I'm beginning to look at this and think 'Seriously, I don't remember writing ALL of this'. Kinda long. Either floats your boat or it doesn't I guess.

/-^l^-\ Next week. Wednesday. /-^l^-\

Alison wrinkled her nose as something hit her cheek with some considerable level of force. She started to open her eyes when something else hit her cheek. This time it stung. It didn't help that she smacked her palm down on her cheek. She heard a snort of laughter.

She opened her eyes and turned on her side. Jonathan was leaning against the wall of the small office, a bag of rubber bands in his hand. He plucked out another one.

"If you dare hit me with one more of those I will come and wrap the bag around your neck and force feed you the rest of those rubber bands," she warned.

"That is a little bit harsh. I'm just doing you a favour, waking you up and all. Like a good decent person would?"

On Monday she had successfully made Jonathan laugh for longer than the duration he'd scoff for. And it was a genuine laugh. All she did to make him laugh was sneeze. 'Oh My God!' pointing at him, she'd cried in her slightly Scottish accent 'I CANNAE BELIEVE IT!'. It killed him.

The best thing was, he was very concerned she'd go telling everyone he was human after all. She implored the idea of him being Batman, and it was all just cushioning in the suit really since she hadn't seen him but he'd known what she said about undressing Batman. It was as if Jonathan assumed she was popular. Her odd frenemyship with him had pushed her out, but she felt she preferred that.

"There is nothing slightly decent or good about you that I have observed yet."

"You obviously don't have a keen eye then. Why are you so sleepy?"

"Too many late night movies. Maybe my observations of how others behave towards you solidifies my statement?"

"Then, it's your own fault I'm having to wake you. I just want you to wake up, so that I don't have to account your absence to Mare. NIGHT-Mare."

"Ha-ha. Very witty, Johnny."

"It was worth a shot," he shrugged, running his fingers over the bookcase in a little dance.

"You're fingers are freakishly long. Is that normal?" she questioning, agape. Jonathan looked insulted for a second and retracted his hand, glaring at her. "Serious question. Did they get stretched or something?"

"No!"

"It's a new and fascinating encounter for me. You ought to feel honoured I am so surprised, not wounded that I lack tact with communication. Let me feel injured by that."

"You received another love letter this morning," he said, digging into his back pocket and handing it to her. She opened it up. Jonathan wondered if she'd act crazy again. Depending. "Mother?" he inquired. Alison nodded, pursing her lips.

Jonathan observed her. The more worked up she was, the more his plans for her would bite her on the ass. And he had major plans for her. If it was her mother and she reacted as she had the last time, then his plans would leave a sore, sore wound. He hadn't forgotten how she treated him at first. He tolerated her now, because it was the best way of access. He also had another ace to play, it just needed a little bit of planning.

/-^l^-\ Same Week. Thursday. /-^l^-\

"Do you like parties?" asked Bruce, pouring her a glass of wine.

"I don't mind them," she smiled.

"Want to come with me to this fundraiser I'm holding for a Halloween?"

"I will have to think about it. I don't know if things like that are for me," she smiled.

Bruce had paid massive attention to her suddenly. He was calling her often, making sure she 'was okay' and he was inviting her around a lot. This was the first time she had accepted. She wanted to know how much he wanted her attention. And now she was here, he'd do something to distract her from the idea maybe. Maybe that had just been it.

"I met Batman," she said, "Odd, since the last time I was here I'd expressed the wish to," she grinned, "it was cool. Got to see his car. I felt apprehension from him whilst I did that. And I decided to act really strange just to see what he'd do. I think that I perplexed him and I was informed that most people didn't dare approach."

"You are very forward," grinned Bruce, "but it's one of the more admirable things about you."

"I will put it down to my roots," she giggled. There we go. Make me the focus.

"Ah, you seem to pass a lot of things off on your roots," smirked Bruce, "Like fair skin and a slight attitude?"

"It's an easy blame," she smiled. I believe I am right.

/-^l^-\ Same week. Thursday. /-^l^-\

Jonathan stayed on the corridor until Alison left her office. She was trying to lock the door and he began walking down, doing his best to make it look like coincidence.

"I thought you lived here," she remarked, glancing out of the corner of her eye at him, trying to lock her door still. He approached behind her, clasping his hand over hers and turning the key the other way to the one she was trying. "Oh," she giggled, pulling the key out and pocketing it, blushing furiously. That still perplexed him. She was incredibly smart, yet somehow very stupid too. A little eccentric.

"I have a home who has forgotten who I am. I need to go make amends with it tonight," he said. Alison chuckled lightly, wandering out with him.

They wandered downstairs to the car park. Not that she had a good track record with stairs. She'd fallen down the stairs yesterday as well, which Jonathan saw also.

Jonathan was tickled Alison practically hugged the stair rail all of the way down. She made it down all in one piece.

"I'll see you tomorrow Jonathan," she smiled, heading for a bike. Jonathan gaped. He was well aware she didn't drive home, but he thought she took the bus now! This was a surprise.

"Alison..." he said slowly, "you're riding a bike home?"

"Well, yeah. That's why I'm going for the bike. I didn't just turn into a thief."

"So, you won't brave the stairs but the roads? On a bike?"

"Yeah! Staying fit and all."

"There's a reason you don't have a car, isn't there?"

"Err... I may or may not have had my car clamped when I first came here and lost the location of my car, because the slip flew out of my hand. And I got booted out of the police station when I went to ask! I gave up, I don't like cars much, and it was very very cheap."

"Want a lift?"

"Nah, I can't ask that of you!"

"You didn't. I asked you."

Alison tried to point out that wasn't the point but was struck with how smart that reply had been, and it took her a while to process a reply.

"I'm good, but thank you anyway!" she grinned.

"I think you should?"

"It's... honestly fine."

"Are you sure?"

"How many times are you going to ask?"

"Until you get in the car."

"I bite," said Alison, wandering over to him.

"Yeah, you seem to like the idea of biting," he remarked, remembering the way she'd told him he bit. He shivered at the thought. "By the way, I'm still not your friend just because I'm doing this."

She held her hand for a hi-five. He dazedly smacked her hand with his and his 'freaky fingers' and glanced at her questioningly.

"I'm not your friend. I'm still just planning the ultimate wind-up so need to distract you in the mean time by convincing you I'm sweet even though you know I'm not. I'll win though."

Is that so?

They need a score board to measure who is winning, don't they? I think Alison is because she's rattled his cage so much, but he has come up with a way to rattle his cage. I wish I'd have published this when I wrote it. It'd fit in with the time but never mind. I'd post it at the right time, we'd be waiting for months and then the day after posting it would not be in date... lose-lose!