The Knight and the Jester

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters just the plot

Pairing: Richard Dick Grayson/Nightwing Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn

Chapter 2

Nightwing stared at the ground as he leaned against the wall of the batcave, twirling his night stick. He was thinking about Harley. She looked broken. Waiting to be fixed. He shook his head.

"Something wrong?" Alfred asked as he entered the batcave with Bruce.

"No, just in deep thought. Any word on the Joker?"

"He broke Harley Quinn out of Arkham a few hours ago. There has also been some what of a disturbance in an abandoned building on the outskirts of Gotham just a few minutes ago. No doubt the duo's doing," Bruce said as he approached the bat mobile. "Need a ride, Dick?"

"I'm good. I'll take my bike," Grayson said raising his hands and grinning. "Let's go catch ourselves some clowns."

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Harley lay on the sofa, shaking and crying. Was this what love was supposed to feel like? Did she deserve all that she was getting? She looked down at herself. She was in her red and black nightie. Her arms and thighs were bruised and blood was slowly seeping into her gown from Joker raping and beating her. She whimpered when she heard Joker cackling behind her. He dropped down in front of her and she flinched, shaking even more against her will.

"How is the nerve gas, my dear? Is it painful?" Joker smiled evilly.

"I th-thought you l-loved me..." Harley whispered hoarsely.

"Well...we need to talk. This punishment for that terrible performance a month ago. You made me look bad. And now..." Joker held up a mirror in front of Harley's face. She began to cry again. She looked terrible and that was putting it lightly. Both of her eyes were black under her torn mask; her lips were bruised, bloodied, and swollen; and her nose was red with blood running from both nostrils. She should've known that this day was gonna come eventually. Usually he would only slap her. Today...he went too far.

"Oh? What are these crocodile tears? You brought this on yourself! You are dead weight!" Joker smacked her hard across her face. The nerve poison in her system made it feel a lot worse than what it did. She cried out. The joker reached behind him and pulled out his gun. "I've grown tired of carrying you, but don't worry. I'll end your misery quickly." Harley's eyes widened with fear as his finger gently brushed against the trigger. "Are you gonna beg? Scream? What will little Harley do?" However, just as he was about to aim the gun at her, glass shattered downstairs.

"Hmmm...seems like the bat boys are here. Too bad. Another time perhaps," he said as he hurriedly ran out of the room. Harley gasped, relief washing over her.

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Nightwing and Batman headed up the stairs quickly. Batman caught the Joker running down one of the hallways.

"You go look for Harley. I'll deal with him," Batman grumbled as her raced off after the clown. Nightwing watched as he ran off, not given time to disagree with the arrangement. He hated it when Bruce treated him like he was still Robin. Nevertheless he went and checked the rooms. When he came to the end of the hall, he heard a thud. He raced into the room to find a body strung out on the floor. When he approached and kneeled down slowly, he turned his head realizing who it was. None other than Harley Quinn. She looked up at him and smiled weakly. Nightwing gently scooped her up into his arms, anger building within him when she cried out slightly in pain from just being moved.

"I'm getting you out of here. I hope you don't mind where," Nightwing whispered as he headed out the room and down the stairs. Harley lightly shook her head, slightly wincing when her neck ached.

"Th-Thank you for s-saving me. I-I would've been dead if not for..." she groaned. Nightwing hushed her and laid her head on his shoulder. Exhausted, Harley passed out with tears running down her face.

"You're welcome," he whispered back as he craddled her closer. "Just rest."

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Richard stepped out of the elevator and into the Wayne Manor holding Harley gently. Bruce close behind. They stayed "armored up" to protect their identity, just in case she had awoken.

"I still say that this is a bad idea, Dick. We should've just dropped her off at the Arkham Asylum and let their hospital wing deal with her," Bruce grunted. "Us having to wear our suits in the manor is risky."

"The Joker is still out there some where. He could just break her out and kill her. Besides I told Alfred to close all the drapes and turn away all visitors. She needs help, Bruce. I'm going to help her," Richard said as he headed up the stairs towards his old room.

"We cant trust her," Bruce called out to him; however, he was ignored.

Once he reached the room, Harley regained conscienceness, startled and hyperventilating. He sat with her on the bed and rocked her hushing her.

"It's ok. I'm not gonna hurt you," he whispered. Harley calmed down and looked at him. She grabbed him and hugged him tightly.

"I-I thought-" she looked frantic. It was more than he could bare.

"Harley it's ok," he hushed her some more stroking her hair. She calmed down after awhile. "I'm gonna prepare a bath for you. Can you wash yourself or do you want me to?"

"C-Can you do it?" He sat her on the bed and made his way to the dresser. "I don't think it's physically possible for me right now."

"No problem. You want to keep on your mask?" Dick asked as he dug through his drawer to find her some clothes that would fit her. Harley didn't answer right away, but instead pulled her ruined mask off her face and the wig from her head, exposing her blonde hair.

"No. Not like it matters anyway. You got me now."

"I'm not taking you to Arkham."

"I can trust that a hero isnt going to throw a villian in jail?"

"This time you were the victim, Harley. I wouldn't throw you in jail like this."

"...Harleen..."

"What?" Dick turned around with clothes in her hand, looking confused.

"My real name is Harleen Quinzel. Save you the trouble of face recognition," Harley smiled weakly. Dick put the clothes on the foot of the bed.

"It takes great trust...to give up your identity." Harley just nodded slowly. "We are going to be around each other for awhile and I don't think I'll be staying in this suit the whole time. So...Richard Dick Grayson. Everyone calls me Dick."

"My friends started calling me Harley, so I ran with it. Not that I have many now." She tried to move, but winced and shuddered. Richard frowned.

"Hold on. Let me get that bath going."

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Richard undressed Harley as gently as he could. She would wince every once in a while, but other than that she didn't mind. He laid her in the large tub of warm water. She had let out a long sigh. The feeling of the water against her filthy, aching skin made her feel much better than she looked.

"Thanks, Dick."

"No problem," he smiled as he started to carefully sponge-wash her. She didnt protest no matter where he had touched her. After what happened to her tonight, any other touch than the Joker's was welcoming to her. Especially since he was being so gentle with her. He even washed her hair. Before she could fall asleep completely, he had finished rinsing her off and lifted her from the tub.

After drying and dressing her, Dick put her in the bed and pulled the covers to her chin.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked.

"Yeah," she whispered. "What are you gonna do after I recover?"

"We'll see when the time comes, but I am going to make sure Joker doesnt come back and that you dont go back."

"Oh, dont you worry. I'm never going back, not again. I think I have someone that can watch me, but I havent spoken to her since I started running with Joker. She is so mad at me."

"She an old partner?"

"Yeah, that and a best friend. She would always look out for me. She stopped talking to me when Joker scooped me up. Do you think she will forgive me?"

"You say she is your best friend. If thats true, then yes she will. Now get some rest. You need it," Richard whispered before he stood and turned off the lights. Before he shut the door, he looked back at Harley. The light from the hall was shining right where she was laying.

"When you do recover...maybe you and this friend of yours should rethink your career choice. You're better than Joker. You can be a hero." And with that, he shut the door."

'There need to be more men like you in the world, Dick.' she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

AN:

Poor Harley! At least she's got Richard now. :) Tell me what you think. Rate&Review.

Reupdated the first chapter so that there were barricades between scenes. Love always!