After a good five minutes, the Joker left the bedroom, furious, with Crane directly behind him.

"Where did you hide her?" he spat, throwing the question directly at Xander.

"Hide her? She hasn't been here," Xander snapped, playing off the hope the Joker hadn't found her. "Now, you've searched the place. I'm sure Crane would appreciate it if you didn't interrupt his work again. I personally would love it if you simply left."

The Joker opened his mouth, but Crane cut him off. "You have searched and found nothing," he said, calmly repeating Xander's words. "Search for her elsewhere. You'll probably have better luck."

The Joker was at a loss, Xander could tell. He looked around the apartment, checking to see if he missed anything, searching and hoping he'd catch sight of Shadow, but finally, after prolonging it for as long as he could, the Joker left, with a warning.

"If I find out you've been hiding her all this time."

Xander waved him off. Once he left, she dead bolted the door. "How?" Xander asked. Crane grinned, motioning for her to follow him. He took her to the bedroom and pointed at the window. "You sly bastard," Xander said, looking out onto the fire-escape.

"I knew you didn't want her found," he said.

"Oh, I could just kiss you." She punched his shoulder and then threw her arms around him, catching him off guard. Realizing what she had said and done, she quickly released him. "Best get her in quick," Xander said, climbing out and pushing Shadow into the room via the window.

Xander lifted Shadow so Crane could hook his arms under hers. Crane pulled her in and heaved her onto the bed next to Wayne whom he had placed there for the Joker's search.

"No, he should be out on the couch," Xander said, pointing at Wayne.

"I'll move him," Crane said, sighing. Xander grabbed Wayne's feet, and when Crane looked at her, she arched an eyebrow, daring him to ask. He shrugged carelessly and grabbed underneath his arms.

After they had relocated Wayne, Crane checked Shadow's vitals, with Xander hovering over his shoulder.

"So?" she asked once he was finished.

"What did she tell you?" he asked. "How did the Joker use my fear gas?"

Xander repeated what Shadow had told her earlier at the coffee shop, and Crane sighed.

"Of course he would abuse it. How she's not insane with that amount of the drug in her system…" Crane shook his head. "I think it'd be better if she wasn't awake while it's in her system."

"So keep her unconscious?"

He nodded. "A coma, basically. However, so I can keep an eye on her and the drug levels, I'll need her at my lab." He looked up at Xander, whose face was crestfallen.

"All right," she said, miserably.

"You're not fighting me?"

"How can I? According to the public, I'm Bruce Wayne's girlfriend. How would he react if he found her in the bedroom, connected to whatever machinery you needed for her?"

"Not that many machines."

"Still…" Xander looked down at the unconscious form of her best friend. "Honestly, I hate it, but tomorrow, go ahead and move her to your lab." She sighed, defeated. "I'll meet you there after I drop off Wayne."

The next morning, Xander sat on her countertop after helping Crane carry Shadow out to his henchmen's car, holding her coffee when Wayne woke up. "You really need to lose some weight, Wayne," she had commented when she had dragged his unconscious form into the bedroom and placed him in the bed like he had been there all night.

He wandered into the kitchen, rubbing his head, and started at the sight of her. "Morning," he greeted, recovering quickly.

She forced a smile. "Morning." She hoped her voice didn't sound too dead from her inability to sleep.

"You look exhausted."

"Neighbors were noisy last night." She shrugged carelessly. "I'll take a nap later." She barely sipped at her coffee, having no taste for it. "Your head okay?"

"I think I slept funny."

"You hit your head last night."

Wayne continued to rub his head, confused.

"It was all that wine at dinner," she told him. "Coffee?"

"Nah, how about we skip the coffee and go back to bed until later this morning?" He flashed her a disarming smile, which she unthinkingly responded to with a yawn. She set down her coffee, took his offered hand, and followed him into the bedroom.

She didn't want to be near him, but the hope for sleep was too tempting to resist. The moment her head hit the pillow, she was out, dead to the world. She couldn't even feel Wayne pull her close to him.

Xander jerked suddenly, her arm flailing and striking Wayne's chest. His grunt snapped her out of her dream, dragging her back to reality, back to Gotham City and the drama it held. Her heart pounding, she opened her eyes to center herself. An arm grabbed her around the waist, and she jumped, jerking away violently.

"Whoa, no need to attack me," Wayne chuckled, moving himself closer to her instead.

She rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes and reminding herself who she was and what she was working toward, using his heartbeat as the stabilizer.

"Sleep better?" he asked.

Without opening her eyes, she shrugged. She rested her hand near her head, and Wayne hissed, as if in pain. "What the hell?" she said, jerking up.

"Nothing," he said, climbing out of bed. "I just remembered I have a Board meeting at work."

"Oh, well, I have to be out-of-town for a week or so," she said. "I'll call you when I get back." She got up and began packing an overnight bag while Wayne cleaned up in the bathroom.

Xander insisted upon driving him to work, using the excuse that she wanted to spend as much time with him before she left. It won him over.

Once he was gone, the sweet façade vanished, and Xander sped her way to Crane's hideout. She found him in his bedroom, hovering over Shadow who occupied his mattress.

"Aww, I thought I was the only girl who slept in your bed, Jon," Xander teased, setting her bag to the side.

Without looking up, he replied, "I knew you'd insist that she was comfortable."

"And you thought of placing her in the bed? You know me so well."

He glanced over his shoulder, arching an eyebrow. "Let me guess. You're staying here too."

"You know it. Because I trust you with an unconscious Shadow. Ha. Good luck," Xander said, grinning. He frowned. "Cheer up, Jon. Hope you have a spare room ready." Crane nodded, telling one of his men to show her the way.

"Get settled and come back," he said, still checking Shadow's vitals. When she returned, he said, "That was quick. Obviously, you don't trust me with her."

Xander pulled a chair over, reversed it, and straddled it, resting her arms on the back. "Of course not," she said, smiling sweetly.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"The fake 'Wayne's girlfriend' face." He jotted something down in his small notebook and added, "I prefer the real Xander face."

Xander ignored Crane's comment and said, "So, Doc, am I allowed to ask advice?" She paused and began cleaning her nails. "See, there is this guy. He pisses me off, and I just can't shake him. He's one of those rich suits who owns most of Gotham. What should I do?"

Crane spun around and said, "Seriously."

She blinked her eyes at him and rested her head on her arms. "You're just pissed that he is a stuffed shirt who owns half of the town. Don't worry, Jon-y. One day, you too could own half of a fraction of the town." She winked and then closed her eyes, signaling that the conversation was now pointless.

"You. Wish." Xander grinned.

Shadow shifted on the bed, and Crane turned around to check on her.

"She's not awake, is she?" Xander asked, lifting her head.

"The sedative is wearing off." Crane stood and moved to the other side, bending down for something.

"Are you going to let her wake up to tell her?"

"No. Once the sedative is gone, I can put her under with a stronger one." He began to connect the wires, clamping one to her finger for the heart monitor.

"Did you break into a hospital for those?"

He didn't reply, which meant he did.

"I am fighting the slight impulse to hug you, Jon. You and your inability to not commit a crime for a day at a time."

He shrugged as he placed a breathing mask over Shadow's mouth and flicked on the machine. Shadow's eyelids fluttered as the oxygen rushed into her airways.

"Why not warn her?" Xander asked.

"Why bother?"

"She's used to having fear gas in her system. If she wakes up without it, she might still believe she has it."

"I figured you'd be here when she woke up so you could explain the situation. She trusts you, to a fault."

"It's only a fault when you backstab me." Crane looked at her, and she raised an eyebrow. "Anything I can do?" He shook his head and continued his work.

Xander rested her head again, watching Crane work. Her eyes drifted over Shadow, checking to ensure her best friend was still breathing, still asleep. Even though she was out of the Joker's grasp, Xander still worried. It was just the fear gas that made her like this.

Shadow had used the word 'fear' to describe how she felt about the Joker. Xander knew Shadow had never been afraid of him. What was he doing to her, besides the doses of fear gas, that had changed her feelings toward him so much?

"A quarter for your thoughts?" Xander shook her head. "May I guess then?" She shrugged. Crane returned to his seat, turning it to face her. "Thinking about Shadow?"

"How did you know?" she asked, sarcastically.

"The unblinking stare." He paused for a bit before asking, "Did you sleep?"

Xander shrugged. "Sleep, shleep. Don't really need it, especially since when is the last time you've slept?"

"Good point." Again, he paused. "Maybe you should go lie down. You don't look too well."

"I'm fine," she said.

Before Crane could say more, one of his henchmen appeared in the doorway. "Scarecrow, Joker's thug is here. Says he's here to check on the Shadow lady."

"She's not here," Xander said, but Crane spoke over her.

"What's his name?" Crane asked.

"Says it's Bleak." Xander stiffened. Rage and distrust boiled together at the mention of her half-brother's fake name.

"Bring him in." The henchman left, and Xander shot Crane a glare as she stood. Crane gave her a questioning look in return.

"I'm not letting him in here," she said stiffly as she matched out the room, closing the door behind her. She spotted the henchman returning with Dean, and she crossed her arms. "You can leave him here," she told the henchman. He looked like he wanted to protest, but she glared him down until he shut his mouth, nodded, and turned away.

Dean remained where he was standing, facing her. "You want to speak to me?" he asked.

"You're not allowed to see her."

"On whose authority?"

"Mine." Dean raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that I will trust you when you're the one who lost her in the first place?"

"I didn't lose her," he argued.

"I beg to differ. You're the one who called me to see if I had her."

"And you didn't."

"Yet you didn't know where she was. Therefore, you lost her."

Dean ran a hair through his black hair. "Well, you obviously found her. Thank you."

"I'm not accepting thank yous from you. You still can't see her."

"Why?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

He shifted his weight, his brow furrowing as his frustration grew. "Xander, you're taking this too far. You know I hold no ill will toward Shadow."

"I don't care. She was your responsibility, to some degree."

He heaved an irritated sigh. "Is she okay, at least?"

"Safe, yes. Okay? Well, that's info that I'm not going to share with you." She leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice as she said, "You lost your privileges when you lost her."

"You're one to talk. You're the one who convinced her to return to the raging psychopath."

Xander's anger flared. She dropped her arms and took a vicious step forward, preparing to rip him apart. A hand grabbed her arm, holding her back.

"She is safe," Crane said. "And she will be fine. She'll be well taken care of here where I can monitor her and ensure that she recovers." Dean bit his lower lip, reining in his anger. "I suggest that you leave. To ensure Shadow's safety, you'll have to sacrifice the want to see her." Dean's mouth opened in protest, but Crane spoke before him. "The Joker mustn't know this location; he's already searched Xander's apartment, and we barely managed to hide Shadow. We can't risk him finding her."

Dean worked his jaw, thinking over Crane's reasoning. Xander attempted to free her arm, but Crane's grip tightened slightly, holding her in place. "Can I at least see her?" Dean asked.

"No," Crane deadpanned. "The longer you remain here, the higher the chance the Joker will discover her whereabouts."

Dean chewed the inside of his cheek - a tick he gained from being around the Joker for too long - and then sighed, defeated. He nodded and turned his back, returning the way he had come. Xander stepped toward him, but Crane continued to hold her back until Dean had disappeared around the corner.

Finally, Crane's grip relaxed, and Xander jerked her arm away. "Who do you think you are?" she demanded, eyes burning with rage.

"You're cute when you're angry."

Xander blinked. "Excuse me?" She shook her head. "What are you-?" She cut herself off, realizing how close he was standing. "Oh no..."

"No what?"

She stepped back. "Jon, get a hold of yourself and snap out of it. Whatever you're feeling or thinking, it's a delusion, one you need to break out of."

"You know you're having the same delusion," Crane said, seriously. "It's not just me."

"Delusion of…" Xander stopped, her eyes widening. "Oh no, we are not talking about this. We can not be talking about this. Definitely not with everything going on..." She raised her hands toward her head, but Crane grabbed them, refusing to allow them to reach their destination.

Xander lowered her eyes to the floor, trying to step away from him, but he wasn't going to let her escape.

"Xander," he said softly, and she rapidly shook her head, her tongue suddenly tied. "Hey, look at me." Again, she shook her head, refusing to look. He released one of her hands to cup her chin. The touch caused her to flinch away, but he reached again, tilting her head back so she could look at him.

She had closed her eyes.

"Hey, open your eyes."

"No," she whispered.

"Please?"

"No," she repeated. She felt his lips softly touch hers.

"Please show me your eyes."

"Damnit, no." His mouth met hers again, this time holding longer.

"I want to see your beautiful eyes."

"Damnit, Jon, don't compliment me," Xander said heatedly, opening her eyes. She stopped, caught by his blue eyes. "Damn…" she breathed.

"Damn is right," he agreed.

In a flash, they met one another a third time, wrapping their arms around each other. They separated for air and then clashed again, becoming lost in one another. When they parted, Xander grabbed Crane's hand and led him toward the other bedroom.

"And to think I've been jealous of Wayne all this time," Crane breathed excitedly.

"He's the last person you'll ever need to be jealous of," Xander told him as she dragged him into the room, shutting the door behind him.

Crane knew she was asleep by her slow, even breathing. He watched her for a few moments, her back rising and falling. Her hand slid across his chest until it rested beside her head, which made him smile.

He looked about the room, wondering what her reaction to it had been when she first saw it. It must be too plain for her taste, no pictures, plants, or décor. Just a plain room with a queen-sized bed, a small table, a chair, and a wooden trunk. The trunk's lid was open, just enough to see her backpack was stuffed inside. Crane thought about how he might improve the room to make it more accommodating. Then, his thoughts switched as Xander's hand curled into a fist and uncurled.

'What the hell was she dreaming about.' He cursed the thought that she could have been thinking about Bruce Wayne, no way in hell would he allow that. He was always calm, cool, and collected, but Wayne had everything, always had, born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

But then he remembered what they had done to finally consummate their relationship.

Crane shook his head, tossing his negative thoughts of Wayne aside, and watched Xander sleep. She wore a slight frown, with her eyebrows furrowed. He wondered again about what or who she was dreaming about. He hoped desperately it was him.

Xander stiffened, her hand clenching tightly. She remained like that for a few moments, and when Crane gently stroked her cheek, she relaxed with a sigh, exhaling one word. Jon.

With a smile, Crane slipped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. Resting his chin atop her head, he closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her.