Will You Be My Daddy? ~Joker Fanfiction~

Twenty-Three

Madeline was silent the duration of the hectic ride back home, reminding everyone present of the incident at the fair, and how long it had taken her to open up again after that.

Andy and Tommy had done their best to get her talking, just as they had after the fair, but this time Madeline refused to say anything at all. Her silence made the van's atmosphere tense and cold. No one knew what to do or say.

When they pulled up in front of the mansion, J got out and opened up the doors to the back of the van. He looked at Madeline and held his arms out wide, expecting a hug or at least a giggle. She didn't make eye contact with him, and instead ducked under his arms to hop out of the van. All four men watched in shock as the young girl walked back inside, head down.

"I think Riddler told her what you said," Andy speculated, eyes grim.

"What did you say?" Tommy asked.

"I told Eddy to get rid of her," Joker replied, not a trace of guilt in his voice.

"You what? No wonder she's upset!" Tom exclaimed, flabbergasted.

"That's not all," J sighed. "I also said that I didn't care one lick about her or what happens to her."

"Well I would definitely say her reaction is justified," Tommy said.

"I didn't think she'd believe him! I'll just go tell her that it wasn't the truth. She trusts me more than him, surely," Joker brushed it off as he stalked inside.

The other three men made eye contact and shook their heads before following their boss indoors.

By the time J had made it inside, Madeline was already up in her room with the door closed.

Joker sighed to himself and resignedly began to climb up the staircase. When he reached her door, he went to open it only to discover that he couldn't turn the knob. She'd locked the door.

J refrained from getting worked up about it and instead knocked on the door three times.

"Madeline!" He called to the girl on the other side of the door. "I know what you heard at Eddy's. I know he told you that I wanted him to get rid of you, that I don't care about you. But it's a lie."

Suddenly Madeline could be heard screaming on the other side of the door.

Joker was about to bust it down and see what was happening, but then he was able to make out what she was yelling.

"You liar! You're a mean, dirty liar! I heard you say it! The phone was on speaker you mean old clown!" She sobbed.

Fuck. Joker took a step back. Now he'd been caught in a lie. It was unlikely that Madeline was going to believe whatever he said to try and explain away his words now.

"You never cared about me?! After all you did and all you said! Was all of this a lie? Was I really just some tool, a part of a plan to you?" Maddie shouted, sobs racking her small frame.

Joker heard several thumps on the door, which for all he knew could have been her little fists or stuffed animals flung in a fit of rage. It was the former.

"I only said it so he wouldn't do it, to stall him while Thomas and Frosty came in to get you," Joker said softly to the little puffs of breath he heard through the door.

"What? That doesn't even make sense! If you didn't want him to do it, why did you tell him to?" Maddie asked.

"It's reverse psychology, doll. If he thought you meant nothing to me, he would have no reason to do anything to you to get back at me," Joker tried to explain.