Author's Note: Sorry this is so late...

The past two weeks have been extremely

busy! Anyway this is the last chapter,

I hope you enjoy it and please tell

me what you think,pretty please!

Chapter 8

Place: The Rocky Mountains,

behind a secluded cabin...

Time: Shortly after the events of chapter 7...

            The sun was setting over the Rocky Mountains,

and a cool breeze stirred the dark hair of Bruce

Wayne has he sat on the veranda of the Nigmas' cabin,

despite the comfort of his surroundings, he was

anything but comfortable. His daughter was somewhere

in the woods in an attempt to hide from him, and here

he was sitting on the porch of a former nemesis,

sipping coffee, and watching his former enemy, Edward

Nigma, give the now conscious Detective Reese a tour

of the gardens. Suddenly, a black van came up the drive,

soon before he could blink a blonde-haired girl jumped

out of the vehicle and made a wild dash to her father,

while her mother attempted to get two sleepy red-haired

toddlers into the house for their nap.

            "Daddy!" she screamed as she reached him,

"Guess who is here?"

            "I have no idea," then he trailed off as he

noticed the black Jaguar parked behind the family

van, "Wonderful! Hail, hail! The gang is all here!"

            Detective Reese observed as a young dark-haired

man in his early thirties and an elderly lady left the

car, and into the house. "Who is that?" he asked as

Amelia raced back into the house.

            Edward Nigma sighed with fatigue as he and

Det. Reese slowly made their way back to the cabin,

"My brother-in-law, John Cranston," he answered,

"The elderly woman with him is my grandmother-in-law,

Margo Cranston. And I am certain, that my

grandfather-in-law, Lamont Cranston, is lurking a

round somewhere."

            Reese frowned in concern at the tone of fear

that he could hear in Edward Nigma's voice, "You

don't get along with them?" he asked.

            "No, we get along fine!" protested Edward Nigma,

"When they're on the other end of the country, particular

John and Lamont! They're...err...well...let's just say

that they have a presence that is scarier than Batman."

                        ***************************************

A few hours later...

            Reese could understand Edward Nigma's underlying fear,

a few hours in the company of John Cranston, and then

later Lamont Cranston, firmly convinced the young man that he

did not want to get on the bad side of these men! There was

just something about them that reminded Reese of childhood

tales of bogeymen in closets and ghosts haunting old houses.

Deciding that he was safer in the company of Bruce Wayne, or

Batman as he was known in the hero community, then with the

current gentlemen in the living room, he went in search of

the great Dark Knight.

            He found him on the veranda sipping coffee and observing

Edward Nigma teaching his oldest daughter to dance in the garden

for the upcoming talent show that was being held at Amelia's

school. "What do you want?" questioned Bruce Wayne as he

continued to observe Nigma and his daughter.

            "Nothing, just decided I was safe...I mean your

company...ahh...forget it!" replied Reese.

            Bruce Wayne turned to stare at Detective Reese, and for

the first time since he discovered that he had a daughter,

smiled. Though it was a very small smile, "Lamont Cranston and

his grandson do give off a very daunting presence...don't look

so shock detective...even a Dark Knight can get scared at

times. But if you tell anyone, I'll deny it."

            The two detectives remained quiet for a moment,

observing Edward and Amelia Nigma, finally Reese

commented, "She's beautiful, you know."

            "Who?" asked Bruce without looking up.

            "Helena," Reese replied, "She's beautiful, both inside

and out, Selina Kyle and as much as I hate to say this, Edward

Nigma, did a terrific job in raising her. Though that does not

mean she has her faults: She's broody, paranoid, and I've

recently discovered that she has a mean streak of mischief."

            Bruce Wayne turned to again stare at the young man who

seemed to be extremely interested in his daughter, the interest

also appeared to be vice versa, finally he told the younger man,

"That streak she gets from her mother, Selina always enjoyed

sending me out on wild goose chases, drove me crazy! Of course

at the time I did not realize it was not the chases that made me

crazy, it was the woman behind the mask."

            "She was crazy about you too," said a voice behind them,

both men jumped in surprise, turning around they found Helena

Kyle standing before them. Noticing her father's surprise, she

smirked in pleasure, "Gee...I slipped up behind the great Batman

and surprised him! Maybe I'll go down in the history books as

the first person to surprise the Dark Knight from behind."

            "It is not a first, but it is one of the few times

someone has done that," informed Bruce Wayne, "Who taught

you to do that? I did not even hear you come up and I know

Barbara did not teach you due to the fact you have been

the Huntress for a few years before Barbara found you

in London."

            Helena smiled mysteriously as she replied, "Hey,

a girl has to have some secrets from her father. Reese

would you mind if...?"

            Reese sighed as he looked wearily into the living room,

Margo Cranston was again lecturing her grandson about his

single status, and Margaret Nigma was busy cooking dinner as

well as coaxing her youngest children to eat the nutritious

food before them. Sighing, he said, "I'll just go help Mrs.

Nigma in the kitchen, while you two talk." And with that

statement he left the father and daughter to have they're

long overdue conversation.

            The two stared at each other for a moment, finally

Bruce said to his daughter, "I'm sorry, Helena. I'm sorry

I did not save your mother, for leaving in Gotham, for not

being there to help raise you..."

            "Stop!" command Helena; "I understand why you weren't

there for me when I was little and for leaving me in Gotham,

but what I want to know is why couldn't you save Mom if you

loved her, why didn't you go after Clayface?"

            Sighing, Bruce Wayne rubbed his face wearily before he

answered his daughter's questions, "For starters, I loved your

 mother with all my heart, if I had even a hint that she was

in danger...or you for that matter...I would have taken steps

to protect both you and your mother. However, I did not know

what the Joker was planning and to make certain I did not

find out about the assignation attempt, he kept me busy in

Africa. He threatened to send a nuclear missile off in Liberia

in order to attack and kill the entire U.N. as well as the rest

of New York City. I managed to stop him, but not without a

heavy price. You know what happened to your mother and Barbara,

but what you may not know is that when I was attempting to stop

the missile, the Joker found Robin nearby attempting to save his

birth mother; he shot Robin's mother with one of his Smilax guns

and then proceeded to beat Robin to death. When I found them,

Robin was covered in blood, and barely breathing...he...

he died in my arms while the Joker escaped...his maniacally

laughter ringing in my ears."

            "But...but...Robin is still alive! I heard he was

living with Nightwing in Bludhaven for the summer!"

 protested Helena.

            "The Robin you speak of is the third Robin, Tim Drake,"

replied her father, "The Robin I speak of is a street boy that

I adopted after Dick gave up the mantle, his name was Jason

Todd. He just turned thirteen when he died, and then when I

finally found the Joker...he ...informed me of what he done

to your mother and Barbara...I nearly killed him!"

            "But you didn't," muttered Helena, she secretly knew

this part of the story, but she wasn't about to steal her

father's thunder, besides it would have only led to questions

that she was not about to answer.

            "No," her father continued, unaware of Helena's thoughts,

"An old Englishman in old fashioned safari clothes, stopped me...

he told me that I would be sinking to the Joker's level if I

killed him, the old guy also said I would be crossing a line.

He was quite strange this old Englishman, I stood numbly as he

tied up the Joker who was unconscious by this time, as he tied

him up he said that I might think I know what evil lurks in the

hearts of men, but I did not and he prayed I never will. For

if I do, I would be joining a world that I would never be

comfortable in and may in time become quite insane from this

world. He rambled on about how one of my children will know

and the understand the delicate balance in this mysterious

world, before I could question him about who he was and why

he keep rambling about this mysterious world, he was gone when

I turned my back for just a moment. Odd isn't it?"

            "Odd," muttered Helena as she thought about her own

meetings with the mysterious old Englishman, "What about

Clayface?"

            "I don't know," replied her father with a sigh, "He

disappeared the day your mother died. I've been keeping an

eye out for him, but he has gone deep underground. Perhaps...

perhaps we could ..."

            "Hunt for him together?" finished Helena, "Sort of a

father and daughter outing...just the two of us?"

            "Yes," replied her father, "That is...if you can

forgive me?"

            Helena stared at her father as she searched her heart,

finally she said, "Yes, I can...Mom would have wanted me to

forgive you and to get to know you, she would have locked me

up in my room for being such a jackass the way I was acting

toward you, Dick, and Tim. However, there is one thing I

need to do."

            "And what is that may I ask?" he questioned.

            "Oh, I just need to ask Lamont and Reese to do me

a very tiny favor," she replied mischievously.

                        ************************************************

Epilogue

Time: A few days later...

Place: Gotham City, Clocktower...

                        "Reese!" exclaimed Dinah as she raced toward

the young man who was coming through the door, "You're back!

Where is Helena?"

            "Oh, she's gone off with her father, they're going

to be away from Gotham for a while for some, and I quote

'quality bonding time,' unquote," he replied.

            "That's great! She's finally forgiven him!" she

yelled with excitement.

            "Yeah, it is. Where's your mother?" he asked.

            "Oh, she's sleeping in the guest bedroom, long nights

y'know...(sigh) I wish I knew who my father is...but 'someone'

refuses to tell me!" she muttered with disgust.

            Reese gave the teenager a bright smile as he handed

her a sealed envelope that was very thick, "What's this?"

she asked.

            "Information about your father," replied Reese,

"Helena told me to tell you that it's an early Christmas

gift."

            "But, Christmas is six months away," Dinah stated

as she opened the envelope with excitement.

            "A very early Christmas present," Reese told her

as he left the room, "Have fun!" he shouted to her as

the elevator's doors closed.

                        **********************************************

            Carolyn Lance was sleeping soundly when her daughter's

scream, woke her up. Jumping out of bed, and preparing for the

worst, she raced toward her daughter. "What's wrong?" she asked

as she caught sight of her daughter.

            Dinah Lance threw a stack of papers as she yelled,

"Why didn't you tell me that...that...the Green Arrow was

my father! He has been in a rehab center for alcohol at

least twenty times!" With a finally scream, she raced out

of the room.

            Carolyn cursed as she stared at the scatter papers,

she then notice a small envelope addressed to her, cautiously

she opened the letter and read it's contents, cursing once

again she dropped the letter to the floor and raced to her

daughter's room in order to attempt to talk to her.

            As the letter drifted to the floor one can read,

in Helena's unique handwriting:

                        Black Canary,

                        Let this be a lesson, next time when someone

                        says to keep your mouth shut on a particularly

                        piece of juicy gossip... keep it shut! You're

                        lucky enough it's me and not Tabby Knight, whom

                        would have use this little piece of news on you

                        and the Green Arrow in her comic strip.

                        Sincerely,

                        Helena Kyle

                        The End