Catch and Release
Chapter Thirty-Five
A/N Do remember this is not the end- Jonathan has yet to see the face beneath the mask!
I am terribly sorry if the next few chapters are not as well-written as previously. I am an emotional wreck right now due to my boyfriend and my very best friend. I'll try to write as well as well as I can, but I'm sorry for any issues.
Jonathan debated bringing a bag with him. Although it would be wonderful to have a change of a clothes or a toothbrush, he wondered if he would even reach the point where he would need them. Besides- if he had to make a quick getaway, he would not want the extra baggage.
He neatened the bed, carefully folding and crimping the blankets. He stacked Bruce's books on the bedside table. He thought of returning them to their proper shelves, but then he risked seeing the man. Instead he left the pile alone.
Deep breaths kept him calm as he walked around the room, eying the boxes of clothing he had never unpacked. The closet was empty, waiting for the boxes to spill into them. It was too late now- the boxes would remain until Bruce went through and disposed of them.
Everything Jonathan owned or was, right there in those boxes waiting to be thrown away.
Jonathan Crane shook his head and looked to the window as a noise drew his attention. A small red-clad hand was pushing it open forcefully, demanding entrance. Jonathan went over and looked out to the dimming light as he invited in Harley. He took her hand, helping her crawl through.
"Thanks." She gave him a happy, carefree smile.
Jonathan stepped back, standing with his arms crossed at the foot of his bed. Harley turned and helped Joker clamber into the room . She looked back to Jonathan with a slightly less carefree grin.
"Let's hurry." Jonathan motioned towards the window.
"Anything you want." Joker smirked.
Jonathan looked to the window and wondered just how he was going to climb down. He remembered Alfred's comment on the difficulty of clambering over the wall- how was Jonathan possibly supposed to do just that.
He turned to ask Joker but the latter was already reaching out to grab onto Jonathan, forcing him directly behind himself.
"Grab on."
Jonathan's face wrinkled in disgust as he climbed onto Joker's back. Joker climbed out the window and began his descent. Harley followed swiftly. When Joker's feet met the ground he dropped Jonathan to the grass. Harley reached for Jonathan's hand expectantly. Jonathan tentatively reached out a hand only to feel Joker's fingers on his throat.
"It would be better if you, ah, slept on the way."
Harley gripped Jonathan's hands, keeping him from resisting. Jonathan struggled to pull in air but could not-he began to panic as the yard of Wayne Manor dimmed around him.
"You're early, Bats!"
Jonathan fell to the ground heavily. Blank noise surrounded him; he could hear Joker's nasally voice versus the angered growl of the Bat, simple sounds and pitches, nothing more. Then soft hands gripped him and he heard Harley's soft, high voice.
"Come on." She said gently beside his ear. "Let's go."
Harley wrapped her arms around him carefully, pulling him upright. Jonathan stood slowly, blinking as everything slowly came into view. Joker motioned to Harley and she hurried Jonathan along the grass. Jonathan spied a nondescript, battered vehicle and guessed it as their destination.
Then a strong arm pushed Harley away from him. Her grip tightened, a vise, then broke, red and black hands desperately trying to grab onto Jonathan she fell to the grass feet away from them. She crumpled on the ground, disoriented. Jonathan looked to the Bat as the latter pulled him up and into his arms effortlessly. Jonathan began to protest the bridal-style grip.
"Put me down!" Jonathan demanded. Then, softer, "Let me go with them."
Batman looked down at Jonathan. "What?"
"If I keep hiding from them, they'll hurt Bruce." Jonathan struggled to free himself, but the Bat continued to hold him tightly.
"What does he have to do with any of this?" The Bat growled.
"Joker and Harley have both seen us together." Jonathan sounded like the parent speaking to a child that just did not understand when it was so incredibly obvious they were wrong. "What if they go after Bruce to get to me?"
"Why would you care about your jailor?"
"I don't have to explain myself to you." Jonathan bit out.
"You will stay with me if you don't want to stay with him-"
"How is that going to stop them?" Jonathan demanded, trying again to wrench himself from Batman's grip.
Batman was silent.
Jonathan said quietly. "Just let me go with them."
"I can't do that." Batman shook his head.
Jonathan pushed Batman insistently. "Bruce is going to be killed because of you!"
"Since when do you care?"
"Since..." Jonathan could not think of a time, a date, a place, only of how warm he felt when the older man was nearby.
Batman thought only a moment before he pushed Jonathan to the ground, leaving the Doctor sprawled in the grass as he ran towards where Joker was searching his pocket. Jonathan watched as Batman drew a Batarang, watched as Harley sat up and held onto her head with one hand, desperately standing and grabbing onto the Batarang with the other.
Later, Jonathan would not be able to say exactly what happened. He watched as Batman fought with Harley and Joker, lack swirling around red and purple. Jonathan could not pinpoint exactly when Harley fell to the ground, body limp and unconscious and he felt waves of guilt for having watched her fall to Joker in Arkham, for not having been able to do a thing. He knew Joker fell second, only after drawing a blade across the Bat. Crimson flowed from the wound decorating his arm. He would always remember the scream of sirens and the way Batman ran to him, gathering him in his arms and rushing back up to the manor. The last thing Jonathan Crane needed was to be seen at a site with Harley, Joker, and Batman.
Jonathan was placed on his feet at the door to Wayne Manor. "I have business to take care of." Batman growled. "Stay inside."
"I plan on it." Jonathan pushed open the door then stopped a moment. "Thank you."
But Batman was already gone.
"Sir? Master Crane, is that you?"
Jonathan stepped inside and closed the door. "It's me, Alfred."
Alfred stepped into the room. "I saw the clowns outside, sir,and called the police. Was that your doing?"
Jonathan hesitated. "In a way."
"Perhaps, sir, it is not safe for you to be near Master Wayne."
"It...it was for Bruce, Alfred." Jonathan said quietly.
Alfred looked at him disapprovingly. "You believe drawing madmen to Wayne Manor is-"
"No." Jonathan cut him off. "I was going to go with them so that they wouldn't bother Bruce ever again."
"I understand, sir. Before you go see Master Wayne, I suggest a shower and a change of clothing." Alfred eyed the dirt staining once-clean clothes a fine brown.
"I think you're right." Jonathan nodded.
Jonathan began walking away. Alfred called after him. "And Master Crane?"
"Yes, Alfred?" Jonathan turned his head back.
"Next time, tell Master Wayne."
Jonathan wordlessly walked down the hallway.