A/N: Wow guys, part 7. Who knew that six (YES SIX) years ago, this story would turn out like this? I saw the Dark Knight in theaters and was immediately inspired by the brilliant performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker and the handsome Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne. I am amazed at this story every day. Sometimes it doesn't feel real that I wrote it. I look back and can't believe it. So strange. Well, here's the beginning of part 7, and I hope it explains a lot of the cliffhangers that I left you with. Read and review, loyal readers!

Mad Love Series, Part VII: Burn it to the Ground

I know I left you.

I know I broke your heart.

I don't think you're ever going to forgive me, and I don't think I'm ever going to forgive myself.

But you broke my heart, too. You know that.

You will be better off without me.

Chapter 1: Burn it to the Ground

When you fall, I'll take my turn

And fan the flames

As your blazes burn

We can't wait to burn it to the ground.

"Burn it Down", Linkin Park

Driving up to the prison was not exactly the first thing I wanted to do when I got to New York; shopping on Fifth Avenue would probably be priority but I'm being facetious. I mean, I wasn't prepared to talk to Pam about what had happened between me and him. My sister had wanted to come with me, but I insisted that this was something I had to do alone. We had a lot to talk about and I was wary of how to go about it. I wanted to ignore it, to not talk about it at all really and by that I mean I would have rather been tit-punched 100 times than talk about it with anyone, but that didn't seem very mature. Not that I'm the most mature person who ever lived or anything.

When I got to the door, the guards checked my ID (now bearing my new name, which I still had to get used to) and I walked through the metal detector. They scanned my mint-condition Nebraska driver's license and handed me a badge that said 'visitor'.

"Who are you visiting today…Annabelle James?" the woman at the front desk asked, furrowing her brow while reading my driver's license.

"Pamela Isley." I replied.

"Friend or family?"

"Friend."

"Ok, the length of the visit will be limited to one hour and will be under direct supervision by security guards. You may not bring any food or electronic devices into the holding room. So I need your phone and any other electronics you have with you. I will give you a number so you can come back and get it at the end of the visit." The woman said, and she held out her hand for my purse.

I handed her my phone and my Kindle and she put it into the box. I didn't like this system but I didn't have much of a choice. I was lucky no had questioned my ID. I had changed my appearance a little since I had been back in the states; I dyed my hair a little darker blonde and started wearing my glasses again.

"Oh my god, you're finally here!" Pam jumped up and hugged me so tightly I couldn't breathe, "Ew, are you wearing glasses?"

"No touching!" snapped the guard who was wandering around trying to look intimidating with his stupid night stick thing.

Pam merely gave him a dirty look and we sat down at the table.

"Yes, I am wearing my glasses because I would prefer no one ask who I am. How are you?" I asked.

"Well, it's prison, you know, so I guess I could be better." She said wryly.

"Yeah, orange isn't really your color." I commented.

"Hate you a lot right now." Pam gave me a dead-pan look, "What took you so long to get here?"

"Getting money together, you know, finding a not super expensive flight…" I rattled off some very excuse-like things in order to avoid the topic of my fleeing from domestic bliss.

"What does it matter? You have money." She looked puzzled. She obviously didn't know still. Fuck. I was hoping someone else could have told her, but then again what the hell am I thinking? Who was going to tell her? The magical fairy who informs people of my stupidity? Man, that would be a full-time position.

"No…no, I don't. Not anymore." I said reluctantly.

"What?" she exclaimed, "What happened?!"

"Umm…I just don't have to access to money because I'm not exactly…" My voice caught in my throat, and I looked away, trying to avoid her piercing eyes.

She stared at me for what felt like a thousand years and finally said, "Jesus Christ, Harley."

"Yeah." I said weakly. There was nothing else I could say.

"What did you do?"

"What did I do?! What's that supposed to mean?" I shot back at her.

"Well, you obviously left him, not the other way around. What the fuck happened? Everything was fine!" she almost shrieked, but she knew she had tone it down while the guards were around, "What changed in the mere amount of hours since I talked to you last?"

"Well, when we talked, I was already in Omaha…and everything wasn't fine, Pam. You didn't know. Things changed. He changed. He's so…domestic now, so happy. It's disturbing."

"That's what we humans call 'normal', Harleen." Pam gave me the most infuriating sarcastic look.

"Don't be condescending, it's not a good look on you." Oh, sarcasm right back. My defense mechanism as usual.

"Don't get pissy with me. You're the one who fucked up here." She pointed at me emphatically.

"I don't need to hear it. I did what I did and that's all there is to it."

"You're dodging the question."

"I don't want to talk about it." I said obstinately, looking away from her, feeling the sting of tears forming at my eyes.

"Don't cry. Seriously. I'm not putting up with that." Pam snapped, "Clearly you have some kind of problem that you're not discussing with me. Are you not in love with him anymore? What about your daughter, Harley? Or did you just forget about her?!"

"No, I still care deeply about him. The fact is that I think I do love him but I don't like what he's become. He's not the same person I fell in love with, Pam. You know I feel even worse about leaving my child. Don't throw that in my face. I love my daughter. I love her more than the world but I couldn't leave him completely alone. That would have been too big of a blow for him to stand."

"Oh well, gee, at least you spared him that." She said wryly.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to say to you to make you understand." I shot back, "I made my decision and I can't go back. I can't make him be the person I fell in love with. He's going to be happier without me. He just wanted a baby so he could find an excuse to stop being a criminal."

"Are you fucking kidding me?! You're simplifying the story to make you look like the good guy."

"Duh?"

"Harley I'm going to murder you where you stand."

"You're already in jail. I think you should cool it." I raised my eyebrow.

"Are you trying to piss me off? Seriously?"

"No, I'm trying to explain my side of the story but you're not listening to me. And the point of me being here isn't to share my ongoing melodrama."

"Oh, then pray tell, what is the point?" she leaned back in the metal chair, folding her arms across her chest.

"The point is to figure out how to get you out of here." I leaned in closer, "If I can get you transferred you to Arkham, I can find a way to make sure you don't have to be there long."

"That's your plan? Put me in the fucking nuthouse?"

"Yes, oh ye of little faith, because I have a way of persuading the people that work there. I don't think you should be worried about that. We just have to get you a good lawyer and you can plead insanity." I said, "That's the best thing we can do at this point. I can't let you rot here for the rest of your life."

"Yeah, that would be nice." She said wryly, "Did you talk to my parents?"

I hesitated.

She stared at me, "You need to tell me."

"I did talk to them. They are willing to come out here and help."

Pam's face lit up, "Really? I can't believe it, I – "

I interjected, "There's a caveat."

Her face fell, "Somehow I knew it was too good to be true."

"Yes, they said they will come out here, provide all the money and legal help possible, if you just sit down with them and tell them the truth about why you are in prison. I didn't want to share that information with them. I just told them that it was very complicated and you would have to explain when they get here."

Pam was quiet for a moment, "I'd have to tell them everything? Even the whole lesbian business?"

"Yes I would imagine that goes along with the territory." I replied.

She looked at me right in the eyes, "I'm scared to do that."

"Well, you're going to have to. They need to know everything before they hire a lawyer."

"Can you stay in New York until they get here and help them find a lawyer? I need someone that you can trust." Pam grabbed my hands, "Harley, even though I'm beyond pissed at you right now, I need you. You're my best friend."

"So are you." I squeezed her hand, "It's going to be ok. I didn't buy a return ticket yet because I didn't know what was going to happen. I'll just call my sister and tell her I'll come back when I can."

"Ok," she looked relieved.

The guard announced, "Visitors, 5 more minutes until visiting time is over!"

Pam turned to me, panicked, tears fresh in her eyes, "Come back tomorrow."

"I will." I promised. We both stood up.

"I wish I could give you a hug but I don't want to get yelled at." I bit my lip.

"I know." She wiped at her eyes, "We're going to get through this. I'm just terrified. I never thought that this would happen to me."

"Believe me, neither did I."

She walked me to the door, we said our goodbyes, and I gave her one last attempting-to-be-reassuring look, and left. After a couple of minutes, I was lost in the labyrinth of a prison. I finally came upon an open office door, and peered my head inside to ask for help. I froze. Barbara Gordon was sitting at the desk, filing some papers. She glanced up, and jolted.

"Jesus Christ." She breathed.

"Fuck me." I muttered.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you a fugitive from the law? I could arrest you right now." She hissed.

"Good luck with that, considering I am no longer legally Harleen Quinzel." I leaned against the doorframe, "I would tell you to call the FBI but I think that would prove futile."

"How? How did you manage to get into witness protection? After all you've done?" she snapped, "You've killed people."

"I'll just say it pays to know someone connected closely to the government." By that I meant a little someone we know and love called Bruce Wayne.

She narrowed her eyes, "You have a lot of nerve coming here."

"No, you have a lot of nerve talking to me like this, you cunt-bag." I retorted, "You fucked over my only friend and now you have me to deal with. Me and two very rich people who can fix this little problem."

"There is no way in hell that you are going to get Pam out of this. I know everything she's ever done." Barbara sneered.

"Barb, the only way I know is the way to hell." DAMN I WAS PROUD OF THAT ONE.

She glared at me, "I think you should just leave."

I stepped inside closer, closer until I was almost breathing on her, "I will leave. I just want you to know that you are dead. You will pay for what you did to Pam. That's a promise, and I will make good on it. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

And with that, I turned around and strode out of the office before she could say another word. As I walked down the halls, I wanted so badly to give myself a high-five for being so bad-ass, but that would have been super lame. I won't say whether or not I did it but it would have been super lame either way.

I finally found my way out of the prison, retrieved my phone from the front desk and walked back out into the light of day. I looked down at my phone; a couple texts from my sister and one missed call from Bruce Wayne. I answered my sister's texts first – she just wanted to know how the meeting with Pam had gone – and I didn't know what to do about calling Bruce back. It was hard to explain, what happened between me and Bruce. I didn't tell Pam the real reason why I had left the Joker, and I didn't plan on telling her anytime soon.

I got into my car, and drove back toward the city. I drove on until I reached Wayne Manor and parked in the garage; I had borrowed his 'shittiest' car, meaning his Mercedes-Benz that was 5 years old, because I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself. I walked inside the house and Alfred was in the kitchen, making lunch.

"Hello, Miss Quinzel, would you like anything to eat?" he asked.

"Yes, please, whatever you're making is fine, I'm sure." I said.

"A chopped salad and some spicy chicken sandwiches." He elaborated.

"That sounds great. You're the best, Alfred."

"I've missed you being around, Miss Quinzel. That Selina Kyle was not my favorite person." He remarked.

I smiled, "What do you mean?"

"It isn't that she wasn't kind to me or anything, but I did not like the way she treated Mr. Wayne, abandoning him like that, left to take care of his son." He shook his head, "Such a shame."

I felt like someone had just punched me hard in the gut.

He looked up, "Oh I am so sorry, I did not mean it like that, Miss Quinzel. I'm sure you had your reasons for –"

"Alfred, don't worry about it. I am punishing myself every day for it." I sighed, and walked out of the kitchen to find Bruce.

"He's in the study!" Alfred called after me.

"Thank you!" I called in return.

I found Bruce sitting in his armchair, reading the New York Times. He hadn't changed much. He smiled as I came in, "Hi."

"Hi." I flopped down unceremoniously onto the couch.

"What happened?" he asked, sitting down at the edge of the couch by my feet.

"I talked to Pam, and ran into Barbara."

"Yikes."

"So eloquent, thank you." I said sarcastically, "That encounter was venomous at best. I can't believe you fight crime with her."

"She's loyal. And Dick seems to like her. I can't really avoid her." He shrugged.

"UGH."

"Elaborate."

"She's just such a huge bitch. She ruined Pam's life and you knew about it."

"I didn't know about the whole relationship thing that she did. I was in Italy when that was going on. Dick was the mastermind behind that scheme. I only watched it happen. We weren't exactly on good terms at the time so I wasn't really thinking about the consequences. I also didn't think that you were going to leave Italy, like…ever…so, you can't really blame me."

"I understanding your justification but I don't like it." I sat up, "I talked to Pam, and we're going to find her a lawyer. I have to call her parents and tell them to book their tickets to New York and it's going to be a long haul. I'm going to have to stay in New York until it's over. Are you sure you're alright with me staying here? I feel like I'm freeloading."

"You're not freeloading. I owe you big time. Plus you can help take of Edward."

"I think you're being too nice to me."

"Harley, you don't need to feel bad. You needed to leave the Joker. You had to. You shouldn't have been with him in the first time, but that's not the point. There are some things we can't take back. He's not going to come after you this time. He has Olivia to worry about."

As he was talking, I burst into tears. He rushed forward, and embraced me, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"No, it's not your fault. I just miss my daughter so much. I want her back, Bruce. I can't stand being without her, but I had to leave her. I had to let him have her. He wanted that child so badly and I gave it to him. I couldn't take her away from him. I couldn't just leave him like that. He would have killed me. I did what I had to but it's breaking my heart every single day to think she'll never have me in her life."

"You don't know that." He said, "Maybe you guys will work something out."

"Oh yeah that seems totally plausible." I snapped, releasing him, "I've lost his trust forever. You can't tell me that you'll ever trust Selina again. I don't even know why you're letting me stay here. I did the same thing she did."

"Yeah, but Selina and I weren't happy. You know that. I knew she wasn't happy. She's too independent to be saddled with a boyfriend and a child. She also doesn't have qualms about anything; she just does what she wants and fuck everyone else. You do care. You have a heart. You're different than her. I'm not saying that what you did was right by any means, but in the circumstance you were in, you had to. I appreciate beyond anything that you came back here and told me the truth."

"Bruce, when he told me he was going to blow up Wayne Enterprises, that's when I had to leave. I had to tell you. I couldn't let you die and if that makes me sentimental, then that's on me. I couldn't let all this innocent people die because he has a grudge." I cringed at the memory of when he told me a few weeks ago, when I was sitting at the kitchen table. He had told me over dinner, over spaghetti with our daughter in her high chair, like it was nothing. Like planting a bomb in Wayne Enterprises with the intention of killing everyone inside was no big deal. I knew then that I couldn't stay there anymore.

Even though I loved him when he was a monster, I couldn't let him kill Bruce. I didn't know what that meant, but my instinct told me it was the right thing to do. I called Bruce the next day when I got into JFK airport and he picked me up right then and there. I told him everything and he closed the offices the next day. He moved everyone to different locations and alerted the building managers, who said they were going to keep surveillance constantly at the building. We kept it hush-hush so that the Joker would think that he was blowing up Wayne Enterprises but he was going to find out after it was all over that no one was inside. I didn't know when he was planning to do it, but I had to stop it. I had to sacrifice our happiness, my motherhood, for this.

"I just really hope it was all worth it." I said.

"Harley, it will be."

"You don't know that."

"What I do know is that you saved my life. You saved my employees' lives. Even though there's a lot of bullshit that has happened between us, I have to admit that you've saved me, and I am indebted to you. I will do anything to help you. You stay here as long as you like, do what you need to do. You're free."

Free. Now that's not a word I was used to hearing.