The Presidential suite at Marion Hotel Casino, Las Vegas

6 days into your honeymoon

"This never happened to me before," The Joker frowns while you lift your shoulders up, trying to be sympathetic:

"It's ok, it happens to everybody at one point."

"But I'm The Joker!" he reminds a relaxed Y/N that doesn't seem to understand the severity of what just happened.

You squeeze the small, decorative pillow to your chest and lean over to kiss him:

"It has nothing to do with that; I'm telling you, it's not that uncommon. Totally fine, don't be embarrassed."

"Embarrassed?!" J sarcastically grins. "I'm completely naked! Why do you have to rub it in my face?!"

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell anybody," you fiddle with your ponytail for a few moments before reassuring: "Your reputation is safe with me."

The Joker scratches his chin, straining to find a solution yet there's none. His wife takes a deep breath and utters the words she's been dying to say for the past 30 seconds:

"Checkmate!!"

"Ugh!" he kicks the chess board with his foot and the pieces fly all over the bed.

"You're such a sore loser," you laugh and start cleaning the mess he just made.

After rejecting the idea of playing strip poker because you knew J would cheat, you decided to go with chess since it will make the games entirely fair. In the last two hours he lost his sweatpants, t-shirt, socks, 3 gold chains, 5 rings and his Rolex and least but not last, his boxers.

"I still need payment though," you carefully look around to make sure you're gathering everything.

The Joker gestures towards the pile on your left containing his clothes and accessories, enunciating the obvious.

"I have nothing more to give, Y/N!"

"I'll take one of your earrings," you extend the palm of your hand and wait. He growls and detaches the diamond from his right ear, bitterly handing over the requested item.

"Thaaaank you," you add the shiny stone to the rest of the stuff taken from the moody husband. "Let's play some more," you propose and he gets out of bed, done with the temporary entertainment that didn't go his way.

"I think I'll walk away while I still have an earring and a shred of dignity left."

"Here's your wedding ring back," you offer the only thing you're able to part with from the stack containing your winnings. He gives you his hand and you slide the band on his finger, closing one eye due to the discomfort in your jaw.

"Still bothers you?" J caresses the deep scar on your cheek and you peck his wrist.

"Yes, on and off; I'll check once we're back to Gotham," you let yourself fall on the cushions and stretch.

"Wanna go gambling?" he crawls on top of you and you wrap your legs around his waist.

"Not tonight; I will take a pain killer and mop around here until you return."

"Are you sure?" The Joker grumbles, nuzzling to your neck.

"Yes, I'm sure," you get ticklish when his hands pull down on your bikini, making it obvious he doesn't want to leave right away.

"I want my special treatment," and you attempt to explain why he's not going to receive the grand price of the night:

"You lost."

"I'm already naked so I want my special treatment!"

"But you lost," you wiggle to escape while he keeps you trapped under him.

"Don't nag me!" J impatiently rips the strap of your lacy bra, kind of annoyed he has to put in extra effort anytime he wants to have sex; what The King of Gotham usually got with no effort from his previous women came back to haunt him: karma is a bitch.

*************
Shortly after The Joker went to the gambling VIP section downstairs, you decided to surprise him and join the fun. The pain medication worked and you feel reinvigorated: Y/N dolls up, dresses up with her favorite little black dress and high heels, ready to spend a few hours at the casino:

The Angelli brothers own the premises, their less than ordinary business partners having to use only special sections of the humongous building in order to avoid the public eye. The personnel working these areas are trained to handle the unusual guests, trusty employees that will not betray and disclose what is going on behind the closed doors.

You get out of the elevator and walk towards the VIP section, smacking your lips a few times in order to make sure the shiny lip-gloss is equality distributed. The "VIP Gold Members" neon sign hanging on the wall at the end hallway is a sign you're close to the well-known destination.

You are about to enter the private sector when the sight of The Joker seating at one of the Poker tables with a girl in his lap abruptly halts your enthusiasm. One of the waiters carrying a tray with numerous cocktails almost bumps into you, promptly apologizing for a mistake it's not his:

"I'm so sorry. Would you like a drink?" he offers a glass to an absent minded Y/N that couldn't care less her dress nearly got ruined.

"No, I'm fine..." you stay behind the shiny curtains, spying on J.

5 minutes pass, 10 more, another 25.

She's still on his knees, giggling and whispering things that make him smirk. You don't have to be an expert in order to see what's going on, especially since you're a pro in reading his body language: after 11 years of being around him, you bet you can tell The Joker wants her.

Still... Why isn't he telling the woman to get lost? He's here with you.

You take a deep breath and prepare for a very unpleasant confrontation when the decision is unexpectedly put on hold: the girl hops from J's lap, eagerly grabbing his arm after he stands up from the Poker table. You quickly hide behind some decorative trees and watch them pass by, already startled by his behavior.

Once they get in the elevator you emerge from your spot and follow, waiting to see which floor J will take her to. The light indicating the 35th level stops after a few seconds and your heart stops with it: when The Joker visits The Marion Hotel, he likes to use suite number 360B for his one night stands.

How familiar you are with that room since you had to wait in front of it in the past, that way you could escort him back to his own quarters after he was done with his flings.

You are so tense on your way up to the 35th floor you unconsciously bite on the scarred cheek over and over again, ignoring the tender skin that's hurting again. The bell ding gets you out of daze and you rush towards the end of the long corridor, dreading the imminent evidence of betrayal.

A few more steps and here you are, ready to enter the password on the electronic key pad that will reveal the truth about a marriage you thought might just work...until now. He didn't change the code: "Batsy Is A Jerk" grants you access to the suite. You tiptoe on the hallway, careful not to make a sound. The darkness conceals your presence and the third bedroom facing the center of Las Vegas reveals what a stunned Y/N was hoping to never see: proof that she should have never altered the status of her relationship with The Joker.

He's by the large windows looking outside, the busy night life offering a show J got absorbed into while the girl he brought with him is undressing in a hurry.

"Do you want to use the bed?" she stomps the clothes scattered on the floor, planning to help him get rid of his.

"U-hum," he keeps on glaring at the bright lights while the woman takes off his jacket, unaware they have company. She starts unbuttoning his shirt too when the voice coming from behind them makes her jump.

"Did you accidentally wander off in the wrong room on the way back to ours?"

You emerge from the shadows and The Joker's eyes get big, completely surprised his wife caught him in such a compromising situation.

"Am I supposed to be on active duty on my own honeymoon and get rid of the trash afterwards?"

He's not answering and you repeat the question:
"Am I?..."

He watches you backing out until you disappear from his visual field, the slammed door a clear statement of the humiliating experience you've been subjected to. The girl doesn't know how to react; J is not even listening to the words that are coming out of her mouth, numb from realizing he messed up with his carelessness.

Maybe he should have paid more attention and not bring the woman here? Take her somewhere else? Or maybe he shouldn't have taken you for an idiot in the first place?

It just sort of happened; The Joker is so used with this life style he didn't think twice about the fact that he's not single anymore, actually quite unavailable due to the wedding band on his finger.

"Mister Joker," she cups his face since he's not blinking, "are you OK?"

He keeps on staring at the blackness you vanished into, conflicted by the thoughts running through his head.

"Mister Joker," the girl insists, "what's wrong?"

His attention switches towards the person he brought there for some cheap fun: young and beautiful, the type he always goes for. No scars on her cheek, no sassy attitude to irritate him, no feistiness, no witty remarks. Just a doll in a perfect box, trained to please and satisfy her clients' wildest desires.

But The Joker does like scars, ballsy attitude that annoys him, feistiness and clever comments: they're all embodied in the only woman that managed to take care of everything he needed for countless years without ending up in a grave despite the dangers of such a risky job.

"Nothing is wrong," he grumbles and abandons the girl where she stands, sprinting outside the room to try and catch up with you.

There's no trace of Y/N on the corridor and J elects to return to the Presidential Suite because he's certain you went back.

He was mistaken: the place is empty.

"Call wife," he uses voice command and Bigsby obeys without further issues since you changed the setting to his "Contacts" a few days ago when you got married from "work wife" to "wife".

"Calling wife," the electronic device dials your number.

You don't pick up and he tries again, this time successfully getting a hold of Y/N.

"Where are you?" he groans, pacing around the bedroom; you are actually at the underground parking lot, getting ready to enter the car.

"Going away," the news displeases J as much as his conduct displeased you.

"I'm waiting upstairs; I want to talk to you!" The Joker barks.

"I'm going home," you stab the lock with the key, wanting to be as far as possible from the casino in the next 5 minutes.

"Get back here!!!" he has the nerve to act all pissed off as if you're the one that did something bad.

The crackling sound at the other end of the line halts the conversation; you simply dropped your cell in the sewer under your SUV, leaving J hang in doubt until he comprehends the basic notion: the honeymoon is over.

*************

For 3 days he debated on his options: The Joker didn't follow you to Gotham right away, swearing to himself he will party without his estranged wife for the rest of the planned vacation.

And he certainly did: J couldn't sleep; Y/N wasn't there to make his chamomile tea or keep him company until he would nap. Nobody to play strip chess with, nobody to nag him, nobody to fight with, nobody to guess what he wanted before he knew it himself, nobody to give him the special treatment he was secretly addicted to.

No work wife to tend to his whims and no wife to shower him with her affection that maybe was there for 11 years before they ended up together.

The Joker was such a party animal he went to a strip club located on the west side of the Casino and snoozed 15 minutes later after not sleeping for 24 hours straight. They didn't dare wake him up and The King of Gotham found himself buried under bras and panties next morning, not remembering being more exhausted in his life.

He barely made it back to his quarters, burned out after the intense Vegas spree; somehow the City of Lights didn't make him cope with your absence. That's when J decided to ask The Angelli brothers for one of their men to drive him back home.

It was a full day trip back to Gotham and he arrived at the Penthouse around 9:32pm. He stayed there briefly, then went downstairs to your apartment ready to address the burning issue with Y/N; The Joker was sure it won't be pretty since you weren't one of his toys to bend and twist as he pleased.

Oddly enough, the entrance to the condo was cracked opened and he made his way in, suspecting the reason why: the place was empty. Completely empty. He stood in the doorway with his mouth opened, not believing you really left. J finally started roaming around the rooms, puckering his lips since there was no evidence of you ever being there for all those years: the apartment was spotless and you didn't leave anything behind.

Except two items he found on your bedroom's floor: your wedding ring placed on top of a picture depicting an image of the only tattoo on your body. The Joker gazed at the hand written note on the back of it and read the lines five times before stashing your message in his jacket:

"There's nothing worse than doom coming from the self-fulfilling prophecy tattooed on your skin as a joke."

The Clown prince of Crime knew it won't be easy to find you, but he had to search for his missing bride anyway.

What is the point of having an empire if the woman that helped you build it is not there?

*************

After 2 months, Tuesday-11:12pm

"Where's Y/N?" Jonathan Crane takes another drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke high up in the air.

He came to the Penthouse for a business meeting with J and delivered the suitcase with valuable Liquid Dream vials himself.

"Away," the elusive reply makes Scarecrow chuckle.

"Is she sick?" he continues the interrogation, pushing The Joker's buttons on purpose and doesn't hide it. "Nobody has seen her for a while."

"No, she's not sick," J admits and crosses his legs on the couch he's sitting across from Jonathan's.

"Strange she's not present since she never leaves your side," Scarecrow taps the ashes from his cigarette against the ashtray on the coffee table next to him.

"Don't try your psychology crap on me, Crane!" The Joker gets aggravated at Jonathan's persistence.

"I have five master degrees in psychology and I like to use them on daily basis due to habit. People do a lot of things out of habit," he nonchalantly concludes and The King of Gotham sneers:

"Cut your crap! If you have something to say, say it!!"

"I know where Y/N is," the prompt answer makes the green haired man narrow his eyes; he didn't expect this reply.

"Are you playing games Crane?" J's lack of patience immediately emerges.

"No," Scarecrow starts smoking again and warns because he noticed the insane look in The Joker's eyes. "If you kill me, you won't have access to any of my merchandise; I'm the only one that knows the formulas. Plus I'm the only one that knows where she's hiding."

"How so?" J mutters through his clenched teeth.

"Y/N came to see me about 5 weeks ago: the pain in her jaw was becoming unbearable and it turned out the metal bolts in her gums were starting to shift the bones. I performed a surgery and took out two of them in order to alleviate the pressure. I told her the scar on her cheek will be even more pronounced after it heals, but I do have a serum she could use that would make better. You know what she said?"

The Joker is contemplating murder while Scarecrow goes on:

"That she likes that scar because it reminds her of the only man that loved her. You don't have to be a genius to know she's referring to Kai. Believe me, it's upsetting I didn't make the list either; I'm sure you remember we dated for 3 years after she started working for you."

"So what's your point?" J's crabbiness reaches new levels due to the unexpected memento.

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you it's not her style to jump from man to man and she is very careful in choosing her partners. I don't presume to know Y/N's heart, but if she had feelings for her boss for a long time she decided not to act on them," Jonathan hints at the problem without sugar coating his insinuations. "And then something happened that triggered a change, despite the better judgment of staying away. Maybe when you got shot last year?... Perhaps she got scared you almost died and just went with it?"

"Are you lecturing me Crane??!!" The Joker raises his voice and Jonathan takes it down a notch.

"I wouldn't dare," Scarecrow carefully stirs the dialogue since he's walking on egg shells now.

"WHERE. IS. MY. WIFE ?" J pauses after each word, fed up with the speech.

"I'm betraying her trust by telling you, but I'm doing it out of concern for Y/N; she is not very well after the miscarriage. I mean, physically she's fine; mentally..." and he lifts his shoulders up,"... not sure. She won't talk to me about anything."

The Joker didn't hear the rest of the sentences after the word "miscarriage."

"What miscarriage?!" he mutters, dumbfounded; he had no idea you were pregnant.

"I'm sure you know what that implies," Jonathan takes a deep breath and divulges your location: "If you want to see her, she's at my Creek Hill property. I don't use that place and I let her stay there until she figures out what she will do next."

J gets up from the couch, snapping at Scarecrow's confession:

"I would thank you but due to the fact you didn't tell me sooner you'll have to consider walking out of here alive the best gratitude I can offer!!"

The Joker snatches his car keys from the table, heading towards the elevator.

"Now get the fuck out of my house, Crane!!!" he threatens the guest still sitting on the sofa. "I'm sure you can find the way out!"
**************
J drove his purple Lamborghini to Creek Hill in the middle on the night and he encountered another major issue: Scarecrow forgot to mention the huge property is gated. He circled the whole estate four times, trying to find a gap in the fence. There was none.

The Joker wanted to jump over the fence, but it was electrified so he had no other choice besides the extreme action of driving his Lamborghini through it. He cussed all the way up to the top of the high ground, the customized vehicle not made for the steep, rocky terrain. He could hear the bottom of the car scraping against the sharp stones and lost his temper: J stopped and got out, dropping F-bombs as he assessed the severe damage to his beloved car. It would definitely need serious repairs to fix the dents and scrapes that made it look like it escaped a tornado.

He continued his journey on foot towards the lighted house he could see in the distance, using the cell phone's flashlight app to make sure he won't fall in a ditch. Took The Joker a good 40 minutes to reach his goal, but he finally made it to his destination.

************

You are standing on the porch, listening to the sound of crickets and frogs that gets pretty loud out here: no city noises to diminish its intensity. You take another sip of Coke and toss the container in the trash can by the swing, getting ready to call it quits for the night.

"I'm sure you're aware I require two weeks notice if my tenants decide to leave the building I own," the familiar voice freaks you out. You turn around to