Chapter 25

The door to Doctor Leland's office opened abruptly, and on the other side stood a quivering Jervis Tetch. His eyes were wide with fear as his bottom lip shook with voiceless words. Joker snapped his head round and smirked when he saw the small man shaking in the doorway, obviously thinking that the fear struck across his face was because of him, but little did he know that that wasn't the reason.

"Mr Tetch, what are you doing wandering the corridors with the fire alarm sounding off?" Joan asked, standing from her seat to approach him.

"Awh look at the poor nerd. What happened? Did you see a girl over 12?" Joker laughed, swinging around so he faced the door fully.

Leland snapped round and glared at the joker. "Be quiet!" She then turned back to face Jervis. "I know these alarms can be quite frightening, but coming directly to my office is not regulation Jervis, you know that."

Tetch stuttered, crunching the fabric of his Arkham overalls in his hands. "I...I...I saw...something's happened...I had to set off the alarm."

Joan furrowed her brow in confusion. "You set off the fire alarm? Why would you do that Jervis, that's not like you?" She asked. Noticing his flustered response, she ushered him inside her office and offered him a seat.

"Oh Doc, I'm not so keen on the book worm joining us… Harley joining us though...that could be hot." J teased, trying to make the situation as comfortable as possible.

Tetch's eyes widened at the mention of Harley's name. "Yes...yes...Harley, she's not...that's why I had to set off the alarm you see...to help, to get him away."

"Jervis you're not making any sense. Calm down and tell me what's going on." Leland urged, but before she could persuade him any further, the Joker interrupted.

"What did you say?" He growled, rising to his feet. When he didn't receive an immediate answer, the Joker walked towards him, baring his teeth. "Don't make me repeat myself nerd."

"Joker Calm down, you're not helping." Interrupted Joan who now stood between them both.

J ignored her warning and stepped closer. "You've got 30 seconds to spit it out freak, before I make sure you never read again."

Tetch's lip wobbled as the Joker's eyes darkened in anger. "Mr Bolton had a taser, I saw him...in Harley's cell...I had to sound off the alarm before he hurt her again...she couldn't take anymore."

J lunged forward. Pushing Joan out of the way, he grabbed Jervis by the collar of his overalls and pressed him up against the wall, a snarl left the Joker's lips and he held him up further, his feet barely touching the ground. "What do you mean again!?" He barked. "Where is she!?"

"She's in her cell. I didn't want to leave...but I thought Doctor Leland could help!" Jervis whimpered, under the assault of the Joker.

J snapped round to Joan, still holding Tetch up by his collar. "Give me your damn key card!" He yelled.

Joan shook her head defiantly. "You put Mr Tetch down this instant! He's done nothing wrong and he certainly doesn't deserve to be on the receiving end of your violent outburst."

Joker snarled. Not taking his eyes off Leland, he released his hands from Jervis' jumpsuit and let him fall to the ground. "Key card." He repeated. "Either you give it to me now, or I take it from you. Your choice Doc."

"We go together. She's my patient and my friend." Joan said, not showing an ounce of fear over the Joker's darkening expression. To her surprise he nodded once, quietly agreeing to her compromise. She turned to Jervis and helped him to his feet. Holding onto his shaking hands, Joan helped him onto the chair and straighten out his Arkham coveralls. "Are you okay Jervis?"

He blinked up at her and nodded. "Fine, fine."

"Who cares, let's go!" Joker growled as he stood impatiently by the office door.

Ignoring him, Joan continued to speak. "Just stay here, I've got a packet of biscuits in the top left draw, have some and calm down. We don't want to undo all the hard work we've achieved together do we Jervis?"

"No, no we don't Doctor Leland." Tetch replied, almost instantly.

"Good, now, I'll be back soon." She told him before standing to her feet and joining Joker by the door. Before Doctor Leland could change her mind about roaming the un-monitored halls with an uncuffed Joker, she was being pulled out of her office by her forearm and dragged down the corridor.

"Don't waste anymore of my time playing Nanny to some fruitloop Doc, or I may just show you my angry side." He barked, increasing his grip on her arm.

"Without him, Harley would still be under the hand of Lyle Bolton, so when we get back. You're going to apologise." She demanded, catching the double doors as the Joker let them swing back in her face.

"Over my dead body, or yours if you carry on. Now hurry up!" He barked, stepping up his pace. As they reached the last set of double doors towards Harley's cell. Joker took a deep breath before pushing open the doors with both hands. He'd seen Harley hurt before, he'd seen her bleed, cry and howl in agony, but somehow his time was different. She hadn't been hurt because of some crossfire in a business deal, or caught in a chase with Batman. This was someone who had gone out of their way to hurt her, in their own pursuit of justice. As if starving her and denying her basic human privileges wasn't enough. His stomach twisted at the thought of what state she would be in when he turned the corner, when he came face to face with the glass keeping her from him.

When the Joker finally slowed to a stop outside her cell, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. "Move aside, let me asses her first. She might be disorientated and your presence might confuse her."

J snapped his head round and growled harshly, shaking off Leland's hand. "I'm the only face she'd want to see."

Joan frowned, disagreeing with him but not wanting to aggravate his already burning rage. She reached around her neck and pulled out the Arkham staff stamped lanyard. She stepped forward to the cell door and a gasp left her lips when she cast her eyes downwards and saw the woman lying on the floor.

"What is it!?" Joker roared, stepping forward instantly. His eyes snapped down to the small blonde curled up on the floor. Her back faced both the Joker and Joan as her body shook subtly to the beat of her shallow breaths.

Without missing a beat, the Joker snatched the key card from Joan's grip and swiped it through the slot, he'd never been more thankful for the little red light on the keypad turning green. J pushed Leland aside violently and charged inside the cell. "Harley!?" He yelled, dropping to his knees behind her. He reached forward and pulled her body back, allowing her to softly roll towards him.

"Harley it's me," he continued, taking in the sight of her exhausted body as he gathered her up in his arms. A sharp growl left his lips when he saw two burnt marks on her Arkham jumpsuit blistered against the fabric, along with the dried tears and saliva stuck to her face. Joker brought his hand up gently and caressed her face, feeling the coldness underneath his fingertips. "Why didn't you fight?" He asked angrily. "You're my girl, you're supposed to fight."

Harley whimpered under his touch and furious tone, she slowly opened her eyes to see the Joker's wild blue eyes staring into hers as he clutched at her face desperately. "Puddin'?" Harley whispered, raising her own hands to cradle his face, but before she could, J snatched them away and crushed his lips onto hers instantly. It wasn't a vicious kiss or even one filled with lust. It was relief, relief that despite everything that she'd been through, she still opened her eyes and looked up to him with adoration and love.

Joan stood in the doorway of the cell absolutely speechless. The Joker on his knees, holding a fragile Harley in his arms as he sighed into a quiet kiss. Forgetting the world around them both.

"Any bones broken?" The Joker asked, finally pulling away.

Harley shook her head weakly with a small smile. "I had him, right under my foot. I just didn't see the taser." She mumbled quietly.

"Got a headache?" He asked again, ignoring her half voiced words.

Harley nodded. "Worse than that hangover I had after we broke into that brewery."

Joker chuckled, squeezing her body tightly. "Must be one hell of a head pound." His laughter soon stopped as his eyes drifted down towards her chest. "I'll fucking kill him for this."

"No Puddin'." Harley said, raising her hands once more in an attempted to touch the face that she utterly adored. "We'll kill him for this."