Everyone's Got a Brighter Side (-harley-)

[Amelia Raven Blake]

The blonde haired officer of the GCPD was in a good mood as she drove towards the station, whistling a tune to herself. It was a rather pointless tune, with no real rhythm it was just joyous and reflected her mood. Her hair was curled, she was beginning to enjoy the small ringlets swinging around her face, and draped across her shoulders in elegant curls of honeysuckle golden.

Seemed strange for Officer Amelia Raven Blake to be in such a joyous mood, considering only about two months early she'd come back from the dead. Amelia had been dead for a month and a half missing both her anniversary and her daughter's sixteenth birthday. She'd been a ghost and had tried to communicate to her family through a teen mutant named Hunter Evans, however John didn't believe in ghosts and hadn't thought anything of the meeting with the Evans boy.

But thanks to a certain goddess of death, Amelia was back and as alive as ever.

She parked her cruiser outside of the station, hopping out and locking it. She wore a simple collared white tee and long black business pants. Her shoes were simple silver and black Nike tennis shoes that supported her feet nicely. Atop her collared shirt was the signature black jacket of the GCPD, which was stated in bold white letters across her back. There was a badge inside the pocket of the black jacket and a gun in the holster at her side. And as always, Amelia's leather hilted knife was stowed up her right sleeve where she had sewn a sheath for it.

Amelia entered the station, still whistling happily to herself, absently fiddling with the tarnished chain around her neck which housed her dead parents' wedding rings. Her sapphire blue eyes scanned the station, looking for anything out of the ordinary. She smirked as she heard her fellow officer, Conner Hadley call to her, "I'm still convinced I can beat you. Tomorrow night in the sparring room, I'll take you down.

"

"Naughty, naughty boy, Conner!" Her eyes rolled as he fell into step beside her. "I'm married, Officer Hadley, hands off, you know what John would do if he had heard you." She gave his arm a friendly shove, "Anyways, you know I could beat your ass." He smirked then, reluctantly admitting to her words. She smirked and as he strolled away she held up his badge. "You'll be needing this, Officer," she chuckled softly tossing it to him, catching his mutter off, "You little thief!" causing her to giggle softy.

She turned, spotting Harley Quinn, who'd been working there for about a week now. The blonde officer flashing a smile and made her way over to the desk. She crossed her arms and leaned them against it. "Good morning, Harleen!" Amelia smiled once more, her voice friendly. [/blockquote][/color]

[Harleen Quinzel]

It had been a week, one long, huge never ending week ago that she started working at the department. She didn’t think it was going to be easy, in fact she suspected it was going to be the hardest thing of her life. All the constant pat downs, if she went to the bathroom everyone looked at her as if she was going to pull a gun. Though this week had started better, not as many strange looks. Though the woman couldn’t blame them, she had tried to kill most of them at one point in her career with Mr. J. though that wasn’t the point.

She had been typing up the schedule for next week for Jim when she heard people talking in the distance, again, nothing new. The ex clown had been there though thick and thin watching people she knew get dragged into the police house. Some called her name, some accused her of doing things, others just lashed out at her for ‘getting better’. Again, she blamed none of them. She was who she was before now, and this person they see today, well it was hard to except that she was different. It was hard for herself to know it.

She wanted nothing else than to be the woman she use to be. However, even in this station where she knew she would see some Joker things, she never thought there would be so much. The files, the talks. It was so hard for her to forget who she was, even for a moment. Perhaps this was a bad idea, but she knew being looked at by so many people, she was less likely to do something wrong. Why? Because of fear, fear they might lock her up again, fear that she might lose everything over one miss step. So she had three rules, and since the second day, she posted them on the front of her desk.

1. Don’t ask me about the Joker. I have no information.
2. Don’t give me information on the Joker, I don’t need it.
3. Only three full body searches a day, please.

It was a strange list, but it seemed to stop some of the officers from harassing her for different things. Then again, perhaps they were just getting use to her being there. Today, Harley wore her standard uniform, nothing varying, she wore it just the way she was suppose to. Her hair was in a high pony tail, nothing fancy, and nothing even close to pig tails.

When an officer approached her she tried her best not to tense as the woman, but it was engrained. “Hello M’am..” Habit, “Officer Blake… How are you this morning?” She tired her best to be cheerful, but it was hard. As she typed in the last line to the schedule she printed a copy and offered it to her. “I am going to put one on everyone’s desk, then post it if you would like yours now. I did get you the days off you asked for a few months from now. Commissioner Gordon sometimes forgets, so he had me look it over really quick..” She was rambling on again, something else that happened when she became nervous.

[Amelia Raven Blake]

Amelia smiled brightly at the woman, several times she had heard the other officers muttering about her and shooting her dirty looks - Amelia had never done any of that, in fact she had stopped some of the muttering. Her words at been something along the lines of, "What would you say if I told you I was once a murderer? You'd say I was crazy, right? You're wrong. You don't know who you're talking to. People change, it's natural. Everyone deserves a second chance because everyone's got a brighter side."

Everyone made sure to stay quiet when Officer Blake was around.

The blonde scrunched up her nose at the formality. "Please, Amelia is fine." She smiled briefly and took the schedule looking it over. She smirked. "Looks like Thursday the day to tease John, I can sleep in late while he comes in."

She grinned at Harleen, trying to make her less nervous. "Thank you!" Her French accent stuck out in her words as she pocketed the paper and asked, "Can I do anything to help?" Her blue eyes landed on the stack of schedules, "I can pass those out if you'd like me too."

Amelia was never own to judge others, no matter how villainous they'd once been considering she herself could have once been considered a villain. Everything she'd been through had changed Amelia in all the ways possible - emotionally, physically, and mentally - it had made her stronger in all the earlier ways and she was grateful for it. It had made her who she was today and she certainty believed Harleen could change.

"How's life at the station treating you?" Amelia asked, absently fiddling with the necklace again, it was something she did often even when she was engage in a conversation.

[Harleen Quinzel]

Amelia, Amelia, she would have to remember that she didn’t want to upset the officers anymore than she had to just by existing. Not that she thought, hadn’t she just gone though this train of thought? The young woman looked down at her papers then back up at Amelia and smiles softly. “He is working the morning shift lately, I’m not sure why Commissioner knows he doesn’t like it, but then again I think there is a good deal of… Sorry…” She stopped talking and smiled at the officer before she asked her if she needed help. Was Harley allowed to ask for help? Was she suppose to or was this something that she was having to do alone, she had to ponder that for a split second.

“Do you think it would make the others nervous if I was around their desks? Because I was afraid of that, I really don’t want to upset them..” She allowed that to linger for a moment and she looked down at her hands. She didn’t want to cause trouble, and she was starting to realize that she hadn’t felt worry like this since she was trying to please Joker all the time. She wanted nothing more than to make him happy, but he was easier to please. Steal gas when they needed it, buy it if they had the money. Matches, lighters, gun powder, bullets, they were all cheap and things he enjoyed. She could remember the first guns he ever bought him. It was still in evidence. Perhaps if she saw him again she should try and sneak it out. No, no she was never seeing that clown again. Focus Harley.

“The station is good. I think they are getting use to me. I only get patted down twice a day now… I stopped getting plastic clowns on my desk too. But they brought Dr. Crane though not that long ago. I talked to him for a little bit. He seems to be doing better. Though he said the mixture on his drug wasn’t enough to fun his research when he was selling it on the…” She stopped again, she didn’t need to hear about Crane. Her hands went though her hair as she let out a long sign.

She looked up at him. “Do you enjoy working here? I am enjoying it, there is just a lot of people that I know here. You know?” She shrugged again, but it was common for her to know those people. She had spent a long time in the hospital with them, talking to them though their cages.

[Amelia Raven Blake]

Amelia smiled softly at her. "Oh, Jimmy knows that Johnny Boy hates it, believe me, everyone does. I'm sure he just does it to tease him. He's a good man, Jim." She said the last part suddenly, her thoughts wondering. She was feeling a bit scatter brained. She was thinking about the heart attack he'd had only a week or so earlier. She was still worried about him.

Blake shook her head hurriedly, "No! No, not at all and if they were," the blonde officer shrugged, "Doesn't matter, not like they're gonna die if you touch their desks." She smiled, "Just I'm not doing anything at the moment and wondered if you wanted any help with anything."

She seemed to sense the other woman's unease because she said, her voice kind, "You're fine, you're doing great here." Amelia winked, "You never know, some day maybe Jimmy'll promote you to Officer or something like that. I can't imagine sitting at the desk all day. Personally I think I'd end up doodling on all the important papers or just falling asleep," Amelia flashed a quick smile.

Amelia listened quietly. She nodded faintly, "If anyone ever gives you any trouble feel free to talk to me, I'll put 'em in their places." She gave the other woman another smile, she meant each and every word. Amelia nodded once more when Harleen spoke again, "Yeah I love it, I can keep an eye on Jim and on John, both the people that mean the most to me...." Her eyes shifted worriedly over in the direction of Jim's office, worry flashing through their blue orbs.

[Harleen Quinzel]

Harley nodded a little, she still worried about somehow upsetting everyone in the squad, why? Because simply it could happen. They could become upset with her and then she would lose her job and be on the streets again. However, what if Mr. J came back, then, well, then what? Would she keep working? Would she leave? Would he want her to keep working because of the resources that she could bring. Though she didn’t know for sure “I would like that, but do you mind if we walk around together, some of the homicide guys make me really nervous. Last time one of them had my file out and they were looking at some of the…” She had to think of the proper word, “Victims that Mr. J and I…” She couldn’t finish the sentence, she killed them she was a part of that, but it visibly bothered her.

“I like it behind the desk actually,” She grinned a little in return, the kind of smile that normally made people nervous. “It’s safe, I don’t have to worry about running into Mr. J. He would never walk in here to look for me. So, it’s the safest place for me to be, that and the apartment, it’s only a few miles from Jim’s house, but I don’t think that’s the point I just feel better knowing that Joker wouldn’t really… I don’t think he’s looking for me anymore, but I like knowing that there are people near by…” She said with her head down again,. She wanted to think he was looking for her, she loved him so much.

“I have a lot of problems, but that’s because of who I was and I expect them. At least they are listening to the sign, but I think Jim had to put his food down about it. Then again I think a couple of them just liked patting me down, which was kind of awkward you know?” She raised her brow a little and went back to focusing on what was before her, stacking the schedule and getting everything ready. However, her eyes looked up just as Amelia looked towards Jim. “He’s doing ok. I have been reminding him about his medicine, even calling him at night to make sure he took them. He’s eating healthier here… I promise, I would never let anything happen to Jim, he saved my life.” She looked towards the elderly man and meant every word, he saved her life. He saved her from herself and gave her this chance, and a net work of support, it was exactly what she needed to get over the Joker. If there was such a thing.

[Amelia Raven Blake]

( Notes - so sorry this took so long, school is being stupid. xD and i'm feeling mean so I'm adding a little action and Jim/Amelia interaction! )

Amelia knew that Harleen was probably a bit nervous. Officer Blake knew the feeling, it was normal for a former murderer. Amelia lowered her voice and said, "Hey, I know what it feels like to be looked at like you're ready to pull a gun out and open fire," her eyes fell to the ground, clouding over with grief. "I was a killer once, Harleen..." her eyes rose, glinting in the poor lighting of the station, meeting Harley's and glittering almost dangerously, but that was just the light hitting the tears beginning to well in her sapphire eyes.

She quickly dried her eyes, taking a deep breath and composing herself. She nodded. "Yeah, we can do that. I'm sure no one will bother you when I'm around. I made sure of that a long time ago," she offered a faint smile. She gently put her hand on Harley's shoulder, "Yeah...I know what it's like...."

Amelia nodded. "I see what you mean. You do have a point." She continued messing with the necklace, the rings tinging as they hit against each other. Her eyes glazed over as a far away look fell over her eyes. She sighed and shook her head, clearing her thoughts, frowning. She bit her lip and shoved a smile onto her face. This just kept bringing the screams of the children as they watched their parents murdered back to her. The part about the Joker not looking for Harley made her think of Sully. She sighed, she wanted to comfort Harley, but she didn't know what to say.

"We've all got our problems, it sets apart from everyone else." said Amelia coming back and shooting Harley a smile. She nodded, she remembered having to be patted down all the time. "It's awkward alright," she smirked, "think they actually liked doing it...they had wives too." She rolled her eyes.

Amelia smiled broadly when Harley spoke of Jim. "Thanks, you don't know how much better that makes me feel." Her eyes were glowing, thanking Harley for what she was doing.

Then, suddenly, there was a loud noise, the doors were flying open and Amelia's gun was pointed towards the doors of the station as a stranger opened fire, the bullets close to the floor, it wasn't high enough to hit anything life threatening, but a bullet buried itself in Amelia's shin and she barely managed to keep her face straight, her gun pointed at the drunken stranger. "Sir! Sir! Listen to me, put the gun down and we can talk about this in a civilized manor!"

His wide eyes came to meet hers, his AK-15 shooting rifle trained on her. "That's right, point it at me, no one needs to get hurt he-" her words were suddenly cut off by a bang, the man's hand wavered and the bullet slammed deep into the base of her stomach right above her hip bone. Her mask wavered and shattered, the gun falling from her hands and crashing to the floor as she stumbled, collapsing towards the floor before she felt strong arms around her, pulling her into a lap, a hand, covered with a towel, pressing to her wound.

Another officer Tazed the armed man and rushed to cuff him as Amelia winced in pain, looking up at Jim. "Hey..." she said shakily as Jim shouted for someone to call an ambulance before turning back to her, moving to curl his fingers around her hand. "Just don't close your eyes, okay, Blake? You know John'll kill me if you don't come home. Alyss too.

"

"I'm not going anywhere," wheezed Amelia, giving a brief smile before pain contorted her face and she groaned.
[/blockquote][/color]

[Harleen Quinzel]

Someone broke into her new home. Her safety net, her, wait, what? Harley stood up while others hit the deck. She knew him, she knew that man, didn’t she? His stance seemed so familiar, almost like she had met him before almost like… No, there was no way one of her old goonies would break into the office and shoot up the place. Did he want to die? Did he want to get hurt? What was the point? Harleen didn’t hear the words being said, though she did feel the brush of her friend as she fell to the ground.

Almost like getting snapped out of a daze Harley dropped to her knees and put her hands gently on Amelia face. She had seen many people die in this manner. She had held their hands, or been stabbing them, or in some cases pulling the bullet out to play doctor. However, for right now she was still in a bit of shock. How could she get hurt? Her eyes looked up at the other officers pulling the goon up and dragging him away. They had a look in their eyes. They were thinking of the same thing, there would be revenge, of the highest sort.

When Jim appeared Harley looked at him with tears in her eyes. “I should have done something.” However, the ex clown wasn’t trained for that kind of thing. She did however put her hands over the wound to add pressure, to hopefully stop the bleeding. “You’ll be ok… I’ll make sure…” She tried her best to smile even though she was worried. Harley didn’t move until the paramedics arrived, and even then she was going to go with the young cop, expect that she was prevented. Only one person could go with her, she vowed to visit later. However, first, she had some business to handle.

Her mind in a flurry, she twitched and left the station. She went into one of Mr. J’s favorite stores and grabbed several acids. She walked to the cashier, blood still on her hands, the elderly man just nodded to her, “Don’t worry Harley, I’ll put it on his tab.” No one believed that she was separated from the Joker, how could they, then again she didn’t care either. Harley slipped the bottles into her pockets and walked back to the police station.

Everything was still in a buzz, the guards were beating up on the man that shot their friend, and honestly, no one even questioned Harley. She was no longer a concern. They had a true evil, and this gave her a chance. Taking a bottle of water, she filled it with some acid, letting it mix together, a soft smile crossed her lips. He would die alright, she’d make sure.

It was a few hours before he was placed broken and beaten in his cell. Harley walked in and held his head, letting him drinks sips of the ‘water’ while other officers made comments about her helping the cop shooter. They didn’t understand, at least not until a half hour later when he was puking up blood. He died shortly after. Harley was still in his cell her head cocked to the right, when her eyes met one of the other officers, he just smiled and told her to head home. They’d clean up.

Ahh yes, corruption, it was a beautiful thing, incident reports were filed, and it had appeared that the prisoner killed himself with some acids he had on his person. Harley on the other hand appeared at the hospital to visit the one cop, up until now, that had been on her side. Harley slowly sat down and took her hand. “Hey…”

[Amelia Raven Blake]

Amelia's eyes grew heavy and she was having a hard time focusing on the faces above her, Jim and Harleen. She knew who they were, she could tell by their voices, but her vision was blurring. She couldn't place the words Harley said at first but when her sluggish thinking finally caught up she shook her head and tried to say something, opened her mouth to say that there wasn't a thing Harley could have done, but only a choked gurgle came up and she coughed. Anyhow, Jim had beat her to it, his words soft and slightly strangled as though he was on the verge of tears, "No, Harleen...it happened too fast, there wouldn't have been anything you could have done..." His hold on Amelia's hand tightened.

"You'll be okay," was the last words spoken from Jim's voice that Amelia heard before darkness over took her and she fell into the world of the shadows, hoping to block out all the agony and pain that was boiling through her body and making her heart flutter.

Her eyes flickered open, blinding white light above her and the audible beep of machines all around her. She took a deep breath, wincing in pain. At her side was Jim Gordon, his head balancing against his knuckles. His face was streaked, he'd been crying. Amelia sighed softly, gently moving her hand to touch his arm in attempt to comfort him.

At her touch, he looked up and their eyes met. She gave a shaky smile and looked over as Harley entered and she gave the other woman a faint smile and it shook on her lips as pain jolted through her and she squeezed her eyes shut until it passed. She reopened her eyes, focusing her sapphire blue eyes on Harleen Quinzel. "Hey," she replied, forcing the smile to stay on her face.

"You okay?" Amelia asked Harleen, concerned since she'd been the only other person in the main room of the station when the man opened fire. She gently curled her fingers around Harley's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm fine, okay? There's nothing you could have done to change what happened," Officer Blake said, her sapphire eyes never leaving Harley's eyes, giving her another smile as the other one had wavered as the pain coursed through her.

[Harleen Quinzel]

Harley walked over to Jim and put her hand on his shoulder gently before looking down at her friend. Yes, this woman was her friend. Harleen had decided that so Harley went along with it. The blonde smiled softly and sat down in the other chair. She scooted slower and rested her head on the woman’s hip and just looked up at her. A lost vacant expression in her eyes for the longest moment. Almost as though she were clinging in a fashion to the police officer. Her very core, perhaps shaken but not yet broken.

“I’m ok, he didn’t get a second shot off. One of the officers hit him with a zapper.” Yes, she meant taser or stun gun but well, she always called them zappers and got a kick out of watching them twitch and wiggle on the ground. Sounded silly, but it was what it was. Her hand held on her friends, she never moved her head. She couldn’t bring herself to pull away. No, no, she decided she was staying. Never leaving.

“The shooter sadly died. Killed himself in his cell.” At least that’s what the paper work would say when Jim read it. He must have had that acid with him and drank it down when he failed at doing whatever his mission was. Honestly, she didn’t know the details, she just knew that they told her they’d take care of it, and she had gotten a bunch of pats on her back for being the brave one. So, yes, perfect. Being her old self, for just that one moment was the right thing to do. Bad guy never hurting someone again. Wait.

For all the trouble she caused, and Joker, why had Batman left them alive to kill more innocent people. They didn’t make sense, she would have to ask Jim later on. “Should I get the nurse? Do you need anything?” Pictures of the corpse? A gun? A goon to shoot at perhaps? She didn’t say those options out loud, but you know, they were there in spirit.

(sorry this one is short )

[Amelia Raven Blake]

Amelia gave Harley a forced smile. She moved so she was sitting up, the movement causing a soft cry of pain to exit her mouth. She sucked in a breath, as Jim's hand tightened around hers. She looked over at him and smiled faintly. She took a deep breath and let it out shakily. She nodded. "I'm okay, I'm okay," she said, but she didn't know who she was reassuring more, herself or them.

She looked at Harley and nodded. "I'm glad to hear that you're okay." She gave a soft smile, it was also first and for a moment it tremored on her lips before dropping. She wouldn't accept pain pills, it just wasn't in Amelia's nature to take pain pills, she was going to just deal with the pain.

"Killed himself?" Jim's words echoed the thought Amelia had been thinking. "How?" Amelia finished the commissioner's thought, her head cocking slightly in question. She didn't understand. He had only had the gun on his person, right? How had he killed himself?

Amelia shook her head. "No, thank you, I'm okay." Jim gave her a look, "..Amelia..." he started but Amelia shook her head, "Jim, I'm fine. I promise." She squeezed his hand gently.

(Notes - Naw, it's fine! )

[Harleen Quinzel]

Of course they would ask how. Well, she might as well tell them what would be on the report. “He drank some acid. We aren’t sure where he got it, but some of the guys admitted they didn’t check his pockets all that well.” Acid was something that Harley would have used to kill him, granted, well, a given, she had killed him and some of the cops were willing to cover for her. The question was would the two she cared about, would they care about what she had done?

Her hands played with Amelia’s fingers gently, she stroked them softly, ran her fingers over each one as she did with Joker when hew as injured or sick. Her head was still on the woman’s lap as Harley was basically clinging to the woman in her own way. “Do you want me to get you anything? I can get you anything you need. Or keep people away, anything you need.” She said it softly. At times like this it was so easy for her to fall out of being Harleen, and she had. She was back to just being Harley. She had just replaced her affection for Joker with the two people in the room. Together, they filled the void in her heart that kept her awake at night.

“But yes, acid, he drank acid and the chemicals seemed to eat away at his insides enough to cause internal bleeding that resulted in his death.” Almost word for word what was on the report. She knew what that mixture would have done to him on the inside, and she gave it to him anyway, she deserved death. She was perhaps proud she had been the one to kill him.

[Amelia Raven Blake]

Amelia looked at Jim as he sighed. "Was his motive ever found?" he asked, and Amelia shook her head, "I'd say he just wanted to die. I mean it's a death sentence to start shooting in the middle of a police station." Jim shrugged, a silent response of 'perhaps', but both Jim and Amelia had once been detectives and her mind - as she was sure Jim's was - was already working over everything to see if she could come to a conclusion as to the reason the man barged into the station and opened fire.

Amelia shook her head. "Naw, I'm okay. I can deal with the pain, I'm used to it. Thank you though," Officer Blake told Harleen with a small smile. She thought about John and Alyss, hoping they were okay and that no one had told them what had happened to her. She hoped that she would just be able to go home and return to the arms of her lover.

She winced. Sully had killed a man like that once. She sighed, frowning. "Even for a crook that's a horrible way to die," She could almost feel the pain as though she was experiencing and swallowed painfully.

(sorry for the meh of this post)