Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Alfred Pennyworth sat at his usual table sipping his tea as he read the Gotham Gazette on his laptop. It was a beautiful day. The sun shone down and a light breeze kept it from being too hot. He nibbled on a biscotti as he smiled in quiet satisfaction at the headline.

"Kidnap Victim Rescued by Vigilante." Gotham's new hero had been quite busy lately. After the defeat of Bane two years ago, Gotham had been a broken city with a reduced police force and a thousand areas that needed attention. Criminals had moved in and tried to take advantage even as help poured in to rebuild the great city.

But this new hero, this Nightwing, had been taking them down as fast as they showed up. The mob had tried to reform in the shadows. The remnants that were still free after Blackgate was operational again had begun to organize but Nightwing had shut them down just as efficiently as his predecessor had. He was proving to be quite the worthy heir.

Currently, he was pursuing a bizarre criminal who left clues in the forms of riddles that hinted at his next crime. With or without the Batman, Gotham always seemed to attract the crazy ones. But at least this one seemed to subconsciously want to get caught. Alfred was sure that Arkham would have another patient, soon enough.

After he finished his meal, he removed the plain, white envelope from his shirt pocket. It had arrived in his mailbox this morning with no return address but he knew who it was from. He opened it carefully and took out the single photo inside.

The newborn was sound asleep, her wrinkled fingers clutching the edge of the blanket that covered her. A pink hat with small cat ears on it covered the top of her head but he could already see familiar lines in the tiny nose and cheeks. Flipping the picture over, he found a single sentence in elegant script.

"Her name is Helena."

Alfred took a long look and then stuck the picture back in his pocket while adding the empty envelope to his neat pile of trash. He looked around the courtyard but the table where he'd last seen his former employer was occupied by a pair of elderly women gossiping over their lunch. Leaving a generous tip, as always, he gathered his things and began the walk back to his hotel.

He would likely never see the man again. Bruce had his own life to live now and so did his old butler. Alfred had no intention of ever returning to Gotham even though he kept abreast of what was happening there. That city held only sad memories for him. But if Bruce or Helena ever needed him, Alfred Pennyworth would be there. He served the Wayne family and it had just grown by one.