Four weeks later, I'm dropping my suitcase on the spare bed in Jason's apartment. My bed in our apartment. That's weird. Resolving to unpack and decorate the room Jason set up for me later, I walk into the living room to see Tim and Dick arriving with a pizza Tim hand me a file, and grabs a slice, and Jason hands me a plate with two slices on it, before following me with a glass of water.
"Harley Quinn's blood work is done, there is the full report." I settle myself on the couch, balancing the plate on my knee, Jason setting the water on the coffee table in front of me. Opening the file, I scan through it quickly.
"Well, Harley does have a few abnormities, but nothing that show regenerative properties, or can be used to heal sick cells. Her T-cells are just differently shaped, and actively go after foreign bacteria found in poisons. Huh, according to this, her white cells are shaped like flower petals. Ivy must really love her."
"That's weird, And Ivy loves Harley? I thought they were just close friends." Dick asks, as he settles on the floor in a weird knot of appendages.
"From talking with them, Ivy loves Harley and wants the best for her, and Harley loves Ivy, but her thing with the Joker has her all fucked up. It's why Ivy hates the Joker, he has beaten down and destroyed Harley's self-confidence, and Ivy is working on rebuilding it. I'm sure, pretty soon, I'll be able to get them together. Just as long as Joker stays out of the picture until Harley is strong and confident again, everything will be fine for them."
"Man, the Joker is a bastard. And you want Harley and Ivy together?"
"The Joker is a manipulative bastard that deserves to rot in hell for all eternity, and having two villains together may seem like a bad idea, but would you prefer a unstable psycho couple or a stable, loving couple? Ivy brings back more Harleen, because Ivy prefers an intelligent equal, Joker wants a broken punch/play-toy."
"I get ya. So how is the rest of your work going?"
"Really well, I've worked with Harley, Ivy, and the Riddler. He's always presently surprised when I answer his riddle and ask him one back. I also bring little potted plants to Ivy, although, I'm still working on convincing her to allow me to take a blood sample."
"You're not getting a sample from Riddler?"
"No, he is 100% human, just very smart and into riddles." I take my last bite of pizza, and make to get up. Jason puts his hand out, my med in his palm. I take them, and still take my plate to the sink. I turn to make my way back to the couch, and realize that Jason had been slowly getting ready for my inevitable move into his apartment. We had taken a drunken midnight trip to Wal-Mart which ended up in me buying a giant plush chair, and Jason took it "until I had my own place". It was set up by the window, because I liked to read by natural light. My favorite coffee mug was set next to the coffee pot, with my favorite dumb expensive coffee on the shelf, here last time I came over for breakfast on a day off. In my room an alarm clock that was already set to 4 was set up, across the room from a bet made up in soft sheets with 5 more pillows than one person needs.
Jason knew I was going to move in. Cocky bastard. But, so did I, I was just trying to put it off.
Returning to the living room, Tim took my spot on the couch. A quick glare at Tim, and I settle on a pillow in front of Jason, leaning back against his knees. Dick turns on a movie, and soon the darkness, and Jason's hands running through my hair put me to sleep.
I wake up on the couch in the middle of the night to a sound in the kitchen.
"Jay?"
No response.
The time reads 2:30, and I remember that Jason worked tonight.
Another sound from the kitchen.
I roll off the couch, and down to the floor. I crawl to my phone, where I left it on the window sill. Making my way to my room, I call Jason. It goes to voicemail.
"I know you are work, but I just woke up and I hear something in the kitchen. It could be a person; it could be a rat. I don't know, I'm scared. Come straight home after work please. Or call me back as soon as you can, I'm hiding in my closet."
Hanging up the phone, I continue to crawl to my room, headed to my closet. As I open the door to my closet, my phone rings.
"Shit shit shit shit." A bang comes from the kitchen.
"I answer the phone quickly, Jason's voice coming through.
"Tiff? Are you okay, are they still there?"
"Yes, they are here, Jason please come home soon. I'm so scared."
"I'm on my way, why didn't you call the police? Or Dick or Bruce?"
"Because I'm scared and I want you. Oh no." The door to my room opens, and the person walks in.
"Here pretty, pretty. Where are you? Come out, come out, where ever you are."
"Jason, Jason please, get here, please. I'm so scared."
"Tiffany, I'm on my way, stay hidden, I'll be there as soon as I can."
Footsteps get closer, and the closet door handle starts to open.
"I'm so scared. Jason, please."
"It's okay. I'm almost home. Fight until I get there."
The door rips open and a hand grabs my hair. I get wretched up, and I start screaming.
"Get off me! Leave me alone! Jason! Help! Someone!" I swing out blindly behind me, but I managed to make contact. The hand on my hair relaxes for a millisecond before tightening again. I swing again, but my arm is caught before I could make contact, and wretch behind me. I scream in pain, but at the feel of breathe on my neck, I throw my head backwards in hope of head-butting them.
My head smashes into their face, and with a groan, they release their grip enough for me to wretch myself free. Turning to face my attacker, I swing again, hoping to knock them down. They grab my fist and turn me, so my back was to them again. I hard kick to my back knocked my breathe away, and forced me onto my bed. Cold dread and fear wracked my body, and I did everything to turn over as I started screaming again, tears beginning to stream down my face. Not again! Please not again!
"Help! Jason! Someone! Help! No!"
The attacker pulled out a knife and I scrambled back on the bed, scrambling for something, anything, I could throw at him. He grabbed my flailing foot and dragged me towards him. I kicked wildly again, and tried to pull myself across the bed again, but he kept a tight, bruising grip on my ankle.
"Get away from me! Jason! Help!"
He managed to flip me over again, dragging me closer to him. His other hand grabbed my upper thigh, pressing me hard into the mattress, letting go of my foot. I continued to fight until I felt the cold, sharp point of a knife press into the small of my back.
"No, no, please no! Help! Jason! Someone! Help me please!"
"No one is going to help you, pretty girl. If you had just stayed asleep, I would have been in and out, but no, you woke up and called your boyfriend. Now you are going to pay."
"Please, I'll give you money, just don't! Please don't!"
The Knife continued to trail up my back, and his hand began to run up my thigh. Somehow I found myself thankful I was still wearing jeans and a sweatshirt.
"Nah, I don't want your money."
"Please! Someone help me! Jason! Jaso-!" My head gets shoved into the mattress.
"Shut up, stupid bitch!"
Hands are still moving, and I'm sobbing now, fear freezing my body. My hands just grab the sheets tightly as I pray for Jason to save me. Suddenly a sickening crack is heard, and the hands are gone as my attackers body falls to the grown with a thud.
Slowly looking up, I see Jason, fire in his eyes as he stared down at the man, his chest heaving as his continues to grip a baseball bat tightly.
"Jason?" I sound weak, pathetic, broken, and his head snaps to me, and suddenly he is next to me, holding me, telling me everything was okay and he was there now. He picks me up and carries me to the living room.
"I called the police they are on their way. Let's stay at the manner tonight." I just nod, and keep my head buried in his chest.
The police arrive, Gordon just looks at me and sends Jason and I on our way. Says he'll handle it. Jason carries me to his car. I stare blankly out the window. He carries me into the manner. Alfred follows us to the room prepared for me. He sets me down on a closed toilet lid and he fills the bath, taking of the socks that still covered my feet. Barbra appeared in the doorway, and Jason gives me soft words and a kiss on the forehead, leaving to speak with Bruce.
Barbra helps me bathe, and I cry again as I see the bruises. More comforting words from her. She helps me dry and into soft pajamas. Jason is waiting in the bedroom, and he holds me on the bed.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner."
"You stopped him.'
"I'll kill him. Both of them. Anyone who hurts them."
"The other one is already dead."
"Go to sleep Tiff. I've got you."
"Don't leave."
"Never."