Disclaimer: I don't own Jonathan Crane (sadly) nor Batman. I don't claim to own them. I don't make any profit off of this. I'm just having fun.

16

Hurt

New Years Eve with my family was just as chaotic as Christmas. The family members who had left after Christmas were back in full drunken force and it was only eleven in the morning.

Jonathan and I had agreed to spend yet another night at my Aunt's with my mom, even though I wasn't planning on spending most of the time here. It was Jonathan's first New Years in Gotham, which meant I was going to make it special. I was taking him to the city for the ball drop, even though he was adamant he'd rather stay at my aunt's.

Of course, to get him to agree to go, I owed him. What did he choose? To go to my father's condo. I had almost backed down but he gave me that look and told me a deal was a deal. Fuck.

That's why Jonathan and I were standing at my father's doorstep. Apparently I had the police's clearance to go inside but that didn't make my feet move. In fact, we had been standing outside for nearly ten minutes. I was cold and my teeth were chattering, but even that wasn't enough incentive to go inside.

I heard Jonathan shift behind me and his voice broke through the silence. "Dahlia."

I looked at the open door and the foyer inside. It was dark inside, all the window coverings drawn by the GCPD. "Do you think... the blood?"

"It's gone. The police have people to clean up. Gordon assured me. It's spotless."

I swallowed, my throat feeling thick. "I don't want to go in."

"I know." Jonathan put his hand on the small of my back and slowly guided me inside the door. "We won't be here long, I promise."

I didn't bother taking my shoes off. The condo wasn't nearly as inviting as it had been a week before. It had lost all it's warmth in a span of a couple days. The only thing that was left was empty halls and the lingering scent of cinnamon, left from years of burning the same candles over and over.

I let my boyfriend guide me further in and I registered that he shut the door behind us. It was cold inside, the furnace had been shut off by the gas company. It was only about ten degrees warmer than the outside. I drew my coat tighter around me, the cold seemed to seep into my bones. I glanced at the stairs and made my mind up. If I had to go into the kitchen, that was the last place I was going to go.

I started up the steps, wincing when the creaking broke through the silence of the house. Jonathan was behind me, though he made considerably less noise than I did.

The door to my room was shut like I knew it would be. Glancing at the steel doorknob, I quickly grabbed it and turned it. As soon as it clicked I let it go and pushed the door open. I wasn't ready for what was on the other side.

Gone were the pink colored walls and purple carpet of my childhood. The entire room had been transformed in the short time I had been in Georgia and it was obvious my dad had kept me in mind.

The walls were now a bright blue with brown trim. The carpet had been ripped up to reveal the dark wood beneath it and it had been recently polished. My white twin bed had been replaced as well, a queen size sleigh bed in it's place. It was obviously expensive, the wood was a dark cherry and it had simple details in the woodwork. The covers were the same colors as the walls in a checkerboard pattern. A matching dresser and a desk sat along the opposite wall.

The room as perfect.

My heart clenched in my chest. Dad had put violin racks on the free wall diagonally and on the lowest rack was a white violin I hadn't seen before. It was beautiful in that it was simple, a stark white body and scroll with a black fingerboard and chinrest. A white bow was hanging next to it. Tears blurred my vision as I touched the instrument, this room was what my dad had been working on when he couldn't talk, I bet.

"Dahlia, you might want to see this." I jumped at the sound of Jonathan's voice and looked over at him. He was at the desk so I quickly walked over, swallowing again when I saw a picture of my dad and I on the desk. I turned my attention to my boyfriend and saw he had something in his hands. He looked up from the piece of paper and held it out to me. "Read it."

I carefully took the paper, almost as if it would bite, and glanced at it. It was a note from my dad, I could tell by the handwriting. I looked back up at Jonathan and he looked at the paper and nodded. I turned my attention back to the letter.

D.G.,

I figured I should do this in case you come in while we're asleep. You never know what the traffic is going to be like in Gotham.

I know you weren't happy with how I couldn't stay on the phone when you called, but now you know why. You really do have the worst timing when calling. I hope you like your room, I figured it was time to redecorate since you're no longer five. The violin is yours, of course. An early Christmas present.

I'll see you in the morning. Make yourself (and your boyfriend) at home. I can threaten him tomorrow.

-Dad

P.S. I had Kara pick up stuff for pumpkin rolls, so be ready to bake in the morning.

P.S.S. I love you, darling. Welcome home.

Jonathan had me in his arms before I broke down, clutching the note to my chest as I cried.

I don't know how long I cried or how we ended up on the floor, but I do know that Jonathan held me through it all. I was exhausted by the time I calmed down, the note still in my hands. I was no longer numb like I had been the past few days, I felt almost normal now.

"Are you alright?" Jonathan leaned his forehead against mine. He had been quiet during my breakdown, just holding me and rubbing my back soothingly. His eyes sought my bloodshot ones and I nodded slowly.

"I think so. I feel better now. Like everything is... okay."

"We can leave now if you want."

I frowned before realization hit me. This was what Jonathan had meant to accomplish all along. By bringing me here, he had planned to break me out of the numb gray I had put myself in. I almost got angry but I knew he had good intentions. And I did feel better.

"Do you think we should turn the note in?" I really didn't want to, it was the last thing Dad had ever said to me, in a way. I don't know if I would get it back if the GCPD wanted it.

"No." Jonathan kissed me on the forehead lightly. "I don't think there's anything groundbreaking in that note."

I nodded before looking up at the picture on the desk. I grabbed it and moved back over to Jonathan. "This was him, you know." The picture was an older one, it was taken by my mom at the same park Jonathan and I went to a couple days ago. I was about six in the picture. Dad had grabbed me and was throwing me into the air like he used to and Mom had taken the picture at just the right time. Dad was smiling and laughing, the sun shining off his dark hair and his arms were outstretched, ready to catch me. My eyes were open and I was laughing, my hair was everywhere. "It sounds weird, but this is how I will always remember him."

Jonathan took the picture from me, his hair falling into his eyes. He gave me a small smile. "You were cute."

I giggled a bit and took the picture back. I focused on my dad's face and sobered a little. "He really does look like a Falcone, doesn't he?"

"He looks like your father. It doesn't matter who his biological family is, he chose you above everything else."

"I know... I'm afraid of what Falcone wants with me." I hadn't admitted it before but it felt good saying. "He has to want something. I don't buy the whole family man thing he's trying to pull."

"You don't have to be afraid of anything, D.G. I promise you, nothing is going to come of it." Jonthan pushed his hair back out of his eyes. "Besides, we only have a few more days left here. I hardly doubt their reach goes all the way to Georgia."

"I know, but you'll be back in a couple weeks. What if they come after you?"

He looked mildly insulted. "I can take care of myself, Dahlia."

That didn't help my worries at all.

"I'm loving this pumpkin roll!" I rolled my eyes at my mother. We were seated at my aunt's kitchen table. Jonathan was sitting to my right reading one of his books and my aunt was across the table. "Seriously, Shirls, this is better than Dahlia's."

Now my eye roll turned to a full glare. There was no way that Shirley's pumpkin rolls were better than mine.

"What do you want, Mom? Quit stalling."

Beatrice Flynn put her fork down with a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "I know you went to your father's."

"What an awful idea." Shirley cut in and my glare went to her instead. "What if the murderer was there?"

I was going to speak but Jonathan got there before I did. "She's not quite stupid enough to go back to the scene of the crime."

My aunt leveled her stare on him. "How do you know that?"

Jonathan shrugged. "It's not hard to figure it out. She had to be at least moderately intelligent, she was able to figure out a way to surprise and perhaps overpower Mr. Cohen."

"Mr. Cohen," Shirley mocked. "Was weak. He cheated on his wife and now look where he is- dead!"

My back stiffened and it felt like every hair on my body was on end. I glanced at my mother to see her holding her head. I knew my father was still a weak spot in her heart and so did her sister. I stood up, pushing my chair back until the back hit the floor. "Come on, we're heading out."

Jonathan looked up from his book again and nodded before standing as well. I didn't say anything to either my aunt or my mother before I tore out of the house, anger burning deep in my chest. How could mom just sit there and let her call Dad weak? I knew there was still bad blood there, but Dad was dead. It wasn't right to insult the dead.

"Dahlia." I jumped and looked at my boyfriend before noticing we were in my Charger already. When had we gotten in here? He raised a thin eyebrow at me, sitting in the driver's seat. Apparently I had decided to let him drive as well. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't care. Just away from here, please."

Jonathan nodded before turning the key and shifting my beloved car into gear.

It took quite awhile to get where we were going, which wasn't really anywhere. The ride was silent as Jonathan drove us out of Gotham City and onto one on the back roads we passed on the way from Georgia. He kept driving until we ended up at a dead end in front of a snow covered field. I rested back in my seat and fingered the locket around my neck.

"You want to tell me what happened back there?" Jonathan was looking out the windshield as snowflakes fell lazily from the sky.

"My aunt's a bitch."

"Language." I rolled my eyes. "It usually takes more than that to make you lose yourself."

I huffed and crossed my arms. Childish, I know, but I didn't care. "My dad is dead, Jonathan. And Shirly fucking Flynn-Coen has no right to talk about him. Yes, he cheated on my mom, but that was their problem, not hers. She hated him even before that. He was nothing but polite to her. True, he tried to stay away from her, but that's better than punching her, isn't it?"

Jonathan gave a little chuckle. "Your aunt is... trying at best. I think she's the first person to call me feminine."

I blanched. "Oh god, you heard that?"

"Of course." He nodded before taking my cold hand in his arm one. "But she's your aunt and another murder might ruin our trip."

That startled a giggle out of me. "I don't know, it might salvage what's left of it." I sighed and squeezed his hand. "I can't believe they haven't caught her yet."

Jonathan's finger was tracing intricate designs on my skin, distracting me. "Don't worry about it, they'll find her one way or another."

I looked from his hand and was surprised when Jonathan's lips caught mine. I sighed and closed my eyes, grabbing his coat and pulling him as close as the seat divider would allow. His hands wrapped around my waist, one of them snaking up my shirt to splay across my back. I pushed his jacket off his shoulders, smirking against his mouth then I felt him shrug it off.

I broke away from him for a second, looking into his bright eyes that were darkening by the second. Our breathing was heavy and I smiled at him lightly. "I love you, you know."

If possible, Jonathan's eyes darkened even more and he smirked at me. "I know." He captured my lips again and pulled me onto his lap, pulling my shirt up.

Jonathan Crane drove me crazy, but he was a pretty good distraction.

We ended up going back to my aunts shortly after. I was curled up into the seat, content with everything. Not even Shirley could bring me down now.

As Jonathan pulled my car into the driveway, I knew something was wrong. My mom was outside, pacing the sidewalk. As soon as she saw the car, she jogged across the yard to us. I frowned and straightened my clothes again as he put the car into park. I opened the door as she reached us.

"It's about time! I've been waiting for an hour!"

I scowled. "Well, excuse me, I didn't know we had something arrange-"

Jonathan seemed to realize something I didn't though, because he put a hand on my shoulder. "Let your mom talk."

I was going to give him a lecture, too, before I saw the look on my mom's face. "What's going on?"

She sighed. "The police called, D.G. They found the murderer, but she's dead. They want you at the station now."

My heart plummeted into my stomach.

A/N: I'M ALIVE! I'm sorry this took so long, things kept coming up. I hope you guys love it! Let me know, every response I get makes me that much more driven to write! Thank you for all the reviews/favorites, alerts, everything! I hope the wait hasn't driven anyone off.