Brittany's Testimony

The next day...

"The riots in Gotham City have gotten out of hand ever since the first trial against Jack White also known as The Joker. The supporters of Joker keep changing "Free Joker. Free Joker." Whom they are referring to Arthur Fleck aka Joker..."

Sarah was looking down holding Courage in her arms sitting on the couch beside her father Mr Gold.

Mr Gold turned to her and sighed worried about her so he changed the channel to her show since it was playing.

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"Hey, Courage, it's you," Mr Gold chuckled.

The little puppy perked his ears up hearing the show. He then turned to Sarah who still had her head down. She had tears in her eyes.

Gold sighed. He hated seeing Sarah so down, and he felt bad about being so strict about her and Arthur. But he had his reasons.

"Sarah...we know you can't see Arthur, but....I suppose you could call him. Nobody would know it was you. You could even lie and give the wardens at the jail a fake name. I don't think a phone call would hurt..."

"....," she looked down sadly. She then shook her head. She just still couldn't risk it. But she was still hurt.

Mr Gold came to hold her, but she got up and went upstairs with Courage in her arms.

Meanwhile in his cell, Arthur was trying to sleep, when suddenly a guard came and woke him up.

"Fleck, phone call for you!"

Arthur was confused. Calls were usually only allowed at a certain time through the day, but he got his hopes up, thinking maybe it was Sarah.

He quickly followed the guard to the phone, but when he answered, it wasn't Sarah's voice he heard.

"Well hello, puddin'."

Arthur growled, "how are you even allowed to make a call to me? We're both in the same jail!"

"Actually I'm in Arkham now. The psychology report says I'm unstable," she laughed.

"Sounds accurate to me."

"Awe don't be sore, lover. I just thought you might be feeling lonesome. Oh, but I guess Sophie calls and visits you, right?"

"It's Sarah! And...no, she doesn't actually."

"Oh really. How come?"

"....," Arthur didn't want her knowing the truth. That Sarah ditched him.

"She's probably not allowed. Rules because of the court and stuff."

"Hmm, if you say so. Well if you ever get lonely, I'm only a call away. I still love you, puddin. And I forgive you for dumping me like you did...."

Arthur felt torn now. He was still in love with Sarah, but she didn't want him.

"Goodbye Harley..."

"Bye lover. I'm sure we'll speak again. Real soon."

Arthur then hung up, and was escorted back to his cell.

When suddenly he noticed a letter on his bed. He hoped it was Sarah, but it wasn't. It was one of the girls...

Mr Gold went to check Sarah that evening. Sarah was laying on her bed. She had been crying. She laid there with Courage cuddled against her.

Gold sighed and went to sit beside her "sweetheart, I know it's hard but you can't keep crying over Lucilla. It won't bring her back, and she wouldn't want you to cry."

"It's not Lucilla..."

"well...is it the trial?"

"...," she didn't know to tell him. So she buried her face in her pillow. "Just go, papa...," she told him softly.

Mr Gold felt frustrated. He got up and walked to the door, but just before he left he turned back to her, "you never talk to me and tell me how you're feeling or what's going on. If you told me I could help."

"...she looked sadly."I-I just can't...you wouldn't understand, papa..."

Gold sighed, feeling frustrated, "no of course not. I wouldn't would I," he then turned back to the door, "Goodnight Sarah." He then left.

Sarah felt bad now. She could see he was hurt.

The second trial was happening. Brittany was called to the stand by Harvey so she did so. She took the stand and was shaking, visibly nervous.

Arthur was present, but had to be handcuffed, because of what happened last time, and he deliberately didn't look at Sarah. It hurt too much and he was still mad after the letter he received from her.

Sarah noticed his anger, she felt like she should explain, but everyone was angry with her.

Harvey then asked the same questions to Brittany that he asked Lucilla before her death. She told him everything. She was only 10 years old and was kept in captivity for 6 years. She was 16 when Joker saved her and the others.

"Joker? As in Arthur Fleck saved you?" Harvey asked.

"That's right. His goon, Jackson told Sarah he was coming to save us. We didn't know who, we just assume he was referring Batman."

The Joker then chuckled when he heard that.

"I'm sorry is something funny?" Harvey asked, turning his attention to The Joker.

"Oh nothing, it's just that proves to you all that Batman is a terrible hero." The Joker said licking his lips.

"And obviously your rival is a hero." Harvey said. "A good one." He turned back to Brittany, "you also mentioned one of the girls in the captivity died...she was murdered by The Joker. How old was she?"

Brittany shivered, "4...she...she was my second cousin..."

Everyone was torn by this and shaken.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Miss Lois." Harvey comforted her.

"He beat her. He beat her so bad. She was so small that she wasn't strong enough to survive those blows. I couldn't do anything to stop him because one of his goons held me back...I screamed out her. Begging him to stop. But he never listen...he just laughed...and laughed..."

When her story was over, Steve read out the questions and answers to Brittany's lie detector test. It was the same as the others and came back true. More stories of the Joker's abuse that continued to shock everyone.

Again The Joker growled. Brittany was then taken back to her seat. And everyone was dismissed.

Sarah turned to Arthur. "Fleck..."

Arthur tensed up hearing Sarah speak to him. He slowly turned to her, with sadness in his eyes

"You want to speak to me now? After you broke my heart by ignoring me, as if I'm nothing! You're bored of me now, and you have Dick!" he looked down.

She was now crying, "papa said you would understand. My life is in danger if I am talking to you...but you obviously don't understand...I...I thought you were a good person, Mr Fleck...," she broke down and ran. Arthur felt bad now and tried to stop her.

He then jumped up and finally caught up with her and gently grabbed her by the shoulders, "understand? I don't understand why you dumped me for Dick, when you wasn't interested in him before. That letter you sent me hurt, Sarah. I thought you loved me!"

"Letter? I didn't send you a letter."

"DONT LIE TO ME! It's your handwritting."

"I didn't write a letter to you! I swear." She couldn't understand why he couldn't believe her, "and I am not with Dick I never want him and still I don't want him! And I don't want Ozzy either!"

He still wasn't buying it and it hurt her more.

"If it wasn't you then who else would it be, and why would they forge a letter from you! Are you denying this just because you've changed your mind? And the worst part...," he teared up now, "the worst part was you said you realized I was just a crush, you outgrew me, and you regret our night together...," he roughly wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve, "well that's fine Sarah. You won't be in any danger because we don't have to speak to each other ever again, if that's what you and your papa want!" he then turned and went back to his seat.

Sarah broke down. She ran out before her father went to her. She ran past the their truck and disappeared somewhere in the city.

Late that night, Gold was worrying about her and trying to call her, but she wouldn't answer. Finally the door opened and Sarah came in.

"Sarah!" Gold hurried to her, as fast as he could walk with his cane, "I was so worried about you, what happened?"

She jerked from and stormed into her room. She slammed her bedroom door and even locked it. She couldn't tell him. There was nothing her father could do. She went into the bathroom.

Mr Gold went after her, but the door was locked. Courage was even barking outside the door sensing something was wrong.

Gold hammered on the door with his fists, "Sarah, don't make me come in there!" He yelled.

When she didn't respond, he sighed and used his powers to unlock the door. He saw the room was empty so he went to the bathroom.

"Sarah!?"

Mr Gold rushed in and saw Sarah with a pocket knife in her hand against her arm. She then slice on her arm which made him panic.

"SWEETHEART! NO!" He yelled grabbing the knife from her hand.

Sarah shivered when he did that and she broke down. Mr Gold grabbed a rag from her sink and pressed down on her arm, "put pressure on that! I will be right back. For god's sake don't do anything more stupid!" He then rushed out.

Sarah was crying as she was putting pressure on her wound with a rag as Gold rush to fetch his potions. Once he came back he calmed himself down before he spoke.

"...Sarah, I don't know why you'd do this, why you'd want to hurt yourself. But just because I don't understand, doesn't mean I don't love you. Whatever you're going through right now, you'll get through it. You just have to be strong. That's something you're good at. You're a survivor."

As he spoke he mixed the ingredients to make the balm, and then gently rubbed it on her wounds, and they began to heal.

Sarah looked down and shook her head, "there's nothing you can do about it though...you said he would understand...someone is hurting me and he lashed out at..." she then broke down. "I can't do this anymore. I just can't. I don't wanna do the trial..."

"Sarah, listen to me... if this is about Arthur, he's probably hurting because of you not speaking to him. When I said he'd understand I didn't realize how much he must've fallen in love with you. He's not thinking straight, he's mad because he's hurting. I know what that's like...I too, lashed out at Belle, when she...left me. Luckily it worked out for me and her, she forgave me. So what I'm saying is, he's just hurting is all. And he wouldn't want you to give up now with the trial. Neither would your friends or Lucilla. You have to go on with it, otherwise she died for nothing"

"No I can't. Papa, please don't make me do it! I can't do it." She sobbed.

"Sarah! You know I wouldn't usually try to make you do what you don't want to! But if you give up now...that monster won't get what he deserves. You'll have no justice for what he did to you. It's time he paid for his crimes, don't you see that?"

"....," Sarah broke down. She shook her head shaking.

Gold sighed and pulled her into a hug. "Atleast...think about it?"

She then nodded sadly with her head on his chest.

"Come on, I'll tuck you in. Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?"

She wanted to, but instead she shook her head. He helped her up to her room and waited outside for her to get in her pajamas. Once she was dressed, he came in and she laid down. She sat up and hugged him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and comforted her.

"I'm sorry, papa." Sarah cried softly.

"No need to be sorry, I'm not mad," he gently wiped her tears away with his hanky, "now, try to get some sleep," he kissed her forehead, "goodnight, sweetheart."

"...Goodnight, Papa...I...I love you." Sarah said looking up.

He smiled and brushed her hair behind her ears.

She gripped on him tightly. He comforted her while holding her. He then tucked her in and kissed her ontop of her head.

"I love you too, sweetheart. Remember I am just outside if you ever need me, alright?"

Sarah nodded and he smiled. He then got up and walked out the door, "Papa?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"...will...will Arthur ever speak to me again?"

Gold smiled sadly, "....I'm sure he will, Sarah. He's in love with you, he won't be able to just forget you."

"...," Sarah then nodded. She hoped he was right. He then close the door.

Courage followed him to his bedroom. He got ready for bed and once he was in bed, Courage jumped up and lay down by his feet.

Meanwhile Arthur was awake in his cell. He was regretting how harsh he had been to Sarah. He took out his pen, he had a couple of letters to write. One to someone else....the other, he wrote to Sarah

"Dear Sarah, I'm writing to you because....well it doesn't count as us speaking I guess, and mostly I just want to apologize. I never want to make you sad. I'm sorry I took our breakup so hard, I'm just....struggling a little. But I hope, that in time, we can be friends again?

Love, Mr J

P.S you'll always be my princess