The slow applause that echoed along the hallway caused me to jump. "Mistah J." I gasped when I found him casually leaning against the wall. He was dressed in a simple charcoal button down and black slacks. The chains were missing. Mr. J slowly approached me, his arms uncrossing from the front of his chest. My breathing increased with every single one of his intricate steps. I could smell his cologne as he closed the distance between us. I searched his eyes, attempting to somehow read his thoughts. It didn't work though. Everything about him was unreadable.

"You saw?" I barely whispered. My hands trembled and I dug my nails into my palms, trying to ease the shaking.

J's forehead raised. "Yeah... I did." Even his tone was neutral.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I mentally prepared myself for both verbal and physical abuse. What I wasn't expecting, was for J to wrap his hands around either side of my head and pull my forehead to his. His maniacal laughter caught me off guard that I almost jumped in shoc. Did that mean he wasn't angry with me?

A small giggle emitted from my throat and when J didn't stop me, a full laugh itched out of me. Soon, J and I were cackling like a couple of fools.

"You're insane baby." J spoke when the laughter died down.

"You love it." I teased. I bumped my arm with his like a high school girl with would with her crush. My body finally relaxed, the adrenaline dying.

His red lips curved in a lopsided smile. "You bet I do."

I played with the rings on his fingers as I asked, "How'd you see us?"

"I have cameras all over this place." Even the most mundane sentence out of J sounded erotic.

"Everywhere?" I suggested flirtatiously.

"Mm, yes." J's arms snaked around me as he pulled me into a heated kiss. His lips bit down on my slash across my mouth and I yelped into the kiss as he swallowed my screamed. I had almost forgotten about the fight to the death with Emily until J separated from me and called for Rocco.

Rocco's steps sounded as he appeared into the hallway. "Roc, take care of the body." J instructed.

He nodded and left, only to return a second later with a pair of white latex gloves. I watched him as he went inside the gym but J returned my attention back to him as he rotated my chin in his direction.

"I'm impressed Harls."

"You are?" Sparks lit up in my chest.

"Emily has been fighting for years but you, you little Minx…"

"I have the best teacher." I smiled excitedly.

"I'd kill her if she ever permanently damaged that face of yours."

I frowned playfully. "She almost did."

"Er, Boss. Did you want me to dispose of this too?" Rocco stood by the door, holding Emily's tongue with gloved fingers.

J's head cocked to the side thoughtfully. "What do you say Poo? Want to put it in a jar as a souvenir?"

I agreed and J nodded his head to his henchman, silently instructing him to put it away for him. His gaze never left me as I jumped happily in my place. "Let's get outta here." J took me by the hand and led me away from the gym and Emily's cold body.

. . . . .

I woke up the next day stretching my body. I had slept for infinite amount of hours. Certain spots in my body stung and I cringed. I was sure I had a few bruises decorating my skin by now. I changed into a par of sweats and a lose fitting shirt. I slipped my feet into my favorite sneakers and headed downstairs.

I was happy to find Puddin' walking down the hall, his attention on his cellphone. When he lifted his gaze and saw me, he gifted me with a smile. "Hey Pumpkin. How are you feelin'?"

"Good. I just have a scrape or two. Nothin I can't handle."

"You got a pretty bad ass kicking though."

I glared at him, reminded that he was watching the entire fight through a television and yet, he did nothing to intervene. "I'm alright." I assured him.

"I'm going to have Darla do something 'bout that lucious lip of yours." His thumb brushed the clotted cut. The blood was dry now but I knew he hated the way it looked on my face.

I changed the subject. "I had a dream about you."

"What about?"

"I can show you tonight instead." I purred.

J seemed to like my words because he placed a few seductive kisses on my neck. I tried not to flinch from the pain of having him bite the already injured skin on my throat. It was fine by me though, as long as I was on the receiving end of his intimate gestures.

"What did they do with Emily's body?"

J shrugged. "Jonny and Rocco probably buried it in the woods somewhere."

It surprised me hoe uninterested he was in what had happened to Emily. How I had single handedly killed her. I wasn't sure they were even that good of friends but I remembered wat he had told me about Emily's father being a good man. I guess her interference in his business deal and her obsession with him was enough to forget all about their friendship and his respect for her father.

"How did your business go?" My walk had an extra skip to it, and it wasn't all due to the merriment. Emily had landed more than one good punch on me and now that the adrenaline was almost gone, I started to notice the pain.

"Fine."

My brows furrowed. "Fine? That's it?"

"What else did ya need to know?"

"I dunno', maybe a little more description?"

"It's none of your concern Harley."

I had to keep up with J's long strides as he marched through the hall, making two lefts until we reached the kitchen. He quickly reached for the refrigerator and pulled out a cold beer, popping the lid off with his shiny grill. J finished off half of the drink in one swig, sucking in his bottom lip for any remaining beer.

"What?" He questioned after he saw my narrowed gaze.

I was about to speak up when Darla scurried into the kitchen. She seemed anxious, her forehead gleaming with sweat. "Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but..." Darla paused, probably afraid to continue. I understood her, J could be intimidating at times.

Mr. J rolled his eyes. "Speak now Darla, or forever hold your peace."

This made Darla even more nervous it seemed. She played with the apron around her waist, her stare not really meeting either of ours. "I have an emergency… My husband had an accident at work and was sent to the emergency room. I'd like to be there for him if that's possible."

J's body turned completely around to face Darla. "You wanna leave early?"

Before either of them could say another word, I spoke up. "That's fine Darla. You go ahead and see your man."

She smiled sheepishly and her kind eyes finally met mine in appreciation. J's look, however, was the complete opposite. I grinned at him and his deadly glare immediately softened. With a sigh, J said to Darla, "Okay, but fix Harley up before you go."

I shook my head. "Oh, that's not necessar-"

J threw me a warning stare and I shut my trap.

"Thank you, sir." Darla nodded and headed toward the bathroom on the first floor.

Mr. J smacked my bottom when I moved to follow behind Darla. I acknowledged his gesture with a smirk and a tiny wink.

Darla was quick to tend to my wounds. She bandaged the leg I was starting to limp on. I was set and ready to go in just about a few minutes.

"Oh no." Darla whined as she put away the first aid kit.

"What's wrong?" I asked when she hung her head over the sink.

"My kids. They- they don't have anybody to take care of them. My babysitter has to leave at three and with my husband in the hospital I have no one to watch them." Darla seemed like she was close to tears.

"oh." I wasn't sure what to say, what to make her feel better. I could only think of one thing. "I-I could watch them for you?"

Darla's face sprung up quickly. Her frantic eyes jumped to look at me. "You would do that?"

I ignored the small voice in my head swinging a red flag. "Yeah it'd be fun." I smiled. Mr. J was going to kill me.

Darla read my thoughts. "Would the Sir be okay with that?"

I waved a careless hand at her. "Of course!" I lied.

Darla inched closer to me and almost engulfed me in a hug but changed her mind last minute. Instead, she settled for a thousand thank you's. She shuffled out of the bathroom and out of the house. What had I just done? J could not find out about it. Where would I even hide her kids? Why didn't I ask how many she even had? Images of me caring for eleven kids filled my head. All of them toddlers, breaking things and screaming at the top of their lungs. The next picture in my head was of J beating me to death. I shivered. No, he wasn't going to find out. I would take them to one of the spare guest rooms. J barely went in there.

J was still in the kitchen, drinking his second. "She cleaned you up nice."

"Thanks." I smiled cheerfully. "Do ya know how much I love ya Puddin'?" I wrapped my arms around his neck.

His hairless brow rose in amusement.

"A lot." I finished.

"What are you up to?" He teased.

I had to think quickly. "I want more fighting lessons. We need more ammo."

"What?" He chuckled. "You just had a battle to the death with- "

"I know but imagine she woulda' pulled somethin' up her sleeve? What if she had a gun and shot me dead right up and there?"

J's face scrunched with fry. "Don't."

"See." I encouraged. "It's better safe than sorry."

Mr. J brushed a hand through his hair. "alright." J typed into his phone quickly and kissed my forehead. "I'll be back." I was thankful to hear J's purple car speed out of the garage.

Moments later, I got a call from Darla saying she was outside with her children. I opened the door and let her inside, three small children trailing right behind her. It was two girls and one boy. They all seemed to be under eight years old. Darla's' kids hid behind their mother, only to poke their heads out to stare at me. "Hello there." I greeted.

"They're shy, I'm sorry. Don't be rude. Say hello." She ushered to her kids. One of the girls scooted away from her mother to come closer to me.

"Hi." Her small voice spoke. Her red hair was in pigtails and she wore a pink dress with matching flats.

"Hi, what's your name?"

"Heidi." Her cheeks blushed.

I brushed my hand through her soft hair. "What a pretty name. Mine is Harley. Harley Quinn."

A wide smile grew on her face. "I like it." Her tiny finger pointed to my lip. "what happened to you?"

My eyes flashed up to Darla and she swallowed. "Um, Darla, you can go. I've got it from here."

I could tell she was hesitant to leave me now alone with her kids but she had no choice now. I wouldn't trust to leave my imaginary kids to a psychopath but I would never hurt them. I hoped she knew that.

Once Darla left, I led the trio of kids to the guest bedroom. I gave them empty gun shells to play with. It was the only thing I had for them. I was a bad babysitter but I was dealing with the cards I had been dealt with. Timothy and Sarah fought over a Magnum casing while Heidi sat by me as we coordinated the gun shells from smallest to biggest.

"Where do you work?" I found out Heidi was six years old so she had a good grasp on how to converse.

"I, um, work for a very special man."

"Doing what?"

Stealing, killing, breaking every law known to Gotham. "I'm… his secretary."

"Cool." She settled.

"Hey, don't throw those." I scolded the younger of the three. When they didn't listen I stood up above them. "What are ya' stupid? I said stop throwin' those!"

Timothy sassed me by sticky his tongue out and throwing a casing at Sarah's head. Timothy laughed hysterically as his little sister twisted her face.

My heart scrunched when Sarah began crying. "Shit- I mean, Don't cry Sarah. Mommy will be right back, I prom-"

"What the fuck is going on here?" J pushed the door open and stood by the doorway, taking I the scene before him.

Three scared little eyes turned to Mr. J. Make that four, including mine.

"Harley, what the hell? Who are these kids?"

"They're Darla's. I told her I'd watch them for a bit so she could see her husband."

J pinched the bridge of his nose. "And why the fucking hell are they playing with gun shell casings?"

I bowed my head, my face blushing with embarrassment. "I had no toys for them to play with."

Now, J stared at the ceiling, growing visibly impatient, his hands on his hips. "And when did you ask for my permission?"

My eyes found the floor. "I didn't."

Sarah began crying again, and this time Timothy joined her. Their yells were hurtful to the ears. J splayed a hand out, almost wishing e could probably make them disappear if he wasn't looking directly at them and at his pale hand instead. "You're in a load o' trouble. When she comes for them, I want ya in my office." J sneered at the children before he stalked out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

"Is he the special man?"

I turned my head to see Heidi behind me. I smiled at her innocent demeanor. "Yeah, he is."

Darla came back after a while and thanked me once again for watching her kids. Apparently her husband only had a dislocated finger but the doctors popped it back into place. Heidi surprised me with a hug to my legs before she scurried off behind her mother. I almost melted.

My walk to J's office was too quick and before I knew it, I was standing in front of his door. I knocked, opening the door once he allowed me in. He sat in his chair, staring at the empty desk. I didn't speak, waiting for him to say something, anything. J's blue eyes finally moved to me. "Come here." His voice was harsh but I obeyed.

I moved around the desk so that I was standing in front of him. J got to his feet so that he was towering over me. Instantly, Mr. J had one hand around my pigtail, twisting it in his fingers. "So you sent me on a wild goose chase just so you could watch those brats? You lied to me. You do know that will not go unpunished Harl."

"What's one more bruise to add to the ones your little friend left me."

J glared at me and slapped my cheek, causing fresh blood to spill from my lip. He let go of my hair and shoved me away. I almost tripped but held myself steady on his desk.

"I hope those kids were worth it."

I knew he was referring to the slap on the face and me opened slash.

"Yeah. They were."

J wasn't happy. I wasn't meant to answer but I did anyway.

"They made me realize I like kids. Ya know, maybe have some of my own." I peeked my chin up, unwilling to cry in front of him.

"What did you say?" J slowly walked to me, seemingly unable to believe what I was saying.

"I want to have a baby J. Your baby." I swallowed. I had said it aloud. Finally. It was something I hadn't necessarily thought about. Keeping our relationship going had its bumps as it was. I had no time to think about anything else. Yet, Heidi sparked an unknown feeling inside me. A completely new, undiscovered emtorion spread through me when she hugged me goodbye. It made me think that I would love to have a tiny person both loved and created by myself and the man I loved.

J's face grew even more impossibly white with my revelation. Confusion, anger, desperation all shifted through his various expressions. I thought he was about to say something but he quickly shut his mouth. Instead, he took a hold of the lamp on his desk and flung it at the door behind me. I doubled over, at first thinking he was aiming at me.

The lamp shattered and before I could regain my posture, J had walked away from me once more.

. . . . . .

Harley is a killer one day and a babysitter the next. Shows how dysfunctional her life is.

Sorry I haven't posted in So long. Work is hectic, not to mention a little mini vacation I took.

I tried to post this as quickly as possible so I apologize ahead of time for any errors or misspellings.

Thanks for the patience and the support !

MissQ.