VI

"Never Let You Down"

Just know that you don't

Have to do this alone

Promise I'll never let you down

"And that's the end of it, really." Harley Quinn said, blowing at the espresso in her mug. "Afterwards I moved back home and went back to work. He came back to Arkham and the circle repeated itself, without Bruce and this time I stuck with him."

Deadshot was sitting across her on the floor of the cell, a cup of espresso in his own hands. "And then you were arrested?"

"Yeah." She rolled her eyes. "The bat finally got me, and I ended up here and you and I saved the world together!" She giggled. "Do you want me to tell me that story as well? We can call it Suicide Squad!"

"No." Deadshot was the one to roll his eyes now. "I knew you and Bruce Wayne were a thing, but...I thought you left him for another guy."

She lifted her small shoulders. "Yeah, that's what everyone thought. He couldn't exactly tell the truth now, could he?"

Her new friend raised his eyebrows at her. "The truth. Right."

Harley's mouth popped open in shock that after all this time Deadshot didn't seem to believe her. "He hit me! All the time!"

"Yeah, I actually believe that part. But the caring, sweet Joker?" He arched one eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" Harley huffed. "Do you think I sit around making up a romanticized version of my Puddin'?"

"Dollface." He set his mug down for dramatic effect or because he didn't like the drink, Harley wasn't sure. "We're stuck in a cell 24/7 by ourselves, when we're not privileged our one hour a week together in your lovely cafe." At this the blonde giggled. Her "lovely cafe" was a cell, with a bed and her beloved espresso-machine. "Of course you make up a better version of him, I make up stories all the time too."

"Really?" She grinned mischievously. "Like what? Like what you would do with me, if you had the chance to do whatever you wanted?"

"Stop making this dirty Harley." He muttered. "That's not what it is."

Deadshot made up stories about his daughter. About the precious moments with her. Helping her with homework, taking her to the playground, teaching her how to ride a bike...his daughter got the undivided attention of his mind and he looked forward to the days he was allowed to see her again.

Where the little time they had together was more precious than anything else.

Opposite him on the floor Harley giggled again and Deadshot wanted to stop thinking about his daughter in front of someone else, so he asked:

"But all those times you cried, he really held you? Supported you?"

Harley bit her lower lip. Truth was, most of the time she'd cried alone. But after the abortion he had really been there for her the way she'd told it in her story. Because he had pressured her into something that was wrong and against all that she'd believed in.

"He saved me." Harley whispered. "And that's the truth."

Deadshot wasn't sure what to say to that, so he said nothing at all. The part with the abortion had surprised him at first, but then it had explained her reaction to Diablo killing his kids, her vulnerability concerning this topic.

"Not just from Bruce and everything..." She continued. "But from myself, you know?"

"No." He said and finally raised the mug to his lips. "Actually I don't."

"He..." Harley stopped and cocked her head to the side trying to figure out how to explain this in a way that her friend would understand. "He just brings out the best in me, ya know? Bruce kept me small and...took parts from me." As she spoke she could feel her deep seated rage and the pain come back to her. "And Mr. J..." She couldn't help but grin, as she said his name. "He makes me complete. He knows what's inside my head and he makes sure it comes out and I'm who I'm meant to be."

Deadshot shook his head and was fascinated, not for the first time that Harley truly believed all this romantic nonsense she was babbling.

"I don't understand." He said. "You say he treats you better than Bruce, but he doesn't really, does he?"

Harley bit her bottom lip, not because she was thinking whether or not Deadshot was right, but because she didn't know how to explain her and Mr. J's relationship to him in a way that he would understand.

"He doesn't hit you." The man sitting opposite her continued. "But from what I've heard he is still pretty rough with you and he makes you strip at his club..."

Now the blonde giggled, because her new friend had it all wrong.

"He doesn't make me do anything, Honey. I do what I want when I want." She leaned forward and whispered. "And truth be told, I like it a little rough every now and then." She winked at him. "I can take it."

And that's when Deadshot understood that Harley wasn't crazy or insane.

She was broken.

They heard the door open and knew that the guards had come to take him back to his own cell.

"And do you know what else?" She leaned in closer, his lips inches from his face.

"Hey, you two! Time to break up the tea-party!" One of the guards roared, probably Griggs.

"What?" Deadshot asked, not at all impressed or intimidated by Harley's closeness.

"Mr. J promised to continue saving me, forever." She giggled. "And my Puddin' will never let me down."

"Alright!" Griggs explained the procedure as he did every week. Five men were to go inside and guard Harley, five more chained him up and led him to his cell. The caution was unnecessary. Harley and he were both done with fighting.

"See ya next week princess." He said as he did every week and she laughed hysterically every time.

Truth to be told, sometimes Deadshot did think about Harley, but not in the dirty way she was implying. Sometimes he wondered what life would be like for them, if they had shard a car back to Gotham City. If they lived together and he was the one to treat her better. To save her from the wrong Situation. To be a gentleman. To be everything she needed.

That's what prison does to you, he thought as he got ready to go to bed and undressed himself. Prison messed with the mind and the soul.

It was later that evening as he lay in his bed and then heard the loud alarms go off around him.

Panic spread through the prison like a fatal disease and Deadshot felt it in every inch of his body, every bone.

He smiled.

Yes, Harley had been right and Mr. J hadn't let her down. He had come to save her. And even if 95 percent of Harley's story had been romanticized and unreal, Deadshot knew that the Joker loved the girl in his own twisted way.

And he hoped that by being friends with her, visiting her and swapping stories with her, she could persuade her precious Puddin' to get him out too.

Shots were fired though the prison and Deadshot sighed comfortable at the familiar sounds as an image of his little girl rose in front of his inner eye. He ignored the screams of terror that usually accompanied the clown-couple and left himself drift off to sleep.

It was a nice idea Harley had in her mind with her sweet and caring Joker. He hoped that she wouldn't be too disappointed and also that she wouldn't forget him once she was safely back with her beloved Mr. J. He hoped she would get him out of this hole too, so he could be free.

The End.

Thank you so much for staying until the end. Stay tuned, there will be more Harley/Joker fanfictions. Thank you so much for your support! Please let me know what you think.