Sorry it's a little later than usual

Enjoy

Nessa

Chapter 5

"Come closer pumpkin, daddy wants to tell you a secret." His voice was like honey, he was a whole different kind of alluring. She felt herself leaning into him, too curious to miss out on this opportunity.

Suddenly his hands were around her neck and she saw the glint of the knife that he pulled from his pocket, she gulped as she felt the cold silver run across her neck.

Harley woke up in a cold sweat, panting and looking around the room desperately. She was in her own home and she sighed with relief, realising it had just been another nightmare. She got up got herself a cup of coffee, settling into the sofa to enjoy some light hearted shows before she got ready fro work, she had woke up hours earlier than she had planned to and now she had numerous amounts of time to think about things. She flicked on the tv expecting the news channel and grabbed the remote to turn it over, freezing when she ready the headline.

JOKER'S HENCHMEN CAUGHT STEALING PRICELESS JEWELS.

Underneath there was a picture of a man and Harley felt that she had met this man before; he was apparently Mr J's right hand man that had managed to escape. She tried to think harder and then it came to her in a flash. Jonny, Jonny Frost. The man from the Chinese restaurant was Mr J's right hand man; she had shaken that man's hand.

She gulped, was the joker keeping tabs on her from inside the asylum walls, and was he really that curious about her? Harley sighed and got up from the couch, turning off the tv and deciding that she may as well eat a good breakfast if she was up this early, usually she'd just eat a cereal bar on her way in. She turned on the oven and cracked some eggs in a pan, turning on the radio and dancing mindlessly to the song that was playing.

She had just settled down to enjoy her omelette when there was a knock at her door, she glanced that the time and saw that it was only a little after six, who the hell was up this early? She got up and looked through the peep hole in her door but couldn't see anyone. That's weird, she thought, she could have sworn she heard someone. She lifted the dead bolt and looked around but there was no one in sight, she looked down to see a bouquet of flowers on her doormat and her blood ran a little colder, it couldn't be.

Harley snatched the card off of the top and turned it over, revealing the cursive writing she recognised all to well.

You looked beautiful yesterday, make that effort for daddy again today and he might give you a little treat.

-J

P.S. These ones are alive and as delicate as you.

Harley slammed the flowers down and threw the note across the room, the thin paper having little impact. She growled and stormed into the bathroom, getting ready in a haze of anger, ignoring the fact that she did indeed take a little longer on her hair and make up than she usually did.

She threw away her half eaten omelette, grabbed her bag and headed for the door. She was going to let that god forsaken clown have it when she got to work, therapy time or not.

…

Harleen showed the security guard her pass, knowing that he already knew who she was anyway and stormed into the building, ignoring everyone who tried to greet her. The asylum was still quiet as not many people had turned up to start the day yet and it was mostly night orderlies who were keeping the place alive. Harley stormed down to the special units and showed the man at the door her card, he gave her a funny look but let her through, no one ever came down here by choice. Harley read the names on the walls as she made her way down the line, ignoring the wolf whistles and cat calls that were made in her direction, her mind on her mission.

When Harleen got to the door of the Joker's cell she took a deep breath to steady her rapid heart beat and slid her ID badge in the door, the swoosh of the door opening the only sound other than her beating heart. She could hear him humming from the outside, a tune she didn't recognise.

"If you're here to give me another beating I'll think I'll pass, my nightly one was quite…" his words fell off his tongue at the sight of a very angry looking Harley in the door way. "Pumpkin, how nice of you to visit me." He gave her his killer grin.

Harley's earlier anger had dissipated at the story she had just heard. They beat him down here? "They hurt you Mr J?" She asked, not caring that the stupid nickname she used from him slipped from her lips, all she cared about was him right now.

"Only a little my dear Harley girl, and daddy doesn't mind a little pain." He gave her a look, as if that had another meaning behind it. She felt the burning angry begin again at his use of that stupid name, he thought he had so much control over her.

"How are you doing this J? How are you getting the flowers to me? How the hell have you got your henchman keeping tabs on me from the inside?" She demanded, walking over to the chair adjacent to wear he was sprawled on the bed.

"I have my resources pumpkin, and J? I like it. You should keep that." She knew that she had slipped up by calling him that but she ignored that for now, that was a later issue.

"How Joker? How the hell are communicating with the outside?" She yelled and the anger flashed in his own eyes, he got up from the bed, rising slowly like a jungle cat.

"You don't get to demand things from me dear." He spat, making his way to her. Harley had never felt fear so badly in her life than in this moment. She backed up, pressed against the wall and the oncoming tyrant that was Mr J. "I own you Harley, you may not realise it yet but I have you in back pocket and there is no damn way I will let you dictate to me what I have to tell you. You ain't anything other than a toy, doll." His arms trapped her against the wall, one on either side of her face and she could feel the sweat dripping down her forehead, her heart pummelling against her chest.

"I'm…I'm sorry." She muttered, unable to think of much else to say. He was scary when he was like this, the joker. She could finally understand why all of Gotham feared him.

He growled his reply and made his way back to his bed, throwing his body onto it in irritation. "J… I didn't mean to upset you." What the hell was she doing? She was the therapist here and she was in charge.

"It's okay doc, sometimes you just really push my buttons y'know?" he sighed and looked at the ceiling, Harley felt like this was her permission to leave.

"I…I should go." She muttered and headed for the door, flustered and annoyed at herself for letting him get to her like that.

"Harley…" he called and she turned to see him grinning. "You have a good day, until 3pm my dear." He cackled and she left the room feeling cold and deflated. He was right. He did own her.

…

Harley couldn't concentrate the whole day, her mind kept wondering to the green haired man rotting away in a cell downstairs. Her patients all seemed to pick up on it and every session she had to cut short, unable to focus on anything but the time ticking towards three o'clock. She sighed once her last patient before Mr J had left, and absently stroked the cursive writing on the card that was attached to her first gift from the joker. What was she doing? She was in way over her head with, he was clever: disarming. He knew how to get into her head and she was letting him, she was letting him play her like a damn instrument. Harley had to regain control of the situation before she allowed him to think he was in charge. She got up from my desk and headed to her session with Mr J with a new resolve, she was not going to be won over again.

…

Harleen looked across the room at the man strapped to the chair and reminded herself once again that she was in control of this session. He was the patient. She kept chanting that in her head, like an internal mantra.

"You seem nervous doc, does my present scare you?" He beamed. You'd like that wouldn't you? She thought bitterly, he was not getting in her head this time.

"Not at all Mr Joker, just curious as to what you have to be happy about? You are after all, trapped here." She smiled, I've got you secured here Mr J, there's no getting out.

His laughter broke the silence in the room and Harley had to hold herself together to not jump out of her skin, she watched as he threw his head back and laughed. She squirmed in her seat and looked anywhere but at him.

"I'm not trapped doc, if I wanted to I could be out of here lickety-split. I have chosen to be here." He grinned at her and she knew he was right.

"Why would you do that?" she could feel herself getting angrier by the second, he really made her blood boil.

"Because of you Harley, because you intrigue me and I'm not leaving these walls into you agree to come with me." he watched her intently, waiting to see her reaction. Harley's eyes bulged and her breath quickened, she was not expecting that to come out of his mouth.

"And what makes you think I'd ever do that J? Why would I ever go anywhere with you?" her accent slipped through again, her face flushing with the emotion she was feeling in that moment. How dare he think he had that much control over her?

"Oh you will, and when you do it will be a fantastic show. You're madness, it rivals mine." He leaned closer to her and gave her his biggest smile, looking into her eyes.

"What? What do you mean 'my madness'?"

"You're madness Harley, it's in there, screaming, clawing to get out. I've seen it coming through in our sessions and I can't wait for it to get out, for it take you over. We'll have so much fun once you've turned to my way of thinking." He grinned big, stupid, overly confident clown. There was no way she was going to ever go over to his side of things, she wasn't insane like he was.

"Well I'm sorry but you'll be waiting a life time for that to happen Joker Now I wanted to talk about your first experience with the batman, what did you feel in the moment you first laid eyes on him? What was your first thought?" She asked, keeping her voice neutral.

He sat back and sighed, stroking his chin as he thought. "I thought 'wow that is stupid costume'." He stated and then fell into a fit of laughter, Harley had to bite her lip to stop her from laughing with him. She caught herself just in time and flicked her hair behind her shoulders, sitting straighter in her chair.

"What happened the first time? Do you remember?" She pushed.

"Of course I do, everyone remembers their second birth Harls." He looked at me as if she were stupid. He was referring the chemical VAT incident; he had called it his second birth with most of his doctors.

"And how do you feel? During that 'second birth'?" She looked at him as he sat back in his chair, kicking his chained ankles up on the desk and balancing the chair on two legs.

"I felt… in pain." He stated emotionlessly and then began to laugh again. She was getting nothing out of him today, he was being so much more difficult than normal.

"I think we've had enough for today." Harleen got up and knocked on the door for the orderlies to come and collect the clown.

"Aw have I heart ya feeling's Harls? Come over here and daddy will make you feel all better." He purred and Harley gave him a blunt look, opening the door for the two orderlies to come in. they lifted the joker from his seat and pulled him out of the room, the joker's eyes following Harley as he was pushed from the room.

Harley sighed and sat back down in the chair she had just got up from, putting her head in her hands and rubbing her temples softly. That man was just one massive headache. He was impossible to work with unless he got his own way, like a stubborn, spoilt child.

Harley could feel her anger bubbling up again.

Stupid, infuriating clown.