Two days later, I was granted access to Joker's cell again, given that it was part of his terms with having me back as his therapist (according to Dr. Arkham).

Honestly, how in the hell are they letting Joker have this much freedom? He's killed and maimed since he's been in here. I really don't see how that makes it okay for him to call any shots, but I shouldn't complain... I am getting what I wanted.

I scanned my badge at his cell, entered the security code, and heard the heavy door unlock. I stepped inside his cell and tried to keep a neutral face as I stared at him for the first time in over a month. He looked the same - hair still tinted with green, face still painted for some damned reason. Broad shoulders and muscle definition still filled out his orange jumpsuit. His eyes wandered over to me from his bed, and his permanent smile widened.

Part of me panicked a little when he got off his bed in a frenzy and was in front of me faster than I could blink. He had me against the wall with his hands next to my head; he stared down at me, that dark grin still plastered to his chalk-white face.

"Welcome back, Lainey," he said, his breath having the faint odor of minty toothpaste (the man's oral hygiene was as good as mine at this point, given that the nurses were almost forcing a toothbrush into his mouth daily). "No 'I've missed you, Mr. J'? Tsk, tsk... All the trouble I went through to get you back in my grasp, too..."

"I've heard you stirred up a little trouble with Dr. Strange," I said as I felt my hands gravitating towards his hips. "Want to talk about that?"

"You could just watch the video." There was a quiet, throaty chuckle. "Shame - he didn't want to hear my bear-hunting story."

"That's his loss." I rubbed and squeezed his hips, feeling a twinge of disappointment over the hospital's uniform code because a pair of plain trousers would have been much easier to get my hands into.

He looked down at my hands, and his grin fell quickly. He grabbed my left hand and held it up.

"What's this?" he asked with disgust as he tapped my ring with his thumb.

"Oh... About that..." I started, feeling nervous and regretful for wearing my ring (which was against hospital policy - that really was stupid on my end).

"You got married?" he asked in a disgusted voice. "I'm gone for a month, and you get married?"

"Engaged," I said quietly, avoiding eye contact with him.

He stepped back from me and kept my hand in his, examining it closely. He was probably debating biting my finger off. After a couple moments of silence, he dropped my hand and stared at me, his expression turning blank.

"So, when's the wedding?"

"We haven't set a date yet."

"Am I invited? I do love wedding cake," he said as he made his way back to his bed.

"Um... I think that might be against hospital policy," I said as I followed him.

"Why say 'yes'?" he asked in a bothered tone. "I thought my buddy was able to uncover some evidence that would turn you away from the swine."

"He did. I just... I'm not even sure why I said yes. I gave it no thought, and it just came right out of my mouth." We looked at each other for a few seconds before I released my long-awaited sigh. "I've missed you."

He suddenly grinned. "How could you not? I'm a likeable guy - charisma and all that."

"How did you get the other patient to bite Dr. Young's ear?"

"Oh, Xander? Just part of one of his old fantasies about her. He has a history of biting, so they usually keep that Hannibal Lector mask on him. Shame someone loosened the buckles on it for him that day..." he mumbled.

My eyes widened. "Yeah... wonder who'd do something like that..."

"Honest mistake made by the staff, I'm sure." He grinned. "You know how they tend to...slip."

I stared down at him, watching him put his hands behind his bed as he stretched his long legs out on his bed.

"So, is this the first official session with you back? Or is this just a social call?"

"Our first session together is tomorrow."

"Social call... I like that." He stared up at me, giving me a little nod. "So no official questions about what I've been up to since you were taken from me, then?"

"Well, they aren't entirely necessary. I'm supposed to be neutral towards all of my patients, you know."

"And how many of us are there, Lainey?" He sat up in his bed, his bare feet going over the side quickly. "Is it just me and your darling, foolish husband-to-be, or are there others? You know... I really don't like sharing my toys." He licked his lips. "No matter who was there first."

His dark eyes pierced through my very being in our stare-off. His words were bitterly thrown out - possessive, threatening.

"Just you and Derek," I said quietly. "Derek and I... we don't really do anything."

"Trying to make little ol' me jealous?" he asked darkly. "It's working. You might not like jealous me - I don't always play well with others, you know."

What were my intentions of coming in here early for again? This is against protocol, I didn't have anything prepared for coming in here. My body seemed to autopilot in here. Am I looking for sexual gratification? Just missing my favorite sociopath?

"Inflicting negative emotions are not my intention," I stated as I boldly took a seat next to him.

His mouth was at my ear, which brought back the image of Dr. Young having part of her ear torn off, and made me borderline paranoid about what Joker could possibly do.

He's been given numerous opportunities to hurt me, and he hasn't. Is he waiting? Is he planning something? He says he doesn't plan, but Rule #1 is that he lies...

"Who's to say the feeling is negative? Maybe I enjoy being jealous. Maybe it gives me a little rush - the need to keep my toys in a box so nobody else can touch them."

His voice was low in my ear, sending chills down my spine; he hand creeped up my thigh, making my legs instinctively spread for him.

"Are you suggesting something?" I kept my stare straight at the wall, feeling a little nervous (and excited) by the closeness.

"Mmm... what would give you that idea?"

I felt his teeth graze my ear, making goosebumps erupt over my skin.

"It almost sounds like you're insinuating kidnapping me."

He stopped playing with my ear and left out an airy laugh.

"Me? What makes you think I'd do something like that?"

I stared at him dully. "No offense, but you are known for holding people hostage."

"Oh, they were just hesitant participants. I get the feeling you'd come willingly." He grinned. "I'm only here as long as I feel like staying. When I get back out in the field, how about I pay you a little visit and we take a little...vacation out of Gotham, hm?"

"They would think you kidnapped me and would place a bounty on your head."

He stared at me dully, and I felt his fingers touch my chin.

"I've had the mob place a one million dollar bounty on my head before. You think the cops, some of whom are on my payroll, would scare me off? I've heard my friend has gone MIA, too."

"Batman? There haven't been any sightings lately."

"Taking the fall for Harvey Dent's death... Our beloved Harvey. 'I believe in Harvey Dent!'" He cackled to himself. "Gotham's 'white knight'..."

"Sometimes I get the feeling you really aren't faking madness," I said uncomfortably.

"Mmm... and how do you measure madness?" His hands stroked my jawline, and his mouth went back to work on my ear.

That question, though I should have really expected anything with him, made me stop and think. When I decided to finally answer with basic textbook psychology, he interrupted my prepared speech.

"I've spent many lonely nights in here. I could've really used your company." He licked his lips. "I've been thinking of all the ways I could reallyrepay you for what you did to me last time."

I blushed. "I believe you already did."

He leaned forward and left a long, wet kiss on my lips.

"I was thinking something a little more... orally fixated," he mumbled into my mouth, then dropped down to the nape of my neck and sucked on it.

I quietly whimpered and wrapped my fingers in his messy, wavy hair.

"I can't stay in here very long. I have a patient at two, and they're going to wonder why I'm in here if the guard is even paying attention to the security cameras."

"Don't worry about them," he mumbled into my neck, making me feel a pool of warmth in my panties.

I felt one of his long fingers slide up my skirt and rub at my underpants. I moaned into his ear, pushing my pelvis towards him. I felt his smile widen. My hand reached out and rubbed his groin, feeling his hard member bulging through his jumpsuit.

"You'd like my regular attire," he said, pushing a finger past my underpants, and rubbed it against my slick slit, "much easier to get into."

He was containing another loud cackle at his words, which I didn't find humorous at all. I unzipped his uniform and watched him slide his arms out of the short sleeves, revealing a plain white t-shirt. I reached into the opening and rubbed him through his underpants, feeling his heat burning into the palm of my hand.

As my hand was about to slide under the waistband of his underpants, my pager beeped. He growled and reached for the clip, making me swat his hands away.

"If that gets damaged, I'll have to pay for a new one," I warned.

I looked down at it, seeing it was a page from one of the nurses who was overseeing Ivy. Code Green - Ivy was having a tantrum again.

"I have to go," I said as I stood up and fixed my outfit. "It's an emergency. I'm sorry - I'll see you tomorrow for our session."

He stood up and gave me a long, hard kiss on the mouth, which led me feeling dizzy.

"To think, I was about to take you on my bed here," he whispered. "Ah, well... I guess that'll be a, um... dream to help me along tonight."

I smiled a bit at his snickering, then hurried out of his cell to tend to Ivy's needs.