Temperance

Two months passed and they never spoke of that night. They met in Metropolis for lunch, the occasional dinner. Watchtower duty still filled designated evenings. Their early mornings began in the bat cave and ended on one of the mansion's many balconies. There were kisses exchanged, lingering touches as well, but the memory of that kiss hung in the air between them.

Those surrounding them knew something was up. Martha Kent called her son one night and, upon hearing the loneliness in his voice, ordered him to come to Smallville for the night. By the time he arrived, she had a pot of coffee ready with mugs waiting nearby and a couple blankets on the sofa. She didn't press. She just let him talk. By the time the hall clock struck midnight, he was all talked out. Guiding him up the stairs, she led him to his old bedroom. At his door, she kissed his cheek and offered her only bit of advice for the night, "Son, if you love him that much, why don't you just tell him that already?"

Then, she was gone. Down the hall before he could disagree, before he could remind her that he never said he loved Bruce.

In Gotham, the members of the bat family did what they do best - They plotted in secret. Huddled around the kitchen table, Alfred, Dick and Barbara conspired how to get these two stubborn men together. It took several meetings and a couple close calls when they feared Bruce uncovered their plot, but they managed to set up all the pieces on the board. Finally, just a couple moves remained to seize the king.

During one of Clark's visits to the mansion in late October, Alfred let it slip that he intended to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with his long time female friend, Maggie. All the announcement garnered out of Bruce was a pause as he lifted his cup up to his lips. Clark arched an eyebrow in Bruce's general direction and continued to look at him for the rest of the night. As Alfred left the kitchen and the dishes behind, he couldn't keep his lips from twisting up in a devious fashion.

A few days later, Robin and Batgirl finished their patrol at the bat cave. After parking their motorcycles, they waved at Clark who they noticed was waiting once again for Bruce to finish updating his duty logs and villain background files. As they passed by him, Barbara made a point to say, "Don't forget to bring both a pumpkin pie and a high-top Dutch apple pie. That's very important. A regular crust simply will never do."

Casually, Clark asked, "Are you two planning a picnic?"

"Nah," replied Dick as he shook his head. Cocking a thumb in Barbara's direction, he explained, "I'm going to Barb's house for Thanksgiving. Meeting the extended family. Wish me luck."

"You got it," answered Clark as he watched Barbara turn to face Dick, tapping a finger against his chest.

"Meeting my family isn't a punishment."

"No, but it is a test."

"Keep it up and it'll be a test you'll fail."

"Ahh, come on, Barb. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Uh-huh. Just watch, you'll be spending Thanksgiving here with Bruce and Alfred again if you're not careful."

With that, she marched off. Punching in the secret passage code, she left the cave without ever looking back.

Left behind, Dick rubbed the back of his head as he said, "Boy, I better go smooth some ruffled feathers."

"Dick, wait," called out Clark. Walking over to Dick, he asked quietly, "You aren't going to be here at all on Thanksgiving?"

"No."

"What about Bruce?"

"Don't worry about Bruce. He's got Alfred and they have an odd sort of ritual."

"Ritual?"

"Yeah. Bruce goes out on patrol. He comes back. Alfred prepares something light for dinner. Afterwards, he goes out to patrol some more. I've been going along with it since I was twelve years old and I'm desperate for a real turkey dinner, so I better catch up with Barb before she leaves."

Quickly, Dick sprinted up the stairs, punched in the door code and squeezed through before it finished opening all the way. As he made it to the hallway, he looked back to see Clark chewing on his lower lip and looking over his shoulder at Bruce. Pumping his fist in the air, he let out a small cheer before a hand snaked out and drew him into a dark corner. As he came face to face with his favorite redhead, he heard her ask, "Do you think he took the bait?"

Nodding, Dick rubbed his cheek against the feminine arms winding around his neck. Leaning in, he kissed her before whispering, "Hook, line and sinker."

It took three days for their plan to bear fruit. It was a very long three days. In the end, the only part of their plan not meticulously laid out involved Clark. Would he ask the question? Would he make Bruce an offer? Dick and Barb crossed their fingers and silently hoped. Meanwhile, Alfred decided to wait and see. For his part, this escapade doubled as a test. If Clark could hear all he did and not act, then, no matter how super his powers, he simply wasn't worthy of Bruce.

Finally, the moment came. Of course, it all went down in the bat cave. Dick and Barbara were performing regular maintenance on their bikes. Alfred was idly dusting the treasures and mementos of villains past when they heard the batmobile come roaring down the entranceway. They all turned from what they were doing and watched as the car came to a screeching halt. The hatch opened and Batman jumped out. Quickly, he crossed to the computer station. He opened his reports just as Superman flew into the cave.

Landing softly, Clark stormed over to Batman and shouted, "What the hell was that? I've seen you do some crazy things, but that guy could have died."

"I disagree," he replied, never turning from the computer screen. "His life was never in danger. You were there and I knew you'd catch him."

"So you dropped him off a eighty story building just because you felt like it?"

"Something like that."

"That's a lie," countered Clark. Advancing on Batman, he spun the computer chair around. Leaning down, he invaded his personal space. "I know you better than that. There were other motivations at play here. You were trying to get rid of me all night. What is it, Bruce? Did I do something? I just don't get it. I mean, things started out pretty normally tonight. We had Watchtower duty. It was pretty uneventful. We came off shift and you started trying to shake me off. What did I do?"

In response, Batman laced his fingers together and rested his hands over his chest.

"Come on!" Throwing his hands in the air, Clark stared at the jagged rocks of the cave's ceiling. "At the Watchtower, we just talked. Most of the league wasn't even there. We were alone in the control room. I asked you about your plans for Thanksgiv-"

Looking down, his arms fell limply to his sides. His eyes grew sadder by degrees until finally he shook his head. Taking a step back, he whispered, "That's it. That's what's bothering you. I invited you to my parent's house for Thanksgiving and you freaked. That's it. Isn't it? Well, I didn't realize it would bother you so much. I'm sorry I asked."

Turning, he nodded at Dick, Barbara and Alfred in turn. Then, he took three steps, a bounce and flew away.

The cave was deadly silent for a few minutes. The three spectators shared worried glances as Batman turned his chair and continued to work. Alfred made a move in his direction and looked as if he was going to initiate contact when a red blinking light appeared on the screen. Immediately, Batman turned and jumped from his seat. As he made his way to the batmobile, he barked, "Robin, Batgirl, suit up! Security alarms just went off in one of the warehouses down at the wharf."

Rushing to the uniform cabinet, Dick called back, "Batman, wait for me. My bike's not ready. I'll ride with you."

"Hurry up."

As he put on his mask, Dick exchanged knowing looks with Barbara. Running over to the batmobile, he jumped in, falling back on the seatback as Batman closed the hatch and sped out of the cave. Checking out the rearview cam, Dick saw the headlight from Batgirl's bike illuminating the cave opening. Looking back at the road ahead, he cleared his throat. "So, Bruce. What was that all about?"

The only response he received was silence.

"It's a little hard to ignore an angry Superman."

"I'm not discussing this with you."

Shifting in his seat, Robin crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine. You don't want to talk, then listen for once. You're stubborn. You're mean. You're confusing as hell. You surround yourself with people, but you're determined to be alone. You could have cut him just a little slack. I mean, really, Bruce. Would it have killed you to treat him just a little bit better than you do the rest of us?"

"I told you-"

"I know. I know. You're not discussing this with me. I got that. Here's something you don't get - You're setting yourself up for a life of solitude. You need to start looking at the writing on the wall. Alfred isn't getting any younger. He's not going to live forever. Barbara and I are in our junior year of college, now. You need to realize that we're already talking about the future we're going to share someday."

"Good for you," Batman growled in response. A moment later, he held the steering wheel tighter as he said, "Really, Dick. It's good. You two, being together, is a good thing."

"Bruce, how can you say that about us and not want that a little for yourself? You must know that at this rate, he's going to give up on you. Time is going to have its way with Alfred. Barb and I are going to move on. Bruce, I don't want to see you end up alone."

At those words, Batman squared his shoulders and flexed his fingers. With a heavy sigh, Dick looked out the passenger side and watched the wharf come into view.

Parking the Batmobile two warehouses away from the one in question, Batman and Robin jumped from the vehicle. Tapping his ear once, Batman tested his earpiece, "Batgirl, do you hear me?"

"Roger that, Batman. What is your position?"

"Two warehouses south of the target. Where are you?"

"Twenty feet north of target."

"Can you see anything?"

"Yes, Batman, this warehouse belongs to Axiom Pharmaceutical. I happen to know it's full of drugs ready for shipment. On top of that, they keep a functioning lab in there."

"They deal mostly in cancer drugs and experimental therapies - not the kind of thing in which your average addict would take an interest."

"Correct, Robin, but they also met out a quiet production of military grade nerve toxins and paralytic sprays. Batgirl take the high road. Robin recon the points of entry, infiltrate and await further instruction."

"Got it," they answered together.

With a nod, they made their move. Darting from shadow to shadow, Batman came to rest at the southeast corner of the warehouse next to the target. From his vantage point, he could easily see through the open bay doors at the activity inside the building. Then, two henchmen came out. Pulling out cigarettes, they shared a lighter and said, "I agree with you, Charlie. Hauling boxes is a sucker game."

Sucking down a deep drag, Charlie replied, "I tell ya, it's just not respectable work for two honest-to-god tough guys like you and me."

"We should blow this place, Frank. I heard the Joker is looking for a few new guys."

"Nah, that nut job is even worse than the one we're working for now."

"What are you two doing out here? Get back inside and finish loading the truck!"

Enveloped in the awesome shadow of one of Gotham's worst criminals, the two men stamped out their cigarettes. Muttering apologies under their breath, they quickly reentered the warehouse leaving Two-Face standing in the doorway. With a sneer and a growl, Harvey shook his head and sighed, "It's so hard to find good help these days."

Suddenly, a noise from above grabbed his attention. As dust and pebbles fell onto his upturned face, he watched a barn owl fly off the roof. He followed its departure then he turned and surveyed the surrounding darkness. One last pause and he walked back inside.

Looking up, Batman looked through his night vision specs at the roof. From that high perch, Batgirl's masked face looked back at him. She gave a contrite shrug of her shoulders and an accusatory nod in the direction of the owl. Batman stilled her with a shake of his head. Giving the spiraling signal for her to enter from the roof, he crossed over quickly to the warehouse doors.

Slipping inside, Batman hugged the shadows. Behind stacks of mailing crates, he stood silently and observed the activity before him. As he watched a dozen henchmen loading what appeared to be heavy cases into the back of a moving van, he could hear Robin and Batgirl banter over the earpiece.

"I see London, I see France..."

"Ooh... Where did you learn that? Third grade?"

"Nah, that's pure home school, honey."

"So, you're saying your Mother taught you that?"

"She was progressive that way."

"Right."

"Really. She used to hang upside down just like you are now and call class in session."

"Very innovative."

"Yeah, but I don't remember liking the view as much as I do now."

"Flatterer."

"You two, get your heads back on the mission."

"Yeah, Batman."

"Sorry, Batman."

Slowly, he advanced on the scene. Quietly, he listened to the criminal's conversations with his bat-amplifier. As he guessed, they were loading up the paralytic agent. Preparing for the fight ahead, he started to count the henchman, keeping Harvey, no, Two-Face, in view. Just as he was going to signal his crew, A loud roar of laughter filled the warehouse. As several hoots and cheers bounced off the walls, a voice rang out. "Looks like we have a bat in our belfry, boys."

"Yeah, a girl bat."

"Come on, honey. Let's get a good look at you."

"Bitch! She kicked me."

"Somebody get her legs."

Roughly, they hoisted her up by her flaying limbs. As she struggled, Batgirl remained silent save for the occasional grunt as she strained against her captors. Once they reached Two-Face, the men dropped her to her feet and then pushed her to her knees.

"What do we have here?"

"I found her up on the catwalk, boss."

Grabbing her red hair, he tugged her head back. As her defiant eyes met his, he sneered, "Now, what are we going to do with you?"

"We've got a few ideas, boss."

As the men broke out in fresh laughter, Two-Face watched her face. He saw no fear and that told him everything he needed to know. Shaking his hand free of her hair, he took a step back. As his eyes swept the warehouse, he straightened out the lapels of his jacket as he pulled out his coin. Flicking it up, he caught it in mid air. Opening his hand, he saw a scarred face sitting in the palm of his hand.

"It's not your lucky day. Just one last chance for you," said Two-Face. Turning in a circle, he called out to the darkness. "Batman! Where are you, Batman. I know you're out there."

Nothing. Not a single sound.

"Maybe he needs a little more convincing." Looking back at Batgirl, he whispered, "Let's give it to him, shall we?"

"Charlie and Frank. You're going to continue loading boxes. Get going. As for the rest of you - She's all yours. Just do me a favor."

"Anything, boss."

"Make her scream."

Up in the rafters, Robin crouched down on a beam. Painfully, he slammed his fist against the wood beneath his feet. As he watched them drag her away, he ground his teeth together. As they encircled her, he hissed, "What's the plan, Batman?"

"Stay down for now, Robin."

"What? We've got to help her. We've got to do something."

"If you go charging in now, you'll get caught. That's exactly what Two-Face is expecting."

As they debated, on the ground floor, things were getting worse for Batgirl. One of the men stood in front of her and barked orders.

"Get a hold of her. Her legs, too, stupid. That's right. That's nice."

Advancing until he was flush against her, he ran a hand down her body. Grabbing at her hip, he said, "This outfit doesn't leave anything to the imagination. Might as well take it off."

From her hip, his hand quickly shot up and seized the bat symbol on her chest. Pulling the fabric away, he gracefully sliced through it. As pink skin peeked out from the slash, he joked, "Well, that's a good start."

From above, a blur passed between the men. A moment later, screaming could be heard, but it wasn't Batgirl's. The man who slashed her suit dropped his knife and stumbled away, yanking a small throwing knife from his wrist.

Swinging down, Robin kicked three different heads before gracefully rolling and springing to his feet. The distraction was enough for Batgirl to shake free of one of her captors and land a solid blow to his groin. For a moment, their eyes met gleefully before they returned their attention to the fight, a battle over which they seemed to be drawing an upper hand.

Unfortunately, two things happened to turn the tide against them. One, Two-Face drew a gun. Then, Charlie and Frank cracked open one of the crates. As Batgirl spun away from a swung fist, Frank raised the paralytic spray and squeezed. A perfect shot, the chemical hit her directly in the face. Seeing Batgirl go down was just the distraction Robin didn't need. Suddenly, all the henchmen descended on him, eventually overpowering him. As they dragged Robin back to his feet, Two-Face walked up to him and placed the barrel of the gun right under his chin.

In the shadows, Batman could only shake his head. This was the problem with mixing relationships and crime fighting, he mused; Love always turned out to be more powerful than years of training. Looking up, he watched as Two-Face ordered Robin and Batgirl be trussed up a mere foot over two large chemical vats. Quickly, he zoomed in his bat-goggles on the names of the chemicals: formaldehyde and mercury. He flinched as he recognized them as corrosive agents.

Looking over Batgirl and Robin, he could clearly see the paralytic was still in effect as Batgirl's eyes remained dull and unblinking. As for Robin, he was looking away from Batman's position and imperceptibly shook his head from side to side. Then, Robin brought his gaze to bear directly down on Batman's position and jerked his head toward Batgirl and the message was clear.

"Now, I have you both. Let's see who dies first," chimed in Two-Face, breaking their connection. Standing on the stairs adjacent to the vats, he bowed toward Batgirl and said, "Ladies first."

Gracefully, the coin floated up in the air. As it made its way back down, Batman started running scenarios in his head. Taking into account all the present variables, he ran through the possible outcomes of his actions or inaction. Between the rate of falling objects, the number of henchman, the paralytic spray and Two-Face himself, Batman couldn't find an outcome with a positive end. The best scenario he envisioned would save Robin and Batgirl, but would most likely result in his own death or permanent injury.

Taking a deep breath, he prepared to do just that. Squaring his shoulders, he stepped out of the shadows just as the coin landed in Two-Face's upturned palm. Suddenly, a red and blue blur flew by. Glancing at the vats, his suspicions were confirmed at the sight of the limp, dangling ropes swinging in the breeze. Instantly, he jumped into the fray. Without the complication of hostages, he battled freely. His gas mask protected him from the spray. His reinforced gloves guarded his knuckles as he rendered men unconscious. Afterwards, he was glad he packed extra handcuffs when he saw how many henchmen lay scattered on the floor.

As the police arrived, Batman retreated in the direction he saw the blur head earlier. At the back of the warehouse, he saw Robin holding Batgirl who was still apparently under the effects of the spray. Walking up to them, he pulled out a rectangular box from his utility belt. Silently, he punched in a combination of buttons and waited. A minute later, a green light flashed and he produced a small hypodermic needle from another compartment. Inserting the needle into a small hole, he filled the chamber. Returning the device to his belt, he crossed over to Batgirl and injected her in the arm.

For a minute, they knelt in silence - Robin transfixed on Batgirl's frozen face. Finally, she blinked. Next, she wiggled the fingers clutched in Robin's hand. Then, she sat up. Slowly, she looked up at Batman only to look past him. She didn't need to say who she saw. Batman already knew. Never turning around, he stood up and said, "You'll be fit to ride your motorcycle soon. The police have this in hand. Let's go."

There was no response. They both looked past him. They continued to sit as if in a trance. Fury rising in Batman's heart, he ordered, "Now."

Suddenly, they jumped to their feet. They made it most of the way to the side entrance before a soft voice whispered, "Bru-Batman."

Batman didn't turn around. He didn't respond at all. He just walked away, heading for the side entrance.

Arriving at the bat cave, Batman slammed the batmobile into park and punched the release button for the hatch. Once free, he marched from the cavern. He said not a word as he entered in the door code and made his way into the manor.

Behind him, Dick jumped from the car and ran across the cave to where Barbara sat stiffly on her idling bike. As he approached her, he saw the hand placed flat across the tear in her costume. Gently, he touched her on the shoulder. Instantly, she turned down the ignition and kicked out the stand, putting the engine to rest. Swinging her leg over the handlebars, she pushed off the bike and jumped into his arms.

He held her tightly, gently rocking her back and forth. As he turned around, he saw Clark standing there. Their eyes locked and Dick let his gratitude show. With a nod of his head and a whispered thank you, he went back to holding Barbara, nuzzling into her hair and kissing her shoulder.

Turning away from the desperate scene, Clark zeroed in on the key pad by the door. With resolve, he entered the manor. For a moment, he scanned the walls and hallways beyond. With the aid of his x-ray vision, he located Bruce and started walking. As he approached Bruce's bedroom, a voice behind him stopped him in his tracks.

"Master Clark?"

"Alfred."

"Were you looking for Master Bruce?"

"Well...I've already found him."

"I see."

"Sorry."

"No apologies are necessary, sir."

Those words spoken, Clark turned back down the hall. He only made it a couple steps before again he heard:

"Master Clark."

Turning around, he faced Alfred again. The man's age was showing on his face in a way it never had before. Weary, but resolved, Alfred walked up to him and looked him in the eye. "Master Bruce can be a difficult man."

"Yes, he can."

"It is said that patience is a virtue. With Master Bruce, it is often necessary to be as virtuous as possible."

"Thank you, Alfred," said Clark as he placed a warm pat on the man's shoulder. "I'll keep that in mind."

Proceeding down the hall, Clark came to stand directly in front of Bruce's door. Turning the doorknob, he didn't enter the room.

"Don't come in!"

Squaring his shoulders, as well as his resolve, Clark pushed the door open. Still standing in the doorway, he watched Bruce pull on his robe, tying the sash with a fierce yank.

"Get out!"

"No."

"Leave. Now," warned Bruce as he stepped forward, pivoting his hips as he tied another knot. Widening his stance, he brought his tight fists down, level with his hips.

"I'm staying," replied Clark. Stepping into the room, he never broke eye contact as he closed the door behind him.

"You have no right. You had no right! To be here. To be in that place. To be in my city. To get in the way of my mission."

"You're wrong. I had every right."

"The hell you did!" yelled Bruce as he advanced on Clark's position. "Gotham is mine and I can take care of her in my own way. You had no right to interfere. I didn't call for you and I didn't ask for your help."

"No, you didn't, but I still had every right to be there."

"So self-righteous. That's all you are. A god-like presence that runs around trying to fulfill all his inner boy scout dreams. Well, I didn't ask for you to come here and I have no intention of placing flowers at your feet."

"I intervened and I would do it again. I stepped in because when we established the Justice League it was under the premise that we could do more good together than apart. That in unity there was strength. Tell me, Bruce - Did you ever believe in that?"

Several feet separating them, Bruce remained silent, but not motionless. His tightly wound hands loosened, until they hung limply by his sides.

"As for Dick and Barbara, it wasn't really about them. It was all about you. I know you, Bruce. I know you. It would kill you to lose another son. I could hear the urgency in your heartbeat. I could tell what you were planning to do."

"You were listening to my heartbeat? Who gave you permission to do that?"

"No one did?" Taking a couple steps back, Clark was suddenly unsure as Bruce stormed up to him.

"Do you use it as a beacon? Do you use it to keep tabs on me? Am I under your constant surveillance?"

As Bruce pressed into his personal space, he explained, "It's not like that. It really isn't. It's just something I do. I've done it for as long as I can remember. I listen to the heartbeats of all the people I love. I'm listening to my parent's heartbeats, right now, as we speak."

Curiously, he watched as Bruce's whole body tensed. Then, he watched as all the tension melted away. Slowly, Bruce took first one step, then another backwards. Trying to figure out why a distinct deer in the headlights expression momentarily crossed Bruce's face, Clark went over the previous exchange. As he recalled his last statement, his mouth fell open and his eyes grew wide.

Meeting Bruce's steady gaze, Clark made a decision. Palms out, he slowly brought his hands up. Taking a moment, he cleared his throat and confirmed, "Yes, I meant it. It isn't exactly how I planned on telling you, but it's true. I love you."

"I don't believe it."

"Believe it. Even my Mother knows so it has to be true."

"You told your Mother?"

"No. Worse. She told me."

With that, Bruce tilted his head back. Taking a step back, he looked away just as a short, cut-off snort breeched his defenses. Slowly, by degrees, the soft chuckles shook his frame harder and harder until he was laughing out loud. Watching him in disbelief, Clark couldn't fight the infectious nature of Bruce's laughter. Leaning over, he also gave in to the mirth bubbling up to overflowing.

After several seconds, Bruce started to regain his composure. Placing a solid hand flat against Clark's left cheek, he pulled up until their eyes met. Quickly, he brought his left hand up, placing his fingertips along a shuddering chin. Closing any remaining distance between them, he pressed a soft kiss to Clark's lips.

After that, things moved rather quickly. Knots were untied. A uniform was pulled off, thrown to the floor to rest beside the robe already there. Two bodies fell in a frantic, ungraceful way, bouncing on the mattress. Clark's hands found their way along Bruce's scarred skin, moving steadily lower. The question in Bruce's eyes was loud and clear and Clark never hesitated as he nodded in assent.

Hours later, their heads rested on pillows. Spooning, Clark felt Bruce press against his back, felt him shifting snugly inside him. Still trembling from everything they just did, his skin danced as Bruce ran a single fingertip across the smooth expanse of his upper thigh. Leaning back, he exposed the nape of his neck as Bruce pressed gentle kisses along his shoulder.

Lazily, soft kisses danced from shoulder to neck to earlobe. Letting his breath brush across the round curl of the ear, Bruce nuzzled the damp hair beneath his left cheek. As the final bits of energy departed his body, he wrapped his arm tightly around Clark's waist and whispered, "So, what exactly does your Mother serve for Thanksgiving?"