C-can it be? Another chapter of Tea and Sypmathy?
Hey, I just rhymed without meaning to! Sorry you had to wait so long, but I've been very busy. Hope you enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: Magneto: BOW BEFORE ME, INFERIOR!
Me: Knock it off and do the disclaimer.
Mags: WHAT'S A DISCLAIMER?
Me: Well, it's - hold on, why are you talking in all caps?
Mags: ER…
Me: Nevermind… (makes Magneto vanish) Okay, this one is long. Things that I use that don't belong to me are: WCMI, which belongs to the amazing Bri-chan; the Bartimeus Trilogy, which belongs to Jonathan Stroud… I think… Pirates of the Caribbean, which belongs to Disney; Stupid Boy, which belongs to Keith Urban; and I think that's it. If I missed anything, that doesn't mean I got the rights for my birthday. My birthday isn't even here yet.
Cameos in last chapter: Harry Potter, Dorothy Gale from the Oz books, the young woman from the song Scarborough Fair, and the Hatter Madigan from The Looking-Glass Wars. The reason I said he's an great man is because in The Looking-Glass Wars he's the bodyguard of the White Queen, and when she is killed and the Princess Alyss is lost in our world during a raid by the hag Redd, he spends thirteen years of untiring searching over the entire world for the young princess. The series belongs to Frank Beddor.
Read, enjoy, and leave a review - in whatever order you prefer. And appearance of an old acquaintance of Jervis' (wink wink) lots of Cheshire/Jervis fluff, a development in their relationship, and some back/forth between the Js. Here we go…
July
4
"Let freedom ring!" Jeanette's heels tapped the kitchenette floor as she spun around in a one-woman dance. "Let the white doves sing! Let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning!"
"Is it healthy to enjoy an American patriotic holiday this much while in England?" Jervis whispered to Cheshire as they watched her preparing food.
"Hmm," was Cheshire's reply. She sounded a little depressed, and Jervis looked anxiously at her.
"Darling, what's wrong?"
She shrugged. "Well… it's been a while. England is really nice, but I kinda miss Gotham…"
Jervis restrained from hitting himself on the head. Being English himself, he had not thought of Cheshire's getting homesick.
"If you want, we can go back in a few days."
Her face lit up. "Really?"
"Yes. There's just one last thing I want to do… I'll see if I can arrange it tonight."
"What? What?"
"You'll see, my dear."
Jonathan interrupted by stumbling down the steps, several scribbled-over papers clutched in his hands and a wild yet triumphant gleam in his eye. "It took all night," he rasped at Jeanette, ignoring the Hatter and Cheshire "but I disproved your calculations!"
Jeanette put down the spoon she had been conducting 'The Star-Spangled Banner' with and trotted over. "Let's see." She snatched the papers and scanned them. After a minute her mouth began twitching, then she handed the papers back and headed back to the kitchenette, merely remarking, in the quietest of tones, "You had seven times four equal twenty-five in column four."
The Scarecrow let out a growl of frustration, hitting his head, then shot back up the stairs muttering to himself. "Don't wear yourself out!" Jeanette called cheerfully after him, then went back to cooking.
* * * * *
"Can I look now?"
Jervis chuckled, keeping his gloved hand over her eyes. "No, my dear. Just a little longer." He guided her carefully through a couple more streets, then took her hand away. "Here we are…"
Chesire's jaw dropped. "Oh. My. God." She stumbled back, trying to take in all of it at once. "That has got to be the biggest Ferris wheel I've ever seen."
Jervis smiled, taking her hand. "It's called the London Eye. I believe it is the biggest Ferris wheel in the world since the first was dismantled; the cars can each hold twenty-five people. However, I managed to get us a semi-private car."
"Semi?"
"One other couple. Better than twenty-three other people, though."
She surprised him by hugging him, her arms around his shoulders and her head resting lightly on his chest. "Thanks, Jervis." A second later, however, she was back to her usual chirpy self. "I wonder who the other couple is?"
Their question was answered in a few minutes.
"Jeanie? Professor Crane?"
The other pair looked just as shocked. "Er… h-hello, Tetch!" said the Scarecrow quickly, shifting away from Jeanette and trying to make it look as if they had just happened to come into the car at the same time. "We - I didn't know…"
"Excuse me for a moment, Cheshire." The Hatter grabbed Jonathan by the sleeve and pulled him to the side as the girls entered the car. "Listen, Jonathan. You don't say anything about me, I won't say anything about you. Deal?"
The Scarecrow nodded. "I think I'll just pretend we're alone in the compartment."
* * * * * *
"It looks almost like Wonderland!" Cheshire sighed rapturously, pressing against the glass and looking down at the glittering map of London at night. "Now I can understand why you miss this place so much when you're away from it…"
"And I understand why you miss Gotham." Tenitavely, Jervis took her hand and she returned the gentle grip. "They have a different kind of magic…"
And there's not just the place, Cheshire found herself thinking, it's because he's here. But… I don't know whether I can say it. Even after their kiss, she was uncertain that she wanted to commit again; her soul was still healing from the last time.
Jonathan was feeling nervous for the first time since third grade as he stole sideways glances at the young woman standing next to him. Jeanette was wearing a burgundy skirt and even darker red blouse, but the clinging crocheted jacket she wore was pure, glittering gold, and her loose dark hair was braided with more gold and red. She appeared absorbed with the city spread out at her feet like a velvet cloth sprinkled with crystals - when did he start getting poetic? - but he could almost feel her attention directed towards him. Again, he asked himself what he was thinking when he had asked her if there was anywhere she wanted to go and again he tried to think of a 'logical' explanation, but could find none.
Jeanette tilted her head to the side, feeling the Scarecrow's eyes on her, giving her the autumn-chill tingle that she had felt when she first met him. Now she was almost sure, it was him… the forseeing she had had almost twelve years back, during her quicker dimension-hopping…
"What are you doing?" Jay-rick, another young padawon, leaned over her shoulder as she laid out the cards.
The sixteen-year-old Jeanette smiled up at the young boy. "Telling my future, Jay." She began to point out the cards. "That's financial. The Empress - abundance. This card is lifestyle - the Fool. Always traveling, learning new things. Home - the Hermit. I'll have to search a long time to find it. And this is, well -" A faint blush suffused the girl's cheeks. "Love. The King of Wands."
"Are you a fire sign?"
Jonathan blinked. "Beg pardon?"
"What's your sign?"
He lifted an eyebrow. "Shouldn't I be delivering the pickup lines, if there are any to be delivered?"
"C'mon, Jonny." She pouted, turning around and looking up at him. "Are ya?"
With the sneaking suspicion that she was doing a Harley impression, he relented. "I believe so."
"Ah." She said nothing more, but after a few minutes leant her head on his shoulder. He let it stay there.
"Are there any English superheroes?" Harley inquired, snuggling into the front of Jervis' coat and yawning a little. They were near the end of the ride, and her eyelids were growing heavy.
Jervis searched his memory; he had had a conversation with Jeanette on the subject only a few days earlier. "I do not think there are in this dimension, but in the Marvel dimension there are a few. I believe Jeanette mentioned a 'Captain Britain'-" Jervis did not bother to keep the contempt out of his voice, who had a large enough ego that they would name themselves after a whole country? - "And a 'Union Jack', or something of that sort."
Cheshire giggled.
"What is it, my dear?"
"You know the Joker's name is Jack? I just pictured the Joker wearin' a flag."
Jervis grimaced. "Cheshire!"
"With other clothes, with other clothes!"
They laughed themselves breathless.
* * * * * *
When they reached Jeanette's door Cheshire and Jervis stayed outside for a moment as the other two exchanged meaningful glances and went in. Cheshire looked at the ground, a blush coloring her cheeks.
"Jervis, I - I've been thinking, and… I think it would be best to settle, before we go back to Gotham, what we're going back as."
Jervis felt a slight shiver of nervousness go through him. He had never heard her speak so seriously before, except when confessing that she did not love the Joker.
"As?"
"Y'know what I'm talking about." She looked up, her blue eyes apprehensive. "And somebody has to say it."
Jervis' heart sped up and he bit his lip. "Cheshire, we have only been together for four months -"
"But not together!" she interrupted, shocking him when he saw tears in her eyes. Like the morning she had left the Joker, in the late evening her inhibitions seemed to have broken down. She was almost sobbing as she went on. "Please Jervis - I need to know - I need to know how you feel about me! I need to know if you want me! P-please -" Almost unconsciously Jervis had gathered her into his arms, and her face was not an inch from his as she finished, in a voice scarcely more than an anguished whisper. "I- I need to know if you… if you love me… because - because I love you, Jervis."
His chest tightened in an almost painful emotion between joy and fierce, aching love. A flash of anger blazed through him as he remembered how badly treated Cheshire had been, then a soft glow surmounted all; she loved him back.
"I…" Why, at all times, must his voice fail him now? Her tearstained face was uplifted to him with a shadow of hope, and suddenly a snippet of song he had heard from Jeanette earlier drifted into his mind.
What do you say in a moment like this?
When you can't find the words to tell it like it is
He uncertainly cupped her chin in his hands, still unable to speak.
Just bite your tongue and let your heart lead the way
He leaned gently in towards her, and their mouths met as his hands slid over her shoulders to rest on the back of her waist and her arms settled around his neck, slim fingers tangling in his yellow hair.
Let's get out of here
Oh, what do you say?
* * * * * *
"Finally." Jeanette let the curtain fall and looked over to Jonathan, who was sitting by the fire nursing a mug of cider. "It looks like they might be admitting it."
He took another sip. "Hm. Ten to one that they'll pretend nothing happened in the morning."
She grinned. "You're on."
July
5
Jervis set down his teacup firmly. "Miss Cameron - Jonathan - as Cheshire and I are leaving for Gotham today, we thought it best to tell you - well…"
"We are together now," piped up Cheshire, a grin faintly reminiscent of Harley Quinn flashing over her face.
Jonathan's mouth fell open, but he was distracted by Jeanette's truly evil laugh. "Jeanette?"
"Our little ten-to-one deal, don't you remember?" She rubbed her chin. "Now I get to decide ten what…"
The new couple looked from the Scarecrow to the witch, nonplussed as Jonathan paled visibly.
"What do you mean, ten to one what?"
"You didn't specify, Professor," was the sweet-voiced answer. "Now let's see… giant chocolates? Nah, don't need to gain any weight. Heads of superheroes? Too messy…"
"Do you have any idea what they're talking about?"
"No." Jervis poured her a cup of tea. "At least Jonathan is distracted enough that our news probably won't hit him until we're far enough away that we can't hear the screams."
Cheshire giggled. "Hey, you made a joke!"
"So I did."
"Well, ya just never used to." She entwined the hand that wasn't full of teacup with his, looking at him. "You're happier now."
He pressed the hand to his lips. "Because of you, my dearest."
"Ten kisses. To be collected when I want them."
The Scarecrow stared at her with his mouth hanging open. "Wha… wha…"
"And since I don't want them all at once, I'll have to come with you!" she finished brightly, heading out of the room. "I better call up some friends and get them to take care of the shop."
"Well, that was sudden," Jervis murmured, then turned to Jonathan with a twinkle in his eye. "What's the matter? Don't you like her?"
"Gnyah…" was the professor's eloquent reply. He was staring off into space with a frozen expression.
"Jus' a minute," Cheshire said, jumping up from the table and following Jeanette into the next room to listen to the conversations.
"Hello? Is this Obi-wan? Luke? Who the heck are you? Well yeah I'm rude, where's Obi? Dead? Darnit… never mind." She dialed another number. "Live long and prosper… may I speak to Captain Kir- dead? Sheesh… no, it's nothing you did. Goodbye. Man, the death rate has really jumped…" (dial) "Fly with you! May I speak to Tink? Oh, thank heavens she's not dead… Hi, Tink? Are you free to - Peter needs you for what? Oh. It's okay, I'll find someone else." Jeanette flipped through a small book for a minute, then called another number. "Dumbledore? What the… McGonagall? What - HE'S DEAD TOO? AAARGH!" She hung up and glared at the phone. "I must know some people who aren't dead…" She tried another number. "Reginald? Are you - you're getting married? To who? Oh, yeah, Alice." Cheshire's jaw dropped. "Good luck. Bye…" She hung up and glanced at Cheshire. "A different Alice. Now let's see… I'll try Bartimeus. Kitty? Hi, is Nate - he's dead? Damnit! And why do you sound so old? Oh. Could you get someone to summon Bartimeus? Thanks, I'll wait." She put the phone down and sighed. "Jeez, fall out of touch with people for a few years and everybody dies or gets married or something…"
After a minute she picked it back up. "Barty, hi. Would you mind looking after the shop for a bit? Oh, c'mon… fine. O wise and ace and wonderful Bartimeus, will you look after my shop? Thank you." Jeanette groaned, wiping a strand of hair out of her face. "Just one more, Barty can't go unsupervised," she assured Cheshire, then called another. "Hello, is Will there? Elizabeth? Where is Will… oh. Only once? Every ten years? Bummer. Can you get Jack on the line? He's expected by in four years? Put him on when he gets there." She covered the mouthpiece and explained to Cheshire. "Different time zones and flows. Jack! You low-down mangy son of a pirate, how've you been? Still Captain Jack Sparrow? Good, good. Would you mind a bit of semi-honest work? No, it won't kill you. Not sure… you can swindle people if you really want to. Thanks, Jack."
Cheshire still looked slightly shell-shocked, so Jeanette snapped her fingers in front of her face. "C'mon, Jervis should have gotten Jonathan at least articulate enough to scream by now and I need to pack."
July
6(barely)
"Why do we have to leave at three in the morning?" Cheshire complained, yawning as the foursome headed towards Kensington Gardens.
"If you want to launch Batman's plane in broad daylight-" Jeanette pointed out.
"Oh. Good point."
Jonathan still looked faintly in shock, and kept darting nervous glances at Jeanette, and Jervis kept on stopping to look at things, having to be called to, but they finally got all four of themselves and their luggage into the Bat-Plane (barely) and took off.
"Tetch, stop jabbing your elbow into me!"
"It's not my fault, this plane isn't meant to hold more than three people without bags!"
* * * * *
"-I'm almost down to thinking we'll have to check London." Batman sighed heavily. "This is the worst - or best, considering how you look at it - team-up I've ever gone against. Worse than Harley and Ivy."
Robin gaped over his shoulder at the screen. "What's that?"
Batman spun around and his mouth fell open as well.
Across a main screen, that showed a section of sky, streaked an oddly familiar object. A strangled noise rose from Robin's throat, but it was Batgirl who was able to speak when she came up behind them and saw it.
"What did they do to our plane?"
The ex-Batplane was now painted like a patchwork quilt in crazy blue, green, red, purple and yellow. It was flying strangely too, in an oddly erratic pattern.
Batman and Robin flew out of their chairs and towards the Batmobile at once, and Batgirl lingered for but a moment more to ask another question as she stared at the screen.
"Why the heck are they flying like that?"
* * * * * *
"NO, LEFT, LEFT! LEFT YOU IDIOT GIRL!"
"It never hurt anyone to be polite, Professor - oof! And it's KINDA HARD TO FLY THIS JUNKHEAP WITH PEOPLE BANGING INTO YOU ALL THE TIME!"
"Can't help it, Cheshire! The Hatter's taking up a lot of space!"
"I CAN'T LET MY HAT BE CRUSHED!"
"TETCH!"
"It's my only hat!"
"I thought you had a collection!"
"They're not mine! I'm a Hatter!"
"Oh, good lord…"
"THERE'S OUR STOP!"
Elbowing Jeanette in the side, Cheshire yanked on the control column and the plane dove sharply, then leveled out as they coasted over one of the worse parts of Gotham.
"Where are we stayin' again?"
"Toy factory!" Jonathan called back. "I have a bit of a deal with the manager, and we have the whole back section, with all the rejected dolls, toys and the like. We're dipping down among the buildings there-" he indicated with a thin finger "-to test Tetch's improvements on the plane."
"Okie-doke! Hold on to your hats, we're goin' down!"
They dove steeply until they were hidden by buildings, then the Scarecrow shouted "NOW!" Jeanette pressed a blue button.
First the plane began to shimmer all over, then slowly faded from sight. The windshield glossed over, becoming faintly blue; the passengers could still see the interior of the plane, but the video feeds Jervis had hacked into showed nothing but litter shifting as the plane flew silently by. Jeanette found the control rod shoved into her hands as Cheshire twisted around in her seat to plant a kiss on Jervis' cheek. He turned bright red and muttered something about that it had been Jonathan who gave him the original idea; Cheshire ignored his protest and had just taken back control when she spotted something.
"Hello hello hello! If it isn't 'Mistah J' on his morning constitutional!" Her voice changed to curiousity as she brought the plane a little closer. "Who's that girl with him?"
Jervis frowned. "She looks familiar…"
"Let's touch down!"
The Scarecrow glared at Jeanette. "You are not technically a member of the Gallery, therefore your ideas -"
She grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him on the mouth. He froze in shock, giving Cheshire time to concede the idea and find a place around the turn of a building to land.
* * * * *
"Oh Jo-ker?"
The Joker and the strange girl both looked up at Cheshire's singsong. The girl's mouth dropped open and she looked ready to faint, and the Joker looked ready to boil over for a second before his trademark grin appeared.
"Well, well, Hat. I wondered when you were coming back." He glanced at the girl half behind him. "I ran into an old acquaintance of yours while you were gone…"
"Oh really?" Jervis leant on the sword-cane he had procured from Jeanette's store. "Who?"
The Joker's grin dropped; for once he looked truly astonished. "You mean you don't recognize her?" He pulled the girl out from behind him, and Cheshire gave a squeal of indignation as she fully realized what she was wearing.
"That's my old costume!"
"She has your room, too," the Joker said cheerfully. "Fills up your place perfectly. You sure you don't recognize her?" He sounded almost pleading.
"Sorry, no."
The Joker glared sulkily at him, then turned to the girl. "Say something, pumpkin pie."
She blinked. "What do you want me to say, sweetie?"
Jervis' eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. "Good Lord! Alice?"
Cheshire's eyes went narrow. "Lemme at 'er!"
Alice looked frazzled and didn't say anything. The Joker moved her to the side as if she was an inconvenient piece of furniture and folded his arms. "Nice to see your memory hasn't completely failed, Hat."
"Your taste in men has seriously declined since we knew each other, Alice."
"You're - you're not upset?" The Joker's tone was rather hurt. The Hatter hadn't sounded even annoyed - more amused! He didn't like situations where he couldn't see the joke.
"Er… could we go now?" Alice put in uncomfortably as the Scarecrow and Jeanette rounded the corner.
"We got tired of waiting in the… oh, it's the squeaky girl."
"You know her, Jonathan?"
"Robbed the place once - she wouldn't stop screeching. You have no idea, Joker; two months of that girl's voice and you'll be wishing you hadn't hooked her."
The Joker began to look nervous. Alice frowned. "Hey, don't talk to my sweetie like that!"
Jervis leant forward. "I'm curious, Alice; why the Joker? What happened to the boy? I mean, he was a cad, but the Joker is more of a cad."
She looked nervous and retreated partially behind the Joker. "After Billy dumped me, Jackie showed up and told me he loved me…"
"…And you believed him. Ah." Jervis glanced at the Joker. "The phrase 'too stupid to live' comes to mind…"
The Joker tossed a laughing gun into the air and lazily caught it again. "Are you occupied, or do you have-"
"Enough Time for a fight?" The sword blade slid out of its wood covering and glistened in the air. Jonathan adjusted his toxin dispensers, Jeanette rubbed her fingertips together, building energy, and Cheshire looked ready to take on all and sundry with her bare hands. "I believe we all do."
* * * * *
"Ouch! Ow! Let go of me!" Alice writhed, trying to get away, but Cheshire twisted her arms behind her back with a bit of unnecessary force as Jeanette searched in her bag and the three men battled in the background.
"Now this," Jeanette said, grinning as she brought out a small vial of dark red powder, "should fully give everyone what they deserve."
Uncorking it, she sprinkled it over the struggling blonde girl, who sneezed mutiple times and then shrieked as the powder seemed to melt into her skin.
"SHE POISONED ME! I'M GOING TO DIE!"
"Oh, shut up," snapped Cheshire. "It's harmless… well, in one sense of the word. It is time-release, right?" she added in an aside to Jeanette.
"Yep. One o' clock a.m tomorrow; nobody but the Joker should be around then." Jeanette wrinkled her nose as she glared at the sniveling girl. "You can put her back now."
Cheshire dropped her and whistled. "Hey, Jervis! Justice is served, you and Jonny can quit beatin' up the clown any minute now!"
Jonathan glanced up. "Oh, I quit, but Tetch seems to be enjoying himself."
The Joker staggered backwards as another blow smashed into his face, landing against the side of the building. The Hatter crouched down to his level, his dark blue eyes as hard and cold as ice, and grabbed the front of his purple jacket.
"I've long waited," the Englishman snarled "to pay you back for what you have done." Grabbing the Joker's long chin, he twisted his head so he had to look at Cheshire, who downcast her eyes and rubbed her arms nervously. Jervis leant closer, hissing so that only the Joker could hear him. "It has been but four months since your treatment of her brought Cheshire crying to my door, and in that short time I have found her nothing but beautiful, kind, clever and sweet. For years - for many years - you held this beauty in your hands, and you do nothing but mistreat and abuse it." The Hatter's grip tightened on the clown's collar, his hands shaking with rage. "You cur. You - you held an angel - and you did nothing but break her wings."
Suddenly a soft voice rang into the air. The three men and two other women turned, startled, to Jeanette, who was standing in the middle of the street singing as if she was in a musical.
"She was precious - precious like a flower.
She grew wild - wild but innocent.
A perfect prayer in a desperate hour
She was everything beautiful and different…"
Her venomous hazel eyes fixed on the Joker.
"Stupid boy, you can't fence that in!
Stupid boy, it's like holding back the wind!
She laid her heart and soul in your hands
And you stole her every dream and crushed her plans
She never even knew she had a choice, and that's what happens when the only voice
She hears is telling her she can't - stupid boy, stupid boy…"
Jervis stood, dropping the Joker as if he was something that soiled his gloves, and turned to Cheshire, offering her his arm. She took it without looking at the Joker, and they walked together out of sight around the corner. Jeanette waved Jonathan on with a "I'll be there in a sec," and squatted down by the Joker, her eyes narrowed. Alice, huddled against the wall nearby, heard what she whispered.
"So what made you think you could take a life
And just push it, push it around?
I guess to build yourself up so high
You had to take her and break her down…"
The Joker gasped as he felt a spark of pain on his arm. Jeanette resheathed her knife and stood, turning and walking away, her voice fading as the Joker looked down at the cuts on his arm - exact replicas of Harley's.
"It took her a while for her to figure out she could run
But when she did she was long, long gone…"
After a minute the Joker scrambled to his feet, glowering after the witch, and set off with Alice trailing uncertainly in his wake.
* * * * *
It took the rest of the day to find the place they were staying (they had seen the Batmobile several times, but the cloaking device had held strong) and by the time they had settled in, it was late at night. Jonathan and Jeanette retired to their separate rooms, but Cheshire and Jervis lingered downstairs, not really looking at each other. After a long moment, a soft whisper broke the stillness. "Thank you again, Jervis."
The Englishman looked up, slightly surprised. "What?"
She turned towards him, a faint smile on her lips but a few tears in her eyes. "I heard what you said to the Joker."
"Oh." He looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, it was true…"
Cheshire laughed a little and came toward him, stopping an inch or two from him. "Thank you, though… the point is, nobody has ever said it before." Her hand rested gently on his chest, sending a sharp shiver through his body. Gently, his gloved hand reached up to cover it. "Cheshire -" he began, only to find himself silenced by her finger on his lips.
"Shh," she whispered, leaning closer. Their noses were almost touching, then her lips brushed over his with a feather-light caress. He held himself back, and she looked at him with something akin to disappointment, then let her body press against his. He swallowed dryly. "Cheshire, I don't -"
"Please," she said softly, her hands caressing his chest. "I want to… I need to know you want me - please, Jervis!"
He gave in to his instincts and her pleading, letting his arms encompass her. She gave a soft, delighted gasp before his mouth claimed hers again and again, one of his hands on the small of her back, holding her against him, and the other resting on the back of her neck. Cheshire's hands roamed over his back and sides before sliding up to his chest again, separating them for just a moment, time enough for her to look up at him. "Please…" she whispered again, then glanced towards the stairs.
Jervis let her draw him towards the stairs, only pausing by the bottom to pull his gloves off and toss them carelessly on a nearby table, leaving his hands bare to run through her hair. He sighed with pleasure as he felt the silky softness on his skin. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that…" he murmured, kissing her again. She smiled.
"You can tell me in your room, no?"
* * * * *
Jonathan Crane tossed and turned in bed. Usually he slept easily, because he slept little, but the present night was making him wonder whether the saying A guilty conscience never sleeps well had any truth to it.
Finally giving up and getting out of bed, he decided to go down to the makeshift kitchen; however, when he got to the door he heard soft singing and realized he was not alone in his objectives.
"Highwayman, highwayman
What do you dream?
Are you a gentleman, serving the Queen?
Are you a rich man, servants by your side?
Or do you dream of another man's bride?"
After a minute the girl's voice added "You can come in, Jonathan."
Cursing the girl's uncanny senses, he pushed open the door. Jeanette was making herself some hot chocolate on the camp stove, and smiled at him when he came in. "Want some?"
He shrugged. "All right."
She added another cup of milk and stirred, giving him time to look her over quickly. Her dressing gown was white, smooth padded material with dragons stitched on the outside, and the gap of material at her neck that revealed her nightgown showed it to be a light lavender silk trimmed with black lace. Her dark hair was loose down her back, coming almost to her waist, and her lips proved to be a soft silvery pink without lipstick.
"So, what brings you down?" Jeanette asked, glancing over at him and noting things even as she spoke. Simple, loose black pajamas - thick red robe tied loosely around him - no matter what he might say, he doesn't like himself, Jeanette thought as she retrieved two of her mugs from the cupboard.
He shrugged. "Couldn't sleep." Hmm… she obviously likes herself, but not to the point of vanity or narcissism, and she seems to have a strong maternal instinct for people in trouble. Finished with his quick appraisal, he rose and began wandering around the room. Moving into the part that served more as a main room and held the stairway, he stopped by a table and picked something up from it. "H'm. Jeanette?" he called softly, holding up a pair of Jervis' white gloves, crumpled and obviously pulled off in a hurry. She came in, looked at them, met his eyes, then their heads both turned towards the top of the stairs.
"Well, it was only a matter of time," Jeanette said philosophically, heading back into the kitchen area to stir the milk. After a minute he follwed her, sitting down on one of the chairs.
"What was your childhood like?" she suddenly inquired, startling him out of a reverie.
He avoided her gaze. "Relatively normal."
She finished pouring the milk and began adding sugar and cocao powder. "I don't believe you." Her tone was utterly frank.
He crossed his arms. "Is it any of your business?"
"'Mankind is our business', to quote Dickens." She gave him a steaming mug and sat down opposite to him, her delicate eyebrows arched.
He looked down for a long minute, then raised his pale blue eyes to her dark. "It was living hell. Does that answer your question?"
She nodded slightly, her face unreadable. "I will not force you to speak of it."
The conversation soon turned to lighter subjects - what they were going to do next, Jeanette allowing Jonathan to digress onto a rant about the quality (or non-quality) of the food in Arkham; then Jonathan remembered something.
"By the way, what did you and Cheshire do to that girl?"
Jeanette grinned wickedly and pulled a bottle of dark-red powder, now only half-full, from an inside pocket in her night robe. "I was hoping you would ask." She held it so he could read the label.
"Fred n' George's… Super Attraction… Time-Release Powder?" he read out, brow wrinkled. "What - can I look at it?"
She handed it to him, but the bottle, coated with a little oil from another container it had been next to in the pouch, slipped from his thin fingers and smashed on the floor, spraying Jeanette with the faintly glittering powder.
"Oh no…" Jeanette glanced at the clock. It was five seconds to one. "Jon-"
The minute hand touched twelve. Jonathan, who was looking at Jeanette, suddenly blinked and shook his head, then his eyes fixed upon her again with an infatuated expression.
"Wonderful," shemuttered. "And I'm not even sure where the antidote is…"
"Jeanette…" The way he said it sounded worshipful. "I never realized how beautiful you were…"
"Sweet, Jon," she answered, looking through her cupboard of herbs, "but whatever you say you're gonna regret in ten minutes."
"How could I ever regret professing my love for you?"
It went on for the next fifteen minutes, until Jeanette finally found 'George n' Fred's Super Removal Potion' in the very back of the cupboard and got a spoonful into the Scarecrow by resorting to batting her eyelashes at him and asking sweetly, cutting him off in the middle of announcing her to be his sun, his moon, his starlit sky.
After the antidote was administered he sank into a chair and closed his eyes for a minute; when he opened them again he looked horrified.
"Back to normal, I see."
"Who made that and where do they live? Their lives are going to make Hell look like a five-star hotel."
She chuckled. "In another dimension. Anyway, they made the antidote as well."
He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, his expression stormy. Jeanette sipped her cocoa quietly and waited for him to recover. After a minute he opened his eyes as an idea dawned upon him, and a wicked (delightfully wicked, thought Jeanette) grin raised the corners of his mouth.
"I'd love to see what the Joker's acting like right now…"
* * * * * *
"You are the pinnacle of female perfection, like… like…" the Joker waved the hand that wasn't holding Alice's, trying to form a simile. "… like a really good joke!"
"A joke?" Alice turned, a little confused, towards the Riddler on her other side, holding her other hand. "You would refer to this perfect enigma, this - this delightful Chinese puzzle-box of a woman, as a joke?"
* * * * * *
"…I just hope that nobody else was around."
"Shouldn't be." Jeanette yawned, stretching, then looked at Jonathan with her eyes twinkling. "We'd better go back to bed…"
He nodded, rising, and was almost out the door when Jeanette caught up with him, stepping in front of him. "…so I'd like number two now."
He scowled, but let her put her hands on his shoulders, raising herself on tiptoe, and closed his eyes as she leant in. Her lips rested on his with scented softness, and his eyes flew open in surprise as the kiss deepened; he had not received one for… he scarcely knew how many years it had been, and he had forgotten how… how…
He let his arms rest gently around her waist as her slim fingers tangled in his orange hair.
… nice it was.
A minute later he realized how far they were carrying it and broke quickly, shaking off her hands and stepping back before hastily brushing past her. Jeanette was left looking after him, her dark eyes slightly disappointed.
7
The sun crept over Gotham's horizon as if uncertain whether to return to the city, but when it reached a window to a back room in a certain factory it fairly leapt in, as if eager to examine the odd sight that presented itself.
Cheshire was breathing softly as she lay in the tangled sheets with her arms wrapped around Jervis, a blissful expression on her face even in sleep; her light brown hair tousled and her head resting on his chest. The Hatter's face was relaxed and peaceful, his arm resting around her shoulders, their legs still intertwined.
The sun cast a small ray over Jervis' eyes with an air of clearing its throat; slowly, they opened, squinting against the brightness at first before opening fully as he looked down at Cheshire. He smiled, then gently pushed himself up, lifting her up as well. "Wake up, dearest."
"Hmm?" She let her head fall back drowsily on his chest, her blue eyes blinking slowly. "Tired…"
"I know." He stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head gently; she giggled and nuzzled into his chest, then both of them were disturbed by a sharp rap on the door.
"Tetch? Cheshire? It's almost twelve." The Scarecrow sounded annoyed.
How did they know we were in the same room? Cheshire mouthed at Jervis. He shrugged and called out "Five minutes, Jonathan."
"Hm." Footsteps faded into the distance.
Cheshire yawned and gently detached herself from Jervis, swinging her legs out of bed. "So… I guess it's really official now, isn't it?"
He retrieved his hat from the floor and dusted it off. "Indeed."
She frowned slightly as she pulled on her shirt. "Doesn't that mean we'll have to go legit sometime?"
The Hatter shrugged as he rebuttoned his coat. "I do think that the lifestyle of a Rogue is not a very stable one to raise a child in. However, I do not especially dread retirement."
"Well, if ya put it that way…" She looked over at him and frowned. "That costume makes you look dumpy. I gotta ask Jeanie to make it over."
He glanced at his reflection. "Perhaps you're right."
* * * * * *
Batman pinched the bridge of his nose and took another gulp from his cup of coffee, his eyes fixed on the screen as it looped some videos of apparently empty streets where scratches would appear on the walls or litter suddenly drift to the side, shifted by an uncaused breeze. Behind him, Robin yawned, rubbing his eyes. "C'mon Bruce, it isn't even late at night any more, it's tomorrow. It's been tomorrow for a while."
The Dark Knight did not answer for a minute, then spoke in a strained voice. "It has become apparent that Tetch somehow invented a subtance that bends light rays instead of absorbing them or bouncing them back. But how…?"
Robin slumped against the wall. "Bruce, you're a billionaire. All you have to do is buy another plane."
"And leave the Hatter, the Scarecrow, the Cheshire Cat, and whoever that other girl was running around Gotham in an invisible plane?"
Robin shrugged. "Fine, what do you suggest?"
"Generally, there's a very few types of places the Rogues hide out…"
* * * * * *
"Jonny, c'mon and be sociable!"
The Scarecrow groaned and turned around from the desk in the main room to glare at the others, seated around the small fireplace Jeanette had found behind the plaster wall and cleaned out; Jeanette had Jervis' coat in her lap, stitching it together in a different style after cutting it up, Jervis was tinkering with a microchip, and Cheshire was re-re-re-re-reading The Hunting Of The Snark.
"I am attempting to think of a good plot. After being inactive for a month -"
"It's gotta be a doozy, I know," Jeanette interrupted, taking a few pins out of her mouth. "But you might get more ideas if you aren't trying to block everything out. Thinking hard isn't always the answer."
Deciding he wasn't going to get any peace either way, Jonathan took his notebook and pen over to the fireplace. Jeanette smiled at him as he sat down, cutting off a thread.
"You know, I could remake your costume if you wanted. Just a few small adjustments," she offered. "It's pretty good, but if you really want to inspire terror…"
"Depends. I'd like to see how you remake Tetch's costume first."
She looked up from restiching a hem, frowning slightly. "Why do you call him Tetch?"
"What?"
"Why do you call me Tetch, Jonathan?" Now Jervis was looking up, and Cheshire had closed her book. "You call the Joker the Joker and most others by their chosen names as well, but you always called me Tetch."
Jonathan looked from one to the other. "If I had known I was going to be mobbed, I wouldn't have come over."
"C'mon Jonny, just answer the question!" Cheshire pouted.
The Scarecrow sighed. "Well, when he first came to the asylum he was in a bad way…"
Cheshire made a face. "Yeah, I remember."
"He seemed to be almost constantly adrift in his own mind, residing in a place completely distant from reality. So, I began calling him by his mundane last name to try and bring him down, in a sense." He shrugged. "It's just a habit by now."
The others considered for a moment, then Jeanette nodded. "All right. Maybe you could try to break it, though; I don't like it much."
Jonathan muttered something unintelligible and started scribbing in his notebook. The four kept companionable silence for a few minutes, then Jeanette snipped off a thread and held up the coat. "That's finished. Try it on, Jervis?"
He stood and accepted it, pulling it on; Cheshire hopped to her feet and buttoned the last few buttons for him, straightening his bow tie. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek and stepped back, then her mouth fell open. "Wow… Jervis, you look snazzy!"
(A/N: You wanna see the pic that shows what his costume looks like now, follow this link: .com/art/Jervis-Tetch-76766581)
Jeanette leant back slightly with her hands behind her head, grinning. "Well, Jonathan?"
He scowled slightly. The coat did look better, but he felt slightly annoyed at Jeanette proving to be right more often than him. "Hm."
"It is an excellent job, Miss Cameron," the Hatter said, looking in the nearby mirror. "You have my deepest gratitude."
The witch waved a dismissive hand. "Nah, it's nothing. Favor for a friend. I should be done with the rest of the costume tomorrow."
"Thank you." He shrugged it off and folded it up carefully, hanging it over the arm of a chair, then sat back down, cross-legged. Yawning like a sleepy cat, Cheshire settled down next to him and he put his arm around her, running his gloved fingers gently through her hair. She smiled, half-closing her eyes and stroking her hand gently down his chest in a soothing, repetitive motion.
"So Jon, can I at least sketch a redesign?"
Jonathan sighed. "Will you leave me alone if I let you?"
"Yes."
"Fine then."
Three very eventful days. R&R please? I'm aiming for at least getting to 20. If I do, I will try to update within the month.