An Unhealthy Obsession

A/N - First and foremost, I'd like to apologize to all the people who weren't typically arrested by my last installment...I'll admit it was a filler chapter, so I wasn't particularly fond of it, myself. lol I had much more fun with this chapter, but I don't think it's as long...sorry! Also, I will now be sending private messages to you guys since the list was getting a little too long, hehehe. lol I had a few reviewers ask me a question about the story and/or the Batman movie itself, so I'll include those here since I feel others may benefit from the answers...or not. :-P I've also drawn a picture to go along with this chapter (why? Well why not? :-P) that I'll be posting on deviantart later this evening. Yeehaw! lol

CH 5: Masquerade

By the time Rachel returned to her office, Harvey was already there waiting for her. Raising his brows in concern, he worriedly asked, "Whoa, whoa, what happened out there?"

"He happened" she stated simply. "Face it, Harvey, you were right and I was wrong...that monster has no redeeming qualities."

"Well what'd he say?" Harvey pressed. "It must've been pretty damn bad, considering how you're presently in tears."

Stubbornly rubbing at her swollen eyes, Rachel shrugged her shoulders before admitting, "I honestly don't know if I can tell you or not...I mean, I'm generally pretty good about covering my tracks, but somehow..." She inhaled deeply. "Somehow the Joker got to my past before I could hide it from him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, that's just it...I don't completely know what I mean" Rachel softly confessed. "He didn't accuse me of something concrete, but just hearing him suggest that I was making up for some sin I've committed shook me up pretty badly."

Harvey frowned. "Do you wanna talk about it, sweetheart? I know you're typically not the talking type, but in this case I really do think you should open up."

"No, no, I couldn't...maybe not ever" Rachel vigorously denied, her hands grasping at the edge of her desk as she stared down into her lap. "I mean, I really appreciate your wanting to help me out and all, but this is something very personal that I need to handle on my own."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, very."

With a mock sigh, Harvey rose from his perch before announcing, "Oh well, I guess that just means I'll have to find another date for the masquerade ball this evening."

"Masquerade?" Rachel reiterated, her eyes alighting like fire flies as she gazed up at him in interest. "What are you talking about? And why are you being such a jerk by teasing me like this?"

Laughing, Harvey withdrew two tickets before dangling them by his ear, a playful smile stretching his lips as he confessed, "Well, I've been feeling pretty badly about how things've been going for you as of late, so I decided that a nice night on the town would really do the trick. I've bought you a new dress and mask, so you don't have to worry about a thing."

"Oooh, and who are you masquerading as? Zorro?" Rachel teased.

"Actually, no...something with much more substance." Pulling a mask out from within the recesses of his overcoat, he held it up to his face before asking, "What do you think?"

Rachel immediately paled. "Oh my God, Harvey, you're such a jerk...it's a clown!"

Grinning, Harvey returned, "Well yeah, naturally...we've been hunting down clowns all week, so I figured why not? I can't wait until you see your costume."

Twisting her lips into a grim line, Rachel nervously mumbled, "Oh, goody...me neither."

--

Numbly staring at herself in the mirror, Rachel smoothed down the skirt to her flouncy gown and sighed, her gaze straying toward the blacks, reds, and golds of her dress as she irritably shook her head. A harlequin...good God, what was Harvey thinking? That it'd make her feel better to turn her whole Joker affair into a mockery? Normally the thought of attending a ball as a harlequin with her very own jester would've amused her immensely, but not tonight...not when she was forced to dress up like the very man who terrorized her.

As Rachel continued to critique her reflection, Harvey cheerily came up from behind and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Hello there, beautiful" he warmly greeted. "You ready to go?"

Wincing, Rachel immediately pulled away and turned her back on him, her eyes closing as she pitifully begged, "Please, Harvey, don't ever say that again..."

Bewildered, he asked, "What, 'are you ready to go'?"

"No...the whole 'hello, beautiful' thing" she whispered, tears burning along her lashes as she directed her gaze up toward the ceiling. "He calls me that, and I have no desire to think of the Joker on our supposed romantic evening."

"Geez, can't I ever say anything right?" Sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, Harvey asked, "Well...I'm at least the better-looking clown, right?"

In spite of her tears, Rachel couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, Harvey, of course...you'll always be my number one clown."

--

When Harvey and Rachel arrived at the ballroom, they were pleasantly surprised to find it completely packed and teeming with joviality. Ornately-dressed masqueraders were laughing and drinking, chasing one another amidst their drunken splendor, and dancing with the hopes of alluring other couples into joining in on the festivities.

"Wow" Rachel gibed, "I actually feel like I'm in some twisted deleted scene from The Phantom of the Opera...thank you so much Harvey, because every girl should experience that at least once in her life."

He grinned broadly. "Well glad I could be of service, m'lady...shall I escort you to the dance floor?"

"No, but you can escort me to the royal punch bowl" Rachel teased, her hand fondly taking his arm as he began to lead her toward the bountiful array of drinks and finger foods. As she surveyed the selection, she warmly asked, "Do you think they'll give us a doggy bag, by chance? I'm kind of a brownie-a-holic, so I'd like to be as discreet as possible about stealing the whole plate."

Harvey laughed. "Well not unless you have an actual dog, I'm afraid. You see, around here they actually make you bring in some sort of proof of ownership if you want one."

"You're kidding, right?"

He grinned. "Yeah, I am, but I'm proud that you didn't fall for it for a change. Remember the time I said the word 'gullible' wasn't in the dictionary and you believed me?"

"Oh, you!" Reaching over to hit him, Rachel gave a start when Commissioner Gordon suddenly approached them from behind.

"Sorry to interrupt" he apologized, "but I really need to borrow Harvey for a moment." Smiling, he added, "And nice masks, by the way, although I wouldn't consider them entirely appropriate. I think Gotham's had enough clowns for one week."

"But what are two more, right?" Clapping a hand on Gordon's shoulder, Harvey cheerily urged, "Lead the way, old man, but make haste -- I have my gorgeous date to return to, after all."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Laughing, Rachel's eyes twinkled with mirth as she watched them leave the area, her smile fading when they finally disappeared from sight altogether. What was it about Harvey that made her feel completely safe? With him around, she no longer felt so vulnerable...so defenseless.

Picking up a flute of champagne from the end of the table, she sighed to herself before downing it and placing it back to its rightful position. She could've easily had four more due to her state of mind, but she felt that she owed it to Harvey to prevent making a scene.

Folding her arms beneath her breasts, Rachel began to amble along the outskirts of the room in order to survey the clientele, a small smile painting her lips as she watched the curious array of guests continue to amuse themselves. A particularly upbeat waltz was currently playing, so the drunk were tripping amidst their pitiful attempts at performing step-ball chains. Smothering a giggle, Rachel turned about before running smackdab into a familiar masked clown. "Oh...Harvey!" she exclaimed, "I'm really sorry, I wasn't expecting you back so soon. What did Gordon have to tell you that just couldn't wait another second?"

When he didn't answer, Rachel rolled her eyes before returning, "Oh, I see...it's all top secret, right? Don't worry, I won't pressure you into telling all the gorey details, but I will force you to dance with me."

Pulling her lover close, Rachel smiled into the fabric of his suit as she linked her arms about his neck and leaned against him. As they started to sway to the music, she felt a familiar giggle rumble throughout the figure's chest, Rachel's body freezing on impulse as she listened on in absolute terror. "You" she whispered, "w-where's Harvey? How did you get out of jail!?"

Not removing his mask, the Joker tightened his grip about her waist while purring, "Your boyfriend's fine, beautiful, but let's just say that it wasn't very nice of him to steal my costume. Do ya think he'd like it if I just waltzed in with a Harvey Dent mask?"

"Don't get cute" Rachel warned. "I don't know what you think you're doing here, but I'd highly suggest leaving before Harvey comes back."

"Why, is he going to lecture me to death? I know how much you attorneys love to put your words to good use, but don't you people know that knowledge talks and wisdom listens?"

"Well you don't seem to do a very good job of abiding by your own theory" Rachel dryly observed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think there's a flute of champagne with my name on it."

As Rachel removed herself from the Joker's arms and turned to leave, he seized her by the wrist and promptly pulled her back to him.

"Unhand me!" she growled.

"Well I'll try, but I don't think they'll come off" he cheekily returned, a large grin splitting his features as he reached for a piece of cheese a nearby waiter was offering. Temporarily raising the mask in order to pop it in his mouth, the Joker chuckled at Rachel's peeved expression before chiding, "Now, now, Miss Dawes, I really wish you wouldn't treat me this way. After all, all I wanted was to discuss why you abandoned our little chat yesterday evening...are we both far more similar than I originally thought?"

"We're only similar if we're both thinking how great it'd be if you jumped off a cliff" Rachel spat, a wince spreading across her features when the Joker purposely tightened his grasp about her wrist.

"The world needs a crook like me" he feverishly hissed, a sick pleasure filling his soul as he watched Rachel's eyes reflect her terror. "Gotham's just been waiting and waiting for someone to bring it to its knees, and now that I've finally arrived, there are still people like you who don't know how to express their gratitude."

Rachel gaped up at him in surprise. "What the hell are you talking about? Do you even know how crazy you sound?"

"The truly insane are those who don't take action" the Joker pointedly returned, his tongue moistening his lips as Rachel continued to squirm amidst his grasp. "They sit around with so much power, so much potential, but do absolutely nothing with their capabilities. People can live one-hundred years without really living a minute, Miss Dawes, but I am a man who can proudly say that I've contributed to society."

"What, by blowing it up?" Rachel seethed, a sharp cry escaping her lips when the Joker spun her around and pinned her arm behind her back. Fortunately for the bickering couple, the rest of the guests were far too drunk or horny to care what was going on around them. Feeling tears form along her lashes due to the pain, Rachel shook her head before sobbing, "Oh, please tell me what it is you want from me! I know you've said it's because of the game, and I know why you've selected me to play, but there are so many other people out there with morals!"

The Joker sighed heavily. "You know, I really do tire of your questions, Miss Dawes. You've only succeeded in proving to me that two things are infinite in this life: the universe and your own stupidity. Unfortunately for you, I'm not so sure about the universe." Running a gloved hand delicately along her chin, he purred, "So tell me, Miss Dawes, what is it you've done in the past that makes you so nervous? That makes you shiver like a lamb in a slaughterhouse?"

Closing her eyes in disgust, Rachel shunted from his touch and furiously shook her head in the negation. "I have done absolutely nothing, so it's about time you start trusting people enough to take their word for it."

Twisting his lips in frustration, the Joker tightened his hold on her before urging, "Aww, c'mon...you tell lil' ol' me your big, scary secrets, and then I can tell you how babies are made. Sound fair?"

Before Rachel could even respond, a furious "Hey!" sounded across the ballroom, the attorney's eyes widening as Harvey weakly began stumbling toward them. From the looks of things he'd been badly beaten, but the fury in his blue eyes suggested that he could tear a man in half if he so desired.

Cackling at the expression on Harvey's face, the Joker giddily pushed Rachel forward so that she fell to the floor on her knees, a sharp gasp escaping her lips when she felt the cold barrel of a gun press against her skull.

"Evening, Dent -- lovely night to go hunting, wouldn't you agree?" the Joker mused, his tongue running across his lips as Rachel trembled before him. "Did you take Miss Dawes here with the hopes of getting lucky? 'Cause trust me, dances aren't the way to go if you wanna boost your masculinity."

"Shut up!" Curling his hands into two tight fists, Harvey snarled, "You just worry about your own balls, because if you don't let Rachel go right this instant, I swear to God I'll cut them off and send them to your mother!"

Throwing his head back amidst his gleeful laughter, the Joker clutched at his sides before remarking, "Good God, who knew an attorney could have such a great sense of humor? Maybe I'll go easy on you, after all." Clicking back the hammer to his gun, he grinned slyly before revealing, "I've noticed that you enjoy playing games of chance, Harvey, so why don't we turn this whole affair into just that? If you pull out that lucky coin of yours, we can raise the stakes by doing this: if it's heads, Rachel gets to keep hers, but if it's tails..." The Joker grinned. "If it's tails, she might as well kiss hers goodbye."

Disturbed that the lunatic somehow knew about his obsession with chance, Harvey narrowed his eyes before demanding, "And what if I refuse? Will you let Rachel go?"

"And miss the perfect opportunity to put a smile on my face? Dent, I thought you knew me far better than that" the Joker chided, his grin turning malevolent as he watched Harvey slowly unearth his lucky coin. "There, that's it...and here I was, believing you were a coward."

As Harvey flipped the coin, their small gaggle of onlookers held their breath as the attorney smacked it onto his arm. Glancing down at the face of the coin, Harvey slowly raised his gaze to meet with the Joker's as everyone turned pale with anticipation.

Rachel could read the fear in his eyes, so she tearfully smiled up at him before whispering, "It's ok, Harvey...just tell us what it says."

"Yes, Harvey, some of us have people to kill, places to blow up" the Joker gibed in agreement, his finger quivering over the trigger with an eagerness that sickened his onlookers.

Biting his lips, Harvey placed his hand over his eyes before whispering a defeated "Tails", his body tensing up when he heard a resounding BANG! that echoed throughout the ballroom. To his astonishment, a sudden burst of pain exploded across his midsection in accordance with the noise, his eyes widening when he glanced down and saw blood blooming rapidly across his blazer.

"Harvey!!"

Frantically tripping to her feet, Rachel ignored the Joker's booming laughter as Harvey staggered to the floor, her heels skidding against the tile as she dropped to her knees and pulled him into her arms. "Oh, Harvey" she sobbed, "I am so sorry...he should've shot me, he should've!"

"Rachel, stop it" Harvey pleaded, a pained smile stretching across his lips as he took her hand in his. "You're alive and unharmed, and that's all that truly matters to me."

Rachel bit her lip. "Oh God, Harvey, I'm so..."

"Police! Freeze!"

Gasping, Rachel bent protectively over Harvey the moment Gordon and his men began to open fire on the Joker, her eyes widening as she watched him give a mock salute before diving through a glass window.

Panicked screams and shouts could be heard as the police raced toward the Joker's means of escape, but somehow amidst the confusion, the team lost sight of him. With his face expressing his uttermost bewilderment, Gordon turned toward the group before exclaiming, "By God, he's gone!"

A/N - Whew, that was really hard! I just kept trying to finish this ALL day, but nothing was coming...hopefully it's not as crappy as I'm afraid it is, eheh. :( And btw, I DOOOOOOOOO know that Harvey's coin is double-sided...it's called taking creative liberties. ;0P