In Another Life V

Chapter 2

Ten Years Later

"I'd just like you to relax, Mr. Dent," said Dr. Harleen Quinzel, studying the District Attorney carefully behind her round glasses. "Try to clear your mind of all thoughts."

"Not easy during campaign season, Doc!" laughed Harvey Dent, sitting on the therapy couch opposite her and smiling. "But I'll do my best. I don't believe in this psychiatric mumbo jumbo though, you understand."

"I don't believe in mumbo jumbo either, Mr. Dent," retorted Harley, looking down at her notes. "But the only way I can help you is if I peel away this incredibly charming facade that Harvey Dent puts up, and confront the personality within, this...Big Bad Harv, do you call him?"

"The ladies call him that," he replied, grinning. "I'm sure you can guess why."

Harley sighed heavily. "You married, Doc?" he asked. "Or seeing anyone at the moment?"

"I don't think that's really any of your business, Mr. Dent," retorted Harley.

He shrugged. "I was just asking. No need to be so defensive. Can't help but notice you don't have a wedding ring, though."

Harley sighed again, removing her glasses. "I'm twenty-seven, Mr. Dent. Should I be married?"

"I just thought somebody might have snapped up an attractive girl like you," he said, shrugging.

"Well, nobody has," she retorted, replacing her glasses. "My work keeps me very busy."

"Well, so does mine, but there's always time for a little fun!" chuckled Dent. "I'm not really seeing anyone at the moment, if you'd be interested..."

"Not really seeing anyone?" repeated Harley. "What does that mean?"

He shrugged again. "It means I'm not committed to any single woman at the present time."

"Monogamy isn't an essential part of your relationships?" asked Harley, sarcastically. "I'm starting to see why you blame things on Big Bad Harv."

Dent's eyes narrowed. "Look, I may joke, but this...other personality of mine is a serious problem," he muttered. "It's starting to affect my campaign. Every time I get stressed out, which is pretty frequently at the moment, this...other personality takes over. I've done things...I'm not proud of. I attacked a suspect in court. I nearly punched my best friend. I'm...scared of what I might do next."

Harley smiled slightly. "In that case, I recommend we don't mix business and pleasure, Mr. Dent," she said. "If I'm your doctor, I need your full confidence, which I doubt you give to any woman you're interested in being in a relationship with. So let's keep our relationship strictly professional."

He snorted. "Your loss."

"Would you like to tell me when this other personality first manifested itself?" asked Harley, opening her notebook.

He shrugged again. "When I was a kid sometime. Probably about eight or nine. My parents...were very demanding people, pushing me to do well and succeed, even from an early age. And one day I...got in a fight. This kid, school bully type, was calling me names – spoiled, rich little lawyer's boy, that kinda thing, y'know. I got angry. So I beat the crap outta him. My parents...weren't pleased. They insisted they hadn't raised their only son to act like a common punk. They said it was really important that...I didn't lash out like that again. So I didn't. Whenever I felt anger, I would repress it. But I have...a lotta anger. And over the years, all the stuff I've repressed seems to have shaped itself into some kinda personality. I named him Big Bad Harv, for lack of a better description."