Thank you for all the nice reviews! I'm so happy that people are enjoying this story! :) I hope you enjoy Part 1 of this special vacation episode!

Part Four: SPECIAL VACATION EPISODE!

Escape From the City – (1)

"What do you mean he can't travel?!" I ask the airport clerk. The perky blonde sends Bane a poorly hidden sneer. "Hi! My name's Kat and I'm happy to serve you!" her name tag reads.

Apparently, she's not very pleased to serve us.

"Our airlines have a strict policy when it comes to letting convicted terrorists onto our planes," Kat lets us know. "I'm sure you understand."

I sigh in frustration and try my hardest to force a grin on my face. "Can we speak to your manager?" I ask.

"I'm sorry but my manager is busy," Kat says briskly. "And I'm sure the policy will not have changed by the time she makes it here."

This conversation is getting us absolutely nowhere. After a growl of frustration, I turn away from the counter and call Detective Blake.

"Yeah, what's up?" He sounds pretty casual for a guy who's about to get his head chewed off.

"Oh, nothing much. Bane and I are just standing here talking to a nice woman who refuses to let us on our flight," I reply pleasantly while shifting from foot to foot in my uncomfortable heels. Silly me, trying to dress "cute" for my first ever airplane flight. Palazzo pants paired with a cute cami, blazer, and heels had seemed like a good idea almost three weeks ago when Blake had called and told us to pack our bags.

Yes, Bane and I are about to board a plane straight out of Gotham City. Blake had given us the call around three weeks ago. It had been right after the "Library Fiasco". Apparently, the cruel librarian, the one who called Bane an animal, said we were harassing her and she had a heart attack and nearly died. How dramatic. That only fueled Gotham's hatred of Bane and myself. Rocks had started crashing through my window. My classmates had started to ignore me. The news bulletins just kept getting worse and worse.

Blake had decided it was time to take a break. "Think of it as a nice vacation," he had said. A vacation is just what Bane and I needed. Mom reluctantly reiterated her offer to come visit her, to which Blake wholeheartedly agreed. The police department had even paid for our airfare and room costs.

Now, if we could only get on our plane...

"What?" Blake says in disbelief. "Tell her you're expected to be on that flight by the Gotham City Police Department."

"I tried!" I cry, exasperated. "But they just don't want Bane on the plane!"

Blake is silent. "...I'll be there," he says finally. With that, he ends the call. I shove my phone in my purse and shoot a glare at the emotionless Kat. Her green eyes smirk evilly at me in return.

"This is crazy," I voice to Bane, who is casually perusing the brochures resting neatly on the counter. I walk over and join him in an attempt to pass time. "We need to be on that flight in less than ten minutes." I pick up a brightly colored brochure screaming the exoticness of Hawaii. I toss it back into the container and begin searching for more.

Tahiti, Jamaica, the Virgin Islands…

"There's always a different path for everything," Bane says in a cryptic voice that I don't trust. "You may recall in the news that I hijacked a plane once."

I don't miss the startled look that passes over Kat's face and the other people's faces that happen to be behind us in line. Bane chuckles. He said that loudly on purpose, the jerk.

Kat's bewildered face is pretty funny, though. Her upper lip is curled so high that it touches the bottom of her nose. I laugh despite my best efforts and elbow Bane in the side.

"We are never going to get on the plane if you keep saying things like that!" I warn him between giggles. "Please, play nice."

"What you ask is nearly impossible, Rose," Bane reminds me as he places a brochure back into the small rack. "We both know I'm incapable of that by now."

Oh-ho, I beg to differ, sir. During our time together, I've seen glimpses of the man behind the mask. I know that somewhere, deep, deep, deep, deep down, he's an okay person. I just wish the rest of the world could see that.

"Hey!"

A familiar voice echoes through the airport like a clap of thunder. Bane and I turn around to find no one other than Detective Blake marching toward us, having made it here it record time. Relief rushes through me and I hurry forward to meet him.

"That was fast!" I tell him as we meet each other halfway.

"I didn't take my car," Blake says while giving me a smile that looks to hold a million secrets. Before I can ask him what he means, Blake's talking again. "Where's that woman at?"

I nod my head at Kat, who is busy allowing other people onto the plane. Blake steps over to her while I hang back with Bane, eager to see this woman get her come-uppance.

Blake approaches her, his badge already flashed out for her to see. "Hello, ma'am. I'm Detective Blake Sheldon with the GCPD. I hear we're having a slight problem here."

Kat's eyes flutter with faux shock. "Oh, there's no problem, sir. That girl and that...man...just aren't getting on this or any other plane, no matter how many fancy badges you show me."

I feel the need for popcorn and 3D glasses 'cause I feel blows are about to be thrown. This is getting intense!

Blake's brow furrows. "Kat, is it?" Before Kat can reply, Blake continues. "Well, Miss Kat, these two people are under police protection and surveillance and have every right to board this flight. Our department called weeks ago to inform the entire airport of this. Now, you're either going to let them on the plane or be arrested for obstruction of justice. That would ultimately lead to you getting fired from your precious post as Gatekeeper. So, which way do you want to play this, Kat?"

I don't think a soul listening to the conversation wasn't surprised by Blake's firm and commanding tone. My lips quirk up into a smile as Kat reaches over and begins processing our tickets. I can tell by the surly expression on her face that she isn't happy but guess what? No cares on this side of the counter, lady!

"Here," Kat grunts, while unceremoniously shoving the printed tickets into Blake's hands. He tips his hat to her before walking over and handing us our tickets.

I grin at him. "That was great! Thanks for helping us out," I say while putting my ticket away.

"No problem," Blake says with a lopsided grin. He looks over at the terminal departures sign and nods. "Looks like you have two minutes to board."

I gasp. "Oh no! We've got to hurry!" I panic as I gather up my carry-on bags. Bane has nothing but his book from the library to take with him, so I ended up just shoving it in my bag back at the apartment.

As I shrug my bags onto my shoulders, I'm sure to give Blake one last smile. "Thanks again, Detective. For everything. We'll see you in a week."

"Have a safe trip. Everything will be better when you get back," Blake assures us. The unsure look on his face isn't too promising but I push it aside. Right now, it's time to board our plane to Florida!

-o-o-o-o-

I'm sweating like a pig and squealing like one as I sit in my seat, hands clutching onto my armrests for dear life. The flight attendant is giving us the rundown on how to behave while the plane is taking off and what to do once we reach our altitude. I'm barely paying attention because of how nervous I am. My hands are shaking, my feet keep tapping against the floor, and I feel like I'll puke at any second. I hate heights. I mean, really, really hate them. I can't go up a flight of stairs without feeling faint. Plus, I've never been on a plane before so I have no idea what to expect.

"How are you so calm?" I manage to squeak to Bane while the stewardess continues her speech. Bane is totally chill, over there reading his book as if we're not about to ascend thousands of feet into the air. Ooogh. Just thinking about having that much distance between the ground and I is enough to make my stomach curl into several knots.

Bane looks at me, a playful gleam in his eyes. "Now is not the time for fear. That comes later."

Before I can ask him what the heck he's babbling about, the stewardess finishes her speech and tells everyone to fasten their seatbelts. With shaky hands, I obey.

"Bane..." I whimper while covering my face with my hands. Some little kids a few seats back are giggling at me. Swell. At least I can make the kids feel better about themselves for not being afraid and give them entertainment before the in-flight movie comes on.

Bane is back to reading his book, like it's so enthralling, acting as though he hadn't just warned me of my impending doom.

"Passengers, prepare for take-off," the captain's voice informs us. Suddenly, the engines roar to life. My little heart nearly explodes at the sound. My hand automatically clamps down on the closest thing to it, which happens to be Bane's arm. Luckily, for him, he's wearing his bomber jacket so my nails probably don't hurt him too much. I don't miss the slight chuckle that escapes his mask.

The plane begins moving forward at an alarmingly fast speed. Everyone else is just hanging out, casually talking to one another, while I'm burying my face into Bane's lower arm. The speed of the plane is enough to hold me glued to my seat.

Then we tilt upwards. I clutch Bane's arm even tighter and make little "eeee" noises that probably annoy the heck out of him. He's being a good sport, though. He hasn't even pulled his arm away.

Finally, the plane balances out.

"We've reached our altitude," the captain announces, earning a few cheers from passengers. I'm just trying to hold my stomach down. It feels like it's trying to climb out of my throat.

"Can I come up now, Bane?" I mumble.

"Yes, the hard part is over," he informs me.

I lift my head up, feeling like a groggy bear leaving its warm cave after a safe hibernation. At least I'm still alive. Now, I'll just be thinking of how high up I am for the rest of the flight.

I slowly release Bane's arm and settle back into my seat, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. A few of the other passengers turn in their seats to kindly check on me, to which I reply, with a forced smile, "I'm okay!"

I glance over at Bane, who is still reading. I hate to disturb him but I need to talk to someone or something to get my mind off of the fact that we're above the clouds right now.

"Sorry for grabbing you like that," I apologize. "I was, um, pretty scared." Bane's eyes have a funny look in them, an expression that I can't place my finger on. It's one of the first times I've ever touched him like that so maybe he's kind of freaked out. I think I'd be freaked out if someone used my arm as a safety blanket without my permission too.

"I could tell," Bane says after a moment.

I frown at him. "Well, since you're the king of flying objects, how did you get over the fear of flying?"

Bane flips a page in his book. "Utter defiance of fear. I don't allow fear into my mind."

Oh, that sounds easy. Not. "I guess I'll learn how to 'defy fear' one day so that I won't be scared of things."

Bane's eyes are unreadable when he looks over and locks my gaze with his. "You are already learning," he says in a voice barely audible.

Feeling suddenly bashful, I pull my gaze away and begin digging through my bag. "Well," I sing in a happy voice. "I think the only way I'm going to survive a five hour flight will be with music and sleep. Wake me up when we're getting close, 'kay?"

Bane barely nods but I take it as a yes. I throw my earbuds in, turn on some Calvin Harris, then lay my head back to catch a few Z's. Sleep finally finds me as the sun begins to set outside of Bane's window. The scared people are cast in an orange blaze, their eyes constantly shifting back to Bane. As my eyes settle in with sleep, I notice one kid give him the smallest of smiles.

-o-o-o-o-

I wake up to find that my face is snuggled into something warm and fuzzy, like a teddy-bear. I smile and cuddle closer to the warmth. I feel like a kid again, snuggled up beside my favorite teddy-bear that's there to chase away my nightmares. A small sigh floats from my smiling mouth and I place my hand on the warmness.

Wait. Teddy-bears usually didn't have well-toned arms and muscles. With a sinking feeling in my tummy, I cast a wary glance upwards. My eyes just about pop from their sockets when they see that the thing I'm cuddled up against is no teddy bear but Bane.

I make a little squealing sound as I abruptly pull myself off of him. My face is burning up with embarrassment. Geez, he probably thinks that I enjoy grabbing onto him now and that I'm some sort of clinging freak, always grabbing him every chance I get. But this time was an accident, I'm telling you! It's not like I wanted to snuggle up to him. Not to be mean, but his loud breathing isn't the most relaxing sound in the world.

After gathering my wits together, I force myself to lean forward and look at him, since he hasn't moved a muscle.

I can't even explain how relieved I am to find his eyes closed. Aw, he's sleeping like a baby!

I settle back into my seat with a pleased smile on my face. Luckily, his being asleep has saved us both from a very awkward experience. Imagine if I'd have had him deadlocked in a snuggle while he was awake. I'm pretty sure I'd be missing my arms by now.

I glance at my phone. Only two hours before we land. I guess I'll let him sleep for now.

I heave a sigh. I hate to admit it, but I miss the warmth.

"Passengers, we will be landing in Orlando, Florida shortly. Please prepare for landing." My sleep-encrusted eyes pop open at the announcement from the captain.

"We're here?" I mutter while sitting up in my seat and stretching upwards. I notice the other passengers snapping on their seatbelts so I follow suit. I look over at Bane and see that he's awake and staring out of the window.

I would dig into him for not waking me up but the view outside of the window steals my attention. We were out from above the clouds and approaching the beautiful afternoon skies of Orlando, Florida. Unlike Gotham City's overcrowded, monotonous, gray streets, Orlando is filled with bright, colorful buildings and blue skies. They jut up from the pavement and palm trees like orange and yellow popsicles.

"Isn't it pretty?" I breathe as I lean over Bane to stare out of the window in awe. I had told myself that I wouldn't dare look out a window during the flight, but now that I knew we were almost on the ground, I'll make an exception.

"It lacks the presence of Gotham, but a fine city nonetheless," Bane replies, ruining the scenery with his bored objectivity.

"Orlando is better than Gotham, you'll see," I say while leaning back in my seat. "People are really nice here and there's hardly any crime. I'm not sure how you'll feel about that last part, though."

Bane gives me an amused look as the plane begins its bouncy landing, which is considerably scary in itself. We finally come to a loud, screeching halt.

"We have landed in Orlando, Florida. Please, take all carry-on bags and items and exit to the right. Thank you for flying with Air Gotham."

My own cheering mixes with the kids who let out happy whoops of excitement. Half of them were here because of Disneyworld, the lucky kids. I don't have a clue what I'll take Bane to during our vacation. Disneyworld is crazy-expensive, so that's out of the question. The beach is free. Maybe we'll take a trip there soon.

Bane and I exit the plane with the rest of the passengers, although the passengers cower away from Bane and let us pass first. I can't help but smile. I should take Bane shopping with me one day. No one would dare steal that last pair of skinny jeans I have my eye on then.

"That wasn't so bad," I muse as we enter the crowded airport and join the flowing masses headed to find their friends or family. I see people holding signs bearing names on them, eagerly awaiting the moment that they will be reunited with their loved ones or maybe meet someone for the very first time.

I hear someone call my name. My face lights up as I spin around and find my family running towards me, arms open. They even drew a little sign with my name on it! Aw, they even put stickers of Disney characters on the sign!

"Hey!" I squeal with excitement as I rush to meet them. We all collide in one big, happy hug. Tears of joy and happiness are all around. I haven't seen my family in months. We're a close family, brought closer together by tragedies and hard times that helped forge our bond.

Mom backed away first to get a good look at me. Short, petite, and with dark, curly hair, my mom screams "I'm the boss" at first glance. It's not until those brown eyes light up that a person could tell how sweet she really is.

"When did you buy this expensive outfit?" she asked while her hands danced over my ritzy shirt and palazzo pants. I grin and shake my head at her. Leave it to my mom to worry about my funds before any and everything else. She's a real stickler when it comes to money and practicality.

I spot my little sister grinning at me from over Mom's head. "Hey, Squirt," I tease, tickling Squirt's flat belly, something she really, really hates. She's the baby of the family so we still find ourselves babying her, even at sixteen. She huffs and folds her arms, rolling her dark eyes at the ceiling. Still, she can't hide the smile that blooms across her round face.

I punch my older brother's arm and give him a grin. "Hey, I'm almost as tall as you now," I joke. We both know that my 5'3" will never surpass his 6'3" frame but it's a fun running joke we have going on between us. Once I said that I was coming to Florida for a visit, he took a vacation from his job as part of a big-name video game company and came down to join in on the fun.

After a lot catching up, laughter, and tears, my family finally took notice of the rather large elephant in the airport.

Bane, I mean.

"Um," I begin, while putting a bright smile on. "Mom, Squirt, Bro, this is Bane. You probably already know about him."

Their forced grins pain me.

"Bane," I say while turning to face him. "This is my family."

I'm surprised when Bane actually greets them. He's even quite pleasant.

"Hello!" he says in a happy voice.

"Hi," Mom says back in the nicest of voices she can muster. Her nervous hands flicker over her blackish hair, checking for any flyaway strands. Her smile is crooked, noticeably fake but still pleasant. My brother, usually the most talkative of all of us, doesn't bother to respond. He simply folds his arms and studies Bane, sizing him up the way that brothers do when they see a guy around their sis. I can tell that he's trying to look intimidating but it's failing. He's so skinny that a strong gust of wind could knock him over, not to mention one of Bane's fists. My sister gives a shy wave before tucking her thin arm behind her back and bouncing back on her heels.

After waiting for a moment and no other words are spoken, I decide to step back in, playing the medium. "Thanks for letting us come down and visit for a little, at least while things cool down in Gotham," I say while stepping back to stand by Bane's side. For some reason, I feel even more responsible for him here in less-dangerous Florida. The eyes of everyone in the airport seem to be on Bane and though he doesn't seem to mind, I feel I needed to be near him.

"Is it really bad?" Squirt asks curiously. She's always been interested in crime and the like, which is probably why she's interested in being a lawyer. With her debate skills, I know she'll make a great one.

"Well," I say, making sure to stretch out this word in order to find the right way of wording my next sentence. I didn't want to worry them too badly. "It was pretty bad. But we're safe now!" I add with a happy grin.

"Yay!" Squirt says happily while grabbing my arm. We all begin walking towards the baggage claim area to gather our belongings. "We have a lot of fun stuff for you guys to do."

"What sort of amusement can one get from this area?" Bane asks as we look around the airport. People aren't scattering from him like they did in Florida but he did get some strange stares. The mask on his face is quite noticeable and is bound to get stares even without people knowing who he is.

"We have plenty of beaches and restaurants," Mom says as she grabs my bags for me. Bro takes Bane's. "There's a lot of shopping to do, some amusement parks, and museums. Not everything is free," she adds with a frown.

"Ooh, maybe you two can go to 'da club'!" Squirt suggests, nearly sending Mom into a conundrum. I've never once been to a club in my life, due to my Mom worrying about me getting shot and my own terrible dancing skills. Well, to tell the truth, I'm not sure how my dancing skills are. I'm too embarrassed to dance in front of people to find out.

I laugh. "I don't think so," I say, causing Squirt to groan in disappointment. "We're all going to places that don't require IDs."

"That's no fun," Squirt jokes but thankfully doesn't mention "da club" again. I'm still thinking about where to take Bane and a club is so not on the list. Can you imagine—Gotham's reckoning at a night club, ready to hit the dancefloor?

Pleeeease. That's hilarious.

We finally exit the airport and make our way out into the fresh, sunny air of Orlando. Palm trees, blue skies, and people with tans. This place screams "vacation". I breathe in the succulent air and grin.

"I missed Florida's fresh air," I say, the wide grin still on my face. "It's nothing but smog and smoke in Gotham."

"That doesn't sound healthy for either of you!" Mom says, all worried and flustered. She looks at Bane. "Is that why you wear a mask on your face?"

I cringe inwardly. I've yet to ask Bane why he wears the mask and I've been living with him for around a month now. It just seems like a personal topic. Besides, if he wanted to talk about it, I'm sure he would have brought it up by now.

Bane breathes in; the tubes on the front of his mask are hard at work. "No. It's not."

The silence after he speaks is deafening. I want to clap my hands and sing and make noise just to fill the air with sound again and squish the awkwardness.

Instead, I clear my throat and force a smile before whispering to my mom, "It's a sensitive subject. We shouldn't bring it up."

"Oh!" Mom covers her mouth with her brown hands. She gives Bane a sorrowful look. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't offend you."

"Your apologies are accepted," Bane replies in a voice that harbors no secret anger. I breathe a sigh of relief as we begin heading to the airport's parking lot. Tons of flashy cars line the lot like rows of colorful candy. They're most likely rentals, a fact my best friend, Tippy, told me one day when a guy in a cute car flirted with us.

"Cheap guys use rentals to pick up girls," she warned me years ago while we were in high school. It had been Spring Break. I'd been excited that a guy had even yelled out his window at us. Tippy, an expert at guys, quickly burst my bubble.

"The rich guys drive those types of cars year 'round," she informed me.

Tippy...I missed her so much! I wish that she could meet Bane. I'm not sure how well they would get along but I'd like to think that she'd like him, at least.

Mom snapped her fingers in front of my face, bringing me back to the present. The sneaky smile on her pretty, round face lets me know she's just said something important.

"Did you hear me?" she asked. "I have a surprise for you!" I followed her and the rest of my family's excited gazes and found them staring at a beautiful black sportscar with its hood let down.

My hands flew over my mouth right as I let out an excited scream. "I-Is this for me?" I screamed. I raced towards the car before any of them could speak.

The car was so pretty! It was shiny black with a gorgeous red, leather interior. The inside was spotless and there wasn't a speck of dust on the outside. There was a built-in GPS system, auxiliary hook-up for my phone, working air conditioner, and even….GASP! Cup holders! It was perfect!

"It's a rental," Mom states, immediately bursting my happy bubble. I felt like one of those inflatable bouncy kingdoms that had its air released from it. The sinking feeling only lasts for a moment. At least I get to drive a car that looks this nice! I'd be grateful to drive this car for only a day.

"Thank you, Mommy!" I coo while enveloping her in a happy hug and bouncing her around. Mom laughs and hugs me back while everyone looks on with happy expressions on their faces, even Bane, if that's possible.

We release one another, still smiling. "I figured you'd need a car to get around Orlando while you're here," she explains. "Now, you two GPS it over to your hotel and get settled in, then call me and let me know your plans."

"Okay! I'll see you guys soon!" I said, still giddy from my car. My family walked away, leaving Bane and I to find our way in this huge city. Although it's small when compared to Gotham, I still don't want to get lost in it. I put the coordinates for our hotel, Hotel Charleston, into our ultra-cool GPS system before grinning at Bane.

"I think I'll need a name for my new baby," I joke while running my hand along the smooth hood of the sportscar. She feels as new and sleek as she looks. If Bane weren't watching, I'd probably have my cheek pressed against the hood so that I could murmur sweet-nothings to the beauty.

"I wasn't aware you were with child," Bane says as he gets into the passenger's seat. I laugh at him while climbing in myself.

"I mean for the car," I say, even though I'm sure he already knew that, the jerk. "How about Black Beauty? It's got a nice ring to it, right?"

"I suppose," Bane says in a half-hearted voice.

"Fine, what about..." I scratch my chin in thought for some time before snapping my fingers. "Ah-ha! The Batsmobile! Like Batman's car?"

The sudden edge in Bane's voice startles me. "No," he snaps.

I frown, feeling disappointed. I'd always been a fan of the Dark Knight. Apparently, Bane wasn't one.

"I guess I'll think of something later," I quip as I turn on the car and back it out of the lot. I glance at the car's GPS. Our hotel is approximately fifteen minutes away from the airport. I'm glad the hood is already down on the car because it's stifling hot. The climate change is shocking. It was freezing in Gotham but here in Orlando, it still felt like summer. I notice that even Bane is shrugging off his heavy bomber jacket. His face still has a certain darkness cast over it since I mentioned Batman.

"I'm happy we got to come here together," I say in a sweet voice, desperately trying to lighten the mood. I want him to enjoy his vacation time as well. It's not every day that he'll get to walk around without feeling as though everyone in the world hates him. He might get recognized for his mask every now and then but it wouldn't be on the same level as it is in Gotham.

"Why is that?" Bane asks as he casually leans back in his seat and crosses his arms over his chest. He turns his head to look at me, awaiting my answer.

I grin and shrug my shoulders, keeping them up. "It's gonna sound stupid but... I'm just looking forward to you getting a break from Gotham and for us to get to know each other without the surveillance cameras and stuff." I go to look at him and find him giving me that funny look again, as if I just spoke in an alien language. I laugh and say, "I told you it would sound stupid!"

Bane chuckles, surprising me. "Not at all. I'm simply shocked by how much your feelings towards me seem to have changed."

I contemplate his words. It's true. My feelings towards Bane have changed. I used to be terrified of the hulking man sitting beside me, but somehow, during our time living together, I started to really care about him. After feeding him and protecting him and spending time with him, I realized that he's just a human being like everyone else. We somehow manage to be around one another without killing the other person, which is a feat, believe me. We still have our moments where I want to strangle him and throw him out of a window, but don't all roommates have moments like those?

But what is Bane to me now? I've always felt like his caretaker and guardian but what if we were actually… friends now? He'd be the first I've made since moving to Gotham City.

I smirk. Gotham's reckoning as a friend. It seems impossible but is that what we are now? Friends?

"I'm shocked too," I finally say to Bane with a shy smile. We begin speeding down the highway toward the hotel. I'll only admit to myself that we're friends now. Admitting it to anyone else would be to speak treason.

Here they are in sunny Florida! What adventures, mishaps, and fun will our duo get into next time?

Find out in Part Two of this episode!