Elseworld's Finest Females: Supergirl and Batgirl
Valentines
"I can't believe I'm even considering this," Barbara Gordon muttered to herself as she passed one of the 'Oracle is watching' posters, the redhead moving along briskly.
Gotham in February was fairly miserable, winter still holding it's grip on the city. Chill breezes blew between the city's towers and piles of crusty, brown snow still lurked in corners of buildings and down alleys. But despite the cold there was a spring in people's step as the days gradually increased and things warmed up a little.
Valentine's Day was swiftly approaching, and for the first time in many years Barbara found herself thinking about buying someone a gift. Not to mention she was considering buying something for a woman like Kara.... It was hard enough buying gifts for her friends, trying to imagine what to get for a world famous super heroine was impossible.
Barbara had already went through a jewelers and a fancy chocolate shop nearby looking for something, but nothing had leaped out at her. It didn't help that in her experience Kara had relatively simple tastes, preferring a hotdog in Gotham park to fine dining.
Deciding to call in the cavalry Barbara whipped out her cellphone and dialed a rarely given private line. "Bruce?" she smiled as she reached the man she considered her big brother.
"Babs," Bruce answered, cheerful as always. He was a intelligent, capable man who threw himself into everything he did, bettering Gotham and the world. "What's this I hear about you actually talking with the Justice Society?" he teased.
Barbara felt herself blush slightly as she answered, "Blame Kara, not me. She seems determined that we should all get along."
Bruce smirked, "Or maybe she doesn't want her girlfriend fighting with her mother?"
"Ugh," Barbara grunted, knowing there was some truth in what he said. "I... actually was calling you about that," she admitted.
"As in...?" Bruce wondered.
"I need your advice," Barbara admitted rather reluctantly. "I have no idea what to get her for Valentine's day."
"Huh," Bruce sounded thoughtful. "Good question," he admitted.
Barbara passed a familiar pair of police officers, ones she'd talked to in researching a novel and nodded hello. "Come on, Bruce," she sighed, "you're my last hope."
"Of course I am," Bruce sounded smug. He thought for a moment, "Not even counting Luthor she's been famous and well known all her life, she's probably gotten every expensive gift in the book."
"That's what I figured," Barbara sighed.
"So go simple," Bruce said firmly. "Flowers, chocolate, that kind of thing," he told her.
Barbara felt herself brighten a bit as she got his logic. Kara probably hadn't had a 'normal' Valentine's day before, so she'd probably enjoy such gifts. "Any specific recommendations, Romeo?" she asked with a smile.
"Red roses are always classy," Bruce answered seriously, "though white ones are nice too. If you mention my name to Dinah at Sherwood Florists, you'll get a discount."
"You dated her?" Barbara had to ask.
"No, volume discount," Bruce said entirely deadpan. Briskly he said, "Gotta go, I promised Harvey that I'd hit the links with him today."
"How's he doing?" Barbara asked gently. Bruce had been a longtime friend of Harvey Dent and had been horrified when the assistant district attorney of Gotham had been scarred by acid. Driven mad by pain and a hidden, split personality Harvey rampaged across the city as Two Face until Batgirl brought him in. Medical and psychiatric treatment had cured Harvey, but he labored under immense guilt over what he did.
Bruce sighed, "Taking it one day at a time."
"Send him my best wishes," Barbara asked with a sad smile as they said goodbye. 'Could I have stopped him sooner?' she wondered as she paused a moment in the chill winter sunlight, 'Could I have done something more?'
"Stop, thief!" a familiar voice yelled and Barbara whirled around. A young man in ragged clothes was pelting down the street away from officers Harvey Bullock and Renee Montoya, clutching a stolen bag to his side.
Swiftly deciding that there was no time for Oracle tricks or to change into costume, Barbara stuck with something simple. She moved aside to let the thief by, then stuck her leg out at the last moment, tripping him up.
"Ooph!" the boy grunted as he sprawled out on the concrete, stunned. He was just shaking off the hit when the cops reached him, Renee efficiently yanking him to his feet only to slap the cuffs on him. "Lemme go, damn it!" he growled.
"You have the right to remain silent...," Harvey Mirandized the boy, sounding rather bored as he growled and spat.
"Thank you," Renee smiled warmly as the slightly brownish skinned woman kept a firm grip on the boy, "it would have been a bitch chasing him down."
"Purse snatching?" Barbara nodded to the fallen bag, a very high class item or possibly a very good knock-off.
"Looks like it," Harvey shrugged, the big man holding a unlit cigar in his teeth. Somewhat more reluctantly he tipped his hat, "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Barbara smiled wryly. Apparently Harvey was still not happy with how she portrayed the Gotham Police in her last true crime novel, even if it was a accurate view.
"He's still cranky about the Joker book," Renee confirmed as they carted the boy over to a recently arrived squad car to be taken downtown.
"I am not cranky," Harvey growled as they headed off.
Hiding a smile Barbara headed to Sherwood Florists first, smiling at the slim blond who ran the shop. She ordered the white roses sent to Kara's secret identity of Gotham Herald reporter Kara Lee, then tossed in the box chocolates too.
'Wonder if I could get them sent in a lead lined box?' Barbara thought, chuckling to herself as she imagined the look on the poor store owners face if she asked that!
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
A few days later on Valentine's Day Kara Lee smiled as the blond haired woman finished typing up her story on the villainess 'Mad Love' and sent it off to her editor for review. He rarely complained about her work, in fact his most common complaint was he wanted more copy for the paper. Despite access to the Press feed and online content a paper like the Herald needed local content, and Kara had discovered she was good at providing that.
"Heading out?" Vicki Vale asked from her desk nearby in the newsroom, the sultry redhead still pouting a bit that she hadn't snagged a date with Bruce Wayne for tonight. She had been chasing the most popular bachelor in Gotham for years, blissfully unaware that he was uninterested in a vapid gossip columnist. Of course she had backup boys, but still....
'And that's exactly why Bruce doesn't want her,' Kara noted with a sigh. "Yeah, finished up the story on 'Mad Love,' the Joker's crazy fangirl," she told her.
"I still can't believe he seduced his psychiatrist and convinced her to terrorize the city just as part of a escape plan," Vicki shook her head. "Thank goodness Batgirl and Supergirl stopped all the bombs she planted."
Kara got her jacket and smiled at the white rose on her desk, one from the bunch she had found at her apartment this morning. Barbara Gordon was proving to be a both romantic and passionate lover, something Kara hadn't expected her to be/. Their first night not that long ago had shown Kara things about her body she had never guessed at, coupled with a tenderness and love that made her heart ache.
"Boy, those must be nice memories," Vicki sounded a bit envious, "Hot date tonight?"
Kara realized she has spaced out and blushed. "Something like that," she smiled as she walked to the door, "have a good night."
"You too," Vicki sighed, wishing she had at least found out who sent Kara the roses, at least. Nothing cheered her up more than learning a interesting bit of gossip.
Kara took the elevator down with a few other staff, listening to the annoying music with a wry smile. She was still too new to the working world to find it horrid, but she could understand the dislike most of her co-workers felt. The elevator stopped at the ground floor with a cheery ding and everyone got out, heading to the doors or the twenty-four hour coffee bar in the lobby.
As Kara stepped out on the street she stopped, her eyes widening as a redhead waited by the street, leaning up against her car. "About time," Barbara smiled warmly, dressed in a nice dress that while not fancy probably cost a lot.
Kara swiftly reached Barbara's side as she hugged the smaller woman. "You didn't have to wait up for me," she murmured softly.
"I didn't have to send you chocolates either," Barbara shrugged, "I just wanted to."
"Thank you," Kara breathed sexily into Barbara's ear, smiling as she blushed. They separated reluctantly and climbed into the car, Barbara expertly pulling out into traffic. She reached out and stroked Barbara's thigh, smiling as she shuddered.
"God, Kara, don't do that to me," Barbara managed to get out a bit breathlessly, "I don't want to crash this."
"Don't worry, I'd save you," Kara promised as she removed her hand. She sat back comfortably as she asked, "Do we have plans?"
"I have a nice dinner in the oven at home," Barbara admitted as they raced through the city, "assuming Alfred hasn't decided to spice it up." She looked over at Kara shyly, "I thought it'd be nice to just have dinner together."
"I'd love to," Kara leaned over and kissed her cheek as they left the city limits, soon reaching stately Wayne Manor. "No Bruce?"
"He's seeing Marci or Tambi tonight, apparently," Barbara shook her head wryly at her adopted elder brother's antics.
Alfred did indeed look a bit miffed that Mistress Barbara had actually dared to cook in his kitchen, so top speak, but he had left their dinner alone, or as he put it, "that primitive repast. If you need real food, you need just call me."
It took a great deal of effort not to break into giggles at the poor man's expression but both Kara and Barbara managed until he left the room, then they nearly fell over laughing. Once they had recovered they ate together, occasionally sharing bits off each others plate, then they sat together watching a romantic film.
"I'm so glad you made the first move after Christmas," Kara murmured as they cuddled close together on the couch. "I was so scared I was reading your signals wrong I didn't dare move."
"Me, too," Barbara murmured back, hugging her. She smirked, "And you may have been inexperienced but you certainly learned fast."
"Barbara!" Kara blushed.
Barbara laughed softly, bending forward as she prepared to kiss her, when the dimly lit room suddenly lit up. "Huh?" Barbara looked up.
"Oh, dear," the grandmotherly older lady in fine but unpretentious clothes murmured, looking at them with a blush.
"Well, uhm," the older gentleman blushed, pushing his hat back to reveal silver hair with a bit of black left over.
"Barbara, what?" Kara yelped, wondering what was going on.
With a smile the older woman walked towards the couch as she addressed Barbara, "Babs, dear, please introduce us."
Barbara was blushing as she sat up. "Kara," she smiled at her wryly, "I'd like you to meet Martha and Thomas Wayne, my adoptive parents. Mom, Dad, meet Kara Lee, my girlfriend."
"Oh." Kara murmured then her eyes went wide as she realized Barbara's parents had practically walked in on them necking!
Thankfully, both of them looked more amused by the circumstance than anything else. Martha gently nudged her husband in the side, "Told you it was a bad idea to surprise them."
"Sorry," Thomas smiled, "we didn't mean to interrupt." He looked thoughtful, "If you like, we could go for a drive for a hour or so, and you can carry on?"
"Daddy!" Barbara blushed as Kara bit back a laugh.
'I think I'm going to like this family,' Kara admitted with a smile.
To be continued....