AN: Again, sorry for the late update! Life has a way of doing that to you... Coming back and trying to get things up and running again. My son has been diagnosed with Asperger's and I'm trying to do what I can for him, but it's not easy being a single parent and no family and friends to really turn to, being on my own and all. Doing all I can though. So, please be patient with me, I'm trying.

Chapter 6: Changes and Escape

It had been a quiet couple of weeks since the party and she found herself mostly alone for the day. Rae had awoken the next day after the party, in great pain and shock. She had found herself released from the cuffs and her injuries tended to.

Since that day, she has only seen the Joker when he returned at night. She no longer fought him on a great degree, every day her struggles lessening and she was afraid of what he would do to her if she continued to put up a great struggle.

He had said that he wanted to 'break her' and in a way he had. She no longer had the will to fight, afraid more of the pain then keeping her pride. All in all, it hasn't been too bad for the last couple of weeks. He left her during the day to watch movies and came back at night to take her.

She didn't fight much anymore, just when he would first start on her and then she would just close her eyes and try to imagine she was elsewhere. So when she no longer fought, he wasn't as rough with her.

He no longer pounded restlessly into her; he no longer spoke such degrading words to her. He made sure someone brought her food three times a day, after having starved her for her first two days there. He of course kept the bedroom locked at all times, not wanting to take the chance of her escaping.

She didn't think she would try any way, too afraid of the consequences if she was caught or worse, if she got away and he found her. She hadn't even gotten twenty feet towards escape at the party and she was punished severely for that, she didn't want to think what would happen if she actually got away.

Lately, the last four days or so, he had taken to staying with her at night, once he was through raping her, and just held her as he slept, causing her to lose hours of sleep during the night because of how uncomfortable it was to be in the, almost loving, arms of a murderer and her rapist.

He was always gone by the time she woke up in the morning. So it came as a surprise to her when she opened her blue eyes to see the Joker lying beside her, his form stretch out beside her, a hand propped up on his elbow with his chin nestled in his palm, and staring down at her.

She lay still, hardly breathing as she watched for any move he could make. His stare was so intense as he stared into her eyes before letting his gaze travel the length of her bare body. She shivered as he stared at her with such blatant desire, licking the corners of his mouth.

"You know," he spoke, making her jerk in surprise at the sudden sound of his voice breaking the silence, "I believe you are, eh, the loveliest woman I have, eh, ever seen."

Rae flinched as he cradled her cheek, his ungloved hand hot against her skin, trying to turn away from his touch.

"Ah, none of that, young lady," he tsked, chuckling under his breath as she froze under his touch and allowing him to turn her face back towards him.

She closed her eyes, clenching the bed sheets in her hands when he grazed her lips with his thumb, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. He stared down at her face, glad to see that the bruises no longer covered her face from the previous week's abuse.

Rae's eyes snapped open as she felt the brush of his lips against hers. For a moment, their gazes locked before he closed his eyes and devoured her mouth, enjoying the taste of her lips.

Instantly she brought her hands to his chest, wiggling underneath him as she attempted to fight him off. He pulled away from her, capturing her wrists with each hand and pinning them beside her head. He was breathing heavily and she felt a small shot of panic grow threw her body as she felt his obvious arousal against her thigh.

"Please," she started, turning her panicked eyes to him, "don't."

He had never done this to her in her weeks of imprisonment, he was always gone in the morning.

"Shush," he whispered, pressing his naked body against hers.

She closed her eyes, turning her face away as he started to kiss her neck. Tears slid down her face slowly as she tightly clasped her eyes shut, making a small whimpering sound as he slowly entered her still sore body. Joker groaned, tightening his grip on her wrists as she attempted to move back from him.

"Shush, it will be over quickly," he whispered to her, clasping her wrists together behind her back, his arms wrapped around her as he thrust into her.

He would pull out from her, before thrusting in as he arched her back to receive him deeply within her. He loved the tightness of her body, the way she clapped down around him as she tried to shove him out. He grunted a few times, turning into an animal like growl as he decided to speed his pace up, taking her faster and harder.

He tried not to be too rough. This was not a punishment; she did not need the added pain. It was just pure enjoyment on his part. If he wanted to punish her, he would take her cruelly and without restraint.

He moaned, capturing Rae's lips with his as he came inside her with a couple more thrusts. After several moments of attacking her lips, he pulled away, resting his face in the curve of her neck. He stayed there for several moments until Rae started to shift uncomfortably, trying to get her hands free from his grasp.

"Stop," he ordered her, moving up to look down at her, slowly releasing her wrists.

She scrambled from underneath him, standing as she grabbed the fallen sheet off the floor and backed away from the Joker, wrapping the sheet around her naked form.

"Why are you doing this?" She cried, clenching the sheet to her naked skin as he sat up, pulling on a pair of boxers. "Why are you doing this to me?!"

Joker growled with irritation, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Do not shout at me," he whispered angrily in her ear, grasping her hair in a tight grip. "You've been doing so well and now you're ruining it with that big mouth of yours. You are to obey me and submit. You belong to me, until I tire of you. Got it?"

She nodded, stumbling back as he released her.

"I also remember telling you not too long ago not to cover yourself in front of me," he growled, pointing to the sheet around her body. "Drop it."

She nodded and didn't even think to disobey him as she released the sheet, letting it drop to the ground. Joker nodded his approval as he took an appreciated look down the length of her body before turning away.

"Today is a big day for me; try not to ruin it too much, eh?"

Rae turned away from him as he started to dress in his suit. She gasped and turned back to him as he let out a string of curses. He was sitting on the bed, his head in his hands as he growled in annoyance.

"Be useful and get my god damn pills!" He ordered as he snapped at her through clenched teeth.

Rae walked to the bathroom, knowing that was where he kept a bottle of his pills in the cabinet. She picked the bottle up, slowly walking towards him to give it to him. He snatched them from her hands, slapping her sharply on the face. She fell to the floor with the force of the blow.

"Hurry it up next time," he growled as he popped a couple pills in his mouth.

She nodded, cradling her stinging cheek as she turned her face away from him. She heard him take several breaths before she heard him resume getting dressed.

"I will be gone most of the day. Do whatever you want," he said, walking to her fallen form.

Joker grasped her chin lightly, ignoring her flinch as he tilted her head up. He sighed as he saw the large red imprint on her face. He gently helped her to stand, his arm around her waist, and brought her to sit on the bed. He kneeled in front of her and Rae could not keep a shocked gasp from her mouth as he wrapped both his arms around her waist, burying his face in her lap.

"I did not want to hit you," he whispered, his hand lightly playing with her side as he stroked the bottom tips of her long black hair. "The bruises are finally leaving your lovely face and I have to go and ruin it."

He glanced up at her from his kneeled position, gently cradling her cheek in his gloved hand.

"I don't know what you're doing to me," he whispered, softly kissing her lips before he pulled back from her.

"I, I don't understand," she said, confused at his behavior.

He has been acting very weird towards her since her punishment. He was always saying these little things to her. Joker just shook his head, standing and turning away from her.

"I will be back later, behave yourself," he ordered, leaving the room while locking the door behind him.

Rae stared at the door for several moments in confusion before picking up the bed sheet and once again wrapping it around her body and walking towards the bathroom. It was a ritual of hers to take a shower in the morning, to cleanse herself of his seed.

She stumbled, falling against the wall as the room started to spin around her. She closed her eyes, clenching her head as she started to see black spots before she fainted and fell slumped up against the wall.

He was just getting ready to leave with his men when he heard the loud thump from his room. He at first thought she was throwing things around in their room and he started storming up the stairs, bent on giving her a good shove and possibly a slap in the face for her defiance.

Instead, he found her on the floor, out cold. He could not understand the cold fear that surrounded him at seeing her like that. Immediately his anger was gone to reveal fear, for the first time since he had become the Joker, he feared for another person.

He quickly rushed forward and scooped her up into his arms, ordering his men to retrieve several different artifacts as he set her on their bed. Once he had them by his side, he dipped a cloth into some cold water, bathing her face as he tried to revive her.

"Rae, my love, wake up," he whispered, gently smoothing the cold cloth around her face.

He smiled in relief as she groaned, turning towards the source of the cold. He could tell from a look on her face that she was going to be ill. He quickly grabbed the garbage can by his side, placing it close to her as he turned her on to her stomach, just in time to empty her stomach of last night's dinner.

He started to rub Rae's back, keeping the hair out of her face as he whispered words in her ear and she started to dry heave. Once she was done, he placed a water bottle to her lips, lifting it slowly to allow her sips of water.

"Are you alright?" He asked her and Rae was surprised to hear the concern in his voice.

"I, I don't know what happened," she whispered, placing a hand to her forehead. "I just got so dizzy and passed out then I felt so sick…" she said, her voice trailing off at the end as she started to think.

Joker regarded her for several moments, looking her over.

"Maybe you haven't been getting enough water? Maybe you're coming down with something?"

Rae shook herself from her thoughts, turning to stare at the Joker for several moments.

"Water? Yes, that must be it," she whispered, taking the water bottle from his hand and taking a drink. "I don't get any when you're gone and I just never thought to drink from the sink-."

"And you shouldn't have to," the Joker said angrily, standing from her side. "I've been neglecting you…"

Rae watched, her brow creased in confusion as she watched the Joker pace in front of her, mumbling under his breath as he made angry gestures with his hands.

"…not taking care… my woman sick… dumb idiot henchmen… go fucking kill one…" he mumbled, placing his hand into his coat and taking out a switch blade.

"No!" Rae shouted as she quickly stood and latched onto his arm as he turned to leave, starting to sway against him as her sudden movements made her dizzy.

Joker caught her, sitting her back down on the bed.

"Please, don't hurt anyone," she whispered, clenching on to his sleeve. "It's as much my fault as anyone else's. Please don't hurt anyone."

Joker stared down at her for several moments, sucking on his bottom lip, before releasing a sigh.

"Very well," he whispered, tucking some of her dark hair behind her ear and kneeling beside her. "But if they fail to take care of you again, I will slice them to ribbons," he muttered darkly under his breath.

"Um, boss?" A voice interrupted from the other side of the door.

"What?!" Joker snapped, glaring as the man outside the room started to stutter.

"We, we need to go, or we will be late."

Joker cursed standing from his kneeled position in front of Rae. He bent down towards her, crushing his mouth against hers for only a second, too fast for Rae to even get the opportunity to pull away.

"I want you to drink plenty of water and get some sleep," he ordered, his brown eyes staring down at her intensely.

She was sure that if he didn't have to be somewhere, he would take her again. She nodded her head in understanding then watched him walk away. He paused at the threshold, looking back towards her.

"I won't be back until late, very late. Don't wait up for me," he said, leaving the room and locking the door behind him.

Rae slowly stood; trying to make sure she had no more dizzy spells and went to the bathroom. She quickly closed the door, locking it as she released the sheet. She stared at her naked body in the mirror, turning her body side ways. She ran a hand down her smooth and flat stomach, sucking in a breath.

She saw no difference in her appearance. For awhile, she was afraid she had gotten pregnant, but she couldn't be. She was on the pill and then her eyes widened. The pill… She hasn't been able to take that since the day before her abduction. She couldn't be.

She wasn't late; she should be getting her period any day now. She hadn't had any symptoms, except that stuff today. But she could easily be coming down with something. She nodded to herself.

That's it, she's coming down with the stomach flu or something, and it could have been something she ate last night. Rae turned away from the mirror, stepping into the shower stall as she turned on the hot water. She won't think of it anymore, she wasn't pregnant.

"I just got off the phone with Harvey. He says Batman is going to turn himself in," Rachel said from her seat on the couch and turning to look at Bruce.

He had just returned from his patrol and had unsuccessfully tried to pass by Rachel before she discovered him. He sighed when he heard her behind him, turning to face her. It was 4 in the morning and she had sat up waiting for him.

"I have to do this Rachel, it has to end."

Rachel stood from her seat, slowly walking up to him.

"Bruce, turning yourself in will not stop the killing," she whispered, staring up at him with her blue eyes.

"Perhaps not, but I've got blood on my hands. He is killing people because of me, I have to stop him."

Rachel sighed in frustration, turning away from him.

"This won't stop him, Bruce! He will still kill people! He's just using you to turn others on you."

She turned to him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she rested her face against his chest.

"Who will save Rae?" She whispered, stepping closer as his arms wrapped around her. "Are you just going to leave her with him?"

"I, I don't know what to do, Rachel," Bruce whispered to her, stepping back from her to cup her face in his hand. "I can't continue as Batman, I'm close to breaking my rule."

They stood staring at each for several moments before Bruce leaned forward, lightly kissing her lips.

"You once told me that if Batman was no longer needed we'd be together."

"Bruce, don't make me your one hope for normal life."

"But did you mean it?"

Rachel sighed, looking away from him.

"Yes."

Rae had just put on a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a deep purple spaghetti strip tank top when there was a knock on the door. Thinking that she was just getting breakfast, she called out for them to enter as she started to brush her hair.

She smiled and waved as Derek, one of the henchman responsible for her while the Joker was gone, entered the room. They had really gotten to know each other in her weeks of captivity and she figured he wasn't that bad of a guy, just got into the wrong crowd.

She frowned when she didn't see a tray in his hands and paused in brushing her hair, staring at him in confusion. He walked towards her, pulling the brush from her hands and throwing it onto the bed as he took a hold of her wrist, starting to drag her towards the door way.

"What are you doing?" She asked, dragging her feet across the carpet as he dragged her, her voice revealing her panic and confusion at the situation.

"I'm getting you out of here," he answered, tugging on her arm.

Rae's blue eyes widened and she tried pulling back.

"No, you can't let me out!" She shouted in fear, struggling to get free.

Derek cursed, capturing her in his arms.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I thought you'd want to be free! You want to stay with this freak!?"

"You don't understand," she cried, shaking in his arms. "He'll find me and hurt me for leaving! You can't take me out! You can't!"

"I'm not going to watch him hurt you anymore!" He shouted, getting fed up with her struggling and opting to throw her over his shoulder.

"You can't do this! He'll hurt me!" She screamed, pounding away on his back as he walked down the stairs, heading out the door.

"I will make sure your safe," he said, throwing her into the back of the van. "Now just stay- Fuck!" He cursed, surprised as Rae kicked him in the stomach.

The wind was knocked out of him for just a moment, giving her enough time to scramble to her feet and out the van door, before he chased after her. He tackled her to the ground just inside the threshold of the warehouse, straddling her waist as he pressed her stomach down against the floor.

"I'm sorry I have to do this," he apologized, handcuffing her hands behind her back, "but I am getting you away from him."

"No," she cried weakly, struggling as he also tied something around her mouth to serve as a gag.

"I know you're worried about him finding you, but I'm sure your brother will keep you safer now. Joker won't hurt you again."

He turned her around and he smiled sadly as he looked down at her, tears streaming down her face.

"I know you're afraid, but I won't let him hurt you" he whispered, gently cupping her face in his hands and kissing her forehead. "You're so beautiful…"

She stared at him with wide eyes, surprised as he gently stroked her hair.

Bruce closed his eyes at the angry shouts around him.

"Where is Batman?!"

"No more dead cops!"

"So be it, take the Batman into custody," Harvey stated, turning to the group of police officers behind him as Bruce started to take a step forward. "I am the Batman."

Bruce's eyes widened at his announcement, watching in surprise as Hervey Dent allowed the police to handcuff him. He realized what Dent was doing. He was giving the Batman the chance to catch the Joker. Bruce took out his cell phone as it started to vibrate in his pocket, answering it when he saw that it was Alfred.

"I didn't know he was going to do it," he immediately said as he placed it against his ear.

"That's all well sir, but that's not why I'm calling," Alfred said from the other line, his voice oddly thick with emotion.

"Alfred, what is it?" Bruce questioned, his brow forming a crease between his nose as he heard screaming in the background.

"We need you home sir, one of Joker's henchmen has brought Miss Wayne here."

Bruce forgot to breathe for a moment, tears threatening to spill but he pulled them back.

"She's there? Is she alright?" He asked his voice excited as he rushed to get to his car. "Alfred, what's wrong?" he asked when he sensed his hesitation to answer him.

"Something has happened, Master Bruce. She is terrified to be here, he has obviously used her fear of him against her. I believe she has been physically and mentally abused, she needs to be taken to the hospital."

Bruce cursed, jumping into the driver seat of his car.

"I'm on my way there."