"Harley no one else will take his case, you're the only other doctor that has even played with the idea of treating him" Jerry explained
"Jerry this man has tried to kill me countless times, in order to get to Joker"
"Harley he is in a straight jacket"
"Fine" she huffed "I will try one more session" she stood and left the room for her own office, she had minutes before her session. She sighed it was hard enough to live life with Joker back and after her without this man reminding her ever day that he never cared for her and never would. A knock on her doo pulled her from her thoughts "Dr. Quinzel, your patient is ready" she waved the nurse on, a male orderly dragging him in by his jacket and cuffed him to the chair in front of her desk. "If he gets out of hand just called" the orderly said and walked out of the room with a wink, she rolled her eyes she always attracted the men she didn't want.
"Ah Harley, always a pleasure. We had figured you had run off scared like all the other doctors" he laughed
"Dr. Quinzel. You don't scare me Dent, you never have" she glared at him "You were always just another psycho trying to fit into an old pair of Joker's shoes" she stared at him, defiance shining in her blue eyes
"Joker was half the man we are!" Two-face yelled, the damaged half of his face snarled at her. She had noticed that when Two-face talked that half of his face turned more towards whom they were talking to. "Was?" she questioned
"We took care of that old playing card, before we got thrown in here for being naughty" Two-face giggled. "So why don't you come over here and thank Daddy for taking care of the boogie man" Harvey said, both smirking
"Do you take me for a fool Dent?" she wasn't sure what to call them while referring to both she decided Dent would suffice. They eyed her suspiciously "Someone like Joker wouldn't be outsmarted or out matched by someone so torn as you" she smirked that had hit a cord "You cant even make a decision with out your precious coin" she fondled the coin in her hand "Joker would have killed you before your coin even began to fall"
"Well you better start believing it girly!" Two-face snarled, "We have proof" they jumped out of the chair, grabbing her throat and slammed her against the wall. Stars swam through her vision from the impact, something warm pressed against her cheek "Remember this?" he growled into her ear, she could tell Two-face was in full control now. She dared to glance down, struggling to breathe, and found Joker's knife pushed into the soft part of her cheek. A plan formed in her head almost as fast as Harvey had snapped "Joker's favorite knife, I guess he's really gone" she said sadly, she had been able to fake cry since she was five, now it was as easy as breathing.
"Awe, don't cry sweet-thing" he said rubbing her cheek with his thumb, pushing the knife in harder "Daddy's here now" Harvey comforted her, she almost gagged in disgust, there was only one man allowed to refer to himself as daddy when it involved her. She smiled as sweetly as she could "Could I have Daddy's new knife?" she asked in her best sweet little girl voice, they stared at her, she could see the two minds whirling "I know where Daddy's coin is. If Daddy gives me his new knife, I'll give Daddy his coin" she looked up at him from under her lashes, the pressure of the knife lessened, they smiled
"That's a good girl" they laughed, she felt the handle slip into her hand. She gripped it so tightly her knuckles turned white, she held the coin up between them, and Harvey grabbed it and went back to the chair. She didn't fully understand where he had hidden the knife or how he had gotten out of the jacket or the cuffs.
"You have some serious issues Dent" they looked up at her "I know you didn't kill Joker, I saw him two days ago, holding up a club, looking for me. I don't know where or how you got his knife but its not going to end well for you, if you ever get out of here watch you back" she smiled and pushed the panic button under her desk. Two male orderlies burst through her door "You may want to double check you jackets and cuffs from now on" she smiled picking up her purse and walked out her door.
The ride back to the manor was quite, Harley played with Joker's knife. "Madam, may I ask what's on you mind?" Alfred asked looking back at her from the rear-view mirror.
"Just thinking on my session today Alfred" she smiled looking up at him; she tucked the knife back in her pocket.
"Master Wayne has asked that you prepare for the Masquerade ball right away"
"Did he now" she smiled "And where is Mr. Wayne?"
"Commissioner Gordon called just as I was leaving to gather you Madam"
"Why am I not surprised, Gotham's baddies don't sleep or take a break" she laughed half-heartedly "Any tips as to who this time?"
"The Joker Madam" he said opening her door and helping her out
"Alfred, how opposed do you think Bruce would be if I offered to help him fight Gotham's baddies?"
"Very" he laughed she nodded. Alfred knew that she would do something anyway so didn't fight the subject any more. Harley spent the rest of the daylight getting ready for Bruce's ball, she gingerly picked up her porcelain mask she would wear for the night, it was black, shaped much like her old mask but was accented by red and black feathers. She smiled Bruce always indulged her in her love of black and red. "Don't you look lovely" a voice broke the deafening silence in the room, she smiled at Bruce's reflection in the mirror.
"My fiancé has great taste" she giggled
"Actually Alfred has great taste" he admitted
"I know," she laughed turning to face him "I haven't seen you much these past few days" she said looking to the ground
"I know, I'm very sorry but Joker's been giving me a run for my money" he sounded so tired
"I could help you," she whispered
"No, I will not have you put yourself in danger because of me and defiantly not against Joker" she sighed
"Bruce I could help you, I know him!"
"I wont lose you to him! I don't need your help!" Harley put her hands up in defeat
"Ok" she put her mask on "Shall we?"
Harley and Bruce smoozed for a good hour after arriving, sipping champagne with the rich bored Harley, she pulled Bruce on to the dance floor for at least on dance before the end of the night. They dance unknowingly to three songs, before a man came and asked to step in, Bruce obliged and she was whisked away. She soon found herself being passed off between a bunch of men wearing similar masks, just as all the twirling and dancing was making her dizzy she was passed off to who she was hoping was the last man. They danced in silence and soon the song ended, she moved to head back to Bruce but the man tightened his grip and started them dancing to the next song. "Who are you and what do you want from me?"
"Straight to the point, Doc" he giggled, her eyes widened "Calm down, I didn't come here to cause trouble"
"That's all you cause" she sneered, his grip tightened even more and he shook her slightly
"I said I didn't come here to cause trouble, but I'm not opposed to doing so" he growled, smirking as he felt her shiver "What's the matter doll-face, miss me? Is Bruce Wayne not as good as me?"
"I've never missed you," she snarled, she knew he could tell she was lying. He pulled her closer to him
"Your mouth says no, but your body says yes" he laughed tracing her lips with his finger, it was the first time she'd seen him out in public without his gloves. She resisted the urge to take his finger into her mouth
"You left me for dead" they had yet to break eye contact, even with him being almost a foot taller than her. "You threw me out a window and didn't give a shit to come see if I was alive" she could feel the tears threatening to flow "All I wanted was for you to love me like I loved you" she finally broke eye contact with him
"Look at me" he grabbed her face and forced her to look at him "I said look at me" he growled, his teeth were gritted she could tell he was getting angry because his ticks became worse, his tongue darted from corner to corner as well as the scare that dipped from his lip to his chin and his eyes flicked around the room. "I told you I didn't come here to cause trouble… and yet you keep pushing my buttons" he shook her again
"You might want to watch where you leave things" she said pulling the knife form her cleavage and slipped it no his hand, "Dent attacked me with it in my office today. Said he'd taken care of you and that I should thank him, said I didn't have to worry cause 'Daddy' was there now. After slamming me into a wall and holding you knife to my face" she dared to glance to his eyes, she didn't remember when he'd let go of her face "He would have killed me had I not had his coin" she could see the anger building in his eyes, his ticks so vicious now people were looking towards them. She grabbed a clown near them "Don't let anyone out onto the balcony" the clown nodded. She grabbed Joker's hand, a bold move in its self, and dragged him outside before he got himself thrown back into Arkham. They stood in silence for a small forever, the cool fall air biting at her exposed flesh, she subconsciously wrapped her arms around herself in a lame attempt to warm her skin. His jacket was suddenly around her shoulders still warm from his body heat, she looked up but he had already turned away "Why did you come here tonight?" she asked breaking the silence, he didn't show any signs of answering causing her to sigh
"I guess I just need to see you, make sure you were happy with him" he growled the last part, he took off his mask and looked at her, he wasn't wearing his face paint making his light pink scars stand out against his pale skin. She resisted the urge to reach out and touch his face, she bit her tongue to stop her self from saying things that would ruin the first time he'd been nice to her in the time she'd known him.
"So I'm just supposed to forget all the beatings, all the times I nearly died for you and you didn't give care?" it was like a wave of sanity hit her, he was manipulating her but this time she was going to win "You cant manipulate me anymore, you have no control over me anymore. I do still love you but I've realized you wont ever love me. I'm going to marry Bruce, kill me if you like, but unless you have some very drastic change in what you think love is I will never be Harley Quinn again" she threw his jacket at him and went back inside. He whispered something after her but he wasn't even sure what he had said, as soon as the door closed the anger inside him snapped and took over, he needed to get out before he killed her, he put his mask back on and left. She would be his again.
I'm very sorry if you all think I made Joker too soft but it will pertain to the rest of the story I promise. But flame if you will, criticism is welcome.