It was past mindight at the asylum. Like so many other nights Harleen had stayed behiend to get even more work done. Inside the staff lounge she sat in a metal chair, eyes focused on the magazine in hand while she waited for the coffee pot to grow hot. Skimming through the magazine she skimmed over different recipes only to skip over them moments later, she was never the home maker type nor did she have the time to be one.

Black heeled shoes echoed through out the silent halls;making her way back to her office with coffee in hand. It was then the silence was broken and replaced with the blared alarms and flashing lights to alert of an attack or break out. She hastened down the corridors in an effort to get back to her office as a measurement of safety. The sight of blood splatterd aross the hall with no sign of a corspe fueled her more to get back. Her mug fell from her hand and smashed to the ground as her pace transitioned into full running.

A sigh escaped her lips as she reenterend her office. Still in the dark she closed and locked it behiend her. But it was too late to notice she had ran straight to the danger. Her breath hitched in her throat when she felt the purple gloved clad hand clamp over her mouth while an arm wrapped around her from behiend and held her tight. A wicked smile formed that was out of her view as he leaned by her ear.

" Now. Remember, Doc. This is all about faith…trust. This little relationship just won't work if there is a lack of it…understand?" He breathed, almost quoting her words on their first session. Even so,this time had another meaning to it. A warning, not to scream.

Harleen nodded in understandment while her eyes stayed closed tight. A low chuckle filled her ears as his hand slid away from her.

"Atta girl."

Slowly she turned around to face him then reached for the light. The switch flicked up, but the lights failed to come on. All that was available to her vison was the shadowed cover figure. Only her computer monitor was there to cast light on him. Giving an eerie effect with shadows hollowing out and harshly defining the features of his pale face.

Within a few more moments she regained composure that she was taught.

"What are you doing in here?" She had to stand her ground.

"Oh, I've already told you. Have you already forgotten our little heart to hearts? I truly thought you were paying attention." He spoke cryptidly;allowing her mind to search through anything that he could mean.

"I..I don't understad. You never said anything ab-"

His hand found its way to her cheek in a near caress beside the finger tips that pressed into her flesh less than gently. Her eyes bore into his at the touch. Every fiber of her being telling her to shout, try and get out, fight back..do something. Yet another part of her. A buried curiosity willed her to listen.

"Ah tah tah."

He moved his head side to side looking down at her. His thumb glided up her chin and across her lip then back again, like an effort to sooth or to instill false security.

" I told you, that we would talk again. When you were no longer having to be the person you're /paid/ to be. SO I've decided it would do nicely.. to have this when you're not on the clock. Be it, your late night hours saved me the visit to your home."

"I assure you I'm just as much of the same person during or off of my shift hours." Her voice monotone in attempt to stay professional.

The look in his eyes told her it's wasn't the reply he wanted to receive. With his hand still steady at her face he tilted her head up.

" Oh no no, my dear. I believe that. You act rubs right off into the rest of your life, but while you're

working you feel you /have/ to maintain your little game of dress up and pretended. Coated in an deep faux professionalism. That doesn't mean I can't see the loose ends peeking through."

The clown prince leaned closer untill their noses and foreheads met. Her breathing shallowed at the new closeness and her heart pounded so hard in her chest she was sure he could hear it. Alarms from the outside seemed to grow louder…no, wait. These alarms were in her head. Telling her to stop this. She knew better, but the will to put it to a stop was nearly drowned out by the side that of her desired to lean into his touch. Her heart and mind clawed at eachother in efforts to do away with the other complety.

"You would have stopped me by now if this was one of our sessions, even if you do crave it. You see, when your walls come down..even ever so slightly. All I have to do is grab one of those loose ends and give a small tug.."

His voice a near whisper as he pulled down the clip that held her hair into a bun. Blonde locks tumbled down over her shoulders, back and intangled in his hand.

" One by one.."

His hand left it's place at her hair and tracked back down. He grabbed her wrist in his hand only to lift it and pulled her closer untill the only space left between them was the mere inches of distance between their lips. Now he showed no sign of closing the space, both to her relief and dismay. The act was like a challenge towards the doctor, possibly a show of dominance or maybe it was both.

" Just to watch you slowly come undone…hehehe..hahah." He continued as his shoulders shook with his hushed laughter.

In her mind she cursed at him and wanted to smack him for acting this way, she even cursed herself. For allowing this, for making no attempt to pull away, for the fact part of her relished what was happening and most of all because she knew everything he said was true.

"How many people did you kill

tonight?"

Her voice came out more stuttered, slowly losing the professional demeanor that she imagined in her head.

Joker tilted his head as if the question had actually stumped him then seconds later smiled back down to the small blonde.

"Does it count if I left them for dead but didn't actually see them die? "

Them so there was definitely more than one. Harleens stomach twisted at the words. This, this was all her fault. He had broke out of his cell just to do this. He done it /for/ her. She knew it was her fault all those times she shared personal information on herself. The fact that she had grown to have feelings for her patient and he knew it.

He caught the sight of the distraught look in her eyes and felt the slight vibration as her chin wobbled. It was so amazing the progress he could make, this was probably the best yet!

"What's the matter, doll? Does my little harlequin not like her surprise. Why, I haven't even gotten a thank you for it."

At that moment her blood boiled while her knees went weak. She was so angry at the fact that he expected a thank you for murdering others. But her heart fluttered at being called 'his harlequin.' For the past few weeks the side of her that wanted the attention only grew stronger now it was just as apparent as the side of her that tried to hold on to the normality of her life.

They both knew it couldn't continue like that, she couldn't be both. It would all come down to was her making a decision.