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It had been three days since Todd had left for Africa and the reality of just how empty the apartment felt was strange to Emma. She hadn't had a real conversation with someone in about the time since he left and she really wanted someone to talk to. She had even tired calling Charlie but he was promoted to MCU and was sleeping when he wasn't working and when he was working Gordon had him running around Gotham with dogs looking for Batman.

For the most part Emma wasn't too bothered by the fact she was very much alone so long as she kept busy, this was why she spend most of her time over at Wayne Manor taking measurements of rooms and researching potential design ideas. She had decided after looking at some old pictures of some of the rooms in the Manor that she would just be sort of restoring it's original design. Yes she could have easily had her assistance Beth do all this had Beth not been on maternity leave for the next 6 months. This meant Emma had to do most of this work herself. Somehow various events had led to her digging this rather stress filled grave for herself and now she would have to lie in it.

At the moment she was in one of the more spacious rooms in Wayne Manor and she was sketching some ideas of what the room might look like. Wayne Manor was so large she hardly ever saw Alfred or Bruce when she was working; for the most part neither of them bothered her much.

She stood in the middle of the room closing her eyes trying to imagine what it could look like. Mirrors on the wall would give it a grander appearance and make the room appear larger. She could picture it filled with people drinking and dancing and she found herself dancing with them. What she did not know what that Bruce just happened to be standing in the doorway while she was doing this. He smiled to himself as she watched her move about the room; she was a rather good dancer even if she was dancing with no one at all. She looked so carefree and expression he had not seen on her face before.

"Thinking of making this into a ballroom?" He said causing her to break form her imagination. She looked rather frighten because she probably hadn't heard him standing there and he had startled her. He fright quickly turned to embarrassment.

"I didn't know you were standing there." She said picking her sketchbook off the ground and opening it and sketching something in it.

"Didn't mean to scare you, but you were working so hard I didn't want to disturb you." He said with a smirk.

"I'm sorry, it may be a little eccentric but it helps me visual what a room might look like. If it bothers you I could always stop and if I did it again you can deduct it from my pay check." She said briskly feeling her hair to make sure the bun was still in place.

"No, I don't mind. What I did come over here to bother you about is the fact that Alfred made enough dinner to feed a small army…"

"Oh, I must have lost track of time. It's not a problem if I ever stay late like this you don't need to feel obligated to feed me." Said Emma looking out the window and noticing it was in fact almost dark out.

"What part of small army do you not understand? It's really not a problem." He said with a charming smile.

"I suppose I could stay, I'm sure it's better than left overs. Lead the way." She said realizing she would actually enjoy at least having some company for dinner.

"Do you need to call you fiancé and let him know?"

"No, he's in Africa." She said anger flaring in her once more. She had been meaning to rant to Charlie about her frustrations with her fiancé but he was always so busy. The two walked in silence towards the kitchen until Emma just could hold her anger in any longer.

"Honestly that man, god he just makes me so mad sometimes. He was supposed to help me plan the wedding but no he had to go to Africa and help sick people! But I can't be mad at him for it because that would make me a horrible person for telling him no don't help people in a third world country stay here with me!" She said saying her frustration out loud more then actually taking to Mr. Wayne. She pinched the bridge of her nose closing her eyes when she remembered he was still in the room. "I'm sorry I have no idea why I am telling you any of this."

To be honest Bruce didn't really mind it was nice to have someone to actually talk to. "It's nice to hear about something in life that's real instead of hearing about how marvelous that ski trip was in the Alps someone went on."

This caused Emma to let out a laugh. "You talked to Mrs. Henson too?" Mrs. Henson was one of Gotham's elite and she once hired Emma to redo her bedroom.

"Don't you hate it when she describes everything as simple marvelous?" Said Bruce with a laugh.

"I'm just glad I'm not the only one who noticed that, it drives me crazy!"

"Well he's the kitchen as you have probably noticed the house isn't very furnished, I usually just sit on the counter or stand and eat." Said Bruce taking one of the plates of food that was sitting on the counter. It felt rather strange watching Bruce Wayne the riches man in Gotham sitting on a kitchen counter in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt eating dinner. Emma noticed the act was gone, and this man seemed much more real. "Help yourself." Said Bruce and that seemed to stop her from staring and she felt embarrassed for doing so.

"Thanks." She said taking a plate from the counter. "I'm sorry I just noticed that you seemed to have dropped the whole playboy billionaire act."

"Well you already know it's an act, so why bother? Plus this is where I live so, I can pretty much do whatever I want." He said with a shrug. "Noticed you've slightly dropped yours, but I suppose it takes awhile to unwind after being that uptight."

"Alright how about this I will make you a deal, when it's just you and me I'll drop my as you so eloquently put it uptight act so long as you don't do your act. Deal?" She said extending her hand for them to shake on it.

"What no contract?" Said Bruce teasing her but shaking her hand anyway. Little did they both know that this was the very moment that would spark a great friendship.

"Okay then if you don't mind I'm taking off my shoes." She said kicking off the rather uncomfortable heels.

"I've never understood how women can walk in those things." Said Bruce point at the shoes that were now sitting on the kitchen floor.

"With great practice and many blisters." She said with a laugh. A silence feel between them afterwards but it didn't feel awkward. They felt comfortable around one another, they did not have to pretend it was just real. Emma liked having someone to talk to, even though it had only been three days it felt like forever. She wondered how Bruce did it. Sure he went to a lot of parties and was constantly surrounded by people but she knew what it was like at those parties you were in a room full of people but you still felt completely alone.

Emma also felt relaxed because she wasn't thinking about work, usually when she was home eating dinner she was constantly going trough a list of everything she would have to do, but tonight she wasn't even thinking about it.

"You know about what you said earlier, you can be mad about that if you want, you shouldn't feel bad about it." Said Bruce breaking the silence.

"Your saying I should have told him, no he can't go to Africa and he needs to stay here with me?"

"I'm saying even though he was he doing something that isn't selfish in a way he is. Sure he's helping the underprivileged but he's also putting a lot of stress on you, you've got this job to do and then on top of it you have to plan a wedding."

"Urgh, don't remind me, I haven't even started thinking about the wedding. I remember when my friend Misty was getting married she started flipping out two days before the wedding because the napkins did not complement the table cloths. I really hope I don't do that." Said Emma looking stressed once again.

"I thought girls had there dream wedding planed out since they were like two."

"I don't know I never really did. My mom and dad did the whole big white wedding thing, I remember I used to look at pictures of it in the photo album, they looked so happy then, they didn't know it wouldn't work out in the end."

"Are you parents divorced?"

"Something like that." Said Emma becoming very interested in her plate. Something about her parents made her uncomfortable but Bruce did not press the matter, he didn't like talking much about his parents either. So the subject was changed, they talked about the parties they had gone to and people they had met there who annoyed them. They just keep talking long after they had both finished their dinners.

"So what exactly do you do at your work?" Asked Emma putting her plate in the sink.

"I sit in meeting, sometimes I sleep during them…"

"You sleep during your meetings? Very responsible Mr. Wayne."

"Lucius handles everything important I check in with him after the meetings. I can get away with stuff like that though after all I'm an irresponsible trust fund playboy. And you can all me Bruce"

"Alright, Bruce why do you have the whole playboy act?"

"Why do you have your act?"

"Because it's easier to pretend things in your past don't bother you." She said answering the question truthfully something Bruce had not expected. However he knew that answer was true, it was easier to pretend.

"I can understand that." He said with a smile. He really wanted to stay and talk with Emma more but he knew it was late and he would have to leave soon. He enjoyed her company once she had loosed up a bit. She was very enjoyable to be around and he had to keep reminding himself she was taken. He could easily see himself with a woman like Emma.

"Look, I'm sorry to kick you out like this but I have to make an important phone call and well…"

"No it's fine I do believe I have been here much longer then expected. It was nice talking with you Bruce, I will be over here tomorrow at around noon to finish some of my sketches and then we can discuss what I plan to do with the Manor." Said Emma putting her shoes back on.

Once she was gone Bruce went down into the cave to head out into the city, pushing away all thoughts of Emma Carpenter as he go into the tumbler.

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