(A/N: There are some throwbacks to earlier chapters, like 4, 6, and 7 so I hope you have read up on them recently or have a decent memory~ Without further ado, please enjoy the following chapter)

Chapter 10: Happy Anniversary

*November 29*

The first item on my agenda was to check up on Monsieur J. Next, I had a surgery scheduled for a patient who had a fractured his ulna. Lastly, I would perform five checkups on some of the asylum's residents. As I began my walk down the mess of corridors, I thought about my current job and its many pros and cons.

Work at the asylum was sporadic. As intense as you may think a surgeon's job is, it's pretty boring when you have one severe operation a week. I still got paid of course, and take over the duties of a physician more than anything, but that isn't what I love to do. The only time I get to work back to back on patients like a normal surgeon was during some of the more aggressive breakouts. But I knew this coming into the job. The main reason I wanted to work at the asylum was the opportunity to gain experience with the plethora of injuries and illnesses that would land in my hands. For example, one of my past patients was Monsieur Tetch, a rather short man with an obsessive attachment to Alice in Wonderland. When he was brought in after being found with a few of his departed 'Alice's and another on her deathbed, Batman had gone to town while restraining him. I dealt with a bruised lung, a cracked humorous, two broken ribs, fractured metacarpals, and a dislocated pinky all in one six hour long operation. I hated to admit it, but those rare instances made me grateful I wasn't at Gotham General dealing with people who lost a fight with a bagel knife. My job was interesting. I had the opportunity to document Killer Croc, study the cells of Mister Freeze, and test Poison Ivy's immune system with some of the deadliest illnesses known to man.

The slow days like these though, they made me want to switch jobs to a become a combat surgeon. The work there would at least be less dangerous.

XXXXX

As gently as I could, I removed the medical tape securing my patient's bandages to his nose. After a month-long wait, I was certain his cartilage had mended to a degree that made his cast unnecessary. Looking at the straight nasal bridge, I smiled. The swelling had disappeared since last week and his nose had regained its usual white complexion.

"Well, I'm sorry Monsieur J, but it appears I can no longer call you Rudolph." I poked the tip of his nose and disposed of the cast in a nearby bin before washing my hands.

"As unfunny as you are Doc, you were sure able to put me in stitches." The Joker quipped back, giggling at the play on words himself.

I smiled at my patient. "Very funny Monsieur J, now I only need remove them." Rolling up the loose sleeve of my patient, I saw the deep gash I had stitched together only last week. The Joker's multitude of stitches from his surgery last month had long since been removed. But, only a few days later he was wheeled into the facility with another gaping wound. I couldn't make sense of the style of it however. Most injuries were caused by makeshift weapons at the facility, but his was clean, precise, and deep. To add insult to injury it went against the lines of cleavage on his bicep, causing the flesh to spread apart more dramatically.

I could tell what caused it however. It wasn't too hard, the weapon was found in his cell with him after all. It was a knife, a very well maintained knife which held no prints. The odds of a patient getting his hands on the tool were minimal; it had to have been an employee out for blood. Since then, the Joker had been relocated to the critical ward, not permanently, but until the assailant was found.

"Say Doc, you seem in good spirits today, what's up?" The Joker poked me for an answer as I pulled out some scissors. Well, I suppose I was in a good mood for two reasons today, but I would only disclose one of them to my most dangerous patient.

"I have a pretty sparse schedule today, so I get to go home sooner." I snipped a thick black loop of thread near the middle of the mended injury before grabbing a knotted end. "Now this may tickle." I pulled and watched as the black snake slithered backwards, in and out of the holes used to secure the wound of the patient. All the while the Joker laughed hysterically, as if Batman was performing a slapstick routine right before us. But, when his newly forming scar was free from stitches, his laughter ceased almost instantly.

"Tickled." He grinned widely.

XXXXX

The second reason I was happy.

"Happy six month anniversary Jonathan!" I once again announced to my boyfriend as I gestured to the boat before us. Jonathan had of course driven us to the pier, but didn't know which restaurant we were eating in tonight. "It's a dining cruise. We go aboard, head out to sea, and eat dinner before coming back to port." I rocked in my ribbon heels and pushed my billowing green dress down as a gust of wind attacked us. "We will be below deck of course." I looked toward him in the evening sun, eager to hear whether or not the adventure interested him.

"It sounds very interesting Mireille." Jonathan gave me a reassuring smiled and kissed my cheek as we approached the boat together. "Is there anything else aboard the boat besides food?" Jonathan asked, curious as to whether or not our entire date would be spent sitting and eating.

"Yes, there is poker, roulette, blackjack, and a lounge. We can also go up top, but I think it'll be pretty windy tonight." As we got aboard the ship and waited in line I marveled at the lovely architecture of the vessel. The outside, although laden with windows and coated with a well maintained white paint, was incomparable to the majesty within the boat. The inside was colored with rich blue drapes, light wood chairs, and pristine white tablecloths. As people began to sit down, those drapes were pulled back to reveal the ocean through the multitude of windows. Each one was like a moving painting, breathtaking and ever-changing.

"How much does this cost Mireille?" Jonathan spoke as he eyed the elegant crystal chandelier hanging over the center of the dining room.

"Not much." I lied lightly. It wasn't overly expensive anyway. "Besides, I had to one-up you somehow. You took me beside the ocean last month; the next best thing I figured was taking you out on it." I was, of course, paying for this outing. I had insisted upon it after receiving the four hundred dollar commitment present from my boyfriend on top of a three hundred dollar meal. "Just enjoy yourself." I grasped his hand in mine as I took my turn in telling my name to the maître d'. We weren't seated in the prime real-estate area near the stern or bow, but we did have a lovely window just beside us with no tables to block the view.

Jonathan pulled out my chair as we approached said table. Sitting down in my deep green cocktail dress, I admired my date as he took his seat across from me. He had donned his usual tailored suit and accessorized with a navy blue tie and his usual box shaped cufflinks. As his eyes locked with mine, he started up a conversation. "So, Mireille, we have been together for six months exactly now, what do you think of our relationship so far?" He moved his glasses up his nose a tad, using his new window of vision to dissect my next statement.

"I think everything is going great so far." I ran my finger over the single rose that lay between us. The deep red petals was lovely, and the flower's stem was strong. "Just like this rose, it has no signs of wilting."

"I must agree, we are progressing nicely as a couple." Jonathan turned his gaze back to me after examining the rose himself. Tonight I had my hair tied back in a neat bun, only my bangs lay unrestricted as they framed my face. Jonathan eyed my exposed neck and smirked at me, believing most likely that if he were to mark me tonight, I would have a hard time covering it up. Little did he know I had a pashmina scarf neatly folded in my purse, brought along specifically for that possibility.

I glanced down at my painted nails and recalled the reasons they would be coated in lacquer for the next month or so. The incident in the elevator, although not an earth-shattering experience, would certainly leave its mark on me for the foreseeable future. One of which being my bruised fingernails. Jonathan's look toward me shifted to concern.

"Mireille, is there something on your mind?" Jonathan quickly added to his question, "Does it have to do with us?" I shook my head, a faint smile on my lips. Of course he would assume it had to do with our most recent conversation topic.

"No, Jonathan can I ask your opinion on something?" I placed my hands on my lap and gazed out the window to the ocean scene beside us.

"Of course Mireille." He scrunched his brow, eager to get inside of my head once again. "You can talk to me about anything."

Exhaling a deep breath I turned to him, my hands curling into fists out of anxiety. "I don't know if I should keep up work at the asylum." Jonathan's brow straitened, he was surprised. "It's interesting beyond belief but I rarely get to practice my trade and the danger of working at the facility is only growing more apparent over time. I've had to tackle the Joker, receive threats from Killer Croc, and now there's an employee running around with a thirst for vengeance." I shrugged my shoulders, looking into my boyfriend's cerulean eyes. "Do you have any advice to give?"

Jonathan reached up to adjust his glasses before speaking. "If self-preservation is your main motive, by all means I implore you to leave the asylum. But if you enjoy the work there, even if it is minimal, I don't see why you would want to leave. You said yourself it is an interesting place. On another note, what do you mean Killer Croc threatened you?" He had seen me flinch when I commented on Monsieur Jones, and was now zeroing in on that incident.

"He found out about us, through our scent." I looked down at the tablecloth. "Evidently we both had turkey yesterday and he was able to connect the dots. My marinade is pretty unique after all." I looked back up at him, an apologetic smile already on my lips. "He threatened to talk if I didn't lower his dosage of sedative to a nonconsequential level."

"Useless." I flinched a bit, my eyes returning to my lap as I took the insult. "Not you, his plea. He'll talk no matter what, but I think I can ensure he isn't taken seriously." Jonathan extended his hand over the table; I took hold of it after a brief pause. "This was through no fault of your own Mireille." He grinned at me, rubbing the top of my hand with his thumb before adding. "And that employee handbook will by no means split us up. I'm not admitting defeat just yet."

"Oui." I smiled back at him and held his hand a tad tighter.

XXXXX

I set down my wine glass and watched with rapt attention as a man across the room knelt before the woman opposite him. The nervous gentleman slowly reached into his pocket and procured a ring. The volume of the restaurant dampened as a majority of the customers watched on, eager to hear what the prospective bride said.

"Yes," was clearly heard through her happy cries as she let her new fiancé slip on the engagement ring. Alongside the rest of the restaurant, I clapped for their merriment before turning back to my date, who was currently giving a lackluster golf clap to the couple.

"What do women see in diamonds Mireille?" Jonathan asked me, his eyes swinging to the right as he saw the blond woman faun over the bit of compressed carbon. "They are more useful in drills than they are on a lady's finger."

"Honestly Jonathan." He moved his head back toward me, an eyebrow raised to hear my argument. "I think it may be because of how sparkly they are. My mother loves her engagement ring, proclaiming it glitters beautifully in the sunlight. But, I'm not a big fan of diamonds." I confessed this to Jonathan with a somewhat embarrassed expression. "I understand a lot of girls love the gem, but I prefer my jewelry to have a rich color rather than just sparkle."

"So, what gem do you prefer?" Jonathan asked, his eyebrows knitted together as he tried to decipher my personality further.

"I have two favorites, one for its appearance, and the other for its meaning. In turn, they are alexandrite and emerald." I admitted with a smile.

Jonathan absorbed the information before nodding and exhaling a sigh. "And here I thought I was going to be getting lucky with amethyst or citrine." Jonathan smiled before pointing out the obvious, "both of those are far more expensive than diamonds."

"Yeah, but well worth the price in my opinion." I grinned, tapping the tiny emerald earrings I was wearing for tonight's special occasion.

XXXXX

After dinner we walked upstairs, skipping the second floor casino to instead relax in the lounge. I had already spent enough money on the date and Jonathan disliked gambling in general. Sitting beside Jonathan on the third floor of the boat, I listened to the relaxing classical music in the comfort of a luxurious sofa. In my hand was a mimosa, my second of the night. Setting the half-full glass down on a nearby table I moved closer to Jonathan and joined him in viewing the lovely scenery before us. The sun was near setting, the ocean reflecting the colorful hues of the sky in its delicate waves.

"I got you something." I sat up a bit, reaching into my bag for the item.

"Mireille, you didn't-" his complaints ceased as I pulled a tightly sealed jar out of my purse and placed it in his hands. "Is this?" His eyes darted around before he ensured the coast was clear. Lifting the glass jar which contained a colorless liquid, he examined it against the sunlight. "Now, I know you didn't get me water. What compound is this?" His eyes squinted as he looked around the jar for markings.

"It's benzyl chloride." I whispered.

Jonathan stuffed the compound back in my purse before asking me. "How did you get that much of it, and where?" He seemed excited, but also doubtful of my ability to procure the chemical building block.

Giggling I stated the obvious answer. "My father, remember? He works in biological research at Wayne Corp. All I had to do was ask nicely and he got me a large batch. He was curious what I wanted it for, so I told him you were planning on making me perfume." I shrugged my shoulder in embarrassment at the white lie.

"H-how did you know I wanted some?" Jonathan pestered me, seemingly nervous about how I had gained this knowledge.

"Well, for the past month and a half, whenever I place orders for gauze, anesthetics, needles, and blood alongside some of the basic drugs we need in the Medical Facility, I always get the order sheet returned with one item highlighted in red on the list. It's the same one each time, benzyl chloride, but neither my coworkers nor I placed the order. After the third week in a row, I performed a little investigation and discovered that the chemistry lab had the chemical, but every milliliter had to be accounted for since it's a federally regulated substance. By process of elimination, I found out you were the one placing the order." I zipped up my purse and grinned madly, pleased with my boyfriend's reaction to the gift. "Although," I looked at him closely, trying to detect any form of lie. "I still don't know what you want the substance for."

"Call it a pet project," Jonathan commented lightheartedly. "I had wanted to use the chemicals in the laboratory, but with all those chemists staring over my shoulder, I thought they would steal my discovery and try to claim it as their own."

Not a twitch, no trembling, his eyes didn't shift. "Okay." I smiled and kissed his cheek. I also got you these as a regular gift. I pulled out a small velvet box and handed it over. Jonathan opened the case and pulled out its contents. "They're howlite cufflinks, I figured they would be much more elegant than those plain stainless steel ones you usually wear." I pointed at the white and grey stone before explaining. "A lot of people also say that howlite relieve stress of all kinds, should make meetings easier huh?" I watched as Jonathan removed his own cufflinks to put the newly gifted ones on.

"They are very nice Mireille." He held up his wrists and rotated them to show me how they looked before reaching into his jacket pocket to pull out a box of his own.

"Not fair." I scoffed as he offered me the polished wood box. "You already gave me a gift, and now you're going to upstage mine as well."

"I doubt that." Jonathan pushed the box into my hands before explaining. "Please, consider the syringe my gift for the anniversary, but this is a present to ensure I don't get scorned for showing up without even a token." He smirked as he saw me open it and smile. "I'm not a religious person myself, but I figured you would appreciate it."

Out of the box, I pulled a blue lace agate rosary. "Pretty," I spoke in awe as I brought the rosary closer to examine the beads it was composed of. The agate stones were sky blue, with ribbons of white streaked across the semiprecious beads. Returning the rosary to the box gently, I turned to my boyfriend. "I'll take it to confession each month."

"Do what you will Mireille, it's yours now." Jonathan put his box of old cufflinks in his now empty pocket and rose from the couch. Staring at the near sunset from his standing position, he extended his arm to me and helped me up. "How about we go above deck?" Jonathan asked, pointing to the stairs just across the room.

"Don't you think it'll be chilly?" I asked, imagining how strong the gusts of wind would be up top.

"Yes, but I will also be up there to keep you warm." Jonathan moved his hand to my lower back as he ushered me toward the stairs.

XXXXX

I had never been more grateful for having my hair in a bun than I was at that point in time. The sea wind whipped at us as we admired the setting sun, the furniture on the deck firmly bolted to the boat, allowing us to sit comfortably while viewing the sunset. It wasn't a surprise that we were alone on the top deck, it was freezing, but when the sun finally set and the party lights circling the deck lit up, I knew the cruise was worth the price. The whole boat seemed to light up as well, the strings of light placed all over the vessel reflecting in the deep blue water.

Jonathan removed his arm from around my shoulders before standing up and bowing. "Would you care to dance, Mireille?" I giggled and accepted his hand, but upon standing, my dress began to lift without shame in the strong ocean breeze. Pulling back my hand I pushed the dress down and smiled up at my date.

"I'd love to dance Jonathan, it's been a while after all, but I'm not sure this is the place." I tried to reseat myself, but he simply pulled me incredibly close to him, canceling out the wind's effect on the front of my dress, but simply amplifying what it did to the back. "Jonathan, you're merely displacing the problem." I eeped as a strong gust of wind blew up my dress almost completely. Thankfully, my back was toward the ocean rather than the crew steering the ship, and they weren't even facing us.

"Okay, so no dancing," he ran his hand down my back and over the billowing fabric, pushing it back against my body and effectively grabbing my rear as he did so. Slowly my boyfriend brought me over to the railings and sat me on the wood bar. Immediately I latched onto him, my nails digging into his back as he took his place in front of me. Although my dress was in no danger of fluttering around, I disliked the thought of being lost to sea to satisfy my boyfriend's desires. "Jonathan-"

Jonathan's lips pressed against mine almost ferociously, the hand he placed on my lower back holding me securely in place. He nipped at my lip, cradling my head in his spare hand he began kissing me with passion I hadn't expected from him in such an unfamiliar place. I felt close to tears as another gust of wind hit us, terrified at the thought of being thrown overboard. Jonathan felt my trembling and withdrew for a second, whispering lightly in my ear. "You trust me, don't you Mireille? I won't let go, I promise." His mouth then moved to my neck, his hot breath wavered over my skin for seconds before the cold, salty, sea breeze chilled my throat once more. Kissing the part of my neck he hovered over, he moved downward. Choosing the midpoint between my shoulder and my neck, he bit down on the skin gently before sucking at it until surrounding blood vessels popped and a bruise began to form. He continued the pattern, slowly making his way down my chest, leaning me further back as he went to allow himself more room to maneuver. Now as he nipped at the revealed swell of my breast, not yet audacious enough to go beyond the border of the deep green dress, he whispered. "Do you find it exhilarating Mireille? So close to danger, but at the same time you know you are safe. When you are with me, my darling pumpkin, you have nothing to fear." Jonathan kissed my chest once more before leaning back to admire his work.

I looked at his consuming stare through damp eyes, my nails still holding tight to my boyfriend's jacket. "Take my hand." Jonathan pulled away the hand he had placed behind my head. I unlatched my own hand from his back and held onto his until my knuckles were white. "Now the other." I did as asked and watched in near terror as Jonathan untucked his elbows, extending his arms so I was lying practically parallel to the boat, except above my torso I was not supported by the railing, I was hanging over the ocean. If he had let go, I would surely fall overboard. But he didn't. Slowly, the terror of falling slipped away, even the harsh sea wind seemed playful rather than menacing. I looked at Jonathan and smiled before extending my own arms, letting my back bend almost painfully as I observed the world upside down, the ocean was the sky and the sky became the sea. After a few minutes, Jonathan pulled me up and offered me his jacket to help conceal the haphazard string of hickeys he had left down my chest.

Once we were back in a heated room I turned to look at my boyfriend. "What was that you did back there?" I asked him. How had he turned a mortifying situation into a childish game?

"I eliminated the illusion of fear in the activity. Without that, you were able to enjoy the experience free of trepidation." Jonathan ran his knuckle over my cheek as he looked closer at me. "I have to admit, I thought you would scream or kick me for pulling such a stunt. Why didn't you?"

"I trust you Jonathan." I caressed his cheek before leaning in to tenderly kiss his lips. "I figured you would have learned that by now."

XXXXX

I had enjoyed Mireille's evening of enchantment, and even more so her gift. Eight hundred milliliters of benzyl chloride would last me until June if I used it wisely. This chemical building block was among my favorites to work with and now that I had some, I could finally advance my latest formula. Perhaps this time I could get past some of the more gruesome effects of an overdose of the toxin and improve its potency while I'm at it. I still had more than enough vermin test subjects in my basement and suitable, although not willing, patients were constantly being sent into solitary.

The ship slowed down as it reentered the bay and neared the pier. Taking the hand of my dozing date, I shook Mireille lightly before telling her we had returned to port. She nodded and stood up, not tired out of drunkenness but because of the light sway of the boat. My girlfriend held onto my arm, her eyes still half lidded as she followed me down the stairs and onto the docks. "Did you have fun?" Mireille asked me sweetly, now fully awake and ready to converse.

"It will certainly not be forgotten anytime soon." I placed my hand on her back as we walked down the pier and into the nearby parking lot. "You really know how to plan a romantic evening, Mireille." I gave her the compliment before kissing the crown of her head.

"What?" Mireille got a mischievous smile on her face, "the date isn't over yet. I've got something waiting for us back at my place." Nodding in agreement at her antics, I opened the car door for her and closed it once she was safely inside. Taking my own seat in the driver's chair, I began piloting our trip back. Beside me, Mireille fiddled with the radio before finding a station she enjoyed. She then leaned back in her chair and admired the lights of the city while listening to the upbeat music.

How could a girl who was dangling from a boat no more than thirty minutes ago now be blissfully enjoying the scenery around her? Part of what I did had valid reasoning behind it, but the notion of holding her nearly upside down atop the four story ship was something that happened in the spur of the moment. And she had taken it in stride, even to the point of marveling in her world being turned quite literally upside down.

XXXXX

"Make yourself at home, I'll be back in a second after I change out of this dress." Mireille shut her bedroom door and locked it, leaving me to sit on her couch, wondering where this date would now lead. Beside me was the movie we had planned on watching last Thursday. Perhaps that was what she had scheduled. I sat back in the couch and loosened my tie before removing it completely. Mireille was an astonishing woman. As I thought back to what had transpired on the boat I felt myself relax concerning our somewhat unorthodox relationship. We would be fine. As for Croc, a visit to solitary should settle him down.

I grabbed the foreign film's box and examined the images on the back. I was by no means scared of the movie; I had an appreciation for it. Rather than rely on blatant gore and jump scares to terrify the audience, the director had focused on slowly revealing the severity of the foolish and defenseless family's situation. By far, the best part of the film were the ghosts which haunted the building the people were locked it. They were corrupted, decades of suffering in the same anguish they had died in swayed them to desire instilling their misfortune in whoever crossed their path rather than assist them. That should be what sticks with and torments Mireille the most, with her belief of salvation after death being stomped upon.

Being cruel to my girlfriend was not my primary objective, I simply felt the need to test her ability to acclimate. Already she had proved herself to be a suitable confidante, but I couldn't help but feel further assessment was necessary. It was strange to look at her and think she would be perfect, that nothing would go wrong like before. I knew it would be a long time before I could confess to her, I needed to strengthen our bond more. I wanted to.

"I'm back!" Mireille emerged from her bedroom in a maroon spaghetti strap shirt and plain jeans. As my girlfriend made her way over to me I saw the hickeys I had placed on her earlier tonight were bruising nicely. Just a bit more culturing and she would do nicely. "Ah, you already caught on." She poked the movie in my hand before kissing my cheek. "And I thought I would surprise you."

"Sorry Mireille, I suppose I'm a tad too smart to overlook a clearly placed DVD case." I commented before she snatched said item away with a grin.

"I meant to hide it," Mireille admitted as she opened the box. I saw her jump and grinned. "Creepy cover art, they put the clear hub of the disc directly over a dead child's face." She lightly laughed it off before putting the movie in the player.

"Do you like horror movies Mireille? We've gone to see a few at the cinema, but those were pretty tame." I felt the need to ask her this out of courtesy.

"I usually enjoy intense horror movies after they're over. Then I have a chance to think over and appreciate the film, but during the showing I am often terrified." She slid the disc tray closed and took the remote off the top of the television. "But, I have my boyfriend with me today, so I think things will go a lot smoother than usual."

XXXXX

I refrained from putting my arm around Mireille until we were forty five minutes into the film, at that point her legs were tucked in front of her and her arms wrapped around them. It was a chilling movie, that was easily confirmed. A deceased child with half of his limbs dismembered had just cornered a living mother in a room. Sobbing hysterically through bloodied teeth, the boy cried out for comfort by the means of his stuffed dog 'Taro'. The instant my hand touched her shoulder, Mireille screamed for a good three seconds before realizing it was me. After a brief apology, she moved closer and let me drape my arm over her shoulder.

I had heard my girlfriend scream before, but the most guttural had to have been last month in the elevator when Edward had captured us. Other than that, Mireille only every really shrieked in excitement at rare instances and gave out soft cries of distress during some horror movies at the cinema. Her most recent scream was different from the others, it was higher pitched, it was a cry for help more than a release of pent up terror.

Rubbing her shoulder with my hand I felt her muscles relax as she lounged against me. Although I compromised her reaction to the rest of the movie by offering comfort, I felt my choice was superior to having Mireille curl up beside me in a traumatized stupor.

As much as I was changing her, she most certainly had an effect on me as well.

XXXXX

(A/N: Who stabbed Joker? Leave a comment and tell me your theory as to what went down! Also, what do you think of Jonathan's motives, or Mireille trust in the guy? Should she keep her job at the asylum? Do you think Jonathan will actually try to pump Croc with Toxin?

I was on a stone kick this episode, because when I did research on chemical compounds and elements (I was reading up on soooo many of them, too much chem) I found links to gems and then decided to do some research on some of them and their meanings. In this chapter I used: "Blue Lace Agate", "Howlite", "Emerald", "Diamond", "Citrine", "Amethyst", and "Alexandrite".

Remember to Review!)