• Just Another Night


    Like any other evening in the hideout it was boring, Jack was working on yet another scheme, ignoring Harley who had been unmistakably sick as of late. The babies Bud and Lou were lying on the bed laughing away, like any normal hyena and the henchmen were out getting a bite to eat. Harley had been having a few muscle aches and a cough, she didn’t think it was serious so she tried not to complain, but the minor pain and annoyance was apparent to everyone, even the Joker. She wasn’t sure what it was attributed to and knew she couldn’t see a doctor; she’d just be turned over to the police, so she decided not to think about it. Lou, the more rambunctious of the two hyenas was lying on the bed next to Jack who had been plotting away; he looked over to her and noticed she had something in her mouth. It was his plans for his next attack, chewed up and ruined, he was known for his temper and today would be no exception.

    Earlier that day was so much fun, and carefree, Harley would never have guessed that this day would end up in an evening of chaos. The Joker had made a lot of money that day, as he always did looting and pillaging his way through the city and he decided to spend a little bit on his number one girl, Harley. After a quick getaway and a small road trip to a town where they would remain unnoticed Harley ended up in the store getting supplies like ammunition, rope, lighters, and of course playing cards. She also walked out of the super-store with necessary items like a few groceries, toiletries like shampoo, things that they would need at home, and on her way out of the aisles filled with hairspray and brushes she spotted what she wanted, a home pregnancy test, she had an odd feeling that this time it would say positive, why wouldn’t it, after all she did feel a little sick, and she had been spending a little more time than usual with Jack, alone. She paid for everything at one of the many cash registers then pushed her squeaking basket to the car, Jack had the radio turned up full blast listening to some sort of heavy metal she bopped her head to the beat as she loaded all of the items into the back seat. She sat in the driver’s seat, turned the key, and cautiously drove towards the hideout, far away from the city, where they could be alone, where they could breathe fresh air, where they wouldn’t have to worry about the law or the Bat.

    Halfway home Jack reached back and started digging through the array of bags that Harley had placed in the backseat, he turned down the radio to finally speak to her as he came across a certain item. He pulled it from the bag and read the label to make sure he saw right in his questioning, “Haley…” he said then paused as she looked over towards him a little cautiously, “yeah Mistah J?” she answered with a stammer. “Another piss test? How many times have you wasted money on these damn things? It’s never going to happen” he said with an uncaring tone as he tossed it into the backseat. “I don’t know Puddin’ it might happen this time” she said unconfidently, she knew how often she bought them, one every time she went to the store, it was just a habit now, but she wanted it to happen so badly. She turned off of the long stretch of open road onto another deserted one; the only difference was that this one wasn’t paved. Slowly making their way down the winding dirt road they spotted the hide-out, it was an ordinary looking home, it was just in the middle of nowhere, a good place for them. She pulled into the garage and honked the obnoxious horn, it played a tune that Jack found amusing, a few seconds later a lone henchman entered the garage and carried everything inside.

    Harley grabbed the pregnancy test and ran to the bathroom just like she always did as the hyenas pawed at the door trying to get her attention. She read the directions even though she already knew the routine; she followed them exactly then placed the test on the counter. She washed her hands and waited for the results nervously, when the three minutes were over she picked it up and looked at the little window, “negative again” she said with a sigh as she tossed it into the garbage can. She opened the door to see Bud and Lou waiting for her, she petted their heads “looks like you’re still gonna be the only babies around here.” Harley sauntered to the bedroom she shared with the Joker and looked at him, her face read easily as disappointed, “I told you, but you never listen” he said barely even looking up from the paper he had been writing on. “Still never hurts to check Puddin’” Harley said through another sigh, she dragged her feet as she walked to their bed and flopped down on her side. He looked up to her with a raised eyebrow, “it hurts my wallet, those damn things are expensive, you don-“he was cut off there by her “it’s not even your money, you steal it, from banks and mobsters” she snapped. That’s when things got a little messy, he placed a completed paper in front of him on the bed where he was lounging, “I still have to get it now don’t I” Jack snapped back, “and I told you to get supplies, there wasn’t nearly enough ammunition, and I don’t think you can fill a shotgun with pregnancy tests.” He was getting more and more angry by the second thinking about how it was a waste of his stolen money, “you’re going to be the death of me one day” he said trying to calm himself so he could get back to his work.

    With his eyes glued to his current piece of paper he reached for the one he had set in front of him earlier, it wasn’t there, he looked up and saw Lou chewing on it, “Damn it Harley! Your smelly dog chewed up some important plans” he yelled at he stood up and kicked Lou. Harley jumped up in front of the cowering hyena, “don’t hurt her, she’s just a baby!” she screamed as tears began to form in her eyes. “Move!” he yelled as he picked her up by the collar of her shirt and flung her back onto the bed, while she struggled to get to her feet again the Joker had pulled the remnants of the paper from Lou’s mouth and managed to find a shoe to hit her with. When his hand came close enough to her mouth he bit him and would not loosen her grip. “Get off!” he yelled as blood droplets formed on his hand, he kicked her hard enough to send her across the room landing in the closet. “Leave her alone” Harley screamed through sobs as she rushed to help her pet, Lou was fine, just a bit shaken up, but this wasn’t the first time this had happened, Harley knew she would get over it.

    Now it was her turn to defend Lou, she was obviously too scared to defend herself, so as the Joker held his hand to stop the minimal bleeding Harley approached him and pushed him, making him fall onto the bed. “How could you do that to the baby? What if she had been our baby? Is that what would happen if we had a little one that used one of your plans for a toy?” she asked still screaming at him. The Joker looked up at her, shocked that she was speaking to him this way, and shocked that she had pushed him, “it’s different” was all he could think to say. He looked up to her and smirked, she knew she was in trouble, she turned to run for the door but Jack was quicker than her, he reached up and grabbed her arm and pulled her down next to him. “Wanna play rough?” he asked with a sinister tone as he laid on top of her and held her arms down, she would normally put up a fight but her whole body ached as of late so she let him win. She tried to say something but couldn’t all she could do was cry, “aww, you don’t want to play anymore” the Joker said as he loosened his grip a bit, his remark just angered Harley so she wriggled loose and landed a punch straight to his jaw, it was weak but let him know that she wasn’t giving up. He tightened his grip on the arm he still held of hers and tried to fight off more hits as Harley struggled to get loose, he finally let go and backed away towards the door. “I’m leavin’ me and the babies don’t need this sort of crap” she said like she always did, as she gathered her bag that had the keys, she leashed the hyenas and walked towards the Joker who was blocking the doorway, looking at the floor.

    Harley reached for the doorknob and as she did he grabbed her wrist and squeezed and twisted it making her fall to her knees, “going somewhere?” he asked diabolically as he pulled a knife from his pocket, “I don’t think so Miss Harleen.” He threw her backwards and approached, he held the knife in one hand and she backed away, he had done this a few times before but this time he looked serious. “I-I- I’m sorry Mistah J” Harley stammered as she scooted backwards on the floor eventually getting as far as she could when her back reached the bed, “I don’t wanna go nowhere, I promise.” The Joker smiled at her and let out one of his famous laughs, “I know you don’t, it just takes a little persuasion but I like that” he said lifting her from the floor with his free hand, he then set her on the bed and kneeled next to her. The Joker moved his distinctive face closer to hers as he lifted the knife up to her neck, he ran his tongue along the other side of Harley’s neck as it sent excited shivers down her spine, “you know I love you Harley, why do you do things like that?” he asked as he had done a million times before when things like this happened. He moved his free hand up to her thigh and began to inch closer to his target, “you know me Puddin’ always the exciting one” Harley joked as he lowered the knife, she felt his hand on her inner thigh and she placed one of her hands on top of his. At that moment their eyes met and they knew what would happen, The Joker threw the knife towards a dart board filled with a few other knives, and just missed the bulls eye. He gently laid Harley back and positioned himself on top of her, “I love you Puddin’” Harley said with a smile, “I know you do” the Joker said as he placed a kiss on her forehead.