Harley

Partners In Crime

Things at Arkham were quieter the next day, in fact, they were eerily quiet.

As I walked through the halls all of the doctors were preoccupied with whatever gossip was being spread at the time.

Of course, they weren't talking about the right thing, no one cared about what happened to me last night. No one cared about the bandages that covered my arms or that I had to wear pants to cover the bruises.

I closed the door to the break room and when I looked up there was a group of doctors and residents talking at the table.

As usual, the majority of them quieted down as I walked in, god forbid that I be apart of the group.

One of the older doctors turned in her chair to look at me.

"Have you heard?" she asked, I shook my head and she rolled her eyes.

The group behind her murmured in whispers.

"Of course the ditz didn't. Mavis called in sick for the first time in years." she said before she turned around.

"Who fucking cares?" I scoffed.

Everyone and I mean everyone in that roo turned to look at me.

"What the hell did you just say?" the veteran doctor asked with her eyebrow raised.

I stopped what I was doing and let out a small laugh.

"Who. Fucking. Cares." I said once again but slower since these big brain doctors couldn't grasp my vocab.

"Just get out of here you ditz." she waved me off, the other doctors gave me looks of distaste.

I put my middle finger in the air as I left the room.

"Do you know what a harlequin is?" I asked Joker, he exhaled a cloud of smoke as he listened intently.

"A harlequins role is to serve, they are nothing without their master." I said.

"And?" Joker responded, his eyebrows raised.

"I'm sick and tired of serving Mistah J." I vowed.

Joker gave me a strange look before he put out his cigarette. That look was one of concern, something no one but Joker held for me.

"What happened to you Dr. Quinzel?" he asked.

I placed my hand on top of his, he was darling, the only man in my life to ever care about me.

"Last night on my way home, I saw first hand the problem with Gotham. You were right." I replied, there was a slight sadness to my tone.

I began to go into vivid detail about the events that transpired last night. Jokers expression went from one of anger to sympathy to anger again. It was an emotional roller coaster and I was the operator.

"When I swung that bat...everything made sense. Everything in the universe just came together in that perfect moment. There was music Joker but that music didn't sound right at all." I explained, Joker just listened to what I had to say without interruption.

"Sour notes and screeching violins, he wouldn't stop screaming. Of course, he would want the attention for himself." I finished and looked up at the man. His eyes held no judgment instead I felt like someone finally understood.

He placed his free hand on top of mine, a kind gesture, that's all I ever wanted. Everything I ever needed was right here in front of me and I would've missed it because of what they wanted me to think about him.

"People are awful and you don't deserve to be in a place like this." I smiled at him.

Joker smiled back, his green eyes bore into mine and without a second thought, I leaned over the table and planted a kiss on his lips. He kissed me back and gently placed his hands on my face.

Here I was kissing the Joker, the kindest most caring person I had ever met in my life and my patient. As the kiss deepened I felt myself slip farther and farther down into this deep pool of bliss. 

Happiness was a dangerous thing for a girl like me, a girl that only knew the misfortunes in life. I knew he felt the same way too, I knew in my heart that Arthur felt our worlds collide and finally make sense. 

"Am I crazy?" I asked as he pulled away.

"No...no of course not." he laughed, a genuine laugh free of any pain. 

I blushed as he studied my features, I still wasn't used to this type of attention. I reached out to hold his hand but he moved away. 

The joy that was just painted on his face faded away into glossy eyes and stifled painful laughter. 

"J? What's the matter?" I asked as I searched his eyes for some sort of reason or meaning.

"I finally found something worth living for," he scoffed, his eyes avoided mine "And I'm still found a way to mess it up." 

Reality.

Came crashing down on our little love story like a grand piano in those old cartoons. The public wanted the man in front of me dead and forgotten about. I couldn't let it happen, not now or ever.  Joker was the man that I loved and there was no changing that. 

"I'm getting you outta here no matter what, puddin" I said, he smiled softly at this before he leaned in to kiss my forehead.

There was a heavy bang on the door, we both looked at each other. The session was vaguely short but it was over. I didn't want to put the handcuffs back on him, I wanted to walk out those big white doors with his hand in mine.

"I promise." I swore as I reluctantly placed his handcuffs back on, I left that room with whatever was left of my heart in jokers hands. 

I had a new goal, to get Joker safe and away from the risk of being put to death over his actions. He didn't deserve death, it wouldn't be justice. Justice is what he served those terrible people that wronged him.

From that moment on I vowed to be by his side, he might not have known it but we were in this together.

I would do anything for him.

Almost like...partners in crime...ha.