UPDATED AND REFURBISHED AS OF MAR 2 2014:

DIS: Nope, I don't own DC, Batman, Joker, or anyone BUT Cara Forrest :)

A young woman sits alone in the OBGYN office, tapping her foot as one hand rubbed gently over her round belly. The other patients were looking through magazines or texting, their husbands next to them, looking bored and uncomfortable. The lonely woman subconsciously pulls the sleeves of her turtle neck down, stretching them out further. Her brilliant eyes watched the small beta fish that sat on the counter, wiggling and opening it's mouth comically. It was calming, watching the electric blue fish swim around in the tiny bowl. For a moment, she started to think about her options. Not about her baby, of course she wanted to keep her baby. She wasn't even born, and yet...

The woman already loved her child deeply, which is why she was considering her options. She was sure her mother and sister would be happy to-

When one of the nurses stood, the small fish panicked, breaking the young woman from her reverie.

"Ms Forrest? The doctor will see you now,"

As Gotham Central burned down to the ground, screams and cries of terror could be heard coming from the unfortunate beings that happened to be in the hospital that day. Sure, they had all been taken to school buses to be transported to another hospital, but the scene of utter destruction and the closeness to death still scared them. Except for one woman. Or should I say one woman plus one. Yes, this cool-headed woman was pregnant, in the beginning of the third trimester as well. The initial explosion did, however, startle her, and the hospital burning down did frighten her a little, but she didn't scream and wail like the other people on the bus. She didn't want to excite the baby too much, her doctor did just tell her that she was taking too many risks.

That scared her.

She subconsciously tugged at her turtleneck, wincing slightly when her bruised shoulder sent a bolt of pain to her brain. But her face went back to being a slightly awed mask. Even when the bus driver refused to start driving, and then when The Joker clambered into the bus, she remained calm, not a peep. Some of the other passengers looked at her strangely, but she paid them no mind, for they were not important at the moment.

Who was important, at the moment, was the Joker, who was sitting next to her, screaming orders at the driver. His hair was green and greasy, and his white face paint was smeared in some places, showing patches of skin. The nurses uniform he was wearing was too small for him, and hie patterned socks and old brown leather shoes were the perfect accessories.

The pregnant woman blinked a few times, perplexed by the eccentric man's choice of dress. Once they were on their way to Joker-knows-where, Joker seemed to realized there was a lack of screaming and weeping from directly next to him. He looked over, his dark eyes full of flame, and he was surprised with what he saw. A golden haired pregnant woman, with the calmest blue eyes he had ever seen.

The only thing that gave away any anxiousness, was a protective hand on her round stomach. When he looked back up into her eyes, they were filled with ice, a threat to him. He quickly got the message that he was not to harm her baby. And the Joker may be the King's Fool, but he was no idiot. He knew that he did anything to the woman next to him that threatened the life of the infant in her, he would have hell to pay. Which could possibly ruin his plans, and he didn't want to risk that.

The Joker then noted that once she realized that he got the message, her eyes went back to being a sea of peace that had several rolls of emotion go through them. She was thinking, it was obvious. What about, only she knew. This woman intrigued him. It wasn't very often that he met a woman who at least didn't shudder in fear. However, she did scoot to the farthest corner away from him, getting out of his way.

His eyes ran up and down her sitting frame several times. Turtlenecks were not exactly summer clothes, and the long sleeves were stretched out a little. There were bruises on her wrists, poorly hidden by the sleeves. And when she itched her neck, Joker saw another flash of purple and blue. Joker narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look at her face. Seemingly noticing his staring, she looked up at him, face showing her intrigue, and a fading black eye that was under several layers of makeup. That was why she wasn't afraid of him. She already had a demon in her life, and he figured, compared to her Demon, he was nothing.

As they stared at each other, it was as if Joker had seen her Demon in the act, grabbing her and hitting her. Joker could have sworn he saw a flash of something in her eyes, he couldn't place it. He leaned towards her, showing his toothy grin.

"Uh...hiii," he said, watching for her reaction to his leering. But she didn't flinch, but she did blink.

"Hello," she said smoothly, nodding slightly and going to braiding a small section of her hair. She was a little reclusive, which didn't surprise him. Most battered women were scared to talk to anyone, especially men, afraid their husband would find out and hit them more.

"May I, uh, ask whyyyy. You are on this FAB-u-lous bus?" he asked her as she finished her braid.

"My husband had a emergency reschedule...so he left me here to get a check up and I had no other way to get home, unless I walked. And to be honest with you, walking is NOT fun currently," she sighed in exasperation, piquing the Joker's interest.

"What-ah, does he doo?~" he was having a little fun with this woman. Surely the only one he had a somewhat normal conversation for quite a long time, even if she was damaged goods.

"Photography. Apparently Paris Hilton is more important than the woman you've been with since sophomore year of high school," there was a tone of bitterness in her voice, and a scowl marred her face. It didn't belong there, Joker noted. There were deep smile lines on her face, as if she hadn't stopped smiling since she exited her mother's womb. But there were several other things that marred her face. A small scar under her right eye, another along her hairline. There was one more, almost invisible, on her chin, also on the right side. Apparently her Demon was left handed.

~Joker POV

The woman next to me seemed to be in her mid-twenties, no more than 26, and from what I could tell, a healthy looking woman. Not like Paris Hilton, whom was aforementioned. She had a very pretty face, and the scars only made her more attractive to me. They added character to her face. Her eyes were the most intriguing of her facial features. They were a greyish blue color, that had a ring of darker blue-grey around it. But that wasn't the thing that was intriguing. It was how expressive they were. I don't think I've ever seen such expressive eyes. I could practically see her thoughts.

Suddenly, we made a sharp turn, and the woman went flying. If I hadn't braced myself, we both would have ended in the isle, along with half the other passengers. I looked down, and there she was, in my lap. I expected her calm facade would disappear when she realized she was in a mass-murderers lap, but she didn't seem fazed. When she looked up at me, she seemed annoyed with herself.

"Sorry," she muttered, sitting back up, a hand back on her stomach.

"I don't think the baby will be damaged by falling-ah, on my laP," I told her, and a sad look came over her, and it bothered me. Why did this woman bother me so much? She was just another woman, there was thousands, nay, millions of them in Gotham. So why did her discomfort bother me? I had to figure it out soon, before I killed her just to stop the feeling.

"It's the only thing that makes him stop...most of the time," she said quietly, and I sucked on my scars.

"Pardon peaches?" I drawled, cupping a hand around my ear comically, even though I had heard her.

"It's nothing," she said, quickly, waving a dismissive hand. I grabbed it, not exactly roughly, but not gently, and brought it closer to me. I slowly pulled up her sleeve as she tried to pull away, but I kept a strong grip. A hiss of pain escaped her, and I giggled. The bruises were a deep purple, as if they were caused no more than a day ago. I looked up at her, sucking on my scars.

"You-ah, were worried about the baby weren'tah ya momma?" I asked her, and her facade crumbled, but only for a minute. The exhaustion, desperation, fear, and misery flashed across her face, before being replaced by the calm mask, her eyes still gave her away though.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Now, I believe you have a city to destroy, so you can leave me alone now," she said in a voice that was defensive. I smacked my lips, releasing her wrist, which she immediately covered up again. This woman who sat next to me reminded me of someone, but I couldn't quite place it. I stood up quickly, curtsied to her comically, and I heard a small chuckle escape her. Looking up at her through my hair, I saw she was amused.

"I suggest you change before your date with destiny," she said smartly, and I laughed loudly, making several other passengers jump.

I suddenly leaned forward, my face inches from her, but instead of surprise or fear on her face, it just held more amusement. Not being able to instill some sort of fear into this woman disturbed me. Maybe I had to give her a reason to be afraid. But before I could do anything else, the bus turned sharply again, and gravity and force pulled me forward.

Next thing I knew, I was getting the wrong shade of red lipstick on the brave woman's lips. Unfortunately, it took a few seconds to pull away, and a few more seconds for the act to compute in her mind. Watching her intensely while she blinked those blue eyes of hers several times, before finally looking up at me through thick lashes, brows furrowed.

"Um... I'm sorry, but you're going to have to buy me dinner first" she said, blushing, trying to wipe the red paint off her lips. Laughter ripped through me again, and I began walking to the front of the bus. When I got there, I glanced to the back using the big rear-view mirror. The passengers around the Golden-Girl, which was what I was going to call her for the moment, looked like they were ready to rip her throat out. They believed she was in league with me, and I scoffed.

A few minutes later, we arrived at our destination, and men started filing in to collect patients and doctors. I noticed there was a reporter, and told one of the boys to put him somewhere separate. Most of the women stuck together, the men doctors trying to protect them, while the Golden-Girl was left to glare challengingly at one of my men alone.

I never told the boys they couldn't hurt, or touch any of them, so it was no surprise when the goon grabbed woman harshly and yanked her up. With a cry of pain, she complied, and I watched as he pushed her along harshly, several curses streaming out of her mouth. Next thing I knew, I grabbed her from him, and aimed a gun between his eyes.

"Sugar here, gets enoughfff, of THAT at home, get me, HOMESLICE?" I drawled, and the boy nodded frantically. Now I was thinking about pizza... I could go for a slice right now.

"You're not helping," she whispered, and I looked down, and saw her face full of discomfort, and I released her arm. She rubbed it, and I noticed how small this woman actually was. Or was she just making herself smaller, harder to see, and grab.

"Take her to the top, don't bother with the mask, just give her somethin to sit-ah on," I told the kid in front of me, and he nodded again, motioning the woman to walk ahead of him. She glanced at me, and I could see what I knew was sincere graciousness. Then she was gone. I blinked and she was out the door and in the building...or was I just temporarily blinded?

~ Woman POV

The young boy, I was calling him that because he was no more than 19, that so rudely pushed me around, was actually a good kid. He helped me up the stairs, even into the elevator. It was when we reached the top I added things up. He thought I was the Joker's bootycall or somethin. I looked at him, keeping my face calm.

"I'm not the Joker's girl, if that's what you're thinking," I told him, and he looked confused.

"But... why...what?" he said, running a hand through his blond mop, making me believe his brain had short circuited.

"Don't hurt yourself honey, I don't get it either. Hell, I was half expecting him to shoot me in the bus," I said with a shrug. He remained silent, and I glanced back at him, his face still confused. I decided to leave his poor brain alone.

We reached the top floor, and he lead me out. The building we were in was in construction, and there were girder rails and nails everywhere. I had to watch where I stepped, otherwise I would step on a nail. The kid found a dusty chair, and placed it down on a sturdy looking piece of floor. After I gingerly stepping over a fishy looking box, I made my way to the chair. I thanked the kid, smiling, and sat down as gracefully as a pregnant woman could.

Once I was seated, the kid looked anxious as to what he was supposed to do next. He paced back and forth a few times, wheels turning in his head. That's when I saw 3 dogs tied up in a corner, Rottweilers, obviously guard dogs. They looked lonely to me. Just like me.

Lonely, tied up, afraid, but willing to fight to the death for someone who takes care of them, or in my case, for the baby inside of me. Making up my mind, I got up, and made my way to the dogs. The kid didn't seem to notice until I was a few feet from them, and he called out in a panic, saying they weren't friendly. But I didn't listen. When I got close, they lifted their heads, and let out a warning growl, but I ignored that too.

I started to speak gently, hoping they wouldn't see me as a threat. Another growl, and I took a step back, but I continued talking softly to them. Eventually, they stopped growling, and I was able to get close enough to pet them. Once I started rubbing their bellies, they seemed to warm up to me. Pretty soon, they were licking my hands and face, making me giggle. The kid behind me didn't say a word. Apparently, my strange ways disturbed the poor kid.

"Uh... I'm just going to go now..." and with that, the kid left. I continued giving the dogs some love, getting slobbery from all their kisses. Eventually, they all fell asleep near me or in my lap. I sat there, finally having a chance to think, lightly petting the dog next to me. Why had the Joker not killed me, hell, even saved me. Why?

He probably wanted to study me, or something like that, since I wasn't afraid of him. Even when he accidentally kissed me I didn't recoil in disgust. I must be an enigma to him. I found that amusing. To me, everyone was the same. Everyone had flaws, some hid them, like I did, or flaunted them like the Joker. And I'm talking about mental flaws too, not just physical. I sighed, and waited, waited for my destiny to be revealed.

Joker POV~

Once I had changed from my oh-so-sexy costume, I headed to the room where the reporter was. And like the Golden-Girl said, I had a city to destroy.

Normal POV~

When The Joker finally got up to the top floor, it was late in the night, and the Golden-Girl was napping in the middle of the dogs. That made him stop short. The dogs were supposed to be fearsome, and here they were, laying around the woman almost protectively. He growled, and stomped over. They were HIS dogs. But when he got close, two of them raised their heads and growled, making him stop short.

The woman sat up bolt right, gasping lightly. Joker watched her with smoldering eyes, but when she looked at him with clear and fearful eyes, he backed down. Those were haunted eyes. She was someone who woke up in fear regularly. When she saw where she was, and the Joker standing near her and not the usual Monster, she calmed down.

"Oh, it's just you," she said, and that made him angry. It was JUST him? He was THE Joker! The most feared criminal in all of Gotham! Not JUST some ordinary man! A blade appeared in his hand, and he took a few steps towards her. The dogs' growling caught her attention, and her crystalline eyes snapped to his blade. Both her hands went to her stomach, and she looked back up at him, and for the first time, they were fearful, and it made him stop. He growled loudly, and threw the knife at the wall, before turning to her. She had stood up, hands still protecting her stomach, the dogs in front of her, snarling.

"Call them off!" he bellowed, and she shushed the dogs, who wagged their tails at her voice. The Joker took a step to her, and she took one back. The sick joy he usually got when he scared someone wasn't there, and it added to the list of things that bothered him. The woman in front of him was at the top.

He took another step, making her take two back. She was terrified of him now, no longer putting on a brave face. They never broke eye contact, and as he kept stalking toward her, he saw her eyes change. She went into survival mode, and tried to run away, but he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him.

"LET ME GO!" she cried, struggling in his grasp, but he didn't let her go. He brought his lips next to her ear.

"If you prommisssse not to run, I'll-ah, let you go," he hissed in her ear, and she nodded rapidly. He slowly let her go, feeling her curves as he went. He had to admit, her pregnant form was downright hot. She slid out of his grasp, and turned around to watch him, looking wary. Joker giggled, and pointed to the chair.

"Make-ah, yourself com-fort-able sugar," he said to her, and she did so, slowly. Once she was seated, Joker started skipping towards to her, blade in hand. Fear flashed in her eyes again, but Joker just skipped around her giggling madly.

"I hope you like fireworks sugar," he laughed, stopping next to her, playing with a lock of her hair. The woman finally found her voice, and it didn't shake in fear.

"My name is Cara, Cara Forrest, not 'sugar'. And yes, I do like fireworks," she said, and he laughed again.

"Cara... it suits you, but-ah, so does sugar. SO, I'm gonna call ya sugar, Sugar," he said smirking at her annoyed face. Joker laughed at her, skipping away from her.

"Sit tight sugar, the party'll start soon enough," and with that, he left to go check on his prisoners.