sightless.

27: Sickness

A/N:  SOOOO this story has reached 4K reads!! I cannot tell you how exciting that is to me!  This time last week it was 3K.  I know to a lot of people that may not be a lot, but it is to me!  So thank you so very much, and as usual, to celebrate, I posted another chapter!  

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"I was going to smack him and yell Tag."

Amy opened the door and Freddy looked up at her, "Can I come out, Mommy?"

She told him, "Yes, honey, come on out. Everything's ok." The second he stepped foot out the door, she saw J run past her. She should have seen it coming, but then he smacked Freddy on the shoulder, screamed "Tag," and then ran off the patio into the green sprawling backyard. Freddy giggled loudly, yelled "Hey! Not fair," and then ran after J, continuing his giggle.

She looked out over the entire yard. The white French doors led to a large patio with several sparse seating areas. There were two steps that led down into probably an acre of green hills. Off in the distance was a forest with all the leaves in varying colors of yellow, orange and red. It was beautiful, but everything around her was very barren and unlived in. She wondered if many people ever even came to his house. 

She could picture cushions on the chairs and a large pool with a water slide and a Jacuzzi. She could see a fence around the entire lot that she thought purple may just work with. She could see a huge stone fire pit with chairs around it. She wouldn't let J or Freddy near it, but it would look good.  She could see a sprawling garden filled with every color of rose she could imagine.  She could picture her and Freddy tending to the garden during warm summer afternoons.  

What am I doing? Moving myself in? Do I even have a choice to not move in? She felt goosebumps prickle up her arms, but there was a chill in the air, so she attributed the goosebumps to the weather.  She wrapped her arms around herself.  

She watched J stop a few feet in front of Freddy and turn around. Freddy's little legs were going a mile a minute trying to catch him, and once he reached him, he smacked J in the stomach and ran away giggling. "You can't catch me! Na na na boo boo!" She continued watching their back and forth with a smile. Maybe he could be a father. He would be more of a child-like friend than anything, but they could at least call him father. It would be better than what she actually had.

Her thoughts were so back and forth, it was like whiplash for her feelings. One minute she wanted to get them away from J, and the next, she wanted to build a life with him. Is it because I fell in love with him when I was blind? She couldn't get past the hope that she felt that last night she was blind. The hope for a future with someone to lean on for once, someone to support her, someone to love her. She wouldn't have had to go it alone. She would have been happy to have been a wife and mother. She had hope that her future wouldn't be so bleak anymore. Maybe that hope is creeping in again, even with the notorious Joker?

She then watched it all go down. J tagged Freddy too hard on his back, and Freddy went to fall forward. J was just way too quick to let Freddy hit the ground, and he swooped him up before Freddy ate dirt. He then swung around, lifted Freddy up, and yelled to her, "Did you see that?" He held Freddy up further, like a trophy. "I'm just too good." Freddy found his being lifted high in the air thrilling and laughed loudly. 

J then let his arms fall and held Freddy at his side, starting to walk towards her. He just wasn't normal by any means. He had Freddy's legs in front of him, and Freddy's front was behind him. She could tell he wasn't holding Freddy right by the way the boy's feet were higher than his head. It didn't matter, though, because Freddy giggled along the whole way. J continued towards Amy, and then put Freddy fully down on the ground—head first but gently enough to not hurt the boy.

That was when she felt it. The hot and cold feeling rushed through her. It was the same time every morning. She was going to make a fool out of herself right here in front of the Joker. She put her hand to her mouth and rushed to the door. She needed a bathroom immediately. She had no idea where a close one was. She only knew of the one in J's room. She ran around frantically on the first floor searching for one, and she was unable to before she knew she was going to be sick.  She found the kitchen trash can, instead.  She fell to her hands and knees clutching her stomach with one arm and the trashcan with another. She felt a tiny hand grab her hair. Freddy knew the deal, and the little angel always held her hair back. She got violently sick again and then felt a much larger hand start rubbing her back. She let loose a small whine, knowing that he was watching her. She heard, "The baby?"

She then heard Freddy whisper in a voice way beyond his years, "Mommy says it's cause of the baby in her tummy, and she's ok. It'll go way."

Once she finally felt her stomach settle, she closed her eyes, not wanting to look up. Amy, embarrassment is your best friend. J then asked her in a soft voice, "Do you feel better, kitten?"

She finally looked up and could see nothing but concern in his eyes. "Yea. Sorry about that. I couldn't find a bathroom. Let me take care of this."

"No, go clean up and then find something to eat. I'll have someone take the trash out."

"It's ok. You don't need to do that." J stood up and held out a hand for her. He then whistled very loudly, and she saw an older gentleman appear at the top of the stairs. So that's how he got the kitchen cleaned up so quickly. I should have known he didn't clean it himself. No wonder he doesn't care when he makes a mess.

"Listen to me. Go clean up and eat. Howard will take care of this."

The man she assumed was Howard walked down the stairs and said, "Madame," while tilting his head forward.  He was an older man with very neat gray hair.  He was a little on the larger side, but it suited him.  He wore a black butler's uniform.

"Meet the new butler," J told her with all the drama he could.  He held his arms out as if to say, "Yes, yes.  I am amazing for getting you a butler."

"Pleased to meet you, sir. I'm really sorry we've been so messy this morning."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mistress Amelia. It is my job. Please do not apologize."

She turned to J and asked, "New?"

"Well, I wasn't cleaning up after you and Freddy's messes." He scoffed and walked towards the back door. "I have to get a couple things I left on the patio, and then I have things to do. I'll be back later." I have to make sure he doesn't just leave his guns all over the place, or Freddy will get them. She knew living with the Joker was going to be a different type of experience, but she and Freddy went from living with roaches and living in a hallway to having a butler. Living with the Joker could have certain perks.

She and Freddy went upstairs so she could get cleaned up, and the whole time Freddy continued asking her questions. "Are we staying?" "Can we stay?" "Is he going to be my daddy?" "Do I get a bed or do I have to sleep with you?" She couldn't keep up with them all, and she didn't know where she and Freddy were going to stay. She figured that J would kick them out of his bed.  She only knew that for the moment, they were safe and warm.  For the future, she had no idea what was going to happen.

A/N:  Somewhat of a filler chapter, but I enjoyed this one.  It shows a softer and more playful side of Mr. J.  What do you think about these sides of him?  Let me know!  As usual, if you enjoyed it, please leave a comment and/or vote.  If you didn't, please let me know why!

Until next time, lovelies!  Ta!