"Jess I don't know if meeting him right now is a good idea," Sticks began anxiously. But now Jessie had little to no patience, and every single word Sticks was saying began to get on her last nerve.
Tell him to shut up. He's wasting time.
"Shut up, Sticks, you're wasting time," Jessie snapped, already leaving the room. Sticks looked very uncomfortable then.
"Wait, what are you gonna do about Lana? Just leave her here? I think not," he tried again.
True.
"We can take her up with us," Jessie mumbled. She was already halfway out the door and into the small dingy stairway where a lift stood to their right. Sticks ran back in, got Lana, and ran out again, locking the door.
"Where are we going?" Lana asked quietly, clutching his hand in her own little palms. Sticks glanced down at her and just gave her a look that said 'don't worry about it'.
"What floor?"
Top floor, go to the top floor.
"Try-" But Jessie had already chosen the penthouse option and stepped inside of the large metal box.
It's time.
Her stomach was twisting and turning as she patiently waited for Sticks and Lana to step in.
Time to question him.
She took the crumpled letter from her pocket and ran her hands over the creases lightly, a little apprehensive and the nerves taking over all of her senses. It petrified her.
Time to ask him why he left you.
This journey to the top of the building was the longest she had ever experienced.
Why he left you in that hell hole for all this time.
TING!
The doors opened. Sticks and Lana stepped out first, Jessie after.
The surroundings had changed. There was the sound of a fax machine in one room and the sound of typing in another. In one of the rooms down at the bottom of the hallway there was the sound of some form of conference. The offices were professional, clean and extraordinarily smart.
"We must be in the wrong place," Sticks hissed, peering through the blinds of the first few offices and seeing nothing of interest. "We must…"
"Can I help you?" came a female voice from behind them. They spun around and saw a short blonde woman with shoulder length straight hair and rather plump lips. She was wearing a smart black suit.
Then something strange happened.
"MUMMY!" Lana screamed in delight, running toward her. The lady's face lit up like a Christmas tree and she opened up her arms wide, catching Lana in them.
PLOT TWIST.
"Oh my beautiful baby! I am so glad to see you! Who brought you here? Oh Lana you look awful, where's that bastar-"
Wahey, mother who hates father finds long lost child who she left with the man she hates – and that, kiddies, is why we hate adults.
"These people helped me," Lana told her mother excitedly, still clinging onto her. Lana's mother looked over to Jessie and Sticks, who looked more than merely confused.
"We found her in the street with her dad, who was basically abusing the crap outta her," Sticks crossed his arms.
"Thank you," the lady breathed. "I left her with him for a while and then never came back because of new job opportunities. I was meant to return but I just couldn't face him."
SO YOU LEFT THE FOUR YEAR OLD WITH HIM. OH, THAT MAKES SENSE.
You moron.
"Yes well you've got her back now, please keep her safe," Sticks forced a grin, feeling Jessie tense next to him.
"I'm taking her home as soon as this day is over. Oh I am so glad," then the woman started to cry, kissing the top of Lana's head repeatedly. Jessie felt a little sad then.
Strangely.
She felt like she had a connection with Lana. She felt responsible for her and felt a connection…
No emotions, don't get hurt. Easy.
"Do you know where a man called Jack Napier is, please?" Sticks cut to the chase, now very happy that they had been rid of the child.
"Jacques? He's in the office right at the end of the hall," the lady nudged her head, standing up straight. "You'll walk in and see Harlene, then from there she'll show you in." Jessie said nothing, she just turned around and went in that direction.
"Thanks. Bye Lana!" Sticks gave a friendly wave to the little girl who gave a timid yet sad wave back. Jessie slowly crept into the biggest office at the end of the hall where the constant sound of typing took place. She knocked on the door.
"Come in," came a sweet voice. Jessie opened the door and rushed inside. Harlene blinked at her and then her eyes glinted, fixing her own strawberry blonde hair and her stripy shirt. "Hello, how can I help?"
"Is this where Jack – I mean Jacques Napier is?" Jessie could barely get the words out of her dry mouth. Harlene sat up straight.
"I'm sorry…can I take your name?"
Lie.
Jessie opened her mouth to say something off the top of her head, but
"Jess, there you are," Sticks burst in, panting. "Seen your dad yet?"
Oh if I could kill him right now.
"Jess?" Harlene stood up slowly. "Jessie?"
Ah crap.
"Where's Jack Napier?" Jessie pressed on, not answering the questions.
"He's not here right now," Harlene said slowly. "He's not okay."
"What do you mean he's not okay?" Jessie repeated quickly.
She's lying to you and you know she's lying to you.
Harlene quickly stood up and brushed past Jessie and Sticks, into the hallway to make sure nobody was close. When she was satisfied that no one could hear the conversation, she walked back into the office and slammed the door shut behind her, locking it. Jessie and Sticks just blinked at her.
"Jack is in an asylum," Harlene broke the news apologetically.
"The Clink?" Sticks guessed miserably.
"That's not what it's called anymore." Jessie and Sticks glanced at each other.
Jessie this doesn't seem right..
I've been saying that for a while now.
Go back to bed you goody two shoes, no one cares.
Oh get lost
I cannot wait to kill you.
Likewise.
"Jess?" Sticks brought her back down to earth. "Do you wanna go and visit him?"
No.
Yes, get it over and done with.
You just said it didn't seem right.
I can change my mind, can I not? Go for it Jessie.
…
Jack sat in his cell, tactically planning what he had to do. His makeup was off his face since the plan was to obviously keep Jessie believing that he was somewhat normal. Jack believed he was normal anyway, just 'ahead of the curve.' Once he was called out by the guards, he took a deep breath and left the padded place, walking into the single room with dark grey stone walls that Jessie and Sticks were sitting in. As soon as he walked in, Jessie's mind started to scream.
Remember him now?!
This is your chance to ask questions you wimp, don't screw it up.
Jack sat opposite Jessie and Sticks, his eyes completely locked with his daughter's. Sticks reached for Jessie's hand and held it, and for once she didn't pull away.
Heart beating, throat dry.
Hand's shaking.
Help.
"Well..." his voice broke through the thick layer of silence. "Well, well, well." Jessie's gulped and tried to speak but got nowhere. "Jess. You cracked the code. You got this gist. You understood the underwhelming test. You did it. And I am…proud." He looked the same – just longer hair and his cheekbones were more defined. Those glorious scars were bolder than ever.
"Where have you been?"
Was that you?
Huh?
For a split second, Jessie did believe that it was her that said those words. But once she stepped out of her daze dream-like state, she realised that it was Sticks, who looked frustrated.
"Excuse me?" Jack raised his eyebrows at the young lad.
"You've left her to struggle and cope on her own for all these years without so much as an apology," Sticks spat.
"Sticks," Jessie croaked.
"Shut up Jess, let me handle it," Sticks whispered back to her. Jack was just staring at the boy in wonder, like he couldn't believe he was speaking.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" he cocked his head to the side.
"It's none of your business and it shouldn't concern you, I would like you to talk to your daughter instead of sending cryptic clues that made us go homeless and walk around half of Gotham to find you!" Sticks snapped, those eyes of him going dangerously dark.
"Aren't you a lot of fun? Great friends you made there, Jess," Jack nodded, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Jessie had to speak up now.
"Dad," she began timidly. Sticks turned to her and Jack blinked at her, waiting for her to continue.
"Daughter," he said in the same type of voice.
"It's good to see you again," Jessie tried again. Jack took some form of pity on her then.
"That place really took a toll on you didn't it?" he tutted, like he was actually concerned.
"Well I'm glad you've noticed that," Sticks rolled his dark eyes, throwing his hands into the air in frustration.
"I apologise," Jack continued. "But now you're out – how did you get out?"
"I had to do it!" Sticks yelped.
"Sticks, be quiet," Jessie begged hm. Sticks closed his mouth and clenched his jaw, counting to five in his head.
"How are you doing, Jess?" Jack asked her quietly. Jessie couldn't tear her eyes away from the stitching on each corner of his mouth.
"Fine. I'm doing just fine. How long have you been in this place for?"
"Not long, I come in and out, depending on how they think my 'mental state' is. But I need to get outta here, I can't stay much longer," Jack pleaded with her. Jessie's eyes grew wide.
"Why? What's happening?"
"I change into a different person," Jack hissed, running his hand through his curly but long hair. "I change and I go absolutely insane-"
WELL THAT EXPLAINS SO MUCH.
"Time up," the guard announced, beginning to get Jack up again. Jessie gasped.
"No, please give us a little more time, I need it!" she pleaded, feeling a little choked up. She had all this time with him and didn't even get the questions she needed to out.
"You can visit again tomorrow. Bring Harlene with you, she'll explain-" Then he was shoved out of the room, leaning Sticks and Jessie sitting there, a little confused on what the hell just happened.
A/N: The action starts now. And in the next chapter, Jessie meets her father as the Joker! This is what everyone's waiting for, gonna be a lot of fun to write! (I hope!)
- Jx