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Laughter in the Dark	By : FlameWolf666 Category: DC Verse Movies > The Dark Knight Views: 9317 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Dark Knight or the Batman franchise. This story is just for fun and no profit will be made from it.

Chapter List
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Author’s Note: Heeeee hey guys, I just wanted to warn ya that the end is coming soon. I really mean it this time too. It’s been so fun to write this!

CHapter Thirty-Two: Unintentional Reunion

    Selena had long ago pulled her aside to talk and look at baby magazines while the men did all of the heavy work. When Crane had explained the situation to the thief, she couldn’t agree fast enough to the idea. Ivy also didn’t seem to mind, using some of the plants to help move in large furniture as well as boxes. By the end of the day everything had been moved in and unpacked, Joker coming down to make sure Marie was okay while Jonathan cooked for everyone. Thankfully for everyone, it was a quick meal; allowing the ex-psychologist’s male companions to lead her upstairs to rest fairly quickly.
    Thankfully everyone settled in fine, the goons getting to stay in the huge basement while Joker and Marie got the master bedroom. Crane chose a room right next to theirs, the dual male not wanting to be far from her with her getting closer to her due date. It would only be two more months, a fact that was on everyone’s minds. The catburglar had even offered a room for the child, something they had begrudgingly accepted. They would likely be stuck here long after the child was born since this house was in the middle of nowhere and very hard to find.
    Despite the impending birth, things went back to business as usual; Joker going out to poke the wasp’s nest he had made Gotham into while Crane kept an eye on things back at the house. Neither he or Scarecrow seemed too keen on leaving the house with the months slowly ticking down. When she entered her eighth month was when the two entered what she could only call ‘mother hen’ mode. While her lover seemed fairly unconcerned, Jonathan was almost beside himself with worry. As a result, this made appearances by his darker half much more common. At one point, Marie had begged Selena to show her a way to sneak out of the house once in a while.
    It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy their presences, it was that she felt a bit smothered. Even the man she was having the baby with wasn’t hovering as much as they were. They were even escorting her to and from the bathroom, switching from Crane to Scarecrow so often it made her head swim. Thankfully her only female patient had understood, making sure she knew how to fight in hand to hand with both her knife and her katana before she ventured out alone. Soon she was sneaking out once a day, to the consternation of her self appointed babysitters. She still remembered the looks on their faces the first time she had pulled her disappearing act with a fond smile.
    When she came back, they had practically threatened to tie her to the bed if she did it again; something they never followed through on. Today was no different, having long ago given the dual male the slip by using Selena to create a diversion. She took every precaution to ensure she wouldn’t be recognized, wearing a wig as well as large glasses to hide her stormcloud gray eyes. Besides, she just walked to a park that was near-by and feed the ducks; hardly the most unusual thing in the world. So, packing her butterfly knife in case she ran into trouble, the heavily pregnant female slipped into a secret passage that would lead her outside the property. Even Joker didn’t know she did this and he would have made damn sure she couldn’t as soon as he found out about it.
    As soon as she made it into the fresh air and sunshine, she headed right for a patch of woods that would hide her from view until she got far enough away from the house. Already it felt like a weight had lifted from her shoulders and she smiled as the child she carried gave her ribs a hard kick. Putting on her black wig, the former doctor stepped out of the forest and onto the footpath the lead to her destination; dark glasses already perched on her face as she began to whistle. She was in such a good mood, she didn’t notice one of the men she had walked by stop in his tracks to turn his head to look at her more closely.
    Sitting down at her favorite bench, Marie scattered some bread she had stashed in her large purse and giggled as the ducks began to squabble over the treat. She was so engrossed in their antics that she nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand landed on her shoulder. Whipping her head around as her right hand automatically wrapped around the closed blade in her pocket, she had to fight to keep her jaw closed when she saw Dave Mickleson. “Marie?” he whispered, his voice painfully hopeful and making her wish dearly she could tell him the truth.
    “I think you have me mistaken for someone else,” she replied, doing her best to make herself sound different. Unfortunately, her adopted uncle had been around her for far too long to fall for that and gave her a small, sad smile.
    “I don’t think I do. Don’t worry, I won’t cause a scene. I just... I’ve been worried about ya kiddo,” the taller scotsman murmured, a slight bit of an accent clinging to his voice; backing off when she made to get to her feet and run away.
    “Please Marie, I really just want to talk. How would I have even known you were here today? I just want to sit next to you and ask if you’re okay,” he soothed, raising his hands with his palms outward to show he was unarmed.
    For a moment, the disguised woman thought about just running anyway but something in his dark eyes made her stay. This man had been around since she was very young, had taken good care of her family after she had killed his boss and her father. It was hard not to trust him. Besides, he had a very good point about not knowing she would be here beforehand. So, with a nod, she sat back down and made space for her former boss and practical uncle to sit next to her. She wasn’t too surprised when his eyes went right to her stomach as soon as he took his seat. “First, I want to ask how he treats you? Are you happy? Does he keep you safe? Is he forcing any of this on you?” whispered the suit clad man, his eyes fixed on the ducks fighting over the last crumbs scattered on the muddy ground.
    “He treats me better than Roger ever did. I’m very happy. I almost feel free in a way, able to simply be the person I always was on the inside. As for keeping me safe, he would give his life for mine with no hesitation and I would do the same for him. Everything that I’ve been involved in, I’ve done voluntarily. He never held a gun up to my head and told me I had no choice,” she answered, a bit shocked at how easily she relaxed around him. Despite the danger he could pose, she trusted him to listen to her and consider her words before acting.
    “So he doesn’t treat you like he did Harleen. I’m relieved to hear that. I also see you’re going to be having a baby soon. I don’t imagine you’ve had much access to medical care or prenatal vitamins. Does the child seem healthy?” continued her former boss, his eyes timidly rising to meet hers; as if afraid she would bolt at the slightest wrong move. The horrible thing was, he wasn’t too far from the truth. If he made any sudden moves, Spade would surge forward to slit his throat; a prospect that didn’t sit well with her in the slightest.
    “It moves often, seems to be growing well. Only problem is, I have no clue if its Roger’s or Joker’s. He kidnapped me at one point and...,” she whispered, shuddering at the unwanted memory.
    “Oh my darling girl... Its a fucked world where someone like you is better off in the hands of two crazed killers. I’m just happy you seem both happy as well as healthy. That’s all I ever wanted for you and it frustrated me to no end that I couldn’t do anything about Roger. Is the bastard dead?” Dave snarled, his aggressive tone surprising her.
    “Yeah, Selena killed him soon after he had raped me. If she hadn’t shown up, I would be dead right now. So what are you going to do now?” the former doctor sighed, letting the question hang.
    “Well, I want to try to keep in touch somehow. I would also like to meet Joker and talk to Crane. Other than that, I’ll let you live in peace,” the man next to her replied, offering his hand to her with the palm facing up.
    Relief filled her and Marie gave a bright smile as she place a hand in his, the sun glimmering off her purple fingernails. “I don’t see why not. Though there really isn’t a good time to introduce you,” murmured the sandy blonde, her heart soaring when his fingers closed over hers.
    “I know what you mean. I have doubts I’ll ever run into you on accident again either,” he confessed, his ebony eyes concerned. Nibbling her lip, the twenty-nine year old seemed to weigh her options before shooting to her feet with a nod.
    Taking her uncle’s hand, she lightly pulled him to his feet before pulling towards the woods. As she charged forward, she tapped into a bit of ‘Spade’ to get rid of her building anxiety. She was really putting the trust of the people she lived with to the test here. There was every chance she would get severely punished for her actions but she just didn’t see better way to keep Dave in her life. “You aren’t doing what I think you are,” her dad’s former intern intoned from behind her, sounding just as nervous as she felt.
    “Sorry Dave, I don’t see much other choice. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to meet you at any point and I need you to meet the others before I okay any other meetings anyway. Trust me, Scarecrow would be able to smell a stranger on my clothes and would probably flip his shit. This is the best thing I can think of. I just hope I’m not overestimating just how much these people trust me,” she replied, a bit of humor coloring her voice as her adrenaline began to flow. In the back of her head, Spade jumped for joy simply and watched the proceedings with great interest. If things kept going like this, the two of them could merge and become the singular person they were meant to be.
    “And what happens if you are?” the older man asked, only sounding more apprehensive as he was dragged along. When she only cackled much like her lover in response he felt his skin grow cold with dread.
    “Then you’d better pray they just kill us. You don’t want to know what Joker alone would do if he thought I betrayed him. Then there’s Crane and Scarecrow... Man, I don’t even want to think about what they’d do,” replied the female, sounding even more amused despite the horrible things she was saying.
    Before he could protest or pull away, they were breaking free of the forest; the field that led to the house seeming far too open. There were also all sorts of strange plants that were the work of Ivy and more than likely deadly to strangers. “Don’t worry about the flora. They know me, if you stay close you should be fine. In theory,” she advised, leading him past giant things that looked like venus flytraps out of a Ren and Stimpy cartoon. As they made their way by some of them even open their ‘mouths’ at him to reveal their sharp fangs. So, when they got past all of that, he was immensely grateful. It was then he realized they were in front of the door and he instinctually tried to pull away.
    “I have a feeling things will be fine, after an initial adjustment period,” Marie encouraged, giving him a small smile before she swung the door open.
    “Guys! I brought home some company,” she called into the house, not surprised when the three main occupants came running out. The only people missing were Joker and his goons, having long gone off to set up more ‘Fearful Grin’ bombs. The more he set off, the more people went crazy; causing a big problem with overpopulation as well as escapes in Arkham.
    Crane was the first one to approach, looking exasperated, curious and just a touch wary. When he saw who it was that stood beside his dear friend, his blue eyes went wide. “Marie, why?” he whispered, his eyes shifting to the female as he waited for her explanation. To her relief, instead of betrayed or angry, her former patient simply seemed confused. He wanted to know why she brought a manager of Arkham to their hideout.
    “He’s... my uncle. Well, not really but he’s taken care of my family since I killed my father; even some time before that. I had a talk with him and I don’t think he means us any harm,” she replied calmly, looking up at Dave expectantly. Selena, Ivy and Jonathan also stared at him, a tense silence filling the room as they seemed to be assessing just how much of a threat he was for themselves.
    Licking his lips, the manager of the asylum that had once held these people slowly raised his hands with his palms held outward; careful not to make any sudden moves. Crane, of course, was first to approach; Scarecrow lurking close to the surface as he stopped bare inches from ramming into the shorter, slightly fatter man. The tips of their noses even touched briefly, Dave not daring to breathe or blink as two people appeared to glare at him at the same time. The taller, much more gaunt chemist sneered before shifting his gaze to Marie, his gaze going instantly to worried. “Come, let Selena and Ivy take care of him. You haven’t eaten,” he whispered, leading her into the kitchen by her arm. This left their guest at the mercy of two very suspicious femme fatales.
    “Are you sure he’s straight? I know he would never hurt you but why would he care about the rest of us?” Jonathan asked as soon as they were out of earshot, steering her to sit at an empty chair.
    The amused woman only smiled, removing her wig to shake out her hair. “Because you’ve all treated me better than Roger ever did. He’s reasonably intelligent and he genuinely wants me to be happy,” she replied watching as the obviously flustered man made her a sandwich. This at least gave the one man duo in front of her pause and a thoughtful expression came over his face as he set a plate and glass of milk in front of her.
    “You would know him better than me. I trust your judgement but if he ever betrays us, I can’t promise his death will be quick,” the lanky murderer whispered, his eyes shining black for just a second.
    “You mean you wouldn’t... none of you would blame me for this?” she whispered, feeling a bit ashamed for assuming they would so easily turn on her. The shocked look on her friend’s face only made her feel even worse.
    Instantly, he was taking a seat beside her to capture her hands in his bonier ones; his blue eyes locked on hers as he shook his head almost desperately. “Never, never. Not after everything you’ve done to prove to us that you trust us, that you care for us. Even Joker would never blame you, it would be his fault alone,” the villain assured, his gaze moving back to the females who continued to look the newcomer over. Finally they deemed him okay and motioned him to come inside. Something the nervous man did very reluctantly.
    “Speaking of Joker, this pretty much gives away my little travels outside. I never did figure out why you didn’t just tell him what I was doing,” Marie whispered, allowing her closest friend to pull her into a tight hug.
    “You never went too far. The few times I followed you, you seemed to know what you were doing and I decided to just leave you be. You seemed to enjoy the feeling of escaping so I kept up the appearance of disapproval,” he explained, sounding slightly amused as he kissed her cheek.
    Without warning, his lips were covering hers in a chaste but no less passionate kiss just as Dave Mickleson walked into the room. Ignoring their stunned guest, the former Psychiatrist slowly broke the kiss to release a ragged breath. “I... I’m sorry Marie. I know better but... I just can’t seem to help loving you,” he confessed, slowly getting to his feet to leave when his companion shot out a hand to grab his wrist. A rosy blush colored her pale cheeks and sorrow shone in her stormy eyes as she tugged Jonathan back toward her.
    “Hey Dave, would you go hang with Selena and Ivy in the living room? I’ll be there in a second,” she requested, not moving her gaze from Crane’s as the suddenly shy male took the seat he recently vacated.
    Thankfully her uncle complied, looking awkward as well as confused as the two women took his arms with identical grins of mischief on their faces. “Jonathan, don’t be ashamed that you love me. Hell, I’m probably the only female in your life that Scarecrow doesn’t want to actively kill. I have to admit, I love you as well but...,” she trailed off, her eye moving to the side as she struggled with her next words. None of this was fair to the pair that shared one body but she just couldn’t bring herself to regret choosing Joker and she didn’t really have a good explanation why she was more drawn to the dangerous clown. A thin hand under her chin brought her attention to the duo she would have ended up with if Jack had never come into her life.
    “You don’t have to explain. We understand. The heart is a fickle thing, something he has come to learn. In all our years as one being; he never knew what it was to love, to actually fear for another’s well-being. You have made us both more human and you have earned our loyalty for life,” he murmured in a reassuring tone, closing his eyes as a heartbroken expression came over his too pale face.
    Silence stretched between the pair, Marie painfully aware Scarecrow would never allow another female anywhere near Crane simply because of his loyalty to her. He would kill any woman who even tried to flirt with the chemist and in ways she was better off not thinking about. Because of her, this man would more than likely end up alone; never having felt what true love was. It was a hefty realization to come to and she felt her heart crack. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around him to burrow her face into his chest as she began to sob loudly. Just as his own arms came up to return the embrace, the door opened to announce the arrival of her lover and his army.
    “What the fuck is Dave Mickleson doing here?!” came a roar from the entry hall, making the pair wince as they shot to their feet in unison to try to stop a disaster from occurring.
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Laughter in the Dark