Chapter Eleven: Halloween Preparation

Lynnlee watched Jonathan rub his hands together and blow into them. They were assigned to the outside decorations and were currently stringing lanterns the entire length of driveway. They were hoping for an unseasonably warm day to hang the lights, but mother nature had other thoughts: it was in the fifties and drizzling.

"Jon, do you want me to hang some of them? Give your hands a chance to thaw out?"

"No, that's fine." He gave her a small smile. "I'm just going to kill my sister when we go back inside."

Lynnlee laughed a little at his comment and handed him another string of the plain white lights. Her last performance was last night and she was able to get a good nights sleep before offering her help with the decorations. She hadn't told her uncle yet, but she fully intended to spend every day she had at Wayne Manor with Jon. She couldn't explain the draw she felt for this man but it was there and she cared about him more than she probably should. But she always believed in following her heart and her heart was undoubtedly bound to Jon Crane.

"Do you have a costume for the masquerade?"

Lynnlee shook her head. "I have some ideas. What about you?"

He climbed down from the ladder with a regretful grin. "I don't think I'll be welcome."

"What if I invited you?"

He looked everywhere but at her. "I don't think your Uncle would be very pleased with that. Besides, you should go with someone that'll show you a very nice time."

He was right, Uncle Al wouldn't be pleased. But she wasn't guaranteed weeks with Jon. Most likely, only a few more days. "I happen to think you would show me a very nice time."

"Why me?"

He wasn't wearing his glasses, the rain kept clinging to the glass and after cleaning them fifteen times, he finally just slipped them into his jacket pocket. Lynnlee was grateful for the weather now, she had a better view of his eyes without the glasses in front of them. She had a feeling he hid behind them in an effort to make the world see him differently than he saw himself. He was so unsure of himself, especially at times like this. When he thought someone was giving him a chance he didn't deserve.

She leaned towards him, purposefully invading his personal space. "I like you, Jon. I like the person you are."

He laughed nervously and took a step back. "You don't know me."

"I know enough. I've seen you with your sister and I've seen you with me." She kept advancing and thankfully he stopped retreating. "You're a good man."

His eyes shimmered, as if they full of tears. "No, I'm not."

Instead of arguing with him, Lynnlee stood up on her tiptoes and gently pressed her lips against his. At first he stiffened, but after a moment, she felt his arms come around her and he kissed her back. He pulled away from her, his slight frame shuddering under her hands. She looked up at his face and found his eyes were shut but tears were still leaking out from underneath his lashes. The tremors were sobs he was refusing to release.

"Jon," Lynnlee put both of her hands on his face, wiping away the tears, "what's wrong?"

"I don't deserve this," he whispered. "I don't deserve you."

Lynnlee smiled, even though his eyes were still closed. "Then aren't we fortunate that sometimes we get what we don't deserve."


Amy stepped back and took a look at her handiwork. She had to admit, it looked great. The Wayne ballroom had been turned into a gothic space fitting for any of Anne Rice's vampires. Elaborate wrought iron candelabra's were stationed intermittently through the room. She had hung large gas lanterns from the ceiling (no small feat since the ceiling was domed) with fishing line, giving the appearance that they were floating in midair. The windows were draped in thick black velvet curtains while the walls were done the same way only in red velvet.

But her pride and joy was the low structure that took up the center of the room. It was very easy to make, just four slabs of black granite sealed tightly. It was filled with water that Amy dyed black and set a large quantity of floating candles into the trough. It look far better in reality than it had in her mind. She heard a door slam and voices in the main hallway. It was either Jon and Lynnlee or Bruce and Alfred. Either way, she wanted someone to see the ballroom. However, when she reached the hallway, it was Bruce who stormed past her without a word.

Amy turned to Alfred, who looked just as stormy faced. "What's the matter?"

Alfred hung up his coat and shut the door with sharp snap. "With Master Bruce or with me?"

"I would settle for either one."

"Master Bruce has just discovered that the woman he was going to ask to accompany him to the party is coming with someone else."

"He waited until today? He should know women need more time than less than a week's notice."

Alfred gave her a tight smile. "A lesson he has regretfully learned."

Amy crossed her arms, preparing the tirade that she knew was coming. "Okay, Bruce is dateless, not a horrible travesty for the richest guy in Gotham. What's the matter with you?"

"Your brother is getting too cozy with my niece."

Luckily, she had been expecting this conversation and was ready for it. "And what would you have me do? Enforce a six inch rule? Chaperone them?"

"I don't care if your brother has decided to play nice while he's here-"

"Just as long as he's not playing with your niece."

"I don't want him near my niece."

Amy knew protectiveness when she saw it and sympathized with the older man. It had been just that emotion that brought her from California to Gotham. "Okay, I'm sure we can come to some understanding on this issue." Amy walked around the staircase and sat down on one of the carpeted steps. Alfred followed her and sat down next to her. "Have you talked to Lynnlee about this?"

"I've tried. She so stubborn."

Amy grinned. "I wonder where she got that from."

"That stubbornness saved her life."

"What?"

"She never told you?"

Amy shook her head.

"When she was eight, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Thomas Wayne, Bruce's father, flew her and my sister from England to here and treated her himself. He said it was an advanced stage of the cancer and he didn't know if she would make it. But she was too stubborn to give up. She recovered within three years and sometimes she would fly back here or Mr. Wayne would fly over to England for check ups. She was declared cancer free at the age of seventeen. Nothing has been able to hold her back since then."

"She sounds like a formidable woman."

"She is."

Amy remained quiet for a heartbeat before speaking again. "What makes you think that anything I do or you do is going to deter her from being around Jon?"

Alfred rubbed a hand over his tired face. "I know better. I was just hoping you could use that genius mind of yours to come up with an answer."

"The only answer I have is to wait and see what happens. If it's any consolation to you, I have kept tabs on my brother when he's out of my sight. As thrilled as I am about this turn around in his behavior, I still have this thought at the back of my mind that it's too good to be true. That I couldn't have him back this easily. But then again, why not? Sometimes, good things can happen."

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, listening to the steady rain. Steady rain?

Amy straightened. "Are they still out there in this rain?"

Both her and Alfred jumped up and lunged for the front door, whipping it open. Amy had to slap a hand over her mouth to keep a laugh from bubbling out. Jon and Lynnlee were both standing in the entrance way, dripping wet, with their arms around each other, kissing. It took them a few seconds to realize the door was open and they had an audience before they jumped apart.

Lynnlee was the first to recover. "We were just…keeping each other warm while we waited for someone to answer the door."

Amy had to lean on the door, silent laughter shaking her complete body. Jon looked like the proverbial kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"The door happened to be unlocked," Alfred snapped back.

Lynnlee shrugged slightly and carefully squeezed past her uncle, who followed close on her heels down the hallway. Amy turned her focus back her brother, who oddly enough had his head down, hands in his pockets. She felt the laughter drain out of her.

"Jon, what's the matter?"

"Nothing."

Amy stepped out of the house and shut the door. "You know that doesn't work with me. What's going on?"

He finally looked up at her, a weary sadness in his eyes. "Lynnlee wants me to go to this masquerade with her."

"Oh, that's wonderful."

He shook his head. "No, not really."

"Why not? Afraid you'll have some fun."

A deadly serious look came across his face. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of. She already has her costume."

"I'm sorry but I'm failing to see horror in this right now unless you're about to tell me she's dressing up like Dr. Phil."

He laughed slightly. "No, no, not Dr. Phil." Then the seriousness returned. "She's dressing up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. And guess who she wants to dress up as the Scarecrow?"

Amy looked back at the door and then refocused on Jon. "I thought she knew."

"She does! You'll never believe this. She thinks it'll be 'good therapy' for me."

Amy watched her brother pace around the front stoop of the Manor. At first, she thought that Lynnlee was crazy for even suggesting something like this but possibly, it made sense.

"I think it's great idea."

He stopped dead, mid-step and stared at her. "You can't be serious."

"Wasn't that your whole philosophy? Face your fears head on. Deal with them up front and personal. Besides, I can almost guarantee no one else will have the same costume as yours."

"This isn't a joke, Amy."

"I know," Amy reached out and laid a hand on his arm. "I'm not kidding though. I think you should consider doing this."

Jon shook his head again and turned away from her. "I don't think I can. I don't want to risk your's and Lynnlee's safety like that."

"You know what's best in this situation, Jon. Whatever you decide, I'll stand by you." Amy twisted the door knob and started to step into the house when Jon spoke up again.

"I know I haven't told you in a very long time but," he turned and looked at her directly,

"I love you."

Amy smiled broadly. He was right, it had been over a year and half since he last said those words to her. "I love you too, Jon. Here's the real question, do you love Lynnlee?"

He huffed out a sigh. "I'm standing out in the cold, soaking wet and contemplating dressing up as a scarecrow for her."

Amy laughed and nodded her head as she stepped back into the entrance way of the Manor. Yeah, that was love.


Bruce didn't know if Rachael had asked the new DA, Harvey Dent, to come with her out of spite or genuine interest. Either way, it didn't matter, he was still bothered by it. The only thing that bothered him more was Amy. They were falling into a routine, every morning of sitting at the breakfast table and watching the news. It was starting to feel eerily normal. Amy had weaseled her way into his life effortlessly and perhaps that was what took the sting out of Rachael's refusal.

He had skipped dinner and instead spent the time researching this Joker character. Nothing was coming up on him. It was as if the man never existed. Perhaps Bruce would have to ask Crane if any of his patients in Arkham would match up with the Joker's antics. Of course, he couldn't do it as Bruce Wayne and Batman might send him bring back the nightmares that Amy said were so horrible. Perhaps he could say something to Amy. He was starting to get the sneaking suspicion she had her guesses about his alter ego.

It was close to ten o'clock when he finally found her in the ballroom. She was kneeling on the floor in front of what look liked a black stone coffin, tossing rose petals into the black water. He had to admit, the ballroom looked fantastic. He wondered if she stayed under the budget Alfred gave her.

"It looks great."

She turned, slightly surprised. "Thank you. Are you, uh, doing better?"

"Yes, I am. Sorry about that."

She shrugged and put one more handful of petals into the water before standing up. "Everyone is entitled to their bad days. So, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if your brother might know who this Joker guy is."

She smiled coyly. "You were wondering or," she dropped her voice to a whisper, "Batman was wondering?"

He whispered back. "What makes you think I'm Batman?" And then he realized his mistake in the "I got you" gleam of Amy's eyes. She got him to drop his voice and allow the whispering to make it raspy. "How did you know?"

"I had a lot of time to put little details together."

"Do your brother know?"

She looked almost offended he would ask. "Absolutely not. Do you realize what it would do to his mind if he knew you were Batman?"

"So no one else knows?"

She gave him that smart aleck grin again. "Yes, Bruce. The entire social network I travel in knows your secret. Trust me," she turned serious again, "I know what it's like to keep secrets. Everyone is entitled to their own. I'm sorry I figured it out. I probably shouldn't have been thinking so deeply on the matter."

"No harm done, I suppose. Considering you keep this to yourself. "

"I can do that." Amy looked around the ballroom. "Anything you want changed or added?"

Bruce looked around the room, wall draped in red, window covered with black. The candles would add the perfect ambiance to the room. The little pond creation Amy had created was eye catching and subtle at the same time. The white candles and blood red rose petals stood out in stark contrast to the black water. "It's beautiful."

She gave him a relieved smile. He hadn't realized it meant so much to her. "Can I ask you one more question?"

"Sure."

Bruce wasn't sure of her reaction but he thought, what did he have to lose? "Would you be my date to the Masquerade?"

"Is this to get back at your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend." Rachel had made that clear by coming with Dent.

"Is this to get back at your friend who happens to be a girl?"

Bruce had to laugh at Amy's tenacity. "No. Not at all." And oddly enough, that was the truth. It was just another way that Amy had put herself into his life.

"Well, I did want to see my brother and Lynnlee together, all giggly and clumsily in love. Alright but I don't have a costume and not a whole a lot of time to get one."

"I'm sure we can work something out."

"Can I come as Batwoman?"

Bruce looked like he was really thinking about it. "Uh, no."

Amy shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

"You're taking this very well."

"My brother was the Scarecrow. You learn to cope with these things.


Author's Note: Please review! I am begging. :-)