Back to Wayne Manor

Nighttime had descended upon Gotham City. Iman dropped him at Wayne Manor, albeit with a puzzled expression. She did not ask though. Good girl.

Tim opened the door for him. As promised, he had been taking care of Chloe and had even tucked her into bed. Aaron thanked him for his help.

"Oh, by the way, Bruce wants to talk to you in the living room. I think it's about the job offer thing?" Tim said.

"He told you?"

Tim smirked. "Nope, I figured it out."

Located on the ground floor of the mansion, paralleling the kitchen area, was the common space for relaxation and family gatherings. The living room was spacious with high ceilings and large windows that allow ample natural light to filter in. A grand fireplace stands as a focal point, providing both a source of warmth and a touch of old-world charm, faced by a large couch.

Bruce Wayne sat on said couch, glowering. Upon hearing him, however, his expression rose with politeness.

"Good to see you, Aaron. I hope work went well," Bruce said. Aaron decided to sit on the single sofa beside him. The two of them peered into the fireplace. Bruce exhaled. "I owe you an apology."

"Why?" Aaron asked, acting his ass off. "Is it about the job offer?"

"Yes," Bruce admitted. "I think I might have jumped the gun. If you want, you can stay with your daughter and live your life out normally."

A hand pressed his cheek, Bruce grimaced. He must have been truly surprised if he was opening up like this. The blur between Batman and Bruce Wayne was plain for Aaron to see.

"To be honest, I was thinking of accepting," Aaron replied. "I need a good babysitter and I think Ms. Carrie would do a great job. Plus, there's the money. I could retire early."

"Yes, of course," Bruce said, all of a sudden wanting to accommodate him. "Us Waynes aren't gentle when it comes to pay." He paused. A sigh. "Sorry, it's just that…Cassandra revealed her secret identity to you. It's a big, big deal to the rest of us. Maybe it's hard to grasp because…well…revealing our identities to a lover is something I would do."

"Really?" Aaron was surprised. Was he wrong about his paranoia?

"I craved love to the point where I made irrational decisions. Most of the women who knew my great secret have died. Silver St. Cloud, Amina Franklin, Dawn Golden, Jezebel Jet, Natalya Trusevich, Vesper Fairchild…" Okay, that was a LOT of women. Aaron didn't expect Batman of all people to be so irresponsible. "Even for those that lived, there were consequences to pay. It isn't pretty." Bruce glanced at him. "I just don't want Cass to fall into the same pit I did. That's all."

This. This was it. He wasn't pretending this time. He was opening up. Good. Very good. Aaron plastered on a comforting smile.

"You would do anything for her. I get it," Aaron responded, coating his words with authentic emotion. "I would do the same with Chloe."

"I understand." His voice grumbled, staring off into the flames. "You can start on Monday, if you like. If you want to move in, you can do that too."

"Ah, no thanks. I'd like to come over but I'd still like my own place."

"You can drop Chloe off here then. Carrie comes to the manor three times a week anyway. If we double her pay, you shouldn't mind staying whenever you want."

The deal was set. His name was crossed off from the list of suspects and Batman's hunch was thrown to the wind. The Chosen One was safe. Aaron was safe.

…at least that was what he thought but Bruce's features were still narrowed–still conflicted. Thinking, thinking, thinking. 'Did I miss something? This conversation should be over…'

"Sorry. I really am, but…there is one last thing I have to tell you." Like an old man telling a childhood trauma, Bruce sighed. Hands interlocked, elbows on his legs, he stared at the fireplace. Another sigh. "See, when Barbara was investigating you, we…found something. It's why I found it difficult to trust you. Again, I am sorry." He sounded sincere and…sad.

'What is he talking about?' His heart raced.

"Your daughter, Chloe, she's adopted, yes?" Bruce's question sent him for a loop but tentatively Aaron nodded. The Batman breathed in. "There's well-documented records on her. From her birth certificate to the papers leading to her placement in foster care–old but authentic. It took a while but we found them to be a little after No Man's Land nearly ten years ago. Chloe was born to a fifteen year old Gothamite. A blonde, blue-eyed, naive teenager whose boyfriend abandoned her when the earthquake struck. She thought she could raise it. She thought wrong and in the end she made the choice to put her daughter up to adoption."

Aaron didn't like the feeling sinking into his stomach…

Bruce continued as he glanced at him for perhaps the third time. "It was her decision and you couldn't fault her for it either. She was just a little girl and it was the only way for her to keep crime-fighting." A breath from the Batman, then a sorrowful glance to the floor. "We couldn't believe it at first. I told Barbara to do a blood test and…it was as the records showed. We haven't told her yet."

"...who?" Aaron asked, throat dry. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a vigilante…in his mind, the options dangled between two people. "Who is the mother?"

Bruce stared him right in the eye and said, "It's Stephanie. Stephanie Brown. She's Chloe's mother."