Laugh Lines

Chaos at it's Finest

~I started a joke, 

That started the whole world crying,

And I didn't see, 

That the joke was on me~

~ The Bee Gees~

Joker wasn't sure he had heard her correctly.

"Yea, Tina and Bette, I caught them on camera selling drugs in the private room. I had to fire them. It's so hard to find dancers this time of the year." She continued as if she hadn't just dropped a bomb in the room.

Joker put his hands on his face, pushing his hands against his eyes hard enough to see bursts of light behind his closed lids. He gritted his teeth. If she didn't start talking he couldn't promise he wouldn't strangle her right now.

"Before that."

There was silence. He was afraid to look at her, afraid of what he would do. He felt her small hands grab his, pulling them from his face. She pulled his hand down and placed it on to her flat belly. She turned her eyes up to his face, "10 weeks.", she said.

He jerked his hand back like it was on fire. He could see the hurt flash across her face but he was at a complete loss for what to do. He felt strange in his own skin almost as if it didn't fit right.

"Say something." She said.

Say something? What the hell did she expect him to say? How the hell did you let this happen? He licked hit scar on his bottom lip, then finally asked "What are you going to do with it?"

She smiled, then frowned. "I don't know." She answered honestly.

She looked on the verge of tears, almost scared, he hated the look on her. Her bravado, that usual sparkle in her eyes was gone. That wouldn't do. His body relaxed, "Do you want a kid?" he asked.

She looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears, though they didn't fall. "Maybe. I don't know."

He laid there, long enough in the silence that he began to get cold. He moved to get up, reaching for his clothes. He pulled his boxers and pants on, buttoning them as he turned to her. "The decision is up to you, Peach."

"You won't be mad, whatever I choose?" she asked, sitting up now.

The damage was done, what she chose to do from here couldn't make anything worse. He fought with what to say next. He was already feeling raw and exposed. He settled on the damned truth. He leaned over and kissed her, "I seem to have a hard time staying angry at you." She smiled.

He moved away from her and finished getting dressed, "I have to go. I still have a bat to trap."

She laughed. "I love you." She said.

He froze, his back to her. "I know." He left.

By the time he got out of the office, through the bar and sat in his car he was livid. He felt the blood pulsing in his temples. His biggest concern was, when had she planned on telling him? If he hadn't come by would she have ever told him? Had she talked to Ace about this? He'd have to interrogate him.

What had she planned on doing, vanishing and having the kid in secret? She didn't have family, would she have given the kid away? Would she have aborted it and never told him?

Yea, he ultimately left the choice up to her, but he still had a right to know, either way. He wanted to go hurt someone. He felt that need to destroy something, anything. He had to purge this anger to get his clear head back.

He started to drive, no real destination in mind. When he showed up at Amusement mile, he was surprised, and a bit calmer. He got out of the car and decided to check out the progress of his men while he was here. The funhouse was shaping up and Joker decided to concentrate on that for the time being. All in all, the men were about finished. It would be perfect. He would have his building back for emergencies soon.