Never…

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Eye or Batman Begins!

Chapter Three

"Lisa?" Jonathan called out as he entered their house with Amy following reluctantly behind.

"Jonathan, you're home early," Lisa replied as she entered the room from the kitchen. Amy was shocked to see her normally frail mother up and about.

"Dr. Olsen told me he was uncertain about the position. He said to return home and he would let me know."

"Oh, Jonathan, I'm so sorry."

Amy shook her head in revulsion and climbed the stairs to her room. Her parents were too disgusting to watch. Lisa always said exactly what Jonathan wanted to hear. Sometimes she wondered if Lisa was even human or if Jonathan had replaced her with an unfeeling robot.

When Amy reached her room, she suddenly did not want to go inside. Instead, she opened the door leading to the attic stairs. She climbed the dusty steps eagerly, anxious to find a new place in the otherwise cramped house. She knew that many of their belongings had come with them, while some of their possessions had remained behind in Miami. They still owned the home, but Jonathan was a stickler about family togetherness and refused to leave Amy or Lisa behind in Florida.

Of course, Amy's criminal record was not favorable. Granted, she had never committed more than minor offenses and it was always to test and rebel against Jonathan. She knew a great deal about abnormal psychology and she wondered if she could manage to give the impression she had Antisocial Personality Disorder, then Jonathan might simply give up on her. It was an act of rebellion and Jonathan saw through the pretense quickly.

She engaged in petty theft, risky behavior (she had purposefully been caught with drugs on three separate occasions), a disregard for authority, and an indifference towards others, a falsified suicide attempt, and a failed runaway attempt, which did not show Amy in a good light. Jonathan had berated her concerning her behavior many times, yet to Amy, his constant criticism seemed to encourage it. She took advantage of his harsh discipline as an excuse to explain her behavior.

Amy's biggest accomplishment was finishing high school a year early without ever having to attend classes. Jonathan had been delighted at her mental abilities and intelligence. Lisa had not appeared to be surprised.

She shuffled around the attic, peering in boxes, but finding nothing of interest. She was about to give up when she noticed a trunk that seemed old, yet was not covered in dust. It must have belonged to either Lisa or Jonathan. She traced the initials carved into the box. L.R.R. & J.R.

Amy only knew what a few of the initials referenced, yet she was certain that Jonathan's last name had never been anything other than Crane. Intrigued, she tried to lift the lid only to find that it was locked.

Not about to be deterred, Amy withdrew a pocketknife and deftly picked the lock. It clicked and Amy lifted the lid of the trunk. Inside were clothing, photographs, and other miscellaneous items that seemed to belong to another person. She picked up a framed photograph and blew off the dust. At first glance, she thought the picture was of her father and mother, but as she examined it more closely, she recognized her mother who seemed far happier than Amy had ever known her to be, standing with a man that bore a strong resemblance to Jonathan, yet Amy was able to determine that this was definitely not Jonathan Crane. I look more like him then I do of Jonathan. She thought.

Slipping the picture out of the frame, she turned it over. Lisa and Jackson Rippner, 2005 was carefully scrawled on the back.

Her mother and another man? And just before she was born to boot!

Rippner, where have I heard that name before? Amy wondered. It was familiar, yet foreign.

A search of the box revealed more photographs, all within the same timeframe as well as some yellowed newspaper clippings.

Two Dead After Attempted Break-In

The police received a frantic phone call from a newlywed Lisa Rippner following an attempted break-in at the Rippners' posh Miami mansion. Mrs. Rippner was in a state of extreme shock and haphazardly splattered with the blood of two men. The intruder was found dead in the entry way and the body of her husband, Jackson Rippner, was discovered on the patio…

Rippner's Death Ruled A Homicide

The Miami-Dade Police Department has declared the death of Jackson Rippner to be murder. Mr. Rippner was found with a bullet in each shoulder, both his kneecaps shattered, and a broken neck resulting from a fall to the patio. He was killed by Lisa Rippner following a break-in, during which Jackson Rippner shot and killed the intruder. Following a violent argument, Lisa Rippner lost control and shot him, ultimately causing his fall from the second floor of the home. Lisa Rippner was released with no pending charges due to physical and psychological abuse that he perpetrated on his unsuspecting wife. The police are just beginning to investigate Jackson Rippner's extensive criminal past which they believe was the root cause of the argument which caused Lisa Rippner to lose control.

Was her mother really Lisa Rippner? Had her mother cold-bloodedly killed a man? Then how had she ended up with Jonathan in enough time to become pregnant with her? Some of the articles were dated less than six months before her birth. How was any of this possible?

Amy resumed her examination of the trunk. The clothing was fashionable and expensive. It included tailored men's suits and dress shirts. Did all these clothes belong to Jackson Rippner? If so, why had her mother and Jonathan kept them?

"Amy?" Lisa's soft voice was calling her from downstairs. "Amy, where are you?"

Did I shut the door? Please tell me I shut the door…

Light footsteps sounded on the stairs beneath her. She had forgotten to close the attic door. Now Lisa was going to find her snooping around and tell Jonathan. Lisa was completely loyal and she only responded to her master, Jonathan.

Amy hastily shoved everything back into the trunk and shut it. She was not about to be caught red-handed. She had just finished putting everything away and was sitting down with her back against the trunk when Lisa appeared before her.

"Amy? What are you doing up here?" she asked.

After seeing the pictures of the vibrant Lisa Rippner, the woman in front of her appeared to be a ghost; only a shell of the former Lisa.

"I just needed somewhere to hide," Amy said coolly. Just to annoy her mother, she added, "I need a new place to start storing my stash anyways."

"Stash? Amy, have you been doing drugs again?" Unlike Jonathan, Lisa had never figured out that Amy was playing mind games with everyone in respect to her rebellious behavior.

"Maybe I have." Amy shrugged, plastering a grin on her face.

Lisa panicked. "Jonathan!" she cried out loudly.

Jonathan was in the attic in a flash. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"It's Amy!" Lisa whispered into his ear, clinging to him for support. "She's been doing drugs again!"

"It's all right, Lisa," he said calmly, stroking her hair. "I will handle it. You just go back downstairs, okay?"

Lisa nodded and obeyed. Jonathan waited for her to close the attic door before spinning around to Amy. He yanked her up off the floor and glared at her.

"What did you say to her, Amy? Are you purposely attempting to prevent your mother's recovery? We were making excellent progress until your little pretense of rebellion upset her. Do you want to kill your mother, Amy? Do you understand how fragile her mind is?"

"Is it so fragile that she snapped and killed a man?"

"Where did you hear that?"

"I think I remember hearing it from you. The night you used that crap on me before we moved here for good. Remember, Dad?" spat Amy, disgusted.

Jonathan Crane snapped. Both of his hands wrapped around Amy's slender neck as he proceeded to choke her. He was smiling at her with sadistic pleasure while everything began to fade away into darkness.

Am I dead yet?

Author's Notes:

I'm really enjoying writing this story. The next chapter is really long and I'm just about halfway done typing it right now. It will hopefully be up tomorrow afternoon. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! Major thanks to emptyvoices! Enjoy!