Jareth'sQueenBitch

I really want to show something like that between Leila and Harley! I need to get Harley out of the picture soon, she's getting in the Joker's way;)

JuliaNapierakaJewelsClown

No, she's not his daughter. Thank God (considering the chapter in the hotel room)!

girlsacred

Muchas gracias! :)

lunadoll

That is a gooood idea... Don't want to involve Batman too much in this fanfiction, but Gambol might be a good one. Thank you!

dustysecrets

I really appreciate recommendations, thank you. And thanks for your compliments, again, I'm very grateful :)

Thanks so much for everyone who's still continuing with this story! Thank you to all the readers and everyone who's reviewing, I'll try to respond more. I'M SO EXCITED TO FINALLY START WRITING AGAIN OH SWEET LAWD.

The Joker had his chest pressed against Leila's and his hands clasped around her throat within the time it took Harley to blink.

"What are you doing here?" he snarled, glaring deep into her eyeballs, as if searching for ulterior motives to her surprise appearance. Her eyes were so glassy... he could find none. That irked him. "Are you trying to ruin me?"

Seeing their boss's distraction, the men who'd betrayed Gambol let their attention stray: their hostages drew their guns in an instant, and a spray of bullets ricocheted around the room. Men screamed, a sound so eerie to her in guiltless ears, Leila's eyes grew even glassier.

"C'mon." This was the only word spoken as the corpses of unsuspecting men hit the floor.

Harley was at her man's heels like a lapdog as soon as he gave the orders to depart. The Joker marched a few paces behind of Leila, his hands now wrapped around his loaded pistol, which was cocked against her back. He noted that she was shaking. Why? He had the situation perfectly under control.

The trio ducked under the dimming lights of the narrow halls and straight into the car park to their waiting vehicle. Leila couldn't believe her misfortune. The building had been quiet when she escaped Harley's bedroom. She'd thought she could find peace there, gather her thoughts properly in the time before Jack found her and brought her back to him again... God only knew she needed that time.

But no. Instead, upon her entrance, she was faced with a crime scene. And not an ordinary crime scene: one that her kidnapper seemed to be the ringleader of.

And now she could feel his pistol against the small of her delicate back. Why?

The Joker grabbed a fistful of Leila's hair and threw her into his van. Harley slammed the door behind their hostage, and Leila was plunged into immediate darkness.

She plunged her head into her hands. She was, quite frankly, sick of this whole experience: it started as a kidnapping. Then it evolved into a habit. Then it became... Strange. The hotel room... His behaviour. And even stranger, his little hostage's response.

She had cared for him. 'Wow.'

And now this: locked in the back of a van, her fragile body bruised and aching from the brutality of his hands, crammed into such a confined space. Alone.

"What's she doing back here, puddin'?" Harley spat. Her voice was faint and distant, but at least she was in the van. At least Leila wasn't completely alone - for a while there she thought she'd been abandoned.

There was a pause and a starting of the engine before the reply came. When the Joker spoke, his voice was oddly calm, and Leila could tell that his eyes would be that telltale, full shade of black. She swallowed timidly.

"I don't know, Harley."

"Puddin', if you've been encouraging that city brat to follow us around, then I -"

"I don't KNOW, Harley! I don't know how the fuck she found us," his voice dropped to a guttural snarl, "but I'll deal with her."

The van screeched abruptly round a hairpin, and Leila found herself flung against the wall of the van like a rag doll - her kidnapper chuckled darkly in the drivers seat. The ride continued in a similar fashion until the group arrived home; with the two criminals getting sadistic enjoyment from Leila's pain. When they arrived home, they pulled up slowly, letting the engine rumble for a while before shutting it off. Leila swallowed again: the silence was eerie, even with the drone of the engine beneath her feet. Then it cut off.

The Joker spoke. "Harley baby, you might want to leave me and our little pet together for a while." Leila could barely make out the words that followed, but it sounded something like, "I don't want you seeing this."

Harley giggled, her door shutting and her heels clicking louder as she approached the back of the van. The back doors slid open smoothly. So smoothly, it was almost as if the pair had had dozens of hostages in there and the practice had made perfect.

The slick movement matched Harley's appearance. Leila hadn't yet had time to look at it, and now she was gawping at her kidnapper stood proud before her, she could see her properly. A grin similar to her lover's smeared across Harley's porcelain cheeks. Her business outfit was a little ruffled from the excitement beforehand, but nevertheless smart. Not to mention intimidating.

Grabbing Leila by the face, Harley hissed. "I'd watch your mouth when Mistah J's talking to you, lady, or he might do something that he won't regret!" With an abrupt yank, Leila was sprung from the van and flung into the light of day. Her eyes burnt and her vision was blurry, but she could always see his silhouette. Her vision cleared, and she could see his smirk. That weird, homicidal smirk.

"She's all yours, puddin'." Harley tossed her pet towards her man. The light still spoilt Leila's vision, so when she fell forwards, the Joker was forced to catch her.

For a moment, he let her stay there in his arms. She was cold - cold from the confines of the van. Her breath was fast, but shallow as though she were hyperventilating. In that moment, he wanted to hold her. To reassure her. She felt his deep, yet silent, exhale from within his muscular chest.

Maybe he was tired of everything also.

The Joker soon snapped out of it - this was what he'd been doing for years. As quickly as he'd caught her, he had pulled her to her feet and had his pistol against the small of her back. He glared at Harley. Even though she wasn't facing him, Leila could feel his cold stare slicing past her. If it had been directed her way, it may have cut right through her. She already felt so fragile against his broad frame... So vulnerable and small.

"Go on then!" he barked at his other half. She immediately obeyed. 'Go on then, leave him to torture me in peace!' Leila's thoughts came out infuriated. Loud and forceful, as if arguing with herself. She was so exasperated. All she'd done was leave the house to find help, and accidentally come across her kidnappers. And now she was going to be abused. Again.

With a sudden jab in her back, Leila was pushed forth into action. She was matched into the house - something she was so fed up of doing.

"Come on then, get it over with!"

She gasped. She felt his hand slide around her throat and lightly caress her throbbing veins. Did she just say that? Oh God. He heard her. He must have, it was so loud. All her emotions just overcame her at once - she couldn't help it - and now he was -

A snarl answered her shouts. "I'm going to make you regret you ever laid eyes on me, little girl..."