Another Triple posting :)

/-^1^-\ Same Week. Wednesday. /-^1^-\

"Everyone is leaving... She's really cleaning up, isn't she?" smirked Jonathan to one of his in-pocket guards. Two doctors and a couple of nurses were leaving after the court issue and the imprisonment of Mare and Brigshaw. "At this rate, she's going to end up kicking everyone out and those who aren't kicked out will probably leave. Maybe I should encourage her."

"Why?"

"I'll be able to climb to the top that way; become head of Arkham maybe, or take a more executive role at the very least."

"If she is the one making all this change, won't they chose her?"

"She's too young, too inexperienced in the boards eyes. She would do great though otherwise, of course."

"What about if she targets you?"

"Oh.. ha-ha," he laughed, genuinely, "she won't," he promised, "I'm her safety net."

"Think the doc's gotta thing for her," muttered one guard to another in a low whisper, making them both laugh. Luckily, Jonathan couldn't hear. But he couldn't even try and hide that he did. He shifted away as Alison came around the corner, holding a bunch of files in her arms. She glanced over as she heard footsteps behind her and smiled.

"Hi," she said softly, pushing the door open with her hip. She dropped the files onto her desk and sat down. Jonathan peeped in. "Are you alright?"

"Are those patients?" he asked, thinking he could take the work load off. Then again, Alison loved working.

"No, these are some staff files I've been handed by the board."

"Were you the one who called them?" he asked.

"They called me," she grinned, "apparently, they were a little concerned about the performance here anyway and ... I was surprised. They asked me to check over these to give my recommendations."

"You're free from large scale bias," he pointed out.

"Apparently, someone recommended me," she smiled, shrugging. "Whom is not a member of staff at Arkham. I think I know who. But I am aware these will be re-checked anyway, probably by someone who has been here a little longer and then from an investigation."

"Yeah," he nodded, "do you want me to go?"

"Depends. If you're planning to nosy in then leave, by all means. But if not, if you're here to keep meek little me company, you can stay."

"I won't nosy," he promised. He could probably guess anyway. He took his glasses off and sat down on the Freudian couch, talking to her.

Alison made two piles but eventually compiled a third. The one to her right were to be highlighted, the ones on her left to be less noted and the one in the middle was people she hadn't yet decided on. But he frowned when she opened one folder and didn't look any further. He knew it was him.

"Who was that?" he quizzed.

"Yourself," she answered.

"And you just instantly made me safe?" he asked. Sure, he didn't want to be investigated, but he had to inject a little fairness into it. And a reason for Alison to want to keep him around. There would be nothing unusual anyway; he knew what his record said.

"I know you," she shrugged.

"You think you know me. I don't dispute you do, but still you should give me the same chance as everyone else has."

"Don't blame me if I find something amiss," she remarked, picking it up and filing through. He watched as her brows raised often and she smiled at parts. "I know your birthday," she teased, eyes flicking over it, "Here is one thing I didn't know. Do you want to know how many hours overtime you have done in your three years here?"

"...Can you tell me that?"

"I'm not sure, but I will anyway because I know you'll keep quiet."

"Go on."

"137," she laughed.

"That's like... an entire week in hours," he commented. That was all? That was it? 5 days! It's okay. You've done a lot in your leisure time to compensate.

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, Jonathan. It also probably means you've spent more nights than you care to remember cooped up here."

"Aside from laughing at ugly clothing and painting your bedroom with you I don't know what to do for fun," he frowned. Don't dig yourself a hole, Johnny. Shut up, I want her suggestions.

"I recommend you go out and get plastered on Christmas day," she grinned.

"I'm not a big fan off all that."

"Loosen up a little," she pushed, "the world isn't a scary place and you don't need to be a recluse all the time."

"What are you doing Alison?" he quizzed. She really was a pot calling the kettle black.

"Curling up by the fire with a glass of wine, trying to ward off my inevitable hangover headache. Thank you Bruce," she giggled. She'd sang it in a girly tone. He tried not to look disheartened.

"Do you fancy him?" he questioned, hoping to seem innocent. "You're lying if you say no..."

"No, I just don't," she shrugged, "he's a good friend. I laugh because the opportunity to be allowed to get drunk thrills me."

"How childish," he drawled, rolling his eyes.

"Everybody else will be getting drunk, I should be allowed. It's his Christmas do on the 24th. Big, overdone, expensive. Of course. Free alcohol? Yes please."

"Oh!" he laughed, "I got an invitation to that," he smiled. He'd thought it was the two of them alone, somehow. That's called jealousy, Johnny. He sighed at his own subconscious but Alison wasn't paying attention.

"Are you going?" she asked.

"Last time I got an invite to an occasion and you asked me a similar question you showed me up," he said, glaring at her.

"Ah, but you see. Guess who got you that invite? I gave Bruce a list of the 'good' staff at Arkham but he told me he'd just invite everyone."

"Was I on the 'good' list?"

"Yep," she chirped, "1 of 3 people and at the top, of course."

"How sweet."

"I won't bail on you this time. And if you want, you can come pick me up," she laughed.

"...Can I get back to you?"

"Better be before the 23rd so I can book a taxi otherwise. I don't fancy riding a bike in my dress because you tell me last minute." He snickered at the mental image that produced.

/-^1^-\ Same Week. Friday. /-^1^-\

"Alison!" called Jonathan, running after her. "I'll pick you up at 6:30?"

"Oh, you are coming?" she grinned.

"Right. It's your fault."

"Awh, don't be like that," she sulked, writing her sign out time.

Jonathan playfully butted in under her arm to sign out on his name and they waged a little play-war with each other, and did the worst handwriting they may ever have done in their lives. She won, by what he deemed as the unfair use of her 'derriere' to barge him aside.

She manically giggled and ran out of the front entrance, bombing for the stairs. He cringed as she then fell in the ice, with a tremendous 'thud' that didn't match the expectancy given her weight. She gasped with the cold.

He pursed his lips, giving her his hand as he tried not to laugh. She sat on the ground for a moment looking pretty pissed before gathering a hand-full of snow and lobbing it in his face but using his arm to climb up.

He gasped as the cold water from the melted snow travelled under his shirt and decided to reap the same revenge on Alison, taking a large amount of snow off the rails and propelling it at her.

"EEK!" she cried, covering herself once it was too late. Jonathan wickedly laughed but not so much once she dropped a load of ice down his back. He shot off before she had a chance to do it again and landed face down in the thick snow at the bottom of the stairs as he slipped on the ice.

"JON!" she gasped. He held a thumbs up.

Alison had never laughed harder in her life. She clutched her tummy which was aching already as she pointed at a very sorry looking Jonathan. Soon she was in tears, approaching him as he pulled his stiff body up out of the soft matter. It wasn't so soft to land in.

Are you alright?" she laughed, linking arms with him.

"My face," he moaned, "It hurts!"

"Awh," she laughed, "poor Craney-Boo," she teased, pinching his cheek.

"Hey, shut up or I won't give you a lift home-"

"You never offered," she gasped.

"It wasn't an offer," he said, sweeping her in the general direction of his car. She laughed after she'd screamed with the surprise turn and scuttled along the road to his car. He pinned her up to it and fumbled about with the keys in the lock until she barged him out of the way with her rear and unlocked it.

"Well played," she remarked. He sighed and held her in his arms.

"You will let me take you home, won't you?" he asked, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"If you want to," she said, "I'm just not letting you in."

"I'll just BREAK in," he pointed out, dismissively waving his hand to animate his words; as though that were a casual thing to do.

"I'll take you to court!" she warned. Jonathan found himself genuinely amused and laughed.

"I wouldn't put it past you," he remarked.

"I wouldn't do that to you," she said, "Unless you hurt me."

"I nearly did..." he frowned, sweeping her hair from her face to gaze at her properly. She grimaced and nodded.

"I know," she said, "then you sincerely regretted it," she pointed out. Jonathan blinked, gazing at the floor for a moment as he thought about that phrasing of it.

She was right. In fact, she usually always was. He picked his head up and turned to her, kissing her forehead whilst smiling. "Thank you," he smiled, "for giving me another chance. I don't deserve it. I don't deserve you."

"Don't be silly," she whispered, cuddling up to him.

Poor Johnny haha