GOTHAM

NIGHT

Catwoman's flight across rooftops was frantic but she had an objective in mind – police headquarters. She hadn't found Batman yet but there was something there she could use to bring him to her. The situation was desperate and she wasn't stupid enough to do it on her own.

"Oommph." She slammed in to something hard. As she fell backward it reached out to grab her. She looked up at Batman's dark figure. She felt warm and tingly all over. Really? Lust at a time like this?

"I warned you, Catwoman." Batman started.

"Yeah, yeah. Not now." She panted. "Bigger problems. Harley, Joker, docks. Buncha kids."

"Where?" He ground out as his grip tightened on her wrist.

"I'll take you there." She leveled out her breathing through years of practice with various techniques.

"No." He growled. "I work alone."

"Yes, I know. 'I am the night. Fear me.' But Harley tried to bring me in on this job." Batman glared at her or at least she thought he did it was hard to tell with the lenses. "Just to keep the kids calm. She should have known better. I don't do this kind of job ever; I especially don't if it involves kids. Two bonuses for you. One – you know before they get set up and two – you get me. So you take me and we get going or I go back by myself. Don't even think about following me because I can and will lose you. How badly do you need to work alone?"

"Fine." He bit out. "Let's go."

They swung their way to the docks and landed on a rooftop clear of where Catwoman said Joker's perimeter was set up. They scouted the area together. Batman handed her an earbud.

"In case we need to communicate during the op." His voice was gruff. "I'll want it back. This partnership means nothing. When this is done things go back to the way they were."

"Of course, Tiger." She purred. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I've alerted Gordon to bring his men in quietly. They'll provide back up if we need them. They'll also provide you safe passage. You will not be arrested this time and only this time."

"I get it, Tiger." Her lips twitched. "Who are you trying to convince here?"

"Why do you call me that?" He questioned.

She shrugged. "I like it. It suits you. Can we go now?"

Everything went off without a hitch. Almost. Catwoman released the captive children out a backdoor into the waiting arms of GCPD. As she headed back into the main room to help Batman clear out Joker, Harley and the rest of their goons she ran into Harley.

The two women fought. For the first minute or two Harley had the advantage of the massive mallet she carried with her. As stupid as Catwoman thought the thing looked it was preventing her from getting too close to Harley. When she finally sent the thing spinning out of the little clown's hands the fighting began in earnest. Harley wasn't terribly skilled but she made up for it in enthusiasm and insanity. Catwoman was incredibly skilled but there was no training in the world for Harley's wild brand of fighting. It took far longer than Catwoman would have liked to put her down.

She bent to make sure the woman was indeed unconscious before heading off to join the fight. The hair on the back of her neck raised and she jerked sideways. The crowbar intended for her head slammed into her shoulder and skimmed down her arm. The pain exploded through her left side and ripped the air from her lungs. She spun herself around to at least be facing her opponent. Joker.

"So the kittycat plays with the bat now?" Joker seemed eerily calm given the chaos around him. Blearily she could see Batman fighting with two of his goons. "Is the catnip better on that side of the street?"

The pain was making it hard to focus. Her left arm was almost completely numb. "No. I'm not working with him. I just couldn't let you hurt those kids."

Joker raised the crowbar again. "Then I guess I'll have to hurt you instead."

Catwoman braced herself for the blow that never came. Joker was suddenly ripped away from her and thrown into a wall. Batman turned back to her with an unconscious, handcuffed Joker he dropped to the floor at her feet. Cops began pouring in through various entrances.

"You know, usually cats are the ones dropping gifts at people's feet." She said lightly.

Batman grunted out what might have been amusement, wrapped his arm around her waist, and yanked her to him. She gritted her teeth against the pain the sudden motion caused. His other arm pointed straight up into the air with a grapnel in his hand. "Hang on." She gripped tightly with her right hand. The grapnel shot off through a broken skylight and they were headed up into the night.

When they were safely on a neighbouring roof he still hadn't let go of her waist. The fresh rush of wind had dispelled some of the fogginess the pain had brought.

"Are you letting go of me?" She questioned. Not that she particularly wanted him to even if standing there pressed to him was a very bad idea.

"Were you just going to stand there and let him hit you?" He frowned down at her.

"Ah. No, probably not. It's just, he is Joker. Froze a bit." Dumb, dumb excuse, she berated herself silently. If he hadn't noticed her injured arm she wasn't going to point to out to him, though.

"If you're going to freeze at the sight of Joker you don't belong on these streets." He frowned harder. "As a thief, you don't belong out on these streets at all."

"If you think you get to tell me what to do –" Her words were completely cut off as he pulled her straight up off her feet, slid her up his body, and pressed his mouth to hers.

Her legs were trapped in place by one strong arm just below her buttocks. She still didn't have complete control of her left arm so she rested the hand gently above his utility belt but her right arm was wrapped securely around his neck. When her tongue probed gently his mouth open under hers and this time he moaned.

As quickly as it started, the kiss ended. Batman put Catwoman gently down rooftop and stepped back.

Catwoman's gauntleted fingers touched her lips. "What happened?"

"It was nothing. I shouldn't have done that." With those words he turned away. She heard the sound of the grapnel and he was gone off the roof. As he disappeared she heard the words 'Why didn't she taste like chocolate?'

"Is he insane?" She yelled at the night sky. "He's going to go around kissing random women until he finds one that tastes like chocolate? What does he think this is? Cinderella?" She clutched at her shoulder. "Ow, ow, ow. Right. No good deed goes unpunished."

Catwoman left the rooftop slowly and headed for home.

Selina sat bolt upright in bed at 3 am. Her shoulder screamed in protest but she ignored it. Isis sat up and looked at her.

"He thought Catwoman should taste like chocolate. Not just any random woman but Catwoman because he thinks Selina Kyle tastes like chocolate and he thinks Selina Kyle is Catwoman." She frowned at Isis who looked at her curiously. "Now who would think that?" She frowned harder. "You don't think it could be him? That's silly. Well, it would explain a few things like the physique and whatever he's hiding."

She smiled at Isis and snugged back under the covers. "I guess there's really only one way to find out. I wonder if I can get a co-conspirator for this project in the morning."

WAYNE MANOR

MORNING

The next morning Bruce was in his study discussing odd occurrences with Clark and Ollie in each of their cities which appeared to be related. The only warning he got that something was about to happen was Clark.

"Bruce?" Clark looked very confused. "Why would someone need Alfred's double dark brownies to kiss you?" He paused. Both Bruce and Ollie stared at him. "Now there's some discussion about bottling it as a perfume. No, they've decided against it. Fear of a riot, apparently."

The double doors to Bruce's study burst open and Selina Kyle walked in. As if it were a catwalk and she were dressed in the latest Paris fashion had to offer with millions in diamonds. Bruce stood to greet her. Contrary to her entrance, she was dressed simply in black heeled boots that came to her knee, skin tight jeans, and a long sleeve white t-shirt. Her black hair fell loose and free down her back.

"There you are." She purred. She crossed the room toward Bruce. When she was still a stride away she leapt. He caught her as her legs wrapped around his waist. Both hands fisted in his hair and her mouth fused to his. His hands slid to grip her by her buttocks. Ollie's mouth dropped open and Clark blushed.

Her mouth released his; her legs unwrapped from his waist. Ever so slowly, without her eyes leaving his she slid down until her feet hit floor. She backed up from Bruce. Selina shoved him gently back into his chair. She turned and walked back to the doors closing them gently. Just before she had them closed all the way she stuck her head back into the room.

"Is that good enough?" She smirked. "Or are you going to insist on kissing every leather clad woman you find on a rooftop to see if they taste like chocolate too?" With that she was gone.

For a moment Bruce was stunned. Then he roared to his feet. "Clark! She hasn't gotten off the grounds yet! Locate her. See if there's damage to her left shoulder or arm."

Clark scanned the grounds and looked at Bruce surprised. "Yes. Bruising on her left shoulder with muscle and ligament damage to her left arm. I'm surprised she could lift it at all."

"Nothing surprises me about that woman." Bruce's voice was grim. "Alfred!"

Alfred entered the room as if he had been standing right outside the door and likely he had. "Miss Selina is on her way directly to see Dr. Tompkins. Should she deviate from that course for any reason Dr. Tompkins has already been informed. She will reign in Miss Selina."

"Does anyone really reign in Selina?" Bruce sighed.

"I also threatened to withhold the brownies, sir." Alfred spoke with a twinkle in his eye. "But you are learning, sir, and that is half the battle."

"I have to know." The new voice came from Ollie. "Who is Miss Selina and why is Bruce running around on rooftops kissing women to see if they taste like chocolate?"

"Selina," Bruce said. "Is Catwoman. The other…..is private."

Ollie let out a shout of laughter. Clark looked at Bruce with concern.

I'm not suggesting Bruce was silly enough to believe that Selina would taste like chocolate all the time. Just that when you get caught up sometimes you have silly ideas….like finding the right foot to fit the shoe. For Harley fans I do recognize that Harley is a great fighter but these are early days right after Joker converted her so she wouldn't have learned yet.

Also, Alfred figured out Selina was Catwoman before Bruce did because Alfred is…Alfred.