Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Wayne Legacy: Knightmare

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 03:

Wayne Manor

Samantha stared out the window of her guest bedroom in Wayne Manor, her head spinning. It had nothing to do with the extravagant private jet that brought her and Ruby to Gotham City, or the lavish manor and grounds.

Every thought in her head was running together since Ruby had picked up the call from Diana Wayne the day before. Sam wondered if the rest of her life would be measured in BDW and ADW: Before Diana Wayne and After Diana Wayne .

She told herself that nothing was certain, no decisions would be made without finding out and considering all the information but a niggling voice in the back of her head told her the woman always got what she wanted and right now, Diana Wayne wanted Sam.

Additionally, the benefits this position could bring, not only for her but especially for her daughter, would make it hard to turn down. She knew she had to keep an open mind as hard as it may be.

Her day began moving in fast forward that morning when a caravan of Yukon Denali Armored SUVs rolled up to her house and Sam and Ruby were shepherded into the same vehicle as Kara, Diana and Kara’s bodyguard, who she had come to know as John Diggle or Dig. The man was large and could be easily intimidating but he was kind, wore a constant smile and was obviously good with kids. Kara’s stories kept Ruby entertained the entire trip to the airport.

The Philadelphia airport had been an event itself, an eye opener for Sam that she was truly about to enter a different world.

The first clue was Dig’s smile disappeared as he exited the SUV first closing the door behind him.

Seconds later, the backdoors were opened, and the four women were immediately surrounded by twelve men and women resembling secret service agents. The group walked at a brisk pace into the terminal, the agents staying around them in a protective phalanx while Dig was glued to Kara’s side, an arm around her shoulders, his head constantly swiveling.

Sam knew Dig’s arm around Kara’s shoulder had nothing to do with comfort or friendship. If he heard or saw anything he didn’t like, he would be able to guide Kara to the ground quickly and safely, easily allowing him to cover her body with his. Everything about this short trip from the SUV into the airport was highly coordinated.

Sam noticed that interspersed amongst the crowd were those who seemed out of place if one were to look closely. Sam always had an eye for detail and was good at reading body language. Her life had not been one of luxury and living as a single mom in the city, working her way through college was not always a safe endeavor. She always had to be aware of her surroundings.

She saw that, despite the scene the rolling column of guards was causing, some travelers were not watching them at all. Instead, they looked around the airport, taking in everything and Sam noted each one had a Bluetooth of some sort in their ear.

“I wonder if this is what the President feels like?” Ruby had asked her. Before she could answer, Diana had laughed and told her Wayne Security was much better than the Secret Service.

There were no stops on their trip through the large airport. They walked quickly and fluidly… no one bumping them, not having to go through luggage check in, even bypassing security checkpoints, nothing that accompanied the usual pains in flight travel.

The Waynes’ private jet was like a luxury hotel room with wings employing a complement of four crew members: the pilot, co-pilot and two flight attendants. The main cabin was huge. A lavish seating area was laid out to provide ease of conversation surrounded by multimedia screens with built-in, interactive computer interfaces; side tables; wine chillers and bottles of champagne that likely cost more than Sam made in a month. It even had a separate bedroom in the back for passengers to comfortably rest during longer flights.

Kara and Dig had continued to talk with Ruby and entertain the wide-eyed girl while Sam spent her time talking with Diana.

To her pleasant surprise, Diana didn’t bring up business or pry into Sam’s life. Instead, she talked about the vacation they had just returned from, how much fun they had, and repeatedly talked about Kara’s reactions to the sights.

Sam shouldn’t have been surprised, but Diana spoke of her little sister with such a warmth that was lovely to hear.

She knew the stories of course. She knew what happened to the Wayne family and knew about the girl genius who stayed behind the walls of the manor for most of her life because of illness.

It became obvious after listening for a while, that Diana saw Kara as a daughter as well as a sister… perhaps even more daughter than sister.

She spoke with pride about the breakthroughs that had been discovered and the health improvement her sister had made that allowed her much more freedom now.

When they landed in Gotham City, a group of even more security guards was awaiting them on the tarmac.

A caravan of armored SUVs, which Sam learned were custom designed and built by Kara and her teams, were in front and behind them as well as a helicopter that flew overhead once they drove out of the airport.

The countryside outside of Gotham was gorgeous, and Sam and Ruby both stared open-mouthed when the entourage pulled up to Wayne Manor. The large mansion, the manicured grounds, the stone walls surrounding them as far as they could see was like the set of a movie.

She had noticed security had lessened as they pulled up in front of the large house. Sam suspected it was because of the increased presence of guards, most likely all over the property.

As they exited the car, servants walked out and began gathering luggage, the sisters’ from their trip along with Ruby and Samantha’s three bags.

A man walked out the large front doors and greeted them, his smile lighting up his face as he zeroed in on the sisters.

“Welcome home, Diana, Kara.” He said, hugging both of them, before turning to Sam and Ruby.

“Miss Arias and young Miss Ruby, I am Alfred. It is a delight to meet you.” The man had a distinct British accent and pleasant demeanor. “We usually require staff during the week and prefer affairs to be much more casual on weekends, but we have had much to do in preparation for your visit. We haven’t had guests of your stature in quite some time, and it has been very exciting.”

Diana had mentioned the man to Sam, so she knew who he was. Alfred had been the legal guardian of the Wayne children after their parents had died. He was also overseer of Wayne Manor and all the staff.

“Uh… thank you…” Sam stuttered, her mind trying keep up.

“Would you like us to unpack your bags, or do you prefer to do so yourself?” Alfred asked.

“We can do it…”

“Excellent!” The man said happily, clapping his hands together, turning to a servant and passing on the orders. “I have your room and Miss Ruby’s next to each other. They are on the second floor, the same as Kara and Diana’s so if you need assistance in the middle of the night, don’t hesitate to wake Diana. You won’t have much luck waking Kara. Before we go further, I must ask if you have any allergies I should know about, particularly food allergies.”

Sam shook her head, words failing her at the moment.

“Good.” Alfred smiled widely and offered an arm to her. “This way, my dear. I will escort you two lovely ladies to your rooms, and you can rest before dinner. We are having pizza tonight. Do you have a preference?”

“Sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms!” Ruby cried out.

“A girl after my own heart.” Alfred agreed warmly and led Sam and Ruby to their rooms, Ruby following her mother into hers as Alfred left them to get settled.

Once the door had closed, leaving Ruby and Sam alone, Sam sat on the edge of the very large bed and placed a hand over her chest.

“Holy shit.” she whispered, her eyes wide, trying to catch her breath.

Yesterday morning, before the Wayne tornado had entered her life, she and Ruby had been running around their home in their pajamas shooting Nerf darts at each other.

Now, a little over twenty-four hours later, she was in the palatial home of the two most influential women in the world, literally being wined and dined to convince her to join Wayne Enterprises as the third most powerful person in the company.

“This… is… so… crazy!” Ruby practically yelled, turning circles in the middle of the room as she looked around. “What did you think of that jet? It was amazing!

“And what about that walk through the airport surrounded by people with guns? I felt like I was the President or a queen or something. And can you believe this place? Look at this room! It’s like the size of our house.”

Ruby ran off into the bathroom. “Mom!!! You have got to see this tub! It’s like a huge whirlpool! I have to go check out my room!”

Ruby was out of the room before Sam had a chance to tell her not to touch anything that looked expensive.

Finally alone, Sam took several deep breaths to calm herself. After a few minutes, she rose from her seat at the end of the bed and traversed the room, peeking into the bathroom. Then she walked to the tall windows that looked over the back of the property.

As she took in the grounds, the events of the day became a little more real. Below her was a sort of manicured yard, that looked as if it were made for a child to play in. Just beyond the yard were gardens that resembled the ones in the front. These were made of more hedges and had maze-like designs, as well as a fountain in the middle. Beyond the garden, she could see a pond as well as the manicured grass of what she thought might be the golf course. Trees filled the landscape beyond. Sam saw the stone walls to her left and right lead off into the trees out of sight.

She was wondering how far back the property went when she caught sight of a man walking along the fence line away from the manor with a rifle and a dog, passing another man along the wall with a rifle and dog, heading back toward the manor.

As if her surroundings weren’t enough, that one sight hit home how much this was a different world she was experiencing.

The security guards at the main gate had seemed par for course and being in the back of the SUV, she hadn’t gotten a good look at them as they drove by.

Somehow, the security detail in the airport hadn’t been as jarring as seeing these two men, dressed in black combat fatigues with large dogs, patrolling the stone walls. The men didn’t chat when they passed each other or even slow down and acknowledge one another. Instead, their eyes were focused and sharp, their attention completely on their surroundings.

These were not out of shape, weekend security guards. These men were obviously military or recently discharged military.

Sam seriously considered the implications of what she had observed, remembering that Diana wanted her to live in a penthouse across from Wayne Tower. Apparently, all the top executives lived in the building. Sam had thought it was a perk of the job but now realized it was more.

She had no doubt the building was highly secured, and Diana had most of her important people protected in one place. She also suspected Ruby wouldn’t be the only child given rides to school. Every child in the building was probably treated as a VIP in regard to security.

A knock on the door caught her attention. She called out for whoever it was to come in. Diana’s head popped in and smiled. Her smile dimmed a bit, seeing Sam by the window, but she quickly recovered and walked toward her.

The taller woman stood beside Sam and took in the grounds, knowing what Sam had seen.

“It became real, didn’t it?” Diana asked quietly.

“What do you mean?” Sam asked, wondering if Diana truly a mind reader and that was the secret to her success.

“The guards on patrol you no doubt saw.” She replied. “It’s our reality. Behind the glitz and glamour, behind the old world charm and English countryside exterior, the reality is, we are targets.

“I have always believed though, that if one does not have enemies, it means they are doing nothing for the world.” Diana stated. “Perhaps you weren’t the target of terrorists, Sam, but you had enemies, correct? I am sure there were those you worked with who were not happy you exposed the illegal waste dumping. I would guess many were embittered by it, especially those whose friends lost their jobs.”

Samantha nodded.

“Those who wish to change the world for the better always have enemies.” Diana acknowledged turning to fully face Sam. “Kara has pointed out to me that I can be overzealous…. okay, she has told me that I need ‘more chill’ at times. I know I have come on strong with you, but I hope you take that as a testament to how much I want you as my Vice President.

“You should also know that, while I want you in my penthouse for security reasons, I will buy whatever house you and your daughter desire and see it is secured if that is what you prefer. As much as I would like to sugarcoat it, as Vice President of Wayne Enterprises, you will be a target and your child could be one as well.

“I promise you though, my men and women are the best, former military and some still on reserve duty. They are professionals, very skilled, very deadly. They are hand-picked by John Diggle, and I am sure you have noticed he is a man who takes security very seriously.”

Sam nodded. “He had an arm around Kara in the airport, ready to protect her, using his body as a shield.”

Diana smiled, very pleased with her observation. “All our security specialists have that same level of dedication, though John’s dedication to Kara is above and beyond. He would truly die for her.

“Initially, I wrestled with the decision to allow Kara to become involved in the company. She was safer at home, behind these walls, not being a target of this nation’s enemies. But she wanted the opportunity to live her dream, was willing to take the risk to, not only do what she loves, but do her part in protecting others. I couldn’t tell her no.”

Sam took a breath and moved to sit down in one of the chairs next to the window on her right. Diana took a seat across from her but remained quiet, patiently waiting on Sam as she processed the information.

“Why now?” Sam finally asked.

“Now?” Diana asked, eye-brow raised in confusion.

Sam nodded. “Wayne Enterprises hasn’t had a Vice President since Lucius Fox stepped down as CEO and you took over. Then Kara joined the company, and you named her President, but her true job is head of research and development. She ensures the products get made to her approval, makes sure those departments run smoothly, while making many innovations herself. I recognize she has no interest in business… you’ve said so yourself.

“You have never sought to replace your former position as VP. You admit that you have always micromanaged the company as much as possible. You are obviously a woman who likes to be in control… no, you are a woman who demands to be in control of everything around you.

“Yet you want me to learn from you in preparation for times you relinquish control to me, to learn so I can take control over whole divisions you no longer want to devote much of your time to.

“You have been CEO for three years… so why do you want a Vice President now ?”

Diana smiled widely, pleased at the question and pleased with herself for her choice being the right one. Sam was proving that more and more with every question and action.

“I knew you were special. Nothing escapes you, does it? Everything I am telling you, all I have shown you and you are still thinking, looking for underlying meanings, asking questions I am avoiding bringing up. No matter how much I try to impress you with all of this, you are keeping your head, always assessing. You remind me so much of me.” Diana remarked, the smile still lighting her eyes. “Incidentally, how many plain clothes guards were in the terminal when we left?”

“Sixteen.” Sam answered immediately. “I almost missed the girl with the blue hair and backpack. She looked too young, but her eyes gave her away. When a teenage girl is texting, her eyes never look away from her phone, even for a split second and especially not to take in the general area. I can guess what was in her backpack.”

“And when we returned?” Diana prodded.

“We were on the tarmac so I couldn’t attest to the terminal. There were seven baggage handlers and three of those were guards. Four wore radios on their backs but three had their shirts untucked and bulges where there would have been radios. Since they were covered, I assume they were guns and therefore guards.

As far as actual security, you had two including John in our SUV, six in the one trailing and six ahead. I didn’t see how many were in the chopper that covered our drive.”

“Why didn’t we take a helicopter?” Diana asked.

Sam smirked. “Too easy of a target. You only use those if you need to be somewhere quick. Cars can take different routes. Helicopters can’t stay off radar. I would think some of your enemies have no problems obtaining those missiles I’ve seen on TV that blow up planes and helicopters.”

“Brilliant… nothing gets by you.” Diana whispered, greatly impressed. “Though I have been giving it a lot of thought lately for personal reasons, you are right, I do have a sudden need for a Vice President. It’s not so much that anything has changed, only that I have been made more aware of possible dangers.”

“Dangers?”

“With our new government contracts, the government wants assurances where Kara and I am concerned. Security has become a much more important issue.” Diana explained. “I have always lived my life a bit carelessly in regard to my own security. My sister’s welfare has always been the only thing that mattered to me. I have had to rethink that lifestyle now.

“Since I rarely allow Kara to go anywhere without me, if we are ever struck down by a massive terrorist attack, it is likely we will both be gone. That means our company’s ownership falls to our brother, Bruce.”

Sam raised an eyebrow. She knew Bruce Wayne had disappeared years ago and his return had been national news. She had googled everything she could about the Wayne Family the night of Diana and Kara’s first visit. There was still no explanation for his disappearance or sudden return. Sam doubted there ever would be, or it would have already been offered.

“You don’t want Bruce to own the company?” She asked, a little puzzled.

Diana shook her head. “I don’t mind if he owns the company. It would be his by right. Wayne Enterprises is a company my family founded and has grown for over one hundred and fifty years. Gotham City grew around Wayne Enterprises and grew out from our Tower. It is important to my family, to Gotham, and to the world now. I want to see it continue to grow forever, a legacy that shall continue far into the future. I want it to remain privately owned and remain for the most part in the Wayne family.”

Diana quieted for a moment, looking thoughtful when she finally continued. “At this time, Kara’s boyfriend has more business experience than Bruce and that is due to him recently buying a small grocery store and deli and learning from the previous owner. Even when he was younger, Bruce had different ambitions, he was never interested in the business. I don’t see that changing anytime soon, if ever.”

“I see. It’s that bad?” Sam was a little surprised. “He has no interest in being a part of the company?”

The look on Diana’s face confirmed that he didn’t. “Kara and I have updated our wills to pass on almost complete ownership to him, contingent on a few conditions. One of these conditions is he promote whoever is Vice President at the time to CEO. The CEO will form a board of advisors, which he will have a seat on. The new CEO, as well as a few others, will be given small shares in the company. Some, such as Eliza Danvers and Barbara Gordon, as well as my fiancé, Steve, will be on this board. As owner, Bruce cannot demand the company be taken in a certain direction, nor exercise his right as majority owner. The CEO and board will have complete control.”

Sam nodded, understanding.

“So, if you and Kara were to die, you would make me a minority shareholder and he would be forced to promote me to CEO, whose job would be to grow the company while making sure Bruce is owner in name only, but it would also protect him because he doesn’t have the business acumen to run the company.”

“Exactly.” Diana replied, pleased she understood completely. “The will shall remain the same unless I or my siblings have children. If we do not, the burden of Wayne Enterprises must fall to someone. I have worried over this greatly.

“Lucius Fox came to mind, but Lucius has always been there. He is a brilliant businessman, but his passions are more like Kara’s… research and development. Lucius is a builder, a dreamer… an inventor. He put that on hold to take care of our company until I could. He deserves to retire, to enjoy life, not be forced to step back in every time a Wayne is no longer able to helm the company.

“I need the best, someone with honor and integrity, sharp enough to take Wayne Enterprises to the next level. Someone who won’t try and steal the company from my family but be a custodian for it, for future Wayne generations… if there are any and I sincerely hope there are.

“I’m asking a lot, I know I am. I am asking you to change your life for me, and your life will change irrevocably.

“Some of these changes will be for the better. You will have an impact on the world. Not just on business and growing profits but able to make real world change. You will improve quality of life domestically and overseas through our charity foundations as well as our products.

“Personally, you will never worry about money again. Ruby will go to the best schools, colleges, whatever she wants in life will be open to her, and you will never worry about her financial security.”

Diana paused. She knew she had given Sam a lot of information and wanted to make sure Sam had a moment to take it all in before she continued to a more sobering topic.

Taking a little deeper breath, she proceeded. “As I mentioned before… you will also be in danger. You will be surrounded by security when you are out of the office. You will have a personal bodyguard in charge of your and Ruby’s security. You will be recognized in public, people will watch everything you do constantly. Reporters will want to know everything about you, and they will find out. You won’t be able to go to a pizza place with your daughter and be unrecognizable.

“You will have frequent headaches from stress, and we will have to remind each other not to drink too much… perhaps Kara can remind you when she reminds me.

“You are going to be put in positions where you have to make decisions that could lose hundreds of millions of dollars and hope you don’t make a mistake. I’ll take some of the suspense away. You will make mistakes. I did. I still do sometimes… but I’ll teach you how to turn a loss into a win.

“I wouldn’t make this offer to you unless I truly believed you were meant for something greater and were up for the challenge, Sam. I love my company too much to entrust it with just anyone.

“I don’t have a list of candidates for the position either. If you don’t accept, I will have to look at other options should I fall but I won’t have a Vice President.

“The simple truth is… I need you, Sam.”

Sam took that in, not saying a word, but giving it deep thought. Diana had come in like a hurricane, giving her and Ruby the full Cinderella treatment, and not been dishonest… but this was the most open Diana had spoken and Sam could feel she wasn’t lying. She wasn’t selling her a product. Diana was being open about the good and the bad.

Diana Wayne was making it very clear that, not only did she want Sam, but she needed her. That was a jarring feeling as much as it filled her with pride. She had always known she was good. Having someone of Diana’s stature giving credence to her belief was fulfilling. But to have anyone put this much faith in her left her slightly off-kilter.

“I suppose we have much to talk about over the coming days. I can’t promise you anything yet, but I promise you will have your answer by the end of the week.” Sam told her quietly.

Diana smiled, a twinkle in her eye. “If you give me a week, I will have you at your new desk, in your very large office, in four days or less. There is an empty boardroom on the top floor. My Dad liked to use it to entertain friends. Since I don’t like anyone being on the floor unless they are working there or are called in, I am having the boardroom renovated into an office. I wanted the work done while we were on vacation so we wouldn’t have to deal with the noise. My office and Kara’s overlook the downtown area. You will have a view of the harborside and Striker’s Island.”

“You said if I didn’t accept you wouldn’t have a Vice President.” Sam reminded her.

“I did.” Diana replied with a nod.

“Then why are you having a renovations done for a third office already?”

“It’s your office.” Diana told her. “I wanted it ready for when you arrived tomorrow. Of course, you will have an interior designer to finish it off to your liking.”

“I said I couldn’t make any promises.” Sam reiterated.

“And I said I’m going to show you how to always get what you want.” Diana told her playfully.

Sam took a deep breath. “I suppose I should find Ruby and make sure she hasn’t broken anything expensive.”

Diana waved it off. “Steve has taken Ruby to the garage to see Kara’s projects. They will be busy for hours. I’ll be glad to escort you there and give you a tour of the manor as we go along.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Sam said, standing to follow. As she left the room, she saw Kara pulling a handsome, dark-haired man into her room. Kara gave a little wave and then closed the door behind them.

Diana rolled her eyes. “I haven’t told her yet, but I am having two rooms on the third floor converted into one large bedroom for Steve and me. I’m giving her my room to do with as she pleases. She’ll probably convert it to a workshop of some sort. Either way, now that we have grown, we both need privacy.”

Sam thought that was a sensible idea. She had no idea that while it provided Diana and Steve with privacy, Diana would always be able to hear Kara whenever she wished, no matter where she was.

While Diana was giving Sam the tour, Kara was happily greeting Tommy.

“Hey, Big Business. How’s it been going?” she asked, after they had kissed.

“Pretty good, World Traveler. I made enough to finally pay Diana back a month early and buy us dinner on Tuesday at Torchy Tacos.” He said, pulling her over to the sofa. “Tell me all about Iceland.”

So Kara did, telling all the details in rapid fire.

“I’m glad you had fun.” He said sincerely before changing the subject. “So, who are the new arrivals? The people you stopped in Philly to get?”

“Yep. I told you Diana wanted this woman. That means she turned on the full court press and is sweeping her off her feet, Pretty Woman style. She is really nice, and her daughter is awesome. I’m excited to be working with her. I haven’t seen Diana this excited about a new employee in… well… ever. I hope she agrees to come work for us. She has a nice life in Philly though. Diana is going to have her hands full.”

Tommy snorted. “So, I put up with insults that turned into backhanded compliments, that have evolved into grudging acceptance with only the occasional backhanded compliment mixed in with several eyerolls, but Diana is doing everything in her power to convince this woman to work for her. What does she have that I don’t?”

Kara smirked. “She had a kid at eighteen, raised the child on her own while working her way through business school, then worked her way up the ladder at a male dominated company managing to uncover an illegal waste dumping scheme saving countless lives in the process. She’s strong, resilient, has integrity and is a great mother. She is also a brilliant tactician, good with networking, and a financial genius. From the scouting reports Diana showed me, she has turned business units around from losers to winners in less than two years.”

Tommy took that in and nodded, honestly impressed. “So, she has me beat. I guess I will be introduced at dinner. Who else shall be at the Wayne family table tonight? Or are we eating in the kitchen dining table? I love that so much more than the big, long table.”

Kara felt the same. Eating at the long table meant that they couldn’t be the Wayne siblings. It meant they had to be the Waynes. They weren’t the goofy sisters who tossed food at each other while the fatherly figure looked on in mock disappointment. They were children pretending to be high society adults.

Diana had promised tonight would be different. Everything would be relaxed. The only reason they would be eating in the large dining room was because of a lack of seats around the smaller dining table they all preferred. Along with Alfred, Dig, Tommy, Steve, Diana, Samantha, Ruby and herself, Diana had informed her on the flight back another guest had been invited.

Bruce was coming to dinner.

Kara had not spoken to her brother since she had dropped off the suit she made him and had done her best to avoid local news, not wanting to read about exploits or possible bat sightings.

“Bruce will be here. If he is an ass to you, I am taking his head off.” Kara told him.

“Diana threatens to hurt or kill me all the time and you are good with that. Now you are worried that Bruce might be rude to me.” Tommy pouted.

Kara shrugged. “That’s different.”

“Because it’s Diana.” Tommy pointed out, not for the first time.

“Tommy, don’t go there.” Kara said quietly but firmly, and Tommy laid off immediately, mentally kicking himself. He hadn’t seen her in two weeks outside of video chat and missed her too much to make their time uncomfortable. Anytime he brought up her… perceived subservience to Diana, she became quiet and moody, so he learned quickly to let it go. He suspected her friends did the same, figuring it wasn’t a battle worth fighting.

Shifting the subject, he asked, “So, do we need to entertain the guests ’til dinner?”

Kara shook her head. “That’s Diana and Steve’s problem. We are going to entertain ourselves.”

She cuddled into his side and for the next couple hours they enjoyed talking together, forgetting about the world outside her walls.

Sometime later, as the group gathered around the long table, the front door opened, and Bruce walked in without announcement. He moved towards the smell of pizza and found the group in the dining room where Diana introduced him to Samantha and her daughter.

As they settled in for dinner, Diana and Kara began entertaining the table with tales of their adventures in Iceland. Diana also told tales of Kara’s youth and experiments which delighted the young Ruby and made Sam glad the most dangerous thing in their house was Ruby hitting a vase with a Nerf dart.

After everyone had finished eating, Bruce asked Kara is he could see her in the kitchen for a moment. She agreed, reluctantly.

When the two were alone, Bruce greeted her as if he had first arrived. “Hi, Bunny.”

Kara crossed her arms and gave him a half smile then looked at the floor awkwardly, not sure what to say.

“I’m glad you had fun in Iceland. You deserve it.” He said sincerely, trying to engage her anyway he could.

The girl shrugged. “Thanks. I had a great time. The last time I had so much fun was when we went to the Island.”

Bruce grinned at that memory. “Yeah, you were fourteen right? That was fun. We made that sandcastle… well, you made that sandcastle. Every time I touched the sand, you told me I had the dimensions and the mass to density ratio wrong. It was the largest sandcastle I had ever seen.”

Kara’s smile was gone. “It was my twenty-first birthday. Steve and I worked on a castle for hours. Diana even helped, but she had no idea what she was doing. It was bigger than the one I made when I was fourteen. Alfred spent the whole trip under the shade after his nose was burned the first day. Diana took me out there many times while you were away.”

Bruce cleared his throat, wishing he had just shut up. Perhaps talking to her was a bad idea.

“Do your new clothes fit?” she finally asked.

Bruce nodded, glad for the topic change. “They are perfect… except…”

Kara frowned. “Except what?”

“Alfred told me he was getting interference with the camera the other night, but I feel it was probably because I was in Illinois.”

Kara shook her head. “It shouldn’t matter. That camera is perfect and has a strong, untraceable signal. Not even Babs could cut into it unless she knew exactly what she was looking for. The picture should be perfect. Did you try tapping it?”

“Tapping it?” Bruce asked.

“Yeah, if it is giving you problems, tap the side of your helmet, maybe a quick punch. There could be loose contacts if you put too much strain on it.”

“You want me to tap my head?”

Kara waved her hands. “Forget it.”

Bruce shrugged. “I’ll give it a shot but I’m sure it was just the distance.”

“What were you doing in Illinois in that suit regardless?”

“I was…”

“Stop!” Kara held her hands up. “I shouldn’t have asked. I don’t care, I don’t want to know.”

Bruce nodded. “Of course.”

The two stood in silence for a few more moments.

“But everything else is working right?” Kara suddenly asked, obviously not able to help herself. “Have you gotten near water? You read the manual about the inflatable cuffs in the suit and the ejection system of the armor, right? It’s not buoyant but it does easily come off.”

“I read it twice. I’m hoping to never have to test that.” Bruce replied, a little amused.

Kara nodded. “Good. You shouldn’t. Because I won’t be around to fix it. That was a one-time thing, understand?”

“Of course.” Bruce assured her.

“So… yeah. Is the sonar… no, stop it, Kara. Just shut up.” She muttered to herself.

She motioned back to the dining room but before Bruce could follow Diana caught him.

“What did I do?” Bruce asked.

Diana smiled. “Nothing for once. You are being your charming self. You seem to be in high spirits tonight. Did the conversation with Kara go well?”

Bruce sighed. “It didn’t go bad. It’s still… awkward.”

“It will be for a while, but you are both here. It’s a start.” Diana encouraged him. “This week, if you can manage to awaken before three p.m., I would like to have a sit down with you and Samantha.”

Bruce smirked. “Let me guess what it is about. Since your life is tied to Kara’s, if the worst happens, you will both be gone and that means the company falls to me. You would never leave our family company in my incapable hands…”

Diana opened her mouth, but Bruce kept going.

“… and I don’t blame you. You will give me the majority shares with the condition that she remains CEO. I’ll be the majority owner, but she will have a small percentage of shares as well as a few others like Steve… I’m guessing Silver since she admittedly does have experience starting and running a large company. Please tell me Tommy Merlyn isn’t one.”

Diana pushed him slightly. “You are close. I’m not doing this to take control of the business from you. I want it to stay in our family and I want it to succeed. I believe I have come up with a way to do both, but she is the key.

“Continue to be charming and do not be ‘playboy Bruce’ tonight. You are doing well. I am proud of you. Keep this up and I may be able to take you out in public once again.”

“No problem.”

“And don’t flirt.”

Bruce looked indignant. “I would never…”

“Bruce, I said no.”

Bruce shrugged his shoulders. “You have my word.”

“Then we should rejoin them.” Diana said, content he would. “Before you leave, we need to talk about something important.”

Bruce figured this would be about Arkham and a good time to bring up his displeasure about Rachel being involved.

“The topic?”

“Selina Kyle.” Diana said, her distaste obvious in her voice.

Bruce sighed and rubbed his head in frustration. “Oh… great.”