That night as Victoria lay sleeping in the bedroom Elizabeth sat on the couch nursing a bottle of beer. It tasted nasty and felt even nastier. She didn't even know why she was drinking alone, it was no fun and she seemed to become even more susceptible to the alcohol since her second incident. Elizabeth dumped the rest of the bottle into the sink and peered outside her window. The night was dark and humid and somewhere out there was a guy who had captured her sister's heart. A twang of jealousy shot through her. She might have been glad for her sister but she was only 23. Elizabeth was 28 and she still hadn't found anyone.

'There's Edward.' A little voice in the back of her mind whispered. Elizabeth blushed a little at the thought as Edward's handsome face floated in her mind's eye. His enchanting green eyes, his handsome face, his cocky attitude but, Elizabeth reminded herself, he was a Rogue. That argument, however, held less weight than before. After all she was working for Scarecrow and she had protected both of them from the Batman. Back in Arkham when it still felt as though she could salvage her life it had seemed more important but now…

Elizabeth let the curtain fall back into place and lay down on the couch. She had a big day tomorrow. First she was going to show Victoria around the city, then she had a lunch planned at a nice little café by the university, and then that night while Victoria was resting she had her own plans. The tug of sleep overcame her and she fell asleep.

That morning she was awoken by Victoria's alarm clock. Quickly she fixed wig which had dislodged itself during the night.

"Morning," she said when a heavy-eyed Victoria enter the living-room. She mumbled morning back and plopped herself on the chair.

"Do you want to sleep some more?" Elizabeth asked as she went to put on the coffee pot.

"No, I'm fine," Victoria said with a great yawn.

"Okay, I was thinking we could go to the shopping district today. There are lots of great boutiques in the mall there."

"Sure." Elizabeth went into her bedroom to change and change her bandages. The wound she had given herself still hadn't closed all the way and she hopped it wouldn't be a problem tonight.

Victoria and Elizabeth ate breakfast and drank their coffee in silence. They then caught the bus to take them downtown. There were very few people on the bus and they made it to the shopping district fairly quickly.

"So you don't have your own car?" Victoria asked when they got off the bus.

"No, I never really saw the need for one, easier to take the bus. The rate cars are broken into or just broken as collateral damaged is ridiculous in Gotham."

"The stories are true then," Victoria gulped, "are you sure we should be out?"

"Every city has its crime," Elizabeth reminded, "besides we're not going into a bank or jewelry store, we'll be fine. Even if something did happen; not that many people actually die in the robberies." 'Unless it's the Joker of course,' she thought but decided not to tell her that.

"Come one let's go," Victoria said running ahead of Elizabeth into the mall. Elizabeth followed her sister smiling just a bit; she hadn't been shopping for a while maybe this would be good for her. When she caught up to Victoria the 23-year-old was looking at a stand selling touristy items. Amongst the t-shirts, hats, and batman masks were some books of the "who's-who" of Gotham Rogues. A useful item even for Gothamites since there were so many it was sometimes hard to keep track.

"Do you think I should get one?" Victoria asked pointing at the books.

"If you want," Elizabeth shrugged, "it's bound to be interesting even if you don't use it."

"Oh this is very useful," the purveyor said picking up a copy. "I couldn't count how many of these I've sold and how many people have come back to thank me. Saved 'em that book not only could they recognize the signs of the Rogues but how best to survive 'em if they did get caught. An' with that breakout last week I'm sure it'll come in handy, better safe than sorry." Victoria nodded looking concerned but Elizabeth rolled her eyes. It may have been the guy's job to sell these things but she was sure that the book, "The Rogue's Register", hadn't saved anyone. Most tourists were more in danger from pickpockets than Rogues.

Victoria took the book and continued to look around at the merchandise for sale. Elizabeth, completely uninterested in the stall, looked around at the mall. It was mainly filled with college students with the day off and housewives with all their cleaning done. A few tourists were wandering around the second level huddled together each one clasping a copy of "The Rogue's Register".

"These are so cute!" Victoria exclaimed. Elizabeth peeked around the stall curiously. A row of bobble heads sat along the back each one a different Gotham mask. Batman, Robin, Catwoman, Hatter, Joker, Scarecrow, and a few others nodded stupidly, their plastic faces looking nothing like the actual people. Victoria was comparing two stern looking Batman's. Elizabeth spotted a green one; she picked it up and had to hold in a giggle. Besides looking more like Jonathan than Edward the figure was dressed in the Riddler's debut costume. The green question-marked leotard would've been ridiculous enough by itself but with the manic grin and bright orange hair Elizabeth just couldn't resist. She just had to get it. Even if she never saw Edward again the mere thought of his face if he ever saw it would be enough to cheer her up anytime.

Once they both paid the man they set off to less touristy stores like Mark and Spencer's and DKNY, where Victoria spent most of her time trying on shoes. In the third high-end designer store, while Victoria was trying on outfits with a clerk, Elizabeth was perusing the jewelry under the watchful eye of the consultant.

"Why it can't be!" A high pitched vaguely familiar voice said. Elizabeth glanced up in curiosity. "It is!" The woman exclaimed again, "Elizabeth, how are you?" Elizabeth's face was blank with shock as a tall strawberry-blonde woman hugged her.

"Veronica," she said forcing a smile, 'it's been a long time." Veronica pulled back her practiced smile never fading even as her judging eyes swept over Elizabeth's department store fashion.

"It has. What nine years?"

"Yes." Though Elizabeth wished it'd been longer. It could be said that Elizabeth and Veronica Vreeland had been childhood rivals. With both their fathers being high ranking military officials in the Army they had constantly tried to one up each other at gatherings: Veronica the trust-fund darling or Elizabeth the quirky intellect. It was safe to say neither had won. After's Elizabeth's first year of college she had stopped going to the gatherings by claiming she needed to study and hoping she would never meet Veronica again.

"So," Veronica keened in close, "we need to catch up. I'm having a small party a sort of mid-summer night's ball. You should come." She pulled an invite from her purse. "I was going to give this to that Tate girl but she is so annoying, I'd much rather have you come."

Elizabeth half-heartedly took accepted the invite, "Thank you, I'll see if I can."

"Of course," Veronica turned to leave, "oh and feel free to bring someone. There are no wallflowers at my parties." Elizabeth continued to smile until the other woman was out of sight. Then she scowled. Elizabeth had never been big on social graces and she had never been able to get as many dance invites from the Privates as Veronica had. Slipping the invite into her purse Elizabeth went to see if Victoria was finished yet.

They spent a few more hours shopping outside the mall in some boutiques and scrapped their plans at the University choosing to eat at a café nearer to them. When they were done with lunch and after Elizabeth had dragged Victoria grocery shopping they flagged down a taxi to take them back to Elizabeth's apartment.

"Wow you're strong," Victoria marveled as Elizabeth lifted the bags of Soder-Cola and other of Victoria's things from the taxi's trunk with ease.

"Not really, I'm just used to it, besides you backpacked over the Alps that couldn't have been easy."

"Well we had the boys carry most of it but it was still only 25 pounds on my back," Victoria got the door for Elizabeth, "that must be 20 pounds on each of your arms."

"I suppose," Elizabeth grunted as she went up the stairs, trying to make her load seem more difficult to carry. The shopping didn't feel like 40 pounds to her and if she acted as such Victoria would get suspicious. Her sister may be a spoiled brat but that didn't stop her from getting good grades in school.

It seemed as though the phone rang as soon as they made it through the door to her apartment. Hurriedly Elizabeth set down the shopping and picked up the phone on the last ring.

"Hello?"

"Elizabeth! Victoria's gone missing!" It was their mother. She was half crying half panicked, "She was supposed to be at a friend's house but when I called they said she hadn't been over for ages!"

"Mom! Mom! Calm down," Elizabeth nearly shouted, "Victoria is fine; she's here with me in Gotham."

"What!?" Their mother shrieked the worried, tearful woman completely gone as she began ranting about how dangerous Gotham was.

"Mom! Please shut it!" This is why Elizabeth didn't call her parents more. "Victoria is here with me. She's safe, she's fine and we just got back from shopping. Here talk to her." Elizabeth handed the phone to her sister who reluctantly took it.

"Mom I'm sorry for not tel—" Victoria was cut off by their Mom's shots which Elizabeth could clearly hear. As she did as a kid Victoria shutdown and took the yelling. A few hour long minutes later their mother had finally yelled herself hoarse.

"Mom I'm sorry, I just couldn't stand Dad anymore I needed a break…and well I knew you'd try to stop me from going so I lied to you."

"It's that boy isn't it?" Even as she was putting the food away Elizabeth heard the venom in her mother's voice.

"Yes, Mom I love Antonio, I know you don't understand it but if a mistake it's one I'm willing to take." Elizabeth blinked at her sister's statement this was the first time she'd ever shown any backbone to their Mom. Maybe this Antonio was good for her after all. Elizabeth tried not to listen anymore as Victoria spoke with their mother by busing herself with the shopping. When she had finished Elizabeth slipped into her bedroom to put away the few clothes she gotten. It was a good thing Victoria was distracted or else she would've heard Elizabeth gasp and drop the bags.

"Jonathan!? What the hell are you doing here? Elizabeth whispered harshly.

"Oh I was in the area and so was the Batmobile." He said boredly turning another page of the book he was reading.

"And my journal! For fuck's sake you and Edward! Am I that interesting?"

"No," Jonathan said stretching and tossing the book on to the bed, "but be glad you aren't any less interesting."

"I'll keep that in mind now go," Elizabeth made shooing motions toward the window.

"Who is that?" He asked not budging an inch.

"My sister, she just visiting for the week."

"Really," A malicious smile flit across his face.

"Yeah, and she's properly afraid of you now go, I don't need any trouble tonight."

"Very well," he said opening the window, "but if I come across the two of you later I wasn't be so yielding." Jonathan slipped out and Elizabeth scowled after him. There was a knock on the door.

"Elizabeth? Mom wants to talk to you again." 'Just in time,' Elizabeth thought opening the door.

"Thanks…hi Mom."

"Elizabeth," said her Mom in a soft voice, "keep an eye on Victoria, please. She says she loved that boy but there is something off about him. Don't let her do anything stupid."

"I won't Mom."

"Good and you be careful too. I love you both."

"I love you too. Bye."

"Bye," Elizabeth hung up. "Okay," she said smiling; "Now that's over let's watch a movie and rest before dinner."

"I'm leaving now, Victoria," Elizabeth called to her sister, who was watching 'Friends' on the couch. "Don't wait up for me."

"I won't, have fun." She replied not taking her eyes from the screen.

The dark, humid Gotham greeted Elizabeth outside. In the distance she heard the small pops of gunfire and the acidic smell of vomit seeped up from the sewers. She had half a mind to turn around but the idea of backing out now was cowardly. Elizabeth walked the two blocks to the bus station. Ten minutes later the bus pulled up, there was still time… 'No!'

Steeling herself she got on the bus and sat down. In the middle of the bus a couple was making out, an old cat lady sat behind them looking disgusted, and across from her was a pick pocket counting that day's earning. The doors shut and the bus took off.

A voice chimed overhead, "Bus N78 now leaving, direct route to 48th street." What the voice didn't say was 48th street was in the darker parts of the Narrows.

Elizabeth paid little attention to her surrounding during the bus ride, focusing her mind the best she could instead. When the finally stopped everyone got off. Everybody else hurried away scared of what lurked in the dark. Elizabeth ducked down the street went a few blocks and then down an alley way. It was a few minutes of twists and turns before she made it to her destination. The buses didn't come down this way the city deemed it too dangerous.

She glanced down at the slip of paper Grant had given her last week. She was in the right place. The thump of music from inside made the street light outside shake. Elizabeth threw her shoulders back and lifted her head. Coolly and confidently she walked up to the guard at the door. As expected he stopped her.

"Sorry sweetheart, invitation only." He said putting a hand on her chest. "Unless of course…" He hand moved slightly, so that he was dangerously close to groping her.

"Of course," Elizabeth said in a decidedly neutral tone, "I nearly forgot." She pulled out a navy blue card with silver writing and showed it to him. He pulled his hand from her at once a line of sweat appearing on his forehead.

"Sorry, I didn't know," he opened the door and held it open, "take a left and follow the steps down, should be on your right."

"Thank you." Elizabeth entered the club.