Hope was in the living room, watching the news. Breaking news suddenly came on

"There was another break out from Arkham Asylum, tonight. At approximately 8:30, the Joker went missing from his cell. As the information becomes available, we will let the public know." The anchor said.

Dread filled her veins.

"Bruce!" She called out.

No answer. He heart sped up. Why wasn't Bruce answering? She left the living room, and stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

"Bruce?! Where are you?" She yelled.

Still no answer.

"Alfred?! Damian?!" She yelled.

When she didn't get an answer, she felt the panic start taking hold of her. She went over to the land line. She needed to get a hold of Bruce.

The line was dead. She ran upstairs, to the bedroom. She grabbed her cell from the bedside table. She went to make the call, but it said that she had no service. That didn't make sense. She needed to do something. She bit her lip, and headed downstairs. She'd go to the police, they'd be able to protect her, and be able to find Bruce. She got to the bottom of the stairs, and stopped. The door to Bruce's office was open, and there was a pool of blood on the floor. It was a lot of blood, too much blood, for one to survive.

She felt her feet bring her closer to the office. She felt the blood on her bare feet, as she walked into the dark office. Her hand found the light switch, and flipped it on. The light came on, and her eyes adjusted. When they had, she screamed. They were all dead. Bruce was wearing his Batman suit, but the cowl wasn't on his face, but was on the floor, at his feet, and there was a bullet wound in between his eyes. His eyes were still open.

The next one she saw was Damian. He too had been shot in the head. Tears were straming from her eyes.

"Damian!" She sobbed.

She grabbed Damian, and pulled him to her. She held him, and sobbed, rocking back and forth. He was too young to be dead.

Through her tears, she saw Alfred's body. Fresh tears fell. She shook her head.

"No!" She cried.

Alfred's neck had been cut from ear to ear. She buried her face into Damian's chest, crying uncontrollably.

She heard a noise that made her blood run cold. She looked up, as the laughing got louder. Joker had killed them. He was going to kill her next. She gently laid Damian back down on the floor, and stood up. She wiped away the tears. She left the office, and went to the door. She tried the handle, but it was locked.

"No, no, no, no, no!" She cried.

Maybe the back door was open. She went hrough the living room. When she saw the TV, she stopped. Her picture was on the screen.

"The body of Dr. Hope Lake was found at Wayne Manor, earlier tonight. Sources say that Joker broke into Wayne Manor and slaughtered the former psycologist. The body was almost unrecognisable. She was identified by dental records." The newscastor said.

She heard Joker's laugh again. She tore her attention away from the TV, and continued out to the back door. He was going to kill her tonight.

She got to the door, and took a deep breath. The door opened when she turned the handle. She breathed a sigh of relief. She hurried outside. She came up to the pool.

"Doll face."

She stopped in her tracks, a couple of feet from the pool. She closed her eyes and prayed that she'd make it out of this, alive.

"Doll face."

She reopened her eyes, and slowly turned around. Tears filled her eyes once more. Joker's face had blood splatter on it, and his clothes were covered in blood. He was smiling at her.

"Why so sad? Now there's no one standing in our way." He told her.

She shook her head.

"You killed them all. Damian was a child! How could you kill him?!" She asked.

"The little brat got in my way. He just couldn't accept that you were mine. I do have one question though. Did you know?" He asked.

She didn't say anything.

"Don't hold out on me Princess." He told her.

He brought his hands from behind his back. He had a pocket knife in his hand. She backed up, getting closer to the pool. He held the knife up, and walked towards her.

"Did you know?" He asked again.

Did I know what?" She asked.

She backed up as he got closer to her. She was getting dangerously close to the edge of the pool.

"That Bruce Wayne was Batman." He said.

"Yes." She said.

He laughed.

"Of course you did. Did he tell you?" He asked.

"No." She said.

She got to the edge of the pool, and couldn't go any farther. He was now right in front of her.

"How did you find out?" He asked.

"Red Hood." She said.

Joker laughed again.

"Of course he did." Joker said.

Hope gasped, when he grabbed her neck, with his free hand. He brought the knife up to her face. She was gasping for air. He brought her closer, and pressed his lips to hers. She wanted to struggle to get away, but she felt the knife at her neck. He dug it into her neck, and she gasped. She felt the knife slice her neck open. She whimpered, and he laughed.

She felt his lips, and tongue, on the cut.

"Delicious." He whispered in her ear.

She whimpered again. Suddenly, he pushed her, by her neck, backwards. Out of habit, her hands shot out, to try to stop herself from falling. She wasn't quick enough. His jacket slipped through her fingertips. He was laughing, as she crashed into the water.

She flailed around, in the deep end of the pool, trying to get her bearings. Her lungs were burning, as her head broke the surface of the water. She frantically gasped for air. She felt Joker grab her. He pulled her towards the shallow end. She was too focused on getting air into her lungs, to put up much of a fight.

She managed to get her feet under her, when they got to the shallow end. Joker pressed her up against the pool wall.

"Let's have fun. We can make up for lost time." He said.

Suddenly, he knocked her legs out from under her, and pushed her under the water. She managed to get her feet under her once more, and stood back up. She was gasping and coughing. He grabbed her, and pulled her out of the pool, with him.

He laid her down on the grass. She was spitting out the water from the pool. Joker pinned her down, and pulled the knife out again. This was it, he was going to kill her.

"Let's begin Doll face." He said.

He began slicing her up. She screamed, and cried, while he laughed. The pain was mind numbing. She lost track of time.

"Oh Doll face, you're a masterpiece. I've really outdone myself this time. Now, let's get you cleaned up, it's bath time." He said.

He picked her up, and dropped her back into the water. The chlorine in the water burned the open wounds on her. She cried out. The air escaped her, and she swallowed some water. She scrambled to get her feet under her. When she did, she shot her head out of the water. She choked, and tried getting air into her lungs. Her head was spinning.

She was trying to get her bearings, when she felt his hand on her head. A moment later, he pushed her back under the water. She flailed her arms around, trying to propel her self to the surface.

When she broke the surface, she barely had a chance to catch her breath, before he was submerging her again.

Her lungs were on fire, and her vision was getting darker. She barely made it to the surface. She was gasping, as she tried to get air inside her lungs.

"The third time is the charm." Joker said.

He pushed her under the water once more. She hadn't been ready, and water filled her mouth. She stopped struggling, as her vision went blurry.

Hope gasped for air, as she shot up. She was confused, and found it hard to get air in her lungs. She jumped, and screamed, when she felt hands touch her. She fell out of bed, with a thud. She scrambled to get to the corner.

She brought her knees to her chest, and tried to make herself as small as possible. She buried her face in her knees.

"Hope?" A voice said, gently.

She gasped, and looked up.

"Bruce?" She said, her voice breaking.

He nodded. she sobbed, and threw herself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, and she cried into his chest.

"What happened, I heard screaming." Damian asked.

"It's fine. Go put those away, where they belong." Bruce said, talking about the swords that Damian had in his hands.

"What happened?" Damian asked.

"Go back to bed. I've got this handled." Bruce said.

"Was it nightmares again?" Damian asked.

"Damian, please." Bruce said.

Damian exhaled loudly.

"Fine, but this is not over. I will get answers." Damian said.

"But not right now." Bruce told him.

Damian left the room, as Alfred walked in.

"Master Bruce, is there anything I can do?" Alfred asked.

"I'll let you know, Alfred. Thank you." Bruce said.

"Very well sir." Alfred said.

He left, shutting the door behind him. Hope was holding onto Bruce, for dear life. She was shaking like a leaf, in his arms.

He ran his fingers through her hair, as she cried. He just sat on the floor, holding her. After a little while, she calmed down. She sat there, listening to Bruce's heart beat. It was calming, and soothing, to hear. It was comforting to listen to it, after that nightmare that she'd had.

"Tell me what happened Hope." He said.

She hid her face in his chest.

"Hope, please talk to me." He asked her.

"It felt so real." She said.

"Tell me about it." He said.

She told him about her nightmare. All of it. Fresh tears fell from her eyes, as she relived the dream.

He kissed the top of her head.

"It's okay, you're safe. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Damian, or Alfred, I promise you. Damian is fine, and so is Alfred. As for him, he is securely locked away in Arkham. All of us are safe." Bruce told her.

She gave a nod.

"it just felt so real." She mumbled.

"I know it did, but as you can tell, I'm alive, and well, and I'm not going anywhere." He told her.

"Thank you Bruce." She whispered.

"Why don't we get you back into bed." He said.

"I can't go to sleep." She told him.

"You don't have to sleep, but it's more comfortable than the floor is." He said.

She gave a nod. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He gathered in his arms, and carried her over to the bed. He laid her down, and covered her up. He tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Is there anything I can get you? Maybe some tea, to help calm your nerves?" He asked.

She started to panic, and grabbed his arm.

"Don't leave." She said.

"I'm not going far, and tea will help. If you want I can send Damian in, to stay with you, until I return." He said.

She bit her lip, and gave a nod.

"Damian, you can come in now." Bruce called.

A moment later, the door opened, and Damian walked in. Relief flooded her veins. It might have been just a dream, but it was reassuring to see him alive with her own eyes. Bruce kissed her forehead, then turned to Damian.

"Keep her company, until I return." Bruce said.

Damian gave a short nod.

"I'll be right back." Bruce said.

Bruce left the room, and Damian walked over to her.

"May I sit?" He asked.

She nodded, and he sat on the edge of the bed, next to her. He turned, so that he was facing her.

"Was it the Joker again?" He asked.

She flinched at the name.

"Don't say his name." She whispered.

He gave a nod.

"Was it him?" He asked.

"Yes." She whispered.

"What did he do?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"No. I can't tell you." She whispered.

"Why not?" He asked.

Her eyes filled with more tears.

"It's too painful, and traumatising, to remember, and talk about." She told him.

"What did he do to you?" He asked.

She shook her head again.

"It's not what he did to me." She said.

"Then what is it? You can tell me, I can handle it." He told her.

She looked away from him, and didn't answer him. She felt him take her hand in his. He gently squeezed.

"Tell me, please." He said.

She frowned, but looked at him once more. His face was void of any emotion, but his eyes were worried.

"It felt too real to be just a dream. He had taken out everyone that stood in his way." She said.

"What else?" He asked.

Her heart was breaking. It hurt to even think about losing them.

"Damian, please." She pleaded with thim.

He squeezed her hand gently, again.

"Hope, I will be able to handle it, just tell me." He told her.

His eyes were locked on hers. She exhaled loudly, and broke.

"He killed Alfred, Bruce, and...you. In Bruce's office. You were lifeless, in my arms. All of you were gone." She said, her voice breaking.

He wasn't moving, he was barely breathing.

"That will never happen, Father and I won't let it." He told her.

"If he gets out, he'll come right for me, and will take out anyone in his way. He will stop at nothing to get to me." She told him.

"He'll have to go through me first. I will not let him get to you, ever." He told her.

Tears fell from her eyes.

"I should be protecting you, not the other way around." She said.

"You weren't brought up by assassins. I am more than capable to protect you." He told her.

"You should have had a normal childhood." She said.

"That's debatable." He said.

She shook her head.

"It's not fair to you." She said.

Before he could reply, Bruce returned, with a tray of tea. When he saw fresh tears, he frowned.

"What happened Damian?" Bruce asked.

"Nothing. Hope was giving her thoughts about how I grew up." Damian said.

Bruce set the tray on the bedside table. He put his hand on Damian's shoulder.

"Head back to bed, I mean it this time. Go to sleep. I've got it from here." Bruce told him.

Damian gave her hand one last squeeze, then stood. He left the room, without another word. Bruce took his place. He grabbed the cup of tea, and handed it to her. She took a few sips, then handed it back to him.

"Do you want any more?" He asked.

She shook her head. He put the cup back on the tray. He got up and went over to the door. He closed it, and then climbed in next to her, in the bed. He pulled her to him, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Are all of your nightmares like that?" He asked.

She didn't answer right away.

"They're all different, but end the same way, with Joker killing me." She said.

He kissed the top of her head.

"When did they start?" He asked.

She closed her eyes, as they filled with tears.

"The coma. It was around the time that I flatlined." She said.

He ran his fingers through her hair.

"Dick told you, didn't he?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah. I told him that I was stabbed, and that I think I died. He told me that was when I flatlined." She said.

"Did he stab you?" He asked.

"It's always him." She whispered.

He held her tightly.

"I won't let him hurt you, Hope." He told her.

"I know." She said.

He was massaging her scalp, and she was starting to drift off to sleep, but she was fighting it.

"I'l be right here, I'm not going any where." He whispered.

"Thank you." She mumbled, as she drifted off.

X*X*X