Ok well I'd love to say this is my first fanfic- but it's not. So I won't get any sympathy there if it's bad. The last one WAS a disaster hough so...

ANYWAY hopefully this will be my first GOOD fanfic (let me know what ya think!)

and my motive for writing this: there's a a big red bus that goes past the history room window 3 times a morning with the joker's beautiful face on it.

the third time i watched it go past this morning the idea for this fanfic crept into my head - so enjoy my ramblings!

Dedicated to Heath Ledger (the awesomest)

-and a quick thanks to the other members of xtorchtiesx for helping me out

SO IT BEGINS...

Disclaimer: funnily enough I don't own Batman or, unfortuanately, the Joker. Shame.

Somewhere in Gotham City – the present day

Batman was hanging upside down from a long cord of brightly coloured rope.

The Joker giggled with glee.

"Let me go you BASTARD!" Batman growled

"Temper temper! I was just trying to turn that big ol' frown of yours up-side-down" the Joker laughed sadistically at his own joke. "Now let's play…" he licked his lips and lowered his voice, pulling a pack of cards out of his pocket, "…a game" He shuffled the cards extravagantly before fanning them out towards the dark hanging form.

"Pick a card, Batssssssssss-ay. Any card!"

The Anglo- American exchange project – 20 years ago

"A fresh start – for all of us."

Yeah right. Jack thought as he slouched in his plane seat.

"I don't WANT to go" screamed a scrawny, mouse haired boy a few seats away.

"Darling, it's for your own good! We're sorry, but we want you to have the best in life, and this is it." A worrying mother replied.

"And remember be nice to the other children. You got it boy?"

"Harold"

"I am not having my son be a common… bully" the boy's father spat the word which just made the small boy cry more. 'Bullying obviously runs in the family' thought Jack.

"But mum! I am NOT too thin!" another girl whined, Jack glanced in interest at the child who was mere skin and bones in through the gap between the seats in front of him. He couldn't listen to any more of this. It was obvious that his parents weren't coming. He pulled out a pack of cards from his jacket pocket and began to shuffle them. Concentrate on that sound instead. Fliiiiiiiip. Flip

Flip. Flip. All around him kids were crying and pleading with their parents.

Flip. Jack's parents didn't even acknowledge him when he tried to tell them about the trip. Yet here he was anyway.

Flip. Flip. He tried to drown the din out.

Flip. There was one other kid there without his parents.

Flip. Flip. Ironic that he should be sitting next to Jack now.

Flip. Maybe he should say something.

Flip. Flip. He glanced at the boy who had become mesmerised by the flying cards.

"What's your name?"

"Bruce" muttered the dark haired boy.

"Well then" Jack grinned "Pick a card, Bruceeee-ay, any card."

The same Somewhere in Gotham City – the present day

"I don't like card games. Joker"

"Shame." The Joker pulled a knife from his other pocket and slashed the rope, laughing, sending Batman spiralling towards the ground.

20 years ago

"erm... ok. Got one."

"It's a joker"

"but… how did you know…?" the mystified boy gazed in wonder at his grinning counterpart, who just laughed.

20 years later he was still laughing.

Hope you liked it! now review review review!

please!

puppy dog look