A/N: Thank you for such a great response! Sorry for a slow update, life's taken a turn for the better and I've started a new job. This has slowed down writing somewhat but I'll definitely keep going with this. But as before, the reviews and reaction will be what powers this story :)

Enjoy!

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Chapter 2

Doctor Pamela Isley was one of those women that just attracted the wrong kind of attention. In her mind, any kind of attention from a man was wrong and most definitely unwanted. Her pharmacy was her little sanctuary, her place of peace and solitude. Away from the bustle of the busy corridors and cell blocks, she could focus her mind and she could concentrate on her chemicals and drugs. She'd convinced Sharpe that she could run the pharmacy single-handedly and he'd fired the other members of staff. She had total control and often met with other senior doctors to recommend new drugs, or different strains to try and help medicate the patients. It was one aspect of her life that was going well.

Her home life was non-existent. It was just a set of rooms she returned to every night, just to sleep and wash in. She had no emotional attachment to the building itself. Her plants were a different matter and she'd bought her house purely because it received the best sunlight and the least amount of rain for a half decent price. They were her own version of therapy. They were her break from the oppressive world of the asylum and the misogyny and corruption inside. Some people had cats, Pamela had flowers.

Men had done her wrong for most of her life. Her father had been absent and left her and her mother in abject poverty, her male teachers had tried to take advantage of her as she hit puberty earlier than the rest of her classmates. Her boy classmates then followed suit and by the time she hit medical school, she was convinced that men were nothing more than petty, obnoxious animals that she was totally switched off too. She was pretty friendless, preferring her own company and she didn't particularly care if she had a partner or not either. Humans just weren't her bag.

The only person she had any time for was Harleen, she polite and civil to the rest, but the younger woman just seemed to get her. The younger woman had an energy and spark of life that just breathed life into the tired old halls of Arkham Asylum and into Pamela's long-dead social life. They spent a lot of time together outside of work, Harleen would stay at her place over the weekend and would clean the house or rest and revise whilst Pamela tended to her plants. Then the vodka would be broken out and they cuddled up on the sofa, watched crap TV and fell asleep.

It was Pamela's idea of a perfect friendship.

But she knew that it would come to an end. All things did and it would be because of a man once again.

She walked through the corridors of the Asylum towards Jonathon Carr's office. She was meant to have Harleen work with her that afternoon before having an un-official psychiatry session with one of the patients, but, once again, Carr had disrupted the plan so he could discipline the intern who was doing exactly what she'd been told to do. So Pamela was angry and wanted her colleague to lay off the promising young doctor. Her heels clacked against the floor and she flashed her security pass at the relevant points before she pounded her fist on Carr's door.

"I need Harleen, Carr," Pamela said loudly. "She's due to have a mini-session with Victor Zsasz. Nash won't wait for her."

"Go away, Pamela, I'm dealing with the situation," Jonathon snapped back. She could hear shuffling around and she tapped her foot on the ground impatiently. Whatever was going on beyond that door, it was taking them a long time.

And she categorically didn't want to know what they were doing.

Harleen ran her hand through her hair to try and tame the now messy dyed blonde strands. She finished doing up the buttons of her blouse and tucked it back into the hem of her skirt. She made sure the seam in her stockings was straight and then she wriggled her skirt flat and straight. She looked over to see Jonathon still lounging back against his chair, shirt open, a smug, spent, smirk on his face as he watched her dress again. His gorgeous chocolate brown hair was tousled and he had smudges of lipstick across his mouth and jaw.

"I think that's another win for me," he smirked.

"One day we're gonna get caught by someone other than Pam," Harleen said quietly as she tried to sort her make-up out using the small mirror on the wall of his office. She cleaned off her eye make-up and then applied more mascara and eyeliner before running over her lips with more red. She made sure that the collar of her blouse hid one of the love bites he'd awarded her and she double checked herself before spraying herself with perfume.

"Don't wear such attractive clothes, then," Jonathon Carr chuckled lowly and let his eyes roam over her again. He finally stood and zipped up his pants, did up his belt and buttoned up his shirt. He knotted his tie and ran his hands over his hair to make sure it went back in place. He borrowed one of her face wipes and removed the lipstick stains from his jaw.

"Do you really have to belittle me like that in front of Sharpe?" Harleen sighed as she finally looked set and ready to walk out of the office.

"Yes, because if they think I hate you, they'll be less suspecting of what I actually do to you," Jonathon growled, sending delicious shivers down her spine. "Hidden in plain sight. It's cliché that the ones who hate each other most end up together, therefore this is the best way to keep our dirty little secret. And we don't want anyone to know until you've got your licence and finished school entirely."

"Yes sir," Harleen nodded and he caught her mouth with his again. His hands ran up from her hips to her waist and he pulled her flush against his chest. He'd had companions and lovers in the past, but none were quite as exquisite or forbidden as this student. She was a cracker, a wild card, she was up for anything he could come up with as long as it was legal. He enjoyed her company and how she wasn't scared of his seniority or his intellect. She didn't get frustrated with his short temper and mood swings, instead she challenged him and put him straight when she needed too.

"Carr!" Pam shouted through the door again and he finally dragged himself to the door and he unlocked it. He opened it and saw Pam stood there waiting impatiently. Harleen sheepishly slipped from the room and walked a few steps away, trying to hide her teenager blush for being caught again.

"She's all yours," Jonathon said coldly.

"You're a pig, a misogynistic, cold-hearted, self-absorbed pig."

"Love you too, Pammy darling," Jonathon laughed and closed the door in Pam's face. The red head turned to see Harleen shifting awkwardly, the blush still on her face. She almost dragged Harley by her elbow and headed back towards the pharmacy. Pam couldn't speak, she was furious with both of them and she felt ready to explode.

"Men, all after one thing, stupid girls."

"They're not all bad," Harleen chuckled. Pamela raised an eyebrow and peered down at the younger woman. She was a few years older than Harleen but she had a gift with drugs and chemicals that had led her to being the only one who worked the Pharmacy. She could be patronising and spiteful, but also kind and compassionate and Harleen had only ever experienced Pamela's good side.

"Yes they are, even your one," she said and guided Harleen through the asylum. After a short while of silence they reached the pharmacy and Pamela was throwing pots and doses of pills onto a tray before giving it to Harleen.

"I shouldn't have told you."

"No, you shouldn't have," Pamela sighed. "Come on, let's just keep going. I don't want to know any more about your affair. You know his second divorce hasn't gone through yet, right?"

"Why are we doing this again?" Harleen sighed. "We've talked about this, Pammy."

"I just worry about you, I couldn't care less what happens to him," Pamela said and looked down at the younger woman. She touched Harleen's shoulder quickly and then carried on walking ahead. "At least I can save you from Sharpe."

"Oh god, don't," Harleen shuddered. "His wife is so lovely, she's such a wonderful woman and she doesn't have a clue about Quincy's… hand issue."

"Just make sure you always have your Taser," Pam told her. "You wouldn't be the first to have to use it against him. Somehow he manages to slick away from lawsuits and keep his job as the director, I really don't know how he does it."

"Probably uses some of the Wayne money to pay people off," Harleen muttered.

"Yeah, that's always an option," Pamela nodded. "Just keep your relationship under wraps until you pass and then you let Jonathon loose on the man. I can't imagine he's best pleased with Sharpe advancing on you."

Harleen paused, it hadn't ever really been discussed and Jonathon had just accepted that Sharpe was probably going to target her. He didn't like it and tried to put Sharpe off, but the older man was relentless. The couple times that Sharpe had actually managed to touch her inappropriately, she'd gone to Jonathon and he'd done his best to comfort her and to help her document the incidents. She had every intention of taking legal action once she had her licence and any support she could garner was gratefully received.

"He tries to protect me from Sharpe," Harleen shrugged. "He tells him to leave me alone, but he knows I can handle myself pretty well."

"Yeah, it looked like it," Pamela chuckled. "We've just got to pop into the pharmacy and grab a couple of trays, then we can go see Mr Zsasz. He's keen to see you again. You've certainly made an impression on him too. Nash won't wait much longer."

"I like Victor. In as much as you can like a cold-blooded psychopath," Harleen chuckled. "He doesn't scare me like he does others."

"He calls you sweet blood, I'd like you to try and figure out what he means by that," Pamela said. "The next few days I'm not going to be working with you, there's a new doctor joining the pharmacy and as much as I hate sharing my space, I do need some time off. I'm here all the time and… whilst I like being in control of my pharmacy, sometimes a girl needs a lie in."

"Who's the doctor?" Harleen asked.

"Sharpe won't tell me," Pamela huffed. "Apparently I'll 'appreciate the surprise', which means I know the person and I don't like them."

"You don't like anyone," Harley chuckled.

"I like you, don't I?"

"I'm no one," Harleen laughed and bumped her hip into Pamela's. "I'm just an intern."

"You're so much more than that," Pam said, her voice almost wistful and Harleen didn't understand why. She knew her own feelings or the younger woman were getting more and more complicated, but she wouldn't ever act upon it. She was too ashamed of that side of herself to admit how she felt for another female. She was too ashamed with most of her life to share it with anyone.

"You're the best, Pammy," Harleen grinned and hugged her tightly.

"I know," Pamela sighed. "I know. You could've picked so many men that would be less likely to hurt you, Harleen. That… Jonathon Carr has a string of women with broken hearts and broken homes. He isn't loyal and if you're kidding yourself for one minute that he… what's the point?" She gave Harleen a side glance and watched as the blonde bit her lip. She didn't mean to be so hard on the intern, but she knew that Carr had no intention of keeping Harleen around.

"Look, it's just fun, it's just… messing around," Harleen sighed. "I appreciate your concern as my friend and my mentor, but… I promise, there's no getting hurt in this. There isn't any emotion in it."

"No? That's why you've practically moved into his place?" Pamela asked. "Come on, Harl."

"The man's going through a messy divorce, Pammy," Harleen huffed and glared at the older woman. "He needs something uncomplicated and fun and relaxed. So what I've got a couple of pairs of socks at his place, I'm not asking for anything more. I didn't ask for that, he brought me some clothes and kept them there. I know you don't like him-"

"He's twice your age, Harleen," Pammy interrupted. "Like you say, he's on his second divorce and whilst he's fighting it out with his almost ex-wife, he's using you."

"And? What if that's what I like?"

"Then you're definitely spending your time in the right place," Pamela smirked and tapped the Arkham property print on the metal tray. "Come on. Let's go to Zsasz."

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A/N: If there's anything you'd like to see (related to this story, my other writings or just something else) please let me know!

Drop a review and I'll magic up some more :)