Chapter 9

Harley simply couldn't take it anymore.

Sure, it had been nice at first.

She went shopping, slept until however long she liked, and even made a few friends along the way; she would definitely have to meet up with Red and Selina again sometime soon.

Eventually, though, she started to miss her Puddin'.

Yeah, he was rough sometimes, but there were those moments, when it was just the two of them, where he was his real self with her. Where his anger and hate for the world didn't cloud his mind and judgement. Where he was sweet and would tell her things that no one else but her would ever know. Those were the moments she lived for.

She knew things had been real bad when she left, but it's been three months, for crying out loud! THREE. MONTHS.

Three months of no Puddin'.

Three months of no real fun.

Three months of no whoopee cushion.

Three months of no whoopee cushion were three months too long.

So now, Harley is currently making her way into the old Ha-Hacienda! She just knew her Puddin' will be so happy to see her!

When Harley finally reached the interior, everyone turned around to regard her. Most people were more than a little shocked at her sudden entrance. Some people even seemed happy. Out of the corner of her eye, Harley saw Viv.

Viv wasn't happy to see her.

At all.

But that didn't matter! Only one person's reaction to her return held any sway in Harley's heart, and that was the reaction of her Puddin'!

She made her way over to where his "office" was and opened the door.

He was hunched over his desk scribbling who-knows-what down and muttering to himself. When he got like this, Harley knew it was hard to get his attention, but she knew that after three months, he would be more than willing to put all that aside for a moment of "celebration".

"Hi Puddin'! I'm back!"

No reaction. All right, time to play hard ball. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear.

"Puddin'? Didn'tcha miss me?" He growled and struggled out of her grasp.

"Go away, Harley." Harley felt her lower lip start to wiggle; a sure warning sign that she was about to start crying.

"But Puddin'! I've been gone for three months! You didn't miss me at all?" Joker paused his writing, and turned around with a look of genuine surprise on his scarred face.

"You were gone?"

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Before she could stop it, Harley let out a whimper, and then a choked sob. How could he not even notice she had been gone for so long? Especially when each day away from him had been agony for her! Maybe coming back had been a mistake.

As she was about to turn and leave, Joker grabbed her arm and pulled her into his lap, surprising her.

"Aw, I'm sorry, Kiddo. I just get so busy sometimes. You know that! What with all this fighting with Dent going on, it's hard for me to focus on a whole bunch at once." He stroked her face and rubbed the tears out of her eyes. "How about this, I finish these plans up here in the next few hours, and then we have the rest of the night to ourselves!" He gave the smile. That one smile reserved just for her in these tender moments.

Harley felt her heart swoon.

"Alright, Puddin'! It's a date!" And she bounded off.

As she left Puddin's office, Viv once again caught her eye. Viv's expression was unreadable, but she knew Viv was still mad. Harley felt a little guilty, especially considering all the trouble Viv and Jonny went through to get her out of that situation, but Harley shook it off as quickly as it came.

Things were going to be different between her and her Puddin', this time.

They had to be.