Regret

Part 6 - Thank You

by dead2self

Summary: A six-part series covering Rachel Dawes' funeral, each part showing the regret of a man watching - Bruce Wayne, Jim Gordon, Mayor Garcia, Harvey Dent, and the Joker.

Notes: Man! I'm so sorry to anyone who had this story on alert. I thought I had posted this already, but apparently I was getting ffnet and lj mixed up. This part is slightly anti-climactic after such a long wait, but it brings things full circle. Hope you enjoy! Please leave reviews. :D

Edit: Thanks to Lone Warrior2 for pointing out the typo that I've now fixed! :D

It was ironic how imminent death really clarified everything for Rachel. Harvey had been right about that. But it was not her imminent death that clarified everything, but his. The thought of living without him was cold, unforgiving. So, she told him.

Her wrists were chafing against her bindings and the smell of oil was overwhelming, but she only felt a strange peace. She could finally make the decision that she had been putting off for months.

And then, abruptly, everything shifted. With slight confusion, she realized that she really was facing death, and Harvey was not. A terrible, gripping fear clenched up in her chest, but it was wonderful.

Rachel did feel a twinge of regret, yes, that she would no longer be able to live out the decision she had made, but it was far outweighed by the relief that Harvey's voice was becoming smaller, farther away from his oil drums.

She was yelling, but a million last thoughts were spilling through her head. In her last second, a familiar face entered her mind.

Thank you, Bruce. Thank you so m—