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Chapter Text

Alexandra Wayne is many things. She is twenty-five. She is freshly graduated from medical school. She is a new surgical resident at Wayne Memorial Hospital.

Unfortunately, Alexandra is also a daughter, a sister, and worst of all: a Wayne.

One wouldn’t be able to tell that she is the last one upon looking into her past in the Wayne family. Of course, as all associated with the infamous Bruce Wayne, Alexandra has appeared in her fair share of tabloids and press releases. She has made appearances at galas, attended charity events, and hosted high society teas. She is nothing if not the picture perfect socialite, the well-behaved eldest daughter of the Wayne family, and an accomplished young woman finding her way in such a dangerous world.

Inside Wayne Manor, though, the home of Gotham City’s most famous residents, there is barely any evidence of her existence. She does not feature in any of the portraits hanging in the halls, has no awards proudly displayed alongside her siblings’, there is not even a door bearing her name in the family wing, despite both Stephanie Brown and Barbara Gordon having all such evidence displayed throughout the property even though they are merely friends of the family. 

There are many possible reasons for her distance from the family, though Alexandra has never been provided with any. She supposes that being a baby forced onto a man that never wanted to be a father would cause a rift between parent and child. Though why such a rift was never closed, even after the entrance of so many other children into the family, she couldn’t say. There’s also the fact of her father not having the chance to bond with her for her first two years in the manor. Alexandra had been handed over to Alfred Pennyworth, the Wayne family butler, as a newborn. At the time, Bruce Wayne had been off on sabbatical, travelling the world and learning who-knows-what from who-knows-who. (Alexandra knows exactly what and exactly who from but those are technically family secrets and she’s not so cruel or petty that she would intentionally reveal them.) Bruce had been two years into his four year sabbatical when a mother Alexandra can’t remember left her on his doorstep, claiming to have had a short lived affair with Bruce during a stint in Europe the year before. Alfred had settled the legal details through Lucius Fox, who was taking care of Wayne Enterprises in Bruce’s absence, and Alexandra Martha Wayne was the first biological and legal child of Bruce Wayne.

She was two when Bruce finally came home and what a pleasant surprise she was for the man. A child he neither asked for nor wanted. A child bearing his late mother’s name and eyes. A child that was vulnerable, that could become a weakness for him. Bruce Wayne came home with plans for both himself and the future of Gotham, neither of which included a toddler practically dropped on him by the stork. Martha Wayne’s hazel eyes gazing up at him with such hope did nothing to endear Alexandra to him either, making him turn away all that much faster. Alfred assured her that she just brought grief, that the reminder of his mother was too much for Bruce to handle, that none of her father’s actions were her fault. Still, Alexandra knew when she wasn’t wanted, even at such a tender age. It was fine, though. She had Alfred and that’s all that mattered, nothing about her life even really changed. There may have been an extra face at the breakfast table, but it was still her and her Alfie and that’s all she knew or needed. 

It wasn’t until another new face joined them in the dining room that Alexandra actually began to question her father’s lack of interest in her. She was four when Richard “Dick” Grayson came somersaulting into the manor, swinging on Alfie’s delicate chandeliers and eating Alexandra’s cookies. Dick was eight years old and suffering from the grief of losing his parents. He clung to the man that took him from the circus, following Alexandra’s father around like a little duckling. The first year was hard. Dick’s mood would swing from one extreme to the other as he navigated his grief, the emotions too large for a body so small. Alfred explained it all to her in words more understandable for a pre-schooler. Dick was sad, he had lost his mommy and daddy, he would live in the manor with them from now on. After the first year, when Bruce and Dick were closer than ever, clinging to one another and sharing secrets and acting as if they were family, Dick officially became family. Dick Grayson-Wayne officially became her big brother when he was nine and she five. Bruce was Dick’s dad, but he was still just Alexandra’s father.

The manor fell into routine and life marched on. Dick continued to follow Bruce; his example, his mannerisms, his unspoken rules. Dick was the child that Bruce may have never wanted but welcomed with open arms. They even looked alike, their dark curls and crystal blue eyes a stark contrast to Alexandra’s auburn waves and hazel gaze. Despite knowing no other home from the manor, despite carrying the Wayne name, she was only Bruce’s daughter and not his child. Even when Dick and Bruce’s relationship became rocky a decade later, she was nothing more than a spectator in the happenings of the house. By this point in time, she knew the secrets her father and brother hid from the world, from her, knew what lay beneath the very floors she grew up running on. It still made no difference. She was eleven when she brought up vigilantism and her interest in continuing the family tradition over dinner. She was met with a wide-eyed stare from Dick and a disinterested grunt from Bruce. She never brought it up again. Three years later, she watched her brother storm out of her manor and her father lock himself in the cave below the property. 

It wasn’t long after Dick fled to Bludhaven, intent on making a name for himself, that Bruce came home with a new black haired, blue eyed boy. Jason Todd was two years her junior and sparked a hope in Alexandra that she had thought long blown out. She had never been much of a little sister, even though she and Dick spent an entire decade together in the halls of Wayne Manor, but maybe, just maybe she could be the best big sister. The flickering flame Jason lit was snuffed out almost as quickly as it was lit. Jason looked up at Bruce with admiration in his eyes and joined the bird brigade. Alexandra was not jealous, not truly. She didn’t really want to go out on the streets and grapple over roof tops, but she did want her father to look at her the same way he did Dick and Jason, with pride and wonder and love. She’d settled for Bruce looking at her at all. He never did. Time marched on. She will say that Jason acknowledged her, at least. He would chatter with her on the ride home from school and share book recommendations if they ended up in the manor library at the same time. It may not have been the sibling relationship she dreamed of, but it was more than she had had before. Then, it was ripped away and she was alone once again. 

Alexandra had been in her freshman year of college when Jason Todd-Wayne died, having graduated high school early and begun attending Gotham University the autumn before her little brother took a solo trip to Ethiopia. She cried for him, mourned for him, for the boy that didn’t get a chance to grow. It was less than a year later that thirteen year old Timothy Drake, her once next door neighbor, began wandering the manor alongside her grief stricken father. Tim wasn’t her brother, not really, but he was another little boy with black hair and blue eyes intent on playing super hero. She hated it, but she hated the way Bruce had been working himself to death even more. Tim was not Jason, but he became the bird to drag the bat back from darkness. She was not surprised when Timothy Drake-Wayne joined her family before she finished her undergraduate program. 

With Tim, came Stephanie Brown. Stephanie was not the first girl other than Alexandra to grace the manor. When Dick had been growing up within the manor’s walls, he had dragged Barbara Gordon with him everywhere. Neither of the girls were Waynes in name or blood, but they may as well have been. They were cordial with Alexandra, but were also two other members of the exclusive club she wasn’t allowed to be in. Babs had always offered her a smile on her trips to the manor when they were children, seeing her as Dick’s kid sister more than anything. Steph had stopped for a conversation over Alfred’s treats in the kitchen a time or two, but that was as far as their interactions went. Neither of them were Alexandra’s sister and neither seemed to want to be. 

She did gain a sister shortly before graduating from Gotham University. Cassandra Cain was the quietest addition to the family, but she seemed to be the daughter Bruce was missing. He took her in, gave her his name, and anything else she could ever want. Not that Alexandra blamed her sister for their father’s actions. Cass had been through enough in her life to warrant a loving family as a reward for surviving. She was glad to open her home to the younger girl, to offer sisterhood. Of course, just as with all of her caped siblings, Cassandra Wayne had different priorities and more than enough love from the rest of the family to not need Alexandra as well. Which was fine. Alexandra was an adult, had grown out of childish wants and whims. She was graduating college.

And she did. Alexandra walked across the stage with Alfred and Lucius in the crowd, just as they had been at her high school graduation. She received her diploma, hugged them both, and packed her bags. She had plans and they did not include Gotham, at least not anymore. Star City was her destination, having been accepted into medical school at the University of Beckenham. 

The first year of medical school was just as tough as she expected it to be; sleepless nights, two-inch thick study packets, and hours of lectures. She loved it. She called her friends from Gotham weekly, keeping them all up to date on her adventure in the state of Washington while they informed her of the villain of the week back home. She called Alfred as well, always checking with the older man and making sure he knew that she missed him. It was through him that she learned of her newest brother. She had wanted to roll her eyes and make a quip over Bruce’s obvious addiction to dark haired orphans, but then the butler informed her that Damian al Ghul, now Wayne, was her biological brother. The nine year old had been sent to Gotham by his mother, Talia al Ghul, to train with the legendary Batman. He was supposedly raised in the League of Assassins and based on the tales of swords and death threats that Alfred wove, Alexandra was inclined to believe him. Even on the other side of the country, Alexandra added the new name to her list of family members and dutifully sent his birthday and holiday presents along with the others. 

It was in her second year that Alfred called with unfortunate news. Bruce was missing, presumed dead. There were legal aspects that needed to be attended to in addition to a funeral. She didn’t truly consider returning home until Lucius called to inform her that Dick and Cass had no interest in settling things at the family company and Tim was still in high school. Alexandra may not be Bruce’s child, but she was a Wayne. She knew where her priorities lay. Lucius sent her a plane and she returned to Gotham.

The family had been in shambles when she arrived. She had entered the Batcave, a place she had only been when Alfred had needed an extra set of hands to mend wounds, to find absolute anarchy. It was her first time laying eyes on her youngest brother and he was attempting to run Tim through with a sword. Dick was wearing her father’s cowl and holding Damian back by his cape. Barbara was working away on the Batcomputer, not paying a bit of attention to the happenings around her. Cass was nowhere in sight (Alfred would later inform her that her younger sister was in Tokyo) and Steph was shouting at Damian from behind Tim. It was the final occupant of the cave that she took notice of after exiting the elevator with Alfred. He had grown, sported a white streak through his dark hair, and no longer had the blue eyes that she thought every male in her family shared (though one glance at the newest member told her that theory was wrong. Damian’s eyes shine like cursed emeralds) but it was definitely Jason. Her little brother. Her dead little brother. Alexandra stumbled in her step for a moment, casting a surprised look at Alfred, who responded with an apologetic expression, before taking a breath and forcing herself to deal with that situation later. 

Her returning presence did nothing to keep the family from falling apart, not that she really thought it would. Tim left on a self proclaimed mission to find a dead man. Dick and Damian went to the elder’s apartment in Blud, though promised to continue patrolling Gotham. Jason greeted her with angry sarcasm before returning to wherever he had come from. Barbara went off to her clocktower, intent on continuing to help the new Batman and Robin as Oracle. Steph stayed for dinner. Even if it was one of the most awkward meals of her life, she still appreciated the company. It didn’t last.

The next six months, it was just her and Alfred in the manor. Alexandra had taken the semester off of school to sort out everything pertaining to the Wayne family name. She had to ensure Wayne Enterprises was running smoothly, that shareholders were happy and business was continuing as normal. She had to confirm that her siblings’ (and pseudo-siblings’) trust funds were safe. She had to sort out custody of Tim and Damian. The latter was easy, as she could easily ensure that Dick retained custody. Tim, however, was harder, seeing as the boy had absolutely disappeared. Alexandra was training to be a doctor, not a lawyer, but luckily she had the Wayne name and funds to hire suits to sort out such issues for her. Despite not knowing where her brother was, she became his guardian on paper until he would reach his eighteenth birthday, which thankfully wasn’t far off. She took over as temporary CEO of Wayne Enterprises until Tim or Damian, whichever brother chose to take over the company, were old enough to take her place. She’d have offered it to Dick or Cass if she thought they would accept. Unfortunately, both had made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with the inner workings of the family company. If Jason wasn’t legally dead, she would have begged her brother to take the responsibility off her hands (she wouldn’t have, but a girl can dream).

When the next semester of school came around, Alexandra was ready to make arrangements to move back to Star City and handle Wayne Enterprises remotely while she finished medical school. Her father and Tim returning, both alive, meant she didn’t have to. Instead, Alexandra was able to leave as she came, quietly and overlooked.

Life marched on. Alexandra spent two more years in Washington, finishing her medical degree. Those two years brought much more than a diploma. The first surprise, which was most unsurprising, was Alfred calling to inform of one Duke Thomas joining her family. Alexandra made a note on her list of presents and moved on, sure she would see news of Duke Thomas-Wayne in the papers sooner or later. The next surprise was much more. 

She had been heading to class one morning, walking there from her apartment, when she spotted a child running into the street from the opposite sidewalk. It had been horrifying, watching the child chase a run away toy straight into the path of a box truck. She had acted before she could think, moving into traffic and toward the child as quickly as she could. Alexandra had practically tackled the smaller body back onto the other sidewalk, at least keeping enough smarts about her to land with the child on top of her rather than under her. She laid on her back upon the cement with the air knocked out of her lungs and curious brown eyes staring down at her. Alexandra had the passing thought that the little girl in her arms seemed rather calm to have almost been flattened by a truck, then there was a man standing above them and pulling the girl into his arms. Her first meeting of Roy and Lian Harper was eventful, to say the least. Thankfully, this was not the last she saw of the sweet and mischievous little girl or her father, a rather handsome man if Alexandra were honest. The chance meeting changed much of her life, the biggest change of which being that the father and daughter joined Alfred and Lucius in the crowd at her graduation from medical school. Of the few pictures she’s featured in over the years, all tucked carefully into an album in Alfred’s room back in Gotham, she’s smiling the widest with a bright eyed little girl in her arms, who’s holding up Alexandra’s diploma as if it’s her own, and a red headed man kissing her cheek and holding her graduation cap behind his back teasingly. 

Now, at twenty-five, Alexandra finds herself in Gotham once again. Alexandra Wayne is many things. She is a girlfriend. She is best friends with a seven year old. She is the youngest resident at the hospital that bears her name.

Fortunately, Alexandra is also happy.

Chapter Text

 She’s barely been in Gotham for four hours and she’s already walking up the driveway of this dreaded place. Perhaps not dreaded, but Wayne Manor is definitely not a place that Alexandra would like to be. Still, she must and she will, because inside is one of her most favorite people in the world. Alfred Pennyworth.

She marches up the stones steps, balancing containers in her hands. She wishes that Alfred would have just agreed to meet her for dinner, but he had claimed to be too busy to leave the manor, wishing her to come to him instead. She moves the stack of containers to one hand and rings the doorbell. This may be the house Alexandra grew up in, but she does not live here now and she was raised with enough manners that she refuses to enter someone else’s home unannounced. Alfred will most likely shake his head at her in exasperation when he lets her inside, but he really shouldn’t have expected less after instilling in her the manners she speaks of on top of sending her to cotillion and other courses with the daughters of other prominent families the Waynes associated with. 

It’s not Alfred that opens the door. She knows it’s not going to be him as soon as she hears pounding footsteps and a muffled voice shouting, “I’ve got it!” through the large, double wooden doors. 

The door swings open and Dick stands before her. His curls flop around his head, as if he had been running through the manor to answer the door, and there’s a wide grin on his face. Alexandra would have preferred Alfred, but she supposes that Dick is better than having Damian glaring at her with thinly veiled hatred.

“Hi, Richard.”

The smile on his face slowly fades into a frown, brows furrowing. He tilts his head in a way that’s reminiscent of Ace, the dog Bruce had had when they were young. “Alexandra?”

She hums, cocking a brow in question. Surely she hasn’t been gone so long that Bruce’s children have forgotten who she is? They may not be close but that isn’t an excuse for outright rudeness. “Yes?”

“Why are you ringing the doorbell?”

“It’s impolite to enter someone’s home without permission,” Alexandra says the words slowly, wondering if her adoptive brother may be suffering from some head injury courtesy of his night time activities. 

“What?” Dick looks even more confused now, but still doesn’t move to allow her inside. “You live here. Why would you need permission to enter your own home? I figured you were upstairs in your room, anyway.”

It’s Alexandra’s turn to furrow her brows. “Richard. I haven’t lived here in four years. Other than the months Bruce was missing, obviously,” She readjusts her grip on her tupperware containers once more and looks at him expectantly. “Alfred should be expecting me. Are you going to let me inside or should I wait out here for him?”

The older man stares at her with a slack jaw, but dazedly steps aside. She wastes no more time in entering the manor, navigating the halls with ease as she heads to the kitchens. She’s almost positive that’s where the butler will be. 

“What do you mean that you don’t live here? Your room is just upstairs. I’m sure that I just saw you the other…” Dick trails off as he speaks, trailing after Alexandra as she walks. A glance over her shoulder reveals her brother staring off with a frown and stopping in the doorway of the dining room. 

Alexandra decides to take pity on him. “I moved out when I went off to medical school, Richard. I’m just here to visit Alfie,” She doesn't bother to wait on a reply, quickly clearing through the dining room and into the kitchen. She finds the exact man she is looking for standing in front of the oven, stirring a pot on the stove top. “Alfie!”

Alfred has just enough time to turn the burner on low before Alexandra has set the containers on the counter and thrown her arms around him. “Miss Alexandra.”

“I’ve missed you so much, Alfie,” Alexandra hugs him tightly, burying her face in the butler’s shoulder. 

Alfred chuckles, “I believe that I just saw you a few weeks ago at your graduation ceremony, young miss.”

“Too long.”

“Hm. Yet the years between your visits to Gotham were not?”

Alexandra pulls back with a sheepish expression, brushing stray hair out of her face. “That’s different. I was in school and working to make rent. I didn’t have the funds to fly back and forth all the time.”

“I believe that you forget that I know exactly what funds you have access to, Miss Wayne.”

She wrinkles her nose at both the formal address and the implication, “You know I stopped using those funds long before I left this place, Alfie.”

He sends her a look of disapproval before softening, “I have missed you as well, my dear.”

That brings the smile back to Alexandra’s face, causing her to beam at him and pull him into another quick hug. Then, she’s snatching up her tupperware containers, “I brought gifts, at least!”

Alfred takes the containers, opening the larger of the two first, “Master Jason and Miss Stephanie will be most pleased to find a batch of my brownies during their post-night walk snack trip,” Alexandra rolls her eyes at the emphasis Alfred makes and urges him to open the other box. “Lemon pound cake?”

“With the homemade citrus glaze you like.”

“I suppose your absence could be forgiven.”

“Who knew you were such an old softie, Alfie.”

“I still withhold the right to forgiveness, miss.”

“Could you really stay mad at this face?” Alexandra pouts, earning a quiet laugh from the man.

“I suppose not. Now, sit and tell me of your summer escapades while I finish dinner.”

She does, taking a seat at the kitchen island with one of the brownies she brought. As Alfred cooks, she regales him of all that has happened in the few weeks since they last saw one another. As Alfred begins gathering tableware, her update on apartment hunting is interrupted by ringing. She pulls her phone out of her back pocket, hopping up from her stool at the name on the screen. 

“Excuse me, Alfie,” She says apologetically, answering the call. Alfred nods in acknowledgement and takes the chance the interruption provides to begin carting plates, silverware, and food into the dining room. Alexandra lifts her phone to her ear, “Hello?”

“She lives!”

She rolls her eyes with an exasperated smile tugging at her lips. Alexandra tucks her cell phone between her shoulder and ear, moving across the kitchen and to the large double sink. She begins to run soapy water in the basin and scrub the pots that sit inside from Alfred’s cooking. She may as well be productive while she talks. “I believe that I spoke to you just a few hours ago when my plane landed.”

“Babe, Allie, love of my life,” the voice on the other end groans, “that was ages ago.”

“That was just earlier this afternoon, Roy. Plus you drove me to the airport this morning.”

“I still can’t believe I did that. I didn’t even want you to leave!”

“You also didn’t want me to take a taxi.”

Roy grumbles on the other end of the line, “Did you make it to the Fitzpatricks’?”

“Fitzgerald, which I know that you know that. And yes, Ella picked me up from the airport. I went home with her and dropped off my luggage but I’m visiting Alfie now.”

“And how’s that going?” Roy takes on a much more serious tone now, causing a smile to fill her lips once more as she washes the dishes. 

“Perfectly well. My cake is still awaiting approval but I believe that he loves it already without tasting it.”

“That could have been my cake.”

“I literally baked you a batch of cookies before leaving.”

“Well, Lian and I missed you.”

“Roy Harper, please tell me that you didn’t let a seven year old eat that entire pan of cookies since I left this morning.”

“I had some too.”

“I haven’t even been gone an entire day and all house rules go out the window!”

“It’s not my fault that you took my impulse control with you! Have you seen Lian’s puppy eyes?”

“How bad was the sugar crash?”

“She’s been sacked out on the couch for half an hour.”

Alexandra rolls her eyes, shutting off the sink faucet and drying her hands with a dish towel. “I can’t believe you.”

“Come home and I’ll prove it to you, baby.”

A laugh bubbles out of her throat and she takes her phone in her hand once more. “You’re coming to visit me at the end of the month.”

“That’s forever away.”

“I know. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

“We have a hospital here, you know.”

“Yeah, but Star City’s hospital doesn’t have my literal name on it. You know the scandal the media would make. You and I agreed on this after speaking to Lucius, remember?”

“I remember,” Roy sighs. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“We’re going to make it work, Roy. I promise. And if we’re still miserable by Christmas, I’ll transfer my residency back to Washington. That was the deal.”

“That’s the deal.”

Alexandra leans against the sink, staring out the window above it that gives her a view of the back garden. “I’ll call you tonight for Lian’s bedtime.”

“She’s already asked seven times if you’re going to call and sing to her before bed.”

“I promised, didn’t I?”

“Yeah. I love you.”

“I love you, Roy.”

“Bye, babe.”

“Bye, sweetheart.”

The call ends and Alexandra lets out a heavy sigh, hanging her head and closing her eyes as she rests against the counter. It’s only day one of being back in Gotham and she’s already missing Star City and the family she’s made there.

“Roy?”

The voice startles her, causing her to spin around and almost drop her cell, fumbling to catch it. Dick stands in the doorway of the kitchen, an odd expression on his face as he stares at her. Alexandra suppresses the urge to frown at him. He’s said more to her today than he has in the past twenty years.

“Um, yes. Roy is my f-boyfriend,” she catches her slip up at the last moment. Their engagement isn’t public knowledge yet, with only Lian, Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance, Alfred, and Lucius aware. Alexandra is even wearing her ring on the opposite hand to avoid suspicion. 

Dick narrows his eyes at her, staring at her as if she’s a puzzle he’s trying to piece together or a case to solve. It makes her want to scowl. She is not a casefile on the Batcomputer, she doesn’t need any vigilantes snooping into her personal business.

“We used to work together.”

“I’m aware.”

The room descends into silence as they stare at one another from opposite ends of the kitchen. Alfred thankfully makes a reappearance after a few moments.

“Master Dick, dinner is ready.”

Dick stares at her for another long moment before nodding slowly, “Thanks, Alfred,” he turns on his heel and leaves for the dining room. Alexandra releases the breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding.

“I better get going, Alfie.”

“Of course, once you’ve eaten.”

The following stare down is no less intense than the one she shared with Dick. Just as most of her arguments with the butler, she folds first. 

“Fine,” Alexandra sighs, shoulders slumping, “but I’m eating in here.”

Alfred stares for another moment before nodding. He gestures for her to retake her seat before moving to fix her plate. A delicious looking meal is placed before her and then Alfred makes to take the stool across from her.

“Bruce will be expecting you,” Alexandra states before he can sit with his own plate. 

“Master Bruce can endure a meal without my presence.”

“Alfie.”

“Miss.”

“Go eat with your family.”

“I am.”

The two simple words cause her to duck her head, eyes burning. She blinks several times as she stares at her plate. When she lifts her head, Alfred stares at her with a raised brow. She nods in acquiescence.

Before either of them can begin eating, someone else enters the kitchen. Alexandra is surprised to find Tim shuffling through the door, seemingly nervous.

“Master Tim?” Alfred straightens in his seat, making to stand.

“B wants you both to join us in the dining room,” Tim looks to Alfred as he speaks, but his blue eyes steal glances at her as well. The look within them causes something in Alexandra’s stomach to turn.

“What?”

She’s not aware she has spoken until both of them turn to her. Tim clears his throat, “Bru-Dad wants you to eat in the dining room.”

Alexandra turns to Alfred with wide eyes. What is going on?

“Very well,” Alfred stands, picking up both of their plates. “Lead the way, Master Tim.”

Tim casts another curious look at her before turning abruptly to leave. Alfred nudges her from her own seat to walk ahead of him. Alexandra is so shocked by the request being made of her that she doesn’t even protest, merely following silently after her younger brother. 

The table in the dining room is nearly full, the entirety of the Wayne family taking up the seats. Even Barbara, Stephanie, and Jason are present. Each of her siblings and the two family friends watch her enter with varied expressions. Dick’s features are still carrying the same confusion they were when he caught her talking to Roy. Duke and Steph watch her curiously. Jason’s gaze is suspicious. Babs and Tim stare at her in a way reminiscent of the times she has seen them inside of the Batcave, typing away on Bruce’s super computer. Cass’s expression is neutral but her eyes track Alexandra’s every movement. Damian tracks her with his green eyes, watching her with a mixture of confusion and disdain. Bruce, unsurprisingly, isn’t looking at her at all, focusing on his meal instead.

Alfred pulls out a chair for her, having her sit to his left hand side as he takes the chair at the opposite end of the long table from Bruce. An empty chair sits between her and Jason, who is then followed by Duke and Damian. Across from Damian and on Bruce’s left is Dick, then Cass, Steph, Babs, and finally Tim who is directly across from her own seat. It’s not until everyone is settled at the table that Bruce looks up at her and actually smiles. Alexandra may be going insane.

“Alexandra, it’s good to see you back in the manor. I hope your studies went well.”

Did her plane actually crash somewhere over the midwest? Is she dead? Or in a coma? Did she slip on dishwater in the kitchen and hit her head? What is going on?

Alexandra is unable to do more than open and close her mouth a few times. Her father has never said so many words to her at once. He mostly communicates with her in disinterested grunts and pointed silences. 

Bruce continues as if she wasn’t staring at him as if he has three heads, “Lucius said you graduated with top honors. That's quite an accomplishment.”

“Um…” She’s never been more eloquent. Alfred taps her hand with his fork. That thankfully seems to reboot her brain. “Yes. It wasn’t easy to achieve, but gratifying nonetheless.”

There. She answered. This is fine. She’s attended plenty of galas where she’s had to speak with people who were much more annoying. She can do small talk with Bruce Wayne for one meal. 

“He said that you’re set to complete your surgical residency here in Gotham?” Bruce looks at her expectantly from the other end of the table, taking a bite of his meal. Her siblings' eyes bounce back and forth between them as they converse. Alfred eats as if nothing out of the ordinary is occurring. Alexandra shouldn’t have let him guilt her into dinner.

“Yes, at Wayne Memorial.”

“Your grandfather completed his own residency there, you know? Back when it was Gotham General.” Is that pride in Bruce’s eyes? She’s going to puke. 

“Yes. Alfred told me.”

“He would be proud of you.”

Alexandra chokes on the sip of water she had attempted to take from the glass in front of her. She coughs for several seconds before Jason takes pity on her, leaning over and beating on her back. Rubbing her throat, she waves her undead brother off.

“Th-Thanks?”

Bruce’s smile widens and Alexandra does her best not to choke again.

“I’m sure Alfred already has your room ready. It will be nice to have you in the manor again.”

Hold up.

Hold the eff up.

What?

“What?”

Bruce raises his brows as if she’s said something wildly confusing. “Your room? Now that you’ve come home,” he says as if it’s obvious. “It’s unfortunate that you had to stay in Star City so long, but you’ve returned now. You’ll be able to settle into the manor again and Alfred will be able to drive you to the hospital for your shifts. You won’t be so far from the family anymore. It will be nice to have you home and safe.”

Alexandra blinks at him. Once. Twice. Three times. She turns her gaze to Alfred, who, while carrying some sort of tension in his shoulders, is not acting as if her father is speaking absolute nonsense. A glance around the table shows her siblings either staring at her in contemplation or Bruce in suspicion. She turns her attention back to Bruce.

“I believe you’re mistaken, sir. I’m not moving back into the manor.”

Bruce has the audacity to laugh, chuckling as if she’s just said something absolutely hilarious. “Of course you are, Alexandra.”

Unease fills the space behind her ribs and she begins to subtly push her chair away from the table. “No. I’m not.”

“Where else would you stay?”

Alexandra can’t decide if she should throw her fork or the entire plate at the man. His tone is almost mocking, infuriating her. “I don’t believe that’s any of your business, sir,” she grinds out the words through clenched teeth. What the hell is happening? Bruce has barely said twenty words to her in her entire twenty-five years of living and now he’s acting as if he has any right to her and her life.

“I’m your father, of course it’s my business,” Bruce scoffs, leaning back in his chair to give her a scolding look.

The scoff she emits is almost identical to his. She stands abruptly, causing the dining chair to clatter to the floor behind her. “My father? Since fucking wh-”

“Language, Miss Alexandra,” Alfred’s disapproving tone cuts her off. The interruption gives her a chance to breathe. Alexandra closes her eyes and counts to five before looking around the dining room once more. 

It’s always been hard to read the other members of the Wayne family and tonight is no exception. She’s so used to their expressions being filled with disinterest or disdain when looking at her, that she can’t exactly place the emotions on their faces now. Alexandra takes another breath and rights her fallen chair. She steps over to Alfred and presses a quick kiss to his cheek.

“I should go. Ella will be expecting me back soon,” She squeezes the elder man’s shoulder and casts a final glare at Bruce. “I’ll call you later, Alfie.”

“Alexandra-”

She doesn’t wait around to find out what bullshit Bruce will be spewing next, simply walking from the room and toward the front door of the manor. She hadn’t lied, Ella would be expecting her soon. She’s also sure that her best friend wouldn’t appreciate her staining the interior of her borrowed car with her father’s blood after strangling the man. Alexandra hasn’t even started her residency and Bruce Wayne is going to cause her to break her healer’s oath.

Chapter Text

Bruce Wayne is many people, many titles, many realities.

There’s Brucie, the public persona. Brucie is a mask, a way to cover his secrets, to protect himself and his family.

There’s Batman, the hero of the night. Batman is more than a mask, full of justice and fury, a protector of the people.

Then, there’s Bruce, just Bruce. Bruce is Brucie and Batman and more. He is many masks and none at all. Bruce is an orphan, a son, a father, a person. Bruce is also a failure.

He has more failures than he can count, more than he knows. As a son, he has failed Alfred. As a father, he has failed his children. He has allowed his anger to clash with Dick’s own, driving a wedge between him and his oldest son. He let Jason die. Then, when his son returned, he didn’t make the attempts he should have to truly reunite him with the family. He didn’t prove to Tim how he truly is his son, not just a replacement sidekick, until his son had almost drifted away from him. There is more he could have done for Stephanie, Barbara, Duke, and Cassandra. There is always more. Damian is another matter altogether, trying to smother his mother’s teachings rather than provide new perspectives. These are his failures, but he has and is trying to correct them, to be better.

His largest failure as a father, though, is Alexandra. His daughter. A daughter in blood at least. Alexandra is the child he allowed to leave, to never actually have him. In turn, he never actually had her. In the beginning, when he returned to Gotham with intentions of bettering the city by force, he had seen her as a liability. Batman could not raise a child, not without ruining it. He hadn’t even attempted to hold her close, to teach her how to navigate the world. If he had, he was sure that she would be ruined. By the time he realized that perhaps his touch would not lead to her downfall, he assumed it was too late. Alexandra was no longer a baby, a child yes, but not the toddler he first met. She had Alfred and that seemed to be enough, so he did not try. He focused on Dick, then Jason, then the rest. Alexandra grew in his peripheral, all without his help or guidance. She grew up and out grew them. She left. She left the manor, the family, Gotham, him. Still, it was not for him to argue against. What right did he have to keep the child he hadn’t raised? 

Then, he left. Maybe not willingly, but he had. When he returned, he found that the little girl he had ignored had held his family together. Alexandra may not have kept all of his children under one roof in the months he was missing, but she had tried, had sacrificed her own wants to keep the Waynes afloat. She ensured their safety and futures. She did what she did not have to. Then, she left again. 

Of course, Bruce hadn’t been aware of all of this at the time. He had been preoccupied with returning to his family, to Gotham, to Batman. He had not questioned who had kept things running in his absence. It was only a year later, when he attempted to thank Lucius for his work keeping Wayne Enterprises well and Damian in Dick’s custody, that he found out that it hadn’t been Lucius at all. It had been his daughter. The little girl that had once wandered the manor with silent steps and solemn looks, who had fled from them as soon as she was able, she had made sure he had a family to come home to. It had knocked something loose inside of him.

After everything, after Bruce neglecting her, her siblings not acknowledging her, none of them even attempting to reach out after she disappeared from their lives, she still worked to make sure that they had each other. That even if she was, they were not alone. It made his insides itch with the need to see this child, his child, with new eyes. He needed to know her, to hold her, to show her that he sees her, he wants her. He had gone to Alfred instead. 

The butler had been resistant, not wanting to give up details of the daughter that Bruce had rejected. It had taken actual tears for the man to finally hand over the photo albums and home videos. It wasn’t enough. Bruce had devoured the information, examining every photograph and replaying every film. He watched his child, his little girl, his baby, grow without him. She had run through the garden on chubby legs, had learned to play the piano with little fingers, and had sung with the voice of an angel. There were school awards, clubs, and competitions that he never knew of. Graduations he never attended. Dreams she had never told him of. She was a doctor, just as his father had been, just as he once thought he would be. Alexandra was a Wayne through and through, with his mother’s visage and his father’s ambitions, and he had never seen her. He saw her now. He needed her.

Then came the plan. Alexandra needed to come home and Bruce would ensure that she did. He conned Lucius into helping him. Alfred had been easy to convince, wanting the girl he had raised back in the manor just as much as Bruce did. It had only taken Lucius a few phone calls to Bruce’s daughter to convince her to complete her residency in Gotham rather than on the opposite coast. The Wayne heiress has a responsibility to the family reputation after all. 

Bruce had been giddy when he saw her walking up the driveway through his study window. His baby, all grown up, but his baby still. She was home.

She didn’t stay.

Alexandra stormed out of the manor, more independent and outspoken than he remembered. He may not have let himself get close to his daughter as she grew, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t watched from afar. The Alexandra that had left Gotham four years ago would never have had such an outburst, would have folded to his demands without question. She would have lapped up his attention and accepted her father with open arms. Bruce blamed this new side of her on the boy Alfred said she was seeing. Of course Oliver’s son would be a negative influence on his sweet girl. She obviously needed to get away from Roy and his sway over her. She needed to be home with her family where it is safe. Where Bruce can give her anything she could ever want or need. 

So, he will bring her home, because it’s for her own good. Whether Alexandra likes it or not.