Oh I am one happy, happy writer! You guys are so amazing you don't get how grateful I am to you all! This chapter is more background info on James and Maddie and starts off where the last chapter ended. My leg is still in bad shape so I think I'll be sticking to writing this rather than dancing; thanks for all your best wishes. Enjoy this chapter! Feels-Like-Paradise.

Chapter 10: The Truth Is Out There...And It Hurts

We're all guilty of something, even if it's just little things we are at the end of the day guilty. We hide things, we lie we do things we're not proud of, that may come back to haunt us if we're not careful. Life is very beautiful at times, but all it takes is a wrong turn and everything can fall down; pretty much like dominoes. Jane is guilty of never being able to eat just one biscuit-it has to be the whole damn pack, Alfred likes the occasional glass of whiskey, Bruce goes fishing, James practises his target practise and me? I'm guilty of being blind to the fact that my relationship isn't healthy; that I'm slowly killing myself and need to get out fast. It's hard there are no excuses, people are different, people develop, and people lash out. Sometimes we hurt the people we love the most whether it's on purpose or not. We are all guilty of hurt. Some are guiltier than others. I don't make excuses; it's hard to explain, to understand what is happening. Now can you see why I've allowed the Joker to enter my life? I need rescuing, an outsiders view, someone who is impartial and will scratch under the surface to see what really lies beneath.

(Joker's pov at hospital)

"Tell me now."

"James, he hurt Maddie."

He knows that he isn't perfect; he has hurt Maddie but he would never do what he did. It may sound rich coming from a murderer but at least he's true to himself and everyone around him; James plays the role of good cop and perfect guy when really he's pathetic.

Joker stands up, the woman looks up and continues to explain, "Maddie wants to be loved and be happy, and we all thought she was getting that with James. We're just as much to blame as he is."

He wants to tell her no, she tried but he doesn't want to give her the satisfaction, he wants blood on his hands.

Just as he's about to leave her remembers and pulls the envelope out of one of his many pockets and throws it at her, "Here, share these out with Brucey of you want, have a show and tell!" He brings out a flat laugh, his thoughts racing too much to make the effort. He doesn't really know much about the Cop guy; he never really needed to make the effort to get to know him, but now he has a desire to get to know him, find out things and chip away at him bit by bit. This isn't about jealousy, it's about revenge.

Bruce's POV

There's finally news of Maddie, Jane dropped off pictures at the manor, simply saying she found them on her desk at the hospital. In them her eyes are closed; she's not dead, that much he finally knows, it's just angering to have the Joker taking pictures of her when she's sleeping. It's odd though she looks almost...content? On the other hand his sister can sleep anywhere and still have a good night's sleep. She was safe; he could almost laugh with relief. James was proving to be pretty damn useless; his behaviour is getting increasingly erratic as the weeks go on, according to Gordon his work is also suffering. Bruce has more matters to contend with, soon enough the net will be closing in on the Joker, it will be hard for Maddie to deal with the aftermath no one can even imagine what he could be doing to her; they could both use a holiday, somewhere hot and faraway to help heal them both. The pictures he'll keep to himself, he doesn't need, doesn't want James to be involved.

Joker's POV

The Joker knows he has not been to the apartment since last week, when he most likely found the pictures he'd taken and the little gift he'd left him. Leaving his men in the other rooms he walks into the bedroom and starts looking, one of the drawers in the Cop's desk is locked so he has to work it open. The scars round his mouth are close to splitting when he grins as he sees what the content of the drawer is. CCTV images of him, different notes on where he could be and his old hideouts and well well, what do we have here? Pages copied from his 'Maddie' file, which means he has a mole to be getting rid of. One of the new guys obviously; they haven't seen him in action yet, he hasn't killed one of his men since he got Maddie. Well there about to figure out just what happens when you betray the Joker, especially to a dirty cop.

Maddie's POV

The constant questions about the scar bother me; why wouldn't they when I know the truth. I've managed to hide it this long from Bruce why did he have to be the one to find out? Accidents happen; this is what I use to tell myself over and over again as I washed the blood out of my hair or off my body, as I watched the water turn red in anger. Although we all know it wasn't an accident, it's time to come clean, to face up to what we fear. Jack freaked out because he knew I was lying, as I said before he knows when people lie to him, he can see through everyone. I'm sat on the bathroom floor when I hear him calling for me, I stand up slowly and walk into the bedroom, smiling when he walks into the room; he makes his way over to me taking my face in his hands looking at me dead on; I feel like a rabbit caught in headlights.

"I found out something interesting today," he announces like a child discovering a secret.

I smile in what I hope is a normal, casual way "Oh yeah what would that be then?"

He doesn't answer me; instead he traces my back and comes to a rest where he knows the scar is. He knows, of course he knows, I panic.

"I visited your good pal Janie today and boy did we have fun! I told her something but you know who told the best story? Huh?" I don't answer, choosing to ignore him.

"ANSWER ME!" I'm petrified; the last time he yelled at me like this was weeks ago it was bad enough then.

"I don't know, please stop yelling at me now" God knows where my confidence has come from, I hate confrontations and fighting.

He pushes me to the bed, ensuring I land softly.

"You asked me not to lie anymore to you, so what do you do to me? I've given you everything, I will do anything for you and you still hide things from me!" He keeps pacing back and forth, I don't know what his problem is, it hardly slips off the tongue.

"I have told you things, I don't give you an answer once and this is how you react, I don't like to talk about it, I don't want to talk about it. It hurts too much; I've given up things for you as well, think about that."

His reply is to laugh; it's high pitched and I'm suddenly well aware of his changing moods and what he could still easily do to me.

"I've killed my men for less you know? But no I can't do anything to you without feeling something and I hate it, this isn't me, I hate this guy that's around you. I should have killed you weeks ago when I had the chance."

"So why didn't you? I obviously have changed you into something you hate; you can't even say you love me to me, what kind of man can't do that..."

I shouldn't have said it, I knew as soon as I said it I regretted it, pain flashes in his eyes and he moves forward, his hands clenched by his side.

"I don't have a habit of saying things like that to people, who could I really say it to before you came along. Now here's a question for you what type of man goes hitting on his girlfriend when he's suppose to be against that? When he drinks a little too much or has a bad day at work? I may have done bad things to you doll, but at least I don't pretend everything is ok, at least I know I'm a dick." He's right, as always he's right and I want to punch that smug look off his face.

"Who would have believed me? I'm just some stupid blonde that people think got through med school by sleeping with her professor. Who would believe me over some cop who protects the city, who protects women against this?" He licks his lips nervously now, damn right he should be sorry, he reaches for me and I push him away.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, no idea! This is the reason why I didn't tell you; aside from the fact it's none of your business. Don't talk to me about things you know nothing about!"

He doesn't move once during my outburst, just stands there; I'm right and wrong at the same time, he does have a right to care.

"Everyone thought our relationship was perfect, but it was all just a lie, I've spent five years with him, what am I suppose to do? It's not easy to walk away, life isn't about glitz and glamour, it's supposed to be hard."

I let him come to me this time, for years I've rationalized his behaviour to myself; he had a hard childhood, look what his dad was, he has a stressful work life, no one has a right to judge someone else, the usual lies and excuses people make when this kind of situation rears its ugly head. It's a moral dilemma that you cannot ignore; most know the resolution that will eventually come clear. When I was younger my mother and father died; I had to grow up fast, even more so when Bruce left. While Bruce was known for his womanizing antics, I maintained the polished front of the youngest over achieving child. My true personality never emerged; I only knew that my hard work and good looks gave me compliments; I use to eat them up, every time I was told I was I pretty, over and over again I stored the memory of that away, I became the person people wanted me to be, never really understanding the person I was. My reason for telling you all this? I want to try and understand myself try and get why I invested myself in this co-dependent relationship with James. He made me believe I could never live without him and I always believed that; cried for hours if he had to stay behind at work. I even stayed with him when he had an affair with his partner (such a cliché) when in any normal circumstance I would have broke both of their legs so next time they wouldn't spread them so easily. Don't mistake me for wanting pity; I've had enough of that. When you're depressed and alone you don't pay a lot of attention to the world around you, or the people in it, you want to be totally alone; there are things you want to scream out but there buried so deep inside it's an effort to drag them to the surface. During these past few weeks I've felt something I'd never know before; freedom and release. Life no longer seems such an effort or a facade, there will be the day I have to leave and when I do I don't want to go back to being the person I was. Like I said we are all guilty.

Phew I hope this chapter wasn't too 'dark' for you all, I wanted to make Maddie seem real and have problems instead of her being 'perfect'. I believe in giving a character that little something else and I hope I've done that justice here. I've already written the next chapter and there's a lot more 'going on' than in this one, I just wanna see how this is received before I go posting up next chapters. And James is gonna be in trouble- his got a peeved off Joker after him! Thanks again guys- old and new for all your reviews, questions as always are more than welcome. It always makes me smile to see old and new reviewers comments, as a writer knowing my story is being well received so far is great, it's obviously not to everyone's liking though I didn't expect it to be, but I thank you all! There's too many of you to write down this time but you all know who you are! I think I've gone off on one for too long so before you switch off bye and take care!