Hi, This is the third chapter of The Sweeter Side of Things. Hope you enjoy. FYI: This chapter has some adulty things, but nothing too bad. Enjoy!

"Sam Taylor." he answered me with a smile. "And yours?"

"Candy Brown." I said with a sigh.

"I like it, Candy. Come on, I think a nice, hot bath might make you feel better. Then I'll cook you up something to eat, okay?" he stood up and extended his big, warm hand. I took it, standing up from the couch slowly. I followed him, hand in hand, down a bunch of hallways. Damn, his house huge! I'll be lucky not to get lost in it. We finally reached a door and Sam turned the knob, revealing a huge bathroom. I pretty sure my jaw dropped at the size and luxury of the whole thing. He lead me to a couch and sat me down as he went to turn on the water in a bathtub so big, it could probably be a swimming pool.

He came back to me, got on one knee and took off my shoes and socks. He stood up and helped me out of billion jackets, with it being the middle of December in Gotham City, New York. I was eventually down to my tank-top and skinny jeans.

"Do still want me to help you or would you like some privacy?" He asked with a concerned looking smile.

"You can help me, I don't mind you seeing me." I said with a small grin. But, really I didn't care who saw me naked anymore. After Daddy died, my mother had gone into a state of nothingness, all she did was hide underneath the blankets in her bed or sit, staring into nowhere, on the couch. She would only get up to use the bathroom or to get food. She didn't go to work and within two weeks, we got a phone call saying she was fired.

We had no money and were on the verge of losing our house. I had just graduated from Juilliard with a degree in musical theater. I had wanted to be on Broadway since I was six. But with no money coming in, and I kept auditioning for musicals with no luck, I had to turn to the highest paying job that you needed no experience or qualifications for (well, except a good body). There was a strip club a couple blocks down from our house. I was desperate and worried so this was the only thing I think of. I was wearing a small skimpy dress and high stiletto heels; I had even done my makeup and hair to make myself look like I was important and a slut. I went inside, asked for the manager and went to his office. He had me fill out a form and interview me. I tried my best to act as slutty as possible because I needed this job. And within 30 minutes, I was hired! He gave me 30 bucks and told me to go buy a new bikini and outfit and I came back wearing something that barley covered me. I went out to the bar and began dancing, doing private shows, whatever. And by the end of the night I had gotten $300 in tips, on top of my $50 an hour: I had made near $1,000! I hated the job, but we needed the money. I began to not care anymore about who saw me. And once my mother had gotten back on her feet and gotten a good paying job, I quit mine. Within the next few weeks I was working at Sweet Tooth and I couldn't have been happier!

I smiled as Sam helped me out of my tank top and jeans and I was standing there next to this perfect man in my bra and panties. I turned around, lifted my brown, curly hair and waited for him to unbuckle my bra. I felt his hands on my back, lingering over the straps.

"Are you sure you're okay with me seeing you naked, touching you?" he asked, I could tell he was a little worried.

"I swear, I'm fine, I don't mind. But if you're uncomfortable, you don't have to." I said and I felt his hands swiftly unbuckling my bra as it fell to the floor. I turned around, only in my panties now, to see him smiling. I carefully dropped my panties and he helped me into the tub. It was filled with bubbles and lined with candles that smelled like cinnamon. It was perfect.

"Do want me to stay?" he asked and I nodded my head. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

I told him my whole story, the first time my father took me to Sweet Tooth, to embarrassing moments in Elementary School, to my first kiss in High School. I told him about being accepted into Juilliard, my boyfriend in college and how I gave him my V-card, how I thought we were going to get married, but I saw him sleeping with another girl right before graduation. How I cried for days and once I came home after graduation, my parents were so loving and Daddy took me to Sweet Tooth-thinking it would help me feel better. And how two weeks after I got home, Daddy was killed. I told him about my mother being totally nothing, how I became a stripper and all the way up to getting the job at Sweet Tooth. And how I met him.

"So, your father, you said Batman killed him?" I nodded. "So you must have a grudge against Batman, huh?"

"Yeah, I do. Why?" I was kind of suspicious at why he wanted to know if I hated Batman.

"Well, it's just..." He was acting weird, I didn't like it.

"What, Sam? Come on, you can tell me anything. I basically just spilled my whole life to you, and you've seen me naked when I barely know anything about you, you can trust me. Talk." I said.

"Okay," I took my hand out of the water and extended it to him. As he grabbed it he looked me in the eyes and took a deep breath. "About a year ago, I was working a late night shift at the hospital and my girlfriend was there, too. She worked there, not as a doctor, as a scientist in the lab. She was working on a medicine, since there had been a small breakout, and she was working on getting multiple doses of this out, when..." He stopped and breathed and he looked close to crying. I squeezed his hand a little more and he looked at me. "People were saying that Scarecrow had broken into the hospital and was in the lab, trying to get his hand on some kind of poison. I had rushed over to the lab to get my girlfriend out of there, in case this was true. I was almost to the lab, when out of nowhere, Batman comes swooping in. He opened the lab door and threw a boomerang at one of the large beakers. My girlfriend was still in there, as was Scarecrow." He stopped again and I could see he was in a lot of pain.

"Do you want to stop?" He shook his head. "Then what happened?" I asked with another squeeze of his hand.

"There was an explosion set off from the boomerang hitting some highly explosive chemical and my girlfriend was killed." He gritted his teeth and an angry looked formed in his eyes. "Batman killed her. She was an innocent, good person and he just killed her. There wasn't even anything for me to bury. And all I want is revenge on that asshole, Batman! He stole the love of my life!" I could see he was getting really angry. I let go off his hand and slowly rubbed his back. That seemed to calm him down. He looked at me. "You are the closest to a woman I have gotten to since Sarah died. And I was a wreck. She was the only thing I had left to live for. My family was all gone and Sarah was the last bit of happiness I had left in the world."

"I'm so sorry, Sam. Is there anything I can do?" I said with sympathetic eyes.

"I don't even know anymore..." He let go of my hand and buried his face in his hands. I got out of the tub and dried myself off, put my curly hair up in a ponytail and found a light blue, silk robe and put that on. I went over to Sam and took his hands from his face, only to see that he was crying silently. I led him over to the couch and we both sat down.

"Do you want me to get you something, Sam? Some soup or hot chocolate?" I was holding his hands and his eyes were locked on mine. I could see he was still trying to hold back tears. "Or do you just want to be alone?" He shook his head violently.

"No, don't leave. I don't know, maybe some water. But, I'll be fine, just don't leave." He gripped my hands tighter.

"Come on." I stood up, and hand in hand I guided him back to living room that we were at first, and I sighed, happy that I was able to find our way back. I sat him down on the couch and went to get a glass of water. Damn, the kitchen was HUGE, probably bigger than my bedroom at my lousy-ass apartment. I got a glass and filled it with water, and I found a phone number for "Gotham City's Best Pizza." I picked up the phone and ordered a large pizza for us both. I went back out to Sam and gave him the water. He just stared at it for what seems like hours. DING DONG! Sam jumped up, spilling half the water.

"Who is that? I never get visitors," He asked me. I took the water from his hands and put on the coffee table.

"It's just the pizza man. I ordered some a little while ago. It's okay," I put my hands on his shoulders and slowly he sat back down. "Just a minute!" I called to the door, as I ran to get my purse. I came back to the door and opened it to find a young boy, wearing headphones, and a lot of acne.

"Candy Brown?" He said with obvious attitude.

"Yeah, how much do I owe you?"

"15 dollars," He extended his hand. I dug through my purse and pulled out a 20.

"Do you have change?" I said as I took the pizza and put it down on the counter.

"Nope," He took my money, got in his car and drove off.

"What the Hell!" I yelled at the back of the car. "Asshole," I muttered to myself. I took the pizza and put it down on the coffee table. I gave a Sam a slice and then myself. I started to wolf the whole thing down since I was starving. Sam just took tiny little bites. We sat there for a while, eating in silence, and then I yawned.

"Are you tired?" Sam asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, a little. Well, thanks for everything, Sam, I better be getting back to my dumb-ass apartment. Maybe I'll see you some other time, okay?" I started to stand up when his strong hand pushed me back down.

"No, don't go. You can stay here tonight, if you want." He looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course. Come on," He took my hand and led me to a bedroom down the hall. "I'm in the next one over if you need me. Goodnight, Candy." He said with a sly smile.

"Thanks, Sam." And he closed the door. I went to the giant bed and fell asleep immediately.

"I'll be right back, Candy dear. I'm just going to Sweet Tooth to get you some candy, Candy,"

"Okay, bye Daddy."

BANG BANG!

I ran outside of the house to see the Joker running past me, Batman on the roofs and a man lying in a pool of blood.

"No, no, no, no, no!" That's not Daddy. I ran over to the dead man in the street. I saw that it was indeed my Daddy and I fell to the ground, crying on top of his chest. "Daddy, come back! You can't leave me!" I cried and cried and cried.

I shot straight up in the bed. I was crying and hyperventilating. I shakily got out of the bed and found the bathroom. I ran the hot water in the sink and splashed it on my face. I dried off my face and hands and lingered at the door to the bedroom I was sleeping in. I walked a few feet down to next room and opened the door slightly. I stood in the doorway watching Sam sleep. He sat up slowly.

"Hey, Candy. Are you okay?" I shook my head and ran to him. I fell into his arms and lay down next to him. "It's okay, it's okay." He ran his hands through my hair.

Here I felt safe. He was warm and was the only person who had been nice to me in a long time. I wasn't scared in Sam's big, strong arms. I was safe here in this perfect man's arms. I could just stay here forever, not let anything change. I knew that we would be together forever and that nothing would make us change. Little did I know that this little slice of perfection was about to change my whole world.

So, I hope you enjoyed this very long chapter. Please review and I should have the next chapter up sometime this week. :)