"Why do you keep looking at the clock, puddin'?" asked Harley, noticing Joker's repeated glances at it when they were watching TV.
"Gotta be somewhere later," he replied.
"Where?" she asked.
"Somewhere," he repeated.
"On your own?" she asked gently.
He didn't respond, focusing his attention back on the TV. Harley felt the strong sensation of suspicion and panic clutch tighter around her heart and lungs, but tried to ignore it. "So…you and…Dr. Brown…"
"Trying to watch TV, Harley," interrupted Joker.
"Yeah, I know, puddin'," she whispered. "But I just kinda…need to know."
He sighed heavily, flicking off the TV. "What?" he demanded, looking straight at her.
"Do you and she…are you and she…what do you talk about in your sessions?" Harley asked quietly.
He shrugged. "I dunno. What kinda crap did I tell you? Abusive father, absent mother, that kinda thing. Can we go back to watching the Stooges now?"
Harley stared at him. "You told her…our stuff?"
Joker looked at her. "It's the same stuff I always tell the shrinks, Harley. It's all a loada crap."
"Yeah, but it was our loada crap!" sobbed Harley. "It was our lie! How could you share it with her, Mr. J?"
"Harley, what's the matter?" he snapped. "Why are you acting like this?"
She stared at the floor. "Because I'm afraid," she whispered.
"Of what?" he demanded. "Johnny Crane put something in your drink?"
She shook her head. "I'm afraid of losing you," she whispered.
"What the hell do you mean?" he demanded.
She gazed up at him with tears in her eyes. "That was us once," she whispered. "Not that long ago…we were doctor and patient. And something happened between us that…changed everything. Changed my life. I just don't want it to change again for the worse. I mean, maybe you don't even love her, maybe you're just using her, the way Red said you used me…"
"Love her? Of course I don't love her!" he snapped. "Where has all this come from, Harley? It's the Weed, isn't it? It's no wonder she can't hold down a stable relationship if this is the kinda crap that goes on in her head. I don't love Dr. Brown, I ain't using her, she's my shrink, I deal with her, we have a few laughs because she's got a sense of humor and it makes a nice change. But that's all. You gotta trust me, Harley."
"I do trust you, puddin'," she murmured. "It's just…if it were true…it would kill me."
"Well, it ain't," he snapped. "Now stop sniveling and lemme watch TV."
She nodded, trying to cry silently as the minutes passed. He glanced at the clock again and then flicked off the TV, standing up. He looked down at Harley and then suddenly struck her across the face. "That's for thinking I'd cheat on you," he muttered, storming off.
Harley rubbed her cheek, smiling despite the pain. She had deserved it. It had been a stupid idea. And it had mostly been Red's fault. But she didn't know Mr. J the way Harley did – Harley knew what he was like. She knew he loved her, and only her. And that's all that mattered.
She beamed, wiping her eyes again and standing up. She was intending to head back to her cell to go to bed, but was filled with the sudden urge to wait in Mr. J's cell for him to get back, so she could give him a goodnight kiss. And maybe a little more, if he was in the mood, she thought, smiling.
She turned the corner and suddenly froze as her heart stopped in horror at the scene before her. Dr. Brown had the Joker pressed against the glass and was kissing him passionately. He noticed Harley and quickly shoved Dr. Brown away. "Harley, it's not what you think…" he began.
It's not what you think. How could it be anything else? How many other lies had he told her? He had lied to her from the beginning, when he told her about his childhood. That had all been lies, and from that moment to this, she suddenly wondered if he had ever told her the truth about anything. As the realization hit her, she felt her heart shatter into a million pieces, each one slicing its way through her body as she let out an agonizing sob.
He had rushed over to her and tried to embrace her. "Harley…"
"Don't touch me!" she hissed, in a voice that was half fury and half agony. "Everything you ever told me was a lie! Was it a joke, Mr. J? Was that all we were to you? Was that all I was to you? Just one of your stupid jokes? Is breaking my heart funny to you in some sick, twisted way?"
"Harley, it's not…"
"Stop lying!" she shrieked. "Stop talking! It's the same thing, isn't it, Mr. J?! Did you ever tell me anything that was true?! Did you ever, in some small part of you, ever love me?!"
"Of course I…"
She slapped him across the face. "Liar," she hissed. "Liar, liar, liar!" she screamed, and then turned and rushed off down the hall.
He ran after her and seized her arm. "Let go of me!" she hissed.
"Why don't you trust me?" he demanded.
"Why should I?!" she shrieked.
"Because you said you did!" he shouted, seizing her round the throat. "Don't lie to me, Harley!"
Harley gasped out a laugh. "Oh, of the two of us, I'm the liar. Now that is funny, Mr. J! You really are crazy, aren't you?"
His grip tightened around her throat. "I should kill you for talking to me like that, you little brat," he hissed.
"Do it," whispered Harley, gently. "Please do it. I ain't got nothing left to live for, Mr. J, now that I've lost you. Please kill me now."
He glared at her then dropped her to the ground. He hit her suddenly, over and over again, then ripped her head up by the hair with one hand and reached into his pocket with the other. "What's it say, you dumb bitch?!" he hissed, thrusting a piece of paper in her face.
Harley couldn't really make out words through her tears – her vision was blurry. He slapped her. "What's it say?!" he repeated.
At last she saw that it was a page from his file. "Patient Name Unknown – alias: the Joker," she murmured. "Committed for life."
He dropped her hair and struck her across the face again. "Ain't no joke," he hissed, throwing it at her feet. He then stormed off, leaving Harley alone, her sobs echoing down the corridor.