Closure

Usual Disclaimers apply - I do not own Bruce Wayne, Alfred or Selina Kyle they belong to DC. Ending belongs to the Nolans. SPOILERS Ahoy for the ending of The Dark Knight Rises.

Enjoy!

It's Friday once again and Alfred makes his weekly walk to his favourite little restaurant in Florence. He made the conscious decision to move to Italy permanently after everything that had happened in Gotham six months ago. He was no longer the butler and surrogate father of millionaire, vigilante Bruce Wayne; he himself, Alfred Pennyworth, was now the millionaire after being left all Bruce's money after his selfless demise. The Batman had saved Gotham, but in turn, he'd lost the only son he'd ever known.

As he ordered his sherry with Fabrizio, a young waiter he'd become fond of, and Alfred couldn't help but quickly scan the tables as he always had done. It was more habit than anything now; he knew it was impossible to expect Bruce's face to be staring back at him. The tombstone at Wayne manor had dissolved what little hope he had left to see Bruce move on and live a normal life. It forever reminded him of the last conversation they'd had and how he'd let Bruce down, the thought depressed him even more.

To try and dismiss his unhappy thoughts, Alfred spied a young couple very much in love, three seats opposite him. They were a blonde pair; nothing like Master Wayne had looked - quickly he scolded himself for thinking about Bruce, but he found he could not help himself. Moving his gaze on, he spotted two rotund men arguing about politics, then to the left of him and a lady in her mid-thirties sitting in the corner looking as if she were waiting for someone. He cast his eyes warily back at the table, the truth was, Bruce was dead, gone and there was nothing he could do to change that fact.

Frabrizio was back before he could dwell on anything more and placed the sherry neatly in the middle of the table. Alfred nodded in thanks and out of the corner of his eye noticed a couple who'd just sat directly in front of his table. The woman was a brunette, with her hair tied back displaying a soft glow of a tan she must've caught earlier in the day. Contrasting against her skin she had a necklace on but Alfred could not distinguish what it consisted of, he guessed it was something she had picked up from one of the local jewellery shops, no doubt. She was dressed casually with a blue t-shirt and jeans, a comfortable holiday look that gave away that she was a traveller, not a resident. As she turned to order something with the waiter, Alfred saw she was very pretty; not overly glamorous, but a simple beauty that was missing from most women these days. Her hazel eyes were compellingly doe-like and her expression almost carefree, but there was something that struck a chord in him. There was something about that face, which was familiar. He was almost about to start trying to recall where he'd seen her before when he caught a glance at her companion.

Sitting there, as if nothing had happened was Bruce. He looked ever the same; a lot healthier than he had before, his demeanour happier, if anything had changed about him. Alfred observed that Bruce had his hand clasped round whom he now recognised as Miss Kyle, and he couldn't help but smile.

At that moment Bruce stared straight at him. There were no great gestures of recognition as Alfred had mentioned when he was expressing his dream for Bruce back at Wayne Manor; just the spark of fondness in Bruce's eyes for the one man who'd been there for him during the good and the bad times. Bruce's expression was as plain as day, everything would be alright from now. He'd made it.

With a nod of the head Alfred retreated from his table with a sense of jubilation. The 'Batman' chapter of their lives was over; they were both going to start anew.

Alfred had his closure.

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