One month into working at Arkham and Harleen was finally adapting. First things first, wearing tennis shoes to work. She learned the hard way that walking up the hill of the asylum in heels was not how she wanted to start her day. She'd arrive to the subway station on time and put in earbuds, trying to ignore whatever creep stared at her. Then she'd get off her stop and walk to Arkham. She greeted the front gate man, whose name she learned as Lincoln.

"Nu uh that's your name!" she said with shock in her voice

Lincoln just chuckled.

"That's really cool! Like something you'd only hear in the movies or something."

Then she'd walk into the asylum and if she were lucky, Claudia would be in the middle of something and not notice her or be off running an errand for someone. It's not that Harleen didn't like Claudia, it's just that she wouldn't consider them as close as Claudia thought. Harleen hadn't had a lot of friends growing up. Her closet friend was probably her roommate from GU, Julie.

The thought of her sometimes still brings tears to her eyes. How would my life be if she were still here? she'd think to herself

After that she would greet another guard who Harleen sheepishly smile at with a "Good morning." He'd probably say her name about a dozen times, but he just didn't make enough of an impact on her for her to remember.

She'd put all of her stuff down and then walk to the break room, make a coffee with cream and 3 sugars. Depending on who was there, she'd grab a Pop Tart from the box she brought in. Everyone there already thought she was a child, they didn't need to see her eating something as juvenile as a Pop Tart.

"I've had wine older than her." she heard a female doctor say once as she left the break room after lunch

Then she'd return to her office and see what her schedule was for the day. Mondays and Wednesdays she had 3 patients for an hour and a half.

8:00am: Duncan, Angela- A mother of triplets; 4 y.o;with severe depression and suicidal tendencies. Husband left her for a younger woman. Duncan locked her children in a closet and attempted to burn down the residence.

9:30am-10:00am- Break

10:00am: Jefferson, Miles- Molested from 12 to 17 by his uncle. Suffers from PTSD.

11:30am-1:00pm: Lunch

1:30pm-3:00pm: Morrison, Bailey- Suffers from acute social anxiety

3:00pm-5:00pm: Conduct notes and conclusions of days agenda and sessions. Turn in copy of notes to at end of working day.

Tuesdays she worked and observed inmates in group therapy and Thursdays she taught yoga which a surprising amount people sign up for. Harleen smirked at Dr. Leland's shocked face when she turned in the log. "No offense , but I highly doubt the inmates here are going to be as eager as you about this program." she said

Harleen hadn't been here long, but she already butted heads with on several topics. Mostly with Dr. Quinzel's methods of dealing with patients.

Harleen didn't want to sit behind a desk, scribbling notes and go "Uh huh" over and over. She treated her patients as friends, equals. She encouraged them to relax on the couch, relax as much as possible being handcuffed. She pulled up a seat beside them and started with. "Say whatever comes to mind. No filters. Like I'm not even here." She didn't want to be someone her patients HAD to confide in, but someone they WANTED to confide in.

And according to Claudia, her method was gaining a lot of buzz around the asylum.

"Everyone's talking about the pretty, new little doctor." she said once over lunch

Harleen felt her cheeks flush.

"What have they said?"

"That you're real nice and ain't all judgmental like the other doctors. The men said some other things, but I don't think you want to hear that. Oh! Some of them even talked about requesting a re-assignment to you as their doc." Claudia said in between bites of her sub

"Really? Anyone in particular?" Harleen asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

She still couldn't stop thinking about him. His pale blue almost white eyes, his silver teeth, red lips and haunting smile and laugh. It didn't take her long to realized to find out who he was. The Joker. She had heard about him in school. His crazy and psychotic ways. Once when she was in the middle of a lecture as a TA, the school made an announcement that The Joker had blew up a near by orphanage and that there were no survivors. She excused herself to the bathroom and cried. She knew then on that he was a horrible monster. It was the first time she wished death on anyone.

"Nah. No one you know." Claudia said

X

X

X

"Morning Claudia." Harleen said as she walked into the asylum in the morning.

She removed her beanie and gloves which did nothing to warm her up and she bent down to rub her freezing pantyhose clad legs. She really needs to get into the habit of checking the weather before getting dressed in the morning.

"Harley." Claudia said

Harleen looked up with curiosity. Usually Claudia talked her ears off in the morning. Claudia was clearly nervous or anxious about something, but not so put off to not call Harleen by her new nickname.

"I don't know." Claudia said one day. "Harleen. It seems like one of those names that should only be for old people. Like calling a 13 year old Betty."

Harleen laughed.

"I'll call you Harley. It just sounds better."

"Okay." Harley said with a smile in her voice

Harley stood up straight and walked toward the front desk where Claudia sat.

"You okay, Claudia?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

"Dr. Arkham said he wanted to see you first thing in the morning."

"Dr. Arkham?" she asked, her heart dropping in her stomach

Claudia nodded. Harley let out a nervous sigh and nodded as well

"Do you know what it's about?"

Claudia shook her head.

Harley walked to the elevator and ignored the feeling of Claudia's eyes on her. She stepped in and pushed the 3rd floor button.

"Good luck." Claudia called out

"Thanks."

Wild ideas ran through Harley's head. She'd only met Arkham once. It was her job interview where he mainly just told her things she already knew about herself, like her schooling and qualifications.

"I see here that you were a suspect in a murder case?" he asked

The ding of the elevator brought her back to reality. She walked through the halls and into her office. She sat her things down and took one look at her office before walking out. This could be the last time.

No one sees Arkham unless it's serious. Like being fired.

She walked back to the elevators and went to the fourth floor, which opened up to the waiting room of Arkham's office.

"Ms. Quinzel has been waiting for you. You can go right in." said Arkham's secretary Harley's seen only once or twice in the break room

Dr. Quinzel Harley thought to herself, but smiled and walked up to the door. She took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in Dr. Quinzel!"

X

X

X

"He refuses to speak to anyone else. He's requested you."

Harley was froze. She was sure if she could see her self, she'd look like a deer in headlights. The life drained from her face, her blue eyes as big as saucers. Me. Me.

The Joker wants to talk to me.

The Joker wants me as his doctor.