Such A Joker (Jerome x reader) ~ (Jeremiah x reader)

Box of Memories

I shove my hands in my pockets and move along the dark street shuffling my feet. "Hey! Don't you have somewhere to be?" A small voice makes itself present. I wheel my body to see the same little boy from earlier chewing on the candy bar I gave him. I narrow my eyebrows at him in confusion. "I could be asking you the same thing kid. What are you doing out here? It's not safe." He rolls his eyes and continues to enjoy his candy. "Then why are you out here?" He fires back laughing. "Because kid, I'm able to take care of myself." The child smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Couldn't keep Jerome safe." the boy says getting up and running down an alleyway.

His legs carry him through the narrow dark space; myself following him quickly. "Whoa! Wait! Kid wait!" I yell as he rounds the corner and is out of sight. I spin around in a full 360 trying to find the boy.

My brain clouds and I cannot think clearly. Searing pain in my temples causing me to fall to my knees weak and lean against the decrepit brick wall. My head spinning and feeling as it's on fire. The pain continues and all I can do it grip my head and get as close to my knees as possible. I sit there for what felt like hours. Rocking myself back and forth trying to calm myself. All I need is silence, but the world plays tricks on me and my body continues to resist the methods and falls deeper into the fire.

Barbra POV:
I walk down the sidewalk away from the club. "Where to Ms. Kean?" My driver asks as he opens the door for me. "Just to the house." he nods understandably and closes the door. We ride along the streets of Gotham and come to one of the stoplights. I turn to peer out my window and see (Y/n) leaned up against the wall and looking absolutely exhausted. Almost dead.

After telling my driver to pull over I step out and walk up to her quietly. "(y/n)?" She moans lightly and lifts her head up revealing her face. She's covered in sweat and she can hardly open her eyes. "What the hell happened? Did you get mugged?" I help my friend up and walk her to the car securing her safely inside.

After the shorter drive to the house and getting (y/n) inside I lay her on the couch. She looks at me and smiles. "You wanted to meet me?" She asks with effort in her voice. I nod and smile brushing her hair out of her face. She's so beautiful! I have to say she looks like her mother. "I wanted to show you something," I say and stand up making my way to the huge wardrobe. I open it and the box stood out perfectly. The old shoebox painted and doodled on that held all the parts of (Y/n's) life. Even the parts Jim wanted to keep hidden forever.

I walk back to her and see she is not sitting up and actually has gained some color back to her cheeks. "What is that? Looks like a kindergarten class went wild!" we laugh and I pass it over to her. "Well, that explains it because it's yours." (Y/n) looks at me shocked. "Why do you have it?" I shrug and sigh. "Jim didn't want you to ever see it." She nods and sighs looking down. She traces the colored streaks on the box and shakes her head laughing. "I'm not the same am I Barbra?" I shake my head looking at the confused young woman. "You use to be sorta like this, but that was when you were 15! People change, and, you certainly did." "Was I a bad person Babs?" I grab her hands and shake my head in response. She directs her eyes to the box and runs her fingers over the colors before lifting the lid and exposing all her joyful memories she found important enough to keep.

"When you started making this box you were 16. I remember seeing you sit at the table for hours choosing a photo from each Christmas, birthday, and vacation. You put little cards in there that you got from close friends." (Y/n) pulls out a packet of photos from our very last vacation. She pulled the photos one by one and looked at them smiling. Jim, (y/n), and myself standing on the sand looking absolutely amazing! "That was such a good time!" (Y/n) shrugs flipping through more pictures. "At least you can remember it." she tosses the packet of photos onto the coffee table across from us. I sit her up straight holding her by the shoulders. "I know this might be hard, but I really think this is what is going to bring your memories back." (Y/n) looks at me with several emotions clouding her eyes. "Please show me. I feel bits and pieces of things every day! I can't keep going knowing there is more. Everyone knows something about me that I don't! That's messed up don't you think?" (y/n) shouted loudly laughing. "Okay. look at these ones."

I go over to the wardrobe and grab a separate box. This one containing everything from her time with Jerome. I set the box in her lap. She wastes no time digging into the pile of love notes, letters from him, gifts, and pictures. She holds a picture of Jerome and herself. She quickly looked through the rest of the pictures throwing them everywhere. She drops the box on the couch laughing. "Holy shit." she breathed laughing some more.

(Y/n) POV:
Picture after picture bubbles popped inside my head revealing the truth of my life. Jerome was there through everything. He set me free.

"Oh wait you forgot something." Babs laughs as she pulls out a smaller box. I lift the lid to find none other than my glass bowl Jerome and I smoked out of the first night we met. I smile at Babs and show her the pipe. "Know any good candy men Babs?" She laughs and pulls out her phone. "Only the best for the best." She winked and walked off.

About an hour later both Babs and I are watching some soap opera and throwing our treats at the cast members we don't like. I get up and stretch popping my back. "Oh! That felt good!" I laugh and spin around falling back on the couch. "I think I'm going to hit the sack girl. You good down here?" I smile at my best friend and nod happily. "I'll be good." Babs kisses my head and leaves the room.

I roll on my back and stare up at the ceiling. "(y/n) Gordon... Oh, the places you've been." I mumble and light up a rolled blunt inhaling and then exhaling feeling the numb and light feeling in my body. "Doesn't look like you're being very good to me Ms. Gordon." I roll off the couch in surprise by the voice.

I sit up on my knees and look to my left to see him. This kid keeps following me! I stand up a little frightened. "How'd you get in here?" The little boy laughs smirking at me. "You let me in (y/n)." He giggles cutely and sits closer to me. "What are you?" I ask going to touch his curly red hair. The little boy smiles and kisses my cheek. The boy hugs me close. He doesn't move an inch as I try and sit back on the couch. As I get a quarter of the way to standing I fall back on the ground with little red still clinging to me.

I look to my right to see him.
A picture of him.
This little boy who is hugging me is in a picture flying a kite with a circus in the background. I take the picture in my fingers and flip it over.

Jerome's 7th birthday. He loves his kite.

I let the photograph fall back to the ground and hold my breath. "Jerome?" I ask quietly. He lifts his head up and smiles at me. "We have a winner Dollface."