Bruce, being exactly as Harvey remembered him, came the last possible moment. That was Bruce, never actually late, but more than often you could have your reasons to doubt it.. and, if he didn't came within the two minutes time frame of what was late, he just wouldn't show at all.
Bruce Wayne had always been a good friend, but him keeping an appointment was always a matter of fifty fifty probability. Still though, how unlikely was it he would miss this event? If not for Harvey, it would also have to have cost the billionaire a fortune.. not that his pocket would be able to fell it, but money was still money, and Bruce unlike so many other rich people actually knew how valuable they were in a town like this.
"Harvey!" Bruce greeted with a brought smile as if he hadn't expected him to be there, again, so clearly play acting. "You look well."
"Don't oversell it." Harvey returned in a slight smile, and was satisfied he didn't had any stirring bitter emotions inside of him by the reminder of his face, the emotions that usually was a gate way for Two-face to emerge through. "It's good to see you Bruce." he at last nodded. "Even if it's seconds away from curtain call, you met Emilie Kerrigan." he presented his short build companion.
Bruces smile turned to the lady. "I thought you weren't interested in coming." he pointed.
"I am working." Kerrigan returned sharply. "Please don't mind me, I am here for the same purpose as those guys." she hinted over her shoulder and behind the curtain where there were standing three uniformed men all ready to spring into action with a seconds warning. "Please pretend that I am not even here."
"Then you don't know Bruce very well." Harvey commented. "He is a true ladies man, there is no way for him to sit alone with a good looking woman without having to charm his way into making her open up."
Kerrigan blushed deeply as she bit her lip, looking down on her folded hands. "Please pretend that I am not even here." she murmured ashamed.
Amused Bruce chuckled at her. "I say we respect the ladies wishes." he told Harvey. "I think she's a bit on thin ice here."
"No way." Harvey shook his head. "Kerrigan is a rock."
Emilie just wished the two men would shut up, there she was, a low life prison guard sitting in a high class theatre way above her standards, in a box with a dangerous criminal and the most influential most attracted play boy in all of Gotham, she was out of her league and just wished for Two-faces escape attempt to come quickly so she could get out of there. And was only to relieved to be saved by curtain call.
Emilie did not watch the play, she did her best job out of constantly keeping an eye on two-face out of the corner of her eye, and frowned annoyed as the man seemed so damn relaxed, gazing and the play, even chuckled amused, someone was wrong with that, it just rubbed Emilia the wrong way. The more relaxed he looked the more Emilie was sure he was planning a escape attempt, and was very confident in it. And he chuckled again, and then looked sadly at the play.
"Grace would have loved this.." he whispered.
Worried Bruce glanced at him.
"Sorry." Harvey murmured. "I'm happy she moved on, honestly I am, she deserved better than this." he sighed. "She was probably the gentlest most caring spirit on earth, I hope I didn't break that."
"Not what I know." Bruce offered helpful. "She looked very happy the last time I saw her, I think she was laughing."
"That's good." Harvey sighed. "Very good." he commented leaning over to get a better view of the performance, only to late to discover in doing so he also put his face out in the light where people could see, and a horrified gasp sounded from the box beside their own.
"That ugly!" a loud womens voice rang through the theatre hall. "TWO-FACE! A CRIMINAL!"
Very quickly Harvey had retrieved to the darkest shadow looking frightened at Bruce.
"Criminal, get him out!" the woman kept on wining.
"Excuse me one moment." Bruce raised up. "I'll shut her up."
"I go with you." Kerrigant stated at ones raising up holding her badge ready for explanation. "In case there is no talking out of it." she told Bruce.
"Very well." Bruce nodded and headed out and just managed to clap Harvey on the shoulder. "Your doing so well." he said in a low voice.
Emilie hesitated a bit, but then also gave Harvey a firm clap. "I agree." she whispered. "I'm impressed, now don't loose your temper this time either." she instructed.
"What do I get if I don't?" Harvey asked in a defeated voice, though it was a very valiant try for a tease.
"How about getting three sedatives in the neck if you do?" Kerrigan asked a little sternly.
"I will say you made a rather good case miss Kerrigan." Harvey nodded.
"Stay put, we are always watching you." She gave him an extra clap on the shoulder and turned around to see if she could make it out to Bruce in time. How-ever, the billionaire play boy seemed to have his good uses.
"Oh mr. Wayne, I am so very sorry." The lady who had screamed seemed to continue apologizing. "I must be getting tired, or I need glasses, or both. How I could mistake you for that.. I don't know!" she exclaimed.
Kerrigan let out a deep breath of relieve as suddenly she saw a younger adolescent sneak his way towards where their box were. "Hey!" Emilie placed herself in front of him with spread legs and her hands on her hips. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Back of lady." The kid snorted. "I just want to see if it's really that ugly two-face in there!" he said in a loud voice, so loud that Harvey undoubtly could hear it. "I never seen a person so ugly way up close before!"
"There's no two-face in here." Kerrigan told sternly. "So scram kid!" she pointed over her shoulder.
"Oh yeah." The adolescent squinted his eyes. "Says who?"
"Says me." Came a deep dangerous voice from just behind Emilie.. Bruce Wayne.
"Gee, erh sorry." The kid swallowed. "Didn't know the lady had company."
"So I suggest you do what the adults tell you and scram." Bruce demanded.
"Yeas sir!" the kid complied and hurried past them.
"Kids." Bruce murmered annoyed.
"yeah.." Emilie hesitated as she turned around to face Wayne, only to have to almost break her neck to look all the way up at where his face was.. Bruce Wayne was a really tall man Emilie suddenly realised, She herself was kind of short so all men came off that way, but Bruce was really extraordinary tall, and that she felt so out of place in the little dress didn't help much. "Harvey!" Kerrigan suddenly realized and almost ran for the curtain to their box seats to move it aside allowing her view of Harvey and the guards sitting inside, fully expecting Harvey to be bursting with anger and the guards trying to calm him down.. but he was just sitting there, if anything he looked extremely sad. Emilie frowned suspiciously.
"Something's the matter?" Bruce asked looking in with her, also frowning.
"This isn't right." Emilie murmured. "He should have lost his temper by now, that lady should have ticked him off for sure, and he would have been able to hear the kid, he should have been furious." She commented very silently as she observed how Two-face was silently looking at the play. "Or perhaps he is saving it to later, planning to strangle the woman himself."
"You are a very cynical woman." Bruce commented.
"He is capable." Kerrigan whispered turning around. "You know that."
Bruce nodded. "And you are right, this isn't right." He frowned annoyed. "but perhaps he is really just getting better." He tried.
Emilie looked at the tall handsome play boy. "I'm sorry for asking, but how did he use to be.. before?" she hesitated.
"Like he is now." Bruce told. "Funny, charming, realistic, his biggest flaw was perhaps just his lacking temper, he tended to avoid confrontation rather than take it."
"Suppressing the anger." Kerrigan pondered. "The one thing he is now incapable of, then it must mean something is up." She muttered taking a peek more through the curtains.
"I don't know whether I shall be relieved or sad to meet someone more cynical than me." Bruce commented.
"It's my job." She whispered. "And come on Mr. Wayne, you are an optimist. Why else would you keep on helping so many lost causes?" Emilie asked.
"Because I am cynical and think the world is a dark place that needs every bit of help I can give it." Bruce returned.
"oh." Emilie swallowed before sadly shaking her head. "Please don't do this any-more." she murmured.
"It's nice of you to keep trying to protect me." Bruce nodded at her. "But I can take my own decisions, thank you." He nodded.
"It's just.. That.. urh.. I don't expect you to remember." Emilie hesitated making Bruce halt. "I was wasted ones." She started telling as she swallowed. "In gang members, and lies and drugs, everything trouble, life weren't really worth living at that point, one evening which was just like any other, I ended up on a street corner as so many times before, I remember two people talking over me. One wanted to take me to the hospital, the other tried to reason that I was only on out of many lost causes and it wasn't worth it, there would always be another one." She looked up at Bruce. "Still you picked me up and carried me all the way to the hospital, and paid the bill, only." She slipped a hand through her slightly curled hair. "I'm sorry, but you were wrong and mr. Dent was right." She told sincerely. "You should have left me there."
Surprised Bruce looked at her. "I remember.." he told in a stunned voice "You were skinnier back then."
Kerrigan looked wide-eyed at him. "You do?" she asked stunned. "Well erh, I had to put on the muscle for my new job she tried to straighten out the dress."
"And you're here aren't you?" Bruce asked in a assuring tone. "Then it was the right choice."
"No." Kerrigen shook her head. "You can't safe everyone Mr. Wayne."
"I like to defy odds." Bruce told.
"Ever seen the play about the man and the star fish's?" Kerrigan asked a little sadly.
"I don't think so." Wayne returned a little curiously for her next man.
"It's about this man, who walks around on a beach filled with star fishes, each wave sends more up on the dry land, he walks around and picks up the star fish's, one by one, and throw them back into the ocean, but it's of no use, because for each star fish he manages to throw back, the wave have all ready spat out a dusin more, and the man's heart continues breaking in the vain attempts"
"I actually know that play." Bruce nodded. "Written by Samual Beckett.. You forget the rest." he told in a much softer tone. "Another man walks up and asks him, why do you do it? You can't ever manage to throw them all back, it wont matter to the number of Star fish in the ocean, the first man picks up another star fish, throws it out and responds..." Bruce's eyes met Kerrigan's so they were in complete eye contact, and for the first time ever Kerrigan got the sense it was a genuine tiny smile, not just one of the many acting smiles he constantly threw around. "Well it mattered to that star fish." He told in a strong voice, "It's nice to see you are doing so well." Bruce gave her shoulder a solid clap much like he had given Harveys shoulder a clap before he went inside of the box, closely followed by Kerrigan.
"There wasn't to much trouble was there?" Harvey asked a little nervously making both Emilie and Bruce lift an eyebrow, and the two just managed to exchange a look which showcased how suspicious they both were.
At last Bruce cleared his throat. "No Harvey." He said gently clapping Harvey on the hand. "It wasn't your fault, and it's all straightened out."
"I really wish that you would stop treating me like your little kid brother." Harvey commented in a defeated tone.. he should have turned annoyed by being treated like that.
"Well, it's nothing new is it?" Bruce asked. "I an Harvey go way back." He informed Kerrigan. "Ever since High school, bullies tended to go after Harvey because he was shy of confrontations, so we ended up working together."
"Please, Bruce.." Harvey was clearly growing more uncomfortable by the minute, but still, strangely enough.. not the slightest bit annoyed nor angry.
Also Bruce seemed to notice this irrational behavior and commented in a calculating tone. "Suppose such a figure as batman ever had such trouble, hah, that would be a laugh." He commented.
"Argh Bruce." Ashamed Harvey covered his face. "Why?"
And as Harvey ashamed covered his eyes, Kerrigan was looking wide-eyed at Bruce who frowned extremely thoughtful, trying to capture Waynes eyes Kerrigan finally managed, and formed silently with her mouth the words. "Something is terrible wrong." just the word Batman was enough to send any Arkham patient into a fit of raging madness, especially Two-face with his bad temper.
Bruce nodded, apparently understanding each word.
As the theatre performance was coming to a close, Emilie was on absolutely pin and needles, even starting to ask if she was developing some sort of phobia, she was fully expecting a sneak attack at any moment, constantly she was looking herself over the shoulder, swallowing and sweating.
"Are you all right?" Harvey asked in a genuinely concerned voice.
"What! Erh, yeas." Emilie swallowed as she wept her brow. "Yeas Mr. Dent."
"Harvey."
"Yeas Harvey." And Kerrigan halted her eyes wide-open. "Mr. Dent!" she said surely, but the damage had been done and she felt a little broken inside, as if she had just broken a very important law. Something she had sworn never to do again.
Harvey looked a little sympathetic at her. "Mr. Dent is fine." He at last offered. "Ms. Kerrigan."
And at last, the curtain had fallen down for the last time and it was a sanding ovation for the Shakespearian actors, nervously Kerrigan looked herself over the shoulder any minute now.. and nothing happened, the wait was unnerving, all the other guards looked just as uncomfortable as Kerrigan felt, only Mr. Wayne remained an unmoving rock.. the theatre hall emptied out.. and still nothing happened. No riot, no shouting, no shooting.. Harvey didn't give the slightest sign that he had been waiting for this moment. And at last it was time for all of them to go back to the limousine through the back entrance.
Okay, so maybe it happened from the car! It would be easier to escape from the car without any-one noticing Two-face or having time to stop him.
Surprisingly Wayne went a long for the car ride, looking just as suspicious as before, but only when Harvey wasn't looking. The chatter which had been light hearted and fun in the beginning of the evening had turned awkward a very long time ago, and now it barely qualified as talking..
Never had Emilie felt so relieved to enter the gates of Arkham Asylum, it meant it was over and… nothing had happened!
Stunned Kerrigan looked at Harvey a new. They had made a whole evening, out of town, with no escape attempts, no anger burst.. no nothing. It was to weird to set words on.
As she left the car with Harvey, Bruce managed to capture her hand. "Thank you for joining us this evening." He told in a charming voice, actually kissing her hand as if she were one of those beautiful ladies he usually surrounded himself with, something Kerrigan knew she was definitely not.
"Then you should thank everyone else to." Kerrigan swallowed. "I was on duty same as them."
"Still." Bruce smiled very charmingly. "Having company by a pretty and kind hearted woman tense to make all the difference on these sorts of evenings."
First as the door had smacked and the car was on its way did Emilie notice, Wayne had stuffed a piece of paper in her hand, stunned Emilie opened up the folded piece of paper and discovered the written words. "If you figure something out, anything out, if you get more reasons to be suspicious, call me." And a home number.. Bruce Waynes home number no doubt..
Stunned Emilie blinked at it, of all the women in all of Gotham, she was the one ending up actually having Bruce Waynes home phone number, there were women out there who would be ready to tear her apart for that.
Slowly she decided to make this fake date complete by following Harvey Dent all the way back to his cell, where he was locked in and the usual prison suit was waiting for him, and suddenly the key was stuffed in, Harvey was back, and it was both real and official, nothing had happened the entire night. Emilie almost didn't dare believe... she was genuinely shocked beyond reason.
"We are going." Erick, one of her colleagues told her in a tired voice. "Coming Emilie?"
"Just a moment." Emilie told as she stood in front of the bars, and waited until the rest was a good way out of hearing range. "I have to say Mr. Dent, I am stunned."
"Me to." Harvey told her. "Thank you for a lovely evening."
"I bet this well look good at your recovery plan." Emilie commented. "Perhaps they could even soon try another face operation, without you kidnapping yourself."
"Erh.. perhaps." Harvey swallowed. "That would be.." he hesitated.
"You don't want to be healthy again?" Emilie asked.
"More than anything!" Harvey exclaimed. "I wish I could be like this all the time! Just to get big bad Harve out like this!"
Emilie frowned. "Big Bad Harve is not there?" she asked. "How?"
"Erh.." nervously Harvey scratched his neck. "Luck.. I think."
"Really…" Emilie frowned as she crossed her arms.
Nervously Harvey swallowed as he loosed his bowtie. "I erh.. I heard what you and Bruce said." He said as he Emilies eyes widened. "On the other side of the curtain.. how can you say Bruce did wrong by bringing you to a hospital?" he asked.
"You don't remember what happened after that do you?" Emilie asked.
Harvey shook his head.
"Well, you were right, I woke up the next morning, stunned over Waynes gesture, but was still just as ready to just collect the money and show off to the dirty gangs in my district." She told honestly. "Then you showed up and gave me a slap on the wrist, you sat by my bed looking incredible clean and important, It was so weird having such a important man just sitting there next to me, I can't say I ever tried anything like that before, and you told me." stated a little amused. "That if you caught me using Bruce's money for drugs, you would personally send me to jail." She sighed deeply.
Harvey blinked stunned. "That' wasnt all was it?" he asked.
"No." Emilie shook his head. "I never forget what you told me next, you said to me that I had it in me to do better, you said that I were better than that, really treated me as a person not as trash.. You asked me if I myself thought I could ever be happy in my current situation, and if the answer is no, isn't it then worth to try something else? Asked me if I didn't want to show the world how good I could be. You left me several folders about educations in your district, told me it was your job as a district attorney to assure everyone was happy, and if I got problems I could contact you personally, but the real fight was up to myself." She sighed. "I was actually ready to go and collect the money any-way, but suddenly I just couldn't do it, something in what you said to me.. that I am much better than that, I wanted to see if it was true, I wanted it to be true. Everyone else I knew was scumbags, and if I were ever to find something as decent as you two I would have to get away."
"I wish I could remember." Harvey told stunned.
"I was just yet another wasted kid." Emilie shrugged. "Got two kicks the right place and then clawed myself out, I know that if you really want to do better, you can."
"I wish it was that simple." Harvey sighed.
"It is that simple!" Emilie insisted. "If you just continue the next month as you did today, there is no reason you can't continue for-ever, and it's fine! It's your own choice! That's how it is!"
"You don't understand." Harvey shook his head.
"No I don't!" Emilie stated. "Mr. Dent.." she sighed. "Take care of yourself." She touched the bars.
"Of cause." Harvey mumbled. "See you tomorrow."
"Good night." Emilie sighed turned around.
"Good night.. Emilie.."
Kerrigan didn't bother to correct him, this evening had been exhausting enough all ready.