A/N: To the wary reader be warned! It has long been a staple of Lance's character that he is a bit of a romantic and a Shakespeare fan, so he throws the thee's, thou's, and thine's, etc. around in his speech patterns everywhere. Just a heads-up.
Chapter Three: The Insufferable, Unswayable Mr. Pendragon
[Jeanette's POV:]
To date, that had been the worst day of my entire life, and being drilled with questions by Chief Angel Rojas had done nothing to help. At least Detective Yin had been both polite and understanding, if a bit brisk and professional. I decided that I liked her, as far as cops went.
Rojas?
Let's just say that the battered, scarred hardback copy of Eragon I'd hit Joker with now is permanently blood-stained on one corner. I'm amazed that they didn't arrest me for attacking an officer, but then I think Detective Yin's talk about post-traumatic stress may have had a hand in that. Some time after that, I'm not entirely sure how long the interrogation went on for, but some time after that, I remember suddenly being back in my townhouse, locking all the doors and windows, pulling the blinds shut and wrapping myself up in a blanket. I curled up on the couch, too shaken by the morning's events to read or eat or do much of anything, too frightened to fall asleep.
"No one ever hits me, EVER!"
The words replayed themselves over and over in my mind as I sat trembling, pulling my blanket tighter and tighter around my person, like a scared little kid hiding from the monsters under the bed.
Joker was going to be pissed off as hell, and I had the sickening feeling he'd want revenge.
But he's the Joker. Why would he worry about something petty like revenge over something as small as being clocked wi—
Oh, what the hell am I thinking? I'm going to be lucky if Batman holds his promise well enough that I don't end up with a permanent grin on my face! I should have just left well enough alone. I should have slunk to the phone instead and called the police, but I had to let my temper get the better of me.
Angry, frightened, and anxious, I sat on the couch a long time before I finally passed out and fell asleep.
I was running from something I couldn't see, desperately trying to keep from stumbling. All around me there was maniacal laughter, high-pitched and childlike. The Joker's laugh. Behind me there were running footfalls, coming closer and closer.
Ahead of me there was a rope bridge, the kind you see in movies like Pirates of the Caribbean or Indiana Jones, stretched out over a vast, bottomless chasm. The only way to get away from my pursuer was over the bridge. It creaked and swayed ominously as I came close to it, and my heart fell somewhere around the region of my stomach when I stepped onto the first board and the bridge swung and dipped. However, it held fast, and I took a few more tentative steps across before daring to glance over my shoulder.
"Don't do it, Miss Harker!" Batman yelled, stretching an arm out to me.
Batman?
Why was I running from him?
I took a few more steps and turned to face him, trembling.
"Y-you said you weren't going to let J-Joker hurt me!" my words fell from my mouth clumsily, and I sounded like a terrified child. "How do you expect me to believe you're going to keep your promise when you're always running around saving Gotham? You're not my personal savior!"
"She's right you know, Batsy!" Came a gleefully manic giggle, and I spun, looking toward the other end of the bridge. Joker stepped on, making it sway again, and I reached out to grab the ropes and steady myself, my heart pounding like crazy. "You can' t save them all!"
"Joker! Leave her alone, or I'll—"
"You'll what, Batsy? I've set up twenty dispensers of Joker gas, rigged to release their chuckle-inducing contents upon all of the more important buildings around Gotham. Like city hall, for example! Just think about all the changes that can take place once I've got a smile and nod from the big wigs!" he said with a low, evil chuckle, and my heart sank. Of course.
"So what's it going to be, Batsy?" Joker asked, finally within arm's reach. "You going to save the city, or are you going to sacrifice them all for the neck of one scrawny, ill-mannered librarian?"
Batman stared at us both, and I knew he was weighing something in that mind of his. I had a feeling I knew which he'd choose, and frankly, despite how scared I was, I couldn't blame him in the least.
"Too late, it's our time!" Joker suddenly cackled, and the boards shifted beneath my feet, turning to books. Joker pulled a lighter out of his purple suit, flicking it on, and letting the tiny flame dance over the ropes. "We're burning bridges with you, Guano Man!"
I retracted my hands, turning back desperately toward Batman, but the fire was quicker and ate through the ropes, scorching the books beneath my feet and suddenly I was falling…
I woke with a jump, my heart racing, and I realized I'd broken out into a cold sweat. I was still in the living room, tangled in my blanket, and night had fallen outside. Shivering, I fought my way out of the blanket and rearranged it on my person, then shuffled into my kitchen. Hoping a glass of water would help, I fumbled in my cabinets for a moment, then moved to the sink. I had just turned on the faucet and thrown back the curtains for some light when something outside caught my eye. A vague shadow was moving across the ground outside, and I froze, heart pounding. It had to be an animal, whatever it was, but it was large, and I began to suspect the worst. Slowly, I turned off the faucet and set down the glass, moving around to the back door and peeking out of it. For a moment, my heart was still beating frantically, and then I saw them.
Deer. A stag, a doe, and three little fawns.
I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed, chuckling a little at how silly I was being. I watched them dart across the grass, so elegant and graceful, and then it came into view, just visible in the moonlight.
A wolf, huge and black as midnight. It was following the deer, crouching with its belly on the grass, and I suddenly wished the deer could move faster. I'd had no idea that there were still wolves running around in this area of Gotham! I had to call animal control or something…
I took a step back and the wolf froze, standing straight up, and looked directly at me. For a long moment, neither of us moved, then it came loping up toward the steps under the door. I knew it couldn't get in but I still felt highly vulnerable. Guess that's part of that post-traumatic stress again. But thankfully, the animal stopped a few feet short of the steps and just watched me. It was, I had to admit, strikingly beautiful in a way, and I found I couldn't just leave. I'm not sure how much time passed as I stood there, just watching the wolf, but finally I told myself I needed to get back to sleep, and I took a few steps back from the door. The wolf pricked its ears forward, then back and turned, slinking away into the night. Sighing, I forgot about getting a drink and just decided to retire to my room.
I really needed the sleep, more than ever.
The next morning I went back to the library, hoping to help out. Joker had managed to damage very little of the books (mostly it was just the doors and walls that needed replaced,) but there were still several shelves of books that needed to be replaced, since the sprinklers had ruined them. And of course, regardless of my fear of heights, Chantelle had nominated me for the task of going around and retrieving the books that needed replacing and taking note of them. A repair crew arrived shortly, dedicating their attention to working on the doors and walls, (rather loudly, might I add.) Police were stationed outside to ensure safety, but I had the feeling that none of our patrons were going to come back immediately after what happened yesterday. In a couple more days perhaps, but certainly not today, which meant I'd be going home early.
I'd gotten through one bookcase, pulling off all of the top shelf items and tossing them into the bin on the floor next to the ladder, when I heard Heidi squeal the name, "BRUCE WAYNE!"
Oh, nice. It figures. What's the jet-setting playboy billionaire doing here?
I climbed down the ladder and started to move it over to the next bookcase, and caught a glimpse of some new faces talking to Chantelle. Yes, indeed, 'twas Bruce Wayne, and a few other guys I didn't know. I would have continued on with business as usual, but Chantelle caught sight of me and snapped her fingers in that brisk manner that indicated her temper was already teetering on its edge, so I sighed and came forward.
"Jeanette, these are Mr. Wayne, McCue, Duncan and Pendragon. They've offered to graciously pull together their funds and replace the ruined books. If you don't mind, would you see to it they each get a copy of the list of books?" she said in a curt voice, and I nodded, turning to shake hands with the men. McCue was an older gentleman with iron gray hair and a mustache, and he didn't seem to smile a lot. Duncan had a egotistical, oily air to him, and Wayne of course, seemed to be just as I'd always heard him described.
Mr. Pendragon however, caught me by surprise. He was unusually tall for a man, almost 6'7", with long black hair he'd slicked back, pale, perfect skin, and dark emerald green eyes. He was—I simply had no other word for it—beautiful! He didn't smile when I went to shake his hand, but rather blinked at me, and without warning, brought my hand up to his lips and kissed my knuckles.
"What? I beg your pardon!" I just managed to squeak, feeling heat rising in my cheeks.
"And you shall have it, milady. If I should profane with my unworthy lips thy person, please allow me to submit to thee my humblest apologies." he said in a beautiful voice that was both deep and rich. His speech caught me off guard, and I found that my mouth had gone quite dry as he continued to speak. "Please, if you carry with thee a complaint concerning my conduct, speak only my name and order me to cease and desist. I am Lancelot Merlynnis Pendragon, and your humble servant, sweet woman."
I still couldn't quite find breath to speak, and my cheeks burned hotter than before. His name was no doubt the odd humor of a parent with a love for Arthurian legends, but somehow he managed to work that to his advantage with his beauty, charm and grace. Finally I thought of something to say.
"I have to get back to my work. I-I'll make sure each of you get a copy of the list of books to replace."
Of all the things I could have said!
For the most part, the others seemed not to mind, but Mr. Pendragon seemed rather taken aback as he released my hand and I went back to the shelves.
"Jeanette Harker, Mr. Pendragon," I heard Chantelle say, and I desperately wanted to smack her about her mouth for even telling him anything, "I'm sorry she was rude to you—"
"But alas, accidental rudeness occurs most every day." I heard him answer, in a voice that carried despite the distance I put between us. "But I was not offended by Miss Harker. After all, considering the events of yesterday, I find her reaction far more forgivable than most."
"I think you're just saying that because you think she's cute, Lance." Bruce Wayne chuckled. My cheeks were burning so much by now I was wondering why someone hadn't called the fire department on me.
"And I say one ought not to jump to conclusions, Wayne." Lancelot Pendragon answered briskly.
"Can we get on with this, already?" Duncan threw in. "I want to see what's so special about this library."
Ah. That meant Chantelle was giving them the tour, showing them all the different reasons why the library's been here since the city was founded and why it was being nominated as a historical landmark in Gotham. I wondered for a second whether those suits were there to find a loophole so they could get the place torn down to raise a mall, or whether they were here to help fund the library's nomination.
I wonder what Mr. Pendragon likes to read, if he talks so elegantly all the time.
I froze in mid-action, letting the books simply slip from my hands and miss the bin below. What in the world had put that thought in my head?
Forget about it, I told myself a bit irritably, Rich people don't even give anyone the time of day. As if he'd want to tell you what he reads! Hell, a pretty boy like him? What's the guarantee he even can read? Maybe he says stuff like that because his parents have trained him to.
I chuckled a little maliciously at the thought, grabbing a few more books and tossing them into the bin, a little harsher than usual. And I'd put the snob crowd with their crisp, perfectly pressed Italian suits out of my mind by the time our paths happened to cross again, me on the seventh shelf of the third aisle as they started to wind their way back around to the doors. I glanced over as one by one, they appeared at the end of the aisle, led by Chantelle, hoping I'd get to hear what exactly their plans were for the library.
I must have leaned a bit too far back, because I lost my footing on the ladder, my foot slipped, and I fell, heart pounding as I let out a yelp.
Suddenly I wasn't falling any more, and two strong, muscular arms were catching me, one under my knees, the other at the middle of my back. I slowly calmed down, looking up into that pair of green eyes, wide with…worry?
"Th-thank you, Mr. Pendragon." I managed to gasp.
"Miss Harker! Are you alright?" he rumbled in that deep voice, and my heart started doing back flips.
"I-I think so," I muttered as he set me down, quite embarrassed to discover my knees were feeling weak. "How did you do that?"
"Do what?" He asked, arching a perfectly groomed eyebrow.
I frowned. What was he playing at?
"You just ran down half of one of our aisles to catch me in the split second in took me to lose my balance." I said slowly, hoping he'd get the hint. No person should be able to move that fast.
"Did I?" he mused, and I felt myself go hot again, this time with anger.
"Drop the dumb act, Mr. Pendragon! There's no way you can move that fast!" I snapped, poking him right in the chest, realizing there was something about his suit that seemed familiar.
"I certainly seem capable of such a feat when the life of a beautiful desert rose such as yourself is at risk of making this otherwise colorless world a far gloomier place with its loss." he answered, and suddenly I knew why.
"So YOU'RE the man who paid for my coffee yesterday!" I gasped, appalled. How dare he! First making a mockery of me at Starbucks, then showing up here and embarrassing me, and now saving my backside and making fun of me? I wasn't going to put up with it!
Furious, I swept past him and charged for the door.
"Wait, Miss Harker!" he called after me, sounding upset. "What is wrong? What have I done to earn your wrath? I thought you would appreciate the gesture!"
I spun and saw him right behind me, reaching out his hand, and was reminded horribly of my dream from last night.
"Yeah? Well, you thought wrong!" I yelled, and he recoiled as though struck. I looked past him to Chantelle, whose expression was appalled. "I need to go back home, I'm not feeling well!"
She made no effort to argue and I stomped out the door to my Dodge, ignoring Mr. Pendragon as best as I could when he followed me outside.
"Miss Harker! Miss Harker, please wait!" he pleaded. Part of me really wanted to, he sounded so earnest, but the rest of me was too furious to care. "Miss Harker! Please! Relay to me your frustrations with me that I might find a way of rectifying however I have wronged you!"
I wrenched open the door to my Neon and glared at him, hating his sweet sincerity and utterly oblivious male mind.
"If you need me to tell you, then you're an idiot, for all of your flowery speech, Mr. Pendragon!" I snapped, slipping inside my car. I made to slam the door shut, but he caught it before I could, staring at me pleading green eyes.
"Then if I were to figure it out for myself, could I not talk to you and have the chance to earn your forgiveness?" he asked, in tones of desperation.
"Maybe," I growled, trying to pull the door shut again, but it wouldn't budge. "Let go!"
"Over coffee, then!" He said, regaining his composure. "After all, we clearly take our beverages at the same establishment, do we not?"
What in the world was he playing at? I wanted to smack him with something, but unfortunately I had no hardbacks on my passenger side seat at the time, and he did seem so sincere…
"Please, Miss Harker." he said. "I'll buy yours, as well."
I glowered at him, then calmed down. Well, why not? It didn't sound like too bad an idea, and it never hurt to educate a male out of his stupidity.
And he was really handsome…
"Well…all right, fine! I suppose I could go for a cup some time." I muttered, looking away from him, heat rising in my cheeks once more.
"Excellent!" he said, the ghost of a smile on his face, "Wednesday at eleven o'clock, then?"
"Don't see why not." I mumbled.
"I look forward to it." he said, and I could hear in his voice that he meant it. He grabbed my hand again, brushing my fingers to his soft lips, then pulled away, leaving me to stare, my mouth working furiously as I tried to think up a retort. Strangely though, I was having trouble forming a coherent thought. The corners of his mouth twitched upward into a wry smile, and he shut the door to my car.
"I wish thee a lovely afternoon, Miss Harker."
I shrieked in anger and pulled out of the parking lot, wanting nothing more than to get home. I glanced up in my rearview mirror, and saw Lancelot Pendragon watching me, still standing where I left him. I groaned. What in the world had I just agreed to?
I was still struggling to figure it all out when I reached my townhouse, feeling confused and disoriented after the day's events. I was halfway up the steps to the door when I noticed the lights in my living room were on.
Odd. I didn't remember leaving those on.
I almost dismissed it from my mind, but as I pulled out my keys, I touched the door, and it slowly creaked inward, making me freeze, my feet rooted to the spot and my heart hammering in panic.
Someone was in my house!