A/N: This is the twenty-ninth of my 31 stories as I work my way through Draco's Den, Excelsior Fanfiction, Hermione's Haven, Marvelously Magical Fanfiction, Melting Pot Fanfiction, NaNo's Misfits, and Wizarding Crossover Connection's 31 Days of Writing Fanfiction event. Each day is a brand new prompt and hopefully, each day will be a different fandom coming from me.

The challenge: An AU. I choose to try a coffee shop AU in another realm for this one!

I hope you enjoy it!

Love always,
~starr

"Why I oughta," Harley groaned, rolling over to smack the snooze button on her alarm. Letting out a sigh, she propped herself up on her elbow and looked at the time. Her eyes went wide as she realized she was about to be very, very late for her first day of work at Arkham Asylum. Tossing the blanket aside, she rolled out of bed and made her way into the bathroom to start getting ready for the day.

After a ten minute shower and pulling on the outfits she had laid out the night before, Harley was on her way out the door. Thankfully, she only lived a few blocks away from the Asylum, and there was a coffee shop on the way. Coffee was a must. It kept Harley from being a feisty, unfriendly little imp and allowed her to be the impressive Dr. Harley Quinzel that she preferred to portray daily.

She rounded the corner and saw the open sign lit up on her favorite coffee shop. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she glanced down at the watch on her wrist. Even though she had overslept, she still had plenty of time to visit her favorite barista at Gotham City. Usually, someone with face tattoos and a record would send customers running for the hills to find another coffee shop. However, Joker's record intrigued Harley the most and why she spent as much time as possible at the shop. Maybe someday he would pick up on the hints she had been dropping with every single visit.

Harley walked up to the door and pulled it open. The delicious aroma of her favorite morning beverage filled her nose. She let out a sigh and smiled as she made her way up to the counter. Reaching out and ringing the bell, Harley waited patiently for him to turn around.

"Dr. Quinn," he cooed, appearing in front of her with a smirk on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for my morning dose, John," she said, flashing a smile at him. He hated it when she called him by the wrong name, almost as much as she hated it when he spelled her name wrong on her cup.

Rolling his eyes, Joker looked her up and down. "John?" he scoffed, reaching for a cup and the sharpie. "That's a new one. Your usual, doctor?"

"Yes, please," Harley replied. "At least I had the right first letter this time." She crossed her arms over her chest as she narrowed her gaze at him.

"It was a joke," he insisted, offering her a half-hearted smile as he took a step towards the espresso machine. "Besides, maybe if you didn't drink so much coffee, then I wouldn't be able to misspell your name on so many occasions."

"Without the caffeine, I'm not the admirable doctor that you have come to know and love," Harley chirped, shrugging her shoulders as she stepped to the side and watched him make her drink. "Without coffee, I'm a grumpy, little imp that likes to smash things when I don't get my way."

"Sounds like my kind of woman," Joker replied, winking at her from behind the machine. "Your drink will be ready in a few."

"Great," she said, reaching up to pull her hair back into a tight ponytail. She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders to stretch them out. Her first-day jitters were starting to get the best of her. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a few moments.

"Everything okay, Harley?" he asked, pulling her away from her thoughts. He lifted her drink over the counter and handed it to her.

Harley smiled, nodding her head as she took the cup out of his hand. "Yeah, I'll be okay after I drink this. Thanks, puddin'."

"Puddin'?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Trying out a new nickname," she laughed, spinning on her heels and making her way towards the door. "I'll see you later, Jack."

"For your afternoon fix," he said, chuckling to himself as he cleaned off the machine. He kept watching her out of the corner of his eye, waiting for her to find the note he had left on her cup.

Harley made her way outside and noticed something written on the side of her cup. Usually, it was her name, but today there was more there. She turned the cup around slowly in her hand and read over his note.

I'd offer you a cigarette, but you're already smokin'. Meet me for a drink tonight at Noonan's bar?

Harley glanced back over her shoulder and saw him staring at her. She smiled and nodded her head quickly with a wink. She watched as a smile pulled the corners of his lips. Just as she was about to turn to go back into the shop, she noticed a few customers walking inside. The ringing of the bell on the church tower next to her caused her to jump.

Harley looked up at the clock tower, her eyes widening. "Son of a," she groaned, taking off at a run toward the hospital.