I know it's been a while but with a job, family illness, and a severe case of writer's block I fell behind. But finally Chapter 6 is here!

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not mine. As you already know.


It had been two weeks since Holly and Selina were required to stay inside the Wilton. They barely went out; everything was brought to them; their groceries, anything they wanted. The only time Selina went out was when she was Catwoman and even then it was only twice or three times a week. Holly had barely seen any sunlight in the past two weeks. There was no Internet, so they couldn't be traced by their email. Selina had resigned herself to asking Gordon for books every time he came to drop off supplies.

"You've been on the same page for the last 15 minutes," Holly said as she sat crocheting. As Selina had taken to books, Holly had taken to knitting.

"Yeah, well," Selina said trying to defend herself, but Holly was right she wasn't reading.

Holly smirked, "If you're thinking about him, call him."

"But," Selina started again.

"No buts, Selina," Holly interjected putting her needles down. "Just pick up the phone and call him. You're the one that's being a pain for staying here, so he's not going to call you and say 'Hey babe, I know you're mad at me for cooping you up in this hotel room while a notorious crime boss is out there looking for blood, but do you want to get dinner.'" She impersonated.

Selina gave her a withering look; "It's too late for dinner."

"Hogwash, you can go for coffee or ice cream or frozen yogurt. You are making excuses and you know it." She challenged.

Selina nodded. Holly's voice became softer, "Call him, Selina. He's sitting there worried. He hasn't talked to you in two weeks. Call him. I assure you; you won't regret it."

Selina looked at the time. It was 10:00. She gave in, went to her room, and called Bruce.

"Hello," an English accent answered.

"Alfred," Selina said, "Is Bruce there?" She asked timidly. She felt almost as if she had no right to call after two weeks.

"Of course, Ms. Kyle," Alfred said cheerfully. "Hold on for a just a moment."

Selina waited painfully for 30 seconds.

"Hello," said a deep voice that immediately calmed Selina's nerves.

"Hi Bruce," Selina responded.

"Selina," he responded happily surprised. "How are you?"

"I feel like I'm in jail."

He laughed, "It'll be over sooner than you think."

"Depends on what your idea of soon is, but I assure you next Christmas is not my idea of soon."

Selina heard him laugh again and smiled. She loved that sound, but what she didn't understand was what was so funny. "I'm dead serious you know."

"I know," he responded, "That's what makes it hilarious."

Selina chuckled. There was a comfortable silence and he said, "I'm glad you called Selina."

"Me too." Selina responded. She paused and then said, "Are you busy right now?"

"Not exactly."

"Great. Meet me at St. Mary's church on 6th and Madison."

"Are you crazy?" Bruce exclaimed, "That's in the heart of East End. Carmine will over that place in minutes."

"Carmine has better things to do then send all his henchmen after me besides the police will be there in their unmarked cars and you'll be there. What do I have to fear? I've faced Carmine before on his witch hunt and this time I have really good back up."

"Fine," Bruce conceded.

"Great seen you soon."

Selina quickly changed into jeans and floral top and called Gordon's cell. He wasn't too thrilled about the idea, but he said he would send three cars.

"Going somewhere," Holly said looking up from her knitting.

"Yes, I'm going to see Bruce." Selina said.

Holly smiled and returned to her task at hand. Five minutes later a call came and she went down. When they reached the church, she was told to stay inside till the cased and cleared the area. When that was finished Selina was allowed to go inside. Nun that opened the door for the men was still up.

"I'm sorry, Sister." Selina apologized.

The nun smiled, "God's door is opened for everyone at any hour. Even the trouble makers like you Selina."

"You remember me," Selina said surprised.

"Yes dear, I remember you," she said with a small smile. "I'll be in the other room if you need me."

Selina nodded. She sat down in one of the pews and stared up at the crucified lord. A few minutes later she heard footsteps enter and stop close to her pew.

"Selina," Bruce said softly.

Selina got up and turned to him. They stared at each other for a moment and then Selina threw her arms around him. "I missed you. I'm sorry for being stubborn." She said quietly into his ear. He pulled out of her embraced and kissed her. She smiled against his lips. There was a clearing of the throat. Selina immediately jumped away from Bruce.

"Always causing trouble, Selina," the nun teased. "Mr. Wayne, I know you're happy to see Ms. Kyle but please contain your excitement till you are outside The Lord's doors."

"Of course, Sister. I apologize." Bruce responded.

The nun returned to the other room. Selina put her hand over her mouth. "I can't believe that just happened," she mumbled.

Bruce just changed the subject, "So this is the place where you were happiest."

"Actually that's why I brought you here. It's not," Selina said.

"It's not," he repeated.

"There is another place and I want to take you there. It's around the corner. And before you pull a fit, I've already told Seal Team 6 about the plan."

Bruce gave her a look. They walked around to Spice Scream's Ice Cream. Bruce opened up the door for her. There was barely anyone in there.

"Well isn't this a site for sore eyes. I should charge you extra for coming in here almost three and a half years after you came back to Gotham," said the owner, "but I forgive you because you brought Bruce Wayne here."

"Nice to see you again Spice," Selina smiled, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay as long as you promise not to be a stranger now."

"Deal," Selina grinned.

"Mint chocolate chip?" Spice asked.

"You remembered." Selina cooed.

"Hard to forget. No one that was here that night forgot it. What can I get for you, Mr. Wayne?"

"Chocolate, thank you."

They sat down and Bruce asked, "So what happened here? What makes this better than Sunday mass?"

Fourteen-year-old Selina Kyle stood at the corner of Toll and 7th in a slashed red jumpsuit. She hoped some would pick her up so that she could at least buy food. She hadn't eaten in 3 days. A car pulled up, but before she could run away from the police car, "Hey," the officer called. "Can I give you a lift?" She recognized his voice. It was the officer who had asked Carmine for blueprints the day she had killed Stan.

"No, I'm okay." Selina said weakly.

"Look, we can do this two ways. Either you can get in willingly or I can handcuff you." Selina got into the front seat of the car. The passed Carson and turned onto Madison. Selina watched St. Mary's church pass as they made a turn onto 6th. The officer stopped in front of Spice Scream's Ice Cream.

"You hungry?" He asked. Selina nodded. The officer gave her jacket to wear, so that she wouldn't be too exposed. They went inside. Spice asked Selina what she wanted and Selina silently pointed at mint chocolate chip and sat down.

"You're one hard girl to track, Selina." The officer said once he sat down. Selina lifted her eyes off the table when he addressed her by her name.

"Maggie told me all about you. She …," the officer started, but before he could finish Selina jumped up and grabbed the officer's jacket fiercely in one fell swoop.

"Where's Maggie," She yelled, "What have you done with her?" The entire shop was silent. All eyes were on Selina, and Selina could care less.

"She's safe," He answered, "We put her in an orphanage. Selina calm down."

"Why should I believe you?" She asked in the same tone.

"Because Maggie told us everything that she remembered and with that information I should be reading you your rights." The officer said. Selina let go and went back to her seat.

"What do you want Officer," she paused for a moment to read the name on his chest, "Gordon?"

"My goal was reunite you with Maggie, but I was too late. A family adopted your sister yesterday. She left with her new family this morning."

"That doesn't answer my question," Selina said stiffly; willing herself not to cry.

"I want you to go the orphanage, go to high school, lead a normal life," He told her.

"You're wasting your time Officer Gordon. My options of a normal life ended when I killed Stan."

"I can make that go away." He assured her.

"Really," she said sardonically, "You can make Carmine Falcone's make shift army go away. You can make Carmine Falcone forget that the girl he seeks to teach a lesson is in his neighborhood and he can't lay a hand on her."

"I can make sure that you stay alive in the orphanage," Gordon assured

"I'd rather be a moving target than a stagnant one." She responded dryly.

"Why do you do this job?" Gordon asked earnestly, trying a different approach.

"Because it feeds me and Maggie," Selina responded immediately without thinking. Her eyes widened at her mistake.

"How about now," Gordon asked ignoring her mistake. Selina remained silent. "I'm offering you a chance to make something of yourself. Don't you want make something of yourself?"

"Officer, I'm a whore and a murderer. Why do you want to help me? You put me in jail." Selina countered.

Gordon was taken aback by her bluntness, but replied, "The better question is do you want to help yourself? And before you answer think about your sister and what she would want for you."

Selina remained silent.

Gordon sighed, "Here's my card. If you change your mind, please call."

Selina took the card and watched him stand up and put on his hat. She looked back down at the card. She heard the car engine start and she got up and ran out the door. Gordon stopped the car and opened the door.

"Okay, I'll go. I go to that godforsaken orphanage," she told him.

Gordon smiled and motioned for her to get into the car.

"It makes it better because we are sitting in the exact spots where my life turned around," Selina said.

Bruce smiled, "And who do I have to thank for turning your life around?"

"Officer Gordon," she answered honestly.

Bruce looked up, "You must have made an impression; if he remembered you after all these years," remembering the gala last month.

Selina looked away, "I don't know how I could have made a good impression on Officer Gordon that day."

"I'm telling you, Gordon doesn't give out compliments regularly," Bruce said.

"I was nowhere in life, Bruce, nowhere. I didn't belong anywhere."

"What exactly happened that night?" Bruce asked candidly.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Bruce. That night was supposed to be the beginning of a whole new life. Even though, the old one never really ended."

Bruce grabbed her hand and walked Selina back to the church.

"Bruce, why are we back here?" she asked after the nun opened the church again.

"I want to know why you're dancing around this subject of that night."

"I'm not dancing around anything," Selina said defensively.

"Then why aren't you telling me what happened," Bruce asked his voice raising.

"Because I don't know how to. The story doesn't start at that night. It starts a month and a half before." Selina replied, her voice rising as well.

"What is so hard to tell me?" Bruce asked exasperatedly. He took a deep breath and said softly, "You can tell me anything. I promise I won't judge."

Selina scoffed at him, "You'll be eating your words."

"Try me," he said steely. Selina remained quiet. Bruce lost it, "Damn it Selina, I told you two weeks ago that I would catch your heart if you put on the line. Put it on that line or did you just bring me here to string me along? To give me a taste and take it away?"

"You think this is easy," Selina shouted back, "You think it's easy for me. I didn't come here to fight Bruce. I came here to share."

"Well then share," he exclaimed. "You've come to share. I want to hear what you have to say. Say it."

"I'm a prostitute," she yelled back. Her chest heaved as the weight of the information lifted. "I was a prostitute," she corrected calmly, "That's what I came to share. I came to share that there was a place where I enjoyed a good memory. A memory that I left an awful life behind." Selina looked at his face and said, "Damn it, I knew this was a bad idea."

"I don't understand. When were you …," Bruce trailed off unable to call her a prostitute.

"A whore?" Selina finished for him.

Bruce's eyes flashed and took two steps toward her, grabbed her arms causing her to look him, and said lowly and firmly, "Don't you ever call yourself that. Do you understand? Ever. You are not a whore."

"You can say it all you want, Bruce, but it doesn't change the facts," Selina said sympathetically.

"Do you know the meaning of what a whore is?" Bruce asked not letting go. Selina remained silent.

"It's a woman who doesn't give a shit about how she uses her body or how her body is used by others. So don't stand there and call yourself a whore in front of me."

Selina nodded and said, "I was a prostitute for two years, after my father died. We slipped through the cracks and were left on the street. I was 12 and my sister Maggie was 10. We lived off begging and eating out of the trash for two weeks when I was caught picking out of the trash of one of Carmine's restaurants. I was made an offer to join Stan's girls. I would be given a weekly stipend that I could feed Maggie with and at least get her a library card since she wasn't going to school. I accepted without really knowing what I had gotten myself into. I was taken to another location where Stan raped me. I was given money for the week and I ran out of there as fast as I could. I ran around the corner into a dark alley and cried. I bought food and took the little street corner that was Maggie and my home. This went on for two years when one day I came back from a job and Maggie wasn't in our corner. There was a certain smell that took me Stan's place where he was leaning over my sister. I threw a piece of glass at him. We ended up fighting until he pulled a gun on me and then he led me back to the room so I could watch. I waited till he took his attention off me and then pushed Maggie out of the way. The gun went off and Stan died. I ran and the police found Maggie and put her into an orphanage. She ended up getting adopted a month and a half later by a family while Gordon had spent time looking for me. He found me and asked me to enter the system. He kept me safe from Carmine's men during the day. He had a martial arts teacher come and give us all classes every Tuesday. That ice cream parlor was a turning point in my life and I wanted to share that with you."

"I'm glad you did," he said wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Why are you sorry?" Bruce asked.

"I don't know. I just am."

"I know I don't need to tell you not to be sorry, but don't be."

They remained there in silence for several minutes and then Bruce said, "Let me drop you home."

"And what about Seal Team 6?" Selina smirked.

"They can follow." He responded. Selina chuckled as they walked to the car.

It had taken them two weeks to properly order the information that Shapiro had given them, revealing that June 6th would be the earliest shipment they could intercept.

"Do you have access to the Office of City Records?" Catwoman asked.

"I can hack them, but I don't know how to cover my tracks." Batman confessed.

"How do you usually get information then?" Catwoman asked.

"In case you've forgotten," Batman said lowly, "I'm one of a two man team. Robin is extremely skilled in hacking a network and being untraceable."

"Ahh, so that's Boy Wonder's power," she mused. "Seeing as though he's not here do you have a back up plan?"

"It's time to pay our mutual friend a visit." He said walking past her.

Catwoman crouched low between the branches of an old oak in a park outside East End, which was situated across from a bench a few paces left of where she met Slam two weeks ago. Batman was hiding in the shadows adjacent to the tree closer to the bench to receive Slam. A few moments later, Slam arrived and sat on the bench. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Catwoman knew the conversation began because Slam's lips moved. A few minutes later Slam got up to leave and loudly said, "The prints will be in the same place as last time. Tell your partner that she owes me an explanation next time."

Batman came out of the shadows after Slam had left and glared at the tree Catwoman was hiding in. She jumped down and met him near the bench.

"Couldn't you have been more conspicuous?" Batman asked steely.

"I didn't make a sound you know it," she hissed back.

Batman ignored her and asked, "Where are we going?"

"Clawson and 17th," she replied.

The next night Catwoman was sitting in safe house looking over the map of the Port of Gotham in her hand and her legs on the table. It was about midnight when Batman strolled in.

"You already here?"

"I've been here since 10." She replied taking her feet off the table and rose. Batman gave her a look. "Don't worry Dark Knight; no one saw me."

"Any luck?" He inquired about the map that she held in her hand.

"No," she said placing the map on the table, "We need three people to corner them till GPD get there. You're going to have to call Boy Wonder," her voice more harsh as she mentioned Robin.

"It sounds like you have more animosity towards Robin then me," Batman pointed out.

Catwoman smiled as she slinked forward to him, "Why, you jealous Caped Crusader?"

"Merely an observation," he replied.

Catwoman smiled and savored in her small victory. Batman had outside the scope of their mission.

"So when does Boy Wonder get back?"

"Well at the end of the month now."

Catwoman nodded and they returned to the committed planning of a three-plan attack at the port in early June.

Two days later they were back at the ice cream shop.

"So what do you think about a wedding in November," Bruce asked. Selina almost choked on her ice cream.

"Uhh…" Selina said unable to form words, "I guess. Not really a November person, but whatever."

"Not that it will really matter, since it'll be in California," he continued. "Do you like California?"

"I haven't been. Not exactly where I took my vacations," Selina responded drily.

"You'll love it. It'll be a big wedding, about 200 people," he continued casually. "What do you think?"

"What do I think," Selina repeated, "I'm thinking who in the devil's name is getting married?"

Bruce smirked, "A friend of mine from Harvard, Simon. He's getting married in November in California. Will you come?"

Selina smiled relieved, "Of course, I'll come."

"What are your plans for Friday?"

"The usual," she said sticking her spoon back into the ice cream cup to get the slightly melted bits in the corners, "confined to my Blackgate cell." Selina saw Bruce smile painfully. "What?"

"I wish there was something I could do. I want to keep you safe, but at the same time I feel like I'm stealing your life from you." Bruce sighed.

Selina reached over and took his hand. "Don't worry about me. If Gordon could keep me safe in an orphanage in East End, then I have no doubt that you will be able to keep me safe. As for the Godfather I'm sure he'll tire of me sooner or later."

Bruce smiled and entwined his hand with hers. "Have dinner with me on Friday. I have several confessions to make."

"Of course."

Selina arrived at Wayne Manor at 4:00 on Friday. The police escorts dropped her off and waited till Alfred answered the door.

"Ms. Kyle," Alfred greeted her, "You're early."

Selina smiled and stepped through the door, "It was boring at apartment."

Alfred nodded and led her into the sitting area, "May I get you some to drink? Some tea perhaps? Master Bruce won't arrive till 5:00."

"Tea would be lovely," Selina replied, "but could you bring two cups."

"Of course," Alfred said and left to execute his task. He returned a short while later with the cups.

"Where would you like me to place the other cup?" He asked formally.

Selina laughed, "It's for you, Alfred. Come sit down with me."

Alfred hesitated before sitting down, "What would you like to talk about, Ms. Kyle?"

"Please call me Selina." She said mixing her tea, "How long have you been employed at the Wayne Manor?"

"26 years."

"You came to the Manor when Bruce was 7," Selina said surprised. "What did you do before?"

"I was a professor," Alfred said.

"Whereabouts?" Selina asked.

"Imperial College of London."

"I love London. What did you teach?"

"Political Science."

"Why did you leave your position?"

"My father served the Wayne Manor before I did. His dying wish was that I take over his position. It was difficult to leave my research behind, but it all worked out in the end." Alfred said and then paused.

"Did you leave someone behind?" Selina asked.

"No just my research," Alfred smiled.

Before Selina could even stop herself, "I'm not sure research would make a warm bedfellow." She immediately slapped her hand over her mouth. Horrified, she quickly apologized, but Alfred merely threw his head back and laughed.

It was that precise moment that Bruce decided to walk in. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Selina here thinks my research made a cold bedfellow." Alfred relayed with a mysterious smile.

Bruce chuckled and shared a knowing look with Alfred.

"What is so funny? I'm here mortified and you two are laughing." Selina responded.

"Maybe one day we'll tell you." Bruce smiled. "Come I have something to show you."

Selina merely stood up and thanked Alfred for tea and his company and followed Bruce out. They headed down a long corridor to Bruce's study.

The room painted an ivory nude color, which was barely visible since deep mahogany bookcases lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Bruce's desk completed the mahogany set and sat onto of a Turkish rug. Midnight blue curtains draped the two large casement windows, which brought light into the room. Bruce led Selina to bookcase just right of the furthest window. Pictures lined the shelves. Bruce reached out and picked up a photograph of a woman with bronze skin and raven locks, sunglasses on top of her head, sitting on the grass with her hands behind her to hold her weight up and a small boy around two years old between her outstretched legs. Her warm light brown eyes sparkled with mirth as she laughed at the camera.

Selina looked up at Bruce. He was staring at the photo with a certain amount of pain in his eyes. "What was her name?" Selina asked.

"Talia." Bruce said setting her picture down, "Her name was Talia. She was my wife."

Selina remained silent and Bruce continued, "I met Talia at Harvard. We were both in the same major and highly competitive. We fought like cats and dogs the first year. Then one night before Christmas break sophomore year we ended up ditching our DSP gathering together, something clicked, and that was it. We got married right out of college. Two years later we had Damian. Four years later she was gone."

"Gone?"

"She was one of the Joker's victims back in 2009." He said painfully.

"Bruce," Selina said resting her palm on his cheek, "I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what that was like."

Bruce held her wrist, "The worst part was telling Damian that his mother was never coming back."

Selina didn't know what to say. She had watched with pain how her father had told Maggie that their mother had committed suicide, since Selina had been the one to find her strung from her black robe's tie in the bathroom. And her father had died before both Maggie and her eyes. There wasn't much to explain there. But Bruce had to tell his son; he had buried the woman he loved. Had this been the pain that drove her own father to drink and neglect them?

"How did he take it?" she asked.

"Not well, he stopped talking altogether for a year and a half. I think he believed it's my fault I didn't protect her. Probably somewhere in the back of his mind he still does. "

Selina took him in her arms, "How can you say something like that?"

"He ignored me, Selina, for that year and half. He wouldn't look at me." Bruce explained. His voice etched with pain. "Things are better now, but still I can't shake that look of disappointment that he had in his eyes."

"It was trauma. Maggie did something similar to my father, when my mother died. Don't blame yourself." They fell into a comfortable silence just holding each other.

"Where's Damian?" Selina asked softly.

"Boarding school. The same one I went to when I turned 8. He'll be back mid-June." Bruce said into her hair.

Selina nodded. "Have you told him about us?"

"He knows everything." Bruce pulled out of her embrace and looked her straight in the eye. "Will you meet him Selina?"

Selina smiled, "Of course, I will. I would love to meet him."

Bruce kissed her temple and sat down at his desk. She moved closer to the chair. "Thank you." He said.

She smiled and took his hand. He pulled her onto his lap. Alfred found them there a half an hour later in the same position. Selina quickly slipped off of Bruce's lap.

"Dinner is ready," Alfred said.

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce said taking Selina's hand.

After dinner they walked the corridors of Wayne Manor; wandering from room to room, indulging themselves.

"What's in this room," Selina asked pushing the door open. The room was large with rust colored walls, which were aligned with pictures and there was a cabinet on the other side of the room.

"It's a lineage room." Bruce explained as they walked inside. "It has family portraits, trophies, things like that."

"So it's kind of like a Wayne exhibit," Selina teased. Bruce smiled back at her. "What's in the cabinet?" She asked walking over.

"They're empty bottles," he said opening the cabinet, "of wine, the ones that were opened at every Wayne wedding." There were about 20 bottles of wine. One in particular stood out. It was a Bordeaux 1978 that had Thomas and Martha Wayne October 15, 1978.

"That was the wine we drank," she whispered as her finger skimmed the base of the bottle.

"It was." Bruce affirmed. Selina looked up at him. His eyes bore into hers with unspoken words and unbridled passion. For a moment neither of them moved, then Bruce moved forward and kissed her. His kiss was heat and demanding and Selina matched him with equal fervor. They stumbled out the doors knocking into the walls as if they were drunk; Bruce led her to another room. Before she even had time to register her surroundings, the door closed behind her and Bruce's lips reclaimed hers, trapping her between him and the door. His lips trailed her jawline and down her neck. Selina let out a moan and arched into him trying to make any space between them disappear. Bruce's hand tugged at her shirt pulling out of emerald green skirt. Selina broke the kiss and said, "Just take it off."

Bruce didn't need to be told twice, with one swoop he pulled the shirt off her and tossed it on the floor. His hand trailed her exposed stomach up across her white lace bra to the strap when she caught his hand, "You first," she smiled seductively. A wolfish grin emerged on Bruce's face as he lifted of the ground and placed her on the bed and took off his Oxford shirt. He leaned over Selina and said, "Are you sure?" A small smile of appreciation graced her lips. She reached out and touched Bruce's face. "Am I ever." She whispered as she kissed him again. With that the rest of their clothes were shed and they feasted on each other; slowly, deliberately, passionately.


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