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Momentum:
Chapter Thirteen
written by destinyawakened
A week passed before Gordon heard from Wayne again. It was Saturday, the day of the auction. Gordon was a bit disappointed when the billionaire didn't call sooner that week to talk; he had been so sure that Wayne would have wanted to, if he was really serious about starting some kind of relationship. Maybe Gordon had read too much into the kiss shared; maybe Wayne just wanted a friend with benefits and nothing else. Gordon wasn't about to give that and he couldn't just assume that was Wayne's intentions, because it didn't feel like something the billionaire would do – not to Gordon. Maybe there was would some answers tonight after the auction, and if not Gordon was going to confront him one last time before he let the subject go altogether.
There were other things that worried Gordon as well, and that was Batman. Gordon had not seen the vigilante for almost a week and half. He knew that Batman had been around though, checking the neighborhood as he promised, but he hadn't stopped by in a while even when Gordon was out front waiting. He tried to not think too much about it. Batman would always be his friend no matter what happened – even when he told him about Wayne, he knew the Bat would understand. Wouldn't he? Or maybe he already knew and it was why he was avoiding the Gordon house all together.
Things like this would sort themselves out over time and Gordon couldn't waste another moment thinking about it. There were other things to focus on today and that was getting his nerves set for the auction and making sure Babs understood the rules of bidding. He still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of Babs being there with him, the smirks and hushed whispers that would be going hand-in-hand while people saw him would be bad enough; what were people going to think about him taking his daughter to a bachelor auction?
Or worse, what would people think when Babs started to bid on Bruce Wayne?
He wasn't sure why he had thought of or voiced these concerns earlier to Wayne, as he might have been able to get out of the auction all together, but he was bit stuck now and wasn't about to go back on a promise. And the billionaire did buy him a nice tux to wear and Babs a beautiful evening gown. What use was it trying to escape an inevitable humiliation anyway?
“Dad?” Babs called just outside the bathroom door. Gordon was had just finished giving himself a clean shave and trimming his mustache. He had only his towel around his waist; nothing his daughter hadn't seen before. He sighed, opening the door with one hand as he grabbed for his comb from the drawer with the other. Babs poked her head in, giving him a soft smile. “You aren't even dressed yet?”
He was parting his hair to the side when she said it, and he gave her long, sideway glance. She shook her head, stepping into the bathroom and taking the comb from him. She began to comb his hair back, instead of the side, squirting some of Jimmy's hair gel into her hand from the bottle on the counter and gently ran her fingers through Gordon's hair. She fixed the back with a little bit more gel, holding the stray wisps down behind his ears and fixing a few pieces of the front of hair to fall gently on his forehead. She smiled thoughtfully at him.
“There,” she said, picking up his glasses off the counter and putting them on his face. He looked past her and at the mirror and nearly rolled his eyes at way she styled his hair. “What? It looks good.”
“It's a bit young looking for a father of two who's over fifty,” Gordon commented as he tried to move pieces of his hair. Babs slapped his hands away, fixing it back to how she had had it. He dropped his hands to his side and sighed.
“I think it makes you look distinguished,” came a matured male voice from behind Babs. Wayne pushed his hand against the bathroom door, opening it further. He was dressed in shiny black tux, bow tie, the whole getup that Gordon had to put on in a few minutes. Bruce's suit was much classier, however, with gold buttons and cuff-links. Babs gave Gordon a big, cheesy grin and slipped past Wayne and into the hall.
“I'm going to go get ready,” she called as she made her way down to her room. Wayne stepped into the bathroom, hands in his pockets, and looking Gordon over from head-to-toe, twice. Gordon gave Wayne a non-too-pleasing look as his bluntness. Wayne smiled slyly at him, a grin that stretched across his perfect complexion with ease. Gordon expected some sort of come on; a touch, a whispered word – something. But Wayne didn't say anything, just kept his eyes on Gordon's. Maybe the billionaire didn't want to explain himself just yet, if at all, so he was keeping everything to himself.
“You can't go like that,” Wayne finally said after a long, quiet moments of them simply staring at each other. Wayne gestured to Gordon's towel. “This event is 'clothes required'.”
Gordon glared at him, shaking his head at the remark as Wayne started to laugh at him. Gordon didn't say a word, he pushed past Wayne, into the hall, and then to his bedroom. He stalked to the closet and pulled out the suit Wayne had bought him a week ago. He placed it on the bed, unbuttoning the shirt and removing all the pieces he would have to put on. He put the long sleeved tuxedo shirt on and began to button, turning around to see Wayne leaning in the door way, one shoulder resting on the frame, arms folded over his chest.
“You make it a habit of watching people get dressed?” Gordon asked, raising an eyebrow at Wayne as he began to button the shirt. Wayne shook his head and entered the room, shutting the door behind him. He stopped in front of Gordon and took over buttoning his shirt for him.
“No, just you,” Wayne said without emotion. Gordon watched Wayne's eyes, hoping the younger man would look at him, but Wayne's gaze was fixed on each button as his long, delicate fingers worked each one into the corresponding holes. When finished he button the cuffs, straightened the collar. Their eyes didn't meet until Gordon was nearly dressed, the last bit he needed to put on was the jacket and bow tie. Wayne put the jacket behind Gordon's shoulder, allowing him to put his arms through the sleeves. Wayne smoothed down the lapels and then took the tie and began to work it around Gordon's neck and it was then their eyes grazed.
“Bruce,” Gordon started and Wayne shook his head as he finished tying the fabric into a bow. Wayne tugged on various parts of the tuxedo, straightening the fabric, looking Gordon over approvingly. Gordon tried again. “Bruce?”
He heard Wayne's breath catch in his throat as he looked Gordon in the eye one more time. Gordon wasn't expecting an answer, or even touch; all he wanted was to know they were still on good terms, that no matter what, they're friendship was still intact. Wayne bit his lower lip, his hand snaking around the side of Gordon's neck, their foreheads touching. Gordon went to speak but Wayne shook his head again.
“I promise that after this evening you will have all your questions answered. Nothing will be held back, nothing will be kept secret,” Wayne whispered. “Let's just get through this evening's event first.”
-----
Wayne gave Gordon the information to an account he had set up for Gordon in his name. There was a million dollars in the account and only Gordon and Wayne could access it. The auction would require money directly after the event was over, but Gordon would be able to make check out from the account from the book of checks Wayne gave him. How Wayne was able to obtain Gordon's information to get this account in his name, he'd probably never know and didn't want to know. He pocketed the book and then helped Babs out of the car as they made their way into the Hotel's ballroom, where in a about half an hour the auction would start. Gordon presented the doorman with the invite Bruce had given them.
They then walked through the door and into the ballroom. Things were decorated in black and silver and flutes of champagne were being handed out before hand. Gordon had to give Babs and warning look when a waiter asked if she wanted one, and she declined. Gordon couldn't help but notice that most of the people there were, in fact, older women recently widowed or divorced. Gordon saw very few men, but it wasn't surprising. The youngest woman there was Babs, and someone actually approached them, curiously.
“Why, if it isn't Jim Gordon,” the woman said, offering her hand to Gordon, and he shook it politely. She looked at Babs and smiled wearily. “Is... this your daughter?” She had a lot of disbelief behind her voice, as if trying to figure out why a man would bring his own just barely legal daughter to a bachelor auction. Gordon was beginning to wonder the same.
“Yes, this is my daughter Barbara,” Gordon started to say, and then Babs pushed herself into the conversation, holding her own hand out for the woman to shake.
“Yes, hi. We're here to support the Cure for Lung Cancer charity. My mother died of lung cancer a few months ago and we thought that since Dad was given an invite from a friend, we might as well put it to good use,” Babs explained, thinking quick on her toes. Or maybe she had just thought this through before hand. “We raised a lot of money doing some events at my school for the cause and we made a deal with one of the bachelors and he said if we won he would match the donation dollar for dollar.”
Gordon turned his head to look at Babs and she smiled politely at the woman who was nodding her head, impressed. “That's so wonderful. I am so sorry to hear about your mother. I do hope you win, dear.” She patted Babs on the arm and winked at Gordon as she eyed him approvingly. Gordon let out a breath when the woman was gone and Babs began to laugh.
“Bruce is not going to happy,” Gordon mumbled to her. “Dollar for dollar?”
“Well, hopefully we don't spend more than a couple thousand on him and it won't be so bad,” she said, grabbing hold of Gordon's arm. “He isn't likely to get a lot of bids is he?”
“Uhm, well...” Gordon started to say, letting out a nervous laugh. “Let's just say I doubt half these women are here to buy middle class guy who works at the deli.” He pointed at the wall with the line up of bachelors with pictures and stats on it. Babs stepped closer, wincing at all the pictures and faces. Some weren't too bad.
“Well, they all aren't too bad looking. But I do see your point. Bruce is the only one that would be worth bidding on...” She looked around the room, knowingly, at all the older women. “... If you're nearly sixty and need collagen.” Gordon gave her a look to keep her voice down, even though no one heard her over the loud chatter of voices around them. She giggled, taking his arm again.
A man came around and handed them a paddle for bidding. They were number eight. He handed the paddle to Babs and they stood around the stage with everyone else and waited. Once everyone had their paddles, the lights went down and the host of the evening, who happened to be beautiful blond model that the Wayne Foundation probably hired to bring in more bachelors. The first man introduced was a young doctor, blond and blue eyed, tall. Gordon kept watching his daughter out of the corner of his eye.
Babs never had a boyfriend, or not one she ever told him about, and he just assumed she didn't because she was home all the time and never took phone calls from anyone but her girl friends. Seeing her looking so intently at man a good ten years older than her made him boil a little, mostly because he hadn't had to deal with this yet. It was like being thrown into a pit of lava after being in a tub of ice cold water. Every now and then Babs looked ready to put her paddle up for a handsome young lawyer, or stock broker, and Gordon had to put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.
“I'm not going to, Dad,” she would say over and over again, but he kept doing it until she stopped looking at the bachelors all together. She gave him an annoyed frown.
It seemed like hours before they got to Wayne, and of course he was the last one of the evening. The woman hosting held the microphone to her face, looking down at her cards and began to rattle off some absurd facts about Wayne that both Babs and Gordon had to laugh at. Things like enjoying long walks on the beach, romantic candle-lit dinners, and expensive restaurants. All things that could be true if you didn't know Wayne at all, but they did. Wayne preferred the simpler things, to take away from the way he had to live his life as billionaire playboy.
Finally, Wayne walked out onto the stage, the fake bright smile on his face that he always wore for the media. He strutted the stage, hands in his pockets, and then stopped next to the model, winking at her. Gordon almost felt jealous. The model put her hand to her chest and fanned herself with her cue cards.
“Oh, well...” She cleared her throat. “Let's start the bidding at five thousand.” A paddle to Gordon's left went up, then another and another and before they even had a chance to bid, the amount was already up to one hundred thousand dollars. Babs quickly poked her paddle in the air.
“Two hundred thousand,” she said and most of the women around them scoffed at her, but no one bid against her. Gordon looked to the stage and saw Wayne grinning at him, his gaze intense as if thinking things over in his mind. Gordon could tell his mind wasn't really in the auction.
“Two hundred thousand going once, going twice,” the model said, looking around to see if anyone was going to bid against Babs and all the women were obviously out of money and glaring at Babs. “Sold to the young lady. Number Eight.” The model smiled at Babs approvingly, as if to say she had good taste for girl so young.
One of the older women, she had to be at least Gordon's age, started to yell from across the room when she saw it was Babs that had won the auction. “You're barely even old enough to date, you little twit.” She stalked over to them and upon seeing Gordon she narrowed her eyes on him. “How can you even let your daughter bid? Wayne is nearly twenty year older than her!”
Gordon was completely taken back. “My daughter is eighteen, she can do what she wants. I don't think it's any place of yours –” the woman had stopped listening and was yelling at Babs, rather disrespectfully and Babs was trying to explain that it was charity and say the whole thing she had obviously rehearsed from early, all over again. The woman wasn't listening and called Babs a rather crude name and then proceeded to slap her across the face, calling her a tramp.
Gordon wasn't quick enough to step in front of the two before Babs threw down the paddle, balled up her fist and threw a punch right at the lady's nose, sending her reeling backwards. The woman lost her footing for a second, and then was right back in Babs' face, slapping her again and pulling at her long, blond hair. Babs tackled the woman to the floor and began punching her face. By this time other women were watching but not doing anything. Gordon was grabbing his daughter by the arms and pulling her up and Wayne had dashed off the stage and was helping the other lady to her feet.
Babs was struggling against Gordon's strong grip, her hair in shambles around her head. “You fucking bitch!” she yelled at the woman, and Gordon pulled her closer, arm around her shoulder and hand over her mouth. The lady scoffed at her as Wayne made sure she was alright. The lady looked at Wayne affectionately. Gordon held Babs back more as she gritted her teeth, trying to get away. There was a lot of pent up anger there that Gordon had never know his daughter was capable of. He wasn't sure what set her off, but it could have been the name calling or any of the other things the woman had said to her that Gordon didn't quite catch.
The lady was talking with Wayne and he was explaining to her that its just an auction and there is always next year if it did well this year and then he thanked her for her time. She seemed nicer after he talked to her, but she still scowled at Babs.
“Little child shouldn't have won,” she said to Wayne. He turned to look Babs and Gordon and then back to the lady. It was then that Gordon realized that Babs had already talked to Wayne about the plan she schemed up earlier, about her school and the charity for her mother.
“She's donated the money she bid tonight to the Cure for Lung Cancer charity. I made a deal with her that if she was able to win the auction with the maximum amount of money she had raised on her own, that I would match it,” Wayne explained to the lady. She looked over at Babs, still scowling, but a little less intense.
“Does that mean you're still available for a date then?” She remarked snidely. Wayne shook his head.
“No,” he said and walked away from the lady and approached Babs and Gordon. Babs still had her hands balled into tight fists, a splattered of blood on her white satin, gloved knuckles. Wayne put an arm around her and lead her and Gordon out of the room. He pushed a combination code of numbered into lock on the door and ushered them inside. He sat Babs down on a chair and checked her over for any injuries, but Gordon was sure Babs got more in on the other lady than the lady got in on Babs.
“Sorry,” she said to Wayne when he didn't say much to her as he checked to see if she was okay. He knelt down in front of her and shook his head.
“What happened?” he asked softly and she looked at Gordon for a moment and he gestured her to tell Wayne.
“She called me a name and then slapped me, so I hit her back. And then she made a remark about my mom and the dad too. It wasn't very nice,” Babs explained. “She continued to call me names as well and how I was a slut...” At that Wayne put his hand up to stop her and then hugged her. Gordon hadn't been aware the lady made any remark about him or her mother, but then again they were garbling offenses at one another to the point that no one could hear them.
Wayne let go of her and stood. “You should watch that temper Miss Gordon, it could get you into a lot of trouble.” He smiled at her and she shrugged, knowingly. “I'm gonna take you're Dad to pay for his auction. We'll be back in a bit.” He winked at her and then took Gordon by the arm as he lead him out.
----
Gordon and Babs arrived back home an hour or so later. Babs walked back to her bedroom, saying she was going to get dressed for bed and the lay down and read for a bit. Gordon had said that was fine. He'd talk to her more later about her outburst at the auction, but she seemed so tired and a little bruised, that he didn't want to bug her with it just now. He unraveled the tie from around his neck and tossed it on the kitchen table and then removed the jacket and placed it over the back of a chair. He placed his hands over the jacket, grasping the chair and looking out into the front yard, at the porch and the car that was pulling into the driveway.
Wayne.
Gordon had thought the billionaire had forgotten what he said earlier and would try to shimmy his way out of telling Gordon anything. Apparently he was wrong. Gordon walked to the front door and opened it. He leaned against the door frame and waited. Wayne strolled up in long, quick strides and a smile planted firmly on his face.
“Waiting for me?” he asked as Gordon pushed the door open further for him to walk in. Wayne walked past him and into the living room, followed by Gordon, who kicked the door shut behind him.
“I saw your car,” he said as he walked up behind Wayne, arms folded over his chest. Wayne turned around sighed contently at him, and for a few long moments they didn't say anything. Gordon wasn't going to ask or make any first moves; he had told Wayne last week what he expected.
“Kids in bed?” Wayne asked, looking around the empty living room.
“Jimmy is at a friend's house and Babs went to bed early,” Gordon explained casually. The house wasn't too big, a lot of voices usually carried, and Wayne seemed to be thinking of a private place they could go. “We can go some where, I'll just let Babs know I'll be back later.”
Wayne nodded. “That might be best for what we need to talk about.” The serious tone in Wayne voice almost made Gordon not want to hear whatever it was he had to say. But it was needed and Gordon's curiosity was getting the best of him. He nodded at Wayne and then walked down the hall to Babs' room.
He knocked on her door and she poked her head out a second later. “Dad?”
He dug around in his pocket and handed her the cellphone that Batman had give him. “I'm going out with Bruce for a little bit. You have my cell number and if anything happens, don't hesitate to use this.” She took the phone and nodded. She leaned and kiss his cheek.
“Have a good time, Dad,” she said and shut the door. Gordon walked back down the hall, and motioned his head to Wayne that they could go. Wayne held the door for Gordon and they walked down the porch to Wayne's car. He got into the passenger seat and Wayne slid into the driver's side and started the car, pulling out of the drive way.
“Where are we going?” Gordon asked after a few minutes.
“Storage yard by the docks,” Wayne said, his eyes never leaving the road as he shifted the car into third gear. Gordon didn't ask. The car ride was spent in silence, and Gordon only watched the street lights as they drove. They pulled into a nearly empty storage yard, just as Wayne said, by the docks. Wayne parked the car by one of the containers and motioned Gordon to get out.
Wayne was up next to the door of the contain, using a key to unlock the bolt and then another secret number for the electronic padlock on it. The door swung open to an empty container. Wayne ushered Gordon inside and then shut the door behind them, and an automatic light turned on. Wayne pulled Gordon to the center of the room and they stood there together and Wayne hit a switch on the wall and the floor began to move down.
“What the...” Gordon started to say as they sank into a lower level of the storage container, enter a new room where the lights flooded on. It was brightly lit and mostly gray, metal. In one corner was what Gordon assumed to be a motorcycle, but hard to tell since it had a cover over it. “You brought me to the place you store your motorcycles?” Gordon asked, confused.
Wayne shook his head, stepping off the platform. “No, it's more than that,” he said plainly. Gordon followed him, afraid to be on the platform and end up back at the top with no way out. Wayne looked around the nearly empty room. “I've done countless hours of thinking here for the past five years. Alfred complains I spend more time here than at the penthouse.” He turned to face Gordon and smiled warily.
“Why here? There's nothing in here.” Gordon looked around a little more, maybe he was missing the point? Wayne looked down at his shoes and then back at Gordon with a bit of insecurity in his eyes. He took the few steps between them, and then some, pushing Gordon against the wall, trapping him between the cool metal and Wayne's stern body.
“I need some answers,” Gordon said, afraid Wayne would attempt to kiss him again, and as much as he wanted it, Gordon also knew he needed to know for sure what it was Wayne had to say and what he was doing. Wayne dipped his head towards Gordon, hands on either side of his head, palms against the wall. Wayne let out a deep breath that tickled the hairs of Gordon's mustache, sending a shiver down his spine.
“Remember when you asked me if I believed everything happens for a reason?” Wayne asked, his lips touched Gordon's softly, each syllable coming closer to their mouth meshing. Gordon felt his heart racing, the rapid beating against his chest, the pulse sounding in his ears as he tried to comprehend when he had asked that to Wayne and all he could think was that he hadn't... He had said those words Batman. Gordon placed his hands flat down against the wall behind him, almost afraid he'd lose his balance if it hadn't been there.
His palms were sweaty and he couldn't find his voice, the breath in his lungs shaking his chest uncontrollably. “Yes,” he whispered, unable to think of anything else to say, because it was the obviously answer that Wayne wanted. Wayne didn't need to give a reason for the question, because it all made sense now, everything little piece, every bit information, the secrets and the hiding – all of it. Gordon let his eyes glance up at Wayne's, who's were half closed in anticipation. Those eyes, and he knew he had always wondered why Wayne's eyes were so familiar...
“Jim...” Wayne whispered, nipping at Gordon's bottom lip. “Do you still want to protect me?” Gordon had never felt a surge of emotion take over him like it did then; his heart jumped into his throat and his hands shot up to Wayne's face and pulled their mouths together in a sweet, disastrous mess. Gordon couldn't feel any other movement, just the numbness in his lips as they worked fiercely to claim the contents of Wayne's mouth. Nothing felt as if it were enough and as each moment passed, everything fell into place as their mouths synced into a perfect, passionate kiss. All reasons and worries could wait for another moment. All Jim Gordon needed was this.
There were other things that worried Gordon as well, and that was Batman. Gordon had not seen the vigilante for almost a week and half. He knew that Batman had been around though, checking the neighborhood as he promised, but he hadn't stopped by in a while even when Gordon was out front waiting. He tried to not think too much about it. Batman would always be his friend no matter what happened – even when he told him about Wayne, he knew the Bat would understand. Wouldn't he? Or maybe he already knew and it was why he was avoiding the Gordon house all together.
Things like this would sort themselves out over time and Gordon couldn't waste another moment thinking about it. There were other things to focus on today and that was getting his nerves set for the auction and making sure Babs understood the rules of bidding. He still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of Babs being there with him, the smirks and hushed whispers that would be going hand-in-hand while people saw him would be bad enough; what were people going to think about him taking his daughter to a bachelor auction?
Or worse, what would people think when Babs started to bid on Bruce Wayne?
He wasn't sure why he had thought of or voiced these concerns earlier to Wayne, as he might have been able to get out of the auction all together, but he was bit stuck now and wasn't about to go back on a promise. And the billionaire did buy him a nice tux to wear and Babs a beautiful evening gown. What use was it trying to escape an inevitable humiliation anyway?
“Dad?” Babs called just outside the bathroom door. Gordon was had just finished giving himself a clean shave and trimming his mustache. He had only his towel around his waist; nothing his daughter hadn't seen before. He sighed, opening the door with one hand as he grabbed for his comb from the drawer with the other. Babs poked her head in, giving him a soft smile. “You aren't even dressed yet?”
He was parting his hair to the side when she said it, and he gave her long, sideway glance. She shook her head, stepping into the bathroom and taking the comb from him. She began to comb his hair back, instead of the side, squirting some of Jimmy's hair gel into her hand from the bottle on the counter and gently ran her fingers through Gordon's hair. She fixed the back with a little bit more gel, holding the stray wisps down behind his ears and fixing a few pieces of the front of hair to fall gently on his forehead. She smiled thoughtfully at him.
“There,” she said, picking up his glasses off the counter and putting them on his face. He looked past her and at the mirror and nearly rolled his eyes at way she styled his hair. “What? It looks good.”
“It's a bit young looking for a father of two who's over fifty,” Gordon commented as he tried to move pieces of his hair. Babs slapped his hands away, fixing it back to how she had had it. He dropped his hands to his side and sighed.
“I think it makes you look distinguished,” came a matured male voice from behind Babs. Wayne pushed his hand against the bathroom door, opening it further. He was dressed in shiny black tux, bow tie, the whole getup that Gordon had to put on in a few minutes. Bruce's suit was much classier, however, with gold buttons and cuff-links. Babs gave Gordon a big, cheesy grin and slipped past Wayne and into the hall.
“I'm going to go get ready,” she called as she made her way down to her room. Wayne stepped into the bathroom, hands in his pockets, and looking Gordon over from head-to-toe, twice. Gordon gave Wayne a non-too-pleasing look as his bluntness. Wayne smiled slyly at him, a grin that stretched across his perfect complexion with ease. Gordon expected some sort of come on; a touch, a whispered word – something. But Wayne didn't say anything, just kept his eyes on Gordon's. Maybe the billionaire didn't want to explain himself just yet, if at all, so he was keeping everything to himself.
“You can't go like that,” Wayne finally said after a long, quiet moments of them simply staring at each other. Wayne gestured to Gordon's towel. “This event is 'clothes required'.”
Gordon glared at him, shaking his head at the remark as Wayne started to laugh at him. Gordon didn't say a word, he pushed past Wayne, into the hall, and then to his bedroom. He stalked to the closet and pulled out the suit Wayne had bought him a week ago. He placed it on the bed, unbuttoning the shirt and removing all the pieces he would have to put on. He put the long sleeved tuxedo shirt on and began to button, turning around to see Wayne leaning in the door way, one shoulder resting on the frame, arms folded over his chest.
“You make it a habit of watching people get dressed?” Gordon asked, raising an eyebrow at Wayne as he began to button the shirt. Wayne shook his head and entered the room, shutting the door behind him. He stopped in front of Gordon and took over buttoning his shirt for him.
“No, just you,” Wayne said without emotion. Gordon watched Wayne's eyes, hoping the younger man would look at him, but Wayne's gaze was fixed on each button as his long, delicate fingers worked each one into the corresponding holes. When finished he button the cuffs, straightened the collar. Their eyes didn't meet until Gordon was nearly dressed, the last bit he needed to put on was the jacket and bow tie. Wayne put the jacket behind Gordon's shoulder, allowing him to put his arms through the sleeves. Wayne smoothed down the lapels and then took the tie and began to work it around Gordon's neck and it was then their eyes grazed.
“Bruce,” Gordon started and Wayne shook his head as he finished tying the fabric into a bow. Wayne tugged on various parts of the tuxedo, straightening the fabric, looking Gordon over approvingly. Gordon tried again. “Bruce?”
He heard Wayne's breath catch in his throat as he looked Gordon in the eye one more time. Gordon wasn't expecting an answer, or even touch; all he wanted was to know they were still on good terms, that no matter what, they're friendship was still intact. Wayne bit his lower lip, his hand snaking around the side of Gordon's neck, their foreheads touching. Gordon went to speak but Wayne shook his head again.
“I promise that after this evening you will have all your questions answered. Nothing will be held back, nothing will be kept secret,” Wayne whispered. “Let's just get through this evening's event first.”
-----
Wayne gave Gordon the information to an account he had set up for Gordon in his name. There was a million dollars in the account and only Gordon and Wayne could access it. The auction would require money directly after the event was over, but Gordon would be able to make check out from the account from the book of checks Wayne gave him. How Wayne was able to obtain Gordon's information to get this account in his name, he'd probably never know and didn't want to know. He pocketed the book and then helped Babs out of the car as they made their way into the Hotel's ballroom, where in a about half an hour the auction would start. Gordon presented the doorman with the invite Bruce had given them.
They then walked through the door and into the ballroom. Things were decorated in black and silver and flutes of champagne were being handed out before hand. Gordon had to give Babs and warning look when a waiter asked if she wanted one, and she declined. Gordon couldn't help but notice that most of the people there were, in fact, older women recently widowed or divorced. Gordon saw very few men, but it wasn't surprising. The youngest woman there was Babs, and someone actually approached them, curiously.
“Why, if it isn't Jim Gordon,” the woman said, offering her hand to Gordon, and he shook it politely. She looked at Babs and smiled wearily. “Is... this your daughter?” She had a lot of disbelief behind her voice, as if trying to figure out why a man would bring his own just barely legal daughter to a bachelor auction. Gordon was beginning to wonder the same.
“Yes, this is my daughter Barbara,” Gordon started to say, and then Babs pushed herself into the conversation, holding her own hand out for the woman to shake.
“Yes, hi. We're here to support the Cure for Lung Cancer charity. My mother died of lung cancer a few months ago and we thought that since Dad was given an invite from a friend, we might as well put it to good use,” Babs explained, thinking quick on her toes. Or maybe she had just thought this through before hand. “We raised a lot of money doing some events at my school for the cause and we made a deal with one of the bachelors and he said if we won he would match the donation dollar for dollar.”
Gordon turned his head to look at Babs and she smiled politely at the woman who was nodding her head, impressed. “That's so wonderful. I am so sorry to hear about your mother. I do hope you win, dear.” She patted Babs on the arm and winked at Gordon as she eyed him approvingly. Gordon let out a breath when the woman was gone and Babs began to laugh.
“Bruce is not going to happy,” Gordon mumbled to her. “Dollar for dollar?”
“Well, hopefully we don't spend more than a couple thousand on him and it won't be so bad,” she said, grabbing hold of Gordon's arm. “He isn't likely to get a lot of bids is he?”
“Uhm, well...” Gordon started to say, letting out a nervous laugh. “Let's just say I doubt half these women are here to buy middle class guy who works at the deli.” He pointed at the wall with the line up of bachelors with pictures and stats on it. Babs stepped closer, wincing at all the pictures and faces. Some weren't too bad.
“Well, they all aren't too bad looking. But I do see your point. Bruce is the only one that would be worth bidding on...” She looked around the room, knowingly, at all the older women. “... If you're nearly sixty and need collagen.” Gordon gave her a look to keep her voice down, even though no one heard her over the loud chatter of voices around them. She giggled, taking his arm again.
A man came around and handed them a paddle for bidding. They were number eight. He handed the paddle to Babs and they stood around the stage with everyone else and waited. Once everyone had their paddles, the lights went down and the host of the evening, who happened to be beautiful blond model that the Wayne Foundation probably hired to bring in more bachelors. The first man introduced was a young doctor, blond and blue eyed, tall. Gordon kept watching his daughter out of the corner of his eye.
Babs never had a boyfriend, or not one she ever told him about, and he just assumed she didn't because she was home all the time and never took phone calls from anyone but her girl friends. Seeing her looking so intently at man a good ten years older than her made him boil a little, mostly because he hadn't had to deal with this yet. It was like being thrown into a pit of lava after being in a tub of ice cold water. Every now and then Babs looked ready to put her paddle up for a handsome young lawyer, or stock broker, and Gordon had to put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.
“I'm not going to, Dad,” she would say over and over again, but he kept doing it until she stopped looking at the bachelors all together. She gave him an annoyed frown.
It seemed like hours before they got to Wayne, and of course he was the last one of the evening. The woman hosting held the microphone to her face, looking down at her cards and began to rattle off some absurd facts about Wayne that both Babs and Gordon had to laugh at. Things like enjoying long walks on the beach, romantic candle-lit dinners, and expensive restaurants. All things that could be true if you didn't know Wayne at all, but they did. Wayne preferred the simpler things, to take away from the way he had to live his life as billionaire playboy.
Finally, Wayne walked out onto the stage, the fake bright smile on his face that he always wore for the media. He strutted the stage, hands in his pockets, and then stopped next to the model, winking at her. Gordon almost felt jealous. The model put her hand to her chest and fanned herself with her cue cards.
“Oh, well...” She cleared her throat. “Let's start the bidding at five thousand.” A paddle to Gordon's left went up, then another and another and before they even had a chance to bid, the amount was already up to one hundred thousand dollars. Babs quickly poked her paddle in the air.
“Two hundred thousand,” she said and most of the women around them scoffed at her, but no one bid against her. Gordon looked to the stage and saw Wayne grinning at him, his gaze intense as if thinking things over in his mind. Gordon could tell his mind wasn't really in the auction.
“Two hundred thousand going once, going twice,” the model said, looking around to see if anyone was going to bid against Babs and all the women were obviously out of money and glaring at Babs. “Sold to the young lady. Number Eight.” The model smiled at Babs approvingly, as if to say she had good taste for girl so young.
One of the older women, she had to be at least Gordon's age, started to yell from across the room when she saw it was Babs that had won the auction. “You're barely even old enough to date, you little twit.” She stalked over to them and upon seeing Gordon she narrowed her eyes on him. “How can you even let your daughter bid? Wayne is nearly twenty year older than her!”
Gordon was completely taken back. “My daughter is eighteen, she can do what she wants. I don't think it's any place of yours –” the woman had stopped listening and was yelling at Babs, rather disrespectfully and Babs was trying to explain that it was charity and say the whole thing she had obviously rehearsed from early, all over again. The woman wasn't listening and called Babs a rather crude name and then proceeded to slap her across the face, calling her a tramp.
Gordon wasn't quick enough to step in front of the two before Babs threw down the paddle, balled up her fist and threw a punch right at the lady's nose, sending her reeling backwards. The woman lost her footing for a second, and then was right back in Babs' face, slapping her again and pulling at her long, blond hair. Babs tackled the woman to the floor and began punching her face. By this time other women were watching but not doing anything. Gordon was grabbing his daughter by the arms and pulling her up and Wayne had dashed off the stage and was helping the other lady to her feet.
Babs was struggling against Gordon's strong grip, her hair in shambles around her head. “You fucking bitch!” she yelled at the woman, and Gordon pulled her closer, arm around her shoulder and hand over her mouth. The lady scoffed at her as Wayne made sure she was alright. The lady looked at Wayne affectionately. Gordon held Babs back more as she gritted her teeth, trying to get away. There was a lot of pent up anger there that Gordon had never know his daughter was capable of. He wasn't sure what set her off, but it could have been the name calling or any of the other things the woman had said to her that Gordon didn't quite catch.
The lady was talking with Wayne and he was explaining to her that its just an auction and there is always next year if it did well this year and then he thanked her for her time. She seemed nicer after he talked to her, but she still scowled at Babs.
“Little child shouldn't have won,” she said to Wayne. He turned to look Babs and Gordon and then back to the lady. It was then that Gordon realized that Babs had already talked to Wayne about the plan she schemed up earlier, about her school and the charity for her mother.
“She's donated the money she bid tonight to the Cure for Lung Cancer charity. I made a deal with her that if she was able to win the auction with the maximum amount of money she had raised on her own, that I would match it,” Wayne explained to the lady. She looked over at Babs, still scowling, but a little less intense.
“Does that mean you're still available for a date then?” She remarked snidely. Wayne shook his head.
“No,” he said and walked away from the lady and approached Babs and Gordon. Babs still had her hands balled into tight fists, a splattered of blood on her white satin, gloved knuckles. Wayne put an arm around her and lead her and Gordon out of the room. He pushed a combination code of numbered into lock on the door and ushered them inside. He sat Babs down on a chair and checked her over for any injuries, but Gordon was sure Babs got more in on the other lady than the lady got in on Babs.
“Sorry,” she said to Wayne when he didn't say much to her as he checked to see if she was okay. He knelt down in front of her and shook his head.
“What happened?” he asked softly and she looked at Gordon for a moment and he gestured her to tell Wayne.
“She called me a name and then slapped me, so I hit her back. And then she made a remark about my mom and the dad too. It wasn't very nice,” Babs explained. “She continued to call me names as well and how I was a slut...” At that Wayne put his hand up to stop her and then hugged her. Gordon hadn't been aware the lady made any remark about him or her mother, but then again they were garbling offenses at one another to the point that no one could hear them.
Wayne let go of her and stood. “You should watch that temper Miss Gordon, it could get you into a lot of trouble.” He smiled at her and she shrugged, knowingly. “I'm gonna take you're Dad to pay for his auction. We'll be back in a bit.” He winked at her and then took Gordon by the arm as he lead him out.
----
Gordon and Babs arrived back home an hour or so later. Babs walked back to her bedroom, saying she was going to get dressed for bed and the lay down and read for a bit. Gordon had said that was fine. He'd talk to her more later about her outburst at the auction, but she seemed so tired and a little bruised, that he didn't want to bug her with it just now. He unraveled the tie from around his neck and tossed it on the kitchen table and then removed the jacket and placed it over the back of a chair. He placed his hands over the jacket, grasping the chair and looking out into the front yard, at the porch and the car that was pulling into the driveway.
Wayne.
Gordon had thought the billionaire had forgotten what he said earlier and would try to shimmy his way out of telling Gordon anything. Apparently he was wrong. Gordon walked to the front door and opened it. He leaned against the door frame and waited. Wayne strolled up in long, quick strides and a smile planted firmly on his face.
“Waiting for me?” he asked as Gordon pushed the door open further for him to walk in. Wayne walked past him and into the living room, followed by Gordon, who kicked the door shut behind him.
“I saw your car,” he said as he walked up behind Wayne, arms folded over his chest. Wayne turned around sighed contently at him, and for a few long moments they didn't say anything. Gordon wasn't going to ask or make any first moves; he had told Wayne last week what he expected.
“Kids in bed?” Wayne asked, looking around the empty living room.
“Jimmy is at a friend's house and Babs went to bed early,” Gordon explained casually. The house wasn't too big, a lot of voices usually carried, and Wayne seemed to be thinking of a private place they could go. “We can go some where, I'll just let Babs know I'll be back later.”
Wayne nodded. “That might be best for what we need to talk about.” The serious tone in Wayne voice almost made Gordon not want to hear whatever it was he had to say. But it was needed and Gordon's curiosity was getting the best of him. He nodded at Wayne and then walked down the hall to Babs' room.
He knocked on her door and she poked her head out a second later. “Dad?”
He dug around in his pocket and handed her the cellphone that Batman had give him. “I'm going out with Bruce for a little bit. You have my cell number and if anything happens, don't hesitate to use this.” She took the phone and nodded. She leaned and kiss his cheek.
“Have a good time, Dad,” she said and shut the door. Gordon walked back down the hall, and motioned his head to Wayne that they could go. Wayne held the door for Gordon and they walked down the porch to Wayne's car. He got into the passenger seat and Wayne slid into the driver's side and started the car, pulling out of the drive way.
“Where are we going?” Gordon asked after a few minutes.
“Storage yard by the docks,” Wayne said, his eyes never leaving the road as he shifted the car into third gear. Gordon didn't ask. The car ride was spent in silence, and Gordon only watched the street lights as they drove. They pulled into a nearly empty storage yard, just as Wayne said, by the docks. Wayne parked the car by one of the containers and motioned Gordon to get out.
Wayne was up next to the door of the contain, using a key to unlock the bolt and then another secret number for the electronic padlock on it. The door swung open to an empty container. Wayne ushered Gordon inside and then shut the door behind them, and an automatic light turned on. Wayne pulled Gordon to the center of the room and they stood there together and Wayne hit a switch on the wall and the floor began to move down.
“What the...” Gordon started to say as they sank into a lower level of the storage container, enter a new room where the lights flooded on. It was brightly lit and mostly gray, metal. In one corner was what Gordon assumed to be a motorcycle, but hard to tell since it had a cover over it. “You brought me to the place you store your motorcycles?” Gordon asked, confused.
Wayne shook his head, stepping off the platform. “No, it's more than that,” he said plainly. Gordon followed him, afraid to be on the platform and end up back at the top with no way out. Wayne looked around the nearly empty room. “I've done countless hours of thinking here for the past five years. Alfred complains I spend more time here than at the penthouse.” He turned to face Gordon and smiled warily.
“Why here? There's nothing in here.” Gordon looked around a little more, maybe he was missing the point? Wayne looked down at his shoes and then back at Gordon with a bit of insecurity in his eyes. He took the few steps between them, and then some, pushing Gordon against the wall, trapping him between the cool metal and Wayne's stern body.
“I need some answers,” Gordon said, afraid Wayne would attempt to kiss him again, and as much as he wanted it, Gordon also knew he needed to know for sure what it was Wayne had to say and what he was doing. Wayne dipped his head towards Gordon, hands on either side of his head, palms against the wall. Wayne let out a deep breath that tickled the hairs of Gordon's mustache, sending a shiver down his spine.
“Remember when you asked me if I believed everything happens for a reason?” Wayne asked, his lips touched Gordon's softly, each syllable coming closer to their mouth meshing. Gordon felt his heart racing, the rapid beating against his chest, the pulse sounding in his ears as he tried to comprehend when he had asked that to Wayne and all he could think was that he hadn't... He had said those words Batman. Gordon placed his hands flat down against the wall behind him, almost afraid he'd lose his balance if it hadn't been there.
His palms were sweaty and he couldn't find his voice, the breath in his lungs shaking his chest uncontrollably. “Yes,” he whispered, unable to think of anything else to say, because it was the obviously answer that Wayne wanted. Wayne didn't need to give a reason for the question, because it all made sense now, everything little piece, every bit information, the secrets and the hiding – all of it. Gordon let his eyes glance up at Wayne's, who's were half closed in anticipation. Those eyes, and he knew he had always wondered why Wayne's eyes were so familiar...
“Jim...” Wayne whispered, nipping at Gordon's bottom lip. “Do you still want to protect me?” Gordon had never felt a surge of emotion take over him like it did then; his heart jumped into his throat and his hands shot up to Wayne's face and pulled their mouths together in a sweet, disastrous mess. Gordon couldn't feel any other movement, just the numbness in his lips as they worked fiercely to claim the contents of Wayne's mouth. Nothing felt as if it were enough and as each moment passed, everything fell into place as their mouths synced into a perfect, passionate kiss. All reasons and worries could wait for another moment. All Jim Gordon needed was this.