Checking In [Harry/Dinah phone call]
Harry had given it three days before he called. He wanted to know how things were going with Dinah and Jake. The boy had been a mess when he'd left the asylum with her, but then again, they all had. If not for that Jesse guy, Harry thought his ears would still be burning. Acid was a bit of a bitch. He hadn't wanted to crowd Dinah, but he cared. A lot. He wasn't sure how to help, and didn't feel particularly welcome to stay. His last encounter with the boy hadn't gone well, and if he would be seen as an enemy, he didn't want it to affect Jake's rehabilitation.
Three days. He hadn't exactly expected a call from her, but he'd hoped for one. So, after grabbing a beer from the fridge, Harry leaned against his kitchen counter and dialed the number for Dinah's cell phone.
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Dinah hadn't called anyone in the last three days. She'd been too busy looking after Jake and trying to process everything that he'd been through. She'd picked up the phone a few times and gotten halfway through dialing Harry's number before she remembered that it probably wasn't a good idea. She didn't want to force the weight of all this on him, and she didn't want to think about the fact that they'd merely pushed the pause button on a pretty nasty fight.
All the same, she was glad to see his number on caller ID. She missed him, and she missed talking to him. But she also did her best to get her emotions in check before answering. She'd already had to do that enough around Jake-trying not to add to his pain, so it was starting to become easier.
"Hey Harry," she answered the phone.
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Harry let out a breath of relief when she answered the phone. "Hey, beautiful," he said, tension draining out of him. "Wanted to give you some room, but how are things going?" He meant Jake, of course, but he also meant her. It was surprising how much he missed her.
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Now there was a loaded question. Dinah closed her eyes, trying to think of the best way to answer.
"Things are... they're going as well as can be expected," she finally settled for. "How are you? And how's Murphy?" She frowned in concern. She hadn't exactly had much time to check up on everyone. And, while they'd all been healed physically, she knew that going into the Asylum had most likely inflicted plenty of psychological wounds.
----
Harry winced at the careful wording. The change in topic made him frown. "I'm fine. Glad we had Jesse-Whatshisname there at the end. It usually takes me a bit longer to bounce back, but... well, I'm not bouncing, since I've got that surly wizard image to keep and all, but you know what I mean. Murph seems fine." He let out a breath. "Truth is, I haven't seen much of her. " Murphy had also been keeping her distance, and Harry wasn't going to start asking why. He already had enough to settle with Dinah, once they were ready.
"D, I know things are probably still shaky, but do you... I mean, is there anything I can do? Anything at all? I'd rather not come by if I can help it, not until Jake's willing to let other people nearby, but... I'd like to help, if I can."
The little things she'd done, even coming by to bring over food, had been a huge help for him. He wasn't sure if she knew that. The visits had been as much for her own peace of mind, but he knew she had been exhausted by her efforts. Probably still was, if she was now diverting that same energy into caring for her son.
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Dinah's first instinct was to just reassure him that she was fine, and that she had it under control, but the truth was, she didn't. She hadn't wanted to leave the house. Not yet, at least. But she did want to check on what Jake had told her about Roland. If only so she could help him to sort out reality, when the time came.
She didn't miss the comment about him not seeing much of Murphy, but she let it go without remark. She wasn't ready to open that particular Pandora's box just yet.
“There is something, if it wouldn't be too much trouble,” she said. “Jake had a sort of adoptive father back home-a man named Roland Deschain or Roland of Gilead. He said something about him dying, but I can't tell if that's just a lie that Joker told him or if it actually happened. Do you think you could look into him? I'm not even sure if he was ever in the City at all.”
She frowned. Not exactly an easy request, but she had no doubt that Harry would be able to find out anything there was to know about Roland, assuming there was any record of him being in the City.
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A bolt of relief shot through Harry, and he nearly shouted back at her in joy. This was something he could do! This was investigative work! Research! Harry pushed back the shout of triumph that wanted to be let out, and allowed himself a smile. "I can do that," he said, grabbing a pencil and a piece of paper to write down the name. "Shouldn't be much trouble. If there's anything at all on the guy in the City, I'll find it for you."
He gripped the phone again, setting the pencil down. "What about you, D? I know Jake's the main concern, but you need to take care of yourself, too. Can I send some take-out to you or something?" Wayne Manor probably had an army of cooks and servants, but Harry didn't care about any of that. He wanted to make the offer, to send her something from him.
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Dinah smiled in relief. It felt good to have help. She'd been feeling so isolated lately. Wayne Manor was practically cavernous with just the three of them occupying it. Knowing that Harry was on the outside, working to find out information that Jake would need eventually was reassuring.
“Oh, don't worry about it. Alfred's making sure I'm staying well-fed. If anything, I think he might be trying to fatten me up for something,” she said with a small strained laugh.
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Ah, right. Alfred. Where there was Batman, there was Alfred. Harry couldn't keep the smile out of his voice. "I'm sure you haven't been wearing yourself out for weeks now, looking tired and too thin for his sensibilities," he said, glad that someone was taking proper care of them. "I don't know what might have given him that idea." His voice softened, from gently mocking to simple care. "I'm glad I can help. And really, if you need anything else, anything at all, just give me a call." He wasn't quite ready to tell her about the pixies watching over the mansion. If there was any trouble, they would be letting him know about it, but in Harry's (albeit limited) experience, strong women didn't like to feel coddled. The Fair Folk had been more than willing to stay and protect the woman and the boy, even without him asking. Winkin and Blinkin must have spread news of the raid on Arkham, and if there was anything the pixies loved almost as much as pizza, it was gossip.
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“You know, generally, women don't like to hear that they look tired,” Dinah said with the slightest hint of teasing in her voice.
She nodded in response to the offer for help and then realized that he couldn't exactly hear the nod.
“Thank you. I'm just... there's a lot to work through. It's just going to take some time.”
She hoped time was all it would take anyway. But if the City threw one more curveball her way...
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"Which is why I'm glad Alfred didn't mention it and just decided he ought to take care of you," Harry teased right back. "Sensibility, that man."
Another light smile touched his lips. "I know. But don't forget that I'm here. And if I can help Jake in any way, all you have to do is ask."
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“Yes, well, at least someone has sense when it comes to women who could break his arm,” Dinah said with a smile-quite possibly the first since she'd brought Jake out of that hellhole.
“The information about Roland would help the most right now. He's not ready yet, but eventually I'm going to need to help Jake sort out reality from Joker's tricks.” She didn't say that she wasn't looking forward to that, that it was going to be painful when Jake was finally forced to face what he'd done.
She left a lot of things unsaid, when it came down to it.
“Harry, you've already gone above and beyond for Jake. Going into that Asylum...” she sighed, not quite ready to relive those memories herself. “Thank you really doesn't cover it,” she finished.
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Harry shook his head. "You don't have to thank me for that," he said. "He had to get out of there. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I hadn't done something to help. You don't ever have to thank me for that." He didn't want to think too hard about it himself, but seeing the boy clinging to Dinah after it all... It had been worth it. Knowing that Jake was free from that place, that he would be cared for by a woman who loved him, made it worth it.
"He deserves whatever help we can offer. Him, and his mother." His smile had faded, but his pride in her, his love for her, hadn't diminished at all.
"I'll give you a call once I have the information. It might take a day or two, depending on if the guy was ever here or not. But I'll find something."
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“You walked into hell and faced everything that psychotic bastard had to offer for Jake. For me,” she added. “For that matter, you're the reason we found him at all. Of course I want to thank you. I owe you his life.”
“It's okay if it takes awhile. He's not... not ready yet. But if Roland's ever been in the City, I trust you'll find out what might have happened to him.” She smiled then, confident in Harry's ability to dig up just about anything, and glad for his help. “Thank you again.”
She hated this. This leaving things unsorted out. Hated the not knowing, but at the same time she wasn't sure she was ready to deal with the potential break-up that could result from pushing the issue in regards to his living situation with Murphy on top of everything else. She also just hated not seeing him, but there wasn't much way around that until either Jake was ready for visitors or she was ready to leave the mansion.
“We'll talk soon,” she promised. She couldn't avoid things forever-it wasn't fair to him, and it certainly wasn't her style.
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"And I would do it again in a heartbeat. But, you're welcome. Knowing he's back with you... that's enough for me." He heard the promise, and he missed her... but that would be sorted out when she was ready. He wasn't going to push. Her son came first.
"Alright. I love you, Dinah."
----
Dinah closed her eyes and just enjoyed the sound of the words, finding comfort in them. It was good to hear, given that it had been awhile since she'd heard it. For that matter, it had been awhile since they'd talked, not counting the fight and his convincing her not to give up on Jake.
She didn't open her eyes, but nodded again, despite the futility of the action.