Chapter One
"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Shannon?" Officer Gordon asked nervously, glancing over at his adopted daughter. Shannon was quietly biting her lip; a tell tale sign she was scared. Officer Gordon had been watching over Shannon for about two years, having taken her in when she was a sixteen year old junior in Gotham High. Now she was eighteen and about to enter Gotham University for the first time, planning to become a psychiatrist.
"Yeah," Shannon whispered, "I'm ready to do this." Gordon smiled at the young lady. Shannon was not as scared of people since she had come to Gordon and his wife. She had gotten use to them pretty fast, and they let her have her space. Shannon had especially connected with Gordon's two children, three year old James Gordon Jr. and newborn Barbra Cassidy Gordon- named for her mother and grandmother.
"I'm proud of you, Shan," Gordon praised as Shannon opened the cruiser door. She hadn't yet learned to drive, so Officer Gordon was planning on driving her to and from her classes until they had time to get Shannon a license. Shannon looked back at Gordon and gave him a wide smile. She was definitely excited. Gordon could tell that as she hobbled quickly up to the University's front doors, her walking stick barely helping, not even noticing the few others around her giving her strange looks. Gordon sighed, driving off. The poor girl had never recovered after Zsasz's attack… not physically, anyway. And there was no way she ever would be..
Shannon ran fingers through her brown hair before pushing open the glass door that led to the college's main area. There weren't many people wandering around, as it was pretty early. A whole hour to be precise, but Shannon had yet to find the classroom she would be attending her psychology classes in and she hadn't wanted to be late on account of being lost. Thankfully, the class was very easy to find, however only the teacher was present as there was still fifty minutes until the start of class.
"It is nice to see you here," the teacher, a balding man, greeted his back to Shannon, "You're here a bit later than usual, Mr.-…" The teacher turned around, to see a very confused and nervous Shannon Gordon. "Oh! I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else," the teacher chuckled, then his eyes focused on something behind her, "Oh, there you are, Mr. Crane. I was starting to worry, you aren't usually this late."
Jonathan Crane didn't answer the teacher, but walked into the room, setting his things down on the second table in the front. He had just turned around to offer an excuse- bad traffic due to yet another bank robbery- when his eyes landed on an oh so familiar pair of brown eyes, watching him as they had just a few years previous.
"Now, tell me, what is your name?" the teacher asked Shannon, regaining her attention. She was just opening her mouth, when Jonathan answered for her.
"Shannon Marks," he mumbled, his face losing its usual bored look in place for one of shock and confusion. That girl had disappeared off the face of Gotham when he was in his junior year, the same day Victor Zsasz had made a brief reappearance and slaughtered over twenty people. Only a few names had been released as some families didn't want their names mentioned, just in case Zsasz saw and decided he wanted to wipe out the whole line. Everyone had assumed Shannon had been one of those poor lost souls… but apparently not. "Where in the world have you been off to?" Shannon felt her face heat up. She hadn't forgotten Jonathan, but she was sure he would've forgotten her… After all, hadn't he asked her name the day before she had basically disappeared?
"I-it's Shannon Gordon now… and it's a long story, really," Shannon said softly.
"Ah, our late addition, Miss Gordon," the teacher nodded, with a smile, "I expect you will be able to catch up quickly. You're father said you were a very fast learner." Shannon bit her lip and nodded.
"Yes sir, I am," Shannon assured.
"Well, you can take a seat by Mr. Crane if you would like, and if he will allow," the teacher instructed, "Be warned, he does not like distractions of any sort." Shannon smiled a little. That was the Jonathan she remembered, the one who hated class disruptions. She could recall him bluntly glaring at several people who had interrupted their teacher's speeches. Shannon looked over to Jonathan, her eyes asking him if she was allowed to sit next to him. As if he could read her mind, he nodded.
"Thank you, sir," Shannon replied, then used her walking stick to hobble over to the table. Jonathan, looking shocked once more, hurried to her aid.
"Do you need any help?" he asked. What had happened to the girl? She hadn't needed a stick to help her walk when he had last seen her. But then, her last name hadn't matched the Chief of Police's, either…
"I'm fine," Shannon guaranteed, "I'm use to it." All the same, Jonathan grabbed Shannon's arm, supporting her and helping her to the table. "Thanks," Shannon smiled, taking the seat Jonathan pulled out for her.
"I believe this is the first time I've seen you make this much human contact, Jonathan," the teacher chortled. Jonathan's normal blank gaze came over him as he looked to the teacher.
"She's an old friend, Mr. Samuel's," Jonathan informed the teacher, who nodded before exiting the classroom, mumbling something about getting some coffee. Jonathan waited a moment before taking a seat beside Shannon. "So," he said, in a rather bored and superior tone, "what happened to you, anyway?"
"A lot," Shannon sighed, shaking her head.
"Well then, I suppose you better start explaining now," Jonathan instructed, "Because I am very interested in knowing what happened to the quietest, and possibly smartest girl in our school." Shannon frowned a flushed a bit, not bothering to wonder how he knew she was smart. She had, actually, made straight A's in high school, needing a scholarship to be able to go to college.
"Where do you want me to start?" Shannon asked unthinkingly.
"When you left school," Jonathan replied, "What happened? Where were you going? No car came to pick you up, I saw you walking as I got into my own vehicle."
"I went home," Shannon said, recalling the day, "I.. I haven't tried to think about it in a while. I went home, but something was wrong.." Shannon bit her lip, trying to remember what had bothered her so much she hadn't entered the house. "It was the window," she told him, making eye contact, "there was no glass, no screen.. It was just a hole. And then I saw the blood... t-there was so... so much blood," Shannon whispered, her body starting to shake and eyes beginning to water. The memory was so painful, but she didn't want to disappoint Jonathan. "Then h-he walked through the w-window, the m-murdering psychopath.. He said... He said he wanted to cure me.."
"Victor Zsasz?" Jonathan asked, a frown upon his face, "I did studies on him. He thinks he is curing people by killing them... How did you escape him? A victim of his has never lived."
"I ran," Shannon whispered, "I ran and h-he threw his knife.. It... It ruined my leg. If it h-hadn't b-been for the... the police officers I would've... I.." Jonathan looked at the pitiful girl and put a consoling hand on her shoulder. If she was telling the truth- and he was sure she was- then she had broken past barriers that would have made most people certifiably insane.
"It's okay," Jonathan cooed softly, observing Shannon closely as she took a shaky breath, "You are still here."
"All of those people," Shannon whispered, stuck in her flash backs, "They... He killed everyone... All the people on Jake's street.. they were..." Jonathan pressed his lips into a thin line. She was truly broken girl.
"Who is Jake?" Jonathan continued interrogating, watching as Shannon began to sob.
"H-he.. He wa-was my.. my foster d-dad!" she cried, crumpling in her seat. Jonathan sighed, knowing he probably pushed her a little too much with the questions. Shannon was obviously delicate, but Jonathan was interested in her story. Back in high school, he had watched Shannon when she was not watching him. Her nervousness and quiet demeanor... it interested her. The way she avoided the hallways and people as if she was afraid of them... He wondered if she was still that way.
"I'm very sorry," Jonathan murmured condolence, leaning toward her and wrapping his arms lightly around her as he went over her words in his head. They skimmed over all the parts with Victor Zsasz because that was self explanatory- the man was a raging, psychopathic murderer that committed random acts of violence. Jonathan's gifted mind did, however, pick up on two words- 'foster dad.' He didn't know Shannon was a foster child. Perhaps that was why her name had changed? Maybe she had been adopted by the Police Chief.
"I-it isn't your fault," Shannon whispered, sniffling as she tried to compose herself as Jonathan released her from his slight hug, "He is part of the reason I want to be a psychologist. I want to know why people kill... I want to see if I can find a way to fix them, so no other kid's mom gets killed again."
"Mom?" Jonathan asked. What all had happened to Shannon? But she shook her head.
"I...I don't want to talk about it right now," Shannon told him as a few students filed into the classroom, looking at Shannon and Jonathan with amazement. None of the students had ever seen him talk to anyone other than Mr. Samuels.
"That's perfectly understandable," Jonathan agreed with a nod, wiping all worry and concern from his face once more, "But, I would love to know some more recent events in your life. May I take you out to lunch after class?"
"Uh, yeah," Shannon nodded, glancing around nervously as more and more people entered the classroom, "I would.. I'd like that." Jonathan gave her a slight smile, though it was more because of her uneasiness. So she still had that trait, then?
"Alright, then," Jonathan confirmed, "It's a date."
