A blizzard struck hard in the first week of January, postponing the first two catered events of the year. With her schedule suddenly wide open, Selina threw her energy into updating the Wayne Foundation notes. Life in the East End never changed much and she stayed up to date on anything that happened there, but she gathered recent newspapers to update Martha's information on parts of the city she was less familiar with. She also updated the roster of directors of Wayne Enterprises and added insights about those who had become her marks over the years.

She also added information about newer members of Gotham's elite who the Waynes never got to know, some of whom could be willing to donate to the Wayne Foundation and others who could be persuaded. Privately, she thought of those who fell into neither category, and whose money would instead go to the needy without their permission.

Bruce spent that time gathering his own information, updating himself on all of the activity of the company that bore his name and looking up all of the executives who guided that activity. Finally, as the end of the month approached, he was given his chance to make his pitch to the board. He and Selina spent the evening before the meeting in the parlor, going over everything they had gathered.

"I'm not going to try to get the foundation approved immediately," he told her. "I want to get it on their radar, but give them time to warm up to the idea."

"That makes sense."

"But when I do get it approved, I'll need someone to run it." He looked at her expectantly.

"Bruce, don't even think about it. I'm not qualified."

"I beg to differ."

"And there's more to it than that. The Wayne Foundation will need someone respectable, someone that can inspire the wealthy to donate."

"Are you saying you're not respectable?"

"Not to them."

He looked amused, but surely he had to understand her reasoning. She was a nobody from the East End, not someone that would inspire faith from those in Bruce's world.

"I'm serious, Bruce."

"I know. And while I know you're not giving yourself enough credit, I'm going to name Leslie as President of the foundation."

"Good." Selina felt relieved. "She's a much better choice."

"But she's too busy to run the daily operations."

"And I'm not qualified to run them. Besides, I already have a job."

He leaned back, studying her. "What do you think the job of Executive Director of the Wayne Foundation would entail?"

Selina sighed, looking at the journal and knowing exactly why he was asking that. "Running charity programs, hosting donor events, inspecting recipient institutions, managing outreach, donor research—"

"You would have a staff to help with that. And from what I've seen and heard, you could run a gala with your eyes closed at this point."

"Heard from who?"

"That's not important." She narrowed her eyes at him, but he ignored it. "The point is, you have a much better sense of what the job would entail than I do. Than anyone does, really."

"There are plenty of directors of local charities who could—"

"Who would have to be vetted. Some of these local charities misuse funds, others are fronts for Falcone or other criminals. I don't particularly care to do a pile of background research to find the few prospects who can be trusted for the job when there's one sitting beside me right now."

She pursed her lips. "I already have a job."

"You haven't seen what your starting salary would be."

"I don't know how I feel about you paying my salary."

"Your salary would come from the foundation."

"Which would mostly be funded by you. I've never been comfortable using your money, Bruce.

"It would be your money. Well-earned."

"That isn't the point."

He sighed. "Well, you've got plenty of time to think about it. This is all still hypothetical."

She looked down at the journal. She couldn't express to him her biggest reservation about the job. These were Martha's ideas, she had only updated them. The job of running the foundation should have been hers, and there was a gravity to being the one to take her place that Selina couldn't handle. Bruce thought that she was the natural choice, but he was wrong. She didn't deserve such a position, just as she had never deserved to be a part of his world in the first place.

"I should go. You should get a good night's sleep before the meeting."

"And you don't think I would get a good night's sleep with you here?"

She gave him a pointed look. "It's definitely less likely."

He leaned towards her and kissed her, but she pulled away. "Seriously, Bruce." She kissed his cheek, then stood. "Have Batman stop by my place tomorrow night, let me know how it goes."

"Why Batman?"

"Because Bruce Wayne shouldn't be seen walking into an apartment building near the East End when he's trying to gain respect among Gotham's elite."

He made a face, but knew she was right. "Fine," he said grumpily. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."


She was restless all day, wondering how it would go. When she got home from work, she immediately dressed as Catwoman, even though she knew it would be at least an hour before he arrived. Climbing up to the roof, she paced along the edge, keeping an eye out for him and an ear out for any trouble that might need her attention.

The sound of a scream from a nearby alley reached her first, and she took off, swinging down to where a trio of thugs had cornered a couple. She quickly took out the first two, but the third managed to get out of range of her whip and pull out a gun.

She had a split second to brace herself for what would be the first test of her kevlar.

And then he was there, gliding out of the night with his cape billowing and landing right in front of the gun that was aimed at her. The bullet bounced off of his gauntlet, and the thug was soon bound tightly.

She turned to the victims. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you. Both of you."

"You're welcome."

The couple beelined out of the alley, and Catwoman turned to Batman. "Good timing."

"I didn't mean to make such a dramatic entrance."

She chuckled. "It suits you. Care to get us back up top?" She wrapped her arms around him, and he placed one hand tightly around her waist and drew his grapnel launcher with the other.

The experience of shooting upwards was more jarring than she had anticipated, and she felt a little dizzy as they landed back on the rooftop. "I definitely prefer climbing the old-fashioned way."

"This is faster." He stowed the launcher. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It's not like I have a weak constitution."

"I'm aware of that."

"So how did the meeting go?"

He grimaced. "Let's patrol."

"That well, huh?" But she fell into step beside him, and they once again stalked the rooftops of Gotham together.

"They're giving me a position on the board," he said finally, "and offering me a job in the Communications Department. Entry-level."

She imagined him sitting at a little desk in a cubicle, and suppressed her laughter. "Well, that is where most people start out."

"Not the company's majority stakeholder." The Batman voice made him sound exceedingly grumpy.

"Aw, come on." She nudged him playfully. "Show them that you can handle the basic 9-to-5, and then they'll trust you with more."

"I'm a late riser."

She cocked her head, but realized what he meant. He wouldn't be getting much sleep at all if he kept going out as Batman and took a job with normal hours during the day. "So Gotham might have to be left to the police on weeknights."

"I can't do that, Cat."

She arched a brow at the old pet name, which had a whole different meaning now. "That's the way it works in most other cities in the world."

"I have to protect the people of Gotham."

"That's what Batman needs. What about what Bruce Wayne needs?"

"This is my priority."

She sighed.

"Why are you opposed to that?"

"Because the fewer nights you go out, the safer you'll be."

He didn't say anything to that.

They took down another group of thugs that were trying to rob a convenience store. Catwoman allowed him to carry her up with the grapnel launcher again, now that she knew what to expect.

"So what did the board say about the Wayne Foundation?"

He scoffed. "They're open to the idea as a means of improving the company's reputation."

She rolled her eyes beneath her goggles. "Right, because that's the important reason. Go figure."


It didn't take Bruce long to come up with a solution. Instead of accepting the job in the Communications Department, he got Mr. Fox to offer him a job in R&D. The board was unimpressed, reasoning that the communications job would provide him with a better foundation for working his way up through the company and eventually becoming CEO. Bruce countered that in R&D, he would gain insight into the cutting-edge technologies that would drive the company's future profits.

Of course, the important part was that Mr. Fox would allow him flexible hours. And since he had his own entrance to the department, no one would know when he arrived for work in the middle of the afternoon.

"Maybe you should stay there," Catwoman commented after his first day on the job. "You can sleep late and keep a low profile."

"People will eventually start to wonder if I no longer seem interested in moving up through the company."

"Just make it seem like you're really enjoying the work and are content to stay there."

He was silent for a moment. "But I do eventually want to run the company."

"Even if the journey there means fewer nights as Batman?"

He pursed his lips.


She celebrated her birthday at the manor, just like last year. Bruce wanted to take her out to a fancy dinner, but she argued that he shouldn't be seen with her.

"Do you really think that dating a woman from the East End would hurt my public image?"

"It will draw scrutiny, especially from those who think that they or their daughters would be a better fit by your side. And that attention wouldn't be good for either of us." She crossed her arms. "The last thing I need is Vicki Vale wanting to interview me as the woman who stole Bruce Wayne's heart."

"But you are the woman who stole Bruce Wayne's heart."

He didn't know just how good she was at stealing things. "I don't want the attention, and all the jealousy that will come with it."

"We will have to come out eventually. It's not as if we can just keep this hidden forever."

She pursed her lips, silencing her instinctive reply that he might not want to be with her forever. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I'd rather just celebrate my birthday with you and Holly and Alfred and Leslie anyway."

He couldn't argue with that reasoning, so they had a quiet celebration with the family. But it soon became clear from his body language that he had something else in mind, and that he was nervous about how she would react.

After Leslie left and Holly and Alfred retired to their rooms, she turned to him. "What are you planning?" she asked accusingly.

He managed a smirk, although he still looked nervous. "Come with me."

He led her to the study, and she paused at the sight of the portrait of Thomas and Martha that now hung on the wall between the bookshelves. That portrait had previously hung in their wing of the house, somewhere Bruce and Selina rarely ever went when they were young.

So much for ever christening this room.

"That isn't the surprise," he told her, looking solemnly at the portrait.

She stared at the image of the couple who had been her surrogate parents for a year, a lump forming in her chest.

Bruce swung the portrait aside, revealing that it was on hidden hinges. She blinked as he pushed on a wood panel in the wall, and it too moved on hidden hinges.

"What?"

"Remember those secret entrances to the tunnels that Holly theorized about? This is one."

Selina's mouth fell open. It was exactly a year ago today that she and Holly and Alfred discovered the enormous cavern with the unreachable tunnels, and Holly speculated that there might be secret entrances in the manor.

"Come on." He disappeared, and she quickly followed, pulling the portrait and panel shut behind her. A dim light in the distance was all that lit the tunnel, but her eyes were used to quickly adjusting to darkness.

The tunnel sloped sharply at first, and then leveled off, and the light became more visible, as she got closer to the place where he was leading her, her mouth fell open again.

They stepped out onto a scaffold over the cavern, which looked nothing like it had a year ago. The floor was leveled off with metal plates and wiring ran along the walls, bringing power to the largest computer that Selina had ever seen.

Bruce pulled a lever, and the scaffold revealed itself to be an elevator that lowered them to the floor. Selina stared at the six huge screens on the front of the computer, and the large console beneath them. Beside the computer, Batman's armor rested on a mannequin that perfectly matched Bruce's size.

"What do you think?" he asked quietly.

"It's impressive." She looked around, remembering all of the bats that had occupied the cavern last year. "What happened to all of the bats?"

He pointed upwards. "Some of them are still in here." Then he looked towards the cave entrance. "But I opened up another branch of the cave where they can sleep undisturbed."

She smiled. "That was sweet of you."

"Thanks." He grinned, but then his expression turned tentative again.

"Is there more?"

"Yes." His voice had gone quiet again, and he approached something behind his armor that was covered by a black sheet. He pulled the sheet off, revealing a second mannequin that was her size and was wearing what looked like an exact copy of her suit.

"It's exactly the same as your other one." He pulled the mannequin forwards so that it stood beside his own. "In case Catwoman ever needs to leave from here."

She stared at the suit that now waited beside his own, as though he were making this cavern as much her base of operations as his own. Just as he believed that she belonged in the house above them as much as he did. "Thanks." Her voice came out quiet.

He looked at her, reading into her tone. His expression turned forlorn.

She quickly turned away from the mannequins, and noticed something else covered by a black sheet. "What's that?"

He approached the sheet and pulled it aside, revealing what looked like a large, advanced motorcycle. "Lucius keeps calling it the Batcycle. I'm not sold on that name."

She stared. "Since when do you know how to drive a motorcycle?"

"I learned while abroad."

Excitement bubbled within her. "Can you teach me?"

He met her stare with his own. "It's not as safe as a car."

"And yet here you are, with that."

"I'll be in full armor when I'm riding it."

"Then who is the helmet for?" She gestured to the large, black helmet that was currently locked to the back of the seat.

"Extra precaution."

"Really? You weren't planning to bring a date along?" She dropped her voice to a tone that she knew would affect him, and took a step towards the bike for emphasis.

"Selina..." His resolve visibly wavered. He was so easy to seduce.

"It's still my birthday, Bruce."

He sighed, and looked towards the mannequins. She grinned, and closed the remaining distance between them, kissing his neck. "Come on."

Just then, a loud noise sounded through the cave. The screens on the large computer came to life, showing an image of Gotham Central Bank with the word alarm blinking in large red letters over it.

He tensed, stepping away from her. "The alarm is going off at Gotham Central Bank."

"Yes, I gathered that much. How does your computer know?"

"I'll explain afterwards. Suit up."

"What?"

"You're coming along, aren't you, Catwoman?" He hurried over to the mannequins, beckoning for her to do the same.

She blinked. "Well, you did provide the suit just in case."

By the time she was ready, he was already straddling the bike. "Come on. The helmet is designed to fit over your ears."

She smirked. "So you did plan to bring a date along."

"Only a specific date in specific circumstances. This qualifies."

She chuckled under her breath as she put the helmet on and sat behind him on the seat, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. He activated the bike and sped towards the cave entrance.

After a moment, she stiffened, recalling the little chasm that she had followed Holly through. "Wait, this won't fit through the—" But then they were above ground, emerging through a hole that was much larger than she remembered.

Then they were on a paved road that crossed over the stream and joined up with the highway beyond the boundaries of the estate. "You've been busy." There was no indication that he could hear her over the wind and the whine of the engine.

She held on tightly as he sped into downtown and towards the bank, wondering if they would beat the cops there. They did, in fact, but arrived to find the front of the bank looking perfectly normal, with no sign of forced entry.

"There's a door in the back," she told him, pointing to the alley that ran beside the bank. He drove the bike right up to the door in question, which was ajar.

"Good thinking." He scrambled off the bike and through the door, and she took off the helmet and followed.

It was dark inside, and she activated her infrared vision mode. There was no sign of anyone. Switching to thermal vision, she confirmed that she and Bruce were the only ones present. "I guess they ran when the alarm went off."

But Bruce kept looking around. "Shouldn't there be a guard on the night shift?"

"Two, actually."

"Then where are they?"

Selina looked around. He was right, the guards weren't here, either.

She took a step closer to Bruce, looking around and bracing for an ambush.

"Freeze!" Then a flashlight was aimed at her face, and she covered her eyes. Two police officers entered behind them, one flashlight and one gun aimed at each of the vigilantes.

But then the flashlight that was on her lowered. "Catwoman?"

She recognized the voice. "S— Officer Bradley?"

Sam shifted his flashlight—and gun—towards Bruce. "What are you doing here?"

Selina quickly stepped between Bruce and the guns. "The same as you are, I assume. We're investigating."

"You two are working together?" It was the other cop that asked this question. He had an East End accent, and Selina felt relief at that.

"Yes."

Sam shifted his gun upwards, aiming above her head and right at Bruce's face.

"Put your gun down, Officer," she told him sharply, but he didn't move.

She reached behind her and tugged Bruce's arm downwards, trying to get him to crouch behind her, but he stood tall and stared Sam down.

Why were the men in her life so stubborn? "Now, Sam."

Sam waited another moment, then lowered the gun.

"You two know each other?" the other officer asked.

"I helped him with a few arrests, a long time ago," Selina replied, emphasizing the last part of that sentence. With both flashlights aimed away from her now, she was able to see Sam's face fall at her comment.

And then she felt Bruce's hand go to her waist, and knew that he knew what she wasn't saying. He was staking his claim over her like some Neanderthal, and Sam's gaze immediately snapped to the contact.

The other officer was oblivious to the tension as he looked around. "So if you guys didn't set off the alarm, who—"

Then two more flashlights appeared at the door, scanning all four of them. "What's going on here?" one of the new arrivals asked.

The yet-unnamed cop snapped to attention like a military cadet. "Lieutenant Gordon, Sir! We arrived on the scene and found the two vigilantes. They say they are also investigating."

The nearer of the two flashlights lowered, and Selina got a look at the face of Lieutenant Gordon. She recognized him from the galas.

"There doesn't appear to be anyone else here," the cop continued.

"Including the guards." Bruce's Batman voice was as much of a growl as ever. "They're missing."

The other new flashlight panned around the room, and Selina caught a glimpse of the female detective from the galas.

"Nothing else is out of place," said Bruce. "It seems as though whoever broke in was only here for the guards, nothing else."

"No signs of any struggle," said the female detective. "No traces of gas or flashbangs. No indication of how they subdued the guards."

"Perhaps at gunpoint," Bruce offered.

"The guards should be trained on how to handle that."

Lieutenant Gordon shifted his light back to the vigilantes. "You two showed up after the alarm went off?"

"Yes, Detective."

"And how did you know about it? You just happened to be in the area?"

"Yes. We were... out... together." Bruce's growl emphasized the last word, and Selina guessed that he was drawing satisfaction from the way that Sam stiffened.

The brute.

Gordon held the flashlight on them for a few more seconds, then lowered it. "Alright, let's take a look around. I know you two are good at getting up to the rooftops quickly. If you can give us a bird's eye view, that would be helpful."

Selina was surprised that the detective was willing to work with them, especially knowing that he was friendly with Harvey, who was firmly anti-vigilante.

"Yes, Detective," Bruce replied again.

"Is that your motorcycle outside?"

"Yes. It's best if you don't touch. There are... security features in place."

"Nothing illegal, I hope."

Bruce stayed silent for a moment. "This is Gotham."

Gordon arched a brow, then gave a small shrug. "Touché. Let's get out there."

All six of them went outside, and Bruce promptly drew his grapnel launcher. He wrapped his other arm tightly around Selina, and he and Sam stared each other down for a moment before he fired the launcher and pulled her up into the air with him.

"You didn't have to act like a damn Neanderthal down there." She said as soon as they were on the roof.

"What are you talking about?"

"Staking your claim on me in front of him?"

"You two have history." It wasn't a question.

"It was a long time ago. And it was brief, and never meant much to me."

"But it meant something to him."

She sighed. "You don't have to worry about him, Bats."

"That remains to be seen. Let's figure out what's going on here."

He circled the edge of the roof, peering into the darkness. On the far side of the building, he crouched down. "I see the guards. They're unconscious." Then he was leaping off and gliding down, and Selina hurried after him.

"Detective Gordon," Bruce growled loudly as he stood over the two guards. Both of them jerked awake, and stared up at him.

"The Batman?"

Bruce didn't say anything until the four police officers arrived from around the back of the building. Then he began questioning the guards. "What happened?"

The guards looked at each other and hurried to their feet. They both looked nervous. "There was a redheaded chick," said one of them.

"Yeah, and she was wearing some weird, green mask, so we couldn't see her face," said the other one."

"But she was dressed nice."

"And she asked us to come outside."

The female detective scoffed, but didn't otherwise interrupt them.

"She led us over here, and then..."

The guards exchanged another glance, and one of them shrugged. "She had some kind of powder on her hands, I think. She blew it in our faces."

"And then we were out, until just now."

"Some kind of powder?" Gordon repeated.

"We couldn't tell you what it was, Sir."

"A red-haired woman in a green mask," said Bruce.

"And seductive clothing," the female detective added dryly.

"Yes, Ma'am and, uh, Sir."

"She didn't take anything from you? Or from the bank?" Gordon asked.

Both guards patted their pockets. "No, Sir. She just opened the door, and when we went to investigate, she led us out here."

"That makes no sense," said Sam, eyeing the guards skeptically.

"It's the truth, Officer."

"Maybe this was a test of whatever that powder was," the other cop suggested.

"Quite a dramatic way to conduct such a test," Gordon replied skeptically, and Selina agreed. There was definitely more to it than that.

"Well, whatever she was after, she's probably long gone by now," said Bruce. He turned to Gordon. "We'll be on our way, Detective."

The detective looked like he was reluctant to let them go. "I don't suppose you'll show up to give witness statements?"

"You saw and heard everything that we did," Bruce countered.

The detective pursed his lips. Behind him, Sam frowned.

"Fine," Gordon relented. "But stay out of trouble, both of you."

"Yes, Detective."


"Those guards were lying," Bruce said as he dismounted from the bike when they were back in the cave.

Selina had also gotten that vibe, but she was surprised that he was so sure. "How do you know?"

"Another thing that I was trained in over the years." He took off his cowl and went over to the computer, beginning to type. "A red-haired woman with a green mask."

After taking off her helmet and her own cowl, Selina approached him from behind, lightly scratching his armor with her claws. "Isn't this the part that is handled by the detectives?"

"Only if I can't figure it out first."

"Bruce..." She glanced at the clock. Her birthday had ended hours ago now. "It's late."

"Let me just see if I can find anything."

She sighed and began unzipping her suit, then paused as she got a better idea. Dropping her tone, she sauntered around in front of him. "It may not be my birthday anymore, but I still plan to have you beneath me in bed before the morning comes."

His fingers faltered, and his gaze met hers.

"And don't you want to know what it's like to strip this suit off of me?"

In a heartbeat, he was kissing her, and his hand rose to her zipper.


She awoke to the sound of hard knocking on his bedroom door. Behind her, Bruce groaned into her skin. "Alfred?"

"Yes, Master Bruce," Alfred replied through the door.

"What is it?"

Selina pulled the blanket over their shoulders as Alfred opened the door. "My apologies, Master Bruce, Miss Kyle, but you have a visitor."

"Tell them that I'm unavailable."

"I did, Sir. Her reply was that she knows that you were out late last night with your pet cat."

Selina's eyes snapped open, and she took in the anxious expression on Alfred's face.

"We'll be right out," said Bruce.

"Very good, Sir. She's awaiting you in the parlor."

He shut the door, and Bruce scrambled out of bed, with Selina following. She didn't have any decent clothing in the room, so she took her favorite of his robes, a fluffy black one with gold lining.

He also only put on a robe, perhaps so they could easily return to bed afterwards, and led the way out of the room. They both paused at the entrance to the parlor. "Julie?"

Freckles sat comfortably on the couch, her hair a brighter red than ever. She was wearing a green dress that dipped low over the center of her chest and rode up her legs as she sat.

Holly was standing behind the opposite couch, her arms crossed and her glare locked on the woman. Selina nearly growled aloud at the knowledge that Freckles had likely insulted her in some way.

"Bruce!" She stood and hurried over to him, pulling him into a hug. "It's so good to see you after all this time!"

"What are you doing here, Julie?"

She pulled away, her face falling into a frown. "Why, hello, Julie. It's so good to see you too. I missed you too."

He sighed. "It's good to see you," he said with no sincerity in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

She returned to her place on the couch, and gestured to the opposite one. "Please, sit," she said as though she were the mistress of the manor.

Bruce took Selina's hand and led her to the other couch, pulling her down beside him and keeping her close with his arm around her waist. Selina felt no small amount of satisfaction as Freckles glared at the arm.

"I didn't think that you would go right back to her," she said bitterly.

"Don't start with that," said Bruce.

She glanced up at Holly. "And now you've taken in another stray. I didn't realize that this was going to become your thing."

"Who are you calling a stray, bi—"

"Holly," Bruce cut her off. "Why don't you give us some time to talk alone?" He gave her an apologetic look.

"Gladly," the girl replied angrily, and stormed out of the parlor, shutting the door behind her.

"This house is starting to feel more like an orphanage than a home," Freckles commented.

"What are you doing here, Julie?" Bruce asked again, his voice nearly reaching his Batman growl.

"Ooh, that voice. It was nice to hear last night, but now..." She gave a mock shudder.

He stared at her. "You were the woman in the green mask?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Well, I had to confirm my suspicion somehow. I was going to try the damsel in distress act, but that would have been too obvious."

"Your suspicion?"

She gave a small smile. "Bruce, I spent my childhood staring at that jaw. Did you think I wouldn't recognize it?"

He frowned. "So you broke into the bank to get a good look at me?"

"Broke in? Hardly. I simply knocked on the door and let the guards get a good look at me." She gestured to her dress. "Between this and a little extra green for their pockets, they were delighted to do whatever I asked."

"So they followed you away from the bank and let Selina and I enter undisturbed. What was the powder that you used to knock them out?"

Freckles laughed at that. "That? I was just pretending with some fairy dust. Remember how I used to dress up as Tinkerbell for Halloween?"

"Yes. So they were only pretending to be unconscious?"

"Of course, Bruce. I never broke open any doors or hurt anyone."

"And I suppose we'll just overlook the bribery?"

"We will, yes."

Selina narrowed her eyes. "You were there when we entered the bank?"

Freckles didn't look pleased that she had spoken up. "Yes."

"How did you not show up on our thermal vision?"

"Come now, a woman has to keep some of her secrets. Don't you agree?"

Selina worked very hard to keep her expression steady. There was no way that Freckles could know the secrets that she was still keeping from Bruce.

Freckles arched a manicured brow at her. "I suppose it's a good thing you were there last night. I didn't want to have to threaten Bruce, and now I don't." She looked at him. "You'll give me what I want, or everyone will find out exactly who your pet cat is, including the less-than-savory circumstances in which we all met."

He grit his teeth. "And what do you want?"

"I want the same thing that I've always wanted, Bruce: You."

Selina barely resisted the temptation to lunge at her and claw the freckles off her face.

"I'll still let you play with your pet, of course. Just about every man worth a fortune keeps at least one mistress on the side. But I'll be the one on your arm whenever we're out in public. And by the end of the year..." She leaned forward, enhancing his view as she pulled a small box from a pocket of her dress. She opened it, revealing a platinum ring with a pale sapphire. "You'll propose to me with this, and we'll announce our engagement at the Christmas Gala at Wayne Enterprises. It will cause as much of a stir as your appearance did at the last one."

"I don't recall seeing you at the gala."

"I wasn't there." Bitterness returned to her voice. "But I'll be present at all of them from now on, as the future Mrs. Wayne."

Selina bristled, placing her arm firmly over Bruce's around her waist.

"So, Bruce, do we have a deal? Or will Gotham find out that their beloved Catwoman is really just a pesky little thief who comes from nothing?"

"Is this really what you want, Julie? A loveless marriage?"

"It won't be loveless. There's always been something between us, even if she blinded you to it when we were kids. Give me a chance to show you the life that you're really meant to have, the future that your parents wanted for you."

Selina tightened her hand over Bruce's, knowing that Freckles was probably right on that count.

"And this is about more than just you and me, Bruce. Gotham society will never accept you marrying a street rat. You'll be an outcast, the man who drove your family's reputation into the ground. Wayne Enterprises will have to remove your name from the company, or risk losing investor confidence and going bankrupt in a matter of years. You'll go from being the Prince of Gotham to becoming its pariah."

Bruce went very tense.

"You have so much potential, Bruce. You can do so much more for the world, be so much more than just the Batman. You can't throw all that away for her. Let me help you. Let me save your family's reputation and your power to truly do good in the world."

He looked down, his features as hard as stone. "You've made your pitch, Julie. Let me think about it."

She smiled and stood. Smoothing out her dress, she circled around the coffee table and leaned down, kissing his cheek. "I missed you so much. Don't take too long to decide." With only a brief glance at Selina, she went to the door and opened it. "Alfred? We're finished in here."

"Very good, Miss Madison. Shall I escort you out?"

"Certainly, Alfred. You've always been a dear."

Bruce stayed still until long after she was gone, his arm staying tight around Selina. She moved her hand to his leg, tentatively squeezing. "Hey."

He blinked, as though he had forgotten for a moment that he wasn't alone despite the way he was keeping her pressed against him. With a heavy sigh, he leaned back and looked at her. "I'll figure out a way out of this."

There was a lipstick stain on his cheek, and she quickly reached up to wipe it off, wiping her hand on his robe. "Bruce..." She hesitated, not wanting to say the words that she knew had to be said. "She made some good points."

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Your world will never accept me. They didn't when we were kids, and they won't now." She paused, but forced herself to continue speaking. "I can never be Mrs. Wayne, Bruce. We've always known that."

He looked away from her, his arm going slack as she hit him with the truth that he had always tried to deny.

"Maybe this is for the best," she went on, each line more painful than the last. "She'll let us be together in private, and we get to keep being Batman and Catwoman. And as far as the public will know, you'll be a respectable young prince dating a respectable young princess. And eventually... marrying her." She was glad that he was looking away; she didn't want him to see the pain in her eyes as she said this.

"Do you really feel that that's what has to happen?"

"Yes, Bruce, I do."

He looked at her, and she quickly looked away from the hurt in his eyes. She couldn't be here anymore. Standing, she pulled off his hand and fled to her room, managing to shut the door before her tears started emerging.