Her Dark Knight

Chapter 28: Unpredictable

Despite Alfred's advice, Bruce didn't sleep that night. Instead, he wearily changed into more comfortable clothes before relocating to his sofa where he remained seated, reviewing all the information he had on the Joker - which was still painfully little - on a tablet while Alfred bustled about in the kitchen to try and create something that might tempt his young master's palate.

The omelette Alfred concocted and the fresh toast that followed remained mostly untouched beside Bruce on the coffee table until, early in the afternoon, the door to his bedroom opened.

Bruce stood up immediately, moving toward the hallway that led down to his room. There, he stopped and waited while Rebecca slowly made her way out of his bedroom, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She looked absolutely terrible: her eyes were puffy and the dark circles under her eyes looked like severe bruising, creating a stark contrast to the rest of her pale skin. Her red hair was also a mess, spilling out of her already-messy ponytail and giving her the appearance of a rather wild creature despite her vain attempts to smooth it as she approached Bruce wearily.

"You're up." Bruce murmured rather unnecessarily but finding himself at a loss of what else to say.

Rebecca gave him a grimace that he thought was an attempt at a smile, before she cast sorrowful eyes down to the ground morosely.

"I'm sorry about last night." Rebecca said quietly, causing Bruce to tense. "I know I shouldn't have... but I-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Becky." Bruce interrupted softly, reaching down and trying to coax her to lift her face with a finger under her chin. "I know what it feels like, remember?"

His mind flashed back to the terrible night his parents were killed, a memory - a nightmare - he hadn't thought about in a long time. Bruce closed his eyes, quietly absorbing the grief, before opening them and staring back at Rebecca with sorrowful understanding.

"And I knew better than anyone just how important she was to you. And I'm just... I'm so sorry."

"Stop saying that."

Rebecca shook her head furiously, finally lifting her face to reveal tears pooling in her blue eyes once more. The sight made Bruce's heart clench painfully but he listened as Rebecca pleaded with him.

"It's horrible enough that he killed Rachel. Don't blame yourself for the actions of that-that sick madman. Don't feel like you need to apologize because you don't. You weren't the one that... that..."

Rebecca was trembling again and the tears started to fall once more. Bruce brushed them away, feeling helpless as to what else he could do. Rebecca answered his dilemma as she reached forward to hug Bruce tightly, clinging to him as she buried her face into his shoulder. Bruce wrapped his own arms around her tightly, protectively, wishing he could do something - anything - to soothe the pain in Rebecca that he knew there was no balm for besides time... if even that.

His heart weighed heavily in his chest as he felt the increasing wetness in his t-shirt from where Rebecca's tears silently soaked through the soft fabric.

"I'm still sorry." He murmured against Rebecca's hair, lips brushing along her temple. "I'm sorry I couldn't save her. I'm sorry you're suffering. I'm sorry that all I can be is sorry."

"You're here." Rebecca's voice was quiet, thick with tears but still clear enough that Bruce heard her. "And that's what matters."

Bruce hugged her tighter at her words. It was heartbreaking and yet simultaneously lifting to hear Rebecca's confession and Bruce could admire the irony. It still hurt, Rachel's death was a toll on him as well, not the least of all because she had been a good friend in his life. But that Rebecca didn't blame him (however much he still believed she should), that she wanted him and that he could provided at least some comfort... it was a heady feeling of minor relief in the bleak darkness that had encompassed them since the Joker had become a very real threat.