Chapter 6: Baby Birds and Bat-Cuddles

Author's Note: I am so, so, so, so sorry for not uploading in forever! It's so hard to write this when I'm not inspired that I've given up now, I'm not forcing myself to write. Because of this, it's going to take longer for me to update. I want the story to be my best work, not something that I rushed just so I could post something. And now, the long-awaited chapter 6!

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Batman franchise.

*Day 4 of Harleen's Rehabilitation*

Bruce's POV:

He was apprehensive today; it had all been going so well since last night, when she'd blown up and he'd seen that picture. They both knew those people weren't her true friends, but Harleen had thrown everything away to live the life of a criminal. It would be near impossible for her to accept that she had to leave them behind if she was to recover. For the millionth time it felt like, Bruce cursed the Joker for breaking someone so perfect the way he did.

Though he was slightly ashamed to admit it, he had been avoiding Harleen all day, sending Alfred up with her food and refusing to visit her. The old butler had told Bruce that ignoring her would only make the situation worse, but it was only when he had mentioned that he had heard the young woman crying that Bruce agreed to talk to her. So here he was, at 9:30pm, going to talk to the woman he loved that he was fairly certain wanted nothing to do with him. Even with the Batman stoicism he couldn't help but feel a stab in his heart as he thought about Harleen's opinion of him.

As he reached the corridor Harleen's room was on, however, he paused. She was in there; he could hear her giggling at something or other. What surprised him was that it was the musical laugh of Harleen Quinzel, not Harley Quinn's shrill peals of laughter, like nails on a chalkboard. Bruce couldn't imagine what was making her laugh so much, until... Was that Dick he heard?

Curiously, he hurried to the door and knocked three times before waiting for an answer. When a woman's voice called for him to come in, he opened the door, and stared at the room in shock.

The two of them were laying on the bed, and Tim was curled up next to Harleen, snoring lightly with his head on her shoulder. The young woman was laughing freely, one hand around Dick's shoulder and the other gently stroking Tim's hair as he slept. Judging by the six empty plates on the floor next to the bed, the boys had been in here for a while.

Bruce stopped, a lump forming in his throat. He had seen how his sons acted around his flings and "girlfriends", and it was completely different from the scene in front of him. Despite Harleen's pigtails and makeup, they truly looked like a family.

"Bruce? Everything okay?" Harleen's voice was concerned.

"Of course," Bruce said, recovering quickly from his musings, "I just came up to check that you're alright, but it doesn't seem necessary now." He smiled gently as Tim curled himself closer to Harleen.

Dick laughed. "Yeah, we've been here since around 4. Tim fell asleep after an hour or so - late night I guess." Bruce sent a small smile towards his son, but kept his eyes fixed on Harleen, waiting for... Well, he wasn't entirely sure what he was waiting for.

"I'm sorry Bruce." But it wasn't that. "I shouldn't have said what I did last night, I know how much you're putting yourself in the line for me, and it means a lot that you would do that." She was blushing slightly, her eyes unable to meet his in her embarrassment and instead fixed on his left shoulder. Bruce smiled at her reassuringly.

"Harleen... Everyone just wants what's best for you, that's the reason you're here. I understand you were stressed last night, you had every right to be. Just remember that everyone in this room - "

"Including the little guy drooling on your shoulder." Dick interjected helpfully, making Harleen giggle.

" - Wants you to be Harleen Quinzel for the rest of your life, not Harley Quinn." He definitely did, more than she could ever comprehend.

There were tears in her eyes by the time he had finished speaking, and she gently kissed the head of the still-sleeping Tim. Bruce watched her curiously, a smile on his face as he saw the affection in Harleen's eyes as she gazed at his son. This was no criminal. Just someone without a lot of affection shown to her, who fell in love with the wrong person.

"I want that too. That's why..." The young woman took a deep breath and sighed, before staring straight at Bruce. "That's why I'm on board."

The two men stared at her, hardly daring to believe what they heard. "What do you mean by 'on board', exactly?" Dick asked.

"I mean I want to recover. It's not going to be easy for anyone involved, and Harley's gonna put up one hell of a fight, but I'm done with this life. Anything you want me to do, I'll do it. I want to be Harleen Quinzel again. Completely." She was smiling as the spoke her next words. "Tell Alfred I'll need dark brown hair dye."

Bruce was absolutely powerless to stop the smile from creeping onto his face, but that wasn't a problem. She wanted to change. She truly did.

Thank God.

"What made you change your mind?" He asked.

"It was these two really. They made me realise that I've known you guys for four days and you still treat me better than my supposed friends." There was an understandable amount of bitterness in her voice. "They wouldn't spend six hours trying to cheer me up the way Dick and Tim did, and I've known those people for two years."

"It's not just us though."

Tim had woken up. He shifted into a sitting position on the bed, smiling at Bruce when he realised his dad had joined them while he had been sleeping. "Batman, Nightwing and Robin all have faith in you too - hell, Batman was the one who actually brought you here. He cares about you more than you think. Much more." He looked past Harleen to wink at his brother, and the two of them smirked at Bruce, who felt his face turn red. First Alfred, now the boys?

So much for keeping his emotions hidden.

Harleen ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. "Yeah, I guess I have known Batsy for a while, haven't I?" She laughed. "Eleven years, actually, I met him when I first moved to Gotham, when I was 16." She smiled, caught up in memories of life before the Joker. There was a moment of silence, then...

"Dick..."

"Yes Tim?"

"I... Umm... IaccidentlysavedoverallyourgameswhenIwasplayingWorldofWarcraft..."

"I can't hear you, speak up."

"I kinda accidentally saved over your World of Warcraft progress... Sorry..."

"..."

"Dick?"

"..."

"Dick you okay?"

"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU TIMOTHY DRAKE WAYNE!"

Both Harleen and Bruce had to laugh as the two boys ran through the house, almost knocking over Alfred in the process.

"At least they're getting exercise!" Harleen giggled.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

*Two hours later, Harleen's Room*

Batman's POV:

He wasn't quite sure what possessed him to visit Harleen in his suit mere hours after talking to her without it. Maybe it was because, while it was clear she liked Bruce Wayne, Batman was the one who - for some inexplicable reason - held her heart.

She was awake when he opened the door as quietly as possible, laying on her bed gazing up at the ceiling.

"Do you think I can change, Batsy?"

The bluntness of her question caught Bruce off guard for a minute, before he quickly recovered his composure. "Yes I do. You aren't evil, Harleen, you just fell for the wrong man."

The young woman gave a short laugh at that. "Not the only time either. Believe me, I don't fall in love easily, and never with someone simple and easy to love. Then again, I've never wanted simple in any other part of my life; why should my love life be any different?" She sighed quietly, before murmuring, "at least there are girls worse than me for relationships."

Batman found himself subconsciously moving towards her as she spoke, and now realised he was very close to the bed. "What do you mean?" He could have reached out and touched her, if he'd wanted.

"Come see me tomorrow, and I'll tell you my real opinion on Selina Kyle." She scowled as she said the name, like it was an offensive term, and Bruce wondered why that was; as far as he knew, the two women were very good friends. Before he could ask anything, however, Harleen yawned, a sound filled with pure exhaustion.

The Dark Knight smiled slightly, the corner of his mouth lifting the tiniest bit. "I'll let you get some sleep." He said, turning towards the door. He had almost left the room before he heard her quiet voice.

"Stay."

He turned back to her and stared, unsure what he had just heard. "Pardon?"

"I said stay. I know you're busy, but I don't want to be on my own tonight. Please." Her voice was small and vulnerable, her bright blue eyes impossibly large.

Trying - in vain - to control the churning in his stomach and hoping his cowl hid the faint blush on his cheeks, Bruce walked back over to the bed. Harleen shifted so there was space for both of them, and he slipped under the covers, instantly enveloped by warmth. The woman beside him immediately curled up against him, her head and hand on his chest, and his arms - seemingly of their own accord - wrapped around her body, pulling her closer to him until he could feel her heartbeats. Within seconds, her breathing evened out, and Harleen Quinzel fell asleep.

Bruce, on the other hand, was having an inner turmoil. Should he tell her? Should he not? What if she wasn't really asleep? What if she heard him? She could figure out who he was under the mask. But he still felt bad...

And it wasn't until half an hour later, when he was certain the woman in his arms was indeed asleep, that Batman leaned down to whisper into her ear, "My favourite colour is blue."

A/N: Aww, I love those two so much! I thought it would be cute if Batman was the one in the romance part of the story, while Bruce supported Harley throughout her rehabilitation. Of course, she eventually has to fell for them both…. But that's AGES away, and I might change my mind again, who knows? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and a shout out to anyone who dislikes Catwoman as much as I do (Honestly, she's just awful!) Hope you enjoyed Chapter 6 – be sure to leave a review; they motivate me to write much quicker! Until next time! ~ Dark Knight HQ xx