It was nearing 8pm by the time Elizabeth left the warehouse, much later than she had intended. She was running late because of Jonathan. Apparently Jonathan wasn't strong enough to "take out the trash" by himself. It was a wonder that Jonathan was able to get the man up the stairs in the first place. Elizabeth helped Jonathan lug the dead man down the stairs and out to the back alley to "his" car and into the trunk. She refused to help him further and had returned to working.
Jonathan had returned two hours or so later and it appeared to have finally clicked that Elizabeth had fought Batman last night. He had interrogated her thoroughly about it and was furious that Elizabeth didn't do anything to the Bat once she had him unconscious. They had argued about this for a bit meaning that Elizabeth hadn't finished the devices before seven like she had planned.
Internally swearing up a storm Elizabeth entered the grocery store. The store was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday night but Elizabeth was still able to pick up the groceries fairly quick. Eggs, cheese slices, bread, pasta, pasta sauce, frozen meatballs, peanut butter, jelly, some frozen vegetables, bananas, and a bit of pre-sliced watermelon; Elizabeth grabbed a package of green frosting sugar cookies from one of the end caps and added them to her basket. She figured that Edward would enjoy them and they would make a good apology for returning much later than she had said and, also, who didn't want cookies.
Elizabeth was lucky enough to get in line behind a woman who was just paying. She took the items out of the basket and placed it in the holder by the conveyer belt. The older woman was taking a while and Elizabeth perused the gum, she grabbed a packet of bubble gum and threw it onto her pile.
"Hello," the cashier greeted, her smile obviously forced.
"Hello." Elizabeth said smiling as well. They were both silent as the cashier rang up Elizabeth's items until Elizabeth noticed the cashiers Gotham University bracelet.
"You go to Gotham U?"
"Yeah."
"Cool, that's where I went, what do you study?"
"Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies but I'm focusing on gender dynamics."
"Really? Gender dynamics, what does that entail?"
"It's kinda like studying sexism, like how men are in Economics and the sciences while women are in English and social sciences. Women are always being downplayed because of our sex even in Gotham's masks it's mainly males who are the villains and heroes of Gotham while the women are pushed to the side."
"I see. That's pretty interesting."
"Thanks! Okay that will be twenty-nine eighty-seven." Elizabeth handed over thirty dollars. As the cashier put the cash away and got out her change a man got in line behind her, he was wearing a long coat despite the summer heat and was twitching every so often.
"And thirteen cents is your change. Have a great night!"
"Thanks you too." Elizabeth put her change away and gathered up her bags eying the man behind her. He was fishy to say the least. She was walking away when she heard the cashier greet the man.
"Hello! Just the soda? Ok. One-seventy-nine." Elizabeth glanced back the man was handing over some money, maybe she was just a bit paranoid. The cash-register chimed open and she heard the cashier gasp.
"Give me the money." Elizabeth turned her head sharply the man was pointing a gun at the cashier and holding out a small patchwork bag. She set her bags down and stepped down the empty checkout lane behind the man. Stepping up and over the area to set bags she was easily behind the man holding the gun without him noticing; the cashier didn't notice either as she was busy taking the cash out of the machine tears streaming down her face. The robber was obviously a newbie, Elizabeth observed, or he didn't really want to hurt anyone because the safety on his gun was still on. This made everything a whole lot easier for Elizabeth.
"Hurry up, bitch." The robber demanded shaking the bag.
"How rude." Elizabeth said wrapping her arms around the man and pulling him into a choke hold. He struggled against her feebly his dirty hands useless against Elizabeth's iron grasp. Soon he passed out and slumped against Elizabeth who released him and let his head hit the ground with a sharp crack. She looked at the cashier who weak kneed clutching the money in her hands looking at her in astonishment.
"Thank you, thank you," she finally burst out more tears running down her face. The cashier collapsed backwards sliding down the back of the booth. People were running over to them now pulling the cashier to her feet, several calling he cops, in all the confusion Elizabeth was able to slip out unnoticed.
It was nearing nine by the time Elizabeth got back to the hideout. When she entered the door she was greeted with a cane right between the eyes. She dropped her bags in shock going cross-eyed as she focused on the gold thing in her face.
"Elizabeth!" Edward exclaimed lowering the cane quickly. "You're late."
"Yes, yes, I know, it's all Jonathan's fault, I would've called but my cellphone ran out of battery." With the cane no longer threating to bash her face in Elizabeth's eyes re-focused on Edward who was dressed in full Riddler regalia. "You going somewhere?"
"No, no. I thought that…well."
"That Batman had caught me and I would tell him where you were."
"Exactly."
"I wouldn't tell."
"Batman has ways."
"I'm sure," Elizabeth picked the shopping bags back up and set them on the table. She had just finished putting the cold food away in the fridge when she felt Edward step up behind her. A gloved hand reached around her and pushed the door shut. Edward's cane came and rested under her chin pushing up lightly. Elizabeth straightened slowly the cane following her up until she was leaning back against Edward's chest. Then Edward's free hand came up and gripped her chin tilting it up so that she was looking up at him. He had removed his mask and hat meaning there was no barrier from his heated gaze. Edward pressed his lips against her own. Their kiss was heating up when a loud rumbling sound caused them to break apart.
Elizabeth giggled, "I haven't had dinner yet."
"Obviously. Well then let's get that stomach filled up before I fill you up." Elizabeth's face went scarlet and Edward chuckled. He released her and set his cane down on the table while he opened up one of the cupboards to retrieve plates for them.
"So what did you get?" He asked his head still in the cupboard staring at the pots and pans. Elizabeth listed off the food for him.
"…and," Elizabeth took the cookies of the bag, "desert." Edward turned around and his eyes widened in excitement and a small child-like smirk crossed his lips.
"Cookies?" He walked around the table and grabbed Elizabeth's waist pulling her close to him. "You are wonderful."
"Um…thank you, you can't have one until after dinner though."
Edward's face fell slightly, "then let's eat." Because of the lateness of the hour Elizabeth agreed to a microwave dinner. While Edward was heating up the meals Elizabeth dug her laptop out of her bag and brought up the internet.
"What's this," Edward asked bring over the meals over on plates.
"I like to watch the news while I eat dinner, you know catch the weather, see if the Gotham University won their latest baseball game, which is doubtful. I don't see a TV around here so, thank progress for the internet."
"You want a TV? Watch this." Edward set the plates down and went over to the wall that the couch was facing. He tapped the wall twice and a panel slid open revealing a very large plasma TV.
"Impressive."
"So channel 5 News?"
"Sure." Elizabeth closed her laptop as Edward turned on the TV and changed it to channel 5.
"…know of Batman and Robin protecting the city but it seems as though there are heroes among the average citizens as well. We head over to Summer Gleeson for more."
"Thank you. This corner grocer hadn't been robbed since Batman began patrolling our streets but tonight a man pulled a gun on one of their cashiers demanding the money from her till but no money was to be taken today. A Good Samaritan happened to be nearby to help." The screen changed to a security feed and showed a woman putting the man into a choke hold until he passed out. "The woman left the scene shortly after but tonight she is a hero."
"That's wonderful," the anchor said as the screen switched back to him, "we need more people like that in Gotham." The anchors continued on with the news but Edward was looking at Elizabeth now.
"I suppose you were held up at the grocery store too."
"Yeah, just a few minutes, there was a near fight to the death over the cookies." Elizabeth cut into her meal and began to eat. Edward followed suit smirking. As soon as they both were done they each took a cookie Elizabeth ate hers quickly but Edward took his time eating it. While Edward savored his desert Elizabeth washed the plates and silverware. She had put the last dish in the drying rack when Edward wrapped his arms around her.
"So about that reward for your intelligence…" He said steamily in her ear.
"Well I do need to take another shower."
"Sounds perfect."
Elizabeth and Edward lay on the bed in the same position as last night. Their bout of shower sex had lasted until the water ran cold causing them to seek warmth in the bed and in each other. After they had sufficiently warmed up they had collapsed together and had begun a game of name-that-scar.
"So where'd you get this one?" Edward asked trailing his fingers along the scar on Elizabeth's forearm.
"I fell from a tank while climbing on it, there were no trees on base. What about this one?" Elizabeth circled the zigzag scar that ran down Edward's bicep.
"A fight with the Joker's men, we were after the same payload. What about…" Edward's hand drifted lower between Elizabeth to run along the thin scars on her inner thigh. "…these?" Elizabeth shifted turning away from Edward just a bit.
"You can read about that in the file."
"I'd rather you just tell me."
"…Well when I was a kid and ever since, I've always had…I was suffering from depression. The medicine worked for a while, but then it would stop and I would slip again until they found a new drug that worked. Between drugs, this happened…I did this." Edward moved his hand from between her thighs and cupped her face kissing her softly.
"I'm okay now," Elizabeth said smiling, "in fact, I'm almost certain it was my medication that allowed the Cuvier's serum to work."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I had taken my meds before I went out on the job so it was fresh in my bloodstream and the serum would have caused a chemical reaction when the two met." Edward went to speak but Elizabeth pressed his finger against his lips. "Enough about that. Not to bring us out of the post-orgasm haze but we need to talk."
"A phrase all men dread to hear."
"I know. Sorry. Now I know that Jonathan won your bet, he told me you paid him, but I want to know what that means. Where do we stand?"
"I do believe we are lying down."
"You know what I mean." Elizabeth poked him in the chest.
"Ow. Yes, fine…I just…can I give the answer to you in a riddle?"
"No, because you haven't even given me the riddle for my question yesterday."
Edward rubbed his face with his free hand sighing. "Well where do you think we stand?"
Elizabeth scowled, "sure push this back on me. Fine, since I doubt I'd get a straight answer from you anyways…Although I would be fine with merely expressing our sexual desires it is my opinion that since we are also co-habitating and that purely sexual relationships are unstable; that I would prefer a more, ummm…for lack of better words, emotional and potentially longer relationship."
Edward was silent for a bit and Elizabeth sat up worried she'd ruined what little and confusing relationship they did have. She had no idea what Edward wanted out of her. Sure he'd paid off Jonathan, sure he'd invested in her idea, sure he wanted to "solve" her but she didn't know what any of the meant. And this was one riddle she refused to solve for him.
When it appeared Edward wasn't going to respond Elizabeth went to get out of the bed, "I'm going to sleep on the couch until you te—" Elizabeth was cut off by Edward grabbing her arm and pulling her on top of him.
"You're not going anywhere until I'm thoroughly done with you."
"We're not doing anything until we're both on the same page."
"You didn't let me finish…until I'm done with you and I am currently unaware of how long that it going to take. You see, as strange as it is for me to say this, I do enjoy having you around and I don't have a reason to want that to end."
"So what you're saying is?"
"So what I'm saying is I want to have license to be "that" jealous." Elizabeth stared at Edward her eyes borrowing into his.
"Are you serious?"
"Of cour—" It was Edward's turn to be cut off as Elizabeth kissed him full on the lips.
She pulled back slightly grinning, "good enough for me. Now to put us back into that post-orgasmic haze…"
Edward awoke that morning with Elizabeth still in his arms and feeling very sexually sated but looking down at her sleeping form caused him to stir with need once again. He bent down and kissed Elizabeth on the lips until she stirred.
"Awakened with a kiss? Are you supposed to be my knight in shining armour then?" She asked sleepily.
"I may be the Prince of Puzzles but I assure I am no knight, if fact, people would say I'm an absolute Rogue."
"Good because I can save myself," Elizabeth sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Besides, I've read that real knights were complete assholes, no concept of chivalry at all."
"I would say the tradition carried on to our own Dark Knight." Elizabeth chuckled stretching her arms. Edward caught her around the waist and pulled her against him kissing her neck.
"Edward, it's time for breakfast not more sex."
"I hunger only for you."
"That is so cheesy," Elizabeth pulled away from him. "I'll make breakfast if you want but first I need to wash up, I'm feeling very sticky." She kissed him on the cheek and scurried into the bathroom. Elizabeth wetted a washcloth and began to wash away the remnants of their time together last night. "You know next time you're wearing a condom, I hate cleaning up the leftovers."
From the other room she heard a crash and Elizabeth poked her head out of the room. Edward was laying on the floor his question-marked boxers half-on. It appeared as though he'd fallen while putting them on.
"You okay?"
"We haven't been using condoms," he said in a horrified manner.
"No."
"What if you…? I'm not…we can't…this is no place…" A twitch had formed under Edward's right eye as his mind contemplated the consequences of not using a condom.
"Edward." Elizabeth said sharply pulling him out of his panicked daze. "You haven't read anything in that folder have you?"
"No, I—what does that have to do with this?"
Elizabeth sighed. "You don't need to worry, because I can't get pregnant."
"You can't get…oh thank god." Edward smiled with relief and stood pulling up his boxers. He looked at Elizabeth who was staring at him with a blank expression. "I mean…I'm sorry to hear that, I can't comprehend what you must ha—"
"Don't bother, it doesn't bother me too much, besides even if I could who knows what kind of freaky mutant baby I would have, with my genes being as fucked up as they are, of course they're the reason I can't either, so there you are." Elizabeth shrugged and went back into the bathroom to finish cleaning. In the other room she could hear Edward continue to get dressed. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror the bruise on her chin courtesy of Batman was already starting fade but thanks to Edward it simply looked like it was spreading due to the small bruises and hickeys that trailed along both sides of her neck and further down. Edward was just as marked she knew, even more so in fact. Rinsing the cloth Elizabeth exited the bathroom Edward had left leaving Elizabeth alone in the bedroom for the first time.
Rubbing her hands together mischievously Elizabeth decided to take the opportunity to rummage through Edward's drawers. Sure it was a bit childish going through his belonging but he had thoroughly search her apartment, even read her journal, so this was just evening the playing field a bit. Besides all of her clothes were downstairs and she didn't feel like going down there naked. Elizabeth picked up Edward's shirt from the floor and put it on. First Elizabeth decided to look through the bedside drawer. Its contents were less than satisfactory. Just a few notebooks filled with riddles and a few "mind-breaking" crossword books, in which he had completed nearly all the puzzles. Damn the man wasn't kidding when he said he was a genius who else would have known that the richest region of Portugal was Lisbon or that the ancient Greek philosopher of Lesbos was named Sappho.
Elizabeth flipped through the pages of an old looking puzzle book when something fell into her lap. Intrigued Elizabeth picked it up. It was picture of a young boy with a women, the picture was cut so that only the very hairy arm of a man remained in the photo as it was wrapped around the women's shoulder protectively. No, not protectively Elizabeth saw but possessively. The way his hand gripped her shoulder it was a surprise that she wasn't showing any pain in her face. No, she was just smiling brightly holding on to the boy's shoulders. The boy and what Elizabeth assumed to be his mother had bright green eyes. 'So this is Edward as a kid, hm? Who'd have thought he was a ginger back then.'
As Elizabeth looked at the picture closer she could nearly picture the beginning of the Riddler in the back of her mind. An abusive father that his mother wouldn't stand up to, his father never understanding his son whom he thought weak, and Edward growing up knowing that he wasn't worthless and determined to prove it.
"Almost done?" She heard Edward call up the stairs.
"Yeah, I'm coming." Elizabeth slipped the picture back into the notebook and tossed back into the drawer. Hurrying down the stairs Elizabeth was greeted by a shirtless Edward holding a frying pan. His eyes swept over Elizabeth and his natural cocky smile worked its way onto his face.
"So I was thinking eggs and toast." Elizabeth said taking the frying pan from him and placing a light kiss on kiss on his lips.
"Sure, sounds great. I'll just, uh, do my crosswords." Edward grabbed his book off the table fumbling slightly as his eyes remained glued to the part of Elizabeth's butt that was just peeking out from under his shirt. Elizabeth smirked and set about making their breakfast. Three burnt pieces of bread later and Edward was watching the toaster while Elizabeth huffily sprinkled salt on the eggs to make them cook evenly.
"Toast is evil," she said taking the eggs from the pan, "pure unadulterated evil."
"Then why did you suggest it?"
"Because it's delicious temptation is too great." Edward chuckled and popped up the toast. They were perfectly browned on both sides and Elizabeth stuck her tongue out at him.
"Don't fret; making prefect toast is just one of my many talents." Elizabeth flipped him off and grabbed her two pieces of toast and through them on her plate. She retrieved the butter from the fridge and buttered her toast silently. Edward took the tub from her to do his own while Elizabeth poured them both coffee.
"How do you want it?"
"Hot and heavy against the counter."
"I will throw this pot at you," Elizabeth threatened. Edward rolled his eyes.
"Fine, I'll take two sugars and just a bit of cream." As Elizabeth doctored up their drinks Edward set both plates on the table.
"Are you going to Scarecrow's today," Edward asked when Elizabeth sat down.
"No, I was going to start on making that polymer. The missing chemical isn't needed until the end of the process, which takes a week or so, meaning I can begin making it now. What are your plans for today?"
"Looking for a mark, as entertaining as you might be, Gotham simply begs for another riddle."
"Okay, sounds good, I'll be down there for a good…" Elizabeth trailed off at a knock on the door. Both Edward and Elizabeth turned to stare at the door waiting to see if there would be another—Knock, knock, knock. Their chairs scrapped against the wood floor as they stood up hurriedly, Edward ran over to the counter and pulled a gun from one of the drawers while Elizabeth dived behind the couch rapidly pulled on the pants on the floor and pulled her gun from her purse. The person on the other side of the door knocked again, this time much louder and longer. They approached the door guns hidden behind their backs. Edward pulled the door open but no one was there, then he looked down. Jervis Tetch was looking up at him a large toothy grin spread across his face.
"Oh, Dormouse, good I was worried you were not home."
"Hatter, what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to invite you to afternoon tea tomorrow." Jervis extended his hand presenting him with a bright blue envelope.
"Thank you," Edward said taking the envelope.
"Oh dear, were you attacked Dormouse?" He asked noticing the hickey marks scattered across his bare chest.
"What!? No, why?"
"I think," Elizabeth said speaking up for the first time, "he's talking about the new bruises I gave you."
"Wolf!" Jervis exclaimed pushing past Edward coming inside to give Elizabeth a hug. "What a pleasant surprise. Now I don't need to find you at least," he let go of Elizabeth and gave her another blue envelope. "But did you say you're the one who hurt Dormouse?"
"Trust me that didn't hurt him at all, quite the opposite in fact." Jervis looked confused for several seconds but then he took in how Elizabeth was wearing Edward's shirt and furious blush rose to his cheeks.
"Oh I-I see, w-well I'll let you two get back to Wonderland, I need to go invite March. Bye!" Jervis ran out the door his face and ears still red with embarrassment.
Elizabeth and Edward stared after him. "One wouldn't think," Edward said as he shut the door, "that a rapist would get so flustered over sex."
"Another one bites the dust. Dun! Dun! Dun! Dun! Another bites the dust! And another gone another one gone another bites the dust!" Elizabeth sang along to the words of Queen as she worked. After Hatter had left both Edward and Elizabeth started to work; Edward upstairs in his computer room across from the bedroom and Elizabeth downstairs in the lab Edward had made for her. Despite being two floors apart Edward had been bothered by her original choice of Avenged Sevenfold and other alternative rock/metal bands so she changed it to classic rock with the occasional top ten pop song scattered in.
They had been working for a good 5 hours already so Elizabeth decided to take a small break. Her chemicals needed time to incubate so there was nothing for her to do until then, 45 minutes should be good. She set her watch to beep in 40 minutes and headed upstairs. From the kitchen she could hear Edward typing a way muttering to himself every so often. Putting on the coffee pot Elizabeth began unpacking her duty bag, putting the clothes and other items on to the couch. She would have to find someplace to put her clothes they would get wrinkled in her bag. Perhaps Edward had extra room in his drawers.
The pot whistled and Elizabeth shut it off quickly and poured two cups. She did up both of them and went upstairs careful not to spill a drop.
"Edward?" She asked knocking on the door lightly. "I've brought you a coffee." When he didn't answer Elizabeth opened the door slowly and poked her head inside. Edward was hunched over his key board typing quickly.
"Stupid NSA upgrading their security, why can't they just—ah ha! They are no match for the Riddler!" Elizabeth snorted making Edward notice her for the first time.
"Elizabeth!"
"Coffee?" She asked holding up the cup.
"Yes, thank you."
"Of course…" She handed him the mug and bent over to look at the screen. "So find anything good?"
"Not really, a couple of rare gems, a few old relics, there are several charity balls but it really is in bad taste to take money going to AIDS and cancer research; not to mention they're all boring."
"There are your weird priorities again." Elizabeth muttered to herself looking over the list he had complied. "Hang on a second; I think I have something fun."
"What?" Edward asked but Elizabeth was already out the door and down the stairs. She pulled something from her purse and hurried back to Edward.
"Veronica Vreeland has a mid-summer ball every year."
"Yes, what about it?"
"Well this year," Elizabeth waved a thick piece of paper in front of his face. "You have an invitation."
Edward looked at the invitation for a few seconds then up at Elizabeth grinning like a cat with a bowl of cream. "This, my dear, is perfect."