Part 2, Chapter 3

When Joker woke in the morning he reached for Harley not feeling her against him but his eyes snapped open feeling the silk sheets empty. Looking at the bed there was no sign of Harley or Lucy but the bedroom door had been left ajar and he could hear voices from the kitchen. Heaving a sigh he got out of bed and dressed taking his time not really wanting to deal with encountering Ivy first thing in the morning.

In the kitchen Harley sat at the counter with Lucy in her lap, the child was still refusing to let her mother out of her sight she was barely letting Ivy hold her as Harley made part of breakfast. Harley looked down at Lucy and smiled seeing her poking at the strawberries on her plate.

"Don't want it."

Harley lightly rested her chin on her daughter's shoulder.

"Why not sweetie? You love strawberries."

Lucy scrunched up her nose pushing the berry off her plate making Ivy hide a laugh behind her hand drawing the blonde's eyes to her.

"What did you put in my daughter's head now Red?"

Ivy pretended to look offended but failed as she smiled.

"I may have let her eat all the berries she wanted while she was with me."

Harley laughed shaking her head before pulling Lucy's plate closer kissing the girl's cheek as she stood up.

"Can momma put you down so she can go get dressed?"

As she spoke she set Lucy in the chair but as soon as she started moving away Lucy let out a loud sob making her sigh covering her face with her hands before lifting the girl back into her arms.

"Guess not. Come on Lucy can't you be a big girl and stay here with aunt Ivy and eat your breakfast? Momma is only going to her room to get dressed, I'll be right back."

Her only answer was Lucy looking up at her pouting, her eyes almost shining with reluctance, before she turned to Ivy making grabby hands in the air until the redhead took her. Taking her chance Harley gave Ivy a quick smile before leaving the kitchen for the master bedroom sighing as she shut the door leaning on it.

"Easy does it Harls, she's just clingy because she watched you nearly die last night, she'll get over it soon just hang in there."

After the words left her mouth a chuckle caught her ear making her look up to find Joker leaving the bathroom.

"Talking to the voices again my dear?"

Harley gave a small smile shaking her head as she walked to the closet looking through her outfits.

"No just keeping myself from yelling at our daughter. She's been so clingy all morning, I can't blame her but it's pushing even my patients."

As she spoke she took out a red and black plaid shoulder-less shirt, a pair of black skinny jeans and a pair of red stiletto heels. Joker looked at the door hearing Ivy talking to Lucy softly before going to Harley wrapping his arms around her middle as she pulled off her nightie making her giggle and lean her head back onto his shoulder as her hand rested on his arm while the other found its way to the back of his head pulling him into a kiss and he didn't protest as their lips met. Too soon she pulled away stepping out of his arms going to the dresser and taking out a new bra and panties.

"Pammy and I were talkin' about takin' Lucy out shopping today, help get met little mind off things, would ya wanna join us puddin'?"

Joker thought on the offer then shook his head before kissing her's.

"Not this time sweets, you go have some girl time, just be back in time to open the club, I've got business to tend to."

Harley smiled then yelped a little squeak as he smacked her on the backside before heading for the door easily dodging the wadded up ball of night clothes she threw after him. When he reached the kitchen Joker was met with Lucy jumping at him from the counter, thankfully he was close enough to catch her as she hit his chest. Shifting her so he could look at her face he met her eyes.

"What has daddy told you about jumping from the counters?"

Lucy's smile turned into a pout.

"Not do it without momma or daddy."

Joker nodded before lightly pinching her cheek making her giggle a little. Ivy watched the pair a little surprised to see the Clown Prince of Crime, King of Gotham, the infamous and dangerous Joker being so gentle and soft around someone even a child. Feeling eyes on him Joker looked at Ivy who grumbled and looked away favoring instead to clean up breakfast dishes. When Harley came back into the kitchen she shuddered feeling the tension in the room even though Joker was helping Lucy learn to swing her bat without it falling mid swing and Ivy was flipping through a magazine at the counter.

After a little tense discussion the girls left the penthouse and were on the Gotham streets, far beyond inconspicuously, in the Lamborgini with Harley driving, Ivy in passenger and Lucy in her car seat in the back. Ivy looked in her mirror keeping an eye on the street behind them making Harley smile as they slowed to a stop at a red light.

"Worried Batsy will try and ruin our fun?"

Ivy looked away from the mirror meeting Harley's eyes.

"Can you blame me? He always jumps in when we get together to play."

Harley laughed grabbing her purse from the console between them handing it to her as she started driving again.

"I don't think he'll be ruining this play date Red."

Ivy raised an eyebrow but opened the purse before her jaw nearly dropped seeing at least 4 silver credit cards and a roll of money bound with a hair tie.

"How did you…?"

Harley smirked parking the car outside a department store.

"I'm the Queen of Gotham's underground, Mr. J has plenty of clients that bring in good money for protection so all that is chump change."

Ivy rolled her eyes but smiled handing the purse back before getting out and waiting as Harley got Lucy out of her seat and set her on her feet holding her hand. Ivy couldn't help but smile seeing the toddler dressed in a red tutu skirt, black tights, a black tank top that read 'mommy's little monster' on it, a pair of purple shoes and her blonde and green curls put up in a set of small pigtails.

"You know if it weren't for the eyes and green hair she'd look exactly like you."

Harley smiled proudly lifting Lucy onto her hip.

"That's what everyone says, well besides that one woman."

She made a face as she put Lucy in the cart as they walked.

"I took Lucy to a café for lunch while Mr. J was workin' and this old bag came over and said how cute Lucy was but then she said that forcing her to have 'those nasty green tips' was just horrible parenting."

Ivy snickered at Harley's imitation of a prudish voice.

"It's not like I hold my child down and do that to her hair, she wanted it done! And it's not like it's hurtin' her any."

Ivy looked at Lucy who was occupied looking at the clothes and things they passed.

"Some people just don't get it. But she's cute no matter how she looks."

Smiling Ivy tickled under Lucy's chin making the girl laugh and Harley smile. After walking through the children's clothes and getting multiple new outfits for Lucy the trio went to the women's clothes Harley picking out new outfits but Ivy was hesitantly looking at the clothes. Harley looked at her friend holding a grass colored dress with sheer leaves all over it and a few sparkles meant to be dew drops placed in certain spots.

"What's wrong Red? If ya like it get it."

Ivy looked at the blonde then back at the dress, being proud as she was she wasn't going to make Harley pay for the dress, seeing this Harley rolls her eyes.

"Today is my treat, as a thank you for making sure nothing happened to me after last night."

Raising an eyebrow Ivy met her friend's gaze and seen no room for argument so with a smile and a shrug she gave in. After shopping and lunch at a little café the trio went to a park to let Lucy play with other kids.

"Ya know I was thinking about getting Lucy a pet."

Ivy blinked at the sudden comment glancing at Harley before looking back at Lucy who was playing with a little girl in the sandbox.

"What kind of pet?"

Harley shrugged.

"Don't know just yet, I was thinkin' about letting her pick."

Ivy snorted a laugh.

"Oh that'll go over well I'm sure, the worst she could say is something you can't get her but it'll probably be a cat or a dog maybe a fish."

Harley made a face.

"I could live with a cat and a dog but not a fish, I don't care if it's a goldfish I don't do fish."

Ivy rolled her eyes but still smiled.

"What about your Mr. J? How would he react to the sudden appearance of an animal?"

Harley bit her lip.

"Okay good point but I'm sure if Lucy tells him he'll give in, he may be a criminal and a textbook psycho but he really does love Lucy."

Ivy stayed quiet favoring instead to watch Lucy as she played but stopped looking off somewhere hesitantly taking a step back into another child's sand castle before turning and running back to them tears in her eyes as she ran into Harley hiding her face. Surprised by her daughter's sudden change in attitude but quickly recovered pulling her into her lap holding her close .

"Lucy, baby, what's the matter? What did you see?"

Lucy sniffled pointing across the playground to a pair of men trying to act like they weren't watching and behind them Waller was watching. Harley growled getting to her feet.

"Come on let's go."

Ivy looked confused for a moment but followed keeping quiet even as Harley drove through the back alleys glancing behind her in the mirrors every so often. Finally Ivy couldn't stand it anymore.

"Harl what's going on? Why are we acting like we don't want to be seen?"

Harley glanced at Ivy for a second before slowing the car to a stop running her hand through her hair.

"Those people were the ones that destroyed the club last night."

Ivy's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"You're kidding!"

Harley shook her head.

"No, and the woman was the reason for the whole in my neck. When I was in Belle Reve and recruited into Task Force X they put a nanite explosive in my neck so I couldn't run away or disobey them otherwise it would blow my head clean off well turns out when she came to the club it was still active and she could have blown my head off but I clawed it out and threw it where it wouldn't hurt me but I did it in front of Lucy."

Now Ivy's eyes were full of rage but Harley blew it off.

"Not like I had a choice, she came down after I put her to bed right in the middle of it all and I wasn't going to put her in danger so I ran for the stairs, clawed out the explosive, and threw it over my shoulder so it exploded behind us without hurting us."

Ivy's anger slowly vanished before she reached over putting a finger under the blonde's chin turning her head to look at her.

"It'll be alright, you're not going to get hurt let alone die. I won't let it happen and as much as I hate him Joker won't either."

Harley cracked a smile as a tear rolled down her cheek which Ivy quickly wiped away.

"Momma look! Puppy!"

Harley looked at Lucy in the back shaking her head seeing the toddler had let herself out of her seat and was pointing out the window.

"Where sweetie?"

Lucy looked out the window before pointing again, Harley looked in the mirror before a smile crossed her lips seeing the little scruffy spotted coat sniffing at the car tire.

"That's not a puppy baby girl, that's a hyena cub."

Carefully opening the door Harley stepped out and quickly grabbed the creature by the scruff lifting it up to look at it. As she did it growled and snapped at her a little before she pointed at its nose.

"That's enough of that, no snapping."

Looking at her the cub stopped snapping just watching her as she looked around.

"Little beasty must have gotten lost in a zoo transfer or something, if there was a mother around I'd be dead."

"Momma me see!"

Looking down Harley smiled at Lucy kneeling down holding the baby hyena in her hands rather than the scruff.

"Don't you dare Harley! That thing's a wild animal! It could bite her!"

Harley looked up at Ivy pouting.

"Aww Red you're hurtin' my pride, I trained Bud and Lou when they were around and I had them as cubs."

Ivy growled a little.

"Yes but-"

"No buts, it'll be fine. Here Lucy don't try to grab it let it come to you."

As she spoke Harley carefully set the hyena on the seat beside Lucy and watched as the girl sat still as possible smiling as the creature inched closer sniffing her up to her face before making a small sound like a laugh licking her cheek drawing a laugh from Lucy and a smirk from Harley as she looked at Ivy.

"See what'd I tell ya? As long as she don't get rough with it she's safer than ever, well unless she's with me, you or Mr. J."

Ivy rolled her eyes watching in the rearview as Harley strapped Lucy back in laughing as the hyena cub jumped into the car seat too. Harley got back in the driver seat looking at Ivy nudge her shoulder.

"If it'll make ya feel better I'll muzzle it when we get back."

Ivy gave a small smile hearing Lucy laughing as they cub licked her face while she petted it.

"No don't do that, just be careful."

Harley nodded before driving back to the club. Once they were in the apartment Lucy led the cub to the living room and laid on the floor rolling around with it. Ivy leaned on the balc of the couch looking at the child.

"So Lucy what you going to name it?"

Lucy stopped and looked at Ivy then at her new pet before looking at Harley as she came back from the master bedroom.

"Momma, boy or girl?"

Harley was taken aback by the question at first before seeing Lucy was pointing at the hyena cub now walking around smelling things. Relaxing Harley walked over to the scruffy ball and lifted it by the scruff again looking it over then setting it back down.

"He's a boy."

She made a face biting her nail.

"Need to get him fixed otherwise we may have problems, two dominant males in one place."

Ivy raised an eyebrow looking at her.

"And where will you get another one?"

Harley shook her head.

"No I'm talkin' about the hyena and Mr. J. Hyena's have female leaders in the wild but ya can't have two males wanting to be dominant in the same area, they'll fight, that's why my babies were fixed so Mr. J was labeled dominant male."

Ivy shook her head deciding not to comment as they looked back at Lucy who was still trying to find a name for her pet before smiling, jumping up and running to the book shelf reaching up on her tiptoes for a little book grabbing it and running to Harley holding it up pointing to the picture of the circus jester on it.

"You want to call him Jester?"

Lucy nodded excitedly making Harley smile.

"Alright Jester it is, ya need to tell him that so he knows it him okay?"

Lucy nodded going to the cub and sitting in front of it.

"You Jester now."

The cub looked at her before cocking its head making Harley laugh.

"No like this Lucy, come stand with momma."

Lucy went to her mother's side and copied her movements as she kneeled down.

"Okay now get his attention."

Harley whistled in demonstration but when Lucy tried she ended up spitting all over making Harley laugh showing her how to make the tisking sound instead.

"Okay now make the sound and say 'Jester come'."

Lucy looked at the cub before making the sound.

"Jester come!"

The hyena looked at her making Harley nod.

"Say it again."

"Jester come!"

Finally the cub looked at Lucy and came running crashing into the toddler so they both fell to the floor with Lucy giggling and the hyena chattering happily. Harley stood up going to the kitchen looking at Ivy.

"Tea Dandelioness?"

Ivy rolled her eyes but smiled at the nickname nodding. The rest of the early evening was spent with Harley and Ivy watching Lucy run to one spot and call for Jester then giggling and praising him when he came to her. At about 8 Harley slipped from the room and to the master bedroom changing into a tight fit crimson dress that stopped midthigh with black diamond shapes around her waist, her hair curled perfectly, her lips blood red and her eyeshadow once again deep red and smoky black. When she came back Ivy smiled looking her over.

"If your hair didn't have that pink and blue I'd say you just like you used to."

Harley smiled rolling her eyes picking up Lucy who was yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Come on puddin' pie, it's bed time."

Lucy buried her face in her mother's shoulder before looking up calling Jester sleepily then smiling a little as the cub followed after them. Once Lucy was settled in bed and Jester was curled up beside her the child fell asleep at once making Harley smile and leave the room quietly returning to the kitchen.

"You should come down tonight, see what the Funhouse can offer a gal, I dance in my cage and the drinks are free for you since you're with me."

Ivy made a face before shaking her head.

"I think I'll just stay up here for now but you go and have fun."

Harley looked a little sad but nodded.

"Okay suit yourself, if ya change your mind just go down the stairs, if you go left you'll find the garage and you don't wanna know down the right. Tv gets cable channels if ya want to watch that."

Ivy chuckled nodding before both looked up as the door opened and Joker walked in making Harley smile.

"Welcome back puddin'! Everything go okay in your meetin'?"

Joker ran his fingers through his hair smoothing it back.

"A little bumpy but we leveled things out."

Harley giggled coming around the counter so she was now flaunting her new attire, Joker seen her outfit and let out a low growl pulling her against him by her hips.

"You look ravishing Harls. I don't know if I wanna share you tonight."

He smirked and Harley giggled while Ivy rolled her eyes making a silent gagging motion before looking down the hall hearing a growl.

"Uh-oh here comes trouble on four paws."

No sooner had she mumbled the words did Jester come running into the room and started biting Joker's pant leg making the man look down before grabbing him by the scruff and lifting him to eye level.

"What is this mangey thing?"

Harley bit her lip looking at Jester.

"That's Jester the hyena cub, he's Lucy's new pet."

Joker looked at Harley.

"You got her a hyena?"

Harley looked at the floor.

"Well he actually found us and Lucy wanted to keep him."

Joker looked back at the hyena still growling at him.

"No."

Harley's eyes snapped up as she heard the word.

"What do you mean no?"

Joker thrust the cub into her arms.

"I mean no it isn't staying, if Lucy wants a pet we will get her a dog."

Harley pouted up at him.

"Aww come on puddin' let her keep him, she already loves him and he's great around her! It'll be just like having Bud and Lou again!"

Joker looked at her ready to protest again but he made the mistake of looking into her eyes making him sigh.

"Fine it stays but the first time it eats my shoes it's fish food."

Harley smiled brightly setting Jester down and throwing her arms around Joker's neck.

"Thank you puddin'! You'll see Lucy will raze him to be the best guard hyena ever!"

Joker rolled his eyes but wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Come on baby the clubs open and the crowd is waiting for the queen to grace their pathetic lives with her appearance."

Harley smiled heading for the door pausing to wait for him as he looked at Ivy.

"Feel free to come down and enjoy the festivities Pammy."

Before Ivy could respond the clown bowed and left the apartment with Harley. After a while, and growing bored with what was on the late night tv circuit, Ivy decided to go see what all the fuss was about the club. When she reached it she found lights in all colors flashing around the room, the dance floor was bright white illuminating the stages where other girls were dancing, people were scattered on the dance floor and a few sitting at the bar but most of them were gathered in the center of the room, making her way over and to the front Ivy found Harley dancing to the upbeat music inside a glass cage swinging from a chain that dangled from the top.

Harley looked at her audience and smiled seeing Ivy dropping from the chain and opening the cage offering her hand.

"Come on Red. Let's give 'em a show!"

It was hard to hear Harley over the music but looking at her friend's pleading eyes Ivy let herself be hoisted into the cage then following Harley at first as they started dancing before slipping into her own style drawing more people to surround the cage. When the song ended Harley laughed hugging Ivy around the neck making the redhead laugh but hug her back around her waist.