, charismatic, outgoing, bright; shall I go on?" The smile never left my face.
"I really hope we're talking about me here, cause if we're not; I'll feel like an ass," I breathed. His laughter rumbled in the phone speaker and I chuckled along with him, waving goodbye to some of the other employees as I made my way to the car.
"Yes: behind my complete bungling attempt at flirting, I am talking about you. So, what do you say?" he asked. I detected a hint of excitement and it made my heart flutter.
"I say… see you at eight?" I unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat.
"See you at eight. Goodbye Delaney," he murmured. I replied with my own 'goodnight' and hung up the phone, starting the Lamborghini and making my way home.
On the way back to Wayne Manor, I couldn't stop smiling. I had a date for the first time in… a while. My parents, Jessica, even Alfred had hounded me time after time for not going out on a date. The truth was, not a lot of guys asked me. And if they did, I was usually busy or just didn't want to go.
Pulling up to the garage, I pressed the button to open the door and pulled gingerly in beside the Rolls Alfred loved so much. I yanked my bag out from under the front seat and tossed the keys on the hook with the others.
"Alfred? Bruce? Are you home?" I peered into the kitchen and parlor. No one.
"If they jet-set off to Asia again, I swear…" I trailed off, shaking my head. I passed the broom cupboard on my way up to my room and paused, noticing the door slightly ajar. I opened it further and saw that the blue rope Bruce had used to explore the old well was gone.
"He went down there again?" I muttered. I rushed up to my room and pulled on a pair of old jeans and a sweatshirt and hurried back out to the old garden. I saw the rope hanging down into the hole and gingerly grabbed it, swinging my legs over the side.
"Okay, Laney. Just don't think of losing your grip and plunging head first into a bunch of jagged rocks. Nope, no fear now," I grumbled under my breath. I slowly repelled down the side, quietly screaming every time my foot slipped out from under me. When I finally got to the bottom, I said a silent prayer to the powers above for getting me down okay and peered into the depths.
A large opening, big enough for someone Bruce's size to fit through, loomed ominously in front of me. I pulled the rope with me as I crawled carefully through it.
"Bruce? Bruce, are you here?" I called through the darkness. I heard distant shuffling and suddenly a figure appeared in the shadows.
"Glad you could join us, Miss Martin," Alfred chuckled, holding a hand out to help me down. My feet landed on the hard ground and I looked around.
A waterfall roared in the background, splashing the surrounding rocks and giving the air a damp feel. The rocky cavern was uneven and if you weren't careful, you could take a nose dive. Bruce was hanging from Lucius' harness, nailing a thick steel cord into the stony wall.
"Okay! Give it a try!" he yelled out to Alfred. Alfred flipped the switch on a generator I hadn't noticed before and giant floodlights flickered to life.
"Charming," I grinned. Bruce turned slightly and gave me a lopsided smirk.
"At least you'll have company," Alfred commented, staring overhead. I looked to where he was observing and shuddered as the sounds of thousands of bats chattered and nested.
"Oh gross!" I cringed. Bruce chuckled.
"You get used to it," he said lowly, starting to repel down.
"This must be the lowest foundation of the southeast wing!" Alfred called over the rising din of bats and water. We trekked through the small stream over towards the looming arches of stone that held up the Manor. Making our way through them, we noticed what looked like an old elevator shaft with rusted chains hanging down. Bruce tugged on them, peering beyond and trying to make out what was there.
"You know," I started, also craning my neck to see, "in the civil war, your great-great-grandfather was involved in the Underground Railroad; secretly transporting freed slaves to the North. These caverns might have been pretty handy to have." I looked around to Alfred's bewildered look and Bruce's amused one.
"What? I did a little research project in high school on the Underground Railroad. Sue me!" I scowled. Bruce shook his head before letting go of the chains and walking over to a metal table lined with what looked like paint supplies. He picked up the survival suit and peeled off his shirt. I gasped, whirling around.
"Bruce! A little warning would be great!" I shrieked.
"Geeze, sorry Lane," he muttered. It took a few moments, but he finally told me it was safe. I turned around and my eyes boggled.
The suit fit him like a glove-a hard, Kevlar reinforced glove- and accentuated his built muscles. The boots gave him another two inches, making him tower over my small frame and only slightly larger than Alfred. All in all, he was very intimidating.
He grabbed the rope next to a spray can of paint and slung it over his shoulder. He made his way over to the waterfall, silent as a panther. It was no small feat in such a hulking costume, but somehow he barely made a sound. He stood just at the bottom and turned towards us.
"Alfred! Laney! Come up here!" he bellowed, gesturing us over.
"I can see everything all right from down here, sir, thank you very much!" Alfred called back. He cocked his head at me and I shrugged.
"If I fall on my butt, you're carrying me back!" I yelled, faltering over a particularly large rock in my path. In about twice the time it took for him to get there, I finally made it to his side. I clutched at his shoulder as the water began to soak me from head to toe.
We stood in silence for a moment as Bruce held his gloved hand out into the water and let the powerful torrent of water wash over it. I did the same thing, laughing quietly when mine was almost immediately forced down by the sheer power. Suddenly, Bruce's hand took mine and joined them together, holding them under the water. This time, I felt the resistance of Bruce's hand forcing ours to stay up and intertwined our fingers to keep them locked together.
It was a moment I would look back on for the rest of my life. It was the connection to Bruce I felt in that moment that kept the memory so alive. It was knowing that through thick and thin, whatever hell we would be put through; we knew that it wouldn't be alone. We would face whatever fate had to throw at us together.
A/N: I'm back! But just for a short truth is, I miss this story and Delaney and Bruce. I was involved in my school's production of Anatomy of Gray (a great play BTW) and have been feeling down since we closed a week ago. So, I heard my sweet little characters calling my name and jumped on this chapter. It's not my favorite, but the ending kinda redems it in my mind. Again, don't expect another chapter in the very near future as another production I'm in is gearing up, but I WILL return as soon as my life calms down. Thank you for your reviews, your patience, and most of all: your journey with Delaney and I as this story comes together. Virtual hugs and cookies! ~Brooke
P.S: If you didn't already know, this story was added to the community Gotham's Finest and I'm thrilled! I read some amazing stories from that C2 to get a feel of Gotham before writing this and it is a huge honor to be added to it. Thank you OCCentric for adding me! Much obliged! :)