Two Months Later

May 1999

It was Jeannie's nineteenth birthday; a day when most others her age would go out and celebrate their last year of being a teenager, but unfortunately she didn't have that luxury. Her exams were in six weeks and she'd been letting her grades slip, so after a nasty wake-up call when she'd failed one of her essays, studying had become her top priority.

But she had to admit to herself that she wasn't only studying for the sake of learning. She was also doing it to take her mind off of what she knew would transpire that weekend.

As soon as she'd come home from the Chicago trip, Jeannie had gone to the pharmacy and bought a pack of birth control pills. It was embarrassing, but she figured it was better to be safe than sorry. After what she and Jack had almost done at the hotel, she knew it wouldn't be very long before they consummated their relationship. So far her only problem had been hiding the pills from her parents.

Now, just over two months later, it looked like her efforts were finally going to come to fruition. Mr. and Mrs. Kerr were away for the weekend at a police memorial in Kentucky. Jeannie was almost certain Jack would want to come over, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to guess what they would do. So instead of sitting around the house unsuccessfully trying to calm herself down, Jeannie turned to studying, something she was in dire need of.

Still, after she'd been hunched over her sociology textbook for two and a half hours, the words began to swim around on the page. When Jeannie realized she had been staring at the same diagram for five minutes, she decided it was time for a break.

Despite the gorgeous weather and the warm temperature, she didn't feel like going outside. Normally she would go for a jog or bike to the grocery store, but today neither of those options were particularly appealing. Jeannie poured herself a bowl of cereal and stared at the blank TV screen, watching her reflection twist and distort.

While searching for something to occupy her time with, Jeannie came across her cell phone hidden under a stack of old newspapers. She hadn't even known it had gone missing.

There were only three unread texts: one from Harriet asking if she could visit sometime during the week; one from Emily saying that Edward was responding well to a new type of medication; and one from Jack saying that he was going to come over later. Jeannie knew by now that meant he would show up sometime between noon and midnight; there was no rhyme or reason to the timing of Jack's visits. She wondered if he was working that day.

Putting her phone aside, Jeannie stretched out on the couch and hung over the side, like she'd used to do when she was a child. Her hair fanned out beneath her and spread across the floor. Everything looked so different when one saw the world upside down; it was an entirely new place. Too bad my parents can't look at Jack differently, Jeannie grumbled to herself. The least Harriet could do is support me; it's annoying that she'd staying out of it. I stuck up for her when she was pregnant.

Despite their age differences, the Kerr siblings used to be inseparable. Jeannie would mimic her older sisters and adore Liam. They'd only started to drift apart after the move to Gotham. Now, five years later, Jeannie often remembered with a guilty pang that she'd gone for days without thinking about her older siblings. They'd all branched out and were living completely different lives now. Liam was married, Harriet was content to stay in casual relationships and Rebecca was supposedly dating a young actor back in L.A. If an outsider didn't know better, they would have no idea the four of them were related.

The sun burned her face and she closed her eyes, basking in the warmth. It was so rarely sunny in Gotham; the wisest thing to do was take advantage of it as much as she could.

So relaxed was she that she barely noticed when she fell asleep and sank into a dream.

She was nine years old again, lying on the grass next to a small pond. Birds called softly in the distance and the grass rippled. The air smelled of summer. Jeannie was plucking daisies and gathering them in her lap; Rebecca had just showed her how to make a flower necklace with them and she couldn't wait to get started.

The four of them, plus Oliver, were arranged in a circle all facing each other. Liam, who'd just turned fourteen, looked as if he would rather be anywhere than babysitting his little sisters. Harriet and Rebecca, always the closest of the lot, were braiding each others' hair and looked lost in their own world.

These were happier times; times when the world still held so much promise for Jeannie and she regarded everything with a child's gaze. To her, there was no such thing as unhappiness, despair or abuse; she saw through rose-colored glasses.

"Hey, Ollie!" she said excitedly, prodding her best friend in the shoulder. "Wanna know what Daddy was telling me about yesterday? He said that if you look at a person's hand, you can tell their future!"

"He was joking, Jeannie," Harriet said disparagingly, looking at her sister with a pitying expression. "It's not real."

"I still wanna know my future!" Oliver protested. He held out his hands. "Someone tell me!"

Liam sighed heavily, as if it was a horrible task he was being entrusted with, and reached across the circle to the younger boy. "You'll be healthy…but your life line ends suddenly here, for some reason—"

"I don't want to die early!" Oliver cried.

"You won't—it's just for fun. Look, see this tiny line here? It means you'll have a child someday."

"With me!" Jeannie said happily.

"Just one?" asked Oliver. When Liam nodded, he looked immensely relieved as he pulled his hand back.

"Do me next!" Harriet and Rebecca cried as one, extending their hands toward Liam.

"You'll get married, Becky, but you won't have any children…and you'll have two children, Harriet, but you won't get married." The sisters giggled at their opposite fates and high-fived.

Jeannie held her right hand out, palm up, and looked expectantly at her brother. He crawled over to her and sat down cross-legged before lightly taking her hand in his own. She watched his expression carefully.

"You have a pretty long life line, so that's good…but there are a lot of other lines branching out off of it, which means that you'll suffer a lot." Liam's brow furrowed as he concentrated. "Your hand is weird, Jeannie…you'll get married but I can't tell how many kids you'll have. It looks like you'll have two but maybe this is a third one, I can't tell…your heart line crosses your life line, I've never seen that before…"

"You're a freak!" Oliver teased. "So does this mean we won't get married?"

Liam groaned. "Guys, don't take this seriously. You make your own choices in life. You can't predict your destiny by a couple of lines on your hand."

But none of them were listening. Jeannie was still hurt by Oliver's comment, and scratched her palm furiously, hoping she could blot out the lines that supposedly predicted her future.

She awoke groggy and disoriented, not able to grasp what was happening at first. It took her muddy brain some seconds to remember why she was lying on the couch, and another while to shake herself of the dream.

Gradually, she became aware of a distant noise. At first she thought it was hammering, but as her hearing sharpened she realized someone was knocking impatiently at the door.

Jeannie staggered to her feet and moved as fast as her dazed body would allow her across the room. The clock above the television read three o'clock; she'd been asleep for four hours. So much for studying all day.

"All right, calm down," she grumbled at the door. "Hasn't anyone ever told you patience is a virtue?" she complained when it swung open to reveal an exasperated-looking Jack.

"I've been here for ten minutes, Jean-nie. Patience only goes so far," he said, examining her closely. "What happened to you?"

"I was sleeping," she answered, sure that the red imprint of the couch against her cheek would stay there forever. "Shouldn't you be working?"

He shrugged. "I guess. They'll find someone else to take my shift easily enough."

Jeannie wished she could say the same of her restaurant, where her manager pitched it a fit if she was so much as a minute late. Really, it was a wonder she hadn't been fired yet.

Jack took a step inside the front door and had barely shut it behind him when his lips were upon hers. Jeannie turned her head to the side and tried to pull her face away, protesting, "You haven't even been here two minutes! At least pretend to care what I have to say."

"I do," he said huskily, pressing his lips to her earlobe. "I'm not stopping you from talking, am I?"

"Actually, you were just now—" Her speech was cut off as he pushed her down onto an armchair, holding her firmly so she couldn't squirm away.

"Happy birthday," he whispered. "Just don't ask me what your present is."

"You, I'm guessing." She winced as his scars dug uncomfortably into her chin. "Jack—"

He pulled away just enough to get a good look at her face, but didn't appear to be listening intently. His hands idly traced the planes and features of her face. "Hmmm?" he asked softly.

"Do you think we can, um…" she hesitated, feeling incredibly awkward. Did all couples have this conversation at some point? "Go slowly? I've…never done this before, obviously—"

Jack laughed quietly, the vibration of the shudders shaking her own body. "Jean-nie, if I've been waiting this long for something, it doesn't mean that I want to get it over with quickly."

She nodded, feeling her mouth go dry. They'd silently planned this for months; never speaking a word aloud but somehow reaching a mutual understanding nonetheless. Jeannie had imagined, dreamed, and hoped for this moment for far too long. They were finally alone, without having to worry about her parents or time restraints. The notion both thrilled and petrified her.

"Come on," Jack urged. He straightened up, encircling her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist in a piggyback. Jeannie giggled and kissed the back of his neck, holding tightly onto him. It probably looked ridiculous, but luckily there was no one around to witness it. She was glad he was supporting her—she didn't know if she would be able to walk on her own.

They didn't break apart for even a second once he reached her room. Even though there was no one else in the house, Jack still closed the door behind them before letting Jeannie fall down on the bed. She grabbed his hands and pulled him as close as she possibly could, not wanting to let him go.

"I thought you wanted things to be slow," he teased, but his hands were shaking. She could feel the fast pounding of his heart against her chest. It comforted her to know that Jack was just as nervous as she was, even if he wasn't outwardly showing it.

"Shut up," Jeannie mumbled. It was the only response she could think of, since the rest of her brain appeared to have switched off.

As their breathing grew more labored, their kisses grew more forceful and their touches rougher. Jeannie wrapped her legs around his torso, knowing he would take it as a signal that she wanted to go faster. Jack reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head in one swift movement, impatiently tossing it over the edge of the bed.

"I love you," she said passionately as her hands struggled with the belt on his jeans.

She didn't expect a response, but surprisingly he offered one. Jack snatched up her hands, preventing any further movement. He waited until she made direct eye contact before speaking. "I know, tiger."

Her heart melted, and she could only nod. "Thank you, Jack."

"Anytime," he said simply, and then effectively silenced her by bringing their mouths together again.

They were both fueled by desperate need now, hands scrabbling at clothes and involuntary groans slipping out of their mouths. Jack was somehow both gentle and rough; restrained and free. "Contradictory," Jeannie mumbled against his bare torso while she kissed the scars that crisscrossed his body; reminders of his past that could never be erased.

Jack brushed his fingers against her chin, sending shivers down her neck and into her spine, pulling her head up to face him. His brown eyes were swirling with something fierce that she'd never seen before on anyone. "You can't back out on me now, Jean-nie," he said.

"I won't," she assured him, emphasizing the words as much as she could.

He stared at her for another moment, searching for truth. When he appeared satisfied, he grinned. "Look at me."

He wouldn't be as beautiful without the scars, was all she could think.

Jeannie didn't realize she'd fallen asleep until she lazily opened her eyes, with the sensation that she'd achieved ultimate bliss. Nothing could be more wonderful than what she was feeling. Her heart felt like it was about to burst. Had anyone ever been this happy?

She felt silly now for resisting him all those times. She'd been delusional.

But now…

There were no words to accurately describe how Jeannie felt. She replayed the events of that afternoon almost reverently, a huge smile on her face. Her limbs ached dully, but the pain was nothing. She could deal with physical pain. It all paled in comparison, really.

God, she sounded like such an overdramatic, lovesick fool. But it was true. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she understood what compelled people to stay with each other for their entire lives. She knew she could happily spend the next eighty years with Jack and she would never tire of him.

Jeannie turned her head to see him. To her mild surprise, he'd fallen asleep as well. She'd had him pegged as the type of person who would leave right after any type of intimate encounter; but there he was, seemingly fast asleep. She reached out a hand and brushed the curls out of his eyes. It occurred to her that he probably didn't get much sleep at all, what with his job and his tendency to roam the streets at night.

His grip loosened around her and he opened his eye, not looking at all surprised to see her gawking. "Awake already?" he asked groggily. "Have you just been staring at me?"

"No," she lied. "I was thinking."

"About what, hmmm?" Jack propped himself up on one elbow and regarded her with puppy dog eyes. He appeared to be in a playful mood.

"How horrible you were," she teased. "It was so bad, I fell asleep."

"Because you have so much to compare it to," he teased, hitting her with a pillow. "You look more than a little bit drunk, so I'm assuming it was at least acceptable."

"You keep on thinking that," Jeannie smiled, acting nonchalant, when in reality it had been the best birthday present ever. She imagined her parents' dismayed faces, but that all seemed absurd now. She was no longer afraid of their reactions. They probably suspected what would happen when they left Jeannie alone, anyway. At least her mother would.

"Are you hungry?" Jack asked after a long, comfortable silence.

Jeannie nodded. The shadows cast over the floor were growing longer and the sky outside was tinged with various hues of pink and red, so it must be early evening. Just eight hours ago she'd been bent over her desk, frantically reading her sociology textbook. Funny, how so much could change in so little time.

Jack untangled himself from the covers and pulled his clothes back on, throwing Jeannie's over at her. "I think we have pizza in the fridge," she said. "Mom left a bunch of food for me."

Jack left in search of food, while Jeannie slowly followed after him. Her legs were shaky and more than a bit sore, as if she'd been on a ship for weeks and had just stepped back onto land.

On the way downstairs she passed a mirror and automatically paused to study her reflection. She wondered if anyone could notice just by looking that she was a different person from who she'd been before. Was there a new gleam in her eye, did her face look slightly different; something to reflect the emotional change inside her?

But aside from her face being flushed and her lips looking swollen, she didn't appear altered in any way. Perhaps she was just imagining things.

In the kitchen, Jack was happily eating the promised pizza. Reaching out an arm, he drew her close to him. She curled up and rested her cheek against his shoulder, breathing in his scent. "Are you staying here all weekend?" she asked.

"I'm staying until you throw me out. After that, I'll just sneak back in again," he promised, chuckling. "Which do you think is better, Jean-nie—my filthy apartment or your house?"

The endless promises of a long, glorious weekend stretched out before her and she sighed contentedly. It would be easy enough to study once she got back to school. Today, the here and now, was much more important than a half-formed exam lurking on the horizon.

Everything was so very perfect.

Jeannie spent the entire weekend lost in an infatuated stupor, barely able to tear herself away from Jack. This new, strange facet of their relationship would take some time for her to get used to. All of the new emotions were still so wonderful and undamaged; she didn't want to explore uncharted territory so fast that she ended up destroying it.

They spent hours lying in her bed, talking about everything and nothing. Jeannie had never felt so physically and emotionally close with someone else; it was exhausting yet exhilarating. She told him about the strange dream she had; he told her about a recurring "nightmare" where he was forced to babysit a group of small children for a day. When their voices grew hoarse and their energy spent, they would lie quietly, limbs tangled with limbs, not wanting to move.

On the last night after dinner, Jack playfully pushed Jeannie onto the bed, straddling her so she couldn't escape. "What time are your parents coming home?"

"Probably around seven or eight," she murmured, reaching up to kiss him. "We still have a couple of hours."

"Speaking of limited time, I'm not going to be in town next week, love," he told her. "I, ah, have a job I need to do in Blüdhaven."

"What kind of job?"

"I just have to keep an eye on a few people; follow them around town and see what they're doing. One of the guys at work offered it to me. It's good pay, tiger," he said, seeing she was about to protest. "It just means sometimes I might be gone for two or three weeks at a time."

"Is it…dangerous?" Jeannie asked.

He raised his eyebrows. "Of course it is, Jean-nie, but you know how good I am at escaping situations I need to get away from. I'll be fine."

She nodded, but her chest seemed to tighten. Right now, she didn't want to be away from him for two minutes, let alone two weeks. What if something came up and he was gone for months on end? "Just come back as soon as possible," she mumbled. "I—I can't stand to be away from you for a long time."

There—she'd said it. A phrase that was heard in bad romance novels, movies, and TV shows the world over. Even though it was the truth, it sounded unrealistic and silly coming from her mouth.

Jack, however, didn't hesitate for a second. "Then marry me," he said at once, as if he was merely suggesting she go to the store and get some food.

"I—sorry, I thought you asked me to marry you." Jeannie wondered if she'd heard him right.

But his eyes were wide and earnest. "I'm serious, Jeannie. God, it would be a perfect solution." He nodded to himself, like he was working out the details in his head. "Listen—if you were my wife, they'd probably let you come with me! If I find a job somewhere else we don't even need to live in Gotham! That way I won't have to travel halfway across the city to see you."

Alarmed, Jeannie thought of feeling his forehead to see if he had a fever. "Jack, are you—" she began, but he placed a finger on her lips.

"I should have thought of this before…Fuck, I don't even have a ring—" Abruptly, he leapt backwards off the bed and pulled her to her feet. Before Jeannie could say anything, he knelt down on one knee.

"You know by now that I wouldn't have stayed for so long if I didn't…love you. You're the only person I can trust in this entire goddamned world. You're the only person who can keep up with me, and you're the only person I can see myself tolerating for the rest of my life. So…Jennifer Louise Kerr, marry me. Please."

It was too much to take in. Jeannie had only briefly thought about marrying Jack, and even that was sometime in the distant future, when she would be out of university and have a steady job.

It wasn't a question of whether she loved him; she would marry him in a heartbeat if she could. It was everyone else's reaction—her parents would be horrified. Having sex was one thing; getting married was something entirely different.

But wasn't a marriage supposed to be between two people? Not two people and their families?

What was the point in waiting, if you only lived once?

Jeannie was supposed to be a risk-taker. If she said yes, she was taking the biggest risk of her life. If she said no, she would probably regret the decision forever.

She took a deep breath and tentatively smiled. "Yes, Jack," she whispered. "I will."

If you think things are moving too fast, that is entirely intentional on my part! :)