A/N: Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic.

I made some changes since first re-publishing and have split a few of the chapters because they were really long.

If you enjoy please do review =)

"Are you doing that just to entice me in?" Harvey Bullock had been in that damn sweet shop every other day since he'd broken Penny out of her cell. He could feel something between them, a sort of chemistry that he quite liked. Here she was on her knees again cleaning and here Harvey was again admiring the view.

"I could have you arrested for harassment. You know that don't you?" Penny retorted barely glancing at him.

"You wouldn't." Harvey replied with a smirk on his face.

"Come on then? What do you want this time?" Penny asked sounding exasperated as she stood up and brushed herself off.

"You mean aside from the view?" Harvey retorted. Penny folded her arms and tilted her head giving him a look that had come to be just so Penny-like to him over the past few days. It was slightly disappointed with a hint of 'really?' about it. "Ok, ok." Harvey said shaking her off. "Gingerbread."

"We don't have any today, I told you there won't be any more until next week." Penny said resting her back against the counter, arms still folded across her chest. "I can't be that interesting." Penny shook her head, but she was smiling. Harvey took a step forward, then another.

"Well I've only seen bits and pieces." Harvey grinned looking her over again.

"Don't you have work?" Penny raised a brow at him.

"I am working." Harvey huffed and that was a huff that had bad day written all over it.

"Rough day?" Penny asked a hint of sympathy in her voice.

"Hmm." Harvey ran his fingers through his hair. He really didn't want to go into the case with her, he really didn't want to ruin this little piece of heaven in a crappy day, it wasn't just a crappy day it was a damn hellish day. Kids were involved and that always made things a million times worse.

"Anything I can do?" Penny offered. "I just made up a batch of frosting for the cupcakes. There's enough to go round."

"There is something you could do actually." Harvey said taking his hat off again and running his fingers through his hair nervously. Penny eyed him and it dawned on her what he might be about to say.

"No. No. Nope!" Penny shook her head. "No, not happening. Read my lips buster! I. Don't. Date." Penny said seriously.

"You didn't date." Harvey tried to correct her with a grin on his face. "Come on, a date with me will never be as crappy as the day I'm having."

"Yeah because that just really makes me want to come out with you." Penny rolled her eyes and set some things on the shelves as Harvey took another step towards her.

"Penny, Penn listen to me." Harvey said. Penny turned around and folded her arms across her chest again.

"I kind of feel like we have a thing and I know you feel it to, c'mon. One date, that's all I'm asking." Harvey said a cheeky grin lighting up his face. "Come on, a date, just one. One to make up for a crappy day. There's gotta be a compliment in there somewhere."

"Detective Bullock." Penny started.

"Don't Detective Bullock me, c'mon what you gotta lose?" Harvey asked tilting his head and giving her a wink. Penny stared him out for a moment. She thought about it, and, he actually had a point. She didn't have anything to lose. Penny didn't date though. She had the occasional one night stand every-once-in-a-while, but she hadn't had a proper date in well over five years and it had been even longer since she'd had any kind of relationship. Still she could think of worse ways to spend an evening then in Harvey's company. Harvey gave her puppy dog eyes and made a noise, leaning in slightly the grin still across his face.

"Fine, right ok. You pick me up outside here though." Penny said.

"No, I'll pick you up outside your apartment. Don't worry I'll get the address. Be ready for eight." Harvey said, feeling smug and satisfied with himself he started to head for the door again.

"Harvey! Harvey nowhere fancy! This isn't a date date ok, this-" The words were lost as he disappeared though. Penny sighed softly but allowed a silly grin to light up her own features for just a moment.

?*#

"This place?" Penny had her arms folded across her chest as she looked up at the restaurant before her. It wasn't exactly uptown, not somewhere the high society men and women dined but it was certainly classier than any place she'd have picked. She felt a little under dressed but Penny never showed her insecurity, she refused point blank too. So, she wasn't wearing a designer label and she wasn't a classy girl. She was damn well entitled to eat in a place like this once in a while and hell if Harvey was paying that was fine by her. Still, she'd have much rather him taken them to the bar and grill in downtown. That place played fantastic music, the food was good and almost always left you fit to bursting. Plus, the drinks were cheap.

"This place." Harvey said to her. "What's the matter? It not fancy enough for you?" He raised a brow. He had a feeling he might have messed up. Maybe Penny really was used to fine dining and knew all the best places to eat lobster and caviar, but Harvey had never gotten that vibe from her.

"Oh yeah because I'm so used to the high life, this is practically down market for me." Penny said. She hadn't opened her coat yet and she wondered what Harvey would think when she did. The dress was tight and black and perhaps a little too short for a place like this, the lack of added jewellery detracted from the classiness of the whole ensemble. The high black heels made her legs look damn good though. She wasn't looking to impress Harvey, or anyone else for that matter, no ma'am but there was still a little ball of apprehension in her stomach for when she shed the coat.

"Come on, I booked a table and everything." Harvey said holding the door open for her. Penny closed her eyes and let out a sigh as she made her way into the restaurant. Inside wasn't half as fancy as the outside. In fact, it was more cozy then fancy, all hard wood and dark colours with little intimate booths full of couples and open tables with business men celebrating, work mates out for a pizza together. The smell though. Penny inhaled and everything smelt so good. She hadn't been expecting that, nor had she been expecting the portion sizes she could see on the plates going past her, she was glad lunch had been light now.

Penny and Harvey were shown to their table by the waiter and he offered them drinks. As she couldn't go straight in for a tequila slammer Penny decided cocktails were probably the way to go. Harvey on the other hand had gone for beer which surprised her because she thought he'd be on the Jack, maybe they'd save that for later on though.

"You do realise I have hollow legs right Harvey?" Penny asked him jokingly as she picked up a menu and started to look over it. "I can put away a helluvalot." She added.

"Yeah? Well that I'd like to see." Harvey retorted as though he didn't entirely believe her on that one. He would like to see it though, he liked seeing a woman who wasn't ashamed of eating in front of other people. There were plenty of them around, Harvey knew that but they seemed to keep eluding him.

"All right, you better prepare your damn wallet Bullock." Penny said to him looking over the menu. "Garlic bread, I want garlic bread to start and then..." She pondered over the menu for a moment. "Burger or pasta, burger or pasta." She hummed to herself for a minute. "Polpette Americano." Penny said. It was Spaghetti with pork and beef meatballs, tomato garlic and herb sauce and a hint of chilli. "Then I'll wait until after to decide on my desert." She grinned at him and Harvey just stared at her for a moment with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Ok, ok then." Harvey nodded. Harvey beckoned the waiter over with his hand. He took a minute to mull over the menu, he had to get something different, it was etiquette and it meant they could share. Penny's did sound really good though. "I will have Agnello Tagliatelle, and some doughballs to start. The lady will have Polpette Americano, Garlic bread and we'll both take a refill on these if you don't mind." Harvey said to the waiter who nodded his hand flying across the little notepad in his hand. He picked up the menus and disappeared to the kitchen.

"So, what happened?" Penny asked him. "With the case? You get your man?" Penny said curiously.

"I don't really wanna talk about that." Harvey said gruffly and his tone changed in an instant.

"Problem shared?" Penny retorted.

"This problem won't be halved by sharing it trust me. I don't wanna talk about it." Harvey repeated that time with a little tenacity. Penny held her hands up and shook her head. "I don't wanna talk about it and you don't wanna hear it, trust me." Harvey added.

"You know I can handle it? Whatever it is, trust me I can handle it. I've heard things, I've seen things Harvey. God, I've been wrung out by Gotham enough times." Penny admitted.

"Dammit Penny! I don't wanna talk about it." Harvey said seriously.

"Ok, ok we'll talk about something else then." Penny played with the straw in her cocktail for a minute. "You know you weren't the only offer of a date I got today." Penny said.

"Oh really?" Harvey asked leaning back in his chair and watching her.

"Yeah, really, one of the rich kids dad's. He ah, he asked me." Penny admitted.

"I told you waving that ass around would bring you trouble." Harvey replied. "So, why'd you leave him in the lurch?"

"I don't date." Penny said.

"You didn't." Harvey corrected her again.

"That and I doubt he could handle me. Really, I think he was under the impression it'd be some pretty woman kind of deal, wait, I don't mean pretty woman I think I mean the other one." Penny clicked her fingers trying to remember. "My Fair Lady." Harvey snorted. "Exactly." Penny said shaking her head.

"I don't understand why anyone in their right mind would wanna date me, let alone anyone like that." Penny said shaking her head. Harvey didn't say anything. It wasn't that he was being rude it's that he understood Penny wasn't searching for compliments. She genuinely was baffled as to why anyone would want to date her and Harvey found that kind of endearing. It wasn't a self-confidence thing either and Harvey knew that. Penny was so confident in herself, knew exactly who she was and she was damn comfortable with it. Plus, Harvey himself would have felt uneasy if some rich dame suddenly took an interest in him, then again, he didn't have Penny's ass, or her face.

"Oh, and some famous gal came in all airs and graces. She's off that TV show, oh what's it called- uhm." Penny paused again and clicked. "Dammit, oh god." Penny was really struggling. "Harringtons! That's it, that drama thing with all the brits." Penny said. "She was all airs and graces, kind of pretty, I mean if you like that kind of thing." She said with a shrug. "She asked me if I wanted her autograph and I told her not really you shoulda' seen the look on her face!" Penny said letting out a laugh. That laugh, it was just like the rest of her, completely unashamed and it was also attracting attention. "So that was my day." Penny said taking another drink of her cocktail.

"You don't like that show, do you?" Harvey asked giving her a sceptical look.

"No, no it's all crap. I tend to stick to the classics if I'm honest. I'm a little stuck in my ways with music and film." Penny admitted sitting up and playing with her straw.

"Oh really? You gotta a thing for the oldies then? Come on then what's your favourite film?" Harvey asked her.

"Nuh uh, no you'll laugh." Penny said shaking her head. "You go first!" She replied.

"That bad huh? Ok, ok, uhm. I don't know if I can pick a favourite. I mean I'm a fan of a few. I always had a thing for the black and whites, you know the old film noir? I'm a bit of a film nerd like that." Harvey admitted.

"Film what?" Penny asked narrowing her eyes.

"Film noir, it's a genre. You know like action, horror, drama." Harvey said. "A lot of old black and white detective stuff falls into it. Anyway, so come on, what's your favourite film?" Harvey asked. He really wasn't going to let that go and Penny sighed, he was a film nerd. He was going to think she was ridiculous and the soft spot she had for this film didn't really go with her image.

"Ok, don't laugh." Penny said. "Sound of Music." She said quickly and Harvey cocked a brow and gave her a look of disbelief.

"I was expecting Basic Instinct or Die Hard or something." Harvey admitted.

"I have this thing for musicals, I always liked Sound of Music from being really young." Penny said. "I mean don't get me wrong, you were half right. I can't get enough of Die Hard, John McClane saving the day is all kinds of my favourite thing but Sound of Music trumps it."

"You disappoint me Miss Clarke." Harvey teased. "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to end this date right now, I mean I don't think I can sit opposite a woman who just put Die Hard and Sound of Music in the same sentence."

"Leave me the money for my food then because I ain't moving an inch." Penny retorted sipping at her cocktail again. "It's like a comfort blanket, you know." Penny added and it was the first time Harvey had seen her show an ounce of vulnerability. The time he'd spent with her he'd not once seen her show anything that could be considered soft or vulnerable and it took him by surprise that Penny might even need anything resembling a comfort blanket.

"Alright, what about music? Please don't tell me you're into all this modern techno pop crap?" Harvey asked.

"No, unfortunately I'm constantly stuck pre-90's with my music tastes." Penny admitted. "Give me some mo-town funk any day. Thee best song ever made is September by Earth Wind and Fire and you can argue the point with me all you want but I defy you not to smile when that comes on and people start dancing." Penny said matter of factly.

"I never really thought about an ultimate song but I'm with you on the pre-90's thing. In fact, I'd agree with you on the motown thing too but eh, there are better Earth Wind and Fire songs." Harvey admitted. Harvey was about to say something again when the waiter arrived with their food, the starters were more side dishes and so he'd brought everything out together.

Eating was interesting, Harvey had never really eaten with a woman like Penny and he'd eaten with a lot of women. She didn't hide behind her hand. She didn't feel the need to cover up or eat differently because she was eating opposite him. She showed her appreciation though, noises leaving her throat that made Harvey a little hot under the collar and the other diners start to look at them. Penny responded to them with a quip that made Harvey smirk. She was quick under pressure and unafraid it seemed of anyone. He was surprised when she didn't play out the Harry Met Sally scene after some woman or another exclaimed their distaste at her laugh one too many times.

Penny polished off all three dishes and desert to boot. Washed down with four cocktails over the course of the evening. Harvey could see she could hold her liquor from the fact the cocktails had barely touched the sides. She was a little rosy cheeked, but certainly not drunk.

"Your bad day." Penny said turning to him when she was seated and belted in the front seat of his car. "It was kids wasn't it." She said.

"Penn." Harvey sighed, he really didn't want to talk about it.

"It's ok, I know it must be rough. I understand you don't wanna talk about it but let me tell you something now it isn't your fault. You can't beat yourself up over it because there are some sick people in this world." Penny said reaching out to put a hand on his arm.

"And you don't think I know that?" Harvey asked her tilting her head. "You don't know whether this was my fault or not so just, I don't wanna talk about it ok?" Harvey said seriously.

"Ok." Penny shrugged and started to rifle through his dashboard. "Have you tried that new stall that's opened up near the laundrette on 4th ave yet?" Penny asked changing the subject. "Best hot dogs ever, like seriously you need to go there. You'd love it!"

"Yeah?" Harvey asked her.

"Yeah." Penny replied resting her head on the window. When they got to her apartment block Harvey walked her right up to the door and lingered in the door way.

Penny wasn't gunna sleep with him. That was a definite, she liked him, well she'd started to like him. He was pretty attractive once you got past the fake-swag he tried to put on but she still wasn't going to sleep with him.

"Well this is me. I mean you can come in for coffee if you want but don't get any ideas." Penny said seriously.

"Naw, I have work again in the morning, coffee will just keep me up all night." Harvey said with a shrug, there was a smile playing at his lips.

"Harvey I actually had a nice time tonight." Penny admitted though it pained her too. "You know maybe I wouldn't mind making your next crappy day less crappy."

"You want a second date? The woman who doesn't date, wants a second?" Harvey clutched at his chest mocking shock, Penny swiped for him and he dodged it grinning like an idiot.

"I didn't say that! I still don't date!" Penny pointed out.

"Thanks for making a crappy day a lot less crappy." Harvey smiled at her. He leaned in, and Penny was about to step away when she realised he wasn't going to kiss her on the lips. He was going for her cheek and that was sweet. Really sweet. Once he'd kissed her on the cheek. Harvey put his hat back on and started to go back to his car. "I'll call you about that second date." He grinned turning back to face her and walking backwards.

"Not a date Harvey!" Penny called after him.

A/N: If you enjoy please do review =) And if you want to keep up with the story and updates why not follow it!