XXX

"Is it too late to just call in sick?"

"Scarlet, you need to thank these women," Annabeth scolded softly, leading her daughter through the back entrance of the lounge, "They helped design your outfit."

"Can I just send them a fruit basket?" she whined softly, looking around the dim hallway, "I don't want to meet so many people."

"There aren't many," Annabeth rolled her eyes, nodding at one of the guards, "Most rogues wouldn't come to the Iceberg Lounge in the middle of the day."

"But-"

"No," Annabeth stopped before they reached the main entrance, "Scarlet, be polite."

"I will," Scarlet pouted, for a moment, before placing on a complacent expression and following her mother into the heart of the lounge. True to her mother's word, there weren't many at all. One or two were scattered at the bars or tables; and a jazz band played softly in the far corner.

"Annabeth!" A short, skinny man came wobbling towards them- no, he wasn't wobbling, he looked to be waddling, "Long time no see, darling!"

"Oswald," Annabeth greeted back carefully, smiling and hugging the man; she turned him towards Scarlet slightly, "Oswald, this is my daughter, Scarlet; Scarlet, this is Oswald Cobblepot, the owner of this fine establishment."

"Wonderful to meet you!" He laughed, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles, "You are all anyone's been talking about, Miss Crane."

"It is nice to meet you, Mr. Cobblepot," Scarlet greeted softly, smiling politely and retracting her hand after he was done.

"Well, Mrs. Crane," he turned towards Annabeth, "The girls are in the far corner; they are positively ecstatic to meet Scarlet."

"I suppose we shouldn't keep them waiting," Annabeth teased, gripping Scarlet's arm, "Come along, Scarlet."

Just as Cobblepot said, in the farthest corner sat three women; a red head, a blonde, and a woman with black hair. When the blonde saw Annabeth and Scarlet, she let out an inhuman squeal and launched out of her seat, wrapping her arms tightly around Annabeth and jumping up and down.

"Annie!" She laughed, "It's been so long! Oh my god, is this little Scarlet!?"

"Hello-" Scarlet began, automatically, but the blonde immediately detatched herself from Annabeth in favor of latching onto Scarlet.

"Hi!" She laughed, "My name is Harley Quinn, but you can call me Harley!"

"…Okay?"

XXX

"I AM NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN!" Scarlet announced once her and Annabeth arrived back at their apartment. She kicked her shoes off and slid off her jacket, "Seriously- what was Harley on?"

"She is just really happy-" Annabeth sighed, taking off her own jacket.

"The other two were fine," Scarlet allowed, referring to Ivy and Selina, "But I swear-"

"What's wrong?" Jonathan hummed, stepping out the kitchen.

"She met the girls," Annabeth answered, walking forward and wrapping her arms around his waist; Scarlet rolled her eyes and went to her room, muttering under her breath about "PDA in the common rooms".

"How'd it go," he whispered in Annabeth's ear, his eyes still trained on Scarlet's room.

"Beautifully," she praised, smiling at him, "They love her."

"Not hard to see why," Jonathan mused, taking on a faraway look, "It isn't so often we have children born into this life; and I highly doubt those women will ever have children of their own…"

"Jonathan," Annabeth turned, her eyes wide, "You can't say things like that, at least not in public, okay?"

"I'm not scared of them," he sniffed, walking towards his study, "Call me when dinner is ready!"

"Whatever you say, Johnny!"

XXX

Scarlet sat on her windowsill, looking out at the street, brooding.

She seemed to be doing a lot of brooding lately.

Hannibal sat on her bed, watching her while slowly wagging his tail; Jonathan stood in her doorway, watching her with a deep in thought expression that she had currently on her face.

'How you suppose she is taking it?'

'Taking what?'

'Moving to Gotham; do you think that perhaps we came too soon? There was more she could learn, before taking this life style.'

'There will always be things she can learn, Johnny. This isn't an easy life, although it is a very, very, very, fun one. And, crazy is in her blood; so she will be fine.'

"Your doing it again." Scarlet spoke up softly, not turning, "Can I enter the conversation, dad?"

"Of course," he strode forward, glancing past her shoulder out onto the street, "What is bothering you, Scarlet?"

"Nothing," she lied easily, "I'm just tired. Meeting Harley took a lot out of me."

"I understand," He laughed, "But you may be seeing more of her in the near future. Did they show you your costume?"

"No," she sighed, kicking her legs out the window slightly, "It doesn't matter that much, does it? I mean, I'll see it before the thirty-first, anyways."

"That is true," he admitted, then, is a slower and less eager voice, "You know, Scarlet; you don't have to do it."

"What?"

"We could give you a new name, and send you to college, if you wanted; you don't have to do this," he allowed, smiling sadly, "You don't have to be a rouge, not if you don't want to."

"Of course I do!" She replied, indignant, "This is what I've been training for, for like ever!"

"But once you become rouge," he warned, "You can never be anything else. They claim that you can, but you can't, Scarlet."

"I understand," she pulled her self-back in and stood, looking up at her father, "And I have no doubts about my future. I want to be a rogue."

XXX

Hey guys, so here is this week's instalment as promised. We are officially back on track. Thank you all for staying with me this far, and get ready for the long haul; this story isn't over.

So, I've come up with an idea for the break between the chapters:

Kik

My name is Miss_Sketch

All you have to do is message me, and then I could send you updates on what is happening with the story, you can ask questions, and maybe even some extra content. Make sure to include the name of the story you are messaging on, since I have several.

Question of the week: Pie or Cake?

Love you guys, and see you all next week!

-Sketch1997