THE NEXT MORNING (around 10:30) IN SOPHIE'S APARTMENT:

*Knock, knock..*

"Mama, someone is knocking on the door!" Gigi annoyingly called out. The girl sat in front of the tv, watching her favourite cartoon.

The sound of a flushing toilet filled the apartment. "I'm coming!"

*Knock, knock..*

"Hurry!" Gigi sighed. "I wonder who that can be," she said when she saw her mother walking into the living room.

"Probably the police," Sophie responded. She wasn't in the mood for this and besides, she had already told the police all she knew.

Gigi's eyes widened. "What? Because you let me skip school today?"

"No, you silly girl. It's about Arthur again." While speaking his name, Sophie's heart made a small jump. "Go to your room. This is not meant for your ears," Sophie strictly said. Quickly and without asking anymore questions, Gigi obeyed.

*Knock, knock..*

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" Sophie took a deep breath before heading towards the door. Then she opened the door and even before she had the door fully opened, the figure standing behind it already had spoken: "Hello Sophie.." When Sophie laid eyes on who that figure was, it was like she suddenly forgot how to breathe in the first place. "Arthur!" she managed to speak after a few seconds.

"Nah.. I go with the name Joker now," Arthur said playfully. A big smile appeared on his bloody painted face. Arthur gave the woman in front of him no time to shut the door into his face or to think of her next action. He grabbed her neck, planted his lips on hers and kissed her roughly. Therewith he performed one of his daydreams. He pushed her back in and slammed the door behind him, using his foot.

Arthur's sudden action had taken Sophie by surprise, it probably was the last thing she imagined he would do. "God.." she brought out after she managed to push him a little afar from her. She wiped her lips clean and pulled a face when staring at the mixed white and red colours now present her sleeve. "Jeez.." Sophie widened her eyes. "What are you doing here? The.. police.." she stuttered, shockingly.

"..are looking for me. Yeah, yeah, I know. I need to use your bathroom," Joker answered and without waiting for Sophie's response, he walked further into her apartment. "My face is ruined.."

"Not that way!" Sophie reacted when Arthur went towards Gigi's room. Quickly she guided him to the bathroom.

"You know, I'm thinking highly of you, so don't do anything stupid to make me change my mind about that.." Arthur shaped his hand like a gun, pointing in the direction of Gigi's room.

"Just tell me what your intentions are," Sophie spoke with slight a shivering in her voice. Around the corner she heard water splashing into Arthur's clownish face.

Short a minute later Arthur responded while wiping his face with one of the towels Sophie used earlier today. And there it was, the face of the Arthur she vaguely recognized. "Wake her up and grab some stuff, we can't um.. stay here." He acted like if it was usual to give a strange woman such a demand. His facial expression was neutral and was most certainly not giving away whether his intentions with Sophie and her daughter were to be rated as good or bad. "Let's leave this one here, dirty.." Arthur frowned and threw the towel he just used for the paint leftovers on his face, on the floor inside the bathroom.

"Where do you want to go?" Sophie asked, playing along while she was searching for a bag.

"I don't care, anywhere that is more colourful than this depressing shack.." He heard a door behind him and turned around to see Gigi's surprised face. He gave her a big smile. "Join the party, my child.."

A/N:

I took me long to update and it's not such a long chapter compared to the second chapter because I hadn't had much inspiration for this story. For now I leave it with an open ending, but perhaps I will continue it after I gained some new inspiration by seeing Joker again. (The DVD release is in February)