Persephone Jackson-Wayne (UP FOR ADOPTION)

Chapter 3

Trigger warning ⚠️: mention of torture

Bruce pov.

Shocked. Horrified. Terrified. Angry. Bruce could word his feelings in these 4 words as he had just stumbled upon his wife changing, her back to him, in their room.

So. Many. Scars on her body.

He saw them only for a second but it felt like the image had been burnt into his mind. Whip lashes ranging from small to absolutely huge ones that stretched across her back. Burn marks and claw marks left their marks as well. Not one spot of her back had been left unmarked.
Bruce could only imagine how her front was like...

For the first time in his life, Bruce Wayne felt white hot anger coursing through his body, threatening to consume him like fire on paper. He must have gasped earlier because Perci whipped around and quickly realized he saw her scars.

Bruce looked into her eyes and saw emotions he didn't see before. Emotions he hadn't ever seen before. Before she went to that wretched camp.

Grief. Embarrassment. A look of terror flashed through her eyes but it went away as quickly as it came.
As Bruce stared into his once lively wife's eyes, he felt his anger reducing gradually. Although pain replaced that anger in his heart, pain he knew wasn't even a fraction of what Perci went through.

"Go on. I know you want to say something about them. Everyone does. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want me anymore after seeing my horrid body", said Perci, her eyes filling with unshed tears.

Bruce hesitantly stepped toward her, crossing the distance between them in a few strides when she did not turn away.

He took her face in his hands and softly but firmly said, "Your scars are a part of you. They show that you've been through alot and came out. Came back to me. Sure when I look at them I want to kill whoever did this to you but they also show me how strong my wife is."

Perci gave a gasp of relief and hugged him. Bruce barely staggered back and kept her strong hold on her. He had a small smile on his face as he smelled the familiar fragrance of the sea and cookies while he hugged her.

Slowly and gradually, she sagged against him as she fell asleep from a long day. Bruce carried her to their bed and set her down.

She looks at peace. As if the fate of the world isn't resting on her shoulders, he thought as he stared at her sleeping soundly.

But he should've known that pain he saw earlier would have a lot of side effects.

A few hours after she fell asleep, when Bruce was about to nod off too, a scream made him jump and his bat-flexes (lol) kicked in and he sprang into his fight position. He saw no danger but then realized Perci was screaming in her sleep.

The door burst open and the boys and Alfred came running, eyes scanning for signs of danger. Their eyes then fell upon the screaming Perci. And they stared.

Her body thrashed around wildly, her head tossing back and forth. Tears falling from her eyes and murmured pleas coming from her lips. Sweat covered he forehead and Bruce avoided all her subconscious well aimed kicks and punches and hugged her to him muttering soft nothings into her ear.

Just as he thought it wasn't effecting her, her body began to slow down it's thrashing, flying arms and legs slowly coming to a standstill. Bruce continued to hug her to him, ignoring Dick's face of sadness and confusion, Tim's face of pure confusion, Jason's of slight understanding, Damien's of annoyance and a hint of confusion and Alfred's look of pure understanding and deep sadness.

He continued to hold her as Alfred ushered them out of the room ignoring Dick's protests and rocked back and forth trying to calm her.

Her eyes flashed open and a string of curse words then apologies began to flow from her mouth.
"Schist. I am so so so sorry Bruce. I didn't mean to wake you up. I didn't hurt you did I? I tend to get a little violent sometimes subconsciously. What kind of wife wakes their husband up by punching him?", she continued to ramble cutely, much to Bruce's slight amusement and major concern.

"Honey. Darling. Don't apologize for that. It's understandable that you would have nightmares", he chided softly, "well slightly understandable. You still haven't told me what happened to you all these years", adding that last part in sadness.

A look of understanding and realization flashed through her face and she said, "What I went through won't compare to what you had ever imagined. I'm scared you won't look at me the same way anymore. Either way I'm not ready. I promise I'll tell you someday when I'm ready."

Bruce silently promised he would look at her with the same loving look he always looked at her with. Always and forever.

The two then drifted off to the land of Morpheus, snuggled into each other for warmth and the feeling of love that still remained after too many years of being apart.

Life always has a way to bring two lost soulmates together.