Harper Isabel Todd

Chapter 3

Jason's safe-house, May 1st, after midnight

Alfred and Tim left. Alfred had to keep Bruce in check and Tim had to patrol, but they were coming by the next day. Tim insisted on going with Jason as his lawyer to meet with Isabel's lawyer, Jason Todd's living status was still an ambiguous affair and no one could out match Tim in any type of negotiations. Alfred would look after Harper while Tim and Jason dealt with the lawyer. Tim had already pulled every last piece of dust in the lawyer's life.

Jason was alone in his safe-house.

Well, he wasn't really alone, Harper was there with him.

Harper, his baby girl, his daughter, was there in his safe-house in Gotham city. Jason sat on his bed in front of the crib and watched her sleep. He had a daughter, a whole human being, a small one, but a very real human being, another life that was his responsibility.

He had a baby, a daughter, a child. How did that happen?

He knew how it happened he just couldn't wrap his head around this. A few months ago he almost lost his life, on his father's hands no less, and now he was a FATHER to a very small baby, babies are small that's why they're babies. Jason Todd was now a dad.

What if he turns out like Bruce? What if he turns out like Willis?

Jason Todd didn't have a good role model in the parent department. One mother died of an overdose the other sold him out getting him killed. One dad hooked his mother on drugs and the other let him die and almost killed him a few times. Jason Todd was going to be a horrible parent, because Jason Todd didn't have a good role model in the parent department.

Harper deserved the best; he wasn't that, he was the opposite of the best. He was the worst type of human. He was a street rat, criminal in the making, the Robin nobody trusts, until he really became a criminal. The woman who gave birth to him sold him to the Joker. The mere thought of the day he died, the day he failed to save his mother, the day he failed Bruce, the day that Bruce failed him, brought back the memory of each strike of the fucking crowbar a reminder of how much of a failure he really is. Jason instinctively reached for the back of his head, the pit erased the scar, but it didn't erase the pain that came with remembering his cracked skull.

He wasn't good enough to raise a child, his child; he created a human and killed her mother. No matter what Leslie said; if he had been there for Isabel, if he hadn't been selfish Isabel would still be alive. Harper would still have her mother.

Isabel's death was his fault.

"I'm not fit to raise a child," he whispered to Harper who was oblivious to his turmoil, "I've had you for less than a day and I would kill everyone on this planet for you, I wish I could give you everything, but little girl, you deserve the world, the moon, and all that is good. I'm not that. I'm the worst kind of man. The man who adopted me almost killed me, what does that say about me? What kind of son drives his father to that? I'm going to find you a family tomorrow, a real one, one that's not as fucked up as I am, okay? I'll do background checks, I'll stalk them, I'll do it right. I'll find you exactly what you need. Will that be okay?"

Harper was sleeping, her chest rising up and down with each little breath she took. This little pure and innocent life was not going to suffer at the hands of the walking disaster that was the 'should've stayed dead' Jason Todd.

Jason lay back on his bed and took a few controlled breaths before sitting up. He looked around and saw all the clothes and baby items Alfred bought. He can't even go out to buy the basic things Harper's going to need. He lay back down and closed his eyes. He didn't bother with the covers; he didn't bother with his shoes. After an hour he took off his shoes, another hour passed by and Jason still couldn't sleep, he checked on Harper who was still sleeping and slipped under his covers.