We Were Born Sick • Gotham Fanfiction •

XV: Viper

"You inherit your environment just as much as your genes." ― Johnny Rich

~()~

"This is it." Bird said as she leaned forward and pointed to one of Gotham's most pricey hotels, before adding, "Wayne Enterprises bought out the main conference room, the ballroom and a private dining room for the day."

Harvey blew out a breath as he pulled up behind a small and fast moving line of cars that looked like they each would cost more than six months of his salary.

The line moved quickly and when they reached the front, the couple got out of the car and left it to the complimentary valet parking.

Looking down Harvey leaned over and quietly said, "They actually rolled out a red carpet for this?"

"Looks that way." She replied with a chuckle as she watched an older couple walk past them towards the door.

"I saw a taco stand a few streets back, we could make a run for it." Bird joked, with playfully raised eyebrows to match her tone.

A small group of people walked past them and Harvey shook his head, "No, we've already been spotted. I think we missed the window of opportunity for escape."

Offering her his arm, he gave her his signature smile as he cordially said, "Miss Wayne."

"Why, thank you Mr. Dent." She replied mimicking his tone and giving him a smile of her own as she linked her arm with his and the couple started for the doors.

Once they were inside, they looked around at the lavish decorations and designer clad crowd.

"I'm afraid to touch anything." Harvey admitted, and Bird felt her cheeks flush in response to the feeling of his breath on her ear as he spoke, "I bet one night in this hotel costs more than I make in a month."

"It's pretty over-the-top, but you're a lawyer." She argued as she nodded towards a small set of stairs leading into the ballroom where they had the main room for the event set up.

"I'm a district attorney. All the real money is made from working for the defense teams." He said, as they started up the small set of stairs to a desk at the entrance of the main event room.

"Name please?" A woman at the desk asked, not looking up from the guest list on the clipboard in front of her.

"Wayne." Bird said, waiting until the woman looked up at her before she continued, "Starling Wayne." With a smirk on her lips as she spoke.

"Oh, right! Of course Miss Wayne, you and your guest can go right on in." She spoke in a fast tone as she motioned with her arms to usher Bird and Harvey into the room.

Within seconds, Bird had swooped a glass of champagne off one of the waiter's trays that was circling the room.

Taking a drink from her glass she looked around at all of the decorations and one of the largest TV screens she'd ever seen off to the side that was playing a slideshow of clips and videos to the sound of a female narrator talking over and over about all of the good Wayne Enterprises continues to achieve.

"I haven't been to anything like this in well over a year." Bird stated, pulling her arm from Harvey's and spun in a slow circle to see who all was at the lunch event.

"And this is a charity luncheon?" He asked, also looking around the room.

"That's what the invitation said." She nodded with a laugh.

"You know, if they put all of the money they spent to fund this luncheon into charity, they could have probably fed every homeless person in Gotham for at least month." Harvey said, his eyes drifting over to the TV as he spoke.