I Can't Live Without You (Harley Quinnx Poison Ivy)

Chapter 5

Harley's POV

I made my way down the hallways of Arkham Asylum, I could hear the crazed laughing of some of the patients while the others were screaming in pain. I didn't know how I got there, I didn't understand... I was supposed to be in Metropolis working from a private office. I just kept walking trying to find an exit but I couldn't find one, the halls just seemed to go on forever. I stopped in front of a window looking into a patient's room. My reflection surprised me. I looked like I did when I had first started working in Arkham. Then I heard the all too familiar laughing of the Joker, echoing down the hallway.
"H-Hello," I shakily called as I slowly started towards the sound of laughing. "Mistah J?"
When I got to the Joker's cell I stopped and stared in at the figure in a straightjacket with their back to me.
"Harleen... Quinzel..."
That voice... It was the Joker's but it sounded so much colder than it should have. The door to the cell opened on its own and the figure got to its feet, pulling at the straightjacket as if trying to get out.
"M-Mistah J? I-Is that you?"
"Harley..... Quinn....."
The laughing erupted louder than before as the figure turned around. I could see its shoulders shaking with laughter. I covered my ears, dropping to my knees. But I could still hear the laughing as if it were inside me. The figure in the straightjacket started to walk towards me. I started to crawl backwards, feeling fear nearly overwhelm me as the figure got closer and closer. His face was in shadow but I could tell it was the Joker by the green hair.
"Get away from me," I cried, cowering against the wall behind me.
I clamped my eyes shut and held my hands over my head as if it would protect me from him.
"Well Harley I must say I'm surprised, you actually managed to capture the boy wonder."
Now I looked up in confusion, the scene was different, I was on my feet in my original jester outfit. The Joker stood over the bound and gagged form of Jason Todd. The Clown Prince of Crime was holding a crowbar.
"Harls I do believe this is the best present you've ever given me," with those words the Joker started swinging away with the crowbar, relentlessly beating Robin.
What the hell was going on? This happened a few years ago, it felt like millions of years even. Then, I hadn't stood up to the Joker as he beat the poor boy to death. But this time I wasn't just going to stand by. Just as I moved to stop him, Robin was suddenly replaced with Poison Ivy...
"Red... no... Puddin' stop!"  I ran at him, trying to yank the crowbar free of his grasp. I couldn't just stand by while he hurt her...
"Dammit, Harley, stay back!"
The Joker easily pulled the crowbar out of my hands and brought it across my face. I felt my jaw snap out of place and I just started screaming in pain as I hit the ground. Now I was the one he was beating mercilessly... It hurt, every blow felt like a truck slamming into me. At least he wasn't hurting Red anymore though. After what seemed like an eternity of being beat, it just abruptly ended. When I sat up, there was no pain, no bruises, nothing.
I was back in Arkham now, wearing my newest jester outfit. I frowned and looked around, what in the hell was going on? The laughing from before was even louder now. I closed my eyes and covered my ears again, trying to drown out the laughing that was only causing my fear to heighten. Before I knew what was going on, I felt arms wrap around me, but not in a comforting way. They were squeezing me so hard I could barely breathe. I opened my eyes, even though I knew full well I wasn't going to like what I saw. The Joker had his arms around me in a death grip, and I screamed when I saw his face. Parts of the flesh on his face were melted off. His eyes held a cold murderous gleam, even more so than usual. His devilish grin looked even more disturbing with the state the rest of his face was in. His suit was burnt and singed everywhere, showing disgusting, rotting flesh. The smell was overwhelming.
"You left me... to die... Harley..."
His voice sounded so hoarse, so... demonic. He had to take deep rasping breaths every few words, as if his lungs weren't as strong as they should have been.
"Mistah J I-"
Before I could finish speaking he threw me against the wall with so much force the tiles on the wall cracked and fell off, shattering around me on the floor. I struggled to catch my breath, I had hit the wall so hard it knocked the wind out of me. I tried to crawl away from him, only to feel a handful of my hair yanked backwards.
"You left... with the tree hugger!"
The Joker yelled, he picked me up by the throat and got in my face. I grabbed at his hand, trying to pry the burned purple glove away from my neck. I couldn't breathe, it felt as if my airway was going to collapse. I started punching his chest, I even landed a punch to his jaw that snapped his head to the side. But his maniacal laugh was all that left his mouth, his grip on my throat never faltering.
My back met the wall hard as he just continued to laugh and choke me, "And now... you left her... so in return... SHE LEFT YOU!"
Both his hands were around my throat now, he was going to kill me. Somehow, deep down I knew the Joker would always be the death of me. Red had told me so many times to get away from him while I could... I should have listened. I started to see spots when he suddenly threw me into a cell..
"Enjoy rotting... by yourself... Harleen Quinzel!"
The Joker slammed the door of the cell shut and walked away, his laugh echoing off the walls, almost seeming to echo inside my head. I curled up in a ball, crying with my fingers tangled in my hair.
"Red.... Red... I'm so sorry, Red..." I just kept repeating the same thing over and over again, still trying to drown out the laugh that only seemed to get louder and louder.
"You think saying sorry makes what you did okay, Harley?"
I looked up, my makeup streaked and messed up, the black around my eyes running down my cheeks. Poison Ivy stood at the door to the cell, looking down at me with cold eyes. Those weren't the green eyes that normally looked at me with a happy gleam. Ivy really seemed to hate me...
"Red?! I knew you'd come to help me," I said happily shooting to my feet, my hands coming to rest on the bars.
"I'm done helping you, Harleen. It's time to grow up and figure it out yourself."
Ivy turned her back on me, walking away with not even a glance back at me. I felt as if she had ripped my heart out and was walking away with it in her hands. I reached my hand out for her through the bars.
"Red! Please! Don't leave me!" I screamed for her, tears flowing down my cheeks like rivers, but she didn't look back and the Joker's laughing got even louder.
I collapsed onto the floor, screaming, crying, begging for her to come back, nearly ripping out my hair. The Joker's voice swirled inside my head.
"No one... is here for you... Harleen... Everyone leaves you... Except me... You'll always be... MY Harley Quinn..."
"No!"
I shot awake, screaming the last word in my dream. My sheets were tangled around me and I was sweating so much it seemed like I had just run a marathon. I was struggling to breathe as I ran a hand through my tousled hair. I looked over at the clock on my nightstand, seeing that it was just after three in the morning. I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my forehead on my arms trying to calm my frantic heart beat. There were still tears drying on my cheeks.
"It felt so real," I whispered.
I finally laid back down once my breathing and heart rate returned to normal. I stared at my ceiling, the image of Red's figure walking away from me was ingrained in my mind. I clenched my eyes shut as I tried to stop tears from flowing again. I rolled onto my stomach and reached over for my phone. But then I realized that I couldn't call her, not at three in the morning. I didn't dare fall back asleep, I didn't want those nightmares flying through my mind again. I headed to work later that morning and I felt as if I was dead on my feet. I sat at my desk fiddling with my pen as I stared at the ceiling again.
"How'd you sleep, Dr. Quinzel?"
I jumped, nearly falling out of my chair.
"Get the hell out of my office, Crane," I hissed, standing up and glaring at him.
"My my, I get the feeling my toxin really fucked with your mind didn't it?"
"What are you... talking about..."
That was when it clicked, I remembered him in my office the day before, stabbing me in the neck with a needle.  My legs gave out from under me and I fell back down into my chair. Suddenly he was in my face, a hand resting on either side of me on the arms of the chair.
"What happened hmm? Did you see the Joker? Or is there something else you're so afraid of?"
"Get out..."
"Wh-"
I threw my knee up into his crotch, dropping him to the floor.
"I said, get out bub!"
My hand went over my mouth, as my heavy accent slipped out. Crane groaned and got to his feet, glaring at me.
"You've seen your worst fears, Harleen, now let's see if you can face them," he spat, before rushing from the room.
My secretary watched him run from the room with an odd look on her face.
"What was that about," she asked.
"Nothing," I muttered.
She shrugged and gave me my list of patients for the day. That nightmare showed my fears... Losing Red, the Joker killing me... How could I face those? I wasn't strong enough...
Over the span of a few days I had stayed mostly quiet, watching the news every night just to get a glimpse of Red, I missed her so much it hurt. Gordon wanted me back in Gotham for a night so he could meet with me to make sure I was still on track.
"How are things going, Harleen," he asked as I sat down at his desk.
"Fine," I mumbled, thinking about the nightmare again.
I hadn't slept well, I didn't know when Crane's medication would wear off, but every time I fell asleep the nightmare would replay again and again, and I never got used to it. Every time it felt more terrifying than the first even though it was exactly the same.
"You don't seem fine."
I jumped at the voice behind me: Batman.
"How did I know you'd be here," I grumbled.
"Because I'm the one that gave you the okay to go back to a normal life, Harleen," the Dark Knight said. "I have to make sure you're sticking to our agreement."
I just nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Gordon and Batman let me leave after asking a few questions. When I reached my car, I heard tires squeal and when I looked up a car sped past me with a very familiar redhead in the passenger seat.
"Red?"
I watched Catwoman and Ivy race off down the road. I felt my heart break a little more as I watched them drive away. With tears running down my cheeks I drove back to Metropolis. Seeing them only proved the point that damn nightmare made, solidified that I was afraid of losing her.... Maybe enough alcohol and some sleeping pills would chase the nightmare away for a night.