The marble hallway outside the land registry echoed faintly as Barbara led Pamela and Harley toward the office. When they stepped through the open door, Barbara stopped dead in her tracks. Commissioner Gordon was standing at the counter, signing something with his broad shoulders hunched and his coat still damp from Gotham's drizzle. Barbara's entire body tensed, but her face snapped instantly into a practiced smile. She shot a quick warning look to Pamela, who caught on immediately. Without hesitation, Pamela grabbed Harley by the shoulders and steered her toward a supply closet near the wall.
Harley's voice rose in protest, half-whispered, half-confused. "Hey, hey—what's going on?"
Pamela kept her tone level, her hand already on the doorknob. "Shut up. Commissioner Gordon's here."
"Oh, okay!" Harley said quickly as Pamela shoved her inside. "Just—don't forget about me!" The door clicked shut, muffling her voice. Pamela took a deep breath, smoothed her hair, and turned back just as Gordon turned around.
"Hello, sir," she said politely, stepping forward with measured grace. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
Gordon's brow furrowed as he adjusted his glasses. "You're Pamela Isley, right? I heard you dropped out of Gotham University. My daughter mentioned you once or twice." His eyes flicked from Pamela to Barbara. "Are you by chance going to be living with my daughter?"
Pamela smiled warmly and, without missing a beat, took Barbara's hand in hers right in front of him. "Yes, sir. That's correct. I recently moved in with your daughter, and we're already talking about committing ourselves to an exclusive relationship."
Barbara rolled her eyes at the flourish of it, but before she could object, her father's eyes glistened behind the lenses of his glasses. "I'm so happy for you, Barbara." His voice cracked. "I was worried for years—you grew up such a tomboy. I thought you'd never find someone who'd love you."
"Dad," Barbara hissed, her face reddening, "please stop embarrassing me."
But Gordon wasn't listening. His emotions were swelling like a wave. "It's okay, sweetheart. You know your mother and I have always supported you. But this—this makes me so proud. She's going to cry when she hears. Oh, my god, I can't wait to tell her!"
Pamela stood there serenely while Barbara buried her face in one hand. Gordon suddenly turned to Pamela, clasping his hands together. "Pamela, you make my daughter the happiest woman in the world, you hear me? I'm not asking you to marry her, but please stay faithful. And—" he hesitated, his voice turning hopeful, "give us some grandchildren. Her mother and I have been waiting years."
Barbara groaned and swatted his arm. "Dad! Shut up! You're embarrassing me in front of my girlfriend!"
Pamela, suppressing a laugh, wrapped an arm loosely around Barbara's neck and answered sweetly, "Don't worry, sir. We're already working hard on where to adopt your future grandchildren."
That set him off again. "Adopt! Wonderful! You two think ahead!" he blurted, pulling out his phone in a flurry. "She needs to hear this!"
The phone rang once before Mrs. Gordon's excited voice exploded from the speaker. "WHAT?! My daughter has a girlfriend living with her?! Barbara Gordon, the tomboy, actually found someone?! It's a miracle!"
Barbara lunged for the phone, face burning. "Mom! Mom, it's me! Stop shouting, you're embarrassing me!"
"Oh, honey," her mother's voice softened only slightly. "When are the grandchildren coming? You need to bring your new girlfriend home for dinner! We'll have a family supper! And we still need to talk about the birds and the bees—I never got around to that talk when you were young. I was so worried about you climbing rooftops and fighting boys, I skipped it completely!"
Barbara's eyes widened in horror. "MOM! Please!" She thrust the phone back into her father's hands. "Dad, you handle her. I'm done."
Gordon was laughing outright now, the sound echoing warmly across the sterile room. "Yes, dear, she's bright red. Completely mortified. I'll bring them both by for dinner soon."
Pamela decided to intervene before the situation unraveled completely. She stepped closer and spoke gently into the phone. "Hello, Mrs. Gordon."
The older woman's voice melted into a soft coo. "Oh, hello, dearie! You must be Pamela Isley. My husband just told me all about you. You sound like such a sweetheart."
Pamela smiled, her voice perfectly courteous. "Thank you, ma'am. You must be so proud of your daughter."
"Oh, yes, I'm thrilled. She finally found someone!" Mrs. Gordon said brightly.
Pamela met Barbara's mortified eyes and winked. "We'll take good care of each other, ma'am. You have my word."
Gordon clapped his hands together, still beaming. "You see, Barbara? Your mother and I are overjoyed. I knew you'd make me proud someday."
Barbara groaned again, her shoulders slumping in resignation. "Dad, can we please not do this in a public government office?"
Pamela chuckled quietly and patted her arm. "It's sweet, Barbara. They really love you."
From the closet, a muffled voice called out, "Hellooo? Did everyone forget about me?"
The entire room went silent for one awkward beat.
Gordon looked around, confused. "Did someone just… say something?"
Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose. "No, Dad. The building's old. Probably the pipes."
He shrugged, still smiling dreamily. "Well, tell your… friend in the pipes I said congratulations, too."
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