Prologue
The day a small bundle of blankets showed up on the front steps of Wayne Manor was the first day that Mr. Bruce Wayne became truly afraid. He knew the child- a little girl- was his in just one glance due to the gleaming blue eyes. However, that was not his worry. His worry was with the mother- whoever she may be as Mr. Wayne had in fact been with many woman- and with the thought that anyone had seen the child appear there at his doorstep.
"Alfred!" Mr. Wayne called after having taken the child and slammed the door behind himself, "Alfred! Where are you!?" He was running through the house, infant in arms, looking for the old man within seconds as panic began to take over.
"Master Bruce?" the accented voice of Alfred Pennyworth asked, coming around a corner from the kitchen. As soon as he saw what the worried Mr. Wayne was carrying, his eyes widened. "Where did you- A baby!?" Alfred spluttered, not exactly comprehending what was going on.
"It was on the doorstep, Alfred," Mr. Wayne explained hurriedly, "I don't know where she came from, I don't know how she got here- well, I know but I don't know who the mother is, Alfred! I can't keep a child here, it's much too dangerous! I can't risk this!" Mr. Wayne's voice had escalated into a shout, disturbing the baby greatly and causing her to let out a loud sob. Startled, Mr. Wayne almost dropped her, which was when Alfred swept the baby from the arms of her father.
"Master Bruce, you must be quiet in front of a child this young," Alfred instructed, regaining his usual cool composure, "Now, was there anything with her? A letter or-" But Alfred cut off when he unfolded the light pink fabric the baby was bundled in and found exactly what he was looking for. An envelope. No name, or address was on it, but all the same, he took it from the blankets and handed it to Mr. Wayne. "For you, I presume."
Mr. Wayne's hand was shaking slightly as he took the envelope, and then carefully opened it. His lips pursed, thinning into a line, as he read the words in an unfamiliar handwriting:
My Dear Bruce,
This little piece of heaven is your daughter, as you can probably tell. She has your eyes...
I am very sorry to have to leave her with you but I am going away. For a very long time. And I will not be coming back. Where I am going, I cannot take our daughter and so I have left her here with you in hopes you will care for her...
Please, as a last favor to me, care for her.
There was no name, no initial. Nothing to put a name of a mother to the baby.
"Heaven..." Mr. Wayne mumbled, thinking of something to call the baby. Heaven, however, he found unsuitable. If the little girl was to stay with him, she would be in no heaven, but more of a sheltered safe haven. And that is how he found her name. "Haven," he said softly, looking up from the letter to the little baby who had her eyes set on him. Yes, Haven would be a marvelous name for the child. He would not only provide her a haven of protection, but she would provide him with his own haven- one of happiness and actual joy, something he hadn't had in a long time.
"Haven?" Alfred asked, also looking to the child, "Is that to be her name?" Mr. Wayne nodded, before turning and walking away.
"If you need me, I will be in the study, finding out how to make a nursery for little Haven Wayne," Mr. Wayne mumbled, and then he had disappeared into the manor.
"Oh, Mister J!" Dr. Harleen Quinzel- better known as Harley Quinn- whined as her husband dragged her son towards the door, "Please don't take Jace out to another killing! He could get hurt! You could get hurt!" Little four year old Jace looked around to his mother, his face white with make-up and eyes watery with unshed tears. The child didn't dare cry though, not in front of his father at least.
"Shut up, Harley," the Joker growled in his raspy and crackled voice, tugging the door of the condemned house open and shoving his son out.
"Mister J, please! How about I go with you and Jace can stay home?" Harley negotiated, trying to remember where her old outfit was incase her husband went with her plan as she hoped he did. Jace was much too young to be doing something so dangerous... Harley knew that, if the situation came to it, her husband would abandon their little boy in order to get away. He would do the same with her.
"Stay at the house, Harley," he hissed, looking to his wife. She flinched at the exaggerated makeup that- while on little Jace looked humorous- made her husband look terrifying. "Do not make me tell you again," the Joker said calmly, then looked back to his son, "Come on, Jace."
Practically dragging her son from her sight, the Joker left the home, leaving Harley all alone to worry about the whereabouts of Jace. She paced for a few moments, then turned to an old friend. Drinking.
