Behind the Scars
Paying Up
The Joker pulled his vibrating phone out of his pocket as he glanced over at the sleeping Allie. He walked into the kitchen, where he would still be able to see her, but his voice wouldn't be too loud. He didn't want to wake her. He flipped open the phone and Trey's voice greeted him.
"Boss." Trey spoke.
"Yeah?"
"Maroni's still in Gotham. Ace followed his wife and son around today. I don't think he's up to anything right now. He tends to lay low when their in town."
"Just keep your eye open." The Joker said, "Any sign of Deuce?"
"Nope, I think he may be a dead man boss."
The Joker allowed his tongue to dart over his scars as he thought about Deuce. He was a skilled fighter, a had a brilliant mind. He could also take a bullet with ease. The Joker was confused as to how King, the weakest man he had escaped over Deuce. He sighed, knowing he would need to recruit a new team if he had any chance at taking over Maroni.
"Okay-- Phone back later." The Joker said.
"You got it."
The Joker hung up his phone and then looked in the living room and saw Allie still sleeping. He looked over at the nailed up window and groaned. He was a man of his word, and she had won fair and square. He began making his way up the stairs in search of the hammer. He found it in the room he and Trey had been staying in. He started with the upstairs, taking down each and every nail that held the windows shut. He began to wonder if she would try to escape. Would she catch him asleep and make a run for it?
Allie heard a sound coming from upstairs. She once again looked around, and then discovered the downstairs area was empty. She began making her way up the stairs. She heard a noise coming from her bedroom. She pushed the door open and saw The Joker taking the wood off from her window. She crossed her arms over her chest, and smiled as she leaned against the wall and watched him.
He felt eyes on him and turned around. The hammer was in one hand, and a wooden plank in the other. He held up the wood.
"I told you. I'm a man of my word."
"I believed you." She said.
He turned around and finished up the window, and then walked past her and headed down the stairs. She sighed. What was his problem? Could he not have a conversation with her? It was almost as if he was avoiding her. She followed him downstairs and watched as he repeated the process of removing the barriers. He was actually paying up, which surprised her.
"So, how long do you think it'll take?" She ask.
"What will take?"
"The Maroni thing."
"I don't know. . . Days, Weeks, Months. It just all depends." He said.
WEEKS? MONTHS? He was going to stay here for that long?
"And you're staying here that long?" She questioned.
He turned around and looked at her, placing the hammer on the shelf near him.
"You have a problem with me being here?" He ask.
He didn't know if he was asking for intimation purposes, or just asking because he wanted to know the answer.
"I don't care, honestly." She admitted.
"You don't?" He ask, raising an eyebrow.
"Not really. As long as you done harm me, I'm fine with company." She said walking into the kitchen and opening up the refrigerator.
She pulled out a container of strawberries and then placed them in the sink, and ran some water over them. She picked one of the berries up and placed it in her mouth. He was watching her every movement. Did she not realize what eating a strawberry could do to a man? He licked over his lips as he tore his eyes away from her. She was far too tempting.
"Don't you work?" He ask.
"Nope-- I'm on an extended vacation right now." She said.
"How do you pay bills?" He ask.
"My mom left me money behind."
"And once that's gone."
She shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I'll go back to work."
"Where did you work before you took this 'extended vacation'?" He ask.
"I worked at a day care."
"With a bunch of little brats?" He ask.
She giggled, "They all aren't brats-- but yes, with children." She said.
"Brats." He corrected her.
She rolled her eyes playfully, "What'd you do. . . you know-- before you became 'The Joker'?" She questioned him.
"Nothing." He said.
"Really?" She ask, stunned.
"Yes."
"How long have you uh. . ."
"Nearly a decade." He said.
She nodded her head. If he wanted to explain or elaborate on the story then he would do that in his own time.
"So, need help with the windows?" She ask.
"You gonna knock me in the head with the hammer and run?" He questioned.
"What does it matter? Didn't you say you'd find me?" She ask.
He chuckled lightly, "You're becoming a real smart ass." He noted.
"It happens when you hang out with one." She said smirking.
He just grinned. Maybe his company wasn't so bad after all.
"Boss." Trey spoke.
"Yeah?"
"Maroni's still in Gotham. Ace followed his wife and son around today. I don't think he's up to anything right now. He tends to lay low when their in town."
"Just keep your eye open." The Joker said, "Any sign of Deuce?"
"Nope, I think he may be a dead man boss."
The Joker allowed his tongue to dart over his scars as he thought about Deuce. He was a skilled fighter, a had a brilliant mind. He could also take a bullet with ease. The Joker was confused as to how King, the weakest man he had escaped over Deuce. He sighed, knowing he would need to recruit a new team if he had any chance at taking over Maroni.
"Okay-- Phone back later." The Joker said.
"You got it."
The Joker hung up his phone and then looked in the living room and saw Allie still sleeping. He looked over at the nailed up window and groaned. He was a man of his word, and she had won fair and square. He began making his way up the stairs in search of the hammer. He found it in the room he and Trey had been staying in. He started with the upstairs, taking down each and every nail that held the windows shut. He began to wonder if she would try to escape. Would she catch him asleep and make a run for it?
Allie heard a sound coming from upstairs. She once again looked around, and then discovered the downstairs area was empty. She began making her way up the stairs. She heard a noise coming from her bedroom. She pushed the door open and saw The Joker taking the wood off from her window. She crossed her arms over her chest, and smiled as she leaned against the wall and watched him.
He felt eyes on him and turned around. The hammer was in one hand, and a wooden plank in the other. He held up the wood.
"I told you. I'm a man of my word."
"I believed you." She said.
He turned around and finished up the window, and then walked past her and headed down the stairs. She sighed. What was his problem? Could he not have a conversation with her? It was almost as if he was avoiding her. She followed him downstairs and watched as he repeated the process of removing the barriers. He was actually paying up, which surprised her.
"So, how long do you think it'll take?" She ask.
"What will take?"
"The Maroni thing."
"I don't know. . . Days, Weeks, Months. It just all depends." He said.
WEEKS? MONTHS? He was going to stay here for that long?
"And you're staying here that long?" She questioned.
He turned around and looked at her, placing the hammer on the shelf near him.
"You have a problem with me being here?" He ask.
He didn't know if he was asking for intimation purposes, or just asking because he wanted to know the answer.
"I don't care, honestly." She admitted.
"You don't?" He ask, raising an eyebrow.
"Not really. As long as you done harm me, I'm fine with company." She said walking into the kitchen and opening up the refrigerator.
She pulled out a container of strawberries and then placed them in the sink, and ran some water over them. She picked one of the berries up and placed it in her mouth. He was watching her every movement. Did she not realize what eating a strawberry could do to a man? He licked over his lips as he tore his eyes away from her. She was far too tempting.
"Don't you work?" He ask.
"Nope-- I'm on an extended vacation right now." She said.
"How do you pay bills?" He ask.
"My mom left me money behind."
"And once that's gone."
She shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I'll go back to work."
"Where did you work before you took this 'extended vacation'?" He ask.
"I worked at a day care."
"With a bunch of little brats?" He ask.
She giggled, "They all aren't brats-- but yes, with children." She said.
"Brats." He corrected her.
She rolled her eyes playfully, "What'd you do. . . you know-- before you became 'The Joker'?" She questioned him.
"Nothing." He said.
"Really?" She ask, stunned.
"Yes."
"How long have you uh. . ."
"Nearly a decade." He said.
She nodded her head. If he wanted to explain or elaborate on the story then he would do that in his own time.
"So, need help with the windows?" She ask.
"You gonna knock me in the head with the hammer and run?" He questioned.
"What does it matter? Didn't you say you'd find me?" She ask.
He chuckled lightly, "You're becoming a real smart ass." He noted.
"It happens when you hang out with one." She said smirking.
He just grinned. Maybe his company wasn't so bad after all.
♠ ♠ ♠
