Disclaimer: I own nothing but Scarlett. Everything else belongs to Nolan and co.
Thanks to everyone who is reviewing this story so far. I'm glad people are liking it. Not alot of time to give an AN since I am about to leave for classes.
The next three days were a blur. The community was still reeling from Commissioner Loeb's death and it was the day of his funeral. The police were going to honor him and many were expected to attend. Contrary to Harvey saying that she did not have to attend, Scarlett decided to tag along anyway. She felt it was only right to honor the man. So now, here she was. The sound of bagpipes in her ears and Rachel and Harvey flanking her on either side. Wrapping her black coat tighter around her figure, Scarlett continued to walk along and her eyes followed Gordon, who was surveying the crowd. It seemed that the whole entire city had turned out to pay their respects to Loeb. Grimacing as she took a step on her bruised leg, Scarlett glanced back at the people behind her and noticed a suspicious looking man a few feet away. His blonde hair was pulled up into the uniform cap and his face was shadowed.
Shaking her head, Scarlett smiled as one of the officers gave her his hand as she walked up onto the platform and took her seat. She was to the right of Harvey and Rachel was seated to his left. The couple held hands tightly and Scarlett smiled at the gesture. Turning back towards the processions, she watched the fleet take their places for the gun salute and she saw the Mayor make his way up to the podium. Fiddling with her coat, she opened it slowly, enough to get some cool air. The Mayor looked out at all in attendance and began his speech.
"Commissioner Loeb dedicated his life to law enforcement and to the protection of his community. I remember when I first took office and I asked him if he wanted to stay on as Commissioner and he said he would…"
Looking down at her feet, Scarlett glanced around from her seat on the platform and she looked up at all the cops in the windows. They were on high alert because they didn't know what The Joker was planning to do next. Scarlett involuntarily shuddered when she thought about the madman. He had thrown her out a window, for God's sake. She would have died if Batman had not saved her and she hoped to never cross his path again. Turning her attention back to the Mayor, Scarlett tuned in to the end of his speech.
"We must remember that vigilance is the price of safety."
He then nodded to the guards below and the men turned, guns in hand.
"Ready, aim, fire!"
The guns went off.
"Ready, aim, fire!"
Again, they went off.
"Ready, aim, fire!"
The guns went off again. However a few turned on to the people up at the podium and fired. Scarlett screamed in surprise as the gun aimed for the Mayor and she watched as Gordon tackled the Mayor to the ground in front of her. In horror, Scarlett realized that Gordon had been shot and he was not moving. Standing from her seat, she saw the mysterious man she had noticed earlier, drop his gun and run towards the alley. Scarlett was so focused on following him, that she didn't notice when Harvey began to pull her down the stairs and out of the scene. He stopped both Rachel and Scarlett in from of a cop car and said, "I'll see you later. Scarlett, take care of her!"
"You're going back," Rachel yelled.
Harvey then turned and began to run back towards the mayhem. Scarlett quickly maneuvered Rachel into the cop car in front of her before she glanced back up to where paramedics were working on Gordon. Biting her lip, Scarlett ran a hand across her face and rested her head on top of the cop car. Suddenly, the sound of a motorcycle came from behind her. Pulling her head up, Scarlett saw the red motorbike sitting a few feet away from the car. She watched as the person on it removed their helmet, revealing it to be Bruce. His hair was tousled and he was dressed in jeans and what looked like a leather jacket with a red scarf. She turned her body towards him, and walked towards the back of the car, revealing that she was also wearing red.
"What's wrong? We have to go," Rachel said, leaning her head out from the car.
"I'm coming."
She watched as Bruce gave her a small smile. Scarlett shook her head before she turned and got into the cop car beside her friend. As the car began to pull away, Scarlett glanced back out the window and watched as Bruce revved up his motorcycle and rode away.
Down at the police station, Rachel was sorting through thousands of papers. Trying to get a hand on what Jim Gordon would have wanted to finish. As she shouted orders to the people around her, her cell phone rang. Fumbling in her purse, Rachel answered it on the second ring.
"Harvey, where are you?"
"Where are you?"
"I'm where you should be. At major crimes and I'm trying to deal with all this mess. And can I get the fingerprint analysis," Rachel said to a man.
"Rachel, Rachel, Rachel listen your not safe there."
"Oh this is Gordon's unit…"
"And he's gone Rachel."
"He vouched for these men…"
"And he's gone."
Rachel stopped what she was doing and sat down in the chair behind her. Picking at a thread on her skirt and throwing it to the ground, Rachel leaned her head down, feeling the weight of Harvey's words. Gordon was gone.
"The Joker's named you and Scarlett as his next targets. God, is there anyone in this town we can trust…"
"Bruce. We can trust Bruce Wayne," Rachel said softly.
"No, Rachel come on I know you're his friend and I know Scarlett had a fling with him…"
"Harvey trust me, Bruce's penthouse is now the safest place in this city."
"Then you go straight there. Call Scarlett and make sure she gets down there, too. Don't tell anyone where you are going and I'll find you there. I love you."
"Love you, too," Rachel said, before she hung up.
Looking around at all the other police officers, Rachel stood and grabbed her things. As she pulled on her coat, she took her cell phone out again and dialed Scarlett's number.
"She's going to love this," Rachel muttered.
Upon receiving the call from Rachel, Scarlett ignored her pride and agreed to meet at Bruce Wayne's penthouse. She arrived first and made her way into the bright lobby, pausing to say a brief greeting to the man behind the desk. He looked at her knowingly and Scarlett mused that he probably thought she was another of Bruce's one night stands. Stepping into the waiting elevator, Scarlett pushed the button for the penthouse floor and watched the doors close and the numbers began to climb.
After a minute, the doors slid open revealing the penthouse. It was dark and Scarlett shuddered when she looked over at the window she had been thrown out of a few days before. It had been replaced and looked as if it was never ruined. Taking a few steps into the dark, Scarlett looked around to see if anyone was there. Dropping her bag and coat by the couch, she sat down to wait for Rachel. As she sat in silence, Scarlett reached up into her hair and pulled her hair tie out, letting her hair down into waves.
"Scarlett," a voice called.
Turning towards the voice, Scarlett smiled when she saw Alfred, dressed in a black apron. He looked as if he had just been cleaning when she arrived. She stood from the couch and gave the older man a hug. The elevator gave another ping, signaling someone was on their way up.
"What are you doing here, Miss?"
"Harvey. He told Rachel and I to come here. Apparently, this is the safest place to be. Will Bruce mind if we are here?"
"I'm sure Master Wayne will be alright with you both being here."
Scarlett nodded and pulled out of the hug. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rachel walking towards them, dressed in her crème blouse and tight black skirt with black pumps. The same outfit she wore from the funeral procession earlier today. Rachel put her bag and coat next to Scarlett's things and embraced her friend tightly. Alfred cleared his throat and said, "Can I get you both anything to drink."
"Water would be nice," Scarlett said.
Alfred nodded and began to make his way to the kitchen. Rachel suddenly let go of Scarlett and said, "Don't be silly, Alfred. You don't have to do it alone. I'll come help you."
"Ms. Dawes, it's no trouble to get a bottle of water."
"It's fine. I'll bring some water back for you, Scarlett. Stay here and watch the room."
"Will do," Scarlett said, giving a faux salute.
As Rachel made sure her friend sat back down, she turned to Alfred and said, "Bruce is on his way up. I got on before him."
Alfred gave Rachel a knowing smile and the two of them walked into the kitchen to give the estranged couple some alone time. On the couch, Scarlett fiddled with her fingers before she sighed and put her feet up on the glass table in front of her. She watched the night sky go by and Scarlett closed her eyes tightly. A few seconds passed until she heard someone say, "You know, that table could break."
Scarlett's eyes snapped open and she shot to her feet. She nearly knocked the table over in her haste and she cursed inwardly. Turning back to the sound, her eyes narrowed when she saw Bruce come out of the darkness to stand behind the couch. He was dressed in a dark suit and his hazel eyes were boring into her blue green eyes. Looking down at the couch, Scarlett said, "Harvey told us to come here. Safest place in the city, Rachel told him."
"Rachel's here?"
"Yes, she's in the kitchen with Alfred. Getting me a bottle of water but now I see what she was doing."
Bruce smirked and said, "And what is that?"
"Leaving me in a room, alone, with you. I'm surprised Emily's not in on this."
"Emily would be in on this, wouldn't she," Bruce said.
Scarlett gave a small smile before she said, "Were you there today? When Jim was shot?"
Bruce nodded and Scarlett sat back down on the couch. He then came and stood a few feet away from her. He didn't sit and Scarlett looked up at him.
"He saved me, remember? When he carried me out of Arkham."
"I know. I was there," Bruce said, giving a small smile.
"I almost died that night. If it wasn't for the both of you, I might have."
"What are you trying to say?"
Scarlett hesitated before she said, "I'm trying to say Thank You. I'll never get to say that to him but I can say it to you."
"I told you; you don't ever have to thank me."
Sighing, Scarlett stood from the couch and said, "Yes, I do. I don't care if you want to hear it but I need to say it. There are so many people I need to thank. I need to say Thank You to Harvey for informing Rachel and I that we're next."
"What do you mean, next," Bruce said, walking closer to Scarlett.
"You didn't know?"
Bruce shook his head before he stopped in front of her. Scarlett looked up and said, "The Joker. Rachel and I are next on his hit list. Harvey told me that one of the men from today had on a nametag. The nametag said Rachel Falcone."
Covering her eyes with her hand, Scarlett dunked her head and tried to hold the tears in. Bruce then reached out and took her hand away from her face and held it in his grasp. Scarlett looked up at him and said, "What are you doing?"
"Remember, when we broke up, what you said?"
Scarlett nodded and Bruce continued. "You said that we would be together if the day came when Gotham no longer needed me and that I was finished..."
"Bruce, we already had this conversation at the fundraiser."
"I know. But I just need to know that if…"
He then let go of her hand and Scarlett said, "Bruce, please don't make me the one hope for your normal life."
"Did you mean it?"
Scarlett smiled sadly, and said, "Yes."
Scarlett watched as his hand came up and he began to caress the side of her face before he put his hand behind her head. Scarlett closed her eyes as her face moved closer to his and he kissed her. Softly at first but then it grew into something deeper, causing Scarlett to begin to walk backwards. Bruce followed her lead and soon enough, Scarlett's back was pressed against the staircase. One of her hands was one his chest, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt, while the other was on the back of his neck. The billionaire had one hand behind her head, while the other was around Scarlett's waist, pulling her shirt from her skirt.
As Scarlett slipped her hand onto his bare chest, Bruce's hand began to slink up her ribs and towards the buttons of her shirt. Before he could get the buttons open, someone cleared their throat loudly. Bruce immediately looked towards the sound and Scarlett did the same. It was Rachel, with an amused look across her face. Scarlett felt her face redden and she began to tuck her shirt back in as Bruce buttoned up his shirt.
"If you two wanted to be alone so bad, the bedroom is right upstairs," Rachel deadpanned.
"Its fine, Rachel," Scarlett said, slinking away from Bruce.
As she began to walk towards the stairs, Bruce grabbed her arm and said, "What's wrong?"
"This is wrong," Scarlett said, yanking her arm from his grasp.
She then quickly ran up the stairs and out of Rachel and Bruce's sight. Bruce leaned up against the staircase as Rachel came to his side and said, "Harvey called. Said, Batman's going to turn himself in."
"I have no choice," Bruce muttered.
"You honestly think that's gonna keep The Joker from killing people?"
"Maybe not but I have enough blood on my hands," Bruce said, walking away from his friend and standing in front of the couch.
"I see now what I'd have to become to stop men like him."
Rachel crossed her arms and said, "Bruce, think about what you're doing. Gotham needs you."
"I know but I need something more," Bruce said as he began to walk towards the staircase and up to his bedroom. As he did, Rachel followed him and when she reached him, she grabbed his arm and said, "Bruce?"
He turned to her and waited. Rachel shook her head and let go of his arm before she said, "If you turn yourself in, they're not going to let you be with her."
Nothing much to say except don't forget to review. I don't have alot of time to write more. Like I said: Class. If you've got any questions let me know.