A/N: ok, wow

A/N: ok, wow. I'm really happy with the results I have gotten so far from last chapter. As I had said, it being my first fanfic, I wasn't sure how well it would go over, or even if I would continue to write it. But wow, thank you to those who commented, and even to those who just read it, they helped me keep going. Anyway, I'm not promising anything from this story, I have most of a plot, but I don't know how well I will be able to write it, but hopefully it all will just fit.

Anywho, as you'll see through out the story, I'm going to be using a lot of the events that happened in The Dark Night. I'm not saying they will be in exact order, or even exactly what happened in the scene…but o well. Still, I hope you all enjoy!

I had awoken this morning, still curled up by my window. As I had predicted, sleep was pretty much futile last night. From the soar neck I had, I figured I must have dozed off sometime into the early hours of the morning. The incident I saw last night had come flooding back to me. It was so vivid, yet it felt like a dream. Or a nightmare, either way, it was just as unsettling. I remembered the man with the painted face smiling at me, giving me indication that he had saw me witness the entire thing. Immediately chills ran down my spine thinking of it.

Getting ready this morning with my TV on, a news flash had helped answer some of the questions I had going though my mind about last night.

'…reports show that the Joker has once again escaped after stealing over 2 million dollars from the local CIBC bank on Ave. West last night…'

After that point I tuned out. I knew what had happened, I didn't need to listen to know the details. So that had been the Joker. I had heard the name before last night, yet it had held little meaning to me. After seeing him in person, and listening to the news report listing off the casualties he had caused, I could understand Gothams fear of him. Hell, I was already terrified of him. After shaking the thoughts from my head, I convinced myself it would be best to forget about him for now. Ignorance is bliss after all.

About an hour after I had gotten up, I had received an invitation to a party that was being held tonight in my building. Odd, I had thought, as I barley knew anyone in this city. So I went down to the front lobby to ask about it. Apparently, the man who owned the building, Bruce Wayne, was holding a rather large party in his upper level suite, yet I still didn't understand why I had been invited.

After grabbing a coffee from the little café by the lobby, I went back up to my flat. Upon entering however, I immediately realized things weren't exactly how I left them. Growing up, I had always been teased about how persistent I was about things being in their place, now I was thanking it. I noticed the light was on, which I had turned off before leaving. I could also hear the TV in the background, another thing I was sure I hadn't left on.

Cautiously I walked down the hall towards the direction the sound was coming from. I recognized the theme music from Friends. Again, odd. Entering the living room, indeed, Friends was just beginning. Looking around however, I saw no one. Just more random objects out of order.

Suddenly something was grabbing me from the behind, both arms wrapped tightly around my neck. I shrieked in surprise, and fear. Fear at least until I heard familiar laughter.

After getting out of the lock that had been around my neck, I quickly turned to see a face that I hadn't seen in years.

"Rachael?" I half yelled in surprise. Throwing my arms around her, I properly gave her a hug that didn't feel like a strangle hold like her earlier one had. Rachael and I had been best friends from childhood. Or best cousins, as we would say. She was like the older sister I never had, and I was like her younger.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Well, you're mom called me, and told me you were in the area. She thought you might need someone to show you around. Big scary city and all for a small town girl like yourself." Her eyes were sparkling with laughter in them for that last comment. "So nice place, pretty snazzy." She must have been snooping around, I guessed. "Did you get the invite by the way?"

"O! You sent it? I had been wondering why I got that." I felt slightly better about the up coming party now. Seeing as I had someone I knew, and wasn't invited for any reason by a random stranger.

"I sure did. Bruce Wayne, an old friend of mine, is holding it. It's pretty formal though, so you'll need a dress. Do you have any?"

"Yeah…I have a couple." I did have a few, though they were more considered sundresses. Back home I didn't have much need for multiple formal dresses.

However, she must have seen the hesitation on my face when I replied, as she then demanded to see them. Taking her to my bedroom, again, I couldn't repress a shudder when I looked at the window, I lead her to my closet.

After only a couple minutes of shifting through my clothes, she had decided we needed to go dress shopping. Though don't get me wrong, I appreciate some good fashion, and I didn't mind wearing dresses at all, it was shopping that didn't hold much appeal to me.

Once again seeing the reluctance on my face, she made a threat of her picking out my attire for the party herself, and me having to wear it without any say. I knew well enough not to take it as an empty threat. And I knew any dress she would pick out would show a bit too much skin for my taste. So we left with her practically dragging my feet in her hurry.

It was now seven o'clock, and Rachael had just dropped my back off at my suite. Yes, she had thought it necessary to spend almost the entire day shopping. Though I couldn't complain much, it had been great to see her and spend the day with my long lost cousin. We had spent more then 4 hours looking for the dress itself. Looking through many different formals shops and boutiques. Finally, we had come across one that looked promising, even on the rack. It was a floor length empire waist gown with 1-inch spaghetti straps. After trying it on, I found that it fit perfectly, flowing down to just reach the floor with heals on. I hadn't been sure of the cut of the bodice, as it had showed quite a bit of cleavage, but after some comments from Rachael saying to stop being so virginal, I quickly put it out of my mind. Though it did indeed have a beautiful layout, it was the colour that made it the right one, an emerald green, almost the exact same colour as my eyes. In the end, I found it perfect.

With the party starting in only an hour, I quickly jumped into the shower and started getting ready.

A/N: ok, another is up. I know a lot didn't really happen in the chapter, but you got to know the main character a bit better. I know I might have put Rachael out a character a bit…yet we never saw her anywhere except when she was being pretty serious, so you never know how she'd act in a less serious predicament. Anyway, Joker will be making his grand entrance next chapter.

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