A.N.: So, who knew I would be taking a class that requires between ten and fifteen hours a week for just it? I sure as hell didn't. But I haven't forgotten about the story, and hope to be working on my other ones as well. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Batman of any kind, but Jillian and the Picard family are mine.
It was Bruce's fourth week in the hospital when the media attention started to get to be too much for the hospital staff. The first week, news reporters were outside filming about the tragedy of Bruce Wayne's near death experience. They had ambushed Alfred bringing Julian into the hospital a few times before Gordon had increased security surrounding the hospital, though the head staff added security of their own. The head nurse had explained it to the Commissioner at one point, that the Wayne family had always been very generous to all the hospitals, and no patient would be able to rest while being constantly harassed.
By the second week, news reporters had stopped trying to film, whether it was lawsuits being threatened, or if they had found easier news. But the journalists for tabloids and newspapers still persisted. A few of them were arrested for impersonating staff. The journalists were still trying to get to Bruce Wayne and the butler when his doctor came to see him.
Dr. Shaw greeted him, "Good afternoon Mr. Wayne, it seems your healing is going along nicely," he took a long pause before continuing on, "how do you think you are doing?"
"Well, the pain has lessened greatly, and I can walk around one my own again," Bruce replied.
The doctor nodded, "That's good, very good indeed. The other cardiologists and I have discussed your recovery and have decided that though you still have a long way to go, it would be best for you to continue your recovery back home in peace and quiet."
Bruce slowly nodded, it was only last night that a member of the paparazzi had snuck into the hospital dressed as a night nurse and made it to his floor. One of the guards that Gordon had stationed there caught the disguised reporter, and promptly alerted the Commissioner himself. Gordon of course fined and arrested the reporter.
The doctor added, "You will of course need to come in at least once a weekend to check in, and we can send a visiting nurse down to help as well."
Bruce agreed with Dr. Shaw, and it would be great to be back in Wayne Manor again. He would leave the hospital at the end of the week.
Alfred, however, was not as pleased with the doctors' decision. With Mr. Wayne back at the Manor, he would focus on trying to identify the almost assassin. He had managed to keep Bruce out of it for the duration of his hospital stay, by not providing him the tools and encouraging Lucius Fox do the same.
Gordon had not had much luck with the case of the almost assassin; there was no trace left at the scene of the crime and the only evidence so far was the bullet the doctors had saved for them. It had been almost a month and no leads; the trail was going cold and Gordon didn't like that one bit. It meant that they were getting closer to the next time there was an attempt on Bruce Wayne's life.
It was early Friday morning when Bruce Wayne was released from the hospital. He had already changed and was finishing the paperwork when Jim Gordon arrived at on his floor. Jim smiled to himself as his gaze fell upon the casually dress Bruce Wayne with a Jillian literally clinging to Wayne's leg.
Jillian greeted him first with an excited squeal, "Daddy's coming home today! Daddy's coming home today!" and squeezed his leg tighter. Bruce looked up from the paperwork, "Commissioner, don't you know I'm leaving today?"
"Dr. Shaw asked for you to be escorted back home safely, and I decided I would do it myself," Jim Gordon said as Alfred Pennyworth was back on the floor from bringing things to the car. The butler responded "Are you sure? I doubt it will be the day you think it is."
The Commissioner was surprised to hear the butler say that, but he figured it was English butler showing his happiness at Wayne being fine. He could not understand how the tabloids could write articles about Alfred Pennyworth hiring the assassin to try to kill Bruce Wayne and take the money.
Bruce had finished all the paperwork and was ready to leave the hospital, which was decorated with fresh picked roses. Gordon followed them back to the manor in his car, interested to see what new security measures were put in place. As it turns out, nothing to the naked eye. The butler had tried explaining to the Commissioner that he should spend less time worrying about the Manor being attacked and more time about keeping Mr. Wayne from harming himself.
Loki was waiting at the door, and the first thing Loki did when Bruce set foot in the manor was to meow loudly at him. It wasn't hostile; it was giving him hell for being gone so long. A few minutes later and Loki was purring away in Bruce's arms, happy for him to be back. Gordon could have sworn that he heard Wayne mutter "I've missed you too."
"I am sorry for the condition the house is in Master Wayne," Alfred said as he lead them through the Manor.
"It looks fine," Bruce replied reassuringly, Loki in arms and Jillian at his side. He did notice that things were a bit dustier than they were since he was home, but he wasn't going to tell Alfred. Home, that was a word he hadn't used to describe Wayne Manor with in a very long time.
Gordon stayed around to talk about security and taking it slow, made Bruce promise not to go to any of the socialite parties. Alfred had invited him to lunch, in which Jillian hoped was "smac and sneeze."
Alfred went to fetch them for lunch and saw Loki curled up in Bruce's lap. "As you can see Alfred, I can't leave. I guess you will just have to serve it here instead."
The butler only had to give him a look and Bruce got up, cat in arms. Alfred found it a little funny because Bruce was never a fan of cats, especially since Catwoman.
"You're going to have to let me out of the manor at some point Alfred, or I'll start to redecorate," Gordon had to look at Bruce at then. Alfred had started to say that it was for the best, and Bruce announced, "I think it is time for a little redecorating and the library is the first one up."
"Master Wayne, I see no reason why the library needs to be redone," Alfred tried to reason.
"It's hard to find things," Bruce said smirking, he already had ideas for what it could look like.
Ever since he was released from the hospital, Bruce was ready to go back to day job and his night job. But Lucius and Alfred had ganged up on him, saying that since someone was trying to kill the billionaire and not the vigilante, so he should be more careful. They even went so far as to try and lock him out. Alfred had locked up the bat cave and hide all the keys to his cars, and Lucius kept him out of the office. So a week after being released, it was no wonder that he was driving everyone crazy. He was not used to having all this free-time on his hands and having nothing to do with it all. It wasn't so bad at the hospital because he couldn't go anywhere and had no temptations. But he could get to the bat cave from the manor in various ways, and was surrounded by things that everyone considered 'dangerous.'
He was pretty much alone at the manor for a good part of every day, for Jillian had gone back to daycare and Alfred went back to taking care of his neglected duties and errands. He'd take time to go over paperwork that Lucius sent over, but that didn't last him long, even with spreading it out.
It was a rainy week that kept Bruce inside the Manor, and it didn't matter how many rooms there were, he was bored out of his mind. He'd read some more books, but the hospital had tired him from reading and he wasn't used to watching television for anything other than the news. There wasn't much he could for the reconstruction of the library, except help cover or put away books. He couldn't remember the last he'd ever had nothing to do. After hours of bouncing around from different activities, he finally resorted to watching the Discovery channel and was still bored.
Alfred had left to go run errands and pick Jillian up from daycare, to find Bruce fast asleep on the couch with Loki curled next to him. Loki perked up when Alfred approached and he smiled, glad to see his ward taking a break. Alfred was busy making dinner when Bruce awoke to Jillian playing with her stuffed rabbit. He made room on the couch and helped her up while she enthused about her day. The Butler was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the bonding and waited until later to announce dinner.
Later that night, Bruce went to tuck Jillian into bed, but she started to panic as he left and followed him out of the room. He brought her back and tucked her back into bed, asking what was wrong. "You're my daddy and I don't want to lose you again."
"Aw sweetie, you're not going to lose me."
"But you were trapped inside the hospital," Jillian wrapped her arms around her father's neck.
"I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to stay right here," Bruce smiled at his little girl.
"You promise?" Jillian looked up at him with eyes wide.
"I promise, now you should get some sleep," Bruce said as he got her tucked in for the final time.
A.N.: As I said above, I hope to get more done for all my stories. Please read and review!