Love in the Dark

When I woke up, I checked my phone and found that I had twenty four text messages, thirteen miss calls, and eight voice mails... all from Jonathan. I bet if I opened my computer, I would find that I had several emails as well. I didn't know what to do. I didn't really want to talk to him, not after what happened last night.... I was afraid to talk to him. I set my phone back on the bedside table and just rolled over, curling up in a small ball and started to cry. It wasn't a sobbing cry, but a silent one. I heard my door open and close, and upon looking, found Bruce with a tray of food. He was followed by an older black man who smiled at me, "Good morning, Miss. Elwood. I'm Lucius Fox. I work with Bruce at Wayne Enterprises."

Sitting up, I wiped my eyes clear of tears and managed a small smile, "It's nice to meet you."

"Bruce called me here today to help you get over the events that have recently happened to you."

I looked at Bruce and said, "Did he now?"

"Yes he did."

I nodded, "Okay."

"Shall the three of us go outside and have a seat? The morning is very nice out."

Getting out of bed, I followed the two men out on to the terrace and we sat round the small table that was outside. Bruce sat the tray of food down and gave me the plate full of the special pancakes with the faces to me, while handing Lucius a cup of coffee, "Alfred thought that you could use some cheering up," Bruce explained as he sat down, "They're good, I promise."

I smiled and picked up my form to tear off one of the ears and popped it into my mouth. I chewed and swallowed before Lucius started, "So I hear that you learned something new about your boyfriend last night."

I set my fork down, "He... told me about his past."

"You're dating Jonathan Crane, correct?"

"Was," my voice came out as a barely audible whisper, "I was."

Lucius nodded, "Did you break up with him because of what he had told you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"He's a monster."

He nodded, "What about his story did you find the most disturbing?"

"That he enjoyed scaring people to death... that he dressed up like a scarecrow... that he had just recently gotten out of his intensive therapy."

"Why does the last one bother you?"

"He could have snapped... regressed.... He could have hurt me."

"Lets go back to the night you two were taken by the Joker. Did the Joker act like he knew Jonathan?"

"Yes."

"Did you think it was weird?"

"He told me it was because he was his therapist at Arkham."

"Did you think that was the reason why he attracted you?"

"Yes."

"When did you feel the most scared?"

"When the Joker let go of me."

"Why?"

Tears filled my eyes, "Because I knew I was going to die."

Lucius was quiet for a moment, "It's good that you're saying this out loud, Miss. Elwood-"

"Bethany, please."

He smiled, "It's getting off of your chest and out in the open."

I nodded, "That's what Jonathan said."

"Did you talk to Jonathan about this?"

I nodded again, "He said that if I could tell him anything."

"And you did?"

"Yes."

"What all did you tell him?"

"I told him about my confused feelings... I feel depressed, and I've never felt like this before. I told him about the hallucination I had-"

"What hallucination?"

"I thought I saw someone standing just out of those doors," I pointed to the French doors that lead to the room I was sleeping in, "He was wearing something over his head, but when I went to look again, he was gone. I looked out of the window, locked the door, and went to bed."

Lucius and Bruce did not look happy. "Bethy, why didn't you tell me this?"

"I thought I was just seeing things."

"Miss. Elwood, in this city, you never just see things."

"You mean... there was seriously a man standing outside my window?" I panicked, "Oh my God!"

"Bethy, calm down," said Bruce, handing me a cup of coffee, "It's okay. No ones going to hurt you while you're here."

I nodded.

"Has Jonathan tried to contact you since you left his house last night," asked Lucius.

I nodded and went to get my phone only to find that I had three new missed calls, three new voice messages, and five new texts. Coming back I showed them the phone and they were amazed. "Have you looked at any of these," Bruce asked.

"No. I don't know what to do."

"I think you should at least look at them."

I nodded. I opened my phone and started with the text messages, deciding that it was too soon to hear his voice.

Bethany, please call me... we need to talk.

Bethany, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you in the first place. Please call me.

Bethany, please.

The rest were all of the same. I then moved on to the voice mails.

Bethany, this is Jonathan.... I don't know what to say, but I just want to say that I'm sorry I didn't tell you... that I scared you... and that you're gone. Please just give me a call... even if it is to tell me to keep away from you, I'll understand.... I just want to make sure you're okay.

Oh! I forgot to tell you that you left your um... panties here. I don't know how I'm going o get them to you... but they're here.

And this time, I forgot to tell you that I love you. Yes, I know that's not what you want to hear right now, and that it's a terrible card to play, but it's true.... I haven't felt this way about someone in a long time, and... I really mean it.

The rest of the voice mails were him begging me to call him back to make sure I was okay. I was crying by the end of them, the sound of his voice was hard to hear now that I knew him as a terrorist. I set the phone down and wiped my eyes. I was getting sick of crying. When I was ready I said, "He wants to talk to me."

"About what?" Bruce reached over and took my hand.

"What happened last night?" Lucius asked.

"He told me his life story." I replied.

"Why did he tell you, might I asked." Lucius took a sip of his coffee.

"The Joker came in last night-"

"What?" Bruce was angry, "You didn't tell me that!"

"He came in and told Jonathan that he needed his help with something. That he needed the old him back. He gave him the option of telling me his life story or taking me away."

"Was he alone?"

"No. A girl was with him."

"Harley-Quinn?"

I blinked, "He called her Harley, I think, yes."

"Did he say anything else?"

"He thought it was cute that Jonathan had found someone to be with. He said he liked that Jonathan was copying him."

"He obviously means him and Harley-Quinn."

I nodded. "Jonathan said that he wasn't following in their lead... that he never would."

"Bethany... it sounds to me that Jonathan only told you his story because he was protecting you from the Joker, and because he wanted to let you know who he really was."

I sniffed, "It just hurts so much."

"It does. It always hurts to know that someone is a killer, especially when you really care about them, but you have to look past that and see that he's okay. That he's getting help, and that you being with him, treating him like a human being will only help him recover faster."

"Are you saying that I should stay with him for the sake of his recovery? To trick him?"

"No. I'm not asking you to trick him. I'm merely suggesting that if you still had feelings for him that compel you to stay with him that we would not judge you, and that it would help him."

"Do you still have feelings for him, Bethy?" Bruce looked at me.

I thought about it and nodded, "Yeah. I don't want to... but I do."

"Call him back." Bruce handed me my phone, "Talk to him."

"This will help you," said Lucius, "And if you ever feel threatened while in the relationship, you must tell us immediately."

"Threatened?"

"Now that you know about his past, if you feel too uncomfortable to be in the same room with him and he knows that and takes advantage of you in a way you don't like...."

"If he becomes abusive I should tell you."

"Yes."

I nodded. Taking the phone from Bruce, I flipped it open and dialed in his number, and placed it to my ear and listened to it ring.