The Harlequin and the Bat
This is the story sequel to: The Harley and The Ivy.
Important notes: I do not own Batman or any portion of the franchise. I give all credit to DC Comics and respective owners.
Chapter 8
A week since the explosion at the Amusement Park happened, there was a huge uproar involving Commissioner's Daughter, Bat-Shard, Harleen and Batman's group.
At Gotham Hospital there were some surprising inhabitants: Pamela Isley, Barbara Gordon were the main concern. Pamela sustained heavy blows from a crowbar…much like what happened to the second Robin, luckily with the treatment given to her by Bill she survived long enough to make it to the Hospital to be stabilised. Barbara Gordon, she maintained minimum burn marks that would heal over time…but the bullet that the Joker shot struck her spinal column…she would never walk again, in addition to this she was in a coma.
James visited her daughter every chance he got; which was every day, he would come making sure he would be the first thing his daughter saw when she woke up.
Pamela woke up earlier being in more of a greenhouse than a hospital bed, she was visited by Bill. He gave her updates on what happened at the scene; Bill may not have had many friends in Arkham, but those he did have he treasured.
"Where…where's Harley?" Ivy talked as best she could but it came out a whisper.
Bill's face was emotionless, except his eyes…they were full of tears. He turned to Barbara Gordon and her father; he leaned forward to Pamela's ear and whispered something that only Ivy could hear. Ivy began to well up…then cry. Bill held her hand and let her emotions pour out.
A few hours later, Barbara woke up. And true to his wish the first sight she saw was indeed her father.
"Barbara!" Jim gasped holding his daughter's hand
"Dad…" Barbara struggled to get up
"Easy. Easy, honey." Jim calmed his daughter.
"What happened?" Barbara asked.
Jim struggled to find the words "Well…you…you see…*sigh*" he looked to the floor.
"Dad…?" Barbara asked again
Jim looked at his daughter with tears; he then turned to Bill who was outside of the door. Bill nodded; Jim took a deep breath and spoke.
"You were shot…" Jim spoke solemnly
"I remember…"Barbara said
"The bullet…it fractured…it fractured your spine…they removed it but…they said you'll never walk again!" Jim said crying holding his head in his hand.
Barbara was utterly shocked; the use of her legs was gone. She was finished as Batgirl; she wouldn't say "I'd rather die than not be Batgirl" because death would've meant being killed by The Joker. "Dad…who rescued me? Who was it?"
"It was…*sniff* a girl called Bat-Shard…*sniff* she saved you. I saw her run with Robin, she gave you to me…and she collapsed, she told me…that "Harleen sent me." She fainted from exhaustion. Robin told me if it wasn't for Bat-Shard…you'd be gone." Jim broke down as his tears dripped from his nose to the floor.
"Where is Batman? Nightwing? Any of them." Barbara asked she had the right to know.
Jim wiped away his tears and composed himself as best he could. "Batman and Nightwing…they got out. They had some minor damages: bruises, cuts. But they got out."
"Dad…where's Harleen? Is she around? I want to thank her." Barbara asked, knowing that Bruce, Dick and Tim were alive her heart was lifted.
"I haven't seen her…she's been missing since the party. Either she's embarrassed or she's scared…I don't know…but I know this: if she sent Bat-Shard…I want to thank her too." Jim smiled, he had his daughter back. That's all that mattered to him.
Barbara saw the man in the door and as he smiled he revealed Harleen. Still on her feet, not dead and crying with joy to see her awake. She knocked on the door to be allowed in.
"May I come in?" Harleen asked softly.
Jim turned and saw Harleen; he stood up and turned to Harleen and stared at her then held out his hand. Harleen accepted it and he pulled her into a hug. "Thank you…thanks you for saving my girl. I'm sorry I threatened you." he said while looking at her
Harleen looked at the commissioner and said "Well given my history, I can't say I blame you."
Barbara looked at them and coughed to get their attention
"Well…once again, thank you. I'll leave you two alone, I'm sure you have some things to talk about." Jim said and left the girls alone.
"So…" Barbara then Harleen spoke.
"You saved my life…" Barbara said
"Yeah I guess…but you lost your legs." Harleen said disappointedly.
"It's not your fault; you took on half of Joker's men by yourself." Barbara tried to raise her spirits
"You guessed my identity after five minutes of saving you from Joker's men." Harleen smiled
"Joker gave a good amount of information." Barbara made to her conclusion, although it was completely reluctant.
"He shot you, beat Ivy, destroyed my home and exposed my secrets to you…" Harleen spoke sadly.
"But you've earned something out of this." Barbara spoke gaining a smile
"What's that?" Harleen asked running her fingers through her black hair.
"My gratitude, my trust and my promise to keep your secret." Barbara smiled
Harleen smiled and then hugged her "Thank you Barbara…but now I've got to go see someone else now." She indicated Ivy as she saw her dear friend in the opposite bed.
"Go on. I need my rest anyway." Barbara smiled letting her go to Poison Ivy.
Harleen walked across the room and saw her friend Ivy recuperating, the green skinned woman smiling "You've looked better." Smiling with tears forming
"So have you…" Harleen said smiling
The two began to laugh and smiled at each other. Ivy gave her best friend a giant hug, crying to see her alive, being the hero. "I take it that Barbara Gordon knows who you are?"
"Yeah but she's cool about it…though Joker told her about my secrets and showed her my plush of Bats…he showed her everything but the kitchen sink." Harleen said disappointedly.
"Even your diary entries?" Ivy asked
"Yeah even my…how do you know about my diary entries?" Harleen asked
"I may have…read a few pages when you left Arkham that one time." Ivy blushed
Harleen tried to hold back a smile but then hugged her just knowing her friend is alright.
"Excuse me miss, visiting hours are over. And you have some people who want to talk to you outside." A nurse said.
"Oh right. Okay, I'll see you later then. Bye Ivy, see ya later Barbara." Harleen waved goodbye to her new and old friends.
"Bye, Harls." Ivy waved
"Bye Harleen." Barbara waved as well
As the door closed, Harleen felt gladdened; Barbara was safe and Ivy was on the mend. But who wanted to talk to her?
As she went down the corridor she noticed Bill sitting in the visitor's chair, sighing and rubbing his matted hair through his fingers.
"Bill…?" Harleen asked
Bill sighed and looked up at Harleen; at first a frown which made Harleen loose hope slightly. Then he grinned making her know he was still her friend.
"You talked to her?" Bill asked and Harleen nodded
"It's just like my dream…if you weren't there to save her…" Harleen began to drop in emotions
"No Harleen…it's nothing like your dream. Ivy told me about it. She said: "Harley told me: in her dream I was already dead." She's not dead Harleen…it's not like with the second Robin." Bill said telling her that it will be alright. "Ivy's tougher than the mightiest oak. And you're a diamond in the rough, with each day you're getting more defined with who you are. You've left the old life behind and took the different path. I don't believe dreams predict the future…but I do believe they give insight on something that needed to change from within. All life is: is a lesson. Learn from this experience, know that: even if you save someone that person will bear a scar; visible or otherwise." Bill comforted her by placing his hands on her shoulders.
"*sniff* When did you become my psychiatrist?" Harleen smiled and wiped her tear away from her eye.
"When I listened from the best." Bill smiled indicating Harleen "Your boyfriend is waiting for you." Bill said using his head to direct her.
"Bruce?" Harleen asked and Bill nodded with a grin. Harleen left after saying thanks to Bill.
Harleen left to the outside where Bruce was waiting for her. He was worried because he hadn't seen her all week; when he saw her, his mood turned from dark to light. Harleen took a deep breath and ran to him hugging him, the two love birds held each other thinking that they wouldn't see each other again.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry Bruce…" Harleen whispered
"It's okay. It's okay, you saved Barbara." Bruce comforted her
"I've missed you." Harleen whispered again
"I've missed you too Harleen." Bruce gently told her in her ear.
Bruce looked at Harleen in her beautiful eyes and she in his; the two kissed in front of the hospital and didn't care about who could see them.
Dick and Tim were sitting on the bench outside, observing the scene. Dick was wearing sunglasses and generic white t-shirt and blue jeans as he didn't want to get recognised while reading the Gotham Gazette; Tim wore a black vest with blue three-quarter shorts and eating a strawberry ice cream with sprinkles and flake.
"Looks like you were right Tim. She has changed. I guess I owe you three ice creams." Dick said looking at his foster brother.
"Four. The deal was: if they kiss you'd get me five ice creams. This is number one." Tim said carefully eating the ice cream as he didn't want to get a strawberry moustache when meeting Harleen.
"What about that one you dropped?" Dick asked smirking
"That one doesn't count; you pushed me." Tim said defending his winnings
"Okay, okay…he you've got something on your nose." Dick pointed out
"Huh, what?" Tim asked trying to get the tip of his nose with his tongue
Dick pushed Tim's face on the ice cream giving his nose a strawberry make over, Dick chuckled the received the ice cream to his face giving him a full strawberry ice cream goatee.
"Four, ice creams." Tim said triumphantly wiping his nose with the paper napkin.
Dick couldn't get mad at him not with what's happened; to be honest it's good that they've still got a sense of humour. Tim wasn't an unfair sport he gave Dick the other napkins to wipe his face.
Bruce and Harleen broke their kiss and looked at each other with a tender love.
"Move in with me." Bruce asked
"What?" Harleen asked not believing in what she heard
"I want you to live with me. Ever since you left from the party, running off to get Bat-Shard I missed you, I want to see you every day and every night." Bruce said with all honesty.
"Bruce…" Harleen gasped then kissed him "Yes!" she answered smiling.
As the two got up from the floor Harleen saw Dick and Tim walking towards them wiping the ice cream off their faces.
"What happened to you?" Bruce asked
Dick smiled "Just a little joke on our part."
"Is Harleen coming to stay?" Tim asked innocently
Harleen was a bit taken back by this but hugged Bruce's arm smiling.
Dick put his hand over his eyes in an "I admit defeat" and groaned playfully. Tim did a "Yes" movement (he threw his arms in the air then pulled them back in…does anyone know what I mean?) "That's four ice creams and a new video game!"
"Those two placed a bet on me staying with you? Did you put him up to this?" Harleen asked Bruce then Dick and Tim
"I did not encourage them." Bruce answered truthfully
"Yep. All us!" Tim said proudly
"Bruce made his mind up first. We came up with the bet while you were in the hospital." Dick answered putting his hands in his pockets.
"Well we've spent enough time here. Let's go home…all of us." Bruce spoke to his friends then to his girlfriend.
Harleen smiled and went with them to the limousine; there was Alfred, prim and proper as ever preparing the doors to open awaiting Bruce, Alfred maintained his composure and asked "Ah Miss Quinzel. Will you be riding with us back to your apartment?"
"No…I'll be riding with you to Wayne Manor." Harleen said cheerfully and saw Bruce with an equal smile.
Alfred grew a smile right there and nodded "Excellent Miss Quinzel, allow me." As Alfred opened the door for the couple.
Tim looked at Dick and he looked back he groaned "Okay, you win! I'll give you a ride on the motorbike!"
"I promise to wear the helmet." Tim said victoriously.
(Inside the Limo)
Harleen had never seen so many gadgets and gizmos in a car before…except the Joker mobile and Bat-mobile: a small TV, speakers, lights…cup holders!
"Man, this car has everything." Harleen was amazed
"It does now…" Bruce said smiling
Harleen smiled moved forward and kissed Bruce. The two spent the entire trip back to Wayne Manor in that embrace. As they approached the door of Wayne Manor, Bruce and Harleen stopped.
"Looks like we're there." Harleen said, her long black hair was now tumbled from endless stroking, as was Bruce's
"Looks like it." Bruce smiled
As the two exited the car and Harleen was amazed…this was now her home.
"Welcome to your new home Harleen." Bruce said smiling and the two entered the mansion together.
To be continued
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