The Cat and... the Bat?

"Huh... go figure."

After a long kiss, Selina at last had to roll off of him, feeling Jake beginning to soften within her. Jake was on top of the world, but his celebration was cut short when he reached down to unsheathe his cock.

"Oh, shit."

"What's wrong?" Selina asked.

"The condom broke," Jake sighed.

"Well, you were really giving it to me there at the end," she giggled.

"But what if-"

Before Jake could fret further, Selina had already silenced him with a kiss.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'm not. First, I don't think the timing's right, but more importantly I don't regret anything we've done tonight. And as long as you're clean..."

"I am," Jake said quickly.

"...Then we're fine."

Jake exhaled, trying his best to relax. "I'm glad. Sorry, I'm just worried I'll do something fucking stupid and you'll kick me out... or kick my ass."

"You'd have to do something ridiculously stupid for that to happen, as many orgasms as you've given me tonight," Selina shot back.

"Fair enough," Jake said, lying back on the pillow, his hands behind his head.

Nestling into the crook of his arm, Selina asked, "So, tell me about Jake? I assume you're a student at Gotham U. What's your course of study?"

"You... really wanna know about me?"

"Of course, silly! It's only polite, and I have to admit that you're great company. Why wouldn't I want to know more about you?"

"Well... since you asked, I'm currently a student of flexible ambition."

"Flexible ambition? The fuck does that mean?" Selina laughed.

"Ah, it means I'm undecided on a major," Jake explained.

"And what year are you?"

"I started summer of last year, so technically a second semester sophomore."

"And you're still undecided? Weak," Selina teased him, blowing a raspberry for good measure.

"Yeah, you're the second person to say that to me tonight," Jake admitted. "I started out with chemical engineering, trying to follow in my dad's footsteps, but I'm just not as smart as him. He and mom both work out in Silicon Valley. No way I can compete with that."

"I find that hard to believe. You're plenty smart and resourceful, if I do say so myself."

"Thanks. To be honest... it was never about the difficulty of the classes with chemical engineering," Jake continued. "Honestly, I just could never get excited about the material, or about the job prospects, for that matter."

"It doesn't engage you. That makes sense," Selina nodded. "So, if chemical engineering doesn't do it for you, what does?"

"You mean besides fighting the Penguin alongside Catwoman?" Jake grinned.

"Yeah, besides that. I don't think that's a major anyway."

"True story. In all honesty, I've always been fascinated by computing, namely hacking."

"That's cool!" Selina replied. "What all do you hack?"

"My specialty is video games, mainly the online shooter games. The trick is to wait until the sequel comes out before delving deep into the code. That way, there's a lesser chance of being caught, since so few players are on the older game and the developers are giving all their attention to the new game."

"Nice! I like the way you think. I approached jobs the same way during my thieving days."

"How so?"

"Take museums for example," Selina began. "Obviously, the contracted jobs were for higher-value items. They were the most heavily guarded exhibits on the floor, making it tougher to lift them. But the smaller exhibits in other areas of the museum were easier to access in most cases. Sure, I'd take the occasional high-paying contract, but I mostly stole things I liked or could sell for a nice profit from the less secure areas. I did well, too, until the Dark Knight caught on."

"Well, he is the World's Greatest Detective," Jake replied. Hesitating for a moment, he asked, "So, what exactly is there between you two, if anything?"

"Jealous?" Selina teased.

"No, just... sizing up my potential competition," Jake said with a lopsided grin.

"Fair enough. To be honest, our relationship is strictly professional at this point in time. Oh, we've tried a committed relationship a few times over the years, but it was just too much. We had to juggle emotions, communicating, and the constant dangers of our missions. Sooner or later, it always broke down, and we swore we would never try a romantic relationship again, at least not while we were still in the crime-fighting business. Still, I can say with all honesty there's nobody I trust more than him."

"That's what you need in that line of work," Jake nodded.

"Anyway, I digress. My point is that you have a knack and a genuine interest in computer programming. Why don't you focus on that? Make that your area of study going forward."

"I guess... though I haven't even begun to think of how that can work for my career down the road..."

"There are plenty of outlets for that! Crime and crime fighting are both becoming more technologically advanced, so many police forces and security companies will pay hackers big money. They need someone to hack their systems and expose weaknesses in a controlled environment."

"Huh... I never thought of that," Jake replied. "Guess I've been so focused on hacking for profit and fun without getting caught, that I didn't even consider legal hacking."

"See? You've got all the capability you could want. You just needed a little shove in the right direction," Selina said, tousling his hair a bit.

"Thanks," Jake grinned, kissing her on the forehead. "So... are we ever gonna see each other again after tonight?"

Selina grimaced, knowing this question couldn't be avoided. "Jake, as much as I'd love for this to become a regular thing, it just wouldn't be fair."

"Wouldn't be fair? What do you mean?"

"Come on, I live a dangerous life! Every night could be my last; hell, tonight almost was! If I lived a normal, quiet life, I'd love nothing more than to come home to a sweet guy like you every night. But not knowing if I'll come home? Jake, I couldn't put you through that day after day. I'm sorry, but it's better this way."

Jake sighed. "I guess that makes sense. Still, I'd be willing to brave it for a shot with you, Selina. I'm not gonna lie, I've never been more attracted to a woman in my life, and it's not just your rockin' body! You're smart, fearless, and damn, that sharp wit! Even if it's just a temporary thing, I'm more than happy to try to make something work between us."

"Damn, you aren't making this easy... ok, tell you what. Just give me your phone number, and I'll take a few weeks to keep an eye on things and make sure there isn't any heat or threat of revenge from Penguin's gang. Once I'm in the clear, I'll contact you. I'm not gonna lie, this probably won't develop into an actual stable relationship, and I want to be upfront about that. I'd love for it to happen, but it's just not realistic. Does that sound ok?"

Smiling, Jake grabbed Selina's phone from the nightstand and programmed his number into it. "Done."

Pulling him in for another long kiss, Selina whispered, "You are one-of-a-kind, Jake Thompkins."

"Not so bad, yourself." As she reached to turn off the lights, he felt compelled to ask once more, "You're sure you aren't worried? Ya know, about that condom thing?"

Throwing a look over her shoulder, Selina deadpanned, "Do I look worried?"

*****

For the next three weeks, life went about as normal for Selina, training with the Batman Family and going out on patrol. There was one halfhearted attempt at payback from some of Penguin's goons, but nothing like when Batman foiled one of his big plans. Whether behind bars or out free, Oswald Cobblepot had bigger fish to fry than Selina Kyle. Things seemed to be going very smoothly for her... until she went for her annual checkup.

"Doctor Thompkins?" she whispered, tapping on the window.

"Ah, there you are, Selina," Leslie replied, opening the window for her. "Please, come in. I just closed up for the night."

"Thanks."

"Got the results of your blood work back. Everything on your physical checks out as normal, though there is one little thing I found. You might want to sit down."

"What's up?" she asked, taking a seat.

"Selina... you're pregnant."

Her jaw dropped in stunned silence for several long seconds. "Pregnant?!" she finally eked out.

"Yes, indeed. There is no doubt about it." Leslie placed a gentle hand on her shoulder in comfort. "Make no mistake, this is a wonderful, joyous thing that has happened, but it is going to change everything about your life. If I know Bruce, there's no way he'll ever let you back out on patrol in your current state."

"I'd like to see him try to stop me," she snorted.

"Selina, don't make me intervene," Leslie scolded her. "I will give an official doctor's order if I must."

"Fine... I'll talk to Bruce tonight."

"So, have you and he started things up again?" Leslie inquired.

"Oh, um... no," Selina replied, feeling a sensation of dread wash over her at the direction the conversation was taking.

"Then I might suggest you talk to Bruce tomorrow. Tonight, you have something more important to take care of. You need to tell the father."

"I... I don't plan to tell him."

"What? Why not?"

"It was... just a one-time fling. No emotions involved," she lied. "It's not my place to turn both our lives upside-down over this."

"It's not your place to take the decision away from him!" Leslie replied. "Oh, and don't think I'm fooled by your 'no emotions' line. I know you, Selina. You've never let just anyone get that close to you. Whoever this mystery man is, he must have had something special about him. You both made the decision that led to this, yes? You both consented. Thus, the decision of how to raise this child rests with both of you."

"Yeah, I guess he is pretty special," Selina admitted. "But Leslie, if you knew who he was, I know you'd agree with my decision."

"Try me," Leslie smirked.

Looking up, Selina knew her confident facial expression was cracking. Her lip began to quiver and tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Don't make me tell you, Leslie. You don't want to know. You'd hate me."

"Selina, you are one of my dearest friends. There is nothing you could tell me that would change that."

In her heart, Selina knew this, but logic told her the complete opposite was true in this situation. It was Leslie's only grandson, after all! How could she possibly forgive Selina for seducing Jake? Then again, what if the situation was reversed? Selina knew she would want to know the truth, no matter what. With a heavy sigh, she gathered her courage and told the truth.

"Leslie... Jake is the father."

Blinking twice, she replied, "My Jake?"

"Yes."

Leslie paced the room for a few moments, processing this information. "When? How?" she finally asked.

Selina began to recount the events of Halloween night, Jake's fight with Hailey, her encountering him in trouble on the rooftop, and his courageous efforts to help subdue The Penguin. She did spare Leslie the specifics of their night together, but when asked, did admit to using a condom, which of course failed. All the while, Leslie remained calm and contemplative, which only served to further unnerve Selina, who was expecting to be murdered at any moment.

"So... you seduced my grandson."

"Yes. I'm so sorry you had to find out like this, Leslie."

"Tell me the truth, Selina. How do you really feel about Jake?"

"I mean... you know me, Leslie. I've never been the kind of gal to be vulnerable or depend on any man. Hell, I'm just a hot piece of ass to nearly every single guy I've ever met in my life. And then, Jake comes along, talking to me like I'm a human being, more interested in what I have to say than what I look like. Even when I caught him sneaking a peek at me, it didn't feel like he was undressing me with his eyes. It was more like... he couldn't see me as anything other than this girl-next-door type. Guys have done that before, but never with sincerity. I've got a sensitive bullshit meter, and I got no bullshit from Jake."

"I raised that boy well, then," Leslie chuckled.

"My point is... I could never have seen myself falling for one man. I'm just not secure enough to be that vulnerable with my emotions. But Jake managed to break through, even if only a little. I used to think the only man I could ever fall in love with would be the one man I can't have: Batman. After meeting Jake, I don't know what to think. He's such a sweet, genuine guy, even if he's a bit young, maybe has some maturing to do. If there were ever a chance of retiring and having a quiet, normal life... he's exactly the kind of guy I'd want to be with."

"I see... Selina, as Jake's grandmother, I am very concerned with this entire situation. Your poor judgment is quite astounding, as is my grandson's. Both of you ought to know better. Still, I stand by my previous statement. He deserves to know the truth. Much as I may be disappointed with both of your decisions, he is a grown man. And if I know him, he will want to do the right thing."

"Leslie, he has his entire life ahead of him! I'd feel awful trapping him like that!"

"So, don't trap him," Leslie replied. "Instead, might I recommend..."

*****

Jake's pulse raced as he bounded up the stairs of the student union. Against all hope, he had resigned himself to never seeing Selina Kyle again. Then, three weeks to the day after Halloween, a text had come through asking him to be on his favorite rooftop that night. As he reached the top of the stairwell, Jake peeked his head out the door and into the night air.

"Selina? Selina, you there?"

Hearing no reply, he slipped out onto the roof and propped the door with a stone as before. Jake looked around for a moment and checked the time.

"Huh... it's nine o'clock. Where is she?"

Suddenly, he felt a cord of some kind whip around his waist, flinging him back against the door to the stairwell. In the course of two seconds, he went from calm, to terrified, to overjoyed.

"Hey there, stud. Come here often?" a sultry voice asked.

Opening his eyes, he now stood face-to-face with the woman of his dreams.

"Selina!"

After a quick, yet passionate kiss in greeting, Jake's mind began running a mile a minute.

"Oh wow... Selina, so much has happened! I-I met with my advisor, changed my major, and actually made a plan for finding work-"

"Jake, that's great, but... we need to talk."

"Oh... ok? What's going on?"

The pair sat on the roof, their backs against the stairwell building. Selina removed her helmet, allowing better eye contact with the father of her child.

"Jake, something incredible has happened," Selina began. "I'm... I'm pregnant. And you're the father."

Jake sat in silence for a few seconds, unsure of what he had heard. Eventually, Selina began to get worried.

"Jake? Say something," she prodded.

"I'm... what?! I'm gonna be a daddy?!" Jake exclaimed jumping to his feet and running around in circles. "Holy shit! We made a little person, and I'm gonna be a daddy!"

Selina beamed, laughing at his excited celebration. "That's right, Jake. You're gonna be a daddy," she sighed, relieved to see his reaction.

"Oh my god, I'm... holy shit. I'm gonna be a father!" Jake realized, the dread of responsibility setting in. "I... I'm a stupid college kid! I don't know how to be a father! Holy shit, I'm so screwed-"

"Jake, relax!" Selina giggled, wrapping him in a hug.

"I'm sorry. It's just such a shock. But oh my god, we're going to raise a kid together!" Seeing her hesitate, he asked, "We are going to raise our kid together... right?"

Cupping his face in her hands, Selina replied, "Only if it's what you want. Jake, I almost didn't tell you. I wanted to run away and raise the child on my own because... I didn't think it was right to turn your life upside-down."

"But this is our kid, Selina! I'd be a pretty sorry excuse of a man if I didn't do the right thing."

"I know. That's exactly what your grandmother said."

"Wait, Nana knows?!"

"She discovered it on my blood work during my checkup," Selina explained. "She was disappointed at first, but convinced me you'd want to do the right thing."

"Well, that's true. Old-fashioned as it may seem, I was taught that, if you get a girl pregnant, you marry her and do your part to raise the kid. It's that simple."

"So, you really want to-"

"Get married? Get a job? Build a future together? You bet your ass. I mean, it's a shame about college, but the semester's almost over. I just won't re-enroll for the spring..."

"Jake, you're a wonderful guy, but you're also a dunce," Selina giggled.

"Huh?"

"You are not dropping out of college. End of discussion."

"But... what about the whole 'doing my part' thing?" Jake asked.

"Jake, I'm Selina Kyle, remember? I'm not just Catwoman; I'm also a wealthy Gotham socialite! We'll be just fine financially until you graduate."

"Oh... good point."

"Honestly, you men. Where would you be without your better halves?" she giggled.

"So, Miss Wealthy Gotham Socialite... what does this mean for your career as Catwoman?"

Sighing, Selina replied, "Likely over. No way in hell is Batman letting me out on patrol while I'm pregnant, and I doubt I could convince him to let me come back with a little one at home."

"Never say never," Jake winked. "Might take some doing, but I think we could convince him."

"Wait, you're saying you want me to go back on patrol?!"

"Duh! First of all, Gotham needs you," Jake said in his Batman voice. "But more than that, it's a part of who you are. You said you wouldn't feel right taking college away from me, right? Well, I wouldn't feel right taking Catwoman away from you! I know it's dangerous, but that's not going to run me off, not after everything that's happened between us."

Selina sighed. "Dammit, you are just the sweetest. Ok, I'm going to go and talk to the boss tomorrow; we'll see what he says, then go from there. Sound like a plan?"

"Yep. Now, just one last order of business."

"Oh?"

Taking a deep breath, Jake went down on one knee. "Selina Kyle, mother of our child... will you marry me?"

Feigning indignation, she replied, "Hold up. I save your life, you repay me by knocking me up, and now you expect me to marry you?! I mean, there's so many hotties out there, and you want me to ignore all of them for you?!"

"That's the deal," Jake grinned.

Pulling him to his feet, Selina planted a forceful, passionate kiss on his lips.

"Hell yes, that's a deal."

*****

"Bruce?" Selina asked, creeping down the stairs to the Batcave.

"Selina," he replied, not looking up from his computer.

"Hey, how goes it? Nice night tonight," she said nervously.

A pause, then, "Did you come all the way down here just to make small talk?"

"Ah... no."

"You're flustered, Selina. Pretty rare to see you like this. What's going on?"

"Yeah, um... here's the thing. Something came up during my checkup with Dr. Thompkins last week. Something big."

"How big are we talking?"

"As in... pregnancy big."

Another long pause, then, "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Selina replied.

"Who's the lucky man? Dick? Tim?"

"No. It's actually Jake, Dr. Thompkins' grandson."

Bruce paused once more, annoying Selina to no end. She swore he was the most impossible to read person on the face of the planet!

"A bit younger than I'd expect from you, Selina," he finally replied. "He must be something special."

"He is, actually," she grinned. "I know he's young, but... god, he's so genuine and real, no bullshit about him. It's such a breath of fresh air."

"Unlike me," Bruce deadpanned.