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In all honesty, Harley was surprised that he hadn't minded. For a moment there she had almost felt her head hit against the glass window ... But it was just her imagination; instead all she saw was a smile and it was just so nice that she had to smile back.

A pleasant sort of silence settled in the vehicle and soon, Harley was dozing off. Joker took the chance to lose himself in thought; the first meeting with the Batman wasn't entirely how he had expected it - he had been too quick to lose his temper - and he couldn't just pick another fist fight with the Dark Knight out of shape. No, no this had to be better that the last time or it wouldn't be any fun at all! But thankfully, he was creative and now Harley was here... Sweet, innocent Harley who had snapped precisely when he had expected her to; she would be of great use in a not so distant future. He stopped the car not too far from a small playground. The area was empty and the little boys and girls were probably still asleep, holding their teddy bears and dolls tight until mommy and daddy decided it was time to wake up. Perfect.

Harley was so lost in her little dream world that she didn't wake up when he stopped the car this first time or when the trunk was shut rather forcefully or even moments later when he got into the car and drove off as quickly as possible. The kids would have one hell of a surprise when they saw the smiling young man waiting for them atop the plastic and wooden slide with a playing card on his left palm. Batman would know about it too. It was perhaps an hour after they had left the house that Joker decided to stop the car and wake Harley up. They were in an old area of town - but not the same as the previous night. Several buildings housed rodents (not the flying kind) and bugs but no other life forms such as, say, humans. But in one specifically, he recalled, there was an apartment he had used as hideout for a few weeks. It would be good for now.

He took one look at the girl's sleeping form and for a moment he was confused as to how exactly he should wake her up right then - with anyone else he might have delivered a punch or hit their head against something, but that wasn't exactly a confidence boost for his harlequin now was it? He smacked his lips and eventually decided to just shake her arm a bit; for a split second he sort of wanted to rip it off but ultimately repressed the urge to do so.

Harley blinked awake without even knowing she had dozed off. She became aware that Joke was shaking her lightly, and that the car had stopped. "Hnn..." She sat up and moved to get out of the car. "Sorry, didn't even know I fell asleep," she said with a sheepish smile. But he didn't look upset.

Joke didn't mind, mostly because it ensured a quiet ride and few objections at his ...disposal of the body.

"We'll be staying here for a little while.." he commented, ignoring her apology as he got out of the car. 'We'll' was an interesting concept to someone who didn't habitually bring 'guests' to places he stayed when he wasn't working.

But he had Harley so tightly in his fist he wasn't the least bit concerned about that. Harley followed him out and looked at her surroundings with a bit of a frown. Another run-down hide-out. It was so sad that this was his life. Even out of Arkham's walls he couldn't really be free. This time would be different though.

He'd have someone to help keep the gloom out of the dusty cobwebbed corners here. "Well," she said, bounding behind him brightly. "What are we waiting for? Let's see the new home," she said with a grin, trying to lighten the darkness of the dilapidated area.

He was starting to get used to this side of her personality. Of course, Harleen Quinzel had never seemed - to him at least - all that professional and all that serious; she always seemed a bit too naïve. But he did not expect for her to reveal her true self as such a happy camper - not that it bothered him, but it really was a surprise. But Harley was just that: surprising. He allowed himself into the building and knew she was following just a few steps behind. They went up the stairs, though not to the first or to the last floor - somewhere in-between, actually. Some of the houses on that floor didn't even have a door anymore but not "his" apartment, no; it was one of the few which did have one. And he walked right in, pulling Harley along before he slammed the door shut. And he was very happy to know that no one had stolen the lock he'd installed because he used it to lock the door, just in case.

Harley looked around. It was a small place and there was barely any light in it - and barely any furniture. Things were dilapidated, the wallpaper was peeling away and they were sure to have some little visitors (cockroaches, rats and such). The smell was also kind of nasty. But she wasn't particularly bothered by any it. People often made a connection between vermin and mental decay - one would have to wonder if she was that insane already that she thought of this as a fitting scenario for her life story.

"Sit down." It was him. It wasn't a suggestion as much as an order but she really couldn't tell the difference; she noticed the old couch and decided that it was better to just stand there. So she sat down, ignoring the layers of dust and whatever may be crawling underneath the floorboards. "It's... Nice." She frowned. There wasn't really any words she could find to describe the place. "So what now?"

Well by now some little kiddie had found the smiling business man on their playground. Which was a pleasant thought to him. Was she asking him about a 'plan'? Well, he had a number of them for her... Not for really any of his social experiments, per se, but for the other little games he wanted to play with the Batman. But he couldn't tell her any of those, could he?

"Right now, Harley.." he said, leaning against the same couch she sat on. "We wait. Can't stay hidden away forever," he mused. 'friends'. That's what he needed. He let out a little laugh. Bats thought all of his little acquaintances were locked away. But that wasn't the case, oh no.

Just as Joker knew he could never fully 'get' to the Batman, he knew that the Batman would never be able to get to him either. That would ruin the fun. And what fun they would have. Batman was still upset about the Dawson girl...about Dent. As much as Joke wanted it, a face-to-face with Bats would make it a short lived escape for the Clown Prince of Crime.

"...But we've got to get a few eyes on Batsy. Or we won't be able to move without word getting to him. " A half lie, for now. "Damn it, Alfred," Bruce said as he looked at the television. "He's been out twelve hours and people are dead," he commented with a clenched fist. "Person, sir. So far..." the Butler corrected as he set the tea tray down. Bruce sighed and stared at the cup.

He should be out there.. Looking for anything.. before this got out of control. That psychotic freak, always anticipating what he would do. Though, last night, Joker had done something rather uncharacteristic in lying to him.. bluffing just to get away. That worried Bruce.

He knew just as well as anyone that time in Arkham could change someone, and he doubted that it was for the better in Joker's case. Maybe that was part of the plan. Maybe Joke was laughing away manically somewhere, knowing Batman was off thinking about their encounter. But, at least Joker wouldn't be expecting Bruce Wayne... That was one card Batman still had over the madman.

a/n: Reviews and critique are much much much appreciated 3