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Thanks to Highlander348, Olivia, dream lighting, peygoodwin, guest, and Phoenix2002 for your reviews on chapter 10 and highlander348, ZabuzasGirl, Alexstarlight18, Hermione02, The Dark Knightress, scarlet tribe, kindleflame5, and Morning and Evening Star for your reviews on the authors note. Also kindleflame5, highlander348, and The Dark Knightress for your PM's.

"I'm so glad you called me honey."

I glanced up at my mother over my glass of sprite and smiled. She hadn't stopped thanking me since I'd called her that morning and asked her to lunch.

We were sitting at a small bistro that was only a five minute walk from Wayne Enterprises where I sometimes stopped to pick up a sandwich or some soup for Earle on occasion. It was quiet and fast, enough to get through an hour long lunch break without fearing for being late back to work. It was also quaint enough for my long overdue outing with my mom.

Since Earle had announced his plans to go public, he'd kept Jessica and I plenty busy enough at work to forget regular social contact to a minimum. My date with Christian had been a luxury. Plus, everything with Bruce and his "quest" had kept me from agreeing to lunch out earlier.

"I'm just sorry it took me this long to call you and set something up. You know how Mr. Earle can get," I explained. She nodded knowingly.

In truth, I was also a nervous wreck and needed something to get my mind off of what was going down tonight. Bruce was his usual calm and collected self—something I was nowhere near.

"If you keep chewing your nails, there will be nothing left to chew on, Lane," he'd mentioned over breakfast that morning, not glancing up from the morning's headlines.

"Just because you're incapable of realizing the absolute dangers and everything that could go wrong with this, doesn't mean I can't," I'd snapped back, rubbing my ring finger—another nervous habit, "And thanks for the obvious Captain Duh."

"Now, now you two," Alfred interceded quickly. I'd pushed my plate away from me and guzzled another cup of coffee, my third that morning. Now, in the present time I had the largest caffeine headache and nausea to boot. Lunch with my mother would—hopefully—make me feel better.

"Delaney, is everything alright? You seem tired and… nervous about something," Mom asked, her face drawn in concern.

I'd forgotten how observational my mom was too.

"I'm okay, Mom. It's just… the company going public and all this pressure that Earle's got on me. Plus I'm worried about Bruce and how he feels about all of this. You know how he is about letting his true feelings out."

My mom nodded knowingly. "He is just like his mother in that way. Martha was very hesitant about telling people how she truly felt about things. Except when she got into a project that she was very passionate about—the foundation for example. She was a tigress in the boardroom. If you didn't like something she did, beware." My mom seemed distant towards the end of her speech. I hadn't heard her speak about Martha Wayne since I was younger. The only evidence that she'd even existed were the photos hidden around my old house of her and my mom at various charity events that my mom had planned and Martha had attended. I had always been hesitant to approach the subject of Thomas and Martha around my parents and Bruce. It seemed like the mere mention of them would open up a festering wound that I wasn't sure I wanted to see.

"What was she like?" I asked quietly, unsure if this was the appropriate setting in case my mom got emotional. My mom smiled, so it seemed like it was okay.

"She was so kind and gentle," she started, "She and Thomas were practically saints. And they wanted kids for so long. After having Bruce, they dedicated everything to raising him to be the perfect gentleman. But they never forgot those less fortunate than they were. There was this boy's home that they visited regularly—St. Swithin's I believe. They loved meeting all those boys and Thomas was a regular patron at their basketball games. Martha went crazy with donations, always wanting to help. Bruce actually visited a couple times and played with the other boys. They were so sweet. After they… passed, some of their estate went to keep the home running." I sat back as my mom continued telling me about Thomas and Martha. Their charity work, Bruce's childhood, even how much they—as my godparents—spoiled me rotten with extravagant gifts. Thomas had even rented a pony for my second birthday, which I'd screamed and cried until he'd pulled me off and held me until I'd stopped.

"You were the daughter they never had. Do you remember that old stuffed rabbit you had when you were little? Thomas won that at the Wayne Enterprises company carnival when you were a baby. He had to have spent at least twenty dollars in quarters just to get that for you. And he insisted on playing the game for it. 'It will teach her character' he'd argued. There was no stopping him," she and I chuckled. It surprised me that she remembered something so trivial about my childhood. I still had that rabbit somewhere in my room at the Manor. I'd had no idea it had come from Thomas and Martha.

"You know honey, maybe if you try talking about some of this kind of stuff with Bruce, he'll open up more about how he feels about the company," my mom suggested. I thought about it.

Would Bruce really want to talk about his parents? Ever since he'd been back, all he could talk about was this master plan for saving Gotham and had no mention about when he left Gotham and why. His parents had always been a danger zone, the red flashing lights that kept me from venturing too far into the subject. Even before he left on his "quest" or whatever he wanted to call it.

"I don't know Mom, it…"

Suddenly, my phone beeped and I glanced down to see a text from Jessica.

Where are you? Lunch ended fifteen minutes ago and Earle is back any minute! ~Jess

"Oh crap! Mom I have to go, I'm really late. I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, throwing my napkin to the table and grabbing my purse.

"No worries baby. I'll take care of it," Mom smiled, standing and pulling me in for a hug, "And think about what I said about Bruce."

"I will. And thank you for telling me about Thomas and Martha. They seemed wonderful," I said before quickly exiting.

The conversation with my mother ran circles in my head all day. Even driving home, that and what we had planned for tonight divided my attention. It wasn't until I was home and Alfred was serving dinner that I'd made up my mind to broach the subject with the one person I knew would always listen.

"Hey Alfred?" I asked, watching Bruce disappear up the stairs to the study.

"Yes Miss Delaney?"

"What—what were Bruce's parents like?" I asked timidly. Alfred seemed to pause at the sink as I said this. I could see him choosing his words carefully.

"They were good, Miss Delaney. They had good souls and kind hearts," he murmured. It was silent for a moment as I took a bite of chicken.

"How did you come to work for them? If you don't mind me asking," I continued.

"I've worked in this house since I was a boy and Master Wayne's grandfather was a young man. My mother worked here as a housekeeper and her mother before her. The Pennyworths and the Wayne's have always been synonymous." He smiled tightly, "I've grown up here as much as you have, my dear."

"Why didn't you leave after Bruce left?" I pressed. Alfred nodded with a shadow of a grin on his face.

"You, my girl."

I was shocked. "Me? Why?"

"After Master Bruce left, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I'd always kept the hope that he had found happiness outside the city that had ruined him in many ways. Yet, you came into this manor and brought back the light I saw only when you were children together. Your hope brought back the life that had been gone so long. And so I stayed, to keep you happy and to look after you, as Master Wayne would have wanted."

Alfred turned away as I sat in a contemplative silence, soaking in everything I'd learned that day. Was I really the reason he'd stayed in a place that seemed so dark and full of memories everyone seemed to never talk about. Even Alfred, the most forthcoming person I knew, was tightlipped about the past.

"Miss Delaney, it seems to be about time for you to go," Alfred reminded me. I glance at the clock and jumped.

"Wow, no kidding. I'll see you later," I said, taking my half eaten dish to the sink and placing it next to Alfred. As I walked away, I barely missed Alfred's knowing gaze following me where Bruce joined me at the bottom of the steps and we walked to the study side-by-side.

A.N: GAH! Oh my god I'm so freaking sorry guys! I've tried so hard to pull something out but this is only a filler before the whole Falcone scene. I'd like to thank everyone for your reviews and pushing and asking if I was still alive. Now that I've kind of filled in, I'm hoping to spend some time on the Falcone scene and taking all your suggestions to account. But here's my dilemma:

I never planned for Delaney to be a sidekick in all the action. My feelings are that I wanted to stay as true to Nolan-verse as I possibly could. I feel like putting her out there as a batgirl type character was never what I planned and it goes against her role in my mind. I'm not saying that she will be some weak Mary-Sue because I hate those too. But I thank you for your suggestions and hope that I can incorporate them into her as much as possible while also staying true to who she is for me. So with that, let's hope for some butt-kicking action in the next chapter and God help me write it. :) Love to you all!

~Brooke