You Are My Favorite Joke

Ashley’s P.O.V

I woke up the next morning to find myself sleeping on the floor of my bedroom. I looked at my bed and the clown doll was gone as so as the message on the window. I shook my head, was I dreaming all of that? No, it couldn’t be, his laughter seemed too real.

I took a quick shower and I dressed a pair of jeans, a white shirt and a black hoodie with a pair of black boots. I climbed down the stairs to find my father on the dining room table waiting for me to take breakfast.

“Morning dad.” I said kissing his forehead, sitting on his left side pouring some milk into a glass and taking some bread to my plate.

“Morning sweetie. I thought you would sleep longer.” My father said not taking his eyes from a big amount of papers probably for Bruce’s company. I hadn’t told my father about the kiss but to be honest I didn’t know if Bruce and I had something, he left without a goodbye.

“I couldn’t, some weird nightmare.” I said trying to seem calm. If my father knew that I had seen The Joker in the same night that I had run away from him he would be over protective and I didn’t want that.

“Nightmare?” My father asked zipping some coffee from his cup and looking directly at me with concerned eyes.

“Something involving Batman.” I said, looking down. I was giving him a big fat lie.

“I can’t believe that my little rebel became a fan of the Batman. Honey he saved you once.” my father said smiling, I tried to smile back with no success.

“I think everyone should respect him and not be behind his back because he’s very important to Gotham City. If it wasn’t for him maybe even Harvey would be too scared to be the D.A.” I said.

“Strong words. Well what are you going to do today?” my father asked.

“Lenny told me he had something planned so he must be almost here.” I said finishing my breakfast and looking at my father while he gathered his papers and stood from his chair.

“Alright sounds like something fun. I have to go, Mr. Wayne keeps me busy. Amelia and Richard are in the house so if you need anything ask them.” my father said kissing my cheek and leaving.

Amelia and Richard were our house maid and gardener. They were married and for me like a family. I knew them all my life because they helped raise me when my mother left when I was around 3 years old. My father told me that she would come back but I knew exactly that he was lying so I didn’t suffer, thankfully Jim appeared in my life and his wife played a bit of a mother role.

Minutes later my entrance door bell rang. I ran to it to find a smiling Lenny with a flower in his hand. I smiled shyly, he knew me too well.

“So where are we going?” I asked him, Lenny shrunk his shoulders.

“Well I know someone who wants to see you.” Lenny grinned opening his car's door. I sat on the passenger’s seat while he drove.

About 20 minutes later Lenny parked his car on the bar where I worked, the place where I had been kidnapped.

“Are you kidding me? I was kidnapped here!” I said holding onto Lenny’s arm strongly trying to hold him back, I was death scared.

“Trust me.” Lenny whispered in my ear while hugging me so I would calm down. I started breathing calmly but this was harder that he thought.

I entered the bar hiding behind Lenny’s back, I looked inside and it was empty. Miss Oliver looked from the kitchen and when she saw me she came walking quickly. She hugged me while I cried in her shoulder.

“I’m so sorry for letting that bastard take you darling.” Miss Oliver said with tears in her eyes, I shook my head.

“It wasn’t anyone’s fault.” I said looking around the bar remembering exactly how it had happened.

“Oh Lenny dear how are you?” Miss Oliver said smiling widely greeting Lenny.

“I’m better now to be honest.” Lenny said looking at me, I smiled a little back. I was always watching my back, I was terrified that The Joker could come back but thinking twice I wasn’t interesting to him anymore.

After knowing that Lenny had been helping Miss Oliver, I left and Lenny accompanied me to my apartment. I opened the door and my living room was the same as so as every room of the house but when I opened my bedroom’s door I feel to my knees and tears ran down my face stronger than ever.

“LENNY!” I cried out covering my eyes in fright.

My bed was full of clown dolls, my walls had amounts of Joker cards glued to them and a message was written in the wall opposite to my bed’s position ‘This isn’t our end angel’ and it was written in red and I doubt that it was paint.

I shivered in my spot while Lenny hugged me and took me out of my bedroom. He called Jim and moments later there was Jim with 5 police men. They examined all of the walls, the floors, the dolls, the cards but of course no fingerprints, no DNA, nothing. It was like a ghost had put everything there but I knew that it had been him, I could feel it.

The Joker’s P.O.V

I was sitting on my desk observing the bed where Ashley had been lying. She had slipped through my fingers literally, I had her in my hand and I let her go. I had her soft hand in mine but the look in her eyes, the frustration when she saw freedom one step ahead and I stopped her, the look in her eyes was priceless. I let go so she could taste freedom before being mine forever.

“Boss…” Sca said knocking on my door and interrupting my thoughts.

“What?” I asked him not taking my eyes from my knife.

“She found them.” Sca said.

“What was her reaction?” I asked getting excited.

“She fell to her knees crying.” Sca said grinning, I laughed. Just as I expected, my dear Ashley is so much fun to play with!

“Sca get out of here! I need to be alone!” I yelled at him while he closed the door behind him.

So much time and so many things to learn about her. It was time to put the plan in action and scare my angel.

Bruce’s P.O.V

I was stitching my left arm, last night I had found those cops dressed like Batman again, don’t they get the hint? I don’t need them.

“Good morning master Wayne.” I heard Alfred greet from the entrance of the ‘hideout’.

“Good morning Alfred.” I said.

“Stop stitching yourself, you always do a bloody mess sir.” Alfred said smiling and starting to stitch my arm, sense my work was a mess.

“I didn’t know Ashley could bite.” Alfred joked. He knew me too well and he knew exactly what had happened last night, I grinned at him.

“It wasn’t her, you know it. It was that Scarecrow selling drugs again to some mob leader, the one with the dogs, I think that his name is the Chechen.” I said.

“Well are those dogs bulldozers sir?” Alfred asked.

“I don’t know but my armor is too heavy and it makes me slower, I need to go faster. I found those cops again playing with Batman outfits.” I said observing my monitors and watching what was on the news.

“Well I’m sure that Mr. Fox can arrange that to you and besides you can take some time to see a certain miss.” Alfred said smiling at me.

I didn’t answer Alfred because of the news, a Joker video was on. A police men like those I had found yesterday was tied to a chair in some sort of room.

“Tell them your name.” the Joker said trying to not sound too excited.

“Brian.” the police man said shaking.

“Why are you wearing that stupid outfit Brian?” the Joker asked giggling behind the camera.

“Because the Batman is a symbol that nobody needs to be afraid of freaks like you!” the man said obviously testing his own luck.

“I’m not a freak!! Well for all of you viewers out there I have a message for Batman. If he doesn’t turn himself in people will die, starting next week.” The Joker said pointing the camera at his face and then laughing evilly. The camera shut down.

I was shocked and not knowing what to do. Should I turn myself in? This could only be because of Jim’s work with Harvey about the mob’s business and money which I helped get.

Ashley’s P.O.V

I woke up scared to death to find myself lying on my bed in my father’s mansion. I breathed calmly, Amelia rushed inside my bedroom.

“Miss Ashley you were screaming. Are you alright?” she asked coming with a glass of water which I happily took a zip from.

“Yes Amelia just another nightmare.” I said.

“I would kill that man if I could.” Amelia grumbled leaving my room.

Everyone was getting too much protective around me, even Amelia. She had always been protective but not like this, she was very loyal to my father and by consequence to me. I grabbed my cell phone and I saw that I had 3 missed calls, all from Bruce. I chuckled, he probably already knew what happened. I called him sitting on my balcony’s chair and staring at the sunset.

“Hello Wayne’s penthouse.” Alfred's voice answered.

“Hello Alfred.” I said laughing at his courtesy picking the phone, Alfred laughed with me.

“I guess this is for Master Wayne.” he said and in a minute I heard Bruce’s voice.

“Hi cutie.” Bruce said and I blushed.

“Hi charming.” I joked laughing.

“Are you busy this Friday night?” Bruce asked.

“No why?” I said.

“I’m giving Harvey a found raiser for his DA job, you’re officially invited.” Bruce said.

“Thank you, I would love to go.” I said.

“Great! See you there then. Kiss.” Bruce said.

“Bye, kiss.” I said sadly.

I guess that the kiss between us was just another kiss. Nothing special for the most famous billionaire playboy in Gotham. Bruce had the finest women and compared to me well I wasn’t that bad but they were a lot better. Top models if we could say but I was determined to have a good time in Harvey’s found raiser.