This is meant to be a glimpse into one small kind thing the Joker does for baby Taylor while she is in his care. I guess a deleted scene, if you will. It is a tribute fic to the wonderful story 'Clockwork' by the talented author Hoistthecolours because that story is so beautiful and these two have been stuck in my mind for years. Taylor and overall plot are credited to her.
She also took the time to edit this, because she's a wonderful human and it meant more to me than I can express here. That being said, hope you like it! I'm so nervous.
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"Sit .Down."
A pair of bright green eyes lock onto the Joker's back, where he can feel them without even turning around from where he sits at his desk in the motel room. He feels her spike of fear at being caught, followed by the sound of Taylor's small frame settling back into the deep red armchair she keeps fucking jumping on, like it's a goddammed trampoline. The squeak it makes has been driving him up the wall. He'd thought her coloring would keep her occupied, but obviously he was wrong. This is the second time she's waited until she thought he was too immersed in his work to notice her continue, and he's this close to tying her up just so she sits still. He's contemplating where he might find some rope when he feels it: his stomach whining and gurgling. He licks his lips. Damn. He had been working since before the sun was up. Now it's—a glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand—almost two in the afternoon, and he has forgotten to eat. That probably explains why Taylor's so restless, kid is probably starving too. She had woken up late, which he now realizes was probably just her way of dealing with hunger, sleeping in and fending off the painful stomach rumblings. And when she had woken up, rubbing her sleepy eyes with her hair all tangled, she had been talkative. He had done his best to ignore her, but eventually it became relentless.
"Can Teddy look outside? He's really bored."
"What's your favorite animal? Mine's kitty cats. Meoooow!"
"Why is snow only white and not lots of colors? Wouldn't that be pretty Mr. J?"
"Can you please help me put cartoons on? Please?"
Finally, he had snapped that he was working, cupcake, and if she was really good and quiet he wouldn't, uh, make her be quiet. Her silence after had been bliss, and right as he began to focus again, a loud creak and the sound of springs straining stopped him in his tracks.
He'd spun around just in time to see Taylor falling back onto her bottom on the padded armchair near the bed, a tiny doe in headlights. He half wanted to grin just because of how adorable she looked, her eyes all huge like that, and her hands folded neatly in her lap as she tried to look innocent. It was pretty funny. But he was all business when he barked for her to stop, and it seemed she was just too antsy to listen.
Now, an idea out of nowhere. As he slowly turns to face her again, his idea forms. He smirks at her, and Taylor looks up at him in wary confusion as he stands, stretches the stiffness out of his back. Feels it pop.
"Alright, sweetheart, you hungry?"
She nods quickly, and even makes her teddy nod too.
Once in the car, Taylor packed up in the front with her blanket and teddy, the Joker walks back around to the trunk and pulls
out an old black hoodie he had thrown in there ages ago. His makeup is wiped clean, and a baseball cap takes care of his gorgeous mane. He hums as he gets in the car, and when he glances over to Taylor, she is making strange faces, her nose moving up and down and twitching with her mouth open. Her eyes blinking. She looks comical, and, chuckling a little, he asks, "What's, uh, the matter, pumpkin?" He is answered by a dainty sneeze, one that has obviously taken some work to get out, and then she looks at him embarrassed and he can't help but chuckle again. She is a funny little thing sometimes, he'll give her that.
When they pull in to the nearest McDonald's, he carries her inside just because it's quicker, and they are greeted with bright lights and the faint smell of cleaner from the freshly mopped table area. His eyes fall to Taylor, her wide eyes taking it all in with her tiny arms around his neck. He orders their food, treats her to a kid's meal, and when they start walking towards the play area, he carefully watches her face, eyeing her reaction. He's rewarded with the sight of her whole face lighting up, and he can feel the waves of excitement, the tensing of her muscles.
"Are—can I please play in there? Please?" she asks him, and he almost messes with her and says "no" just to see how quick her face would crumple, but instead he just nods. Her answering smile is radiant with joy, and she hugs him tighter around his neck out of delight. He rolls his eyes, can see a dirty light brown stain blooming
across the ceiling. He can't believe he is walking with a small child to a play area, with the intent of letting her play. What universe is this again?
As soon as they get settled in their booth, plastic blue, red, and yellow seats near the netting under the slides, she is scarfing her burger down, the fries right after, out of both hunger and a desire to finish so she can get to the plastic tube and ladders that look so fun.
He eats—more like attacks—his own food while he watches her gently pull the little free toy that comes with her kid's meal out of the box. Some little blond doll inside a small plastic bag. He notices how carefully
she takes her time opening it, pulling out the pastel pink and purple accessories one by one, which is a stark contrast to how she had been so ravenous with her food before. She is even looking at it like she is amazed, and it strikes him that she probably doesn't get toys, even little cheap ones like that, often. Her worthless Mommy obviously wasn't interested in buying even the basics for her child, let alone anything extra. As if she's read his mind, emerald eyes meet his gaze and in the sweetest little voice he hears a quiet thank you while she looks down. So painfully shy, so grateful, like he's given her the moon or something. He smirks, and out of impulse leans over and pinches her cheek a little, which makes her giggle.
Satisfied that she is occupied with her doll, he glances around to ensure the play area is still empty and then pulls out his map and files. Might as well get some work done now that he has some peace while he waits for the girl to burn off some energy. That's what this whole little field trip is for after all. The place is empty, save for a teenaged employee that had popped in to wipe tables while they ate, but even he is gone now. It's time to scheme.
--
Taylor is in heaven.This is the best day ever! Mr. J is being so nice, laughing with her, and he even got her food and a dolly!
Now, as if that weren't enough, he's going to let her play on the playground! Never in her life has she been to one. When she used to ask, Mommy had always said they were all too far away. She didn't even know they had ones in food places like this! Mommy probably didn't know either, and Taylor thinks she might tell her about it when her mommy gets home, as long as her mother isn't too mad at Taylor for disobeying, of course. Her Mommy had said not to leave the house, but Taylor was so hungry, so she thinks her mommy will understand.
She takes a moment to make sure her dolly (with the pretty shoes and purse and comb it came with) are all tucked neatly in her carboard box to take home, and she is off. Teddy in hand, she kicks her sneakers off, sets them neatly in one of the shoe cubbies and climbs the big blue plastic steps that lead to the tunnels. Her heart thrumming with excitement, she scrambles up the steps and finally makes it to the colorful plastic openings. It looks so pretty in here! Reds and blues and yellows, and even pink walls too. The smooth plastic is cool under her hands as she crawls forward. She can see the sunlight streaming through the plastic, making it glow. If she presses her hands to it, as she does now on a pink wall, she can feel the warmth leaking through. This is paradise. Otherworldly. The pink tube leads to a long black fabric netted tunnel that feels so fun to crawl on! She bobs along through, can see the ground between the holes in the net and marvels at how high up she is.
Once she reaches the other side, there is a window that looks out through the large glass windows facing the back parking lot. She feels like an explorer, and she pretends she and teddy are crawling through beautiful, mysterious caves looking for treasure. Hyper with all the fun she is having, she does a somersault through one of the tubes, giggles when she lands it right. She plays with the little games you can flip around on some of the walls by the slides, pictures of smiling burgers and fries, letters and shapes on the other side. On a few of the game pieces, a picture of a smiling Ronald Mcdonald stares at her, and she decides that even though Mr. J's makeup is way scarier, she would still choose him over all
the Ronald McDonalds in the world. Finally, when she makes her way to slide down the biggest slide in the entire play place,-a big green tunnel slide—she looks for Mr. J. She finds him sitting in the same place, his broad shoulders hunched over while he's studying his papers. He drums his fingers on the table absentmindedly, takes a swig of his Coke.
"Hey, Mr. J! Look how high up I am! Wanna watch how fast I slide?!"
His head snaps up to look at her, and at first she's embarrassed, hopes he isn't mad at her for interrupting him. But her fears evaporate when he finds her gaze and a slow grin splits his face, and he even nods and waves at her! Her little heart full to bursting, she excitedly waves back (is she dreaming?!) and finally slides down. She and Teddy go so fast, and when they emerge, Mr. J is still watching, although not with any expression she can decipher, if there is one there at all. Taylor runs over, panting from the rush of having just slid down a very big slide for the first time ever.
"Did you see how fast I was?"
"Sure did, sweet pea. Like lightning." He tousles her hair again, and then he's back to his papers. She beams at him. She can't remember when she had last felt like this, this warmth that comes with having someone you care about tell you yes, I see you. Being seen by Mr. J is her favorite thing, she decides as she walks back to the steps. Even better than cartoons and coloring and kitty cats.
--
After about another half hour, two more patrons join them, a woman who looks to be in her thirties with soft blonde hair and a small boy who looks about Taylor's age. They sit farthest away, over by the bathrooms, and so the Joker continues his research, figures if they get any closer he'll pack it up and he and Taylor can leave. Doesn't want any snoopers.The little boy, fiery red hair and a Superman shirt, walks over to the playground sometime later, his mother busy flipping through a magazine.
Some time has passed when the Joker looks up again, instinctively aware of Taylor and anyone who's near her, as the red-haired child and Taylor begin running around by the bottom of the slides. Taylor is smaller than him, her tiny socked feet slightly bouncing on the soft foam protective flooring. At first he thinks they're just being kids, and it likely began that way, but now the stranger bumps into her, hard. She staggers a bit, then tumbles onto her back, and its a soft floor but her face still scrunches up in pain, with big fat alligator tears pricking at her eyes, and the Joker sees red. A sharp glance over to the boy's mother—or whoever she is to him—shows that the woman must be in the bathroom. Perfect. He stomps over and leans down so he's face to face with the little brat.
"Seems like someone hasn't been taught their manners." The voice that grits out between his teeth have made grown men wet their pants before, and the boy goes pale. The Joker, appearing as a tall and scary man with scars, fake-lunges at the small boy, startling the child, who falls on his bottom in his effort to jump back out of sheer terror.
There, the Joker thinks. How do you like it?
They make quick work of leaving after that, can't have the little brat tattling while they're still there, as he's sure to do. That would draw too much unwanted attention. He scoops Taylor up, rolls his eyes as he grabs her box with the dolly in it so she won't whine, and then it's back to the car. It's a quiet ride home, to his immense shock. He glances over as they near the motel and she's out like a light, her teddy falling onto her legs as he drops out of her lax arms. She's even drooling a little. As most of his plans do, this one results in him getting what he wants, a quiet Taylor and more time to perfect his next little encounter with Batsy. At the edges of his mind, like a fly buzzing in his ear and then leaving him be, only to return again just as he forgot about it, questions persist. Why did he get so angry seeing Taylor get shoved? Why did the idea of someone else hurting her, even a little, make his blood boil? Not just a passing burst of fury, but a deep and blistering hot rage. Like someone had fucked with him on a personal level. Even more pressing, why did he just tuck her stupid bear back where it was, her arms instinctively clutching the thing tightly to her chest even in sleep, without even noticing until it was too late? Ultimately, he decides he has much more important things to worry about than such trivial matters. He does random, strange things a lot, sometimes just because he can. It would be a waste trying to decipher deeper meanings behind every little decision he makes. After all, he has a vigilante to lure out, and when he does, his unsuspecting little Batman won't even know what hit him. Gotham will suffer.
--
That night, as the sound of howling wind whistles outside and mingles with the hum of the fridge in the kitchen, Evan Carlson wakes up in a cold sweat. He looks frantically around his bedroom, his Transformer's night light softly illuminating every corner. Only once he's gotten up and checked his closet and under his bed is he able to lay back down and relax. It was just a dream. The man with the scary black eyes and the scars isn't here, Evan is safe. His mother had even promised him she would never let anybody hurt him, he was her baby boy. Not to mention she's right in the next room.
Sleep still takes a really long time.