Author's Note: I am far past the Mary-Sue stage, my friends and faithful readers.

EDIT: I see I kind of contradicted myself further on into the story, though I have a bunch of people telling me that Evelia is in no way a Mary Sue. I'll keep it that way.

END EDIT.

Note; I based this of two Cranes. Moreso the Cartoon, from Batman: TAS, and then the Comic, "Scarecrow: Year One".

I hope you all enjoy it. :)

Disclaimer: Crane/Scarecrow does not belong to me. In fact, he's copyright of DC Comics.

However, Dr. Evelia Kavanagh is Copyright to me. :D

You're like everybody else
Gotta deal with what you're dealt
You choose the story that you tell
Blame the world or blame yourself
Sometimes life comes at you hard and it's easy
To let it drag you down...

It had been a hellacious day at work. One Dr. Evelia Kavanagh, a psychiatrist of Arkham Asylum, even in her wildest dreams, hadn't been prepared for. They had all escaped, the most dangerous criminals. The Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy...Dr. Jonathan Crane. She was more fearful of him than the others, mainly because she knew him, knew what he was capable of. What he'd done. Personally at that. She trembled slightly, locking up her office and heading out of the Asylum. She'd spent most of the day cleaning up the mess that was her office, until the clock struck midnight and she felt she couldn't move her joints anymore. She knew that then it was time to go home. She yawned, walking out of the Asylum, and heading in the direction of her apartment.

Once she'd made it back, she fumbled for the key to her apartment door, and opened it finally. She sighed, tossing her bag onto her nearby couch and shutting and locking the door. She leaned against the door, staring at the ground. A million thoughts raced through her mind, and Evelia wondered why now she had chosen to think them. Her mind thought back to when she attended High School with Dr. Jonathan Crane. How he'd been ridiculed, teased, how she'd pitied him. When it came down to it, she wished she could have done something, really. She hated seeing anyone treated like Jonathan had been treated, and no doubt it was part--if not all--of the reason he ended up like he was now. Insane, and...was evil taking it a step too far?

She pushed herself away from her door, kicking off her heels halfway into the apartment, and heading down the small hallway to her bedroom. But halfway there, she was slammed into a wall by someone she hadn't seen before then. She felt the pressure of two hands on her shoulder, and she felt the unmistakeable feeling of being unable to catch her breath. She cried out and went to hit whomever was holding her against the wall, but her wrist was caught immediately. When she went to yell, she was able to refocus her eyes, and she immediately recognized the man in front of her.

"Jonathan?" She asked incrediously. She couldn't believe he'd broken into her apartment, nevermind wondering how the hell he found where she lived. For a moment, there was a silence between them, before he narrowed his eyes and spoke.

"Not Jonathan anymore." He said quietly, almost evily. "You do know I've roped you in with Bo and Sherry all these years?" He hissed, increasing the pressure on her shoulders. Evelia closed her eyes in pain, and ran what he said through her mind. How could he group her in with those two? She never made fun of him, she only tried to help him. Was he delusional?

"Why? I never did anything to you...I was the one who tried to help you." She said quietly, looking up at him with a rather helpless look in her eyes, but she made it a point to not show fear, specifically. She knew he thrived on that, loved it. She wouldn't show fear. What she said seemed to anger him more, although he loosened his pressure on her shoulders.

"It doesn't change the fact you kept company with them. That makes you guilty enough, Evie." He'd used her old nickname. No one she knew now-a-days except Jake knew that name. She stared at him, and sighed heavily.

"You name one time I did anything to you that would make you want to hurt me now. Name one time." She said, continuing to stare up at him with a rather expressionless look. When he couldn't answer her, he got angrier. He let go of her and scoffed loudly, turning his back for a moment, then turning back to face her with his arms crossed.

"Damnit, Evelia!" He cursed, glaring at her. "I don't need anyone, I don't need you taking pity on me like I know you still do. I could see it in your eyes everyday you came to speak with me in Arkham, I saw the pity, felt it, and I hate it and you for it." He hissed, his voice laced with poison. He was beyond angry, and Evelia couldn't believe her just feeling sorry for him would do this to him.

"You never accepted my he--"

"I was fine on my own! I always have been!"

"Okay, I wasn't saying--"

"Yes, you were, Evelia. I wish you could hear yourself."

Yeah, I get it, it's a mess
It's a struggle, it's a test
But can you find a place to rest...
In a house of bitterness?
Just 'cause it ain't what you planned
Don't mean it ain't what it oughta be.

Angry words flew, glares were exchanged, points were proven, and soon Dr. Crane was silent, sitting on Dr. Kavanagh's couch and staring at the floor. He was lost deep in though, his blue eyes fixated on nothing in particular as Evelia stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and waiting on the coffee to be done. Every so often, she snuck a glance at the man sitting on her couch, and her thoughts were conflicted. Did she call the police behind his back, let them know he was here and that she would keep him here until they arrived? She felt she'd be betraying him by doing that, betraying what respect and trust she'd earned from him by speaking the truth to his face. Truth she'd longed to say for years now. Her thoughts turned to Detective Grayson...he already suspected she was part of this escape, and by Crane being here...if Grayson found out she would surely never have his trust again. But...she couldn't, and wouldn't, turn Jonathan in.

Finally, her coffee pot beeped, and she poured two cups, taking one to him and setting it on the coffee table in front of him. A small, "Thank you." was muttered, but he didn't make a move to pick it up. Evelia sat on the floor on the other side of the coffee table, legs crossed indian style, staring at him for a few moments, before he lifted his gaze to finally meet hers. She held his gaze for a moment, but he was the first to tear it away. There was no romantic click, nothing you would expect to hear in a tale such as this, just the small connection they'd always had; the connection of understanding. Sure, it was a twisted form of understanding, but it was still that nonetheless. Neither of them would openly admit it to anyone, but that was the pride in both Doctors.

"What are you planning?" She asked quietly, looking at him over the rim of her coffee cup, then taking a sip. Jonathan paused, watching Evelia carefully, before sighing quietly and speaking.

"Not quite sure yet. If I'm smart I'll get the hell out of Gotham City, but I doubt that will happen." A small grin found it's way onto his lips, and Evelia returned the grin.

"And what of this Detective Grayson? I saw his card, it fell out of your pocket.' He asked, a brow quirked. "Is he a threat?"

"A threat to what?" Evelia couldn't help but laugh quietly. "I'm joking. Yes, for you he is, but I'm not going to tell you anything right now that can get me in trouble later."

"Understood." He replied simply, taking a sip from the coffee she'd so graciously provided for him. "Wouldn't want you to end up behind bars. You don't deser--" He paused. "Don't give him a reason to suspect you."

"I won't..." She said hesitantly, watching him as he turned his full attention to his coffee. He had stopped himself short of speaking. For what, though?

'Cause it's only what you make of it
Yeah, it's only what you make of it
Yeah, it's only what you make of it
And you make it so hard on yourself.

What you do and what you won't
What you will and what you don't
What you take and you give up
What you're risking when you love...

She couldn't estimate how long Jonathan stayed there that night. It was, for the first time, a nice evening for her. She wasn't alone at home, she had someone to talk to, and they even laughed a few times, talking about occurances in High School.

"I will admit, that was funny." He said, chuckling quietly.

"Funny? It was hilarious. Did you not know the puddle could possibly be icy?" Evelia asked, still recovering from her momentary fit of giggles. Crane went a little red in the face before he replied.

"It didn't cross my mind. All I was worried about was getting to Algebra on time." he said, running a hand through his hair.

A few moments of silence passed between them again, before he spoke.

"As...lovely as it's been, Dr. Kavanagh, I should go. I really should." He spoke as if he regretted coming to speak with her--well, he hadn't come to speak at first, it was to harm her, but it turned into a leisurely night for the both of them.

"Yes, of course. Wouldn't want to keep you longer than you wished." She said, putting down her coffee and standing. "I'll make sure you can get out unnoticed." She said, walking to her door and going to open it. "And...Jonathan?"

Crane looked up. "Mm?"

"...Why do you do what you do...?"

Another moment of silence. A more awkward one this time.

But you're where you're looking from
If you walk or if you run
You take the long way there

'Cause it's only what you make of it
Yeah, it's only what you make of it
Yeah, it's only what you make of it
And you make it so hard on yourself.

"Why do I do what I do..." He mused, repeating her question, his voice grim. He stared at Evelia as if he were slightly shocked she would ask, and she took her hand off the doorknob and turned to face him completely. She moved away from the door slightly, leaning against the couch.

"Why...Jonathan..?"

"No, Evie. Just don't." He started past her and to the door. She reached out a hand to touch his arm as he reached for the doorknob, but he slapped it away.

"It's beyond complicated and it's something you don't need to understand. Something I hope you'll never understand." He hissed, not pausing to check and see if the coast was clear before opening her door. Without a goodbye, he left.

Evelia was left to stand there again, just like the last time she spoke to him in High School, wondering what she did. And again, she felt guilty, and again, she regretted her words and what she'd done.

And the fact that at the same time, she'd done nothing at all.

If you go looking for the darker side of anything
You know you're gonna find it
You can hold onto it until it takes you under
Or you can let it go
Oh, let it go...

No, it ain't all your fault
No it isn't
Life, it ain't always fair...

But it's only what you make of it
Yeah, it's only what you make of it
Yeah, it's only what you make of it
And you make it so hard on yourself.