Brave New World: Batwoman

Chapter 3

The following day found Jacob, Sophie and Mary standing on the tarmac at Gotham Airport in front of the jet that recently arrived, since there was only one passenger on it. And they were all extremely happy when they saw the passenger get off the plane.

"Miss me?" Kate asked as she stepped off the plane and onto the Tarmac.

Mary was the first one to break out of her shocked state and rushed forward and hugged Kate tightly.

"I'm so happy you're home. I knew you weren't dead. Despite what my mom said." Mary said, tears coming to her eyes as Kate hugged her back.

"I'm too stubborn to be dead." Kate said and that bit of sarcasm snapped Jacob out of his trance.

"I didn't truly believe it until now. I should've known that you weren't dead." Jacob said as Mary slightly reluctantly let go of Kate to allow Jacob to hug her.

"It was a plane crash over the open ocean. I don't blame you for thinking I was dead." Kate said.

"I didn't let that stop me. I spent three years searching for you, even when all hope seemed lost. I shouldn't have believed that life had taken another member of my family from me." Jacob said as he actually cried, something that all three of the women on the tarmac had very few memories of him doing previously and held her tightly.

"I'm guessing that unlike Mary, you believed Catherine when she told you I was dead." Kate asked.

"In her defense, your father was bankrupting the crows with rescue operations. He was committing a majority of our resources to searching for you instead of what the Crows actually stood for." Sophie said.

"Still, can I smack her?" Kate asked and Jacob chuckled, since that wit was the real clincher he needed to confirm that this was his Kate.

"We'll talk about it after we stop by the hospital." Jacob said.

"Do I look like I need a hospital?" Kate asked and it was true, she looked completely healed.

"Still, I'd feel better if a real doctor confirmed it." Jacob said and Kate nodded, knowing that this was something her father needed as they got into the car.

"Well doc, how is she?" Jacob asked Kate's doctor after she'd been checked out.

"It's remarkable. Despite the fact that her plane touched down in the middle of the ocean, all her injuries have completely healed to the point there's only a few scars. Wherever she was, it's clear that they had some decent medical care to have been able to treat her injuries so well." the doctor said.

"So, she's completely healed." Jacob asked.

"Physically yes. We're running some blood tests on her now to see if we can figure out what caused the healing, since it could help a lot of other people." the doctor said and Jacob nodded.

"So she's okay physically, how about mentally?" Jacob asked.

"That remains to be seen. She seems relatively unaffected by what she went through, that could change. Keep an eye on her." the doctor said and Jacob nodded.

Kate was relieved when she was finally discharged from the hospital, since honestly, she was tired of being poked at and she was hoping that the doctors wouldn't find any trace of the desert rose in her blood, since honestly, the only doctor she'd trust with that secret was Mary.

Anyways, after she was discharged, her father took her back to the penthouse to find that Sophie, Mary and Catherine had set up a small welcome home party for her.

"Wow. Have to admit, I was expecting something bigger." Kate said.

"Well, Catherine wanted to, but Mary and I both figured that wouldn't really be your style, unless you've changed over the past five years." Sophie said.

"You still know me better than most." Kate admitted, though it was somewhat reluctant, since there was still a bit of resentment towards Sophie in her voice.

"Welcome home Kate." Mary said as she handed her sister a glass of champagne before Sophie could respond and to break up the tension that appeared in what should be a happy occasion.

"You couldn't get me a beer?" Kate asked and Mary chuckled.

"It was the compromise I made with mom for not having a huge party." Mary said.

"Fair enough." Kate agreed as she took the glass.

"So, any ideas about what you're going to do now that you're back, since I'm guessing that joining the Crows is no longer something you want to do?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah, honestly, I don't know what I was thinking wanting to join them in the first place, since after all, I spent my whole life trying to find ways to disobey you, so I don't know why I'd want a job where I have to do the opposite." Kate said and Jacob chuckled.

"That's fair. So anyways, what are you going to do?" Jacob asked.

"Actually, I was thinking about taking over Wayne, since I caught up on what I missed in the world on the flight home and I think that someone needs to clean up the mess my cousin made of his company." Kate said, though she silently added and to this city in her head.

"Think you have what it takes to be a business woman?" Catherine asked.

"If you can do it, how hard can it be?" Kate asked, since honestly, while she loved Mary like her blood sister, she'd never liked Catherine, in either reality it appeared.

Mary had to stop herself from laughing at the look on her mother's face.

"I've missed you so much Kate." Mary said and Kate laughed.

"I've missed you to Mary." Kate said.

"So anyways, you think that you can handle running Wayne?" Jacob asked.

"I don't know, but Uncle Thomas dedicated his life to building that company from the ground up and the only thing he cared about more than it was his family. I intend to try and fix what Bruce let fall apart when he left. Does he know that you found me?" Kate asked.

"Didn't bother calling him since he wouldn't answer, though I'm sure he'll see it on the news. Maybe the fact that his cousin is alive will bring him back, but I wouldn't count on it." Jacob said with disdain for his nephew, since it was no secret that he didn't have much love for Bruce after he abandoned Gotham.

"Who knows. Maybe the fact that I'm alive will give him a reason to come back." Kate said, though she did share her father's skepticism at that. Not that she cared. Bruce being gone meant that his toys were up for grabs. He'd had his chance to protect Gotham, but he gave up. Now it was her turn once again. Batman was still gone, but it was time for Batwoman to ride once again.