A Basket Full of Bats

My Angel

"Do you want to help name them," asked Bruce worried, weary, but determined to fight for the children's chance to live.

"Helena, after Helen of Troy," spoke Selina.

"She was a fighter," encouraged Bruce.

"Richard, after Richard the Lionheart." answered Selina.

"Also a fighting name with a little hint of cat hidden away. It's a good name," Bruce smiled tentatively.

Jason who was spying on them piped up furiously. "I think the boy should be John. Like John Wayne the cowboy. Grizzly old cowboys don't die and they aren't weak and disabled. I don't care what the doctor says." Jason's face was smeared with dried tears. He had just been starting to look forward to being a big brother. Stupid Joker ruined everything.

"Richard John Wayne and Helena Wayne," spoke Bruce. "Okay?"

Selina nodded smiling slightly.

The little boy weighed in at 515 grams (1 lb 2 oz). The baby girl was 775 grams (1 lb 11 oz). The doctors were pretty sure he wouldn't survive. The big discrepancy between the weights was not a good thing. They were born so early the doctors warned there was only a fifty-fifty chance of survival. If they lived the chances were fifty-fifty of long term disabilities. Jason had smashed the pediatrician's potted plant when the doctor had been explaining that.

Eleven hours after birth Helena suffered a severe brain bleed and passed away.

Selena held her tiny little girl stroking her soft face.

"Where's the catsuit?" she whispered to Bruce. "Bring it here."

Bruce closed his eyes trying to hide the look of pain. He sent Damian to discretely get the catsuit. Alfred was sent to get a pretty and formal dolls dress that might fit.

"Father what is she planning?" asked Damian.

Bruce chose his words very carefully. "Helena will be Richard's guardian angel. Catwoman lost her baby. This final goodbye picture is proof for the underworld. They must NEVER know there were two."

Helena, waxy white and limp, was tenderly dressed in a pretty white gown. Selena transformed herself into Catwoman with the door to the hospital room locked. Weary and sad she cradled her baby girl. Bruce took a few photos.

A commemorative plaster cast was done of Helena's hands and a tiny lock of hair was slipped into a white envelop.

A little later they had a small service in the hospital chapel. The body was cremated. Selina wanted the ashes. No matter what anyone did it wasn't going to be less heartbreaking.

Alfred stayed close. As always he was at hand with what comforts could be offered. Tissues, a warm sweater here or there, tea, a bouquet of miniature white roses.

The hospital wouldn't let him in to see his grandson.

Bruce just managed to stop Cassie from jabbing a scalpel into one of the NICU nurses who was muttering about self entitled billionaires bringing a butler to a hospital.

"He gran-fa-er not jus a but-ler," Cassie whispered in a deadly tone.

Terry jet lagged an rumpled arrived just in time to help say goodbye to the sister he never met.

Damian and Cassie looked dangerously furious rather than sad.

Stephanie who still had roughly two months until her due date was completely destroyed and couldn't handle any of it anymore. Stephanie cried and cried and cried. Tim and Damien took her home. Tim kept quoting statistics trying to calm her down.

"Steph you've not been out on patrol in months. You're safe in the cave and your baby is already twice as big as either of the twins. If you gave birth right now your baby would have a 98 percent chance of survival."

"Shut up Tim," sobbed Stephanie. "I want this baby to finish growing and be born healthy and get the hell out of Gotham so it can live with it's new Mom and Dad in Keystone City, far from the Joker and it can be happy and I think I'm gonna throw up again."

"Stephie the doctors got Richard's breathing spasms calmed down," Tim tried to soothe. "Unfortunately, mathematically he still only has a fifty percent chance of survival and the doctors were pretty sure Helena was the stronger twin."

"Shut up Tim!" insisted both Stephanie and Damien.

Damian pulled the car over grimly. Stephanie threw up in some bushes.