Deadshot had seen the G.C.P.D. approaching the warehouse. By then it was too late to go back and warn the others. By the time he'd climbed onto the roof of the building Batman was already inside.

Positioning himself above a broken window pane, Deadshot watched through his eyepiece as the G.C.P.D. flooded inside the building. He watched as Joker dropped indignantly to his knees. He watched as Waller reached for Joker's gun and put a bullet in Frost.

I could stop this. I could stop her, right now.

There's too many cops dammit – And him… Nah, I ain't gettin' out alive.

He watched Waller as she turned the gun on Joker and pulled the trigger.

Harley screamed.

Joker hit the floor.

It took three officers to pull Harley away from Joker and restrain her. Waller had a smug look on her face as one of the officers took the gun from her and began leading her out of the building. Batman knelt beside Joker.

"He's still breathing." Batman spoke.

"Let him die." Waller insisted, pushing the officer aside.

"No. No one else dies. He deserves to be locked up at Arkham. So does Harley."

"Harley Quinn belongs at Belle Reve. She's mine; as is Captain Boomerang, and Deadshot – wherever he is."

"Harley doesn't leave Gotham. That's final." Batman stood and turned to one of the officers, ignoring Waller's scowl. "Jim, he needs medical attention." Commissioner Gordon sighed and spoke quietly to another officer, signalling the ambulance crews that it was safe to enter the building. Waller was led out of by a member of the ambulance crew, with Boomerang escorted behind her by two heavily armed police officers. Joker was hauled, unconscious and bleeding profusely onto a stretcher and carried out by ambulance crew.

Harley attempted to throw herself after him, falling to her knees as she was restrained. She turned to one of the officers, "They're gonna fix him. He's gonna be okay, isn't he?" She smiled desperately through the tears.

She was ignored.

Batman turned to the commissioner, "I need to find Deadshot. You can take it from here." He insisted.

"I understand." Gordon nodded, and Batman was gone in an instant.

The ambulances were the first to leave; Waller in one, Boomerang in another and Joker – guarded by three heavily armed and armoured officers – in a third. Deadshot watched from the roof as they sped from the scene.

He could have left. He could have fled, there and then; kept himself safe and out of The Batman's way. It's what his daughter would want; for him to be safe with her.

C'mon Floyd. Why're you here, man. Just go.

He watched as Gordon climbed into a car and followed after the ambulances – presumably sticking close to Joker. The other police cars gradually fed away from the warehouse. He watched as Harley was led through the door of the warehouse and toward a car, head held high and denying the tears from falling any longer as she was forced into the back of the last car.

And Deadshot couldn't do it.

He couldn't leave her. Not Harley. Jonny was dead, Joker was as good as dead and Captain Boomerang wasn't faring much better himself.

Harley's only hope right now was him and he knew it.

A'ight, let's do this.

His breathing was deep; lips parted, a soft gasp escaped them as he fought open heavy-lidded eyes. Pain exploded through his stomach as he regained consciousness. He squinted – vision blurred from the pain – and let out an agonizing growl as he attempted to move, clenching his fists and closing his eyes again.

"Puddin'?" He heard her voice drift through the air. "Hey. Hey Doc, Mistah J is in pain! Do somethin' about it!" There was a shuffling, then a sudden sharp sting as he felt a needle enter his arm. He opened his eyes again and attempted to focus on the figure beside him.

"Harls…?" His voice was dry and slow; practically a whisper.

"Oh, Puddin'! You're alive! I knew you'd be okay." Harley dropped to her knees beside Joker and took his hand. He unclenched his fist and allowed her fingers to slip between his as she laid her head on his arm.

"Ha, ha… Haa…" He dragged out a slow laugh, grin returning to his face. "Baby, ya know it'd take more than that to kill me…"

As his vision returned and the pain began to numb he glanced downward. His burgundy shirt was unbuttoned – and stained almost black from his own blood – revealing vast white bandaging around his midriff. He shuffled uncomfortably and glanced around the room, catching sight of a terribly nervous-looking, middle-aged man in a white coat lingering by the end of the bed, and then Deadshot, hunched in a chair on the other side of the room. His head rolled back and he shut his eyes once again.

"Where are we?" He questioned, his voice more demanding now.

"Safe…" Harley responded without hesitation. "Uh, Mistah J, d'ya remember what happened to ya?" Joker opened his eyes again to find Harley gazing up at him; her chin now perched on his shoulder and hand resting on his chest. Her eyes were bloodshot, make-up smeared across her cheeks to the point it had almost faded away entirely.

"Waller." He growled angrily through gritted teeth. "Jonny?" He glanced at Harley.

"He's dead." She responded. Joker let out an irritated sigh; Jonny Frost had been his most trusted and valuable henchman. Joker turned his gaze to the white-coated man and raised an eyebrow. The man shifted awkwardly, unsure of where to look. Harley turned her head and looked at him. "Oh, he's a doctor." She grinned, "We needed a doctor."

"Do we need him now?" Joker glared at him.

"Look, please…" The man stammered. "Please don't kill me." His begging verged on pathetic.

"He did save your life, Puddin'." Harley noted. Joker turned his gaze from the doctor without responding and looked at Deadshot, who had thus far not spoken.

"And I guess ya here 'cause Harley's here…" Deadshot lifted his head and locked eyes with Joker.

"I dragged your sorry, dyin' ass here, Joker." Deadshot spat. Joker scowled at him. "Be grateful."

"Ya better watch ya mouth." Joker threatened.

"You ain't in no position to make threats." Deadshot stood and approached the bed. Joker glared furiously and breathed deeply. "An' yeah," Deadshot continued, "I did it for Harley's sake."

Deadshot climbed down from the roof and landed silently behind the last remaining police car. Two carefully aimed, silenced bullets and both officers were on the ground in an instant. Deadshot removed handcuff keys from one of the officers and pulled open the car door. Harley's eyes glazed over.

"Deadshot?" She spoke calmly, her mind elsewhere as she stared at him.

"C'mon, doll face." He smiled at her. "It's just me an' you, now." He knelt in the doorway beside her, unlocking the handcuffs and dropping them to the floor. She continued to gaze absentmindedly at him.

"Why does this keep happenin'? Why does she keep tryin' ta take my Puddin' from me?" Deadshot looked at her sympathetically and sighed. She looked so lost in that moment; so helpless and fragile but still, that glint of crazy shining in her eyes. He knew he had to help her, but he hated himself for it; Joker was nothing but bad for her.

"Harley…" He pulled off his mask and placed a hand on her cheek. His touch brought her suddenly back to reality and her baby blues locked with his dark brown eyes. "We'll get him back." He promised and she flashed a grateful smile at him.

She sure was a whole lotta pretty and a whole lotta crazy all in one.

They took the police car to the hospital. Lights and sirens blaring they sped through the streets at an accelerated rate; although, Harley mused, Deadshot had nothing on her Mister J's erratic driving. She glanced at him periodically and he could feel her eyes on him. She'd smile before looking back at the road and her thoughts returned to Joker. Deadshot wished Harley wouldn't look at him like that.

As they screeched to a halt outside of the E.R department at the hospital Harley caught sight of Joker; the ambulance had arrived not long before they had. Harley's stomach tied in knots as she watched them dragging his unconscious body from the ambulance. Deadshot left the car running as he pulled on his mask, dropped a gun in Harley's lap and threw open the driver's door. Harley followed suit and climbed out of the passenger side, gun in hand.

"Everybody stop." Deadshot demanded, recognising Commissioner Gordon beside the ambulance. The bustle of urgency that hung in the air outside of the E.R came to a sudden and terrified stop as the doctors and patients noticed Deadshot and Harley. By the time the heavily armoured officers had emerged from Joker's ambulance and aimed their own weapons at the pair, they had already taken hostages.

"Anyone who comes between me an' Mistah J gets a bullet in the brain." Harley teased, pressing her weapon against the temple of the poor whimpering woman she'd taken as a hostage.

"She ain't kiddin'." Deadshot reaffirmed, his own gun aimed at the head of an innocent doctor. "You," He motioned at the two ambulance crew carrying the stretcher. "He comes in the car with us." He nodded toward their hijacked police car.

"He…" A nearby doctor had the courage to speak up. "He won't survive. He'll die." The man stammered. Deadshot and Harley exchanged glances as the officers kept the guns trained on them.

"He deserves to die…" Commissioner Gordon – who had found himself caught in the centre of the disruption – muttered and glanced up at Harley. Harley glared angrily and pointed her gun directly at the commissioner.

"Okay. You." Deadshot motioned at the doctor who was brave enough to speak. "You know how to fix him?" The doctor nodded tentatively. "Right. You comin' with us. Get in." He nodded back at the police car. No one moved. "Do I need to repeat myself to you people?" Deadshot was growing impatient. The ambulance crew carried Joker to the car without further hesitation.

"Careful." Harley insisted as they positioned Joker in the car.

"I… I'll need some things. He's… lost so much blood…" The doctor stammered. Deadshot took a deep breath and looked at Harley.

"Take him. Get him what he needs." Deadshot directed Harley, who smiled and turned her gun to the doctor. She pushed her current hostage toward Deadshot.

Gordon and the other officers exchanged glances. They knew Deadshot would kill them, and the hostages, in an instant if they attempted to stop him. Harley skipped inside, holding a gun to the back of the doctor's head.

The poor doctor was terrified.

"Look, I… I don't even know what blood type -" He began.

"O-Negative. You think I wouldn't know that? Please…" Harley grinned wide-eyed at the doctor as she disappeared inside the hospital, leaving Deadshot outside with his hostages and Gordon staring him down. It was only a matter of time now before backup arrived.

Hurry Harley.

Within minutes Harley had reappeared alongside the doctor, with a case full of supplies.

"If we could just… If you let me treat him here… He'll have a better chance -"The doctor continued trying to negotiate his way out of the hostage situation.

"Just get in the car." Harley insisted. The doctor climbed into the backseat of the police car beside Joker's lifeless body. Harley dropped into the front passenger seat and turned around, aiming her gun back at the man's head. Deadshot pushed his hostages toward Gordon and threw himself back into the driver's seat. As he pulled away, Deadshot hung out of the window of the car.

"Don't even think about following. I so much as hear a siren… The Doc here, eats bullets." Harley grinned as Deadshot cautioned Gordon threateningly and they sped away from the hospital.

They'd been driving only a minute or so when the doctor dared to speak again. "Look, lady, if I don't do something soon, he will die." Harley scowled at the man and then glanced at Deadshot.

"How far?" Harley questioned him, an underlying panic rising in her voice as her eyes travelled back to Joker.

"I know a place." Deadshot replied. "Five minutes." He insisted. Harley swallowed hard.

Five minutes felt like a lifetime. A feeling of fear and uncertainty consumed Harley as her clown prince lay unconscious and drenched in a pool of his own blood. She plastered a fake smile over her face, feeling the same way she had when Joker had almost certainly been killed in the helicopter crash. Eventually they came to an apartment building in the Narrows. Harley concluded Deadshot had either lived here or knew someone who did; but currently she couldn't care any less. Once Joker was inside Deadshot left Harley and the doctor in order to dispose of the police car.

The next few hours bled into each other as Harley and Deadshot watched the doctor working on Joker. At one point Harley had lost all hope, throwing herself into Deadshot's arms as silent tears rolled down her cheeks, smearing what was still left of her red and blue make-up. Deadshot stood silently and held her in his arms in an attempt to comfort her. But Harley knew Joker would be okay.

He had to be okay.

"You did it for Harley's sake?" Joker growled at Deadshot. Harley sat up and smiled.

"Hey boys, no need to fight." Harley glanced from one to the other.

"Harley." Joker had a threatening look on his face as he attempted to pull himself up on the bed, ignoring the burning pain from his wounds. "Baby…" He looked into her eyes.

"I… I wouldn't try -" The doctor began.

"Keep, you mouth, shut." Joker snarled at him before turning back to Harley. "Harls… You two so much as LOOK at each other the wrong way and I will… Oh, baby I will kill him." Harley glanced at Deadshot standing behind Joker, before looking back at him and becoming lost in his perfect, silvery eyes. Deadshot sighed and rolled his head back.

"Puddin'… I'm yours. I'm always yours." Harley smiled and Joker responded with a grin of his own as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a deep kiss.

Okay so this chapter was the hardest to write yet! But come on, you didn't really think I'd let Mister J die, did ya? Please, please, please let me know how you feel this chapter went, and whether I should write more. I was thinking about making this the final chapter, but I don't know, I mean they still have a lot of unfinished business. And Deadshot totally has something going on for Harley right now… Oh yeah, and as for Boomerang… Well who knows?! Also, thanks for the follows and favorites!