Big Bad Joke
How to save a life.
"He turned on me because I lied to him," I said softly as I stood up and slowly began to walk across the street, I don't know why but I had the sudden urge to go stare at the screen for ages. I could hear Mikey's protest, the cars blaring horn and people screaming at me for being an idiot. But I ignored it and stepped up on the curb; I turned to the right and began to walk down the sidewalk, watching the little boy as he played with the ball.
"Bounce," he repeated every now and then when he threw the ball against the brick building, I smiled softly as he chased after the ball after it hit his shins and rolled away. My smile faded as it kept rolling and fell off the sidewalk curb into the street. That's when my walk turned into a sprint; he was running for the busy street where a large banking truck was flying down the road towards him. I jumped the curb and grabbed hold of the little boy, pulling him into my chest, he was small, probably two or three and tiny for his age. He curled into my chest with a whimper as I stood there, putting my life on the line. I'd probably be killed, ran over but I wouldn't let him get hit without me, it didn't seem right.
Right as the banking truck spotted us, it slammed on the brakes and the screeched was deafening, I closed my eyes and held onto the boy tighter, readying for the strike. But it never came; it stopped right behind my back. I slowly turned around, my hair falling into my face as my breathing came out in heavy heaves, and the little boy had turned to crying now as I held him against me, his body forming to my chest. Inside the cab of the truck was someone all too familiar, Harley Quinn, she smirked as she turned to her left, then frowned. I followed her gaze and gasped at the sight of Jack, his face not done up in make-up, his scars very prominent through the glass.
That was all I seen for about two minutes and then I was being dragged out of the street by my shoulders, Mikey had me in her arms in about two seconds after I touched safe ground. I never let go of the little boy though, until I heard a woman's scream. It was eardrum shattering. "My baby!" she screamed as she pulled the little boy from my arms, I gasped at the sudden feeling of warmth left my chest; the little boy grasped his mother and held onto her for dear life. "Thank you so much, thank you so much."
"No problem," I whispered as I turned around and glanced at the banking truck, but it was empty. The feeling of uneasiness suddenly set in the pit of my stomach as I covered my mouth and ran for the trashcan, emptying my lunch from ten minutes before into the black garbage bag.
"You almost died, why did you do that? Not that I'm upset because you saved that little boy, but you jeopardized your life and Jackie's!" Mikey scolded me for a good ten minutes before I sat down and just had myself a good cry, I grasped my grey dress in my hands and used it to rip at, it didn't rip though just made good for my hands to be busy while I bawled, sobbed and screamed into my arms. "Oh, I'm sorry Riley. I shouldn't have got onto you; you knew what you were doing. I'll call Bruce; he'll make you feel better."
"I want—" I cried into my hands, she could barely understand me I'm sure, it sounded like I was a baby, whining. "I want Alfred, I want my mom and dad, and I want my life back."
"Oh sweetie," Mikey leaned down and engulfed me into a hug; I'm sure she felt horrible for me. I probably looked like a beaten and broken, pregnant raccoon with my make up smeared. "Let's get you back home…"
"Back home," I cried even harder as she helped me up and walked me across the street again, away from the crowd who was trying to find me and honor me as being a hero and into her black mustang that Bruce bought her. "I want my bed!"
"I bet you want Jack too," Mikey said sadly as she weaved in and out of the traffic, I snorted loudly and nodded my head while wiping my eyes. "And a tissue or two…"
"I want Jack, I don't want Joker, I want my Jack," I cried as she stopped outside of my apartment, she got out of the car awkwardly and helped me out and up the steps to my door, she opened it up and laid me on my couch and walked to the phone, calling Bruce of course.
"I don't know what to do…she said she wanted Alfred, yeah I know he's in Africa. Well I can't help that now can I Bruce? What should I do?" she paused and sighed. "Love you too; see you in a little while."
"What did he say?" I cried into my couch pillow, staining the white sheet over it.
Ten minutes later she had made me Ramen noodles, a small glass of wine which was said by my OBGYN that would be okay and she put in the Notebook. I thanked her and told her to get out of my sights before I started to cry again, thankfully and kind of oddly she ran for the door. I think crying scared her just as much as yelling. I sipped my wine after I ate all my noodles, in about two minutes tops and sighed closing my eyes. I needed to rest, saving that little boy and seeing Jack nearly run me over was way too much for my hormones. "I thought you were a pancake," I heard giggling from behind me, and then hands were on my stomach. Those hands had purple gloves over the top of them, I glanced at them once before looking up at the green eyed man I loved.
"Are you Joker or Jack?" I questioned as I held the glass still in my hands, I leaned up a little and kept an eye on him.
"Aren't you supposed to stop drinking when you're pregnant? I figured that was just as unhealthy as smoke or a knife to the lungs," Jack pursed his lips and frowned at the same time. "Makes you wonder."
"Joker or Jack," I repeated as I watched him, not moving even to blink. I needed to know.
"Is it really necessary I have to answer that?" he questioned with an aggravated sigh, I nodded my head as he walked around the sofa and sat down beside me, slumping and looking like a spoiled child. "I don't see why, why can't I have two names? Not one specific—"
"Jack or Joker, there is a difference, I love Jack, I hate Joker," I firmly told him, his eyes narrowed as he gripped his fist tightly, but he didn't move he only stared at me. "Now tell me, Jack or Joker."
"If it means so much, its Jack," he grumbled as he rolled his eyes, he bend down and laid his head on my stomach. After a few minutes of silence he cleared his throat and looked into my eyes, his head still in spot. "Boy or girl?"
"His name is Jack Bruce Napier," I explained, he grimaced as I said Bruce but he nodded his head anyway. "I love you though you hate me."
"I don't hate you," his voice being so, creepy turned soft. "I hate how you make me feel, and that's…"
"Loved."
"No, that part is fine," he took a deep breath and sighed out in disgust. "Normal."
"Bounce," he repeated every now and then when he threw the ball against the brick building, I smiled softly as he chased after the ball after it hit his shins and rolled away. My smile faded as it kept rolling and fell off the sidewalk curb into the street. That's when my walk turned into a sprint; he was running for the busy street where a large banking truck was flying down the road towards him. I jumped the curb and grabbed hold of the little boy, pulling him into my chest, he was small, probably two or three and tiny for his age. He curled into my chest with a whimper as I stood there, putting my life on the line. I'd probably be killed, ran over but I wouldn't let him get hit without me, it didn't seem right.
Right as the banking truck spotted us, it slammed on the brakes and the screeched was deafening, I closed my eyes and held onto the boy tighter, readying for the strike. But it never came; it stopped right behind my back. I slowly turned around, my hair falling into my face as my breathing came out in heavy heaves, and the little boy had turned to crying now as I held him against me, his body forming to my chest. Inside the cab of the truck was someone all too familiar, Harley Quinn, she smirked as she turned to her left, then frowned. I followed her gaze and gasped at the sight of Jack, his face not done up in make-up, his scars very prominent through the glass.
That was all I seen for about two minutes and then I was being dragged out of the street by my shoulders, Mikey had me in her arms in about two seconds after I touched safe ground. I never let go of the little boy though, until I heard a woman's scream. It was eardrum shattering. "My baby!" she screamed as she pulled the little boy from my arms, I gasped at the sudden feeling of warmth left my chest; the little boy grasped his mother and held onto her for dear life. "Thank you so much, thank you so much."
"No problem," I whispered as I turned around and glanced at the banking truck, but it was empty. The feeling of uneasiness suddenly set in the pit of my stomach as I covered my mouth and ran for the trashcan, emptying my lunch from ten minutes before into the black garbage bag.
"You almost died, why did you do that? Not that I'm upset because you saved that little boy, but you jeopardized your life and Jackie's!" Mikey scolded me for a good ten minutes before I sat down and just had myself a good cry, I grasped my grey dress in my hands and used it to rip at, it didn't rip though just made good for my hands to be busy while I bawled, sobbed and screamed into my arms. "Oh, I'm sorry Riley. I shouldn't have got onto you; you knew what you were doing. I'll call Bruce; he'll make you feel better."
"I want—" I cried into my hands, she could barely understand me I'm sure, it sounded like I was a baby, whining. "I want Alfred, I want my mom and dad, and I want my life back."
"Oh sweetie," Mikey leaned down and engulfed me into a hug; I'm sure she felt horrible for me. I probably looked like a beaten and broken, pregnant raccoon with my make up smeared. "Let's get you back home…"
"Back home," I cried even harder as she helped me up and walked me across the street again, away from the crowd who was trying to find me and honor me as being a hero and into her black mustang that Bruce bought her. "I want my bed!"
"I bet you want Jack too," Mikey said sadly as she weaved in and out of the traffic, I snorted loudly and nodded my head while wiping my eyes. "And a tissue or two…"
"I want Jack, I don't want Joker, I want my Jack," I cried as she stopped outside of my apartment, she got out of the car awkwardly and helped me out and up the steps to my door, she opened it up and laid me on my couch and walked to the phone, calling Bruce of course.
"I don't know what to do…she said she wanted Alfred, yeah I know he's in Africa. Well I can't help that now can I Bruce? What should I do?" she paused and sighed. "Love you too; see you in a little while."
"What did he say?" I cried into my couch pillow, staining the white sheet over it.
Ten minutes later she had made me Ramen noodles, a small glass of wine which was said by my OBGYN that would be okay and she put in the Notebook. I thanked her and told her to get out of my sights before I started to cry again, thankfully and kind of oddly she ran for the door. I think crying scared her just as much as yelling. I sipped my wine after I ate all my noodles, in about two minutes tops and sighed closing my eyes. I needed to rest, saving that little boy and seeing Jack nearly run me over was way too much for my hormones. "I thought you were a pancake," I heard giggling from behind me, and then hands were on my stomach. Those hands had purple gloves over the top of them, I glanced at them once before looking up at the green eyed man I loved.
"Are you Joker or Jack?" I questioned as I held the glass still in my hands, I leaned up a little and kept an eye on him.
"Aren't you supposed to stop drinking when you're pregnant? I figured that was just as unhealthy as smoke or a knife to the lungs," Jack pursed his lips and frowned at the same time. "Makes you wonder."
"Joker or Jack," I repeated as I watched him, not moving even to blink. I needed to know.
"Is it really necessary I have to answer that?" he questioned with an aggravated sigh, I nodded my head as he walked around the sofa and sat down beside me, slumping and looking like a spoiled child. "I don't see why, why can't I have two names? Not one specific—"
"Jack or Joker, there is a difference, I love Jack, I hate Joker," I firmly told him, his eyes narrowed as he gripped his fist tightly, but he didn't move he only stared at me. "Now tell me, Jack or Joker."
"If it means so much, its Jack," he grumbled as he rolled his eyes, he bend down and laid his head on my stomach. After a few minutes of silence he cleared his throat and looked into my eyes, his head still in spot. "Boy or girl?"
"His name is Jack Bruce Napier," I explained, he grimaced as I said Bruce but he nodded his head anyway. "I love you though you hate me."
"I don't hate you," his voice being so, creepy turned soft. "I hate how you make me feel, and that's…"
"Loved."
"No, that part is fine," he took a deep breath and sighed out in disgust. "Normal."
