Mari stirred. 'What happened? Where I am? Oh, God, Ella. Please let her be safe. I'll kill him if he took her too.' She thought. She got up to look around. Looking outside she could tell they were in the Narrows. 'Great. This part of town is Hades.' Mari looked to see if she could find a way out. The door to the room started to open.
In walked the Joker, he sneered at Mari. "Well, look who came to stay" he said. "Well, pretty doctor, how's life been? Enjoying life at the top of Gotham City." He walked towards her. His suit hadn't changed as she saw a bead on his jacket from her ball gown that Bruce had thrown out for her. His hair was still the same.
"Joker, haven't you learned how this is going to end? Just let me go home. My husband and daughter need me. Forget this obsession that you have with me." Mari said to him. She backed into the corner trying to get away from him. If cornered she'd strike back but her fear was still strong.
"If Wayne wants you back, tough. Maybe I'll get your daughter and we'll live here together." He said sneering in her face.
"Don't you dare, you Bastard! If you place one finger on my daughter, I'll kill you myself. You won't have to worry about Batman or the Police of Gotham. I'll lay your lifeless body in front of the city and will be praised as a hero for ridding them of a murdering monster that killed people that this city looked upon as their heroes." As she pushed him back from the corner. Her rage grew as he not only threatened her daughter but her family's safety. Her instincts as a mother came first before reacting as a human being who had nearly been killed by the man in front of her.
"There it is. The feisty character I remember." He said as he tried to touch Mari's hair.
"Don't touch me." She jerked her head away from him.
"You are mine, doctor. I can touch you if I want. Or should I get my friend out and remind you? Plus, I still owe you for that little stunt the last time we saw each other. My wrist shows your marks" he said showing her his wrist as well as the knife in his pocket.
"I am a person, I don't belong to anyone. Bruce loves me, treats me as an equal, he doesn't try to own or control me. The only time he tries to cushion me is because you won't leave me alone. Alexei tried to control me and I almost divorced him before you murdered him." She said still furious that he had threatened Ella. She almost snapped at him as she spoke.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her next to him. "Well, you'll learn to listen to me, my doctor." He ran his fingers through her hair. "I'll leave you to think about things, Doctor. Oh, by the way, the door will remain locked."
Mari sat by herself trying to calm down now being alone. 'Bruce, come get me please. Keep Ella safe.' She almost screamed out loud in her anger but refused to give the Joker the satisfaction of seeing her anger.
Several hours later, it was colder Mari noticed as she paced the room rubbing her arms. She also felt at her chest the necklaces from Bruce. She had figured out that at some point he had something put in them to help him find her in an emergency. She quietly hoped that they were working now as the cold chilled her feet and fingers. She rubbed her hands together as her thoughts turned to a home that overlooked the city in which she was now trapped against her will. 'It's night. Ella will want me to read to her. God, make sure my little girl stays safe.' She began to hum a tune that was in her mind she had listened to on the radio earlier that day. 'God, this day has been such a roller coaster. To think I started this day without a care in this world. I can't think about this. Maybe if I hum a tune, maybe I can forget how I'm missing Ella.' She started to sing the line of the chorus that was caught in her mind. "I'll see you 4:30." She sang quietly. "Hey, I know just what I need and that's you and in a hurry."
"Hmm, nice voice doctor." The Joker sneered as he entered the room trying to come near her again. She once again pushed him back away from her.
"Well, I had to find a way to forget how my daughter usually wants me to read to her before she sleeps. Since you took me from my family and I can't do that now."
"I thought I could make another video to send out there. Let your husband know I have you and can touch you when he can't."
"No, my daughter might hear. She's only three months old she won't understand why she can hear me but not find me." her concern for her daughter evident in her voice
"Tough, let's go, Doctor." He said pulling her out of the room and into another with a camera. He smiled knowing that her daughter was the key to her help and cooperation.
Bruce couldn't seem to get a good trace on Mari's necklaces which aggravated him to no end. He struck the desk in front of him. What good were the tracers he used to protect his family if he couldn't use them in a time of emergency. He had been working in the cave since Dimitri called earlier this evening. He didn't even know what time it was he never placed a clock in the cave. Finally, Alfred came down to check on him. "Any luck, sir?" he asked as he walked towards the computers in front of Bruce
"None, it's like he has her in cased in lead or something that won't let the signal through, Alfred. How can I help her if the tools I put in place to do that don't work?" he said showing the aggravation in his voice.
Alfred knew that he needed to voice his aggravation in times like this but knew that in the house above he was needed. "Sir, not to go off topic. But there is a little girl upstairs in the library who doesn't understand what is going on. But needs some time with one of her parents to make her feel safe before she goes to sleep tonight."
Bruce understanding asked, "Is Ella ok, Alfred?"
"She can tell everyone is upset but doesn't know why. She keeps looking to the door as if waiting for you or Miss Anna to come walking through. Her routine is changed and she doesn't understand anything. She is showing her frustrations much like her father by being very angry." Alfred answered with a chuckle.
"Ok, Alfred, I give. I'll come up to see her." Bruce said pushing back from the computers in the cave.
When he walked into the library where Nancy and the nanny had Ella, she looked up at him. He saw her mother's eyes looking back at him which pained his heart. "Hello, Princess." He said as he picked her up. He whispered quietly to her as he held her close to him. "I understand you're confused, sweetheart. I promise to you though, I will do whatever it takes to bring your mommy home as either myself or the dark knight of Gotham." Ella curled up on his shoulder and fell to sleep reminding him even more of Mari. He carried her up to the nursery and put her to bed.
When Bruce came back, he had a break. The Joker was transmitting a video with Mari in it. "Well, Batsy. I've got the pretty doctor again or should I call her Mrs. Wayne. When are you going to show up? Or do I get to enjoy her company some more? Her hair is pretty, bet Wayne likes it. She likes to sing too. Got a nice voice, should she keep it or should I get rid of it, Batsy? Come on, Doctor, talk. TALK."
"Why should I? You are doing this to torture my family. I told you not to do this; my daughter will be so confused if she hears this. Do you get kicks out of hurting a child?" she spat back at him.
The Joker hit her and yelled, "Would you shut up? Now sing or I'll take your voice right now." She cried out in pain after he struck her. Bruce's anger rose at the Joker's actions but knew he had to work to find Mari to bring her home.
"Give me a second I need to think. I'm not some music player." Mari snipped at him trying to think. "Your heart is frozen like the snow, and there's no one home to keep you safe and warm. You're eyes are red because you cried." Mari stopped and looked past the camera again. "Happy now?"
Bruce understood immediately. He changed quickly and called Alfred. "I know where she is Alfred. I hope to be back soon." 'Hold on, Mari. I know where you are. I'm coming to get you.' He thought as he put on his cowl and get into the Tumbler.
The tunes pulled from are "Four Thirty" by Sara Evans and "You Don't Have to Be Alone" by 'N Sync.
