"I give up!"
A rain of papers fluttered down from the ceiling, decorating the beige carpet like giant snowflakes, mirroring the ones that fell outside the window.
Pam looked up from where she sat next to Harley on the couch, fingers freezing over her laptop keyboard. The blonde had curled inward on herself, resting her head on the cushion beside Pam's thigh, angrily nudging piles of papers off the side and onto the floor to join the others.
"This is stupid and impossible," Harley pouted, scooting up the couch to rest her head in Pam's lap. "I don't wanna."
Chuckling, Pam ran her fingers through Harley's hair, tucking her bangs back behind her ear. "Do you want help?"
"Of course I want help!" Harley bolted upwards suddenly, almost knocking Pam in the chin as she did. "What is this garbage? What does FAFSA even stand for? Fucking Ass Fuck Shit Ass?"
It was rare to hear Harley swear-she only did it when she was truly frustrated.
"As much as I'd like to agree with your interpretation of the acronym, it actually stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid," Pam explained, pushing her glasses up her nose.
"Now is not the time, Pammy," Harley warned, narrowing her eyes in a glare. Hiding her amused smile, Pam set her laptop on the coffee table and bent to gather the papers Harley had tossed onto the floor.
"You can do all of these digitally, you know," she said, stacking the papers neatly. "It might make it easier."
"It's not the paper," Harley moaned, flopping against the back of the couch, her head hanging over the edge. "It's the dozens of ridiculous questions. I don't know what my untaxed income is Pam!"
"Well, that's why you have the guide."
Harley moaned again and slid down the couch until she was lying flat, her neck pressed at an awkward angle against the back cushion.
Pam glanced at her phone when it buzzed, signaling that she only had about 20 minutes to get to work at the lab. "I'll help you with this tonight." Leaning over, she pressed a quick kiss to Harley's forehead, who was too busy pouting to reciprocate. "Why don't you forget about this for now and get ready for work?"
Heaving an enormous sigh, Harley pushed herself off the couch and slumped to the bedroom to change out of the pajamas she was still wearing. Pam watched her go, eyes falling to her underwear clad rear. Harley, seeming to sense Pam's eyes on her, threw a glance over her shoulder that immediately turned mischievous.
"See somethin' you like?" she teased, leaning seductively against the door frame. Pam's heartbeat sped up a little as her eyes fell over the curves of Harley's hips.
"We don't have time."
Harley shrugged and brushed her hair over her shoulder, exposing the smooth pale skin of her neck. "Mmm, too bad. Guess you'll have to wait until this evening then. How long you workin' again?"
"Until six…"
"That's a long time."
Jaw clenching, Pam turned away, closing her laptop and rising slowly, determined not to lose to Harley in this game of seduction.
"It is a long time. And unfortunately, this evening is going to be spent working on finishing your FAFSA forms."
Harley's face fell, her entire body drooping with it. Recovering quickly, she pushed herself off the doorway and sauntered into the bedroom throwing a 'that's a darn shame' over her shoulder.
A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and stayed there, as Pam gathered her bag and coat. Unlike Harley, she'd prepared for work earlier this morning and was ready to leave before Harley had even finished putting on her shirt.
She came back into the living room, tugging the faded Birds of Prey t-shirt over her midriff, in a final attempt to tease. Crossing the room quickly, she snuggled into Pam's open arms, kissing her chin then her cheek and finally her lips, where she lingered before letting her eyes slide open.
"See you tonight?"
"See you tonight," Pam confirmed. "Have a good day."
She untangled herself from Harley's grasp and slipped out the front door into the frigid Gotham winter.
/
"Mr. Wayne was smart to bring you on staff, Pam," Luisa said, watching carefully as Pam transplanted a rare specimen of titan arum into the well fertilized soil in its new place in the lab's greenhouse.
"Tell that to Grimely," Pam smirked, shooting a glance at the old scientist who sat in his wheelchair, glaring daggers at both of them.
"Oh, ignore him," Luisa scoffed, bringing her coffee mug to her lips. "He still believes women have no place in the sciences. Especially plant sciences. Although, I did show him your research on transgenic hybrids."
Pam chuckled. "That was a long time ago. It was my thesis in school."
"And still fascinating," Luisa praised.
"Okay, class, gather round!" came a shrill voice, interrupting whatever else Luisa might have said.
"Are those… children?" Pam asked, peering over Luisa's shoulder. It was more than odd to have a gaggle of children filling the greenhouse, and Luisa had said nothing that might have prepared her.
"Students from Gotham Academy," Luisa explained in a whisper.
Pam studied the kids. All young, but still clearly old enough to look bored at being forced on a field trip to the Gotham Botanical Gardens. One young man—who insisted on wearing a pair of aviators indoors-smirked at Pam when they made eye contact. Deciding she'd be better off not having to interact with a group of surly looking teenagers, Pam quickly scrapped together an excuse.
"I need to...check on my experiments," Pam tried, but Luisa grabbed the sleeve of her lab coat.
"Oh no you don't. I'm not doing this alone," she half whispered, half hissed. Pam relented, hiding slightly behind Luisa as she addressed the kids.
"Hello, Class, I'm Doctor Luisa Cruz, one of the plant sciences specialists here. You're just in time to see Doctor Pamela Isley, our newest researcher, planting our latest acquisition." The kids looked supremely apathetic. "It's called the living fossil. Anyone know why?
There was silence, until one girl called out in a monotone, "Cuz it's old?"
Pam grimaced, but Luisa seemed happy. "Exactly. Thousands of years old. Taxas baccata, the yew. Anyone want to guess how long this tree can live?"
"500 years?" answered another girl.
"Try five thousand years," Pam offered, unable to stop herself. The kids looked just as surprised as she was that she'd spoken.
"Lots of plants live longer than animals," Luisa continued, giving Pam a quiet thumbs up. "Birch, maple, ash-These trees can live between 100 and 120 years. The willow can live up to 400 years."
One of the younger boys wandered towards a tree, toying with the bright red berries that hung from its branches.
"Wouldn't do that if I were you," Pam mumbled, sidling up to him and leaning down to his level. "Those berries are very poisonous."
The boy made a strangled sound of surprise and dropped the berries immediately. Pam chuckled to herself-they were harmless. But frightening the boy gave her a rather perverse sense of amusement.
"Now Doctor Isley will show you what we're working on together. Let's go into the lab shall we?"
To Pam, letting the kids into the lab sounded even more dangerous that letting them into the greenhouse. But Luisa didn't seemed worried, so Pam followed her lead.
Taking a deep breath, she marched through the lab doors, speaking to the children over her shoulder. "Imagine if we could take the most desirable traits of all species, plant or animal, and combine them."
"Aren't plants and animals really different?" said the same boy who had examine the berries. He seemed eager now.
"Well, yes and no. All living organisms share similar DNA. Sixty percent of human DNA is actually the same as a banana." The kids snickered over that.
Except for one boy, who said, "Well, that's all nice in theory. So are you creating new GMO hybrids?"
Smart kid.
"It's more than theoretical," Pam explained. "For example-"
Pam's phone buzzed in her pocket. Ignoring it, she cleared her throat and tried to continue, when it buzzed again, and then again, and again. Confused, she glanced pleadingly at Luisa, who quickly moved to take her place.
Mildly annoyed, Pam pulled out her phone, expecting to see a slew of texts from Harley-who was supposed to know better than to contact her while she was at work—when she saw Floyd's name on the call screen.
Anxiety filled her chest now. Floyd had no reason to call her… unless something had happened at the parlor. Something with Harley, that made her incapable of calling.
"Floyd?"
There was no preamble. "Pam? You have to get down here as soon as you can."
"Why, what's wrong?"
"Jay attacked Harley."
/
"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Floyd shouted, holding up a hand as Harley pushed her way inside the tattoo parlor. She froze, one foot in the air, her arms still wrapped tightly around her middle.
"Don't be tracking that shit inside." He pointed to the slush on her boots and then the snow mat at her feet. Grumbling, Harley stomped her boots off and then hung her bag and coat on the rack by the door.
"I'm surprised you came in," Chato said, from where he stood behind the front desk. "It's been dead today. No customers want to come in during a snow storm."
"It's not that bad." Harley waved his comment away with a vague gesture. "Just a little nippy."
"Apparently, the rest of Gotham disagrees," Tatsu shot back, eyes never leaving the magazine in her lap.
"Where's Jay?" It was a question Harley asked often since they'd enforced the PPO. She still didn't trust it would keep him away for good. Jay was slippery and determined.
"Office?" Floyd shrugged. "Honestly, I haven't checked. And I don't really care."
The answer didn't really reassure her, but she accepted it anyway and made her way to her station, beginning to organize her tools. Unfortunately, the two clients she had lined up today called a few minutes later, both canceling their appointments and leaving Harley even grumpier than she'd been when she first came in.
Eventually, Floyd pulled out a set of cards he kept in his bag and the four of them began a game of Blackjack. Tatsu left halfway through the game, however, deciding there was no point in the four of them being there with no customers coming in.
And even with the game as a distraction, the hours left in Harley's shift passed slowly-she kept checking her phone for texts from Pam to keep her occupied.
Nothing.
She's busy, she's got a harder job than you and the weather isn't going to affect her.
Still, the lack of communication further added to Harley's sour mood. By the time Chato and Floyd let her leave for the day, there was a dark cloud hanging over her head that matched the ones outside. Grabbing her coat, she waved goodbye to the boys and headed back into the wet cold, shivering the second she stepped outside.
It wasn't even four o'clock yet, but the dark clouds overhead made it seem much later than it really was. Light snowflakes still fell from the sky, blanketing the dirty streets. Pulling her coat tighter around her body, Harley began the long walk home, her nose and cheeks already turning red. The city was quiet, so much so that she could practically hear the snowflakes falling around her. There was no one else on the streets—an odd and rare thing to see in Gotham.
The silence was so pervasive that Harley nearly leapt into the air when she heard a voice calling her name.
"Harley girl, leaving early?"
Whirling around, Harley saw Jay leaning against the wet bricks of an alleyway next to Pam's shop, arms crossed over his chest, a gleeful smile on his face.
"I…." She hadn't expected to see him outside of work, and the fact that he'd seemed to be waiting for her set her on edge. "There were no customers. I… We just thought, it'd be better not to waste like, labor hours and stuff."
"Oh, I'm not mad," Jay assured her, pushing off the wall and taking a step towards her. "Quite the opposite. I've been meaning to speak with you for some time."
Harley was frozen in place under the intensity of his stare.
He can't hurt you… You have the PPO. He can't hurt you.
Her words rang hollow.
"All of this business with Pammy and the protection order," Jay drawled, continuing to make his way towards her. "It's all so silly, don't you think? Just one big joke."
Harley shook her head, flakes of snow falling off her hair. "It's not."
"Oh come on now, Pumpkin." Harley flinched at the nickname. "You and I may have had our rough patches. But this? It's not necessary. I let you continue to work for me, didn't I? And have I ever bothered you in the time we've been apart?"
"You tried to hurt, Red."
Jay's smile faltered, a dangerous look flashing in his eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You sent her those letters," Harley accused, taking a step back. Jay was too close now, and his face was set in stone-it was a terrible contrast to his smile.
"Where's your proof, Harley?" She opened her mouth, but apparently, it had been a rhetorical question. "We're getting sidetracked. I just want to talk. Will you talk with me?"
"I should be gettin' home," Harley objected, she took another step back, only to be matched by Jay taking a synchronized step forward. "We… We can talk tomorrow. In your office."
With others nearby.
"But we're both here now," Jay justified. "And it'll be quick and painless, I promise."
The words didn't reassure Harley, so she turned to leave when Jay reached out and grabbed her by the collar, yanking her backwards into the alleyway. A loud 'rip' filled the silence and Harley felt the collar of her shirt tear. She opened her mouth to cry out when Jay cupped his hand over her face, pushing her back against the bricks with such force that she knocked her head against them.
Blinking away the pain, Harley began to struggle and squirm, but Jay's grip was iron. With one arm, he barred her torso, digging into her stomach as he pushed her more firmly against the wall, while slowly lowering the one over her mouth.
"I'm going to move my hand now," he cooed in a voice that belayed their current position. "And if you make another sound, I won't be as forgiving."
Harley swallowed, her chest heaving, heart fluttering in terror. Ignoring Jay's words, she opened her mouth again, prepared to scream when-quick as lightening-Jay's hand tightened around her throat.
"You're not very good at following directions, Poo," he said, his fingers clenching tightly enough to leave marks. Harley's vision darkened, but Jay kept her conscious, just enough to continue speaking to her.
"It's unfortunate really, Harley, what happened to us. We were happy, don't you think?" Harley squirmed again, unable to shake her head through Jay's grip. Jay sighed. "I gave you a job, a home, a good fuck. What more could you want?" His eyes darkened as did his voice. "What does she give you that I didn't?"
Well, Harley had a slew of answers, but she was quickly losing the ability to breath, her chest jerking with each movement she made.
"And what's worse. You kept your job. I left you to your little fairytale romance. I've done nothing to hurt you, and you spit in my face. That's not very fair, Harleen." A lopsided smile cracked his lips, and his mood suddenly switched dramatically. "Although, truth be told, I'm happy for you. That's what I've always wanted. I want you to be happy, Harley. Are you happy with Pammy?"
Harley said nothing…not that she technically could.
"It must be hard though. There's always going to be something keeping you apart. A wall you can't break down. After all, it's not every day someone goes through what poor, poor Pammy did in Seattle."
Harley's eyes widened. If they hadn't had solid proof before, he'd just given her some now. But why? Did he expect she'd keep quiet? Or did he intend to somehow ensure her silence….
Cold dread bloomed in Harley's stomach and she fought again, only to have Jay press her more firmly to the wall.
"You'll never understand her, not completely."
"Y…you…were….the…one-" Harley choked and in the next instant a sharp, blinding pain stung her cheek. Jay drew his hand away, one of his knuckles split from the force with which he'd hit her.
"What did I say about making a sound?" he snarled, waiting for Harley to make another move. She didn't, the pain in her face too intense for her to focus. Once again, his voice softened. "I feel for you, Harley. I do. And as a show of good faith, I want to help. If you're happy with Pammy, then I'll help you break down that wall."
Confused, Harley just stared at him, pulled in by his angry green eyes. Jay leaned forward, his cold lips brushing Harley's ear—sending a shiver down her spine.
"Don't you think you should know what it felt like? Don't you think that would help the two of you grow closer? I'm here to help, Harley."
And then it struck her what he intended to do, and Harley squirmed and struggled and fought to escape Jay's grasp, but his hand tightened around her neck and the other landed on her cheek again, knocking her head to the side.
"The less you fight, the easier this will be, Pumpkin Pie," Jay laughed, his hand wandering towards the button on his pants-Harley's heart began beating violently in her chest.
She was going to die. Here in this alley. Jay was going to use her up and spit her back out. It would all be over. She was never going to see Pam again. And she hadn't even told her she loved her this morning.
Harley's limbs were beginning to go numb, but not from the cold. She fought again, struggling, trying to scream-someone had to hear her. A passerby, Chato, Floyd, anyone.
Jay's grip was tighter now and without air, Harley couldn't find the energy to continue fighting. She choked and kicked weakly and then Jay was pressed against her, his hot breath on her neck and Harley let out a strangled sob.
Just before Harley gave up her last shred of hope, a roar sounded in her ear. A wordless shout. It echoed around the alleyway and then Jay was being torn away from her so roughly it took her to the ground. She fell into the snow, choking and gasping for air, her body heaving and trembling from the rush of adrenaline.
Dimly, she became aware of the sound of a body hitting the ground, a fist pounding into flesh over and over again. But she was shaking too fiercely to even attempt to make sense of the situation. The sounds stopped after a while and a loud groan filled the air, and then Floyd was kneeling in front of her, his large hands gripping her shoulders.
"Harley, can you hear me? I'm going to need you to get up. Come on, you can stand. You've got this." Floyd slipped one hand underneath her armpit, the other gripping the back of her coat and he pulled her up like a rag doll. She stood on shaky legs, finally looking up into Floyd's face. It was filled with cold fury, and contrasting relief.
"You okay?"
No, no, I'm not. But you saved me.
Harley launched herself at Floyd, throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his broad chest. It took him a moment to lace his strong arms around her and squeeze.
"You're okay," he affirmed. "I got you."
The tears didn't come. They burned at the back of her eyes, but they wouldn't spill down her cheeks. Shock? She didn't know. She couldn't think clearly.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jay lying in a bloody heap in the snow. Still conscious, but only barely.
"Let's get inside," Floyd urged, looping one arm around Harley's waist and helping her out of the alley. "We're gonna call the cops and then we're gonna call Pam, okay? Pam's gonna come get you."
Nodding numbly, Harley leaned heavily into Floyd's embrace, trying to absorb his words.
Pam's coming. Pam's coming. She's coming. You're going to be okay.
/
Pam burst into the tattoo parlor, nearly nailing Chato in the nose with the door as he attempted to make his way outside.
"Jesus, Pam," he spat, stumbling backwards a few steps and straightening quickly to maintain his pride.
"Where is she?"
Chato didn't have time to answer before Pam spotted Harley sitting with Floyd in the center of the parlor. Her right eye was bruised and swollen and there was a bit of dried blood underneath her nose. Her hair had frizzed out of its pigtails and the collar of her shirt was torn, a company of dark circles decorating her throat. The sight made Pam's stomach twist.
Pam strode across the parlor, her eyes glued to Harley, who looked up when she heard the clack of footsteps. She rose quickly, the blanket that had been draped around her shoulders falling to the floor, and flew at Pam, throwing her arms around her neck.
Pam squeezed her eyes shut, threading one arm around Harley's waist and cradling the back of her head with the other.
"Thank god you're okay," she breathed, absorbing the trembles that passed through Harley's lean frame.
Harley drew back to look her in the eye and flashed a weak grin. "You bet. Ain't no way Jay was gonna take me down." But there was a flicker of doubt in her eyes, like she didn't believe her own words.
Pam took advantage of their position to slide her hands around the back of Harley's neck and pull her into a rough and sloppy kiss, the sharp tang of blood flooding her mouth. She knew their audience probably didn't appreciate it, but she couldn't help herself. To think that she could have lost Harley…. And to that monster no less.
"What happened?" Pam asked as she pulled away, brushing Harley's wild hair out of her face.
Harley heaved a trembling breath, leaning heavily against Pam, who took her weight with ease and stroked her hands down the blonde's sides comfortingly.
"Everythin' happened so fast," Harley began. "I left work right after sayin' goodbye to the guys. It was kinda dark but not too bad yet and I thought I'd be fine if I walked quick. But Jay popped outta nowhere and he cornered me in the alley by your shop." She paused to wet her lips, her wide blue eyes flickering to Pam's. "He said so many awful things about you, Red. Awful, awful things… And when I tried to fight back, he did this." She pointed to the bruise on her face. "And then he laughed and pinned me to the wall and told me that if I was gonna be with you, I should know what it felt like to experience what you did in Seattle."
Pam's heart seized at the implication, her blood beginning to boil. She'd never wanted to tear Jay's throat out more than she did right now.
"An' I did all I could to try and shake him, but he was too strong. He wouldn't let me go, Red." She looked plaintively at Pam, almost guilty, and Pam kissed her forehead to reassure her. "I thought I was done for and then Floyd showed up and practically beat Jay into the ground."
Pam caught Floyd's eye over Harley's shoulder. He gave her a subtle nod, and Pam didn't need to exchange a single word with him to know he understood how grateful she was. He looked away, rubbing his nose with bloody knuckles.
"It's alright, Daffodil," she murmured. "He can't hurt you anymore. Here… Sit for a moment."
Pam helped Harley back into her seat, pushing her hair back from her swollen cheek again and pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head before approaching Floyd. Whether a verbal thank you was necessary or not, Floyd at least deserved acknowledgement for what he'd done.
"Floyd," Pam began uncertainly, picking absently at a thread on her coat. "What you did-"
"I'd do over again in a heartbeat," he interrupted, rubbing his knuckles-which Pam realized now was probably a soothing gesture as the skin was still cracked and raw. "Asshole had it comin'. He actually thought he was gonna hurt Harley. No way, I was going to let that happen."
"If you hadn't been there…."
Floyd held up his hands. "No use thinkin' that…. I was, and she's fine. That prick's goin' to jail. Let's leave it at that."
"But how did you know?" Pam asked, unable to let it go entirely. If he' only been a moment later…
Floyd's rolled his broad shoulders once. "A feeling? Saw Jay come into the office early and disappear like always. Went into the back to see if he'd be cool with closing early once Harley left and the guy was gone. Knew he couldn't be up to anything good, sneakin' off like that. So I decided to follow after Harley just to be sure-left Chato to keep watch here- and… there you go."
Pam glanced over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of the squad car Jay was in through the window and then returned her attention to Floyd.
"Thank you, Floyd."
He dipped his chin. "You keep her safe now."
"Can we go home?" Harley asked, abandoning her seat to join them and bumping her forehead gently against the back of Pam's shoulder.
"Soon, sweetheart," Pam replied, turning and running her fingers lightly over the bruise underneath her eye. "We need to settle things with Renee first."
It was at that moment that Montoya chose to join them.
"You feeling alright, Harley?" she asked. "You sure you don't want an escort to the hospital?"
Harley shook her head. "It's just a bruise, I'll be okay."
Montoya pursed her lips and set her hands on her hips but didn't argue further. "Jay breached the boundaries of the PPO tonight," she explained. "We're taking him down to the station and he'll be transported to Gotham's high security prison from there…" She let out a dark chuckle. "Can you believe the guy was too stupid to read his own papers? He insists Harley's name wasn't on the order. As if that even matters at this point. He's still going to be charged for assault along with whatever else the PPO can nail him with."
Good riddance.
"He'll stand trial of course, but I'm confident he's not going to get out of this one easily. He won't be bothering either of you ladies anymore."
Harley slid her arm around Pam's waist, hiding her face in the crook of her neck. Pam squeezed her shoulders comfortingly.
"Thank you, sincerely. Everything you've done for us…."
Montoya held up a hand. "Totally unnecessary, Pam. I'm glad I could help and get a scumbag like him off the streets."
Montoya and her team made sure to take down eye witness accounts from everyone in the parlor, Harley and Floyd especially. By the time they were allowed to leave, Harley was visibly exhausted. Montoya offered them a ride home in the squad car and Pam jumped at the opportunity, allowing Harley to lean heavily on her shoulder during the ride, her eyes fluttering closed every now and then.
Pam stripped Harley of her torn clothes once they were safely inside the apartment and then helped her shower, washing the blood from her face and massaging her scalp gently as she washed her hair. Harley mewed with pleasure, despite her exhaustion.
As soon as they were finished, Pam took Harley into the bedroom, where she flopped down on the bed immediately, burrowing into the sheets with a groan.
"Everythin' hurts," she mumbled as Pam lay down behind her, running a gentle hand through her hair and down her side.
"I know, Daffodil." She kissed Harley's temple. "You'll feel better in the morning."
Harley's eyes were already closing, her breath slowing. Pam brushed her blonde curls aside and nuzzled against the back of her neck, pressing tender kisses there.
"Just sleep," she said-an unnecessary suggestion considering Harley was already halfway there.
I won't let anything hurt you now.
As soon as Harley fell asleep, Pam slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her against her chest. The idea that she'd almost lost Harley kept tugging at the back of her mind. And maybe she wouldn't have lost her physically, but mentally. If Harley had suffered the same fate she had in Seattle-it would have broken Pam as well.
There was no use ruminating on 'what ifs', she knew that. Harley was safe and Jay was going to prison.
Pam closed her eyes, listening to the sound of Harley breathing in and out, in and out. And eventually, the rhythm lulled her to sleep too.
/
Harley jolted awake, her body covered in a cold sweat, face sore and pounding where Jay had hit her. He'd followed her into her dreams. But there had been no Floyd this time. No one to save her. And she'd seen what could have happened in horrifying detail.
It was still early, barely past five in the morning according to the clock on the bedside table. Groaning, Harley rolled onto her back to see Pam still lying beside her, eyelids fluttering as she slept.
She watched Pam in silence for a while, taking in the face she thought she'd never see again when she was in that alley. Turning onto her side, she tucked her hands under her cheek, and stared harder, trying to memorize Pam's features. The light freckles that dusted her cheeks, waves of copper hair, strong, sharp jawline, full lips, and the deep green eyes she couldn't see.
And as Harley watched her sleep, tears began forming in the corner of her eyes. She squeezed them shut as the nightmares came back, a tiny whimper escaping her. Pam's eyes opened immediately and she lifted herself up onto her elbow. "Harley?"
"I'm so sorry," Harley sniffed, her shoulders beginning to shake.
Wordlessly, Pam took her in her arms and rolled until Harley lay draped on top of her. She buried her face in Pam's chest and began to sob, deep, hysterical sobs that made her whole body heave.
"He was gonna—He was gonna-" She couldn't finish, breaking down into even louder sobs.
Pam stroked her hair and back and kissed her temple, held her as close as she possibly could, her heart aching for Harley. "Shhh. You're safe, sweetpea. I've got you. You're home and he can't hurt you anymore."
Harley nodded against Pam's chest, her shirt dampened with a mixture of salty tears and snot. Pam lay still, continuing to comfort Harley with gentle touches and murmurs until finally, she fell silent, her body sagging against Pam's.
"You know that even if he had hurt you," Pam began after a stretch of silence. "I would have been there for you. As would Joan. And Floyd, Barbara, Selina. We would have worked through it together and you would have healed just like I did."
"You wouldn't have left me?" Harley whispered, fingers clenching Pam's shirt.
"Never. I'll look out for you… always."
Finally, Harley raised her head, searching Pam's face with reddened eyes before leaning in and pressing a wet kiss to her lips, salty tears slipping onto her cheeks.
"I love you," she murmured softly, resting her forehead against Pam's and letting her eyes slide shut.
Pam did the same, reveling in her warmth and the fact that she was safe. "I love you more."
Harley released a wet chuckle and kissed Pam's cheek before letting go and rolling to her side of the bed. "So should we do that FAFSA stuff now?"
While Pam appreciated her try for humor, she wasn't at all in the mood to let Harley do anything other than rest.
"No," Pam ordered, pulling her back onto the pillows and drawing the covers up around her chin. "You stay here and rest, and I'm going to make you something to eat and then you're going back to sleep."
"Yes ma'am," Harley murmured, her blue eyes wide. There was a brief, tense pause between them. "Can I at least camp on the couch and watch some TV?"
Face softening into a smile, Pam relented, "Alright." But she didn't move, gazing down into Harley's face instead, ghosting her fingers across her cheek, tucking her hair back.
"You okay?" Harley asked after a moment. And then Pam broke, because of course Harley would ask her if she was okay, after what she'd been through. She was that selfless, that loving-and Pam had almost lost her.
Biting her lip, Pam shook her head, tracing the soft curve of Harley's brow with her fingertips. "I've never been more scared than I was today, Harley." Harley remained silent, watching her with enormous blue eyes. "When I got the call from Floyd… It was all I could do not to tear apart the city to get to you in time. The ride to the tattoo parlor was-" she squeezed her eyes shut-"Torturously slow."
"But probably faster than runnin', huh?" Harley tried quietly, smiling timidly when Pam opened her eyes again.
A smile rose unbidden to Pam's lips, before trembling and falling away. "I thought I was going to lose you today. Nothing has ever terrified me more than that thought."
"Well I bet Seattle 'n Woodrue was a lot scarier-" Harley's try for levity fell flat when Pam shook her head firmly.
"Nothing…Harley. Nothing…What happened to me back then-it pales in comparison."
Finally, Harley was left speechless. She stared up at Pam, her blue eyes swimming as her fingers toyed with the fraying edges of the blanket tucked underneath her chin.
"I'll never be able to thank Floyd properly," Pam admitted and Harley agreed with a quiet chuckle. Releasing a heavy sigh through her nose, Pam lay back down against the sheets, curling against Harley's side and tucking her head underneath the blonde's chin, pressing soft kisses to the dark circles on her neck. They lay in silence for a while, Harley accepting the swift role reversal of 'comforter'. She stroked Pam's back gently, taking extra care when she felt the red head's body shake in her arms.
"We should leave the city," Pam mumbled suddenly, her voice hidden in Harley's neck. "Just for a while. Just to get a break."
"Like a vacation?" Harley clarified, her eyes roaming the chipped paint in the ceiling as her fingers ran listlessly through Pam's hair.
"Exactly," Pam agreed. "A vacation… I promise. As soon as I'm settled with this new job and once we've filed your school forms. We can go somewhere… Pretend this city doesn't exist."
Harley wanted nothing more. The last few months had been more exhausting than she allowed herself to realize. Taking some time to just escape it all, with the woman she loved….
"Think Kitty'll be jealous if we leave her behind?"
Pam shrugged. "I honestly don't care."
Harley's shoulders bounced as she giggled, forcing Pam to lift her head. She smiled tenderly and kissed Harley's bruised cheek.
"I just need some time," Pam continued. "Just us. Nothing else."
Fighting the flutter in her chest, Harley grinned and teased, "Don't'cha think it'll get a little boring? Just you and me?"
"Boring?" Pam snorted. "Harley, have you met yourself? Have you met us?"
Giggling again, the bruise on her cheek aching, Harley squirmed deeper into the covers, shuffling until she was snuggled beneath Pam again. "I'll be boring someday though."
"I promise you, that will never be true," Pam replied.
"Not even when I'm ugly and old and play Scrabble all day?"
Pam looked mildly offended at the insinuation that Scrabble was only for the elderly. "Not even then."
A wrinkle formed between Harley's brow suddenly, marring the smooth skin. "Will we… Will you still be around, then? To play Scrabble with me and stuff?"
It took Pam a moment to understand what Harley was implying and when she did, she had to fight the enormous grin that threatened to split her face.
"Do you want me to be there?"
Harley's expression was solemn-she nodded silently, one hand twisting in the fabric of Pam's blouse. "Yeah. I do want you there."
"Then I will be," Pam breathed, finally closing the small space between them and pressing her lips to Harley's, featherlight and sweet. "As long as you'll have me."