23. To Gotham

Disclaimer: Thank you to all who are reading and reviewing!! I am so glad you love it!! Sometimes I feel the Joker may slip out of character, but I am glad you all think I'm doing a good job at keeping him in character! He's fun to write and I'm having a blast writing it! I hope you keep enjoying the story!!

I woke up and half expected to be left alone—to be lying in bed without the Joker beside me. I was horribly mistaken. I guessed since we were no longer in Gotham, he had nowhere else to be that early in the morning. Thankfully he hadn't been planning on blowing up Boston. For that I was grateful!

I turned over and saw him lying beside me, breathing steadily…in and out…in and out…in and out. I never thought I'd be able to experience this rare occasion—when I get to witness the Joker asleep from a full nights rest, and it broad daylight no doubt! His eyes were gently closed, the top lids just barely touching the bottom lids. His lips were also barely touching as he continued to breathe through his nose.

And yet, what I found most beautiful about him was the lack of white face paint covering his face. Most of it had worn off from sex and sleep—only dark smudges around his eyes remained and the tint of red continued to linger on his lips. For the most part, I was seeing the Joker's face—but without face paint. He was so handsome. I had never noticed before his strong jaw line; or the laugh lines that used to be continuous at the corners of his mouth, before his face was cut by soldiers; or just how much darker the color of his skin really is when compared to the white makeup he always wears.

Closing my eyes, I could just see how his chestnut brown eyes matched perfectly with the rest of his beautiful face. I didn't want to wake him, but I wanted to kiss him—to feel what his lips felt like to mine without the red paint on them—to feel what it would be like to kiss the Joker without his mask on—to see if I could make him feel like a person again.

I refrained. I closed my eyes and thought of him holding me close to him and feeling his gentle breath on my neck. He was so real, lying beside me—not some mass murdering criminal—but a horribly misunderstood and very deeply hurt person who had lost all capabilities of love. I vowed to myself in that moment that I would teach him how to love again—how to feel again—how to care again; even if it meant risking everything I had in order to do it.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Giiiiiiiiiiada!! Time to…wake up!" the Joker exclaimed as he jumped onto the bed. I must have fallen back asleep from when I had last been awake and admiring him asleep.

"You know, I was awake before you this time—but somehow you still managed to wake me up," I groaned as I turned over onto my side, avoiding him. I bounced atop the bed as the Joker moved around until I finally felt his arm curl over my side. I could feel his breathing on the back of my neck as he spoke.

"Well from the looks of things you had fallen back to sleep—but don't worry—we don't have anywhere to be today…except right here," he said in a soft voice. I then felt his lips on my shoulder and back. It sent tingles down my spine. I never thought of the Joker to be the romantic morning type. I guess he fooled me again! He's good at that—making me think something of him and then surprising me with something else. Well, I couldn't complain. I just let him kiss and caress me—not a bad way to wake up in the morning!

Closing my eyes, I reached my arm back and held onto his head as he kissed me. I was just starting to get into it when I realized I should be at work.

My eyes flew open. "Oh shit," I muttered.

"Not something a guy likes to hear when he's seducing someone…" the Joker stated with a chuckle.

"No—I completely forgot that I'm supposed to be at work today," I groaned. The Joker simply spun me over onto my other side so that I was facing him completely. He pulled me close to him so that our bodies were flushed against one another. Pressing his forehead against mine, he simply smiled.

"Giada, a brilliant mind like you doesn't need work—others need you to do the things they simply cannot do themselves—like Bruce Wayne…and the Batman. We, you and I, however, are suited for one another—you and I work for each other…and no one else," he stated matter-of-factly. Well, he was right—Bruce Wayne did hire me to do the things he could not understand in regards to understanding the Joker; and I suppose Batman is the same way.

"Yes, but…see…they pay me to do things they can't understand themselves. That's the difference," I explained.

"We don't need to get paid, Giada. We don't need…money. I own half of Gotham. I have money—and people to work for me—and…if they don't…well, they know what happens to them," the Joker said with a grin.

I knew what he meant. He owned half of Gotham out of fear—no one would cross the Joker. If they did, they'd be dead within the day.

"Well then what do you propose?" I asked. He chuckled, licked his lips and kissed my cheeks, my lips and my neck.

"I propose you stick with me—drop off this little…job…you have, you and I…head back to Gotham, take over the other half of the city and then you and I claim our kingdom and become the clown King and Queen of Gotham," he giggled.

"King and Queen of Gotham, huh?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in disbelief of what he'd just said.

"You'll get a crown—a nice big one…full of diamonds," he laughed and then licked his lips.

"For a second I thought you were serious," I retorted with a chortle.

"Only half. No crown—but I can get you diamonds…if diamonds are something you desire," he responded seriously.

"And how do you want me to help you take over Gotham?" I asked, moving my hand up to his face and brushing the hair away from his eye.

"Well…there's no plan just yet—but when there is one, I'll let you know," he smirked.

"Right," I replied sarcastically, "And that's supposed to make me want to help you out—and take over Gotham,"

"I'll put it to you like this—I'm a man of my word…as you know—and I don't disappoint," he responded, raising his eyebrows.

"So how do you propose we take over the rest of the city? You say you don't plan, but you've got to have something in mind if you're proposing we take over the other half," I replied.

"Well—it's easy. We, uh, get rid of the Batman," he stated, licking his lips.

"Okay—haven't we tried that already?" I asked, "And I thought you didn't want to kill him,"

"I don't want to kill him—we just need to…eradicate him from the city's premise. Once the Batman is removed from Gotham, you and I will have free reign of the city," the Joker explained, "and then…Batman…will have to seek somewhere else to…inhabit,"

"I see. And how do you suppose we 'eradicate' said Batman?" I asked, curious of his idea.

"Well, that's where you come in, my little psychologist," he said as he licked the tip of my nose. I didn't know whether to be terrified or amused.

"Go on," I said, cocking a dubious eyebrow.

"Well, you have a…knack…for analyzing people—like me—and…the Batman…and all I need is for you to analyze the Batman and give the report to me. From there, I can figure out Batman's weak spots and hit him where he will least expect," the Joker explained.

"Well that won't be too hard, considering I've already written up a report on Batman," I laughed.

"Is that so?" he asked as a grin began to curl on his lips.

"Yeah—I wrote it the same day I wrote your analysis—and let me tell you this, Joker, you and Batman are so similar you wouldn't even believe it," I said.

"I'd believe it—but I'd believe it more if you gave me that report," the Joker said with a cunning smile.

"And I would—if I had it with me," I retorted, flashing the same cunning smile.

"Where is it?" he asked, suddenly his smile fading away.

"Gotham—in my apartment there—along with all of my other reports; they were all on my laptop, which is…there—in Gotham," I stated flatly, "no thanks to…your buddy Batman,"

The Joker remained silent, clearly frustrated by the situation at hand. I watched his eyes as he was clearly thinking through the situation and possibly reforming his plan of attack. Within no time, that million dollar grin was back on his face and his mood once more chipper and giddy. He placed his hand on the side of my face.

"No worries, Giada, my love—we'll be back to Gotham—you will retrieve that laptop and I will find Batman—and then you and I will get our city back," he stated and then kissed me.

"How long till we go back?" I asked, once he pulled away.

"We leave tonight—of course," he remarked.

"Oh, I see," I replied, feeling sad to leave Boston so quickly again.

"What? You want to stay here?" he asked, glancing about my apartment.

"Well…Boston is my home, Joker—it's where I grew up! Of course I miss it," I said, but looking at his eyes change made my heart sink. His eyes grew dull as he pulled me closer to him, "but I do miss Gotham,"

"Are you sure you do? I mean…I couldn't imagine going back to Gotham without you, Giada—it just wouldn't be the same. I'd have to go back to blowing up the city without you—which is no fun at all. I've found that blowing up…things…without you…is like…you having to eat dinner alone—or—a fish trying to breath air; it's just not right. We're destined to be together, Giada—we're like fish and water…or you and I eating Italian food—it just works. And let's be honest here, I wouldn't have blown up Gotham city in your absence if it wasn't true—if I didn't believe you were…the one for me. People don't just blow up cities for nothing, you know. It's about sending a message—and well, I think the Batman got my message loud and clear: you cannot separate the Joker from his Jade," he explained.

I think that was the closest he had ever come to saying he had feelings for me. It didn't matter if the actual words "I love you" or "I care for you" were there—he basically said it in a giant analogy of fish and food and water…and blowing up cities. He was getting there. He was using analogies to access his feelings. He was getting there! This also meant that I was getting to him—I was gaining control to his emotions, which excited me.

I simply smiled at him and pressed my lips to his. "To Gotham, then," I said when I pulled away.

"To Gotham," he replied, breaking his lips into a devious grin.