*1 month ago - 11:32pm*

I shivered as I stepped outside the bar into the cool November air. Ricky grabbed my free hand, as my other hand was carrying a bouquet of flowers he had given me earlier.

"I think I want microwave s'mores when we get back," I stated confidently.

"That sounds good." He smiled at me charmingly. "So, hear me out. What if, instead of graham crackers for s'mores, we use oreos?"

"I mean, you're basically a genius."

The street was filled with parked cars and the sounds of our drunken laughter. The keys jangled in Ricky's hand as he got them out to unlock our apartment.

"I'm not ready to go to bed," I whined.

"Me neither. Let's keep going." He kissed me on the cheek.

"Wooo!" I put my hands up, as Ricky walked to our liquor cabinet. "You wanna know something funny? Batgirl now has her own Instagram."

"Um… why?"

"I figured it'd be fun. Some of the Titans have accounts. Mainly, I'm thinking it could help with the relationship between vigilantes and Gotham."

"But why?"

"I just said why."

"If you want to post sexy pictures of yourself all over the internet, fine."

"What do you mean? It's not like th-"

"You didn't even ask me. What does your boyfriend think of that?"

"Boyfriend? Are you talking about Batman? Why would you ever think that? Second, they're not sexy pictures. It's just me in my Batgirl gear."

"How would I know?! You haven't shown me!"

"I can, if you want." My head spun. I reached for my phone to show him but immediately pulled my hand back. He was still talking. I didn't want him to think I was ignoring his rant by getting my phone. Head still spinning, unsure of what to do next, I looked down, internally embracing myself, going numb, expressionless, waiting for the yelling, name calling, and cursing to stop. It would pass. It always does, then it'd all be okay. I just had to let him get it out. He started clapping his hands in my face then banging his hands on the counters as loudly as he could. I sank into myself. A towel hit my face, and my eyes snapped back to him as he towered over me continuing to rant.

"-you selfish bitch! You still haven't shown me!"

"Hey, we're both drunk. Let's talk about this in the morning."

"FUCK YOU. NO! YOU DO NOT GET TO STONEWALL ME AGAIN."

"I'm not. I ju-"

"DON'T INTERRUPT ME. SHOW ME SOME RESPECT."

Knowing I wouldn't get anywhere with him or myself in this state, I started heading towards our bedroom. "Ow," I said softly, as Ricky grabbed my wrist and yanked me back towards him. His spit hit my face. Shaking him loose, I just continued towards the bedroom. "Fuck you!" I heard him say from the other side of the door. I sat there for a moment in shock, a little unsure of what just happened. I wiped my face with the back of my hand. As I walked to our bed, I buried myself under the sheets, and pulled out my phone. I numbly scrolled through Instagram, on my personal account, to try to distract myself from the stomping outside the door. My thumb stopped abruptly as it landed on a picture of Kori and Dick kissing, both of them holding a sonogram picture.

Feelings still evading my conscious, I poked my head out from under the covers, tossed my phone on the floor, and stared at the wall with dry eyes, listening to the TV play at a ridiculously high volume. 'It is a little weird that Batgirl has an account. Maybe he's right in saying those things,' I thought.

The door creaked open a few minutes later.

"Hi, baby," he whispered, as he wrapped his arms around me and got into bed. "I'm so sorry I reacted so poorly. That was totally unjustified. I'll make you some waffles and your favorite tea in the morning, okay?" He kissed my forehead.

I smiled slightly, feeling my tension melt away in his embrace. "I didn't mean to mislead you. The photos. They're really not sexy. I promise. It's not about that."

"Well, everyone sees female heroes as sex objects."

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is. Why do you think Wonder Woman is always the cover of all those magazines, or why Supergirl is-"

"Let's talk in the morning. I'm tired and still drunk." My breath got caught in my chest as he abruptly stood up and left, slamming the door as hard as he could. With a shaky exhale, a couple of tears rolled down my cheek, despite my emotional numbness.


*Meanwhile*

"Batman, I was wondering when you'd find me," a pasty white man with greasy black hair said.

"Where is he?" I growled as I pinned a man against the brick wall in the alley. Based on my sources, he had to be Cornelius Stirk's accomplice.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

His spit hit my face. The sound of the man's arm breaking echoed in the alley along with a cry of pain "WHERE?"

I heard someone land softly on the pavement behind me and glanced over my shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"I'm a little busy right now, Cat." Grabbing the front of the man's shirt, I asked him my question again. "WHERE IS HE?"

"Fi- fine. He's at an abandoned apartment complex in East Burnside. On second street."

After handcuffing the man to a stair railing, I pressed a button on my watch, calling my car. "I'll see you in a couple hours."

I sighed solemnly as I heard her whisper, "Happy Anniversary" and kept walking.

*The next night*

The sound of my pacing footsteps echoed off the cave walls, waiting for Bruce to get off the batcomputer. "You need to turn down the heat in here. It's hot as hell," I stated while putting my hair up in a ponytail and taking off my sweatshirt, leaving me in my leggings and a tank top. "Your wedding is next week. You sure you don't want to take one week off?" Bruce did not respond to my question, as expected. "So, where's Alfred? Was there a particular reason why you called me here?

My ears twitched as I heard Bruce sigh. It was barely audible. The sound of my echoing footsteps continued as I approached the computer and placed my hands on the counsel, leaning against it. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. Alfred is taking two-months off to go visit some friends in England. He'll be back around the time the boys return."

"So, he isn't coming to your wedding?"

"Selina left me yesterday. I asked Alfred to stay there and give me some time alone."

I said nothing. Shock and concern painted my face.

"It's fine. Don't want to talk about it. Just letting you know." He made direct eye contact with me. His eyes looked so certain, but I could see the hurt buried inside them. He could tell I saw right through him. His gaze shifted down, landing on my hands. He gently grabbed my wrist, observing it.

"Tightened my gauntlets too hard," I responded without hesitation, pulling my hand away. I knew there was a bruise from last night, but I didn't want him to worry. It was nothing. He wouldn't understand.

His eyebrows furrowed with concern. "They're the shape of fingers."

I felt like a laser was going through me, as his eyes analyzed every detail in my face.

I panicked. "It's from when I was on patrol."

"Did Ricky do this?" he asked calmly.

"It was an accident. We were drunk, and he just grabbed me too hard to bring me somewhere. It was nothing. No big deal."

He opened his mouth to say something else, but I interrupted.

"It's nothing. Promise. Let's go on patrol." His fingers slipped off my wrist softly, as I floated away to change.