SHE WASN'T SURE where Damian had gone. Her dance with Anthony Dexter was rather short, and they parted ways after a few more words exchanged. The Dexters were hardly the most important family in Gotham, but they were still near the top. Close enough that it was worth it to maintain good connections. She'd stay in contact with Anthony Dexter and decide what to do with him.

And he seemed sweet. He volunteered at the animal shelter. That had to speak well of him.

Odile found herself alone. But there was no time to waste. Damian would be alright. He'd likely found himself tired by standing and found some nice place to sit down. She had a mission tonight, and she didn't want her entire life to revolve around Damian Wayne. No, she was more than that.

Bruce had told her some names to look out for. She'd already noticed quite a few, but she needed a good way to approach them. Make it seem accidental. But charming. She could take an entire gang of crooks at the same time, she could handle the super-rich of Gotham City. Really, a lot of the time, the strategies were the same.

People weren't all that different at the end of the day. At the core, everyone was the same.

Perhaps she should find another dance partner. Or some group of people to join in. There was an entourage of younger people gathered in one corner, laughing about something. Two men and two women. She could join them, though it might seem a bit out of the blue. No, better attract attention to herself instead.

She spotted Bruce making her way towards her from across the room. He knew she'd noticed him too, because he raised a brow in silent question. Odile smiled sweetly, offering a small nod.

"Where's Damian?" he asked with a frown once he was by her side.

"Not sure," she admitted. "I'm sure he's alright. Do you want me to find him?"

"Give it a while." Bruce crossed his arms. "You were dancing with Anthony Dexter?"

"He's sweet. The group over there, those four, are any of them of much importance?"

Bruce surreptitiously glanced over. "You'll be introduced to them eventually. Luke's friends. No need to waste time on them tonight."

"Is he here tonight?" She hadn't spotted him yet, but Luke might just be keeping to himself.

Bruce shook his head. "No, he's still out of the country. Will be back in two months, if things go to plan."

"Right. So no point heading over to that group. Who would you suggest I approach next?"

"I'm sure you've already decided in your head."

She glanced at him, amused. "You have lots of faith in me."

He shrugged. "I'm planning on handing the entire Wayne Foundation over to you in a few years, if you want it. Of course I have plenty of trust in you."

"I don't think I'm qualified for it." She turned her head back to the ballroom, shaking her head. "It's better if you leave it in the hands of someone more experienced and more deserving, really."

"If that's what you want, I'll put someone else in charge of it instead. But if you ever want it, it's yours." He sounded quite adamant about it.

"But why? I don't understand why you're so sure I'd do a good job at it. I'm a complete novice."

"Because you genuinely want to help people." He turned to her, expression sincere. "You, Tim, Remiel... the three of you are different compared to the others. Hell, Luke too. The rest of us, there's always an element of... selfishness. We want to help people, yes, but there's a part of it that's for ourselves. To keep ourselves sane, to give ourselves a sense of purpose, to deal with the shadows of our past. You really need to give yourself more credit for all the things you do, Odile."

"I wanted vengeance," she mumbled. "I wasn't completely selfless either." And god, I have lied to all of you for so long. You have no idea how much I've kept from you.

"And you got it. You kept on helping people. Not even just in the suit," he said in a hushed voice, making sure they weren't overheard, "but even as Odile Yu. I don't see anyone more suitable for the job. If anyone will make Gotham a better person, it'll be you."

"That's sweet, Bruce," Odile said, a grateful, small smile on her face. "But don't get your hopes up. I might end up disappointing you."

"We all make mistakes. The important thing is that you learn from them and get back up." He shrugged. "And to answer your original question, Odile, try Caleb Rothman over there. The one with black hair, yes. You'll get along with him, I think. And the Rothmans are well-known philanthropists in Gotham."

He spotted someone then, and with an apologising nod towards her, headed towards the doors, where a few latecomers were strolling in. Odile was left by herself, pondering about his words.

Perhaps she ought to stop discounting herself. She wasn't sure why she kept doing it. Actually, she did. It was a multitude of factors, of course: having a long-standing unrequited crush did very little for your self esteem. Neither did pretending to be someone else for sixteen years, and really, still continuing with it now at nineteen. No one else knew except Damian and Jon.

She should really just... come out and admit it.

It would be better than keeping it a secret for even a second longer. Because the longer she kept quiet, the harder betrayal would sting.

She knew that. So why was she so hesitant?

Suddenly, the ballroom felt suffocating. She knew she should head to Caleb Rothman, strike up a conversation with him, but that could wait. She turned and headed towards the powder room.

The way to the powder room featured a few doors that led out to rounded platforms, fenced except for where a few steps led down to the backyard. The backyard was lit up tonight, though no one seemed to want to brave the gradually chilling Gotham air in their suits and dresses.

Except for a lone figure, arms on the stone fence, staring out into the yard.

Odile paused. He'd heard her, no doubt, probably guessed it was her as well. But he didn't turn.

After a moment's hesitation, she pushed open the glass door and stepped out. A gush of cool air hit her skin and she grimaced. Her coat was elsewhere. She'd simply have to deal with the cold. She'd dealt with worse.

"Damian?"

He turned his head slightly. "Oh. I didn't see you there."

Odile raised a brow. "No, but you must have heard me a mile away."

"I didn't," he professed, turning back towards the yard. "I was lost in thought."

She walked up to his side, placing her arms on the fence like he was. Their faces were level now. She turned. "About?"

His brows furrowed. "Aren't you cold?"

"It's fine," she replied with a shrug. "I went on a mission in Harbin once, did I ever tell you about that? No, I couldn't have. It was when I was seventeen. Way colder than this, I assure you."

He grimaced, taking off his dinner jacket carefully and draping it around her shoulder. Odile blinked, nonplussed. "No, it's fine, I'm not—"

"I still have a shirt on," he said, rolling his eyes. "You don't even have sleeves."

She narrowed her eyes, but she knew he was right. Besides, the jacket was warm with his body heat. And his scent. He'd put on perfume before coming out. A woody, masculine scent. It suited him.

Had he chosen it himself? Or had it been a gift from someone else?

She tugged it closer together. "Why stand out here?"

"Why are you out here?"

"On the way to the powder room?"

His lips twisted upwards. "No one calls it that anymore, you know."

Odile let out a dramatic sigh. "I know. But I used to read all those Regency romance novels, you know, and they always talk about the powder room, so it kind of stuck. It sounds nicer than the woman's toilet."

"Ladies' room?"

"That works too, I guess. You haven't answered my question yet."

"Just wanted to get out of the ballroom for a while."

"So you decided to come out into the cold?"

"I thought you said the temperature was fine?"

"You know what I mean."

Their eyes met. She squinted. "You sure you're alright?"

"How was Dexter?"

"You know him?"

"We went to school together. Well, whenever I was in school anyways."

"He seems nice."

"Nice. Yeah. That's him. You like him?"

"We shared like two words." She rolled her eyes. "He seems fine so far. What, you don't like him?"

Damian grimaced. "He's just not the type of person I naturally gravitate to."

"Damian, you don't naturally gravitate towards anyone."

He chuckled. "I suppose you're alright. I don't know. I've always just... felt strange around people like him. Who makes it seem effortlessly easy."

"I thought you didn't like people."

"When I was younger? Yeah, definitely. Especially when you first met me. But I've grown up a lot over the years. I've changed a lot too. I'm not desperate to connect to everyone, and people tend to be more desperate to talk to me instead, but it's annoying to struggle to make any genuine connections. Everyone seems to either be terrified of me or want something from me."

"You have us."

"Of course, there is family. But then again, I don't get along with everyone in my family either, do I?"

"Your family?" she snorted. "Our family, Damian." God, she needed to keep hold of at least that. She couldn't lose that. It was one of the few things keeping her tied to Damian.

"You're different."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Of course you're like family to me, Odile," he said hastily. "But at the same time, you're not the same as Grayson. Or Father. Or Remiel."

"What am I, then?" she asked quietly.

He was quiet for a long time. She didn't pressure him, turning back to face the garden. The Foxes' garden had been beautifully decorated, but unlike the usual Gothic style Gotham manors usually had, theirs had a more... personal touch. Statuette of African figures she didn't recognise. It was a lot more lively than the usual glumness of Gotham gardens.

She didn't think he was going to answer her, really. If not family, then what was she? Friend? But she was more than that. But if not friend or family, what was she to him?

Of course, she knew the answer she wanted. But she doubted she'd get it out of him any time soon. And in a way, she was terrified of the day that she might hear it. If she'd ever hear it.

"You're..." he hesitated. She didn't turn her head. Didn't want to give him a reason to shy away from an answer. "You're like an anchor."

"An anchor?"

"Yeah. An anchor. You keep me grounded. When I first met you, I wasn't happy, Odile. So much had happened in the span of a year. I was lonely. Grayson tried to get me to connect with the Titans, but that didn't really work out the way he wanted to. And in a way, I didn't want to make friends, even though I felt so lonely. But then I met you."

"Oh."

"You were one of the first real friends I'd ever had."

Friends.

He could adorn it with fancy names all he wanted, but that was what he'd relegated her to. Not even family. Just... friends.

"That's nice." Her voice was weaker than she'd wanted it to be. He seemed to notice, glancing over.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." She paused. "I think I'm going to go back to the ball. I shouldn't waste my time out here."

"I thought you were going to the bathroom."

"I just wanted a break from the ballroom. I didn't actually need to go."

"Right." He frowned. "You sure you're alright? You don't have to go back if you don't want to—"

"Damian." She snapped. She didn't mean to. She could register the slight shock in his expression. "I'm fine. I'll be fine. I'm here with a goal tonight. Bruce said I should talk to Caleb Rothman. I'll do that now."

"Rothman? He's a renowned womaniser in some circles, you should really stay away—"

"I'm interested in his family's philanthropy." She paused, allowing that to set in. "I don't care if he's a notorious playboy. Stop being so overprotective. Between your reaction to him and Anthony, it's just completely unnecessary."

"I'm trying to make sure you stay away from the wrong people."

"I can beat up most people in that ballroom without breaking a sweat, Damian. I'll be fine. Stop it. At this point, it's just starting to get ridiculous. It's like you're jealous or something. Just..." she sighed. "Have a good evening, Damian."

—

DAMIAN WASN'T WRONG, because Caleb Rothman—black haired, dark skinned, six foot three with a dashing smile—was flirting with her with everything he had. She smiled and pretended to be amused, but it was starting to get a bit tiresome. But he was doing it in a way that only made her feel mildly impatient, rather than uncomfortable, and she was getting something out of this, so she forced herself to stay.

She had not a clue why Bruce thought she'd get along with him. Perhaps the flattery?

If so, Bruce must think her quite vain. Which she hoped was not the case.

"Do visit Rothman House sometime," he was saying, enthusiasm lighting up his features as he talked about his childhood home. He'd moved out three years ago, he'd mentioned earlier in their conversation. "It's quite unlike most of the other houses in Gotham."

"I was just thinking to myself that this house was quite different from what I've seen. Especially the garden. It's very charming." It was time to retake control over the topic. It had veered a little too far.

"It is indeed. I heard the Foxes spent quite a fortune on this place. I'm fairly good friends with Luke."

She found it difficult to imagine responsible, sympathetic Luke being around loud, boisterous Caleb Rothman, and thus decided the man had to be exaggerating. Besides, Bruce would likely have mentioned it if the two men were friends.

But she needed to get to the point. "I wonder if a public park of such beauty could be built in Gotham? Of course we already have quite a few, but the greenscaping in Gotham could really be brought up to the next level. We have little space as well back in Hong Kong, but we manage to fit little parks into the nooks and crannies we have."

He blinked. "I mean, that's definitely something that could be improved about the city. But really, most districts in Gotham are quite nice regarding infrastructure these days."

"I wouldn't say that about the East End," she said with a gentle laugh.

"I heard something about new infrastructures in the East End recently. From the Wayne Foundation, I think. You know anything about that?"

"I'm leading some of the initiatives, actually. Focusing on a new orphanage right now, but I'm wondering if I should add a new public park on the list? More places for children to play, enjoy themselves, connect with nature."

"If you do, I'm sure my family will be willing to contribute some funds. We're quite into charity ourselves. Have you heard about the Rothman Foundation?"

There. Finally, the conversation was where she wanted it to be. No longer on how beautiful she looked in her dress and how much he liked the way she wore her hair. She already knew all that. She wouldn't have picked her look otherwise.

Damian hadn't come back into the ballroom yet. She hoped he wasn't still standing out in the cold. Odile had placed herself in a spot that allowed to see most of the ballroom—Bruce standing at the other corner was doing a similar thing, though he was now conversing with Lucius Fox.

She hated that she was thinking and worrying about Damian even now. When she should be focusing on the man standing in front of her, who was being extremely agreeable and who deserved her full attention.

She tapped back into the conversation with Caleb. "I have not. Tell me about it? What do you guys focus on doing?"

!!! hi I would like to inform you all that I've made the decision this will no longer be a duology but!!! a trilogy!!! there will be a Jason Todd fic after this one, and I'm already working on the basics on it. it's a lot more disconnected from this book & no celestial, taking place around three years before the events of swan song! the main character may be making an appearance sometime soon!