Laugh Lines

Jellybean

~You've used up all your coupons,

and all you've got left is me,

but somehow I'm full of forgiveness,

I guess it's meant to be...~

~No Doubt~

Over the next few weeks, Joker worked on planning something big. Something so big, Batman would have no choice to come play. He would really have to push hard enough to break Bruce from his doldrums and bring back the bat.

He had been mostly laying low, letting the city get back the feeling of safety back. He wanted it to happen on New Year's Eve. That gave him one week.

Seven days to get everything going. It was funny how well he was working under the pressure. At the moment, he was waiting for his guy to call him back. He figured he needed to go see Peach. To see what she had been up to.

He had been stopping by the house at least twice a week these last few weeks. He didn't want to make her think he didn't want to see her. He grabbed the gift he'd gotten her for Christmas. He drove to her house. He rarely ever stayed there anymore, not wanting to get into that routine again.

It was too comfortable. He liked it a bit too much having her around. He pulled up and parked in front of the house. He let himself inside and moved to the living room. She was there, watching the city's live feed of the Christmas tree downtown. You could hear the shitty Christmas carols being sung. You could see all of the last minute shoppers trying to buy that perfect gift.

"What are you watching?" he asked pulling off his coat.

"There is nothing on, so I am people watching. City hall thought it would raise spirits to see all of this." She waved at the TV.

"Mhm." He sat next to her. "Are your spirits raised?" he asked.

"My nausea is gone. It's a Christmas miracle." She smiled.

He looked at her smiling face, he had the urge to hurt her, to wipe the look off of her face. He shook that thought away. "I got you a gift. You want it now? Or later?"

Her grin widened, he hated it. No, that wasn't right, he hated that he liked it. No, he loved it. Maybe she had passed her nausea on to him. He felt faintly sick to his stomach.

"Now please." She said putting her hands up.

He reached for the box inside his coat pocket and placed it in her open palms. She looked at the box and then his face. She opened the box slowly, unsure if it was a real gift or something that could possible hurt her. She looked at it, and started to cry.

Joker was confused, he was sure she would have squealed and gushed over the gift. But here she was looking at it, big fat tears running down her face.

He rubbed his hands on his face. "Why are you crying?"

She looked up from the box, her eyes glittering and wet trails down her cheeks. She had never looked more beautiful.

"I don't know." She said her voice hoarse.

Joker rolled his eyes, "Do you like it?"

She nodded, still crying. She pulled the necklace from the box and put it on. Joker looked at the burst of diamonds that set perfectly just above her cleavage. Joker frowned, his eyebrows knitted together. She had a lot more cleavage than she did before. The sight was exciting.

Her voice pulled him back to reality, "Is it a starburst?"

"Yea." He said, eyes stealing another peek at her bigger boobs.