'I don't care what my father says.' Damien Wayne told Colin Wilkes. 'I will find Josephine Kerr.'

Colin nodded in agreement, but not for the same reasons. 'We need to find Josephine Kerr; she could be in danger or worse. That night when we saw her, another kid went missing. And no one has seen them since.'

'Does she have any friends?'

Colin shook his head. 'The other girls say she's too stuck up or funny looking. The woman who took her claiming to be a cousin.'

Damien thought of the beautiful woman. 'And how did other the witnesses describe her?'

'Some of the girls said she was a Tori Vega-looking chick.' Colin said dismissively. 'Stupid.'

'Tori Vega?'

'Someone heard Josie call the woman Gaggy.'

'Gaggy?' Repeated Damien, bemused.

'There's a dealer around; her name is Gagsworth.'

Damien rolled his eyes. 'I'll check the criminal database for a... Miss. Gagsworth.'

Colin glanced over at his brooding companion. 'Penny for thoughts?'

'Huh?' The brunet turned to him. 'What did you say?

'What's on your mind?'

The boy looked away from him. 'I asked him to help me track her down. When I first met her, I asked him to track her.'

'What did he say?'

'What do you think he said? He doesn't trust me.'

'Maybe, if you prove yourself, he'll trust you.'

He looked at him. 'And how would I go about that?'

'I dunno.' Colin looked out over the city. 'Maybe if you helped him find her.'

He couldn't exact his revenge on Josephine Kerr with his father standing over his shoulders.

'Help him?'

'If you help him, it'll show your father that he can trust you.'

'You see, it's the slow knife,' he remembers his mother saying to him once; it was a lesson on patience.

'The slow knife that takes its time, the knife that waits years without forgetting, then slips quietly between bones. That's the knife that cuts the deepest.'

That's what he would do; he would be patient.

'Alright.' He said with his most pleasant smile. 'I will help my father.

She will suffer to her last breath. Robin thought as he looked out over the city.

All his thoughts went back to her.

How do I even really know if the kid's mine?

Josephine's been on Joker's mind the second he saw her.

She can't be mine; she's too perfect.

That's what it is; she's not mine!

She's not my daughter!

But she has my eyes and lips.

And Bex was no whore.

Shit!

Joker, you're thinking too hard!

Breathe!

Take a step back.

And think.

A simple blood test will solve this mystery.

I can't waltz into Gotham Memorial a demand a DNA test!

I mean, I could, but.

But that would bring pain in the ass, doctor, as a witness!

A witness, unless that doctor owes you a favor.

A grin spreads on his face as he thinks of the perfect doctor.

'Gagsworth!' Barked a shrill voice. 'Gabrielle Gagsworth!'

Gabrielle whipped her head in the direction of the voice and mental sigh. The Joker stood a few feet away from her as she stood outside her brother's school.

Why is he here? She wondered with dread as she approached him, throwing her hood on her head.

'Sir?' She said timidly.

'Why are you here?' He asked.

'Picking up my little brother.' she said weakly.

'I thought you said that he was 15.'

'I also said he was dealing with a bully problem.'

'Oh, you want me to get him a gun?'

Was he joking?

'Are you serious?'

'Dead.'

'Uh, no!' She said hotly. 'I don't want him to be the school shooter!'

'I was.' he said as he scratched his neck. 'I turned out ok...'

Gabrielle suppressed a shudder. 'I don't want that for Nate.'

'Don't be so worrisome.' He laughed as he kissed her cheek. 'We can plan it so that he doesn't get caught.'

'Mr. Joker, that's not going to happen.'

'Fine.' He rolled his eyes as she wiped the lipstick off her face. 'Stick in the mud.'

'What was that?'

'I need you to do something for me.' He said quickly.

She hoped it wasn't what she thought it was; he liked doing that. He never gave off that kind of vibe before, but he had Harley then, and he saw her as a kid.

'What is it?'

'The child.' He said quietly. 'The kid we met at Ivy's.'

'Josie?!' She said with a hint of relief. 'She's a sweetheart.'

Pause.

'What about her?'

'Ugh!' He rolled his eyes. 'Will you get that look off your face!'

'What look?'

'Like I'm going to spaz out and kill everybody!'

'Oh, sorry.' She forced a smile. 'What about her?'

'I need you to get her for me.'

Get her?

What did that mean?

'Umm, sir?'

'Go to Ivy's place and grab the kid.'

'It's a- you're not going to kill her, are you?'

'I'll kill you if you don't obey me!'

Gabrielle paled at the threat. 'What do you want with her?'

'There's that look again!'

Gabrielle turned red and looked at her feet.

'Well, Ivy's not going to let her go.'

He laughed at the remark. 'Don't you worry about Ivy; I'll take care of her.'

His words only heightened Gabby's worries. 'When should we get her?'

'We're going to snatch her tonight.'

'I never kidnapped anyone before.'

'We'll bring her back.'

'Oh. Wait, why are we snatching the kid?'

'I need to ease my troubles, and- Will you get that look off your face!'

'What if someone sees you?' She murmured as she turned around, facing the school.

'So what?'

'I don't want to get arrested in front of my brother's school.'

'You worry too much!' He gleefully kissed her cheek, getting lipstick on her cheek again. 'Don't worry, Kitten.'

Kitten, his pet name for her, whispered in her ear just before his climax.

Using her name brought unwanted feelings of longing, including him; she'd only been with two people.

Why did it have to be him to make her ache like this?

'I can't help it.' She bit back a moan. 'Just lemme take my brother home, and I'll meet you at the spot.'

He grinned at her and kissed her on the mouth while grabbing her ass.

'Call me when you get home.' He said with a grin.

She didn't like to sleep anymore, but Josie couldn't fathom why.

Her limbs didn't want to stay still, so she did her ballet stretches until they ached; only then did her body allow sleep.

When she finally did manage to fall asleep, her mind would race.

She constantly thought of her grandparents, her friend back in Park Ridge, Colin, Robin, and The Joker.

I wonder what Grace is doing.

Grace Jones was her best friend; she missed her.

Did Grace miss her?

Did her teachers miss her?

Is there anyone in Park Ridge thinking about her?

She wondered what Colin was doing.

Did Mr. Zsasz get him?

Maybe if she found Batman and Robin, they could help.

But Robin is such a jerk!

Throwing a ninja star at her, pulling her hair, and slamming her head on her ground, Joker could make him sorry.

No matter who she thought of, thoughts of Joker seemed to chase them away.

She couldn't stop thinking about him.

She hadn't seen him since in weeks.

Did he think about her?

Did he know about her before?

Did he want to see her?

'Pssst.' A tap on the greenhouse window forced Josie upright.

Her legs were really to move anyway.

She went to the window and saw Gabrielle Gagsworth waving at her nervously.

'Gabrielle?' She said as she unlocked the window. 'What are you doing here?'

'I came to see you.' She said in a shaky voice. 'Come outside.'

'Come outside?'

'Climb out the window.'

'Um.'

'I'll help you.'

Gabrielle took her hand and helped her climb out the window.

'You came to see me. Did the Joker come with you?'

'As a matter of fact,' said a silvery voice, 'I did.'

The Joker stood posted on the wall, holding a cigarette; he looked at everything but her. He was wearing a purple trench coat and matching pants and shoes. His emerald green hair was slicked back, and gold and his watch glistened in the moonlight.

Josie could have sworn she felt her heart stop when she saw him.

'You. you're here.' She said in disbelief.

'That I am.'

Josie approached him cautiously. 'You came to see me?'

'I came to square things up.'

'Square things up?'

What did that mean?

'I want to introduce you to a friend of mine.'

'A friend?' She said, hopefully. 'Like, you want to show me off?'

'Yeah, sure.' He said as he waved his gloved hand.

He wanted her to meet a friend of his.

That means he was proud of her!

She enthusiastically took him by the hand.