Entering through the lobby the semi-glum Harley was immediately stopped by a seemingly happy Sarah. Seeing that smile she knew Bart took her up on a date by now. He always had a way of charming his romantic interests. Maybe for both Sarah and Bart's sake this pairing will lead to long term happiness.

Sarah hugged her tightly. In her head: "Oh now I know how Mistah J feels. I can barely breath."

"Thank you so much Dr. Quinzel." Harley broke from Sarah's grasp and took a deep breath. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be suffocating."

"No no I get it, Bartholomew is a man of enjoyment. Hell in college he persuaded me go to a rave at a blink-182 concert in Keystone City for spring break. Ah the smell of sweat and Captain Morgan was in the atmosphere that week." Sarah gave Harley a queer look for a response.

"Wait you went to a blink-182 concert?"

"That's what you took from what I said, okay then. I'm happy that you are having fun with Bart. I'm sure he enjoys you in vice versa."

"Thank you," The two shook hands and proceeded. "Okay Dr. Quinzel your first appointment of the day is in twenty minutes." Handing over a manilla envelope she grew curious to who was her next patient, maybe a person that didn't obsess with moths.

"Thank you Sarah. I appreciate this dearly, now don't forget to give my regards to Bart, lord knows I haven't been good at keeping in touch lately."

"I will Dr. Quinzel. Have a nice day."

"You too." With that Harley went to the second floor to reach her office. As she reached the door she noticed something strange, it was slightly cracked open. The only reason why it bothered her was that she locked it before she left yesterday. The cleaning crew only sweeps this building once every three weeks on Saturday.

Pushing the door open she saw Jeremiah Arkham standing in front of her desk reading her previously submitted patient review file.

"Is there something I can help you with Dr. Arkham?" He turned from his reading and made a quick glimpse at her.

"Just one thing. Actually it's a question. Do you think you can make a difference here?" Was she supposed to taken aback?

"In what way Dr. Arkham?"

"In successfully rehabilitating these patients."

"Why yes I do believe that there is no patient incapable of proper treatment and eventual rehabilitation. Have I given you any pretense that would make you think otherwise?"

"No."

"Then what exactly is the problem here?"

"Reading this file you seem to have a little empathy towards Mr. Spisak."

"Sometimes bluntness is needed when addressing what's wrong and how to fix those problems."

"Well here you mention that he should be discharged and given counseling from social worker outside the institution."

"I don't mind being cited from my work but you have to admit, some of the patients here aren't as dangerous as others…"

"Like the Joker." Now that struck a nerve for Harley. She had to restrain herself from yelling at him so he doesn't get any ideas.

"Well yes but there are others that also possess the effect of ruination for this city. I want less serious threats to be discharged instead of being in a intermediate state when they only take up space and join the others in destroying the city when we have the occasional breakout."

"At least we have Batman to clean up the mess."

"We shouldn't have to rely on Batman every time shit hits the fan Jeremiah." He looked insulted from the lack of respect. "I'm sorry Dr. Arkham but you should know where I stand."

"Thank you for your honesty. Just remember that I co-sign on the approval for discharging patients since the 'Ivy Raid' of '04. That was one itchy summer. Anyway I will sign my portion of the discharge papers as a matter of good faith but please don't assume I will do this again, some of the patients I will assign you will have you for more than just one session."

"I figured." The thought of having her puddin on the couch made her feel warm on the inside.

"Before I leave I have one more question before your next session."

"Go ahead."

"Do you want to interview The Joker the next time Batman captures him?"

"What would Dr. Leland say about you offering patients behind closed doors?"

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her Dr. Quinzel." This was a dilemma, particularly one she didn't want to get involved in. On the other hand she would then be with her clown even though he would be arrested again.

"What do you get out of this?"

"Nothing." Bullshit. He must be up to something. Fine let's see how this turns out then.

"I would be honored to treat the Clown Prince of Crime when he is left on our doorstep by the dark knight." She hated the idea. To have her puddin all damaged from a fight with that bat bully. She wouldn't have to worry about that though, The Joker is pretty good at hiding and improvising under pressure.

"Good I'll rework the papers and set my new order in motion soon. Enjoy your new patient."

"Thanks I guess," Arkham closed the door behind him. "Asshole."

The buzzer in her office instantly flashed red. Clicking the receiver the other end told her the patient was ready. Unfortunately she didn't have the time to look through the folder.

A guard entered first check the room. After the guard confirmed the perimeter, they brought in the patient. What Harley thought when seeing her new patient was "Well challenge accepted Jeremiah."

"Hello Doctor."

"Welcome Mr. Zsasz, take a seat." The guards locked his arm and leg chains the the chain anchor welded to the floor. After that the armed men waited outside the door for protocol. His appearance wasn't the most pleasing. Luckily he was cooperative to wear his dark grey inmate uniform so she only saw the tallies on his neck. At least Harley knew he killed 11 people.

"Yeah Doctor I have a couple cuts, eight out of these eleven were women. Would you want me to tell you their names and backstories?" Victor gave Harley a wicked grin but that wasn't exactly gonna give the same response as he first thought.

"Not yet, first I have to get some basic info first." Getting out her notepad she clicked her pen and began writing. "Let's see here Victor, why do you think you're here?"

"Because I set damaged souls free from their miserable shells of mortality. The blade helps me take part in my mission to cleanse this city of the weak and empty. Each time I put another tally on my body I feel closer towards my purpose of giving these beasts the greatest gift they can ever receive, death." Quickly jotting down notes Harley wanted to know more.

"Okay good. Was this mission you had to embark began from the death of your parent?" Zsasz had a nervous twitch in his right eye. He wanted the knife in his hand to kill her. "Doctor?"

"Yes Victor?"

"Do you ever wonder what it feels like to kill another individual?" Harley first didn't want to respond to that. But there had to be a little honesty, a little opening up could potentially help deter Victor from swaying away from the original question.

"Yes I have been curious from time to time. Never really living the precarious type of life there were times when I would read case studies of serial killers. Now most of them shared similar traits, white men in their twenties and mid-thirties, tortured animals when they were younger, be fascinated with arson, even attempted suicide, of course they didn't succeed because if they did, we wouldn't see them today on the national news. But do you want to know something I found strange in the comparison between them to your file?"

"Please enlighten me doctor."

"Most had dysfunctional family upbringings with a long history of abuse throughout their childhood. With them growing in low to middle class households with no father or maybe keeping a less than reputable uncle taking swings when life didn't work well for him. Whereas you didn't have to worry about any of that now did you?"

"Shut it." Now we're getting somewhere.

"First lets try this then we'll go to the next question. You grew into the wealth of your parents success. Now they weren't divorced no, they loved each other till the end with the boating accident."

"DOCTOR I think you should be careful what you say next, it just might be your last AAGH dam these restraints."

"You were so depressed that you gambled all their money. You knew nothing would bring them back and it driven you to the point of self destruction." Zsasz jumped up from his couch to berate her.

"That fucking penguin cheated me out of what was rightfully mine from the start. The little man thought he possessed guile when taking my money as ill gotten gains. After that I decided there was nothing left in me, to end my life was the last action I thought was worth a dam. Walking up on that bridge I was assaulted by a homeless imbecile with a knife. In my defense I was had the primal instinct for the preservation of life. Taking the knife I felt a surge of electricity pass through my body. I looked at the man before I slowly pressed the blade into his chest cavity and watch the blood spew onto the iron railing. I freed him, a man with nothing now had everything he could want, peace. With the blade I placed a deep tally on my right arm and knew what my purpose was from there on to now." Harley saw a patient that could definitely use some different antipsychotics than the ones prescribed by the previous doctor. With some time if progression occurs the possibility of group therapy with the other inmates, supervised of course will be an option.

"Okay Victor you have said a lot and now it appears the guards want to take you back to your cell. We can continue this discussion next week."

"WHAT that's IT! Dam doctor you really decided to agitate the wrong patient." One of the guards came to unlock the chair from the floor anchor. Zsasz kneed the guard in the chest and scavenged for his keys. Harley took behind the desk to retrieve the green vial the Joker had left her. The second guard came to reach Zsasz but he incapacitated him with the others baton. He looked up at Harley and smiled, "Well doctor this isn't a knife but I think I can make an exception this one time." He came closer to Harley with the desire to set her free. Hitting the panic button under her desk she dodged his first strike and retaliated with the vial. Throwing it in his face he didn't think twice, "What you think mouthwash would…" There was a delay but the effects of the vial were off putting. He started laughing and scratching the epidermis layers of his skin off, if that wasn't enough he coughed blood. Going to the window he begged for some fresh air by punching a hole in the whole in the window. The fresh oxygen had changed nothing, he was still in a state of irritability that could only be suspended with a cognitive recalibration. Harley took hold off one of the frames and rammed it against Zsasz's temporal lobe. He went down after that.

"My job as a mental health provider." A reinforcement team of guards charged only to see a badly injured inmate, two unconscious guards, and a skinny blonde doctor standing above them all.

"Dr. are you okay?"

"Yeah but you should look at the other guy, he appears to be in agony."

"MAKE IT STOP PLEASE!" The guard yelled at the injured Zsasz. "Shut up freak, we'll take you to the infirmary." Dragging Victor off Harley pulled out her phone and texted her clown. The message was sent but it wasn't seen yet. She went to the window and stared at the river, as the patient would receive medical attention he would surely go to solitary confinement for a couple days. That will only make him more aggressive and continue the same cycle all over again. As a current, throwing a rock in will not alter the designated path, the stream will move in the same direction.

Harley picked up the vial off the floor and hide it away back in her desk. There was no need for them to know her beloved has been giving her irritants as welcome gifts. Hell that would be the least of her worries, she would probably lose her job and be blackballed in the psychiatric community, all because of her love, mad love.

"Bppp..Bppp"

It was him, he responded to her text. "Who was the lucky victim?"

"Victor Zsasz."

"Hehehehe, you gave him a mark he won't ever forget."

"The bastard tried to kill me with a baton."

"He wouldn't have been able to sweets, I know you have quick reflexes ;)."

"My dirty clown. So how's your day going sweetie?"

"Eh kinda dull, not as much blood was spilled today, only this rare steak I'm eating."

"Now I'm hungry. Where did you get that steak?"

"At the Iceberg Lounge. I need to take you here sometime, show you to the entire cast of the damned, but you'll probably meet a couple of them before then."

"So far I've met a man obsessed with moths and another who kills for delusional reasons. I hope the bar raises a little."

"It will sweets, but you've already reached the top level."

"Ya got that right puddin. So when ya picking me up?"

"When do you get off work."

"In a couple of hours, 2:45. Then I'm all your's."

"Ouuu look at you, we can play in the car but not too much, I don't want to crash."

"We'll see."

Hearing a knock on the door Harley gave The Joker one last message for a while. "I'll talk to you soon puddin, kisses." She put her phone away. "Come in."

Dr. Leland came in with a shocked expression on her face. Afraid of what occurred happened she gave Harley a hug to comfort the already calm jester. "I'm sorry he attacked you Harleen."

"Not to worry Dr. Leland, he didn't have the chance too. I can be light on my feet when the time is necessary. I should get back to work now."

"Well I'll be in my office if you need any assistance. Good work today Harleen."

"Thank you Joan." Joan was impressed by Harley's assiduous work effort despite of what just occurred. Leaving the door closed Harley took a deep breath, "I could use some fresh air now. This report can wait till I get back."

The sky was clear and sunny with not a cloud in sight for miles. On one of the benches in the courtyard Harley is eating a caesar salad she bought from the employee cafeteria, "So this is what $3.50 looks like. Eh at least I have some real food at home," Crunching on the croutons thinking of the empty calories she's consuming a woman appeared in her line of sight.

"Hi," said the woman. Harley hasn't mingled in any social circles yet, only knowing Joan, Sarah, and unfortunately Arkham. This reminded her of high school being left alone at lunch but every now and then a person would come over and converse. Many of who had their own distinct character traits to say the least. "Mind I sit here."

"Please go ahead." Why not. It's good to expand your social horizons.

"Thanks." The woman sat next to Harley on the right. Actually looking at her Harley was startled to notice she was another inmate. Wearing a light gray uniform, she had circles under her eyes, a brunette with a lack of energy. Her attention was on the green shrubbery in the center of the courtyard. "Do you know what that looks like?" Harley had no idea where the orderlies were. Not knowing who she was she responded to possibly get more information.

"Ugh it reminds me of a crown."

"I always thought it resembled a ring with some rough edges." Harley turned her head sideways. The shrub didn't look like either, more of lines in zigzag form.

"Think of it like a like a Rorschach inkblot test."

"Believe me I've had enough of those. First answer is a man riding a bike and the next is a giraffe chewing on some leafs. Free response tends to be counter productive."

"Welp so much for a viable career in psychiatry." Silence presumed for a few minutes after.

"The sky's are so clear today."

"Yes they are."

"It takes me back to a picnic date I used to have with my hus…," The woman paused in her statement. "He liked to surprise me with gifts and treats occasionally. It was just a part of his endless affection." That made Harley think of her puddin, he always gives her comfort and security. The warmth provided soothed the nerves of life's daily troubles. "The first time I met him was in a jewelry store stealing precious gems and rings. When our eyes met for the first time the room completely silent, the police sirens were however growing in the background. He handed me a big black harlequin diamond and said: "Wanna have an adventure?" "With a smile so charming I felt drawn to the man, escaping from the police we only knew the future would only get better from here, when two develop into one, mannerisms sync and jokes are tossed together. We made friends with the infamous and despised the rest, especially with Eve. Recently as time passes I grow weary with his absence."

"What happened to him?" A tear trickled from the woman's cheek.

"I don't know. He disappeared one day and I never saw him since. For three years running now and I'm without my sweet….punchie." She began crying, the wounded heart can still function but the damage never heals fully. Harley held her for comfort. She never felt that sensation of emptiness and depression in her life, only witness it from previous "normal" patients.

"Shhh, there there. I haven't lost anybody that meant that much to me yet and I'm thankful for each day they walk among the living. I know one day I will get that phone call and I hope I will be able to stay strong and move forward in life. Your husband may have left but that doesn't mean he left because he wanted, maybe he had to so that you would be protected from dangerous people. Stay strong please, optimism can seem harder to obtain than the opposite with these scenario's. Eventually as time progresses you'll feel better and hopefully reach rehabilitation to return to society. He's can still be alive, just imagine one day you get called for a visitor and when you see the other behind the glass, it's your punchie."

The woman stands and shook the doctor's hand. "You're right, I can't feel weak. I need to stay strong for me, and Clyde. Thank you doctor…"

"Quinzel."

"Dr. Quinzel. I'm Jewelee."

"Things will get better Jewelee, I promise."

"I hope so. See ya around Dr. Quinzel."

"See ya."

Harley sipped down on her black tea and imagined growing old with Mistah J. They had a nice house in the Catskills with no neighbors or distractions from the outside world. Just the two of them together spending their golden years in the mountains. Honestly she didn't care where they would live, as long as they had each other. Losing him would destroy her, there would be a lack of interest in life but those thoughts were pointless. She knew he wasn't going anywhere. "I wonder what he's doing. He hasn't responded to my text yet."

...