* J *

Part Twenty-One: Chapter 147: Try Try Again

It was a long drive to wherever J was hiding out. I wasn't the least bit surprised when I saw the massive mansion. Johnny led me into the house and into a second story room where the Joker stood, drink in hand, staring out the window. I could sense the tension in the air around him. I make my way over to him at the window and look out to see what he was staring at. All I could see was a big leafless tree in the backyard with a swing set next to it. Obviously the previous owners had had children.

"Mind stating what you need from me?" I ask with a sigh and fold my arms over my chest.

He glanced to me a split second before turning his attention back out of the window. "This thing in my head is growing and it's making it difficult to think straight. I was hoping you could use some plant shit to either shrink it or to elevate some of its symptoms."

"J, that might take a while," I see fit to tell him. It could possibly take longer than he has.

He nods, "I know. But will you at least try?" I could see him swallow hard.

He looked awful, like he'd been up for a week. His normally immaculate clothes hung loosely and wrinkled around his frame. He's lost weight. His stark white skin seemed to carry a gray hue. It wasn't hard to see that he hadn't been taking care of himself. "J...you look like shit." He just smirks and holds his drink up in a silent toast, he then gulps it all down. "The drugs and alcohol aren't helping your situation any," I say.

"There the only thing that kill the headaches," he says looking down at the empty glass in his hand.

"I'll see what I can do about that, but you have to taper off. They're nothing but poison to your body. The key to beating this thing is taking care of yourself," I say.

He rolls his eyes with a sigh, "There is no beating this thing Ivy."

"You don't know that J. If you've lost hope you might as well throw in the towel and stop trying. But I know that's not what you really want to do, otherwise you wouldn't have sent for me," I say and rest my hand on his arm.

He just looks at me. "You sound like Harley."

I move my hand away from his arm, "And where is your little girlfriend?"

"In bed. She's recovering from the most recent miscarriage. Had to take her to a hospital this time for a D&C," he says as his eyes go back out the window. "She keeps telling me not to give up," he sighs, "But sixteen months and three miscarriages later..." He just looks down shaking his head. "I don't see the point in continuing to put us both through this. Yes, I truly want a child to carry on my name, but at what cost? Maybe it's just impossible. I suppose I have that vat of chemicals to blame but..."

We're interrupted by a soft meek voice, "Puddin..."

His eyes instantly go to the door where his girlfriend stood in a pink robe and fuzzy slippers. "Harley my darling, come meet Poison Ivy," he says in a tone that I could tell was all for her benefit.

Harley smiles and comes into the room. She extends her hand politely, "Harley Quinn, nice ta meetcha."

I quickly slides his hand over Harley's, "I'm afraid there can be no proper introduction until you've been inoculated," he tells her and gently pulls her into his arms.

"Inoculated?" She raises an eyebrow.

"It's true," I nod, "My skin secretes a chemical that kills. They don't call me Poison Ivy for nothing."

Harley's eyes take me in as she nuzzled in closer to J. I could see the look in J's eyes. He genuinely cared for her, I could tell. He never held me or looked at me that way. I wanted to feel jealous or perhaps envious of them, but all I could feel was sorry for them. J was dying. He wanted to leave behind a child, but it wasn't working out. I could imagine it must have been very difficult for them. Difficult on them.

"So ya used to date, right?" Harley asks him.

I could see that her question surprised him, because his forehead instantly raised. But to my surprise, he didn't try to lie to her. "Um...yeah, you could say that. Truth of the matter is, it was mutually beneficial," he says and glances at me, "Ivy has interesting talents, I'm sure you'll get the chance to see them," he gives her an uncomfortable smile.

Harley looks at me with a smile, "We ain't gonna have no problems ova Mistah J, are we?"

My lips part but I was taken by shock and didn't really know what to say to her. "No. No problem."

"Good," she smiles and nuzzles into him even more. She was possessive of J, that was for sure, but it was clearly because she was in love with him. I couldn't exactly blame her, I knew what it was like to love him.

I cups her chin and raises it so her eyes met his. "I'm glad you feel up to getting out of bed today. It'll do you good. Why don't you be a dear and show Ivy around. Let her pick out a room," J twirls his wrist with a smile.

"Sure thing puddin," Harley raises up on her tiptoes and gives him a kiss. She moves out of his arms and moves toward the door. "Well, cummon," she looks over her shoulder at me.

J pours himself another glass of scotch and motions with his head for me to leave and follow Harley. So I follow her out into the hallway. Her pace was slow. Her hands were shoved into the oversized pockets of her robe. Her eyes were trained on the floor. What little I knew about her was how boundful and full of energy she was. It wasn't very hard to see that this person was depressed. But her degree in psychiatry has taught her how to try to hide it.

"J told me about the miscarriages," I carefully say, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok. It'll work the next time," she carelessly shrugs.

"But what if it doesn't?" I ask.

"Ya don't understand, it has ta," she says with a sigh, "Mistah J needs an heir. Besides, ain't that why yer here? Ta help us make a baby?"

"No. J wants me to see if I can do something to help with his tumor," I tell her.

"Oh," she says, "I thought Mistah J wuz gonna ask ya ya be out surrogate or sumthin."

I look down, "No. That wouldn't be possible. I'm unable to have children too."

"Sounds like we've got lots in common," she gives me a smile, "Mistah J's always said we'd get along. I'm glad we're finally meetin."

I smile back and take in the beautiful contours of her pale face. "Yeah. Me too."