Shine a Light on Me

She walked out of Arkham in the clothes she had come in just a year earlier; Alfred smiled as he watched Jackie leave the building and cheerfully coming down the stairs to meet with him.
“Hey,” Jackie said softly, smiling at Alfred as she hugged him.
“Hello, Love,” Alfred responded back, emotional now that Jackie was back in his and Bruce’s lives officially.
Jackie looked at Alfred and smiled. “How’s Bruce?” she asked.
Alfred nodded and opened the passenger door to the car. “He’s anxious to see you again!” he remarked.
Jackie smiled as she got in the car, letting Alfred close the door behind him before walking to the driver’s side.
It was quite for a moment before Jackie softly turned to Alfred. “…have you seen Jon lately?” she asked softly.
Alfred nodded. “Yes, he stops by twice a week…” he said, turning to Jackie to smile.
“…and--”
“He’s fine too…nothing’s changed since the last time you saw him,” Alfred assured her. Jackie put herself at ease as she looked out the window.
Jackie sighed as she continued to look out the window. “I’m sorry for all the inconvenience this brought you and Bruce,” she said, turning back to Alfred.
Alfred shook his head “No…not at all. Oddly enough, Master Wayne has been having the time of his life—and he’s helped Bruce become quite a ‘chick magnet’ lately.” He said, chuckling to himself.
“Did you just say ‘chick magnet’?” Jackie asked.
Alfred smiled as he nodded, continuing to chuckle. “Yes, I did.”

Jackie stared up at Wayne Manor, it was just how she left it.
Alfred cleared his throat as he waited for Jackie to snap back into reality, ready to walk her into Wayne Manor to greet Bruce Wayne for the first time in awhile.
“It’s all frightening, Alfred,” She said, walking up the stairs with Alfred who was elegant in every step he took.
“Well, it can be when you’ve been taken out of it against your will…” Alfred said, reaching the front door.
Alfred looked at Jackie. “…will you be staying here, or will you be pursuing other living arrangements?” he asked softly.
“Here, for now. Doubt I’ll be out of your hair too quickly,” Jackie said, smiling to Alfred.
Alfred sighed with relief. “Master Wayne will be glad to hear that,” h said, opening the front door.
Jackie walked in, yes; everything was exactly how she left it. There was a bright smile on her face as she looked around the mansion and admired its familiar ways while Alfred closed the door behind him.
“Master Wayne?” Alfred called loudly while he waited with Jackie by the front door.
“He’s very glad you’re hom,.” Alfred assured her, hugging her closely.
Bruce was oblivious as he walked out of the kitchen, brushing off a creamy texture from his black shirt. “Alfred, where did you put the Club Soda?” he asked, finally looking up.
Jackie smiled brightly at him as Bruce forgot about the stain on his shirt and looked at her in awe.
“Come here,” Bruce said, reaching out to hug her, he didn’t let go for a long time; but neither did Jackie as she embraced him back.
Jackie finally let go of Bruce and looked at him. “It’s good to see you again,” Jackie said brightly.
Bruce stroked her hair. “Yeah, it’s good to see you again too.”
Alfred smiled from the cheesy moment. “I’ll go get the Club Soda, Master Wayne,” he said, walking into the kitchen.
It was silent for a moment before Jackie cleared her throat. “So, how is he?” she asked.
“Oh, I just put him down for his nap,” Bruce said, pointing to the stairs right next to them.
Jackie nodded. “Good, where exactly did you put his nursery?” she asked.
Bruce smiled. “We redecorated your room for his arrival,” he said, laughing to himself.
Jackie rolled her eyes playfully as she patted Bruce’s shoulder. “Well, I’m gonna go see him.”
Bruce nodded. “Yeah, you haven’t held him since…”
“—since I gave birth to all eight pounds of him three months ago,” Jackie remarked, climbing up the stairs gracefully. “It’s gonna be really nice not having to have to get my breast milk delivered,” she said again, reaching the second floor.
Bruce nodded. “Yes, now that you’re home, things will be less awkward—you are staying home…aren’t you?” he asked curiously.
Jackie nodded. “Yep. But things might change in the next few months…” she said.
Bruce nodded to himself. “How did you I know you were going to say that?” he asked.

Jackie looked down in the crib and was almost in tears. This was a first time in a long time that she had been able to see him face to face rather than behind a glass wall. “Oh…he’s…” Jackie couldn’t finish her sentence as she felt tears welling up.
Bruce rubbed her shoulder. “It’s okay…it’s alright…he’s perfect!” Bruce assured her, smiling to himself.
Jackie nodded. “He is…he really is,” she said, reaching out to stroke the sleeping newborns hair.
“It’s alright to hold him, right?” she asked, looking at Bruce.
Bruce nodded. “Yeah, sometimes I’ll just let him sleep on my shoulder for hours at a time…so does Alfred, when he’s wearing a rag,” he said.
Jackie turned to Bruce, who smile. “He tends to get air bubbles when he eats…and likes to throw lunch up a lot,” he said, chuckling silently.
“Oh…well, at least he’s eating,” Jackie said quietly before reaching for her newborn son and carefully beginning to hold him.
Jackie smiled as she rocked her son for a moment, she turned around to see a rocking chair next to her bed.
She sat with Bruce for awhile. Bruce looked at his watch. “…I have to get ready for my night shift,” he said, getting up from the bed.
Jackie looked up and smiled, Bruce smiled back. “Sometimes when he wakes up he gets cranky…just sing a lullaby and rock him for a bit—he’ll be fine in a few minutes,” he said, before walking out of the bedroom/nursery.

Jackie awoke on her bed hours later, she looked at her nightstand clock to see that it was 11:45 p.m, but most importantly…the baby was missing.
Jackie shot up in bed and looked around for a moment.
“I got him,” A familiar rough voice said softly next to Jackie; she turned to see Jonathan Crane rocking in the chair with the baby, positioning a bottle against his chin as he fed the baby.
Jackie sighed with relief, she sat on the edge of her bed and watched Crane feed their son.
“Hey,” she whispered.
Crane simply tried to nod as he kept the focus on the baby he was currently trying to feed.
Jackie watched the both of them for a moment before the baby moved his head and pushed the bottle away from his mouth.
“Ok, are you done? Mr. Julian?” Crane asked, putting the bottle down on the nightstand next to the lamp.
Crane adjusted baby Julian against his shoulder, with a rag on his shoulder as he began to burp the baby; smoothing his back out as he softly patted his back.
“You’re a natural…” Jackie said softly to Crane, who smiled at her.
“Yeah…being a single parent, you learn pretty quickly,” Crane told her, listening out for Julian as he looked at Jackie.
Jackie sighed heavily as she watched Crane, and tried to get a good look at her son but was having a hard time.
Crane continued to pay Julian’s back as he looked at Jackie passionately. “I’m glad you’re home,” He said.
Jackie nodded. “Me too,” she said.
“Y’know, I was--”
Julian burped loudly, taking Crane and Jackie both off guard as Crane looked to look at Julian. “You alright?” he asked softly.
Julian made a playful noise before Crane continued to burp his son. “…I was there when you delivered him...I was off in the shadows as you had him.”
Jackie looked at Crane closely. “…you didn’t leave a note,” she whispered.
Crane nodded. “…because Gordon had a warrant out for me. I heard him say that if anybody saw me, I was to be arrested,” he said.
“What did you do?” she asked softly.
Crane softly shrugged his shoulders. “Just typical bad guy things…” Crane looked back at Julian who seemed done burping.
Jackie smiled. “Typical?” she asked.
Crane nodded, adjust Julian in his arms as he began to rock him. “But I paid off a few nurses I could see him before I had to sneak out.”
“Well, that’s good. You haven’t been giving Bruce and Alfred a hard time, have you?” Jackie asked softly.
Crane shook his head. “They’re all you got. Granted it’s awkward, but I’ve always tried to make it work with them,” He said.
Jackie nodded, looking at the book on her nightstand table, she grabbed it softly and read the title before smiling. “Goodnight, Moon,” she whispered.
“It’s his favorite,” Crane remarked softly, he looked down at Julian and smiled “Are you ready for bed? Cause I know Boo Boo is waiting for you in the crib,” He said softly to Julian before getting out of the rocking chair.
Jackie smiled as she watched Jonathan Crane, a wanted/dangerous criminal carefully place his newborn son in a crib. It was almost too sweet for words.
“Whose Boo Boo?” Jackie asked, getting off the bed and towards the crib.
Crane sighed, pulling out a small and flimsy teddy bear and showing it to Jackie “Boo Boo. A present from Edward Nigma,” He said softly, before putting the teddy bear across from Julian.
Jackie then watched Crane begin to wind up the musical mobile above the crib, Crane watched for a moment as Julian began to fall asleep.
Jonathan then turned to Jackie and held her close before kissing her passionately. “I love you,” He told her.
“I love you too,” Jackie told him.
Crane stroked her hair. “Oh, and thanks for having my son to full term this time…” he said, trying not to be sarcastic as he smiled at Jackie.
Jackie playfully punched him before hugging him tightly.
Crane yawned. “…so it’s time for my bedtime,” he said softly, walking with Jackie towards the bed.
He slid his shoes off and laid on top of the comforter with Jackie and looked at her closely.
“This is the life.” Jackie told him.
Crane nodded. “Yes, it is,” He remarked back, reaching out for the lamp before turning it off.