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

Chapter 1

"I'm tired of your antics, Joker! What is all this about? How-"

I watched the vigilante fall to the ground unconscious, his words had begun to slur and sound almost incoherent.

"Geez Puddin', whadidya do to him?"

The Joker stood and kicked Batman hard in the stomach, "It's a new gas I concocted, Harls. Now let's go."

"Wait, what? That's it?"

"Yes, Harley. That's it, time to leave."

I got to my feet as I watched the Joker hit the detonator in his hand. I remembered reading some of his plans, the bomb would go off in fifteen minutes. I ran to follow him only to feel something wrap around my feet, bringing them together and sending me crashing to the floor. I hit the hard floor with a grunt and slowly looked up and over my shoulder. Batgirl and Nightwing stood in between us and Bats. I had expected the Joker to turn back and help me but when I looked back he was making a run for the door.

"Not so fast Joker," Nightwing yelled, throwing a batarang that slammed into the side of the Joker's head propelling him down onto his side.

"Mistah J!"

I tried to get up but the rope around my ankles and a booted foot to my back kept me from doing so.

"Stay down, Quinn," Batgirl said from above me.

I could only watch as Nightwing and my Puddin' duked it out. I had to think fast, there was probably only ten or so more minutes before that bomb would blow. I didn't want to be inside when it went off. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Batman slowly getting to his feet, holding his head, with a groan.

"Batgirl? What happened?"

I looked up at Batman with a raised eyebrow, he didn't remember? I took opportunity of the split second distraction and pushed up hard, throwing Batgirl off the top of me, but the Dark Knight landed a good kick to my head, dazing me. Mr. J was pinned to the wall across the room by Nightwing and I was lying helpless under Batman's boot.

"Don't do anything stupid, Harley," Batman said harshly, leaving Batgirl to watch over me while he helped Nightwing interrogate Joker.

I lied there, accepting my fate. We were all going to die, that bomb was gonna go off soon. I just let my cheek lie against the floor and I kept my gaze over at the Joker and the two vigilantes. I was gonna die, and I wanted him to be the last thing I saw. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. What would it feel like to die? Would it hurt? But then I thought about Red, how would she feel when she found out I died, blown up, a victim of the Joker's insanity?

Out of nowhere, with no explanation, I heard Batgirl let out a grunt. When I opened my eyes she was clear across the room lying in a heap on the floor. I sat up and just looked confused.

"What the hell?"

"Come on Harls, we're getting out of here," a familiar voice called.

I smiled and got to my feet as best I could and raced to the window where green vines had piled through. Standing on a huge leaf was none other than the red headed beauty I had been thinking of.

"Red!"

Poison Ivy stepped off the leaf and onto the grossly carpeted floor, and wrapped me in a hug. It felt good to have someone's caring arms around me; it was only fair to hug her back. At this point Batgirl was back on her feet, her gaze shooting daggers at us. I could see her mind working, how was she going to take on Poison Ivy and me? Red bent down and cut the rope from my feet and seconds later Batgirl rushed us. With a yelp, I realized that I had forgotten about the bomb yet again.

"Wait," I yelled at the girl vigilante.

Batgirl stopped, clearly confused as to why I had yelled at her to stop. Batman and Nightwing looked over at us, my yell had apparently caught their attention as well. I grabbed Red's arm and held onto her.

"If you wanna live we gotta get outta here, right now. Puddin' set up a bomb, and it's only got a few minutes until it explodes," I said, shrinking slightly under Batman's harsh gaze.

Ivy grabbed me, her arm around my waist, pulling me close as if to protect me. Joker coughed and then began laughing in his usual crazed manner.

"If my watch is correct then, that bomb only has seconds before it goes off," Joker choked out.

Red didn't hesitate in pulling me on top of the plant she had rode up to this floor. Batgirl and Nightwing ran for the window and leaped out, using their grapnels to swing to safety atop another building. Batman was trying to drag Joker to the window but the clown kicked the vigilante in the back of the knee, causing him to stumble.

"Fine! Stay here! Die, I really don't care anymore!" Batman yelled, making a run for the window.

"Harley! Don't leave me here to-"

Mistah J's words were cut short by the explosion. Ivy's plant had started to move away from the building but not fast enough. When it had exploded, I was thrown away from the safety atop the leaf. And because the redhead had refused to let go of the hold she had on my waist, she went flying through the air with me. Batman had barely jumped from the window in time, swinging to safety, but not until after he had been thrown by the force of the blast. I hit the ground hard, Ivy on top of me. I struggled to catch my breath, and my skin felt like it was on fire.

  Red helped me sit up, and it was then that I saw all the little shards of glass sticking out of me. That explained the burning feeling all over. My blue eyes raked over the building, looking for any sign that the Joker had made it out alive. As the seconds ticked by the chances of him making it out grew slimmer. I felt tears building in my eyes and I shot to my feet, if I got there before another explosion went off maybe I could save him.

"Puddin!"

"Harley, no!" Ivy exclaimed, pulling me back against her.

I struggled at first, but then I just let my body go limp into the redhead's hold and just started crying hysterically. Ivy pulled me close into her, not saying anything, just holding me. Which was sometimes all a person ever needed. After the explosion things just seemed to die down, the criminals all stood in awe at the explosion. Word spread quickly that the Joker had been inside when it went off. Poison Ivy and I fled, before Batman could round us up. The GCPD SWAT team had been late getting there but once they got there escaped prisoners were being rounded up. Ivy and I didn't want to go back to Arkham, so we took off before anyone would notice.

I felt numb, Mistah J was gone, what was I supposed to do without him? That night while curled up next to Ivy in her bed, I just stared at the wall. My thoughts were racing, reliving the night over and over again. But they came to a screeching halt when I realized something. I could go back to normal now, I could go back to being Dr. Harleen Quinzel. A normal life... I stood up, and glanced down at Pam as she slept soundly. I smiled but felt tears rise again, I would miss her, more than I would miss the Joker.

I bent down and kissed her on the cheek before leaving. I went to Commissioner Gordon, explaining that I just wanted a normal life again. It was agreed upon, with Batman in the room, that I would go back to Arkham until I was deemed sane. Then I could return to my life as Harleen Quinzel, a psychiatrist that lived a 'normal life.' I would put my past where it belonged, behind me. The crime life was mine no more, the Joker, Selina, Red... all of them. I'd leave them behind and never look back.