Hey everyone! Hope you're enjoying the story so far :) A few people have reviewed and I just want to thank them for taking time and reviewing, it means a lot :) And thanks to everyone who added it to their story alert and faves, always makes me happy seeing that :) So here's a new chapter, hope you guys like it! And I'll see you next chapter! :D 3

-Sailor

It seemed I was only asleep for an hour, well if you could call it sleep. My mind was tormented from last night. But it didn't matter, the guard banged on the door and we were all up for breakfast. I yawned and rubbed my eyes as we were herded down to the mess hall. My back had a constant dull pain while I walked. Harley pushed past me and pouted. I was far too tired to care, but that just seemed to annoy her more. She turned around glaring which stopped me in the middle of the corridor.

"What?"

"What were you and Mr J doing last night! Nice eye!" she yelled. She yelled so loud that everyone stopped walking to observe.

I stuttered, I didn't want to tell her but then I heard the Joker come up behind me.

"Harley, what are you doing?" he growled.

That immediately softened her. "I just want to know what you two got up last night Puddin, that's all"

He grabbed her by the collar and pulled her up sneering into her face. "That's none of your business, clear?"

"Yes sir" she squeaked.

The guards then quickly moved us all along, the Joker walked beside me, keeping me on the inside next to the wall. We got the mess hall and the madness started. People fought with each other for cutting, accusing them of ridiculous things. I stood at the back of the queue hoping to avoid all that. But the Joker walked up to the front and cut in front of Creeper, to which he did not protest, just laughed. As usual, by the time I got my tray, all the tables were full except for the one with the crooked table down the back. I headed down but was intercepted by the Creeper.

"Sit with me?" he beamed.

"No thanks" I said quickly glancing around to see where the Joker was.

"What happened to you eye?"

"Eh nothing"

He cocked his eyebrow but moved on, thank Christ.

"C'mon, you're not worried about the Joker are you? His act is old hat! You should come with me, I'm new, I'm exciting and Gotham has never experienced anything like me before!" he hooted with laughter. He patted me on the back while laughing and the pain was so excruciating, I dropped my tray and it landed with a loud bang and everyone went silent. Flashbacks of school appeared in my head. I looked around at everyone looking at me and the Creeper with a very confused look on his face.

"C'mon doll, I didn't hit you that hard" he sniggered.

I knelt down to pick up my tray while everyone glared.

"Creeper!" was yelled from across the room and I knew immediately who it was. "You're asking for it now Creeper!" he said jumping over the tables and chairs.

"Joker he didn't do anything!" yelled Two-Face. "The kid just dropped her tray"

"Or she's just looking for attention" piped up the Riddler. "You're losing your touch Joker, going from zero to ninety over a woman!" this caused everyone to laugh including Creeper.

This stopped the Joker dead in his tracks and his lip twitched, the laughs bouncing off the walls. His eyes locked on mine and I something told me to run. I turned and headed for the door, bursting through them and back down the empty corridor not looking behind me to see if he was chasing me or any guards, for that matter. I just kept running, running through the empty maze that was this asylum. I felt a huge lump in my throat as I began gasping for air. I didn't even know where I was going; I spotted a small corridor just off the main one and decided I'd hide in a room down there. I opened a door and stepped in. I could feel my heart pounding in my ears and then the sound of a group of people running outside, I'm assuming they were guards. I'd have to eventually go back, but I was hoping I would get in trouble and they wouldn't let me go to breakfast for a while. I don't know why I thought there was less chance of him killing me in my own cell. I relaxed a bit and wiped the sweat off my forehead with my shirt. I then heard someone walking casually up the corridor. I looked around and then jumped behind the desk as the door opened. I saw the spats…there was no getting away from him was there.

"Pumpkin Pie" he called.

I watched his spats turn from side to side. And just as I thought he was about to leave, a huge hand came from under the desk and dragged me out.

"Tut, tut, tut"

He grabbed my collar and pushed me onto the desk, leaning down on me.

"Why did you run?"

"I don't know…instinct?" I stuttered.

"Did you hear them all laughing? Laughing at me!"

"Yes I did"

"And it was your doing" he sneered.

"He fucking hit my back which you just carved to bits a couple of hours ago don't you remember?"

"Yes, but there was no reason to cause a scene!"

"Hey! I didn't ask you to come rescue me; you did that all by yourself!"

His lip twitched again, I shouldn't have said anything.

"Yes well, even so…we're spending far too much time together so you're going have to be needy to someone else"

"Excuse me! You're the one who keeps taking me out my cell, I didn't even want to go last night but you made me!"

That resulted in another punch, this time to my left eye. I don't know why I keep pushing it. I collapsed down to the floor and watched his spats walk out the door.

The guards showed up soon after and brought me back to my cell. They said I wouldn't be allowed rec time for 2 weeks for this morning. It didn't make much of a difference to me. A younger guard brought me an ice pack for my eye, which was nice. I lay there for the rest of the day until I heard shuffling outside. They were going for rec time. Harley walked by and stuck her tongue out at me. When they were all gone, I got up and banged on the door until a guard came down.

"I need to see Gordon"

"Em, ok I'll call him and see if he's available"

I needed to get out of here, I didn't care anymore, and I couldn't stay here with that psychopath. I didn't care I'd work in McDonalds if I got fired now. He wasn't gone that long and came back to tell me he was gone out of town for the weekend.

"For what?"

"I dunno, Christmas shopping maybe" he said shrugging his shoulders and walking back up to his post.

I threw myself back on the bed and pulled the ice pack over both my eyes. I heard the shuffling of feet coming back but I just turned away. When everything went quiet again, I glanced over into the Joker's cell and he was licking a candy cane. The one week I get barred from rec time is the week they get candy canes, typical.

The next day at breakfast, I managed not to drop my tray, the Creeper didn't come near me and the Joker just ignored me completely. Everyone else seemed to have totally forgotten what happened. It didn't bother me I ate my breakfast enjoying my own company. Then a group of guards filed into the cafeteria. They banged their bats on the table and demanded silence. I watched the Joker waiting for him to do something, but he merely put down his toast and listened attentively.

"Because it's almost Christmas, we've decided to give you all a treat. We're going to have a showing of A Christmas Carol tonight"

I'd imagine this was even rarer than library day. Hopefully there would be another one of those again soon, I was starting to re-read the books I got from the first one.

Once again, some were interested, most weren't. If it would mean I got to watch a movie and got out of the cell for a while, then I was happy with that. They all filed out and the noise returned. I went back to my breakfast, but noticed a shadow descending on it. It was Ivy.

"O hi Ivy"

"Hello my dear, I thought I'd come over because darling, you're not looking great" probably referring to my panda eyes.

"Yea I'm not Ivy"

"What's happened?" she said sliding into the seat in front of me.

Why was she suddenly so interested in me?

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because honey, I've seen this before. Harley was the exact same"

"Woah! I'm not like Harley at all"

"I know, I wasn't saying you were. But that's what he does, this is his way. Be careful because he could turn you into her" her voice was like velvet and her eyes hypnotic. No wonder practically every guy wanted to sit with her at breakfast.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I think you're smart and with you and I together, we could do damage no man could ever dream of achieving. And I would hate to see someone else with potential corrupted by…that" she sneered flicking her head towards the Joker. "Just think about it kid" she smiled before walking back to her crowded table. Why does everyone want me to help them! If only they knew! I looked over at the Joker and it was only then I noticed that Harley was beside him wrapping her arms around him and giggling at what he was saying. Clearly everything was rosy again but as much as I didn't want it to, it annoyed me slightly.

Later that evening, I was lying on my bed when I heard my door open. I whipped off my ice pack that was no gone warm but still provided some comfort, and saw it was Joker. He stood there glancing occasionally to make sure no one was coming.

"What do you want?"

"Wow, that's not very nice"

I rolled my eyes, his mood swings were really starting to give me whiplash.

"Shirt"

"What?"

"The antiseptic cream…"

I forgot he has to do that. I took off my shirt and leaned up against the wall. "I haven't been able to put my bra back on coz of it"

"Hmmm, I've noticed"

"Your hands are freezing!" to which he just giggled.

It stung for the first few minutes but then the pain subsided. He finished and I put my shirt back on.

"It's coming along nicely, it'll show people how things are run here" he said wiping his hands.

"Even though you'd rather not have me around?"

"What?"

"You're such a psycho! One minute you want me around, next you're telling me you don't want to see me! Which is it?"

"Keep your voice down!" he growled.

"And now Harley's back in the picture?"

A smile crept onto his face. "I'll see you tonight" and he left.

So as it turns out, a showing of a movie in here means they just set up a dirty, old projector in the rec room. I had thought, it would be like the movies, where they have a big room with all wooden chairs stacked in rows. Nope. But I did spot boxes of candy canes on the counter. Once again, what my taxes pay for. They had brought in a few extra sofas and I managed to nab a seat on one. Ivy sat on the couch next to mine so she was basically sitting beside me. Creeper jumped around obviously too excited to even pick a seat, Harley waited for the Joker to sit down. He jumped over the back of the couch and sat beside me. I leaned away but he just moved closer. Two-Face sat next to the Joker and our couch was full. Harley scrambled over and nearly burst into tears seeing there was no seat.

"Here, you can sit here Harley" I said getting up.

"No you're sitting here. Harley she got here first" said Joker pulling me back down.

"Will you all just pick a seat please!" yelled the guard at the projector.

"Here" I said getting up again.

She eyed me suspiciously. "What's the big idea?"

"Nothing, I know you want to sit beside the Joker that's all"

She squeaked and hugged me really tight. She had some strength for such a little person. I glanced around and saw a chair over the far corner.

"Here squeeze in beside me" I heard Ivy say.

She pushed Dr Crane and Riddler down the couch to make room.

"It's ok there's…"

"C'mon"

The lights went dim so I just decided to sit in the gap. I glanced at Dr Crane, who was not happy, but obviously he didn't have the balls to stand up to Ivy and neither did Riddler.

"I'd rather you sit here anyway, you don't want to be sitting next to the Joker for that length of time" she whispered.

"Pammy, my ears are burning!" said the Joker looking over Harley's blonde hair.

"Shut it!"

"Awh Pammy, why can't we be friends?" he pouted while Harley snuggled into him.

"Fuck you clown!"

"HEY! If there is any more messing, there won't be any movie!" yelled the guard. Sometimes this place really does remind me of school. I glanced over at Joker and Harley was trying her best to get as close as possible to him but he put his large hand on her forehead and pushed her away. The lights were then turned off completely and the movie started.

It was a nice distraction I gotta say. It reminded me of Christmas when I was little and we used to watch this on Christmas Eve with the fire on. We used to bring out a huge pot of tea with biscuits and then we'd watched Scrooged after. Candy canes were passed around a few minutes in. But I was wedged so tight between people that it began to get warm and I could feel myself becoming tired and eventually falling asleep. I was only asleep for a few minutes though because the laughing in the room woke me up. I yawned and then wondered what part of this is actually funny? They're a strange lot.

"I got this for you" I heard a voice beside me where Crane should be sitting. I adjusted my tired eyes in the dark and it was Joker.

"What are you doing?" I whispered.

"I don't know" droned Ivy on the other side of me. I lifted my head and saw Crane sitting next to Harley and she looked less than thrilled. He handed me a candy cane and I reluctantly took it even though I already had one. I couldn't wait for Gordon to get back and get me out of here. No more of him touching me, I can't think straight with him always touching me, I don't know how Harley does it.

"Why did you move?"

"Why do you think?" he whispered, his tongue hitting the rings in the top of my ear.

He put his arm around me and flicked Ivy in the process causing her to curse loudly.

"SSSH!" yelled Croc.

"So…" he whispered.

"Ssh, I want to watch the movie"

"Guess what?" he said clearly ignoring my protest.

"I give up"

"You haven't guessed yet" he pouted.

I shrugged my shoulders "You're actually Dr Crane and you're playing a horrible trick on me?"

"No"

"You're mentally disturbed?"

"No!" he sneered.

"Then I don't know"

"Ok you pass for the effort" he giggled.

"Are you going to tell me?" I snapped.

He leaned in again and I pulled me closer to him. I could see where this was going…

"I have the Batman"

Turns out I couldn't see.

My blood ran cold as he spoke to me. He sat back sniggering while it took all my power not to start panicking.

"Where?" I asked trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Ah I can't tell you that. Daddy's little secret" he snickered, tapping his nose. He kept his eyes on the screen after that, a smile permanently plastered on his face.