A/N This is a sequel to Circling the Drain and Passive. It's helpful to have read those, but not necessary. Chapter titles based off "Never Too Late" by Three Days Grace. Please R&R

It's the fear,
The fear of the dark
It's growing inside of me
They won, they will come to life
Have to save, save my beloved,
There is no escape
Because my fate is horror and doom

-Within Temptation, It's the Fear

This World Will Never Be What I Expected

It's a cruel memory
To look back on who we were
Because my past is a poison
And I'll never find the cure
Take me away, I might as well be yours

-Black Light Burns, Cruel Melody

Dr. Jonathan Crane sat on the couch, his hands folded and rested in between his knees. His cold blue eyes were focused on the door of the apartment, a few yards before him. He listened intently, trying to catch the words of the two figures on the balcony. The door, and walls, were thick in this part of town and he heard nothing. Of course, they were probably speaking quietly, in order to keep from attracting attention neither of them wanted. So, he waited, like he'd always done.

Of course, he had never waited quite so impatiently. The rest of his life was probably being decided out there. Not in detail, but where he would spend it certainly was. He didn't dare to hope. He tried not to think of the options, just to focus on the now and not worry. Jenny… Jenny would fight for him to remain free, he was sure. But should he really wish that upon her?

Finally, he heard the sound of a car starting. A large car. He focused again on the door, which opened slowly. Jeanette Ducard, Jenny, entered. She was not over-tall, but her small stature was hard to remember in the face of her vibrant personality. She had thick brown hair and bright green eyes and was the most beautiful woman Jonathan had ever seen. He looked at her, feeling anxious but betraying nothing in his expression.

"Well, that was easier than I expected," she said, sitting down next to him.

"What happened?"

"He let you go," she said softly.

"Why?"

She didn't answer, staring at the floor. He watched her silently, not sure if he should press her or not. Probably just wait, he thought bitterly. He was tired of waiting.

"Well, I gave him some information he'll find useful. Not as much as I might have, but I could probably keep him up to date," she added.

"What sort of information?"

"On the mob, what it's doing. Who's in charge, where to find him."

"Ah. And that was a good enough trade?" he asked emotionlessly.

She looked up, piercing him with her intense eyes. He held her gaze. "I gave him my word that… that you wouldn't do anything to trouble him while you were… with me," she said slowly, turning back toward the floor.

There was an awkward silence. Finally, Jonathan gave into his impatience. "How long will that be?" he asked, not daring to look at her again.

She was watching him. "How long would you like to stay?" she murmured.

"I don't know. I hadn't thought about it before," he said. Which was a lie. He'd thought about it a great deal. But he hadn't expected staying to be an option. Not something that would really be offered to him. He turned to meet her gaze. Suddenly, the couch seemed very small, and they were seated awfully close together.

"Well, think about it now," she said, standing suddenly.

She strode hastily to the kitchen, and he watched her go, not sure what to do. He wanted to stay here. Very little could please him more, he thought. But it wasn't realistic. She couldn't afford to keep him here, not with him being wanted by most of the city. And he didn't want to just freeload off of her anyway. But how could a fugitive make money? He didn't really want to work for the mob anymore, either.

But, then, why had he come back here? He had been gone, and surviving as a wanted man. So, why had he returned? He knew why.

Jonathan rose, and walked over to where Jenny was standing in the kitchen, pretending to read a magazine. She looked up at him, appraisingly. He held out his hand silently. Her gaze focused on his outstretched hand, then she tentatively took it in hers. He pulled her around the counter so she was standing mere inches before him.

"I will stay as long as you'll let me," he said softly, searching her face.

She smiled. "Well, it seems I can hardly get you to leave. But," she took a deep breath. "I would be happy to have you," she added sincerely.

"I'm glad," he said, then pulled her into his arms.

Later, they were sitting on the couch. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders and he was watching her. "So, what did you tell him?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Nothing worth mentioning. I told him what I knew about how the mob's been reorganizing, since Falcone went mad." She paused, and he smiled sweetly. "I guess he deserved that, though. If anyone did," she added.

They were quiet again. "Did you know someone who was… adversely affected?" he asked tentatively.

She smiled grimly. "Not personally, no." She looked at him again, as if about to say something. But she changed her mind and rose. "Well, I also promised him I'd help him out whenever I could. So, I should probably go find out what I can."

Jonathan cocked his head at her. "Do you want me to come?"

"No, no, you just stay here. I don't want you to wander off," she said with a smile.

He smiled back. "Alright. You know where to find me," he added.

She bent and kissed his cheek before leaving. He watched her go, thinking hard.

Jenny wasn't sure where to go. Her welcome had always been dubious with the mob, and with new leadership, it was unlikely they'd want to see her. Or worse, they'd love to see her. Zsasz had come for her, saying she was a prize since she kept Crane from them. It would not be wise to go to see this new mob boss for herself. So, she had better go see Renee first. Renee always seemed to know everything that went on. Though her knowledge may have lessened, since Ra's was incapacitated. But he still retained some of his power.

She reached the old warehouse, looking around nervously. She did hate this town sometimes. The Narrows had been mostly cleaned up, at least as far as the poisoned people went. It was still dangerous, though. Especially for a woman alone. Sighing, she pulled the door open and slipped inside.

"Jenny?" Renee's voice came from the darkness.

"Yes. Where are you?" she asked, looking around.

"Up here," was the response. Looking up, she saw a sort of balcony around the perimeter of the inner walls. Renee was standing on one, high above. "What are you doing here? Not that I didn't expect you to come by," she added.

"Uh huh. And why did you expect me?" Jenny inquired.

Renee walked over to a ladder and came down to stand in front of her sister. "Well, since I heard about you being very… kidnap-able. The new boss is not happy that Crane slipped away from him. And you may have trouble from others," she added gravely.

"If you're talking about the Batman, I took care of that. What about Ra's?" Jenny asked, ignoring the surprised look on her sister's face.

"Really? You are talented. You missed your calling, not working for us. Though I'm sure you'd never join the loser's side," Renee added, smiling self-effacingly. "Anyway, we're clearing out of here pretty soon."

"Why?"

"Well, we lost. And we don't want anyone to know Henri's alive. So, I guess we'll leave the country for a while. I'll try to stay in touch, but it's kind of hard while you're on the run," Renee said, smiling.

"I guess so," she replied. She frowned slightly. "What's his plan, then?"

"Oh, I don't know. We'll probably come back to destroy the city later, perhaps when Batman isn't here," Renee added.

"So, is this goodbye, then?" she asked.

Renee sighed. "Yes, I guess so. I don't know how long it will be before he comes back. But I can get you up to date on everything going on in the city, so you're prepared."

"Thanks! That's kind of why I came," Jenny said, smiling

"I figured."

After a sad farewell, Jenny returned home. She had not always been on good terms with her sister, but it was sad to lose someone trustworthy. Not that she expected Renee to go against her mad husband in anything, but she had fought to keep her family. And now she had told her all that she knew. She was a good sister, at times.

Jenny climbed up the stairs to her apartment, always thankful that she had made it this far without incident.

"Hello, Jonathan," she said as she opened the door.

He was still seated on the couch. He didn't appear to have moved. His cold eyes were fixed on the wall, but he pulled himself out of his reverie and smiled.

"Hi, Jenny," he said shyly. "What did you find out?" he said after a pause.

"Quite a bit, actually," she said, sitting down on the edge of the couch. "Nothing good, though. Well, perhaps. But Ra's is going out of the country for a while. Possibly a long while. To recuperate, I suppose. Renee doesn't know when they'll be back."

"So, we're safe from them for a while, then," Jonathan said.

"For now. I wouldn't count on it lasting more than a few years, but I may be being paranoid," Jenny replied.

"Well, how about the mob?"

She sighed. "That's definitely bad news. Falcone's son tried to take it over for a while, but he couldn't consolidate his power. So, they turned to someone else. I don't know where this guy came from. No one does. No one seems to know anything about him, except not to cross him. They call him the Joker. He's taken over all of Falcone's old haunts, so he's easy to find. They say he's completely mad, and will kill for absolutely no reason." She shuddered. "I think I won't work for the mob anymore," she said dryly.

He smiled grimly. "Yes, that's a good idea. I'm sure he'd be a difficult boss to serve," he added. But a strange look appeared in his eyes. "Unless you know how to deal with that sort," he murmured.

"Honey, I don't think anyone does," Jenny replied vehemently.

"I suppose not," he said, smiling. But the strange look didn't go away.