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

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The next morning, Anslee was awoken to Alfred shaking her lightly like her mother had done Saturday morning. She slightly opened her eyes, groaning as morning light flashed in her eyes. But wait, there was never morning sun at six AM. The girl quickly sat up from the couch, "Crap I'm late, I fell asleep out here and didn't have an alarm set." She stood up from the couch.

Alfred chuckled, "I'm sorry to give you a scare, but your mother actually called last night, you had a last minute doctors appointment scheduled for your shoulder at nine, she insisted on picking you up from here at eight forty-five."

"Oh," Anslee spoke, glancing at the digital clock seeing it was already eight AM, "Where is he?"

"Master Wayne is in your grandfather's study, he's been up since seven," Alfred confirmed.

"Thank you, Alfred," Anslee spoke before leaving the living room and heading towards her room so she could change and get ready to leave with Rachel.

XXX

Bruce stood outside at the front entrance gazing out at the road that Rachel would soon be driving down. The weekend had gone by quicker than he wanted. Every time he said goodbye to Anslee it killed him inside. Having her around and hating him was one thing, but watching her drive away was another pain all together,

Bruce was tired.

Tired of the lies. Tired of all the nights he spent alone. How he yearned for Rachel on some of those extra lonely ones.

He knew that after Anslee left he would have to pack his own bag and head towards the city to his penthouse. Being at the manor the entire weekend was all for Anslee. He wanted to take her away from the city where bad men attacked innocent girls.

"Bruce," a voice rang out.

Bruce snapped out of his thoughts to see Rachel standing in front of him, he was so focused on his thoughts that he hadn't even seen her pull up.

"We need to talk," Rachel spoke.

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Rachel had her back to him, and from her stance he could see how tense her shoulders were. It had been a good forty-five seconds that the two spent in silence. He knew what he asked of her wasn't going to be easy, but he was done with pretending. Truth being he wasn't asking for permission, more so telling her what he was going to do.

"No Bruce, we decided not to tell her for her safety," Rachel turned back to him, "and with all that happened last week I am more certain that this is not the right thing," She spoke with a frown. When she did, the lines beside her mouth had been more prominent, a testament to the years that had gone by.

"It's easy for you to dismiss me. You haven't spent the last seventeen and half years alone," Bruce placed his fingers on the bridge of his nose trying to keep his arising headache at bay. He had known talking to Rachel about this was going to be difficult, but he hadn't anticipated how angry she'd be. Rachel was always the levelheaded type where he was the hothead. It seemed now the roles had reversed, "I want to be her father, Rachel, and two weekends a month isn't cutting it."

"Then maybe it's time you retire."

Bruce took a deep breath almost not believing what Rachel was saying, trying to keep calm. Her only answer over the years had been to stop being Batman. It just wasn't an option. As much as he loved Anslee and Rachel, he had an obligation to uphold for the people of Gotham, "You know I can't do that. But Anslee will be eighteen in a few weeks. She can handle this."

"Like I had to handle it? Bruce I've been in the line of danger time and time again. Anslee nearly died during Scarecrows attacks because I was busy dealing with you!" Bruce could see the tears welling up in her eyes. It had been hard on both of them over the years, but the plan they had come up with didn't work for him anymore. They had decided years ago that Anslee and Rachel would keep their distance so that if someone found out his true identity, they wouldn't use them against him, "Aren't you tired Bruce? Because I am. I dread waking up in the morning because I'm scared that maybe I'll hear you turned up dead. I thought I would be done with this by now. I've moved on. I'm with Harvey."

"I still love you. Rachel. This change, I'm talking about Anslee. We have the chance to be the family we always talked out," Bruce reached out and held Rachel's hand, relishing how soft and warm it was. Bruce glanced around at the cave, gazing at all the things that had kept them apart. It had been the only place he knew he could talk to Rachel without Anslee walking in.

"I can't, Bruce. I love Harvey."

Bruce felt his heart break for a third time. After the second he didn't think he even had a heart left to break at that point. Sometimes he thought her whole goal in life was to tear him apart, "Then I'm telling her."

Rachel pulled her hand away from Bruce, "This is a decision we should make as a team!"

"What team?" he yelled back at her. The sound echoed off the walls before traveling down the vehicle entrance, "We haven't been a team in years."

"Can we please not fight about this. We both love Anslee, and part of my hesitation comes from the fact that you just threw that at me. I need time to really think this over, It's not like we can undo it once we tell her."

Bruce knew Rachel was right. It was a huge decision that would include all of their lives changing. But the thought of change actually gave Bruce a happy feeling. No longer would he have to be the parent who was never in the loop. He could see Anslee perform. He was sure she'd had performances with dance right? And didn't Rachel say something about competitions? His days of watching from the sidelines were almost over.

"Look, Bruce, I've got to go, Anslee's appointment is at nine and it's already eight forty-five. Be careful tonight, that Joker is giving the GCPD a run for their money. I heard about what happened with those dogs with Crane. Someone has to tell you that you aren't a spring chicken anymore," Rachel smirked.

"Don't I know it. I have a bruise that would match our daughters," Bruce chuckled as he lifted his shirt to show off the blue and yellow impression.

Rachel reached her hand out to carefully touch his bruise, "I know Batman is a part of you, but do not let him kill you."

Bruce smirked down at her, "You say that as if we're not the same person," he put his shirt back down.

"You're not," Rachel turned back to the entrance of the cave.

"Anslee's meds are on the table in the kitchen," he called after her.

XXX

Rachel had met Anslee in the living room where she sat with her school backpack and her bag she packed for the weekend with Bruce," Hey, love," Rachel smiled softly.

Anslee turned from her position on the couch to look at her mother, "Mom," she smiled as she got up and walked towards Rachel, engulfing her in a hug.

Rachel hugged Anslee back with an even wider smile, "I missed you this weekend," she spoke before pulling away and gently placing her hands on her child's shoulders, "how are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"Piercing headaches and shoulder pains all weekend, it kinda hurts to breathe with my side, but I'm alive," Anslee lightly chuckled.

"Well, we gotta get going, your appointment is soon, got everything?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Anslee nodded as she picked up her weekend bag and Rachel picked up her daughter's backpack. Anslee made her way towards the front door when Bruce appeared in the foyer. Rachel walked with Anslee before seeing Bruce.

"Well goodbye, Anslee," Bruce spoke with a smirk, seeing as she was already at the front door open waiting for Rachel.

Anslee looked back at Bruce with a facial expression that was anything but amused. Rachel scolded her child, "Say goodbye, Anslee."

"Goodbye Anslee," the teen rolled her eyes before walking out the door and towards the steps.

"I love you!" Bruce called after her.

"Uh-huh," she groaned as she made her way down the front steps.

Rachel sighed before looking at Bruce, "I thought you said you made progress with her."

"I did, she's just too damn stubborn," Bruce groaned as he watched his child walk towards Rachel's car. He then turned back to Rachel with a softer look, "Please keep me posted on her condition."

"I'll call you after I drop her off at school," Rachel smiled back at him, "Please be careful and don't immerse yourself too much in your work."

Bruce hadn't hesitated to reach forward and kiss Rachel's cheek, "I don't know what you're talking about," he smirked.

"Goodbye, Bruce," Rachel smiled sweetly at the man.

"Bye Rachel," he watched as she left the manor and walked towards her car with a brooding Anslee in the passenger seat. Bruce shut the door and leaned against it, sighing to himself as he immersed his face in his hands. He had to fix things with Anslee.

XXX

Anslee's doctor appointment had come and gone quickly. All too soon she found herself walking down the hallway of Gotham North High School on her way to her fourth period class, GU Calculus. She didn't even want to go to school in the first place, but no matter how much she pleaded with Rachel, the woman still insisted she face it and go to school, bribing the teenager with a fancy dinner with her and Harvey that night even though they planned to take her with them anyways.

When Anslee walked into the classroom, the room was silent, signalling her teacher, Mr. Gatons, had given the class homework time. To her surprise, no one had turned to look at her when she entered the room, besides Jenni, who was wide-eyed seeing the condition of her best friend.

Anslee had given the teacher her pass before walking to her seat and setting down her backpack on the ground and then sitting down in her chair. But before she could even reach down to unzip her backpack and take out her binder and laptop, Jenni was at her side.

"Ans, what happened to you? You barely answer your phone all weekend and then you come in late to school with stitches and dark circles under your eyes. Are you ok?" Jenni asked a bit panicked for her best friend.

Anslee chuckled a bit, "I uh, got in an accident Friday night, that's all. And I just had really bad headaches and the light from my phone screen was making it worse. Plus I was at my dad's, you know how that is." she shrugged as if it were no big deal.

"An accident? Like a car accident?" Jenni's eyes widened, "Ans is your car ok?"

"Jen, I'm fine. No it wasn't a car accident...look it's just a really long story, and my headache from this morning is already coming back. Are you free after school?" she asked her best friend.

"I mean yeah, but we've got practice at five thirty, remember?" Jenni raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to practice, Jenni."

"What? Anslee you never miss dance, what is going on with you?" Jenni nearly burst out.

"Jen, calm down. I bruised my shoulder really badly in the accident and I'm bruised up pretty badly, look I told you I'll tell you after school ok? If you give me a ride to my apartment, you can come in and I'll explain before you have to leave for practice, alright?" Ans offered a small smile to Jenni.

Jen smiled back at her before nodding, "Alright, deal."

XXX

"And that's what happened," Anslee sighed. She was now sitting on one end of her bed while Jenni sat on the other, hugging one of Anslee's throw pillows against her chest as she held onto every word Anslee had spoken as she explained the situation of what went down Friday.

"So you were actually saved by THE Batman?" Jenni raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Jen. Is that all you got out of that entire story?" Anslee sighed, half annoyed at the situation.

"What? No, of course not. I'm just glad you're ok, I don't think I could go on with my life if I didn't have my best friend beside me anymore, Ans. Thankful you were only hurt rather than dead, honestly," Jenni smiled back at Anslee.

"Thanks, Jen," Anslee chuckled back at her best friend.

Jenni was about to say something else before Anslee's bedroom door and Rachel peeked her head in, "Jenni, sweetheart, it's five. I know you've got practice at five thirty and I know how coach can be when you're late," Rachel smiled at Jenni.

"Thanks Rachel, I was actually about to head out anyways," Jenni stood up and grabbed her backpack from off the ground, slinging it over her shoulder, "Bye Ans," Jenni smiled before she made her way towards Anslee's door.

"Bye Jen! Be careful and I'll see you tomorrow!" Anslee yelled after her before she looked back at Rachel, "Yes?" she smiled.

"You need to start getting ready, Harvey's taking us to a nice place tonight," Rachel smiled.

"You mean I can't go in leggings and a t-shirt, what a shame," Anslee smirked as she stood up and walked towards her closet.