Author's Note: Hi all my wonderful readers! Sorry for the delay with this chapter. I wanted to finish up the first part of my Red Eye fan fic (which I did!) and then I got slammed with allergies and with allergies I get migraines. Not fun. Hopefully I'll be able to get one up on those nasty little buggers and keep up with Amy and Jon's adventures.

Also, there should be a fluff warning starting in this chapter and definitely in the next one. But don't worry if you don't like fluff…the action will commence!

Chapter Ten: Casting Out Fear

"This is the third bank that has been hit by the criminal who calls himself 'The Joker.' Despite his theatrical flare, the police still have been unable to apprehend him."

Amy held up her coffee mug to hide the smirk on her face as she turned away from the kitchen TV. "Sounds like a job for the Batman."

Bruce gave her a cursory glance before returning his gaze to the paper. "I guess so."

The truth was, after spending close to a week at Wayne Manor she was able to organize her thoughts on what had happened since she came to Gotham. Most importantly, she was able to analyze her experiences with the Batman and she was fairly certain if Bruce were to lower his voice and sport a Kevlar bodysuit, he would be Batman. However, it wasn't just the timber of the voice that raised her suspicions. She still had a bandage on her wrist to offer extra support and Bruce had noticed it but never asked about it. Add that to his strange absences at night and sleeping late the next morning, it all seemed to add up. Of course, she could be wrong but she doubted it. One day, he'd pick up on the hints and either confirm or deny them.

"Good morning, Master Bruce. Miss Amy."

"Morning, Alfred," Amy greeted while Bruce grunted. Amy was finding herself enjoying the Englishman's company. His constant distrust of her brother still grated on her nerves but on the pleasant occasions where they would have afternoon tea and talk, she found more of a father figure in him than any of her foster fathers.

"What did you do for sparkling conversation before I got here, Alfred?"

"Talked to myself mostly."

"You did not," Bruce spoke up from behind the paper.

"How would you know," Amy shot back, "you're asleep most of the time."

"And how are you going to spend your day today?" Bruce asked.

"Depends on the chore list that Alfred gives me."

"You're not giving her chore lists, are you, Alfred?"

"Of course not, sir." Alfred gave her mock disgusted look. "I told you, the both of them are trouble starters."

"Well," Amy put her coffee mug down, "you're having a Halloween party here next week, aren't you?"

Bruce nodded. "A masquerade, yes."

"Why don't you let me decorate for it? It'll give me something to do and I can enlist Jon to help me." She looked expectantly at the two men and let out a sigh. "Under Alfred's supervision, of course."

Bruce shrugged. "Fine by me."

Alfred nodded once. "Very well. Speaking of your brother, where are his whereabouts this morning?"

Amy was hoping Jon would have made an appearance before Alfred and Bruce asked her where he was. She hated ruining these times when he was truly happy. She could only hope that Bruce and Alfred had enough trust in her to let him be. "Lynnlee wanted to go walking this morning so he went with her."

Alfred turned away from her but Bruce asked the question they were thinking. "Is that wise?"

"Whatever happened in the graveyard that day brought my brother back to me. He's been the way I remember him: quiet, intellectual and caring. So yes, I think it's wise and it's safe. I wouldn't have let her go with him if I thought otherwise."

Alfred didn't say anything else and Bruce just nodded and went back to his paper. Amy picked up her coffee mug again and went back to watching the news. They were showing a surveillance picture of the so called "Joker" and she wondered what it was that drew the mentally unstable to Gotham. Secretly, she hoped that this new criminal would take the focus off her and Jon. They couldn't stay at Wayne Manor forever, no matter how much it felt like home. She was also curious to see how Jon would react to the real world as opposed to the quaint, almost fairy tale like air the Manor exuded. It was easy to be happy and sane here.

Jonathan was beyond happy at the moment. It had been so long since he had felt at peace, he had actually forgotten what it felt like. Part of the feeling was due to having his sister back. He hadn't realized the empty space she created when she wasn't around him and the comfort she brought when she was near. They had even started to finish each other's sentences these last few days which boded well for the relationship.

Scarecrow had remained strangely quiet and absent since the graveyard. He didn't know what had caused the hasty retreat of the alter ego but he was thankful for it and wouldn't question it. He had tried to analyze this personality that grew from having to deal with mobsters, criminals and al Ghul. Scarecrow fed on fear, the idea of watching someone scream, cry and become utter helpless appealed to the alter ego in an almost obessive way.

Pearl, one of their many foster mothers, had made sure when he and Amy lived with her in Oklahoma, that they had "the fear of God put into them" as she put it. Every Sunday, dressed in whatever was clean, unpatched and that fit, he and Amy would sit next to Pearl in the back breaking wooden pew of the little country church. They had been the typical teenagers, wanting to be sleeping in or playing with the two horses that Pearl had in her backyard rather than sitting in an unairconditioned church. But there was a verse the pastor recited one morning that kept coming back to him since he retrieved his mind from the Scarecrow. "Perfect love casts out all fear."

Maybe that was the trick to getting the Scarecrow to stay hidden away: love. It would explain his appearance when Amy was absent from his life and his retreat when she came for him. And if Amy wasn't enough to keep Scarecrow in check, then Lynnlee certainly was. He knew her uncle had filled her in on who he was and what he had done. Oddly enough, Jonathan couldn't summon up an ill feeling towards the man for doing that, and it saved Jonathan from having to do it himself. Depsite that, she still sought him out, wanting his company and there were just some things you didn't examine too closely.

"How much longer do you think you'll be here, Jon?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "How long do you have?"

"My last performance is this weekend."

They were walking along the perimeter of the grounds that backed up to the woods. They were far enough away from the Manor house that anyone spying on them would have to use binoculars, not that Jonathan would put it past any of the three but he really didn't care who was watching, if anyone. All he cared about was Lynnlee and the fact that she wanted to spend time with him. However, if her last performance was this weekend, it only gave them a few more days together. It dampened his mood considerably.

Told you.

Jonathan drew in a breath of the cold air too fast and he choked on it. It had been two weeks since he had last heard the Scarecrow. Perhaps all his thinking on the alter ego had given him power to come back and taunt him now.

"Jon, are you alright?"

Lynnlee was beside him, a comforting hand on his arm. He could feel Scarecrow recoil at Lynnlee's touch. He wondered what Scarecrow would do if he kissed her? There was a low hiss that sounded in his ear before he felt Scarecrow retreat once more. He had used the thought as a threat but he did wonder what would happen if he indulged in that desire. Knowing his luck with women, she would slap him. But looking at her up this close, her face flushed from the cold air, green eyes bright and hair hanging in waves down to the middle of her back…getting slapped would still make kissing her worth it.

"Jon? Do you want me to go get Amy?"

He shook his head, still trying to catch his breath and push those thoughts out of his mind. If she didn't retaliate her uncle most certainly would. "No, I'm fine. You, uh, were saying your last performance was this weekend."

"Um, yes. But Bruce always has a masquerade on Halloween, so I may stay for that."

"What about your band?"

Lynnlee shrugged and started to walk away again. "I think we're all going our separate ways after this contract is up. Maybe it is time to find a place and stay put for more than a few weeks."

He could understand that fully. "Any places in mind?"

"Well, I could always go back to England, that would make mum and dad happy. I enjoyed parts of Canada as well as California. Or, I could just stay here, with my Uncle."

"I like the last option."

Lynnlee gave him a wide smile. "Does that mean you'll be staying around Gotham then."

Only if you are, he wanted to say but held himself back. "I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen."

"Well, I guess that means one thing," she slipped her hand into his, "We're just going to have to enjoy the time we have together."

His mind latched onto the words "we," "enjoy," and "together." He tried to memorize the feel of her hand in his, where her calluses were from her almost non stop practice with her violin, how their fingers just seemed to know how to entwine with each other. It was at once comforting and also set his heart racing. Even as confusing as that was, the over riding emotion he felt was joy.

Amy knew something was up with her brother when he and Lynnlee came in from their walk. The tense air in the kitchen lifted immediately when Lynnlee made her entrance, all smiles and flushed. Jon kept his eyes on the floor the entire time until he sat down at the table next to Amy. She noticed his cheeks were red too but that was the problem with their fair skin, it was too difficult to tell the difference between a flush and the effects of fresh air.

"Did you have a nice walk?" Amy asked.

He nodded his head. "Yes."

"It's a beautiful day out there," Lynnlee was saying as she poured herself some coffee. "You should go enjoy it, Bruce. Amy."

"What about me?" Alfred asked.

Amy peeked over her shoulder to see Lynnlee scowling at him. "Well, yes, you too. I need to go practice for a little while. I'll see you all later."

Amy glanced over at Bruce and found him focused on the TV report. They were still running through the Joker story though they were wrapping it up. She doubted he even heard Lynnlee's less than subtle opinion on how they should spend their time. She hated to admit it but Bruce was beginning to get less annoying and more interesting to her. She didn't know if it had anything to do with her realization of his secret identity or not. All she knew was, she was starting to see he wasn't just the bumbling playboy he made himself out to be and that did intrigue her.

"Are you ready then, Master Bruce?"

"Yeah," Bruce stood up from the table and put his suit jacket on. "You two behave yourselves."

"Always," Amy and Jon answered in unison.

"I'm never going to get used to that," Bruce mumbled as he and Alfred left the kitchen.

Amy gave them ample time to leave the house before she turned to her brother. "Okay, Jon, spill."

"On what?"

"On what?!" Amy gave him exasperated sigh. "You come in here, all red faced and not looking at anyone after you just spent a good hour outside with Lynnlee. What happened?"

"Nothing happened."

"Look at me."

Reluctantly, he raised his eyes to look at her in the face.

"I knew it," Amy hit the table with her open palm. "You're in love. Did you kiss her?"

"No."

"But you were thinking about it."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Yes."

Amy laughed. "This is too cute. My little Jonny's growing up."

"You're one to talk."

Amy's laughter cut out immediately. "What?"

"I see the way you look at Bruce. You're not the only one smitten here."

Amy scoffed. "That's ridiculous. The man drives me up a wall."

"And oddly enough," he gave her that smug grin of his, "those are the ones you always seem to fall for."

Amy wanted to tell him that he was so far from the truth but she couldn't because he was exactly right.