This is a Bruce Wayne/Barbara Gordon centered fic.

I found the original ending to Batman: Arkham Knight to be quite strange.

I also loved the chemistry between them, so they'd be a cool pair, in my books anyway.

Please, rate and review this little one-shot.

Gotham, a year after the Knightfall Protocol.

The news were comemmorating a year since Bruce Wayne's disappearance, and Barbara Gordon couldn't bear watching the explosion that occured that night. Her mind outright denied that Bruce died, there was no way he would do that to himself, she knew him far too well for this - and above everything, she knew that he cared for her in every moment they were speaking. Her light banter with him and various passing-down information chats were everything she had, and lost that all in the dreadful night Wayne Manor blew up to pieces. Tim was there for her, yet she didn't feel anything for the man who came down to bring her takeout food or anything else she needed - she saw Tim as nothing less but a friend, and appreciated the small gestures he did.

Tim was secretly crushing on Barbara, and seeing that - nothing - moved her, except Bruce Wayne, he felt his chances going down the drain. "I wish she'd stop looking at the past, and see what she has in the present," the young man thought as he sighed, before knocking on her door.

"Barbara?"

"Yeah, Tim, come in." the red-haired woman replied as she tried to change into her clothes - the best way that she could do so - and dragged herself onto the wheelchair.

"I brought you some Chinese food and some orange juice," Tim said as he closed the door behind him, and placed the shopping bags on the small table before him. "thought you'd need some food."

"Thanks, Tim," she said as she came down the hallway, her voice betraying a hint of sadness.

"Are you okay, Barbara?" the man inquired, as he tilted his head in concern, but she didn't reply to his question. "Oh..." he paused, "It's been a year."

"Yes." was all she could reply, looking away from Tim, "I want to go visit his memorial."

"Are you sure you can do this?" he asked as he looked at her, worry still written on his face.

"How many times do I have to say it..." she suddenly snapped, "Yes, I can do this! And if you won't help..." she paused, closing her eyes for a moment, "I will go alone."

"Fine, fine," he conceded. "I can't let you go alone, though."

"Okay," she reluctantly agreed, "give me my coat." she gestured towards the coat rack, as he helped her dress the fluffy coat.

Tim shook his head in disbelief, and then took the handles behind her chair, pushing her outside the apartment and down the stairs, with caution.

Outside, snow covered the alleys of Gotham, and children were making snowballs to fight against one another. Barbara looked as this was the sight of victory, the sight of peace, and she couldn't help a stray thought in her mind, "Bruce...wherever you are, I hope you're happy to see the peace..." while Tim smiled as he remembered how he used to play in the snow when he was a child. He then pushed her down the street, while cautious about the various thieves that were lurking the streets of Gotham - they weren't as many as before, but the town was somewhat safer with the efforts of the Gotham Police and the mysterious Batman that was guarding the shadows...

The memorial was set on the grounds of the former Wayne Manor, and the mayor decided the place will remain untouched - except for the memorial - and Barbara couldn't help shedding a few tears as she saw the statue of Bruce Wayne before her, underneath it a plaque that said...

"In memory of Bruce Wayne, the head of Wayne Enterprises and the man who helped Gotham become a better city."

She outright refused to believe that everything she saw that night was real, and touched the bronze statue with trembling hands, while Tim sighed as he remembered the days he spent training with the man behind the legend of Batman. It felt so sinister that he would choose this path of self-destruction, along with everything he loved, but his identity was revealed, and all of it because Bruce had no chance against Scarecrow and his henchmen. He couldn't forget the night the Bat's identity was revealed to Gotham, the night when the legend of their hero was given a face, and he heard people being angry about what Bruce did, but all of his reverie was broken by Barbara's weak voice.

"Tim, leave me alone." the red-haired woman said as she looked at the statue once more.

"In this cold? Barbara, you can't be..." Tim tried to protest, but she lifted a hand to silence him.

"I'll call for you to pick me up, don't worry." Barbara said, pausing a little, "I need some time on my own."

"Fine." Tim shrugged as he walked away from her, looking once more at the redhead that managed to steal his heart, unwillingly.

Barbara, now happy she was left alone with her thoughts, could leave the tears that were threatening to spill over the statue's base, and sobs started to leave her a shaking mess. It was very unlike her to be so, but there was no stopping to these tears, of that much she was certain - she was ready to give anything if that would've brought Bruce back alive. She missed the way he rolled her name off his tongue, and the amount of care he had towards her, saving her as she was on the verge of falling from that tower.
Exchanges from their talks were rolling in her mind, as her teardrops left marks in the snow that covered the statue's base.

"Bruce! Bruce! Can you hear me? Your vitals... they're dropping. It's like they're in free-fall. You need to find whatever you're looking for now."

"I'll be fine." Batman paused, "Just...give me a minute."

"Please, Bruce...for me?"

"Bruce...if you were here, with me." she sighed, wiping her tears with a handkerchief. "I miss you so much..."

In the shadow of a tree, Bruce Wayne looked at her with sadness and felt his heart skip a beat as Barbara took another look at the bronze statue, and was about to ignore the fact that he was still hiding, until Alfred reminded him, through a very secure link, that there was no way he could contact anyone right now. "Barbara...I'm here." Bruce thought as his right fist clenched in frustration, here she was, and he was unable to say or do anything.

"Master Bruce, you have to return."

"I don't care, Alfred. She..."

"You have to care, you risk exposing yourself."

"I love her, Alfred."

"...Master Bruce. Very well, give her a call. But do not attempt showing yourself."

"Thank you, old friend." Bruce said as he shut off the com-link in his ear, and dialed Barbara's number.

Barbara jumped a little as she heard her phone ring, and was even shocked to see Bruce's ID ringing her. For a moment, she couldn't really believe it, she thought it was a dream and hesitated before answering the phone. She left out a soft sigh, and her timid voice broke through the silence between herself and the man she loved with all of her heart...

"Bruce?...Is it really you?"

"Barbara," rang the familiar, baritonal voice, "yes, it's me."

"Where are you?" she asked as her eyes were shining with hope.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you." Bruce replied on the other end, as he watched her apparent smile break down again into a frown.

"What? You have any idea how much..." anger seethed in her voice, but it was a justified anger, "...how much I've missed you."

"The feeling's mutual, Oracle." he said to her, as he remembered the times they worked together.

"Batman." she teased back, "Just...stay safe, wherever you are."

"Barbara," Bruce settled for the softest tones he could muster, "I wanted to tell you something, for a long time now."

"Really? I wanted to tell you something, too." she replied, as her hands were trembling a little.

"You first." he said as he heard her breathing hitch a little with emotion.

"I..." she hesitated for a moment, unsure if he'll ever reciprocate these feelings of hers, "I love you."

"I love you too, Barbara." Bruce replied as a smile formed on his face. "I wish I could've told you these words...in person."

"For now...this is enough for me," she breathed in evenly, "at least I know you're alive."