Batman's POV!

Black. Darkness. The shadows that for so long I have resided in, just watching her as she struggled to fight them off. It was strange too. For awhile I actually thought that she might have not needed my help, but in the end she did. It was when I decided that she needed help that she noticed where I was perched. Her eyes were glazed over, her cheeks rosy and flushed, sweat was starting to collect at her brow. She had resisted the Anesthetic that Crane had made her intake through the lungs. But then she fainted and I knocked out Maroni's men, again. It was Crane that had gotten away, but why was he after a women like this? She looked so helpless as she slept in the ally. It was snowing, her breathing came out in a cloud of smoke, but she still shivered despite the fact that she was wrapped beneath a thick layer of clothing. And yet, as I stared at her, I couldn't help but think of how lovely she was. When I picked her up, she was limp and cold, almost like she was dead. Though, I knew that she wasn't because she was still breathing and she had a heart beat. I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her, after all she was a victim. I took her to the Bat mobile, and put her in shotgun, strapping her in, as I climbed in after her. I cranked up the heat and started speeding down the rural ways around Gotham. When we got to the Bat cave, (Alfred's little joke, but I'm starting to like it), I sat her down on the couch near my computer and lab work. I sat down in the chair and tried looking up who she was, and if she was even a resident in this town.

"Oh, I see you have company. Would you like me to make her some tea, Mr. Wayne?" Said Alfred, bring some coffee for me.

I hardly looked at him as I answered, "She won't be waking up in a while, so probably not. But could you get her a blanket? When I saved her she was freezing, and I still have yet to figure out why."

"Mr. Wayne, do you think it might be because her coat is wet?" Said Alfred.

I looked at him and then to her. She was still sleeping soundly, but she was still shivering. I went over to her and took off my leather gloves, feeling her coat sleeves. They were wet. I groaned, and took off the jacket, making sure that nothing else was wet. There wasn't. "Alfred, I have no clue what I would do without you."

"I don't even want to think about it, Mr. Wayne."

I smiled slightly at that, then went back to work. That was when I finally found out who she was. "Her name is Veronica Cresel Duboise, she's twenty- three years old. She's a singer at The Broadway Project. There really isn't much about her. But she lives at 122 East Cicero."

Alfred looked at me oddly, but said nothing. It was almost as if he knew something, but I knew better than to pry. Veronica slept soundly on the couch, her hair in a thick braid trailing down the side of the couch. Her bangs in her face, slightly covering one of her closes eyelids, her cheeks were flushed, her lips slightly open. I was glad that she wasn't shivering anymore, but I couldn't help but stare as she slept, unaware of who had taken her home. I sat down next to her, and pushed away her bangs from her face. I couldn't help but notice her long, thick eyelashes that became dark crescents over her cheek bones. I wondered what they looked like open, staring back at you. I couldn't afford to think like that though, she would never fall for someone like me. Perhaps Bruce, if he played his cards right, but never Batman. Besides Batman couldn't afford to have someone special, it was too risky, too dangerous. I scooped her up in my arms, carrying her as careful as ever, making sure that she wouldn't wake up. I then sat her back into the Bat-mobile, and once again, strapped her in. I glanced at her once more as I put her address into the navigation system and got in, driving back out of the Bat cave.

The building that she lived in was a large one, three story, with a red door that stood out from all of the other doors down this road. I picked the lock to her door and opened it slowly, knowing that one of my employees lived here just as well. Inside was a strange building, it was more a house than anything, but it was quite pretty for the fact that two grown women lived there. I noticed the couch and sat her down on it, putting a blanket over her. She stayed asleep, with no signs of awaking. There was a part of me that was afraid to leave her, thinking that she might get abducted again, but I finally came to terms with myself and decided that I would leave; after all I had a business meeting today. I closed the front door and left her, walking into the cold, snowy night in Gotham city. I looked up at the half moon playing peek-a-boo with the clouds. I watched as it illuminated the side walk that was deserted of people. I looked back once more at her door as I walked away into the shadows of the bat-mobile.

Speeding back down the Highways of Gotham, I let out a loud yawn. I couldn't believe how tired I was. I never got this tired after crime fighting, but sure as hell, I felt my eyes droop. I needed to get home fast and so I started to put my foot down harder on the accelerator until I hit ninety. From then I went that steady pace, watching the trees and road flash past me in a blur. As I rolled into the Bat cave I got out of the Bat mobile and started taking off the bat suit. "Back already, Mr. Wayne?" Asked Alfred, his eyes slightly narrowed.

I nodded, turning to him, then smiling a weary smile. "Yeah, I decided that I really needed some sleep tonight. After all, I do have a business meeting tomorrow."

"Don't you mean today, Bruce?" Said Alfred with a smirk.

I laughed slightly, shaking my head. "Yeah, today."

I trudged up the stairs without another word, I could hear my foot fall become more heavy than usual, but what puzzled me the most was the fact that even my mind was becoming slightly foggy even when my thoughts were on Veronica. I opened the secret door and stepped into the living room, everything was spotless, as usual. I then turned and rounded the corner to the main staircase and practically ran up them, my feet hardly hitting the stairs as I pounced higher and higher to the landing. I then made my way to my parents old room, that was now my room and I opened the door ever so lightly to taking my surroundings. The room was big, most of everything in there was made from wood, the walls were painted a light tan, and then accented with a deep green. I closed the door behind me, looking around to see my desk and my Mac laptop sitting there harmlessly. I then took off everything but my boxers and sat down on the bed, sighing slightly as I then pulled back the covers and took out my book sitting on my night stand. This was normally how I spent my nights, sometimes with a lady friend but as she slept beside me I usually took out a good book and read. It was how I fell asleep, even though sometimes that was the problem I would get too interested with what I was reading and I couldn't fall asleep. But tonight as I started reading my crime novel, I realized that I was too tired for this. So I stuck the book mark back in between its pages and I turned off the light only to lie on my back staring at the ceiling. Yes, my eyes were heavy and my body was weak, but still sleep did not come quickly. My mind started racing to wonder, what was Veronica doing? How was she sleeping? Was she having nightmares? Or has Claire noticed that she was home yet? I groaned in irritation. Why was I so compassionate? I didn't even know the girl yet, and still I want to know her. It was quite possibly the most irritating thing I had ever encountered. I rolled over to my side and looked out the window past the trees to the light pollution that tinted the winter sky. I don't know when I fell asleep; I just simply awoke to Alfred setting my glass of breakfast on my nightstand, next to my alarm clock. It was early, almost seven thirty to be exact, but the thing that puzzled me the most was the fact that I had slept about four hours and yet, I still felt like shit.

"Sleep well, Bruce?" Asked Alfred.

I couldn't help but notice the slight sneer on his face, almost as if he knew something I didn't. "No… not at all."

"Why not? A certain girl on your mind?" Said Alfred, his grin expanding only to show how much he did know.

I nodded, my early morning scowl taking over my face. I sat up and chugged the green slim that I called breakfast. I then looked at Alfred and said, "Alfred, I need you to find out as much as you can about Veronica Duboise and I need coffee, and the really strong kind."

"Alright, remember. You have a business meeting at nine, don't be late."

Alfred left the room, and closed the door with a small thud. I sat on the edge of the bed, ruffling my dark, already messy hair. Across from me sat a large old mirror, I looked at myself, wondering if Veronica was awake already. I got up stretching slightly, only to yawn a second later. I made my way to the bathroom down the hall; my steps make loud thuds where my feet made contact with the hardwood floor. The door made a loud creak when I opened it. I was startled by the sudden loud sound from the door only to relax a second later when my bare feet hit the marble floors of the bathroom. I closed the door behind me and walked to the shower. I started it, only to strip down and then get in, slightly hoping that it would make it so I would stop thinking about her.

I thought about Claire and how she was going to show off her new invention model today. I had to say, I was interested in what she was going to show, but there was the fact that I was so tired that most things that people were going to say to me, I wouldn't be able to comprehend. I was overwhelmed with the heady scent of my shampoo and conditioner, the smell almost lulling my asleep. I lifted my heavy head from the marble shower wall, blinking several times only to turn off the shower and wrap a plush terry cloth towel over the bottom half of my body.

Peering curiously into the mirror, I glared at myself, at first not realizing the man glaring back. The bags underneath my eyes could have hid a dead body underneath them. They were so dark and puffy that it reminded me of the Joker's hideous make up that often plagued my dreams. I couldn't even get away from him when I slept and that was the sad part. I felt like Bruce was the mask not Batman. I splashed frigid water over my eyes, trying to get rid of the puffiness. It worked. Bruce Wayne stared back at me in the mirror, his slightly long dark hair dangling over his deep blue eyes. My hands gripped the sides of the pristine white marble counter top, I watched as my knuckles turned white just from the thought of the Joker and the rest of the Gotham city's scum. I glared back up at Bruce, and watched as he sneered back at me in the mirror. It was as if he knew something that I didn't, like that something terrible was going to happen and I could not prevent it from happening.

When I got out of the bathroom there was already a perfectly pressed new suit draped over my already made bed and a tall cup of expensive Greek coffee sitting next to my alarm clock. About twenty minutes later I was on my way to Wayne towers.

I lumbered into the office room where we normally had our meetings and sat down at the furthest chair from where Claire was going to start that meeting. I was glad that Alfred had thought to get me more of that coffee in a to-go cup and I sipped it quietly letting the rich dark substance fill me completely. Claire turned to me and smiled warmly, making her eyes shine as she slowly walked over to where I was sitting. "Good Morning Mr. Wayne. I don't think I have ever seen you drink coffee, why is that?" She said her voice silky and warm.

I looked up at her and smiled back. "Claire. My father was Mr. Wayne, call me Bruce. I didn't sleep well last night and I normally drink it beforeI get into the office." I chuckled trying to make her a little more comfortable around me.

She nodded and smiled timidly. "Sorry, I always do that. I'm sorry you didn't sleep well, I wonder why?"

Maybe it was because I had your lovely roommate to occupy my mind. I thought darkly, nodding slightly only to smile again.

"Are you excited?" I asked cocking my head to the side and watching her reaction.

She nodded, her long red hair shaking around her head. "To be honest, I'm a little nervous. You know how some of the people are in here."

It was true; some of them could be mistaken for man eating wolves, waiting for your weakest point. When the whole thing had started, Claire was composed and I watched her intently, thinking about how amazing her new discovery was. She had found a certain type of metal that could be bent into whatever the wielder wanted it to be with only the touch of another type of metal. And to top that off, it didn't take heat to make it change. She changed it into many things and I watched fascinated by it.

Everyone turned to the door when a nock came rapping. All of the sudden the door creaked open only for a blonde head to poke out. I recognized her as Veronica herself. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment as she walked through the door and stopped dead looking at everyone who was staring with puzzlement at her. "I'm sorry to intrude, but may I speak to Claire for a moment." She sighed, her voice quivering slightly.

Claire was speechless. She looked at her with her mouth gapping. I spoke up and smiled at Veronica. "Yes, you may have her. Is something wrong?"

She looked at me and sighed slightly. "No nothing is entirely wrong, but~"

"Then maybe you should leave, after all you rudely interrupted out meeting." Said Mr. Gibson, cutting her off completely.

I looked at him irritated with the fact that he was being a real asshole to her. I couldn't help but be protective over her, seeing as she was unlike any other women I have ever seen. "But, what, Ms. Duboise?" I said urging her to finish her sentence.

"Claire, I need to borrow the car. I'll put gas in it, but my shipment came in today and they said I need to pick it up or they will sell it to someone else." She said, her eyes pleading Claire.

"How long do you think it will take for you to get the car back?" Claire asked.

"I can have it back by the time your work is finished." Veronica said, smiling slightly.

"Do you have to work tonight?" Said Claire put a hand on her hip.

Veronica nodded only to say yes to confirm the nod. She looked down at her shoes only to let out another sigh. Claire walked over to her and gave her the keys only to whisper something in her ear. Claire's eyes gestured to me as she said it, and nodded a goodbye. I felt my eye brows rise with suspicion as Veronica left. I don't think I ever will forget the way her long blonde hair trailed down her trench coat as it sliced through the air behind her.