A/N - So sorry for the delay. And thank you soooo much for the kind messages sent to me. They reminded me that there is interest in this beyond the criticism. It meant so much to me! I had this partially done for a while, but I'd tear it apart and start over whenever I'd sit down to work on it - I was never satisfied with it. Still, looking at it now, I'm not sure about it. This was the hardest chapter to write for me. Hopefully, this is the end of my writers block. :)

What was that smell?

Alfred woke up and glanced at the illuminated clock beside the bed and saw that it was nearly seven in the morning. He stood up and walked into the hallway as he tied his house coat closed.

The sun was just rising on the crisp, fall morning. The remains of summer had died away and the colour of the leaves proved it. He could feel the coolness of a breeze as he approached the kitchen as well as the smell of burning toast.

He stopped at the kitchen door to see a plate of burned toast sitting near the sink and frying pan waiting on the stove. It wasn't until he glanced at the open fridge door that he saw Emily crouched down in front of it, searching for something in the farthest reaches.

Alfred walked up to her.

"The milk should be in the door," he said, startling Emily and causing her to drop one of the eggs that she held in her hand.

It splattered on the floor at her feet.

She sighed and winced at the mess.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, my dear," Alfred said, as he quickly reached over her for the wash cloth on the counter and a handful of paper towels from the stand. He passed a few to Emily's waiting hand before he bent over beside her to help pick up the shells.

"It's all right, Alfred," she said, pushing herself up to stand, conscious that her centre of gravity had shifted forward with her growing stomach. "Did I wake you?"

He shook his head as he dropped the last pieces of shells into the garbage.

"I usually by now. But, I've never seen you up this early before."

"I didn't sleep well and then the baby started rolling and moving around about an hour ago," she replied, letting out a sigh. "And, I'm nervous about the meeting this morning."

Alfred smiled sympathetically. "We mustn't think the worst of the situation. Commissioner Gordon may have something to say that has nothing to do with Batman."

Ever since city hall called the day before, informing Alfred that Commissioner Gordon wished to meet with Mr. Fox, and Emily for the following morning, Alfred could only imagine as to what it pertained to. He knew that Emily had been dwelling on it as well, but she had never voiced her concern until now.

"I'll give you a hand with breakfast," Alfred said, swiftly changing the subject.

Emily shook her head and gently pushed the older man away from the stove and towards the counter. He protested as she had him back up.

"No, not today Alfred," she said, with a smile. "I'm making breakfast for you this morning."

With a sigh, Alfred reluctantly slid into a chair by the counter and eyed the pile of burned toast.

"I must admit that I feel awkward having you wait on me like this," he said, as he glanced at the open newspaper further down the counter. "I can't recall a time when Master Bruce made me breakfast."

Emily looked over her shoulder as she tossed an empty eggshell into the garbage.

"You've been such a support for me, that this is the least that I could do," she told him as she followed his gaze towards the open paper.

Her smile faded as she watched him pull it towards him. She turned back around towards the frying pan and watched as the egg sizzled in front of her. Emily waited for the question she knew was on Alfred's mind.

"You're looking for an apartment?"

She shrugged, her back still towards him.

"Yeah, I've been looking."

She heard the newspaper rustle behind her as Alfred closed it and gently pushed it aside.

"May I ask why?"

With a sigh, she turned around, spatula in hand.

"This is Bruce's home, not mine," she replied. "I've been here for such a short time. I don't even think I've been in every room yet. I feel like a stranger in this house."

Alfred shook his head and smiled.

"This is your home. Bruce would have wanted you to stay and live here." He paused and glanced at her pregnant stomach. "He would want you to raise your child here and give him or her a childhood that he missed out on."

Emily looked down at her protruding stomach and felt another jab in her side, harder than she had felt all morning. It caused her to gasp and she quickly put her hand to the spot on her side.

"Are you all right?" Alfred asked, standing up.

Emily smiled, seeing the concern on Alfred's face.

"It's fine," she told him, as she chuckled. "These kicks are getting harder and are beginning to hurt more."

The baby kicked again and this time she reached out and grabbed Alfred's hand. The action startled the old man until he realized what she was doing. She put it against her stomach.

"Feel that?" she asked, happily. "This is what I've been enduring all morning."

Alfred smiled as he felt the movement beneath Emily's skin.

"That most certainly is Master Bruce's child," Alfred stated with a chuckle. He reached down and took Emily's hand. "This is why you must stay."

Emily sighed and squeezed his hand. "You'll come with me today to the meeting at Wayne Tower?"

"Of course."

3 days after the boat explosion

Batman tried to quickly take in his surroundings as the man held his rifle tightly in his hands. He estimated that the man wasn't much older than he was. He had more than a few days of stubble on his face and his hands clearly shown that he was a man who worked with them.

"Imagine my surprise when I'm out fishin' and find you two, washed up and out cold on the beach," he said.

"Where are we?" Batman asked, the pain in his shoulder intensifying with any movement he attempted.

"You fellas are in my boat shed" the man said, glancing up at the rafters and the walls. "The misses didn't want the likes of you in our home. Can't say that I blame her. I don't want myself a murderer in my house either."

The man aimed the gun back towards Batman.

"But now I'm stuck with the problem of what to do with you two," the man said. "I'm not a killin' man, but I'm not fond of those who do."

"Are you going to call the police?" Bill asked, hopeful.

The man let out an scoff and laughed. "Those buffoons? They're the last thing I want coming out to my place. So, you see my predicament."

He paused and looked at Bill, seeing the gash on his head. Slowly, he put down the rifle against the wall and walked up him. The man bent forward and took ahold of his chin, tipping his head to get a better look at it in the dim light of the shed.

"That's gonna be needing some looking after," he said.

He stood back up and glanced down at Batman and Bill before sighing. "I'll be back in a bit."

He picked up the rifle and pushed open the door, allowing a flood of sunlight into the shed for a brief moment before he shut the door. Batman and Bill heard the sound of a chorus of chains and locks being attached before the echo of footsteps getting quieter as they moved further away.

Bill let out a sigh and unconsciously shook his head. His attempt to hold in the tremors that his body was experiencing worked. Batman turned to him.

"I think that I'm experiencing withdraw symptoms," he Bill stated. The drug that Crane had been feeding him for months was slowly leaking out of his system and his body wasn't enjoying the change. "I've always heard that the first few days are bad but I never thought that they would be this horrible."

Batman shifted again on the floor and gasped in pain.

"Your shoulder is dislocated," Bill told him, his voice wavering. "Try not to move it."

As he said it, Batman knew that he was right. It had been a while since he had dislocated it.

"Do you know if Emily made it off the boat?" Bill asked softly.

The mention of her name coming from Bill's mouth angered him. Not knowing the answer pained him.

"I'm not sure."

Bill watched Batman's face look at the shed door, his emotions clearly being hidden behind the mask.

"I never had the chance to congratulate you," Bill added, looking at Batman. "I mean, about the baby." He didn't say a word nor did he look at Bill. "I wouldn't blame you if you hated me. I know I did some horrible things but I never intended to get Emily involved with my mess. I didn't have any choice in what I did."

At that statement, Batman turned towards Bill. Bill could see the anger in his eyes and it was evident in Batman's tone of voice even though he kept it soft. "There is always a choice. You knew exactly..."

Batman stopped speaking once he heard those footsteps approaching on the wooden deck. They watched silently as the door was unlocked and the man walked back in, this time with his rifle over the crook of one arm and a bucket in the other. He set them both down on the ground before closing the door behind him.

The man pulled out a container from inside his bucket and walked over to Bill as he began to open it and pulled out a piece of gauze. With a sigh he began to dab away the blood from the wound.

"Where in Gotham are we?"

The man chuckled. "We're no where near that god-forsaken city. We're a good 150 miles down the coast."

"Daddy?"

The man turned hearing the soft voice coming from behind the closed door. He put down the gauze and walked over to the door, pushing it open slightly. Through the small crack in the door, Batman could see a little boy holding a plate in each of his hands.

"Mommy said that your friends needed something to eat," he said, looking past his father and into the boat shed with curiosity.

"Thanks buddy," the man said, taking the plates from him.

"Can I please see him?"

The man sighed.

"He's a dangerous man."

"Please, Daddy. Just for a minute?" the boy insisted.

Finally, the man nodded as the young boy walked into the boat shed as the man cautiously picked up his rifle and stood beside his son. The boy was no more than five years old and had a blond mop of unruly hair on his head.

"What happened to them?" the boy asked his father, looking at Bill's bloodied face.

"I don't know."

The boy looked right at Batman.

"He doesn't look dangerous. Are you sure that's the real Batman? I thought he'd be scarier and bigger."

The man seemed to smile at the boy's innocence. "He looks like him, doesn't he?"

The boy shrugged.

"He could be just dressed up to look like him," the boy suggested.

"I suppose."

"I'm Thomas," the boy said, just as the father quickly pulled him back.

"I don't want you talking to them, do you understand me?"

Thomas sulked as his reached out and ruffled his son's hair before ushering him out of the boat shed and closed the door behind him. He picked up the plates that his son had brought to him and uncovered it to reveal a piece of meat, some mashed potatoes and a biscuit. The smell quickly filled the small shed and Bill was certain that he heard his stomach growl.

Looking at Batman and Bill cautiously, he walked over to them and untied the ropes that bound their wrists before picking up his rifle.

"Go ahead and eat," he told them. "I may be keeping you tied up in here, but I'm not going to let you starve."

He backed up towards the door.

"I'll be back later," he told them before he shut the door behind him and proceeded to lock it.

Present time

Four security checkpoints and two metal detectors later, Emily and Alfred were standing within an elevator, waiting for it to open on Commissioner Gordon's office floor. Although she never said it, she was anxious. Alfred had grown to recognize it in Emily as the woman would become silent. And so, they stood silently in the elevator just as the ride to city hall had been made in silence.

As the elevator came to a stop and the doors open, he smiled politely before stepping back, allowing her to step off first before walking beside her towards Gordon's office. As they approached the office, Emily instantly recognized Mr. Fox speaking with the Commissioner in the hallway. There seemed to be a break in their banter as Mr. Fox suddenly noticed Emily and Alfred approach.

"Thank you for coming," Gordon said, gesturing to his office. "Please come in."

He waited until everyone was in his office and then closed the door behind them.

"I'm sorry that we're running a little late," Emily said, slowly sitting down in one of the leather chairs across from Gordon's desk. "We were slowed down by the security."

"You'll have the excuse the increase in security here," Gordon said as he made his way to his chair at his desk. "With the homicides of city officials, safety has been priority around here."

He paused for a moment.

"And that is technically what I wanted to discuss with you today."

Emily shifted slightly in her chair as Gordon continued to speak.

He looked towards Mr. Fox.

"The investigation of the explosion at Wayne Tower turned out that it wasn't accidental," he said, before looking down at an open file on his desk. "I had forensics piece together exactly what caused it and it was traced back to a single parcel within the mailing department."

"A bomb within a package?" Lucius asked, as Gordon nodded and sifted through the few pages of reports. "We have very high security when it comes to unusual packages being sent to Wayne Tower. The Tower encompasses so many of the city's water supply systems and the new main train terminal, that we're always on alert for anything suspicious."

Gordon tipped his head to the side and shrugged slightly as he pulled out a file.

"This one must have slipped through the cracks," he told him.

"I understand the importance that this is to the security of Wayne Tower, but what does it have to do with myself and Miss Tucker?" Alfred suddenly asked.

"The intended recipient of the package was Bruce Wayne," Gordon told them. "Luckily for him, it was never picked up. I'm certain that an explosion at the higher levels of the Tower would have been more disastrous."

Emily listened and let the information digest. Someone wanted to kill Bruce.

"I'm suggesting that you increase the security around Wayne Manor as well," Gordon added. He paused and looked over at Emily, noting that she seemed to be in deep thought. "Given that the Joker has been killing counsellors, attorneys and high ranking officials, we're suspecting that he may be behind it."

That seemed to have caught her attention and her eyes went up to meet Gordon's.

"The Joker? You believe the Joker sent the bomb?"

Gordon nodded.

"Mr. Wayne is the unofficial face for the financial sector of Gotham," he said. "He's popular, and often graces the covers of more than a few newspapers and magazines. He's a reasonable target for Joker."

"What are you doing to stop him?!"

"Believe me, Miss Tucker, we're doing everything we can to track him down," Gordon replied.

"And Batman?"

The statement caused Gordon to skip a beat and Emily could feel the eyes of Lucius and Alfred on her. Her own heart beat wildly as she tried to maintain her composure as she had trained herself to over the past few weeks.

"I'm certain that he's doing everything that he can."

Gordon gave a reassuring smile after he spoke. Emily smiled back at him, knowing the lie that Gordon was not only telling her, but most likely to anyone who asked. Her mind debated back and forth on whether she should tell him the truth or even what she would say. She seemed to be lost in thought when she suddenly noticed Gordon stand up behind his desk and Lucius and Alfred rise up beside her. She stood up and watched as Gordon shook the other mens' hands. When he finally held out his hand towards her, Emily shook it but hesitated when it was time to let go.

"Did you find his body?"

"What?" She caught the Commissioner off guard. "Whose?"

Emily felt Alfred's hand on her shoulder and she was certain that he was sending her non-verbal profanity for even bringing up the subject. He was nervous - he had no idea what she was about to say.

"Doctor Bill Dravis," she finally replied. It was the name that came to her lips but not the one that she wanted to say.

"The director of the clinic where you worked? We were running an investigation on him," Gordon said, glancing from Emily to Alfred behind her. "The last I heard, he had gone missing."

"He was on the ship that exploded in the bay almost two months ago," she said.

Everyone knew about the explosion. It was all over the news. Broadcasters reported that it was mechanical error that caused a fire in the engine room and thus created the explosion. Reports were that no one was injured in the accident and no fatalities.

"Jonathan Crane was also on board," she added. "Except his was killed prior to the explosion to a gun shot wound."

Gordon looked anxiously at his closed door.

"There are only a handful of people in this city who know about that and they're trusted employees of mine," he said, keeping his voice low. "How do you know about this?"

"I was there."

A week after the ship explosion

It was quiet at night.

The only sound they could hear were some distant owls hooting in the darkness and the light waves splashing up onto the shore.

Batman looked over at Bill as he slept on his side, his arms tied up behind him; as they were every night. Instead, Batman worked on worming his wrists from the tight loops around them. The man who had bound them was obviously talented with various knots and it probably came in handy working around a boat. Batman's shoulder ached with each movement he made. It still hadn't healed properly from when Bill had set it. He needed to rest it and unfortunately, he wasn't in a place where it was possible. He was certain that Emily would be furious if she knew about his shoulder. At this point, he'd be pleased to endure Emily's wrath rather than sit inside a boat house all day long. He had to get out of there.

Finally, he managed to get one hand loose. He quickly pulled off the remaining rope from his wrist before turning to Bill beside him. The man moaned as his sleep was disturbed and he was soon awake. It took him a moment to realize that Batman was untying his wrists and soon, Bill was free.

Bill went over to the door and pushed on, remembering that it was locked from the outside. He turned to Batman, ready to question him about their way out when he noticed him make his way toward the back wall. With a grunt, Batman used his elbow on his good arm and made a hole into the wood. The shed was old and the wood reflected the age and it simply shattered where he punched through. After a few more punches, the hole was large enough for them to crawl through.

Batman turned towards the treeline along the water and ran towards it. Bill followed behind, trying his best to keep up. He wasn't certain how far they had travelled, but his goal was just to not lose sight of Batman. In the darkness of the forest, it was easy and soon, he lost him. Bill ran some more until he was completely out of breath, and alone. He stood in the bush, glancing around him at the sounds he heard, his mind playing out the demons trying to haunt him. Letting out a nervous breath, he quickly turned and Batman was once again in front of him.

"I untied you and got you out of that shed. Now, I'd suggest that you don't follow me," Batman growled.

"We're miles away from Gotham in god-knows-where," Bill said. "We can work together to get back."

Batman leaned forward, and spoke darkly. "You and I, are not on good terms. It would be better for the both of us, if you'd just leave me alone."

He turned and walked away from Bill.

"I helped you," he insisted. "I helped you save Gotham! I saved Emily's life."

Batman suddenly stopped and turned.

"Don't you dare bring her into this," he snapped.

"I know that you hate me for what I did," Bill added. "I hate myself for even getting involved with it, but if it'll make you feel better, then just hit me! It'll make me feel better too."

Batman clenched his fists, the thought so inviting but then he winced as he moved his shoulder slightly. Bill noticed it even beneath the dark mask.

"Your shoulder is still dislocated, isn't it?" Bill asked. He didn't need to know the answer. "Let me set it for you. It's the least that I can do."

Batman shook his head.

"I'd need to take off my suit," Batman said, looking past Bill towards the old house where the family was sleeping. "And not here. We're too close."

Batman turned and began walking with Bill following behind. They walked for what seemed like an hour until they stopped to rest along the water. Batman finally took off the cowl for the first time in over a week. Bruce closed his eyes, feeling the wind blow through his hair again. With his good arm, he scooped up a handful of water and splashed his face, feeling the stubble on his cheeks that had grown in the past week.

He turned and silently gestured to Bill to help him pull the suit off from his torso. Bruce soon realized how immobile he was with only one good arm.

With his arm free, Bill helped to set his shoulder and popped the bone back into position. Bruce clenched his teeth and groaned as he felt the pain radiate in his shoulder, but it soon felt better than it was before.

Bill watched as Bruce leaned up against a tree that was behind him and sat down onto the dried leafy ground as he cradled his arm against his chest.

"I just need to rest for a short time and then we'll move on," Bruce said, the pain of the shoulder being set in place evident on his brow. He closed his eyes, and attempted to relax as Bill looked over his shoulder at the direction they had just come. They hadn't gone that far and just by following the waters edge, he'd easily find his way back.

When he looked back at Bruce, his eyes were shut and his head was slumped forward.

"Wayne?" he called out softly before walking towards him.

Bill crouched down and gently lifted his head, noticing that he was still breathing but had passed out. That alone had made his decision. He quickly stood up and headed back towards the house.

The revelation that Emily told Commissioner Gordon, nearly knocked the wind out of him. It was something he wouldn't believe if she hadn't told him. In fact, he found it hard to believe except for her describing the cause of death and locations of the gunshot wounds on Crane's body. He had long sat back down as she recounted details that he didn't know about.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and put his glasses down on his desk as she finished speaking.

"So the last place you saw Dr. Dravis and Batman, was on the bridge of the ship?"

Emily nodded silently.

"And they didn't leave the ship when you did?"

"No, they both stayed behind," Emily said softly, looking down at the ring on her finger.

Gordon sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"We didn't pick up any other bodies," he said, grimly "It's a possibility that they survived and are just currently missing, or that they were carried out to sea with a good chance that their bodies would never be recovered." He paused. "Unfortunately, with the time that has transpired since then, I'm not leaning towards survival."

Emily took a deep breath as Gordon spoke.

"But I thank you for telling me this information," he said, looking at Emily before he stood up once again.

Emily, Lucius and Alfred all stood up and made their way towards the door when Gordon walked up behind them.

"Miss Tucker," he began, catching her attention. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Emily swallowed hard. She knew that he wasn't referring to Bruce, but to finally hear those words from anyone, hit her hard. It made the situation all the more real. She nodded and turned to walk out the door with Lucius and Alfred silently walking around her towards the elevator.

She pinched her eyes shut, willing that door to open for them. She wanted to run. She couldn't breath.

Finally, the elevator opened and Emily cursed the demon that filled it with people at that moment. They rode it silently down to the car garage.

The moment Emily sat down in the car, the sob that she shoved down as she retold the story to Gordon was finally released. Alfred turned in the front seat and put out his hand towards her to which she gratefully took.

"I'll be all right," she told him through her tears and reminded herself of that fact.

When Bruce finally opened his eyes, he found himself feeling warm and smelled the distinct odour of motor oil. The sun was shining down in his eyes and it made waking up almost unbearable. He squinted against the offending light and tried to sit up. He was surprised when he found that one of his arms were tied up tightly to his chest. Bruce pushed himself up as best as he could to sit and saw a blanket covering an unfamiliar shirt and pants that he had on.

His mind tried to recall the events that brought him to his current place, but he couldn't figure it out. He was alone in the forest and a few feet from him, a small fire smoldered.

He was about to stand up when he saw a man walking towards him.

"Good, you're finally up," Bill said as he crouched down in front of Bruce and looked at him in the eyes. "And your pupils are looking much better."

"How long was I out for?"

Bill stood back up. "Just a few hours." He looked down at his watch. "It's 7 am."

Bill could see the questions swirling in the billionaire's mind as he tried to figure out what he missed.

"After you passed out, I snuck back to the house and found those clothes and boots in their garage," he said. "They looked crappy enough that they probably wouldn't miss them anyways."

Bruce quickly stood up and glanced towards the house.

"We should get moving," he told him. "They could find us here."

Bill smirked. "We walked a good two kilometres upstream early this morning."

"We did?"

"Actually I did," Bill said. "You had no choice but to come along and I'm sure that my muscles are going to be paying for it tomorrow."

Bruce crouched down next to the fire and held out his hands to warm them when it suddenly hit him.

"Where's my suit?"

"I buried it," Bill stated matter-of-factly. "I can help you find it later on if you'd ever want to get it back."

A small smile crept onto Bruce's face. "That was a good idea. Thank you."

Bill merely nodded as he watched Bruce stand back up and walk towards the water's edge. The smell of the ocean air blew onshore at them. Bill walked up and stood beside him.

"I haven't seen a boat, heard an engine or anything," Bill said. "We must be far from Gotham."

Bruce sighed and glanced at the backpack that Bill had laying against a tree. He grabbed the blanket that had been laying on him and tried his best to roll it up before shoving into the bag.

"What are you doing?"

Bruce looked over his shoulder at Bill.

"Going to Gotham."

"What?!" Bill croaked incredulously. "You're going to walk there?!"

With a hint of amusement, Bruce turned to Bill.

"I am," Bruce stated.