Special thanks to thedetectiveinthephonebooth for favoring ABILY;
And another special thanks to Johanna Crane, lunabloodmoon666, xxyangxx2006, and Flowerchild23 for reviewing!
Johanna Crane: I really, really don't like Kringle. I mean, I completely understand not being interested in someone, but she is really harsh with him; granted, Ed is really persistent, but still.
Lunabloodmoon666: For a little while there, I want you all to imagine Emily felt the same way. But now, she is starting to get that there is no actual relationship (or is there….)
Xxyangxx2006: I am a sucker for happy endings. And my complete applause to those who are able to write non happy endings, but I have tried, and end up crying before I can get passed the first paragraph.
Flowerchild23: Of course he will find her; I believe Emily is forgetting just how smart he is.
XXX
Emily awoke to the sounds of men shouting and dogs barking; she nearly fell out of her tree. At first, she was overjoyed; finally, she was getting rescued! She hurriedly untied the rope from around her waist, pulling it and stuffing it in her bag; she slid out of her tree and walked through the bushes, listening to the sounds getting closer.
"Do ya think the bitch went this way?" Emily froze, her heart stopping when a slightly slurred voice reached her ears. She slowly peaked out from behind a tree and looked at the overweight, bald man waddling along a path; his partner, the exact opposite with his bony build and long hair, "Does it look like I know?"
"Nah, you are far too stupid," the bigger snickered; "I can't believe the boss has had us looking out here all night; I'm telling you, though, that the broad has made it back to Gotham by now."
"Don't be stupid," the little hissed, "Boss said he switched up all the maps, and he'd have her be going in circles all night. She's here, trust me; and when we find her, boss is going to beat the shit out of her."
XXX
'Don't panic,' Emily chanted in her head softly, hyperventilating, 'Whatever you do Emily; don't panic. You will make it out; do not panic-'
SNAP
Emily turned at the sound of a twig, and nearly screamed; Edward was crouched a few feet away from her. He sat next to the same stream almost lazily, twirling the broken branch in his hand; he didn't look at her, instead, kept his eyes on the water in front of him, his mind a million miles away, "Hello, Emily."
Emily didn't answer; no, she was looking for a way out. He wouldn't approach her like this- not unless he was certain that she couldn't get away. He smiled bitterly, as if knowing what she was thinking, "You aren't getting away, Emily; not this time."
XXX
In the end, she came peacefully. Not for any other reason than she was too terrified not to. The men had cheered when they saw Edward leading her back into the house with a painful grip on her arm; he didn't stop them.
When they arrived inside, he let go of her; and turned his back to lock the door, "Oh Emily, whatever am I going to do with you?"
"Well," Emily back up slightly, "You could let me go…?"
"Don't be stupid," he hissed a painful smile on his face as he turned, "You see, Emily, I have grown tired of these games. You are a fairly good liar; you almost had me going that you loved me, but someone like you, I fear, will never love someone like me."
"Exactly."
"But, Emily, can you tell me what kind of person I am?" he took a step forward, her mirroring his actions backwards.
"You are a psychopath." Emily took another step back, "You have no respect for authority; you hurt when ever, and whoever you want."
"No, Emily," he drawled, "What kind of person am I to you?"
"…What?"
"Why can't someone like me love?" he wondered softly, staring at the setting sun through the windows; he looked back to Emily briefly, "I mean honestly, Emily; I am human. Just slightly, as one of my colleagues put it, ahead of the curve. I have feelings; so why could I not have had them for you?
"You all paint these horrible pictures of me and the other rogues, but I believe what really would terrify you all, is the undeniable fact that I, we, are humans, just like you. All the horrible people in the past; Hitler, Elizabeth Barthory, Maximilien Robespierre, they were all human.
"You ordinary people, you all don't grasp that you are capable of doing much worse than us; and honestly, you sometimes do worse than us."
"So what, did you ever really love me? Are you trying to tell me you, a monster, are capable of loving someone?"
"Very much so."
"Edward…. You make no sense." Emily's back finally hit the wall, and she had nowhere else to go; Edward approached her calmly, his hands clasped behind his back.
All in all, Emily decided, he was taking this rather well. He hadn't hit her- yet, assumed-, he hadn't screamed; he merely spoke in a soft, slow tone. Finally, he stood before her; one hand rested on the wall behind her, one gently wound its way through her hair.
"Emily," he breathed calmly, "There are no words to describe the immense anger I am feeling, and you have no idea how tempted I am to simply slit your pretty throat and be done with all this. But, no, that simply won't do. I am going to try one more time, to make you see how precious you are to me, and after that, I give up.
"You are going to hurt, a lot, in the next few weeks," he pressed his forehead to hers tenderly, and smiled bitterly, "But you need to understand, all I am about to do…. It is all because I love you."
XXX
Ah yes, the cliff hanger of all cliff hangers in my stories. Intentionally, it was going to be much longer, but then I got caught up in watching the season finale of Gotham, tonight I have Agents of SHIELD, as well as last Thursday I went to see the Avengers Age of Ultron (which was pretty fucking amazing; I went to a midnight release and I saw like thirty different people dressed as Thor alone, not including all the other people who dressed up as the Avengers) and I had Geometry EOCs.
But, never abandoned.
These next few weeks, they are going to be difficult. For this story, the chapters will be small, following Emily going through her punishment with Edward.
They will also be small because I have a lot to do for my school; this Thursday and Wednesday I have to request all my classes for next year (IMMA BE A SENIOR NEXT YEAR BITCHES I MADE IT- but I still have college, dammit.) and I have to prepare for a presentation in my English III class; I'm doing it on a comparison between Marvel and DC.
Anyways, I love you all, and I will see you next week!
-Sketch1997
OOPS
Before I forget, there is a preview below for next week! Love Y'all!
XXX
Emily hung loosely in the straps supporting her body; just high enough to allow her toes to brush the ground, just low enough to where she couldn't grab the bar above her.
The basement- which, admittedly, she had never been to in the house she occupied with Edward- was filled with a wide variety of tools and toys that with just one look made Emily want to cry; she honestly didn't know whether or not Edward was aiming for kinky or murderous.
He had, shortly after beating her, placed her in these ropes; that was three days ago. He had come to the poorly lit room only a few times, never speaking, to ensure she was still breathing.
Emily could feel herself slowly slipping away; the deafening silence was screaming in her ears. It felt like he was killing her, slowly. All he had said, after first raising his hand to strike her, was five small, insignificant words, "All because I love you."