Disclaimer: I don't own Dr. Crane and/or any of the characters/places associated with Batman Begins

"Who are you?" Vanessa demanded.

"Mrs. Martinez, I'm Dr. Lehman from County General and this is Sergeant Gordon from the Gotham City Police Department. We've come to ask you a few questions."

"Does Jonathan know you're here?"

"I assume you mean Dr. Crane and no, we didn't discuss it with him."

"Well, I don't have to talk to you then. I'll only answer your questions if Jonathan says it's okay. Where is he?" Vanessa asked.

"He's upstairs. You're not going to see him again Vanessa so it's alright to talk to us. He's not going to hurt you anymore."

"Hurt me? What are you talking about? Jonathan would never hurt me. He loves me."

Dr. Lehman and Sergeant Gordon looked at each other briefly with troubled expressions on their faces.

"I've spoken to Rachel Dawes in the D.A.'s office. She said she had a conversation with a nurse who works here. This nurse seemed to think that Dr. Crane was acting in a way that was inappropriate. Did he ever put his hands on you or force you to do something you didn't want to do?" Dr. Lehman asked.

"He never forced me to do anything. I told you, Jonathan loves me. He made love to me. He said he could give back everything those men took from me. You have no right keeping us apart."

Sergeant Gordon ran both of his hands through his hair and turned away. He made no attempt to hide his disgust at what he was hearing.

"That sick son of a bitch." Vanessa heard him mutter.

Had he not brought his hand to his mouth she felt he would have liked to have said more.

"I'll tell you what's sick Sergeant Gordon, the Gotham City Police Department and every corrupt cop that works there. If you did your job and actually protected the people in this city then Jonathan wouldn't have to take such extreme measures." Vanessa said defensively.

"What kind of extreme measures Vanessa? What was he planning?" Dr. Lehman asked.

"That's none of your business." she spat back at him.

"Did he tell you about his toxin?"

"Of course he did. I helped him perfect it."

Sergeant Gordon took a step forward and asked, "How was he going to get it into the air?"

"You'll have to ask him I'm afraid. He can't share every detail with me now can he?"

"He's not talking to us." Gordon said.

"Well, that's it then. There's nothing else to say." she said with scorn.

"He won't talk to us because he's wrapped up in a straight jacket-driven insane by his own toxin."

"Sergeant Gordon, please." Dr. Lehman countered.

"What?" Vanessa asked in alarm. She took the doctors hand, "Dr. Lehman you have to help him. Isn't there something you can do?"

"The damage is done. Only Crane has the antidote and he's in no shape to give us that information." he responded.

"Don't call him Crane. He's a doctor and a damned good one I might add. Show him the proper respect." she sneered.

Sergeant Gordon had had enough. An even tempered man, he did not raise his voice to her but his manner was direct and very much to the point.

"Do you know what he told us about you? He said he had fun breaking you down. He told us that he deliberately made you hate him then talked you into sleeping with him just to see if he could do it. He was more than willing to give us those details before I told him to shut his mouth or I'd do it for him. This man is a monster Vanessa. He's not capable of love so don't think that the two of you are Romeo and Juliet."

"No, I don't believe you." she said, shaking her head.

"He was going to come back for you alright. He called you and Rachel Dawes his last loose ends. When we took him into custody we found this in his pocket."

He pulled a clear evidence bag from the large manila envelop he had been carrying. Vanessa saw the syringe inside filled with an unknown liquid.

"We had it tested Vanessa." Dr. Lehman said, "It's morphine, just enough to be lethal to a woman of your height and weight."

"He almost killed Ms. Dawes last night Vanessa and he was going to kill you too." Gordon said.

"No, no, no." she kept repeating.

"He was going to euthanize you like a dog. That's all you were to him and those were his exact words." Gordon finished.

Some people take up racquet ball, others enjoy a stiff drink, it seemed Jonathan Crane destroyed people's lives and minds to relieve his stress. The glamour he had cast over her quickly began to fade.

"Oh my god, I can't believe this is happening. How could I have been so stupid? Last night he said he wanted to give me something. He was going to kill me right there in his office wasn't he? If the phone hadn't rung I'd be dead right now."

She was horrified by the thought. She had been staring death in the face and hadn't even realized it.

"Vanessa, this is not your fault. I can't imagine what it must have been like for you over these past few months. Crane is a master manipulator and you were hardly in a state to defend yourself against his onslaughts. It's natural for someone in a situation like yours to form a bond with their tormentor. It's a coping mechanism known as Stockholm Syndrome. Crane saw the signs and exploited them but we're going to help you…" Dr. Lehman began before Vanessa cut him off.

"Stop, I've had enough help for now." she said.

His pledge to aid in her recovery hardly made her feel better. She wanted to curl up and die but only after she drove a stake through Dr. Crane's heart.

"Did he tell you anything more about his plans for the toxin?" Gordon asked.

"No, nothing that would be of any use to you. He said he was going to purge the city of corruption. What a crock of shit."

"That's all he said, nothing else?"

"There is something else, not about the toxin though." Vanessa said.

The lock of red hair Dr. Crane had presented as a gift the night before…..Julie.

"The nurse who contacted Rachel Dawes, has she been found?"

"How did you know she was missing?" Gordon asked.

"Dr. Crane told me. He said his men caught up to her at the Gotham Docklands after she stole some files from his office. I think she was drowned." Vanessa said softly.

"We'll have a dive team start searching right away. If she's there, we'll find her." Gordon reassured her.

"She wasn't working for Falcone was she?" Vanessa asked the question though she already knew the answer.

"No, she wasn't. She was trying to help you."

"I knew it. It didn't ring true but like an idiot, I accepted it. I should have been stronger. I should have done something more." Vanessa looked up towards the ceiling as if searching for guidance. Tears streamed down her face. Why had she allowed him to do these things? When had she decided to stop fighting?

"How did you get that mark on your neck?" Dr. Lehman asked.

Vanessa protectively brought her hand up to cover the wound. She had forgotten it was even there. Suddenly, it seemed the lights dimmed and she felt like she was falling. Although she remained present in the room with these two men her mind was in another reality, recalling the events that had taken place here just hours before.

"I can't breathe." she had cried as she tried to pull the belt away from her neck.

Dr. Crane had pulled it so tight it felt like it might break the skin. Up until that point he had been the more vocal of the two with his lustful grunts and moans resounding in her ear. He loosened the belt just enough to keep her from suffocating. He liked her better this way she knew. He was getting off on her submission.

"Are you still afraid of me Vanessa?" he had asked.

"Yes" she answered tearfully.

"Don't be. I'm in complete control."

He drove into her so violently now that her whole body ached.

"Say it Vanessa. Tell me I'm in control."

When she didn't respond he jerked the belt, momentarily cutting off her air before loosening it again.

"Tell me!" he demanded.

"You're in control." she chocked out.

That was enough to push him over the edge. Sated for the moment, he collapsed over her and pulled the belt away from her throat. Vanessa drew in a much needed breath as Jonathan rolled her onto her back.

He was a different man now, calm and tender as he kissed the raw skin on her neck

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Holding back the tears she had told him she was fine.

"I want you to sit up now Vanessa. Can you do that?"

As they sat on the bed together he brushed a stray piece of hair from her face and studied her intently. Those blue eyes had a way of burning into her that she found disconcerting.

"You enjoyed it, didn't you?" taking her silence as consent he rested his hand on her knee and said, "I knew you would. It's more exciting this way. What good is love without a little bit of fear?"

Love, that word had caught her attention. At the time she had been so desperate to be loved, so eager to please that she had agreed with him. She thanked him for what he had just done and asked him what he wanted her to do next. A devilish grin had fallen across his face as he asked,

"Are you a good girl Vanessa?"

Not understanding the point of the question she looked at him quizzically. His hand grasping the back of her head and gently pushing it downward told her what he wanted her to do.

"Get on your knees and show me what a good girl you are."

She hesitated, feeling uneasy about this request. Vanessa looked at him with uncertainty in her eyes.

"I won't force you to do anything you're uncomfortable with Vanessa. If you don't want to do this for me that's okay. I'll run off to my little meeting and I won't bother you again."

Fearing abandonment she had done what he wanted. Had gotten on her knees and taken him in her mouth.

"Sweet little Vanessa. You are my good girl." he had said as his hand massaged the back of her head.

Vanessa closed her eyes tight against the memories. What he had done had nothing to do with love and everything to do with domination and humiliation. He had patted her head and called her a good girl, just like one would a dog. He'd been mocking her, laughing at her the whole time. It wasn't enough that he had locked her away in his asylum and tormented her all this time. No, that hadn't been nearly enough for him. He had to have everything. He was worse then the men who had led her into his care in the first place. They had been horrible men motivated by greed and lust but at least their motivations were clear. Vanessa had no idea what drove Dr. Crane to do the things he did other than his own enjoyment and simply because he could. Vanessa was filled with remorse for what she had done. He had defiled her over and over again and she had allowed it because she thought he was the only thing she had left. She could shower all she wanted but she would never wash him away. Dr. Crane had marked his territory well leaving his scars, for the most part, on the inside.

"Vanessa, how did you get that mark?" Dr. Lehman asked again, snapping her back into reality. "Did Dr. Crane do that to you?"

"Yes." Vanessa admitted.

She stood up quickly never wanting to lie on that bed again.

"He made me lie on my stomach and he tied a belt around my neck before he…" she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

Vanessa buried her face in her hands and wept. She was overcome with shame although she had done nothing wrong.

"It's okay Vanessa. You don't have to talk about it if you're not ready." Dr. Lehman told her.

Sergeant Gordon put his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"I'm pathetic." she cried in frustration. Her heart was breaking.

Sergeant Gordon looked her straight in the eyes and said,

"Don't you ever think that. Do you hear me? Not ever. You did what you had to do to survive."

Vanessa could sense the kindness in this man. If only her instincts had been so keen last night. He meant it when he said he wouldn't let Dr. Crane near her again. Finally, she would be safe.

"He hurt me." was all she said back. Her voice sounded so vulnerable and childlike it surprised her.

"I know he did but he's locked away now Vanessa and they'll never let him out."

"Can I go home now? Please, I just want to go home. I can't stay in this room anymore." she pleaded.

Sergeant Gordon looked to Dr. Lehman not knowing what to tell her.

"I'm sorry Vanessa. There are certain procedures that have to be followed. It would be impossible to just let you walk out the front door."

"There has to be something we can do. Can you at least have her moved to another room?" Gordon asked.

"Yes, we can. You won't have to spend another night in this room Vanessa and we're going to get you home as soon as possible. I promise."

As they were beginning to leave, Vanessa stopped Sergeant Gordon.

"I knew I remembered your name. You were the one who brought me back. You saved my life."

"I took you from the frying pan and dropped you into the fire is how it seems." he said in what she could tell was his normally humble fashion.

"You did the right thing. You're a good cop and I thank you."

"I appreciate that. Take care of yourself Vanessa. I'll see you again soon."

There she was, alone again with nothing but her thoughts. Dr. Lehman told her he would be back shortly with a new room assignment for her. He expressed concern in leaving her alone but she assured him she would be fine until he returned. In her heart she knew the truth. No matter what anyone said or did she would never again be fine.

Author's Note: I still don't know how I feel about this chapter. Something about the flow just seems off but after re-writing it a dozen times I resigned myself to the fact that I'll never be happy with it. Maybe it's the subject matter that's getting to me? I've done some pretty nasty things to poor Vanessa but she's going to have a happy ending.

In this chapter I was trying to show that Vanessa has hit rock bottom and that Dr. Crane is a rather twisted, cold-hearted individual. Things are going to be very different when the two of them meet again. 

There's a three way conversation going on in this chapter and hopefully I've been clear as to who is speaking and when. I also hope that I've kept Jim Gordon in character. Let me know what you think.

Looking back over past chapters I can't help but notice little typos here and there (me instead of my, etc..) I don't have a beta reader so I apologize and beg for your mercy.

Thank you again Not Human, golden peaches, x0x Samantha and everyone else for reviewing. You guys are the best!