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Part Seventeen: Chapter 123: Too Rough

The Joker sat next to Harley on the couch as she watched late night tv. His fingertips massaged his throbbing temple. He has endured it many hours, not wanting to keep going to the bathroom for lines of coke. Harley laughs and it slices through his brain. He closes his eyes until it's over. He wanted to hit her and make her shut up. However, he's aware that that's the wrong thing to do.

The Joker glances over at her as she hugged a pillow into her chest. Across the room several of his goons play cards. "You boys are dismissed," he tells them. They start gathering their things and leave.

The Joker stands, he slightly sways and his hand quickly goes to his head. Harley didn't notice, but Frost had. He quickly stands and balances the Joker. "Boss, you ok?"

Harley too looks. "Puddin?"

The Joker just nods and holds his hand up. Frost takes a step back and watches as the Joker crosses over to the piano and rests his weight on his palms over it. When he looks up he can see them both still staring at him. "Frost, you may go. I need to speak with Harley alone."

Frost nods and leaves from the penthouse. Harley stands and faces the Joker. "Ya ok puddin?"

The Joker stares down at the piano again and fishes his hand into his pocket. It shakes as he draws out the baggie of coke in his pocket and tosses it on top of the piano. He sighs and looks to Harley again. "I think it's time I level with you pumpkin. I'm a drug addict. I've been hiding it from you since day one. I tried to quit once...but I just didn't see the point. And now...if I don't do it, I get these terrible headaches that feel like razor blades in my thoughts."

The Joker expected Harley would have something to say, but to his surprise, she doesn't say anything. He picks the small bag up and opens it. He turns it sideways and taps the drugs out of it and onto the piano top. His finger blocks one side of his nose and he snorts it back hard. He turns to see Harley watching his every move. He wiped his nose and stands up straight.

"Can I try some?" Harley asked. It didn't matter to her what the Joker was into, not as long as he was honest and allowed her to join in on the experience. She would do anything that brought them closer.

The Joker smiles and stared at her. He wasn't really sure if it was a good idea. He didn't know if she could handle it, and if she could, what was it going to do to her? But it's always more fun to do drugs with someone else than it is to do them alone. "Sure," he says and taps her some out on top of the piano.

Harley nervously walks over to the piano. She pulls her hair back and stared at the tiny chunks of cocaine on the piano. She puts a finger to her nose and did as she had watched the Joker do. She stands up straight and turns to him with a shrug. "I don't feel noth..." Her words instantly fell off as the Joker watched her pupils go wide. She placed a hand to her heart as it began to pound.

The Joker bends down to look into her eyes, "Everything ok princess?" He asks her. He's not entirely without care, but he does find it all rather amusing.

Harley's wide eyes meet with his, "Now I see why ya nevah sleep," she says.

The Joker smirks, "Unfortunately, I don't recall ever sleeping much, with or without the drugs. But they do keep me sharp between the ears when I've been up for three days. The next time I bust out of Arkham I intend to steal all their Thorazine. I do enjoy Thorazine."

"You enjoy Thorazine?" She raised her eyebrows at him. Her only experiences with it came from having to give it to patients acting out violently. It turned them into instant drooling catatonics. She didn't understand how the Joker could find an experience like that pleasurable.

"I think you'll find that daddy's little beauty secret will prohibit the effect of most psychiatric drugs."

"Really? So in Arkham ya only pretended ta get bettah?" She asks in surprise.