AN: Hey Hey! I want to officially say that this story only has a few more chapters, like 3 maybe 4 before this story is complete. Now I am going to warn all of my readers now, that these last few chapters will be hectic and may be triggering to some readers. I will not divulge because I do not want to spoil anything.
I also have decided to take an interesting turn here, some of which a few of you have asked about, and I'm very anxious about what you all think.
Thank you guys so much.
Chapter 10: What to Expect….
"Thanks Brian," Bella mumbled nasally, blowing into her tissue for probably the 8th time in a span of 3 minutes. She looked down at the chicken noodle soup, grabbing her spoon.
Her hair was sticking up in multiple directions, her face eerily pale, and her nose red from rubbing it so much. Her stomach turned as the scent wafted towards her and she upturned her nose, taking in a deep breath.
"Oh…" She pushed it away from her, pushing away from the table, and got up. "I'll just have some water," She mumbled, flicking her hair from her face.
She wasn't the only one that was looking like this as a few of Joker's men also had similar symptoms. There seemed to be a stomach virus going around Gotham and it was the season for soups, blankets, and zero sleep.
Joker sent all the sick ones to another part of the abandoned hospital, and replaced them quickly enough, and kept Bella somewhat quarantined as to not get anyone else sick.
He just seemed to be immune for the most part and was the only one that could actually withstand a little cold. "You have to eat if you take meds sweetheart," Joker was leaning against the doorway of the kitchen, shaking the bottle in his hands and Bella glowered at him, not ashamed to say she whined like a child.
"Everything is literally unappetizing," She plopped back into the chair with a grunt, feeling Joker come up behind her, his hands massaging her shoulders.
"There's fruit…" Brian offered. Brian was one of the replacements and used to work as a nurse before coming to work for Joker.
Joker held his hand out, and Brian handed him a bowl of fresh fruit. He sat it down in front of Bella, raising a brow at her. She could be a stubborn woman and it pissed him off to no end but also humored him.
Bella pursed her lips, wrinkling her nose. "You can either eat it, or I'll force it down your throat," She huffed at him. "A little force never hurt anybody," She muttered, and Joker had to give her credit for being a smartass.
He plucked a piece of cantaloupe out of the bowl, leaning over her, and Bella glared at him before opening her mouth.
He plopped it in, and she chewed, finding that it was easier to eat than anything else at the moment.
She opened her mouth for another piece, and Joker smirked, knowing exactly what she was doing, and he indulged.
Grapes, cantaloupe, strawberries, even apples were given to her, and her little scowl turned into a small smile in triumph. "You know that was kind of erotic," She murmured after swallowing.
"Is that so?" Joker replied, screwing the cap off the bottle. He shook two out into his hand and then grabbed the glass of water.
She reached for the glass, and he pulled his hand back teasingly. "I can take meds on my own," She crossed her arms over her chest, sticking out her tongue. He dropped the pills on her tongue, and Bella snatched the glass from him, taking a swallow, giving him a wink.
Brian took the glass and bowl, and Joker held out his hand for Bella to take. She slipped her hand in his, letting him pull her up.
"When you're feeling up to it, I want to take you somewhere. Just to get your opinion on something," Bella glanced at him, nodding immediately. "Of course. What's on the agenda for today?" She questioned, the two heading back into their room. "I've got to take care of some business today, and I doubt you'd be up for going out right now. I'll be gone for a few hours though,"
Bella pouted as they entered their room, wrapping her arms around his neck. He lifted her up by the hips, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He held her with one hand and used the other to tame down some of her hair. "I'll bring you back something special," He murmured, running his fingers through some of the knots.
He dropped her on the edge of the bed, watching her bounce for a moment before tapping her nose like he always did.
"You know I just like it when you come back home," She replied, smiling a bit as he crouched down in front of her.
He kissed her lips, humming in delight at the taste of fruit that was still stained on her lips.
"I love you," She murmured, his hand brushing against her cheek in response. He never said those three words in the same sentence, but he always used some physical interaction when she said it.
It didn't bother her, and it's what she expected out of him.
He stood up from the bed, tossing her the remote and some crackers before leaving.
Bella crawled into bed, turning on the tv. For the next hour or so, she watched the shitty reality tv and munched on her saltines, sleepiness settling over her.
Bella could say she had somewhat of a fever dream, which was filled with things she didn't understand and were quite unpleasant.
She could hear conversations, feel uneasiness settle in her gut, and ringing in her ears. Some part of her brain knew she was asleep, and she was trying her hardest to wake herself.
Her head swayed back and forth, her eyes shut tightly as she kept mumbling the word No over and over again.
Joker had come back a bit earlier than expected, having been once again on the search for Harley. She was slippery and knew just how to avoid him. He still wasn't pleased with the little stunt she pulled, and that alone justified his need to see her dead.
He wouldn't allow anything to come between him and his Bella.
He did know one thing though, if she ever tried to leave again, he'd shoot her in the leg.
After checking in on the little project he was working on, he headed back into his room, brows raising as he could hear Bella talking to herself.
He slowly creaked open the door, finding her in bed, seeming to be in some nightmare. Joker wasn't sure when the last time he had a nightmare.
Nightmares were nothing compared to what he's seen, done, and lived on a daily basis. He watched her for a moment, flicking on the lamp, then turned off the tv.
He went to her side of the bed, seeing her much better in the light, finding that a thin sheet of sweat was covering her face.
Her words were unintelligible to his ears and he sat on the side of her shaking her awake. He narrowly dodged her arm that had shot out, grabbing her wrist, as she sat upright, her eyes wide and breathing heavy.
"Easy there," He murmured, eyeing her as she laid her eyes on him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, not saying anything, her cheek resting on his shoulder.
"How long have you been gone?" She asked quietly, pulling away from him. "About 3 hours. Not long. Bad dream?"
Bella shrugged. "Something like that,"
Joker reached into his pocket, pulling out a box. "I got you a little something. Nothing too extravagant,"
He laid it in her hand, and Bella looked down at the box with a fond smile. "I told you…." She started and Joker rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, but when do I listen?"
Bella removed the top, her eyes shooting to him in surprise. "How did you do this?" She pulled out a necklace that had engravings on it. It was an exact replica of the one her grandmother had many many years ago. Bella had told him about it once in great detail.
"It's beautiful," She whispered, holding it up. Joker took it from her hands, and got behind her on the bed, clasping it around her neck.
Bella turned in the bed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you," She whispered. She stood from the bed grabbing his hand. "If I would've known that giving you a gift would lead to me getting lucky, I'd do this every day,"
Bella laughed, turning to look at him over her shoulder. "You get lucky every day,"
You could say that again sweetheart
"Oh fuck," Bella whispered, her eyes widening in shock. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," She looked down at the three white sticks. "How the fuck is this possible?" Bella rolled her eyes at herself. "You had sex Bella…a lot of fucking sex, unprotected, and forgot that antibiotics cancel out birth control…"
Over the last few weeks, Bella had gotten a stomach bug that was going around and took some antibiotics to help with the symptoms. She just got over her cold last week and now she's gotten herself into a clusterfuck.
She leaned over, running her hands through her hair. She never thought she'd be a mother, and not this young either. She also never thought the father would be a criminal mastermind who has some mental issues. She stood shakily from the toilet, splashing some cold water on her face.
She looked at herself in the mirror, and despite her internal panicking, she had a glow to her face, and her brown eyes were bright. She had been throwing up lately and unable to even smell anything fried. She and Joker thought she hadn't fully gotten over her cold.
Her hair was shinier than it had been in months, and even Joker had commented the other day by how she seemed to be glowing. She wasn't sure how to feel, and she damn wasn't sure how Joker would react. Could she raise a child in this environment? Would she want to? Would she be a good mother? She knew she'd be a better mother than her own. Where would she put this child? How would she keep it safe?
She could hear Joker come inside from his outing and she chewed on her lip. She hurriedly picked up the sticks, looking around the bathroom frantically. "Shit," She whispered harshly. The bathroom door opened, and she held her hands behind her back.
"Hey!" She chirped, blowing a piece of hair out of her face. Joker smiled seeing her in a better mood. "Aren't you chipper? Weren't you getting ready for dinner? You know I like to be punctual," She swallowed. "Mhm! Yeah, almost ready, I uh, had to check on some things,"
Joker knew she was a shitty liar, and she knew that he definitely knew she was a shitty liar. Fuck.
He narrowed his eyes at her, walking towards her slowly. "Are you feeling alright?" He asked, peering down at her. Bella moved to the side a bit, avoiding the mirror, and him as he came closer. "Peachy!" She closed her eyes for a second at herself.
"Bella…" He started. "Joker…" She mimicked, actually throwing him for a loop, enough for her to stand on the tips of her toes and kiss under his chin before she maneuvered herself around him. "I'll be back before it's time to go. Love you!" She skirted through the bathroom, slipping on her flats before grabbing her coat. She was already running out of the room and through their main room, then down the hall towards the back before Joker or anyone could question her about her odd behavior.
Bella was silent the whole ride back home, mentally gathering herself for what was to come. Now that it was confirmed for her by a professional, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't stall forever nor would she hide it. It wouldn't be right.
She looked down at her stomach, brows furrowed as she tried to imagine her stomach protruding. She was making herself more nervous as the car pulled to a stop, and she stuffed the pamphlets in her coat, deciding that she'd tell Joker after dinner.
She made her way back inside, trying to be as normal as possible, her nerves growing as she could feel Joker's gaze on her when she walked into their room. "Told you I'd be back," She said, taking off her coat, and laying it to the side.
"Where'd you go?" He asked, pulling on his tie. Bella swallowed and turned to the closet, pulling out her green and black dress. "Um, I had to go pick something up," She murmured. She jumped as his arms wrapped around her waist, and he kissed her neck. "You know I can tell when you're lying. What are you hiding from me?"
Bella turned around in his hold, straightening out his collar. "I'm not hiding anything, I just…I'm waiting to tell you until after dinner," He tilted his head, trying to figure her out. "You only do that when you've done something or if you are nervous about something. So, what have you done now sweetheart?"
Bella groaned, pulling away from him. "I didn't necessarily DO anything… it's more like something we did," She wrung her hands together, bouncing on her toes. Joker looked her up and down, clearly amused. He indulged her for the moment. "Fine. What did we do?"
She opened her mouth but the butterflies in her stomach started to flutter and then nausea rolled in, causing her to shut her mouth quickly. She swallowed the feeling down, taking in a deep breath. "I…am…we…" She rubbed her sweaty hands down her jeans, and Joker raised a brow. It was probably the most patience he ever exhibited, and to those that spent 24 hours with him, you knew his patience meter was low, Bella being the exception. Sometimes.
She turned for the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. He could hear her puking her guts out and he frowned. He made his way to the door, opening it to see her hunched over the toilet. He stood behind her, pulling her hair back and out of the way.
"I'm sorry," She mumbled, wiping her mouth. She flushed the toilet, and Joker helped her up and to the sink. She washed her hands and mouth out, meeting his eyes in the mirror. She swallowed, letting out a much calmer breath.
"I'm pregnant," She whispered, holding his eyes as he stared at her intensely. His eyes flashed down to her stomach and back to her eyes. "Say something!" She hissed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. He turned her around, looking her over from head to toe.
His silence was making her nervous and she bit her lip so hard she drew blood. He wiped it away with his thumb, tilting her head up. "I say…." He started, gently squeezing her cheeks before bringing his face to hers, kissing her slowly, his tongue licking the remaining blood off her lip. Bella softly moaned in his mouth, wrapping her fingers in his vest.
He pulled back, satisfied at the fact that her face had gone from scared to shocked, then flustered. He pulled her flush against him, pulling her head back. "What kind of man would I be, bringing a child into this world without marrying their mother first? There are some morals that I do take very seriously,"
Bella blinked a few times, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. "You…you're okay with this? Where would we put it? Is this safe? There are so many questions we haven't answered. How the hell do we take care of a baby?" She asked question after question, her eyes widening with each one, and Joker clasped his hand over her mouth.
"First of all, here, or on the fucking moon, I'll always take care of you, and that doesn't change. That includes my child. I'll make it safe. We can always find somewhere else or renovate. Whatever you want. Is this what you want?" He asked, quite curious about what she had to say. Bella's mouth was open with shock and she blinked a few times before answering.
"I…I-I don't know how to feel yet. I still can't believe it, and the fact that you're okay with it is comforting and shocking…Am I mother material?" Joker looked her over again, a smirk on his face. "I'd say so,"
Bella lightly hit his shoulder, letting him twirl her around in a circle.
"So, you're okay with being a father? You. The infamous Joker?"
The priest cleared his throat a few times, shakily opening the bible. Sweat beat down his forehead as he looked down at the bible. Bella took his handkerchief wiping the sweat away for him, giving him a kind smile. "If you do as he says, you'll be just fine. Isn't that right Joker?" She looked over at him pointedly.
He sighed, sticking his gun back in his slacks, slicking back his hair. "Yes, no bloodshed tonight. I promised," The priest nodded shakily, murmured a scared thank you. As he started to read, catching eyes with the large man that hadn't put away his gun, crossing his arms over his chest, he mentally told himself to get it over with and do it right.
He cleared his throat again, standing a bit straighter, looking at the bride and groom. He turned to Joker, "Do you sir, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Joker simply raised a brow, pulling out the ring. "I most certainly do," Bella held out her hand, her smile widening as it fit on like a glove.
Joker went more traditional, wearing a suit and tie, the usual for a groom, his hair green and black slicked back on his head and his face was makeup-free. He had on his favorite gold watch and purple socks.
Bella was dressed in a green and black flowy dress, green heels on her feet, striking against the dark red under their feet. Her hair hung around her in waves, reaching down to the middle of her back and spilling over her shoulders.
Her eyeshadow matched her dress, and she went light on the makeup. She had on a clear gloss that made her lips sparkle under the church's lights.
"Do you miss, take this…man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Bella broke out into a smile, once again wondering how the hell Joker talked her into such a thing. "I do," She replied, slipping an emerald, green band on his hand, liking the way the sun glinted off the specks of silver.
The priest nodded. "By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss…" He trailed off, seeing that Joker swung Bella around, their lips meeting before the priest could finish.
He waved the man over, telling him to sign as a witness. Bella turned to him, pulling out a wad of cash from the man's back pocket. She handed it to the priest, looking up at him sternly. "20 grand. Keep this quiet, and you'll live a long and happy life. Got it?"
The priest frantically nodded, taking the money and after signing the license, he dashed from the pew, Bella's tinkling laugh following him like a ghost out of a horror movie.
Joker stared at Bella's sleeping form for a second before closing his bedroom door behind him. Santiago was waiting for him, and Joker nodded at him approvingly.
Santiago follows Joker outside where they get into the idling car. Joker sat back against the leather, staring into space for a second before zoning back in.
He leaned forward, his eyes peering into Santiago's brown ones. "What have you found?" He asked questioned. Santiago pulled out some pictures handing him some photos. "She seems to frequent your old hangouts, and then she'd just vanish. Right now, she's in the wind. We haven't seen any sign of her in two weeks. She goes ghost, literally. We're working on it though,"
Joker wrinkled his nose, tossing the pictures to the side. "I need a little bit more than that now. Bella is pregnant with my child, and I need to speed things up. Soon, she won't be able to take care of herself like she can now, and she's more vulnerable. I won't have anyone fucking with my family. So, I want Harley's fucking head on a platter, and her body dipped in acid. I want her found, and I want her dead. Are we clear?"
Santiago perked up at the news, nodding. "Crystal. Do I need to up protection detail? I can get someone to take my place as her bodyguard. Someone I trust," He offered. Joker tilted his head, scratching his jaw. "You truly are loyal. No, it won't be necessary. She's perfectly fine here, just when she's out and about. In return that you can find Harley, I'll pay you 200 grand and you are free to leave. No strings attached; I promise. You're getting too old for this shit, and I'm trying to be more accommodating as Bella says," He rolled his eyes.
Santiago furrowed his brows in response but otherwise nodded, holding out his hand for Joker to shake. Joker shook it, giving him a single nod.
A dark green streak of paint covered the black on the wall, and Bella hummed softly with the piano playing in the background. She started painting from the top of the wall, slowly making her way down the wall. She squatted down to get the bottom of the wall, smiling at the color she chose.
She reached to the side of her, her fingers searching an empty bowl. She frowned, coming to a stand. She picked up the bowl, setting the paintbrush on top of the can, wiping her hands on her sweatpants. She walked out of the room, and into the kitchen, looking in the fridge.
She frowned as she didn't see her now go-to snack. After re-speaking with the doctor, she was informed that she was 5 weeks pregnant, and it was normal for a number of symptoms to occur during the first trimester. Bella hadn't been experiencing morning sickness yet, but she was experiencing sweet food cravings. What she loved most were peanut butter and strawberries.
She frowned, not seeing her favorite snack in the fridge.
She grumbled to herself, closing the fridge door. She made her way to her sunroom, going to the fruit section, smiling in triumph as she had a few fresh, ripe strawberries. She squatted down, plucking them off the little vine and into the bowl. She stood up and turned around, screeching in fright at Joker who had rounded the corner in search of her.
"Jesus!" He scowled at her for being so loud, clearly just waking up. He crooked a finger in a come-hither motion, and Bella walked forward, a small smile creeping on her face as he lifted her chin. "You need to rest. You do know it's 3 in the morning?" Bella tilted her head, holding up his arm so that she could look at his watch.
"Oh…I lost track of time," Was her reply. Joker leads her back to their room, plucking her bowl from her hands, and setting it on the dresser beside the bed. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he turned back towards her, leaning back so they would fall on the bed.
She giggled softly, breathing in the faint scent of his cologne, wrapping a leg around his waist. Joker hummed in appreciation, running a hand up her shirt. His semi-cold hand raised goosebumps on her skin causing her to shiver slightly.
He pressed his hand against her back, pushing her upward and to his chest, pushing her shirt up and over her head. He tossed it to the side, hungrily kissing her lips. Bella moaned softly, biting his lip, her hands going to his hair, a hiss passing from her lips as his teeth raked across her skin, leaving pink marks in their wake.
Joker kissed down her neck, traveling down her body before he got to her pants. Bella lifted her hips, and Joker pulled down her sweats in an unbearably slow motion, making Bella squirm. "Eager?" Joker questioned, his warm breath caressing her skin. He gently jerked her towards him, and Bella reached for his boxers, pushing them down impatiently, her head dropping against the bed as he entered her slowly.
Bella let out a breath Joker grabbed her hands, his fingers intertwining with hers as he thrust forward, dropping his head to her chest. Bella took one hand, her fingers running through his hair. Joker was gentle, his body moving against hers with each snap of his hips.
Bella's eyes were closed tightly, quietly chanting the word yes in his ear repeatedly. Joker lifted himself, bringing her with him, as he got on his knees, the new angle giving him access to go deeper, groans living their lips as he thrusts a bit harder, pulling her hair from the bun it was in. It came down in waves, and he ran his hands through her silky hair, jerking her head back so he could look her in the eyes.
She whimpered against his lips as she came, her head dropping back in bliss, Joker's hand supporting her neck, his thrusts slowing as he finished. They just sat like that for a moment, breathing heavily. Joker placed a kiss on the right side of her neck, and then her shoulder, dipping them back down to the bed pulling out of her in the process.
He rolled over, pulling her on top of him, his fingers trailing down her back.
The aroma of peanut butter filtered through the room, and some of the men wrinkled their noses as Bella plopped herself on Joker's lap, dipping a strawberry into the bowl. She noticed Joker's eyes on her, and she blushed. "Want a bite?" She mumbled, holding it up, peanut butter dripping from the bottom and into the bowl.
He held up a hand, "You enjoy sweetheart," Bella gave him a shrug, plopping it into her mouth, groaning a bit as she closed her eyes savoring the taste.
She laid her head on his shoulder as he did the usual. She flipped through a home décor magazine, one specifically for upcoming mothers, hoping to gain some artistic ideas for the room she was transforming for their child.
"What do you think about this?" Bella asked, pointing to a picture that modeled a baby's room with shapes on every wall. Joker turned his attention to her, watching her flip through some other pages, pointing out a few that looked promising.
"What about this? It's a forest green color, which I already have…ooo! I can get some glow-in-the-dark paint and paint the stars. I don't really like the stickers," She was a bit more excited, causing Joker to chuckle, pulling her up on his lap a bit more.
Aside from Santiago, no one knew she was pregnant, so they were looking at the pair with interest and confusion. If you told any of them that Joker was a father or going to be one, they'd laugh in your face and would ask you in what universe.
They'd never see Joker as father material, the man being too sadistic to even care about anything other than himself. Yet, it was a contradicting statement on its own as there was simply one thing that he had his sights on and that was Bella. Battling it out with the bat did and still does bring some fun to his life, but none of it excited him as much as Bella did.
She was like a shiny new toy that never got scratches or worn out. Every day she did something different which kept Joker stimulated. She was this piece of something that gave him an almost human feeling. A feeling that told him he was alive.
She was like a rush, a rush of fresh air that blew in your hair, making your eyes go wide with the pressure. He breathed in the scent of cinnamon that seemed to waft off her naturally, placing his hand over her stomach.
In the middle of the night, Joker and Bella were laying in bed, his head pressed against her stomach, her fingers combing through his hair. She inclined her head towards the door as yet another packing was slid next to their door. "What exactly are you doing? This is like the 5th package you've gotten in two days," She asked curiously, smiling softly as he pressed his lips against her side.
"If you weren't so curious and perceptive, I could surprise you once in a while," He griped playfully, and Bella snorted. "I'd be boring if I were clueless 24/7," Joker pinched her leg, and Bella laughed, nudging him with her knee. "Seriously, what are you doing?"
She sat up against the headboard, and Joker hummed, turning on his back. "I'm finding another place to operate out of, one where you'll be a bit more comfortable and with more space. I need to tie up some loose ends around here first,"
Bella's brows crinkled, and she looked down at him in concern. "Is everything okay?" Joker sat up, straddling her legs, crooking a finger under her chin. "Truth be told, you could say I have a little hit list that needs to be taken care of. Harley is at the top of that list,"
Bella raised a brow. "Not that I'm complaining, but why?" He plopped down beside her, taking her hand, twirling the ring on her finger. "While Harley can be a little…. asinine, for a lack of a better word, she's not as slow as one would think. She's a bit crazy and that isn't a lie, but she's cunning, smart, and when she really wants something, she'll do everything she can just to get it. She learned from me, and I'm not about to risk my family,"
Bella took her eyes off her hand, looking at him in surprise. "Family huh? That's a term I don't think I've heard you use," She smiled softly at him, leaning into his hand as he caressed her face. "There's a lot of terms I don't use," He replied. He tilted her head up, leaning in close to her face.
"Fact of the matter is, and I think you understand this, that I care about you, very much, and I didn't leave you alive for nothing. Since I've met you, you have been one of my top priorities, and still are. So, I'll do whatever it takes to keep it that way, and I need you to do the same. Until I get some things straight, someone will always be accompanying you. Everywhere you go. Doctor visits are my time," He tapped her nose, laughing as her face scrunched up.
"Joker?" She questioned softly, looking him in the eyes. At his silence, she continued. "We'll be alright, right?"
He silently nodded, taking her hand, raising her fingers to his lips.
AN: So…yes I caved and did it. I wrote an alternate chapter here, one where she isn't pregnant, but I decided to go with it. Not a lot happened here, but I can say that there will be maybe 3 chapters left before this story is over and a LOT will be happening.
Depending on how I end it, there may be a sequel…maybe.
Hope you enjoyed it.