I would like to apologize for the delay in this chapter, but it has been erased twice (and I don't know why) before I upload it, and between that and the little free time I have, it has made the days become weeks, I´M SORRY. I hope you're having a good start of the year and you like this chapter.

Chapter 9: Christmas

- Are you fine? - Rick asked when June again got mislead once again during that night, while the Rick's family were in a supossed interesting conversation - You look really absent-minded.

- Yes, of course, I'm fine - she smiled.

Actually, she was fine, but she missed Harley badly, wondering what the Gotham Queen would be doing.

x-x-x-x

While in Metropolis, two blondes were entering to the Mercer family's apartment and a girl ran into Harley's arms, who smiled at that sign of affection.

- Hi Harley, hello Mom - she said looking at Chloe.

- Hello, little one - Harley said with the girl already in her arms.

- Has our other guest arrived? - Chloe asked curiously.

Harley looked at her confusedly, hopefully, that she was referring to June, but soon she discovered that June was not the other guest.

- Yes, I did - a tall and elegant brunette smiled at them - Thanks for inviting me - she greet them with two kisses and a hug to Chloe.

- Yes, she has arrived - Tess said with a smile - I have to introduce you - she looked at Harley.

- I thought we'd be ...- her defensive attitude was clear.

- Lena Luthor - Lena said, shaking her hand as Harley stared at her intently, as if she was studying her - Tess's sister.

- Do you have a sister? - she questioned, looking confused at her friend.

- Since Flash played with the time line, yes, I have it - Tess confesed - I hadn't talked to her in a long time. We are both adopted and we hardly had contact before, but we are creating new bonds. Of course you can't remember her, you shouldn't. I had long since separated from the Luthor when we met each other.

Tess and Chloe smiled, but Harley had no idea how to act. With her friends there was no problem, but with someone else. Harley was a wanted criminal and she didn't want to put anybody else in trouble. She had already ruined everything with June, so she wouldn't forgive herself for losing any of her friends.

- Harley lowers your defenses walls, you're among family -Tess told her as she tensed.

- Of course Harley - Lena sured her smiling - I'm from the family, and both of us, out there we're seen as villains - she said, touching her arm in a reflex act - Let's the world out of here, forget what others think about us, we're family, apparently.

- Sorry, I didn't know there's gonna be someone else ...I still remember when Chloe tried to introduce me to Lois, it was quite a drama.

- Yeah, that didn't end very well - Chloe said. According to Lois, Chloe was crazy for trying to help Harley, although being the great journalist she was, Lois kept the secret even to Clark - But this is different.

x-x-x-x-x

While June was looking for the umpteenth time out of the window, trying to escape mentally from there. She could almost see Lucy playing with her real mother in Chloe's living room. The child was fond of her, she supposed that the connection between mother and daughter existed, although for their safety they had to keep that lie.

- You seem to want to be somewhere else - Rick's old grandmother interrupted her thoughts.

- No! No way! - she smiled, lying once more.

- Of course young lady, if you don't have the head elsewhere, then it is your heart - the woman said taking a confused look of June - Don't punish yourself for that, we can't go against our heart, he always wins.

- And when are you going to give me grandchildren? - Rick's mother interrogated them. The soldier hold June's hand, causing her almost retching. Why was she still lying to everyone? That wasn't the life June wanted to live in, not since she had been in that cafeteria weeks ago and she had meet face to face with Harley Quinn - Rick, your father and I are getting older.

- Soon mother, right June? - Rick asked with a silly smile.

- I'm not ready yet - not yet, nor ever. She didn't want a family with Rick, her family was at that moment miles away from that house.

- Your biological clock is ticking, you aren't so young - but what was that woman thinking? She was in her twenties, she was young to have children - Time flies.

- I'm sorry - she said, getting up, needing fresh air and leaving the conversation.

In those moments, she wanted to escape so hard that she could almost see Harley and Lucy on the couch having a conversation.

x-x-x-x

In Metropolis.

The children had already opened the presents and Lucy was in Harley's arms, sitting on the couch.

- Thank you for my set of archeology - Lucy said as she hugged her.

- Santa left it in my apartment - Harley said with a false smile, after all, it was not her apartment.

- But the important thing is you came to give it to me - Lucy smiled.

- Thank June too - Chloe added - Since she explain her what she was, she has wanted to be like her.

- I have not heard from her in days - she said, embarrassed.

- Don't be sad - Lucy kissed her cheek - She loves us.

That girl frightened him in part, because he seemed to know exactly what he was thinking.

- How are you so sure?

- Because she's here with us, but you can't see her - she said.

Was madness hereditary? Because in view of that reply, Harley had the feeling that her daughter had inherited some of her madness.

x-x-x-x-x-x

She didn't know what to do. She was locked in the bathroom with an anxiety attack and all she could do was reacted on instinct and in Metropolis Chloe's phone rang.

- Hello, yes, who is? - Chloe answered quickly, without having read the name of the caller.

- It's me, June, I'm sorry to bother you - she excused herself.

- It bothers me that you didn't listen to me and that you are not here, but you don't bother me for calling me - she answered sincere - June, are you fine?

After hearing that name, the queen of Gotham was on alert.

- Chloe.. Rick's family is thinking about me and Rick having children ...Rick is excited with the idea ... and I don't ...I can't.

- Where are you? - Chloe asked worriedly.

- Locked up in my mother-in-law's bathroom with an anxiety attack - she explained - Chloe, I can not go on with this, did Harley explain to you what happened between us?

- Harley? No, she just told us that you were with such idiot, Rick - Harley smiled at those last words.

- The other day, when I came home, after visiting you, well ...the passion "overflowed" us - she explained - But I ran away because I'm a coward and because I don't want to hurt Rick. But I don't want to have a family with him either.

- Interesting - Chloe locked herself in her bedroom - I told you that you had to make a decision and that you should do it with the heart, June.

- Okay, you're right ...As always, Chloe - she admitted - But I don't want to hurt Rick after all he's done for me, and let's face it, get into a relationship with Harley ... "

- It's scary - Chloe cut it - I know June, but ...Are you really thinking about it?

- Yes, of course I do, I feel something very strong for her - June said finally.

- Well, I'm sorry to say you that, at this point, you have to forget to who you will make suffer more, if Rick or Harley, and focus on you. Focus on what you feel, because if you don't do that, you are going to keep hurting everyone, Including yourself - she reminded her - Now, you must reassure yourself, no one will judge you for what happens tonight, but you must reconsider it and take care of yourself a little bit more.

- Thank you, Chloe, despite the fact that so many years have passed, I can trust you as ever - she said sincerely.

- What can I say? - Chloe asked - Since that morning when a teenage delinquent tried to steal my wallet, she stole a part of my heart too - she joked remembering the first time they met each other - Now get out of that bathroom and try to have a good holiday.

- How is she going? How is she? - she asked her worried.

- Well, tonight she has made good friends with Lena.

- Who the hell is Lena? - she asked confused.

- Jelaous girl, calm yourself, Lena is only Tess's sister - Chloe laughed.

x-x-x-x-x

Tess, Lena and Harley, went out on the terrace while Nicholas and Lucy were still playing on the carpet with their toys. Tess took a bottle of wine and three glasses and served wine to her "sisters."

Harley's face spoke a thousand words, she knew something had happened to June, but neither did she want to press the situation nor interrupt the conversation.

Lena looked closely at the night sky of Metropolis.

- It's a cold but lovely night! - she exclaimed

- Don't waste your time sister, even she will be with her family -Tess teased.

- May I ask who we're talking about? - Harley asked wanting to participate in the conversation.

- Is this going to turn into a meeting of lamentations? - Lena asked, finally looking away from the sky.

- I didn't mean it, but when I look at you two, let's admit it, anyone would say - Tess said sitting on the lounger and drinking some wine - One that has been absent since Chloe began a telephone conversation with some archeology girl and the other looking for a golden mermaid on the Metropolis skyline.

- Are you into Supergirl? - Harley asked laughing - It seems an irony, a Luthor and a Super - she raised her hands in surrender when she saw Lena looking at her annoyed - Sorry! Sorry! - she tried not to laugh.

- And you? You're in love with The Enhantress - Lena mocked this time - Are you into witches?

- Seriously, I don't dislike them - Harley smiled - But I'm in love with Dr. June Moone, not with The Enchantress.

- My apologies! - Tess joked this time - A Doc and a kryptonian nothing more and nothing less, both of you aim high.

- Do you want to stop messing with us, little sister? - Lena asked - That you have so such a perfect life doesn't entitle you to mockery us!

- So you think I have a perfect life, huh? - she asked her ironically, raising an eyebrow.

- Now you'll dare to tell me that you don't have it - Lena answered - Lovely kids, a very attractive and intelligent wife ... - Harley merely witnessed this conversation, as she stood beside Lena, leaning against the railing. She could also witness Tess's face becoming more serious, as if something had disturbed her hard.

- To begin, I'm not even really alive, not like you - Harley and Lena were listening to her, both knowing that they had uncovered Pandora's box of Tess's feelings, and that they should listen to what she had kept for a long time - When I'm sleeping with Chloe, I love to hug her, she caresses my hair and I hear her heart beat, it's a beautiful song, my favorite melody. But then, I have to slow my panic attack, because I realize that when she listen mine, she's only listening to the beat of an engine, because I'm not anymore a human, there is no trace of the Tess Mercer that I was - she took a breath and opened more her eyes and hands, as if she couldn't with all the information she was processing - and that means I will see my children and the love of my life grow old and I won't age a single day... And then, one day, I'll be alone because I'll see Chloe dea ...

- Hey! Hey! Don't so fast, Mercy! - Harley interrupted her - You're a pretty human droid, a heroe, and my best friend, and all that shorts your life down considerably - she laughed out loud trying to f cut to the gravity of the situation, because she knew how much Tess was suffering. Although that moment lasted little, since Chloe appeared with one of her sweet smiles.- In the past I would have been terrified of this clandestine meeting you organized on my balcony - Chloe joked.

- We were plotting to dominate the world between the three of us - Harley joked - You know, Tess puts strength and superpowers, Lena's intelligence, and I put the craziness. Would you like to join us?

- Would you like that I join this group of domination of the world because I have multiple contacts? - she continued the joke.

- Not, no really, only for the coffee and your cooking skills - Harley winked at her.

Chloe laughed, moving closer to Tess and stroking her wife's hair.

- We were just celebrating this beautiful night - Tess lied, looking into Chloe's eyes - Would you dance with me, mylady? - she asked jumping up and holding her wife's hands, who looked at her surprised and blushing.

- Will you come with me inside? - Lena asked Harley in a whisper - We let them these two have their moment.

Harley nodded.