|
|
Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Nov 29, 2010 21:57:02 GMT
Late the evening of the takeover, Harvey made his way to the office that had once been Olivia's. While the other inmates celebrated he had murmured a quiet goodbye to Joker and then slipped away unseen.
He ran his fingers lightly over the headrest of her chair, smiling to himself. He looked at the post-it notes which still stuck to the computer monitor, her neat, curling handwriting achingly familiar from the letters she had written him since his incarceration.
Harvey sat down in the office chair and reached out to the phone, dialing Olivia's number from memory.
|
|
|
|
Post by Olivia Hale on Nov 29, 2010 22:03:57 GMT
Olivia had fallen asleep on the couch when the phone rang. She scrambled up in alarm, knocking several books off of the coffee table before she reached the phone. She had finally upgraded to a phone with caller ID and blinked as her old phone number from Arkham came up.
"Um, hi?" She answered, blinking the sleep from her eyes.
|
|
|
|
Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Nov 29, 2010 22:08:24 GMT
Harvey smiled at the sleepiness in Olivia's voice, and leaned back in the chair.
"Hello, sweetheart. It's me."
|
|
|
|
Post by Olivia Hale on Nov 29, 2010 22:13:00 GMT
"Harvey!" Olivia exclaimed, jumping to her feet. She glanced at the clock and frowned. "You're in my office at Late O'Clock, did you sneak out? Are you in trouble? Is everything okay?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Nov 29, 2010 22:16:13 GMT
Harvey smiled again. "Everything's fine, sweetheart. And no, I didn't sneak out. In fact I don't think I'll be sneaking anywhere for a while - I won't have to."
His fingers lightly traced the shapeless lines of a doodle on the pad next to the telephone. "It's hard to explain on the phone... can you come out here? I can meet you at the gates."
Harvey's voice was soft and reasuring. "Please don't worry. There's nothing wrong. In fact everything's very right."
|
|
|
|
Post by Olivia Hale on Nov 29, 2010 22:26:10 GMT
Olivia frowned but began gathering up her things. "I'll be there soon. I'm...glad everything's okay? I expect a full explanation! Love you." She hung up and then called a cab.
She flitted around the small apartment, changing out of her sweatpants and oversized t-shirt into scuffed boots, some old wool pants and a light blue sweater. She grabbed her purse and coat before jogging down the stairs to get in the cab.
She knew something was different as soon as they reached the asylum. The front gates were shut and there was a group of men dressed in black at the front. The cabbie kicked her out and drove off as quickly as possible. Olivia stared after him, feeling a bit betrayed.
One of the men approached her with a piece of paper in his left hand. "Your name?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"What's your name?" He repeated tersely. "Nobody gets in that boss doesn't have on the list."
"Boss?" She asked, thoroughly confused.
"The Joker."
"Oh, OH!" Olivia rubbed her head. "That explains a lot. Olivia Hale."
The man glanced down at the paper. "No Olivia Hale on the list. You'll have to leave." The other guards had started to move toward them, weapons raising.
"Wait! Check..." She sighed heavily. "Check for Tartlette."
The man looked at her oddly before looking back at the paper. "Ah, there you are. Go on in, ma'am."
Olivia clutched her purse tightly to her as she edged through the guards and onto the grounds. She spotted Harvey and rushed to him, practically tackling him in a hug. "Harv! What's going on?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Nov 29, 2010 22:42:05 GMT
Harvey wrapped his scarf more tightly around his throat and buried his hands in his coat pocket as he walked down the winding drive that led from the mansion to the front gates. He was wearing the suit and long dark coat that he'd worn to his father's funeral - the only non-uniform clothes of his that were in the basement store room.
"It's not a nightclub, guys," he said as he heard the Blackgate escapee checking the list.
Harvey opened his arms as Olivia sped towards him and caught her up in a tight embrace. "Ollie. Darling." He kissed her lips and cheeks, holding her close to him.
"Let me look at you..." Harvey held her at arms length for a moment, eyes pasing caressingly over her wide eyes and her cheeks reddened by the cold. "Beautiful," he said softly. "I always forget how beautiful you are."
He slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, let's walk. It'll warm you up." He turned to the Blackgate guards as he led Olivia towards the mansion. "Thanks, boys. Keep up the good work."
|
|
|
|
Post by Olivia Hale on Nov 29, 2010 22:55:18 GMT
Olivia melted against him. She always forgot just how much she loved being with him.
She wrapped an arm around his waist and pressed herself against him as they walked. She was freezing in her rather threadbare coat and worn slacks but wouldn't complain. Instead she moved her hand to rest under his coat and against his warm skin to get some feeling back into it.
"Harvey, I really need you to explain to me what's going on. Who were those men? Did Joker do something?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Nov 29, 2010 23:18:53 GMT
Harvey drrew Olivia close to him as they walked. "You're freezing, Ollie," he said, then turned to kiss her again. "It's so good to see you, darling."
He smiled to himself at Ollie's curioity. "He did indeed. You might have heard on the news lately about a breakout from Blackgate Prison. Gotham's Most Wanted. They're now on guard duty, replacing the orderlies we used to have. And they're actually doing a better job of it."
He stopped and turned to face her. "There's been a change in management here, Ollie. This isn't just a riot - Joker's staged a takeover. I knew it was coming, but he didn't tell me all the details. I know you're safe here, though. If you're under my protection, nobody touches you."
|
|
|
|
Post by Olivia Hale on Nov 29, 2010 23:40:56 GMT
Olivia was silent for a moment as she stared across the snowy grounds. "I...I'm not sure how I feel about this. I guess it's sort of good in a way? As long as nobody gets hurt."
She turned to face him, placing her small hands on his broad chest. "Nobody was hurt, right?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Nov 29, 2010 23:47:45 GMT
Harvey gently took her hands, pressing them against his heart. "Nobody you know was hurt," he said softly, "But I'm not going to lie to you. There were a few casualties, yes. Mostly guards, although Joker killed a Blackgate prisoner who had something of a smart mouth. Mainly as a warning to the others, I think."
|
|
|
|
Post by Olivia Hale on Nov 30, 2010 3:12:49 GMT
Olivia searched his face, frowning. "Harvey this...This is all rather overwhelming. I'm not sure..."
She blinked and then pulled away suddenly, eyes darting anxiously across the grounds. "Oh my god! If Joker's taken over then the cops will be all over this place! What if they arrest you and lock you up forever? Hell, what if they lock me up forever."
She ran shaky hands through her hair. "This is just nuts. Way too crazy."
|
|
|
|
Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Nov 30, 2010 9:15:41 GMT
Harvey touched her shoulders reasuringly. "It's ok. I've thought of that, and there's not a single shred of evidence to say I was involved in the planning or execution. I haven't fired a single shot or landed a single punch. It was all Joker. Even he'll tell you that. In fact he kept me in the dark exactly for that reason - although I think it was as much that he wanted the credit for the whole affair as to prevent my being locked up forever."
He smiled briefly "Besides, I've been a model prisoner all this time. Two-Face hasn't, but I've been behaving myself."
He cupped her face briefly in his hands. "There's nothing to worry about, Ollie. You're perfectly safe. Do you think I'd let anything happen to you? Besides, I think Joker's growing quite fond of you. As long as he has Two-Face, he's not really concerned with my lovelife any more."
|
|
|
|
Post by Olivia Hale on Nov 30, 2010 20:26:09 GMT
Olivia lightly grasped the fabric of Harvey's coat. "Well I'm glad that he wants to keep all of the credit for himself. I'd be most displeased with you if you got stuck here forever."
She wrinkled her nose. "I'm not sure how I feel about having Joker fond of me. I guess its better than him wanting to rip my head off, though. That was never particularly fun..."
Her head jerked up at the sound of sirens rapidly moving towards Arkham. She glanced nervously up at Harvey. "Maybe we should go inside."
|
|
|
|
Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Nov 30, 2010 20:39:35 GMT
Harvey looked up sharply at the wail of sirens.
"Yes, good idea. Follow me." He veered left across the cold grass of the the Arkham lawn, heading for a side entrance that led to the disused wine cellar. "We'll go in this way. It's quieter and I don't want to get waylaid by the partygoers. Things were getting a little wild when I left. They're probably dancing on the tables by now."
Harvey took Olivia's hand and led her down a flight of stone steps and through a door into the vaulted cellars of the mansion. Inside, the room was lit by warm candlelight ehich flickered of fthe lofy stonework. Incongruous in the dusty gloom stood a small table laid for two with mismatched china and cutlery. A bottle of red wine and two tumblers stood in the middle of the white tablecloth.
Harvey moved behind Olivia to lock the door behind them and kissed the top of her head. "I'd have preferred fine crystal and Irish linen for you, but this was the best I could do at short notice." He walked to the table and pulled out a chair for her.
"Please have a seat, Ms Hale."
|
|
