Author's Note: I found out recently that the mayor's last name is actually Garcia so I'm going to do a wee bit of editing. I'd also like to thank everyone very much for their support. I hope I continue to please.

Silent Night

There comes a time when a person needs to be alone, no matter how dedicated they are to their family. Of course, the only member of my family I actually care about is my sister but today I'd had to deal with my uncle and his trophy wife. Blondezilla and I didn't like being in the same room with each other. We'd spent too many of my formative years fighting and I couldn't see any of her good qualities. If she even had good qualities.

Anyway, Gordon hadn't been able to hang around after he'd taken my statement. He did have several murders on his hands, after all. I wasn't entirely comfortable knowing he'd seen into me. I mean, it was only fair since I'd looked into him but he hadn't mentioned what he saw. He hadn't run screaming from the room so that had to be a good sign. I'll admit I was curious. Who was I? Erin's sister, Sybil, had always been the answer. Maybe some small part of me wondered if I was something more.

After the police finished with me I packed a bag and came home with Erin. I use the term 'home' loosely. I don't really think of the mansion on the outskirts of Gotham as home. It was very large with dramatic Roman pillars and wide windows. Wayne Manor had been larger and probably would be again once it was rebuilt. Still, the mayor's house wasn't too shabby. It just wasn't my style. I don't want to walk around on tiptoes in my home, fearing the destruction of priceless antiques.

There was one thing I enjoyed about coming home. Uncle Anthony and Susan the Super Wife had a pool in the backyard. I'm understating it. If you want to get a good idea of what this pool is like then picture the Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle. Admittedly ours isn't quite as big but the design is very similar. Susan swims to keep herself in shape. That is the single thing my aunt and I have in common. I love to swim although I haven't done it as much since I moved out. My apartment didn't come with a pool.

Settling back into my old room had felt strange, especially since no one had bothered to change it. My old Abba poster was still on the wall, though God only knows why. I suspect Anthony thinks I might finally conform one day and so he's holding out hope. Who knew a politician could be optimistic? I exchanged a few polite words with my former legal guardians then checked out the security arrangements. A few men from Gordon's unit had been added to the mayor's normal security. Erin wasn't allowed to travel anywhere without them. Technically I wasn't, either, but it didn't really matter. With the Joker on the loose, I wasn't about to let Erin out of my sight.

I was only breaking that rule now because we were on securely guarded property and she was tucked away safely in the house. Plus, I really need alone time. It had been way too many hours since I'd enjoyed some solitude. So once the sun had gone down I'd changed into a black one-piece suit, braided my hair and spent some quality time in the pool. It was a beautiful, clear night. I floated on my back, staring at the crescent moon and simply letting my thoughts wander.

The water gently lapping at my body reminded me of the way the Joker had touched my scar. I closed my eyes and plunged beneath the surface, fleeing any thought of him. Unfortunately it couldn't be that easy. As soon as I started thinking of him I couldn't stop.

I had been his imaginary friend as a child. Children were new to the world and they often had memories of the life they'd last lived. It was possible that he'd remembered me from his past life. It was possible that he was drawn to me but without the intensity I suffered thanks to my gifts. Hell, a lot of things were possible. I broke the surface with a gasp and wiped the water out of my eyes. If I couldn't relax and enjoy my alone time then I decided to do something constructive. A few laps across the pool ought to suffice.

I hadn't even started my first lap when I felt goose bumps rise up along my skin. Then I heard laughter. Familiar, unsettling laughter that was only in my head. "Crap," I whispered, hauling myself out of the pool and making a quick run for my towel. The Joker was nearby. I didn't know how or why but I was certain he was near me. Wait, what if the mob had people inside of Gordon's unit? If the Joker wanted to know where I was, all he'd have to do is ask. I wrapped the towel around my body, shivering a little as the cold air hit my wet skin. A list of necessary actions was running through my head. I had to get to my sister, I had to alert security, I had to call Gordon, and I had… had to…

My thoughts trailed off as warm pressure filled my head and body, pulling me backward a few steps until I hit what felt like a clothed wall. I breathed in the scent of gasoline and sweat. For a few distressing moments I forgot how to move. The Joker took that opportunity to wrap his arms around my waist and set his chin on my damp shoulder.

"Miss me, Sybie?" As his skin touched mine I had no protection. There was no distance, no sister and no control. Very suddenly my head cleared and whatever had been dragging me toward the Joker simply relaxed. I relaxed. A weight had literally left me and it felt as if I could breathe easily again.

Then I felt his thoughts. I could taste death in my mouth and I knew he'd killed people tonight. He was a murderer. What was worse, I could only relax and unwind when I was in the arms of a serial killer. So I did the only thing that made sense. I fought against myself by fighting against him.

"Get off me!" I bit out through gritted teeth as I struggled to break away from him. Unfortunately he was bigger, stronger and not easily shaken off. The Joker giggled in my ear as I tried to fight his grip.

"Now, now, serious Sybil, we were having a good time. Why get all fidgety now? Conscience bothering you?"

"Shock wore off," I snapped.

"Ooh, convenient excuse. Now stop wiggling, I have another questions. Well, more of a riddle than a question." He avoided my balled fist by moving to press his mouth against the nape of my neck. "If a dragon is all alone with no princess to guard is she still as feisty?" Out of options, I picked up my feet and threw all my weight against him. It threw him off balance and he hit the tile hard, knocking the breath out of him. I scrambled away from the Joker as fast as I could. Almost the second I lost skin contact I felt my subconscious needling at me, desperate for more time near his surprisingly warm body.

Once he got his breath back he began to laugh again. I had to wonder if there was anything that could bring down this purple-wearing bastard's mood. "Just as spirited as before," he noted, slowly pulling himself off the ground. "That's one riddle solved. Now I just have to figure out if a tree falling in a forest still makes a sound if no one's around to hear it."

"Fine. Terrific. Why don't you go figure that out and leave me alone?" To my great concern I'd found that when I tried to back more than a few feet away I couldn't. Damn past life baggage. I wish the me that had lived before had considered that whoever the hell the Joker had been might not be in the same in his next life and that whatever screwed up spiritual binding she'd done wasn't the brightest idea. The only upside to this was that I was beginning to piece together the nature of our connection. Once I was touching him my head cleared and I could think. That was a positive but also a real serious negative. I wouldn't have to worry about what I would do when I touched him. I just had to worry about what part of me he would slice up first.

"Sybie, sweetheart, why so tense? After the day you had, I thought you might like to see a friendly face." He licked his lips, a move I realized was habit for him.

"Your face isn't one I consider friendly," I replied then felt my spine stiffen as the full meaning of his sentence finally sank in. "How do you know about my day?" A smirk twisted his scarred lips.

"You're smart, beautiful. Piece it together yourself." He flopped down on a nearby white-cushioned lounge chair and stretched out. It occurred to me that this man would keep my eyes narrowed in disbelief for however long he decided to linger and the line between my eyes might never go away. "I have a few more questions before you run off and alert your top-notch security team."

"You haven't managed to answer any of my questions directly. Why would I answer any of yours?" The mood changed abruptly. I could feel the shift of it prickle against my skin and the Joker confirmed it when he pulled a slim knife from his pocket. I'd pushed a little too hard. Damn me and my need to test boundaries. If I could put more than just a few feet between us then I wouldn't worry. I'm a sprinter. Short bursts of speed followed by a crippling need for oxygen. Too bad escape wasn't an option. I'd have to aim for peace-making instead. "What did you want to know?" He clicked his tongue against his teeth, giving me a view of his sad, disappointed eyes.

"One look at a sharp object and you crack. That's not like you, sweetheart. I hadn't even touched you yet." I glanced away. Touching. Now there was a boundary I didn't want to test with him. I wasn't entirely sure that the calm I found in his arms was all I'd ever feel there. For all I knew the fact that make-up had been covering the skin that had touched me somehow dampened the effect.

The Joker was good at reading people and he saw exactly what I was trying to conceal. His eyes lit up at the realization. "So that's it. You don't want me touching you."

"I'd bet there are very few people that want you to touch them," I replied dryly in an effort to lighten the mood. The Joker sat up, long legs straddling the lounge chair as he pocketed his knife and began to tug off his gloves. "What are you doing?" I asked, trying to fight down the instinct to panic.

"We'll get to that. In the meantime, why don't you tell me how you made little sister fall asleep last night?" I swallowed hard. There was no way in hell I was telling him the truth. He was already bizarrely interested in me. I didn't want him thinking he'd found a new toy.

"She had a nightmare so I sang to her. It's what I did when we were growing up," I replied. He shrugged out of his long purple coat and began to roll the sleeves up on his lavender shirt. Some twisted, sick part of me purred its approval in my head. Without the coat making him seem sickly and slumped, I could see the lean muscles in his arms. I realized that the Joker could actually be considered attractive. This was a bad thought to have, especially when he stood up and began to stalk toward me.

"Sweet Sybie," he purred. "Come here for a minute, will you?" The towel slid through my suddenly numb fingers. I was struck, mesmerized by the way his hands flexed in the open air. I love hands, although I'll never understand why, and the Joker had a beautiful set. They were pale and big, his fingers long. Those were the kind of hands a woman wanted on her skin. And they were reaching for me.

Hey there, Sybil. This is your sanity. I just thought I'd check in and tell you to stop freaking staring at him and RUN.

I let out a startled gasp as my sanity finally checked back in and I tried to back out of the Joker's reach. He was faster. Gripping my face in his hands, he jerked me toward him. I pushed against his chest, which was a little like pushing a brick wall, and I tried to twist my head away. "Tell me how you cheated at our little game, sweetheart," he hissed out, tilting my chin up so I had to look him in the eye. "And why you just can't seem to run away." His hands are warm and I can feel my gift unfurling, drawing me closer. Instead of pushing I found that my hands had curled around his forest green vest.

"She was already mostly asleep. I just gave her a small push in the right direction," I confessed. To my great dismay I found I couldn't lie to him. Not when he was touching me. "And I don't know why I can't run away. Not exactly." As I stared at him I began to see things. Brief flashes of explosions, blood and, as always, there was laughter. I started to get whispers of his thoughts and memories. I was unintentionally seeinginto him. "Let go of me," I pleaded. I so did not want to see into this guy's head. He arched a brow at me.

"There's a little more to you than the average woman, serious Sybil." He'd been thinking about me all day. That wasn't his style. He didn't think about women as much as he'd thought about me. I shut my eyes tightly, blocking out his thoughts as best as I could. "Oh, now, don't do that. I have one more question for you. For now, anyway. An odd question for an odd woman."

"No," I told him and the hands that were itching to unbutton his shirt. With very little success I continued to try breaking out of his grip.

"I want to know what you are." He moved his hand into my braided hair, tugging sharply at the roots. "Look at me, Sybil. Look at me!" I let out an embarrassing whimper at the sudden roar of his voice. My eyes open into thin slits and I focused on anything but his eyes. Still, it appeased his sporadic temper. "What are you, Sybil?"

"Freak," I muttered. His fingers tightened in my hair.

"Sticks and stones, beautiful." There was no point to resisting now. Might as well put all my cards on the table. I opened my eyes completely and met his gaze.

"Who said I was talking about you?"

The top-notch security the Joker had mentioned finally began to notice something had gone horribly awry and we could hear them as they scuttled like frantic ants. My assailant let out a quick giggle.

"I'll be seeing you later, my girl." Then he picked me up and tossed me into the deep end of the pool. Before that happened, though, there was a very long, dangerous second when the Joker and I saw each other. I knew I would have nightmares for weeks but he… He got a very solid grasp on me, on who I was. On what I was.

Amazing the damage a second can do.

I surfaced, gasping for air and trying to clear my eyes so I could see where he'd gone. His coat had vanished and there was no Joker to be found in my line of sight.

And he'd called me his girl. Again.

Oh, crap, I was in deep trouble. Where was a handsome lieutenant when you needed him? I groaned and sank back down into the water, letting out a silent scream.

Help!