Letters From Jack

Shopping

A week passed and she hadn't heard any news from Jack. She didn't know why he was staying away. She didn't quite understand the reasoning behind it. She understood that he might not be the same person that she had been in love with all of those years ago, but he also wasn't a completely different person. He wasn't the violent monster Gotham believed him to be. Somewhere deep down inside him, past all the face paint, and the famous purple suit was Jack Napier.

She took the final roller out of her hair, and then sprayed some holding spray on the curls. She fluffed them up a bit, and then placed a few bobby pins into her hair to make them hold a style. She was going out shopping today. She needed a few groceries, and she decided she might as well hit some of the clothing stores as well. Her sleeping patterns still hadn't returned to normal, but at least she was getting enough to function.

She fumbled with the knobs on the radio. The only thing that seemed to be playing was the news. She listened for his name, but for the seventh day in a row, it didn't come. It was almost as if he just disappeared. The town seemed calmer without him out terrorizing it.

She decided to hit the clothing stores first, and then she could shop for groceries before she went home. She walked into a rather fancy shop and looked around. The cashier kept bugging her about needing help, but she declined the offer several times. Couldn't she just look at the blouses in peace?

"Why hello Zoey." A voice came from behind her.

She turned around and starred into the blue orbs of Bruce Wayne. She flashed him a smile, and then picked up a blouse and observed it closer, "How have you been, Bruce?" She asked, still feeling his presence around her.

"I've been good, and you?"

"Fine."

"That's good. I haven't seen you since the party, I'm hoping the intruder didn't scare you."

She half smiled at him.He did at first, but after she discovered that Jack Napier, her past love was in fact the Joker, something inside her made all the fear wash away. The nightmares weren't even scary anymore. They seemed to have an alternate meaning behind them. A meaning she had yet to discover.

"Of course not. I'm a big girl." She said, flipping some hair over her shoulder, and then placing the blouse back on the rack. It didn't suite her taste.

"So, how is the modeling career going?" He asked, clearly trying to make conversation.

She sighed, "Good, I had a photo shoot a little over a week ago."

"I could drop a few words about you to some of my friends. . ." He offered.

She turned around and shook her head, "No, but thanks." She said.

If she became famous for modeling, then she wanted it to be for something she did. Not because some millionaire dropped a few good words about her to some sleazy man at the top of the modeling food chain.

"I'm hosting another party later this week. Would you like to escort me?" He finally asked.

She looked at him, and raised a brow. "Are you asking me on a date, Mr. Wayne?" She questioned.

He half smiled, and then nodded his head.

She gave him a soft smile in return, "Thanks again, but I'm sorry. I can't."

"I assure you that my intentions are innocent, Zoey."

She smiled, "I know they are Bruce," She said, placing her hand on his shoulder, "But it would be wrong of me to go on a date with you if I had no intentions to take it to a romantic level. I hope you have fun at your party. I'll see you around." With that sentence, she walked out of the store, leaving Bruce standing there longing after her.

He had always had any woman of his dreams, and now the one he wanted was rejecting him. He was determined to get a date with Zoey.

A couple of hours later, she pushed a buggy out of the grocery store, and piled all of the bags into her vehicle. She returned the buggy and then climbed back inside her car and drove home. She grabbed some of her bags and then walked towards her apartment door. She fumbled with the keys for a moment, but eventually opened it up. She walked inside, without really looking around and dropped the bags on the counter. She looked up, and gasped when she saw Jack sitting there on the stool.

He wasn't in his Joker attire. She had only saw him once in the purple outfit and that was the night of the party, before she really even knew who he was. He looked up at her, and she noticed his face was absent of any make-up that would cover his scars. For the first time, she got a very good look at them. They were rough and jagged, and looked as if they had been very painful.

"Jack. . ." She said, completely shocked that he would be there.

"Sort of let myself in." He said in a quiet voice.

She laughed quietly, "I see that. . . uhm, I'll be right back." She said, walking outside and getting the rest of the groceries. She walked back in, and kicked the door shut with her foot. Jack raised up from the stool and took the bags out of her hands and placed them on the counter. She began putting the groceries away in silence. He would help with some. He would take them out of the bags and hand the contents to her.

"Thanks." She said, as he handed her the gallon of orange juice.

"No problem." He mumbled.

Once all the groceries were put away, he jumped back up on the stool. She grabbed herself a bottle of cold water from the refrigerator, and took a seat on the stool beside him.

"So, why are you here?" She asked.
♠ ♠ ♠
Image