I've Been Wrong Before
/Author's Note: I know it's a short, short chapter compared to the rest but I felt this should be on chapter altogether :)
Chapter Twenty-Five: Better To Be Paranoid
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I coded in the numbers to get into Joker's cell, pausing before I took the handle. I turned it when I convinced myself that I'd do nothing but my duties in the twenty minutes I was given. As I opened the door, I glanced over the room to see that Joker was standing with his back against the wall, arms crossed casually as he watched me with a smile. He said nothing when I pulled the dolly inside and raised the strait jacket that was lain over my arm. Joker shrugged, bouncing forward from the wall to stand in the center of the room.
"No one but you, huh?" Joker asked, smiling at me still.
"You said you didn't want anyone in your cell but me," I reminded.
"Ah, you remember my words—I think that's cute." Joker pointed out.
I wheeled in the dolly and placed it in front of him.
"Please..." I instructed.
Joker rolled his eyes, saying, "You really think I'll get on that thing?"
"I can fight you if you want," I said tiredly, "But personally, I've had enough Friday Night fights to last me a century. Just do as you're told."
Joker probably perceived my rude remark as one having dealt with Lyle and my husband in the past few hours I'd been awake. He smiled at me, regardless, and with a sigh of reluctance, he stood on the platform. I was actually surprised he did as I asked.
I was very aware of his eyes observing me with the utmost scrutiny as I lifted the strait jacket over his head. He held out his arms in my direction so I could pull the sleeves up his arms. I bit my lip as I stepped towards him—distance closing immediately—as I tied and buckle the straps behind his back. My eyes flickered to him; Joker smirked at me, his tongue licking his scars as if he, too, was lost in a dirty reverie.
Just feeling my body pressed against his as I tied the straps quickly, I could feel myself getting hot and bothered. Being so close to him, my mind raced with all the things that could be accomplished in twenty minutes, but I was stepping on too many toes to begin with, so I attempted to force those delicious scenarios from my head.
"Wearing a new perfume, hm?"
I startled at the question—not so much the wording as I did at the sound of his voice in my ear. When I stepped back, Joker was smiling at me.
"I ran out of the other type," I explained calmly.
Joker looked down at me when I stooped to buckle in his legs.
"I like the type you have on right now," Joker stated plainly.
I glanced up at him; seeing the crooked smile on his face, I bit my lip again, hoping to drown out the small screams my loins beckoned for me to do. What I wanted to do was keep him strapped in and then show just how in control I could be...the pleasurable sounds that would come from him—the very idea made me hurt with knowing just how great it would be.
"Perfume aside," I sighed as I stood to my feet, "I don't wear it that often."
"Just for me then?" Joker offered, chuckling for he knew that wasn't the case.
I licked my lips for they'd become very dry. Joker's eyes flickered to them with a certain appeal then he saw my neck, the redness of it. I reckoned he had an idea that someone else did that to me; Gary had neither the interest nor the will to cause that kind of bodily harm.
"Someone else besides me?" Joker asked curiously.
"Nope." I returned, but that's all I said.
I opened the door to the cell, and pushed it open with my foot. As I wheeled him out of the room and down the hall, we came to the elevator. I frowned at the metal box, for the fact that I hardly ever took the damn thing to any floor. When I hit the button, Joker glanced at me; I stood beside him.
"Don't like elevators?" Joker assumed.
"What made you think that?" I returned sarcastically.
"Intuition," he remarked.
"Funny," I muttered.
Joker chuckled.
The doors opened and I moved him inside, stepping aside to hit the button number 1. I sighed wearily, grimacing when I felt the sudden drop of the platform moving downward; instinctively, I grabbed the railing around the wall, and to my surprise, my other hand had grabbed Joker's arm. I glanced at him with embarrassment, immediately letting go. He made an amused laugh.
"Little Officer Kate is afraid of elevators. What, is it the idea of falling through the floor?" asked Joker, smirking at me. "Or do you see the walls closing in on you?"
I frowned at his mockery of my phobia, saying quietly, "None of them."
"None, huh? Then what?" asked Joker.
"It's the idea of someone hiding above." I muttered, pointing to the ceiling where a square hatch was carved up above—the place where a person could easily hide or get out of the elevator should the building collapse...or for someone to wait patiently then assassinate a target. Joker glanced up to where I was pointing and he smiled at me.
"That's a lot of paranoia for one person." Joker commented smoothly.
"Yeah, well...better to be paranoid than ignorant." I stated. The doors opened and I added, "Especially in a city like Gotham."
Joker laughed at my reasoning, but I knew in my mind that it was true.