I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!

And so, I begin the final Chapter of the Arkham series. I've...changed a few things up in the game so please, please don't be too mad at me when they happen, all right? Enjoy!

Chapter One

Surprise Visit

"I'm telling you, you act just like him. Roger Smith is the Bruce Wayne of Paradigm City."

"You do understand that you're comparing me to an anime character, right?"

"You run around at night in tights shaped like a bat; you have no say."

Bruce Wayne gave a chuckled as he messed with the cufflinks on his suit. "So, this Roger Smith...you like him?"

"Of course! He was one of the first characters I had a crush on when I was younger; that and his voice actor is just to die for."

"Is that right?" The man turned from the mirror and stared at the woman that was sitting in his office. "If you keep talking about him like that, I'm afraid I'll get jealous."

Her laughter made his smirk widen. "He fights in a giant robot and you fight with your fists. I prefer the more physical approach, if you know what I mean."

Bruce laughed again as the woman wiggled her eyebrows at him. It had been nine months since the horrid events of Arkham City, eight months since the very woman before him had forced her way into his manor and socked him good in the face; she ended up hurting herself more than him though, and he loved to tease her about it.

Taylor Carmichael was still the same firecracker that he had met nearly two years ago at Arkham Asylum. She loved both Bruce and Batman and accepted everything about him. She didn't ask for anything and though he tried to shower her with gifts, she would always refuse them. She wasn't after his money or status like other women in his past had been. She just wanted him.

There was one gift that she couldn't refuse from him, though.

Make that two.

"You look wonderful in that dress." He told her. He moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, leaning over the couch.

"But Bruce," She whined. "I'm getting fat!"

He placed a kiss on the side of her neck. "No, you're pregnant; there's a difference."

The first gift was the child currently growing in her stomach. After the events nine months ago, after she punched him, he couldn't help himself and they took the next step in their relationship. It didn't take very long for her to get pregnant; not when they went at it like freaking rabbits. She was 36 weeks along, the child due soon. Though she told Bruce he was being a worry-wart, he insisted on her staying at his Manor with him the moment he found out and there she had been since. Her brother, Dylan, was happy to have their apartment all to himself and Taylor had cursed him out for turning her room into his own private green house. It didn't help that Bruce had taken all her things and given her her own private room in his manor without telling her, not that she used it, anyway.

That was another thing that Bruce adored about the woman before him. She didn't try to tell him to stop being Batman or demand that he let Dick or Tim take over. Instead she told him to kick ass, stay safe, and return before dawn. He always found her waiting in his bed for him, her book she had been reading underneath her or finding her stretched out in the most strangest of positions due to her growling belly.

Those were his favorite to come home to. He couldn't count how many pictures he had taken of her and teased the next morning.

In her early thirties now, Taylor had cut her long golden-brown hair into a bob just barely long enough to pull back but her grey eyes still held the same fierce, strong look they always had. Tonight she was dressed in a cream colored gown, sleeveless and with pearls sitting upon her throat; they had been his mother's pearls.

That was the second gift she could not refuse.

Taylor's pregnancy was announced all over Gotham, not only because she was dating Bruce Wayne, but because of the exploits that she had dealt with in the City and the Asylum. Some people frowned upon their relationship, many stuck to the old ways of marriage before children, but neither of them cared. Bruce had already promised her marriage after the child was born and she tried to brush it aside but he insisted upon it.

With her being pregnant though, Bruce found himself more protective over her than ever. If he wasn't with her then her brother was, though Dylan did that without even being asked. Bruce had even assigned Tim to escort her places and the two of them would enjoy a laugh over him.

"Just a little longer now," He kissed the side of her neck again. "Are you sure you want to go down there? I can always say you were too tired."

"And miss the looks of envy and hatred? I think not!" Taylor pulled from his arms and stood up, placing a hand on her stomach. "All those women faces; I can't wait."

Bruce shook his head at the woman before him before she reached forward and straightened his tie and smoothed his black hair down a bit. She stared into those ice blue eyes of his, feeling nothing but warmth tonight, before taking the arm he held out for her.

"Shall we?"

It was a crowded floor. As she entered the room, Taylor felt like she was having a flashback to the party that she and Gordon had gone to two years ago; the party where she had first met Bruce Wayne.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?"

Taylor turned to see a handsome man standing behind her. He looked about her age, if not a bit older, with short, smoothed back black hair and blue eyes. He was in a black suit and a small smile on his face.

Taylor turned back to the city beneath them. "I'm just…I needed some air," She told him. "It's a bit too crowded in there for my taste."

The man smiled and nodded as he leaned against the railing beside her. "I agree. Sometimes fresh air is what everyone needs. It clears your mind; let's you think." He glanced back in at the party. "Who did you come with?"

"Oh, I'm with Commissioner Gordon. His wife couldn't make it and so I was the next choice. He didn't want to come alone, you know." Taylor told him.

"So you work at the Police Station?"

"Yep. Detective Taylor Carmichael."

"Ah, so you're Dylan's little sister." The man grinned.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "And just how do you know my brother?"

"From Arkham Asylum. He's one of the guards there, right?" the man asked.

"Yeah, but that still doesn't tell me how you know him." She crossed her arms as she turned to face him fully. "Are you a guard there too?"

The man looked at her in surprise for a moment before he gave a small laugh. "Forgive me. It's not very often that I have to introduce myself." He held his hand out to her. "Bruce Wayne."

Taylor stared at the man for a moment, his hand completely ignored. "You. Your Brune Wayne."

His hand fell back to his side as he stared at her in a small shock himself. "Bruce, and yes I am." He told her, still a bit surprised. It wasn't often that he came across someone who couldn't recognize him off of the news or something like that; especially a woman.

Taylor waited for him to say something else before giving a cough. "So…what's up?"

She never expected that chance meeting would be the start of a circle of events that would lead her to being this happy. After what happened to her father, she had begun to believe that she could never be happy again; Bruce proved her wrong. She had never been happier.

Bruce stayed close to her side through the party, accepting greetings and conversations from all who approached. Still not used to being treated like a celebrity, Taylor was relieved when Gordon and his wife, Sarah, came to her rescue, giving her someone to talk to. She didn't have many friends, let along female friends, so Barbara and her mother were the closest she had to female confidants. With one of them having gone through birth before, Taylor found herself calling her boss' wife multiple times through her pregnancy for advice or when anything felt strange.

The other woman enjoyed it.

"Take a seat, dear," Sarah led the pregnant woman to a seat. "Take a load off. I'm appalled that you actually came to this. I would have stayed home!"

"I can't stand just doing nothing," Taylor admitted. "It was either come with Bruce or risk getting caught by Alfred when I tried to sneak out after he left."

"Then it's good you came," Bruce laughed from beside her. "I would have been quite upset if I had gotten a call from Alfred."

"Just hurry up and get the kid out," Gordon told her. "The faster that's done, the sooner you can get back to work."

"Jim!" Sarah glared at the man beside her. "Don't listen to him, dear. You'll be out of work for a little while longer."

"I know," Taylor groaned. "I'm going to be so bored!"

Sarah laughed. "You say that, but I've no doubt that the baby will take care of that. You'll be more tired than anything else."

"I feel bad for Alfred," Taylor grumbled.

The group laughed and Gordon and Bruce left for a moment to talk to someone near by. Taylor and Sarah spoke for a few more moments before the other woman excused herself to the bathroom for a moment, leaving Taylor alone in a chair by the side wall. She watched as people spoke around her, danced just like two years ago. She suddenly felt very out of place, just like last time. She had half a mind to step outside on that very same balcony. Maybe Bruce would come after her again.

"Are you feeling all right, Miss Carmichael?"

At her name, Taylor lifted her head. She was expecting one of the servers and instead found a man she had never seen before.

Dressed in a black suit, the man was taller than Bruce, maybe even taller than her brother, with short black hair and a firm, square jaw. He wore a pair of thick, black frames and from behind them he stared at her with a pair of cerulean blue eyes. Concern shined in them, yes, but there was also something else. It was like he had a heavy secret; they were just like Bruce's eyes.

"Ahh, yes, just merely resting. Carrying all this extra weight is a strain on the back, you know?" She gave him a bright smile. "Thanks for the concern."

Her answer seemed to make his smile brighter. "Good to hear!" He took a breath. "Clark Kent," The man held a hand out for her. "The Daily Planet."

Taylor's eyes widened, recognizing the name. "You came all the way from Metropolis?"

"Yes ma'am," The man seemed to smile even brighter now. His hand was so warm as she shook it; so strong. "When my boss said he wanted an interview, I volunteered happily."

She glanced around him, searching for her companion. "Well, Bruce is over there with Gordon right now, but I can-"

Clark's laughter caught her and she gave a questioning look. He smiled again. "I apologize, but I'm afraid you have it wrong. The interview isn't for Mr. Wayne. It's for you, Miss Carmichael."

She knew that she had to look like a deer in headlights. "F-for me? Why? Why me?"

"You're the talk of the planet right now, you know," Clark told her, that smile seemingly glued to his face. "You're the woman that broke into Arkham Asylum to save her brother and ended up working with Batman just to, barely a year later, sneak into Arkham City to work with the Dark Knight again while saving Bruce Wayne, bringing about the fact that your relationship with the billionaire has made many women very...jealous. Men, too." He glanced at her swollen stomach for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "You are, undoubtedly, a very admirable woman."

Taylor flushed, glancing away. "I...I don't know about that. I just...I just did what I thought was right. I assure you...I never dreamed of anything happening with Bruce after the Asylum...I just got lucky."

She could say that again. She was the luckiest woman in the world.

Several times had she been asked to appear on talk shows or give interviews but she had always turned them down, refusing to get caught up in all of that. She wanted to refuse this one too, but something about the man before her...he held an air about him that she liked. It made her want to give him all the answers he wanted. Besides, he did come all the way from Metropolis, after all.

"I...I suppose I don't mind." She motioned to the seat beside her and took note of the surprised look on his face. "Were you expecting me to say no?"

"In all truth, yes. The last time we tried to get an interview with you, you shot Lois down without a hesitation."

"I've shot a lot of people down. You just caught me at a time where I can't runaway," She teased, placing a hand on her stomach.

Clark grinned and took the seat beside her. "You sure you don't mind doing it here? I can always wait until tomorrow."

"Nonsense. These types of parties aren't really my thing. Answering your questions should entertain me until it's over. Besides, you don't strike me as a guy to ask needless questions."

The man nodded happily. "As long as you don't mind. If you want to stop at any time, just let me know."

For hating being interviewed, Taylor enjoyed answering the questions. Clark made it entertaining, just like she thought he would. He kept his questions simple and to the point. He asked about how it felt in the Asylum, why she didn't leave immediately after finding her brother inside. How it had been, working with Batman both times, about whether or not she and Batman had been in contact since then. He asked nothing about Bruce until the end and she told him what she told her brother.

"I love Bruce, and not for his money. He could be in dent for how much his fortune is worth and I would love him anyway. I hate that he wants to pamper me but every now and then I have to let him get his way. I won't take anything too extravagant, though. He tried to buy me a Lamborghini the other day and I told him he was insane. I don't need material things. I just want him." She blushed at her words. "I suppose that's too lovey-dovey for a newspaper, though."

"Not at all," Clark smiled at her. He glanced at his watch. "Thank you for your time, Miss Carmichael."

"Taylor's fine," She told the man. She had lost track of time while talking to this man. Nearly an hour and no one had approached them. Either Bruce was in a serious conversation or he was giving her space. "I'm not one for titles, you know?"

"You truly are stepping into a world that you don't know," Clark told her as he stood. "I wish you all the best."

"Of course. And send me a copy of that when you get done with it! You better not make me look bad!" She teased.

Clark laughed at her. "I don't think anything on the planet could do that." He went to say something else about the article he would right but a different question escaped his lips before he could stop it.

"What do you think of Superman?"

The question had left Clark's mouth before he could stop himself. He cursed at himself in his mind but kept his face with his smile as the woman pondered before him.

She had heard all about Superman. He was, basically, the Batman of Metropolis, though his...villains apparently pertained to...aliens, or so she had heard. It was hard to deny that with what she had seen from the news. Both Batman and Superman attracted some messed up characters.

"Superman, hmm? He's definitely...got a lot on his plate. Just like Batman, he's trying to save everyone but whereas Batman has help, Superman is normally on his own. Then again, Superman can fly so...he can most definitely get around faster than Batman does." She closed her eyes. "In all honesty, I feel bad for him; for both of them."

Clark blinked. "Feel bad? Why do you say that?"

"Well, both of them spend their time fighting crime. I wish that there was more that the police could do so that they wouldn't have to waste their lives and time to doing that. Sadly enough, that's just not going to happen; not with the villains that we have running around. Instead, I give them both my praises. Working with Batman, I've seen how hard it is, how much stress what he does puts on him and I'm sure, undoubtedly, that Superman feels the same. I just pray that he has someone that can help him take the load off when he gets home at night. Someone special that can make him happy."

Clark stared at her, a look similar to a mixture of adoration and appreciation in his eyes. "That's very kind of you, Miss Carmichael."

"My sister and 'kind' should never go in the same sentence."

Taylor frowned at the voice behind her and turned to watch as her brother joined the conversation.

Dylan Carmichael Tall, with his golden blond hair smoothed back, his signature silver Knight chess piece was nowhere to be seen as he stood dressed in a white tux.

She had been right. Clark was taller than her brother.

"I'm not that bad," Taylor frowned at her brother, pushing herself up from the chair to glare at him. "You make me seem like a horrible person."

"But you are a horrible person." Dylan commented. "Ask Harley Quinn or Penguin."

"Criminals don't count."

'Oh, that's right," Clark began. "After your pregnancy, do you plan on returning to work?"

Taylor blinked. "Why does everyone think I'll just quit? Of course I'll return! I gotta make money somehow, don't I? It might not be as fast as I hope it will, but I'm sure it'll be soon."

"I give her two months before she begs Bruce to let her go," Dylan teased. "She never could sit still for so long. I'm surprised she hasn't tried t go hiking or something in her condition." He glanced at Clark. "I don't think I've ever seen you around one of Bruce's parties."

"Because I haven't been," Clark pushed his glasses up before holding a hand out. "Clark Kent; I'm a reporter for the Daily Prophet."

Dylan stared at him, ignoring the hand. "A reporter?" He glanced at his sister. "You answered his questions?"

"Yeah; why?"

Dylan glared at the taller man. "I don't know what you did to seduce her, dude, but you gotta teach me your tricks. There's this chick I deal with just like her and she argues with me every step of the way and-"

Clark was caught off guard by both Dylan's words and by Taylor elbowing him in the stomach. It was hard enough to make the man double over in pain.

Taylor smiled sweetly at Clark. "I'm sorry for that and let me introduce to you my brother, Dylan. This is the piece of shit I broke into the Asylum to save two years ago."

"Sexy piece of shit, thank you. I worked hard for that title."

Clark couldn't help himself as he watched the exchange. His laughter was loud, almost making him cry as the duo continued to take verbal shots at each other. Though it sounded harsh, he could tell that they cared very deeply for one another. Did them being twins have something to do with it or was this just how all siblings acted with each other?

It made him wish he had one of his own.

"I see that I've been missing a private party over here." Bruce's voice sounded light as he joined the trio, the deep laughter from Clark being the one that drew him over. Watching Taylor and her brother act like they usually did in front of a guest had perked his interest.

He had almost stopped dead in his tracks.

"Ahh, here he is." Taylor grinned as Dylan turned his nose from the billionaire. "Bruce, this is Clark. He came all the way from Metropolis!"

"Lovely party," Clark told him, this time keeping his hands in his pockets. "Almost as extravagant as the last one."

"I aim to impress," Bruce glanced at the woman beside him. "Are you doing all right?"

"Of course! I'm actually starving!" She glanced over to a server. "Do you mind?"

"Do what you want," Bruce told her with a smile.

"Then food awaits!" She turned back to the reporter. "It was a pleasure talking with you. When the article comes out, please let me know! And if you're ever in Gotham again, swing by the station! I probably have stories that your readers will eat up."

"Don't condone to it," Dylan warned the taller man as his sister grabbed his arm and dragged him off after her. "You're just adding fuel to the flame! Get out while you still can!"

"Shut it, you jerk!"

Clark chuckled a bit more as the twins moved away, watching them with a bright smile. "That's quite the woman you've caught there."

All air of pleasantries faded as the two men stared at each other, neither of them enjoying the other's presence.

"What are you doing here?" Bruce asked him.

"My job," He pulled the tape recorder out of his pocket. "I was told to get an interview from the infamous girlfriend of Bruce Wayne. I admit, I feared being rejected like all the others. She agreed to it without a fuss." He shoved the tape recorder back into his pocket. "That, and we need to talk about...that."

"You couldn't wait?" Bruce frowned. "This could have waited until after the holidays, you know."

"Hey, the others are the ones that are getting restless," Clark shrugged his shoulders. "It was either me come discreetly or one of the other's...causing a commotion. I chose the one I knew you'd hate the least. God only know what would happen if Barry or Arthur showed up."

"I don't want her involved, Kent." Bruce growled, trying to keep his anger down. "With anything or anyone."

"She was involved the moment you got involved with her, Wayne," Clark growled back, his brow furrowed. "I warned you."

"I can take care of her just fine on my own. Leave Gotham to me and I'll leave Metropolis to you; just like we agreed."

Clark gave the other man a small smile. "It's not so wrong to count on others every now and then, Wayne. I figured that was something she taught you during your time together."

Bruce watched as Clark turned away from him, striking up another conversation with another group of people nearby. Bruce felt his hands tighten into fists as he watched the other man, his mind reeling with strange ideas and worries now fresh in his mind.

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