Forty five minutes later, the three of them were finally pulling up to the Mayor's mansion, waiting in a long line of cars to be let out at the front door. The Joker had driven what seemed to be a brand new limo to the location, a cap pulled low over his eyes and a black jacket over his usual attire. Even with the flimsy attempts at a disguise, he maintained a full face of makeup which she thought extremely counterproductive. Then again, no one would probably be paying attention to the driver, not at an event like this.
Arella was wide eyed the entire time, her face nearly plastered against the window as she took in the nighttime beauty of the tall trees and open fields: all of sights the she hadn't seen in months. Aside from the one time they'd been out with her too distracted to care, this was the first time she hadn't been blindfolded for the trip. She supposed that was because the Mayor didn't live in Gotham. His home was still about an hour away from the city which was something that his opponents never let him forget. It was all well enough. She'd savor any opportunity to get out of the hospital. Even if it meant she had to share the backseat with Dougie who was sitting practically melded to the opposite door panel, actively trying to put as much distance between them as possible as he ignored her for the entire trip. But she was used to that.
What she wasn't used to was the almost nonstop conversation between him and the Joker who had been uncharacteristically chatty the entire ride. They spoke like old friends, alternating between making plans and bad jokes effectively lightening the mood in the car if only a little. Even when the Joker would snap a response at him that would normally send his goons running, Dougie simply flashed an annoyed look before continuing. It was strange to her and she couldn't help but wonder what the story was there, but the novelty of being allowed to look around wasn't wearing off anytime soon. She could figure that out later. Right now she wanted to make sure she didn't waste a moment of this night. Maybe they could make it in and out with minimal violence.
It didn't escape her for a second, however, that she would be at a party with Gotham's elite, the police force, and the political big wigs. All people who thought she was dead and all who could potentially help her. From the sounds of the plan, the Joker was leaving her on her own for a bit in the center of it all. She could run. Notify someone. He would never be able to hold the entire mansion under siege like he had done at Barney's. Not with the impressive police presence that was clearly surrounding the building. As she thought of all her options, her mind briefly flashed back to the news reel of him attacking the motorcade transferring Harvey Dent all those years ago. The police hadn't been able to protect their own high profile captives. What chance would she have? Not to mention, if the thought had passed through her mind once, she was sure it had passed through his multiple times. Just like it had at Barney's. If she hadn't learned anything else during her stay, it was that he was meticulous and planned for nearly every outcome. Running now would be stupid. Her best bet would be back at the hospital. With a sigh, she looked back out the window, slinking back into her seat and watching as they moved up behind the car near the front.
"Oh Ella." Came the nasally call from the front, bringing her out of her stupor.
She turned around to face the front of the car where she saw the Joker staring at her through the rearview mirror, a smirk on his face.
"Now you're not thinking of doing anything stupid are you?"
She pursed her lips, letting out an annoyed sigh. There was obviously some sort of tell on her face that she really needed to start working on before she tried any kind of escape…whenever she got around to that. For a moment, she considered lying, but what was the point.
"Yea." She said softly, turning back to look out the window. "But I'm sure you already expected that?"
He cackled, that laugh that served more as a warning than any inclination that he was amused. "You're too…high strung. Why don't you just…enjoy yourself and not bring the rest of us down, hmm?" He licked his lips loudly.
She was silent for a long moment, shifting uncomfortably in the seat before sighing. "I'm not going to do anything."
"We'll see." He stare at her for a long moment. "Now why don't you put a smile on that pretty face? Wouldn't want anyone to think you don't want to be here."
Her lips turned up in a sarcastic smile, the best she could manage as the car rolled up to the front door.
"Have fun, kids." The Joker gave a sadistic smile in return.
She almost rolled her eyes before jumping as she felt a hand on her thigh. She recoiled instinctually, turning around to shoot a warning glare at Dougie next to her. He only looked at her as if she were a child.
"You'd better sell it better than that when we get out." He grumbled at her with his usual blank glare, unaffected by her angry glances. After a brief moment, his expression quickly lifted, his eyes brightening and a smile crossing his face as he turned to the attendant opening his car door.
Arella looked at him utterly confused for a brief moment. Not only had this been the first complete sentence that he'd ever bothered to speak to her, the change had been unbelievable and had thrown her off for a moment. With a shake of the head, she watched him climb out of the car, glancing at the Joker who gave a wave, before taking Dougie's hand as he reached back in to help her out.
Climbing out as well, she was immediately taken aback by the sheer number of people standing outside. There were reporters, camera flashes, and hopeful party crashers everywhere and she couldn't figure out where she was supposed to look. Her eyes widened in both surprise and terror. After being so perfectly isolated for the last few months, she was in no way prepared for this onslaught of stimulation. Part of her simply wanted to climb back into the limo and go back to her quiet room, but as it pulled away behind her, she knew that wouldn't be an option.
"Welcome, ma'am." The attendant bow slightly next to her with a smile.
She flinched slightly, her head jerking to face the voice before forcing a nervous smile. "Hey. Hi. Um…Good evening." She stammered, mentally scolding herself for being so jumpy. She hated the way she felt right now. Having to be her was making her physically ill and she hated it.
Dougie let out a light hearted chuckle, sliding his arm casually around her waist and pulling her close as he turned to the attendant, ignoring her cringe as she stiffened against him.
"Thank you." He smiled warmly to the man before leading her up to the front door, giving her waist a warning squeeze as they walked. He waited until they were a few steps away before turning his head to her ear, keeping the smile on his face so that to any outsider, it looked like two lovers sharing a secret.
"If you don't calm down, you're going to make this job a whole lot harder and I don't want to have an angry Joker tonight so chill the fuck out." He ordered through gritted teeth. "Now look like you're happy."
He was right, as terrified as this was right now, she was more scared about having to deal with the Joker tonight if things went wrong. It'd be hard, but she could fake it. To be honest, as she stood here in the prettiest dress she had ever been in, at one of the most elite events in Gotham with-as much as she hated to admit it-a pretty impressive piece of eye candy on her arm, she found that she would love to fake it if only for the night. It was the life she had always dreamed of having when she was young, and even though she knew it wasn't real right now, she wanted to be Cinderella for the night. A Cinderella with the Joker as her fairy godmother. She'd love to read that story.
Pausing to take a slow breath to calm herself, she finally forced a shy smile as they headed up the carpet.
Finally, he pulled away, giving her an approving glance as they approached the door which was flanked by two burly, suite clad guards.
"Good evening, sir, ma'am." One of them men nodded. "Invitation, please?"
"Oh. Of course." Dougie gave a forgetful smile, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a pale beige folded card, handing it to the man.
He looked at it for a moment, before smiling. "Glad you could make it, Mr. Winchester. Please step to the left through security and you'll be led into the ballroom."
"Thank you." He smiled, pulling her along into the building foyer, making their way to the sitting room on the left that had been repurposed into a security headquarters for the event tonight.
"Dougie Winchester?" She looked at him quizzically as they headed to the room, trying hard to distract herself from the feel of his arm around her. After months of dealing with the Dougie that didn't talk or touch her, she was surprised how much she missed it.
"No." He replied gruffly, the bothered tone in sharp contrast to the lazy contented look on his face as he focused more on the party ahead then on her.
"Then what is your name tonight? I do need to know." She said in a low voice.
He gave her an annoyed glance before pursing his lips. "Phillip."
"Phillip." She repeated, thinking for a moment before turning back to him. "What about me?" She questioned.
"Pick one. Just stop talking." He growled through gritted, smiling teeth as they approached security.
She could see the party going on past the room and it was full of all the glitz and glamour that she always imagined. Giant flower topiaries adorned cocktail tables and buffet tables lined each wall as men and women in some of the most beautiful dresses and suits she had ever seen mingled together. An elegant chandelier cast a glittering light onto the scene below, effectively turning some of the women's dresses into disco balls as they glided across the room. It was beautiful….exciting….but most of all, it was disgusting.
It figures that Gotham would celebrate the triumph of containing all crime to the narrows again by spending as much money as possible. All this time, she had suffered, they had all suffered, and the elite celebrated.
Pursing her lips, she turned to the two guards and forced a smile even as they ignored her and turned to Dougie.
"Welcome, Sir. Masks up and arms out please." The guard ordered in a tone that reeked of boredom, waving a wand over his body briefly carelessly before turning to Arella gesturing for her to do the same.
She lifted the mask to rest on her head, trying to maintain a calm expression as the guard began waving the wand over her. Ignoring the beep of protest from the machine as it passed the necklace around her neck.
"Am I supposed to take the jewelry off?" She questioned, wanting to distract herself from the nervousness that she was feeling.
"Nope. I can see it." The guard grumbled, passing the wand down her front without incident and stopping as it beeped around her lower half. Hesitating, he looked up at her in confusion.
For a brief moment, Arella panicked. This plan was stupid, of course they'd have security; he had to know that. What was she supposed to do? She considered turning to Dougie for help, but quickly figured that it would be far too suspicious. So instead, she let out a nervous laugh.
"That jewelry I can't take off. Not here, anyway." She said only loud enough for the security guard and Dougie to hear. Immediately after saying it, she could feel a wave of embarrassment wash over her as the security guard's face scrunched in awkward realization. She didn't have to look over at Dougie to know that he was laughing at her mortification. Mentally if not outwardly.
"Oh." He coughed nervously, standing up straight and turning to the second guard to his right and whispering something inaudible.
The guard listened for a moment before giving Arella a shocked glance, averting his eyes quickly. "Just do a quick pat down." He replied, turning his attention quickly back to his own party goers as if he couldn't wait to be done with her situation. It confused her for a moment before she realized that to these men, she was the guest of very wealthy and influential people.
The man who had initially waved the wand over her hesitated, looking at the second guard for a long moment even as he was ignored. It was like he was waiting for another response. Something else he could do to not have to risk offending the wrong person. Lives were made and destroyed in situations like this and he knew it. When he didn't receive an alternate plan, he straightened up again, clearing his throat before turning back to Arella.
We…uh. I'm going to have to do…a quick pat down." He rushed the last few words, trying to sound both authoritative and non-offensive. "If…that's okay."
"A pat down?" She repeated with a frown, not wanting to be subjected to that humiliation for more reasons than one. "No, that's not okay."
"It's strictly for security reasons, ma'am."
Frowning again and crossing her arms with an annoyed huff, she finally turned to Dougie for help. "Are you just going to let them grope me?"
"If it'll get us to the party faster." He gave a playful smile that she could tell was tempered with both irritation and a warning. "Let them do their jobs, Carly."
Her frown faded, nervously, understanding the warning before she turned around, lifting her arms regrettably. She could break down in tears right now as her stomach did another somersault, fighting with her rapidly beating heart for attention. This whole ordeal was too much to take and it was too easy for her to lose her temper when the Joker wasn't around. A small part of her was so afraid of messing up that she wished he was here to stop her. Dougie didn't scare her in the least. Most people didn't these days. Except him.
Her mouth set in a frown as the guard patted her down, giving quick swipes down her front and sides before starting up the inside of her thighs. Her breath hitched in her throat as she looked to Dougie desperately. Luckily, the Joker had strapped the gun high enough on her thigh that it would take some vastly inappropriate groping to find it, but that didn't make her feel any better.
He only watched in mild amusement for a long moment, his arms crossed as he waited. She could stand to suffer little after the hell he'd had to deal with for the last few months. Finally, when the man's hand started to lift her dress slightly he interrupted.
"If you take those hands any higher I'm going to have to have my friend the DA collar you for an assault charge before you have a chance to get your first unemployment check."
The guard stopped, only inches away from the gun strapped to her thigh, whipping his hands away he stood up straight quickly with a slight bow. "Just doing my job, sir."
"Not for long." Dougie faked an angry scowl before wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her off. She let out a relieved sigh, shutting her eyes for a moment to try and control her unsteady emotions as she allowed herself to be lead out of the sitting area into the ballroom where the party was in full swing.
Beside her, Dougie gave every indication of being the doting date, holding her close as she tried to calm down. She knew that he didn't mean any of it, and that inwardly he was probably throwing every insult her way possible. But if she didn't think too hard, she could let herself believe it was true. And right now, the comfort was what she needed. She could burst into tears right now. Probably would if she wasn't so afraid of His reaction were she to mess anything up. This was all too much at one time. He had to have known that before he planned this. But none of that mattered right now.
Finally letting out a slow sigh, she pulled herself together, her anger towards the guard immediately turning to Dougie once they were far enough away.
As if a switch had gone off in her mind, Arella pushed his arm away angrily, crossing her own. "Are you kidding me?" She yelled at him lowly, careful not to raise her voice loud enough to alert anyone.
"Relax." He smiled, wrapping a hand around the crook of her elbow and pulling her further into the party, Arella could feel people turn and watch them as they moved. "We got in, didn't we?"
"Sure, after he practically molested me in the middle of the floor."
"Is that really the worst thing that's happened to you in the past few months?" He smirked. "It had to look real, that's all."
"Looking real and being real are two different things. I'm not doing that again."
"I don't care what you do as long as I get to the back door." He replied carelessly, guiding her towards an isolated hallway near the restrooms.
She let out an angry, defeated growl. There was no point in arguing with him about it. It was done, and they were in. All she wanted to do now was finish the job and get out.
About to open her mouth to question him further as they rounded a corner before she felt him grip her arm tightly, pushing her into one of the open crevices in the wall and pressing his body against hers so that to anyone looking in, they looked like a couple of impatient lovers taking advantage of the minimal cover.
She squealed, about to let out a scream before his hand came up to clasp over her mouth. The doting mask he had worn to the area since falling away to reveal the blank face that was so familiar to her.
"Shut up and give me the gun." He ordered, though not reaching to grab it.
Her eyes narrowed at him angrily as she finally realized what he was doing. Reaching up, she grabbed his hand, yanking it away from her mouth with little resistance, she tried to push him backwards to no avail. Her breath coming in slow shuddering bursts. She'd be damned if she let him push her around too. One maniac was enough for a lifetime. And the position that they were in made her highly uncomfortable. Almost more so than the clueless security guard's hands traveling up her thigh.
"Get…off of me." She ordered slowly, glaring daggers at him.
"I don't have time for this. Give me the gun." He ordered again, not bothering to move.
"No." She replied finally, setting her lips into a determined frown.
He raised his brows slightly almost surprised by the refusal before he realized who it was that he was dealing with. She was a thorn in his side and he hated that he had to do this job with her. There were at least five alternatives that he thought off that wouldn't include her, but that would defeat the purpose. His purpose. He really wished the Joker would just kill her and get it over with. He'd offered to do it himself at least twice.
"Excuse me?" He growled.
"Not until you get off of me." She seaid steadily. There was more on the line right now than there petty tiff, she realized that. But she was also sick of being ordered around. And though she couldn't stand up to him, she wasn't afraid of Dougie and she didn't want him to get comfortable with it. Up until tonight, he had never touched her, and she found that she preferred it that way.
"If you don't give it to me, I'll have to get it myself." He warned, his voice low.
Her gaze faltered for a split second, not looking forward to being felt up for the third time tonight. But she couldn't back down now. It was a gamble. But she was about to take it.
"If you want to try the hard way."
He narrowed his eyes again, glancing down at her legs and judging about where the gun would be before giving an annoyed frown. He wouldn't go for it…even if he had threatened so. She would probably fight him and cause a scene. And he didn't want to have to explain to the Joker why he had felt the need to shove a hand up her skirt. It irritated him to no end, but it was easier.
Finally, he took a small step back, eyes steadied on her as if daring her not to give him what he wanted now.
She pursed her lips, considering withholding it from him until he apologized, but that would clearly be pushing it. He might actually shoot her with it before moving about his merry way. So with a sigh, she reached down and pulled the gun from its holster, barely having time to pull it from under her dress before he snatched it away from her, casting her another angry glare.
She could almost laugh at his response. If only he knew how little his angry glares actually worked on her after the months she'd been subjected to them every time she'd tried to speak with him.
"Once we get back out there, these hissy fits aren't going to fly. So if you need to pull your tampon out and get your panties out of a bunch, now might be a good time." He frowned at her, double checking the magazine.
She frowned at him, crossing her arms with an annoyed grunt. He could say what he wanted, she'd still won, but that didn't mean that she was okay with him chalking up her…what she considered very reasonable, reactions up to wild feminine emotions. He did that all the time too. The only difference was that the Joker would have taken what he wanted and punished her for withholding it.
Ignoring his comment, she watched him slide the small gun inside of his lapel, adjusting the coat until it was invisible under the fabric.
"Are you…you're not going to kill anyone, are you?" She asked softly as he clasped the button on his jacket.
"Well that depends on how good of a job you do, doesn't it?" He gave her an annoyed glance.
"I still don't know what it is I'm supposed to do. I'm not a criminal."
"Not a good one. And you'd better figure it out soon. If you mess up then we're shooting our way out of here." He scoffed, looking around the hallway, taking in their surroundings before wrapping his hand around her arm much more gently than their last interaction had called for.
"That's suicide." She said in a harsh whisper, her eyes wide in surprise.
"Then don't fuck up." He said simply. "Let's go dance." leading her away from the wall and back out to the dance floor.
Her eyes narrowed in confusion as she allowed him to lead her back towards the party. She couldn't begin to imagine what she was doing here and why. What He expected her to do. And Dougie didn't seem as if he was shaping up to be any extra help. She was sure her refusal earlier hadn't helped the situation either. Letting out a sigh, she glanced up as his expression returned to one of a doting escort as they casually walked over to the dance floor.
Once in the middle, engulfed in the large crowd of people who seemed to have the same idea, he pulled her closer to him without a word, placing a hand on the small of her back and leading her to follow his movements.
For a long time, they swayed back and forth on the dance floor in complete silence, each trying to figure out their own agendas; Dougie spending most of the time staring over her head as he attempted to gauge the room, and her stiffly following while trying hard to figure out how she was going to make it out of this without having to deal with his anger. Both of them ignoring the other. She had realized by this point that he was testing her. It was why he had made her come. Why he had put her in such a high profile situation, she wasn't sure, but she had a sneaking suspicion that if she messed up now, he might just kill her.
Even knowing that she was still just a game to him, as she moved reluctantly on the dance floor with Dougie, she wished that he hadn't sent her in here alone. She wasn't truly. And she knew that, but it was surprising how alone she felt right now surrounded by people without his overwhelming energy nearby. People who could care less that she existed and dancing with a man who wanted her dead more than the most dangerous man in Gotham. It was depressing if she thought about it too hard. But she had bigger issues to deal with right now. Namely getting out of here in one piece.
Glancing up at Dougie as he stare blankly over her head, she followed his gaze for a moment to the doorway behind her where two guards were standing , casting a bored glances over the room periodically. Rolling her eyes, she turned her head away from them.
"A blind man can see what you're doing." She said finally, only loud enough for the two of them to hear.
"Doesn't matter." He said simply, not bothering to avert his gaze. "It'll be done before they figure it out."
"You've done a lot of these, then?" She questioned, sliding a glance around the room to see if she could spot anything unusual. But everyone remained blissfully unaware of the danger that they were in. "With him, I mean." She continued when he didn't reply. She didn't expect him to, but unlike the Joker, she doubted that he would stop her questions by force. So she continued.
"It just seems like you've been around a lot longer than the others." She said with a shrug.
He finally frowned, looking down at her. "Don't ever compare me to those idiots." He said with a tone that almost sounded like a growl.
"I wasn't trying to." She said slowly. "I was just making conversation."
"Don't." He said firmly, spinning her around so that she could see the guards by the door easily, changing the subject before she could begin to speak anymore. "That's the door over my left shoulder. I'll need at least three minutes to get in unimpeded."
She nodded, but only because she was still lost as to how that would happen. A split second to slip through was one thing, but she had no idea how she was going to make a distraction last for more than a few seconds. Nothing that wouldn't be glaringly obvious at least. Everything that came to mind was something she had read and a book or movie and seemed too risky to try in real life.
"Once I'm in, you wait here until someone comes to get you."
"For how long?" She questioned, glancing up at the burly guards again, completely ignoring Dougie.
"For however long it takes." He said simply as the music came to a stop, releasing her waist and walking off in the other direction without a word.
She opened her mouth to call out to him, but before she could figure out what she wanted to say, he was already gone, expertly blended into the crowds as if he'd never been there at all. Letting out a slow sigh, she turned back to the guards, trying to think of what she would do as she made her way in that general direction. Not far away from the guards, she could see the buffet table with exotic food spread across the top, people coming and going with small horderves as they quickly returned to the party, no one wanting to be viewed as the wall flower with no one to keep them company. Maybe she'd just wait there for a second so that she could breathe and figure out what it was that she was supposed to do.
Just for a moment. He had to be watching and he'd be angry if she took too long. Would be even angrier if she messed something up. But he'd also not given her any direction. There was no way that she could do this. No matter what he and Dougie thought, she was no criminal. And this was just proving that fact.
As she made her way over to the table, her casual face doing nothing to belay the fear that was rising behind, she could feel herself beginning to panic as she thought about the possibility of failing. Now that she was alone, it was all that she could think about. She would fail, and he would kill her. Like he'd always promised that he would. And she wouldn't be the only one. If Dougie was telling the truth. Others would die along with her. She had to run. She was dead no matter what, and she didn't want to die not trying. Not trying to save herself or the unsuspecting people around her.
It was too much to take. As she passed the guards with every intention of heading to the buffet table so that she could figure out a way out, the fear of running began to consume her. It all quickly began to become too much. She tried to take a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating heart. But it only reached a shallow level before her brows knitted in confusion. Angry and confused that her body was betraying her. Letting her fear overtake it like it hadn't for months. As hard as she tried to move forward, she only managed to make it a couple of more steps before the music began to echo in her ears and her body finally gave up. A small whimper escaped her lips before she crumpled to the floor.
As her eyes fluttered open, the first thing she could register was the numerous faces huddled aboue her, trying to talk to her in incoherent, excited voices. Voices that sounded more like generic white noise machines to her ears; like she was stuck underwater. It took a second for her eyes to focus on the people above her as eyes darted from face to concerned face, looking at them blankly as she tried to figure out what she was supposed to do.
"There she is." She heard as the first voice finally came through clearly.
She followed the voice, seeing that it belonged to an admittedly attractive middle age man looked down at her, shining a small pen light in her eye.
She squinted her eyes shut with a groan, turning her head to notice that the two guards were standing above her as well. Giving a quick glance around, she didn't see Dougie anywhere. He must have made it through. The thought calmed her. Giving a relieved sigh, she relaxed back against the floor, hear head resting against something soft. She didn't care what it was, but it felt nice.
"Give her some space." The man waved the other's away. "She's fine."
"I fainted, didn't I?" She said with another embarrassed groan.
"You did, scared us a little there." He said as the crowd backed up, beginning to disperse now that the entertainment had ceased to interesting.
"Sorry." She muttered, starting to sit up so that she could disappear back into the crowd. The people around her made her nervous, crowds made her nervous in general now. She couldn't stand it.
"Hey, hey. Take it slow." The man said calmly, "You were out for a bit there."
"It's fine. I'm fine. I just forgot to eat…again." She said sitting up and looking around, realizing that she'd been moved to one of the couches near the coat area. It was much quieter here, but she could still see the party going on nearby, providing her an easy out if need be.
"Well, at least that's an easy fix." The man said with a smile. "I'll be right back."
"No. It's-"
"I don't mind." He called over his shoulder, disappearing around the corner towards the buffet table.
Letting out an annoyed sigh, she considered running off before the man returned. But she had nowhere to go. And she'd been told to wait for them to be done. So she did. Fluffing her hair, she leaned back against the couch, wondering what they were doing right now in the back of the house. The party hadn't seemed to be interrupted, and security seemed at ease, so whatever they were doing, it was happening quietly.
It was a moment before the man came back, holding a cup of juice in his hand, his dark curly hair cut neatly to the sides and brown eyes that reflected the glitter of the lights in the party as he glanced back to the crowds, quickly turning his attention back to her with a smile.
"Hope you're okay with pineapple juice. He said with a shrug, handing the drink to her and sitting on the couch as well a comfortable distance away, something that initially through her off after dealing with the Joker's endless boundary issues. "I was going to get actual food but then I wasn't sure if you had any allergies."
"Thanks." She said, taking the drink slowly, eying the yellow liquid skeptically. Mentally, she knew it was never a good idea to take drinks from a stranger, but she couldn't force herself to care. She knew that the Joker wouldn't stand for anything happening to her, if for nothing else than his own pride. And she was thirsty. So she downed it. Not giving it a second thought.
Setting the drink down, she glanced up at the man who was leaned against the back of the couch, staring at the party casually.
"You don't really have to stay with me. I'm fine. It's not the first time it's happened."
"Well that would feel highly irresponsible. Just want to make sure you don't pass out again in the middle of the floor. If that guard hadn't been there so quick you could've hit your head pretty hard on the floor." He gave a casual shrug before offering a comforting smile. "Besides, this is the most excitement I've had all night."
"Have you noticed there's a party going on?" She muttered sarcastically before she could stop herself, turning back to study her glass so that she could ignore the look of confusion that she was sure was upon his face.
But he seemed unfazed. "There always is. And I always have to go. Appearances being what they are and all."
"Politician?" She questioned, already bored with the conversation, wishing he would just go away.
"Doctor." He corrected.
She lifted her head, looking at him with a raised brow. "How does a doctor get invited to something like this?"
"He has all the right clients." He said with a shrug. "I'm a very successful doctor I should say. A plastic surgeon."
"Oh." She said in realization. "Well, guess that's how you got stuck with me then."
"Stuck's a strong word. I prefer…pleasantly occupied. Besides, I haven't had the chance to save a life since med school, it's nice to do something different for a change."
"What? Saved my life" She said with an air of disbelief. "I wasn't dying."
"Well." He said with a playfully furrowed brow. "I did get you juice. Who knows what could have happened next time."
She stare at him for a moment before letting out a short laugh, one that came out hesitantly as if she'd almost forgotten how.
He smiled, "I'm Neal." He said finally.
"A-Carly." She said, remembering the name that Dougie had chosen for her earlier. It had only been about twenty minutes ago now, but it felt so long ago. Almost like a different life. She wasn't free, but it was remarkable how good some alone time could do. Not crowded by oblivious party goers, or expected to accomplish what seemed like an impossible task. She could pretend for a while that she was. It only for a night.
"Carly." He repeated. "And what brought you here?"
"Nothing." She said quickly before giving an embarrassed purse of the lips. "I mean, I haven't done anything special. I'm just a plus one." She gave a dismissive wave, shrugging her shoulders. "My….friend thought it'd be tacky to come alone."
"Is it at least everything you thought it would be?"
She smirked slightly. "Unfortunately."
He laughed before sitting up with a satisfied sigh. "What do you say we go have a dance?" He offered finally.
"Oh…" She started, taken slightly aback by the proposition. She wanted to. Heaven knows she did, but she could imagine the look of murder in his eyes if he saw.
Neal seemed to sense her hesitation. "Don't worry. It's purely medical. I just want to make sure you're okay to walk on your own. If we can make it through a waltz, I'll trust you to walk away." He joked.
She laughed at that, ignoring the alarms that were sounding off in her head. She'd been waiting here for too long now, and she was sure that they'd be ready to leave soon. But she wanted to dance. And it'd probably be a long time before she was allowed outside of the hospital again. It had taken nearly six months for this. Maybe, if she was lucky, she'd be able to get in a quick dance and return before they were done. And while she was sure that she was going to pay for it later, none of that mattered right now.
"Okay." She said finally with a hesitant nod, standing and walking with the man back to the party.
Ten minutes later, the two were sitting on the couch again, Arella laughing at a story that Neal was recounting. Her hand constantly coming up to cover her mouth as she tried to hide the expression, still not used to feeling. Even still, it was a nice change to relax with someone who wasn't trying to kill, hurt, or otherwise maim her for a change.
Opening her mouth to reply, something caught her eye. A flash of purple so quick that she barely had to register what it was before her heart dropped into her stomach. Clasping her mouth shut, she looked over the head of her companion, seeing him leaning against a far wall staring at her with crossed arms as if he wasn't the least bit concerned about being found by any other party goers. He wanted to make sure that she could see him, could see that he was watching everything, and to see the deep scowl on his face that told her she was going to suffer for her indiscretion.
"Hey, you're not going to pass out on me again, are you?" Neal said, bringing her back to the present.
She pursed her lips, tearing her eyes away from those dark narrowed eyes for a moment to answer. "No. No. I'm sorry. I um…I've got to go." She said quickly, shaking her head rapidly as she stood. Glancing back over his shoulder to see that he was gone.
"Why? What's wrong? Are you okay?" He looked at her with concern, completely flabbergasted.
"I'm fine. Thanks." She rushed off, not bothering to turn back as she followed him. She hated that she nearly ran to find him. Hated that she was going after him at all. But she did. She did because she had to. Because she was relieved to be done with this night, and jost of all, because she knew that things would be so much worse if she didn't.
Arella sauntered outside to the patio, shutting the clear door behind her and effectively shutting out the music and sounds of the party so that the only thing left was the sounds of crickets drifting through the night air, and the noisy kissing sounds coming from a couple on the other side of the patio who were so enveloped in each other that they didn't seem to hear her come outside. Wrapping her arms around herself she shivered, trying to shake off the chill as her eyes scanned the deck for the flash of purple she had seen inside. He was going to be angry. That much she knew. And now that she was out of the party, she regretted the few moments of fun she'd had with the stranger. It wasn't worth the lashing she was about to receive. But she had to go to him, less she make things worse. Pursing her lips, she turned to the stairs that led to the alarmingly green back yard that stretched at least a football field back before running into the tree line of a thin forest. Her heels clicked along the stone stairs as she descended, looking around nervously. As she finally stepped off of the last step, she felt the familiar leather glove grab her arm, yanking her under the stairs so that they were hidden.
She let out a gasp as his hand wrapped around her throat, pressing her back against the wall.
"Have fun, Ella?" He growled.
Her eyes snapped to his face, taking in the deep frown that was plastered on his face and his narrowed eyes. He wasn't quite choking her yet, but she could tell that all it would take was the wrong comment on her part before he lost it.
"Yes." She said softly.
She didn't think it was possible, but his frown deepened as his face leaned closer to hers, tightening his grip. "Then maybe you should stay, hmm?" He pulled a knife from his pocket threatingly. "You and your friend can stay here together forever. Would you like that?"
"You said to have fun." She managed to squeak out, placing her hands flat against the wall behind her, wanting badly to pull away from him.
"I said not to do anything stupid." He corrected.
"We just danced. I didn't say anything. I swear. I was just trying to fit in since you and Dougie left me there." She accused in a harsh whisper. "What did you expect to happen when you put me in a room full of men all alone wearing this? I came back didn't I?"
He flicked his eyes down her dress for a moment toying with the idea in his head. Truthfully, he didn't enjoy watching her dance with either one of them. Much less smiling and having fun with the second man. Especially not when she was always busy throwing her own little pity party whenever he was around. He always had been the jealous type. But he'd let it go for now because she was right. She did look especially delectable tonight.
Turning his frown into a smirk, he hand loosened on her neck, turning instead into a light caress. "I can't stay mad at you, especially not in that dress." He gave another slow gaze down her body. "But if it had gone any further…" He warned, tracing the knife in his hand across her shoulder.
"I know." She said annoyed, brushing the hand holding the knife away from her now that he had calmed down.
He raised a brow at her considering reminding her of who he was. But he found that he wasn't angry. He liked that she was getting bolder. So instead he slid the knife back into his pocket, watching her as she took a deep breath.
"Did I do okay?" She asked finally, looking back up at him with hopeful wide eyes that contrasted sharply with the annoyed purse of her lips.
She would never be good at hiding her thoughts. And he enjoyed her almost need for his approval. It made him smile.
"Ya did good." He pursed his lips in false sympathy, grabbing her arm again and pulling her away from the wall. "Let's go celebrate, hmm." He grinned, practically dragging her across the lawn.
She stumbled after him, taking labored steps as her heels continuously sunk into the soft ground. It was driving her crazy. Glancing at him, he looked oblivious to her struggling. She wanted to yell, to simply refuse to move until she removed her shoes. But he would probably decide to carry her again and that was the last thing she wanted. So she sucked it up, trying her best to keep up with him. Finally they made it to the tree line where she could see the Joker had parked the black town car camouflaged by the tall trees surrounding it.
Letting her arm drop, he unlocked the doors, walking around to the driver's side.
Glancing in the backseat, she could see two large duffle bags stuffed to the brim and taking up most of the seat. For a moment, she simply stare in awe as she finally realized everything the Joker had accomplished tonight. He had managed to infiltrate a party filled with all of the most important people in the city wearing full makeup. No one except her had noticed him even as he casually wandered the halls or strolled down the lawn. And he had obviously made off with a large hall. Glancing back to the mansion, the party was going on as if nothing was amiss. No wonder Gotham's criminals were able to take over the city so easily. It was as if no one wanted to see what was really going on. Scowling, she climbed into the passenger seat and shut the door behind her. The Joker barely cast her a second glance as he started the car and drove off through the woods.
Placing her chin in her hands, she stare out of the window for most of the trip, trying hard not to focus much on the Joker's terrible driving. She'd surely give herself a heart attack if she paid too much attention to the weaving in and out of traffic and near misses they encountered. It wasn't until she saw the lights of Gotham drag closer to them that she shifted in her seat, perking up to look out of the window in confusion. This wasn't the way back to the hospital. Turning around towards the driver's seat, she opened her mouth to question where they were going. But one glance at him and she quickly snapped it back shut. He was calm, even though his frown would convey something else to others. She was becoming used to the differences in his scowl. With only a glance, she could tell whether he was calm, angry, frustrated, or condescending. The all looked the same, but somehow she knew.
She wanted to question him, but he had said they were going to celebrate and she was sure she'd find out soon enough. So instead of irritating him this early on, she simply pursed her lips and turned back to the window with a small huff, resuming her position.
Beside her, the Joker glanced over at her, allowing his mouth to turn up in a small smirk as her face remained hidden behind a curtain of brown hair. He could see her arguing with herself as she turned to look at him and had fully expected her to give in and ask, but she didn't. And he found the whole scene hilarious. She was a never ending source of amusement, whether she realized it or not. It was rare that he thought of killing her anymore. Nearly a month to be exact. But his plans hadn't changed. He would kill her when he was ready because he had promised that he would. Because he was a man of his word.
Hey guys! Guess who managed to post in under a month? Haha, sooooo proud of myself. Hope you guys like the chapter, it was one of the more fun ones to write with the new location and different characters to shake it up a little. Also, I'm excited about getting to flesh out Dougie finally. He's a fascinating character in my head with lot of background and history in my head so it's been painful keeping him a relative mute this whole time.
I wanted to focus this chapter on a little more about how she's changing under the Joker's thumb and what that denial looks like in her head. She's still struggling with it, but is also starting to accept that change is inevitable if she's planning on surviving. For the most part, she's at least trying to mitigate so that he won't "win". But she's also having her own effect even if she doesn't realize it because he's changing too whether he likes it or not. It's impossible not to when being forced together in such close quarters for such a long period of time.
Though I have a couple of alternatives written out, I'm still not sure how I would like the whole thing to end, because I always view writing like actual relationships. Sometimes the characters will come together, and sometimes they wont. It's more work trying to force it, so I guess we get to all see together! :D
Finally, thanks wabi-sabi1090, cathy loves heath, and CRazyofJAck for your reviews last chapter. I always LOVE feedback.
What parts do you guys notice effects of their changes? What are you favorites? Let me know!