(A/N: I was going to post this yesterday, but decided to publish it on my birthday instead (I'm 21 now!))

Chapter 25: Unforeseen Events

*April 30*

It was a Sunday afternoon and Jonathan asked if Jolie and I wished to go out for coffee in the park. I took him up on the offer, as it granted the St. Bernard time to socialize with other dogs and us a chance to get out of the house.

The car ride to our destination was relaxing. Jonathan held my hand as we sat in traffic and Jolie alternated between the two windows she could stare out of from her place in the back seat. I watched her trot back and forth for a while before my eyes settled on Jonathan instead.

My boyfriend was wearing a nice button up and his face was smooth from his morning shave. The man's hair also looked a tad redder in the natural light and I fought the urge to touch it. Jonathan didn't appear bothered by the stares, or his mind was too occupied to notice them.

When we pulled into a parking space and Jonathan turned the key to shut off the engine, he opened the door and left the vehicle without sparing me a glance. Instead, he stared at the lush trees and healthy grass just beyond an open, Gothic style gate. "Ready?" My boyfriend kept his eyes on the park.

"Yes, are you okay?" I asked, marginally concerned by the odd behavior.

"Of course," Jonathan finally looked at me, offering a smile. "I'm just concerned we may run into coworkers and be questioned on our relationship." He explained.

"Then we tell them to mind their own business." I helped Jolie out of the car and attached her leash to ensure she didn't run off and pursue an animal or chase a car. "Because I'm not letting you go just to put their minds at ease about unprofessionalism in the workplace. We've gotten this far anyway, if it was an issue they would have noticed by now." I shrugged.

"You're right." My boyfriend locked the car as he walked around it to stand beside me. "We have gotten this far," he lent down to kiss my cheek. "And I'm not letting you go either, pumpkin." A grin spread on my face.

As soon as we located a suitable table to converse at while sipping our drinks, I left Jonathan and Jolie behind to get the caffeinated beverages myself.

Once I'd returned from purchasing Jonathan a cup of plain, light roast coffee and myself a sweetened cappuccino, Jolie began nudging my leg and showing off her collar. Recognizing the barrel likely contained a message, I smiled at my boyfriend's tentative expression and pushed past the eager dog to set our drinks down on the concrete park table.

"Alright Jolie, up here." I pointed at the bench attached to the table so I could avoid kneeling in my dress to collect the mysterious message. The ecstatic puppy jumped up and held her head high, tail wagging in anticipation of a treat. "Now what's so important?" I asked her, unscrewing the barrel. Finding a nicely folded sheet of tan parchment, I furrowed my brow and broke the wax seal holding it closed.

My heart started thumping and my eyes welled without permission as I read the single line of text.

'Will you marry me?' The paper read in elegant script.

Turning to look at Jonathan, I saw him knelt on the ground, a small smile on his face and a black velvet box in one hand. "M-Mireille." He cleared his throat and paused briefly. "I've never considered myself a romantic, let alone imagined a day I would become a husband. But ever since I met you, things have been different. I've made rational excuse after rational excuse for our being together. I figured it would be a healthy experience and beneficial cohabitation until I realized I no longer wanted to justify our relationship. Rather, I wanted to perpetuate it. I don't wish to wait any longer to convince you of my character and eliminate any chance of you saying no. I want to marry you Mireille, and it's worth the risk asking you now when the alternative is pining for you every night you spend away from me." Jonathan opened the box to reveal a stunning alexandrite ring I had been eyeing less than a week ago. "Please Mireille, will you marry me?"

He appeared distressed, as if the confession took every ounce of effort he had. And I knew it probably did. My face broke into a smile and I only nodded at first before stumbling through an acceptance. "Y-yes Jonathan. I will marry you." His muscles seemed to relax. "I want to marry you." I added. Ignoring the possibility of staining or creasing my new dress, I knelt on the ground with him, tears of happiness falling as he slipped on the the engagement ring. My fiancé kissed me, his warm hands caressing my tear streaked cheeks as he did so.

Resting one of my hands over his, I savored the proximity. He pulled away after a while to stare at me. Jonathan's gaze wasn't that of longing or joy, rather he looked upon me like a painting in need of interpretation."I love you." He muttered with a slightly furrowed brow, as if in disbelief of his own words. I delivered my own passionate kiss in response.

"I'm glad." I echoed his old sentiment. "We are getting married after all." He nodded, holding me tightly against him.

I nuzzled against Jonathan's neck, not wanting him to ever let go.

XXXXX

*May 1*

I spent most of the day smiling. Some of my regulars commented on my mood, but I didn't say anything more than 'I had a pleasant weekend'. This was both because Jonathan requested we wait a tad longer before announcing our relationship and because even I didn't want the patients with that kind of intel.

I wore my ring in the break room however, unable to stop staring at it. Although the gem was gorgeous, I gazed at it for other reasons. I used it as a conduit to imagine our future, Jonathan standing across from me at the alter, Jolie playing with our crawling baby as the infant squealed, but most of all, I thought of simply being held by my future husband as we sat beside each other on the couch and how we would be able to kiss one another every morning.

"Dr. Milen-." Dr. Martel froze in the midst of his greeting, a more vital question pushing ahead of his manners. "Are you engaged?"

I smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah, I am." Holding the ring close to my chest, I sighed. "I don't think I've ever been so tranquil. Or happy." I added in a daze.

"You must really love him." Dr. Martel sat across from me. "Finally going to tell me what he's like? Or who he even is?"

"He's my fiancé, and the man I love." I said simply, putting the ring back on my necklace before tucking it away in preparation for an upcoming appointment. "You'll find out more eventually."

XXXXX

*Later That Same Day*

The first patient to address my engagement was Edward. He did so when our paths crossed at the Botanical Gardens. I was eating my sandwich and admiring the lovely orchids when he called out "congratulations" while being pushed around by his personal guards. The men on either side of him looked confused, not sure what he was talking about.

I assumed he found out through some odd channel or Jonathan told him, so I responded with a simple "thank you" and a broad smile. He offered his own in return.

Little did I know he'd left the garden with more than a just that grin. Tapes would later reveal he had the rigid spine of a cactus hidden in his fist. The man used it to unlock his handcuffs and escape within an hour of crossing my path.

As soon as Monsiur Bolton discovered how the Riddler escaped, the enraged head of security stomped his way over to the Botanical Garden and uprooted the succulent section himself. I know this because I bandaged the many punctures and cuts that resulted from his anger fueled landscaping. That, and it was the talk of the facility after Ivy screamed from within her cell of his brutality and raved about getting revenge on him for murdering her 'babies'.

XXXXX

*May 2*

The Riddler contacted me in the morning with a cryptic phone call. "Everything is set to go." He hung up shortly after, not giving me a chance to respond. Pressing the 'redial' button on the phone, I discovered the number he used was untraceable. But I didn't mind, I heard what I needed to.

Using empty syringes I'd taken from a recent shipment to Arkham, I filled ten of them with a sizable dose of my latest toxin. After incorrectly labeling them as sedatives, I wiped the instruments clean of prints and jumbled them among the identical ones at the drug distribution area in Arkham. It was attached to the chemistry lab, so my presence wasn't noteworthy.

Now orderlies, doctors, and security alike would be using the drug randomly on those who misbehaved enough to garner an injection. My hands would be clean, I'd simply watch the outcomes through videos and take my notes from them.

When Mireille commented that I seemed happy on the ride home from Arkham, I labeled our engagement as the cause. However, it was resuming my true work that had me in a pleasant mood.

XXXXX

*May 5*

I was silent as my parents and Jonathan conversed, my mind still occupied with the events from earlier today. I wasn't there when it happened, but the harrowing tales from my co-workers stuck with me.

What should have acted as a sedative seemed to turn the injected inmate crazed to the point he was terrified of everything approaching him. One brave orderlies who attempted to calm him was harshly bitten in the forearm before security came to help pry the man off. Dr. Chen spoke of the gruesome injury in the break room and how he'd given the poor man over fifteen stitches.

I was unnerved. Dr. Crane and a few others in the chemistry department were trying to discern how the medication the patient was on reacted so strongly with the sedative, but to no avail. So while my parents congratulated us on our engagement with a nice dinner at their house, all I could do was hold onto Jonathan's arm as we sat together on the couch.

"So, when do you think the wedding will be?" My mother asked, adjusting her dress after crossing one leg over the other.

"We aren't quite sure yet, we've only just gotten engaged." Jonathan replied politely.

"Well, do you know what season? I could help with the decor if you give me a palate?" she offered.

"Sorry, we haven't spoken of anything just yet. Aside from Mireille moving in as soon as her lease is up." My fiancé told her what he knew.

"Oh really?" My father finally joined in on the conversation which previously just involved wedding locations and the proposal.

I jumped in to defend Jonathan from any accusations. "Yes, we've been dating for almost a year and with a wedding and honeymoon to plan, it would be best to save a bit of money by moving in together."

"The bride's family pays for the wedding, as per tradition. It is also traditional that the man ask the father's permission." He added sourly. Although my father was hardly angry, I assumed he wanted to play a bigger part in the whole thing than he had so far.

My mother supported both of us, "Theodore, this is a new generation before us. If they don't want to ask permission, that is fine. If they want to elope in Vegas, so be it. They need our support, not our scorn." She kissed his cheek. "Now don't be so grumpy, you'll be getting a son out of this." she smiled, gesturing to Jonathan.

He looked at my fiancé and the distaste seemed to go away. "How do you feel about whiskey Jonathan?" he asked.

"I'm more of a scotch man, but I can handle whiskey just fine." He replied.

"Well, I've got a good year in my office, and it isn't doing any good gathering dust. How'd you like to have some with me?" My father suggested.

"That sounds good." Jonathan stood and straightened his jacket. They went to the office together to share a few shots while my mother asked for more information about the wedding.

"Jonathan does love autumn, so perhaps next year around that time." I explained calmly once the men were out of earshot.

"Ah, then perhaps eggplant purple and gold. Purple is a royal color, and you do like it so." My mother's grin grew. "But of course you'll be wearing a stunning white dress with some gold accents or…" The artistic woman went off on a large tangent before mentioning something important. "Oh, is this an indoor or outdoor wedding? I assume you want it at a church, but what does Jonathan think?"

"He's an agnostic atheist, so I'm not sure how much he enjoys churches. Besides, a official Catholic wedding means he'll have to agree to raise our children Catholic or not hinder them being raised in such a manner." I had already done some research on the rules. "I'm not sure how he'd feel about that."

"So there will be children!" She clapped her hands together as she rejoiced in French. "I was so worried I'd be stuck as an aunt forever."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. Even I don't know if Jonathan wants any. I'll wait until there's a good opportunity to ask." I explained in the same tonge. "Right now, things are hectic at work."

XXXXX

I'd gone from being a beaten farm hand to a college professor in under ten years. That I expected.

Later I became a psychologist and worked my way to the head of the department as well as a trusted advisor to Warren Sharp. This was inevitable.

And now I was sharing a very expensive bottle of whiskey with my future father-in-law. As I ignored the burn in my throat from the drink, it occurred to me that I'd certainly climbed high up the social ladder and had the potential to go further. The man called me 'son' as we conversed, giving me praise on my current position and the healthy relationship I had with his daughter. He spoke about grilling on the fourth of July, Christmas evenings at their house, and bragging to his coworkers of my upstanding character.

After twenty minutes, Mireille came to collect us both for dinner and kissed me on the cheek before taking my hand and guiding me toward the dining room. As we walked, she joked with Theodore that he'd given me too much to drink.

I shared a meal with them alongside a well paired wine and more pleasant conversations ensued. They were kind people, asking if the food was to my liking and trying to understand my tastes for the next time I came over. Mireille discussed what she knew about my preferences to her mother and her father and I conferred about work.

They wished us both luck and a pleasant night, Jeannette hugging me and Theodore shaking my hand before we departed. Mireille had restrained from drinking too much alcohol and drove us both home.

When we arrived, Jolie placed her paws on my knees as her tail wagged. The puppy was eager for attention and glad we were home. Mireille and I then gave her the required amount of head scratches and belly rubs before heading off to our respective bedrooms after kissing goodnight.

"I love you." Mireille confessed to me with a tender smile. "See you in the morning, Jonathan." she shut the door softly.

I stared at the barrier separating us for a few moments before shutting my own bedroom door.

My current predicament was unforeseen.

(A/N: Sorry for the delay, I had some difficult courses this quarter. Expect another chapter soon. But in the meantime, feel free to leave a review.)