Despite Batman being seen as the brooding lonely superhero, and himself saying he cannot give himself the luxury of having friends, the truth is, Batman/Bruce has a lot of people to rely on, who love and care for him. Alfred, Rachel, Gordon, Fox. And he loves and cares for them.
Unlike other versions of the heartbreaking death of Thomas and Martha Wayne, Thomas isn't killed instantly by the gunshot and stays alive long enough to comfort a young Bruce in his final seconds.
Thomas:(Last words) Bruce...it's okay...Don't be afraid.
When young Bruce falls down a well and breaks his arm, Thomas not only retrieves him, but he sets the bone himself.
After Ra's burns down his mansion, Alfred saves Bruce. Bruce very nearly quits right there, but Alfred reminds him of what his father said to him: "Why do we fall? So we can pick ourselves back up." Bruce Wayne, the Batman, looks like he's about to start sobbing.
Gordon putting his coat around Bruce on the night his parents are murdered, reassuring him that everything will be okay.
Their whole relationship, really. When they meet again, Gordon (without knowing who he is) thinks Batman is a nut. But slowly, he starts trusting him, and at the end of the film, they manage together to save the city.
After meeting Falcone, Bruce Wayne gives his coat to a homeless guy in an alley. As Bruce walks away, the homeless guy muses, "Nice coat." Later, when Batman captures Falcone after taking out his henchmen, he notices the same homeless guy, and this exchange happens:
Batman:Nice coat. (carries Falcone into the night) Homeless guy: (watching him go in awe) Thanks.
Alfred tells Bruce a story of how Thomas once brought Wayne Enterprises to the brink of collapse in fighting poverty in the depression. About setting an example for the powerful. Alfred then remarks that in a way it did work, because after their deaths, that got them to get their heads on to help Gotham. Indeed, Ra's remarks that their deaths indeed managed to get Gotham to "limp onward" afterwards, trying to keep the city together. So despite the tragedy, it's nice to see that their deaths had other positive outcomes.
While Batman scales the apartments, a boy goes out onto the balcony with the sound of loud fighting in the other room. This is in the middle of something rather important, but Batman not only pauses, he makes a sound to alert the boy to his presence. The kid is entirely unafraid, but when he resumes being crestfallen after realizing that no one would believe him, Batman tosses a gadget down to him, then resumes climbing.
After his disastrous first confrontation with Dr. Crane, Bruce calls Alfred on his cell phone and begs for help. We then have a brief shot of Alfred bringing him home in his car, like a parent who goes to help their child in the middle of the night.
Bruce and Ra's relationship, despite the way it ends. Ra's becomes a parental substitute for Bruce, and he seems to consider Bruce a sort of adoptive son. His affection for him is genuine, and even during Bruce's birthday, he seems genuinely happy to see him, despite being mortal enemies now. Ra's even makes a last attempt to convince Bruce to join him. In the novelization, Bruce buries a piece of cloth which had Ra´s blood alongside his parents, symbolizing their relationship.
This exchange:
Alfred: Why do we fall, sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up. Bruce: You still haven't given up on me? Alfred: Never.
Then this one:
Gordon: I never said "thank you". Batman: And you'll never have to.
Echoed beautifully in The Dark Knight:
Gordon: ...Thank you. Batman: You don't have to thank me. Gordon: Yes, I do.
And again in Rises:
Batman: Don't thank me. Not yet. Blake: I may not get another chance.
