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Ashes, Ashes	By : JaneKrahe Category: DC Verse Comics > Batman Views: 6446 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own the Batman series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Barbara stood in the bathroom, frowning at her reflection. Joker had sent a man to her room with… well, it had to a costume. It was a short, tight, black vinyl dress. It he no sleeves, and was so low-cut Barbara was afraid she’d fall out. There were violet leggings with it, as well as black high-heeled boots. He did this on purpose, she thought with mock anger. She realized she was smiling. Smiling, because she was thinking about the Joker. It was time to face the truth. She was attracted to him. Admitting the problem is the first step to recovery, isn’t it?

Barbara sat (rather uncomfortably) on the edge of the tub. She most definitely had a problem. Joker was… intoxicating. She thought of earlier that day, when she’d seen the man behind the makeup. She tried to play a little word-association with herself. She took a deep breath, and cleared her mind. Then, out loud, she said, “Joker.”

*Beautiful*, whispered a voice in the back of her mind.

Damn, she thought. She cleared her throat, and tried again. “Blood.”

*Sex*.

Grr, she thought. “Bite.”

*Lust*.

“Goddamnit!” she cried. “What is wrong with me?” Just then, she heard the grandfather clock in the hall chime. She stood. It was time.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Joker waited in the ballroom, at a table across from the door. Dr. Crane had just arrived, but Barbara wasn’t there. He growled to himself. He should have known better than to trust her. He was letting a pretty face distract him, and he couldn’t afford it. The door opened, and Joker looked up expectantly. It was just Crane, and two of his cronies. “I trust we are on time,” Crane said. He sat down across the table from Joker, his men flanking him on either side.

“Yes, I -” Joker stopped. The doors opened, and Barbara stepped through.

Crane turned, his face darkening when he noticed her. “What the hell is this, Joker?” he asked, turning back to him. “You working with the cops? Hmm?”

Joker didn’t hear him. He was watching Barbara slink across the room. Her eyes were shadowed in black, but it was slightly smeared, as if she’d slept in it. She came to stand beside Joker. She smiled, and took hold of his right arm, and said in a husky voice, “Not starting without me, are you?”

Joker was stunned. Barbara was looking up at him through her thick lashes, her lips pouty and so tempting. Why not? Joker leaned down and kissed her briefly.

As they broke apart, Crane scoffed, “You? With the Commissioner’s daughter? Ha!” He began laughing.

“Find something funny, pigeon?” Barbara said, her voice a dangerous purr. She leaned across the table and laid a thin knife across Crane’s jugular. His laughter stopped and he stared at her in shock. “I didn’t think so.” She stood up straight, and the knife disappeared, but Joker couldn’t figure out where she put it. She was half-naked.

“Let’s get to business, folks.” Joker sat down, and tried not to be distracted when Barbara sat on the desk facing him and put her foot up on the arm of his chair. “Crane, you’re a man of… sophistication, aren’t you?”

“I’d like to think so,” Crane replied, straightening his tie.

“Well, I have a little… idea, and I’d like to let you in on it,” Joker said. “It has to do with that white powder you’ve been peddling to the low-life drug dealers around town.”

Crane laughed slightly. “So… you know it’s not… ordinary?”

“Of course.” Joker stood and began pacing. “I need a relatively small amount of it, about six ounces.”

Crane nodded. “I can do that… for a price.”

Joker laughed. “No, Crane, you don’t understand. You’re going to *give* six ounces of your hallucinogen. And you’re going to do so happily and willingly.”

Dr. Crane stood, buttoning his suit jacket. “I think I’ve heard enough, Mr. Joker. We’ll be leaving now.” He turned, and motioned to his minions. Joker wondered how best to stop him, but didn’t get the chance.

Barbara stepped forward, and grabbed Crane by the hair. She brought her knife to his throat. “Where you going, baby?” she crooned into his ear. “How ‘bout you turn around, and hear what Handsome over there had to say?” She forced him to turn. He was shaking. Joker was more than impressed, and was having a hard time concentrating.

He cleared his throat, and said, “See, guy, basically, you give me what I ask for, and I don’t have my pretty here slice you open and embarrass you in front of your men. What do you say?”

Crane closed his eyes. “Fine,” he said. “There’s at least that much in my briefcase, just take it.”

“Good boy,” Joker said. He nodded to Barbara, who winked at him and released Crane.

Crane stumbled out of the room, his men running after him.

Joker turned to Barbara. He could think of only one thing to say. “Wow.”

She glared at him. “Don’t make fun of me.”

“Oh, I’m not,” he said, walking toward her. “That was a… magnificent performance.”

Barbara crossed her arms, suddenly seeming like herself again. “So, how’d it feel?” Joker asked.

She glanced up at him. “I - I’m not sure.”

“Oh, really?” He raised his eyebrows. “You weren’t disgusted? Those upstanding morals of yours didn’t rear their shining heads?’

Barbara didn’t answer, and Joker thought he knew why. If he was right… the idea was thrilling. “You were having fun, weren’t you?” he asked. “Never thought that true freedom could be so liberating, did you?”

“How does crime equate with freedom?” Barbara said.

“Crime is the essence of freedom,” Joker told her. “Freedom is the ability to do as you wish, at any time, and in any way. Introduce a little anarchy, and you introduce… freedom.”

Barbara’s next question caught Joker so off-guard that he answered it truthfully. She fixed him with a serious stare, and said, “Do you really believe that?”

“Sometimes,” he said before he could stop himself.

Her expression softened, and she closed the distance between them. Joker’s breath caught in his throat as she slipped a hand between the buttons of his shirt, and onto his chest. “So you do have one,” she said quietly.

“Have…?” Joker couldn’t even finish a sentence.

She looked up at him, and he bit his lip at the look on her face. “A heart.”

Indeed, he had a heart, and it was pounding so hard it ached. He could feel her fingers on his skin, and it was making him tremble. “You… you should go,” he told her breathlessly. Joker’s usually iron self-control was failing, and he was worried for Barbara’s safety, even if he didn’t know why.

“Go?” she repeated. “Like, go home?”

No! Joker’s mind screamed at him. No, no, she can’t leave, no!!!! Outwardly, he said, “Not yet.”

“Oh.” She dropped her hand.

Joker felt the loss of her touch as a pain, and was desperate to get it back. And we all know what desperate times call for. “I’ll let you go!” he said. She looked at him suspiciously. “I will, I’ll let you go, if you just…” He hated himself for what he was about to say, but he wasn’t thinking clearly.

“If I what?” she prompted.

Joker grabbed her by the arms and pulled her close. “Spend the night with me,” he said in a rush. “Spend one whole night with me, in my bed, and I swear, I’ll let you go and you’ll never see me again.” He braced himself for what he knew was coming, the slap to the face, the look of disgust… the laughter.

But she was silent. Silent for so long that Joker closed his eyes. He couldn’t bear it anymore. He released her, and turned away. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying not to let it hurt.

“Yes.”

Joker opened his eyes. He didn’t just hear what he thought he heard - did he? He turned to Barbara. She was looking up at him, not angry, not disgusted, not amused. Completely neutral. “What did you say?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“I said ‘yes’.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

~Sorry for cutting it short, but I'm creating dramatic tension... and hopefully thier night together is a long one *wink*. Chapter 5 is coming!~
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Ashes, Ashes