CHAPTER 23

The first noise was from Henry. He cleared his throat and moved restlessly through the tension that had suddenly intensified.
"Well, I'mma just…." and without another word he walked past me and left the two of us. I think for the first time in the past minute I released the breath I hadn't noticed I was holding. And blinked. The Joker though, continued to stare straight through me.

Finally, my eyes dropped to the floor and I opened my mouth to speak.
"I gave you your chance," he said rather calmly. I looked up and seen that his eyes had finally focused and his face had flushed red.
"My chance…?" I quietly questioned.
"I let you go, dollface. Let you right off your leash," he hissed.
"I know…"
"YOU! Came. Back!" He said each word carefully. "You came back like the hopeless mutt I know you to be."
I expected a smile on his face. Some kind of enjoyment in him from all of this. But I got nothing.

I sighed and blinked back the tears that were coming. I really did NOT want to cry. How cliché would that be? Me, crying. What next? A loving hug? Sheesh.
I laughed instead, "You were right."
A moment of silence and I still kept my head down.
"I tried to go home, and I just came back. Hell, I didn't even leave Gotham…not entirely…. that says a lot…."
"You lied to me Emma! I HATE liars."
"I know," my voice cracked. "I lied just as much as you did!"
I wish I would just die!
I heard the Joker sigh.
"You could've left. You could've went home…"
I nodded my head.
"I didn't. I don't belong home anymore. I'm….. just a freak."
I laughed but it was just hysterics. Nothing was funny. Not exactly. I was just…. well, going insane. For a lack of better words.

"Yeah. You are."
I looked up and was glad to feel some of the tension had disappeared.
"What was it that made us so… interesting?" he asked in a devilish voice. I bit my lip and shrugged my shoulders. And then he did something I should've expected but didn't quite expect. He pulled out his knife.

My eyes widened but my body slumped annoyingly.
"Ah, doll face, you remember all the fun we use to have? I know you haven't forgotten any of it."
I think maybe I had closed my eyes for 2 seconds tops, but when I opened them, he was right there. His hand grabbed my face, but not violently. And the slick silver of the knife was on my neck. I shivered underneath of it. I knew he would cut me, if he wanted to. And this is why I came back?

The Joker laughed and slid the knife across my exposed neck.
"You're so much prettier when you're mine, dollface. You know that?"
Then his lips met mine. And those annoying tears I kept hidden finally let loose. He kissed me so passionately, I couldn't believe he was really the person I knew he was. And then the knife slid ever so loosely from his grip and I heard it fall to the ground. His hand slid to the back of my neck and he released my face.

I was so amazed at myself. This was against everything I lived for.
And then his hand traveled down to the small of my back, using force to push me against him. I broke away from his kiss, trembling.

"Ah ah! Not this time, my pet. This time, your mine," he whispered. He crashed his lips against mine again and I gave in. I had nothing now. Nothing but him. I didn't know anything except that I was kissing him. Again. And I was moving. I let myself go. I fell into the bed behind me and wrapped my arms around his neck.

~~~~Meanwhile~~~~

Frost chuckled deeply and turned to his men. He nodded his head and smiled greatly.
"We have her boys. We're getting our money back."

After weeks of pleading and teasing, Kara had finally gotten her way and had been allowed to attend some of Frost's meetings. Except, this was absolutely torture. Because she knew the truth. The girl in the next room was not Emma. It was some innocent girl. But if she told the truth, Frost would go back out looking for her and kill the innocent woman they have next door.

And Emma seemed like such a sweetheart. She couldn't let that happen. Kara bit back tears and listened to what Frost was saying.

"So, here's the plan. We'll send a very worried phone call from his squeeze and have her explain what's happening. It's simple, really. We'll have him meet….uh, well, we'll figure this one out later. Anyways. He won't be able to resist, he'll meet us with the money."

Frost scanned the group of puppets in front of him.
"That's when you'll come in. You guys will fire like it's the 4th of July. We'll take the money and go. Then, seeing as this Emma of his must be a freak herself, we'll finish her off next. Can't risk any more future violence."

"No!" protested Kara. She stood up and felt instantly embarrassed as all eyes were on her.
"What?" asked Frost annoyingly.
"Why can't you just let the two of them go…" she said a bit quietly.
"They'd come back for us, Kara. Do you really want that?"

She could tell Frost's mention of 'us' was secretly about him and her. She shook her head and sat down. Tears filled her eyes as she realized some innocent girl was going to die. Maybe two. She could barely take this anymore. But she still just sat quietly and watched as Frost went on further with his plan. His men supplied themselves with the weapons they might need. Eventually everyone was busying themselves with something.

"Frost…." said Kara. Her red hair shielded her face. If there was any hope in saving either girl, she would at least try.
"What," he replied sharply.
"What if this situation were reversed?"
Frost froze for a moment. His silence was not what she had expected.
"He's a narcissistic freak, Kara. She must be too."
"You're a killer," she said rather coldly. "And here I am. Still with you. How can you say she's mad? Others would say the same about me."
Frost shook his head. "It's not the same, Kara."
"It is and you know it! Just let this one go. Let us go, please."
"No!" Frost slammed his fist into the wall. "Damn it, Kara. I told you. Frost is done after this."

Kara's eyes filled with tears. She shook her head and walked away. Frost let her go, too. He wasn't going to stop her. She'd just try and convince him to stop. He wanted his money. He wanted enough to give Kara everything she'd ever wanted. And then some.

~~~~Emma~~~~

When I did reach consciousness the next day, every last detail of the night before flooded my mind. And more questions began to form. So I was safe in bed. This was a fact. Or at least some sort of safe. And well, needless to say, clothes less. So here was my indifference. Did I love myself? Did I care enough to know that because of my actions, I was sure to die? Or did this not phase me anymore? Did I really love him more than I loved myself? Than I loved my family? Because I'm more than sure he loves himself more than me. Well, way more than me.

And why am I alone? The myth that every man will leave after sex must be true. I felt….good. And in some ways, I felt that I completely betrayed everyone I formerly loved. Or still loved. My family, who I dearly missed, would hate me if they knew I left them for some sadistic, insane, murderer. My sister. She would loathe me. Hate every last aspect of me.

And Sean and Amanda. So what if Sean was actually some cheater who didn't deserve to live on some days. I mean, I loved Amanda. Or did I? I couldn't even tell her the truth. That her fiancé was cheating on her. Maybe that's why I wasn't her Maid of Honor. Of course, I knew the truth of that one, too.

Sure, I came off as Amanda's best friend. Her roommate, her twin separated from birth. But she used me, a lot. I always wrote her long essays in college. I didn't want to lose my best friend, so I just did it. I was often the DD, even though I didn't care for drinking anyways, she never thought to ask me if I wanted to have fun. She kicked me out of the dorm when she had guys over. She made me mad. A lot. She stole the bracelet my mom gave me. She knew I knew. And I didn't do crap.

And yet, I still felt I was betraying the both of them, beyond the grave. Or wherever they were buried.

But before my mind could wonder any further, the door creaked open. The Joker walked in, in his usual attire, with a black cell phone to his ear.

Despite what my internal gut was saying, that what I was doing was wrong, I still kneeled on the bed and wrapped my hands around his neck.

I pressed my body against his and the Joker wrapped one arm around my back.
"It seemsssssss," he said into the phone, "I have some unfinished business, good sir. We'll take care of this when I'm not busy."
He snapped the phone shut. And a smile spread across his face. "You're so needy Emma. Always begging… pleading… for something. Was last night not enough?"
And what was my response?

I kissed him.

After some unknown length of time, I fell onto the bed. The Joker was laying next to me, still mostly clothed and breathing as steadily as if he had been sleeping. What am I doing?... Sigh.. Something at my ankle vibrated and the Joker retrieved his phone.

"Wha-" the Joker began.
A voice murmured on the other end and the Joker's face went from annoyed, to serious, to happy.
"Oh really…. You say you have her?"
The Joker listened intently and his smile vanished. He threw the phone to me.
I held it for a second and figured I might as well answer it.
I cleared my throat, "Hello?"
"Wh-what!"
The other voice sounded fully surprised.
"Who is this?"
I hesitated a moment. "Who are you?"
"Tell the Joker I have her. And I'm willing to kill her if I don't get my money."
I gulped, "Kill who?"
"His lover."
Oh and how can that be?
"Who's that?" I asked. The voice laughed, but I could tell he was annoyed.
"Emma."
Well, at least he thinks its me.
"Sure," I said, slightly thoughtless. The man on the other end sighed. And I heard the phone fumble.
I heard ragged breathing and a scared, "Hello."
I completely froze.
"Ally?"
"Em-"
And then the phone was cut off.