The Dark Knight Rises (Spoilers Included)

Ok, so I feel like I am the only one who actually understands the more metaphorical interpretation of the film.
Before I continue, first be warned that this obviously contains spoilers, and I am not saying my interpretation is correct, as I would be happy to hear your thoughts on this rather heated topic.

So, we see Batman fly off into the sunset in his "Bat" and then from exterior shots we see the bat blow up in a nuclear explosion.

Following this, we see various characters, including Lucius Fox and Commissioner Gordon given information on how Bruce fixed the autopilot on his machine and then Alfred see's him in a café.
This is not open to interpretation, these are the actual shots taken in the film.

Here is my theory:
Throughout the film we see Bruce's remorse and despair at the loss of Rachel Dores, who was killed in the previous film. While he does fraternise with Talia Al Ghoul, and indeed with Catwoman, it seems that he still feels pain at the thought of her death and indeed his involvement in the event.
Then, when he is in the pit, we see Bruce's acceptance and fear of death, showing he is ready to face Bane.
These two elements alone, and another minor element lead me to believe that Bruce Wayne chose to die, even though he had fixed the autopilot and restored the Bat Signal on the roof of the police building. Alfred merely sees an illusion of Bruce and Catwoman at the café because that is what he has wanted to see so badly for years. He may have kissed catwoman before flying off, but I feel he was still confused at the loss of Rachel, his childhood friend and supposed paragon.
"Catwoman: Come with me. Save yourself. You don't owe these people any more! You've given them everything!
Batman: Not everything. Not yet. "