| Superman's Sister | b.w.

8 | e i g h t

8 | The Curse of Curves

AN hour had passed when Jessica and Alfred made it into the city of Gotham. She started to feel her heart race faster. This was Batman's turf.

What if he found her wandering the streets of Gotham, picked her up, and forced her to tell him about the date. GOD NO. The world could just swallow her whole right then and there. That would be so bad, he wouldn't want to see her anymore after that.

Alfred noticed Jessica's tense state and gave a slight chuckle. "There is nothing to be worried about madam, I assure you that master Bruce is nothing short of a gentleman."

"You seem to be really close to him."

"Of course, after his parents passed, I raised him as my own." Alfred smiled, he was practically his father. Jessica smiled at that, at least he wasn't alone. "Now tell me something about yourself, madam."

Jessica shifted in her seat, she wasn't expecting that question. "I'm from Smallville, Kansas. My brother and I were actually adopted when the meteor shower happened in 86." She explained, she wasn't lying, well partly.

Alfred pulled up to the manner, exited the car, and opened the door for her.

"I do hope you enjoy pasta," Alfred smiled, helping her out of the car. "Master Bruce specifically requested it for tonight's plans."

Jessica smoothed out her pantsuit while looking at the glass filled mansion. A certain fear started to creep up on her, the old 'you break it, you buy it' rule. Jared's jewelry store was hitting her all over again.

Of course, this wasn't Jessica's first ball game, she remembers the nervousness in her stomach when Oliver took her out on her first date in college. Although their relationship wasn't meant to be and she set up Oliver with her best friend, Chloe Sullivan, she couldn't help but feel those same butterflies in her stomach but, you know, ten times worse.

And she has no idea why.

Alfred led her to the steps of the mansion and there stood Bruce in a nice black button-up shirt, black slacks, and polished dress shoes. It made Jessica's heart flutter, the same heart flutter that she gets when Batman is around.

Pushing the thought of Batman to the back of her mind and from there on, it was just her and Bruce.

"SO, tell me about yourself," Bruce asked, looping his fingers together. "If you want to, that is."

Jessica chuckled looking down at her now empty plate, her smile unchanging. "Well, as I said to you before, I'm from Smallville, Kansas nothing in my life really happened until my brother and I were about sixteen." She placed her napkin on the table. "My family and I were driving back from one of the town's functions, a little family outing that we do every year. My brother and father got caught up in an argument and we didn't notice the change in the weather. Then all of a sudden, all of the cars on the freeway just stopped because Kansas has a record of random tornados."

THE whole Kent family was driving back home from the annual corn convention in town along with running some errands for the house and farm. Clark had run into the football team and they tried to get him to convince his parents to join the team again.

"I'm just trying to be a normal kid dad! I mean, Jessica wanted to join the cheer squad." Jessica buried her face in her jacket. Why did her brother always have a knack for dragging her into arguments like this? "Why can't you just trust us to be normal?"

"Your mother and I just want you both to be safe." Jonathan sighed while Jessica and Martha opted to just stay out of the conversation.

"I'm tired of being safe, I just wanna do something useful with my life!"

"So farming, feeding people. That's not... that's not useful?" Jonathan asked, looking at his son for a brief moment then back to the road.

"I didn't say that." Clark defended.

"Our family's been farming for five generations...-"

Clark rolled his eyes, tired of hearing that story. "Your family, not mine." The teen scoffed. "I don't even know why I'm listening to you, you're not my dad! You're just some guy who found me in a field." He snapped, causing both Jessica and Martha to glare at the teenager.

"Clark!" They growled in unison. Jonathan felt the pang of hurt flood his chest but knew his son didn't mean it, just blind anger.

"It's all right, Martha. He's right, Clark has a point. We're not your parents, but we've been doing the best we can. And we've been making this up as we go along, so maybe... maybe our best isn't good enough anymore." Jonathan explained as calmly as he could. Jessica began to notice the change in weather, from the nice light blue cloudy sky to dirty grey. Seems like Jonathan caught on to it too.

"Look, Dad...-" Clark was cut off by Jonathan.

"Hold on..." Jonathan opened the door to the car, Clark, Jessica, and Martha following close behind.

In the distance, a giant swarm of grey clouds, dust, leaves, and anything else that was sucked into the dangerous vortex of destruction.

"Dad?" Jessica asked in a panic, her father, being the man of self-sacrifice that he was, took charge of the situation.

"Go for the overpass..." In hesitation, Jessica stayed in place by her father's side. Too stubborn to leave, too convinced she could save them all without everyone knowing it was her. When Jonathan noticed she wasn't moving, he said it with more of a sternness. "Go for the overpass! Take cover!" Clark grabbed Jessica's arm and began to drag her to the overpass.

When they made it halfway, Jonathan caught up with the two, a little girl in his arms. "Over there, just follow them." He told the mother, putting the girl into Clark's arms.

"Hank's still in the car!" Martha shouted, her heart racing as fast as it possibly could. "Hank's in the car!" Jessica placed her hand on her father's arm.

"I'll get him, I'll get him!"

"No, no, get your mom to the overpass!" Jonathan shouted over the loud bustling wind of the tornado quickly gaining on them.

"Dad!" Jessica shouted after him.

"Go!" He shouted, running to the family car and tried to convince the dog to leave from its hiding spot in the car. "Come on Hank!" He encouraged the poor mutt crowding in between the space of the seat and the foot space of the car.

Jessica noticed a car fly directly on top of the car with Jonathan inside. "Dad!" Clark held back his mother and Jessica to make sure they didn't run off after him.

"Jonathan!" Martha screamed.

"Mom, it's okay!"

"Dad!" Jessica shouted again. Ready to go save her father from the storm.

"Jess, stay here!" Clark shouted, holding his mother up instead of his sister.

Hank had successfully made it to the overpass but Jonathan seemed to be having a harder time. Jessica noticed the way he limped a couple of feet but rested on the car, the pain was too great for him.

Jonathan knew he had run out of time. Jessica looked at Clark then back to her father, she took one step forward, ready to expose herself to save her father, her best friend. She halted when Jonathan did one simple hand motion, with no sign of fear, hate, or embarrassment, just a look Jessica to this day will never understand.

Jonathan held his hand up to stop her from using her abilities to save him, he didn't want to, but if this is what it takes to keep their secret hidden. Then so be it.

Jessica felt her eyes gloss over with big tears threatening to take over and in one fatal swoosh, he was gone. "Dad!" Clark screamed in agony as Martha collapsed into Jessica's arms in denial. Jonathan was gone, and they never had a chance to say goodbye or apologize for his awful behavior.

"IT was a hard day... something that wasn't supposed to happen but it did..." Jessica mumbled, messing with her ring. She wiped her eyes free of tears. "I'm sorry, I'm emotional." She apologized with a chuckle.

She opted on telling Bruce only the part where her father died, the argument, and that was it. If this relationship worked out, then she'd tell him the full story, someday. Bruce grabbed her hand in hers tightly, it radiated support and understanding. Jessica looked at Bruce in surprise, she was expecting him to just grab her hands like that.

"I know your pain, I understand it full-heartedly and I want you to know that you're strong. Stronger than me that's for sure." Jessica felt a single tear slip down her cheek as she smiled, he understood her. "Never be afraid to cry."

He may not understand all of her but the grief part is something she can live with. He wiped away that tear that slipped down to her chin, she almost forgot about everything, her brother, her double identity, Batman, everything.

Almost.

LATER that evening, Jessica opted for just staying in Gotham. Bruce insisted on having her sleep in one of his guest bedrooms but Jessica was too stubborn to intrude.

In defeat, he kindly offered to pay for her hotel in one of Gotham's nicest and secure hotels. When she left the house, Bruce, on the other hand, suited up and made sure to watch after the journalist. He wanted her to get from point A to B as safely as he possibly could.

Jessica walked into her hotel room and made sure to look in her bag. Sheilah had shot her a text message saying she had packed both her pj's and her suit. What great friends she had, always looking after her, even if their intentions were for a dirtier thought.

Jessica noticed the balcony right outside causing her to laugh to herself, maybe if she was to leave them open, she'd see Batman. She snorted at her attempt to joke to herself, opening her balcony doors, she rubbed her eyes under her glasses tiredly.

Thank god Bruce was able to get her a hotel at this hour, the man truly was a god. As if he knew she was expecting him, Jessica turned around to see the giant black mass standing in the middle of her balcony.

"What are you doing here?" He asked roughly, his voice modifier acting up again. Alfred will have to try and fix it yet again. Jessica rubbed her arm, she was suddenly nervous again.

"That is none of your business." She sassed, rummaging in her bag to pretend she was looking for something but was actually trying to hide her suit. He was known as the world's greatest detective for a reason. Jessica randomly pulled out her hairbrush and began to pull out the many tight braids Sheilah had bestowed upon her poor scalp. "Wait," she faced the bat. "How did you know I was here?"

"You weren't at your apartment. Your friend, very nervously, told me you were here." He explained gruffly. "But she told me not to tell you any of that."

"Thanks for scaring my friend." Jessica said sarcastically as she went back to brushing her hair. Batman just stood in silence and watched her hair fall in crimped waves delicately down her back. All he wanted to do was run his fingers through it.

"Packed for the occasion?" He asked, causing Jess to chuckle.

"The friend you scared had pre-packed it for me. It was a last-minute thing." She shrugged her shoulders, looking in the mirror, and decided to just leave it the way it was.

She placed her hairbrush down onto the night table beside her, the wooden brush making a soft clunk as she did so. She plopped her behind on the bed and chucked off her shoes with a soft groan in relief. Stupid toe pinch shoes.

"If you're just going to stand there and watch me all night, might as well come in." She asserted, looking back at him with her hair framing her face. Good Lord, help him.

Bruce stayed unmoved from the balcony, he couldn't and wouldn't go in. He was forcing himself to stay put, no matter how badly he wanted to be close to her again. Dinner with her was absolutely amazing, thank god she said yes to another date. "Fine, I guess I'll just go to you then." She mumbled, walking closer to the bat; turning off her light in the process. He swallowed thickly in sudden nervousness, he could see the cleavage from her pantsuit. Dammit, why did she have to be so gorgeous?

"Is everything alright?" She asked in confusion, she could hear the rapid beating of his heartbeat. Was he going to faint? Heart attack? How in the hell would she call that in? 'Hey, I think the Batman just had a heart attack on my balcony. Please send help!' How ridiculous would that be?

She heard him clear his throat. "What are you doing in Gotham?" He asked again, this time more forcefully. Jessica kept her eyes on his dark ones, she had the same magnetic pull to him just like Bruce.

"I, um..." She mumbled without thinking.

Bruce blinked in surprise, seriously? Bruce couldn't help but feel a little relieved but at the same time annoyed. Thoughts were spinning around his head at 100 miles per hour, what is he going to do.

Without a second thought, Jessica brought her soft lips onto his chapped ones. He quickly kissed back, wanting this since that night on the balcony when he was whisked away by Lord knows what.

Jessica just wanted to feel him pressed up against her, most likely to the nearest wall. Then her head started to trail over to the billionaire man she had her date with earlier, that could be real. This, whatever it was, couldn't.

Jessica was going to push him away and tell him that she couldn't do it, she wouldn't do it. Not to Bruce. But when she felt him push her up against the wall, his hands gliding to the zipper of her clothes. There was absolutely no way out of a passionate s****l escapade tonight.