To This Day

by Allexis Writes

After the truth of her father's past comes into the light, Anslee Dawes-Wayne's life was flipped upside down. Fast forward 5 years and there's a new villain running Gotham, The Joker. Will Bruce Wayne be able to handle life as Batman while also balancing his daughter's last year in Gotham along with the threat of the Joker?

2. 8 Years Later

THIS CHAPTER WAS UPDATED AND PROOFREAD FOR TYPOS. GRAMMAR. AND PLOT/TIMELINE ISSUES AS OF 7/17/2020

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Eight Years Later

Rain and deep, dark gray clouds was the weather that graced Gotham's presence, but in all honesty, what was new? The city was always gloomy and depressing. But that wasn't stopping Anslee Wayne-Dawes from trying to make the best out of her few months in Gotham before she'd be leaving the city for college.

Ans had just gotten out of Gotham North High School, she had found herself at the place after school more and more these days ever since her best friend, Jenni, had coaxed her into joining the varsity dance team, as if the time they spent after school at their dance studio they'd been going to since they were around four years old wasn't enough to keep them on their toes. Anslee's plans for her Friday night were looming in her mind as she walked down the cold street on her way to her mother's office. Although, she wasn't sure why she even thought about the night, she knew that Rachel wasn't going to have a very great day in general and the mother was going to ask the teenager to stay with her for the night before she was shipped off to her father's for the weekend.

Anslee continued her walk down the street, the route was familiar to her considering she'd taken it more times than she could count. As she strode down the cracked sidewalk, she felt her cell phone buzz in her jacket pocket. The brunette stopped to pull it out before seeing a picture of her mother and herself when she was a young girl lighting up the screen, Ans smiled to herself before she swiped right on the screen to answer the call.

"Hey mom, what's up?" The seventeen-year-old smirked as she continued to walk down the street holding the phone to her ear.

"I was calling to ask you where you were, it's almost eight and you aren't here, are you ok? Did something happen?" Rachels' voice seemed slightly panicked, then again she was always very protective over her child and worried about her walking the Gotham Streets alone come nightfall.

Ans wasn't surprised when the concerned mother voice came through the phone, she didn't blame her because of how dangerous the streets of the city were. Anslee breathed a chuckle before answering, "Yes, I'm fine, about five minutes away from the building now. Practice got out at seven thirty and I just had to stay after for a few minutes to discuss a scholarship opportunity I can possibly sign up for, with my coach," she spoke as she rounded a corner; her mother's office building finally in her line of sight.

"Scholarships? You didn't think to consult me or your father about it? Maybe at least tell us about it?" Rachel asked.

"You, yes, him, not so much," Anslee responded as she adjusted her backpack strap on her shoulder, "why does it concern him anyways, never, not once has he ever asked me about where I was thinking for college, asked me what I want to major or minor is, let alone mutter more than fifty words to me whenever I'm over there every other weekend."

Ans heard Rachel sigh on the other end, "Ans, he's your father, he loves and cares about you, and I'm sure if you brought it up with him he'd be more than willing to listen to you talk about it and maybe even offer some advice.

"Could have fooled me," She rolled her eyes, "that'll happen as soon as Jonathan Crane stops being a psychopath. Anyways, I'm in front of the building and I'm about to walk in, we'll talk when I get up to your office."

"I'll see you in a few minutes," Rachel spoke before the line went dead. Anslee strolled into her mother's work building and beelined for the elevator. Once in front of the contraption, she reached forward and pressed the up button in order to summon it. She had her cell phone in her hand, gazing at the screen, trying to preoccupy herself while she waited for the elevator door to open. As she waited she heard footsteps in the lobby, it had been nearly abandoned besides the receptionist and the security guard, they were coming towards her. She had learned to ignore the people in her mother's office. But this particular person she couldn't quite ignore.