Summary: Falling in love with someone was easy. Falling out of love was a different story.
A/N: Thanks to Alice's Restaurant for another review, and to those of you who have added this to your favorites. I'm honored. I did a lot of editing with this one because I wanted to say a lot, but I wound up repeating myself. Rachel Dawes, in my mind, is the type of girl who frequently got asked out but never bothered with dating. It's not that she doesn't want to get married and have a family; it's just not the right time.
I've never been in love, much less fallen for two people at once. Still, every time I tell my friends that I would never forgive a guy for cheating on me, I wonder what would happen if I loved two people equally. Cheating is still unforgivable, but maybe some people do have two soul mates. How do you choose? Do you follow your sense or your sensibility (another topic of debate among my Jane Austen-loving friends)? The following is Rachel's answer.
--Hana Li
Disclaimer: I don't own Batman or Neil Gaiman (I actually got that quote off of my friend Crystal's blog).
Falling in Love
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"Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up." - Neil Gaiman
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Falling in love was the last thing Rachel Dawes wanted to do right now. It complicated her life. Eventually she'd settle down, but work was her current number one priority.
Even as a teenager, she focused on school, instead of pursuing boys. She didn't have a boyfriend until a college. Nevertheless, years ago, a shy brown-haired boy stole her heart.
Bruce Wayne was still handsome and kind-hearted, but Rachel couldn't be caught with Gotham's most eligible bachelor– not if she wanted people to take her seriously. It didn't matter if it was a facade. He has changed.
Batman, despite the alluring mystery, was even worse for her. The darkness that made him attractive also made him dangerous, and on principle, she couldn't accept his vigilante ways. Somebody was going to get killed– Bruce was going to get himself killed.
As she struggled to forget her old love, she found herself falling for Harvey Dent. He had become Gotham's knight in shining armor, and he was more than willing to be hers. The prosecutor was as irresistible as his offer to work by his side to bring justice to Gotham. Harvey wouldn't break her heart.
Instead of making things easier though, her new love created a predicament. Rachel couldn't make herself fall completely out of love with Bruce. She didn't want to choose between the two men, but she had to. Deep down, she knew the feelings for Bruce would always remain. That was why she needed to let him go.