Chapter Three:

Moving Forward

After two days of waiting for my background check to clear and another day of settling into my very own office, I was finally ready to get to work. I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Joan Leland officially yesterday when I was bringing my pictures and house plants into my office. She's been assigned to be my mentor of sorts. I don't technically have to report to her, but she will be keeping a close eye on me and any questions I have will have to be answered by her because apparently, Dr. Arkham is too busy to be bothered by simple questions.

I was told that today Dr. Leland and I will be discussing which patients I can possibly begin treating personally. I'm really nervous because I haven't mentioned my interest in treating the Joker at all. I hope he doesn't already have a doctor treating him. He's been a patient here for about three weeks now, so there is a possibility that he's still on the availability list.

When I finally arrive at the asylum after taking a very long train and bus ride, I notice two stacks of paperwork have been carefully placed on my desk. I set my purse to the side and cozy up in my comfy office chair because by the looks of it, I was going to be here for a while. I have a ton of paperwork that I have to read and sign, regarding disclosure agreements, insurance policies, and staff conduct.

Two hours go by in the blink of an eye, and I've only gone through the first stack of paperwork. Just as I'm about to move on to the next stack, I notice a silhouette growing closer towards my open office door. Dr. Leland enters with a pile of files held close to her chest.

"Good morning Harleen. You settling in okay?"

"Yeah. Right now I'm just trying to get through all this paperwork as quickly as possible." I eye the files in her hands and allow myself to look as excited as I feel. "Are those what I think they are?" Dr. Leland smiles.

"Yes," she says as she takes the seat opposite me. She sets the files down on my desk and places a hand over them. "Somewhere in these files lies all the information you'll need on your future patients. We just have to choose them first. Are you ready to get started, or do you want me to come back later when you've finished your paperwork?"

"Oh, no. I've been waiting too long for this moment," I laugh. I'm starting to feel nervous. I hope the Joker's file is in that pile.

"Alright. So, Dr. Arkham has determined that he would like to start you off with two patients alone. He wants to be sure that you adjust yourself here at a steady pace. In about three months you'll gradually be given more and more patients to handle." I nod in agreement. Starting off with only two patients is fine by me. I really only have one patient in mind right now; and the less patients I have, the more I can focus on treating him. "So, without further ado," Dr. Leland lightly pushes the stack of files my way. "Here are your options for your first patients here at Arkham Asylum." I quickly pull the files closer and start opening each one carefully, searching for his name. "You'll find that each of these patients are being held in the minimum security ward, so you needn't worry about your personal safety being compromised. These patients are very docile." Oh no. The Joker is by no means docile, and I highly doubt that they're keeping him under minimum security. …His file isn't going to be here.

I immediately stop sifting through the files and a deep frown sets on my face as I contemplate how to ask for what I want. Dr. Leland notices my displeasure. "Is everything alright Harleen? Have I said something wrong?"

I suck in a big breath of air. "Well it's just that I already had a particular patient in mind and I'm more than certain that he isn't being held in the minimum security ward. So, I know that his file isn't going to be here." I gesture towards the mess of files I've spread across my desk.

"Oh?" Dr. Leland crosses her legs and looks genuinely intrigued by who I could possibly be referring to. "What patient did you have in mind?" I brace myself for her reaction and look her dead in the eyes. It's now or never.

"The Joker."

Dr. Leland's eyes instantly dilate at the sound of his name. She sits up right in her chair and looks as though she's about to protest. Before she gets the chance to say no, I cut her off before she even begins so that I can explain myself.

"Dr. Leland, I understand the severity of what I'm asking for. I know that the Joker is an extremely dangerous and high profile case, which is why I also understand why you may have qualms about me treating him; but I really think that I can do this. The reason I came to this facility was so that I can treat the criminally insane. The patients in these files are by no means near the level of illness that I was looking forward to treating. If I wanted to treat harmless patients like these, I would have gone to another facility. I feel that it is my duty to work with those who others have given up on. And who fits this bill better than the Joker? Lots of people believe that he's untreatable; but I want to prove them wrong. Dr. Leland, if you let me have the Joker as my patient I know that I can cure him. You at least have to give me the chance to try, right?" I smile hopefully. Dr. Leland is speechless for a long moment.

"Umm… Goodness, Dr. Quinzel. I was not expecting you to ask that." She places a hand on her forehead to steady herself. Another long moment passes as she contemplates her response to everything that I just said. "Well, first of all, I would like to say that I admire your passion and enthusiasm for this work, but I wonder if these qualities are clouding your judgment on the extreme level of difficulty that treating someone like the Joker would be. He's no picnic Harleen. If we were to assign him as your patient, treating him would not be a cake walk. We have had countless of doctors and specialists fly in and attempt to do the very thing that you believe you can accomplish. None of them have succeeded. None of them have even been able to extract basic information from him; such as his real name. Not only would your level of expertise for this case have to be considered, but also your personal safety. Many doctors who attempt to treat the Joker don't come out the same as they were before. The only ones who do are those that quit after the first day; and they're still pretty shaken up from the experience. He has a way of getting inside people's heads. He can easily flip a session so that you are the one releasing information about yourself rather than him. And… there are also doctors who don't survive sessions with him. He has killed many of our employees and sent others to the hospital with severe injuries. So, I can tell you right now Dr. Quinzel that your request is unfortunately going to have to be denied. At least for right now. Dr. Arkham has made it very clear that he wants you to gradually earn your standing here, so I know for a fact that a request for a higher profile case would be immediately denied for the time being." I can't help the look of disappointment that floods my face. "But don't worry. With your level of enthusiasm, I'm sure that you'll have a patient on the same level as the Joker by the end of the year." What? A whole year? And I notice how she said 'a patient on the same level as the Joker' and not 'the actual Joker.' Ugh, I don't want to wait that long! What if he hurts other people during this time? I want to start treating him now before he gets the chance to. I wish I could tell her the reason why I know I'll be able to treat him, but if I did that then they definitely won't let me because doctors aren't allowed to treat patients that they are close to.

With a heavy heart, I reluctantly agree to Dr. Leland's reasoning. Mostly because I have no idea how to rebuttal everything she's said. I randomly choose two patients from the files she brought me. I don't really have to put much thought into who I choose anyway because I'll have them treated in no time so that I can move my way up the ranks. Dr. Leland wishes me good luck with my new patients before she leaves and I get right back to work on my stack of paperwork.

By three o'clock I've finished everything and I'm finally ready to bring my two stacks down to human resources. I couldn't manage taking everything in one trip, so I had to come back to my office for what was left behind. I hold the hefty stack of papers close as I make the long walk down to the human resources office. Every step I take in these black stilettos echoes loudly throughout each hallway I stride through. I always feel empowered whenever I wear these heels; they're really helping boost my mood right now. I had a feeling that I would be denied having the Joker as my patient before I even asked, but I guess I just got too caught up in the idea of meeting my soulmate that I didn't think about who I was asking to treat. It's unnerving thinking about how we're both under the same roof right now, and I can't see him. I really want to meet him face to face and have a proper conversation with him. I'm so impatient to figure out why he and I are meant to be together. I wish I could poke my head in maximum security just so that I could get a little peek of him up close, but security would never let me through their gates because I have no business being there. I wonder if there's a way that I could-

"OW!" I shriek. When I turned the corner at the end of the corridor, I bumped into something and my head smashed into whatever it was.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry!" A man in a lab coat is crouching before me, helping to gather all of my scattered paperwork. I can't make out who he is because of his awkward position.

"No, please. I'm the one who should be sorry. I was in my own head; I didn't see you coming." When he finishes putting together my papers, he rises to hand them to me. My lips stretch into a wide grin when I recognize who it is.

"Guy!"

"Harleen?" Guy's excitement exceeds my own as he wraps me in a bear hug and swings me around once. Guy's reaction is a bit over the top, but his enthusiasm is infectious and I can't help feeling super happy to see him too.

"I can't believe this! What are you doing here? I thought you flew out to Metropolis with Danny."

"Eh, I changed my mind last minute. I wanted to surprise you."

"Well you sure as hell did a damn good job! Tell me, did you also plan this little reunion we just had?" I can't help the loud laugh that escapes my throat. Guy has always had a strange way of keeping me in a great humor.

"Of course I did. Getting a concussion was part of my plan too," I wink playfully. Guy laughs and walks the rest of the way with me to human resources.

"Wow, so you work here too now?" Guy asks.

"E-yup," I lightly pop the 'p' sound.

"I still can't believe this," Guy grins. "After all the times I begged you and the others to stay in Gotham, you finally listened."

I scoff. "Who says you were the one who convinced me to stay?"

"Harleen please. We both know you didn't leave because of me. If it wasn't my words that moved you, then it was my body right? You just couldn't stay away." Guy smiles his famous wolfish grin. I laugh and nudge his shoulder.

"Uh, yeah Guy. That's why I stayed." I grab his cheek and pinch it a bit roughly. "Because I'd miss you so, so much!" I say in the best mommy voice that I can manage.

"Ouch." Guy rubs his cheek. "Maybe you working here isn't such a good idea after all."

I'm laughing very unprofessionally when we reach the human resources office. I turn in my paperwork to the man behind the desk and officially have nothing left to do for the rest of the day.

"So Guy I'm done for the day, do you want to go out for a bite?"

"Hell yeah I do. I turned in all of my paperwork already so I'm done too. We should go to that one bar 'n' grill we all went to that one time. Remember?"

I roll my eyes. "Yeah those details you're giving me are really helpful. But I do know what you're talking about, so let's go there."

Guy and I clock out of the asylum and head over to the restaurant. I'm relieved that we don't have to take the bus to get there. Unlike me, Guy actually has a car that safely gets him to work and home every day. It takes twenty minutes to get to the restaurant and Guy and I laugh and tease each other the whole way there. I love Guy. I don't love-love him in the romantic sense. I just love him. He's like the older brother I've always wanted.

We both slide into our booth and order drinks and appetizers. There's a football game being played on all of the TVs. It seems like a pretty important game too because this place is crowded and everyone's eyes are glued to the TVs. I wish I could join in on everyone's excitement but I don't know a thing about football. I wish I did.

Guy throws a french fry in my face to pull my focus from the TV back to him. I playfully scowl at him and throw it back.

"So Harleen, I'm really curious. Why did you decide to stay and work at Arkham?" I was really hoping he wouldn't ask that. I'm obviously not going to tell him the real reason why I'm working there, so I just stick with what I told Dr. Leland.

"Well, I've always had a thing for extreme personalities. You can't deny there's an element of glamour to the super criminals they've got at Arkham. I wouldn't be able to work with people like that at S.T.A.R. Labs; I'd be doing boring research stuff every day. I guess you could say that reality hit me last minute and I realized where it is I'm supposed to be."

"I'm glad you decided to stay. I can't tell you how sad I was having all of my friends leave me."

"Aw come on Guy, you could make a whole new group of friends in two seconds if you wanted to."

He shakes his head. "No I couldn't; not at Arkham. Have you met the other doctors? Everyone is so serious. I feel like if I were to goof around with them, they would think that I don't take my work seriously enough."

"Hmm, you've got a point there. Everyone there is so professional-like. It's refreshing to me but I'm sure it'll get boring after a while."

Heheheeeheeeheehehahahahahahaha!

The sound of the Joker's laugh makes me jolt up in attention. It's been a while since I've heard anything from him. It's understandable though. The joy from his latest crusade had long worn off, and there isn't anything happening at the asylum that could make him feel anything strong enough for me to hear him. I wonder why he's laughing now. If I concentrate hard enough, I can sort of feel the emotions behind it. Something about the way he's laughing now feels masochistic. It's almost as if he's in some sort of pain, but that very same pain is egging him on. I don't get it.

"Something wrong Harleen?" Guy breaks my concentration.

"Huh? No. No, I'm fine."

"Were you listening to your other voice just now?"

I smile guiltily. "Yeah, sorry. I know you were in the middle of saying something."

"No it's cool. I get it. Sometimes it's really hard to focus on reality when their thoughts suddenly come to mind. I usually don't hear my girl till its past nine p.m. I wonder if it's because she lives in a different time zone or because she works late. I hope it's the first."

I laugh. "I'm sure she's a good girl Guy. If she's working late, I'm sure the job is decent."

"Yeah, I can feel that she's a good person, but there are only so many jobs that a woman can do at night, you know?"

"Tell me about it; it's tough out there. I remember bartending late nights during my undergrad, and every night I had trouble with sleazy guys. Eventually my boss got tired of me complaining so he let me go. …Asshole." I swig a chug of my beer. "But don't worry Guy. If your soulmate was working a bad or degrading job, trust me, you'd know about it. You would be hearing her complain about it all the time. I'm sure your first guess was right and she just lives in a different time zone."

Guy smiles warmly and looks a bit relieved. "Thanks Harleen. I'm sorry to hear about that other stuff though."

"Eh, it's in the past. I only had to put up with it when I was working. Afterwards I would just run to my car and drive home quickly." I sigh and lean my head into my hand. "I wish I still had my car. Getting around town was so much simpler."

"What, you don't like taking the 'L' train?"

"To be honest, I don't mind taking the train, it's getting there that's a drag. I hate walking through my neighborhood, it's dangerous. I keep my fist in my pocket with my keys between my knuckles each time I leave my place. I was looking forward to moving to Metropolis because I was going to live in a better neighborhood."

"Living in Metropolis is expensive though. How were you going to manage that?"

"Daniel and I were talking about moving in together for a while."

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Yeah well, it wasn't exactly a solid plan; it was just a thought." Guy is silent when our waitress arrives with our meals. He seems deep in thought so I decide not to bother him. After a good minute, Guy slams his hand on the table and regards me with a triumphant smile.

"I've got it! The answer to all of your problems." I furrow my eyebrows in confusion.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"You hate where you're living right now, right?"

"Hell yeah I do."

"Then the solution to your problem is obvious."

I wait for his answer but he says nothing. "It isn't obvious to me Guy. What are you talking about?"

Guy wears a proud smile. "Harleen. You and I should move in together." I stare at him in wonder.

"Are you serious?"

"Hell yeah I am! If you were comfortable enough to move in with Daniel, then you'd be comfortable enough to move in with me right? Together we could afford a better place closer to the uptown district; it'd be a lot safer than where you're living now. And plus, I would love to have a roommate right now. The silence in my apartment is getting to me. And who better to room with than you Harleen. You're like a sister to me, I would love to have you around more."

My heart swells. "Aw Guy I would love to live with you too; if you'll have me. I think of you as the brother I've always wanted. Are you sure about this though? I mean this is huge."

"Of course I'm sure. Let's do this!"

"Really?"

"Really." Guy and I clink glasses and laugh the night away.

Last night was so much fun. Guy and I played some pool for a while after eating. We stood out a bit later than we should have, considering the fact that we both had to work early the next day. Guy is so sweet, he offered to carpool to work every day even though we don't live together yet. I wanted to decline because I live a bit out of his way, but I just couldn't pass up this opportunity. I love getting a ride to work.

So far the day has gone by quickly. I had my first session with my first patient today. He was a jumpy man with a serious case of anxiety. I was supposed to have my session with my second patient thirty minutes ago, but apparently he got caught in an incident in the cafeteria that sent him to the medical ward. I believe he was stabbed in the arm with a fork by one of the more ill patients. I was planning on calling it a day, but then I decide against it. I think it'd be best to at least introduce myself to him today. That way I can establish a level of trust sooner rather than later.

I walk purposefully to the medical ward; my heels clicking repeatedly against the linoleum floor. I push open the large double doors and observe my new surroundings curiously. This is my first time stepping foot into this part of the asylum. It's very white. It definitely has that hospital feel to it though. The patients here don't have the luxury of privacy like patients in a hospital have. There are large glass windows that take up the entire entrance wall to each room. Most of these rooms don't even have doors, there's just a big gap where the door used to be. I'd hate to be admitted here.

I pass a long row of patient-filled rooms to get to the help desk. I see and hear a lot of disturbing things that I don't care to dwell on. When I reach the desk, I find that it's empty. The nurse must have stepped out for a second. I decide to wait for her return because I need help locating my new patient. I don't know what he looks like so I can't exactly poke my head in every room until I find him.

I start playing with a stack of papers that have been left out. My fingers gently strum each page as the minutes go by. What is taking her so long? I turn away from the desk to see if I can see her coming down the hall; there's no sign of her. I sigh loudly, making my annoyance obvious. When I turn to look at the other side of the room, I learn that there are some patient rooms lined on the far wall. The desk is positioned in a way that allows whoever is working here to keep a watchful eye on these patients at all times. These rooms are not empty, so I don't know why no one is here doing their job. My eyes quickly peer through each patient's window when I suddenly catch a glimpse of green hair.

…I don't believe it…

…There he is.

It's him.

It's actually him.

The Joker is sitting right there!

I stare at him dumbfounded. I can't believe I'm seeing him in the flesh right now. My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. An unexpected surge of both calm and excitement floods through me. I let out a shaky relieved breath. I finally found him! To my surprise, I'm extremely happy to see him. It feels as if my whole life has been building up to this moment. I can feel my heart swelling and I feel a strong urge to go to him. I take one step towards him but stop myself dead in my tracks. What am I doing? I can't just walk up to him like nothing. What would I say? Oh jeez. I'm really nervous now.

I allow myself to stare at him while I decide what to do. The Joker doesn't notice me at all right now. He's too busy picking at the bandage that's wrapped around his left arm. He's staring at it questionably as if he's debating whether to leave it on or not. I notice from the opening of his jumpsuit that he has quite a few tattoos. Unfortunately from here I can't make out what they are. I think I also see something across his forehead but I can't make out what that is either. You can tell that his hair has been hastily smoothed back because there are a couple of loose strands out of place. I notice that long handcuffs are secured around each wrist, and the other end is attached to either side of the bed he's sitting on. The right side of his forehead is a deep purple; it looks badly bruised. His eyes reveal his sleep deprivation. He looks like he hasn't slept in months. His eyes are underlined by deep black rings that really stand out against his alabaster skin. His eyes are a clouded blue that hold mine captive for a good two minutes.

Suddenly, the Joker notices me staring at him. When his eyes meet my own, every nerve in my body jolts at the attention. At first I feel so comfortable and at ease under his scrutiny, but then, an unbridled fear takes over as I notice the way he's staring back at me. His entire demeanor becomes deathly cold as he perceives me. He looks me dead in the eyes without moving or blinking. He's become so frightening that I feel as if I'm looking death itself in the face. I quickly turn away and lean against the desk, my back to him.

I cannot believe how shook up I am by just looking at him. If I break this easily under his stare, how am I going to survive a session with him? He's more intimidating than I thought… but I won't let him get to me; I can't let him. I need to be strong.

Slowly, I turn my head around so that I can get a peek of him. He isn't looking at me anymore. He went back to playing with his bandage. I look away before he can glare at me again.

Wow. I feel like such a chicken! I need to pull myself together. I don't want to come off as weak right off the bat. I need to stay calm and focus on channeling positive emotions. I don't want to let him intimidate me but most importantly, I don't want him to see me being intimidated. So, I take a few relaxing breaths to slow my heart and I decide to act nonchalant about his presence. I pretend to be interested in the papers I was messing with earlier, when I hear footsteps coming down the hall. It's about time this nurse returned to her station.

Huh? It's Guy.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Actually, I was coming here to tell you that they moved your patient back to his cell while you were on your way up here."

"Ugh, really. Just my luck," I roll my eyes. "I feel guilty leaving though. No one's here to keep an eye on these patients."

"Yeah, that's the second reason why I'm here." I stare at Guy questionably. "On my way in a couple of nurses were gathered outside the door. They're afraid to be around him." Guy points his finger in the Joker's direction. He's still fiddling with his bandage. I look back at Guy and laugh. His comment really relieves me. Yes, I'll admit that his presence sends shivers down my spine, but at least I'm brave enough to stand in the same room as him. I feel better because now I know that I'm on a different level than everyone else when it comes to the Joker.

"Why are you laughing?" Guy smiles, not understanding.

I start coming down from my laughing high. "Because they're all chickens!" Guy joins in my laughter before my high runs out.

I wipe away a couple of loose tears and sigh. "Well I guess I should go find my patient and introduce myself. Are you going to stay here and keep guard or something?"

"Yeah, just until the orderlies come. The nurses won't come in until they arrive. Right now they're finishing up getting things in order in the cafeteria after this morning's incident."

"Well, all right. I'll see you later Guy." As I walk away I decide to throw a quick glance the Joker's way and I'm surprised to find that he's looking back at me. He isn't glaring coldly at me like he was before, however, his gaze is still intense. There's a little wrinkled 'v' in between the place where his eyebrows should be. He's looking hard at me, as if he's trying to figure me out.

In a moment of confidence, I smile and give the Joker a single acknowledging nod while walking away towards the door. I don't want him to think that I'm just like everybody else. I want him to know that to me, he's just another patient; even though he's really so much more than that. With my hands in my coat and my stilettos clicking away with every step, I leave the medical ward feeling triumphant; as though I've just won some sort of battle.

AN: I swear I was going to post this chapter a lot sooner but my midterms got in the way. This chapter is double the size of the other chapters though, so I hope that makes up for my tardiness. Hope you all like the story so far! Let me know what you think, I'll see you all in the next chapter. :D