Thanks to Harlequin Sequins, michelle1203, Salamara, Myrked Kohl, TombstoneGirl, BlueStar33, Future Trunks lover, and Quarter Queen for the reviews! Excuse my French, but shit…I don't want this story to end!
People are swamping me for interviews ever since our secret was uncovered. I happened across a letter that said 'if you were a good Christian you would abort your pregnancy.' This person even had the audacity to call Jack the Antichrist. I promptly threw the letter in the fireplace and burned it.
Friday is the midnight release of my latest book (the one I didn't finish in three weeks. No, this one came before it). The Barnes and Noble here in Gotham is throwing a party (like any other bookstore in America) for the release. Meredith is practically making me go. I'm almost dreading the midnight release. People are always so crazy there! I've done this sort of thing once before. Just the general stuff, signing books and answering any questions the readers may have.
I really don't want to be out so late either, with the deranged Batman running around. He threw several gallons of oil and gasoline into the river and set it on fire. While everybody was preoccupied with the burning river (you don't hear something like that everyday!), he broke in to an art museum a destroyed the paintings.
All to quickly, Friday came. I left around eight and drove to the bookstore. I was escorted to the back entrance by security. I could hear the cheering from the back of the store. When I came out it was pandemonium. Was J.K. Rowling or Stephen King behind me? I hate the spot light and became a writer for that reason. I could hide behind my words, but like Jack's, my plan didn't work either.
Many people in the crowd were teenagers and adults. I'm proud to say that both sexes read my books, not just teenaged girls. I saw people dressed as Jack's character and my protagonists and supporting characters. It was surreal.
Once everybody settled down, we started the Q&A discussion with the store manager as the moderator.
"Do James and Natasi get to together? 'Cause when I reread Teardrops At Midnight last night, I noticed that they had some chemistry goin' on." One teenaged girl dressed as my protagonist, Natasi.
It took everything I had in me to not say that they do in the book Mind Games, but that would ruin in the surprise. "You'll have to read the book to find out!" I reply mysteriously.
"How many books do you plan to write? How many books are you going to write for the Teardrops At Midnight series?" One man with his daughter asked.
"There are only three books to the Teardrops At Midnight series. I just finished the third and final book last week, so that book will be out in the next few months. To answer your first question, I plan to write as long as I am inspired to write. If I believe there is a story that needs to be told, I'll write it."
"What's your next book after the final Teardrops At Midnight book?" A woman asked. She was dressed as my mentor and elder character, Alexandria.
"I've put some great thought into it and I've decided to write a book about…my husband. We all know who he is, let's not beat around the bush about it. I'm not proud of the things he's done, but I feel that's he's being treated unfairly and I want to set the record straight." I said strongly.
Everybody was stunned and silent afterwards. The store manager took it upon herself to ask a question.
"Great job, Gen." Meredith's voice said from my earpiece. "You've got them shocked. Afterwards, they'll get curious." She encouragingly.
"Uh..Every writer has some kind of quirk when they sit down to write. What's yours?" The manager asked nervously.
The questions continued for an hour and half. By then it was ten thirty. We had a costume contest with the manager, Meredith and I as the judges. A cute teenaged couple dressed as Natasi and James won.
"Congrats you two!" The manager said and look at her watch. "Ooh…It's eleven thirty everybody! I think it's time we start getting ready to release the books!" She sent a couple of guys who worked there to the back to start loading the books up as she put everybody in a somewhat controlled line.
Finally, the moment of truth came. Everybody was counting aloud and cheered when the guys wheeled out carts of my book. My heart soar and I felt like I had done something great. When they were handed a book, usually accompanied with a squeal from a girl or a 'yes!' from a guy, they lined up at my table for an autograph.
I signed autographs for about an hour when someone yelled, "FIRE!" Everybody screamed and ran to the exits. Like any woman would, I refused to leave without my purse and I ran the back to get it. I was horrified to see that another, separate fire was started that prevented me from using the back entrance as my escape.
Running as fast as my high heeled feet would carry me, I ran to the front of the bookstore and saw that the fire was devouring it. Momentarily, I was shocked into stillness. Guess all the paper from all the books didn't help much. From behind me I heard an ominous creaking and moaning sound. I looked over my shoulder to see a burning bookcase laden with my books, about to topple over on top of me. I quickly ran away but a heavy falling bookend hit me hard enough to knock me out. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was a sign with my name on it, burning.
I woke outside to someone carrying me into the nearby park. I could hear the screaming of sirens. I looked up at my savior and saw it was Batman.
"Gen.." He said.
I looked up at him and he took off his mask. It wasn't Batman, it was Jack! I didn't know if my eyes were deceiving me, but when I looked into his green eyes, I knew it was him, so, I slapped him.
"Ow! Gen!? What the hell was that for!?"
"For faking you death you bastard!" I retorted, pulling myself from his arms.
"I had to!"
"Why?" I said testily, folding my arms against my chest.
"So I couldn't be blamed for what I've done." He replied as though his motives were common knowledge. "I'm quite impressed with myself actually. I had a bullet proof vest and blood pack. Didn't miss a single thing!"
"Why did you burn down the bookstore when I was in it!?" I asked, on the verge of tears.
"Ok, now, that wasn't my fault. Those idiots who I sent to sent the fire didn't tell me about your engagement. They'll be killed, obviously. Oh yeah, it was me who took your money and memorized you PIN number without asking." Jack replied nonchalantly and that horrified me.
"I'm done Jack." I said.
I had reached my breaking point with my husband. Maybe I wasn't as safe with him as I thought if something like this could happen.
"Done with what?"
"Done with you!" I exclaim with tears flooding down my cheeks. "I will not stand for this anymore!" I pause to catch my breath. "It's me," I say pointing to myself, "or the anarchy! Take your pick because you can't have both!"
Jack looked horrified.
"Look at yourself Jack! You have scars up and down your entire body. How much more do you think you can take? I know I can't manage to sit through another one of your funerals. If you won't do it for me or yourself" I say talking his hand and placing it on my abdomen. "do it for our child."
"Then…I choose you." He said quietly. He looked at me in the eyes, swallowed and solemnly said, "I can't be perfect, Gen."
I put my hands on his cheeks and say, "Don't you understand, Jack? I don't want you to be perfect! I just want you to be you. Jack Napier, not the Joker!"
"I'll need help. And not from Arkham."
"Definitely not. There's a place in the next city that specializes in aggressive forms of schizophrenia. I think we should start there."
"I'm willing to get help."
"Thank you."
He pulled me back into his arms and kissed me. As we kissed, I realized something. This was the exact place he proposed to me.
He smiled and laughed when he realized too. For once, his laughter wasn't the fiendish laughter I reluctantly had gotten used to, but was the laughter I heard at the fair all those years ago.
Jack licked his lips, a reptilian-like habit he's had ever since I could remember. "Jack, if you don't stop doing that, I'm going to pull you're tongue out."
Jack put on a mock hurt expression. "But then you wouldn't have as much fun as I do when we play doctor."
I laughed, slapping his shoulder and said, "Oh God Jack, you're a pervert."
"Only when it comes to you." He said and kissed me again.
Jack got the help he needed and stayed in treatment for the full year he required. He takes his meds daily. We had to use an assumed name for Jack to get him into treatment. If we used his real name, people would know he was The Joker and cops would be alerted, following his treatment, he'd be in prison. Out of paranoia, Rebecka claimed to be his wife when he checked into treatment, because people know that I'm the Joker's wife.
He was temporarily released from treatment when I gave birth to our son, Jeremy. He was only allowed to stay two hours after the birth and wasn't able to hold him. Thankfully by then, the green hair dye had washed out of his hair.
After his treatment ended and was declared no longer a threat to himself or others, he returned home. A few weeks later, he became a chemical engineer. I couldn't be more proud of him.
Our relationship is as strong as it's ever been. I love him with all my being and would die for him just as soon as I'd look at him. Just the thought of never waking to an empty bed anymore is enough to get me giggling like a school girl!
As I write this, I can hear Jack and Rebecka arguing outside to avoid waking Jeremy.
"I don't care if it smells like Jesus! It smells like something crawled into my nose with a bunch of his buddies and had a death party were everybody died!"
I have no idea what their arguing about but I know it isn't serious. Just last night they were arguing about Jack going on Fear Factor.
"I'm not insane anymore, Rebecka! I have fears now and my brain registers pain again!"
There is always a chance for Jack to relapse and resurrect the Joker. One bad and stressful day can throw him over the edge. In the back of his closet, amidst shirts and pairs of jeans, hangs a dirty purple suit. The suit that will forever be associated with anarchist , known as The Joker.