A/N: Trigger warning

The characters belong to DC comics and WB studio

Song: Hell Is for Children - Pat Benatar.

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"They cry in the dark
So you can't see their tears
They hide in the light
So you can't see their fears."

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There was a sound of clapping hands and through her closed lids, she could see the lights being switched on.

"Are you in there, doc?" The Joker said smoothly.

"Yes, Mr. J." She answered. Her voice hoarse, lips trembling slightly. Slowly she opened her eyes, trying to get use to her own body and taking in her surroundings. The room was only dimly lit. But to her, it was the brightest she'd been since forever.

At first the room could pass as a standard office. The windows closed with black blinds. It had white walls with paintings framed along the walls. They looked like they'd been done by children but the ideas were anything but innocent. She was sitting on a sofa, around her were some stuffed animals. The two cross-eyed hyenas caught her attention.

She knew he was standing in the corner but she dared not look his way. He strode towards her and she felt the all too familiar pressure crashing back. Fear, excitement, curiosity,...

Love.

"Relax." The Joker stood into the light, only a step away from her. "It's been so long." He gave the warmest smile and her heart fluttered. "I'm just checking on ya."

"I-I thought you wanted me gone, mistah J." Not meeting his gaze, she whispered sadly.

Me - as in Dr. Harleen Quinzel.

"No, no." He said quickly and sat himself next to her. His arm on the back of the sofa behind her and Harleen held back the urge to lean into him. She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, noticing how short they were. The tattoos on her thighs reflecting her love for the Joker on full display.

His other hand gently lifted her chin and tilted her face to look at him. It was unavoidable. Harleen immediately melted and got lost in those steel-blue orbs, just like when they first met.

"I did say I lived for these moments with you, didn't I?" The Joker cooed and she couldn't help but smiled. "You, are the mother to our dear Harley Quinn. I couldn't cast you away even if I wanted to. And believe me I've tried." He chuckled. His thumb slightly brushed her bottom lip.

"Mistah J I..." Harleen turned to jelly. She felt her heart bursting and tears stung at the corner of her eyes. "I love you!" She blurted out the first (and only thing) in her mind.

"I know." He said bluntly. It was as obvious as saying Batman wore black.

"Anywho today I wanna talk about YOU!" Joker leaned in closer. His lips inches from her.

His scent just as she remembered. Faint alluring cologne mixed with gun powder and blood. Didn't matter none or how many lives he had taken that day the blood on him always smelled the same. Just enough to be his signature amount of danger and charm (to her at least).

Harleen's eyes drifted downwards. His dark purple tie hung loosely around his neck. His white shirt had 3 buttons down and his tattooed chest was teasing her. She wanted to slip her hands in and...

"Focus, doctor." He snapped his fingers, sounded a little annoyed.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Anything you want. I mean yeah!" Harleen blushed furiously, pushing up her non-existed glasses.

The Joker grinned his signature one and Harleen's breath hitched in her throat.

"Let's talk about your father."

.

They hadn't said a word to each other all day.

Joker was just sitting at the table going through some folders of papers and occasionally checking his phone. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she stared at him from the corner of her eyes, her romance novel still in hands. He was humming some random tune, looking just casual and relaxed but Harley knew better.

Deep down, a storm was coming.

And she couldn't predict, not at all when and how it would hit.

Harley took a heavy breath. She couldn't stand the silence though she had been the one who initiated it. Again she tried to focus back on her novel. The two main characters were just about to get married and live happily ever after. She flipped the page, the story went on with suddenly one of the guests stood up and exposing the bride as a fraud. She slammed the book shut angrily and fell down on her back.

"That's bullshit." Harley growled.

"That's what I always think about those novels of yours, toots." Joker said flatly.

He lifted his head from the papers, she glared at him for a second and continued staring at the ceiling.

"She was lying! I know she was! She just wanted to get out, whining her way out to get your attention mistah J." Harley put an arm over her eyes, trying to keep calm and focus on a happy place.

She cursed silently towards her old personality. After all these time that boring, pathetic woman still lurked around and tried to screw up her joy. It sounded crazy (haha...) since Harley didn't have total separated personalities who couldn't remember what others did. They were all her. But Dr. Harleen Quinzel remained the most quiet, casted away the furthest but stayed the longest of all. Harley had thought she killed that part along with most memories of her old life the moment she emerged from the acid bath and had her first real laugh with the Joker.

But no, the righteous doctor would show up now and then in her vulnerable moments like when she slept or just was going through a round of mental break down. Harleen would chime in all crying and mumbling past traumas. Seriously, she should just get over them.

Whatever they were.

"She never lies to me." Joker said, almost too gentle.

Harley threw a pillow at him but he caught it and simply cushioned it behind his back.

"This is stupid Puddin'!" Harley smiled weakly. "Forget it!"

"What are you afraid of?" He asked solemnly and Harley froze.

Why do you keep haunting me...

I'm not longer who I used to be.

Harleen was a part of her that stored memories, mostly painful ones of the old life she'd left far behind.

"I'm not." Harley hated how weak her voice sounded, it was hard to keep the corner of her mouth up now.

Joker walked to the bed and sat down next to her. He looked deep in her baby blues, fingers playing with strands of her hair absentmindedly. His expression couldn't be read.

When the back of his hand stroke her cheek gently, Harley squinted her eyes shut and her heart somehow throbbed painfully in her chest.

"What are you afraid of?" Gravelly he asked again.

She almost heard Harleen's faint sobs.

.

"He was supposed to be dead."

"So we thought." Joker nodded. Seeing how her body begun to shake he draped the arm he had put behind her back around her. Harleen relaxed a bit into him. "But the man we saw tonight was strolling around doing pretty fine ain't he?"

She turned her head away from him but he grabbed her chin to keep her in place. He'd wanted to go to the bottom of this out of curiosity and a possible fun time, paying Dr. Quinzel's family a nice visit and all. But then, Joker remembered all the bits and pieces of childhood events Harley'd let slipped then and now, and seeing her vulnerable self sinking down with pain in front of him, he'd made up his mind.

Made up his mind to do what exactly, he wasn't sure. But something deep inside told him he had to do something, for her.

"I have my speculations, doc, gathered from all this time. But I've never been quite sure how deep the cut actually is. So will you give lil old me a hand?" Joker flashed his silver grinned, but his gaze was anything but comedy.

"I-I..." Harleen stammered.

"What did your father do to you?" The command was clear in his voice.

One tear after another fell as she told him the truth...

.

"Hell, hell is for children
And you shouldn't have to pay for your love
With your bones and your flesh."

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A/N: Leave your guesses and feedbacks. I promise a clear Gotham-style sky after the storm.