A/N: Hiya! Just a quick note before I let you guys get on to the story: this is a one-shot sorta-sequel to my Fallen Hero mini-arc (chapters 3-5 in my story Because We're Two). As it's more than 1,000 words long (and as it can stand by itself without being connected to my mini-arc at all) I decided to post it separate from my drabble collection. Spoilers abound for TDK, and there is (of course) angst ahead, as well as some mild language. As always, reviews are love!

He sat on the roof of the MCU, hunched into shadows so deep he might as well have been one of them. His body was tense, so tense it seemed he would snap under even the lightest of touches or shatter at the first loud sound. Inside his thick armored gloves his hands shook, and he was grateful for the cold night, because at least the tremors could be blamed on the chill and not on the hundred different emotions that were raging through his body and soul. Emotions that he hadn't had to deal with for years, not since he'd locked them away after his parents had died.

Jim was alive. Jim was alive.

A door creaked open and footsteps crossed the rooftop, not stopping until they reached the edge of the roof. He watched in silence for a long while, just taking in the sight of his very much alive partner.

Eventually Batman slipped out of the shadows and Gordon jumped a little, never having gotten used to the way Batman would fade in and out of the shade as though he were part of it. The two men stared at each other, one wrapped almost defensively in his long, midnight colored cape while the other shuffled nervously, hands tucked away in the pockets of a worn brown coat.

"You alright?"

The question rang in the still night air, shattering the façade of peace that had been covering the rooftop in the silence. It surprised the masked hero, and for a moment he actually drew a blank. Was he alright? Jim was the one who- who had almost-

"That's was quite a spill you took back there."

Somehow the words gave Batman strength - it was always easier to pretend you weren't hurt when someone actually asked. His shoulders straightened even further, his body tensing in a way that showed that even if he were hurt it was pointless for Gordon to ask - Batman would never own up to it anyway.

Gordon sighed, knowing the Bat well enough by now to be able to see that inquiry was futile. The stupid hero would never admit to being hurt, and even if he did, what could Gordon do besides worry? "I know," the cop muttered aloud. "You're fine. I'm not sure why I even bother to ask anymore."

Batman just stared at him, unnerving Gordon with his silence. Eventually the older man sighed again and ran a hand through his already ruffled hair. "Look, I know I owe you an explanation-"

"I thought you were dead." The words were heavy, accusatory, and so near to sounding desperate that Gordon immediately felt his stomach turn in guilt and worry. This wasn't like the Batman at all, and Jim cursed himself - not for the first time - for his deception. Of course it had been necessary, but it had hurt so many people...

With a grimace, he eventually nodded. "I know. I'm sorry-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Again, the accusation, the anger and hurt that were barely suppressed. Jim swallowed his guilt and forced himself to explain.

"There wasn't time-"

"I thought he'd killed you."

"I know! I tried to get word to you but there wasn't-"

"I thought he'd killed you. I thought you were dead."

"That was the whole point!" Gordon said, a hint of exasperation lacing his tone now as Batman continued to interrupt him. "Everyone thought I was dead. I didn't know what else to do. When the vest caught the bullet, I knew I... I just had to. We both know he would have come after my family; I had to protect them."

"I could have protected them!"

"You can't protect everyone personally, dammit!" Gordon snapped. "We needed you to focus on catching the Joker, not to stand in as a personal bodyguard to my wife and kids. That's my job, Batman. I did what I had to for them so that you wouldn't have to!"

Batman stood in silence, his jaw clenching beneath the cowl as he struggled to come to terms with everything. He knew, deep down inside, that Gordon was right - there hadn't been time to warn Batman; there hadn't been time to warn anyone. There certainly wasn't time for the masked hero to spend every moment making sure that Joker didn't hurt the Gordon family - not when all of Gotham was threatened. And it had worked, so why was he still so angry?

That was probably what Gordon was wondering, and it was obvious to the masked hero that Gordon didn't entirely understand. To be honest Batman preferred it that way; he didn't want the older man to know that Bruce had spent the last day and a half of his life drowning in guilt all over again. Jim didn't need to know - could never know that for the second time in his life, Bruce had watched one of the few people he actually cared about go down with a bullet in his chest, killed while Bruce stood helplessly by. It almost didn't matter that Jim hadn't really died, because Bruce still had that guilt. He would probably always carry it, because someday the bullet would be fatal, the death real, and in the end he'd still be too late to stop it all.

Gordon stood by and watched the Batman in silence, understanding far more than the hero realized; Gordon was a smart man, and he'd seen too much in life not to recognize guilt when he saw it. Jim had decided long ago that Batman was built on guilt, that the man behind the cowl existed for the sole purpose of making up for something that had happened in the past, whether by his own fault or not. What that was exactly Gordon didn't know, nor did he want to. But he hated the thought that the hero's burden had been added to by Jim's own actions.

"It wasn't your fault, you know." The words slipped out before Jim could call them back. "You're not the only one allowed to make sacrifices. I knew what I was doing when I shoved Garcia out of the way - I knew what I was risking. It was my choice. It had nothing to do with you."

"I should have stopped him. Joker. I should have stopped him."

"You did," Jim insisted. "You stopped him tonight. We have him now, he can't hurt anyone else. We all did what we had to, Batman."

Throughout this final speech Batman gritted his teeth, forcing himself to close away all of his inner turmoil as Jim's words reminded him that there was still work to be done.

There was a long, semi-awkward silence before Batman spoke again. "Where is he?"

"In one of the holding cells. I'm going to go in and question him in just a minute. I just wanted to make sure-"

Gordon left the words hanging, but both men heard them anyway. I just wanted to make sure that you were all right.

"He won't talk," Batman said, his voice rough and rasping as he finally pulled himself back into the part of the dark hero and away from the role of a slightly shattered man.

Gordon sighed. "I know. But I don't know what else we can do. I didn't tell you before but - but Harvey Dent is missing. Joker is the only person who can tell us where he is."

Batman stiffened, alert and tense as he heard the news. "Let me in with him," he said after a moment. "I can get him to talk."

Gordon examined the Dark Knight with wary hesitance, still able to see the explosion of emotions that was just waiting to happen in spite of the Dark Knight's now-calm exterior. "Are you sure you can handle it?" he asked. "I need you in control, Batman. Can you manage that with him?"

Batman's eyes narrowed. "You know I can. Trust me, Gordon."

With another sigh, Gordon nodded. "You're probably our best hope," he admitted. "Fine. But you have to keep yourself in check, Batman. For all our sakes."

Batman nodded stiffly and Jim turned to head back inside. "Give me five minutes, then find your way to Interrogation. I'll have him brought to room three."

With another nod Batman slipped back into the shadows to wait. Gordon opened the door, then hesitated, one final question that he desperately needed answered hanging on his lips.

"Batman," he said slowly, turning to look at the hero again. Batman stared at him from the shadows, waiting for him to go on.

"You weren't really going to kill him, were you?" Gordon had been haunted by that question ever since Joker had been caught; he remembered the fear that had filled him as he watched Batman speed towards the Joker, as he listened to the maniac babble and demand that Batman do it. He remembered his fear as for a moment he thought that Batman was actually going to do it.

Now he needed to know that he was wrong. He needed to know that Batman still had that one line that he wouldn't cross. He needed to know that he wasn't going to have to turn around and one day hunt the man that he called partner.

Aside from an almost imperceptible shift of his body the Batman made no sound, gave no reply to Gordon's inquiry. The silence was answer enough for Jim, and he felt himself go cold. "Batman-"

"There isn't time now, Gordon. I didn't kill him. Let that be enough."

Jim sighed as he knew that Batman was right, there wasn't time now. They had to find Harvey and put this nightmare to rest. After that, though, Gordon would demand an answer, because he needed one. He needed to know that his partner was still the good man that Gordon believed him to be.

"I'll meet you inside."

Aaand I think we all know where it goes from there. Love it? Hate it? Completely indifferent? Leave me a review and let me know! In the meantime, hugs to all! *hugs* :)