Chapter Text
Alexandra Wayne is many things. She is twenty-five. She is freshly graduated from medical school. She is a new surgical resident at Wayne Memorial Hospital.
Unfortunately, Alexandra is also a daughter, a sister, and worst of all: a Wayne.
One wouldn’t be able to tell that she is the last one upon looking into her past in the Wayne family. Of course, as all associated with the infamous Bruce Wayne, Alexandra has appeared in her fair share of tabloids and press releases. She has made appearances at galas, attended charity events, and hosted high society teas. She is nothing if not the picture perfect socialite, the well-behaved eldest daughter of the Wayne family, and an accomplished young woman finding her way in such a dangerous world.
Inside Wayne Manor, though, the home of Gotham City’s most famous residents, there is barely any evidence of her existence. She does not feature in any of the portraits hanging in the halls, has no awards proudly displayed alongside her siblings’, there is not even a door bearing her name in the family wing, despite both Stephanie Brown and Barbara Gordon having all such evidence displayed throughout the property even though they are merely friends of the family.
There are many possible reasons for her distance from the family, though Alexandra has never been provided with any. She supposes that being a baby forced onto a man that never wanted to be a father would cause a rift between parent and child. Though why such a rift was never closed, even after the entrance of so many other children into the family, she couldn’t say. There’s also the fact of her father not having the chance to bond with her for her first two years in the manor. Alexandra had been handed over to Alfred Pennyworth, the Wayne family butler, as a newborn. At the time, Bruce Wayne had been off on sabbatical, travelling the world and learning who-knows-what from who-knows-who. (Alexandra knows exactly what and exactly who from but those are technically family secrets and she’s not so cruel or petty that she would intentionally reveal them.) Bruce had been two years into his four year sabbatical when a mother Alexandra can’t remember left her on his doorstep, claiming to have had a short lived affair with Bruce during a stint in Europe the year before. Alfred had settled the legal details through Lucius Fox, who was taking care of Wayne Enterprises in Bruce’s absence, and Alexandra Martha Wayne was the first biological and legal child of Bruce Wayne.
She was two when Bruce finally came home and what a pleasant surprise she was for the man. A child he neither asked for nor wanted. A child bearing his late mother’s name and eyes. A child that was vulnerable, that could become a weakness for him. Bruce Wayne came home with plans for both himself and the future of Gotham, neither of which included a toddler practically dropped on him by the stork. Martha Wayne’s hazel eyes gazing up at him with such hope did nothing to endear Alexandra to him either, making him turn away all that much faster. Alfred assured her that she just brought grief, that the reminder of his mother was too much for Bruce to handle, that none of her father’s actions were her fault. Still, Alexandra knew when she wasn’t wanted, even at such a tender age. It was fine, though. She had Alfred and that’s all that mattered, nothing about her life even really changed. There may have been an extra face at the breakfast table, but it was still her and her Alfie and that’s all she knew or needed.
It wasn’t until another new face joined them in the dining room that Alexandra actually began to question her father’s lack of interest in her. She was four when Richard “Dick” Grayson came somersaulting into the manor, swinging on Alfie’s delicate chandeliers and eating Alexandra’s cookies. Dick was eight years old and suffering from the grief of losing his parents. He clung to the man that took him from the circus, following Alexandra’s father around like a little duckling. The first year was hard. Dick’s mood would swing from one extreme to the other as he navigated his grief, the emotions too large for a body so small. Alfred explained it all to her in words more understandable for a pre-schooler. Dick was sad, he had lost his mommy and daddy, he would live in the manor with them from now on. After the first year, when Bruce and Dick were closer than ever, clinging to one another and sharing secrets and acting as if they were family, Dick officially became family. Dick Grayson-Wayne officially became her big brother when he was nine and she five. Bruce was Dick’s dad, but he was still just Alexandra’s father.
The manor fell into routine and life marched on. Dick continued to follow Bruce; his example, his mannerisms, his unspoken rules. Dick was the child that Bruce may have never wanted but welcomed with open arms. They even looked alike, their dark curls and crystal blue eyes a stark contrast to Alexandra’s auburn waves and hazel gaze. Despite knowing no other home from the manor, despite carrying the Wayne name, she was only Bruce’s daughter and not his child. Even when Dick and Bruce’s relationship became rocky a decade later, she was nothing more than a spectator in the happenings of the house. By this point in time, she knew the secrets her father and brother hid from the world, from her, knew what lay beneath the very floors she grew up running on. It still made no difference. She was eleven when she brought up vigilantism and her interest in continuing the family tradition over dinner. She was met with a wide-eyed stare from Dick and a disinterested grunt from Bruce. She never brought it up again. Three years later, she watched her brother storm out of her manor and her father lock himself in the cave below the property.
It wasn’t long after Dick fled to Bludhaven, intent on making a name for himself, that Bruce came home with a new black haired, blue eyed boy. Jason Todd was two years her junior and sparked a hope in Alexandra that she had thought long blown out. She had never been much of a little sister, even though she and Dick spent an entire decade together in the halls of Wayne Manor, but maybe, just maybe she could be the best big sister. The flickering flame Jason lit was snuffed out almost as quickly as it was lit. Jason looked up at Bruce with admiration in his eyes and joined the bird brigade. Alexandra was not jealous, not truly. She didn’t really want to go out on the streets and grapple over roof tops, but she did want her father to look at her the same way he did Dick and Jason, with pride and wonder and love. She’d settled for Bruce looking at her at all. He never did. Time marched on. She will say that Jason acknowledged her, at least. He would chatter with her on the ride home from school and share book recommendations if they ended up in the manor library at the same time. It may not have been the sibling relationship she dreamed of, but it was more than she had had before. Then, it was ripped away and she was alone once again.
Alexandra had been in her freshman year of college when Jason Todd-Wayne died, having graduated high school early and begun attending Gotham University the autumn before her little brother took a solo trip to Ethiopia. She cried for him, mourned for him, for the boy that didn’t get a chance to grow. It was less than a year later that thirteen year old Timothy Drake, her once next door neighbor, began wandering the manor alongside her grief stricken father. Tim wasn’t her brother, not really, but he was another little boy with black hair and blue eyes intent on playing super hero. She hated it, but she hated the way Bruce had been working himself to death even more. Tim was not Jason, but he became the bird to drag the bat back from darkness. She was not surprised when Timothy Drake-Wayne joined her family before she finished her undergraduate program.
With Tim, came Stephanie Brown. Stephanie was not the first girl other than Alexandra to grace the manor. When Dick had been growing up within the manor’s walls, he had dragged Barbara Gordon with him everywhere. Neither of the girls were Waynes in name or blood, but they may as well have been. They were cordial with Alexandra, but were also two other members of the exclusive club she wasn’t allowed to be in. Babs had always offered her a smile on her trips to the manor when they were children, seeing her as Dick’s kid sister more than anything. Steph had stopped for a conversation over Alfred’s treats in the kitchen a time or two, but that was as far as their interactions went. Neither of them were Alexandra’s sister and neither seemed to want to be.
She did gain a sister shortly before graduating from Gotham University. Cassandra Cain was the quietest addition to the family, but she seemed to be the daughter Bruce was missing. He took her in, gave her his name, and anything else she could ever want. Not that Alexandra blamed her sister for their father’s actions. Cass had been through enough in her life to warrant a loving family as a reward for surviving. She was glad to open her home to the younger girl, to offer sisterhood. Of course, just as with all of her caped siblings, Cassandra Wayne had different priorities and more than enough love from the rest of the family to not need Alexandra as well. Which was fine. Alexandra was an adult, had grown out of childish wants and whims. She was graduating college.
And she did. Alexandra walked across the stage with Alfred and Lucius in the crowd, just as they had been at her high school graduation. She received her diploma, hugged them both, and packed her bags. She had plans and they did not include Gotham, at least not anymore. Star City was her destination, having been accepted into medical school at the University of Beckenham.
The first year of medical school was just as tough as she expected it to be; sleepless nights, two-inch thick study packets, and hours of lectures. She loved it. She called her friends from Gotham weekly, keeping them all up to date on her adventure in the state of Washington while they informed her of the villain of the week back home. She called Alfred as well, always checking with the older man and making sure he knew that she missed him. It was through him that she learned of her newest brother. She had wanted to roll her eyes and make a quip over Bruce’s obvious addiction to dark haired orphans, but then the butler informed her that Damian al Ghul, now Wayne, was her biological brother. The nine year old had been sent to Gotham by his mother, Talia al Ghul, to train with the legendary Batman. He was supposedly raised in the League of Assassins and based on the tales of swords and death threats that Alfred wove, Alexandra was inclined to believe him. Even on the other side of the country, Alexandra added the new name to her list of family members and dutifully sent his birthday and holiday presents along with the others.
It was in her second year that Alfred called with unfortunate news. Bruce was missing, presumed dead. There were legal aspects that needed to be attended to in addition to a funeral. She didn’t truly consider returning home until Lucius called to inform her that Dick and Cass had no interest in settling things at the family company and Tim was still in high school. Alexandra may not be Bruce’s child, but she was a Wayne. She knew where her priorities lay. Lucius sent her a plane and she returned to Gotham.
The family had been in shambles when she arrived. She had entered the Batcave, a place she had only been when Alfred had needed an extra set of hands to mend wounds, to find absolute anarchy. It was her first time laying eyes on her youngest brother and he was attempting to run Tim through with a sword. Dick was wearing her father’s cowl and holding Damian back by his cape. Barbara was working away on the Batcomputer, not paying a bit of attention to the happenings around her. Cass was nowhere in sight (Alfred would later inform her that her younger sister was in Tokyo) and Steph was shouting at Damian from behind Tim. It was the final occupant of the cave that she took notice of after exiting the elevator with Alfred. He had grown, sported a white streak through his dark hair, and no longer had the blue eyes that she thought every male in her family shared (though one glance at the newest member told her that theory was wrong. Damian’s eyes shine like cursed emeralds) but it was definitely Jason. Her little brother. Her dead little brother. Alexandra stumbled in her step for a moment, casting a surprised look at Alfred, who responded with an apologetic expression, before taking a breath and forcing herself to deal with that situation later.
Her returning presence did nothing to keep the family from falling apart, not that she really thought it would. Tim left on a self proclaimed mission to find a dead man. Dick and Damian went to the elder’s apartment in Blud, though promised to continue patrolling Gotham. Jason greeted her with angry sarcasm before returning to wherever he had come from. Barbara went off to her clocktower, intent on continuing to help the new Batman and Robin as Oracle. Steph stayed for dinner. Even if it was one of the most awkward meals of her life, she still appreciated the company. It didn’t last.
The next six months, it was just her and Alfred in the manor. Alexandra had taken the semester off of school to sort out everything pertaining to the Wayne family name. She had to ensure Wayne Enterprises was running smoothly, that shareholders were happy and business was continuing as normal. She had to confirm that her siblings’ (and pseudo-siblings’) trust funds were safe. She had to sort out custody of Tim and Damian. The latter was easy, as she could easily ensure that Dick retained custody. Tim, however, was harder, seeing as the boy had absolutely disappeared. Alexandra was training to be a doctor, not a lawyer, but luckily she had the Wayne name and funds to hire suits to sort out such issues for her. Despite not knowing where her brother was, she became his guardian on paper until he would reach his eighteenth birthday, which thankfully wasn’t far off. She took over as temporary CEO of Wayne Enterprises until Tim or Damian, whichever brother chose to take over the company, were old enough to take her place. She’d have offered it to Dick or Cass if she thought they would accept. Unfortunately, both had made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with the inner workings of the family company. If Jason wasn’t legally dead, she would have begged her brother to take the responsibility off her hands (she wouldn’t have, but a girl can dream).
When the next semester of school came around, Alexandra was ready to make arrangements to move back to Star City and handle Wayne Enterprises remotely while she finished medical school. Her father and Tim returning, both alive, meant she didn’t have to. Instead, Alexandra was able to leave as she came, quietly and overlooked.
Life marched on. Alexandra spent two more years in Washington, finishing her medical degree. Those two years brought much more than a diploma. The first surprise, which was most unsurprising, was Alfred calling to inform of one Duke Thomas joining her family. Alexandra made a note on her list of presents and moved on, sure she would see news of Duke Thomas-Wayne in the papers sooner or later. The next surprise was much more.
She had been heading to class one morning, walking there from her apartment, when she spotted a child running into the street from the opposite sidewalk. It had been horrifying, watching the child chase a run away toy straight into the path of a box truck. She had acted before she could think, moving into traffic and toward the child as quickly as she could. Alexandra had practically tackled the smaller body back onto the other sidewalk, at least keeping enough smarts about her to land with the child on top of her rather than under her. She laid on her back upon the cement with the air knocked out of her lungs and curious brown eyes staring down at her. Alexandra had the passing thought that the little girl in her arms seemed rather calm to have almost been flattened by a truck, then there was a man standing above them and pulling the girl into his arms. Her first meeting of Roy and Lian Harper was eventful, to say the least. Thankfully, this was not the last she saw of the sweet and mischievous little girl or her father, a rather handsome man if Alexandra were honest. The chance meeting changed much of her life, the biggest change of which being that the father and daughter joined Alfred and Lucius in the crowd at her graduation from medical school. Of the few pictures she’s featured in over the years, all tucked carefully into an album in Alfred’s room back in Gotham, she’s smiling the widest with a bright eyed little girl in her arms, who’s holding up Alexandra’s diploma as if it’s her own, and a red headed man kissing her cheek and holding her graduation cap behind his back teasingly.
Now, at twenty-five, Alexandra finds herself in Gotham once again. Alexandra Wayne is many things. She is a girlfriend. She is best friends with a seven year old. She is the youngest resident at the hospital that bears her name.
Fortunately, Alexandra is also happy.