Gotham 1. Chapter 1

_Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_This fic will be quite a slow burner, heavily friendship based to start off with. It actually began when I was writing my OCxAlfred fic, in that I had Penny and Harvey as friends for a very long time. Over the course of writing the other fic I came to quite like the idea of Harvey x Penny too and so this fic was born! _

_If you enjoy please do review =) _

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''C'mon kid. It'll be somethin' and nothin' but we gotta check it out in case the nosey old bat next door makes a complaint.'' Officer Hauser said. The man was older than Harvey by a good number of years, weight around his stomach and Harvey knew that had to be from all the doughnuts Hauser put away. ''I can't afford another telling off from the damn commissioner and you know it. The douchebag is still on my back about all that hulabaloo you caused last Thursday in uptown.'' It hadn't exactly been Harvey's fault that a suspected murderer had run into a restaurant in the poshest part of Gotham, ok so maybe his comments had been a little unwarranted and maybe tasting food off some petrified diners plate had been a bad idea. In Harvey's eyes though it had made him look like some cool sophisticated movie cop. He'd been damn proud of the line he'd come out with too and he still barked out a laugh at the memory. Harvey Bullock had been on the force for a few years, he was working his way up to Detective, hell he was ready to be a Detective right then but he had to wait until one of the other detectives retired. That's what the commish said, a pretty weird way of working things but he didn't mind doing it if he was guaranteed the job. Harvey Bullock, was 25 and aching to be a detective, readying himself to put the world to rights. For now though he was investigating a domestic in down town Gotham. If there was one thing Harvey Bullock abhorred it was domestic violence, especially towards women and it unfortunately was something that happened all to often in Gotham. Harvey couldn't save every one though, he couldn't save every woman and kid and he'd had to learn that pretty damn fast. Not only did the system not support it enough, half the time the women didn't want to press charges, too scared or too in love to say something. Harvey hated these calls because they made rage bubble under his skin, he wasn't angry with the victims not for a moment, he was angry because he couldn't help them, couldn't make them see. Occasionally he'd come across a woman who had attitude to go along with her bruises, they usually had a few words for the officers and neighbours and they were usually the ones whose husbands came home looking as beat up as they did. Harvey would hardly call those one's domestics, some relationships were just fucked up, some people's relationships just worked like that and who was he too judge them? As long as no kiddies were getting hurt they could beat each other black and blue for all he cared.

Domestic calls Harvey hated, there was no guarantee of which kind it was going to be, women and kids were one thing but another was animals and that irked Harvey too. Hauser had told him several times that his problem was that he wanted to save everyone and everything and he couldn't.

Harvey knocked on the door a little harder than necessary and waited, he was expecting a man to come to the door, tell him everything was alright when really it wasn't. Instead he was met by a heavily pregnant blonde girl. She had to be in her twenties or late teens and she had bruises on her face, they littered her arms.

''Jesus what do you want?'' The woman asked him leaning against the door frame. She sounded so much older than she looked and that attitude, you could see the fire right behind her eyes.

''We had a noise complaint ma'am. Lady down the hall said it sounded like you were getting beat up pretty bad, lot of screaming.'' Harvey said seriously, pushing his hat up slightly with his finger. ''What happened there?'' He asked gesturing to her face.

''Look, nosey old bats down the corridor need to keep their damn ears off the wall, and cops with nothing better to do need to keep their noses out.'' The lady replied arms folded across her chest. ''Do I really look like a battered wife to you?'' She asked him and Harvey just gave her a look because what was he supposed to say to that? She did look like a battered housewife, but she looked exactly like the sort that would sock it right back to the chump who'd hit her. She was pregnant though and no man, no man should be hitting a pregnant lady. Ever. He should be doting on her, rubbing her feet, letting her cry and get mad over the wrong flowers or cake, not smacking her about. It made Harvey angry but he kept his exterior cool.

''What you gunna tell me you walked into a door?'' Harvey asked with a chuckle.

''You gunna believe me if I tell you I walked into a door?'' The woman replied.

''Maybe, let's see how good the story is?'' Harvey offered and the woman tilted her head before shaking it and stepping away from the door.

''I walked into a door and another door, I walked into the fridge a few times too and I can assure you the fridge came off worse. I live alone Detective, scumbag baby daddy who occasionally comes around and I'm stupid enough to let him in.'' The woman replied. ''I'm fine, go back to your doughnuts.'' She waved them off and turned away. ''Now unless you want me to vomit all over you I suggest you and your doused in cologne partner over there disappear right around now.''

''Ok, ok I get the message.'' Harvey said holding his hands up and stepping back from the door. What else was he supposed to say? Supposed to do, she didn't want help. Sometimes behind the eyes it said they wanted help but all Harvey could see in hers was the want to be left alone and get back to whatever she was watching on the television. Harvey wasn't going to disagree with her or kick up a fuss where it wasn't wanted. He learnt his first week on the job about that when he punched a guy and got a firm wrap on the knuckles. ''We're good to go.'' Harvey said to Hauser who nodded and started to make his way down the stairs. ''Look if you do ever need us, call the station, ask for Bullock.'' Harvey said seriously. The younger woman rolled her eyes though and turned closing the door as she went and disappearing to bring up dinner and breakfast with the morning sickness that the other officer's cologne had brought on.

Harvey would think about her, about the women of Gotham for a while in the car and at home until the next big case came along and he moved on, other things occupying his brain. He quite frankly wouldn't remember or meet her again until ten years later.

Now Harvey had been shaped by Gotham, he had been moulded to fit her form. He had been broken down by her and rebuilt so many times that he'd lost count. The good intentions of a detective wanting to make a stand were still there, still in his heart but they were being ground out of him. Harvey was finding he couldn't entirely fight Gotham, that eventually like his partner Dix he was probably going to end up swallowed whole by her.

It wasn't Harvey who spotted her, he was off duty and someone pointed out with a gasp the woman sat atop the apartment building, sat on the edge of the roof. Harvey didn't waste time in getting into the apartment building and up onto the roof, the elevator was broke and by the time he got to the top he was so out of breath his throat was hurting. A sharp pain that made it's way into his chest, he was wheezing hard too. The woman closed her eyes for a moment, not that Harvey could see, when she heard him. Harvey approached her once he had his breath back.

''Don't worry, I'm not gunna jump.'' She said as he approached, he hadn't even had chance to say hello. ''I'm fine and safe.''

''Safe, heh.'' Harvey had to laugh because there was a half empty bottle of jack next to her on the ledge.

''Yeah, safe.'' She said looking back at him for a moment. Harvey had a feeling he'd seen this woman before, everything about her was familiar but he couldn't place her. Harvey pulled out his own flask and took a deep swig. ''I'm really not going to jump.'' She added. Harvey gave her a sceptical look and stepped closer. Deciding she wasn't going to be skittish around him he went ahead and half sat on the ledge, of course he was facing the roof rather than the pavement. His life might not have been a complete barrel of roses but he still didn't want to end it falling off a building by accident. He was planning a blaze of glory, going out a hero if he had to go at all.

''You'd think, in this city that people wouldn't notice, you know.'' The woman began. ''That's why I came up here.''

''You wanted to be noticed?'' Harvey asked alarm bells ringing in his head.

''No, no the opposite. I _didn't _want to be noticed. You'd think in this town people would avoid others like the plague but jesus the amount of nosey do gooders. Can't sit on a damn bench for too long or a coffee shop without prying. I don't want to sit in the apartment because hell I'll go mad in there.'' She added letting out a laugh before sighing. ''Surely you're not on duty Detective.'' Harvey tilted his head at her words. ''Your badge is showing.''

''Oh, oh right.'' Harvey moved his jacket over his badge. ''You got good taste.'' He said gesturing to the bottle on the ledge next to her.

''I know.'' The woman replied. ''Still didn't answer my question. Surely you're off duty?''

''What of it?'' Harvey asked looking up at her from under his hair.

''Surely you've better things to be doing, bars, broads, wives excetera.'' The woman rolled her wrist in the air and Harvey ignored her comment.

''So, what drove you up here then? Boyfriend trouble?'' Harvey asked her and the woman looked to him and rolled her eyes.

''I wish.''

''What you wish you had him back or you wish you could get a boyfriend?'' Harvey offered.

''I wish it was that simple.'' The woman replied. ''I'm still not gunna jump.'' She added. '

''So what is it then? Not something criminal is it?'' He joked.

''No, really. I'm not gunna jump and I'm pretty sure a cop like you, in a city like this has a lot more to worry about than some broad having a nice relaxing evening on a rooftop.'' The woman replied looking over her shoulder at him, auburn hair gleaming in the moonlight.

''Maybe I don't got anything better to do than talk to a broad on rooftops, maybe that's exactly what I like to spend my evenings doing.'' Harvey said with a grin.

''I'm pretty sure you've got bigger things going on than what's in my noggin.'' She tapped her head. ''Not that I'm going to tell you anyway and not that I'm going to jump. You've done your duty, checked on me I'm not a danger.''

''Well-'' Harvey drew out the word and looked unsure. ''That's not entirely true now is it? I mean if I leave you up here you could do anything, for all I know you could be planning murder from up here. You could be plotting anything, to throw that bottle over the side on someone's head.'' The young woman gave him an exasperated look. ''Hey I'm just doing my duty, you want to stay up here, I'm gunna have to stay up here too.''

''Jesus christ I just wanted some peace and quiet, that's all I wanted, really.'' The woman exclaimed. ''Why can't you just not care? Really I mean two Uniformed officers walked past the other night and yelled at me to jump.'' She added shaking her head and running her fingers through her hair again.

''Well I'm not in uniform.'' Harvey grinned.

''Ok! Ok fine!'' The woman swung her legs back over the side, wriggled her toes a little before hopping up. ''Look fine, proof I ain't gunna jump. I'll go home.'' She said waving him off.

''Ok, well. Now maybe you could let me buy you a real drink.'' Harvey offered, he was just trying his luck in all honesty.

''Nuh-uh, no way! Goodbye detective!'' She called heading towards the fire exit.

''At least tell me your name and if your boyfriend does anything give me a call and I'll have some officers scare him.'' He said.

''Penny and I don't have a boyfriend! Wasn't gunna jump!'' She added before disappearing out of the door and down into the apartment building. Harvey sat for a moment on the ledge, he wouldn't have left, that was a fact. He would have stayed there all night until she got down if he had to because he would rather be there just in case than leave and see her in the morgue the next day. He didn't need any more guilt on his plate, he already felt bad enough for missed shouts and cases sinking under his desk. Harvey took a swig of the bottle she'd left and he could taste cigarettes on the bottle edge, he smiled to himself because had it been a different night with a different air to it he could have probably gotten friendly with her. A woman with good taste in jack and cigarettes Harvey will always get on with and that attitude had given her a little spunk.


	2. Chapter 2

_Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_This fic will be quite a slow burner, heavily friendship based to start off with. It actually began when I was writing my OCxAlfred fic, in that I had Penny and Harvey as friends for a very long time. Over the course of writing the other fic I came to quite like the idea of Harvey x Penny too and so this fic was born! _

_If you enjoy please do review =) _

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Harvey Bullock had now become exactly what he didn't want to become. He'd become exactly like Dix. Gotham had chewed him up and spit him out. Gotham had beaten, shot, heartbroken and twisted Harvey Bullock until only glimmers of the detective he once was were visible and even then it was only visible to those who knew him well. He was a shadow of the white knight he'd once been, or at least that was what he liked to tell himself and everyone around him. The truth was that Harvey was still soft in the middle (both literally and figuratively). He was romantic, kind hearted, a decent guy behind all that sass and brash brutishness. Sure Harvey had fallen in line with the gangsters of the city, sure he used prostitutes to sate a need for someone, once in a while he paid them extra to hold him a little longer. It was fruitless though, it didn't fill the hole he felt in his chest, so instead he crammed it with fast food and alcohol too. He couldn't, he wouldn't drag a woman into this life, he wouldn't go looking for a woman to pull into this mess, not after how he saw the other officers marriages end up.

Harvey learnt very early on that he had to go along to get along. Beneath the bravado however Harvey was still the same nerd wanting to be a hero. Gotham would never allow it though. She had piled so much guilt on Harvey for his attempts to be a hero that the Detective had now given up and ceased trying all together. Dix was the bigger than Dottie in terms of the shit that Gotham had thrown at him. Dix had hurt, had caused so much more pain than Dottie.

Dot had been his girl and Harvey, although he'd be hard-pressed to admit it, had even fallen in love with her. She'd been his, she'd cooked him dinner and they'd talked about getting a little house. Maybe even having a kid or two, after Dix's accident though Harvey found it hard to cope and Dottie couldn't cope with Harvey not playing protector. Harvey not playing supporter. She couldn't cope with having to offer a little support herself and instead of talking things out she let him catch her with a uniformed officer who Harvey had real beef with.

Harvey had been heartbroken, really torn up but Gotham had been there to pick him up and pull him down. Gotham had given him girls of the night, booze that left his head spinning, drugs, gangsters, prostitutes. An endless cycle so that he could barely remember his own name let alone Dot and anytime he did remember he'd drink a little more.

Dix on the other hand was another matter altogether. Dot had been a cold hard bitch and in time Harvey had been able to see it for what it was and bid that chapter of his life good riddance. Harvey could say it was better sooner than later. With Dix however the guilt and what ifs would never go away and Harvey would always know it was his foolishness that put his partner and mentor in a wheelchair. So Harvey Bullock had stopped being a hero, stopped running into the breach and started towing the line. Yet beneath the surface Harvey was a good guy, he always tipped his waitresses, always treated the girls good and always helped out a kid in need. Harvey just got tougher, got rougher and drank the pain away.

There was a sweet shop on the corner of mid-town, right on the border of mid and uptown where Harvey went from time to time. Everyone loved Schrubers, everyone, kid and adult in Gotham knew Schrubers sold the best sweets in the world and to top it off they were cheap too. Harvey had spent half his childhood in and out of the shop. Maurice Schruber used to give him a mystery to solve every week and if Harvey got it right he'd get himself something free. It was only in times of nostalgia Harvey really went in any more and now was one of those moments.

The door opened and the bell tinkled. The shop keep wasn't paying attention though, she was swaying gently, ass up in the air, cleaning some shelves along the very bottom of the unit on her knees. Harvey had to admit he was an ass man, well he was an ass and breast man. In fact he was a fan of something he could grab hold of but the ass and breasts were his favourites and that was a damn fine ass. Harvey tilted his head but didn't say anything just admired for a moment until the woman glanced back and even then he didn't stop looking.

''Look all you want but you go to touch and I'll put your eyeballs in with the gobstoppers.'' The woman said standing up and brushing herself off. She was new, or she seemed new. Harvey was trying to figure it out because he hadn't been in here in so long.

''My hands will stay where you can see em'.'' Harvey replied holding his hands up and letting out a laugh. ''You missed a spot.'' He said gesturing to where she'd been cleaning.

''Yeah, that's definitely the first time I've heard that today.'' The woman shook her head and there was something familiar about the eye roll that she did but he couldn't figure out what it was.

''Well the old ones are the best.'' Harvey admitted.

''Is that what you tell yourself in a morning?'' The woman asked him.

''Ooh Kitty has claws.'' Harvey replied letting out a laugh and watching her closely.

''Fists too so mind your mouth.'' Harvey's mouth twitched up into a grin at that comment, oh this was definitely his kind of girl. ''So you want something sweet or not?''

''How much are you?'' He asked on a reflex. The woman's eyebrows shot up and she gave him a look that evoked a feeling of being on thin ice. A feeling that only his mother had been able to evoke in him before. It was a sort of fear, a fear that made you want to push a little harder but at the same time made you worry just how dire the consequences would be if you did. ''It was a joke, I uh-'' Harvey took his hat off and scratched the back of his head. ''You got any gingerbread?'' He asked trying to skirt over the earlier comment.

''Baked fresh this morning, gum drop buttons and everything.'' Penny said holding up the tray a little. ''I changed the recipe a little. I don't think the old man will mind, I mean the ginger really wasn't coming through, here you can be my guinea pig.'' Penny said holding one out to him. ''Come on it's a free gingerbread.''

''Yeah and I read Hansel and Gretel.'' Harvey replied, of course he wasn't going to deny a free gingerbread but he wasn't going to deny himself talking, well, verbally sparring with this woman for another couple of minutes. She was pretty tasty herself, aside from the nice ass she had wide hips, not exactly an hourglass figure but she wasn't far off. A little weight around her tummy, not much at all though and ample breasts, rosy round cheeks. She was shorter than Harvey too, small but with a powerful stare and he liked that. She had the attitude of someone three times her size and Harvey liked that a lot.

''Oh so now I'm not just a hooker, I'm a witch too, jolly gee what a stand up kind of guy you are!'' She said letting out a sigh.

''Ok, give em' here, guinea pig ain't gunna be the worse thing I'm called today.'' Harvey said holding out a hand.

''Well it certainly won't if you leave everyone with the wonderful impression you're giving right now.'' The woman replied. ''Now eat, what do ya think?''

Harvey took a bite rather than replying and immediately he could taste the difference, it was subtle, subtle but an improvement that tied the whole thing together. Harvey had been buying gingerbread from here since he was a kid and it had never tasted so good. For him it had lacked the warmth that something like gingerbeer might have. The ginger was usually too spiced, not enough sugar and the gingerbread was usually a little hard, but not the crunchy kind of hard, just too hard. These were softer, crisp around the edges.

''Good, good, they taste good, still missing something though.'' Harvey said and the woman folded her arms across her chest and watched him intently waiting for his answer. ''The face.'' Harvey said holding up the half eaten gingerbread man. ''Most important part.'' He added pulling off a gum drop button.

''Hadn't gotten around to it yet.''

''No too busy scrubbing shelves and giving passers by a good look at your ass I imagine.'' Harvey was pushing his luck and he knew it.

''Well a girls gotta have a U.S.P.'' Harvey was surprised she hadn't punched him at that comment but he liked that she hadn't, he liked that she had the wit enough to reply. If there was one thing Harvey enjoyed it was a verbal jousting match, especially with a woman and especially if it led to other things. It had been so long since he'd been able to do that. The women he paid for sex couldn't exactly recreate the reality of having that kind of spat and the women he didn't pay for it with he was usually a little drunk or they both were and then he couldn't be bothered.

''And you definitely have a sizeable one-'' Harvey was really pushing it now a stupid grin plastered on his face. He let his implication trail off as he waited for a name.

''Penny, my names Penny and what do they call you? Tiny?'' She asked him a smirk drifting across her lips.

''You're welcome to let me prove you wrong.'' Harvey grinned, there was no hurt in his voice though because he knew well enough to take it in the spirit of things. ''Bullock, Harvey Bullock, Detective.''

''Oh a real James Bond you are.'' Penny let out a laugh, commenting of course on the way he'd said his name.

''Well Miss Moneypenny.'' Harvey did his best Connery impression but all Penny did was laugh.

''Don't give up your day job, or night job, or any job for that matter.''

''Gingerbread's good, now can I get two to go and erm, better give me some bubblgum too and some twizzlers.'' Harvey said starting to fish around in his pocket for change.

''The Gingerbread you can have for being my guinea pig, the bubblegum you can have for the smart mouth and brightening my day. The twizzlers you can pay me a dollar twenty for..'' Penny said matter of factly bagging everything up for him. ''Come back next time and I might throw in some whiskey cremes.'' She said giving him a grin.

* * *

Harvey was just licking his fingers, as he finished up the last gingerbread man when he heard the commotion.

''Get your DAMN hands off me right now!'' Harvey turned, there was something about that voice he recognised and he had to chuckle when he tilted his head to see the shop girl being brought in. There was a guy two steps behind her with some uni's, he was holding his hand up to his nose, the other was limp beside him.

''She's an animal! She came out of nowhere.''

''I'm an animal! Are you freaking kidding me, maybe it'll stop you-''

''Quiet down miss.''

''I will not quiet damn down I am not the damn criminal here!'' Penny shouted, in the time they'd been back and forthing Harvey had meandered on over to the balcony to watch what was going on, Penny was putting up quite the fuss.

''She attacked me.''

''Sir we'll get to you in due course.'' The office said to the other man. The man with the bloodied nose was in his early twenties, bigger than Penny but a skinny little thing in a suit and tie.

''If you're gunna believe that asshole just charge me right now because this is bull-''

''MISS!'' The officer shouted. ''You brought this on yourself I'll interview you after.'' A sound akin to a snarl rumbled in Penny's chest as she was thrust into a holding cell. Harvey watched the officer walk away and Penny slump slightly, watching the officer go back over to her attacker. He watched her for a minute before deciding to head on over and find out just what the ruckus was, besides she might be firey but she didn't exactly strike him as the kind of girl who'd just attack a guy for now reason, even more so she didn't strike him as the kind of girl who'd steal from a guy.

''I knew you liked me but there's better ways to get my attention.'' Harvey said into the bars with a grin.

''Oh great,'' Penny sighed barely looking up at him. All she needed right now was Detective Sarcastaball and his wonderful wit.

''Well if you don't want my help.'' Harvey whistled and Penny looked up at him. ''Come on what happened?'' He offered and that time he was serious, Penny watched him for a minute, why would he want to help her? It was probably some sort of trade-off, maybe he had a bet going with someone else, either way something smelt off. The GCPD was about as corrupt as everywhere else in this city and Penny knew as soon as her attacker slipped someone a twenty he'd be set free. Still at least someone was willing to half listen to her story.

''I locked up, I was leaving and he comes out of nowhere. He starts catcalling me thinking he's something so I answer him back. Come on, I'm not going to keep my mouth shut. That's when he grabs me, forces me against the wall and you know, tries it on, tries to stick his tongue in my mouth and his hand up my skirt.'' Penny said leaning against the bars.

''So you did that to him?'' Harvey asked gesturing back towards where the attacker was still holding his nose.

''I wish.'' Penny snorted. ''No, I kneed him so hard he fell into the wall and did that to himself, that's why he's walking with a limp.'' Harvey barked out a laugh when she admitted that and Penny's lip curled up into a smirk as he did before it disappeared again. ''He went screaming out onto the street where there were waiting cops and said I mugged him, said I stole his wallet. I was about five seconds into telling my side when he started calling me names. My temper might have gotten the better of me there but still. So now I'm here being treated like a criminal and he's over there telling your officer that I stole his wallet.'' Penny let out a defeated sigh and folded her arms across her chest.

''Oh really?'' Harvey asked looking the guy over for a minute as his brain moved into action.

''Yeah really, now I'm gunna get charged and that animal is gunna get off scot free.'' Penny's voice was unimpressed. She had managed to calm herself down but if this went much further she could see her temper getting the better of her once again. ''Yeah I'm a little mouthy when I need to be but if a girl doesn't defend herself in this city she'll end up on the wrong end of some guys knife, or worse, his dick.'' Penny added running her fingers through her hair.

''Give me a second, I'll see what I can do.'' Harvey said, pushing himself away from the bars and walking over to the uniformed officer, who not a second before had left the attacker to walk over to the file cabinet. ''Everything alright Hauser?'' Harvey asked him with a grin.

''Yeah. just a mugging.'' Hauser replied. ''Nothing to worry about, especially not now she's shut up screaming.'' Hauser gestured over to where Penny was.

''He mugged her?'' Harvey asked.

''Naw, he says she mugged him, broke his nose then took his wallet and cell. We haven't had chance to pat her down yet but she could have thrown them easily.'' Hauseer replied.

''You really think she mugged him?'' Harvey asked disbelief written on his face. It wasn't that Hauser was stupid, it was more a case he'd do anything for a quiet life.

''You should have seen the fuss she made when we tried to talk to her, she took a swing at Daniels and he was only doing his job.'' Hauser admitted. ''She's trouble.''

''Walk with me.'' Harvey said putting his arm around Hauser's shoulders and walking him back towards the attacker. ''What's your guys name?'' Harvey asked before they approached.

''Danery's.'' Haurser replied giving Harvey a look of curiosity.

''Mr Danery's, we ah- couldn't see your drivers liscence a second, an admin thing.'' Harvey said and on reflex Danery's immediately reached for and pulled out his wallet without a second thought, his cell phone tumbling with it.

''I thought she stolen them?'' Hauser asked him.

''I-I-I-'' Danery's fumbled with an excuse as Harvey whistled and gestured for the guard to let Penny out.

''You son of a bitch, you assaulted me you son of a bitch!'' Penny wasn't even two steps out of the cell when she lunged forward and Harvey had to grab her round the waist.

''Woah! Woah! Stop.'' Harvey said manoeuvring her out of the attackers eye line.

''They should castrate you you freaking animal! Let me go!'' Penny said struggling against Harvey's grip. ''I'll make sure you don't walk right forever you come near me again.'' She screamed across the station and Harvey had to physically lift her up and move her out of the way. Hauser was right she was trouble, the awful thing was Harvey quite liked trouble, especially when it had an ass and mouth like Penny's. ''You just blew any chance of you pressing charges in front of a whole room of witnesses. C'mon, move up the stairs. Right now.'' Harvey pretty much ordered. Penny stared him down for a minute before turning on her heel and stalking up the stairs to his desk. ''Sit.'' Harvey gestured to the chair and when Penny sat down, which took more than a moment, he opened his bottom drawer and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and a glass, he poured some in and handed it over to her. ''Drink.'' He said firmly.

''And stay?'' She asked glaring at him.

''Yes.'' Harvey said before taking back off down the stairs and towards Danery's, Hauser had disappeared for a form. ''Now you don't wanna press charges do you? I mean, you picked the wrong woman to try it on with and now you're hurt, you lied to an officer and wasted police time. Now, if you want to go down that route I'm sure we can get her statement and yours and we'll all be knee deep in a heavy law suit, where they'll pick over every mistake you ever made.'' Harvey said seriously. Danery's struggled with words for a moment, the easiest place to press on kids like these was bad press exposure. ''I mean I'm sure daddy won't mind the press coverage.'' He added before thinking a moment. ''Or you can drop this and leave right now and if I ever catch you in here again, if I ever so much as get a sniff of your name in connection with a woman who's hurt I'll take you down to Blackgate and let the boys on G-wing have at you. Trust me that-'' Harvey gestured down to the other man's crotch. ''Will seem like a massage in comparison.'' He growled. Danery's yelped and shifted in his seat, with that he walked away.

Penny watched him closely eyes drifting between her attacker and Harvey. So maybe every cop in the GCPD wasn't completely useless. She watched Hauser return and Danery's mumble some apologises and get up to leave.

''He's not pressing charges.'' Harvey said sitting down opposite her, he watched her for a minute. She didn't seem too shook up, in fact she seemed fine apart from the anger that simmered just below the surface. They were silent for a moment as she downed the first glass and poured herself another. Harvey hadn't had a woman leave such an impression on him in a long time and it was refreshing. ''I'll drop you home if you like.'' Harvey offered. ''Or get one of the uni's too.''

''No, it's fine. I'll walk.'' Penny replied. ''It just makes me mad.''

''If you want to press charges-'' Harvey started and Penny cut him off.

''I'm not stupid Detective. Like it would go anywhere? I'd press charges and he'd press them for assault. I can't afford a lawyer so he'd get off scot free anyway.'' Penny shrugged.

''Let me drive you home.'' Harvey offered. ''Least I can do.''

''Least _you _can do?'' Penny asked raising a brow. ''I think you've already done enough. I'd still be sat in a cell if you hadn't gotten me out. Thanks.'' Penny said giving him a smile. ''Really I'll be fine, honestly.'' Penny said standing up and brushing herself off. ''Next time the twizzlers are on me.'' She said with a wink and with that she left. Left Harvey to his drink and a stack of files he wasn't going to get through because his mind was too busy wandering over other things.

Penny Clarke had been chewed up and spat out by Gotham herself since birth. She'd never really had any aspirations beyond survival and happiness if she was honest. She'd flirted with the idea of being a nurse at one point, flirted with the idea of being an actress but had never taken either idea seriously. For a girl like her the idea was completely ridiculous, anything above shop keep was pretty ridiculous. She was in her thirties now and had already had more than enough heartache dished out to her by the city of sin. She could, should have ended up like countless people in the city who turned to drugs and prostitution but she refused, she refused to let Gotham drag her completely down into it's underbelly. She would work hard and if all she had was her crummy apartment at the end of it then so be it. She could cope with that, cope without fancy things if it meant she stayed out any sort of mobs way and got to live a semi-quiet life.

So after the excitement of the evening Penny Clarke settled down on her sofa with a glass of wine, the tv playing and a mind that was trying to stop itself thinking about how now she owed Detective Harvey Bullock one.


	3. Chapter 3

_Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_This fic will be quite a slow burner, heavily friendship based to start off with. It actually began when I was writing my OCxAlfred fic, in that I had Penny and Harvey as friends for a very long time. Over the course of writing the other fic I came to quite like the idea of Harvey x Penny too and so this fic was born! _

_If you enjoy please do review =) _

* * *

''Are you doing that just to entice me in?'' Harvey Bullock had been in that damn sweet shop every other day since he'd broken Penny out of her cell. He could feel something between them, a sort of chemistry that he quite liked. Here she was on her knees again cleaning and here Harvey was again admiring the view.

''I could have you arrested for harassment, you know that don't you?'' Penny retorted.

''You wouldn't.'' Harvey replied with a smirk on his face.

''Come on then? What do you want this time?'' Penny asked sounding exasperated as she stood up and brushed herself off.

''You mean aside from the view?'' Harvey retorted. Penny folded her arms and tilted her head giving him a look that had come to be just so Penny-like to him over the past few days. It was slightly disappointed with a hint of ''_really?'' _about it. ''Ok, ok.'' Harvey said shaking her off. ''Gingerbread.''

''We don't have any today, I told you there won't be anymore until next week.'' Penny said resting her back against the counter, arms still folded across her chest. ''I can't be that interesting.'' Penny shook her head and Harvey took a step forward, then another.

''Well I've only seen bits and pieces.'' Harvey grinned looking her over again.

''Don't you have work?'' Penny raised a brow at him.

''I am working.'' Harvey huffed and that was a huff that had bad day written all over it.

''Rough day?'' Penny asked a hint of sympathy in her voice.

''Hmm.'' Harvey ran his fingers through his hair. He really didn't want to go into the case with her, he really didn't want to ruin this little piece of heaven in a crappy day, it wasn't just a crappy day it was a damn hellish day. Kids were involved and that always made things a million times worse.

''Anything I can do?'' Penny offered. ''I just made up a batch of frosting for the cupcakes. There's enough to go round.'' Penny admitted.

''There is something you could do actually.'' Harvey said taking his hat off again and running his fingers through his hair a little nervously. Penny eyed him and it dawned on her what he might be about to say.

''No. No. Nope!'' Penny shook her head. ''No, not happening. Read my lips buster! I. Don't. Date.'' Penny said seriously.

''You didn't date.'' Harvey tried to correct her with a grin on his face. ''Come on, a date with me will never be as crappy as the day I'm having.''

''Yeah because that just really makes me want to come out with you.'' Penny rolled her eyes and set some things on the shelves as Harvey took another step towards her.

''Penny, Penn listen to me.'' Harvey said. Penny turned around and folded her arms across her chest again.

''I kind of feel like we have a thing and I know you feel it to, c'mon. One date, that's all I'm asking.'' Harvey said a cheeky grin lighting up his face. ''Come on, a date, just one. One to make up for a crappy day. There's gotta be a compliment in there somewhere.''

''Detective Bullock.'' Penny started.

''Don't Detective Bullock me, c'mon what you gotta lose.'' Harvey said tilting his head and giving her a wink. Penny stared him out for a moment. She thought about it and he actually had a point, she didn't have anything to lose. Penny didn't date though, she had the occasional one night stand every once in a while but she hadn't had a proper date in well over five years and it had been even longer since she'd had any kind of relationships. Still she could think of worse ways to spend an evening then in Harvey's company. Harvey gave her puppy dog eyes and made a noise, leaning in slightly the grin still across his face.

''Fine, right ok. You pick me up outside here though.'' Penny said.

''No, I'll pick you up outside your apartment. Don't worry I'll get the address. Be ready for eight.'' Harvey said, feeling smug and satisfied with himself he started to head for the door again.

''Harvey! Harvey no where fancy! This isn't a date date ok, this-'' The words were lost as he disappeared though. Penny sighed softly but allowed a silly grin to light up her own features for a moment.

''This place?'' Penny had her arms folded across her chest as she looked up at the restaurant before her. It wasn't exactly uptown, not somewhere the high society men and women dined but it was certainly classier than any place she'd have picked. She felt a little under dressed but Penny never showed her insecurity, she refused point blank too. So she wasn't wearing a designer label and she _wasn't _a classy girl. She was damn well entitled to eat in a place like this once in a while and hell if Harvey was paying that was fine by her. Still, she'd have much rather him taken them to the bar and grill in down town. That place played fantastic music, the food was good and almost always left you fit to bursting. Plus the drinks were cheap.

''This place.'' Harvey said to her. ''What's the matter it not fancy enough for you?'' He raised a brow, he had a feeling he might have messed up. Maybe Penny really was used to fine dining and knew all the best places to eat lobster and caviare but Harvey had never gotten that vibe from her.

''Oh yeah because I'm so used to the high life, this is practically down market for me.'' Penny said. She hadn't opened her coat yet and she wondered what Harvey would think when she did. The dress was tight and black and perhaps a little too short for a place like this, the lack of added jewellery detracted from the classiness of the whole ensemble. The high black heels made her legs look damn good though. She wasn't looking to impress Harvey, or anyone else for that matter but she'd still dressed up at least a little.

''Come on, I booked a table and everything.'' Harvey said holding the door open for her. Penny closed her eyes and let out a sigh for a moment as she made her way into the restaurant. Inside wasn't half as fancy as the outside. In fact it was more cozy then fancy, all hard wood and dark colours with little intimate booths full of couples and open tables with business men celebrating, work mates out for a pizza together. The smell though. Penny inhaled and everything smelt so good. She hadn't been expecting that, nor had she been expecting the portion sizes she could see on the plates going past her, she was glad lunch had been light now. Penny and Harvey were shown to their table by the waiter and he offered them drinks. As she couldn't go straight in for a tequila slammer Penny decided cocktails were probably the way to go. Harvey on the other hand had gone for beer which surprised her because she thought he'd be on the Jack, maybe they're save that for later on though.

''You do realise I have hollow legs right Harvey?'' Penny asked him jokingly as she picked up a menu and started to look over it. ''I can put away a helluvalot.'' She added.

''Yeah? Well that I'd like to see.'' Harvey retorted as though he didn't entirely believe her on that one. He would like to see it though, he liked seeing a woman who wasn't ashamed of eating in front of other people. There were plenty of them around, Harvey knew that but they seemed to keep eluding him.

''All right, you better prepare your damn wallet Bullock.'' Penny said to him looking over the menu. ''Garlic bread, I want garlic bread to start and then...'' She pondered over the menu for a moment. ''Burger or pasta, burger or pasta.'' She hummed to herself for a minute. ''Polpette Americano.'' Penny said. It was Spaghetti with pork and beef meatballs, tomato garlic and herb sauce and a hint of chilli. ''Then I'll wait until after to decide on my desert.'' She grinned at him and Harvey just stared at her for a moment with a look of disbelief on his face.

''Ok, ok then.'' Harvey nodded, Harvey beckoned the waiter over with his hand. He took a minute to mull over the menu, he had to get something different, it was etiquette and it meant they could share. Penny's did sound really good though. ''I will have Agnello Tagliatelle, and some doughballs to start. The lady will have Polpette Americano, Garlic bread and we'll both take a refill on these if you don't mind.'' Harvey said to the waiter who nodded his hand flying across the little notepad in his hand. He picked up the menus and took them from them.

''So, what happened?'' Penny asked him. ''With the case? You get your man?'' Penny asked him curiously.

''I don't really wanna talk about that.'' Harvey said gruffly and his tone changed in an instant.

''Problem shared?'' Penny retorted.

''This problem won't be halved by sharing it trust me. I don't wanna talk about it.'' Harvey repeated that time with a little tenacity. Penny held her hands up and shook her head. ''I don't wanna talk about it and you don't wanna hear it, trust me.'' Harvey added.

''You know I can handle it? What ever it is, trust me I can handle it. I've heard things, I've been wrung out by Gotham enough times.'' Penny admitted.

''Dammit Penny!I don't wanna talk about it.'' Harvey said seriously.

''Ok, ok we'll talk about something else then.'' Penny played with the straw in her cocktail for a minute. ''You know you weren't the only offer of a date I got today.'' Penny said.

''Oh really?'' Harvey asked leaning back in his chair and watching her.

''Yeah, really, one of the rich kids dad's. He ah, he asked me.'' Penny admitted.

''I told you waving that ass around would bring you trouble.'' Harvey replied. ''So why'd you leave him in the lurch?''

''I don't date.'' Penny said.

''You didn't.'' Harvey corrected her again.

''That and I doubt he could handle me. Really I think he was under the impression it'd be some pretty woman kind of deal, wait, I don't mean pretty woman I think I mean the other one.'' Penny clicked her fingers trying to remember. ''My Fair Lady.'' Harvey snorted. ''Exactly.'' Penny said shaking her head.

''I don't understand why anyone in their right mind would wanna date me, let alone anyone like that.'' Penny said shaking her head. Harvey didn't say anything. It wasn't that he was being rude it's that he understood Penny wasn't searching for compliments, she genuinely was baffled why anyone would want to date her and Harvey found that kind of endearing. It wasn't a self confidence thing either and Harvey knew that. Penny was so confident in herself, she knew exactly who she was and she was damn comfortable with it.

''Oh, oh and some famous gal came in all airs and graces. She's off that TV show, oh what's it called- uhm.'' Penny paused again and clicked. ''Dammit, oh god.'' Penny was really struggling. ''Harringtons! That's it, that drama thing with all the brits.'' Penny said. ''She was all airs and graces, kind of pretty, I mean if you like that kind of thing.'' She said with a shrug. ''She asked me if I wanted her autograph and I told her not really you shoulda' seen the look on her face!'' Penny said letting out a laugh. That laugh, it was just like the rest of her, completely unashamed and it was also attracting attention. ''So that was my day.'' Penny said taking another drink of her cocktail.

''You don't like that show do you?'' Harvey asked giving her a skeptical look.

''No, no it's all crap. I tend to stick to the classics if I'm honest. I'm a little stuck in my ways with music and film.'' Penny admitted sitting up and playing with her straw.

''Oh really? You gotta a thing for the oldies then? Come on then what's your favourite film?'' Harvey asked her.

''Nuh uh, no you'll laugh.'' Penny said shaking her head. ''You go first!'' She replied.

''That bad huh? Ok, ok, uhm. I don't know if I can pick a favourite. I mean I'm a fan of a few. I always had a thing for the black and whites, you know the old film noir? I'm a bit of a film nerd.'' Harvey admitted.

''Film what?'' Penny asked narrowing her eyes.

''Film noir, it's a genre. You know like action, horror, drama.'' Harvey said. ''A lot of detective stuff falls into it. Anyway so come on, what's your favourite film?'' Harvey asked. He really wasn't going to let that go and Penny sighed, he was a film nerd. He was going to think she was ridiculous and the soft spot she had for this film didn't really go with her image.

''Ok, don't laugh.'' Penny said. ''Sound of Music.'' She said quickly and Harvey cocked a brow and gave her a look of disbelief.

''I was expecting Basic Instinct or Die Hard or something.'' Harvey admitted.

''I have this thing for musicals, I always liked Sound of Music from being really young.'' Penny said. ''I mean don't get me wrong, you were half right. I can't get enough of Die Hard, John McClane saving the day is all kinds of my favourite thing but Sound of Music trumps it.''

''You disappoint me Miss Clarke.'' Harvey teased. ''I'm sorry but I'm going to have to end this date right now, I mean I don't think I can sit opposite a woman who just put Die Hard and Sound of Music in the same sentence.''

''Leave me the money for my food then because I ain't moving an inch.'' Penny retorted sipping at her cocktail again. ''It's like a comfort blanket, you know.'' Penny added and it was the first time Harvey had seen her show an ounce of vulnerability. The time he'd spent with her he'd not once seen her show anything that could be considered soft or vulnerable and it took him by surprise that Penny might even need anything resembling a comfort blanket from time to time.

''Alright, what about music? Please don't tell me you're into all this pop crap?'' Harvey asked.

''No, unfortunately I'm constantly stuck pre-90's with my music tastes.'' Penny admitted. ''Give me some motown funk any day. Thee best song ever made is September by Earth Wind and Fire and you can argue the point with me all you want but I defy you not to smile when that comes on and people start dancing.'' Penny said matter of factly.

''I never really thought about an ultimate song but I'm with you on the pre-90's thing. In fact I'd agree with you on the motown thing too but eh, there are better Earth Wind and Fire songs.'' Harvey admitted. Harvey was about to say something again when the waiter arrived with their food, the starters were more side dishes and so he'd brought everything out together.

Eating was interesting, Harvey had never really eaten with a woman like Penny and he'd eaten with a lot of women. She didn't hide behind her hand, she didn't feel the need to cover up or eat differently because she was eating opposite him. She showed her appreciation though, noises leaving her throat that made Harvey a little hot under the collar and the other diners start to look at them. Penny responded to them with a quip that made Harvey smirk. She was quick under pressure and unafraid it seemed of anyone. He was surprised when she didn't play out the Harry Met Sally scene after some woman or another exclaimed their distaste at her laugh one too many times.

Penny polished off all three dishes and desert to boot. Washed down with four cocktails over the course of the evening. Harvey could see she could hold her liquor from the fact the cocktails had barely touched the sides. She was a little rosy cheeks but certainly not drunk.

''Your bad day.'' Penny said turning to him when she was seated and belted in the front seat of his car. ''It was kids wasn't it.'' She said.

''Penn.'' Harvey sighed, he really didn't want to talk about it.

''It's ok, I know it must be rough. I understand you don't wanna talk about it but let me tell you something now it isn't your fault. You can't beat yourself up over it because there are some sick people in this world.'' Penny said reaching out to put a hand on his arm.

''And you don't think I know that?'' Harvey asked her tilting her head. ''You don't know whether this was my fault or not so just, I don't wanna talk about it ok?'' Harvey said seriously.

''Ok.'' Penny shrugged and started to rifle through his dashboard. ''Have you tried that new stall that's opened up near the laundrette on 4th ave yet?'' Penny asked changing the subject. ''Best hot dogs ever, like seriously you need to go there. You'd love it!''

''Yeah?'' Harvey asked her.

''Yeah.'' Penny replied resting her head on the window. When they got to her apartment block Penny walked her right up to the door and lingered in the door way. Penny wasn't gunna sleep with him. That was a definite, she liked him, well she started to like him. He was pretty attractive once you got past the fake swag he tried to put up but she still wasn't going to sleep with him.

''Well this is me. I mean you can come in for coffee if you want but don't get any ideas.'' Penny said seriously.

''Naw, I have work again in the morning, coffee will just keep me up all night.'' Harvey said with a shrug, there was a smile playing at his lips.

''Harvey I actually had a nice time tonight.'' Penny admitted though it pained her too. ''You know maybe I wouldn't mind making your next crappy day less crappy.''

''You want a second date? The woman who doesn't date, wants a second?'' Harvey asked.

''I didn't say that! I still don't date!'' Penny pointed out.

''Thanks for making a crappy day a lot less crappy.'' Harvey smiled at her. He leaned in and Penny was about to step away when she realised he wasn't going to kiss her on the lips. He was going for her cheek and that was sweet. Really sweet. Once he'd kissed her on the cheek he put his hat back on and started to go back to his car. ''I'll call you about that second date.'' He grinned turning back to face her and walking backwards.

''Not a date Harvey!'' Penny called after him.

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A/N: _Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and follows. I love hearing what you guys think and the response to Penny has been good and I'm so grateful for that! I hope you continue to enjoy he story as it progresses. In one or two chapters it'll even back out into the actual Gotham timeline =) _


	4. Chapter 4

_Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_This fic will be quite a slow burner, heavily friendship based to start off with. It actually began when I was writing my OCxAlfred fic, in that I had Penny and Harvey as friends for a very long time. Over the course of writing the other fic I came to quite like the idea of Harvey x Penny too and so this fic was born! _

_If you enjoy please do review =) _

* * *

Penny never got her second date. In fact Penny never got a call from Harvey at all. Not for another two years. Things happened that got in the way of Harvey ever calling Penny for a second date and one of those things was his brain being filled left right and centre with cases. Harvey, though he'd never admit it to himself, was a sucker for sabotaging his own happiness too. He actually really liked Penny, she had this spunk about her, this attitude that said she'd try to take on anyone, even if they out matched her in height and weight. She had secrets too, Harvey could tell that about her. She had secrets and she had a softer side that she was hiding, a side Harvey would have liked to indulge.

After a month had passed Harvey knew he couldn't waltz back into the sweet shop and as Penny wasn't heading to the station any time soon he avoided it, at all costs. Even getting his new partners to go in there for him. Two years, two years passed and Harvey went in there by mistake. Penny had just stared at him for a moment and then quipped something about him finally deciding to show up. Surprisingly she'd been calm. She hadn't over reacted, Harvey liked that. She just shrugged it off and said that it was ok, sometimes people don't fit and sometimes life gets in the way. Harvey had reiterated that he'd had a really good time. He'd tried to explain.

Harvey had come back the following day with a bunch of flowers and a hot dog from that place he remembered her saying she liked. He offered to take her out again and despite her reservations Penny agreed, she still didn't have anything to lose.

Harvey never showed up for that date though. It was three days later when Penny saw him and it wasn't at the best of times. It was a Thursday and Penny was late home, she always went to her ballroom dancing classes on a Thursday. It wasn't professional or anything of the sort, it was a group of people in a drafty studio all with two left feet or co-ordination problems learning how to dance at their own pace. She enjoyed it, it gave her the social interaction she wanted and there was no pressure, everyone was in the same boat and nobody had any airs and graces that a proper dance studio might have.

Penny rounded the corner to her apartment and saw the lump curled up on the floor near it. Panic blossomed in her chest, she had no idea it was Harvey. Bile rose up in her throat, what if it was _him? _What would she do? She doubted she could keep her temper, one of them would definitely end up dead. She thought he was dead though, she thought he'd be dead or at very least that he'd never ever come back to Gotham. When she got closer and recognised the fedora, the scruff of beard a sigh left her lips. Relief bloomed inside her chest and spread out to her fingers and toes.

''Detective Bullock?'' Penny said raising a brow at him. She didn't sound impressed at all.

''I've been waitin' for you.'' Harvey said, he sounded drunk.

''Oh yeah, you mean like I was waiting for you for an hour?'' Penny retorted, she wanted to step over him open the door and slam it behind her.

''Is that all?'' Harvey pushed and Penny scoffed, shaking her head. She didn't know whether she wanted to punch him or go for his gun and shoot him. ''Penn I'm sorry. I got a little mixed up in something.'' Harvey said.

''You know the beauty of being a cop is you can spin all kinds of lies. I was on a stakeout, I got pulled onto a case. If you didn't wanna take me out Harvey you shouldn't have offered. I'm not some little girl scout gunna get all heartbroken but I won't be made a damn foo-'' Penny stopped mid-sentence as Harvey pushed his hat up. Penny looked at his face.

Harvey looked like he'd been battered every which way. There was a cut on his face, bruising too, and if the way he was slumped was anything to go by he'd taken a kicking to the ribs too.

''I didn't lie Penn.'' Harvey said. Penny was trying not to show how concerned she was. Men like Harvey were dangerous, they were all rough and scruffy and walked with swagger that made you think, because they wanted you to think it, that they were assholes. Beneath it all though they were gentlemen, romantic and kind. They were good men with hearts of gold and a deep desire to be a hero. Men like Harvey were dangerous because they gave you hope. Hope that there were more men like Harvey out there.

''No you just didn't show up.'' Penny retorted. ''Come on, get up I can't exactly leave you out here in that state.'' Penny grumbled letting her apartment door swing open. She wasn't going to help him up though he could do that himself. When Harvey did get up the extent of his injuries was a little clearer, he was holding his arm across his ribs, almost limping and his face was a mess. ''Have you been to the hospital?'' Penny asked him. Harvey scoffed at her.

Penny's apartment was small and shabby. The living room opened up onto the kitchen, the bathroom was small and pokey and off the living room. It was equipped with a shower, a tiny bathtub, sink, mirror and toilet. The living room had a few shelves with bits and pieces on, a tiny VHS collection on a stand, an old TV with the VHS player underneath it. Penny had no pictures of anyone, anywhere, not even one of herself. The walls where they joined the ceiling were clearly damp and the first signs of mould that had been painted over were there. In front of her television there was a couch, sturdy looking but old and there was a single chair, both had clearly come as a set a long time ago. Penny's bedroom, the only one in the apartment was almost directly opposite the front door. She had a large double bed with basic looking bed coverings. Penny's apartment wasn't fancy but there were clear signs where she'd tried to make it feel more like home. Ornaments and fake flowers, there was a collection of figurines on a high shelf.

Harvey limped in and almost fell down onto the couch, he would have hovered in the doorway but he didn't have the energy, he pulled his hip flask from his jacket pocket and took a swig.

''That's not going to help.'' Penny chastised him as she put the kettle on to boil.

''It's helping with the pain.'' Harvey grumbled.

''Put it down.'' Penny pretty much ordered him as she opened a cupboard and pulled out a small first aid kit. She never really used it so it was still pretty stocked. ''Take your shoes off too, your not lying down on my couch with those things on.'' Penny instructed. As mad as she was at him, Penny actually gave a damn about Harvey and she wouldn't see him hurt. In some respects her and Harvey were cut from the same cloth. They both liked to force out this idea that they were tough as nails and as hard to get through as old leather. It wasn't always the case though, Penny would never see a kid go hungry on her watch and where her friends were concerned she was usually one of the first in the throng of things helping out. The biggest difference between Penny and Harvey was that Penny was brave, so much so sometimes it got her into trouble. Harvey on the other hand knew when to step back.

''What are you doing woman?'' Harvey asked her. He took his shoes off slowly and lay down on the couch getting comfortable, well as comfortable as he could be on a couch. Still, lying like this took the pressure off his spine and the bruising on the underside of his leg so he preferred it. He took his hat off too and the extent of his injuries were visible.

''I'm going to clean your beat ass up, I'm also still deciding whether or not to add to those bruises so I suggest you shut your mouth.'' Penny replied with her back to him. Harvey's lips twitched at a smile, it hurt to smile though. ''What happened to you?'' Penny asked as she brought everything over on a tray, including two coffee's.

''Don't-'' Harvey started.

''Don't you don't me or I'll give you a matching black eye and throw you out on your ass!'' Penny growled. She nudged him up a little and perched on the edge of the couch. The wounds she could see were a couple of days old and Harvey clearly hadn't gotten around to cleaning himself up. Harvey wouldn't admit to it but the first night he'd gone home and collapsed onto his bed only to wake up a few hours later with blood on the sheets. After that he'd gone to the underground doctor and got one wound stitched up. The pills the doctor gave him coupled with the alcohol had knocked him out for a whole day. He'd spent the next morning sleeping and then he'd remembered Penny. Penny could see there was a bandage through his tight shirt over his stomach and Harvey would be hard-pressed to stop her checking that.

''What happened?'' Penny said again as she dipped a cotton ball into the luke warm water and brought it up to his eyebrow and the cut there.

''I tried to put a stop to something.'' Harvey said, he sounded half ashamed of himself. Dix had always said no heroes and Dix was right. Harvey couldn't sit by and watch this time though. There was no partner to get damaged here it was just him. He'd been a fool and he knew it.

''What? Something in the GCPD?'' Penny asked him. Harvey just watched her for a minute until Penny spoke again. ''Everyone knows the GCPD is corrupt Harvey.'' Penny said to him. ''Those who don't are to naive to understand how Gotham works, this is the city of sin. You slip a cop a twenty and he'll look the other way.''

''We're not all like that.'' Harvey said, he didn't know why but he wanted to tell Penny that he wasn't a bad cop. Not really. He wanted, no he needed her to believe that he was just doing what he had to, to survive.

''I don't blame them Harvey, you got to go along to get along right? I just mean that some cops are worse than others. Some cops revel in the power that comes with that duality.'' Penny sighed. ''I know there are worse guys than you, I didn't actually mean you.'' Penny said shaking her head.

''There's two cops, running this ring. I caught them with a girl.'' Harvey frowned and swallowed for a moment. Penny knew what was coming. ''She can't have been older than 16, 17 and they were all acting like she was a seasoned prostitute. I got nothing against working girls or other people using them.'' Harvey said leaving out the fact that he himself used them from time to time. Penny suspected that though already. ''There's a line you don't cross though. I brought it up with the chief and they didn't like it, said she just looked young but I'd checked her records. She was seventeen Penn and they were feeding her drugs and doing god knows what. I tried to take it a little higher and this is what happened. No heroes in Gotham.'' Harvey let out a disappointed sigh. ''They got me after work. I couldn't help her Penn, what if I made things worse? I was on my way to the restaurant when they jumped me.'' Harvey watched Penny carefully, she wasn't looking at him, she was staring at a spot on the wall and he could practically feel the rage bubbling beneath her skin. Her jaw was wound so tight he swore it was going to lock and then she sort of shook her head and snapped herself out of it. Looking back down at him and starting to clean the blood off his head again.

''I haven't been in work since. I told a few of the guys though, when they asked me why I wasn't in. I know the GCPD is corrupt, drugs and gangsters are one thing but you don't touch kids. I think two or three of the other officers might have dealt with these two detectives.'' Harvey admitted with a frown.

''Good, so they should.'' Penny managed to get out. ''Did they cut you?'' She changed the subject running her finger over the spot where the bandage was.

''Lil' bit, it's nothing to worry about.'' Harvey replied, he wanted his hip flask back and he made to reach for it. Penny didn't stop him, in fact she snatched it off him and took a swig herself.

''Well you better get to opening this, if I'm patching you up I may as well do the lot.'' Penny sighed and rinsed out the cotton ball bringing it back to his face.

''You gunna kiss it better?'' Harvey grinned trying to lighten the mood. ''Because I've got this pain righ-'' He started and Penny punched him, hard on the arm so that he winced and let out a grumble.

Once Penny had cleaned Harvey up, she told him he may as well stay on the couch, it was too late for him to be going anywhere. She was kind of worried for him, he was in no shape to stand up for himself at this hour in Gotham and this building alone could see him run into someone with a grudge. Penny was cleaning up, her back to Harvey as he started on a hot chocolate she'd made after the coffee was finished. Harvey had a million and one questions for her, he wanted to know everything about her. Her apartment didn't really give an amazing amount away.

''Hey Penn.'' He said wiping the chocolate from his moustache, she reached for the pan on the side and made a noise of acknowledgement in Harvey's direction. ''Let me take you out again.'' Harvey offered.

Penny paused and sighed closing her eyes for a moment. She hated him, she really, really hated him. She hated him for giving her a sparring partner, she hated him because she had that spark with him. She hated him for showing her a good time, for being a gentlemen. She hated him for disappointing her, making her feel things she hadn't felt, hadn't wanted to feel and hadn't hoped for in a long time. The worst thing though, the very worst thing was that she didn't hate him at all. She wouldn't set herself up to be hurt again though, to be disappointed.

''Harvey, come on. You don't have to offer to take me out because I patched you up.'' Penny replied.

''I'm not doing it for that.'' Harvey said.

''Harvey I'm not dating material.'' Penny pointed out.

''You're talking to the guy who forgot to call you back and stood you up?'' Harvey let out a laugh.

''Exactly, I mean look what happened when we tried to go out a second time, you got your ass handed to you-''

''Give me three reasons why it's not a good idea because as far as I can see you still got nothing to lose.'' Harvey pointed out. He was wrong though. Penny had everything to lose now because hope was a very dangerous thing to instil in someone and the hope Harvey was starting to instil in her, the hope that she could have a happy, loving relationship was something that she wanted to bury so deep down that it never resurfaced.

''Number one I'm an asshole, you deserve a little housewife who'll cook and clean for you. Number 2 it'll probably take you another two years to actually arrange a damn date. Three I don't want to date, I didn't want to date the first time you took me out.'' Penny said.

Harvey wasn't really offended, he was a little bit disappointed but he wouldn't pass up being friends with Penny. A spark was a spark and it would probably still be there in years to come. He liked her, he respected her wishes but that didn't mean he was going to give up. For now he'd just enjoy being her friend, enjoy having this little womanly shaped lump of trouble in his life and if all she ever wanted to be was friends then that would be fine by him. She wasn't an asshole, he wasn't going to correct her though because he knew she wasn't saying it for effect. It would have taken him exactly ten minutes to organise another date. Harvey in reality only had himself to blame, although she didn't show it, he knew Penny had been disappointed in him and he could understand if she didn't want to set herself up for it again.

''Ok, no dates.'' Harvey said with a nod. ''You got a problem with me asking from time to time?'' He asked.

''You got a problem with me punching you in the face when it starts to piss me off?'' Penny asked arms folded across her chest.

''No ma'am.'' Harvey saluted her and leaned back against the couch.

That one night of Harvey staying on Penny's couch would become a pretty regular thing over the years, when Harvey got too drunk, when Harvey had a crappy day and had a little drink. He usually ended up at Penny's and he always ended up on her couch. Harvey had declared it the comfiest couch in Gotham, even though he'd almost broken it twice. Penny was always there with an ear and a firm word when he needed it, she was always there to set him straight about things. She was the support he needed because Harvey did need support even if he'd never admit it. They got into a trend and once every blue moon Penny would let Harvey buy her breakfast and walk her to work.

* * *

Neither of them really had any serious romantic attachments, the short lived ones always felt odd. More so for Harvey than Penny. When he showed up at her apartment and she had a guy there it was a source of contention, Harvey would make a joke out of place and Penny would always put Harvey before the guy, she'd always tell the guy he had to go because Harvey was her friend and she couldn't leave him out in the cold. For Penny and Harvey it was going to take something big for them to actually admit the way they felt about each other. Penny buried her feelings so deep it would probably end up a deathbed confession and as the years went on Harvey became more cynical and beaten up by Gotham. He couldn't face the humiliation and disappointment of admitting his feelings to Penny only for her to rebuff them. He'd rather pretend they weren't there, see his prostitutes, go about his business and stay on her couch every once in a while.

Yes it was going to take something big, something life threatening, something like certain death for either of them to ever admit anything and that moment wasn't going to come for either of them until years later.

* * *

A/N: _Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and follows. I love hearing what you guys think and the response to Penny has been good and I'm so grateful for that! I hope you continue to enjoy he story as it progresses. There's still so much more to come from these two and by so much more I mean SO much more! I have so much planned out for them. _

_Also please don't worry guys! I'm not offended at all that you ship Penny/Harvey more than Penny/Alfred honestly after I started writing I knew Penny/Harvey was going to be a problem for me in that it's quite addictive in terms of writing it. _


	5. Chapter 5

_Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_This fic will be quite a slow burner, heavily friendship based to start off with. It actually began when I was writing my OCxAlfred fic, in that I had Penny and Harvey as friends for a very long time. Over the course of writing the other fic I came to quite like the idea of Harvey x Penny too and so this fic was born! _

_If you enjoy please do review =) _

* * *

Harvey wasn't drunk but he was stewing. He was missing Penny, he was sure she was avoiding him, he hadn't seen her in days and he'd had to do some pretty grim work for some pretty nasty people. Honestly he hated nights like these, he hated having to be in the back pockets of gangsters. He hated that he felt owned by someone, like he didn't have control over his own life. Yet there were certain things he got a kick out of. He kind of had a thing for Fish and they'd kind of had a thing once or twice. Fish was into things Harvey wasn't though. Harvey liked to dote on his women, especially in the bedroom, in the bedroom Harvey would do anything for a woman, indulge almost every whim. All that mattered was that they were happy. Fish liked things that made Harvey uncomfortable though, he wasn't a fan of the pain thing and he would never be a fan of hitting a woman, really hitting her, whether she enjoyed it or not. Fish got off on the power thing though. So his flirting and the fling didn't last long. He liked her but it just wasn't going to work, not with her appetites.

Harvey held a sort of admiration for the woman, she was a woman in a sea full of men, she was a woman treading in a man's shoes in a man's world because her business was most definitely a man's world. He admired her for that, he'd admire any woman for that kind of thing, hell even though women weren't rare around the station he held that kind of admiration for Essen.

Harvey had a love hate relationship with his own life at the minute, turning a blind eye to certain things because he was ordered too made him uncomfortable. Going with prostitutes a lot didn't exactly make him happy or fill him with confidence and there was also the fact every woman he cared about or grew to care about was so far out of reach.

It had been three years since he'd first slept on Penny's couch, since she'd patched him up. In all that time he'd never once pushed for anything more than friendship. He joked all the time, he told his new partners when they came into the shop with him that Penny couldn't get enough of him, that he'd dated her. It was almost a defence mechanism, he didn't think he could handle seeing Penny with someone from work and at the same time he just liked seeing her happy.

So here he was, not drunk, pissed off that Fish had pretty much ordered him to turn a blind eye to a few things and heading along the strip. He was missing Penny, Harvey hadn't seen Penny for four days at least now, he'd been into the sweet shop twice to find her not behind the counter. Was she avoiding him? Harvey was trying not to over think it, he really was but deep down he was scared she had a new boyfriend.

''Come on time to go, come on you're fine.'' Harvey heard the voice of a sober man come from the alley as he passed with his head down, he was lost in thought but the voice he heard next made him pause and take three steps back.

''Would you give me a damn minute.'' Even slurred and sounding like she'd had way too much to drink he knew who it belonged too. That was Penny.

''Come on, you'll be fine. I'm freezing my balls off here and I know you're gunna warm them up darlin' but-'' Harvey heard the guy say and it made his blood boil.

''Ok, ok.'' Penny pushed off the wall and almost fell out of the alleyway, stumbling straight into Harvey. ''Hey pal you wanna wa- Harvey!'' She was halfway through telling him off when she realised who he was. She had her hands pressed against his chest and her eyes wouldn't focus. ''Harvey this is, is this, this is Step-Steve, Steve this is Steve!'' Penny said throwing a hand out towards the guy.

''Oh it is?'' Harvey asked, he wouldn't meddle, not normally but Penny looked out of it and this guy didn't.

''Now don't look like that!'' Penny slapped his chest lightly. ''I can, take. Take care of myself. Mean right hook.'' She grinned and stumbled slightly. ''Ooh.'' Penny stepped back from him with a pained look on her face. ''Too, manys 'lammers I didn' pay though.''

Harvey felt sick, he knew this scenario, he'd seen the results of this situation in the station at the morning. Penny threw her hand up over her mouth and ran back into the alley, the sound of her retching, the vomit slapping against the floor echoed of the walls. Harvey looked up the alley after her, he'd never, ever seen her like that and it scared him. The way her eyes wouldn't focus on him, the slur to her words, the fact the usually brash Penny seemed unable to take care of herself.

Without warning Harvey grabbed the guy in front of him a feral growl tearing up through his throat as he threw him against the nearest wall.

''You listen to me you little scumbag, I know exactly what your game is.'' Harvey growled.

''I don't know what you're talking about take your hands off me.'' The other man said, Harvey patted him down and pulled a couple of packets of powder from the guys jacket.

''What is it? What did you give her?'' Harvey growled, the sounds of Penny vomiting the only thing breaking the silence.

''I didn't give her anything.'' The man protested.

''Oh yeah.'' Harvey slammed him against the wall again. ''What you do offer them a drink then slip something in there. I know your game you son of a bitch and if you don't disappear _right _now.'' Harvey growled and slammed him into the wall again on the word right. ''I'm going to throw your ass in jail and I am going to enjoy spreading some rumours around about you.'' Harvey threatened, flashing the badge attached to his belt.

''Ok, ok calm down it was just a good time.'' The guy held his hands up and Harvey let him go but a moment later he punched him in the face hard, broke the guys nose and watched him stumble away. Harvey straightened his clothes, let out another sigh and walked over to Penny.

''You been avoiding me?'' Harvey asked her.

''You're not St-St-St-'' Penny couldn't even get the guys name out.

''No I'm not.'' Harvey said reaching out a hand to rub her back and stepping back so he wouldn't get vomit on his shoes.

''Get your hands off me!'' Penny took a swing for him from where she stood, bent over, one hand against the wall, her other flailing wildly. She didn't even know it was him and it was breaking Harvey's heart.

''Penn, Penn it's me.'' Harvey said as she stood up and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. ''Come on, I'm taking you home.'' Harvey said seriously.

''M' not going no where?'' She shook her head and pushed him away.

''If I have to carry you to my car kicking and screamin' so help me God I will.'' Harvey growled.

* * *

It was a struggle getting her to the car, he was worried she might vomit everywhere, he didn't really want to have to clean up after her. They were almost back to the apartment when she started crying, Harvey had never seen her cry, he'd never even seen her flinch. Even that morning when he'd had to take her to the hospital for stitches she hadn't cried because of the pain. She'd gritted her teeth and gotten on with it, threatened him. It was so unsettling to see her look so broken, whatever that guy had given her was really doing a number on her.

''hey, Penn, Penn come on.'' Harvey said reaching over to rub her shoulders but she shook her head, trying to pull her knees up to her chest.

''I should have stopped them, it should have been me.'' Harvey could just about make out the words through sobs. ''I'm supposed to protect her, I was supposed to. She shouldn't have, she was so- why would that even-'' Penny was a mess, lost to whatever grief was being flashed across her mind.

* * *

Penny awoke in the early hours of morning with her head throbbing and the taste of vomit in her mouth. Her neck was killing her and she had a funny feeling that was to do with the fact that she'd clearly slept on the couch, in her dress. She looked up to see Harvey asleep in the chair opposite and she was trying to remember what happened. He was the last person she wanted to see right now, this was her time and space and she just needed to be alone. Penny got up clumsily and realised she was wearing Harvey's jacket. She quite liked the feeling, it was like having Harvey's arms around her, it was warm and comforting and it smelt like him. Like cigarettes and whiskey and something that was just _so _Harvey.

She stumbled a little to the kitchen and Harvey stirred. When he opened his eyes Penny was at the kitchen sink pouring tequila, gin and whiskey into a tumbler and swirling it round.

''What are you doin'?'' He asked concern evident in her voice. The image before him would have been nice in different circumstances. He'd watched her for a long while, tried to work out what had happened to her. Tried to work out who she should have protected.

''Heir of the dog, I'm taking the edge off this and I'm getting rid of the taste of vomit.'' Penny said matter of factly. ''What happened to your cheek?'' Penny asked, there was a gash on Harvey's cheek. It wasn't huge but it was still there and visible.

''You happened to it, do you remember anything?'' Harvey asked.

''What did you do to deserve that?'' Penny retorted without missing a beat. Harvey sighed, he didn't think any of this was funny or a laughing matter.

''You really don't remember a thing?'' Harvey reiterated.

''Look are you gunna tell me what an embarrassment I made of myself or are you gunna string this out because I don't need this shit right now.'' Penny growled.

''And you think I do?'' Harvey growled back. ''You were so smashed some damn guy had roofied you and I found you in an alley vomiting, after sending him on his way I had to bring you home. You did this!'' Harvey pointed to his face. ''When I tried to carry you to bed.'' Harvey was leaving out a lot, like the fact she tried to kiss him, tried to bed him. The fact she didn't even recognise him half the night, the fact she'd been crying and sobbing and he had no idea what she was saying.

''What are you even still doing here?'' Penny asked him, that was harsh even for her and it only fuelled Harvey's thoughts that something was off. He wanted to know what had messed her up so bad that she'd reacted like this and who he had to kill to put things right. ''You got me home ok.''

''What's going on with you at the minute?'' Harvey asked her.

''Oh like you never went out before, look I don't need a lecture from a cop dirtier than my vomit covered shoes.'' Penny was hitting below the belt and Harvey knew it.

''Oh, alright we're playing that card now are we?'' He asked letting out a laugh that was filled with anything but humour.

''Oh get out Harvey. I'm going for a shower don't be here when I get back.'' Penny said disappearing into the bathroom to throw up again. She was vaguely aware, as she stared at her pasty complexion in the mirror, of the door slamming. _Good riddance. _She didn't mean it, she didn't mean it at all but she needed these three days for herself. Today was the last day and then she could get back to normal. Penny jumped into the shower and felt the hot water start to wash away the pain just a little. She didn't hear the door again, she didn't even notice Harvey had come back until she came out of the bedroom in her pyjama's and spotted him on the couch, he'd been in her bedroom too and taken the duvet. Did he not quit? She'd been horrible too him.

''I brought breakfast, thought you could use it.'' Harvey said.

''Don't you have work?'' Penny asked him.

''Nope.'' Harvey said. ''So we're gunna eat breakfast and you're gunna tell me what happened to you.'' Harvey added handing her a coffee. Penny sat down on the couch and put her legs across Harvey's lap her ass resting against his thigh, feet resting on the edge of the couch near his arm.

''So first you want me to leave and now you've trapped me?'' Harvey asked tilting his head at her and pulling a face.

''Well now you're making yourself useful.'' Penny said giving him a small smile, she rested her head against the back of the couch and took a drink of her coffee. ''Thank you.'' She said after a moment. Harvey softened and rested his hands over her legs.

''So are you going to tell me what happened? Was this a guy? I mean this isn't like you.'' Harvey said, there was an edge to his voice though, like he was going to get up and kill whoever had hurt her.

''No, no this was a long time ago. Harvey you don't need to know, you know how you say it's the black box.'' Penny said tapping her head. ''Well yeah I have one too.'' Penny said.

''Oh yeah?'' Harvey looked her dead in the face. He needed to know, he needed to know what happened so badly that she felt the need to put herself in danger, if he knew then he could help her or at least that's the way he thought of it. ''Ok, alright if we're playing it like that.'' Harvey said resting one hand along the back of the couch with his coffee in it and the other was resting, still on her legs. He actually had his hand tucked around her calf holding onto it. Harvey tapped his finger against his temple for a moment before taking back hold of her leg.

''I paralysed my partner. Girl still died, perp died too.'' Harvey said. ''The Goat killer, you remember. Dix told me not to go running in and I ignored him, wanted to play hero and the goat got him. He nearly died and now instead of retiring and walking beaches somewhere he's stuck in a home and it's all my fault.'' Harvey finished looking away from her and taking another drink of his coffee.

''That's not your fault Harvey but I never agreed to a trade off.'' Penny pointed out.

''No but now you're in the middle of one so come on.'' Harvey said giving her calf a gentle squeeze.

''Why do you want to know so badly?'' Penny asked playing with the edge of her coffee cup.

''I don't want to know, I kinda _need _to know, you said some stuff last night Penn and it's been driving me insane. I was hoping you'd tell me. I mean I can just go check the police files, but I'd rather you tell me.'' Harvey watched Penny close her eyes for a moment and he knew, he just knew something big was coming. There were already tears starting to form in her eyes when she looked away from him. She started and faltered three or four times.

''When I was 18 my dad ran off with his new girlfriend, he left me, no money, an apartment that he owed rent on and no contact details. He took all my savings so I started to work my ass off. I met a guy and when I was twenty I got pregnant.'' Penny said swallowing some more coffee and pursing her lips for a moment. ''You know, I'd never, I mean I never thought I could love someone so much and I never thought someone could love me so much. I called her Adelaide and I swore she was going to do everything, everything. She was going to go to college and not have people run out on her. She was going to be so loved and happy. We moved up to mid-town because I got a new job. We were happy, really happy she was this bright star.'' Penny said fingering the locket around her neck. Harvey had never really paid attention to it before, just taken it for jewellery. One of those things that you see so often it just blends into the background. Penny opened it up and leaned forward showing Harvey a small picture of a little blond girl and Penny smiling and happy, it was clearly old and suddenly Harvey understood the lack of pictures. He rubbed at her calf gently, reassuring her he was there.

''Her dad was this no mark waste of space. He was all kinds of messed up. A kid has a right to see their dad though. He took an interest in her when she was 6 or 7 and he was seeing her for a few months until I stopped it.'' Penny had to pause for breath, had to sniff and try and collect herself before she went on, her legs were shaking.

''It was a really nice day, I was gardening, can you even imagine me gardening.'' She laughed but it was a hollow one. ''Addie was playing in the garden, all of a sudden he, Mark was his name. He comes running up to me and starts saying he needs cash quickly. I was trying to keep Addie out of it, she was happy she was playing and then this, this car pulls up and these guys get out.'' Harvey could see her getting swallowed whole by the memory, tears were rolling on her cheeks now. ''The first shot, the first shot registered and I just, I was confused but I still went for Addie, the second shot. The second shot, he used her as a human shield, then he dropped her and tried to run.'' Suddenly everything she'd been saying made sense. ''I should have protected her, I should have moved quicker. She couldn't- she didn't even last til the ambulance got there.'' Penny looked away from him as though ashamed of her tears and all Harvey could do was watch her, his own eyes were prickling. He squeezed her leg reassuringly again. Penny sniffed, wiped her eyes and took another breath.

''Falcone, it was Falcone's men and he paid me a visit about two weeks later. He apologised said that Addie shouldn't have been caught in the cross fire and that Mark was being taken care of. He also told me that Mark had offered us up as collateral several times, especially Addie. Falcone had checked us out though and deemed us not family.'' Penny shivered and Harvey rubbed her leg again.

''It's the anniversary right?'' Harvey asked her. Penny nodded and was trying to stop the tears welling up again.

''She was eight years old Harvey and he used her as a human shield.'' Penny brought her hand up to her face to try and hide it and wiped herself off. A lot of things about Penny were suddenly making sense to him, it was no wonder she was as fucked up as him. If Harvey thought Gotham had chewed him up and spat him out, it had done worse to Penny. Penny was silent for a few moments and Harvey just watched her as she tried to compose herself again. So she took a few days every year, a few days alone to just grieve and then the rest of the year she bottled it up, Harvey could understand that.

''Are you sure you don't have work?'' Penny asked him.

''Sure, I did have a date but eh, I'm not the best at keeping track of those things.'' Harvey was trying to lighten her mood a little.

''Do you really? You should go?'' Penny replied. It was so disconcerting for Penny to be like this. Harvey would take her shouting at him and threatening him everyday of the week over this subdued Penny. He just wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was ok, he had a feeling that it was something she needed, but he knew she wouldn't take it. Not right now.

''Nope, I'm not goin' anywhere. You're gunna subject me too whatever stupid movie you want and then I'll buy us takeout later on.'' Harvey said matter of factly. ''First though breakfast.'' He leaned forward keeping hold of her legs and grabbed the paper bag off the table.

* * *

A/N: _Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and follows. I love hearing what you guys think and the response to Penny has been good and I'm so grateful for that! I hope you continue to enjoy he story as it progresses. There's still so much more to come from these two and by so much more I mean SO much more! I have so much planned out for them._

_So that chapter was kind of angsty but it had to be done unfortunately. The next chapter as promised is moving into the more tv show timeline. I was thinking of doing a little more build up to there sort of coming together so to speak but I do think we've had quite a lot already! I know you guys are dying to see them together and I'm loving the comments trust me, stick with it and the pay off will be good ;) _


	6. Chapter 6

_Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_This fic will be quite a slow burner, heavily friendship based to start off with. It actually began when I was writing my OCxAlfred fic, in that I had Penny and Harvey as friends for a very long time. Over the course of writing the other fic I came to quite like the idea of Harvey x Penny too and so this fic was born! _

_If you enjoy please do review =) _

* * *

_Time comes for us all. Harvey Bullock knew his time was up as soon as he heard Penguins voice echoing off the walls of the GCPD. Jim Gordon, the man who'd he'd come to trust, maybe not with all his deepest darkest secrets, had failed to tell him that he hadn't actually killed Penguin. That Oswald Cobblepott, ordered killed by Falcone and Fish Mooney themselves was still alive. Harvey Bullock knew right in that moment that time was up and the time for carpe diem was upon him. It was a shame because he was just getting happy again. _

It had been years now, four, maybe five since Penny had revealed what made her tick. Harvey had made sure every year on the anniversary of her little girls death that he watched out for her. That she didn't end up in some gutter and if she did he got to her before some scumbag did. Time hadn't exactly been kind to either of them and they were still stuck in a vicious cycle. This cycle where both of them wouldn't, couldn't admit how they felt and so both of them had buried it deep, really deep. _Real love doesn't exist in Gotham and if it does the city will take it from you. _That was Penny's stance on it. Avoiding the subject altogether had only led to strings of relationships that weren't going anywhere and eventually Penny had completely given up all together. Harvey had decided that maybe sticking with prostitutes were better.

''So there is a soft centre beneath all that hard shell. I knew it.'' Harvey lingered about 5 feet away, leaning against the brick wall of the alley way. He'd been watching her for a while, in all honesty Harvey hadn't meant to find her. He'd stumbled upon her with a table set up, feeding the hungry kids and that just warmed his heart.

''You know stalking is a criminal offence don't you?'' Penny asked him as she started to pack away the things she had left over. Penny had been feeding the homeless kids for years now, she started a few years after she'd started at Schrubers. At first it was just her but when she spoke to the other shop owners they were happy to donate, help out with things they were throwing away anyway. Every Tuesday night Penny used a little of her own money to buy some bits and pieces that would provide cheap but filling meals for the kids. She went round the other stores and one of the girls helped her make up packages in boxes. She pulled a table out of the back door of the sweet shop and set up. Sometimes the other owners helped out but mostly it was just Penny. She had a pretty good rapport with the kids, some of them she'd been feeding since they were as young as seven or eight though. They knew they could trust her, that she didn't have ulterior motives.

Penny folded and slid the table back into the back door of the sweet shop. She'd store it properly in the morning when she opened up for work.

''Yeah but now I know what you do on a Tuesday night.'' Harvey replied with a grin on his face, he stepped forward and handed an empty pan too her. ''How long have you been doing this?'' Harvey asked her. It wasn't so much that it surprised him, he knew Penny had this softer side to her, she just didn't show it very often. It surprised him a little that all it did was fire up feelings for her. Maybe that had something to do with the stress of the Goat too though.

''Too long, when I started some of these kids were really little kids.'' Penny admitted. ''So what are you doing here?'' Penny sounded almost accusing.

''I was following you.'' Harvey replied but his tone was all tease. ''No, I was just on the way home, need to at least try and get some sleep.'' Harvey wasn't going to sleep though, at all, he was going to sit up all night and go through the case. Over and over again in his head, let the guilt of Dix, the guilt of the newest victim, the guilt of old victims overwhelm him and drive him forward.

''You're not gunna sleep are you?'' Penny said locking up the back door and walking towards him. ''Come on, you may aswell come home with me.'' She sighed. Harvey raised a brow at her. ''You're only gunna get drunk in some dive and turn up there later on. You can walk two steps behind me if you still want to play stalker.'' She teased walking ahead of him a little and forcing him to catch up.

When they got to her apartment Penny let the door swing open and waltzed in ahead of him. She hadn't cleaned up too much and the evident of a binge on ice cream, brownies and chips were littered across the little table in her living room.

''You had a party and you didn't invite me?'' Harvey said letting out a laugh. Harvey was more subdued than usual and Penny could sense it, she could feel it in the very way he carried himself. The Goat, she knew that's what it was. She wasn't stupid.

''If I'd have invited you, you'd have eaten all my ice cream before I got to it.'' Penny said dropping her bag and picking up the litter to throw in the trash. Penny rolled her shoulders as she grabbed the bottle of whiskey off the side and set the kettle boiling. Harvey had followed her, leaning against the kitchen counter. When she rolled her shoulders again he stepped forward.

''Here, let me.'' He said putting his hands on her shoulders. There were certain things you didn't share with friends, even the closest ones and this was one of those things. This was the worst part of the month, when two days after she'd finished getting rid of her uterine wall she was hit with back, neck and shoulder pain that ached like crazy. That and she got hot and bothered at the easiest of things, maybe she was getting older but she'd at least stopped giving into the more primal urges with people from bars.

''I'm fine.'' Penny shrugged.

''Come on, I'm good at this.'' Harvey's words felt so much closer to her ear than they were. Penny sighed and held her back straight for a moment as Harvey worked his hands over her shoulders, neck, the top of her back. Penny sighed, contentedly that time, Harvey had only heard her make that noise when she was eating good food and once when he'd accidentally spied her in the shower. She'd tilted her head forward and when the shower hit this one spot on her neck Penny had made the most delicious noise. He hadn't meant to see her but that image had never left him, he liked that noise a lot.

Harvey's fingers were like magic on her muscles and Penny felt her skin prickling under his touch, growing warm.

''Oh you are really good at that.'' Penny's voice was barely there. Harvey was very, very aware of how close he was to Penny when she was making that noise. How easy it would be to slip into what other couples would do. Penny's eyes snapped open and she stepped away from him like hot lightening had struck her. Harvey held his hands up to her.

''Did I hurt you?'' He asked sounding a little wounded.

''No, no jesus if you hurt me you think I wouldn't have said anything.'' Penny laughed. ''I just need the bathroom that's all, sorry, sit down I'll finish coffee when I'm done.'' Penny said. Harvey felt, actually Harvey didn't know what to feel, rejection except it wasn't rejection because the flush to Penny's cheeks said she was far from feeling rejection. Penny was in the bathroom in a flash, her breathing was a little rough. She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment, splashing water over her face twice. She was just hormonal, hormonal and horny, she didn't even like Harvey in that way. Penny couldn't even admit it to herself because if she admitted that she was even attracted to Harvey it was opening up a ridiculous can of worms that she just couldn't deal with right now. _At all. _

''So the Goat?'' Penny said stepping out of the bathroom. ''Are you ok?''

''Now there's something I don't want to talk about.'' Harvey said.

''So, it's gotta be two killers right?'' Penny asked. She forewent the coffee and brought over two tumblers pouring whiskey into each.

''Since when were you a detective?'' He retorted.

''Ok, look you don't have to tell me about the case. You know you can talk to me though right? I mean you can keep the stalker thing up if you really want to.'' Penny let out a laugh and so did Harvey. ''You'll get him.'' Penny said to him. ''You got him once, you'll get him again.'' Penny unscrewed a bottle of asprin and was halfway through chugging two when Harvey's phone rang. He held a finger up to her and then got up. Penny watched him closely, his fingers had felt really good on her shoulders. _Don't._ That voice in her head was rising up and she shifted on her seat. Harvey was watching her now, wondering just what was wrong with her, she seemed different today. Like she was uncomfortable in her own skin.

''I gotta go.'' Harvey said. ''The goat.'' He sighed and Penny just watched him slip his hat back on.

''You'll get him Harv.'' Penny smiled at him.

''No more ice cream.'' Harvey said. ''I'll bring some back with me once I get this tied up.'' Harvey added, then maybe he could find out what was bugging her too.

* * *

Penny had gotten up late, it was her day off though so really she could do whatever the hell she wanted. She'd waited up for Harvey for a while before going to bed, she needed to sleep, she needed to get out of being hormonal and most importantly she needed to push away the thoughts that had started bubbling in her brain and were now refusing to leave. Things like how good Harvey always looked in a morning, how good he always smelt. Things like even when wet, when he first stepped out of the shower he still had something about it that just, no matter how much she denied it, made her want to jump him. She'd seen him shirtless, she'd thought about digging her nails into that broad back, thought about her nails raking through his hair. She'd done it all in a state of denial though, she'd blamed everything from drink to hormones to loneliness. Usually she avoided him at this time of the month, it was like a full moon, he was like a full moon. Drawing her in and making this monster inside her surge forth. She was trying so hard to bury it, so hard to ignore the memory of how good his hands had felt on her shoulders. _Just hormones. _She repeated. _Just hormones. _Besides Harvey Bullock had gotten over her long ago, they were friends and she wouldn't set herself up for rejection like that. Not for anyone, not even for _lo-_the word was choked off in her thoughts. _Love _didn't exist in Gotham, if love did exist here it was quickly taken away from you. It was twisted from something beautiful and blossoming to a dark and putrid mess that twisted itself around your heart like barbed wire. Piercing and sharp. Love wasn't real, love only existed in the movies and in safe pocket spaces. _Just hormones. Just stupid hormones, you always get a little crazy at this time. Remember the con artists? The banker who couldn't keep it up? The accountant? None of them exactly left you satisfied. _The voice in her head said.

Penny was stirring her cup of coffee like she had been for the past five minutes when there was banging at the door. She wasn't exactly dressed for guests, not that she gave a crap, she still looked pretty good in her pyjamas. Still she pulled her dressing gown tighter around her and went to investigate, that time the thumping was louder.

Penny yanked the door open with a frown on her face and her temper boiling. ''What the hell do you th-'' She was cut off. It was Harvey and he looked like he'd been to hell and back.

''I gotta come in.'' He said slowly. Harvey hadn't really thought much about what he was doing until the fourth knock on the door. He was a dead man, for sure. Oswald Cobblepott was alive and now Falcone would be coming after him, it was all well and good for Jim to say he had a plan, to say he was working on something but now Harvey was going to end up dead because of him. No blaze of glory just shot in some alley like a scumbag. Maybe he was a scumbag, maybe that's how he'd always been meant to die but he didn't believe that himself. Not deep down.

He'd had drinks, shots on the way over but not too many, he was driving after all. He'd gotten out of that building lickity split and hell he wasn't going to play at sitting duck. Death was coming for him, probably in the shape of a bald headed psychopath and Harvey was going to enjoy what time he had left. He was going to go out, he was going to get drunk, he was probably going to grab a prostitute or two depending how this went and depending how long he had left. This was it, this was his last chance to throw it all in and tell her how he felt before he was strung up. Was it selfish? Of course it was but Harvey needed her to know, he needed to not die without telling her.

He'd thought about a speech but when she yanked open the door and shouted he faltered, he didn't know what to say. He wasn't entirely sure what to do until she turned her back to him to close the door. Harvey did something he should have done two nights ago when he had his hands on her shoulders. He walked forward and kissed her.

Penny was midway through asking him what was going on when his lips were suddenly pressed against hers. When his body was trapping her against the back of her own door. He tasted like jack and cigarettes, he kissed with desperation and a passion Penny hadn't felt before. She couldn't even protest though, she couldn't because she didn't want too. Penny needed taking in hand, she needed someone to show her, not tell her. She was well aware Harvey was probably drunk, high off a case but right now she needed this just as much as he did. She needed companionship, she needed to feel like someone gave a damn, she needed to feel loved. She needed him. She didn't want to overthink it and instead her hands tangled up into his hair, she threw his hat away. Allowed firm, needy hands to press the silk of her pyjamas against her skin as he struggled to remain steady.

Penny was so soft, despite all her hardness she was soft beneath his fingers, she was soft and passionate and wanting. She wanted him. _She wanted him. _That's what ran through Harvey's mind when her fingers tangled up into his hair and she pulled him closer, tried to press him closer. She tasted sweet, she tasted sweet beneath the coffee, her skin smelt like the body cream she'd used and Harvey knew he'd store that in his memory bank. There was too much clothing in the way for him, he wanted to feel her, he needed too. He needed the warmth of her skin pressed against his, the hot breath leaving her lips in ragged moans against the shell of his ear. _He needed her. _

* * *

Penny opened her eyes slowly a few hours later and rolled over in her bed onto her side, she looked Harvey over, well Harvey's back, still a little red from where she'd dug her nails in. A smile flitted over her face and faltered when she saw the curve of his spine. The way his head was bent, he wasn't happy, Penny could guess why and she wasn't going to let him feel sorry for himself.

''Harv?'' Penny asked him sitting up, sheet tucked up underneath her armpits.

''Uh huh?'' Harvey replied.

''Look you don't have to beat yourself up ok?'' Penny said matter of factly. ''I'm not some romantic teenager and I mean this was bound to happen sooner or later. It was just sex Harvey. I'm not gunna make a thing out of it, come on you must know me better than that by now right? So don't worry. Honestly.'' Penny said letting out a gentle sigh. Harvey didn't respond, that hurt, that really hurt except in his heart he knew it wasn't true. He knew that Penny had felt something just like he had, he knew she was trying to save face, save him from feeling bad but it still hurt. She had felt something hadn't she? She must have done that wasn't all him, it couldn't have been. Not the way she pleaded for him, not the way she held onto him, not the way she pressed herself against him, desperate for every inch of herself to be wrapped around him. _That wasn't just him. _It hurt that she thought that's all he wanted but he didn't have the energy to correct her, he wanted to get back into bed and wrap her up in his arms. He wanted to hold her for as long as possible but he couldn't. How could he? He'd already been selfish, he couldn't tell her he loved her and then run off to die. That was cruel, after everything she'd been though that was cruel. He was torn, tormented, scared, pissed and now he was upset.

Penny watched him, there was something else. Something Harvey wasn't telling her. In all the years she'd known him he'd never once tried to make a real move and now this? Now he'd stormed into her apartment and gotten all passionate, something was wrong and it made Penny sick to think of what that thing was. _Like it's his last chance._ The thought ran through her head before she could catch it.

''Harvey what's happened?'' She asked sitting herself at the end of the bed next to him. It felt so odd and yet so normal to be like this. To just be naked and together and chatting, it was like nothing was out of place.

''Jim didn't kill Cobblepott and now Falcone is coming after us. I'll be dead before the nights out.'' Harvey said and Penny inhaled a little sharply but she refused to let emotion show on her face.

''What?'' Penny asked him.

''When Jim first started this kid, Cobblepott screwed Mooney over. Falcone said the kid had to die, Jim was supposed to shoot him, he was getting arrested for murder when the son-of-a-bitch turns up at the GCPD. Falcone is going to kill us and Jim starts harping on about a plan.''

''So what now you're going to be a sitting duck?'' Penny asked him, it was then she realised he was half dressed, trousers back on at least.

''You got a better idea?'' Harvey asked her.

''Fight.'' Penny replied, if she knew Jim, and she only really knew bits and pieces from the times Harvey had talked about him or brought him into the shop. But if she knew Jim she knew he wasn't going down without a fight. ''Fight, you wanna be a hero like in the movies now here's your chance. Don't be a sitting duck Harv. You fight, fight til your last breath and you try and claw your way outta there.''

''And if I don't want to?''

''What else are you gunna do? Sit here with me and be miserable.'' Penny asked him. ''You go out there and you fight and you come back. You come back and you and Gordon get on with solving cases. You don't just roll over and let him fill you full of lead.'' Penny said, she was trying to keep the emotion out of her voice but her chest was rising and falling. She'd been a last minute fuck before he lept into the breach and that was fine, _really, _it was.

''What's the point in fighting?'' Harvey asked, he was looking for a certain kind of answer. He was looking for her to say that she was a reason to fight, that this, whatever this was, was a reason to fight but Penny wouldn't. He watched her for a minute tried to let his fingers find hers but she pulled them away.

''I'm not going to tell you that this is worth fighting for.'' She said bluntly. ''You rode the rollercoaster, now you can say you did it before you run off into war.'' Penny said and Harvey didn't like the way she referred to herself like that. ''I'm not under any illusion of what this was and I'm not going to fuel a delusion just for you.'' Penny added. ''You wanted to feel something, wanted to let out your frustration well there we go. Now we go back to normal, I don't blame you, you're forgiven.''

''That's unfair.'' Harvey said but he could feel himself getting angry. Somewhere inside he knew she was pushing him away and he knew he was selfish to expect to drop in then drop out like that but he was about to die and she hadn't even flinched yet.

''No Harvey what's unfair is you coming here, fucking me and then expecting me to be like an actress in a fucking movie. You expecting me to tell you that you should fight for me, for life, for whatever this is and I won't. I'm not gunna lie to you. I don't want you to fight for me, that's a damn stupid reason to fight. I want you to fight because Gotham needs people like you and Jim.'' Penny said. ''I want you to fight because you have spent so much time being told no heroes and deep down not believing it and now you get your chance to at least try and act like a hero and you should take it.''

''Even on my last legs you can't lie to me?'' Harvey asked standing up and pulling his shirt on, everything about his stance said he was angry. ''You felt something I know you did and you can lie about it all you damn well want and pull the dead kid card out but you felt something.'' Harvey said hitting way below the belt.

''I'm not going to lie and pretend to you like we're loves young dream. We had sex because you needed to fuck something before you-'' She couldn't say die. He wasn't going to die. ''You're an asshole.'' Penny growled when he said about playing the card. The tension in the room was rising fast. Penny didn't want to be close to him, didn't want to be near to him. She wanted to bury what she felt when she'd woke up so deep it would never resurface. She didn't want to hurt, didn't want to have to stand up at another funeral. Who was he to start bringing this on her? Who did he think he was to just spring into her life and do this?

''And you're a coward!'' Harvey growled raising his voice. ''You never went on a date with me again because you were too damn scared I made you feel something, just admit it!''

''I'm a coward? Coming from the guy who will just sit and wait patiently for some psychopath to come and get him? You're a coward Harvey.'' Penny retorted her voice jumping up an octave.

''You like me, you know it, I know it, anyone who's in a damn room with us for five minutes knows it. You can dress it up however you want but before wasn't just about companionship or whatever other bull excuse you wanna come up with.'' Harvey said. ''You're a coward Penny. A damn coward, you're so scared of having happiness for five minutes that you'll take it to the damn grave.''

''Happiness? You think I'd have happiness with you? You're so full of yourself Harvey. Please tell me the last time _I _showed up at your apartment? At your work. You inserted yourself into my life not the other way round.''

''Yeah well now I'm ejecting myself. Enjoy your miserable apartment and your memories. Enjoy your cowardice and your mould and loneliness.'' Harvey didn't need this shit. She wanted to end a friendship like this then fine. He'd told her he was off to die and she hadn't even flinched. She hadn't gotten upset. He didn't need her, he had half a day left on this crummy planet and he was intending to spend it well. Duchess and drinks sounded like a pretty damn good idea. A far better idea than he'd ever had of going to hers and admitting he loved her.

* * *

Harvey turned over in Jim's bed and immediately reached for his hip flask on the side of the dresser. The Duchess was in the en-suite cleaning up. Jim was probably in some corner with earplugs in trying not to think about what Harvey was doing in his bed. He swigged and looked down at his cell to see it flashing with a message. Tentatively he opened it wondering what it could be and when he saw it was a voice mail he became intrigued. He pushed the button and held the receiver to his ear not entirely sure what to expect.

''_Harvey.'' _Penny's voice echoed down the receiver and Harvey felt anger well up inside him, it was over ridden by his heart clenching in his chest though. ''_I'm sorry,'' _there was a pause too long and he could hear her voice as she tried to say something and faltered. ''_I told you when I met you I was undateable. I like that you inserted yourself into my life though.'' _She laughed and Harvey rubbed his forehead with his fingers. He couldn't deal with this right now, yet he couldn't stop listening. ''_I wasn't gunna lie to you, it's not who I am. If it makes me an asshole so be it, I'm not gunna tell you to fight, for me, I'm not worth it. I'm not worth shit but you are. You are Harvey Bullock. The world needs Harvey Bullock. I want you to fight for yourself, for Jim, for Gotham. I want you to fight because you're a hero, you can tell yourself and everyone around you that you're not but you are.'' _I don't want you to die, that was what was lingering in the air, on the tip of her tongue as Penny had read the message. The first time she was going to say she'd try to hide him but she gave up on that she couldn't, her mouth wouldn't form the words. Penny had chased after him, not that Harvey knew, he was already long gone. So Penny had slumped back to her apartment and held it together for all of thirty minutes before she descended into a numb sobbing mess on the couch.

''_The world needs Harvey Bullock, the world needs those magic hands and stupid cocky head you have on you. The world needs your sass. Now I sound like I'm out of a movie so now I'm done-'' _The message cut off and Harvey figured it had run on too long with all her pauses and stutters. He looked over to the bathroom and felt guilty in himself for his little liaison. He smiled at his phone for a moment, he couldn't linger though. Harvey Bullock was stepping into the breach and about to go out in a blaze of glory. It was too late to be thinking about what could have been. Death wasn't coming to get him any more. Harvey Bullock was going to hunt out death.

* * *

A/N: _I can't say this enough but I really am so grateful to all the support, to all the people who've reviewed and who are enjoying this story. I love writing stories I can sink my teeth into and you'll be happy to know this thing is keeping me up night and day with ideas! _

_This chapter was so long and I feel a little guilty about that but I don't think there was really an appropriate place to cut it. I did stop before I started writing the making up though xD _


	7. Chapter 7

_Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_This fic will be quite a slow burner, heavily friendship based to start off with. It actually began when I was writing my OCxAlfred fic, in that I had Penny and Harvey as friends for a very long time. Over the course of writing the other fic I came to quite like the idea of Harvey x Penny too and so this fic was born! _

_If you enjoy please do review =) _

* * *

She didn't want to see him, that's what she kept telling herself but it just wasn't true. The admittance of her feelings for Harvey had destroyed the fragile walls she was holding up. The fence had come down and denying it was futile now. She hated him for that, she hated him for making her admit her feelings, she hated him for giving her something to hope for. She hated him for giving her something to want for again, especially something she might not get. The worst part was she didn't hate him, not at all.

Penny was worried, he hadn't called back. She guessed, assumed he had gotten her voice message but he hadn't called her. It had been two days. The first day Penny had spent trying to ignore the fact she was worried. The second day she'd spent ignoring the fact that something could have happened to him. Today though, today she couldn't. She had to know, there'd been nothing in the papers about dead detectives, he hadn't been into the sweet shop so what had happened to him? The thought he might be lying in a hospital filled her with dread but she needed to find out.

Penny made her way to the station and stepped in with her head held high, she could see him across the room and that made her a little angry. Maybe she had just been a last minute fuck? Maybe he really didn't care about her that much. Her walls had faltered and now she had this horrible idea that she was going to be left hurt.

''You're alive then.'' Penny said coming to a stand just behind him with a hand on her hip.

''Take more than a gangster to put me down.'' Harvey said matter of factly. He glanced once or twice around the station before he looked back to Penny. She wanted him gone so he'd gone. He was too stressed at the moment to deal with her rejection. Too stressed with trying to keep the boy scout from getting himself murdered by a room full of angry cops. He'd honestly thought about Penny just about every spare minute he had. He was trying to stop though.

''Harvey.'' Penny said as he turned away from her for a minute. ''Can we just talk a minute?'' Penny asked him running a hand through her hair and feeling foolish.

''Didn't you say everything the other day? I've extracted myself. Is that not enough? What you wanna humiliate me in front of a room full of cops too?'' Harvey asked her. She had said that to him. She had said that he inserted himself into her life and yeah it was heat of the moment, yeah she was mad as hell but it still hurt. Penny tilted her head and crossed her arms over her chest. Harvey couldn't resist her when she looked like that. ''Ok.'' Harvey sighed and threw some files onto a desk. He took her arm, fingers curling around the top half and led her into a storage closet.

''Way to make a girl feel special.'' She quipped looking around.

''Are you gunna make another speech?'' Harvey asked her. ''The world needs Harvey Bullock don't you know.'' Harvey wasn't just teasing he was being mean, he was straight up making fun of her.

''You know what, screw this, I didn't come here to be made fun of. I thought you were going to die.'' Penny said turning away from him for a minute. She took a breath and turned back, leaning against a cold steel file cabinet. Goosebumps sprung up on her arms and made her aware of the chill in the air. Penny rested her head against it for a moment. How was she even supposed to tell him? The very thought of saying anything, admitting anything was too hard.

''What do you want?'' Harvey asked her. ''My magic fingers is that it?'' Harvey was being mean again.

''To see if you were alive.'' Penny said not meeting his eyes. Harvey dropped the act when he looked at her face. He could see how hard this was for her, he could really see in her face how much it was affecting her. Harvey took a step towards her and Penny twisted her head. Her eyes were glazed over as though she were going to cry but she wasn't.

''Hey.'' Harvey said taking another step towards her so he was inches rather than feet away from her.

''You're right.'' Penny said meeting his eyes for a minute. ''I'm a coward.'' She wasn't just a coward she was terrified. She had never felt like this in her whole life, even Addie's dad she hadn't felt like this with. She knew that had never been love, she knew that other things were crushes. She'd never felt anything this strong before, it was overwhelming and it terrified her. ''I thought I was gunna come here and they were going to tell me you we-'' Penny started, her voice cracking half way through and Harvey stepped forward, closed the gap and leaned in kissing her. How could he stay mad at her? She looked so broken and so messed up, he could see it behind her eyes. He knew, Harvey knew that Gotham had chewed her up and spat her out so much worse than him, where Harvey had closed himself off from romantic attachment for the most part Penny had tried to close herself off altogether.

Harvey felt her press back against his lips, felt her kiss him back, no fingers in the hair this time which disappointed him. She was still resisting though, like she was trying to prove a point to herself. Harvey wondered if she'd ever get passed that and let her guard down altogether. Harvey wanted to do this properly though, they both deserved that. He pulled back resting his forehead against hers for a minute.

''Let me take you out, tonight.'' Harvey offered. ''After work.'' He said and Penny looked up at him, keeping her forehead pressed against his, heart beating at a ridiculous rate in her chest. ''What you gotta lose?''

''Everything.'' Penny whispered swallowing a little hard.

''I think you mean this.'' Harvey said leaning in to kiss her again, soft, yet forceful, passionate, lingering. A reminder of that night, a reminder that he could have died and she might never get to taste those lips again. A reminder that he actually cared about her because it wasn't just a kiss it was a kiss laced with feelings.

''Ok.'' Penny nodded, it wasn't like she was going to say no anyway. She'd said everything because she wanted him to understand the gravity of what letting him into her life like this meant to her. She wanted him to understand that it really did feel to her like she could lose everything. She'd only just managed to claw herself back from Adelaide's death, she didn't think she could take pain like that again. Harvey knew, of course he knew. He had a lot to lose too, he knew exactly how she felt.

''Let's do this properly ok?'' Harvey said and Penny nodded again, he didn't like seeing her so pliable, so fragile. ''Ok, I'll pick you up. Six, outside your apartment.'' Harvey added.

''Yeah but don't come up, stay outside at the car.'' Penny said and Harvey raised a brow at her. ''Don't look at me like that you said you wanted to do this properly. If you were a stranger I wouldn't invite you up.'' Penny said pushing him gently.

''Oh like that is it?'' Harvey asked tilting his head at her.

''Yes, yes it is.'' Penny leaned up and kissed him again, this time it was her who left him lingering mid-air as she pulled away from him. Slipped out of his arms and disappeared onto the outside of the door. She smiled, not just smiled but she grinned like her whole insides were lighting up, then she realised she was in the GCPD and people were looking at her.

''Problem?'' She asked a perplexed looking Gordon, who held his hands up in defence as she walked out.

Harvey was on the other side of the door grinning like a mad man, a grin that only got wider when he heard her ask someone if they had a problem. In a matter of minutes he'd gone from upset, stressed and down in the dumps to feeling on top of the world. She wanted him as much as he wanted her and she was letting him in. She was letting her guard down for him, Harvey could recognise that and he knew how much it meant. He was going to show her the time of her life tonight that was for sure, now though he needed to head back out into the station. He rubbed at his beard and mouth with his hand, as though trying to rub the smile off his face, make it a little less noticeable. Harvey rubbed his mouth again putting his free hand on the door and pulling it open.

''Do I even wanna know what went on in there?'' Gordon asked and Harvey didn't answer him he just sat down at his desk and started to ask him about the case at hand.

Harvey did as he was asked, he didn't go up to her apartment, he waited at the car, head bowed as he looked at the pavement. There was a little bouquet of flowers hidden behind his back. He was nervous, more so now than he'd ever been for a date. It was ridiculous, it was only Penny. Penny who'd tucked him up, Penny who'd made sure he didn't shoot himself by accident when he was drunk. Penny who'd let him whinge countless times about cases, about the boy scout. It was only Penny and yet Harvey felt the twist of nerves in his stomach like never before. He'd booked a damn fancy restaurant and now here he was not looking up at the door of the building. _A watched pot never boils. _Besides he was early.

Penny felt the swell of nerves in her stomach and it was the most ridiculous feeling in the world. She'd already slept with Harvey, been on one date, Harvey had already stayed over at her house and she'd seen him in the shower more times than she cared to count. She knew so much about him already and yet now, stood in front of the mirror doing final checks, she felt more nervous than she'd ever felt. It never took her this long to get ready, she never really gave a shit if her dates thought wow or not when they saw her, looks weren't everything after all. She was also pretty sure that as soon as she opened her mouth they'd be on their way anyway. That's what she'd thought would happen with Harvey. That's why she'd been so disappointed when he'd never called back. Penny fixed her dress again and slipped her coat on. Harvey wouldn't get to see her dress until they were wherever they were going and she was hoping it would make him sit up and take notice.

A little black dress, every girl has one and this one had cost Penny an arm and a leg when she'd first got it. The first thing she bought that was solely for herself with her first paycheck from the fancy job she had whilst Addie was alive. She'd kept this, refused to give it up and only wore it on special occasions. It was the only thing in her wardrobe that wasn't cheap or altered or from the charity shop, that wasn't too say that the clothes in her wardrobe weren't nice. She looked good, she knew she looked good, especially when she wanted too.

This was a little black body con dress, the two straps were lacey. Patterned, there was a layer of lace over the actual dress too. A belt around her waist that tied the whole thing together. The body of the dress held tight to her body, showcasing her ass and hips, accentuating her curves. The dress rose a few inches above the knee and she'd slipped on some high black heels to go with it. Penny grabbed her purse, her keys and headed out.

When she saw him at the car a smile started to creep across features almost instantly. She felt relieved to know that he was clearly a little nervous. She could tell that in his stance, she wasn't about to let him know that she was nervous though. Not a chance.

''You know you look even more like a stalker when you stand like that. Stalker or a dealer.'' Penny said as she walked towards him.

''Ouch, you cut me deeply, I was going more for endearing.'' Harvey said putting his hand over his heart for a moment. ''These are for madame.'' He said holding out the flowers.

''Oh no, no Harv don't tell me you're going all soppy on me.'' Penny said looking down at the flowers. ''They are beautiful though.'' She grinned at him stepping towards him and closing the distance. ''Hi.'' She said.

''Hi.'' Harvey replied, he leant in and Penny honestly thought he was going to kiss her, she wasn't going to resist at all. She'd been wanting to kiss him again all day. He didn't though instead he kissed her cheek and Penny looked disgruntled.

''You're serious about this doing it properly thing huh?'' She asked him. ''You can kiss me you know.'' Penny said again. Harvey leaned in again as though he was about to kiss her again and simply kissed her cheek again. ''Are you teasing me Harvey Bullock?'' Penny asked raising a brow.

''Me?'' Harvey asked hands on his chest. ''Never!'' He mocked offence and moved away from her to his side of the car.

''So where are you taking me?'' Penny asked opening the door and getting into the passenger seat. She leant behind her and dropped the flowers on the back seat.

''That's a surprise.'' Harvey said pulling away from her building.

''Oh you really are teasing me.'' Penny grinned at him.

When they stopped outside the restaurant Penny had felt ridiculously out of place, even more so when they entered. This place was fancy, really fancy, too fancy and even the look on Harvey's face when she took her coat off couldn't soften the blow. People were already looking at her, that's what it felt like anyway. Penny looked around, she really didn't want to offend Harvey but this place was, well for her it was awful. The food looked so pretentious, tiny portions that probably cost fifty bucks a pop and then she doubted they served cocktails that cost less than twenty. Why had he brought her here? Of all places? He could have taken her to a hot dog stand and then a bar and she'd have been happy, or the movies. She'd thought it might be the movies with how nerdy Harvey got about them. When they ordered from the waiter there was a few looks Penny's way because she was just too loud, too brash to be in a place like this, then again so was Harvey. All he wanted was a beer but he didn't even know if they had beer. He'd asked the waiter for what he assumed was a beer and Penny had ordered a cocktail.

''This place?'' Penny asked him again looking over the menu. Everything was so over priced.

''When did they start letting riff raff in here?'' Penny heard the woman behind her and turned around.

''Penn.'' Harvey said quietly his voice a low rumble.

''I'm sorry I didn't catch that, I don't know maybe the words struggled to get past your bitter dried up old lips.'' Penny suggested turning back around in her seat. She heard the woman say something again and made to turn around when Harvey put a hand on her arm.

''Penn, ignore em'.'' Harvey said. Penny sighed and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It wasn't that places like this intimidated her. It was that there was so much pretension and bullshit surrounding everything that it irritated her, it got under her skin. Those bottles of wine tasted no different to a 5 buck bottle from the supermarket.

''Harvey.'' Penny said to him not bothering to whisper. ''You really wanna be here?'' She asked him.

''Yeah, yeah.'' Harvey said but he didn't sound convinced of it.

''Really? You really wanna pay sixty bucks for a damn crab cake?'' Penny asked him raising a brow. ''You really wanna pay two-fifty for food and still leave hungry?''

''Penn-'' Harvey started and Penny cut him off.

''Get your stuff.'' Penny said to him matter of factly. ''Come on, before the waiter comes back with drinks. Let's go somewhere nice, somewhere we're both not going to end up miserable all evening or in a fight.'' Penny grinned. Harvey watched her for a minute before he obeyed. He hadn't realised how bad this idea was until he'd actually pulled up to the place.

''Come on.'' Penny said jumping up and slipping her coat back over her shoulders. She felt like a naughty school girl as she grabbed Harvey's arm and tugged him out of the restaurant quickly. Once they were outside and a little away Penny pulled Harvey by his coat collar into her for a proper kiss.

''You're a bad girl.'' Harvey mumbled.

''Hmm you gunna arrest me?'' Penny asked him letting out a laugh. ''Come on, I know where we can go. It's not too far and we'll have a good night I promise.''

Penny led Harvey away from up town. Harvey thought about his car but the way Penny was heading he doubted he'd be able to drive them home after anyway. He'd parked in a nice neighbourhood, his beat up car near some real nice expensive ones so it was guaranteed not to be stolen. Penny led him down side streets until they came out onto an urban strip. The very air down here was alive and Harvey wondered how he'd missed it before. There were bars and food stalls. Vendors selling alcohol on the street. Penny made him buy them both burritos first, the drinking could begin afterward.

Harvey had had no intention of staying at Penny's, he'd wanted to kiss her goodnight and lead her to her apartment. That was it. Then again the night hadn't exactly gone how he'd planned. His wallet was a lot fuller for a start, both of them were full and a little drunk. Penny had made him stop for more food on the way home at a different vendor. Harvey had wanted to stay on the couch. He'd wanted to just sleep on the couch because he wanted to do this properly. Penny had grabbed him by the arm though and dragged him to bed. No funny business. It was genuinely just for sleeping. As Harvey fell asleep with his arms around a sleeping Penny he couldn't remember ever feeling so content. Content to just lie there with her, content to just hold her. _Happy _to hold her. She was beautiful, soft and peaceful when she slept, except of course when she turned over and took all the covers with her.

Penny wasn't used to having someone in bed with her but she liked it. She liked the warm body that smelt of jack and cigarettes next to her, she liked her back pressed against that strong chest and his arms warm and heavy around her. She'd never felt like this with anyone before, falling asleep was easy for her with him there and that made her happy. Happier than she'd been in a long, long time.

* * *

A/N: _I can't say this enough but I really am so grateful to all the support, to all the people who've reviewed and who are enjoying this story. _

_This chapter was mostly fluff, I figure lots of fluff before some more drama :)_


	8. Chapter 8

_Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_This fic will be quite a slow burner, heavily friendship based to start off with. It actually began when I was writing my OCxAlfred fic, in that I had Penny and Harvey as friends for a very long time. Over the course of writing the other fic I came to quite like the idea of Harvey x Penny too and so this fic was born! _

_If you enjoy please do review =) _

* * *

''Yeah.'' Harvey answered his phone without even looking at the number, he sounded pissed, really pissed. In a way he was, he had always built up this wall that he was an ass, that he went along with everything that he was a bit of a screw up cop and that he was definitely a corrupt cop but he had always seen himself as at least half a good man. Harvey had changed, that was true, since Jim had stormed into his life and made him run off fighting gangsters he had allowed his courage to surface. Jim had managed to bring out that courage in him. He had thought that he'd earned Jim's trust but now he was questioning all that. He wasn't mad per se, he understood that why Jim didn't tell him, he really did but at the same time it hurt a little.

''Well if that's your attitude, I'll just go shall I?'' Penny said into the receiver with a huff.  
''Can it smart ass.'' Harvey didn't sound in any mood to even laugh at her jokes, let alone anything else. Penny felt kind of mean as she played with the phone cord. She really needed to invest in a new cell phone and stop relying on the one at work for most of her calls. When she had a little extra cash she would do. ''What do you want?''

''Not a date with the grumpmeister that's for sure.'' Penny said into the phone.

''Penn I'm up to my eyeballs in work and my balls are on the line right now.'' Harvey's voice was almost a low growl.

''When you've quite finished with your squeeze.'' A male voice echoed in the background.

''Squeeze, Harvey I thought I was the only woman in your life.'' A woman's voice filtered through the noise and Penny's face turned sour at her end of the phone.

''Who's that?'' Penny asked her voice had gone deadpan like she was trying not to appear or sound jealous.

''Wha- oh, it's no one-''

''No one, did I just hear right. Did you just call me no one Harvey?'' The woman's voice again and Penny felt her insides twist.

''Penn, it's no one ok, I'm on a case. I'll call you later.'' Harvey said into the phone. He needed to call Jim, tell him what he knew about Bruce and Selina's whereabouts.

''Harvey.'' Penny was going to start something but if he was already in the arms of another woman what was the point? He wouldn't do that to her, not after the fuss he'd made about being with her? Surely not. Penny chewed her lip for a minute. ''Be safe.'' She said into the phone softly, a sigh of defeat leaving her lips.

''I promise I'll call you later.'' Harvey said into the receiver. All he had to do was help Gordon and Alfred find these damn kids. He could ignore the voice in his head for as long as possible. Was he really a bad person? Really that bad? That corrupt that Jim hadn't wanted to tell him about this? It's the thought that kept creeping up into his mind. He could tell himself that it was just Jim needed to keep it on the downlow, that maybe it was because Jim knew he'd tell him to leave it alone but Harvey didn't know he believed that. Now Penny too, did she really think he'd cheat on her or something, the tone in her voice screamed insecurity at him and he worried what she'd do. Would she just take off? Run rather than risk being hurt? He couldn't deal with that. He closed his cell as he looked over towards Alfred and Fish talking at the bar. Once upon a time he'd have given anything to press Fish against the bar, now he just wanted to go home to Penny and be done with all this bullcrap.

''Finished have we?'' Alfred asked him. ''Right well perhaps we can get back to the business at hand. Miss Mooney has kindly given us the information we need.'' Alfred said smoothly. Harvey looked at him an almost bitter expression crossing his face. That was the sort of man Penny deserved, action man Alfred and his diving into the breach to save everyone. Strong and pretty good looking, even had damn Fish Mooney swooning with his _eloquent_ language or whatever he'd said. Despite bitterness rising in him Harvey couldn't help but carry a certain respect for the man.

* * *

''Jim?'' Penny asked as she made her way through the precinct. ''You're leaving?'' She asked him.

''Demoted, Arkham Asylum I'm sure Harvey will fill you in.'' Jim responded and Penny just stared after him for a minute. Harvey wasn't at his desk as she approached, so she took a seat in his chair. This was a first for Penny, usually she'd cut and run, if Harvey was seeing another woman she wasn't about to wait around for him to get rid of her, she'd run before he could. He wasn't though, Penny, despite doubts in her mind, couldn't bring herself to believe that about him and so here she was trying to make her boyfriends day better. Boyfriend? Was that what he was now? They'd been together at least two weeks now, been in and out of each others pockets in that time but did that really make him her boyfriend? Boyfriend sounded so weird even in her head.

Harvey nearly groaned when he saw Penny, the last thing he wanted was a row in the GCPD or twenty million questions about the other woman in the background. He only had eyes for Penny now. In fact aside from a couple of women on the tv and in the movies he'd only had eyes for Penny for quite some time. Why was she here? He said he'd call her later, wondering what was going on made him consider running to Ed's lab and hiding out there until she left.

''This can't be good.'' Harvey said leaning in over her shoulder.

'''Have you done somethin' that means this wouldn't be good?'' Penny asked folding her arms across her chest and tilting her head at him. Honestly she wasn't going to bring it up but he had.

''I was workin'.'' Harvey said matter of factly.

''Workin' up a sweat?'' Penny replied pointedly. It came out harsher than it should have done.

''What, no, no I had to go see Fish about the Wayne thing, Bruce Wayne went missing with this girl Selina Kyle.'' Harvey said shaking his head and sitting against the edge of his desk.

''Cat?'' Penny asked him taking a breath.

''You know her?'' Harvey asked.

''You aren't the only person who stays on my couch Harvey.'' Penny replied. ''Is she ok?'' Penny asked, worry rose in her system thick and fast. She'd known Cat for years now, the kid stayed in her apartment from time to time. Came and went on the couch as she please. Sort of like how an actual cat would. Penny occasionally left money on the side for her, extra milk in the fridge and that kind of thing. They had a bond, small but shared because Cat and Penny were cut from the same cloth. Were similar in a lot of ways that neither would ever admit too.

''No idea, she took off into the night. We haven't seen her since.'' Harvey added. ''And just for the record you're the only woman for me. Ok? No need to get jealous or worried, though if you wanna fight another woman for my honour some time.'' Harvey said and Penny swatted him hard on the leg.

''I'm not jealous.'' Penny shook her head.

''Really?'' Harvey folded his arms and gave her a disbelieving look.

''No, but-'' Penny said standing up. ''-if you ever do lie to me about shit like that Harvey-'' Penny moved closer to him and leaned in against his ear. ''-I will tear your dick off and feed it to the stray cats.'' She pulled back and smiled sweetly. ''No, but seriously though, just promise me if you want to leave me, you'll just leave me. None of this cheating bullshit.'' Penny said seriously with a shrug of her shoulders.

''Penn-'' Harvey started seriously, his face had fallen slightly. Disappointed that she could think that of him, did everyone really think he was an asshole.

''I don' think you're gunna cheat ok.'' In that moment she really did have so much conviction in what she was saying. The way his chin had dropped, the rest of the world could think he was an asshole but Penny knew he was a hero. She'd always said that, why she'd even let the thought of him cheating enter her head was horrible, she felt disappointed in herself._ ''_I know I'm the only woman in your life, women like that just want to get a rise. I know you're not going to cheat Harvey, not with an ass like mine at your beck and call.'' Penny lifted his chin with her fingers and Harvey ran his hands over her ass leaning in to give her a kiss and seeming not to care that they were in the middle of the GCPD.

''So what are you doing here?'' He asked pushing himself forward and when Penny moved he sat down in his chair and pulled a file over.

''You sounded like you were having a rough day.'' Penny admitted. Harvey looked up at her for a minute over his glasses. ''They look sexy on you, you should wear them at home.'' Penny said touching his glasses. ''Not just for reading.''

''They'd probably look sexier on you.'' Harvey grumbled, letting his hand rest at Penny's waist for a minute, it was comforting for him. Having her that close after a crappy day, it had always been comforting having her that close. Penny rifled through her purse for a moment and when Harvey turned a page she put a pair of tickets down on a particularly gruesome picture of a crime scene.

''Detective Bullock there's a-'' Ed started before he noticed Penny and stopped talking, more specifically he noticed Harvey's hand on Penny's behind.

''What do you want Nygma.'' Harvey asked moving his hand.

''It doesn't matter Detective, it can stay in kilos and grams.'' Ed replied, not exactly a riddle but a little cryptic.

''It'll wait?'' Harvey asked and Ed nodded and scurried off. ''Don't mind him.'' Harvey looked down at the tickets for a minute before he looked back up at Penny. A double feature for that evening; A Blueprint For Murder and The Man in the Attic. Harvey had a feeling Penny had no idea what these movies were about and he had a feeling she'd probably gotten a bit defensive and shouty and flustered at the ticket office, that image made him smile.

''It's ok isn't it? I mean they're film noise or whatever it was? Detective movies right?'' Penny asked.

''You bought these, for now?'' Harvey asked and Penny looked a little disappointed.

''The guy said they were mystery movies, black and white ones a double feature, if it's not I'll go down there and beat his skinny as-'' Penny was cut off half way through as Harvey kissed her again, pulled her flush against him and did one of those kisses that made her a little weak at the knees.

''How'd a putz like me end up with a thing like you?'' He asked Penny with a shake of his head. Someone wolf whistled and Harvey gave them the finger before dropping back into his seat.

''You sounded like you were having a crappy day.'' Penny smiled at him. ''Thought I'd make it a little less crappy. Ok, I just gotta nip home and sort something. I'll meet you outside the theatre at eight though?'' She asked him with a smile.

''Yes ma'am!'' Harvey saluted her and Penny swatted him. '

''Don't be late, I swear if you let me hang around in the cold I will make you pay.''

* * *

Gotham movie theatre, the cheap one downtown was old fashioned and damn rickety. The arm rests moved around so people could cuddle up, The seats were stained from years of wear and tear, the screen flickered and there was not a digital film projector in sight. The counter outside was still old fashioned, the machines and décor all needed updating but nobody had, nobody would. All it did, all the crumbling broken downness of the cinema did was serve to add charm and made people want to fight for it.

Harvey and Penny were sat almost at the back row, arm rest up and Penny had her head resting on Harvey's chest. She'd really let her walls down over the past few weeks. In all the time Harvey had known her she'd never once cuddled up to him. Never once rested her head against his shoulder or allowed him to wrap his arms around her. Legs, yes, legs she'd put on him a lot but it still served to keep that distance between them. Now though he'd been privileged to have her head on his shoulder more than once, his arms around her. She was still all hard shell and harsh words to the rest of the world but Harvey was getting to see this side of her that he'd always known was underneath.

They were about halfway through the second film, severely depleted popcorn, drink and sweet supplies on the chair next to Harvey, the popcorn on his lap. Penny jolted at something on the screen and Harvey let out a chuckle before he could stop himself that caused Penny to slap him hard but only served to make him laugh harder.

''I'm gunna go get a hot dog, you wanna share or you want one of your own?'' Penny whispered to him, sitting up and taking a breath, the scare had jolted her awake and made her feel a little uneasy. She needed a walk to shake it off.

''You ok?'' Harvey asked her with a frown. If the movie was too much they could go home and Harvey hoped she knew that.

''I'm fine, you want in or not.'' Penny asked him.

''Yeah, here. Grab another drink if you can carry it.'' Harvey said pressing ten dollars into her hand. ''Onions, no ketchup, mustard though.'' He hissed.

''I know how you like it.'' Penny responded. Harvey watched her walk away and up out of the auditorium before turning his attention back to the screen and letting out a chuckle. Penny returned a few minutes later holding out the large hot dog to Harvey, it was more than big enough for the two of them and Harvey wasted no time in taking a bite. Penny sat down slipping her heels back off and pulling her feet up onto the seat next to her, making herself at home. Holding the drink steady in her hand she took the top off and took another swig making room in the cup.

Penny reached over into Harvey's top breast pocket making him pause mid-bite and pulled out his hip flask, she poured a good serving of liquor into the soda and then stirred it with the straw before replacing the lid and then Harvey's flask.

''I'll let you find your change later.'' Penny whispered into his ear with a grin. She kissed his cheek as Harvey paused in eating. The thought played through his mind for a moment and in that moment Penny stole the hot dog and took a bite. She took another two before she handed back to him. She curled back against him. Harvey let his arm fall around her waist, the other busy with the hotdog. Penny holding up the soda, laced with liquor, so Harvey could drink every now and then. Harvey was distracted for a moment from the screen. How the hell had he got so lucky? All the shit in his life was worth it tenfold if he got to spend the rest of it like this with her. Did he love her? For sure. Was he ready to admit that yet? Like hell. He didn't want to jinx or ruin a good thing before it had gotten off the ground.

* * *

A/N: _I can't say this enough but I really am so grateful to all the support, to all the people who've reviewed and who are enjoying this story. _

_This chapter was mostly fluff, and it was only short which I hope you can forgive me for! Maybe a little more fluff and nonsense before some angsty drama ey? Maybe a three parter? Maybe lives hanging in the balance that kind of thing ;) Yeah that sounds good right hehehe! _


	9. Chapter 9

_Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_This fic will be quite a slow burner, heavily friendship based to start off with. It actually began when I was writing my OCxAlfred fic, in that I had Penny and Harvey as friends for a very long time. Over the course of writing the other fic I came to quite like the idea of Harvey x Penny too and so this fic was born! _

_If you enjoy please do review =) _

* * *

''Hmmm I'm hungry.''' Penny said into Harvey's chest. ''Personally I think you should make it.'' Penny grinned planting a kiss before looking up at him from where she lay. They'd fallen asleep pretty much naked on the couch. Harvey had gone out celebrating Jim's return, celebrating catching the electrocutioner and caught Penny getting out of work after a stock take. Harvey's couch was surprisingly comfortable despite how small it was. There was something wrong with Harvey too Penny could sense it but he wouldn't tell her what. He was worried about something or rather someone. Harvey couldn't tell her that he was worrying about Fish Mooney though, another woman, he just couldn't see that going down well at all. Harvey grumbled, it rumbling in his chest.

''How'd you figure that?'' Harvey asked looking down at her, his hands wrapped around her waist.

''Because you make good breakfast.'' Penny replied eyes widening slightly as she rubbed her nose against his. ''Hmmm I could go for, actually I don't know what I could go for right now.'' Penny's brow furrowed.

''Well I could help you work up an appetite.'' Harvey said letting his hands wander down from her waist.

''No, I'm hungry enough.'' Penny replied. ''I'll get up.'' She said sitting up and grabbing Harvey's shirt off the edge of the sofa to pull around her, she fastened the middle two buttons and got up leaving him on the sofa with the blanket.

''Now that is a sight I'd like to see more of.'' Harvey said watching her walk towards his kitchen, she was almost but not quite revealing her ass, the shirt stopping just below it.

''French toast! French toast with chocolate spread. I saw it on a show the other day. That's what I'm gunna make!'' Penny said rifling through his cupboards and starting to put things together, it wasn't long before things were sizzling and the smell of melting chocolate filled the air. Harvey liked watching her cook for him, liked catching her dancing when she did the dishes afterwards. It was so domestic and it was something that made him so uneasy. He had never been one for domestic, not since Dottie and even then he'd been sketchy on it. The thing that worried him was how much he liked it, as soon as you loved something, someone it made you vulnerable and Harvey hated feeling like that about as much as Penny did.

''You coming back here after work?'' Harvey asked as Penny pinned her hair up, getting ready for her shift.

''No, I have dancing I told you this.'' Penny replied.

''Let me pick you up.'' Harvey offered.

''No, Harvey no.'' Penny replied rolling her eyes slightly. ''This is my time. Besides I'll be all sweaty.''

''Not like I haven't seen that before.'' Harvey said coming to stand behind her at the mirror. He slipped his harms around her waist and rested his chin on her neck with a silly grin on his face. ''Not like I haven't been the cause of that before.'' Harvey added.

''This is- no. No I don't need you to pick me up ok. I'm fine.'' Penny said shaking her head.

''Fine.'' Harvey let her go grumbling as he went. ''Didn't want to pick you up anyway, don't blame me, go calling me if you get all uneasy on the roads.''

''Come here you old grump.'' Penny said grabbing him by the tie and pulling him back towards her to kiss him. ''I'll call you later.'' Penny said pushing him away. ''Do the dishes.'' She added over her shoulder before she left.

_Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock._

Harvey was having another hell of a day. Jim had gotten him into this whole mess with Flass and he'd taken a beating for it. Fish was missing and so was Butch and Harvey was genuinely worried about them both. Just because he didn't want to be romantically involved with Fish any more didn't mean he didn't care about her.

Harvey felt worse than a flea with a cold on the back of a mangy mutt. Which wasn't about to get any better when he walked into the sweet shop to see some guy peering over the counter at a bent over Penny with her letting out a laugh and making some quip. Harvey coughed gently and the other guy flinched. He was tall, blonde hair slicked back and a suit that had lawyer written all over it. Stocky and good cheek bones that set Harvey on edge.

''Hey.'' Penny said when she stood up ringing through whatever the other guy had ordered.

''Hey.'' Harvey replied almost deadpan. The man took one look between them and offered to take his leave.

''I'll see you later then Penny.'' He said, giving Harvey a simple nod and leaving the shop with a small paper bag in his hands.

''Who was that?'' Harvey asked unable to keep the bitterness from his voice.

''Alastair. He goes to the dancing class.'' Penny replied.

''I thought it was just a bunch of people with two left feet?'' Harvey questioned her. Penny tilted her head.

''Don't even go there Harvey. Do. Not. Go. There.'' Penny pointed at him seriously. ''What are you doing here anyway?'' Penny watched him shift and wince. ''What happened to you?'' Penny asked coming around the counter and lifting his chin with her finger. ''What happened?'' she asked putting a hand on his waist and seeing him wince.

''Don't fuss, I just got a little roughed up that's all.'' Harvey lied.

''Who did this to you?'' Penny put a hand on his cheek stroking gently. Her voice was low and fierce like a lioness.

''You gunna go rough em' up?'' Harvey laughed, wincing on the end of it.

''Depends who it is and if I can get hold of em'.'' Penny replied matter of factly.

''You're not and you can't.'' Harvey said. ''I do like it when you get all protective though, my little lioness.''

''There's nothing little about me.'' Penny replied and Harvey slid a defeated hand around to her backside.

''You're right.'' Harvey said and Penny pushed him a little. ''Oof! You got any asprin round here?''

''Yeah but it'll cost you.'' Harvey watched her closely, looking for any sign of mischief in her gaze.

''Keep. Yourself. Safe.'' Penny prodded him three times and Harvey scoffed at her.

''Coming from the woman who won't let me drive her home.''

''I'm not fighting criminals.''

''You might as well be living in that apartment block.'' Harvey said seriously.

''You want the damn asprin or not?'' Penny folded her arms and stepped away from him.

_Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. _

Fish had called him, asked him to come pick her up and Harvey had obliged, had wanted to help her get to safety. Fish was dangerous and a criminal but Harvey wouldn't have her death on his hands. Fish had been chewed up and spat out by Gotham like the rest of them, the big difference was that Fish Mooney had weapons at her disposal, means that others lacked, that others could only dream of. Underneath it all she was just fucked up and trying to fight her way out of a hole given to her at birth by this city.

Harvey was completely unaware as he gave Fish a surprisingly emotional goodbye that his phone was ringing on his dashboard. Penny's name flashing across the screen.

''Harvey, listen I just finished class. I was gunna call you to come get me but I figured with the day you'd had you might have had a drink. Just erm, I'm on the bus so if you're home call me and I can get off, maybe come make that bad day a little better.'' Penny had just hung up when shock rippled through her system, and everything went black.

_Tick tick BOOM!_

Penny lifted a hand to her throbbing head slowly as she came too. There were lights blinking in the dark space she could see with the one eye she had opened. She blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the light, lifting a heavy feeling head up slowly. There was blood on her hand from her head and she was trying to make sense of exactly what had just happened. One minute she'd been tucking her phone into her purse and then this. Pain radiated around her body, her hand was trembling uncontrollably and there was screaming in the distance.

It took Penny a moment to realise that something, somewhere had exploded, or had they crashed? The bus was overturned, she could see that now as she tried to sit up, something had her legs trapped though. Penny looked up through the window to see the underside of whatever bridge they'd been going through leaning dangerously, dust sprinkled from the ceiling. The first thing Penny needed to do was get out, if the bricks above her gave way she was going to be dead. Penny pressed her one hand into the ground but found she couldn't move her other arm, at all. Pain was high across her whole system and it was almost having a nullifying effect. She looked down at her arm, it was dislocated for sure and it was going to be a bitch to heal. Trying to stay calm she shrugged out of the shirt over her vest top and tried to ignore the chill in the air as she tied the sleeves together using one hand and her teeth. She slipped it over her head and in an immense amount of pain managed to slot her arm into it.

The next thing she needed to do was free her legs before the roof collapsed, there was creaking, a lot of creaking and the sound of running water. There was a kid crying somewhere and people shouting, screaming. Bracing one hand on the floor Penny started to pull herself out of the rubble, it wasn't just rubble pinning her to the floor though and as she made to move one leg the rubble shifted and revealed that her legs were being pinned down by the body of a man, grotesquely mangled. Penny's working hand came up to her mouth instantly, slapping over it as she tried not to throw up, tried not to panic but tried to get away. It wasn't that Penny had never seen anything grim before, she'd seen her fair share of awful things. Being confronted like that with what could potentially be her fate was disturbing and shocking. Penny was frightened and alone just like anyone else who was trapped under this rubble but Penny was a fighter. Gotham had thrown her in at the deep end and Penny had fought her way from her knees to standing tall.

Taking deep breaths she tried to control her breathing and began to look for a way out of the bus, the emergency door at the back seemed to have been booted open by someone before who'd managed to get out. Penny put her hand back on the floor and used it to help drag herself backwards, freeing her feet from underneath the dead man she breathed a sigh of relief it was short lived as the bus creaked again. Next she needed a phone, she was damn sure someone else would have called the ambulances but what if they hadn't?

Penny looked around the wreckage for a moment and found her purse. Her cellphone was still inside, the screen was cracked but it was still half working at least. Penny punched in 911 one handed and held the crackling receiver up to her ear.

''Hello, hello please! We need an ambulance, the fire service and the police.'' Penny said desperately. ''Yes, listen no I- I think there was an explosion.'' Penny muttered. ''People are hurt, we, I don't know what it's like out there but wherever we are the ceilings about to come down I think, in fact I'm pretty damn sure it's a bridge.'' Penny said.

''Ok miss we've already had several calls about this and the relevant services are on the way. Just try to keep calm and get as comfortable and safe as you can.'' The controller said.

When Penny managed to get herself out of the bus the damage was evident, there wasn't just the bus, there were three other cars. Three other cars one overturned like the bus and a body hanging out of the side. The bridge was all out of alignment, both sides had dropped, the rubble at one side surrounded the bus meaning exit that way was impossible and the side that led back onto the road they'd been driving down was blocked off, small gaps here and there and a space big enough for slender women or children. Penny could see people injured, incredibly so. She stumbled to the wall and shouted through the gap, she could see Amublance's and police cars beginning to arrive. It wasn't the familiar faces of Jim or Harvey though it was uniformed officers she'd never seen before.

''HELP! Come on! Help us! Please!'' Penny shouted at them.

One of the officers ran over to the wall of rubble and began trying to pull some bricks out until the other pulled him away.

''Don't stop! You need to move it! Help us damnit!'' Penny shouted starting to attract the attention of the other injured passengers.

''We can't, we can't move it the fire crews have to assess it. We move it we risk the whole thing coming down!'' The officer shouted back to her. ''How many people are in there?'' He asked gesturing towards the door.

''I don't know! You think I've been around and counted the damn things!'' Penny retorted.

''Hey ain't you Bullock's girl?'' The officer said tilting his head at Penny as she shouted through the tiny gap.

''Get. Us. Out of here!'' Penny growled. She turned to look at the others, there were two other women just cuts and bruises, a man with a broken nose and blood all over his face, on his shoulder and torso. The driver had dragged himself over to the wall to lean against. There were more though, so many more people just waking up or struggling to get out.

''There's two kids down there, I think their dad was on the bus, they don't look good.'' One of the other passengers said to Penny.

''Is anyone here a doctor? Nurse?'' Penny asked them. They all shook their heads though. ''Ok, erm, well I think emergency 101 is pressure on wounds right?'' Penny didn't want to take charge, she wanted to sit down and wait for the crews to break through. She wanted to distract herself from the potential of getting crushed. Penny had never been a nurse, she'd wanted to, she'd bought the books with every intention of getting the grades and going to college and then her father had run off with the money she'd earned. She missed the scholarship, the exam she'd been five points off. They didn't want her there anyway. She'd read the books but that's as far as she'd gotten before she gave up that dream.

Essen answered the call from the uni wanting to know where Bullock was, he was out though and so it was Essen who telephoned Jim to find out if they were together and it was Jim who phoned Harvey. It was Jim who held him back when he screamed drunkenly at the wall of rubble. It was Jim forced Harvey to get calm before he went anywhere near the rubble and anywhere near Penny.

Harvey felt his heart constrict in his chest when he'd heard the message. When he'd heard that Penny was trapped under the bridge, even drunk he knew how much he loved her, if anything, with booze everything intensified. He couldn't lose her, he couldn't.

Penny heard the shouting from outside and she frowned, turning her head from where she'd been stood, there was a young woman comforting the two children with a child of her own in tow. Penny couldn't deal with anything right now, one of the kids had a cut that had bled heavily and she'd had flashbacks to Adelaide, she'd had to step away, _had _too.

''Harvey?'' Penny said peering through the gap, now that she'd adjusted to the light she could see that it wasn't just the bridge that had come down, any cars on top had come through too. They were just outside of town, they'd been going under one of the smallish bridges with concrete and stone built around it. It was the same place Butch had kidnapped a bunch of nuns to steal from Maroni not long ago.

''Penn, jesus, Penn are you ok?'' Harvey asked. ''You're bleeding!'' He exclaimed before grabbing at some of the rubble and truing to claw his way in. As he pulled a heavy spot the whole wall and the bridge section it was supporting groaned. Dust sprinkling down from above and causing gasps from inside.

''Jesus christ Harvey don't! That things gunna give way!'' Penny chided him. ''Are you drunk?'' She scoffed. ''Move away, you're gunna bring the whole thing down on us. Tell the EMT's we have two beat up kids in here amongst others. We need to get out of here. This thing is not gunna hold.'' Penny shook her head and looked away from him for a minute, tears in her eyes.

''I can't leave you in there.'' Harvey growled. ''I won't leave you in there dammit!'' Harvey said reaching out to try and move more rubble.

''Harvey get away from the damn bridge now.'' Penny cried. ''Go sober up.'' She turned away from him.

''What can we do?'' Two young hooded boys had come over to Penny looking anxious and just as bruised as everyone else, one of them limping.

''What are you asking me for?'' Penny asked them with a frown.

''You seem in charge.'' One of them shrugged and Penny rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.

''I'm not in charge ok kid? No one's in charge except those guys out there. I suggest you sit down and hang tight.'' Penny closed her eyes for a moment. Her whole body hurt and her head felt so heavy.

''If we move this car.'' Penny looked back towards where the crews outside the wall were working. ''That's it! Easy boys on my count.'' Penny looked up when she heard the groan, the whole thing was going to come down on them.

''NO! STOP STOP! YOU CAN'T MOVE IT!'' It wasn't Penny shouting, it was the young boys, surging forward to try and stop the crews moving the car but it was too late. ''GET BACK!'' One of them screamed and then there was nothing as the roof above them collapsed, dust and rubble raining down on them, the sound was horrific as metal was crushed under rock and other metal. Screams of the people trapped inside echoing within the collapsed area.

* * *

A/N: _I can't say this enough but I really am so grateful to all the support, to all the people who've reviewed and who are enjoying this story. _

_So this took me so long because I've planned out a potentially six chapter arc of angst, fluff, murder, kidnap, all that deliciousness. This is just the tip of the ice berg but this needed to be here to set in motion the other chapters! Thank you all for being patient and I hope you continue to enjoy!_


	10. Chapter 10

_Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_This fic will be quite a slow burner, heavily friendship based to start off with. It actually began when I was writing my OCxAlfred fic, in that I had Penny and Harvey as friends for a very long time. Over the course of writing the other fic I came to quite like the idea of Harvey x Penny too and so this fic was born! _

_If you enjoy please do review =) _

* * *

''PENNY!'' As soon as the bridge collapsed further Harvey surged forward, screaming Penny's name like a wild animal. ''PENNY!'' Harvey got past Jim and was gunning straight for the officer who'd ordered them to move the car.

''Harvey stop.'' Jim growled getting in front of him and trying to stop him from doing something stupid. ''Harvey calm down!''

''Calm down! Penny's in there!'' Harvey growled. Jim had never seen him like this, Harvey played his cards pretty close to his chest and although Jim had always suspected there was something brewing between Penny and Harvey, had been proved right when Harvey let slip they were dating, he had no idea it was this intense.

''And you can't help her by punching the officer.'' Jim said calmly.

* * *

For the second time that day Penny was opening her eyes slowly and rubbing blood off her head. There was a new gash on her face and her arms now and she was pretty sure that someone else was dead. The teen boys who'd been stood with her she could hear talking, hear them discussing that this wasn't safe, that the rest of structure was going to come down and that they needed to get out.

''You boys ok?'' Penny asked moving towards them.

''We need to get out of here, like now. I'm an apprentice, building apprentice and this thing, it's not gunna hold.'' The taller of the two said gesturing around. ''If there's a gap in that wall we gotta get people through it like now.''

''Ok, you reckon you can carry some people.'' Penny asked him.

''I can but he can't.'' He gestured to his friend who's leg was more mangled than before.

''Then I'll help.'' Penny said.

''One handed?'' He asked gesturing to her arm.

''Oh yeah. Ok-'' Penny turned and walked back to the wall wafting dust away from her face and hearing the crews on the other side. There was a gap, an unsafe gap but it was big enough to get people through one at a time. ''Hey! HEY!'' Penny shouted towards the gap.

Harvey's head whipped around as soon as he heard her. ''Penn?''

''Miss?'' The officer stepped into view and looked over Penny.

''It's not gunna last in here, if you get people over we'll get them through but we need to move quick.'' Penny said to him.

''It's not safe miss you need to hang tight.'' The officer replied and if Penny could have reached through the gap and strangled him she would have.

''Yeah it's not safe because you guys made a dumb ass decision and now this things gunna come down and we're all gunna die. Get some damn officers and paramedics ready because we're bringing people though.'' She growled. The officer paled before he sighed and gave in.

''Right, kids first, moms and then the worst of us.'' Penny said to the taller of the two boys. He started to head around looking for injured parties, telling them to head towards the entrance.

''There's eighteen of us. Four kids, bus drivers beat up real bad, there's four guys can't walk. The others are just cut up, little broken. There's a woman can't breathe though and I dunno how to move her.'' He shrugged looking worried.

''Ok, get the one's who can walk, the kids. Kids go first.'' Penny instructed.

''Penn?'' The voice came through the gap and Penny looked over to see Harvey. ''Come on.'' He said gesturing for her to come through the gap as the rubble above them groaned dangerously.

''Not yet.'' Penny shook her head.

''Penn please, come on.'' Harvey said holding out his hand to her.

''Not yet Harvey.'' Penny replied looking away from him.

''This whole place is gunna collapse!'' Harvey shouted, gritting his teeth and rubbing his face, he was trying not to let emotion get the better of him, especially not in front of these putzes.

''Exactly.'' Penny turned around and lifted one of the kids, passing them through the gap to the waiting paramedics, next she helped the mothers and the people who couldn't walk. The young boy who'd told her about the roof had gotten everyone working together, getting people to carry others and help them out, soon everyone was out, Penny and the other boy were the only two left, or so they thought.

The roofing groaned dangerously and Harvey was shouting her but Penny could hear it in the distance and so could the teenage boy beside her. Someone was trapped, someone was screaming for help. Penny looked at Harvey through the gap and Penny shook her head at him, turned, nodding to the other and running back into the tunnel. They found a young woman trapped under some rubble and began shifting it immediately, by all accounts she could walk, battered and bruised she might be but the rubble hadn't done any serious damage.

''Come on this whole place is gunna collapse!'' Agitated the officers outside were shouting and Penny could hear Harvey cursing.

''Give us a goddamn minute!'' Penny screamed back. They got towards the hole, Penny sent the injured woman through first as the structure groaned above them, it was going to give way any second but Penny refused to go through before the young boy who was insisting she got through before him. ''Listen, you've done well but move your ass through that gap right now before it collapses on both of us. I'll be right behind you.'' Penny growled, the boy nodded and started to make his way as the rubble began crumble. Penny wasn't even halfway through the rubble when it collapsed and Harvey surged forward pulling her down towards him before she could get caught beneath it. He pulled her to him hard and fast wrapping his hands around her and feeling her free hand fisting into his shirt beneath his leather jacket.

''You tryin to give me a heartattack!'' He growled, not letting go of her.

Penny's dislocated arm was pressed painfully against Harvey but she didn't care, her fingers were curled into his shirt like he was the only thing keeping her anchored to the Earth, she pressed her face into his shirt and just inhaled. Jack and cigarettes had never smelt so good. As the weight of what had happened began to fall down on her hard and tears had filled her eyes. It was when he heard her sniff that Harvey realised that he wasn't just holding her, he was holding her up. She was slumped against him.

''I want to go home.'' she said quietly.

'We need to get you to the hospital Penn.'' Harvey said looking down at her. She looked so pale, so sick and the blood on her head was worrying him.

''I'll be fine.'' She mumbled.

''No, we're getting you to a hospital.'' Harvey rubbing her shoulder before shrugging out of his leather jacket and pulling it around both her shoulder being careful with the arm that was in the home made sling. A paramedic came running over but Penny couldn't let go of Harvey for fear the ground would meet her. ''I'll take her in.'' Harvey said.

''I'll drive you.'' Jim said from behind Harvey. ''I'll drive you then I'll come back here and start on the crash site, see what the fire crews say.'' Jim said and Harvey had no objections because he wanted to handle this thing personally. He wanted to get the son of a bitch who'd caused this, who'd almost caused him to lose Penny.

''Thanks partner.'' Harvey said keeping an arm around Penny. ''I got ya.'' He said, beginning to guide her to the car. She stumbled though a few times and Harvey thought about picking her up but he didn't want to hurt her. That and Penny said she was fine, there was still a fierceness in her voice that told Harvey she was at least a little ok.

''Eyes on the road boy scout.'' Harvey said to Jim when he caught him watching him and Penny. Caught him watching him whispering to Penny that she was going to be ok. Penny was lucky, because she'd been in the disaster she was rushed through, poked and prodded for a few moments and given a bed.

''Miss Clarke, you were unconcious for a short time is that correct?'' The doctor asked her. Penny had winced through her shoulder being popped back in and now that was in a sling, she was going to have to take time off work, she couldn't do it one handed and right now she was so grateful she'd been at Schruber's for so long because it meant she had a good sick package.

''Yes, I don't think it was long though.'' Penny replied.

''Well we need to keep you in overnight, just for observation, especially considering the circumstances.'' The doctor said and Penny sighed.

''I'm fine, I'd really rather go home.'' Penny said.

''Miss Clarke, we want to keep you in for observation, it's advised you stay in case there are complications.'' The doctor admitted.

''Ok.'' Penny said letting out a deep sigh and putting her head back against the pillow. ''Can I get some more pain relief?'' She asked and the doctor nodded. ''You might as well go home, I'll just sleep all night.'' Penny said to Harvey.

''Penn-'' Harvey started and Penny cut him off.

''I'm fine don't fuss.'' Penny said.

''Alright, fine.'' Harvey held his hands up in frustration as the doctor left. ''I guess I'll see you in the morning then.''

''I'll call you when they discharge me.'' Penny said, Harvey gave her a look that said he didn't believe for one second that she had any intention of calling him. Penny turned on her side and closed her eyes for a minute. Harvey watched her for a minute, he wasn't going anywhere, even if he had to wait outside all night he wasn't going anywhere. He looked at her in the hospital bed and couldn't believe how small and fragile she looked. Penny usually towered above everyone with that stupid attitude of hers. Penny heard the curtains close and she didn't want to look around she'd wanted him to stay but she wouldn't admit it of course.

Penny turned when she heard the rail on her bed being dropped and saw Harvey climbing, somewhat awkwardly onto the bed, his hat and coat on the chair next to it.

''I figure we can fit on my couch we can fit on this.'' Harvey said planting a kiss on her head as she turned into him without a word and buried her face into is chest. Was now the right time to tell her? Harvey wanted to tell her how much he loved her, the thought of losing her was starting to settle in and it hurt, he couldn't believe how much it hurt. The image of her being crushed by the rubble, although imaginary was haunting him and bringing tears to his eyes.

Was now the right time though. If he told her now she'd think he was being stupid, that he was being sentimental because of what had happened. Harvey knew her, he knew how that brain of hers worked and it would be more trouble than it was worth to let the words he was dying to tell her escape his lips. Harvey pulled her to him and felt her hands curl into his shirt again.

''You know this means I get to nurse ya back to health. I'll be your personal nurse.'' Harvey said into the top of his head. ''You'll have to stay with me.''

''No, no I have to go home.'' Penny said firmly.

''Ok, well we'll alternate.'' Harvey replied, he didn't really want to argue with her right now. He wanted to take care of her though, he wanted to be there for her no matter how much Penny protested.

Penny's fingers relaxed a little on his shirt as the painkillers began to hit her and she started to fall asleep.

* * *

''No, Jim, not right now. Listen when she's up and at em' fine but not right now.'' Harvey said, his stance was heavy and defensive in front of the curtain and Jim had never seen him get that way over anyone living. Food yeah, he'd nearly taken Jim's fingers off for stealing some candy once but Jim had never seen him like this over a person, let alone a woman.

''You know she's our best eyewitness Harvey, you know she's the most level headed.'' Jim replied with a sigh. ''The quicker we get this cleared up the quicker we can get investigating.''

''So Ed comes up with some crazy theory about one body and you just straight up believe him.'' Harvey retorted.

''How many times has Ed been wrong? I just want to ask her a few questions then I'll leave you too it.'' Jim was adamant.

''No, not right now, give it a few days or something. She doesn't need waking up and she doesn't need this crap from you.'' Harvey replied. Penny had stirred behind the curtain and had gotten out of bed, one handed she tore the curtain open and stood looking between Harvey and Jim.

''What's going on out here, I can hear everything in there.'' Penny said and Harvey shot Jim a warning look but Jim wasn't having it and threw Harvey straight under the bus.

''I need to talk to you about a few things and-'' Jim stopped himself.

''And?'' Penny looked at Harvey her brow furrowing. ''Ask away.'' Penny said with a sigh.

''Penn you don't have to do this now.'' Harvey said letting out a sigh of his own.

''You're not my keeper or my voice Harvey, if I want to answer questions I will damn well answer them.'' Penny growled. ''I'm not an invalid and I'm certainly not made of damn porcelain!''

''Dammit I know that Penny but you've jus-'' Harvey started but Penny cut him off as she turned to Jim

''Ask away.'' She said stubbornly.

''I need to ask you about the explosion.'' Jim started.

''Easy-'' Penny wanted to fold her arms so desperately but with one in a sling she couldn't. ''-I didn't see a damn thing. One minute I was leaving him a voice mail the next minute I was on my back with a de-'' Penny stopped and looked a little like she was swallowing back bile, she'd forgotten that, managed to lose it in the moment and hadn't had chance to revisit it. Now the image of the mangled body resting on her legs, trapping her was hitting her like a damn truck. ''-a dead guy trapping my legs.'' She finished quietly. Harvey didn't take his damn eyes off her face. He was going to strangle Jim. Actually strangle him because he knew Penny wouldn't admit defeat in the face of them both, especially in front of Jim. She wouldn't show an ounce of weakness and Jim was capitalising on that.

''Ok, what about afterwards, bodies. I need to know if you saw a woman, specifically a woman in a blue shirt and a black skirt, dusty blonde hair about your height.'' Jim asked her.

''You got a picture?'' Penny asked and Jim fished around for a minute before showing her a rather grizzly picture. Penny tried not to flinch but Harvey saw the mere millisecond of it in her eyes. ''No, no she wasn't there, maybe I missed her. Me and the teenager, the one that got everyone out we checked around two three times and we didn't see her, not there anyway. Maybe we missed her in the commotion I mean we were looking for people alive not dead.'' Penny said.

''That's enough.'' Harvey growled.

''No that's not enough.'' Penny retorted.

''Actually it is, we need to speak to a few others but it looks like Ed's hunch might be right.'' Jim said more to Harvey than Penny.

''Why what does Ed say?'' Penny asked him. Harvey sighed deeply.

''Ed thinks she was killed somewhere else and dumped there. If they ask you guys about it and none of you recognise her it's enough to at least get an autopsy.'' Harvey admitted.

''Some people would think it's kinder to just let her family believe she died in the explosion.'' Penny muttered.

''Yeah but either way it's murder.'' Jim replied.

''Yeah but an explosion is sort of removed so it's easier to deal with.'' Penny said turning away from him and Harvey could practically hear the memories surging forward in her voice. Jim of course knew nothing of Penny's past and he didn't need to know.

* * *

Penny awoke in Harvey's bed with a sharp pain in her chest and the inability to breathe again, it was getting worse. Three days since the explosion and she was having nightmares. PTSD is what a doctor would have called it if she'd actually agreed to go properly. They prescribed her some diazepam to take when she needed it. Not a lot and Harvey was keeping watch on her. He didn't really need to what with the fact nine times out of ten Penny was too damn proud to take it.

Harvey wasn't exactly a light sleeper so she managed to find her way out of bed without disturbing him, arm still in a sling she got to the couch in the living room and pulled out the tablets fumbling with the packet and dropping them on the floor, she scrabbled for them she couldn't breathe and that was when Harvey came in. Penny almost on her hands and knees scrabbling for a tablet.

''Penn.'' Harvey said walking over to her and pulling her into his arms gently, onto the couch and steadying her hands, he picked the tablets up and popped one out offering it to her. ''Here, drink this.'' He said handing her the glass of water. ''Breathe, Penn breathe baby.'' Harvey said slowly. ''Focus on my voice, that's it breathe.'' Penny took deep breaths until her breathing returned to normal. She held onto Harvey, her anchor in this. Harvey hated seeing her like this, he hated seeing her so broken but he wouldn't be anywhere else right now and he hoped she knew that. He'd hold her for as long as she needed, he'd stay up all night long with her if that was what she wanted.

''Harvey.'' She said through tears as she tried to bring herself under control. ''Please don't leave me.'' She asked him, her voice sounded so desperate and Harvey knew it was because everyone else had left her. Even her child, though it was awful to think of it that way she'd still left her. ''I need you.'' Penny said into his chest as Harvey's hand remained on her cheek. ''I don't want to lose you.'' Penny's voice was almost begging and it upset Harvey.

''Penn.'' Harvey said tilting her head and pulling back a little so he could press his forehead against hers. ''I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I need you too.'' Harvey said trying to fight back his own tears as he kissed her forehead and then pulled her back to his chest.

''I'm sorry.'' She said curling against him tightly and closing her eyes as the tablets started to work.

''Don't worry Penn I've got ya.'' Harvey replied keeping a tight hold on her for the rest of the night and carrying her to bed when she eventually fell to sleep.

* * *

A/N: _I can't say this enough but I really am so grateful to all the support, to all the people who've reviewed and who are enjoying this story. _

_So this took me so long because I've planned out a potentially six chapter arc of angst, fluff, murder, kidnap, all that deliciousness. This is just the tip of the ice berg but this needed to be here to set in motion the other chapters! Thank you all for being patient and I hope you continue to enjoy!_


	11. Chapter 11

_Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_This fic will be quite a slow burner, heavily friendship based to start off with. It actually began when I was writing my OCxAlfred fic, in that I had Penny and Harvey as friends for a very long time. Over the course of writing the other fic I came to quite like the idea of Harvey x Penny too and so this fic was born! _

_If you enjoy please do review =) _

* * *

'''You nearly ready?'' Harvey called, Penny was still in the bathroom and they were already running a little late. Three weeks since the explosion. Ed had been right about the woman, she'd been murdered and there had been two more. Harvey was stressed, hell they all were but he was fiercely protective about them pulling Penny back in for questioning. The press were on their backs, along with others. Penny's was recovering, her arm was still tender and sore but she no longer had it in a sling. The nightmares still came and when they did Harvey held her through them.

They were going to Essen's birthday party at some place down town. Fancy and whilst Harvey wasn't exactly one for dressing up he'd made a little bit of an effort. Penny on the other hand had heels to die for on and a dress that was doing all kinds of things to Harvey.

''Just give me a damn min-shit!'' Penny cried out when she jabbed herself with a hairpin.

''What did you do?'' Harvey asked lingering in the door way.

''Nothing, just give me a minute.'' Penny almost growled and Harvey just let his eyes roam over her for a minute. There was nothing but appreciation and adoration on his face as his gaze moved from her heels, up her stockings, over her ass and up over the rest of her. Penny was popping her lips in the mirror to check her lipstick when she felt Harvey press against her and let his lips find her neck. The scruff of his bear scratching at her neck and shoulder was always something that got her going, Harvey was trying to rile her up and the sensations were going right between her legs.

''I've just done my lipstick.'' Penny said though it came out a little breathless.

''Well I don't really need your lips.'' Harvey chuckled into her neck his hands falling to her hips as he started to bunch the material up and pull the dress higher.

They arrived to Essens party forty-five minutes late, at least it had only started at seven-thirty and nobody really seemed to mind. Essen was grateful for the gift and actually a little surprised to find that it was from both of them. In all the years she'd known Harvey and all the years he'd been bringing girls to parties she'd _never _seen him give a gift with someone else's name tagged on. It was a surprise but it wasn't exactly an unwelcome one, nor was it something she'd dwell on for too long.

It took a while for the music to kick in, for people to start dancing and as expected by Harvey, Penny was one of the first on the dancefloor unashamedly showing off her moves and making hand gestures at Harvey for him to join her. He wouldn't. He didn't dance, not without a decent amount of liquor inside of him. The only exception to that rule was the end of the night, slow dancing he could do but other than that he was a grumpy papa bear and more than happy to stay that way.

''Come and dance with me please.'' Penny asked pressing her lips against his ear. ''Please.'' She used a tone he'd heard not too long ago when she'd been begging him in the bathroom and Harvey swallowed down his liquor hard.

''I don't dance.'' Harvey said flatly.

''You mean like I didn't date?'' Penny asked raising a brow at him and Harvey waved her off. ''Dance with me or I'll find someone who will.''

''Go ahead.'' Harvey replied non-chalantly and Penny just stared at him for a moment, narrowing her eyes. '

''Don't go getting jealous then.'' Penny said. ''You know what whilst you're at the bar you can get me another!'' Penny said finishing her own drink and taking Harvey's second whiskey and downing it herself leaving him looking a little flabbergasted. Harvey didn't really expect Penny to find someone else to dance with so soon but find someone she did. He honestly didn't mind at first, of course he didn't mind that she was dancing with that hunk of man from the shop. That posh prick with the blonde hair and the hard set features. Of course he didn't mind that _Alastair _was flinging her aorund the dancefloor and getting _way _too close in his opinion as they showed off ballroom dancing skills. _Of course _Harvey didn't mind that _Alastair _had his hands on Penny. No Harvey didn't mind at all.

That was why he downed at least two more drinks and when Penny flopped down at the table next to him he got up and walked off with a frown on his face. Penny rubbed at her legs and feet letting out a groan as Harvey returned. ''My feet are killing me.'' Penny groaned.

''Well that's what you get for letting someone fling you around the dancefloor.'' Harvey said as Alastair returned.

''Not worn you out already have I?'' Alastair asked her with a big smile on his face holding out a hand. ''We've got to finish showing these doughnut eating boys how it's really done.'' Alastair said glancing towards Harvey's waistline.

''Next dance is this _danish_ eating boy's.'' Harvey said, his voice almost a growl.

''I can't dance with anyone else, my feet are about to fall off.'' Penny said shaking her head.

''You sure?'' Harvey asked letting his eyes wander upwards as the song changed.

''You didn't?'' A grin spread across Penny's face that there's no way Alastair could have caused in a million years as her favourite song started to play and the DJ informed the crowd that Harvey had requested it especially.

''Come on, I'll carry you if I have to.'' Havey said with a nod as he pulled her up and into his arms leading her onto the dancefloor as September by Earth Wind and Fire started to play.

''You old charmer Harvey Bullock.''

''That's Papa bear to you.'' Harvey replied spinning her out and pulling her back into him. He danced with her, singing into her ear. Moving his hips close to hers and thoroughly enjoying the way Penny responded.

''You know you don't have to worry right?'' Penny asked him, hands wrapped around his neck, playing with the hair at the base of his neck. ''Alastair is not my type.''

''Who said I was worried.'' Harvey huffed out his hands sliding down her waist towards her ass. ''I know you're mine.'' He whispered against her ear, squeezing her ass gently.

''Oh yeah? You do?'' Penny asked purposefully moving his hands back up to her waist and swatting at him gently. ''You're right though.'' She said before Harvey spun her out again and pulled her back to him pressing his hips against her ass and causing Penny to react with a tease of her own. Penny pressed her hips back into his hard, bent forward and brought her upper body back up slowly, mischief written all over her face that made Harvey groan. For two reasons, one she was doing things to him that were going to see her pressed up against a bathroom door or alley wall in about 3.5 seconds. The second was that now they were attracting attention. Harvey was known for being a lothario, seeing him with a girlfriend wasn't the weird thing. The weirdest thing or nicest thing depending who you were, was seeing how in love Harvey clearly was. It was written all over his face, he could give Jim a run for his money in the puppy stakes. Except Harvey wasn't a puppy he was an old dog with a new spring in his step.

''You're all mine baby doll.'' Harvey whispered into her ear before spinning her out again, and pulling her back so she was facing him.

''I belong to no man.'' Penny mumbled.

''I'm not a man I'm a bear.'' Harvey chuckled.

''That is very very true.'' Penny replied. Harvey was perfect, even if he didn't see it most of the time. Even the imperfections made him perfect. The swearing and shouting, waking her up when he accidentally stubbed his toe on something. The arguing with her at 3 am over needing to put the washing machine on. He was perfect, he was a good man, even if he didn't like to admit it and he had a good heart. He was perfect and he always had the ability to make her feel safe. Penny rested her head against his chest, inhaling the scent of him. Harvey was home to her. He was everything, he was love and home and safety and she never wanted to let him go. It terrified her that she had fallen in love with a cop.

She had fallen in love with him a long time ago but now she had admitted it. Losing Harvey as a friend was one thing, losing him when she was in love with him, that would break her entirely and it terrified her.

* * *

''Harvey.'' Penny whispered in the darkness as she played with his slightly sweaty fringe. Their legs were tangled together beneath the sheets. The smell of sex and alcohol hanging in the air. Harvey was half asleep having rolled onto his side to face her. ''Harvey.'' She repeated but only got a grunt in return. ''I am yours.'' Penny whispered to him. ''I love you.'' She added before rolling over and adjusting her pillows so she could go to sleep. Just as she closed her eyes she felt him shift behind her. Felt him tugging her closer, arm being tucked around her waist.

''I love you too.'' He whispered back against her ear. It seemed that now, in the drunken darkness, both of them were more than ready to say words that got stuck in throats in the daylight.

* * *

A/N: _I'm so sorry this update is so short and that it took so long. I still love Gotham and Harvey Bullock an awful lot but I just got caught up in new fandoms, original fiction writing and work. I've been so busy with work. _


End file.
