Thank you to everyone who had been reading and reviewing! Here is another chapter, Enjoy!
Whenever Emma worked late at the Manor which was about twice a week she would always stay for dinner. She and Bruce could for hours about everything and nothing and because of this the two were becoming friend fast. Emma was probably the only friend Bruce had who didn't know about Batman, in fact she was probably his only friend or the closest thing to one at least.
Tonight however was different because tonight was a charity ball the honor Gotham's Fire Department which meant the first time since their deal Emma and Bruce would be seeing each other with other people around.
When Bruce entered the ballroom of the Gotham Grand Hotel he once again spotted Emma, standing by the bar apple martini in hand her golden hair pulled in it's usually bun. But he did not approach her after all Emma Carpenter and Bruce Wayne had nothing to talk about besides the design of Wayne Manor, just Emma and Bruce could talk for hours but not tonight.
He went over to were a group of some of the members of Gotham's elite were standing and talking about whatever it was they talked about, Bruce never really listened.
"Oh Bruce, there is someone I want you to meet." Said Mrs. Henson taking him by the arm and dragging him over to the bar.
"Really Mrs. Henson I think I can find a date on my own." He said with a charming smile.
"Oh, Bruce I don't doubt that, I just heard you were remodeling the manor and I don't know of it have heard of her but I think you two should meet." She said once they got to the bar, he noticed she was leading him right to Emma, or rather Ms. Carpenter.
"Ms. Carpenter." He said with a polite smile.
"Oh you two already know each other."
"Yes, Mr. Wayne hired me to re design the interior of Wayne Manor."
"Oh silly me. I tell you what though Bruce Emma here is the best of the best, she is simply marvelous." Said Mrs. Henson with a laugh. Emma took as sip of her martini the ghost of a smile on her face as she and Bruce locked eyes for a moment sharing in there private joke.
"I'm sure she is." He said flashing her a charming smile.
"Now Bruce, Ms. Carpenter is engaged to a wonderful man, Todd why couldn't you convince him to come Emma?"
"He's in Africa right now. And don't worry Mrs. Henson, Mr. Wayne is well aware of the fact that I am engaged he is just a shameless flirt."
"Well what can I say I'm incorrigible. Well it was nice seeing you again Ms. Carpenter."
"And you as well Mr. Wayne." She said turning her attention back to her martini. She mingled with a few of the guest standing by people when they called her over only to tell a friend about how nice whatever room it was she redecorated.
Eventually she had done her quota of networking for the day and she made her way back home. She had just sat on the couch kicking off her heels when her cell rang. She looked at the caller id and noticed it said Bruce.
"Hi." She said picking up the phone.
"Shameless flirt? Really?" He said not even bothering to say hi back.
"Oh shut up Mr. Billionaire playboy you know you can be." She said with a smile.
"Well you Ms. I'm always professional might need some help getting that stick out of your ass." He said with a smirk she was after all so easy to tease.
"I'm going to ignore that because unlike you some people find me simply marvelous." She said mocking Mrs. Henson.
"Hey I was looking at some of your sketches for some of the rooms, it reminds of what it looked like when it was my parents house." He said a slight sadness in his tone.
"I'm sorry does that bother you, I mean everyone knows what happened with them. I can change it if you want?"
"No, no it's fine it helps me remember. I didn't realize I was starting to forget what it looked like."
"I wish I had your problem I remember everything about what my childhood home looked like." She said in a half joking manner.
"No you don't." He said in a serious tone. They sat in silence for a moment before he spoke again. "You know there sketches are really good, I'm surprised you didn't try and become an artist."
"I did, but being an artist doesn't pay the bills, so…it's alright though this is more practical." She said with a sigh. She heard a beeping sound in the background on Bruce's end of the line. "What was that?"
Bruce looked down at his watch and turned off the timer that was sitting on his nightstand. "I'm sorry I have to go."
"Okay, I'm coming by tomorrow with some painters to see about at least getting started on one of the rooms."
"Alright sounds good." He said hanging up the phone, he had another mask to put on and it was time to assume that aspect of his life he had chosen for himself.
Emma hung up her phone with a smile. She had noticed that unlike most people who said goodbye before they hung up Bruce never did. She didn't know it was because he wasn't used to it, there were so many people he had never said goodbye to, his parents, Rachel, Harvey, in fact he didn't even say goodbye to Alfred when Bruce disappeared. She also noticed he always had to leave at odd hours in the night. Her thoughts were interrupted by someone banging on the door.
She answered it and was pushed out off the way by Charlie who greeted her with the word coffee and heading into her kitchen. She noticed he still had the as he called it Jim Gordon mustache and also that he was looking more like Jim Gordon since he had joined MCU. Jim Gordon whenever he was shown on tv always looked exhausted, now Charlie looked about the same.
"Nice to see you to Charlie." Said Emma with a smile as she watched him frantically prepare the coffee like a drug addict trying to get there next fix. He grunted in response and didn't form an audible sentence until after he had some coffee. He must have ran out at his house and came here instead of going to the store.
"You'll never guess what case they put me on." He said excitedly. "I'm done Batman hunting."
"Good for you Charlie I always knew you were a good cop."
"Well I'm not just a cop anymore if I pass my detective test then I'm on the case for sure it what Ramirez says."
"Charlie you still haven't told me what the case is you remember those robberies on The 4th of July and then the robbery on Veteran's day, well they think they might be connected and someone is committing these crimes on a holiday, that's all I can really say since the case it still open but still it's pretty fucking cool."
She decided to ignore the swear word and said "Speaking of holidays to you know if I can come over to your house for Thanksgiving, then I can finally meet Sarah you're still with her right?"
"Yeah, she's great and she's a little mad at me for all this work I have been doing but if you came it would keep her from yelling at me, plus we can't have you spending thanksgiving alone." Said Charlie with a smile. The mention of spending thanksgiving alone made her think of Bruce.
"Hey do you think it could be a me plus one?"
"You and who else, Todd's away…oh we better not have to be giving someone a scarlet letter you mistress Prim you." Said Charlie with a teasing smirk.
"Funny Charlie, but no I have a friend who is probably going to be spending it alone at his house and I figure I could at least offer the invitation. Also the scarlet letter is for adultery, I'm not married, yet so it wouldn't be adultery."
"Sure whatever, you and Reverend Dimmesdale can come." Said Charlie with a teasing tone. ( A/N In the book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne set in puritan England a married woman Mistress Prim had an affair with Reverend Dimmesdale and receives a scarlet letter a.)
"Alright thanks, and you know I hated that book back in Highschool!" She said hitting him on the arm.
"Yeah but you really just set yourself up for these things."
Emma was about to retaliate when her phone rang. "Hello?"
"Emma, is your friend Charlie still on the Batman case?" Asked Bruce in a very nonchalant tone.
"No why?" Said Emma confused at the random question. It also sounded like Bruce was in a car or something because she could hear the roar of an engine. "Hey where are you it's sounds like a plane is about to take off?"
"Oh, I'm in the Lamborghini, I was watching the news and saw a car chase between the tum-that car Batman drives and well I though might as well go for a spin…shit…" Said Bruce followed my the sound of screeching tires and what sounded like a computerized voice.
"Charlie turn on the news." Said Emma handing him a remote. Charlie flipped channels until the news footage Bruce was talking about came on. Emma thought she heard something from the other line that sounded like a navigation system flowed by more loud noises and then she thought she heard gun fire. "Bruce is someone shooting at you?"
"Emma could you call Charlie and ask him who they put on the case?"
"Hey why aren't you answering my questions?! And pull over or something you sound like you are going way to fast to be talking on the phone while driving."
"This thing practically drives itself can you just ask him for me it's important." He said quickly swerving turning into a parking structure. However they had on the Batman hunt was doing too good of a job usually they left him alone when he was in the tumbler.
"Sure." Said Emma turning to Charlie who was watching the screen with interest. "Charlie who did they put on the Batman case?"
"David Fisher, I don't know what he does I think he's some kind of bounty hunter people really want to bring in the Batman cause of the whole Harvey Dent affair."
"Um David Fisher, he's some kind of bounty hunter."
"Great…" mumbled Bruce. "Okay look Emma I better hang up…"
"No, first you are going to tell me what the hell is going on Bruce!"
He let out a sigh. "Emma, you're a friend alright and I would love to tell you sometime but I can't not right now, someday I might but you're just going to have to trust me on this and not ask questions."
She also let out a sigh. "Fine so long as it's not illegal." She was worried slightly when he didn't answer back right away.
"I only bend the rules I will never break them. Now I really have to go." He said hanging up the phone. Emma looked at the phone and then back at the tv screen it was like staring at a jig saw puzzle and trying to see what the picture looked like when the pieces were scatter she knew something was there she just didn't exactly know what. She however did not have time to put it all together because Charlie's attention was not longer glued to the tv.
"So Bruce eh?" He said with a smirk. "It wouldn't by any chance happen to be Wayne would it?"
"He's sort of a friend Charlie we actually have a lot in common." She said rolling her eyes. It was true when she really started talking with Bruce she had formed a sort of instant connection to the man like when you meet someone for the first time and you feel as though you have known them your whole life.
"What happen to I never get involved with a client?"
"They're my rules I can do with them what I wish."
"Does Todd know you are friends with Gotham's most eligible bachelor?"
"No, he hasn't called yet but I am sure Todd is just as comfortable with our relationship as he was before. He trusts me. Plus you know me most of my friends are guys, they are just easier to get along with, there not all that pointless drama."
"That's also the reason why you never had any friends who were girls in Highschool because everyone thought you were involved with all your guy friends. I'm just saying be careful with this tabloids aren't very nice."
"I know that Charlie, but if they get wind of this let them write what they will because I'm still going to be walking down that isle in about 6 months. I already have a great guy I'm marrying. Oh that reminds me Misty is going over for Christmas isn't that awesome!"
"Yeah, I haven't seen her in ages."
"Good thing too otherwise you still might have had a crush on her." Said Emma in a teasing tone.
8888 Wayne Manor a few hours later 8888
"I hate bounty hunters." Mumbled Bruce taking off his mask.
"You made the news Master Wayne." Said Alfred coming down into the cave to great him.
"I know." He said taking off one of the gloves. "I also had to call Emma to make sure it wasn't Charlie following me before I did some of that stuff. She's probably wondering what is it I do all night."
"I would imagine she would be suspicious of you now."
"Yeah, I told her I might tell her one day."
"Did you?" Said Alfred raising an eyebrow. "It would have to been soon I'd imagine she's getting married soon."
"Oh yeah that's right." Said Bruce with a shrug. "Maybe it's better that she doesn't know."
"Had you forgotten she was getting married Master Wayne?"
"No, I hadn't." Said Bruce defensively.
"Alright, but it is defiantly something to always remember."
"What do you mean by that Alfred?"
"I just saying you should be careful, Master Wayne, that is all." Said Alfred before leaving Bruce alone to finish taking off the rest of his suit.
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