All Too Well

♚ Chapter Twelve ♚

Jumbo, with Freckles on his lap, Peter, Wendy, Joker, Beast, Dagger, and I sat in a circle in Father's backyard. Joker, Beast, and Dagger recently got new prosthetics. "Us in a circus?" Joker laughed. "Father is being unrealistic again."

"No he's not!" Beast smiled. "With this new leg Father gave me, I can do anything!"

"I wanna be a cool knife-thrower!" Dagger announced as he stood up.

"Yeah!" We all agreed. "Let's do it!"

Joker chuckled at our enthusiasm. "Alright!" Joker grinned. "Then wed better choose stage named first." He pointed to Jumbo,. "Jumbo is fine." He pointed to Beast. "You'll be 'Beast'." And he pointed to Dagger. "And you'll be 'Dagger'. Simple is best, right?"

"Awesome!" Freckles cried, jumping off Jumbo's lap. I stood up and went to her side. "Hey, give us names too!" She begged.

"Let's see..." Joker pondered. "Okay, you will be 'Doll' and Violet will be 'Rose'!"

"Eh?" Freckles and I blushed. The group chuckled at our reaction.

"Doll?" She sputtered.

"Rose?" I cringed.

"Forget it!" Freckles groaned. "We don't want girly names!"

"It doesn't fit us!" I cried.

"Of course it fits the both of you," Joker gave us a warm smile as he patted our heads with each of his hands. "After all, you both our cute little sisters."

*~*~*~*~*~

"Good girl," Freckles stroked the horse's mane. "Hang in there, we're almost there." We decided to rest by a nearby river. We've been riding for over a day now, and it's nightfall again. Freckles and I took turns steering the horse while the other scouted or slept to rest up. The horse dipped its head into the river and took a drink.

"Maybe we should take a break too," I suggested.

"Good call," Freckles nodded.

We slowly trudged over to a log and sat down on it. From my pocket, I pulled out my milk Funtom candy and Freckles pulled out her strawberry one. "I can't make myself believe Smile's with the Yard," I confessed to her. "He's such a weakling, and he doesn't seem like he could lie. But, neither do we, and..."

My mind drifted to the time when the dying police officer demanded why we were abducting the innocent child right before Joker finished him off. I took Freckles hand into mine and we leaned in, holding the candy close to our hearts and closing our eyes. I remembered the horrible times back in East End that we were forced to endure together.

The horse nudged us with her head and neighed at us, encouraging the both of us. "That's right," Freckles said, getting up and stretching. "We must go to where Joker is!"

I reached back into my pocket to put away the candy and feel my pistol for comfort when it wasn't there. I paled and felt again, and it wasn't there. "Oh no..." I muttered, feeling my pants. "No, no, no!"

"What's wrong?" Freckles asked.

"The pistol-the one you stole for me-it's not here! It's gone!"

"Calm down. You probably left it back in the tent—"

"That's nearly impossible! I keep it on me at all times!"