So here's the second installment. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything batman

Nightmares

"Are you sure you can handle this Alfred?" asked Martha Wayne, standing next to her husband poised and ready to go out the main entrance.

"Please madam, I've watched Bruce on several occasions. Your sudden lack of confidence in me is quite disheartening"

"This is different," she stated, her eyebrows furrowing with concern, "We'll be gone for quite a few days…"

"Only three Martha" Thomas corrected her.

"Still, maybe I should stay behind and let you go to the conference alone"

"Martha, come on. You're being ridiculous. People will think I've locked you away if you don't start socializing again. "Thomas countered.

"I assure you he's in good hands madam," Alfred helped Thomas encourage his wife through the door.

"Well, ok… but don't hesitate to call me if you need anything." She said before turning to leave with her husband.

"Goodbye Alfred" They both said while making their way to the limo, being provided by the host of the conference. He waved at them before shutting the door and making his way to one of many living rooms in the Wayne manor. Bruce had been put to bed an hour earlier, making the ginormous building feel quite lonely. Alfred decided to spend his evening with a good book, and picked one of many off the huge shelf.

After an amount of time reading, the butler found that the words of the page started mushing together and his eyelids became heavy. His head sunk down, and sleep took him over.

A rather loud crack of thunder startled Alfred awake. He found himself disoriented for a moment, looking around in confusion, before realizing where he was.

Hmm, must have fallen asleep, he thought to himself while stretching his arms and yawning before standing up. I guess I should check on Master Bruce before I turn in for the night.

Alfred made his way up the stairs and to the bedroom at the end of the third hallway. He cracked the door open slowly, so as not to wake the young master. The butler examined the bed only to find it… empty?

"Master Bruce?" he stated before flicking on the light. The small toddler bed was indeed empty, the bedding flung to the ground. "Oh no" Alfred stated. He ran out of the bedroom and searched every room down the hall.

"Master Bruce? Where are you? Come on out. This isn't funny" The butler tried to keep a cool voice. If the young master was around here, he didn't want to upset him by yelling. All the rooms he searched were empty and the pit in the Butlers stomach was growing.

Oh sure, Mrs. Wayne he thought to himself while running up the next flight of stairs, he's in perfectly good hands. I only managed to lose him an hour after you left.

He spotted the master bedroom from a distance. Of course! He thought triumphantly. He would often retreat to his parent's room in the night if he needed anything. He opened the large door as softly as his shaking hands could allow.

"Master Bruce?" he asked again while turning on the lights. Nothing. A new surge of panic washed over the butler. He ran to the bed, ripping off the covers, and then looking under the bed.

No, no no. This can't be happening. He spent what felt like an eternity looking under furniture, behind curtains, and searching every room from head to toe.

"Bruce!" he now shouted through the building, ignoring his attempt to stay calm. There was nowhere left to search and only one thing left to do… call the police. How could he have been so careless? How could this have happened?

He made his way to the nearest telephone, only to stop abruptly by the sound of… crying? His heart leapt with hope as he raced to where the sound was coming from. It was the only place the butler hadn't even thought of looking… his own bedroom. He pushed the door to his room all the way open to find the small three year old curled up in a ball on the floor next to the butler's bed, sobbing into his hands.

"Master Bruce?" he asked while approaching the toddler, placing a hand on his back and kneeling next to his charge "Are you ok?" The youngster sat up and looked into Alfred's eyes. The chubby face of Bruce was streaked with tears and was red and irritated from crying.

"Alfwed!" he yelled while throwing his arms up around the butler's neck. Alfred held on tight and heard the young toddler start to cry again.

"Shhhh, there there. It's ok Master Bruce" He held onto the child for a long time until he was out of tears, then set him down and asked, "You know, you gave me quite a fright when I couldn't find you. Didn't you hear me calling?"

"I, I had a bad dweam…" the child explained. "And, I went to mommy, but…" the child's eyes watered up again, "they were gone…" he looked as if he were going to burst into tears again.

"They went on holiday, don't you remember. They'll be back in a couple days" Alfred's words seemed to appease the child.

"Oh ya," he stated, while wiping his nose with his sleeve. On any other occasion, the butler would have scolded him for such an action, but he decided to let it pass just this once. "Well, then I twied to find you. I thought the monster took you…"

"Monster?"

"Ya, from my dweam. It took evwyone, and I was all alone"

"Well, it was just a nightmare. No one is leaving you." He patted the child on the back. "Now let's get you washed up and we'll make some nice hot tea to calm down those nerves (and mine as well he added internally), before we put you back to bed." He let the child cling to his neck, and carried him to the kitchen where he put a kettle on the stove. They waited in the lounge until he heard the pot screech, and went back to the kitchen to pour two cups. When he returned, he found the youngster asleep on the couch.

Must be exhausted he thought to himself as he set the cups down and picked up the child once more, carrying him back to bed. When he reached the room, he gently laid Bruce on the small mattress, and then wrapped the sheets and blanket around the tiny body.

Just then he felt a moist pair of lips on his cheek, "I love you Alfwed" he heard a small voice say. For the first time that evening, the butlers built up emotions broke through and he felt tears creep into his eyes.

"I love you too Bruce"

"Alfred!" the old butler was startled awake, and tumbled harshly to the floor. His heart hammered in his chest and it took a moment to gain composure and stand up.

"What in the world…" he started to say before noticing a dark hooded figure in the doorway. "Master Bruce? What is the big deal of waking me up and almost giving me a heart attack?" he stated while moving closer to the Batman.

"Alfred… you, you're ok…" he heard him stammer

"Of course I am sir, why wouldn't I…" It was then that the butler realized that Bruce was shaking all over. "Sir?" The caped crusader slumped forward and Alfred caught him, placing himself under one shoulder. "My goodness, what happened?"

"Scarecrow…" he murmured as they made their way to the clock elevator. "Some kind of… fear toxin…" They entered the Batcave and Alfred helped the dark knight sit down. Bruce pulled off his cowl, showing a pale white face with a look of fear on it that Alfred hadn't seen in a very long time. "Quick, draw a blood sample so we can come up with an antidote" he managed to state. Alfred found the needle and tubing. Rolling up the suit's sleeve, he found a vein to puncture, and let the dark red liquid fill up three test tubes.

"You sure you're alright sir?" Alfred asked in concern.

"Better than I was… the hallucinations were so real… so terrifying."

"Well, I can't imagine you afraid of anything sir. What could possibly scare the Batman?" Bruce turned his face to look at Alfred, his blue, tear filled eyes piercing through the Butler.

"Losing you…"

So there you have it. It was a little bit longer than the first one, but I hope you still liked it. I know the cartoon says that his greatest fear is being a dissapointment to his parents and in the movie it's bats, but honestly, I think it would be losing Alfred. I mean, that's all he has left. Anyways, I'm planning on doing a scene from Bruce's childhood and one from present time in each chapter and somehow relating the two stories. Let me know if this works or not. Also, I'm not sure Martha would be that anal about leaving Bruce alone, but I have always pictured her as overprotective, so hopefully it wasn't too out of character.

Special thanks to sombra013 for the nightmare idea, which in turn made me think of scarecrow for the present day scene and also thanks to Jesse Przewoznik for advising me to take out Alfred's curse word that was out of character.

Also I had to love the idea of a toddler loose in Wayne Mansion. Hahaha, can you imagine that. Phew, glad I don't have Alfred's job!