A/N: I've added a small section near the end of Chapter 7. Please read before you continue! Secondly, sorry it's taken so long to update and thank you for the notes of encouragement and reviews.

I own nothing exept Chelsea and the plot.

Chelsea woke the next morning and for a moment her surroundings didn't register. Once she realised where she was she sighed and pulled the covers up over her head. Remembering the Joker's strange behaviour and his warning to stay in her room all day, even if his men tried to get her out, she pushed the covers back off her as she knew she wouldn't be able to get any more rest.

A few hours later she was very hungry, she tried the door and it was indeed locked. She felt guilty knowing she would get some food quickly if she had the chance. Chelsea heard a knock at her door, Davies spoke. "We're on specific instructions that you're to stay in your room" he sounded strange.

"We want to make sure we do nothing wrong so we're not going to take you any food. Just in case we do something wrong". Chelsea sighed and frowned, they had planned all this to frustrate her. She could hear the amusement in his voice and some of the other men laughing from downstairs. Why were they making this so difficult? They must really enjoy it.

"So my only option to get some food today is to come out and get it myself?" she didn't leave the frustration out of her voice. She heard the lock click open and then Davies walking away. It was mid-afternoon and Chelsea was hungry so she decided her only option was to leave her room, pick up some food and then head back upstairs quickly. If The Joker had a problem with this she can explain that his men wouldn't feed her. Hopefully he would be angry at them for that and at unlocking her door and not be furious her. Although that seemed to be asking too much.

Leaving her room quietly and walking down the stairs she saw all the goons hanging around the TV and table eating. They were silent, she had never seen people so engrossed by their food. Occasionally one of them would look up at her then quickly back at their food, they were acting very strangely and for a second Chelsea wondered if the Joker was home and they had set her up.

After grabbing herself a bowl of stew she said "Thanks for nothing guys". No one spoke. She looked up at the TV which was droning along in the background. "...and Gotham General Hospital has released a statement about today's alleged incident". They cut to an outdoor press conference with a bald, nervous looking man speaking.

"Gotham General would like to extend its sympathies to the victim's family." Chelsea took a mouthful of stew "We are working closely with the police to ensure a situation such is this is never repeated again in the future". A policeman now stepped forward to the microphone, camera shutters echoed around him. The men in the room around Chelsea were very still.

"The victim was found at around 2:10am this morning. His death is being classed as suspicious. There were three gunshot wounds to the head. We are investing all avenues and will speak to the media again once we have more information". He walked off and they cut across to the studio once more. "We are trying to find out all we can about the deceased". A photo shot up on screen. "Mr. Daniel McClain..." Chelsea couldn't breathe. After a moment her heart started again. Danny was dead. Her Danny was dead. She couldn't think. She put her plate back down on the bench losing her appetite. Shakily walking up the stairs she stopped halfway and turned to see all the men looking at her. Rex was smirking.

She felt so stupid, they'd drawn her down here to upset her. She walked back to her room. For twenty minutes at least she cried, the life she knew was almost gone. She thought everything through. She thought about what the men had just done to her, at this she felt a hot burning in her stomach as deep loathing bubbled there. She would have her revenge.

Maybe she could dob them in to the Joker? But no, she had specific instructions to stay in her room even if they tried to get her out of there. She lay on her bed then angrily pummelled her pillow, laying down on it. 'He didn't want me to find out like that because he wanted to see the look on my face as I found out!' she had stopped crying. Within an hour she had calmed down.

At around 5pm she had a knock at her door, hearing the voice she did not want to hear. His voice brought a stab of that heat in her stomach. "Get dressed, Sweetcheeks. We're going on a little, adventure!" she heard him cackle, unlock her door, which must have been locked again while she had been crying earlier and walk down to his bedroom. She pulled on a t-shirt and jeans and made her way to meet the men downstairs.

Chelsea saw the front door open and walked towards it. Looking into the warehouse she saw Davies was just leaving. "Get into the van" he said pointing towards the garage. She prepared herself, she needed to be in a reasonable mood so that The Joker wouldn't know she knew about Danny, thus giving away the information that she left her room. She guessed her punishment would be worse than what he would dish out to the cronies. She silently prepared herself for going in, walking into the garage and through the open black doors of the van.

Once inside and settled she looked around for the Joker and then noticed that he was driving. He looked at her in the rear view mirror. She was glad her sunnies covered her eyes. "Well, hello Sweetcheeks. Have you been a good girl and stayed in your room?" Ignoring the childish talk, it was easy to lie to him with her eyes covered and with only a small part of her face visible in the mirror. "Yes" she replied mustering all the courage she could, her voice was clear.

"Good!" He squealed not really looking at her properly, unnecessarily revving the van's engine "I wanted you to be rested up and calm for our little adventure!" Davies jumped into the back of the van carrying a bag and locking them all into the vehicle.

"And we're off!" the van shot out into the alley and then eventually skidded into the main street. 'The Joker drives like he thinks' Chelsea thought wryly.

They drove for what felt like around 40 minutes. The men were pretty much silent the whole trip. The Joker on the other hand was in a very good mood. "I've been out here already today, boys, setting this up. It's going to be good, I can just . taste . it-tah!" he smacked his lips and then started his hyena laugh once more.

Chelsea sat bored fixing her eyes on a dark patch on the inside of the van. She tried not to think about what it could be. At the moment everyones focus was at the task at hand.

"We're here!" The Joker explained finally. It was now dusk and quickly everyone moved out of the van. Chelsea made to leave too as she couldn't see anyone else now. Just as she was about to jump out a purple gloved hand pushed into her stomach stopping her. He traced his fingers along her waist finally placing a hand on her hip, looking up into her sunglasses. There was no desire in his eyes, he had done that merely to unsettle her.

"Ah, you stay here. These are the keys" he placed them into her hand "when we exit the building start the car and move into the passenger seat. We won't be long". At this they all left.

They were parked outside a multi story car park on the other side of town. Once settled into the drivers seat Chelsea looked around to see if there was anyone watching the van. There wasn't, it was going to be a very nervous wait. She'd never felt paranoia like this before. She felt everyone could see her and knew what she was up to.

Lost in her thoughts for a while she realised she was day dreaming. A set of explosions woke her from her thoughts and at this she dives down to start the car as she sees everyone running back to the van. The vehicle dips and sways as the men file into the back loudly as the engine roars to life. As Chelsea moves across into the passenger seat she sees The Joker calmly strolling towards the driver's side door, he never seems to rush anything. He finally slips in behind the steering wheel and they take off.

She had to admire the way he was so business-like and precise, he also smelt lightly of gunpowder. Even though he was all of those things he was poorly changing gears as he drove, occasionally lurching the van and making grinding noises with the gear box. Chelsea looked over to see why and she witnessed his silent chuckles upgrading to full blown whooping. "Hoo! Ah-Ha Ah-Hee Ah-Hoo...Ah-Ha Hee!". His eyes were filled with tears of mirth as he slapped the steering wheel. His laugh was definitely chilling and Chelsea shuddered to think what had just happened and how many people had been harmed.

After a while he calms down a bit, when he speaks, Chelsea doubts the men in the back can hear him. "O, Sweetcheeks" he swerves as they nearly collide with a parked car, he ended up collecting the tail light not that he seemed to care "Ah ah-ha, oooooo, you should have seen the fireworks! I mean, the looks on their faces...". He couldn't go on, words it seemed, were no longer enough. As they get closer to home, after no more near accidents he says quietly "I should, ah, take you with us next time. I just wanted to see if I could trust you, now I know I can. A lee-tle bit anyways".

Chelsea squirms slightly as she thinks about his reaction if he found out about her leaving her room. At first she had been worried about his physical reaction to her, now she had to think about what he'd think of her too. She could feel his eyes on her and he said nothing more for the rest of the trip. Did he see her reaction? She really had to stop thinking he was so perceptive and could read minds or something, although he really did give that impression sometimes.

Once they got back to the hide out they stood around drinking beers in the kitchen and living area with the television off. The Joker did not drink. "We are going to be paying the, ah, accountants, a visit in the near future boys" he excitedly spoke about their plans. Apparently there were some accountants who were withholding details of all the mob money and account details. This was the money that had not been in the bank they had stolen from a little while ago.

Once again Chelsea didn't exist. Not to the men and not to the Joker. It seemed when there was work, or indeed chaos to be made or planned then absolutely nothing got in the way of this. Nothing was too important as to be a distraction, mainly to The Joker.

They slowly worked through their game plan after congratulating themselves for a job well done today. Chelsea still didn't know what it was all about, all she had gathered was that there was another group of men there that they met and chatted too before they set off the explosions. After a while The Joker walked out to the warehouse to get something.

Rex spoke to the group. "So, a share of the mobs money...excellent" he rubbed his hands together greedily.

"Yeah" another guy responded and turned to Chelsea "maybe you can buy your way out of the hit set up on you by Maroni. Or, just put a bullet in his head-"

"Yeah" Chelsea snapped darkly from the couch "or three" she said quietly referring to Danny. The cronies looked to the doorway behind Chelsea and suddenly busied themselves with their shoes, looking like children who had been caught misbehaving . Heart pounding, Chelsea turned around and saw the Joker standing there in the doorway, arms hanging by his sides, shoulders arched. As their eyes met Chelsea's widened as she sensed real danger.

"Out!" the man in purple barked at his clowns. They didn't need telling twice as they filed into their shared bedroom shutting the door quickly. Chelsea scrambled up from the couch slowly walking backwards towards the stairs. Anywhere she went in this place she was trapped, but her instincts had kicked in and she tried to make as much space between the two of them as possible. She didn't get far as he swiftly stalked over to her whipping out his switchblade as he went. He grabbed her by the small of her back and pulled her into him putting the knife up to her face.

"Now" he said in a low voice. The woman tried to pull back a bit so he pulled her in tighter, placing the knife closer to her face so it pushed her skin in without cutting. Yet.

"Tell me what you said?" her eyes filled with tears. She was having trouble keeping in her emotions after having to do so for the last few hours. She also couldn't remember feeling this scared before.

"I...I said..."

"Yes" he nodded, placing a little more force on the knife "Go on..."

"I said that I wanted to kill Maroni..."

"Be . more . specific" he growled "I was there, say it again!"

"I'd want to p-put th-three bullets in his head". He took a little pressure off the knife.

"Mmm, yeah. That's what I thought you said". He traced the blade over her cheek absently and she felt a sharp pain followed by something warm sliding down her cheek. She began shaking.

"Tell me, ah, why three? Funny number three. Hrm? Actually, before you answer that" he looked sideways and licked his lips before continuing "I asked you a question before: If you left your room? Did you?"

"Y-yes" she mumbled.

"What?" feigning deafness he cupped his knife hand to his ear then returned it to rest the blade on her shaking cheek.

"Yes I did!" she broke down, the weight of everything on top of her "I lied to you in the van. The guys wouldn't bring me my food so I came down to get it and I saw it on the news. I was downstairs for about one minute!" she started to cry hysterically expecting the worst "And you knew! When you came into my room you knew he was dead!" her cheek was met with an open hand and she fell to the floor moaning.

He went to kick her in the stomach but seemed to stop himself, digging his heavy shoe into the floor in front of her instead. She watched his feet pace as he muttered angrily to himself, constantly changing directing. He then started to lift her by her hair, she stood up trying to stop the fire in her scalp though he continued to hold her hair painfully.

"Now" he was face to face with her, slightly more controlled looking than when he had slapped her, although still very, very scary. "I gave you instructions not to leave you room. Everything I do is for . a . reason. Every lee-tle detail needs to be right for it all to work!" he threw her onto the couch, this really didn't hurt in comparison to everything else. She could feel heat radiating from where he had hit her cheek.

"You clearly disobeyed me in front of my men, you, once again, made yourself vulnerable to them-mah when you really can't afford to" he paused to lick his lips and frown. Only he seemed to know what they are capable of "I needed you to be calm" he nodded once "to start the car and BE AWARE, on our little adventure" he writhed his hands and his face darkened "and to top it off, Sweetheart, you broke my clear instructions. Not so great for your second day, hrm? Who do you think you are? I thought you were prepared for this? I thought you were smart? I thought you, liked living?" Her eyes widened, he was considering whether she was worth the trouble or not.

The Joker spoke again, this time in full story telling mode, hands waiving and all. He slowed his pacing "One of Maroni's men was stationed outside Lover Boy's room. He has men right through subsections of the force and it was only a matter of time for this to happen. I know you" he pointed threateningly "won't leave, cos if you do leave and run off to the cops, you are running into Maroni's scheming little hands" he balled his hands into fists and began pacing again. "Maroni called me last night, well early this morning really, to tell you the job had been done and that you're apparently next" he looked sceptical, it was the first look close to amusement that he'd had since it came out she'd broken his instructions.

She couldn't contain herself "Bet you loved that!" she spat.

His eyes flared and the other side of her face was slapped. He leaning over her menacingly, they were eye to eye. "O, well" his eyes gleamed "now you know. And, I hope you know now, how alone you are". She gave a small sob at the truth and at her flaming cheek, as he started toward the stairs muttering angrily, stomping up each one. She heard his door slam.

Eventually when she made her way up to her room there was a note pinned to the door. It was written in red ink with a large smiley face with crosses for eyes. "I've got a surprise for you when we go to the accountants. You're going to have SO MUCH FUN!".

A/N: Hope you are enjoying the story so far! There is lots more to come!