Disclaimer: I do not own the Batman trilogy by Christopher Nolan, just writing for fun.

A/n: Hey all. Here's another update. Thank you so much for the follows, the favorites, and the reviews. They are welcomed and loved. Enjoy!

Chapter 45: Hothead Rookies

I stayed to help Gordon heal. I helped him eat, and talked to him about the city, about where I would travel, etc. We bonded over coffee when he got better and didn't need that old oxygen mask on his face. He insisted I'd go to Miranda's charity ball, but I hadn't felt like going. I didn't have any dresses. I just had my clothes and that was that.

I turned on GCN the next morning to see what news was being provided today. Bruce Wayne was walking outside of Wayne Enterprises and the press were on him tight.

"Wayne, how does it feel to be one of the people?" the reporter asked.

I sat up straight in my chair at that.

"I'm sorry sir," the valet said. "They had paperwork."

Bruce didn't even have his company car any more. Shit. What the hell happened to him? And why didn't he inform me? Then she saw a young cop come up right next to him before the press turned away from a has-been.

I sat in my seat dumbfounded. Should I call him?

Foley walked into the room with a folder in his hand, and I looked up at him.

"I need a chat with Gordon," he said.

"Oh, um, I'll go get some coffee," I said.

"You can stay," Gordon said.

"She's not police," Foley frowned.

"She's a friend," Gordon said.

"A friend of the Batman," I said to Foley.

Foley stroked his chin in thought. "Okay," he said. "Any idea where he might be?"

"No," I shook my head. "But if I should hear anything, I'll let you know."

Foley pulled up another chair and started going over police work and information about their mysterious sewer friend down in the tunnels, in search for this new character and what happened at the stock exchange.

I leaned my elbows against my calves, folding my hands, as I listened to the two cops talk to each other.

Blake entered the room. "Can we help you officer?" Foley asked.

"John Daggett's body was found in a dumpster about an hour ago," he replied, giving me a gentle nod of acknowledgement. "I thought you might like to know."

"Why?"

"Because Daggett's name is all over the permits I pulled to map the tunnels under Gotham," Blake answered, and walked in to hand Gordon more files in his hands. "MTA maintenance, sewer construction…"

Gordon looked at Foley. "Where did you get to with the tunnel searches?"

Foley glared at Blake. "Remind me to tell the detail to keep hotheads out," he said, and then shifted to Gordon. "We've had teams down there, but it's a huge network."

"Still, should be found," I said.

Gordon nodded at this. "Get more men, work a grid. I want him found."

"Yeah, yeah, the masked man," Foley nodded. "We're on it."

Gordon continued to thumb through the files Blake gave him. "This is good work. Loose the uniform. You're working for me now," he said that just made me proud of my own brother, working up in the ranks.

"We could use some hotter heads around here. Speaking of, Melanie, ever think about becoming an assistant to a Commissioner?"

"No," I said.

"Would you like to be?" he asked.

"Uhm, well, sure, I guess I could be."

"Great, you start today."

"I just don't have a place to stay."

"You can stay with me till you find your feet," my brother offered. I smiled up at him gratefully, making Foley a bit annoyed in the room.

"Thank you," I said.

"This could be just a coincidence," John said.

"You're a detective now son, you're not allowed to believe in coincidences anymore," Gordon said.

~*TDKR*~

I should have called him. It's been days and nothing. I tried calling him this time but kept getting a voice mail. Nothing. And now his voice mail was full. I was officially worried that something might've happened to him.

The nurse helped Gordon up, while we talked to my brother who also shared concerned for our friend.

"So, you think our friend is gone again?" Gordon asked.

John nodded. "This time, he might not be coming back."

I scoffed nervously. "I know him. He'll come back."

"Okay commissioner," Foley walked in quite irritated. We turned our heads to face him. "You were right."

"What's happened?" Gordon asked.

"Your masked man kidnapped the Wayne Enterprise board," Foley said, making me widened my eyes in shock. "He let most of them go, but took three down to the sewers."

"No more patrols. No more hide and seek," Gordon informed. "Send every available cop down there and smoke him out."

That sounded like a just plan, I thought while I held the files in my own lap, as I listened intently.

"The mayor won't want panic," Foley began.

"So, it's a training exercise," John said.

"I'm sorry for not taking you seriously," Foley said sincerely.

"Don't apologize for believing the world's in better shape than it is," Gordon said. "Just fight to make it true."

Foley nodded and left the room.

John was about to leave to until Gordon stopped him. "Not you. You're telling me the Batman's gone. So you chase up the Daggett leads, anyway you can."

"I should have called him," I whispered. "I should've said yes."

Gordon looked over at me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "He knew."

~*TDKR*~

The next few days, I worked as Gordon's assistant, rummaging through files and pages of training exercises. I turned GCN again, in Gordon's room. Gordon's room had been my safety net in all of this. I felt safer in a hospital than I have in a long time. John was out searching for more leads on Daggett and Bane.

I turned on GCN and turned up the volume to see the Mayor on TV. I also hadn't given up on calling Bruce, hoping he'd answer me.

"We're seeing literally thousands of police heading into the sewers," the reporter said.

"A training exercise, that's all," the major informed. "If you excuse me, I've got tickets to watch our boys thrash Rapid City."

"Well, that's that," I said, lowering the volume. I put the remote on the side table.

My cell rang and I opened it up. "Hey," I said.

"Hey, put me on speaker," It was John.

I put John on speaker so he could also talk to Gordon.

"I've been to half Daggett's cement plants, logged locations they've poured for underground construction…."

"Anything strange about the pouring's?" Gordon asked.

"Honestly commissioner, I don't know anything about civil engineering," John replied truthfully.

"But you know about patterns," Gordon said. "Keep looking."

~*TDKR*~

He called again once more. I didn't hear him as I didn't have my cell with me so he'd left a voice message. I showed it to Commissioner after I'd gotten some more coffee from the cafeteria.

This is what he left on my voice mail. "Commissioner, I'm at the fourteenth street plant with two dead a lot more questions…And motor oil. They weren't making cement. They were making explosives. Oh God…."

I widened my eyes at that and suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Bruce where are you? Was my question immediately and I suddenly felt horrible for saying no to him.

~*TDKR*~

Later in the day, Gordon had fallen asleep. I fell asleep too in my chair, reading the charts.

Suddenly Gordon's heart-rate alarm went off, scaring me awake. I looked over at him with wide eyes.

"What?" I asked.

"Shh…." He said, and then got up from his bed. I helped him up and drew the IV away from his bed. Something was wrong. I could tell. But what?

"Gordon, what's…."

"We're being hunted," he whispered. "Hide, grab my gun," he said. I pulled his gun from his things in the corner of the counter and handed it to him.

I hid behind the door, and Gordon hid as well. We heard the shuffle of movement come closer and I gasped when Gordon came out and shot two mercenaries on the ground. I yelped in surprise by the loud noise. Damn security needed to get in here.

"Mel?!" John asked in concern as he sprinted towards Gordon's room.

"Oh thank god," he said, pulling me into a hug. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Yes." I said, though a little shaken up.

"Clear the corners, rookie," Gordon said, holding out his gun in front of him.

"Get my coat, son," he said.

I grabbed my bag and grabbed Gordon's things for him as well as our papers, stuffing them in my bag for safekeeping. The hospital was no longer safe for us.

~*TDKR*~

John drove us out of the hospital, and I sat in the backseat of his police car, while we listened to the President on the radio, speaking about our current predicament with Bane in charge of the city.

"We do not negotiate with terrorists, but we do recognize realities. As the situation develops, one thing must be understood above all others, People of Gotham, we have not abandoned you."

"What does that mean?" John asked.

"It means we're on our own," Gordon replied.

I leaned back in my seat and looked outside the window. Great.

"I have to get in front of the camera," he said.

"Sir, they'll kill you the second you show your face," John reminded him.

"The Mayor's dead. I'm the symbol of law and order. Bane says he's giving Gotham back to the people, they need to know that I could lead!" Gordon strained.

"Bane's not gonna let that happen," John argued.

"Then he'll show his true colors," Gordon said.

"And you'll be dead," John said.

I looked at my cell phone, and highlighted the name Bruce. Where are you?

~*TDKR*~