Okay, I'm aware that I forgot my normal little note at the end of the chapter. I was going to mention what comes next in the movie. I won't deviate and the Commissioner's funeral will happen with Gordon getting shot. It will be a very depressing chapter with possible memories and definitely tears. Lots of tears. Okay, time for review replies (I know I can do that via email).

Sabre—I totally thought that you were being random about stairs until I read the chapter. I have to admit that I would rather take the elevator compared to sprinting up two flights of stairs, but it fit Alex. Hope that you like this chapter as much as the last one.

Fairy Skull—I'm glad that you like it, and I appreciate the compliment. =)

Hannah—Thanks for the compliment. Here's more.

SerenityMoonlight—I'm sooo glad that you like it, especially the relationship that Alex and Dent have. =D

Sorry, it's taken so long to post this, but I got slammed towards the end of school, but I'm free for the summer now. Okay, time for tears.

I walked into the office wearing black pants with a size too large white shirt and black suit coat. Today was Commissioner Loeb's funeral, and the day that, supposedly, the mayor would be shot. I tried to look sad, but it wasn't really working out very well. Everyone was wearing their best black clothes, which pretty much meant black pants, suit coat, white shirt and black tie for the guys. I fingered the badge at my waist as I waited for any instructions from my dad as he set up the positions for the snipers.

He turned to me. "Al, I want you to be on Garcia." He tossed me a Kevlar vest that was thinner than most.

I took off the suit coat and started to unbutton my shirt. "I'm assuming that you want this under my shirt?"

He nodded and continued, "We don't know where the Joker is going to be, but we know that he will be there."

I pulled the vest over my head and put my shirt and jacket back on. It was a little bit of a tight fit. I sat on the desk with a knot beginning to form in my stomach. I listened to Dad explain our game plan and we left for the funeral procession. I walked out to the car and sat in the passenger seat as Dad began to drive out to Parkside Avenue; it wasn't cleverly named considering it was by a park.

"You're quiet," Dad said lightly. His face looked completely worried but the smile on his lips made it to his eyes.

I smiled back. "I just have a really bad feeling about this, Dad."

"It's a funeral, Al. I got a bad feeling too."

I shook my head in slight frustration. "Not like that." I thought about how to explain it, but since I couldn't figure out why I just passed it off as being nervous. "Never been shot before."

Dad let out a chuckle as he slowed the car to a stop. "That's why you're wearing a Kevlar vest."

"Why me, Dad?" I asked as I stepped out of the car and wandered into the procession.

Dad strode next to me. "Because I know that you will dive in front of the mayor when the time comes."

I nodded. "Good reason." I saw Dad step onto the sidewalk to glance up at the windows with his walkie-talkie in hand. I looked up at the other side of the street but kept in the procession.

"Ya nervous, Alex?" Ramirez asked me.

I wavered my hand. "Only a little." I let the scarred corner of my mouth curve into a smile.

The bagpipes played on and I heard Dad talk into his radio. "Whadya got on the roof?"

One of the SWAT members answered. "We're tight, but frankly, there's a lot of windows up here."

I glanced up. He had a point. About fifty per row and there seemed to be endless rows. I kept glancing up and walked onto the stage that had been set up. I sat on one end of the mayor with a good look at the crowd so that I could pick out the Joker easily enough.

Mayor Garcia got up to speak. He stood at the microphone and began. "Commissioner Loeb dedicated his life to law enforcement."

I cleared my throat to hold back a snicker. Dad glared at me. I shrugged back.

"And to the protection of his community," Garcia continued. "I-I remember when I first took office, and I asked him if he wanted to stay on as Commissioner. I remember him saying yes as if it were the only thing in his life that he could do. He was dedicated."

I wanted to laugh again, but my eyes were too focused on the crowd. The 21-gun salute was soon, and that would be the perfect time to kill the mayor.

"Clearly he was not a man of offensive words, nor should he have been. A number of policies that he enacted as Commissioner were unpopular. Policies that flooded my office with angry calls and letters giving reasons to why we shouldn't be having them, but he always stood by them." The rest of the speech was a blur as adrenaline began to course through my veins.

That knot in my stomach began to fill up my entire being. My eyes darted about the crowd looking for any sign of the Joker; the scars were going to the most obvious sign if he was in the crowd. Out of nervousness, I grabbed my radio. "Do you guys see anything unusual?" It was just barely audible.

"Nadda," was the negative answer I received.

"We must remember vigilance is the price of safety." The mayor backed up, letting the honor guard take over. Go time.

I scooted to the edge of my seat ready to tackle the mayor.

The honor guard walked to place with their guns loaded and ready to fire. I closed my eyes and swallowed.

Bang! First shot. It was deafening as it echoed off the walls of the buildings. I glanced at every face in the guard, not recognizing any of them. They loaded again. Bang! Bang, bang! Not quite together. They weren't a trained guard. I began to study the faces. Bang! Not the guard. I glanced up as the snipers fired at a window where a scope had appeared. Bullets sparked on the concrete buildings. I spotted it, but just a minute too late. The honor guard loaded again, but all the guns were pointed towards the stage. Dad must have spotted it before I did: the Joker was one of the "honor guard." He got up and tackled the mayor. The Joker fired the gun and everything seemed to slow down as I watched the bullet fly towards him. It hit him in shoulder blade, and the fabric of his jacket went into shreds. He fell to the ground onto his back.

My gun was drawn as I felt my feet leave the wooden floor of the stage. "Dad!!!" I collapsed onto the wood by him and felt a tear leave me face. It splashed onto his face. I smoothed out his hair and straightened out his glasses. I let myself hug him with my face pressed into his chest as tears spilled from my eyes. I clutched his sleeves and closed my eyes to hold back the tears that were coming.

I saw a gun appear by my head and I knew it was Stevens. He checked the pulse on my dad's neck, but I knew. He was gone. Gone forever; never coming back. I felt myself shudder as I began to sob. He was my only family left, and he was gone. Lost in the line of duty. That's what he wanted, I told myself. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"He's gone, Al," I heard Stevens say.

I know that! I shouted in my head as more tears fell. I nodded.

"You need to let the coroner take him, girl."

I clutched him until my knuckles were white. I couldn't let him go. It would seal the deal. It was supposed to be me! I should've been laying there on stage, out of breath but alive nevertheless. It was my fault! I choked back a sob. I should've caught it sooner than that, but no, it was Dad that caught it and died because of it.

"I know it's hard," he soothed, "but he needs to go with the coroner."

I shook my head, but I felt two strong hands pull me off of him. I tried to fight whoever it was off, but to no avail. I was led to a somewhat less chaotic spot by the side of building where I pulled down into the stranger's chest. I felt their arms wrap around me as I buried my face into the soft cotton of their t-shirt and let more tears fall.

"Shh," they whispered. "You're gonna be okay." They rubbed their hands up and down my back. They continued to comfort and sooth me as my tears diminished, or so I thought, but they stopped falling.

"It's all my fault," I choked out.

My chin was cupped and pointed up to the face of my savior. "No, it is not you're fault." It was Bruce. His brown eyes sparkled just a little bit in sadness. "It's not you're fault. Don't think that."

I closed my eyes. Why Bruce was there, I didn't know, and right now, I didn't care.

"Yes, it is, Bruce. I was the one that was supposed to jump in front of Mayor Garcia if anything happened." I unbuttoned my shirt to show him the Kevlar vest. "My dad wasn't wearing one!" I slammed my fists into his chest. "It's my fault." I felt one more tear trace a trail down my cheek.

He gathered me in his arms. "You're ok."

"That's the problem!" I snapped. "My dad should be too!"

He closed his eyes and held me close. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but being in his arms was helping me out just a little bit. Not a lot granted, but enough to keep me from doing something incredibly stupid.

I felt another hand on my shoulder. I looked up from Bruce's chest at Wilson.

"C'mon," he said quietly. "I'll take you back to MCU." He held out his hand for me to take.

I grabbed it and stood up.

Bruce stood up next to me. He smiled. "I gotta go."

I nodded and began to walk away. Wilson wrapped his arm around my waist to guide me to the car.

"Alex," Bruce called.

I turned around.

"I'm really sorry," he said somberly. "I really am." He walked away to an alley.

"So am I," I whispered and walked off with Wilson by my side.

Okay. I know it's short, but the next one will be longer, trust me. More mourning in that one. There will be memories in that one. Again, I'm sorry that it took so long to get up. I really do promise that the next one will be longer, but this one had a good ending spot right there, so I did. Sorry. =) Hope you enjoyed it! Please review. =D It'd be appreciated. Clicky the button right there. Review please!