(for inyourdreams )

[gcpd]

John had been fiddling with her card for the rest of the afternoon. He really thought about it - really thought about calling her and asking her out on a date. She couldn't have had a boyfriend, right? Otherwise she wouldn't have given him her number. But then maybe she just wanted to "hang out" with no romantic connotations...or maybe he was just over thinking it. It was so unlike John to over think things. He had, after all, been called a "hot head" by the late, great Peter Foley.

But then Bane and Batman had messed everyone up. "Fuck it," he said under his breath and dialed her number on his cell phone.

Comments

[gcpd]

He shrugged. "I suppose." Even now, he still felt like he could've done more - driven faster, ran quicker - he lost his partner because of his own carelessness.

[inyourdreams]

She assumed his lack of enthusiasm had to do with the reason why he also wasn't on the force any more.

"They really messed this place up, huh?" she asked after another drink of her beer. The pictures on the news were hard to believe at the time. Even all the way in Paris she'd felt horrified. She couldn't imagine what it was like to be here during those months and to be personally involved as she imagined he had been.

[gcpd]

"Yeah." He drank deeply from his glass then before setting it down.

[inyourdreams]

"Did you see him? That guy with the face mask?" she asked. "In person I mean."

[gcpd]

"Briefly," he replied. John had always been on the slightly small side so Bane had been a towering man. It was at the beginning of winter and John had been patrolling the south side for the bomb.

[inyourdreams]

"Jesus, he was scary," she said. "Even on TV."

She shook her head.

"I'm sure you don't want to talk about this."

[gcpd]

"It's fine, Ari," he said. "I wouldn't blame you for being curious."

[inyourdreams]

She nodded.

"What about him?" she asked. "The Batman. Did you see him too?"

[gcpd]

"Of course I did." He sat back on his seat.

[inyourdreams]

"Really?" she asked. "What was he like?"

[gcpd]

Wanye had been taller than him as well, and in the suit, he was...legend. "He was...I don't know how to describe him."

[inyourdreams]

"Do you think the city will be okay without him?" she asked.

[gcpd]

John almost wanted to smile at that. He wasn't the Batman. At least not yet, but when he will be, he'd give this city what they need: hope. "Yeah, I think so."

[inyourdreams]

She nodded.

"I guess time will tell," she said.

[gcpd]

John downed the rest of his beer and then nodded.

[inyourdreams]

"So...what else do you like to do, besides work at the Boys Home?" she asked, thinking it was probably time to change the subject.

[gcpd]

"I ride my bike, read, nothing too out there," he replied. Trying to figure out Wanye's computer too.

[inyourdreams]

She nodded.

"And there's really no woman in your life?" she asked, finding that a little hard to believe.

[gcpd]

He shrugged sheepishly.

[inyourdreams]

"Or man," she corrected, not wanting to assume.

[gcpd]

"Nobody," he said. John called over the waitress for another round.

[inyourdreams]

"Why is that?" she asked.

[gcpd]

"I don't know," he replied.

[inyourdreams]

"Do you prefer to be alone?" she asked.

[gcpd]

"Wouldn't it be easier that way?"