Warning - *Explicit* Language -

Words Have No Power To Impress The Mind
without the exquisite horror of their reality. - Edgar Allan Poe

Joker got back to his feet after what felt like hours of push ups, he had yet to calm down from his anger.

After all he'd done for that woman. She repaid him like that. He paced the cell, kicking the top of his jumpsuit to the corner of the room. He'd torn the top half off, literally torn it off from the bottom half. He didn't even want to have the option of covering his torso or arms, he was about to have a heat stroke just thinking about it. Sweat dripped from every part of his exposed skin; he wiped his forehead and groaned.

"How sad," someone spoke. He snapped his head to the barred window of his cell to see the outline of a woman in the dark hallway. Oh great. "So, do tell, how long have you and your doctor been screwing around?" She crossed her arms, her Spaniard accent was thick.

"I don't kiss and tell, Doc." He wiped a drop of sweat from his chin.

"I'm not your doctor, Jack." She spoke in a whisper. He snapped his head to her as she spoke his name. Then it hit him.

"Esther." He rolled his jaw. "Thought you'd be dead by now, considering you were running for your life 19 years ago," he stepped to the door. "You don't look any different."

"I wish I could speak the same for you." She spoke shakily, her eyes searching over his whole body. Every tattoo, every scar, every muscle. It wasn't there the last time she had seen him. The green hair and 'Damaged' tattoo really screamed that he was not the same man.

"It's what happens when you can't make your own luck for a couple of days," he chuckled. The dark haired woman frowned.

"So, it is true, then." She started. "The legendary Joker. The monster that hides under children's beds," she raised her brows.

"Is that what they say about me?" He finally smiled and she couldn't help but be taken back by his teeth.

"I hated to think that the sweetest and kindest man I had ever met, would do what this. . . Joker, has done. I had to come see for myself if my worst fear had come true."

"That man died a long time ago, Esther. And if you're here to try to remind me of my humanity and be my salvation, you are wasting your time."

"You are anything but my charity case, Jack. I am here about my daughter." She knew she shouldn't be calling him by his name, but he didn't seem to mind all that much - if it were anyone else though, he'd reach through the bars and bang their head in. "Is she okay? Has she been okay? What's happened in the last eighteen years?" She could feel the lump form as his face made an expression she couldn't pinpoint.

"Might want to hold onto something or sit down. You might go in to cardiac arrest," he scoffed.

"What has she done?" She furrowed her brows.

"Three years hooked on any drug she could get her hands on, was raped by her boyfriend of three years, lately she's been juggling one of my hit men and the spoiled Jason Todd-Wayne brat and working for me."

"That's a lot to take in," Esther took in a sharp breath.

"You okay?"

"Is she okay, now?"

"She says she's fine. I doubt it though, her and her sister are living together now, she just had a miscarriage."

"The Quinzel girl, right?" She raised a brow.

"Yeah." He spoke quietly.

"Alright, tell me the story behind that."
She told him, sighing.

"What do you mean?"

"I've known you since I was fourteen, I know when you're hiding something. You get all quiet. You weren't quiet until I mentioned the Quinzel and I've already heard many rumors about a pretty little blonde thing the great Joker keeps locked away in his mansion. Well, did keep locked up at least."

"It is a long story that I'm just going to get angry telling." He scoffed.

"You are already angry," she pointed out.

"She was pregnant with my child, okay? As for me keeping her locked up - I treated her as best as I could." He told her.

"How'd you meet her?" She whispered curiously. He looked at her and sighed. Esther had always been a sucker for soppy love stories, that was one of the things that got her in trouble when she was younger. She fell in love with the wrong person, he could tell she wasn't as naive as she used to be, but she still had that childlike curiosity about her. She reminded him of Harley in that way.

Stop thinking about that bitch.

He forced himself to think of something different.

"She was an intern first, I'd only heard tumors of her. I thought they were all just over exaggerating her. They spoke about her brains and beauty like she was a goddess or something. Well, after she started working as a psychiatrist, she was assigned as my doctor - I knew there was something extraordinary about her because doctors that had been working at that place for over twenty years wouldn't even see me. They refused to because I had a reputation of breaking the minds of my prey in that place." She gave him a look and he rolled his eyes. "What? I got bored very easily, I needed something to do. Anyway, the first time I saw her, all I could think was 'god damn'."

"Was she attractive?" She raised a brow.

"She was beautiful," he smiled to himself at the memory of first seeing Harley. "And so damned snappy. I loved it! She was very entertaining." He admitted. "And smart. God, Esther, the woman is so intelligent! And funny! And an amazing cook and a loving girl and. . ." He trailed off. "She got pregnant, and she soon started realizing that what we were doing was crazy. She didn't want to lose her job or get me into trouble. I shut the place down and performed some minor ECT to get her memories a little fucky. We lived together for a while, we fought like you wouldn't believe though. She had the miscarriage, I was more hurt than I wanted to admit so I decided I wanted to go out for the night and get my mind off things. She got angry that I was leaving her alone. She turned me into the cops, so, she's dead to me."

"Jack, she's the mother of your child! You can not just disown her like that."

"She showed me that she doesn't give a damn about me. She played her cards and I played mine. The only thing keeping her with me was that baby." He said in a distant voice.

"Most people can't even think about you without being terrified,"

"You don't seem the slightest bit scared." He raised his brows.

"Because I know deep down there is a good man under all the insanity," Esther whispered. "As does she."

"Don't."

After what seemed like forever, she finally spoke again.

"Where is my daughter?" She gave up on trying to get him to understand something so simple.

"Gotham City," he replies. "She doesn't know about you yet." He added.

"You said she'd find out by the time she was eighteen, you said the Quinzel's would tell her when she was of age!"

"Yeah. . . I lied to get you off my dick." He shrugged.

"She still believes they are her parents! Harleen has not said anything to her about it?!"

"No, she hasn't said anything to her about it, Esther. She knows that if she tells her the truth - Hadlynn will go off the rails."

"She's been a drug addict for three years, it is a little late for trying to avoid sending her off the rails, is it not?"

"Just let her find out on her own, Essie." She felt a little calmer, hearing her old nickname; he hadn't called her that since she was sixteen.

"She's too occupied trying to take care of her sister." Joker sighed loudly, getting aggravated.

"Her father has already told me he wants to meet her before she turns twenty. Which means, she will have the League of Assassins coming after her very soon. She needs to know about her real parents so she knows what to expect." She tells him.

"I don't understand the half of what you just said," he replied and she closed her eyes and pictured hitting him. He was a hell of a lot more aggravating now. "Just kidding," he smiled innocently.

"I'm serious. It does nott look like you take anything seriously now days, but this is a serious matter."

"I take things seriously," he watched as she raised a brow as her eyes fell to the "HAHAHA" tattoos. "I take most things seriously. And as for your daughters safety, I do take that serious. I've been through a lot since last seeing you, but I'd rather set a bus full of children on fire than break a promise to you, so feel special." His tone was sarcastic, but she felt tears brim at her eyes. "I told you I'd take care of your daughter and I'll be damned if I can't. Not including a slap every now and then when she gets an attitude."

"You haven't changed all that much," she spoke hoarsely. "Thank you,"

"I'd get out of here if I were you," he warned, hearing a screech. Black Gate could be very. . .eerie at times. "I'll explain everything to Hadlynn whenever I see her." He assured the woman. She bit her lip out of habit, actually noticing he'd been calling her daughter 'Hadlynn' the whole time.

"Hadlynn," she tastes the name on her lips and furrowed her brows. She'd never heard a more American name. . . not that there was a problem with it, it was a pretty name, but it lacked meaning. When she thought of Hadlynn, she thought of perfect manicured nails, an annoying toned, spoiled brat. Vitani (war/battle) Malkia (Queen) had purposeful meaning to it. Her father, Ra's al Ghul insisted on the name, to bring honor and glory to his daughter one day - a sense of luck, really, that'd his daughter would grow as strong as his other children and work to make him proud, and one day carry on his legacy. Esther never bothered to leave her daughters name anywhere in the blanket when she left her at the Quinzel's door step, but she felt a pang of jealousy. Yes. The point was so that they could raise her daughter and she could be safe. But they'd raised her daughter for God sakes. She had missed all of it. Her first time riding a bike, her first time wearing makeup, her first tooth being lost, her first hair cut, her first steps, her first words, her first day of school, her sixteen birthday, her prom, her eighteenth birthday. "I hate that name," she hissed bitter words.

"It'll work out when she finds out everything, dear." He sighs. The sound of a door opening at the end of the hallway, around the corner, made them both alert. "You need to get going." He whispered sternly.

"You are not evil," she whispered back, about to leave.

"No, just the outcome of one of life's jokes." He scoffed. She took a shaky breath, and when Joker looked back up, she was gone.

"Good morning," Harleen came out of her bed room the next morning, smelling pancakes. She saw her little sister standing at the stove with her phone pressed to her ear.

"Yeah, she's fine." Hadlynn spoke to whoever was on the phone. "She just woke up. I don't know, ten minutes ago? If she doesn't throw up in the morning, it's not really morning." She scoffed and Harleen rolled her eyes. "Yes, she's fine, mom. She's even been getting back to herself." Harleen froze. Did her sister tell their mother about. . .oh shit. "Mom, I promise. She's fine. I'm fine. We are both fine. She just - mom, she might not want to talk right- mom, she doesn't want- here." Hadlynn handed the phone to her sister and she took it from her with shaky hands.

"Hey, mom." Harleen said nervously.

"Hey, sweetie! Oh, it seems like forever since I've heard your voice." Her mother sighed with relief.

"Well, I have been very busy the past year." Harleen closed her eyes.

"Are you alright? I saw what happened on the news, me and your father both are just so used to not hearing from you and your sister, we didn't even know you were missing!"

"Mom, I'm fine. We both are,"

"Did he hurt you, Harleen?"

"Mom! Stop!"

"I'm just asking! I deserve to know, you're my daughter for Christ's sake."

"We are both fine. We weren't hurt. We're fine." Hadlynn finished cooking and cut the stove off.

"So, I was wondering. . . when are me and your father going to meet mister wonderful?" Her mother asked and Harleens mouth fell open.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean?"

"The father of your baby of course! By the way, we need to talk about this whole situation whenever you and Hady come for lunch tomorrow."

"Lunch. Tomorrow?" Harleen shot her sister a death glare.

"Yes, me and your father haven't seen the two of you in so long. Now you have a child, I want to meet the man who's going to be a part of our family."

"I know, mom, id love that. . .if I weren't busy tomorrow." Harleen lied.

"Harleen Francis Quinzel. You and your sister are coming to lunch tomorrow and that's final. I haven't seen you in months. You've been through a lot, I know you're trying to keep yourself busy to keep distracted from having a break down from stress, but I miss you and so does your father. Just because you're grown doesn't mean you don't have a family to call every once and a while, young lady. I will see you tomorrow." With that, she hung up the phone, leaving Harleen speechless.

"So, what's the plan, sis? Go break the father of my child out of prison and bring him to lunch tomorrow to meet the family or did you just have your head up your ass when you told her we'd gladly come to lunch?" Harleen turned and Hadlynn rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't thinking when I said that."

"Where the hell am I going to find a guy to play daddy tomorrow? We obviously can't show up with Joker. They'd both collapse dead." Harleen rubbed her face.

"I'll ask Jason if he'll pretend to be the father," Hadlynn shrugged.

"Do you really think he'd be okay with that?"

"He'd be helping me by doing so. He won't mind."

"Fine," Harleen sighed. She didn't know why, but the thought of even pretending to be with someone else made her body ache. She missed her Joker more than she could express.

"You okay?" Hadlynn noticed the far away look of her sister and Harleen snapped back into herself.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking, is all." She shrugged. "We're going to need to schedule an appointment pretty soon to have a check up for the baby," Harleen took a sip of water.

"I'm usually the one who has to tell you something about your own health and the baby, Harleen."

"I haven't had my head on right since all this happened," she admitted.

"Well, I'll talk to Grace again sometime this weak and try to see if she can."

"Why can't we just see someone here?"

"Because, she doesn't charge us and right now, we're almost broke."

"Student loans have us drowning, sorry. Mom and dad wouldn't pay for my schooling because I wasn't going to be a doctor." She piled several pancakes on her plate. "Even though, I'm a medical doctor still. . ."

"She doesn't consider psychiatry an ethical job, remember?" Hadlynn scoffed.

"She said psychology wasn't an ethical job," Harleen corrected her.

"She doesn't know the difference." Hadlynn chuckled.

"And because of her ignorance," Harleen sighed. "We're broke, and I bet they won't help us out with money if we asked tomorrow."

"I would say that Joker could give you the money but oh yeah, forgot, we don't have access to it because he's locked up, but. . ."

"Can you stop?" Harleen crossed her arms. "I know I fucked up."

"I know, okay, I know and I'm sorry. I'm just a little anxious now because Joker's pregnant girlfriend and his friend are now left without any protection. So, there's a very big chance we could be kidnapped and held hostage or killed."

"I've seen you fight. I think we'll be okay, Hady." Harleen rubbed her eyes.

"O- " a knock on the door interrupted them and they both froze, staring at each other. Hadlynn opened a drawer in the counter and quietly pulled out a gun, placing a finger over her lips to her sister. She stepped to the door and looked through the peep hole to see a gorgeous woman. She looked to her sister and shrugged, opening the door a little. "Can I help you?" Hadlynn asked calmly.

Esther cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

"I am looking for Hadlynn Quinzel?" She said unsure, when Hadlynn looked at something and turned back to her she licked her lips nervously. "It is about Joker?" Hadlynn's face lit up at the woman's words.

"Come in," she stepped aside.

"I am Esther, by the way. Esther Ferreira." The dark haired woman held out her hand to Hadlynn.

"Hadlynn." Hadlynn narrowed her eyes.

"Um, you must be Harleen," Esther held her hand out to Harleen, who was about to take it when Hadlynn wedge herself between them.

"That's none of your business, thank you very much. Now, why're you here and how the hell do you know Joker?" Hadlynn hissed. Esther was a bit taken back by her daughters behavior but brushed it off and quickly gathered her composure.

"I am an old friend," she simply replied.

"Mm, what kind of friend?" Hadlynn pushed on and Esther cocked a brow, not amused by what she was implying.

"Not the kind you are thinking of." She told her.

"Mmhm. Still didn't tell us why you're here,"

"I am not here for a specific reason, I was just curious. He told me you would be in Gotham." Esther answered, truthfully.

"How'd you find out where we live?"

"I asked around."

"Around?" Hadlynn crossed her arms.

"Jonny Frost was more than happy to oblige to my request." Hadlynn looked to Harleen and then back to Esther.

"Well, you've seen us. So, if you would be so kind, get out." Esther knew she struck a nerve brining up Jonny Frost.

"Did I strike a nerve?" She asked. She didn't expect her daughter to pull a gun out, but it didn't surprise her. Joker had definitely had his fair share of her impatient behavior. "You'd really shoot the messenger? Joker is the one who wanted to know how you were."

"We're fine." Harleen spoke and Esther looked to her.

"Ah, she speaks." She smiled to the blonde. Hadlynn pulls the hammer back on her gun and Esther looks at it in disgust. "If you knew who you were pointing that repulsive thing at, you'd be sorry."

"If you don't get the fuck out, you'll be sorry." Hadlynn said sternly. "Out. Now."

"Here," she handed Hadlynn a card. "Call me if you need anything." She turned to go. "Also, Joker said he needed to speak with you as soon as possible." Harleen's face lit up at her words. "Hadlynn, not you. It will take some time for him to forgive you, but don't give up hope - something tells me he will come around." She assured her, giving a Small smile and shutting the door behind her.

"I don't like her." Hadlynn grumbled.

"Glad we can agree on something." Harleen agreed. "So I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"I need baby names." Harleen changed the subject, trying to ease the tension that Esther left behind.

"Lucifer." Hadlynn raised a brow.

"I'm being serious." Harleen sighed.

"I am, too. I mean, it would be fitting. Have you met the kids father?" Hadlynn shoved a lump of pancakes in her mouth.

"No." Harleen chuckled.

"Alright, alright. What do you want?"

"I don't know! It doesn't matter honestly. I'd be happy with a little Joker jr. or a little Harley." She smiled.

"You wouldn't really name your son Joker jr. would you?" Hadlynn winced.

"And if I did?" Harleen crossed her arms.

"I'd call him Bob or something when you aren't around." Hadlynn shrugged.

"You will not!"

"I'll tell him his dad's the milkman, too." This made Harleen to throw a dish towel at her sister.

"You're awful." The blonde laughed.

"If it's a girl, Hadlynn. If it's a boy, Hadlynn. Everyone wins!" Her words are muffled from her full mouth.

"I need to talk to him about this because you have no clue what the hell you'd name a baby, right?" She raised a brow and Hadlynn nodded.

"Bingo."

"You're lucky I agreed to this," Jason grumbled as him, Harleen and Hadlynn all got out of his luxury car.

"You know good and well you don't mind helping us." Hadlynn said under her breath. He looked at her and sighed.

"I didn't want your parents to kick the bucket when Harleen showed up without her baby daddy and had to explain to them that The Joker knocked her up." He slammed the car door and Harleen crossed her arms and looked to him from behind her glasses with a raised brow.

"Bite me, pretty boy." She sneered.

"Fuck. You." He hissed back.

"Sorry, I'm a one clown kinda gal." She slammed her door as well.

"Both of you, shut up. Now, Jason, for the next two hours, you're the father of Harleen's baby. Harleen, for the next two hours, your body is the home of Jason's baby. For the next two. Hours. You two are madly in love. If you don't get your shit together and play it off, mom and dad will know something's up, Harleen. So, suck it up, hold hands, be playful and act like being with each other is the most fun you've ever had in your entire life! Got it?" Hadlynn lectured. Harleen and Jason looked to each other, then sighed, rolling their eyes.

"Fine." He grabbed her hand, squeezing it hard. She squeezed his back just as rough and he winced.

"Good." Hadlynn walked up the steps of the house and the "happy couple" followed her.

"Ah, Hady!" Her mother immediately pulled her into her arms. "Sweetie, you look so good!" She looked her up and down. "Charlton, come look at how gorgeous your - Harleen! Oh my god you are glowing! Charlton get in here, and oh my god, who is this handsome young man?" Their mother looked to Jason.

"I'm Jason Todd-Wayne, I'm Harleen boyfriend."

"Wayne? Todd-Wayne. . .Oh. My. God. Honey, get the camera! Harleen's getting married to a Billionaire!" She squealed excitedly, grabbing Harleen and squeezing her tightly. Jason was extremely uncomfortable.

"Mom, we aren't getting married." Harleen laughed, uncomfortable.

"You mean to tell me you got my baby girl knocked up and you don't plan on marrying her?" Their father now entered the kitchen and Jason shot Hadlynn a death look.

"Daddy, he's already proposed, Harleen doesn't feel comfortable getting married this early in her life, you see." Hadlynn lied.

"I'm sure," he mumbled.

"Sweetie, I'm serious, grab the camera. We may not ever be together like this again for a while." Her mother smiled.

"No, Mama, really - we don't need a picture of this. At all." Harleen protested.

"Oh, don't be silly! Grab the camera Charleton."

"Lillian,"

"Oh, please, honey! Look how happy they all look! We need to remember this day." She begged her husband.

"No, no. We really do not need to remember this." Harleen rubbed her temples.

"Don't be silly, dear. Get the camera."

"Dad, you don't have to get the camera." Harleen assured her father.

"Harleen, don't be rude. Charleton, get the camera." Her mothers tone was now stern and Jason and Hadlynn stepped back a little bit.

"Don't get the camera, dad." Harleen spoke in the same harsh tone.

"Don't be a priss. Charleton, get the damn camera."

"Don't fucking worry about it, mom! I don't want a god damn picture for fucks sake!" Harleen exploded.

"Oh, dear." Hadlynn and Jason both said under their breath. A harsh slap met Harleen's face as her mothers hand struck her. The blonde felt her anger grow with each breath she took. Her hand brushed against something on the counter behind her, and she picked it up slyly - realizing it was a knife. Complete red took over her vision as her mother started scolding her.

Joker was in her head, screaming at her to put her mother in her place. She kept resisting his words and taunts, that is until Hadlynn tried to calm her mother, and her mother snapped at her to shut up. Harleen grabbed her mothers hair and banged her head into the counter, raising the knife and burying it into the woman's thigh.

. . . Harleen's getting real tired of her mother's shit, if you can't tell.

Btw- Hadlynn's birth name Vitani, comes from the root word "vita" which means war in Swahili, and Malkia means queen in Swahili. So her birth father literally named her "Queen of War".

loreenagrgoddess:
Oh yeah, he's pretty pissed off as you can tell in this chapter because she turned him in, but, he'll be able to tolerate her somewhere down the line.

DocQuinn:
I like to keep things interesting, and it's fun writing Harleen/Harley because they kind of take over each other in a way. You never know if you're pissing Harley off or Harleen, right now in the story, she is the definition of split personality disorder.

Sabrichi. C. Brus:
I honestly shocked myself a little with that ending, too! I just start writing and whatever happens, happens. I just let my brain run with whatever it wants and my hands do all the writing. I looked over the chapter before I posted it and I was like "This shit is crazy, but I love it!" and I think you guys do, too, a little bit, hopefully;)

DarkArtist31221:
Of course I'm going to mention you! Each and every one of my readers make me smile in their own little way when they review/give me feedback about the chapter - and I appreciate everyone's opinion's and reviews and support, including yours! AND YES. I am the same exact way about my emotions, too! It's not that I'm a heartless bitch, it's just that it takes something pretty bad/good/sad/shocking to get me to react all that much. No, I'm not trying to kill you (is it weird that when I read that I smiled?) and it sounds bad, but I'm glad my writing can make you hurt physically. Your outburst is excused, that's what reviews are for, to get everything we felt about the chapter out like cyber therapy kind of. . . I LOVE YOU TOO, YOU ARE SO SWEET! Thank you, I'm so glad you love this story, I love writing it:)

Guest:
Thank you! that was so sweet, I'm glad you liked it!

Adriana:
Don't ever apologize to me for being confused, it's okay. I confuse myself in my writing sometimes, it's fine! Okay; psychiatrists are medical doctors, I honestly didn't know I was writing her where she usually acts like she doesn't really know anything related to that, but she does, so sorry for confusing you - thank you for pointing that out to me, I had no idea I was writing her like that sometimes. No, her sister isn't a doctor. She took dual enrollment classes (attending certain college classes while still in high school) for nursing her junior/senior year of high school and was currently attending college and doing an apprenticeship for nursing at Arkham. Once again, so, so sorry I confused you - I didn't mean to.

YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST GROUP OF READERS A WRITER COULD EVER ASK FO. I SWEAR, YOU'RE LIKE MY ENCOURAGING/INSPIRING/ODDLY RELATABLE SECOND FAMILY.

As always, tell me what you thought of the chapter, you guys make me smile every time you review:pLove you!

xoxo