It hurts when he hits her.
But she still smiles. She always smiles.
I hurts when he leaves her behind at a heist. Or in Arkham.
But she loves him so it's ok.
Harley's always smiling. Mista J always liked her smile.
Smile smile smile and hope that if you pretend for long enough it'll stop hurting.
She had a life before she was Harley Quinn.
Successful young woman. Bright future ahead of her.
Then she met him.
He took her and twisted her. Turned her into something a million miles away from sensible Dr. Harleen Quinzel.
Made her laugh at his jokes.
Wear something she'd never have touched as Dr Quinzel.
Take his punches.
Sometimes she hates him. Wishes that she'd never met him. That she'd just gone with gymnastics or something safer.
Then she looks at him. Or he makes her laugh. And she forgets.
She forgets that she was ever Harleen Quinzel. She forgets she ever had a life outside of Mistah J.
She forgets everything she ever was.
She's Harley Quinn. The Jokers girl. Always laughing always smiling.
Even when he hits her.
It still hurts her.
Behind that make-up is a broken woman. The ashes of Harleen Quinzel. Behind the make-up she cries.
But no one knows that. Not even Red. Because if Puddin found out, he'd kill her.
Even Harley doesn't know how broken she is.
All she knows is that sometimes she hurts.
So she smiles. She laughs.
She ignores the pain because that's the only way she can keep going.
She knows one day that she's gonna die.
The police'll shoot her.
Mistah J will finally lose it with her.
Batman won't leap off the building and catch her in time.
But she ignores that and just keeps smiling.
The other rouges are ok.
Reds her bestest buddy.
Professor Crane's always nice to her.
But none of them could have broken her like this.
Only the Joker.
Harley loves him.
What's left of Dr Quinzel hates him.
Harleys smiling Harleens crying.
They both know that Mistah J won't ever let them go.
Harley thinks it's because he loves her.
Harleen knows it's because he thinks Harley's his property. And he likes having her pander to his ego.
It's because he likes seeing her broken.
Harleen Quinzel, Harley Quinn. Whichever way you look.
They're both broken women.
So she smiles and laughs. All the while crying beneath the make-up.
Smile smile smile.
Even when it hurts.
Because it's ok really.
Even harlequinns hurt sometimes.
He loves her.
She's sure of it.
Because if he didn't well.
She wouldn't still be here.
It has to be love.
Doesn't it?