'I run smoother than any rhyme, I love to fall but cannot climb.'
The two escapees hadn't been noticed, no one had been looking for them and no one really had cared to in the first place, when they had returned back to the GCPD everything was just as they had left it, a chaotic mess of phones ringing, people screaming and shouting over the department to each other and officers idling around their desks or swinging about on chairs. The place could have easily been mistaken for Gotham zoo, which incidentally was mentioned in passing by Susan to Edward and he'd liked her anthropological interest so had suggested it to be their next outing on the weekend as they made their way back to work to finish up the day, what was left of it.
Susan was in her apartment looking in the mirror and flattening the black dress she had on around the middle part, huffing and sighing because the dress was old and too tight, middle age was starting to creep up on her, perhaps time for a flash diet? Maybe she was just being paranoid, she barely weighed nine and a half stone, its just the dress wasn't right. Strewn across the bed were all the other choices she'd turned down, clothes that had once been suitable for the hot climate of Kuala Lumpur but now completely useless in the cold Gotham winter, although, she thought, they were going to be inside a warm restaurant. Making the quick decision to keep the black dress she tided away all the others and slipped on her black heels, the first time she'd worn them in such a long time and it felt unusual to be so elevated, oh well, they had their perks, they would raise her up to a more comfortable height in line with Edward, that would make their potential kisses much easier, he being well over six foot and her a foot smaller or so.
Brown hair freshly washed and pulled into a loose ponytail, her hair curled around her face; a little more makeup than she usually afforded at work with red tinted lips and shadowy cat eyes, her slim fitting off the shoulder black dress silhouetted her curved figured and topped with pearl earrings and necklace to match, the only thing she had left of her late mother; she felt like this was another person staring back at her in the mirror, she'd never made an effort like this when she were dating Khalish or anyone for that matter, she hadn't felt the need to but things were different with Edward, she felt sure that things were going to move forward with him, it was odd to feel so certain about someone, so sure that it wasn't just lust that fuelled her, that it was something different this time from all the rest. Susan just felt right, like he was the missing part of her she'd been waiting for, holding all heart from those other lovers at bay because she knew eventually one day he would appear.
Susan pulled on her black overcoat and beret, grabbed her bag and keys from the side and took one final look in the mirror at herself, this was it, it would be tonight, she was sure of it. Officially Susan and officially Edward, she sighed and left the apartment and headed for the tube stop, Edward had had to work a little late and said he would meet her at the restaurant; when she left the building and stood under the canopy at the front of the apartment the rain was pouring down in buckets, she was going to get absolutely soaked, her efforts ruined. A cab would be expensive at this time of night, for some reason the fares went up, apparently not many taxi drivers wanted to work the evening shift, that was when all the weirdos came out in the city or at least they were more apparent but she had no choice.
Susan waved for taxis that went skidding by but none of them slowed down at all for her, instead one had come purposefully close to soak her and she'd only just darted back under the canopy to avoid the spray, she shouted after the taxi angrily and looked at her watch backing into the doorway, a quarter to seven, the meal was booked for half past and time was ticking on, she'd have to make a dash for the tube station and hope she wouldn't get to badly soiled. Susan took a step out and felt the heavy splatters on her head and shoulders and then on her face and backed up.
"Give me a break!" She shouted at the heavens wiping her face. Susan tried to flag another taxi but still it sped passed and as she watched it go she could sight of something coming down the barely lit street towards her and she froze pulling her coat about her and backed into the doorway a little more.
Susan watched as the figure got closer and she strained her eyes to try and make out the black form, it was a man, a short man, walking, no, hobbling, towards her carrying a large black umbrella above his head. Susan relaxed and softened taking in the poor unfortunate crippled man trying to make his way through the night, at least he had something to cover himself she thought, though she didn't bare thing of what date awaited the man that could barely walk let alone run from anything. She expected the man to pass her by but instead he slowed and approached the doorway and then noted she was stood there, he'd obviously not noticed her at first from the look on his face.
"Good evening." The man said to Susan with an awkward grin his eyes darting about like he was shy or skittish.
The man was about five foot four, shorter than herself anyway, despite the large umbrella over his head big enough to have fit three of him under, his black hair was plastered to his forehead, his eyes were dark and sunken with black circles underneath picking out the bright green of his eyes, so piercing but joyful almost; the thing Susan noticed the most was his nose, long, thin and pointed, he reminded her of some sort of bird and his mannerism matched. The man was wearing a black suit and white shirt ensemble, with a neatly tucked tie and purple waistcoat, he looked like he had or had had money at some time, though his pallid complexion and skinny appearance suggested he might have not been eating, or sleeping, soundly for weeks.
"Do you live here miss?" The man asked her folding up his umbrella and giving her a toothy smile, he looked at her win staring eyes, not the type of stare Edward would give her, this was slightly uncomfortable.
"Yes I do." Susan answers plainly looking past the man to see if she could dash over to the tube quickly, she felt like she was going to be robbed by this guy, or worse, murdered.
"Oh wonderful, then please tell me, might Mr. Nygma be at home." He asked with a joyful little giggle which bordered on creepy, she felt her skin ripple with unease.
"Edward?" Susan asked creasing her brow, the man note her caution.
"Oh it's fine! We're good friends, I've come to tell him some news." He said his smile fading for a moment so that she saw a glimmer of pain. Friends? They were friends? Susan chided herself for her thoughts, of course Edward had friends, even if they were a little odd but then of course Edward was odd to most people, a friendship between these two didn't seem entirely impossible.
"I'm sorry, erm...she paused looking at the man.
"Oswald. Oswald Cobblepot." The man said reaching out at a long slender hand to her which she took expecting it to be cold and slimy, it was cold but no slime.
"Susan." She replied with as much of a smile as she could manage, she certainly wasn't going to let him have her last name, he could still be lying to her. "He's not in, he's at work, well he's probably finished now."
"Oh well perhaps I'll just wait inside, if he'll be returning soon." Oswald smiled pressing his lips together and looking up at her with his frighteningly friendly eyes, too friendly.
"He's not coming back yet, I don't think he will be until later." Susan said and saw the confused expression on Oswald's face, his eyes narrowing a bit but not loosing his smile. "We're going out to dinner." She offered him a bit more and then it dawned on him as he quickly looked Susan up and down.
"Oh, forgive me, are you and Edward," he trailed off giving her a strange mixed expression, it was happiness and for some reason perhaps that might be a twinge of hurt, maybe Edward was his only friend, that would not have surprised her at all. "That is to say, are you,"
"We work at the GCPD together and I live next door." Susan said cutting him off and saving him any embarrassment.
"I-I wasn't implying..." Oswald stammered trying to find what to say.
"It's fine Mr. Cobblepot. I'll tell Edward that you stopped by." Susan said giving him a forced smile and looking back out onto the heavy rain, it wasn't easing.
"It's Oswald." He said behind her and she turned around to look at the pitiful man, "Just Oswald." He smiled, he was trying to make another friend she knew that now, a friend of Edward's would be a friend of his it seemed. "He showed me a great deal of kindness when I was in need. I always said I would return it one day, maybe I can start now." He held out the umbrella towards her and she looked down and then back up at him, "Please." He said, his tone almost a beg and she felt so ultimately sorry for this creature, much like her Edward, she felt awful for thinking of the man so poorly, what on earth was wrong with her? Oswald just gave her an uneasy feeling, it wasn't just his looks, he had an aura about him and she couldn't quite tell what it was but something smelt fishy.
"Thank you Oswald." Susan said taking the umbrella from him.
"Make sure to tell him I said hello, I'll stop by again when I have a spare moment from my duties." Oswald said doing an awkward bow to Susan and starting to walk off in the same direction that he'd appeared but as she watched he stumbled to a halt and turned around still grinning, this time pointing at her, "He is a very interesting man,"he needs a lot of support, make sure you take care of him." he laughed, "He certainly doesn't need another heartache on his hands." and with that Oswald turned and walked into the rainy darkness and disappeared from sight.
Susan stood holding the black parasol over her like a cloud of darkness, she was thankful for meeting Edward's friend Oswald for the umbrella but at the same time regretted every moment of it, there was another woman, or there had been, what had her name been, she remembered the officers speaking it earlier that day and she had meant to mention it to Edward. Kristen. That was it. Who was Kristen, and what had happened between them?
