UPTOWN GIRL, bruce wayne

epilogue

***

IVORY HICKMAN'S father is found November sixth. The search for him stopped after the city had flooded—the cops had bigger things to worry about. It was why it was such a shock when Scott Hickman surfaced after the flood, with a missing finger, and a shit-load of cuts and bruises.

The city is still underwater. The national guard is on its way, and Martial Law is in effect. Ivory spends most of her time at the hospital her father is staying at.

He is still unconscious, but she did get a few snippets of where he'd been for the last week, spoken through mumbled words. The Riddler never wanted Ivory or her father, he just wanted Bruce Wayne. And like Falcone said, what better way to get him than to torture something he loved?

Ivory makes her way home after a quick visit to her father, but stops short at a small bakery down the road. Most businesses hadn't reopened yet, so seeing one with an open sign came as a surprise.

Slowly, she steps inside of it, and the door chime goes off. An older Korean woman smiles at her from behind the register. "Hello," she greets.

"Hi," Ivory smiles back. "Holding up okay after everything?"

"Trying to," the woman nods. "Looking for anything in particular?"

Ivory scans the cake case, but her eyes catch a certain one with a bunch of trees on it. "What kind of trees are those?"

The woman crouches to see which she's talking about, and smiles. "Oh, spruce trees. My daughter made that one."

Ivory resists the urge not to smirk, and nods. "It's beautiful, she has a talent. How much for it?"

After making her purchase, Ivory approaches her apartment, cake in hand, with a grin. When she steps inside, Bruce isn't where she'd left him. He is still recovering from one of the blows The Riddler's men had struck at him, but other than that, he was okay. Seeing him fall into the water with the electrical cord had given Ivory a heat attack, and Bruce had earned himself a scolding for it afterward.

He is staring out the window at the city down below, and Ivory shuts the door quietly behind her. "Got something to cheer you up."

"I told you," he answers, not looking at her. "I'm fine."

"Stop being stubborn and come see," she demands from the kitchen. She hears a grunt in protest, but then the sound of his footsteps padding after her follow it. "It's cake."

"I see that," he says, standing beside her with his hands in his pockets. Then, he peers closer, and shoots her an unamused look when he realizes. "Spruce trees."

Ivory pats at his chest. "Very observant, spruce wood."

"Real funny. You're hilarious."

"Don't hate the player. Hate the game."

Bruce rolls his eyes, but opens the cake packaging regardless. Then, without warning, he dips his finger in the icing, and smears it across her face.

Ivory purses her lips in defeat. "Okay. Fair."

"I knew you'd see it from my perspective."

Ivory doesn't give him the chance to say anything else, because she scoops a palmful of icing out, and smudges his entire cheek. She cackles at his expression. This was what she missed, she realizes. She needed this back. This was her best friend. His eyes caught hers, and she recognizes the flash in them, finally. No, he was more than her best friend.

Bruce turns to grab a napkin, breaking the spell, and wipes the icing off his face. Ivory steps around him to do the same, but his hand on her wrist stops her. Without a word, he raises his arm, still holding the napkin, and gently dabs at her skin.