Authors note: Wow! Overwhelmed by the sudden flow of follows favs and reviews! Loved every single one of them. This chapter is extra long, so strap yourselves in. It was frustratingly hard to write, but with some help from my sister I think I'm satisfied with how it turned out. You be the judge. But be gentle with me. XD A new chapter might be up soon, haven't decided. I was trying to finish this before I see the movie, but that doesn't look likely. We'll see I suppose. Anyway, enough from me, enjoy!
Harleen found herself staring at him. The Joker. He was pacing back and forth across the room. A few times he stopped, seemed to have an internal argument with himself, then started to pace again. This had been going on for almost half an hour. And it was starting to tire her out.
This session had been going much more difficultly than the last one. He seemed to go through moods, she decided. A symptom a normal person would associate with insanity. Or at the very least a bipolar disorder. But Harleen knew better. Joker wasn't insane, as much as the signs pointed to that. No. It was deeper than something so simple.
She cleared her throat, hoping to pull him back into focus. And when he didn't respond, she cleared it again. Still nothing. She had just about resigned herself to not getting anything out of this meeting until he suddenly spoke.
"Do you want children?"
Harleen blinked a few times. Of all the questions he could have asked, that was one she was not expecting. "I, uh, I mean, maybe someday." she answered.
He seemed to be looking at her like he was going to say more, but he didn't. Resuming his pacing again.
"Do you?" She asked as she watched him. It seemed like the natural follow up question.
He stopped, but didn't look at her. "I might have."
Harleen leaned forward a little. "Did you have a family?" she pressed gently. This information would be something he had never told anyone. And Harleen was itching to uncover it.
He resumed his pacing, his eye twitching a little.
Harley sighed, knowing him well enough to know that this wasn't going to go anywhere. She yawned a little, raising her hand to her mouth, her sleeve falling toward her elbow. She just wasn't prepared for a full session with him honestly. She was tired. She just wanted to go home and sleep away her troubles.
And maybe he did too. He sat back down across from her, seemingly in a slight daze, but Harleen could see him thinking. About what, she might never know.
This was their what? Sixteenth, seventeenth session? It didn't matter. But Joker could tell Harley's heart wasn't in this one. She always seemed so... Animated? Feisty? Happy perhapes was the right word. But today she was the opposite. He dared say she was... Sad.
And he had tried, but he couldn't ignore the bruises on her arms.
She asked him standard questions early on. How are you feeling? How do you feel about Arkham? How do you feel about yourself? Blah, blah, blah. And had received no answers from him. His heart wasn't in it, and neither was hers. He was busy plotting. Or he was trying to be.
He was mostly trying to ignore the burning desire he had to ask her what was wrong.
He failed.
"Harley..." He started, and her head snapped up to look at him. He shifted a bit awkwardly in his seat. "Are you... Alright?"
She looked at him with surprise, immediatly shaking her head. "Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?"
Stop talking. Stop talking. He scolded himself, but his mouth apparently didn't get the memo. "You just look so sad."
She smiled at him, but it was a sad smile. It made his heart ache in a weird way. "I'm alright. But thank you for your concern. Just some personal issues."
Joker knew he should stop. He needed to stop. But he was overtaken by a sudden desire to see her smile again.
"Knock knock." He said as he leaned forward across the table.
She smiled, and he could tell she was humoring him as she also leaned across the table. "Who's there?"
"Marry." He said. Suddnely realising she was inches from his face. He had never seen her this close, and somehow she was even more beautiful. The joke he was telling was stupid. Beyond stupid actually. But maybe so was he in this moment.
"Marry who?" She asked, her voice softer as she leaned a little closer.
"Marry me." he said as he closed the distance between the two of them. Their lips colliding softly.
Joker had organized the mother of all breakouts. And the plan was proceeding flawlessly. He wanted to laugh, but knew it would only put the guards on high alert. And he didn't want that... Yet.
He was feeling particularly psychotic today. His more rational side drowned out by the restlessness of being stuck here for much longer than was acceptable.
He was marched down the hall past some other patients of note. Pamela Isley. Jonathon Crane. Victor Freeze. But he payed them no more mind than he would any other day.
One of the guards pushed him forward just a bit too harshly, and the Joker almost lost his footing. Shooting a glare at the man who had pushed him.
They were taking him back to his cell. Well, at least they thought they were. The Joker had other plans for them. And those plans involved one Harley Quinn. She had no knowledge of the plan of course. But she would be instrumental in its execution.
His eyes raised to one of the guards on the second level. He winked at one of them. Barely noticeable, but it was enough.
One of the guards walking him stopped and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back. "What was that, clown?" he asked, pushing the Joker against the wall.
Joker shrugged as much as the straight jacket would allow, grinning madly now. The guard glared and shoved him a bit harder, and Joker really exaggerated his fall into the wall. Knowing that any second now-
"What is this!?"
Ah. There she was. Joker continued his act of pain, but couldn't help the small smile that spread as he saw her. His Harley Quinn.
She was above them on the walkway, her hands on her hips as she glared down at the guards. "What do you think you're doing? We've talked about how we treat the prisoners."
"But ma'am-" The guard started. But Harley cut him off. "Take him to the room if you're worried he'll attempt something." She told them firmly. "No arguing. We don't want anything jeopardizing our work here."
The Joker smiled as the guards pushed him out of sight, leading him toward the cell he spent all his sessions with Miss. Harley Quinn. Everything was going according to plan.
His plan was, of course, to create chaos. He had managed to coerce several guards to his side. And he had a fairly loyal gang outside of this stone prison. And they were all ready. The guards on his side would pulled every alarm they could, setting the prisoners free, and the other inmates here would create enough pandemonium that no one would even notice his escape until much later.
His goons would meet him, and go with him to safety. He might need cannon fodder as well. One could never know.
It had been several months since he had been outside of Arkham. And almost as long ago since he had met Harley.
Speaking of, he looked around the room as he was shoved inside. There was a bookshelf in the corner now. A few pictures on the wall. And a filing cabinet next to the table. She had really started to personalize the place.
He moved the chair back with his foot so he could sit down, and waited for her to arrive.
Harleen took a sip of her coffee, simultaneously pushing her glasses up her nose as she read over her schedule for today. She could make room for a quick talk with the Joker she decided as she turned down another hallway.
"Ma'am! Wait!"
Harleen stopped and turned around as one of the guards ran up to her, holding out a manila folder for her to take.
"This came in for you a few moments ago."
Harleen took it with a frown. Starting to open it before the guard stopped her. "Ma'am, maybe you should wait to open it." He said.
Harleen raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"
The guard bit his lip and turned the folder over in her hand. "Love Mr. J." was written in what looked like, and what she hoped was, red crayon. Love Mr. J...
"We tested it for anything dangerous and couldn't find anything. But maybe you should ask him about it first." The guard was saying. But Harleen wasn't really paying attention.
"Marry who?"
"Marry me."
Their lips collided softly, and Harleen found herself unable to breathe. He was so soft. So gentle. So unlike the other men in her life. But she came back to her senses quickly, pulling away and slapping his face. She was against violence, but a girl had a right to defend herself.
For a long time they just stared at each other. Neither knowing what to say. So they didn't say anything, and Harleen left. They never spoke of it again.
"Ma'am?" The guard asked, pulling her out of her thoughts. Harleen startled a little, but put the folder under her arm and nodded. "That's fine. Thank you."
The guard looked at her strangely for a few moments before walking away. Muttering something under her breath. Harleen watched him go before resuming her walk. That kiss had been the greatest mistake of her life. And she had made great efforts to make sure he knew that it was a one time mistake. That she wasn't that kind of girl. That he hadn't gotten under her skin.
But maybe she was that kind of girl. And he had definitely gotten under her skin. And by the looks of it, he knew that. And that was terrifying.
It wasn't long before she reached the room. She didn't even need a guard to buzz her in now as she swipped her keycard and opened the door. Finding the Joker already inside.
She moved over to the table, pushing the chair back with her foot so she could sit down. She set her coffee on the table. Then her notepad. And finally the folder. The Joker watched her with rapt attention.
"What's this?" she asked him as she placed her hand over the folder.
His eye twitched. Something she knew was a tell-tale sign of him lying to her. "I have no idea."
"Don't lie to me." She said firmly. Staring him down across the table. The Joker stared right back, leaning across the table so his head was more than halfway across it. "I would never lie to you."
Harleen smiled. But it was a sarcastic smile. "Hmm. Of course you wouldn't."
"Cross my heart." he said. And by the small shoulder movement he did, Harleen could guess he would be doing the gesture had his hands not been stuck in a straight jacket.
This was absolutely no good at all. She was a professional. She was better than this. Better than him. He didn't get to manipulate her.
Harleen looked at him for awhile before sighing. She was going to have to open the folder eventually. She maintained her slightly angry demeanor as she picked it up. She could feel his eyes on her as she dumped its contents onto the table. It landed with a clunk.
"A phone?" she questioned as she picked it up. "How did you get your hands on-"
But she never got a chance to finish her sentence as alarms and sirens started to blare.
Now what?
She stood up as some guards ran into the room. "What's going-" But she didn't get a chance to finish that sentence either as one of them grabbed her head, and slammed it against the table.
Everything was a bit fuzzy after that. She heard yelled, saw the Joker, but nothing stayed in focus for very long and eventually it faded into black.
It took eveything in him to not yell at the guard who had slammed her head into a perfectly innocent metal table. But he restrained himself. This was part of the plan reminded himself.
One of the guards rounded the table and began to undo the straps on the straight jacket. Joker grimaced as he pulled it off. His arms were beyond asleep. They practically felt nonexistent. He moved them slowly. Trying to return blood flow to them.
As he was doing this, the Joker was led by the guards through the halls. One of them dragged an unconscious Harleen Quinzel with them. Had he been alone. and his arms were working properly, he might have carried her himself. But that was besides the point.
Before he left, he grabbed the phone from the table. Putting it in the waistband of his sweatpants.
He was led toward the hospital wing of Arkham, where some of his favorite gang memebers were waiting.
Having disposed of all the doctors, and been the cause of the alarms. It was the perfect getaway.
All the cells had been opened. The guards not loyal to him, as well as the Batman if he decided to show up, would be too busy with the others to worry about him. It was perfect. Sadly, it would only work once. So he would have to savor this moment.
Harley moaned, and Joker spared her a glance. Not because he cared, he reminded himself. But because he... Because... Because he needed her to be okay.
"Boss, what do we do with her?" One of the thugs asked.
"Leave her with me. The rest of you go wreak havoc. And make sure to laugh." he started his sentence serious, then added his own laugh at the end. Although he wasn't feeling it at the moment.
Harley groaned again, and Joker felt a stab of guilt. This was going to get worse for her before it got better. And he regretted that deeply.
His arms had finally gotten feeling returned to them, and a grin spread across his face as he stretched them over his head. That felt so good.
He realized the guards was still there and glared at them. "Get out of here." he snapped. And they hurried away.
When he was certain he was alone, Joker knelt next to Harley, brushing some of her hair from her face as he slipped the phone into her white lab coat pocket.
"I think this madness started the moment we met. Did you have a disease or something?" He asked her. Though he knew she couldn't hear him. Much less answer.
He picked her up slowly, his arms were still quite sore, before putting her down on one of the medical beds in the room. He studied her face, trying to determine when she would wake up. It wouldn't be long. Her eyelids were already starting to flutter open.
Her eyes... So beautiful. Such a beautiful blue. Like the sky.
Stop it. He mentally scolded himself for the hundredth time. Why should he care about this girl? She was nothing.
But she's different from the others. His more rational side reminded him. She's special.
She's nothing. She's nobody.
So are we.
"I love you. I hate you. I like you. I hate you. I love you. I think you're stupid. I think you're a loser. I think you're wonderful. I want to be with you. I don't want to be with you. I would never date you. I hate you. I love you…..I think the madness started the moment we met and you shook my hand. Did you have a disease or something?" -Shannon L. Alder