Another chapter. Thanks to all of those people who reviewed! Also if you have not read The Killing Joke you totally should it's a great batman comic! Also sorry it took so long to update i was having trouble logging in to Fanfiction.

Bruce got out of bed and began to stretch rubbing his neck which had been sore from sleeping in the chair most of the night. He also noticed that he was in the bed now and did vaguely remembered Emma telling him he could sleep there he had been really tired and was slowly waking up.

It was then that he heard music, which was odd because he didn't think Alfred would be the type to put on music when he was sleeping. The song sounded like it was Walking in a Winter Wonderland. He made his way down the hall curious as to the source of the sound. When he enter into a room that had once been empty he noticed a sofa, table and portable radio where in the room along with Emma who was putting ornaments on a fake plant that was going to in the entryway. There was a fire in the fireplace and Emma was humming along to the tune. He stood in the doorway not sure if he was in fact awake. However it was confirmed that he was in fact conscious when someone pinched him on the arm.

"It looked like you needed that." Said Alfred with a wry smile before bringing another box of decorations over to Emma.

"Thanks Alfred." She said setting the box down next to her. She then turned her attention to Bruce "I hope you don't mind it's just well you didn't have any decorations up and well at Charlie's house Christmas was always a big deal and I some used putting all this stuff up. It just felt weird not to."

"No it's alright." Said Bruce coming over to the "tree" and looking at the box of ornaments.

"Alfred said the snowplow guy called and said they are clearing to roads so that means I can go home tomorrow." Said Emma. Bruce just nodded because he thought he heard the phone ring but no one was answering it. Emma noticed this and clarified. "Yeah it's been ringing off the hook apparently they found my purse and then that got people wondering where I was and when they call my house well… Misty answered and they probably woke her up so she just told them I was here so naturally that got to the reporters and well now they won't stop calling."

"I sorry about that."

"Don't be it's your house you're the one who has to deal with the phone ringing constantly."

"There going to be bothering you to."

"True but we just answer there questions and they will go away. If we don't say anything the stories will just start brewing. We just tell them we're just friends which we are so it's not a crime."

"Yeah…" Said Bruce though Emma could tell he wasn't really listening. He was looking at the star in it's book and nostalgic expression on his face.

"What is it?" She asked concerned.

"Nothing. I just remember every year we used to have a huge tree and my dad would let me climb up the latter with him and help him put the star on top."

"Really me and Charlie used to always fight over who got to put the star on top, mind you we didn't need a latter but I always won, I guess it's cause they wanted me to feel like I had something important to do and to keep me from thinking about my parents."

"You can do it." Said Bruce handing her the star.

"No I think you should, from what Alfred tells me you haven't had a real Christmas in years." Said Emma trying to hand it back to him.

"No really I don't want to." Said Bruce not taking it.

"Are you afraid of living a memory?"

Bruce let out a laugh once again sharing a private joke only he seemed to know. "Trust me I have learned to deal with my fears."

"Alright. How about we do it together then?" Said Emma still holding out the star.

"Okay." Said Bruce taking it in his hand as well. They then both reached up and put the star on the tree. They were both looking at the tree but once they were done they both looked at each other. Emma felt herself lean closer for a moment before she the remembered what she was doing and quickly pulled back. "Well we should probably see what else is in this box." She said turning her attention to the decorations.

"Sounds good." Said Bruce also heading for the box.

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Overall it was a wonderful Christmas and both Emma and Bruce had fallen asleep on the couch talking about there childhood and Chirstmases past. But now the roads had been cleared which meant Emma was able to be driven home by Bruce. However a surprise was waiting for them when they got to her apartment. There were reporters and new cameras and photographers everywhere and they were now swarming the car after they parked.

Both Emma and Bruce got out of the car attempting to make there way through the crowd to the front door.

"Is it true you are having an affair with Bruce Wayne?" shouted one reported.

"No Ms. Carpenter and I are strictly friends." Answered Bruce.

"What about your finace?" asked another reporter.

"What about him from what I can tell me and Todd are still engaged. Did he tell you otherwise?" Replied Emma really just wanting to get to her apartment.

"Who's clothes are you wearing?"

"Mine. But I could every well let her stay in a snow covered dress that she almost froze to death in could I? And for the record I was not in the room when she changed out of said dress and into said clothes." Said Bruce with his usual charming smile.

"How did you end up at Mr. Wayne's manor anyway?"

"I was out in the snow when a Dark Knight rescued me, he must have know I would be safe there." Said Emma with a smile still trying to make there way to the door. However none of the other reporters got to ask anymore question because a water balloon fell from the building completely destroying one of the news cameras.

"Oi you better get out of here you bloody buzzards cause there's plenty more where that came from!" Shouted someone in a British accent. Emma looked up to see Misty sticking her head out the window of the apartment holding another water balloon threateningly. She took this as her opportune moment to escape.

"Go back to the car I'll be fine." She said to Bruce heading back over to her apartment while Misty and the camera man exchanged some choice phrases. When Emma got to the door in the hall however she realized that she could not open it because she did not have the key. "Misty open up!" She shouted.

Misty quickly ended her shouting match and came to open it. "Well hope you're Christmas was at least Merry." Said Misty when she opened the door.

"It was nice." Said Emma going to sit down on the couch. She was thinking again, about her and Bruce. It just keep popping into her head every now and then. In fact Emma was beginning to realize that when ever Bruce was not around and even sometimes when he was she seemed to be thinking about him.

"What's on you mind?"

"Do you think Bruce and I are too close to be friends?"

"Well love you did spend a few days at his house and are wearing his clothes. Not that it would be a bad thing of course I like Bruce, probably better then Todd actually."

"You haven't even met Todd."

"Yeah but I don't like the sound of his name…Todd who names there child Todd?" Said Misty pondering the thought.

"Well I'm not going to call off the wedding because you don't like my fiancé's name. And yes Bruce is a good friend but Todd is my fiancé!" Said Emma raising her voice even though she had no idea why.

"Haven't you ever noticed you never say that you love Todd, I mean the reason shouldn't just be cause he's your fiancé."

"I do love him!" Said Emma defensively. Oh course she loved him she was going to marry him after all. That was what people did they found someone they could tolerate and then they date for awhile and then they move in together and then they get married that was how things went.

"Him? Which him?" Said Misty raising an eyebrow.

"My fiancé!"

"Todd?"

"Yes, Todd him, Todd my fiancé the man I'm going to marry!" Said Emma.

"The man you love?"

"God! Misty I'm exhausted I don't have time to play these games with you." Said Emma taking a blanket that was near the couch and putting it over her head.

"I'm just saying it's something to think about. I mean sometime people find someone they like better than the someone they already have. It's not a crime."

"I can't, it wouldn't be right. Todd is a great guy a girl would be lucky to marry someone like him. He's smart, kind and he really cares about me. I would be a fool to throw all that away because I met someone who's also smart, and really sweet, and…no Bruce and I are just friends!" She said getting up from the couch and walking around the room.

"Honey you forgot attractive, charming and billionaire." Said Misty with a smirk.

"Misty I'm serious." Said Emma glaring at her friend.

"Alright fine you're not attracted to Bruce."

"Well okay I admit I am a little bit attracted to him but I'm certainly not in love with him." Said Emma more thinking out loud than anything else.

"I never said anything about you being in love with him but at least your not in denial about the fact that you are attracted to him." Said Misty looking at her friend with worry.

"Right okay then. I'm just going to get some sleep." Said Emma heading off to the bedroom her mind still spinning from her revelation.

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It had been about a week since Christmas. Rumors were still flying around about the whole Emma and Bruce thing but for the most part people didn't question it and the reporters were leaving them alone for the most part. Emma had finally built up the courage to face her father. So there they stood in front of Gotham County Prison, her and Bruce ready to go at talk with her father. When they entered the visiting room Emma turned to Bruce.

"Could you wait out here, I'll go in alone."

"Alright sure. Are you going to be okay?"

"We'll just have to see." She said with a small smile. She and Bruce had been acting normal around each other despite Emma's discussion with Misty. Emma would rather pretend it never happened.

They had given her a private room so her and her father could talk alone. Charlie had been kind enough to arrange for it. When she entered the room she paused near the door for a moment. The man before he was someone she did not recognize. He had short graying hair and a small beard up his arm ran a few prison tattoos and his had a tough yet remorseful expression on his face. He's eyes seemed to light up when he saw her.

"God you look so much like your mother. You've really grown up."

"Yeah I wouldn't know, I don't remember much of my mother, except that you killed her." Said Emma with a hard glare.

"Hey, if you came here to argue with me about that just turn around and walk back out that door. There ain't nothing I can say that will change the horrible things I did I know that so I don't plan on try'n any time soon. I just wanted to see you see how you're doin'" He said anger in his voice for a moment but it faded by the end of the sentence.

"Okay fine." Said Emma sitting down in the chair across from him. He was after all right there was nothing she could do about what he had already done. "But before I talk about me I just want to know one thing. Why? Why did you do it?"

Her father let out a sigh rubbing the back of his head with a cuffed hand. "I though you would ask that. I've thought a lot about it. I did it because the thought of her with another man killed me so I wanted to make sure that couldn't happen, if I could have her no one else could. It was selfish and cowardice is what is was. I never even thought about her you know? What made her happy, I only thought about myself."

"You really have thought a lot about this."

"Yeah well in a place like this not much else to do is there?" He said with a dark laugh. "So I know I have no right ask'n but any men in your life I see someone standing outside."

"Oh that's Bruce, I asked him to come with me." Said Emma with a smile. Looking over at Bruce who she could see standing near the door trough the small window in the door.

"Ah well he's a smart man asking you to marry him." Said Emma's father looking at the ring on her finger.

"Oh we're not…I'm engaged to a man named Todd, Todd Gellerman." Said Emma quickly.

"I see." Said her father looking at her intensely. Harry Carpenter had noticed something that made him uncomfortable. When his daughter had mentioned this man Bruce she smiled and looked over at the man what he guessed was a look of admiration however when she mentioned her fiancé she had not such reaction. "And do you love this Todd man you're marring because it is important to love the person you plan to spend the rest of your life with."

"Yes, I do." Said Emma glaring at her father. She was rather tired of people asking her this and it especially bother her that he was asking.

"You know one thing you learn in prison is when people are lying. I must say you're pretty good at it but no cigar Em…"

"Don't call me Em. Like we are friends! You don't know anything about me! You have no right…" She started anger rising in her.

Harry but up a hand telling her to stop. "Look alright I'm sorry but do you know what I'm really sorry for that I just now realized?"

"No what?" Said Emma her arms crossed as she stood up from where she sat.

"I'm sorry that because of me and what happened with your mother, I'm sorry that it made you afraid to be in love. You're afraid of love because of me." Said Harry looking past his daughter at the man, Bruce who was now right near the window looking in on them. Harry noticed that the man looked worried, he must have heard Emma shouting, but besides worried Harry noticed the way this man looked at his daughter and it was a look that showed his daughter meant the world to this man. "And that man over there. He loves you I can tell I can see it in the way he looks at you and I think you feel the same way but you are afraid so you stay with this Todd guy probably because it's the safest bet but let me tell you…"

"I think I've heard enough. I don't think I'll be visiting again. And you don't know the first thing about me because you murdered my mother and you don't know a thing about love because you murdered the only thing you really loved!" Said Emma tears falling down her face. She hadn't even noticed Bruce had entered the room until she felt an arm around her waist and someone say in a quiet voice "Come on I think we should go."

He then ushered Emma out of the room but paused for a second when he heard Emma's father say his name.

"Bruce right?"

"Bruce you don't have to listen to anything that man has to say." Said Emma as Bruce opened the door to let her out.

"I just want to know what he has to say to me." Said Bruce letting her out into the hallway and closing the door behind him.

"Look I don't know what you said to make her so upset but…" Started Bruce glaring at the man in front of him but he was interrupted.

"She's making a mistake and you know it."

"What?" Said Bruce beginning to think this man might very well be insane.

"I said she's making a mistake. It's my fault really, she shouldn't be marrying that Todd guy."

"He makes her happy…" Said Bruce firmly.

"Does he?" Said Harry raising his eyebrows. "Have you told her how you felt because if you did…"

"Emma was right I really don't have to listen to anything you have to say." Said Bruce opening to door to leave.

"It's just something to consider." Harry called after him.

"What did he say?" Asked Emma once Bruce got into the hall.

"Nothing important. Do you want me to drive you home now?"

"Yeah sure that would be great." Said Emma wiping her eyes. "Well it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Really Bruce thank you for coming with me, it meant a lot to me."

"Anytime." Said Bruce with a smile as they left the prison.

Well there you have it another chapter. Sorry if it kind of jumped around but I had to get ready for the next chapter when a certain someone comes back to Gotham. Don't forget to review!