AN: Woo! I was not expecting the response I got from you guys. Thank you so much! Sorry this update took so long to update. I got distracted. 1. because writers block hit me pretty hard with a few parts of this chapter and 2. because I was blindsided by Teen Wolf feelings (which was not supposed to happen, don't judge me x_x) I had intended to keep going with this chapter but thought I would split it up so it wouldn't take as long to finish. Bane will be making a bigger appearance soon! Julie has some amateur sleuthing to do ;) Please continue to let me know what you think! I'm still trying to find a beta, so once again, excuse any horrible mistakes! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my characters and my ideas ;-;
The condo was silent, eerily so. A few years ago it had been filled with the sound of Lucy's tiny footsteps and squeals of delight. Even the loud, rumbling voices that would resonate up to her bedroom during the night; when her father hosted business events, or when her mother had thrown parties would have been welcome. But now even that was gone. Julie's footsteps echoed around the long hallways and up the marble staircases. Her father had spared no expenses on his home, determined to make it twice the structure Bruce Wayne's was.
John was obsessed with the Wayne family in an alarming way. He had been for some years. After Mr. and Mrs. Wayne were murdered, her father had made it his personal goal to own every last cent of theirs. Julie and Miles had not been born at that time, but the information Julie gleaned from various sources had confirmed the greed she was certain consumed him. She was appalled at the depth of it.
Julie had no doubt that it was John that had pushed her mother over the end. Claire's mania had always been reined in when she and Miles were small. Her bouts of depression had been easily cured when her two adoring children would crawl into the king sized bed, kissing her cheeks and begging her to play with them. As they grew, it became hard for her again, she would seclude herself and leave them for their various nanny's. She would throw lavish parties and drink until the sun rose, stumbling back to her room as her children left for school.
Not long after that, Claire became pregnant with Lucy. It was common knowledge that John wasn't her father. If John had cared he might have been angry. His only concern was that the press never found out about the affair - not that the press was interested in the Daggett family for long. After Lucy's first birthday, the Joker had torn their city apart. All eyes were on the clown man and his cronies. It wasn't until the bombing of Gotham General that the Daggett family was on the radar once more. Julie and Miles had been sitting on the bus, on their way home from school when the bus had been hijacked by men with guns in clown masks.
Julie remembered all of the people being loaded onto the bus before the hospital exploded, the terrifying man with the painted face following in their wake. He had sat himself in the back of the bus, near she and her brother, giggling manically as the building went up in flames. Miles had been petrified, clinging to his sisters hand as the masked men started to herd the passengers off the bus, tying them up and placing them in a large building that was under construction.
The Joker had approached the two youngest children, eyeing them with an unreadable expression. Miles had promptly burst into tears, hiding behind his twin with a whimper. The Joker had doubled over with hysterical giggles, waltzing up behind them, placing two gloved palms on the tops of their heads. He petted them and adopted a tone of mock concern, telling them that it would be alright if they did what they were told.
Luckily the Batman had swooped in, saving the day just in time. The two children had gone up with bumps and bruises in the wake of the paparazzi. Miles however, had received more than just physical wounds. All of his trauma was internal. His post traumatic stress, coupled with the medley of other issues he had inherited from their mother, he had come away shattered, a fragment of the boy he had been. Through all of the strenuous therapy he had been put through, Miles learned to control the attacks he would occasionally have.
Julie climbed the last flight of stairs that lead to her mothers room, knocking lightly on the oak door before letting herself in. The heavy drapes were drawn across the wall of windows that stretched across the right side of the large room. Julie tread carefully across the clothing strewn floor. Expensive silks and cashmeres littered the wood floors, it looked like no one had been in to clean in months.
With a sigh, Julie approached the queen sized bed, taking a seat in the armchair that sat beside it. Claire was lost in a sea of blankets, her head resting on her mattress, face obscured with a soft pillow, soft blonde tendrils flowing around it. A frown marred Julie's face as she listened to the deep rattling breathes her mother took, like every breath cost her a great deal. Leaning over the bed, Julie reached over and lifted the pillow from her face, hoping that was causing the troubling noises to emit from her.
Claire expelled a wheezing cough and rolled over in her sleep. Still drawing deep, rattling breathes. Julie but her lip, wondering what was wrong. Her eyes flicked to the nightstand, which held her numerous medications, orange bottles laying haphazardly around. She sighed deeply, reaching over once more, this time to rouse her mother, gently shaking her shoulder "Mom, mom wake up."
The older woman groaned, attempting to pull the covers higher up over her head "Mmmm no! Five more minutes."
"Mom it's me, I'm home. Wake up!" Julie turned over into her side. Opening her blearily blue eyes to stare sleepily at her daughter.
"Baby!" Claire cooed, reaching out with a skeletal hand to grasp Julie's "I've missed you. Why are you home so early?"
"I have business to attend too. It couldn't wait so I came now." Julie stated, giving her a wane smile. Claire tugged on her hand, sitting up so she could awkwardly wrap her arms around her shoulders. Her mother was alarmingly thin, Julie could have counted her ribs as she pressed her hands against her back.
"Oh, work!" The blonde scoffed pulled away, sitting up a little straighter in bed. Her face was gaunt and skeletal like the rest of her. Cheekbones too sharp and eyes too bright. Her lips were dry and cracked as well "You're too young to be thinking about work, baby." She rasped.
"I probably am." Julie said softly "But someone has to do it!"
Claire merely shook her head without reply, laying back down against her pillows with a far away look in her eyes. Her vision blurring in and out of focus "You would look so pretty with your hair down…" She mumbled, motioning towards her daughters brown hair, which was up in a high ponytail like it usually was "And turquoise, that would look so good on you too."
Julie sighed, standing up to give her mother a kiss on the forehead "Yes, mama." She had lasted longer than Julie had originally though. Before she had been shipped to boarding school and her mother had been like this, Claire could hardly spit out half a sentence before falling back into unconsciousness. This had to be an improvement, right?
Julie quietly slipped out of the bedroom, the door clicking shut behind her as she strode back down the hall. Her mind was so far away she had stopped paying attention to where she was walking, ending up in her fathers study.
"Julie! I didn't know you were home, sweetheart." Julie looked up from the floor to see Elise, her sisters nanny and their housekeeper, dusting off one of the many bookshelves in the corner of the room. Julie smiled warmly at the woman, walking over to give her a tight hug in greeting.
"I just got here a couple of hours ago. How are you, El?" Elise smiled and patted Julie fondly on the cheek, setting down her duster in her hand as she turned to lean against the shelf behind her.
Elise Theron was in her mid thirties, tall and ash blonde with a warm smile and soft-spoken nature. She had drawn the family in the instant she had walked through the door. Elise was the only person who had brought order into the Daggett's home. She nurtured and took care of Lucy from birth, calmed Miles down from his episodes, and helped Julie keep her temper in check. There wasn't a night gone by that Julie didn't wish that Elise had been her birth mother instead. It was a relief to see her once more.
"I'm doing alright, doll face! You're home because of Miles, aren't you." She said, lowering her voice conspiratorially, looking over her shoulder to make sure the door to her right was closed, as well as the one behind Julie "There have been some interesting developments around her since they shipped you over seas."
Julie closed her eyes, rubbing her temples with the tips of her fingers "So I've heard. Do you have any details?"
"Possibly." Said the housekeeper in a casual tone "I know this giant of a man with a mask covering his face has been here quit a lot. Pops in a few nights a week to have a chat with your father and brother in here. I also know that they're planning to take over Wayne Enterprises."
"They're WHAT?" Julie's voice rose in outrage and Elise quickly hushed her with a warning look "How dare he!" Julie lowered her voice to a hiss, her fists clenched.
"I know!" The older woman said, shaking her head "I think your father had been planning something for awhile, now he has people to help him put it in motion."
Julie let out a noise of exasperation "I can't believe he would drag Miles into it too! Wait, no. Actually I can believe it. His depravity know's no bounds. What the hell is his damage?!"
"He probably wants someone else to take down with him if things go south." Elise noted with disdain, turning once more to start cleaning "Greedy man."
With a snort of disgust, Julie perched herself on the oak desk behind the housekeeper, watching her work as she mulled over this information. She had to figure out a way to draw her brother out of her fathers clutches. A way that wouldn't anger him or make him feel like a child. It would be no easy task. Miles was almost as proud and headstrong as she was.
"Lucy should be home any minute now." Elise noted softly, breaking Julie's train of thought "She's missed you quite a bit and asked almost every day for a straight month when you'd be home."
Julie couldn't help but smile. Despite her anger and frustration, the little girl always brought a smile to her face "Did she? Crazy brat. How has she been doing?"
"She's been well. I've been keeping her occupied the best that I can. It's been a little difficult trying to keep her away from your mother."
Julie bit her lip and frowned "Mom isn't doing good, is she?"
Elise turned around once more, looking at the girl sympathetically "No, sweetie, she isn't. We can't figure out what's wrong with her. She just started deteriorating last year and it's progressively gotten worse and worse. She won't let me clean her room and she barely eats anything anymore."
The blonde woman leaned over than and put a hand on Julie's shoulder in comfort "It'll be okay, Hon. Now go check to see if your sister is home. I'll be starting up dinner in a bit."
"Thank you, Elise." Julie smiled and kissed her on the cheek, exiting the room through the door to her right, walking down another hallway and up a second staircase that lead to the living room.
So her mother was dying? She wasn't really surprised, if she was being honest with herself. She felt like her mother had been dying most of her life. This time it felt more immanent and real. Julie was sad, in spite of herself. Claire Daggett had not been her mother by a long shot. But she had been a constant figure in her life, someone who had played games with her and told her stories on rare occasions. She had been a playmate, not a parent. But she supposed she was grateful, even for that.
Entering the living room once more, she sprawled across one of the leather sofa's, closing her eyes as she tried to imagine how angry her father would be when he came home from work. Julie was sure the roof would be blown off the skyscraper. She smiled at the thought. She enjoyed making her father angry, it was one of her favorite hobbies and one of the many reasons she had been sent off to Sweden until she graduated in six months.
Her favorite endeavors was when she had created a scrapbook for him. Filling it with all of the newspaper and magazine clippings that featured every scandalous act that she had done over the years. That had been the last straw, and she had packed her backs laughing.
She had even framed a few of the articles for herself. Her most cherished was one she had printed off of TMZ. Her naked upper body was on display, showcasing her new nipple piercings, a saucy smirk on her lips. Her breasts were in the hands of a boy behind her, Lewis, she was pretty sure that was his name. That whole night had been a blur that began with the piercings and ended with porn.
The morning brought John howling about how she disgraced the whole family, storming around the apartment, even going as far as to break a few lamps in the process. Julie had merely sat in one of the lounge chairs, hungover and smirking at her accomplishments. Her eyes had flicked over to Miles, who was hiding just behind the door, shaking with silent giggles.
Julie's fond memories were interrupted than by a loud squeal of delight and a deadweight on her chest and stomach. Lucy had slipped into the house unheard and launched herself over the couch, sprawling across her sister as she giggled and screamed "You're home, you're home, you're home!"
"Ow! Yes, I'm home. Get off me, ya little monster!" Julie laughed, poking the little girl in the sides and maneuvering her so that she was not suffocating her anymore "How are you, kiddo?"
"I'm good!" Lucy said with a glowing smile "I've missed you TONS! It's been so boring around here without you."
"Oh, come on. Surely something interesting has been going on." Julie said teasingly, sitting up, propping a hand under her chin and she smiled down at her sister. Lucy had slipped onto the floor and was sitting indian style in front of the older girl, mimicking her by propping her own chin on her hands.
"Well, I did chase Dametri around the house, trying to get him into one of Veronica's dresses…" Lucy said thoughtfully, referring to Julie's cat and one of her many dolls. She quickly changed tack, grinning mischievously as soon as she saw the look on Julie's face "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. He's been hiding in your room since you left. I've been feeding him and changing his litter for you."
Julie's shoulders relaxed and she reached out, flicking the end of her sisters nose with her fingers "Thanks for feeding him and not traumatizing him for life!"
Julie had found the small black kitten on her way home from school one afternoon. She and Miles had heard the soft mewling from the inside a dumpster that inhabited one of the many alleyways. Miles had stayed timidly in the street whilst his sister climbed up the dumpster, rummaging around until she pulled the small animal out of the smelly garbage. They had bonded instantly and hadn't been parted for long since then. Leaving him behind had been another low blow. But she knew her brother and sister would take excellent care of the creature.
"It's the least I could do." Said the little girl with a shrug. Julie smirked and leaned over to ruffle her sisters hair affectionately.
"It's great to see you, twerp. Sweden's no fun without you."
"I know." Lucy replied, flipping her golden hair over her shoulder. She was turning out more and more like their mother every day. Hopefully with less of the crazy in her.
A snort of laughed made the girls look up. Miles waltzed into the living room, hands in the pockets of his designer slacks as he approached his sisters. He sat down on the coffee table, behind Lucy as he looked between the two of them "Subtly is not one of your strong points, Lucy." He noted.
"She's almost nine years old, of course she isn't subtle!" Julie said, laughing "Not that that means much. Lucy will forever be a girl that speaks her mind. I hope she stays like this forever."
"Me too!" Lucy shrieked, waving her arms about.
The twins laughed once more, Julie looking between the two of them before asking "So what else has been going on? You can't tell me everything has been quiet and boring in Gotham for a year!"
"Well, since the Joker got locked up, that's exactly how its been." Miles said dryly, plucking at an invisible spot on his crisp, white dress shirt.
"A guy with a scary spider mask is here all the ti-" Lucy started, but was silenced when Miles clapped a hand over her mouth and gave her a warning look "Well he is." She grumbled, pushing his hand away and standing up, looking cross.
Julie looked between the two of them, eyebrow raised in suspicion. She was glad Elise had already inform her that the masked man was a regular visitor to the Daggett home, since clearly she would not have gotten that information from Miles, or Lucy whilst he was near by.
"Soo, that guy at the meeting today is here a lot?" Julie tried to keep her tone casual as she looked up at her twin through her eyelashes.
"To keep us up to date on business." Miles' tone was stiff, as was his demeanor as he straightened up, lips pursed. Julie had to repress a sigh as she watched him close up again before her eyes, clam-like. She sadly thought back to the times that they had been able to share everything with each other and wondered what her father had done to change him so.
"Okay." Julie said with resignation, standing up as well. She stretched her arms over her head and groaned, almost falling over as the front door slammed and the sound of expensive shoes tread across the marble floor.
"Here we go.." Julie ushered her sister out the living room door, ordering her to go find Elise and help her start dinner. She whirled around just in time to see her father enter the room. His face dark with rage as he marched up to his daughter.
"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" he snarled, stopping in front of her, poking her in the chest.
"Well, dad. I live here." She said, in a hushed tone that suggested she was breaking bad news to someone.
John sputtered with incandescent rage, his face turning a marvelous shade of red as he tried to form a cutting reply. 'And people wonder where I get it from.' Julie mused, a slight smirk creeping across her lips.
"You're in trouble, young lady." He finally said, lamely. Julie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. She spared a quick glance at her brother, expecting him to share their typical look of exasperation, but found that his face was completely void of emotion, merely nodding at his fathers words. Her jaw almost hit the floor as she looked at him questioningly.
"Yes!" John had clearly thought his words had taken effect on her as he went on to say triumphantly "You will be confined to the apartment the rest of the time you're here. No exceptions."
Julie's head whipped around to stare at her father "You can't do that!" She said, outraged.
"Oh yes I can! It's my house, you will do as I say or you're out on the street tonight." Julie's glare would have peeled stone as she met his eyes, seething.
"You will also," He started, adding insult to injury "be attending an event at Wayne Manor for Harvey Dent Day, tonight."
It was Julie's turn to sputter with indignation and anger now. This was just hitting below the belt now. Her father knew how much she loathed parties and social gatherings. Part of her was surprised he was actually forcing her to attend one, especially after how she had behaved at the last few gatherings she had attended "No! I'm not going."
"You are, and you'll be ready to leave by seven or you will be dragged there as you are." John snapped, turning on his heel, striding past his assistant, Philip Stryver on his way to his office. Julie was left sitting openmouthed in their wake, fuming as she looked over at her brother.
"I just, I can't even. Why is this…" She babbled at him. Miles shrugged passively and started to walk towards John's office as well.
"Well, you did ruin his meeting. Did you think he wouldn't try to get you back for it?"
"Who's side are you on?!" Julie yelled, actually stamping her foot in anger. Her twin didn't respond as he closed the living room door behind him.