0000. PROLOGUE
— the results are in ... you're bruce's kid!

THERE ARE A FEW MOMENTS IN LIFE EVERYONE REMEMBERS PERFECTLY; CAPABLE OF DESCRIBING WHAT HAPPENED WITH THEIR I'S DOTTED AND T'S CROSSED. Augustine Finley didn't have much in her twenty-three years of life that seemed deserving of such a spot in her mind. She remembered where she was when she got her acceptance to Princeton, Dick was sitting next to her and he took her into his arms afterwards. After that came the medical school acceptance letter — she was off to Johns Hopkins for that one, once again with Dick beside her taking her into his arms. See, the one common factor being Dick Grayson. He had been there for most of her defining moments. Every major event that led to Augustine Thomasine Finley becoming who she is. Hell, he flew back to Gotham City to be with her while opening the medical school acceptances (and rejections). But that was also the last time that Augustine Finley saw him — at least, it was the last time she had seen him in the flesh. With the ability to bask in his warmth as he took her into his arms for a hug. To look him directly in the eye as they stared at each other.

Augustine Finley didn't think much of those moments, they were too real in her mind. It reminded her of everything she had lost before. She could lsit off every last detail of those memories; where they were, what the room smelled like, the food she had eaten earlier in the day. All of those memories seemed to break her heart (could you call it heart break?), or at the very least made Augustine's heart feel as though someone was gripping it with their bare fist. A part of her yearned to see Dick Grayson again, he was (is) her best friend. One of the only people she ever trusted with secrets, one of the few people she trusted in general. He understood her, for the most part at least. They both struggled through the galas and the fancy clothing together, half the time they would sneak off during the parties just to escape the world they had been brought into. As much as the two understood each other, there was one big dividing factor between Dick and Augustine. He was brought into a world like that when Bruce Wayne adopted him, his sense of uncertainty as he learned the ropes was almost expected. Augustine Finley was raised in that world of riches, she was taught from a young age how to stand correctly, how to smile at others, what jewelry looked best with certain colors. She knew exactly how to exist in the world that Dick Grayson felt so out of place in.

Maybe that was one of the things that set them apart in the end, the difference in their formative childhood years. Dick Grayson had a relationship (a good one at that) with both of his parents before their untimely death, he wanted to do everything he could to make them proud. Augustine Finley had a complicated relationship with her mother (which only became more complicated when she found out who her father was), she followed in her footsteps but as for why? Even she couldn't tell you.

"Miss Augustine?" Margaret walked inside of the study that Augustine had inhabited during her summers that she returned home from school, giving the blonde's shoulder a nudge. Augustine let her eyes open slowly, glancing across the room while she adjusted to the morning light. She shifted slightly to move her neck out of the uncomfortable position it had found itself in overnight, looking down at the book she was trying to read and take notes on before sleep called out to her. Augustine turned to the woman that she had known her entire life, giving her a soft smile.

"How many times will I have to counter that name, Margaret?" Augustine's voice fell barely above a whisper, but it was enough to make the woman laugh. "Seriously, it's August."

"I've known you since you were a newborn, Augustine. You're always going to be Augustine to me." Augustine rolled her eyes in response, closing the open books on the desk. "Your mother asked for me to wake you, she said you were shadowing her at the hospital today. She figured you would want some time to get ready and study for the procedures you're set to watch in today."

"Did she give you a list of what those procedures would happen to be?" Augustine glanced over to Margaret, eyes slightly narrowing as she tried to think about any specific surgery her mother had scheduled. Though, to be fair, Augustine did find it hard to study any procedures in preparation when shadowing her mother. Her mother was a trauma surgeon, so she would fill in for different general surgeries when needed but there was never a specific schedule of routine surgeries her mother completed. Augustine often found herself studying the most outlandish procedures for a "just in case" moment that might or might not happen.

"She wrote some down for you here," Margaret placed them paper down onto the desk. "And then she said to remind you that after your shift tonight, Bruce Wayne will be joining us for dinner."

"Bruce Wayne?" Augustine looked back up from the piece of paper. "Why is he joining us for dinner?"

"That is a question better suited for your mother, Miss Augustine." Margaret bowed her head before turning on her heel to leave the room. Augustine watched her figure retreat to another part of the mansion before returning to the list of surgeries her mother had written down. She tapped on the desk softly, typing many of the procedures into her computer to do some research before forcing herself to get up and get dressed.

Sitting her purse down on the counter, Augustine riffled through the fridge for a water bottle and for something to eat (not that she normally ate breakfast, she just knew her mother would have scolded her for not eating something before going into the hospital). Settling on an apple from the fruit bowl on the kitchen island, Augustine jumped up onto the counter. Her legs dangled slightly as she kicked them out, taking a bite out of the apple. Harlow walked in past Augustine, grabbing the mug of coffee off of the counter, giving her daughter a smile. Augustine gave her mother back a blank stare, blinking a couple of times before she put the apple down on the counter. "So, Margaret told me something interesting."

"Oh yeah? What did she tell you?" Harlow leaned back on the counter, quirking a brow in question.

"She said Bruce Wayne is coming here for dinner," Augustine hopped off of the counter, placing the apple core into the trash. "Then I got a cryptic response for the reason behind why he's coming for dinner."

Harlow set her mug down, turning to face the counter with a sigh. She thought for a moment, Augustine figured her mother was calculating a response. It was a game that the two played, tiptoeing around their words, and it was one they were both good at. Like mother, like daughter. Harlow moved back to look at Augustine, arms crossed over her chest. "It's better if we leave that conversation for tonight."

"Better? Or is it just more convenient for you to not talk about it now?" Augustine quipped back, shaking her head at her mother.

"Let's leave this conversation here before we go in to the hospital."

"Should we?"

"Yes."

"Alright," Augustine nodded.

"What classes are you taking next semester?" Harlow tried to make small talk with her daughter, the comment falling flat in the tense air in the kitchen.

"They havent changed the curriculum for med school much," Augustine sighed. "I'd imagine it's similar if not the same to what you took for your second year of school."

Harlow hummed in response, ushering her daughter out of the kitchen. The two grabbed their bags before heading to the garage. There was a silence that had fallen between them — it was more comfortable to not speak with each other as they drove to the hospital. Augustine practically grew up at the hospital, she knew it like the back of her hand. She felt comfortable there, or maybe medicine in general was something that made her feel at ease. It was instinctual really, her knack for science. Augustine had always kept her nose deep in her mothers old medical textbooks. That inspiration for medicine started out while she was young, other subjects in school weren't necessarily her favorite. Sure, Augustine did well in the classes, but couldn't tell anyone about what happened during any of the battles in any war the United States fought in.

"Hey," Harlow placed her hand on Augustine's knee, a soft smile on her lips, "don't worry too much about the dinner tonight. It's really not a big deal."

IN HINDSIGHT, TELLING SOMEONE TO NOT WORRY ABOUT SOMETHING ONLY FORCES THEM TO WORRY MORE. At least, that's what happened in Augustine's case. She should have been paying attention to the surgeries her mother was preforming — after all that's what she was there for, to learn. Instead she stood in the OR and the emergency room for most of the day, eyes blankly following her mothers actions. Her mind had been other places, racking her memories of anything having to do with Bruce Wayne. Augustine knew the man, of course, she was best friends with his adopted son. Not to mention the fact that her family is the second richest (second to the Wayne family) in Gotham, their circles intersected in a lot of places. Especially with her mothers affinity for wearing a mask at night (and for being a part of the Justice League), Bruce Wayne was no stranger. Augustine wasn't a stranger to her mothers past with the man, either. The entirety of Gotham City knew about Harlow Finley and Bruce Wayne.

The high school sweethearts who were engaged and then just, weren't anymore.

Augustine had never actually seen her mother have a conversation with Bruce Wayne — not outside of meetings for the Justice League. Even then, they only spoke about League business, which meant they only spoke when absolutely necessary. Often times, Dick and Augustine found themselves relaying information to their parents instead of them actually conversing. That's why Augustine Finley couldn't wrap her head around Bruce Wayne joining them for dinner. On a lighter note, Augustine found that having her mind occupied made the day go by faster. She wasn't focusing on anything she should have been (or rather, the things that she wanted to focus on), but it was over before long. Which could be considered a blessing or a curse, at least in Augustine's defense, it's only a curse because she had to get dressed up again for a dinner that she really didn't want to sit through. Sure, Augustine had been at Wayne Manor for dinner before but she always had Dick there with her. The thought of sharing a dinner between her mother, Bruce, and herself with nobody else being there? It was clear that Hell was coming to Earth.

"Mom?" Augustine poked her head around the doorway to the dining room, eyes searching the area to see if anyone was in the room. Instead of meeting the eyes of her mother, Augustine found herself staring directly into Bruce Wayne's eyes. She took in a quick breath, muttering out the next few words, "Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you there Mr. Wayne. Have you seen my mother by any chance?"

"She ran up to her study," Bruce broke his stare, taking a sip of the whisky in his hands. "Said something about needing to finish up some paperwork from work today."

Augustine hummed in response, nodding her head.

"You're coming up to what now, your second year in medical school?"

Augustine bit her tongue as she powered through the first of many awkward conversation topics for the nights festivities, "Yes sir."

"Are you enjoying it? I haven't had the chance to speak to Richard lately, normally he keeps me informed on you. He likes to talk about you, he's proud of everything you've accomplished."

Augustine felt her cheeks heat up, biting back a retort about how Dick wouldn't have anything to say anyways. He hadn't spoken to her in almost six months. "It's a lot of studying and it doesn't give much for free time, but I am enjoying it." Bruce smiled, taking another sip. Augustine suddenly found herself wishing she had a glass of anything in her hand. An uncomfortable silence filled the room, something that Augustine found impossible to stay in for long. "So, any interesting news on the Batman front?"Bruce opened and closed his mouth wordlessly, brows furrowing as he thought of a reply. Sensing his apprehension, Augustine quickly went to rectify the situation, "Or not. That's definitely not something you came here to talk about, we don't need to go over that."

"I just figured Richard was keeping you informed with everything," Bruce muttered.

Augustine stumbled on her words, "I haven't been able to speak to him for a while."

"That makes two of us then."

"Well," Augustine let out a dry laugh, "That's comforting, I think?"

Almost as if there were a god out there watching out for Augustine, Harlow came down into the dining room with a smile on her pink lips. Watching her mother place down a stack of papers in a manilla folder onto the table, Augustine let out a sigh. Is this the moment she was going to find out what exactly the dinner was for? Why she had just been forced (not physically, but again, Augustine can't stand to stay silent for long in awkward situations) into conversations with Bruce Wayne that she had no intentions on remembering past this night. This was what she had been worrying about for hours now, since the minute Margaret let her know who was joining them for dinner. "Do we want to talk about this before or after we eat?"

Augustine didn't answer the question, part of her felt like it wasn't directed at her. Another part knew her mother already had her answer, her mother knew she would rather rip the bandage off. Augustine Elisabeth Finley had been that way ever since she was a small child. She was always the one to cross the finish line first, even if it meant falling and picking herself up again without worrying about how she might be hurt. Things like that were ones she could come back to. A mess is still a mess whether you clean it right away or you leave it there for a while. Augustine had always opted for the latter, some situations were easier to handle after she gave them time. Other situations just leave the city and don't contact you. Either way, Augustine preferred to deal with pain and emotions in this way. Giving it time, letting herself get adjusted to a new norm before conforming to it. Bruce glanced from Augustine to Harlow a few times before setting down his drink with a sigh, "From the looks of her, we should probably talk about this before we eat. If we eat at all."

"It can't be that bad," Augustine laughed. "Why would we not end up eating together?"

"Because you will have been told some information that could make you very angry at both Bruce and I," Harlow sighed, reaching for the manilla folders she had placed on the table. "You know that Bruce and I have a past with each other, right?" Augustine nodded. "So, I feel like this is something you've always suspected."

Something in Augustine screamed as she glanced between the two. She knew exactly what her mom was referencing. Of course she had thought that, everyone in Gotham had said something about it. It made sense in all fairness, the idea that Bruce Wayne could be her father was just that, an idea. Harlow Finley had never given more information about who she had been with around the time Augustine was conceived. "You're joking with me, right?"

"August," Harlow sighed. "I know this is something that I should have told you about a long time ago. And I regret not telling you this any sooner, I shouldn't have kept this from you for as long as I did. That was purely me tryong to keep myself from getting hurt again, which in the end only hurt you. You had a chance at having your father in your life, at least, you had the chance of having him in your life as a father. I kept that from you. I stopped him from contacting you as your father out of my own selfish need to not see him. Looking back now, I wish I had let you get to know him as your father. You deserved it."

Did she really? Augustine knew how Bruce had treated Dick, he couldn't have nor would have been better to her either. In the long run, Augustine felt as though her mother did the exact thing that all parents wanted to do, protect their child from heartache and misery. At least, saving her that in respect to one parent. But, another part of Augustine could remember the days in school when fathers and daughters had activities with each other. She thought of how she would be one of the few students left in the classroom to do school work (or to read) because she didn't have a dad to walk around with her. Augustine felt as though she had been saved by her mother by keeping Bruce Wayne out of her life — she didn't need to be brought down by him. Yet, Augustine knew it wasn't her mom keeping her safe with that decision. Harlow Finley didn't want Bruce Wayne to have an opening into her life. So, she didn't tell him about their child.

"When did he find out?" Augustine didn't spare the man a glance, looking directly at her mother.

"I told him two years ago."

Augustine let her gaze fall over to Bruce after that, her eyes brubed slightly as she bit back the tears that wanted to topple past the confines of her lash line. She had been at his home, she had been around him, all the while he knew information she didn't. This was something her mother had known for years and it killed Augustine to think about. All her life, Augustine had wished and wanted for one thing only, and he was right down the street. "So, this is how you decided to tell me. Surprise! The results are in ... you're Bruce Wayne's daughter!"

"Augustine," Bruce spoke, a sigh tumbling from his lips as he took a step forward.

Augustine took a step back, moving away from the touch he was trying to put on her forearm, "Don't. You don't get to call me that. You don't get to touch me, try to console me. You don't get to pick and choose when you can be a part of my life. You've known for two years, two years, and you didn't say a thing. This isn't a make up father-child relationship that you can just walk into to make up for your mistakes with Dick. Which, by the way, is what he prefers to go by. You would know that if you listened to him, or me even, on the numerous occasions we've corrected you on our names."

"August, can we just sit down and talk about this? Please?"

"You guys can," Augustine grumbled, shaking her head. "I don't want anything to do with tonights festivities, nor would I enjoy talking about this topic any further."

Perhaps Augustine Finley had Bruce Wayne's flare for dramatics, especially when shes storming out of her family's manor and slamming the great oak door behind her. Or maybe it was a bit more obvious when she revved her engine in her drive way before speeding off. This day was definitely going down on one of the memories she would remmeber forever.

AUTHORS NOTE

What a surprise Augustine is Bruce's child!! Anyways welcome into Augustine's life, she's trying real hard to live, laugh, love in these really difficult times. In case you didn't know, Augustine is really struggling to survive and she misses her best friend. Sorry for not supplying Augustick content in this prologue I just needed to write this scene out bc it lives rent free in her mind. Next chapter will have a time jump included so we can jump straight (or close to straight) into Titans S1!