Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and they are property of their respected creators. Some of them, such as Hope and the villains are based after some of my friends…not to say that some of my friends are evil…

"Alright…thank you." Wendy turned on the television once Hope had left. It was all standard news, but one thing was mentioned that caught her attention. The reporter began to talk about strange break-ins, generally involving apartments. Investigators have not yet uncovered any leads to the reason for these violent attacks. One woman, Wendy Earhart, was attacked Saturday night and was sent to the hospital. The mysterious man was shot and killed, in self-defense, by a minor whose name will not be released. Earhart is the guardian of the minor and they were alone. In other new—"

Wendy turned the television off and rolled over on her side. It bothered her that there were similar occurrences of break-ins happening and she was the one who got the publicity. She was not fond of drawing attention to herself and hated being interviewed for newspapers and hated it even more to be on the television. It was a bit after lunchtime and a knock on the door signaled the entrance of a nurse with Wendy's meal. Much to Wendy's delight, it was Hope again.

"Good afternoon Miss Earhart!" Hope's face beamed as she placed the plate of strange, odd looking hospital food. "I hope you like turkey…though I don't suppose you've ever had hospital food before."

"Well, it can't be any worse than the school cafeteria food. We used to have chicken nuggets that bounced." Hope laughed at Wendy's comment and was about to leave. "Hope?"

"Yes, Miss Earhart?" Wendy motioned for Hope to come back.

"Would you care to join me?" A calm, inviting smiled fell across the young woman's face.

"Well, I'll be on my break in a few minutes anyway, so why not?" Hope grinned, plopping down into the chair next to the window. "So, Miss Earhart, what do you do? For a job?"

"Please, call me Wendy, Hope." The blonde woman took a sporkful of jell-o. "I work for the Royal British Library as a secretary for the Special Operations Squad. We're, that is Mr. Carpenter and I, are here to do some…recovery work." Wendy paused, realizing that she was yakking on about semi-confidential information. Hope's jaw dropped.

"That's amazing! That also explains your accent…"

"You are not from Japan either, are you Hope?" Wendy raised one eyebrow curiously.

"No," she giggled," I came here to study and then fell in love with the country. I'm from Mississippi."

"Ah, America. The truth comes out!" Wendy laughed lightly, taking a sip of water as the giggle quieted. Hope brushed back a tuft of her soft, brown locks of hair, tucking it behind her ear.

"Do you have any hobbies, Wendy?" Hope smiled, trying to keep a conversation going.

"Hmm…I played rugby in high school…and I organize offices and bookshelves. How about you?" Wendy blushed. She had to admit that her life beyond the library was just about non-existent

"I always loved to sing…I played bass clarinet in school a bit." Hope laughed, fingering a tune on her invisible instrument.

"Do you think you could sing something for me?" Wendy asked shyly. Hope's face lit up and she replied quickly.

"I'd love to!" She hummed a little tune to warm up and then took a breath.

"There's a song that's inside of my soul…It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again…I'm awake in the infinite cold, but you sing to me over and over and over again.

So, I lay my head back down…and I lift my hands and pray…to be only yours, I pray, to be only yours. I know now you're my only hope."

Wendy noticed how pure and perfect Hope's voice was. It was literally angelic!


"Sing to me the song of the stars…of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again. When it feels like my dreams are so far…sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again.


So, I lay my head back down…and I lift my hands and pray…to be only yours, I pray, to be only yours. I know now you're my only hope.

I give you my destiny…I'm giving you all of me. I want your symphony, singing in all that I am at the top of my lungs; I'm giving it back.

So, I lay my head back down…and I lift my hands and pray…to be only yours, I pray, to be only yours. I know now you're my only hope."

Hope continued to hum quietly, as if in her own world. Wendy felt small tears roll down her face.

"Wendy? Are you okay? I didn't mean to make you cry!" Hope quickly stood and walked to the bedside. She leaned over and put her arms around Wendy in a comforting, friendly hug. Wendy smiled and brushed the tears from her eyes. She felt absolutely silly crying about something like a song. She was a grown woman and hadn't cried so easily in years. Wendy concluded that her emotions were a bit over-sensitive at the moment and she pushed the thought out of her mind for the moment. Just then, the clock on the wall struck two and there was a light knock on the door.

"Two already! Goodness, I'd better get going!" Hope rushed to the door with Wendy's empty plate in hand and then turned back to her new friend.

"I'll be back in Mississippi for a while if you want to visit me, Wendy!" Hope opened the door and allowed a white-clad doctor to enter with Mr. Joker behind him.

"Miss Earhart! How are we this fine afternoon?" The middle-aged man peered over his glasses at her and grinned. He reminded Wendy of her childhood doctor back home.

"I'm not a professional, but I'd say I'm better than before." Wendy could not contain the grin she tried so hard to conceal. Mr. Joker shook his head lightly at the whimsy of his secretary, though it was out of kindness.

"Well, I think that you are right!" The doctor smiled," Can you stand and walk alright?" Wendy nodded and swung her legs out from under the bedclothes and stood slowly, but confidently. The grey-haired man clapped once and proclaimed that she could leave as soon as she was ready. Only now did it dawn on Wendy that she was in one of those silly hospital gowns and a blush fell over her cheeks when she caught Mr. Joker's eyes with her own. The doctor removed a clipboard from the end of her bed and waltzed out, taking the nameplate that read "Wendy Earhart" from the door with his. Mr. Joker turned around as Wendy pulled some spare clothes from a bag that she assumed Junior had packed before coming here. She dressed promptly, vaguely embarrassed to be divulging herself in the same room as her boss. The beaming secretary tapped Mr. Joker on the shoulder and they proceeded down the hall and out to his waiting car. She was slightly unnerved at the moment. Wendy thought it odd that she was so…happy. It simply was bizarre that after being somewhat violated and nearly killed by a stranger, who, now that she thought of him, seemed peculiarly familiar, she was so blissfully unaware of the real situation. She also sensed some slight tension between herself and Mr. Joker. He was quiet and was barely able to look at her, tearing his gaze away from hers every time their eyes met. He also seemed tired, not that that was unusual or anything, but to Wendy, he seemed to be avoiding something.

Mr. Joker opened the car door for her and helped his secretary ease into the passenger's seat. She smoothed the khaki shirt she wore, careful of the modesty she strived to keep. When Joker slid into the driver's seat, Wendy could not hide her smile. He had put on a pair of "Matrix" sunglasses and looked a bit like one of the agents back at the Library. He turned the keys in the ignition and they were off.

"We must make a stop at the school, to pick up Junior." Joker said, more to himself than to Wendy. He wasn't intentionally trying to snub her, but he knew something now and it had made him rather upset. In fact, he probably hadn't even realized that he was avoiding conversation with her. Joe Carpenter had always had somewhat of a problem with getting too involved with his own thoughts. The car door swung open and Junior was now in the back seat. They had stopped in the street in front of the school and now jr. high school students flooded into the courtyard as the bell rang and the boy was able to make a small gesture that proclaimed 'see you tomorrow' to a girl who had waved at him. It was, Wendy knew, the paper master Anita King. It was hard not to notice her, having pink hair and all.

They drive was relatively quiet. The only conversation that was conveyed was between Junior and Wendy. She had thanked him for the card after he asked her how she was feeling, and then awkward silence lingered in the car until they turned into the parking lot of a series of rather nice apartments. Junior hopped out and opened the door for Miss Wendy. Mr. Joker was already at the door, in the process of unlocking it.

He had half of the bottom floor to himself and was blessed with a middle-aged couple that was not what people considered social as neighbors. He managed to fake a smile and let Wendy and Junior enter in front of him. He came after them, closing and locking the door behind him. He took Wendy's bag and motioned for her to follow him. They walked down a rather short hall and turned into a room at the end. It had a double bed, a variety of blankets were laid out and several pillows rested against a rustic headboard. It was very nice, and also unfamiliar, which Wendy was rather thankful for. At the moment, she could not imagine being in her bedroom at home, much less sleeping there. She was sure that the image of that man would haunt her for weeks, months even.

"Thank you, Joker." Wendy smiled slightly. He nodded briskly and returned to the main living area. Junior sat on the couch, working on math homework, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. The tall, slender man retreated to the kitchen and began to think about what they'd be having for dinner. Wendy emerged from the back room and smiled at Junior, who smiled back as he rose to stretch. Mr. Joker settled for pancakes. It was pretty much the only thing he could make that was edible, or at least for guests. He reached up and retrieved a box of pancake mix and a bowl to mix it in with a cup of milk. He saw Wendy out of the corner of his eye, peering under the kitchen cabinets that rested above a counter at him. Seeing him, Wendy offered to help him cook. He was going to deny her, but against his better judgment to allow his secretary to lend a hand. Wendy hummed quietly as the whisk found its way into her hand and she beat madly away at the cream colored mixture. Mr. Joker took care of getting the stove heated and preparing a pan that the pancakes would bake in. Wendy brought the bowl to Mr. Joker and he poured the mixture into the sizzling pan.

Within minutes, the three were sitting around Mr. Joker's kitchen table chowing down on pancakes soaked in maple syrup. None of then spoke a word until Wendy stood to clear the table.

"I'll take care of it Miss Wendy." Junior took the dirty plates and utensils from her hands and took them to the sink. He poured a drop of dish soap onto each item and scrubbed them down with a brush specifically for cleaning dishes and the like. Mr. Joker got to his feet and stopped in front of Wendy.

"You are welcome to make use of the bathroom down the hall," He motioned as he spoke. "If you need anything, I will be in my office…er…room." The apparently fatigued gentleman made his way down the hall to the first room on the left, closing the door behind him. Wendy thanked him and returned to the guest room. She took a green tank top from her bag and the grey sleep pants she wore to bed in her arms. Wendy informed Junior that she was going to be in the bath, and he nodded slightly then quickly returned to his work.

Wendy closed the bathroom door and lay her clothes down on the counter. The room had an oceanic theme to it, the shower curtain depicting a Caribbean paradise. Wendy could not help but smile at sight of the pleasant scene. She removed her other garments and waited for the tub to fill with warm water. She reached down and turned off the water, then stepped in, one foot at a time. Wendy eased slowly into the water and immediately relaxed. That is, until her right arm was under water. She winced at the sharp pain at quickly patted the wound dry with a towel. For the first time, Wendy examined her arm. It was red and slightly swollen; the five-inch gash was sewn together with clear stitches. No blood came off on the towel, but she made sure to keep her arm out of the water.

Now she could unwind and Wendy sank back into the bathtub. He hair floated in the water like seaweed and she allowed her head to sink far enough into the water so that only her mouth and nose were above the water. Wendy's eyes were closed and nothing in particular invaded her thoughts. She simply was, and it was the first time that she felt free of stress.

Wendy must have dozed off, because she woke with a start at the light knock on the door.

"Miss Wendy…? Are you alright?" It was Junior.

"Um…Yes. I must have fallen asleep." Wendy rose from the bath and proceeded to dry off with a fluffy beige towel. She dressed quickly and was through in just a few minutes, even after brushing her teeth, too. Wendy emerged from the bathroom to find Junior with a toothbrush in hand, waiting.

"I'm sorry, Junior, for making you wait." Wendy forced a laugh. Junior nodded and quietly assured her that he hadn't waited for long. She headed down the hall to the guestroom and turned down the bedclothes. Junior was sleeping on the couch, she concluded, because a pillow was missing, as was an extra blanket. Wendy settled down, though it was difficult for her to get comfortable. She realized that the last time she had gone to bed, she was not alone. She griped the goose-down pillow tightly, burying her face into its plush. A tear rolled down her face. The memories of that terrifying night returned to her now and her heart was heavy with great sorrow. The light coming from the living room was blocked by a shadow. Wendy tried to compose herself, but she felt two sturdy arms wrap around her before she could turn and face Joker. He held her in his arms for a long while and she buried her face into his chest. Mr. Carpenter pulled Wendy into his arms, his face nuzzled in her hair. She looked up at him, her deep azure eyes damp with tears. He cupped her face in his hands and brushed away the new tear that rolled from her eye with his thumb. Wendy sobbed there, in her boss's arms, taking staggering breaths every so often. Her body shook and shuddered in the comfort of his arms, and Wendy could not even think about how long she had waited for Joker to wrap his arms around her. She had hoped that it would occur under different circumstances, but it didn't seem to matter any longer. Joseph brought Wendy's face close to his and her placed a tender kiss on her quivering lips. She leaned in closer and continued to cry, silently. She took a breath before he kissed her for a second time, a kiss she returned.

"Oh, Wendy…" Joker spoke evenly and held his secretary in his affectionate embrace. "I'm sorry that he hurt you…" He let her sit there, crying into his arms for a long while before he could bring himself to speak. "They found out who he was…a young man named Christopher Kerr, I believe it was. An old "friend" of yours?"

Wendy felt as though time had stopped when the name registered with her mind. Not Chris, there was just no way! Chris was a vibrant, generally kind chap that was in her classes at school. He had been class president and somewhat of a class clown.

Wendy shuddered and Joker tightened the grip his arms had around her. He had also been on of the few guys that Wendy dated. Their relationship was never serious and he wasn't all that phased when Wendy had drawn the line on some of his advances. They separated only days before the end of their junior year. Mr. Joker slowly let go of her in order to see Wendy's face.

"Thank you…"

Joker had his arms lightly around her waist and his chin rested on her head, and Wendy closed her eyes. Once he was sure that Wendy had fallen asleep, he picked her up as best as he could and lay her back down on the bed, her head on the pillow. Before retrieving his cane from its place on the dresser, Joker pulled the sheets and comforter over his secretary and then quietly left her to rest.

Wendy woke with a start, her heart pounding and her head throbbing. She was drenched in cold sweat and she shuddered. It appeared to be rather early outside, but she decided to go ahead and get out of bed. Wendy swung her legs over the side of the bed and reached down and into her bag.

"Khakis…blouse…jeans…suit…" Wendy mutters, tossing the garments from the bag and onto the bed. The quaint guestroom now looked about the same as a messy teenage hangout, clothes strewn about in no particular order. Socks, three and a half pairs of shoes, and other garments littered the floor as Wendy tried to decide what she would wear. She would, after all, being going to work for a while today. Frustrated and half awake, Wendy promptly fell back onto the bed. Just now noticing the digital clock resting on the wood bedside table, it became apparent to Wendy that she was running out of time. It was about 6:15 in the morning and she usually left for the office at 7:30.

Finally, Wendy decided to wear the khakis, the blouse, and the black suit coat over it all. She reached back into the bag and came back with a hairbrush, which was put to use without delay. A whisk of foundation, a dab of blush, and a splash of eye shadow later, Wendy exited the guestroom and headed into the kitchen where she found a note. It was in Joker's handwriting and was messier than usual.

"Taken Junior to school…Pick you up at 7:45…Joseph"

"He could be a doctor with penmanship like that…" Wendy mumbled, taking a white ceramic bowl from a shelf. She eventually found her way to the cabinet that Mr. Carpenter kept his cereal and chose to go with the 'Frosted Cheerios'. The blonde young woman poured about a cup of the sugar dusted whole grain into the bowl and drowned it with some two percent milk.

Taking a seat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, Wendy noticed that a window was open.

"How odd…" She thought, but didn't bother to let her fears sink in. The only thing she heard was the crunching of cereal in her mouth, just like those silly advertisements with the blue-collar man getting fired twelve times in the last two weeks. Just as she picked up the bowl off the counter in order to slurp her milk, Wendy was sure that she heard something. It was no surprise that her mind would wander into memories of the previous night. The secretary shifted nervously at her seat, eyes quickly glancing from side to side. Thud. A footstep. Wendy felt as if she would past out, dizziness and fear plaguing her. Click. The sound of a clip locking into a gun. As she placed the bowl back onto the marble counter, the felt pressure on the back of her head.

"Don't move."