The Fault in our Scars (originally known as 'Maybe Baby' by Alex Snape)

Chapter 9

It was nearly six in the morning when The Joker finally came out of his unconscious state. He grunted softly as he lifted his head and looked around to find that he was still in the bathroom. He carefully sat up and rubbed the tender spot on the back of his head where he had landed a hard blow.

He supported himself against the wall as he slowly got to his feet, and was surprised to see the bathtub clean and spotless. The Joker shook his head. Was it all a dream?

A quiet gurgle from the bedroom answered his confusion and he fumbled toward the door frame and peered around it. He glanced at Harley asleep on the mattress that was now bare, her body covered with a thick blanket. Beside her, sitting securely by the bed, was a small, dark green bassinet.

A sudden chill ran up The Joker's neck as he took a deep breath and walked carefully toward the source of the gentle noises.

He could feel his heart start to pound in his chest as he stepped closer, but a sudden choked cry from the baby made him stop in front of the bed where Harley had been startled from her slumber.

"Mmm," she moaned as she sat up and looked at The Joker. She gave him a loving smile. "Good morning, Daddy," she cooed.

He grinned at her but didn't respond as he looked toward the bassinet again. Harley noticed the slight anxiety across his face and giggled softly. "Have you two met yet?" she whispered as she got out of bed carefully.

The Joker shook his head. "No..." he replied.

"Well, why so shy, Puddin'?" Harley said, smiling as she picked up the baby and cradled him against her breast.

"I'm not," he said, treading lightly over to her as she reclined on the bed again. He looked down at her as she pulled down a strap of her tank top and proceeded to breast feed.

The Joker grinned as he watched for a minute and then asked, "How do you know he's hungry?"

She giggled. "He pretty much tells me...but newborns need to be fed every two hours."

"Geez..." he said, rubbing his temple. "I was out for a while, I guess."

"For the rest of the night."

He cautiously crawled beside her onto the bed and continued to watch her. He put one of the baby's feet in his hand and looked at the toes. "He's kinda scrawny," he said.

Harley laughed quietly. "He'll get bigger..." The baby drew his attention away from his mother and gazed at The Joker. Harley noticed his inquisitive stare and cooed, "Who's that?"

The baby suddenly reached out a hand in The Joker's direction. "That's your Daddy..." Harley whispered.

The Joker slowly put out his own hand and let the baby grasp his finger. He couldn't stop the soft chuckle that emerged from his throat as he locked eyes with his son.

"Wow..." he said in slight awe. "He isn't...I mean, he doesn't..."

"What?" Harley asked.

The Joker gulped as he let the baby tightly grip his finger. "He isn't scared of me."

Harley giggled again. "Of course he isn't...he knows you're his daddy..." She thought this was a silly notion, but she knew that he was worried about the smudged paint that was still on his face and how intimidating he must look.

The baby released his finger after a few minutes as Harley lifted him up, and The Joker watched as she cradled him to her chest, his chin on her shoulder. She patted the baby's back.

"Careful, Harley," The Joker said, nervously.

"Oh, he's fine, honey," she grinned. "It's the only way he can-"

A loud burp interrupted her and made them both laugh quietly. The Joker moved closer to her as she held him in front of her. The baby squirmed in her lap, his tiny fingers moving underneath the fabric of his purple onesie.

"You want to hold him?" Harley asked.

The Joker's lips parted in surprise. "Well, I...I don't know...I'm still kinda dizzy..."

Harley looked away in dismay, even though she knew that he might take a while to become accustomed to their new situation.

He noticed her expression. "Come on, baby...don't be that way..."

"You're gonna have to sooner or later, you know..." came her flat expression.

"Harley..." he began, but stopped when the baby started to cry again.

"Oh, baby," Harley comforted him, cradling him once more. "Oh, what's wrong? You're not dirty and I know you're not hungry. Oh, shhh, baby boy."

The Joker licked his lips and stood up and walked around the mattress to her. "Let me take him," he whispered.

She looked at him and then carefully stood up. "Keep his neck and head supported and-"

"I got it," he responded as he let her gently place the baby in his arms. He looked down at his son as he stepped away from the bed. "Hey, kiddo..." he whispered. "You've been causing lots of excitement lately, haven't you?"

Harley sat on the bed as a big smile stretched across her face, and she placed herself under the blanket and let her tired eyes droop.

The baby gazed up at The Joker with interested eyes, and his father gave him a big smile. "Yeah, all this is new to me, too," he said. He stood by the window and began to unconsciously rock his arms in a gentle swing. The baby's eyes began to droop and he walked over to the bassinet. "Okay, back to bed, squirt," he said. "Daddy needs to fix his headache."

He placed the baby on its back and wrapped its feet with the green blanket that had been a gift from Ivy, and The Joker took another long look at his son. The baby suddenly yawned and his father chuckled lightly.

"Good night, Jack," The Joker whispered. He turned his eyes away and smiled, and then, looking upon the now sleeping figure of his son, his wide smile returned.

"Jack...yeah...I think that'll do."