I remained still as Raven drove away from Arkham, my head pressed against the back of her seat, my nails still digging into my arm. I was even biting down on my lower lip, trying to focus on the pain I was inflicting on myself to keep myself from losing it.

It wasn't long. The one person who obviously enjoyed interrupting me stepped in.

The Joker grabbed my hand and tore it away from my forearm, leaving bloodied nail marks in my arm. He shoved me hard back in my seat and then pulled me down so that I was lying on my side on the backseat. The Joker moved, practically standing in the back, leaning over me.

The hatred had moved on, but the rage hadn't left. I raised my hands to hit him, but he quickly snapped his down on my wrists, pushing them down on the seat. I fought him, my rage fueling me, making me stronger, and I almost sat up, fighting against the Joker's strength, coming even with him.

Then, a savage growl rumbled from his chest, and the Joker threw me back down on the seat, throwing a leg over my lower body to keep me down, straddling me. I growled back at him, and his eyes seemed to turn black as he growled, "Don't."

I lied still, glaring up at him, my chest rising and falling rapidly with anger. The Joker didn't back down, becoming as angry as me to overpower me.

Mentally, I wasn't there, having lost control to that rage, but as the Joker continued to stare that fury down, I felt my control come to the surface slowly, the madness cracking. It seemed to seep out of me slowly, leaking out onto the backseat and down to the floor of the car. I imagined it escaping through the floor and falling onto the paved road underneath the car, falling behind me.

I closed my eyes as the last of it left me, and I took a deep shuddering breath, feeling my body tremble with the release of anger. When I opened my eyes, the Joker too seemed back to normal, his eyes returned to the usual brown color, his tongue sliding over his scarred lips, his expression calm.

"Sorry," I said quietly.

A smile crept onto his face. "Nice to see you back," he commented. "I thought I might have to knock you back to your senses."

I smiled faintly as a pounding headache emerged. "I'm glad you didn't." I started to rise, but the Joker pushed me back down, roughly. "Look, I'm okay."

"No, you're staying down." He growled the last word as I tried a second time to sit up. He turned his head sharply, and from the side, I saw his eyes narrow as he snapped, "What are you looking at?"

I turned my head to see Scarecrow, who was sitting in the passenger's seat, turn to face forward.

"Shadow, you okay?" Raven asked, her tone concerned.

"She's fine," the Joker growled, his anger surfacing. I noticed that he was trembling, but from what, I couldn't know. He didn't look at me, only remained straddling me, moving his head around at irregular intervals as he watched out of all the windows in the BMW. Sensing his curdling fury, I didn't try to sit up, for fear of him yelling at me and shoving me down again.

As I laid there on the backseat, I closed my eyes, my brow frowning as I thought back of what had activated anger that I had buried deep inside for years. It was him, Lieutenant Hawkins, the man I least wanted to see, the man I most wanted to kill. I didn't think that he had tracked me down to Gotham City, especially since it sounded like he had been here for much longer than I.

I inhaled sharply through flared nostrils, and I felt the Joker shift. "I'm fine," I said quietly, trying to keep my voice even.

"Doesn't seem like it," the Joker whispered close to my ear. Beneath the anger in his voice, I thought I heard something else. Could it be, no it couldn't be…was there concern in the Joker's voice?

Abruptly, I became aware of my actual position, similar to when I had been lying on the couch and the Joker straddled me. Even without opening my eyes, I could sense the Joker's face close to mine by his warm breath on my face and neck. My heart pounded furiously in my chest as my head throbbed painfully, a headache emerging. The slight shift of the Joker's weight alerted me.

I snapped open my eyes, and with a strong heave, I shoved him off me, pushing him so hard that he flew back into his cardoor, hitting his head on the safety handle over the door. The Joker groaned as he slouched, rubbing the back of his head rapidly. I pulled myself out from underneath him, placing my feet on the floor and shifting over to my original seat, leaning against the door and glaring hard out of the window with a hand on my forehead to try to ease the throbbing.

My eyes focused outside, I heard the Joker shifting as he settled himself into his seat, slumping down and resting his head back. My heart was still pounding from what had transferred between the two of us, and I feared the worst from my reaction.

I heard Raven and Scarecrow speaking to one another in low voices, like they didn't want the Joker and me to hear. It didn't bother me, but I heard the Joker shift, impatiently.

I rested my head against the window, placing my arm between as a pillow. Closing my eyes, I felt my weariness easing up on me, and I opened an eye to quickly glance at my watch. Of course, it was one twenty in the morning. My sleeping schedule had never been permanent since the Joker had taken me in. I was working nights, sleeping during the day. I felt wired all the time, except when I actually had time to think of how tired I was. At least I was sleeping eight hours a night – or day.

I must have dozed off because next thing I knew, the car was slowing down as it turned and someone was gently shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes and rubbed them, pushing myself up to a sitting position. It took me a few seconds to realize that I hadn't fallen asleep lying down.

The Joker leaned forward between the front seats. "No more favors," he said.

"Thanks anyway," Raven said. She half-turned in her seat to shake hands with the Joker, and I believe the Joker shook the hands of Scarecrow while he was at it.

"You might not care, but I appreciate you getting me out," Scarecrow told the Joker, his voice even and calm.

"Anytime," the Joker growled. He pulled back and opened his cardoor, stepping out.

I climbed out, and Raven rolled down her window. "Thank-you for helping, Shadow," Raven said.

"Glad I could help," I replied, approaching her window. I moved close so that I didn't have to deal with Scarecrow's eyes watching me. "I'll see you around."

"The meeting, if not sooner."

"Yeah, right."

After Raven had pulled away from the apartment, the Joker headed for the door. I ran ahead and raced up the back steps, turning and blocking the way to the door. The Joker, seeing this, looked at me, confused. I just stood there, glaring at him, arms crossed over my chest. The Joker sighed, rolling his eyes, before asking, "Any par-tic-ular reason why you're blocking the entrance?"

"Do I need one?" I spat, irritated.

"Yes," he said, curtly.

"Mind explaining about your 'doctor' back in Arkham?"

The Joker lowered his head, looking at me from underneath his brow, and his expression took on a form of amusement. "Are we jeal-ous, Sha-dow?"

"No, just confused," I said, and then regretted it. He was going to take that the wrong way. "Just worried that my partner-in-crime will get distracted."

The Joker started laughing. "Real-ly, Shadow? As if I could get distracted by a blonde chick. She's good-looking, but she's my doctor. A doctor-patient relationship with that woman is good enough for me."

"As if that was an excuse," I growled, and he flashed his Glasgow smile at me, making me feel uneasy. I cleared my throat and tried again. "You let some people call you 'Mister J'. It's not just me."

"Did you think you were that special?" He burst out laughing as he climbed the stairs, shoving me against the door.

"Ouch, that hurts," I remarked as my back met the door. The Joker came close, licking his lips as he placed his hands on either side of my head. "Maybe I'm not as special as I thought, but you didn't need to burst my bubble."

"You never had a bubble with me," the Joker chuckled. He playfully shoved me aside and opened the door.

"So do you not like being called 'Joker'?" I asked, following him inside.

"I don't-ah mind it." He flicked on the lights and headed upstairs with me on his heels. "I just prefer Mister J when I'm closer to the person."

"Like me, or your psychiatrist."

"Right." I fell into a reluctant silence, wishing I could say something that would catch him off guard, but I couldn't think of anything.

I was surprised as I followed the Joker that the apartment was devoid of his henchmen. I didn't ask, trusting the Joker to tell me when he thought I needed to know.

He opened his bedroom door, holding it for me. "Pack your things," he told me, "We're leaving."

"Grown bored of this apartment?" I asked as I pulled out my duffel bag from under the bed. The bed had been stripped of its blankets and pillows, leaving a bare king-sized mattress.

"Just-ah found a bet-ter place." The Joker propped his side against the doorway, watching me as I threw a few little things into the duffel bag since the majority of my belongings remained in the bag.

I reached for my iPod from the nightstand, and as I lifted it, something fell to the ground. Quickly, I snatched it in its descent and looked at it. I froze, staring at the picture in my hand.

"You…you didn't lose it," I whispered, startled.

"I could see how precious it was to you," he replied, quietly.

I felt a tear escape my eye, and I reached up and brushed it away. "Thank you," I mumbled, my voice cracking.

The Joker chuckled softly, but I wasn't angry. I pulled out my wallet and slipped the picture into it. Storing it away, I slung the bag strap over my shoulder, and I headed for the door. The Joker stepped out of my way.

In the hall, I stopped and turned as he closed the door. "You're not bringing anything?" I asked, confused.

"Anything I own is on me or taken al-ready." He motioned for me to lead the way, and I did.

As we approached my Toyota, the Joker skipped ahead, blocking my way, and held out his hand. I was forced to stop before I bumped into him. I looked up at him – since he was a few inches taller than me – and asked, "What?"

"I wanna drive."

With a sigh, I pulled my keys out of my pocket and tossed them to him. He grinned as he moved his hand, letting them drop on the ground. I didn't flinch, didn't move to pick them up; I just walked around the car to the passenger's side, throwing my duffel bag into the back.

After retrieving the keys, the Joker climbed in and started the car. He turned on the wipers and headlights as I stepped in, buckling my seatbelt. The Joker adjusted the rearview mirror and then placed his hand on the back of my seat as he cranked his neck to back out.

"You could go forward," I told him.

"I know," he said. Abruptly, he stepped on the gas, backing out of the parking lot quickly and turning the wheel, causing the wheels to squeal in protest. Luckily, no one was on the street as he zoomed out before shifting gears and driving away from the apartment.

I didn't care much for the speed he was driving at. Showing my ease, I propped my feet against the dashboard and pulled out my wallet. Gingerly, I took the picture out, holding it delicately as I looked at the boy grinning back at me.

"Who is he?" the Joker asked, abruptly.

"My best friend," I replied, softly. "The only one I ever had." I looked out the window, watching the rain pouring down the glass. A heavy sigh escaped me.

"Miss him?"

"Yes, very much." I rested my head against my seat. "I haven't seen him for twelve years."

"Why is that?"

I shrugged. "He ran away."

"He left you?"

"I believe he had a reason." My pupils dilated as I looked past all the cars and buildings. "At least, that's what I'd like to think." I turned my head, gazing at the picture. Touching my lips to my fingers, I kissed them and then pressed them to his face. "I've given up the hope that I'll find him."

The vehicle slowed for a split second, like the Joker had lifted his foot off the gas, as he turned the corner before accelerating again.

I didn't speak for a long time, staring out the window and looking into the distance.

"What's his name?" the Joker asked.

"None of your business." I didn't speak with a sharp tone, but my words held the hostility. I shifted my position, slouching slightly to rest my head against the seat.

"Just a warn-ing," the Joker said after a few moments of silence, "I'm gonna use your promised question." I stiffened, knowing that there was no way to escape. If he asked that question, I had to answer it fully and completely, meaning all details.

"Please don't…" I whispered, desperately. I glanced over at him, catching him in a moment of hesitation. His eyes had softened as he played with his mouth aggressively, threatening to chew on his lower lip. Then, he gave his head a slight shake, and he took a deep breath. I knew it was coming, and I couldn't do anything to avoid it.

"What is the back story of this, ah, friend of yours?" the Joker asked, his voice steady, emotionless.

I didn't speak for what seemed like hours, even though they were only a few seconds. I didn't want to talk about my best friend; I was so reluctant, but…a promise was a promise.

"I met him in middle school," I said, turning my head to look out of the window, watching the city lights flash by. "It wasn't like we purposely found each other. I was quiet, had few friends, and always had my head in a book. I chanced by him in the office; he was a troublemaker, always having problems with school or with fights. You can say that we were the exact opposite of one another."

I cracked a small smile as the memories seeped back to me, from a hidden corner in my mind. "He found me at lunch and asked about the book I was reading. Pretty lame, for an attempt to try to make friends with me…"

"Why?" the Joker asked, curiously.

"I hated him because he had interrupted me while I was reading." I glanced over at the Joker, wondering if he remembered when he had bothered me earlier today, the interruption that led to that kiss…

As if sensing my gaze, the Joker turned his head, his eyes empty of emotion as he returned the blank look I was giving him. I looked away, ducking my head and averting my eyes to the picture of my best friend.

"I didn't see him for about a week," I said, taking up my narrative from where I left off. "He came back, looking like he had gotten into a fight, and I was tempted to sit somewhere else. I don't know why, but I sat down across from him. He had taken a week to read the book he had asked me about so that we could talk about it. I was reluctant to talk to him about it, even though I had read it so many times before. To this day, that book's my favorite, and I hope it's still his…"

The Joker cleared his throat, and I fell silent, waiting for him to speak. "Is that ruined book the one you're talking ah-bout? Berry Tucker?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him turn his head to look at me. "I noticed that your handwriting wasn't the only handwriting in that book."

"Yeah, he made comments in that book, and we'd trade-off throughout the day. We only saw one another at lunch or in the hallways so we would just hand it over whenever we saw each other."

"You were real-ly close to him."

"He was my best friend."

"Was? You mean, he's not anymore?"

"I told you I haven't seen him for twelve years." I felt my throat constrict with the pain. "He ran away from home…"

I fell silent, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to overwhelm me.

"What kind of person leaves their friend alone at the worst time in their life?" the Joker said in a low, angered growl. I peeked at him to see that his grip on the steering wheel had tightened, and his face revealed the rage he felt.

"He ran away before I-." My voice cracked, and I lost it. The tears flowed down my cheeks, and I leaned over, my hands covering my face. I dropped my best friend's picture on my lap, the last coherent thought that went through my mind to save it from getting wet or crumpled.

I felt a hand rubbing my back, and it gave me comfort, giving me strength to control my sobs after a few minutes.

I rested my head on the dashboard before me, wiping my eyes with my sleeves. I remained there for a few moments, listening to the rumble of the car as we drove through the city.

"What about you?" I asked in a quiet voice.

"What about me?" the Joker said.

"Did you have a friend you can remember?" He didn't reply, and I turned my head, looking at his stoical expression. "I know you didn't promise me a question like I promised you so you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

The Joker licked his lips in response as he looked around in front of him, his eyes on the road. "Yeah…" he said, slowly, cautiously, "I can remember a friend I hung out with, but…I don't remember much since he killed himself a few months after I met him."

I blinked, staring at him, but when he turned his head, I looked away. "I'm sorry to hear that," I mumbled.

"Don't be," he said. "It's in the past. We weren't that close." He turned the car, and I felt the brake being pressed gradually until we came to a complete stop. "And here we are," the Joker announced, his voice suddenly normal.

I raised my head and narrowed my eyes against the harsh lighting in the building we were in. The Joker had my car turned off, and he was out before I was. I simply stared, trying to figure out where we were, while the Joker came around the vehicle and opened my door. Subconsciously, I took his offered hand and stepped out of my Toyota, looking around curiously, my emotions over my best friend pushed aside for the time being.

"Where are we?" I asked, looking at the metal ceiling maybe twenty or twenty-five feet overhead. There was a large model of a plane hanging from an old crane, and I wondered if we had moved into a museum for planes. Strange thing was that the model was crusted with icicles.

"Our new hideout," the Joker explained. "Go ah-head and look around. We'll be here for awhile." He reached into my seat, retrieving my dropped picture and handing it to me. Knowing what it was, I took it and stored it in my pocket without looking at it, sensing that it would just trigger my loss of control again.

"I'm guessing you moved out of the apartment because Raven knew where you were located," I said, over my shoulder.

The Joker pulled my duffel bag out from the backseat and threw the strap over his shoulder. He looked at me and grinned. "Of course, Shadow. I don't-ah want her appearing on my doorstep whenever she wants ah-nother favor." He adjusted my bag and added, "A guy needs his privacy every once in ah-while."

I smiled and looked away, amused by how he thought he didn't have any privacy when in reality, it was me who didn't have it.

The Joker came up beside, wrapping his arm around my waist. "Well," he said, expectantly, "Yah gonna go ex-plore?"

I smiled at him. "I don't know. I might get lost," I said, acting like a drama queen.

The Joker chuckled merrily and placed his hand at the small of my back, shoving me forward. "Go, Sha-dow, and if you get lost, I'll come find you." I gave a short laugh and then walked away to go explore my new surroundings.

It was a warehouse, not a big one either. It had definitely seen better days, but I passed the Joker's men working on the side, fixing the place up a bit to make it durable for the time we would be living here. For the summer, it was surprisingly cold in the warehouse, having no heater that worked. I noticed icicles hanging from various rafters, like the ones on the model plane in the main hanger, and it made me wonder if a certain criminal had been here first. I kept my purple jacket on, rubbing my arms to keep my blood circulation going, but even that didn't keep me warm enough, since I was very sensitive to the cold.

I tried several doors, finding some of the Joker's men working with screwdrivers to make the furnace work. One room was so small that barely six people could stand in there together. However, I noticed a rug in the center of the floor, and suddenly overcome with curiosity; I crouched down and lifted the rug to reveal a trapdoor.

Someone had already broken the lock so I just lifted the door and climbed down the metal ladder into the dark. I saw a few dim lights on that were spread out by an unnecessary distance and had to use my shadow vision. It seemed like a factory hidden underneath the warehouse; the place was filled with pipes and supporting poles. It reminded me too much of Ace Chemicals Factory, and it urged unwanted anger against the Joker.

Growling with irritation, I realized that the Joker could get any type of reaction or emotion he wanted out of me, like he had control over me and my thoughts. Too many times I've already trusted him with my past, first about me, next about love, and then about my best friend. What was next? What I thought about him? Boy, if I gave my personal opinion about the Joker to him, no doubt I'd get an interesting reaction from him, which would only result in my knowing his real name and, to put it in the simplest words, my death.

Off to the side, I heard someone curse quietly, and irritably as the sound of metal clanging to the floor echoed through the empty "basement". Ducking under a pipe, I spotted the guy in a corner, picking up a dropped wrench that he seemed to be using on what looked like a beaten up furnace.

He struggled with the furnace for a few moments before realizing that I was standing mere feet from him. His face was hidden by a small pipe, but I sensed that I knew who he was. I must have scared him because his dark eyes widened to the point that it looked like he had seen a ghost…or a Shadow.

"Shadow?" A beam of light flashed across my vision, and I gasped in agony as I tightly shut my eyes, covering them with my wrist. "Sorry, didn't mean to blind you."

"Bleak, you're a jerk," I said, rubbing my eyes as they returned to normal.

"I said I was sorry." Dean grinned at me as he came to my side, lowering the flashlight he held. "What are you doing down here?" he asked. "Causing trouble?"

"As if," I grunted, glaring at him.

He seemed to notice the guy with the furnace who was watching us. Without my shadow vision, his face was completely hidden from me even as he moved to get a better look at us. "Who's that?" Dean asked. "You doing the furnace?"

The guy nodded and held up the wrench for a moment.

"Having any luck?" The guy shook his head. "Didn't think so. We'll be cold tonight." Dean took my hand and led me back toward the ladder. "C'mon, let's go back up. Here, you might need a light." He tossed the flashlight over to the guy by the furnace, who caught it and in the process of catching it, shut it off. Dean only shrugged and started to climb the ladder, me following him.

"Why's it so cold?" I asked.

Dean offered me his hand, and I took it, climbing out of the trapdoor. "Boss didn't tell you?" he asked, "The Abominable Snowman used to hideout here."

"Mr. Freeze?"

"I believe that's what he calls himself."

Hunter was on the verge of having a panic attack. He couldn't hold the wrench, or the screwdriver to fix the furnace now, even though the woman was gone. His hands were shaking badly, and not just from the coldness.

He couldn't find Peter. He had looked everywhere back at the apartment, and now he was convinced that Peter was lost. Hunter needed him.

When she had found him struggling with the furnace, he had thought he was a goner, that she'd find out and reveal his identity to the Boss. For once, Hunter was grateful for having Bleak around. If it wasn't for Bleak to take that woman away, Shadow would have discovered the truth about Hunter, something he couldn't let happen.

Hunter tried again to pick up the screwdriver, ignoring the flashlight Bleak had given him, but he was shaking too much. Finally, he gave up and grabbed wrench, screwdriver, and flashlight, climbing the ladder out of the basement, leaving the broken furnace behind.

The evil power Shadow had over the Boss was incredible, but it frightened Hunter, as much as it angered him. No one should have that power over the Boss. The Boss was his own man, not someone to be controlled. He was in control, the Clown Prince of Crime! No one stopped the Boss from doing what he wanted to do, and Hunter liked it that way.

He found the room he had claimed when the Boss's men had first come here while the Boss was out with Shadow, doing some business. It made Hunter sick to know that the Boss was taking that rotten woman with him, rather than someone who was more loyal, who would watch his back, and his front for him so he could go on not caring about his own safety. That was Hunter's job, keeping the Boss safe, no matter where he was.

Hunter tried the doorknob, making sure it was still locked before he reached into his pocket, pulling out a ring of keys. He stared at the keys, realizing that he didn't remember which one it was. Peter would know, but…Peter wasn't here.

Hunter hit his head against the door, slamming his fist against it. His shaking increased, becoming more violent. He gasped, having trouble breathing as it accelerated. Desperate, he grabbed the doorknob and shook it, in a vain attempt to open the locked door.

"No…" he whined, quietly, "Peter…"

"Locked out, hm?" Hunter jumped, spinning around and collapsing back into the door, his eyes wide.

The purple-clad Boss burst into a fit of laughter as he continued to saunter toward Hunter. "C'mon, you have the keys! Just-ah unlock the door!" He giggled excitedly, his eyes dancing with life.

Hunter simply stared at him, surprised by how happy the Boss looked. He couldn't remember the last time the Boss was really this happy…well, maybe over two weeks ago when he first returned from Arkham, but this was a different happy. "What's wrong with you?" Hunter breathed.

The Boss's happy expression suddenly vanished, replaced by a dark look. He lowered his head, staring at him from under his white brow, a look that always made Hunter tremble for fear of what the Boss might decide to go.

Before Hunter could react, he found himself covering his ear where the Boss had cuffed him, hard, and his keys were in the Boss's hand.

"What's wrong with you?" the Boss retorted. "Couldn't fix the furnace?"

"No," Hunter moaned, rubbing his sore ear. The Boss cuffed him again, on the other ear, and then held out his ring of keys. Without thinking, Hunter reached for them, mindlessly leaving his other ear vulnerable and thus receiving another painful hit. "Boss, that hurts."

"Oh yeah?" The Boss giggled, quietly. "Painful, huh?"

"Uh-huh," Hunter replied. The Boss smirked and then grabbed him by the throat, shoving him back against the door. Hunter's hands tried to pry the Boss's grip loose, but the Boss wasn't having it.

"You know nothing about-ah real pain," the Boss growled, his voice darker and deeper than usual. Even his eyes had turned pure black as they narrowed with his anger. Hunter gasped as the Boss's hand slowly tightened around his throat. "Physical isn't the only type of pain there is."

The Boss released Hunter suddenly, and Hunter collapsed on the ground, hand gripping his throat as he coughed, choking. A split second later, the Boss leaped on him, beating him down to the ground. Hunter cried out, choking on the sounds, as he felt the hits.

It lasted half a minute. The Boss finished with a hard kick to Hunter's chest, knocking the wind right out of him, before the purple-clad clown simply walked around Hunter like he wasn't even there.

Hunter gasped, trying to breathe as his eyes watched the Boss disappear around a corner.

I jumped when a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind, and I would've screamed if a gloved hand hadn't quickly covered my mouth.

"Sh-sh-sh, it's only me, Sha-dow." I exhaled, relaxing a bit, and the Joker chuckled by my ear. "Why so up-tight?" he asked. "Did you get lost-ah?"

"Almost," I replied weakly, still trying to calm the rapid beating of my heart. I just wasn't recovering fast enough from the fright the Joker gave me. "I think you just scared twenty years away from me."

The Joker giggled. "At least." He pressed his head against mine, tightening his arms around me. "Which reminds me," he said, "How old are you?"

"Naughty, naughty," I said. "What manners? Surely your mother's taught you that it's not polite to ask somebody's age, in particular women."

"I didn't think you were old enough to be concerned about your age," the Joker snickered. "C'mon, I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours."

"Forty-seven," I said.

"Hm, you look good for forty-seven." The Joker dropped an arm behind me, and before I could yell at him for possibly doing something I didn't want him to be doing, he swept me up into his arms, causing me to gasp with surprise. "You mustn't have to worry ah-bout weight either." I gave him a look, and he laughed before dropping my legs. With my arms around his neck, I caught myself before I fell, and he grinned at me, his eyes dancing with merriment.

Which made me worried because when was the last time I had seen the Joker's eyes dance with such life…well, never, but that still made me worried. I didn't know what he was like when he was this happy. Something was up, and I felt like it had something to do with me.

The Joker turned his head to the side, covering his mouth as he suppressed a heavy yawn. "Ya know, Shadow. It's rather late." He grinned at me, and I pulled out from his arm, glaring. "Fine, if you wanna stay up, that's fine," he said, shrugging casually before he turned away. "You can try to sleep in this cold…"

I realized that I was shivering so much that it hurt, but I inhaled sharply, forcing myself to stop despite being cold. "I want my own room," I said, the harshness diminished by the chattering of my teeth.

"What was that?" the Joker asked, turning back. "Did I hear you say that you wanted my room? Well…" He rubbed the back of his head, looking like a kid trying to make a decision. "I like my room, but if you want it…" He looked at me and smirked. "If you want it that bad, I'm willing to share!" he exclaimed.

Before I could protest, the Joker picked me up again and took off running down the hallway. All I could do was wrap my arms around his neck and hope that he didn't drop me or decide to throw me out a window.

The Joker kicked open a door, which I suppose led to his room, and from first glance, I was surprised that no one had set up anything, besides throw a mattress on the ground and toss the Joker's purple and black blankets and pillows on it.

Guess who was also tossed onto the mattress…if you guessed me, that's correct.

The Joker actually tossed me up in the air a bit over the mattress, and I cried out in fright, even as I landed on the mattress and bounced a bit. I didn't have enough time to recover from that ordeal before the Joker threw himself onto the mattress next to me, nearly landing on top of me.

"Comfortable," he remarked, lying on his back with his hands behind his head.

"Sure, comfortable," I murmured, kicking off my Skechers. The Joker snickered as he put an arm over me, but I moved out of his reach, covering myself completely with a blanket so that if he tried anything, he'd have to fight me. Rather than pursue the matter, he turned away from me, and within seconds, his breathing had deepened.

Lucky, I thought irritably. If only I could fall asleep that quickly…but it was simply too cold for me. There wasn't even time for the sun to rise, but I was exhausted, the last of my energy gone, my shivering sucking any reserves.

I must have laid there for over an hour, shivering, too tired to even fall asleep. Even with my jacket on still, I was cold.

It was either freeze to death or cuddle…and despite how much I didn't want to be touching the Joker right now, I turned over and pressed myself into his back. There seemed to be a sudden change in temperature, but not by much. I felt my eyelids droop, which gave me a little comfort, but then, the Joker moved away from me.

I almost whimpered, but then, I was enveloped in warmth as the Joker turned around and pulled me into his chest. His body heat radiated off of him like a rushing wave in the ocean, crashing against me and almost seeping into my cold form.

It made me wonder, as I closed my eyes and slowly drifted away, lured to sleep by the Joker's steady breathing, what was it that made a male warmer than a female during the night?

I could think of the harsher punch line. Women are cold-hearted.

Lordlink13: Another chapter uploaded. Makes me wonder how I'm gonna end this story…ahem, I know the basic to it, but I sorta go on from there. So Joker's thrown his question at Shadow, and she responded. Proof they are definitely getting closer. I want them to be best friends. *hugs self*

Joker: Then write it that way!

Lordlink13: *screams and collapses on the ground*

Shadow: *entering the room* There you go. You feel happier now that you've screamed the author to death. *Joker glares* Since Doc's unconscious, leave a review before you go.