A/N: Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at a Batman fic. I had this idea when I woke up this morning and decided to just write and see where it took me, hopefully you will enjoy it. I have a vague idea of where I'm going with this story and I hope it makes for an entertaining read. Reviews are always welcome, I'd love to hear from you and get some constructive criticism for my writing. At lot of stories I see with Harley Quinn/The Joker are origin stories of how Harleen Quinzel became Harley Quinn so I wanted to try something different, apologies in advance if my Harley is a bit OOC! Anyway, enjoy!

I woke from my sleep with a yelp, sweaty and with a throbbing head. Last night had been awful; I remembered vaguely being called useless, or was it pathetic? Most likely both. I also remembered the slap that sent me sprawling to the cold wooden floor, causing me to bash my head painfully. He had laughed, told me to 'woman up' and announced he would return sometime tomorrow. I remember crying myself to sleep with an ice pack, and finally fell into a nightmare-ridden sleep around half 3am. Today was the day I had decided that I would stand up for myself. I had contemplated this so many times in the past but always ended up second guessing myself, and reasoning that he had a reason to do what he did, didn't he? After all, I was clumsy and annoying, and fuck, I provoked him, right?

I sighed and forced myself out of bed, wincing as the pain hit me like lightning. 'Shit! Mister J is so going to get it tonight!' I muttered, padding to the kitchen and looking for something to eat. Just as I was opening the fridge I noticed from the corner of my eye just how goddamn messy this apartment was. Clothes were littered across most of the floor, the bin was overflowing and a nasty old pizza box was hanging off the couch. I giggled, that was most definitely me. I had been eating a lot more than usual recently, and whenever the urge took me I would order pizza, sometimes falling asleep half way through eating it. Whenever Joker caught me, he would scold me and ask me, 'how stupid would I look having a fat psychologist as a sidekick?' I would ignore him and that would enrage him even more.

I decided on Nutella on toast, and plopped in front of the TV with my plate. Flicking through channel after channel, I stopped when something on the news grabbed my attention. 'BATMAN'S MAIN ACCOMPLICE ROBIN DIES IN EXPLOSION, FURTHER DETAILS UNKNOWN AT THIS POINT' My heart stopped. Robin was dead? I didn't know the boy well, but I knew he was young. He couldn't have been older than his early twenties. I knew that Joker would be ecstatic with this news, he would frequently tell me how much the boy annoyed him, and stopped him getting to the Batman. It was almost like he had some sort of weird obsessive crush on him sometimes. I ate my toast quietly, slightly shocked at this news. I wondered what time Mister J would be back, I was starting to get nervous for his arrival. I wished I had somewhere else to go but I didn't; The Joker was my life now, and he had isolated me from everyone and everything I knew a long, long time ago. In the beginning I was, admittedly, psychotic, and so deeply in love with him that this didn't bother me at all, after all, me and him were great together. He drove me crazy but I loved him for it, even though I knew this feeling was probably not reciprocated. Now I felt weirdly numb, like I had woken up from a bad dream. I knew I had to get away but how? I didn't think 'it's not you, its me' would go down too hot. I giggled at the thought of it, imagining his reaction. It's not you, it's me. I suddenly burst into an uncontrollable fit of giggles and laid back on the couch, holding my sides. 'Sorry Mister J, it's not you baby!' I guffawed, tears streaming down the sides of my eyes. Why was this so funny to me? I know I ought to be terrified and I was, but the thought of saying such a common break up phrase to someone like the Joker was tickling me.

Suddenly a massive crash erupted through the tiny apartment, glass was flying everywhere and splattered across the floor causing me to jump half a foot into the air. What the fuck?!

'Hello?! Who's' there?!' I cried, crouching behind the battered couch. I heard a sickening laugh.

'Oh Harls, who else but me?!' Suddenly he appeared on the window ledge, grinning down at me. His purple suit was drenched in blood, but I barely saw any scrapes on him. He saw me looking and laughed again. 'You weren't worried about me were you? Oh Quinn, you and your emotions, always getting the better of you sweetie! I'm fine, just a few little scratches, there wasn't much of a fight truth be told! Quite boring really!' he boomed, jumping in through the window and advancing towards me. My heart hammered in my chest, I thought about running but that would be stupid. No, no, no, now was not the time!

I faked a sweet smile. 'Oh? What happened exactly, Mister J?' I asked, staring into his eyes while slowly backing up.

'Not worth talking about, just a little altercation with an annoying bird,' he grinned, checking his nails and yawning. 'How was your night dear?'

I backed up fully until my back hit the wall, hard. 'You, you killed Robin, didn't you?'

He continued grinning, and I felt bile reach up through my throat. Shit! I sprinted to the bathroom and retched into the toilet.

'Oh Harley, what am I to do with you?' I heard his footsteps advancing and retched again. This sudden wave of nausea had caught me off guard and I was shaking profusely.

'Stay away from me,' I squeaked weakly, holding tightly to the toilet seat. His laughter boomed in the tiny bathroom.

'But you are the strawberries to my cream, Harls, you know that!' Another retch. 'But, as I am a very fair clown,' Suddenly he yanked me by my neck causing me to choke, and dragged me out the bathroom over to the living room window he had broken in through. My eyes widened.

'What, what are you d-doing?!' He didn't answer, his eyes were focused as he leaned out the window, dragging me with him. He looked up and down the street far below, giggling, and then shoved my onto the ledge, whipping his phone out of his pocket. He dialled 3 digits and waited, a smirk on his face as he watched me panting and sweating.

'Hi, police please, yes, I've heard there's a disturbance on 34th Street, some woman is dangling from the apartment building, the red one, I don't know if she's suicidal or what! She looks terrified, you better get here quick!' He pressed the end call button and guffawed, reaching into his other pocket now.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! I had to escape but my body felt so weak and I felt my head spin, my stomach nauseaus and my feet frozen on the ledge. I decided to just try and go for it, and I reached my leg out and aimed a kick at his midsection which he easily avoided. He produced a pin from his pocket and smiled at me, grabbing me roughly and dangling me out the window. I aimed another kick and started flailing my arms, aiming to scratch, punch, slap, ANYTHING! My heart hammered as he shoved the pin forcefully through the back of my top, dodging every move I aimed his way.

'What are you doing Joker?! Please! You don't need to do this, we love each other! I love you okay! You know that!' I screamed, hysterical as he pinned me to the brick wall on the outside of the apartment building, my legs dangling dangerously as I allowed my eyes a glimpse of the bustling street below. I felt so faint, it was easily a 60 feet drop. Did he really plan on killing me?! He grinned.

'Oh Harls, I do love you! This is my way of, shall we say, proving it? You want freedom, and I'm delivering it straight to ya in a tasty pizza box!' He giggled. Sirens sounded faintly and my chest contracted painfully, I thought I might be having a heart attack. The pin was ripping through my top, I didn't have long left. There was a small ledge about 30 feet below, but what good was that?! That fall could easily kill me!

'And here come the audience to my show! Well,' he bowed, 'I hope you enjoy it, Harley. Maybe there will be an encore, we'll see how lucky you are! Toodles!' He waved and grinned, and at that moment my stomach dropped as I fell from the wall, and everything went in slow motion. I felt the air whipping my hair against my face, I heard the sirens getting closer and closer, I smelt the dingy Gotham streets below. I landed with a sick thump onto something extremely cold and hard, and I could barely even think about the pain before my eyes started to close and everything went very, very dark.