Special Thanks to whiteink254, twilighter256, The Arkham Knight, sussy6, Dragekite, xxyangxx2006 for Following All Because I Love You;
And another special thanks to The Arkham Knight, sussy6, Dragekite, xxyangxx2006 for favoring All Because I Love You!
Finally, special thanks to Flowerchild23, Johanna Crane, lunabloodmoon666, LunaMarr, xxyangxx2006 for reviewing All Because I Love You!
Flowerchild23: damn straight she is hurt. I once didn't talk to one of my friends for a month because she ate the last slice of pizza, so imagine how Emily will react. Nah, she is actually really easy going with Hannah, and in a few chapters, you will find out why she reacts the way she does in this chapter.
Johanna Crane: I love fancy sounding words; and as for bad English Teachers, once in the tenth grade I had a substitute throw a dry erase marker at my friend, they got in a disagreement on whether color was spelt 'color' or 'colour', and the teacher got pissed because she thought it was 'colour' and our class was like 'no lady we know how to spell and you are wrong'.
Lunabloodmoon666: They didn't teach you about the world wars? All my history class taught me this past year was about the damn World wars; that's all they have ever taught me except when I lived in Oklahoma and was taking their state history I learned in OKC they were the first to use shopping carts. And I swear to god if you open a bakery I will find you and eat all the muffins in the store- unless they have coconut in them. My dream job often varies, but in the end I decided English would suit me best.
LunaMarr: I deserved to be faved! Aw, you are my favorite reader (I don't know, you probably dead leveled with Johanna Crane, that chick is pretty awesome, but you are all awesome for reading my story!) And I agree, the Riddler and Crane are just oh so- gah, delicious is the only thing I can explain them with.
Xxyangxx2006: I think you are the first to review that directly sympathized that Emily just wants to be left alone, that she really just wants her own little piece of heaven and is happy lost in the crowd. And you will see how she reacts to Hannah's betrayal here.
XXX
"Get up and eat something." The Riddler commanded, placing food net to her. Emily had been lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and planned on staying that way, still upset over the betrayal of her closest friend, the person who was practically her sister-
Then Emily smelled the eggs and bacon, literally.
Her head snapped over to the plate the Riddler brought her, and on it was something that could be considered heaven; eggs, bacon, toast, and sausage sat befor her, and the rogue that brought her this was smiling wide.
"I knew that'd get your attention," he hummed triumphantly, turning and walking to the television on the opposite side of the room, "eat quickly! We have work to do."
She ate quickly, until, of course, she realized he was watching the news: "And there are still no reports on now four missing Gothamites: Samantha Green, Hannah Key, Alice Pleasance, and Melinda Cruise. All victims of we suspect rogues, the fifth missing citizen was found dead in a ditch the other day; Sarah Kain was found with what we were told were a mutilated throat from what appeared to be a crocodile."
The Riddler made a small tsk and shook his head, "Waylon was never too gentle with his toys, and it's not surprising his didn't last long."
"The Gotham Police Department has once again released a statement saying they are doing all that they can to help these people, but in the nearly two weeks, there have been no leads. Stay in for the latest news."
Emily swallowed the last of her eggs and pushed the plate away, starting to feel sick. So she was missing- vaguely, she wondered why her and the others were getting so much attention; people went missing every day in Gotham, this wasn't new.
So why-
"Are you going to sit there all day or are you going to join me?" the Riddler interrupted her train of thought; his hands spread out of the back of the couch and the television off.
Emily hesitantly slid out of the bed, walking barefoot over to him; he smiled up at her and patted the space next to him, "Come." Biting back her pride a bit, she obeyed; sitting as far away as she possibly dared, she made sure her eyes were downcast.
"Now," he started, "as my assistant, I expect you to do all the little things I don't have time to do. Clean this room, and through that door over there is a kitchen; you are in charge of cooking meals for me and you. You will be awake, every morning at eight and will go to bed no later than eleven; you will attend meetings with me whenever I have business, and you will be silent. Do you understand?"
"Yes," she hissed, clenching her fists in the couch; if she refused him, he would hurt her. And besides, she couldn't help herself from clinging to some small hope she would see Hannah sometime; Emily needed to have a little talk with her.
"Good," he purred, happy at her compliance, "now, I laid out clothes for you in the bathroom; take a shower and get dressed quickly, we have shopping to do today."
"Shopping?" she asked, turning to look at him in confusion, "you? Shop? Don't your thugs do that for you?"
"Would you rather go with them?" he sighed exasperated.
"No-" she hurried to get changed, not wanting to risk shopping with some of his more nasty looking thugs.
XXX
Well- Emily almost regretted not shopping with the thugs. Every five minutes he asked her a god damn riddle. She hated riddles.
The jobs he forced her to accompany him on were menial and mundane- picking up dry cleaning, buying groceries, and so on and so forth. There were no seedy pubs where they purchased illegal items and no killings- it was, in lack of a more appropriate word, boring, to Emily.
"Now," he hummed, turning and stopping behind a large building, "come with me darling; I have to talk with an associate of mine. You are to remain utterly quiet unless spoken to- and even then, be of few words."
"Alright," despite the day be boring and this being- well, not boring- Emily felt more fear then excitement when the muscled goon held the door open for Edward and her. She gripped his arm tightly and shivered- Edward had changed her outfit a few shops ago into a green silky evening dress; it hugged her waist in a flattering way and had two slightly ruffled yet smooth straps, and stopped just below her knees.
"Edward!" A small man beamed from the middle of a lounge, "Good to see you, ol' chap!"
"Cobblepot," Edward answered slightly mutual, "How are you? I believe you said Freeze wanted to talk to me?"
"Yes," he chuckled, "you and a few others; oh, is this dear Emily?" The man's beady, bird like eyes were trained diligently on the girl in question, and Emily smiled politely as Edward answered curtly, "yes."
"You aren't the only one to bring your new toy," Cobblepot chuckled, slightly jerking his head in the direction of two women sitting by a fire on the far side of the room, "Perhaps you would leave Emily with them while we talk?"
"Of course," Edward nodded, placing a hand on the small of Emily's back and slowly walking over to the women; he talked lowly in her ear, "Play nice, and scream if you are in trouble."
"Okay…?" He nodded and left, leaving Emily to look at the other women, "Hello."
"Hi," the blond looked up slightly with a sad smile, "so you are the one that the Riddler got? My name is Alice Pleasance; the Mad Hatter took me… again."
"Hey," the other woman had long light orange hair, and sky blue eyes, "I'm Melinda Cruise, nice to meet you. Would you like to trade Rogues? I was taken by Victor Zsasz."
"Zsasz?" Emily whispered, sitting next to them, "oh my god, and I thought I had it bad."
"I don't even know why he wants me," Melinda muttered miserably, "he barely eats, practically never talks, and only has me sharpen his knives."
"The Hatter makes me tea," Alice mumbled, glaring at the ground as if she suggested he mutilated her; the other two women just looked at her until she glanced up and said, "What? He makes me dress in doll like clothing and play little house wife- luckily he has the decency to not try and touch me."
"The Riddler hasn't made me do much," Emily admitted, leaning back, "I've been recovering from a nasty fall down the stairs- entirely his fault, by the way- I don't even know what happened to my dogs…."
"Did you hear there was a fourth girl that a rogue took?" Alice asked softly, leaning forward as if not to be overheard, "I caught rumor it was the Scarecrow's work."
"There were five of us," Emily said with a shake of her head, "I heard it on the news this morning- but the fifth was found dead."
"Oh dear," Melinda whispered, closing her eyes, "we are all going to die."
"Don't be so upset," Alice started encouragingly, "we might live- we might-"
"I think," Emily cut her off, "she was referring to who just walked through the door."
The Scarecrow talked with Cobblepot in the center, the same place he was talking with the Riddler, and by his side was-
Hannah.
She looked the same as Emily last saw her; long deep burgundy hair, warm brown eyes, and a slightly tan, tall complexion. She looked healthy- she looked happy.
The two started over here and Emily automatically looked back to the flames, not wishing to meet her former friend's eyes. She faintly felt someone sit next to her, but didn't acknowledge it; she head the others make their introductions, but didn't look up until she felt someone pinch her arms.
"Ow-"she looked over and Hannah was staring at her, her hands resting on her Emily's arm where she was pinched, "what the hell?"
"You were ignoring me," Hannah said simply, "I hate it when people ignore me."
"Well I hate it when my best friend betrays my trust and sells me out to a psychopath- so I guess we are both unhappy then."
"I'm not unhappy, just a little upset." Hannah explained, "But I would be happy if you would forgive me."
"Forgive you? It will take more than the puppy dog eyes," Emily hissed; looking away and crossing her arms, "You betrayed me."
"Of course you'd be so dramatic- you weren't an English major for nothing."
"Oh shut up," Emily grumbled, but her face loosened and her lip twitched, "You have no room to talk about our majors- you were Medical and you fainted when Carla Johnson got a nose bleed during the college wide paint ball companions."
"God I hated those," she laughed, "remember when you pushed that math major off the balcony?"
"You told me to push them off!"
"Doesn't mean you had to listen to me."
"How long have you two been friends?" Alice smiled, leaning forward and looking between two.
"Oh, since about kindergarten? "Hannah mused, looking to Emily, "We hated one another, and I honestly can't remember how we became friends."
"I put a snake in your bag," Emily explained, smiling when the rest of the girls laughed, "And after that we just started talking."
"You guys are weird," Hannah smiled slightly, leaning back, "but that's okay; we all are a little weird."
The girls sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, all transfixed with the golden red flames that we burning in the fireplace. Emily sat deep in thought; she had never been able to hold a grudge against Hannah, even now. Part of her felt relieved to have them on good terms now, in case somthing was to happen, Emily felt at peace knowing Hannah was still her friend.
"Oh Miss Alice?" the girls looked up as a blonde, slightly older gentleman came up to them, "It's time to leave, Darling." Alice grimaced slightly as she stood and brushed off her skirt, "I'm coming Jervis." She looked down at the other girls, "It was wonderful meeting all of you; I hope to see you soon."
The three watched Alice and the Mad Hatter leave; if he was out, didn't that mean that the other rogues would be out soon?
"Melinda." A man appeared befor them in a suit; bald completely and covered in tally marks, "Let's go." She sighed slightly and stood, looking to Hannah and Emily and nodding; Emily looked after her warily, slightly relieved she hadn't been stuck with Zsasz.
"Emily," a hand clamped on her shoulder, and Emily looked up to see the Riddler, "we are taking our leave; come." Emily stood and looked down at Hannah; her lips tightly pursed, she nodded in farewell as Melinda did, but was able to do no more because Hannah stood and hugged her.
Blinking, Emily wrapped her arms around her old friend, "stay safe." Hannah laughed slightly and whispered, "I will, and you do the same."
XXX
"What do you want for dinner?" Edward asked as he drove back to the ware house, not taking his eyes off the road, "Chinese?"
"Sure, whatever," Emily muttered, looking out the window.
"Don't look so down," Edward chasted, "this is the start a beautiful friendship darling; just trust me."
XXX
A little slow a little sooner than Tuesday, but the sooner the better on this website! I decided to update a little sooner because I love you all!
So here is this chapter.
Also, a little notice, if you guys like this story, you check out my other one "Beautiful Lie"; it's a CraneXOC, but not the one that goes with this story.
Anyways, I love you all, and I may update again in a weekly schedule instead of two weeks because I finished a bunch of my stories.
See you all later!
-Sketch1997