Chapter 13: Romance Gone Wrong

"Before she ran off and joined the circus...She was known as Dr. Harleen Quinzel. A psychiatrist at Arkham asylum. She was assigned to the clown himself..."

"Dr. Quinzel. You know, I live for these moments with you. What do you got?"

"I got you a kitty."

"So thoughtful."

"She thought she was curing him...But she was falling in love."

"There is something you could do for me, doctor."

"Anything."

"I mean, yeah."

"I need a machine gun."

"A machine gun?"

"Talk about a workplace romance gone wrong."

Amanda Waller, the Joker, Harleen Quinzel. Suicide Squad, Extended Cut (2016)

It hadn't really been that long ago that Harley had last seen him.

And yet everything had changed.

He was wearing dark jeans and a purple shirt that was open, revealing his tattooed chest. Hostility and rage came off him in waves. In the distance Harley heard thunder rumbling.

"Wendy, go inside."

"Yeah Wendy." Mistah J grinned and it was the most dangerous grin he had. The one that promised bloody murder. "Get outta here."

"Go." She didn't take her eyes off him. "I'll deal with this."

"Harley." Wendy sounded worried.

"Please!" She looked at her just for a second. "Please, go back inside."

Wendy looked torn but finally gave in and Harley felt relief surge through her. She knew how to behave to keep his rage away from her. She didn't know how to protect others from him.

"Hey Puddin'." She smiled. "What'cha doin' here?"

"You know damn well what I'm doin' here, Harley!" He snapped, coming closer, pointing a finger at her in a warning way. "You wrecked my car!"

She couldn't help it. She laughed loudly, throwing her head back, enjoying how upset he was.

"It's not funny!"

"It's hilarious." She giggled, twirling her hair, enjoying the fact that she had indeed had a shower today after Valerie's comment. Enjoying that she was wearing her hair open and it flowed down her shoulders beautifully.

The Joker was fuming.

"Did you see me wreck that car?" She asked batting her eyelashes.

"Who else would have done it?!"

"Well, Puddin' the list of people that hate ya guts is pretty long..."

He stepped closer as if he wanted to strike her and Harley was overwhelmed by how close he was.

He was her Mistah J, his familiar scent enveloped her, brought back all the memories she'd been repressing. His eyes bore into hers and she felt her heart flutter in her chest, remembered when their eyes had met for the first time.

How she missed him.

"Get away from her!" It was Peter's voice that cut through the silence of the night the way a blade cuts through skin. Clean and precise. 4

Mistah J looked unimpressed. He barely looked at Peter before rounding on Harley again.

"You owe me a car, Harley."

She kept his gaze level and retorted unblinking: "I owe you shit, Mistah J. I didn't touch your precious car."

Peter actually stepped up to the two of them and Harley silently wished he would leave. The Joker would kill him, the man who had given Harley a chance and loved her unconditionally was merely collateral damage for her ex.

"When was the car damaged?" Peter asked and Harley was impressed by the way he held himself and how much confidence he was demonstrating.

The Joker sighed so long it sounded like a growl and he spun around to Peter, finally taking his eyes off Harley.

"Last night. What does it matter?!"

"Well, I have about 35 people in here..." Peter pointed behind him. "...who can alibi Harley for last night."

Mistah J's eyes narrowed to slits small. "How convenient."

Harley heard rustling sounds behind her, and clicking.

Guns. She realized.

The Lost Boys were armed and were standing behind her and Peter.

"Is there anything else we can help you with?" Peter crossed his arms and his shirt slid up, revealing the pistol holstered to his jeans. "Or can you find your own way back?"

The Joker laughed.

It wasn't his signature laugh, it was a mean, harsh sound.

"Fine, I get it. I'll leave ya all to it. Chances are pretty high that some lowlife will kill ya, Honey. I won't even botha."

Harley thought about Gracie. About her love for the little girl. Tried with all her might to push away the pain his words had created. Tried to be the bigger person and just let him walk away.

"Speakin' of low-lives, how's Jester doin'?!"

But she couldn't do it.

"Harley." Peter barely whispered, it was more of a sigh, followed by an unspoken what have you done? Just let him go.

Mistah J turned back around with a cruel smile.

"She's doin' great Harley, everyone at the club loves her. She's amazing and refreshing because she don't bring on so much drama like you do. The sex is amazing." She held his gaze, she wouldn't let him see how much he had hurt her. He stepped closer. "She gets shit done and doesn't get caught."

"It's your fault I got caught!" She snapped and he chuckled.

"Sure, baby, whatever you need to tell yaself."

"It was!" She practically exploded. "You know I can't swim! You let the bat catch me and you let me rot in prison for two years before saving me!"

"Well I suppose ya better off without me then aren't you?" He was grinning. He could read it in her eyes, how much she missed him. He knew how much she was hurting and was enjoying it.

"Mistah J I'm going to ask you to leave." Peter put his hand on Harley's shoulder, pressing it gently. "If you don't go by your own free will, we will have to resort to the authorities."

"Ha ha haaaa." The Joker chuckled. "Please do call the cops, they'll take Harley straight back to prison."

"Oh, I don't think so." Peter smiled and softly called out: "Valerie?"

She came out of the darkness like the blazing light she was.

Of course the fact that a line of Lost Boys were holding up flash lights once she stepped out of their rows helped with that effect.

The Joker seemed impressed by her fearlessness, but how could he not be, Harley thought. Valerie was impressive.

"Is there a problem?" She asked in a tone as if she dealt with him everyday and in way Harley supposed she did.

"Nah officer, we're just chattin'." Harley wasn't surprised that Mistah J seemed to think this was funny, but it hurt nonetheless.

Was she the only one struggling with this break up? Was everything truly just a joke to him?

Valerie kept his gaze and Harley was filled with gratitude for her new friends. They were sticking up to her in a way that she could barely remember him doing.

"Goodbye Mr. J." Peter said. "You're not welcome here."

There was a flash of madness in his gaze that she knew all too well and she moved closer to Peter.

To protect him or be protected by him she wasn't entirely sure.

Mistah J moved closer too.

"Is she your little whore?" He whispered with a nasty grin. "Good luck with that. She's a insatiable slut, you won't be able to keep up. She'll just fuck every other guy in sight."

His words didn't matter to Harley. Because it wouldn't make a difference. The Joker believed she had cheated on him so she had. There was no way to fight against him.

"See ya around, bitch."

Harley breathed a sigh a of relief. He would leave and none of the people she had started to care about had gotten hurt.

"Don't talk about her like that." Peter said.
He was calm on the outside, but he was fuming, Harley could tell.

"Peter." She whispered. "Let it go."

"No!" He snapped and walked towards the Joker who had been in the process of leaving for the second time.

He was chuckling.

"No, you apologize to her right now!"

The Joker actually laughed. It was a genuine and real laugh. The kind he had saved for Harley when they'd been alone, making fun of her romance novels or tickling her until she couldn't breathe.

Right now she felt like passing out.

"Yeah." He chuckled. "I'm not apologizing." He looked past Peter at Harley. "She is a whore and knows it. She's always been like that, sleeping around Arkham Asylum, fucking everything with half a brain cell."

Harley couldn't take it. She spun around and ran back into Neverland. She heard Peter calling out to her, she heard Valerie do the same, felt her hand reaching for her. She heard the Lost Boys shuffling around, whispering in the semi-darkness. But above all she heard the sound of the man she had once loved with all her heart.

Above all she heard his laughter.

Reveling in her pain.

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