A/N: This chapter starts off in Aubrey's POV and then the rest is from Batman/Bruce Wayne's POV. Enjoy!

When I awoke, I was alone. There was no man sitting in the chair beside me, though the chair was still there. For a moment I wondered why my mind had created such a fantasy, why I had dreamt that my father had finally come at last, but I shoved those thoughts from my mind. They would only make me angrier than I already was.

Details from that night were fuzzy at best, it was as if I had blacked out at some points in time, unable to recall every last detail. What I was able to piece together from the fuzzy moments was an explosion, a rescue of some sort and then my mother's death, that last one I could remember clear as crystal. The horrified look on her face as she plummeted to her death, her scream as she fell through the surface of the water below, the loud splash as she was swallowed by the black. All of that I could remember with unmistakable clarity, and most of what happened after, but I could barely recall the events right before the attack. Not only that but I could not remember where I was or how I got here in the first place, though I had a feeling this was not my choice.

I looked down at my arms and saw they were bandaged up though I could see between the bandages that my skin was perfectly fine. I went to lift them so I could find the start of the bandages and take them off but when I did, they ached so badly I had to put them back down, and even that hurt. I became very aware that the rest of my body was feeling similar to my arms, heavy and sore, like I had just rolled down a very large hill and landed flat on my back. There was only one reason I knew of that could cause any part of me to ache this much and that was a massive rejuvenation from plant energy. I had broken my arm as a kid and used my power to heal it, afterwards it had hurt so much I could not move it for days, though now that I was older doing that did not immobilize me, just caused me great discomfort.

Since I could not move right away, I decided now would be the time to figure out where I was and possibly plan my escape when I regained function over my body. The room was lit by florescent lights and the abysmal lighting showed me a mostly white and grey room with sparse furnishings and several monitors. 'So I'm in a hospital,' I thought with a small sigh. I hated hospitals. Looking around again showed me that my stuff was neatly in a chair in the corner of the room, including the cape Batman had given me, I was glad no one thought to steal it.

"You're awake, good," said a male voice to my right. I turned and felt my eyes go wide: it was Batman. He was walking into my room with a tray full of food.

I could not find my voice to speak so I simply stared at him as he put the tray across my lap and sat down in the chair next to my bed like that was where he belonged. He sat there and stared back at me, his blue eyes never looking away from me, and I felt myself unable to look away from him like I expected him to say something important or profound.

"You should eat," he finally said after several minutes of silence. "I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I brought a variety for you." His eyes darted from me to the tray and then back to me, as if he were wordlessly giving me permission to look away and eat.

I nodded dumbly and looked at the tray, it was covered in several plates all covered with either plastic wrap or a metal lid. I pulled off the lid to one of the plates and when the smell hit me I thought I was going to be sick all over the place; it was some kind of noodle dish covered in cheese that looked delicious but smelled like rotten eggs. Quickly I re-covered the dish and the smell lessened, which helped my senses to recover from the assault they had just endured. I un-covered another dish and this one had chips covered in cheese and what looked like ground meat, but it too started to smell of rotting trash and I had to slam the lid down. I looked over at Batman whom was calmly watching me, for a moment I thought he was trying to poison me but then again, why would he? It was not like I had learned something I should not.

If he was trying to though, I was not about to fall into his trap. I looked at the tray again and saw a bowl of mixed fruit covered in plastic wrap sitting neatly off to the side. I reached for it casually and started to unwrap the bowl, casting small looks to Batman as I did so trying to read what he might be thinking, but I could not get much off of his stoic expression. When the plastic wrap was off I could smell the fruit, it did not give off the same offensive odor as the rest of the food had, so I picked up a piece of melon and popped it into my mouth. While it was not as fresh as my mother's had been, it was still fully ripened and had a delicious taste to it, and it quickly ignited my forlorn stomach into a ravenous beast. Without thinking twice I quickly wolfed down the entire bowl of fruit, each piece tasting as sweet as the last, though I was far from being full. I saw a bowl of salad covered in fruits and nuts, it certainly looked more delicious than anything under those trays. The salad was gone almost as quickly as the fruit. Now I was feeling a little thirsty and looked to see if there were any drinks; there was orange juice, a small box of fruit juice, and a can of soda.

We had never had soda in Arkham but I had wanted to try it every time I left with Helena or one of the others though there was hardly anytime for that sort of thing during our excursions. I reached for it and opened it hastily, the bandages on my hands causing it to slip a little in my grasp but it did not fall, then I took a large drink from it and the liquid turned sour on my tongue. Immediately I spat all of it out, the brown liquid getting all over the remaining food and the blanket underneath.

"Did you poison it?!" I demanded, turning to Batman.

He shook his head. "No, I did nothing to it or any of the other food."

"If you didn't tamper with it, then why can't I eat it?" I asked angrily as I slammed the can back on the tray.

"You can only eat organic foods," he said calmly, "that's why you were able to eat the fruit and the salad but not the macaroni or the nachos. The macaroni was completely coated in processed liquid cheese, as were the nachos though it also had hormone fed ground beef mixed in as well. That soda you tried to drink is nothing but fake sugars and processed chemicals, the same with the fruit juice. The only thing you could have safely drunk was the orange juice."

I stared at him with a mixture of rage and embarrassment. I was angry that he allowed me to go through that trial and error without so much as a warning but I was equally as embarrassed because I knew about my food aversions. Well, I did not know why or what caused it, I just knew there were certain foods that I could not stand the smell of no matter how many times I was exposed. Now I knew it was probably due to the chemicals put in the food to enhance taste or preserve the item, not just me being a snob.

"The same goes for medicine," he continued, his eyes still boring into my soul. "You can not take anything that is a synthetic product, you have to have a more pure form. For example you cannot take aspirin with codeine for pain, you'd have to have morphine. I'm sure the same goes for anything that touches your skin as well, you can't wear anything fake, you have to have it be purely cotton or nylon or whatever, no plastic blends."

While I was not sure about the medicine, he was right about the clothes. Every time I wore a pair of jeans my skin would break out into little red bumps, but I suffered through it since they were the only sturdy clothes I could find in Arkham.

"So what, are you about to tell me I need to stay in a plastic bubble for the rest of my life?" I asked with a slightly sarcastic tone.

"No, you can still touch the world around you, you just can't let it into your body," he said, not even cracking a grin. "The reason you need all cotton shirts instead of a blend of elastic fibers is when you sweat you let the chemicals into your body, which causes an irritation of some kind. Your body would allow you to survive extremely well in a forest but it hinders you in normal human society."

"Okay, I know you're Batman, but seriously, how the hell do you know all of this?" I asked, my mind slowly coming back to me. "Better yet, how do you know about me?"

I expected him to answer right away as he had before but instead he sat there silently, looking at anywhere but at me, then he cleared his throat. "I know about you because . . ." he started and then his hand went to his cowl, slowly removing the piece of his suit, " . . . because I'm your father."

Suddenly I was sitting face to face with Bruce Wayne, the Batman, and my father. To say I was surprised would have been the understatement of the year, I thought I was about to pass out from the shock of the news but luckily my brain kicked in before I was able to.

"Start talking," I said sharply, surprised that I was speaking to him in this way.

"I know you have questions," he said stoically, ignoring that I had even spoken, "but right now is not the time nor the place. Your questions will be answered in time, I swear. Right now I have a few things to tell you about what happened the other night."

"I know my mother's dead," I said cooly. "I watched her die. There was nothing I could do to prevent it either."

Bruce reached over and took my hand. "I'm sorry. I know how that feels."

I was not stupid, I knew my father's background, how my grandparents were mercilessly gunned down by some pathetic excuse of a mugger in front of him when he was only eight years old. Whether or not that feeling was the same as watching your mother plummet helplessly to her watery grave was purely academic.

"You should know you weren't the only one caught in this attack," said Bruce after a few moments of silence. "Arkham was not the only city targeted, but it was the most damaged. Several other cities were nearly toppled that night and many were killed."

My eyes widened at the news. "Wait, are you saying I was injured in that attack? You said I wasn't the only one caught in it."

Bruce nodded. "You were nearly dead when you were brought here, we were able to save you."

"Who's we?" I asked as I started unwrapping my bandages. "How long was I out?"

"Nearly four days," he replied softly. "It was myself and a colleague, Wonder Woman, whom saved you when you first arrived. We used plant energy to heal your injuries, we have a hydroponic forest on site."

'Four days?!' I thought, unable to comprehend that I had been at the mercy of strangers for that long but I kept that part to myself.

"That explains why my body feels like I was tossed around like a rag doll," I said as the bandages fell away to reveal my completely healed arms. "Damn, those trees must be immense."

"What makes you say that?" asked Bruce, sounding genuinely curious.

"Only a very large plant could contain and sustain enough power to heal me," I replied, stoically. "And even one tree could only possibly heal a shattered leg. Must have been several that accomplished this, at the very least."

I looked over and saw for a brief moment Bruce's mouth quirk in what looked like a smile though I could not be certain. Maybe he was impressed or amused.

"How did you know to use plants to help me?" I asked, curious to know how much he actually knew about me.

He shrugged. "I've seen your mother in battle and how she used her plants as both protection and regeneration. I assumed you shared that much with her at least."

His words made my skin crawl, he had assumed that I was more plant than human, something I myself denied for years but after all that had happened I was not so sure anymore. How many normal humans were completely cured of any injury using the energy of plants? Not many I knew.

"I'm sure there is more you wish to know," said Bruce calmly, "but if you are up to it, there are someone that wants to speak with you."

For a moment I tensed, thinking that he had contacted the police then I remembered he had had ample opportunity to turn me over to the authorities while I was incapacitated. I merely nodded my consent and he went over to the door, I noticed that he barely made any sound as he walked, something I had always wondered about. When he opened the door I was surprised and a little shocked at who was standing in the doorway: Superman. While I was not familiar with every single superhero out there, I did know of him, his picture was used as a dartboard in many of Arkham's facilities. Those dopes might have hated my father more, but they had pictures of Superman readily at hand since he was always in the newspaper.

"Aubrey, this is Clark Kent, otherwise known as Superman," said Bruce much to the surprise of Superman.

"Bruce, how could you . . . ?" started Clark but one look from my father silenced him instantly.

"She needs to trust us," explained Bruce. "Don't worry, your name will never go beyond her."

"If this is what you planned, then why did we do what we did to you-know-who?" asked Clark in a hushed voice though I still heard him.

"His revelation was a careless risk, mine was thought through," said Bruce in a stern tone. "She won't know everyone's identity, just those who tell her such as the members of the Team. She will learn, Clark, I swear to you."

"Fine, but I still want to talk to her," said Clark in a firm tone.

"You two do know I'm right here, right?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

Clark smiled at me. "Of course, I'm sorry. It was bad form on my part."

I smirked, I already liked this guy though he was a little on the corny side. "No damage done, Clark or would you prefer I call you Mr. Kent?"

"Call me whatever makes you feel most comfortable, miss," said Clark with a wry smile.

"Alright then . . . Clark," I said with a smile. "I'm Aubrey Isely."

"Isely? It's not Wayne yet?" asked Clark with a curious look to my father.

"No, why would it be?" I asked, curious as to why he would ask that in the first place.

Bruce looked a little uncomfortable at Clark's question. "The custody papers went through yesterday, I was going to tell her later."

Now I was pissed. "Custody papers?! What fucking custody papers?!" I shouted, startling both men. "I'm twenty years old or will be soon, what's the point in claiming me as your child!? What else are you keeping from me?"

I stared at Bruce for God knows how long, as if trying to will him to admit every single secret he had been keeping from me, though I knew it was less than pointless.

"I'm sorry, Aubrey, I didn't mean to upset you," said Clark sincerely. "If I had known your father hadn't told you, I wouldn't have said a word."

I took a deep breath. "It's fine, Clark, I would've found out soon enough . . . or not." I added, glaring at my father. I was sure this would be the first of many conversations to come.

Clark smiled again, something I was starting to learn was a frequent act. "Listen, I know you've had a difficult few days, and I'm more than happy to let you rest here. But when you're more recovered, there is something else that we need to discuss, now isn't the time or place however. I believe there are more visitors that want to see you, isn't that right, Bruce?"

"There are but I don't think—" started Bruce but I interrupted.

"No, I want to see them," I said defiantly. "I don't care who they are."

"Then I'll send them in once your father and I leave," said Clark kindly. "I don't see any reason for you not to meet your brothers."

I sat up a little straighter. "I have brothers?!"

"Clark, you and I are going to have a talk about your subterfuge skills," groaned Bruce, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes, Aubrey, you have brothers. And yes, they want to meet you though I wouldn't recommend it right now not until they've been fully briefed on the situation."

"What do they know about me?" I asked, surprised at how eager I was to meet my brothers.

"Very little, which is why I wanted them properly debriefed about you before introducing you," said Bruce in a stern voice. "You are not to meet with them under any circumstances until I give my explicit permission."

I glared at him, angry that he was again denying me. "Why should I listen to you? You've only been my father for what, a whole day at the very least. Don't think I'll listen to you just yet."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Clark trying desperately to keep from laughing, apparently what I had said was incredibly amusing to him though I was not sure what or why.

"You will be able to see them later," said Bruce in an even tone. "Until then I think you should eat and then rest. The other covered dish is a bowl of granola cereal with fruit, you can eat that safely."

"Thank you," I said as kindly as I could manage. "It was nice meeting you, Clark."

"It was my pleasure," said Clark as he and my father exited the room.

I sat back against the pillows, relieved that my body was finally starting to feel like normal once again, and strangely pleased that I had finally met my father though not as happy as I thought I might have been. I knew we would have a great deal to discuss when I was finally released from this place until then I would try to be patient yet already I found it difficult not to let my imagination run wild. I could not wait to meet my brothers and step into my future.

When the door was safely closed behind us, Clark burst out laughing, the sound grating against my already raw nerves.

"What's so amusing, Clark?" I asked though I had a feeling I knew the answer already.

"She's just so much like you," he managed between bouts of laughter.

And there it was. I knew there would be some similarities between myself and Aubrey but I did not realize they were so noticeable at first glance, especially after just a few minutes of talking.

I was curious as to what Clark had detected. "And what about her is so like me?"

Clark looked at me, a huge grin on his face and his blue eyes were sparkling like he had had too much wine, though the Boy Scout did not touch the stuff. "She's stubborn, like you," he said seriously, "and intelligent, I could see that in her eyes. You have a wonderful daughter, Bruce, which I'm sure you know already."

I could not help the pride that bloomed in my chest when he finished, perhaps the result of some latent fatherly instinct, but it was there nonetheless. "She is," I said, agreeing with the Boy Scout on a personal matter perhaps for the first time since we had first met. "Though she is more defiant than I thought she would be."

"Then she'll fit right in with the Team and your other sons," said Clark. "It was defiance that started the Team in the first place, if you'll recall."

"I remember, yes," I said shortly. "Whether she will fit in with the rest is still an unknown, though I doubt that's her priority right now."

Clark nodded. "I assume she knows about her mother?"

"Yes, I didn't even have to tell her," I said grimly. "She will be coming to live with me when she's fully recovered and we've told her of our proposal."

"Do you think she'll accept?" asked Clark, his eyebrow raised.

I gave nothing away, as I myself did not know whether or not she would accept. "It certainly would be in her favor to do so, she doesn't have that many options at present."

"You make it sound like we're forcing her to choose the way we want," replied Clark with a frown. "Remember Bruce, it's her life and she's free to make whatever decisions she wants to."

"If that were true for everyone, Clark, then all lives would be different," I replied stoically. "Do you know where Diana is?"

Clark gave me an insufferably knowing look. "She's in the gallery, at least she was when I last saw her. I think she still might be there though."

I nodded my thanks and departed, more eager than I should have been at the prospect of seeing Diana again and I sincerely hoped it did not show too much as I was almost smiling.

The gallery Clark referred to was the one that held the pictures and items of the various criminals and villains we had fought over the years. It used to contain just pictures but someone convinced the rest of the League that they should start collecting souvenirs whenever they faced a particularly interesting or new villain. Now it looked more like an unofficial museum than a gallery though many in the League still referred to it as such. When I entered, it was empty though I had a feeling Diana was still there. I knew where to look as well.

I found Diana exactly where I thought she would be, the section of the room that held Ivy's pictures and memorabilia. She was standing there gazing at the portrait of Ivy, a serious look on her face as she studied the image, as if trying to figure out the solution to an impossible riddle.

"She doesn't look like her," she said, whether just aloud to herself or to me I did not know.

"Who?" I asked, knowing perfectly well whom she meant.

"Aubrey," she replied and then turned to me. "The only aspect of Ivy I see in her is the shape of her face and the red in her brown hair. Everything else we see must come from you, Bruce."

"Actually, she looks more like my mother than she does me," I said quietly as I stood beside her, "though she has the same hair and brown eyes as my father."

Diana reached over and took my hand, squeezing it with as much gentleness as strength and I returned the favor. "I've claimed her," I said as I looked at Ivy's picture, noticing that underneath it was now a plaque that read, Deceased.

"You did?" asked Diana, unable to mask the excitement in her voice and I nod. "Oh, Bruce, that's wonderful news! How did she take it?"

"She was shocked, as I expected," I replied, daring a glance at the beautiful Amazon. "And she seemed to warm up to Clark right away, which I didn't expect. I thought she would be hostile towards him as she was to Hal when they first met."

"Don't take it personally, Bruce," said Diana with a small smile. "Clark just has a way about him that causes people to relax around him."

I wanted to tell her she had a similar effect on me but decided against it, there would be time for that later, after all this business with Aubrey was dealt with.

"Diana," I said after a few moments of silence, "did you ever raise your younger sisters when you were living on Themyscira?"

I could see out of the corner of my eye the quizzical look she was giving me, apparently my question to her was either strange or the answer was painfully obvious.

"I assisted, it was expected of me," she explained. "Bruce, are you asking what I think you're asking?"

I fidgeted slightly, this was not very easy for me, especially with her. "What do you think I'm asking you?" I asked, knowing it was stupid to do this in a roundabout way but, again, this was not the easiest thing for me to do.

She sighed heavily and turned us both so we were facing each other, an act I did not resist. "You've raised sons for years, Bruce, now you have a daughter and you don't know what to do," she said in her usual calm demeanor. "You need help knowing what to do and how she should be treated."

I looked away and nodded lamely, there was nothing else I could do, when I managed to gather up enough courage to meet her gaze again I was rewarded with her dazzling smile.

"I'll help you in whatever way I can, Bruce," she said as she pulled me in for a tight embrace, which I returned with some enthusiasm.

"Thank you, Diana," I said in a surprisingly soft voice. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that."

She chuckled warmly as she pulled away. "I never thought the day would come when the fearsome Dark Knight would ask for my help."

"Believe it or not, Princess," I said wryly, "there are some things that even I can't do. Like tell my sons about Aubrey's . . . parentage."

Diana gave me a concerned look. "Do you want me there when you do? Incase things get out of hand."

I nodded. "Yes, I do. It might make it easier for me . . . to tell them. Gods, Diana, I never expected having to do this, at least not in the situation we're in currently."

"I believe it is safe to say none of us expected this situation, Bruce," she said kindly, "and that doesn't just mean Aubrey. It's been four days since those cities were attacked and we're no closer to finding out who or what caused them than we were initially."

"I know, and that vexes me as well," I said, "usually in cases like this there's something left behind from the bomb in an explosion that large. Unless . . ."

"Unless what?" asked Diana but I barely heard her, my mind running through several possibilities but only one was making sense.

"It's nothing, just a hunch," I said cryptically. "Anyway, do you know where the boys are? I'd like them all in one room for once when I tell them about Aubrey."

"I think they were in the lounge with a few others," replied Diana. "Shall we go look for them?"

"Yes," I said and we left the gallery together.

We found my sons exactly where Diana had said, they were all in the lounge in civilian wear, sitting on the couches waiting for someone to call for their help Barbara's chair parked right beside Dick. While I rarely approved of inter-League relationships, Dick and Barbara had surprisingly found some way of making it work, despite the great many obstacles which made for a surprisingly strong marriage. Perhaps it was because they both knew the sacrifices involved since they had led a similar life for so long or perhaps it was for some other reason that I had yet to work out. Either way, I was happy for them, genuinely happy. I was even happy for Tim concerning his relationship with Zatanna, she kept him grounded which was something he needed in his life. Sometimes I wished Damian would find someone but then I have to remind myself that he is only thirteen.

"Da-Batman," said Dick when he saw me, covering his slip up with his own brand of tact. "Is there something we can do for you?"

I had to keep from rolling my eyes, the formality was always so unlike him it irritated me. "I need to speak with you, Nightwing, and Red as well as Robin."

The boys stood up almost immediately, though I wished they had remained seated, this was that kind of news.

"Please, boys, sit," said Diana kindly, saying exactly what I had been thinking, then she sat down herself and I beside her.

They sat though they did not seem as relaxed as they had been a moment ago, neither did Zatanna. While it was not ideal that she was here, Aubrey was a potential member of the Team and at least one member needed to know about her before meeting her.

"Does this have to do with our guest, Batman?" asked Tim, Zatanna's hand firmly in his grip.

I nodded. "This has everything to do with her."

"The guest in the infirmary is my biological daughter, Aubrey," I said evenly. "She was injured during the attack on Arkham City and brought here for medical care, she's recovering right now and has just now woken up."

All of them were silent, even though they had known for a few days who she was.

"What was she doing in Arkham City?" asked Barbara after a few minutes.

"She lived there," I replied tersely. "The reasons for that are hers alone to tell, I will not jeopardize your impression of her before you meet her."

"Why am I hearing about this?" asked Zatanna, a dark eyebrow raised in slight confusion.

"Because, if she accepts the offer we're going to give her, she'll be made a member of the Team," I replied, this was going far too smoothly. "Someone on the Team besides Tim needs to know about her, and meet her so you can make a fair judgement, as well as help her assimilate."

Damien made a disgusted noise. "I don't care who or what she is, you should've left her where she was. There wasn't a need to bring her here."

That was more along the lines of what I had been expecting. "Robin, she has as much right to be here as you do."

"So none then?" chided in Tim with a grim smile.

My youngest was about to pounce on Tim but one look from me stopped him. "That's enough!" I snapped. "Both of you need to get ahold of yourselves and remember where you are."

That stopped their petty squabble before it really began though I could still sense the hate that was between them, it had been that way since Damien first arrived several years ago.

"Why are we just now finding out about her?" asked Dick, he seemed slightly upset though I could hardly blame him, he had been my protegee the longest and I kept this secret from him the entire time.

"Because I never wanted you to know about her," I said grimly, aware that Diana was glaring at me now. "She wasn't supposed to know about any of us either, but it seems the Fates have a different plan."

"So do you just expect us to just welcome her like that?!" demanded Damien. "For all we know this daughter of yours is just some delusional psychopath who's hoping for the chance to kill you! We need to get rid of her before she gets the chance!"

I had to keep my anger in check, while he was my son and I loved him, he presumed to know far too much for his own good. "Believe it or not, Robin, I know far more about her than you do. She's not a psychopath nor are we going to just drop her somewhere and pretend she doesn't exist."

"Why not? You were happy to do it before," countered Tim, a scowl on his face.

His statement was not a slap to the face, more like a barbed stake being driven straight into my heart, something I more or less deserved.

"That's not fair, Red," said Dick calmly, it seemed he had decided to accept the situation for what it was, adapting like always. "He obviously had his reasons for what he did and we have no right to question his decisions, especially since things are different now."

I had to fight from smiling, Dick had always been the more understanding of my sons, knowing that there would always be things I kept from them but never letting that impact his perception of a situation. Based on my observations of his behavior in the past, Dick would probably be the fastest to accept Aubrey, and Tim would follow his lead as would Barbara. Damien would either never welcome her or treat her with indifference, as he did my older sons.

"When do we get to meet her?" asked Tim, Dick's words obviously having their desired effect on him.

Beside me I saw Diana smile, apparently relieved that things were working out better than I had anticipated.

"You can meet her now, if you like," I said with a small shrug. "Diana and I will supervise your visit, of course, to make sure nothing happens that shouldn't." I looked directly at Damien, not surprised to see him sitting with his arms crossed and a very angry look on his face.

"Then I say we go now," said Dick, standing up from the couch. "I finally get the little sister I always wanted and I'll be damned if I don't meet her soon."

That was exactly what I wanted to hear. "Follow me."

When we arrived at Aubrey's room in the infirmary, I was surprised to see Oliver and Dinah leaving it, I had thought they had returned to Star City days ago.

"Hey, Bats," said Oliver with a wide smile. "We were just visiting with your kid, she's a sweet girl, though she was suspicious of us. Must be a hereditary thing."

I frowned, I had thought she would not be allowed visitors I did not permit. "Why were you speaking with her in the first place?"

"She asked to see us," replied Dinah slightly defensive. "Apparently she wanted to make sure we weren't killed the other night."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Don't mind Dinah, she's still a little peeved that Aubrey called her a judgmental bitch the other night."

Beside me Tim and Dick were trying not to laugh but they were failing abysmally, something that did not go unnoticed by Dinah.

"You two find that funny, huh?" she asked sharply. "If we hadn't been in a life or death situation that required her help, she would've been on her ass faster than she could blink."

"Dinah, we all know you and know what Aubrey said isn't true," said Diana kindly, "it was a difficult situation for both parties and you both reacted in your own way. I'm sure she regrets what she said but doesn't know how to say it."

Dinah practically growled, but she said nothing to counter Diana's argument. "Fine, as long as it doesn't become a habit of hers." She then stormed off, leaving Oliver behind.

"She's been under a lot of stress lately," said Oliver apologetically. "The attacks didn't help anything either, hopefully she'll be back to the Dinah we all know and love."

"She's fine, Ollie," said Diana with a smile. "Anyway, if you'll excuse us."

He nodded as we all walked past into Aubrey's room, as he walked by me, he put a hand on my forearm.

"Hal tried going in there earlier," he said quietly so only I could hear. "I managed to convince him otherwise but I thought you should know he isn't exactly following orders."

I said nothing in response, merely nodding my thanks for the information. He let me go and I followed the others inside, making a mental note to keep an extra close watch on Hal, if he was willing to disobey a direct order from Clark, there was a problem brewing.

"Hello," said Aubrey when she saw us, putting down her book. "Umm, who are you?"

"Allow me to introduce you to your brothers," I said, stepping forward. "Aubrey, this is Dick Grayson, his wife Barbara, Tim Drake and Damien Wayne."

She smiled politely though I could see her casting a critical eye over each of them, maybe she was more like me than I originally thought.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," she said with a small nod. "Who's the Amazon?"

"This is the Amazonian princess, Diana of Themyscira," I said looking at Diana as I spoke. "She's also known as Wonder Woman."

Aubrey's eyes went wide. "I remember you, you saved my life."

Diana smiled. "I only helped, it was your father's quick thinking that saved you."

"Well, either way, thank you," said Aubrey sincerely then her gaze rested on Zatanna. "Who's the magician?"

"I'm Zatanna," said Zatanna politely. "Superhero identity and secret one the same, oh, and I'm Tim's girlfriend."

I could see Aubrey struggling not to roll her eyes. "Trust me," she said flatly, "I had no interest in getting to know him any better than as my brother."

Zatanna blushed, probably embarrassed that her thinly veiled territorial attitude was seen through so quickly. A brief smirk passed my lips, Aubrey definitely knew how to read a person, and that would come in handy for our line of work.

She then turned her attention to Damien, immediately I could see distrust in her eyes, though I was not sure why. "You're the only biological brother I have," she said, it was not a question but a statement of fact. "The others are adopted."

"How'd you figure that one out?" asked Damien in a condescending tone.

"Your the only one with the last name of Wayne and you look like my father," she snapped.

"The female's smarter than she looks," said Damien with a scowl.

Aubrey instantly tensed, looking like she was going to bolt from the hospital bed and choke Damien but Dick intervened before it could go that far, something I would have to thank him for later.

"Enough, you two," he said sternly. "Jeez, you've barely met and you're already wanting to kill each other."

Tim snorted. "Well, the little demon has that effect on people."

"Shut up!" shouted Damien, pulling back his fist.

Diana maneuvered herself between them, arms out to prevent them from jumping each other. "You two shame your father by behaving this way," she said sternly. "Now either you shape up and stop acting like hooligans or I'll personally escort you out of here."

That seemed to work for the moment, neither one really wanting to be pulled out by the ear by the Amazon warrior.

Aubrey laughed. "Not exactly how I imagined meeting my family but hell, it's great to know you're somewhat normal. Well, as normal as you can get, anyway."

I could tell by his smile that statement had won Dick over completely.

"You know what, Bree," he said as he approached her bed, "I think you'll fit in just fine with us. I mean, you are going to live with us, aren't you?"

She shrugged. "Actually I don't know, I assumed I was going to either be kept here or sent back to Arkham."

Dick turned to me, his eyes silently pleading with me as he spoke. "Dad, please tell me she's coming back with us, please."

I looked over at Aubrey, she was strangely calm but in her eyes shone hope. "Since we're on the subject, there's going to be a meeting in an hour to discuss this situation."

"And I wasn't told because . . . ?" asked Aubrey, unable to keep the anger out of her voice.

"You were going to be informed," I said cooly. "I would suggest getting ready, you can hardly face the League in just a hospital gown."

"Right," said Aubrey and she looked around. "Where are my clothes?"

Mentally I smacked myself, remembering too late that she had nothing to wear, the clothes she had come in with were just rags now. Maybe I should have gone down to a store and bought her something even though I had no idea what she liked or what size to get her, and that was too dangerous a minefield to even attempt crossing.

Diana must have sensed my distress. "I'm sorry, but your clothes were destroyed when you were caught in the explosion, I have a dress you can borrow while you, your father, and I go shopping on the surface."

Aubrey raised an eyebrow. "Shopping? Really?"

"Yes," replied Diana convincingly. "There's a mall in Metropolis we can go to, get you some clothes and other things you're going to need before the meeting."

"Do you really think we can get all of that done in an hour?" asked Aubrey skeptically.

Diana shook her head. "No, but we can if I ask Superman to move the meeting back a few hours. I'm sure he won't object." She then looked to me and I understood.

"Clark, it's Bruce," I said into my commlink, "we need you to move the meeting back a couple of hours."

"Any particular reason?" asked Clark, he sounded slightly annoyed, it was likely Oliver just told him about Hal's disobedience.

"Aubrey needs some essentials, Diana and I are going to take her to Metropolis to buy them," I said knowing this sounded incredibly stupid even though it was the truth.

I heard him sigh on the other end. "Fine, I'll let the others know. Just don't take too long, we do have other business to attend to."

"Understood," I said with a smirk, then I looked to both Aubrey and Diana. "Alright, whenever you're ready."

"Give me a few minutes to go and get some things," said Diana and she flew out of the room.

"This should prove interesting," said Dick, sniggering behind his hand.

Tim nodded in agreement. "Batman vs. the mall, a battle for the ages."

I tried not to groan as I thought about what I had just gotten myself into.

"Are you sure this outfit looks alright?" asked Aubrey as she looked at her reflection in a three way mirror. This was the fifth store and who knows how many outfits, and according to Diana we still were not even close to being done.

"Of course it does," said Diana reassuringly. "Though I think a leather jacket would look better than this cloth one."

Aubrey accepted the leather jacket from Diana and I had to agree, it did look much better than the other one, though I was pretty sure it was more expensive than the cloth one they just put back on the rack. This entire shopping trip was going to cost me a few thousand dollars though it was money well spent.

"Diana's right," I said, as I approached. "The leather jacket looks much better. Matches the boots you're wearing too."

Diana smiled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Well, well, Mr. Wayne, you do have some fashion sense after all."

I smirked. "You should see my closet, Princess."

"Maybe I will someday," she said coyly, flashing me that smile that made me weak in the knees. "So Aubrey, do you think we've spent enough of your father's money for today?"

My daughter turned to me, looking unsure of what she should say in response to that question. When she was in Arkham she had been confident and sure of herself, mouthing off and standing toe-to-toe against me, though standing here with her right now she seemed shy and timid. Which was the real Aubrey I had yet to work out but it seemed like a combination of this shy girl and the hellion I met in Arkham.

"You can say no," I said with a slight chuckle. "We can stay here as long as you want, Aubrey, and don't worry about money. Trust me, I have more where this came from."

That seemed to relax her and she went back to examining herself in the mirror, lifting her hair into different styles, that was when I noticed she was looking at her ears.

"I'm going to go pay for some of this stuff," said Diana pleasantly and she walked off with an armful of clothes.

"Is there something wrong with your ears?" I asked in a teasing manner when I saw that she was still looking at her ears. "I'm sorry but we can't get them fixed in just a couple of hours."

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "No, I was just wishing they were pierced. They used to be but the holes got infected so I had to . . . fix the problem."

"If you want them pierced again, that I can do for you," I said putting a hand on her shoulder, the first real contact we have had since she woke up. "You can even have double piercings if you want but nothing except the ears."

"Works for me," she said happily then her brow creased. "I hope this doesn't feel like I'm using you for your money, Mr. Wayne."

"I know you're not," I replied a little crestfallen. "And you don't have to call me Mr. Wayne, I am your father after all."

She blushed. "I'm sorry, you never told me what to call you earlier . . . Dad."

I smiled, I could not help it, hearing her call me dad felt wonderful. "You know, that outfit is pretty nice on you, do you want to wear that out of the store?"

"Can I?" she asked, her voice a mix of hope and amazement.

I nodded and she grinned. I was quickly learning that seeing her smile was one of the best sights in the universe, right after Diana's smile.

We went to the front of the store and paid for the clothes she was wearing then left the store, several bags on each of our arms and my wallet considerably lighter than when we had first arrived. Spending money did not bother me, especially if it was for a good reason like giving my daughter something decent for once in her life. After we left the store Diana and Aubrey went to a jewelry stand so she could get her ears pierced and I went to the nearest jewelry store so I could buy a gift for both women.

Once inside I was bombarded by a glittering array of precious stones in nearly every setting imaginable, now the only thing left was to pick one, otherwise known as the hard part.

"Anything I can help you find today, sir?" asked a sales clerk. When I turned around her eyes went wide, obviously recognizing me.

"Actually yes," I said pleasantly. "What do you usually get a female friend who's been a great help during a difficult time?"

The clerk smiled. "A pair of earrings or a bracelet might be nice."

"Thank you for your help, I think the earrings might be the best choice," I said and then headed over to the counter with the earrings.

There were several pairs that would look wonderful on Diana but there was one pair that looked especially nice. They were a pair of blue diamonds set in a gold stud, the exact shade of her eyes, and would look excellent with anything she wore plus would not get in the way while she was fighting. Now that that was settled, I had to find a gift for Aubrey, something that she would be able to wear anytime but still have space enough for a tracking device. Call me paranoid but I was not about to lose her to anyone or anything just after getting her back.

I saw a necklace in the next display over from where I found Diana's earrings, I knew when I saw it that was the perfect gift for Aubrey. It was a solid gold heart pendant with a single diamond in the middle on a gold chain, I was pretty sure I could pop the diamond out and put a small tracker in behind.

I went back to the clerk I had spoken to earlier, she seemed more than eager to help me out, which I was sure had to do with the commission she was thinking of getting from my purchases. When the gifts were purchased and wrapped in some gift paper, I made my way back to the jewelry stand where Aubrey and Diana had gone to, I found them there finishing up paying for Aubrey's piercings. I had to smile as I watched them, to the unknowing passerby, they would have looked like a typical mother-daughter pair even in the right light some of Aubrey's features could be mistaken for Diana's. Maybe this was the Fates' way of making things right.

"There you are!" said Diana when she saw me. "We were starting to think you were abandoning us for something work related."

Aubrey nodded to emphasize the point.

"No, I just had an errand to take care of," I said calmly, not wanting to give away the surprise. "Can I see your new earrings?"

Aubrey smiled and then pulled back her hair so I could see the two pairs of earrings she was now wearing, one pair was orange topaz and the other was pearls, both looked rather becoming on her. The necklace would go excellently with both pairs.

"What do you think?" asked Aubrey with a slightly nervous tone.

"They look great on you," I replied and then pulled out a box from my pocket. "But I think they would look even better if you were wearing this."

I then handed her the box and watched as she unwrapped it and then opened it. When she saw the necklace her jaw dropped and she looked absolutely stunned, needless to say I was very glad I could invoke such a look from her. Before she could ask, I quickly took the necklace from the box and clasped it around her neck, I knew I should have waited to give it to her after I put the tracker in but there would be time for that later. Right now I wanted to see her wearing it.

"Thank you," she breathed when I stepped back in front of her.

"You're very welcome," I said happily, a genuine smile on my face. "Now, Diana, I don't want you to feel left out."

Diana smiled and shook her head. "Bruce, a gift is not really necessary."

I waved my hand dismissively. "Nonsense, after all the help you've given me this last week, you deserve something nice." I then put the earring box in her hand, waiting with excitement as she unwrapped the gift.

She gasped when she saw the earrings, her bright blue eyes shining. "Oh, Bruce, they're beautiful. Thank you!" Then she pulled me in for a tight embrace, which I returned with just as much enthusiasm, unable to control myself.

"Uh, Dad," said Aubrey hesitantly, "don't we have that meeting soon?"

Diana and I pulled away faster than I would have liked but we were in public after all and a certain etiquette was necessary for this type of situation. I glanced down at my watch, Aubrey was right, we had that meeting in half an hour.

"It appears you're right," I said and motioned for them to start walking. "I think we should get going, we don't want to keep that crowd waiting, do we?"

Both Diana and Aubrey smiled as we left the mall, my arm around each of them.

The time had finally come. The meeting that would decide the fate of my daughter was here at last and while I was nervous as hell I had never been prouder. I stood up here in full regalia with my fellow colleagues, Clark standing in the very middle of the line up, myself to his left and Diana to his right. I tried not to smile when I saw her wearing the earrings I had given her in place of the usual silver star ones, it was just one of those little things she did that made me fall for her all over again. I noticed John was standing in place of Hal, while it might look fine to the rest of the League that a former member of the original seven was standing with the rest of us, I knew better. Hal was being disciplined further by Clark for disobeying a direct order, I could not find any reason to disagree with Clark's judgement either. Now was not the time to be dwelling on that, now was the time to focus on my daughter and this glorious day.

The doors to the conference room opened and Aubrey stepped through with Dick and Tim on either side of her, Damien having opted out of the meeting in order to train with the rest of the Teen Titans. I had a feeling this was going to be the start of a rocky relationship between him and Aubrey but that was an issue for another day. Today I was completely engrossed in one of the proudest moments of my life though I had to keep it hidden, it would hardly look right for the menacing Dark Knight to be grinning like an idiot.

Aubrey approached Clark and stopped a few feet away from him, her face was serene but she seemed much more confident than she had been at the mall. Standing there in front of an intimidating group of people probably brought out the fighter in her which was something similar to both me and her mother, the revelation was startling.

"You asked to see me, Superman?" asked Aubrey calmly as she stared up at Clark.

Clark smiled. "Yes, I did. Miss Wayne, it has been brought to our attention that you display a great many attributes associated with the Justice League. Some of these include courage, decisiveness, and honor. Someone like you would be a great asset to the League, because of this and many other factors, we would like to extend you an invitation to join the Justice League."

I watched as the realization spread across Aubrey's face, the weight of Clark's words and their meaning sinking in. I could not read much from her expression though I had a feeling she was still reeling from the offer, not fully grasping that this was not a dream but her new reality. I wanted to say something to her, try to comfort her but I knew better, this was going to have to be her choice and I could do nothing right now to help her. Waiting for her answer was excruciating, mostly because I knew what would happen to her if she said no, J'onn would wipe her memory and I would be forced to lie to her which was something I did not want to do again.

Her lips parted and I heard her answer though I myself could not believe that those words had crossed her lips. I stood there completely stunned wondering if this had really happened, I looked over and even Clark seemed floored though I was sure he had expected this answer all along. Everything was about to change.