Jealousy

Chapter 1

"Yeah...I guess," said Harley, shrugging. "But y'know, you can't live your life doing what other people want you to do, Johnny. And I couldn't be happy again, really happy again, as a normal person, without Mr. J...y'know."

"Yeah, I know," he agreed. "And of course I'm glad to see you happy, Harley, whatever the circumstances. It's just a shame you can't be both."

Harley shrugged again. "You can't have everything in this life, Johnny. You gotta be happy with what you got. And I am happy with Mr. J."

"That's good," agreed Dr. Bryan. "He seems to...love you. In his own way, I suppose."

"Yeah, he's a special guy," agreed Harley. "I'm a real lucky gal to have him, Johnny. I mean, you can't imagine what it feels like to know that the Joker, the Joker, the one and only, the Clown Prince of Crime, wants you as his girlfriend. You. Plain little old you, just the way you are. You never thought of yourself as that special before and suddenly he comes along and sees you as just the most perfect gal in the world, his one and only dame, his soulmate. I mean, God, I'd have to be crazy not to be happy about that."

"Well, when you put it like that, I'd have to agree with you," said Dr. Bryan, nodding.

They drank again. "Got anymore cases you need me to solve, Johnny?" asked Harley, grinning. "I'm clearly on fire tonight."

Dr. Bryan laughed. "Well, if you insist, I'll see what I can find," he said, heading over to the file cabinet. "A lot of these are before my time," he said, leafing through the dividers. "Hey, here's an interesting one – Bruce Wayne. I didn't know he came for a consultation here."

"Neither did I," said Harley, coming over to look at the file curiously.

"Abandonment issues, feelings of helplessness and powerlessness after parents' murder, understandable," murmured Dr. Bryan, scanning the file.

"Gee, there's a lot more to the playboy billionaire than meets the eye," said Harley, surprised.

"Unresolved anger issues towards crime and the criminal element," continued Dr. Bryan. "Again, pretty understandable. Wonder how he ended up dealing with those."

"I dunno," said Harley. Then she laughed. "Hey, maybe he decided to become a caped vigilante! Maybe he's Batman!"

Dr. Bryan laughed too, and accidentally let some of the papers from the file slip to the floor.

"I'll get them," said Harley, bending down at the same moment Dr. Bryan did. They reached the papers at the same time and looked up, smiling at each other. And then, out of nowhere, Dr. Bryan kissed her.

It was a sweet kiss, a tender kiss, a kiss that didn't expect or want anything more than itself, and before Harley fully realized what she was doing, she found herself returning it. It wasn't a choice she had made – it was instinctive. She hadn't fully realized what was really going on, until Dr. Bryan suddenly drew away, stammering, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Harley! I didn't mean for that to happen...I...oh God, I'm so sorry!"

Harley stared back at him in astonishment, still not fully processing what had just happened. She had kissed another guy. A guy who wasn't Mr. J. It felt like she had cheated on him, and she suddenly felt a tide of guilt and horror and self-loathing wash through her. She had never wanted another guy but Mr. J. She had never even thought about another guy but Mr. J, and now she had kissed one. It was terrible. She should be ashamed of herself. And she was, terribly ashamed of herself.

But he clearly hadn't wanted it to happen either. The panic and regret in his eyes was obvious. But they couldn't pretend it hadn't happened now that it had. Although she wished to God that it hadn't.