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Aug. 14th, 2006 10:09 amJanuary was fast receding into February, and the big story was fast becoming yesterday's news. Yes, Mayor Borg still faced a corruption trial. Yes, his administration was in tatters, with the Town Council getting its knives out (an irony not lost on those who noted how Council president Rupert Thorne's own manipulations corruption). But Knox wasn't a political reporter, so his skills left him on the outside more and more.
Oh, that interview with Harvey Lee Dent was well received. And his sources at the various branches of government could be pumped for new factoids about the process. But these days, all this got Knox was a secondary byline on stories written by Nick Roy. As for his sense that Borg was been railroaded, he had nothing to back it up. Sources he had relied on for crime stories didn't do him any good.
So as the next cold snap hit Gotham, Knox drifted back to his usual beat. There were rumors of a meeting of the Mafia minds at a resort in St. Pete, a string of break-ins in Gotham Heights, and the usual Bat-sightings. He wondered which of these would grab the Bat's attention, and decided that Bats would stay local. Knox made plans to head to the Heights for the night when there was a small commotion in the elevator lobby.
Vale. Vicki Vale, surrounded by half the staff, in a very understated (faux) fur coat, and an ensemble to match (complete with short skirt, of course), has returned. She looks away from the well-wishers and saw Knox. "Allie!" Oh, that smile. That smile which was meant entirely to be friendly, and which still devastated him. She left the crowd and made her was to Knox.
"Hey, Vale. Welcome home." He tried to sound nonchalant.
"Thanks. I see you got a another huge scoop. Congratulations." She gave him a small kiss, porbably unaware what that did to poor Knox. "They're going to have to give you a Pulitzer this time."
"You're getting there first. Your photos from Europe have been amazing."
"Just at the right place at the right time. I saw better shots from kids using their dads' old Leicas." She returned with Knox to his desk.
"So, back for a while?"
"A few weeks. Bruce and I need a bit of downtime." Yup, still with him. Which didn't surprise Knox at all.
"You're not sticking around here, are you?"
"Winter in Gotham isn't as bad as winter in Leningrad, Allie. But no, we're heading south. Florida."
"Florida? You going to the big Mafia meeting?" He of course doesn't mean it, and yet there is something really strange about her smile. Is she covering it?
"Bruce prefers to keep his contacts with the Mafia to a minimum. And I wouldn't have a thing to wear."
"How's he doing, really?" Jealousy aside, Knox was starting to like Wayne a bit.
"Overworked. Really. I know he has this image of being hands-off and all, but he puts in a lot of time at the office." Knox doubted this, but he had to admit, Wayne's name was showing up more in the business pages.
"Well, he's got to earn that...inhertitance?" Knox tried not to make this sound snarky.
"Inheritances only get you so far, Allie." She didn't appreciate such comments, but also seemed ready to excuse Knox.
"Can I ask you something...any chance you can get him to talk to me about Borg?" Vicki tried to not to look surprised. "I know, I know, you would rather not bring my work home to his place, but he was one of Borg's biggest funders last time around. And he's been as mum as everyone else. People are gonna ask him questions. People probably already are asking questions. Might do him good to clear the air and move on." Vicki thinks about this for a few moments, even as the clatter of the newsroom moves around them.
"Allie, I don't think he wants to talk about it. He's said almost nothing to me. It's...uncomfortable. You are right in that Bruce believed in Borg. I think they were nearly friends. But Bruce...he doesn't like corruption. He's had to work to make sure that people think of his company as honest. Being associated with this city is hard enough. Any link with Borg...he wouldn't want to say anything." Knox had the sense that yet again, there was more going on here. Vale knew something. Something Knox couldn't get at.
"Fair enough. But can you ask? As a favor to your favorite reporter?" He smiled hard at her, not really thinking this could work.
"I'll consider it, Allie." She smiled back, and devastated him again. "Listen - I have to go talk with George. But I'm taking him to lunch. You want to join us?" Not quite his ideal lunch, sharing a woman he can't have with his editor. But a free meal is a free meal. And he was old enough to be friends with her, right? He wasn't 15, right?
"You're on!"
Thus he waited for lunch. And all the while, as he tried to not to have any more of a crush on Vale, he wondered what was really up with Wayne. Something seemed odd...
Oh, that interview with Harvey Lee Dent was well received. And his sources at the various branches of government could be pumped for new factoids about the process. But these days, all this got Knox was a secondary byline on stories written by Nick Roy. As for his sense that Borg was been railroaded, he had nothing to back it up. Sources he had relied on for crime stories didn't do him any good.
So as the next cold snap hit Gotham, Knox drifted back to his usual beat. There were rumors of a meeting of the Mafia minds at a resort in St. Pete, a string of break-ins in Gotham Heights, and the usual Bat-sightings. He wondered which of these would grab the Bat's attention, and decided that Bats would stay local. Knox made plans to head to the Heights for the night when there was a small commotion in the elevator lobby.
Vale. Vicki Vale, surrounded by half the staff, in a very understated (faux) fur coat, and an ensemble to match (complete with short skirt, of course), has returned. She looks away from the well-wishers and saw Knox. "Allie!" Oh, that smile. That smile which was meant entirely to be friendly, and which still devastated him. She left the crowd and made her was to Knox.
"Hey, Vale. Welcome home." He tried to sound nonchalant.
"Thanks. I see you got a another huge scoop. Congratulations." She gave him a small kiss, porbably unaware what that did to poor Knox. "They're going to have to give you a Pulitzer this time."
"You're getting there first. Your photos from Europe have been amazing."
"Just at the right place at the right time. I saw better shots from kids using their dads' old Leicas." She returned with Knox to his desk.
"So, back for a while?"
"A few weeks. Bruce and I need a bit of downtime." Yup, still with him. Which didn't surprise Knox at all.
"You're not sticking around here, are you?"
"Winter in Gotham isn't as bad as winter in Leningrad, Allie. But no, we're heading south. Florida."
"Florida? You going to the big Mafia meeting?" He of course doesn't mean it, and yet there is something really strange about her smile. Is she covering it?
"Bruce prefers to keep his contacts with the Mafia to a minimum. And I wouldn't have a thing to wear."
"How's he doing, really?" Jealousy aside, Knox was starting to like Wayne a bit.
"Overworked. Really. I know he has this image of being hands-off and all, but he puts in a lot of time at the office." Knox doubted this, but he had to admit, Wayne's name was showing up more in the business pages.
"Well, he's got to earn that...inhertitance?" Knox tried not to make this sound snarky.
"Inheritances only get you so far, Allie." She didn't appreciate such comments, but also seemed ready to excuse Knox.
"Can I ask you something...any chance you can get him to talk to me about Borg?" Vicki tried to not to look surprised. "I know, I know, you would rather not bring my work home to his place, but he was one of Borg's biggest funders last time around. And he's been as mum as everyone else. People are gonna ask him questions. People probably already are asking questions. Might do him good to clear the air and move on." Vicki thinks about this for a few moments, even as the clatter of the newsroom moves around them.
"Allie, I don't think he wants to talk about it. He's said almost nothing to me. It's...uncomfortable. You are right in that Bruce believed in Borg. I think they were nearly friends. But Bruce...he doesn't like corruption. He's had to work to make sure that people think of his company as honest. Being associated with this city is hard enough. Any link with Borg...he wouldn't want to say anything." Knox had the sense that yet again, there was more going on here. Vale knew something. Something Knox couldn't get at.
"Fair enough. But can you ask? As a favor to your favorite reporter?" He smiled hard at her, not really thinking this could work.
"I'll consider it, Allie." She smiled back, and devastated him again. "Listen - I have to go talk with George. But I'm taking him to lunch. You want to join us?" Not quite his ideal lunch, sharing a woman he can't have with his editor. But a free meal is a free meal. And he was old enough to be friends with her, right? He wasn't 15, right?
"You're on!"
Thus he waited for lunch. And all the while, as he tried to not to have any more of a crush on Vale, he wondered what was really up with Wayne. Something seemed odd...
