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.

17

Edge of Seventeen

Carmine Falcone once again found himself impressed by Jonathan Crane. The man reminded him of a panther, stalking back and forth like a cat toying with it's prey. His measured movements made harsh clacking sounds on the cold cement floor. He had a cold look on his face as he paced in front of the woman in the chair. The calculating expression made him look only that much older.

Kara Taylor was strapped to the chair, her body writhing as screams were torn from her throat. If he were any less of a man, Falcone would flinch. She was beautiful, even covered in dirt and smelling of urine. Her brunette hair shined in the dull lights of the drafty warehouse and her once angry blue eyes had rolled into the back of her head, only the whites showing now. He watched as the kid picked up the syringe that he injected the girl with and set it back down with a sigh.

"Come now, Ms. Taylor. This is far too easy for my taste, won't you fight it even a bit?" The woman kept screaming, the sounds raw. Crane gave another long-suffering sigh and selected a different syringe before nodding at the two men standing next to the chair. He watched as one of the men held her down while the other offered Taylor's arm to him. The mob boss wondered at his almost clinical precision as the kid slid the needle into the forearm and pushed the plunger down.

The effect was almost immediate. Kara Taylor's body stopped writhing and her screams died down to tired sobs, her eyes finally closing. "Ms. Taylor, you disappoint me. I figured you would at least put up some semblance of a struggle."

The woman opened her eyes and tried to focus. She swallowed and tried to say something but her voice wouldn't cooperate. Crane rolled his eyes and picked up the bottle of water, showing it to her. The woman nodded tiredly and opened her mouth, allowing him to pour water into her mouth. She swallowed and took a breath before taking another drink, again and again. The water was half gone before she was able to speak.

"What... why are you doing this to me?"Taylor's voice was still cracking do to overuse but she was able to speak.

"You aren't stupid, Ms. Taylor. You should be able to figure that out." Crane's voice was chilling and it caused the woman to jump.

"David Cohen."

This caused Falcone to chuckle mirthlessly. "Right on the money."

"You don't know what you're getting into!" Fire had returned to her eyes. "This is far bigger than either of you!"

"You really expect me to believe that you had some sort of mission?" Crane snorted as the woman started protesting. "I hardly think you would be sitting in this chair if you were working for some higher power, Ms. Taylor."

Kara Taylor grew quiet and trained her eyes to the floor. "I failed."

"What are you talking about? David Cohen is dead, I found the body."

Kara started laughing lightly. "You're him, aren't you? D.G.'s boyfriend. I should have figured." She paused as she started choking. "My... mission... was to kill both of them. But when I found out you were coming I had to act. So, I failed and now I have to die."

"Which is why you stayed here. You knew someone was going to find you eventually." Crane nodded thoughtfully and started pacing again. "But why Dahlia and David?"

"I don't know. I was told to go after Anton Falcone, using any means necessary. That's it." The woman was tired, her eyes drooping and making her look many years older than what she was.

"Why so forthcoming with information, then?"

"I have to die."

"You want to die?"

"No!" Kara sat up straight, her eyes blazing again. "No! I don't want to die! But either way, it's going to happen and if you don't kill me, then they will and they won't be nearly as kind. What they have makes your little toxin seem like child's play."

Jonathan gave her a little smirk. "Is that so?"

"Yes. And if you even think of letting me go, I'll kill Dahlia. I'll rip her apart and scatter her in the Narrows!"

Narrowing his icy eyes, the younger man stopped in front of her. He crouched down to her level and grabbed her dirty face, forcing her to make eye contact. "You will never so much as whisper her name again, do you understand me?" She provided no answer so Jonathan gripped her face to the point of pain. Seeing her flinch, he smiled. "Am I making myself clear, Ms. Taylor?"

He flung her head back which connected with the metal headrest of the chair with a sick crack and the woman cried out, instinctively trying to reach for her head. "You can't save her!"

"Hmm." The young man was already at the tray, picking up another full syringe. "I guess I'll be the judge of that, Kara Taylor. Now, do tell me, what is your worst fear?"

As we reached GCPD, I was taken from Jonathan and my mother to the same conference room as before. Same bleak walls and cold metal chair and table. The chair didn't even move, but I guess that was for the safety if the police. Who knew what kind of maniacs they got in this place. It was getting late and I had to stifle a yawn, hoping I didn't seem bored. But honestly, this was not how I was expecting to spend my New Years Eve. So much for taking Jonathan to the city.

"Is this your father's girlfriend, Dahlia?" James Gordon held a Polaroid out to me from across the table, his face grim. He looked even older than when I last saw him, the slight wrinkles looking harsh in the dim fluorescent lighting. I took it hesitantly and turned my gaze to it. I wasn't ready for what I saw, however, and had to fight back a gag.

Yep. It was Kara Taylor alright. Well, that was left of her. She was on a slab, a stark white sheet pulled up to her chin. Her skin was a horrible pale color, marred by black bruises. Her normally pink lips were blue, the bottom deeply split. There were odd black strings hanging from holes around her mouth, some torn open. That wasn't even the worst of it. Her eyelids were pulled down over empty sockets and shut with even black stitches. Her hair was shaved, revealing a thin incision down the middle of her skull that was also stitched shut, although not nearly as precise as her eyes and mouth. "Oh my god. I will never be able to un-see this, will I?"

Gordon shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not, D.G. Is this her?"

I nodded my affirmative and pushed the picture face-down towards the officer, trying to keep my stomach from revolting against me. "Where did you find her?"

"She was delivered to the Gotham General just before dawn. She was thrown out of a black, unmarked van. She had already been dead for an hour or so."

"Do you have any suspects?"

"We believe it is mob-related. A few of us wanted to add you to the suspect list, but the coroner was very adamant that this took more than one person, probably men. However, I do need to ask you some questions, formally." His tone was apologetic.

"It's okay, I mean, I understand. If anyone had motive, it would be me, right?" I chuckled, the sound dry and borderline frantic. I stole a glance at the tape recorder, which had already been recording for some time. I was probably suspect numero uno. "Feel free, Officer Gordon."

"Where were you last night, around 1 AM?"

"Sleeping, sir. Jonathan and I have been staying at my aunt's, Shirley Coen, for the last couple of days." Not that I wanted to, but it really was safer than the hotel room with the broken door.

"Can anyone vouch for you?"

I shrugged. "Sure. Jonathan, for one. My mom, my aunt, my cousins... They were all there, sir, and my aunt usually doesn't go to bed until late, so she would be able to tell you if I had left. Where we are staying is on the second floor with no real exit plan."

"Do you have a reason to harm Ms. Taylor?"

I bit my lip and thought back to my conversation with Bruce Wayne. "If you ask a psychiatrist, they would probably tell you I'm probably the perfect suspect. But I have no reason to kill Kara Taylor, sir. Yes, she killed my father. She ruined my parent's marriage before that. However, my father wouldn't want me to go to prison and ruin my life over some idiotic revenge plot. He had so many dreams for me and he supported me in everything I wanted to do, he would have been extremely disappointed in me if I gave that all up." I took a deep breathe and sighed, wringing my hands in my lap. "He may not be here anymore, but I'm not going to insult his memory that way."

The older man nodded appreciatively."How long are you staying in the area, Ms. Cohen?"

"We're leaving the day after tomorrow to go back to Atlanta."

"That will be all, Ms. Cohen." Gordon reached over and pressed a button on the recorder and the wheels inside slowed to a stop. "I believe this will give those stiffs at the prosecutors office something to think about. I'm sorry for taking up your New Year's Eve."

I smiled and stood up from the uncomfortable chair, leaning back to my back would crack. "It's alright, Mr. Gordon. May I ask what time it is?"

The officer looked at his watch. "It's about eleven-thirty, D.G. So you can probably make it to the square if that is what you were planning."

"Thank you." I held my hand out to Gordon, making sure to keep it steady. Damn nerves. "Happy New Year, Mr. Gordon. And thank you again."

"You're welcome, D.G." James Gordon took my hand, giving me another kind smile. "Be safe."

Jonathan was waiting for me outside the station, relaxing on the steps as snow lazily fell from the sky. It was dark and cold, part of me wondered why he wasn't actually in the station waiting on me but the other part new Jonathan Crane was flat out weird. In a good way.

He seemed to be lost in thought, since he didn't notice me approach him. Seeing him like this, I was almost in awe of how beautiful he really was. His high cheek bones stood out under the dim city lights and his skin looked almost metallic. The impossibly bright blue eyes were staring straight through the bangs of his wavy dark hair but weren't really seeing anything. Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I plopped down next to him, squeaking as the cold instantly radiated through my pants and coat.

If he were any other man, Jonathan would have jumped. Instead, he trained his eyes on me and his face brightened, a small smile gracing his perfect mouth. "Finished?" He instantly intertwined his gloved hand through mine.

"Yeah. It was her. But man, whoever got her did a number on her." I worried my lip between my teeth. "But I think I'm a suspect, Jonathan."

"Nonsense." My boyfriend stood, pulling me with him. "It was more than likely the mob. You know as well as I do that Falcone was out for blood. I'm sure them questioning you was just a formality."

I couldn't help the anxious feeling that was pulling me under. "I don't know..."

"Hey." Jonathan lifted my chin and looked into my eyes, blue meeting hazel. "None of that. Where's the girl that is going to unwillingly drag me into the city to watch some stupid ball drop?"

"It's not stupid." I giggled weakly, still not feeling it. "But you're right. No use worrying about it now, right? Did Mom go home?"

"I told her we'd be back after the drop, she wanted to go home and get some rest." He nodded, his eyes trained on something other than my eyes now. I exhaled and then Jonathan was on me, his mouth pressing against mine.

I was suddenly acutely aware of everything around us. The people walking in and out of the station, the cars moving past on the street. Gotham was a city that never slept, but New Years made it even worse. I could feel the awkward stares burning into my back. Sadly, I pulled away with a small smile. At Jonathan's inquiring look, I clarified, "Wouldn't want to get a public indecency charge on New Years."

He rolled his eyes and pulled me closer, kissing my temple. "So, how far away is this town square?"

I smiled brightly. "Only a couple blocks, let's go." I grabbed his hand and pulled him down the steps and into the throngs of people.

To say that we were uncomfortable was a mild understatement. I was pressed against a steel barricade on my right and Jonathan was right against my back, making me feel all of him. There was a bubbly blonde girl to my left who kept trying to make conversation with Jonathan, despite all the death glares he had bestowed upon her. My feet were hurting and a drunk had sloshed a beer onto my purse. We still had ten more minutes to go.

"Do you want to head back?" Jonathan's voice in my ear made me jump which caused him to chuckle. "Sorry, D.G."

Despite the cold and the close quarters, he was in a good mood. His arms were wrapped around my stomach and his chin was resting on my scalp. I was surprised, I figured it would be him that was miserable and me that was excited. Go figure. "Nah, I'm fine. I just smell like alcohol." I had to raise my voice louder than usual and I'm still not sure that he heard me, his gaze on the countdown projected on the screen in front of Wayne Tower.

"Is this your first time in Gotham?" It was the bubbly blonde next to me. Her blue eyes were focused on me this time, instead of Jonathan.

I shook my head, dislodging my boyfriend who just pulled my closer in response. "I live here." I tell her. It was just easier to say that than explain all the fucked up stuff that had been going on.

If possible, the girl was happier. A luminous smile overtook her face and she turned her athletic body towards me. "I'm Harleen Quinzel, I'm a Junior at Gotham High."

Her smile was apparently infectious, as I was smiling too. "D.G. Cohen. The giant who is resting his head on me is Jonathan Crane, my boyfriend." I had to add that last bit, just in case blondie had any ideas that were hazardous to her health.

It didn't bother her apparently. "Let's be friends, okay!" She giggled and grabbed my hands.

Blink, blink. Okay, then. Harleen proceeded to tell me all about herself. She's a gymnast with an interest in psychology. She didn't have a lot of friends because she was from the Narrows and she got bullied for it. Plus people thought she was "spacey". Big surprise there.

But all in all, she wasn't a bad kid. We chatted idly as we watched the count down drop lower and lower. We even exchanged numbers, to Jonathan's apparent surprise. It couldn't hurt to have another friend, even if she was from the wrong side of town.

"Five!"

The crowd's chant broke Harleen and I's conversation, both of us turning to see the numbers were in single digits. She grinned at me and raised her fist in the air like everyone around us, joining into the screaming.

"Four!"

"Three!"

I was pulled from my new friend's side and into Jonathan's arms, where he turned me around so I was facing him. He smiled at me, his face getting closer to mine.

"Two!"

He was only a centimeter away from me now and I couldn't help myself again. I was enthralled in the joy that was spreading throughout the crowd, the promise of a new year.

"One!"

I leaned up to him, standing on my toes. "I love you, Jonathan Crane."

The horns blazed around us and Jonathan leaned in, sealing his lips to mine as confetti rained down on us. I closed my eyes, blocking out the happy shouting and cheers from the crowd. All I could concentrate on was Jonathan's lips moving against mine, sealing in the promise of a perfect new year with the first boy I ever loved.

A/N: I hope you guys liked it! This was supposed to be out awhile ago, but I lost internet twice, almost broke my computer, had too many doctor's appointments to count, etc. This was the penultimate chapter of Dal Niente, the next is the finale!

I will be uploading a series of one-shots to connect Dal Niente with the next part of the series. The one shots are going to be titled Interlude, and the next part of the series is titled Cadence. Cadence will be out in about a month or so after the final chapter of Dal Niente. Confused you yet?

Anyways, I have started a little tumblr to help you guys keep in contact with me during the writing of Interlude and Cadence. The link will be on my profile. Follow it, ask, contribute, whatever you want.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through his story. It's almost done and then we have the rest of the series! I hope everyone has enjoyed it as much as I have!