"Harleen can I talk to you for a moment?"

Dr. Leland stepped out of her office quickly a week later, catching Harleen off guard as she was on her way to see The Joker for their morning sessions.

"Sure. What's up?"

The girl was radiant - her hair pulled up in a tight sleek bun on her head. Her blouse was a soft plum color today and she wore simple black slacks with her signature stilettos. Her makeup was dramatic yet perfect as always. Dr. Leland was taken back at her beauty. This girl had no idea the dangers that lurked here. Especially when it came to The Joker. She definitely didn't need to stand out in a place like this.

"Harleen-."

"Oh, call me Harley. I insist."

Dr. Leland cleared her throat and tried again. "Harley. I know how excited you are about your new case with The Joker. Arkham was right - I was very much as eager as you when I first started. He is impressed that maniac has taken such a liking to you and hopes you can get a lot of information from him."

Harley smiled, not sure where she was going with this.

"I'm just looking out for your best interest is all. I don't want you getting hurt here. You need to keep it professional with Joker. You don't want that kind of friend."

Her smile faded slightly. She was jealous. Just like everyone else she had encountered in her quest to become a psychiatrist. She's only been here a few months and was already in session with a criminal master mind while Dr. Leland was forced to talk to OCD ridden Karen and lying Larry.

"Thank you, Joan for your concern but don't worry about me. I am perfectally capable of taking care of myself. Now if you'll excuse me, Mistah J is waiting."

X

She stepped off the elevator quickly; turning to Joker's room as one of the guards greeted her.

"Good morning, Dr. Quinzel. You're looking lovely as ever."

Harley smiled politely but made the guard no comment as she turned to the double sided window and glanced in on her patient. Joker was sitting in his usual chair but despite their light hearted session yesterday he looked miserable. His eyes were cast down at the belts on his straight jacket.

"Has he been sedated today?" She asked the guard, leaning in for a closer look. Dr. Arkham assured her he would take him off his sedative medication as long as he posed no threat to any of the staff.

"No, mam. He's been on his best behavior ever since you started coming around."

Harley stepped past the officer and emerged into Joker's room, frowning as he turned his head slightly to the right and glanced at her. "What's the matta, J?" For some reason she couldn't knock her jersey accent around him. It made her sound unprofessional and cheap but he didn't seam to mind.

"My arms doc. They're fuckin' killin' me in this jacket."

"You know the rules. It's as much for your safety as it is ours."

"I would never hurt you." He snapped, narrowing his eyes. His words packed a punch, catching her off guard. "Please, Harley. I just need to stretch them. I'm not going anywhere." His eyes were pleading; the pain behind those emerald hues called to her. "I'll see what I can do." She assured, disappearing out the door as quickly as she entered. Joker's eyes crinkled in the corners as his smile spread across his face.

An hour layer he stretched his arms over his head and made a sensational moan.

"Oh Harley. You truly are an angel."

Harley smiled brightly at his words; ignoring the protesting looks the four guards were giving her. "You do realize this man could kill us all in an instant. Hell, were probably already dead." One of the younger guards muttered, narrowing his eyes at her. It was obvious to him she was smitten by this psychopath and he wasn't about to die because of it.

"One hour, Joker and then it's back in the straps." Another guard growled as Joker took his seat - grinning wildly. "Thank you, Harley. I am forever in your debt." He assured reaching his arm across the table to her. She glanced at one of the guards carefully before extending her hand to his waiting palm. It felt like electricity passed between them as his fingers grasped hers - unlocking something between them neither were ready for.

X

Weeks turned into months as the two were nearly inseparable. Harley insisted on working late as they talked and talked; mostly about his recent years. Old news to anyone in the asylum. Arkham wanted deeper - news about his past. What made him into the monster he was today.

"Today I thought we would take a look at some inkblots, Mistah J."

Harley sat across from the famous clown and smiled, producing a stack of large cards with blots of ink on them. Joker rolled his eyes at the thought.

"How very... novice of you Harley my dear."

She ignored his remarks and held up the first card that somewhat looked like a flower. "Okay. First picture. Thoughts?"

The Joker stared at the card in her hand carefully then blinked, shrugging his thin shoulder.

"It doesn't make me think of anything."

"Alright. Next one?"

He peered at the next card from across the table and grinned, looking up to meet her sparkling eyes. "Look's like a dog." It didn't. Anything but a dog maybe. Harley brightened. "Alright. Do you like dogs?" She asked softly as his grin spread wider. "Oh, love 'em doc! They're delicious."

Harley's eyes went wide at the thought - her lips puckered into a slight frown as Joker began to laugh wildly. He leaned back in his chair, head falling back he slapped his knee as his rich voice filled the room with laughter. A minute later he opened his eyes to meet the doctors displeased glare.

"Oh, Harl. That was a hoot! You should have seen your face!" He cried, shaking his head in amusement as his laugh died down. When he looked at her again she was smiling. A radiant grin that lit up her whole face. She was beautiful.

He couldn't drop her gaze as he told her as much and quickly changed the subject.

"The truth is I don't like much of anything. Well, except for you, beautiful." He watched her pink cheeks flush. "...oh, and guns. Powerful guns. Not like pistols and shit like that. Machine guns."

Harley sighed, laying the cards down on the table between them. Her smile faded quickly. "This isn't a joke. I'm trying to help you." Joker's smile died with hers as he leaned back into his chair and slumped. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just my way. All this seriousness is boring. Let's try another game. Let's play you show me yours I'll show you mine?"

Her eyebrow arched at the thought.

"I'll tell you something about me but in return you have to tell me something about you."

That caught her interest.

What could he possibly want to know about her? "Alright." She assured as his head snapped back to her. Was she serious? His grin spread. "For your ears only tho. These monkeys have to fly."

Harley turned to the guards quickly - nodding towards the door. "Take a break, fellas." She asked, her voice serious.

"Absolutely not! There's no way in hell were leaving you in here alone with this wannabe Pennywise mother fucker."

Harley stood up quickly ushering the main guard towards the door. "You and your goons are interfering with my work here, Aaron. Dr. Arkham will have your jobs if he finds out. Just take a walk for a bit. I'll be fine. If he was going to hurt me you guys couldn't stop him."

Aaron looked past her at The Joker who was grinning like a cheshire cat. His hands resting on the back of his head. He looked a bit to comfortable.

"If he kills you... you deserve it." The guard growled, whistling for her men to follow him out into the hallway. They were more than happy to oblige.

"Impressive. Now ask away, my sweet."

Harleen pushed the cards away as she sat and grabbed her pen, opening her note pad quickly.

"Tell me a story about your childhood."

The Jokers light mood suddenly darkened. Perhaps he hadn't thought this through. He wanted more information about Harley but at what cost? He needed leverage to get under her skin but revisiting his early years wasn't a place either of them needed to go.

"That'll give you nightmares, baby." He whispered, voice dripping with emotion. Harley pressed her fallen glasses up on her face, reaching across the table to take his hand in hers. "You can trust me." She assured quietly causing him to sigh. He let the thick steel walls he had built around himself fall away as he spoke.

"My dad beat the shit out of me every day of my life until he put a bullet in his head after stabbing my mother to death. I was nine. I watched him laugh and stab that bitch until everything was covered in blood. It looked like syrup. Then he stood up - walked into the kitchen and blew his fucking head off. All during Saturday morning cartoons."

Harley's eyes went wide. She was expecting to hear something troubling but that took the cake. Joker was distraught at the memory - looking down at his hands on the table as flashes of a knife burst into his head. He hid behind a chair - watching through the wooden slats as his fathers arm raised and fell over and over taking the life from his mom. Not that she was much of a mom but she never hit him. She brought (or stole) a hot wheels car to him on his sixth birthday. The only toy he ever had. He didn't breathe, didn't move once his dad was finished, laughing wildly - the second time he had ever heard him laugh. Then he walked into the kitchen, pulling the family shot gun from the wall and put the barrel in his mouth, pulling the trigger.

"I hid in the pantry for three days before the cops finally came. Only because my dad's drug dealer showed up first. They never looked for me. No one knew I existed. They never sent me to school. Never had any friends in the neighborhood." He laughed at the thought. "So I watched from the dark closet as they gathered up my mother and what was left of my headless pops and then they were gone. I was alone. After that... it gets a little hazy. I remember walking until my legs gave out. I cut a homeless kid for his shitty dumpster sandwich..." Joker looked up from his hands suddenly, surprised to see Harley sitting across from him. He hadn't realized she was still in the room hanging on his every word. Her pad of paper long forgotten. "Now I'm here with you, the beautiful Harlequin."

Harley had tears staining her cheeks black with mascara. She couldn't imagine the horror of watching your parents death and then just being alone in the world after that. He didn't even know his own name. A sob escaped her.

"Oh no, no no no no no no no. Harley, my sweet sensitive Harley. Don't cry for me." Before she realized what she was doing he had pulled her across the table, holding her in his strong pale arms as she wept. God he could snap her pretty little neck right now and not one person could stop him. The guards had actually left them. His smile widened. He brushed her hair away from her neck, sending a shiver down her back. She didn't even care she was in the arms of a killer. She was just as fucked up as him. "Harley, look at me, I've probably done more fucked up shit in a week than my crazy dad did in his lifetime. I don't want your tears... just that beautiful smile."

She looked up at him then; makeup a mess - she had never looked more lovely. "The guards won't stay away forever and I would really, really like to kiss you right now." Harley sat up carefully on his lap - their faces inches apart as she searched his eyes with her own. Did she dare kiss him? There would be no going back after that. He wasn't a bad person. He was kind and funny and tortured. He was just -misunderstood. "Yes or no, baby?"

She nodded as his hands snaked into her hair - pulling her into his kiss quickly. A moan passed between them once their tongues met and the kiss deepened. He kissed her until she lost all thoughts of the present - completely under his control.

As quickly as it began he pulled away from her - pushing her up to a standing position on shaky legs. The guards walked back in a moment later.

"Arkham wants to see you in his office." Aaron barked glancing between the two of them quickly. Something looked off - The Joker's grin even more disturbing than before - Harley's pale lipstick smudged slightly in the corner. "Now." He growled, as she turned to him - narrowing her eyes. "Someone's going to have a bad day after this and I promise you, chief, it's not going to be me."

With that said Harley stormed off towards Dr. Arkham's office - never turning back to J as he watched after her carefully. Now the fun began. The largest of the four guards hoisted Joker up from the chair - slamming his head down into the table suddenly. He groaned - flying backwards into the furthest wall.

"You think we're idiots here, clown? Everyone sees what your trying to do! Bait that helpless girl into caring about your sorry ass? Make her feel bad for you? What about all the people you've killed? When are you going to remind her of that?" Aaron yelled in Joker's face as he tried to focus on him.

He received another slam into the wall which caused him to begin to laugh - not his usual amused tone but something far more dangerous.

"You're too late." He growled, between the creepy chuckles, "You're all too late!" His voice boomed through the halls as he lashed out - punching Aaron right in the center of his face - which caused his nose to shatter and a large bone fragment to lodge itself up and into the base of his brain. He fell to the ground dead a second later. The other guards drew their guns; one speaking into his walkie-talkie as sirens began to blare in the asylum. Joker continues his merciless laugh - throwing his head back with the loud - disturbing cackle.

X

"You can not send the guards out of the room with that man, Harleen. No matter how safe you think you are. He is a twisted individual. It's not safe."

Harley sighed, crossing her arms across her chest as she glared at him.

"I was in control the whole time, Dr. Arkham. He told me things! About his past. About his parents. I'm helping him."

Arkham raised an eyebrow just as the alarms began to ring through the building. Dr. Leland was the first to enter his office - panic on her face. "Joker killed two guards. He's claiming self defense. They managed to inject him with ten cc's of ativan before he broke John's neck - he may have crushed his throat."

Harley gasped - not for the officers that lost their life but for her J - who's future was questionable.

"Will they kill him?!" She asked in a panic - looking between Arkham and Leland. "This is my fault! I brought out memories in him - disturbing memories that could have triggered him. He needs help! He needs me." She cried as her colleagues looked between themselves.

"They won't kill him. He's to important - knows to many things in Gotham. They'll sedate him again. Solitary for a month but they won't kill him."

Harley glared at Dr. Arkham, "Are we done here? I need to be with him. He'll listen to me." Arkham nodded watching as she darted off down the hallway and back to her Joker.

X