Marley had spent the past forty minutes pacing her apartment and panicking about the conversation to come. She didn't know what would be said or what she would say in response. She had been holding her phone in her hands. Elbows propped on her knees staring at nothing as her mind ran through everything she and Karri had talked about and she couldn't believe how right Karri had been. Marley was bad, really bad at reaching out to people first, she was, what she was going to refer to from now on as a 'reactive friend'. She had gone through old messages between her and Jason, Kimmy, Sable, Karri, anyone. She had found that out of the tons of messages sent, she had barely started any of them. She had been in the process of sending a message to Karri to ask her why the blond have never brought up the fact that Marley was a terrible friend. When her phone had chimed, jumping Marley fumbled her phone before catching it and hugging the device to her chest.

She glared at the back of her lime green case before flipping it over. Saw the little squirt gun emoji and panicked, all of ten seconds before she opened the message. Blinking slowly she read over the words.

'Give me an hour.'

An hour. What was she supposed to do for that long? Forgetting about the message to Karri she had paced and busied herself with the pointless task of rearranging the potted plants around her apartment. She had tugged and shoved her large potted ficus to the opposite side of the living room, closer to her window, and swept up the mess she made in the process. She had watered them all and was in the process of rearranging her collection of succulents on the island, that dividing her kitchenette and living room. The knock at her door had her slamming the small potted plant down as she jolted at the noise, checking the pot for damage and sighing when she saw none.

Marley looked at her door, and hesitated. She didn't know if he'd tell her that he didn't want to talk to her anymore, that he didn't want to be her friend. What if there was some weird superhero code about her not knowing and she got her mind messed with. Okay, maybe not that one, she doubted Robin would let them tinker with her brain, he liked Snikcerdoodles too much for that. Marley bit her lip when another knock at her door echoed, wringing her hands she made her way to the door, pausing she took a calming breath in through her nose and unlocked her door and pulled it open. Her hand tightened around the door knob as she took in the man she had been ignoring and thinking about for over two weeks. Jason stood in the hall, his hand raised as if he was about to knock on the door again, he looked like he always had, black leather jacket over a random colored tee shirt, dark blue jeans and heavy black boots.

Marley shifted on her feet and stepped back from the door, farther into her place, her fingers slipping from the knob. Jason took it as an invitation and stepped past the door shutting it with a soft click that sounded like a bomb in the tense silence. Jason tucked his hands into his pockets, looking down at her and she stared back, what did she say? Who spoke first? Why was he just looking at her like that? The silence drug on and Marley started to fidget as she racked her addled brain for something, anything to say!

"I don't even know your birthday!" She all but shouted and could have punched herself, because why the hell did she say that!? Oh, fuck now he was looking at her oddly, black brows pulled down in confusion.

Damage done she plowed forwards and let her panic dictate what she said, consequences be damned.

"I- I mean, that I don't know anything about you and that, I never really asked because the girls always give up information and then all of this," Marley flapped her hands around as she spoke. "Happened and Karri told me that I maybe, probably overreacted and I should let you explain." She paused to breath. "And I didn't think that you'd want to talk to me when I asked because I yelled at you and hit you, I hit you with your own helmet. But you did, you do and I don't really know why, I was so mean to you!" She ran her left hand through her hair, gripping the strands before dropping her hand back to her side. "I'm a bad friend, and I'm sorry."

Jason stared at her, the corner of his lips twitched before he laughed. "I didn't know you babbled when you were nervous."

"I don't babble!" Marley snapped. "It was an apology!"

"A frantic, nonsensical one maybe."

"I panicked." Marley muttered, folding her arms over her chest, looking off to the side taking in where she put her ficus, she hated it there.

"Okay, fine, fine." Jason huffed with another laugh. "I accept your non babbly, totally coherent apology."

"Mmm, guess I can't really complain." Marley sighed, rubbing her hand down her face before walking to the couch and dropping down onto it.

Jason shifted his weight, pulling his hands from his pockets he followed her lead and sat at the opposite end of the couch.

"August sixteenth." Marley Looked over, her brow pulled down, Jason snorted softly at her expression. "My birthday, it's August sixteenth."

"June second." She'd missed his birthday; he'd never said anything about the day, they'd have to do something next year. "We missed it this year."

"Just another day." He said with a shrug.

"It's your birthday, pretty important day, you know." Something sad flicked over his face before it was gone.

"I think we're getting off topic here." Jason put in trying to steer the conversation the way he wanted it, Marley let it go because he was right.

"Right, so… you're a crime boss."

"No lead up questions at all." Jason muttered before he answered. "Yes and no."

"I don't really think this is a 'kinda' question Jason, you either are or you're not." Marley said leaning back into the arm of the couch, pulling her legs up and crossing them as she turned to face him.

He was quiet for a while thinking over his answer. "I hold a fair amount of the gangs under my thumb, letting them bring in drugs and weapons that I deem fine, they're not allowed to sell to kids or employ kids to sell. If they break those rules, they pay for it, dearly. I've got a few of my… captains in charge and I've got them trained pretty well, so I don't really have to do much with them anymore. Not like when I first took over. I know it seems bad; really bad but it's one of the best ways to keep track of everything coming into Gotham, drug wise, my guys keep a sharp eye on everything."

Marley didn't like it, not one bit. But she hadn't cared when it was just Red Hood the crime boss, but this was Jason. The idiot who said he hated cult classics and oldies music but knew almost as much as she did about both of them. Who played card games with her and the twins, it was hard for her to differentiate the two, it would be hard for her to accept that they were the same man. She chewed her bottom lip as she thought, Jason was a crime boss or as he put it 'kind of' a crime boss. He'd done a lot of horrible things to secure that spot, Marley had read the articles and had looked up the files online. The men he had killed were all awful in their own rights and would have never stayed in prison for what they had done, they had too much money and power. Jason was also her friend and she did miss spending time with him and she now had the twins hounding her about where he had been. Nightwings words came back to her the night he gave her the locket, she was pretty sure he didn't mean for them to be used in this situation. Was her friendship with Jason worth it?

Sighing through her nose. "I don't like it… but I can understand it. The things that you did when you first showed up, the politicians or whoever they were. They were horrible people and deserved to pay, I don't know if death was the right call. I didn't live here at the time so can't say for certain." Marley paused thinking about her words.

"I can only take into consideration the things I know, things I've seen, things others have told me about. That you take care of the Narrows, Slums, keep Crime ally in check, that the rate of crimes have gone down in those areas. That before you showed up, Batman never did anything for them, he didn't seem to care he stuck to the main area of Gotham. The working girls that stop at the Poodle have nothing but good things to say about you. The street kids too." Marley saw the way Jason's face twisted in confusion about the working girls and the kids.

"Curtis has a soft spot for the girls; he lets them come in and get warm or get something to eat or drink for a discount. The kids have to talk to the bouncer who comes and gets someone and we let them come in and sit in the main area of the dressing room. They get free food and drinks, Curt feels for them says their lives are hard enough." She finished with a smile.

"Anyways back to you, I don't like the idea but like I said I can understand it. I think that all the good you do outweighs the sometimes; heavy handed way you get there. So, I can accept the crime boss thing."

Jason sat with a thoughtful look and leaned back into the couch, head resting on the back. "That was easier than I thought it would be, but I'll take it. I know my way of doing things are, as you so gently put it heavy handed but I get results that last."

"Can't deny that."

Another awkward silence settled over them and Marley thought of how to ask her questions, she knew what she wanted answered just not the way to ask. She wanted to know why he came back the second time he got hurt? Why did he show up at the Poodle? Why did he ask her questions about Red Hood about himself? She couldn't think of a delicate way to bridge the questions so she just asked them.

"Why did you come back, when you got hurt again? And why did you come to the Poodle?"

Jason's head lolled to the side and he looked at her before looking back at the ceiling. "First time was just fulfilling your Post it note request. Brought you new towels, I'm not a monster can't ruin your shit and not replace it. After that though, mostly curiosity, I wanted to know why would be stupid enough to pull Red Hood into their house. Fix him up and then fall asleep as if a known sudo criminal wasn't passed out on their floor." He snorted out a laugh.

"So I wanted to see what would happen if I wasn't unconscious, it was a spur of the moment thing, I was actually on my way to a safehouse and had to pass by here and I just," He shrugged a shoulder. " Stopped to see what would happen. Didn't expect you to be so snarky or brash waving around a taser threatening bodily harm."

"As for coming to the Poodle, despite my sparkling personality and amazing disposition I'm lacking in friends. I liked you well enough and figured 'why not' and went for it."

"Why," She paused. "Why didn't you tell me?" Marley's gaze dropped to the cushion she was sitting on.

"It was dangerous for you to know, and a pain in the ass for me. If the Heros found out that you knew about me being Hood, they'd want to stick their damned noses in it and no one wants to deal with those pompous assholes." Marley looked at Jason as he talked. "And I wasn't sure what they would decide to do if they found out you knew, I figured it would be safer if you didn't know. Until that prick Imposter tried to ruin me and made everyone think I was a psychopath, including you." Jason sat forward elbows settling on his knees.

"You hated me, thought I was a murder of innocent people refused to talk to me so you kinda left me no choice but to tell you. You didn't react the way I thought you would, a lot more screaming and hitting than I figured." Jason looked over to her and she puffed her cheeks.

"I thought you had snapped, so," She shrugged. "I apologize."

"What does your apology do for the bruise I have, from your rage slamming my helmet into my sternum?" He said rubbing at the spot.

Marley's mouth worked as she glanced at his hand, he let out a short bark of laughter. "I'm kidding, I'm more durable than that but you do pack a hell of a punch when you're mad."

A smirk found its way to Marley's lips. "You're awful."

"Says the friend abuser." He shot back.

"I mean you did scare the shit out of me, sneaking up on people like a creeper."

"I wasn't sneaking, I'm a light walker and you tried to barbeque me, I wasn't gonna let you do that. I'm not that good a friend." Marley blinked at his words.

"You still want to be my friend, even after what happened."

Jason let a smirk slip over his face. "You should meet the other people I consider friends, you're like a declawed kitten in comparison."

"They're that bad?"

"Not really, just fucked up pasts." Jason leaned back into the couch again. "He's good people even if he's an ass sometimes."

Marley laughed at his words. "Kinda like someone I know."

"Don't talk about Karri like that." He quipped.

"Oh, of course Karri is such an ass."

"So what else do you wanna question me about? Fair warning I won't answer everything some I can't and some I'd rather not." Marley thought as she stretched her legs out along the couch cushions.

What did she want to know? She figured any questions about the bats or other heroes was out of the question. She decided to go with the basics.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Really?" Was the incredulous reply.

"Yep. Is it red?"

He snorted. "No, it wasn't my color choice my predecessor already had it picked out. I guess I like blue."

"You guess." Marley rolled her eyes at the answer. "Mine is green. Okay, what about animals?"

"Dogs." Was the automatic answer.

"Mmm, my favorite wild animal is giraffes but domestic wise is cats."

"I like cougars."

"Was that an innuendo or an actual answer?" Marley laughed.

"Can it be both?"

"I guess both types are okay."

The back and forth went on for almost an hour of random tidbits and mild shock from one another. How could Jason actually like brussel sprouts and Marley was a mutant for not liking bacon. Jason grudgingly admitted musicals were 'okay' and Marley admitted an intense dislike of mimes, as they talked and laughed at one another. The mood died at Marley's next question.

"What about your parents?" The grin slipped from Jason's face and she regretted the question at the guarded look behind his eyes.

"This was going so well too." He sighed.

"You don't have to tell me."

"Nah, it is what it is. I grew up in the slums, no money, sometimes no food, mom sometimes tried to pull something together. Willis, my dad, if that's what you wanna call him, he was a piece of work. Petty crimes were his specialty, B and E's, car jackings, fraude he got caught and put away for a few years. He got out and we never saw him again." Jason shifted on the couch.

"Mom fell in with a drug dealer and he got her hooked, and she just... faded. She still tried at least for a while, until the high meant more to her than I did. So I did what I needed too, picked up in the footsteps of Willis, only I was good at it. During one of her drug fueled rants she told me she wasn't even my real mother, she just helped Willis take care of me. My real mom, turns out she didn't want me either." Marley pulled her legs back and scooted to the middle cushion of the couch as Jason talked.

"Catherine might not have been my biological mother but she tried harder than my birth parents. She overdosed when I was eleven, found her in the bathroom after coming home one day. I called it in and ran, lived on the streets for a few years, made it by running for drug lords and ripping off car parts." As Marley listened to him talk the way Jason operated as Red Hood made more and more since.

"The legal system caught me finally, shipped me off to an orphanage, I got adopted. He seemed great at first, a nice guy and I even had a brother. Turns out, I wasn't what he expected, too wild and destructive." He paused fisting his hands before relaxing them. "I was sixteen when I left, been on my own since."

Marley turned, swinging her feet to the floor and scooting over shoulder to shoulder with Jason, her childhood was crap but nothing like that.

"I mean you made it though, scars, physical and mental are proof that you've survived to do something better. To accomplish something new, your past can either push you forwards or pull you down, it all depends on what you let it do to you." She bumped him with her shoulder.

"I think you did okay, your past is why you're so harsh on drug dealers and why you refuse to let kids deal or run it, right? As for your adopted dad. Fuck him, you don't just give up on you kid, no matter how they are. Especially with a past like yours, and fuck your brother too if he's a jerk."

Jason was silent and Marley looked up at him, he had an odd look on his face, one mixed with confusion and amusement.

"You sound like a damned fortune cookie." Marley opened her mouth to snap back. "But you're not wrong, and Dick's not that bad none of them are."

"You're brothers?"

"Yeah, they're okay. They have their moments but I guess overall I don't hate them."

"Well since I killed the fun mood, you hungry? I have left over chinese food in the fridge." Marley asked standing from the couch cracking her back once on her feet.

"Sure free food is always good."

Marley looked down at him with a smile and held her pinky out. "No more lies, as long as they don't put anyone in danger?"

Jason looked at her offered finger. "What the hell are you five?"

"Pinky swears are the most sacred of promises Jason, only outed by the spit pact but those are gross." She said as seriously as she could.

"Right, how could I forget." Jason linked his pinky with Marley's and they shook hands.

"So Moo Goo Gai Pan or Orange chicken?"

"Orange chicken, wait is it spicy or did you wimp out?" Following Marley to the kitchen he questioned her about the food.

"Does it matter? It's free." She ducked into the refrigerator and came back with the containers.

After they ate Jason told Marley he had to leave so he could do his patrol for at least a few hours. Marley had looked at him and grinned and laughed, this would definitely take some getting used too.

XXXXXX

Guys! It finally happened someone finally mentioned Jason's helmet and how he had it rigged to explode if someone messed with it. How I didn't include it, the truth is… I forgot about that little tidbit.

I was going over some wiki pages and comic pages and saw it and was like 'Well shit.' I didn't want to go back and add it because I would have had to redo nearly the whole first chapter and I'm lazy.

Also this chapter bothers me. I don't think it flows right. I've redone it a few times but I didn't want to mess with it too much and it comes out utter trash. But this chapter had to be done, plus the next one will make up for it.