How The Joker Fell in Love Part 10
Danger woke up on her stomach. She groaned as she opened her eyes, then yelped in sudden pain.
"Oh!" she heard from her side. "Sorry! I didn't know you were awake!"
Danger sighed and turned her head to see who spoke, though she had a pretty good idea already from the accent.
Harley smiled at her, looking sheepish. "Hi there," she said.
"Hi," Danger replied. She would've smiled if it didn't hurt to do so.
"I'm sorry about what Mistah J did to you," Harley murmered, soaking a cloth in a bowl. She wrung it out. "Brace yourself," she warned lightly.
Danger clenched her teeth together, then groaned in agony as the alcohal burning her cuts. It was like a million tiny needles being stabbed into the wound, but it still wasn't nearly as bad as it had been when she'd recieved it in the first place.
"Sorry," Harley apologized, but pressed harder on the cut. "I hate havin to do this to you."
"It's okay," Danger choked out. "It's better than being carved up again."
Harley sighed, taking the cloth away to soak it again. "I hate to say it, but that's prob'ly gonna happen again."
Danger tensed up, her stomach going queasy. "Are you serious?" she breathed.
Harley nodded, wringing out the cloth. "Mistah J, he's alright most of the time. But some days... he just kinda cracks. He gets all bloodthirsty and crazy... it really scares me sometimes," she confessed.
Danger let out a humorless laugh. "When does he not scare you?"
Harley smiled. "Like I said, most days he's alright. He's got a little fight in him, but he usually just saves that for whatever poor somebody he needs to kill."
Danger was about to ask her something, but a new question came to mind. "Has he ever done this to you?" she asked quietly.
Harley paused for a moment, then sighed. "A few times, yeah." She laid the cloth on a different cut gently, then reached over to get some bandages. "It clears up pretty fast, though, so there's nothin to worry about." She covered up her cut, then gave her a smile.
Danger sighed. "How do you do it, Harley?" she asked, shaking her head.
Harley looked confused. "Do what?" she asked, soaking the cloth again.
"Stay so happy and positive," Danger clarified. "I've never been the positive kind of person, but in this kind of situation, it's pretty impossible."
Harley laughed. "I admit, it can get a little weird 'round here, but, well... there are a few things here that just make it all better." She smiled, then cut the bandage. "There!" she announced happily. "I got your arms and back done, so now I just have your legs! I'll get to your face after you get a proper rest."
"Thank you for doing this, Harley," Danger said, ignoring the sting in her cuts. She actually did feel really tired. "I think I'm gonna take you up on that, actually." She closed her eyes and laid her head on the mattress.
Harley patted her head softly. "Sleep well," she whispered kindly.
Danger "hm"ed in response, then drifted off into sleep.
The Joker kicked open the door, carrying a cardboard box under his arm.
"Hey there, Mistah J!" Harley greeted him, smiling.
The Joker didn't even acknoledge her. He walked inside and set the box on the bed, not even once glancing at Harley. "She wake up yet?" he asked, staring at Danger.
"Mm-hm!" Harley answered immediately. "She's just gettin some rest, that's -"
"We don't have time for her to rest!" the Joker snapped. He lifted his head and glared at her. "I know what you're doing; do you think that I don't know what you're doing?"
Harley stepped back. "What're you talking about, Mistah -"
He pulled down the blankets, exposing Danger's body covered in bandages. "You're helping her!" the Joker accused.
"No! No! I wouldn't!" Harley stepped forward, trying to reason with him. "Mistah J, you know I'd never -"
"Shut up!" the Joker roared, backhanding her so hard across her face that she slammed against the wall. He grabbed her throat and whispered in her ear, "I thought you'd learned, Harley. I guess..." he pulled out his knife, and stuck the point against her stomach, "I'll just have to teach you again."
"Stop it!"
The Joker turned his head, then stumbled back as a thick plank of wood hit him in the forehead. He caught his balance and looked around for who'd hit him, trying to get the room to stop spinning.
When his vision cleared, he saw Danger drop the plank and rush over to Harley, helping her sit down on the bed. "Are you okay?" she asked gently, her back to him.
"I don't think you're in the place to ask that question," the Joker said, spinning her around. He smiled at her, grabbing her face with one hand, and squeezing until Danger thought her jaw bone would crack. "You know, I'm starting to think knives aren't enough for you," he said. "I should think of something more... original. Like a hole-punch, or a screwdriver."
Danger froze in place. Oh god, just thinking about what he could do with those...
Then, Danger felt like she leaped out of her skin.
Her purse from last night on the bedside table started ringing.
Everything was quiet in the room for a second, but it almost felt like hours. Finally, the Joker found his head. "Answer it," he ordered Danger, and she complied.
She cleared her throat, then flipped open the phone. "Hello?" she asked.
"Miss Ledger? It's Bruce."
Danger jumped, trying to get into Rae Ledger mode. "Uh, yeah! Bruce Wayne! What's up?" Nice going, Rae, Danger thought. Very adult-like thing to say.
Bruce chuckled. "Not much," he answered, amused. "I was actually calling to see if you wanted to see Gizelle at the ballet tonight. What do you think?"
Surprising, Danger actually wanted to see that. She'd been wanting to see it since she was little. "But it's impossible to get tickets! It's been sold out for months!"
Bruce laughed again. "I think you're forgetting something, Rae."
"What's that?" Danger asked.
"I'm Bruce Wayne. Even if there's not a way to get them, I'll get them."
Danger was the one to laugh this time. "How could I forget?" she joked. She suddenly remembered the Joker standing next to her, practically breathing down her neck. She took one look into his eyes, and they seemed to say it all.
"So, what do you think?" Bruce asked again.
Danger nodded to the Joker. "When'll you pick me up?" she asked, not taking her eyes off of him.
He smiled.
