"The rain...its pretty great isn't it?" I said taking a deep breath. Gotham was experiencing a torrential downpour, but the boss still wanted to go out tonight.

We were trying to stay somewhat less waterlogged under an awning on one of the rooftops.

"Am I missing something here?" he asked.

I loved the rain, but for very specific reasons. I was a bit irritated that I wasn't capitalizing on one of those reasons right now. Time to get blunt, he was raining on my rain parade and I was not exactly thrilled.

"When it rains like this in Gotham nobody is coming out. And you know what I love most about the rain, besides the lack of criminal activity?" I asked.

No verbal response was given, but I just continued on, "It gives me a night to curl up on the couch and watch a movie or read a book without me feeling guilty that I'm not out here patrolling the streets."

"You wanted this," he responded a bit cold and irritated.

I wanted to argue, but what he said was true. I did sign up for this and he wasn't twisting my arm to stay. I just wished I could have a break sometimes. Doesn't he ever want a break? Instead of arguing or trying to figure out what Batman thinks, I decided to just smile at him and change the direction of the conversation. I didn't want to be angry and I didn't want an argument. Sometimes I wish Dick would have done the same more often.

"You know what else is great about the rain?"

"What?" Verbal response this time, I could see the faintest of a faint smile on his face. Sometimes I'm shocked that Bruce finds anything at the slightest amusing. I looked out to the Gotham skyline and continued on.

"I love the smell of it. Especially if it hasn't rained for a long time, you can smell this scent in the air that is so refreshing, at least to me it is. It's the hardest thing to explain. I know there is a word for it. Its on the tip of my tongue."

"Petrichor," he replied without hesitating.

"That's it, petrichor," I smiled and looked towards him. When I looked, his demeanor felt like I caught him doing something wrong and for a moment we were just staring at each other. I broke the silence with another remark, "These are the times you're useful."

"To remind you of words you've forgotten?" he scoffed a bit finally looking away and out to the streets.

"Yes. You being a know-it-all is actually not annoying at the moment. Yeah, at this moment; because a few moments ago you were absolutely annoying."

"I don't know everything," he said giving me just a glance this time.

"Could have fooled me," I stopped smiling, mostly because it was a bit disturbing for Bruce to say something like that for some reason. He's always so sure of himself. I looked out with my binoculars to break up the tension and to see if there was anything going on at a distance.

"Lets head back. It is earlier than I like, but I suppose you're right. Nothing is going on tonight. You're going to have to stay the night though. The access roads to the manor are subjected to flash flooding."

I pictured myself drowning in my car. It was a piece of junk, but it was my piece of junk that I bought at a police auction a couple of years ago. "Yeah, I don't feel like drowning in an old Crown Vic tonight."

He finally smirked at that comment and fired a grapple gun in the direction of where we left the Batmobile.

The bullpen at the GCPD was at its normal level of activity today. I took my normal short cut from the entrance to my desk. The shortcut always required me to go by the holding cells. So just a normal day until I spotted someone who shouldn't be there. It took me a moment to process it, I had to back up and do a double take to make sure I was seeing whom I was seeing. It was him alright and he was in big trouble.

"Oh this I've got hear. What'd you get taken in for, Tim?"

He recognized me immediately and started to blush. He got up from the bench he was sitting on and walked up to the bars. "Tagging."

"Tagging?" I gave him a strange look.

"I'm working a case. I need to get the other kids to trust me, so I took the fall."

"So Bruce knows about this?"

"Not really."

I crossed my arms. I didn't like it when Tim did things on his own. He was still a kid, and I was always worried he would get hurt.

"That was dumb," I replied.

I saw Bruce walk into the station, not looking happy at all.

Bruce was mad, I was mad, but I didn't want the kid and him fighting each other. So I decided to try and diffuse the situation.

"I found something of yours." I gave a small grin. He wasn't amused.

"Their case is fuzzy and circumstantial," Tim said as sweetly as possible.

"Aw, words every father wants to hear from their son," I replied. Bruce finally cracked a little. I didn't know if it was for our benefit or if he was just keeping up his carefree billionaire playboy persona.

"I'm going to have to put that in our Christmas letter," he replied sharply.

"What do you mean by 'fuzzy and circumstantial'?" I said getting down to business.

"I never actually painted anything and I didn't even touch the spray can. The cop that brought me in just saw them at my feet as the other kids ran away."

"So you want them to run prints on the cans and that'll clear you? Not gonna happen. I doubt he even picked up the cans to use as evidence. It's going to be just your word against his, which his is going to mean more. Who was the officer that brought you in?"

"Foley," he replied. Great it had to be Foley.

"Great kid. You could have at least been arrested by a cop that was more lenient. This guy follows the book down to the letter."

"Is this going to be a problem?" Bruce asked me.

"I hope not," I soon realized something humorous and had to share. "Huh, imagine that. I think this is the first time we are having trouble because a cop follows the rules."

"Gotham never stops surprising me," he grinned. The irony wasn't lost on him either.

We both spotted Foley as he walked in with another perp he picked up from patrol. The guy was your standard Gotham scumbag: tattoos, ski mask, wife beater…did these guys have a convention or something. Is it where they decide what the uniform is going to be? Or is it just in their DNA?

"Just wait in the wings for now Bruce. I'll signal you when it's your turn," I walked off confidant. It was time to turn up the charm. My dad always said that I could sell ice to Eskimos. I always thought it was because I was his little girl and had him wrapped around my little finger. Time to test his theory.

"Foley, we need to talk," I said sweetly but assertively.

"Barbara, I'm kind busy right," he made his perp sit down and cuffed him to a chair next to his desk.

"I'm in no rush. Take your time slick. I could look at this all day," the perp said as he was eyeing me up and down. Because Foley wasn't a bad guy, he became angry and was about to shut up the perp with force. I stepped between them and put up my finger up to Foley, motioning to just give me one second. I turned around to face the guy and stared him down. The perp stopped smiling and his eyes darted around.

"What are you staring at?" He then started making kissy noises. I continued to stare him down. He was shifting in his seat.

"You starting to feel uncomfortable?"

He stopped looking and his eyes met the floor. Ok now, where was I.

"Have you processed the paper work yet on the boy yet?" I pointed over to Tim. He in turn smiled and waved.

"No I haven't, why?" Foley looked at me with a bit of dread in his eyes.

"I think you should let him go. It's going to save you a lot of time and I think Rico Suave here wants you're full attention today." The perp smirked when I said that so I shot him another glare.

"No way. The kid was tagging Barb. If we want people to follow the law we need to enforce the law on crimes like tagging as well," he said giving me a "hell no" look.

"You are absolutely right, but in this case I know that he will be punished properly, isn't that right Bruce?"

Bruce strode right to us. I couldn't help but notice him giving a sharp glare at the perp who was giving me trouble earlier.

"You've got to be kidding me," Foley said looking at me stunned, "just cause the kid comes from a rich family doesn't mean he is going to get off on this charge."

Time to turn up the charm Bruce, cause this customer isn't buying my snake oils.

"Officer Foley. I understand where you're coming from but Tim has only been living with me for nine months. I took him in when his father died and before then he was pretty much living on his own. You could only imagine the petty crime the kid got into just to survive out there," Bruce said as charming and sympathetic as possible.

"Mister Wayne," Bruce cut off Foley.

"Listen the kid slipped up. If he gets charged he will get kicked out of Gotham Academy. He is actually doing really well there and I'm afraid that if he goes to public school he will fall into the wrong crowd again. You will be helping him more by dropping the charges," Bruce's comments were actually sort of factual.

Foley sighed and looked at me. I just smiled in response. He kept his frown while he responded, "Fine. I suppose you're right."

"Thank you Officer Foley. Don't worry, he will be wishing he didn't break the law once he's done cleaning Wayne Manor from top to bottom. I'm sure my caretaker will love having to do only half the work for a month," Bruce smiled at me like it was some kind of inside joke. Well I guess it was an inside joke.

"Whatever, just tell the kid that if I see him in here for something as much as paying a ticket for jay walking, I'll throw the book at him," Foley walked with us to where he was holding Tim. He unlocked the door but didn't open it yet. Instead he spoke to Tim.

"You know kid, most people in this city don't have someone who cares for them as much as Mister Wayne here does, let alone a woman like Ms. Gordon here. I'd straighten up and fly right for now on," Foley opened the door to let our little "miscreant" out.

"Yes sir," Tim saluted, "straight as an arrow for now on." Bruce shot Tim a look that said now wasn't the time to be a smart ass. Tim quickly stopped acting so jovial and they both left before Foley could change his mind.

"Thanks Foley. I owe you one," I said.

"Yea, well I just hope you know what you're doing. I only did it because you seem to have your head on straight. Don't make this a habit though."

"Don't worry, but thanks for doing the right thing."

"That's yet to be seen," Foley said walking back to his perp.

If you only knew Foley, I guess you're just going to have to trust me.