The Batman's Daughter (except she doesn't know it)

The Finale (for real this time)

Just in case you didn't read the title: THIS IS THE F-I-N-A-L CHAPTER!!!!! I'm not doing a sequel (because this was one) and I don't see a need unless enough people bug me into doing one.

It was my 21st birthday, and my mom sat me down, saying we needed to have a talk. I knew she was doing worse, that the chemo she was getting to treat her breast cancer wasn't helping much no matter how many new treatments the doctors tried.

"I want to take you to meet your father."

"Ok." It spurred a whole ton of questions - did I look like him? How did they meet?

 "You know him more than you think." 

My weary mother sighed, and pulled out...the scrapbooks?

I got it right away, but let her tell me the story first - how she got mugged and almost killed and Batman saved her, and for some reason, took her back to his house, which led to....

"Does he always do that with saved maidens?" I couldn't help sarcasm.

"We had a spark."

"So we're some of the only ones in the city that know the true identity of the Batman," I mused.

"Yes, and you can't tell anyone," she told me, wide-eyed. "I promised to keep his secret when I kept you."

"Did you ever think of aborting me?"

"Never."

All the rappeling lessons I'd been puzzled by as an early teen came in handy as we scaled the building where the Bat-Signal rested (no mobsters tied to it today - my mom had shown me that picture in an old newspaper from the public library and we wished he still did that to criminals). This was semi-illegial, but my grandad used to be on the Gotham PD, so we were tight with Comissioner Gordon...if Mom explained to him, he would get us out.

He was standing stoically looking out at the skyline, and I tiptoed up behind him.

"Hi, Dad."

"Rachel...and...Tallulah."

"Bruce," she whispered...and kissed him.....

That kiss was her last.

He came to my mother's funeral five months later, after everyone else was gone, in his Bruce-Wayne persona, suited-and-tied, after everyone else had left, leaving a rose on her grave and telling me he missed her.

It was enough.