“RESOLUTIONS”
By
Andra Marie Mueller
AUTHOR’S NOTE: “Resolutions”
is very much an alternative universe story. While I have attempted to follow
canon wherever possible, the nature of the story dictated that I take certain
creative liberties with character and plot histories that have been established
in comics for “Batman” .For my purposes I am dealing only with the films.
This is the continuing
story of Bruce Wayne and Jordan Kent, sister of Metropolis reporter Clark
All things Batman (and
Superman) are the legal property of DC Comics and Warner Bros. Special thanks to Christopher Nolan,
Christian Bale and everyone associated with “Batman Begins” for reinventing a
legend with such finesse.
“Love
is knowing that even when you are alone, you will
never be lonely again. And great happiness in life is the conviction we are
loved. Loved for ourselves. And even
loved in spite of ourselves.” – Victor Hugo
PROLOGUE:
Stepping onto her front
porch, Martha Kent Harper inhaled a deep breath of fresh air as
“
The command fell on deaf
ears and Martha released a resigned sigh as she headed down the dirt path leading
to the mailbox. Along with her husband
of six weeks, Ben Harper, Martha had moved to
“You’d better stop trying
to get those squirrels,
The sound of an
approaching car caused her to glance up, and she broke into a delighted grin as
Jason, Lois and
“Ben, they’re here!” she
shouted at the house and quickly made her way over to greet her visitors.
“Hi, Mom,”
“Hello, sweetheart,”
Martha returned, and embraced him a fierce hug.
“It’s so good to see you back on your feet. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, Mom.”
Martha shifted her
attention to Lois. “Hello, Lois,” she
greeted warmly. “It’s wonderful to
finally meet you.”
“Likewise, Mrs. Harper,”
Lois returned.
“Oh, none of
that,” the older woman admonished. “You are to call me Martha.”
“All right, Martha.”
Martha gave her a hug as
Lois exchanged a smile with
“I’m Jason,” he announced
from beside his mother. “Are you my
Poppy’s mommy?”
Martha knelt down to
Jason’s eye level. “I sure am, sweetie, which makes me your grandma,” she told him.
Jason nodded. “Poppy says you make good cookies,” he said.
Martha chuckled. “Is that so? Well I’ll just have to make you
some and you can decide for yourself.”
“Okay,” Jason agreed and
spotting
“Yes. His name is
Jason cautiously walked
over to where
“Hi
“Looks like Jason has a
new friend,”
Ben joined them then, and
he and Clark exchanged a handshake before Martha introduced him to Lois and
Jason. As the men retrieved the luggage
from the car, Martha posed a question to her son.
“Clark, you haven’t heard
from
He shook his head. “I haven’t heard a word since she went back
to
Martha sighed. “I just don’t like the thought of her burying
herself in her work to nurse her broken heart,” she replied.
“If it’s any consolation,
Mom, I think her heart is more bruised than broken,”
“Well if she does I hope
your friend knows what he’s getting into,” Martha remarked. “God love her, but your sister can be a bit
much to deal with.”
“Really?”
“You be
nice young man, or you won’t get any apple pie for dessert.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Lois shot him an amused
glance as the group headed into the house.
Trying not to look as bored as he felt, Bruce Wayne casually
scanned the room as he sipped at his champagne. He was at a party being given
in the ballroom of his hotel, a charity ball to benefit PEACE, the
international non-profit animal conservation organization Protecting Endangered
Animals through Conservation Enforcement.
The hundred or so people in attendance included his friends and business
colleagues, as well as several celebrities and prominent politicians. Noticeably absent, however, was the one person
Bruce wanted to see.
Doctor Jordan Kent was the senior ecologist for PEACE as well as a
member of their Board of Directors. She
was also the adopted sister of his good friend Clark
I was so certain that time and distance would
bring her back to me, he mused
painfully, but maybe my secret on top of
her brother’s was too great a burden.
His melancholy train of thought was interrupted by the arrival of
one of the servers, who slightly inclined his head in a formal greeting as he
addressed him.
“Excuse me, Mr. Wayne, but I was asked to give this to you,” he
said, and handed Bruce a small manila envelope.
“Thank you,” Bruce responded automatically, and set his glass on a
nearby table before opening the envelope.
Inside, he discovered a small handwritten note that read simply “Add hot
water for instant brains” attached to an individual packet of oatmeal, and hope
flared anew as he instantly realized who had sent it.
“It’s not a white flag but the sentiment’s the same,” an achingly
familiar voice replied.
Bruce turned at the sound of the voice and discovered
I didn’t realize until this moment how much I
missed her, he thought to himself. Aloud he replied formally, “Good evening, Dr.
“It’s good to see you too,” Bruce admitted. “How long have you been
back in the States?”
“Actually I came straight here from the airport,”
“You look beautiful, but then again, you always do.”
“Thank you.” I missed you, she added silently.
Lost in each other, the couple did not notice that they were being
observed by a growing number of the other guests, especially the press. More than a little curious about the
exceptionally beautiful blonde who was obviously previously acquainted with the
infamous Bruce Wayne, they drew closer in an attempt to overhear their
conversation.
“I see you got your cast off,” Bruce said, gesturing at her left
arm.
“I had the cast and the pins removed during a two day layover in
“I wasn’t aware that you would be here for the party.”
“I’m not here for the party, Bruce,”
“
“I am so sor…”
Her apology was aborted in mid-sentence, as Bruce pulled her into
his arms and captured her mouth in a blazing kiss. Temporarily oblivious to their audience,
“I love you,”
“You’d better mean that, Princess,” Bruce responded in a fierce whisper.
“Because I love you too, and I’m never letting you go again!”
The declaration earned him another kiss, this one more subdued, and
they exchanged a chuckle as they broke apart the second time. Wayne Enterprises’ CEO Lucius Fox was
standing a few feet behind Bruce, and took the initiative to dismiss the
onlookers.
“All right everyone,” Fox declared. “The show’s over.”
The hint taken, the party goers returned to their mingling and the
paparazzi snapped off a couple more photographs before fading back into the
crowd. Once they were gone, Fox
approached Jordan and Bruce.
“You certainly know how to make an entrance, Dr.
“Thank you, Mr. Fox,”
During her first stay in Gotham, Bruce had introduced Fox and
“Everything going well with your research in
“Yes, thank you. I’ve actually turned the Samburu project over to
one of my colleagues and am treating myself to a few weeks off before I decide
on my next assignment.”
More than enough time to convince her to stay for
good, Bruce thought to himself.
“Well I’m sure I’ll see you again while you’re here,” Fox
replied. “Perhaps the three of us could
have lunch. I’d be very interested to pick your brain about some plans the
Board is tossing about for a conservation department at Wayne Enterprises.”
“I would be happy to help.”
“I’ll look forward to it then,” Fox demurred, and turned to Bruce.
“Mr. Wayne, if you don’t have any further need of my services, I think I’ll
call it a night.”
“Running away so soon, Lucius?” Bruce taunted. “I thought you were going to protect me from
all of the parasites masquerading as the press.”
“With all due respect sir, it’s my understanding that the lovely
lady at your side is a much more formidable opponent than I,” Fox
demurred. “Enjoy your evening.”
The older man disappeared in the throng of people and as they
watched him go,
”I think he likes you too,” Bruce replied. “I know I do.”
“Well I should hope so after the public spectacle we just made of
ourselves,”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, Princess, but
unfortunately it’s something you’ll have to get used to if you truly intend for
us to be together,” Bruce cautioned.
“I know. I was just hoping we’d have some time to resolve a few
things before we subjected our relationship to public dissemination.”
“Do you want to leave?” Bruce offered. “We can go somewhere private to talk.”
“Works for me,” Bruce agreed, and extended his arm. “Shall we
mingle?”
“Works for me,”
Linking her arm through his,
After enduring the endless questions and good-natured jibes about
their amorous reunion and obvious personal history, Jordan and Bruce had
finally managed to spend a few minutes alone, during which Bruce had convinced
her to come home with him. She had hesitated
at first, reluctant to completely put herself back in his life with so much
left between them.
“I don’t know that my staying at your house is such a good idea,
Bruce,” she had said. “Other than
finally confessing that we love each other, there’s still so much we have to
resolve.”
“Where better to resolve it than in the privacy of my mausoleum?” Bruce responded lightly, earning him a faint smile.
“I retract my previous remark,”
“I apologize if I offended you when I said that,” Bruce replied.
“Thank you, but you didn’t.”
“I’m not trying to pressure you, Jordan, and I am well aware of the
remaining issues between us. But frankly
I’m more concerned that you’re still a target and it will be easier for me to
keep you safe if you’re under my roof.”
“Knowing what I do now I have to agree,”
“No.”
Bruce was clearly amused by the analogy. “If it will put your mind at ease, I am
willing to compromise. Until we have
resolved our issues to our mutual satisfaction and you are comfortable with
resuming an intimate relationship, I give you my word that we will do nothing
more than sleep in my bed. Literally.”
“Good morning, Handsome,” she greeted cheerfully.
“Good morning yourself, Princess,” Bruce echoed, and crossed over
to give her a warm kiss. “Sleep well?”
“Very. I take it from your
casual attire that you don’t have to go to the office today.”
“Rank has its privileges and I gave myself the day off.”
“I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Bruce left her to get dressed and headed downstairs, retrieving the
newspaper before walking to the dining room.
Alfred was all ready there when he arrived, and as Bruce settled himself
at the table, the older man poured him a cup of fresh coffee.
“Good morning, Master Bruce,” he greeted.
“Good morning,” Bruce responded in kind. “Better bring out another place setting,
Alfred. I have a guest joining us for breakfast.”
“I see,” Alfred responded carefully. “That would be the reason for your late night
then?”
“Um-hm,” Bruce answered noncommittally.
Alfred wordlessly retrieved another place setting from within the
kitchen, and behind the paper Bruce hid a smile at the obvious disapproval in
his friend’s posture.
He thinks I’ve brought home a one night stand, he mused. This is going to be good.
“Do you know if your…guest…would care for a cup of coffee, sir?” Alfred
inquired.
“Actually, Alfred, I believe the lady prefers tea.”
“Of course, sir.”
Alfred disappeared into the kitchen just as
“Showing off this morning, Dr.
“Just another strike against the dumb blonde stereotype, Mister
Wayne,”
“I stand corrected.”
“Where’s Alfred?”
“Oh, he’s getting some tea for my ‘guest’,” Bruce told her.
She shot him a knowing look at his wording. “Tell me you’ve haven’t made him think you
brought some floozy home,” she said.
Bruce chuckled. “You have a
doctorate from
“Just drink your coffee.”
Alfred returned then, exiting the kitchen backward as he carried a
try with the hot water and tea accessories.
“I hope Earl Grey will be acceptable for your guest,” he said,
unable to hide a thin layer of disgust as he said the last word.
“Earl Grey is fine, Alfred,”
Alfred’s head jerked up at the sound of her voice. “Miss
“Hello, Alfred,” she greeted with a warm smile. “It’s good to see
you again.”
Alfred glanced at Bruce.
“With all due respect, sir, you have a twisted sense of humor,” he
declared.
“You have to admit I had you going there for a few minutes,
Alfred.”
Alfred ignored him and returned his attention to
“Thank you, Alfred.”
“Would you care for some breakfast?”
“Some fresh fruit and a couple slices of wheat toast would be
lovely, thank you.”
“Very good. Master
Bruce?”
“I’ll have the same, Alfred, along with a couple of poached eggs
and some bacon.”
“Thank you,”
“Very good, sir,” Alfred responded and headed back into the
kitchen, muttering to himself as he did so. “A guest for breakfast indeed…”
Jordan and Bruce exchanged an amused glance as a picture on Bruce’s
paper caught her attention. “Please tell
me that’s not us,” she said.
Bruce followed her gaze and spotted a picture near the bottom of
the front page. It was one of the many taken during their first kiss last
night, and was accompanied by the caption ‘Who is Bruce Wayne’s New Flavor of
the Month?’
“I’m afraid it is.”
“’Flavor of the Month’? Who comes up with this stuff?”
“Certainly not someone with a
*********************************************************************
Following their breakfast, Jordan and Bruce headed outside and
walked around his property in companionable silence for several minutes before
“So….where do I begin?” she prompted.
“Wherever you’d like,” Bruce responded easily, “although I am
interested to hear why you panicked when you discovered that I’m Batman.”
“What you call panic Clark would call a hissy fit,”
Pig on fire? Bruce thought to himself. I suppose that’s better than ‘bat out of
hell’ under the circumstances.
“Considering who my brother is, one would think that I could have
handled the truth,”
“I’m afraid you’ve lost me,” Bruce said.
“Anyone who shares their life with a partner in a high-risk
profession deals with the same fears,
“Police officers don’t deliberately seek out dangerous situations,
Bruce, you do. I’ve known policemen who go their entire careers without ever
having to draw a gun. Yet every time you
leave this house as Batman, it is because there is someone or something that
poses a mortal threat to the people of
“This from the woman who has her own ‘side job’ as an agent for
Interpol’s Environmental Crimes Division,” Bruce countered evenly.
“I told you shortly after we met that information is a powerful
tool,
“Fair enough, but I know that you didn’t turn up this particular
tidbit during a routine background check.”
“No. I was all ready conducting my own investigation of the
explosion at the Convention Center in Metropolis, and after you were targeted
specifically, I knew that there had to be a reason. Lucius went through some of our higher
ranking connections and he discovered the information about your position with
Interpol.”
“Remind me to talk to him about those connections next time I get
audited by the IRS,”
“Secrets have a way of revealing themselves at the least opportune
time,” Bruce allowed.
“Which is why we have to agree here and now to never have any,”
Bruce quirked one dark eyebrow upward. “Certainly you’re not suggesting we work together?”
“Not literally, no. You
certainly can’t do what you need to do as Batman with your significant other
trailing in your shadow and I don’t see you traipsing through the jungles of
the world trailing after poachers.”
“But there may be times when we can make use of the other’s special
qualifications to aid us in our quest to make the world a safer for place for
all living things. And we have to be able to live with the consequences of what
we do.”
“Meaning?” Bruce
prompted.
“Meaning that if you die tomorrow, I need to know that I can live
the rest of my life without you,”
“I would not let your death go unanswered,
“I wouldn’t expect you to, but I’m saying that I need to know that
you wouldn’t turn your skills as Batman into a force for vengeance.”
“I imagine that I would have to answer to your brother if I tried,”
Bruce evaded.
“Just how did you get hooked up with Interpol anyway? I can’t imagine they set up recruiting centers
at college campuses.”
“Shortly after I received my doctorate I was in
She sat down on a nearby bench, her features twisted into a grimace
as she recalled the prisoners.
“Naturally the poachers weren’t happy about being discovered and we
were attacked. We had two handguns
between the half dozen researchers versus ten poachers with semi-automatic
rifles and machetes. It was no contest.”
“Yet here you are, although that does explain the bullet scars on
your shoulder, and the larger one on your ribcage could have come from a
machete.”
“Actually that’s from the cat we were trying to collar,”
“Not exactly what you had in mind when you wanted to find a way to
make a career from your love of animals,” Bruce remarked. “But it does explain why somebody would want
to kill you. Do you have any idea who it
is?”
“Three months ago, I aided in the arrest of a group of poachers in
“The people responsible for the explosion at the Convention Center
and very likely your assault,” Bruce recalled.
“If they know that you know about the money laundering, it certainly
gives them a motive for killing you. Any
thoughts on who at PEACE is involved?”
“There are only half a dozen people with the security clearance necessary
to access the accounts, including me.
I’ve been waiting until I have more evidence to implicate one of them
before I take what I know to my connections at Interpol.”
“If you give me the other names, I’ll start looking into it
immediately.”
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”
“If you’re worried about me, Princess, don’t be. I assure you that I can find out what we need
to know without jeopardizing myself or my company.”
“I’m sure you can, but I don’t want to risk more incidents like
those in Metropolis if these people realize I’m snooping around again.”
“You let me worry about that.
As long as I know you are safely ensconced here, I will be much more
efficient at keeping an eye on the rest of
“I’m flattered you find me such a distraction, Mister Wayne,”
“With your looks and your attitude it seemed like a perfect fit,”
Bruce answered innocently.
‘And I am truly sorry that you had to find out about Batman third
hand,” Bruce returned. “So we’re even
now. No more apologies, no more secrets. Agreed?”
“Agreed. I love
you.”
“I love you too.”
Bruce pulled
The couple turned to see
“Well look what the wind blew in,” she said. “It’s good to see you, Big Brother.”
“Likewise Little Sister,”
“
“What are you doing here?”
“Lois is spending the day with her sister and Jason is with Richard
for a couple of days, so after I saw your picture in the Gotham Herald
this morning I decided to pay you a visit.” He gave her a pointed look. “Is the
photographer who took the photo still standing?”
“One little tantrum and suddenly I’m Public Enemy #1 for reporters
and photographers everywhere,”
“Obviously you two have worked things out,”
“Honesty works wonders, Clark,”
“Having experienced the benefits first hand I wholeheartedly
agree,” came his response. “As long as we’re on the subject, how about
you tell me why you’re being targeted by eco-terrorists?”
Jordan and Bruce exchanged a look, knowing that
“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just say it,”
“I’m sort of a spy,”
“Oh come on,
“All right, fine. Yes, I am a ‘spy’. That’s why this freak show calling itself
Animal Avengers wants me out of the way.”
“
“Stay out of this, Bruce,”
That was not entirely accurate, but Bruce held up his hands in a
mute gesture of appeasement, unwilling to risk the other man’s temper.
“So you’re a spy,”
”I don’t know, Clark, but if Mom weren’t around I might have
learned about your return to Earth ten weeks ago by reading yours,”
Ouch,
Bruce though to himself
“Don’t make this about me, Jordan,”
“Even if you had known before I came to Metropolis, Superman could
not have prevented the attacks,”
“It’s not fair to the people who care about you to take unnecessary
risks because you have to prove you can take care of yourself,”
Knowing he was right,
“I apologize for not telling you sooner,” she said evenly. “I honestly felt there was no reason for you
to know.”
“When it comes to your safety there is nothing that I don’t need to
know,”
“I suppose not.”
“Other than the fact that you work for Interpol, why do these
people want you dead?”
Bruce quickly filled him in on what
“That would be consistent with what Lois and I uncovered regarding
a partial shipment of weapons that was stolen in Metropolis right before I came
back,” Clark replied, and told them about Luthor’s connection to the attacks on
“Another reason to stake his sorry ass under the desert sun and let
the ants eat him alive while he bakes to death,”
“Sounds like I got off lucky with just a tongue lashing when I
upset you,” Bruce observed dryly.
“As long as you never try to kill my brother you’re perfectly
safe,”
“I’ll make a note of that.”
“Well, now that we have means, motive and opportunity, we just need
a specific suspect,”
“
“I’ll check in with my source at the FBI and see if he’s uncovered
anything else,”
“Sounds good.”
“Do you mind if I have a moment alone with
“Of course not.”
The two friends exchanged a handshake before Bruce headed back
toward the house, and
“Is everything really okay with you two?”
“Everything’s fine.”
“So you’re happy?”
“Ecstatic,” she assured him with a smile. “What about you and Lois?”
“We’re good. I took her and
Jason to meet Mom and Ben last weekend.”
“I’ll bet Mom was thrilled to meet her grandson.”
“My kind of kid.”
“I knew you’d approve.”
The siblings exchanged a hug and
P.E.A.C.E.
HEADQUARTERS –
Seated behind his large mahogany desk, CEO Mark Ross was reviewing
the field reports from various PEACE research groups across the world when his
private line rang. Setting the papers
aside, he reached over to pick up the receiver.
“Mark Ross.”
“We’ve got trouble,” an accented male voice declared without
preamble.
“What’s the problem, Franz?” Ross asked.
“The same problem we failed to eliminate in Metropolis,” Franz
responded. “Jordan Kent.”
“Jordan Kent is on a month long vacation at an undisclosed
location,” Ross replied.
“Well her location was disclosed in today’s edition of the Gotham
Herald. Apparently her new boyfriend
is Bruce Wayne and she’s staying at his home just outside
“I fail to see what relevance her personal life has to us,” Ross
said sarcastically.
“Don’t be stupid, Ross. It’s not enough that her brother is a high
profile reporter for a major newspaper but now she’s shacking up with one of
the richest men on the planet. No way in
hell we’re going to get within five hundred yards of her.”
“That is something you and your ‘friends’ need to work out
yourselves. If your colleagues in
“Let’s not play the blame game here, Ross,” Franz admonished. “I’m not the one who spent eleven years as
her boss without knowing the bitch works for Interpol.”
“Fine. What do
you suggest we do?”
“Perhaps a reminder to our dear Dr.
“Do what you have to do, but I strongly advise you to keep Bruce
Wayne out of it. A man like him no doubt
has friends in higher places than we do.”
“You needn’t worry about
“I hope you’re right,” Ross responded, but the line was dead.
Two days later,
Reaching the top floor,
“I’m Jordan Kent. I believe Mr. Wayne and Mr. Fox are expecting
me.”
The woman glanced at an appointment book on her desk before
responding. “Yes, Dr.
“Thank you.”
“Bob, tell Frank Dorsey that I said he’s depriving a village
somewhere of an idiot if thinks we’re going to accept a loss on this!” she
heard him snap.
“And he rides me about my temper,” she said softly to herself.
Reaching the conference room,
“Good afternoon, Gentlemen,”
“Good afternoon, Dr.
“Likewise, Mr. Fox.”
“Mr. Fox makes me feel like a high school principal,” Fox quipped.
“Please, call me Lucius.”
“All right, Lucius. Thank you.”
Fox gestured at the man beside him.
“This is Elliott Webster, the director of our Environmental Services
Division.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Kent,” Webster said as he extended his
hand. “I read your paper a few years
back on your study of the wolves and grizzlies in
“Thank you,”
“Would you care for something to eat?” Fox offered, gesturing at
the food.
Bruce joined them then, flashing them all an apologetic smile as he
approached the group.
“I am sorry to have kept you all waiting,” he said. “There was a small problem with one of our
West Coast affiliates.”
“Yes, apparently they are missing a village idiot,”
Bruce sent her a knowing glance.
“Didn’t your mother ever teach you that it is impolite to eavesdrop, Dr.
“My mother taught me a great many useful things, Mr. Wayne,”
“Score one for the lady,” Bruce demurred. “Shall we get started?”
*********************************************************************
The meeting lasted just over an hour and once it was finished
Webster and Fox bid Jordan and Bruce farewell and left them alone in the
conference room.
“That seemed to go well.” he said.
“He seems to be quite the fan of your work,” Bruce remarked.
She shrugged. “Wildlife conservation is my business, and I am very
good at what I do.”
“Speaking of which..”
Bruce reached into his pocket and withdrew the necklace with the A1
pendant that
“I believe this belongs to you.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, Princess, but…”
“No ‘buts’. Keep it as a
symbol that despite my occasional actions to the contrary, I really do not have
oatmeal for brains.”
“I’ve never doubted it.”
“If you’re done letting your executives pick my brain, I am going
to return to your house and pay a visit to the Yardleys.”
“The Yardleys?”
Bruce echoed.
“Yes. Very nice family. They own the
property next to your estate, and they raise show dogs. One of the females just
had a litter of puppies and I am going to ‘ooo ‘ and
‘aww’ over them.”
“So the way to your heart is through small cuddly creatures.”
“All creatures great and small,”
“I’ll make a note of it.”
“Will you be home for dinner, or do you have to um...go out?”
Bruce smiled. “If something
comes up I’ll call you. Otherwise I should be home by six o’clock.”
They exchanged a light kiss before
Meantime
*********************************************************************
“I have powerful friends you swine sucking piles of bull manure!”
“Shut up, Blondie, or we’ll cut your tongue out of your throat!”
one of the thugs shouted back.
“That went well,”
A quick glance around the room told her there was no chance of
escape, and the size of the room combined with the lack of light was
immediately beginning to trigger
Never again will I complain about the size of
Wayne Manor.
The door opened again a few minutes later, and
This can’t be good, she mused anxiously.
“This is your lucky day, Blondie,” he told her. “See, we were supposed to kill you and dump
your body in the harbor. But, some of
our associates in the
He paused then to give her a lecherous leer and
“So after we teach you some manners and rough you up some so our
employer believes we killed you, we’re going to ship you out of here.”
“And your ‘associates’ overseas won’t have a problem with receiving
damaged goods?”
“As long as there’s no permanent damage, they can deal with it.”
Oh, joy.
Bruce, where are you?
Security personnel at Wayne Enterprises had informed Bruce of
Jordan’s abduction less than half an hour after she was taken, when a guard
patrolling the lot found the discarded keys next to Bruce’s Porsche and
instructed the security office to check the tape. Alternating between rage at her kidnapping
and fear for her safety, he had broken more than a few speed limits on the
drive home. Upon reaching the Manor, Bruce stormed into his house and slammed
the door behind him, ignoring the maid cleaning the front foyer whom he scared
half to death with his dramatic entry.
Loosening his tie as he strode down the hallway toward the study, he
bellowed for Alfred.
”Alfred! Where are you?”
“Right here, sir,” Alfred responded, materializing seemingly from
nowhere at the summons. “I have
everything ready for you down below and Lucius is tracking Miss
“These bastards are going to regret the day they were born,” Bruce
vowed, and released a frustrated curse as the men made their way to the
“Perhaps you could look at the glass half full, Master Bruce,”
Alfred suggested. “Given Miss
Bruce almost smiled at that.
“One can only hope, Alfred. One can only hope.”
*********************************************************************
Pain. It was a constant companion now, and filled
every fiber of her being. Easing herself upward to a
sitting position.
I hope to God Bruce gets here soon, she mused. If these scumbags decide to take any more
shots at me, I’m as good as dead.
Unaware their prisoner was awake, the men were in the other room,
playing poker at a small plastic table in the center of the empty
warehouse. The table was covered with
cash, chips and a satellite phone, as well as the digital camera they had used
to take photos of the ‘dead’
“I’ll see your ten and raise you another twenty,” the tallest thug
said, and placed his bet.
“I’m out,” the redheaded thug replied, and tossed his cards on the
table.
“What about you, Billy?” the first thug asked of the remaining
player. “You feeling
lucky?”
“I don’t think so,” a raspy voice responded from the shadows.
Immediately the men upended the table as they jumped to their feet,
two pulling guns as the third grabbed his metal rod.
“Who’s there?” he demanded.
Silence.
“C’mon, show yourself you coward!” the thug taunted again.
There was a sudden swoosh of displaced air signaling movement from
the mysterious shadow dweller and the thug with the rod shifted toward it just
as Batman materialized out of the darkness in front of him.
“Boo,” he said simply and grabbing the rod from the thug, struck
him once across the jaw and a second time across the back of the knees, sending
the other man to the floor writhing in agony.
The other men raised their guns in his direction, but before they could
fire, Batman had taken two mini-batarangs and sent them flying toward his
adversaries, knocking the guns from their hands. Closing the distance between them, he sent
one crashing to the ground with an elbow to the face, breaking his nose. The third man suddenly bolted for the door,
but Batman extended his hand and a metal wire shot out from a small device in
his hand to wrap itself around the man’s ankles, sending him crashing to the
floor with an audible thud.
The kidnappers taken care of, Batman grabbed the keys lying on the ground
by the overturned table and crossed the floor to unlock the room where
“Oh, damn, that hurts…” she moaned aloud.
“
“Batman…” she said through clenched teeth. “How did you find me?”
“The GPS chip in your cell phone.”
He took a moment to make a cursory inventory of her injuries, but
the lack of light prevented him from fully determining what the kidnappers had
done to her.
“Where are you injured?”
“My left wrist is broken again and I’m pretty sure they took out a
couple of ribs.”
Batman sighed. “I need to
move you into the other room, but I don’t have anything to give you for the
pain and unfortunately it’s going to increase exponentially as soon as I put
pressure on your ribs.”
“Wrap your uninjured arm around my neck,” Batman instructed.
Once again gathering her into his arms, Batman gently but swiftly
carried her outside and eased her battered body into the Batmobile. Climbing
inside on the driver’s side, he punched a few directions into the computer
before starting up the vehicle and heading out of the harbor. Pressing a pair of buttons on the computer
panel, the speaker phone came on as it rang through to Gordon’s direct line.
“Jim Gordon,” a weary voice answered.
“Christmas has come early this year, Commissioner,” Batman said.
“Batman?” Gordon
prompted.
“Yes. There’s a present for you in an empty warehouse at the end of
Pier 30. I’ll be by your office shortly
to explain.”
“All right. See you
then.”
Pushing another button on the dash, he was instantly connected to
his house phone.
“Wayne Manor,” Alfred answered.
“Alfred, it’s me. I’ve got
“Very good, sir.”
Ending the call, Batman permitted himself a quick glance at
“Hang in there,
Closing the file he had been reviewing, Police Commissioner Jim
Gordon released a faint sigh as he reached his hand behind his neck to rub out
the crick.
“Good evening, Commissioner,” a raspy voice greeted.
Gordon started at the voice and glanced over to see Batman standing
just inside his window.
“I really wish you wouldn’t do that.”
“There’s a situation brewing in
“I assume this is connected to the men you left tied up in that
warehouse?” Gordon prompted.
“It is. Those men were hired
hands who kidnapped a woman and held her against her will in the warehouse
after beating her for their own amusement.”
“Who are they working for?” Gordon asked.
“It would be best for you to speak with the lady directly for the
details,” Batman evaded. “Her name is Jordan Kent and she’s staying at Wayne
Manor.”
“I’ll head out there first thing in the morning,” Gordon told him.
An innocuous noise from the hallway outside his office distracted
Gordon momentarily and when he returned his attention to Batman, he was gone.
By the time Bruce had returned home to shower and change and have
Alfred drive him back to the clinic,
“Hello Bruce, Alfred.”
“Leslie,” Alfred returned.
“How’s
“She’s fine,” Thompkins responded.
“Her left wrist was broken, which may possibly have resulted in permanent
damage to the muscles from the trauma of two major fractures in as many months.
She has also five injured ribs: one cracked and two bruised on the left, and
two bruised on the right. Thankfully she was spared any internal injuries. Everything
else is only superficial scrapes and bruises that will heal in a few days.”
“Is she awake?”
“Yes, but she’s on some fairly heavy pain medication. It kicks in
rather fast, however, so she should be comfortable enough for you to take her
home.”
Bruce nodded and walked past Thompkins into
“He’s serious about this one, isn’t he?” she prompted.
“Quite,” Alfred confirmed.
Inside the recovery room, Bruce approached
“You’re turning me gray before my time, Princess,” he said with
forced levity and took her hand in his, careful not to dislodge the IV. “How are you holding up?”
“About as well as can be expected,”
“Sounds like you’re in for another round of oatmeal pills,” Bruce
teased, but his grin faded when he saw her eyes well with tears. “
“I thought I was going to die,”
“Come here.”
Bruce carefully pulled her into his arms and
“I hope your sweater is waterproof,” she said lightly.
Bruce gently brushed a stray hair from her face. “I swear to you, Jordan, that these guys are
not going to get near you again,” he promised.
“From now on, you don’t set a single foot outside of the house unless
you have me or Alfred with you, and you don’t go anywhere unless he drives you.” His expression was grim and it was clear he was
not going to entertain any arguments about his edict. “I know how important
your independence is to you, but until I am certain that you are no longer in
danger, I’m not taking any more chances with your life.”
“Okay,”
Her immediate agreement caught Bruce off-guard. “Okay?” he repeated. “That’s it? No ranting
and shouting about being able to take care of yourself?”
“I think it has become pathetically obvious just how incapable I am
of protecting myself under these circumstances,”
“Well. I just may have to keep you on these pills permanently if
they make you so agreeable,” Bruce teased.
“Uh-huh,” she demurred, and tossed back the bed covers. “If you’re
done tormenting me, I’d really like to get dressed and go home.”
Bruce smiled at her use of the word ‘home’. “Your wish is my
command, Princess,” he responded.
Bruce slid off the bed onto his feet and helped ease
“Excuse the intrusion, Miss
“Thank you, Alfred.”
“I’m glad to see you will still be around to help me keep Master
Bruce in check,” Alfred added.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Hello…I am standing right here,” Bruce interjected.
“Of course you are, sir,” Alfred agreed, and left the room. Once he was gone,
“Thank you ever so much for coming to my rescue tonight,” she said
softly.
“You’re very welcome.”
The following day,
“Good morning, Miss
“Good morning, Alfred.”
“Master Bruce is in the Southeast wing,” Alfred told her. “He asked
me to bring you to him when you came to breakfast.”
“Lead the way.”
Alfred escorted
“Thank you for the lady’s prompt delivery, Alfred,” he said. “I’m expecting Commissioner Gordon to stop by
this morning, so please let me know when he arrives.”
“Certainly, sir.”
Alfred went back up the shaft in the elevator as Bruce turned his
attention to
“Like I’ve been run over by a train,”
“If my bed has magical powers, Princess, they certainly don’t have
anything to do with healing,” Bruce countered pointedly.
“More or less. Lucius has some equipment at the office, but
the majority of what I need is stored here.”
He took her hand in his and began to lead her around the cave,
explaining the all of the gadgets and gizmos as he showed them to her. He saved the Batmobile for last, and
“Nice wheels,” she said. “I
know some NASCAR drivers that would give their eyeteeth for five minutes behind
the wheel of this thing.”
“I doubt they could afford the insurance premium.”
“Ha, ha. What were these tunnels originally used for?”
“My great grandfather used them to help the Underground Railroad
during the Civil War,” Bruce explained.
“This is pretty amazing, all of this technology hidden under your
house. Now I understand why you have
been so adamant that you can protect me better here.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
A sudden thought occurred to her then and she cast Bruce a worried
frown. “I just realized that I have to
call
“He has the right to be upset, Jordan. This is the third time these would be
terrorists have tried to kill you and he wasn’t there to protect you.”
“I don’t understand why he holds himself personally responsible
every time I get into trouble,”
“
Their conversation was interrupted by the picture phone on the
computer flickering to life, and Alfred’s voice filtered into the cave. “Excuse me, Master Bruce, but Commissioner
Gordon is here.”
“We’ll be right there, Alfred.”
The couple made their way back to the elevator and rode up to the
main house. Walking down the hallway,
they encountered Gordon waiting in the main foyer.
“Good morning, Commissioner,” Bruce greeted.
“Mister Wayne,” Gordon returned, and glanced at
“Good to meet you, Commissioner,”
“If Mr. Wayne can spare you for a few minutes, I’d like to ask you some
questions about your abduction yesterday,” Gordon requested.
”I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have Commissioner, but
you can speak freely in front of Bruce. We have no secrets.”
“Of course,” Gordon allowed.
“Why don’t you start at the beginning by telling me when and where you
were taken?”
“I must have passed out after Batman carried me out of the back
room, because I don’t remember anything else until I woke up at the clinic,” she
finished.
“Do you have any idea who hired these men to kill you?” Gordon
questioned.
“Not the specific person, no. But I uncovered evidence some weeks
ago that somebody at PEACE is laundering money for terrorist activities and
they apparently discovered that I knew, because they tried to have me killed
twice when I was in Metropolis two months ago.”
“What happened?”
“So you think that the incidents in Metropolis were the work of the
same person or persons who hired the men to kidnap you?”
“Yes.”
Gordon let out a low whistle.
“Obviously you’ve angered some pretty powerful people, Dr. Kent,” he
remarked. “Who else knows that you were
the target of the attacks in Metropolis?”
“My brother is a reporter for the Daily Planet and has been
working with the local FBI office to try and determine who’s behind the
attacks.”
“Do you mind if I contact him and see if he has any information
that might be useful?”
“Not at all,”
Gordon nodded as he made notes on a small pad. “I appreciate
your cooperation, Dr.
“Not a problem. Thank you.”
Gordon bid farewell to Bruce and showed himself out of the
house. Once he was gone,
“Now I definitely have to call
“Why don’t you use the phone in the study? I’m going to ask Alfred
to get breakfast started and I’ll meet you there.”
“Clark
“Hey,
“Hi,
“How’s life in Metropolis treating you these days?”
“Work is work and there’s been a rash of car jackings that have
kept Superman busy, but nothing out of the ordinary.”
“How are Lois and Jason?”
“Unfortunately they both have the flu,”
“Too bad Mom’s not around. Her homemade chicken soup can cure
anything.”
“Except stubborn little sisters who are too independent for their
own good,”
“Such a comedian,” Jordan retorted sarcastically.
Bruce joined her then and she acknowledged him with a smile as she
conversed with
“So do you want to keep making small talk, or do you want to tell
me the real reason for your call?”
“Can’t I just call to say hello to my favorite brother?”
“Quit stalling,
“What?!”
“Well l am hurt,” she admitted.
“How badly?”
“Mostly superficial stuff, but my left wrist was broken again and
I’ve got one cracked rib with four bruised ones.”
“When did this happen?”
“Yesterday afternoon,”
Clark immediately launched into a tirade about “Where the hell was
Bruce?” and “Why wasn’t I told last night?”, prompting a weary Jordan to hand
the phone to Bruce.
“Would you please see if you can reason with him?” she requested.
“I don’t have the energy this morning to go another round with him.”
Bruce took the receiver away from her and placed to his ear. “Clark, its Bruce.”
“What’s going on with my sister?”
Bruce calmly explained the events of
“Everything is under control here,
“If I weren’t needed here with Lois and Jason I’d be there right
now dealing with
“Cut her some slack,
“I know,” Bruce concurred and cast a loving glance at
“Promise me you’ll keep her safe, Bruce. Don’t let these creeps get their hands on her
again.”
“They won’t. You have my word.”
“Would you put
Bruce wordlessly returned the phone to
“I apologize for that, but you know that these attacks are tying
into my worst fears about protecting my family.”
“I’m okay,
“I imagine you feel like royalty roaming around in that monstrosity
Bruce calls his house,”
“It’s not a cozy family farm in Smallville but it’ll do,”
“I’m sure it will. I love
you, Jordan. Please put your pride aside for a little while and do what Bruce
tells you so he can keep you alive.”
“I promise to be on my best behavior,”
“I’ll hold you to that. I’ll
come see you when Jason and Lois are feeling better.”
“Bring them with you,”
“It’s a date. Be careful,
Little Sister.”
“I will. Bye,
“Everything okay?” he prompted.
“Right as rain. Thank you for running interference.
“So I’ve noticed,” Bruce allowed. “I’m beginning to think I should
have fallen in love with a librarian.”
*********************************************************************
A week passed, and as only a few minor incidents had required
Batman’s attention, Bruce was able to squeeze in some quality time with
Under the watchful eyes of Alfred and
Situation with
JK still unresolved. Third
strike unsuccessful and exterminators taken into police custody. Must meet ASAP to formulate
new plans for elimination.
“That son of a bitch,”
Jordan muttered to herself. “I have to
show this to Bruce.”
“Excuse me, Alfred.
Where’s Bruce?”
Alfred dismissed the
housekeeper before answering. “Mister Wayne is in the Southeast wing, Miss
“Not for much longer,”
“You don’t look like a
happy woman,” he observed.
“You’re going to be a lot
unhappier when I show you what I found in my email,”
Bruce quickly scanned the
message before returning his attention to
“My best guess is that
Mark somehow cc’d me by accident when he sent the message. He had sent me a couple of other emails on
legitimate PEACE business and his computer must have picked up my address.”
“Any idea who this other email address belongs to?”
“No but hopefully that’s
something you can find out,”
“You knew he was a
suspect, Jordan. His name was on the top of the list you gave me of the
executives at PEACE who had access to the corporate funds.”
“Of course it was because
he’s CEO,”
“How so?” Bruce
queried.
“Mark is the one who
approves my assignments and he always knows where I am at any given time,”
“Did you tell him you
were coming to
“No, but he certainly
could have seen our picture in the paper and discovered I was here.”
“In that case it does
look like Ross is the guilty party,” Bruce allowed, “but we need more than this
email to prove it.”
“Well my security code
will get you into the corporate archives but if Mark is online when you start
snooping around, he’ll be alerted,”
“Obviously there’s a way
around it if Ross has been funneling money out of the company,” Bruce pointed
out. “Do you know who would be alerted
when he signs on?”
“I have no idea, but I
might be able to find out.”
“Mark Ross’ office, this
is Rebecca,” a cheerful feminine voice answered.
“Becky, hi…it’s Jordan
Kent.”
“Oh hi, Dr.
Rebecca Parker was in her
early 20’s and while perfectly capable at her job, she had a tendency to get
star struck by some of the corporation’s more high profile donors.
“Yes, he is,”
“Sure. What can I do for
you?”
“I’m updating some of my
personal records and I need to know who Mark’s Security Buddy is.”
“Oh sure. Hang on.”
Rebecca placed her on
hold while she located the information and
“Intelligent woman,” Bruce
responded.
“Excellent. Thanks so
much Becky. Oh by the way, do you know if Mark saw that picture of me you
mentioned?”
“Oh, yeah,” Rebecca told
her. “He was really surprised too
because he thought you were on vacation somewhere.”
“Okay. Thanks again for
the help, Becky. And please don’t tell Mark I called. I’m planning a surprise
for him for the company’s anniversary party.”
“No problem. Have fun with Bruce Wayne.”
“Good-bye, Becky.”
“Really..”
Bruce said and quickly pulled up a file on his computer. He type in a few
commands on the keyboard and the list of names
“Mark Ross and
Franz Reinkin. Bingo.”
“If we can find a way to
prove Reinkin and Ross were collaborating to fund the terrorist groups, we
might actually be able to bring these creeps to justice.”
“And in the process
destroy everything that the rest of us at PEACE have worked so hard to create,”
“’I’m sorry,
“Not as difficult as its
going to be for these jerks when I get done with them,”
METROPOLIS
Lois stifled a frustrated
sigh as she walked into her house. It
had been a difficult day at work with many of the other reporters at home
suffering from the same flu that she and Jason had dealt with the week before,
and Perry was grumpier than usual trying to assign the healthy reporters the
extra stories.
“What in the world…?”
Tossing her coat and
purse onto the couch, she slowly followed the trail of petals up the stairs,
down the hall and into the master bedroom.
Walking inside, she discovered
“Surprise,” he said
softly.
“What is all of this,
“I love you, Lois, with
all that I am, and if you’ll let me, I will spend the rest of my life proving
it. Will you marry me?”
Using her free hand to
wipe away the tears now streaming down her face, Lois nodded vehemently as she
responded with a resounding “Yes!”
Pulling her into his
arms,
“You have got to be
kidding me,”
“Let the machine get it,”
Lois instructed and they resumed their kiss as
“Clark, its
“
“Why didn’t you answer…”
“Oh my
gosh… I interrupted you and Lois…I am so sorry
“What’s going on,
“If you can, I need you
to come to the house tomorrow. There’s been a new development with this whole
terrorist business you should know about.”
“Please tell me they
haven’t come after you again.”
“No, I’m fine,”
“We’ll be there in time
for lunch,”
“Great, thanks
“Good-bye,
“Right here,” Lois
answered, and pulled him down to meet her kiss.
In the Bat Cave, Jordan
hung up the phone as she closed her eyes in mortification. “I cannot believe I just did that,” she
muttered.
“I take your timing was
less than impeccable?” Bruce asked lightly.
“They were…well starting
to anyway…why would he pick up the phone?”
Bruce merely gave her a
knowing look as he rose to his feet.
“Silly
question. Clark’s
“May I make a
suggestion?”
“By all means.”
“Maybe you would feel
less mortified about disrupting your brother’s love life if you resumed your
own,” Bruce suggested innocently.
“Absolutely.”
P.E.A.C.E.
HEADQUARTERS
“Mark Ross.”
“What the hell is going on, Ross?” Franz demanded.
“Franz?”
“Yes. I just received your email and I noticed that you sent a copy of it to
Jordan Kent.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Check the message, Ross.
Under the cc line you inserted Jordan Kent’s email address.”
Ross quickly pulled up
his email account and located the message in question, releasing a curse when
he discovered his mistake.
“Son of a bitch!” he
exclaimed. “I was half asleep last night
when I was sending her some emails on company business and I must have somehow
put her address in your message.”
“Has she seen it yet?” Franz pressed.
“I don’t know but I promise you I will find out and handle it,” Ross said.
“Don’t bother,” Franz snapped. “If
“I can’t do that. What
about my family and my position here?”
“It wasn’t a suggestion,
Ross. You’ve got 48 hours to find yourself a nice remote corner of the world to
relocate to or you’re going to be a casualty of our war against Jordan Kent.”
He slammed the phone down without giving Ross a chance to respond.
As agreed,
“You don’t look too worse
for wear,”
“My ribs are still a
little sore but otherwise I’m fine,”
“Everything
still good with you and Bruce?”
“Everything is
wonderful.”
The others joined them
then, and
“Woo-hoo!”
She quickly enveloped
“Congratulations to you
both,” Bruce added, and exchanged a handshake with
“Have you told Mom yet?”
“I’m going to tell her
when we go to
“Oh, come on, Clark,”
“
“That’s blackmail.”
“Whatever works.”
“I want to see the
puppies,” Jason interjected.
“You can see them after
lunch, honey,” Lois told him.
As if on cue, Alfred
stepped outside then and called to Bruce.
“Lunch is ready to be served, Master Bruce,” he said. “Will you be dining in the house or outside?”
“I think we’ll have lunch
on the South terrace, Alfred,” Bruce replied.
“Very good,
sir.”
Alfred retreated back
into the house and the others followed a moment later.
*********************************************************************
After a leisurely lunch
filled with small talk and good natured ribbing among the adults, Lois and
Jordan left the men to themselves as they took Jason down the road to visit the
Yardley’s dogs. Unwilling to leave them
unprotected even for a short jaunt down the road, Bruce had asked Alfred to
accompany them Margaret Yardley was an
attractive woman in her early 40’s, who welcomed them with a friendly smile and
fresh lemonade. Jason was intimidated at
first by the dogs, who were purebred Great Danes of various colors and sizes,
with all of the adults outweighing the Humans.
Yet his anxiety quickly faded when Margaret introduced him to the newest
arrivals, a trio of gangly puppies about five weeks old. While Alfred conversed with the Yardleys, Lois
and Jordan watched from a few feet away as Jason played with the puppies and
laughed in delight as he allowed himself to be used as a Human chew toy.
“He certainly loves
dogs,” Lois observed.
“He comes by it
naturally,”
Lois smiled. “He’s shared some of the more interesting
stories of your youth,” she said. “He
says keeping you out of trouble was his training for becoming Superman.”
“He’s been really worried
about you, you know.”
“I know. I’ve been giving
him a hard time about it, but I know how difficult it’s been for him to see me
continually assaulted and he’s not able to anything about it.”
“How’s Bruce handling
it?”
“Somehow I don’t see
Bruce Wayne as not being with a woman who isn’t afraid to give him a swift kick
in the behind now and again,” Lois remarked.
“He really seems to care about you.”
“As I do him. I can honestly say that right now, being able
to spend this time with Bruce despite the threat hanging over me, is the
happiest I have ever been.”
Lois nodded. “You know, for a pair of women who pride
themselves on their independence and their self-reliance, we sure turned into
suckers when it came to love.”
“Yeah, but
what a way to go. And speaking of which, have you and
“No, but it will probably
be early next year sometime. Neither of us wants a large wedding; just
something small and intimate with family and friends.”
“Well if there is
anything I can do to help you with he planning, please do not hesitate to ask.”
“Actually, there is one
thing I wanted to ask you,” Lois revealed nervously and gave
“Lois…I am touched that
you would even consider having me stand up for you, but what about your
sister?”
“Lucy and I don’t really
have much of a relationship and I don’t even know if I want her at the
wedding,” Lois said. “Besides, if you hadn’t convinced
“I don’t know how much
credit I can take for that, but if you’re sure, than I
would be thrilled to be your Maid of Honor.”
The two women exchanged a
hug just as Jason wandered over, attempting to hold onto one of the puppies.
“Mommy, can I take this
one home?” he asked.
“No, honey; he’s too big
and he is still too young to leave his mommy.”
“We should probably head
back over to Bruce’s,”
Lois nodded in agreement,
and summoning Jason, she and Jordan bid farewell to Margaret Yardley and
started back to Wayne Manor with Alfred.
Meanwhile back at the
house, the men were engaged in a discussion almost identical to the one just shared
by their respective significant others.
“How are you holding up
with all of this terrorist business swirling around
“I’ll be better once we
have all of these morons behind bars,” Bruce answered. “And now that we know specifically who we’re
dealing with, it will be that much easier to make it happen.”
“I know Mark Ross was a
mentor to her,”
“I think a part of her
suspected he was involved, but given her emotional attachment to him she didn’t
want to admit it.”
“Well I wouldn’t want to
be in his shoes when
Bruce smiled. “
“And you wouldn’t have it
any other way,”
“Life with your sister is
never going to be boring, I’ll grant you that.”
“ ‘Life’ as in the
rest of yours?”
“Subtle, aren’t you,
“I’m glad, Bruce. I know
I gave you a hard time when you and Jordan first became involved, but she’s
obviously very happy. There’s no one else I’d rather see her with.”
“Thank you,
“We’re working on it, but
as long as we’re on the subject, I’d like to ask you for a favor.”
“Name it.”
“I would very much like
for you to be my Best Man.”
Surprise flickered across
Bruce’s face and he broke into a grin.
“I would be honored to be your Best Man, Clark.”
The two friends exchanged
a hug just as the women returned with Jason in tow. Alfred headed into the house as the rest of the
adults exchanged smiles of greeting before
“Did you have fun with
the puppies, buddy?”
Jason nodded. “Mrs. Yardley let me ride one of her dogs
around the yard,” he revealed.
“Considering that most of
the dogs are the size of small ponies I can’t say I’m surprised,” Bruce said
drolly.
“Sounds good.”
He shifted his attention
to
“Likewise,
Hugs and farewells were
exchanged all around before
“So what’s on your agenda
for the rest of the day?”
“I have some paperwork to
review at the office and a conference call with one of our European affiliates
at about three o’clock, but after that I was planning on spending a quiet
evening at home with you.”
“Could we have dinner in
the city instead?”
Bruce chuckled. “I’m sure that can be arranged,” he
said. “Where do you want to go?”
“Any where but the
harbor,”
“I’ll make a note of it.”
Just as the couple
entered the house, Alfred approached them and addressed
“Excuse me, Miss Jordan,
but you have a telephone call,” he told her.
“Who is it?”
“He gave his name as Mark
Ross.”
Jordan and Bruce
exchanged a surprised look as
“Mark?”
“Hello,
“Is there a reason I
shouldn’t?”
“Let’s not play games,
“The world needs a wake
up call,
“I’m as disgusted by
those things are you are but that doesn’t give you the right to play God and
take the lives of the people who are doing the harm. Don’t you know that you’ve essentially
destroyed everything that PEACE has built over the last 15 years?”
“What have we done,
“I’m sorry too, because
the man who hired me and mentored me over the past eleven and a half years
understood the sanctity of life in all forms,”
“I don’t recognize him
either,” Ross allowed.
“You can still do the right
thing, Mark,”
“That you would make the
offer even after everything I have done to you is a true testament to the kind
of person you are,” Mark replied. “I
recognized the fire in your soul for animals the day we met and bringing you on
board at PEACE may be the smartest thing I’ve ever done. I’m going to leave it all in your capable
hands, Dr.
“Mark…”
“I am truly sorry for the
pain I’ve caused you, Jordan. I wish
there had been another way.”
Through the receiver,
The day after Ross’
suicide, a somber
Although commitments in
“Why am I not surprised
to see you here?”
“Did you really think
Bruce and I were going to let you walk into the lion’s den solo?”
“I suppose not.”
They exchanged a hug
before
“Looks like we won’t need
to worry about cab fare,” he remarked and the siblings made their way over to
the driver.
“Dr. Kent and Mr. Kent?”
he prompted.
“Yes,”
“My name is Harold and
Mr. Wayne has made arrangements for me to be at your disposal during your stay here
in the capitol,” the driver revealed.
“Thank you, Harold,”
“Do you want to check
into your hotel first or go straight to the PEACE offices?”
“I think we’ll be better
off going to PEACE first,”
“Dr.
Jordan and Clark turned
toward the shouter and saw Rebecca Parker – Ross’ Personal Assistant – standing
just outside his office.
“Friend of
yours?”
”That’s Mark’s
assistant,”
“Hello, Becky.”
“Oh, Dr.
“
“A pleasure to meet you,
Mr. Kent,” Rebecca said.
“Miss Parker,”
“I can’t believe Mr. Ross
killed himself,” Rebecca remarked. “He
seemed so happy.”
“Appearances can be
deceiving,”
“Did you know he was
actually on the telephone with somebody when he shot himself?” Becky
pressed. “How awful it must have been
for that person.”
“Dr.
“Yes, I’m Jordan Kent,”
she confirmed.
“I’m Detective Ed Hauser,
D.C. Police Department. I need to ask
you a few questions about Mr. Ross.”
“Of course,”
“You can stay, Mr. Kent,
but I would appreciate it if the conversation could stay off the record until
we’ve completed our investigation,” Hauser requested.
“Of course,”
Hauser motioned for
Jordan and Clark to step into Ross’ office and followed them in.
“
Shaking of her morbid
thoughts,
“Dr.
“Actually Mark was
talking with me,”
Hauser’s eyebrows rose in
surprise. “Third attempt on your life?” he repeated. “I wasn’t aware that wildlife conservation
was a life threatening occupation.”
“Sounds like a classic
case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Hauser said
unnecessarily. “Do you have any direct
proof of this Reinkin fellow’s involvement?”
“We’re still working on
it,”
“Do you have any idea how
we might be able to get in contact with Mr. Reinkin?” Hauser asked. “We’d like
to talk with him.”
“I’d like to do more than
talk,” Clark muttered menacingly, earning him an admonishing look from
“I’m sure Mr. Ross’
assistant Rebecca can help you with that,”
“I appreciate your help,
Dr. Kent,” Hauser replied. “I’ll need
you to stay in the area for a few days until we have all of the details of the
case sorted out.”
“Of course.”
“Where can I reach you in
case I have any more questions?”
“I’ll be at the Ritz-Carlton
here in D.C.,”
Hauser nodded and bid the
siblings farewell, leaving them alone in the office. Once he was gone,
“Such a waste,”
“Everyone has free will,
“While others are
fortunate enough to have an older brother or significant other to come in and
snatch them from harm’s way,”
Releasing a resigned
sigh,
*********************************************************************
After being stopped by
various colleagues while trying to exit the PEACE building,
“He doesn’t do things
halfway, does he?”
“You know Bruce,”
Reaching the 11th
floor, Jordan and Clark followed the bellhop to the room and after opening the
doors, he stepped aside to allow them entry.
Walking inside,
“Now this is what I call
a hotel suite,” she muttered, and slowly made her way around the room as
Missing
you all ready and keeping you in my thoughts. – Love, Bruce
Smiling to herself,
“See anything
interesting?” she asked.
“Nothing out of the
ordinary,”
“I’m going to take a
quick shower and change into something less formal,”
“I’m not comfortable
leaving you alone,”
“Clark, I’m on the 11th
floor of a prestigious hotel ten minutes from the White House,”
“At this point I wouldn’t
put anything past him,”
“Well it’s not like you
can hang out in here while I shower anyway, so you might as well do a flyby
over the city and check things out,” Jordon responded. “I shouldn’t be more than twenty minutes, so
when you get back just knock on the door and we’ll go to the restaurant
together.”
“Fine,”
“All right already,”
It was almost twenty
minutes to the second when
“Right on time,
Crossing the room,
“Franz….”
“Hello, Dr.
“Ah ah ah, Dr.
Careful to keep the gun
leveled at her, Reinkin slowly strode into the room, glancing at the interior
of the suite before returning his attention to
“Obviously sleeping with
a billionaire has its privileges,” he said snidely.
“Spare me the commentary
on my personal life, Franz,”
Franz ignored the
question. “You really should have left
well enough alone,
“At least he was man
enough to admit to what he’s done,”
“Oh come now,
“Are you telling me that
Animal Avengers is your brain child?”
“I certainly can’t do
what I need to do in my capacity as PEACE’s CFO,” Reinkin pointed out. “Drastic times call for drastic measures and
the people of this planet need to be stopped from destroying the world around
them.”
“Now you sound like
Mark,”
“Yes, I heard that he
called you to confess his sins,” Reinkin said.
“How horrible it must have been for you to be on the line when your dear
friend blew his brains out the back of his head.”
“Fuck you.”
Reinkin chuckled. “Temper, temper Dr.
“Well it has become
glaringly apparent that if I want the job done right, I have to do it myself,”
Reinkin conceded. “I must say that it
was most frustrating to have two of the three previous attempts thwarted by
Batman and Superman. It would seem you
have rather illustrious friends.”
“Even superheroes can’t
resist a pretty face,”
Reinkin chuckled. “Well
yours is prettier than most I will give you that,” he said. “Unfortunately it’s not going to help you
now. Step outside.”
“Oh I don’t intend to
shoot you all,” Reinkin replied, ushering her toward the railing. “I’ll leave that to my associates. I’m just here to make sure they hit the
target.”
“It’s a pity it has to
end this way,
Reinkin used his free
hand to withdraw a small walkie talkie from his pocket and pressing a button,
issued the order to take out
The snipers immediately
opened fire and
“About time,”
Reinkin had seen Superman
speed past as well and realizing his plans were falling apart yet again,
released a frustrated curse. Not
bothering with the gun, he charged
“You really should be
more careful about throwing your trash over the balcony, Dr.
“You should have let him
splatter his sorry innards all over the concrete,”
“Are you all right?” he
asked.
“Never better,”
“Why don’t you call the
police while I keep an eye on our friend here?” Superman suggested.
*********************************************************************
Some time later, Hauser
and a group of uniformed officers had come and gone, taking Reinkin and the
snipers into custody and getting statements from Jordan and Superman. After ensuring that there was no further
danger to
“So when he charged me I
dropped into a crouch position and waited until he was basically on top of me
before standing up and using his own momentum to send him sailing over the
railing,”
“I’m assuming that he
didn’t actually make a crash landing,” Bruce replied.
“No; unfortunately
Superman had to save him as well.”
“I understand you have
reason to hate the man for what he did,
“I know,”
“Have the police given
you any indication of how much longer you need to stay in the city?”
“I’ll probably need to be
here for about a week,”
“Is there anything I can
do for you?” Bruce offered.
“Thank you, but this is
something I need to deal with on my own,”
“I miss you, too. Is
“Yes, he is. Hold on.”
“Sounds like you’ve been
having an interesting time in our nation’s capitol,” Bruce said dryly.
“There’s never a dull
moment with
“Actually I wanted to
talk with you about that before
“Sure. I’ll be staying here another day or so to
make sure that none of Reinkin’s friends show up to finish what he started, but
after that I can make a detour on the way home.”
“I would appreciate it.”
“I’ll put
Clark returned the
receiver to
“If you’re done comparing
notes with Clark about how difficult it is to watch over me, I’d really like to
go down to dinner,”
“Nothing like a brush
with death to stimulate your appetite,” Bruce teased.
“I just want to celebrate
that I managed to get through today’s little ordeal without breaking any more
of my bones like used toothpicks,”
“That is indeed something
worth celebrating,” Bruce demurred.
“I’ll call you in the morning before I go to the office.”
“I’ll look forward to
it. I love you.”
“I love you too, and I am
very glad that you are all right.”
“Good night. Bruce.”
“Good night,
With
Through various sources
he had learned that another pair of guns for hire were due to arrive in
After briefing Alfred on
his plan and suiting up, he slid into the Batmobile and headed out into the
night. Careful to take back roads and
alleys to avoid being seen, he arrived at the motel shortly before 9:00 PM. Retrieving a small recording device from a
storage compartment next to the onboard computer, Batman input a brief command
and tucked it into his utility belt as he put the car on Stealth mode and made
his way toward the motel.
As luck would have it, the
only other room in use was occupied by a couple too involved in their
extracurricular activities to notice the large shadowy figure lurking outside
the room. The would
be assassins were in the last room of the row, seated around a small table in
the center of the room as they sorted out various weapons.
Looks like they came to play, Batman
observed silently.
He reached down to his
utility belt and removed the recording device, carefully placing it against the
window to capture on tape what was being said inside.
“I still say this is a
waste of time,” one assassin replied, a young man no more than 25 with
nondescript features and black hair.
“For all we know Alpha Team has already taken out the target and we
aren’t even supposed to be here.”
“Reinkin was going to
call us off if Alpha Team completed the mission,” responded the second
assassin, a man of about 40 who appeared to be of Latin descent. “Since we haven’t heard
from him, our orders were to proceed as scheduled. Besides I want to actually get paid for this
gig and we won’t see any cash until we bring the body to Reinkin.”
“Seems like an awful lot
of trouble to eliminate one woman,” the younger man muttered. “What did this
“I get paid to follow
orders, not question them,” the Latino man retorted. “I don’t care if she questioned his manhood
or ran over his grandmother’s dog. It’s worth half a million bucks to him to
see her dead.”
Only half a million? Batman
thought idly.
The assassins’ casual
conversation had unwittingly provided Batman with the information he required
and he carefully replaced the recorder into his utility belt. Surveying the set-up of the motel, he
considered his entry options for a moment before deciding the simplest thing to
do would be to get the assassins to let him in.
Climbing up to the roof, he reached into his belt and pulled out a
batarang, which he flung at such an angle that its return trajectory sent it
crashing through the window. Inside the
room he could hear the exclamations of surprise from the men and a moment later
they burst outside, each brandishing a large gun. Shifting position, Batman wordlessly dropped
from the roof onto the Latino assassin, knocking him to the ground and
dislodging the gun out of his grasp. He then immediately spun around and sent a
mini-batarang flying toward the younger man to knock his gun from his hand.
“Oh, shit!” he
exclaimed. “Batman!”
He started to turn on his
heel and run back into the room, but Batman unclipped a small device from his
belt and sent a metal rope hurling toward the younger man to wrap itself around him.
Beneath him, the Latino man wasn’t giving up without a fight and he took
advantage of Batman’s distraction to suddenly buck like a horse and temporarily
dislodge him from his back. Jumping to
his feet, he braced himself into a defensive position and motioned for Batman
to take the first shot.
“You don’t want to play
this game friend,” Batman said evenly. “Not with me.”
The assassin promptly
responded with a profanity in his native tongue and attempted to strike his
opponent with a kick to the head. Batman
grabbed the man’s leg when it was an inch from his face and held the man still as
he lashed out with his other arm to strike him in the face. The man let out another curse as his now
broken nose began to stream blood down his face and Batman released his leg.
Undaunted, the man lifted his arm and wiped away some of the blood before suddenly
rushing forward to throw a punch. Again,
Batman blocked the blow when it was an inch or so from making contact and head
butted him against his injured nose as he used one leg to knock the man’s legs
out from under him.
“Game’s over,” Batman
declared. “You lose.”
After tying the Latino
man up with the same metal rope encasing his partner, Batman dragged them into
the room and propped them against the bed.
Gathering the weapons, he placed them in a pile next to the door and set
his recording device on top of the table.
Satisfied that the weapons and the prisoners were secure, Batman left
the room and locked the men inside before returning to the Batmobile. Pressing a pair of buttons on the dash, the
speaker phone rang through to Gordon’s office.
“Jim Gordon.”
“Good evening, Commissioner.”
“Batman….what can I do
for you?”
“I’ve left another gift
for you at the Happy Days Motel by the Wharf. Room 13.”
“Any connection to the
gift you gave me last week?” Gordon prompted.
“Same manufacturer,”
Batman allowed. “I’ll provide you with a
recording confirming their involvement once they’re in police custody.”
“All right; I’m on it.
Thanks, Batman.”
“My pleasure.”
Disconnecting the call,
Batman remained where he was until Gordon and some uniformed officers arrived.
He watched as the men and all the weapons were taken into custody and waited
until the police were gone before staring the car and heading for home.
Two days later, Bruce was
down in the
“Excuse the interruption,
Master Bruce, but Mister Kent is here to see you,” he said.
“Thank you, Alfred. I’ll be right up.”
Saving his work on the
computer, Bruce made his way up the elevator and through the house, where
“Hello,
“Not a problem. I have to admit I’m curious as to why you
needed to speak with me without
“I’m not trying to hide
anything from her, Clark. I just wanted to broach the subject with you before I
presented it to
“Fair enough.”
Bruce released a nervous
sigh and got straight to the point. “I love
Surprise flickered across
“To be honest neither did
I,” Bruce allowed. “Partly by choice and
partly by necessity, I’ve been forced to present a facade to the rest of the
world about who I am. But
“I have your blessing
then?”
“Absolutely.”
“Thank you.”
The two friends exchanged
a hug.
“So when do you plan on
popping the question?”
“Well I don’t want to
take anything away from you and Lois,“ Bruce began,
“because I know you’re planning on announcing your engagement over Christmas.
But
“Sounds like a good plan
to me,”
“Which is?”
“
Bruce smiled. “
“Trust me; she was
serious.”
“All right then; a ring
and a puppy it is.”
The fifth day after
leaving for
“Do you have a moment,
Mister Wayne?” he asked.
“Not really, Lucius,”
Bruce answered. “I’m on my way to meet
“Actually it involves Dr.
“Please tell me there
isn’t any more trouble with the terrorists.”
“No,” Fox assured him
quickly and walked over to hand him a printout from his computer. “Elliott Webster forwarded this article to me
and asked me to present it to you. After
the fiasco involving Ross and Reinkin, PEACE’s Board of Directors has
apparently decided to turn the company over to corporate management.”
“
“Precisely. Elliott caught wind of that information and
has asked me to suggest to you that PEACE be incorporated into Wayne
Enterprises as the new conservation division.”
“An interesting idea,”
Bruce allowed. “I wonder why
“Apparently she did,” Fox
told him. “Elliott didn’t come right out
and admit it, but I got the impression that she wanted it go through him rather
than directly to you to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest.”
“You have to appreciate a
woman who’s worried about my reputation, Lucius,” Bruce said drolly.
“Indeed, sir.”
“What do you think of the
idea?”
“I like it,” Fox
said. “Merging an existing company into
our own will save a lot of time and money trying to build the department from
scratch. Not to mention that it all ready comes fully staffed with a variety of
experts on ecology and conservation.”
“Very true. Does Elliott
want to run it himself?”
“No. He strongly
recommended that ‘we’ – presumably meaning you – convince Dr.
“Very gallant of him, but
Jordan won’t give up her field work. Hands on experience directly with the
animals is what drives her.”
Fox shrugged. “I’m just
the messenger, Mister Wayne,” he demurred.
“The ultimate decision is yours, but I agree with Elliott’s proposal and
his recommendation regarding Dr.
Bruce nodded. “All right, Lucius. I trust your judgment.
I’ll review this on the way to the airport and discuss it with
“Thank you, sir. Please
give my best to Dr.
“Consider it done.”
*********************************************************************
By the time
“Hello, stranger,” he
greeted.
“Hello yourself,”
“I’m just here to make
sure you took good care of my plane,” Bruce deadpanned.
“Does that mean I don’t
get a hug?”
“Oh I can do better than
that.”
Bruce lifted his hands to
cup her face and pulled her to him for a warm kiss. “Welcome home, Princess.”
“Thank you. It’s good to
be back.”
Bruce took her computer
case from her and slid his other arm around her waist as they started for the
car. “How did you do in D.C.?” he asked.
“About as well as could
be expected,”
“Funny you should mention
that,” Bruce said. “Lucius came to see
me just as I was leaving to come here and he showed me the proposal you sent to
Elliott Webster. I read it on the way over.”
“I hope you’re not upset
that I didn’t present it to you directly,”
“Frankly I find it
amusing that you’re worried about appearances at this point,” Bruce countered
dryly, “but I do understand the protocol behind going through Webster.”
They reached the car then
and the flight staff relinquished
“Welcome back to the
asylum, Miss
“Thank you, Alfred. Were you able to handle Bruce by yourself
while I was away?”
“Mister Wayne was no
trouble at all,” Alfred assured her.
“The poor boy was too busy pining for you to get himself
into any mischief.”
The mental image of Bruce
‘pining away’ in her absence wrung a laugh from
Bruce helped her into the
car before wandering around and climbing in on the other side and a moment
later Alfred was en route to Wayne Manor.
“So what do you think of the
idea of merging PEACE into Wayne Enterprises’ new conservation division?”
“I think it’s an
excellent idea,” Bruce responded. “I am
curious, though, as to what role you intend to play in the new company.”
“I don’t intend to do
much of anything beyond an advisory capacity,”
“Isn’t that how you got
yourself into all of this trouble in the first place?” Bruce countered wryly.
“Partially, which is why
I resigned from Interpol while I was in
“You won’t hear any
argument from me.”
“I would also like to
find a way to spend more time stateside,”
“May I take that to mean
you did some ‘pining’ of your own while you were away?”
“Most
definitely.”
Bruce smiled. “Well it will take a few weeks to get all of
the red tape sorted out for the merger, so in the meantime we can figure out a
way for you to keep doing what you love closer to home.”
“Sounds good
to me.”
By prior arrangement,
Bruce was going to accompany
“Your kind of welcoming
committee,” Bruce remarked.
“Hey,
After giving
“Hi, Mom,” she greeted.
“Oh, sweetheart, I have
been so worried about you!” Martha declared and the two women exchanged a
hearty hug.
“Hello, Ben,”
“Merry Christmas,
“You must be Bruce,”
Martha said and glanced at
“I could say the same
about you,” Martha returned. “Now how
about you drop this ‘Mrs. Harper’ business and call me Martha. And give this
old lady a hug.”
Bruce shot
“Is your brother still
bringing Lois and Jason?” she asked.
“I’m going to have both
my babies home for Christmas,” Martha replied.
“The Good Lord is shining on me this year.”
Ben looked at Bruce and
gestured toward the rental car. “Why don’t we let the ladies catch up while we
take care of the luggage?” he suggested.
“Of course.”
They retrieved the
luggage from the trunk as Martha and
“I’ll tell you about it
over lunch, Mom.”
*********************************************************************
That evening, the
foursome had enjoyed a hearty meal of Martha’s homemade meatloaf accompanied by
homegrown vegetables and fresh apple pie.
After dinner,
“Its beautiful country
out here,” Bruce remarked.
“Yes it is,” Martha
agreed. “Quite a
difference from the night life you’re used to I imagine.”
Bruce smiled at her
casual remark. You have no idea, he
mused silently. Out loud he said, “Life in
“It seems to agree with
“I hope so,” Bruce
demurred and decided to take advantage of their solitude to address the issue
weighing on his heart. “I love her very
much, Martha. She has enriched my life in
every way imaginable and has given me a sense of peace I feared I could never
have.”
Martha gave him a warm
smile. “I am so happy to hear that,
Bruce,” she responded. “
“I’m glad you feel that
way, because with your blessing I plan on asking
Delighted surprise
registered on Martha’s face and her smile widened. “Oh that’s wonderful!” she declared. “Of
course you have my blessing.”
“Thank you.”
“No thank you,
sweetheart,” Martha declined. “I think I’m going to turn in.”
“Okay. Sweet dreams,
Mom.”
“You too,
“Good night, Martha.”
Martha headed inside as
“I could get used to
this,” she said. “No corporate issues to
deal with; no terrorists lurking around every corner.”
“No, just grizzly bears
and mountain lions,” Bruce countered dryly.
“My point
exactly.”
Bruce smiled. “Feel like taking your chances with a short
walk?”
“Sure. Let me grab a
coat.”
“You’ve been spending too
much time with Alfred,” Bruce responded as they started their walk.
“Pot, kettle and black,
Mister Wayne,”
“Touché.”
“Do you remember the
conversation we had the day you returned from
“Yes I did, and yes I
do.”
“Well I’d like to give
you a little extra incentive,” Bruce replied and stopped in his tracks as he
turned to face her. Reaching into his
shirt pocket, he lowered himself onto one knee as he withdrew a diamond and
sapphire engagement ring and slid it onto
“I’ve never been more
certain of anything in my life.”
“I don’t know what to
say,”
“You could start with ‘Yes,
Bruce, I’ll marry you’,” came the wry response.
She flashed him an
adoring smile. “Yes, Bruce, I’ll marry you,” she repeated and he rose to his
feet to pull her into his embrace.
*********************************************************************
Early the following
afternoon, Jordan and Bruce were seated on the front porch sipping lemonade as
they watched
“
“I don’t think he’d know
what to do with it if he actually caught one,”
“I’ve heard of a ‘scaredy
cat’ but never a scaredy dog’,” Bruce said dryly.
“Be nice.”
“So any idea when you
want to get married?”
“I was thinking the first
day of Spring would be a good date,”
“I agree. Any objection to having the ceremony at the house?”
“I’d like that. Would
you have any objection to having a religious officiator?”
“As long as we don’t have to
say Mass as part of the vows,” Bruce quipped, earning him a playful slap.
The couple’s banter was
interrupted by Shelby who suddenly burst into a cacophony of barking and
charged down the dirt driveway. Jordan
and Bruce glanced up to see the rental car carrying Clark, Lois and Jason pull
in, and standing up, made their way down the short road to greet them.
“Merry Christmas, guys,”
“Merry Christmas, Jordan,
Bruce,” Lois returned.
“Merry Christmas, Little
Sister,”
“Yes we have a yes.”
“You knew he was going to
propose?”
“Why do you think he asked
me to stop by Wayne Manor while you were in
“Very sneaky, Mr. Wayne,”
“I’m glad you approve.”
Hugs were exchanged all
around and Jason immediately began to play with
“Where’s Mom?” he inquired.
“She and Ben are down the
road visiting some friends,”
“If she’s that excited just
having us here, I can only imagine how she’s going to react when she finds out
Lois and I are engaged.”
“You and Lois are engaged?”
Martha asked from behind him.
“Oops,”
“Don’t ‘hi Mom’ me; answer
my question. Are you and Lois engaged?”
“Oh, honey, that is
wonderful news!”
Martha quickly enveloped him
in a hug, followed by Lois, just as Jason walked over with
“Hi Grandma,” he
greeted. “Can I have some cookies?”
The adults shared a chuckle
just as a UPS delivery truck came to a halt at the end of the drive. Clutching his inventory pad, the driver
stepped out and approached the group with a friendly smile.
“Merry Christmas folks,” he
greeted cheerily. “I’m looking for a Dr. Jordan Kent.”
“That’s me,”
“If I could get your
signature please, Ma’am,” the driver requested.
“I’ll help,” Clark offered
and followed the delivery man over to the truck as Martha addressed
“Crate?” she repeated. “What
in the world did you order,
“I didn’t order anything,”
“Maybe Santa Claus felt that
with everything you’ve been through in the last few months you deserved to get
one of your gifts a day early,” Bruce interjected casually.
Bruce smiled but said
nothing as Clark and the delivery man set the crate on the ground in front of
“Oh my
goodness….hello there, little fellow.”
Reaching ton the crate with
both hands,
“Hello, handsome,”
“You did say it was the size
of the dog that matters,” Bruce reminded her.
“I love you,”
“Merry Christmas, Princess.”
Removing
the ribbon from the puppy’s neck.
“I can’t believe you
remembered that I wanted an engagement puppy,”
“Well I can’t take all the
credit,” Bruce confessed. “After I told
“I am perfectly happy with
the size of both,”
“What are you going to call
him, Jordan?” Lois asked.
Bruce and Clark exchanged a
smile.
METROPOLIS
The day of Lois and
Clark’s wedding was thankfully crisis free, allowing
“
“Mock me all you want but
we’ll see how calm you are next month when it’s your turn,”
“What are you so anxious
about? You are marrying the woman you love and the mother of your child. This
should be the best day of your life.”
“What if something
happens during the ceremony?”
“The world kept spinning
for the five years you were gone,
“You’re right. I just
want everything to go perfectly.”
“As long as you say ‘I
do’ at the right time, it will.”
There was a knock at the
door and at
“I have the car
downstairs if you gentlemen are ready to go,” he said.
Bruce glanced at
Fully dressed and
awaiting the arrival of Clark and
“He’s not coming,” Lois
muttered. “Something’s happened, he had to change and go rescue somebody
somewhere, and he’s not coming.”
“He’s coming, Lois,”
Lois sighed. “I know I’m being neurotic,” she said by way
of apology. “It’s just that I have waited for this day for so long and I don’t
want anything to interfere with my wedding.”
“I promise you that this
day is going to be as perfect as you and Clark want it to be,”
A knock sounded at the
door and after Lois bade her visitor enter, Martha stepped into the room.
“Oh Lois, you look
lovely,” she declared.
“Thank you, Martha,” Lois
responded with a grateful smile.
“I just spoke with Father
O’Reilly and he said that everyone is here, including Clark and Bruce,” Martha
revealed. “We can start as soon as you’re
ready.”
“Please do, Dr.
*********************************************************************
Lois and Clark had wanted
a small ceremony, with only family and close friends present. Therefore outside of the priest, Clark’s
family and Bruce Wayne, the only guests were Perry White and Jimmy Olsen. As soon as the music started, all eyes turned
toward the entryway to the church sanctuary.
"Dear friends, we are gathered here today to witness the
joining in marriage of Lois and Clark…”
The priest’s voice was steady as he went through the standard
ceremony and his smile widened as he instructed the couple to say their
vows. Lois was first, her voice shaky
and her eyes welling with tears as she spoke.
“I, Lois, take you
Lois used one hand to wipe a tear from her cheek as
“I, Clark, take you Lois to be my wife, to have and to hold, for
better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love
and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.”
The priest instructed Jason to hand the rings to Jordan and Bruce
before leading Clark and Lois through the exchange and completing the ceremony.
“…What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. By the power vested in me by the laws of the
state of
Two days before her wedding,
“Am I interrupting?” he asked.
“Not at all,”
Bruce glanced at Hero. “I
thought it was cats that slept all day,” he remarked.
“I wore him out this morning when I let him follow along while I
went riding,”
“At the rate he’s growing you’ll be able to ride him pretty soon,”
Bruce quipped.
“Did you just come in here to torment Hero or is there something I
can do for you?”
“I came to see if you were up for a short drive,” Bruce
replied. “There’s something I want to
show you.”
“I will follow wherever you want to take me, Handsome.”
Bruce smiled and she linked her arm through his as they left the
room.
*********************************************************************
They took one of Bruce’s personal cars and rode in companionable
silence for about twenty minutes until Bruce came to a halt in front of a
cemetery on the outskirts of
“What are we doing here?” she asked.
“I want you to meet my parents,” came
Bruce’s reply.
Taking her hand in his, Bruce led
Thomas
and Martha
“Hello, Mother, Dad,” Bruce began, his expression and tone somber
as he addressed his dead parents. “I know I haven’t been here for a while, but
I have someone with me I want you to meet.”
He gently pulled
“This beautiful woman beside me is Jordan Kent, and in two days she
will become my wife. I brought her here
today because it was important that you meet her and know how important she is
to me.“ He
paused then to give
He paused then, and
Surprised and touched that she would want to, Bruce simply said
“No.”
Rising to her feet, she wiped away the tears streaming down her
face and wordlessly enveloped Bruce in a hug.
“Thank you for sharing them with me,” she said shakily.
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ll wait in the car while you finish here,”
Bruce gave her a gentle kiss and
“Well, that was
He paused a final time, gathering his thoughts before he finished
his soliloquy.
“I never really had the chance to know either of you and I have no
way of knowing how my life would have turned out if I had been raised under
your guidance. I regret that other people’s greed cost me the opportunity to
befriend my parents. But the past cannot be undone, and it has made me the man
I am today. Everything that I have
accomplished is a result of that tragic night, so perhaps something good came
of it after all. Maybe someday when I leave this life, I’ll get the chance to
see you both again. Until then, I hope you know that I am happy, and safe, and
loved. Rest in peace, Mother and Dad.”
Finishing his remarks, Bruce bowed his head for a moment and said a
silent prayer before rising to his feet.
Casting a final glance at the headstone, Bruce exited the cemetery.
*********************************************************************
The morning of Bruce and Jordan’s wedding and the first day of Spring dawned bright and beautiful, as if Mother Nature
herself were granting her approval of the ceremony taking place on the
day. As with Lois and
As the caterers finished setting up for the 150 plus guests that
would be arriving that evening, Alfred made sure that the bride and groom
remained separated as the time for the ceremony approached. Entering the master
bedroom, he found a nervous Bruce fidgeting with his attire.
“How do I look,
“You look fine, Bruce,”
Bruce glanced expectantly
at Alfred. “Alfred?”
Alfred hesitated for the
briefest of moments before replying, “Master Clark is correct, sir. You look
very handsome.”
Bruce shot him a knowing
look. .“That’s not what you were going to say.”
Alfred smiled. “I was
merely going to tell you how much you look like your mother. She and your
father would have been as proud of you today as I am.”
Bruce flashed his friend
a loving smile. “Thank you, Alfred.”
Alfred glanced at
“I won’t let him out of
my sight, Alfred,”
Leaving Bruce in Clark’s capable hands, Alfred made his way
downstairs to check on
“You look beautiful,
“You are a stunning bride, sweetheart,” Martha added. “Your father would be so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mom. I hope so.”
Although the door was slightly ajar, Alfred knocked just to be safe
and walked inside. He stopped short at
the sight of
“You are truly a vision of loveliness, Miss
“Thank you, Alfred,”
“The priest and Mr. Fox are here,” he told her, “and I believe
Master Bruce is going to spontaneously combust if we don’t get this show on the
road.”
“Of course,” Lois agreed.
She and Martha excused themselves and left the room, leaving
“If you’ve decided not to go through with the ceremony after all
and are going to enlist me to help you make an escape, I’m afraid I must
decline,” Alfred said dryly. “I value my
life far too much to risk losing it at Master Bruce’s hands on such a foolhardy
endeavor.”
“In that case, how may I be of service?”
“I wanted to say thank you, for being you and for your part in
making this day happen,”
“Well we can’t have that,” Alfred said. “Would you like me to read
this now?”
“Please.”
Opening the envelope, Alfred took out the small handwritten note
and began to read.
My Dearest Alfred –
You are the closest thing
I will have to a father-in-law, so I wanted to take a moment and tell you how
much you have come to mean to me. I know how deeply Bruce cares for you and how
important your opinion is to him. If at
any time, you had indicated to him by word or deed that you felt I wasn’t right
for him, this day would not have come to pass. But from the moment we met you have been warm
and gracious and charming, and you welcomed me into this house and Bruce’s life
with open arms. The respect and affection you have shown me has meant more than
you know, and I promise to do my best
to always be worthy of the faith you have placed in me.
Please know that I love
Bruce with all of my heart and my soul and I vow to you that I will spend every
day of the rest of my life doing my best to make him proud that I am his wife
Finishing the note, Alfred tucked into the inside pocket of his
tuxedo before taking the handkerchief from the front pocket and discretely
dabbing at his eyes.
“I suppose it’s a good thing I’m not wearing any make-up today,” he
said dryly, then grew serious. “I should
be thanking you, Miss Jordan, for bringing joy back into this house. I have never seen Master Bruce as happy as he
has been since you entered his life and I knew shortly after meeting you that
you were someone he could love as deeply as his father loved his mother.” He paused long enough to take her hands in his
before finishing. “It is a privilege to
welcome you into our family.”
“May I borrow your hankie?”
Just then the house began to echo with the music that signaled the
start of the ceremony and Alfred extended his arm.
“Shall we, Miss
“Lead on, good sir.”
You are without a doubt
the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, Princess,
Sensing Bruce's scrutiny,
“Dearly beloved, we are
gathered here today in the sight of God and these witnesses to join together in
holy matrimony
The priest delivered the opening speech and traditional vows with
simple solemnity and once finished, turned his attention to the couple in front
of him.
"Having exchanged the traditional vows of matrimony, Jordan
and Bruce now have a few personal words they wish to share with one another.
Flashing the priest a faint smile,
"Almost six months ago, I met a handsome stranger who would
change my life. From the moment we met you challenged me to look beyond the
restrictions of conventionality and go with what my heart told me to do. Every
time I lost faith, each time I faltered - you were right there to help me up
again. When others would have run away, you stood firm and convinced me to do
the same.”
“You are the best thing to have ever touched my life, Bruce; you
are my soul mate. I vow to you in front
of our family and friends that I will spend the rest of my life trying to bring
you as much joy as you've given me. I love you."
"Almost six months ago, I met a beautiful, brassy woman whose
love for animals was exceeded only by her love for and loyalty to her family.
But the first time I looked into your eyes, I knew that my life would never be
the same. You have brought me a sense of joy and peace I never thought
possible, and every day I thank whatever deities might be listening for
bringing you to me. You are the love of my life and the light of my soul,
Bruce finished his vow and exchanged a loving smile with Jordan,
neither of them noticing that there wasn't a dry eye in the room. They
continued to stare into each other's eyes as the priest finished the service.
"Inasmuch as Jordan and Bruce have exchanged both vows and
rings to symbolize their union, and have declared their intentions in front of
these witnesses, it is my honor to pronounce them husband and wife. You may
kiss the bride."
Triumph and joy passed across Bruce’s face as he turned to
Pulling
*********************************************************************
EPILOGUE
The following article
appeared in a special ‘Late Edition’ of the Daily Planet on March 20,
2007:
Beware of Flying Swine
By
Once upon a time I declared in this very column that pigs would fly
before
In a private ceremony at Wayne Manor for immediate family that was
followed by a lavish party for one hundred and fifty select guests, including
yours truly, industrialist Bruce Wayne wed conservationist Dr. Jordan Kent, an
evolutionary biologist with PEACE Corporation. The darkly handsome groom was
impeccably attired in a custom made Giorgio Armani tuxedo, while the stunningly
beautiful bride was adorned in an ice blue sleeveless lace and satin gown, also
custom made by Armani.
The couple met six months ago following the attack on the
Metropolis Convention Center by animal rights activists and were introduced by
Dr. Kent’s brother, Clark Kent. Following a semi-public courtship, the two were
engaged by Christmas and chose this first day of Spring
2007 to make it official. After the exchange of both traditional and personal
vows, the couple kicked off the reception with the traditional first dance and
was serenaded by country music superstar Martina McBride signing her hit song
“There You Are”. The celebration lasted well into the night, after which the
newlyweds departed for a two-week honeymoon in the
Under normal circumstances I would be the first to admit that I
hate to make a mistake. But I am pleased that my new sister-in-law and her even
newer husband proved me wrong when it came to his marital status.
Congratulations and best wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Wayne for a happy,
healthy life together full of love and laughter.
And on a more personal note, Happy One Month Anniversary to my
husband: I love you, Clark.
END
A/N:
This story and its
predecessor “