AN: Sorry it took so long to update. Hope this satisfies you though!(:
Solitary. Again. It'd been so long since he'd last been here, but the tiny room seemed to welcome him back. He awoke in a fit of temporary confusion, but eventually he got his bearings back and simply began thinking about several things.
His temper tantrum in the lunchroom, for starters. The Joker could be a patient man, but mess with him too much, and you ended up dead, seriously maimed, or psychologically scarred for life. He wasn't sure which of those three, if not all, had happened to Todd Baker. The buffoon had obviously deserved his punishment, after the weeks of annoying and harassing Quinzel. The little pinch yesterday- or was it yesterday? He didn't know how long he'd been out- had been the last straw. And perhaps it would serve as a lesson to anyone else who crossed him or messed with his property.
His property. Yes. Dr. Harleen Quinzel was no longer just his shrink, but a toy that he would defend viciously should anyone else try and steal or damage her. Like that Riddler freak. Oh no, that stupid beanpole was not allowed to look twice at her.
The Joker smiled nastily as he imagined what he would do to the Riddler and others who were too stupid to receive the message he was clearly broadcasting. His doc was his doc.
He hoped he could get out of here soon. He had a lot to do, and he needed to speak with his lovely psychologist with the pretty blonde hair and the laugh that sounded like tiny bells. He was liking her more and more as the days went by. She was just so cute, and he could barely get over how small and innocent she seemed and how fragile she was. But things Harleen said sometimes… The Joker wondered where she truly belonged in Arkham- behind the desk, or behind the bars? He was liking the feistiness she had displayed when she slapped Baker hard, and he marveled at the anger in her usually gentle and innocent eyes.
She really was too much.
The Joker giggled quietly, but it quickly escalated to full gales of laughter, howling maniacally. His eyes gleamed with malice, sparked with danger.
This game got better and better.
xxx
Dr. Harleen Quinzel was standing in Jeremiah Arkham's office. Again. The last time she'd been here, it'd been the head of the asylum congratulating her on how well her patient was doing. However, this time she knew he would not be singing any praise.
"Sit down." He said, and she flinched. It wasn't that he sounded angry, but her nerves were getting the best of her.
"Yes, sir." She mumbled softly. She raised her head to meet his cool, calculated gaze.
Arkham let out a sigh. "Do you know why we are here today, Dr. Quinzel?"
"Yes, sir." Harleen said again. "I-"
"Wait." He cut her off. "Let me finish." His tone was firm. "I am sure that you are very much aware of the incident that occurred yesterday." Well, duh. She thought to herself. She'd been in the thick of it all. But she let him continue. "A particular inmate, Patient 4479, decided to attack a guard, first jumping on top of him then proceeding to hit him repeatedly, before smashing his head into the ground and gouging out his eyes. You remember?"
"Of course I do." She answered, and her reply was sharper than necessary. Did he think she was a child or something? He spoke to her like a five year old!
He nodded. "I hoped as much. Do you know whose patient it was?"
"Mine, sir." Her teeth ground together. "But it was-"
"Dr. Quinzel, if you say this attack was provoked, I will be extremely displeased." Jeremiah warned, eyes narrowed.
Harleen's jaw clenched and she fought to regain composure. "Dr. Arkham. You were not there. You don't know what Mr. Baker did that upset Mr. Joker."
"Mr. Joker?" He asked with a dry laugh. "He is not 'Mr. Joker', he is just another inmate with a number as a name!"
"Todd Baker has been making lewd and suggestive comments to me ever since I first met him. He frequently mocks my patient and yesterday, he grabbed my ass!" Harleen snapped, "Now I know that doesn't excuse Mr. Joker from anything, but it's not as if the attack was random!"
"Dr. Harleen Quinzel!" Arkham stood up and drew himself to his full height, towering above the small doctor , who was still seated. "I will not be spoken to in this way! Leave, and I will speak to Dr. Leland about what Is to be done."
Harleen immediately obeyed, practically leaping from her chair and storming out. She marched past all the other doctors and set off to her office.
xxx
She sobbed into her hands as she clutched the tissue to her eyes and dabbed furtively. "I hate him!" She cried to herself. "Why- why do I deserve this?"
She hadn't even done anything wrong! It was her insane patient who had put Todd in the ICU and left him blind. What did Jeremiah know anyways? She was the first doctor to make any progress at all, and he didn't even seem to care.
"Baker deserved it anyways." She said scornfully, then immediately regretted her words. "No, no, Harleen." She muttered. "No one deserves that."
The Joker had been provoked. There was no doubt about it. Everyone had noticed his possessiveness over the new psychiatrist, so it shouldn't have surprised Todd that he got mad at the rude behavior.
xxx
Joan Leland knocked three times on Harleen's office door, and the blonde made sure to paste on a calm face. After her little bout of teas and self-pity, she'd whipped out her bag and made sure to remove all traces of her crying. Her make-up was fresh and perfect, and she smiled slightly as the older woman came in.
"Hello, Harley." Joan sighed, coming closer and sitting in front of her desk. "I've just spoken with Jeremiah."
She raised an eyebrow. "And how did that go?" She asked innocently.
"He said you were being disrespectful and unreasonable."
Harleen shook her head. "Not true." Joan seemed to be waiting for a response, so she elaborated. "He kept talking to me like I was a child, and to be truthful, it was getting to me. And he wouldn't admit that the attack was a bit provoked. The Joker always made it clear Todd annoyed him, so I'm not sure why Mr. Baker didn't pay attention to that." She sighed. "I feel terrible about what happened to him, but it was poking the bear. And Dr. Arkham keeps acting as if it was my fault! My patient has been doing extraordinarily well up until now."
Dr. Leland nodded. "I must agree with that, Harley. I can understand how he may have upset you. I said as much to him earlier. Ever since you started treating the Joker, he's been very good. I think Jeremiah is just very flustered about how sudden it was, and the legal issues that he's going to be dealing with."
"When's the next time I'm having a session with Mr. Joker?"
"Not for a while." Joan answered with a hint of apology. "He'll be in solitary for a while."
She merely sighed.
xxx
"And in reality, I make sure the puzzles are dumbed down enough so Batman can figure them out-" The Riddler paused from his incessant babbling. "You aren't listening." He stated in a flat tone, and Harleen glanced up from her notepad, on which she was scribbling down nonsense. She attempted to look regretful of her actions.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Riddler." She said. "I've been a mess lately. Forgive me."
He looked at her and rolled his eyes, frowning. "It's about that damned clown, isn't it?" She did not respond. "I'm offended that he's the reason you're not doing your job and listening to me."
"Mr. Riddler." She chided. "I am trying very hard to pay attention but I'm not sure if you're aware that there are other things going on in my life that are somewhat of a big deal to me." This seemed to stun the obsessive-compulsive criminal into silence as he stared at her with a grumpy expression.
He huffed out a breath impatiently. "You think you're so much better than everyone else, don't you, Harleen?" He asked in a bored tone.
"Don't call me Harleen." She warned, feeling a swell of anger boil in the pit of her stomach. It'd been a long day, and this was the last thing she needed from her patients: attitude.
"Harleeeeeen." He drew out and her finger was on the panic button. They rushed in, guards looking about in concern much like the time she'd hit the red button with the Joker.
"Dr. Quinzel?" One asked.
"This one is getting on my last nerve." Harleen explained. "And I want to go home early." He nodded in reply and Edward Nigma was taken away, glaring at her scornfully.
"Bitch." He spit, and she smiled.
AN: How was that one? No actual interaction between Harleen and Joker, but I thought I'd like to keep you guys waiting(: Idk, that one just kinda streamed out and it didn't make all too much sense, but I don't care too much (sorry).
I would like to thank you for all the reviews and feedback. It's very much appreciated, and it is definitely what pushes me to continue and write faster. And I was also wondering, if any of you have stumbled upon some truly amazing JokerXHarley stories that I should read, please let me know. I've read tons and tons, but I know I haven't gotten to all of them. So if you'd share some of your favorites, I'd be thrilled!
Thank you, as always, and please send some more reviews my way!