No edits. I couldn't go to sleep until I posted this. The next chapter will be very long. I mean, really long. Thank you all for the support, lovelies. :) Here it is. Good night, y'all. - D
I felt the hospital bed beneath me first. I could hear Blake and Gordon talking, but they seemed miles and miles away from me. A hand was holding mine, stroking it lightly. My mind, even though it was clouded, replayed what happened. That wasn't a dream… He's not here. Maybe he won't come back. Pain tore into the places I was injured. A moan escaped my lips from the memories and the pain. Gordon said something to me, but I still couldn't hear it. All I just heard buzzing and beeping. I opened my eyes slowly, squinting at the light above me. Why are rooms always so damn bright? Gordon met my eyes and smiled. He face was red and puffy. His hair an absolute mess.
"You're awake," he choked, hugging me as I lay in my bed. I swallowed hard and patted his back lightly. I welcomed the hug graciously. I needed it. "You had me so worried," he breathed, kissing my cheek. He sniffed and wiped his eyes again. I held back the tears, trying to tell myself that Liam really wasn't there. Gordon handed me a tissue as he took one for himself. I used it on a few tears I didn't know had fallen.
"You haven't found him, have you?" I asked in a soft, far away voice. I already knew the answer, but I needed to hear it.
"No," Blake answered. I glanced at him and he looked away almost immediately. I couldn't blame him considering I always did the same thing too. A large cut was ripped down the right hand side of his face.
"Any sign of him?" I had a feeling I knew that answer too. He gave a silent shake of his head and stared down at his fingers in his hands. I didn't know what to think or do. It was like he was kidnapped, but I still couldn't think that way. The pain from knowing he was gone boiled in the back of my throat. No amount of swallowing could calm it. I yanked a jug of water off of the table beside me and drained as much of it was I could. The pain only moved, desperately trying to get away from the water, wanting to release itself. My chest tightened and before I could stop it, I was crying. Gordon made a noise and held rubbed my hand. It only made me sob harder.
"Do you need to talk about it?" Gordon asked me, his face a mixture of serenity and confusion. I need him. So much for not having anything to lose. I broke my own stupid ass rule. And the one time I break it. I quickly lose what I had. Why do people do this to themselves? Why do people obsess over falling in love with someone? It's not exactly grand. I looked at him between the sheets of tears and choked on a breath. "I know, dear," he breathed, raising to pull me against his chest. He rubbed my back, holding me to him. My hands balled themselves up in his jacket. We sat that way for minutes, maybe even hours. He lightly shushed me.
When I woke up again, they were both still there, their jackets off, the window opened to let a light breeze roll in. My eyelids were heavy from crying, my face swollen. Blake smiled his tight lipped smile and greeted me. Gordon turned to smile at me, but kept his distance, staying by the window.
"Where are Bruce and Selina?" I asked, wondering why I hadn't seen either one of them. I hoped they were both fine.
"At the mansion, being treated by a private doctor of Bruce's. They're both okay, they just have a few minor sprains," Gordon replied. I finally took a second to assess my own injuries. Bruising along my chest, wrists, and ankles. I could only imagine what the rest of my body looked like. "We both think it's wise you don't return to work until they're detained." I nodded, defeated, leaning back against my pillow. I'm not going to argue with that. I don't need to drag this drama into the hospital. "We're all staying at the mansion, as well. Just for precaution, in case she does something soon."
"I can't believe she's going to try and destroy the city," Blake stated, rubbing the sole of his shoe along the slick tiles of the hospital floor. "This has almost happened twice in one year." He shook his head slowly as Gordon turned to look at him. "How do we know so little about her compared to Bane?"
"Every villain is different, son. They're just like people – everyone's different," Gordon told him with a sigh. Except they aren't people. "Ivy and Bane are very different people with one common goal – destroying the city." Hearing his name made me shudder and caused a whole new flood of tears.
A few days later, my nurses deemed me fit to leave. I looked like I had been ran over by a truck. My hair was a scraggly mess, bruises all the way down my body, and a red, puffy face. Alfred was waiting for me by the door when Gordon and I arrived at the mansion.
"If there's anything I can get for you, please let me know," he told me, sounding like he was choking on his words. Bring him home…? Can I request that of you? You've already got the best people on the job though. So how about sleep - without interruption.
"Thank you, Alfred, but I'm quite alright, I think I'm just going to head to bed," I whispered, giving the smallest of smiles. He covered his face and removed his hands quickly.
"I'm terribly sorry about what's happened to Mr. Dorrance, Ms. Engel," he stated, dropping his head. I steeled myself as a line of tears threatened to fall. "You two were – " He stopped talking and waved me on. "You should go lay down," he stepped farther into the hallway and let me pass, Gordon following closely behind.
We trudged up the stairs together, silently. I stopped just before my door and glanced down the hallway to his door, staring at the door knob as if it I was waiting for it to move. I dropped my hand from my door and walked to his, still staring at the door knob. I just want to smell him. I took in sharp, deep breath and opened the door, peering into the darkness. Gordon maneuvered around me and flipped the light on.
"Please, try to get some sleep," he whispered, watching me as I stared into the vacant room. "Good night," he mumbled, kissing my cheek.
"Good night," I repeated, shuffling into the room slowly. I had been in this room plenty of times with him, but never on my own. I closed the door and stared at the neatness, catching a glimpse of his hospital badge on the dresser. His grinning face burrowed into me. I breathed heavily for a few moments, looking at it, before having the ability to walk over and turn it upside down. I can't look at you. I opened the dresser drawer and pulled out the light blue flannel pajamas from our first kiss, touching them gingerly before taking them out.
I didn't get a wakeup call that morning. In fact, a whole week passed without a wakeup call. I went down and explored the house, listening to the information they had found, eating with them, and showering. Bane, Ivy, and Venus were very well hidden, considering Bruce had been going out every night, searching relentless. My face had a permanent swollen look to it from crying. I had let Alfred wash the pajamas daily, but I wore them every night to sleep in.
On my way to the kitchen I heard the news from the steps. "Bane has resurfaced this morning, breaking into the city-county building. Surveillance videos caught this clip of him today, wearing a new mask. He was found breaking into the records room and has stolen numerous blueprints of the city. He's put the city officials in a state of confusion, leaving many of us with questions left to be answered – " The television went silent and I heard a loud sigh. Great, he's out doing the dirty work. They're getting themselves ready. I turned the corner and watched Bruce. He ran his hands through his hair and massaged his scalp.
"What the hell are they doing? Bombs again?" Bruce asked out loud. Duh…
"Yes," I answered. He jumped off of the couch and turned to look at me, crouched down in a defensive stance. I scared Batman. I laughed uncontrollably at the thought. Laughter rolled through me as I clutched my stomach, leaning against the doorjamb of the living room. He laughed sarcastically then let out a few low chuckles himself.
"Well, I'm glad to see you laughing, even if it as at my expense."
"I'm sorry," I coughed.
"Don't be." I walked over to the couch and sat down. I had barely talked to anyone in the last few days. No one had pressured me to talk or tried to prod me for conversation. I was grateful.
"Where is everyone?" I asked, curiously, surprised not to find Selina laying on the couch with him.
"Selina is asleep, Gordon and Blake are at work, and Lucius is at a lab a few hours away. He found a cure for the ones who are being turned into insects and plants. He's out overseeing the production so we'll have enough for the city."
"That's great!" I exclaimed, glad that we had finally found a way to defeat that bitch.
"I think it'll be best if we all carry a syringe of it and a syringe of the venom inhibitor for Liam, in case one of gets to him before the other one does." Bruce, always thinking of the best ideas. I nodded as he sat back down beside me. He flicked the television back on and turned it on mute.
"Why would she take him?" I asked, exasperated as they played more clips of him walking into the city-county building. He had on a pack, some sort of plexi-glass cylinder filled with purple gas and a black oxygen mask. His sweet eyes were murderous once again. Please don't lose yourself in there. Please.
"Venus knows he's a terrorizer and can be manipulated easily." He paused and looked at me. "And she knew it would hurt you." Well, no shit.
"I'm going to kill her," I seethed. He smirked and shut the television off.
"You know I won't let you." Just watch me, Mr. I-don't-want-to-kill-anyone-and-hate-guns.
"What are you going to do then, Bruce? Throw her in Arkham? Like that really fucking works. That does no justice for this," I quipped.
"I will not allow murder, even if she deserves it, Holly," he warned, glaring at me. I folded my arms and glared back. You pathetic piece of shit. You may be out searching the streets for him, but I guarantee you, if I find her… she's dead.
Dinner that night was quiet. Usually someone tried to talk and keep the energy light, but not that night. There was a strain of anxiety in the air. It made the room hot. Gordon and I locked eyes from across the table and he smiled, slightly. I dropped my head down and stared at my plate, remembering the conversation Bruce and I had earlier. I had a slight amount of guilt, considering all of the shit Bruce was doing for me. But, he just didn't understand how vengeance worked, apparently.
"I'm having my annual summer party this weekend," Bruce announced, setting his fork down on the table. Are you joking me?!
"A party?" I asked, trying to keep my anger at bay. He nodded and stared at me, his jaw set. He must know I'm about to argue. He knows me too well. He's beginning to realize his charms only work on the weak minded – or in Selina's case – the ones who actually want things he has to offer. "In the middle of all of this shit going on, you want to throw a goddamn party?"
"I do it every year, Holly. Not doing it will raise suspicions." I put my fork down slowly, resisting the urge to chuck it halfway across the room.
"Oh, really? This is coming from the man who disappears for eight years and mysteriously re-emerges around the same time Batman does. Didn't plan that out too well, did you?" I snapped. Any idiot could see how weird that was, but apparently everyone in the city didn't notice too much.
"I still had my parties," he corrected. I snorted and pushed my chair back away from the table.
"It doesn't mean we're working any less harder, Holly," Gordon added, watching me as I stood.
"Sure, Gordon," I agreed, giving him a glare. For the first time, I was actually mad at Gordon, too. "While Gotham is being destroyed, Bruce Wayne will party his ass off with the socialite snobs who could care less about anything but his money."
"That's not true," Bruce spat, standing up. "I don't stay at those events to socialize and schmooze. I stay for however long is needed and then I excuse myself." Sure.
"Who put you up to this?" I barked, looking around the table. "Was it Selina?"
"Watch it," she warned, pointing a finger at me as we met eyes.
"It's to save face and keep people calm. If they see normal things happening, it'll reassure them that there's not too much to fear. I'm influence as Bruce Wayne, too – not just as Batman. This is to keep the city calm a little longer." He has right, but my pride was too strong.
"I'm going home," I stated. A few heads dropped around the table. Oh, what now!? "What?" I asked, looking at them. No one answered. "Don't make me ask again," I warned, raising a brow.
"Your home was bombed a few days ago," Blake answered, calmly, slowly casting his gaze from the table up to me. Do… what… I grabbed onto the back of my chair and steadied myself.
"What?" I asked, quietly.
"It's true, Holly," Gordon added, in even softer tone. "We wanted to wait until Liam was back to tell you." I pulled my chair back out and sat in it, putting my hands in my face. I took a long, deep breath. There were so many people that lived there. I had a few pictures of my mother still. All of my clothes. Everything. What the hell is happening to my life?
"You can stay here as long as you need to," Bruce told me, looking at me as he sat back down. "I have your check from your renter's insurance. I had it sent here. I can give it to you as soon as we're finished here." He paused and took a sip of water. "You might want to go shopping for the party." Like I'm going to some damn party after my boyfriend's been kidnapped and my house destroyed. This sounds like the perfect time to ass kiss a bunch of snooty rich bastards.