Madeline's POV

A pitter patter of feet that sounded familiar. My brows knitted together. June looked over at me with a confused look. Laughter filled our home that isn't my husband's. I placed the rag down next to my rifle and hopped off the bed. June stopped her knitting to join me but I held up my hand, "No... Stay here. I'll go check it out."

June nodded and stayed in her spot on the bed with her knitting. The laughter faded same with the patter of feet that is accompanied with heavier foot falls. I looked around the corner of the hall about to see the source but a warm breath tickled my neck. A move of my hair which got me to elbow the person behind me. A laughter came from behind me, "Oh... You do pack a punch now."

I instantly forgot the other laughter and footsteps when I turned around seeing my husband bent over holding his stomach laughing. I licked my lips, "You're out. I... When... How?"

The Joker gingerly rubbed his stomach before grabbing my body close to him. His gloved hand grabbing my hair pulling my head back. His ruby lips touch my neck. His lips slowly trailed down and over my jugular vein leaving the ruby grease smear marks on my neck. The Joker's words whispered against my flesh, "Oh... How I can do this freely... I have a couple presents for you, sweet uh cheeks."

I raised my eyebrows. Before I can ask what he means, his lips touch my own. I felt my body melt underneath his touch. My legs grew weak at the sudden passion behind the kiss. His arm held me up by my lower back. As quickly his lips were on mine they were off. His touch and body left me in an instant. I looked at him dumbfounded, "Where are you going? You cannot do that to me, you ass."

Joker waved his hand in the air like he didn't care, "I got to take care of uh something, sweet cheeks. Your second present should be coming soon."

Before any words left my mouth, I was attacked at the legs by a small figure. Keith came tumbling after the smaller person. Keith breathed hard, "I don't know how you can keep up with them, Mads."

I looked at him then at the child who was looking at me with big eyes. His voice came out loud, "AUNT MADDIE!"

I blinked for a moment then looked up to see Keith is gone. I couldn't help but ask, "Where's your mom, kid?"

Charlie shrugged, "The clown man said she is going to meet with us soon."

I frowned. Clown man, huh? I gave a smile, "Well how about you go meet my friend June? We will have fun, alright?"

Charlie nodded pulling himself away from my legs. I pushed him a little towards my bedroom, "It's down that hall."

Charlie walked ahead of me while I took this chance to stare at his form. His brunette honey colored hair tickling the tops of his ears. His height is not normal for a 5 year old... No he is now 6 years old. I am sure he took that for his father side. Which reminds me I need to ask a husband of mine where is my sister and why do we have my nephew. Speak of the devil, where did he go? I opened the door seeing June still knitting away. Her soft voice carried to my ears, "What was going on out there?"

She looked up from her project now holding a surprised face. She placed her knitting to the side, "Who is this that we have here?"

I walked ahead of my nephew to sit on my bed and throw the blanket over my rifle. I patted the bed, "Come up here, Charlie."

I turned to June to answer her, "This is my nephew, Charlie."

June smiled holding out her hand, "Nice to meet you Charlie. I'm June."

Charlie climbed on my bed and held out his hand to shake hers. A door opening caught our attention. There stood my husband without his makeup. Charlie stared at him well more particularly at his scars. I looked at my nephew, "Charlie. What did I say about staring?"

The 6 year old pointed to his face, "What happened to your face?"

Joker licked his lips as he caught the kid's eye sight. Joker's deep voice started, "Well you uh see, kid... I had an accident with a brother of mine and he did this to me."

Charlie stated the obvious, "He isn't your brother then."

Joker gave a light shrug and nod in agreement, "He never has been my brother, kid."

I noticed Charlie hasn't stopped staring. I pulled his ear a little, "Hey I said stop staring."

Charlie eyed my husband as if he was telling a lie, "Were you lying to me? Who are you anyways?"

Joker answered, "Scouts honor. Uh Uncle Jay."

His tongue went over his scars. When the words left his lips, I instantly looked up at my husband. My eyes widened. He cleaned up for the kid. Charlie kept eyeing him but this time not at his scars. He spoke suspiciously, "That means you're my dad's brother or my mom's brother."

I interrupted before Joker says something smart ass. Or anything predictable. I answered, "He's my husband. Like your mother and father are married. I'm your mother's sister and he isn't related to any of your parents."

Charlie pouted, "That's stupid. I wanted him to be related to me with those cool scars."

Joker's brows went up instantly. I think everyone's brows went up instantly. I spoke, "Well Charlie he's related to you by marriage. That's how it is."

June lightly touched my arm. I looked back at her seeing she is pointing to a hidden rifle under the blanket. My eyes widened as I nearly forgot about the weapon. I glanced towards my husband, "Hey uh Jay... Take Charlie downstairs and show him some toys of... Eric's."

The Joker's eyes narrowed. I licked my lips, "Please Jay."

I placed my hand over the rifle shape underneath the blanket. His eyes followed my movement and now he understands. His deep voice called out to his nephew, "Let me show you those uh nerf guns, Charlie."

Charlie's eyes brightened not knowing what transpired between the two adults. Charlie hopped of the bed running towards the Joker. The Joker felt the boy push past him to race downstairs. I noticed the very little fraction of my husband's eyes widening. A soft smile graced my lips as the Joker turned to chase after the boy. I could hear his voice coming from downstairs, "Charlie!"

The sound of the nerf gun releasing from the toy and a dull thud echoed to the ladies' ears. June chuckled, "It seems you can never take the father out of a man no matter how crazy they seem."

I lightly gave a nod grabbing my rifle. My free hand grabbed the rag dusting off any fuzzies that attached themselves in the crevices. I walked over to the closet leaning it against the wall in there hidden from her dresses. I let out a huff, "That was close for him finding it. That is the talk that I definitely do not want. Sex talk, sure but why I have a gun hell no."

June let out a light chuckle. I walked around to the bed fixing the foot of the bed blanket. When Charlie jumped onto the bed his shuffling wrinkled up the blanket. My back was towards the door. I didn't notice June glancing up seeing a little sniper creeping up behind me. June looked at me then at the little boy. The Joker's eyes gleamed when he watch the kid going in for his 'kill'. I heard the noise of the nerf gun go off and a little foam noodle bullet bounced off the back of my head. I glanced up at June pausing in my fixing of the blanket. June couldn't hide her smile behind her knitting project. In an instant, I turned my heel around chasing the now laughing but screaming kid. I passed my husband who was chuckling. His footfalls followed mine as I chased the child. I was able to have the advantage due to my long legs. I swooped down picking up the laughing child. I smothered him with kissed on his cheeks and face. Charlie called out, "S-Stop Aunt Maddie!"

The Joker slowly came to a stop at the end of the stairwell seeing his wife making the child ticklish. A smirk etched on his face. His heart aches a little due to their deceased son. His eyes studied the two as the kid was putting his hands on his wife's face trying to get her lips away from him. Maybe they can keep the kid since he will be an orphan soon. When he cleaned himself up, he ordered Keith to retrieve the insolent husband of his sister-in-law. He is the main reason why Joker's wife was back on the streets. The Joker tilted his head to the side a little. If they haven't done that then he would never found his wife. I stopped tickling my nephew looking over at my husband. He seemed to be in deep thought. I whispered to Charlie, "You know what would make him really happy, Charlie?"

Charlie gave a light nod to listen in to his aunt's words. I continued whispering, "If you were to give him a big hug. I'd think he would like that very much."

I notice the look my husband is making. I am sure this is reminding him of some of the good memories with Eric. I placed Charlie down and he ran up to my husband. His little arms hugged around my husband's thighs. The Joker instantly looked down at the hugging offender. Charlie looked up with a big smile on his face. The next words had the Joker and I freeze in our spots, "I love you daddy Jay."

I felt my shoulders slump. The Joker's tongue dart across his lips and briefly touching his scars. I could feel tears welling up. Judging by the actions of the kid and how the two interacted it would show that my husband has more fatherly affection than my sister's husband. The kid mistakenly switched the two around and saw the Joker as his own father figure than his own father. The Joker bent down to the kid's height. He spoke unsurly, "I am uh..."

Charlie's eyes looked to be loosing its brightness as the kid knows what he was going to say. I bit my lip. This was not what I expect things to turn out. I just wanted the kid to hug him. Joker's lip went up in frustration. The scarred man stood up instantly leaving the child at the bottom of the stairs. The kid watched the older man walk away. Charlie's eyes went over to me. My eyes flickered to the child seeing tears welling up in his eyes. I am sure the child feels rejected from a person who he knew for a very short time as a father figure. I swallowed. My voice croaked, "Let's uh make you some food, Charlie."

Charlie barely nodded heading over towards me. His young eyes looked up at my face. The curious child asked, "Why are you crying, Aunt Maddie?"

I sniffled quickly wiping my eyes of any evidence. My voice came out rough, "It's nothing, Charlie."

My ears picked up the sound of a deep thud. I took in a deep breath. I know that sound all too well now. The sound of a body hitting the floor. I have no idea what the plans my husband has for this child or for anyone. He must be taking this the worse as the last time he saw his very own child was the morning of the kidnapping. My throat feels constricted. I reached for Charlie's hand and took him to the kitchen. I asked the 6 year old, "What do you want to eat?"

The child mumbled, "Grilled cheese sandwich..."

I picked him up and placed him on a bar stool. I took a deep breath filling my lungs before letting it out loudly through my nose. I grabbed the ingredients and the tools I would need. I piped up, "Don't worry, kid. Jay will come around. So uh what happened with you and your father?"

My eyes narrowed when I saw the kid stiffen. Not good. I decided to change the subject, "What about you and your mother?"

He didn't relax his posture. My brows knitted together. What the actual hell did my sister and her husband do to this kid for him to respond like that?

I am so sorry for updating so late! I had finals and then graduation. Well I am now officially done with school, period. Thank god. Anywho I hope you guys like this chapter. I thought why not add a few things that is definitely not expect especially how I portrayed them in the beginning of the story. BUT you never know what happens behind closed doors. I just want to tell you guys I love you guys when you do reading and with the occasional reviewing this. It shows me that I am doing something right with a story. :D Not saying review, oh no. You do what you want. Anyways, I will try to update more often. It's just hard as now I don't know what to do with my life till my after-graduation internship starts. NOW that I do not know if I am able to update a lot in. I heard I would work 40-50hours, oh vey but hey money. Welp, enjoy!