Ohh what's going to happen? Even I'm nervous!
Let Me Love You - Justin Bieber
~Never Let You Go~
Madness and Love-Chapter 14
H.A.R.L.E.Y.
My scream scared me more than him, as he stood from the chair he'd been on waiting for me.
"How did you get in here? How did you even know of here?!" I demand Jonathan stood tall taking in my appearance.
"Where have you been?" he asks me instead.
"I was…" sleeping with a guy you hate after being tortured.
"I was at a sleep over with my friend she was worried about me after hearing what happened at Arkham" which reminded me I needed to call Barbara.
"I was worried about you"
"That's really sweet of you Jonathan but you really shouldn't be here, if someone else had walked in-"
"I don't care"
"Well I do, why are you here? You should be miles away enjoying freedom, out of my other patients you are the most stable" he smiles.
"Thank you Harleen but I'm here for you" I really didn't know how to take that proclamation so I was ready if I suddenly needed to kick him or escape.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I want you to come with me" he says seriously.
"Jonathan I can't, I've got-"
"What? A job you throw yourself into? Friends you rarely see other than inside Arkham? And a family you never mention, have no pictures of in this place, what could possibly keep you here?"
"Jonathan aside from you going through my stuff which I don't appreciate, that's all beside the point, believe it or not I like Gotham, it's my home I don't feel the need to leave"
"Not even with me?" I really didn't know how to answer that, I couldn't believe I didn't realize Jonathan liked me like this. I was saved from answering when Barbara opened the door, she recognized Crane instantly of course.
"What are you doing here?!" she yelled picking up the first thing she could and throwing it at him, Jonathan turned and escaped over my balcony, how I didn't go to see as Dick, Jason and Bruce also entered my apartment after Barbara who ran to the window.
"Barbara are you alright?" I ask hoping to distract her enough to not launch herself after him, it works she comes back to me.
"Oh god Harls are you okay? What was he doing in your apartment?" make something up quick!
"I…don't know I woke up and he was there" I say pointing at the chair.
"I have no idea how he even found out where I live, I'd never let something like that slip you know?"
"Yeah of course, jeez, he must of stolen the records or something, but anyway where have you been?! I've been worried sick!" she returns from worried to angry, I look over her to the familiar Dick and little Jason Todd who was about thirteen or fourteen and of course Bruce Wayne who I hadn't seen in about eight months.
"Nice to see you all" I say with a smile, before they can respond Barbara takes over.
"Hey, back to me I know you put me in your car I woke up there but what happened to you?" I look from her to Dick to Jason to Bruce and a lot of things make sense.
"Jeepers you're all-…heroes" I couldn't find the word, Dick sort of shrugs Jason nods and Bruce remains silent.
"Uh yeah um, I pulled you into my car and held off the people attacking us"
"You can fight?" Jason asks surprised.
"Twenty years of gymnastics" Barb and I say together.
"Plus that camp thing we did when we were ten for baseball came in handy"
"Seriously Harleen why did you go there?" Barbra begs me to answer.
"I just felt responsible, it was reckless I know but…I had to"
"Any case you broke a promise to me Barbs" I add to throw off the conversation.
"What do you mean?"
"We promised each other that if either of us got superhero powers we'd tell the other person"
"We were six"
"A promise is a promise" I say folding my arms. Barbara shakes her head.
"You look pale" she says softly; I nod yeah the chemical bath I took with Mr. J probably had to do with that.
"I haven't really slept; I'd only just managed to when I woke up again for a drink and…Jonathon Crane was sitting in my chair"
"That bastard, you should come stay with me Harls, it'd be safer"
"I'll be fine Barb I promise aside from him, I'm really not worried, I'd honestly just like five hours sleep and then maybe a coffee afterwards" Barb knew she couldn't convince me otherwise so she just nodded.
"Alright but answer you phone!"
"I will, I will I promise" I was making a lot of promises wasn't I?
"Call if you need anything" Bruce says imploringly, I smile at him remembering when I was younger having the biggest crush on the billionaire playboy, knowing he was Batman only added to his appeal but my heart belonged to another now.
"I will, I'll see you all later" I hugged Barbara and Dick, waved to Jason and Bruce and closed my door behind me.
After they were long gone I pulled out a suitcase packed some of my clothes, some personal things I'd need. I walked to a close by café to get myself a coffee before taking a taxi back to the block Mr. J lived and walked the rest of the way. I hummed softly going up the elevator and continued going down the hall to his apartment, I didn't hear anything from the other doors so I assumed they were either unoccupied or currently vacant. I almost knocked on the door but remembered Mr. J wouldn't hear me so I used the key Johnny gave me, I unlocked it and walked in on a large group of men all holding guns, all eyes turned to me I wasn't sure if I should drop my bag and run or call out to Mr. J but Mr. J saw me and stormed up to me.
"Where have you been!" he demanded, uh oh.
"You said I could go get clothes" I said slowly, seeing Johnny by the table, Needles was here too, I also recognized that guy I kneed in the balls, the rest I didn't know.
"I didn't mean you could leave!" he yells, he really was upset, I needed to calm him down.
"I'm really sorry Mr. J you were busy and I just wanted to keep out of your way-" Joker grabbed.
The back of my neck, I dropped my bag and he pulled me closer to him.
"You can't leave" he says.
"You can't leave me like that"
"I won't I promise Mr. J remember I run to you, not away from you" his light blue eyes stared deeply at me, we didn't care about his men who all tried to move back and give us space.
"I remember Harley" he finally says and I smile brightly up at him, he moves his hand from behind my neck to over my throat, holding it a little too tight for me to breathe.
"Don't do that again, if you need to leave tell me" I nod because I can't speak, he holds me longer than necessary before letting me go and I quickly inhale for breath.
"Well since we're all dressed up anyway why don't we have some fun with Gotham?" Joker laughs, his men chuckle with him, I quickly realize they were going to come after me, shit it was a good thing I came back when I did, Mr. J came back over to me, looking at me critically.
"Did something happen when you went out?" I couldn't lie to him.
"I did run into a friend but I just said I was tired to kick her out so I could come here" Joker nods.
"And…someone was in my apartment when I got there" Joker's eyes narrowed.
"Who"
"Crane" I said softly.
"What?!"
"I have no idea how he found out where I live, I haven't even told you, I didn't even tell my colleagues, Dr Arkham would of known but he's it"
"Crane's a sneaky, slippery, manipulating bastard! What did he want?! Did he hurt you?! Did he threaten you?!"
"No my friend arrived just after me and walked in, he had to bolt out my window" Joker cracked his knuckles.
"Now I really want to kill something"
"Jonathan isn't a bad person" Joker raised an eyebrow at me.
"No offence love but you don't have the best opinion on 'good' men" I sighed.
"I mean I don't think he would actually hurt me; I've known him since I first started" Joker got a suspicious look in his eye suddenly grabbing my arm and pulling me into his room slamming the door on his men.
"Does he like you?" I swallow.
"I didn't know" Joker crushes his hand into a fist.
"He asked me to run away with him, I told him no, Barb showed up and he had to leave"
"Which means he'll try again"
"He should've just left" I say sitting on the bed.
"Yeah he should of" Joker agrees.
"Harley stay here I'll be back later" I reluctantly nod a little worried about what he would do but as long as he wasn't mad at me it'd be okay.
"Okay Mistah J I'll make dinner for when you get back" I beam; he smirks putting a hand under my chin.
"Try to be a good girl" I giggle as he kisses me before leaving closing the door behind him and barking orders at his men, I hear them file out and close the door, for some reason I can't bring myself to stand back up and leave the room, I recognized for a small part I was becoming conditioned to following Mr. J's orders but I shook my head and got up, it was the afternoon but I had no idea when Mr. J would be back so I might as well begin preparing for dinner then I'll only need to cook at the last minute and once I'm done preparing I can get myself a light lunch.
I work for while cutting up tomato, lettuce, capsicum, carrots some asparagus and choosing a pasta that would go well for dinner. I was just making myself a ham sandwich when the door was knocked open, I rushed over confused, Jonathan stormed in seeing me instantly, I backed away.
"How did you get here? Where you following me?" I ask shocked.
"I planted a tracker in your phone before you arrived, imagine my shock when you left your apartment so fast with a packed bag and show up, here" he looks around.
"You never mentioned you had a boyfriend Harleen" I was actually scared now I saw the wild unpredictable look in Jonathan's eyes, he'd gone so far as to track me, I was on dangerous ground.
"So what's the beau's name?" he asked with a humorless laugh.
"J-ack" I say softly my voice breaking a little.
"You're so smart Harleen, how could you never see how I felt for you?!"
"I'm sorry I really didn't-"
"You lead me on!"
"No! I'd never do that you know me Jonathan! Please you know me" I say stepping away with my hands up.
"You're right" he says with a nod.
"I do know you, I know you'd never be happy with this-Jack, only with me"
"Jonathan please-" I didn't get a chance he reached for something in his pocket and I grabbed the lamp off the table and threw it at him, he ducked and it smashed on the floor I tried to lock him out of the bathroom but he broke down the door, I managed to kick him in the leg but he pinned me against the sink.
"I'm saving you, I promise Harleen" he says pressing me so hard against the wall the mirror between me and it breaks, he sprays something in my face and I fall, I feel his bony arms catch me. Mr. J I think woozily before blacking out.
Scarecrow has made his more on Harley what will Jokers be? Review, Fav and Follow!