CHAPTER 28
"You are not getting any ice cream tonight. You need to go home and rest, did you forget that you got shot?" Harley looked sternly at Joker who was tediously pulling a scab off of his arm.
"But I want it." A childish plea present within his strong voice.
"Puddin' you don't need any more sugar, that's all you eat. Besides, no ice cream shop is open this late. I don't really feel like breaking in either to be honest." She paused looking into his eyes, something was being hidden in them, "Let's just go home and get that wound cleaned up."
Joker looked at her and then back to the driver, "Go home."
He was just a tad disappointed, he did have a real deep craving for some ice cream, but when he heard that beautiful little voice come from her beautiful little lips he wasn't even thinking of ice cream anymore, "Thanks Mistah J…"
Joker smiled thoughtfully and patted her head.
They arrived home a half hour later and were now getting ready for Harley's washing. The two had decided it would be best that Joker didn't have his oozing leg in the water. For this, Harley was thankful; she didn't truly feel like bathing in blood.
Joker sat on the outside of the tub while Harley tenderly got into the warm water. When she had become settled Joker washed her back gently. Scrubbing with circular motions and then scooping up the bath water with his hands and letting it fall on her back to remove the soapy suds. They hadn't talked, both were unusually quiet. Harley kept her eyes loosely closed feeling Jokers warm hands move leisurely and lovingly across her back. He rubbed her neck softly and Harley seemed to fall into a hypnotic state. She felt Joker pour water onto her head. Then she felt his powerful hands gingerly massage shampoo into her scalp and hair. It was remarkable, she thought silently, that a man of his stature and reputation could have such a kind nature towards her at times. The warm water fell over her eyes, it was repeated until the shampoo was gone. Harley sighed compassionately, she didn't mind the abuse from Joker, the pain, the scars…if they could share moments like these…moments were he made her feel entirely safe from the world…moments where she could tell that he truly did love her…then she wanted to be with The Joker forever.
"Joker?" She finally broke the silence. Her voice was small and fragile, "I need to go to the store and get some things, can we go after this?"
"Of course pumpkin." He leaned in closer to her but stopped when he had gotten to her shoulder, "Harl."
Harley turned her head towards him, "Yea?"
Joker leaned in more and their foreheads touched, Harley smiled, "How could a clown like me, get such a perfect girl. I assume you heard me when I was talking to Oswald."
Harley attempted a nod with Joker still connected to her, "It doesn't matter how…it matters that you did, and in return…I got the perfect guy."
"For each other at least." Joker chuckled and brushed his nose against hers, his eyes beginning to softly close.
"Joker?" Her eyes too began to daze.
"Hmm?"
"Why did you cry in the van?" She felt Joker stroke the wet strands of hair from her cheek.
"You're the only one in the world that I truly care about, you create my only fear." His lips brushed against hers.
"Fear?"
"I didn't have fears before I met you…now I fear for you Harley…I fear for you."
Harley pulled away, "You truly haven't loved anyone before…"
"No. I haven't." He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her back to him smiling darkly as he did, "I've only loved you…and I won't be able to love another now that I've seen how perfect you are."
Joker picked her up out of the tub and stood her upright while he dried her off with a towel.
"You're a pretty deep kinda guy Mistah J." Harley started to get dressed.
Joker smiled and grabbed a black suit instead of his traditional purple one…he also grabbed a matching fedora hat, "Harley don't dress in your jester outfit I don't want to stand out."
"You don't want to stand out?" She laughed.
"No I want to get your stuff and get back home, you're going to need a coat," He peered out the window, "it's raining out…here take mine."
Joker handed her his purple coat…his baby, "People won't suspect anything if you're wearing it…you don't have that special look like I do." He smiled pointing at his white face and then helped her into it.
It was incredibly light, almost like she wasn't even wearing a coat, but at the same time it provided a halo of warmth around her, "No wonder you wear this coat all the time, it's comfy."
She could smell his scent in the coat…it was simply, to Harley at least, the best in the world. A scent of every battle, job, death that he was apart of was in the threads of this coat, this very exact coat that The Joker, her boyfriend, the only person she thought she could ever really love, wore day after day…and to be able to wear it, Harley felt like she had been apart of his life since the very beginning of time.
Joker nodded his head and looked her over. The coat was much too large for her, the arming of the coat sagging past her arms, the lapels basically eating her alive, but she had on the cutest smile, which ultimately made him smile.
"You ready?" He asked as he took her hand.
"Yup."
"What do you have to get anyways?" Joker asked as they began to leave the household.
"Girl stuff."
"Ewww…"
As they entered the store Joker pulled up his collar to conceal his face, and also pulled his hat down a little further than what was to be considered the norm. Harley on the other hand, was very vibrant and began to tug on Jokers hand through the store as she wildly skipped about.
"Harley stop trying to get us noticed!" He had pulled her close to him and whispered violently into her ear.
"Okay Mistah…I mean…Joe?" She looked at him questioning her choice of a name.
"That's a horrible name…Joe…you should have called me Jack or…honey…or Bob at least."
"Okay…Jack it is then."
He tapped his foot as Harley picked out her items, he never let go of her hand, and he looked from left to right repetitively to make sure no one was watching them too closely.
"Hurry up!" He nudged her in the side and she finally made her choice.
"Okay I'm done."
They went to the register; the clerk constantly looking over the coat Harley was wearing finally spoke up, "That looks like the coat The Joker wears. Where did you get that at?" The clerk didn't really seem like he suspected something was up, he just casually wanted to know where the coat was bought at.
"Uh…it's…my fathers, it was raining so he let me use it, I have no idea where he could get such a coat at." Joker stroked her back as if to say 'good job'. He refrained from speaking because his voice was very distinguishable.
"Oh…I'm sorry this item isn't ringing up. Let me go check the price real quick for you. I won't be but a minute."
Of course, Joker thought to his self, of course she had to pick out an item that wouldn't scan, "Here…keep the change." He tried to change his voice, not wanting to be too obvious about the change he made.
"That's nice of you sir, but really it would only take a second."
Harley spoke up now, "It's okay were in a bit of a hurry. Have a good night!"
With that they left the store and Harley started to make her way to the car but Joker grabbed her wrist tightly and took her to the alley way behind the store. It was still raining, the drops hitting Jokers hat hard created little thudding noises…Harley listened to them with great intensity.
"What's the matter? What did I do wrong?" It was dark but his face stood out brightly.
He was smiling, "Nothing sweetie, you did nothing wrong." Joker pushed her up against the alley wall but not forcefully.
He licked her lips causing Harley to open her mouth slightly. She pushed her tongue out to touch his and the rain fell harder, "You know this is a pretty special spot to me." Joker licked the raindrops off of her cheek; he never broke his eye contact with her.
"This exact spot is where I had my first kill as The Joker." He felt Harley tense her body, but he knew it was because her little mind had only become excited at the story he was about to tell.
"So there I was," He pointed to a door further down in the alley, "Walking out with no hopes of the future," He bit Harleys lip, "Just hours before, Batsy had turned me into the guy you love," His voice deep and poetic, "So I see this guy. Just standing here…where we are right now." He moved to the nape of her neck and bit hard causing a slight amount of blood to appear, "He stares at me, just stares…he never looks away…no, not once." He sucked the bite mark he had given her, tasting the sweet blood from her body, "I get angry so I pull out my knife," He felt Harleys heart beat faster, "I say to him…'what's the matter?' that's all I say to him." Joker pressed his thumb hard against the 'J' cut on her stomach from the outside of her clothes, "He doesn't say anything…so I walk closer to him 'what's the matter?'" He stopped his actions and slowly moved his hands to her cheeks cradling her face, "You know what I do? I cut his throat…I cut it…you want to know why?" She nodded yes.
"Because he didn't know what corruption was…he couldn't comprehend what it was or why people cause it...his pathetic little brain…didn't know that corruption is a disease…and there is no way to stop it…no way to halt the spread of that disease."
Harley felt Joker push his head against hers and kiss her hard, the rain pelting her face, "Because if you try to stop it yourself," He kissed her forehead, "Then you're deemed as corrupt."
"Isn't that right Batsy!" Joker still held onto her but he now looked up at the top of the building where Batman was standing.
Batman had been listening to the speech made by Joker, and now he swiftly dropped within a few feet from where the two were standing, "Joker, let her go."
"Let her go? Why on earth would I want to do that?" He looked to Harley, "Do you want to be let go?"
"Nope." She smiled at Batman.
Batman looked harder at the woman Joker was holding he hadn't realized who it was, "Dr. Quinzel?"
"Oh it's not Dr. Quinzel anymore Batman…" Joker held Harleys hand and now faced the caped crusader, he had pulled a knife out of his pocket.
"Joker just let her go." He reached for something on his utility belt.
"Ah, ah ah…" Joker pressed the knife to Harleys neck, "I'm not giving up my toy."
Harley closed her eyes; it was weird to be held by the man you love so much with a knife pressing into your skin. But she wasn't stupid, she understood it was the only way to get out of the situation without her being taken away by Batman.
Joker began to walk backwards with Harley, "You never want to leave me…isn't that right sweetie?"
"Nope, I never want to leave my Puddin'!" She looked at Batman who was dumbfounded, she wanted to laugh.
"See?" Joker laughed knowing Batman could do nothing to save her. Batman didn't understand that Joker wouldn't hurt her…well…at least not kill her. It was funny to him it really was…
"Dr. Quinzel…" Batman spoke low.
Harley spoke loudly, "It ain't Quinzel…it's Quinn. Harley Quinn!" Joker tossed a Smilex ball towards Batman's direction, and the two of them sped off for home both laughing hard as they had puzzled ol' Batsy with tremendous ease. Once, however, when the laughing had quieted, Joker spoke.
"Harley…"
"Yea?"
"Open up the left side of my coat, and take out the box in the pocket." Harley did as he said and found a very small box.
"Here you go." She handed it to him, and then relaxed her eyes.
Joker fumbled with the box and opened it up, he looked at the diamond he had retrieved from Penguin. It was now connected to a ring. He put the diamond back into the box and then put it in his coat pocket carefully.
