Hello all, sorry about the delay I got that weird http text that comes up sometimes.

Anyhow enjoy

Nessa

Chapter 6

The next day Harley woke up with a new resolve to get the Joker to tell her what she needed to know and she was determined to finally break through the wall that blocking her. It was obvious that Mr J trusted her, a lot more than anyone else had ever been trusted but he was still holding back on her, finding ways to get around the bond that they had formed.

She got up and went about her normal morning routine in a hurricane of determination, getting to work too early for it to be a simple coincidence. She sighed and made her way to her office, deciding that she would not be paying any visits to the clown unless they were planned ever again, he didn't seem to do well with unscheduled events. Harley timidly opened the door to her office and groaned when she saw the massive bouquet that was sat on her desk, a note attached to the side as usual.

I'm sorry I was difficult yesterday, I promise I'll make it up to you.

-J

Harley absently rubbed her temples as she put the note delicately down on the desk and put water in the vase, smelling the sweet scent of the flowers. She smiled, he really knew how to make a girl feel special. She let the giggle escape and then looked around self consciously, ensuring no one was around to witness to hear her childlike laugh.

She began to flick through her work emails, the normal events and information was being circulated and Harley yawned as she read the weekly updates. She deleted most of them until she came upon an email from Doctor Arkham, requesting her presence as soon as she got into work.

Harley wondered what on earth he could need from her when she had little to no patients, brushing off her skirt and humming to herself as she wondered up to the higher level of the institute. She took a deep breath before she knocked on the door and pushed it open slowly, hearing the soft tapping as Arkham typed on his laptop. He looked up as she entered.

"Ah Harleen, good morning. I have some fantastic news. First though, how are things with the clown?" he asked, putting his laptop away and concentrating all of his attention on me as I sat down in the chair opposite him.

"It's going okay, sometimes he opens up and tells me little things, but most of the time it's just idle chit chat. When I have something substantial I will send you a report."

"Well it's good that he's opening up, he seems a lot less… sporadic than usual." He smiled warmly at her. "Which is what I wanted to talk to you about. I thought we could maybe let him be chainless during your sessions, free so to speak."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing, was she really making enough progress that they trusted him to be unrestrained. She nodded eagerly and agreed with Doctor Arkham, insisting the changes would happen from today instead of next week like he wanted. Maybe J would open up more if he felt she trusted him to.

…

Harley spent the rest of the day in a state of utter excitement for her allotted time with the Joker, eager to see if his promise and the new unrestrained form of therapy would loosen him up a little. She again couldn't concentrate on her other patients and she felt bad that she was having less and less time with them, but J really was her most important thing in her life right at that moment.

She got through her sessions with little enjoyment, constantly tapping her foot or jiggling her leg in frustration, she just wanted to get to 3pm without combusting. She barely tasted her lunch as she scoffed it down; to involved in her inner conversation with the Joker in her mind, she just wanted to see him.

It was becoming ridiculous how much Harley craved his attention, how much she wanted to see his smile and hear his laugh. She felt like she was an addict and he was her dose of heroin, he was so damn addictive. She counted down the minutes and half an hour before their session was meant to begin, Harley made her way to the padded room, too eager to wait any longer.

When she got there she saw the chair that usually had buckles and belts attached to it had been swapped out for one that matched her own on the other side of the desk. She felt a small smile creep onto her face at the though of J seeing that he was finally able to move again.

At a quarter to three the door open and the guards pushed J into the room, allowing him little space to manoeuvre his body into the chair. Harley sighed and wished they didn't have to manhandle him so much: he was person after all.

When the orderlies left the room without attaching J to the chair his face was that of a confused child and he looked at Harley with the unspoken question in his eyes. "They've allowed us to have our sessions without handcuffs or straight jackets Mr J, but you have to behave okay?" she asked softly, wanting to make him happy.

His answering grin was all the reward she needed and Harley couldn't help but smile back, a small giggle escaping her lips. She was so glad that J was happy with their little arrangement, maybe he may open up to her today.

"So J, want you want to talk about today?" she had found that letting him lead the sessions meant that he'd be more likely to respond to her.

"I think I'm ready to tell you a secret Harls, one I've not told anyone." He looked at her and his eyes were passionate, this was going to be one delicate story. "I want to tell you 'bout the night I killed my father."

Harley was not expecting that and her pen dropped from her hand as her whole body went numb. She knew the joker had done some god awful things, some things that Harley didn't even know were possible but killing his father? That was a new piece of information.

"I was seventeen at the time and I was realising that I didn't really enjoy school much…" he began, leaning down and picking up Harley's pen, leaving it in the table between them. "I was really into comedy and I wanted to do it as a career. My old man was against it from the start, telling me that comedians didn't get girls and that no one got rich by being funny. Anyways one night I tried out one of my acts out on him and I as I waited for his feedback I could see the clogs turning in his head. Suddenly he got up, strode towards me and punched me right in the jaw, dislocating it. Well Harls, I saw red, I reached up from my place on the floor and grabbed the poker that we used on the fire. I towered over my father when I was stood and I smashed the poker across his head like it was a crow bar. I was so damn angry he offended my act that I didn't stop until he made no noise anymore and then, when he was finally dead I laughed right in his face. You see Harls, the world is made up of people who get the joke, and those who don't. The ones that do, they live their life laughing and the ones who don't? Well they don't usually live past the first 'ha'." Harley's blood ran cold at J's confession and she had to work to keep her calm.

"Wasn't it hard… killing someone who you loved?" Harley muttered, finding it hard to understand anything the joker was feeling right now.

"Love? Love is an emotion for the weak Harley. I do not love anyone or anything. I find a muse in things, something to make a joke out of but I do not love." He looked serious , scolding her for her slip up.

"I apologies J, what I meant was, was it hard to see someone who bought you up dead? Was it hard to kill him?" She looked at the Joker and looked back at her, his gaze burning a hole into her soul.

"Harley, I'll kill anything and anyone, women, kids, pensioners, puppies, birds even my parents. But not kittens, I like kittens." He smiled at her fondly and Harley couldn't help but feel her heart melt, he was a big softie at heart.

"Kittens really? Why is that?" She asked.

"They're mischievous, they like to get into trouble. We had a kitten when I was growing up and it would always steal things; bring in dead birds for my parents as presents. It was like a real life magician with those things. It didn't care that the world hated it, it was just there to wreak havoc and I loved that damn cat." Harley was mesmerized by the little confession; she had never seen the joker so animated about something that wasn't himself or the batman before in her life. He really was a sucker for cats. "But don't be getting any ideas, I wont be all gushy over them either, I don't do squealing or cuddling. I just appreciate their efforts to cause chaos." He looked at Harley sternly and she nodded, agreeing with him.

"So what brought on this spout of truthfulness?" Harley watched the joker curiously; he used his hands a lot when he talked, using them to help tell his story the way no one else did. He would close his eyes often, almost as if the scene was playing out on the inside of his eyelids. He was really good at telling stories.

"You proved you trust me toots, with this new found freedom I feel like I can trust ya to. I finally feel as if someone gets me," he doesn't look too happy about spilling the beans but Harley can feel her insides warm up at the thought of him trusting her, seeing her as an equal.

"Well I do trust you J, and I'm glad you trust me to." She smiled warmly at him.

"You have a nice smile doc, I think that's something I'll keep."

"Keep?"

"When I finally break through your sanity and you become my little harlequin."

"I don't think so J."

"Oh I know so Harls."

"Really?"

"Mhm."

"I think you're crazier than I first thought." She challenged and his answering laugh was yelled to the roof, a whooping cry of pleasure.

"Oh my little harlequin, you don't know the half of it."