Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Wayne Legacy: Outtakes

By BetterInTexas

Outtake 02: Down the Rabbit Hole

Sam & Ruby

TIMELINE: Knightmare, End of Chapter 4

---

Sam and Ruby Arias walked across the street from Wayne Tower into the Executive Suites’ lobby. Sam had just made the life changing decision to become Vice President of Wayne Enterprises.

She was officially the Vice President of Wayne Enterprises.

She kept repeating this thought over and over in her mind, waiting for it to sink in… Wayne Enterprises’ Vice President . It was as if she had fallen down the rabbit hole and her life had turned into a fantastic, yet surreal adventure.

Three days ago, she had left her cubicle for home after a grueling day at the office of Axis Chemicals’ main branch in Philadelphia. She was still a young woman but also a single mom to a teenager, who lived in a three-bedroom home in a clean suburb with nice but nosey neighbors. Her home had a cute lawn with a sidewalk leading to her front door and a two-car garage facing the front that had a concrete drive lined with shrubbery.

She wasn’t hurting for money, but neither was she rich. Her car was a few years old but coming to the end of her warranty, meaning she would probably have trouble soon. It always seemed to work like that.

Ruby was preparing for high school, another school in the same district in Philly where she would attend with her same group of friends, in an environment that did not challenge her. She would be relying on SAT scores if she wanted to go to MIT or possibly drawing attention from prestigious university programs by placing in robotics competitions. It was likely she would go to a state university or perhaps Temple University, a good school but not in league with MIT for someone of her skills. Sam was hoping for scholarships and understood loans would be required but that was fine. It was part of life. She had just paid all of hers off last year and would pick up her daughter’s loans in a few years.

But now, flashforward to a couple of hours ago, she had told Diana Wayne an investment she was making was a bad idea, talked Kara Wayne out of her desire to own a sports team that would take decades to turn a profit, if it ever did.

After that conversation, Diana put to rest Sam’s remaining concerns and she agreed to accept a life changing position that would catapult her into a world she never imagined, making more money in year than she would have made in a lifetime, and placing her in charge of hundreds of businesses.

In short, she had just accepted a change in her career that would make her the second most powerful business leader in the world given Kara didn’t appear to have any interest in the business side of the company and rarely left her labs.

After she had signed the initial contract, Diana told Sam to take Ruby to check out the Penthouse, thinking they may want to look at it without her influence. She stayed behind in the office catching up on some work that had piled up while she was on vacation in Iceland.

The Penthouse took up the entirety of the eightieth floor of the Executive Suites. Security had waved her through with no problem, greeting her as if they had known her for years. Surprisingly, her handprint was already entered into the system and when she touched the palm scanner, then pressed the button with penthouse next to it, they began the rise to their potential new home.

When the elevator opened, she was in a small hallway with a door in front of her.

Ruby rushed to the door and opened it, Sam stumbling behind her, and both stopped once inside.

“Oh… my… god.” Ruby whispered, taking in the huge, open area of the living room with the large kitchen and dining room to one side.

They began walking around, checking out the large bedrooms and bathrooms, found the small sauna room that was adjacent to a larger room that had a hot tub with a sliding glass door that opened onto the balcony if they desired a more outdoor feel. On the other side of that room was a room with a treadmill and weights, that also had a window that could be shuttered, looking out over the city.

“Am I dreaming?” Ruby asked. “This is too good to be true.”

Sam wasn’t sure what to say. She felt the same.

The Penthouse was furnished but Diana assured her she could have whatever furniture she wanted. Her house in Philly would be packed and, though they could, Sam and Ruby had no desire to go back. Wherever the other was, that was home for them.

They stepped out onto the balcony and Sam stopped abruptly, grabbing hold of Ruby’s arm. The balcony was huge but the wind… Sam hadn’t made it to the railing but seeing the top floor of Wayne Tower across the street was a reminder of how high they were.

“Relax, Mom. Since when you are afraid of heights?” Ruby said, a hint of concern in her tone.

“I’m not.” Sam denied. “But there are heights and then there is this.”

Ruby stepped towards the edge and pressed a button before Sam could tell her to stop. Glass rose from the edge of the railing, high enough to block the wind but not the view.

“I put the baby gate up. Come look.” Ruby encouraged her.

Sam swallowed, took a deep breath, then bravely stepped towards the edge and looked down.

“Everything looks so small from up here.” She said quietly.

“I love it.” Ruby assured her, taking her hand, leaning her head over on Sam’s shoulder as they looked out over the city.

Sam wasn’t sure if Ruby would like it in the long term. Her daughter had hated the apartment complex they had lived in before Sam was promoted and bought the house that they currently lived in. Albeit, the apartment was very small, and they could hear everything from other apartments. That wasn’t going to be the case here.

“You wouldn’t prefer a house?” She asked, wanting to get an idea of what Ruby might be thinking.

“Can we find a house that is eighty stories tall and has this view? Yeah, Wayne Tower takes up the front but look to your right and left. There is water. I’m not sure if that is a bay or a river flowing into the ocean or what, but there are boats. Can you imagine what these buildings are going to look like lit up at night? Can you hear any traffic? This place is like a fairytale land for rich people. We have a sauna and a hot tub!”

Sam nodded, admitting her daughter had a point. This place was damn cool. She liked seeing Wayne Tower in front, the shorter buildings of the area next to them, the view of what she thought may have been the Gotham River leading out to the ocean.

She also considered that, each morning, she would walk out of this building’s front door and cross a two-lane street with a large, pedestrian crosswalk, complete with timed traffic lights, straight into a lush green area, a beautiful park that served as the front lawn of Wayne Tower.

The two walked back inside and had a seat on the very comfortable couch.

“We can go look at the school tomorrow. We need to get you enrolled.” Sam said. “Diana can arrange a car, I’m sure.”

“Oh, god.” Ruby whispered. “I can’t believe I almost forgot. The school… Kara Wayne went there.”

Sam shook her head, a small smile on her face. “I hate to burst your bubble, but Kara Wayne was working on her first PhD when she was your age. The only school she ever attended was Gotham University School of Technology and Engineering.”

Ruby waved it off. “Details, Mom. I’m going to be attending the same school Kara Wayne attended. Don’t ruin this for me.”

Sam chuckled. “Whatever you say, boss. Want to sleep at the manor tonight or stay here?”

Ruby looked thoughtful. “We should stay here for a night or two to get a feel for it. I want to see the lights at night.”

Sam nodded. As great as the manor was, as welcoming as the Wayne family had been to them, she had just signed a contract that would bring a lot of scrutiny to her life. She would soon be in the spotlight of news and media from around the world so these would be the last few nights she and Ruby were alone with no care in the world beyond the two of them.

“Do you think there is a shop around here that sells swimsuits?” Ruby asked. “I don’t want to drive out to the manor to grab my suit, but I want to try out the hot tub. You know, I can have hot tub parties here… how awesome is that!”

“Uh…”

“I bet ten people can fit in that thing.” Ruby said, her excitement ramping up again. “There is a game room somewhere in the building I want to check out later.”

“Let’s hold off on the party planning right now. Let me get used to you being a high school student before I need to deal with high school hot tub parties. Besides… I don’t think this building would be appropriate for parties. I doubt those friendly security guards are so friendly with wild teenagers running around.” Sam told her.

Ruby thought about that. “Well, we can work on that later.”

“Much later.” Sam countered.

“Okay, I’m going to hang out on the balcony for a little bit more with the kiddie gate down, then I am going to find that game room.” Ruby said, walking toward the balcony door.

“Be careful!” Sam told her.

She closed her eyes, taking a moment to settle herself, then decided to do the one thing that would truly cut ties with her old life forever.

It was time to inform her former employer that he was her former employer.

She dialed the personal number of the Axis Chemicals’ CEO, Frank Broyles.

“Sammy! I was just about to call you!” The man’s greeted her quite loudly. “This last-minute vacation of yours is killing us, girl. Anyway, you could come in for a few hours, yeah?”

“Excuse me?” Sam asked, wondering if she had heard that right and scowling because she hated to be called Sammy and he knew it. “I haven’t taken any vacation days in four years, and you want me to come in?”

The man chuckled, obviously relaxed, his charm ratcheted up a few levels. “Look, Sammy, I know you are probably burned out, but I need you to be a team player. You did the final quarter audit and review for last fiscal year. It looked great. I know it’s kinda part of Dan’s job now, but he doesn’t have a clue. Think you could come in and train him?”

Sam’s eyes widened. “You want me to come into the office… from my vacation… to train my boss on how to do the job he was promoted to over me?”

“I thought you weren’t upset about that. You said you understood.” The man schmoozed, attempting to ease her obvious irritation.

“Oh, I understood. That didn’t mean I wasn’t upset about it. In fact, the reason I am calling is to formally offer my resignation, effective immediately. I’ve taken a new job and won’t be returning. To put it in terms even Dan can understand, I quit.” Sam stated succinctly, feeling a great deal of satisfaction.

Frank was silent for a moment, then sighed. “Look, kid, I get it, okay? You are probably smarter than Dan but that’s not the way the real world works. Here, you pay your dues, do the time, be a team player and then you break into the big time. You got a bright future here and I don’t want to see you throw it away. Which company is trying to steal you away from me?”

Sam smirked. “Wayne Enterprises.”

Frank laughed. “Damn, Sammy, you want to live in Gotham City? That company may be big, but you will be lost in the crowd. I have no doubt they are offering you more in salary but to live in Gotham takes money these days.

“Tell you what. I can bump up your pay, probably not what they are offering you starting out, but enough considering the cost of living in your neighborhood compared to any nice Gotham property you could get. Give me a ballpark. What are they offering you?”

“Twenty-five million a year base pay, plus bonuses. I’m also being given a free penthouse across the street from Wayne Tower, a company car, an office on the top floor of the Tower with an ocean view next to Diana Wayne and across the hall from Kara Wayne. My daughter will attend Gotham Prep, one of the most highly rated schools in the world. Let’s see, what else… oh yeah, personal security for myself and my daughter, including taking her to school and bringing her home.

“I don’t think you can match that. Axis didn’t make five million last year after the EPA fines were paid off. Of course, your COO could tell you that if he knew how to do his job, but I suppose he didn’t put in enough years. Did I mention I get eight weeks of vacation time a year and use of a private jet to go anywhere I want?”

“Sammy, stop joking.” Frank said, not amused but with a hint of fear in his tone.

“I’m not joking, Frankie. Diana and Kara Wayne stopped by my house Saturday morning. After a pleasant conversation, Diana offered me the position of Vice President of Wayne Enterprises and asked me to fly back to Gotham City with them and stay at Wayne Manor. She has spent the past two days selling me on the job, holding nothing back, answered all my questions, literally wined and dined me… professionally sweeping me off my feet. I accepted her offer this morning after a tour of Wayne Tower.

“There will be someone from Wayne Enterprises coming there to pick up my coffee mug and the two framed photos on my desk.”

She heard nothing from the other end. “Frankie? You still with me?”

“This can’t be right.” His voice cracked in obvious disbelief.

Sam laughed. “And yet, it is. Diana Wayne disagrees with your assessment of my value. A press release is going to be issued in two days. I would appreciate if you do not mention this to the media before then. Take care, Frankie. Good luck with that audit review. Give Dan my best.”

Sam ended the call, stood up and smiled. That had gone well. She remained professional, tried not to sound too smug and handled it like an adult.

She ran into the master bedroom and jumped on the bed, bouncing up and down, screaming in joy with her arms raised over her head.

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes!” she yelled, pumping her fist.

She eventually collapsed on the bed and closed her eyes, feeling a great weight falling off her shoulders.

Her mind wandered.

She thought of the night she heard her boyfriend had died in a car wreck. She never got the chance to tell him she was pregnant with his child. Sam remembered telling her mother and being given one day to get out.

She had packed up her meager belongings, not allowed to really take anything but her clothes and stayed at a friend’s house. She bounced around her friends’ houses until social services realized she was alone. They set her up in a shelter.

A nice nurse named Ruby held her hand during labor. Sam’s labor lasted eighteen hours but the kind nurse only left her side to bring her ice chips.

She graduated high school and received her diploma while a friend’s mom held Ruby. She had to move quickly after that, too old for the shelter. They had already graciously bent the rules, allowing her to stay with Ruby.

The adults who ran the shelter were so generous, they helped her find a single mother’s shelter in Chicago and then pooled together some money, buying her bus ticket to get them there. She had been accepted for one month. In that month, she found a job waitressing at a family-owned diner. The owner let her keep Ruby in the back with a playpen and swing.

She took student loans as soon as the fall semester began. She took as many classes as she could during the day, moved out of the shelter into a small apartment over the garage of the diner’s owners. She managed to find a babysitter who worked for cheap during the day and paid her from her student refund. At night, she worked the diner until closing, studying during slow periods then staying up until two a.m. to complete her work.

She was able to get grants and some scholarships as she proved herself at school. She was able to use more of a student refund to buy a car that was barely drivable, but it saved her an hour on public transit every day. The costs were staggering, Ruby’s growing needs constantly climbing.

Then the diner’s owner, who had treated her so well, died. She was left without a home, and without a job. She rented a cheap motel room for a month, possibly the scariest place she had ever lived. She ran out her door to her car every day with Ruby in her arms so she could go to her babysitter and then to class.

She couldn’t afford an apartment, but she found a job, took out another student loan, then took another job. The babysitter cost more but the second job was as a bartender where she made really good tips and the owner, who liked the way she looked, let her keep Ruby in the back.

Eventually, she landed a job at the University, thanks to her grades, paying enough when combined with grants and loan refunds, allowed her to work during the night while taking advantage of the University’s daycare facilities for employees on campus.

She gradually fell into a routine. She shopped at secondhand stores and thrift shops, looking for clothes that looked professional and didn’t have holes. She budgeted every aspect of her life, down to the toys she could afford that week to buy for Ruby.

Life was hard, but she managed. After she graduated, she was hired by an accounting firm and managed to find a steady babysitter a few hours while she worked on her master’s degree.

It was painful. It was hard, and, at times, she was certain she would end up under a bridge and need to give up Ruby so her daughter wouldn’t starve.

She had gotten a job at Axis, her best paying job after she completed her masters, only to be relegated to doing work for others and receiving no credit. The boys’ club whistled and made remarks about her clothes, but she took it because Philly was a lot nicer than Chicago, the weather was as bad in the winters, but she had an apartment with central heat and air.

So many nights… hungry, exhausted, worried about whether she would make it. Working for everything and sometimes only getting by due to the kindness of others. She could still remember and always would, what it felt like to eat noodles for a week straight at every meal.

“Mom?” Ruby’s voice called softly.

Sam sat up and looked at her worried daughter. “What’s wrong? I thought you were going to the game floor?”

“I did. When I came back, I heard you crying. Are you okay?” Ruby asked, sitting beside her mother on the bed.

Sam sniffed and wiped her eyes. She hadn’t been aware she was crying. “I’m going to be good at this, right? I can do this. Tell me I can do this.”

Ruby wrapped her arms around her mother. “You can absolutely do this. Nothing is going to stop you. Mom, after everything you’ve gone through, and what you’ve accomplished? You deserve this.”

Sam nodded her head and smiled, pulling Ruby close. “You’re right. The world is at our fingertips, Rubes. We can do anything we set our minds to.”

In that moment, she knew it was true. Sam no longer felt like an outsider. All her hard work was being recognized by someone who really mattered in the business world, as were her skills.

Sam was finally where she belonged, and the world would soon realize, Samantha Arias was no ordinary rabbit.