Batman Begins/Dark Knight 1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is one of my Joker/Jack Napier stories I have decided to upload onto this site. Enjoy! Review please!**

Ashley stared blankly out of the car window, the harsh glare of the sun smoothed by the large sunglasses perched on the bridge of her nose. The soft music trickling out of the radio was gently tickling her ears as the car rounded the corner of Gardenia Lane, they had made it to the new 'home'. _Reluctantly relocated to the suburbs_.

The silence coming from outside was enough to make her sick, she already missed the screeching of sirens, the obnoxious car horns blaring throughout all hours of the day, the tall and statuesque buildings looming over her on one of her daily strolls through the city. Now, when she woke up she would no longer be greeted by the beautiful site of busy street feet below and the smell of fresh donuts from the shoppe across the street from their apartment in Gotham City.

Her parents, Kerry and Wes, called this move in order to bring their family closer together but Ashley knew better. Sending her father to rehab was supposed to bring them closer together, she remembered. She glanced down at the fresh bruise on her upper right arm. _Guess I was wrong about that._

Before she could even get her question out, her mother turned the car into a concrete driveway, in front was a beautiful two story brick house. The windows were all wide open, warm and inviting, the front door was wide open as well. She could see the light colored wood floor reflecting beautifully from the harsh sunlight, giving the illusion of gold floors. Ashley quickly undid her seat belt and threw open the door to the car and ran up the steps and began to explore her new 'home.'

She spun herself around in the spacious front entrance, her dress flaring out around her. _I definitely wouldn't have been able to do in our apartment._ She wasn't used to being in such a large space, all her life she had known was their three bedroom apartment, maybe this move wouldn't be so bad. Curiosity was building inside of her, since she had no siblings, she had three options of rooms. She grabbed a hold of the railings and launched herself up the stairs excitedly. She rounded the right corner and opened the second door, she grinned to herself, sliding the sunglasses off her nose and settling them on top of her head. The bare room was relatively large, with caramel colored wooden floors, and the walls a dark shade of purple. Her favorite color.

She sauntered over to the window and gasped when she looked down, a pool. For most it wouldn't have been that great of a deal, but for someone who's only access to a pool was a public one, it was a big. Now she could just jump into it whenever the hell she felt like it, she could run around the edges without being screeched at by some jackass in red swim trunks. Dark bricks outlined the mesmerizing clear blue depth, lush green grass covered the ground outside, flowers playing in small intricate patterns inside the green.

"Ashley! Ashley, come down here and get your things!" Kerry's soft but demanding voice called from downstairs, pulling her out of her gaze. She bit her lip as she gave the pool a once over before she bounded down the stairs."Beautiful, isn't it?" Her mother asked, her misty blue eyes dancing over the homes features.

"I've found my room already. The second door on the right." Ashley smiled as she took the box of books from her mothers grasp.

"The dark purple colored room? Facing the pool?" she asked with a smirk, Ashley nodded in response. "Of course, I should've known." She laughed as she picked up the small book rack. Ashley gingerly took the steps, cradling her box of books like a small child in her arms. She pushed the door open with her hip and set the books down on the floor. She began unpacking them one by one, her mother set the rack down next to her, kneeling at Ashley's side to help put the books in order . Immediately, she pulled out the Harry Potter novels, her most recent favorite, she was completely on end about the release of the fifth novel. "I honestly don't know where you got your patience from, I could never sit down and read something _this_, thick." her mother grinned as she flipped through the fourth novel. A small giggle erupted from Ashley's throat as she began to stack them in order.

- - - - - - - - -  
"Ash!" she heard her fathers gruff voice call from downstairs, "Why don't you take the dog for a walk." Which translates into, 'your mother and I are about to have a famous screaming match, so, get the hell out.' But she doesn't protest, the last time it didn't end too well for her.

"Yes, sir." she croaked out the word, _he doesn't deserve that respect.  
_Ashley adjusted her navy blue sundress as she took the stairs two at a time, shutting the door just in time before she heard the muffled yelling of her father. _Please let his liver fail soon._

"Lola!" Ashley called, not even a moment after she heard a distinct bark from on her right. Lola, her three year old husky ran up to her, her thick black and white tail swishing back and forth, "Wanna go for a walk, beautiful!" She barked in response, her large gray eyes searching around excitedly for her leash. She gave Lola a few feet from the leash, allowing her just enough length to walk freely without begin tightly restrained. Lola curiously explored her new surroundings, all of the grass and tall trees completely new to her, and to Ashley.

Her gaze averted up to the trees towering above her, much in the way the skyscrapers of Gotham City used to. The tall oak trees stood firm, but their green leaves danced freely in fluid like motions on their skinny branches. She noticed as she kept staring at the seemingly endless sea of green that the trees acted like a shield, blocking out most of the sun, only tiny slivers of bright light exposed here and there. As the wind blew between the large green leaves, ruffling the hem of her skirt, a sweet unfamiliar rustling of leaves tickled her ears. The sound was new, delicate and fresh to Ashley, the sound was much more gentle and kind to her ears than the regular sounds of blaring sirens.

With her head gazing into the swaying emerald above, she didn't notice the pair of eyes studying her, that was until Lola jerked her to the right; knocking her out of her peaceful stare. When her eyes fell to the young man sitting on his dirty, patched, ground, the air was knocked out of her once full lungs. His dark blonde hair hung in untidy waves, his skin was tan and soft looking. His features were defined, a firm jaw and cheekbones, but that wasn't even what took the breathe out of her. His penetrating pools of brown that seemed to see straight through her and a wide, handsome grin, that was what knocked the wind out of her. "Hi. I uh, I'm Ashley Davenport, I just uh, moved in." she breathed, a rising heat appearing on her cheeks.

His smile grew even more, Ashley couldn't help but grin right back, his smile was infectious. He set the book he was reading down and stood up to his full height, brushing the sides of his jeans. "I'm Jack, Jack Napier."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: You all have no idea it's taken me to actually type this one up. I've had the idea to write the second chapter since April, and here I am in November with the second one done. Damn, I really need to focus on this story more often because I love the ideas floating around in my head. Read/Favorite/Review please!**

"Ashley, sweetheart, can you come down here for a minute?" called her mother's patient but strained voice. Ashley let her head fall into her hands, a groan escaping her lips, she knew her mother was about to make her do something she didn't want to.

"Coming." she called back, lifting herself off of her bed, her wavy hair falling in disarray over her shoulders. She bounded down the stairs, nearly slipping on the landing but she caught herself on the railing before he feet went out from under her.

"What is it you want me to do?" she asked nonchalantly as she sauntered into the kitchen, throwing her mother a quick glance. Her mother frowned at the question.

"Why is it you always think I want you to do something?" her mother questioned, picking at her eggs.

"Because you always want me to do something." Ashley replied dryly, picking up her own plate, sitting down next to her father at the bar. Her mother tossed her a glance but didn't reply, she knew it was true.

"All right, I do." Ashley rolled her eyes at this, pouring herself a glass of milk. "Your father and I think it's a good idea to throw a house warming party." her mother said with a small grin, turning to Ashley with a hopeful look. Ashley was staring at her with a blank expression, her mother's smile dropped a fraction, "You know like, we invite all of the neighbors over, get to know them. That sorta thing. Sounds fun right?"

_Christ, mom, you don't know me at all, do you?_

To appease her mother, Ashley smiled back, "Of course, sounds great. What do you want me to do?" Her mother smiled widely, her eyes squinted into two small slivers of blue. "Can you be a dear and pass out the invitations to the neighbors? Maybe, you know, go up to their doors and talk with 'em for a bit, or just put the invitations in their mailboxes."

Ashley felt her cheeks warm just at the thought of knocking on a perfect stranger's door, the thought caused a painful knot in her stomach. She was painfully shy, not to mention, she was not a skilled people person.

"Here. Take these and just stick them on top of all the neighbors mailboxes. Don't worry about addresses, we didn't put any on." said her mother as she handed Ashley a handful of elegantly hand written letters, Ashley recognized it immediately as her mother's handwriting. "It shouldn't take you too long."

Ashley smiled and flipped through the handful of letters, drumming her fingers over the soft blue envelopes.

"Lola!" called Ashley, and sure enough, the husky came running down the stairs, barking loudly as if to let Ashley know she was coming to her as fast as she could. Lola skidded around the corner, she jumped excitedly up at Ashley, who ruffled up Lola's white and gray fur. "We're gonna go for a walk, sound good?" Lola barked in response, turning and running to the front door, waiting for Ashley to get her leash.

The leash was hanging off of the coat rack before Ashley snapped it into place around Lola's black collar. Ashley slipped into her flats that she had discarded by the stairs, and she grabbed one of the keys sitting in the dark blue key dish and locked the door as she left with Lola in tow.

- - - - - - - - - -

The wind outside had begun to pick up, the towering trees swayed so gracefully Ashley could've sworn they were dancers instead. The sudden shift in environment, the lack of noise was disturbingly unsettling, yet somehow completely calming and refreshing for her; no cars, no traffic, just the trees and the wind. Because of the pollution in Gotham City, the sun barely ever shown, the sky was always a gray, almost muddy water color, but not in on the sidewalk she was walking on in that moment. The sun was warming her exposed legs, arms and face, she had never felt the warmth of it on her, nor had she considered the beauty of it and the nature that was no where to be seen in Gotham City.

Ashley had to call Lola's name to get her to stop walking so Ashley could place an invitation behind the red metal flag on the side of the mailbox, making sure that the invitation was held tightly in place by the mailbox and the red metal. She hadn't felt entirely comfortable with doing this, sticking letters on the sides of peoples mailboxes, not knowing who they were or what they were capable of. What if one of her new neighbors was some kind of psychopath? Like John Wayne Gacy or Jeffrey Dahmer? She was amazed at how trusting her mother was of people she didn't even know, she always gave them the benefit of the doubt. Of course, her mother was also a doormat. So Ashley wasn't that amazed either. As Ashley stopped to stick another letter on the side of a mailbox, Lola gave a loud bark, throwing her head back, exposing her furry neck. Ashley stopped and laughed as she looked down at Lola, who's glassy blue orbs stared at something behind Ashley.

"Can't have anyone sneak up on you can you? She'll give 'em straight away."

Ashley turned to meet the handsome face of Jack Napier, the same guy she had met several days previously, this had been the second time she had seen him. "Didn't scare you, did I?" asked Jack, a smile pulling at a corner of his mouth, a small chunk of laughter threatened to burst through her; her nervous habit.

"No, no. Just surprised." chuckled Ashley, her eyes fell over his cheekbones and jawline, he had magnificent bone structure. "Sorry I had to dash the other day, it's been a bit hectic over there." admitted Ashley, she couldn't help but grin as Lola pawed at Jack's knee, to which Jack responded by running his hand over her head. Lola groaned happily.

"How strange. She typically doesn't like other people touching her, she's not that trusting of people."

Jack looked back down at Ashley, in that moment she had realized just how short she was compared to him, he was perhaps six foot one or six foot. "I guess that's good, you can't be too trusting of people. Especially here." he smiled, Ashley could've sworn she felt her heart stop, if only for a split second. He had the most alluring and charismatic smile she'd ever seen, it complimented his dark brown eyes quite well. "What are those?" asked Jack, pointing down at the few remaining letters between Ashley's fingers.

"Oh, well, they're invitations." she stated. Jack's pale brows met in the middle.

"Invitations? For what?" asked Jack curiously.

"See, my parents, well my mother, is all about knowing every single person she can. She likes being surrounded by a lot of people and knowing everyone's business, so what better why then having a party, right?" replied Ashley with a bored expression in her eyes, telling Jack she was thoroughly disliked the idea.

"You seem real enthusiastic about it." laughed Jack, his laughter was contagious and split a grin across Ashley's lips.

"Yeah, I do, don't I?" she paused to flip her hair off her shoulder. "Lets just say that my parents ideas of a good time certainly aren't mine."

"You didn't strike me as the kind of girl that liked that." said Jack before he looked over her face fully, Ashley could feel the heat creeping up her cheeks. A brief silence fell over the pair, their eyes meandered over the others face.

"Uh, here." Ashley said, handing Jack his own invitation. "She's insisted on inviting everyone on this block, thankfully she mailed all the rest." laughed Ashley. Jack flicked open the envelope and pulled out the letter, his eyes scanned over the page and the writing.

"You'll be there, right?" Jack asked coyly, his almost shy brown eyes looked up from the invitation.

"Unfortunately, yes." both Ashley and Jack chuckled. Jack looked back down at the invitation.

"At seven on the twenty third. I'll be there." said Jack with a smile that caused Ashley's pink pout to tug into a full grin.

"Thank you. I'll need someone to save me." chuckled Ashley. Her eyes betrayed her as she gave him a quick once over, the flimsy white t-shirt Jack was wearing clung to his well formed torso, giving her a tease of what he must look like underneath. He was not overly muscular, she could see just by looking at his arms, but he was, no doubt in shape. In her opinion, he was one of the most attractive men she'd ever laid eyes on.

"I'm sure you will. The woman you live across the street from is bat shit crazy." said Jack with a glance down the street, as if expecting to see the woman scowling behind him. Ashley chuckled softly at this, "Is she now?"

"I'll let you see for yourself, trust me, and you'll know** exactly **who I'm talking about." he smiled, taking a step closer to her. Ashley had just opened her mouth to say something when a loud slamming of a door made her jump.

"Jack! Get your ass over here! I need you to help me with my truck." yelled an older sounding gentlemen. Ashley couldn't see who it was, for Jack's home was hidden by tall shrubbery. Jack swore under his breath, the corner of his mouth twitched in frustration.

"Sorry, my old man. I would introduce you, but I don't want to scare you off just yet." laughed Jack, Ashley smiled and waved him on.

"It's fine, go on. Just make sure you show up, I'm counting on you to rescue me."

Ashley clearly saw Jack give her whole frame a once over. "Believe me, I'll show up." Jack said before turning around and running over and around to his front yard where he disappeared from sight. Lola whined down at Ashley's feet, her head fell against Ashley's knee.

"I know, sweetie. I like him too." said Ashley.

She urged Lola to walk on, and as they passed Jack's house she saw Jack, who grinned at the sight of her. As Ashley flipped through the remaining letters, she didn't notice the pair of brown eyes that followed her around the corner of Gardenia Lane and down Oleander Avenue.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Sorry it's been a while for me to update. Managing four stories at once isn't easy at all, but I can't help it, I love them all too much to stop lol. Hope everyone enjoys this one. It's a little mushy, but hey, I like mushy sometimes. Enjoy and please Review/Favorite/Alert!**

She hated dressing up, like some doll on display; she absolutely despised it. As Ashley looked over herself in the mirror, she pinched the soft black fabric of the dress she wore. The feeling of having so much makeup on, a dress and heels, seemed so over the top to her, so foreign and strange to dress so overly girly. It was never something she liked nor practiced. Sure, she would wear little casual dresses, but nothing like the black, short, lace sleeved, dress she was wearing now.

"Ashley dear, are you- _oh_! You're ready, and you look perfect darling! I told you that black dress would do you justice." cooed her mother, running her slim hands over Ashley's shoulders. "Hmm, I don't want to just leave your hair like that-"

"Mom, my hair looks fine, I like it the way it is." said Ashley, pulling at her wavy brown locks.

"Yes, but maybe a little something in your hair, ah! Here." her mother trotted noisily over to Ashley's dresser and grabbed Ashley's black head band and slid it up and over her forehead. "See how much better that looks?"

Ashley didn't feel like telling her mother that having the headband only emphasized her forehead, she had agreed with herself that for tonight, her mother could doll her up any way she saw fit, for her mother was always looked over on most occasions by her father, Wes. Ashley wanted her mother to have, at least, that night punctuated with her desires, and not being looked over like she usually was. The outfit her mother and her had bought didn't look bad on Ashley at all, for Ashley had picked it out after she had seen it on herself. The dress wasn't too low cut or short, yet Ashley still paired the dress with a pair of stockings, the sleeves came to her wrist and were floral black lace. Even though Ashley didn't know nor care too much about fashion, she had to admit that she looked rather pretty. The heels, of course, were not Ashley's choice. Ashley had never been a little girl trying on mommy's shoes, so she had never gotten much practice at walking in them at all. The heels were only two inches tall, and Ashley had only been wearing them for ten minutes, but her feet were beginning to get sore; the idea of walking around all night in heels not only intimidated her, but made her feet give a surge of protesting pain.

Ashley pulled at the waist, only to have her mother tut at her and brush her hand off. "It's a little snug on my waist." admitted Ashley.

"It fits like it's supposed to, Ash. Like a glove." said her mother, running her freshly manicured nails along Ashley's waist.

"Yeah, that's kind of the problem." replied Ashley, looking over at the mirror image of her mother. Her mother tutted again. "Nonsense, dear. It compliments you so well, for you have such a tiny little waist, be proud of it." grinned her mother, emphasizing the word waist by patting the sides of Ashley's waist.

"You'll have that Jack Napier boy eating out of the palm of your hand." purred her mother, Ashley creased her brows.

"Why would he want to eat out of my hand, we'll have plates." said Ashley, giving her mother the oddest look. Her mother chuckled softly and twirled a piece of Ashley's hair.

"I didn't mean literally, Ash. I just meant, he just won't be able to take his eyes off of you." said her mother, who was running her fingers through Ashley's silky brown hair. Her mothers almond shaped blue eyes twinkled as she looked over both herself and Ashley, admiration evident on her pale face. Ashley had to admire her mother's quiet, almost submissive, beauty. Her hair was a newly coated shade of strawberry blond, a suggestion she had gotten from Ashley's father; her mother's hair changed like clockwork, but Ashley had to admit, the strawberry blond was definitely her favorite thus far. In Ashley's opinion, her mother was the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. Ashley had often thought that that was how most daughters saw their mothers, but the truth was Kerry was probably one of the most beautiful women most people had ever seen. Kerry was tall, nearly five ten, her hair was typically down and laid in simple waves, but as she stood next to Ashley, her hair was done up in a low bun, her several stray pieces of hair framed her pale face. The champagne colored dress she wore stopped just above her petite calves, the pale color of her shoes nearly matched the milky color of her skin. Kerry's shoulders were exposed, for the dress was strapless, exposing her well formed, slim, arms.

"You look beautiful." said Ashley, her mother bowed her head with a smile.

"Thank you, my love. Will you believe me when I tell you that you look radiant?" asked her mother, her fingers still working their way through Ashley's hair.

"Yes. I think I look kind of pretty." admired Ashley, she could admit when she thought she looked attractive. She wasn't like most fifteen year old girls were, she didn't insist on being negative about her appearance.

"Kind of?" giggled her mother. She spun Ashley around to face her, since both were in heels of the same size, Ashley still had to look up. "We should go down there, yes? Don't want to miss meeting this Jack fellow, he sounds quite attractive."

Ashley had very briefly discussed Jack with her mother. She had told her mother that Jack would be coming to the party and of course, her mother had to get every detail she could get her little fingers on.

"Don't say anything, all right?" said Ashley, pointing one of her own painted fingers at her mother. Her mother smiled and drew an invisible cross over her chest.

"Hope to die." said her mother, patting Ashley's cheek affectionately. Ashley seemed to be content with that promise, yet she peeled her eyes at her mother as they made their way downstairs. Ashley gripped the railing as though the stairs might cave in underneath her. "I really should teach you how to walk in those." said her mother almost sympathetically. Ashley made it down to the last step before smiling, she had made it all the way down without tripping.

"Who's idea was it to put me in heels?" asked Ashley with raised brows, she chuckled as her mother rolled her eyes.

"They look beautiful on you. I mean, you think so, right?" asked her mother, her face suddenly fell into a small frown, Ashley quickly laughed it off.

"Of course they do." reassured Ashley, bringing the smile right back onto her mother's face. They looked good, yes, but they certainly did not feel too good. Ashley walked steadily with her mother back into the kitchen, she nearly lost her balance as she took the first few steps on the rug in their kitchen.

"Come here, dear. I'll teach you how to break them in." cooed her mother, ushering her outside. Ashley ignored her father's coarse laughter coming from the kitchen. Ashley's brown eyes searched around the lantern lit backyard, the strung up set of lights hung from the small trees and back up onto the small porch. The small yellow lights mirrored themselves in the pool, which looked an almost navy color, for it was nearly seven o'clock at night.

Kerry taught Ashley, as well as she could, to walk in her heels. Though she stumbled many times, Ashley felt comfortable enough to walk in front of others, not fearing a face plant. Her mother and her were beginning to set up the plates outside and push pool products out of the way when Wes called, "Kerry! Guests are here."

Ashley chuckled as she watched her mother eagerly trot off to the front door. Ashley shut the glass door behind her and headed to the front door to meet whomever had just arrived, but before she rounded the corner, her father stopped her. She had to admit, she was surprised to see that he had cleaned himself up so well, his dirty blond hair was slicked back, his suit looked expensive and fresh; to Ashley's surprise, he didn't wreak of alcohol or even looked like he had the slightest buzz.

"Wow Dad, you actually look, good." said Ashley, even more surprised that she had actually said it. Her father smiled and patted her cheek.

"Fix my tie, will ya?" the way he had said it came off as more of a demand than a request. Ashley suppressed the urge to tell him to fix his own damn tie and proceeded to redo his skinny, navy, blue tie. His brown eyes looked all around the room, except at her, Ashley preferred it this way. She liked staying below his radar. Ashley only wished her mother had felt that way instead of pawing for his attention at every turn.

"Ashley! Jack Napier is here!" called her mother in an almost playful tone of voice. Ashley felt herself cringe as her father looked down his thin nose at her.

"Jack Napier? Just moved in an you've already got men trailing after you, should've known." said her father in an almost pride filled voice, of course the way he had said it had stung her, his back handed comments always had done that to her. Ashley patted her father's suit covered chest before slipping out of his grip and view. Just as she had rounded the corner, Ashley felt a very strong urge to run and look into the mirror to see if she looked all right, an urge that was not something she was used to. Ashley shrugged it off as misplaced nerves, but as she came face to face with a polished up Jack Napier, she felt as though she were under an intense microscope that magnified every one of her flaws. She fidgeted her hands anxiously, she never knew what to do with her hands. Jack wore an almost casual business like suit with a loose slim tie. His naturally wavy brownish blond hair was combed back just enough to emphasize his cheek bones and jaw line.

"Hi, glad you made it." said Ashley honestly as she rubbed the palms of her hands together. The way Jack had momentarily looked her over made Ashley's stomach clench in tightly and rush of color to her face.

"I promised didn't I?" chuckled Jack as he slipped through the doorway. Even in heels, Jack towered over her. Something about this gave her a slim layer of comfort to drape herself with that June evening.

"So, Jack. Where do you go to school?" asked her mother politely as she guided Ashley and Jack into the kitchen. Jack and Ashley locked eyes for an awkward silent moment before he answered,

"Beechridge High School, ma'am." Ashley couldn't help but smile at the small southern drawl she heard in the way that he said 'ma'am'. She could imagine him on a small farm somewhere. Maybe in Tennessee or New Mexico.

"Oh! That's where Ashley will be going this year as well. She's a Junior this year." her mother stated, standing on her toes to kiss Ashley's father's cheek. "This is Jack Napier, darling." purred her mother. Ashley outwardly cringed at her sick, sticky, sweetness. How she could be so soft and sweet like he was deserving of it. Ashley watched as her father, being the alpha male he was, looked over Jack in a challenging way; sizing and measuring him up to see if he even ranked near enough to himself.

_Pompous ass. _

Wes slightly puffed out his chest, his nostrils flaring as he took a deep breathe, his back teeth grinding together as he did so. In order to contain herself, Ashley looked away and outside at the pool and disappearing sky.

"Wes Davenport. Nice to meet you." said her father in a stern, hard, callous, and unforgiving voice as he took Jack's hand in his mechanically strong grip. Ashley could tell by her father's tone that he didn't like Jack. Not that she was surprised though.

"Jack Napier, sir." said Jack with a hint of something that made Ashley assume he was already very uncomfortable with her father, and that he didn't like her father either. As Jack and her father let go of the others' hand, the two men seemed to silently dissect the other. "Is there anything you need help with, Mom?" Ashley interrupted in the silent, yet near boiling moment in the kitchen. Her mother popped her mouth open the say something, but about that time the sound of the door bell filled the whole house.

- - - - - - - - - -

Ashley and Jack stayed hidden behind the left side of her house as more and more people began to trickle inside. Neither of the two could stand the thickening atmosphere anymore and decided to hide out for a while. Ashley sat atop of an old coffee table that had been left by the previous owner, while her heels lay discarded on top of the lawnmower; she kneaded her knuckles against the sore skin of her feet, flexing her toes with a wince.

"Those look a wee pit painful." chuckled Jack as he looked over at the abandoned high heels. Ashley looked up at him and smiled.

"You have no idea. They're like a modern day torture device."

Jack laughed in the back of his throat and leaned his head back against the side of the house and reached into the back pocket of his pants. He pulled out a small packet of Benson & Hedges Menthol cigarettes, taking one out with his teeth while one of his hands fidgeted around in his coat pocket for a lighter. He stashed the cigarette packet in his back pocket before closing one hand around the end and lighting up, taking a long drag before stowing away the lighter. Jack looked down at Ashley and took the cigarette out of his mouth and offered it to her. Ashley took it without hesitation, taking a long drag as well, flicking of the ash as she exhaled and handed it back up to Jack. Even though she knew the health risks of smoking, Ashley decided that just one night out of a few weeks wasn't going to harm her. Besides, she needed something to take the edge off.

"You know, your dad, he uh-"

"He doesn't like you." stated Ashley plainly. Jack chuckled, causing uneven patterns of smoke to escape his lips.

"Yeah. I got that vibe too." said Jack as he handed her back the cigarette. Ashley took a small puff and held it inside her chest before answering, "He doesn't like anybody, Jack. Especially other men." Ashley laughed to herself as she handed Jack back the cigarette. Her father was a rather brutal, bitter, unlikable, alcoholic, bastard. He didn't like anybody, and most people didn't like him. She looked over and up at Jack, who had his bottom lip between his teeth and anticipation and a hint of nervousness written across the side of his face. He looked as though he were jumping to say something.

"I just thought him not liking me might," but he stopped and his brows creased together in thought. His eyes were focused on the gutters of the neighbors house with fierce interest.

"Might what?" questioned Ashley, her own dark brows meeting in the middle from confusion and interest. Jack looked down at Ashley and smiled as smoke trickled out of his nose, threw the cigarette on the ground and squashed it with his foot.

"Let's get inside before they start looking." smiled Jack, all trace of question and anticipation wiped clean off his handsome face. Jack offered her his hand as she slipped on her shoes and went to get up. Ashley took a sharp in take of breath as she was lifted to her heel helped height and much closer to Jack's face than she had anticipated. There was a brief moment where Ashley wondered to herself if Jack was going to lean in and kiss her. His eyes had traveled to the peaks of her lips and over the hill of her cheeks, but he stepped back and gave her a lopsided grin as he let her lead the way back inside. Ashley peaked her head inside cautiously, like a child who feared getting caught. There must have been thirty or forty people stomping about her home; loud chattering, clinking of glasses, howls of laughter, clicking of high heels, and the strong smell of cigar smoke and alcohol. Ashley stepped inside and cocked her head sideways to face Jack as he started laughing, "Where did they all come from?" he asked with a chuckle rumbling in the back of his throat.

"The neighborhood." said Ashley seriously. Jack raised his brows at her in what she assumed was amusement. "You look amused." stated Ashley matter a fact like. Jack licked over his slim lips in between his smile.

"You're quite literal." Ashley's brows creased at the remark, but a laughter educed smile washed over her face as Jack began chuckling down at her.

"Is it a bad thing?" asked Ashley with a grin. Jack's laughter and smile seemed to be like a yawn or cough, completely contagious and she couldn't help but mimic his actions.

"No. It's cute actually." Ashley felt her nervous laughter kicking in almost immediately from the compliment. Her naturally rosy cheeks seemed the stifle under his dark enrapturing gaze. It was nearly impossible for her to look away as a woman she had never meet and her mother came to her side.

"Oh shit." whispered Jack underneath his breath, just loud enough for Ashley to hear. Her eyes darted away from Jack and to the strange woman that stood before her. Ashley smiled politely at the forty something red headed woman who's ninety fifties mustard yellow inspired dress made Ashley grimace without remorse. Ashley felt her stomach churn at the waxy and tight looking texture of her skin. This woman had obvious marks of botched botox and plastic surgery; her face seemed emotionless and empty, even as she smiled as wide as she could. Ashley was inwardly horrified.

"Ashley, this is our neighbor, Jane Marshal." said her mother cheerfully, obviously pleased with herself at the turnout of people at her home. Ashley shook the woman's hand with a sympathetic smile.

"Hi. Nice to meet you."

"A pleasure." purred Jane with the widest smile Ashley assumed that Jane could muster, yet she looked pained and somewhat unamused. Ashley and Jack's eyes met for a brief moment, Jack had been chewing away on the corner of his mouth to contain his almost overwhelming urge to laugh.

"Jane was just telling me about her line of natural face creams that she's been selling. Isn't that nice?" said her mother with a smile towards Jane. Ashley, of course not thinking about whether or not it would offend Jane, furrowed her brows and pursed her lips.

"She's had a set of obviously botched botox injections, leaving her skin waxy and tight. Not to mention, her brows are raised far to high for them to be naturally that way. I don't think she knows anything about being natural. If you did, you'd know how horrible it is to get these injections." Ashley felt two pairs of furious eyes on her, one she had to assume was furious, she couldn't really tell, and a third set of eyes that were surprised.

"_**Ashley.**_" chided her mother through clenched teeth and wide eyes. Ashley raised her eye brows, "What? I'm stating something very obvious. I'm sorry if I have offended you, which I don't think I have, but I was just-" she was cut off by her mother's angry, cutting, winter stare. Ashley excused herself from her mother and the very offended, yet it didn't show, Ms. Marshal. Her mouth and logic seemed to always get her into trouble with most people; it never seemed to make sense to Ashley. Ashley hobbled as she tore off her shoes for the final time and threw them somewhere off to side in the grass before she plopped down in front of the pool and folded her feet underneath her thighs. The lights inside the pool had been turned on, its rich creamy blue color flooded Ashley's vision, resting still beneath her fingertips that skated across the surface.

"You know that woman I told you about?" asked Jack as he sat down next to her, mimicking her sitting style. Ashley's eyes slimmed down into slits as she thought over who Jack was talking about.

"Oh, the bat shit crazy one?" asked Ashley as she watched her two fingers twirl over the top of the slick surface. Jack chuckled under his breath and looked over his shoulder back at the house.

"Yeah well, you just met her." Ashley looked over at Jack, who had his head inclined to her, one side of his mouth pulling into his cheek. Ashley pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and giggled.

"And now I've pissed off the bat shit crazy woman." Both her and Jack chuckled at the thought. Ashley dipped her fingers in deeper into the water, scooping up some of the clear liquid into her hand.

"I liked what you did back there."

Ashley looked over at Jack with a quizzical look, obviously confused by his meaning. "What did I do?" she asked with a hint of a nervous undertone. Jack began to run his fingers over the surface of the water as well.

"You made an obvious observation and you weren't afraid to tell her. Most people don't do that." the way he had said it made Ashley want to scoot closer to him just to listen to him speak. His voice was soft and deep and just somewhat hoarse. It was soothing and pleasant. Ashley continued to run her fingers over the slick surface, occasionally catching her reflection, and the reflection of Jack looking at her. She could sense that he had something to say, but that he was waiting, perhaps because he was nervous, to say it. "You know, I didn't tell you something." Ashley looked over at Jack almost nervously, not sure of what he information he was about to divulge. When Ashley looked up at Jack, she felt her breath catch in the middle of her throat. Of course, having a handsome man stare at her the way he was, was going to have that effect. He had dark eyes that could have melted away even the coldest of winters. "You look beautiful." Ashley felt that nervous laughter beginning to bubble in the back of her throat; her cheeks felt as though she had just run a mile without stopping.

"Thank you." said Ashley softly. Her almost naïve and shy smile pulled her lips into an appreciative smile. Ashley didn't flinch or pull away as Jack inched just the tiniest bit closer. She could feel her body wanting to give into him right them and press her lips flush against his own, but Ashley fought hard against her body. As Jack went to come in closer, Ashley ran her fingers over his cheek.

"Jack Napier. We haven't even gone out on a date you're trying to kiss me. What kind of girl do you think I am?" chuckled Ashley with an undertone of sincerity. Jack pulled himself away just enough to sit up straight, pure embarrassment had found it's way onto his face.

"I'm sorry. That wasn't-" he paused to chuckle and run his hand over his mouth. "I shouldn't have even tried without taking you out to dinner." Ashley grinned happily as she looked down into her lap. Truth be told, she had been hoping all night that he would ask her out. "So what do you say? Tomorrow, maybe at six?" asked Jack with a hopeful smile that made Ashley's stomach do a back flip.

"Tomorrow at six it is." agreed Ashley with playful glint in her honey brown eyes. Ashley leaned over and kissed his cheek and held herself there for a moment as the pleasant smell of his cologne tickled her nose. His skin was soft and smooth underneath her lips, and she wondered to herself how soft his lips must be. Ashley pulled herself away with a kind smile, knowing full and well that she would find out soon enough.

**AN: Ashley is a bit blunt, isn't she? Well, I kind of see her being a little bit like Temperance Brennan(Bones) Review please?**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Oh My God, I am SO sorry it took this long. This last writing class completely drained me of any creativity. It's now my summer, and these past three weeks I have been slowly gaining back my creative juices haha. I worked on this for a few hours tonight. I worked really hard, ladies (and gents?) If you're still reading this story, I love you and thank you. Next chapter will not take five months to get out, I promise! Enjoy, message, favorite, sub, alert! Take care x**

Ashley was terribly nervous and fidgety, that much she knew. Her stomach felt as though it were contorted into something that resembled a balloon animal. Her inexperience with the opposite sex had made itself known at the thought of what to do on her date. Googling for conversation starters and ice breakers had taken up her afternoon. She didn't want to sound rehearsed, but she didn't want to sound like an idiot either. She had changed her outfit four times, unsure of whether or not she were showing too much or covering up too much or if Jack would even like it. After a debate with the mirror, she decided to just dress casual and not the way she had the previous night. Her makeup was as it always was, simple and barely there. She wanted to impress Jack, but she didn't want to pretend to be someone she wasn't. Who was she kidding? She just wanted to impress him, period.

"Ash," called her father behind her bedroom door, a knock following her name. Ashley bit down on her bottom lip and smiled falsely,

"Yes?" The door opened immediately. Her father never bothered asking for permission into her room or whether it was okay for him to come in. He never understood the word privacy. It was like that word had never seen the pages of his dictionary. Her father took a deep inhale as he pulled on his belt, looking her over,

"You're a little under dressed, don't you think?" Ashley's lids folded over her eyes that so resembled her fathers. She could tell by how slow he said his words that he was already a little buzzed and loose. "You don't wanna go givin' this kid a bad impression."

"I don't think I've given him a bad impression." she snapped back, running a brush through the knots of her hair.

"Dressing like you're asking for it is." he chuckled. He always managed to make her feel, in some way, beneath him. But she wasn't going to let him make her feel that way, not that night. She was not going to allow him the satisfaction of upsetting her or putting a damper on her date.

"Okay, dad." _Have another drink, will ya? _She fought hard not to say it, but God did she want to. Ashley had learned how to pick her battles with him; which ones were worth fighting, and which weren't. This particular battle wasn't worth it.

"What? No little smartass comment?" asked her father, taking a large stride so that he was standing right next to her, staring down his large crooked nose at her. His breath smelled distinctly of Jim Bean. She could've picked up on that smell a mile away. He would guzzle down the whole bottle as though he were a famished Ethiopian who had just found water after not having some for days. Ashley barely shook her head as she looked at him. She couldn't believe he was trying to piss her off. Actually, no, she could believe it. It was just like him to do something like that at the most inappropriate time. He was like a spiteful child who was trying to start a fight for attention. Before Ashley said something that would've started a fight, a loud knocking came from down stairs and Lola's bark erupted from Ashley's covers.

"No, I've got a date to go on." said Ashley with one final glare at her father. She grabbed her small bag off the bed and clapped for Lola to follow her downstairs. Ashley pulled on her flats at the top of the stairs as her mother opened the door and embraced him in a hug. "Ash- oh, there you are. You've got your phone with you?" asked her mother. Ashley skipped down the steps and didn't pay any attention to her mother's question as she and Jack made eye contact. He wore a plain black shirt and distressed jeans. His hair in it's usual mess and his smile wide. Jack stuffed a hand into one of the back pockets of his jeans.

"Hey." greeted Ashley shyly, smushing her lips together anxiously.

"Wanna get goin'?" asked Jack with an excited raise of the brows.

"When will you be back?" her mother asked again, a little louder and higher. Ashley turned to face her, Ashley's brows creasing in the middle.

"Tonight. I'm not staying with him tonight-" Her mother cut her off mid laugh. Ashley cocked her head at the sound of Jack's deep hoarse laughter. Her ears tickled at the sound. Ashley could hear her father's heavy footsteps getting closer to the door.

"No, Ashley, I know that. I mean what time?" Ashley shook her head, nervous laughter fluttering in her throat like a moth. How thick could she get while Jack was around? He made her not think straight.

"Of course, uh, what you say, Jack?" He made a sort of grunting noise as he screwed his eyes up to the ceiling. He shrugged and said, "Is eleven all right?" Ashley grinned pleadingly at her mother, but by the looks of it, she didn't need to plead. Her father also caught her eye. He was standing right behind her mother, his large arms folded across his front and his mouth pulled down into a frown.

"Oh of course! That's fine." said her mother excitedly, as if nothing would please her more than for her daughter to stay out with a teenage guy until eleven at night. Ashley felt relieved that her mother was so willing to let her go because her father's expression was telling her that he wasn't at all thrilled with her staying out till eleven.

Ashley had never really dated all that much, so it made her undeniably nervous as Jack took her hand and walked her to his car. She wasn't good with words, and she certainly wasn't good with people, especially men. Jack opened her door for her, which Ashley politely thanked him for. Her eyes followed him all the way around the hood of his car to his own door. Her insides were twisting and untwisting inside her, her nerves were bouncing around all over the place.

"Your dad seemed pretty thrilled to see me." said Jack with a grin splitting his mouth to expose his teeth. Jack started the ignition and the beat up black car roared to life.

"Yeah. I know. You should have seen him before you got there." she rolled her eyes at the replaying memory that momentarily glazed over her eyes, but she shoved it far off as soon as she remembered what he had told her about her outfit. This was going to be a good night, and not even Wes Davenport would screw that up. He could screw up a lot, but not this. She wouldn't let him. Jack pulled out of Ashley's driveway before giving her a sideways glance and asking, "Why? What did he say?" Jack's voice had a calming affect on her, the muscles in her shoulders relaxing.

Ashley crossed her legs as she looked over at him again, "He was saying that I should change. My outfit, I mean." She couldn't ignore the pull of the corner of his mouth at that.

"He's your dad. He wouldn't be satisfied even if you were wearing burka. It's just what they do."Ashley pulled her left foot underneath her right thigh to get more comfortable as Jack took off around the corner.

"I suppose you're right." Which he was, but there was more to it than just that. Her father was hyper critical of her; every little thing down to the way she spoke. He'd always done that, and he always would.

"I hope you won't mind the place I'm taking you." said Jack through nervous laughter. Ashley looked over at him with a smile that made her cheeks hurt,

"You're not taking me to some strip joint or drive thru are you?" Both of them laughed loudly as he looked over at her with his brows raised into his hair and a smile tempting his lips to form.

"A strip joint?" He bit his bottom lip as he chuckled again, "No, no, no. I'm classier than that. Just a _**little**_ bit." he emphasized with his fingers.

"Then I won't mind where you're taking me."

"Good." said Jack as he took a moment to smile over at her. The car was near silence, the soft hum of a guitar on the radio, when Jack laughed again. "Do you actually think I'd take you to a strip joint?" Ashley shrugged.

"I really don't know what kind of guy you are yet." As Jack stopped at a red light, he looked over and gave her a smile that made the balloon animal in her stomach twist..

"I'm not the kind of guy who's gonna take a girl to a strip joint as a date." Ashley slid her hands underneath her thighs to keep them from fidgeting.

"I would hope not." She rested her head back against the head rest as Jack drove far past the two story houses and perfectly watered lush green yards, a road that looked like it hadn't been paved since the sixties met the tires. Ashley didn't really care too much where he was planning on taking her, it didn't matter. It was the talking she was worried about. Sometimes she got ahead of herself and said things that made people feel awkward, whether it was her intention or not.

Jack pulled into a little hole in the wall restaurant, The 23rd Street Deli. Ashley had to look twice at it to realize it was a restaurant. There was no big sign or Vegas red 'open' sign. It was a small pale white building with a rusty orange roof. A small sign on the door held it's name, and there were only five maybe six cars in the parking lot.

"It's not much, but I think you'll like it." said Jack as he pulled into one of the many vacant slots right by one of the windows covered by brown blinds.

"It's definitely my kind of place," said Ashley as she unbuckled her seat belt, "There aren't a lot of people here."

As the both shut the doors of his car, Jack gave her a sideways smirk, "You don't like to be around a lot of people? But you seemed so comfortable at that party."

It took her a short moment to realize he was joking, "Of course. I'm just a social butterfly." She laughed and bowed her head in thanks as he held open the diner door for her. The smell of fresh pie and the hissing of a grill engulfed her the second she set her foot inside. "This is definitely my kind of place." Jack's eyes were wandering all around the restaurant like he was looking for someone. Apparently, he had found someone because he immediately turned in the opposite direction. Jack's hand found her shoulder as he led her to a booth in the far back, the smell of cherry pie growing stronger.

"Trying to make me hungry?" she laughed as she pointed to the cherry pie encased next to her as she took her seat.

"You like cherry pie?" Ashley nodded aggressively, "Damn, now I'm gonna have to share it." They split a laugh as they each grabbed a hold of a menu, flipping through each greasy edged page. Ashley bit on her inner cheek as she read over what a BLT sandwich had with it.

_Thickly cut home fries. Mmm that sounds really good._

Ashley closed up her menu and slid it next to the salt and pepper. She wiped her greasy finger tips on her still rolled up silver ware napkin. She lifted herself up slightly to see who Jack had wanted to avoid, but all she could see were the backs of two buzz cut heads and two half faces of the people sitting across from them. Ashley's eyes snapped back to Jack as he tilted his eyes over his menu to her, "You know what you want already?"

"Yeah, that BLT sandwich sounds pretty good. You decided yet?" Jack set his menu down just as the twenty something waiter walked next to their table; his eyes on the pad of paper in his hand.

"What'll it be?"

"Uh, a coke and the BLT sandwich for me, please."

"A coke as well and the 8 oz sirloin, rare, with fries." The waiter took off without even looking up.

"So uh, who are those people that are staring at us?" asked Ashley as she occasionally looked over Jack's shoulder at the four that were whispering things and staring at them. Jack rubbed his left brow as though he had a bad headache, "Oh, them. Yeah, they're a real fun bunch." Ashley motioned with her head to Jack to look behind him. The four young men had gotten up and were glaring at Jack and Ashley as if they were the oddest things they'd ever seen. Jack looked over his broad shoulders at them with, from what Ashley could tell, a warning glare; his jaw clenched and eyes steady. As they left Jack turned back to her and slightly wiggled his shoulders as though something heavy had been pulling on his back. Ashley couldn't understand why they would look at Jack like that.

"Geez, what'd you do to them?" she laughed. There had to be a reason why they would look at him the way they did.

"You'd think I'd have killed their dog or something." said Jack as he rested his chin on his thumb, his knuckle running over his bottom lip.

"Well you didn't right?" Jack laughed,

"No, I don't even think they need a reason to hate me." Ashley's brow creased and her lips pursed,

"Of course they have a reason, you know, maybe you did better than one of them on a test," Jack's deep laughter caused her lips to stop working for a moment, "uh maybe you have something they want."

"Or maybe they're jealous that I'm sitting here with you, and they're not." Ashley jumped slightly in her seat, and her face changed into the color of a hot coal. The heat in her face radiated through her rib cage and down to her kneecaps.

"That was, uh," She took a moment to take a sip of the coke that had just been put down next to her. "that was smooth, Jack." They both laughed.

"I can see that." said Jack as he acknowledged her glow that was now lightening to a baby pink. Ashley let out a slow exhale that she didn't know she was even holding in. She kept her hands on the cool plastic cup as she looked up at Jack,

"So, why don't you tell me something interesting, Jack?" asked Ashley as her foot found it's way underneath her thigh. Jack's eyes wondered up to the corner of the ceiling where the cracks in the paint showed a brown moisture stain.

"In Brazil, there is a snake called the Bush Snake that can leap up to six feet." Ashley's eyes widened and the corners of her mouth turned down,

"I'm never going to Brazil." She laughed, "Wait, it leaps?" Jack nodded, "Yeah, I don't know about Brazil anymore. The culture they have is extremely fascinating, but a leaping snake over takes culture." Jack's laughter grew even more.

"All right, now it's your turn. Tell me something I don't know." Ashley sucked on her bottom lip in thought,

"The earliest wine makers lived in Egypt around 2300 BC."

"The average person eats eight spiders in their lifetime at night."

"The penis of a blue whale can grow to be sixteen feet long." Jack's brows raised as he sat a little straighter,

"Wow, he must be proud." Ashley had to cover her mouth to keep her drink from flying out.

"Yeah, I guess he would," she pushed her drink aside and propped her elbows on the table, "but those aren't the facts I'm interested in." Jack mimicked her motions and leaned in,

"I'm not that interesting." Ashley cocked her head to the side with a coy grin. She knew there was more to him than he was letting on, but he wanted her to dig.

"Really?" she asked with a perk of one of her brows. "Well, why don't you tell me where you're from, for starters because I heard a little southern **twang **last night." she emphasized twang with a bad attempt to recreate the southern sound. He rolled his head back,

"You heard that?" She nodded with a 'tell me everything' smile, "I figured you did."

"Come on, tell me." Her chin rested on the ball of her hand as he licked his lips,

"All right, since you **asked**," She smiled pleasantly at his willingness, "no, I'm not from here. I was born in Kerrville, Texas. Just a little quiet town, but we moved to Austin before I could walk." His eyes seemed to glaze over with memories of his young past underneath the sweltering Texas sun.

"When did you you move here?" He squinted his eyes and shrugged,

"I think when I was about ten or eleven, so seven or eight years ago." He wiped his hand over his mouth and laughed, " I can't believe it's really been that long."

"It must've been nice there. All I've ever lived in is cold old Gotham."

"Ah you're too hard on Gotham."Ashley giggled into her drink.

"Oh yes, **I'm** too hard on Gotham." She poked her straw around the thick chunks of ice, "I do miss it sometimes, but I think I like it here more." Their eyes met for what felt like the first time all day when really it had only been a few seconds ago. Even a few seconds felt too long.

"I'm glad you're here." said Jack in his lullaby like voice. She watched his eyes follow the contours of her face and back up to her ever present stare. He wasn't without his flaws, but in that moment she saw none. The urge to crawl across the table and kiss his lips tugged behind her belly button like a fishing hook. But even before she had the chance to act of that urge, their full plates of food set down in front of them. They both cleared their throats awkwardly at the same time and bowed their heads at their food. Ashley tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and salted her thick cuts of potatoes. Everything looked and smelled delicious, but her attention wasn't even close to being on the food.

Ashley took a large bite of her sandwich and hummed at the taste.

"Good?"asked Jack through a large bite of his sirloin. Ashley chuckled as she swallowed it down.

"Very. And yours?" Jack nodded aggressively but didn't make a sound as he took another large bite. The rest of the meal went by very quietly, both giving each other an occasional glance. As Ashley swallowed her last bite, she leaned back in her seat and rested her hand on her fully stomach.

"Wow." said Jack as he looked over her clean plate. Jack had finished his dinner several minutes ago, but Ashley took her time. Ashley looked down at her plate, then up at Jack,

"What?" Jack quietly chuckled and raised his napkin clasped hand,

"Nothing, I just didn't think you'd finish it." Ashley wiped the left over crumbs off of the corners of her mouth.

"Let me guess, you think because I'm a girl I would only eat a little bit?"asked Ashley. Jack opened his mouth to answer but closed it.

"Well, yeah." he answered plainly.

"Jack," the corners of his lips seemed to tug at the sound of his name, "most girl's don't have my kind of appetite."

"Oh really?" He laughed as he tossed his wadded up napkin onto his plate.

"Really. I can eat, and I'll be the first to admit it. This whole idea that women shouldn't eat a lot is incredibly stupid. I mean, if I'm hungry, a salad isn't going to satisfy me." Jack laughed as his tongue picked at his back teeth.

"I like that." said Jack as he licked over his bottom lip. Ashley couldn't deny how good that sounded coming out of his mouth. "You know, you never really told me why you moved here."

Ashley felt the realization that she had to go home after this hit her like a semi going eighty miles an hour.

"Oh, that's not a great story." she laughed as she ran her hand through her hair.

"I've heard worse, I promise." reassured Jack as he crossed his arms on the table and gazed at her with all of his attention. Ashley gave him a disapproving look before she continued,

"Basically what happened was mom wanted dad to stay away from the bars and clubs, not to mention other women. So, she thought that the best idea would be to move out here where the temptations of city life are an hour away." Jack nodded to everything she was saying, but Ashley kept her eyes away from him. It was almost too shameful to look at him and explain the reason why her family had moved. Perhaps she could have lied, but she couldn't think of anything better to come up with.

"I see. So, basically your dad can't stay away from booze and other women." Jack slapped his hand on his forehead as soon as he had finished his sentence, which took Ashley by surprise. "That was stupid of me to say, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." Ashley held her hand up and shushed him,

"No, no, no, it's fine. You're right anyway. You said it better than I could." She laughed before she took a sip of her watered down coke. She felt awkward talking about this with him. The thing was, everyone in Gotham knew that her father was a drunk and cheat. He was head of the Anthropology Department at The Gotham Museum. He was stripped of that title shortly before his trip to rehab. She could remember being so proud of her father. The trips she would take to the museums and how he taught her all about the cultures of different tribes. He had cultivated her love of history and ancient cultures. Ashley nearly jumped out of her skin as her phone laying inside her bag buzzed against her thigh.

It was already ten thirty. She ignored the time, but as soon as she opened her phone Jack looked down at his watch and frowned.

"Damn." Jack opened up his wallet and tossed fourteen dollars and a two dollar tip on the table. "I guess we gotta go, huh?" his rich brown eyes met hers and she wanted nothing more than to tell him to sit back and that she'd stay until the sun came up. Ashley scooted out of her seat and slung her bag around her shoulder and waited until Jack stood up to walk along his side. Jack held open both the diner and car door for her,

"So, should I have opted for the strip joint or here?"

Ashley laughed at the unexpected joke and rested her hand on his fore arm.

"No, I definitely liked it much more here than at a strip joint." He laughed his deep guttural laughter that stirred the rested butterflies in her stomach. "You're gonna hold that over me, aren't you?"

Jack laughed as he nodded and started the hum of the engine. Her body rested comfortably on the seat, all nerves had fallen by the waist side long ago. She couldn't believe how easy it had been to talk to him, and how comfortable she felt with him. As Ashley started to relax into the seat more, she noticed a familiar beat to a song playing on the radio. She turned it up just as the chorus had started. The lyrics to Closer began to pour like liquid from the stereo. Jack immediately looked over at her,

"_You_ like Nine Inch Nails?"Ashley stopped mouthing the lyrics and jerked her head to the side with a puzzled look on her face,

"Yes. Why, is that weird-"

"No, no, I mean, yeah but in a good way." he laughed quietly, "I never picked you as a Nine Inch Nails fan. I mean, most people I've come across don't listen to them."

"Yeah, most people listen to what's popular, not what necessarily is good." Jack smiled,

"**Exactly**."

"I listen to what's good. I don't care about what's popular." said Ashley as she went back to mouthing the lyrics. She could sing it all night.

Ashley's good spirits seemed to dim as the sight of her home came closer and the lights above her front door grew brighter. It seemed that Jack had slowed down the car as he noticed how close they were to her home. Ashley pulled the strap on her bag up into her hair as Jack pulled up next to the curb. Ashley slowly opened up her door, it almost seemed too soon to go. Jack walked around the front of his car and stopped in front of her. If it weren't for the street lamp that was four feet away she wouldn't have been able to see him. He was so close she could smell his clover scented hair. He brought his large warm hand up to her face, cupping her cheek.

"I had a really good time, Jack." she could feel the corner of her mouth go into his thumb.

"I did too." They weren't more than a few inches a part now, and their lips were just waiting for the moment to finally meet. She could feel the anticipation to kiss him, but they did not rush into the kiss. They merely stared at one another beneath the street light, studying the other. His eyes followed hers where ever they went, and finally he gently pulled her pouting lips to his. His lips were just as soft as she had thought they'd be. His kiss wasn't over aggressive or passive. He kissed her the way she had always wanted to be kissed. Not rough or over passionate, just a first kiss. It wasn't very long before they both pulled away. If she hadn't, she would have stayed there all night in his hands. As she stood there, eyes still closed, she noticed the warmth of his hand radiating her torso; his hand grasping her side. As soon as her eyes opened she was greeted to the sight of his own. He smiled at her in a much different way then. She couldn't quite tell what it was, but she liked the feeling of him looking at her that way.

"I really don't want to go." Ashley whispered honestly, her fingers ran over his extended fore arm.

"Me either." Jack laughed, running his other hand through her hair. "I wanna see you."

"You are seeing me." she answered in her clouded euphoric state. Jack chuckled,

"I wanna see you again, like tomorrow. Some time. Any time."Ashley held onto his hand that was against her cheek and kissed his palm.

"Then come see me." She pulled his hand down by her side and fit her fingers between his and made the slow walk up to her door step. Ashley wanted to drag those last few moments out as long as she could; the feelings that had been brought to a rolling boil in her stomach. Jack had her turn to him as she reached the front door.

"Tomorrow?" Ashley stood up on the very tip of her toes to kiss his forehead. "Is that a yes?" he asked with his charismatic grin; hopeful and excited. Ashley chuckled and nodded, both watched each other as Jack headed back to his car. She watched through the door crack as he drove off. A permanent grin had seemed to attach itself to her face. She took the stairs slow, her vision clouded with the night's events. She felt as though she could walk on snow and leave no footprints.


End file.
