Adriana sat in the passenger's seat of the sleek black convertible belonging to Doctor Crane. She had her head propped against the newly repaired window, blood pumping past her ears with a dull thumping sound. She mumbled something about a blinding headache to Crane, but he didn't reply. He just stared ahead, gripping the steering wheel as he made a tight turn. Finally, he cast a look at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Terribly sorry, Adriana, about the side-effects of the fear serum. I'm still trying to perfect it so if I ever need to use it on you again," he added emphasis on the last word, "it will hopefully have lost those nagging side-effects. I don't think you should suffer from such painful headaches just because of me."

Adriana tightened the grip she had around herself. She had woken up at least an hour or more after passing out in Crane's office from shock. After realizing where she was at that moment, she could spot Crane sitting at the end of the couch in his office chair, yawning as he held a book in one hand, and his notebook in the other. He seemed to be taking small, quick notes on the book and paid no mind to her. She could see he was busy and prayed that he wouldn't notice that she was awake, but as soon as she had shifted a little, just a little, Crane's head snapped up and he gave her his usual, half-hearted smile. He didn't bother explaining what had just happened, nor did he give valid reasons why he gassed her. He simply helped her to her feet, brought her out to his car, and took off with her in his possession. He didn't even give her time to change out of the prison clothes.

Adriana whimpered, broken from her thoughts, as the car made another tight turn. "Doctor Crane…don't you think driving this erratically might attract attention?" Adriana mumbled, blinking furiously against the white-hot pain in her head.

"It won't," Crane stated plainly. "The police have far too much to worry about than handing out tickets to little lawbreakers like me."

Adriana turned, her empty eyes staring out the window. "Little lawbreaker? I thought the whole city was out looking for you. You're more than a little lawbreaker to them."

"Am I?" Adriana could hear the chill in his voice, the nightmarish grating it made when his tone was angry. Crane glanced at her once again. "What am I to the people of Gotham then, Adriana? What am I to you?"

Adriana knew this was a loaded question. If she messed up her answer, she could get another visit from the "Scarecrow".

"I…I know you were the one sneaking chemicals into the water supply…"

"Good. So does half the city. Now, go on."

Adriana shuddered. "I know you have been experimenting with that gas stuff on me…and probably on a lot of the Arkham inmates…right?"

Crane chuckled dryly. "You are a smart one, aren't you? I'm glad at least one of the experiments has their wits about them."

Adriana watched him in interest. "I still don't understand…how can you keep in hiding? I…I mean…don't the guards…" Adriana trailed off as Crane's crystal eyes shone with a secretive sparkle. She scrunched farther away from him, her whole body now wedged against the door. "How did you keep them quiet?"

"Simple," said Crane as the car rolled to a stop at the traffic light. "It's a matter of finances. My guards, assistants, workers….they're all very desperate for money nowadays. A little payoff and its done. No questions, no leaks to the public. They keep the fact that I'm running the show again quiet. It's amazing the effects little green pieces of paper have on the human mind."

Adriana couldn't look up at him. "So…you pay off the guards to keep your whereabouts quiet? What….what if someone needed to meet the person that runs Arkham?"

Crane turned his head, watching her curiously. "You are inquisitive, aren't you?" He sneered and pressed the gas as the light turned green. "I have that covered too. You see, a man named Carl Canton took over Arkham while I was missing. He cared for the patients, did all the paperwork, you know…that sort of thing. Well…after –convincing– him to help me, I was free to run Arkham as I pleased while he handled the press junket. He pays for everything, that way I keep my name off of the bills. Wouldn't want to get caught now, would I?"

Adriana stared out the window and sighed. He had every base covered. He manipulated, tortured, poisoned, bribed, and otherwise cheated his way to the top.

Crane could see her worried expression and licked his lips, his tone low and eerie.

"I know you do not approve of my methods, Adriana, but I only do it so people like you and I don't need to suffer from tarnished pasts."

Tarnished pasts? Adriana looked cautiously over her shoulder as Crane frowned, staring straight ahead and gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles grew white.

"I need to attend to my own business; I need to finish what I started, regardless of what happens to the specimens along the way. Once I completely perfect my experiments…" Crane trailed off. He seemed to be lost in his fantasy. Adriana tore her glance away from him and looked back out the window.

"Where are we going?" She changed the subject as Crane weaved between cars.

"Hm? Oh, yes…I almost forgot to tell you. I'm bringing you to your home."

"What!" Adriana screeched suddenly, causing Crane to swerve into the other lane. Her loud tone had surprised him, since she had been so quiet most of the time.

"Holy!" Crane shouted as an oncoming car veered away to avoid collision, honking furiously. Crane shot a scathing look at Adriana. "Are you trying to kill us!"

"You can't bring me home! You told me that there is someone else living there. Doctor Crane, please, please! I can't go back! I can't!"

"Calm down, calm down! I'm not taking you back to your precious little loft!" Crane could see the panicked young woman clutching the dashboard, breathing quickly as she stared at him with desperate, pleading eyes.

"Are…are you going to lock me up in that shack you live in?"

"Although I loved that place," Crane hissed spitefully, sarcasm hinted in his voice, "I already moved back to a place connected to Arkham. The rats gnawing at my sheets helped convince me it was time for a move."

He turned another corner and the car began to slow to a stop. "No, I'm bringing you to a new apartment. Just for you."

Adriana stared at him, her jaw going slack. "N-new apartment?" Crane's reply was a door slamming as he stretched around rounded the front of the car. He held open Adriana's door and his ghostly smile returned, as well as the hellish yet delighted look in his eye, as he helped the pallid woman to her feet.

"My Persephone…you know that I promised to help."

A familiar chill spread through Adriana's body as she looked at him. She quickly looked away and stared at the surrounding street. The neighborhood wasn't bad at all. The overcast from the sky seemed to darken it severely, but other than that, everything looked quite fine. She turned her head and saw she was standing before a towering brick building, the russet color contrasting with the dark gray or black buildings around it.

"I thought the outskirts of Gotham would be an easy place to start your new life. Not much police activity, barely any people around…" Crane hooked his arm with hers as they began walking, "If you ever need food or assistance, you can call me."

Adriana avoided his eyes as he opened the glass door and started up the stairs within the building. She couldn't bear to think of calling him for help. It would be like calling a killer to the scene of his crime to help the case. He had come so close to succeeding in severing her concepts of dream and reality in two that she still wasn't sure if this whole scenario was actually happening. Their footsteps seemed to thump in odd rhythms, sounding hollow and loud at the same time. For a minute, she felt numb and dizzy. Her breathing grew quick once again, an overwhelming panic starting to suffocate her. She threw a look over her shoulders and swallowed back a dry lump in her throat. The stairs seemed to stretch and warp before her very eyes; They wavered beneath her feet, melting, breaking, rotting. Adriana felt her foot give way to the wobbly stairs and she sucked in her breath, throwing her arms back and ready to catch herself when she fell, but something stopped her.

Her eyes darted forward, everything coming back into perspective. Doctor Crane was grabbing her wrist, holding her in place firmly. He didn't look concerned, nor was he smiling. He looked as if he had expected her reaction and yanked Adriana to an upright position.

"Just a few more steps, Adriana." He murmured as she shuddered in his grip, staring into his ice blue eyes. "Good thing I found an apartment on the second floor…not too high, easy to get around…Are you alright?" She nodded hesitantly and he proceeded to guide her down a hall to the left.

The hallway was decorated with an old, Romantic-era flair. The carpet beneath their feet was a deep, blood-red color with a flowered pattern dotting several spots.

The walls were paneled halfway up, with rich mahogany while the rest of the wall was covered by golden wallpaper. Portraits and paintings hung on the wall while a small table at the far held a large bouquet of flowers in an ornate vase. The whole hall was lit up by a dim lamp on the ceiling, embellished with bronze decorations.

Adriana, busy taking in her surroundings, nearly collided with Crane as he stopped at one of the dark wooden doors. The gilded numbers '13' stood out sharply, shimmering in the hall's dim lamp-light. Crane jammed the key into the lock and turned the knob.

"It's a cozy little place. I know you will enjoy it…" He held open the door, switched on a light, and ushered Adriana inside. "Well? How does it look?"

Adriana was silent as she looked around. Although much smaller, the apartment held an uncanny resemblance to her former home. The walls were dark with black cloth draped on them, and the furniture was sleek and white, clean, fitting perfectly in the shadowy room despite the obvious conflicting colors. Various clear glass vases holding white lilies were distributed throughout the room as well as beautiful photographs of Gotham in black and white. Adriana glanced at Crane, who looked quite pleased with himself. "No place like home, huh?"

"How…how did you do all this? On such short notice?" Adriana whispered, running a spidery white hand across the surface of a chair.

Crane folded his arms, speaking to her indirectly as he looked around. "I told you I have been planning for a while. Now, there's a speaker here in the wall. When someone comes, they call up here and you have to buzz them in. Now listen to me," Crane's voice dropped back to a soft tone, "from this point on, unless I call or send someone over, you are not to open the door to anyone."

"Why not?"

Crane cocked his head. "Why? I won't have the life of a patient jeopardized when the pizza man recognizes you as a murderer and you get arrested…again. I bailed you once out of death row. I have no idea if I can do that again."

Adriana walked around him and slumped into a soft armchair at his side. She stared at her hands, one of them shaking while the other tried to steady it.

"So…I can't leave, I can't have friends, I…I have only your visits to look forward to," (at this, Crane gave a slight grin), "and you want me to enjoy myself here?"

Crane shrugged. "Yes, I suppose."

Adriana looked away, staring at a large bowl of reddish fruit on the coffee table. She plucked one out and frowned, inspecting it between her hands. "Pomegranates?" she blinked, casting a glance at Crane as he wandered towards the bedroom. "Cute."

"I thought so." Crane smirked, observing the room from the doorway. "As a reminder, though I doubt you will make the same mistake twice, please do not tack vital information, photos, and other incriminating evidence to the wall, please."

Adriana dropped the fruit back into the bowl.

I should get going…" Crane glanced at his watch and paced over the floor, standing in front of Adriana. "You'll promise to take care of yourself, won't you?"

She gave a quick nod.

"Good. I'll check back tomorrow, make sure everything is fine." Crane headed back to the door, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Good evening, Mrs. De Soto. Do rest up; I wish to invite you for breakfast tomorrow morning, 8 A.M. sharp. I'll have someone fetch you at 7:30."

Adriana gave a wary expression and wrung her hands nervously. Crane's face was expressionless, but his voice amused as he said, "Don't worry, Mrs. De Soto. There will be nothing in your food. I just want to be sure you get a good start in the morning…most important meal of the day, you know." He turned the knob and was not more than two feet out the door when he heard Adriana murmur softly, "Thank you Doctor Crane…for all this."

He paused, straightening up to see if she said anything else. But she didn't.

Jonathan closed the door behind him with barely a sound and walked briskly down the stairwell. He wasn't one for long goodbyes. She had her home and everything she needs, there was no reason to continue treading her doorstep.

But even as he walked out into the blistering cold Gotham day, he couldn't help but cast a look at the darkened window on the second floor, pursing his lips in a hesitant, unsure way. Adriana was now out of his ward, out of reach of his care. He may not have had emotional attachment to her as Jonathan Crane. But as her caretaker, he knew if something happened out here, there may be trouble for himself. Even so, he had a hard time convincing himself that was the only reason he'd regret releasing her. His car roared to life, tearing off down the street as the apartment disappeared from the view of the young psychiatrist.

Adriana rubbed her arms as a chill crept through the room. She rose from her seat, meandering past the bathroom and into the bedroom. Everything like home, save for the compact space of the rooms. Cane did his homework obviously. Adriana sat on the edge of the bed, scanning the room sleepily as the sky dimmed outside her window. She glanced at her nightstand and frowned, curiosity coming over her. Something rectangular was propped up, a picture frame by what she could tell. She picked up the frame from the nightstand and drew it close to her face.

Her eyes grew wide and a constricted noise came from her throat as she ran a thumb down the portrait. A serious-looking Carlos, donned in police apparel, stared back at her. She opened and closed her mouth, bringing her hand over it, and brought her eyebrows together over the bridge of her nose. Adriana wondered how on earth Crane could have gotten his hands on this photograph, but she was happy…thankful he did.

As she went to set the picture back down, something soft brushed against her ankle as it hung off the bed. Adriana looked down.

Nothing.

With a shrug, Adriana placed the portrait back down, turning it towards the bed, and fell back on her pillow, exhausted. She closed her eyes, listening to the faint noises outside. She could hear the train a few blocks away, clattering and shaking as it flew by, as well as barking dogs, the squeal of tires peeling out, cars backfiring…She'd have to get used to the noise.

After a few minutes of a rare, peaceful silence, Adriana strained her ears, listening as something stirred beside her. Probably her imagination. After what happened on the staircase, she didn't care whether something was moving or not.

But suddenly, without warning, she felt a sharp pressure on her chest and her eyes flew open. Peering back at her were two crystalline blue orbs, glinting from the streetlight outside. Adriana yelped, throwing her hand back and flipping on the little lamp by her bed, flooding the room with much needed light.

She bolted upright, watching something black and furry tumble into her lap. The thing rolled onto its back, pawing at the air with its mouth open. Adriana's body heaved as she struggled to regain her normal breathing. She stared at the creature and held her hand against her forehead.

"Just…just a stupid cat."

The cat's ears perked up and it purred.

"I've got to stop being so jumpy. I'm safe…safer than in Arkham. Just…those eyes…" Adriana stared at the blue-eyed cat as it mewed at her. The shaking young woman looked at the window, but it was shut tight. Maybe the thing came in through the door when Doctor Crane left.

She picked up the miniature beast and held it up in the air. "Alright little guy…you got a name? A house maybe? I can get Doctor Crane or a friend of his to get you home…"

She could feel the cat rumbling with purrs as she searched his neck. A crude brown leather collar, worn in several places, was wrapped around his neck, along with a blank golden tag.

"Hm. Guess not. Hey, what do you have there?" Adriana frowned, reaching for a small, folded paper that was tied onto the collar. Her name was written neatly on the front in a familiar font.

She flipped open the card, allowing the cat to swat at her stringy hair, and sighed. "Let's see what's so important that Doctor Crane uses carrier cats to deliver it."

I see you have already had the pleasure of meeting your new pet, courtesy of myself. I know he's not as conversational as human company, but at least you need not feel so lonely on a daily basis. Enjoy your new friend.

—Jonathan Crane

Adriana looked up, the cat staring back at her. He licked his lips, making Adriana smile. "New apartment, a new pet…" She looked around, giving a soft sigh. "A new life."

Adriana snapped the card off of the cat's collar and read it over once more. "At least he's trying to be nice…even after he gassed me…huh little guy?" She scratched the cat between the ears, smiling as the cat's ears swiveled back. "Guess he isn't all that bad." Adriana hugged the animal close to her, smothering her face in its warm, soft fur. He purred again, a gentle sound that soothed her. She turned off the lamp and closed her eyes again, hoping that sleep would come soon. She needed as much rest as she could get to muster the courage to see Doctor Crane tomorrow.

Author's Note: Well, I guess this story draws to a close. Thank you guys for reading and reviewing my fic, I'm thrilled you guys enjoyed it. Now, this may not be the ending to Adriana and Crane ficness. No. I think I may start up another part to the story soon...hopefully I can have more Crane in it, and Batman too (I guess. If I must) just because I want to write more banter betweenhim and Alfred.

Again, thanks for the kind reviews. It's what kept these chapters a'comin!