Chapter 4

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When I sat with the Joker at lunch, I was a little disappointed that it was spent in silence, but also flattered that he just wanted my company. Although, I can't say Edward was too pleased I hadn't sat with him again, and approached me to sit with him at dinner but the Joker had already asked while we were walking back to our cells.

I was pleased though, that he had invited me to sit with him in the tree and at our meals for the past week. He continued to sit across from me at group therapy, which I'm sure Edward appreciated.

"I'm telling you Raven. You have to be careful." Steele told me as he walked me back from getting my shower after I had spent a considerable amount of time with the Joker.

"I know. I'm not trying to do anything bad. It's just, he seems so different than what the media and himself have portrayed him as back in Gotham a few months ago." I replied, why did I feel the need to defend him?

"I've seen. He has been a little more calm since you came around. Which, makes me uneasy."

"Why?"

"You know the saying, 'Calm before the storm'? That's him. In the whole."

"Oh." I said, how did I respond to that? He was going to wreak havoc again?

Though Steele's words stuck in my head, they were literally pounding at the front of my brain when I hadn't seen the Joker all morning. I was afraid he had escaped quietly and no one was going to say anything about it. I was sitting in the tree we normally talked in when I felt some weight on the branch I was sitting on. I looked up from my book to see the Joker holding out a red carnation flower to me. From the countless hours I spent researching flowers, in hope to get a job at a flower shop in Gotham when I was in highschool; which I didn't get, a red carnation means 'Admiration', and 'My heart aches for you'. I'm not sure if he knew what the significance of the flowers meant, but I did. So, like a love struck teenager, I tucked some hair behind my ear, blushed, and accepted the flower shyly. He seemed pleased by my approval.

"I feel like we've known each other for a long time, and yet I feel like I barely know you at all."

"Well, what can I say about myself? I like fire and I like chaos."

"That's all? There must be someone else behind the greasepaint and purple trench coat."

"It's hard to tell the difference between the two. The lines get blurred sometimes." His voice took an all the sudden serious tone.

"Well, I don't even know what to call you. I can't go around forever calling you Joker. I'll tell you my real name if you tell me yours."

"I already know your name."

"Ah, but that's my other name."

"You've caught my interest." You said tapping his chin as if contemplating whether spilling or not. I was prepared for him not to tell me at all. I was guessing not a lot of people knew his real name. "You can call me Jack." He said quietly.

"That's a nice name." I said sincerely. "My real name is Kara. I never liked the name. So, I changed it. Raven always sounded so...mysterious and seductive. Only my family calls me Kara anymore."

"Can I call you Kara?" He asked me looking straight into my own eyes.

"If you want." I told him. Finally, I had made some progress with him. "Where were you this morning?"

"Ah, you know, places to go people to see." I nodded accepting his indirect answer.

"I wish you would have told me. I wouldn't have sat alone at breakfast."

"Sorry." He told me awkwardly. After a few minutes of silence, I had decided to go back to my book, considering I didn't have anything else to say.

"Jack."

"What?"

"Jack."

"What."

"Jack..It has a nice ring to it. Jack Jack Jack Jack Ja-" I was cut off by one of his hands covering my face.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." I remained silent until he released my mouth.

"Ha ha. You're very funny." I deadpanned.

"I'm called the Joker for a reason, Doll."

"You won't disappear for lunch again will you?"

"Of course not. I would dream of giving up my time with you." I couldn't help but blush.

"Raven Kincade please find an officer to escort you inside. You have a visitor."

"Oh, great." I said making my way down from the tree. Who'd want to visit me?

"See you later, Kara." Jack told me when I hopped down from the last branch.

I found Steele and he took me inside to the visitation area.

"Kara! Sweetie!" Oh God. It was my mother.

A/N: Yeah, yeah. This is a short one. But I'm having problems developing their relationship and I'm having trouble finding things for them to talk about. lol

And, on the subject of her name change, I decided that Raven was really...Mary Sue-ish. So, I changed it. But she'll still be referred to as Raven to anyone minus the Joker and her family.

I realized, that there's really no way of avoiding being a Mary Sue in TDK fics...If she's afraid of him, she's a M.S. (Mary Sue) If she's not afraid of him, she's still a M.S. And if she's like the Joker, she's still a sue. So, there really is no way around being a Sue. So yeah. lol

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