This was a beautiful and heartbreaking read. I know it has been years since you published this story, but it is not too late to describe to you the great pleasure it has given me to read it.

It is until now, the version of the origin of the Joker that has made me cry the most. In truth, it is a tragedy written in the most beautiful way. The characters and the construction of each scene are very well done and I will not complain about the end, because I already saw it coming.

This was unique and incredible. Really, what a masterpiece!

i love this sm. louise is such a sweetheart and the way jack feels about her is so wholesome.

WOW... devastating, beautiful, sublime. Everything from the writing style to the characterization to the plot to the ENDING was absolutely perfect. Thank you so much for this gift.

Why do Jack and Louise treat Lola like a child? You also portray Lola like she is actually younger like she's not 13 and more like a 8/9 year old and it's the same with Louise. Louise is like a love sick puppy how does Jack even put up witg that crap? Not sure why anyone would want to date someone who acts like a child. I like this fanfiction but your portraits of the two female characters are beginning to annoy me.

Raw and gritty and real, the way you described how Jack is being cut, the Chelsea grin, I could feel it. I love the little snippets of the past bleeding through, the parallels, Jack has gone through some shit and he has been beaten almost to death countless of times, but he knows how to survive.

This chapter is like the final of Jack, the Jack we've grown to love. Everything has been building to this, everything is going to be taken away from Jack, his life, his sister, his girl, his sanity.

I was happy that you let Peyton live because Johnny is going to need his just desserts and if it's not Jack giving out the punishment, it should be Peyton.

And God, Louise, everything she has gone through. Slowly and painfully watching Lola die, basically being her sole care-taker, she's going to lose her and she's going to lose Jack (in more ways than one).

The prayer's lining up with Jack bleeding out in the bathroom, his thoughts and feelings, very eerier, kind of poetic and the whole chapter was thrilling.

This chapter definitely reminded me of the quote from Inception: "An idea is like a virus. Resilient. Highly contagious. And even the smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can grow to define or destroy you."

The way Jack was describing and processing Peyton's idea, how this one little idea that he, at first, didn't think could happen, or how he tried to somewhat talk himself out of aligning himself with Peyton, but the idea of it sounded SO GOOD and Jack couldn't let it go and now the idea is going to destroy him... eventually.

I love how you don't sugarcoat things when describing actions and situations, you make it as real as possible. For example, when Jack has to shoot Angelo, he hesitates, but he's real with himself, he isn't going to sacrifice his life for him... no matter how good of a friend he was, Jack has too much to live for and he is looking out for himself, which I feel a lot of people WOULD do in a life or death situation, as horrible as that may sound.

Ugh, poor Louise, I am thankful she stood up to Jack. I mean, she doesn't really have a choice, but I'm glad it was put into action. AND her REMINDING him that he is NOT the only one who has made sacrifices, he is NOT the only one going through traumatic ordeals, SHE is slowly watching Lola, her best friend, her sister, die.

Louise, standing her ground, knowing Lola is going to die soon, telling Jack she WILL bury Lola under that tree and nothing is going to stop her, I am happy that wasn't forgotten, that you reintroduced that tree.

This chapter hit hard.

The desperation, the helplessness of Jack and Louise. When you've tried everything you possibly can, just shy of selling their souls to the devil (though we could say Jack has sold his soul and it still isn't enough), and life is just kicking them while they are down.

Again with the amazing detail of the character's, you include little things that most people don't think of but things that everyone can/could have (i.e., like a lucky shirt, or in Louise's case lucky underwear for music class).

The little story at the beginning is very Joker-ish. What I love was the dialog that comes after it, the parts about Bruce Wayne and himself, how there really isn't that much of a difference between them, how circumstance dictates everything.

Like I've said, I've read this story before so I KNOW what happens and I don't want to say anything in case of first time readers, but again, the foreshadowing, brilliant.

Thrilled that Jack and Louise finally had... "hot sex" (as Lola would put it).

I love Lola's sarcastic manner, doesn't matter how weak or sick she is, she's feisty.

But, let's get to Jack and Louise and their first time. You wrote it beautifully. It read like a first time, it was awkward and unsure, but not cringe-worthy, and tender and loving. Both scared out of their minds, but both wanting it, needing it to happen since it's been a long time coming. It was descriptive without being vulgar.

The first time should be a beautiful moment and this read like that, but it also read realistic. I feel you really took the care of writing the sex scene and it paid off. It didn't feel rushed, to get it out of the way and be done with it. These are two character's who have gone through so much trauma in their short lives, known each other for years, loved and been in love with each other for years, they would take their time and NOT JUST because it was their first time but because of how much they love each other.

Just, I bow down to you!

Moral: never underestimate an Italian mobster, no matter what. You can't help but love and admire Angelo. Him and Jack are pretty similar when it comes to love, they only have eyes for the women they love and no other woman will ever come close.

I feel for Angelo, being in love with someone from a distance, having someone you know you can't have, either because of marriage or because he doesn't feel worthy enough for her. And I think Riley is past the point of ever being able to really love anyone. That time is done for her.

I also feel for Riley (whom I've grown to love anyway), I could never imagine being happy and in love and then have that ripped away because it wasn't "part of the plan" for her father and what he wanted.

Sometimes, I want to punch Jack in his face. He is so stupid and blind sometimes. That fight had be shocked, the things he said, the things they've both said. They were both right and wrong in the way they were feeling, the things that they've done and said.

When I first found at that Angelo was in love with Peyton, I had an "ah" moment, like, that makes sense but it was still a nice little twist in the story.

So happy Jack and Louise made up though, seems wrong when they fight.

I've watched something about drug mules and the process and such and quite frankly it freaks me the fuck out. I can never unlearned what I have learned and I wish I could.

I can definitely see that image as Johnny (maybe Johnny slightly more, not built, but I think of him having a little more muscle because I feel he is that type of guy to worry about and really into his appearance.

For some reason, I can't see Hilarie Burton has Peyton, I've always imagined like a Marilyn Monroe type (only younger looking, not to say Marilyn wasn't young), possibly a cross between Marilyn Monroe and Christina Hendricks. But that's just me, I just think of a 40's pinup (when it comes to looks) in regards to Peyton.

Jesus Christ! Chills! Chills down my spine at the second part of the chapter. The foreshadowing, the description and detail and your writing, you are amazing.

I remember first reading this and I got to the last few paragraphs and I gasped, yes literally gasped, at how good it was. And I still get chills from reading it, I think this is my favorite chapter of your story because of those last few paragraphs.

And not just the foreshadowing of of Lola and the Joker but also because of how Jack and Lola were just... happy for just a fleeting moment.

Oh, and can we talk about Louise?! I laughed and I was proud of her for putting Jack in his place. Louise is a very understanding character and she let's Jack get away with a lot of things because she knows him, how he deals with things, but I was so happy when she stood up for herself in such a forceful way.

Last note, the way you slowly bleed in little details from the movie (i.e., Cicero) and Joker's personality throughout Jack, subtly. It makes it more authentic, that it happens overtime, that the personality traits were always there but overtime become more prominent.

Man, the second half of that chapter, poetic, truly. Your writing flows so effortlessly. I just love Jack and Louise and the love they have for each other, especially considering the upbringing they both had. Love and relationships haven't been a positive thing in their lives.

I mean this in the nicest way, you really know how to write horrible characters. I mean, in the beginning I didn't hate Jack's mother, I felt almost sorry for her, at least she was there and taking care of Lola but god, leaving, just up and leaving a sick daughter, I think she is worse than Jack and Lola's father (not by much, they are really equally horrible people).

And Louise, I've said this before and I'll say it again, she truly is an amazing character. I am just in love with the way you write/wrote her. She is so strong and brave but she is also very vulnerable, she's just amazing.

This was a beautiful chapter.

I laughed and cried a little at the "I look like I'm from Jersey." Since I am from Jersey, but I get it! I blame Jersey Shore (which btw is not an accurate portrayal of people from Jersey :) )

Loved that you pulled inspiration from the movie where Joker is hanging out of the police car like a dog, how that resonated with him from his former self.

Just from previous chapters, I already hate Johnny, but now I can see why Peyton does too just from this little glimpse of him.

I love the "joker" card appearance, the foreshadowing thus far is brilliant.

Oh poor Louise, I wouldn't even want to imagine finding vague note, left by a woman and your boyfriend going to spend a few nights at said woman's place. I probably would have lost it.

Definitely more Joker peaking through, Jack is kind of starting to lose it a little bit at a time.

And don't get me started on their mother... horrid person and Bill and her deserve each other.