MELLIFLUOUS ➪ Bruce Wayne {Gotham}

IX

Faye enters the kitchen, woken up by the savory smell of eggs and sausage.

Stepping in, she greets Alfred as he cooks, and connects her eyes with Bruce's, quickly glancing away as she felt a small blush rising to her face.

"Good morning, Faye," Bruce said with a sweet smile plastered on his face as his eyes followed the girl wandering towards the table.

"Morning, Bruce," she replied. Alfred could feel the air thicken after Faye entered the room, yet he wasn't quite sure enough to speak upon it.

A couple hours pass and the two teens were spending large amounts of time with one another, yet neither discussing the meaning of Bruce's note from the night before. By the time dinner came around, Alfred has reminded Bruce that they had previously agreed to attend a gala in the city in the Wayne's name.

"I think Faye should come along with us," Bruce suggested. Before Alfred could disagree, Faye spoke up:

"No, I'm really not interested," she shrugged, "I don't have a dress, either. Have fun." Bruce flashed her a look of sympathy before she lifted her hand and shooed him out of the main living room. Alfred and Bruce went off to change into nicer clothing for the event, and Faye went off to her room to start reading a new book. She made sure to venture the halls and make it back to the library before the two had left since she was too scared to walk around the mansion alone.

The three said their goodbyes and Faye watched the car drive through the closing gates. Continuing the downpour from the previous night, some thunder had picked up. Before laying herself down on the couch, she picked up some newspaper and wood sticks next to the fire place and threw them in along with a lit match, creating a nice fire. Faye grabbed one of the three books in the pile she brought with her into the library. Examining the cover, she wasn't quite sure if she would be interested in it. Shrugging, she opened the book, skimming though the first couple pages easily.

"Blah, blah, Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD. Mm, uhhh, not only an emperor but a stoic, gotcha. Last of the Five Good Emperors, nice job dude." She joked to herself, helping her get more interested by laughing. She noticed that for a big boring history book, it was quite light in weight.

After fifteen minutes of her struggling to stay reading instead of day dreaming or glancing at the television, she slams the book closed in frustration. To her surprise, she feels a movement inside the novel. Raising a brow, she shakes the book lightly, holding it up to her ear. She hears and feels the banging of an object inside the book. She quickly sits up and starts flipping through the pages until she reaches a thick brown page. Lifting up the thin cover, a rectangular cut-out sits in the middle of it. A small remote lays in the hole, simply awaiting to be pressed. She tips the books slightly so it can fall into her hand. Putting the book down and running a hand through her hair, she can feel her heart beat out of her chest as her blood pumps with adrenaline. She stands up, and places her thumb on the small indent toward the top of the remote, applying pressure.

Nothing happens for a moment, until some powerful and heroic-sounding music plays, yet from a distance. Looking around, she notices no speakers or sound systems.

"A stereo? That's it?" She shook her head at the remote and tossed it into one of the chairs before falling back on the couch and watching the tv.

A small amount of dust began to fly into the air and rubble started hitting the ground in front of the fireplace. Faye shot up, her eyes darting all across the library for a source. Before her own two eyes, the lit fireplace moved backwards through the wall very slowly, almost in perfect time with the music that continued to play. Holding her breath in shock, she was frozen in her seat as a small staircase was in sight from where she was sitting. Gulping, she wasn't sure if she should call Alfred or go explore.

After about five minutes, Faye gains the strength to walk down the staircase, praying she won't find prisoners or animals. Peeking her head into the path, lights lined the walls, allowing her to see each step she took. She wasn't quite sure how old this structure was, so she treaded her way carefully. Reaching the bottom, she takes a look inside the small office in front of her. To her surprise, it wasn't as untouched as she thought it would be. The computer system seemed almost as clean as a whistle, somehow being recently wiped down, along with the rest of the desk. Walking behind it, she looked at each picture on the desk carefully.

"Thomas Wayne," she whispered under her breath, recognizing the dead man's face, her heart falling from her chest to the floor. "How could the Wayne's send me a birthday card every year before their death yet I don't have a clue who their son is?" She examines a picture of Bruce and his parents, knowing how he must feel to be alone. Walking over to turn on the computer, she recognizes another face that she would have never thought to be photographed. She snatched the frame, staring at her grandfathers face as him and Alfred stand on either side of Thomas holding baby Bruce. In disbelief, her instincts kick in and she takes apart the frame, taking the photo from its enclosure. She folds it a few times and stuffs it into her pocket. Putting the frame back together, she places the empty holder back into its initial spot. Remaining in shock, Faye makes her way out of the newly found cave, grabbing the remote and shutting it. She grabs a small broom from the cauldron in front of the fireplace and sweeps most of the debris off the concrete and into the flames as it moves its way forward once again. Falling back onto the couch and stuffing the remote where it belongs, she lets out a heavy sigh. She quickly places the book on the bottom of her pile and opening a new novel, promising to keep everything she just saw to herself.