Chapter Text
An airplane flight and several more hours of driving, and the Quinzel family had finally made it to their destination. A result of the father’s- Nick’s- new job was that they had had to move all the way out to some semi-rural town, a hundred or so kilometres outside Gotham’s border. There had been a few arguments about the development- verbal and otherwise- but in the end, Nick had gotten his job.
So there the family was, pulling into their new house’s driveway. When the car came to a stop, Nick stepped out first, his wife Sharon not far behind. They shared a few words, looking at the house, before turning around and marching back to the car.
“C’mon. Outta there”, Nick demanded, thumping on the backseat’s window. There was a beat as he moved away, and then the Quinzel children came out of the car. First came Barry, the oldest kid at fifteen, who was quickly followed by Frankie and Ezzie. Last off came little Harleen, the youngest Quinzel at eight years old.
She hopped out of the car, then made her way over to the boot. She leaned up on her toes, looking in. “What do you want me to grab, dad?”
Nick just huffed, easing her away. “Nothin’, Harley. Me ‘n’ your brothers got the bags. Go... do something else.”
Harley frowned. “But--”
“But nothin’’, he cut in, grabbing a suitcase for a hand each then moving for the house. “Just get outta my hair.” Nick moved off, Harley looking to the floor, frowning. It was only when she felt one of her brothers lightly move her out of the way did she look up again, hearing her father’s yell. “Hurry up boys!”
They did just that, quickly rushing up the driveway. Harleen sighed, looking over to see her dad yelling orders around. Knowing that -as usual- no one would care what she was up to, she decided to move off, going to look around their new town.
Harleen walked down the road, only looking back as she reached a turn at the end of it. As predicted, no one had noticed or acknowledged her disappearance, so she kept on going. She reached an intersection a few more minutes down, deciding to go left. She grinned to herself, twirling around as she continued walking. It was nice and quiet; nothing like Boston or Metropolis.
As the time ticked on, Harleen was skipping along, having reached the town’s centre. She peaked around, grinning to herself as she looked through the windows. One of them seemed to be a clothes shop, another a restaurant, and even a bookstore by the looks of it. Hearing a familiar DONG! of a clock, the girl looked up. Five o’clock.
She only needed to think about it for a beat before deciding to continue on for a little longer. Harley guessed six- maybe seven if she wanted to push it- was a good time to head home. So she took a spin on the spot, deciding to go down the long and windy road at the edge of her eyeline. It seemed to become a bit barren before becoming overgrown at the furthest end she could see.
“Interesting”, Harleen murmured, wandering over to the path. Despite her previous estimate, the path was definitely much longer than she thought, and a lot more uncomfortable to walk on. Very hard and rocky. Harley groaned, kicking at the floor a little as she continued her trek. “Stupid, dumb, rocky floor!”
No matter the protests, Harley persevered, finally reaching the seeming end of the road. She hummed inquisitively as she observed the new scenery. Long, spindly crops lined the perimeter and columned inwards for a metre or two, and a broken tractor was dropped on a side track fifty or so metres from the main track. There was even a small house and a barn too, the latter looking to have an odd amount of security to Harley’s young eyes.
“Cool”, she admired, walking in some more. When she reached around the halfway point from the house, Harleen turned to her left and saw a creepy scarecrow hanging in between the crops. She shrunk slightly underneath its macabre gaze, taking a few side steps away. “Not cool.”
Suddenly, there were a few rapid crunches, and then a cough behind Harleen. She gasped, quickly whipping around. For a moment she was worried it would be an angry adult, but upon opening her eyes, took a small, relieved sigh at the actual figure. It was a boy, around her age, maybe a tiny bit older with a big, scruffy dog at his side. The boy was tall and skinny, with a pair of cracked glasses on his face.
“Who’re you”, he asked, a very clear Southern accent lining his voice. Harleen wasn’t sure if it was common in the area or not. Either way, the boy stepped closer, peering at her. “You’re new, aren’t you? I-I don’t think you should be here.”
Harleen felt nerves creeping in. She picked at the bottom of her shirt as she spoke. “I... I’m Harley- um, Harleen I mean. Harleen Quinzel.”
“Okay”, the boy simply commented. “You sound weird.”
“You too”, Harleen shot, putting her hands on her hips. The boy sagged, but shrugged it away.
“Okay”, he said again. For a moment they just stood there, before the boy seemed to realise something. “Oh! Mah name’s Jonathan Crane-- Jon for short. Me ‘n’ my dad live ‘ere.”
Harley smiled at Jon. “Hello Jon; nice to meet ya.”
He smiled back, but his expression soon regained the worries from earlier. “Speaking of my dad... you gotta go now, Harleen. He-he doesn’t really like people on th’ farm.” He started pushing her back towards the path again, his dog running around them. Harley was glad it wasn’t barking at least. “Alright, just go home, Harleen. Maybe I’ll see you ‘round town. G’bye.”
“Wai--”, Harley tried to say, but couldn’t get her piece in, already at the end of the road again. She sighed, giving a sad look to Jon. “Well, bye then.”
“See ya”, Jon muttered, letting her go. He watched as she walked down the road, feeling a little bad about making her seem so sad. But he knew it was a priority his father didn’t know, so he’d deal with it at a later time. If there was a next time, at least. When the girl was out of sight, Jonathan gave a sigh of his own, squatting down next to his dog, patting it’s head. “What d’ya think, Ichabod? Ah liked her.”
The dog gave a happy bark. Jonathan laughed, rubbing it’s neck. Not long after though, he heard the barn door swing open, then a scratchy and booming voice. “Oi! Git in ‘ere, boy! It’s time.”
Jonathan hugged his dog, shaking a little. When Ichabod whined, the boy let go, giving a concerned look. “It’s okay, boy. Ah’ll be alright. Look out for the farm, okay?” Ichabod positively barked again, getting another smile. “Good boy, buddy. I’ll- ah hope to see you soon.”
Two weeks later...
Harleen excitedly walked through the town, basically making her brothers run to make sure she didn’t get off track. She had basically been vibrating the whole morning in anticipation, excited for her new start at the town’s school. It had taken a few days, but eventually her mom and dad had been able to get all the paperwork done, and now all the Quinzel children were off to school. It’s lucky, Harley half-realised, that the one school was both a primary and high school, otherwise she might have had to get on a bus to go to a school.
As they continued on, she kept dragging Barry along, Frankie and Ezzie close behind, although the third brother was still a few steps behind. “Calm down, Harleen”, Barry griped, keeping his grip on his little sister’s hand tight. “Just a few more minutes and we’ll be there, alright? No need to rush.”
“I’m just excited”, Harleen whined, keeping up her fast pace. “I’ve barely met any of the other kids here yet, and I just wanna get to know them.” In actuality, the girl was only curious to see if Jonathan was in attendance too, but she wasn’t one to turn down any other opportunities that came along.
Barry seemed to think over her reasoning, ending on a shrug. “Okay, Harleen. Let’s get there then.” Harleen just caught the smile on her oldest brother’s face before she was hoisted into the air, then onto his shoulders. He exaggerated a wheeze, getting a steady stream of giggles from the girl. “Woah! When’d you become so big?! This might be your last ride on the Harley Express!”
Harleen’s eyes widened. “What?! No! I’m not that big, Barry.” She looked down, her grin matching his as he tried to look up at her. He faked some swayed steps before righting himself. “Don’t do that”, his sister exclaimed, lightly whapping his forehead.
“Oh alright, you big baby”, he replied, faking a pout. He kept up a steady pace for the rest of the way, only stopping when they reached the school. He reached up, carefully removing Harleen and dropping her on the ground. “Here’s we are”, Barry announced. He looked at his brothers before looking over to his sister, giving her another smile. “Y’all know what to do?”
“Sure do”, Frankie quipped, while Ezzie gave a thumbs up. Harley excitedly nodded. Barry replied to them all with a nod of his own.
“Awesome. Just remember guys: even if it isn’t a big space, just be responsible, and meet back here once the day ends, okay?” Barry told them. He got more affirmatives. “Awesome. See you this afternoon then.”
With that, the oldest child of the Quinzel family moved off to get to where he needed, his brothers not far behind. Harleen though, found herself distracted. She could hear a commotion not far from here, turning to its direction and following the sounds. It wasn’t a far walk, and upon reaching the event, the girl found herself angrily frowning.
As it was, a group of around eight other kids had formed in a circle, gathered around something. Harleen got onto the tip of her feet- curse her shortness- and tried getting a good look, eyes widened when she saw properly what was happening.
In the circle was Jonathan, getting pushed around by two older boys. Jon fell to the floor, groaning a little as they laughed at him. “What’s wrong with the hick”, one sneered, pushing him down when he got up again. The other bully laughed too, kicking Jon in the stomach. “The farmboy’s just a little wimp”, the second one insulted, stepping on the boy’s glasses after the fell off.
Jonathan whined feebly, holding his stomach. “Why”, he quietly asked, looking at his wrecked glasses. He’d have hell to pay with his dad for that in the afternoon. “Please. Just stop guys.”
They didn’t take his words in consideration, continuing with their antagonising. Harleen growled quietly, shoving forward into the circle, fed up with this. “Hey”, she yelled, stepping between the bullies and Jonathan. “Stop right now, you- you-- asses!”
The gathered onlookers gasped at the curse, only ever hearing words like that from adults. They quickly moved to the side, leaving only Harleen, Jonathan and the bullies left. One of them stepped forward, pointing at the girl. “Why should we? What are YOU gonna do?”
Harleen narrowed her eyes, bunching her fists. “If you don’t leave Jonathan alone, I’ll punch ya!”
The bullies shared an unbelieving look, before bursting into laughter. “Ha ha, really?! As if this little kid could do any-- ow! Wha--?”
There was a moment of pause, as the girl lived up to her threat, punching one of the two kids. They looked at her in surprise before she stepped forward again, punching the other in the nose. He stumbled back, whining in a high pitch. “Ha! Not so tough now, huh?” Harleen laughed, faking a move towards them again. They flinched, before hastily backing off.
With that done, everyone’s attention seemed to leave the scene, as they started walking off. Opposed to that motion, the girl went over to Jonathan, sitting down next to him. He slowly pulled himself up, sighing sadly as he put his glasses back on. They were badly crackled, and he knew some improvisation would be needed to keep them together for any decent period of time.
“Hey, are you okay?” Harleen asked, tilting her head. Jonathan looked at her for a few moments before nodding.
“Thanks”, he said. “Those two were really somethin’.”
Harleen giggled at the words, standing up when Jon did. As he brushed himself off, she looked at him curiously. “Hey Jon, do you wanna be friends?”
Jonathan looked at her in surprise, a smile trying to get onto his face. “R-really? You mean it?” Harley excitedly nodded, humming a positive. “Well. Yeah, sure, I’d like to be friends, Harleen. But-- I haven’t really had many before.”
“That’s okay”, Harley reassured Jon. “I’ve had lots of friends before. Maybe I can help you get some more?”
The boy thought about that option, but was more excited at the prospect of being friends with the girl next to him. “Uh, maybe another time. Could we just be friends for now?”
“Of course!” Harley exclaimed, an everlasting excitement still present in her tone. The next moment she grabbed Jonathan’s hand, skipping for the school. “Come on! You can show me around or something.”
They went to do just that, but before the two could make any real progress, a loud voice called out behind them. “Hey! You two! Come here right now.” Jonathan and Harleen stopped in their tracks, turning around to the voice. While the girl wasn’t quite sure who the big man was, Jonathan paled, knowing it was the principal. They were in for it.
“You two are in trouble”, the principal continued. “Attacking students. You’re both coming to my office. Now!”
The two youngsters turned to each other, cringing. This definitely wouldn’t go well.
Five years later...
“Harleen, I’m not sure about this.”
The girl looked down, seeing the nervous look on Jon’s face. On one hand, she knew that what they were doing would have consequences, but on the other, Harley knew these boys deserved it. “It’ll be fine, Jonny”, she decided to reply with.
He ‘hmmphed’, shifting slightly to get a better balance. If it wasn’t for Harleen’s petite build, Jonathan knew he wouldn’t be able to support her weight on his shoulders. Once he was sure they were both supported again, he looked up to his friend again. “Okay, I’ll believe you, Harleen. Let’s do this.”
“Yes”, she exclaimed, pumping her fist. “Alright Jon, pass me the ‘crackers.” Jon nodded to himself, handing them up. Harley put them in one hand before speaking again. “Now the lighter.”
“From one sweaty grasp to another”, Jon joked, opening his hand for the girl to grab it from. She did, then smiled to herself.
“Okey dokie. Here comes the lighshow”, Harleen sang, quietly sliding the window open. When there was enough space, she lit up the lighter, edging the flame to the firecracker. “I’m so excited. These f***ers better learn a lesson here!”
With the little firecracker in hand, she pushed it through the window. There were only a few, miniscule seconds of silence until a BANG! rang out, a few screams just after. Harley laughed excitedly, Jon grinning below in amusement. They could still hear a shocked commotion in the room, so Harleen scrambled down her friends shoulders.
“Let’s get outta here”, she blurted through the laughter. As she went to move, Jonathan grabbed her wrist.
“Wait, Harley-- Harleen”, he quickly spoke. “Give me one o’ the ‘crackers”. She did, along with the lighter too. A dark expression crossed his face as he lit it, then after seeming to aim, threw it through the window above. There was a terrified shriek a moment after, causing Jon to chuckle. “You get what you f***in’ deserve, ya bullies!”
The two started running off after, Harleen looking at her friend in astonishment most of the way. Since the beginning of their friendship, Jon had always been the more quiet and reserved one, with her being the loud and feral one. But every so often he’d seem to change, and do something like he’d just done. It made the girl feel funny in the chest.
Eventually they came to a stop about two blocks away, running into a side street. The two friends doubled over in laughter, feeling the rush of their latest scheme. When she’d caught her breath, Harley looked over to Jonathan. “Holy crap, dude! That was awesome! How’d you know where Billy slept in there?”
“Just a guess”, Jon shrugged, before a more demented grin crossed his face. “But I did use his previous scream as an estimation.”
Harley raised her eyebrows. “Impressive. That’ll teach him to f*** with you at school.”
“Hopefully”, Jonathan replied. “But don’t forget we got Sam and Wilson in there too. Good thing they like to boast about their ‘sleepovers’, huh?”
“Dude”, his friend exclaimed, laughing. “I heard the double there. Why don’t you ever say shit to their faces?”
With their laughter dying off and most of their adrenaline rush gone, Jonathan returned to his normal posture. Even with his nervous hunch, the boy still towered over Harleen. It always made her jealous how much height he- and mostly everyone else- had over her. She was just a shortie.
Anyways, with his usual posture restored, Jon pushed his glasses up a little, shrugging again. “Ah dunno? I just-- it’s easier to vent I guess. Plus if I feel like snapping, you’re always there to help me piss someone off.”
“You need your head checked”, Harley joked. “You know bottling emotions ain’t good right, Jon?”
He nodded. “I do, ‘Doc Quinzel’, but- ugh. I dunno. ‘S not like mah dad listens. He just... yeah.”
As they started walking along, Harleen took Jonathan’s hand. “He’s still... doing that to you?”
Jonathan nodded. “It’s only gotten worse since ma passed. He’s always-- it’s like he’s someone else now. Always calculating. Always... creating fear.”
Harleen took a shaky breath, sticking close to her friend. “It’s not cool what ya dad does. You’re not a-a f***in’ guinea pig, Jon!”
“What should ah do, Harls?” Jon snapped, frowning. “Run away? Nowhere I could go. Call the cops? They don’t care. I’ve just gotta put up with ‘is stuff. Ah think he’s gettin’ close, too. His rambling makes it seem that way at least.”
Finally reaching a stop, Harley sat down on a bench. Jon set next to her close. They basically shifted closer to each other the moment they sat. It had become a habit for the duo; sticking close and up for each other. “Still don’t like it”, Harleen ended, irritatingly muttering. “We’re not even fifteen and dealing with Law & Order stuff.”
“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t compare my situation to a TV show, Harleen”, Jon snarked, looking at her. “And I reckon mine’s better than yours.”
“I can deal with an occasionally violent and drunk father”, Harleen retorted. “I’m not the one who’s getting jabbed with experimental serums every second day.”
Jonathan sighed. “Point taken.”
After that, they sat in silence for a long while. No matter how much they vented, the two knew things wouldn’t change for a long while. They’d decided long ago once they finish school, they’ll leave this town together and never look back. Not that there’d be anything to look back to for either of them. A few minutes later, Harley knocked her knee against Jon’s.
“Hey, I’ve got an idea”, she stated. When he looked at her she continued. “From now on, I’m only callin’ you Jonathan. And you’ll call me Harleen. Gotta keep each other grounded, y’know?”
The boy let the words go around in his head, eventually giving his friend a smile. “Sounds like a plan... Harleen. It’s a nice thought. I-I actually really like that idea. I’m huggin’ ya now.”
“Awesome”, Harleen laughed, leaning over into her friends hug. She smiled warmly, basking in the moment. If Jon wasn’t in her life, she felt like she might have lost her mind a long time ago...
Three years later...
Jonathan was done. He was over... everything. There was no point anymore.
He looked down at himself. His soaked clothes, scarred hands, and the needle marks just peeking out above his wrists. Thanks dad. He then looked up again, his unfocused gaze on the crowd laughing at him. He should’ve known the night would turn out like for him- hurt and broken.
He blinked hard, trying to distinguish the faces in front of him. “F***in’ hick”, someone spat. “Prolly retarded”, someone else said. There was lots of laughter as well, even some cheers. Jon didn’t understand why everyone took so much pleasure in torturing him anymore, but he couldn’t find a reason to care anymore. He just let out a long, tired exhale. What was the point? The next moment he saw something moving, people being pushed to the side, then a person next to him.
Harleen.
“What the F***!!!” Harley shrieked at the other kids, helping Jon out of the ditch. “Seriously?! What the f*** is wrong with you all?!” The laughter started to die off, eventually replaced by a tense silence. The teen just glared at the others, causing some to shift. “Fuc-- well?”
One of the boys stepped forward. “Come on, Harley. It was funny. Don’t get why you even bother with the hick.”
For a moment she stood there, then marched over. She slammed her fist into the boy’s face, causing him to fall back. “Don’t call Jonathan a f***ing hick, Wilson!” Harleen exhaled roughly before turning to everyone else. “It was one night. ONE NIGHT you could’ve been decent”, she started. “This is- well, this was supposed to be a shitty school dance thing, but you all use it as your gross kink ground!”
“What the fu--”, one of the girls started, only for Harleen to cut in again.
“What else do I call your demented ‘jokes’ on Jonathan then”, Harleen shot, glaring furiously at the girl. She shrunk back under the look. Harley groaned, clenching and unclenching her hands. “No. I don’t care anymore. Y’all better figure your shit out. Me ‘n’ Jonathan are-- Jonathan?”
Harleen wildly looked around the area, but couldn’t see him anywhere. A worried expression crossed her face before she left the yard. Running out into the streets, she took a rocky breath. Dresses definitely weren’t made for Winter. Either way, the teen continued on until she found her friend, seeing Jon absentmindedly swaying left and right down the path to his home.
“Jonathan”, she called out. “Jonathan! Where are ya goin’?” He didn’t look back, just kept walking. Harleen frowned, quickly rushing over to him. It was moments like these she was glad she always wore sneakers. “C’mon Jonathan, you’re freakin’ me out.”
Finally, he slowly turned to her. “What d’ya want?”
Harleen regained her worried face; she’d never heard him sound so over it before. “I wanted to be with you. It’s-it’s... everyone’s just a piece of crap compared to you honestly. ‘Rather hang out with you than them.”
Jon scoffed, looking down at the road. “No, you don’t.”
“Excuse me?” Harley asked, completely blindsided by the accusation. The boy just scoffed again, looking his friend straight in the eye.
“I said you don’t. If anything, you probably only stick ‘round me because you feel sorry! Sorry for the weirdo, hick farmboy.” Jon’s hands clenched at his sides as he narrowed his eyes, looking at Harleen with an emotion she’d never seen before. “And you know what, Harley? F*** you! I don’t need you! I don’t- I don’t need some fake-smilin’ douche tryin’ to make me feel something. All I need is me!”
Harleen tried to take in Jon’s explosion, but only found herself shaking, tears starting to fall. “Jonathan... what- what-- don’t say that. You know it isn’t true. You’re just- just angry and upset an’--”
“No”, Jon snapped. “No. I do mean it; I was just too stupid to see each it earlier. Goodbye, Harleen. Maybe I’ll see you again.”
And then he left, not looking back. Harleen watched him go, dumbstruck, and tears streaming down her face. There was no way-- how could Jon believe that? No matter what it was- as much as Harley didn’t want to- she knew she needed to leave him alone for now. Hopefully he didn’t do anything rash in that time.
...
Two hours later, Jonathan sat in his room, his dog quietly whining at the door. The teen sighed, beckoning him over. The dog staggered over, hobbling on its aged, three legs. It dropped down at the bottom of the bed, its loud breaths filling the room.
Jon weakly smiled as he slumped down onto the floor, petting the dog. “At least you’re here for me, Ichabod”, he whispered. “Unlike dad, or Harleen or anyone! Jus’ you ‘n’ me, old pal.”
The dog gave some happy sounding pants, getting a smile from his owner. They just sat there on the floor for a long while; content. But of course it wouldn’t last, as the front door slamming open was extremely audible, even from the back of the top floor.
“Jonny!” Jonathan’s father yelled. “Git down ‘ere, boy! I’ve done it ah tell ya. I’ve found the way to neutralisin’ fear!”
Jonathan groaned, exhaling long and slow. Something snapped. He stood up, smiling widely. “Alright. I’ll be down in a second, dad!”
“Good”, his father said, slamming the door closed. Jon walked down the stairs then out the front door. His smile never left as he walked down the path to the barn, deviating at the last moment. He stood in front of a figure, looking up at it.
When he noticed the dog at his leg, he shooed him away. “C’mon, Ichabod, git! You can’t be here now. Go boy, go!” The dog whined, but followed the teen’s instruction. He looked up at the figure again. “It’s time to end it all.”
As the time went on, Jon’s father, Gerald drew impatient. “Where the hell’s that boy”, he muttered. “Jon, hurry up!” Suddenly, the back of the barn opened, causing Gerald to frown at the person. “What the hell? Boy, take that shi--”
He didn’t get to finish his command, as a shovel was slammed into his face. Gerald roared, moving to stand up before having the shovel slammed over his head again. The man groaned, shakily holding the ground beneath him. The shovel came down again. As his blood pooled around him, large gashes oozing from his head, along with blurry, spotty vision, he was just able to look up at the raggedy, sack head above him.
“Jonathan Crane isn’t here anymore”, the horror said, grabbing his father’s latest serum test. He jabbed it into the man’s neck, the effects almost instantaneous. Gerald blinked and looked on in disbelief. He screamed, staring into the now-demonic face staring at him. “There is only the Scarecrow!”
...
It was two in the next morning when the sirens screamed through the air. It became increasingly clear it was more than normal-- even more than the town’s number of police sirens. Everyone’s attentions were quickly taken, woken from sleep. Everyone rushed out, seeing the spectacle. Among these people were the Quinzel family, who had a close view of the scene.
In the middle of the street where all the police rushed, someone covered in the rags of a scarecrow roamed, a sickle and a head in their hands. Squinting, the family heard a gasp, and then suddenly Harleen was running out.
“Harley!” Barry cried, reaching out. He grabbed his sister, but she just shoved him off. She turned to him with wide eyes.
“That’s-- it’s Jonathan! What did he do?!” No one answered, frozen still as the teen ran towards the figure.
Harleen ran, reaching the scene just as one of the police tackled Jonathan to the ground. The girl cried out, the head he had been holding rolling over to the end of her feet. She gagged, backing away quickly. Harley knew it was Jon’s father.
“Kid, get the hell outta here”, one of the police shouted. “This sick f***’s dangerous!”
“No he’s not”, Harleen sobbed, barging forward and over to her friend. She grabbed Jonathan by the arms, looking at him pleadingly. “Jonathan, wh-what’s goin’ on? Why did you do this?”
He looked at her through the mask, lightly shuddering and chuckling. “What d’ya mean, Harleen? I’m free now, don’t you see? I’m free- and liberated! I’m a new man now.”
Harleen looked at her friend, completely lost. “You killed your dad, Jonathan! How are you free?! How are you new?”
Jonathan just chuckled again. “Eh, you... you wouldn’t get it. Goodbye Harleen.”
The girl was pushed away after those words were said, and all she could do was helplessly watch as Jonathan was dragged away and into the back of a police car. They ripped the mask off his face, unveiling the killer. Harleen looked on heartbroken. His expression truly was happy, filled with relief. There were even happy tears at the edges of his eyes.
Harley found herself walking forward again, holding her hands up to the car’s window. For a moment the two friends looked at each other in silence, but then Jon raised his hands, putting it against the glass where Harleen’s was.
“Bye, Jonathan”, she said shakily, tears- but not happy ones- in her eyes now. She stepped back as the car drove off, and watched as it left, until it was gone from her eyeline. Harleen took one last breath before squaring her shoulders and rubbing her eyes clean. “I’ll see you again. No matter what it takes...”