"Hahh…" Harleen stares mindlessly at the television, watching the news. It's late and she really should be sleeping for work in the morning, but that's been hard to come by lately.

Night after night, the blonde ends up tossing and turning for hours, until finally tiring herself out enough to get some rest. She knows sleep is important to function normally for the next day, to keep her alert and aware, but that fact doesn't make it come any easier.

The melatonin tablets have helped a little in getting some extra shut-eye. It's still not enough, though. She'll have to move up the chain and try something new before this starts affecting her work performance. The last thing she needs is Jeremiah using this as an excuse to take over Mr. J's case altogether. That can't happen…

Gazing towards the papers on the coffee table, Harleen bites the inside of her lip. She keeps feeling conflicted over her patients and what's been going on. Part of her knows that Mr. J must've provoked Sakura into acting out. Manipulating people and pushing them into action is one of his specialties. However, another side of her blames the pinkette for falling for the bait and lashing out. What could the clown have said that warranted destroying two glass doors and killing a few guards?

'Bulletproof glass doors…'

The thought seems unbelievable… If she hadn't gone to D-block to see the result with her own eyes, she would've thought the guards were pulling her leg, but it's true. How can a person get through a thick surface like that, when they're made to withstand gunfire? To think, she's sat in sessions with this woman many times, with only handcuffs on… If those doors can't stop her, what would a little metal chain between two cuffs do?

'She could've killed me so many times by now… Why hasn't she tried or attempted to escape?'

Patients have escaped or attempted to, with much less ability than Sakura possesses. So, why hasn't she done anything? Does that mean she actually cares about rehabilitation or is there another reason? It's clear that Harold has unusual favoritism towards her, but she was there two years before him and still didn't try anything.

'Curious…'

Sometimes, it's incredibly difficult to gauge the reasoning behind some of the patient's actions or reasoning, even with a doctorate in psychology. There are no books or classes that can truly prepare someone for a place like Arkham. An infamous facility with some of the most notorious criminals is a treasure trove for a psychiatrist.

Gotham is known all over as one of the worst cities, with the highest crime rate. What makes this different from other places is that it's not just petty crimes, like prostitution or drug dealing. Some people try taking over and destroying everything. Most mobsters and thugs at least understand not to shit where they eat, but not these guys. They'll blow up the entire state if possible, not caring if they end up going down too.

It's for this reason that Harleen was interested in starting as a consultant for the asylum in the first place. Nothing is more interesting than how the human mind works and develops.

"We're not that different, you and I. Sometimes, all it takes is one bad day to change the seats we're sitting in. I'm sure you understand what I'm saying. Right, Doc?"

Mr. J is completely right about that and it's a frightening thought, but intriguing at the same time. A perfect example is Jonathan Crane. He was the Chief Administrator for Arkham and no one in the asylum supposedly knew that he was using the patients in his experiments. Now, he's just another patient, sitting in his cell all day and having sessions with the doctors. Perhaps he didn't have that one bad day, per se, but it's apparent there's an underlying mental disorder he's dealing with.

Sometimes it's scary how well Mr. J understands people and how the world works. If his life had been different, he could've made an excellent psychiatrist or psychologist and used his vast knowledge to help others, instead of trying to destroy them. Maybe it's because he understands them so well, that he figures there's no use. That the world is a hopeless cause, a disease that no medication can help…

That man and his words are like a ghost, constantly haunting her and coming out of nowhere. Sometimes, Harleen just stares at the ceiling and mulls them over, trying to come up with responses to the things he'll say. Certain topics he thoroughly enjoys conversing about, like society and politics. Despite the dark humor and sarcasm, he's very intelligent and insightful.

It's a strange feeling being able to talk to another person that openly listens and has answers. Whenever she goes on dates, the blonde always ends up finding herself bored, while some man carries on about themselves and mundane subjects that she has no interest in. They never seem to notice, too lost in their selfish desires to care and more worried about if the money spent on the bill will be pay off with a roll in the sheets.

It's not right, but Harleen is finding herself in a difficult situation. Both Mr. J and Sakura are her patients, yet her personal feelings keep rearing their little heads. She knows the clown did something wrong and can feel it in her gut. However, when she heard what the pinkette did, there was an anger inside at the thought of her possibly killing Mr. J. A fear blindsided her at the thought of that woman taking away her one chance at truly proving herself as a great psychiatrist and the one person she feels a connection to. It's wrong, she knows this, but can't help the way she feels to a certain extent.

Mr. J is known for manipulating people and trying to get their guard down, but Harleen's confident she can handle this for the most part. She refuses to allow it to reach a level of arrogance, which can result in harming herself and the clown. Despite that, it's clear they have somewhat of an understanding and are starting to make progress. No one can get in the way of that, not Jeremiah or another patient.

Sakura is a nice girl and hasn't technically done anything against the blonde, but part of her can't forgive what happened a few days ago. It's selfish and unprofessional, something the doctor has been struggling internally with. Maybe she's tired of caring what other people think and wants a little more out of this life than what she already has. Her entire world is wrapped around this job and outside of that, there's not much to boast about. No husband or children, nothing to fill the empty hole inside of her chest. Ash and her children are the biggest joy she has, but it's just not enough anymore.

Reaching out to grab one of the sheets from the table, Harleen leans back to sink into the couch. It's an order for Mr. J's sleeping medication. She's lowering the dose, since he keeps complaining he doesn't want it, instead of completely stopping it the way the staff tried doing in her absence. With the kind she prescribed, he needs to be weaned off to avoid nasty side-effects. That's why she's the psychiatrist, not the techs. They don't know what they're doing. He also requested for prazosin, so she's going to start him off on 1mg at night and see how it works.

'He must be having nightmares, but doesn't want to go into detail.'

When her cellphone starts ringing on the table, Harleen's brows furrow at the number on the screen. Pushing off the couch, she quickly grabs the device to answer it. If someone from the asylum is calling at this hour, it's never a good thing… She just hopes to God that it has nothing to do with Mr. J…

"Hello?..."

"Let go or I'll tear you to pieces." Sakura looks from the hand coiled around her wrist, up towards the man standing in front of her. He seems amused at the threat, tightening his grip and smiling like the devil himself.

"Don't threaten me with a good time." The clown barks out a laugh, trying to pull her closer. He's thoroughly enjoying the chaos and trouble his actions have caused to the asylum, not having a care in the world. "Besides, you can always, ah, put me back together."

This is frustrating. The entire place is going to be stormed soon and full of gas. Does he realize what's going to happen to the facility after this? Probably, but couldn't care less. While she's already playing out scenarios and thinking of what to say to the staff, he just wants to screw around. Her cell in J-block is a complete mess thanks to fucking Moxley, so it's not like she can pretend nothing happened. They'll have to put her in a new one since there's no way in hell she's sleeping next to that dirtbag's corpse and smelling his filthy blood all night.

One good thing that came out of this shit-show, is that she has a bit of a replacement for Harold. Now that he's gone, courtesy of the asshole staring at her, she needs someone else that works here to be in her corner. It's a necessary evil, but she knows what needs to be done.

After healing Terry upstairs, she dragged him into one of the empty cells to let him rest. That's when ideas starting forming in her head and she decided this man will be a good substitute. He's kind in nature, generous to deserving patients, and owes her a big ass debt that won't be forgotten. She'll make sure of that.

Not only did the pinkette save his life, but she also promised to take care of a certain someone for him when they were talking in the cell. Of course, she wanted to make sure their stories line-up for when everyone's interrogated, which will undoubtedly happen when the craziness dies down. Naturally, that includes putting herself in the best light possible and leaving out quite a few details.

After all, she has no plans of staying in J-block any longer than necessary. Unlike the other inmates out of their cells, Sakura had no intention of destroying the place or killing off the staff. She just happened to smash Sid's head in on the way to see the clown. Sometimes, random acts of violence occur in the halls of Arkham. Can't be helped…

"Don't you realize what's happening? That the guards are going to be storming the place any minute?" The pinkette looks at him incredulously, wondering what he can possibly have in mind at a time like this.

Joker clicks his tongue, grimacing at the way she's trying to spoil his fun. Too bad. Unlike him, she doesn't have to worry about the sleeping gas that's about to come through the vents shortly. There's been a few times in the past three years when it's been employed during a riot, but it doesn't faze her. No one else in the building, besides Poison Ivy, can say that.

"Stop being a pain. They're nothing to worry 'bout. I know ya didn't come all the way down here just to bitch at me. Hmm?" The smug expression on his face is obnoxious and he grins wide when she doesn't reply right away. "C'mon, admit it. Ya wanted to see me and you're using this as an excuse."

Now it's Sakura's turn to grimace at his words. She did come down to berate him, but perhaps there's a tiny part of her that does want to see him, especially after their talk in her cell. He killed two guards and impersonated one of them to visit her in J-block when he could've just carried out this little plan of his. It's not like he gained anything that helped him pull this off by doing that. All the tools were already at his disposal. The uniform, keycards, and the blocks he started with are in the complete opposite direction.

Joker went out of his way to go to her, even if he has ulterior motives that he's trying to convince himself of. In a way, it's kind of flattering that he went through the trouble of doing that and risk possibly getting caught. If any of the other guards noticed his scars, all the alarms would've gone off and he'd be thrown into J-block as well.

"Don't flatter yourself, clown. Let go. You know the place is going to be on lockdown soon and I'm not too keen on being here when that happens." If she's going to keep up this farce and stay here, it might as well be in comfort. Hopefully, if everything plays out as expected, she should be back in her old cell soon. This incident might work out in her favor.

"We have a good fifteen minutes or so. It's gonna take Cash a little bit to get into the control room. Jerry's the one who set the alarm off outside, so we have time to finish our da-te." He pumps his brows, completely smug and annoyingly confident with whatever he's done to cause the Head of Security extra problems.

"Great…" The pinkette sighs, rubbing the sides of her temples and forgetting there's a little blood on her fingertips, leaving another splotch of red on her pale skin. When the cool air hits the fluid, she realizes it's there and furiously wipes it away with the bottom of her sleeve. The reaction causes the clown to snicker, but he doesn't say anything about it, refusing to get off track with the little time they have left.

"Ya don't sound too enthusiastic, dollface. And here I thought we could have a good time together now that you're out and about." She pauses in the middle of rolling up the cuffs of her jumpsuit to arch a brow at him, wondering what he means by a 'good time'. Killing people? Breaking out? Stealing things or setting the building on fire?

"What does the great 'Clown Prince of Crime' have in mind?" Sakura's genuinely curious at this point since he's mentioned them doing something together multiple times now. If that includes sex or leaving the asylum, he's going to be very disappointed.

"Thought you'd never ask!" There's a small glint in those dark pits when he narrows them and it's unsettling. After the comment he made when she threw Sid at him, the pinkette knows there's a perverse side to this man that hasn't really shown itself these last few weeks.

"Why don't you scoot up a bit, then we can talk? Hmm?"

Sakura can feel the heat caressing her cheeks remembering his words. How embarrassing… She wasn't able to hide that emotion from him, because it took her off guard, which isn't an easy feat. He doesn't usually make sexual innuendos and it threw her through a loop at the time.

'He was saying he wanted me to sit on his face. What a pig…'

"Hah. What are you thinking 'bout? Somethin' dirty? Your face is the same color as your hair." The pinkette debates punching him right in the gut for that. It's infuriating that he's pulling this out of her in the first place, and now he's going to start saying things like that just to elicit a reaction. "I have something else on the agenda. We don't have enough time for, ah, tha-t right now."

'Should I hit him?'

"No shit! You wouldn't get tha-t anyway. I'm still mad Moxley got into my cell, because of your little stunt. What if I couldn't get my straight jacket off or those gloves actually did their job? Then I'd be upstairs getting raped, while you're down here laughing your ass off." If she was a regular woman, that's exactly what would've happened. That moron just picked the wrong one. There's no way of him knowing he was walking into a bigger nightmare than himself.

No one would expect a skilled kunoichi in this world, let alone in an asylum. Some people just have shit luck and Moxley was dealt a bad hand. It's exactly what he deserved. If anything, she could've disabled him and handed his disgusting body over to some of the sadistic female inmates. A few of them would've had a blast tormenting him until the bastard finally died. That's what he always did to his young victims.

'Poor girls. I should've done that so maybe they can rest in peace. Dammit…'

The corner of the clown's mouth twitches as he stares at her. She can tell something's playing out in his mind from the expression he's making. He's probably imagining a scenario unfolding where the pinkette is stuck and can't get out. What might've happened… His dark eyes look cold and hard until they finally flicker towards Sid's body on the ground.

"Didn't think it get to J…" If Sakura's ears weren't so sharp, it would've been easy to miss, but she heard it. The words are mumbled under his breath and she thinks he might be talking to himself.

"What?" He blinks at the question and tears his gaze away from the corpse, back to her. Now she knows it wasn't meant for her because he seems surprised.

"I said, 'Good thing you're such a goddamn brute'. Did ya catch that?" Joker seems annoyed and cracks his neck, letting out a harsh grunt. He probably didn't intend to say that out loud and is angry about it.

'I guess that's the closest thing to an apology I'll ever get out of this man. That's good enough. I know he'd be damned before letting someone else kill me, especially since he's been wanting to do it himself all this time.'

"Yeah, I did. So, what do you have planned?" Sakura decides to change the subject, satisfied with what she wasn't supposed to hear. There's no point holding a grudge on what could've happened, considering it wasn't intentional. Besides, she's more interested in what he has up his sleeve.

The question has an instantaneous effect on his mood, switching from agitation to a little more lighthearted. The scowl etched into his face turns into a crooked grin as he gives her hand a hard tug.

"I wanna dance." His lips pull back to bare his teeth until he starts cackling at the horrified expression that twists the pinkette's face.

He can't be serious. This must be some sort of trick to get another reaction out of her. No way in hell is she dancing in the halls of Arkham when they're about to be raided in the next fifteen minutes. That's never been her thing anyway… Sure, she's quick on her feet and can be graceful, but dancing? Nope. Nope. Nope.

"Go ahead. No one's stopping you." She's not joining in. If he wants to make a fool of himself, that's just fine. She's not opposed to sitting back and observing until the gas makes him drop to the floor. That'll make for a great laugh when there's nothing else to do.

"No." Joker grips her hand and takes a step closer. For some ungodly reason, she suddenly feels anxious and on edge, wanting to bolt back upstairs. Right now, sitting in a cell with Moxley's corpse would be more comforting than what the clown wants to do. "I wanna dance with you, doll. Let's see if a bull can move like a swan."

Now, she really does want to hit him.

"I don't dance." Sakura breathes out, looking to find anything interesting on the wall to stare at. Throwing him a sideways look, the pinkette notices that he's smiling so wide, she thinks his scars might tear open.

'What's he so damn happy about?'

Is he enjoying how flustered she's becoming? Or that there's something she's not completely confident about? There were times in the past that Ino dragged her to move around during festivals in the village, but that was a long time ago. After the war, she hasn't attempted anything like that.

"Everyone dances, just in different ways. From how quietly ya snuck up on me, I know you're graceful. C'mon, I'll show ya how." Before she can argue, he takes the hand he's grasping and places it against his right shoulder.

"No. I'm not doing this shit!" Her face burns bright and she sounds angry but doesn't stop him when he starts positioning her body. Standing in front of her, Joker clicks his tongue, tapping against her foot to move them a certain distance apart.

"Just humor me, witch." The vein in her forehead throbs at the name, wanting to drive his skull into the floor for saying it again. How many times has she told him not to call her that? "It's easy. I lead and you follow-"

"Of course, you do." Her eyes narrow into slits, watching his lip curl up in distaste. There's no way he just wants to dance with her. No… This is about something else. She can just feel it in her bones.

"Would ya shaddap and let me finish? Hmm? Like I was saying, I lead and you follow. Keep your hand on my shoulder, that way you can feel my movements. I'll take a few steps forward, and you take the same back. Quick, quick, slow, slow. That way we can get a rhythm, before the rest." Sakura wants to drive her own skull into the floor now, just to have an excuse to not do this.

'The rest?'

He stands a little off to the side, sliding his right hand beneath the pinkette's underarm and rests it against her shoulder blade. Glancing down, his feet are separated and positioned in front, so if they walk in a straight line, there shouldn't be an issue of him stepping on them.

'I wonder where he learned this from? He doesn't seem like the type of man that likes to dance. Then again, he's a clown…'

"I thought people usually dance to music or something with a beat?" The question comes out thoughtlessly and she bites her tongue for it. Of course, someone can do this without anything playing in the background. How stupid… Now, he's going to make a smart-ass remark to piss her off.

"Hah. Can't ya hear it?" He grins, taking her other hand in his own and holding it up in line with the middle of her face. Straightening his back, the pinkette realizes how much taller Joker is when he's not hunching his shoulders. There's almost a foot difference in their height.

"What're you talking about?" Listening closely, all the pinkette can hear is the alarms going off and a scream now and then. Is that what he's talking about? When she narrows her green eyes on him and he grins in confirmation.

'Sadistic bastard...'

"Like music to my ears…" Those black holes in his face flutter close as he rolls his head around, almost like he's drinking in the sounds. This person truly is a strange man, but she can't help finding him intriguing, even if he has a few screws loose. "Hmm… 'Kay. I'll take a few steps forward, so follow my lead. I know you're quick on the uptake, so it'll be easy."

"Just don't step on my toes." For some reason, Sakura smiles and she's not sure why. What's the point in doing this anyway? Does she just want to see what he'll do or might be planning?

"If I do, it'll be your fault for not listenin'. Let's go." Joker starts moving closer and she steps back, using the hand on his shoulder to follow his movements. When he takes a step, she can feel it in the way his muscles flex beneath her touch. It's easy, just like he said. "Don't stare at my feet or it might throw ya off. No one dances like that, ya brute."

"Call me that again, I'll turn you into an animal balloon and sell you back to the circus." Instead of either becoming enraged at the insults, they're both smirking. It feels strange to be doing this. The entire asylum is in an uproar and people are at each other's throats, yet she's in D-block, being instructed on how to dance by a psychopathic terrorist.

'Funny how the world is…'

"Okay… Pretty simple, ain't it? Now, when we get to this part, I spin ya around one and a half times, like this-" He twirls her to the right, so that she's facing the same direction as him, then pushes her to spin the same way backward. "Ya see? One and a half this way, then one and a half back. Only, we don't stop moving when we're in action. Got it?"

Sakura nods, trying to hide the tinge on her cheeks. Right now, she doesn't think she can manage a verbal confirmation. It is simple and he's good at giving direction-no surprise there-but this is a side of him that she didn't expect. There are a million other things he could've suggested, so why this one?

Joker starts moving again and she follows, letting him twirl her back and forth seamlessly. He smirks at how fast she picks up on the movements, completely smug in knowing it's his doing. Now, the clown thinks he can boast to himself about teaching the 'Queen', as he likes to call her, new things.

They effortlessly step over Sid's body that's in the way, gliding a little further down the wall, before moving back. Despite not wanting to have any part in this, Sakura finds herself starting to enjoy it. When's the last time she's done anything like this with another person?

'The calm, before the storm…'

The pinkette tries to push the thought away, wanting to keep her focus on the clown's movements. One wrong step and he'll be on her toes, which he'll make sure she never forgets. As long as she keeps moving the right way, that won't happen. It's kind of funny. She remembers women always complaining about men stepping on their feet and never realized that it was their fault for not paying attention. Usually, it's blamed on their partners for being a crappy dancer.

Glancing up towards her own partner, Sakura stiffens at the way Joker's looking at her. Those shadowy lids keep twitching and she notices that he's staring at her face. They've been playing this weird game for weeks on end, toying with each other's minds and emotions, always trying to figure the other one out. Instead of just talking, like normal people, they constantly test the waters, using their reactions as a way to look beneath the surface. Words lie, but body language and taking someone off guard is far more genuine.

Throughout their entire encounter—she doesn't know what to call this—the pinkette's been confident and fighting to stay in control of everything that happens. Undoubtedly, the clown has gotten a few good punches in and occasionally surprises her, but she's kept her cool. There isn't much that can knock someone like her off the edge, not after the war and what she's seen.

And yet…

That glint in his eyes makes her want to hide like she's standing bare-naked in the hallway. She's been nude in front of the guards more times than a woman should have to endure and always exudes the image that nothing can bother her. There's something in those pools of obsidian that gives her the sensation of having everything stripped away. Her orange jumpsuit, the skin, and muscles covering her bones, all the way down to the core of her being, dipping into the translucent soul residing there.

He's never looked at her like this. It feels like someone drained the blood from her veins and is replacing it with molten lava. The frigid temperature in the asylum is rising at an alarming rate and the change is causing her skin to prickle with goosebumps.

'It's me that's getting hot, not the building.'

Sakura doesn't remember if she's ever danced with a man before. One that isn't her father… Kami knows she's tried in the past, but the only person she ever wanted to do it with always spurned her advances.

….

"Ah, that was deli-cious! I wanna 'nother one!" The blond-haired boy jumps on the stool excitedly, leaning over the table with his blue eyes wide open.

"Naruto! Stop being a pig! You already had five of them…" Sakura clicks her tongue, taking a small bite out of the green-colored dumpling on a stick.

This night is the festival to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of a new season. Everyone in the village is out and enjoying themselves, wearing colorful yukatas with different patterns sewn into the light fabric. The shinobi that aren't on guard leave their uniforms at home and blend in with the rest of the civilians. It warm and dark out, making the beautiful variety of lanterns all around shine brightly in the background.

Sakura loves this time of year. The sweltering heat of summer is finally leaving with the cool breeze of autumn right on its tail. Missions during the summer months are always the most grueling unless they're sent elsewhere. That doesn't happen for the most part, since they're a relatively young team of genin. Even though Kakashi-sensei is the leader, he doesn't want them to take missions above their skill level.

That can result in the entire team being killed if there's a slip-up, like what almost happened in the Land of Waves, when they ran into Zabuza-san and Haku-chan. Naruto still sulks now and then about that, but it pushes him to train harder.

When one of the staff places another plate of dango on the counter, the pinkette sighs when Naruto hops right on it. He's such a glutton and has no self-control, whatsoever. How can someone like that be a shinobi? It's hard enough for her to keep the cravings down for another. After all, she's on a diet and can't just sit around eating sweets all night. It's a constant battle with no end in sight, but sacrifices need to be made with the end goal in mind.

Green eyes subtly drift towards the dark-haired boy sitting between her and Naruto. Sasuke-kun… He's been brooding most of the night from girls harassing him to dance. There's a large area near the trees, where some of the villagers are swinging around and laughing to the beat of drums and a few other instruments she has no interest in.

Kakashi-sensei suggested going to the dango stand, after a long, drawn-out argument between Sasuke-kun and Naruto about going to Ichiraku for ramen. He said we always go there and it's too warm for that, but disappeared when Guy-sensei showed up. Probably to get out of paying the large bill the glutton will rack up.

'Typical…'

Taking another tiny bite of her dumpling, Sakura glances towards the group of people dancing again. It looks like fun and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. Part of her likes to think that maybe Sasuke-kun denied those girls, so he can do it with her. It very doubtful, she knows this. He's not the type to take part in activities that he considers a waste of time. Sweets are his weakness, so she always jumps for the suggestion when the team argues where to eat.

'I wonder if…'

The pinkette knows she's being stupidly hopeful, it's one of her short-comings as a kunoichi. That doesn't stop her though, always trying to look ahead towards the light at the end of the tunnel. She can't help the persistent feelings that constantly drive her in one direction.

"S-Sasuke-kun…" Sakura's nervous and it's hard to get the words out, especially when he turns his head and looks at her with those large, dark eyes. She freezes on the spot, feeling the lump forming in her throat that's trying to get in the way of her asking. It doesn't matter. She's a kunoichi of Konohagakure and needs to steel her resolve. If she can't even manage this, then what hope is there? Taking a deep breath, it's either now or never. "Do you want to dance with me?"

The Uchiha looks surprised for a split-second, before returning to his usual stoic expression. He doesn't say anything for a moment and her nerves are on the fritz the longer he keeps her waiting. If a 'no' didn't come out right away, does that mean he's at least thinking about it?

Sasuke-kun clicks his tongue an takes the last bite of his dumpling, dropping the stick on the plate with a clang. When he hops off the stool, her heart flutters and almost rips right out of her chest. Is he accepting the offer? Will he dance with her, after turning all those girls down? They're a lot prettier than she is, but maybe that doesn't matter to some guys?

The other's always poke fun at her hair color and forehead, but she has a few other good qualities that might make up for it. At least, the pinkette thinks so… She hopes that maybe the Uchiha can overlook those flaws and see the person behind that. If he chooses her, she'll work hard to make sure he doesn't regret it. One thing that can be said about her, is that she's loyal and has a ridiculous amount of dedication when it comes to something important to her.

'I hope Sasuke-kun notices that…'

When he stands up, she looks at him with a small smile, praying that this works out for once. Every time she asks him to do anything with her, it's always the same answer, but this time he didn't do it yet.

"Get lost." Sasuke-kun grimaces, shoving his hands in his pockets, before walking away.

It's like someone knocked the wind right out of her, punching the pinkette in the gut and dropping a bucket of ice water down her back. She's dazed, almost falling off the stool from what he just said. It's the same way every time he does it, but it never gets better no matter how often she experiences it.

"You jerk! Don't treat Sakura-chan that way!" Naruto yells at the Uchiha before he completely leaves the shop. He turns and narrows those dark eyes on the blond-haired boy in annoyance.

"You dance with her then, dobe."

It just barely registers in her brain that he's leaving, still in shock and denial about the rejection. She can hear them arguing, but it sounds like static in the background. Aside from the music playing and the laughter, it's finally quiet when she looks up from the ground.

"I'll dance with you, Sakura-chan. How 'bout that? Ne? Ne?" Naruto's hopping around excitedly, but she doesn't care. He's not the one she wanted to spend time with and would rather have a verbal battle with the Yamanaka than do this with him.

Sakura's upset and humiliated, just wanting to go home and cry her eyes out on a pillow for the hundredth time. It hurts, constantly leaving an ache in her chest that never goes away.

"C'mon, Sakura-chan! It'll be fun! I promise ya won't regret it!" Hearing the word 'regret' and seeing his enthusiasm set her off. Without hesitating, a small fist comes crashing into his face, knocking him into the dirt. Cracking her knuckles, the pinkette storms off, not sparing the blond-haired boy stuttering on the ground another glance.

...

'I was awful to Naruto… He didn't deserve that. Boy, I sure was a bitch when I was younger. He was just trying to make me feel better about Sasuke being a dick and I took my anger out on him. Now, I'll never get the chance to apologize…'

"Hey… Hey, eyes on me." The pinkette blinks a few times at the low growl in her ear, not realizing how close she let him get. It's like waking from a dream, one she never wanted to fall into in the first place. Those days are long gone, just part of a different life at this point.

Sakura tries shaking it off, almost in disbelief that she allowed herself to get lost this way. She didn't even notice the clown looming over her small frame, like a large shadow overhead.

Joker's too close for comfort, still gripping her hand and moving to the steps he instructed. Only this time, he's not listening to the direction to keep the same distance apart. His nose is in her hair and she can hear his heavy breaths, almost certain that he's smelling the pink locks.

'What the hell's he doing?!'

"Heh. How about we play a little game?" He leans back and stands up straight with a cocky little smirk on his ruined mouth.

'Here it is… This is what he's honestly looking for.'

Sakura doesn't want to admit it, but part of her feels disappointed. There's always a method to his madness it seems. The dance must've been a way to get her to relax before the real intention comes out. Looks like no matter what time it is in her life, some things never change.

"What kind of game?" She doesn't try to hide her displeasure, verbally, or physically. That memory of Naruto and Sasuke took the wind out of her sails, and the man in front of her isn't helping either. For once, it would be nice to spend time with someone, without worrying about some hidden agenda or having to watch her own back. To be with another person that genuinely wants to be around her and do things together, that likes who she is and not for some ulterior motive.

'Never going to happen. You're not that foolishly hopeful genin anymore, so knock it off.'

Joker is observant, picking up on the change in her mood right away. His lip curls up and she thinks he's about to snarl, but that doesn't happen. He seems annoyed, shifting his eyes towards one of the glass windows, instead of staring at her the way he's been doing this whole time.

"Hmm?..." The pinkette is twirled around again as his gaze wanders around everywhere else, but at her. She can't tell what he's thinking but can see the wheels turning. Despite visually appearing relaxed, his muscles are rigid beneath her fingers, revealing the underlying tension coursing through his body. Something is going on in that mind of his and he's trying to keep it away from his expression. "Tch. Wipe that look off your face, before I do it for ya."

'What?'

Sakura cranes her neck back at the threat. How the hell does he know what kind of expression she's making now when he's staring off in the distance? Cocky bastard. The grip on her hand tightens to the point it cracks her knuckles and she stops moving, causing him to step on her feet.

"You trying to break my hand?" He finally looks back at her with a scowl on his face. She thinks he's going to say something rude about being a brute or gorilla, but he doesn't. The hold on her hand lightens up to the pinkette's surprise, not trying to crush her bones into a fine powder anymore. The clown's acting strangely for some reason, nudging her to keep moving with his elbow.

"J, you said there's a game you wanted to play?" There's not much time left before the gas comes, so whatever he's hoping to do needs to happen now. Once the smog comes, his ass will be knocked out and the floor and she'll have to toss him into bed, so the guards don't snag him. It sure would be entertaining to watch, but the two of them in J-block doesn't sound too enticing.

"Yeah… That's right." His voice is deep, not playful as usual and he seems distracted. Not knowing what's going on upstairs is making her uneasy. The switch can flip in a split-second and she needs to stay aware.

"You're a fast learner." Joker doesn't say anymore as they move down the hall, closer to his cell. He is acting off and it's not clear why. A compliment being thrown in her direction without an insult laced in there somewhere is a good sign that something's wrong.

Sakura watches him carefully, noticing that's he's staring at her lips, instead of keeping eye-contact. The muscle in his cheeks jump and he swallows hard, looking away to spin her around again.

"What's up?" That's not what she genuinely wants to say. It's something along the lines of 'What are you looking at, bastard?', but opted to keep it a little less antagonistic. Right now, she's not really in the mood to fight with him and is more interested in finding out what's going on.

Those pitch-black eyes go back to staring at her mouth and it's starting to irritate her that he's not saying anything. Is he thinking about what happened in the cell earlier?

'Oh, shit… That's right. I kissed him.'

It's almost hard to believe she even initiated something like that, especially with him of all people. Then again, he's probably been the only one that she's felt somewhat of a connection to in this world. Who would've guessed it'd be in an insane asylum?

Watching the clown's face, her brows furrow when she notices his gaze slowly trailing down towards her neck. His tongue slithers out to prod at the forked scar on his own and his muscles bunch up under her touch.

"Shit!" Sakura rips her hand away and puts it in front of his face, sending a wave of chakra into his system. The green glow illuminates his skin as his eyes widened into saucers, before rolling up into the back of his head. It only takes a second, before he drops to the floor in a heap of orange and tan.

"Goddammit!" The pinkette grits her teeth, staring down at the man by her feet. It was fast, but she could feel it. The murderous intent and bloodlust coming off him… The sensation suddenly spiked when he was staring at her neck, probably preparing to lunge for it.

'Why?'

It doesn't make sense. Why now of all times? Of all the inmates in the building, she always recognizes his right away, after spending so much time across the hall from it. As soon as it appeared, she had to act on it, before one of them did something they might regret.

'Ah. I think I get it…'

Before moving to her neck, Joker's eyes were glued to her lips for a few minutes. Either he was thinking about her kissing him or doing it himself, but the thought must've angered him. He doesn't like feeling influenced to do anything and that's when the clown becomes intolerant. Those moments when someone disrespects him or has a flood of emotions that he's uncomfortable with are the most dangerous.

'What a pain in the ass.'

Why does she have to be interested in a man that lashes out just because he felt like doing something normal? That's definitely it… He wanted to kiss her and it sent him into a frenzy. What kind of person goes to kill someone over that?

'A psychotic clown, that's who.'

Crouching down towards the floor, Sakura sighs as she looks at the clown. He really is a strange man, but maybe that's what she likes about him. That wasn't planned or the intent would've been noticeable earlier. After all, he said there was a game he wanted to play, one that probably included trying to get information out of her.

Joker isn't foolish enough to try that on a whim, especially after what happened last time, and all that's led up to this point. He let his subdued emotions get the best of him and tried taking it out on her. If he genuinely wants to kill her, it won't be in such an obvious way. It would be some sneaky, underhanded tactic that he thinks she won't expect.

'So, that's why he was looking at me that way when we were dancing…'

The clown was finding himself enjoying what they were doing and let his mind wander further than he can tolerate. How terribly funny is that? Next time they see each other, he's going to be all pissy over this.

Reaching out, the pinkette gently moves some of the messy hair away from his face, letting her eyes wander over his features. It's so different than seeing him on the news with all the greasepaint and theatrics. This is the terrifying monster the entire city is scared of, lying unconscious on the floor from a small, pink-haired woman.

Honestly, she doesn't blame them for being afraid. He can be a terror, that's for sure. If the pinkette wasn't a trained kunoichi, she would've been dead weeks ago. Joker isn't some foolish thug with shitty color-coordination. He's extremely smart and resourceful, a recipe for disaster when mixed with madness. Physical strength isn't everything and she's witnessed that on several occasions in the past. Shikamaru is a perfect example of using his intelligence to overcome brute force.

'Hmm... He has nice facial bone structure. A strong jaw too... Good for punching.'

The clown is quite handsome, even with the scars. They don't bother her in the slightest. After all, it wasn't his appearance that drew her to him in the first place. It's his personality and persistence that caught her attention. No matter how often she ignored him during those times he worked hard to antagonize her, he never gave up, constantly trying even when he wasn't yielding any results from his efforts. She was always listening, no matter how much she pretended to be reading or sleeping. He doesn't give up and it reminds the pinkette a lot of herself.

"Hah. Life really is strange and random, isn't it?" As soon as the words leave her mouth, a smog starts filtering through the vent on the ceiling. Either Cash or Jeremiah must've made their way into the control room by now. The clown's estimate was correct on how much time they had left together, but he wasn't taking that into account when he suggested playing a game. He was probably too wrapped up in whatever spiral he found himself in to keep track of how many minutes already passed.

"Alright… Let's go." Grabbing the front of his jumpsuit, Sakura drags him across the floor towards his cell. She's not going to let the guards screw with him until she gets some more answers. They'll play his little game, just at a different time.

Going past the glass door, the pinkette doesn't know how to feel about all of this. Dancing with him was…something else. There's no point in acting like a stupid, hopeful little girl again. It'll only lead to a world of disappointment that leaves her with nothing but the sensation of pain in her chest. That's not going to happen again. She learned her lesson with Sasuke and won't make the same mistakes this time around.

Tossing Joker onto his bed, she tries to position him to look like he's been sleeping the entire time, covering him up with a blanket the way he usually has it. Just like his hair, a damn mess.

"Why do you have to be such a bastard?" Green eyes gaze down at the unconscious man, biting the inside of her lip. She made sure to only use enough chakra to knock the clown out temporarily and keep him in a light sleep. This has to be believable if she wants things to play out the way she wants them to.

"Hahh…" Sighing, Sakura sits on the edge of the bed, feeling conflicted about everything. She can't remember the last time this has happened. It's been years since the pinkette hasn't known exactly what needs to be done and it's all this man's fault.

'You're driving me up a wall, asshole.'

Perhaps it's okay to let the cards fall where they may. Nothing's ever set in stone to begin with. Joker always goes on about showing people their attempts at control are useless, yet lashes out when he finds himself losing it in the slightest. Maybe she's similar in a sense and they both need to learn how to let go and let things play out the way they're meant to.

Shifting her jaw, the pinkette puts a hand next to his pillow and leans forward, pressing her lips against his. The kiss he wanted and would've gotten if only his murderous and narcissistic tendencies didn't get in the way. It was easier when she did it in a dark cell earlier since they couldn't see each other, but she feels confident right now with him sleeping.

Leaning back, she almost laughs from imagining how enraged he'll be when he wakes up and remembers what happened. Will he come to J-block again, before she manages to return to the cell across the hall? Or does he intend on trying to kill her again over his own conflicting emotions?

Moving her hand, something brushes against the pinkette's fingers along the edge of his pillow. Furrowing her brows, she reaches under to pull out whatever is under there. It's none of her business but screw it. He had the balls to get one of his goons to find her file and take some papers out, so what's wrong with this?

Fishing under his head, the tips of her fingers pinch the thin item and she yanks it out into the open. He's not awake anyway, otherwise, he'd be furious that she's snooping like this. Looking down, Sakura's eyes widen at what the clown was hiding under his pillow. The frown on her face cracks, turning into a crooked grin and she starts laughing hysterically.

Two cards. The Queen of Hearts and Jack of Spades.

"You really are hopeless…"