Author's Note: This is just a quick chapter, the big one will be next chapter! I want to make it clear that I will post regardless of reviews (just to the reviewer who mentioned it). I do not post in exchange for reviews. However I love having feedback, and it does help me with my desire to post even quicker for you all. I took on board the note about wanting a chapter in Joker's perspective, and I will probably add it in. It won't be this chapter, however. I hope you all enjoy.
Chapter Thirteen.
Harleen was strangely focused as she dressed for work the next day, she dressed slowly, drank a cup of tea, and made her way to work. It was as though the internal battle she had been fighting was coming to a close; she had accepted that she needed Joker. She cared for him in a way she was sure no one else did, she hadn't realised she was falling until she could see the bottom
Harleen still struggled with where her life would go from here. Could she let go of the life she had fought to build, for the uncertain life that would be sure to follow in her complete acceptance of Joker? Harleen was many things, but she was not weak. Once she committed to one life or the other she would throw her all into it.
Harleen thought she loved Joker, probably. She was obsessed with him certainly, enthralled entirely by his presence and everything he offered her. Their kiss had made all the struggles Harleen had, all the guilt and pain, drop away. She was free with him, his life as the King of Crime, as a man who saw the world in a way no one else did, was more enticing than anything Harleen had encountered before. It felt like the person she really was, underneath the persona she had built herself up to be over the years, was made to be with Joker.
As she methodically wrote up notes from the night before, Harleen wondered what her life would be if she decided to try and bury this truth, if she continued as just another doctor at Arkham Asylum. She couldn't picture this future, she couldn't see what her future would be, but in all the scenarios that she could picture, Joker was there. Maybe he was manipulating her, but either way, he had made her realise that this was not her life, not the one she was meant to be living in any case.
Harleen made a quick call to the guards who worked solitary confinement, and told them she needed Joker moved into a therapy room. The confused guard questioned the orders, having not been told that Joker would be moving from solitary confinement, but agreed once Harleen added a little steel to her tone and told him that the orders had come from Doctor Arkham.
She would be in huge amounts of trouble if anyone found out she was doing this, she realised, as she walked to the therapy room slowly. It was worth it, she dismissed, she needed to see Joker, she needed to talk to him. She had to know what was between them, what her life would be if she gave herself over to him and his life.
Harleen seated herself in the therapy room before Joker arrived, something that had not happened before. She waited in silence as Joker was brought into the room and was unchained at Harleens request. She waved the guards out of the room, never losing eye contact with Joker as he splayed himself across the other chair.
"Hi Mister J" Harleen said eventually. She sat forward, leaning to brush her hand ever so softly across the bruise on his jaw, which had darkened slightly over night. "I don't know what to do" She admitted finally. The Joker grinned "Well you just have to, uh, let go. Let Mister J show you who you really are. You want to be my little Harlequin, you want to cause some chaos" He spoke lowly, causing Harleen to lean even closer to him.
"I want to be with you" She admitted "I think I love you, I want to be free. But I shouldn't" Harleen said quietly, her heart was in her throat at the admission, she didn't know how he would react.
Joker laughed, his head twisting in a loose circle before his eyes snapped forward and he leaned across the table abruptly " See? You're just as, uh, crazy as I am. You are made to be bad, and baby I do bad better than anyone" He rasped. Harleen felt something inside her shift at his words, the voice of resistance had faded out of existence, she felt free in her acceptance of Jokers words.
"I can't stay long Mister J, I wasn't supposed to take you out of solitary in the first place. I'm going to talk to Doctor Arkham, I'll get him to take you out of solitary, J" Harleen promised.
Joker cackled again "You're going to come back real soon, sugar. You don't want your J to be stuck in here forever now do you" He stated, a darkly teasing tone in his voice.
"I'll come back tomorrow, Mister J" Harleen said, nodding slightly. She watch as Joker leaned forward, she moved across to meet him, stopping as their mouths were an inch away from each other.
"Good girl, Harley Quinn" He drawled slowly, before pressing his mouth firmly to Harleens. They kissed passionately, Joker's teeth caught Harleens tongue as it brushed along his lip, it felt to Harleen like everything was right in her world for that moment in time.
As they pulled away, Harleen exhaled slowly. With a slightly lingering goodbye, Harleen made her way up to Doctor Arkhams office. She shared a nod with Doctor Leland, who seemed to be heading back the way Harleen had come from.
Harleen reached Doctor Arkhams office, and knocked firmly on his door, as soon as she heard the call for her to come in, she opened the door and took a seat in front of his desk. "I need Joker to be moved out of solitary confinement" Harleen said, not bothering with the usual hello's.
Doctor Arkham's eyebrows shot up his forehead at her words. "Solitary doesn't effect Joker, it's counter productive, all it does is delay my sessions with him" Harleen continued on, before he could respond.
"Joker will be moved back to his original cell today" Doctor Arkham said. Harleen felt a rush of relief at his quick agreement but was cut off from responding by Doctor Arkham. "Doctor Leland requested she be able to try her ECT treatments on Joker, I signed off on it this morning. She's beginning her sessions now I believe, after that Joker will be moved back to his cell" He stated.
Harleen felt like her heart had stopped beating in her chest "You signed off on electro shock for my patient without talking to me?!" She exclaimed "You can't do this, it will set him right back from all the progress that I've made!" She said desperately.
"After Jokers incident yesterday, I decided to allow alternative treatments. I can and have agreed to this, Harleen" He said sternly. Harleen stood abruptly, shaking her head. She walked quickly for the door, she had to stop this if she could. She had heard of Leland's 'treatment' it was closer to torture than health care; she did not even anesthetize her patients before sending strong electrical currents through their brains.
The thought had Harleen panicking as she rushed through the halls. Harleen finally made it to the room in which she knew Doctor Leland held her ECT sessions, she pounded on the solid door firmly, hearing the distinctive laughter of Joker from behind the door.
The door opened sharply and Doctor Leland stood in the slightly ajar doorway "What? I'm in the middle of a session, Doctor Quinzel" She said, sounding annoyed. "You can't do this, Joker is my patient, you're not doing any good by zapping his brain!" Harleen said firmly.
Doctor Leland looked annoyed "I have every right to perform electroconvulsive therapy on Joker, I was signed permission this morning. You may have your session with him tomorrow" She said in a tone that said she would not listen to Harleen on the matter.
Doctor Leland abruptly shut the door in Harleens face, locking it behind her. Harleen smacked her closed fist once more against the door in frustration. Would Mister J be okay? She thought desperately, he would be furious that she hadn't been able to stop this.
Harleen was lost, she couldn't do anything to stop the ECT, she would have to wait until her session with Joker tomorrow. He didn't belong here she thought firmly, as she walked to the reception area. Joker was not insane, he saw the world in a way so uniquely, so freely, that people just did not understand him, she argued in her head, well no one but her understood him she added.
Harleen stopped a younger man behind the reception desk, and told him she was going home sick. She did not have appointments today in any case, but she would not be able to focus until she was back with Joker tomorrow.
Thoughts of Joker in ECT haunted her, if she had any doubts about whether being with Joker was the right thing to do before, they were gone now. She accepted her desire to leave this dull, false, life she had forced upon herself with surprising ease. The calm that came with her full acceptance was met with a fiery burning passion. Joker was her patient, Mister J was her new life, she could not allow anyone to stand in her way.