After a minute, she could hear the sound of muffled shuffling and heavy footsteps making their way to the door.

The Joker, as always, was impatient however and gave another knock, harder this time.

"Alright. Hold yer God Damn horses! I'm coming." A slurred voice shouted through the thin door. A couple of chains rattled before the door finally swing open revealing a young scraggly man who looked like he was in desperate need of a shower and possibly a detox program. A torn white tee hung off of his thin shoulders and filthy jeans barely clung to his waist by an old tattered leather belt that looked like it had been made for a man twice his size.

"Hiya Frank." The Joker gave a sadistic grin, waving the knife in the air.

The man's eyes widened in fear, swaying in the doorway only slightly as his response took a moment to register in his drug filled haze.

"Oh Shit." He slurred, finally moving to shut the door again and turning to run.

The Joker let out a giddy laugh, grabbing the back of his shirt easily and yanking him backwards, using his other hand to force the door open as he let himself in and pushed the stumbling man in front of him onto a half broken couch in the small room carelessly. Moving to hover over the terrified man with the darting eyes, he leaned down so that their faces were only inches apart.

"Why Frank, it's not polite to leave your guests out in the cold." He pursed his lips with a frown, feigning hurt as his knife gravitated to the man's throat. "Did ya miss me?"

Arella hesitated outside of the door, looking into the tiny apartment with a frown. Not a single part of her wanted to go in there, but she definitely wasn't staying outdoors all night. So with a resigned sigh, she took a step into the cramped living room, shutting the door behind her.

The stench of rotten food, dirty laundry, body odor, and garbage hit her immediately. Cringing, she let out an audible groan raising a hand to cover her nose. The place was almost as bad as being outside in the alleys. Trash and half eaten food containers littered the floors and broken tables with a thick layer of grime covered both the walls and a carpet that she assumed had been beige at one point but was now nearly black. She thought living in a dilapidated hospital was bad but the Joker's hideout was the Waldorf Astoria compared to this pile of junk.

"No. No. I'm sorry man. I did what you asked."

"You did, Frankie. You did do what I asked." He smirked, pacing back and forth in front of the couch as the man stare up at him with shifting eyes. He hadn't even seemed to notice her near the door as she tried to press herself further against the wall. The Joker's mere presence seemed to dwarf her.

"But you see, when I finally counted it, I seemed to be missing a few thousand dollars." He said casually flopping down on the couch as well, wrapping an arm around the man's shoulder and yanking him closer, licking his cheeks happily.

She had never seen the Joker operating in full intimidate mode. Not in person at least to anyone aside from her. But it made her question how she managed to survive these past few months. How she'd been able to sleep in the same bed as the madman. It felt like she was with a different person outside of the small area she was confined to back at his hideout. One that really would kill her at any second. But they were the same. Always had been, whether she failed to remember that or not. His gleeful expression was absolutely terrifying. And right now, she was just glad that his wrath wasn't directed towards her.

"I didn't take no money." He shook his head rapidly. "I swear I didn't."

"No?" He said skeptically, tilting his head, his patience thinning judging by the lack of humor in his voice now. What little patience was left anyway. He really did hate lying. "Because the giant rock and drugged up hooker tell me you're lying." He tilted his head towards where Arella was standing as he raised the knife to the man's throat again. "And you wouldn't lie to Joker, would you?" His eyes narrowed even as he smiled.

Arella narrowed her eyes at him, offended, before she saw a pile of clothes move near her feet. Looking down, she saw that it wasn't a pile of clothes at all but a woman passed out on top of an old mattress. A perfect match to the man in filth. Cringing, she moved away from the woman to stand in the middle of the room. She couldn't figure out why the Joker had forced her to come here. All she wanted to do was run out but she would take her chances in this hell hole all night before she ever tried to make it through the narrows alone.

Looking back up, she caught the Joker's eye momentarily as he glanced at her with an unreadable expression before he grinned and turned his attention back to the man.

"Now I'm not usually a guy worried about money." He continued, his face only inches away from the man's. "And I admire your…ah…" He rolled his eyes to the ceiling as he thought of a word, sucking his cheeks. "Help me out dollface." He turned to Arella with a lazy smile.

She jerked her head up to see both of them eying her expectantly. She would much rather he left her out of this, but she knew he wasn't turning away until she answered.

"Oh. Um…audacity?" She sputterd, unsure of what else to say.

He smiled again, turning to the man. "Audacity." He repeated with a smile. "But, we all know, actions have consequences." He tapped the man's shoulder with his knife.

"Look, Joker. I'll get it back. I'll get your money back." He said quickly, his eyes darting back and forth from the Joker to Arella, unsure of who he should be talking too as he twitched. "We was just hurtin real bad. I had to take some so I could make it to you. I was gonna pay you back." He gave a nervous chuckle. "And I will. Every red cent."

The Joker gave a sympathetic frown before grinning again. "No you won't." He said simply before burying the knife deep in the man's shoulder, being rewarded with an ear splitting scream that only served to stretch his grin wider.

Nearby, Arella's eyes grew wide as she squealed, turning away from the bleeding man as she felt bile trying to work its way up her esophagus. She could get used to the blood, she was quickly understanding that it was simply a normal thing when being near the Joker, but she could never get used to the look of fear upon people's faces.

The Joker glanced over at her with the gleeful smile still upon his face. He loved watching her squirm, and after everything that had happened tonight, she deserved to be forced to sit there and watch. It was like killing two birds with one stone. He got to take care of someone he had planned on waiting tomorrow to handle and she had to suffer through it. All of it. Because this was going to take a while. And if he wasn't satisfied when this was all done, he'd deal with the junkie whore next.

Yanking the knife from the man's shoulder, he gave a gleeful giggle, jumping to his feet to tower over the groaning man. "You should get comfortable, Frankie. Because lucky for you, I have all night. And you have my full attention." He smiled leaning down and cutting a few more slices into the man's arm as he spoke.

Arella frowned turning back to look over at the Joker. She couldn't stay here all night, not in this place where she was terrified to move for fear of stepping on a hypodermic needle. Be he ignored her, not bothering to turn around. The woman on the floor barely stirred, only shifted to get more comfortable, smacking her lips as her eyes remained closed.

Arella sneered in disgust, looking around for something she could sit on safely as she tried to ignore the man's screams. She didn't feel sympathy for him, not much anyway for a junkie who thought it was a good idea to steal from the Joker. If he was that stupid then so be it. But she wished he wouldn't scream as the Joker continued his torture. It was giving her a headache.

It was a movement to her right that caused her to look up, confused. In the doorway to the living room, she saw a young boy, no older than five staring at the Joker's back with wide eyes. His shoulder length brown hair was in desperate need of a cut and he needed a shower as much as who she was now assuming was his mother and father. She could tell by looking at him that though he was young, he had long since been jaded by living in squalor with the two junkies. Instantly, her heart broke for the boy. As she opened her mouth to say something, the Joker beat her to it, looking over his shoulder at the kid and grinning.

"Heya kid." He said with a smile, "Daddy and I are a little busy right now."

She turned and looked over at him as her mouth dropped angrily. How dare him be so glib about the situation. It was one thing to attack someone who crossed him but if he dared lay a hand on a child she might not feel so bad about trying to kill him again. The only consolation was that his body was blocking the pleading junkie (who either didn't notice or didn't care that the child had walked in) from his son. Glancing back to the child, she could feel her mild contempt for everyone in the room grow to full on hatred. She wanted to kill all of them herself.

"You're an asshole." She growled at him barely garnering a second glance and surprising herself that it came out without a second thought. Quickly walking over to the boy, she scooped him up in her arms and buried his head in her chest as she walked back through the first doorway she saw, trying hard to pretend that his desperate need of a shower didn't bother her. Surprisingly, he didn't say a word, didn't struggle against her, just accepted the movement as she slammed the door behind them.

The room that she entered was a bedroom. His it seemed judging by the tiny clothes strewn about and the small amount of toys. Setting him down with a sigh, she looked around, wondering how anywhere lived in a house with absolutely no furniture aside from a single couch and a few mattresses.

"What's he doing to my dad?" Came a voice below her.

She looked down to see the boy looking up at her through green eyes, a blank expression still on his face. Sighing, she looked away for a moment, trying to think of what to say.

"He um…they're just playing a game." She said with a nervous chuckle.

"He's going to kill him, isn't he?" He questioned bluntly, not moving a muscle.

She cringed, glancing over her shoulder as she heard another muffled scream. It sounded like the Joker had gagged the man, a small comfort. "I don't know." She finally said honestly. "I'm sorry."

The boy's lips pursed, staring at her for a moment as he tried to decide whether or not he believed her. Finally, he seemed to settle on no. "Is he going to kill me too?"

For a moment, she tried to reply with a certain no. But nothing was ever certain with him. she was almost sure that he wouldn't go that far. But a small part of her knew that she could never tell what to expect. If he did decide to dispatch of the whole family, she would never be able to forgive him, but she also wouldn't be able to stop him. The only way out of the apartment was through the front door. So instead, she settled on a slow shake of the head, hoping to convince both herself and the boy.

She failed.

"I want to die." He said finally, without a waver in his voice.

Her mouth dropped, trying hard to think of something to say. But nothing came. Nothing except a stone in the pit of her stomach that seemed as if it would stay there forever. She wanted to tell him that what he was feeling wasn't real. And that it wasn't worth it. But his current predicament seemed so much worse than anything she'd ever had to go through at the hospital and here she was about to off herself. Looking at him, she finally understood that it could get worse. So much worse.

Shaking her head, she let out a sigh.

"I…um. You shouldn't be listening to this." She said simply, leaning down and brushing some clothes aside with her shoe, running her foot along the ground to check for anything dangerous before finally flopping down on the floor. She glanced at the door again before running a hand through her hair, trying to avoid the boy's intense glare. For a moment, an awkward silence descended over the room, but it only served to make things even more awkward. Pulling her knees loosely to her chest, she finally looked back at the boy who hadn't moved, hadn't bothered to turn away as he studied her.

"What's your name?" She finally questioned softly.

"Ryan." He replied before finally turning away and walking off to flop down on the mattress. Flipping on the small television he crossed his legs, turning away from her.

She nodded. Staying quiet for a moment. It was strange talking to someone aside from the Joker after three months. It was as if she had forgotten how.

"I'm Ella…Arella." She corrected. "Is that your mom out there too?"

"Yes."

There was another long pause before he turned to look at her again. "Are you his friend?"

"Who? The Joker? No. God no. I don't want to be here anymore than you do."

"I hate it here."

"Me too." She said softly, looking around the pitiful room again with a slight frown. "I'll get you out of here."

The boy flexed his jaw as he studied her for a moment. "You promise?" His gaze softened slightly, his face turning back to that of a child for a moment.

She forced a slight smile, hoping that she wasn't lying. She couldn't even get herself out of here. "Yea."

"Can I go home with you?"

Letting out a laugh that sounded more like a snort, she leaned against the wall. "You don't want to come with me, kid. Trust me."

He stared at her for a moment but didn't reply as they settled back into a comfortable silence.

The two of them sat in the room silently waiting for the mixture of screams and pained filled groans to finally fade. Each trying to pretend that the sounds weren't drifting through the cracks of the bedroom door. After the night she'd had, she was just happy that it wasn't her screaming. They were out here at this time of night because of her, and she almost felt guilty about that, but she didn't feel like wasting the energy on the two that she had quickly judged to be despicable. More importantly, sitting in this dingy apartment she found herself longing for the relatively clean quarters at the hospital. She wanted her own bed…his bed.

The sound of the bedroom door opening forced her to sit up straight with a gasp. Taking a moment to orient herself, she quickly realized that she had drifted off to sleep against the nearby wall. Ryan was still lying on the mattress, glancing at her before looking up at the door with his wide green eyes. There was no fear there, simply interest. It was fascinating. Her eyes followed his gaze to see the Joker taking up most of the doorway as he stare down at her with pursed lips, his jacket thrown over his shoulder casually as if he had just returned from a night out on the town. Turning her nose up in disgust, she turned away from him. He looked perfectly clean, but she couldn't help but wonder how filthy the coat over his shoulder was.

He ignored her expression with a smirk. If she wanted to pout then let her. He was too relaxed to care. "Let's go." He said turning to leave the room.

She cast him another unseen glare before climbing to her feet, waving for the boy to do the same. She wasn't sure what her plan was yet and was too exhausted to think of anything special, but she was going to have to try. The boy trusted her and he was the only one who she'd come in contact with in months that didn't want to kill her. The Joker was obviously not going to kill her tonight and even though she had probably pushed him far enough already, she was going to have to try.

Reaching down, she picked the thin boy up again, burying his face in her shoulder as she started out of the room to catch up with the Joker whose long legs had already carried him through the living room and out of the front door. Walking into the living room again, the smell of fresh copper hit her before she could take in the scene in front of her. But when she did, she pressed Ryan's head further into her shoulder to hide it from him. There was blood everywhere.

The man was sprawled across the couch, much as he had been when she ran from the room, but his head had been nearly severed from his body and his face was unrecognizable. The woman seemed to be sleeping in the same position she had been all night, but a second glance revealed a generous amount of blood now staining the mattress beneath her. At least she had been spared the worst of it. It seemed the Joker had killed her more as an afterthought.

Feeling herself heave, she clinched her mouth shut before running out of the living room as fast as she could into the fresh air of the breezeway. Slamming the door behind her, she gulped in the fresh air with a gasp, realizing that she had been holding her breath. It was easy to forget how dangerous the Joker was when she wasn't allowed to watch television or go out of the hospital, but he was the same brutal criminal he had always been.

Finally managing to catch her breath, she looked over to Ryan who was looking at her oddly as if he couldn't figure out why she was acting this way.

"You okay?" She questioned softly, realizing slowly that he hadn't been looking at her, but past her.

Turning, she saw the Joker standing near the top of the stairs, glaring at her with his shoulders raised to his ears and his hands in fists. She froze, unsure of what to say as he stare with pure murder in his eyes. A fear that she hadn't felt since first being kidnapped bubbled up again as she pictured the couple lying on the floor behind her.

"What are you doing, Ella?" He growled in the slow barely controlled voice he got when he was angry.

She opened her mouth to reply before sighing, shifting the boy onto her hip. "I couldn't leave him in there."

He sneered, letting out another growl. Leave it to her to mess up his good mood twice in one night.

"Oh you can." He pulled the freshly wiped down knife out of his pocket, storming back over to her.

She gasped again, tightening her grip around the boy and backing up away from him on the small landing, the only way off was to get past him and there was no way she could do that while holding a whole nother person. Taking a final step backwards, she felt her back hit a wall and panicked. He was getting closer and she had to make a move quick. With only a few feet between them, she finally spun herself on her heels and crouched away from him, curling the boy on her lap for nothing else than to put distance between the two.

"Please don't." She begged, squeezing her eyes shut as tears began to form in the corners of her lids.

The Joker ignored her, grabbing her braid and yanking it backwards forcing her to cry out in pain, reaching back and gripping her hair as well. He only gaze a sinister laugh as the child began to panic as well, screaming as his small arms clung to her.

"Let. Go." The joker urged, grabbing the boy's arm and wrenching the two apart even as he screamed.

"Stop." Arella yelled at him, forgetting the rapid headache that was coming on wrapping her arms around the wailing boy again so that the two were caught in a sick game of tug of war. "You're hurting him, stop it."

He growled again, finally fed up with the noise. If they weren't quiet they'd wake the whole neighborhood up. Releasing her hair, he angrily pulled his arm back and slapped her across the face hard enough that the she fell backwards onto the ground with a yelp leaving him holding the boy's arm tightly in one hand and the knife in the other.

Flashing a scowl her way he jerked the boy back to the door even as he struggled.

Arella crawled to her knees quickly even as a wave of dizziness hit her and she tasted a faint hint of copper in her mouth. "Joker. Stop. Please, just listen to me for a second." She begged before he could open the door.

The Joker paused, turning to look down at her with a frown.

She took a moment to control her breathing before continuing. "There's a fire station less than half a mile away. We can just take him there and drop him off. They'll know what to do. Please. And I'll do whatever you want. I swear. Just don't leave him in there. He's just a kid."

He glanced down at the whimpering boy hanging from his arm before sneering again, shoving the boy towards her.

She grabbed him quickly before the Joker could change his mind.

"Fine." He finally tilted his head with a frown, shaking with anger. "But we aren't doing anything. You want to be the hero then you can walk over there yourself." The last word came out as a shout causing her flinch, looking away from him.

A new jolt of fear ran through her. It was one thing to walk through the narrows with the Joker or through her old neighborhood alone, but a skinny woman and tiny child were easy pickings for the bottom feeders of Gotham. Looking up at the man towering above her, though, she knew that if she backed down, the Joker would tear her apart.

Swallowing, she ran an arm across her eyes and sniffed, standing.

"Okay." She said softly, reaching down and picking the boy up again. "I just…I need my gun."

He grunted, sucking his cheeks for a moment before pulling the gun from his holster and shoving it towards her.

"and…my knife." She continued.

Tilting his head slightly, daring her to request anything else, he pulled out a knife as well and handed it to her.

She took it slowly, avoiding his eyes as she hid both in her jacket. Shifting the crying boy again.

"Thank you." She muttered, giving him one last glance before heading to the stairs.

The Joker watched her closly for a moment as she took a few steps before grabbing her jacket and yanking her closer to him.

"Don't make me have to come find you." He growled, his breath warm on her ear.

She only managed a slight nod before pulling away from him and starting down the stairs silently. Before tonight, she had never thought it possible to hate the Joker more than she already did. But he seemed to take pleasure in proving her wrong every time. She hated him for bringing her out here in the first place, for forcing her to sit by while he killed a young boy's parents, and for nearly damaging a child irreparably. Most surprising though, as she stepped out of the stairway into the street, was that she found that she no longer wanted to die.

If she had, who knows how much worse tonight would have gone for Ryan and other innocent people like him. No. She didn't want to die. She wanted to make people pay. All of them. Every criminal that contributed to the dark swamp of fear in Gotham that provided a haven for the mob and created criminals like the Joker. Glancing at Ryan, she couldn't help but wonder what would become of him when he grew up. Maybe he'd have a second chance, or maybe he'd grow into just another criminal. They all had to start somewhere. Glancing at the boy who's head remained buried in her neck she only pursed her lips. She couldn't become that cynical. Not yet.

The streets were still relatively quiet aside from the muffled raucous she could here through the windows of the many bars lining the street. But that didn't do much to abate her fear. The sound of her shuddering breath and nervous footfalls only served to exacerbate the issue.

"Hey! Girl."

A call from her left caused her to flinch but she resisted the urge to look over, sliding her free hand into her pocket to wrap her fingers around the gun.

"Hey! I know you hear me. Girl with the kid."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a group of boys, probably no more than twenty years old, crowded around the doorway of a bar. She had seen clusters of boys and men huddled together on the walk to the apartment, but paid most of them no mind as she walked behind the Joker. Now things were different.

"Why don't you come hang out with us for a while? We'll keep you safe."

Arella flexed her jaw angrily, stopping.

"Don't look, Ryan." She muttered to him before turning around to face the men roughly twenty feet away.

"Back. The. Fuck. Off." She said slowly, feeling her anger rise. "I am so not in the mood." It wasn't a lie…or an attempt to scare them into compliance. Not tonight. No, tonight it was a true warning. Her disdain for the Joker rarely remained contained. And even less often was it directed where it needed to go. Other people seemed to pay.

"Aww. The lady's upset." One the boys laughed. "That's cute. Why don't you come on over here before you make us mad?"

Frowning, she pulled the gun from her pocket and pointed it at the stranger talking. "You sure you want me to come closer?"

"Shit." Three of them exclaimed, running off and leaving the man who had been talking as well as two more of his friends.

The man laughed as they ran, taunting the others for running off before turning back to her. "Seriously? Do you even know how to use that? If you want me to teach you, come on over here and I'll show you mine." He smirked suggestively.

Her expression barely changed as she pulled the trigger, releasing a fraction of the anger that she'd been holding in as the bullet left the chamber hitting him squarely in the eye. It was unnecessary, and probably an overreaction, but she didn't care. It made her feel better. The other two jumped back with a shout before looking at her in shock as if unsure of what to do for a moment.

She opened her mouth, considering letting the other two go, but the last thing she needed was two nobodies to shoot her as soon as she turned her back. Clinching her lips, she pulled the trigger twice more, aiming for their gut and being sure they fell before shifting Ryan in her arms and continuing her walk. They wouldn't die, not right away at least, but they wouldn't be able to chase her either and that's what mattered.

The gun stayed in her hand as she made her way to the fire station as a warning to others standing hanging out on the street late at night. Mostly they left her alone for the next quarter mile as she approached the police station. Only offering her confused glances but not bothering to stop her. She supposed it did look strange. A woman walking down a street in the narrows at four in the morning holding a ragged child in one hand and a gun in the other. Apparently, the trick, the one the Joker had figured out long ago, was to out crazy the criminals.

Setting the boy down on his feet, she glanced up at the imposing building with lights flickering in a few of the many windows. The same building that could possibly mean freedom for them both. But she was too far gone, if the last twenty minutes had been any indicator. She was starting to realize that.

Pursing her lips, she kneeled down to him. As his large green eyes stared at her expectantly, waiting.

"You need to go in there, okay?" She pointed to the heavy door. "Tell them that the Joker killed your parents and they'll help you. Do you understand?"

The boy nodded, his expression blank still as he remained silent. He hadn't said a word since they left the apartment. Part of her questioned whether he had seen anything on the way out, but she had made sure that he hadn't.

"No matter what, don't go back home. Don't let them take you in there." She paused, staring at him for a moment before turning him around and pushing him to the door. "Go."

The boy took a few steps up the stairs before stopping and turning around.

"What?"

"I want to go with you." He finally said.

"No." She said a little harsher, before her face softened. "Now go." She pursed her lips before turning on her heels and walking away. She didn't bother with a second look behind her, not wanting to give him hope. And when she finally heard his tiny footsteps climbing the last few steps she let out a relieved sigh, heading back to the van pondering how familiar the whole scene felt.

The fifteen minutes it took to get back to the van remained uneventful. Once again no one bothered her aside from the occasional leer and whisper. It made her feel powerful. Nowhere near Joker's status, but she could feel the change in her walk. Her gaze remained determined ahead of her instead of counting the cracks at her feet and she didn't bother running, simply strolled along the streets, daring anyone to come nearer. Whether she liked it or not, she was changing and if she was completely honest with herself, she kind of liked this part. Approaching the alley that the Joker had parked in, she could clearly see him sitting atop the van's hood, tapping his feet idly as he sucked his cheeks.

He grinned as she turned the corner. The way she always came back was exciting, even if he was threatening her. "Ya made it." He held his hands up, hoping off of the car and walking towards her. "And no worse for the wear I see. What? No fun?"

"No." She muttered, ignoring him and walking past him to the van without so much as a second look. She had no patience for his mood swings right now.

"Well that's not true. I saw you." He grinned, following her footsteps. "You and your three ah…friends. Well, two now." He snickered. "It's nice to see that even after you tried to …ah…" He cleared his throat playfully, scrunching his nose. "Off yourself that ya still got some spunk in ya."

She went to open the passenger side door only to realize it was locked. Letting out an annoyed sigh, she turned around, looking at him impatiently. "I'm ready to go." She said firmly.

The Joker moved to stand in front of her studying her face. Grabbing her chin in his gloved hand, he took a moment to inspect her lip which had finally stopped bleeding. Tilting his head in false concern he smiled. "Why so sad, sweet cheeks?"

"I'm not sad." She frowned, wrenching her face away from his grip and deciding to answer honestly for once. "I'm angry."

He raised his brows, his smile twisting into a smirk as she continued.

"How dare you bring me out here in the middle of the night to watch you nearly tear a man apart just so you can get your rocks off?" She took a step closer to him as she started in a low voice, staring at him with an intense fury. "And in front of his kid no less. And to top it all off, you make me walk through the narrows alone." She ended in a yell, unloading some of the anger that she'd been holding in for the past few weeks. It felt good. And it was probably a bad idea to provoke him on tonight of all nights, but she didn't care right now.

He barely batted an eyelash as she yelled at him only a foot away. Didn't bother to back away or change his expression. Instead he stare at her patiently as a pregnant silence filled the air around them.

"Ya Done?" He questioned finally, smacking his lips together lightly as if her outburst had bored him.

She didn't reply, setting her mouth in a tight frown.

"Fine." He licked his cheeks and took another step closer to her, so that they were mere inches apart. Arella wanted to step back, uncomfortable with the closeness but she wasn't about to back down now, no matter how hard he tried to intimidate her.

"First, you decided to take that walk so let's not point fingers. And you should be thanking me for killing an insignificant junkie that I was planning on killing anyway. Because if I hadn't, I would have gutted you in the middle of that bathroom floor and then where would the kid be? Hmm?" He smiled, wagging his finger at her, taking another step forward and forcing her back finally so that she was pressed uncomfortably between him and the passenger door of the van.

Lowering his voice his smile disappeared as he looked at her seriously, reaching up and wiping off a bit of dried blood from her lip, ignoring her protest. "You don't get to die until I'm ready to kill you. So stop bitching about having to walk through the narrows. It's gonna keep happening and I know you like it. But if you keep pushing me I might be ready a whole lot sooner and you'll wish for a death as quick as the junkie's. Ya got that?" He frowned.

The frown remained plastered on her face but she finally lowered her eyes in defeat, nodding.

"Look at me." He growled, grabbing her chin and yanking her eyes back to his. "I don't care how bad ya think ya got it. Killing yourself just proves that you're weak." He sneered at her, his breath hot on her face. "And I don't have the time or patience for weakness. So if I ever catch you thinking about it again, I won't be so restrained."

She could feel her face crumpling, wanting to burst into tears again. With much difficulty, she managed to hold them back but she couldn't stop her chin from trembling. Even though her walk through the narrows had made her feel powerful at the time, it didn't change the fact that for the most part, she did feel weak, worthless really. And it was hard to pretend that wasn't the case. "I can't keep fighting." She said softly, her voice cracking.

"Then stop. Fighting. You're not going back home. Not ever. This is your life now so get used to it. Kill someone who deserves it."

She blinked back the tears that kept threatening to spill forward. "You deserve it." She said softly.

He let out a cackle, backing up from her slightly. "Oh do I ever." He smiled, smacking his lips together. "And if you ever decide you want to try, I'll be waiting. But you'd better make sure you kill me or you'll regret it." The last few words came in a nasally sing song voice as he finally released her chin.

She let out a heavy sigh, looking away from him and biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. She could feel her body trembling in an effort to control her emotions.

The Joker stare at her for a long moment with pursed lips before letting out a smacking sound and an overdramatic sigh as if bored with the interaction already.

"Alright." He said finally, his tone turning back to normal, almost comforting as he placed his arm around her shoulder, burying her face in his chest. "That's enough of that. Whaddya say we go back to sleep? Hmm?"

For a moment she relaxed, taking comfort in the gasoline smell that was far too quickly becoming the scent of home. As much as she hated it, the Joker had been the only person in her entire life that had bothered helping her manage her low points-of which there had been plenty-instead of leaving her to suffer them alone. And as time went on, she found that she needed it, even if he was the cause of most of her problems. But as the tears she'd been holding back began to bubble to the surface, she jerked away.

Sniffing, she finally managed to wiggle away from him, grabbing the handle of the passenger door and waiting, her back turned to him. She let out a relieved sigh when she heard the click of the lock, climbing into the car and slamming the door behind her and resisting the urge to look back out of the window at him.

With a snort, he smirked before walking around to the driver's side of the car, hopping in as well before starting the car and driving off.

For a long time, she stare at him as he drove, looking for the man underneath the makeup that she had seen earlier. The human side of him that was apparently still there. But the night was beginning to take a toll on her. And they barely made it out of the narrows before Arella fell asleep in the passenger seat.

Hey Guys! Look who managed to do an update in less than a month. I couldn't wait to get this chapter out to you guys 'cause I love, love, love action chapters! I hope you guys like it cause it's definitely one of my favorites.

I just can't get over the dynamic between the two. It's finally starting to shift ever so slightly and I love the small signs.

Were you guys able to pick up on any? And if so, what's your favorite? I love to hear from you guys.

Thanks susimuffin, cathy loves heath, and all the guest reviewers. You guys are always so specific with your reviews and it always makes me feel so warm and fuzzy. Thanks for sticking it out with me.

Also, I'm thinking about working on a sequel that's already mostly fashioned in my head. It keeps running through so I might put it down on paper if you guys would want to read it. What do you think?