The first few days quickly turned into a week and before Heather knew it, she had spent nearly all of her time at Wayne Manor. Although they encouraged her to make herself at home as much as possible, it wasn't home. David had been kind enough to pick up some of her things from the house with Kate standing by the door with a cute smile on her face. When she had asked him what he was doing there getting Heather's things, his reason was that she had come down with the flu and was staying at Wayne Manor. Kate could see through the lie and in her mind, she took it as a lame excuse to say that Heather was moving in with him and the woman just didn't want to deal with her housemates exuberant joy. So, instead, she offered her help to David as he sometimes awkwardly searched Heather's room and the bathroom for the requested items on a piece of paper. She enjoyed watching David try to keep his face from turning different shades of pink as he rummaged through Heather's underwear drawer.

Now surrounded by her things in the room she was staying in at Wayne Manor, she didn't feel at home. Heather felt as though they were sometimes speaking in code while they ate supper and talked about the most absurd topics. She found that conversations would end abruptly when she'd enter a room before they would begin talking again about mediocre things like the weather. At first she thought she was just imagining it, but as the days went on, she was certain that something was going on. Finally, one evening as she walked towards the den, she stopped at the door when she heard voices whispering.

"Are you thinking about going out tonight?"

"I'm considering it."

Heather heard a chuckle but couldn't distinguish who it was. "I can take care of it."

David.

"My shoulder is feeling much better," she heard Bruce say.

A sigh.

"Bruce, it hasn't even been a month yet," Olivia said. "Give it at least another week."

"Batman needs to find Joker and this other guy," Bruce said. "Has Heather said anything more about the guy who took her?"

"Nothing more than we already know," David replied. "If we could get a picture of whoever this was, then maybe we could at least narrow it down."

A light hand rested on Heather's shoulder, causing her to jump. She spun around, carefully holding onto her tea as it splashed inside the china cup. Alfred stood behind her, a plate of pastries in his hand and a towel resting over his other arm.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, as she took the towel from Alfred's arm and wiped up the spill on the floor. "You startled me."

"What were you doing, Miss?"

Heather thought quick as the man's eyes twinkled in front of her.

"I had something irritating my eye and I had to get it out before I took another step," she said, smiling before walking into the room with the older man behind her.

It didn't surprise her to find that the previous conversation had ended as soon as she walked through the door. With a smile, she sat down beside David and placed her cup on the table beside her.

"So, what were you talking about?"

David looked over at Bruce, but didn't have to wait for him to respond.

Bruce leaned forward and grabbed a pastry off the tray as Alfred set it down. "Business stuff."

Heather nodded, considering it. "So, what does Batman have to do with business?"

David swallowed, hard but wasn't surprised that his Dad already had an answer; the evidence of years of making up false reasons.

Bruce laughed. "Nothing."

"I heard you mention Batman just before I came in," Heather said, as Bruce shrugged.

"There was a report on him on tv just a few minutes ago," he told her.

Heather nodded with a smile as she looked at the television. There was a news program on and the volume was set on low. She watched as the anchor went right into the financial report while Bruce reached for the remote to turn up the volume. She inwardly shook her head as she took a sip from her cup.

Her heart was racing as she turned over in bed, moving almost as though she was trying to get away. Finally, she opened her eyes and gasped, seeing a face right in front of her.

"Oh my God! David?! What are you doing?"

She began to relax when she realized that the man haunting her dreams wasn't in front of her. David reached over to the lamp beside the bed and switched it on.

"I could hear you from across the hall and I wanted to make sure that you were all right," he said. "It sounded like you were in pain." She squinted up at him as the light flooded the room. Although he wore a white t-shirt and black shorts and his hair was a mess, Heather couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks, but I'm fine," she told him. "I'm sorry for waking you."

David shrugged. "I was still awake anyways." He paused for a beat before chuckling. "I'll head back to bed. See you tomorrow."

Heather quickly sat up and reached for his arm, getting his attention. David stopped, looking down at her hand and then to her face.

"Stay," she said softly. "If you want to, I mean."

David nearly felt his breath get caught in his throat. What did she just say?

"Are you sure?"

She tipped her head to the side and smirked as she nodded. "Hopefully then, we'll both get some sleep."

And then, it fell. The hope of having the invite to sleep with Heather would be spending time, sleeping next to her. He couldn't argue though.

Softly, he closed the door and walked around the bed as Heather turned off the light beside her before slipping back under the sheets. She turned on her side just as David was settling in beside her. In the darkness, she could make out the contour of his face as he slept on his back beside her with his outer arm resting under the pillow. Heather smiled, chuckling.

He turned to her. "What?"

"I don't know how it's possible, but you look even more handsome in the dark," she said, as David smiled.

"It's that distinct Wayne chin," he teased.

"Maybe." She paused for a moment. "Or your Pinocchio nose."

David quickly turned back towards her. "My what?"

She giggled, turning onto her back and covered her mouth with the blanket, attempting to stifle her laughter in fear of the other people in the house would hear.

"Are you making fun of my nose after you invited me to sleep next to you?"

Heather rolled back over onto her side and propped herself up on her hand before leaning over David. She leaned down and gently kissed his nose, her hair falling down around his face.

"It's a handsome nose," she whispered. "I was just teasing."

David smirked, brushing her hair from her face. "I know. So was I."

"I know. You're just too much fun to play with."

He looked up at the woman leaning over top of him and smiled. She was beautiful. Making a quick decision then and there, he sighed.

"Heather, I want to ask you something," he said. "I was going to ask you last week and in fact I have asked you this before, but I'm wanting it to be more serious this time. I know you're not someone who like the fancy, overdone kind of things, so I'm going to ask you this now. Will you do me the honour of being my wife?"

Heather felt the air get sucked out of her all over again. She had heard him say those same words not too long ago but this time it sounded different. It wasn't in desperation. It was sincere and with more love than she had heard before. She gently touched his cheek and leaned down towards his ear.

"Yes," she whispered, before wrapping her arms around his neck.

David let out a sigh of relief before putting his arms around Heather as she rested partially on top of him. He kissed the side of her neck as she pushed up from him and found his way to her lips. David looked at Heather and noticed that she had her eyes closed and a smile on her mouth as she rested her head against his.

"I love you," he whispered, which elicited a giggle from her.

"I love you too."

Heather gently kissed David's lips once again as she found the spot of hair on the back of his head which she loved to get her fingers wrapped up in. She smirked as she heard him moan lightly into her mouth. Feeling a little adventurous, she moved closer to him and slid her leg along the side of his before climbing over it and straddling one of his legs. She could feel his hands moving from her hair and to her back and then down to her backside. Heather moved her own hands down from David's head and reached for the bottom of his white shirt and slid her hands over his stomach, feeling for the first time the chistled muscles under her hands.

David couldn't get enough of the sensation that Heather was causing within him. Not only the movement she was making along his leg or the kisses she left on his mouth, but it was the slow exploration with her hands from the back of his neck and then down to his stomach. He let out an unconscious satisfied moan as she rested her hands on his skin. It wasn't until she found her way to a tender spot along his side that he suddenly gasped.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked, as she sat up on top of his leg, worried.

David, out of breath, tried to explain with the first thing that could come to mind. "I'm a little ticklish there."

Heather smiled once again. "I'll avoid it then."

David sighed and smiled. "Thanks."

Knowing he most likely ruined the moment, he smirked and reached up, grabbing Heather and pulled her down onto the bed beside him. He turned over on his side, looking down on her. Before she could say a word, he leaned down to kiss her hungrily before pulling the blanket up and over the both of them.

------------

The chime wouldn't end.

At first she thought it was an alarm clock but after peeking through one eye and noticing the darkness still in the room, Heather dismissed that thought. Still, it continued. She rolled over, loosing the arm that was draped over her on the way and reached blindly onto the bedside table for the offending sound. Finally, she found it. Her cellphone. She touched the screen, turning it on and lighting up her eyes with a mind numbing brightness. Heather squinted as the words 3 missed calls appeared on the screen. She checked the time. 3.12am. Who the hell would be calling at that time? She checked the last caller and the number was her house. Kate?

Suddenly worried, she sat up, feeling the cold for the first time against her skin as she emerged from the thick blankets and the warmth of David's body heat as he had slept beside her. She looked back at his sleeping form as he slept soundly. Heather picked up her shirt off the floor and soon found her underwear and pants not too far from there. Quickly and quietly, she slipped out the door and closed it behind her before starting to call back her house.

She waited as it rang and rang. Finally, there was an answer, or at least it sounded like one.

"Kate? Hello? Kate, are you there?"

After a stressful few seconds, she heard a voice, although it was weak.

"Heather, I need you to come home."

"What? Why? Are you all right?"

"I'll tell you when you get back. I just need you to come home right away."

"Did something happen between you and John?"

"I'll explain everything. You need to come home."

"Okay, okay," Heather said as she jogged down the quiet staircase. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

She hung up the phone, quite concerned for her friend. Heather pulled on her shoes and quickly jotted down a note and left it in the kitchen before grabbing the keys for the Jaguar off the rack. Within five minutes, she was on the road headed into the city.

-------------------

Something wasn't right. Bruce could feel it the moment that he heard the silent alarm for the garage go off next to his bed. He stood up and glanced out the window just in time to see the Jaguar disappear down the driveway. He grabbed his robe and left the bedroom, just as Olivia was waking.

"Bruce, what's going on?" he heard her say as he swiftly made his way down the hallway. He gently pushed open Allison's door, seeing the teenager asleep. He turned to David's door and felt his heart flip when he saw that the bed was empty. He looked across the hall to Heather's door and carefully opened it, finding an unusually large body in the bed. In fact, he recognized it even in the dark of night. Bruce reached down to the lamp and turned it on, just as Olivia caught up to him at the door.

The light brightened the room and woke the lone man in the bed. David squinted against the bright light and was startled when he saw both his parents standing in the doorway.

Bruce ignored the fact that as far as he could tell, that his son was topless and sleeping in the bed of his girlfriend.

"Where's Heather?"

David was surprised. "I don't know."

Bruce let out a humph before turning and leaving the room with Olivia beside him. Once he was alone, David pushed the blankets off of himself and quickly got dressed before running to catch up.

"What's wrong?!" he called out as he saw them turn the corner towards the garage.

"Heather left," Bruce said, stepping out into the garage. "She took the Jag. I'll set up the computer to put on the tracker for it."

"You don't have to," Olivia said, stepping out from the kitchen, holding the note in her hand. "She went to her house. Kate called her."

"Heather, what are you doing?!" David exclaimed over the phone.

"Kate needs my help," she explained. "If I called needing help from her, I'd expect that she'd do whatever she can to help out."

"It's not safe."

He heard Heather chuckle.

"I've been sitting inside of Wayne Manor for two weeks now and there has been no sign of the Joker anywhere in the city," she replied. "Chances are, he's left or he died for some odd reason."

"Joker hasn't left town," David said. "He's probably just waiting to make a move and you going out on your own is a perfect opportunity for him."

"Spare me, David!" Heather exclaimed. "It's not like you met the guy and chatted it up a bit. I have."

He sighed, not knowing what else to say.

"Look," she began, her voice softer. "I'll come back as soon as I'm done here and I'll even call you when I'm leaving, okay?"

"Okay."

She pulled into the driveway and instantly noticed that the house lights were off. Kate was obviously home as the Neon was in the driveway directly in front of her.

"That's strange," she commented.

"What is?" David replied, hearing her voice once again.

"The house lights are off," she said. "Kate always leaves a light on when she's home by herself."

"Heather, I don't feel right about this."

"I'll just go in and make sure she's all right," she said. "The girl is probably so depressed or something that she didn't even bother. I'll call you when I leave."

Before David had a chance to say anything more, she shut her phone and headed towards the side door. She pushed it open once she realized that it wasn't locked.

"Kate?!" she called into the house.

She took two steps before finding her foot collide with something. She cursed before feeling the wall for the light. When she switched it on, she gasped.

The place had been turned upside down. Drawers were emptied, glasses had been shattered and holes had been punched into the walls. Heather became concerned.

"Kate?! Where are you?"

She maneuvered her way through the kitchen and felt her stomach flip when she saw Kate laying on the floor, an obvious red stain on her stomach. Heather jumped over the other pieces of broken glass and raced up next to her friend, quickly and carefully placing her hands over the sticky wound. Kate stired from the pain and opened her eyes, as a weak smile came to her face.

"What time is it?" she asked, her voice barely audible. "Is it time to go to work?" Heather stared down at her confused. She shook her head.

"Kate, I need to get you to the hospital," she said, pulling her jacket off and placed it over the wound. Heather picked up her cell phone and began to dial 911 when she felt something nudge her in the back of her head.

"Drop it," came a stern, assertive voice. Heather let the phone slip from between her fingers and fall to the floor. It was the same voice from the hospital. Slowly, she turned around, seeing the man standing a few feet from her with a small gun in hand. His hair fell slightly over his eyes and he smiled when he saw her face.

"I knew you would come," he said. "In fact, I counted on it."

"You did this to her?"

The man shrugged.

"She wasn't cooperating when I simply asked her to call you to come home," he said. "I had been looking all over the city for you. If I knew that just a simple phone call would make you come running back to me, I would've done it a while ago."

"She needs a doctor!"

"You're a doctor."

"She needs to go to the hospital."

"Well, she isn't going to the hospital. So you're going to have to figure out how to help her. But not here."

The man walked towards Heather, aiming his gun towards her. She held up her hands as he pulled her up to stand before pushing her out the door.

"Say one word and I'll kill you and I'll make sure I'll return to finish the job on your friend inside," he warned as they walked down the driveway towards the street. Just as they neared the curb, a van pulled up and the side door opened. Two men jumped out of the back before the man pushed Heather into the back.

"Go grab the woman on the floor. Oh, and put this on the table," the man told them, handing one of them a large envelope before they ran into the house. Less than a minute later, Heather found herself sitting on the floor of the van beside Kate as she drifted in and out of consciousness. The man jumped into the van and sat down by the door. Heather looked up at him as he watched her.

"Who are you?"

The man grinned.

"You don't know me," he said. "But Mr. Wayne and I worked together at one point. He had hired me to do some work for him and when I got in a little too deep into the secrets of his life, he tossed me aside figuring that I'd continue to live my life." He chuckled, turning to look out the window. "But things aren't always as they seem, much like the Wayne family."

"You're crazy," Heather mumbled, before looking down at Kate, nervously checking the young woman's pulse.

"You want to talk about crazy, huh? Dressing up as a bat is crazy. Hell, that Joker guy is even a little nuts, but I'm just trying to get back the life that was taken from me. My wife and kids. He'll soon know how it feels."

---------------

"You're not going!"

Bruce's voice echoed throughout the cave as he finally caught up with David. Olivia and Alfred walked off the lift behind Bruce as he stormed his way towards the area where the suits were kept. He walked in just as he saw David pulling the piece of Kevlar over his chest.

"Like hell I'm not," he retorted.

Bruce sighed.

"You're too close to this," he said, this time his voice a little softer. "You're not thinking clearly and you could get hurt."

David stopped, hearing the tone of his Dad's voice. He turned and looked at him, seeing both Alfred and his Mom standing just a few feet behind.

"What if this was Mom who was out there? You'd be out the door before anyone could say anything. You wouldn't let anything stop you. I need to do this."

Bruce glanced over his shoulder at Olivia and smiled weakly. Finally, he nodded.

"Fine," Bruce said, undoing his shirt. "I'll be right beside you."

It was Olivia's turn to object.

"Bruce, are you sure it's a good idea? Your shoulder isn't one hundred percent."

He looked over at David as the man continued to pull on the pieces of armour that were around him, finishing with the cowl.

"We'll be fine," he said, quickly pulling on the Kevlar.

-------------------

The Tumbler rolled to a stop in front of Heather's house. The rooftop had barely finished opening before David jumped out. He had unclasped the cape in the tumbler as it was becoming a hindrance to him. David rushed into the house to find it empty. He instantly felt light headed when he saw the red blood stain on the floor. He walked into the living room, and stepped on something in the darkness. He bent down and picked up Heather's cell phone. He took a deep breath and turned, punching the wall with his fist and left a visible mark in the drywall.

"They're gone," Batman said, as he appeared in the kitchen and picked up an envelope off the table. David walked over to him, stepping over the broken shards of glass and chair legs.

"There's blood here too," David said, fighting to keep his voice in check. "Heather's cell phone is here." Batman looked down at the contents of the envelope. He read the message and before David even had a chance to finish the first line of the cryptic riddle, Batman turned on his heel and raced out the door.

"What?!" David quickly followed. "What did it say?"

He watched as Batman jumped into the drivers seat of the Tumbler.

"Get in! Now!" Batman yelled, as he started the engine

David promptly jumped into the tumbler and barely had a moment to breath before the vehicle turned and drove down the street.

"What's going on?"

"We have to get home," Batman said.

"That's what it said?"

"Not in those exact words. Your Mom and Allison are in trouble. Heather was a trap set to get us away from Wayne Manor."