If Joker had been annoyed and then frustrated by Willow's silent treatment and her attempts to ignore him, he had no idea what he would use to describe what he felt at this point. It seemed as though Willow had suddenly discovered a confidence streak within herself, and now she only spoke to Joker when he forced her to. During the car rides through the rest of Alabama, and the lower halves of Mississippi and Louisiana, she had permanently given up her front seat rights to Joey so she could curl up in the corner behind Joker and stare blankly out of the window, Joker only able to see the top of her head from the rear view mirror. She kept herself busy with smoking cigarette after cigarette and taking time with consuming her random drinks and snacks, and Joker, unable to help but to glance into the mirror more often than occasionally, noticed that she did everything in her power to keep her gaze away from him.
But as if the truck rides were annoying enough, motel life was worse. Willow took nearly half hour showers, doing all she could to avoid Joker, and once he heard the water shut off, Willow would not come out of the bathroom or the sink area around the corner for at least another hour after. When it came down to it, she slept as far away from Joker as possible, her body positioned at the very edge of the bed, which gave Joker plenty of room to sprawl out, like he use to love to do before Willow had come around. But her lack of attention toward him was starting to force him to realize all that he had become accustomed to...
He did not stretch out his long limbs at night, and rather, due to it being how he comfortably learned how to sleep, he stayed only on his side of the bed, regardless of all the room Willow left him with. He did not bother to find her gaze in the mirror anymore, for he knew she'd never meet it. He did not bother to leave any more smart comments or even try to speak to her, for he knew her lack of reply would cause him to do something rash. And for some God awful reason or another, he simply just did not want to kill her.
Sure, he had mused the idea in his mind the first night Willow had done all she could to distance herself from him in the bed, and he knew exactly how he would do it. A knife to the throat as she slept, just like her uncle, and in the morning he and Joey would simply leave her body behind. But even this murder idea was soft, much too soft for his comfort. Why do it when she was sleeping? Why not torture her like he had originally planned; fill her up with pain, make her think the worst is over when really, looming around the corner, is his knife? The thoughts were never complete, and Joker could not bring himself to finish them.
Joker did not want to kill her. For a while killing her had been out of the question. All he had wanted to do was show her the truth, make her realize he was not bound to her. They were not in a relationship. But if this was the case, why did it feel like they were suddenly, even on his part? The thought made him nearly sick to his stomach. Willow was acting like a nagging girlfriend who had just been cheated on, and Joker couldn't stand it. Part of him wanted to explain things to her, actually sit down and have a civilized conversation with her, but on the other hand he just wanted to let it go and say fuck it. Over time he'd get use to this and Willow's new-found predicament, and in time he'd accept it. But then again, why should he? What, honestly, was Willow good for toward his operations? Before, she had only been there as a pretty face to look at, and a body to go wild for. She had once been useful for sex, and someone who was good at putting up with Joker's somewhat lighthearted put downs. In Detroit she proved herself as a somewhat good cook, someone could actually keep together an apartment room. She had learned what Joker's boundaries were, and Joker had once admired her ability to never cross them. But now, all because of one, stupid girl, she had daringly crossed his boundaries, and now he was forced to realize that if he wasn't fucking her or playing nice with a wide grin, Willow was useless.
She couldn't aim and fire a gun. Her knife work was sloppy. She was loud, unable to tiptoe and sneak around. Her mind and stomach were weak, unable to fathom even the simplest of sick stories and deeds, and she acted without thinking more often than not. With a growl, inaudible due to the blaring hard rock music that played throughout the Tahoe now as Joker drove on, he realized – the more and more he thought about the issue – he was just giving himself more reason to just rid himself of Willow for good. He couldn't help himself from lifting his eyes from the road to glance into the rear view mirror at Willow, who was stretched out on the seat in a lying position, her back in the corner of the seat and door as she stared at the dry, Texas fields go by. She wore dark, denim shorts and a white tank top, a black bra underneath, and as Joker's eyes slowly wandered down her body he decided that if he was going to kill her, he wouldn't do so until he could rapture her body one last, final time.
With a sigh, Willow made the mistake of turning her head slightly to the front, her eyes instantly going to the mirror, a terrible habit she had acquired during the last couple of days. But her heart dropped into her stomach once her eyes met Joker's in the reflection, and for the first time in days she held his contact. His eyes were heavy, tired, his facial expression flat and annoyed, while her eyes held sadness and anger, her expression flat as well, and as they stared at each other neither realized Joker had started to steer right off of the road. In an instant Joey had leaned over, his fingers wrapping around the wheel below Joker's hand, and he jerked the wheel to the left to correct the truck. With a start both Willow and Joker looked back to the road, and Joker closed his eyes tight before they popped back open while Willow sat up in the seat, her heart racing. Joey turned down the radio.
"Way to nearly kill us, Jack," he said as he leaned back. Joker rolled his eyes.
"We wouldn't have died, Joseph," Joker hissed, venom in his voice, but he easily let the issue go. "You guys hungry?"
"I'm starving," Joey answered quickly. Joker did not bother to ask Willow directly, and instead he lifted his eyes back to the mirror, surprised when he found her gaze yet again. But just as quickly as he had found it he glanced back to the road, and with a roll of her eyes Willow looked back out of the window.
About twenty minutes later, after getting off at an exit, Joker was parking the truck at the side of a Village Inn. Silently, the three got out of the truck and headed toward the front door, Joey leading while Willow lingered in the back, her eyes focused on the ground in front of her.
The aroma of pancakes and burgers, an odd combination that smelled rather delicious, overtook the restaurant, and as Willow inhaled the scent she finally realized how hungry she really was. The hostess, a young brunette woman with thin lips and a wide smile, stared at Joey as he took his sunglasses off.
"Good afternoon," she greeted politely. "How many? Th... three?" Her smile weakened just as her eyes fell onto Joker, her light blue orbs instantly narrowing onto his scars. Joker noticed this, and normally one to grin back upon witnessing the transition of ease to nervousness from a person once they noticed them, he held back, and instead turned around to stare at the display of pie in the giant glass case to his left.
"Yeah," Joey answered now as he hung his glasses on the collar of black t-shirt, and without another word the hostess grabbed three menus and led the group through the restaurant and to a booth located near the back of the building. They stopped behind the hostess awkwardly, and as she moved to the side to wait for them to be seated, Willow firmly stood her ground, and she glanced up at Joey, waiting to see where he was going to sit. Finally, after realizing how pathetic they were all acting, Joker slid into one side of the booth with a loud sigh, and just when Joey moved to sit down across from him, foolishly thinking Willow was going to sit by Joker, she made a small, squeaky noise of protest. Joey rolled his eyes as he leaned out of the booth again, and he shot the hostess a slightly annoyed look.
"I gotta sit at the end, girl," he said as he looked back to Willow, and he tilted his head to the side as he motioned with his hand for Willow to slide in on his side closest to the wall. She quickly did so, and as Joey finally sat down again Joker glanced up to the hostess as she quickly went about laying down the menus on the table.
"So sorry about the uh, show," Joker said as he quickly raised his eyebrows, turning to glance at Willow and Joey from under the ridge of his eyebrows once he lowered them, and in a growl he added, "I'm sure you know how children can be."
"Cute," Joey said back as he tilted his head to the side, his eyes fixed on Joker's, and finally with a roll of his eyes he opened up the menu to glance inside it. Willow was glaring at Joker, and once he grinned at her she could not help the shock that ran up her spine. The hostess laughed nervously, and without bothering to announce who their waiter was or when he or she would be coming around, she quickly turned to head back to her post. Joker glanced over his shoulder, watching her quick retreat, and he mumbled a quick 'hmm' to himself as he turned around. He leaned back against the booth and placed his ankle on his knee underneath the table, and finally opened up his own menu.
"Perhaps a restaurant was not the best place to go?" Joey asked smartly as he turned the menu's plastic pocketed page, and he glanced up to his friend from over it.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I can only take so much fast food. Besides, I'm trying to watch my manly figure," Joker added sarcastically, his eyes raising up in Willow's direction. He lowered them quickly, however, after a quick second of watching her flip through the mini pie menu on the table, her face expressionless. Tough crowd, he bitterly thought to himself.
"Your girlish figure," Joey repeated flatly. "That's... odd."
"Yep," Joker said simply as he placed his menu flat on the table before leaning back to stretch his arms out on either side of him. "Because, you know, I gotta impress the-" He stopped short, his breath hitching in his throat as he slowly lowered his arms, and despite his best efforts his eyes instantly flew to Willow, an odd feeling overcoming him once he saw she was glaring back him through the hair that fallen in her face. He could not bring himself to finish his sarcastic reply, and what's worse was that he actually didn't want to, for he knew this was not the best thing to say, especially after what had happened. But what was more important, why did he care so much? He finally closed his mouth, and this time he was first to revert his gaze away just as their waitress stepped up to their table.
"Good afternoon, my name is Cassandra and I'll be talking care of you guys. Can I get you all started with something to drink?" Her dark brown eyes instantly lowered onto Joey's, and she couldn't help but grin back after Joey had grinned at her.
"Orange juice," Joker blurted from the other side of the table as he stared down at the menu again. Without a word the waitress quickly scribbled down the drink onto the paper, a small shock running up her spine upon noticing Joker's scars, before her eyes traveled back to Joey's.
"Get me a strawberry limeade," he said smoothly, watching as the waitress jotted down his order with another grin before she glanced over to Willow.
"And for you?" She asked.
"Chocolate milk," Willow replied, and with another grin the waitress jotted this down as well.
"Are you guys ready to order? Or do you need a few more minutes."
"A few more minutes," Joey said, and once the waitress turned to retrieve the drinks, Joey turned to Willow. "Chocolate milk?"
"Yeah," Willow answered simply.
"You shoulda' seen her in Detroit," Joker said as he turned the page on the menu. "All she drank were those... woo-hoo, chocolate milk, kid... juice box things."
"It's Yoo-Hoo," Willow corrected before she even realized she had opened her mouth, and a short, awkward silence descended over the table once Joker lifted his eyes to stare somewhat murderously into hers. Despite her anger towards him, Willow's heart started to race as she stared at him, until finally Joker glanced back down.
"Well excuse me," he said. "Yoo-Hoo. My sincerest apologies."
A short, quiet snort of laughter escaped from Willow, despite her best efforts, and she was unable to wipe the grin from her face before Joker looked up to her. He cocked an eyebrow, watching as she forced herself to frown, before he finally gave her a crooked grin of his own.
"I hate that shit," Joey said. "My mom would always pack those in my lunch when I was kid, and I'd sell them for a buck each day at school." Joey grinned proudly while Joker rolled his eyes.
"That is so like you, Joseph," Joker retorted. "My mom wouldn't pack me a lunch or give me money, so instead I stole food from the cafeteria. On the days I was there..."
"That isso like you, Jack," Joey repeated with a grin, but Willow, unable to help but stare at Joker as he read over the menu again, was surprise by his comment about his childhood. She liked to think she was still furious at him, with no hope of forgiving, but yet, as she continued to stare at him, she couldn't help but sadly picture a young Joker moping into the kitchen, only to see no plastic lunchbox on the counter, before he turned to head school. More than likely she figured this was not the case. Joker, even then, was probably a mastermind when it came to stealing, but at the same time she couldn't help but to wish his privation of motherly-packed lunchboxes had taken some depressing toll on him, just to prove he actually was capable of feeling true human emotions. Had it been any other time, Willow would gave gladly expressed her questions of further investigation, but now was not the time.
After Cassandra had come with their drinks, and after she took their orders, in which Willow got shot two terrible stares from Joker and Joey about her choice of a kid's grilled cheese, the waitress collected their menus and headed back to the kitchen. Joker gently ripped off the very end of the straw wrapper and glanced up deviously to Willow as he placed the exposed straw in between his lips. Willow, who had just opened her own straw and placed it into her chocolate milk glass, had just leaned over to take a sip when suddenly Joker swiftly blew down in his straw, causing the rest of the long wrapper to project out like a bullet and hit Willow forcibly right in the middle of her forehead. She flinched as she leaned back, chocolate milk spilling from out of her straw, mid-sip, and as Joker laughed, the loud giggles catching the attention of people sitting around him, she glanced up at him while she quickly wiped away the liquid around her lips. Willow continued to glare at him, but as he now placed his elbow on the table to point a finger at her, Willow felt herself die a little inside when she couldn't help but to crack a grin. As if it's really that funny, she tried to sourly think to herself, but as Joker's laughter started to die down, her grin, unfortunately, expanded the more she thought about.
"I haven't done that in years," Joker said as he shook his head, only to suddenly be hit on the nose with Joey's straw wrapper, and upon glancing up he stared at Joey, and he grinned as he placed his own straw back into the glass.
"Me either," Joey said as Joker went about picking up the wrapper, and after he balled it up in between his index and thumb finger, Willow unknowingly doing the same with hers, he tossed it at Joey, laughing when it landed perfectly into his drink.
"Jack," Joey hissed as he fished it out, and with another grin he tossed the soaked paper back to Joker, only for it to land lamely on the booth next to him. Joker had just leaned forward with a final grin when he suddenly felt something land in his hair, and upon looking up he noticed Willow staring at him, her expression seeming as though she had just been caught in the act of something bad. His eyes never leaving contact with hers, he reached his hand up to the top of his head to feel around, and once he felt the balled up wrapper stuck in his messy hair in the middle of his scalp, he simply shrugged as he lowered his hand down. He grinned at Willow, the smile expanding once she grinned back, and anger burned inside of her as she forced herself to look away. Smiling at him was unacceptable.
A good ten to fifteen minutes later, Joey was relieved once he saw Cassandra making her way over with their food, and the second she set down a large stack of pancakes and bacon in front of him, he wasted no time with instantly pouring on the syrup. Cassandra tried to ignore Joker's scars as she set down his giant BLT sandwich in front of him, and instead her eyes focused on the straw wrapped in his hair.
"You, um... have something in your hair," she pointed out as she forced a smile, trying to keep her nerves under control, though she couldn't understand her desire to point this out for him. Willow instantly glanced up as Joker turned to look up at the waitress with a grin.
"Oh, I know," he said brightly as he reached his hand up to remove the paper from his hair. "It's like a souvenir, you see. A remembrance of the day I finally got her to smile at me again." He glanced over to Willow from under the ridge of his eyebrows as he pointed a lose finger at her, and with furrowed eyebrows she glanced to Cassandra just as she glanced to her, an eyebrow cocked. "Do you have a pen?" Joker went on to ask as he unrolled the wrapper, and he grinned when Cassandra glanced back to him.
"Yeah," she said uneasily as he handed Joker a pen from her apron. Joey took another bite of his pancakes as he watched, an eyebrow cocked, while Joker quickly jotted something down on the wrinkled straw wrapper.
"April second, two thousand and twelve," Joker read from the paper as he handed the waitress back the pen. Willow felt her face reddening, and her heart dropped to her stomach when Joker glanced up to her. "It's a start," he finally said with a shrug as he glanced away from Willow, and after proceeding to ball up the wrapper again, he placed it back into his hair. What a freak, Willow thought to herself.
Cassandra, feeling mighty uneasy at this point, continued to force a smile, and after asking if there was anything else anyone needed, she quickly scurried off.
"Do you have to freak out everyone that comes in contact with you?" Joey asked as he glared at Joker.
"It's what I do," Joker answered with a sigh as he finally picked up his sandwich.
–
After enduring another half hour at the table, in which Joker and Joey both had stopped talking as they enjoyed their food, Willow was the first one finished, and a range of emotions stirred through her, confusing her more than ever it seemed. She was still furious at Joker, of course she was, and she knew this was not going to change, how could it? Her heart was broken, and while she knew she and Joker did not have a nameable, set relationship, she still felt like someone had ripped her heart out of her chest, stabbed it a couple thousand times, and replaced it back into her body, expecting her to still be able to function. How could she? But now, suddenly, she was smiling at him, and his odd gesture with the straw wrapper had sent a shock – the good kind – running up her spine, and for the first time since meeting Rachel it seemed Joker was trying to make amends. Yeah right, Willow thought sourly to herself. Why the fuck would he? He had made it perfectly clear that he didn't belong to her, that he wasn't committed to her – the words were burned into her brain – and she knew it was silly to even consider the thought. But still, she had actually smiled, and laughed along with him, which proved loud and clear in Joker's eyes that she was getting over it. How could she?
Willow really, truly did enjoy the simple things in life, and on that note it honestly did not take much to get her to crack a grin. It was so easy, even the most evilest of all evil was able to do it, and on a constant basis at that. So Willow took solace with this fact on her personality, deciding it was a liable excuse for leaving him with the gratitude of a smile. Fire of furry still burned from inside her, burning her from the inside in, and it would take more than a smile to put the fire out. If Joker didn't know that, then he would surely find out, Willow vowed.
After lunch, Joker had gone outside to make a phone call to Rocco while Joey paid, Willow lingering at his side. Finally, once Joey stuffed the receipt into his pocket, Willow was out the door before him to claim the backseat again, and she took her new spot directly behind Joker's seat as to not easily see his face, and from this position, Joker had a harder time seeing her as well.
Now, after Joker and Joey seated themselves in the truck, and after Joker had gotten back onto the main road, the ride to Austin was short and quiet, with music playing softly on the radio. Joey, who sat lamely on the seat, his eyes focused out of the windshield, his left arm dangling off the arm rest while his other held a cigarette, noticed Joker's knee bouncing more furiously than ever, and from the rear view mirror he noticed Willow's nose pressed to the glass again, her eyes half lidded. Joey brought the cigarette to his lips to take a hard, somewhat angry drag. The smoke burned his throat slightly, but he didn't care. He didn't quite understand why, but this awkward thing hanging between Willow and Joker was really starting to annoy him. He hadn't realized it until now, but he was really starting to miss Willow's usually bubbly and odd sense of humor and Joker's "normal" demeanor. The new sulking Willow and the out of sorts Joker were not the same people he had agreed to go on the road trip with. But what could he do? While he understood Joker's point of view, he also found himself understanding Willow's as well. In all honestly, Joker had sort of been leading her along, using her weak mind to his advantage, though on the other hand it seemed like Willow was getting a little smothering, which is exactly what Joker hated with anyone. He took another drag as he glanced back out of the window. Either the two would forgive each other, or things would never be the same again, and Joey honestly didn't know how he felt about that.
Joker played the events from the restaurant through his head over and over, and each time he came back to the straw wrapper incident, he felt more and more like an idiot. How could he have stooped so low, just to get his pet to smile? It was ridiculous! It was stupid. Did he really, honestly feel... bad... about all that had happened with Rachel? Let's think extremes, Joker thought calmly to himself. Did he really, truly, feel sickeningly disgusted with himself over what he had done? Of course not, he thought. If given the chance, would he take it back? No, probably not. Willow had to be taught a lesson, and it was clear she had, and Rachel had been loads of fun, but still, why couldn't Joker find gratitude in it? Did he really feel bad for Willow? Did he want to just scoop her up in his arms, kiss her, and actually speak those two dreaded words to her? The disgusting thought made him shift uncomfortably in his seat while his eyebrows furrowed. Fuck no.
Then what? What was his problem? If it was nothing extreme, then maybe it was a small mix of each? After Joker had reached down to the cup holder to light up a cigarette, he leaned back in his seat. Did he feel even just a little bad about what he had done to Willow? I guess so... maybe. No. I don't know. Would he take it back? No. Maybe I would have covered my tracks better... fuck, no. Yeah right. I don't know. Did he feel bad for her, and was there anything, anything in the world, big or small, that he wanted to do to make it up to her? I don't know.
He was getting himself nowhere.
With a sigh he reached his hand up to his head, careful to keep the cigarette pointing up, and he felt around until his fingers stumbled upon the straw wrapper. He had meant to toss it out of the window, but instead he dropped it into the cup holder, and with a sigh he took another drag. Why should he feel bad? He was the Joker for fuck's sake. He had meant what he said to Willow, and he decided he would not take back what he had done. He had no reason to apologize to her. He could easily force Willow into talking again – God help him – and if she still couldn't seem to come around, then perhaps it was time to permanently rid himself of her.
Close to an hour later, after driving aimlessly down a barren, two lane road, surrounded by nothing but tall grass fields, Joker pulled off from the road, and with confusion Willow looked forward to stare out of the windshield as the truck bounced along in the field, free of any trails, toward a small, old wooden shack. Willow's eyebrows met in the middle as her eyes fell onto the a deep red truck that was parked in front of of the shack, the aged, colorless wood rotting away, and she narrowed them on the two familiar fat men leaning against their truck, both their arms crossed, the same expression on their face, she noticed, as Joker drove closer. Finally, without missing a beat, Joker turned the truck off once he was parked a few feet from them, and after he took the keys from the ignition he opened the door to step out, Willow and Joey following his actions. The grass tickled Willow's feet in an annoying manner as she followed slowly behind Joker, unsure of what was going on, and her confusion grew once her eyes fell on a short, tan man with somewhat of a uni-brow.
"Rocco, Henshaw," Joker greeted with a grin once the group had approached the brothers and the random man. "How was the trip?"
"Oh, it was fine, boss," Rocco answered as he leaned away from the truck to shake his boss' – or former boss', he wasn't sure which anymore – hand. "The truck works great," he went on as Willow finally remembered who the two fat men were. How could she have forgotten?
"Good, good," Joker said as he nodded. "Well let's see it then!" He patted Rocco on the shoulder before he grabbed his shirt with both hands to force him to turn around. He stepped up to the door, waiting for Rocco to open it, and once Willow caught the uni-brow man staring at her she defensively moved closer to Joey, his eyes staring at the red truck from behind his reflective sunglasses. Rocco reached out to open the door, and Joker's eyebrows immediately raised as an old Mcdonald's bag fell from the vehicle. His eyebrows met in the middle as he stepped forward to glance inside, only to let out a small growl once he realized how dirty and trash-filled the inside was.
"You did go to Jimmy's, right?" Joker asked as he slowly glanced over to the brothers. "Jimmy Bonzell?"
"Y-yeah," Rocco answered once he realized his brother wasn't going to say anything. "You said you wanted a Tahoe, and this was all Jimmy had. He just got to his dealer that day, and I figured having the truck detailed would be a waste... of... time..." he mumbled out the few words as Joker glared harder at him. But he was not mad, just merely annoyed as he wondered how long the stench of fast food would linger in the car, and with a sigh he turned away.
"Well," he said simply with no intentions of perusing the issue further. "Who is this?"
"Dakota. Dakota Black," the uni-brow man suddenly said as he bravely stepped forward to hold his hand out for a handshake. Joker crookedly grinned at him as he shook the man's hand, amused.
"Mister Black," Joker greeted with that same grin, and as Willow watched all she could do was hold her breath. She recognized that crooked smile, the way only the top row of Joker's teeth showed, and she knew the smile was not genuine.
"Black's who we've been stayin' with since you left Gotham," Rocco informed. "He drove down his car 'ta give us a ride back."
"Really," Joker said, his eyebrows furrowing as he took a step back, and he glanced down to his shoes before he glanced back up, his hands on his hips now.
"You made quite a name for yourself in Gotham," Dakota went on with a grin. "I don't understand why you left. Things were just about at their peak for you. The city hasn't even finished reconstructing one of those bridges yet!"
Joker's grin never left his face, and he shifted his weight from his right foot onto his left. "I'm gonna stop you right there, Mister Black," Joker interrupted.
"Oh, please Mister Joker, call me Da-"
Dakota was never able to finish his sentence, and a violent shudder sprang through Willow upon hearing the gunshot echo throughout the area, and she accidentally ran into Joey as she jumped. Just as quickly as Joker had drawn out his gun from the holster on his belt that Willow hadn't even realized he had been wearing, he replaced it, letting his white t-shirt hang over it again, and as Dakota bled onto the field Joker turned back to Rocco and Henshaw's panic stricken faces.
"A few things for ya," Joker said. "Because you brought mono-brow with you, you risked my team and myself of exposure during our little free reign here. How can I trust he won't go back and blab to someone? There's your first mistake." Joker took a step back to squat down behind Dakota's head, and being careful not to touch any bloodied spots on him, Joker easily reached his hand into Dakota's pocket, where he found a square-like object rising the fabric there, and he slid out his wallet. "Second, if you two need a roommate, try to find one whose not such a..." He opened Dakota's wallet, pleased when he found cash inside. "Kiss-ass. Kapish?"
"Y-yes boss," Rocco said, still slightly in shock.
"Good," Joker said. "I trust you boys. I dunno why, but I do. So take Dakota's car back to Gotham, and if I need ya, I'll call, yes?"
Both fat brothers nodded, the flab on the necks jiggling from side to side.
"It's been a pleasure," Joker said with a grin, his teeth baring, and with a simple nod towards Dakota's old Honda Accord parked behind the Tahoe, Rocco and Henshaw immediately started for the car.
Willow, who was still shaking slightly, jumped again when Joker barked Joey's name. "What?" Joey asked as he glanced away from Rocco and Henshaw to stare at Joker.
"Help me move Mister Black into the shed. He was kind enough to donate two hundred buck-a-roonies to our cause!" Joker beamed, his sarcastic, excited tone causing Joey to roll his eyes as he stepped over to Joker.
"How kind," he offered in the same tone. "The fuck is this place anyway?" He stopped in front of Dakota's shoes and had just bent down to lift him when Joker suddenly stepped over to him.
"No, no," Joker said as he motioned for Joey to get Dakota's shoulders. "I got his feet."
"Man, I'm not about to get all bloody, again!" Joey complained.
"Relax," Joker hissed. "It's all part of the plan. A little blood isn't going to hurt you right now."
Joey grumbled as he reached down to curl his fingers around the fabric of Dakota's t-shirt, his hands instantly stained with the gooey, crimson liquid. "What about the evidence, Jack?" Joey retorted.
"It'll all be taken care of," Joker said calmly as he and Joey easily lifted Dakota's body from the ground. "Willow, dear, open the door," Joker commanded as he and Joey started toward the shed. With a nervous swallow Willow instantly started toward the door, and with slightly shaking hands she opened up the door, slightly afraid to glance inside, so instead she remained outside as she stepped out of the way to let Joker and Joey walk inside the dark shed.
"Plan?" Willow heard Joey ask Joker once they gotten inside, and with a deep breath she rounded the door to peer inside.
"Yes," Joker answered as he and Joey set down the body in the farthest corner. "Loads of fun to be had in Texas, Joseph," Joker said with a grin as they both leaned up. "And it'll all lead to this location. It's gonna be a bloodbath, lovies," Joker finished once he noticed Willow in his peripheral vision.
Willow instantly made a face as she glanced inside the shed, which seemed to be a little bigger on the inside, despite how it looked on the outside. The floor was made of dirty, stained concrete, and on the wall adjacent from the door was a long, wooden table, built into the wall that also ran the length of it, and at the edge nearest the door sat a stack of chairs. Dangling down from the tall ceiling was a single light, and sunlight shone through the holes in the wood. What exactly was Joker planning?
Joey made a face as he held his hands away from him, trying to be careful not to get any blood on his pants, and he sighed out loudly once he saw the red stained on his white wife-beater. "Jack," he hissed behind gritted teeth.
Joker rolled his eyes as he started for the door. "Don't be a woman Joseph," Joker said. "Like I said, it's not a big deal right now. Though, if you're going to be a drama queen about blood, then I suggest you either find something else to wear during our activities, or go naked." Joker shrugged. "Up to you."
Joey was shaking his head as he stepped out of the shed behind Joker, who immediately proceeded with closing it. "Now," he went on. "Next we need to get a motel. And tomorrow, the fun begins," he added darkly. "Joey, I need you to drive the green truck."
"But what about all this bl-"
"Don't worry about it," Joker stressed as he started toward the red Tahoe. "Willow, who are you riding with."
Willow stiffened, but the answer was clear. "Joey," she mumbled as she stared at the ground.
"Shocking," Joker said with raised eyebrows as he climbed into the dark red truck. "Follow close, Joseph. We have a quick stop to make..."
Once the doors were shut and engine was started, Joey immediately picked up Joker's iPod and started through the music while Willow reached out for her cigarettes. After Joker had already started away, and once Joey put on one of his favorite Tech N9ne songs and turned the volume up, he quickly put the truck in gear, and in a quick, swift motion that sent Willow nearly running into him, he turned the wheel and floored the truck, turning the vehicle completely around. The tires kicked up dust and dirt behind them as the Tahoe violently bounced across the field, and Willow held onto the seat, her cigarette still unlit, as Joey turned quickly onto the main road to begin accelerating.
"I miss my Camaro," he said simply, barely having to talk over the music, and once Willow felt like she could finally breathe, she lit up her cigarette. "Fuck, I am getting blood all over the fuckin' wheel."
Willow made a slightly disgusted face once her eyes fell on the blood stained steering wheel, and she blew out the smoke as she looked away.
"Wanna light me up one of those?" Joey asked, glancing over at her. "I don't wanna touch all that shit with these hands, you feel me?"
With a grin Willow leaned over to take out a cigarette from Joey's pack, and as he continued to drive he leaned over so Willow could stick the cigarette in his mouth, and after she held up the lighter for him, Joey inhaling deeply, he took the cigarette from his mouth using the cleanest part of his fingers and exhaled.
"So when is all this shit gonna end with you and Jack?" Joey asked now, glancing over to Willow quickly before he glanced back to the road, a good five to seven feet away from Joker's new truck.
Willow rolled her eyes as she glanced out of the window. "It's not. I hate him."
"You do not," Joey offered. "You're just mad."
"Whatever," Willow said harshly. "I hate what he did."
"Understandable."
"He's a dick," Willow went on.
"Yup," Joey agreed.
"A real fucking asshole."
"And you're just now realizing this?" Joey glanced over to her with a grin.
"He's never been so cold toward me before, Joey," Willow said as she glanced over to him, exhaling the smoke from her cigarette as she shook her head. "I just don't understand."
"He was just freaked out," he said.
"He's the Joker," she emphasized. "He doesn't get freaked out."
"He does if it has to do with something that is so disgustingly human. Like being committed, you dig?"
"Whatever," Willow said again as she turned her head away from Joey to stare out of the window. "I never said he was committed."
"But you made him feel like it."
Willow's eyes grew wide in frustration as she turned to stare at him again. "What was I supposed to do Joey? The guy showed me more... compassion in just one hour than anyone has ever showed me in my entire life! For nearly a year he acted like...I mean he was so... he just made me feel..." She shook her head as she stumbled around for the correct words, but her train of thought had seemed to fall off of the tracks. "Because of how he treated me, it freaked me out when he took interest in Rachel. It's deeper than a broken heart, Joey," she said easily to one of the most probable uncaring guys on Earth. "I was scared. Joker's an extreme guy, I know that, and I was scared if he wanted Rachel more, he'd... kill me." She closed her mouth abruptly and looked out of the window again, angrily throwing her half finished cigarette out of it before she crossed her arms. As Joey took another drag of his own, his eyebrows met in the middle.
"I really don't think he's gonna kill you, Willow," Joey said in a hushed tone, as if Joker was listening. "Look at all the chances he's had. Especially recently..." Joey ashed his cigarette out of the window. "Look, if you can't forgive him, then the rest of this trip, or shit, even the rest of your life is gonna be hell. And you two are annoying as shit lately."
Willow was quiet as she watched the empty fields go by. She knew it was ridiculous to be acting like a long term girlfriend who had recently been cheated on and betrayed, but truthfully that was exactly how she felt. She couldn't help it. Regardless of what Joker said or forced himself to think, she knew their relationship had deeper aspects. It had to. She didn't care who he was, what he did, or what his attentions at first had been, but Willow knew she would never do anything to betray Joker. She would never share his information with police or government figures, no matter what, and she would never share his secretes with anyone. She was blinded by him, and even now, as angry as she was, she couldn't help but to turn her head slightly to stare into the tinted back window of the red Tahoe, wondering vaguely what Joker was thinking about...
–
A good ten to fifteen minutes later, Joey slowed the truck behind Joker's as he pulled into a small car wash. Curiously, Willow looked out of the window, staring at the few annoyed people from behind the tinted windows as they drove past.
"Joey?" She asked. "Can people see us from behind these windows?"
"Not unless they're tryin'," he answered. "Like, seriously straining their eyes. Why?" He asked a second later with a grin as he followed Joker around the corner toward the vacuums.
"Just wondering," she finally answered once the people were gone behind them and around the corner.
After parking the Tahoe next to Joker's, who had parked by a vacuum, Joey nodded for Willow to roll down her window just as Joker had a stepped out of the new truck. "Hey, Jack," Joey called to him as he leaned over the console. With a sigh Joker paced over to the truck, and Willow looked down and away once he had reached the window. He folded his hands on the door and leaned over.
"I need your help," Joker instantly said. "What?"
Joey held up his hands. "The fuck am I supposed to do about this?"
Joker rolled his eyes. "Go wash it off in the bathroom," Joker said, nodding toward the building directly in front of the trucks, two restroom doors facing them. "I almost positive the people around here are use to that site. Willow? C'mere," Joker added as he turned away from the truck to head back over to the red one.
With a small grumble, Willow pushed open her door and stepped outside. She was surprised with how rather warm it was as she headed over to Joker, and she reached him just as he had opened the back door.
"I need you to pick up all the garbage and throw it away," Joker commanded in a monotone voice as he stepped away from the door. "Yes?"
"Kay." Her answer was short and just as monotone as his voice had been. Without anything further to say, Joker rounded the truck to head over to the passenger side while Willow began to collect the trash. The truck smelled disgusting, a mix of old Mcdonalds, Chinese food, and a badly chosen air freshener to mask the smell, and Willow held her breath as she collected the trash, trying to make her mind go to a happier place.
But every time she tried, she was forced to think back to the night she had killed Rachel. It still seemed surreal to her. Never in a million years would she have pictured herself able to kill anyone, and now her count was up to three people, two of them almost completely on her own. She frowned as she backed out of the truck to throw the largest bags into the trash, noticing Joker was doing the same in the front of the truck, and she shook her head, trying not to remember how it had felt to strangle her. She glanced at her arms, where four, red lines stretched down the length of them, and she remembered how Rachel's nails had felt against her skin as she scratched her, desperate to free herself. Her back still hurt, but it was a manageable pain, and finally, as she started to collect the trash again, she remembered how Joker's knife had felt as she repeatedly stabbed Rachel's neck. Blood had gone everywhere, probably drenching Willow more than she could have imagined, and she remembered how warm the crimson liquid had felt against her skin. Still, she could so easily recall watching the life drain from Rachel's silver-green eyes...
A heaving sensation filled Willow's stomach, causing her throat to clench, and before she could stop herself she dropped the trash next to the large trash can attached to the ground and slammed her hands down on either side of it before she leaned over, unwilling spilling her late lunch into it.
Joker immediately turned his head in her direction, and he cocked an eyebrow at the site of Willow's small and shaking figured hunched over the trash. It had been hard, but over the years he had trained himself to patiently put up with the site, sound and stench of vomit and someone doing the deed, and slight confusion washed over him as he took a step toward her.
Willow figured the worst was over, but once she mistakenly took in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the fresh garbage, her stomach clenched again, and she closed her eyes as she buried her face into the can, her eyes watering. Joker had reached her now, though he kept his body turned away, and he waited patiently for her to lean up again. Now, Willow tilted her head back slightly to pant, getting only fresh air, which was good, but Joker's voice suddenly right next to her startled her, and with a jump she turned to him.
"I didn't think the truck was that bad," he offered, truly unsure of why she was throwing up. Willow stared at him while Joker waited for some sort of remark – any remark, for that matter – but as the seconds ticked on all Willow could picture was Rachel sitting on top of him. The murder ran quickly through her head, until all she could picture was the red of the blonde's blood, and rather than feeling the urge to throw up again, her nose wrinkled as a fresh bout of tears sprang out from her eyes. Joker's eyebrows met in the middle, but before he could say anything Willow turned away from him with a sniffle, wiping her mouth as she did so, and she headed straight to the green Tahoe. Joker watched her go, as confused as ever, and just as she reached it Joey was headed back over from the bathroom, his hands and arms free of blood though his shirt still wore the memory of Rocco and Henshaw's friend.
"What's wrong?" He asked Willow just as she had thrown open the passenger side door, but she said nothing as she shook her head, and Joey watched as she slammed the door closed. He glanced over to Joker and stared at him through the open doors of the Tahoe, a dark eyebrow cocked, but all Joker could do was shrug. Joey turned back to the green Tahoe, watching as Willow leaned her back against the door, he knees to her chest, her body quivering.
"She threw up," Joker informed once Joey had rounded the red Tahoe to approach him, but he immediately paused upon hearing these words.
"Wait, you serious? Jack I can't be stuck in the truck with her if she decides to do it again," Joey said frantically, feeling sick himself already. Joker shrugged again.
"She won't ride with me, Joey," Joker said with a sigh as he went back to collecting what trash was left in the truck. Joey, feeling as though he had two minds over the situation, sighed himself.
"Well, can't you make her then?"
Joker smirked. "I could," he said. "But..." He never finished, and suddenly angry with himself for having no desire whatsoever to force her to ride with him, he let out a growl as he threw the rest of the trash away. "Start that vacuum and hand it to me," he constructed harshly. "Start the other and vacuum out the back."
Without a word Joey did as he was told, able to detect the sudden frustration in Joker's voice and demeanor, and as he started to vacuum out the back of the truck, he was almost positive why.
It was nearly nearly dark out once Joker and Joey pulled into the parking lot of an older motel, the one level, white wooden building closing in three sides of the small parking lot. The clear sky, a faded blue color, was darkening rapidly, and as Joey parked next to Joker Willow stared at the low, flickering orange porch light directly in front of them. The sound a car door closing tore Willow from her trance, and her eyes met Joker's tall frame as he stalked across the parking lot and toward the main lobby. She glanced down to her hands folded in her lap, her mind instantly going back to the car wash, and she closed her eyes.
"How you feel?" Joey asked for the hundredth time since leaving. He asked the question constantly, purposely driving close to the shoulder of the road in an effort to prepare himself of fleeing the car if Willow was to get sick again. Her answer was always them same, and in a small voice she would answer 'fine', though this was certainly not the case. She was not fine.
"Fine."
Joey frowned, but he nodded as he turned away from her. A moment later, Joker was walking across the parking lot, two room keys in his hand, and after Joey took the keys from the ignition he and Willow stepped out of the truck.
"Room six," Joker said simply as he handed Willow both of the keys, and without another word he stepped past her to open up the very back of the green Tahoe. Willow immediately started across the parking lot, her eyes focused on the large, white 6 on the dark wooden door, and once she stepped onto the porch she immediately unlocked the door while Joey and Joker got all of their bags.
The room was small, complete with two queen-sized beds, a table with one chair by the window, and a TV on a narrow, paint chipped dresser. The carpet was a deep orange color, the walls a faded crimson, and Willow couldn't help but to make a face as she stepped into the room, placing the keys on top of the TV. She felt cold suddenly as she made her way further into the room, walking past what she assumed would be Joey's bed, and she rounded the corner to the bathroom area. She turned on the light, relieved to see how rather clean the very small bathroom actually looked, and with no regards to anyone else she closed and locked the bathroom door before immediately starting the shower.
Joker listened to the shower run as he and Joey stepped into the room through the door Willow had left open, and they set all the bags in the middle of both beds, as always. With a sigh Joey immediately plopped down on his bed nearest the bathroom while Joker headed back over to the door to close it. A rather melancholy mood had fallen over the entire group, Joey noticed, and as he stared blankly at the wall ahead, listening to the shower while Joker slowly turned around to pace back into the room, he grew more and more vexed at the distance had that seemed to budge its way in between all three of them. Somewhere down the line he had admittedly come to actually, truly appreciate his group, but Willow's frail sense of confidence and Joker's extreme desire to ruin all things good for personal gain had hit an all time high, and with a frustrated growl Joey leaned up and turned his body to set his feet on the floor.
"What's your problem?" Joker asked asked lowly as he glanced over to Joey's bent frame as he leaned over his legs, his elbows placed on his knees, and he cocked an eyebrow once Joey glanced up at him.
"Right now?" He asked. "You're my problem."
Immediately, Joker rolled his eyes as he shook his head, and as he turned away from him to head back to the door. A strong sense of pure annoyance flooded his blood and flowed throughout him.
"Where are you goin'?" Joey asked now as he leaned away from his legs, his eyes fixed on Joker's back.
"I'm leaving," Joker stated simply, his back still to Joey. "I'm not going to stand here while you purge your meaningless feelings to me about all that's going on. I don't want to hear it."
"Well maybe you should," Joey finally said. "God knows you won't fuckin' listen to Willow, so why don't you listen to me."
Joey was the only man in history who Joker allowed to speak to him like this, firmly and angrily, but now, for the first time in a long time, it angered Joker, and without thinking he quickly turned to face him.
"What you have to say doesn't matter here, Joseph," Joker growled as he took a step toward him. "And I could give a fuck about what Willow thinks. What's done is done. I'm not about to revisit it. So just. Fucking. Drop it."
Joey firmly held his ground, his eyes narrowed on Joker, and only after he turned around did Joey finally speak up again.
"Because you know you're wrong, Jack," Joey growled at him, and he watched as Joker stopped dead in his tracks before he could reach the door, and finally Joey stood up. "And I won't drop it. I didn't want to intervene, but I'm fucking sick of this. Your excuse for teaching Willow a lesson is bullshit, and you know it. Things were one-hundred percent fine before that Rachel chick even came along. You know how Willow feels about you, and before you were totally fine with her having those feelings. So it's only natural that Willow would get a little upset when you showed sudden, random interest in someone else. Especially for no Goddamn reason."
Joker's faced melted into a look of disgust, and he finally turned around. "Do you hear yourself?" He asked loudly, his eyes focused intently on Joey's. "Preaching to me about right and wrong?" He shook his head in disbelief as he took a large step closer to Joey. "I'm not about to have this conversation with you, Joey!"
"Because you know I'm right!" Joey defended loudly as he took a step closer himself, both men too entwined with the conversation at hand to even notice the shower had shut off. "If Willow really bothered you so much, and if you really didn't like the feelings she fuckin' developed for you, you would have killed her the second it started happening. I know how you are, Jack. Because you were like that with every single girl before her. Every fucking one."
"You're wrong," Joker hissed angrily, but before he could go on he came to a sudden halt once he realized he really did have no idea why he kept Willow around in the first place. His heart raced as he grew more and more frustrated, and when Joey grinned at him Joker felt himself about to lose it. He took a giant step forward to stand directly in front of Joey, and he jabbed a finger in his face. "You can get that damn smirk off your face, Joey, because like I said, you're wrong. I'm not committed to anyone, and it was about time she realized that. She can be angry and upset with me all she'd like, but she's crazy if she thinks that I care. And I don't. About her, or this situation."
Joey's eyebrows met in the middle. "Care," he repeated with a smirk. "That's funny you'd use that word, Jack," Joey started, his grin expanding when Joker cocked his head to the side. "Remember about a year ago with all three of us in my office, and what happened?" He asked, noticing instantly the way Joker quickly flinched upon the memory. "I do," he added smugly. "And I remember almost as quickly as it started happening, you were right there, ripping Willow away from me with more anger and jealously than I had ever seen you wear. So fucking tell me one more time that you don't care, Jack."
Joker's arms visibly shook as he tried to contain himself, memories of that night running through his head over and over again, and he clenched both his hands into fists on either side of his body. "That was... different," he offered in a low, growling mumble, feeling dizzy as forced himself not admit defeat in the situation. How was this happening?
"No," Joey disagreed. "It wasn't. It's equal. Willow catches you about to fuck Rachel, and she gets angry." He paused, unable to help but to laugh as he shook his head. "I actually did fuck Willow! In front of you! And ever since that night you were never the same with her-"
Joker's hands shoving Joey backward instantly cut him off, and Joey retaliated quickly by shoving Joker in the same manner once he corrected his footing. "Touch me again," Joey threatened loudly, his eyebrows furrowed. "See what fucking happens, Jack."
Joker accepted this challenge, and using every angry emotion he felt, he instantly lashed out to wrap his fingers tightly around Joey's thick neck. But as soon as he had, Joey reached out to firmly grab Joker's elbow, and he turned around, bending Joker's arm with him, only to suddenly receive a large kick to his back. But just as he turned around, ready to literally beat his friend to a pulp, he heard that familiar click of Joker's blade springing from the handle, and once he made the mistake of losing focus to confirm the noise with his eyes, Joker roughly pushed him against the wall by the TV and held the blade to his neck, the blade penetrating the skin in the slightest bit.
"I'll kill you right here and right now if you say another word about that night," Joker threatened behind gritted teeth, his eyes intently focused on Joey's. "It's probably about time I kill both of you, really, and you both give me more and more reason to every fucking day."
"Put your money where your mouth is then," Joey challenged stupidly, the tip of the blade digging further into his neck, but he ignored this. "You don't have the fucking balls to do it, Jack."
Joker raised his eyebrows as he put more pressure into his arm against Joey's chest, and he fixed his hold on the blade, ready to swiftly move it across his throat, his hand trembling at the desire. "Oh really?" Joker asked darkly. "Watch me."
"Stop!"
The sudden, shrill, panic-stricken shriek cut through the tension like a knife, and both Joker and Joey glanced over in the direction of the noise, their eyes instantly falling onto Willow clutching a white towel around herself as she stood helplessly a few feet away from them. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, her face distorted into a look of pure fright and anxiety, and her mouth hung open as she tried to fathom what was really happening.
The room went deathly silent, and in unison Joker and Joey tore their eyes away from Willow to stare at each other again. Joker could feel Joey's fast and booming heartbeat through his chest while Joey could easily feel the knife against his throat quivering as Joker's hand shook violently. They stared at each other for a long moment, nothing but rage in each of their eyes, and Willow held her breath as she stared at them, fresh tears burning from behind her eyes, and it hurt her physically to force them back. Joker's lips thinned as his ears rang, and as he put even more weight onto his arm he took the blade from Joey's neck, only to suddenly slam it into the wall not even an inch away from his head. Joey couldn't help but to violently flinch at this, and once he felt Joker take his arm from him with a deep, aggravated breath, his eyes instantly popped open in just enough time to watch as Joker headed directly for the motel door.
The door slammed shut, rattling the entire room, and as the noise echoed in Joey's ears he instantly pulled the knife from the wall and threw it at the door, the blade sticking easily into the soft wood, and with a loud growl he turned to punch the wall as hard as he could, his fist breaking through. Willow whimpered quietly as she took a step back, fear running through her as she watched Joey pace back and forth in a tight line as he tried to keep his rage under control, only to flinch again when he slammed both his fists down on the wall again. Her heart raced as she tried to think of something –anything to say – but the same questioned repeated itself in her head.
"W-what... hap-happened?" She finally asked, her voice so soft and quiet she wasn't sure Joey had heard, but once he suddenly turned to her with wide, angry eyes, she suddenly regretted speaking up at all.
"What happened?" He repeated harshly. "That was me, nearly getting killed fuckin' trying to defend you."
Willow's bottom lip quivered as she looked down, and despite her best efforts a tear slid down her cheek. "Joey... you didn't have to, I-"
"Yeah? Well I fuckin' did, because everyone knows that you won't" Joey said. "I don't even know why the fuck I bothered. I didn't even want to get involved in all this."
"Don't let yourself then," Willow tried, feeling guilty that Joey's near sudden death experience was, technically, all her fault.
"It's too late!" Joey shouted at her, that anger coming back again all too quickly, and he shook his head as he looked away from her, only for his head to suddenly snap back in her direction. "You need to get over all this, and stop acting like you're such a fucking victim," Joey hissed. "Jack is the biggest fuck-up on the planet, I know that, I get that, but you need to toughen up girl and move the fuck on. Your dedication for him is sickening, especially with the way he treats you."
Willow's nose wrinkled as waterfalls of tears spilled forth, and her body trembled at Joey's intense and hurtful words. "Joey, I can't," Willow forced herself to say as she stared at the floor. "I have nowhere else to-"
"You can," Joey corrected. "Nobody is this fucking weak Willow, nobody. If Jack is the only guy who's ever showed you 'compassion'-" he held his fingers up in the quotes gesture. "Then you have no idea what compassion really is. You're better off dead. We both are."
Willow shook her head to herself, refusing to believe what Joey was telling her, but she lost her voice as her tears grew thicker, pouring from her eyes faster, and she felt physically and mentally exhausted. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, but the voice in the back of her mind was forcing her to realize that Joey did have very valid points.
"I swear, if he comes back here I'm going to fucking kill him," Joey threatened as he shook his head, anger still pulsating throughout him, and despite her anger and current feelings, Willow couldn't help but to protest against this.
"Don't," she said weakly, as if Joey was really capable, and she watched as he turned back to her with a smirk.
"Yeah, you would say that," he said as he shook his head. "Well wherever he went, let's just hope he doesn't come back. That fucker can drive straight into a ditch for all I care."
Willow watched, feeling scared, cold and defeated, as Joey headed out of the motel room himself, slamming the door shut behind him, and Willow took in a quivering breath as she turned to head back into bathroom.
My sincerest apologies for the huge wait between updates. Life caught up with me. I highly encourage you to add me on Facebook [Lacey ClownQween Michele] so you can stay updated, and understand why updates suddenly become far and few between :)
That being said, I'm not entirely sure when I can get chapter 11 out, but rest assured it WILL be out. I swear to see this story to the end, you can count on it. As always, your dedication to this story and series is more appreciated than you'll ever imagine, so thank you for reading :)
Review if you'd hate to see Joey and Willow killed! (Or, even if you would like it... REVIEW!)