A/N - Thank you for the reviews, and kind messages.

Emily ran, her feet prodding over the wooden planks of the pier. She barely felt the cold. Her mind was too preoccupied on one person. She ran back to where she had last seen Bruce and came to a stop when there was no one there. Emily ran her hand through her hair, trying to quickly come up with an idea on what to do next when she heard the sound of feet rushing up behind her. She spun around, slightly shocked.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to come back here?" Gordon said, pulling his gun out of his holster as he glanced cautiously around them. "SWAT are on their way and they can handle this."

Emily was about to argue when Gordon suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him before hiding in the shadows of a food pavilion. He put a finger to his lips and gestured out towards the open area where they were speaking moments prior. A clown with a nylon pulled tightly on his head walked into view. He carried a rifle in his hand and surveyed the area carefully. As he glanced in Emily and the Commissioner's direction, he paused, squinting into the darkness. After a moment he turned and slowly headed back the way he came.

"Stay here," Gordon whispered as he held his gun firmly in his hand. He looked back out towards the clown and snuck away before Emily had a chance to say anything. She sighed, as she watched him make his way around the pavilion in the darkness.

Gordon inched his way in the darkness and glanced around the corner where the clown had walked. He wasn't there. In fact, there was no sight of him anywhere.

"Hands up!" a rough voice suddenly called out quietly from behind him. Gordon felt a gun barrel pushing against the back of his neck.

He obeyed and put his hands up, dropping his own gun to the ground as he did so.

"Turn around, slowly."

Again, Gordon complied and slowly turned. It was then that he noticed that the clown that they had seen had come up behind him.

"Now, I know that you weren't alone," he said. "Tell me where your partner is and I wont kill you."

"I'm right here."

The man suddenly turned at the voice and was met with a swift elbow punch to the face. Emily grabbed the man's rifle and pulled it from his hands, pushing the butt of it into his chest. She reached up and grabbed his head, connecting it to her knee before swinging her foot behind his and tripping him, landing him flat on his back. Emily took the gun rifle and pushed it with her hands against the man's neck, choking him.

"Where the Batman?!" she demanded angrily.

The man simply coughed. His eye was already becoming swollen and blood was pouring from his nose.

Breaking from his sudden astonished stupor, Gordon picked up his gun and rushed up to Emily's side, aiming the gun down at the clown beneath her.

"Answer her!" he demanded.

The clowns eyes shifted from Emily to Gordon.

"Gift shop," the clown squeaked out.

Satisfied, Emily punched the man, rendering him unconscious.

Suddenly she grimaced and cradled her hand, not realizing the pain that she felt when she did it. A punching bag with gloves on never felt like this.

"Son of a...!"

"Yeah, that'll hurt in the morning," Gordon said blatantly, as Emily stood up. He reached behind him and pulled out his radio. "I know the way but I'm to call and wait for backup and get you out of here."

"There is no time for that," Emily argued.

"I'm not about to do this alone. These men are armed and dangerous. Besides, I need to get you back to your daughter and Mr. Wayne."

She put her hand on his radio, causing him to pause.

"Please," she said softly, feeling the emotion come to her voice. Still, she continued. "Batman saved my life and he's in there. I'm not about to let him die. This is important to me."

Gordon sighed, looking at Emily's eyes. Her determined pleading to save a strangers life was confusing to him. He knew that her personality made her want to help people, but this went beyond a simple medical checkup.

Finally he nodded. "We'll do this, but I'm still calling in backup."

After his quick call back to where the SWAT team was quickly assembling, Emily and Gordon made their way to the gift shop. With a quick kick of the door from Gordon, it swung open and Gordon held up his gun yelling FREEZE!

No one listened to the command and instead, the two clowns inside the gutted gift shop pushed over a display rack before running. Behind them, the Joker laughed as he pushed his clowns towards Gordon, encouraging them to initiate the fight.

Emily glanced at Joker as he grinned before ducking out of the gift shop.

She reached out and grabbed ahold of the clowns arm, and twisted it behind him, hearing an audible snap before the clown cried out. Emily grunted as she elbowed the man in the side before kicking him in the head, knocking him out. She glanced at Gordon as he was in a fist fight with the other clown. Instead of helping, she raced out in the direction that the Joker had disappeared.

She ran out into the amusement park and looked around in every direction, hoping to find some clue about where the clown had disappeared to, when she felt a cool, sharp blade to her neck.

"Have you ever heard the story about my scars? Hmm?"

When Emily didn't answer, he continued, his voice speaking right into her ear.

"Well, have you?"

Again, she didn't reply. She heard a snort.

"I wonder whose wonderful personality has been rubbing off on you," he said, with a cackle.

Emily reached up and grabbed his arm that held the knife to her neck and spun around so that she was at his back. In less than a fraction of a second, their roles had reversed. Emily held the knife to the Jokers neck, as he giggled.

"That's not all that's been rubbing off on you."

"Where is he?" Emily growled, from behind him.

Joker chuckled. "Who? Oh, are you talking about your lover and father of your screaming child?"

Emily didn't reply but simply pushed the blade firmer on his neck.

"I'll take your silence as a yes," Joker quipped, noting the increased pressure. "He's not here."

"Where is he?!"

"He's around," Joker answered, licking his lips. "You know, I was quite impressed to see how resilient he was when it came to the amount of electricity he had going through his body."

Emily twisted Joker's arm tighter behind him upon hearing him cackle as he spoke about the torture that he put Bruce through.

She didn't even notice Gordon run up to them, holding his gun and aiming it at the Joker. Joker smirked at him.

"If he's dead, I'm going to kill you myself," Emily growled, feeling the tears sting her eyes.

Joker laughed. "I look forward to that. But if the Bat really did teach you anything, I know that you wouldn't be able to do it."

Emily leaned over and spoke into Joker's ear.

"I'm well aware of his aversion to killing, but for you, I'll make an exception," Emily said.

Joker smirked.

"Emily, back away from him! I've got this."

She glanced over Joker's shoulder and noticed Gordon standing a few feet ahead of them with his gun drawn. Emily didn't move but instead looked at Joker once again.

"Where is he?!" she demanded.

"Who?"

"Don't play these frickin' games with me! Where the hell is he?!"

"I need to hear you speak his name."

Emily let out a shaky breath. The anger within her was bubbling over. She clenched her teeth as it took everything within her to not tighten her grip on that knife. She glanced at Gordon as the Commissioner held his stance and his gun aimed at Joker.

"Batman."

"Uh, his other name. The name that you call him by."

Emily paused, well aware that Gordon was within earshot and Joker was enjoying the satisfaction that she had her right where he wanted her.

"Bruce."

A satisfied smirk came to Joker's face. "He is under your feet."

Emily glanced down at the wooden planks of the pier.

"And I'm not talking about hell," Joker added. "I'd never be so kind to kill Batman, or should I say Bruce Wayne. He's too much fun. If he happened to die by some other means, then so be it." He paused. "The tide is in."

Emily's eyes widened and Joker's smile grew as he knew she realized where Batman was. She quickly looked to Gordon, noticing that he finally realized what was going on. Silently, he nodded to her before she pushed Joker forward. Gordon kept his gun aimed at him. Emily ran past Gordon and nearly bumped into the SWAT team that quickly surrounded the park. She ran past them and into Officer Blake. He held onto her arms, attempting to calm her down from, according to him, her apparently dangerous ordeal.

"I've got you. You're safe. It's over."

"Let me go!" she cried, wiggling within his grasp.

When he didn't listen, she pushed him, causing him to fall to the ground. Once again, she ran away from them.

Gordon suddenly came up to Blake, noticing him on the ground and Emily running away. He pointed towards the direction he just came.

"Arrest that son of a bitch and don't let him out of your sight!" he exclaimed before running after Emily.

"Sir?"

Emily raced along the wooden decking. The cold air came up from the water and hit her skin like a wall. When she finally reached the railing along the pier, she looked over the edge at the dark water below. She could hear the light splashing of the waves as they hit the support posts beneath the pier.

"I'll help you!" she heard a voice come up beside her. Gordon pulled off his glasses and tossed them to the ground with his radio and jacket.

"Thank you," Emily said softly, before she climbed over the railing with Gordon beside her.

She looked down at the water below. It looked ominous and cold. She felt as though she would be jumping right into the vastness of space. Without another thought, she jumped off the edge and into the water.

Emily gasped when she broke the surface. The cold water felt like razors against her skin. Ahead of her, she saw Gordon swimming towards the wooden supports.

"I think I see something!" he called out, his voice echoing in the darkness.

Emily quickly followed, fighting the current and the waves that were trying to push her in the opposite direction.

In the darkness, she could barely see Gordon ahead of her. If it wasn't for the splashing he was making as he swam, she was certain that's she'd lose sight of him.

Ahead of him, she finally saw the shadowy object against the support post, just barely above the water. With renewed strength, she swam towards it.

Her heart skipped when she couldn't see Bruce's face. Emily swam towards him and pulled the bag from his head. When Bruce's eyes met hers, she couldn't help but smile.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his teeth chattering. His eyes were barely open. "I told you to leave."

"You should know me by now to know that I wouldn't listen to you," she replied, looking at Gordon who had swam to the other side of the support post.

"He's tied on," Gordon told her, as he reached into his pocket. "The water has tightened the ropes. I have a Swiss Army knife in my pocket but it's going to take some time."

Bruce was about to speak when a wave came past them, causing the water to rise. Emily reached out and grabbed ahold of Bruce's tied arm, desperate to not be pulled away in the water.

Gordon held onto the post, feeling the pressure push him into it. As the wave died down, it was obvious that the water level had risen.

Emily looked at Bruce as he arched his chin up to keep his head above water. Suddenly Bruce's wrists came loose, but he was still attached to the post.

"Damn it," Gordon exclaimed, catching Emily's attention. "I've got one undone, but there is one more around his waist, holding him to the pole.

"Hurry," Emily begged softly before Gordon took a breath and went underwater.

She felt Bruce's hands hold onto her shoulders, gently moving them up her neck to her face.

"I love you," Emily said, her teeth chattering in as she bobbed in the cold water in front of him.

A smile came to Bruce's face. "I love you too. I love you so..."

The end of his word was cut off in the noise of another wave pushing the tide in. Bruce took a breath as the water rushed over his head. Still, his hands held onto Emily, keeping her from slipping away in the current.

Gordon came to the surface, feeling the wave pushing him forward and coughed at the water that entered his lungs.

When it finally died down, Emily looked at the post and could no longer see Bruce's head. His grip had loosened on her.

"No, no, no," she chanted, the fear welling up inside of her.

Gordon looked around the post and realized that Batman was underwater.

Emily ducked beneath the water and felt in the darkness for Bruce. She found his arm and felt up towards his neck before finding his face. With her hands on either side of his face, she pulled herself towards him, putting her mouth over his before blowing the breath of air from her lungs into his mouth.

She momentarily felt his hands touch her back. But she quickly broke free as her lungs painfully desired another breath. Emily broke the surface with a gasp and noticed Gordon had come up at the same time. He looked over at Emily, meeting her gaze for a quick moment before the pair ducked underwater once again.

Emily followed the pole down into the dark, cold waters and instantly found Bruce. He reached for her, like a lifeline and pulled her down towards him. She felt him grab her head, as he was desperate for air. As she met his mouth, she blew out whatever was in her lungs before swimming back up to the surface.

As she hit the surface, she began to wonder how much longer they could continue like this.

Emily took another deep breath and ducked below the water again. This time, Bruce didn't respond when she touched him. He was no longer reaching out to her. She reached for his face and shook it, screaming his name in the water that he would never hear.

His body suddenly fell forward towards her as he was released from the confines of the rope. Emily pulled him towards the surface with all of her strength and was grateful when Gordon met her halfway.

She barely allowed her lungs to fill with air once again, before turning Bruce over on his back and saw his pale face.

"He's not breathing," Gordon told her.

I hope that you're all enjoying this and are not hating me for another cliffhanger. My vacation is over, so I should be able to get more chapters out on a regular basis again.