A/N: This ones a monster guys, so grab a drink and snack and get comfy hahaha!

Thank you so much for all of your reviews :-D

Chapter 10 – Little Collapse

Sam had called in sick for a week and falsified a doctor's note saying that she had a gastric issue of some kind, she was desperate to keep this secret from reaching anywhere near Arkham. However she was still hurting and now lovesick. Her head was swimming with dreams and nightmares of what would happen next. She woke up every day expecting to see the Joker or one of his henchmen standing over her just waiting to blow a hole in her brain.

It didn't once occur to her that Harley and Joker had planned this.

Sam had spent more than half her days away drunk, trying to drown out all of the huge feelings she had with alcohol and bad television. She had a glass of water in one hand and a bag of potato chips in the other and she sat down on one of the stools by the breakfast bar. She shoved a couple of chips in her mouth before she drained half of her water.

"Real good life choices you're making, Sammie," she muttered to herself. "At least the water's not vodka. Chips for breakfast-" she peered at the clock "-lunch. Isn't the healthiest you've ever eaten."

She'd never felt this upside down, this lonely or confused and she just didn't know how to handle it. Everything in her screamed to just run away from Gotham and start again somewhere else and try to forget she'd ever met Harley Quinn or Harleen Quinzel, but she knew that would be futile. If she had ever believed a person couldn't love and obsession before, she definitely believed it now. Harley had become more than just a patient, Sharpe and Arkham's need for results had made the woman a necessary obsession for Sam to get her file together.

Team obsession with her kind nature and it had quickly turned to fondness. Who couldn't feel sorry for Harley or Harleen? She'd been through hell and had come out of it better than most. Even if Harley was a murderous psychopath, most people would've died by the Joker's hand rather than become his Queen.

A beautiful woman with a deadly lifestyle and Sam had unwittingly fallen down that rabbit hole and ended in the depths of the ocean. She was drowning in fear and adoration for her patient.

It was so… unprofessional.

"Samantha, you need to sort yourself out," she hissed. "Hand in your resignation and leave the city. Stop it, you need to get out of this ridiculous place, get your life back. Find Michaela, beg for forgiveness and get your life back to how it was." She put the bag of chips down and drank the rest of her water before she caught sight of a picture of Harley on the front of an old newspaper.

"But you promised you wouldn't abandon her like everyone has," Sam growled at herself. She rubbed her face and sighed. "She trusted you with things that not even Joker knows. She trusted you to keep her secrets safe, she trusted you to keep her safe, her baby too. You can't leave her now, you can't."

Sam took a long breath and cleaned up her weeks' worth of dirty cutlery, takeaway boxes, glasses and mugs from the kitchen and lounge before she went to have a very hot shower to try and sober up a bit more. She wanted to look at least a little bit alive, she needed to know Harley and the baby were okay. She scrubbed herself clean and washed her hair thoroughly before she wrapped her towel around her body and sorted out a suitable outfit. She picked out a skirt and blouse, pantyhose and heels. For the first time in years, Sam slipped off the ring Michaela had brought her as a symbol of their relationship and put it on the dresser table.

"If you can forget me, I can try and pretend to forget you," Sam whispered. She wondered if Harleen felt the same strange pull, that insistent need to be close and she wondered if Harley would ever get over that feeling for Joker. She had to help Harleen get out of Arkham after enough time and therapy had passed, she had to help Harleen get to grips with being a mother and once her life was calmed, then maybe she could be a part of Harleen's life.

As she was making her way down the stairs, her phone started to ring and she saw that it was Sharpe. She didn't want to talk to him, but she would have to the second she got to the Asylum.

"Drake, I assume you're coming in today?" Sharpe snapped.

"I'm just getting to my car," Sam answered shortly.

"Good, because you need to go straight down to your office," Sharpe replied. "Your patient has a visitor and you're going to want to be there to explain your absence."

"Has Harleen been okay?" Sam asked, ignoring Sharpe's words.

"It's good of you to decide you still want to be her doctor, it's only been a week of negligence," Sharpe said snidely and Sam just wanted to punch him straight in his smug pudgy face.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about my assignment," Sam said flatly. "I don't know if I'm up to keeping Harley on my books."

"Well, Miss Quinzel has been absent most of this week during her sessions," Sharpe replied.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, concerned for her patient and… love.

"It appears Miss Quinzel cannot control Harley without whatever therapy you were using, Dr Drake," Sharpe explained. "She tried but Harley was a bit too loud to be contained. We would rather like it if you could attend to your patient before your afternoon appointment."

"I'd also like Harleen to come to my office for her dinner tonight," Sam told Quincy. "She gets too much hassle from the rest of the patients and if Harley's been slipping out, I want her to be away from the communal areas for her own sake as well as the others."

"You don't call the shots here, Samantha," Quincy said lowly.

"I do with Harleen, we agreed that right at the beginning, Quincy," Sam smirked. "I want to know my patient is okay now that I'm better."

"Fine," Sharpe said gruffly. "Just go straight to your office, look at Jeremiah's notes and then go to your interview room and talk some sense into the Clown's Whore-"

"Don't call her that!" Sam shouted. "That's absolutely vulgar, Sharpe, you can't talk about patients like that."

"Careful, Drake, you almost sound attached to her," Sharpe chuckled. "Gone soft?"

"No, I just don't think it's appropriate to use such language about a patient who was doing well until recently," Sam said, furious with her boss. "That's… just uncalled for. If I had used such a term, I'd be fired."

"I pay your salary, I pay for your fuel, you work for me and I make the rules," Sharpe snarled down the phone. "Do not push your luck, Drake." He slammed down his phone and Sam pushed hers back into her pocket just as she got to her car. She started the engine and went to Starbucks to pick up two extra hot coffees plus an assortment of pastries. She stopped at another shop and picked out a couple of baby suits, a toy duck and a 'Baby's first' scrap book.

She couldn't go and visit Harleen and not take a gift or five after a week away, especially if Harley was acting up.

"Right, Harleen, let's get back on track," Sam grinned to herself. She drove to Arkham, parked up and put her bag of gifts into her normal work bag, picked up the coffees and walked into the asylum. She put her bag through the scanner and walked through the metal detector before presenting her pass card and then she walked freely to her office. She greeted a couple of other doctors and orderlies on her way through but other than that she ignored all around her. She grabbed the new file that Arkham had started and didn't bother to read it before she went down to her therapy room. She saw the guards stood outside, brandishing guns and she winced.

"That won't be necessary, boys," Sam told them.

"Sorry Doctor, but we've been ordered-"

"And I don't care, leave me alone with my patient, I will buzz if I require any brawn," Sam interrupted. "Go on, there must be someone else you can stand over like a pair of shaven gorillas." The two guards looked at each other and moved away slowly. Sam didn't know where this was all coming from, but she didn't really care, she had so much she needed to do and get on top of that their feelings weren't really coming into it. Sam walked into the room and saw Harleen handcuffed to the table again, she had dark bags under her eyes, her skin looked almost grey and her hair greasy.

What the hell had been going on?

"Sammie?" Harley asked quietly.

"What happened, Harley?" Sam said softly and rushed to undo Harley's cuffs and leg restraints.

"Where have you been?" Harley whispered.

"I was… sick, I had a stomach bug thing," Sam lied and checked Harley's forehead for a fever and she stroked her cheek. "Don't take this personally, but you look awful."

"Thanks, Sammie, thanks," Harley mumbled.

"Harley, talk to me," Sam sighed and gave Harley her coffee.

"Arkham dragged me down for a session," Harley answered. "Like a bull in a china shop and Harleen couldn't bear it so I came forward and… well. The only reason I've still got my proper bed is because the midwife argued on my behalf. They're all still lucky that their heads are attached to their necks. Lost my shower privileges and time with Ivy because my routine wasn't maintained and you know what I'm like without social interaction."

"Oh Harls. I'm so sorry," Sam apologised. "We'll get you straight to the showers after this, you've not been sleeping either?"

"I keep having really vivid dreams about giving birth and things happening to my baby," Harley mumbled. "So no. I'm not doing great. But Arkham and Sharpe made a big mistake, they did it in front of Mistah J, he won't forget it."

"Harley, I thought we were getting close to working that issue out," Sam replied.

"We are, but he'll always be Mistah J," Harley shrugged. "You… you just left me Sammie, I thought you weren't coming back. I thought I'd ruined it again."

"I wouldn't abandon you, Harley, I was sick," Sam reassured her. "Now, drink your coffee. I have some presents for you as an apology and then let's get you washed and cleaned up before your visitors show up this afternoon."

"Visitors?" Harley frowned.

"Yep, I know," Sam sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Over my head. When they get here, can you please let Harleen take the front?"

"No-"

"Harley, if you want a chance of life outside of Arkham, you have to convince them that Harleen is in charge," Sam told her. "I can't help you if you don't help me."

Amanda Waller and Rick Flag watched Harley, or Harleen, through the one way glass as Jeremiah Arkham and Quincy Sharpe stood back and muttered between themselves. Waller didn't trust it, there was no way in hell that Harley had given up that easily. She looked at the file in her hands and looked at the notes from the midwife and Samantha's notes. They matched up fine, but something about the narrative that Samantha had used seemed… off. In her cynical mind, Amanda had alarm bells ringing but she wasn't about to alert the blind Arkham and Sharpe of the impending issue.

Harley was playing a stupid game.

"What do you think, Flag?" Amanda asked. "I don't… something doesn't feel right. The whole thing feels wrong."

"If she is tricking us, she's not slipped at all," Flag shrugged. "Why do we want her old persona in charge? She's more useful as Harley."

"Because if the doctor is back, then the Joker can't have her," Amanda said. "If we can't have Harley Quinn, then he certainly can't either."

"And the baby?" Rick pushed. "You wouldn't take a new born from its mother. You're a bitch but you're not completely heartless. There's things that you wouldn't do." He looked at his boss and raised an eyebrow before he turned back to Harley. With the make-up covering her tattoos and almost correcting her ghost white skin, she looked almost normal. The hair gave away her psychotic mind.

"Harleen and the baby come with us to Belle Reve," Waller told him. "Protective custody. She gets to work in the prison as the psychiatrist to Task Force X, in exchange she gets food, housing and her baby. Then we dangle the pair of them as bait for the Joker."

"You want to put him on the team?" Rick frowned.

"No, I want him to die," Amanda smirked. "He comes within a mile of the prison and we have every gun, every missile, at our fingertips aimed at him. He steps inside the prison and he dies a very spectacular death."

"There are easier and less damaging ways to get rid of a clown," Rick shrugged. "One of the SEALS could do it with the right vantage point."

"And let him die without some kind of theatrics?" Amanda said flatly. "No, Flag, the clowns caused enough pain around here."

"And what if that breaks Harleen?"

"Then the baby gets adopted to a lovely family somewhere in California and Harley Quinn joins her boyfriend," Amanda said with such a lack of feeling, it sent shivers down Rick's spine. He watched as Harleen sat comfortably with Samantha and they talked honestly about a range of subjects, including Joker. Whether Harley knew she was being watched, or Harleen was honestly at the front, Rick didn't know but it certainly didn't look like the annoying bimbo he'd had to try and control out in Midway.

"Now, Harleen, this might be disturbing, but is there anything you can tell us about the death of Captain Griggs? The prison guard from Belle Reve," Drake said gently.

"He… did some awful things to her, doctor," Harleen replied. "They beat her up, they electrocuted her, touched her… he never actually… raped her, but he got damn close. It used to terrify her but she'd just laugh and laugh."

"What did Harley and Joker do to him?" Drake asked again.

"They tortured him," Harleen answered, her voice thick with emotion. "They took so much pleasure from it, they tore him apart and made him die a long and painful death. It's so… oh god."

"Okay, Harleen, it's okay, it won't happen again, they're just memories," Drake said soothingly and Harleen just nodded.

Amanda tilted her head and walked closer to the glass. She looked at Harleen and frowned, something wasn't right and she couldn't put her finger on it. She turned her attention to Drake and she watched how she reacted to Harleen's words.

"How many weeks left until her due date?" Amanda asked.

"She's 31 weeks today, so around 9 weeks," Sharpe answered. "But as long as everything goes smoothly, she could give birth at 37 weeks. We don't see why she'd have a premature labour now."

"Mr Sharpe, Dr Arkham, I want an alert the second that Harleen goes into labour," Amanda told the two other men.

"Ma'am, Miss Quinzel isn't a threat," Sharpe said haughtily. "She's been consistent and strong for a while. Harley is rarely seen and normally only at night when Harleen's resting. She's not a suitable candidate for forced rehabilitation any more. She's doing well."

"If you buy this crap, then that's your own fault," Amanda chuckled. "But I sure as hell don't. That baby isn't staying with her. I will find a family and do the boring bit, you just have to tell me when she goes into labour. I want my team member back, if I have to break her to do it, then so be it. You want to leave an infant with a psychotic killer?"

"She has been nothing but gentle and kind since she arrived in Arkham," Jeremiah countered and stepped towards Waller. "To remove her child would be cruel."

"And murdering entire families isn't?" Flag retorted.

"I want to talk to her." Amanda said and walked out of the room. She went straight into the session and sat beside Drake. She felt Samantha shift uncomfortably and Harley's reaction to her entrance was priceless.

"You…" Harley whispered. "You let them attack her, you didn't care, you let them-"

"Miss Quinzel," Amanda replied slowly. "I don't think that's the way to talk to me. You know what I'm capable of."

"You'll put another bomb in Harley's neck? You'll take my baby and hold him as ransom," Harleen growled. "You… you touch my son and I swear to god-"

"Ah, that's a threat," Amanda smirked.

"With all due respect, Miss Waller," Harleen said angrily. "You… are not someone I trust. What you did was morally wrong, let alone what you allowed to happen in Belle Reve."

"I am not in charge of Belle Reve, sorry, Miss Quinn-"

"Quinzel."

"Quinzel, you don't get to pull the strings with me," Amanda said flatly. "I'm not some airheaded, dizzy, easily-impressed child that can be bought with flattery and sweet smiles. I will have you back at Belle Reve once the baby is born. One way or another."

"Miss Waller, you need to leave, you're upsetting my patient," Samantha said angrily. "Leave, now." She watched as Amanda stood and she could've sworn she heard Amanda chuckle on her way out. Harleen was leaned back in her chair, a tear dribbling down her cheek.

"She's… she's evil, Sam," Harleen whimpered as she tried not to cry.

"I won't let them hurt you," Samantha whispered. "I promise, I won't let them do anything to hurt you or your son." She heard a knock on the door and she walked out to see Sharpe and Arkham stood outside. They shrugged their shoulders and the three had a short conversation before Sam returned to Harley.

"Harley?" Sam said gently from her seat across from the clown queen. "Harley, are you okay? I know it's not Harleen at the front, it hasn't been for a couple of days."

"Huh?" Harley said as she was pulled from her thoughts.

"Talk to me," Sam prompted.

"My baby needs me to be calm. I just… I'm so scared of losing him. Of him being taken from us."

"He won't, I won't let it happen," Sam told Harley and went to kneel beside her. She took Harley's hands and kissed her knuckles gently. "What can I do to help keep you together?"

"You need to break me out, Sam," Harley whispered. "You need to help me escape. They're not gonna let me stay with my baby here or in Belle Reve. Please, Sam, give me a way out of this hell hole."

"Harley-"

"A couple days after he's been born and then I'll be good to go," Harley said desperately and she squeezed Sam's hands. "I will keep you safe, even without Joker I have enough pull and money to get us away and out of reach of these lunatics."

"They're not-"

"Look around you, Sammie, they keep us in cages and treat us like stray dogs," Harley told her. "They lock people away and a man in a mask chases us from our homes, from our beds sometimes and I'm the insane one? There's a banker living in Gotham that's forced people out of their homes because it makes him richer, there's a cop that's crippled someone to get a confession, there's a doctor handing out drug trial medication and telling his patients that it's safe and I'm the bad guy?"

"You've killed people."

"So have they, people kill themselves and each other every day because of the acceptable face of crime," Harley told her quietly and she stroked Sam's cheek. "Politicians make decisions that force life or death upon their citizens because of money, the Batman thinks he's some kind of saviour for Gotham. I used to believe it. But he's a monster. He's a man that thinks he's above everyone, that he can beat up and maim whoever he likes because who cares about the villains? Who cares about Gotham's fucked up wasters? The one's who actually bring order to the rotten underbelly?"

"I can understand some of your points, Harley but-"

"He's been the cause of so many deaths. Mistah J might have pulled the caper that stopped their hearts, but if the man behind the cowl had just left everyone alone… none of this would've happened," Harley continued.

"You can't blame what you've done on Batman," Sam said.

"I wouldn't exist if it wasn't for him, Sammie," Harley replied calmly. "Open your eyes, see everything for what it is. See the reality of Gotham, of the world. The reason people like us end in places like Arkham Asylum is because we don't have the breeding or the money to be in power. We don't have the luck. The only reason you and me are in this place is because of murderers, but it's not the ones that you think are the killers. Sharpe… he's got more blood on his hands than me."

"What do you mean?"

"He's killed many of us with experimental drug cocktails, ECT, extreme forms of therapy and with his own bare hands," Harley answered. "He would rather all of us die than heal. Sharpe and Arkham are toxic, they're poisonous. This whole city is sick and it's because of the heroes. The people that are meant to protect us, to cure us, to teach us… are all sick."

"Harley…"

"Come on Sammie, open your mind," Harley said encouragingly. Sam's expression went blank and Harley could only imagine how many memories the doctor was rolling through. How many times she'd been let down and how many people had hurt her. She wanted to spend days picking apart the horrible memories that Sam had tucked away in her mind.

"Like your parents," Harley continued slowly. "Hating you for loving a woman. Abandoning you for loving a woman. They're supposed to protect you and… they left you. Michaela, she was supposed to love you but she gave you up for her job as a cop because you… you, my sweet, precious little doctor, you came to me. Listen to me, Sammie. Know that I'm the only one who has ever told you the truth. I'm the only one who's stayed by you regardless of what's happened."

"Harley… what can I do?"

"You help me escape with my baby," Harley smiled.

"I love you Harley," Sam blurted out, sadness still cloaking her. "I love you and Harleen."

"I know, sweetie, I know," Harley purred and she pressed a kiss to Sam's forehead. "Dry your eyes and take me back to my cell, like nothing's happened, okay? I know this is scary, but I'll help you."

A/N: congratulations for getting to the end of this one haha! Only 7 reviews to 70, something I didn't think we'd get to :-) I wonder if we can hit the big 70 with this chapter... There's your challenge folks, 7 reviews and you get chapter 11 haha! You're all fab whether you review or not :-)