Chapter 26 A Love That Never Dies
Helena was amazed by the amount of information she'd learned in a week. First, criminals (especially themed ones) talk too much, use this to your advantage. She'd put five of these bozos away in one night along with the regular scum because of their tendencies to gloat. She'd found out that she was perfectly capable of functioning off of four hours of sleep. In fact since cradling her best friend's dead body in her arms, she was beginning to prefer it that way. Lastly, she learned under no circumstances should she let Bruce Wayne near a kitchen. The man was a certifiable genius, yet he couldn't seem to understand that a fire alarm was not a good food timer. That was the absolute last time she was going to take his word over Alfred's.
Learning curve aside though, Helena was really beginning to enjoy this way of life. It came easily to her and she was never without work to distract her from dark thoughts. In fact, if not for the whole crazy people trying to kill her every night, it would have been great. As she made her was to the grandfather clock, she found herself to be as happy as she could get, which translated to normal people's terms was numbness.
"Helena, wait. There's something I want to discuss before you go."
She took it back. She turned slowly to face Bruce. A better relationship with her parents would be nice too. Tonight they'd tried a family dinner. It'd been awkward. "What did you want to talk about?"
Bruce looked solemn, so Helena prepared herself. "I want you to take over my position on the board for Wayne Industries and the Foundation. I need you to begin to be the face of the Wayne Empire."
Helena was stunned. Whatever she'd been expecting that hadn't been it. She looked out the big bay windows past Bruce's shoulder, thinking over her response as she walked over to really study the view. "I can't. I want to be a doctor."
She didn't voice the concern about its possible effect on her developing public image. Barbara said she'd be ready by the end of next week.
Bruce knew none of this, to Helena's knowledge. He walked to stand by her side, looking out to see Gotham in the distance. "You could be both. My father was a doctor. Through the Foundation, he and my mother helped Gotham…"
She cut him off. "I know." She sensed his confusion and continued. "In eighth grade we did reports on the Great people of Gotham, I did mine on Thomas and Martha Wayne. It was such an inspiring and tragic story. I never told anyone, but Thomas Wayne is the reason I wanted to be a doctor. Go figure." She saw the look of pride on Bruce's reflection in the window. For some reason a wave of shame washed over her and she lowered her head.
"You're a Wayne." He said it as though it was a new discovery rather than an established fact.
She looked at the reflections in the window again. She studied herself in a way she'd been avoiding for months. "Am I? I really don't know anymore."
She saw the tear fall from her cheek, but didn't feel it, not until Bruce wiped it away. He pulled her into an embrace and kissed the spot he'd previously touched. "You may a stranger in many ways, but you are my daughter in more."
Helena struggled to maintain her inner numbness. She could feel emotions bubbling to the surface that she had no desire to face. A light in the distance past her window's reflection flashed. The Bat signal. "I have to go." She detached herself once more.
Selina watched the scene without interruption. A small voice in her mind (that sounded suspiciously like Bruce) chastised her for eavesdropping, but she'd figured out how to quiet it years ago. After Helena left a little too quickly Selina took her daughter's place at Bruce's side, looking out the windows silently with him for a moment. "I don't think I've ever seen you that loving."
She meant it to be flippant, but knows she's only deepened the mood and the moment. He doesn't turn to face her; he can feel her presence. "I don't think I've ever loved anyone so much. I don't need to tell you about the women, and I've have arguably three sons and two daughters, but she's different."
Selina wondered if that's an invitation to begin an argument, but finds she doesn't have it in her at the moment. That doesn't seem to be what he wants anyway as he turned and caressed her check. "I should have married you, Selina. We should have been a family. Maybe even given her a little brother."
She closed her eyes leaning into his hand, bringing her hand up to hold his. Then she opened her eyes and pulls his hand away. "Don't say things like that Bruce. Regrets can destroy even great men."
Despite the slight rejection, Bruce brought her closer and she did nothing to stop him. He kissed her and it broke her heart in its agonizing sweetness. One soft touch of lips against each other and she was living a life that wasn't theirs, a fantasy she'd convinced herself years ago she wanted nothing to do with anyway. She tore away from him, she won't let him destroy the image of happiness she worked so hard to build. "It would have been a mistake, Bruce."
He traced her lips with a tenderness she's not sure she knew he possessed. "Do you really believe that?"
She collected herself and looked at him with bright eyes. "No, but you need to."
The grandfather clock chimed interrupting whatever moment they were having and Bruce's stone face replaced the open one that was scaring her only seconds ago. "I have to go see Alfred."
Selina felt Bruce walk away. She looked out the bay windows and saw that great sign of Gotham, the Batsignal, standing out against the dark sky. She remembered Bruce once saying that he often spent in his nights in here so he'd see it clearly. She wrapped her arms around herself, seeking comfort. This had been the pain Selina had been trying to avoid, knowing another she loved was rushing towards it.
Selina was surprised to find he hadn't left yet, and though the words were just a whisper spoken over a shoulder in a doorway she heard them all too clearly, "Stay, Selina."
She looked back at him, angry. "I'm not a dog."
He chuckles and she's not sure why. He comes closer and takes her hand. "I know, Catwoman."
What does that mean? She looked into his unreadable eyes looking for the impossible and found a plea. "It's a request not a command."
Selina closed her eyes and fought against all the emotions flowing through her, desperate to hide them from his careful gaze. She swore she could hear the rumble of the Batmobile's engine as it left. Damn it! She was never supposed to be here again. She turned back to the windows and opened her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of the Bat signal once more and steeled herself in the face of it. "I'll stay, Bruce."