First And Last

by RieMayu

A/N - Now I know this may seem like a long chapter to start off. I didn't know how far to go with it to start. I already have the first few chapters complete and ready to upload in the next few days if this story is well received.

Please review!

21 years ago

The car ride was spent in silence. Madelyn was desperate and she hoped that this trip outside of the city would be just the thing to help Charlotte. The 10 year old hadn't spoken much since she had moved to Gotham to live with her grandmother, Madelyn. Charlotte had endured a lot in such a short time for someone so young. It broke Madelyn's heart to watch her not only lose both her parents but also the only life she had ever known.

"You'll like them," Madelyn said, breaking the silence as she looked in the mirror at Charlotte sitting in the backseat. Charlotte kept her eyes on the scenery that passed by them. "Bruce is your age, maybe a year older."

Still, the girl didn't respond.

With a soft weary sigh, Madelyn turned the car off the road and through the front gate onto the Wayne manor property.

As disinterested as Charlotte appeared to be, she couldn't help but stare at the large house that loomed ahead of them. Her grandmother had told her that it was larger than her own estate, but she had never imagined it to be like this.

They passed rows of large oak trees, filled with leaves that moved in the warm breeze. If the car window was open, she would have certainly heard the chorus of birds as they flew about in the trees. As they approached the house, Charlotte could see the colours of flowers decorating stone planters near the front door and along the driveway. They were similar to the ones that they once had at her home in California. Charlotte's mother loved the flowers.

With that thought in mind, Charlotte quickly looked down at her hands.

The car pulled up alongside the house and came to a stop. Madelyn turned in the drivers seat and put her hand on Charlotte's knee, gaining the young girls attention.

"You'll have a good time," the woman assured her just as her door was opened.

Charlotte looked up and saw a man standing outside the door, a kind smile on his face as he greeted Madelyn.

"Good to see you again, Madelyn," Alfred said, leaning forward to take her hand, helping her out of the car.

"Likewise, Alfred," Madelyn told him, leaning forward to gently kiss the man on the cheek in greeting. "I appreciate you and Bruce making the time to visit with us."

"It's our pleasure, I assure you," Alfred told her with a smile.

The sound of the door opening on the other side of the car caught his attention and Alfred could see the top of an auburn haired head and a light blue headband appear over the roof of the car. Madelyn heard it as well and turned, smiling at her granddaughter.

Charlotte walked around the car towards Madelyn, and looked up at the large house that seemed to stare back down at her.

"Miss Charlotte," Alfred said, smiling as he held out his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. Your grandmother has told me all about you."

Charlotte politely shook his hand before Alfred looked over his shoulder at the boy standing behind him.

"Master Bruce, this is Charlotte Porter," Alfred said, stepping aside allowing the boy to step forward to greet their guests. Bruce smiled at Charlotte and said hello. "And you already know Mrs. Porter."

"It's nice to see you again, Bruce," Madelyn said, smiling. She shook her head. "You must have grown again since I saw you last."

A smile appeared on Bruce's face. "Alfred says the same thing."

Alfred let out a sigh and chuckled. "Master Bruce, why don't you show Charlotte around the yard. It's a beautiful day and Mrs. Porter and I will have a cup of tea out on the veranda."

Bruce nodded and with a tilt of his head, he gestured to Charlotte to come along with him. Charlotte glanced up at Madelyn before following Bruce, quickly walking beside him as they made their way from the driveway and onto the grass.

"I really appreciate this, Alfred," Madelyn said, sitting down in the wicker love seat on the veranda. Although the sun had disappeared from that part of the house for the day, a warm breeze blew by them every so often. "Charlotte is needing a friend right now."

Alfred nodded.

"How is she doing?"

Madelyn sighed as Alfred sat down in the seat across from her.

"Better than last week," she said. "She's speaking more. I have yet to hear her laugh again." Again, she sighed. "How did you do it? Bruce was younger than Charlotte when Thomas and Martha passed away."

A small smile graced the man's features. "A lot of patience." He reached forward and began to fill the teacups with tea. "And how are you doing?"

Madelyn chuckled. She reached forward and took the cup. "Better. It took a while to deal with Robert and Nicole's estate but I'm glad that it's over with. Now I just have to relearn how to raise children once again. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would one day be juggling stock holders meetings with taking care of Charlotte. Yet I couldn't imagine my life without her right now. It's a miracle that she's alive to begin with."

Alfred agreed. He had seen the news of the tragic car accident that took the lives of the Madelyn's son Robert and her daughter in law Nicole, yet spared the life of Charlotte. The media had turned to the young girl as being the newest heiress to the Porter fortune. What they didn't know were the many nights where Charlotte would wake up screaming and crying, before being comforted by Madelyn as the girl played out her parents final moments over and over.

Alfred smiled weakly, knowing full well the nightmares that Bruce had woken up to in the past two years. Although they were becoming more few and far between, he knew that Bruce was still waking up in the night.

"If anyone can relate to what Charlotte has endured, it would be Master Bruce."

Madelyn sighed and looked out to where she could barely see the two children moving around the treeline. "I couldn't imagine loosing both a mother and father at their age. It hardly seems fair."

Alfred reached forward and put his hand on Madelyn's.

"At least she has you."

The silence was killing him. It was true that Bruce wasn't an overly talkative boy but he enjoyed conversation, especially when it was in the company of a new friend his age. He had found out early on that having friends his age were few and far between. Rachel was an exception. Her mother worked the grounds and Rachel would only stop by on the weekends for a few hours at a time. To have a guest in the middle of the week was almost unheard of.

Charlotte looked up at the tall oak tree and put her hand to her forehead to shield the sun from her eyes. The treehouse seemed to be higher than it looked. She watched as Bruce skillfully climbed the tree, gracefully putting his feet on the securely nailed pieces of 2x4. He paused and looked back down at her.

"Are you coming up?" he asked.

Charlotte's heart was beating in her chest. As eager as she was to make a friend, she wished it didn't include the need to climb a tree. She had climbed the old willow trees in her grandmother's yard, but none of them were this high.

Bruce noticed her hesitation and watched as she slowly reached out, putting her hands on the piece of wood. When he saw her take two steps up, he smirked and continued up into the treehouse.

He quickly pushed the pieces of opened chip bags and action figures to the side in preparation for his guest. Rachel had come up the treehouse countless times, but he realized that as she had gotten older, the treehouse had lost its appeal to her. Although Rachel hadn't been up in the treehouse since the fall, Bruce still visited it when he was needing a place to hide or get quiet.

He stood up and looked out the window, seeing his home through the branches and leaves of the tree.

"Bruce?"

He didn't recognize the voice but knowing that it was coming from the base of the tree, he looked down at Charlotte.

"Could we do something else?"

He paused and nodded before climbing over the edge of the treehouse and back down to the ground.

"Are you afraid?" he asked her plainly, a smirk on his face. He already knew the answer.

"No," Charlotte lied adamantly. She glanced up at the treehouse.

Bruce shrugged.

"I don't like bats," Bruce admitted, catching her eyes as she looked back down at him.

A small smile pulled at her lips. "My Dad always said that most animals are probably more afraid of you than you are of them."

He nodded. "My Dad told me that too." Bruce paused for a moment. "Alfred told me that your parents died not too long ago."

Again, Charlotte looked up at the treehouse, not willing to acknowledge the statement although Bruce already knew the details. Alfred had explained it to him before their arrival. Knowing this, Bruce quickly changed the subject when it was clear she wasn't wanting to talk about it. His 11 year old mind could clearly understand why.

"Come over here," he said, running into the bush. "There's a creek back this way."

Relieved with the change of subject, Charlotte ran after Bruce through the bush. He slowed down as they approached the creek. It wasn't wide but there was visible signs that it had been quite high after the winter's thaw. Charlotte watched as Bruce grabbed ahold of a heavy duty rope attached to the top of a tree branch stretched over the creek.

"Watch this," he told her as he took a few steps back with the rope in his hands. Bruce took a run forward and jumped, swinging himself over the water and then back to the edge of the creek. He hollered as he swung, his voice echoing within the bush.

"Do you want a turn?"

Charlotte thought carefully before finally nodding. Bruce handed her the rope, instructing her on the best technique to swing out. Following those instructions, Charlotte ran out with the rope in her hands. Bruce aided in her swing by pushing her back and watched as she swung over the creek. Charlotte's momentum swung her out far over the water and quickly brought her back to the water's edge. Seeing how fast she was moving, Bruce reached out and grabbed ahold of the rope with one hand when it came by him in an attempt to slow it down. He attempted to grab onto Charlotte's arm but he grabbed her sweater and together they swung backward over the creek. Charlotte let out a scream of surprise as Bruce suddenly let go of the rope, and pulled her down with him into the creek.

The water was cold and it was quickly seeping through their clothes. It wasn't very deep. Bruce stood up and the water level was at his waist. He turned to Charlotte beside him seeing that she was trying to stand up in the murky water while pulling out the leaves from her hair. Bruce made his way out of the creek, stumbling slightly on the uneven and muddy bottom.

The sound of laughter caught his attention and he turned to Charlotte as she tried to walk through the water, slipping after every step.

"That, was awesome!" she stated.

A smile appeared on Bruce's face as he too, began to laugh at their situation. Charlotte surprised him. As afraid as she was of climbing up into the treehouse, she certainly had no trouble when it came to having a good time. She was a lot like Rachel.

"If it was warmer, I'd consider doing it again," Bruce said, holding out his hand towards her.

Charlotte grabbed his hand and he pulled her up the bank of the creek. She looked down at her shoes, now completely covered in mud. Her jeans stuck to her legs and her cardigan was so heavy from soaking up water. Bruce didn't look any better. Mud caked the side of his neck and his hair. He ran his hands through it, feeling the clumps of mud come out with his fingers.

"My grandmother isn't going to like this," Charlotte stated soberly, squeezing the water from her cardigan onto her shoes.

The older woman was notorious for keeping a clean house and Charlotte had come to learn that it was important to Madelyn that she always looks her best. Now, that also included Charlotte.

Bruce looked over at the house, thinking.

"There's a hose on the side of the house. We can at least wash up a bit and then try to dry off in the sun."

Charlotte rolled her eyes at him as Bruce scoffed.

"If you have a better idea..."

Charlotte didn't and she figured that if she could at least rid herself of the mud on her feet and legs, before drying off while running around she may get away with it.

As they broke through the tree line, nearest to the house, they ran towards the patio where Bruce knew there was a hose waiting. It wasn't until he heard Alfred's voice that he stopped abruptly, causing Charlotte to bump into him and gaining both Alfred's and Madelyn's attention.

"Master Bruce?"

Alfred caught a glimpse of Charlotte behind Bruce just as Madelyn saw her.

"Oh, my word," was all the woman could say as she stood up from the wicker chair across from Alfred. "Is that mud?"

Charlotte bit her lip as she came to stand beside Bruce, feeling as though she was standing before a firing squad. Suddenly, she saw Alfred's features lighten until he was smiling. She could even see a hint of amusement in her grandmother's eye.

Alfred walked down the 3 steps from the patio and onto the grass until he was standing in front of the pair. He glanced at Charlotte before turning to Bruce.

"It appears that you two have had some adventures," he said, to which Bruce looked down at his feet.

Alfred sighed awkwardly, attempting to hide the laughter that was bubbling near the surface.

"Come along with me you two," he said, turning to walk back up the steps. He smiled candidly to Madelyn. "I'll get you washed up. Miss Dawes should be arriving shortly."

Alfred paused by Madelyn. "I'll look after her."

Madelyn smiled briefly to Alfred before turning to Charlotte following behind him.

"You and I will have a good talk when we get home later."

Charlotte simply nodded solemnly before following Bruce and Alfred into the house.

Madelyn sat back down on the wicker chair and reached for her tea cup to take a sip. She smirked, thinking back to seeing the pair covered in mud. As enraged as she should have been at seeing Charlotte getting into trouble with a friend she had just met, she was relieved that the girl was finally enjoying herself...even if that meant getting into a little trouble.

Charlotte stepped out of the shower and reached for the towel on the counter that Alfred had left for her. As cold as she had been in that creek, it had been a while since she had so much fun. For a while, she was beginning to think that living in Gotham with her grandmother would be boring. After all, she knew no one in the city. She was happy to have a friend, and one that knew a little of what she was feeling.

She reached for the clothes that Alfred put out for her. They were Bruce's. The light blue t-shirt with the old fighter planes on it was a little long, but it was better than her wet clothes. Charlotte pulled up the flannel pajama pants and was relieved to find that they did in fact fit her.

When she finally stepped out of the bathroom, she padded barefoot down the hallway the way that she had come when Alfred had originally brought them upstairs. Charlotte looked around the halls as she made her way towards the staircase. Wayne Manor certainly was larger than her grandmother's home; much too large for two people to live in alone. But she could imagine the games of hide and seek that could be played in a home that large.

The sound of voices at the bottom of the staircase caught her attention and she made her way towards them. She saw her grandmother off to the side, speaking on the phone and Alfred with Bruce, but now saw someone whom she didn't know. The girl looked towards Charlotte. Alfred turned and welcomed Charlotte into the conversation.

"Rachel, this is Charlotte Porter," Alfred said, smiling as Charlotte approached the group. Charlotte looked at Rachel, noting that she was taller than her and seemed to notice that Charlotte was dressed odd. "Charlotte is Mrs. Porters granddaughter and this is Rachel Dawes. Her mother works the grounds in the springtime."

"Hi," Charlotte said softly.

Rachel replied in greeting much the same. At that moment, Madelyn hung up the phone and walked towards them.

She sighed.

"Alfred, I'm sorry but we need to cut this visit short," she said. "I need to run into the city and get some documents signed before tomorrow."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Alfred said, before a smile appeared on his face. "Perhaps we can arrange for another time."

"Of course," Madelyn said, gesturing to Charlotte to come with her. Alfred followed them to the door. He bent over and picked up a plastic bag filled with wet clothes and shoes. Madelyn chuckled when she remembered the scene of Bruce and Charlotte appearing in mud and water. "Thank you, Alfred. Oh, and we will return Bruce's clothes."

"That's not a problem," Alfred stated, turning to Charlotte.

"It was delightful to meet you, Miss Porter."

Charlotte smiled timidly.

"We look forward to seeing you again.

Current day

The school was sweltering in the heat. It had been years since the air conditioner had worked and funds within the school board were low. It just hadn't become a priority. After sitting in a classroom with 28 kids for 6 hours a day, Charlotte was beginning to think she should start investing in getting some more fans for her own classroom.

Spring had been short and quickly gave way to an early summer heat, even with a month an a half of the school year left to go.

Charlotte reached up and wrote on the blackboard with a piece of chalk. In the other hand, she held a paper and fanned herself with it, desperate to cool down.

"Here is your assignment for the weekend," she said, as she wrote. "I want all the work to be shown and in your best handwriting."

The grade 3 students behind her groaned as they realized how much work their teacher had just given them. It was nothing new. Charlotte grilled her students and demanded perfection. She was notorious for being tough on them. She had to be. The kids in that school came from low and sometimes impoverished families in Gotham. Charlotte was well aware that they were going to have a rough road ahead of them if they ever wanted to someday get scholarships for college. She loved her students.

Charlotte smiled hearing them.

"It's not that bad," she told them, turning around. "It's all review, so there shouldn't be anything new."

When the bell suddenly rang, Charlotte had to look up at the clock. The day had flown by and she couldn't believe it was already 3pm. The students quickly stood up and gathered their things.

"Have a good weekend, and stay out of trouble!" Charlotte called out over the noise of chairs being moved around. "I expect to see all of you on Monday with a journal entry for the weekend."

She opened the door and the students flowed out of the room and into the hallway. Some smiled at her as they passed, while others were just determined to get out of that stuffy room and school.

Charlotte walked back into her empty classroom and turned the fans so they faced her at her desk before she sat down. She turned when she heard a knock on her door. Charlotte smiled when she saw Amanda, the kindergarten teacher at the door.

"I'm ready for you to teach me more of your ways tomorrow night," the young woman said, bowing slightly in a teasing manner.

Charlotte chuckled. "My ways?"

Amanda walked towards her. She had been in Gotham since the term began in January and after having her apartment robbed within the first two weeks, she quickly realized how important it was to protect yourself in that city. When she had learned that Charlotte also taught a women's cardio kickboxing class at an inner city rec centre, she quickly joined.

"And then I'm going to have a nice glass of wine," Amanda added. "Because after what we have endured this week at this school, we deserve it."

Charlotte smirked as she agreed.

With the heat, came aggression within the kids and there were more than a few fights that had broken out within the halls. Charlotte's shoulder was still sore from stepping between the pair of grade 8 boys.

An elegantly embossed piece of paper stuck out on Charlotte's desk like a sore thumb and curiously, Amanda tilted her head to look at it. Her eyes widened as she read it.

"You've been cordially invited to a benefit in honour of the Wayne Foundation," Amanda read, looking to Charlotte. "This is tonight."

She simply nodded.

"Actually, it's my grandmother who is invited," Charlotte corrected her. "She's dragging me along as her guest."

Amanda let out a puff of air, before using the invitation to fan herself in the humid room.

"Sounds like you're going to have a rough evening hanging out with Gotham's elite," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. She read the invitation further. "And at Wayne Manor, no less."

Charlotte reached out and pulled the invitation from Amanda's hands.

"If I had a choice, I wouldn't be going," she said, tucking the invitation into her purse before going back to collecting the papers from her desk. "Grandma is insisting I join her using her 'failing health' as a reason." Charlotte scoffed. "The woman is healthy as a horse."

Amanda smiled. "She has ulterior motives."

"Of course she does! She wants me to take over the business sooner than later and I think this is her way of folding me into society."

"But at least there will be some nice looking men there," Amanda suggested, her eyes grinning, while Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"All of which are so full of themselves," Charlotte argued. "That is the very reason why I've avoided going to these things with her for so long. She's going to try to set me up with one of them and I'm going to be bored to hell."

"Then why are you even going?"

Charlotte paused. "I don't know."

The last time she had been in that house was when she was 17, and she had promised herself that she would never go back. In actuality, she was keeping that promise. Charlotte knew that it had burned down a few years back and had since been rebuilt less than 6 months earlier. She hadn't seen Bruce since that day 15 years ago. Perhaps, deep down, she was just wanting to see him for herself, simply to confirm that she made the right decision that she had made back then.

But people can change, right?

Charlotte looked up at the clock, watching that the time had gone by that she had wanted to leave.

"Damn it! I need to go," she said, quickly grabbing her purse. "I've got a hair appointment that I need to be at in twenty minutes."

"You're cutting it close," Amanda commented, making her way to the door as Charlotte ran to the back of the room to the closet and grabbed her dress on a hanger that was covered in plastic. She threw it over her shoulder.

"Yeah, it was the only time that I could get," Charlotte stated, running back towards the door and by Amanda.

"Have a good time!" Amanda called out, watching Charlotte run down the hallway. "I'm going to want details!"

Charlotte looked over her shoulder and simply waved before pushing the door open into the parking lot.