To the Point of Obsession

When I walked up to Danni's apartment and she answered the door, she started laughing at my getup. "Are you that serious about finding a guy, Dahlia? 'Cause honestly, I have a stripper outfit that'll suit you just as well."

"Haha," I mumbled sarcastically. "It has to be someone in the government. Some party thing that I should go to."

Danni nodded and once again giggled. "You look hot, if it's any consolation." She smiled and held back a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. That's what they all said," I said, tossing my hair back. "Oh yeah, do still have that one wig I wore that one time?" The Joker insisted I wore a wig, and since I hadn't found them necessary, I didn't take any from my apartment.

"Oh you mean that one time at that one place?" she asked after staring at me blankly for a minute.

I smiled. "That one."

She nodded and went back into her house as I followed. She came back into the living room with a brown-caramel colored wig. I nodded and pulled my hair back into a bun, then put on the wig. It looked pretty natural, so I kept it on and walked out the door.

"What are you actually doing today?" she asked as she got in the car with me.

"Well, Joke wants me to find a date, so I'll get into this party thing. And I need a dress to wear."

Danni looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "Take Caleb."

"No, I'm not getting Caleb involved. Joke wants to kill him. Anyways, Caleb wouldn't go to a party."

"He'd go with you," Danni said, her curls bobbing as she triumphantly smirked.

"I won't go with him." I pressed down harder on the gas and glared at the road. "I like someone else."

Danni looked at me frowning. "Someone that kidnapped you."

"Maybe it's not him," I said, looking at her. She gave me a look, and I sighed. "It is him, but he's not like that."

"How is he not like that?"

"Today he let me cry to him about what happened to me and Britney."

She sighed. She knew what I was talking about. "He wanted sex," she concluded after thinking a minute.

"Really?" I asked, looking over at her. "'Cause he wouldn't after I came on to him… Said that he wouldn't after I cried to him about being raped." We had arrived at the mall, and we were walking in the semi-crowded mall.

"Okay, I guess he's not a creep, but he is a freak. I don't care what you do, but don't get me involved, hon."

"Yeah, I gotcha," I said, walking toward a dress shop. "This is pointless and obvious," I concluded after looking at all the dresses.

Danni looked over at me from another dress rack.

"I'm not even technically invited to the party yet. If I show up with one of the dresses then it'll look weird."

"So?" Danni was holding up one of her dresses. "They're cute."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm gonna run to the food court, I'll meet you back here in like, fifteen minutes, okay?"

Danni nodded, walking with a huge pile of dresses to the fitting room.

My phone vibrated as I walked to sit down. I grabbed it and answered it. "What?"

"Do you have anyone?" The Joker's familiar voice came out of the phone.

"Not yet. We just got here."

"Are you going to look?"

"Yesssss, der. What do you think I'd do? Steal your money and run away with a hooker?"

He laughed. "Yes, Doll, I can see you doing exactly that."

"Well I wouldn't." I sighed and hung up on him, looking around the food court, looking for anyone that I knew from the News. I was about to give up, but I saw one familiar face. I got my phone out again and dialed the Joker's number. "Is Bruce Wayne a good option?"

I could practically hear the Joker smile. "He's throwing the fucking party, idiot."

"So… how do I get his attention?" I asked, moving to the opposite side of the food court.

"Um… take off your pants."

"I'd honestly prefer to stay clothed at the moment, Jack."

"You're calling me my name."

"You told me," I said, observing Bruce from my spot hidden behind a plant.

"I don't like it," Jack said, an edge in his voice.

"Okay, Joke, what can I do, while staying clothed, to get his attention?"

He thought for a moment, while I racked my brain for any idea. The only thing I could think about was how undeniably attractive he was. "Wait, call Caleb and get him to bring your kid over, and pretend you lost her, and need help finding her. Caleb will bring her to Danni and then she'll plant the girl somewhere, and Wayne will find her."

I knew as soon as he mentioned my daughter I wouldn't like it. "No way. I'm not getting her involved."

"Well then you can figure out your own plan if you want to be stubborn," he said before hanging up.

I groaned and called Caleb. "Hey, listen. I can't talk, but I need you to call Danni and tell her that I need Britney at the mall and it'd be awesome if you could bring her to Danni."

"What?"

"Do it, Caleb. I need you to do this for me."

"Okay, I'll bring her over in twenty minutes."

"Okay." I took a deep breath and texted Danni, telling her that when I sent her a blank text to leave Britney around the toy store. I didn't wait for a reply as I pieced together a fake teary eyed face and went through the food court, occasionally asking if anyone had seen a girl named Britney (this was when I pulled out a picture.) I got to his table and whimpered. "Excuse me, sir," I said, sniffling a little. "Have you seen this girl," I pulled out a picture of Britney and I from a few weeks ago, "at all today? Her name's Britney."

Bruce looked at the picture, then at me. "No, I'm sorry ma'am."

When he said 'No,' I faked a sob, and sat at the opposite seat of the table. "I'm sorry… It's just…"

"She your daughter?" he asked, looking at the picture he still held.

"Yes," I stuttered. "She never runs away. It's my fault."

"No, Miss… I'm sure it's not."

"I have to go look for her, thanks for your time," I said, standing up.

He got up in the same instant I did and said, "Let me help you look."

"Thank you," I said, "I'd like that." I got my phone out and pretended to check the calls, but sent Danni a text.

"It's no problem, Miss…"

"Foster," I answered, pulling a name out of my head, smiling and holding out my hand. "Delilah."

"Bruce Wayne." He grasped my hand, looking in my eyes.

I sighed and looked in every store, with Bruce patiently walking with me. When we arrived at the Toy Store, I let Bruce find her. Britney was in the Barbie section, playing with one of them, completely oblivious. "Britney!"

She looked up and smiled. "Mommy!!!" she yelled, happily running toward me. I hugged her tightly.

"Baby, I love you…"

"I love you too, Mommy," she babbled, looking at Bruce. "Who's he?"

"This is Bruce Wayne. Bruce, thank you so much."

"It wasn't a problem."

"Let me take you out for dinner, please," I said, pleading with my eyes.

"On one condition, Delilah."

"What?" I asked, once again playing the innocent girl game.

"Allow me to take you to my party on Saturday."

"Okay, Mr. Wayne. Shall we call it a date?"

He nodded and gave me his number, as I jotted down mine. I smiled as he walked away. He made my job a lot easier without even knowing it.