A young intern sat in the reception area of the hospital ward. She was flipping aimlessly through a magazine, her elbow stationed on the counter and her head resting on her raised hand. Above her, the fluorescent lights buzzed angrily in tones of faded green and yellow. She looked up warily to the hallway on the right, seeing the outline of one of the guards.

She chewed her gum nervously and blew a bubble, popping it with her teeth. She hadn't been here when they brought her in, but she had been curious to catch a glimpse of their latest patient, who had been brought in from Gotham. They said she worked for him, and a chill went down the intern's spine at the mere thought. Granted it had been several months since they rounded up the psychotic clown, it was only a matter of time before he was loose again, the news wouldn't stop advertising it in every source of media. As if they wanted the cycle to continue so they could have a headline again, more dramatic than the last.

'It's a mad, mad world.' The Intern shook her head and flipped the page of her magazine.

Inside the padded cell, past the numerous guards, a woman in her mid twenties was curled up in a ball in the corner. Her arms restrained by a straitjacket. Her washed out blonde hair was damp and limp around her small face, dirt and grime rubbed into the once beautiful locks. She was currently sleeping, knocked out from the last dose of medicine.

A loud buzzer sounded within the room and the ancient iron padlocked door opened with a groan. A middle aged woman with frown lines stood for a second in the doorway. She wore a doctor's coat buttoned up to her throat, with black scrubs underneath. The Doctor stepped into the room, a guard stood stationary at the entrance as the doctor slowly crouched beside the restrained woman.

"Harleen-?" The Doctor said quietly, and placed a hand on the woman. At once she was awake, her eyes vacantly gazing off in a thousand yard stare. Slowly, her vision slid into focus as she wandered out of the drug induced haze.

"Where am I, what time is it?" She asked heavily, her voice the sound of wallpaper.

"You're safe here, Harleen. We had to restrain you when you arrived. Do you remember what happened?" The Doctor asked.

"You did not answer my question." The woman stated, surprisingly lucid.

"You were moved out of Gotham, this facility is safe from any dangers from the city. You are safe here, Harleen."

Harleen? Why did she keep calling her that? Did the Doctor think she was Harleen? Certainly not, they must have the wrong person. The name did sound very familiar though, perhaps she had known a Harleen. Because her name was Har...Har-

"Harley Quinn." She did not know if she said it or thought it because laughter cackled in her ears like church bells on Sunday morning.

"Harleen Quinzel, that is your name. Harley Quinn is a character." The Doctor's voice cut like a knife through her memory, distorting her vision in waves through the past and up until that moment. The Doc could talk all she wanted, but Harley knew, and so did he. Right up until then, the ripples vibrated along the crescendo of laughter-

The Doctor grabbed her by the chin in a grip that made her jaw go numb, turning her head from side to side like one might examine a specimen.

"The nurses have been giving you too much medicine, your delusions have gotten worse. Ms. Quinzel you are very lucky that you have not been thrown away into Arkham to rot."

"Where am I, who are you, and why am I here?" Harley managed in one long angry hiss. The Doctor took a step back, paused to tuck a graying hair behind her ear.

"It is best you do not know, I am your doctor, and because you are insane."

When she was free, Harley almost dug her teeth into the Doctor's hand. But that would not have done anything but earn her another concoction of god knows what passed off as medicine and days spent in and out of consciousness and sanity. What had been left of the pieces shattered even more, she found herself reeling as she tried to recall memories not that long ago. Even the Doctor noticed this, she paused before giving Harley a small polite smile.

"If you cooperate your treatment will be a wonderful process, although I shouldn't have to tell you. You're a doctor as well. I do not want to be an adversary, I am here to help and to get you out of my hospital. A nurse will be by to escort you to the showers, in the morning therapy begins." And with that, no goodbye or a single name, the Doctor left with the hard faced guard in the corner.

With the shut and slam of the door, Harley was left in the near darkness. A single hanging light shone in her room, orange and yellowed from use. It was then that she realized she had fallen so low.

Harleen Quinzel? Who even was Harleen Quinzel? No one cared about boring ol' Harleen, wit her secretary bun and owl eyed rimmed glasses. Boooring.

But she was tired of being Harley Quinn. This was Harley Quinn, a padded cell and restrained ankles.

Harley sat and watched the beam of moonlight cast a filtered white glow on the wall, and thought a while.

Dr. Maddox walked down the hall, unfollowed by the guards. At such a late hour, the ward was completely silent and lit only by the amber emergency lights. Unusual, the lunatics usually started screaming or shouting to each other in their rooms by now. Their new peer had them spooked. Like who they were really afraid of would follow her name like a curse.

She would make sure to end that.

Diamonds and Spades

by Riverhaze

One

An alarm blared somewhere deep inside the small apartment.

The sleeping figure on the bed slowly crawled out from under the covers, to shut the steadily rising volume off. It did not shut itself off either, she sat there one time and tried waiting for it to go silent but it just got even louder.

It was five in the morning, outside, the sky was still grey. She was used to rising so early now it had become habit, she just felt so tired, her muscles sore and skin flushed. Lately, she hadn't been able to sleep very well and all she had been eating was junk. The shower at least as nice, the water took only eight minutes to run hot this time. Neutral tones, she stuck to neutral tan's and greens for her make up, barely a brush of mascara or touch of eyeliner.

The calico cat, named Patchy by the old owners that left him there, sat and stared at her on top of the broken TV set. They had come to respect one another after the previous winter. Buttoning her coat and wearing a thick scarf, she left with a cold bagel in her hand and picked on it as she walked. Her neighborhood was largely deserted this early, except for a few others that had the morning shift.

"Good morning, Ms. Daniels. Mr. Bruer is looking for you." The doorman to the theatre where she worked tipped his hat at her.

"Thank you." She quietly muttered and hurried inside.

She made her way to Mr. Bruer's office, he was the director of their company and to many a father figure. A short, stout, old German man, he had a quick wit and even quicker temper. Knocking on the door, she waited until she heard him shout for her to come in.

"You wanted to talk to me?" She asked as she poked her head inside, skipping any formalities.

"Yes, take a seat, Lee." He said. She sat down hesitantly in a lopsided bean bag chair, whooshing back uncomfortably. Instead of a desk, Mr. Bruer had more of a low lying bench cluttered with old posters and half written scripts.

"As you know, we have brought our company to all of the major cities in the US. Except for one. The Company is getting restless and wants to go, and the city wants to bring us there as well. They are offering a large sum in donations if we do. You're a stagehand, the best assistant director I could ask for. If you feel to uncomfortable to go, I understand." He said, rushing through his words like he always did when he was nervous.

Lee was taken off guard for a moment, it took a while for her to register what he had said. Mr. Bruer, along with her Doctor, was one of the very few that knew who she had been. Harley Quinn. Five years, five long years had passed since then. Half a decade that felt like ten. She would be a liar if she said that she did not think about the city always cloaked in mist.

"To...Gotham-?" She said, squinting her eyes like she was trying to see past what was in front of her.

"I know, I know. You have done so well, become a productive member of society, made great progress from who you were." He nodded, mostly to assure himself. Lee thought this over, she knew she would let everyone down if she didn't go. Mr. Bruer was good at getting the actors to express emotion and depth, but who was going to cover all the technical stuff, make sure they knew where to stand? Survey the stage and make sure it was set up right?

Besides, Gotham was a huge city. She did not even look like Harley Quinn anymore, the tattoos had been removed, her hair dyed mousy brown, and the muscles built up now flabby and thin. No one would notice another tired looking adult, and he had been practically invisible after his latest escape from Arkham. Did he ever even exist in the first place?

"No, I will be fine. I need the money," she took a deep breath, "I'm going." She said with finality, and felt a little jolt of excitement run through her.

"Alright, make sure to let your doctor know so she will be ready to answer your calls if an emergency happens. If you change your mind, it will not be an issue." He said and after a small chat, let her go.

Lee went back to her own little office at the end of the hall. A glorified broom closet, Lee sat at her desk and placed the half finished bagel on a paper napkin. Turning on her favorite radio station and pulling her notes on the production forward, she began her morning work. In her funk, she allowed her mind to wander. Back to that day.

It had been raining, hard. Thick fat bullets of water that pelted against your skin and bones. She had lost her cap, her corn silk colored hair was thickly plastered to her face, white and black ran down her shallow cheeks as she glimpsed her reflection in a puddle that was slowly running a russet red. She saw her own wild blue eyes, and slowly everything was starting to come into focus. As if she had taken her sanity, attached it to a kite and let it drift behind her. A satellite that was crashing back to earth. She heard laughter bouncing off the walls and ceiling, and it sent a chill down her spine. Blinding lights were shown in her face, and the next thing she knew she was shivering in a damp cell, looking at the broken pieces of her life.

'Please...don't send me to that place, I don't...want to be there...with him.' She whimpered out from some corner of her mind. Some ancient deity of mercy heard her crying out, so they sent her out of the city, some where else. Away from his influence, she began to surface.

"Hey, Lee." A deep voice spoke up from the open doorway. Her way of making herself accessible to her performers.

"Oh, hello Gabe. What's up?" She smiled politely. Gabe was a tall young man, a few years her junior and fresh from graduate school. He was the male lead in the current production and the heart throb of every girl and a few boys in the company.

"Excited to go to Gotham? Bruer just broke the news!" He exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yeah, maybe we'll see Batman." She chuckled, mostly to herself. A little inside joke of her own.

"Ya think-? Does he give out autographs? Or pose for pictures?" Gabe gaped at her.

"Gabe, he is a vigilante superhero, not a celebrity. So, maybe." She shrugged and tried not to laugh at his reaction. He was way to excited to go to such a violent city. After bothering her for a few more minutes, he finally left after a few other actors wandered over to rehearse a few scenes with him.

Around lunch, Lee finally took the time an called her Doctor. She did not answer, so Lee left a message and went back to work. When she finally did get the Doc on the phone, she was surprisingly complacent with Lee venturing back into dangerous territory and declared it would be 'good exposure' for her.

A few days later, the company packed their bags, meet at the train station, and took their seats. Reminding herself that she could still back out, Harley put her headphones in and tried to think of anywhere else but where she was going. Excited and nervous chatter from other members of the Company died down to sleepy yawns and snores as the cityscape gave way to country side. Truth was, she probably couldn't sleep if she wanted to.

Green hills started to ween out, houses began to congregate together, crowding closer and closer together until the train wheezed to a stop at a large station. Mr. Bruer who had been reading a large book with microscopic print next to her, sat straight up and stuck to her side the entire time as they unloaded their stuff from the train. Craning her neck to glance outside, excitement inflated her chest and she couldn't help but grin like an idiot as she stepped out of the train.

A city board member was waiting to greet them, representing the mayor who was just so busy but excited to see their performance. A crowd of reporters shuttered their cameras at them as they took pictures. Some stopped to pose, and tried to drag her into the picture but Lee managed to rip herself free. Just what she needed, to land on the front page. Must be a slow news day for a change.

She jammed inside a taxi cab with two of her 'friends' some would say, Violet and May.

"I'm just saying, if I get stabbed while walking down the street, I'm going to totally sue some one." May rattled off for the millionth time, convinced everyone around the corner was about to get mugged or commit the crime.

"Oh be quiet May, it's just like any other city." Lee sighed heavily. She kept her eyes outside, trained up at the sky and the buildings she had missed. The Gothic architecture, the moody atmosphere and well dressed bums.

"Yeah, but with grown men in capes." She mumbled as Violet pointed out various landmarks she had read in a pamphlet on the train ride.

Their hotel wasn't exactly cheap, but it wasn't a palace either. Harley, being the assistant director, had a room to herself that was a joined to another room occupied by several dancers and singers, whom were currently blaring vague pop music and shouting about the mini fridge. Lee rolled her eyes, a little jealous that she could no longer be young and loud. She pulled the curtains open to take in the rainy afternoon, complete with a view.

The last time she made this city her home, it had nearly broken her.

'I'm going to loose my head here if I'm not careful.' She thought as she looked out of the window at the familiar sky line.

Line Break

There was a deafening roar of the crowd, clapping, whistling, and hooting with joy as the stage slowly faded to black. The actors and actresses all bum rushed past her to get back up on stage to take their bow, the whole stage shook from the cheering crowd. The lights returned and revealed the masses, dressed in their finest gown or tux. Mr. Bruer made his way onto the stage, a humble but smug reddish tint to his cheeks. He paused for a second, then turned to look at her and beckoned her to step forward as they were showered in roses.

Lee shook her head and went to retreat to the recess of the stage, but there were hands behind her and she was pushed forward. Stumbling a bit, she quickly waddled to Bruer's side and took a bow with him. Okay, so, it did feel really good to hear all that cheering and it was for you. As everyone else cleared the stage, waving and grinning, Gabe really hammed it up and started snatching up several roses.

"Are you going to make it to the reception?" Bruer asked her.

"No, I was going to help clean things up around here for tomorrow morning's dress rehearsal. A few school's are coming to watch." Lee reminded him, playing with the hem of her shirt.

"Oh, yes, that's right. Well, the reception is until midnight but you know these things tend to drag on. Stop by if you can! You are better at answering all those technical questions than me." He mumbled something to himself and kissed her on the cheeks before shuffling off. Lee went to work getting the stage hands briefed, wishing she had a cup of coffee in her hands.

"Hey, Ems! We're going out, wanna come?" A few other actors and dancers approached her, all wound together.

"Nah, you go ahead. I have to finish up here." She resisted. They insisted a few more times, but it was clear to them she just wanted to change into an over-sized t-shirt and curl up with a good book. It took them all two hours to get everything down, set up for the next day, and cleaned up. When she was done, she seriously considered going to the reception, but the thought of putting on a dress and heals and doing her hair sent a shudder through her very soul.

The taxi drive to her hotel was short despite the heavy traffic around the theatre and nightlife district. A fruit basket was waiting for her in her room, she changed quickly, munching on a few slices of fruit as she did so. She let her overgrown hair down and yawned widely, turning off the TV she half listened to. Her book was still packed away, and she sat frozen on her bed, contemplating if it was worth it to get it out. She gave up, rolled into her blanket and fell asleep instantly.

Passages to dimly lit warehouses, underground tunnels to insane asylums. Amber lights, faded, fading, off. Total darkness.

"Why didn't you come for me?" A sweetly familiar voice cooed. It was like a prayer, so beautiful it made your soul ache. Thought it filled something empty.

"I couldn't. They sent me away." She pleaded, and covered her face with her hands, shielding her self from his fury. It was always absolute, destructive like the earth itself.

"You LIE!" In a flip of a switch, his rage was palpable and his hand swung.

"AGHH-!" Harley screamed, screamed and screamed. Entangled in her covers, like hands crawling out of the void to drag her back into the nightmare. She lurched awake, sitting upward and breathing heavily. A thick coat of sweat dripped down her face, as she tried to regain consciousness. The clock declared that it was close to three in the morning.

"Just a dream...just a dream." She said, like everyone does, to comfort one self from the bad dream. Probably the most naive lies ever told. She groped through the darkness to find her blankets that had been kicked away in her terror. Her slim fingers closed around a piece of paper instead. She turned on the bed side lamp in confusion and gasped.

It was a playing card, and not just any one. It was the Joker.

Line Break

She searched her entire room but no one was there, and there was no sign of a single intruder. She looked outside into the night, her pale face reflected in the window. Strangely, she felt calm about the whole situation, as if she was still caught in the drug like influence of the dream world. She closed her eyes, remembering a time when she was chasing some one or being chased across the skyline. Memories always lied.

Lee was clutching the card and held it up to the moon light, examining it. It looked old, like it had come from an old-timey deck. Hand drawn. In one motion, she ripped it in half and continued until it was just a small pile of paper shreds in her palm. She opened the window and held out her cupped hands, the wind was soft and not at all cold as it carried the pieces away. Lee watched them float in the air.

It was almost impossible to fall back asleep, but Harleen Quinzel was no stranger to the impossible.

"So, how are you coping in Gotham so far?" The Doctor's voice asked from the other end of the receiver. Lee sat in the back of the theatre with her feet up on the back of the seat in front of her, lazily watching several dancers practicing before all the kids arrived.

"Pretty good actually. I didn't go out yesterday though, I was too tired." She shifted in her seat, unsure if she should inform her doctor of her dream or the mysterious playing card. That would just raise too many alarms and she'd be whisked back home. She could picture the disappointed faces on her fellow company members, as well as their muttering rumors. "Err, but I had a strange dream." She admitted sheepishly.

"That is pretty normal. How so?" The Doctor queried. Lee quickly summarized her dream, but left out the appearance of the symbolic card. "That is understandable, being in Gotham for so long would raise some old fears of yours." The Doctor mused after a short pause. Lee thought this over, remembering some of what she learned herself as a psychology student. Their session ended a few minutes later and she browsed the web a while on her phone, reading the reviews of their performance.

"Hey, Lee, lets go get something to eat before we are stuck here all morning!" May and Violet bounded over, to eager and excited this early. Lee agreed, she was hungry and did not feel like powering through the day on a granola bar. Gabe ended up joining them when he caught them at the door.

"Where's a cafe at?" Violet squinted at a map and May nervously shuffled on her feet, practically glued next to Gabe. Lee itched to tell them, but she was supposed to have never set foot in the city until now.

"Ha! Google found one." Gabe held his smart phone up in triumph and Violet bowed her head in defeat. They made their way to the cafe Gabe found, it was crowded with hipsters who of course recognized them. They found a table in the center of the cafe, and chatted about which landmark they would like to go to if they had the time.

"I hear they do tours of Wayne Manor! We should go, I'd love to see the art collection there, they say Bruce Wayne has a bigger inventory than most museums." Violet pointed out through a mouthful of food.

"Eh, its not as great as they make it out to be." Lee blurted out without thinking as she took a sip of tea. They all turned to look at her like she had just shouted something in Greek and grew an extra arm.

"Uh, I've seen some of it online. Excuse me, I have to use the bathroom." She quickly covered her tracks and cleared her throat, darting to the back before May or Violet could offer to join. After doing her business, she set to washing her hands, using an old method of singing the ABC's while doing so. The door opened when she hit J, and a woman with short black hair stepped in.

"Oh, it's you." The woman said. Lee turned and looked at the stranger, something was familiar about her. "I was hoping to get you alone."

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" Lee asked. Was she about to get stabbed in the bathroom?

"I don't look that different. It's only been a few years." The woman huffed. Harley blinked several times, and then it slowly dawned on her who she was.

"Selina...?" Harley gasped.

"Ding, ding, ding." Selina Kyle, the infamous Catwoman, smiled widely. Harley wanted to hug her old friend, but her hands were currently wet.

"What are you doing here?" Lee gawked.

"I could ask the same thing! We all thought you were dead. That is, until I saw your play last night." Selina put her hands on her hips.

"Do you know how Ivy is doing? Does she know?" Lee perked up.

"Ivy is fine, but could not come. She recognized you instantly when I showed her a picture I took last night. She doesn't exactly hide very well in plain sight, what with the skin and all." Selina waved her hands a bit. "Anyway, we're just glad to see that you are on your own two feet and happy. But, you haven't been contacted by him...have you?" It took a moment for Lee's brain to register who Selina was referring to. But there was only one 'him' in Harley's world.

"No." Harley said, ignoring the playing card because she did not want it to be true.

"Good. I haven't run into him very much over the years, but he seems to have completely forgotten you. But if we can find you, so can he. We will try to keep him too preoccupied to find you, but our protection can only go so far." Selina explained, sympathy softened her sharp feline features.

"I don't think he will try to find me. He did not exactly treat me very stellar in the past. Do you think I can visit Ivy's sometime?" She asked, trying to move on from the heavy subject.

"Sure, I'll ask Ivy and let you know. But I am not too sure about him, if you were still Harley Quinn and nuttier than squirrel shit I do not think he would really mind. But not now, you are everything he destroyed the first time, and if it is one thing he hates, its being proven wrong." Selina pointed out.

"He can not break me again. Harleen Quinzel, Harley Quinn, is dead. Like you said, there is even a grave stone." Lee declared.

"Alright. I wont keep you waiting, don't want people to think I'm beating you up in here." Selina straightened up, not very convinced by Harely's words.

"Or molesting me." Lee broke out into a smile and laughed.

"Harley Quinn may be dead, but her sense of humor sure isn't." Her old friend shook her head, the corner's of her mouth twitched in a small smile as she left the bathroom.

edit 12/8/15

i have been going through an rewriting/editing old stories of mine to keep them nice and lemony fresh. i only have one chapter left in a a different fic to post, but just cant bring myself to writing it so i decided to start on this one early to hopefully break the writers block

changed a few things, /the doctor is now a hardass and harley's time in the hospital is gonna be more integral to the story instead of a backdrop, also changed her new name from Ems to Lee b/c its easier to recognize as Harley, also changed the premise of her new job

im pretty happy with this story, so the editing will just be changing little details and sharpening up the characters and emotions, reviews and the like are greatly appreciated