Anslee had now been in her room, undisturbed, for a good half hour now. It wasn't unusual for this to happen, it's just she wasn't used to Bruce being home. After the little breakfast fiasco this morning, she had no idea what h'ed try to pull now.
The girl was sitting at her desk by her bed of the oversized room. She knew any other girl in the world would want the lavish lifestyle and big house she had, but honestly she could go without the lifestyle. And she made that blatantly clear to Bruce. On her laptop, she had a video pulled up and her earbuds plugged in. One hanging in her ear while the other was strewn next to her. In her lap lay a notebook with a pencil on top of it. Anslee hit play, watching the screen intently as she listened to the audio.
She'd managed to immerse herself in it so well, she didn't even notice Bruce come up behind her and tap her shoulder. When he did feel him get her attention, she paused the video, setting down her pencil, and turning to look at him.
"Homework, huh? Doesn't really look like homework to me," he raised an eyebrow.
"It's a documentary for GU American History," she rolled her eyes as she turned back to it, about to hit play, before Bruce stopped her again.
"GU? Like Gotham University? They offer college classes at your high school?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'd rather use my SAT scores and pay seventy five dollars than three hundred dollars for the same amount of credit hours," she spoke, turning back to her video, hoping she got her point across that she wanted him to go away. But Bruce wasn't about to give up that easily.
"What are you studying?" he questioned.
Anslee sighed, pulling out her earbud and turning back to him, "Are you genuinely interested or are you just doing this because Alfred told you to come up here and try and bond with me or whatever?" she raised an eyebrow, "I'd rather you tell me the truth than sit here and waste both of our time."
Bruce smirked, she had Rachel's attitude, he'd give her credit for that, "Anslee, this weekend is dedicated to you, you and only you. If I didn't care, I wouldn't be asking."
"And then what? In two weeks when I'm back over here it's not going to be about me anymore? It's gonna go back to the way it was and you're just gonna leave me here while you "work". When Anslee's not hurt anymore, it's not gonna be about her anymore because she's almost eighteen and she can handle herself right? I mean it's like I'm over here for no reason, you lock yourself in your office everyday or you're at Wayne Enterprise and you leave me here like I'm nothing to you. I don't understand why you insist I should be here every other weekend because you act like I don't exist. You probably can't even name what High School I go to, any extra curriculars I do, or even what I want to go to college for!" Anslee snapped as she looked up at Bruce from her chair.
Bruce looked down at her, he really didn't know that's how she truly felt. Sure he knew she was annoyed that Bruce wasn't around a lot during the weekends she was there. But it was all for her. All to keep Gotham clean so that another accident like last night wouldn't take place again. Bruce wanted nothing more than to spill the truth about Batman to Anslee. To let her know he did it all for her and the sake of this city. That it was him who swooped in and saved her the night prior. That if he didn't care and chose to act like she didn't exist he wouldn't have even bothered saving her. Instead he just looked down at her, at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond to the situation at hand. It took him a good minute, but he finally found words to say.
"Anslee, I know what it feels like to feel alone and felt unwanted or whatever, you get the point. I felt the same way after my parents died. I didn't have anyone to go to except Alfred. But he wanted to help me, pushed to, but I always pushed him away and secluded myself. And I swore that one day, I would never let that fall upon someone close to me, I would never let them push away the help they needed when someone was kind enough to offer it to them. Anslee, I am not about to let that happen to you, I refuse to let you push me away, because I don't want what I've turned out to be for you," he explained in a level headed tone as he stared into the dark brown eyes she shared with him.
"Why all of a sudden now? I've been in your life nearly eight years and of all times you choose now to start showing you care." She spoke, standing up from her chair to almost look him in the eyes.
"Because last night opened my eyes. Anslee I never realized how easy it is to lose someone you love and care about, letalone your own child. Especially a second time around," he spoke, looking at the ground as he replayed the night his parents were murdered in his head, "I was so close to losing you last night, and I didn't realize how much I take a child like you for granted. Anslee you are gorgeous like your mother. You've got her personality, and you're so incredibly independent. You're smart and you have the grades to prove it. You're talented, I've seen what you can do. You can dance, and that's what makes you so unique," Bruce paused as he looked back at her, this time her eyes were filled with tears that were threatening to spill onto her cheeks.
Anslee really didn't know Bruce really did know that much about her, she was honestly surprised and it kind of awestruck. As she looked back at her father she didn't know whether to punch him for keeping this from her for so long, or hug him and forgive him for all he's put her through. She simply looked up at the man, wiping her eyes with the back of her sweatshirt sleeve, and spoke, "I just really need time to clear my head, and think."
Bruce looked back down at her before nodding, "I understand," he responded in almost a whisper before he turned to walk out of the room. Meanwhile Anslee had sat back down at her desk and held her earbud in her hand. Before Bruce completely walked out, he stopped and looked back at her.
"Anslee, just know that I love you," he spoke before leaving her room. Ans didn't even tu
rn, she sat, frozen in her chair as she tried to process what even went down.
Anslee tried to think like Rachel would, that was always her plan when it came to things she really didn't know what to do about. In all her seventeen years she'd never seen her mom break down. Rachel Dawes, Gotham's District Attorney, raised a baby all on her own, and still managed to make it through law school. If Rachel could do all that, Anslee could make it through her civil war in her head over daddy issues. But at that point her headache returned. She was already mentally exhausted and it wasn't even two pm yet. This was going to be a long weekend.
That day had passed quickly. Day turned to night in an instance, and by now it was nearly one in the morning by the looks of the digital display on Bruce's watch. He had done nothing but sit in his office and think since he spoke to Anslee earlier. That and waiting for the time to roll around that he could tend to his "extra-curricular" line of work. Every so often Bruce would walk by her room, diverting his attention to the light under her door, waiting for it to turn off so he could sneak down to the cave. By the time one AM rolled around, Bruce was surprised she could stay up that late after just getting out of the hospital. He knew those places were not made for peace and rest. The fact that his child in the first place made him clench his fists in anger.
He was on his normal patrol the night prior. He made sure to keep an extra eye out for things by Rachel's work, knowing the case was about to go down and things had the capability of getting dangerous. But when he saw a girl getting mugged, he swung into action like normal. Once he saw it was his own child in the position of the victim, that's when he lost it. The man couldn't remember ever being so angry in his life, it was just a blind rage mode that was activated and he went at the man until he wasn't even sure if he was still alive when he was finished. Just the memory of it had a way of making his blood pump in his ears at an alarming rate. There were so many things he'd given up becoming Batman, but he would never dare give up the two loves of his life.
Bruce chuckled at himself thinking about the statment, how true and false it was at the same time. He may have been able to keep them protected and alive from Batman's enemies, but he had also given them up to keep them out of the path to danger.
Batman had been the omen that was supposed to make him worthy of Rachel. But in reality, the same thing that would have held them together was the same thing pushing them apart. Bruce shook his head before walking up to the piano and playing the three flat harmonies before the entryway to the elevator appeared and he entered, seeing what Alfred was up to in the cave.