Night of the Fector Hybrid: Chapter 5: Discovery
A.N: Yes, I have seen Return of the Joker, yes, I do know Harley Quinn has granddaughters, but for the sake of this story, she's gonna have some more granddaughters. So, this will come up in this chapter.
Emily knocked on the door, eyes shut, praying.
"Rosy. It's me Emily. Can I come it?"
"I don't want to talk to anybody."
Emily turned to look at Bruce and Terry, who stood behind her. Worry, grief, and exhaustion painted on her face. She mouthed "See?" Bruce merely nodded for her to try again.
"I just want to talk Rosy."
"I don't want to talk to anybody."
Again she wheeled back to Bruce, his face set firm.
"Ask again." he commanded in a whisper.
"You don't have to talk. You can just listen."
"I don't want to talk to anybody."
Emily moved aside as Bruce knocked on the door.
"Rosy. It's Bruce. I'm coming in."
"Go away."
Despite the girls desperate insistence, Bruce opened the door, sitting next to her on the bed.
...
Emily and Terry sat in the kitchen, drinking coffee. At least Terry was. Emily was pacing back and forth, wildly flailing her arms in different motions.
"She hasn't slept! She hasn't eaten! Terry, I don't know what to do anymore!"
"The press coverage she got certainly didn't help matters...." he muttered.
Emily sat down again, drinking some coffee to stable herself.
"If Bruce doesn't get through to her head, she just slowly kill herself!"
"You know she won't do that."
"Oh yes she will!"
"No, she won't, because Bruce won't let her."
Emily shot Terry a look of wild desperation. She had every bit of faith in the old man, as did Terry, but to her it seemed as if a miracle couldn't save Rosy now.
"It's all my fault...."
"It's not your fault. Don't say that! Your as bad as Rosy when you say that!"
"If I'd caught him-"
"But you didn't! We'll find the guy! Rest assured, we'll find em."
"You mean Batman and The Fox will find them."
"Isn't that who we are?"
"I'm not sure when I'm wearing a mask anymore Terry....."
Terry's mind flashed back to the day at the train station. Emily had told him to find out exactly who he was. It was a hard realization that he still didn't know, months later. It was even harder to think that Emily herself didn't know either.
The door bell rang and Terry inwardly moaned. The last thing they needed was more news coverage.
"I got it this time," Emily said. Terry wasn't sure that was such a good idea, because she was showing just as many signs of stress as Rosy. His consolation was that Emily still had her wits.
...
"Terry's Batman, huh?" Rosy said, breaking the long silence. Bruce didn't waver. He had simply waited for her to talk to him, he wasn't going to give the other way.
"Yes, Terry's Batman."
Another pause.
"You were Batman once."
"Yes."
"And Emily's The Fox."
"Yes," Bruce replied. "Whatever we say, stays in this room. Understand?"
Rosy deafly nodded her head, then began to cry, crying onto Bruce's shoulder, which he wasn't accustomed to.
"I miss her so much! It's all my fault!"
"No...No it's not..."
"Yes it is!"
Bruce pulled her off his shoulder, making her look him in the eyes.
"Whoever did this is gonna be found. They're gonna pay for it. It's not going to bring your sister back, but nothing will. It's not your fault and you've got to promise me you'll stop thinking that!"
The voice of experience was talking. Rosy was silent.
"Promise!" he said, giving her a little shake. She nodded her head.
"Now say it."
"I promise."
...
Emily opened the door to an old lady. In Emily's eyes she certainly didn't look like a reporter. She looked too nice.
"Hello, may I speak to Mr. Wayne please?" the old lady asked.
"Umm...I'm sorry, but unless you've got an appointment or something you can't. And if you're a reporter you definitely can't."
"No, you don't understand I-"
"Hello Harley."
Bruce stood as the top of the stairs, looking as menacing as ever. Emily caught a glimpse of Terry sliding behind Bruce to go comfort Rosy, whom Bruce had abandoned to see who was at the door.
"Harley?" Emily said stupidly, the significance of the name momentarily eluding her.
"I....I haven't been called that for a long time," she said, staring intently at the floor.
"Harley Quinn?" Emily asked her in a whisper, her brain beginning to function again.
The old woman looked up and smiled. "Not anymore. Right now I'm just a grandmother here to claim her granddaughter."
"Granddaughter?" Emily repeated. The significance did not elude her this time. It was a whisper of dead fear. Rosy's grandmother?
"May....may I come in?"
Bruce ushered Emily to let her in.
"Emily, would you be so gracious as to fix us some coffee?" he asked, his voice not losing any of it's sharp edge. It was and order, not a request. Emily did as told, and scampered in the direction of the bat cave as fast as her legs could carry her.
...
"EMILY STOP IT!" Terry yelled, grabbing her wrist. Emily was covered in sweat, and her face streaked in tears. She had probably pulled a few muscles, and had Terry not intervened, she would have hurt herself worse.
"LET GO!" she screamed. She had been throwing batarangs at a target with such fierceness that it was over working herself. Despite her effort to wiggle out of Terry's grip, she was too tiered.
"This is insane, and I want you to stop," he said to her, shaking her gently. She sobbed. "You said you'd do what's best for Rosy. Let her go home with her grandmother. Emily stop doing this! You saved her life! Not let her live it."
"You...you just expect me to let her go like that?"
"No," he said, his voice full of desperate emotion. "She's become apart of you. She's like a daughter to you. But your eighteen! You've got to let her go!"
"It's Harley Quinn Terry!" she yelled with what little of her strength was left.
"No!" Terry protested. "No, that ended along time ago! Bruce let her inside! He's making plans for Rosy to live the life she should have had! Do you want to deprive her of that?! Do you think Bruce is nuts?!" Emily shook her head, and Terry gently shoved her into a chair. He handed her a water bottle, forcing her to drink it. She had been hyperventilating and was starting to calm down.
"Now," he said in a calm, steady tone. "I want you to go upstairs and take a shower. Settle down, clear your thoughts, maybe sleep for a while. Emily if you do this again, your gonna kill yourself!"
She nodded again. "Thank you Terry."
"What are partners for?"
...
"Why didn't you come looking for her sooner?" Bruce questioned Harlene.
She sipped her coffee, thinking. "My youngest daughter walked on the wild side. She was stubborn, and by the age of eighteen, she had her first daughter. Namely, Rosy." she said, then paused. Bruce nodded for her to continue. "Well, she of corse, couldn't afford two daughters, and refused the help I offered her. For months I didn't hear from her. I expected the worst had happened, and gave up hope of ever finding them. Then yesterday I saw the paper......"
"And you knew it was Rosy."
She nodded. "Mr. Wayne, never thought I'd call you that," she said, laughing lightly. "Mr. Wayne, I just want my own back. She's my flesh and blood, and I should be the one to take care of her. Not you. But thank you for all you've done."
"Thank Emily." he said, sipping the coffee.
"Grandma?" came Rosy small voice from the hall way, Terry was standing behind her, Emily, showered and more relaxed, her hair still wet, behind him. Rosy ran to her grandmother who held her tightly in her arms. Terry turned to Emily, mouthing "See?" Emily nodded, going inside for a moment, and then returning with a small box. She bent down to Rosy's level and handed her the box.
"I guess if your really going, and I'm not gonna stop you, here's an early Christmas present."
Rosy through her arms around Emily's neck, whimpering that she'd never forget her. Emily got up, and shook Harlene's hand.
"You take good care of her for me Mrs. Quinzel," said Emily.
"I'll be sure of that."
The two left, packing up boxes and putting them in Harlene's car.
"That was brave of you Emily," said Terry, once things were quite again.
"Yeah," she said. "And I feel like my insides have just been kicked out.
To Be Continued.....