Robert answered his phone, "Hello?"
"Rob?" Monica answered, "You still have Nancy?"
"Yeah," he said. He ran his fingers through his thinning hair.
"'Kay. Where are you?" she asked.
"At the police station," he said, "Watching the Joker with Nancy-"
"You're letting my daughter near that freak?!" Monica screeched.
Robert held the phone away from his ear.
"What'd I do?" the Joker asked.
Nancy smiled, "Nothing probably. Just being alive pisses my mom off."
The Joker pouted at her and giggled at the face she made at him.
Robert shook his head at them, "She's fine Mon', she's with me. She's safe..." he paused. "Since when did you care about Nancy?" he hissed harshly.
He walked away and continued to exchange quiet, angry words with his sister. Nancy's smile faded and she looked at the floor. The Joker sat down on the floor in front of her and pouted a little. He looked up at Robert -he wasn't happy- then back at Nancy, she wasn't happy either. Nancy clasp her hands together and closed her eyes.
"Disown. Disown. Disown," she said, "Disown me. I have a car. I'll live with Rob. I'll get a part-time job. I'll help pay the bills. All I have to do is go home and pack. It won't take me but 20 minutes. I'll get my stuff and get out. Disown me. Disown me. Disown me..." she kept saying.
"You can come live with me when I get out!" the Joker suggested happily.
Nancy looked at him for a second then closed her eyes again, "I'll live with the Joker," she said, "I have a car. I'll get a job..." she repeated.
"Oh yay!" the Joker exclaimed. "Nancy's gonna live with me now!" He clapped his hands together and stood up with a grin.
Nancy looked up at him with a crocked smile. He froze again.
'I have to get used to that sooner or later,' he thought to himself.
Robert had just started to walk over to them when his phone buzzed. He turned on his heel and answered it. It was Jim Gordon.
"So Nancy," the Joker asked. "what kinda music-ah you got that lil' music thingy you got there?"
Nancy blinked and reached for her bag, pulling out her head phones, "Lots," she said with a shy little smile. She set the headphones over her head and turned the iPod on. She clicked through it, telling several music artist's to shut their faces in the process. She stopped on one song and set her headphones around her neck. She clicked one of the buttons, the volume, and held it. The song Live and Let Die by Wings soon filled the whole room. Robert looked over his shoulder and nodded his approval at her. She grinned at him.
"Who sings it?" Robert whispered back at her.
"Paul McCartney!" she whispered.
Robert gave her the thumbs up and went back to talking to Jim. The Joker shook his head in amazement at her.
"I know more bands from the 1950's through the '80's then I do modern bands," she declared to him proudly.
"That's impressive," the Joker said. He thought a moment, "name a song by... Guns 'n' Roses."
"Welcome to the Jungle," she said, crossing her arms.
"Def Leppard," he said.
"Pour Some Sugar on Me-," she started.
"Don't mind if I do..." the Joker mumbled. Nancy's face changed color, but she continued.
"Hysteria, Love Bites, Let's Get Rocked-" she said again.
"That sounds nice, too," the Joker giggled.
Nancy's face changed colors again. Robert walked over to them and sat down.
"Jim'll be here soon," he said, "It wasn't pretty."
"I can imagine," Nancy said. "What did my mom say?"
Robert sighed, "She wants me to hold on to you until tomorrow... which is technically today," he said, "But you know what I mean."
"So she didn't disown me?" Nancy asked.
"No," he said. "Sorry."
Nancy looked at the Joker, "Sorry Joker," she said.
He dropped his head and pouted a little, "Damn," he said, "I was looking forward to blowing shit up with you..."
"Some other time,"she said with a smile. "Okay Joker?"
"Promise?" he asked looking at her like a big scary puppy.
She huffed a laugh and said, "Promise."
"Shake on it?" he asked with grin.
Nancy laughed again. "If it were possible," she said. She motioned toward Robert and smiled, "But I doubt Robert would appreciate that very much."
"I'd appreciate it..." the Joker said.
Nancy smiled at him. He licked his lips and looked away. She looked at him, a little confused, then shrugged it off. She looked back at Robert, he was leaning his tired head against his hand. His eyes were closed. Nancy grinned. He was asleep. She looked at the Joker and then back at Robert again. She was going to break the rules.
She cleared her throat, the Joker looked up at her. She nodded back at Robert and grinned. The Joker got it. Nancy leaned forward and extended her hand, the Joker did the same. The Joker's hand was especially warm when Nancy shook it. When she drew back she swallowed.
"Thats a lovely shade of red your face has turned," the Joker whispered, as to not wake up Robert.
Nancy's face got redder.