Lordlink13: Five chapters uploaded on the same day. Why? You'll find out. Enjoy!

Lieutenant Hawkins's head jerked up when I entered the room, and I felt the sharpness of the captive's gaze as it pierced through me. I shivered with fear as I closed the door behind me, pressing my back against it. I flicked on the light switch, and a single light fell on Jason who sat tied to a chair in the middle of the room. I watched as his deep blue eyes squinted against the harsh light; I made no move to switch it off or to come into his view.

"Can't be the Joker this time," he said, his voice hoarse. "Who is it?"

I didn't reply, remaining silent. He lowered his head slightly to give his eyes a rest from the light as he said, "I know you're in here. What do you want?"

Still, I didn't speak, busy looking him over, seeing how much he had changed over the past four years. Being a prisoner to the Joker didn't help his state, making him seem weak, feeble. He was only a few months older than I, yet he appeared to be at least thirty. Dark circles rested underneath his blue eyes, and his brown hair hung limply, a natural part showing down the center of his head. His lower lip was swollen and cut, dried blood over the cut. I watched around him, staying near the edge of the room until I checked his wrists, seeing they were cut and puffy from his attempts to break free.

Moving back toward the door, I took a deep breath and said quietly, "You're not looking too good, Jason." He stiffened at the sound of my voice, but he tried to straighten, which proved difficult concerning the situation he was in. "I'm surprised that the Joker didn't just beat you until you were broken and bruised."

"Why are you with him, Jane?" he said.

"I've told you that's not my name, Hawkins," I snapped, abruptly.

He chewed his lower lip, wincing as he bit the cut. "I just can't believe that you would sink to such a low level, Shadow."

"It's better than being on the same level as you."

He glared in my direction. "Any other level would be fine too."

"It wouldn't satisfy me."

"What has he done to you, Shadow?" Jason asked, in disbelief. "You weren't like this when I first met you. You weren't this…cold-hearted."

"And I wasn't as knowledgeable of how cruel the world is. You would know, Jason. I didn't have my head on straight; I let my heart lead me in all my decisions. I was a girl who had fallen in love, letting that love blind me from what the man I loved really was."

"I'm not the only one at fault, and you know it," he argued. "We were star-crossed before we were born."

"Don't make a reference to Shakespeare," I growled, "I hated his works."

"You were a criminal, I was a cop."

"A corrupt cop," I corrected.

"Corrupted, yes, but it still wouldn't have worked. We were still enemies. I worked for the police and your boss, the one who disliked you because you resisted him."

I growled. "You're blaming Maximillion for being a cranky old man. He was old enough to be my great-grandfather."

"I agree, but he was the one who was paying me. He threatened to expose me to my fellow cops if I didn't get rid of you."

"You got rid of me, all right. You just failed to make it permanent."

"I couldn't." His voice broke, and his head dropped shamefully. "I see you haven't forgiven me."

"Why would I?" I demanded. "It's impossible to forgive someone who had loved you – pretended to love you dearly – only to have them leave you dying in some alley!" I realized I was shouting, and I closed my eyes for moment, taking in a forced breath.

"I owe you an explanation and an apology-."

"Not like I'll accept the apology."

"I realize that you hate me, Jane. At least let me explain."

I snorted. "As if there is anything for you to explain…"

"You remember…"

"I remember every. Little. Detail. Jason."

He bowed his head as if in shame, and I pushed off the door, walking into the harsh light toward him.

"I remember your words clearly," I said. "I could recite them back to you easily. You told me that you didn't love me, that it was all just part of your duty; you were to break me." I crouched in front of him and lifted his chin so that he had to look at me. "You said you didn't want me alive anymore, which is why you shot me, to be rid of me like I was a broken toy, Jason. You had no qualms for killing me."

Jason swallowed loudly and then said, "Jane, I'm sorry. I had to say the things I did because they were watching me."

"Maximillion's men? The man was dead, by then."

"His right-hand man took his place, and you know he didn't like you either. He wanted me to keep the money Max had given me, and he gave me another check to kill you, to make sure I was going to do it."

"You took your job over me. There's no way I can forgive you of being selfish."

Jason sighed, pained, but he wouldn't understand the agony I was enduring at that moment. I had told the Joker before, that love was a noose. For years, I had believed that I had escaped from mine, but it turns out that I haven't.

Dark, raining…clouds covered the blackness of nighttime, the only lights were streetlamps. Cars drove by five miles per hour lower than the speed limit, their wheels rolling through puddles that sent water splashing up onto the sidewalk. The rain poured down heavily, pattering loudly against the umbrella overhead.

"I want to tell you…even if you don't believe me, that you meant everything to me," he said.

I shook my head, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I'd say the same for you, except for the fact that you betrayed me."

My jeans were soaked through, my shoes filled with water. Jason slipped beside me and stepped into a large puddle. I laughed at his disgusted expression, but when he looked at me, he smiled. After shaking as much water out of his shoe as he could, he wrapped an arm around me and said, "C'mon, we should hurry and get out of the rain."

"I was young, Jane. You were young."

"And a broken woman," I snapped. "Even the most inexperienced criminal could tell, Jason. Anyone could have taken advantage of me, in more ways than one. And even you said that I was the young one, that you were more experienced in relationship than I. You were the only one I trusted, and you screwed me over!"

I let him lead since he seemed to know where he was going. We turned down an alley, and his hand tightened on my waist. I asked him if he was scared of a dark alley on a raining night, and he shook his head. "Just scared of what could happen in the dark alley on a raining night."

"Jane, I didn't want to do it to you, you have to believe me." I didn't reply as I leaned against the wall, wincing at the beginning of a headache. He was breathing loudly, I could hear him from across the room. "Despite what I did to you…what I did to myself…I still care about you, and…I love you."

I skipped ahead, slipping out of his grasp, and I laughed out loud, arms outstretched to the rain as I twirled. My laughter echoed in the empty alley, but against the rain, it sounded like a ghastly howl. I turned to Jason, grinning like a little girl who just got the toy she wanted for Christmas.

Jason had tossed the umbrella aside, abandoning it. A gun rested in his hand, in a firm grip, the barrel pointed at me. The smile died on my lips.

"What's going on, Jason?" I asked, my voice quiet.

"You know, Jane, I've had a lot of fun with you, for these past few months," he said, "Honest. You and I, we were such a pair, working well and spending our free time together."

"Were?"

"You're young, Jane. You haven't experienced true love or a breakup. You were deprived of such trials because of the Mob, of your father. As your first boyfriend, I'd say it was my duty to give you a taste of what love can be, a taste of a relationship, before I break you." He cocked the gun and lifted it slightly. "Thing is, I haven't felt this way about anyone else than I have felt about you, Jane. Breaking you will be my regret for life, but it's a regret I will endure, if you can't come back to me."

"Jason, don't do this," I pleaded. "I don't know what I've done to deserve this, but-."

"That's the ticket, isn't it?" he interrupted. "You don't deserve this, but I deserve this because I've disobeyed orders, not to get close to you."

I wanted to run. Part of me wanted to go to him and hug him while another part wanted to run away from him. Yet another part wanted to take the gun away from him and either run or kill him before he could hurt me.

"So, I promised to obey orders from now on, and my first one is to…kill you." My hesitation gave him time to pull that trigger, the gunshot ricocheting off the empty alley walls, like my laughter had only a minute ago.

I took a sharp intake of breath, feeling the agony of the memory wash over me. "You shouldn't expect me to feel the same about you, Jason," I said quietly, wincing in pain. "I don't just come back once you've broken my trust. I make you pay for what you did to me to lose it."

"I understand," he replied. "It just hurts me to see you with someone like the Joker."

I glared in his direction, and he flinched, like he could feel my icy gaze. "I'm glad it hurts…because it's what you deserve," I said, cold-heartedly.

He was silent for a few moments. "I chose my job over you…and now, you're choosing your duty over me…or you're choosing your boss over me." I stiffened. "Why did you join him, Jane?" he pressed. "Of all criminals you could choose from, you chose the Joker, a psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown who cares about nobody, much less himself."

"You don't know what he's like," I said, defensively.

"Oh, I certainly do," Jason argued. He moved his hands which were tied down the sides of the chair. "I happen to be captured by the Joker, at the moment."

"Is he in the room?" I asked. "If anything, you're my captive since I'm in the room."

"No, you're my tormentor. Did the Joker – your boss – send you in while he went to play with Batman?"

I growled, irritated. "That's not the best word to use."

"Does he play with you?"

"No!" I said quickly. "He won't do anything like that."

"Will he?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow. "What is the Joker to you, Jane?"

"Shadow!" I snapped.

"You keep defending him. You can't be positive he won't ever decide to simply use you and then throw you away."

"Like you did?" I shot back.

Jason huffed. "At least I respected you."

I scoffed. "You don't know what 'respect' means, Jason. The Joker and I have a compromise with certain terms that we've forged and hammered into a permanent contract until one of us reveals a secret to the other."

"What's the secret he's going to reveal?"

"That's none of your business," I snapped, but the effect was belittled by the sudden painful throbbing in my head. I rubbed my head, trying to ease the pain, closing my eyes in the process.

"You still get killer headaches?" Jason asked, his voice soft with concern.

"I've always had them," I growled. "But that's not something I want to talk about."

Jason shifted again, trying to get into a more comfortable position with much difficultly. "Do you think he's going to keep you around forever, Jane? The Joker's known to have killed his men when they did something wrong. What is he to you? A protector from the world? Just a boss or something more?"

I gave him a hard look, but because of the throbbing pain, I didn't respond.

Despite the light, he seemed to find and match my gaze. "You love him, don't you?"

My breath hitched in my throat. "No," I protested, but my voice was too quiet. Panic swelled inside me. Jason's simple question scared me to no end.

"He broke you, dragging you farther than I ever could," Jason continued. "What did the Joker do? Beat you until you gave in? Threatened to kill you? Took you against your will? What did he do to bring you down to his level?"

"Shut up," I pleaded, as my eyes became misty. I couldn't let this go on! It wasn't something I wanted to face. "Just shut up, Jason! It's not like that at all! The Joker's just my boss! I work for him, that's all!"

"Just your boss?" Jason shouted over me. "Don't deny it, Jane, you know you can't." My eyes watered, blurring my vision, as a thought crossed my mind. Could it be true? Had I emotions for the madman who was my boss? Had I lost my mind? "Face it, Jane," Jason said, breaking into my thoughts. "It's not hard to read you. You've fallen in love with the Joker!"

"Shut up!" I screamed, striding towards him. I slapped him across the face, causing his head to jerk to the side. I breathed heavily as I stood over him, watching as his cheek swelled, turning bright red.

"Listen," I said, shaking with hatred as tears welled up in my eyes, slightly blurring my vision. I pointed my finger in his face as I told him in a voice that trembled, struggling to contain my anger and hatred. "Maybe I have fallen for the Joker, but the way I see it, he's a great deal better than a double-crossing scumbag like you."

I spun on my heel and went to the door, my hand turning the doorknob. I stood in the doorway, turning back to glare at him despite his shocked expression. "And like I said before, Hawk-ins, you deserve this." I slammed the door behind me.

My body trembled, my hands clenched, my teeth grinding. I felt a scream building in my chest, and I knew that if I didn't find a place to be alone, I was going to lose it right there in the hallway outside Jason's imprisonment. With a second of thought, I shadowed to the basement.

I punched the wall as hard as I could. The plastered wall concaved around my fist, and I extracted my hand, seeing the hole in the wall. I looked down and saw blood dripping from my knuckles. I simply clenched it. The throbbing pain in my hand was nothing compared to my emotional agony. I shrieked at the top of my lungs, letting it all out rather than let it bubble up inside. My scream choked off into a sob, and I threw myself at the wall, pounding on it violently before turning my back to it.

My emotional anguish overwhelmed me as I slid down the length of the wall. I tucked my legs up into my chest, and I hugged my knees tightly, letting the hot tears flow freely. My sobs continued for quite some time before they finally subsided into soft whimpers. I rested my head on my knees, closing my eyes against the throbbing in my head and in my hand.

My uneven breathing gradually evened out, but I remained where I was, the tears drying on my cheeks.

I heard a series of whines, and I looked up to see my three Rottweilers racing over to me. Scout and Prince nuzzled me, trying to get underneath my arms, while Buddy licked my tear-stained face with his rough tongue. The three of them whined, their big eyes sad as they watched me. I simply stared back as Scout squeezed her head underneath my arm so that it rested on her shoulders. She looked at me, letting out a low whine.

I hugged her tightly, wishing she could understand the pain I had. Prince and Buddy nosed my arms, face, and chest as I drew away from Scout. I took a slow intake of breath as I rubbed their heads, feeling their smooth fur in my fingers. I outstretched my legs, feeling the minor soreness from being curled up in one position for a long time.

"If only you understood…" I whispered. My Rottweilers' ears perked up at the sound of my voice. "If you could talk back to me…I'd tell you everything." Buddy pressed himself into my side and then lied down, pressing even closer. Prince did the same on my other side while Scout sat on her haunches between my legs where I could scratch her ears, her head, and her strong neck.

I scratched Scout's neck, feeling the fur move with my hands. "Being a dog must be so easy," I murmured. "No worries of dealing with ex-boyfriends, with clownish bosses…and certainly no worries with a romantic life." I sighed, feeling the hurt inside my chest. "It all started with him," I whispered, painfully. "There's only been two who were worthy of my love…Jason and…" I struggled with his name, being unable to repeat it. I settled with "…my best friend…whom I'll never see again…"

Tears rimmed my eyes, but I didn't let them fall. I had already cried for the loss of my best friend, the one who could save me from anything, even from this agony.

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and took a breath to steady myself. Then, I moved to get up. Scout, Prince, and Buddy got to their paws and moved out of the way so that I could climb to my feet. I held onto the wall as I stood up, wincing as I remembered my injured hand. I patted my Rottweilers' heads and then headed for the stairs. When the dogs started to follow me up, I turned and clicked my tongue, ordering them to go back. They whined in unison, but I snapped my fingers abruptly. They reluctantly obeyed me.

I shadowed to the closet where we kept all the first aid, and I took care of my hand, cleaning it with Peroxide. I had a sharp intake of breath through my clenched teeth as the Peroxide stung my hand, seeping into my cuts and causing it to bubble and bleed. I gently dabbed at it until I thought it was clean enough before I applied an antibiotic ointment. I bandaged my hand and then headed off to the bedroom I shared with the Joker, purposely avoiding the hallway where Jason was.

My watch told me it was close to midnight; I assumed that the Joker was either back or would be returning soon. I would have time to calm down more, to take a hot shower, and to climb into bed before he arrived. He didn't have to know what transferred between me and Jason; I wasn't going to tell him.

I opened the bedroom door, awaiting the hot shower that would help me relax, but I stopped abruptly, my heart leaping into my throat.

The Joker awaited me, sprawled out on the bed with his hands behind his head. He grinned at me, his eyes full of laughter, amused by the surprised expression on my face. "Didn't, ah, ex-pect me back this early, did ya?" he asked, giggling softly.

I was so surprised that the only thing I could do – and did do – was nod. As I remained standing in the doorway, I noticed that his signature jacket had been discarded, thrown carelessly onto the floor to the left of the door. I looked to it and then back at the Joker, confused.

The Joker's grin faded as quickly as it had come. He threw his legs off the bed violently, launching himself onto his feet where he threw his arms out as if to catch himself on something, even though there was nothing around him that he could grab hold. As I continued to stare at him, he lowered his arms and chewed on the inside of his cheek.

"A simple 'hello' would ser-vice," the Joker said.

"Hi," I replied, slowly.

He narrowed his eyes as he turned his head slightly, giving me a sidelook. "Something wrong, Sha-dow?" he asked.

"No," I said, a bit too quickly.

The Joker sauntered toward me, and the thought of running crossed my mind. I didn't dare because the Joker would know for sure that something was bothering me…but I had to lie convincingly, which was difficult when it came to lying to the Joker. That, and the Joker had pulled me away from the exit, closing the door and pressing me against it before I could run.

"You know better than to, ah, to lie to me, Shadow," the Joker said calmly. He placed his hands against the door on either side of my head, limiting my chances of escape. "And you know just how much I dis-like liars," he added.

"Sorry, Mister J," I said, "But I'm a little…edgy at the moment."

"Edgy?" he repeated. "Or merely un-com-fortable?"

I had noticed how close he was standing near me, but I didn't push it. He had been doing this for quite some time; I've grown used to it.

"But I suppose you would be edgy after screaming your head off." My eyes widened slightly, and the Joker's mouth twitched into an easy grin. "Oh yeah, I've been told about your little…frustrated moment. Scared the wits out of my guys and your dogs. I happened to, ah, to miss the scream as I was driving in afterwards, but boy…" The Joker giggled. "Most of the guys were pret-ty frightened."

It was difficult to swallow with a dry mouth. The fact that the Joker knew I had screamed was scary enough. He knew one detail; he would want to knowthe whole story.

Trying to look casual, I shrugged. "I didn't expect you to be back for awhile so I thought I'd take time to clear my head," I said. "Sometimes a woman's gotta let out her steam, and it's always best for her to let it out while she's alone."

"But you weren't alone," the Joker said, "And you knew it." He leaned in closer until his face was only an inch from mine. "I didn't leave you alone with the prisoner, Shadow," he said. "Peter kept an eye on you for me."

I tried to look annoyed as I asked, "What did I do to lose your trust?"

"I seem to, ah, to remember an emotional breakdown while you were driving back from the fundraiser." I found myself stiffening, and I realized that the Joker was even closer than before; he could obviously feel my muscles tightening against his chest. "And just your re-action to that hand-some lieu-tenant," the Joker continued. He stroked my cheek with the back of his hand as he said, "I couldn't allow you the chance of, ah, of getting distracted, Shadow."

"Distracted?" I repeated.

"You're my right-hand woman. My sidekick. My partner-in-crime. My Shadow." The Joker licked his lips quickly and then cupped my chin roughly as his eyes met mine. "I didn't want to lose my Shadow because of some fine-looking young man like Lieutenant Hawk-ins."

I hardened my gaze against his, feeling myself grow colder. "I don't think it's something you should be worried about, partner," I said, coldly. "Hawkins won't distract me from my work."

The Joker stiffened as his expression hardened.

"I know where my loyalties lie," I ensured the Joker before he tightened his grip on me. "I've let him distract me before, and I've learned from my mistake. It's not a mistake I intend to repeat."

The Joker relaxed as he gave me a curious expression. "Knew Hawkins in the past, did yah?"

I didn't reply, only ducking my head. It wasn't the best move, but it was the only thing I could do with the Joker trapping me against the wall.

"Do you…wanna talk?" I looked up, surprised by the sudden change in his tone. Concern replaced his curiosity, and I felt like that was a bad thing.

He was watching me intently, waiting for an answer.

"About what?" I asked, quietly.

"About the lieutenant, about Jason."

I closed my eyes tightly, resting my head back against the wall. He had finally connected the name I always repeated at night with the police lieutenant. It was more than a slight relief that he wasn't taking advantage of that unfortunate piece of information…yet.

Opening my eyes, I met his. His gaze seemed to pierce into me, like he was trying to break into my secrets. I couldn't match his gaze. My eyes fell, resting on his shift collar, the coward that I was.

"No…" I murmured. He shifted his weight as he reached up, lifting my chin. My eyes met his again.

"You sure?" he asked. His tone was soft, worried, but I wasn't falling for that.

I jerked my head out of his grasp. "I'm sure," I snapped.

I expected him to push, to get frustrated and hurt me. I didn't expect him to step back, turn, and walk away from me, halting in the middle of the room with his side to me. From what I could see, his expression seemed strange, like he wasn't the same person. It made me curious, but scared at the same time. What if this was just the calm before the storm?

We stood there in silence. If anything, I could hear my breathing and my steady heartbeat. My gaze lowered to the ground, cowardly, because I knew that if he glanced at me, I wouldn't be able to met his eyes. It was strange enough that the Joker was showing his concern, with no subtle hinting, but having him stand there, patiently, waiting me out…patience has never been a trait for him, and now, that he was showing it, it worried me that there might be something else he has hidden from me, and has kept from me. Something that could change my entire opinion of him.

Finally, I couldn't stand the silence anymore, and I looked up, irritated. "What else do you want?" I demanded, sharply.

My tone seemed to snap him out of his line of thought, and he blinked, clearly startled. Then, when he saw my irritation, a grin appeared on his face. "I like it better when you're angry than de-pressed."

I arched an eyebrow. "Oh, real-ly? Didn't you know that it's more dangerous to be around me when I'm angry?"

"Yeah," he said simply. "That's why I like it."

I glared at him and then lowered my gaze. That movement triggered something in him. In a flash, he stood before me, grabbing me and slamming me back against the wall. I winced against his rough hold on my upper arms.

"Hiding your emotions is not gonna make things bet-ter, Shadow," he growled. "I want to know what it is between you and the lieu-tenant!"

"You're not getting anything out of me," I snapped.

He loomed into my face, his eyes hard on mine. "You wanna bet?" he demanded. "You owe me."

"For what?"

"For slapping me." His eyes narrowed. "I don't like…women hitting the scars. It. Hurts."

"See how much this hurts." I kneed him hard, causing him to grunt and loosen his grip on my arms. I twisted out how his grasp and then threw a punch at him.

He recovered faster than what I would have expected. His hand shot up and caught my fist, and with his other hand, he grabbed my waist, turning me as he twisted my arm behind my back. To prove his control, he kicked my feet out from underneath me, causing me to fall facedown without bothering to slow my descent. I smacked my nose on the floor and flinched back, whimpering with pain as the Joker jerked my twisted arm higher.

"I've popped your shoulder once, Shadow," he said, his tone dark. "I'll do it again." I quietly whimpered against the pain. "Now, tell me how you know Jason!"

"We went out four years ago," I cried, deciding on a short summary that wouldn't go into detail. "He betrayed me and broke up with me in quite a fashionable way that you would have liked. Last night was the second time I had seen him since we broke up, the first being in Arkham."

The Joker released my arm, and I dropped it to my side, holding it with my other hand. I rolled over onto my back, wincing when I moved my hurting arm. Beside me, the Joker crouched, his eyes darting about the ceiling before resting on mine, his eyes narrowing. "What's this, ah, fashionable way?" he asked, curiously.

I hit the ground, crying in agony, hand clenching my side. The bullet had barely missed my heart, I was sure of it. Blood spilled through my fingers, falling to the ground and mixing with the puddles of water around me, becoming a bloody river.

Jason had fled, leaving me alone with the pain for company. The agony was too great, I was sure I was going to die from the blood loss or the pain itself. I was barely conscious when the ambulance arrived…

"He shot me and left me to die," I said, clenching my teeth against the fading pain in my arm.

The Joker's expression remained stoical, but I could see fury flash in his brown eyes. "Quite a mis-take with him," he said, his voice low and cold. I didn't understand the anger in his movements as he grabbed my bandaged hand, ignoring my whimper as he hit my hurt arm, and lifted it to inspect it. "So you did go see him," he said. It wasn't a question; it was an accusation.

"Just to learn his motives," I found myself saying quietly. The Joker's eyes darted to meet mine, and the smoldering rage sparked fear in me. I cringed from the Joker as he breathed sharply through his nose, making his nostrils flare.

The Joker's grip on my bandaged hand tightened alarmingly, and I cried out in pain, which only seemed to enrage him even more. He dropped my hand and straightened, heading for the bedroom door, his hand reaching for the doorknob.

I feared what he was going to do. I thrust my shadow out to block him as I scrambled to my feet, lunging myself at him from behind. He hit the door and then shoved himself off it, nearly knocking me to the ground. Furious, the Joker turned on me, grabbing my injured hand and yanking me toward the bed.

He threw me onto it, and I whimpered as he continued to hold onto my injured hand. He loomed over the side of the bed, hovering over me. I could feel the wrath radiating off his lean frame, and it scared me.

The Joker released my hand and went toward the door again. With my cry of pain from my hand, I had called back my shadow, allowing the Joker to open the door. Despite how scared I was of him, I climbed off the bed and raced out into the hallway after the Joker, catching his arm and pulling back.

"No," I cried, "I can't let you hurt him!"

The Joker ignored me, only jerking his arm out of my hold, but I grabbed him again.

"What do you have against him?" I asked.

"I can't allow him to get away with hurting my partner," the Joker responded, trying to free himself from my grip.

"Just because he hurt me in the past doesn't mean that you can take it out on him!" I protested. "Please, stop! He doesn't deserve what you'll do to him! What's done is done! Don't do this to me, Joker, please!"

The Joker halted, and I dropped to my knees, still clasping tightly to his arm. I tugged lightly as I pressed my forehead against his gloved hand, tears escaping. I cried softly, struggling to control myself, sniffing as I subconsciously rubbed my forehead against the Joker's hand. He remained perfectly still while I cried.

I lost track of time as I cried into the Joker's hand, wetting his leather glove. He didn't move, didn't pull his hand away. Gradually, my sobs subsided, and the tears dried on my cheek. I still struggled to keep from choking as I rubbed my face in his hand.

That's when the Joker took it away. He pulled away slowly, and I released him reluctantly. I slumped to the ground, still on my knees, my hands falling onto my upper thighs. I hung my head, trying to regain control over my emotions. I watched the Joker's shoes as he turned to face me, and cold fear overwhelmed me, my eyes fixed on his feet.

My heart pounded, and blood throbbed in my ears. My breathing accelerated as I watched in fear of what he might do to me for protecting Jason. I didn't want him to hurt me, but if he wanted to, nothing was going to stop him. I was too afraid to shadow away because I knew he'd track me down and he'd hurt me more.

The Joker stood there for many agonizing seconds, and then turned away, heading down the hallway.

I lifted my head slowly, seeing how his jacket flapped in the air around him as he moved away from me. His footsteps were heavy, and his shoulders were drooping, like he was carrying a grave burden. He didn't say a word as he walked away, disappearing around the corner. I strained intensively and heard him descend the metal stairs to the hangar.