"You're not my psychiatrist."
"I could be."
"What is that meant to mean?"
"I have a new job. A job which means I have the role of being a psychiatrist."
Victoria looked over the beer bottle which sat in her hand and into his blue eyes as he told her of his sudden news. Of course he didn't want to tell her the reason why he had to search for his new job. Work at the college had been dull for a while. Jonathan had decided that the time had come to spice up the student's lives. He'd used a gun in one lecture and had been dismissed for it.
Little did he know that the dismissal would be one of the things which changed his life.
"You're a psychiatrist?" Victoria checked as she spoke to him after taking another swig of beer. It was all she seemed to drink when Jonathan met her in the dive bar.
"At Arkham Asylum."
She spluttered the gulp which she had just taken, the spray moving over the table. Jonathan resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the sight of her. He handed her a handkerchief from his pocket. She cleaned herself up and kept the handkerchief in her hand, clutching it tightly as a moment of jealousy came over her.
Jealousy that he had managed to make something of his life.
"That place is full of crazies."
"Crazies?" Jonathan mused on the word before she shook her head and waved a flamboyant hand in the air.
"You know what I mean," she told him."I mean, aren't you a bit scared? I have to go past it on my way to work...and...well...just looking at it creeps me out."
"The people inside of it should scare you," Jonathan nodded sternly at her. "They're killers of the highest calibre. They would do anything to be free, I should suspect."
Victoria allowed her brow to furrow at hearing him. There was some part of her which couldn't comprehend what he was telling her. It almost sounded as if he was happy to work in somewhere like Arkham.
"You shouldn't sound happy about it, Jonathan. It just makes you sound like you're one of the inmates."
He hid the grin which wanted to form on his lips as he listened to her. She said nothing for a moment, grabbing a peanut from a bowl which sat in the middle of the table. Her thoughts turned to that night nine months ago. The night when Jonathan had made his presence known to her. The night they had met after college.
Ever since then he would insist on seeing her once a week. She didn't know why, but she didn't turn down the offer. She found that his company was acceptable in small doses.
"Well, work like this does seem to be complicated," Jonathan said. "I doubt Professor Bramowitz could have done it."
"Did you hear about him?" Vicky said, forgetting about her old Professor until Jonathan dragged him back into conversation again. She turned the bottle she held in her hands. "He was found dead in his apartment. Apparently the police have no idea how he died."
"We did hear something about that at the College," Jonathan said. "Sad thing, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yeah," Vicky nodded. "I suppose it is sad."
"He always was a bit odd, I found," Jonathan told her. "It wouldn't surprise me if he found his end by hanging from his bedroom ceiling."
"Jonathan," Vicky complained to him. "Do you have to be so brash all the time?"
He looked back at her and forced himself to smile at her. He didn't need to force himself that much. His initial thought process behind seeing Victoria so often was to appease the guilt which he often felt at the thought of her. But now...now...now he seemed to be enjoying himself with her. He couldn't explain why. He didn't know if he wanted to explain why.
She was an odd creature to him.
She was so vulnerable, but she came across as strong. He supposed years alone had made her that way.
"It is needed in Psychology," Jonathan replied to her. "I'm also studying pharmacology too. Hopefully it will allow me to be able to administer the patient's drugs eventually. At the moment I can just advise what to give them."
"And I spent the morning serving greasy breakfasts. I suppose my life is nothing to be proud of."
"That is through no fault of your own," Jonathan replied, drinking his orange juice.
He looked over her shoulder to notice someone staring at the pair of them. Vicky followed his gaze before an audible groan escaped her. Jonathan looked to her as she looked into the depths of her bottle as if the problem would vanish.
"Who is he?"
"He will be wanting the latest pay cheque," Vicky whispered. "It's about time."
"Do you want to go?" Jonathan wondered from her.
She shook her head, closing her eyes as she did so. Jonathan watched her. He watched the desperation take over her as the man made his way to their booth and slid in next to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as Victoria did nothing, tensing as she felt him play with the strands of her hair.
"Who is the date, Vic?" he wondered from her. "Boss says you've been with him for a few weeks."
"Jonathan Crane."
Jonathan spoke up for himself as he remained calm and collected, deciding that showing anger would not get this man to disappear. Jonathan had no idea what part he was in the mob's little game, but he didn't want to find out. He wanted nothing to do with them. He never would do.
"He's a bit fancy for you, isn't he, Vic?" the man wondered, daring to move his arm further down to grab her around the waist. His fingers curled around her hip as he forced her gaze to his, his hand squeezing her chin as he did so. "Don't you normally take some back alley boy to bed with you?"
"Get lost, Rob," she sneered at him.
He chuckled and released her chin, moving his hand to tuck some of her hair behind her ear.
"Feisty tonight, Vic," he commented.
"Perhaps you could just say what you want," Jonathan drawled. "Clearly you're making her uncomfortable."
"Nah," Rob replied, patting her on the hip. "Vicky needs to step outside with me for a moment. I need a word in private with her."
"I don't think so," Jonathan said, not trusting this man for a moment.
Vicky looked across to Jonathan, shaking her head as she did so.
"It's fine," she assured him. "I'll only be a minute."
Rob slid from the booth and waited for Vicky to follow him. Jonathan regarded her as she stood up and Rob allowed his hand to grope her ass as he led her out from the bar.
Jonathan remained where he was for a moment, finishing off his orange juice before he dared to follow them up the stairs. He didn't know what it was about Victoria. He didn't know why he felt inclined to help her. He'd never felt such an emotion before. He'd never been one to care about what happened to others. When it came to her he just couldn't help it.
He listened in as Rob demanded her latest pay packet and he bid her goodnight in a crude manner. Jonathan continued to lurk around the corner for a few moments before he realised the Vicky wasn't coming back in willingly. He took the final step around the corner and saw her stood against the brick wall, deep breaths forming small clouds in front of her due to the cold air.
She had her eyes closed and her bag dropped by her side in the middle of the alley. Jonathan could see that she was crying. He could see that she was slowly having a mental breakdown. He couldn't help but feel pity for her.
He watched as she bent down and moved into her bag, pulling out a bottle of pills from it. She pulled the lid off of them and popped one into her mouth. Jonathan guessed that they were antidepressants. It seemed likely.
"Victoria."
He finally made his presence known to her. She turned her head to look at him, quickly placing the bottle back in her bag. Her hands shook as she fumbled with the satchel, urging for the pills to go back into the pocket they came out of. Her bag was so full that she spilt the bottle to the floor, watching as the lid fell off and the pills scattered on the floor.
She cursed under her breath as she began to pick at the pills. Jonathan watched for a moment, wondering if he had seen such a depressing site in all of his years. He doubted it.
He moved over to her and picked the pills up with her. He saw her hands continue to shake as she dropped the pills she was picking up.
"Victoria," Jonathan repeated her name, his fingers slipping around her wrists. His cold skin against hers made her shudder as her legs slumped beneath her and she finally allowed her sobs to come out. She moved the back of her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the noises coming from her. She failed miserably as Jonathan kept his hands around her wrists, wondering what would happen if he let go of her.
"He...I don't have enough for rent..." Vicky admitted to Jonathan. "I don't have any money...they...the rent went up...I..."
"I see," Jonathan told her.
He looked to her gaunt face before he dared to move closer to her.
And then she did something she never thought she would do again. She openly began to sob in front of Jonathan Crane.
He did nothing, not too sure how to handle the situation as he released her wrists and she pushed her hands through her hair. He finished picking the pills up and placing them in her bag. He stood up and offered her his hand.
She took it and stood in front of him, swaying slightly as she did so. Jonathan stood in front of her, his hands holding her waist to keep her upright on her feet. He said nothing to her as his hands felt the soft skin beneath her short white blouse.
"You need to get out of here," Jonathan urged her. "You need to do something."
"I can't," she gurgled. "I don't know where to go...I don't know what to do..."
"Come on," Jonathan told her, releasing her waist. "I'll go and get your coat. You're in no fit state to walk home."
She watched as he turned his back on her to go into the club. She couldn't help but think he was walking away from her. The thought scared her more than she cared to admit. Since when did she need Jonathan Crane? Since when did she become so needy?
"Don't leave me."
She could scarcely believe the words had tumbled from her mouth, but they had. Jonathan turned around to look back at her, pushing his glasses further onto his nose as he did so. Her worried orbs found his confused ones as she hugged herself in the cold air.
"I won't," Jonathan said. "I promise you."
Vicky continued to stare at him as he took a deep gulp and moved back into the club to fetch her jacket. He picked the leather material up and found Victoria in the coldness again. He draped the jacket over her shoulders before he rested his hands on her shoulders.
"You can't stay alone tonight," Jonathan whispered to her, his hands staying on her shoulders and rubbing the leather material there. "I'll stay with you tonight, Vicky."
"I'll be fine in a while...just...tonight was really bad."
"Every night is bad," Jonathan replied to her. "You're in a dire situation...maybe it will get better one day."
"I doubt it," Vicky replied, a small snort escaping her as she held the lapels of her jacket. "I can manage on my own. You don't need to babysit me."
"I do," Jonathan said.
For a moment he feared what would happen to her if he left alone. He feared she would crack too soon. Then it would be his fault if she did. He said nothing as she moved her arms and wrapped them around his waist. She didn't know why she did it. She supposed she needed to thank him for being there, and this was the only way she could.
Jonathan stiffened as he felt her hug him. He didn't know why she had done it. He wished she hadn't as a moment of guilt flooded him. He said nothing before he dared to wrap his own arms around her, his posture still stiff as he did so.
But as she kept hold of him he could feel the guilt leave him. He felt a moment of peace.
...
A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! No updates for 10 days due to holiday, but do let me know what you think in the meantime!