AN: Sorry for the wait, for those of you who are reading. But then again, how will I know if you're reading this if you don't review? Hmm? I lose all my will to write if no one reads my stuff, so: review, review, review! :]

The streets of Gotham were busy, like normal, but Harley couldn't have felt more alone. The moon was high in the sky without a cloud in sight as she moved along the street, clad in a red tank top and daisy-dukes. Her hair, like usual, was up in pigtails. With a sigh she slumped onto a bench.

"I do miss my puddin'…" She mumbled and traced her fingers over the wood that made up the bench. She was miserable. But puddin' would have killed me if I stayed with him. He doesn't take crap from anybody. Harley's hand clenched into a tight fist. "No!" She exclaimed and stood. Without realizing she was speaking out loud she continued. "I'm not going back to him!"

"Going back to who, sweet-cheeks?" A gruff voice spoke from behind her. She turned, her blue eyes wide. "What's it to ya'?" She asked, cocking her hip to the side. There were three men, and by the looks of it, they meant trouble. "Come now, pretty lady. We'll show you a good time." Harley laughed. They were actually going to try this on her? One of the men, the leader, scoffed.

"You think this is funny?" He smashed the beer bottle he had in his hand against the bench and turned it into a weapon. Which he pointed at Harley. "Get her, boys. Let's take her into that alley over there." Without realizing it the other two had walked around the bench to surround Harley. One grabbed her by the arm and while she was distracted the other grabbed her by the waist. Using the man's hold as an advantage Harley lifted her feet and leaned back, using the man behind her to support her weight, and kicked the other man in the chest, knocking him backwards. With one swift motion she pushed herself backwards, flipping over the man. She held onto the collar of his shirt, and when she turned upright from the flip she used the momentum and threw him in front of her, sending him sliding along the concrete.

"You're gonna have to do better than that, bub." Harley smirked and dusted her hands off. Before she could turn around the sharp, cool feel of glass was against her throat and an arm was wrapped around her waist. The man's breath was hot against her ear and he wasted no time exploring the taut muscles of her stomach. "How's this for better, eh girly?" His breath stunk of alcohol and it was obvious he was drunk. Harley stuttered slightly.

"Well," She choked out forcing a laugh. "That'll do it." She glanced towards the man using her peripherals. He was ugly, with a scar running down the left side of his face. He desperately needed to shave. His eyes were dark brown, along with his hair. On top of his head was a green ski cap, which Harley never wanted to see under. He's probably got greasy hair. Harley thought inwardly.

With a sharp tug, the man pulled Harley backwards. He dragged her into a nearby alley. His two friends were getting up, and with a few groans they too made their way into the alley. Harley was actually scared now. The two men held her back, each holding an arm and a leg, while the leader looked her up and down. The men pulled out pocket knives, and while one was pressed to her neck, the other was at the man's side waiting for an opportunity to be used.

"Look, mistah, I don't want any trouble. If you'd just let me go I swear I wouldn't turn ya in. " Harley's voice was feeble due to her fear, and her legs threatened to buckle beneath her. Somebody save me.

"Oh, I'm sure you don't want any trouble. If you shut up and let us work there won't be." He smirked and grabbed the knife from one of his friends, exchanging it for the broken bottle. He dragged the knife down the front of Harley's shirt, ripping the material in two, and leaving a long, thin red line down her torso, starting from between her breasts to her bellybutton.

Harley's shirt fell to either side of her, exposing her breasts and stomach to the world. She couldn't care less about the long, shallow cut that went down her torso. Years with Joker had increased her pain tolerance at least tenfold. She wasn't nearly as resistant to pain as Joker, but she wasn't easily hurt. She whimpered as the man viewed her now naked upper body. "P-please. Don't do this."

Harley wasn't a virgin, no sir, Joker had taken that from her long ago, and she was well experienced in the ways of lovemaking, but this was a different story. There was no passion, just violence. The man took a few steps nearer, the two men holding her back were running their hands along her thighs, dangerously close to her womanhood. She desperately wanted to close her thighs, to beat them to a bloody pulp, but they had the knife pressed against her throat. If she even moved wrong, it'd slit her like a hot knife through butter.

That's when she saw him. The silhouette dropped from the top of the roof behind the leader, and her first instinct was to run. But she couldn't. She swallowed hard, afraid even though she had done nothing wrong. The two men holding her had obviously seen it as well, and they were now quivering in fear.

The leader noticed. "What is it, you idiots?" He shouted, only a few feet from Harley. The two men stuttered and stumbled over their words. "H-he's there! I-I mean its h-him!" The one man said and pointed behind the leader. The other man just nodded violently, completely silent.

"It's who? I ain't afraid of no cops!" The man said and turned swiftly, only to be knocked to the side with a roundhouse kick. From against the building, slumped on the floor, he muttered the word. Until that point, Harley had thought she was imagining it.

"B-Batman!" The leader got up, shaking. He pointed the knife at Batman, attempting to defend himself. Batman glanced down at the knife, then back at the man. He said nothing and took a step towards him. Letting out a shriek, the man dropped the knife and started to run away.

Batman caught him by the back of the collar, turning him around, and punching him in the stomach. The man slumped to the floor, out cold. It was then that Batman turned his attention to the two men and Harley.

Harley faintly registered that her breasts were out in the open, and Batman probably noticed, but she wasn't thinking right, and it didn't click that this was a time to be embarrassed.

"Oh, Batsy! I've never been so happy to see you in my life!" Harley exclaimed, a huge smile spreading across her face. The two men let go of Harley and she slumped to the ground, sitting on her knees. Only now did she realize what happened to her shirt and she struggled to pull it back over her chest. The two men advanced towards Batman, and in a few swift kicks and punches, he had them on the floor knocked out like their leader.

Batman knelt down by the men, pulling a chord from his belt, and wrapping it around the two men and their leader. Harley took this fine opportunity to pull her shirt completely off, turn it around, and put it back on so the tear was going down her back. It was when she went to put her right arm through the hole, that a sharp pain went through her shoulder. She glanced down, fearing the worst, and sure enough there was a deep gash going along her collarbone and ending on top of her shoulder. She assumed it was from when the man pulled the knife away in a hurry, and it cut her. The sound of someone clearing her throat caught her attention, and she turned back to look at Batman.

"Um, thanks, Batsy." Harley said, nervous. She was sure he recognized her, as he'd seen her many times without her costume on. Batman nodded and walked towards her. "You should get those cuts looked at." His voice was deep, and for once in her life it soothed Harley's fried nerves, like a balm to a burn wound. "But," She started, looking down at her hands which were clasped in her lap. She was still a little afraid he'd tie her up like he did to those goons and send her off to Arkham.

"I don't have anywhere to go." And she spoke the truth. No hospitals would accept her; they feared an attack by The Joker, and any place that would accept her she didn't want to go. Namely, Arkham Asylum.

"Stand up. I'll take you somewhere." Batman's voice was so sudden that Harley wasn't expecting it, and she jumped a little at the sound. With hesitant, and still slightly weak, legs she stood, stumbling slightly before taking confidant steps towards Batman. She felt strange, it was almost a grateful feeling, but much more powerful. She just now noticed the handsome, strong contours of his jaw and chin, and his perfect lips. His eyes, though nearly covered with black makeup and a mask, were strong and confidant. She had finally made it to where she had wanted to go. Merely a few inches away from Batman's strong form. She uttered a few words, almost breathlessly. "Thanks, again, Batman." She stood on tiptoe, raising herself to his height as much as possible, before wrapping her arms around his neck.

Batman made no gesture to stop her, but also didn't move to make her continue. He just stood there, watching as she moved closer to him. Their lips barely centimeters apart, Harley closed her eyes, sighed, and brushed her lips against his. It was a warm kiss, and she could feel the heat beneath his lips. For a second, before she pulled away, it felt as though Batman was kissing back, his lips slightly moving against hers. But when she opened her blue eyes to look up at his, his expression didn't change. She was about to ask if that was how he treated all his lady callers, when suddenly a sharp, but slight pain was in her thigh. She looked down, expecting another cut, but seeing a small syringe sticking from the bare skin of her lower thigh, close to her knee. She watched, dazed, as the liquid emptied into her system. Her glazed eyes glanced up at Batman, and he only said one thing. "Sleep." It must have been a tranquilizer, Harley's eyes drooped, and her limbs felt heavy. Her vision was blurring, and she began to fall. It was almost as if it was slow motion. Her head started to spin, and she watched as the ground was flying up to meet her face, but before it could happen, two strong arms wrapped around her, lifted her, and carried her off. Before going out completely, Harley lazily wrapped her arms around Batman's neck as he carried her to the Batmobile, and then she was knocked out cold.

LadyJok3r: Thanks! Here's that "more" that you couldn't wait for. :]

Squirrel: I prefer them on good terms too, but I think this is an interesting take on the couple. Don't worry, there's hope for Harley and Joker yet.