Chapter 7
An exasperated complaint elicited from Harley's lips in response to her futile attempts at trying to get comfortable in bed. Her lower lip jutted out into a defeated pout whilst her eyes glistened with tears of frustration. She was now nearing the end of her pregnancy and found it infuriating that she started to feel even more uncomfortable at this stage of pregnancy. She was about to give up on sleep all together, but she suddenly tensed up when she felt the person lying beside her begin to stir.
Joker snarled against his pillow, turning onto his side to glare at the one who woke him up. "Harley, this is getting ridiculous! You know how hard it is for me to sleep as it is, and now almost every night you're tossing and turning so much. If you don't knock it off I'm going to ban you from our room!" Joker's chest was rising and falling rapidly in response to his anger, not caring to notice how desperate Harley appeared to be.
Harley sat up to rest her back against the many pillows she needed to comfort her back, glaring straight back at Joker with a look of agitation crossing over her facial features. "Don't you dare yell at me! It's your fault that I'm so uncomfortable! You put your demon spawn in me, and I can't even sleep anymore with every ache I feel. It's not fair that you get to sleep peacefully and not feel any of these symptoms with me!" She replied heatedly as she crossed her arms over her chest.
He blinked his eyes in pure astonishment when she had snapped at him so harshly than ever before. A half-strangled laugh escaped his mouth as he moved himself into a sitting position.
Harley couldn't help but jump in alarm at the sound of his laugh echoing through the quiet house. She eyed him suspiciously as he sat up in bed and kept his gaze on her. She set her jaw in a stubborn stance, keeping her arms crossed over her chest as she spoke without humor. "Are you really going to sit there and laugh at me!? I don't think it's funny at all. You're such a dick at times!" She looked away from him, setting her gaze upon the bedroom wall, growing more frustrated due to the lack of sleep.
Joker's laugh died down when he heard what she had just called him, running his fingers through his hair to set it in place since he knew his hair was probably sticking up in different directions from when he was tossing in bed due to Harley's restlessness. He gritted his teeth, trying to calm himself down before he said or did something he would end up regretting later. "What did you just call me?"
"I called you a dick. Do you want me to go grab a dictionary for you, so you can read what it means?" She replied in a saucy-like tone, refusing to spare him a glance.
He shook his head as a growl emitted from deep within his chest, clenching his hand tightly into a fist as to not give into the impulse to backhand her for being so disrespectful. "Harley… I'm going to let that slide because I know you're caught up in one of your mood swings. Now stop being such a brat and tell me what you want me to do so I can help you get more comfortable so we can both get some sleep. That sound alright to you?" He was amazed at how calm he was able to speak when on the inside his blood was boiling and he wanted nothing more than to choke the living daylights out of someone and paint the streets with fresh blood.
Harley dug her nails into her arm to feel some sort of pain to fend off the newly hot tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks at any moment, knowing he was right about her mood swings being the problem. "I-I'm sorry, J. I didn't mean to take my frustration out on you… I think if you could go get me that maternity pillow I bought that's in that bag I will be able to sleep." Harley extended her arm to use her index finger to point towards where a huge bag was set down on the floor in a corner of their room.
Joker withheld a sigh as he tossed aside the bed covers, stretching as soon as he was standing before he padded off towards where Harley had directed him to. He reached inside the bag and pulled out a huge pillow, quickly removing it from its package and was about to walk back to the bed when he rolled his eyes in annoyance when Harley started to call out to him.
"Don't forget the cover I got for it please Puddin!" Harley smiled as cutely as she could manage when he looked over at her before he reached back down into the bag, hiding his face from her.
"Don't forget the cover Puddin..." Joker impersonated her voice in a hushed manner so she wouldn't hear. He was gradually becoming more annoyed since all he wanted to do was go back to sleep. A smirk slowly creeped upon his lips when he saw the color she had chosen for the cover for the pillow. It was almost the same shade of purple as his precious car. He brought both items over towards the bed with him and forced himself to gently had them over to her. "There you go, Harls. Now can I go back to sleep?" As he spoke he didn't wait for her reply, but instead quickly got into the bed and covered himself with the bed covers, trying to find a comfortable spot.
Harley squealed happily when he brought her the items she asked for. "Yes you can sleep now, Puddin. I won't bug you anymore tonight." She replied cheerfully, not noticing the hint of a smile he gave her when she was too busy putting on the pillowcase on her amazing maternity pillow. Once she was finished she turned off her bedside lamp, placing the pillow down before she laid down onto her side. She tucked the pillow in between her legs and rested an arm under the pillow and made herself comfortable. A low moan emitted from her lips when she felt so much more at ease. She was just about to close her eyes when she heard a noise come from just beside her.
"I remember when I used to get those kinds of sounds out of you…" He mumbled in a grumpy manner.
Harley giggled at his words, knowing it had been a while since they had been intimate. It was too long for them, and as much as she yearned for his touch she wasn't feeling so hot for that kind of intimacy at this stage of her pregnancy. She reached out her hand to brush against the nearest part of him that she could manage to reach. "Aww Puds! Come closer and I'll do that thing that you love." She had to stop herself from giggling once again when she felt the bed move when he shuffled closer to her all too eagerly and took hold of her hand.
"Oh, yeah? Now this is what you are allowed to wake me up for." He rumbled as he began to direct her hand lower under the covers.
"Whoa! That's not what I meant!" She yanked her hand out of his grasp just as she had felt her fingers brush against the cloth that covered his most prized possession, stifling a laugh when she heard him grunt in defeat. She reached her hand back out towards him in a tentative manner to begin to gently run her fingers through his hair, making sure to ever so slightly scrap her nails against his scalp since she knew he loved that. A loving smile played at her lips when she felt him begin to purr under touch.
She continued her motions as she waited patiently until she thought he was asleep. She pulled her hand back carefully then placed it against her stomach when she felt the baby kick. "Sorry for waking you up, my little angel. You made mommy upset your Daddy, but I forgive you. I can't wait to meet you soon. You're going to love your room that your Daddy set up just for you. He doesn't know it yet, but you're going to have him wrapped around your little finger. He's going to have a new girl in his life to look after, and I'm just going to have to learn to share him with you…" Harley had whispered aloud before she started to drift off to sleep, feeling content and even more deeply in love with the little one she was carrying.
Joker had faked he was asleep and heard every word she had said. He found it funny that Harley thought the baby would have him bending backwards for it, and that she'd have to share him with the baby. His heart would always belong to his Queen. Yes, there would be a part of him that would love their child, but Harley was the only true love he had ever known. That wouldn't ever change. He dared to scoot closer to her until he felt the warmness of her arm resting against him. He thought back to the day that he had devoted his time for setting up the nursery, hoping that would either help or bore him enough to be able to fall back asleep.
Joker managed to get Harley out of the house for the weekend. It took a lot of arguing but in the end she agreed to go on a weekend trip with Ivy at a spa resort. He made sure his right hand man escorted them along with two of his other men, along with the order to keep him updated at all times on her well-being. He had hired help to knock down a wall in their bedroom that led to a room next door. He wanted to fix the room up with new white carpet, painted walls and the furniture that Harley had chosen. He was also trying not to fret over the fact that by knocking down the wall the room would been conjoined to the soon-to-be nursery. He thought it would be helpful so Harley only had to open the door and immediately be inside the nursery. Not to mention that he didn't want the baby to be kept too far away from his protection.
He was pulled from his thoughts when the hired help had arrived. He laid out the blueprint he had made on how he wanted the room to be done then left them to do their work while he set off to go manage the multiple establishments he owned.
By the time he was arriving back home the hired help had left for the day so he went up to the room to see how much progress they had made. He nodded in approval when he noticed the wall was taken down and the double doors were installed along with the new carpet. He wrinkled his nose in disgust when the fresh smell of paint hit him hard before he reached out to flick on the bedroom light. Verdant hues glanced around the room as a smirk settled upon his lips when he marveled over the paint job. Two walls were painted white and stenciled with a design pattern of a dagger and tiara in a repetitive order that sparkled in gold along the borders of the two walls. Whilst the other two walls were themed after himself and Harley. His wall was green with purple writing of 'HA HA's' in multiple places and in the center of the wall it had a huge joker card with the same style of jester drawing in the center of it that matched one of his tattoos and the card seemed to be dripping blood . Harley's wall was decorated as a replica of her Jester outfit along with the words 'Daddy's Lil Monster' that he had specially made to be in his own handwriting. He seemed pleased by the work that was done so far. All that needed to be finished was bringing in the furniture, and installing the built-in organizers in the closet to help to put away the massive amounts of clothes that Harley had gotten along with other unknown items she had gotten throughout her pregnancy for the baby. It baffled him that such a tiny little thing needed so much.
The day had finally come when Harley was due to arrive at any moment. He was both nervous and excited to see her reaction. He ran his fingers through his hair out of habit when he saw Harley walk through the front door.
"Puddin! I missed you so much!" Harley hurled herself at him, wrapping her arms around him as she breathed in his scent, feeling completely whole again.
Joker chuckled at her sudden attack, he embraced her in his arms and placed a kiss against the top of her head before pulling her away to smirk down at her. "I have a surprise for you, but you have to promise you won't peek."
Harley stifled the urge to squeal as she peered up at him, smiling eagerly as she nodded in answer to his request. "I promise I won't peek!" She immediately stepped out fully from his embrace, closing her eyes and held out her hands. "Okay, now give me the surprise!"
Joker shook his head laughing at what she had just done. "It's not something I can give you. I have to show you it. Now keep your eyes closed and I'll help you upstairs." Without any warning he scooped her up into his arms, placing a kiss against her cheek when she started to struggle in his hold.
"Ah! No, put me down! I'm too heavy, Puddin!" She looked up at him as he began to carry her up the stairs, her cheeks turning a shade of crimson, knowing she wasn't as light as she used to be. She couldn't help but grin when he pecked her cheek.
"You're not heavy, toots. Just stop struggling and let me carry you before you make me drop you. Now close your eyes again." He waited until she listened before he continued up the steps, trying to keep his breathing normal to not show how much effort it now took him to carry her. He set her down in front of the nursery doors, glancing at her face to make sure her eyes were closed. "I'm going to count to three then I want you to open your eyes, alright?"
Harley nodded once whilst she bit down on her lip, feeling all giddy as she waited for him to start to countdown. She resisted the urge to open her eyes when she could of sworn she heard the sound of something opening.
Joker gently opened the doors to the nursery, silently hoping to himself that she was going to love this. "One…Two…Three! Now open your eyes."
Harley opened her eyes, gasping at the sight in front of her. She hesitantly stepped inside the room, tears filled her eyes as she took in every inch of it, noticing all the furniture she had picked out recently was arranged in the room perfectly. She sniffled softly when she saw how the walls were decorated, feeling so touched that he would go out of his way to do this for her. "Oh my god… You did this all for me!?" Harley turned around to face him, wiping away her tears as she smiled happily.
Joker stepped into the room, smirking in a coy manner as he finally stood in front of her. "Yes, I did. I knew you were stressing since we hadn't started fixing up the nursery, so I thought I'd take the burden from you. There's still one more thing you have to see." He grabbed her hand, leading her to the closet and opened the door to reveal the huge white armoire with drawers, and the built-in organizational cubbies that matched the armoire. Almost every cubby was filled with baby items and he proceeded to open the armoire to reveal the clothes that were neatly hung up and also opened the drawers to reveal the folded clothes that were organized in order by sizes. "I wasn't sure how you wanted these items organized so I did the best that I could. You can fix it later if you like."
Harley's jaw dropped when she saw the walk-in closet, taking in how organized it appeared, not believing he had done even more than she had expected."You… You personally did this?" She motioned to the entire closet space.
Joker nodded, trying not to laugh at how bewildered she appeared to be. "I only take credit for putting our daughter's stuff away and trying to organize it well. The rest I hired people to do, but I didn't want them touching her personal belongings."
"Oh, J! I absolutely love what you did!" Harley threw her arms around his neck, bringing him down to her to place her lips against his.
Joker embraced her as he returned her fervid kiss, enjoying this little moment they shared in their soon-to-be daughter's room.
Joker fell asleep shortly after he played out that moment, feeling completely content with his woman beside him.
Some weeks had passed by so quickly and Harley was beginning to grow more anxious by each day as it got closer to her due date. She was now thirty-seven weeks pregnant and was practically wobbling around the house. She was beyond annoyed that she was put on house arrest by Joker within her last month of pregnancy. He had gotten so paranoid that he had one of the many rooms upstairs completely sterilized and had all the doctors equipment imaginable in case of an emergency and they wouldn't make it to their doctors office. But in the end they both agreed that it would be best if she did indeed give birth at home to not risk the life of their baby on their way back home. Their doctor called to check on her regularly and paid her visits at their home as well.
Now in the present, Harley was trying to reason with Frost.
"I can't let you out of the room, Miss Quinn. Boss has me on strict orders here." He replied as he blocked the doorway of her bedroom.
Harley stomped her foot as she glared up at him. "I'm not going to ask you again. Step aside Frost! All I want is to get myself some food and actually get to walk!"
Frost sighed as he shook his head. "You know that I can't do that. If you fall down the stairs you know what will happen to me. Now tell me what you want and I'll have someone bring it to you."
"Ugh! I'm so tired of practically being kept prisoner in my room. It's making me feel like I'm back at Belle Reve." She looked down at the floor, well technically she was looking at her baby bump since it blocked her view. She sniffled softly as she tried to make herself cry on cue, hoping to play the sympathy card. "I-I just want to eat downstairs like a normal person. Then I'll come back up here before Joker gets home. I promise."
Frost shifted uncomfortably when he heard her start to cry, he stepped aside from the doorway with a slight grimace at what he was about to do. "Okay, we can do that. Let me at least carry you downstairs."
Harley looked up at him with a smirk as she batted her eyelashes. "See, was that too hard to come up with a compromise, Frosty?" She giggled when she saw realization cross over his features when he now knew that he played right into her trap. "I'm ready to go downstairs whenever you are." She tried to say through her giggle fit.
Frost rolled his eyes in annoyance when she called him by a ridiculous nickname before he carefully picked her up into his arms, slowly making his way down the staircase.
Harley kept her arms wrapped around his neck as Frost brought them down the stairs, she tried not to show any signs of distress when she started to feel some sort of sharp pain, thinking it was just because he was carrying her in an awkward way since she wasn't as tiny as she used to be.
Frost set her down onto her feet, hovering his hand close to her in case he needed to help steady her whilst she made her way into the kitchen.
Harley tried to ignore the fact that Frost was practically breathing down her neck as she began to fix a plate up with leftovers. She peered over her shoulder to look at him before she spoke through the slightly continuous pains. "Do you want me to serve you some food too? We can eat lunch together. I promise not to talk too much. I'd like the company."
Frost pondered over what she had asked before nodding his head, not noticing that he was hungry until she started to bring food out of the fridge. "Sure." He replied curtly, hoping she kept her word and wouldn't try to talk his ear off.
Harley hummed along to a song that suddenly came into her mind as she served Frost some food then proceeded to heat up the food. Once it was done she carried the plates out into the dining room. "Can you bring me a water bottle please? I don't think I can walk all the way over there." She said almost embarrassingly as she was almost out of breath. She sat down at the table and began to cut up the steak, almost drooling at the sight of the loaded mashed potatoes and broccoli she also served with it. She looked up when a water bottle was set down in front of her. "Thank you!" She said cheerfully as she started to eat her food, glancing up at Frost every now and then while she ate.
Frost ate his food rather quickly and waited until Harley was finished before he collected their plates and washed them for her without a word. When he came back into the dining room he was shocked to not see Harley there. He was about to grab his phone to alert his fellow workers when he heard a cry coming from the living room. He ran over in time to see Harley on the couch, holding her stomach as if she appeared to be in pain. "Are you alright, Harley? Do I need to call the doctor?" As he spoke he pulled out his phone, hovering his finger over the call button.
Harley breathed in and out slowly, shaking her head when she heard what he had asked. "No, I'm okay. It's just one of those Braxton Hicks that I've been having. The doctor already knows and said it was normal. If it gets worse I'll have you call her. Can you just help me get upstairs please?"
Frost put his phone away, striding over to where she sat quickly before carefully helping her up. "Do I need to carry you again?"
"Yes, if you don't mind." Harley mumbled to him as she smiled faintly up at him, thankful that the pain had stopped.
Frost took Harley into his arms once again, bringing her into her bedroom and setting her down gently onto the bed. He covered her with a thin blanket, glancing over her features to see if she was still in any kind of pain. "Is there anything else I can do for you before I go to guard the door?"
"Do you mind staying with me until I fall asleep? I know it's not your job to, but Joker isn't here and it would help me a lot." She said as she collected her favorite pillow to help her get comfortable in the bed.
"Of course, Miss Quinn." Frost went out of the room quickly to grab a chair and set it down by the bed to sit beside her. He stiffened a bit when he felt her hand rest against his shoulder, turning to meet her gaze.
"Thank you, Jonny. I really appreciate it." She turned onto her side, grasping the blanket as she let out a yawn before closing her eyes to attempt to take a nap.
Frost watched her as she started to fall asleep and right when he was going to leave he heard her whimper in her sleep. He hesitated before he caved and rested his hand over hers, sighing in relief when she didn't wake up. He waited a little longer until he knew she was in a deep sleep before he got up and left the room, shutting the door behind him. He couldn't help but smile slightly since this was the first actual moment that him and Harley had a almost completely calm encounter. He finally saw a glimpse of what his boss must've seen in her. He took out his phone to quickly text the boss an update on Harley. Letting him know about her pains before he called another henchman to guard the bedroom while he went to check on the rest of the men.
A few hours had passed and Harley finally began to wake up from her long nap. She stretched her stiff muscles, yawning softly as she opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden darkness. It was now night time. "Frost? Are you still here?" Harley blinked to adjust her vision when a light suddenly clicked on, revealing a figure from across the room.
"No he's not here. Why did you call for him?" Joker stated as he walked across the room to get to her.
"Puddin?" Harley said in confusion as she tried to sit up in bed, rubbing her eyes as she tried to fully wake up. When she opened her eyes she was face to face with Joker, making her grin. "You're finally back."
Joker sat down beside her on the bed, keeping a blank expression. "Yes, I am. I came back a little earlier when I got an interesting message about a certain someone."
Harley chewed on her lip as she tried to not look guilty. "Oh… I think I know who that someone is."
Joker resisted the urge to laugh at how guilt stricken she appeared to be whilst trying to hide that from him. "Mhm… Now why did you call out for Frost a while ago?" He knew he shouldn't feel jealous since he knew Frost and Harley weren't doing anything behind his back, but he needed to be sure again.
Harley sighed knowing he wouldn't forget she did that. "He took care of me today when I needed help, and he sat in a chair until I fell asleep. I didn't know if he was still staying guard here since I didn't know you were home that's all."
He studied her face as she spoke, noting that everything she said was true. He nodded before he laid back against the bed, looking up at the ceiling as he spoke. "How are you feeling now? Are you still having any pain?"
Harley shook her head even though she knew he wouldn't be able to see her do that. "No. They stopped for a good while now. When I spoke to the doctor last time she said it was normal and to call her if anything else should happen. I think our little girl is trying to come early though. I don't think she has enough room anymore." Harley said amusingly as she caressed her bump before raising her shirt to reveal her belly. She began to gently prod her belly to see if the baby would react to her touch. She kept at it until she saw some movement which made her squeal.
Joker sat upright when he heard Harley squeal, wondering what had caused her to do so. What he saw next made his eyes widen in shock. He never witnessed when the baby's movements were so visible. It looked like it was about to claw it's way out. "What the fuck…"
Harley gasped as she heard what he said. "Hey! Watch your mouth! She can hear what you're saying, Puddin." Harley went back to poking her belly but in different places since apparently the baby had changed positions. She smiled fondly down at her belly when she felt something move against her finger. "Hey there baby girl… I can't wait to see your beautiful face." She cooed at her daughter.
Joker arched a brow in a curious manner before he moved to get closer to Harley. He smiled when he heard her speak so gently to their baby. He reached his hand out, hesitating to place it against her stomach.
"Go ahead and talk to her. She loves the sound of her daddy's voice. She starts to kick up a storm." Harley took his hand and placed it against her bare skin, smiling to help encourage him.
Joker moved his hand along her bare stomach, trying to think of what to say. "Hmm… Hello my little hellion. We don't know your name quiet yet, but I hope once you make your grand entrance we will finally decide on something." He almost frowned when he didn't feel anything against his hand. He was about to pull away when he felt a hard kick against the palm of his hand which made him smirk in a proud manner. "That's daddy's strong little girl. Already showing off even in the womb."
Harley ran her fingers through Joker's hair while he continued to speak to their daughter, making her stomach flutter at the mere sight of this rare but affectionate moment. She was nervous about giving birth, but in this moment she could care less. She couldn't wait to meet her daughter.
Little did she know that she would be meeting her sooner than she expected.
Their little princess is about to make her appearance. Who's excited? Sorry for the semi short chapter. I tried to post something ASAP to make up for the long wait for the previous chapter.