Unrequited Love

Chapted 7: Betrayal

The next morning, Lucy woke up to a text from Damian, a surprise that left her feeling puzzled. He wanted to meet up later to discuss her options, which was exactly what she had been planning to text him about. Lucy quickly replied, then got ready for the day. She headed to their makeshift kitchen, searching for something to eat, but her efforts were proving futile. Just then, her father entered the room, not expecting to find Lucy there. "Morning Lucille..." he greeted her, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Morning Father..." she replied, their exchange laced with tension and a clear reluctance to engage in conversation.

Lucy reflected on her conversation with her mother the previous night, letting out a soft sigh. She turned to face her father, her expression a mix of frustration and sadness. "Can we talk for a moment?" she asked, her voice measured.

The Joker shrugged nonchalantly, his reluctance evident. "Fine."

Lucy pressed on, her words tinged with emotion. "I'm still upset about what you did yesterday, but it's clear we have a communication problem. And that starts with you actually talking to me. We barely know each other. And granted I was gone for 3 weeks, shouldn't you want to get to know your daughter, after all these years. What are my aspirations, what is my favorite color, things any parents knows that you don't."

The Joker remained silent, his lack of response a stark reminder of the chasm between them.

"I guess not...  you just want to look like you care in front of mom so she'll stay with you. Without mom, everything turns into chaos and then you wouldn't know what to do with your pathetic self. Honestly I feel sorry for you..." Lucy replied. She bumps into her father's shoulder when passing him, about to leave the kitchen. He stopped the girl by grabbing her arm. "Lucille sit down..." He told her. Lucy tried to wriggle free but her father's grip was like a vice. She reluctantly sat down, glaring coldly at her father. "You need to understand from my standpoint Luce. I'm trying to make up for my absence in your life. Those girls the same ones that made you come looking for me, they deserve what they got. I bet little Lucy wouldn't think twice about them being in the hospital."

Lucy scoffed, "She would be mortified... you know this. Granted, I admired you then, but I knew better. Listen, father, I get your point - we see the world differently. I also have a part to blame for my poor choice of words, but still, you shouldn't have acted upon it. I could be in even more danger now because of what you did."

The Joker sighed, his voice tinged with a hint of remorse. "I... apologize for my actions, but I don't regret it."

Lucy shrugged, her expression a mix of frustration and resignation. "Whatever I can get from you. So, can we please communicate with each other from now on? I want to get this right between us."

The Joker's gaze softened slightly, a glimmer of hope that they could find common ground. Hopefully that meant the brat wouldn't yell at him as often. "We'll try..." He said. A smile formed on the blonde's face, "Good. Now speaking of... parenting and all of that, you know how I was weak last night when I came home? Well I wanna go out again... this time to talk to the Boy Blunder about letting you go. I've been doing good at it so far, but I think he's getting fed up with it. I have to talk to him so we can make this work... whatever our relationship is anyway." Joker let out a soft chuckle, "Funny story... your mother and I were just talking about how close you and the boy wonder is. I don't like it. Great you have a friend now, but seriously did it have to be the Boy Blunder..."

Lucy rolled her eyes in response, "Come on... he isn't that bad. He did help you save my life remember and I'm surprised you two didn't kill each other. No need to be dramatic. We've been helping each other, and he's been really helpful toward my aunt's case. He's been perfect-"