Hereditas

by Riemayu

A/N - So here is the next in the series. It takes place 15 years after the last one(and about 8 years after the last chapter of Slow Fade). Alfred is still alive(cause I say that he is...). Sure he may be getting up there in age, but if my grandma can live to 92, so can he! Anywho...David is 25, done with university and working for Bruce. Keep in mind that when I first wrote 'Thicker than Water', I had it placed shortly after TDK. So, this one takes place in the future...

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He watched and waited. The silent alarm had gone off long ago as soon as the three assailants had snuck into the museum. In the distance, Batman could hear the approaching sirens as he walked stealthily through the shadows. A loud crash echoed through the halls towards his location followed by a flurry of cursing. It was apparent that they knew that the police were on their way. They were no longer moving quietly.

"Damn it, Roger! Are you trying to wake every dead creature in this place?"

"Shut the hell up! It ain't my fault that these bags are so awkward."

Batman watched as the three men somehow managed to balance the bag across their chest and carry a gun in their hands.

"The cops will be here anytime," the tallest one said. "We gotta get out of here. I know the back way out."

They pulled their black ski masks back over their faces before quickly making their way down the dark hallway. Batman silently turned and headed down another direction. He too, knew the museum well as he had visited it enough times over the years to know his way around. He could hear the men coming up the hallway.

"What was that?!" one of the men called out. They all froze, including Batman in the shadows. After a few seconds, one of them chuckled.

"Probably a rat somewhere in the building."

The three continued on as Batman followed. He snuck up closer and closer behind the man in the rear until he quickly reached up and grabbed the man by the head, pulling him down to the ground. The other two suddenly turned, each drawing their guns towards Batman. He swiftly grabbed the gun out of the middle man's hand before using it to knock him out in the head. The last man fired a shot at Batman. At the same time, he watched a black mass fly at him before going unconscious.

Batman looked down at the three men around him before reaching for his arm where the bullet had grazed his skin. He lightly touched it, feeling the pain with the familiar pain of an injury. He sighed before stepping over the men as he heard the echos of many officers beginning to fill the building.

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"A busy night I heard," Olivia said, her voice sweetly chiming throughout the cave. Alfred and Bruce turned, hearing her arrival as the elderly man finished up with the suturing of Bruce's wound on his arm. He watched as Olivia's face turned to concern. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I thought the guy was shooting left, but he shot right," Bruce joked, with a smile. He looked up at Alfred, hoping for some sympathy against a wife who was surely not seeing the comedy in the situation. Unfortunately, he found none with his butler. Alfred was just as serious as Olivia was when he first saw the injury.

"That's not funny," Olivia said, defensively. "You could have gotten severely shot. You're getting injured more and more often now, Bruce. You're not thirty years old anymore."

"No, I am not," he said, standing up. "But what else am I to do?"

"I'm not going to tell you to quit doing this," she said. "Batman is who you are. But you need to slow down a little. You have a family, Bruce. I don't want to wake up one morning to find that you never returned home. I never want to see that reality."

Bruce walked over to her as she spoke, hearing her voice becoming increasingly agitated. He took her by the shoulders.

"I know my limits," he said. "I learned them long ago and I'm not going to start over stepping them now. You need to trust me."

Olivia sighed. "You know that I do."

He smiled and hoped that it would lighten the mood. "I love you, Olivia. I always will."

Olivia smiled, hearing the sweet words coming out of Bruce's mouth. She reached up and brushed her hand along his cheek. "Let's get you to bed, Mr. Wayne."

She looked past Bruce towards Alfred and smiled, as the older man walked with them to the lift that would bring them back up to Wayne Manor. When they arrived back in Bruce's study, Alfred turned.

"If there is nothing else, sir, I'm going to turn off the coffee pot in the kitchen and head off to bed," Alfred said.

"Goodnight Alfred," Bruce said. "Thank you."

"Anytime sir."

The pair watched Alfred disappear down the hallway towards the kitchen before they made their way up the stairs. Olivia wrapped her arm around Bruce's waist as they walked softly down the hall. Bruce glanced at the door that was left partially open. He could see the light pink and purple beads hanging from the ceiling which his teenaged daughter insisted on putting up in the room a few months prior. Allison was growing up, but she always confused him. One moment she would be pleasant to talk to and then the next, she didn't want to be seen anywhere near her parents. Olivia would reassure him that it was normal for the fourteen year old girl to be acting.

As they continued down the hall, he noticed one particular door was closed. Most nights, it was left open since it wasn't being used as much, if at all. Olivia noticed Bruce glance at it.

"David is staying the night," Olivia said softly, answering her husbands unspoken question. "He arrived around two in the morning asking if you were back yet. He heard about the robbery while he was out and was too tired to head back into the city to the penthouse."

Bruce nodded in understanding.

"It's nice to have the whole family under the same roof," he said. "It doesn't happen very often anymore."

"Bruce, David is nearly 25 years old," Olivia said as they walked into the bedroom. She closed the door behind them as Bruce walked into the bathroom. "As much as I love him, he needs to get out of the house and live on his own."

"That's why I gave him the penthouse," Bruce stated from the bathroom.

"That's just it," Olivia retorted as she climbed into bed. "You gave it to him. How is he ever going to learn responsibility if he's given everything? We paid his way through college, got him his first car and now, you gave him his own apartment."

Bruce walked back out of the bathroom and turned off the light behind him before making his way to the bed.

"David didn't have money for a car, let alone be able to pay for his college tuition with that job of his at the bakery," Bruce said, as he sat down beside Olivia. "I'm proud that he made it through college with high grades and is working at Wayne Enterprises, even if it is at a lower management position."

"So am I," Olivia said, laying down beside Bruce. She felt him turn towards her and could feel his breath against her cheek. Olivia ran her hand along Bruce's arm, touching gently over the bandaged arm.

"What are you proposing?"

"Hmm?"

"You're thinking," he said, softly.

Olivia chuckled. Bruce knew her too well.

"Charge him rent," she stated, flatly.

"Rent? For the penthouse?"

"Sure, why not? He has a job."

"Make it a reasonable price for his salary."

Bruce paused, thinking the idea over in his mind. He shook his head with a smile.

"That's a great idea," he said, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "I should have you on my board."

Olivia rolled over and looked at Bruce in his eyes, even though the room was dark.

"You can't sleep with someone who is a member of the board," she stated, jokingly.

"Too true. I'd miss you too much."

Olivia smirked before moving forward to kiss Bruce on the lips.

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The next morning.....

The fourteen year old walked softly down the hallway, eagerly anticipating her task at hand. She caught her reflection in the glass of the old painted replica portrait of her grandparents as she passed by it. Her reading glasses resting on her head reflected the light back towards the picture. Happily, she tucked a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear before carefully turning the doorknob as softly as possible. The door let out a wail as she slowly pushed it open. The room was dark, even with the mid-morning sun shining between the thick curtains. She peeked into the room and stifled a giggle as she tiptoed into the room.

The large mound on the bed was easy to spot. She could see a set of arms resting above a head of tousled hair and hear the soft breathing. She felt along the wall until she found the light switch and then flipped it on.

The mound suddenly turned as a sheet was pulled up over his head, trying to block the bright lights that flooded his room.

"Hey! Get up you lazy butt!"

David groaned at the familiar voice and rolled over, away from the door. "Go away, Pip!"

"That's rude to say to someone who was sent to wake you."

"It's also rude to turn on the light when someone is sleeping," he mumbled.

Allison smirked as she leaned against the door frame. "Alfred asked me to get you up. He never said how."

David ran his hand through his hair. "Good god." He looked back up at Allison who was still there. "Could you please get out of my room so I can get dressed, huh?"

"This isn't your room anymore since you moved out to the penthouse," she stated. David glared at her.

She grimaced and turned to leave. "You certainly are a grump! You didn't even thank me for getting you up."

"You think that you deserve thanks for waking me up like that?"

She stopped, turned and shrugged. "Well I coulda done it with whispering sweet nothings in your ear, but I'll leave Heather to do that."

David groaned. "I told you before - Heather is my friend, when will you ever get that through your thick skull?"

Allison chuckled. "You two are always spending time together."

"She's my best friend and...." he began as he stood up, realizing that he was standing in his boxers. "I don't have to explain to you. Just get out."

"I'd hurry up if I were you cause your friend, Heather is waiting for you downstairs."

David quickly turned.

"She's here? Why?"

Allison shrugged. "She didn't say." She closed the door, leaving David to get dressed.

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It was quiet in the kitchen. Just as Olivia ate and Bruce sipped his coffee while they watched the television, neither was paying too close attention to the news. The young woman standing by the window caused them to make silent conversation between themselves. A smile and a raise eyebrow was exchanged between the pair as Alfred made his way back and forth from the stove to the table. He even seemed interested in the young woman's sudden appearance at Wayne Manor that morning. She was a frequent guest at the house but none of them had ever seen her so....nervous.

Bruce cleared his throat as he straightened his tie.

"So, you're here early today?"

Heather turned and smiled. "Yeah, I was trying to find David. I thought that he might have been at the penthouse but there was no answer so I came here, hoping that he stayed the night."

As she spoke, Allison walked back into the room.

"He's up now. He'll be down shortly," she announced, picking up her abandoned book off the counter and slipping her glasses back over her eyes. "I'm going back to study. Got that history exam on Monday. See you later, Heather."

Heather waved as the teenager strutted out of the room.

Bruce shifted in his chair before he looked down at his watch. "I have to meet with Mr. Fox in a half hour. I should get going." He stood up just as David rushed into the room. A playful smile crossed Bruce's face when he saw that his son was in the process of trying to tame his hair as he came into the room.

"Heather," he said, causing her to turn. "What are you doing here?"

"I got a letter," she said, the words spilling out of her mouth anxiously. "From Dent Memorial Hospital."

"That's wonderful," Olivia said, from the table. "Have you opened it?"

She smiled, looking from Olivia to Bruce, before reaching into her pocket to pull out the folded envelope.

"I haven't had the courage to do it yet," she stated, looking at the printed name of the hospital on the envelope to. "I didn't want to open it alone. Since my parents have moved to Metropolis a few months ago and Kate was busy with her boyfriends this morning, I didn't know who else to go to in case it's not good news."

"You're never going to find out if you don't open it," Bruce said, as he stood beside the counter with Alfred beside him.

Heather looked back to David and his broad smile.

"It wont be bad news," he said.

"But I got it before finals are even over with. It's too soon for them to be hiring interns. It can only mean that I was rejected."

"Just open it and find out."

She looked down at the envelope. "I suppose there is still time to apply elsewhere. I'm sure that I could get in a Metropolis General."

A hand reached out and took the envelope from her hands before she had a chance to notice. "Hey!"

"I'll open it for you."

"David!" Olivia stated, casting a glare at her son. He smirked as he held it out towards Heather.

Heather elbowed David playfully in the stomach before she grabbed the letter from his hand. She mockingly scowled at him. "You certainly will not."

Without another word, she ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside before she read it, carefully word for word. She could feel her heart beating in her chest as she read, looking for the key words.

"I've been accepted," she said softly, still not believing what she saw. "I have my internship." David leaned over and smiled.

"You got in!"

"I'm going to be a doctor."

"You are a doctor," David restated.

"Not yet, I'm not," she corrected him. "I'm not even done finals yet. If that doesn't put on added pressure, I don't know what will!" She looked down at the letter.

"You'll do fine," Bruce said, from where he stood beside Olivia. "You've gotten yourself this far. How about we celebrate tonight? Dinner at my restaurant."

Heather smiled. "Thank you for the offer, Mr. Wayne, but could I get a rain-check on that? I'm really needing to study, especially now."

He nodded and grinned. "I understand. Don't study too hard." He looked down at Olivia as she sat beside him. "I'm going to head out." He leaned down and lightly kissed Olivia's lips. She let out a sigh of contentment and smiled. He turned and began to leave the room, smiling to both Heather and David as he walked out the door. Bruce paused for a moment and turned to David.

"I want to talk to you about something when I get home later this afternoon," he said, softly.

"Sure, Dad."

Bruce nodded, before walking out the door.

"Heather, would you like to stay for breakfast?" Olivia asked. Heather bit her lip, seeing Alfred at the stove as the steam floated up from the pans around him and smelled the bacon sizzling. She could hear her stomach growl at the thought that it would probably taste as good as it smelled.

"That would be great."

Olivia looked up at David as Heather sat down. She smiled at him.

"How about you, Son? Going to join us ladies?"

David smirked.

"As much as I'd like, Mom, I have an appointment for noon that I need to get ready for?"

"That wouldn't be an appointment with Miss Shawna Barber, would it?" Alfred suddenly asked from behind the counter.

Curiously, David nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Miss Barber called just a few moment before Miss Tamarack arrived this morning," he said. "She said that she would be here earlier because she has a meeting with her father at noon. I thought that Allison mentioned this to you."

David shook his head. "She only mentioned Heather being here. How much earlier will Shawna be here?""

Alfred looked up at the clock above him. "You have possibly fifteen minutes, if you're lucky."

David sighed in aggravation as he swore under his breath. "Catch you later, Heather." He quickly turned, leaving the room.

"Bye," she said softly, knowing that he wouldn't hear her. She looked back at Olivia and smiled, weakly.

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David never felt himself get changed so quickly in his life. Clothes were spread all over his bed and chair before he finally decided on a dark blue pinstripe button shirt and dark pants. He tugged at the collar. He never felt comfortable in dressy clothes, but he knew that Shawna was taking him out to a fancy restaurant so he had to dress the part. After taking one final glance in the mirror, he turned to leave the room. His feet skipped down the stairs as he finished buttoning up his cuffs before he walked towards the front door, his dress shoes echoing in the parlour. He opened the door to check if she had arrived. David was surprised to see the woman was just about to knock on the door at the same moment that he opened it.

"Good timing," Shawna commented.

"That's for sure," David agreed. "I just need to grab my jacket from the closet and I'll be ready. Come in?"

Shawna nodded and walked through the door. Her two inch heels announced her arrival into Wayne Manor as David closed the door behind her. He smiled at her, admiring her light blue blouse and black skirt beneath her cashmere coat. Her blond hair looked like silk as it curled over her shoulders.

"I'm sorry about the short notice with the time," she said.

"It wasn't a problem at all," David said, all evidence of being angry at his younger sister having vanished. He reached into the closet behind the door and searched for his brown jacket. Finally, he found it when he heard the voice of his Mom and Heather approaching.

"My Mom mentioned that she misses seeing you each week," Heather said, her voice getting louder until she appeared with Olivia beside her.

"Oh, me too. Please say hi to your parents for me next time you talk with them," Olivia said, as she walked beside Heather. The conversation stopped when they realized that they weren't alone.

Olivia smiled, acknowledging Shawna.

"David, I thought that you had left by now," Olivia stated, walking towards the door.

He shook his head. "Uh, no. Shawna just arrived."

Olivia watched as Shawna's eyes averted from her to Heather, standing beside her. Olivia raised her eyebrows at David, hoping he caught the signal to introduce them. After a beat, he did.

"Oh, Shawna Barker, I'd like to you to meet Heather Tamarack," David said, as Heather walked forward extending her hand towards the other woman. "Heather and I go way back. All the way back to junior high actually. Our families were close. Her Mom worked with my Mom for the hospital foundation and would come over once a week."

Shawna seemed surprised.

"Really?" She took Heather's hand and shook it. "It's nice to know that David has a friend that must know him so well."

"It's nice to meet you, Shawna," Heather said, smiling. "David is a great friend to have. I can always count on him."

Shawna smiled, looking up at David beside her.

"That's good to hear," she said.

Olivia watched the exchange between the women and couldn't help but smile.

"Where are you two going?" she asked.

"I'm taking David to Chez Marguerite," Shawna said excitedly. She draped her hand over David's arm and smiled. "It opened just last week."

Heather thought for a moment.

"The french restaurant?"

Shawna nodded.

"The last time I checked, David didn't like french cuisine," Heather said. "Or maybe I don't know him as well as I thought I did."

Olivia bit her lip and excused herself from the room. Heather watched as David's face reddened. Feeling uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed, Heather sighed.

"I've got to run," she said, before slipping through the door. David was stunned into silence.

Shawna looked up at David's face as he watched Heather walk out to her car.

"Is that true?"

David smiled and shook his head before putting an arm around Shawna's waist.

"No, I love French food," he said, already internally visualizing the food he would be eating shortly and felt his stomach do a flip.

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Wayne Tower

"The contract deal with Carson Enterprises expires in three months," Fox stated. "Are you wanting to renew it with them?"

Bruce shrugged. "I'll have Mark set up an appointment with their executives to see how beneficial that would be."

Fox nodded as he jotted some notes down on the paper in front of him. He looked back up at Bruce as he looked out the window of the conference room. Fox took his glasses off his face and rested them on the table in front of him.

"It looks like Batman foiled a robbery at the museum last night," he stated casually.

Bruce nodded.

"Between you and me, Batman needs to take a vacation. He's been doing this for years. It has to be taking a toil on him....and his family"

Bruce glanced over his shoulder and smirked, meeting Fox's twinkling eyes.

"You have no idea," Bruce replied. "Allison is no longer the little girl who would run to me when I would come home from work. I just wish that these teenage years would go by faster. David was never this much of a handful at that age. Now, he's becoming my clone of twenty years ago."

Lucius chuckled. "I've noticed. He's quite a handsome young man. I'm sure you have seen a number of young ladies coming and going."

Bruce grinned. "A few. He's picky though."

"That's a good thing," Lucius replied. "You can probably imagine the pressures of being an heir to the Wayne legacy."

A knock at the door caused the conversation to suddenly stop.

"Come in," Bruce called out.

A young woman walked in, carrying a large manila envelope. "This was dropped off earlier this morning."

Bruce thanked the woman and waited for her to leave before opening the envelope. Both Lucius and Bruce couldn't believe what they were reading.

"What the hell? Who would threaten Wayne Enterprises?"

"Someone who knows a little too much," Bruce replied, darkly.