'I will disappear every time you say my name.'


Gotham city had been a hive of activity in the early afternoon, nothing out of the ordinary, Susan had experienced the city in full force many years ago before she'd been sent away by Wayne Enterprises to work in Kuala Lumpur. The city had changed for the worse, Susan who'd once been confident to walk the busy streets of the city was now intimidated by the denizens littering the pavement, her afternoon of shopping had been dreadful, at every corner she thought that she might be mugged or stabbed so once she'd finished her shopping she grabbed the nearest cab back home not even caring that it would cost her a small fortune.

Back in the apartment Susan had managed to get the place into some sort of likeable living condition, she'd now managed to empty her suitcase and around the apartment were little mementos and trinkets from her previous life, photos and sentiments that made her wish she were back there amongst friends and familiar surroundings, settling back into Gotham would not be an easy feat however she was adaptable she could do this for now, she just kept reminding herself it was temporary.

Susan sat balanced on the arm of the couch watching the news, Jim Gordon was still on the run, she thought about the last time she'd seen him in the GCPD, though they hadn't yet had chance to speak he seemed fine, stable, dedicated to his job and sane but it didn't matter how someone appeared on the outside, eventually the Gotham rot would set in and eat away at someones soul underneath, she just had expected Jim to be the last person to succumb to such darkness.

The clock on the wall read six fifteen pm, she had plenty of time to get ready and head over to Edward's apartment, it was hardly like she would have to catch a cab to get there, a few seconds out of her front door and she would be there, convenient but still a little unsettling. Susan had been thinking about the man intermittently all day, the strange feeling of attraction to him ebbing to and fro as she wrestled with her inner thoughts. Working relationships were not good, she had experience of them before and they had ended in an unhappy situation, however Susan reminded herself that the work at the GCPD was not a permanent fixture, she would be assigned somewhere else soon after and not have to see him during the week. Just live next to him.

Edward's brown eyes came back into her mind, those eyes that could look right through her, unsettling and exciting at the same time. The man was in all essences a social outcast, in school and college you would stereotype him into the category of a geek or nerd, a loner, weird and odd, not someone that had many friends because they were interested in the unusual. Edward lived up to these things, his morbid fascination with death, the constant bombardment of questions and riddles he spread around the GCPD, his reputation preceded him, the officers had warned her about him and Susan had cared at first. Now Susan felt more comfortable around Edward than the meat heads, Edward was harmless and predicable, they were not so much, violent and chauvinistic.

Susan changed into something nice but relaxed, something that would be appropriate for a friendly meal, almost a welcoming to Gotham between one outcast and another. This would be a nice thing, she was going to be treated to some food and intelligent conversation, she prayed it wouldnt be awkward, Edward could have his moments but he seemed to loose that persona around her after a while of them talking, she would just have to get past the initial formalities. Susan pepped herself looking in the mirror before she set off, 'Friendly meal, friendship. Don't initiate anything Susan, its not fair on either of you if you're set on leaving.' she thought to herself and nodded, she was right, Edward would be the one who would come off worse in this.

Next door the mood was quite different, Edward was making the final finishing touches to his apartment, candles had been lit and dotted around the sides of the room and on the dining table, the soft sound of music was emanating from a record player in the bedroom and the delicious aroma of Edward's fine cooking was emanating from the stove. Outside the sign of the name of the building was flooding in through the windows filling the apartment with a green glow from its light and Edward was stood looking out across the cityscape holding a cup of green tea and smiling smugly to himself as his mind churned and ticked over the outcomes of tonight's dinner date.

There was a knock on the door and Edward turned and moved towards it slowly savouring each sordid thought in his mind before he got there. Edward brushed his jumper down flat and looked in the mirror checking his hair, "Let the fun commence." Edward smiled to himself as he unlocked the door and opened it to see Susan stood there before him.

Edward felt a pang in his chest as he caught sight of her properly in the dimness of the hallway, she'd made an effort, her chestnut hair was curdled around her heart shaped face with her fringe sat on top of her forehead above her eyebrows drawing all attention to her blue anxious eyes looking into him. Edward saw the hint of a smile in the corner of her mouth, an affectionate smile that she was trying to mask and not doing a very good job of. Clad in a simple flowing white shirt with the sleeves pinned at the elbows and a long dark blue skirt she looked fresh and clean, a hint of jasmine coming from her neck and wrists; Edward knew Susan had tried to tone down her appearence as not to give Edward a false impression but the little amount of makeup and perfume she hadn't been able to resist suggested that she still wanted him to find her attractive and Edward admitted it had worked.

"G-Good evening Susan, wont you come in?" Edward said stumbling with his words for the second time recently and then standing aside letting her walk by him, the smell of soft midnight Jasmine drifting into the air so that he could smell it so faintly but so beautifully chosen, a smell befitting of her soft sweet side she tried to hide away. Edward clenched his fist, why was he falling apart and becoming pushover Edward again, he couldn't let that side come back ever again.

Susan felt her cheeks redden when she caught sight of the apartment, its candles flickering and music playing in the dim light, this wasn't just a friendly dinner to Edward, this was definitely something more and now she didn't know what to do, she couldn't leave and she didn't want to but everything around her pointed to one eventuality. "Smells good." Susan said turning to look for Edward but she didn't have to look far, he was stood about two feet from her looking down with his deep brown curious eyes.

"Won't be long now." Edward said beholding the woman's tentative expression, he could see the anticipation mounting in her, her mind wondering what he was going to do and why he was so close, he smiled and reached out a hand slowly in front of her, "Wine?" he offered raising the glass into her line of sight.