The Odyssey || 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝗻𝗲

Fourteen | Joy

"Good morning, Alexi." He always liked to put on his best smile when facing Elizabeth's guard dog.

Rather serious, never a smile, not even a grin. She'd likely bite if one got too close. Alexi Shepard was her very own mystery.

"Mr. Wayne." She responded monotonously without looking up from her computer.

"Is Elizabeth in today?"

"She's always in, Mr. Wayne."

In the literal sense. She hadn't been home in three days, according the tabs he had on her. He knew that she'd gone to see her father, and for the first time in a very long time. It could've shaken her up and caused her to hole herself up in her office. It was smart to check in on her. And the footage again.

Alfred had spoken to him earlier before he decided to come up.

"Master Bruce, have you considered that Ms. Jefferson is just...upset?" He was facing away from the computer as Bruce watched the footage of Elizabeth seeing her father for the first time in eleven years. "After all, you hole yourself up in the cave when there is something the matter with you."

That was true enough. Maybe that was his excuse. That she was upset.

"You can go in if you didn't just come to stare at the door." She hadn't looked up at him once. There was probably a reason why Elizabeth admired Ms. Shepard's sarcastic mastermind—she was a bit intimidating, even for him.

Nevertheless, Bruce cleared his throat, loosened his tie, and knocked twice before entering.

As he'd somewhat expected, Elizabeth was sitting at her desk with her cheeks in her hands staring down at her paper clad desk.

"You look tired." Off the bat, that was his first observation. She didn't look up but she did give a short tired grin. "That's how I look every day."

"Alexi tells me you haven't been home." Easy fun with an easy soft grin.

"How can I when she's given me this lovely little present." She lifted up the book she was reading, showing him the cover of it.

CEO for Dummies!

"Educational." He chuckled, walking towards her desk to take it from her hands and look at himself. "You even wrote cute little notes in it."

"Whatever helps." She sighed, sitting back, looking up at him for the first time. Though still dressed in top-tier style, she was less professional today. She was wearing what resembled a tank top tucked into gray high waisted pleated slacks. "What brings you to my humble establishment?"

"Just wanted to check up on you." He replied casually, setting the book down on a pile of paperwork.

He wanted to ask about her meeting with her father, but there was no possible way for him to have known she'd visited Blackgate. She didn't seem all too upset, even though the footage from the visit proved that Joseph successfully pushed some buttons.

She probably was tired. She'd probably been working her ass off in the office trying to get everything under control.

"That's very sweet of you." She grinned. "I'm fine. A lot of work, but that's really something one comes to respect." She tilted her head. "How are you?"

"Never better." Automatic response. Honestly though, he was tired too. But could anyone blame him? Crime never slept, so it was only appropriate that he follow suit.

"That is an attitude that I yearn for." She pointed her pen at him before looking back down at her desk.

He wasn't really going to get anywhere with her absentmindedly listening to him.