As I'm pretty much free and did some of this in class (bad bad girl) I decided to upload this today instead of tomorrow when no doubt I will be busy, there may be a gap from this one to the next one I have to see how work etc is. Thanks for reviews etc guys, glad to see so many familiar and new names.
Chapter 5: What A Difference A Day Makes.
When we hide things there is always a trail left behind; there's always someone to come along and ruin things. Some things are meant to stay hidden it's meant to be. Some things however are meant to be known; maybe it's God's way of getting us to stop. Hidden things always leave a stain; that no matter how hard you try it just won't shift, it's always the worst things that are revealed, it's never simple stuff that we don't mind sharing. It's always things we treasure and hold close that are revealed; it's never stuff like we hate grandmas cooking or whatever but stuff so much deeper; before I only had one secret I kept hidden and now there's so much more to me than that. It's killing me, I no longer feel sane I keep expecting to crack at any moment in time, I should just admit it all but then what happens?
"Come on sweetie, what, what's wrong?" It's about four in the morning and I'm wide awake, scratch that I've been wide awake for about two hours now, like his father this kid is demanding my attention constantly. It's clearly my punishment. I hold him up to my face and he continues screaming, his small face red and angry, like I've done something to him and he's making me pay.
"Ok I don't know what you want Mat what is it that you want?" I lean my hand against his forehead; he feels fine, I just don't know what I'm doing wrong.
"You wanna know something? I bet your daddy is ok isn't he, he'll be fast asleep or out doing bad things but no I'm the one who has to do this on my own while he turns up when he wants."
Jack has started to get himself back into the minds and media of Gotham; he started small you know things like stores but lately it's started to get worse; banks and members of the mob going missing; it's creepy to think this is my son's heritance, my son's genes.
I sit back down on the bed bringing my knees up and laying him on them; he quietens but is still wide awake. I pull out the shirt from under my pillow; raising an eyebrow when Mat's cries stop completely his eyes follow the shirt.
"You wanna try this huh?" I lay him down on the bed; wrapping Jack's shirt around him; he sniffles and rubs his face along the shirt, his cries now stopping.
"That what you wanted huh? You want daddy? Well it's just you and me baby," I look down and smile; he even looks like Jack when he sleeps, you wouldn't think he was my son at all; I hardly got any genes in.
This is tiring; being a parent a single parent, as helpful as Bruce and Alfred are I can't constantly rely on them; besides Bruce is out being Batman tonight. I'm also thinking about going to the Chief and asking to go back to the hospital in a few months time; I need to get my surgeon groove back, I miss the feel of the scalpel and having the satisfaction of saving a life. At the hospital patients don't care who I am, they're there for themselves. I'm also thinking of moving out; not back to my old apartment there's so many bad memories there, I want to look for somewhere I can raise my son; interesting to talk to Bruce about this. I pick Mat up and take him over to the cot; he fidgets and opens an eye but goes back to sleep; his hand clutching the shirt. I groan when I look at the clock it's now five; I need sleep so much, I kick the parenting magazines off my bed and am about to settle down when I hear a crash; I'm instantly on alert; the baby is too. I run out of my bedroom and see Bruce slumped against the wall; I can already see the bruises and blood forming even on his lower jaw. As I go to him he rips off the rest of his mask; he clearly was on the receiving end of a beating this time.
"Bruce what the hell happened to you?" I apply pressure to his chest; checking for any more bruising etc before I move him.
"Joker and his men, they jumped me, didn't see the big guy behind me" he winces as I haul him up, taking him to my room so I can calm Mat down as well. I make towards the cot but Bruce stops me, "I'll go you get the first aid kit or whatever," I nod and go to my bathroom, I feel sick knowing Jack did this to him.
Grabbing what I can I walk back in and he has laid Mat down on the bed beside him; making shapes with his hands.
"How could they do this to you, normally they can barely get to you." I pour the alcohol onto his chest wounds; they're not as bad as they first seemed.
"I heard gun shots from an alley way and when I got there, a guy was lying on the floor I got closer and this guy jumped me, I was only out for a second until he woke me up, he was talking crazy saying things about liars and I shouldn't believe certain things, he wants me to know he's not lying."
Jack what are you up to?
"Did he say anything else?"
Bruce winces again, Mat's grip on his finger tightens as though comforting him. I finish with him and clear away the stuff; when I get back the baby is asleep and Bruce is fingering the shirt.
"It was the only thing I could use to settle him," he turns round, for a moment I recoil at the look on his face; he relaxes and smiles at me.
"What would I do without you Mads? You get back to sleep, thanks for this."
He leaves quickly; I'm puzzled, what made him leave so fast aside from the baby? I lean over and look at him; tugging the shirt around his exposed leg. I lay down; the events of tonight have left me shattered.
Bruce's POV
He leans against the wall breathing heavily as Maddie lies back down on the bed, at least he didn't get to them. He trudges to his bedroom, gingerly taking off his clothes; flashing back to what happened earlier.
It had been quiet so far; The Joker had started terrorising people again, reports of him and his men were everywhere, Gotham was once again under threat. He was just about to head home when he heard the first gunshot, followed quickly by another and then another. It sounded close; only mere streets away, he ran faster than ever, the streets becoming blurs. He soon found the right alley; the man was laid on his face, no one else was around. He stooped down low, kneeling against the man, the dark lighting making it impossible to see any blood; he lowers his hands, smoothing over the body. No blood. The first of the blows hit him from behind; he fell just missing the man. He turned, the blow already causing the beginnings of a migraine; the figure in front hit him again, with more force. As he fell he noted the 'dead' man was now stood up, a figure in black and in a clown mask. Before he passed out he saw the familiar purple suit of the Joker; his face appeared even whiter than before.
"Bat, Batty...Batman!" The shouts down the ear would have been enough to have woken him; the slaps to either side of his face made him jerk, causing the Joker to giggle.
"Well it's about time too; we could have done anything to you Bats! Now you best start paying attention I don't like to repeat myself."
"What do you want from me? From all these people?"
The Joker leaned close clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, "Ah ah I'll be asking the questions round here Bats."
Bruce watched wearily as he watched the other man pace up and down the alleyway.
"I'm guessing you read the papers huh Bat boy? The er Cop who died is getting an award huh? Really not good, I gotta tell you I'm not happy...at all"
"Why does that have anything to do with you? Can't you leave the Wayne girl alone? Haven't you done enough to her, his family?"
That comment earned him a punch to the face from the huge guy holding him back.
"Why would I leave her alone, you don't know what I know, you don't know what I've seen. That Cop isn't the guy people thinks he is, hell he's even worse than me..."
"No one is worse than you! You've killed people, you're a murderer!" The goons behind him go to deliver another punch until the Joker holds up his hand.
"It's er time you got your head outta the clouds, time to er look at the truth and know that I won't be lying. Here's what I'm gonna do I like a good game and we've not played for a while; I'll er leave some clues for you, see if your bat brain can work them out. It's not about him it's about her..."
"What do you mean it's about her?"
"Maddie, she er means something to me, I'm not about to let her go or anyone else take her, you remember that."
With a nod to the guys behind him The Joker turns on his heels and leaves, his men not far behind him. He left him; he could easily have revealed who he was but he didn't, he let him go. Somehow he managed to get back to Wayne Manor, collapsing outside the hall near Maddie's room. She comes to him quickly and helps him to her room; the baby screams loudly, he goes towards him surprised he is swaddled in an old shirt instead of his usual blanket.
Maddie cleans him up quick enough; he daren't worry her with new of the Joker, she has enough to worry about, if he could stop her from ever leaving Wayne Manor he would. The shirt wrapped round Mathew has become loose, he unwraps him gently frowning when he sees no tags; James always liked the finer things in life; was never seen without designer clothes on, this shirt doesn't even feel designer. In fact looking closer it doesn't have a mark from the tags, a cold sense of dread washes over him as he recalls Gordon's words: 'Clothing is custom, no labels', no it couldn't be one of the Joker's shirts why would she keep something of his? The Joker's words flash back to him 'she er means something to me, I'm not about to let her go or anyone else take her, you remember that.' He knew that he had some kind of thing about his sister but not feelings...never feelings a man like that can't have feelings. And about those clues, what was he up to?
Bruce listens in at Maddie's door, certain now she is asleep. He walks in, checking up on her, brushing her blonde hair from her face, tucking her leg under the covers. He walks over to Mathew, whose sleeping in the exact same position as his mom; he eyes the shirt again, not wanting to believe that anything could have happened with Maddie and Joker. She never really told you what happened though did she? Anything could have happened between them, he curses softly at having such thoughts in his head. Fair enough she has never spoken of what happened but he understood that; he could never begin to understand.
Sam's POV
The old hideout is still very much vacant; the cops still keep an eye on the place; the Joker wouldn't dare come back here, he isn't that stupid to risk it. He cuts through the yellow police tape that still remains over the door; the place is dusty, the floor covered in footprints. He sticks to the side not wanting to alert anyone to his visit. He nudges open the bedroom door the room Joker and Maddie shared. Like the rest of the house it's been cleared out; the only sign something happened is the dark stain on the floor; James' blood. Thank god he did die, if he hasn't he would have been pissed with him for not watching his back properly, but as soon as he saw the Joker get out of his grip he was off, even more so at the gunshots.
"This is it, fancy place huh?" He was the designated driver that day, the Cop sat by him, his gun firmly in his hand, eyes glued to the road.
"I wouldn't get too excited he probably killed someone for it, bastard." James spat angrily at the floor by his feet.
Both men work to get the weapons out of the van; Sam nods towards the bullet proof vest, "You wanna be taking one of those? He uses knives sure but his got guns so have the guys."
"No I'll be quick five minutes tops I'd say, I won't need that, I'm a cop what training has he got?"
"Alright don't say I didn't warn ya."
"Alright I'm good to go, set yourself up near the window and if I need help give it to me."
With that he was gone, they both knew there wasn't many men in the house with the Joker and Maddie; it was pretty safe to just go walking in. By the time he gets set up James is already there, he is pretty damn surprised when James manages to grab the Joker, it won't be for long though, he needs to get in there quick, he reaches the van when he hears the gunshot. He doesn't hang around long to find out who died, the other cop's should be along soon and he can't risk that, especially if the Cop is dead.
Of course it was soon over the paper that it was James who died, murdered they said by the Joker, who was now on the run. Ransoms had now been put out for him by some, then it came out that Maddie was pregnant, public outrage at the Joker grew. He doesn't want to avenge the Cop's death; why would he? He's aiming for something so much more better than that; he nearly gives up looking until he leans against the window and looks down behind the heater; something is caught in it; the cops would have easily missed it, he pulls it loose, an envelope and letter. He begins to read the letter smiling at noticing Maddie's handwriting:
Jack,
I know this isn't the best way to end things and if I could I would do it so differently. We both know I need to leave here; I can't risk the chance that James could come here and get you; and we both know he's coming. Don't get pissed at Speed, it's no one's choice but mine, I have to do this, you have to let me go. I'll keep safe I promise you, I know you hate liars and secrets and I just want you to know I never intentionally kept this from you; there was just never the right moment to do it. The truth is Jack that I'm pregnant and before you start getting pissed it's yours; I'm keeping it and if you want to be involved that would be great too. I feel like a coward for just writing this to you but like I said there was never the right moment. This doesn't change anything I still love you and always will; I just couldn't handle it if you got killed or anyone else because of me. Look after each other,
Love Maddie. X
Lowering the letter he grins, oh this is so much more than what he expected he quite literally hit the jackpot here. So her son is the Joker's, which means he has something on both of them; a weakness for them both. He needs to act this out carefully; he doesn't have any allies anymore this he needs to work on. Getting to Maddie and her brat will be hard; getting to the Joker harder. He needs to get to the people closest to Maddie before he can work on her; she's just as bad as he is. He knows exactly where to start.
Oh damn! Where will this story go? Who is Sam going to? Well if you get it you get it if not I'll have the next chapter out soon to wet your appetites. Thanks for all reviews again!
Feels-Like-Paradise.