AN: Alrighty, here's the last chapter. I know, 2 weeks of nothing and then I'm on a roll and finish it?!?! Haha. Yeah, well, I hope you all enjoy it and if you have any suggestions for a potential sequel, I'm totally open to suggestions; although it will probably be awhile before I get a sequel going, but doesn't hurt to think about it. Thanks for reading my story, hope you enjoyed it. Without further delay...the conclusion....

The Joker entered the room, pushing right past Batman to come by me. He patted my head like I was a dog or something as he said, "You've done good, my sweet. I've taught you well and you've learned quick." I beamed from ear to ear. Then he turned to Batman, keeping on hand on my shoulder, "Aah, Batsy, haven't you learned not to try to take things that are mine?"

Batman's eyes narrowed as he growled, "You may think you own her, Joker, but you don't."

The Joker laughed, "Yeah, keep kidding yourself Bats, and let me know how that one turns out for ya! Did you not hear anything she said to you?"

"I heard her reciting phrases that you've filled her mind with for the past few weeks."

The Joker faked a look of shock. Then he turned to me, "Were you not speaking the truth and what you believe earlier?"

"Of course I meant what I said. And people usually tend to speak about things they believe in," I responded, matter-of-factly.

The Joker grinned at me and turned back to Batman, "Guess that solves it, eh, Bats?"

Batman responded by punching The Joker, hitting him square in the nose. A loud crack filled the room. Batman had broken The Joker's nose. Oddly enough, The Joker didn't cry out in pain. He just laughed. "Well, if this is how you'd prefer to solve our problem," he said as he threw a punch at Batman.

I rush at Batman because I'm bound and determined to help The Joker. I'm not going to let Batman break his nose without paying for it. Before I can get there though, Gordon grabs me from behind. I kick and scream, "Let me go!!" He doesn't let go though. He just holds me tighter to him to keep me from getting involved with the fight.

Realizing that Gordon is not going to let me go, I stop fighting him and just watch helplessly as Batman beats The Joker to a pulp. I want to cry for The Joker because it seems like he can't catch a break ever. As I watch, my mind thinks back to those stories he told me and then I remember how horrible I had treated him at first. I could kick myself for that now that I've learned, but Gordon was holding me too tight to be able to do that. Instead, I just told myself off for being so mean. I buried my face into Gordon's arm because I really didn't want to keep watching.

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Batman was a quick one. Attacking with fists of fury, barely giving me the chance to react let alone fight back. Of course, I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of kicking my ass that easily. I began mocking him, "That all you got, Batsy?" He answered me with another fist flying toward my face, but I ducked that one.

Then I laughed, "Haha…missed me!!!" I began to dance away from him as I continued to laugh, just to piss him off. He came after me, moving silent and quick…deadly. I heard him growl as he neared me, attempting to catch me. What an animal he could be when I got under his skin!

He managed to catch me with his sharp right hook, sending me stumbling backwards. I grinned, "You know, I really think you're losing your touch, Bats. What a shame!"

His response was to hit me hard in the gut. As I doubled over in pain, I couldn't deny that it did hurt, he growled, "Lost my touch, Joker? I'm just getting started with you." Then he picked me up and threw me against the wall. I could tell that he was starting to get agitated with me. I figured he was probably pissed because I always managed to escape at the last minute. Or maybe it was because he knew he could never kill me.

He was starting to get the upper hand on me as of late as he bombarded me with punches and kicks. When he lightened up for a minute, I calmly reached my hand into my coat pocket and wrapped my hand around my trusty knife. Let's see who brought a knife to a fistfight, I thought as I began to laugh.

Batman took a step back and paused, surveying me in confusion. Clearly, he didn't understand my latest fit of laughter. I took the moment to continue laughing and glance over at Gordon and Mel, only to be disappointed to see Mel had her face buried. I sighed and flicked out the knife blade. I managed to get one good stab into Batman's unarmored part of his suit before he got my knife from me. I tried to kick out the knife that was hidden in my shoe, but he hooked the back of my ankle with his foot causing me to lose my balance and fall to the ground.

He stood over me with the knife as if he was seriously contemplating doing something deadly with it. I laughed, "You can't kill me no matter how much you'd like to. I'll get you to break that rule but you won't be breaking it with me as your victim. You like having me around, do you know how dull your life would be without me?"

"I think I could actually manage a vacation then," he spat, glaring down at me.

I laughed. "Oh, that's a good one, Batsy. Only trouble is, you and I both know you would just hate to take a permanent vacation and have no scumbag like me to battle. You'd get so lonely without me!"

He threw the knife aside and I got back to my feet. We began out boxing match again. Problem was that I really couldn't keep up. Batman was faster than me unfortunately and before long I couldn't block many of his attacks. He didn't give me much of a chance to punch him back and he basically had me pinned, with nowhere to run.

I tried to focus on Gordon clutching Melanie instead of trying to figure out which fist was coming at my head now. I attempted to block, keeping my arms up as protection, but he quickly broke those down. I felt his rock hard fist (I think it was the right one) connect with my jaw. The pain ripped across my face as if it were on fire as I stumbled as my world faded to black.

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Then I heard a body hit the ground, hard. I looked up. I saw that The Joker was unconscious, his face covered in blood. I broke free of Gordon's grasp and ran to Batman. I start pounding my fists against his chest, screaming, "Why?? How could you do that to him??"

Batman didn't say a word. He just stood there and let me punch him. I really doubt that it hurt him at all, but I sure was hoping it did. I had tears streaming down my face. I was both mad at what Batman had done, but also sadden by the fact that I wasn't able to stop it.

While I was laying into Batman, Gordon walked over and handcuffed The Joker. Then he turned to Batman, "Ready?"

Batman nodded. He grabbed me tightly so I couldn't break away. Gordon had The Joker, who was just starting to come to again. Batman and Gordon marched The Joker and I up the stairs and outside to be greeted by flashing cameras and microphones. The media was all over the place. They maneuvered us swiftly through the crowd to the waiting ambulances.

Waiting next to one of the ambulances was my father. My eyes darted to the sky as I sighed heavily. He rushed up to us, pulling me into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're safe." Just as I was beginning to wonder if he'd ever let me go so I could breathe, he backed out of the hug and turned to Batman, "Thanks. Thanks for saving my daughter."

Batman nodded, "Took some convincing but I think she's willing to come around now."

I glared at him. "Like hell I'm willing to come around now! You think just because you 'saved me' and brought me to my dad that I'm gonna just abandon The Joker now?!?!"

My dad put a comforting hand on my shoulder, "Now, now, Mel, it's going to be okay. Everything's going to be alright."

"No, Dad, everything isn't going to be instantly okay now," I said bitterly.

Before he could say anything more, Gordon walked up. "So the plan is as we discussed, right?"

Batman responded, "Yes, The Joker is to go directly to Arkham and be placed in the highest security room. Melanie here will be evaluated and cared for by her father. He's fully qualified and around her all the time so there's no reason to send her to Arkham."

"NO!" I scream. "Please, let me go to Arkham. I should be there too. I'm just as crazy as The Joker and I can't abandon him. Let me go with him!!"

"Melanie," my father spoke sternly, "You are staying here with me. You do not need to go to Arkham. You have been through a huge ordeal and been pressured a lot by him. You aren't crazy though, I can take care of you."

"I don't want to be taken care of. I want to go with him where I belong!" I protested.

At that moment, Gordon trooped The Joker, who was fully conscious now, over to one of the ambulances. I turned my back on my father and ran to The Joker. I hugged him as tears streamed down my face as I realized that I might never see him again. The Joker couldn't hug me back, but he whispered in my ear, "I told them that you were mine." Then he flashed a smug smile at Batman and my dad as they stood watching.

Gordon then pushed me away and forced The Joker to get into the ambulance. He slammed the doors shut as I stood watching it leave with the man who had showed me a different view of the world and made me feel like I fit into this chaotic world.

With the ambulance out of sight, I turned around to face my dad and Batman. "This is all your guys fault! Dad, if you won't let me stay at Arkham then you will have to let me visit him. I can't…no I won't abandon him! I'm all he's got!"

My dad just looked at me shaking his head. "No, I don't have to let you do anything, especially visit The Joker. And I'm not going to let you visit him. He does not love you, Mel. He has used us as a tool, nothing more. In time, you'll realize that what we're telling you is true but for now you'll just have to take our word for it."

I stood there with the tears falling down my face. I felt betrayed by everyone I had trusted. I was denying their accusations with every fiber of my being. How could The Joker use me as a tool? I mean more to him than that. Why would my dad tell me such lies? But what if they're not lies… I was so confused and hurt. I really truly didn't know what to believe anymore. Curling up and sleeping for a few years sounded like the best option I had. My dad came over and took me into a hug. He led me over to the ambulance and we climbed in, bound for Gotham General to get me checked out then I could go home.

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ONE YEAR LATER…

Those first few days back in reality without The Joker were hell, I'll admit it. I had terrible nightmares about the events that unfolded in the basement…of course in my dreams it always turned out much worse than it actually had. Those nightmares though caused me to be put on some pretty powerful meds that helped me sleep peaceful…replacing those nightmares with happy dreams about The Joker because I couldn't let him go that easily. From there I went through extensive therapy and various exercises to help me recover and fall back into my "proper" place in society. Dad figures I made a full recovery and that I'm totally back to normal. I suppose in one sense he's right, but I feel sort of like I'm not really complete now. I've felt rather hollow, but that's improved too. The only thing that would give me away is that I think about The Joker a lot and then there are the dreams I have about him.

It was a warm fall day, so I decided I would spend some time outside. I was just wandering around downtown Gotham, doing some window shopping but mostly enjoying the sunshine. My mind couldn't help but wander to days that were only a year ago but felt like an eternity. I wonder if he's mad at me for never visiting. Not my fault that Dad wouldn't let me. Will I ever see him again? Or is he locked up forever and I'll only see him in my dreams now?

While my mind had been wandering, my feet had carried me to the front of an electronics store. They had all the TVs in the window tuned to the same channel. At first I didn't really pay attention to the pictures on the screens, but then I looked closer, forcing myself to focus on the breaking news headline: THE JOKER HAS ESCAPED ARKHAM ONCE AGAIN! My heart gave a small leap of hope as I continued to read the television screen, "Residents of Gotham are urged to be on the lookout for this notorious criminal. We are to assume that he is armed and dangerous."

I continue to stare at the captions on the screen and a grin spreads across my face. Suddenly, my cell phone begins to ring causing me to jump. I look down at the caller ID before answering and I smile even larger. "Hello?" I answer just to be sure someone isn't playing a trick on me.

"You never visited me," his voice pouts in my ear as I imagine him trying his best to make a pitiful face of hurt.

"I wanted to but Da—"

He cut me off before I could explain my actions. "I'll forgive you if you say you're still mine," The Joker purred in my ear as I pictured his face breaking into the largest, most charming smile possible as I felt my own face do the same.

THE END