Author's Note: So I find it harder to write Joker correctly, especially when Harleen is not Harley, so writing these therapy sessions are going to take a little longer, but I'll update as quickly as I can. I want to make it clear that some of the dynamics of Joker and Harleens relationship will be a little different, the obsession more mutual so a few little things will happen differently, but they will definitely still be the same intense, crazy, obsessed couple. Please tell me what you think of my portrayal of Joker so far.
Chapter Five.
Harleen spent her weekend religiously working on her gymnastics, something she had not had an opportunity to do as much as she would have liked since she began working. The exercise helped keep her racing mind busy, as she distracted herself from the thoughts of Joker.
Harleen spent an extra twenty minutes on her morning routine the day of her first meeting with Joker. She carefully smoothed her hair into sleek, high ponytail, adding a little hairspray to ensure it held. She applied careful mascara, along with a touch of concealer over her dark under eyes, and a touch of her favourite berry lip balm. She had carefully chosen her outfit the night before, a crisp, pale blue, button up shirt, a sleek pencil skirt that brushed her knees, and her favourite black shoes with a small heel.
Harleen gently put on her glasses, as she stared at her reflection, she needed to appear as collected, and professional as possible today. It was important, she decided, that she be taken seriously as a doctor in her appointment. Harleen flashed a smile at herself, it still looked awkward with her teeth still pressed together firmly to cover her front teeth, she sighed. Harleen steeled herself in front of the mirror before spraying a light perfume over herself, and collecting her handbag.
The morning passed too quickly for Harleens liking, she tried to collect herself slightly as she talked with Crane in his session, Harleen ended up having an intriguing conversation with Crane about the evolutionary necessity of fear, Crane had a lot to say on the subject and had eventually agreed with Harleen that in the era of cavemen, fear would have been a useful tool in some situations. Any other day this would have been a major achievement with Crane, to have him even minimally alter his views on the subject, but Harleen had rushed through her report of the session to prepare for Joker.
Harleen had read through Jokers thick file numerous times, it mostly contained his extensive police record, his terribly violent history in the Asylum, and every previous psychiatrists report, though they all seemed to have come to a different conclusion on his diagnosis. As his name, birthday, birth place, family, and anything else that would be of importance was unknown, Harleen decided she would just have to start fresh, and gather her own information on the man.
Glancing at the time, Harleen exhaled shakily, she compulsively smoothed her outfit, adjusted her hair and glasses, and triple checked that she had her new blue pen and fresh notebook, before making her way towards the maximum security unit. Jim greeted her with a stern expression, before going over the extreme security measures that she was already aware of.
She waved off the notion of the two guards assigned to Joker being present in the room, he was secured in a straight jacket and shackled by his hands and feet to the chair. Jim looked as though he wanted to argue with Harleen, but handed her a panic button attached to a thick lanyard instead. Harleen thanked Jim, and the two guards standing outside the secure door with large guns held tightly in hand, and entered the room.
Joker managed to look completely at ease, and simultaneously as menacing as possible, whilst shackled to the chair and securely wrapped in his straight jacket. His green hair was now smoothly brushed back, and his piercing blue eyes were trained with laser focus on Harleen. Harleen studied his unnatural white skin, littered with, admittedly beautiful, tattoos. His red lips were pulled back into a large grin, against his sharp jaw.
"Hello Mister Joker, I'm Doctor Quinzel. I'll be your psychiatrist, I hope that's okay with you" Harleen said as she seated herself across from Joker. Harleen took note of the gleaming silver that covered his teeth, as Joker leaned forward with his wide grin. His blue eyes gleamed maliciously, a curious glint to in his eyes. His smile currently reminded her of a sharks, but sent a thrill down her spine all the same.
"Doctor Quin-zel I've been waiting for you, come to be my new friend? Come to play with me?" He grinned, his voice was raspy and his words lilted in strange places, as though he was playing with the words in his mouth as he uttered them.
"I've come to be your doctor, Mister Joker. I was very interested in meeting you" Harleen admitted, fighting down the flush that threatened to rise in her cheeks at the admission.
The joker threw back his head in a chilling laugh, a laugh which imprinted itself on Harleens memory. "Are you a fan sugar sugar sugar" The Joker questioned, a slight chime to his tone, he leaned forward again, his wide gleaming smile still in place as he flicked his tongue over his teeth.
Harleen raised an eyebrow slightly at his pet name for her "Doctor Quinzel is fine, Mister Joker. I wouldn't say I'm a fan, but I find your psyche fascinating" Harleen spoke coolly, sounding a lot calmer than she felt.
The Joker twisted his head in yet another chilling laugh, a little more venom seemed to seep from the sound this time. "You want to get in my head Doctor? Are you gonna return the favour, let me crack open that pretty blonde skull of yours and see what we can find?" His eyes seemed to gleam, even in the harsh overhead lighting, as he studied Harleen, staring deep into her eyes.
"I think I'd prefer my skull in one piece, Mister Joker, it might be hard to work if it's not" Harleen said, before she could stop herself. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the unprofessional words. Joker, however, laughed gleefully "Oh doctor you're a secret spitfire aren't you? I think I'll like playing with you" He spoke loudly, in his deep, rasping voice.
"Is that what you did with your previous doctors, Mister Joker?" Harleen questioned, trying to pull herself into a more professional frame of mind.
Jokers face darkened for a moment, his eyes becoming flat and dead, again reminding her of a shark. "Oh yes, but I didn't like them. Such boring, weak little minds" The Joker cackled once again, his eyes lighting up again, making Harleen unintentionally let out a silent breath she didn't realise she'd been holding.
"But you won't bore me, will you pumpkin? You want to play with me. Tell me Doc' are you scared of me?" Joker continued as his shark-toothed smiled reappeared, his eyes never leaving Harleens face.
"No, I'm not scared of you." Harleen replied steadily, unsure if she was lying "You interest me, but right now I'm not scared" she continued.
Joker studied her face for a moment before laughing shortly, exaggerating the individual 'Ha's' "Maybe we'll change that Quinzel" he drawled "But I want to keep you now, tell me, are we going to play games?" He finished in a rasping whisper
"Maybe, if you answer some of my questions next time, then perhaps we can play a game" Harleen agreed, chiding herself mentally, she shouldn't play into his games. But if it got him to talk about himself, she reasoned, then they would both gain from it.
"Mmmm" The Joker growled, twisting his neck "Do… Do you promise Doc'" The Joker's voice had Harleen enthralled, it seemed to hang in the air, twisting around her mind. Harleen mentally shook herself.
"Next session, Mister Joker" Harleen said, her voice quavering ever so slightly. The Joker sung his goodbyes in a tune as chilling as his laugh, as Harleen pushed her chair back and said goodbye.
Exiting the room, Harleen nodded her thanks at the guards, who seemed vaguely surprised to see her exit the room unscathed, but nodded back at Harleen as she made her way to her office.
Harleen exhaled sharply, once she was seated behind her desk, letting go of a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Harleen wrote her notes slowly, The Joker's voice seeping into her mind. Harleen found him fascinating, in a scientific sense, she assured herself mentally.
Though another part was intrigued by him as a whole, the man was charismatic, his voice like gravel and honey, and what should be unattractive features; were also enrapturing. His tattoos caught her attention as well, the ones she could see. 'Damaged' scrawled neatly across his forehead being one she made a note to ask about next time she saw him.
Harley shook herself slightly, as she walked towards her car, finally having finished her careful notes. Harleen adjusted her glasses, she was a doctor, she couldn't think of her patient, especially one as notorious as The Joker, as attractive.
That night Harleens nightmares recurred as usual, terrible memories playing out before her. However just before the worst part of her nightmare played, where she began screaming at herself to wake up, she heard an echoing laugh. With a flash of green and a glint of silver, Harleen woke up. Gasping for breath, Harleen sat up right, that had never happened before she thought vaguely, before falling back into a blissfully dreamless sleep.