It was mid-November in Gotham City. The trees visible from the windows of Arkham Asylum were already naked, and the grounds looked dull. Along with everything else that was visible from the windows.
Everything had a bleak look from Arkham, which was why Harleen Quinzel was glad she would be going home in the next seven hours.
Currently though, she was completing her rounds with Dr. Debra Mangreaves; a short-stout woman with grey hair that was always tied back in a tight bun, and had a pair of small spectacles that seemed sucked in from the fat of her cheeks.
She was a stern woman, who never referred to a criminal by what she called, their stage named, but had taught Harleen a lot since she arrived.
"Mr. Crane, how are you feeling this morning?," said Mangreaves through the slot of the cell door.
The skinny pale man quickly looked up from his bed, his face hollow and eyes fierce with anger, "Just a little blue… and a few others colours from the beating Batman gave me, but why would you care!"
Mangreaves nodded then closed the partition of his door and took down a few notes.
"Many of them are like that when they are returned to Arkham, they cannot see that Batman is doing them a favour."
"Of course," Harleen replied, following the plump woman over to the next door.
"Now I want you to try it out on Mr. Billar," said Mangreaves as she handed the clipboard over to Harleen and stood aside.
"Are you sure- I mean- you know how they react to me- shouldn't I watch more?" Harleen asked desperately, recalling that the last patient she talked to suddenly flipped out and tried to attack her.
"You are going to have to gather more confidence, Ms. Quinzel. If you want to be a psychiatrist you need to be able to talk to the patients."
Harleen nodded, strands of her waist-length brown hair coming loose from her ponytail.
Okay. She could do this. Just open the visor and ask how he was doing. It wasn't that hard, she did it all the time to strangers.
Taking in a long breath, she grasped the little handle and pulled it back.
Inside the room Mr. Billar was curled up on his bed, back to the door and muttering something incoherent beneath his breath.
"H-how are you doing today, Mr. Billar?"
The man did not respond.
"Speak a little louder," Mangreaves whispered.
Harleen cleared her throat, "How are you doing today, Mr. Billar?" she asked louder.
The man seemed to hear her. Slowly he began to sit up and look around at her. As she saw his face Harleen could tell she was already in for trouble. It appeared he had dug his nails into his cheeks, causing little dribbles of blood to go down his neck.
"The world is ending!" he screamed, suddenly lunging at the door.
She let out a shriek and stumbled back while Mangreaves quickly peered through the slot at the situation.
"Go get the chloroform! Harry! I need your help over here!"
Harleen rushed off for the office while a muscular security guard hurried over to help.
Inside the tiny office Harleen unlocked the cupboard that held the medication and pulled out a small blue bottle. Labeled across the front were the words, 'chloroform'. Grabbing a fresh cloth, she hurried back to the cell where Harry had the panicking man pinned to the floor and Mangreaves was trying to talk soothingly to him.
"Pass me the cloth," she commanded when Harleen appeared.
Uncorking the bottle she dabbed a couple of drops on the material and passed it to the Doctor who pressed it against the man's face.
Slowly Billar's eyes began to blink close and his head fell to the ground.
Mangreaves let out a sigh of relief and go to her feet, her once immaculate hair now a little disheveled.
"Harry please put Mr. Billar back to bed. Come along Ms. Quinzel we must continue the route."
Harleen nodded and smiled. This was how her interning had gone for the last couple of weeks. Mangreaves was letting her socialize with the patients, even though she herself felt pretty nervous about it.
Everyday they would go to each door on the mild floor and ask how the patients were doing. Later, Harleen would work on papers in the office and Mangreaves would go up to the next floor and deal with the more difficult patients on her own; though she warned Harleen that once she felt she was stable enough to do so, she would also accompany her on those rounds.
It felt more like a threat than anything. Both floors were very different to the other. What she called the mild floor, had fourteen cells, a small office and a large recreation room.
Upstairs, there was only seven cells so that the guards could see all the doors from the recreation office window, a small rec room and a large office.
Corking the bottle and dropping it in her pocket, Harleen watched as Mangreaves dealt with the rest of the patients. Always using the same brisk tone, which remained nonchalant even as some of them cussed at her.
"Mangreaves to cell 15, Mangreaves to cell 15," crackled the intercom just as they were about to approach Edward Nigma's cell.
"Ah, that's probably him, follow me" mumbled Mangreaves, quickly primping her hair and pinching her cheeks.
Harleen raised a brow as she follow the Doctor to the staircase, her stomach clenching tightly at they climbed up.
"I believe in the few months that you have been here that you have not had the honour to meet the Batman, and, if I am not mistaken, the Joker either."
Harleen nodded as they exited the stairwell and walked straight across the room to an open cell.
"Well this will be a treat for you then."
Quietly a faint sound was heard which was swiftly growing louder. Echoing out of the staircase Harleen shivered at the sound of insane laughter. Goosebumps crept along her skin as the sound seemed to be driven into her mind. Looking over at Mangreaves she could tell that the tough old bird was also a little disturbed by the sound but was doing her best not to show it.
Finally a man dressed in black appeared. Tall and brooding he dragged in a beat up man with white skin and green hair, his purple pants were ripped at the knee and one of the sleeves of his yellow shirt had been torn off.
As the insane man spotted Mangreaves he stopped laughing and called out, "Doc! It's me! Aren't you glad to see the old boy come home?"
The Doctor nodded, letting Batman push Joker into the cell and slam the door shut.
As the two stepped aside to talk quietly, Harleen curiously approached the door. Everyone in Gotham at one point had seen the Joker, on television or on in the paper, but not many got to see him in person and still lived.
Wetting her lips and looking through the hole, Harleen saw the crazy man sitting on the floor with his back against the wall.
His face quickly looked up at her, his lips thinned to flash a large yellow tooth smile.
Her eyes widened as his red tongue creped out and licked his lips before breaking out into a howl of laughter as she gasped and backed away.
A black-gloved hand quickly closed the visor and Harleen looked up to see Batman's stern face.
"Do not turn your back on him. " he warned before heading for the staircase with Mangreaves.
Childishly Harleen stuck her tongue out and followed the two.
He may be the Batman, but she was becoming a trained professional.
Once Batman left, Mangreaves returned with a happy little smile on her lips.
"Alright Ms. Quinzel, I have some things to take care of with Joker, entering procedures, so just start your paper work."
"Owww," Harleen moaned, massaging her aching hand when she arrived at her apartment that night. Six hours of writing and only just before she left did Mangreaves appear, apologizing that she had taken so long.
"And it is only Monday," she groaned, kicking off her shoes and letting out a happy sigh as her feet touched the cold floor.
Before she could get comfy the phone began to ring.
With a groan that lasted till she reached the phone she picked it up, "Hello?"
"Hello Harleen, it's your mother. Do you know how long it has been since you last phoned? Over a week! Your father is worried sick!"
She sighed, "Mom, how can Dad be worried sick, he's in prison!"
"Well if he knew he would be worried," Sharon grumbled, "when you said you were going to move I thought it would be a decent apartment, but you're in Crime Alley!."
"Mom! I'm not in Crime Alley, I am near Crime Alley," she sighed, digging her hands into her lab coat and dumping everything onto the coffee table. "And beside, it is really close to Arkham and a decent price."
Spotting the chloroform bottle in her hand she winced mentally. If Mangreaves knew she might give her hell.
"Harleen honey, you know I would've help you with rent."
Smiling, Harleen hung up her coat and walked over to the large windows that basically made a wall in her bachelor apartment.
"Mom you don't have the money. And I'm fine, I like it here, it's really nice," she said honestly, looking over at the abandoned warehouse that covered some of her view of the city.
"Fine," Sharon sighed, "but please remember to call more often. You know I worry."
"I will, good bye Mom."
Hanging up Harleen shuffled over to the fridge and pulled out a container of leftover spaghetti and popped it in the microwave. Sitting on the counter she waited and peered over the room.
She really did like the apartment. Her bed in the corner was surrounded by drapes hanging from the ceiling; next to it was her television area. In the corner near the window was her kitchen and tiny table for two, and next to it was the bathroom.
Startled as the microwave beeped Harleen hopped off the counter and began to dive into her meal.
Joker sat in a chair before her. Looking the same as he did the day before. Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and fingers pressed together. A wide smile plastered to his face. Coming even closer to her, he said something, but she couldn't hear. He continued to speak, but nothing came out.
Abruptly a rumble of noise filled the room. Shaking her as she realized it was his laughter. It felt like it was filling her chest, causing her to tense up and suffocate.
Harleen's eyes flashed open. Shivering she sat up and rubbed the sweat from her forehead and realized her nightgown was soaked through as well. What the hell had that been all about?
Checking the clock she groaned as the clock flashed that she had 15 minutes to get to work.
Throwing on some clothes she hurried out the door. Though it was not worth killing herself to get there on time, she just could not bare the thought of having a mark on her record.
"What's going on?" she muttered as she pulled into Arkham and saw that cars and television station vans had taken almost all the parking spots.
Finally finding a free spot she parked, rushed into the asylum and Mangreaves instantly attacked her.
"Ms. Quinzel, glad to see you. Look, Jervis Tetch escaped last night and we are holding a press conference. I need you to look after both floors on your own. Do you mind? I am going to be really busy" the older woman gasped, looking quite desperate.
Smiling, Harleen nodded and waved off Mangreaves as she went off to the press conference.
Feeling like ice-cold water had filled her stomach she slowly took to the stairs.
It wouldn't be so bad. There was always a door between them, she could just call Harry if she needed help. Yet yesterdays occurrence with Billar didn't leave a good impression on her mind.
Opening the stairwell door Harleen looked on at the doors of the cells.
"Let's get this done," she mumbled bravely to herself as she went to the office to grab the clipboard.
Approaching the first cell, she sucked in a long breath and slowly opened the visor.
"Good morning Mr. Crane, how are you feeling this morning?"
Scarecrow quickly looked up at her. It seemed some of his bruises had lost some of their colour.
"I am…fine," he mumbled.
Harleen nodded, closed the visor, and gave herself a mental high five.
She did it without any death threats.
Continuing on with the other cells, Harleen felt her confidence grow. Though at one point she did feel idiotic when she opened a visor and could not find the patient, only to realize she was looking in Tetch's room.
"Good Morning, how are you feeling today Mr. Nigma?"
The skinny man with ginger hair got up, pacing the length of his cell a couple of times he smiled and hurried over to the door. "I have a little puzzle for you to solve, up for the challenge?"
"Uh…sure," she replied a little confused.
"What four letters does a thief fear most?" he asked, his smile wide and eyes bearing into hers.
"Four letters," she mumbled, rubbing her chin as she stared at the steel door. "I guess… that…oh! I know." Harleen suddenly looked up at him, "O-I-C-U!"
Edward's face fell. Obviously he did not think she would be able to answer it, but quickly the look was replaced with one of admiration. "Very good. I'll have another one for you tomorrow."
Closing the visor, Harleen smiled. Everything was going way better than she expected.
Sucking in a deep breath she took the stairs to the next floor.
With each step a vision of Joker flashed in her mind. She could feel the odd sensation of weight in her stomach, and hot across her skin.
Why was she so scared to go see the homicidal maniac?
Exiting the stairwell she looked straight across the room at Joker's cell. She could start there, she thought as she approached the door and get it over with.
Stiff before the steel door, she felt herself smile moronically and shuffle over to the next cell.
Harvey Dent would be way easier to deal with at the moment.
With each cell she completed, Harleen could feel herself growing more and more tense. She didn't even notice what one of the patients was saying until she realized she had written 'murder' down about three times.
Finally the time came for her to approach him.
"What the hell," she whispered to herself as she crept towards the door, "it is not like he can do anything." She stopped before the door and rolled her eyes at her own nonsense, "there is three inches of steel between him and I, I'm fine, right?".
"Wrong," whispered Joker's voice back to her as she opened the visor and found his yellow eyes staring right through the hole.
Harleen's mouth opened into a small 'o' of fear. Backing up she watched as he pressed his face to the door, his eyes seeming to bulge while his voice quivered with snickers.
"Quiet down in there!," snarled a man's voice.
Looking over she watched as a guard hurried to the door and shut the visor, instantly killing the sound.
"Don't worry , he can't hurt you."
Harleen smiled and nodded weakly, "Y-yeah, I know." Walking off back down the stairs she couldn't help but shiver. How could he have possibly known what she had said, when the door blocked all normal noise?
A few hours later Harleen lifted her head from the desk. Her forehead red from how long she had been sitting face down.
She had finished everyone's report just fine, even added the little tidbit about solving Nigma's riddle and that maybe he would become more sociable. Every time she approached Joker's file though, she couldn't help but shy away.
How was she going to explain what happened and how she felt?
Hours began to tick by like minutes. She knew she needed to get it done and finally just wrote that he was fine and closed the file.
"Case done. I'm going home."
Maybe she wasn't cut out for this, Harleen thought as she leaned her head against the cold glass of her window. It felt so good to be home. To be able to relax.
"What the heck!" she growled as a light blinded her.
Blinking rapidly she finally managed to regain her sight and find the source of her disturbance. The windows at the warehouse next door had been turned on, it was a wonder she had not fallen over with the surprise.
"Geez I'm jumpy," she grumbled before heading over to the kitchen for dinner.
It was finally Friday. Glorious sweet Friday and she no longer had to deal with the Joker. It seemed that Tetch's escape had been taking a while for Mangreaves to deal with.
But who cares. The cherry on the cake was finally hers. No more Joker. Not that she was scared of him, he fascinated her, and that was more frightening than anything.
Arriving at Arkham that morning, Harleen happily found Mangreaves in her office.
"Ms. Quinzel, I have been reading your reports and am very impressed with your progress," she said, waving for Harleen to take a seat; which she quickly did.
"Thank you Doctor Mangreaves, I must admit that I was nervous at first, but after getting into the motion I got used to it."
"Excellent. Well with that I want you to deal with this floor on your own, and afterwards we can talk. Also, I have some amazing news for you-"
Harleen sat up eagerly.
"It seems that-"
"Mangreaves to cell 3, Mangreaves to cell 3," crackled the intercom.
"Oh, it will have to wait. Come along."
Rising from their seats the two headed for the cell. It was no surprise to Harleen that when they exited the office Batman was headed their way.
"Is it ever the police who bring in the villains?" Harleen whispered to Mangreaves as Batman pushed the tall man forward.
"You could have had your life dreams!" shouted Tetch, glaring back at Batman as he walked into his cell, "but no, you just had to ruin everything!"
"Thank you for returning him to our care," Mangreaves sighed, a tint of red on her cheeks.
The Dark Knight nodded, closing the door and effectively drowning out the sound of Tetch's ranting.
"Not a problem," said Batman before taking his leave.
"He is such a hunk," the short woman sighed.
"Uh… yeah," Harleen said, feeling slightly awkward.
Clearing her throat she waited for Mangreaves to snap out of her daze before saying, "There was something you wanted to tell me about before we were called?"
The doctor looked at her for a few seconds, as if she wasn't sure what Harleen was talking about, suddenly her eyes lit up.
"That's right. I had some great news I wanted to tell you."
Harleen smiled, great news meant better grades, perhaps ever a job offer to come back when finished.
"Joker wants you to be his psychiatrist."
She blinked. She must not have heard right, she didn't just hear….that.
"Come again?"
Mangreaves smiled and led Harleen back into the office. Taking a seat she linked her fingers together and rested her elbows on the desk. "I know this may come as a surprise, it did for me, but Joker wants to have talk sessions with you. You would not believe how long we have been trying to get him to talk to us. Hopefully make him speak out his problems instead of hurting people. Over the past few days he said he has made a connection with you and says he feels he can trust you with his mind."
Harleen zoned out. What the heck was going on? She had not even got to speak a word to him. Every time she went to greet him he did something to freak her out and she ended up always checking off he was fine.
"Ms. Quinzel?"
She looked up. It seemed while she was thinking Mangreaves had gotten up and gone to her office door.
"Do not worry, Ms. Quinzel you do not have to start today, I'll give you the weekend to think over what you will talk to him about."
Harleen nodded and quickly got to her feet to leave the office, "I'll go start my rounds."
"Very well, I shall check-in Tetch and start mine."
Either the patients were psychic, or her face showed how worried she was. Each cell she went to they looked at her and quickly said they were fine, as if they hoped she would not upchuck on them.
As the hours passed, she felt more and more nauseated.
Why her of all people? Did he also find her interesting?
"Harleen! Hey, I got the pictures developed!"
Harleen looked around. Hurrying over was her Chloe, a friend who was around the same age as her. She herself had been a previous patient, but was released for good behavior and now worked here as a janitor.
"Pictures? Pictures of what?"
"Of Halloween silly," laughed the tanned, ebony haired woman with deep brown eyes.
"Oh god, please no, don't show me," Harleen begged, backing away since she could not even remember the party from how much she drank.
Chloe whipped a picture out from the envelope she was holding and waved it in front of Harleen's nose.
She groaned. The picture had her dressed as a female Zorro with a guard pulled close to her body with a fake sword threatened near his throat.
Chloe took the picture back and looked at it smugly, "And if I am correct, this is one of the guards on the top floor and you seem to be… hmm yes, most definitely, you seem to be licking his neck."
"Shut up!", she whined, snatching the photo away from Chloe who did not even put up a fight.
With a smile, Chloe handed the envelope over to Harleen, "Initial the back of the ones you want, I am making copies for everyone. Call me later okay, we should go out and do something. I have some stuff that can make any night more fun."
Harleen nodded and beamed at Chloe.
The weekend went by quicker than usual. Cleaning the apartment, visiting Sharon, and doing some studying went by in a flash. She was anxious about talking with Joker, who knew what sort of things he would say, or attempt to do.
The creak of her car's door snapped her out of her funk.
It was already Monday morning, and today she would have to start talking whether she knew what to say or not.
Entering Arkham she decided the best way to do it was to do it right away, but her feet did not seem to think the same way and instead exited the stairway on the second floor.
All right, she thought, first the patients need my attention.
Slowly Harleen went to each cell. Tetch was still angry about being caught and was fuming that he was unable to see his Alice, and Crane's bruises had all healed.
Nigma seemed eager to see her, and quickly threw a riddle at her before she could even ask how he was doing.
"What happens when you throw a yellow rock into a purple stream?" he asked, leaning against the door.
She chewed on her lips, closing her eyes as she imagined the scenario, but nothing significant seemed to happen. After a minute or so she looked up and shrugged, "It makes a splash."
"Exactly," he whispered, moving so his eyes and smirk were visible, "And you and I could too when I get out of here."
She tried not to laugh; instead she kept a stern expression while nodding. "Have a good day Mr. Nigma."
Just as he was about to protest she closed the visor and grinned.
Soon the humour left her when she realized there were no more patients to attend to.
It was finally time to face the circus music.
Inside the office upstairs Harleen leaned back in her chair. It was comfy. High leather back, the ability to tip back so her feet dangled off the ground, and cushion covered armrests.
The office was also quite nice too. Unlike downstairs, there was more room in here. A large red rug, with a sofa for the patients and a coffee table piled with some toys to exercise the mind. Against the wall near it were a couple of bookshelves filled with texts about the human mind, a few Mangreaves had written and previous head Doctors.
Harleen sighed and let the chair go as far back as possible. Staring up at the ceiling fan that slowly whirled around she tried to ignore the tight feeling in her stomach.
Why was she so worried? She just had to go through it like how she was being trained. She shouldn't take it so personal.
The image of Joker in his cell quickly came to her mind, a red tongue and lips.
Her chest suddenly felt tight, she found it hard to breathe while thinking about him.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
A guard pushed Joker through the door, then tipped his hat and closed it once again.
There was a tense moment as Harleen stared at the green locks of hair before quickly waving for him to sit down on the sofa, "Please. Take a seat Joker."
"Of course, Ms. Harleen Quinzel."
Her eyes darted to his face, each name he pronounced was long, slow, as if to taunt her.
Clicking her pen, she placed the tip to the first line on the page and tried to muster up her most professional expression.
"Doctor Mangreaves informed me that you wished to talk with me. Please, go ahead and tell me what you would like to discuss."
Joker laid down on the sofa, crossing his legs and threading his fingers over his stomach. Pursing his lips for a moment he finally turned his head with a big grin directed towards her.
"Well Harleen, I just had to talk to you! Do you realize your name is the most beautiful I have ever heard?"
A flush of heat filled her cheeks.
"Harleen Quinzel. It sounds so much like harlequin!"
The heat turned icy, "So I've heard."
Joker suddenly sat up, his linked hands resting down near his ankles from how far over he was leaning. "Aww Harley-"
"It's Harleen."
"-don't look so sad. We can have a great time of it. Imagine, an hour of you and me talking everyday. And I could listen to you all day, especially the way you say my name. Joke-ar, not Joker-er."
"What was the issue you wanted to discuss?" she asked sternly.
"Well here's one. How come I pull a few pranks and end up in here, while Batsy swoops around Gotham dressed as a bat and is free to roam. It's prejudice I tell you. You are all against purple suits."
Harleen clamped shut on the giggle the erupted from her mouth. It was too late though, Joker had her.
"And what is with the décor here? Stone walls, stone floors, everything is stone! Ever heard of a coat of paint? Perhaps Joker face white?"
Her giggles could not be subdued.
"But seriously folks," he got to his feet, holding an imaginary microphone in his hand, "you've been a wonderful crowd, g'night!"
Harleen couldn't help herself, whistling she began to clap while he bowed than flopped down on the sofa once more.
"You know, you and me make a good team. I could see you being part of my posse, we could always use another clown in the group."
Shaking her head, she brought her abandoned notepad back into sight and pretended to jot some notes.
"Joker, tell me about your childhood. Were you happy?"
"As happy as one could be when a runaway," he said, his face looking solemn.
She tilted her head, "You ran away from home? Why?"
"I had to. Father was a drunk and mother ran away before I could even talk. At the age of seven I packed up my school bag and hit the road on my own."
Harleen bit her lip. She never expected to hear anything quite so sad about him, maybe a mean bully, or horrible girlfriend break-up.
"What did you do?"
"What most kids say they would, I joined the circus!"
Harleen nodded, her pen scribbling furiously over the paper, "And this is why you have become the Joker?"
"I guess you could say that. My dream is to make people laugh, by the dozens! No one seems to understand though."
His pitiful expression broke her heart. He was always seen with a big sadistic smile, but right before her he looked like a lost little boy. The lights in his eyes were dim and his frown was depressing.
"I understand you."
His face looked shocked, he seemed to be about to say something when the door opened and the guard entered. "Time to get back to your cell."
"We will pick this up again tomorrow."
Joker nodded, got up and followed the guard.
What had I been so worried about, she thought as she spun her chair around in circles.
That night Harleen rewarded her hard work with a cooler and an extra large helping of dessert.
Sitting at the table, she shoved a large chunk of chocolate cake into her mouth while letting the photos from the envelope spill across the surface.
A grin crossed her lips as she spotted the picture of her and Chloe chugging back a bottle of beer. It had been a great party. It must've been, she couldn't remember all of it.
Initializing the back of some of the photos she found her eyes growing heavy.
Figuring it was because she no longer had to worry about Joker, or how her progress with him could effect her internship, she decided to go to bed.
She gasped for breath as she jolted upright in bed.
Something woke her up, but she couldn't tell what. Grabbing the curtain she pulled it aside and peeked around the bit of room she could see. From what she could see, nothing in the room could have woken her.
Assuming it was just a nightmare she could not remember, Harleen laid back down.
"AhHaHaHaHa!"
Her eyes slowly opened wide. She knew that laugh. That unmistakable laugh that could belong to no one but…
She hurried out of bed, looked about the apartment then peered out the window.
The Joker.
Walking with a couple of large burly men dressed in purple, she saw him still in his prison outfit head into the warehouse across from him.
"How?"
She was unsure of how long she stood there, but realized it must have been long enough for him to go inside and change, then lead the goons over to a vehicle, which the two got in and left. Leaving him alone to wander back inside the building with a happy strut.
"Oh god no. Please no. Anything but this."
Harleen sunk to her knees. How could this have happened?
For a few moments her fingers flexed against the cold floor, her mind reeling with what she could possibly do.
The most obvious was to phone the police, but if he got into a fight with them he could get hurt, or worse, killed.
Groggily getting to her feet she stumbled over to her table and plopped down, fingering lazily through the photos.
"Can't I just leave him?" she wondered aloud as she mentally laughed at Chloe's psycho patient costume.
"Can't I just…" her eyes crossed over her own costume when it suddenly hit her.
"If Batman can do it, so can I!"
Harleen became a blur around the apartment. Off came her pajamas, and on her costume. Well most of it anyways, she doubted she would need the sword or Zorro hat.
Nodding at herself in the mirror, she spotted the bottle of chloroform she had continuously forgot to return.
Mulling it over, she decided it wouldn't hurt to bring along and shoved it in her pocket that was already crammed with a tube of lipstick.
"Time to take Joker back."
Out the window, down the fire escape, and sneaking as best she could, Harleen finally was outside the warehouse door.
Praying that nothing would give away her entrance she pulled it open.
The door didn't make a sound, and there seemed to be no reaction from the other side. Sneaking in, Harleen hid behind a pile of cardboard boxes and looked around.
Joker was up stairs; she could see him in the office working on something.
Heels lightly clicking on the floor, she climbed the stairs and tiptoed into the room he was in.
It seemed that the light she had been blinded by the other day was turned on to decorate the room for Joker.
Large bed in one corner with a green and purple cover, posters from circus's plastering the walls, and a clothing stand that seemed to be filled with the same suit over and over again.
Trying to breathe as quietly as possible, though she was sure Joker could hear her heart pounding, she watched as he poured over some papers on a desk.
"And then all the centre pieces start playing music," he was mumbling while scribbling.
Licking her lips and steeling her nerves, she pulled a cloth from her pocket and dabbed a couple of drops of chloroform on it. Afterwards she slowly began to sneak forward.
She saw his body freeze as her shadow crossed over his desk, but it was too late. As he turned around she pressed the cloth to his face and he was asleep.
"I…I actually did it," she said proudly, looking down at his slumped body while corking the bottle of chloroform.
Harleen swiftly acted. Dropping the bottle on his desk, she grabbed his arms and dragged him onto the bed.
He will awaken soon, she thought, looking over his room, and she doubted he was going to lay there if she told him to. Looking for something to tie him up with she found a roll of duct tape and gently tied his wrists together and then to the headboard.
"There, all done. Now just to wait for the police or Batman to find him," she murmured to herself as she took the seat he had previously been in.
She drummed her fingers on the table as she looked over at a clock on his desk.
1:41 a.m.
The black leather gloves scrunched with each movement as she played with the tiny bottle then dropped it on the desk.
Hopefully when someone arrived they wouldn't question her, or even ask who she was. She just could not stand the thought of Joker knowing who turned him in. Harleen looked over at him, he was still asleep.
He should be awaking sometime soon, she thought as she looked back at the clock.
1:42 a.m.
She blinked a couple of seconds and rubbed her eyes. Surely it had not only been a minute! It felt like she had been sitting for eternity!
Harleen got to her feet and began pacing the room while rubbing her neck.
Pausing she looked back at the clock. Same time.
Why did time seem to be going so slow?
Sighing she stretched her arms above her head and flumped down beside Joker on the bed.
Harleen recalled the story of Snow White. The princess slept until the prince came along and stole a kiss from her sleeping lips. Joker may not have been a prince, but he sure was dreamy.
As if afraid she would be caught, she slowly let her eyes drift over to his face.
Unlike when awake, he did not have a menacing smile or cruel look in his eyes. Instead he looked peaceful. His lips were in a small smile.
Harleen pulled off one of the gloves and let it fall to the floor. Gradually she reached over and began to trace his lips with her thumb. She never realized it before since he wore such large expressions, but he had a nicely shaped mouth.
She let her eyes roam over his suit.
Wanting to feel more of him, she moved further onto the bed so her backside pressed against his thigh, while her fingers explored the material of his purple polyester suit.
She shifted slightly and jumped, something sharp had just poked her side. Curiously reaching into his pockets, she pulled out an assortment of weird things.
Metal playing cards with sharpened edging, wind-up teeth with fangs, and even marbles, which she guessed had some use in the crime career.
Harleen looked up at his face. He was still asleep, and anything she did he wouldn't know, so what would be the harm in…
She leaned forward, her chest against his and her hands on his shoulders. Taking in the musky scent of his body, she softly pressed her mouth against his. Shyly she poked her tongue out to trace his lips. Tasting him outside before going in to explore.
"Mmrm," Joker groaned.
Harleen sat up straight, what was she to do, she really did not want to stop but he would be upset if he knew what she was doing.
She rubbed her face but stopped when her fingers crept over the eye mask.
What did it really matter what she did if he had no idea who she was.
His eyes opened and he made to sit up but instantly found that he was unable to.
"What's going on here?" he demanded as he looked over at her and narrowed his yellow eyes, "you harlot, do you know who I am?"
Harleen tapped her tongue against the top of her mouth. Her mind trying to think of something to say, but wouldn't he recognize her voice? He did say he liked the way she said his name.
"Of course," she said with the best Brooklyn accent she could muster from memory of her grandmother, "you're Mista J!"
"Well then you idiot, untie me this instant!" he growled.
A smirk crossed her lips, which even surprised her as she said, "Why should I?"
Getting onto her knees she crawled onto his body, straddling his hips.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity; why should I not take advantage of it?"
"What are you doing?" he growled, struggling with his wrists to get free.
"It's funny Mista J, I've never seen you without a smile for so long," she teased, unbuttoning his jacket before moving onto his yellow shirt.
"You're not going to see much when I get through with you!"
"Tsk, tsk, you talk to much," she sighed as she pulled off her other glove and shoved it in his mouth as a gag. "Much better."
Relishing the feel of his hot body between her thighs Harleen unfastened the last button of his shirt and opened it up.
"Wow, didn't realize you were fully white as snow."
Joker made a disgruntled noise.
Leaning over she pressed her fingers into his chest and gently let her tongue slip up the side of his neck, tickling just below the ear.
Harleen felt Joker's body shiver and something stiffen beneath her. The knowledge that she could have that sort of effect on his body made her feel bolder.
Descending down to his knees, she focused her attention on his pants. With steady fingers and heavy breath she unfastened the buttons and pulled down the zipper.
Peeling aside the purple flaps she paused and smirked up at him, "Red heart boxers? You loon."
"Pwat," Joker spat, finally managing to get her glove out of his mouth, "What the heck do you think you're doing?"
Her lips pulled back in a wide grin as she reached inside the hole of his boxers and drew him out.
Sitting up, she unfastened her black leather bodysuit and pulled it down to her hips, then along with her underwear, she pulled it completely off her body and let it drop to the ground.
She unclasped her bra, letting her large bosoms bounce into sight and show off how excited she was.
It was an amazing feeling, sitting naked on Joker's waist with his stiff member pressing against her bottom, and watching his body react to every little thing she did.
"It looks like you don't want me to stop puddin," she teased as she lifted herself up onto her knees and reached below to grab his flesh and position him against her slit.
Wiggling her hips she began to take him in. Each thick inch slipping in smoothly from her excitement, her body slumping forward with her fingers splayed against his sweaty chest.
Bringing her thighs tight to his hips, she moved her hands back onto his thighs and gripped on tightly as she moved herself up and down.
"God," Joker groaned, tilting his head back into the pillow while thrusting himself upwards.
"Didn't know you were a religious man, Mista J," she teased breathlessly, her breasts bouncing and sweat gathering down between her thighs.
Swiftly his legs pushed into her back, sending her off balance and collapsing into his chest with her elbows on either side of his head. A sharp pain stabbed through her left breast as his teeth dug into the flesh around her nipple.
"Oh! Mista J! Please stop, it hurts!," she cried as he rocked his hips fiercely against hers and sucked deeply on her breast.
Even with the pain Harleen couldn't help but reach down and pleasure herself even further. Rubbing her bud fiercely she could hear herself scream with a mixture of pain and pleasure as the motion of their hot bodies together caused her insides to tighten.
She sunk down onto his body, crushing his face with her breasts as her hips grinded onto his, body tightening over his member until her juices began to coat his skin and she collapsed panting.
Gaining some sense now that her body was satisfied, Harleen realized she could not cuddle with him for the rest of the night, even if his body did smell wonderful. Someone might appear at any moment to take him back to jail, or one of his goons could return and release him.
Ripping her breast from his mouth she shuddered from the pain she collapsed onto the bed beside him.
"What are you doing!" demanded Joker, struggling with his bonds as he tried to turn over to lay on top of her.
"Sorry puddin', got to get up early in the morning," she laughed, weakly getting to her feet and putting her clothes back on. "Don't worry though, I had a great time!"
"You can't just leave me like this," he growled as she made her way to the stairs.
Harleen looked back at him, a pitying frown on her lips as she rested her hands on her waist. Feeling the tube of lipstick in her pocket, she grinned and pulled it out.
"You're right Mista J, I can't".
Uncapping the top, Harleen painted her lips black and returned to his side. Leaning over she pressed a long kiss to his mouth and then one on his shoulder. Admiring her handiwork, she drew a large heart on his chest, along with a J + H.
"There, now I can leave you in peace," she laughed, quickly grabbing the bottle of chloroform from the desk and taking off for the stairs.
The rest of the night was a like a dream. She couldn't remember climbing back up into her window or going to bed, but the next morning came quickly with the roar of an engine.
Groggily opening her eyes, Harleen pulled aside the covers and curtains and stumbled to the window. Peeking around the drapes she spotted the large, black Batmobile parked in the alley.
Batman must have already found him she thought as she flumped onto the sofa and checked the time.
If Joker was being taken back to Arkham, that meant she would be seeing him today. Oh no, what if he recognized her?
She paused for a moment, thinking it over. The only things that would be defining about her would be her hair and maybe her voice. Joker was no detective though and probably wouldn't suspect someone doing an accent, but she would need to do something about her hair.
Harleen found Mangreaves in the main fall of Arkham when she arrived to work that day. She had seen Batman's vehicle leaving the asylum and assumed that Joker was already locked away in his cell.
"Harleen! Excellent, you probably did not know this but Joker escaped last night. Luckily Batman found him quickly and brought him back to us. He has refused to tell us what he was up to, and Joker seems to feel the same, so hold off on the session for today."
Harleen nodded, the weight in her stomach seeming to lift.
"By the way, love your hair. Blonde suits you. I'll be doing my rounds and check-in, see you later."
In a way Harleen wished she could get the first talk with him out of the way, just to see if he would figure out that she was the attacker. On the other hand, this gave her time to think of how to approach him without seeming suspicious.
She paused before taking the stares, frowning at the floor.
Well as long as she didn't mention the great sex she had the other night, or the neat little Zorro outfit she had in her closet, she was pretty sure she would be fine.
Starting her rounds, Harleen tried to get herself to absorb into her work. She even had a chat with Nigma who was still trying to convince her to join his team once he was out of Arkham.
By the end of the day, she felt calm and relaxed, even confident that tomorrow with Joker would go well. It was not like she felt guilty about what happened she just felt that if she saw him she would blow her cover.
A heavy blush covered her cheeks as her mind flashed images and feelings of the night before.
Letting out a frustrated growl she shook her head. That was exactly what she pictured might happen. Especially when she saw his tasty lips, or heard his voice which had growled with pleasure just hours before.
"Hey Harleen!"
Snapping out of her daze she spotted Chloe entering the office and taking a seat in front of the desk. "You done with the photos yet?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry I forgot them."
"That's alright, just bring them tomorrow. Hey, are you okay? You don't look too hot."
Harleen looked up, she couldn't exactly tell her what was happening, but maybe some girl-to-girl guy advice would help.
"It's a guy," she smiled shyly, "I like him but don't know how to face him."
Chloe broke out into laughter, "Is that all? Come on, we're not in high school anymore. We're adult women. We have nothing to fear when facing guys, so next time you see him, either tell him how you feel or act like nothings the matter."
"You think so?" Harleen asked, raising a brow.
"I know so. If you give men any sort of hints they may actually clue in and that can be embarrassing. So let him know, or let him never know."
Harleen nodded. Chloe had a point. If Joker had no reason to think that she liked him, then he may never suspect that she was the black leather predator. Yet if he did find out, it wasn't embarrassment she would be face.
"Thanks Chloe, guess a talk is all I needed."
"You know it," Chloe laughed as she got to her feet. "By the way, love the new look."
Harleen grinned, "Thanks, I just decided something new might look better on me." She reached up, fiddling with her shoulder length, blonde hair.
"Anyways, call me when you want to hang out sometime."
"Will do."
Harleen held the bottle of chloroform in her hand. She had finally remembered to bring it back, mostly because it was a key piece of evidence.
A knock at the office door made her jump.
Looking over, she saw the door open and Joker escorted into the office.
"Oh, hello," she said nervously, hiding the vial behind her back, "Please take a seat."
Dropping the it back into her pocket, she also hurried to sit down.
"I heard you escaped last Friday."
She saw him flinch, a bitter sneer crossing his lips and instantly he relaxed. Slumping in his seat a wide smile painted on his face as he laughed, "I thought I'd go out on the town. Can you blame me Harley."
"It's Harleen. And you know you have to stay here until they deem you fit for society," she took her seat, propping her notepad on her knee as she crossed her legs.
Joker broke out into laughter, non-stop before growling and lunging forward, his hands on the arms of her chair.
"You think they'll ever let me out?" he spat, "They can't see the jokes like I do, their sense of humour is so warped they only understand knock knock jokes! They'll never willingly let me free"
"If you worked hard to prove you're sane they would," she mumbled, trying to keep her eyes off his lips which were so close to her face.
"And how do you suggest I do that!" he snapped, throwing himself back onto the sofa, "Not all of us can become dumb blondes over night."
Harleen felt her face burn with rage.
"Listen here clown man!" she growled, "acting like a jerk isn't going to help your case either."
He stared at her shocked, then grinned and rested his chin on his hand, "I like a girl with spunk and a spine. You could work with me once I break out of here again, be my Hench girl"
Harleen snorted, "Yeah, like that is ever going to happen."
"C'mon, Harley baby-"
"It's Harleen."
"We can run this town."
"Look Joker, you wanted to talk out your problems, let's talk," she said irritably.
"We are talking, Harley, and what a great conversation it is. The stories I could tell about my own crime sprees, like when I robbed Gotham Museum the other month, that was a riot!"
A flicker of evil pulled at her lips as she tilted her head, if he didn't want to be serious, then neither did she, "I have a perfect topic that we should talk about. What happened when Batman captured you yesterday?"
The dumbstruck look on his face was priceless.
Leaning over in her seat, she tapped her pen against his knee, "Yes. Tell me exactly how you felt when Batman saw you. Were you committing a crime?"
"No."
"Were you making plans to rob a bank."
"No." he growled.
"Or maybe you were asleep in bed," she teased, trying her best not to grin.
"No!" he snapped, his hand lashing out to shove her away.
She let out a cry as a sharp pain throbbing through her breast from where he pushed. Harleen froze, her hand clenching her blouse as she slowly lifted her head to look at Joker.
She could see his eyes narrowed with suspicion, head tilted to analyze her more closely.
"Is everything okay in here, Ms. Quinzel," asked a guard at the door who came after hearing the racket.
"Y-yes, our session is over. Please escort Joker back to his cell."
Harleen's fist crashed into the bathroom mirror, her hand shaking as blood dribbled down her fingers and into the sink.
"That was close. Way too close," she snarled, looking at her hand like she was unsure of when her injury occurred.
Sucking in a deep breath, she slowly let it escape as she turned to lean against the counter and begin picking bits of glass from her fist.
She was going to have to be more careful. She hadn't exactly thought that Joker's hand would collide into her wound, but somehow it did and almost gave her away.
If his suspicion of her was given anymore proof, she could be in for some real trouble. It was time to get rid of evidence.
"Aunty, nephy, so glad to see you," Joker said silkily into the phone in the visitor's room.
Looking through the glass he smiled widely at his goons Punch and Judy. One dressed as a little boy with a beanie and holding a large lollipop, the other in a red curly wig and dress. Apparently security did not notice either of the men's facial shadow.
His eyes skipped over to where the guard was.
He seemed satisfied that Joker was talking with family and left them alone to read a newspaper.
Joker's demeanor quickly melted away. His brows came together as he spoke venomously through the phone, "I want you two clobber heads to find a woman."
"We can easily do that boss, a nice pretty blonde." said Judy into the phone, both his and Punch's head together so they could hear what Joker said.
"I don't mean just any woman!" Joker shouted, lunging to his feet, face pressed to the glass as he bore down on the two shaking men. "I want a specific one! A long haired brunette, who has a Brooklyn accent, black lipstick, and a black body suit with a mask."
"Batgirl?" Punch asked confused.
Joker took his seat, his hand shaking with anger as brought his fingers to his forehead to massage his sudden headache. "No," he tried to say calmly, "not Batgirl. Just look for a woman with what I said, got it?"
The two quickly nodded. There may have been glass between them but Joker was still liable to break through.
"Good."
Harleen sunk into the office chair. It felt like she had gotten away with a crime. Everything that could link her to the incident had been thrown into the dumpster; costume, lipstick, even the whip. It was gone, and she was free. Yet Joker's mood had not improved.
A knock at the door made her snap out of her daze.
"Come in."
"Hey Harleen," said Chloe as she opened the door and leaned against the frame.
"Chloe! I didn't expect to see you so early in the morning," she laughed, rising from her seat and approaching her.
"Well there was a shift, and usually I'd leave you alone but I need those pictures," she raised her brow skeptically.
"Lucky for you," she said, pulling the envelope from her pocket, "I remembered them. I even slipped in some money for you to make copies and put the ones I want in the front."
"You spoil me," Chloe laughed, popping open the envelope and pulling them out one at a time. "Seriously? This one?"
Chloe removed a picture and brandished it before Harleen's face. "The one with you passed out on the table?"
Harleen laughed, pushing the picture from her face, "It will give me something to reflect on before I go drinking again."
"And about that, I am off tomorrow, want to go partying?"
Before Harleen could speak her picture was snatched away from Chloe. About to explain herself to Mangreaves, her body lost all feeling.
Joker stared wide eyed at the picture, just long enough before the guard took it away from him and returned it to Chloe.
"Let me know later," Chloe said as she left, seeming unaware of how pale Harleen became that instant.
She took a couple of steps backwards as she stared at the Joker.
Joker's body was beginning to shake, his shoulders rising rapidly with heavy breaths.
Was nobody noticing their surroundings, she thought desperately as the guard closed the door and left them alone.
Joker tilted his head; his eyes focused on her as he locked the door and took slow deliberate steps towards her.
"I-I know what you're thinking?" she stammered, her skin flushing hot.
"Do you now, and what might that be?" he growled, never blinking,
"That I must be a terrible drunk," she laughed nervously, inching around the desk so it was between them.
"Yes, that must be what is going through my mind Harley, now let's take a seat and relax," a large smile spread his lips open, sending shivers of terror down her spine.
Is this how his victims felt before they died? Pure terror of the menacing man with a smile.
"Yet somehow it's not," he continued forward until he was in front of the desk, his hands grabbing the end and throwing it aside. The heavy wood collided with the wall, making her scream as he was suddenly on top of her. His fingers digging into her arms while their noses just touched.
"What I am thinking is how some little nobody thought they could get away with attacking the Joker!"
The door began to rattle. Harleen could see the guards shadows against the frosted glass as he began to yell for help.
"Please," she whimpered, the shelves of the bookcase digging into her back, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Really now," he scoffed, breaking out into a fit of laughter.
She could feel his stale, hot breath as he laughed, his fingers clenching tighter into her arms before one released her and tore open the front of her coat and blouse.
"Do explain where you received this then," he growled, pulling up her bra so her breasts spilt out into view and revealed the large bite mark he had left.
The door burst open, Harleen sunk to the ground as Joker was grabbed and dragged from the room, screaming that he would get her.
"Harleen!"
She looked up, expecting to see Chloe but was shocked to find Mangreaves rushing over.
"Are you all right, oh god, did he do that to you? What happened?" she asked, kneeling down beside her.
She covered herself up, fastening the buttons of her blouse as she shook her head, "I don't know what happened. He suddenly got angry and attacked me."
"Look Harleen, I want you to go home. Have a long weekend. Even the most experienced psychiatrists need to get away after something like this. Come back Monday and you can try and start again with him."
Harleen silently agreed as she got up and gathered her things from the office.
What was she to do, Joker knew, and she could not just tell Mangreaves the real reason why she was unable to talk with him. She herself might even end up in here if the truth got out.
She touched her lips. She had loved the feeling of kissing his mouth, but the next time they touched, it might be his fingers around her throat.
Making her way for the front door, the sound of running footsteps made her turn around.
"Chloe?"
"Harleen! I just heard what happened. Are you okay?"
She nodded, "Yeah. Guess he wasn't in the best mood to be talked to," she managed a weak smile.
"Look, tonight you and I are going out."
"I don't know-"
"No excuses," Chloe said with a stern expression, "You need to get out and relax. I'll pick you up at 10."
Before she could protest her friend was already taking off.
In her car Harleen gave in. Perhaps going out for the night would be just what she needed. A bit of beer always helped her forget her troubles, maybe even long enough to let her downplay the event that would occur Monday.
"Don't you look ready for a night on the town," Chloe yelled over the music as they removed their jackets at coat check.
Harleen smiled, she had decided to go for something a little more seductive than a Zorro outfit that night.
Showing off her curves with a red, backless dress, she felt that any guy she met that night would melt under her ability to seduce.
"Let's getting something to drink," Harleen yelled into her ear as she pulled her arm in the direction of the bar.
"Wait!"
Chloe grabbed her hand and pulled her into the women's bathroom.
"Take one of these," she pulled something out from her purse and emptied a couple of pills into Harleens hand. At her confused look, she nodded her head at them, "They're fine. I wouldn't give you something that could get you hurt. They'll just make the party more fun!"
As if to prove what she said, Chloe dumped a couple into her own hand and gulped them down.
Harleen frowned at them for a moment, then went over to the sink and grabbed a mouthful of water and downed them.
"Now c'mon, let's get those drinks," her friend yelled cheerfully, disappearing from the room.
The couple of beers Harleen had went down smooth, yet she didn't feel anything. Perhaps whatever it was she was given was a placebo that Chloe hoped would make her relax, or maybe not strong enough to make her react.
Out on the dance floor Harleen closed her eyes, sinking into the music while Chloe in front of her cheered.
This wasn't so bad. Meeting Joker seemed so insignificant compared to dancing to this song.
She opened her eyes, looking over the crowd of sweaty faces, grinding, twisting, and jumping.
Taking a large gulp of beer she laughed as Chloe stumbled, her pupils seeming larger than usual.
"You okay?" she screamed over the crowd.
"Yeah! I'm gonna get us another drink! Stay here," she replied, taking Harleen's cup and disappearing into the crowd.
Shaking her head Harleen looked around, her body bouncing to the beat.
Was that Batman, she thought, getting to her tiptoes while still dancing. She could have sworn she just saw the Dark Knight.
Shaking it off she continued her moves, feeling like the music was absorbing into her body from how loud it was.
The lights were beginning to look odd, like when a sparkler moved quickly through the dark and left behind a trail.
Her mind was beginning to feel numb, the beer seemed to be working through her faster than usual.
Did she just see Joker? Her eyes frantically searched the crowd though her body was unable to stop.
Had she just seen him over by the DJ?
No, of course not. He was in Arkham, hopping mad.
She broke out into laughter, her shoulders shaking from how hard she was laughing at the mental picture of him hopping in his cell.
She saw him in the crowd again, this time closer.
Her mouth felt dry, where were those beers.
His face flashed once more, this time farther to her left but still getting closer.
Oh god, she was alone with this psycho's face coming at her. Yet did she really mind him coming near?
Harleen remembered the feel of him beneath her. How hot his skin felt under her fingers, and shivered with pleasure.
A cup and Chloe's face appeared before her eyes. Smiling she grabbed the drink and took a long gulp.
"You look like you're having fun dancing like a maniac!" Chloe called, sipping from her own cup.
"It's called the pee dance," Harleen replied with a burst of laughter, "I'll be right back."
With wobbly steps she made her way back to the toilets, her heart pounding with excitement, skin coated with sweat, and mind screaming that something wasn't right.
"Maybe he wanted to party," she mumbled to herself, going past a woman who left looking like she had just lost every drink she had that night.
A hand traced her side from hip to shoulder.
Stumbling around to see who it was, she found herself facing Joker.
"You can't be here," she mumbled, staring into his wide smile and malicious eyes.
His head tilted to one side as if asking why?
"Oh, I don't care if you're here or not," she moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him with her until she could sit on the counter.
Pressing her lips against his, she felt his hands eagerly push her dress up to her waist, open her thighs and fit himself between them.
Harleen curled her fingers through his green hair, clutching on to it tight as she crushed her lips onto his, exploring every bit of his mouth with her tongue.
His lips pulled away, kissing the corner of her mouth before travelling to her cheek, then nibbling on her jaw.
"Please," she moaned, feeling his white gloved fingers tease against the material of her panties while his lips slipped to her throat.
His fingers pulled aside the material, brushing against the folds; which were already soaked with her excitement. Shuddering and gasping to his every touch she spread her thighs farther apart, trying to pull him tighter to her.
For a moment he teased her lips, not yet going in but letting her feel the pressure that he could. Shivering, she pleaded for him to take her, before finally he pushed his fingers inside. Using his thumb he slowly made circles around her clit while using two fingers to pulsate in and out of her.
Harleen sat up in bed. Her body aching with need from the…dream?
Could she have just dreamed it all? The club? The drinks? The bathroom visit?
The pounding in her head and insatiable thirst in her mouth told her the first two had been very real. But after that she could not be sure, to think of it, she couldn't even remember returning home.
Leaning back against the headboard to stared up at the ceiling. Dream or real, Harleen wish she could remember more of her fun with Joker, but everything about it was quickly draining from her mind.
Holding onto bits and pieces, she remembered the feel of Joker's fingers inside her. How it felt so erotic, and how the terrifying thought that he might attack her any minute had made it even more exciting.
She moved her hand timidly down between her thighs, caressing her soaked lips with her fingers before feeling something odd.
Drawing it out, she pulled into sight a small piece of white string. Dropping it to the ground, she shrugged it off and decided to focus on pleasure later.
Harleen ran her tongue around her dried mouth. Whatever happened last night, she definitely knew that all the beer she drank was making her feel like she was trapped in a desert.
Pulling back the covers she shivered as the cold air hit her hot flesh. It was almost the end of November, maybe it was about time she turned the heat on, she thought with a shaky laugh.
Drawing back the curtain around her bed she braced herself for even more chilly air, but instead clasped her hand over her mouth.
Joker.
Standing in front of her with a raised brow, and a frighteningly wide smile and traditional purple suit.
"You can't be real," she whispered through her fingers, but quickly learned he was as he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back onto the bed.
Climbing onto her body he pinned her hands above her head and leaned in close to her face.
"Oh I am, and you're in for some real trouble."
Harleen struggled to pull her wrists out of his hand while his other reached down her nightgown and began to lift it up.
"Please! Stop, we can talk this through!" she pleaded.
"I think we have done enough talking," he said, laughing wickedly before exposing her chest, "Now shut up."
He leaned down, his hot breath trailing down from her chin to her right breast. Making her shudder with excitement and fear.
His mouth wrapped around her skin, teeth grinding around her nipple to make her squeal until finally he bit down.
Moaning in agony, she lifted her head just enough to see some of the blood escape his lips and dribble down her sides.
"And now you have a choice," he growled into her ear, flicking it gently with his tongue while she sobbed. "You can either return to work Monday as Harleen Quinzel, or come work for me as Harley Quinn."
"A-are you serious," she whispered, sniffling slightly.
"Of course my dear," he cooed, lifting his face and pressing his forehead to hers.
"You mean you'd want me to work for you? But why?"
"I told you Harley, I like your spunk."
Harleen smiled, feeling her heart pound with excitement at the prospect of being with her puddin' at all times of the day, "Okay Mista J."
End- Look for 'Parallel'