Author's Note: Okay this chapter is a big step forward, the time in the Asylum will probably be a couple more chapters, depending on how the pace feels when I write it out. Of course if you have an opinion on this, or anything else at all, please share it and I will take it under serious consideration and there's a good chance I'll make the change if it's reasonable. A massive thank you once again to reviewers, you're the reason I continue this. Please leave feedback, I like to know if my writing sounds too cliche or cheesy, because I will fix it if it does. If I get a little feedback on this chapter, I'll try post again in the next couple hours, but I will definitely post tomorrow as well.
Chapter Twelve.
Harleen spent the next day focusing on Waylon and Crane, her sessions with them had passed in somewhat of a blur, her mind having been clouded with thoughts of her past and The Joker. By the end of the day Harleen made the decision to stop by a bar for a drink; in hopes of clearing her mind.
Harleen stopped by her house after work to drop off her car and to change into a modest black dress. The bar was a small place close to Arkham Asylum, she had heard of it in passing from one of her colleagues, as it was supposedly a popular place for them to go after their shifts. Harleen hoped slightly that she would not run into many of her colleagues, she just wanted a drink and to not be bothered.
The bar was a dimly lit place with a few tables scattered around the area and a cheap plastic jukebox that played faintly recognisable songs. As Harleen seated herself at the bar and ordered a mojito, which gained her a slightly annoyed look from the burly bartender, she looked around the area.
There were not many people around, thankfully, though as Harleen turned to thank the bartender for the drink he handed her, she caught sight of Logan. Harleen sighed and turned quickly, hiding her face behind her drink as she took a long sip and hoped he hadn't seen her.
There was no such luck however, as Logan soon sat heavily on the bar stool beside her. "Oh hi Harleen, you look great. Maybe I can buy you that drink?" He asked, smiling at her confidently.
Harleen considered turning and running straight out of the room as though she hadn't heard him, but quickly shook the thought from her mind "Hi Logan. I already have a drink, and I'm only staying for one" She said, hoping he would pick up on the hint.
Logan just laughed however, he leant in to Harleen and placed a hand on her knee "Oh well maybe we can just go straight back to your place?" He suggested. Harleen flushed with annoyance. "I'm not interested Logan" She said coolly as she brushed his hand from her knee.
Logan frowned at Harleen, still leaning far too close to Harleen for her liking. "Come on Harleen, you know there's some chemistry here. Let me show you" He persisted. "I said no" Harleen said, a little more steel in her voice. Harleen drained the rest of her drink and stood up.
"What is with you? You only talk to those freaks at the nut house, you're being a bitch!" He exclaimed, moving to stand in front of Harleen. "They're not freaks! I don't like you, take a hint and leave me alone" Harleen said, feeling frustrated as she pushed past him and straight out the door, ignoring the very annoyed man she left behind.
Harleen had fumed about the event all night, how dare he act like that to her? Her colleagues were not better people than her patients, even if they were criminals. Harleen was still annoyed through the next day, as it was a day she had off, she spent her day finally practicing her gymnastics.
Harleens encounter with Logan had almost slipped from her mind that evening when she received a call. Harleen answered the phone, though before she could even speak, the caller began talking. "Hello? Harleen? I know it's late, but The Joker is causing a ruckus, he attacked one of the guards" Doctor Arkham began, sounding stressed.
"Is he okay?" Harleen asked, as she awkwardly tied her hair up with one hand and attempted to slip her boots on. "Logan has a broken nose, it looks like all the fingers on his left hand are broken. He has some bruising, he's not conscious but it looks like he'll be okay" Doctor Arkham soothed.
Harleen felt a rush of embarrassment and shock, she hadn't been asking about the guard who was attacked. "Did you say Logan was the one attacked? Is… Is Joker okay?" Harleen didn't know what to think, why had Joker attacked Logan? She needed to get to the Asylum to check on him, she thought, ignoring all logic in the situation.
"Yes, it was seemingly random. The Joker has a few cuts and bruises from being pulled off Logan, none of the medical staff will tend to him, they're all too afraid of him" The stress in his voice rose another level as he spoke.
"I'm on my way in now, Doctor Arkham. I have some basic first aid training, I'll go in and see how his wounds are" Harleen stated, leaving no room for argument as she grabbed her handbag and rushed for her car; still dressed in a relaxed tank top and jeans.
"I would normally say it's too dangerous, Harleen, but we really don't have another choice here. We can't leave him untreated, even if his injuries are minor" Doctor Arkham said.
"I'll be there in ten minutes" Harleen said quickly, hanging up the phone. She made record time driving to Arkham Asylum, as she ignored her usual rule of never breaking the speed limit; and even in her panic, had to admit there was something of a rush in doing so.
Harleen power walked through the empty reception and was intersected in the long hall way outside her office by Doctor Arkham. "Thank you for getting here so quickly Harleen. I wouldn't normally ask this of you, but the medical staff won't go near him, not that I can blame them. Joker seems to react well to you, but armed guards will be outside the room. He's in solitary confinement, cell three" He said, looking frazzled, his normally perfectly groomed hair in slight disarray.
Harleen nodded simply, she took the offered first aid kit from Doctor Arkham, and almost ran towards the basement level where she knew solitary confinement resided. The guards along the way to solitary seemed to already know she was coming, as they let her through without question when she flashed her badge at them.
Getting to cell three, Harleen didn't glance at the armed guards as they opened the secure door, and allowed Harleen inside. Harleens eyes fell on Joker immediately. He was seated on the bare cot bed, still in a straight jacket. He looked okay, one long bruise ran along his jaw, and a deep, though short, cut was gashed on his cheek.
Harleen rushed forward and dropped to her knees beside him, reaching out immediately to undo the straight jacket. Joker laughed "To what do I owe the pleasure, Harley Quinn?" He sung mockingly. Harleen ignored his question as she pulled the jacket off of him and discarded it behind her.
"Are you okay? What happened Mister J?" Harleen asked, not noticing her accent slip into her voice in her panic. The Joker cackled "Is that a Boston accent I hear? I like it, I like it, I like it. Mmm call me Mister J again" He said, flashing his silver teeth as he ignored Harleens words. He rolled his neck and shoulders and stretched out his arms.
Harleen flushed "I didn't mean to call you that, I'm sorry Mister Joker, it was unprofessional. I keep my accent out of my voice, it slips sometimes" She said, rummaging through the first aid kit to avoid Joker's eyes in her embarrassment.
The joker laughed once again "Don't you worry your pretty little head about it" He rasped "Why don't you let loose. Let that pretty little accent show, call me Mister J, do it, do it, do it, do it" He added in a low voice, leaning towards Harleen.
Harleen froze in her act of pulling the supplies she needed out of the kit. "Only around you… Mister J" She said quietly. It felt freeing inside to let her accent seep back into her voice, though the idea of anyone else hearing her made her anxious. "Please tell me what happened Mister J" She pleaded, moving to sit beside Joker on the cot.
Joker growled slightly, but allowed Harleen to begin dabbing ointment on his bruises as he began talking. "Logan was being a bad boy, saying naughty things about my little Harlequin; so daddy had to teach him a little lesson" He said darkly, flashing his silver teeth at her.
Harleen paused in the midst of dabbing the ointment on his face, he had hurt Logan for talking about her? Why did that give her a thrill of pleasure, and not disgust her? Harleen resumed her gentle application of the ointment, secretly relishing in the chance to touch his smooth skin.
"I ran into him at a bar last night, he didn't take rejection very well. It doesn't surprise me that he was talking about me" Harleen said finally "But you didn't need to hurt him for me, Mister J" She added, putting the ointment away and pulling on a pair of latex gloves.
Joker rolled his eyes in an exaggerated motion "What can I say, I'm a, uh, possessive man" He said, laughing loudly. Harleen flushed yet again "The cut on your face is going to need a couple stitches, I only have a numbing spray here, so this might hurt a little" Harleen said, instead of responding to Jokers claim on her.
Joker just laughed and motioned for Harleen to go ahead. Harleen used a disinfectant wipe on the cut, keeping her eyes determinedly off Jokers as she used a numbing spray on his cut. Harleen threaded the needle, and disinfected it with another wipe as she waited a few moments for the spray to take effect.
Joker was silent as Harleen carefully made three neat stitches in his face and placed a small clean bandage over it, a feat which impressed Harleen. Harleen studied her work for a moment before pulling away and discarding her supplies, still avoiding eye contact with Joker.
As Harleen made to stand, Joker caught her wrist "Leaving so soon, sugar?" He asked, catching Harleens eyes as he leaned in so closely to her that Harleen could smell the minty scent of his regulation Asylum body wash. Harleens heart jumped into overdrive as he ran a finger down her face, before clasping his large hand around her throat with slight pressure "Are you scared, Harley?" He sung darkly.
Harleen was surprised, but she was not afraid. Her heart pounded not unpleasantly at his close presence, but not in fear. "No, I'm not afraid Mister J" She said quietly, her voice even. Joker laughed loudly, bringing his hand up to clutch at her jaw instead. Harleen leaned in slightly, a small voice protesting in the back of her mind.
"I shouldn't do this Mister J… Why do I want to so much?" She questioned in a whisper, sounding slightly childish to herself. Joker flashed his silver teeth at her and twisted his head around before making eye contact with Harleen "Because you're just as crazy as I am" He rasped quietly, laughing loudly.
Harleen ignored the voice in her head telling her to leave, and closed the gap between herself and The Joker, to press her lips lightly against his. His lips were surprisingly warm, as he pressed them against Harleens firmly. He took charge quickly, moving his mouth smoothly as he flicked his tongue against her lip.
Harleen pulled away, breathing deeply. Joker cackled "Didn't that feel good, Harley?" He drawled "Don't you want to be bad. Be your true crazy self" He said, his voice lilting and rasping hypnotically. A large part of Harleen wanted to give in entirely, she cared for Joker in a way she had not experienced, her desire to be around him, to take up the offer of true freedom she desired desperately somewhere in her depths, but there was still the piece of her that had worked so hard to be the uptight Doctor that protested the change.
"I have to go Mister J, they will come check if I don't" Harleen responded quietly. She picked up her belongings and made a move to leave, but hesitated. Harleen turned and before she could think about it, she brushed her lips once more against his. "Bye Mister J, I'll be back soon. I'll see if I can get you out of solitary tomorrow" She said, turning for the door once more. Joker growled slightly, his shark toothed grin in place as he eyed her "Good girl Harlequin, taking care of daddy" He responded in a slightly mocking tone, those his eyes blazed intensely, never wavering from her.
Harleen exhaled softly as she left the room, Joker was Hellish but he made her feel like Heaven. He seemed to be able to peer into the depths of who she was, to understand the longing she had to be free; free from the strict, professional person she had made herself, free from the pain and guilt she had suffered in her life. He offered all of this, and Harleen knew she wouldn't be able to resist forever, she didn't even think she wanted to. An increasingly softer voice argued that she was being crazy, that she couldn't give everything up for Joker, but she found the voice easy to ignore.
Harleen walked past the guards quickly. She stopped by her office, closing the door behind her she leaned against it. Harleen brushed her fingertips against her lips, the memory of Jokers own lips ghosted across hers. Harleen didn't know what she was doing, but she knew she needed The Joker around for it.