A/N: Sorry, I've been a lazy arse and I had a pre-Christmas party due to which I couldn't function for a few days, so it took some time to write this. You deserve better than two weeks of waiting. But, this chapter's longer than any of the previous ones, there's a major plot twist coming up. ^~ Infinite thanks for your reviews, awesome to hear that people like the creation of my wandering mind. Keep 'em coming? The next chapter will probably appear quite quickly, I had to move quite a bit from this one to the next so this wouldn't be awfully longer than the other chapters. Am I making any sense? Ugh, it's almost three a.m., just, what I'm trying to say, here's chapter 11, I'm sorry for the delay, love you all, enjoy. (L)

The day crawled by. Gin checked the time every five minutes, and when she wasn't looking at the clock, she was pacing briskly around the apartment. What's gonna happen at seven, what's gonna happen at seven... She didn't know what to think of the situation. Who knew, maybe it would be just another trip to the grocery store. Another theory that she had developed in her head was that she would have to wait in the car while the Joker would do... well, whatever it was that he did. Or maybe...

Then there was the third theory, and she regretted deeply that she had ever come up with it. That maybe, maybe he had gotten what he wanted from her. No, no, no. She shook her head, trying to perish the thought, but it kept ringing in her head. He'd gotten what he wanted from her, he'd just kept playing with her until now, and now he'd had his fun, gotten bored of her and he was going to get rid of-

"Shut up!", she shouted in the empty apartment, the spacious living room echoing her scream. She covered her face with her hands and took a deep breath. That's not true, you're just imagining shit. God, this can't be healthy.

"But I-um, haven't said anything yet", a voice said and Gin spun around to find him standing behind the sofa, looking baffled and holding his arms up in surrender.

"Fucking hell, how did you get in here?!" She was so stressed and surprised that she didn't really put too much thought into what came from her mouth. Her breathing was rapid and she felt like she was going to faint any moment. Which was probably because she hadn't eaten much, and maybe she'd had a glass of Jack and Coke to relax. Maybe two.

"Well someone's a nervous wreck I see", he commented nonchalantly, rolling his eyes and turning to walk away, "And I got in with the key. I thought you had, um, a bit more in your head than hair." He examined the empty glass on the kitchen table and smelled it. Realizing she had been drinking, he smirked and decided to have a laugh at her. Once again.

Meanwhile Gin was starting to calm down, processing what he'd just said and recovering from the surprise. She checked the clock and noticed it was already ten to seven.

"Yeah, so, um, are we going somewhere?", she asked and started walking towards her room to get her bag. She still could see only his back. What is he doing? She waited a few seconds for an answer and when she didn't get one, she kept walking out of the living room.

She didn't bother to turn on the lights in her room, she already knew where she'd left her bag. And besides, the light from the hall did light a little. Except when the door was shut and everything went completely black.

"Fuck!", Gin got distracted and hit her toe on the nightstand. She sat on the bed and rubbed her throbbing toe, it wasn't the least bit unclear who had shut the door. "You twat, I broke my toe because of you!"

"Noo, you hit your toe bee-cause you're, once again, intoxicated", his drawl came from the door.

She turned her head towards the voice, but she still saw only black. "What am I going to do with you? I'll have to send you to rehab, won't I?" With every word his voice changed place, coming closer.

"I'm not drunk, honestly. And come on, I'm really not in the mood for- Aaagh!" She was tackled hard and pushed to the middle of the bed. "Goddammit, did you have to do that?!" She wasn't as surprised as she should have been, maybe I'm getting used to this. Ugh.

There was a moment of silence and neither of them moved. They just lay there, and Gin could feel the puffs of his breathing on the bare area of her chest that wasn't covered by her top. He was acting oddly, even more so than usually, and their position was starting to make Gin feel things that she really didn't need at that moment.

She had just opened her mouth to say something, when he finally spoke,

"But you are. You really are. Drunk, I mean. You're intoxicated by my very presence."

"Bwahhahhahhah!" Gin burst out laughing so hard that he was being lifted by her abdominal muscles, jumping up and down on top of her.

"Oh my god, you're just like that queer vampire from the books!", her laughter quieted down a bit, and she had to wipe tears from her eyes, bumping her hand on his shoulder while lifting it to her face.

"The fact that you knew where that line was from, means that you've read them", he sounded cheeky.

"Yes, I have. I wanted to check what all the fuzz was about", she yawned, feeling languid after laughing so hard, and stretched her arms above her head on the bed. Not a good decision.

The Joker seized the opportunity and took a firm grip on both of her sides, running his hands from her hips to the sides of her breasts and back down to her waist. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and took a deep breath, making Gin squirm a bit. She swallowed loudly, still not seeing anything but most certainly feeling all kinds of things.

"So. Did you, like, the books?", he asked, his voice right next to her ear, low, and she could hear the smirk in his voice. Gin cleared her throat.

"Well, um, I liked the whole falling in love with a vampire-thing, but", she took a deep breath mid-sentence when he brushed an open mouth on her neck, "like, especially in the second book, I think she was a bit, I don't know, she just really got on my nervesss..."

Her voice trailed off as he was really getting into it, snaking his hand up her shirt and placing wet kisses on her neck. Her mind was getting cloudy, deliciously cloudy, but she really felt the need to stop it, she refused to be reduced into some puddle of syrup every time he wanted so.

"I-um, shouldn't we... be... going somewhere?"

He didn't stop, but made an agreeing "mm-hm", pressing his body harder against hers. Shiiiit, it was really the classic dilemma, her head was ordering her to sober up, to control her hormones or whatever it was that was making her squirm against him, while her senses were telling the exact opposite. Just as she was about to tell her head to sod off, he stopped.

"Yeah, you're right, we should get going", he glid down her body, landing on the floor and coolly walked to the door, closing it after himself and leaving her in the dark room. Fucking hell. She regrouped herself, straightened her clothes and grabbed her purse from the floor before heading to the hall.

Gin found him there, he was digging through his pockets.

"Where are we going?" He didn't react to her question, just kept searching his pockets. Fine. By then she had pretty thoroughly internalized that he wasn't going to tell her anything. She was putting on her shoes that she had carefully matched with her clothes when she'd tried to pass time earlier, when he interrupted her.

"I probably wouldn't wear those shoes if I were you", he pointed quickly at her heels before returning his attention to the pockets.

"What, why?"

He didn't say anything, just kept fondling with his pockets. Gin gave him a strange look but decided to believe him. Whatever.

She got her shoes on, stood up and started to get her coat on when the Joker cleared his throat impatiently, standing by the door with his arms crossed. Gin took a second glance at him with an incredulous look on her face.

"Oh, shut up. You, you appear from out of nowhere, and tell me nothing. Who do you think you are? I don't have to go anywhere with you", it came out sounding more defiant than she had meant, and she instantly hoped she had expressed herself a bit more maturely, "And besides, you didn't seem to be in a hurry a few moments ago."

She didn't look at him, just kept buttoning her jacket.

The Joker stared at her, wondering whether he should tell her about the plan. Probably not, he thought, she would probably get upset and possibly fuck everything up. Or who knew, maybe she would be all over it, acting her part to perfection. Not very likely. It would be more plausible if her actions were real. But the risk of her getting hurt or killed was bigger if she wasn't expecting it. Fuck, stick to the plan, stick to the fucking plan.

"Honestly, what the hell is going on?", her voice brought him out his reverie, finally making him blink and move his eyes from her head. He decided to take a new approach.

"Oh, I'm just, dying, to tell you that, but it would ruin the surprise", he tried to sound cheery, like he wasn't going to put her at massive risk.

"Surprise? I'm not sure I like surprises" especially from you, she added in her mind.

"Well you can decide that later. I sure as hell love it", he said, feeling a bit torn because he was about to take advantage of her in order to achieve his goal, "Let's roll."

He stormed to the hallway while Gin started dragging her feet to follow him. He was a few feet ahead of her when he noticed her anemic walking, and stopped to look at her with a pout.

"Oh, Virginity- no, shit, I can't call you that anymore." He made a sad face, and managed to make Gin smile, she tried to stifle her grin but couldn't help it.

"You sir are an idiot." She walked past him to the elevator and pressed the button.

"Hmm, I really think you should watch the way you talk to me. I've slayed for lesser insults", he walked behind her and put a hand on the right side of her neck, while whispering in the left: "What makes you think you're safe?"

"Nothing."

Her answer was concise, she didn't have time to think about it when it had already come out. The Joker was slightly surprised, just slightly, and took his arm from her neck. They remained standing for a moment, both watching the lights that indicated the lift coming up. When the doors opened Gin stepped inside as he followed, desperately wanting to say something but not knowing what. The lift started moving, and the annoying music that sounds (and probably is) the same in every elevator started playing. For once Gin was grateful of it, the silence would have been awful.

What an odd day. She had noticed he wasn't his usual self, whatever that was. He'd been silent, almost avoiding, apart from their, moment, in the dark. Yep, he's going to get me executed. He was obviously preoccupied, and he didn't want to tell her where they were going. And now he'd basically told her that she wasn't anything special in his books. Gin's imagination was running away, while the man in purple next to her was pondering issues not so different from hers.

She thinks I could hurt her? He had no idea what he'd been expecting, but her answer hadn't been it. On the other hand, he was impressed. It was smart from her to not just accept the situation without reservations, but was she actually afraid or something? Had she slept with him out of fear? Fuck no. If she was afraid of me, she wouldn't make those clever remarks and get back at me. But she's right, what reason does she have to trust me? Shit, I'm just about to throw her to the lions-

The elevator doors opened as they reached the underground parking hall. Gin smiled as she recognized Larry standing beside the black car, staring at the ceiling.

"Larry!" Gin greeted him happily, and Larry responded with a small, hesitant nod of his head. She wasn't sure whether he knew something she didn't, Larry always seemed like he was scared shitless just to be alive. They walked to the car and Larry opened the door for them, Gin gave him a big smile and glid to the other side of the backseat. The Joker got in, ignoring Larry and taking his usual limp posture on the seat while Larry made his way to the driver's seat.

"Why the hell do you treat him like that?", Gin asked, whispering angrily. The Joker turned his head to her, registering what she'd just said. Yeah, definitely not afraid.

"Because he works for me. I tell him to do something, he does it, hmm? There's no need to give him any extra credit, I already pay him four times the money he'd get working in a fucking cubicle", he didn't whisper like Gin had, so Larry took a glance at them through the rear-view mirror, "Right Larry?"

"Sure thing, boss."

"See?"

"How convincing", Gin didn't support his point of view but decided to let it slide, moving her gaze to the window. Larry sped away towards the industrial district, and panic started to creep into Gin's mind again.

She squirmed in her seat for a moment, staring out the window as they drove deeper into the empty streets snaking between the huge, mostly empty, warehouses. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Aagh, where the hell are we going?! If you won't tell me, I swear I'm going to jump out from a moving car!"

The Joker calmly turned to look at her, his face expressionless apart from the little frown on his lips.

"Calm. The fuck. Down. We're going to a meeting."

"What meeting? Where? With-"

"I said calm. The fuck. Down." His tone of voice made Gin stop talking and freeze in her seat. He closed his eyes and took a calming breath, her nervousness was making him nervous. I fucking knew I shouldn't get attached, should have gotten rid of her. Or maybe not, this wouldn't work without her. I'm already getting two birds with one stone, so she might be bird number tree, so what? Serves me right if she gets killed.

"Sorry. I just. Fuck, listen, it's a delicate situation, and I can't have you going crazy on me, I need to fucking focus, alright?" He didn't look at her, just kept staring out the window. Gin listened, wondering what he meant. Then why did he bring me with him? I can't-

Larry braked when they had reached their destination, an empty storage building. Sigh. Gin was starting to feel that she'd spent half her life in bloody warehouses. All three got out of the car, and as Gin was going around the car she saw the Joker changing a few quiet words with Larry, who nodded and headed behind the warehouse after giving Gin a quick glance. She swallowed, looking at Larry before turning her gaze to the Joker, who was lighting a... cigarette? What the fuck?

"I thought you didn't smoke?"

"Just started. We should get inside, let's go", all the while he said that he didn't give her a single glance, always looking at his feet or the sky. It did little to calm her down.

Before she had time to respond, he started walking inside, ignoring her as she tried to keep up with his steps. They got inside, and he'd obviously been there before as he determinedly walked in the dark hall to turn on the light. It really was just one light, barely lighting the center of the big hall. Gin stood by the entrance, waiting for him to say something, but he just kept smoking without looking at her. Oblivious to the internal struggle he was having, she asked:

"So... What's next?"

The Joker took a last breath from his cig before dropping it to the ground and stomping it.

"Yeah. Just, go wait for me to the center, you know, where the light is. I have to go deal with this thing, just, wait there, okay?" He still didn't look at her.

"Okay... Why can't you look at me? Is... something wrong?" With that he finally lifted his gaze to look at her, his face again expressionless. He closed the distance between them with a few long steps.

"No. Everything's just according the plan. See ya later, kid" or not, he added in his head. He took her hand and lifted it, weighing it for a second before letting go and walking out the building without a second glance.

After he got out, he walked to the other side of the building where Larry was waiting with a bunch of other men. The Joker signaled Larry who gave him a cell phone. He took a deep sigh before speed dialing the number of the man he was doing business with. The show must go on.

Gin was so confused she felt like screaming. Sod this. After a few seconds of staring after him, she stomped to the center of the hall to stand under the light before sitting down and folding her legs under herself. This sucks. There was no floor in the building, and she started drawing little patterns on the sand. After she'd pretty much surrounded herself with scribbles, she glanced up. Someone was moving near the entrance. No, someones.

"Hello?", she asked, standing up and trying to squint her eyes in order to see better in the dark. Yep, there are definitely at least three people in there. Fuuuck. She tried to keep herself calm, maybe the Joker had already come back, with backup, or something. Gin cleared her throat.

"Helloo? Who's there?"

"Well well, look who's here. You come here often, Miss Patrick?"

Oh fuck. Gin recognized the voice and started to slowly walk away from its source. Still the voice was coming closer.

"Um, no...?"

"You don't? In that case, it must be my lucky day, you know, to catch you without your psychopathic guardian angel and all."

Just as Salvatore Maroni's face was lit up by the dim light, Gin felt her back hit the wall. She made a little squeak in the back of her throat and wondered how the fuck she had ended up in this situation. Maroni stopped a few feet away from her, his hands in his pockets and a malicious smirk on his face.

"Slit any Italian throats lately, Red? Because I brought some guests and, can you believe it, they're all the way from Italy, and just dying to meet you. I believe they knew your daddy", he continued, staring at Gin's eyes and thoroughly enjoying her silent panic. She was holding back tears, realizing that the Joker had set her up. Probably sold her to the Italian mob. Fuck, I'm not going down without a fight.

"Fuck you Maroni, my father was ten times the man you are. He build his own empire, you just got everything on a fucking silver plate, you miserable sod!", she took a moment to study his expression, yeah, he was getting beyond furious, so Gin decided to give the final blow "You think you're something, I bet your cock is the size of a crayon."

Maroni stood still for a second, squeezing his hands in fists, before attacking her. Gin didn't really try to dodge, she just wanted to get it over with. Maroni pressed her against the wall, holding her throat, not enough to choke her but enough to make it hard to breathe.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, you little bitch? Always trying to be so smart. Do you have any idea who you're messing with, do you?!", Maroni shouted and she just played it cool, not moving and trying to keep breathing normally.

"Oh, what's the matter? Got scared? Oh come on Red, where's the spirit? I'll be glad to finish you, but it'll be more fun if you fight a little. Come on, let's have some fun."

Maroni was just tightening his grip on Gin's throat, when a raspy voice came from the darkness next to Maroni's head.

"I'll show you fun."

Both Maroni and Gin got startled by the voice, and the next moment Gin saw a black rubber glove punch Maroni in the face.

A/N: My apologies if anyone got offended by the book reference, I just finished reading the first book for the second time and couldn't help myself. It's all fun and games until the Twilight fans get upset. :DD Really, don't take it personally.