Summary:Selina confronts Bruce in the hallway about the sudden arrival of Damian. A decision by attrition is made. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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After Damian revealed his identity, Selina had to… step away. It's not often that something can trump Selina's curiosity - and she didn't go FAR - but… the second Helena was safe in her father's presence Selina had to get out of earshot for a little while. She's used to kids getting gathered around here - played her part in raising quite a few trouble crime fighters by this point - but… she was not ready to hear that Bruce had another biological child. And SHE sure doesn't remember having a second one, so…
By the time Bruce's conversation with Damian ended, Selina finds herself with her back to the wall beside a doorway a fair ways away, arms crossed with her eyes closed in some simulacrum of patience as she waits for Bruce to pass through, at which point she speaks:
"Sounds like he didn't murder anybody. So that's something." She says, flatly, turning her head to the side, eyes opening narrowly to peer in the doorway's direction. "Seems healthy. Polite. Looks to be about Helena's age. So…" Her green eyes turn slowly to Bruce, her lips pressing together in a flat line, "… Roughly, how furious should I be?"
There was a long talk. Bruce is still processing it all. After the conversations ended and things were settled for a moment, he knew there would be numerous other brush fires that would have to be put out.
Selina would probably be the biggest of those was the first thing he realized. As she stands waiting for him, there's a lift of a brow, and a realization. How many times had he held that same exact pose, waiting for her to come back from one of her late night escapades.
"He was raised by the al Ghul's. I have little doubt that he has past issues with death and that will need to be addressed if he chooses to remain." That Bruce is giving him the choice may speak volumes.
Then comes the question, and Bruce raises his brow, blue eyes studying his fiance for a moment - more pointedly at the ring she gave him. "You've known me for how long, Selina?" he asks her as he starts to step by her, unsure if she was going to follow him to their chambers. "If you're going to choose this moment to buy into the mythos of my younger days and what was rumored I was doing late at night…"
Selina winces subtly when she hears the name 'Al Ghul', and THAT raises a million more questions which she's not quite prepared to dig into right now. Selina gives a sort of closed-mouthed sigh and kicks off of the wall gently to follow after Bruce. "Bruce, I was part of that legend. Tabloid entry four thousand, and well earned. I'm not saying you knocked up Britney Spears, here. She wouldn't have raised a *ninja*. You…" Selina hesitates, and then sighs again, with a short shake of her head. "Nnn, doesn't matter. Are you saying the kid's lying?" She asks, voice subtly hopeful.
"I wasn't with a different woman every night, Selina." Bruce responds flatly. "Do you want to meet the parade of women that were stood up by Bruce Wayne because he had a 'meeting' come up after they were supposedly going out to do something else. The best things about celebrities and debutantes? They are very good about keeping silent when they're stood up or left suddenly, because it would hurt their standing." Even Selina would know that silent rule.
There's a frown and he pushes his hand through his hair, giving it a good shake as he considers his words and thoughts, which are their own mess at the moment. While some part of him /always/ wanted a son, he was perfectly content with what Selina had given him. "I /don't/ know if he's lying. I have gone over in my head every run in I've had with Talia, I cannot think of any that would have led to…" he gestures behind him and down the hall. "…but I cannot discount the fact that she may have found a way. There were times where she's used.. other ways to try to get to me." There's a frown at that.
"She was adamant on 'cementing' the ties between me and her. She may have found a way to make that happened, especially after what happened with Jason…" He's long thought that she had something to do with Jason's return, and the Lazarus Pit, but he can't prove it. Not without talking to Jason. That's next on his list.
"If the DNA comes back and he is mine, I will accept him, Selina. I can't let anyone become what the Demon would want to mould them into. We didn't have perfect lives in the past, Selina. And even if this one comes back to me in this way.. it does not change what I feel for you." The 'but' is left in the air. That's her decision to make, not his.
Selina certainly doesn't need to have the parade of passing celebrities explained to her - hell, she got stood up at least once - and she's not accusing Bruce of having conceived a child with them, so it's a moot point that serves only to frustrate Selina a bit. In her mind, he doesn't really get to be defensive right now.
At least until Talia comes into the picture, and Selina grimaces slightly, looking down and away, muttering, "Talia…" She'd say she doesn't understand the… complicated relationship between that woman and her fiance, but… well, Selina's living proof that Bruce has a type, and that type is apparently 'criminals with potential'. Her expression softening, she asks, "… So she… cloned you? … I guess it's not like you haven't left your DNA all over the city."
Take that how you will.
"Nnn…" Selina rubs her face briefly and sighs. "Okay, listen, I… I believe, you okay? And I'm not… *Jesus*, I'm not sending a little Bruce back to be an eco-terrorist assassin. He can stay as long as he behaves. But I just… You understand why I wonder, right? You and me… our thing didn't really make *sense* for a long time. It wouldn't be crazy if we weren't… 'exclusive' back then." Selina shakes her head. "I don't know, it just… caught of guard. Not used to that."
"I know you're used to me having full and complete control of a situation, Selina. To always have a plan. To always know what to do next." Bruce lets out a sigh that mirrors his frustration. "You're asking me to instantly know something from eighteen years ago. And I know I can't say I don't remember, because you'd know that to be a lie. But in this case, I do not /know/ how this happened." Was he drugged? Did Talia somehow get his DNA?
He runs every possibility through his head over and over again, trying to find someway. "Helena is our daughter. She's our child, and she is the heir to the Waynes. And she is our future in the cave, if she chooses it. I don't care how much that Talia may have groomed him to be the 'heir to the cowl', he's not. That was always Helena's to decide on."
"I know we weren't exclusive, until.." he turns his attention to her completely and his hand moves to settle on her stomach. "…we were." When Helena was proven to be there, Bruce's whole life changed on a dime. There was no more stories about secret rendevouz and 'who is he dating now?' on Page Six of the Daily Bugle.
Then he moves, it pinning her to the wall for a moment as he kisses her. Hard. Unabashedly. Pulling away from her, there's a frown that touches his features. "You were the one thing that has taken me completely off-guard, Selina. Yes, there's another child here. But he's no different than Dick, Jason, or Tim. Even if he has my blood. Even if I acknowledge him as a Wayne. Even if Talia somehow managed to pull this off."
"I chose you."
Wether it was Helena that changed them, or the day Batman showed her his face, is hard to say. Selina sure didn't feel like playing around after the latter, but she at least imagined a certain level of detachment was still available to her - as conflicted as she was - even as they got closer and closer. Helena sorta dashed and delusions of running off, though. Not that she'd wanted to.
As is so often the case in these sudden embraces, they resemble a fight almost as much as the, well, passion they're known for, with Selina throwing her arms around Bruce as he kisses her, harmlessly but firmly raking his back with her nails before smacking the back of his shoulder twice, one leg wrapping around the back of his as she breaks the kiss, panting softly. Most of their fights end this way, physical and verbal, so it may just be instinct at this point. That or aggression just comes naturally to both of them. Who knows.
"I know…" She says softly, and kisses him again. "I know." She plants her chin on his chest, looking up at him. She still has mixed feelings, but… she's at least sure about one thing, which she doesn't blatantly say that often, but is gonna blurt out now with a wry little smile as she says, "… Love you, ya big jerk."
She's always been aggressive.. and honestly, possessive when it comes down to it. A new kitten was dropped off, of course Catwoman is going to reject it until she finally decides to accept it. Bruce feels the rake of her nails on his back and smack and his hand tightens on her side, pulling her and pressing her closer to him, as she starts to wrap around him in return.
It's aggressive, angry.. and it really keeps the kids out of their room for the most part. His eyes study hers before she ducks her head into his chest and he gives a grunt. "We'll figure it out." he reiterates in this. They've had over a decade and a half to figure it out. Even this will be eventally mixed in.
When she says that she loves him - for once, Bruce doesn't respond with words. Instead, he slides his hands down, getting a full grip on her sides before lifting her up. There's no words, he's just going to carry her to their chambers. And show her instead.
It's a wonder they don't have more kids, really, just by attrition.