A/N: sorry i took so long. been busy. enjoy!
Chapter 4: Errands
"Alright, boys," Joker grinned into the walkie-talkie, Tara in the front seat of the stopped cab frowning at him. "It's show time."
"Got it, boss," the walkie replied, making Tara jump in her seat and Joker just handed it to her.
"Hold that," he blurted, not waiting for an answer before he dropped it into her lap.
He leaned over the reach into the back seat, feeling around on the floor as Tara continued to frown at him. She glanced at the building they were parked in front of, not failing to notice it was a bank, and hoping this wasn't what she thought it was. She turned back to Joker as he still searched the back seat, grunting and panting as he struggled.
"Here they are!" he cheered, making Tara jump again with a start. She was more on edge now than she had been all day. Her eyes widened as she watched him pull two machine guns and handed one to her. "You know how to shoot one of these?"
"What the hell makes you think I've even touched one of these things?!" Tara squeaked as Joker took the walkie-talkie from her lap, replacing it with the machine gun.
"Oh, good," he smiled. "Something new you can try out, then."
"You've got to be kidding," she hoped, staring at him, blankly and he gave her the same stare.
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" he wondered, seriously. Tara opened her mouth to reply but quickly shut it and gave a small shrug as she sat back. He suddenly leaned over and opened the glove box to pull something out. She watched as he pulled out a black bandit mask and dropped it in her hands as she held them out.
"Put that on," he instructed, turning to his gun to adjust it, licking his lips and she frowned in confusion then did as she was told as he continued, "Now, since you're new at this, all you're gonna do is get out when I stop the car and point the gun at people so they do what we tell them, ok?"
"When you stop the car?" Tara echoed with a frown, adjusting her mask a bit.
"You don't have to shoot anyone," Joker assured her, ignoring her question and reaching over to pat her hand as it sat on the gun in her lap then advised, "You might wanna put your seat belt on, Fairy."
Tara continued frowning for a moment before she watched him strap on his own seat belt and start the car. She started fumbling with her seat belt and quickly got it on before he put the petal to the metal. The tires squealed as Tara gripped the sides of the seat until her knuckles turned white, not caring about the machine gun in her lap as they sped toward the bank doors, Joker laughing hysterically next to her.
Last night's memories came flooding back, but for some reason, her fear wasn't as potent as it had been that night. She swallowed back a scream as they barreled up the steps and crashed through the doors. The sound of glass shattering filled her ears as he slammed on the breaks and she jerked forward, hitting her head lightly on the dashboard, but it was enough to make her wince and rub her head. She knew she'd have a bruise or headache…or both, later.
"Hurry up!" Joker nearly whined, shoving her toward her door, his machine gun in hand. "Get out! Get out!"
"Don't rush me!" Tara snapped. "I just smacked my head on the damn dashboard!"
"If we don't get out at the same time it won't be dramatic!" he snapped back.
"Oh, shut your face!" Tara growled making his eyes widen slightly at her in surprise as she unbuckled her seat belt. "Fine! Let's go!"
She opened the door and he quickly followed as they heard screams and shouts from his men in clown masks. Joker and Tara lifted their guns, but as Tara started shaking while she pointed the gun at the people around her, Joker shot his into the air to get the hostage's attention.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," he called, walking out from behind the car door as Tara swallowed and slowly followed him, still aiming the gun as the Joker continued, "If you'd all, kindly hand over all your valuables to the men…" He stopped and looked back at Tara who frowned at him but he continued, "…and woman," He turned back to addressing the hostages. "…no one will get hurt."
He pointed his gun to one of the clerks who gasped and stared wide eyes filled with terror at him.
"Don't…push…the button," he advised in a sing-song voice, licking his lips and the clerk swallowed, raising the hand that had been under the desk. Joker grinned his yellow teeth at him in thanks and waved a couple of his men toward the location of the vault in the back. "Make it quick, boys."
He turned back to Tara who still had her gun pointed at the hostages and sighed as he walked toward her, making her emerald eyes shoot wide at him through her mask. He grabbed the barrel of her gun and shoved it down, making her frown in wonder.
"Stop scaring everybody, will ya?" he muttered, pulling his hand from the gun. "Pointing a gun at them like that, what kind of person are you?"
Tara's eyes widened as she held her gun down in one hand and she tried, "But…you said---!"
"Get the bags from the back seat of the cab and start collecting their valuables," he ordered, pulling the gun from her and tossing it to one of his other men. "Then give the other bags to the rest of my friends here, alright?"
Tara nodded, still confused as all get out, but she did as she was told. She handed bags to the men that were in the room, including the Joker, keeping a bag for herself. She didn't have to say anything when she went up to the first person and held the bag in front of them before he just unloaded his money, watch, cell phone, anything of value into the bag.
She did this with each person until she came to a woman a few years older than her who whispered, "Why are you doing this?"
"I don't think you should talk," Tara whispered back, warningly.
"You obviously don't wanna be here, why are you working with him?" the woman insisted and Tara glanced over her shoulder at the Joker as he walked around, seemingly aimlessly then turned back to the woman.
"For the same reason you're gonna give me all your jewelry, money and everything else worth anything," Tara whispered, "to stay alive."
The woman swallowed, nodded and unloaded her things into the bag. Tara nodded and moved on to collect from the rest of the people. She didn't watch as the two men from the vault came back and put the cash in the car the Joker had crashed into the bank.
"Fairy!" he called when she'd reached the last person, making her jump and shoot to her feet as she faced him. He walked toward her and looked around as Tara saw the other men who'd been collecting the hostage's valuables place their bags in the car. He grabbed one of the men's guns and handed it to her. "You get that bag in the car and follow my lead, alright?"
"What are you leading me to?" she wondered as he nudged her toward the car.
"It's a surprise," he grinned. "You said you liked surprises, right?"
"Well, yeah, but---"
"Just go ahead, Fairy," he urged, still shoving her toward the car.
She hurried toward it and threw the bag into the back as he skipped toward the car, his men now pointing their guns at the hostages who were still cowering on the ground. Joker stood at the driver side, opened the door and looked at Tara, waiting for her to do the same. She did then looked at him as she stood behind her door and he set his gun up on top of it. She swallowed, hoping he wasn't going to do what she thought he was, but mirrored his action.
"Alright, everyone," he grinned licking his lips. "We're gonna play a little game of Simon Says. You all know how to play that, don't you?"
Tara frowned at him but he didn't look at her as he looked to the ceiling in thought, shifting his weight.
"Simon Says, shoot all the people in clown masks," he grinned, evilly and Tara's eyes shot wide at him, but he didn't say anything as his men started looking around, obviously panicked and disbelieving.
Joker laughed maniacally as he started shooting his men, the gunshots followed by screams of fear from the hostages. Tara stared ahead in horror at the men as they fell to the floor, dead but some of the few that were still alive in front of her pointed their guns at her.
She didn't think. She didn't say a word. She only aimed and pulled the trigger. She stumbled back from the kick-back of the gun, but quickly regained her footing and set the gun on the car door again, staring ahead in terror at the men she'd killed. Her breathing was labored as she ran the scenario back in her mind. She'd done it out of self defense. Those men were going to kill her. But to her, it didn't matter. She'd never killed before, and it was something she never thought she'd do.
Tara shook all over, her stomach churned as if she was going to puke, and had Joker not pounded on the roof of the car and waved at her to get in, she might have. She hurriedly jumped into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut, still panting, her eyes still wide.
"What d'ya say we get outta here?" Joker grinned, not waiting for her response before he shifted the car into reverse and sped out of the hole they'd made in the doors going in.
He spun the car so that they were facing the street and sped away, weaving in and out of traffic as Tara still panted. He frowned at her, glancing at her every once in a while in confusion then reached over and smacked her arm, making her jump and stare at him with wide eyes.
"What's wrong with you?" he blurted, turning back to the road.
"What's wrong with me?!" she echoed in a high, disbelieving voice. "What's wrong with me?! I just---I just killed four men!"
"It was more like three," Joker shrugged. "But who's keeping count, right?"
"That's not the point!" Tara shouted, but he didn't flinch as he kept driving. "I-I killed people! Your people!" She looked down at the gun in her lap. "With this gun!" She threw it into the back seat and caught sight of the money and bags of valuables and turned back to him. "And I robbed a bank! I mugged all those poor people! I'm criminal now, thanks to you! I thought you wanted to mess with me, not make me your partner!"
"I am messing with you," he grinned, deviously. "The only reason you're still alive is because you're interesting. And besides, it's not like you wouldn't have had to pop your cherry sometime. You should thank me for getting you out and about and killing so soon, otherwise you wouldn't know what the hell you were doing once you did come out."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Tara spat, masking her trauma with anger. "I never would have become a criminal if I hadn't met you!"
Joker suddenly swerved the car to the side of the road, making her clutch the seat in fear as he slammed on the brakes. He leaned over and took both hands to her face, one holding her chin and the other gripping the back of her neck, but she frowned at the fact that neither one of his hands had a knife this time. His dark eyes bored into her emeralds as she swallowed, knowing he was serious.
"Trust me," he growled, softly. "There are a few things, I know in this world. One…" He pulled the hand from behind her neck and raised his index finger as he resumed, "I know the squealers when I see them. Two…" He raised another finger. "People will do anything to stay alive and kicking, and three…" He raised the third finger and placed all three against Tara's lips as he leaned toward her wide-eyed face. "I know the people that are like me when I see them, and you my dear, are more like me than you might wanna admit."
"I'm nothing like you," Tara hissed, her wide-eyed gaze turning into an angry one that made Joker's eyes widen in surprise.
A second later he smirked, lifting a finger from her lips and wagging it at her as he scolded, "Temper, temper. You'll have to behave if you want your present."
"Like I want any presents from you!" she spat, trying to pull her face out of his grip but he caught her chin again and his other hand went to the back of her neck again. "Get your hands off of me!"
"You know, you shouldn't fight so much, it only turns me on," he teased as she still struggled and he laughed and giggled every once in a while when she almost freed herself a few times.
Tara growled and pushed against his chest as hard as she could, but instead of letting go of her as she thought he would when he fell back against his door, he pulled her with him and she ended up in his lap.
"You might wanna be gentle, sweetheart, it's our first time," he taunted some more and giggled through his yellow teeth when she growled and shoved against him, still trying to free herself from his grasp.
His hands left her face and gripped her wrists to pull her toward him before she could shove away again. She stood on her knees and tried to pull her hands from his grip but she lost her balance and ended up falling against his chest, making them both grunt. She froze and stared wide eyes up at him, realizing how close she suddenly was to him as her heart started pounding in her chest.
"Now, don't tell me that wasn't a little fun," he grinned at her, smacking his lips together. "You done with your foreplay, now?"
Tara felt herself blush and set her jaw as her gaze turned angry again and she shoved away from him as he let her go. She slumped into her seat and suddenly realized her mask was still on and yanked it off as he grinned, tauntingly at her.
"You wouldn't know foreplay if it bit you in the ass," she muttered and he snickered, leaning toward her again.
"How 'bout you teach me then?" he grinned, teasingly and she gave him a sideways glare.
"Hell…no," she enunciated and he pouted as he sat up again to start the car.
"Maybe at another time you'll feel differently," he grinned, still teasing her and she only scoffed.
"Don't hold your breath," she retorted.
Joker suddenly inhaled deeply, filling his cheeks with air as he began driving and Tara couldn't help but give a small smile of amusement as she looked out her window. He let out his breath in a raspberry after a few seconds and glanced over at her, seeing her smile. He tapped the steering wheel, waiting for her to ask him something but she only continued staring out her window.
Growing impatient, he finally just asked, "Well-uh?"
Tara jumped with a start and looked at him with wide eyes as she blurted, "What?"
"Aren't you gonna ask where we're going next?" he wondered. "Or maybe what your present might be?"
"I thought you were joking about the present," she replied, genuinely and he slumped forward, glaring out the window and she gave a small smile, deciding to humor him. "But now that you mention it, what is my present?"
He turned to her and grinned, not taking his eyes from her as he still drove and he murmured, "It's a surprise."
Evening...
"I don't get why we had to go to a fabric store," Tara blurted, examining the material in the bag in her lap. "You didn't even hold up the place. You actually spent some of the money we stole!"
"I know," Joker grinned as he drove down the street. "Did you see the look on that clerk's face? She was terrified but confused. That look is priceless."
"Oh, yeah," Tara grumbled, shoving the material back in the bag. "Especially since you were sitting there twirling your knife just to freak her out – that was the best, right?"
"See," he continued to grin. "You're catching on."
Tara rolled her eyes and continued to rummage through the bag. Joker glanced at her a few times before leaning over and snatching the bag from her to toss it into the back seat.
"Hey---!"
"No peeking!" he scolded before she could finish her statement. "It's a surprise, remember?"
Tara glared at him and slouched in her seat, looking out the window then asked, "So where are we going now?"
"Back to my place," he replied. "Where'd you think we were going?"
"I didn't think you were done 'running your errands'," she replied, making air quotes as she said the last three words and he frowned at her.
"Well what was all 'that' for?" he wondered, making air quotes as well and her eyes shot wide for a second when he took his hands off the steering wheel to do it. When his hands went back to the wheel she gave him a blank stare.
"Robbing a bank is not 'running an errand'," she explained. "It's robbing a bank. Running an errand is like…going to the grocery store for food or going to the dry cleaner's to drop off a suit you got mayo on the collar of, not robbing a bank then killing off your henchmen!"
"Do I look like a guy that would run a normal errand like that?" he wondered, honestly and Tara shrugged, looking out her window again. She had to admit, he was right, and at least he knew he wasn't 'normal,' even if he insisted he wasn't crazy.
"So," he chirped, drawing her from her thoughts, "we'll head to my place and I'll finish up your surprise."
"Well, I'm glad it's not just the pile of material in that bag back there," Tara blurted, jabbing a thumb at the back seat. "So what's it all gonna turn into?"
"Don't you understand the concept of a surprise, Fairy?" he retorted, and she could hear in his tone that he was slightly irritated. "I'll explain it to you. You're supposed to wait until the person giving the surprise actually gives it to you."
"I know," Tara snapped. "I'm just not very patient. And why the hell are you giving me a present, anyway? Aren't I a hostage?"
"Doesn't mean I can't give you a present," Joker grinned, reaching over and tousling her hair with a giggle.
"Hey! Stop it!" she snapped again, swatting his hand away. "I just got my hair the way I wanted it!"
"When, last night?" he retorted with a smirk, pulling his hand away. "We're gonna get that fixed tomorrow, too."
"Get what fixed?" she wondered, combing her fingers through her curls.
"Your hair."
"What's wrong with my hair?!" she squeaked.
"It's too…normal," he blanched. "We'll dye it tomorrow."
"You are not dying my hair."
"Oh, why not?"
"Because I like my hair color."
"How can you like it? It's brown."
"Better than green!"
"What's wrong with green?!"
"Your head looks like a booger!"
Joker slammed on the brakes in the middle of the street and Tara frowned as he started laughing hysterically, stomping his foot on the floor and rocking back and forth in the seat as Tara stared at him wonder and confusion.
"'Your head looks like a booger'!" he repeated, still laughing maniacally and Tara couldn't help but snicker at her own words. "You're hilarious, Fairy!"
"I-I guess," Tara chuckled, then laughed out loud as well. Cars swerved around them as they only continued laughing for a good minute or so then finally calmed down.
"I was really worried you didn't have a sense of humor, Fairy," he giggled, still coming down from his Hysterical High.
"What are you talkin' about?" she giggled, coming down as well. "I laughed at you when we were back at your place and I was…handcuffed to the bed."
"Yeah, but I didn't think you'd say anything funny," he giggled, wiping a tears of mirth from his eyes, smearing his make up a bit.
"I can be funny," she smiled.
"Just another reason to keep you alive, I guess," Joker smirked at her, taking the steering wheel into his grip again and hitting the gas again as Tara looked at him in surprise. "Not that I was gonna kill you anyway."
"You weren't?" she breathed in wonder.
"Nah," he shrugged and shook his head. "Why should I? You're kinda fun."
Tara only gave a small nod and sat back, her eyes still wide as she turned her attention ahead and she gave a small smile, a weight being lifted from her shoulders. This wasn't so bad. She could handle this. All she need do was keep up the fun level and everything would be fine. She would live. She could do this.
But, what happens when I can't anymore? she couldn't help but wonder. She quickly shook that thought from her mind. She had to stay positive. It could work. She'd make it work.
Joker kept his eyes on the road as they sat in silence. For once, he didn't want to go crazy on the street right now. He couldn't understand why he was being so different with this girl. He couldn't figure out why he was dragging her along with him on his 'errands' and it was driving him crazy.
It had been kind of fun seeing her react the way she did when he brought her along on the robbery, and having a helping hand at getting rid of his free-loading henchmen, but he should've been done with her by now. He should've gotten rid of her by now. Killed her, ditched her, something other than keeping her around.
Still, it seemed a little nice having somebody around to joke around and cause mayhem with. Maybe with her around he wouldn't feel as alone as he did sometimes. Besides, she could be useful and fun, he was sure. That thought made him smirk. He remembered what she'd done when she thought he was going to kill her, and it made him wonder what else she might do. He'd find out, soon enough.
A/N: i figured it was time for some Joker thoughts, yes? and i ran the hair segment by my 'editor' and she said it was funny, so those of you who don't just don't have a sense of humor, lol! jk. reviews?
