The Fault in our Scars (originally known as 'Maybe Baby' by Alex Snape)

Chapter 10

3 months old

After many late night feedings and numerous changed diapers, Harley was overjoyed with every moment she had with her son. Although The Joker was gone most of the day with his men, his thoughts would drift to home as he was intrigued by Jack as each day passed. He was growing quickly, and his curiosity about everything around him was quite amusing.

For instance, The Joker had found that Jack had taken a liking to his sock drawer. "Hey, you," his father had playfully scolded one morning as he knelt down to find his son trying to put a checkered sock in his mouth. "That doesn't go there," The Joker said, smiling as he gently took the sock and put it on the baby's foot. Jack gawked at how silly the big sock looked and lifted his blue eyes to The Joker and laughed, making his father chuckle.

The Joker found Jack's laugh to be contagious.

One night after an evening's cavorting around Gotham, The Joker stripped himself of his coat and instantly walked over to the playpen in the den where Jack was busy chewing on a toy key as he lay on his back. The Joker smiled down at his son as he reached a hand to brush his cheek, making the baby gurgle amusedly. He chuckled as he picked him up and cradled him, making Harley smile as she finally noticed that he was home.

"So, how'd it go?" she asked as she prepared a nighttime bottle.

The Joker carefully sat in his favorite armchair in the den as Jack started to grow restless. "Alright..." he quietly replied. He turned his attention to the baby and whispered, "Hey, now, kiddo. Mama's fixin' up something for ya..."

"What'd you-"

"Harl, come on...I'm tired..." he said thickly as he reclined his head.

Harley smirked to herself as she walked over and handed him Jack's bottle, pausing to kiss him on the cheek. They grinned at each other as she said, "I'll leave you boys to it, then."

He glanced at her as she walked upstairs to the bedroom and Jack suckled greedily on his dinner. The Joker would never tell her, but because of feelings he could not explain, he didn't feel comfortable talking about a job while he was around their son.

Hours later, The Joker woke up to Jack's crying, nudging Harley but she was fast asleep. He sighed and went over to the crib in the corner of the room, leaning on it as he mumbled, "This is getting old, ya know that, right?"

The baby grinned at him but was soon whimpering again, and The Joker picked him up and quietly stepped toward the door. "Alright. Let's see what we can whip up downstairs," he said as he headed down to the kitchen with Jack chewing on his own fingers.

The Joker noticed this and tried to get his attention when he opened the fridge and motioned to the bottles. "Look, kiddo," he whispered. "Jackpot..." but Jack continued to chew his fingers.

His father sighed as he shut the fridge door. "What's so tasty about those digits?" He gently pulled out Jack's fingers and looked in his mouth. His gums were red and irritated and The Joker furrowed his brow. "Teething already..." He reached in a top cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. "I got something for that."

He poured a shot into a small glass and got a clean bottle nipple from a drawer. He took everything to the den and sat in his armchair as he set the glass on the table and dipped the nipple into the brown liquid. He gently stroked Jack's sore gums with it and said, "Here ya go. Grown-up medicine." Jack cooed in relief, making his father chuckle. "Don't tell Mama, okay, kiddo?"

"Don't tell me what?" came Harley's voice as she came downstairs.

He looked behind him and said, "Mornin', doll-face."

She yawned as she sat on the sofa. "I didn't hear him," she said.

"I know. Thank you," he told her.

She was quiet for a moment as she looked at Jack and then asked, "Is that whiskey?"

"Our boy's starting to teeth, I think. The whiskey numbs him from the pain." He looked down a Jack, who was bobbing his tired head up and down. The Joker chuckled, "And puts him back to sleep."

Harley smiled. "Make sure Dr. Stein doesn't smell it on him tomorrow."

He looked at her, confused. "He's coming here again? We just saw him last month."

"That was for a regular checkup. Jacky still needs three more shots."

The Joker sneered at her. "What? Why does that sadist wanna keep stickin' my boy?"

Harley smiled at how protective he was being. "Pud, he needs them. I don't want him to get sick."

"Kids get sick. It's a fact of life," he said as he dipped the nipple back into the whiskey glass. "Jack's tough. You can take it, huh, Tiger?" Jack grinned at him.

Harley yawned again. "Well, he'll be here in the morning so try to look decent."

The Joker laughed. "Me? Always, precious." She walked back upstairs and he turned to his son. "Sorry, Jacky. Mama says." Jack reached out for the nipple and his father smiled. "Drink up, kiddo."