"How have you been since I last saw you, Casey?" Dr. Crane asked, pen hovering over his notepad. He stared intently at her with his piercing blue eyes.

Casey leaned back into the couch. "Not bad," she admitted. "I had about five nightmares since then and I did what you told me to when it happened. I think it worked a little because I didn't have one last night."

Dr. Crane nodded. "Good, good," he said in approval as he wrote. He looked to Casey and smiled. "Today, I would like to focus on goal setting. Once we know the goal, we take apart your trauma and learn how to cope with it."

"Okay," she said. "That sounds good." She had hoped that her nightmares would lessen but it was only the first week of treatment. She knew she wouldn't get better overnight. Healing took time; a lesson she learned when she was a teenager running away from her home and into Annette's. It took her mother years to recover from her ordeal and she still had not fully recovered. But Casey felt determined to see this through and get better. She owed it to herself and those around her to pick up the pieces and live.

"So what are our goals during your treatment?" Dr. Crane asked.

"To get better?" Casey offered as an answer.

He chortled. "That is an admirable goal. Everyone wants to get better. Perhaps we should be a bit more specific. Say, how long until you no longer have nightmares."

"Does a month sound reasonable?" She asked.

He smiled at her. "It sounds very reasonable," he replied. "Nightmares are always a drain on our psyche especially when they're reoccurring." He wrote some things down in his notepad. "If you don't mind, I'd like to start you on some medication to help with your symptoms."

Casey's brow furrowed. "Like what?"

"I want to try antidepressants first."

She blinked in confusion. "But I'm not depressed."

"While antidepressants are mainly used to treat depression, they are used to help with mental trauma. If we don't think it's working, we'll take you off them. Does that sound good?" He smiled at her as if to reassure her.

"Sure," she said slowly. "Let's try it."

He made a note in his pad and his smile became wider. "Excellent," he said.

-x-

"Oh my god I really hate you, Edward," Casey groaned and rubbed her temples. Her search for her missing boss was not going well. Everywhere she looked she found no traces of the man; no money activity or internet presence or surveillance footage. It was like Edward Nashton no longer existed. And it was irritating Casey to no end.

Thunk. Casey jumped and looked up to see a Styrofoam cup next to her filled with steaming hot chocolate. "Courtesy of our newly repaired cocoa machine," Barbara said, drinking from her own cup.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" Casey said as way of thanks. She took her cocoa and had a sip. It was watery just as Casey expected.

"Half-day," Barbara replied as she pulled up a chair. "Are you still looking for your old boss?"

Casey spared a small glance at the teen. "How did you find out? That was between me and Gordon."

"I've been poking through my dad's files," Barbara said. "Just to see what the GCPD is doing since that business with Freeze and the Penguin on New Years."

"Both are locked up in Blackgate is what I heard," Casey replied. She clicked through Edward's bank account statements again as if expecting some new activity but found none. God, why couldn't this be easy? She let out a growl of annoyance.

"So your search is definitely not going well?" Barbara asked.

"No," Casey replied. "Dead people have more trails than Edward. It's like he disappeared off the face of the Earth."

"Be patient," Barbara advised. "He's going to slip up sometime."

"I'd just rather find him now and be done with it."

"Why are you in such a hurry to find him?" Barbara asked.

Casey held up a finger. "For one, he got me suspended and put under investigation which was not fun." She put up another finger. "And two, revenge mostly. Also a bit of pride. He hacked some of my files. No one hacks my systems and gets away with it." Casey saw Barbara nod in understanding. Hackers were creatures of pride and any attempt to encroach on someone's territory was seen as a grievous offense.

"Have you tried looking for his name and bills of sale for room space anywhere?" Barbara proposed.

"There was just his apartment which was paid off for the year but the police has already been there. It's empty but we've got eyes on it anyway just in case. If he has anything else, he's most likely paying for it in cash which is harder to track," Casey explained as she showed Barbara what she had. She never had qualms sharing most information with Barbara; chances were the teen already hacked the server and saw them.

"What about pseudonyms?"

Casey snorted. "That's hundreds of thousands of possible names. I don't have time for that."

"Did you go through Edward's personnel file?" Something in Barbara's careful tone made Casey stop and fully look to the teen.

"Why does something tell me you've seen it?" Casey asked slowly. Barbara looked away and Casey's suspicions were confirmed. "Barbara," she scolded. "I may look away at times when you snoop in files but that's personal information. You can't go into stuff like that whenever you feel like it."

"I only went in after you got suspended," Barbara protested. "I wanted to find a way to help because I knew you were innocent but my dad made me promise I wouldn't get involved. But I went behind his back and looked anyway. I wanted to help you." Barbara stared Casey right in the eye, her head held high.

Casey stared back for a few moments before sighing. "Okay," she said. "I'll look the other way this time but you got to promise me not to do it again."

Barbara nodded. "I promise."

"Okay." Casey swiveled in her chair to look back at her computer screen. "What have you got for me?"

"His personnel file was sparse but there were a few names in there we could run." Out of the corner of Casey's eye she saw Barbara pull out her phone. "Try Eleanor Nashton."

"Mother, I'm going to guess," Casey said as she typed. Her search came up empty. "Nothing," she sighed. "No deeds or anything in her name."

"Uh, then how about Frank Miller? He was listed as one of Edward's references."

The search result came up with seventeen Frank Millers. "Going to have to narrow this down," she informed Barbara.

"How many are in Gotham itself? I doubt Edward would travel outside the city when he was working with Sionis."

"Have you ever considered a position in the police department?" Casey asked, smiling. "You really do think like a cop."

"Probably get it from my dad," Barbara replied.

"So we're down to six names. Much better. Now let's look at these guys individually. Two of these Millers passed away and their assets liquidized. Another is doing time in Blackgate, wonderful, and looks like his girlfriend lives in his last place of residence. One is in a home for the elderly, that makes four. Number five is an account and lives in in the Diamond District with his husband. And lucky number six..." Casey let out a gasp.

"What? What is it?" Barbara cried as she peered over Casey's shoulder.

"Frank Miller, age seventy-three, has a long list of priors, and owns a slew of storage units along the bay." Casey pulled up a list of contracts for the units and scanned it quickly. A grin grew on her face when she spied the name: E. Nashton.

She grabbed her phone and dialed Gordon. "Gordon," she said when he picked up. "I think I have a lead on Edward Nashton."

-x-

Casey's foot bounced up and down rapidly as she waited for Gordon's call. He promised he would call the moment he had something at the storage units. But impatience gnawed at her and she stood and started pacing.

"I don't know about this," Casey started.

"Don't know about what?" Barbara glanced up from Casey's computer. She had been reading up on what Casey collected on Ferris Boyle since Gordon left with a squad.

"This was too easy," Casey said. "I looked all over Gotham for anything Edward had in his name and this storage unit was nowhere to be found."

"Well because the property was in Frank Miller's name not in Edward's. Edward was just a renter," Barbara reminded.

"Even so, his name should have come up in my initial search. If he was paying for it, there's a trail," Casey insisted. "I just have a bad feeling, is all."

Casey's phone went off and she dived for it. "Gordon?" She asked, heart hammering. "Was he there?"

On the other end, she heard Gordon sigh. "No, Casey," he said. "He wasn't."

Her heart sank and she closed her eyes. "Damn," she said at last. "I really thought I had something there for a moment."

"There's something else, Casey," Gordon said. "I've sent it to your email."

As if on cue, her computer pinged. Casey gestured for Barbara to move aside as she pulled up her email. She clicked on the attached file and an image of an empty storage room popped up. On the far end of the wall she saw a large green question mark painted on it. And beneath it, the words:

"Nice try Casey."

-x-

"How did he know it was going to be me?" Casey asked as she poked at her pitiful sandwich she brought for lunch.

"I can think of a couple reasons," Barbara replied. "You're the only competent person in the division."

Casey chuckled. "I'm the only person in the division right now." For a brief moment, she wondered if anyone else would be coming back—the division was small enough already.

"Maybe he was banking on that," Barbara suggested. "The important thing to remember is that he's taunting you. And if he keeps doing that, he's going to mess up."

Casey's shoulders slouched. "When did you become a voice of reason?"

"Since things started looking up in this city," Barbara said cheerfully.

Casey opened her mouth to reply when her phone rang again. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and her heart skipped a beat when she saw it was Bruce. "One sec," she muttered to Barbara and answered the phone. "Hi."

"Hi Casey," Bruce greeted. "Are you free tomorrow night?"

"I'm free pretty much every night," she admitted. "Don't have much of a social life, sad to say." She smiled when she heard Bruce laugh in her ear.

"I happen to have a free night tomorrow. Would you like to join me at the manor for dinner tomorrow?"

"I'd love to," she gushed. She wanted to see more of the manor and fully browse whatever was left of the library. "What time?" Across from her, Barbara smirked as if she knew who Casey was taking to.

"Does six o'clock work for you?"

"Six is fine. I get off work not too long before that so I can just head over when I'm done," she replied.

"Great. I'll see you then. I'd love to chat but I have a meeting in a couple minutes."

"Of course. I understand," Casey said. "My lunch break is just about over." Barbara was giggling behind her phone and Casey kicked her chair.

"Awesome. I'll pick you up, if that's okay?"

"Yeah, sure. The bridge is still out so I've been relying on cabs in this side of Gotham. So a ride would be really great."

"Okay. See you tomorrow. Bye." Casey returned his goodbye and hung up.

She scowled at Barbara who started laughing. "Not funny, Barbara."

"You should have seen your face," the teen snorted. "You looked like a teenage girl who got asked out to prom by the star football player. It's like something out of a Disney movie."

"Oh shush you," Casey groused as she sat back down.

"No, I love it," Barbara protested. "You're dating the richest guy in Gotham. And it's so cute."

"Cute is definitely not what most adults want to hear used towards their relationship," Casey said. "High school freshmen going to homecoming together is cute. A poor, techie woman dating a billionare, handsome guy isn't cute it's..." Casey chewed her lip as she tried to think of the proper adjective. "Terrifying."

"How is it terrifying?" Barara asked blankly. "Do you know how many women would kill for the opportunity of dating Gotham's most eligible bachelor?"

"That's the point," Casey snapped. "We're both from completely different worlds. To him, spending sixty bucks on coffee is normal. Who spends sixty dollars on coffee?"

"People who want really good coffee?" Barbara offered.

"Yes, I'll admit the coffee was really good but that's not the point. When this relationship goes public I'm going to be scrutinized in the worst possible way. Someone already made me feel like shit at the New Years' Eve ceremony for the dress I wore and I was only there as a guest." Casey put her head in her hands to quell the beginning of a headache.

There were a few beats of silence before Barbara spoke."Do you like him?" Barbara asked.

Casey looked up to the teen. "What?"

"Do you like him?" Barbara repeated.

Casey paused. "Yes I do," she admitted. "I can't explain it but something just feels… right when I'm with him." That was all she could say about it. Perhaps someday she could pinpoint her feelings but she enjoyed the happiness she felt when she was with Bruce. And she felt content with that.

"There's your answer," Barbara said, sounding satisfied.

Casey couldn't deny, it did make sense on some levels. "How did you get so wise?" She teased.

"I've seen my dad go through a fair share of relationships," the teen said, shrugging. "It's nothing new."

-x-

The next day found Casey buzzing around the GCPD in excitement. She had a brief nightmare the night before but when she started doing the breathing exercises Dr. Crane taught her and reminded herself that she was safe in her home, she felt better. And she was able to fall into a nightmare-less sleep.

So she took her small step towards healing as a sign the day was going to go well. She had dinner that night with Bruce to look forward to. And she hoped she could make some progress in her work as the frosting of her good day cake.

She put some cheery music on as she started her day going through files and compiling evidence for people. Every once in a while, she would check her flags for Day at Judge Harkness's former bank but came up with nothing. But she didn't let that deter her as she sorted her evidence for different cases.

"And that's that on you," Casey said to herself as she filed away a case on Oswald Cobblepot. "Hope it earns you some hard time."

Bzzzzzzz. Her phone vibrated on her desk and a text alert from Barbara popped up. Casey picked up her phone and unlocked it. She read, "OMG Casey read the article!" Attached to the text was a link. Casey opened it and her heart stopped.

The words "MODERN DAY CINDERELLA STORY. BRUCE WAYNE DATING MIDDLE CLASS WOMAN," blared at her. And underneath the headline was a picture of Bruce leaving the Wayne Foundation and next to it was a picture of Casey from the New Years party at the Wayne Manor. She was holding a champagne glass and was looking at something off camera. If Casey hadn't been horrified about her relationship coming into the public eye, she would've admired how good she looked in the picture.

With mounting horror, Casey scanned through the article quickly. Whoever wrote the article obviously thought hers and Bruce's relationship was the ultimate Cinderella story as they made Bruce sound like a charming prince who swept Casey off her impoverished feet. And the article raised Casey as a symbol for women everywhere that they, too, could get the man of their dreams. Man of the dreams meaning a rich and handsome man like Bruce Wayne.

"Oh my god," Casey groaned and sunk into her chair. She did not envision her day ending like this. "Oh my god," she repeated. "What do I do?"

"Casey?" Her head snapped up and she spotted Gordon standing in the doorway. "There's a bunch of reporters outside calling your name and wanting a word. Do you know anything about that?"

Crap. She didn't think reporters would move that fast. She wordlessly stood up and handed her phone over to Gordon so he could read the article. When he was done he looked up at Casey, eyebrow cocked. "Bruce Wayne," he stated. "Really?"

Casey flushed. "He's a nice guy," she defended. "And I really like him." She felt like a teenager trying to explain a relationship her father (or in her case, boss-father-figure) that he disapproved of. And judging by the skeptical look on Gordon's face, he disapproved.

"I just, I wasn't expecting the news to get out like this," she amended. "I was going to tell more people when I felt I was on stable ground. And I hoped the paparazzi weren't going to be the ones to do it."

"Looks like you're too late on that," Gordon stated. But he sighed and handed Casey back her phone. "Alright. Here's what we're going to do. I'm going to have a couple officers clear the reporters off. They won't storm the precinct unless they want to get arrested. And I hope none of them will in hopes of a chance to spot you. But nevertheless, stay in the Cybercrimes room until we figure out how to get you out of the building without a mob converging on you."

"Thanks Gordon," Casey said gratefully. "I should, um, call Bruce and make sure he knows about this."

Gordon nodded curtly. "Of course. I'll get on those reporters outside."

As the door snapped shut, Casey hit Bruce's number and held her phone up to her ear. Please pick up, she thought. And to her relief, she heard the call on the other end pick up. "Hello?" She heard Bruce say.

"Bruce!" She exclaimed. "Hi. Um, have you seen the news recently?"

"The news?" He asked. "No. I've been in meetings all day."

"Well. I don't know how it happened but someone found out about us," she explained. "There's an article in the news. It's, um pretty cringe-worthy. And there are a lot of reporters outside the GCPD and I'm going to bet there'll be some outside your building too."

"You're kidding." Bruce sounded frustrated in her ear. "I know the reporters are relentless with me but I wasn't expecting them to go after you when the news broke."

"So what do I do?"

"You're at the GCPD, right?"

"Yeah. Gordon's going to try and clear them off but I don't know how effective it's going to be."

"Well fortunately for you, I've had some experience getting away from the press. Is there a back door to the GCPD?"

"Of course there is," Casey replied. "Do you want me to sneak out the back?"

"Sort of," Bruce explained. "I'm going to call Alfred and tell him to pick you up. Where is the back entrance located?"

"By the bay," Casey said. "You can get here a couple streets down and taking the side alley. Look for Pearl street and then Cressen. Should bring him right to the back."

"Great. I'll let Alfred know. Make sure you let your boss know. Crap, I have to go Casey. My next meeting is about to start. I'll call you when it's done."

"Right. Bye." She hung up and texted Gordon, telling him that Bruce was picking her up at the back entrance. He sent her a reply telling her that was a good idea.

And when the end of her shift came, she packed up her stuff and slung her coat on. As she headed down towards the back, Gordon intercepted her. "We got most of them to clear off. No doubt they went to Wayne Enterprises to harass Bruce Wayne. But I think a couple are still loitering outside pretending to be waiting for cabs or something."

Casey grinned. "Thanks for this, Gordon."

"I'm not a big fan of Bruce Wayne but I won't tolerate the press harassing anyone. And I don't think the stress of being mobbed is good for you," he said.

Casey flushed. She knew Gordon meant her trauma. "Thank you," she said again. "I really mean it. Thank you so much for what you've done for me."

Gordon smiled. "It's no problem, Casey. You're a good person and believe it or not, I'm glad you're Barbara's friend. Despite how much sensitive information you may or may not share with her."

Her ears went red. "Not that much, I promise. She finds most of it on her own," she quipped.

Gordon sighed. "I know. I only hope she keeps herself off the federal government's radar."

Casey laughed. "One can only hope. But I will admit. They are tenacious." She checked her phone for the time. 5:35 flashed back at her. "Gotta go." She waved goodbye to Gordon. "Good night Gordon."

He returned her wave. "Good night Casey."

She headed down the stairs to the back alley exit and poked her head out the door. A black car sat there idling and the alley was deserted. Quickly, she jogged over to the car and opened the door and slid in. She jumped when she found Bruce sitting next to her. "Hi," she said. "I wasn't expecting you."

Bruce chuckled. "Alfred does drive me around."

"Good evening Miss Wilson," Alfred chimed in from the driver's seat as he pulled out of the alley.

"Hi Alfred." Casey greeted.

Alfred turned onto the street and Casey caught a glimpse of several people milling about on the steps of the GCPD building. "That doesn't look too bad," she commented as they drove past. None of the reporters seem to notice them as Alfred took them farther away.

"Most of them were outside my building when I left," Bruce stated. "I'm sure your boss wasn't going to let them loiter outside a police building. They were all asking me questions but I'm used to it." He looked at her and took her hand. "I'm sorry this happened."

"It's not your fault," Casey said, startled.

He smiled sheepishly. "I knew the paparazzi would find out eventually. I wanted to keep this relationship private for as long as I could. Not because I'm ashamed or anything," he said quickly as if Casey would find the comment insulting. "You've never had this kind of experience and I didn't want to thrust you into it without warning. But I promise you, I'll make sure they leave you alone."

She nodded. "I understand. It was pretty jarring for me when I saw the article. And it's a bit creepy that they want to put me on a pedestal as a symbol for women who want the man of their dreams." She chuckled nervously. "I'm not a symbol of anything."

Bruce squeezed her hand. "I'm sure that's not true."

Casey snorted. "Right."

Her phone began to buzz and she dug through her pocket for it. The caller id read Mom. "It's my mom," Casey said. "I need to take this." She hit the green button and held her phone up to her ear. "Hi mom," she greeted.

"Is it true?" Virginia asked. "I saw the news. Is it true you're date—dating Bruce Wayne?" She sounded breathless on the other end and Casey recognized the panic in her mother's voice.

She sat up straight in her seat. "It is, Mom," she said as calmly as she could. "I'm seeing the Bruce Wayne." She flashed an apologetic smile towards Bruce, promising to explain when she hung up.

"How long?" Virginia whispered.

"Not too long. Since about New Years."

"And are you… are you being careful?" Most people would interpret the question as one about sex but Casey knew better. She knew what her mother meant.

"I am, Mom. I promise."

"Good." Virginia sounded relieved. "Good."

Casey played with the edge of her seat and shifted. "Mom," she started. "When you're ready, I'd like you to meet Bruce." She held her breath.

She heard Virginia's soft breathing and then, "I'd like that," Virginia finally said.

Casey smiled. "Great." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw them pass the gate of Wayne Manor. "I gotta go Mom but I'll talk to you later. I love you."

"I love you too, Casey. Be safe."

"I will," she promised and waited for Virginia to hang up and hung her own phone up when Virginia did.

"So," she said as she turned to Bruce.

"You didn't tell your mother about us?" He asked.

He didn't seem hurt over it but he didn't look amused either, Casey noted as she studied Bruce. "I was, ah, waiting for the right moment to tell her. My mom, she has anxiety issues so she worries about me a lot. I wanted to be sure this was going somewhere before telling her and yeah..." she trailed off and the back of her neck burned in embarrassment.

Alfred came to a stop outside the steps of Wayne Manor. Bruce got out and hurried around the car, opening Casey's door for her. "Thanks," Casey said as she got out.

She watched Alfred drive away, possibly to park the car, while she and Bruce entered the manor. "How have the repairs been after New Years?" She asked as she looked around the main entryway.

"Finished," Bruce replied. "The ballroom was the easiest fix, believe it or not. But the library took awhile considering the Penguin's met set fire to it. We lost a good handful of books so everything had to be emptied and sent to a preservationist for insurance purposes."

Casey frowned. "The entire library is empty?"

He nodded. "Yes. Most of the damage was there. The Wayne crest fell and damaged the floor and we had to replace some shelves. Now, we're just waiting for the books to come back."

"Hopefully soon." Alfred came striding into view. "An empty library is a sad sight to behold. I'll take your coat, Miss Wilson."

"Oh sure." Casey shrugged off her hat, coat, and bag and handed them over to Alfred; Bruce did the same with his coat.

Alfred draped the coats over his arm. "Dinner should be ready in about an hour," he said. "Master Bruce, perhaps you can show Miss Wilson the rest of the manor while you wait?" And he gave Bruce a pointed look.

"Ooh, that sounds like a great idea," Casey exclaimed. "I'd love to see it."

Bruce smiled. "Sure," he chuckled. "If you'll come with me Casey we can leave Alfred to his own devices." Unlike New Years, he didn't offer his arm to Casey but he gestured for her to follow him.

"So how much of this manor is original?" Casey asked as they passed a large archway and up a grand staircase.

"The main building is part of the original built by my ancestor Solomon Wayne but over the years people have added wings on," Bruce explained.

"So how do you and Alfred keep this entire place clean?" Casey asked. She really hoped Alfred didn't spend all of his days cleaning the entire manor.

"Here." He brought her over to a door and opened it. Inside the long hallway, Casey saw furniture covered in cloth sheets. "We closed up a couple wings we don't use and it cuts down on cleaning time."

"Oh. Well what wings do you use?"

"If you'll come this way, I'll show you the tower."

Casey perked up. "The tower?" She knew what he talked about having seen picture of the Wayne Manor in magazines. It was a tall spire on the northwest side of the manor. And considering Wayne Manor sat on a hill, the view from the tower had to be spectacular.

Bruce grinned as he led her down two more hallways until they came to a large, wooden door. He opened it and Casey found herself staring at a spiral staircase going up. "Wow," she said as she entered the stairwell. "That is a lot of stairs. Good thing I live on the fifth floor of my apartment."

"It's a bit taller than a fifth floor," Bruce replied. "But I have confidence we'll make it up there."

"So says you," Casey teased but she set a fast pace as she headed up the stairs, Bruce following her. But even though she took the stairs to her apartment half the time, she began to slow down a little over halfway up.

"Yep, I'm winded," she wheezed when took a pause to catch her breath. Behind her, Bruce watched her carefully and Casey jealously noted he wasn't even breathing hard. "Whoo," she let out a long breath.

"You sure you're going to make it?" He teased her.

She let out a short bark of laughter and lightly slapped his shoulder. "Oh you're so funny. Just give me a sec. I don't walk up and down stairs for a living. I sit in front of a computer for eight hours a day. I'm a bit out of shape."

"Then let me help you." Bruce darted forward and the next thing Casey knew, her feet were off the ground and Bruce had her cradled in his arms.

"Whoa," she yelped and wound her arms around Bruce's neck. "Could you warn me next time?"

Bruce resumed walking up the stars, not even deterred by Casey's extra weight. "Maybe," he said. But Casey shook her head in disbelief but decided she would let it go. Being in Bruce's arms felt nice and she found she enjoyed the scent of his cologne.

The rest of the trip was too short for Casey's liking as Bruce set her down on the landing of the top floor. "Thanks for that," she said cheerily. But then the view caught her eye and her jaw dropped. "Oh my god."

Windows circled the room, giving her a gorgeous view of the Gotham skyline lit up against the night sky. "You can see the whole city from here," Casey said in awe. She saw the Wayne Enterprises building and the smoke stacks of the Steel Mill and, of course, Wonder Tower. From all the way out here, Gotham didn't look like crime-hole it was. "Gotham is so beautiful from so far away," she whispered to herself.

"It is," Bruce agreed. "I used to come up here as a kid and watch the city. It was kind of like my own little hideout."

"Explains how those stairs don't even bother you," Casey joked. She looked around and caught sight of something tall with a white sheet draped over it. She headed towards it. "Hey, what's this?" She took a hold of the sheet and yanked.

A cloud of dust flew into her face and she coughed and waved a hand, trying to clear the air. "I forgot about that," Bruce said behind her. "It's my old telescope." It was indeed an old telescope, Casey saw when she cleared the dust from her eyes and lungs. "I used to stargaze until the light pollution got bad," he finished

"Obviously away from Gotham," Casey noted. The telescope was pointed southwards.

"Any direction, really," Bruce continued. He popped the caps off the lenses. "I always looked for specific constellations and constantly moved it around." He peered into the telescope and started twiddling the knobs. "And if I recall correctly, Canis Major should be in the sky tonight."

The room fell silent until Bruce made an "ah-ha" sound. "There it is," he said sounding satisfied. He stood up. "You want to see?"

"Sure." Casey stepped in front of Bruce and leaned down to look into the telescope. She never had the eye for constellations (with exception of the Big Dipper) but she did see a vague shape she supposed was Canis Major.

"Do you see the bright star acting as the dog's chest?" Bruce's voice was close to Casey's ear. Casey shivered.

But she could make out the bright star Bruce was talking about. "Yes," she whispered.

"That's Sirius, the brightest star in the sky," he told her.

Casey stood up. "I thought the North Star was the brightest."

Bruce shook his head. "Common misconception. The North Star is always located due north and acts as navigational means but Sirius is our brightest star."

She smiled. "Cool. I was never much of an outdoorsy person so I didn't learn much about constellations." Her father abhorred the outdoors and dirt so young Casey quickly learned that playing outside would earn her a world of trouble.

Casey shivered. Not just from the memories of her childhood but the chill in the air. The room wasn't heated and the winter cold permeated through the windows. She rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself up.

"I'm sorry," Bruce said suddenly as he took of his suit jacket and draped it around Casey's shoulders. "I forgot the tower doesn't heat very well. I should have told Alfred to turn the heated floors on."

"Wait," Casey said as she put her arms through the jacket sleeves. "The floors are heated?"

Bruce nodded. "Yes. When I kept insisting on spending my nights in here, my father decided to install heating in the floors so I wouldn't freeze during winter."

"Neat." She drew the jacket around her tighter, relishing in the smell of Bruce's cologne. It was quickly becoming her new favorite smell. She could smell some type of wood mixed with herbs and fruit notes in the cologne and she loved it.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Bruce raise an eyebrow and she flushed. He saw her sniffing the jacket. "I like your cologne," she muttered, embarrassed.

"Good to know," he snickered.

"Hey, don't make fun of me," she defended. "It's a good cologne. You should be proud."

"Proud of my cologne?" He asked and titled his head, peering at her.

Oh just shut up right now Casey, she told herself. She turned back to the window to stare at Gotham again, just wishing she could melt into the floor. God I'm an idiot.

"Hey," Bruce said softly and she felt him put a hand on her shoulder. "I didn't mean to upset your or anything."

"I'm not upset," she replied and turned back to face him. "Just really embarrassed." She lowered her eyes to the floor. "Sometimes I don't have a filter on my mouth and I just say the stupidest things."

"I don't think they're stupid," Bruce countered. "I think it's cute."

Casey's mouth dropped open. "Cute?" She asked. No one ever told her she was cute. The closest she got to it was her high school boyfriend who told her they way she wrote programs was "so hot."

"Yes," Bruce continued. "Is that a bad thing?"

Casey rubbed her nose. "No," she admitted. "It's just something I'm not used to hearing. Like, ever." Her father told her more than once that her habit of blurting inane things was annoying and she never missed the winces from people around her when they did it.

"Oh," he said. But then a smirk grew on his face. "Well do you think you can get used to hearing it?"

He stood so close to her, she realized as she looked up at him. And her mind started going foggy. "I think so," she said. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she stared up into Bruce's blue eyes. And then she found herself leaning into him.

Bruce looked down at her and then he leaned down, closing the gap between them. Casey stood on her tiptoes to meet him and then they were kissing. His lips were warm and surprisingly soft against hers. She ran her hands up Bruce's torso (marveling at how firm he was underneath her fingertips) before winding her arms around his neck. Bruce, in turn, took ahold on her waist and picked her up and set her on the windowsill.

Cold prickled Casey's skin from the window but she found she didn't care. The new position allowed them to deepen the kiss and Casey opened her mouth to allow Bruce's tongue entrance. A tingle spread through her body at the sensations she hadn't realized she missed. Bruce's hands were still on her waist as if holding her but her hands were moving and threading through Bruce's hair.

And then her air ran out and she broke the kiss. "Wow," she said once she regained her breath. "That was… wow." She grinned.

"Not bad?" He grinned back at her.

"Not bad at all," she replied.

His forehead touched hers and Casey clung to him, taking in all of him. And for a moment, she forgot all of her problems.

But to Casey's chagrin, Bruce pulled away from her. "Well then," Bruce announced and rubbed his hands together. "Shall we head back downstairs to see if dinner's ready?"

Casey nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. I'm starving. All I had for lunch was a sandwich." She hopped off the windowsill and headed back down the stairs, Bruce next to her. And to her delight, he took her hand in his.

"How long do you get for lunch?"

"Half an hour. One hour if I want an unpaid one," she replied. "Why do you want to know?"

"Just if I ever want to take you out for lunch," he responded. Casey's cheeks went red. "I know a couple good restaurants for lunch."

"You don't have to do that," Casey stammered. She didn't want to seem the type who never paid for anything. Even though she knew Bruce had more money she'd ever see in her lifetime, she still didn't want to be that person. "I could treat you to lunch sometimes. I know a really good diner not too far from the precinct. Gordon's treated me there a couple of times. They have an apple pie à la mode that's to die for."

"Alright," he agreed. "That sounds like a great idea."

They stepped back into the warmth of the manor and Bruce showed her a few more rooms before leading her down into the kitchen. Alfred was inside, setting out plates and bowls. "I hope you don't mind me setting the table here in the kitchen instead of the dining room," he said when the two of them. "That dining room is too big for two people. You would wind up shouting at each other from each end of the table."

Casey laughed. "So what are we having?"

"I made tomato bisque with the bread I made today and a warm salad," Alfred announced. "Master Bruce can attest to my bisque."

"I can," Bruce confirmed. "Alfred's cooking is extraordinary. With exception of his waffles. Never eat his waffles."

Alfred frowned. "Careful Master Bruce," he warned. "Might I remind you I can tell Miss Wilson every embarrassing story about you starting when you were four years old and decided your mother's heirloom couch needed a new color and spilled your grape juice on its ivory upholstery."

Casey laughed loudly. "Are you serious?" She squealed. She glanced at Bruce who was scowling at Bruce.

"Okay then," Bruce conceded, sounding shamed. "No making fun of Alfred's cooking."

Alfred smiled at Bruce. "Then I shall only tell Miss Wilson the mildly embarrassing stories. But first, dinner." He took the pot of bisque and ladled some into their bowls before setting their salad and bread on the table. "Enjoy."

"You're not joining us?" Casey asked, alarmed.

But Alfred merely shook his head as he ladled bisque into a large mug. "This dinner is for to the two of you. I will retire to my study, should you need me." And he took his mug and left the kitchen.

"Here." Bruce pulled out a chair for her and she sat down.

By the time Bruce sat down, Casey dipped her soup spoon into the bisque and tried some. Bruce was right, it was good. "Wow, that is good," she said. "Beats store-bought."

"Told you," Bruce said as he dug into his bowl.

"So how has your project to repair the Solomon Wayne Courthouse been going?" Casey asked as she bit into a buttered piece of bread. She hadn't heard anything in the news about it.

"I've been in talk with the city to get started on it. But many are hesitating to start another restoration project until the bridge is fixed so it's been a slow project," he explained.

"Well last I checked the bridge is almost finished. They said they might be able to open one side later this week," Casey said brightly.

They continued on like that for the rest of dinner and chatted about random things happening in the city. Casey told him about how the precinct was slowly getting back on its feet because the corrupt cops were forced on the straight and narrow path now that their benefactor was behind bars. And Bruce talked about charity drives the rich were doing to help repair the damage from Christmas.

Somehow, when their dinner was done, Alfred reemerged and presented them with homemade mille-feuille for dessert. And Casey loved it so much, Alfred put a few slices in a take-home box for her. "Thanks for tonight," Casey said to the two men as she put her coat back on. "It was really great. We should do it again."

"I'd enjoy that," Alfred said as he handed her cake box back to her. "It's nice having such wonderful company over."

She grinned at Alfred before turning to Bruce. "Dinner's on me next time though," she said.

Bruce nodded. "We'll do it soon. And I'll get the reporters to back off," he promised. "A statement from an attorney usually does the trick. And you work for the Gotham City Police. As vicious and relentless paparazzi are, they aren't stupid enough to go near police to get pictures."

"I hope so," Casey said. "I'd rather not get mobbed going to work." Or have the reporters find out about her home life, she added in her head. That was not the type of press she wanted.

She caught sight of a pair of headlights outside. "Looks like my taxi's here," she said. "Thanks for dinner and showing me around," she said again. With one last wave goodbye, she exited the manor and headed for her taxi.

-x-

Bruce waited until the taxi left the drive, headed well on its way into Gotham, before turning on his heel. Now that his dinner with Casey was over, it was time to start his night.

"She is a lovely woman, isn't she?" Alfred commented from behind him.

Bruce felt inclined to agree. When he first encountered her as Batman, he thought of her as an oddity. She was strangely upbeat for working in the most corrupt police force in the country. But as as his path kept crossing hers, he noticed she had a passion for what she believed in. She stood up for him against Gordon and believed in what the Batman stood for.

When he decided to meet her officially as Bruce Wayne, she surprised him with how she treated him. He could sense her uneasiness when interacting with him. It was understandable considering how different their lives were (though Bruce knew what it meant to be poor when he traveled the world) but she still gave him a chance. He honestly did not expect wanting to invite her to the New Years Party as his plus one.

There was something about Casey Wilson that made feel at ease with himself. When he went ice skating with her, he felt like a boy again before his parents' death. And he liked having that sort of reprieve in his life—until his duties as Batman arose.

"She is," Bruce agreed.

"And it's nice having someone around to liven up this place," Alfred continued. "There was a joy in the manor I haven't felt in years."

Bruce chuckled. "I get it, Alfred. I'm a killjoy."

"I didn't say that, sir," Alfred replied.

"We got a long night ahead," Bruce started. "Julian Day is still out there. As is Edward Nashton. People will be in danger as long as they're loose in Gotham." He took a deep breath, allowing himself to become the Batman. He couldn't focus on Casey or his life as Bruce, not when so many issues in the city needed the Batman's attention.

It was time to continue the hunt for the criminals who still eluded justice.

-x-

And that concludes chapter nineteen or, as I like to call it, that chapter that kept on going. Every time I thought I could end it, I noticed there was more I could write. So I hope you all enjoyed the extended Casey and Bruce scenes.

This story has gotten over one hundred reviews! Thank you so much for all the support over the past two years. Hopefully I can get this (and my other Batman story) done in a timely manner. I definitely have some good things planned in the future so keep an eye out!

Reviews, favorites, and follows are love! See ya in chapter twenty!