I'm late putting this up, but ah well. Enjoy!

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

Alison pulled the door open at 6pm. She would give him the opportunity, but only this one. If he blew it; that was it. Jonathan, who's watch was two minutes fast, had crept down the corridor and had got there just she opened the door. She backed away quickly, going to hide behind her desk. Jonathan entered and shut the door.

"You know you've volunteered to listen," he pointed out, "but I expect you to get frantic, and it's okay if you are."

"Why would you do that to me? I know that we had our differences but surely what you did was a little excessive?"

"We didn't have our differences. We had something though."

"Chemistry..."

"Right. By my standards, it wasn't excessive. But to you, yes. Thing was, I was happy with how things were, I was just meanwhile plotting that and then when I got to your house and started to get closer to you, and closer to pulling everything off I just broke down. I couldn't do it Alison.

"It was a childish and petty prank and there was no sense in me doing it. You don't know how much I regret it and if I could take it back... I would. You don't know what I'd change. I'm so mad at myself, for breaking your trust in me."

He stepped over and reached out to her. She didn't really back away she just looked apprehensive. He cupped her cheek and wrapped his arm around her; this she did reject somewhat. She turned away and backed off a little. He wasn't allowing it.

"I've lost this affection being so easy for me to give you. And I'm gutted. I'm also ashamed, Alison. Please look at me. I need you to believe that you mean something to me. Please?"

Alison went the other way. She turned her to the side defiantly but she did stop thrashing about. She didn't want to accept what he was saying though. She refused to cry, she refused to appease her curiosity. She refused to believe him even when she knew it was true.

"I know that I am as bad as some of them for what I did. I know it's insane! I had fun thinking about it and that is screwed up. But I never actually, for one moment, wanted to go through with my plans as much as I thought I did. And you know, usually I'd be intent on seeing something through to its end. For God's sake, Alison...

"I lied; damn it. I lied. I don't hate you. I value you more than I've ever valued anyone, even myself! Just because you'd actually look me in my eyes and talk to me like I weren't a piece of dirt! So I am sorry I ever intended to harm you. I promise you I didn't truly want to... not at heart... I never wanted to frighten you, not really."

He was begging to her. He looked desperate, acted it too as he softly brushed his fingers over her smooth fair skin with a sensitive touch, giving her a look that pleaded mercy. They shared silence together, both reflecting on what he had just said.

Alison just completely let up, wholly surprising him. She relaxed without warning. Almost as though she were mechanically operated, her head slowly turned in his direction. He'd been waiting for that moment. She tilted her head.

She bowed her head down suddenly, resting her head against his chest. He slipped his arms around her, stroking the exposed skin on her back with his thumb for a second, not quite sure why she was suddenly so close. Surely the reaction should have been to get either really annoyed or really scared.

"Jonathan," she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I don't know.. what I..."

"Shh," he whispered soothingly. He rested his chin on her head and cradled her gently whilst she was glad to. She let frail tears slide. He picked his head up and tilted her chin back up to him, wiping away those tears he'd probably caused. Anything to ease how confused she felt. She placed her hand over his.

"Jon?" she asked in a low tone. They'd been here before. He felt concerned.

"Yes?" he asked gently, nuzzling her neck to give her some tender attention.

"I always wish things would be better," she said dully. Then unexplainably, she pushed him away. He let her go. What choice did he have? But he had one last thing on his mind.

"Alison," he whispered, turning back at the doorway, "when you let me back in, I'll try and make your wish come true. I promise."

Misery hurt him the way he had hurt her entirely. He'd practically slaughtered their relationship. And he might never get that back, but if he did then heaven knew he'd never let go of that chance. This vile feeling hurt more than anything had ever hurt in his life, and shamed him greatly.

/-^1^-\

Jonathan sat by the window glumly gazing outside. From his window, he could see the stairs where he'd first spotted Alison. Back then he had no idea how much one lonely distressed woman would mean to him. Now she was nearly everything to him.

Of course, he'd still have his scaremongering antics to be going on with but the thing that upset him most about the chance of never being able to reconcile with Alison was the fact he sometimes just wished for a normal life. Most of the time, no. He was happy to carry on doing what he did; every moment scaring someone eased his constant tension that made him seem so cold to others.

Apparently, Alison could see others misunderstood him. He knew that was really why she'd so persistently teased him and been so fond of him; she could tell he really needed a bit of love. His shattered mind put its own spin on her motives then.

"It's your fault," he said out loud. Me! You could have stopped me- "I couldn't though, could I? You bullied me into it; you make me feel bad until I have to do something. I hate you... She's the only chance I have to live normally."

Could we see Jonathan living 'normally'?