A/N: This is my first attempt at writting the Joker, it's kind of hard as I'm also writting Dr Who so the the Doctor keeps popping into my head. Although i'm not complaining about that. Anyway, please review and enjoy.

Chapter 4

The room I entered was not unlike the Examination rooms I used on the upper floors where I worked. It had the bare light above that illuminated everything in the room, it had the simple table and chairs in the centre, and it had the bare, poorly painted walls surrounding us. However, all the walls were solid brick, there was no one way glass and the door had no window so no one could see what was happening outside the room. This fact caused me less alarm than I was expecting, I suppose I wasn't really looking at the dangers of being unobserved, all my attention was focused on the figure sat at the table.

He was bent right over the table, his head forward causing his curly mop of dirty blonde hair to cover his face. He was wearing the orange overalls of all the inmates, except his upper body was also covered by a white straight jacket that folded his arms around him and securely tied them at the back. No need for hand cuffs here then. The man didn't look up when we entered; he just remained his features obscured.

Monty crossed the room first and sat down in one of the two chairs that were positioned on our side of the table. The guard must have called ahead to Strange and told him I was coming, meaning Strange had placed another chair here. He must have planned this before we had arrived. I shook my head, a small smile crossing my face as I occupied the seat next to Monty.

He looked at me briefly before turning his attention to the man in front of us. Now that I was closer I saw the man's shoulders were shaking slightly, as if he were crying…or laughing quietly. I frowned, contrary to what Strange had said outside this man didn't look very lively to me.

Monty cleared my throat beside me. The sudden noise in the otherwise quiet room made me jump, the man opposite twitched at my movement. I tried to remain as still as possible from that moment on.

"Alright, let's start," Monty had placed a small tape recorder to one side of him, obviously to compensate for no one else watching and making notes. "Present is patient number 293, known more commonly as the Joker." I think at that moment my heart must have fallen out by my feet, because I couldn't feel it beating anymore. I stared with an intense interest at the man opposite, he still hadn't moved, his face was still concealed by his curtain of hair. Monty just kept talking like he hadn't even heard the name that had just passed his lips. A renewed respect for the man started to blossom within me, but then I remembered bravery or not, he was still an annoying twat.

"Also present, Dr Montgomery Wright and Dr Harleen Quinzel." There was a beat before yet more of my vital organs evacuated my body, as the man opposite finally spoke.

"Haaar-leeen."

The voice was a higher pitch than I was expecting, and had a nasal quality about it. I shivered as he dragged out my name, as if savouring it.

"Harley Quinzel." His shoulders were shaking more now as he fought to contain his laughter. I knew what was coming; it wasn't like I had heard it enough at school.

"Harley Quinn…HARLEQUIN!!!" He shouted the last part causing us both to jump right out of our seats. The Joker then broke down into uncontrollable giggles. Monty looked at me dumbfounded. But my attention was soon back on the Joker as he lifted his head slightly, the blonde hair exposing the top part of his head. A pair of dark eyes looked out at me, and my blue ones stared right back.

I couldn't move his eyes burned into me, unblinking. It felt like he was looking straight into my head, I felt too exposed but I couldn't look away, they held me there. Monty continued to talk but it was like I was listening to him from the end of a long tunnel. His voice echoed in my head, and I was aware he was there but I was finding it hard to concentrate on anything anymore.

"Have you thought anymore about our last conversation? To secure your future we need to know more about your past."

The Joker broke eye contact with me and I let my breath out in a rush, I hadn't been aware that I was holding it until then. His eyes snapped to focus on Monty and I felt the Doctor beside me cringe, good, obviously wasn't just me that found his stare intense.

"Noooo, I'm afraid I haven't Doctooor." His tone was mocking and Monty didn't like being mocked. I could feel him tensing beside me. "I don't really think the subject of my past is good conversation when there are…ladies present." The Joker sat up straight, revealing the whole of his face; it took every effort I had not to gasp aloud.

I had seen the Joker's face before, a year ago when he terrorised the city his face had been all over the news. But I had never seen it without his make-up on. He looked almost ordinary, his curly blonde hair falling into his dark eyes, his skin was a healthy pink, but his mouth turned a once handsome face into something from a nightmare. Two ugly scars curved up from each corner of his mouth. They had healed badly and were a harsh red colour, standing out against the paler colour of his skin. The skin was puckered where the two sides of the cut hadn't joined properly, and it twisted his mouth it a macabre grin.

The Joker noticed me staring at his face and a smile appeared, made all the wider by the scars. He licked his lips and levelled his gaze on me again, I could heal it burning into my forehead, but I didn't look back this time. This stare was different to Strange's analysing glances and Monty's leers, this one shook me to the core. And that scared me.

Monty looked at me in response to the Joker's comment. He raised his eyebrows and asked somewhat hopefully I thought, "Is she bothering you? We can have her removed."

I stared at Monty icily, but the Joker was shaking his head a small chuckle escaping his lips.

"No Doctor, in fact I find her…amusing." I turned to glare at the Joker now, but my fierce expression only made him chuckle more.

"Very well," Monty said, disappointed, "She can stay." The Joker's smile turned sinister, and his voice was low as he replied.

"Thank you Doctor."

Monty shifted before continuing, "She stays as long as you talk." The Joker looked back at him, his eyes growing wide and innocent, his voice matching his look. "But I am talking."

"You're talking but you're not saying anything." Monty pressed, his arms folded in front of him. The Joker leant back in his chair mimicking his nonchalant stance as best he could with a straight jacket on. It felt like he had done this a thousand times before, and was bored with it. "If you don't let us help you, you'll spend the rest of your life in this place."

The Joker's mocking expression had vanished, replaced with a terrifying look. "Who's says I need help?" His voice was low and deadly, and his eyes burnt with an intense anger that I had never seen on a person before. I involuntarily shifted my seat back slightly, the Joker glanced in my direction and the dark look disappeared as he watched me. His head was cocked on one side like a dog whose name you've just called.

"Nobody Joker, nevertheless your time here at Arkham would be a lot easier if you co-operated." The Joker snorted.

"You want me to talk, fine I'll talk." Monty narrowed his eyes in suspicion. The Joker cleared his throat theatrically and put on a serious expression.

"Macavity's a Mystery Cat: he's called the Hidden Paw- For he's the master criminal who can defy the Law."

Monty sighed. "What?" The Joker grinned at him.

"Hey, I'm talking aren't I?" He ran his tongue over his lips again. "You'll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumbs, or engaged in doing complicated long division sums." I heard Monty grind his teeth together next to me.

"Stop talking in riddles Joker." The Joker's grin widened and his eyes flickered to me for a brief moment. He was showing off. Monty noticed and he glared at me like I was encouraging him.

"It's not a riddle Monty," I said simply. I couldn't help it, I just found myself siding with the Joker.

"Excuse me?" Monty asked coldly. I looked at him innocently.

"It's not a riddle. It's T S Eliot." The Joker's head snapped towards me.

"Very goooood Harley Quinn." His head was on one side again, and I felt myself freeze as my eyes met his.

"T S Eliot?" Monty was talking to me now, as if I was the patient. Geez, it wasn't my fault he wasn't cultured enough to know a little poetry.

"Yeah, 'Macavity the Mystery cat'. It's about a mastermind criminal…that's also a cat."

The Joker shifted, "Not much of a cat person myself, but I do like the sound of the first part." Monty glowered at him.

"Think you're pretty funny don't you clown?" The Joker sat straighter in his seat, squaring off to Monty.

"Why actually, yes I do." He started giggling as Monty clenched his hands. The laughter became maniacal and Monty scraped the chair back as he stood up, his fist raised.

"NO!" I yelled as he swung for the Joker. I reached out but was too late, Monty's fist connected with the Joker's face, he was unable to protect himself there was a sickening crunch and I winced. The Joker's chair was pushed back with the force of the blow, but he managed to remain upright. He was still laughing even as blood started to drip from the corner of his mouth. Monty had probably broken a tooth.

"I think we had better leave Dr Wright. You're becoming emotionally compromised." Monty was breathing heavily staring at the shaking form of the Joker. He didn't say anything but nodded at me and stopped the tape recorder. Without a backward glance he left the room.

I was motionless for a moment staring after the angry form of Monty, but my train of thought was broken as the Joker addressed me.

"Don't worry Harley Quinn, I get that all the time." I looked down at his up turned face. The blood was running freely down his straight jacket now, I moved to help him but stopped myself. He was still a psychopathic murder no matter how much I felt sorry for him. He saw my movement and gave a wry smile.

"Not everyone gets the joke Harley." He narrowed his eyes at me as if trying to see inside my head. "But I have a feeling…that you do." I blinked at him trying to clear my head, then turned to go. My hand rested on the handle as I waited for the lock to disengage. A voice called to me as I opened it, "Be seeing you kid."

I didn't look back but I could feel his eyes boring into the back of my head as I left the examination room. Someone would be in to collect him soon, but I couldn't worry about him right now. I needed to get home.

~*~

The night air was cold on my face. I had the window wound down as far as it would go, and the wind rushing past my moving car cleared my head.

Gotham was quiet, there were still a few cars on the road and a couple of people on the street, but most were locked up inside. The city was not the place to take a midnight stroll.

I gripped the wheel tightly, and blinked my eyes hard. My head was still buzzing from the events of the evening. I doubt Adam would believe me tomorrow. I had left Monty with Dr Strange at the entrance to the Maximum security wing. He had still been angry and he kept giving me venomous looks when he thought Strange wasn't looking. Strange had also been watching me curiously, if I hadn't known the Examination room was sound proof I would have sworn he had heard what had happened in there.

The ribbon of tarmac ran straight through the pillars of glass on either side of me. The skyscrapers disappeared into inky blackness, a smattering of lights still twinkling in the gloom. A few late night workers perhaps. A siren occasionally broke the eerie silence, and I licked my lips nervously as I stared at the empty road ahead. The action reminded me of the Joker and I quickly breathed in the icy air to distract myself.

The guy was a formidable criminal and an extreme personality, something that I wanted to work with. But why did he have such an effect on me? My usual keen awareness of someone's intentions were shattered by him, I hadn't been able to focus on anything with him in front of me and had therefore probably started a situation which resulted in him getting punched. I didn't usually side with a patient when there was another Doctor assessing them, so why had I aided the Joker in his mission to annoy Monty. Maybe I just really hated the man. Or maybe it was something else…someone else that had caused me to act in that way.

I frowned and snorted to myself.

"Get a grip Harley." I said to no one in particular. But I had to admit I was still finding it hard to concentrate. I kept seeing those burning black eyes staring straight into my head, and I kind of liked it.