"Sometimes divulging your vulnerabilities without any kind of filter can make you more human, but then again, it can also provide material that can be used against you."
—Tonya Hurley

|•|•|•|

"What's Arkham like?" Ember innocently wondered, twirling a strand of hair around her index finger. Her slender legs rocked back and forth as she sat planted on the wooden kitchen stool, her ankles colliding with the wood when she accidentally swung them back too far.

"Oho," Joker snickered, standing directly across from her at the kitchen island, a blue ball-point pen laced in his grasp. His eyes flickered upward, meeting her curious gaze as his tongue toyed with the corner of his mouth.

"I thought you'd never ask."

The pen toppled from his grasp, his arms meeting the granite counter as the inky black dress shirt bunched up at his elbows upon contact.

"What'cha wanna know?"

"I dunno," Ember murmured, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. The visuals of Joker possibly being tortured in the institution made her stomach violently churn. "Just tell me anything."

Joker smacked his heavily colored lips, arms straightening against the cool counter as his fingers soothingly met hers.

"They hated me from the second I walked in the door." Joker dryly explained, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Why?" Ember gawked, running the pad of her pointer finger along the calloused skin of his thumb.

"Don't-uh, act like you didn't hate my guts at one time too, toots." He playfully mocked, bottom lip pouting out to blow a stray curl from his black holes for eyes.

"I had a good reason to. You killed my husband." Ember promptly defended.

"And I tore apart their city." Joker pressed, gaze darkening as he hastily tugged his fingers from her desperate hold.

"Anywho, they stripped me down as soon as I go-t there. Took all my knives, my clothes..." Joker trailed off, wincing at the memory of the guards blatantly beating him out of pure distaste. His ribcage was bruised for a solid three months.

"They-uh, tried so hard to get the necklace. Ended up lettin' me keep it 'cuz I bea-t the shit out of some guard name Morrissey."

Ember's brows raised compassionately at his confession.

"You wanted to keep it that bad? Even though I was probably good as dead to you?" She shyly inquired.

Joker exhaled heavily, gaze diverting to meet his colorant-stained hands atop the counter.

"I'm nothing without this damn thing."

Ember inched forward, balancing her weight on the stool with the soles of her bare feet as her palm met Joker's white cheek. His softened stare met hers instantly, going lax under her comforting touch as he buried his nose into her palm, lips grazing the skin as he pressed a shy kiss to the flesh.

"I landed myself in max three weeks in." He added, fingers lacing around Ember's petite wrist as he tore her hand from his face. "Nice 'n quiet down there. A-uh, perfect place for the voices to take over."

Ember stiffened at the mention of the voices. Suddenly, they were twelve again, and he'd told her about the peculiar voices in his head. Sometimes, he'd have trouble sleeping because they kept him awake at night back then.

He still had those?

"I know what you're thinking," He interjected, fiddling with a discarded pack of cigarettes on the opposite end of the counter. "You keep them at bay."

Ember weakly smiled in response, fiddling her thumbs anxiously as she imagined Joker — Her baby — Isolated in maximum security, probably fucking starving to death and overcome by the haunting voices in his head.

"That was the first time I'd really thought about you in over five years." He uneasily added, retrieving a cigarette from the pack as he twisted it between two fingers.

"Your face haunted me. Your fifteen year old face, anyways." He grumbled. "Didn't have a clue what you'd grown up to look like. I-uh, started daydreaming, if you will. Abou-t us." Joker paused, desperately attempting to collect his scattered thoughts as Ember sat dumbfounded across from him.

"What were they like?" She whispered.
"The day dreams?"

Joker sighed, placing the cigarette between his scarred lips as he dug through his trousers pocket in search for a lighter.
Her question went unanswered, a sleek, purple lighter claimed in his grasp as he rose it to his mouth and ignited the flame.

Ember impatiently observed as Joker inhaled deeply, taking a long drag off of the cigarette before ripping it from the safety of his lips.

"Kept having these-uh, visuals of how life would'a been if you'd never left me." He stated, exhaling the thick smoke through his nostrils.

An uneasy laugh fell from his lips, which had claimed the lit cigarette once more as he paused his speech.

"I kept thinking," He murmured, rolling his eyes at the mere thought of what he was going to admit. "'I wonder if she'd ever want me again'."

"I always wanted you." Ember sheepishly said, her heart hammering thickly against her ribcage. "I should've married you, not Noah. I should've been the one to have your baby, not that Olivia girl."

"Wasn't even mine." Joker snipped.

"Regardless. Still should've been me."

The pair fell eerily quiet, avoiding each others uneasy glare as Joker took another impossibly deep drag off of his cigarette.

"They let me have face paint, too." Joker snickered, shaking his head in disbelief as he extinguished the flame against the granite. "I guess they didn't hate me that much."

"How'd you escape?"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Joker sarcastically scolded, the tone of his voice high-pitched and clowny as he waved a finger in her face.

"A magician never reveals his secrets."

Ember grinned, her feet meeting the cool tile floor as she propelled herself from the stool. Joker eyed her intently as she rounded the oblong counter, inching closer and closer to the madman as he shifted in place.

"Wanna know a secret?" Ember mused, lips curling into a develish grin as she halted a mere foot away from the clown.

Joker raised a curious brow, concealed by the shiny, black greasepaint as Ember's fingers claimed his silky dress shirt.

"I think you're handsome," She purred, bunching the material between her fists as she stood on her tippy-toes, pressing a closed-mouth kiss to his left cheek. Her lips grazed the destroyed flesh, goosebumps immediately littering her skin upon contact as Joker froze beneath her touch.

"And smart," Ember giggled, craning her neck to place an additional kiss on his opposite cheek.

"And completely crazy for me." She finished, pressing her lips briskly against his stunned ones before abruptly pulling away.

Joker chuckled, cupping her dainty face with his hands before slamming his lips to hers. Ember hummed in glee, molding into his desperate hold as the pad of his thumb routinely met her chin, tugging the skin down as he begged for entrance into her mouth.

Butterflies littered her belly at routine gesture, her lips immediately parting as she granted him access to every inch of her mouth.

Joker tugged away for a mere moment, wild eyes scanning Ember's flawless, flushed features as he took his bottom lip between his teeth.

"You make me weak." He bluntly stated, voice low and husky as Ember physically blushed at the confession.

"I love you." She replied, curling her fingers around the collar of his shirt as she pulled his face to hers once more, not even allowing him a chance to say it back.

The two passionately embraced, the kiss full of urgency as Joker's fingers tangled in her hair, tugging her tiny frame closer to his as he openly moaned into her mouth.

"Uh, boss?"

Joker let out an audible grunt, fingers contorting into a fist in Ember's hair as he tore his lips from hers to eye the intruder.

Grim stood motionless in the doorway, a hand tucked deeply into his front pant pocket as his brows sat raised.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting something."

"What the fuck do you want, Grim?" Joker hissed, loosening his hold on Ember as she laced her arms around his torso. Her cheek met his chest, his steady heartbeat thumping against her skull as she fell deeper in love at the sound alone.

"I thought we were going on a little excursion?" Grim monotonely wondered, picking at the skin on his fingers.

"In a minute." Joker snipped through gritted teeth.

Grim exited the building without another word, isolating the couple once again as Ember pressed a kiss to the base of Joker's neck.

"Where yah goin'?" She politely pried.

"Jus-t have a few errands to run." Joker winked, pressing a kiss to her forehead as his thumbs met her face. Ember stilled beneath his gentle touch as he softly wiped at her skin, attempting to rid the flesh of the red greasepaint.

"I'll miss you." Ember whispered, pressing her lips weakly against Joker's thumb as he smiled.

"I'll miss yah more, buttercup."

Joker brushed past the woman, ruffling his messy curls before snatching the cigarette pack and burying it in his pocket.

"You-uh, gonna go anywhere, doll?"

"Maybe visit some old friends at the boutique. Grab some coffee. Boring, girly things." Ember listed, a toothy grin on display as she lounged against the island counter.

"Be safe." Joker cooed, lacing the metal keys around his ungloved fingers before leaning forward to press a simple, short-lived kiss to Ember's lips. His forehead lingered against hers for a mere moment before he finally pulled away.

With that, the madman left the premises, a slight skip in his step as Ember's heart physically ached already in his absence.

|•|•|•|

Ember peeked over the redheaded boys shoulder, growing more and more impatient by the second as her stomach bitterly growled.

She'd been waiting in this particular Starbucks line for a whopping seventeen minutes, and there had only been nine people in front of her upon arrival.

What the fuck was taking so long?

The woman let out an irate sigh, fidgeting with the strap of her purse as a set of fingers met her shoulder.

Uneasily, Ember spun on her heel to view the individual, only to become breathless at the sight of Bruce fucking Wayne.

"Bruce?" She gasped, eyes scanning the dainty café to see if anyone had even noticed his appearance.

Nobody seemed to care.

"Hey, Ember. Did you watch the GCN a few nights ago?" Bruce casually inquired, straightening the cremé tinted tie around his neck.

"How could I have missed it? You're the talk of the town." Ember sarcastically snipped, letting out a snort as she inched forward in line.

"It seems that I am." Bruce muttered, continuously fiddling with his tie. "I still can't believe you shot me."

Ember's eyes contorted into slits at his blunt statement, her arms crossing across her busty chest as she inched forward in line once again. She did not acknowledge the statement.

"Why are you with him, Ember? I just can't seem to wrap my head around it." Bruce lowly requested.

"It's none of your fucking business who I'm fucking, Bruce. We aren't even friends. We aren't anything at all." Ember hissed, finally approaching the bubbly cashier with thick blonde hair.

"Hello! Welcome to Starbucks!" The woman cheered, a forced smile plastered on her features as Ember dropped her bag onto the counter in front of her.

"Uh, hi." Ember stuttered, her social skills immediately flying out the fucking window. "I'll take a Venti iced soy hazelnut latte. Can I have eight pumps of hazelnut instead of six?"

"Absolutely!" The blonde cheered, uncapping her sharpie as she scribbled the code for Ember's drink onto the plastic cup. "Anything else, ma'am?"

"Uh," Ember paused, eyes flickering over to the bakery case as she quickly scanned the contents. "A lemon pound cake?"

The cashier provided Ember with a total as the woman dug through her purse in search of the cash Joker had given her.

"I've got it." Bruce announced, literally shoving Ember away from the counter as he swiped his card before she could protest.

"Oh wow," The blonde cashier exclaimed, bright blue eyes widening in their sockets. "You're Bruce Wayne. You're Batman, right?"

Bruce forced a smile, nodding curtly before muttering a simple: "Right."

The dark-haired man claimed the small paper bag, filled with a slice of lemon pound cake as he thrust it into Ember's grasp.

"Let's sit." He requested.

"I really shouldn't–"

"It wasn't a question." Bruce harshly interrupted, leading Ember in the direction of a corner table as she uncomfortably took a seat.

Ember dug her hand into the bag, breaking off a miniscule corner of the cake as she shakily tossed it into her mouth. Bruce had excused himself to fetch her finished drink, as if his kind actions today could possibly make up for everything that has happened...

"So," Bruce began, setting the plastic cup in front of Ember's face as he took a seat. "Enlighten me."

"On?" Ember urged, peeling off an additional chunk of the lemon pound cake.

"What do you see in him? I just want to try to understand." Bruce pressed, folding his hands as he rest them atop the rickety table.

"Not that it's any of your business," Ember began through a mouthful of cake. "But I happen to think he's very handsome."

Bruce openly scoffed at her statement, Joker's hideous, painted face filling his mind.

"Hey," Ember scolded.
"You can't say that he isn't if you've only seen him with his paint on. Underneath those gaudy colors, lies a breathtaking face."

"With deep, uneven scars."

Ember stiffened in her seat, the tips of her fingers tingling as she clearly imagined running her hands along the destroyed flesh. His imperfect appearance was absolutely perfect to her.

"Like he can really control what his fucking face looks like." Ember spat, taking the green straw between her teeth as she took a large sip. "Looks aren't everything, Bruce."

"You're right. He's also a psychopathic, mass murdering, schizophrenic clown." The man bluntly stated, clearly amused by the words that had slipped through his lips.

"Way to make a joke about mental illness, asshole." Ember snipped, her chest aching at the mention of Joker's possible illness.

Ember had actually studied a bit of psychology in college. She'd always taken a bit of a fascination to the subject, especially every aspect of the brain, including mental illnesses. The woman has seen enough of the Joker to make a correlation between himself having schizophrenia, but of course, she was in no position to diagnose her — theatrical — boyfriend.

"Sorry." Bruce murmured.
"Besides the fact, he's fucking nuts. Do you even know his body count?"

Ember dramatically inhaled a sharp breath at his comment whilst drinking her coffee, which prompted the liquid to travel down the incorrect pipe and propel the woman into a painful fit of coughs.

"B-Body count?" She choked, eyes beginning to water from lack of oxygen.

Remember the thirty darling pussies I've been in.

"Yes." Bruce pressed, raising a questionable brow. "Or does he not divulge in that information with you?"

"Of course he does." Ember swiftly defended. "We tell each other everything."

Why did Bruce care about how many girls Joker has fucked?

"And?" Bruce urged, eyes widening in curiosity.

"Fucking hell, this is just weird." Ember murmured. "Uh, thirty?"

"Ember," Bruce pressed.
"Joker killed nearly a hundred in the Gotham Stock Exchange incident. Where the hell did you pull thirty out of? Surely you know it's more than that."

Oh, fuck. He means body count as in how many people he's killed.

Fuck.

"O-Oh." Ember panicked, avoiding Bruce's puzzled glare. "I don't know. I've never asked him. Hundreds, I assume?"

"He kills these people with zero empathy. That doesn't disturb you?"

"No." Ember countered.
"I've accepted him for who he is. I love him for everything he is and everything he does."

"And what if you piss him off one day? What if he decides to off you without a second thought?" Bruce pressed, index finger thrust in Ember's direction.

"He wouldn't." The woman snidely opposed, growing irritated with this conversation. "I trust him with my life."

"You shouldn't. It's a death sentence."

"Well," Ember smacked her lips, finishing the remainder of her lemon pound cake as she tossed the empty bag into the trash. "That's a death sentence I'm okay with. I'd rather die by his hand than ever have to live a day without him again."

Bruce's features hardened, absolutely bewildered by Ember's blunt response as her fingers laced around her cup of coffee.

Live without him again?

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have plans. Good bye, Bruce." Ember dismissed, slinging her matted purse over her bony shoulder before exiting the café, leaving behind an extremely puzzled Bruce Wayne in the back corner.

Ember rushed from the café, wiping the excess tears that had managed to escape with the back of her hand as she trudged down the sidewalk in the direction of Charlie's Boutique. She hadn't walked through the front doors of her former job since the second of January.

The walk was short, perhaps six minutes or so, and the woman was beginning to feel rather jittery. However, she wasn't sure if it was from the excess caffeine intake, or the fact that she'd practically fallen off the face of the earth to everyone behind these glass doors.

Breathe, Em.

She discarded her empty plastic coffee cup into a nearby litter bin, her fingers lacing around the charcoal handle of the boutique as she swung the door widely open.

Redheaded Sarah stood adjacent to the door, several hangers draped over her left arm as her sparkling eyes flickered upwards in the direction of the sudden noise.

Her features instantly brightened at the sight of a quite stiff Ember, who smiled weakly.

"Ember?" Sarah squeaked, several slips of fabric toppling to the floor as she rushed over to meet the woman. "Holy hell, how are you?"

Ember filed further into the boutique, her eyes scanning the familiar fixtures as she slung her arm around Sarah's shoulders in an awkward embrace.

"Hi, Sarah. I was out and about and figured I'd visit. Who else is here?"

"Abelia's in the bathroom and Judith's in the stock room. Where the fuck have you been?" Sarah bombarded, discarding the remaining shirts from her arm onto a random rack. Her arms crossed, a stern expression plastered on her features as her gaze bore into Ember's.

"Here and there." Ember dismissed, pacing around the entryway as she glided her fingers along several tops on a nearby shelf.

"Are you working? Why'd you quit? You kinda just ran out on us, left nothing except a letter of resignation. Didn't you leave Gotham?"

Ember's eyes contorted into slits, realisation that Joker had perfectly staged her departure finally began to settle in.

That clever bastard.

"Er, yeah. I just got overwhelmed with some things." The woman murmured, but redheaded Sarah didn't appear to be very convinced.

"What's on your forehead?"

"Hm?" Ember hummed, twisting on her heel to face the extremely freckled woman as her hand instinctively darted up to claim the skin.

Sarah inched forward, gaze darkening as she took the liberty to press her fingers to Ember's forehead, applying the tiniest amount of pressure as she attempted to wipe the blob of chalky white paint off her skin.

"It looks like Halloween costume paint." Sarah observed, brows knit together in confusion.

Ember audibly gulped, taking a large step backwards as she attempted to rub the remainder of the paint from her skin.

"O-Oh," She stammered, desperately trying to think of some type of excuse.
"I got in a paint fight."

Sarah raised a suspicious brow.

"With my boyfriend." Ember shakily added. "We had some old costume makeup laying around and painted one anothers faces."

Sarah simply nodded, not convinced in the slightest as Abelia strut into the petite room.

"Ember DeLoughrey?" The tiny woman squeaked. Her olive-tinted skin paired quite well with the vibrant yellow sundress she currently wore, and her sleek black hair sat in a picture-perfect bun atop her skull.

"Hey, Abelia." Ember dryly greeted, outstretching her arms as she enveloped the even tinier woman into her arms.

"I thought you moved to Metropolis?"

"She's living with her new boyfriend." Sarah interjected, prompting Abelia's eyes to widen in surprise.

"Wow, a new boyfriend? How exciting! I'm so glad to hear you're getting out there again, foxy lady." Abelia teased, lips curled into a smirk as she playfully delivered a punch to Ember's bicep.

Ember giggled, nodding plainly as she shot Sarah a questionable glare. The redheaded woman wasn't buying a word Ember said.

"Yeah, me too. I'm thirty-one, I don't want to be single forever." Ember shifted her weight from one foot to the other, avoiding Sarah's piercing gaze as Judith emerged from the back room, rubbing her hands together briskly in an attempt to dry the hand sanitizer on her palms.

Her grey eyes locked with Ember's, jaw falling agape as she let out a gasp.

"Ember! Oh my god!" She cheered, shuffling towards the three women as she thrust her arms around Ember's neck abruptly.

Judith was nearing forty, the only other employee, (besides Ember), who was over the age of thirty. She, too, had lost her husband, and never seemed to remarry.

"God, I've missed you like crazy!" The woman exclaimed, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes as her palm met Ember's cheek. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"Jesus," Ember chuckled, prying away from Judith's grasp. "You guys are acting like I died."

"Felt like you did," Sarah spat.
"The way you just up and left like that."

"Yeah," Ember sighed.
"I'm really sorry about that. My life's just been a trainwreck since Noah died."

"Stop it." Abelia scolded, glaring menacingly in Sarah's direction. The palms of her hands claimed Ember's arms, squeezing reassuringly.

"Don't even feel the need to apologize for anything. You don't owe us any kind of explanation. I'm just happy you're here right now visiting us."

Ember grinned, silently thanking the olive-skinned girl as Judith nodded in agreement.

"Abelia's right. You don't even need to tell us your new boyfriends name, even though we'd all like to know." Judith pressed, winking playfully as she collected the fallen shirts on the floor.

Oh, you probably know him. The Joker? He's just that guy you've seen on the news with the painted face and gaudy scars.

"Maybe another time. I want to make sure things actually work out between us before I start bragging about how wonderful he is." Ember slyly replied, knowing quite well in her heart that she'd spend the rest of her days waking up next to those enchanting brown eyes.

"As long as he treats you well, that's all we need to know." Judith assured the woman, excusing herself to hang the shirts in their proper places.

"Sarah," Abelia scolded.
"Stop being so fucking nosy."

"I just wish you'd be more open with me, Ember. After all, I was there for you when Noah died, I feel like I deserve a bit more recognition." Sarah pressed, causing Ember's chest to physically begin to ache.

"I didn't fucking ask for you to bombard me with gifts and shit after he died." Ember countered, eyes widening when she'd realized what she'd said.

Fuck.

Sarah frowned, uncrossing her arms as she blinked away and array of tears.

"Okay, Ember. I get it."

The woman threw up her arms in defeat, turning on her heel as she abandoned Abelia and Ember and darted directly towards the back room.

Abelia merely sighed, drying her clammy hands against the fabric of her dress as she sympathetically smiled in Ember's direction.

"Hey, Em?"

"Yeah?" Ember breathed, toying with the strap of her purse.

"I heard about your mother." Abelia muttered, claiming Ember's shaking fingers in hers. "I can't believe that bastard did that. At this point, it almost seems like he's targeting you and your family. I really hope that's not the case."

Ember frowned, unsure of what to even say to Abelia's statement.

If she only knew...

"It's nothing personal." Ember whispered, avoiding Abelia's stare as she fidgeted in place.

"I'm not so sure, Em. I read that he actually confronted Georgia and said that she'd ruined his life. What does that even mean?"

Ember's stomach violently churned as visuals instantaneously bombarded her mind. The feeling in her legs nearly dissipated, her knees wobbling as she struggled to remain standing.

The exchange... the guns... the clowns... her Mom. He'd pulled up a chair, questioned Georgia and accused her of ruining his life. Finally, she remembered it all. She saw Georgia DeLoughrey's body, limp at her desk following Joker's rough assault on the woman as he'd slammed her head into the wood.

"Breathe, Ember." Abelia urged, holding the weakened woman upright as the visuals finally ceased.

"S-Sorry," Ember uttered, straightening her posture as her heart thudded painfully against her ribcage. "Just a painful memory, is all."

"I understand. My apologies." Abelia cooed, sad eyes watching Ember's every move.

"Just please stay safe. I don't want that freak coming anywhere near you."

|•|•|•|

Joker skipped into the disheveled building, a lively bouquet of chrysanthemums held in his grasp as he navigated through the home.

"Daaaarling!" He enthusiastically called, gloved fingers circling the door handle as he burst into the room.

Unfortunately, he found it empty.

Painted brows knit together in confusion, darkened gaze flickering around the room in search of his beautiful girl.

It was nearly seven in the evening, she should be home by now.

"Em?" Joker called, pacing the vacant building as Horton stumbled through the front door.

"Everything okay, boss?" Horton inquired, growing anxious by the expression on Joker's face as the flower bouquet met the island counter.

"Em's no-t here." Joker murmured, digging into his pinstripe pant pocket to retrieve his mobile.

Horton's breaths grew shallow, an uneasy feeling settling in his bones as the phone continued to ring in Joker's ear.

Then, voicemail.

"That bitch." Joker sneered, instantly re-dialing Ember's number as he pressed the phone tightly against his painted ear.

Horton nearly fainted at the faint sound of Ember's voicemail a second time, immense worry rising in his belly as Joker curled his fingers tightly around the plastic, nearly crushing it under his inexplicable strength.

"She better be passed out or fucking dead." Joker snipped in reference to Ember's failed answers.

"What should we do, Joker?" Horton breathed, his voice cracking as Joker paced the room, hands held firmly on his hips.

"She has an hour. After that, I want every fucker we know out looking for her."

Horton nodded, bile rising in his throat as the possibility of Ember being in trouble crossed his mind.

"Please be okay, Em." Horton muttered under his breath.

Joker paced the kitchen for fifty-six minutes straight, muttering incoherently under his breath as his index finger and thumb tugged aimlessly at his scarred bottom lip.

"Sixty minutes is up, sir." Horton announced, bum planted on the island stool as he anxiously tugged at his blonde locks.

"Round 'em up." Joker sternly ordered, beginning to feel extremely ill at the thought of Ember in trouble.

Something was wrong.

Horton collected his cell phone, preparing to dial Ryder's number when something peculiar suddenly met his eye.

"Boss?"

"What?" Joker impatiently snipped, his pulse quickening as he, too, spot the flourescent note on the counter.

How didn't he see that before?

"Open it." Joker ordered, swiftly approaching the granite counter as the phone toppled from Horton's grasp.

Horton claimed the bright pink slip of paper, tearing it open with severely shaking fingers as Joker bit roughly on his bottom lip, the metallic taste of blood filling his senses.

"What? What?" Joker barked, tearing the paper from Horton's grasp as he struggled to read it.

If you had to choose, who could you live without? Michelle Napier or Ember DeLoughrey?

202 Faxcol Drive. Ten hours.

|•|•|•|

A/N: One more chapter until the big finale...

QOTD: Whose your favorite character?

My Answer: Ya'll already know! (my darling Horty❤️)

i love you all so much.

xo. allie