'I come in different colors and shapes. Some parts of me are curvy, some are straight. You can put me anywhere you like, but there is only one right place for me.'


Susan and Edward walked down to the tube stop both clad in warm winter coats and scarves, the evenings were becoming more bitter with every day that passed now and December was drawing nearer, it would be Susan's first Christmas back in Gotham and though she had previously dreaded its approach on her first arrival back to the city thinking she might have to push through it alone, she now welcomed the idea of the holidays, after all she did have someone to share it with.

"After you." Edward said as the train door slid open and beeped its warning holding out his arm in a gentlemanly fashion letting her board first, he watched as she got on and then he looked over his shoulder to make sure that they weren't being followed, no, they'd slipped out unnoticed.

Jim Gordon's continued evasion of police detection was getting on his nerves, he had to check the crime scenes to make sure that he hadn't left any sort of clue as to anything that would point at finger and lead Gordon back to him, mere precautions he told himself, just in case, but nothing would lead back to him. Would it?

'And why pray tell are we taking Susan with you on this little quest?' Edward's dark psyche asked with a sigh, 'We're going to get caught out carrying on like this, she's far from stupid. Not like that Kringle woman.' Edward took a deep breath and smiled at Susan when she looked up from her seat, the only free one there had been in the carriage and he'd graciously given it to her; Edward turned away when she looked down at her gloved hands again, "She'll find it interesting, I can't exactly leave her there with Bullock and those idiots, what if she hears something." Edward said to himself irritably, 'Oh right and bringing her with us isn't going to raise any suspicion.' His psyche answered with a snort, 'Hey, Ed, we both like this one a lot, she's going to ask about Kristen so watch it and don't let us fuck it up again.'

"I won't." Edward replied darkly.

"Won't what?" Susan said reaching up and touching Edward's hand, he turned immediately to look at her and laughed nervously; Susan had heard him mutter under his breath, it was odd but then again Edward was far from run of the mill, his quirks and habits had only made him more endearing to her and it wasn't out of the ordinary, she'd seen him doing it before, "Didn't you say something?"

Edward caught the concern in her face which she was trying to hide with a smile and soft eyes, her gloved fingertips hooked with his. One side of Edward relished in the game he could play whereas the other side, the side arguing with his dark self felt troubled, she'd begun to really care for him, he couldn't let a repeat of last time happen, he had to make sure he just kept this as a game and not something more though by now, although he didn't quite realise just yet, he was starting to fall for her.

"I did say something," Edward admitted, "I was thinking and spoke aloud by mistake. I was just thinking of this painting in the gallery which you would most probably find appealing and I was reminding myself that I mustn't forget to show it to you. Therefore 'I won't'." He kept his smile steady and watched as she gave him a sideways smile with narrowed eyes.

"I'm looking forward to it." Susan said as she felt the train slow at the next tube stop and jerked pulling their hands apart. "Is this the one we want?" She asked looking round as a few people disembarked.

"No, next one, central station." Edward replied sitting down next to her in the seat that had just come available as an old woman hobbled out of the carriage and the doors slid shut once again. The train jerked off and he felt Susan bump into him lightly.

"Sorry." They both said in unison, looking at each other and then looking away.

Edward let a giggle slip from his lips and then cleared his throat trying to compose himself, this whole thing felt strange and new to him, the feeling he had with Susan was different to what he had experienced with Ms. Kringle, he'd always felt like he was stepping on eggshells around Kristen, it had been a forced and difficult relationship right from the start, when he was with Susan things were more relaxed, he held the reins this time. It wasn't just that though, he thought to himself, Susan was more accepting of his character, she didn't find him weird and threatening like Kristen had when he had first tried to court her, he had never seen it at first but Kristen had never wanted Edward she'd only been lured into the relationship through his clever planning and murder.

'Isn't that what we're doing now?' Edward's dark psyche echoed in his mind again, 'Luring her into a false sense of security? We've planned each and every step of this little game since the first day we laid eyes on her.' Edward tried to ignore his other self but they continued, 'Albeit we haven't had to kill anyone yet but then again we might, what was that guys name again? Khalish? They looked terribly familiar with each other.' Edward felt his temper rising, yes they had looked very familiar with each other and he'd spent the night in her apartment, who knows what had happened, he and Susan weren't exactly an item that night and come to think about it, they weren't really now, there had been one kiss and a lot of unsaid words between them.

Edward looked at Susan, she was lovely, bright blue eyes with long lashes, wearing barely any makeup at all, her soft rich butterscotch hair curling in the humidity of the carriage under her black sleet peppered beret, an adorable heart shaped face framing a girlish smile and soft glow in her cheeks. There were small feint creases at the side of her eyes from smiling, giving away a clue that she had seen a happy life once and laughed tremendously but the feint dark circles under her eyes told a story of little sleep and too much work. Susan's long black woolen overcoat wasn't new or branded, he'd only seen her wear it recently and it was bobbled on the cuffs and along the button down front perhaps she'd picked it up second hand along with her scuffed brogues.

The train jerked again and announced central station which broke Edward from his thoughts, he got up and offered her a hand which she took more than happily and helped her down onto the platform of Gotham's main tube stop, right in the heart of Gotham. Edward expected Susan to release his hand but she kept it in his not letting go but holding loosely, was she testing to see if he would let go? Edward didn't and they climbed the metal stairs and cross the bridge into the main section of the station in silence, still holding hands, not saying anything to each other until they reached the lobby.

"Oh my god." Susan said seeing the cornered off area of the lobby where the explosion had happened from the recent bombing, there were bits of marble still littered around everywhere and police tape surrounding the site. "He really did a number on this place."

"Yes he did." Edward laughed and turned to Susan, he expected to see a look of shock but was surprised to see her amused expression, she'd started laughing herself, how bizarre, she was such a strangely intriguing woman, he felt a rush of adrenaline, it was almost like she was in on the joke and laughing with him, enjoying his work. Edward breathed in deeply and his chest swelled with pride, "Do you want to see more?" he asked, testing her curiosity.

"Yes." Susan smirked feeling like they were up to something they shouldn't be, which they were, she was supposed to be working but instead she'd run off with the GCPD's forensics scientist to get up to some 'mischief' as she liked to think of it. The idea of being at the scene of a recent crime she thought would have shocked her, made her feel uneasy but instead whilst holding onto Edward's hand she felt safe and thrilled, excited and rebellious. They were like two school kids ditching school for the afternoon to go buy liquor and smoke cigarettes in the park.

Edward loved the excitement in her eyes, it almost matched his own, he pulled her over to the side of the lobby where all of the lockers were located and stood across from them, he pointed over to one of the lockers where a green question mark had been spray painted to it, "That's where he planted the bomb." Edward smirked watching her look of awe turn into another bright smile, her eyes darting between him and the locker.

"This is fascinating." Susan said and she truly meant it, who knew that crime could be so exciting and colourful for that matter, she narrowed her eyes at the green question mark, somehow familiar, she dismissed the idea, Gordon had not been in his right mind and still wasn't for that matter but what if Bullock was right and Jim was innocent? The killer was still out on the loose if that was the case, Susan found that idea more likely than Jim being at the heart of things, it just didn't seem like a Jim Gordon thing to do, but what did she know. "I'm gonna go take a quick look." Susan said letting go of Edward's hand and walking casually over.

'Fascinating huh?' Edward's psyche decided to butt in on the moment, 'So cute.' he teased and Edward sighed closing his eyes for a moment, "Shut up, she likes what we did." Edward told his dark self, 'No Ed, she likes what Gordon is supposed to have done. Not us. We're not getting credit for any of this incredible puzzle, she's not commending us because she doesn't know AND,' his dark self spoke up at the end, 'She won't ever know. Right?'

"Right." Edward huffed and rolled his eyes watching Susan inspecting the locker, his little computer whiz turned crime addict, Edward grinned, if only he could tell her, such a shame, he liked to imagine she'd been impressed with the perfect crime he'd committed if he told her but no, she would scream in horror and try to run like Kristen did, then she would have to die. "Susan." he called over and she turned round startled, he nodded his head toward the exit and she walked back over. "Would you like to see some art my dear?" He asked pushing his hands into his coat pockets.

"Lead the way Ed." Susan said hooking her arm in his.

Edward felt the sudden embrace and closeness to him, he'd not expected it and it had made his heart jump, the warm affection surrounding his limb, freely given and not forced. Edward's brow furrowed for moment in anguish which seeped away faster than it had appeared, unbeknownst to him the bond to her he thought was only an illusion, a game he'd planned, was now becoming real and truly starting to grow but by the time he would finally realise, it would be too late.