Chapter 4: Dinner with the Boss
Disclaimer: Read the prologue
Jonathan was in his work office, surfing through the web for personal information. The girl was Jonathan Crane's primary subject. He'd spent an hour gathering everything he could about her. He looked through her file in Arkham, her Facebook and Twitter accounts, and pictures. It was past midnight, but Jonathan didn't care. He was born a night owl.
From what he'd learned, not surprisingly, Kathryn had a great life back in Florida. Back in her teen years, she went to a private school - Pensacola Christian Academy. She had joined the National Beta Club, aced her AP classes, graduated two years ahead in college. She was an overachiever when it came to her education. He dug deeper into his research, finding out all he can about her family: two parents, a little sister, and a beagle. Unfortunately, he couldn't find anything that's related to Kathryn's fears at all.
Figuring her out was becoming far more difficult than he predicted. There was nothing he could find that caused Kathryn to scream. She was perfect in his eyes. Her beauty, intelligence, feistiness - everything about her was perfect. Even though she ticked him off, he did like the fire in her. His mind played back the song, they had played. He saw the focus and determination in Kathryn's eyes as she strummed the keys. She wanted to play the song perfectly. Maybe that was her fear after all - fear of failing.
Jonathan laid back against his chair, removing his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose.
'You seem tense, Johnny.'
Jonathan sighed heavily at the screen that reflected the dark circles around his tired eyes. He wasn't in the mood to talk to his other half right now, 'I'm aware with that, Captain Obvious.'
'Well, somebody put you in a bad mood. Could it be that annoying girl?'
"Go away!" Jonathan demanded out loud. "I don't have time to deal with you right now."
The other half chuckled wickedly. 'Oh, Johnny. Johnny. Johnny. Johnny, you and I both know that's not possible. Now as I was saying... we could just go ahead and take what we want with the girl already.'
'I'm not going to use that toxin on her, yet! I told you-'
'Oh, I wasn't talking about that...'
Jonathan raised his brows, immediately knew what he meant. 'No!'
'Oh, come on now! You can't deny it, Johnny! I most certainly can't - I mean look at her! She's beautiful!'
'Didn't you say you want to make her pay?' Jonathan questioned.
'I did, and what better way to do it than make her scream for us!'
'No! I would never want her that way!'
'Stop lying, Jonathan! It doesn't suit you. Look, I've seen the way you looked at her yesterday. The way she plays that stupid piano. The way she smiles at you. The way she yells at you.'
'I don't want her,' Jonathan repeated more calmly with a hint of annoyance. "I don't even care about her."
His half paused for a moment before he continued the teasing, 'I didn't say anything about you caring for her, but now-"
'She humiliated me in a Chinese restaurant! How in the world could I care for a woman like that?! Stop your fuckin' attempts to confuse me!'
'I'm not doing anything, Johnny! The girl is! I think she is doing a fuckin' better job of making you fuckin' crazy than you are to her.' Jonathan yawned, rubbing his strained eyes from looking at the computer for too long. Responding to his friend was unnecessary for he would've sounded defensive.
'Since she is influencing you so much, then you must let me take over."
'I can handle her just fine. The last thing I want is for you to ruin my plan," Jonathan closed Kathy's folder in frustration. Before he switched off his computer, Jonathan couldn't help but look at Kathryn's profile picture on Facebook. Oblivious to Jonathan, his lips curled in awe.
'Geez, Johnny. One look at her, and you forget what's important.'
Unfortunately, his half was right about one thing, this girl was driving him insane. He imagined her restrained to his table as he inserted the toxin in her. Jonathan could practically hear her screaming his name, begging for mercy. He smirked at that thought, but then the image shifted.
He imagined both of them playing the piano again, this time both parties were having a time of their lives. After the song was over, Kathryn looked at Jonathan with her white, crooked smile as she leaned forward...
Jonathan halted at that thought and immediately turned off his computer. He groaned in frustration as he rubbed his temples.
"What is wrong with me?" Jonathan asked out loud. Part of him wanted her to scream his name in fear of him when he breaks her. However, another part of him wanted a taste of her stained lips. Crane couldn't deny it, he was attracted to her. He couldn't get her out of his head. She was his fascination, his bug that wouldn't stop bothering him, his obsession. He had never been more determined to know everything about her except for John Doe.
With that in mind, it's time for Mr. Doe's 'therapy' session - a golden opportunity to let out some steam.
~000~000~000~
The next morning, Kathryn woke up with a lousy headache. She had a crazy day yesterday, not because of Crane, but because of her time with Elise. Her new best friend had taken Kathryn to a bar to flirt and get free drinks. How they received the drinks was degrading.
Kathryn wasn't a drinking fan, so she only purchased one margarita. Elise, on the other hand, was so drunk from last night, the manager had to kick her out. Knowing that Elise couldn't be trusted to go home under the influence, Kathryn took her back to Redwood Apartments for a sleepover.
"Ugh!" Elise groaned from the living room, pressing a pillow over her head. Kathryn managed to get out of bed to check on her friend.
"Good morning, Elise," Kathryn greeted as she walked behind the counter in the kitchen.
"No, it's not, Mom!" The blonde snapped angrily.
Kathryn looked at Elise with furrowed brows, "Uh, Elise, I'm not your mother."
"What?" Elise looked up and realized Kathryn was standing there. "Oh, Kat. Hi. What are you doing here? Did you sleepover last night?"
"Lise, do you know where you are?"
The blonde looked around, realizing that she wasn't in her condo. "Okay, where am I? And what the hell happened last night?"
"Here's the story... You took me to a bar, gave the bartender your bra so he could give you free drinks."
"Seriously?"
Kathryn nodded, "Yeah. So I took you to my apartment to sleep it off. Next time we have a get-together, let's go to the mall instead - no alcohol required."
"No, I wasn't talking about that! I'm talking about the bartender. The memory was hazy, but... Was he cute?"
The psychologist looked down at Elise as if she was an idiot. "If he wasn't, you wouldn't have given him your bra in the first place, and you wouldn't have been drunk."
"Oh," Elise smiled sheepishly. "Right." She got up from the couch, groaned at the instant pound to her head, and the twist to her stomach. "Ugh! Kathy, I-I don't feel so good!"
Kathryn immediately grabbed a trash can from the side of the island counter and rushed over to her friend.
"Here," she handed the trash can to Elise, who immediately started puking. Kathryn backed away to give the woman some space. No way she was going to watch the disgusting sight or clean up the mess. Once the hangover blonde finished vomiting, she looked up at Kathryn apologetically.
"I'm sorry," she laid the trash can by her knee.
"Don't worry about it," Kathryn dismissed it. "We all suffer hangovers."
"You don't have a hangover!" the blonde denied.
"No, because I want us to get home safely," Kathryn looked down at her sick friend sympathetically. "Here. I'll get you some water and some aspirin, then I'll fix you some breakfast."
"Do you know how to make poached eggs and pancakes?"
"Yeah. Well, normally, I'm not a breakfast person, but I used to be. My mom used to fix me breakfast before I go to school." The thought of her mom made the petite homesick again. She missed her family, but she'll talk to them through skype later.
Elise laid back down and pressed her forearm against her forehead; her eyes closed, "I hate morning hangovers."
"Yeah, I hate them, too," Kathryn agreed, headed back to the kitchen to fix Elise some pancakes.
The blonde sat up while holding a pillow against her head, staring at Kathryn in confusion. "You? You don't have hangovers."
Kathryn shook her head as she poured the pancake batter on the frying pan, "Oh, I had one before."
"When?"
"On my twenty-first birthday," she answered, turning on the stove. "I decided to try margaritas for the first time. Got smeared with whip cream on the nose, serenaded by Mexicans and their accordion - it was the restaurant's birthday tradition."
"You drank too much?"
Kathryn giggled at that memory, waiting for the pancakes to cook. "Yeah. I was so goofy back then. My friends had to drive me home. The next morning, after puking and listening to my family's tall tale about what happened last night, I swore to myself that I'll never ingest too much alcohol, again."
"But you did."
"Yeah, but not too much to make me throw up my dinner."
Elise groaned as she laid back on the couch, "I'm sorry."
Kathryn glared at her friend in confusion, "For what?"
"For dragging you into my hangover problem. You could've just taken me home."
"Lise," Kathryn flipped the pancake over, cooking the other side, "I don't mind taking care of you. You're my friend." She didn't know if it was her imagination but Kathryn could've sworn Elise was smiling and blinking the tears from her eyes, or maybe she was suppressing nausea.
"You have a job," Elise argued.
"Today's my day off. I have all the time, I need."
"Well, don't. I should just go home and-"
"No," Kathryn disagreed as she flipped the cooked pancake on a plate. "You're not feeling well, Elise. You need to rest. Doctors orders."
"But-"
"No buts," the psychologist ordered in a stern tone as she handed the plate for Elise who stared at the pancake in disgust. "What?"
"I don't want to eat," the blonde complained as she turned her head away. "The food is making me nauseous."
"Well, you gotta eat something."
"My head hurts," Elise moaned, closing her eyes while massaging her temples.
"I'll get you some aspirin," Kathryn walked across the hall and into the bathroom. She opened the medicine cabinet to look for the aspirin, but couldn't find any.
"Sugar," Kathryn cursed to herself. She had no choice, but to get some more at the store. She walked back into the living room where her poor friend lied.
Elise looked up at Kathy like a wounded, hungry puppy.
"I need drugs," she moaned, laying her arms across the forehead.
"I'm sorry. I don't have the aspirin, so I need to go and get some."
"Oh, you don't have to-"
"Really. I need to go grocery shopping anyway. I'll be back as soon as I can," Kathryn walked away from her friend to grab her purse from the counter. "If you need anything, call me and... eat your pancakes and rest, please."
Elise groaned, "Whatever, Mom."
Kathryn giggled as she left her apartment. Before she could take a step downstairs...
'Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?! I've seen the way you acting like you're somebody and gets to me frustrated!' her cellphone rang. She reached into her bag and pulled out her phone to see Elise calling her. Kathryn pushed the talk button and greeted, "Hello?"
"Hey, Kat. You forgot my water," the blonde groaned out.
Kathryn sighed, heading back inside the apartment to fetch Elise's order.
~000~000~000~
A few hours later after running errands, Kathryn decided to take a breather by grabbing something to eat. She stopped at Gotham City Cafe by the bar. She normally sat at a table outside, but somehow she felt like sitting somewhere different. The place wasn't packed like it normally was which was a good thing, less wait time.
"Can I get a chicken sandwich and coke, please?" Kathryn asked the blonde-haired waiter behind the bar.
He looked up at her before he returned to whatever he was doing, "Ya got it."
Kathryn leaned her elbows on the bar, waiting for her order to come. A few moments later, she heard the door squeak open and slam shut, slow footsteps coming towards the bar, but she didn't pay mind.
The waiter appeared at the same time to deliver her drink. "Here ya go, ma'am, and your food will arrive in ten minutes."
Kathryn smiled, speaking her appreciation, "Thank you." She took the straw out of the wrapper and put it in her glass to drink the soda.
The waiter smiled back, before turning his attention to the customer a few seats from Kathryn. "And what can I get you, sir?"
"An Italian pasta salad," the stranger answered.
The waiter wrote down his order. "Okay, anything to drink?"
"Tea."
At that moment, Kathryn raised her eyebrows, listening in carefully. She knew the customer's voice sound familiar, but who did the voice belong to?
"Coming right up," the waiter walked away from the bar.
Kathryn looked at the customer in the corner of her eye. He looked familiar, but there was something different about him. He didn't have his glasses on.
"Dr. Crane?"
Jonathan instantly looked at her in disbelief. "Dr. Knightly? What are you doing here?"
"I'm here for lunch," Kathryn continued staring at him, still couldn't believe he wasn't wearing his glasses. She stared into his eyes and noticed how blue they really were. She saw how high defined were his cheekbones. She couldn't deny the fact he was good looking.
"What about you?" she asked. "You stalking me or something? This is the second time we ran into each other in a public place."
"Indeed," Jonathan confirmed. Kathryn narrowed her eyes, wondering what he meant. Yes as in he was stalking her? Or yes as in he agreed with her? "Just finished work and decided to come here," he couldn't help but notice Kathryn staring at him as if he was a freak. "You can go somewhere else if you want."
"What? No!" she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude."
"As always," he grumbled. "You're staring at me."
"Sorry. It's just you look so different without your glasses in a good way I mean. Your eyes are really blue." Jonathan paused for a moment, not really sure what to say about that. He had never been complimented by anyone, actually, no woman had ever complimented him before with sincerity. Just like yesterday.
"Did you get contacts?" she asked.
"No," he reached into his pocket and opened his glasses case. "These are my reading specs for work. They are times I just leave it on out of habit."
"Except for today?"
"This isn't a library, Kathryn. I need a break."
"Well, I have to say that wearing them is a pain in the butt," Kathryn was fortunate to see her surroundings, except for small words on pages.
"You look fine with your glasses on, doctor," Jonathan grumbled. "They improve your professional image."
Kathryn glared at Jonathan in question. 'Did he just compliment me again, or was it an insult?'
"Um..." Before she could reciprocate his words, her phone buzzed, playing the Avril Lavigne ringtone. Kathryn instantly reached inside her purse for her phone. "Excuse me."
Jonathan didn't pay mind, continued his gaze on the empty counter.
Kathryn looked at her phone to see Elise calling her for the seventh time today. This was becoming monotonous.
"Aren't you going to answer?" Jonathan asked.
The psychologist made her decision by pushing a button that stopped the phone ringing, dropping it back in her purse. "No. I'll just call her back; it's probably nothing."
"How can you be sure?"
"She is at my place, suffering a hangover... and a recent breakup."
"Ah," Jonathan's lips twitched, "so you're playing doctor - mind and body - for your friend?"
"Yeah, instead of dropping her drunk self at her place, I let her crash at mine for the night."
"You are a loyal friend, Kathryn."
She sighed heavily. "Yep. But being a people pleaser is hard work. You have to put on a convincing smile and play well with others. No matter how irritating they can get."
Jonathan nearly snorted at that, "I know what you mean. I used to have students who don't have a clue about what they're doing. The doctors from Arkham are no different. No matter how much I want to yell at them to do their job right, I know it won't work. You must have patience."
"Is that how you feel about me?" Kathryn wondered.
Amusement lit up his crystal blues, a smirk dazzled across his lips. He could almost laugh on the inside.
Before he could respond, the waiter delivered the customers' order.
"Here ya go," the waiter said politely, laid their food and drinks on the bar.
"Thank you so much," Kathryn thanked the waiter with a friendly smile.
"Thank you," Jonathan uttered without looking at the waiter. His tone was forced and unpleasant, opposite of Kathryn's perky charm.
"If y'all need anything, let me know," the waiter smiled at the woman as he walked away from the bar.
Kathryn looked over at Jonathan's bowl to see the pasta salad, he ordered. It looked appetizing but not compared to her chicken sandwich.
"So you're a pasta fan?"
Jonathan stirred the noodles with his fork. "The Italian restaurant down the street was booked solid."
The woman took a bite of her sandwich and swallowed, "You know..." she covered her mouth to lick the ketchup off her lips, "if you're a huge Italian fan like me, I recommend Carrabbas. They have Alfredo to die for with decent price and wait time."
"Good tip," he bit a forkful of his salad. Many long, agonizing minutes, they finished their meal in silence.
The waiter broke the awkward tension by returning to the counter to check on them. "How is everything?"
"Good," Kathryn smiled at him as she lifted her empty glass. "Can I have a refill, please?"
The blonde waiter took the glass from her. "Of course. Anything you want. I'll be right back with your check."
"Thank you."
Now it was Jonathan's turn to be checked on.
"How's your salad, sir?" the waiter asked.
"Fine," Jonathan responded curtly. His eyes narrowed with annoyance, forcing the waiter to stumble back and go about his business. Kathryn sighed, feeling sorry for the guy who was serving them. He was just a man working for tips. She'll be sure to give him ten dollars on the way out.
"Remember, what I said, Kathryn," Jonathan began as if he had read her mind. "Kissing ass doesn't score you points from me."
"Maybe not, but the guy isn't kissing ass. Did it ever occur to you that people are being nice because they want to?"
Jonathan hummed in response, "I suppose, or maybe he wants your phone number."
Kathryn scoffed, amused by Jonathan's words. "Aww, is that why you're so bitter? You want his number, Jonathan?" Her mouth dropped quickly realizing her mistake. She didn't miss Jonathan's surprised and disgusted face.
"Excuse me?" he asked, his tone remained calm.
Kathryn shook her head, sipping the melted ice from her glass. This was a mistake. She should drop the subject before it's too late. "Nothing."
"I find that very hard to believe," Jonathan retorted. "Now for the sake of my morbid sense of curiosity, humor me. Why do I need the baffon's number?"
Kathryn giggled sheepishly as she continued, "Well... The doctors in Arkham and - I admit - me as well, we are... curious about you."
Jonathan raised a brow. "Me? Now, what would that reason be?"
"Um... It's just that you're an... an unsolved mystery, Dr. Crane."
"How so?"
"Well... I get the impression that you're hiding something. You have this big secret, you don't want anyone to know about."
Jonathan tightened his grip on his glass, listening intently. No way, she could figure him out, especially his secret.
"Oh?" he asked, pretending to act dumb. "Like what? What does it have to do with the man's contact number?"
"I should keep my mouth shut-"
"No. No. You started all this, Kathryn, now you must finish it."
If the woman was smart, if she figured him out, Kathy wouldn't be confronting him in a place like this; or maybe it's the smartest thing. Witnesses in case he tried to drug her. Exactly what proof did she have to confirm her theory?
"I don't know. I only heard the rumors."
"What rumors?"
Mostly she heard them from Emma the receptionist but didn't want to give him names. "From what I can tell, you're a good looking guy. Not really a social person. You always keep stuff to yourself. You're high maintenance, intelligent, intense, a control freak."
"Control freak?" Jonathan sipped his drink once more, licked his lips in deep thought. "Interesting words to describe me, Kathryn."
"From what I heard from the doctors..." Kathryn paused, debating whether to say the next set of words, "you're probably living a secret, double life - sneaking off somewhere you don't want me or anybody to know who you're really seeing."
Jonathan pinched his brows, now confused. She wasn't talking about his dark secret half at all. She said who as if the person was real - a client, colleague, a girlfriend.
"Who?" he pressed.
"Maybe..." Kathy muttered. "Some guy."
The realization hit him instantly. Jonathan understood what she was trying to say. Amusement lit up his eyes, the corner of his lips curled.
"Oh, so you think I'm gay?" he challenged.
Kathryn shook her head. "No."
"Yes."
"No, I - I don't," she insisted, "but... some doctors-"
"Kathryn-"
"I'm sorry, Dr. Crane." This was awkward. She was embarrassed for bringing it up in the first place. "What you do is your own business. I should learn not to stick my nose where it doesn't belong."
"Kathryn," Jonathan placed his hand on top of hers, silencing the woman, "I'm not gay."
Kathryn paused to stare and embrace the gentle, coolness of his fingertips. She felt a tingling sensation up and down her arm, creating goosebumps.
"Okay," she uttered quietly. "Now that we know it's a stupid rumor, I do have a question."
"About what?"
"Are you seeing someone or interested in anybody?"
Jonathan smirked, withdrawing his hand near his plate. "If I don't know better, Kathryn, it sounds like you're hitting on me."
Kathryn instantly felt her cheeks heating up, "Oh! N-No! I-I was just saying-"
Her rambling caused Jonathan to laugh almost choked on his tea.
The woman's mouth dropped, staring at Jonathan in disbelief. "Oh my gosh."
"What?" his face contorted, no longer smiling wider than a millisecond before.
"I don't believe it," she whispered, still in shock.
"Is there something wrong?" Jonathan asked not really sure what's going on through Kathryn's mind.
"No. Not really, it's more like a miracle," her lips stretched. "Dr. Jonathan Crane, the most serious guy I've met in my life, just laughed and made a joke." Jonathan's frown deepened, forced to listen to her giggles. "You had me there."
The waiter returned to give Kathryn her refill. "Here ya go, Miss." He also took her empty plate and Jonathan's half-finished bowl. "I'll take that away from y'all."
"Thank you," Kathryn thanked him politely.
The blonde waiter offered that same crooked smile. "You're welcome. I'll be back for the bill." And for that, he left the counter.
Kathryn noticed the wink in her direction as the waiter turned away. "I think he has an eyelash in his eye," Kathy couldn't help but groan at Jonathan's straight face. "Oh, come on! Don't be serious. I like the relaxed, loosen up Crane better."
"Why?" Jonathan took another sip of his tea.
"Why?!" Kathryn laughed. "For a minute there, I thought that you were a human being."
"And you think I wasn't before?"
"Well, let's be honest, you're kind of a... a robot."
Jonathan glared at Kathryn, "A robot?"
"Yeah," she admitted. "I mean you're stiff, too serious-"
"The reason for that, Kathryn, is because I take my job in Arkham very seriously."
"I know, but what about outside of Arkham? Are you a robot then or somebody no one knows about?"
Jonathan paused, thinking about how to respond to that. He wouldn't tell her about his dark side and never will. "Let's not forget, Kathryn, you don't know anything about me."
"Obviously. I figured out that deep down, you can kid around if you want to."
"Life isn't about fun and games, Kathryn."
"Yeah, but it's not all about work either," she argued. "For example, how would you feel if I started calling you Johnny instead of Jonathan."
His eye twitched at the nickname. "I strongly prefer Jonathan."
"Why?"
"Because it's my given name. Nobody has ever called me 'Johnny' ever." Technically, that was a lie. His friend always called him by that name, and it annoyed him all the time, even when Jonathan commanded him to stop.
"Yet, no one - other than family - has ever called me Jonathan either," he added lightly.
"Not even your friends or Arkham?"
"I don't have time for friends."
"Well, you've taken the time to talk to me," Kathryn argued, earning a look from Jonathan. "Is there a chance that we can be friends?"
Jonathan stared ahead in deep thought before he answered, "We'll see."
Her lips shifted into a smirk before taking a sip from her drink. She didn't hear a no, that's a start. Jonathan wasn't sure about the idea of her giving him a nickname, but at the same time, it wasn't a big deal. As tolerable as it was to talk to Kathryn, there was only one person standing in the way to continue the conversation - her drunk friend.
"Are you going home to your friend, after this?"
Kathryn froze at her mid-sip, forgot that Elise was at her apartment. "Oh... Um... I could call her and check on her, but-"
"But what?"
"I'm talking to you that would be rude."
"I don't mind."
Kathryn looked up at Jonathan for official confirmation. "Are you sure?"
"Of course. Go ahead."
She pulled out her phone from her purse, texting Elise, instead of calling her.
'Hey, how are you feeling?'
As soon as she sent the message, it didn't take too long for Kathryn to get a response.
Elise - 'Better now. I tried to call and tell you that I'm on my way home. I have Viola take care of the mess, so don't worry about coming home to see my shit. Thanks for the pancakes. I needed that. XOXO'
Kathryn felt relieved after reading Elise's message, but at the same time, how could Elise afford a maid and let her in the apartment without asking? It didn't matter. Kathryn wasn't in a hurry to come home and was free to talk with Jonathan some more if he wasn't planning on doing anything after. She turned to Jonathan, whose eyes intensified back in her direction.
"So what did she say?" Jonathan wondered.
"Are you doing anything afterward?" she asked, placing the phone back in her purse.
Jonathan blinked, raising a questionable brow at Kathryn, before shaking his head, "Not that I'm aware of. Why?"
"Well, I was thinking... You're right about one thing."
"About what?"
"I don't know anything about you, but to be fair, you don't anything about me either."
Jonathan's face remained neutral, no telling what he was thinking.
"But it doesn't mean that we can't try. Instead of fighting, how about we start over?"
He knew she shouldn't go near him, it was dangerous to put herself at risk. But then again, this made his plan to conquer her mind so much easier.
"What about your friend?"
Kathryn smiled, laying her hand on top of Jonathan's, "She's fine."
At that moment, the blonde waiter came back with both their bills. "I hoped you enjoy your..." He paused and saw the doctors holding hands. "...bill," the waiter finished quietly. The pair immediately pulled away, turning their attention to the numbers and cost.
The waiter laid their receipts on the bar, "I hope you can come back and eat here again." He walked away from them to take another customer's order, before glancing at the couple one more time.
"So uh..." Jonathan decided to break the awkward silence to start the conversation. "What do you wish to know?"
(Song: Beautiful Disaster - Kelly Clarkson - male version)
A couple of hours, after paying their bill, Kathryn and Jonathan stuck around and continued talking.
"Oh, come now, Kathryn, your family can't be that bad," he uttered.
"Oh yeah?" she challenged. "What if I told you that my mom always pressured me to be the best in my classes?"
"I'm sure she desires the best for you."
"Yeah, but she never gave my sister that kind of treatment. My sister gets Bs while I get the As. I'm with the books, while she catches balls."
"What kind of balls?" he wondered.
"Fastpitch softball," she clarified. "You know, baseball but for girls instead of guys."
"Ah," Jonathan nodded in understanding. "What about your dad? Does he pressure you like your mother?"
Kathryn shook her head. "No. He is encouraging and positive. Seriously, my mother needs to take happy pills."
Jonathan chuckled. "I can't imagine having that kind of pressure from my parents."
"Your parents never pressure you, Mister Bachelor's-degree-in-psychopharmacology?" Kathryn challenged with a smirk, making Jonathan smile.
"Uh, no. In fact, I never knew them at all."
Her smile disappeared a single blink, processing what he just said. "What?"
"My parents abandoned when I was born," Jonathan said quietly, lowering his head.
"Oh..." Kathryn stared at Jonathan sympathetically, feeling bad about bringing the parents up and how she sometimes wished to be the only child. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I was raised by my grandmother."
"Does she pressure you to be the best?"
"No, I put pressure on myself. It's always been my choice. I chose to pack my bags and leave Arlen."
Kathryn couldn't believe that this man was originally from the south. Did he have an accent when living there, or did his voice change after the move? Could her accent shift as well? At least she won't have any more people make dumb requests. Back to the subject at hand, it took a moment to realize just how alike their mind could be.
Her mouth twitched. "You're lucky, that you had the power to choose."
"You're lucky as well, Kathryn," Jonathan declared. "You're lucky to have parents who care, and a sibling who looks up to you as a role model." The woman shook her head in denial, while Jonathan spoke his reason. "She may not act like it, but she doesn't want to show it. I'm the only child, so I don't have that. Mostly... Mostly, I've been alone."
"What about your grandmother?"
"She wasn't very... attentive. Not the right person to turn to for help," Jonathan shook his head. "No. I did a lot of things on my own."
"That's what I want to do. One of the reasons I moved to Gotham. Prove myself that I can be independent without my parents' help." Kathryn looked up at Jonathan sympathetically again. "I'm sorry."
Jonathan furrowed his brows at her in confusion. "For what?"
"Everything..." she sighed sadly, feeling guilty about treating him poorly in the past couple of days. "You ticked me off, but it's no excuse for what I said. The food incidents were accidents - I didn't mean to cause you pain and disruption."
"Well," Jonathan sighed, "since you apologized so nicely... I suppose I can forgive you."
Kathryn knew that she wasn't going to get an apology from him, even though she apologized to him. He was too proud of himself to admit he was wrong.
"Thank you," she replied.
Nonetheless, the weight of guilt had lifted off her shoulders. They might be able to start fresh.
"You're a smart girl, Kathryn. I know you can be a great doctor in Arkham. You just need guidance. You remind me of myself when I graduated from school."
"Really?"
"Mm-hm. I felt the same way you felt when I first started my career, but don't worry," Jonathan laid his hands on top of hers, caressing the back with his thumb. "You'll get used to it."
She smiled lovingly, grasped his hand with her own, "I appreciate you saying that, Jonathan. Thank you." His gaze descended at their bonded hands. This was becoming too sentimental for his liking. It's bad enough that he had to make her a false promise, tell her that everything will be alright. She wasn't going to be okay. If only she knew what he's capable of.
"Ahem." The pair looked across the bar to see the blonde waiter standing there. "I'm sorry to bother y'all, but we're closing for the night."
"Really?" Kathy asked more to herself than the waiter. She pulled her phone out of her purse, while Jonathan rolled his sleeve up to look at his watch, checking the time. Both of their times said 7:55 pm.
Jonathan widened his eyes in shock, couldn't believe how much time went by. "Would you look at that?"
"Yeah," she agreed with an amused chuckle, "Time really does fly."
"Agreed."
"Sorry about that, guys," the blonde waiter apologized half-heartedly.
"It's fine," Kathryn said. "You're just doing your job."
"Thanks. Have a great night. Drive safely, you two."
"Thank you," Kathryn said to him as she and Jonathan walked toward the entrance. Becoming the gentlemen, Jonathan opened the double doors for her.
"So I'll see you at work Monday?" Kathryn asked.
"Of course," Jonathan chocked as he felt her arm wrapped around his neck, giving him a warm hug. He didn't return the sentiment. He stood there with his arms glued to his sides, not knowing what to do or how to react until it was too late.
Kathryn pulled away, laughing quietly as she tucked her hair behind her ear while looking down, clearly embarrassed. "I'm sorry."
"No. Don't. It's fine. Outside of work, I mean," Jonathan added, the need to criticize remained intact.
"I know. I understand. You want everyone to believe you are a robot," Kathryn raised her hands up in surrender, stepping back. "I get it."
Jonathan scoffed, shaking his head, but couldn't help but grin. Jonathan smiling? Her heart thumped loudly at the thought of being the first one to witness his human side. The first to call him by his name.
"Have a good night, Jonathan," Kathryn waved as she walked back to her car.
"Plesant dreams, Kathryn," Jonathan watched as she got into the car and drove away. The second she left, he returned to his spot in the driver's seat. He couldn't help but process what just happened tonight. He thought that she was going to be a hard nut to crack, but he was wrong. This task was going to be a lot easier than he anticipated. Jonathan was one step closer to knowing Kathryn Knightly's greatest fear.
She believed their run-in was another accident, but that's not exactly true. She didn't count on Crane following her to this location. Before he could go inside the restaurant to talk to her, he had taken his prescribed medication to make his dark half go away. This was Jonathan's project, he must do this alone.
Jonathan didn't expect it to go so well. Too well. He couldn't believe that he had slipped a joke and allowed the girl to call him by name. He wanted to believe he was acting for the show, but that wasn't the case. He knew that she was the definition of attraction. She was a beautiful disaster - a perfect side distraction from work. He couldn't let that happen; he just couldn't. The sooner he gets rid of her, the better it would be for Jonathan Crane and mankind.
With an exhausted sigh, he turned the key, pulling his car out of the parking lot.
