Sins of the Father

"You sure you wanna do it like this, Harley?" asked Rocco gently. "We can getcha to a hospital…"

"I don't want no hospitals," snapped Harley. "I'm done with hospitals. And what would they do with him there? Rip him outta me and then send him to some goddamn orphanage while they throw me back in the madhouse? No, I ain't gonna let it happen, Roc. Not to his son."

Rocco looked around at the blackened remains of the Joker shrine room. The explosion Harley had set up to destroy the Bat had taken out a lot of the Steel Mill, but this place had miraculously stayed standing. It was a little blackened, but the Joker statue was still there, smiling down at them. "But this…I mean…it's a little extreme, Harley…"

"You mean it'll hurt?" she snapped. "I'm used to pain. Mr. J taught me well."

"I mean you could die," he murmured. "And nobody wants to see that happen. First J, and now…"

"Don't you worry, Roc, I'll live," she interrupted. "I gotta live for his son. I gotta raise him to grow up just like his Daddy, to have revenge for his Daddy…"

She hissed in pain suddenly, clutching her bulging stomach. "You gotta do it now, Roc," she gasped. "Baby's coming!"

Rocco nodded as Harley lay down, spreading her legs. He grabbed some ropes and tied her hands and legs to four stakes that had been set up in the center of the room. Then he stepped back.

"Remember, no matter how I scream, don't come back in until you hear a baby crying," gasped Harley, shutting her eyes in pain.

Rocco nodded and headed for the door. "You're a helluva woman, Harley," he murmured, shutting the door.

"Gotta be, don't I?" she laughed. "For Mr. J," she breathed, fixing her eyes on the Joker statue which gazed down at her, smiling his painted smile. "For you, puddin'."

She screamed suddenly as her contractions began. She stretched and strained against the ropes, but they held firm, digging into her wrists and ankles. She screeched in pain, arching her back. It was unimaginable, unlike anything she had ever experienced before, like fire ripping through her body, severing through every nerve as the baby forced its way out. Her arms and legs were rubbed raw and bled heavily as she writhed in agony against the ropes. There was blood everywhere, her voice was hoarse from screaming, she felt like she was dying. And then she forced her watering eyes open to look at the statue of the Joker, which still smiled at her, and she fought on. "For…you, Mr. J!" she gasped. "For…you!"

She gave a last scream of agony, and then she heard the sound of a baby crying. It was out. The pain didn't stop, but it was lessened somewhat, and she was grateful for small blessings. She forced her eyes open again to see Rocco opening the door, coming over to her, and picking up a small bundle from the pool of blood.

"Lemme see him," she gasped.

He pulled out his knife and cut the umbilical cord, and then the ropes holding her arms. She managed to sit up with his help, and he placed the small, bloody thing into her arms. She beamed at it.

"He's perfect," she whispered, tears in her eyes. "My little Joker Junior."

The child kept crying, but Harley shushed him, wrapping him in a towel which Rocco handed to her. "C'mon, little J.J., don't cry," she whispered. "Your Daddy wouldn't want that. He'd want you to smile, y'see? Like Mommy's doing. Smile and laugh."

She gazed up at the statue with tears of joy running down her face. She held the baby up to it. "Look at our son, Mr. J," she whispered.

The statue continued to smile down at her and she smiled back, holding her son tenderly against her breast. "He's got your eyes, puddin'," she whispered. "Your eyes and your nose and your chin…oh, he's gonna look just like you," she whispered, stroking the baby's head. "Just as handsome as his Daddy."

She sobbed, clutching the baby tightly to her. "Thank you, Mr. J," she whispered. "Thank you for giving him to me. I didn't think I could bear to live any longer with you gone, and then…then this miracle happened. Our son will carry on his father's work. The world will never forget the Joker. Even though you're…dead, you're gonna live on."

She kissed the baby's forehead tenderly. "Oh, J.J.," she breathed. "You're gonna do such great things. Such great, terrible, funny things!"

And she threw back her head and laughed.