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34. Christmas Bells, Carousels and Time

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Disclaimer: Thank you all SO much for your reviews! I am so fricken happen you all are loving it! I hope it only gets better!!!!!

Well, when he told me we could celebrate Christmas, the Joker really didn't know what he was getting himself into. It was only two week until Christmas, and I was all about the holiday music.

"All I want for Christmas is youuuuuuuuuu baby!" I sang as I got myself dressed. The Joker stumbled out of the bathroom and stood in the doorway just looking at me.

"You have been singing that…all morning," he said finally as he stepped into the room and pulled his clothing out of the drawer.

"Iiiiiiiiiii don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need….I don't care about the present, underneath the Christmas tree—I just want you for my own…more than you could ever know—make my wish come trueeeeeeeee—all I want for Christmas….issssssssss YOUUUU!!" I sang, completely ignoring his comment. I began to dance around the room as I continued singing the rest of the song.

"Maybe you should get a Christmas CD to listen to…and dance to," the Joker stated as he sat on the bed and pulled on his checkered socks.

"Oh! Now that's an idea! A CD I can listen to and sing to and dance to!" I exclaimed as I danced out of the bedroom.

Sitting on his bed, the Joker breathed a sigh of relief. I had been singing Christmas carols all week—all day and night, non-stop. It was now quiet for him as he got dressed. He pulled on his pants, shirt and vest. He stood in front of the mirror and tied his tie. Finally, dipping his fingers into his face paint, he smeared the white onto his face. As he began smearing the black onto his eyes, a sound came from the other room. It was the sound of strings, horns and sleigh bells. I jumped into the room with the radio in hand. I danced around to "Sleigh Bells" by the Boston Pops.

"It's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you!" I sang finally as I glided past him.

"Augh!" he grunted as he dropped the paint into the dresser.

"Aw you said you weren't going to paint your face today!" I huffed as I set the radio down on the table and walked up to him.

"And you said you weren't going to sing Christmas music today," he retaliated.

"Well where's the fun in getting a Christmas tree if you can't enjoy the music to go with it?!" I exclaimed.

"And where's the fun in getting a tree if you can't paint your face?" the Joker asked.

"You know very well why you can't paint your face. We're going to be civilised people today, remember? Just this one day so we can get a fucking tree!"

"Well you're always civilised," he responded, "It just takes me a bit…longer," he grinned as he began rubbing the paint from his face with his towel.

"Oh please! We're all civilised people, here. I believe every person is born on this Earth with the good will and intention to be a good willed and purposeful person—it's just, some people stray from the path. I'm not trying to sway you either way, but I'm just trying to help you remember what it's like to be on a path other than yours," I responded with a hopeful smile. He stopped removing his makeup and turned his head slowly towards me. He stared at me for a moment wit ha blank expression on his face. I couldn't help but keep smiling—his makeup was smudged and half on, half off—I couldn't help but laugh. Finally, his lips too broke and he joined me in my laughter.

"Oh, Giada. You and those Christmas trees!" he said finally through giggles as he turned to the mirror and finished removing his face paint.

"Hurry up! Oh, and it's really cold out, so we're going to have to bundle up!" I exclaimed with excitement.

"Bundle up. Hm—not too sure we have the same use of that word, Giadaaaa," the Joker responded as he turned from the mirror.

"Well, if you want you just be cold then! I guess we could always just get cozy later on and snuggle with some hot chocolate," I just kept on chattering, completely forgetting who I was talking to. Thankfully, he reminded me.

"Giada, do I strike you as the snugly…ehm, type?" he asked as he cleared his throat and emptied his pockets of all knives. I glanced down at the knives being placed on the dresser.

"Nah…I guess not," I said finally, no longer floating in my fantasy realm of Christmas and hot cocoa and Christmas trees. I sat down on the bed, wrapped up in my winter coat, scarf, fuzzy hat and boots. The Joker glanced over at me just sitting on the bed, waiting patiently for him.

"I can't remember the last time I had…hot cocoa," he said finally. I glanced up at him and grinned.

"From what I can…recall…it was—not horrible," he said, licking his lips. I just chuckled at him and shook my head.

"Are you not taking any knives at all with you?" I asked finally as he put on his jacket.

"…no…knives," he said hesitantly. He pursed his lips together and commenced to putting on his overcoat. I just kept watching him. Suddenly, he stopped.

"What?" I asked, curious as to why he was removing his purple overcoat.

"Something else," he said as he left the room momentarily and retrieved a winter jacket. I was shocked as he pulled a scarf and hat from the winter jacket. He pulled on the jacket and zipped it up. He then wrapped the scarf about his neck and pulled on the hat (think Brokeback Mountain aww). I nearly melted at the sight of him.

"Oh my, Mr. J, you look so…so…" I bit my lip, "so…warm," I said, making sure not to freak him out about the day's new look.

"Yeah—let's go before my balls start to drag on the floor," he grunted as he turned and left the room. Excited, I jumped up from the bed and ran after him.

"Hey wait up!" I called after him.

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The streets of Gotham looked and felt so different to me as I walked them openly with the Joker by my side. The snow was falling quite moderately, making driving difficult for those on the roads. I was just happy to be walking the open sidewalks with my Joker. I glanced over at him and smiled as we walked. He looked so miserable and I loved it! He actually sucked it up and did this for me and I couldn't have been happier.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you look!" I sang to him as we passed some buildings that were decorated with lights.

"That's because it almost is Christmas," he responded flatly and then checking his cell phone for the time.

"Oh come on! Get into the spirit of the holiday!" I exclaimed, "and stop looking at your phone! You don't have anywhere to be until much later tonight—embrace the lights, the snow, the decorations, the…whooaa!" I exclaimed as I slipped on some ice. The Joker instinctively grabbed for my arm and prevented me from falling.

"You're even less graceful than I am!" he giggled once he had me on steady feet again. I just laughed with him.

"Yeah, I know!" I responded. From that point on, he tucked my arm around his as we walked. I just about melted on the inside. I could feel the warmth of his arm radiating through his jacket. He must really be sweating! He did look awfully cute in that winter hat too. I wanted to kiss him, but I figured that would be pushing it. Besides, he kind of had his scarf tied around his neck and face—both clever for a disguise and in keeping his face warm. No one would have ever been able to guess he was the Joker—he looked so average! It was kind of depressing to me too, that he had to hide his identity, but it was still nice because it was just for this one day so we could go pick out a Christmas tree! I think I was surprised that he actually went through with it.

When we got to the tree lot, we hobbled through the crowd of Gotham City citizens in order to find the right tree. The Joker held onto me tightly so that I could not fall again—for that I was glad, because the ground was getting slippery.

"How about this one?" he asked, his voice slightly muffled from the scarf around his face. I looked at him and then back at the tree. It was legit, a Charlie Brown tree.

"Do you want the saddest looking tree for Christmas?" I asked finally.

"So maybe you should pick one out—it's been a while since I've…picked out a Christmas tree," he responded, raising his eyebrows. I couldn't help but giggle at him—all I could see of his face were his dark brown eyes and half of his nose. He really did look so cute! I never thought I'd say the Joker looked cute, but in this moment, he really did.

"Okay, let's go over here—I think I like that one over there," I said as I pointed to a distant treet.

"That one? All the way over there?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Yes, that one," I replied, staring back at him intently.

"Augh okay," he grunted as we began shuffling over to the tree.

"No! That couple is going to take it!" I exclaimed as we made our way over to the tree that was being looked at by another couple.

"It's fine—I'll take care of it," he responded.

"No, you can't take care of it—all of your knives are at home," I replied.

"Dammit!" he exclaimed as he checked his pockets, "this just isn't my day,"

"Not every problem can be resolved with knives," I responded with a chuckle.

"Well that's how I resolve my…problems," he stated as we walked up to the tree.

"Excuse me, were you planning on taking this tree?" I asked them.

"Yes we were, sorry," the woman replied.

"Oh well, if I were you, I wouldn't," I said.

"And why is that?" the man asked.

"Let me ask you something real quick—do you both watch the news or read the news paper?" I asked.

"Yes, of course," the man replied.

"Well, then you've heard of Pixie Dust, the woman involved in the Maroni crime family," I explained.

"Oh yes of course," the woman said, looking a bit worried.

"Well, as you very well may know, she's got some kind of weird dust that she's been making in her bio lab that is quite toxic and from what I read just this afternoon, she's been targeting Christmas trees in the area in order to make Gotham's citizen quite sick. Now, normally I wouldn't believe such a story, but last night, I was making my way from the hospital where I work as a nurse, and I am pretty sure I saw someone here in this lot—and may I add, it was late and the lot was close—now I am not going to say for certain it was Pixie Dust, but there was someone in this area of the lot spreading something around—I'd be careful if I were you," I explained.

"Oh dear, that is terrible. Honey, let's get a tree from another lot—I just don't want to take that kind of chance," the woman said to her husband.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes—thank you very much miss, for your concerns," the woman said to me.

"No problem at all," I replied with a gracious smile. I watched them leave and then I turned to the Joker.

"See? Let's grab this one and get the hell out of here! I'm fuckin' freezing!" I exclaimed.

"Giada, you never cease to amaze me," he said finally, giggling through his scarf. He hoisted the tree up over his shoulder, and together, we bolted from the tree lot, tree and all.

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Once we were back in the Joker's apartment, we leaned the tree up against a wall, removed our winter clothing and just laughed at the tree we stole from the tree lot.

"I thought we were going to be civilised people today, Giada!" he coaxed as he helped me remove my jacket.

"Old habits die hard, I guess," I laughed as he pulled me into the bedroom.

"You're telling me," he giggled as he pushed me onto the bed and began removing my clothing.

"What are you doing now?" I asked.

"You said you wanted to get cozy and…snuggle, so I'm showing you how I do that," he responded with a grin.

"Oh good! Oh and here's some Christmas music you might like," I said as I put on the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The guitars rang through the speakers of the radio and a smile slid across his lips.

"That's more like it," he said in a low voice, still grinning