Chapter11: A Smile

Guys! I'm so sorry I wasn't able to upload sooner :( I hope you all had a nice Christmas! I was really stuck because I had to add another two chapters which wasn't what I had originally planned and also I'm...kind of bored with Harleen? I want her to finally become Harley, but I'll still have to wait a few more chapters. Anyway, Harleen and I get along well again and I'm trying my best to finish this story before New Years, so wish me luck ;)
Thank you for each review and message, when my days are dark and doubts fill my mind I read your comments and they make my life brighter. So thank you!

And you've got a smile
That can light up this whole town

(Taylor Swift – You Belong with Me)

Harleens POV

When I opened my eyes I felt well rested for about a second. Then the events of last night came crashing back to me and I sat up suddenly. For a moment I felt dizzy, but it passed.

My head and my leg hurt. And my arm? I pushed up my sleeve and saw the blue mark in the crook of my arm.

I vaguely remembered a stinging sensation. Heroin. He had given me heroin! Sighing I swung my legs to the edge of the bed. The I pushed up my trousers and saw the gun-shot Quinn had attended to yesterday. It didn't look infected, but it hurt like hell.

"You're awake."

I hadn't noticed him come inside the bedroom. When I saw him my troubles seemed to vanish instantly. And my pain was gone too. He had given me heorin to help me, he had paid for it to help me.

"Kind of."

Mr. J stepped towards me. He looked good in his usual black pants, but was actually wearing a shirt. It was blue like his eyes. He didn't look well rested, but I didn't flatter myself. I was sure other things than my well-being kept him up at night. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was shot, electroshocked and high all night."

He smiled and sat down beside me, but didn't comment.

"You saved me." I realized.

"Of course." The Joker reached out to tuck a loose strand of my blonde hair behind my ear. "Are you hungry?"

I shook my head. I felt strangely full. Or not full directly but content. Maybe it was an aftermath of the heroin.

"Can you help me get to the bathroom?" I nodded towards the door opposite the bed and Mr. J stood up immediately and let me lean on him to get to the other room. My leg hurt so much I knew I wouldn't be able to go to work for a while.

"I had Johnny get some of your clothes." He nodded towards a pile of my clothes on one of the shelves. For a moment I blushed, because my bras were lying on the very top and I realized his henchmen had been in my apartment and had gone through my closet, but well...Johnny was ok.

"There are some toothbrushes above the sink. I'll have Yvette bring you some breakfast, ok?" Yvette doing anything in this house was far from ok, but I didn't argue with him, because he kissed my forehead so gently, I could only smile up at him like a love-struck idiot.

"Ok."

He left and I got undressed. When I stepped underneath the warm water I felt relaxed immediately, but no matter what I did I couldn't get Quinns screams out of my head. She had been my only friend – and now she was dead.

When I came back outside, wearing tight jeans and a black top, Yvette the police-woman was standing in the door. She had put a tray filled with French Toast, eggs and pancakes and orange juice. As I sat down on the bed again she glared at me so hatefully, it was as if I had been the one who had attacked her. She had no reason to hate me. But the way she was glaring was as if I had kidnapped her daughter or something. It made me feel uncomfortable.

Once I was finished she took the tray away again and I limped into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I felt uneasy and tired at the same time. I wanted Mr. J with me, but it wasn't like I could just stand up and search for him. For one thing I was sure it would upset him and for another...well my leg really hurt. And I didn't know where he was.

There was a knock on the door and a smile lit up my face, when he stepped inside. He had something small in his hand, but I couldn't see what it was. The Joker sat down on the bed beside me and kissed me fiercely, eliciting a sigh from me as I wrapped my hands around his neck automatically, as if kissing him was the most natural thing in the world.

"Did you miss me?" He muttered against my lips.

"You know I live for these moments with you." I whispered back as he leaned back and played with something white and furry in his hand. "What have you got?"

He grinned and showed it to me. "I got you a kitty."

It was a tiny white stuffed animal and I took it from him with a smile.

"That's so thoughtful."

Poor Puddin'.

"Did you find the other women?"

He nodded and there was a cold look in his eyes that didn't scare me. It made me feel safe. "Jessica Galpin, she's dead. Susanne Turner, she's hiding. Anna Halliwell – she's a teacher and Feline Elliot, she works in the hospital as a caretaker."

I shook my head. I didn't know these women. I didn't understand why they had tried to kill me. My confusion must have been written all over my face, because Mr. J said:

"They call themselves the Fierce Five." He rolled his eyes and I had to smile, because I knew he didn't like their name. "They like to hurt people, so..." It was only just a moment, but I could see the insecurity in his eyes and my heart dropped. Something was wrong. "Harley, do you have any enemies?"

"No! Of course not!" I sat up. "Why are you asking me this?"

"The Fierce Five don't pick their victims themselves." Mr. J explained and gently pushed me back. "They are hired." He paused as his words sunk in. "Someone sent them to hurt you."

I blinked away my tears. "I don't understand who would do this."

"We'll find out." He promised.

"What did you do with the other women?"

"Nothing yet." My Puddin' put his arm around my shoulder. "My boys are keeping watch on them, we're trying to find out who is pulling their strings. Yvette doesn't know who it is and if we kill all of them the problem won't be solved."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't know who was behind this.

"I called the hospital." He said. "And told them you won't be able to come in for two weeks." Now he grinned and amusement shone in his eyes. "Doctor's orders."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Dr. Jahasapeemapetilonda made it very clear that you need some time to rest and work through your problems."

I fell back into the comfortable pillows. "Not the Dr. J thing again."

He was ready for a come-back I could see it in his face, but a sudden loud ringing tone interrupted him. It was a familiar tune and I sat up once again.

"Is that my phone?"

"Yes." My Puddin's tone had changed and he sounded angry. "Some guy called Shayne has been calling you non-stop all night!"

I had to giggle at his obvious jealousy. "That's my brother."

A look of realisation crossed his face, but he covered it up quickly as he handed me the phone.

"Hello?"

"Harleen!" I could hear the worry in my brothers voice clear as day. "Are you ok?! The hospital said you were in an accident..."

Accident? I had been attacked and a group of murderous women had staged my suicide, but lets call it an accident, sure. Being kindapped and electro-shocked had been what? A therapy-session?

"I'm ok." I sighed, rubbing my eyes as I felt a familiar tiredness wash over me.

"What happened?" He lowered his voice when he added: "The nurse told me you tried to kill yourself..."

I sighed. There it was. For a moment I didn't know what to say. Someone had hired these women to hurt me, so I couldn't tell Shayne the truth. It was too dangerous. But I couldn't lie. That was too painful.

"I didn't try to kill myself." I finally said. I just couldn't have him thinking I would ever do that to him. "But I was in hospital. I'm fine now. I'm...I'm actually with my boyfriend right now."

Beside me the Joker chuckled quietly, but Shayne sounded far from amused when he repeated:

"Boyfriend?"

"Yeah." I had to look away from said boyfriend who was laughing beside me, so I could keep a straight face. "It only happened a few days ago."

"I don't understand."

I sighed and Mr. J's face-expression changed to something darker.

"It's complicated. He-" I was interrupted when Mr J grabbed the phone and said in what was such a normal tone it almost sounded British:

"This is Dr. Jahasapeemapetilonda speaking."

I groaned as he tried to calm my brother down.

"Mr. Quinzel you may rest assured your sister is in good hands." There was a pause and he nodded. "Yes. She has been having some problems lately and I can promise you are relationship is strictly professional."

Great. So now he thought I was some love-struck crazy patient. I should have told him I'd tried to kill myself that would have been less embarrassing.

"I am sworn to secrecy towards my patient." Mr. J continued. "But I can promise you she is doing well and is in no danger."

Shayne seemed to have calmed down again, atleast I couldn't hear his voice through the phone anymore and it was handed back to me.

"Hello?"

"So who is this boyfriend? Can I talk to him too?"

I rolled my eyes. "No. You've spoken to my psychotherapist, don't you think that's humiliating enough?"

Shayne laughed and actually did sound more relaxed. I guesses Mr. and Dr. J had that effect on people. He was chuckling too.

"I'm trying to get time off work. But it's difficult right now."

"Don't worry." I said because honestly I didn't really want to see him at the moment. "I'm not supposed to see people at the moment anyway...my therapist said I need to focus on myself right now."

Mr. J looked at me amused and Shayne said jokingly: "What and your boyfriend gets to stay?"

"He's already gone."

"Ok." He gave in. "Let me know if you need anything, ok? You know I'm always there for you, no matter what."

"Thanks Shayne."

"Bye sis."

I hung up and Puddin sat down in front of me on the bed. "Lying to your brother and avoiding him. Are you hiding something from him, Harley?"

"No."

"It sounds like you are." His blue eyes blazed. "It sounds like you are scared of disappointing him."

I rolled my eyes once more. "Stop that. You're not a real psychotherapist!"

"How would you know?" He chuckled and then lied down beside me, resting his head on my shoulder. "Besides it's fun trying to get into peoples minds."

"You already are in my mind." I muttered, as my eyes fell shut. "Mind, body and heart. You have it all."

I couldn't see his reaction because I was too tired to open my eyes, but I felt him pull the blanket over me and pull me closer to him. He held me while I slept. And I slept more peacefully than I had in a very long time.

When I woke up Mr. J was gone and instead there was a note lying next to me on a tray with a sandwich, a glass of water and a pack of Ibuprofen. Just as I reached out to pick the note up, a high-pitched voice proclaimed:

"You're pretty! Can I touch your hair?!"

I jumped at the unfamiliarity of the voice and then turned to see a little girl in a red dress with blonde pigtails sitting on my bed.

"Who are you?" I yawned.

"Catherine." The way she said sounded like I ought to know who she was. "So can I?"

"Can you what?"

"Touch your hair!"

I touched my hair myself and then found myself saying: "Sure."

Immediately the child climbed onto the bed, not caring that her dress was being pushed up and scrambled towards me. She was a very pretty girl with large blue eyes and long eyelashes. A very concentrated look appeared in her eyes as she began to stroke my hair so carefully I wasn't sure she was actually touching it.

"Ok..." I said after a while and wondered if Mr. J was playing some sort of trick on me. When the girl didn't stop I took hold of her hand.

"That's enough now, Catherine."

"What's your name?" She asked in a very excited tone.

"Harleen."

The little girl giggled. "That's a funny name. My unicorn's called Mrs. Fluffy-Snuggle-Kiss, but sometimes I just call her Pooh."

"That's nice." I rubbed my head. Pooh – what a stupid name!

"Would you like to see her? She's hiding in my room, because she's scared of all the men, but if I get her for you she won't be afraid, because you're nice!"

"Ok, sure. Go get her."

Once the child had left I reached for the note, hoping to find some kind of explanation as to why a little girl was here, but all it said was:

Harley,
I had some business to take care of. I saved Yvettes number in your phone. Call her if you need anything. I'll see you tonight.

J.

I sighed and took one of the tablets, I had a feeling I'd be needing them. The door opened and the little girl came back inside, with a laptop and a plastic unicorn in her arms.

"See, this is Pooh."

My leg hurt, I was basically bound to the bed and the only assistant I had was a women I hated with a passion I hadn't known lived inside me. I was all by myself while my new boyfriend was of doing some "business" and I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

But when that little girl looked at me with her large blue eyes and showed me her unicorn called Mrs. Fluffy-Snuggle-Kiss she moved something deep within me that hadn't been touched in a long time.

There were few children who had had this effect on me. I wasn't crazy about them as some other women were. But something about Catherine reminded me of well...me.

"She's very pretty." I told the child. "Is that your laptop?"

"Johnny gave it to me so I would shut the fudge up." She leaned forward and whispered. "He didn't really say fudge, but Mrs. Fluffy-Snuggle-Kiss doesn't like swearing."

"I got it." I whispered back. "So Catherine, why are you here?"

Maybe she was Johnnys daughter. I wondered how many of the men here had children.

"My Auntie Yvette lives here." Catherine explained, as she stroked her unicorns head. "And Mr. Joker wanted me to be here too. He's funny, isn't he?"

At her cheerful words my mouth went dry. So that's why Yvette had looked at me so angrily. Because we had kidnapped her niece.

"Do you think he's funny too?"

"Hilarious." I whispered. A minute ago I had been hungry but now just the thought of eating made my stomach pull itself together.

"Do you know Miley Cyrus?" She asked unfazed and looked up from her toy. "We can watch her film online!"

"How old are you?"

"I'm five!" And she was very proud of this, if I interpreted her wide grin correctly.

"And you know how to use a laptop?"

"Daddy always lets me watch videos online if I'm a good girl." She flattered her eyelashes at me. "I can be a good girl for you, if you like."

"You are a good girl." I said confused.

"Sometimes I watch videos when I'm alone." She confessed in a baby voice.

"Do you know what?" I smiled and stroked her head. "So do I."

Catherine sighed in a relieved way and I suddenly found her pressed against my chest as she snuggled in my arms. Her sudden show of affection surprised me but I put my arms around her.

"Come on." I said after a moment. "Let's watch your film."

We did watch the film and we also shared the Sandwich together. Time flew by and Catherine had no problems at all cuddling with me. At first I didn't know how to react to this, but then I started to stroke her head. She was very comfortable in my arms.

I realised quickly what the main similarity was between us. This little girl was lonely. None of Mr. J's people had hurt her, but none of them spent any time with her either. She was allowed to see her aunt every evening for one hour and as the little girl explained her favourite film to my I felt my rage grow.

She didn't deserve this. I already knew what he was going to say. That he'd needed her so that Yvette would talk. That he had done it for me.

Catherine fell asleep in my arms and when the door to the bedroom opened I laid her down gently and climbed out of the blankets. I stumbled towards him with my hurt leg and Mr. J caught me with a chuckle.

"Did you miss me, Darling?"

I couldn't look into his eyes. "We need to talk."

The Joker looked past me at the bed and growled when he saw the sleeping child. I limped past him into the hallway and he followed.

"You kidnapped Yvette's niece!" I snapped at him as soon as the door was shut. "How could you do that?!"

Instead of answering he asked a question of his own: "Why is that girl in my bed?! What have you been doing?"

"We just...watched a film and talked. I think she's lonely."

He growled and turned away and I reached out to take hold of his arm.

"Don't be mad!"

How had this conversation ended up with him being the angry one?

"You cannot befriend our hostages, Harley!"

"Well you can't go out and kidnap little girls!"

The Joker growled in frustration and began pulling at his hair. "You...you...you..." He never actually said what I was and instead snapped: "That's what I do!"

There was a break where the two of us stood in front each other, breathing heavily and loudly with nothing left to say. Mr. J ran his hands through his hair and I realised before he had opened his mouth that this relationship was going to be over before it had even started.

"What did you expect?! You knew exactly what you were getting into!" He pointed his index finger at me. "You said you'd die for me, you said you'd live for me so-"

"Honeymoon-Phase!" I interrupted him in a loud voice.

For a moment he looked at me, but then he yelled: "What?!"

"Our relationship has been anything but normal..." I touched his cheek and forced him to look at me. "We deserve...three weeks where I don't know that you kidnap little girls and you don't get to be annoyed that I save lives for a living."

His eyes met mine and I could see he was thinking about my words.

"Every couple has a phase when they think that the other person is perfect." I continued my explanation. "We deserve that. Three weeks of being stupidly in love." I pulled my hand back from him and Mr. J stepped closer to me.

"Stupidly in love?" He repeated and reached out to stroke my hair. "Does that involve sex?"

I couldn't stop the giggle from escaping my lips. The truth was I was nervous about sleeping with him here in his house with all of his men who were so dependent on him. They would just interrupt us, I knew it.

"Yes. There's just a few problems..." I muttered against his lips.

"Like what?" He sighed.

"Like the five-year-old in your bed."

He groaned and pulled away from me and I couldn't contain my laughter.

"You are having too much fun with this." He realised in a cold tone. "That girl is such a pain."

"She reminds me of me." I confessed, all the amusement had faded from my voice now. "When I was little I was just as open and attention-seeking-"

"When you were a little girl?" He interrupted with a smile.

I shot him a glare. "She's happy and sweet and before...before my sister died I was too."

There was another silence and then he muttered: "You're still sweet."

I rolled my eyes, but didn't say anything. It was Mr. J who broke the silence and took my hand in his.

"Let's go to bed."

"With Catherine?"

"Of course not!" He shook his head. "I have a lot of comfortable beds, Harley."

"Being a hostage in your house must be very nice then." I giggled.

He put his arm around my shoulders and led me through the dark hallway.

"Unless your name is Yvette and you have to sleep on the floor in the cellar."

Maybe a part of me should have felt bad for the redheaded police-woman, but I was in my Honeymoon-Phase. For the next three weeks I was going to be stupidly in love and I was going to enjoy every moment of it.

Please tell me what you think :) Did anyone get the Pooh-reference? :D