It happened in the hide out, Harley helped Joker steal a time machine. Once the time machine was in the hide out Harley performed some test. It was stable enough to travel in. The plan was to go back were there was no batman and take over, but Harley had other plans with it. She wanted a normal life with Joker, so she decided to go back to the place and time when he was a child and 'remove' his father. But she didn't know that her logic wouldn't work.
Harley was dialing in the date, place, and time that the Joker said that he was a child and stepped into the capsule with her goody bag draped around her shoulder. Pushing the button the door to the capsule closed, Harley took a deep breath and closed her eye's. She was finally going to kill for love, hopefully for her it works.
Before she knew it Harley landed on the ground in a crouching position and flung herself in an ally was a few minutes before she realized she made a grave mistake. She wasn't a few years in the past, she was a few centuries in the past. It looked as if she was in the wrong place too, the buildings were medieval France by the looks of it. If she was in France then she was in luck. She learned French in high school for more credits towards collage, but that didn't mean she was that good.
"I hope Mistah Jay comes and finds me." Harley said to herself and going through her bag to check if she lost any thing and she did. She lost her gun, bazooka, and rubber chicken. All that she had was her wand, some different varieties of bombs, her make up, two different pairs of clothes, and her mallet.
Harley looked out into the streets of Paris France to see what looked like a party she use to throw for her birthday with good, confusing, and poorly made people in costumes. She walked out into the street with her jester wand at hand and tried to look for an educated person. If she had good luck then she might run into an inventor and ask him what she would do for her situation.
Harley felt a little tug on her glove. Looking down she seen a little boy with bright eye's. "What can you do?" The little boy asked smiling. "I can do any thing, why?" She said smiling right back at him and leaning to his eye level wondering if this would be the way Mr. J looked when he was a child. "Can you juggle?" He asked. Harley looked around and saw a fruit stand. Cartwheeling over she grabbed three apples and started to juggle them for him. After a minute or two a small crowd of children gathered, when she finished they clapped and went back to their parents. Harley put the apples back on the stand to the pleasure of the irritated owner as he shooed her away.
She kept walking till she seen the large Cathedral. Standing proudly, Harley smiled up at it with no worries. She knew Mister J would find a way to get her back home with him. After a few minutes of staring Harley walked off again with a smile on her face as she gazed upon the different costumes.
They were of horses, jesters, monsters, Kings, whores, cats, and dogs. It was very childish but Harley loved it all the same. Harley felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see a man dressed as a purple and yellow jester with a large hat. "Nice costume, let me guess who you are. Mmmmm Alice?" Harley shook her head no. "Adele? No, Andree right?" She shook her head no as the purple jester kept guessing. "Chantal? Claire? Henrietta? Who are you?" He asked pointing at her.
"I'm Harleen Quinzel." She said bowing to him. The purple jester smiled. "Ah an out sider! Welcome to Paris! If I were correct, from the sound of your accent your British no?" Harley smiled. "Yeah you could say that." The man kept his smile and bowed to her. "My name is Clopin, do you need a place to preform?" Clopin asked trying to be nice to what he thought was a British gypsy. Harley shook her head no. "Nah I'm ok, I'll have to find one thank you." They departed as she went back to Cathedral and motioned for children to gather around her. Setting her bag open to receive money Harley pulled on her sleeves finding the handkerchief she was looking for. Yanking on the clothe she started to pull out handkerchiefs. Handing one end to a little girl Harley told her to pull.
The children around her pulled and pulled the never ending handkerchiefs from her sleeve. They all laughed as Harley pulled out the end of it and let the kids un-knot them so they could have one each. The parents left coins in her bag for the entertainment. Her next act was going to her acrobatic skills. She did a number of flip flops, somersaults, front flips, and handstands one right after the other, and earned plenty of money to buy food for the night.
Walking over to a stage she seen Clopin moving and talking. "Come one, come all! Hurry here's your chance, dance la Esmeralda dance!" Throwing a purple smoke bomb onto the floor he disappeared and out came a beautiful woman and her child, it was the little boy from before. Harley was amazed that people could dance like that.
After the dance men came onto the stage with masks. "Now is the time to pick our new king of fools!" one by one the gypsy Esmeralda tore off masks but none were fit for the ugliest except the last man. "We found our king of fools!" Announced Clopin and raised the hand of the drunk man standing on the stage. The man was hoisted into a fools chair and they paraded him around till he was bought back to a temporary stage in front of the Cathedral.
A guard dressed in gold stood beside Harley and was clapping with smile, before he nudged Harley. "Thats my wife." She laughed a little bit at the man, he was too proud and loving. Her thoughts drifted to Joker, she begged him to have a child but he said no, Harley spent the entire night that night crying. She departed from the stage and walked around looking for an inn to stay in. After trying to check into three inns Harley gave up and looked for a place to sleep on the street when she seen Clopin in a caravan by the Cathedral.
She walked over watching him pack up for the night. "Hello." Clopin turned around and smiled at Harley. "Hey, how are you Harleen?" He asked closing the doors of his caravan. "Oh I'm fine, do you know any inns or taverns that I could go to for tonight?"
"Well there's the inn by the river, two in the market place, and one run down tavern right around here." Clopin had the feeling that no one was going to give her a place and he knew that it would take a few days to get her into the court. He could just show up with her but he wants to make sure he could trust her. "I the first three. They said I was bad for business and I had to go." She shurgged.
Clopin took the Harlequins' hand and bowed. "Will you let me have the honer of escorting you there?" Harley nearly jumped out of her skin, Mr. J didn't even do this, nor did the Creeper. Harley shivered. "Yes?" She asked while wrapping her arm with the jesters as he led her. "Wow Mr. J never treated me like lady." Harley said in english as things got clear again but it disappeared as Clopin spoke in english.
"Who is this Mr. Jay?" It took a minute to remember that she was in medieval France before she answered him. "He's kind of like my boy friend, except I don't know if he's coming to get me or not, I'm sure he is though." She was going in and out of her mental fog and Clopin could see it. They walked in silence till they entered the tavern. Harley walked up to the counter and requested a room. "A room for you? Yeah sure." Harley was about to go into tears and jumped over the counter and hugged the man like a little kid. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" The bartender patted her on the back.
"Two gold coins please." The man said. Harley tossed them to him and turned to Clopin and hugged him to. He was startled at first then smiled at the young gypsy. "May I show you to your room?" Clopin asked willing to do it for the bartender seeing as he was busy. "Yeah sure." Harley said smiling and following him up the stairs and down the hall to the door to the left. Walking in Harley invited Clopin in the one bed room.
"You don't mind if I take off my make up do you?" She was so use to wearing her make up around Joker that before she went to bed she'd always ask, course he'd say no. "I don't mind at all." Clopin sat on her bed. Harley poured some water into a bowl then peeled her mask off setting it by the bowl, she then pulled off her hat and shook out her hair. Clopin stopped breathing once he seen her gold hair fall out of the jester hat, he was expecting to see dark brown hair and skin. Harley grabbed a sponge and started to wipe off her white paste make up revealing her white skin that held red blotches on it from rubbing.
She then turned around and rummaged through her bag grabbing out her black sweater and pulling it over her costume. "Ah it feels so good to finally take that off!" She said spinning around with her hands in the air. Clopin chuckled at her, she was like a child stuck in a woman's body. "Do you wish to have a drink with me before I depart?" He asked her while she was still spinning. "Yeah!" She cartwheeled out into the hall with Clopin walking right behind her.
Taking a seat at the bar Clopin ordered two glasses of mead. "So Harley what business are you here for? Are you here just for this week or will you be staying?" He wanted to know so badly about her plans. "Oh I'm going to stay here for a few weeks then probably go to Italy, but thats if Mr. J doesn't find me." Harley had too much faith in the Joker and she knew that deep down inside that he didn't care. Clopin's eye's widened. "Your going to travel to Italy if this man doesn't come and get you?" Harley nodded taking a drink of her mead.
"Your off your head! How do you plan on getting to Italy?" Clopin asked the blonde woman that sat across from her. "Easy steal a horse and some food." He shook his head and took off his mask and sighed, Harley nearly choked at his true appearance. Clopin slapped her on the back. "Are you alright?" He asked the almost choke victim. Harley was still staring at him, he was hansom, not her usual Joker hansom but truly hansom. "Yeah I'm alright." She said covering her mouth.
The mental fog cleared again as she stared at him. 'What was it that she saw in Joker.' She lost train of thought as the fog came in once more. "So what do you do Clopin? I mean besides announcing people." She asked taking another sip of her mead carefully. "I am a puppeteer, I tell children stories when I can. They seem to really enjoy it." Clopin said then took a drink from his cup. "Oh, I thought you'd do some thing a little more interesting, like rob noblemen or some thing." She said leaning forward. "At least thats what I'm going to do if I can't find a good horse." Clopin blinked a few times before he got what she was saying, then chuckled. She was telling him information that could put her into jail for months there was just no way that she was a spy but he had to be sure.
"Harley, if your interested, why don't you come by my caravan tomorrow and help me preform. I could use the help, we'll split the money half and half, promise." Clopin said sticking out his gloved pinky towards her. Harley figured that she could use the money and that she didn't have any thing to lose. She smiled and locked pinkies with him. "Sounds like fun. I'll be there at dawn Clopin!" They finished their drinks and said their goodbyes for the night. Harley went to bed all nice and warm and snuggling with her mallet.
Waking early in the morning Harley got dressed in her 'uniform' and ate some fruit before rushing out the door to rush to Clopins Caravan. She could hardly wait. She had a good feeling about today and nothing was going to get in her way or preforming. Harley was cheery with a huge smile on her face as she cartwheeled down the street and said hello to the baker while passing.
Finally making it to his caravan she jumped onto the roof of it and knocked on the door hanging up side down. She seen Clopin open the top half and look out into the sun. "Hey there!" Harley said cheerily waving at him upside down. Clopin jumped and looked up at her smiling. "Your up early." He said coming out of the caravan and rubbing his forehead. She jumped down from the roof and landed gracefully on her feet. "So what are we doing today!" Harley asked following him. "First I need you to set up a scene for a fairy tale, then get the puppets ready. I'm going to go get some thing to eat."
Harley waved him off then dived into his caravan, trying to find the scenery to the story Rapunzel but just found the scenery for the Cathedral and just set that one up instead. She was humming and getting out some puppets when she seen the one that looked like Clopin. "Oh how cute! Its a mini Clopin, just like Dr. Evils' buddy mini me!" Harley was all jazzed up about the little puppet that she took it off the stand and slipped her hand in it giggling. "What are you doing?" Clopin asked stepping into the caravan.
"Eeep!" She set the puppet down on the table to her right almost knocking every thing else over. Clopin quirked his head to the right and smiled at her childish tactics. "Its quiet alright Harley, we are going to be playing with puppets today, so go and pick one. Harley smiled and walked quickly over to the puppet picking the one with the hunchback. "Ah I haven't done this story in a long time! The hunchback of Notre Dame. You know it." She shook her head yes and smiled.
"Good, now if you would, attract some attention from the children, after all we need an audience." Harley dived out the window of the caravan and landed in the street near a crowd of children. "Hey do you kids want to see a puppet show?" They shook their heads yes. Harley smiled and led them over to Clopin's caravan and jumped right back in. "They're right out side."
Clopin started the story having Harley change scenes for him once in a while and playing the part of a startled baker. When they were almost done with the story Harley's puppet was taken off her hand. She peeked over their stage and seen a red haired beauty. The red haired woman just looked at her and gave Harley the puppet back. After they were done with the show Harley told Clopin to meet her at the inn she was staying at so they could split the money while she went out to look for the red haired woman.
Harley didn't have no luck by noon so strolled around the market place. It wouldn't surprise her if Ivy went to find her instead of Joker, after all they were best friends. "Mistah J will come for me." Harley went back to the inn and met up with Clopin. "Did you find that woman?" He asked ordering two pints of mead for them. Harley sighed. "No, I thought that woman was my friend but it was some one else." She said sadly. They split the money evenly and said good night to each other.
A week later.
Harley had done a lot of shows with Clopin and they got to know each other a little more or well Clopin got to know Harley a little more. He'd ask about her life with this Mr. J, her friends, and her pets who she called babies. She would some times speak of her doubts about the man that was suppose to meet her here but Harley would push the subject away. Clopin had made up his mind about her and wanted her to join the Court of Miracles.
Clopin was walking to the inn that she was staying at hoping that she would be up even though it was midnight. As he was walking up to the inn he heard a crash to his left and a figure being chased by guards with torches. Figuring that it was one of his fellow gypsies he ran after the dark figure. It took a moment to finally catch the arm of the figure and pulled them to the side. Pushing the body into a wall till the guards passed. Grabbing the wrist of the figure he led them to a man hole.
"Thanks, I was sure they were going to catch me." Clopins eye's widened and he turned around to see Harley. "Harley! What did you do?" He asked as they heaved the man hole open and jumped in closing it. "Oh I just stole some jewels and stuff, and they threw a fit." She giggled as they walked. "So where are we going Clopin?" She asked as he held onto her wrist leading her to the Court. "I'm taking you to the Court of Miracles so you may be part of it." He then stopped and opened a grate. The court was quiet as they walked through the sleeping court of miracles, Clopin lead Harley to a hang mans pier.
"Wait a moment let me get some witnesses." Harley stood there as he ran off. It was a few minutes later that she heard some bell ringing and foot steps coming her way. Clopin, the little boy from the Festival of Fools, Esmeralda the dancer, and a large man came towards her with a dummy with bells tied to it. Clopin put a stool in front of the dummy and had Harley stand on it. "Put your left foot behind your right knee then try to steal the purse."
Harley did as she was told. It took a few minutes for her fingers to untie the purse but she got it, after all she's stolen things that had high tech systems and lasers. Throwing the purse to the large man Harley jumped off the stool smiling. "What now?" She asked. The gypsies were smiling before the large man and the little boy embraced her. "Your part of the court!" After there small celebration the little boy and Esmeralda went to bed. Clopin walked up to her and held out his hand to congratulate her but Harley ignored it and gave him a great big hug wrapping her arms around his neck. He blushed as she pressed into him.
Pulling away from him Harley was happy and decided to share what she stole with him. He led her to her tent smiling with pride for his new member of the Court. Once they were at her tent Harley invited him inside. "Sit down. I have some thing to show you!" She said dumping the stolen objects plus every thing else out of the bag and laid down on the bed. Clopin could have died or choked if he was drinking some thing by just looking at the jewels she stole from some noble man.
"Do you like them?" Clopin stared at the jewels and smiled nodding. Harley was nervous to ask but she had to. Taking a deep breath she let it out. "Clopin, in a week or so, will you please escort me to Italy? I need to find some one to help me home. I'm not from Britain, I'm from America. But in order to get back I need to find a philosopher. Will you help me. I'll give you all the jewels if you do minus the expenses for the trip unless you'd just like me to steal a few horses." Clopin looked up at her. "You want me to take you to Italy?" Harley nodded her head with hope in her eye's.
He thought about it for a moment then answered. "I'll separate the jewels and we'll take the expenses, the rest will go to the court. I'll have to find some one to replace while I'm gone." Harley tilted her head to the left. "Why would you need to be replaced?" Clopin stared into her eye's and sighed. "Because, I'm the king of the gypsies dear." Her eye's widened. 'King?' She thought to herself 'I'm asking a king to take me.' She then nodded. "Are you sure you want to come with me Clopin? If you feel that you can not then I'll go myself." Clopin shook his head no. "I can not let you leave Paris with out a guide and would not trust any man to escort you but myself." Harley was touched by his gesture.
He stood to leave. Before he could go Harley gave him another hug and whispered in his ear. "Thank you Clopin." He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged back. "Your welcome mou pettite." They said good night to each other and retired for the night. Harley put her bag underneath her pillow and crawled into bed blowing out the candle by her bed side.
Yay I finished the first chapter! Omg I'm all hyped up and what not! And guess what, I'm not the only one who thought of this couple! A person known as canti5505 (if I didn't get it right correct me) has thought of this couple too! I hope they read and review, same goes for the rest of you! Please review and tell me if you think I'm heading in the right direction with this!
SPOILER ALERT! THERE WILL BE A FIGHT SCENE BETWEEN JOKER AND CLOPIN! BUT WHO'S SIDE WILL HARLEY TAKE?