A/N: Here's the next chapter. Please read, review and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own what is mine.

Chapter Five

Police Headquarters, Inner City Gotham

James Gordon pinched the bridge of his nose, he had a headache coming on, he could feel it. When he looked at the desk before him, he could understand why. There were mounds of paperwork that needed to be attended to and a serial killer loose in the city that needed to be brought to justice. The mayor had started to hound him for results on The Artist along with the media and general public. How the hell was he supposed to catch a man that left behind no evidence?

He sighed as he looked at the clock… ten thirty. He had only been at the office for two hours and already he wanted to go home. Barbra would either be cleaning or out running errands right now. The thought made him smile, he missed his family. Gordon rarely got to spend any time with them since he had been promoted. His smiled became tinged with sadness as he looked at the pictures of the kids that adorned his desk. A little something to brighten up the room and make him thoroughly homesick.

He could do some of this at home, Jim decided as he stood and began gathering papers into a brown leather satchel. He wanted to go home and just spend some time with his wife and kids for once. He left a note for the front desk letting them know not to call him unless it was a life or death situation or they had any new evidence on the Artist. It was about time he spent a weekend away from the office, now he just prayed that he wouldn't be called in within the next thirty-six to forty-eight hours.

Of course the minute he rose from his chair, his door was pushed open and in strode a rather tired looking brunette. Gordon blinked as the woman moved to hold out her hand.

"Hi..Commissioner Gordon, Right?" At his quick nod, she continued, "Special Agent Lynette Peters. I'm sorry for intruding so suddenly."

Gordon dismissed her apology as he shook her hand and resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't going home just yet, "Don't worry about it. I am curious though… how did you get passed my secretary, Agent Peters?"

"She wasn't at her desk." Audrey shrugged carelessly, "Bathroom break, maybe?"

"Probably." Gordon replied with a smile, "What can I do for you?"

He gestured for her to take a seat while he moved back to his own. Audrey smiled graciously at him before she pulled her badge and credentials from her pocket and passed them over to him.

"My department at the bureau has caught wind of the recent murders that have occurred in Gotham." Audrey began to explain as she fought the fatigue that was seeping into her body, "I have been sent as a liaison of sorts to help with the case in any way possible."

Gordon gave her credentials a critical once over before pushing them across the desk to her, "I was of the opinion that the FBI needed an invitation into local police investigations, Agent Peters."

"We do." Audrey replied as she slipped her badge back into her pocket, "I'm not here to interfere or take over the case. This investigation is still in Gotham PD's jurisdiction and will remain so until my department is asked for help. I'm merely an extra set of eyes…someone your officers can consult with when it comes to this killer's motives."

There was a brief silence as Gordon studied the woman sitting in front of him. She seemed harmless enough but there was a certain steel behind her eyes that made him question what her true motives were. He knew that he would be checking on her file as soon as he had the chance.

"I know that the Bureau normally doesn't do this, Agent Peters. So what's really going on?" Gordon asked.

"Truth?" Audrey questioned as she studied Gordon in much the same way he did her, "From my department's understanding the murderer that has been termed the Artist is...unusual. I know that term seems strange to use, but he's displaying behavior that isn't typically seen in serial killings. My department wants to know why, wants to know more."

Gordon paused as he considered her response, "I'm not heading this investigation, Agent Peters, but I am overseeing it. Detective Tyler Lansing is working this case. I'll set up a meeting between the two of you tomorrow. If he finds your expertise valuable then I don't see the harm of you helping with the investigation."

Audrey nodded to show her understanding and pushed a business card with her contact information across the table to him, "Thank you, the effort is greatly appreciated."

Gordon smiled faintly as he studied the card, "We'll be in touch."

"Have a good day, Commissioner." Audrey replied knowing their conversation was over with. She exited the office mere seconds later.

Gordon tipped his head back and sighed. He did not want to deal with the FBI and hoped like hell that Lansing didn't take up Agent Peters offer. Once again he gathered his things together and headed towards his door. He shut off the lights to his office with a quick slip of his hand and made his way out into the rest of the building. He was as intent as ever to go home now. He almost ran into someone in his rush to get out of the building.

Charlie was quick enough to step back as Gordon barreled past him. He continued to watch as the older man left for the day before he picked up his cell to place a call.

"O'Haley."

"Hey Reed, there's nothing new here." Charlie replied looking down at the file in his hands. It was the file on Danny's murder; the police had just updated it with the forensic findings which were slim as usual.

A groan came from the other end of the line, "Should we count it as a good thing or a bad thing that they have no new leads on the Artist?"

"A bit of both I suppose, and don't call this guy the Artist. Nothing about what he does is art."

Charlie made his way over to the copy machine as he continued to talk to his brother. The fact that his cover as a legal aid assistant made it easier for him to gain access into the police case files. The new information would be copied and added to the Company's own intel on the case.

Reed bit back a sigh as he replied, "True. I'll let Audrey know what's up, just keep looking."

Charlie could almost picture his brother tugging at his hair in frustration right now, "Yeah, he has to slip up sometime. I just saw Audrey, she met with the Commissioner."

Reed frowned to himself, "I thought she was going to hold off on that."

"She was, but then she was involved in stopping an attempted rape this morning and had to give a statement." Charlie replied.

He had seen her enter the police station this morning as he was heading toward the legal department. Charlie knew that Audrey had spotted him as well, but it was better if they both acted like total strangers in public. Too many of the officers would question why a legal aid assistant knew an FBI agent who was new to town. It didn't take long after his arrival for word to reach legal that an FBI agent was on the premises and she that had encountered Batman among various other things.

Charlie nearly grinned when he heard another groan emit from Reed, "Do I want to know the particulars about what the hell she did?"

"You'd have to ask Audrey. I only got an edited version."

"I'll ask her when I call her."

"You do that. I'll see you later." Charlie replied as he clicked off his phone. His eyes were glued to a photo in the file before him.

Wayne Enterprises

Lucius Fox calmly watched as Bruce made his way towards his office, it never ceased to amaze him that Bruce could look nonchalant and seemingly oblivious to the world around him when he actually noticed more than most people ever did. Of course, it always entertained him when someone would underestimate the billionaire and be shocked when he pulled something rather ingenious out of his sleeve.

Lucius still chuckled when he thought back to the look on Earle's face when he realized he had been outwitted by the younger man. It hadn't just been Earle that had been shocked either; half the board had been as well. Fox knew that if Bruce had been in the room that day, he would have gotten a kick out of it. Though, he was sure that he did get a kick out of the phone call he received from Earle. He could almost hear the smile in Bruce's voice as he explained how the process was all 'rather complicated'.

"Good afternoon Lucius." Bruce said as he strode into Fox's glass paneled office.

"Afternoon, Mr. Wayne. You're late."

Bruce shrugged with an easy grin and took a seat in front of Lucius's desk, "Sorry, you know how traffic is this time of day. You're bound to be a little late."

"Oh, I'm sure Mr. Wayne." An amused glint appeared in Lucius's eyes, "I believe those new products you requested are ready and waiting to be tested out."

Bruce straightened up a little, "Really? Were there any problems in acquiring the necessary materials for its construction?"

"None that I'm aware of, but I suggest you read the manual this time before testing any of the equipment." Lucius said as he gave Bruce a pointed look.

Bruce merely sent him a sheepish smile as he followed Fox out of the office. A moment later the two stood before the elevator as its doors opened and the two made their way inside. As Bruce turned around he caught a flash of white. Focusing he realized it was the woman from the coffee shop…the one from this morning. Lynette Peters.

What was she doing at Wayne Enterprises? Bruce's brow furrowed and he made the split second decision to step out of the elevator just before the door closed. He missed the perplexed expression that had crossed Fox's face as he did so. The older man didn't have a chance to question him as the doors slid shut.

Bruce moved forward curious. He hadn't had the chance to run his mystery lady's name through the computer in the bunker and it seemed like fate that she was here before him now.

He was careful to stay out of her line of sight as he silently followed her through the office floor. She almost blended in with the other women in the company as her casual slacks and white blouse made her look like just another secretary. He wondered briefly when she had found the time to change. Bruce was sure she would have been stuck at the police station answering questions for the better part of the morning. Surely, she would have gone home to rest for a while after that.

Bruce found himself pausing as he watched her duck into one of the private offices. It took him a second to realize that she was in the office belonging to the now deceased Cecilia Stuart. It had been over four months since her death, but Wayne Enterprises had yet to find someone to fill her position. The fact that this Lynette Peters had chosen to go to that office caused suspicion to rise up in him. Bruce wanted more than ever now to find out who this woman was.

Audrey, however, remained unaware to the fact that she was being watched. She had casually checked her surroundings and hadn't noticed anyone taking interest in her actions. If anything she found it extremely odd that she had made it past security and up to Stuart's office so easily. She would have thought there would be more safety measures than a guard with a sign in sheet.

As she sat down behind the desk she took note of what was in the room. Most of Stuart's personal effects had already been taken from the office, leaving only a blank slate of space. The bland room was waiting for the next executive to take ownership. The only thing that remain was the computer which Audrey quickly booted up…she hoped that no files had been removed from the server since Stuart's death. She was hoping to find any information that Reed and Charlie had missed previously something connected to the serial killer besides the Company ties. As she waited her mind drifted back over to her conversation with Reed.

Audrey blinked tiredly as she slumped against the seat of the taxi. As soon as she was finished giving the driver her address her phone began to ring. She let out a low groan she really didn't want to answer it, she wanted to go back to her apartment and sleep.

She grasped the small plastic object and before she knew it, Audrey had Reed's voice in her ear, "I heard that you had an eventful morning."

"I don't want to talk about it."Audrey replied instantly. Her mind was still trying to wrap around the fact that there was a man dressed as a giant bat running around the city fighting crime. At least that was one version, she had also heard he had murder a few cops awhile back. It was just too bizarre.

Reed sighed, he should have known that she wouldn't spill anything just yet, "Alright, so how did your meeting with the Commissioner go?"

Audrey shook her head, "Charlie is really on the ball today, isn't he? It went as well as can be expected. I don't think he likes me much."

"Why?"

"Reed, I'm an FBI agent that just showed up asking about a murder investigation. He probably thinks I'm trying to muscle in on his turf. You know how much the police and FBI compete with each other." Audrey replied slightly amused

Reed smiled to himself, "Well, in a sense you are. It's just not for the FBI, it's for the Company."

"Yeah, I know."Audrey replied, "What's going on? What did you need me for?"

"Charlie called with an update. The police just got the forensics back on Danny's murder. No new evidence." Reed explained frustration tinted his voice.

Audrey held back a sigh. She needed to get started on the crime scenes then, she could only familiarize herself with the facts on paper for so long, "Alright I'm going to go deeper into the victim's lives. I'll start with Cecilia Stuart. If I find anything new, I'll let you know."

There was a brief silence before Reed replied, "Okay, gorgeous girl. Just be careful."

Wearily, she gave the driver a new destination.

Audrey came back to reality as a password encoded screen appeared on the monitor before her. She held back a curse. Hacking into computers was not her forte. She knew enough to get by, but she normally liked to leave anything computer related to Reed. She was about to call him when a voice interrupted her.

"Do you normally sneak into offices that aren't yours?"

Audrey felt herself still before she began to turn, an excuse already planted on her lips. She didn't have a chance to voice her excuse as she saw the man she had coffee with a few days ago.

She raised an eyebrow and instead quipped, "How do you know that this isn't my office?"

Bruce held back a smile but a smirk still claimed his lips. She still didn't know who he was, "Well, one the room is bare and second you left the lights off."

To prove his point he flipped the light switch and leaned against the door jamb.

Audrey pursed her lips knowing that she had been caught, "Alright smart one, what's the password for the computer?"

It was Bruce's turn to raise an eyebrow, she didn't seem to care that he knew what she was doing. Hesitantly, he moved to stand next to her. He threw a brief glance at the computer before returning his attention back to Audrey who was looking up at him expectantly.

"I'll tell you the password if you tell me what you're up to?" Bruce's eyes were sparked with curiosity but he was half sure that she wouldn't tell him anything.

Audrey bit the inside of her cheek as she considered his proposal. She gave a low sigh and shifted to pull her wallet out before throwing it on the desk in front of him. Bruce had it in his hands a second later as he studied her photo and badge.

"Special Agent Lynette Peters…Well, at least I know your name now." A flash of amusement appeared on Bruce's face as he caught her rolling her eyes, "I take it you're here investigating Cecilia's murder."

"Yep, did you know her well?" Audrey questioned as she leaned back in her chair.

Bruce paused as he carefully considered his words, "I wouldn't say well. The only time I spoke with her was during project meetings or the odd board meeting. The police have already gone through her files, why do you need to go through them?"

"I may see something they don't." Audrey quipped. She knew none of the police would recognize The Company digital signature. If Stuart had been working on any Company projects on this computer, she would know.

"Don't you need a warrant?"

Audrey shot him an annoyed look, "I need a warrant or the permission from Wayne Enterprises to search the computer."

"So you have permission then?" Bruce asked knowing that Lucius had received no such request.

"I'm sure that whoever owns this place won't mind." Audrey said, "What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Bruce bit back another smile that was threatening to take over. He wasn't sure he wanted to give her access to his company computer. There were several files on Cecilia's computer that alluded to his nightly activities... not that Cecilia knew that. She had only stayed within a certain parameter on the Wayne Enterprises network, but that didn't mean the woman before him wouldn't go in them. Then again she seemed almost lost with the simple password holder on the personal settings screen, what were the chances of her being able to go into locked down files?

After a fleeting moment Bruce reached over to the keyboard and typed in the password. As soon as he moved away from the monitor Audrey began typing away bringing up screens and codes that had Bruce watching her warily. He realized that she could have easily gotten past the password screen if she really wanted to…so why then did she ask him for help?

This woman was leaving him with more questions than answers and he was beginning to find her very frustrating. He moved to stand behind her as she pulled up more screens, "Looking for something specific?"

"Not really." Audrey answered distantly, "Just anything that seems out of place."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Audrey found herself pausing on a file she had pulled up. Bruce leaned forward to see what she was looking at and furrowed his brow. It was just a report on Wayne Enterprises dealings with an oil company in Saudi Arabia. Audrey hit a few more keys and the screen dissolved before them only to be replaced with an encryption.

Audrey knew she had hit the jackpot. The entire file had the Company's signature all over it. She hit a few more keys to send the file to Reed. He would need to break the encryption, she couldn't do it. Bruce was still staring at the file however; his hands ached for the keyboard so he could start decrypting it. He wanted to know what Cecilia had left behind and if it had anything to do with her murder.

Just as Bruce opened his mouth to begin to question Audrey another figure appeared in the doorway to the office, startling them both. It was a mousy girl with wired rim glasses, "There you are, Mr. Wayne. Mr. Fox wanted me to let you know that he's waiting for you downstairs whenever you decide to join him."

"Thank you, Sherry. Let him know I'll be right down." As Bruce turned back to the computer he found the screen was blank.

Audrey had quickly removed the file from the computer as Bruce became distracted. Her mind became stuck over Sherry's words, however. Mr. Wayne? As in Bruce Wayne…as in the owner of Wayne Enterprises. That Mr. Wayne? She could have killed herself. No wonder he seemed amused by some of her comments. If anything she was glad that she had removed the file. She had the feeling he would be going back to find it later and with the resources he had at his disposal he could very well decrypt it. The last thing the Company needed was to have a wealthy billionaire being privy to its dealings.

Her eyes met his, "It looks like I know who you are as well."

Bruce smiled faintly, "I don't think we know each other at all, Agent Peters."

A/N: Special Thanks to Marislily, Nancie, Something541, Emma, HerLadyship, and Siriusly-a-princess for reviewing. Thanks again to Siriusly-a-princess for adding this story to your favorites list.

If you're reading don't forget to review. : )