"Don't be dismayed by goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends."
~ Richard Bach
Chapter 12: Goodbyes May Seem Forever
"SURPRISE!"
The blast of noise physically knocked Iris backward as she opened the door to the recreation room, but before she could fall and cause any real damage, two hands grabbed her on both arms and half-dragged her into the room. She blinked repeatedly to clear her head from the rattling shouts, as well as get the confetti that suddenly rained down out of the ceiling out of her eye. Finally, she could take a proper look around the room. Confetti was now littering the floors and furniture; the couch and armchairs had been pushed up together to create an odd half-circle in the center of the room. A table had been brought in to hold a small, two-layer cake. All around the cake and pouring down onto the floor were a ridiculous assortment of gifts, all wrapped in brightly colored paper. Hanging from the ceiling was a large banner, upon which the word Congratulations! had been written in marker.
She finally let her eyes travel to the face on her left, which sported two wide blue eyes and a maniacally gleeful smile, "Surprise, Blue!" Harley squealed, "Do you like it? Huh, huh, huh?"
"Give her two seconds to answer," Ivy answered, though her smile was just as wide, if only a bit more reserved, "What do you think of it, Iris? A bit last minute, but that tends to happen when a certain someone doesn't mention she's being released today…" she gave Iris a meaningful glare.
"I would like to know just who did tell the happy news…" she commented, throwing Dr. Leland a look. The psychiatrist blushed slightly.
"Oh, Iris…I couldn't resist."
"Obviously," Iris stated, though the tiniest smile tugged at her lips as she looked over the decorations, "And how did you all organize this little fiesta?" she asked.
Harley grinned, "Docta Leland helped us! She went out and got the cake and the decorations and the table and the gifts and everything! All we had to do was throw it all together! So, do you like it?"
"I must say that I do…" Iris said, allowing herself to be pulled over to the couch and plopped down on the cushions. Harley sailed over to the pile of gifts, grabbing a hold of some and diving back to the couch, nearly landing on Iris' lap in the process, "Which one do ya wanna open first, Blue? Huh? Which one?"
"You all went overboard with this…" she commented, reaching into the jumble and fetching a rather large package, wrapped in bright pink paper and tied with a green ribbon, "Let me guess…Harley, Ivy, this one is from you."
Ivy winced slightly at the blinding shade of pink, "Harley insisted on the wrapping paper," the redhead said. The blonde pouted.
"I let you have a green ribbon on it!"
"Girls, let's not fight…" Iris said, smiling softly as she opened the box. Her eyebrow disappeared into her hairline, "Good God, you two…what do you expect me to do with this? Go trolling for drunken college apes?"
Harley burst into a fit of giggles at that statement; Ivy let a smirk tug at her mouth, but kept herself sophisticated, "Nonsense, Iris…we just thought you could use something fun and wild in your wardrobe."
"Are you instigating I can't dress myself?" Iris replied, smiling broadly, "I love it, ladies…absolutely perfect."
She neatly placed the outfit back in the box, keeping the bow but graciously discarding the pink wrapping paper. Her next gift was a small, clear object. She was mildly confused at first, then opened it up fully. It was clear but nice and small, as thought designed to fit in a small pouch for transportation. If she had to guess…she'd say it looked like—
"Underwater mask," Waylon grunted from beside the couch. Iris nodded; she was going to guess a safety mask for performing CPR, but this made much more sense, "Small enough to stick inside a bag or somethin' like that…supposed to be new technology…" he cleared his throat, "Sorry it ain't wrapped…kept tearing the paper…" he looked at his clawed hands almost apologetically.
Iris smiled softly and stood to place a kiss on his cheek, "Practical, useful, and thoughtful…thank you, my charming ladies' man…" her smile grew as she watched his grey skin turn a light hue of red and mumble something that sounded like, "Aww, shucks…" and shuffle away, trying to hide his blush.
"Oooh!" Harley beamed, "Open this one next, Blue!"
She plopped a smaller box, this one wrapped in green paper with that ever characteristic question mark embalmed upon the top. Iris slowly dragged a nail along the underside of the paper line, tearing the tape easily—which, she noticed, had been perfectly placed along the ends and exact middle of the paper. The box, once unwrapped, was black and made of a solid and quite firm material. Inside, she found a small device, one that could easily be held in the hand, and was designed with two small flaps that, when opened, revealed a digit pad and small black screen. She raised a brow slightly, then looked up at Edward, who was smiling proudly. "Let's just say this little token will solve any riddle that might come your way, m'dear…" Edward said with a slight purr to his voice.
The others groaned at his last ditch flirtation attempt, only to be shocked when Iris stood and placed a kiss right on his mouth, "There," she said when she pulled away, smirking, "You got your kiss. Happy?"
"I knew you would come to your senses!" he beamed, settling back in a chair with no small smugness on his face.
"C'mon, Blue!" Harley pawed at her arm pitifully, "Open the others, open the others!"
"Patience is not your virtue, Harl…" she said lightly, reaching out and catching the two presents Harley had suddenly started juggling, rescuing them before they were brought to any destructive harm. Eyeing the two in her hands—they appeared to be of similar size and shape—she finally elected to open the one in her left hand. Inside, to her slight surprise, she found another box, and inside that was another box, and inside that was another box, inside which she found a large silver coin, both sides smooth and shiny in the overhead lights. She raised her eyes with a smile, "Couldn't resist, right, Harvey?"
"I had to give you some challenge, Iris…" he answered with a smile, fingering his own coin absently, "It's not good parenting to just let the child have whatever they want."
"I'll remind you of that when you have kids," she said, ignoring his dismissive scoff and looking around, "Alright…what's next?"
Harley pushed Jervis forward, grinning, "Come on, Hat! Don't be such a school boy! Give her your gift!"
The Hatter was shifting awkwardly, but given that Harley promptly shoved him down onto the couch beside Iris, he didn't have much of a say in the situation. Slowly, he reached down into the pile (which Harley had eagerly rebuilt at Iris' feet) and pulled out a mildly long and wide package, wrapped in blue paper, and set it in her waiting hands, "It's not much…" he said, blushing furiously.
Silently, she opened the gift and smiled, "You remembered…" she said softly.
A tiny smile twitched his mouth, "Well…you have it nearly memorized…might as well own a copy to help along the process."
Her fingers traced slowly over the gold letters gleaming across the front cover, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, "Gives me something to do when I'm not trying to finish my thesis or grade papers and exams and quizzes and giving assistance during Office Hours, right, Jervis?"
He smiled. While everyone else was having a laugh over her statement, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, unwrapped box. He opened his mouth, but Iris silenced him with an understanding look. Before anyone else could notice, she'd slipped it into the box from Harley and Ivy, where it would remain unnoticed by the others.
A knock came at the door, and the bearded face of Peter McLeven poked around the corner, "I do hope I'm not interrupting the festivities," he said with a smile, "But I've brought a gift of my own for you, my dear…" he held up a small box and opened the lid to show the contents.
Amid the looks of confusion, Iris gave a gleeful sound and leapt off the couch, hugging him tightly before disappearing into the women's washroom. He chuckled and gave a bow to the inmates, "Dr. McLeven," he introduced himself, "I oversaw Miss DeLaine's hearing yesterday."
"Well, seeing as she's being released, I suppose thanks are in order," Ivy said with a gracious smile and slight inclination of the head, which the doctor returned respectfully.
A second and equally gleeful coo was heard from the door, followed by Iris half-twirling into the room, quite nearly imitating Harley in her actions. The prison uniform was gone, probably discarded with no grace on the bathroom floor, and replaced by black jeans, a pair of black leather boots that seemed to hit mid-calf beneath the jeans, and a black leather camisole the hitched up around the abdomen slightly to bare a bit of midriff.
"Ah…" she sighed happily, tossing her hair over her bare shoulder, "I feel like a human being again. Now…" she smiled, "Who wants cake?"
Harley squealed and hurtled herself at the table, quickly restrained by Ivy's quick (and well practiced) hands before she got a hold of the cutting knife. Iris smiled, watching them converge on the cake. Her eyes slowly traveled to the corner, where Professor Crane was standing beside the window, staring out thoughtfully.
A hand on his shoulder brought the professor out of his reverie; his dark eyes went to his left, where Iris stood looking at him, "Lost in the looking glass, Professor?" she asked with a smile.
"Hardly," he answered, taking her in with a quiet smile. She looked far more alive in her black attire than in the repulsive grey of the asylum's rags. Slowly, his hand rose from his side and laid something in her hand. She opened her palm to see the shape of a long, jet black crystal, fastened to a silver chain, lying cool against her skin. She looked up at him, then a dark smile passed over her features before passing away as quickly as it had come. She draped the crystal around her throat, where it came to rest just above her bust.
He caught her hand as it rested on his face, pressing a slow kiss to her wrist, feeling her pulse quicken at the touch. His eyes returned to hers, a silent moment passing before he brought the kiss to her mouth. Her fingers tangled in his shirt, wanting to bring him closer, but that would only fuel the fire that needed to be extinguished quickly. Their moment was passing, and would be gone just as soon as those two words were spoken…
The time came far too soon as Dr. Leland stepped back into the room, "Iris…" the tone of her voice made it unnecessary for her to continue. Within seconds, Iris was wrapped in the tight, nearly suffocating hold of Harley Quinn.
"Everything's gonna be so exciting and new for you…" she sniffled, lip quivering dangerously, "And it's all gonna be the same for us…except you won't be here…."
Iris let her eyes travel back to Crane's. His black eyes remained calm and collected, but there was a definite tightness in his posture. She swallowed and looked back at the others, trying to manage a small smile, "Don't turn on the water works now, Harl…." She whispered, her voice catching distinctly.
"It seems like yesterday you were here…" the blonde was on the verge of melting into a puddle of tears now, "And now…ten months, come and gone…and you're leavin' us again…"
"No," she whispered, keeping her voice low, these words reserved only for them, "I'm not going anywhere…because I have no illusions that any of you intend to just let me go…"
"Not without a fight," Waylon added, his voice slightly more gruff with the emotion build-up, "You know…you know that if you ever need us," he gave a quiet cough, trying to keep himself intact a little longer, "You just call and we'll—I'll be there….so you just call, alright?"
She nodded, "I know, Waylon…I know."
"I don't…I don't even think it's the Rogue Gallery…not without you in it…" Harley whimpered.
Iris shook her head, "You all were the Rogue Gallery before I came ten months ago…and you're going to be after I've left. Don't be a pack of drama queens about it." Her voice caught again, and she forced herself to cough softly to keep herself collected.
The door opened once again, "Iris, it's time…" Leland said, a bit more firmly this time. Iris made to move, but a great collection of arms wrapped around her waist, bringing her back into the circle. "Come here, you…" Ivy said, holding her tightly.
"I'm gonna miss you, Blue!" Harley wailed, finally dissolving against Iris' bare arm.
"Keep outta trouble, ya hear?" Waylon added with a betraying loud sniffle.
Leland sighed, about to call Iris once more when McLeven appeared with a camera in hand, "Alright, all of you…get together…a bit closer now…there! Perfect…alright…one…two…three….say cheese!"
BAM! BAM!
"The defendant will stand," the judge's voice thundered through the relatively quiet courtroom. To the left of his station sat the brunette District Attorney, Janet Van Dorn, with Commissioner Gordon. To the right was Iris, alone. She stood quietly, raising her eyes to the meet the dark blue eyes of the judge.
"Iris Mara DeLaine, District Attorney Van Dorn had requested that the maximum sentence of two years in Arkham Asylum be imposed upon you." A brief pause, in which Iris could just see that glimmer of triumph on Van Dorn's face as she waited for the final judgment to fall…only to have her face fall immediately as the judge cleared his throat and continued.
"However, seeing as you have received excellent recommendations from your doctors at Arkham, and you have passed your competency hearing with flying colors, I am hereby releasing you on parole."
She did not yet allow her face to show any emotion. To seem eager and too pleased aroused suspicion; to seem disappointed indicated she was ungrateful for the leniency and would cause the ruling to be reconsidered. She merely waited patiently to hear the inevitable terms of her parole.
"I do warn you, Miss DeLaine…" the judge said, locking eyes with hers, "There is one, and only one, condition of your parole—to have absolutely no contact with Professor Jonathan Crane. Should you violate this condition, you'll earn yourself a one-way ticket to Blackgate Prison. Do I make myself clear?"
"Inescapably, transparently clear, Your Honor," Iris answered, finally allowing a small expression of gratitude to appear on her face.
"Very well…then in the matter of the State of New York versus Iris DeLaine…this case is closed. Miss DeLaine, you are free to go."
The commissioner's personal car drove down the streets, making a nice and rather relaxing drive from the courthouse. Iris sat in the passenger seat, her elbow propped up on the window sill, hand resting against her face, index finger tapping against her temple. Slowly, a large hand rested on her bare shoulder. It was a warm hand; the fingers and palm were slightly calloused, and there were defined wrinkles and other lines in the palm…the marks of a hand that had seen many years, worked every day of the years it had been on earth, and, above all, this hand had tasted loss and rejoiced in the gains that could only come with heavy and painful loss. This hand belonged to a mind and a soul who had lived life…and good or bad, they had taken everything and made the best of it.
She turned over to meet the soft, dark eyes of James Gordon. His eyes were dark blue of her father, but her father's held none of the commissioner's warmth and sympathy. These were the eyes of a father…someone who could look at a young girl and feel something—feel an emotion that didn't speak of disappointment and regret.
"I thought we would stop for a little something," Gordon said with a comforting smile as the car pulled into a local drive-thru, "My treat."
"Thank you," she said softly, "I'll be kind to your wallet, Commissioner…All I need is a bottle of water. I'm a cheap date."
"And you're still single?" he teased, unable to resist the joke. Fortunately, it seemed she had quite the good sense of humor, as she smiled and gave a light shrug.
"It's entirely my fault, Commissioner," she said, "I have high expectations."
"And there is nothing wrong with that." He said, leaning out the window towards the small black box. While he ordered, Iris' eyes fell down to the small photo tucked away on the dashboard. A smile on her lips, she reached out, tugging the photo free and looking at it carefully, "Her senior portrait?" she asked, indicating the picture, "Shouldn't you be updating a bit, Commissioner?"
He chuckled, "Most likely…I'm just an old man in denial that his daughter's growing up, and there's nothing I can do to stop it."
She smiled, arching a brow ever so slightly, "I think Barbara would appreciate that at least you accept your inability to let her go."
"What can I say?" he shrugged, "Such is the father's way."
She didn't answer, merely sipped her bottled water thoughtfully. The rest of the drive was quiet, until the commissioner's vehicle had pulled into the drive of 400 Hollow Way. It was a rather lovely townhouse in the middle of a small but orderly neighborhood—one of those places that people could proudly say they personally knew all their neighbors—or at least knew of them. The buildings in this area were limited to around two stories high, not including the furnished basement that came standard with all the townhouses. The exterior of each house was painted a neutral cream color, perhaps a bit darker than a typical shade of cream, something which Gordon was sure Iris appreciated, considering any pale colors made her visibly shiver. Each house came with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fully furnished kitchen and living room—all the comforts of home. All bedrooms had a small balcony; the doorway was tucked under a lovely and quite tall archway. The door itself was simply designed, with only a small bit of trim around the doorframe, and around the brass knocker hanging in the center of the door.
Gordon strolled around to the back of his car, opening the trunk and gathering up two of the packages Iris had been carrying out from the asylum. After she had fetched the other two remaining items, he reached up and closed the trunk with a push from his elbow, "The talents of an old man," he said to her as they walked up the stone-paved path and arrived at the front door. Balancing both packages on her left hip, Iris reached into his indicated pocket and pulled out her set of keys, which had been confiscated at her arrest. The key slipped effortlessly into the lock, and with a slight turn, the door opened. She set the boxes inside, then relieved him of his own burdens, making a neat pile which would be dealt with later.
"There we are, then," he said cheerfully, straightening up, "Here," he reached into his pocket and retrieved a small white card, "My card…both numbers on it…if you ever need to reach me."
Two black-tipped fingers reached out, taking it slowly, "Thank you, Commissioner." She said quietly, "I won't forget what you have done for me."
He gave a light bow of the head, then walked back to his car, whistling merrily as he did. She let her mouth twitch up into a small half smile and then stepped inside, relishing the cool air conditioning that met her as she did. The tiled entry hall looked as though it had been recently mopped, probably this morning, knowing her roommate. With a smile, she stepped around the corner, leaning against the wall as her eyes found that familiar petite figure and head of lovely blonde hair.
"Greeting, Alice…did you miss me?"
