Here it is, just out of the oven! We get to have the awaited meeting between Alice and the Joker. Thanks again to everyone that has favorited or followed this story, especially to my reviewers (you're the best!). You are the ones that motivate me to keep writing it, so let me know what you think about this chapter (or if there are any mistakes that may have slipped by). Enjoy!


She just laid there, her eyes half opened, staring at the window. It was raining, another reason not to get up and abandon her spot under the covers. The world outside her bed felt hostile that morning. But knew she couldn't put it on hold any longer. Hiding in her bed was useless anyway, because it also felt hostile. After all, it was where her nightmares had taken place, for two nights in a row now.

Yesterday she had spent her whole day staring through her window, trying to read and failing miserably to concentrate on the words written in the pages of her book. She had refused to go to work and nobody had complaint about it. After all, just the night before she had been involved in one of the Joker's attacks; everyone seemed to take pity on her. Just thinking about his name made her shudder. When she had woken up after that first dreamless night, she had tried really hard not to turn on the TV or answer the phone, to stay disconnected, but it became a hard task as the day went by. First she convinced herself it was harmless, she could just watch a movie to distract herself, but she couldn't help passing by the news channel and settling there. Every reporter talked about the same thing: the incident at Wayne's party, its relation to the deaths of Judge Surillo and Police Commissioner Loeb -who were charge of the massive mob trial taking place those days- and about him. It seemed these were all pieces of a puzzle, a carefully orchestrated plan to take out everyone involved in that trial, and the Joker had almost succeeded. He only needed to get to Harvey Dent, the only survivor. Nobody knew how he had managed to hide just in time, but it was the best news she had gotten since that night.

But she had already heard all these things. The real reason she couldn't help watching the news was the same reason she avoided turning on the TV in the first place. It was a picture, one they had shown since that first morning at every channel and which they repeated again and again. It was the photograph she had taken. It was the best picture they had of the Joker until now, the man of the hour, so they used it tirelessly. His dark eyes stared at her from the TV, never blinking, as in her dreams. They were the Joker's eyes. But also Jack's eyes.

Alice still didn't know what to think about him. She didn't want to ask any more questions she wouldn't be able to answer, but always came back to them anyway. Who was he? As she looked at the Joker's picture, she had to admit he had an uncanny resemblance to Jack, even though it couldn't be possible. On the other hand, if it wasn't him, why had he seemed so shocked to see her? It didn't make sense. Several years had passed, but she had never doubted Danny's words. He was scared for his own life too, you couldn't fake that. But she couldn't help asking herself, what if he had been wrong? What if...?

The strangest part of all, was that she didn't even know what she hoped was the truth. When she saw him there at the party and thought she was seeing Jack, she couldn't help her happiness. But at the same time, she couldn't ignore the whole image: the painted face, the scars, the violence, the madness. It reminded her of a book she had played with when she was a kid. It had two kinds of pages, ones with normal white paper and the other in a see-through red paper. The drawings in the white ones would show you different sceneries, but when you placed the colored ones over them, they changed completely, new details appeared that altered the whole image: hidden animals, people, stars. That's how she saw now the Joker's picture. Like a red version of Jack's face, but with much more disturbing changes.

She remembered all the years she had carried with her not only his death, but his secret. She had told no one about him, about his death or about their role in the fire that took the lives of so many children. The mob had wanted revenge after all, on him and his loved ones, so in a way they were both to blame, they wouldn't have targeted otherwise. The guilt of having gotten away while the other kids had died there chased Alice for a long time. It was really hard to learn to accept the gift she had been given and move on. She had had the chance to get to know her grandma before she died, to finish high school, to study journalism. She was given the opportunity to start over, far away from Gotham and those painful memories. Was this her punishment for coming back? Was the Joker a ghost sent to haunt her for all the deaths she had left behind? For leaving Jack behind? Or could it be really him? Not knowing was intolerable. Those doubts burned her inside. She had to convince herself she had been seeing things, that nothing had changed. At least to stay sane.

The phone rang, for the third time that day. It would probably be David. If it wasn't the police; they had called a lot yesterday. A man by the name of Lieutenant Gordon. He told her he knew she had been through a lot, but that it would be really helpful if she could testify at the police station everything she'd seen that night. Alice had agreed to go down to the station the next day, but now that she actually had to do it she really regretted it. She couldn't tell them anything useful if she didn't know what she'd seen. A mad criminal, a dead boyfriend or a ghost? It would be funny to see their reaction to her statement. They would think she was as mad as the Joker, still in shock after the attack.

When she picked up the phone, she found out it was just David wanting to know how she was. Even though she tried to answer as normal as possible, she wasn't in the mood for talking. The call didn't last long after she told him she was fine and that she would see him at work that day. Alice didn't want him to worry, but she was still a little bit sore at him after the stunt he had pulled the day before. The reason the police was so eager to talk to her, out of all the people in the party, was because David thought it would be a great idea to give her credit for her picture. So when he included it with his story in the newspaper, he wrote her name as the photographer. He guessed it would be good for her career, but he had pushed her into the spotlight in more than one way. Not only had he gotten the police interested in her as a witness, but also -and this concerned her much more- he had made her identity public for a certain man. She had already caught the Joker's attention at that party. Her restless nights were a reminder of that. Now, he had a real reason to take interest in her: she was the one who had let the world see his face up close. If he resented that in any way, he now knew exactly where to find her. There was her name, just under the photograph. How much time would it take to find out where she lived, just looking up her name? Not very much. But she couldn't say this to David, get angry at him or even share her fear with him, because he was already worried enough about her. She just wished he thought things through sometimes.

After hanging up, she dragged her feet back to her room. If she meant to go out into the world again, she had to change out of her pajamas at some point. She hated thinking about all the questions and stares that awaited her at the office, and also the statement she would have to give at the station later on. But as much as she dreaded those things, they helped her in a way. They served to keep her head away from other more terrible thoughts. If she could remain distracted, she might be able to get some sleep that night.


As she waited in her seat for the plump receptionist to call her name, she looked at the uniformed men and women that passed in front of her. It was her first time there, but she supposed the police station wasn't usually this agitated. All the people here looked stressed out or hurried to go somewhere else. But their faces probably had the same expression as her own, so at least she felt more comfortable here than in her office. Her workday had been exactly as she had expected it to be. A lot of questions and not very subtle glances directed her way. She mostly ignored them and tried to get her work done. David, on the other hand, had been a little more difficult to ignore. He stopped by her desk every minute just to check on her. Alice couldn't remember what she had said -or rather didn't say- that night and what her face looked like when he dropped her at her apartment, but it must have scared him. Bill, on the other hand, had been smiling when he saw her. He had underestimated her, he said. Taking that photograph at a time like that, thinking about the newspaper even then; he was really proud of her, she had proven to be loyal to the Gotham Times. Alice wanted to scoff at him, but she tried to just smile back.

"Miss Dahlman? Lieutenant Gordon is ready to see you now," said the receptionist, as she hung up the phone. "Go through the door on your right, please."

Alice got up quickly, startled out of her thoughts, accidently dropping her purse. As she picked up her things, cursing her clumsiness, she saw a card lying on the floor face down. It must have been on the floor all along, because she had never seen it before. She thought it was funny. Who would play cards in a police station at times like this? She left it there and got up. It would be better to get this over with quickly.

The interrogation room wasn't exactly cozy. It was small, gray and had only a table and a couple of chairs. As she went in, that place made her feel like she was the one being charged, instead of the witness. Why couldn't they just have a friendly chat at Gordon's office?

At least the man himself seemed nice. He was sitting there reading some papers and greeted her with a smile.

"I'm sorry for making you come all this way just for a few questions, Miss Dahlman. But you know, formalities. Why don't you sit down?"

Alice gave him a small smile and sat down at the table.

"Hi, Lieutenant. I really want to help, but as I said on the phone, I don't really think I can be of much use. Please, just call me Alice."

"Sometimes we remember later on things we didn't know we knew, so maybe you can surprise yourself. Anyway, Alice, it's really just routine. We already know how the Joker got in the building, what we can't figure out is how he got out. He just vanished out of thin air, none of our cops covering the perimeter saw him get out. I have full trust in my men, so I need to understand how he did it. They told me you're the one who took the Joker's picture that night. You've already helped us a lot as it is, giving us a face to search for. But that picture was taken just before he got away, wasn't it? So maybe you can remember what he did after you took his picture."

He just stood there, staring at me.

"I really don't remember much. I took the photo by chance and a second later my friend found me and we left. I didn't get to see anything else."

"Did you get to see the face of any of the other men that were working for the Joker?

"Not really, they were all wearing masks. He was the only one without one."

"In your picture he seems to be looking straight to you, did he notice you taking a picture of him? How did he react to that?"

It wasn't the picture he seemed to care about.

"No, he didn't pay much attention to it. I don't know if he even saw me taking it," she said, as she played with her hands.

What was she supposed to tell him? This wasn't going to help them catch him. She still felt somewhat guilty.

"I'm just asking because it could have been be dangerous for you. Next time you should worry more about your safety, Alice. You should run. We are the ones that endanger ourselves like that, but at least it's our job and we are prepared for it. A camera is a poor shield against criminals," he said, with concern.

"Don't worry, I will make sure to run next time," she said, absentmindedly. "Have you found out anything about him yet? Who he is?"

"We are working on it, but we have little to go on. No name, nothing. But we are putting all are effort and men to it. As soon as we discover anything, we will let you know. Well, I think this is enough for today, but if you remember anything at all, please call us."

"Thank you Mr. Gordon, I will. I really hope you catch him soon."


The interrogation had been really short, she thought relieved, as she walked out of the station. She finally felt free again and she could breath normally. As Alice stepped into the cold night air, she heard her phone ring. She answered the call with a smile, when she recognized the number as David's. She really shouldn't have avoided him so much these days. Now that the day was over, she was in a better mood. What she needed now was a dose of normality, inviting David over to her house would do her some good. Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance. It seemed he wasn't calling just to chat.

"Listen Alice, I really think it's not a good idea, but Bill insists he wants you to cover another event tomorrow and told me to let you know. Are you up to covering Police Commissioner Loeb's funeral tomorrow? It might be dangerous, there's already rumors about the Joker targeting the Mayor, so we really don't know what to expect. You can always say no, you know. What do you want me to tell him?"

Of course she was doing it. Besides, the place was going to be overflowing with cops. How dangerous could it be?


Hundreds of people filled the street, as the procession marched down at the sound of pipes. She was standing near the stage, taking pictures. A small crowd had gathered on the sides, full of worried and sad faces. As the procession came to a halt, Mayor Garcia started giving his speech. He had always seemed to Alice as someone who stood his place no matter what. He talked passionately about the Police Commissioner, with confidence and taking his time, as if there wasn't a death threat hanging over his head. She was surprised he even had the courage to stand up on that stage today. She didn't know who had picked the place, but this had to be the worst spot to have the ceremony. The street was surrounded by tall buildings left and right. Too many places to hide.

When the Mayor was about to end his speech, the uniformed men prepared their guns to salute.

"We must remember that vigilance is the price of safety," said Mayor Garcia as his last words.

"Stand by!" shouted one of the officers, as they lifted their guns into the air.

The first round of gunshots was heard. Alice shuddered. She hated that sound. Another round. She took a picture as she spotted Gordon's worried face near the stage. The third round blasted through the air. And then...screams?

She didn't understand what was going on at first, it happened so quickly. The Mayor was on the floor, Gordon seemed to have had pushed him away. Everybody was trying to run to safety, screaming. She suddenly remembered Gordon's words at the station: run. So she did, even though she didn't know where her feet were taking her. She didn't know where the gunshot had come from, so where should she be escaping to? She looked up at the windows. Had the shooter been up there, in one of them? Because she was looking up, too worried about another possible strike, she didn't notice the uniformed man in front of her until she had already bumped straight into him. She fell to the ground and hissed. Her knee was bleeding. She looked up and was about to ask the unknown officer for help to stand up. But then she saw his face and the words died in her mouth.

He was grimacing as he looked at her, rubbing his arm. His police cap hid most of this face and his hair was tied up and also hidden. But she knew who he was. She could recognize those awful scars anywhere, even without makeup. As the Joker stared at her, he seemed to consider something for a second. Then he just took off running.

This couldn't be happening again. He was getting away again, someone had to stop him. But more importantly: she needed to see his face. She got up, ignoring the pain from her bleeding knee, and run after him as fast as she could. Policemen were everywhere, but nobody recognized him. There was too much chaos to notice a single man running through the crowd. She followed him as he went down the street, took a turn and entered an alley. As she got closer, she knew there was no way he could get out of there, she had cornered him. Only later would she consider how stupid she had been at the time. She entered a dark alley alone, not bothering to alert any of the hundreds of cops around her, to chase after the Joker, and she thought she had him cornered. How naive.

As she came to a halt in front of the alley, still breathing heavily, the reality of her situation slowly started to kick in. She took a few nervous steps into the darkness, she couldn't see him anywhere. Hadn't he taken a turn here? Where else could he be? There only were a few dumpsters. Maybe he had climbed through an escape ladder, she thought. Something was wrong about this place and she couldn't tell what, but it put her on edge. What was she doing here by herself, chasing after him? Did she have a death wish? She slowly turned around and started walking back to the street. She should be relieved not to find him here. It was insane to come in the first place, she thought, as she was almost out of there. So why did she feel so disappointed?

Even in the silence that surrounded her at that moment, Alice never heard those steps coming from behind her back. His hands took her by surprise, one on her waist and the other on her mouth, drowning her scream. As he dragged her deeper and deeper into the alley, she realized what it was about that place that hadn't seem right to her. It was too quiet. You couldn't hear the voices coming from the street. That meant nobody could hear her.

"Tssk, tssk... Hasn't anyone told you what happens to pretty girls who follow bad men into dark alleys?" he said, as he tightened his grip on her until it hurt.

She felt his breath inches away from her neck and shuddered.

His tone changed drastically when he spoke again, it got much lower and deeper. She knew it well. He had always used that voice whenever he was angry. But it was the first time that anger was directed at her.

"But I shouldn't be surprised. You were always so curious. Weren't you, Lis?"

She stopped struggling and stood still in his arms. Nobody had called her Lis for years. There was only one person who called her like that. He loosened his tight grip on her a bit and, as in a trance, she turned around in his arms. She didn't care if she was to die in this abandoned place, she needed to know. She needed to see him. She found the courage to lift her trembling hand and slowly took off his cap. It fell on the floor with a soft thump.

There he stood, in all his glory. The light was dim but there was no mistaking him.

As Jack smirked at her, his scars seemed to widen and took over his face.

"Did you miss me?"