Maybe Ivy was deluding herself, but it seemed to her that Harley was coping with this breakup a little better than usual. She still cried all the time, but there were intervals of calm where she really appeared to be seriously thinking. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking on Ivy's part.
A few days later, an angry knocking sounded on Ivy's door. She raced to it, but Harley beat her to it and threw it open.
The Joker stood there, glowering. "Sorry. C'mon," he muttered, seizing Harley's arm and dragging her out the door.
"No, Mr. J," said Harley firmly, pulling her arm away suddenly. Ivy was taken aback, and so was Joker.
"Excuse me?" he said, incredulously.
"I said, no, Mr. J," replied Harley, with the same firmness, although her voice was quivering. "I ain't coming back with you this time. I'm staying with Red. I need some time alone, without you, to sort my life out. To figure out what I want."
He stared at her. "What you want?" he repeated in disbelief. "Who could possibly care what you want?" He glared at Ivy. "This is the plant's fault, isn't it?" he demanded.
"It ain't her fault," retorted Harley. "It ain't about her, or about you. It's about me."
"You?" he repeated, growing furious. "And just who do you think you are, Harley? Who do you think you'd be without me? Just some meaningless shrink back at Arkham, some crap doctor trying futilely to cure people, surrounded by crazies and more crazies! I made you into Harley Quinn, the Joker's…assistant, henchwench of the greatest criminal mastermind this city has ever seen! You should be grateful to me, you should be on your knees thanking me every minute of every day for saving you from a wasted, useless, and boring life! And that's what you'll be going back to without me, toots! A meaningless, empty life!"
"My life ain't meaningless or empty!" shouted Harley. "I got friends, I got qualifications, I got talents, and I'm going to use them! You need to realize that, Mr. J, and treat me with a little more respect! I ain't just some dumb blonde punching bag of yours! I'm Harley Quinn, supervillainess, and your equal! So just get used to it, clown!"
There was silence after this rant. Both Joker and Ivy were too stunned to respond. Then Joker growled, "So you gonna come home and make dinner, or what?"
Harley looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Goodbye, Mr. J," she whispered. And she shut the door.
Ivy stared at her, open-mouthed. "Harley," she breathed. "Harley, that was amazing."
"Yeah? It felt kinda good," she said, managing a small smile. "It just suddenly made sense, Red, all the stuff you've been saying for a long time now. You were right. I do have the strength to do it."
Ivy could have kissed her. But she just hugged her instead and then said, beaming, "Come on, get dressed up nice. We're going out for dinner and drinks, on me. This is a huge step, Harley. I'm so proud of you."
"I'm proud of myself," she said, smiling. "It's a nice feeling, ain't it, Red?"
"It's called self-esteem," replied Ivy. "And I know you've been without it for a long time, but it's addictive. I think you're going to be all right, Harley. For the first time, I really do."