Dick and Bruce stood near the entrance waiting for Elle to finish up. They weren't the only stragglers, he noticed. Three other men were dragging their feet as they slowly made their way to the door. The men kept looking back over their shoulders toward the stage. They made Dick want to growl a warning, but he kept it contained even as he continued to watch them.
Elle had made it plain throughout the evening that she was with him. If someone was too blind and deaf to have figured it out from the song she had sang to him, then the fact that she came to his table during a couple of her breaks should have. Although Elle wasn't exceptionally demonstrative, she was openly affectionate; holding his hand, looking into his eyes, giving him a hug and a peck in greeting and before returning to the stage. How these men couldn't get it that she was taken, he didn't know.
Taken? Was she? He questioned that a moment, in his head and his heart. Yeah, they went out on a few dates, but three weeks did not a relationship necessarily make. But Dick thought about her when she wasn't around – a lot. And when she was near . . . Yeah, he thought, she's taken. And so was he. Perhaps he should clarify things with her. It would be nice to know if they were on the same page.
"She has fans, I see," Bruce observed, nodding at the loiterers.
"Mm," Dick's reply was noncommittal. He wished Bruce had kept his observation to himself. Hearing it from another made it more real that there were other men lusting after his woman.
He shook his head to clear it of jealousy. Listening to his internal voice almost made him laugh, however. He sounded like some backwoods Neanderthal. He glanced up to see Bruce smirking at him.
"You don't have to say it," he frowned. "I've already realized that I've got it bad."
"But you can take heart over the fact that she has it just as bad, I would think," Bruce's smirk turned into a smile.
"Does she?" Dick's voice sounded pathetically hopeful even to his own ears.
"I think it is obvious to everyone but you," Bruce laughed. "It is also obvious what you see in her."
Unbeknownst to him, Dick's face turned a little dreamy. "Just wait until you can sit down and talk to her, without loud music, interruptions, and the noise from a few hundred voices. She's smart and funny and sweet."
"That was what you've been looking for all along? Sweet," Bruce teased.
"I-I don't know. I can't describe it. Maybe it's too new yet, but when I'm with her I feel comfortable, peaceful, relaxed . . . and amused. Definitely amused! Do you know what I mean?" He paused for a moment. "Well, probably not. Elle makes me feel like I'm home. Does that make any sense?"
"Elle . . . You've called her that a few times tonight," Bruce commented. "I might have expected 'Bella'."
Dick shrugged. "That's what she calls herself. But, now that you mention it, I've heard her addressed as Bella before. I think it was part of a message on her machine from her father."
Dick perked up. Ella walked out from behind the curtain, and was making her way down the steps. She was dressed casually and for the weather in a long, red, turtleneck sweater over jeans and knee-high, brown leather boots; a brown leather jacket over one arm, her hair loose down her back. A couple that had been speaking to the owner moved to intercept her. He watched Elle smile sweetly at the couple as she spoke to them. After a minute, she shook both of their hands and the couple turned and left.
As Elle drew closer, the three male fans approached her simultaneously. Dick frowned as her smile faltered. She actually retreated a step. She was scared, he realized suddenly. But why? He shook the question off. The reason didn't matter as much to him as it did to make certain she felt protected. He started forward, and felt Bruce moving behind him.
"C'mon, baby. Why won't you give me your number," asked the first man.
"Because I don't want you calling me," Elle told him matter-of-factly. "You can come here, and listen to me sing, but I don't date the customers."
The second man snorted. "That's a lie. We all saw you over at that one guy's table; the one you sang for."
"I'm not a customer so much as I'm her boyfriend. The lady's taken, so hit the road. It's closing time." Dick moved to Elle's side, slipping an arm around her waist possessively. She was trembling, he noted. Had one of the bastards' said something threatening to her before he came into hearing range?
The third man caught movement in his peripheral vision, and turned to find Bruce standing slightly behind him. No fool, he; he recognized two well-built men who carried themselves as if they knew what they were doing.
"It was nice to meet you, Miss Hamilton. You sing like an angel." The third man bowed his head to her, spun on his heel, and left. "You all have yourselves a good night."
Elle nodded. "Thank you," she told him graciously. "You take care going home."
The first man glanced over at Bruce also; sizing him up. They were of a similar height and build. "What about that guy," he snarled. "Is he your boyfriend, too?"
"I'm the boyfriend's father," Bruce rumbled, uncrossing his arms. To those who knew how to fight, they would recognize that he was moving into a fighting stance.
The second guy took a step back. He glanced over at Dick. The boyfriend removed his arm from the singer's waist, and moved slightly in front of her. In spite of the fancy suits, he realized that both men were capable and willing to fight them.
"Well, okay," he grumbled. "We didn't realize you had a boyfriend. We just thought he was part of the show, you know?"
The first guy gaped at his friend. "What are you doing? These guys ain't nothing! They're just a couple of rich pansies. We can take them!"
The second guy wasn't so sure. "He's her boyfriend, Joe. She's not going to want you, even if you do manage to bloody his nose. C'mon, let's go to my place and get some beer. I can call up Nancy. She said she has a friend visiting from out of town."
"Joe" hesitated; looking seriously as if he were considering trying to take on both men without the help of his buddy. After a second thought, however, he grunted, and turned to follow his friend out the door.
Brian walked up as the three of them watch the two men leave. Elle leaned against Dick's back, resting her forehead on his shoulder, and sighed heavily; the tension visibly draining out of her body.
What's going on here," he asked. "Elle, were those men bothering you?"
"No," she breathed. "It's okay, Brian. They were just leaving."
"Honey, that's why I hired the bouncers," he said, sympathetically. "It's great that the people love you so much, but that doesn't give them the right to harass you afterwards."
Dick shot him a startled look. "That's why you hired the bouncers?" He turned and slipped an arm around Elle's waist again; drawing her close. "Has this happened before?"
"No," Elle shook her head.
"Yes," Brian said, at the same time.
Dick and Bruce frowned.
"Which is it," Bruce asked.
Brian touched Elle's arm, giving her a look. "Yes."
"It wasn't serious," Elle offered. "He just wanted to ask me out."
"But he wouldn't take no for an answer," Brian added.
"He was a little persistent, yes, but nothing came of it," Elle insisted, not wanting to get Dick upset.
"Elle, he wouldn't let you get into the cab!" Brian turned back to Dick and Bruce, certain that they would share his concern. "The cabbie had his dispatcher dial 911. Robert, Morris, and I came out right about that time. I don't know what was wrong with the guy, but he refused to leave the premises; refused to leave Elle alone."
"I don't think it was that serious." Elle was blushing. "Things just escalated because you guys came out and got involved."
"Damn straight we got involved," Brian yelled at her. "He kept trying to grab your arm. Even though the three of us got between you, he still kept trying to reach through to you. The guy was crazy!" Brian looked back at Dick. "Even the cabbie was worried enough to get out of his car to help us corral the guy. The police finally arrived a few minutes after that, and carted his ass off. But until they had cuffed him, and was hauling him away, he never stopped trying to reach for her!"
Dick looked at her, alarmed. "Is this true? Did he get his hands on you? Did he hurt you?"
Embarrassed, Elle ducked her head, blinking rapidly to dispel the tears threatening to fall. The episode was only a couple of days old. She had managed to get through it and get home before she had lost it completely and finally allowed herself to cry. The things the man had said to her before the cab driver had arrived had alarmed her, and the way he had continued to try to grab her had been frightening. All Elle wanted to do was forget it had happened.
She was probably overreacting tonight as well. It was those damned flowers and cards she had gotten earlier. It had made her wary of the men that approached her, even though this time she was still inside the restaurant with a half a dozen people around her. She had been perfectly safe. Why was she letting these things spook her?
"It was nothing, Dick. He was an overzealous fan, is all," she was still trying to convince herself more than she was the others.
Brian looked at her, suspicious. "You had said you were okay, but you never actually said if he had hurt you before we all got there. Did he hurt you?"
"I said that I wasn't, didn't I," Elle insisted. That wasn't a lie, since she didn't actually feel anything until later, once the adrenaline rush had subsided. The long scratches on her arm came when the guy had grabbed her arm when she had first refused to go with him for coffee. She had jerked her arm out of his grasp, and his fingernails had left grooves in her skin as he struggled to keep his grip on her. She had shoved her sleeves down immediately afterward for protection, in case he managed to grab her again. Her cab had arrived then, and Brian and the others came barreling out of the restaurant almost immediately after that.
Dick recognized the lie immediately. The eyes darting to the left; the hesitation in her voice; the quickening of her breath were just three of the tells, and more than enough for him to know she was hiding something.
"Where did he hurt you," he asked, gently. She was getting spooked by all the attention.
Her eyes darted up to meet his, and then dipped to the floor again. She sighed heavily, and silently slid the left sleeve of her sweater up past her elbow. She wished that they wouldn't make such a fuss over her. The scratches were already healing.
"Oh, my God," Brian gasped. "Elle, why didn't you say anything?"
Dick eyes widened. Those weren't just scratches, but gouges! He looked at the long grooves that ran nearly the entire length of her forearm, and thought she could have used some stitches. They were healing well, enough. He didn't see any redness to indicate infection, thankfully. She must have cleaned it very well, but he knew without saying that these lines would scar. It was no wonder that she had reacted to those three men the way she had.
"Why didn't you call me," Dick asked. "You should have called me. I would have taken you to the emergency room to get these cleaned and stitched up. They're going to scar," he told her gently.
"Will that bother you," she asked, worriedly. "If they scar?"
He blinked at her. "No! Of course not! But these are deep enough that they should have required medical attention. Now, answer my question, Elle. Why didn't you call me when this happened?"
"You had told me that you were working that night," she reminded him. "I didn't want to bother you if you were in the middle of something important or dangerous."
He had been working that night; as Nightwing, though, not as a police officer. Dick supposed she had a point, but he hated that she didn't feel like she could call him with her own emergency. He made a decision at that moment, that if possible, and I will do everything I can to make it possible, Dick would be here to escort her home from work. If not as Dick, certainly he could watch over her as Nightwing. He could make certain she got into the cab safely, follow her home, and make sure she got into her building without incident.
Bruce had moved closer so that he, too, could see the marks marring her perfect skin. "Scratches and bites made by humans are more prone to infection than those of animals. You were lucky that nothing serious came of it."
Elle scoffed quietly. "I know how to clean a wound. I might have stitched it up myself, but I figured the scar would be more noticeable had I done so. So, I bandaged it for a day or so. It will be fine. Like I told you . . . It was nothing."
Bruce raised an eyebrow, and met Dick's gaze. She was a petite, little bit of fluff! How was it that she knew how to clean and stitch wounds? Particularly on herself! That wasn't something the average person could, or would if he could, do . . .
Brian broke in. "That's it. I'm going to hire more bouncers, and have at least two present inside as well as outside. This will not happen again!" The restaurant owner turned on his heel, and stalked back to his office.
Eager to change the subject, Elle pushed her sleeve back over her arm, and turned to Bruce. "So, Mr. Wayne," she smiled at him. "How was your evening? Did you enjoy yourself?"
Recognizing her attempt to lighten the atmosphere, Bruce allowed himself to be distracted. Her wounds were healing without issue, the owner was taking steps to prevent further problems from occurring, and while she had been fearful of the men earlier, Elle had handled the situation without tears or hysterics. There was no reason to continue to question her. The man who had caused the problem had been arrested already, although he would probably be released earlier than necessary because she hadn't reported the injury to the police when it happened. The men this evening would likely not be back.
"I found it a very pleasant surprise," Bruce commented. "Dick didn't tell me he was going to introduce me to his new girlfriend; only that he wanted me to join him for dinner and some live music. You voice is quite amazing."
Elle smiled with genuine pleasure. She reached for Dick's hand. His hand engulfed hers almost completely. "You aren't alone in that, Mr. Wayne. I had no idea that Dick was bringing a guest with him tonight, let alone that it would be his father."
"Call me Bruce, please," the elder man offered.
Elle hesitated. "That wouldn't seem disrespectful?"
Bruce chuckled. "No, not in the least. It is, after all, what Dick calls me."
"Very well . . . Bruce," Elle tried it out. "You may call me Elle. All my friends do."
"Thank you, Elle," Bruce smiled. "Now, since Dick has been so tight-lipped lately, I suppose he hasn't gotten around to issuing an invitation for the two of you to come for a visit to Gotham City. It would give me the opportunity to get to know you better, and for you it will be a chance to see where he grew up and meet his brothers."
Elle looked over at the man at her side. "Please, say yes," Dick said.
"You have brothers, too?"
"I have three, although you will only be meeting two next weekend," he grinned. "Oh, and Alfred, too!"
"Alfred?" Elle glanced back to Bruce for clarification.
"My butler," Bruce explained. "He, as much as I did, helped to raise Dick. He's family."
Elle grinned and opened her mouth to accept when she remembered that she had a previous engagement next weekend. "Oh, I'm afraid I have a prior engagement next weekend," she admitted, disappointed. "I am supposed to go to a Halloween party next Friday night in Gotham. I promised I would attend more than a month ago. It's supposed to be a rather big event and I already RSVP'ed, and got my costume together. I guess I could try to back out . . ."
Dick blinked. "It's a costume party?"
"Yes," she said, happily. "I'm kind of excited about it. I've only ever been to one masquerade before, and that was at Carnivale in Venice when I was fifteen. My grandparents took me. This promises to be very different than that one . . . Say," she looked at Dick with a sparkle in her eyes. "How would you like to go with me?"
"What?"
"I'm allowed a guest. I know it's kind of short notice and all, but I'm sure we can find you a suitable costume in time. I'll even go pick one up for you, if you like!" Elle was warming up to her subject.
"How about you do both," Bruce interjected, drawing the eyes of the couple. "You said this party is being held in Gotham?
Elle nodded. "Yes."
"Why do you not come for a long weekend to Gotham and go to your party from there?" Bruce explained. "It's only for one evening. You wouldn't have to drive all the way there from Bludhaven, and all the way back after the party. You will still be able to meet the rest of the family, and enjoy spending the weekend together."
Bruce could see by the way Elle lit up, that he had offered her the most tempting proposition he could have made. He knew she was going to accept even before she agreed.
She turned to Dick. "Is that acceptable to you? You wouldn't mind going to the costume party with me?"
To get her to spend an entire weekend with him, even if he had to share her with her friends and his family, he would have promised a hell of a lot more. "I think I can manage that."
"There's no admittance without a costume, you know," she warned. "You would have to wear one to get in."
"For you, anything," Dick promised. It was only later that he found cause to regret that promise. At the moment, however, he was perfectly content to promise her the moon.
"Really," she squealed, excitedly. Thrilled, Elle threw her arms around his neck, laughing delightedly. He was truly the very best boyfriend – ever! It didn't matter that he was her first boyfriend because Elle knew well enough that not many boyfriends would be so accommodating to her wishes.
Bruce turned his head. She sparkled with a light similar to the one he had always found around his son. That they found happiness in such simple things made them, as a couple, shine with a joy so bright that it was a bit difficult for him to look at directly. He didn't know much about the girl yet, but, of course, he would. What he had learned just by watching the two interact together was enough to give him hope. Dick deserved what this young woman offered . . . Comfort, happiness, love . . . and peace. Bruce thought about what he would give for those things himself. Almost anything. Practically everything.
"So," Dick smiled down at her, when she had released him. "What are you going as?"
"Well," she said, shyly, not wanting to give it away just yet. "It's a themed costume party, you know."
"Really? What's the theme," he asked.
"Superheroes," she beamed at him. "Isn't that great? It's going to be so much fun!"
His smile wilted a little around the edges, and he glanced at Bruce. "Superheroes, eh?"
"Yes, and I have the perfect idea for a costume for you!" The wheels were turning. Dick could see them turning in her beautiful, little head. A strange feeling began in his belly. He thought it might be fear.
Dick slid a second glance at Bruce. The man's face would be comical if it were him that would be going rather than Dick. He suspected that his face looked much the same way. Elle, caught up in her excitement, didn't seem to notice.
"What would that be," Dick asked. With his eyes, he sent a plea to Bruce that said, help me!
She grinned at him, but for the first time since he met her, it wasn't a comforting grin. "Oh no," she said, slyly. "It's going to be a surprise!"