Author's notes: Wow, I wrote this like four months ago, so it's really weird to be at the point where I'm posting it now. It's a little shorter and Laurie's baaack!!! With a side order of creepy!Jon so yeah. Yaaay!

Warnings: Tactless!Laurie, Exasperated!Dan, and Childish!Rorschach. And creepy!boring!Jon. Because if there's any character I dislike more than Laurie, it's Jon. At least Laurie's fun to write.

Yeah, yeah. You know the score.

35. Morality

Dan had been working with Rorschach for a while now. Long enough to be able to read his body language and know he's pissed before things started breaking. Long enough to know that when he said "ennk" (for example), it usually meant he felt awkward unless he was in Archie when it generally meant he felt nervous—he'd never trusted flying machined. To conclude, Dan had known Rorschach long enough to trust him with his life, his name, and his home and was able to read a lot in Rorschach's subtle body language and could essentially speak the language of Rorschach.

But that didn't mean that Rorschach didn't surprise him every once in a while. And this was one of those times.

Even though the Crimebusters had never really taken off, they all still met up from time to time. Not all of them had partners as Dan had, and he supposed it must get lonely for the rest of them. On this particular meeting, Dan and Rorschach arrived a bit earlier than the rest of them (not everyone had an owlship, Dan thought smugly). All of them with the exception of Dr. Manhattan and the Silk Specter. Jon and Laurie. Great. Dr. Manhattan, the great blue god on earth, always intimidated Dan and Rorschach and Laurie always got into it; Laurie being so hot tempered and Rorschach being…well, him.

Dan sighed and put on his most polite smile while Rorschach just let out an exasperated "Hurm." Dan smiled, you and me both, buddy.

Laurie was the first to greet them. Well, the first to greet Dan at least, "Hey Dan," She smiled and stood up from where she and Jon were sitting to shake his hand. Rorschach growled quietly behind him and Dan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Oh good, now Rorschach won't touch either of Dan's hands for about three days, just to make a point.

Ass.

Laurie, as usual, pointedly ignored Rorschach while simultaneously trying to shoot him dirty looks. Interesting. And not really out of the ordinary. To be honest, though, Dan didn't really know what Laurie hoped to accomplish by ignoring Rorschach. The less interaction Rorschach had with Laurie, the happier he'd be. As happy as someone like Rorschach could be anyway.

Jon stepped forward and Dan had to smother a little tremble of anxiety, a knee jerk reaction that Dan really resented, and extended his hand politely. Jon smiled faintly, "How are you this evening, Daniel?"

Dan shivered a little, not liking the fact that Jon knew the answer before he did, "I'm fine Jon. You?" He probably knew that Dan was going to ask that too. He probably knew every question Dan was ever going to ask him for the rest of his life.

Jon, as usual, gave no indication that he was expecting the question. He just nodded, "I am well. And…you, Rorschach?" Dan felt an irrational pang of nervousness and he wasn't sure where it came from. Maybe he was nervous that Dr. Manhattan would say something totally harmless that would offend Rorschach, or if Rorschach would do something stupid to offend Dr. Manhattan. The equal possibility of both absolutely terrified Dan.

Rorschach, much to Dan's relief, said nothing at all. He just fixed Manhattan with the coldest glare his mask could muster. Then, in an act Dan saw as distantly childish, Rorschach turned on his heel and sunk deeper into whatever shadows the small room had to offer, crossing his arms stiffly across his chest.

Laurie scowled, "What's up with him?" Dan felt color rising to his cheeks. He didn't like it when Rorschach acted so rude. He wanted to apologize for him and explain that he wasn't always like this, that sometimes he can be at least vaguely pleasant to be around. But he didn't think Rorschach would appreciate that, so he settled for an awkward shrug and an equally awkward, "Nothing."

Laurie rolled her eyes, "Well, you know what I think it is, is jealousy," she continued, not bothering to lower her voice (in a lot of ways, tact was as much lost on Laurie as it was on Rorschach), "Y'know, professional jealousy. Jon can fight better, he's invincible, he has friends," Ouch. Low blow. "He can essentially do whatever he wants. Who wouldn't be a little jealous?"

Dan opened his mouth, a little peeved, to say that Rorschach could do whatever he wants and does so on a regular basis and that he does too have friends, what does she think Daniel is? He wanted to say a lot of things, but before he could even take a breath, Rorschach let out one of the deepest, scariest "angry" growls, a feral rumble in the back of his throat, and stomped out the door. Dan rubbed his eyes in exasperation, "Ah, great." Not bothering to register Laurie's suddenly contrite expression or Jon's thoughtful stare, he rushed out the door after his angry friend. When he got outside and squinted through the dark, however, Rorschach was not there. Dan cursed under his breath and trudged back inside.

The meeting felt impossibly long to Daniel, who was more than a little worked up about his partner. When Ozymandias (who talked way too much this time) finally called the meeting to a close, Dan all but burst from his seat and strode purposefully (hurriedly) towards his ship. When he opened the hatch, he was surprised to find Rorschach sitting cross-legged on the floor of Archie building, of all things, a little pyramid out of the sugar cubes that now lived in the front console. Feeling more than a little confused and relieved, he cleared this throat awkwardly, "Uhh. Hey." Rorschach grunted, absently crushing one of the little white cubes between his thumb and forefinger, causing white granules to snow down on the little pyramid. Dan sighed, "Look, man, I'm sorry about what Laurie said. You really aren't--"

"Daniel." His name came out almost amused, "Do you think I care about the opinion of a little painted whore?" Dan should reprimand Rorschach for his opinion on a fellow vigilante and on women in general. It should bother him, maybe even offend him a little. Instead, he asked, "Well then what got you so worked up? I don't understand." The last words came out a little despairingly the silent what else is new? hung in the air between them.

Rorschach was silent, his fingers snowing down the white granules on an equally white building at his feet. Dan had just about given up expecting an answer when Rorschach spoke up, "Daniel, we do this, assuming a different persona, meting out justice and retribution for sins because it is our job, what we must to. We are compelled to do this thing because it is the right thing to do." Daniel nodded, not really sure if that were a question or a statement, but hoping Rorschach would take his cue to continue. Rorschach did continue, staring down at the stack of cubes, not meeting Daniel's eyes, "But we can't do it all. Do what we can, but we can't do everything that needs to be done. There are some limits we can't push through. Only human. A weak form. I…have a hard time with this." Dan was afraid to move. He stood there, scared that one wrong move or one stupid comment would shut Rorschach up and interrupt what was such an important admittance coming from his uncompromising partner.

"But," suddenly Rorschach's voice dropped an octave, its gravel-like quality increasing, "Manhattan can do whatever he wants. Can be anywhere. Do anything. No limitations. Could solve world's problems—doesn't. Chooses indifference over doing the right thing. Over morality. Not right." At the end of the longest and most revealing speech Dan had ever heard him make, Rorschach stood up and kicked over his sugar cube pyramid with a nudge of his toe. His shoulders were tense.

The was a special night for a few reasons. The first was the Rorschach had revealed more to Dan in this one night outright than probably their whole year of partnership. The second was that, miracle of miracles, Daniel for once knew exactly what to say. He walked over to his angry friend and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Rorschach," Dan turned his partner around gently so that they were face to face, "You are a good man." Black ink swirled around the mask that responded to heat. Rorschach tilted his head to meet Daniel's eyes.

"Ennk."

A/N: yay! This is one of my favorite chapters because this bothered me when I thought of it. I just feel like dang, this guy could do all kinds of things at like the wave of his hand and he doesn't. Now, I know that, yeah, he doesn't do it because he already knows he's not gonna do it so why try, but I always thought it would bother Rorschach a little bit, especially because I don't think he believes in predestination. Thus, this chapter.