Author's Notes:

Putting this at the top because I wanted to point out that, yes, I did take a couple of dialogue lines from Batman Arkham Asylum since I wanted them to be said to Alice. That, and because it's one of my favorite parts in his interview tapes.

So with that, I'd just like to say, sorry for the long wait! Hopefully this chapter will make up for it, yes? :)

Coming Undone
Perplexity at its Finest

The Riddler twirled his cane—once, twice, thrice, four times total—before he started across the room towards the petite brunette that had caused, more like causing, a mild uproar concerning Penguin's men. At his approach her knuckles curled into the soft fabric of her dress. He halted in his tracks.

"Riddle me this: when you have me, you feel like sharing me. But, if you do share me, you no longer have me. What am I?" He drawled as he leaned on his cane while watching with keen eyes as her eyebrows furrowed and her lips curved into a frown. It puzzled him, this girl.

Oh sure, he knew just by how she was dolled up that she was Tetch's, and from "off the records" entries he read after hacking into Strange's computer were proof enough. True, it wasn't anything he thought to be worthwhile so he paid little to no attention to it when first coming across them, but when he'd hacked the cameras that'd been installed long before this section of the city was made into Arkham City, a very intriguing scene happened to play out on one of his many monitors which in turn caught his eye and—

Well, it came as no surprise when he suddenly took an interest in her, albeit it be a slight one.

In the meantime, Alice was, to say the least, confused. This man grabbed her and pulled her into this building—only to ask her a riddle? This was very… bizarre. But it did beat having Mr. Tetch try and get her under his control, in addition to having those men chase after her.

"'When you have me, you feel like sharing me. But, if you do share me, you no longer have me'…" She repeated, uncertainly, to which the Riddler lazily waved a hand in the air with a click of his tongue as if in disappointment… or scolding.

"You do know you're the one who is to give the answer to the riddle, correct?"

Alice's frown deepened at his words and the second clicking of his tongue. Of course she knew that! What did he think her to be, an unintelligent person? The nerve! Feeling a muscle in her jaw twitch, it was then that Alice realized she had closed her eyes to contain herself from (trying to) throttle him (which would end miserably). The action hadn't gone unnoticed by the Riddler, and his lips lifted into a sly grin.

Upon seeing the bemused expression on his face, Alice tried to refocus on the riddle he had asked her. 'When you have me, you feel like sharing me. But, if you do share me, you no longer have me. What am I?' Think, Alice, think. The young girl tapped her lip in thought, trying to figure out what the possibilities were. In some ways, she was thankful he didn't ask her, "Why is a raven like a writing desk", something that the Hatter impersonator continually asked over the course of teatime before discreetly switching the conversation to a new one until Crane had had the final straw with him.

". . . Is it your heart?" She muttered as heat rose to her cheeks and eyes cast downward to examine the dusty wooden floorboards before slowly lifting her gaze back to his. And from how his lips were set in a grim frown, the strange glint in his eyes dimming a notch, it was obvious to say that her answer was not correct. The Riddler heaved out a small sigh. Disappointment ran through his veins. So far she didn't seem that special enough for Freeze not to freeze her, and for a certain doctor to keep tabs on her. If she were, she would have answered his riddle correctly.

But at the same time he couldn't deny that he was intrigued all the more, possibly further than he already was.

"Wrong."

Alice asked, "So, what is the answer?"

His nose slightly wrinkled as he mulled over the thought of telling her the answer or not.

". . . It's a secret."

"Excuse me?" She gawked as bewilderment overtook her.

He had given her a riddle only to tell her that the answer was a secret? He had the gall to ask her a question and wouldn't even tell her the answer because it was a secret? More warmth seeped into her cheeks from embarrassment, both because of giving such a silly answer and finding out he wouldn't tell her. Mostly tell her. Without even thinking Alice immediately straightened, lifting a finger to poke him in the chest only to still as he arched an eyebrow, the look on his face unreadable. More blood rushed to her cheeks, "… what?"

"You do know it's a secret." Riddler again drawled in a bored tone. He needed to act indifferent, he needed to remain calm. After all, if Freeze hadn't frozen her and that pesky fly came to her rescue (although really, he had come up with a logical reason as to why Lynns would do such a thing) then there was something special about her, something unique and puzzling and (possibly) needed to be solved. "You know? The riddle I had asked you? The answer is a secret."

Oh.

Oh.

If it were possible, Alice was certain she would have died from embarrassment right there and then. Silence washed over them as the Riddler remained standing where he was while Alice had her head slightly bowed, face hidden by the curtain of her wavy bangs. He thought to himself that this was intriguing indeed. What did his fellow inmate of Arkham see in her? Not to mention the "good doctor" in allowing her in here in the first place.

And the only explanation he could think of was that there was something unique about her. His hand balled into a fist, clutching to the cane tightly and the purple gloves seemed to give a soft whine from the strain. "Let's have another riddle, shall we?" He idly mused more to himself and before Alice could protest he started, "Riddle me this! I am a box that holds keys without locks, yet my locks can unlock your deepest senses. What am I?"

". . . The brain…?"

"Incorrect. The answer is a piano." Riddler shook his head and truly did wonder what was so special about her. It was apparent she wasn't clever—she had yet to answer any of his riddles correctly, after all—so how come this was becoming so infuriating for him? He tapped his chin in thought. She must have something that made the (literally) coldest man in Gotham not want to harm her. (Because unless his wife was being held hostage by the ruler of Arkham City himself or someone working for him – which she wasn't (he did his research) – then Freeze had no excuse not to freeze this girl standing before him. More importantly, Strange wouldn't have kept her "off the record"; he wouldn't have attempted in trying to keep her hidden.)

Mentally, Alice was praying that he wasn't going to be asking her any more riddles. She remembered Crane's words, a warning, that hadn't be uttered only minutes ago yet it felt longer than that. And there was no telling what this man would do if she continually answered his riddles incorrectly.

'Not everyone within this city will show hospitality to you, Alice. I especially advise you to stay away from these three people: Two-Face, Zsasz, and more importantly the Joker. There is no telling what that lunatic will do if your paths should come across.'

That's when her blood ran cold. Was this man… could he possibly be the Joker? She, discreetly as she could, studied him. If only he had given her physical descriptions of what those people looked like before that madman interrupted him then she wouldn't—or would—have the need to worry.

Releasing a shaky breath, Alice asked, "Who are you?"

Instantly his focus snapped into place from hearing her timid voice speak and an eyebrow arched. She didn't know who he was? Hadn't she been in Gotham long enough to know about him, or had she just recently moved here? If so, hadn't one of those buffoons mentioned him to her? Told her about him, their great intellectual superior? Apparently not, he thought with agitation. Perhaps it was likely due to the fact that they were not even remotely close to his IQ level. Yes, that had to be it. A satisfying smirk crept onto his face.

"Me? Why I am the great Edward Nygma, the Riddler!"

He watched for some type of recollection to come across her features as his smirk grew a little more. There had to be a few occasions that his name—alias or surname—had been spoken when warning her about the residents of this place (surely they had taken the time to do so?) and—

—"Oh," was all she said as if suspecting something much more… worse, "Oh."

'Oh'?

. . . 'Oh'?

That was all she was able to respond with, was a measly 'Oh'?

Riddler's smirk fell quickly from his face as a frown quickly replaced it. And the way she had breathed it out, like a sigh of relief as if she'd just woken from a horrifying nightmare to find she was safely tucked away within the sheets of her bed—!

Irritation, anger, and rage gnawed at him from the core and he scowled.

Who had she been anticipating him to be—Victor Zsasz, of all people, a sociopath that needed to kill in return to gain a new mark? He gave a soundless snort of distaste with a quick roll of his eyes. Incredibly insulting, he thought, that she dared compare him to that lowlife with a sorry excuse of an IQ.

An awkward silence filtered between them and Alice felt a tinge of fear tickle its way root itself inside her heart. She wondered just why exactly he had suddenly become so displeased, the smirk turning to a scowl as quick as lightning. She took in a quivering breath and held it in an effort to steel her nerves. Get a grip of yourself, Alice! Her conscious scolded.

She tried but saying and doing are two whole different things.

Not too add that she was feeling partially guilty.

. . . Alice, there is no reason for you to be feeling guilty!

She stammered, "It's a pleasure to meet you; I'm Alice Liddell—"

"Yes, yes." He waved her off with a roll of his eyes. "I know who you are. No need to tell me about something that I already know. Now, what do you say to hearing another riddle?"

Alice—mentally—sweat dropped.

"Um… OK?"

He grinned, "Riddle me this: what has four legs, then two, and finally… three legs?"

Alice's features soften. "Oh, well that's easy. The answer is a human being."

A soft chuckle greeted her ears and her head titled to the side, hair cascading down, like a waterfall, over her shoulder from the motion and eyes fixed upon the strange man. Finally, his dark eyes met hers and a shiver ran up her spine; his eyes were cold, devoid of that twinkle that had been in his eyes the moment hers met his. And that's when her brain processed that his chuckle had not been one of amusement, but of dark humor. As if she had gotten that riddle…

"Nice try. But the answer is… a baby." The Riddler rested his chin in the palm of his hand and watched Alice with his intense, dark eyes. It was amusing how she seemed at a complete lost, unsure what was meant by that. His lips curled up into a smile, revealing those perfect pearly white teeth and she had to take a step back from the intensity of his gaze. "True, a baby crawls on all fours. But cut off its limbs and it can only wiggle on the remaining two. Give it a crunch; it can hobble around on three. You see?"

Bile rose from the back of her throat and tears pricked at her eyes. "That's… that's horrible! How can you even think of something as terrible as that?" She asked, completely and utterly appalled. Her feet automatically stumbled backward, already knowing to put as much distance between them. This seemed to please him even more as his grin grew a little wider and he began to twirl his cane again—once, twice—as his eyes held hers. Her reaction was just like that of Dr. Penelope Young in regards to words. But her reaction overall, her moist eyes and pale cheeks…

Was that it? She had the same reactions as the young—no pun intended—doctor but with emotions? No, that couldn't be. None of the inmates—including him—were very pleased when having an interview done with the stuck-up doctor. And once hearing of her passing, well… to put in simple words: she wasn't at all missed.

"Easily, my dear Alice," He began and watched as a look of disgust crossed her features from having calling her 'dear'. But then it flashed into a look of worry. And it made his grin grow twofold and he made sure his voice spoke in that same tone it had when he told the doctor his answer on why—how—he could think of something like that, "it's not my baby."

". . . !" Her eyes brimmed with a new onslaught of tears and he raised a questioning eyebrow at her. This time it was his turn to tilt his head to the side and her that seemed to be the enigma—not that she wasn't before, just more so now—and he suddenly felt as if he discovered what made her such, his fingers reaching out, arm stretching, as if the answer was within his grasp… close… so very close—

"Alice? Alice? Alice!"

—and it slipped between his fingers, already back to stage one of where he already had been.

And it agitated him—infuriated him, really—and he despised it.

In front of him, the girl jerked as if having been woken from a sudden dream and she hesitantly squeaked out the caller's name, face darting towards the door that rested behind him, and some relief reflecting from her eyes.

Or was she? Her posture was still stiff after all.

Dismissing the knowledge that he had lost the chance of discovering what made her to be so different; he put on a carefree grin. There was always a next time and he'd just have to make sure he was there in the right spot at the right time. It had been pure luck that he had happened upon her, running away from Penguin's idiot lackeys (and the Mad Hatter), earlier today. All he had to do now was make certain their next meeting was set in stone.

Riddler halfway turned his body towards the door as it burst opened, revealing a scowling Ragdoll. His glare was directly aimed at him and it made him grin all the more. "Why, if it isn't the contortionist? How are you today?"

"Save it for someone who cares, Riddler."

"My, my, someone is certainly testy today."

Ragdoll's eyes narrowed in response. Yes, he was far from being in his usual cheery mood, only because Lynns came to him again and ordered him to help the arsonist find the girl. It was just by some sheer and unfortunate luck on his part that he found her. With the Riddler.

Oh joy.

How did he manage to get roped into this again?

Oh. That's right. It's because Lynns threatened him. That's how he (once again) got stuck with an assignment that he never wanted to begin with.

"M-Mr. Merkel?" it didn't take a genius to figure out that she was surprised by his appearance and being her rescuer (something he was far from being proud of). But that was understandable. From what he was told, Lynns had left her in the care of Tetch and Crane and the end result had been Tetch frightening her off (again). But still. He hoped this didn't mean he was going to get stuck babysitting her again. Otherwise, if he did get stuck with her again, he'd then go find Moth and let her be his problem to deal with instead. Or Bane's. Or…

Or maybe he'd let Lynns' (currently ex) boss deal with her. Now that right there sounded like a good idea to him. The exchange between him and Lynns would undoubtedly make for a good story to hear about. Hmm… Yes… Chances were that that would be the 'oh so lucky chap' who would get the 'joy' of having to babysit Lynns' girlfriend…

"Come along, Alice. Unless you rather want to wait here for Firefly to find you." Although he knew if he walked away without her in tow that Lynns would give him Hell for doing so. When she made no move towards him, the thief tried his best not to scowl at her. "Well?"

Finally Alice started forward and choked back a scream as the Riddler caught her wrist. Ragdoll bristled at the action and opened his mouth to remind him to keep his hands to himself and free her (because he knew that if something happened to her then Lynns really would give him Hell for it) when he was stopped short.

Raising her hand to his mouth as if pressing a delicate kiss to her knuckles, the Riddler flashed his pearly whites at her in a sincere smile. "It was a pleasure making your acquaintance, sweet Alice. I do so hope we are able to meet again in the near future. Do feel free to visit me." He gave her a bow, never releasing his hold on her in wait for her response.

Alice felt her face become a twinge of red and her heart start to beat rapidly. In some ways, he reminded her of a certain bipolar Knight of Hearts. And it made her heart swell from the memory of him: Ace, the Knight of Hearts, who always got lost but kept a cheerful smile on his face even if it was never real. She swallowed the lump starting to form in her throat as an image of Ace flashed before her where the Riddler stood.

"It was a pleasure meeting you too." She would have added his name, but she wasn't sure if he wanted to be addressed as 'Mr. Riddler', 'Mr. Nygma', or even by his first name. She gave a nervous smile and felt his hold leave her. "And thank you! For… saving me from those men earlier."

"Why, it was my pleasure. I wouldn't be able to call myself a gentleman if I simply walked off to leave you to those wolves." He answered and watched as she gave another small smile before hurrying over to Merkel, who seemed to be losing his patience with each passing second. "And feel free to drop by my hideout for a visit whenever you like. I'll be looking forward to it."

Again her smile flashed itself at him and then she was gone, out the door, in the blink of an eye.

He watched, waited, for the triple-contortionist to follow after her. But when he made no move, the Riddler asked: "Problem, Merkel?"

"Problem? Whoever said there was a problem?" asked Ragdoll, putting on an air of false cheerfulness. If he wasn't careful then Nygma could and would turn this into some type of mind game. And right now Ragdoll wasn't in the mood for games.

Especially if they involved a certain airhead named Alice.

And judging by what he witnessed, it most likely did involve her.

Why couldn't Lynns just let the Mad Hatter deal with her and be rid of her? Oh wait. That's right. It's because Lynns wanted to play hero, or something along those lines…

But that didn't explain why Nygma seemed so interested in the girl.

It wasn't because she was intelligent, he knew that much. In fact, she had to be one of the stupidest people he'd ever had met. And last he heard—knew—Nygma was far more interested in beating the Bat than in the opposite sex. So unless she grew exceptionally smarter over the past two (almost three) days since they parted ways then Nygma had little to no reason in being kind to her.

"You just seem too tightly wound up, is all." The Riddler lazily twirled a hand in the air to which Ragdoll's response was an eye roll.

"And I thought Joker's jokes were bad." Now it was Nygma's turn to scowl. "Anyway, if you hadn't noticed, I have a package that needs delivering." Ragdoll, once again with false cheeriness, gave a waggle of his fingers in a form of a wave. "Toodles!"

The Riddler, lips forming into a grin, hummed to himself as the scrawny thief exited from the building. It was then that he knew that he definitely was going to have fun in solving this 'little' conundrum.

Meanwhile, as the two conversed inside, Alice stood nervously by the door. Even though the streets were deserted, she couldn't help but fidget in her spot from anxiety. Just because it was deserted didn't mean that it would stay that way. Those men that had been chasing her had seemingly come out of nowhere when she'd been fleeing from that madman. The same case scenario, or something similar to it, could happen at any given moment.

What is taking Mr. Merkel so long? Nervously, she wrung her hands together, gnawing gently on her lower lip. Should she go back inside and see what it was that was taking him so long?

Unless…

. . . Unless that man, Mr. Nygma, was asking him a riddle? Yes, yes, that's what was taking him so long, she concluded. Perhaps she shouldn't have left in such a hurry then? Even though the man seemed to be in a hurry himself? Should she have waited to make her exit until after Mr. Merkel had made his?

Too late now, though; she would feel silly for going back inside, especially if Mr. Merkel was about to leave and come walking out through that door at any moment…

No. No, it was better to stay where she was and just silently pray that he'd come out of there soon.

. . . That, or hope Garfield would miraculously show up as if it were a habit of his.

Alice let out a sigh and crossed her arms in an attempt to keep herself warm. The night's chilly air was biting and uncomfortable on her skin. (She found it rather curious how this world was so dark and gloomy. Was the weather here always like this, or was it fall here soon to become winter? Her brain made a mental note to remind her to ask Garfield that question once reunited with him.)

The young woman was instantly pulled away from her thoughts when something brushed up against her leg. Instantly her muscles began to tense up while her pulse quickened its pace. Calm yourself, Alice. Surely it was just part of your imagination, deciding to play tricks on you, that's all. It's was just your imagination. Wasn't it? Slowly, she glanced down, prepared to be proven correctly that it had been her imagination playing tricks on her.

And, instead of a shriek, breathed out a sigh in relief.

"Oh, why hello there!" Alice, squatting down to be closer to the cat, exclaimed with a small smile. The feline, with strange black markings on its orange fur, merely stared at her. Wait… "Aren't you that cat I saw earlier? Before Mr. Nygma, um… rescued me?" she asked, locks of brunette hair tumbling over her shoulder as her head tilted a bit to the side, studying the creature sitting before her. But what were the chances of it being the same cat? Surely it would have run off by now? Unless…

". . . Are you lost?"

The cat gave a low meow, as if it understood her and decided to give her its answer. Her eyes softened, suddenly reminded of her own feline companion back home and also of her own situation that she managed to get herself in, as she slowly extended a hand out to show the cat she meant no harm. Seconds, though it certainly felt more like hours, passed by when the cat decided that she had petted it enough.

With a twitch of its tail, the cat stood and walked away from her, heading towards an alley. Alice watched, curiosity spiking, when it halted in its tracks and looked back at her. Its tail gave two more twitches and gave a low meow, as if it were… losing patience with her? What? Was it trying to tell her something?

"Are you wanting me to… to follow you?" her gut instinct told her that that's what the cat was telling her to do, despite feeling rather silly. Looking back at her with its mesmerizing eyes, the cat dipped its head as if saying "yes". Hesitantly, giving a small shake of her head, Alice walked over and peered down the alley before looking down at her new found companion. Reason and logic joined forces and fought against this uncommon sense that seemed to be taking a hold of her.

"I…" The cat, intense eyes watching the girl's every movement, blinked once at her. "I-I can't, you see."

It gave – what sounded like – a questionable meow (as if asking her why she couldn't follow it) and cocked its head to the side when she knelt down before it, and gave a look of immense displeasure when suddenly scooped up in the girl's arms.

"Well, it's because this place isn't very safe. A-And I'm waiting here for someone, a…" she, trying to search for the right word, paused, "friend of a friend who's—"

"What," a voice stopped her mid-conversation with the cat, "are you doing?"

"O-Oh! M-Mr. Merkel!" His eyes remained trained on the feline that she held in her arms. Could that be…? Was that one of Kitten's, well, kittens? Or was it simply a stray (that she hadn't yet found)? And… wait. "I was just… well, you see, I… um…"

Were its eyes… red?

He blinked. That… That couldn't be right; cats did not have red eyes.

. . . Did they?

"Is it alright with you if I bring her along with us?"

"…" He couldn't remember ever seeing a cat with red eyes before. It just didn't seem natural, and this cat… There was definitely something very strange about this cat. And the longer he kept eye contact with the beast the creepier it seemed.

"I-It's just…" Alice averted her eyes and absentmindedly scratched the creature's ears. "Err, I mean, it just doesn't seem right to leave the poor thing here."

. . . Yep. OK. There definitely was something unnaturally freaky about this cat. (And this was coming from a triple-jointed contortionist no less!)

Maybe he should let her keep it, if only to later show it to Catwoman? That, and because it wasn't like it was going to be stuck with him. It would be Lynns' problem to deal with, as well as the girl. So… really, what was the harm in letting her keep it?

Or he could say "no" and force her to leave it here. It (might) result her in being so upset with him that, should Lynns need a babysitter for her again, she would outright refuse for it to be him.

. . . But then again, if he did let her keep it then Lynns might not be so happy. It may lead him to believe that he'd let her keep any and every stray animal she came across and thus result him "unfit" to babysit her. All this thinking was starting to make his head hurt. Two decisions with numerous possible outcomes. This really was a dilemma for him.

In the end, though, it was one thought – one specific person, really – that made up his mind for him.

"Fine, but if it runs away from you because it couldn't take any more of your smothering, don't come crying to me about it."

"Are you a hundred percent certain that you're alright?"

"Yes, Garfield; I'm a hundred percent certain." She couldn't help it but smile at him.

The two of them – she and Mr. Merkel – had arrived at Firefly's place at (pretty much) the exact same time that the arsonist did. It wasn't until after he ushered her inside his hideout (with Ragdoll in tow) and the door was locked that he started asking her – repeatedly – if she was OK. The pair hadn't yet gotten the chance in telling him where and who Alice had been with prior to Ragdoll finding her; Firefly even failed to take notice of (what Ragdoll, after it took a swipe at him when he pulled on one of its ears, dubbed as) the demonic cat calmly resting in her arms.

Ragdoll, having made himself at home, began to raid Lynns' kitchen cabinets to see what sorts of goodies the man had. After all, he did find Lynns' precious girlfriend and kept her from harm while on the stroll to said arsonist's hideout. It was only fair that he got something in return as some type of payment or reward, wasn't it? Of course it was.

. . . Not to mention that it saved him from having to witness the exchange occurring behind him.

"Look, Alice, I'm sorry about… y'know. And for not getting back on time. It was a stupid move on my part. I don't know what made me thought for a second that Crane would have been able to keep his friend in check. And… Are you sure you're OK? You're not hurt, are you?"

Unbeknownst to them, Ragdoll made a face. Ick. Quick, someone, anyone, gag him with a spoon! This sappy Firefly was making him feel ill just with how concerned he was for some (unlucky) girl that got plucked off the streets of Gotham City and dropped in here.

She nodded her head with a small hum. "Yes, I'm fine, Garfield. I promise." For an added effect she gave him a reassuring smile.

The pyromaniac studied her closely, examining every inch of her face, trying to see if she really was fine or if she was just saying that to make him feel better. Somehow he got the distinct feeling that it was more of the latter than the former. She seemed far more drained than anything else. Traces of dark circles were forming under her eyes, but this didn't exactly surprise him. It's not as if she had a restful (and peaceful) night's sleep since, well, before all this.

Softly, his right hand placing itself on the top of her head to give her, he told her that she should get some rest, and directed her to the bedroom before she could so much as protest; although she seemed somewhat reluctant to do so. It was only once the door to the bedroom closed that Firefly turned his attention to Ragdoll. "So, are you gonna give me the details or not?"

"I found her chatting idly away with the Riddler. Oh. That is, after he pulled her off the streets to keep a group of thugs from catching her, or so that's what she told me. "

". . . Nygma?"

"As far as I know, Nygma's the only one to go by that alias."

". . . Why would Nygma go out of his way to save—?"

"'Someone intellectually inferior compared to his superior mind'?" cue the usage of the quoting-fingers. "I haven't a clue what motivated him to save her, and I wouldn't have thought to ask him that question if I had known about it prior." A pregnant pause. "No, wait, I lied. I wouldn't have asked him even if I had known he'd rescued her from some lowlifes."

Scowling, Garfield rolled his eyes, at his associate. "Fine. But do explain to me why you let her bring back a stray cat."

"Oh, so you did notice it…"

"Ragdoll."

He shrugged, "I figured you'd be upset with me if I told she couldn't keep it."

"I'm upset with you right now!"

"Hmm… So I should not have let your girlfriend keep it?"

". . ." Oh, if only looks could kill…

In the next room with eyes closed, Alice blindly petted the cat curled up next to her on the bed, hearing the two men's muffled voices from the other room drift off as she slipped into unconsciousness. It was too hard to resist the want to sleep, seeing as how comfortable the bed was, and how nice and warm Garfield's apartment was. Besides, no one could blame her for falling asleep, could they? She'd been through quite a lot in the past few hours and it had been a couple of days since she had a good night's rest. (Although she would feel bad for not staying awake to bide Mr. Merkel a good-bye once she awoke.)

So, when she felt that familiar tug pull on her consciousness, she knew it was time to wake up.

The place was eerily quiet, and it didn't register until she stood that the cat was nowhere to be found. Had Garfield gone out while she was asleep? The thought that he had left her alone while she was deep in sleep didn't sit all that well with her. Perhaps he had fallen asleep on the couch? That was possible, and a much more comforting thought to her.

Mm-hmm, that was probably it.

She walked, stealthily as she could, over to the bedroom door to take a peek. If Garfield was asleep then she didn't want to wake him. Slowly, trying to stay quiet, she pulled the door back and expected (more like hoped) to find the blond asleep on the couch.

. . . But instead of finding a sleeping Garfield Lynns on the couch, Alice was startled to find a man… no, a boy… sitting there instead…

. . .

With a very familiar orange, with strange stripe-markings decorating its fur, kitty-cat perched comfortably in his lap.

"Hello, Alice. It's so very nice to finally meet you in person."

End of Author's Notes:

I'm so, so, so happy that Eddie's now made his grand appearance! :D (And kudos to those of you that guessed it was him! :D) I had this scene of him and Alice collecting dust for a few years now and SQUEE. It's finally posted now; although originally I had planned on having it be chapter sixteen with Dr. Crane finding Alice instead of Ragdoll, but over the course of time my plot bunnies have developed new ideas.

. . . Especially now that Batman: Arkham Origins has been released. Seriously, that game. THAT GAME MAN. IT IS MADE OF AWESOME. I wasn't expecting to come out with Roman Sionis/Black Mask feels, but I did. Won't say what made it so because of spoilers. But man, I just want to give the guy a hug. (And that reminds me, I love Eddie's look in Arkham Origins. Like, a lot. So don't be surprised that I'll be imaging/(possibly) using his younger, less grimy appearance throughout the story here.)

Err, sorry, getting off track here. *clears throat* . . . Anyway…

In The Batman (2004-2008) episode, "Ragdolls to Riches", Rags calls Catwoman "Kitten" and so I like to think that that's one of his nicknames he uses for her. (Another being "Precious".) And in my headcanon, Peter Merkel/Ragdoll has a crush on Selina Kyle/Catwoman; although at first he hadn't known Selina Kyle was Catwoman so he just thought he had a crush on two people but (ha-ha nope) turns out he hadn't been crushing on two separate people after all. XD

And for those of you wondering, that is the same kitty-cat that Alice saw at the end of the last chapter. And now we're finally going to see just who that kitty-cat belongs to… Kudos to any and all of those who are able to figure it out! :D

Many thanks to TChompi21, Wandering dude 1, and KoK for the lovely reviews! :)

Hope you all enjoyed this lengthy chapter and that it was worth the wait. And remember: reviews (and constructive criticism) are always welcomed with open arms. :)