Authors Note:

I apologize for the long wait, but I have been very busy.

I apologize for the grammar/spelling mistakes you WILL find, I did not have time to edit.

Mood Music: Diary of Jane (Acoustic) by Breaking Benjamin. (BTW, I am thinking of changing the song for the video to this story, to this one. It just seems to make more sense to me)

Please Review!

Thank you!

Chapter 26:

"Kill her? What the hell would that solve?" Gordon yells at the Joker, his eyes flashing immediately dark. The Joker clicks his tongue once, glares at the Commissioner and mutters out in a solid tone "I…. said… I want her dead." Jim sighs deeply, shakes his head and replies back in a loud voice "You want her dead? Well, that's your problem Jack! I am not a murderer, for god sakes! I save people…Rachel has become like my family! You don't expect me to kill my family, do you?"

The Joker takes a few steps towards the Commissioner, his handcuffs creating a small jingle with every pace he takes. Before the Joker can say something, Jim Gordon continues, "Besides, her being dead is not going to solve anything…and if I did it…you'd regret it." The Joker cracks his neck; sucks on his top lip for a second and then mutters, "I'd regret it?"

Gordon nods, and the Joker giggles shortly and then says in a slow tone "Now…. Commissioner. I think your forgetting something. You're forgetting that I don't regret…anything…that I do. I don't regret killing Dent, killing those soldiers, those air-headed civilians…and I won't regret killing some stupid…ill-fated lawyer!" The Joker licks his bottom lip and then moves in closer to Gordon before saying "Now…you go get me some type of key-thing that opens these handcuffs…and maybe a hammer or something, so I can bash beautiful's face in…hmm?"

Jim rolls his eyes, takes a step back and says in an irritated tenor "You don't know what your saying! Why do you want her dead? What? You think that she won't cause you any more pain that way or something? Because let me tell you something…. that stupid, ill-fated lawyer would do anything for you! For a monster like you! And you want to repay her by…what…by killing her?"

The Commissioner giggles from the idiotic situation and then says "And to think I actually started trusting you again, Jack! After you got away…multiple times! Killed most of my men… killed Gotham's DA…destroyed the Batman! I mean the Bat hasn't saved anyone in weeks! And I still have faith in you…only because of what happened to you! But I thought that maybe after you got Rachel…that maybe you would settle down…and…. stop acting like a monster!"

The Joker raises his eyebrows and asks "Are you through talking, so you can get me that hammer?" Gordon sighs deeply, walks straight towards the Joker, and yells "Stop it! Just because people call you a monster, it doesn't mean you have to act like one! Jesus… don't you understand that its not the scars that terrifies people? The scars are barely noticeable…even without your makeup."

The Joker raises his handcuffed hands towards his face, and his trapped fingers trace his scars. Gordon bites his bottom lip and continues "Look, Jack. Your not going to solve anything by killing her…you need her…you love her." The Joker shakes his head and says in a soft voice "I don't love anything…. every time you love something it gets taken away!"

Jim smiles at this, reaches into his pocket to take out keys and then says "Now…we are going to see Rachel Dawes… no hammer involved and you are going to tell her how you feel." The Joker rolls his eyes as the Commissioner says, "Stick out your hands" and the Joker places his hands in front of Gordon. The Joker clears his throat and says, "I'm going to kill her."

The Commissioner chuckles at this, let's his handcuffs fall to ground and says in a confident tone "No, you won't. You don't want the thing you love to be taken away from you…so I know you won't hurt her." The Joker eyes Gordon as he grasps a firm grip upon the Jokers arm and starts to drag him towards the door of the office.

- - - -

"Miss. Dawes?" A nurse calls from the foot of the bed on that cloudy evening in Gotham City. Rachel slowly awakens, but she keeps her eyes closed as she asks the nurse in a tired tenor "Yes?" The nurse smiles and whispers "Open your eyes, dear." Rachel nods and slowly opens her eyes, and while she does so, she moves her hand towards her stomach to try to smoother out the pain coming from it.

She finally opens her eyes and sees not only the middle aged woman, but Commissioner Gordon as well. Rachel's smile grips the corners of her mouth tightly, as she whispers "Gordon?" The Commissioner nods and then looks to his right while saying "And Jack." Rachel's eyes open up wide and she looks to her left to where the Joker was sleeping on a chair in the corner.

Rachel's smile widens as the Nurse whispers "They have been here for a few hours." Jim nods and the nurse takes the hint and leaves while saying "I will leave you three alone." Gordon nods once again, this time in a thank you motion and Rachel says in soft tone "He looks so peaceful." Gordon chuckles and replies, "Yes, kind of looks like a good kid from over here."

Rachel sighs, rubs her stomach while saying "He… my child…. could have a good kid…I would have made sure of it." Gordon bites his bottom lip, suddenly distraught. His lips pinch the edges of his cheeks as he reaches out to take Rachel's hand in his. Rachel reaches out for his hand, holds it and continues, "I would have been a good mother."

The Commissioner clears his throat and whispers in a raspy tone "No doubt about that. But…for what its worth…I think that Jack would have been a good father too." Rachel laughs at this and mutters "Good. I thought I was the only insane one that thought so." Gordon let's go of her hand, paces and says in a strict tone "What happened to his kid, and his wife…it was horrible. I'm sure he would never lay a hand on his own child, especially after how his father treated him."

Rachel bites her bottom lip, nods sadly and asks, "So it is true. Jack Napier, this Jack…the Joker…. did kill his father with a shovel, right?" Jim Gordon nods and softly murmurs "But let's not dwell on the past. To be able to live properly, we must not let the past dictate who we are, but we must use it to dictate who we will become." Rachel smiles at this and asks, "Did you make that up?" Gordon chuckles, shakes his head and replies, "I wish I was that smart. (Pause) I heard it somewhere before, but I never really understood what it truly meant, until now."

Rachel looks over at the Joker again; she licks her bottom lip and says to the detective in front of her "Could you wake him up for me?" Jim smiles to answer her, and then he walks towards the Joker, and shakes him awake. The Joker opens his eyes slowly and peers over at Rachel to see that she now has tears in her eyes.

The Joker licks his bottom lip and tries to get up from the chair but he cannot since he is handcuffed to it. Gordon laughs shortly at the situation, shows the Joker the keys, and unlocks the cuffs. The Joker moans from the warm sensation of the cuffs being off his wrists. Jim smiles at him and says, "Do what you want… I am giving you 20 minutes. Then I am coming to take you back to the Asylum."

The Joker glances back as the door closes behind the Commissioner and Rachel murmurs in a gloomy tone "I am guessing you heard about what happened to me." The Joker sits down beside her on the bed frame and asks in a subtle manner "Well, are you alrigh-t?" Rachel smiles and answers "A little better since the operation. I'm just….really surprised at how you're taking the news."

The Joker licks his bottom lip slowly and says in a high-pitched tone "Why does everybody keep saying that to me? Wh-what exactly would you like me to do? Pull out my greenish hair…hmmm? Break my face in more than it already is? Give myself a second line of scars? Hmm? What would you like me to do, Rachel?"

Rachel lifts up her hand and tangles it through her lover's hair and whispers "No, Jack. I don't want you to do any of those things. I just want you…to tell me how you're feeling." The Joker laughs manically at her statement so Rachel continues, trying to defend her declaration "Well, its hard for me to understand you right now… usually your so easy to read…but now, I don't know whether your in pain or not."

The Joker laughs again and Rachel continues with a solemn puff "Jack! I am trying to talk to you!" The Joker continues giggling for a few seconds, and then he takes a deep breath in. He moves his head closer to hers and he speaks in a monotone voice "Talking is not a good idea…right now, beautiful."

Rachel rolls her eyes, moves her hands from his hair, down his shoulders while whispering, "Well…what do you want to do Mr. Joker?" The Joker licks his bottom lip, moves the covers off Rachel and gets into the hospital bed beside her. Rachel watches him in a puzzled manner and the Joker finally pulls the cover back over them. To Miss Dawes' surprise, he kisses the side of her head and whispers "I want to sleep…"

Rachel turns over to face him directly and she asks in a confused tone "What has gotten into you today?" The Joker closes his eyes and mutters in a dry voice "The question is…who has gotten into you today?" Rachel gasps at the cruel remark and bites her bottom lip harshly while saying in a cold tone "You think I wanted this to happen?" The Joker opens his eyes, puts a finger to her lips and says in a deep tone "Sleep!" Rachel uses her hand to swat at his and the Joker chuckles in a sarcastic way and then says in a bitter tenor "If you don't want me to kill you, you better shut those de-light-ful lips of yours…. okay, princess?"

Rachel rolls her eyes and speaks to him "You know, I thought that maybe, all this time with Dr. Harleen Quinzel would have helped you." The Joker giggles with his eyes closed, he reaches over to grab Rachel's hand and then replies to her in a very calm tone "Oh, she did. It's been a great pleasure having Harley with me, every day. You know…sometimes she stays for longer hours, without extra pay. I guess, she loves spending time with her puddin'."

Rachel moves her hand away from his and yells "Get off my bed!" The Joker laughs at this and answers "It doesn't have your name on it, Miss. Dawes." Rachel tries to push him off the bed with as much force as she can utter, but he is too strong for her. He growls and pushes her back down on the bed, him now being on top of her, their heads almost touching.

Rachel gulps and asks nervously "Why are you doing this to me? Why do you insist on making me so…. angry?" The Joker giggles, leans closer to her lips and ushers out in a composed tone "Do you even know what I am feeling right now, pumpkin? Can you try to understand that my life…no, all life…is nothing but a damn fucking joke!"

Rachel felt the last word through her small system; it was like a wake up call to her, of what he was trying to say all along. Rachel looks deep into his eyes and says with a smile on her face "Come…lie down beside me…again." The Joker nods his head once, licks his bottom lip quickly and lies down beside his Rachel.

She sighs deeply, takes his hand in his and speaks in a kind manner to him "I know what you mean now…with life being just a joke. I understand you, Jack. But you have to understand me. Life is not a bunch of punch lines; a bunch of people just waiting for their joke to end…no. It's not even close to that. Life is what we have been given…and is what I want to give…. but only with you."

The Joker closes his eyes and asks in a soft tone "How long will it take you to heal?" Rachel shrugs her shoulders once and replies back "The doctor says I have to stay here for a few more days, and then I have to come back after a week for a check up. But the full healing, only comes after 6 weeks."

The Joker giggles at this, and then stops suddenly. He takes his hand and places it under her hospital uniform towards her chest. Rachel gasps at the cold feeling his hands give upon her skin and before she can say anything the Joker asks in a rough tone "How am I going to last that long without touching you?" Rachel smirks at his question and whispers to him, clinging to him in the while, "Well, we can sleep through it."

The Joker rolls his eyes and answers her in a sarcastic tenor "What? Are we bears? Do we hibernate?" Rachel closes her eyes, moves his hand from her chest towards her stomach while saying "Jack, let's just try." The Joker nods, kisses her lips once, slowly and when he finishes Rachel says, "I'm in love with you, Mr. Napier. I don't know why, but I am."

The Joker clears his throat once, taker her other hand in his and whispers back "I know you are…and I don't know why either." Rachel smiles while her eyes are closed and she grabs his hand tighter, while she ushers out through her smirk "Your in love with me too, Joker." The Joker's eyes start to close as he whispers "I don't know who this, me too, person is…. but…I'm sure don't love them."

Rachel tries to stifle her giggles as the Joker continues, "Miss. Dawes, you're a strange girl. And I…" before he can say anything, the Joker takes her in his arms and kisses her passionately. Rachel abandons the kiss, relaxes in his arms and whispers "I know you do…" before falling asleep.

- - --

Five minutes later, the Commissioner opens the door to see the Joker and Rachel sleeping in each other's arms. He chuckles lowly, closes the door softly behind him and continues to smile. He moves to sit in the same chair the Joker was sleeping in before. Abruptly, the Joker opens his eyes and stares directly at Commissioner Gordon. Jim mutters softly "So, you didn't kill her."

The Joker rolls his eyes, bites his bottom lip and whispers, "I'm bus-y…" and then he extends his arms around Rachel. Jim laughs softly at this, careful not to wake Rachel up. He runs his hand through his thick brown hair while saying "I can see that. You know… I never took you as the type of guy that would hold someone so lovingly in their arms."

The Joker glares at him and Jim Gordon sees the bitterness coming from the stare, so he changes the subject by saying "Your trial has been moved up to tomorrow." The Joker wrinkles his eyebrows, looks over at Rachel and whispers "But I have no lawyer." Gordon smiles at him, walks towards the hospital bed and says in a confident tone "You won't need one. I'll be representing you."

Authors Note:

Like it? I know, it wasn't all that great and there was no Bruce.

But I promise the next one will be better.

Please Review!

Happy New Year Everyone!