A Year With You

Chapter 1: January -- New Year's

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"Happy New Years!" The cry went out through Gotham as it switched from December to January. Heroes, civilians, and Rogues were all celebrating in their own ways.

And some of them were even celebrating together.

"Happy New Year's, Kooky!" Harleen 'Harley Quinn' Quinzel grinned, throwing confetti everywhere.

Simon shouted in surprise, quickly covering his mouth. He looked around at all the guests at the annual Wayne New Years party; luckily, no one had noticed. He grabbed her and pulled her behind a decorative pillar.

"What are you doing here?" He whispered. "How did you even get in here?"

"Ya really should've learned not ta question me by now." Harley shrugged. She was barely recognizable, wearing a pretty but 'normal' blue dress. "I came here ta see ya! It is a major holiday, afta all."

"Wh- listen, I appreciate that, it's always great to see you." Simon sighed. "But why aren't you with Jok- J?"

"He's in Ark- indisposed, at tha current time." Harley answered, shrugging in false nonchalance.

"What about Pam? Or Jon and Ed?" It felt really weird to just call the villains by their names, but he couldn't exactly be overheard talking about Riddler and Poison Ivy, now could he?

"Same." Harley shrugged again, giving a small frown. "Nearly everyone's indisposed, or undergr- unavailable. Or homeless."

"Where are you living?" Simon asked.

"Around." Harley waved it off. She grinned and pulled him back into the main party. "Now come on. I wanna dance!"

"We're talking about this later, HQ." Simon groaned, allowing himself to be led out onto the dance floor.

"Puhleeze; for tonight, I'm Maven Rickwell." Harley winked, leading them in a dance.

"Okay, Maverick." Simon smirked, twirling her around. She giggled, and he found himself laughing along with her.

He always did.

"Come on, Si!" Alvin waved him over to a table he and Theodore were at. "We've barely seen you all night. Who's thi- Harley?!"

"Maven Rickwell." Harley held out her hand, grinning. "Nice to meet ya, Mistah..?"

Alvin smirked, catching on to the game. "You can call me Vince Stone, my dear."

"Oh, oh!" Theo clapped his hands. "Can I be Travis Eclipse?"

"Why- you know what, nevermind." Simon shook his head. "You do you, bro."

"Waiter!" Alvin waved a server over, whispering an order to him. The man nodded and hurried off. "So, what about you, Simon?"

"What about me what?" Simon asked, pulling out Harley's chair for her before sitting down.

"What's your name, silly." Theo laughed.

"I... Ojos Cuatro El Genio." Simon answered, taking a second to think. Harley barked out a laugh, caught the confused look on his brothers' faces, then laughed more.

"Your food, Sirs and Miss." A server walked up carrying two large platters with-

"Burgers and fries?!" Simon blinked, at a loss for further words.

"Thank you!" Theodore smoked at the waiter, helping him unload the food.

"Yeah, thanks a whole bunch!" Harley waved goodbye, then looked at the food. "Look, there's even smoothies."

"The caterers will make anything you want, if you know how to ask for it." Alvin grinned. "Of course, a true magician never reveals his tricks, so don't-"

"I have an interest in cooking, so we help out in the kitchens once a week." Theo smiled softly. "They kinda like us, I guess."

"How could they not? Ya guys are awesome!" Harley grinned. "Speaking of food, you'll never guess what Uncle Jervis drank in front of Auntie Ivy..."

"Bruce?" Bruce felt a hand pulling on his suit. He excused himself from his frankly-boring conversation with some socialite or other (they were all the same anyways), and turned to find Simon. "Can I talk to you? Privately?"

Bruce nodded, leading him out of the main room and down a corridor to his office. Alfred was there, avoiding the party cleaning.

"Sirs? Is everything alright?" Alfred asked, looking at Bruce's worried brow and how Simon was wringing his hands.

"It's fine, Alfred." Bruce answered. "Simon just wants to talk to me about something."

"Actually..." Simon paused, speaking slowly. "I think Alfred should be here as well?"

"Certainly, Sir." Alfred nodded, leading Simon to the chair in front of the desk as Bruce sat behind it. "What do you wish to say?"

"I think Harley might be homeless." Simon had decided that direct was the best approach.

"Harley? As in Harley Quinn?" Bruce asked, waiting for his nod. "I thought she was The Joker's ward?"

"She is, but he's in Arkham." Simon explained. "As is almost everyone else that could watch her, if they aren't homeless themselves or in hiding."

"Certainly she must have someone watching her." Alfred shook his head. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you get such information?"

"She sorta broke into the party?" Simon shrugged apologetically. His weird friendship with the master thief often led to such things. "She's being really dodgy about where she's staying."

Bruce tapped at his computer, checking some records. "He's right, almost everyone is in the Asylum or missing."

"That poor girl..." Alfred was fond of children, Rogues or no.

"I was wondering... Can she stay here?" Simon asked, quickly adding "Just until Joker or someone else is out. Please? I don't like the idea of her by herself, but I'm pretty sure she'd rather lose a limb than go back in tbe system."

"Not to mention she'd most likely run away from anyone else." Bruce sighed, looking thoughtful.

"I shall prepare a guestroom." Alfred said decisively, giving Bruce a small glare when he opened his mouth to protest against just letting a thief live with them. He moved towards the door. "Please inform Ms. Quinzel that breakfast will be late tomorrow, considering the long night."

"Alfred?" Simon called, stopping the butler in the doorway. "Happy New Year."

"And you, Sir Simon." Alfred nodded, smiling. "Sir Bruce." And he left.

"She can really stay?" Simon quietly asked Bruce.

Bruce smiled. "Yes. We can't turn a child out on the street, after all. But she better behave herself."

"I..." Simon was about to say that of course she would, but he'd hate to lie to Bruce. "I will try my best to make sure nothing goes missing?"

"I'm gonna regret this, aren't I?" Bruce shook his head, chuckling.

"Most probably." Simon agreed, adding a chuckle of his own.