The Perfect Smile

Maddy walked in the house and took in the sweet smell of cinnamon. Penny must have been burning her candles earlier today since the smell was slowly fading. Maddy wondered through the house looking for her friend, only to find emptiness. She walked over noticing a white piece of paper with writing on the coffee table in the living room. She reached down and picked it up, smiling as she read it. Penny had a date with Bruce tonight, and said hopefully she wouldn't be back til late. Maddy knew what she meant by "hopefully", Penny just hoped that Bruce managed to stay on the entire day. Something about him made Maddy wonder, the pieces of his life just didn't fit together like they should.

Sighing she walked into her bathroom and ran some water, she had decided on a nice relaxing bubble bath. That always helped her remove any thoughts from her head and relax her body. She lowered her body into the water and instantly felt relaxed a bit. Although all of her thoughts didn't leave her head like she was expecting, oh no. One person still ran through her thoughts like he owned them. After realizing that he wasn't going to leave her mind any time soon, she removed herself from the bath. Getting herself dressed in some comfy clothes she decided to go ahead and fix some dinner for herself.


She sung along to the lyrics of a song on the radio as she drained her noodles a bit. She was enjoying her time alone. Normally Penny would be here around this time and the two girls would fix dinner together. It was nice having some alone time to fix exactly what she wanted. Once the noddles were drained she placed some in a bowl and then put some sauce on them and smiled picking up a fork and walking over to the couch. She was happy that she could just have a small simple dinner. The only downfall of living with Penny was that she liked to have big dinners even if most of the time they went to waste. Maddy never thought there was need to fix so many different things, unless a special occasion presented itself, but she did it always with Penny. Happy for one night she got away with some noodles and sauce.

She turned on the television and left it on the evening news. Then saw a breaking news report about Arkham. twirling her fork in the noodles she lifted them to her mouth and tasted them, while still watching the television. She smiled seeing as how they was talking about The Joker escaping while only being in Arkham for 6 hours, making a record. She watched as Jim Gordon spoke into the camera.

"We are doing everything we can to get this man back behind bars. We feel that some reason he wanted to be caught, and was behind everything. We're now investigating everything in Arkham and we have evacuated everyone."

Maddy couldn't help but to laugh at them thinking Jack was probably going to blow the place up. Now if anyone knew the real reason why he let the cops catch him then the shit would certainly hit the fan. She continued to watch the news report as they switched subjects and started to talk about the weather. She heard a light knock and wondered what it was coming from. She stood up placing her bowl down on the coffee table and walked over to the wooden door. She peaked out the glass window on the door and saw no one there. She turned around hearing the same small knock again and pondered to where it could be coming from. It almost seemed as if it wasn't on wood, but on a different surface. She walked and peaked in each and every room, her bed room being the last one. Just as she walked in her bedroom she heard it once again, louder than before. Grabbing her gun off the dresser she walked over to her window. She pulled back the curtain, ready to shoot when she saw Jack standing there with a smirk on his face. She unlatched the lock on the window and opened it allowing him to come in.

Jack: Since when do you lock your window?
Maddy: Uhm. Since I want to remain safe.
Jack: Told you, you'd shoot me.

He said pointing to the gun that she was holding in her right hand. She rolled her eyes sitting it down on the dresser once again and walked over re-locking the window. She was so paranoid now, especially since she hadn't had Jack there to protect her. Her safely was up to her and Penny, and now that Penny was so focused on Bruce, she knew that she was on her own.

Jack: Penny here?
Maddy: Nope, she has a date with Bruce Wayne.
Jack: The millionaire?
Maddy: Mhmm.
Jack: Wow, never would've thought Cat Woman would be into such a.. wimpy boy.
Maddy: You don't know that he's a wimp.
Jack: I'm sure he is.

Maddy only rolled her eyes and walked out of her bedroom and back over to the couch, picking up her bowl from the coffee table wanting to finish her dinner. Jack walked out of the room and she noticed he was in full Joker make-up and clothing. She knew that he had escaped Arkham, but wondered why he was in full costume now.

Maddy: What, did you have a job or something?
Joker: You could say that.

He was debating on if he should tell her exactly where he had been. He had to go back to the hideout and check on his men, to make sure that Zachary was still in fact there. He didn't know if he should tell her about him or not, he didn't even know if he should tell her about Carol or not. He watched as she raised a fork of noodles to her mouth and ate her dinner. Even though she was stuffing her face full of noodles she was still beautiful to him.

Maddy: You want some?
Joker: I think I'll pass.
Maddy: What? Don't think my cooking is as good as yours?

He smiled remembering how he was the one who cooked for them at his house. Sure, she had helped some, but he had done most of it. He had never had anyone else cook for him so he wasn't used to having a person want to. He left home really early and learned much stuff on his own.

Joker: I'm just not hungry.
Maddy: When was the last time you ate?
Joker: Why are you hammering me on this?
Maddy: It's conversation, isn't it.

He laughed walking over and took a seat down beside her on the couch. She finished her noodles, got up walked over and placed the bowl in the sink and returned back to her seat on the couch.

Maddy: You know.. they think you're blowing up Arkham.
Joker: Really now?
Maddy: Mhmm, so I'll probably get a call anytime now to go and work at some lame ass place, since we can't go there because it's under investigation now. Thanks so much, Jack.

She replied sarcastically. He smirked though looking over at her noticing for the first time that she was in her lounge clothes. She really did like to feel comfortable, he thought to himself studying her clothing. Her shirt didn't quite go down over the top of her pants, so a bit of her stomach was revealed. He didn't want his eyes to travel any further, knowing that they would soon get him in trouble.

Maddy: Jack, why didn't you want to be around me anymore?

She ask bringing him completely out of his stare. He looked up at her and scrunched his eyes a bit wondering what exactly she was talking about. Had he ever said he didn't want to be around her? No, he just said he couldn't no this anymore.

Joker: I never said I didn't want to be around you.
Maddy: But you said you couldn't do this anymore.
Joker: I was the reason you was in danger all the time.
Maddy: No you wasn't! My father was! You was the only damned reason I stayed alive.
Joker: I shot you.
Maddy: Trying to save me from The Riddler.
Joker: I still shot you though, I caused you pain.
Maddy: You caused me more pain when you left.

He looked up hearing her say that and couldn't help but feel what little bit of a heart he had break. How could him simply leaving hurt her? He thought that it would make her happy. She could move on with her life and not have to worry about some psycho clown being around her all the time.

Joker: Why'd it hurt you when I left?
Maddy: Because if you hadn't noticed... I.. I uh, damn it Jack. You know I had feelings for you.
Joker: You had feelings for me?
Maddy: I still do.

She said looking over at him with her eyes glazed over. He looked into them and it almost brought tears to his own eyes. She still cared about him after five months of being away he thought. What kind of feelings is a woman going to have after five months of not even seeing a man?

Joker: What kind of feelings?
Maddy: I.. I love you, Ok? I do, I don't know when it started, I don't know where it started. I just know I do.

Her words seemed to sting him. Not because she loved him, no that made him the happiest man alive. It was because he had pushed her away for five months. He couldn't believe that he had just heard her utter those three words. Those three incredible words that he had once heard from Jeannie. Only this time, he felt so strong because of the words. Although it was hard for him to believe how such a woman as Madeline Hudson loved a man such as him... The Joker.

Joker: You love me?
Maddy: I do.
Joker: Then I think I should be honest with you.

She prepared herself to hear those three words to, she longed to hear them. She knew that they was the glue to properly patch her heart back together. She inhaled waiting to hear them, wanting to hear them, needing to hear them.

Joker: Now, I didn't lie to you, Princess. I got lied to myself.

She scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion, wondering how that sentence had to do with him telling her he loved her. But she listened anyways wondering what he was going to say next.

Joker: Your mother isn't dead.

He spat out and her eyes widened. She had expected to hear that he loved her, only now she found out that her mother was alive? Nothing made sense. He had told her that her mother was dead!

Maddy: But you said..
Joker: Maroni lied to me.
Maddy: How do you know she's alive.
Joker: I kidnapped Maroni's son.
Maddy: And what does that have to do with my mom?
Joker: Your mom is also his mother.

Maddy's mouth opened wide in shock. Her mother was alive and she had a brother that she didn't even know about? Even though he was a half brother, he was still a brother. She couldn't help but to let her emotions get the better of her and let a few tears slip down her cheeks. The best thing of it all was Jack had pulled her close and ran his finger through her hair. Whispering how he was sorry for lying to her, and promised that he would punish Maroni for everything he had put her through and for lying to him. One part of Maddy was thrilled that her mother wasn't dead, and she actually had a younger brother but another part of her was sad, she wanted to hear those words from him so much. She needed to know how he felt. She just wondered when he would tell her, if he would ever tell her.