Red Hood and Harley

Family Reunion

As to be expected Harley moped around the manor for the next few days avoiding everyone including the twins, still once Jason got J and Lucy to sleep he was shocked to see Harley and her bat gone out the window.

"Son of a bitch!" He shouted as the curtains blew in the breeze.

Dick standing in the doorway snickered, "Yeah, that's who I'm guessing she's going to see." His tone taking a serious note, "look lets suite up and hang out by the Grin, you know thats where she went." Jason nodded and stormed out of the room to the Batcave with Dick in tow.

Harley shoved passed the doorman and saw Ace covering the VIP stairs, "move" she spoke warningly "Family mattahs can get ya killed" Ace nodded, "Jester said he figured you'd come sooner or later."

Harley climbed the stairs cautiously and found her eldest sitting on the snow white couch looking like the clown himself. 'Mistah J would've been proud of his prodigy' she thought bitterly. "Jester Quinn, ya need to stop this insanity right now. Ya have no idea what yer doing." Harley growled angrily, "I did what I thought was best for ya. I gave ya a home, a mom and a education. Now ya sit up here like some stupid thug. Ya ain't even a gangster like ya dad was!"

Jester had ditched the suits for a partially unbuttoned black dress shirt and black dress slacks. Gold chains around his neck and rings on every finger. Jester stood up quickly in anger and spoke harshly with the same angry Jersey accent.  Ya know Ma, I'm makin money and I'm not chasin some lunatic in a bat costume around. I think I'm doing bettah than Joker did. Yer right, ya were protecting me.... I get it. I heard the stories. I wouldn't have been da first baby he killed, tho they weren't his tho ma" he looked at Harley in disgust as she averted her eyes to the floor, "wouldn't of been da first one for you either huh ma? See pops was a monster but the way I hear it before the Waynes got they hands on my Ma she was a monster too. Tell me,did ya kill dear old dad while ya was mad so ya wouldn't go back? Or so he wouldn't tell ya new man about the things ya did he took the blame for? Does Jason know the video game bombs were you?"

Harley swallowed hard and looked at Frost speaking in a giggly voice of the Harley Quinn he used to know, the one about to murder people "Frosty my darling, clear this place out. The Grin is closing early so I can have this chat with mini me over here."

Jester looked slightly concerned as Frost nodded and followed orders without a glance at him. "Listen ma, ya don't come in bossin my men around." He tried to keep  his uncertain voice steady.

Harley looked around as people emptied out and made sure they were alone upstairs before she backhanded Jester with a wide eyed look of insanity and nostalgia, "listen ya lil twerp, if ya think I feel guilty for that shit baby boy ya didn't research hard enough about me. Ya know why that daddy ya put on a pedestal kept me around and alive?" Harley hit him again, "because I am the ONLY person who met his love for violence, murder, mayhem and chaos. I'm the only woman who could be his equal and stand next to him. Who was as strong as him. Ya know I didn't realize it until he was gone, he kept me around because I was too dangerous a fuckin enemy kiddo." Jester stood up and backed away from her 3rd blow with fear in his eyes. "See, Jesse I didn't just send ya to Hailey because of Mistah J.... I was worried ya would piss me off and I would kill ya! Ya didn't have a chance with two psycho clown parents!"

Jason and Dick watched the crowd disburse and Frost send the doorman on his way. "Uh oh, something is up." Dick stated and Jason nodded,

"Look at the smirk on Johnny's face, Harley is up to something." He pulled out a small tablet and clicked an app pulling up the CCTV in the club, "Harley used to obsessively watch the feed right after Joker died. She was convinced he somehow faked it." He replied to Dick. As he pulled it up he heard something that made his blood run cold, it was Harley giggling but it was the unhinged laughter he hadn't heard in years.

Jester spoke softly, "oh ma, I don't wanna fight with ya. Ditch the goodie two shoes family and come home. Bring J and Lu, see how free ya feel? Don't ya miss this place? Frosty, Ace and Roco?" He stood dangerously close to his mother in her psychotic episode, "come home ma!" He stared into her face seeing an internal struggle. The beauty of Joke's journals weren't just having plans or knowing his dad cared about his mother, it was also how to kick out Harleen when she would take Harley Quinn down occasionally. Although, Joker said it was usually if he let her stay in Arkham too long.... Wayne Manor was like Arkham.

Harley stared at Jester, "ya don't think I haven't thought about it? That I haven't wanted to? But I care for Jason and the twins deserve a chance to grow up without fugitive parents. Just like you did....." she frowned, "fat luck it did tho. Why do ya think I told Frost what I did? Why do ya think ya dad is on ice and stashed somewhere?" She started yelling "IF YA DAD TAUGHT ME ANYTHING ITS TO ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP PLAN!!! BUT I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD FUCKING CARE ABOUT THE BAT CLAN!! NOW I GOT BABIES TO THINK ABOUT JESTER!! THEY DESERVE A CHANCE AT NORMAL EVEN IF ITS NOT WHAT I WANT!" Harley's chest heaved with heavy breathes and tears streamed as Jester wearily stared at his mother for a moment,

"I'm sorry Ma..." he struggled for the right words, "I didn't mean to make you cry, I just lost my chance for a dad.... now I know hes a popsicle and that should make me feel better or something?"

Jason stared in silent betrayal at the screen listening to Harley's words. Dick whistled, "Holy shit, shes had an escape plan the whole time??"

Jason glared at him, "Did ya miss she said she loves us?" He growled.

Dick nodded his head, "yeah, and the part shes got the Joker stashed incase she decides she misses being a punching bag." He mumbled. Jason stormed off to his motorcycle and peeled off back to the manor, back to their children. Dick stood silently on the roof a few moments and followed, hoping Jason didn't react badly to this new information.

Harley glared at Jester as she walked over to a painting of her, Joker and the hyenas, she lifted it and flipped a switch out of a handful and than pushed a button causing the wall behind him to move. "Switch shuts off the CCTV, I know Jason will eventually wake up and look for me here. The button? Well, let's go meet your father. " she said softly.

Jester's eyes grew wide and he whispered, "hes been here the whole time!??!?"

Harley laughed, "who else would I trust to care for him besides Frosty?" She pushed past him and through the wall and down a flight of stairs. "Strange, I see you're doing as you've been paid! Great, good timing you're here. My son wants to meet his father and well, I do spoil my children!" Harley laughed as Jester finished the stairs and looked around the room.

It was sterile, with an examine table and weird science equipment he couldn't name. What caught his attention was the glass tube holding the clown himself, looking as if hes sleeping if not for the circular purplish scar right between his eyes. Harley walked over to Jester in awe,

"I'm impressed Strange, his head looks as tho it was never damaged. How about his brain? Did the stem cells work?"

The Doctor smiled and nodded, "yes, Harley. After you had the twins and brought me your cord I began immediately working on it. The success seems perfect but we won't know until you decide to dethaw him."

Harley smiled sadly at Jester before nodding to Strange, "Do it tonight...." she shivered slightly, "Before I change my mind. My son wants his father."