"You better run, because I'm going to destroy you for what you've taken from me."
—Samantha Young

|•|•|•|

Ember shifted her weight from one foot to the other, going over the plan multiple times in her head before raising her knuckles to meet the wilting wood.

"Don't be such a pussy, DeLoughrey." She muttered, exhaling harshly before tapping three consecutive times on the door.

The woman rocked back and forth on her heel, glancing several times over her shoulder as if she was being watched. Muffled shouts of glee echoed through the thick wood, the all-too-familiar sound creating a dull ache in Ember's chest.

Finally, the door swung widely open, revealing an aging woman dressed in a floral sundress that barely grazed her knees, along with a pair of sleek black flats.

Ember's mouth went dry at the sight of her, eyes blinking several times to ensure that she was actually here...

"H-Hello," She finally croaked, thrusting her arm outwards to shake the elder womans hand. "We spoke on the phone?"

"Oh, yes! Come in!" The lady cheered, offering Ember entrance into the large home.

The thirty-year-old woman trudged over the threshold, her heart beating thickly in her throat as several small children scurried between her legs.

Ember let out a slight giggle at the children, lifting her left leg upwards just a tad so that they could slink right through without knocking her clean over.

She hastily followed the sundress-clad woman into the dreaded office, which still looked exactly the same, even after all these years.

Heaps of manila folders sat piled high on the surface of a deteriorating oak desk, which had several chips out of the left corner. The single broad window sat directly behind, mahogany curtains drawn to allow sufficient amounts of light to enter the room.

"Now," The elder woman began, collapsing onto her swivel chair as Ember lowered herself onto the carob tinted chair on the opposite side of the desk. "I know you mentioned that you're interested in Jakob, the boy we heavily discussed over the phone. If you don't mind, I'd like to begin the basic paperwork and then I can take you to see him."

Ember simply nodded, pink tongue darting outward to claim her bottom lip. Once fully wet, she tugged the skin tightly between her teeth, left foot tapping irritably against the carpet.

"Remind me of your name, darling?" The woman requested, a blue, ball-point pen held tightly in her clasp.

Here we go...

Ember cleared her throat before finally spitting out her name.

"Ember DeLoughrey."

Evelyn froze, gaze diverting to meet Ember's as the pen nearly toppled from her grasp.

"You're joking." She gasped, studying Ember's features as her thin lips pulled into a grin.

"No, ma'am." Ember weakly smiled, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. "It's really me."

"Well, I'll be God damned." Evelyn chuckled, exchanging glances between Ember at the paperwork as she began to scribble down her name.

"Spell out your last name for me, will you, love?" She gently requested.

"D-e-l-o-u-g-h-r-e-y." Ember slowly spelled, fidgeting aimlessly in her chair.

Why was she so damn anxious?

"The 'L' is capitalized, correct?"

"Yes." Ember dryly confirmed.

Evelyn merely nodded, neatly etching Ember's name onto the parchment as she hovered the tip of the pen over the next line.

"How're your mom and dad?" Evelyn wondered.

"Mom's dead. Haven't spoken to Dad."

Evelyn's features fell, her fingers applying a bit too much pressure to the pen as it collided with the paper. The ink bled cleanly through the thin sheet, creating a blue dot on the second page.

"My apologies, Ember." The elder woman stuttered, refocusing on the second line of the paperwork. "And will the child have a father?"

Ember bit roughly onto her lip, the metallic taste filling her senses as she drew a bit of blood.

"Yes." She breathed.

"Name?" Evelyn pried, gaze glued to the paper as her shoulders sat hunched.

Ember opened her mouth to speak, but a third voice beat her to it.

"Jackson Napier."

Ember's pulse quickened at the medolic sound of Joker's voice, a sinister smile creeping onto her lips as her neck snapped in the direction of the doorway.

The Joker lay lounged against the frame, left elbow balanced against the wood as his blood red Chelsea grin curled upwards. He was dressed in his usual theatrical get-up, thick, purple coat and all. His viridescent ringlets were vastly grown out, nearly faded entirely as dirty blonde curls framed his painted face.

He looked remarkably handsome and extroardinarily fuckable.

Evelyn's neck snapped up at the mention of Jackson's name, the peculiar boy who used to follow Ember around like a lost puppy.

The elder womans gaze met Joker's tall frame, brows knitting together in dubiety as her mouth suddenly went dry.

"Oh my god." She immediately panicked, propelling herself backwards in the chair as she shuffled against the wall–as if that would possibly save her at this point...

Joker strut into the petite room, tugging the door closed with gloved fingers as Evelyn swiftly pried open the desk drawer, fishing around for her cell phone.

Within mere moments, Joker retrieved his full-auto Glock 17 from behind his back, pointing the silver pistol directly at Evelyn's face as he slowly approached her desk.

"Ah-ta-ta." He manically scolded, the frail womans arms shooting upwards in surrender as she cowered in her swivel chair.

"The cops can't save you, doll." Joker snipped, reaching forward to rip the cell phone from the drawer. In one fluid motion, the clown whipped the mobile phone across the room, where it collided harshly with the drywall and tumbled to the floor in several pieces.

Evelyn let out a strangled cry as the madman claimed the corded phone, ripping it from the wall as that, too, joined the broken heaps of plastic on the floor.

"It's just us, Eve-lyn." He drawled, the pistol still pointed directly at the elder womans face, aiming cleanly between her widened eyeballs.

"Please tell me this is some kind of fucked up dream." The woman began to sob, bottom lip quivering in angst as Joker let out a sarcastic cackle.

"Oho, don't you fucking wish it was, bitch." He spat through a mouthful of giggles, lowering the gun to his side as he began to pace the room.

"This little-uh, meeting is way overdue."

"You're Jackson?" Evelyn scoffed.
"What in the fuck happened to you? What did that woman who adopted you do to you?"

Joker instinctively lurched forward at Evelyn's inquiry, startling both the older woman and Ember as they consecutively flinched in their chairs.

The madman's palms met the oak desk, accidentally brushing against several manila folders as they fell to the floor. His painted brows knit tightly together, already dark eyes darkening even more as they glared deeply into Evelyn's soul.

"Don't you ever speak illy of my mother ever again." He deeply threatened, the tone of his voice shifting to a throaty growl as Evelyn swiftly nodded in response.

"I-I'm sorry, Joker, sir–"

"That's better." Joker cooed, retracting his palms from the wood as he finally acknowledged Ember's presence in the room.

"Hello, darling." Joker mused, lips tugging into a sincere grin as the gun slapped loosely against his side. Evelyn watched, mouth agape, as Joker approached the pink-cheeked girl, dipping downward to press a not-so-innocent, open-mouthed kiss to her lips.

The elder woman openly scoffed at the sight, Joker's tongue barrelling into Ember's mouth with ease as her hand claimed his jaw, deepening the kiss. They acted as if Evelyn wasn't even present.

"Ember!" She cried, mortified by the fact that the younger woman could even be with a man as deranged as the fucking Joker.

The painted-face man hastily tugged away from his girl, a strand of spit connecting their lips for only a moment before colliding with Ember's chin. She wiped the discarded spit from her chin as the elder woman sat across from them, absolutely appalled.

"How can you be with him? He's a-a–freak!"

Ember stood immediately to her feet, palms clamping down on the desk rather loudly as Evelyn flinched in retaliation.

"Don't fucking call him that!"

"I-I'm sorry—"

"No you're not." Ember scoffed, a sarcastic laugh tumbling from her lips as she shook her head from side to side. "You've always judged him. He came to you, trusting you when he wanted help with the voices in his head. And what did you do?"

"I—"

"You just had to blab to Xavier about it. You fucking disgust me." Ember spat, fingers curling into fists at her sides.

"Calm down, love." Joker uttered, leathered fingers grazing against her bare bicep as she openly shuddered upon impact.

"Y'know," He began, waving the gun in the air to further enunciate his speech. "I really never understood why you punished me, when I obeyed you and wore this fucking necklace everyday."

Joker's free hand claimed his theatrical tie, tugging the material loose from his neck as he skillfully unbuttoned the top few buttons of his dress shirt.

Evelyn's eyes widened at the sudden sight of the paper plane pendant, which was being torn from underneath Joker's shirt by purple gloved fingers. Ember followed pursuit, digging underneath her top to reveal the identical chain that sat around her neck.

"Holy shit." The woman gawked, shocked that the duo before her still wore the twin necklaces she'd bought them for their tenth birthday. "You both still wear those?"

"Every fucking day." Ember pressed.
"Even when we were apart for fifteen years, all thanks to you."

"Me?" Evelyn scoffed.
"What did I do?"

"Joker, just let me shoot her in the fucking face, will you?" Ember snipped, fingers outstretching to claim the gun. Joker, however, was one step ahead of her, as he tugged the pistol from her reach.

"Now, now, doll." He politely rebuked.
"Miss Evelyn has a little lesson to learn first."

Joker brushed past the shivering woman, circling around the desk as he slowly approached a violently shaken Evelyn.

He lowered to his knees before her, elbows resting on the elder womans knees as he pointed the gun directly at her face once more, the magazine resting uncomfortably on her leg.

"So-uh, tell me, Evelyn. Why didn't yah give me any of Em's letters, hm?" Joker demanded, tongue caressing his scarred lip as his gaze bore directly into hers.

Evelyn couldn't help but gawk at the gruesome scars that lined Jackson's cheeks. The man sitting crouched before her was nothing like the Jackson she'd known...

What in the fuck happened to him?

"Jackson—"

Evelyn's lips sealed the moment the name left them, the gun pressed painfully against her ribcage as Joker nearly shook in rage.

"It's Joker to you, fucker." He growled, digging the pistol into her ribs as she winced.

"S-Sorry, Joker." She choked, the pistol finally leaving her chest as her fingers met the surface, rubbing circles to soothe the aching flesh.

"I don't know how-uh, blind you were back then, but lil fifteen-year-old me was madly in love with the pretty set'a legs over there."

Evelyn glanced dubiously in Ember's direction, wild eyes meeting hers as she simply shrugged in response. She'd taken her seat on the carob-tinted plush chair once again, lanky legs crossed as she thoroughly enjoyed the little show.

"We also fucked in my bed." Ember giggled.

A stupid grin spread across Joker's cheeks, his weight shifting from each leg as he mindlessly chewed on his bottom lip.

"My-my-my," He giggled.
"That was a grea-t night." The man remenisced, clearly picturing himself as a teenager, so shy... so dainty... he hadn't even known what to do.

"You're lying." Evelyn snipped.

At that, Joker's haunting, throaty laugh erupted, sending chills down both womens spines.

Although Ember loved every single piece of that wild man, that laugh still made the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up.

Joker tossed his head back in glee, nearly toppling backwards as he almost lost his balance.

"Oho," He sang through a fit of giggles.
"We really aren't."

The laugh ceased, his gaze refocusing as the silly grin still sat on his lips. "But," He added, brows raising as the lines on his forehead began to crinkle. That damn tongue had left the depths of his mouth once again, barely grazing the corner of his lips before disappearing from sight.

That tick of his was quite distracting...

"If you don't-uh, believe us," Joker mused, glancing in Ember's direction. "I can always fuck her righ-t on your desk to prove-ah poin-t."

"Oh God," Evelyn grimaced.
"Please don't."

Quite frankly, the visuals of Ember even touching this disgusting man was enough to make Evelyn want to projectile vomit. Their little spit-swapping session had already burned a hole into the womans mind.

"Tell me, Eve-lyn... why did you keep those letters from me?"

The woman squeezed her eyelids shut, vivid memories of receiving Ember's letters for Jackson littering her mind. She thought she was doing it for his own good...

Thick tears escaped from either eye, her chest beginning to ache as Joker sat patiently at her knees.

"I thought I did it for your own good. You were so dependent on her. You needed some independence and you needed to grow up and move on." Evelyn cried.

Joker smacked his lips together in response, eyes rolling slightly in their sockets as he fiddled with the gun in his grasp.

"That-uh, wasn't your decision to make." He murmured.

"I know and I'm—"

However, Joker hadn't allowed her to finish that sentence.

His fist had promptly met the curve of her nose, shattering the cartilage underneath the skin as blood immediately began to ooze from her nostrils. Evelyn cried out in pain, cupping her profusely bleeding nose as her vision blurred with tears.

Joker removed himself from her knees, pacing the room briskly as he muttered inaudibly, contemplating what he should do to Evelyn.

"You can't kill me! What about the children?" She sobbed, the blood oozing into her mouth is it muffled her words.

"They'll find them a new orphanage. Don't worry, as soon as you're dead, I'll be sure to let CPS know about your suicide." Ember retorted.

"M-My–suicide?"

"I'm actually feeling a bi-t generous today." Joker stated, his fingers toying with his bottom lip as his gaze fixated once more on Evelyn's.

"I'm going to let you choose."

Joker tore his hand from his painted face, thrusting it into the depths of his plum coat. He drew out a basic switchblade, differing slightly from his favorite, vibrant purple one. This one, unlike the other, had a plain, brown handle, with a freshly sharpened blade.

He thrust both objects, the knife and the gun, into the air simultaneously, as if to ask the woman to choose one of them.

Evelyn trembled violently in her chair, shaking her head as she continued to cup her bleeding nose.

"P-Please don't d-do this." She pleaded.

"Listen here," Joker growled, reapproaching the desk with a deadly object in each hand. "You took the one thing that mattered most to me away. D'you really think I'm going to let that slide?"

"You have for the p-past fifteen years!" The elder woman chirped.

"Maybe I should just se-t this whole office on fire instead." Joker contemplated, tapping the dull side of the blade against his chin as he impatiently paced the room.

Ember still sat in her chair, hands folded in her lap as she awaited the well-deserved death of the woman who tore them apart.

"You're both fucking psychotic." Evelyn grumbled, the bleeding beginning to slow from her nostrils as she exchanged glances between the two.

"Like two peas in a pod." Joker grinned, his glare softening as he admired the beautiful woman who sat calmly beside him.

"God, I love you." He mused, heartbeat accelerating in his chest the moment the words left his lips.

The following scene appeared to move in slow motion. Ember craned her neck to meet Joker's, a hearty grin plastered on her features at the sound of those glorious words escaping his mouth. The moment they had, however, prompted him to immediately decide Evelyn's fate.

Ember flinched as the knife whizzed cleanly past her ear, crossing the room with ease as it extravagantly traveled through the air.

A slight gurgle left Evelyn's lips, Ember's stare flickering in the womans direction as her jaw fell lax at the sudden sight.

The knife sat lodged in center of the womans chest, a red hue coating her dress as it began to rapidly soak the material.

Ember's jaw fell slack at the sight, mortified, yet somewhat intrigued by how effortlessly Joker had tossed the knife.

He had frighteningly good aim...

The color quickly drained from Evelyn's face, her fingers lacing around the knife as her breaths emerged in short pants. The thick, oozing blood from her nose had coated her lips and chin, dribbling downward to meet the growing mess of blood that emerged on the skin of her chest.

Ember's eyes sat transfixed on the dying woman, chest beginning to ache as her heartbeat drastically increased. She faintly noticed Joker tugging on her shoulder, but she was too captivated by the sight of Evelyn dying before her.

"Holy fuck." The woman gasped, hands beginning to shake as she witnessed Evelyn take her last breath, eyelids laid ajar as she stilled in her chair.

Joker tugged harder on the collar of her shirt, shifting the material lopsided as her breath cleanly escaped her lungs.

"Come on." He urged, tearing her from the chair as she struggled to break her stare from the dead woman before her.

This woman had given both of them a home for over ten years. She'd bought them the necklaces that they'd both never taken off. She was, at one time, an amazing woman. However, as Ember grew older, she'd learned that Evelyn really wasn't a good person at all.

Both Joker and Ember stumbled from the office, the madman closing the door tightly on their heel to ensure that the children did not see their foster parent in that condition.

"You need to call CPS." He grunted, ushering the woman out the back door of the building as they rapidly approached the sleek black SUV parked beneath an oak tree.

"Evelyn's dead." Ember stammered, glancing over her shoulder to view the drastically large building that she once called home.

"Excellent observation." Joker droned, shoving the woman into the vehicle before climbing into the drivers side.
"Call CPS. Now."

Ember finally obeyed, digging her mobile from her back pocket as she dialed Child Protective Service's number.

As the phone rang mindlessly in her ear as the woman glanced one last time in the rearview mirror, watching the elegant home fade into the distance, along with what remained of her childhood.