I'm sorry if my last AN sent the wrong message. I only meant that the arc I set up was concluding. I saw everyone's responses and realized my wording was confusing. The story will continue, Lucy still has so many fun times to share with you all.
To answer another question I received, Lucy is still only five years old. The kidnapping happened a few months after her birthday party at the club. Lucy is a very intelligent and resourceful person, but she's still only a tiny tot. A time skip is in the future though. As much as I would love to go year by year I want to get to the events of the movie eventually.
xxxxxxx
"Mama can I sleep with you and Papa tonight?" I sleepily asked from over Mama's shoulder. I have an aching need to stay close to them.
After we were reunited my beloved parents whisked me away from the destroyed building. I tried to introduce MR. Lawton to Papa and Mama but they were more concerned about getting me home before the cops or Batman showed up. I did manage to at least get Papa to promise to reward my new friend for safely returning me. Papa tasked Frosty with handling everything else while he escorted his greatest prizes back to his castle. I hope I get to see Mr. Lawton again soon, particularly after he has settled into his identity as Deadshot. Floyd Lawton was a fun guy to hang with, but I like the dry and confident Deadshot over his normal family-man guise. Normal is so overrated. Crazy is better, it's so fetch.
"You don't even have to ask Sweetie Pie. I'm not letting you out of my sight for awhile, you hear?" Mama softly rubbed my back. She entered my room to grab nightdress for me to change into. Mama left the room and took me to the master bedroom she shared with Papa.
"first you gotta take a nice bath before you go to sleep. Your skin is colder than ice, baby." Mama set me down on the rim of the jacuzzi. She turned the knob all the way over to hot and plugged the tub. Bubblegum bubble bath was added into the mixture.
I stood up and disrobed, glad to be rid of the rags Abigail sported. It felt wrong to pretend to be her. Wrong to stand amongst all those other kids and pretend to be one of them when I knew how different I was on the inside. It's hard to blend in when you're meant to stand out. Once the tub was filled to the brim and bubbles floated around, I slipped into the nice warm bath.
It's so good to be back home. I'm back where I belong, the madhouse.
"Hush little baby, don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird." Mama sang as she gently rubbed her fingers under my eyes, wiping the tears away.
Great. I'm crying like a baby. I'm an adult not a child. I knew the consequences of being born into this family. Safety isn't something I'll ever achieve, but that's not what bothers me.
I was more scared of the idea of never seeing Harley or the Joker again then I was of dying. I already died once, death doesn't scare me but being completely alone again terrifies me. I've become too attached.
"If that mockingbird won't sing, Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring."
Bruce Wayne was right. I am lonely and that's why I can't stand the thought of being separated from the two people I've learned to love. Lucy has something that Abigail always wanted, a family. Two people who are constantly present to make a difference in her life.
"If that diamond ring turns brass, Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass." Mama rinsed the shampoo out of my hair and threaded her fingers through my hair. Her nails raking along my scalp made me hiccup. The bubbles are bursting and disappearing.
"And if that looking glass is broke, Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat. And if that billy goat won't pull, Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull."
Mama's singing is only making me cry more. She scrubbed at my back and under my arms with soap. The crying won't stop.
"If that cart and bull turn over, Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart." Mama reached under my armpits and plucked me out out of the tub. She wrapped me in a towel and dried me off.
Why can't I stop crying?!
"If that horse and cart fall down, you'll still be the sweetest little girl in town." Mama pulled me into her arms to cuddle me like a teddy bear and rocked back and forth. "So hush little baby, don't you cry. Daddy loves you and so do I."
Mama continued humming the lullaby. We sat there in the bathroom huddled together until my sobs came to stop.
"I love you too, Mama." I mumbled against her chest, feeling overcome with the fuzzy warmth in my chest. Harley Quinn may be crazy but she sure knows how to make a person feel special. Harleen must give her tips every now and agin on how to be nurturing instead of psychotic.
Mama peppered my head with feathery pecks. I climbed off her and let her dress me in my nightgown. Mama stood up and offered her hand to me which I accepted and toddled after her. I was picked up and tucked into the massive purple bed. Mama joined me after exchanging her red and black outfit with an oversized t-shirt. She snuggled up next to me and smothered me against her chest, afraid I might disappear out of nowhere.
"Go to sleep Lucy. Mommy's not gonna let nobody else hurt you ever again." Her heart thumped wildly as she pulled me closer until every part of me was in contact with her.
"You promise?" I slurred out, struggling to keep my eyes open when the body heart and smell of candy from Mama was making me droopy.
"I promise Puddin Pop. Anybody else tries to hurt you and they're gonna deal with an angry Harley Quinn."
xxxxxxx
"Achoooo!" I sneezed out.
"Bless you baby." Mama replaced the towel over my head with a newly heated one.
"Thank you." I deeply inhaled through my nose, pulling the excess mucous back in. Here I am, sick for the second time. This the DC Universe, don't I get like some superpower that makes me immune to common illnesses? It's utter blasphemy that my royal body continues to be affected by the flu like other kids.
"Now you just watch cartoons while I go check on your soup." Mama flicked on the tv for me.
"When's Papa comin home." I nasally inquired. I haven't seen him since yesterday. Mama said he didn't come home last night cause he was handling business. I know Papa likes his work and takes great pleasure in being constantly preoccupied, but couldn't he take the night off. I wanted him to stay with me too. Is he mad at me? He must be avoiding me because he's upset with me.
"Don't know baby. Puddin said he's goin to be busy tying up loose ends at work. And you know much of a perfectionist Daddy is. He'll be at it until everything's just the way he likes it." Mama stroked my hair, masking her own disappointment over Papa's reluctance to chose family over work. "So it might just be us girls again. But's that's okay. We can stay in bed all day and watch all your favorite Disney movies. How bout we start with the Little Mermaid?"
I smiled and nodded, not wanting to hurt Mama's feelings when she's trying to keep me in good spirits. I know Papa isn't the sentimental type but he could have at least stopped by to check in on me at least once. I have been gone an entire week and I'm sick from being out in the freezing cold. Show me a little love Papa, I'm your only kid.
Mama left the bedroom to go retrieve my lunch and the stack of movies in the living room. I laid in bed watching reruns of Looney Toons while I waited.
I must have drifted off for a bit because fingers were harshly poking my cheek.
"Open those pretty pretty eyes for Daddy, Princess." Papa cooed.
I opened my eyes to see him leaning over me. "You're back Papa."
Mama must have let me sleep in for a couple of hours. Papa is dressed down in sweats with a tool around his bare shoulders and his bright green hair is damp. When did he get back and where did Mama go?
"Sit up and eat. Daddy needs you to get better in time for his big party." Papa commanded.
I sat up and accepted the bowl of hot soup from him with a thank you. He grunted in response and leisurely walked over to the other side of the bed. An iPad was pulled out of the drawer and Papa joined me on the bed.
"Another party? Is this one goin to be at the club?" I excitedly questioned him. I know I had a small meltdown the other day after what happened the last time I was at the club, but that's going to become a normal occurrence/ My entire life from here on out is going to be a series of dangerous adventures. No use crying over every bad thing that happens to me. What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger as Kelly Clarkson would sing.
"No. This one is going to take place at one of my spare houses. Daddy is going to make a big announcement to the whole underworld." Papa alternated between working on the iPad and texting on his phone. He must be making some big arrangements for this party. Inviting the whole society of criminals under his roof for a party, something very hellish is going to go down at that party. I want front row seats to the show.
"Can Lucy know what the announcement is? Or is it a secret?" I tilted my head to the side going for the innocent look, not that I have to try too hard. I'm naturally adorable and lovable.
Papa tapped his chin in thought. "How about this. I'll trade you, a secret for a secret. You tell me how you escaped Falcone and got to that building and I'll tell you about the party. It's high time I start training you in my ways."
I smiled. That's an easy request that leans more in my favor. I was planning on telling him anyway. My story is sure to please the Clown Prince.
"Deal." I finished my soup and put the empty bowl on the dresser. Papa put away the devices and crossed his arms giving me his full attention. Most would quiver under his piercing gaze but I revel under it. Being able to capture the attention of a chaotic person like Papa is an achievement on its own.
I started my tale of Taken: Lucy Style from the beginning. I told Papa all about my abduction form the club and my suspicions of an inside job, escaping from Falcone due to him underestimating me, meeting the Batman and being taken hostage again, my final escape form the orphanage, and bumping into Mr. Lawton and roping him into protecting me. By the end of my story Papa was losing his shit from my embellished theatrics. He couldn't stop laughing. Papa found my story too funny since he and Mama went crazy after they could't find me in the club and got the ransom message from Falcone. For an entire week they searched all over town for the man who blackmailed them and then didn't show for the trade off. They hit up every one of their contacts connected to the man only to hit a dead end. The whole time they were running around like chickens with guns, spilling blood everywhere they went and they target didn't even have their prize. The joke was too much for Papa.
Papa's dark laughter turned cold. "You're my kid alright. I don't think anyone else besides Harley has caused me this much trouble." Papa stopped chuckling and patted my head with his typical heavy pats. The pats suddenly turned harsh, the force causing my head to plummet to the bed. Papa yanked my hair roughly pulling me into his lap.
"This type of trouble better not become a habit Pumpkin. You cost me a lot men and money. You're real lucky that you're my own flesh and blood, Lucy. Otherwise I'd have left you to whatever fate that moron had in store for you and not lost a wink of sleep over it."
I stayed silent and still knowing that any kind of lip or protesting would agitate him and get me into far more trouble. Threats and occasional cuffs over the head are the worst punishments I've received from him so far, no need to push him toward anything more violent. Papa can switch from happy to angry at a moments notice. I've seen it before whenever Mama pushed his buttons and got a strike to the face as punishment. Make no mistake, the Joker is capable of showing both sides of love, the tender side and the savage side. Better to just let him rant and get it out his system.
Papa let go of my hair to tilt my chin up so I was directly looking up into his clear eyes once again. "Buuuuuuuuut. I have to say I am mildly impressed you managed to come out on top when the odds were stacked against you. Playing to your advantages and killing those who got in your way is smart thinking. You duped old Batsy too…" Papa snickered. "And I guess your antics did give me a reason to take out that annoying crone and everyone involved with him. That whole family is in my pocket now….I'll have to start reorganizing pieces and cleaning out my ranks. Fun times are ahead." Pap looked at me with a flicker of pride in his eyes. He tenderly stroked my cheek as the gears in his head turned.
Seeing that he's calmed down I took a gamble. "So is Lucy forgiven? She doesn't like seeing you mad, Papa." I rapidly fluttered my eyes and smiled. No one likes seeing the Joker mad, his tantrums always end in massive amounts of deaths.
Papa huffed and rolled his eyes at me. "You make me want to drill a hole through your head. You and Harley both test my patience. One of these days I might just snap and kill you both." Pap picked me up and laid back on his pillow with me sprawled over his chest and stomach. He lazily held in place so I didn't slide off.
I giggled. He's such a baby. It's alright to be affectionate with me and Mama, we're the only ones who get see such a private side to you. "We're your very own Looney Toons. We drive you crazy but you secretly loves us more than life itself." The whole of Gotham might be terrified of him but I'm happy to deal with his temperamental moods.
Papa whopped me over the head with the remote control. "Shut up before I change my mind about a drilling a hole in your forehead." Papa changed the channel to a scary movie. I whined when I saw the movie he picked was The Seed of Chucky. I vehemently despise scary movies and Papa knows this. If I wanted to purposely be scared shitless I would go watch Papa on a really bad day where he tortures people with his personal knives. Whoever invented scary movies was a true psychopath. It takes a truly disturbed mind to come up with this stuff.
"You didn't tell me your secret Papa. We had a deal and you always keep to your promises." I tried distracting him forms he movie he'd turn it off and go into one of his own storytelling moods.
"Shhhhh! Daddy is trying to watch the movie with you Pumpkin. Don't you endlessly beg me to spend more time you? Here I am being a doting Dad and your whining like a brat." Papa tapped his fingers on my stomach not really upset but still teasing me nonetheless.
"Sorry….But can't we watch something else?"
"Noooooooope." Papa drawled. "Now be quiet and watch the movie like the good girl I know you are. I'll tell you the secret later."
With that final warning, I clamped my mouth shut and braced myself for two hours worth of watching creepy homicidal dolls. Only twenty minutes into the movie and I ended up screaming. My screams weren't caused by the movie but from Mama's pale silhouette abruptly appearing in the doorway like a ghost.
"Ooooooooh! Are you two watching a scary movie?" Mama looked at the tv screen and then looked at Papa shaking from laughing at my outburst. "You know Lucy doesn't like those kind of movies Puddin. She gets all panicky and paranoid."
"I know and it's freaking hilarious to watch her squirm." Papa sniggered some more after seeing my scowl. "Come over here, Pooh. Daddy's in a good mood and wants both his girls to watch the movie with him."
Papa waved Mama over and let her snuggle up on his side.
"You're so romantic Puddin." Mama kissed him and wrapped her arm around me. With both my parents holding me I feel less tense.
"Only for my girls." Papa turned the volume up.
HaHaHaHaHa.
This is not what I had in mind when I said I wanted to have a movie night with both my parents. I wanted to watch The Phantom of the Opera or some other musical I could sing along to, no this blood-gushing slasher movie.
HaHaHaHaHa.
I hate scary movies so much.
Gotta endure, Lucy! xoxoxoxoxoxo