David walked through the side door of Wayne Manor. He saw the large number of guests slowly arriving as they made their way through the front door and he quickly turned to another entrance. He sighed, closing the door behind him before heading towards the kitchen. He passed one of the many servers that Wayne Enterprises had employed for the evening as he walked into the kitchen. He paused, noticing a figure sitting at the counter among dozens of trays that were waiting to be brought out to the multitudes of guests within the main hall of Wayne Manor.
"What are you doing down here? I thought you were still grounded and not allowed to come down for the party."
Allison looked over her shoulder and shrugged.
"Even the inmates are allowed to eat." She glanced back at him once again before stuffing a few hors d'ourves into her mouth. "Someone is looking to impress tonight. Is Heather here yet?"
David ignored her previous comment as he tugged on his tie that seemed to be threatening to choke the living daylights out of him.
"No, she's not here yet. Heather is working a little late at the hospital and wont get here until later."
"Wouldn't it be a hoot if she didn't even show up!?" Allison exclaimed with her mouth full. "She probably doesn't tell you in case she hurts your feelings."
David walked up behind Allison and leaned over next to her ear.
"At least I'll be spending my night down here while you're enjoying the solitude with your stuffed animals that we all know cover your bed and keep those monsters under your bed," he whispered, teasing filling his voice.
David chuckled as he reached over top of her and grabbed a grape from one of the trays before tossing it in his mouth. He heard her scoff as he turned to leave the room.
She was late.
It was obvious when David called her cell phone to pick her up a few hours prior, when she was still working in the ER at the hospital. After apologizing and stating that she'd just meet him at Wayne Manor for the party when she got off work, Heather returned to the ER. For what seemed like a half hour, quickly turned into two and then into three. By the time she walked out of the hospital, it was nearly nine o' clock at night. She had raced home and in a whirlwind of less than a half hour, Heather found herself once again on the road heading towards Wayne Manor with Kate's old Neon as her carriage. She glanced up at her appearance in the rear view mirror, almost certain that her hair would appear as frazzled as she currently was. She let out a deep breath as she pulled onto the grounds of Wayne Manor, seeing the lights of the house shining right up to the street. Many cars lined the drive as she pulled up that when she finally reached the front steps, she was certain that she had counted at least five Porches, a few Jaguars and the odd Rolls Royce sitting on the property. Heather stepped out of the car as the valet met her on the bottom step. Meekly, she passed the valet, the keys of the modest car and smiled before making her way up the stone steps towards the front door.
She smiled gratiously to the man at the door as he held it open for her. Once inside, she could hear laughter, music and tinkling crystal glasses. The place was packed with people; some she recognized only from the television or newspaper and others, she had never seen before in her life and assumed they were Wayne Enterprise employees or associates. Heather scanned the room, looking for anyone from the Wayne family.
The room was beautiful. Once again, Wayne Enterprises outdid themselves. Then again, it wasn't very often that someone from such a reputable company would be retiring after a forty-something years of employment.
After waiting for another few seconds, Heather walked boldly and confidently into the crowded room.
----------------
David watched as she had entered the mansion. He had barely recognized her. Her navy blue strapless dress suited her perfectly. It was classy and elegant, just like her. He stood still, not sure why he couldn't move. He watched her smile at one of the waiters and walk slowly towards the hall, standing at the doors for a brief minute before walking into the room.
"Are you going to stand here all night?"
David jumped and turned, seeing Alfred standing directly behind him.
"You're as bad as your Father was when he began falling in love with your Mother," Alfred said, before walking around David towards the staircase.
"Who said that I'm in love with Heather?"
Alfred stopped, turned and smiled.
"You did, when you stood there like a fool, watching her walk into the hall alone," Alfred commented. "You had that look."
David wasn't sure whether he should have been embarrassed or offended. He scoffed.
"What look?!"
"The look of a man in love with his best friend, and who is terrified of making a decision," Alfred said. "So, I suggest you make one before you loose your chance. He who hesitates has lost."
Alfred turned around and continued to walk up the staircase. David smirked as he adjusted his tie as he walked into the hall. He walked up up to the nearest waiter and took two glasses off the tray before he made his way towards Heather as she scanned the crowd, looking for him.
He excused himself and quickly greeted guests as he made his way through the crowd towards Heather. He sighed when he was within a few feet of her. He walked up behind her, and smirked.
"Are you lost?"
He watched her turn at his voice as a smile came to her face.
"David!" she exclaimed. "I was looking for you and was hoping that I'd run into you!"
He handed her one of the champagne glasses in his hand. She thanked him as she took it. Heather smiled, looking at his suit. "You look nice tonight."
"Thanks, oh and so do you," David added, quickly taking in her appearance, mentally noting how form fitting the dress was on her. "Is that a new dress?"
He forced himself to look at her in the eyes, and ignored his wandering imagination. He watched her eyes smile as she gently touched the fabric that was wrapped around her.
"Yeah, Kate helped me pick it out," she replied, before quickly grimacing. "I hope it's appropriate."
David shook his head. "It's fine. You look beautiful." He paused for a moment. "You really do." He watched her smile at his comment.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, David offered his arm. Heather grinned and took it with her free hand, carrying her champagne glass in the other as David led her through the crowd of guests.
"So, uh, who are all these people?" Heather asked, softly.
David stopped and turned. "A lot of them are employees of Wayne Enterprises. Most are from the upper management with whom Mr. Fox has worked with for a number of years. The other odd few are city dignitaries, and business associates which the company has had contracts with. Then there are those that I don't even know why they're here." David leaned towards her and pointed towards a young man, tipping champagne not too far away. "Do you see that man over there?"
Heather glanced up at David, before looking back at the man in question. "Yeah."
"That is Gregory Whitaker," David said softly. "He's my age. He's a conniving bastard. He somewhat inherited his family's business a year ago. His Dad stepped down as owner but remained as CEO. Wayne Enterprises had done business with them for many years but the second that he became owner, that all changed. He practically ripped up the contracts and shifted the direction of the company his family put together."
Heather shrugged. "Maybe he has a different vision for the company?"
David chuckled before taking a casual sip of his champagne when he noticed Gregory glance in their direction. David smiled and nodded in greeting as he spoke. "He fired his father from the position as CEO."
Heather turned her attention to David when she realized that Gregory was walking towards them.
"Wayne," a voice droned out. David turned, seeing Gregory standing a few feet away from them. He plastered a smile on his face for the man he loathed.
"Hey Whit," David said, extending his hand towards the man. Gregory shook his hand. "Good to see you tonight."
"I was actually surprised to get the invite," he admitted. "But I couldn't pass up at party put on by Wayne Enterprises. They always seem to be enjoyable." His eyes travelled from David to Heather. Gregory smiled. "And if they are not, the company is always pleasant. Are you going to introduce me to your lovely arm candy for the night?"
Heather nearly choked on at his words, but instead she smiled politely. 'That's right, Heather. Kill him with kindness.'
David winced slightly and looked at her, apologetically. "This is Heather Tamarack. She's a very good friend of mine."
Before Heather could say anything, Gregory spoke. "A friend?"
"A very good friend," David corrected.
"Well, seeing as she's just your very good friend, then you wouldn't mind me having the pleasure of a dance with her," Gregory said, looking at David.
"Thank you for the offer, but I really don't dance," Heather suddenly said.
"Oh come on," Gregory insisted. "It would be a pity to be dressed up so lovely and to not dance."
"I'm sorry, but no thank you."
"Just once?"
"Are you always this persistent in everything Whit?" David interrupted.
"I'm just asking your guest to honour me with a dance, that's all," he replied. "And I'm not going to give up until I get that dance."
Heather sighed and looked towards Gregory. She smiled sweetly as she took his hand. The gesture not only surprised Gregory but David couldn't help but feel for some reason, as though he had been punched in the stomach.
"I'll dance with you," she said, sweetly. "But just once. But first, I need a good, stiff drink and this champagne isn't going to cut it."
Gregory smirked and took her wine glass as he winked at her. "I know just the thing. I'll be right back." He quickly turned and headed towards the bar.
David was still in shock. The next thing he knew, Heather had grabbed his hand.
"Come on! Let's go!" she whispered, a playful smile on her face. David was still confused. "I'm really not wanting to dance with that guy so we have to move fast if we want to get out of here before he sees us."
David slowly grinned, understanding her as he followed her through the crowd of people. They excused themselves as they darted around the guests, slowly making their way towards one of the doors.
-----------------
Bruce looked at himself in the large mirror that hung on the bathroom wall. He tried to replay the words of the speech he intended to deliver later that evening as he splashed water on his face. He was having trouble forgetting what he had learned while he was taking apart the recorder and the images of the bomb. David was so close be killed; too close. Batman had raced around Gotham trying to find answers to his impossible question - Was the Joker alive? It was true that the audio from the recording didn't match that of the Joker, but the question still begged, who else would know what the Joker would know?
He reached over and grabbed the towel as he felt a pair of hands wrap around him from behind, followed by a kiss on the back of his neck. He smiled, recognizing the touch. A second later, he saw his wife's eyes appear over his shoulder as she rested her chin on his arm. He watched as her eyes fell on the new ghastly coloured bruises that rested on his chest. Her hands slowly and tenderly covered them before she rested her cheek against his back.
"I know what you're thinking," Bruce finally said, softly. He took her hands and turned around. "And I'm fine."
Olivia sighed. "This time, again."
"And next time as well, I'll be fine. Don't worry."
"I do. You're not as fast as you used to be," she reminded him once again. "What's going to happen if you ever come home with a life threatening injury that Alfred wouldn't be able to take care of? Huh? Should I just take you to the hospital and tell the staff there to just ignore the fact that you're dressed in black Kevlar?"
Bruce chuckled.
"I'm serious, Bruce."
He nodded. "I know. But it will never come to that."
Bruce leaned down and softly kissed her lips. Finally, he reached onto the counter and grabbed his white dress shirt before turning around in front of the mirror to put it on. "How late are we this time?"
"A little over two hours," Olivia replied, leaning against the back wall. "David's been covering for us, and has been telling guests that you're on a business call."
He shrugged. "Good idea."
There was a knock on the bedroom door as Olivia walked over to open it. Alfred smiled. "Sir, madam, the guests are waiting for you."
Bruce stood up straight and offered his arm to Olivia. "Ready?"
---------------
The sound of laughter echoed up the staircase. Bruce turned as he saw the doors near the back of the hall close quickly as they came down the last few stairs and saw David and Heather, both smiling and out of breath.
"David? Heather?"
The couple stopped, hearing their names being called by Bruce and saw him and Olivia making their way down the staircase with Alfred beside them. "What's going on?"
Heather chuckled before she let go of David's hand, not even realizing that she was still holding onto it. "Oh, just trying to avoid someone."
Bruce caught David glance down awkwardly and smirked.
Olivia smiled. "You look so beautiful tonight, Heather. You look a lot like your Mom."
"Thank you, Mrs. Wayne," Heather replied with a smile. "I love the colour of your dress! It looks great on you!"
"I have to agree," Bruce said, wrapping an arm around Olivia's waist. She smiled as Bruce placed a kiss on her forehead. A moment later, he turned to David. "Don't hide out here for too long. We're giving the presentation to Mr. Fox in a few minutes."
David nodded before Alfred opened the door for Olivia and Bruce. Through the door, David could see Gregory not too far away. The young man caught David's eye. Quickly, David pushed Heather down the hallway and into another room. He quickly closed the door. The room was dark, but Heather could make out David's silhouette by the light from the night sky streaming in from the large open window. He held a hand up to his lips as they waited. After a minute, he sighed.
"Did he see you?" Heather whispered, feeling the wall for the light switch.
"He did," David replied, softly. "But I don't think he saw us come into this room."
The room brightened to reveal a large oak desk to one side and several leather chairs, a coffee table and a sofa arranged in the middle of the room. The walls were covered with shelves filled with books.
Heather walked towards the coffee table and picked up a book. She read the title and smirked before turning to David.
"Macbeth," she said, putting the book back on the table. David walked towards her.
"Allison must have been studying in her earlier." He paused for a moment, watching her walk towards the book shelf. "What do we do now? We can't stay in here all night. I'm expected out there in a little bit."
Heather turned and shrugged. "If it gets me out of dancing with that man, I'll stay in here." She looked out the window. "I could even sneak out this window to make it to my car if I had to."
David walked up next to her and pushed the curtain aside and glanced down. "We're nearly six feet off the ground and you'd land on top of a rose bush. I don't think that would end well."
Heather chuckled, looking out beside him.
"Besides, I'd like to have a chance to dance with you tonight." David paused, a little awkwardly and hoped to smooth it over with a few more words. "If you don't mind, that is."
Heather let go of the curtain and looked up at David, thoughtfully. She furrowed her eyebrows as she thought. Finally, she smirked. "I have an idea."
David watched as she undid the straps on her heels, taking two inches off her height and tossed the pair of shoes onto the couch. She tiptoed over to the door and opened it ever so slightly before peeking down the hall to ensure no one was there. The sound of music slowly filled the room, although it was softer than it would be in the hall.
"Now we can dance," she announced.
David nodding, understanding. "Okay, I get the door thing but why did you take off your shoes?"
"Oh, that's only for your benefit," she replied with a smile. "I wouldn't want to hurt your feet when I step on them."
David chuckled as Heather stood in front of him. He undid his suit coat and tossed it on the leather chair. He reached forward and put his hand on her lower back before taking her hand with his other hand. He watched in amusement as Heather looked down at their feet.
"You don't need to worry about stepping on my feet," David reminded her, softly.
"I'm a crappy dancer. It's been a while since I danced with someone. I think the last time was with my uncle at my cousin's wedding two years ago and he was drunk so that didn't help much."
David chuckled.
"You're not a crappy dancer," he stated. "Just try not to pretend that you're dancing with your uncle and you'll be fine. You just need to relax your shoulders a little and move closer."
"Closer?"
To emphasize his point, David pulled Heather closer to him until there was no space between them. She could feel the heat of his hand through the fabric of her dress on her back. She looked up at him, a little uncomfortable with the lack of space between them, but she didn't back away. Heather let out a breath.
"I think I'm relaxed now," she said, softly with a smile. She looked up at David, and noticed that he was watching her very carefully. He wasn't moving. "What's wrong?"
He shook his head. "Nothing. I'm just noticing things about you that I've never realized before. Probably because I've never stood this close to you before."
"Like what?"
"You have that scar near your upper lip..."
Heather smiled and interrupted. "Now we both have facial scars! Although mine wasn't from my an injury due to my car exploding."
David chuckled and nodded. "And there are some other things too. The freckles on your cheeks and the way you smile. Your nose scrunches up. It's cute."
Heather laughed uncomfortably. "Cute?"
David grinned and took his hand out of her hand and slowly reached up and touched the bridge of her nose. "Yeah, right here."
Heather smiled, but the smile faded when she felt his fingers slide down her nose and fall onto her cheek before finally landing beneath her chin. She saw him leaning in towards her.
"David? What are you doing?"
Her voice was barely audible as it cracked while her heart sped up.
David couldn't stop. The words from Alfred echoed in his mind - he who hesitates has lost. He had gone this far now and if he didn't go the entire way, he'd most likely regret it. He heard Heather speak his name softly and watched her face turn from confusion to becoming slightly apprehensive and afraid, yet she didn't back up, push him away or let go of his shoulder.
He leaned in more, not sure if it was time that was slowing down or if he was moving as slow as he was. It wasn't until he felt the side of her nose touch his that he heard her speak again.
"David," she whispered, causing him to freeze a mere inch from her lips. He could feel her breath on his skin. His heart raced. "You're my friend. Friends don't do this."
She was reminding herself of that fact as much as she was telling him. Yet, she wasn't moving.
"What if I want to be more?"
"More?"
Heather sucked in a breath, feeling his lips move along her cheek until they finally rested on her lips. She was certain that her heart skipped a beat or two. This was something that she wanted for so long as she had stood back and watched him go out with woman after woman for years, yet now she was fighting her feelings with as much self control as she could. She was losing the battle.
His lips touched hers for just a mere second. For all the women he had kissed in his life, kissing Heather was like the very first time. He was afraid. He was afraid of being rejected. When he realized that his kiss wasn't one sided, he kissed her again. It was different this time. He felt her move her hand from his shoulder, to the hair on the back of his neck. The sensation was enough to deepen the kiss, yet it was just as tender and sweet as the first. Her other hand was quickly onto his cheek as David reached and wrapped his ams around to her back, feeling her bare back above the low neckline of her dress beneath his hands.
He couldn't believe it. He heard her moan as she continued to kiss him. This woman, his best friend, whom he had known for ten years was kissing him with as much passion as he was kissing her. The next thing he knew, he felt her fingers around his tie as she loosened it and pulled it off before quickly undoing the buttons on his shirt. David heard her chuckle in the kiss as she struggled with the buttons before she was able to undo the top five buttons.
David had no idea where this was going, but he had never felt this way before. It wasn't until they both heard the distinct sound of someone holding the door handle and pushing it open that they quickly turned, but not quickly enough.
Heather nearly jumped out of her skin as she quickly broke the kiss and backed away from David as though he carried some infectious disease. Bruce and Olivia stood at the door, just as shocked as the couple before them.
Heather was mortified. What had she done? This was the same boy that she met when she was fifteen who teased her about her braces and then dared her to swing across the creek on an old weathered rope before slipping ungracefully into the mud. She glanced over at David, his hair no longer in place, his tie undone as well as the first few buttons of his shirt.
"I...uh...I," Heather stammered, her face flushed and hair in slight disarray. "I should go."
Before another second could pass, she quickly picked up her shoes. She didn't even dare to look at Mr. or Mrs. Wayne as she made her way out of the room. Embarrassment of being caught nearly undressing their son was enough to make her want to run as fast as she could. Quickly, she turned and headed towards the front door.
It took David a few seconds to realize what had just happened. He ran a hand through his hair before running his hand down his overwhelmed face, stopping on his slightly swollen lips. He looked up at his parents, not sure what to say.
"We're needing you in the hall right now," Bruce said softly, after lightly clearing his throat. "But I'd suggest that you go after Heather first."
David finally nodded, as oxygen and sense suddenly seemed to come back into his brain. He quickly walked past them, doing up the buttons on his shirt before quickly doing his hair as he entered the parlour of the house. He caught Heather leaning against the wall near the door as she slipped on her shoes. A valet stood walked up to her, passing her the keys to her car. He rushed over to her, glancing at a few suspecting waiters and guests at his current appearance.
"Heather, we need to talk about this," he said, as discretely as possible, after gently touching her shoulder.
Heather stood up, and took a deep breath. "There's nothing to talk about. I need to leave."
"Nothing..? Heather, were you not in that room a few minutes ago? I kissed you...you kissed me."
"It was a mistake. Can we just pretend that it didn't happen?" she said, purposely trying to avoid his eyes and the subject. The words that the horrible man had whispered in her ear at the store about the Wayne family haunted her thoughts as she saw Mr. and Mrs. Wayne stand discreetly across the parlour. She looked out the door, waiting for the valet to bring her car around. "I'm sorry David, but I can't do this."
He let out a sigh, looking around the parlour at the half dozen waiters in the room, along with Alfred standing by his parents as they stood near the hall doors, waiting for David. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath. He had to stop her. He had to say something to make her stay. Only one thing came to mind.
"Heather, I love you. You are my best friend and I want to spend my days and nights with you," he stated, both loudly and boldly, making sure she would hear as she began to step out the door. He no longer cared about who was in the room. "I couldn't imagine my life without you. Please don't leave. Stay with me, forever."
Everyone in the room seemed to freeze as the words came out of David's mouth. Heather paused at the door and turned, frozen like a deer in headlights.
'He didn't just say what I thought he said,' Heather thought over in her mind, almost certain she was imagining it. This couldn't be happening. She never intended it to happen, especially now.
"What did you just say?"
David let a breath and he smiled slightly as he walked towards her, ignoring the others who just overheard his proclamation.
"I...I love you," he said again, softer this time. "And I guess I'm asking you to marry me, but not in so many words." He smiled slightly.
Heather closed her eyes as she looked down at her feet. When she looked back up, he saw the tears in her eyes and his smile faded.
"David, I'm sorry but I can't," she said softly, before taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry."
She had to get out. Watching his face turn from shock to incredible disappointment was too much. Heather quickly turned and went to her car.
David stood in the parlour, stunned at what had just happened. He slowly turned, seeing both his parents and Alfred not too far away. Silently, he walked up to them.
"Okay, let's do this presentation," he said softly. He turned to Alfred. "Alfred, could you get my jacket from the library for me?"
"Certainly sir."
Olivia watched Alfred as he walked towards the library to pick it up. Bruce sighed.
"Are you sure that you want to be present for this? I can probably cover for you, given the circumstances."
"No," David said, assertively, as he quickly wrapped his tie around his neck and fixed his hair. "I want to do this. I need to do this. The quicker I forget about what just happened, the better."
Olivia smiled weakly as she touched David's arm before Bruce opened the door to the hall.
----------------
The car stopped at the red street light. Heather held onto the steering wheel as though it was a life line. She could feel herself on the edge of sobbing, but she continued to take deep breaths, praying it would keep her calm. She opened the window for fresh air. What had she just done? In one night, she most likely destroyed a perfectly good friendship with one mistake kiss and not only that, she rejected a proposal. He proposed! Heather couldn't believe it. The words that every girl dreams about hearing sometime in their life, she heard yet she said no. She felt sick to her stomach.
As she sat at the light, she felt the tears fall down her cheeks. She loved him, yet she said nothing. His face when she left was stuck in her head and it literally hurt.
A honk behind her caught her attention as she looked up, seeing that the light was green. She was thankful that her place was far enough away from Wayne Manor that when she would return home, most, if not all evidence of her crying would be gone. As she pulled up on her road, she was surprised. Cars lined either side of the road and the lgihts inside were all on and she could see people in the back yard. After finally finding a spot to park, she got out and walked up to the house. Her manner of dress certainly cuaght more than one person's attention. She received a few wolf whistles on her way into the house as well.
When she finally caught the back of Kate's head in the kitchen, she quickly made her way to her housemate and tapped her shoulder. KAte turned, a smile on her face which quickly faded when she saw that Heather had returned home, early.
"Heather! You're back! I wasn't expecting you for another couple of hours!"
"What the hell is going on here?!" Heather exclaimed over the loudness of the music and the people who were talking.
"A party! Now what are you doing back so soon?"
"It's a long story," Heather said, her voice a little softer.
Kate read her friends face. "What happened?"
Heather looked around before gesturing that she should follow her upstairs. She opened the door to her room, and kicked the couple who were practically making out on her bed before slamming the door.
"Heather, what happened?!"
She took a deep breath. "David proposed."
Kate's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "He..he..wh..what?"
"That was after we kissed and were caught by his parents and I ran out." Heather paused, the tears starting to come to her eyes again. "And I think I just made the biggest mistake of my life."
Kate slowly smiled. "I know what will make you feel better, and it's downstairs."
"I'm not in the mood for a drink," Heather replied.
"Okay, no drink, but at least some fun," Kate said. "I know a few guys are here from the hospital and when I mentioned you, they wanted to meet you."
She could see Heather was about to refuse. "Come on. Just for the conversation."
"Fine," Heather said. "Let me just get changed and I'll be down shortly."
-------------------
The party had ended. The guests were gone and the few remaining hired waiters were busy cleaning up the hall. Olivia walked down the staircase in jogging pants and a t-shirt before walking into the kitchen. She saw both Bruce and Alfred sitting at the table, both appearing tired as the smell of coffee filled the room. Bruce seemed surprised to see Olivia.
"I thought you had gone to bed," he said.
"I was," Olivia said. "But I can't sleep. I can't stop thinking about David right now and how he must be feeling. Where is he anyways?"
"Out on the terrace," Alfred said. "He refuses to come in."
"The terrace?" Olivia glanced outside the window, seeing the beads of rain sliding down the glass. "I knew that he cared about her, but never to the extent that we discovered tonight."
"I don't think that he never fully realized it either, until tonight," Bruce added. "He'll come in when he's ready. At least I managed to grab the bottle of wine from him before he went out to sit in the rain."
"Maybe you should go talk to him, Bruce. At least try to convince him to go talk with Heather."
Bruce sighed and stood up from the table. He smiled weakly to Olivia before walking out of the room and towards the terrace doors. He couldn't see out into the night but the moment he opened one side of the french doors, he saw David sitting on the step of the terrace, his back towards him. The rain had slowed down to a light mist but it was clear that David was drenched. His Armani suit soaked. Bruce slipped outside and stood next to the brick wall, underneath the overhang.
"David, come on inside so we can talk."
He watched his son shake his head. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Then, lets talk about something else. I managed to get that audio track from the recorder earlier tonight."
David turned his head slightly. "I told you that I didn't recognize the voice."
"I know," Bruce quickly said. "But there are similarities to those of the Joker within the inflections. I could use a little help with searching through the database for voice matches."
"So, you're saying he's alive," David stated, more than asked. He let out a mock laugh. "My life couldn't get any better than this! First, I screw up a perfectly good friendship by kissing my best friend. Then I open my big mouth and tell her along with more ears that I'd like to know, that I love her and want to marry her before she outright refuses. And now, you're telling me that the Joker, the one man that knows the biggest secret that this family has, is alive."
"I really don't think it's him though."
Bruce trailed off as he watched David stand up and turn around.
"I just don't understand. What gives her the right to kiss me like that and then completely run off without an explanation, huh? That makes no sense at all. I wasn't just kissing myself after all."
Bruce smirked, running a hand through his hair. "No, you were not."
"I can understand the shock of being proposed to out of the blue, but why would she run out of the library like that?"
"I think that's something you'll need to ask her about."
David shook his head. "She wouldn't want to see me after what happened."
Bruce shrugged. "It's worth a try."
Heather felt one hundred times better than two hours before. She was glad that she wouldn't have to work in the morning. She had originally promised herself only one cup of vodka when she had come down from upstairs, freshly showered and changed into a black tank top and blue jeans. But one quickly turned to two and before long she was indulging in a game of beeropoly with a few people whom she had only met ten minutes earlier. She didn't even notice Kate come up behind her and whisper in her ear.
"I think you should take a break, Heather," she suggested. Heather turned, completley confused and annoyed.
"Why would I have a break!?" she slurred loudly. "I'm having a good time with my new friends."
"Leave the woman alone," the man beside Heather stated to Kate, while placing a hand around Heather's shoulder. "She's havin' a good time."
Heather turned towards him and wobbly pointed at his chest. "Thank you! Finally, someone understands me here!"
Kate stood up, feeling defeated and knowing that convincing Heather to stop was becoming harder with each drink she took. Frankly, Kate had never seen or known Heather to become drunk. She'd be the first one to enter a debate on the effects of alcohol on one's system.
"Come on Boardwalk!" she heard Heather call out loudly which gained a round of cheers around her.
---------------
David took his Dad's suggestion and literally left the house right away. He knew he wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon and the sooner he talked to Heather about the situation, the better. It had occurred to him half way to her house that she might be asleep when he'd arrive, so he was shocked to find a dozen or so cars lining up the street and the lights inside the house shining brightly. He quickly parked the car and walked up to the house. Instead of knocking, he just walked in to find the place full of people, each holding some sort of beverage and by the smell of the house, David realized it was various types of alcohol. The music was loud as people drunkenly danced around. He tried to make his way through the crowd when he felt someone pull on his sleeve.
"David!"
It was Kate.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was wanting to talk with Heather. Is she here somewhere?"
Kate winced and bit her lip before nodding. The loud sound of laughter momentarily overpowering the music in his ears caught his attention followed by someone calling out Heather's name. He turned towards it.
"You might not want to go in there," Kate warned him. The look in her eyes was enough to tell him that he most definitely should go in there. He walked towards the living room and couldn't believe his eyes.
"I tried to get her stop drinking but she wouldn't listen," Kate said from behind David.
There was Heather, standing on the coffee table dancing rather seductively in front of half a dozen men. In one hand she held a bottle of beer as one of the many guys around her tucked a dollar bill into her pants. David watched as one of the men jumped onto the coffee table and slowly tucked a ten dollar bill into her shirt. It was then that she saw David standing a few feet away from her. Instead of embarrassment, she smiled.
"Ha! There is the man that proposed to me and I said, no!" she slurred drunkenly, before she laughed. "But god, is he a damn good kisser."
David couldn't watch any longer. Without another second, he walked up to her and literally swung her over his shoulder much to the dismay of the people around him and to Heather as she hung upside down behind him. He walked through the crowd of people, not stopping once.
"Put me down!" she exclaimed, as David walked out of the house with her still hanging over his shoulder.
"No."
Heather didn't say anything as he walked towards the Lamborghini. After a few seconds, he heard her begin to laugh.
"I'm upside down and you're all wet!"
"It was raining earlier."
He stopped and gently set her back on the sidewalk beside the Lamborghini. "You're coming home with me. You're not staying at your house tonight. I don't trust those guys there."
He watched her face turn into a pout. "I can take care of myself. Besides, I was having a good time."
"Too much of a good time if you ask me," he said, opening the door. "Get in."
She sighed, crossing her arms. "No."
David looked down at the pavement before taking her by the arm and literally pushing her into the car before closing the door. He walked around the car and climbed into the drivers seat before looking over at her. She kept that look of defiance on her face and her arms were still crossed. With a sigh, David reached over her for the seat belt and buckled her in before turning on the Lamborghini to head towards the Penthouse.
---------------
He was thankful that it was as late as it was. No one was around to see him bring a half-drunken woman into the building. She drifted in and out of sleep as he drove her to the tower and he was finally able to relax once they reached the penthouse. He watched Heather take a few steps and noticed that her balance was no better than before. David quickly put an arm around her waist as she fell into him. He watched her face slowly smile, mischievousness in her eyes. Heather gently put her hands on David's chest.
"Someone has been working out," she whispered.
David quickly took both her hands.
"And you have been drinking."
She shrugged, taking a step towards David. "At least I feel better than I have been in ages."
David smiled. "Just wait until later."
He led her down the hallway towards his room and turned on the lamp before leading her to sit down on the bed.
"You can sleep here tonight," he told her, as he pulled off his wet jacket and draped it over a chair that sat next to the wall. He turned to Heather, seeing that she was sitting on the bed, her eyes half closed. He bent over and began to untie her shoes. "I'll take the room across the hall."
"David..."
He looked up, seeing a look of shock on her face before her hand flew to her mouth. She pushed him away from her and he lost his balance, his butt landing on the floor. He saw her trailing form as she staggered quickly into the bathroom before he heard her promptly empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet.
Heather had never felt so horrible in her life. The feelings of euphoria were quickly disappearing and were being replaced with the horrible cloud over her head and in her stomach. She took a deep breath, before flushing the toilet and resting her head along the edge of the bowl. The sudden feeling of a pair of hands gently rubbing her shoulders startled her before she relaxed into them. She sighed before those same hands pulled her auburn hair up onto her head as a cool washcloth was placed onto her neck.
"Thank you," she mumbled.
She heard a familiar light chuckle. "I'll get you something to drink after I get you into bed. I might have something to take the edge off of the hangover feeling."
Heather saw David offer her a hand. She shook her head.
"You don't have to do all of this for me. I can take care of myself. I did this to myself. I deserve it," Heather said putting her head back down on the toilet bowl. "Especially after what happened earlier tonight."
David smiled weakly. "Just forget about what happened."
Heather chuckled lightly as she slowly lifted her head. "I don't think I ever will. No one has ever kissed me like you had and I never thought I'd hear you say what you said."
She heard rustling before she felt David sit down beside her on the tile floor. He let out a sigh. "Why did you leave?"
Heather glanced over at him, somewhat amused to see the man in a wet Armani suit sitting on the bathroom floor next to her.
"Honestly, I was afraid," she said, softly. "I am afraid of loosing our friendship. I've seen you go out with countless women since I've known you. And I know you. The relationships rarely last longer than a few months and then you never hear from them again. I don't want to loose you. You're my best friend. I had to get out of there before anything else happened. I wanted to save whatever fragment of our friendship that still existed. I'm partly glad that your parents walked in when they did."
David looked down at the tile floor, when something hit him.
"You're partly glad?"
He saw Heather shrug. "I'm not sure if it's because of the alcohol that I'm pulling out the honesty chip or what, but I have to say that I rather enjoyed our short time alone in the library."
David smiled.
"And I have to tell you something else too," she added. "I know it probably wont mean much coming from a half-drunk woman, sitting on your bathroom floor but I figure that I better tell you while I don't care much about what you'll think."
"Okay."
"Batman has a twin!"
David rolled his eyes as he pushed himself up off the floor. 'So much for becoming sober.' As much as Heather was talking normally a few moments ago, she was still drunk. He reached down and put his hand under her arm to help her up.
"All right," he said. "Let's get you to bed and you can tell me all about Batman and his twin."
"You don't believe me!"
David shook his head as he walked with Heather towards his bed and helped her to sit down. He pulled the blankets back and encouraged her to lie down.
Heather smiled. "I met him that night at the store, you know. As crazy as it sounds, I don't think he was alone. That night was crazy to start with, especially after those creepy guys dressed as clowns grabbed me and one of them whispered horrid things in my ear before grabbing the store keys from my pocket." For emphasis, she shuddered as David sat down on the edge of the bed as she spoke. "His breath was nasty and when he kissed my cheek it made me want to throw up." She sat up, pushing the blankets off herself as David had just placed them over her and looked at him, his face completely serious as he swallowed the new-found knowledge that she was telling him in her half-inebriated state. She smiled and reached for David's face as he sat beside her. "Not like when you kissed me. You could kiss me anytime you want."
David smiled slightly at her comments before shaking his head, getting his mind back to what she had told him just prior.
"Heather, what did he say to you?"
"Who?"
"The guy that whispered in your ear."
"Oh the guy that kissed my cheek?" She shrugged. "Just some stuff that I can't repeat."
David watched her face fall.
"Heather, what did he say?"
She layed down and rolled over on her side. "I don't want anything to happen to you or your family."
"Is that what he threatened you with? Did he say that he'd do something if you repeated what he said?"
Heather nodded.
"You need to tell me what he said."
She sighed and rolled back over before looking up at David. "In a nut shell, he told me that he knew that I was important to your family and he said that the Wayne's destroyed his life and in turn he was going to destroy your lives by exposing your secrets. What secrets do you have?"
David forced a smile. "I told them to you tonight. I love you."
Heather smiled sleepily as she rolled over on her side. "Oh that's right."
"I'll be right back with that water for you," David said, before standing up from the bed. He glanced back at Heather before walking out of the room to the kitchen. He picked up the phone and dialed the number for the cave. He wasn't surprised to not get an answer so instead he left a message. When he was done, he grabbed a cup of water before heading back towards the bedroom. When he looked into the bedroom, he saw Heather had fallen asleep. Quietly, he placed the cup on the bedside table. He looked down at her sleeping form, hearing her breath lightly as she fell into a deeper sleep. He carefully reached down and brushed her hair away from her face before turning to leave the room.