What Goes Around, Comes Around

Pairing: Joker/OC

Rating: K+

Warnings: None.

A/N: Hello! Now, I know. I should be apologizing for delaying the deadline by a thousand years. It feels like that anyway. But I had the worst few weeks of my life. I turned eighteen. Got a new telescope. Broke that telescope- all three hundred dollars of it. My parents have refused to let me near another telescope in the near future unless it's by my 'own' money. I've had to give eight exams in five days and my laptop's battery died.

Whatever.

My exams are still going on. I have to give my SAT exam on the fourth. I'm nervous. I'm also graduating in ten months.

I'm really scared of the future.

Anyway, have fun reading. Hopefully I'll be able to cram another chapter today or tomorrow. HOPEFULLY.

Also, this happened to me during my Economics exam and I don't know why it did- but it did, between the monetary and fiscal policy.

I thought when this story is done- and, yeah, it's really too early to say that- so I could do this alongside this work because I've already written three chapters of it, how about I write an AU about Jack and Misha? Like, what if Misha's parents never died and Jack never became the Joker? I really want to try this because I've never done anything like this before and it's so exciting because it's going to explore Misha's background- how she would have been if it weren't for her parents' death and it's going to be based in Pakistan because I feel like I can deliver a unique perspective of the country because I'm part of a minority in a majority country. Plus the cultural difference and stuff like that. AWESOME! Basically you'd be seeing Pakistan of the late eighties, nineties and early 2000's and the political and socio-economic issues that were there in that era.

What do you think? Is it a good idea? Should I publish it immediately? Or should I wait till this one's done (which will be in around late August)? Is it weird? Am I weird? Let me know!

Chapter Nine- Hopes

She would be a liar if she said that she hadn't nearly just jumped out of her own skin. Her heart beat accelerated by the speed of light and Misha ran towards her bedroom. Everything around her seemed to be happening very, very slowly. Nothing was fast enough. Her legs felt like jelly and it occurred to Misha that this might be the most exercise she'd had in days.

I need to join that yoga group again, she found herself thinking.

Given any other situation, the evidence of how random she was would have laughed but the fact that Jack was probably in danger stopped her.

The first thing that came to her mind was Harley Quinn.

Bruce hadn't given her any importance but Alfred had cautioned her to expect her husband's crazy ex to be out to get him because well, he was not The Joker anymore.

She didn't know what to expect.

Honestly, she was expecting Harley Quinn to be there, trying to kill Jack.

What she saw, however, was completely different from the violent scenarios in her brain.

Jack was awake, yes, but he seemed to be settling back into bed.

"Are you alright?" she asked him as she entered their bedroom.

Jack frowned. "Yes, why?"

"I heard you scream," Misha said after a moment of silence. Since when did Jack shrug off things like bad dreams? Hadn't he once demanded Batman to appear- and yes, she'd managed to coax that one out of Bruce some time last week- because of a dream?

It was strange, to put it mildly.

Jack shook his head dismissively.

"It's nothing," he said.

Misha sat beside him. "Did you have a bad dream again?" she asked him very, very slowly.

Jack sighed before looking heavenwards.

"It's nothing," he repeated.

"It's got to be something," she told him, "you yelled kind of loudly. I got scared. What's up?"

"It wasn't supposed to be..." his voice trialled off.

"Jack, you can tell me."

"I know, I just don't want you to worry," he admitted.

"Is it something I should be worried about?" she asked him.

"No, I just-" He paused. "I've been having these weird dreams lately. It stopped when I left Arkham but ever since Harley got out of prison, it's been recurring."

"What's the dream about?" Misha asked.

"I keep dreaming that people the Joker swindled are coming after me," he told her.

"Oh," she said though that her thinking. She'd once read a book about how dreams were often premonitions of what could happen. Of course the idea itself was rather ridiculous- after all, if things worked that way, everyone would be a psychic.

"Is that all?"

"Yeah," Jack replied, "that's it." He looked around before yawning. "So," he asked, "What've you been up to?"


"I don't like what's happening," Misha said to Bruce the following workday.

"So even you think that Alden O'Connor shouldn't be removed," Bruce agreed, "I think so to. Do you want to talk to Charlie about that? I say we kick him out and convince Dan to come in. What do you say?"

Misha rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking about that, Bruce," she said, "though I do think that we should kick Charlie out. He's a nuisance to deal with."

Bruce grinned. "On it," he said before hanging up the phone.

Misha sighed before sliding her phone back into her bag and walking inside Wayne Enterprises. She was only past the reception area when she heard Charlie Bate's frustrated- and angry- growl.

"Fifteen years Wayne!" he was shouting as security took him out. "Fifteen years I put in this bloody hell hole! I'm so happy I helped the Cruises'! Fucking wasted my time here!"

Misha walked up to where Bruce was standing.

"Oh dear," she said, "he didn't take that well."

"He committed fraud too," he informed her, "We're going to see him in court soon. Make a note about that."

Misha nodded before getting on her tablet.

"Have you had breakfast?" he asked her.

"...uhh, yes?"

"Want a coffee?"

"God, yes."

"Okay. Come on."


"And in the news, Bruce Wayne was spotted with his gorgeous- yet controversial- secretary, Misha Alau'din-Napier at high end cafe, Caramel Company. Wayne frequently visits..."

His therapist, a much older man (though not as old as his previous therapist) named Dr Henry Abbott switched off the television. Jack sighed.

"You don't feel jealous at all you say," he went on, writing something onto his note pad.

"Yes," he replied, "we've talked about it. There's nothing. Wayne's getting over the death of his best friend and Misha's sort of the replacement. She told me."

"But Bruce wouldn't tell anyone that now would he?"

"No," Jack replied, "Misha's close to his butler, Alfred. He told her that."

"And does Misha trust this man?"

"Yeah, she does," he answered.

"And what about you?"

"I haven't met him yet. The only time I came into contact with him was as the Joker so I don't remember much of it. He's nice though. Sends me things I like when Misha isn't around."

"So he's like a father figure?"

"I'd say," he responded. Jack watched him write that down in his note pad.

"Pardon me Doctor," he went on, "but how is this related to my therapy?"

"I'm accessing your surroundings," he informed him, "if there's anything that makes you uncomfortable, anything you don't like- I need to know. You know, to see that it doesn't hinder your progress."

"Ah," Jack nodded. "My old therapists never did that."

"They were merely considering that you had a dual personality disorder," he went on, "I think it's more complex than that. If it was something as simple as that, the Joker would have been back in no time."

Jack visibly paled. "You think the Joker can come back?"

"Oh no, on the contrary, I believe you can control the Joker. You can make him come back," he said, "you just don't know how."

"Well, that's problem than isn't it?" Jack asked him.

"Not really, imagine if you learned to control the Joker. He's feared by criminals. You could turn this city around. You could be the mole in the criminal system and put an end to all the crimes in Gotham."

"That sounds incredible."

"It can be done."

"Really?" Jack questioned. "How?"

"It'll be difficult," the doctor admitted.

"I don't care," Jack was quick to say. After all, how could he bring himself to care? To him, it seemed like a way to redeem himself. Undo all the wrong he'd done. It was like a golden opportunity had been given to him and he was willing to go through it.

"Okay then," the good doctor went on, "I can add an additional hour to your weekly visits and we'll see."

Jack nodded, smiling.

His chance had finally come. Gotham would see that he wasn't just some mad man. He was more than that. Better than that.


Once seated, Bruce turned his attention back to her.

"You were saying something?"

Misha raised a brow. "What?"

"Earlier today, you said something wasn't right."

"Oh yeah," she said, "Jack. Something's up."

Bruce sighed. "You know I really think you need a distraction."

Misha frowned. "Huh?"

"You're always worrying about him. He's your husband, Misha."

"That's exactly why I should be worrying about him," she answered immediately.

"Okay, before we proceed- can I say that you're a control freak?"

"Coming from another control freak, I'd take it," she retorted.

Bruce smiled. "Okay, now what's the problem?"

"He's having those dreams again," she told him.

"The ones he called me for?"

"Yes."

He thought for a few minutes. "You think it's got something to do with what's happening?"

"Yes, because it stopped after he left Arkham."

"Hmm," Bruce pondered for a few minutes, "something's happening- you think so. I think so. Wanna get Alfred's opinion on this?"

"Yes, of course."

"Seems like we won't get anything done today after all," Bruce stated as he punched Alfred's number on his phone.