Chapter17: Start of an Age

It was the end of a decade
But the start of an age

(Taylor Swift – Long Live)

Yvette Carrow had never thought she'd make it this far. She had thought she'd be long dead by now. She knew that her days were numbered and that she was going to join her husband soon. All she could do was hope that Catherine was ok, wherever she was. Or that she had been redeemed and had died.

In her time as the Jokers servant Yvette had spent a lot of time alone with her thoughts. She knew now that the Fierce Five had been a mistake. A failed ideology created by Susan Turner and her need to overpower her disgusting husband.

When she lay on the floor in the cellar she thought back to those beginnings in Susans house. How much fun they'd had plotting and planning and fantasising about their clients wishes and especially Jessica was looking forward to torturing people. Yvette liked the idea of the Fierce Five being a group fighting for justice for the weak. The avengers of the abused.

Their surprise had been huge when the Joker himself had arrived at their doorstep as one of their clients and even more surprising was the fact that he wanted to be hurt himself. In a bank-robbery. They were to come in and shoot him. Not kill him.

And the Joker had paid well.

More clients had followed after Mr. J. Those days had been great, they'd all been so happy, so comfortable in their secret roles...and then Dr. Harleen Quinzel had ruined it all. After coming into the police-station and trying to file a complaint against Dr. Turner things had started to go down hill for all of them. And Yvette had been friends with Jessica and Jessica had been in love with Susanne Turner.

And suddenly Susanne had said she had the biggest job so far, the most important client they would ever have. More important than the Joker. More vicious than the Joker. Yvette had believed in this secret client for a very long time. Longer than she cared to admit. She'd lain awake at night wondering about this person, worrying about her husband and her niece. And it was this client that wanted Dr. Quinzel to be destroyed.

When Mr. J had tortured her she'd told him she didn't know who this client was, she'd sworn it even. But he didn't believe her. She'd explained to him that she was sure Susanne had been the one to order the hit on Harleen, had hidden behind a fake clients name. That she must have found out about Dr. Quinzel and her husband, that she had wanted revenge for Harleens attack on him.

Yvette didn't know if he believed her or not. At some point he had stopped asking and started using her for inside jobs, for covering up crimes as best as she could, falsifying reports, clearing his and Harleys name.

She felt sorry for Harleen, she truly did. And she wished she had handled the situation at the police-station better, but Susanne had always had this power over her and had made her feel like a teenager again. She had to abide her will, Susanne was their leader.

And then her leader had killed herself when she realised what she had done. What attacking Harleen Quinzel had meant.

At first Yvette had been heart-broken when she'd heard of her friend's death. But now that time had passed, Yvette was sure it was better this way. She was free of Susanne now.

And one day...if Harley was lucky – she'd be free of the Joker too.

She was bound to him Yvette could tell that much. The police-woman had heard yelling and hadn't been surprised to see the blonde woman with a swollen eye the next day. She also wasn't surprised that Harley didn't seem to care that he had hit her. She loved her precious Puddin' no matter what.

With a sigh she leaned down to reach for her bucket. She'd been cleaning Harleys rooms once again and was emptying the water in the sink. When she heard loud yelling coming her way, she knew what was going to happen. That it was time.

"You say you love me and you'd do anything for me!" Harley snapped.

"Woman, you are going to be the death of me!"

"I hate her!" The blonde screeched in a high-pitched voice. "I want her gone!"

Yvette pulled off her cleaning gloves and turned around shaking. If she was going to die, then she wouldn't die wearing wet rubber gloves. She tried her best not to be afraid – she'd known her days were over once the Joker had declared Harley was his queen. She hadn't stood a chance, because the hate and disappointment Harleen Quinzel had felt for her had lived in on in the ever happy and bubbly Harley Quinn. And her hate was notwithstanding.

"Well Honey, I want you to shut up – we can't all get what we want!"

Harley didn't answer anything to that instead she yelled: "Don't you see the way she looks at you?! She's after you – everyone knows it, you just don't see it!"

"You're seeing things Harley. Besides, you know I only love you."

The voices were growing louder, as they came closer and Yvette was beginning to wish they would just come inside and get it over with. She was ready.

"Oh right, Puddin'! And I'm just supposed to believe you?! If you only love me then do as I ask and just finally get rid of her! We don't need her any more!"

The door to the kitchen was pushed open forcefully and Yvette looked up at them, trying her best to seem fearless. The crazy clown couple stood before her. He was in his usual style of wearing dark trousers, no shirt and his purple leather jacket. She was clothed with surprisingly more clothes than usual. In dark trousers and a purple top, her hair was pulled up to a messy bun and her make-up was more subtle than normally. Despite everything she was still so beautiful. Harleen Quinzel had never realised what an utter beauty she was, but Harley Quinn declared her confidence with every breath.

The three looked at each other and Mr. J raised his gun at her.

"Sorry, Yvette, but the Queen gets what she wants."

Harley squealed happily beside him. Yvette didn't beg him not to do it. She didn't cry or yell out. She was ready to follow Susanne, her husband and maybe Catherine. Her eyes locked on Harleys and she lifted her shoulders.

"I'm sorry."

She was sorry and it nice to die knowing she had apologised. Even if Harleen would never hear her apology because she had vanished inside her crazy and tired mind. At least she had said it.

A loud bang echoed through the house and Yvette was dead in seconds. It was a clear and clean head-shot and as Mr. J dropped his arm again Harley jumped into his arms.

"Thank you, Puddin'!"

"You're welcome, baby." He kissed her deeply and she giggled as she realised:

"We need someone to clean this up – now that our cleaning lady is dead!"

"You're so morbid, Harley."

She threw her pretty head back and laughed: "I learned from the best, Puddin'!"

Mr. J grinned, unable to stop himself. She was right of course. The two of them were alike not just in the outer appearances – bleached skin and tattoos (Harley had developed quite a passion for them too and had some on her arms, her collarbone, her back...) – but in their thinking as well. It was as if their souls had connected in a way that they weren't able to control or understand. And nothing the other did was able to disrupt this connection.

"So what do you want to do now?" He asked, putting his hands on her waist.

"Gotham's Bachelor is on!"

The Joker groaned. He shouldn't have asked.

"Come on! It will be fun!" Harley was jumping up and down, careful not to step into the blood flowing over their kitchen floor from Yvette's head wound.

"I hate that Bruce Wayne!" Mr. J muttered. "I still can't believe he sent Claire home – they were perfect for each other!"

Harley giggled at his obvious enthusiasm and took his hand in hers to led him into the living room.

"You should apply for Gotham's Bachelor!" Harley giggled as she sat down on the couch. "And instead of sending a girl home, you kill her!" She laughed. "Imagine how much more effort they'd put into the dates!"

Mr. J laughed loudly. "That's a nice idea, Harls. But...I'm not a bachelor any more am I?"

For a short second a serious look appeared in her eyes and she looked like she had before the chemical bath.

"No." She mused. "I guess you're not."

Mr. J put his arm around her and pulled her close. Harley closed her eyes and sighed comfortably. She was finally home, after all these years, after all the hardships she had arrived just where she'd always wanted to be. Their relationship wasn't perfect. They had their ups and downs, but she was finally home just by being with him.

"Knock, knock."

Harley opened her eyes again. "Who's there?"

"The interrupting clown."

She frowned. "The interrupted clow-"

He kissed her, interrupting her in the process and she giggled against his lips as she understood the joke. No they were far from perfect. But they were right. And Batman and all the rest of Gotham better have been prepared.

Because this was only the beginning.

Hi guys!

So, this was it.

When I first started this fanfiction in September 2016 I was very unhappy with my life, because I'd lost my passion and my motivation for writing. A lot of that had to do with the fact that I had a TV in my room and was constantly binge-watching my favorite series. It was sucking the inspiration right out of me. I just didn't know. Getting rid of the TV was very hard for me, because I felt like I was loosing some friends (that's how addicted I was).
Those first weeks were very tough. So I listened to Taylor Swift and wrote this fanfiction. And this was the first thing I produced, trying to find my old self in writing again, the one that never gives up and believes in herself. The one that spent all of her free-time basically binge-writing fanfiction or novels.
I'm not entirely back to my old self, but this story definitively helped. I miss the nights staying up writing and continuing the story while singing along to Taylor. I especially miss them because since my dogs death I have been unable to stay in my room for a long period of time and I can only wish back to when I was there writing, singing and feeling free.
But with time things will change.

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you, because I've never finished a fanfiction so quickly here before. If it hadn't been for you guys I never would have. This story and you have been with me these last few months and your support, critic, jokes and kind words mean so much to me I don't even know how to put it in words. Thank you so much. I just...I can't even say it often enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I also never told you guys this, but originally Harley wasn't the doctor in this story. Originally I thought hey what would Mr. J do? If Harley was alone at home, he was robbed and she had been attacked in the process? He would be completely mad and not care about her state. He'd be pissed he got robbed. And then I thought but if he knew the extend of her injuries then he would care. And suddenly Mr. J wouldn't stop talking to the female doctor and thinking about her and then it clicked: Turn the doctor into Harley and you have a story.
I just wanted to tell you guys that because this is my last chance :D

Also, stay posted: There will be more stories. The next one will probably be called "Treat you better" or "The Story" - I haven't decided which one to start yet.

As always, tell me what you think :)

THANK YOU! :-*