Made an oopsie updating this before. Breminy realized I had jumped a chapter ahead...anyway, enjoy!


Chapter Seven

AUTUMN POV

I stared at Bruce for a while, trying to comprehend what exactly he had just said to me. It didn't make a lot of sense, why would he take me out to dinner when he was going to break up with me? But, as the reality started to set in, it was a heavy weight on my chest and sinking down into my heart; I started to feel like an idiot.

It was foolish of me to even think that this would work out between us.

Pressing my back against the door I managed to somehow meet his eyes, the sting and prickle of incoming tears made my vision hazy. I pursed my lips tightly, the lipstick staining them acting like glue.

"I can understand that." My words were breathless, to me my voice thundered in my ears but against the city it was just a mouse like whisper.

Bruce reached out and clasped my shoulder in his hand; he squeezed it in hopes to comfort me. But now… Now, his touch was something I wanted to shy away from. It was like he was teasing me with something I couldn't have? I forced myself to be polite and sweet, to not brush his hand off like a bug.

Oh what's that Autumn? You find me irresistible? I'm just going to prove that you won't ever be able to have me.

"Autumn, please. I didn't want to upset you; I just want to keep you safe."

I bit back all of the venomous words that were building up in the back of my throat like bile, I could have spat it out on him but I swallowed it down.

"You should get going." I said weakly as I opened the door to my apartment, giving a half hearted wave I stepped into the darkness and shut the door behind me. I didn't bother to turn on any lights as I tossed off those expensive shoes or when I tossed those flowers in the trash.

I walked in total darkness as I stripped down to my underwear and crawled under the covers, despite the already warm air and thick blankets my body still felt cold and clammy. Burrowing my face into the pillow, I shut my eyes as tight as I could. No tears would escape these blue eyes of mine.

No wonder they called it a crush, that's exactly what happens when you realize that it will never be.

ALICE POV

I balanced my phone between my cheek and shoulder as I managed to lock my office door. The other end rang twice before Autumn picked up. I had been trying to reach her all day.

"Where have you been?" I asked, I let a small amount of frustration from my day seep into my voice. Spending a whole day trying to work with one patient who refused or lacked the understanding of being corporative could start to really eat at someone.

"I've been working," she replied. Sure enough I could hear the clatter of pans in the back ground, "I still haven't found anyone to work with."

It had already been a few weeks since her new bakery opened and she was running it by herself. It had been even longer since Bruce called it quits in their small relationship.

"Do you want to go out tonight? It won't take me long to get to your place from the office."

Autumn sighed, "I don't want to. I just want to go home and listen to The Cure or something…"

"You're going to have to get over this. It wasn't even all that serious."

"I am over that, I'm not over the fact I sold my soul to sweets."

"Well, I'll call you tomorrow. But I will warn you, we will go out this week."

I slid my finger across the screen of my phone to end the car. By now I was heading for the parking garage, already the flickering yellow lights were starting to give me a headache.

CRIMINAL POV

The Joker was a brilliant man. He had managed to have someone track down the master key of the exact model of car his target drove; I spun the key around my boney finger as I made my way towards the black vehicle. Within moments I had the car unlocked and the hood popped.

Leaning over the cool engine, I help the sharp clippers in my hand. I had no idea what I was doing and the wooly mask on my face wasn't helping me see. Blindly, I clipped a few wires and cut some cords. Just as I slammed the hood shut, the echoes of approaching heels started to head my way. With my heart beating like a humming bird's wings, I ducked down into the small shadows and crept behind a large SUV.

The figure of a woman, slender and but curvy, appeared in my vision. She was heading towards the BMW. What would Joker want with a woman?

ALICE POV

I turned the key in the ignition, nothing. Not even a groan, moan, or struggle. I tried this three more times before I smacked my hand on the wheel. Cursing under my breath I hopped out of the car and started to head for the street; the only thing I cared about was making it home. I wasn't going to bother with towing the car until tomorrow morning.

The subway trains in Gotham during the night are one of the places people tried to avoid at all costs, unless you wanted to score drugs. The train I was on was filled with sleep deprived college students, druggies, and the homeless. I was stuck sitting in the very back, a few inches away from a very hairy man who smelt very rank.

I did my best to breathe through my mouth for the entire ride.

The subway came to a screeching halt, the intercom clicked on overheard and the driver made an announcement.

"Sorry folks, this is the end of the line for this train, you're going to have to transfer if you need to get somewhere else. I apologize for the inconvenience." The driver's voice was stoic and cold, he really didn't care that his riders had to find another way home.

Luckily for me, this was my stop.

I was just a block and a half away from my apartment when suddenly, heavy footsteps started to approach me. Frightened, I quickened my pace and lowered my head, burning holes into the sidewalk. As I power walked the person behind me sped up, I could almost feel the presence bearing down on me like a looming tower.

Gulping audibly, I tried to work up the courage to yell at them to quit this sick game. I slowed down, preparing to spin around and shout. When I finally did turn around, just a few fet from the stoop of my building, there was no one behind me. I took a quick survey of the surrounding land. The street was empty and desolate. A few newspapers fluttered in the breeze that was chilling my legs. Frowning, I began to turn around to head into the warmth of the apartment complex.

"Good evening, Doctor," The man with the painted face from the bank greeted me, making me jump about two inches off the ground. Doctor? My eyes widened. He knew me, obviously by my profession. But how? Just from an off cast glance at the bank he found out who I was? Instead of his cheap, dark violet suit from the bank, he wore a very expensive looking royal purple suit. The tails of his jacket fell to his calves. Underneath the jacket was a green vest, a blue patterned shirt, and an oddly patterned tie. On his right side was a long pocketchain. I assumed for a pocket watch. "It's a little late for a woman to be walking home alone, eh?"

I struggled to find my voice. He loomed over me although I wore five inch heels. "I can handle myself," I gulped.

"Oh, can you? Have you ever tested that out?" He asked. Ask he took a step torward to me, I took another step back. Further from the safe haven that was my expensive apartment. "See, you live in the expensive and most protected region of Gotham. You drive where ever you go. Even when you were growing up, you never needed to use any kind of self defense."

I was done, I didn't want to hear this anymore. I wracked my brain trying to quickly figure out who's apartment I could easily run to in five inch heels. My hair swirled as I spun around again to take flight. when I took my first long stride of escape, I ran into something. More like someone. When I backed away, I looked up and saw another man, this one in a latex clown mask like the ones from the bank. He stepped towards me and I moved back towards the Man with the Painted Face. On both my right and left two others swooped in and blocked my other ways of escape. They, too, had clown masks on. Surrounded and out numbered. I was certain that if I was a small child, I would have soiled myself.

"You have two choices, Doctor Burnette," The Man with the Painted Face spoke again. "Come with us the easy way or the hard way. The easy way, of course, is getting in my lovely van and avoiding injury to yourself or my men. The hard way is your fighting back and us forcibly taking you to the van."

Looking around at the four men, I ran through my choices. If I tried to escape, there was a very, very, high chance I wouldn't get past anyone and I probably would get hurt. Somehow, if I did make it out without at least bleeding, I wouldn't be able to get far. Four men versus one woman in heels; not odds I'd like to face. Going into their van meant there was a considerably less chance of me getting hurt. Of course, my mind raced as I thought about what they were going to do with me after I got into the van.

I gulped and sighed. There was no other choice. "Alright, I'll go."

From behind me, I heard a small "hmn," as I was spun around to face the Man with the Painted Face. His brown eyes looked me over, a slight sneer settled onto his face. I wondered what it meant. Raising a purple-leather gloved hand, he motioned toward the street. I could hear the sound of a car approaching, the brakes complaining as the van halted next to the curb. One of the thugs opened the sliding door, and pushed me into the blacked out Ford Aerostar. I fell to the floor of the van, recieving an annoying raspberry on my knees from the rough carpet.

"Hey, when have I ever instructed you to treat hostages that way?" The Man with the Painted face snapped, assumably at the one who shoved me. I wasn't paying a lot of attention; I was too busy trying to keep my pencil skirt where it was supposed to be and not showing off my underwear.

"We've never taken hostages, Boss," The grunt mumbled, twiddling his thumbs.

I watched as the boss pursed his lips and dug around in his jackt pocket. He retrieved a butterfly knife and, like a professional, swung it around to reveal the blade. "Gettin' smart with me?"

The thug's eyes widened. "N-no, Boss!"

Boss put the knife away, refolding the blade into the handle, and got into the van. And of course, he sat next to me. His scent was that of coffee mixed with a spicy blend of perhaps cologne. However, I somewhat doubted a man who painted his face would be using expensive cologne. I couldn't help my natural instinct to make myself as small as possible by pressing myself to the other side of the Aerostar as the sliding door closed and the driver rocketted off. I wish I had when the Man with the Painted Face looked over at me.

"Scared?" Was all he asked. I didn't dare dignify him by answering. "Don't worry, I'd be frightened too. It's not everyday a pretty woman such as yourself is captured by the Joker. So willingly, too. Are you always this submissive?" He moved his head so his lips were near my ear. "Perhaps I could dig up some more dirt on you and ask an old boyfriend?"

This infuriated me. Just like I had shriveled into the corner, I couldn't help the stinging slap my right hand delivered to his left cheek. The Joker, as he called himself, howled in laughter.

"Watch it, bitch!" A thug in one of the pilot seats infront of us ordered. "No one hits the Joker!"

Still laughing, the Joker clamped a hand behind my head and held it close to his. From his jacket pocket, he had another knife in his hand, held rather close to my face. "Wanna know how I got these scars?"

AUTUMN POV

I angrily slid the end call slider on my phone. That was the fifth time today Alice did not answer her phone. Perhaps she was on lockdown. Everyone was made to shut off their cell phones when that happened. But if there was a lockdown, I would have heard about it on the radio that was playing in my bakery. Screwing up my face, I decided to call one more time. It probably didn't help my worrying since Alice's mom had called me, wondering if I had talked to her daughter.

"Hey, you've reached the voice mail of Alice Burnette. Sorry I missed you, but if you could leave your name and number I'm get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks."

After the tone went off, I finally left a message. "C'mon Al, pick up the phone. Your mom called a little worried and it's starting to make me anxious too. Just call me if you can."

Putting the phone in my apron pocket, I returned to coloring fondant. Still, I just couldn't get the thought out of my mind of Alice being hurt or possibly kidnapped. It became so distracting that I couldn't focus anymore. I was pretty sure that the shade of aquamarine I was supposed to be making was now teal. Uttering a few curse words, I threw the sugar paste into the trash and opened a new bucket for coloring. This time, though, I made sure I stopped when it was a perfect blueish-green.

I returned to fondant to the bucket and put it in the fridge; I had to admit that I too many things on my mind. First was Alice and her well being. I couldn't remember the last time we didn't talk to each other for hours. And then was Bruce. There hadn't ever been a boy or man to make me so thoroughly confused. Once I locked the front and back doors of my bakery, I headed in the direction of Alice's apartment.

As I walked, I wondered, if Alice wasn't there, what was I going to do? The cops wouldn't help me. To them, a missing persons report was a death certificate, signed and notorized. An other reason Gotham pissed me off. I couldn't afford a good private investigator, either.

With a small growl, I cleared my head of those thoughts. Worry first, panic later. Once I got to the block where Alice's apartment building was, I frowned. Her car wasn't sitting at the curb where it usually did. Using the code she gave me, I puched it into the front door and after hearing the lock click, I entered. The elevator seemed to take way too long to climb to the fourth floor.

Alice had given me a key when she first moved into the place; said that whenever I needed to, her house was my house. And of course when she replaced the lock after dumping Crane, I got a new key. Placing the key in the lock, I opened the door, calling her name. The apartment was eerily cold and silent. Usually she had some kind of heating going on. Especially now that it was getting closer to winter.

I checked every room and there was still no sign of my best friend. I began to panic. So many things ran through my mind. I hated the image of a crime scene in my brain where she was the victim and Dectectives Benson and Stabler stood over her. I definitely watched way too many episodes of Law & Order: SVU. Even though I thought Alice should have let her sisters move in, I was secretly glad she hadn't. It would have been two more people angry at the police and frazzled about Alice's disappearance.

The time was about 7:27 when I noticed a note on the fridge. It had been taped on since Alice had no magnets. The letters had been crudely cut from a magazine and pasted onto the white printer paper. I ripped the note off the metal box and read it. Blindly I set it down on the counter and ran to the bathroom to vomit. She was gone. My best friend. The one who I was going to battle the rest of the world with. It was supposed to be me and her against the world; and someone had kidnapped her.

ALICE POV

I couldn't help how self concious I felt as I walked up another flight of stairs of an abandoned apartment complex in the Narrows, the Joker and other three men trailing behind me. However, the Joker had been somewhat gentlemanly enough to walk close enough behind me so he wouldn't be staring like the rest of his dogs. He slightly pushed me aside to open a door, gesturing for me to enter. As I did so, I was quite surprised to find it was warm, as if a heater had been on for days. Maybe for weeks.

The Joker snatched my wrist and lead me down a hall. All of the walls had been knocked a down on the inside, except for the structurally supportive, bathroom and bedroom walls. It was just all one big open area. Most of the doors we passed were open. We got to an area where there were two closed doors. The Joker retrived a set of keys and opened one. He held the door open, waiting for me to go in. As I walked past him, he grabbed my purse, taking it off my shoulder. With a snarky grin, he pushed me further into the room and then slammed the door. I knew he locked the door as I heard the mechanism click.

"So much for not pushing around hostages."