Insanity // J.Valeska

Part Twenty-Seven: The Rebirth

When Stephanie Harlem awoke she was inexplicably changed. A switch had gone off in the crevices of her mind - perhaps it was more of a door. A door slamming shut to be specific, because when she came to, the voices in her head were silent. The first time since her parents murder. She felt so serene suddenly, so at peace despite the nagging ache in her skull; it was all worth it though, the pain was worth everything so long as the voices were silenced.

Stephanie slowly sat up, shielding her eyes with one hand while the other kept her upper body propped up; the world was still spinning and she needed all the stability she could get. Her eyes fluttered as her senses returned at a snail-like pace - why did she feel like her head had been used for billiards?

"How are you feeling?"

Stephanie winced at the surprisingly loud voice: her senses were on overload, having been forced into an immediate reset. She gripped at her head protectively, "whoever that is, please speak at an inside voice."

The voice had the audacity to chuckle, the sound hitting her like bullets ricocheting off of her pounding skull. In response, Stephanie made a vague hissing sound, and flinched away, rolling with a surprising amount of skill despite her current predicament.

Her feet were steady as she tested her weight out, removing her hands with great hesitance from her eardrums. With still watery eyes, Stephanie made a quick scan of here surroundings, trying to pinpoint her location with her memory. With a zombie-like groan, realization set in: she was at the spot that she was supposed to be meet Selina Kyle. While Steph didn't know Selina well, she did know that the girl in question would not have stayed if she saw her passed out. That meant her plan of asking Selina's ask for getting information from the Underground was out.

She arched her back and gave her aching neck a roll, gathering her bearings, completely forgetting that she was not alone.

Bruce Wayne watched his betrothed with mild amusement; it was clear to him now what made her men and women flock to her: she was special. It was evident in the way she moved, with a graceful elegance that was entirely feminine and natural - she wasn't trying to be alluring or seductive in the way that she moved, it was merely second-nature to her. As for her personality... there was a charm to her bluntness. After all, it was so rare nowadays to meet a girl of her status and name-brand to be so straightforward, so blunt and crude. It was cute, a whole new level of attractiveness. It was obvious to him and everyone within the vicinity that Stephanie Harlem did nothing for anyone but herself, nor did she try to make herself something that she wasn't: Stephanie Harlem was inexplicably herself.

He felt odd, thinking of a person - a girl no less - in such a way. He felt as if he were observing a wild animal, jotting down notes of their mating habits and reactions to the opposite sex like some scientist. What was even more unsettling was the feeling that Stephanie's presence evoked within him. Bruce felt nervous, but in a confident way; he felt jittery, but in an intoxicating way. He didn't want this feeling to go away, but yet at the same time he wanted nothing more than to fade away into the shadows.

Which is why, he wasn't really sure why he said this next: "are you okay?"

Stephanie squinted at him, "you're Bruce Wayne aren't you?"

Bruce rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "yes, that's me. What do you remember from last night?"

Instead of responding, Stephanie began to look around. "Was a girl named Selina Kyle ever here? Curly brown hair, dressed in all black?"

"Selina? She left a little while ago to find something to eat."

Stephanie nodded, accepting this information as she continued to survey the area. Bruce bent down to pick up his jacket and dusted it off before swinging it over his shoulders, relishing in the sudden boost of warmth. Steph caught the action and stared at him, the dots connecting in her mind.

"You gave me your jacket," she pointed at him.

"Yes," Bruce said.

A sneer marred Stephanie's pretty mouth at her fiancé's words. "You don't have to take care of me; we aren't married yet, future hubby." She practically spit the words from her mouth.

Bruce merely took what she said in stride. "I am well aware that there are lawyers working to unravel the contract. However, in the present, we are informally engaged. Besides, even if we weren't I would have still given you my jacket."

Stephanie barked a laugh, "oh would you shut up. You're nothing but a spoiled little rich brat."

"We come from the same class, Stephanie."

She shook her head wildly. "No, we don't. You have a choice, I don't. I finally fall in love, and he's ripped from me before I can even voice those words! Not like I'd ever even get to marry him, when I'll be stuck as your ball and chain in a few years."

The malice dripping from her lips didn't so much as graze Bruce; he knew she was hurting and had a possible head injury. Besides, with the past few months having been so traumatic for her, it only made sense that she was acting out now - the adrenaline was finally exiting from her system.

Stephanie was shaking as angry tears filled her eyes; although her head was quiet, her mind was racing with so many emotions; feeling she had been forced to suppress for god knows how long. But now the dam had broken and the water was rushing past her with barely a thought - Stephanie knew that even if she tried she wouldn't have been able to control her tongue.

By now, her knees had buckled (again) and she was on the cold concrete again, the tears flowing freely down her puffy cheeks. Bruce knelt down next to her, and she leaned her head against his shouder. Here he was, practically a stranger, and he was comforting her. Bruce Wayne was really like a superhero.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Bruce Wayne said nothing as he attempted to comfort his future bride, both of them uncertain as to what they were supposed to be to the other. But in that moment, they knew enough of what they could and would be: friends. Whatever the future held, they could still be friends.

And somehow that was enough.

May seem like a filler chapter but this is actually a really important part of the plot in terms of the future of Steph. Plus I wanted to try and create some form of a relationship between Bruce and Steph, seeing as they have so much in common yet have never really spoken.

Two chapters to go!!!