Will You Be My Daddy? ~Joker Fanfiction~

Nine

"Daddy!" Came a shrill shriek at two in the morning. Thunder crashed overhead and rain pounded against the window panes of the elegant mansion of the well-known madman. In her hysteria, Madeline forgot Andrew and Thomas's instructions to come to them first and flew out of bed and next door to her father's room, frantically knocking on the door.

J groggily woke up from his slumber, rubbing at his eyes as he became aware of the commotion outside his door. He began muttering crankily as he stood up and stumbled to the locked door. He flung the door open, glaring ahead at the offender. Well, he would have if there were someone to glare at straight ahead. The feeling of something grabbing onto his legs caused him to look down. That was when he noticed that his preschooler had been the one to disturb him in the middle of the night.

"What is it, doll?" Joker demanded, staring at the girl without moving.

"T-There was a loud noise, and bright flashes kept coming in the window, a-and I just got scared, Daddy," Maddie stuttered.

"Why didn't you just go to Andy or Tommy?" J mumbled. Please don't tell me she walked in on them fucking. If she came here and bothered me because they are fucking I am going to murder them both.

Maddie got frightened almost immediately. Andy and Tommy said not to bother Daddy and I did. I should've gone to them first like they said. Now he's going to be mad...

"I-I'm sorry, Daddy. You're right, I'll go find them. I just forgot and I wanted you. But I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have bothered you, Daddy," she whimpered, backing away.

"I'm up now, doll. Might as well just tell me what you wanted to tell me now. No reason to wake me up and then wake up the others too," J mumbled.

"I'm just scared Daddy. The noise gave me a nightmare and I don't want to go back to sleep," Maddie confessed.

"It's just a storm, doll. Nothing to be afraid of. Now run on back to bed," J soothed halfheartedly.

"But it's so loud! What if it gets me in the night?" Madeline asked hysterically.

"Ugh! Come on with me princess," he groaned, taking her hand (the first time he'd done so willingly) and dragging her back to her room.

He swooped her up and plopped her back down on her princess bed and briefly scanned the room. J smirked when he found what he was looking for, crossing the room in quick strides to pick it up. Madeline, meanwhile, had tucked herself back under the covers and laid down, watching her father moving about the room and flinching whenever thunder boomed or lightning crackled across the sky. Joker approached the bed with a prize in his hands and sat sideways on the bed next to his daughter.

"This," he started, holding up a pink and black stuffed kitten, "will protect you from storms and nightmares. As long as you have her, you'll be all smiles."

"That's what I'm gonna name her," Maddie decided.

"What?" Joker asked, confused.

"Smiles. Because you gave her to me. And that's also what you give me. Smiles," she explained simply.

Joker was taken aback, but said nothing, simply rising from the bed and beginning to leave the room. However a passing thought made him pause in the doorway.

"You know, doll, if you need something, you don't just have to ask Andy and Tommy," he said quietly, not waiting for a response before walking out and shutting the door softly behind him with a resounding click, leaving Madeline confused in the dark.

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The next morning was a Friday, and like usual, Edward was on the way to the hideout courtesy of a random goon. Madeline had slept surprisingly well after receiving Smiles (not like she didn't already have her, but the symbolic gifting meant the world to the girl) and didn't bother any of her caretakers. She awoke refreshed and happy, immediately smooching Smiles on the top of her head and getting out of bed.