Would You Destroy Something Perfect, in Order to Make It Beautiful?

The closet was small and dark. I sat with my back against the side wall, and my legs bent to my chest. There were no coats or anything in here so there was nothing to distract me from my loneliness and boredom. After what seemed like hours, I felt something crawl on my leg. I flicked it away without thinking. It felt fuzzy. I screamed and stood up.

“Joker!” I screamed. “Let me out! There’s something in here! Joker!” I screamed, banging on the door. The door suddenly swung open and I fell forward into Joker. I pushed myself off of him and saw a small white mouse scurry back into the darkness.

“Really Doll?” he asked, mockingly.

“I didn’t know what it was! It’s dark in there and there is nothing to do!” I cried. He grabbed my arm and led me to the bedroom. He sat me on my side of the bed and pulled handcuffs out of the drawer of the table. He hooked my left hand in one of the cuffs, and the other cuff around the post of the bed frame.

“Really?” I groaned. He narrowed his eyes at me.

“Yes,” he growled. He walked to his side of the bed and laid down beside me.

“Jack… I just felt so guilty for breaking his hear and scaring him so much with my disappearance. He deserved to know the truth,” I remarked in a cautious tone.

“He doesn’t deserve you, or the truth. Fuck him. How dare he think he can kiss you and marry you,” he hissed more to himself than to me. His hands clenched into fists as he shook his head in disgust.

“Jack…” I whimpered, sensing his anger. It was like walking on eggshells, trying not to elicit the storm inside him. As he laid next to me, his dark eyes were intent on mine. He raised his arm, and I flinched, expecting him to backhand me. Instead he traced the side of my tear-stained cheeks, with a single ungloved finger. His soft caress sent shivers down my spine. I’d never seen his facial expression so soft, hurt, and concerned.

“I’m a monster,” he declared, gently running his fingers through my hair. “You flinch from my touch, because I’m a killer, I’m a villain. I wish I could take back every time I’ve ever caused you harm-physical and not,” he admitted, his voice wavering. I’d never seen Joker so…so human before. “I’ve wanted to hold you and protect you from all the evil in the world, since the first time we sat together all those years ago. Instead, I’ve been the cause of evil…” he remarked, his tone thick with pain and guilt.

“Jack,” I mumbled, but he interrupted me.

“Lillee… You don’t have to say anything. I know you love me, even if its hard for me to believe, because you chose evil ol’ me over the mighty Batman. It drives me crazy how beautiful you are, toots, inside and out. I don’t want to lock you in a closet, I just want you all to myself forever,” Jack concluded, with a pink flush coming over his cheeks.

“You have me, Jack. I’ve never wanted anyone as badly as I want and need you,” I confessed, my heart beating like I was on cocaine.

“Glad to know you think that. You’re forgiven then,” Jack declared, smiling at me.

“Um, wanna let me go then?” I asked, nudging to my hand cuffed to the bed post. His face changed into a mischievous smile as he crawled on top of me.

“Let’s wait awhile for that… I still have to punish you…” he murmured, kissing my neck and biting my collar bone. I gasped, which only made him kiss me more, everywhere except for on my mouth. I could hardly breathe, my stomach tied up in knots and goose bumps all down my body.

All of a sudden, he stopped kissing me and he retreated, a smile still on his face. I frowned at him which made him laugh.

“Lets put a smile on that pretty face, toots,” he said and placed his lips on mine. Right as I responded to it, he pulled away. “Goodnight Lils.”

“Goodnight,” I whispered. I laid still for awhile, unable to think about anything except for the fact that he was the most human I had seen him since his father gave him his eternal smile. That was over 10 years ago. I guess it goes to show that humanity stays with you, no matter what.

When I woke up in the morning, Jack’s side of the bed with empty, but I could see that the bathroom light was on.

“Jack!” I called. He stood in the doorway, half dressed.

“Yes Dollface?” he asked.

“Can I use the toilet?” I asked. He sighed and uncuffed me and led me to the bathroom. I did my business and Jack brought me back to the bed and cuffed me back up. “Why?”

“First, you’re still being punished, and second, some business men are coming here and I want to keep you safe.”

“Obviously I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to do this, why do I have to be here? There’s nothing to do,” I whined.

“I’m still punishing you for your stupidity. Watch TV,” he suggested.

“You broke it in one of your last tempter tantrums,” I reminded him. “Can one of the goons come up here?”

“Hell no. They are animals. What if one of them tries something?” he asked

“Ditzy wont,” I told him.

“I still haven’t forgotten what he did when I first brought them here.”

“The other night when Maroni’s man attacked me, he offered to come with, but I knew you’d say no,” I informed him, trying to get him to see that Ditzy was a good guy.

“We’ll see,” he grumbled and kissed my forehead.

“Can I at least get food?” I asked. He walked away and shut the door, leaving me alone. I sighed and laid down. I tried falling back asleep, but I wasn’t tired. I noticed a bobby pin on the floor.

“I slid off the bed and reached out, but my arm wasn’t long enough to reach it. I stretched out my leg but I couldn’t reach it that way either. Not even my toes could reach it. As my small toe touched the tip of it, the door burst open, causing me to jump back, and slam my back against the metal bed frame. I looked up and saw Ditzy with a tray of food in his hands.

“You okay?” he asked, kicking the door shut.

“Yeah,” I mumbled. He sat down across from me and set the food on the floor.

“Can you hand me that bobby pin please?” I asked, pointing to it. He picked it up and handed it to me. I got back on the bed and stuck the bent pin in it. After about a minute of jiggling at the lock, the cuffs opened. I sat back on the floor, rubbing my wrist.

“Wow, that was impressive,” he said.

“Thanks. Can I?” I asked, gesturing to the food.

“Yeah, I brought if for you.”

“Did Joker tell you to?” I asked, tearing off a small chunk of a bagel.

“Yeah. what’s going on between you two?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I countered.

“Bullshit. Tell me,” he persisted.

“I’m no answering that,” I replied, my mouth full of food.

“It doesn’t make sense that he keeps you around. Yeah you’re good at bombs, and stuff, but lately, you haven’t been going on many trips. And Batman kidnaps you and you end up in jail, and Bruce Wayne is looking for you. Who are you Doll? How are you connected to the 3 most powerful men in Gotham?”

“The reason Joker has me handcuffed in here is because I told Batman about Joker and I’s past,” I answered. Ditzy groaned.

“I’m not Batman though,” he said.

“I don’t care,” I declared. Ditzy was quiet.

“What’s your real name?” he asked after a short pause.

“What’s yours?” I questioned.

“I asked first,” he shot back.

“Doll,” I said.

“You’re so full of shit,” he said, shaking his head.

“Whatever. I just don’t want to tell you stuff like that,” I explained. He tolled his eyes and opened the bag of tortilla chips he brought. “Why did you want to help Joker?”

“Don’t want to tell you,” he retorted.

“Fine,” I shrugged.

“My fiancé left me 2 years ago and I fell apart. My cousin worked for the Mob and I got in the business. Got taught how to make bombs and then Joker came to Maroni and asked for men, and I countered with these other guys.”

“I’m sorry,” I told him. “Why did she leave?”

“Don’t know. I think her mom was sick, or her dad. I don’t remember. I try to forget. How did you get in the business?” he asked.

“He showed up at my doorstep as Joker and said what we he was doing and asked if I was in. I said kind of, told him I’d work for him part time. He was okay with that, but now I work for him full time,” I explained.

“How did he know him before?” he asked.

“Not saying. Old friends,” I said. He groaned.

“I don’t get you,” he confessed in a quiet tone.

“I’m just trying to save my ass. He’d kill me, not matter how much he loves me,” I blurted out. After I realized what I said, my eyes went wide and I rocked back, hitting my bad against the bed.

“Lovers, huh? Sex toy?” he teased.

“How dare you! We’ve never had sex. Forget what I said,” I told him.

“Hah! Yeah right,” he remarked, rolling his eyes. I glared back at him. Then I attacked him by pushing him back and wrapping my hands around his throat. My legs went on either side of his waist. He tried pushing me off and pushing me, but I kept my grip as he choked and coughed, gasping for air.