"I don't care what my father says," Damien Wayne asserted to Colin Wilkes. "I will find Josephine Kerr."

Colin nodded vigorously in agreement, sharing Damien's resolve but for different reasons. "We must find Josephine Kerr; she could be in grave danger. The night we last saw her, another child went missing and hasn't been seen since."

"Does she have any friends?" Damien inquired firmly.

Colin shook his head decisively. "The other girls at school say she's too aloof or not conventionally attractive. The woman who took her claimed to be a distant cousin."

Damien pictured the elegant woman and asked, "How did the other witnesses describe her?"

"Some girls said she looked like Tori Vega," Colin replied dismissively. "But I question their judgment."

"Tori Vega?" Damien repeated, his tone reflecting his disbelief.

"Somebody overheard Josie calling the woman 'Gaggy,'" Colin confidently informed him.

"Gaggy?" Damien echoed, his tone reflecting his determination.

"There's a known dealer in the area named Gagsworth," Colin informed him assertively.

Annoyed, Damien rolled his eyes. "I'll search the criminal database for a... Miss Gagsworth."

Colin glanced at Damien, who appeared deep in thought. "What's on your mind?"

"Huh?" Damien turned to Colin. "What did you say?"

"What are you thinking about?" Colin asked.

Damien averted his gaze. "I asked for his help to track her down. When I first met her, I sought his assistance to find her."

"And what did he say?" Colin inquired assertively.

"What do you think he said? He doesn't trust me," Damien replied firmly.

"Perhaps if you prove yourself, he will trust you," Colin suggested with authority.

Damien looked at Colin. "And how do you propose I do that?"

"I don't know," Colin said, gazing over the city. "Maybe if you helped him find her."

Damien couldn't pursue his vendetta against Josephine Kerr, and his father constantly watched over him.

"Help him?" Damien repeated firmly.

"If you assist him, it will demonstrate to your father that he can trust you," Colin reasoned assertively.'

'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.

She consumed all his thoughts.

How can I be sure that the child is mine?

Josephine had been on Joker's mind from the moment he laid eyes on her.

She couldn't possibly be mine; she's too perfect.

That's it; she's not mine!

She's not my daughter!

But she does have my eyes and lips.

And Bex was no promiscuous woman.

Darn it!

Joker, you're overthinking it!

Just breathe!

Take a step back.

And ponder.

A simple DNA test could resolve this uncertainty.

I can't just stroll into Gotham Memorial and demand a DNA test!

I mean, I could, but...

It would cause a significant inconvenience, the doctor as a witness!

A witness, unless that doctor owes you a favor.

A grin spreads across his face as he contemplates the ideal 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 tossed and turned in her bed, unable to find peace in sleep. It felt as if her limbs were constantly restless, refusing to stay still.

To soothe herself, Josie resorted to doing her ballet stretches until her muscles ached, finally granting her the reprieve to fall asleep.

However, even in slumber, her mind raced with thoughts. Memories of her grandparents, friends in Park Ridge, and individuals like Colin, Robin, and The Joker flooded her thoughts, leaving her restless.

Grace Jones, her beloved best friend, lingered heavily in her mind.

She wondered if Grace missed her as much as she missed her.

Thoughts of her teachers and everyone in Park Ridge also occupied her thoughts incessantly, adding to her restlessness. Colin, the worries about Mr. Zsasz, and the desperate wish to seek help from Batman and Robin further agitated her mind.

Despite all these thoughts, one figure stood out: The Joker.

His presence seemed to overshadow every other thought, making it nearly impossible for her to escape.

Questions about him haunted her.

Did he think of her?

Did he even know about her before?

Did he want to see her?

Suddenly, a tap on the greenhouse window broke her reverie.

Startled, Josie saw Gabrielle Gagsworth waving nervously at her.

'Gabby?' She unlocked the window. 'What are you doing here?'

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

'Outside?'

'Climb out the window.'

'Climb out the window?'

'Right.'

'Ummm.'

'I'll help you get outside.'

'You came to see me.' Josie repeated when she was outside. 'Did the Joker come with you?'

Even more surprising was The Joker's unexpected appearance, standing with a cigarette in hand, his emerald green hair slicked back.

'As a matter of fact, I did.'

Josie couldn't believe her eyes.

As he casually revealed that he had come to "square things up" and wanted to introduce her to a friend, a glimmer of hope flashed through her. Could it be that he was proud of her? Fueled by newfound optimism, she eagerly took his hand, ready to discover what he had in store for her.