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Part Nineteen: Chapter 136: Paper

The Joker wanted to celebrate the news of his coming heir with Harley. But it couldn't be the kind of celebration that he really wanted, which was to get completely twisted sideways. Harley wouldn't be able to drink, and it wouldn't be any fun for her to watch the Joker do it. So the Joker sends Frost out for some sparkling grape juice. He thought it might be funny and lighten his mood a little. Besides, he could get drunk in private after Harley went to bed. Just as he did every single night.

While the Joker was planning all this, Harley was making plans of her own. See, this was a special night, and not just because of the baby. This night was also their one year anniversary, the day she took the big plunge for him. Of course the Joker doesn't know this. Maybe he's forgotten. Or perhaps he's not the type to remember things like that...well, not with anyone except...

...Bruce...

With Bruce the Joker knows the dates and times of their first kiss. Hell, of every kiss. He knew every single time they had said I love you. He vividly remembered every sexual encounter. He even knows the amount of hours since he's last seen Bruce's face. So unfortunately for Harley, she just wasn't Bruce.

So Harley spent all day cleaning up the master bedroom so it would be like a night away from home in a fancy hotel. She would cook for him, they'd talk, then she would give him a private dance. She remembers the way he looked at her when she was a stripper. He had never looked like he wanted her so much. It was one of his little guilty pleasures, though he'd probably never admit to it. Then, after she's teased him to the point of no return, he would ravage her body. It had been over a month since he's made love to her. Harley thinks he needs it even more than she does.

The Joker slowly drummed his fingertips on the kitchen table as he read an email from Ace. It was mostly about business back in Gotham. The criminals of Gotham were slowly making moves. That was just something that happened whenever the Joker was away. He had expected this. So he's deciding to hold the monthly meeting via live video. It would show them that he wasn't locked up in some looney bin in another city. Nor was he in jail. It would help keep them too afraid to make any moves. They would all see that the Joker was still very much in charge.

Ace also mentioned that several more of the Joker's clowns had been arrested in the last three weeks. As expected, D.A. Alday was still trying to extract information on the Joker's whereabouts. The clowns arrested were all heavily interrogated, not just by the cops, but also by people from the D,A,'s office. Ace assured the Joker that no one had talked. Not as of yet anyway. Ace promised to personally eliminate anyone who dared to. The Joker trusts Ace's loyalty in him. That's why he left him in charge. So far, he was doing just as well as Johnny would do when the Joker was stuck in Arkham.

Frost enters the house through the kitchen and shakes off the cold. He carries a paper bag in his hand with a bottle in it. He walks over to the table where the Joker sat with his phone. He pulls the bottle of sparkling grape juice from the bag and sits it on the table before the Joker.

He glances up at the bottle only a split second, "Thankyou Johnny, that will be all for this evening." Frost nods and turns to leave. "Just a moment before you go," the Joker stops him.

The Joker stands up from the table and reaches inside his jacket. He pulls out two Cuban cigars and extends one out to Frost. He crosses over to the stove and lights his from the burner. Johnny doesn't know what the reasoning for this is, but he lights the cigar the Joker had given him. He's seen his boss smoke a handfull of times. Each was usually in celebration of something.

"What's the occasion boss?" He asks the Joker and fills his mouth with smoke.

The Joker just looks at the cigar in his hand with a shrug, "Harley is with child."