"What… what do you mean?", says Joker, very scared. The Baron grabs Joker's arm, pulling it towards him. He smiles.
"I'm not telling you anything… my authority… CONDEMNS IT!", says Baron Kelvin, laughing madly. Joker grabs Baron Kelvin's left arm. Baron Kelvin pulls Joker's skeletal arm and pushes him, hard. Joker falls on the ground. His arm… is now in Baron Kelvin's hand. He holds his sleeve with his left hand, looking at it with a frown. Baron Kelvin laughs madly. "He, he, he… you are so weak…". Joker looks up at him from the floor. His eyes are filled with rage.
"Where is… WHERE IS SHE?!", exclaims Joker in pain. Baron Kelvin smiles. He pats the arm in his hand, glaring down at Joker.
"I'm not telling you…"
"If you don't, I'll… I'll…"
"Don't be stupid! If you even try killing me, you'll lose all the information essential in finding Miss _..."
"How do you… how do you know her name?", exclaims Joker, holding his sleeve in pain. Baron Kelvin smiles.
"Tsk, tsk… looks like I've said more than I wanted to… oh, well, oh well…", says Baron Kelvin, moving towards the window again. Joker, struggling greatly, tries to get up from the floor.
"Tell me… please… Father…", says Joker, struggling with every word. Baron Kelvin smiles.
"To do that would mean a great sacrifice on your part…"
"I'll… do… whatever it is… you ask of me…"
"Oh? Anything?", says Baron Kelvin with a smile, patting the arm on his hand again. "You can start… by apologizing…"
"Apolo…"
"For everything you said to me…"
"I… I…"
"Hm?"
"I… refuse!"
"What?", says Baron Kelvin, turning around to look at him. Joker is standing slightly up… his hand his holding his sleeve, and he is breathing in and out deeply. Joker looks at him, anger in his eyes. The Baron smiles.
"Refusal leaves you with no answers… that isn't what you want now… is it?"
"The only thing I want to know… is… where you heard… that name… where she… is… and… and… and how I can… get to her…". The Baron smiles.
"That's three things… you fool… try a forth and I'll give you your arm back!"
"Keep the… damn arm! If it… gets me… to where she's at… I want… I want… ANSWERS!", exclaims Joker, standing up completely and looking down. Baron Kelvin holds the arm out to Joker.
"Three favors… that is what it takes… agreed?". Joker looks up. He looks at the arm. He looks at Baron Kelvin. He takes the arm with his hand.
"Agreed… Father…"
"Who is your witness?"
"My witness is… he's…", you find yourself saying, looking down. You do not think you should mention his name… it could only cause more problems…
"Speak up, Miss!"
"He's… his name is…"
"Yes?"
"Go to the circus… you'll know him when you see him…"
"It's too late for that, Missy! The circus left for Dublin this afternoon!"
"What?". You open your eyes wide. You are holding you arm. He would… not… leave you… he… would never… abandon… you…
"I… don't believe you!"
"I don't believe you!", exclaims Joker, his eyes opened wide. Baron Kelvin smiles.
"The Scotland Yard is on your trail this very instant!"
"YOU'RE LYING! SHE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT US!"
"GO BACK TO THE CIRCUS AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!"
"Why don't we send you with some of the Yard back to the circus… it sounds strange, but if there's a chance of a witness… we'll take it…"
Joker races on the horse back to the circus. It is still raining. You are in back of the carriage, going the same direction as he…
The Yard lets you out of the carriage… Joker sees the carriage… he stops the horse. He gets off the horse by the entrance to the circus. You run out of the carriage… you see Joker… you run to him… he is frowning… you hug him tightly. He looks up at the carriage… he sees the Scotland Yard coming out of the carriage, looking at him.
"What's going on?"
"The Yard…"
"What… about them?". You look up at Joker. He is looking at you. You start to cry.
"Joker… Joker… they… they…". You are at a loss of words. He covers your mouth with his left hand.
"I'm going to tell you something that you mustn't tell anyone… I don't know why… I didn't tell you before…". You look at Joker. He smiles, squinting his eyes slightly.
"HURRY UP WITH HIM ALREADY! WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!". Joker hugs you back. Your head is on his right shoulder.
"Why… why have you been doing this?", you say in tears. He frowns.
"I'm stupid if I say it's for my Family… and you wouldn't believe me if I say I had no choice… I suppose it's because I never think when I act, and am a fool for life… right?". He smiles.
"You know the answer to that as well as I… but… I… wish… you could have told me this sooner…"
"So you could report me to the Yard?"
"What?", you say, shocked. You look up at him. "Is that what you think this is about?". Joker looks down. He frowns.
"Isn't it?"
"No!"
"I would have told you eventually… but… I thought… if I told you now… I wouldn't live with that on my shoulders…". You smile. You touch his cheek gently.
"Ever since we met, I've known you, inside and out… what happens in the shadows does not define us… it does not define you… understand me when I say that… believe me when I tell you the reason I came back… and hope that one day we'll both live in the light chosen for us… for now it might be at a distance…"
"HURRY UP, ALREADY!". You look into Joker's eyes. He looks at you.
"Why are they here?"
"My family, my home… everything was taken away from me… now I must go…"
"Wait!", says Joker, grabbing your arm as you are leaving. You look at him. He looks at you… tears are in his eyes. "Leave with me… we'll run away from it all! Away from the shadows… AWAY FROM EVERYTHING!". You smile. You hold his arm in your hand.
"Haven't we been doing that all our lives? Abandoning those we love… we did that before… to each other… surely we are stronger now than we were back then… besides…", you say, holding his neck with your hand and looking at him. "Shadows always follow the light… if we run now, they're gonna get us, and the chance of us seeing each other again would be slim… trust me…", you say, feeling his cheek. "I love you… too much… to let them hurt this!". You cry in your words. He puts his hand behind your head. He moves your head against his so your cheeks touch. He feels the tears running down your face… you feel his… both of your eyes are closed. He holds you close… you feel the warmth of his body next to yours… you are saddened… he is, too… but something about this sadness… is forlorn… you… do not wish to think of it as a good bye… you want this feeling forever… forever… forever…
He kisses your forehead… he kisses the tip of your nose… he waits a few seconds before kissing your lips… you embrace each other… happily… in true love…
"Don't worry… I won't let you fall…"
You kiss each other again. You look at him, frowning, and trying not to cry. He does the same.
"I love you…"
"I…". You pause. "I love you…", you whisper. You touch his cheek… and after a minute, you turn around, and walk back to the carriage… Joker watches you… the two men look at you…
"He's not here…"
"Then who is that guy?"
"He's…". You start to turn your head… but do not. "Waiting for someone he loves dearly to return…"