A/N: Thank you so much guys, I've got a few things to think about in terms of what to do once I've finished this story, but I already have a few ideas. So, we've got this chapter, another and then a bit of an epilogue and then it's Toxic Love done! Thank you so much for all of your time and patience. I hope this has been as much fun to read as it has to write!

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Chapter 25 – Little Disagreement

Over the next few weeks, the distance between Joker and Harley grew and grew. He spent more and more time away from her and Jack, fighting with Batman, other heroes and causing trouble around Gotham. He came home to eat and would try and coerce Harley into bed, but she wasn't having any of it and more often than not would time Jack's feeds with when Joker would start feeling amorous. She'd spent more time with Ivy and Catwoman, she'd taken her baby out into the city, being cooped up in the house wasn't an option for her any longer and she wasn't settling for Joker's fretting about Batman.

Their arguments were legendary and spiteful, but somehow Joker had managed to keep his hands to himself mostly. He'd only hit her a couple of times, but even Harley was happy to admit that she'd pushed him too far on a those occasions. She'd gotten a few of her own slaps and smacks in, but she mostly avoided him. Something had changed between them after the night with Batman and Harley kept her little secret about who Batman was to herself. Identities like that were tradeable secrets and it was how she planned to keep Batman away from her son.

Jack was now four months old and totally a mommy's boy. He barely recognised the Joker and if the Clown somehow got his hands on the child, he cried and screamed until Harley came and 'rescued' him. He was already babbling well and didn't really stop unless he was sleeping or feeding. But his world was all about Harley and if she was honest, she was happy with that. Joker wasn't, but he'd lost his way and how to deal with the pair. He knew he'd broken some bridges over Batman, but his pride stopped him from treating the situation correctly. If she wanted space, he'd give her all the damn space he could. As long as the baby was safe and he had eyes on the both of them at all times.

He did however have a few loose ends to tie up and he was utilising some down time to sort those out. He donned his purple jacket, grabbed his cane and made his way out of the apartment. He went down to the empty club and Frost led him over to where his two guests were sitting. They looked uncomfortable, angry. Perfect. Angry people made mistakes and those were things he could exploit. He pressed the cane hard into the floor as he approached and he smirked when the man flinched a little.

"What do you want, Clown?"

"Now, now, Mandy, do you remember what happened last time you were rude?" Joker purred and ran the back of his fingers down Amanda Waller's cheek. She didn't move and just held his eye contact. Good, her spirit was still there. "The scars are healing nicely. You don't look half bad for someone I've played with."

"No thanks to you and that bitch," Amanda hissed. "Why are we here?" She was terrified, flashbacks of the clowns and Belle Reve hit her but she refused to show it too him. Her wounds and scars had healed nicely and after a little more time with the doctors and surgeons she had access too, she'd be left with a couple of noticeable marks but the bitch Harley had inscribed in her forehead was almost invisible now.

"I want to propose a business transaction," Joker smiled. "An improvement to our current… arrangement."

"Using me as a disposable asset in return for your freedom?" Flag said with a glare. "Using June against me to make me your getaway driver?"

"Don't fall in love if you don't want to get it used against you, Ricky," Joker laughed. He waved to Frost and his right-hand man poured whiskey for all three of them. "Something more beneficial to both of us and all involved."

"I'm listening," Waller said and stared at the glass that Frost handed her. Like hell was she going to drink anything that the clown offered.

"I require some more freedom outside of Gotham," Joker explained. "Imports, exports, safe houses. You know, the whole shebang, but demanding it from you two isn't nearly as much fun as entering a business arrangement. Especially when I have a little horror upstairs who would gladly finish you off. So, the new part of the deal. For Gotham based events with your ridiculous team, you can recall Harley. But, I want her free to come home afterwards. No tricks, no bombs in the neck. Croc and Boomerang stay employed to me, but Deadshot goes back to his cell."

"You really think she's that important to the team?" Waller chuckled. "She's just cannon fodder, easily replaceable."

"You went to great lengths to get her back with my son," Joker pointed out. "There's obviously something you believe she can offer you. It would get her out from under my feet if she's away for a couple of days slaughtering people."

"Why are you so desperate to have Deadshot back in prison?" Flag asked. "You worried about his relationship with Harley?"

"Deadshot is a… liability," Joker answered. "He's a paid gun, he'd turn on me for money and I can't have that risk. It's unnecessary, I have a legacy to protect now and certain risk factors need to be removed."

"So what exactly do we get from this? A crazed psychopath?" Amanda scoffed. "No, the original deal works far better in our favour."

"And you'll get Poison Ivy to take her little charm off June?" Flag demanded suddenly.

"You'd have to talk to the Weed about that," Joker laughed. "I knew she'd taken a shine to your girl. Although her loyalty to Harley is sickening. You'll also get a delivery of the finest black market weaponry, Waller, stuff that would make old Ricky here feel sick. If my girls going to go out on her play dates, I want to know she's well-armed and not getting second-rate pot shot guns just to watch her squirm. The other side of the deal still stands. You screw me over and you both die."

"Mighty generous of you. Flag we're going," Amanda said and stood up, leaving her whiskey on the table. Joker felt anger pool in his stomach and he clicked his fingers. Bud the Hyena appeared from the corner and he growled lowly at Waller.

"Drink." He commanded and Waller paused for a moment. She eyed the hyena and lifted the tumbler to her lips. She glared at Joker as she downed the whiskey and watched his smile spread across his face. "Good girl." Waller slammed the glass down on the table and marched out of the room. Flag went to follow but Bud moved in front of him.

"If she decides to play silly beggars with me, Ricky, you're the one who gets it first after I've let Harley tear apart your precious little June bug," Joker told him. Rick ground his teeth together and pushed passed the clown. Bud followed the two out of the club and Joker sat down on his leather couch again.

"Boss?"

"Frost, call Penguin," Joker told him. "And get the girls in for tonight. I need to have a chat with our favourite fat birdy about a shipment that's coming in."

"Yes boss," Jonny nodded. "Do you want me to take the dog back to Harley?"

"No, no, she'll come and get him when she gets bored," Joker smirked. "And I think it's time that she did some of the hard work around here." Jonny nodded and left the box to go and sort things out. Once he was out of ear shot he rolled his head on his shoulders and let out a long breath.

"Your definition of hard work and who does it needs to change boss," Jonny muttered under his breath as he called Penguin's club. It rang five times before one of Cobblepot's heavies answered. "Ah, Rufus. Still have the IQ of a grape?"

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Harley, Catwoman and Deadshot were all sat upstairs in the apartment. Jack was having a much needed sleep in his room and Ivy was making them all something to eat. Harley enjoyed having so much time with her friends, the cost of time with Joker cut at her, but she wasn't giving into the belligerent old fool. She was wearing a baggy white t-shirt and black and red leggings. She couldn't see the point in wearing her expensive clothes when she wasn't trying to impress anyone.

"I don't know, Harls, I think you've got a sweet deal at the moment," Selina smiled. "You've got all of this space and time to enjoy your baby. I wouldn't be complaining."

"Yes you would," Harley laughed. "You hate being cooped up, more than me. The only one that would appreciate this is Red and she hates it because it's Joker."

"I still think you've gotta be getting some crazy good sex to stay with him," Selina hummed.

"Oh naw, that's nasty, Cat!" Deadshot grimaced and shook his head. "I don't need no nekkid Clown Freak in my head."

"I ain't that bad, Floyd!" Harley said in faux-offence.

"I'm talkin' about your pasty assed boyfriend, Quinn, and you know it," Deadshot sighed. Harley giggled and rested back against the couch as Ivy walked back in with a tray of sandwiches, snacks and drinks.

"I could live with this," Harley smirked.

"Shift up, I'm not your maid, Crazy," Ivy said with a roll of her eyes and she squished into the seat beside Harley. The pair were crazy close, but Selina was happy with that as it gave her some much needed space when they were all together. Ivy's affection for Harley often clouded her view of the situation they were in, but Selina could see things much easier. She chuckled when Harley cuddled up to her closet friend and she looked over her shoulder to check Joker wasn't on his way.

"I don't get it," Deadshot said. "He hates anyone lookin' at ya, Harley, but he doesn't care if you're all cuddly with Ivy?"

"Oh he minds," Ivy grinned. "He minds to the point where he would gladly shoot me. You should've seen his face the first time I kissed her."

"Please god, don't let Boomer know about that," Floyd groaned.

"He was half way between unbelievably aroused and ready to kill the both of us," Harley smirked. "That was a good night, he was definitely tired out and in a much friendlier mood after you'd gone home, Red."

"I know too much about the clown," Ivy grimaced. Harley grinned up at her friend and then reached forward to grab a sandwich. She ate quickly and then picked up the bowl of sweets that Ivy had brought along. She shoved a few M&M's into her mouth and turned round when she heard Lou scratching and sniffing at the door.

"Lou, come," Harley called and the Hyena trotted to her. He gave a growl to Deadshot but sat at his owner's feet. "What's up, sweetie? Where's your brother?" She scratched the Hyena's chin and he whined and looked at the door again. She felt her blood boil and she jumped to her feet. Lou yipped excitedly and bounced beside her feet.

"Damn Clown, takin' my babies and usin' them for his dirty laundry," Harley grumbled. Ivy, Selina and Deadshot looked at each other and laughed a little.

"Oh he's in trouble," Ivy grinned.

Harley marched out of the apartment with Lou by her side. She curled her hands into fists when she heard music coming from the club and looked out one of the windows to see Waller and Flag driving away. She felt her anger spike and she pushed passed two of the henchmen. She could smell cheap weed and it made her stomach turn, she hated the smell and always had. Who the hell was smoking that shit when the baby was upstairs? The Henchmen knew better and Mistah J had the same feelings about weed as she did. Her bare feet were silent across the floor and she went straight to the Joker's little private section.

Harley found the Joker still sat in his suite, his hand firmly holding onto Bud's collar. She kept Lou back and made him sit in the doorway, despite him being eager to go and check in with his brother. She then looked to see a two sets of strippers dancing on the club floor. She grit her teeth and walked into the room. She pulled Bud free of Joker's grasp and slapped his cheek hard.

"Are you serious?" Joker snarled and got to his feet. He towered over her but she just pushed him back and walked away. "Get your ass back here, Harley!"

"No, puddin', you go back to your cheap whores," Harley spat.

"Cheap? Cheap?" Joker shouted. "They cost a fucking fortune!"

"Are you really arguing that point?" Harley laughed. He caught up with her and grabbed her arms and pushed her against the wall. "Get off me you scum sucking creep! You don't get to touch me!"

"They're for the club tonight!" Joker told her. "You think I'm interested in them?"

"Well you haven't had sex with me for at least a month, wouldn't be surprised if you'd turned to those skanks!" Harley yelled. He grabbed her jaw and Harley kicked her knee into his gut. She used his moment of breathlessness to get out of his grip and she headed towards the stairs out of the club to the elevator.

"Harley Quinn!" Joker barked furiously.

"How long have ya been screwin' with 'em then?" Harley demanded as she went into the lift and Joker barged in beside her and the Hyenas. "Huh? Which one? Please tell me it was the blonde bitch, tryin' to get what you can't have."

"Why would I go for another blonde when I've already got one that gives me blue balls every single day, baby?" Joker asked furiously. "Fuck you, Harley."

"That's exactly what ya ain't gonna be doin', sweetie," Harley snarled. "You promised me, you promised Jack, that you'd get rid of them and they wouldn't be back once he was born! You said they'd be gone and you wouldn't have any more of their sort here!" She slapped him again, her anger and loneliness were getting the better of her. No amount of being with her friends could make up the emptiness she felt without him.

"You better stop hitting me, honey," Joker growled and pinned her against the side of the elevator.

"What you gonna do, puddin'?" Harley challenged. "Because if you hit me now, I am taking Jack and the Hyenas and I'm going with Ivy."

"You're not taking him anywhere," he said lowly, his lip twitched into a snarl and she just stared back at him. "You even think about taking him out of this building and I will-"

"Do what? You won't do nothin'," Harley almost spat. "You'd beat me up, break my legs, but you wouldn't kill me. We both know that. Not after everything that's happened. Not with Jack. What were you doin' with Bitch Face and Wet Blanket?"

"I just had a good chat with Waller and Flag about our situation," Joker told her. "Ironed out a few bumps, made sure you weren't being played. I wanted the strippers for the crowds tonight. Seeing as my pretty little star attraction doesn't want to put on a show, I need something else to get the scum drinking and spending money behind the bar."

"Sure and you expect me to be so stupid as to believe that?" Harley laughed loudly. "Mistah J, you forget that I caught you in a bed full of those whores when we first got together, I wouldn't put it passed you right now when I ain't givin' you nothin'."

"Oh just shut up, you're driving me insane," Joker yelled in her face. "I'm not allowed to touch you, then I'm not allowed to touch anyone? Well guess what, sugar plum, you don't control me. You don't get to tell me what to do. If I want to go and get myself some kind of disease, that's entirely my choice!"

"Then this is entirely your choice too!" Harley snapped and pushed passed him and went back into the apartment. She slammed the door behind her and the Hyenas and locked the door before Joker could follow. She was furious, but she didn't expect any less from him after he'd been caught out. She rested her head against the door and tried to take long deep breaths, but she was still too angry.

"Harley?" Ivy asked gently.

"He's such a dick," Harley hissed. She leaned back against the door and glared at the floor. She wanted to smash some ones skull in, preferably her husbands, but that would leave her angrier and lonelier. She felt Ivy's hands on the back of her neck and she looked up to see her friend smiling gently at her.

"Took you long enough to figure that one out," Ivy chuckled gently and the sound teased a smile out of Harley. "Come on, I think you need a cuddle with your baby."

"Did he wake up?" Harley asked, suddenly worried and guilty that she'd left her baby for the Joker.

"No, but you look like you need a good cuddle," Ivy smiled.

"What are you gonna do?" Deadshot asked.

"I dunno, keep him locked out?" Harley shrugged.

"Oh come on, girl," Selina groaned and walked over. "You're going to go and get showered, put on your best and you're going to go and make that clown so jealous and possessive that he won't know what's hit him."

"Selina!" Ivy said angrily. "Why are you encouraging her to go back to him?"

"We both know she'll go back to him anyway," Selina shrugged. "We both know that neither of us, or anyone else, would ever be enough for her to stay away from him. At least if she does it this way, it'll be on her terms. It'll be her game, not his. Deadshot, you don't mind being a pawn in this set?"

"If it means I get paid and can go see my daughter, I don't care," Floyd shrugged.

"Good, Ivy, go get her scrubbed to within an inch of her life," Selina instructed. "I'll choose you an outfit, Harls. We'll sort your hair and make-up after you're washed. We've got this." She smiled and patted Harley's shoulders. She wasn't generally the one to meddle in the Clown's affairs, but the effect that this strange separation was having on both Harley and Joker was plain to see for Selina. Neither of them were in their normal mind-set and that made the pair of them dangerous for Gotham.

A couple of hours later, Harley was starting to let herself enjoy her friends' attention. She'd fed Jack again and was currently just cuddling her baby as Ivy did her hair. It had been a long time since she'd had any pampering. She was still snuggled in her fluffy pink bathrobe when Selina finally came back with an outfit. Harley eyed the material cautiously before Catwoman held it up. It was something Harley hadn't worn for a long time, probably a few years and she wasn't entirely certain she'd fit into it with her new body shape. But it was sexy as hell and she'd give it a go.

The part covering her shoulders, arms and back was very stretchy pleather, painted red and black but with gold seams and embellishments, looked very much like a ring leader's coat. Then there was a sheer but dark coloured mesh from the 'collar' of the coat to just under her breasts to her hips. The gold trim and buttons continued the circus theme on the mesh midriff. The shorts were small and red velvet and the tail of the coat-piece covered her ass. On the shoulders of the 'coat' were tassels and the whole thing was held together by one zip that was hidden down her back. Selina then gave Harley a pair of red high-heels and smiled at her work.

"I dunno, Kitty, I dunno if I'll still fit in this," Harley said slowly and looked at the outfit again.

"Honey, you've got wider hips, but that's it," Ivy sighed. "Oh and bigger boobs, but I'm sure you can pour yourself into that."

Harley thought for a second and carefully passed Jack to Ivy. She kissed her sons head and tickled his cheeks, producing giggles and smiles from him. She loved her baby dearly, possibly more than she loved Joker and that thought scared her sometimes. She took the outfit from Selina and went to get dressed. She managed to get into the outfit, get the zip up and then put on a pair of stockings that sat mid-thigh to finish the look off. She slipped on her shoes and looked at herself in the mirror. With her hair in gentle waves, make up done and such an outfit – she looked amazing, it had been a while since she'd thought of herself as sexy, certainly since before Jack had been born and a wide smile spread over her face as she applied her blood red lipstick.

Joker wouldn't know what hit him.

Ivy had waited patiently with Jack as Harley dressed and she felt her heart sink with every second that ticked by. She loved Harley dearly, she was her best friend, the only human she could care about and she couldn't stick around to watch this. Every time that Harley went back to Joker, a piece of Ivy broke. She knew she shouldn't be so attached to someone else's partner, but she was and Harley was partnered to the worst person for her.

"Selina," Red said quietly. "Once Harley's sorted, I'm going to go."

"But-"

"I can't… I can't watch this," Pammy admitted almost silently. "I can't watch her go back to him again. Not… not now."

"I understand, but who's going to look after Jack?" Selina asked gently. "Do that for her, Ivy. At least look after the baby."

"I'll try."

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A/N: What? You thought it'd be easy? Hehe! Poor Ivy, poor Harley and... Oh Joker ;-)

Please review!