1

It was the middle of the night, the windows of a large apartment complex were mostly all dark and quiet, but one was still lit and inside the loud cries of a baby could be heard. Inside the apartment a woman with light blonde-brown hair tied back in a high ponytail, and baby blue eyes that hid behind thick black rimmed glasses paced the small living/kitchen area holding the crying infant in her arms gently shushing her.

"Hush baby girl, please."

She softly pleaded with the child and for a moment the babe stopped crying to look at her with watery silver blue eyes hiccuping little sobs. The woman smiled softly pausing in her walking to lean on the kitchen counter.

"There's momma's little puddin' pie."

She sighed watching as the infant began to babble squirming about in her blanket.

"Now if only you'd go to sleep."

Looking at the clock on the wall the woman began walking again gently bouncing the girl in her arms.

"Please Lucy, go to sleep for momma we've been doing this for two hours."

Lucy looked at her mother with innocent eyes before yawning her rose petal lips forming a perfect little 'o' as she did making her mother smile carefully laying her down in a white bassinet in the only bedroom of the apartment. As soon as Lucy was in the bassinet sleeping the woman sighed thankfully and crept from the room making it no farther than the living room when the child started to wail again making her groan. Going back to the room she scooped the child up walking with her back to the living room hearing sharp knocks on the door.

When she reached the door she undid it's many locks and pulled it open enough to see out.

"Hello?"

The word barely let her lips when the door was shoved roughly open more revealing a middle aged man in a bathrobe and slippers looking extremely cross.

"Damn it Quin I told you I'd make an exception for the brat because you had nowhere else to go but this is the last straw! Every night! Every damned night this week Harleen that little monster has been crying and keeping the entire complex awake!"

The woman, Harleen, flinched at his tone holding her daughter closer feeling her chest tighten.

"She's just a baby, they cry! She's colicky because she's off her schedule with the move here! I'm sorry I'm doing all I can!"

The man narrowed his eyes at her, glancing at Lucy then back, pointing a finger at her.

"Either get the kid a muzzle, get these episodes to stop or you're out of here! Ya hear me Quin? Out of here!"

With that he stormed off leaving Harleen standing there shocked. The sound of Lucy whimpering snapped her back making her shake her head and close the door quickly locking it before going to the couch in the living space and sitting down.

"It's alright Lucy. If your daddy was here we wouldn't have to worry about getting kicked out, hell you wouldn't be having these fits because daddy would be right there in a second as soon as you whimpered."

Hearing the word 'daddy' come from her mother's lips sadly Lucy babbled at her squirming around until she was able to grab her mother's necklace holding it tight. Harleen watched her daughter and gave a watery chuckle seeing her grab the necklace, a silver chain with a series of red and black harlequin diamonds long enough to spell Harley. Wiping her eyes Harleen leaned back into the couch holding the content Lucy close.

"But your daddy is the reason we are here, he kicked us out because momma made him mad, he's expecting momma to give in and go running back into his arms I just know it but not this time, this time momma is putting you and herself first."

Harleen only realized she was talking to herself, as much more as one could when talking to a 5 month old baby, and Lucy was sound asleep curled against her. Harleen smiled softly laying her head back against the back of the couch and closed her eyes taking the chance to get some sleep herself. As she drifted between awake and asleep she thought over how she'd come to be in the rundown one bedroom apartment alone with her daughter.

Xx-Flashback-xX

Harley was sitting on the large dark silk adorned king sized bed of her penthouse apartment holding Lucy above her head making small babbling noises at her smiling when she'd get a squeaky sounding laugh and a smile from the infant. Anyone looking at her would have been confused given her expertly curled platinum blonde hair with pink and blue tips, make up including pink and blue winged eyeshadow and blazing red lipstick, and a spaghetti strap dress covered in gold sequins and a row of black diamond shapes around her waist. She looked ready for a fancy event not playing with a baby like she was.

Harley heard the familiar sound of footsteps coming up the stairs from the club bellow and smiled bringing Lucy down into her arms kissing her cheek leaving behind a red lipstick mark as the girl laughed.

"There's daddy!"

As soon as the words left her lips the door was violently thrown open making her jump holding Lucy closer more protective as her hand twitched in the direction a the pistol kept under the mattress but stopped upon being met with angry steely blue eyes. Joker stood in the doorway wearing a plum purple dressing shirt with most of the buttons undone exposing his tattoo littered chest and torso, black suit pants and his bright green hair was slicked back. Seeing it was only Joker Harley smiled brightly getting off the bed and bounded to his side opening her mouth to welcome him back upstairs but before the first word even left her throat it was cut off as her head snapped to the side from a solid smack to her cheek.

Blinking surprised Harley moved a hand to her cheek touching the tender spot turning her head to look at Joker again confused.

"M-Mr. J?"

Once the words left her mouth they were a mistake as she was grabbed by the throat and pinned roughly to the closest wall, the rough movement made Lucy start crying loudly. Hearing the cries Joker sneered at the infant then released Harley.

"You were supposed to be down stairs an hour ago! Where were ya?!"

Harley blinked confused but hardly surprised, it wasn't the first time Joker had gone on a rampage when she didn't show up for her appearances in the club bellow, as much as he hated the disgusting filth of the crowd taking their eyes over her as she danced in the glass cage it brought in more money and business than the other dancers. Seeing he was waiting for her answer and losing his patients she finally spoke.

"I'm sorry puddin' it was time for Lucy's last feeding for the night and she was gettin' fussy, I was comin' down I swear I was!"

Once she was done speaking he didn't answer for a moment but his answer wasn't vocal but physical as his hands closed around her throat making it hard to breathe.

"I told you to be down there a 11, you used the same excuse the last time this happened."

His eyes fell to Lucy who was still whimpering in her mother's arms and growled taking her into his own arms, normally Harley wouldn't react to Lucy being taken by him, he was her father after all, but when he was mad like this it made her nervous and caused her protective instincts kick in. She tried reaching to take the child back but she was kept at arm's length as Joker held the child in his free arm smiling the same devilish grin as when he was planning someone's end tsking before looking back at Harley.

"What's the matter sweets? Don't trust me all of a sudden? Worried I might drop her?"

As soon as he said the words he moved his arm as if he were dropping the now screaming child making Harley lurch forward to try and catch her but was stopped as he held the girl close again.

"Look at this Lucy, your mommy doesn't trust me anymore. Maybe I should give her a real reason to not trust me."

Harley felt her heart drop to her feet and she heard someone screaming 'no' at the top of their lungs realizing it was her as Joker moved to the balcony still facing her as he uncurled his arm so he was now only holding Lucy on her front over the edge of the balcony. Temper rising Harley pushed away from the wall and ran out to the balcony grabbing Lucy before she had a chance of falling or being dropped and held her tight raising her rage filled blue eyes to the now laughing man before her. Her hands began to shake and before she could think she pulled her arm back and curled her fist landing a solid hit to his jaw sending him back a few steps holding his jaw looking momentarily stunned.

Once the shock wore off he was livid again advancing on her until he roughly grabbed her chin forcing her to look at him.

"Get out of here. Both of you. I never want to see your face here again."

His tone was icily cold and dangerously calm making her start shaking before he released her and pushed her aside leaving the room and slamming the door behind him leaving her on the balcony tears leaking from her eyes as she sank to the ground holding her daughter close as the child watched her innocently unaware and unknowing of what had just happened or that she'd been in great danger. After that Harley had packed as much as she could into two large duffle bags for her and Lucy and left, but unlike previous times this had happened she didn't stick around the city, no he'd said he never wanted to see them again and so this time he was going to get that demand as they took the train out of Gotham to Midway city.

Xx-Flashback end-xX

Harleen opened her eyes looking around the tiny living space, when she'd arrived in the city she'd found the cheapest place to rent she could find trying to save her stolen money for things they'd need, signed the papers under the new name of Harleen Quin, so far no one suspected her of being who she was and for now that was just fine. The down side to the whole situation was that, like always, she was starting to miss her puddin' as well as the luxuries she was given back at the club top penthouse. Shaking her head she got to her feet and walked to the bedroom laying Lucy back down in the bassinet waiting to make sure she'd stay asleep before going back to the kitchen area leaning on the counter and massaging her forehead.

Suddenly the silence was broken by the mail slot on her door opening and something hitting the floor. Opening her eyes she looked over and seem a single envelope on the worn out welcome mat. Raising an eyebrow she went over and lifted it looking it over, the only writing on it was her old name, no address or return address just the name Harley Quinn.