A/N: Yay…I figured out what to write cuz I was stuck and I think this is pretty good build up to the crashing point. Enjoy this chapter of happy go lucky days…because they'll end soon.


CHAPTER NINE – Surprised Proposal

Moving in had been the easy part for the young couple. A year flowed by smoothly, but as it got closer and closer to their twelfth month, things took a crooked turn. It was getting used to balancing time that made things more difficult as time progressed. Jonathan thought he had it all figured out, that it was a simple mental equation he had perfectly solved and ad equated. The two of them could live together and be a couple with fun loving jokes and walks in the park and conversations at dinner.

What he didn't add in to the equation he created was the fact that Emmeline now had a job down at the station as a criminalist detective, meaning she could do either job, but was particularly good at both which made it difficult for her to be home at a given time. That wasn't so much the problem as the fact that his own job now required him to work late hours since new patients were sent every week and he was the assistant director.

If that wasn't bad enough, one of the new young nurses, Olivia, was giving him a hard time with her sly smiles and clumsy ways that led her to drop something every time he was walking down the hall or to brush up against him to grab something. The picture of Emmeline on his desk wasn't a large enough clue for her that he wasn't interested and neither was the eight rejection he had given her when she asked him to dinner with a toss of her blonde hair.

If Emmeline knew, this would be a huge problem, but every time he came home, she wasn't there or she was already sound asleep in their bed. He'd sigh and strip down to his boxers and undershirt, crawling in besides her to give her a kiss on the cheek she never responded much to from being wiped out at work. That was another thing about their busy schedules, it put a damp in their love life. Instead of their "busy" schedule of daily meetings, it was monthly meetings, which was when at least one of them had a day off and the other got home before eight or nine. Jonathan missed those spontaneous days. He had "remembered" their sex life a month into the relationship. The memory had "suddenly returned' as Emmeline had said afterwards as she had laid laughing besides him. Now he "remembered" how they drifted apart: work.

The only people it seemed he ever saw were the patients and, regretfully, Olivia who made herself present whenever he was working. He never got to see Emmeline much anymore. But at least he saw her that morning before heading off to work.

He was coming out of the bathroom after fixing his hair and brushing his teeth just as she was getting up, a plan heavily formed in his mind on how to fix things once and for all.

"Hey honey," Emmeline yawned and stretched, her shirt rising to expose her flat tummy. She stood up and ran her fingers through her knotty hair. He loved her bed head look in the mornings. "I didn't hear you get in last night."

"It was a very long night," he said, buttoning up his dress shirt.

"I hear you. They've been running me raw at work on this murder case, even though all the evidence points to George Stanley, he'll get off with murder in the first degree."

"Why?" Jonathan frowned, looking t her through the reflection in the mirror.

"He's going for the insanity plea. One of Falcone's boys."

Jonathan rolled his eyes as he straightened his tie. "It's a wate of valuable time and space. It means a new adverse patient down at the asylum. I'll schedule to have him moved somewhere else. In fact, I'll call the judge and personally ask to evaluate him myself."

"I don't know if that'll work. They might call it conflict of interest since I'm on this case and I'm your girlfriend."

"Remove yourself from it," he shrugged.

Her mouth fell a gap. "Baby, I can't just remove myself from the case without reason."

Jonathan licked his lips in a quick motion, eyes cast aside in thought. "What did this man do?"

"Murdered his wife, stabbed her forty times with a kitchen knife after watching the game on TV while she was asleep."

"Tell them you can't handle the details of the case."

"I've been handling it fine for a week."

"Then I can't help you. I'm only allowed on cases you aren't dealing with," he said somewhat angrily as he buttoned his jacket and picked up his briefcase.

"I'm sorry, Jonathan. There'll be another way. Rachel can pin the jury on finding him guilty."

"I hope so," he sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "I'll see you after work."

"You're going in so early."

"I have a stop to make before I go in," he said and walked back to her, giving her a passion filled kiss. One they hadn't shared in weeks. He parted from her, leaving her breathless and wide eyed. "Can you be home by six?"

"Sure," she nodded, still breathing heavily. "I'll tell them I have to be out, they owe me that much."

"Good," he smiled and adjusted his glasses. "I'll be here by then. I have a surprise for you." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and was out the door.


"A surprise, huh?" Rachel asked after Emmeline finished repeating to her what Jonathan had said early that morning. The two girls were sitting by the waterfront at Captain Bill's, a nice little patio place they regularly went to for lunch where they could enjoy the fresh air and beautiful harbor view.

Emmeline nodded. "Yeah. I have no idea what he's planning though."

"Well you two haven't really been together in months. Sure, you share an apartment but neither of you is in it long enough to make a difference. One of you is never conscious when the other is."

"Work has me running circles," she shrugged. "I have to stay late sometimes and by the time I get home he's asleep or vice versa."

"How did you two manage to stay together for a year with this schedule?" Rachel shook her head in wonder.

"It wasn't so hard when I first started working, but then they saw I was good at what I did and they piled me in over my head. I haven't had a day off in three months. I've been working seven days a week, fifteen hours a day. And there have been days when Jonathan just stayed at work since they had the habit of calling him in with a problem in the middle of the night and it's a forty-minute drive. It worries me," she said, biting on her thumbnail.

"This would have nothing to do with Olivia now would it?" Rachel asked with a slight tilt of her head.

Emmeline rolled her eyes, spitting out a piece of her nail. "That tramp. I'm not worried about her. Jonathan would never do anything with her. He's better than that. It's just that he's always at work."

"And so are you," Rachel added to emphasize her point.

"I know. I know," she sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "It's just hard to see him. I miss him a lot."

"Do I hear correctly?" a voice said behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see Harvey making his way to them, only a foot or two away, wearing a black business suit just as he pulled up a chair next to the two girls. He was the youngest lawyer ever to become a big success. At the young age of twenty-six, only two years older than the two, he was a wealthy man with a set future that looked brighter by the day. "Detective Pierce is on a relationship case that she can't solve? Who knew it was possible to stump the young detective?"

"Hey Harvey," Rachel smiled a greeting.

"How you doing, Dawny?" he asked, using the pet name he had for her and flashing her that million dollar smile.

"I'm doing great," she smiled back and Emmy swore she even blushed a little. She had to admit, Harvey was one of the most handsome men in Gotham with his model face. High cheekbones, strong square jaw line, straight nose and flawless skin. He made all the girl's pant, but she was a one woman guy and her and Harvey were strictly friends. All three of them were. Harvey had even gone to school with Bruce Wayne and had become good friends before he up and disappeared two years ago. "It's Emmeline here who has the problem."

"I don't have a problem," she shook her head.

"You've been talking about how you and Jonathan never get to see each other because one of you is always at work and he stays overnight at the asylum sometimes which worries you."

"Overnight? Who could stay overnight at a place like that," Harvey faked a shiver. "I mean with all those crazy people moaning and screaming and the smell and the…" his eyes brightened and his mouth formed an O. "The nurses…especially Olivia, that hot blonde one…yeah I can see why he stays down there."

Emmy rolled her eyes. "He's not cheating on me with the tramp."

"But she's a thirty-six, twenty-eight, thirty-two. In other words, curved in all the right places," he grinned. "And I'll bet she loves the good ol' doctor. He's young, successful, and good-looking. Why wouldn't she want him?"

"Why don't you take her?"

"Had her," he shrugged easily.

"Harvey!" Rachel exclaimed, choking on the soda she had been drinking.

He patted her on the back. "What? I'm young and I'm a guy. I can have as many girls as I please for the time being. I dated Olivia for a month. She's a wild one in the bedroom."

"Louie was right," Emmy snorted. "You are two faced."

"I am not two faced," he argued.

"Yeah right. You sweet talk a woman off her feet then dump her once you've bed her and head over to the Treasure Chest to get your kicks."

"Olivia knew what she was getting in to, so I'm not two faced."

"Then why'd you leave her?" Rachel asked, dumbfounded by him.

"Easy. Two words. Playboy Bunny."

Both of them tisked and rolled their eyes.

"What? They were doing a shoot down here. One twisted their ankle and sued and I was her lawyer."

"She sure did thank you for winning the case now didn't she?"

"She didn't win the case. Turns out she signed a contract that said she wouldn't sue in case injury did occur. But I made her forget she lost," he said with a big grin and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Jesus, Harvey. Just because you're a playboy doesn't mean Jonathan is sleeping with Olivia," Emmeline defended her husband and consoled her watch it was five o'clock.

"Whatever you say?" Harvey shrugged. "But I wouldn't let a girl like that get away from me."

"And you didn't," Rachel pointed out.

"That's what separates Jonathan from the rest of you," Emmy told Harvey. "He would let that pass because he loves me. In fact," she stood up. "I'm leaving early. Tell them to finish the case, Rachel. Everything they need is done already and made up for the case. It's in your park now."

"Where are you going?" Rachel asked her as Emmy started walking away.

She spoke over her shoulder. "To surprise Jonathan."

Harvey shook his head as he watched her pull out of the parking lot and head off towards the Narrows. "I just hope Emmy isn't the one getting the surprise."

"Why do you say that? You don't trust Jonathan."

"Oh no, I trust Jonathan," he turned his head to face Rachel, his handsome face serious. "It's Olivia I don't trust. She'll do anything to get what she wants…no matter how much they resist."

Rachel chewed her lower lip, sucking on her soda straw. She hoped to God that Harvey was wrong. For Emmeline's sake, she hoped he was wrong.


The diamond was set in the white gold band with two smaller diamonds on each side of it, Not too gaudy, Emmy didn't like gaudy, but similar to the one her grandmother had owned and similar to the one that was stolen from her years ago. He hoped she'd like it. He wondered if it was the perfect engagement ring. It was where he had gone to that morning. He dropped by the store and bought the ring, planning to propose to her that night. It was perfect, just like Emmeline. Just like his plan.

"Wow, now that's a pretty ring you got there," a sweet voice said.

He snapped the lid shut and tucked the ring away, trying to hide his agitation as he smiled forcibly at Olivia. "We've been over this, Ms. Carp, please knock before you enter my office."

"Your door was open," she spoke in that same overly sweet tone.

"You still have to knock."

"Who's the ring for?" she asked changing the subject as she trailed her manicured nails over his desk, sashaying closer. He noticed she was wearing a skirt, a white one similar to the others she wore, but this one shorter. It seemed they shrunk an inch each week. No wonder the patients there requested her as their nurse. He couldn't understand why with a woman who thought so low of herself in self esteem that she'd even consider to reduce herself by baring more skin, less confidence to attract the opposite sex.

"My girlfriend," he told her, emphasizing the meaning of it.

She lifted the picture of Emmeline and her face scrunched in disdain, not thinking much of the fact he was taken by her at all. "She's all right…I guess."

He plucked the picture from her hands and set it back on his desk. "She's my girlfriend and I love her so I'd expect that you never make a remark like that about her again."

"I didn't say anything, hon."

"It's what you didn't say that I didn't appreciate," he told her politely though he felt his patience wearing thin as he twirled the pen in his hand.

"Well," she scooted closer, sitting on the edge of his desk closest to him so she blocked out his entire view, leg brushing against his. "I'll say this. I think you can do better. Try something different before you make a commitment like that."

"I don't need to but thank you for the offer," he leaned back in his chair, trying his best to move away from her without being cruel about it.

"I haven't offered anything," she smiled, tossing the hair over her shoulder. "Yet."

"No, Ms. Carp-"

"Call me Olivia."

"I prefer, Ms. Carp. As I was saying, I have no intention of having a relationship of any kind with you."

"I'm sure I can change your mind," she spoke in a heated whisper and before Jonathan could even stand up or move, she was on him. She slid into his lap and pressed her lips to his. Jonathan managed to grasp her shoulders and pull her away…but now he had full view of his office, including the door where Emmeline stood, hand still on the knob, a look of distraught covering her face.

"Emmeline," he said and looked at Olivia then back at her, knowing what she had to think. "No, it's not what it seems."

She shook her head and left, slamming the door.

Olivia smiled and laughed a little. "Well that went well."

Jonathan lost all his tolerance then. He shoved her off to stand up and she hit the floor on her ass, looking shocked. Before she could speak, he caught in. "I talk, you listen. That woman is the love of my life. I love her in a way no one can ever love you because of the way you act and flaunt and flirt. That's not love you're looking for that's lust. No one can love you because you offer nothing to love. But Emmeline does and she is so much more than you can ever wish to be unless you change your ways and grow up. Consider yourself fired, Olivia, and if I ever see you in here again, I'll file charges. Get out."

She stood to her feet, shocked and teary eyed but Jonathan didn't care. The moment Olivia left his office he was in his car, heading home to save the relationship he yearned for.


"Emmeline!" he called out as he came through the front door, switching on the lights. The light was on in their room and he hurried, tossing his keys and briefcase on the couch. "Emmy," he called as he entered.

She was packing furiously, throwing things into a suitcase. "My brother was right! You're like everyone else," she said, he could hear the tears in her voice, she was on the verge of crying.

"Emmy, it wasn't what it looked like," he said as he moved towards her.

"Really?" she spun around. "Because it looked like she had her tongue down your throat while she sat in your lap, or was that just my imagination?"

He sighed. "She did kiss me, but I didn't want her to. You walked in right as she did it, you didn't hear what I was saying to her."

She shook her head. "I don't care, Jonathan. Now I know, okay. That's all that matters. I'm going to go stay with Rachel for a while then stay with my brother and be with my niece. Don't call me, don't come see me," she said angrily as she picked up her suitcase and headed for their bedroom door.

"No," he grabbed her am and pulled her back to him. "I won't let you walk away from us. I love you, Emmy."

She shook her head and he saw her face break for a moment but she pushed the grief away. "Give me one reason, Jonathan," she said strictly. "Give me a reason to stay."

He tucked a strand of hair behind he ear and caressed her cheek with his fingers, whispering to her. "I'm safe with you."

She blinked and a small smile spread across her lips, replacing the hurt and anger she had felt. She had said those words to him when he had awakened for a moment in the station, lying there in her lap. "You heard me?"

He nodded. "Yes…I don't love Olivia. She's been after me for months, but I love you. I told her, she never listened. Tonight she thought she could win me over with her force, but I fired her. I wish you had shown up a minute before but you didn't." He licked his lips in a quick gesture and removed his glasses to meet her green eyes. "Emmy, you were the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes in the station and you were the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes at the hospital…and I want you to be the first thing I see every time I open my eyes from now on."

Emmy had tears in her eyes at this point, but they clouded more when he produced a small box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a diamond ring…one that was a direct copy of the one she had stolen years ago. The same type as her mother's that had been passed down to her.

"I remember the last piece of the puzzle," Jonathan told her in a whisper. " I remember how I proposed…will you marry me, Emmy? Be my fiancée? For keeps."

She let out a laugh and covered her mouth with a hand, meeting his glowing blue eyes and nodded. "Yes. Of course I will."

He smiled and slid the ring onto her hand. With the other he pulled her in tighter and smashed his lips to her own, kissing her in a way he never had. Emmeline was laughing and crying at this point. But he had her. She was his now. He kissed her again, knowing nothing could ever break them apart now. They were safe with each other.


A/N: Warning…it'll be getting darker VERY soon. We'll be getting to the Jonathan Crane we all know from the movie because we're about to hit the movie part of the fanfic where a lot of the scenes and lines will be from the movie. Be warned…the next chapter will get dark.