Chapter 17

Blake

Commissioner Gordon stayed in the basement on the couch across from Kate as she slept. He went back down with more blankets; He didn't trust having her there alone with the Commissioner. Izzo and Foley had agreed that having her there was a risk. But Commissioner Gordon didn't want to hear it.

Blake knew that Kate was of some importance to Bane But the question remained. Why? So far form his patrol in the last day he had seen more movement for Bane's men out in the streets. He noted that he hadn't seen Kate's old friends out there yet but he knew that they were coming out sooner or later. That was an uneasy feeling. He had watched them as a team and there indeed quite the team. If one didn't know any better, they could've been mistaken for a SWAT team. He made another mental note and decided that he'd get some info on them from Kate.

He observed the man in second command. He had caught his name a while back. Barsad was his name just the look of him was screaming out, bad company. There was something off about him. Then again there was some off about every man in Bane's army. He always wondered where Kate fit in. But just after a few hours with her he didn't need to think much about it. She was crazy. He wanted to get more intel on this Barsad.

He let his mind wonder again as he reached the basement door and took his time going the creaking steps. He expected both Kate and Commissioner Gordon to be asleep but as he took that final step he saw Kate was still awake. Commissioner Gordon was on the couch across from her with his back turned fast asleep.

As he walked in slowly carrying the blankets he could feel her eyes followed him like a tiger watching its next meal. It was beginning to annoy him as he felt her glare burning holes into the back of his head. He ignored her and walked to the table.

"Can I help you?" he asked as he dropped the blankets on the table and separated them in threes.

"No more than you can help yourself." She replied calmly. Blake kept his back to her. He had every intention of ignoring her completely. The way she asked questions and her answers were strange. She had spent too much time with the mercenaries'.

"Do have complete faith in the Batman?" she asked him. Blake was surprised by her question; he stopped for a second and thought about it.

"From the intel I got from Selina Kyle"

"The master jewel thief?" she asked cutting him off midsentence. That irritated him the most. He stopped with the Blankets.

"Yes her." He mumbled still turned away from her.

"Do you really trust the word of a thief?" she asked. Blake sighed then turned to his side and kneeled down to set up his sleeping bag on the floor.

"More than I trust you." He said and unrolled the bag and grabbed his blankets from the table.

Kate chuckled at him. "Sorry Detective. It was rude of me, as you were saying?" she said asking him to continue. Blake kept quiet for a moment as he stood up and walked over to Jim and covered him up with three thick blankets. He turned back around to the table then grabbed the other three blankets and held them out to Kate. She smiled that strange and unnerving smile then slowly stood up and took the blankets. "Thank you." She said then went back to the couch.

"Selina Kyle explained that Bane had beaten him up pretty bad. Then later he was carried off somewhere in the tunnels. That was the last she saw of him." Blake explained remembering the conversation they later had in the City when he and Jim caught up with her after Bane released the prisoners.

Kate sat there on the couch for a moment. Blake sat down on the sleeping bag and kicked off his boots then tugged at the sleeves of his jacket then folded it up and place it behind him as a pillow. The Lantern was on the table he reached up to turn it off but Kate's hand appeared over his.

"Leave it. I'll get it later." She said and sat back down on the couch. Blake nodded then sat there for a moment as Kate stared off into the darkness.

"Did you ever believe in the Batman?" he asked her. Kate came back to reality from ever she had let her mind take her. She leaned back on the couch and grabbed the blankets around her.

"Not at first. I was still very young when I first heard about him." She said then looked at Blake.

"Do you think Bane killed him?" she asked. Blake sighed then crawled into his sleeping bag. He took a few moments to get comfortable.

"I don't know. Selina Kyle wasn't sure either." He replied. He glanced up at Kate who stared back down at him.

"I don't know what Bane and his guys did with him. I saw nothing at City Hall that would indicate that Bane had him there."

Blake sat there thinking to himself; Bane had kept Kate out of the loop. Everything about this was wrong and it was eating at him but he let it slip, he'd question her some more about in the morning. Blake let out a sigh then ran his hands over his face. This was too much to think on before going to sleep.

"You still haven't answered my question Detective Blake." Kate whispered. Blake laid himself down and pulled the blankets up to his chin.

"I have faith in the Batman. Even if he isn't here." He said with a wide confident smile. He saw the blank look on Kate's face. The lantern was beginning to die down. He watched her face for a while, from this distance and angle. He had to admit that Kate was very beautiful. He shook his head and closed his eyes.

"I've seen how close you are to Jim." He heard Kate say. He opened his eyes and saw that light had burned out. It was pitch black. The couch was only an arm's stretch away but he couldn't see Kate. But he knew she was still sitting there.

"Commissioner Gordon is a great man." He whispered staring into the dark above him.

"Yes he is." He heard Kate say.

"I didn't have the opportunities that you had growing up." He admitted both to Kate and himself. He waited for a moment as he heard Kate on the couch shifting around. He felt the flapping blankets as she unfolded them, then he heard her beating at the pillow trying to make it to her comfort. He waited until everything got quiet.

"My parent's died when I was young." Kate whispered in the dark. Blake fell quiet again, he already heard that story.

"So did mine." He mumbled. Everything fell silent. He knew that Kate was processing the information. He heard her moving around on the couch. He knew that she had moved to her side to face him. He could feel her eyes on him again.

"I'm guessing you didn't have the foster family opportunity." She whispered again. This time her voice was nearby. He turned his head and saw that his eyes had adjusted to the dark. Kate had her head on the side of the pillow leaning slightly off the couch looking right at him.

"I did, things just didn't work out. You were lucky to have Jim Gordon there. To take you in and raised you as one of his own. Things could've turned out a lot different." Blake could tell that Kate's eyes had also adjusted as she smiled back at him.

"Where did you go?" she asked him still staring at him. Blake sighed then turned his eyes back to ceiling above. He never really liked sharing his past with others.

"I ended up in a Boy's Home for Homeless and at Risk children." He finally answered after his personal debate. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to share his past with someone. If things went south, it would be ok that someone knew him, the real him.

"Do you remember your parents?" she uttered.

"Not both. My dad I remember, but mom died when I was very young so I really don't remember too much." He answered truthfully. Kate was silent for a moment.

"I remember my dad the most too. I didn't see much of him because he was always working, always on call. But every night when he got home, no matter what time it was. He would come into my room wake me up and ask me endless questions about my day; He would go on for hours with the questions. My mom hated it but that was ok. It was the only real time I had with him on the week days." Kate said. Blake smiled when he heard her chuckled to herself in the dark.

"My dad was a gambler; he was always running around to make the bookies. Even though he was in debt and never had much. He did try to make the best with me. I remember one night he came home so happy because his luck changed for the better. He came in laughing with such excitement that he pulled from bed and asked me what I wanted for dinner." Blake paused for a second to let out a laugh as well.

"It was 3am but he didn't care. I remember saying burgers and fries then we went to an all-night diner. That was a great night; we stayed at that diner talking over burgers and shakes. That was the last time, and then things got bad." Blake mumbled as he felt his voice getting ready to break. He hadn't thought of that night in a long time.

He remembered getting home from school to an empty house, the T.V was gone, the VCR and a few other appliances. He wasn't surprised and knew that dad must have pawned what he could to get some money. He just sat there in his room for a while then left and walked up the street to the park. He had spent the rest of the day there going up and down the slide. He was there until he saw the sun fading behind the city buildings when he decided to go home.

When he got there dad still wasn't home. His belly growled at him so he went through the fridge and found half a gallon of orange juice. He dug through the cupboards and found some crackers. The kitchen table was piled with newspapers, empty carton of cigarettes and empty bottles of beer. So he just slid down to the floor and drank his orange juice from the carton and nibbled on crackers.

It was at nine when he figured dad was going to have a long night so he got into his pajamas and went to bed. Hours later he heard the door creak open and a few things kicked aside. Dad was home, but probably drunk. Then he heard.

"Robin? HEY ROBBY BOY?" he shouted. He slowly sat up from his bed when he heard dad walking down the hall in a fast pace. The door opened wide and the light flicked on, "Robin? You awake?" dad asked with a wide smile.

"Yea." He replied rubbing his sleepy eyes. His dad must have been drunk, then again he had seen him drunk and he was never this happy when he was. Dad walked in and kneeled down the floor beside the bed.

"Hey kiddo? Look at this." He said and reached into his pockets and pulled out a bundle of cash in both hands. He smiled back, "Whoa! Where did you get that? is it all real?' he asked. Dad smiled wide and ruffled his hair.

"My lucks changed kiddo. Let's say we got out and celebrate! You hungry?" he asked. He nodded and jumped from the bed.

"I want burgers and fries!" he shouted with excitement. Dad grabbed him and picked him up with a strong hug.

"It's gonna be ok Robin. From here on out son. I promise." Said Dad with his face buried in his neck. He changed his cloths quick were out the door in seconds. They walked hand in hand across town to a place dad said he knew would still be open. The diner was small and there were a few people there at the booth.

"Counter or table?" dad asked him, He smiled and looked around. "Counter." He answered, dad winked at him. "Good choice." He said. He had his burger and a mountain of fries. It felt good to eat such a great meal considering his orange juice and crackers didn't make him full. They talked about school, the soft ball team he was planning on trying out for in the spring. When his chocolate shake came he sat there quietly and enjoyed every sip through the straw.

Blake closed his eyes to let the memory fade away, back into the deep part of his mind. Nothing good ever came from the past so he tried his best not to remember.

"My dad was great, I don't remember much about the night he died." Kate said suddenly. Blake listened, "I don't remember what I did that day, don't remember going home. Nothing." She continued.

"Neither do I. I just remember being at school when the counselor come to my classroom and walking to the principles offices and the two cops standing there. I don't even remember my reaction. I don't remembering crying or a funeral." Blake said holding his emotions back with every part of the being. Kate let a long sigh.

"I do remember my dad coming home and then leaving again. I wanted to wait until he got home but my mom wasn't having it. So I was upstairs getting ready for bed when I heard to loud POP POP. My mom came running up my room and we lay down on the floor. A few hours later, we were in the living-room waiting for dad. There came a knock on the door. Mom answered it; I peeked around the corner and saw Jim there. Then she broke out into a scream and started wailing." Everything got quiet between them.

"What happened after that night with your dad?" Kate asked him in a whisper again. Blake reached his arms out and put them behind his head, he knew it was going to be a long night if she kept on with the questions.

"I went into the system. Got adopted but that didn't work out." He said

"Why didn't it workout?" she asked. Blake smiled, "I was an angry kid. Mad at the world for everything that had happened." He replied thinking back on it.

Kate laughed. "I know the feeling. I was mad at God for taking my dad, driving my mother to drink and committing suicide."

"Yea, it seems simpler to blame God." He finished.

"What about high school?" she asked changing the angry child topic. Blake was relieved he really didn't want to go into that angry kid stage again.

"I got a part time job at a snack shop down on fifth avenue and."

"22nd?" Kate asked, Blake smiled she knew the place.

"That's the one." They both chuckled. "I remember that place. I use to go there for Louis's famous.", "Chili cheese fries." Blake finished. Kate laughed, "Yea, his chili cheese fries. Those were the best. Never found anything that compared, I got into a fight there once." Kate said with a small hint of pride. Blake smiled, "I remember a girl fight that broke out in there once too. Louis came into the backroom and shouted for my help to break it up." Said Blake.

"Maybe it was you. I had that girl on her back, my knees on her shoulder and I kept punching her in the face. She kept trying to grab my hair out. Stupid bitch." Kate mumbled.

Blake laughed then pulled his arms to cover his face to muffle the out-burst of his laugh. "I remember that fight! If I'm correct, you had pink hair dye on the tips?" he asked still trying not to laugh out loud. Kate laughed again.

"Oh God. Yea that was me." She said giggling.

"Yea I pulled you off then you turned around and slugged me." He said remembering that day pretty well. She had a strong swing; he had a shiner for a week. Kate sighed, "Yea, now I remember. Then I ran out of there and never went back. I was afraid Jim would find out." She said then laughed again.

It was silent again after the laughter had died down. Blake laid there letting his mind wonder. He had met her before; their lives had crossed each other once. That was an interesting thought. Kate was quiet for a long time. He looked over and saw that she had fallen asleep. He continued smiling then closed his eyes.

Jim

Jim wasn't asleep; he just was lying there in complete silence. He had heard the entire conversation. He never bothered to ask John Blake about his past, he always felt that it was respectful not to ask about another's personal life.

He remembered going out to a boy's home a few weeks ago with Blake. He was delivering canned food there. He felt stupid now for not piecing everything together then while he was there. Blake had introduced him to Father Reilly, everyone there had greeted Blake, and the kids knew him pretty well. Blake knew his way around the building like the back of his hand. Even his personality had given off signs. He was always self-sufficient, most of the time he wanted to do everything alone.

Thinking about it he realized now why he liked the young Detective. Everything about him reminded him of Kate. They had that self-determination, a drive to always push themselves for something better. It made sense now. Jim shifted around and turned to face them. Both had gone to sleep, He loved Kate as a daughter and admired Blake as a friend.

Kate wasn't the girl he had raised. If anyone could bring her back, that person could be Blake. Jim was sure of that, from he had heard. There was moment of the old Kate. And they had connected on some level. From he heard they seemed to have a few things in common. He thought about it, there was no such thing as coincidence, Blake and Kate had crossed paths for a reason.

Jim thought about it some more and when he closed his eyes it was settled.

Kate

She was the first one up. Jim and Blake were still asleep. She sat up still wrapped in the blankets. It was pretty cold in the morning, from the basement window she could see that it was still dark outside. She sat there for a few minutes then she smelled the cooking upstairs. It was bacon. She hadn't had a home cooked meal in weeks. Everything was MRE's, coffee and cigarettes. She dug her jacket pocket on the couch and found the pack. She opened it and found that it was out.

She tossed the empty pack on the table. That was one thing she missed now, with Barsad and the other mercenaries they were never out of cigarettes. She remained there thinking about Barsad. Apart of her missed him, the other half wasn't sure.

Looking down at Blake as he slept, she saw his black hair, jaw structure and his lips. He sure was handsome, not really rough around the edges like Barsad. From their conversation last night, she discovered that Blake was easy to talk to. He was nothing like Barsad. There was a lot she never told him and now realized that she never could share with him. She knew that talking about her past or his own was an uncomfortable feeling for him.

She shook her head to let the thoughts get tossed around and lost. The smell of the breakfast was making her stomach growl. As slowly and as quietly as she could she tiptoed over Blake and his sleeping bag. It was a lot difficult to do with her boots on. But she made it. She still had the blanket wrapped around her shoulder. She took careful steps to the stairs.

The stairs creaked at first then fell quiet. She was at the door when it flew open.

"Well. Mornin sweetheart." Said Joe Izzo standing in the door way. Kate looked up at him. She tried to smile but she couldn't her mind flew to their last encounter when she burned down his bar. The look on his face seem to read her mind.

"I know honey. Let it go, It happened." He said and opened his arms. Kate sighed then slowly went into his embrace. He hugged her for a while. Kate pulled back and saw that her tears had flowed down her cheek.

"I'm sorry Joe. I had to." She whispered and wiped her eyes. Joe stood there with his giant hands on her shoulders.

"I know. You did what you had to do." He said and pulled her in for another strong hug.

"I had to. I couldn't risk Jim returning to you and forcing my hand. I couldn't." she whispered. That much was true, if she hadn't burned it down. There was a chance that Barsad would have taken him to Bane to face judgment by the so called people of Gotham who were mostly crazies and former mob employees who wanted to city the rich and powerful punished for simply having more than they did.

"Come on up, breakfast is ready. Lemme get them boys up." He said and went down the stairs. Kate looked ahead and saw the door at the end of the hall. She heard a few other voices in there. She took a deep breath and forced her feet to carry her over.

When she got to the door Joe, Blake and Jim had just gotten basement door. She was relieved and waited for him to catch up. She hadn't felt this nervous in a long time.

Jim smiled at her and rubbed her shoulder. "Come on." He said and nodded to Blake.

"Mornin." Blake said happily catching Kate's eye and grinning as he followed Jim. He held the door open for her. Kate swallowed but her throat was dry. Joe was behind her.

"Get a move on honey, I'm a starving man." He said and gave her back a nudge.

Kate followed Blake into the next room. She looked around and saw that it was a restaurant. Not a very big or fancy one but it was cozy. There were a few booths, tables and a bar. She had been here before. She just couldn't remember when. The wall paper was a plain white, the booth, tables and chairs were red. The floor was black and white tile.

There were six other men there at a table that they had put together; she saw that it was four tables. Everyone fell quiet as she walked around the table and sat down between Blake and Jim. Joe sat down across from Kate. All was awkward silence.

"When is that breakfast coming?" Joe Izzo shouted breaking the ice between everyone.

"It's on its way!" shouted another voice in the back where the kitchen was. Kate was surprised to hear a woman's voice. Then she appeared, she was a short Hispanic woman with green eyes, black wavy hair and very short. Kate heard her accent.

She was carrying out a tray of plates that had eggs, bacon, hash-browns and sausage. Behind her came two other Hispanic men, one the young man was a inches taller and quite handsome he had a pitcher of juice and another of coffee. He had the same green eyes. Kate figured they were brother and sister. The big man behind him was an elderly man with light colored brown eyes and bald.

"Well, I see this must be the beautiful Kate. Do you remember me?" he asked Kate as he placed the trays down in front of Joe.

Kate stared at him then shook her head. He broke out into laughter. "I wasn't this heavy when your daddy would bring you and your mama in." he laughed and rubbed his belly. Then it snapped.

"Emilio Flores?" Kate asked with surprise. Emilio laughed and clapped his hands. "Yes mija you do remember." Everyone at the table chuckled.

"He was a cop once as well, until he took a bullet in the leg." Joe pointed out. Kate nodded she had heard this story before. Her father had brought her to this restaurant for her eighth birthday because her mother was complaining that her father never really let her daughter enjoy or experience her own Hispanic culture, Truth was that her mother Puerto Rican but she use say that the cultures were all the same.

Kate sat there and continued to stare back at Emilio and having flashes of that birthday. It was the best that she had ever had. She always wondered where this place was and now here she was. It was a shame that it was under different circumstances.

"Dig in." Emilio shouted. He and his family took their seats. Hands were everywhere, reaching for a plate, asking to pass the salt or pepper.

"Kate, these are my children. This is Amanda my daughter and my son Robert." He introduced. Kate smiled back at them, they nodded and smiled.

The feeling was strange. Kate sat there quietly eating at her eggs. Everyone else was talking and picking at their plates. This was quite a crowd, Kate use to go out to dinner and the local bars with co-workers from Quantico. But the last two years she had a withdrawal with friends. A strong amount of her time was spent alone. This was just uncomfortable.

Barsad and her team was a different story. No one really talked about their former lives. They said just enough to share who they were but never more than that. Even when they ate their meals, sometimes they were too tired to carry a conversation that by the time they returned to base they all just went right to sleep. Plain and simple, she was use to that. This was almost too much; she would have rather had her breakfast back in the basement.

She finished her plate and felt fulfilled. It was a good feeling she had to admit, the meal was well cooked and delicious. Once everyone was done, they all helped clear the table and settled down. It was straight to business. Kate hadn't moved since she sat down, she already knew she wasn't going to like what was going to be said. Jim cleared his throat then everyone stopped and looked his way.

"We need to narrow down a route, obtain the bomb. Get it to back to the hands if Wayne Enterprise so Lucius Fox can stabilize it." Jim said loudly looking at everyone at the table then settling on Kate.

Kate was surprised at that. He's gaze was questioning her, and then she noticed everyone else was looking back at her with the same expression in their eyes.

"What?" she asked challenging every one. She didn't want it to come out the way that it did but it was too late.

"You've been inside with Bane and his inner workings; you know the ins and outs of City Hall." Said one of the other men who was sitting beside Izzo. Kate chuckled.

"You want my help to get you to him." She said and laughed loudly folding her arms.

"Will you?" asked Izzo staring at her with a strong look. Kate sighed then leaned forward so her elbows rested on the table.

"I can't help you. Bane isn't a stupid man. City Hall is well guarded. There's men on just about every floor but top floor and the roof." She explained then turned back to Jim at her side. When she was Bane's captive she made note of the grounds and every man there for a possible escape.

"So there's no way in?" he asked. Kate smiled then shook her head.

"He's not your average thug. Everything is run like a military unite. Besides I wasn't with him every day. I'm sure he knew that one day you'd come for me, chances are he probably hoped you would. None of you understand him. I don't understand him." She said turning to Blake who only stared back with no expression.

"If by any chance that we can't get to the bomb, we need to get the head of the snake." Blake said folding his hands then glanced to Kate.

"He's probably expecting that. He's probably even wants you to make that mistake." She said shaking her head. Now it made sense, they wanted her Intel on him to take him on. Once again, she was just a pawn in the same game another piece just being played by another hand.

"Barsad is his second. He's not a mad dog without a strategic move. Every move is well played. Bane wants you to play the game, and this trigger man thing. It isn't real. That's not Bane. If anything it's his hand on the trigger. Or.." Kate paused for a second and thought back to that night on the roof. Could it be? She wondered.

She could feel everyone's eyes on her again.

"Or?" Jim and Blake asked at once. Kate smiled and sighed.

"There is a woman. Here in the city, I don't know who she is, I never saw her face. But she was with Bane. Barsad let it slip that she's with Bane. All I have is her name Talia. From what I did gather, she's been at his side from the beginning." Kate said still lost in her thoughts. Is there a chance that this Talia woman was indeed Bane's only real leverage? Could he have trusted her with the detonator?

Silence fell over the table. Kate sat there then looked back to Jim.

"You need to get me back inside." She said now knowing what she had to do.