The Perfect Smile

After a quick shower and a change of clothes that Penny went and got. Maddy and the Joker were ready to go away for two weeks. She had to admit she was worried though. She had obligations. She had a job. She had school, even though she was still out for over a month. She had so many things going on. Penny had informed her though that she was now considered a "Missing Person". Penny was now gone from the hideout and Maddy sit there at the table waiting for The Joker to come down. She head noise coming down the stairs and looked up. She was almost taken back by his appearance. He didn't have his make-up on. No purple suit. Not even the hexagon shirt. He was in a pair of jeans and a hoodie with his hair tied back into a small pony tail/bun. He actually looked like a presentable human being.

Maddy: I didn't think you liked being without your makeup.
Joker: I'm on vacation.

She looked at up at him and noticed one thing. The scars wasn't as visible as they were in Arkham that day. Getting a closer look she realized that he must have put some kind of concealer or make-up over them to hide them.

Joker: Ready?

He ask and Maddy only followed him with a nod. They then both walked out of the door. The Joker locked it as Maddy walked down and got inside the jeep. He walked around and climbed in the drivers side and entered in key into the ignition and soon pulled out of the drive way. She looked out at Gotham as it passed by. They had probably been driving for over 40 minutes before he finally spoke.

Joker: Aren't you even worried about where we're going?
Maddy: Not really.. it can't be worse than Gotham.
Joker: If you hate it so much why do you stay?

Maddy looked over at him and pondered on the question he had just ask her. She honestly didn't know the answer. She guessed it was because of her father.

Maddy: I guess because of Dad.
Joker: I have to admit.. your dad isn't one of my most favorite people.
Maddy: He's not one of mine anymore.
Joker: Just because he deals with the mob?
Maddy: It's more than that..

Maddy just leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. She hated thinking back to when her mother abandoned her but sometimes certain things made her remember them.

[flash back - Maddy was five years old]

Maddy stood there hiding behind the kitchen table as the man held a knife to her mother's throat. Her mom made her promise that no matter what she heard or seen that she would never come forward or make a sound. Most of the time her mother would just take the mystery man into a bedroom, but this time he wanted to talk.

Maddy's Mother, Carol had been cheating on Joe for years. Cheating on him with all the wrong men. Maddy noticed one man that would come over the most though. His name was Sal, or at least that's what she heard her mother call him. His job was being apart of the mob. Now Maddy at the young age she was didn't understand what the mob was. The thunder roared from outside as she watched the man move towards her mother.

Sal: You're coming with me, Carol!
Carol: Sal! I have a child to think about.. I can't just leave.
Sal: No one ever tells a Maroni no.

He then got up close to her and Maddy couldn't hear what he whispered in her ear. Carols eyes filled with tears and she just nodded her head yes towards him. She walked out with that man.. and never returned.

Later that evening when Joe arrived home from work, he found his daughter but not his wife. Maddy went to him crying telling him what she had saw. Although with her only being five years old he didn't know if it was the truth or if it was just her imagination having the best of him.

Maddy: No Daddy! I swear, A Sal.. Sal.. Maroni took Mommy! He's a Mob person!

Joe held his small little daughter on his lap and rubbed his finger over her eyes moving the tears away. She was so young, and for her to notice this and understand it was not fair.

Maddy: Daddy, please don't let him come after me.

She said. It broke Joe's heart to see his little girl scared of someone.

Joe: I promise you sweetie, no one is going to come after you, especially the mob.

Joe just told everyone she left, which actually she did leave. She left with mob member Sal Maroni. That's why Maddy held so much hatred inside her for the mob. They had ruined her family. That's why she was both angry with her father and Matt. Each man knew how much she hated the mob and anyone associated with them, then she found out they were both working for them.
[end flashback]

After another hour or so she noticed that he pulled into a small parking lot. She looked up and saw a Wal-Mart sign. She looked over at him confused for a minute. Wal-mart? Why are they at wal-mart, she thought.

Maddy: What are we doing here?
Joker: Well.. we'll need some things. Plus, don't you need clothing?

He was right. They would probably need food, and Maddy did need clothing. She only had the clothes on her back. She got out of the jeep and he handed her a pair of sunglasses. She raised an eyebrow to him.

Joker: You're a missing person, remember.

She giggled a bit remembering and placed the large glasses over her face. She walked in behind him. They entered the store and he immediately walked back towards food with a buggy. He started placing a lot of different foods into the buggy. Maddy just walked behind him with her head towards the ground. She felt so uncomfortable. Soon the buggy was filled with all different kinds of foods.

Joker: Now let's go get you some things.

He said walking towards the womens department of the store. He told her to pick out some clothes. She just sighed and walked over to her size and tossed a few shirts into the buggy, followed by a few pair of jeans. She turned her head at giggling coming from a pair of teenage boys who was about two feet away. They was each holding up a thong and laughing at it. Maddy laughed too, and walked over. Picking up some underwear that was her size she also placed it in the buggy.

Joker: We'll be away two weeks.. shouldn't you get more than two pairs of jeans, a few tops, and a pack of undies?

She raised an eyebrow at him as he looked at the size of her shirt. He then made his way over and started tossing shirts of his liking into the buggy, then he done the same thing with the pants, and so on.

Maddy: You're not picking out my underwear.
Joker: And why not, I've already got my eye on some right over there.

He said pointing to some paintings on the bottom row. Maddy just smiled and shaked her head. She looked up and saw a genuine smile on his face. Then a smirk appeared and he walked over and picked out panties, regardless of what she had just told him. He tossed him into the buggy and let a smile take form on his lips. She sighed and shook her head, not believing that he had just picked out panties for her. He pushed the buggy towards the front check out.

After about a twenty minute drive they had finally reached their destination, or at least Maddy had thought so. He brought the Jeep to a halt and got out. He then walked up to a large gate. Maddy looked around and saw a large stone wall surrounding the property. She saw him walk over and punch something into a small keypad. Then the gates opened. He got back inside the jeep and started it back up and drove it through the gates, and once they was through they closed shut. He then continued to drive up a drive way. Maddy's eyes got really wide when she looked at the home, or should she say Mansion.



Maddy: Is it yours?
Joker: You know.. sometimes even criminals like the finer things in life.
Maddy: I thought you was one who didn't care about money.
Joker: I don't care about the money.
Maddy: Then why do you have a mansion.
Joker: Sometimes even I want a little vacation every now and then, Maddy.

He said as he parked the Jeep and climbed outside. He reached down in his jean pocket and pulled a key out of the from them and walked up the steps and placed it into the lock. He then pushed open the large wooden door and smiled. It was the only thing he had ever really used his money for.

Maddy walked inside and her mouth dropped at the inside. It was even more beautiful than the outside. She couldn't believe that he owned this. It was probably stolen, she thought to herself as she watched him walk over and flip on the light switch.

Maddy: Let me guess, you send in your bills once a month too?
Joker: Actually, they just come out of an account I have set up. I told them I'm not always in town so they just take it out. We need to pack in the stuff, let's go.

He said as they both walked back down and started picking up bags and packing them inside. She started placing the groceries in the cabinets and the refrigerator while he just grabbed an apple and started biting into it as he jumped up on the counter and watched as she tried to place things perfectly in the cabinet.

Joker: That won't work with me. You see.. I'm a man with no order.
Maddy: And I'm a woman with order, so if we'd rather not bite each others heads off then we'll need to come to agreements.
Joker: I don't make agreements.

He spat out while taking another bite of the apple. She just shook her head once again and rolled her eyes placing some other stuff into the cabinets. Once everything was sorted through she walked over and picked up the bags that was filled with the clothing they had bought at wal-mart.

He walked over behind her and picked up a few as he walked in front of her so he could go and show her to a room. Maddy followed him through a hallway and noticed that besides some certain furniture that there wasn't much in the house. It seemed empty. He opened a large wooden door and showed her inside. She looked around and noticed it just had a bed and a dresser, along with a mirror.

Maddy: Such a big house to be so empty.
Joker: I'm a man of simple taste.
Maddy: Who'd you buy it from?
Joker: Real Estate person.. supposedly some hot shot celebrity owned it before.
Maddy: Hmm.
Joker: Well this is your room for the time being. Mine is two doors up if you need me.

With that he was gone. Maddy un-packed her clothes into the dresser and looked around a bit more. She had a wonderful view of the front yard. She still couldn't believe that he owned such a nice place. It was almost unreal. She thought that he would bring her to some run down house out of town, but instead he brought her to a mansion. She walked over and took a wife beater and some plaid sleeping pants out of the dresser and changed into them so she could get a good nights sleep.

He walked into the room and pulled the hoodie over his head. He walked over to a desk and turned on the cameras. He had over 20 cameras installed on the property, well he didn't. Whoever was here before him did. They showed everything surrounding it, and even the entrance to the house. He thought it'd be a good idea to place his bedroom in this room just encase. He yawned looking at the cameras and saw nothing out of the ordinary. He unbuttoned and unzipped his pants leaving him in a pair of pale blue boxers. He walked over and pulled down the covers and got inside the bed. He really did miss this place. It was so peaceful, but he knew that he liked the life of crime a bit more, it was exciting and always kept him on his feet.

.........

Maddy's eyes shot open as she heard the thunder roar through the skies. She looked over at the window and jumped back at the sight of lights coming through. The thunder roared again and she winced. She hated the thunder, every since she was young. It reminded her of the night her mother walked out. She's hated it every since. She tossed the covers off her legs and got off the bed. She just couldn't take it anymore. Normally, when the thunder roared she'd go in and wake up her father. He would always comfort her, but now who would comfort her?

"two doors up if you need me."

That sentence rang in her ear. She got up and walked out of her door and past the first door. She walked up to the second one and started pushing it open very gently.. trying not to make too many sounds. She tip toed in slowly and looked over at him on the bed. She smiled when she saw he was sleeping, and that he had finally removed that make-up that was blocking the world from his scars. She liked them, she thought they added a certain appeal to him. She walked over a bit further and kept the smile on her face. Suddenly, his eyes shot open. He was a very light sleeper.

Joker: What are you doing here?
Maddy: The Thunder.. it scares me.

His eyes got wide and he looked at her not understanding how a sound from the skies scared her. After everything she has been through, the thunder scares her. He laughed at her fear.

Maddy: It's not funny!
Joker: No, it's hilarious.

He mocked back towards her.

Joker: What am I suppose to do? Make it stop?

She rolled her eyes and turned around. She should have known better than to come for him for comfort! He was a raging psychopath who killed many innocent people, and here she was going to him because she was scared of thunder? She was so disappointed in herself. She couldn't believe that she thought that he could possibly be human towards her...

"Maddy, wait.."

Was all she heard before she got ready to walk out of the door. She froze in her steps and closed her eyes.. What was she getting herself into?