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Harvey was fighting off a headache. Staying in front had been a long and hard battle lately, especially with the amount of time spent in the public eye. He was up for re-election and he needed to stay in control. Any little slip up now and Gotham would be left with a corrupt district attorney. He couldn’t have that. The people of the city were counting on him. They were counting on him to be good.
He yawned and looked around his office. On the walls were posters of him, smiling, ‘VOTE DENT’ printed across them. He wanted to take them down, but apparently they needed to stay for... some reason. He’d ask his campaign manager about it tomorrow. A box of stickers, envelopes, and smaller leaflets were sat on his desk.
Everyone else had gone home so the usual busyness of the larger office was nonexistent. Harvey didn’t mind. He liked his small little chunk of the world, right down to the slightly stale smell of the old airconditioning unit that they apparently couldn’t afford to replace. It was one of the only places where he felt completely safe. Maybe because he knew the security guard downstairs wouldn’t let his father or anyone else uninvited in.
He took a sip of his quickly-cooling coffee and jumped as the chime of the elevator rang out through the empty space. The recent threats on his life due to him pursuing the Maroni case had made him jumpy. Death threats were nothing new, in fact, he had a whole drawer full of them. From people who didn’t like his politics, to cops that hated the way he talked. But there was something about these that felt... real. Still, he wouldn’t let it stop him from finding justice.
The friendly faces of Jim Gordon and his little daughter, Barbara, eased his nerves. She waved excitedly at him as they came into his office. Apparently, having your face on posters throughout the city made you somewhat of a celebrity. That, and he was sure Jim talked her ear off about him like he was some kind of god. The papers had even called him Apollo.
He stood and came around his desk to greet them. Barbara wiggled in Jim’s arms until he put her down, but she stood by him, clinging to the fabric of the trousers he wore.
“I knew I’d find you here,” Jim said as he shook Harvey’s hand warmly.
“Am I that predictable?” he replied with a soft laugh.
He watched as Barbara got her confidence up and began to wander the office. She easily found her way up onto Harvey’s chair, a grin of delight on her face as she realised that it spun.
“Push me push me, Harvey!” she said.
He obliged, spinning her around in slow circles. She squealed in delight, giggling so hard her face scrunched up. Jim laughed with her. She definitely had his expressions, Harvey noted.
“I actually have a very special job for you, Barbie,” he said as he gathered the stickers from his desk.
Barb sat up straight, eagerly awaiting her instructions. She liked Harvey a lot. She wasn’t really sure what he did exactly, but she knew it was really important and that he helped her dad. He was nice and he snuck her those pre-sealed packets of biscuits they often had at the courthouse if she was waiting for her dad to do something there. He’d told her that it was only him and his dad growing up, too, which made her feel a type of comfort she couldn’t quite explain.
“I need you to put one of these stickers on each of the envelopes,” he said slowly, “Make sure it’s straight and in the top corner. We’ll be putting some policies and campaign stuff in them later to mail around, but we might as well make them look good, hey?”
“Okay!” Barbara seemed confident, but she chewed her lip nervously under the pressure and responsibility of her big task.
“Don’t worry,” Harvey assured her, his voice dropping to a whisper, “We can always get more. And if you make any big mistakes, we’ll give those ones to our dads.”
Barbara laughed softly. She felt a bit more relaxed now.
“Wayne is providing quite a donation to your campaign again, I see,” Jim huffed.
Harvey folded his arms. He didn’t appreciate the tone.
“What are you implying? Bruce is an honest man and his money comes from nothing but good, ethical business. He’s a friend.”
Jim put his hands in his pockets, “I’d believe you if he didn’t have about three women hanging off his arm at every party. I’m not convinced he even understands politics.”
“He does, he just...” Harvey fought off a smile, “Knows how to have a good time.”
Jim let out a sigh of defeat. He’d have to take Harvey’s word for it on this one. He wanted desperately to believe that Bruce was still the smart young boy he’d given his jacket to the night of his parents’ murders, but since his return some years ago, it seemed the parties, drugs, and alcohol had eaten away at what could have been a good man. It was a damn shame.
“Like this?” Barbara asked, pointing down to a few of the envelopes she’d already done. As hard as she’d tried, the stickers were always a little bit misaligned and she hoped Harvey wouldn’t mind.
Harvey beamed down at her, “That’s perfect!”
Barbara grinned a gapped-tooth smile and held them up for her dad to see, “Papa, look! I did ‘em!”
Jim stepped forward and kissed the top of her head, “Very good, my little pumpkin. What a shame you can’t vote.”
“You can,” she said as she peeled a sticker off and stuck it onto his suit. She giggled softly to herself.
“Harvey gets to vote, too,” Jim said.
Barbara’s eyes lit up and she peeled another sticker, hovering it threateningly in the air. Harvey bolted, a playful smile on his face.
“You have to catch me first!” he called, as he headed out of his office.
Barbara gasped and jumped from the chair, her little legs running as fast as they could carry her. Harvey held the door open for her and then quickly dodged to the side. He varied his pace so that just as she caught up to him, he sped away. It made her even more determined to catch him. Once Barbara’s little face began to flush from running, Harvey slowed down and swept her up into his arms as she came near. She squealed and smacked the sticker onto his forehead. Successfully apprehended.
Jim stepped outside so he could watch the two frolic about. He’d forgotten that Harvey was only 26 when he won his first term as D.A. He was still so young. It made the death threats to his life and to his wife, Gilda, all the more pressing.
“Harvey,” Jim said, his tone far more serious, “I’d like to set up a small team of officers to monitor your apartment. They’d stop anyone going in to the building that wasn’t supposed to be there.”
“Thank you, Jim, but honestly, I don’t trust those officers as far as I could throw them — actually, less.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Of course.”
“Then let me set up the protection.”
Harvey let it go. It might act as a deterrent, if nothing else.
Barbara yawned and reached out to her dad. She’d somehow gotten her hair all messy again. She looked almost ready for bed. Harvey successfully transferred her into Jim’s arms, where she nestled into his chest.
“Walk you to your car?” Jim offered.
“Yeah, let me lock up,” Harvey replied.
He quickly tidied his desk and tipped his coffee down the sink. The empty mug would be tomorrow-Harvey’s problem. He took the keys and the Maroni case file from his desk drawer and locked the door to his office behind him.
The elevator ride to the car park was short and Jim swayed Barbara absently. He didn’t even realise he was doing it, but Harvey noticed.
“You’re good with kids, you know?,” Jim said, “Have you and Gilda ever thought about it?”
A rush of excitement ran through Harvey’s body. He blushed slightly.
“Actually, we’re, uh, trying right now. Gilda must have bought so many of those ovulation test things.”
Jim chuckled, “Here’s hoping. Good luck.”
They reached Harvey’s car. Well, no mob assassins yet and car bombs weren’t Maroni’s style.
“Don’t look so worried, Jim,” Harvey said as he pat him on the shoulder, “We’ve got Batman on our side. He won’t let anything happen to me. How else is he going to put all of those criminals away? Get up there and prosecute them himself?”
Jim grunted in hesitant agreement, “Drive safe, Harvey.”
“Bye bye, Harv,” a tired Barbara murmured, giving him a tired wave.
“See you both soon,” he replied.