Edward's P.O.V.

Feeling slightly rattled from what had happened, it took me a while to successfully hook the DVD player to the computer and to put the DVD in said player. It wasn't what Ridley had said that caused how I was acting, but rather something quite the opposite. It's funny how the smallest, most insignificant things are what have the biggest impacts on our lives.

Ridley may have lost her memories, but she was still unconsciously drawing on them. Her taste for coconut and fudge ice cream was proof of that. I only knew one other person that had the same taste for it, and that was why I was certain that Ridley would also like the movie.

After starting the movie, I sat down next to Ridley on the couch and much to my surprise, she leaned against me, red-rimmed eyes focused on the screen. I wondered how she'd feel once she got her memories back, if was even possible for her to. That'd be something that Jon might know more about, maybe I should ask him about it.

I would say that it wouldn't be possible unless something shocked her system as badly as the time that she'd lost her memories, and her voice. They two were definitely connected, that was for certain. There was no way that I would subject Ridley to going through anything that remotely came close to what she'd gone through in the past, I'd have to find some other way.

My eyes strayed from the screen as I studied a spot on the wall next to it. I'd taken a gamble with promising to help her, and I thought about how she'd react once she found out. Would hse hate me? Not just for the possibility of her having to go through things again. She might, and that bothered me. I didn't want her to hate me, that wasn't even close. Then again, nobody wants another person to hate them, especially if you're close to them. Maybe I shouldn't have promised to help her, it'd just cause too much grief on both ends.

Shifting, I moved my arm before it fell asleep and put it around her shoulders. Her hair was a bit too short for my liking, and the job that Harley did with dying her hair was even worse.

Still not paying attention, I turned my gaze to a nearby surveillance feed that showed part of the ground around the warehouse. Squinting slightly, I realized that for whatever reason, Jon was going out into the city. Selina had told me that he'd gone out once before, and I'd assumed that it was to get more supplies. I kept note of all our transactions though, and Jon didn't mention anything to me about getting anything from the city. Even if he was in the most foulest of moods, he told me. He knew about how important it was.

An unsettling feeling went through me as I watched him drive away, just what was he up to? The notion of him possibly liking me did not escape my mind, in fact, it quite often occupied it despite my wishes. A man's mind was wholly he own, and to have it disregard what you wanted was fairly annoying. I had decided to treat him no differently than I had before, why would I? Jon could be who ever he wanted to be, I would respect that. The only thing I was worried about was when and if, he'd make his move.

I was pulled out if my thoughts when Ridley poked me in the ribs. She nodded towards the screen and I turned back to watch it. The familiar tune of the main title drifted through the air and I watched as the Phantom led Christine to his secret lair.

Sing once again with me,

our strange duet.

My power over you

grows stronger yet.

Anna had always liked this scene, though I never tried to understand why. Maybe she liked it for no particular reason, she'd certainly never told me why, though I could guess. In another time and place, she would've said that she pitied the Phantom.

"It's not his fault he's the bad guy," she'd said, knees drawn up, sipping a cup of tea. "He can't help but love her. He's not evil, just misunderstood. Most 'bad' guys are."

Sitting there with Ridley, I thought about that. Not evil, just misunderstood. Over time, I'd realized that to be true, especially when it came to those I consorted with. It was a fine line though, between the two. The Joker of instance, he just did things because he could do them, there was no other reason of his crimes than to cause as much strife ad chaos as possible.

Jon, though as much as I'd not like to admit it, was the same way. Sure he did it because of "research", but I've been around him long enough to know that he got some sick pleasure out of what he did. Deep down, that's what kept him going. Not the research, not because he had to prove something, but because he liked doing.

The term "evil" was as subjective as the people that were called that. Where then, did Ridley stand on it? Certainly her morales were higher than some of us, but not high enough to flat out refuse robbing a bank, or even being around us. The lines were never clean cut though, it was in between the shades of gray where most things happened.

We stayed like that for a while, silently watching the movie, the sound of opera filling the air. At some point, Ridley fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion, leaving me to myself and my thoughts.

Hearing the door open sometime later, I twisted around making sure not to disturb Ridley, and saw Jon standing in the door way.

"What's that god awful noise?" He asked, leaning against the door frame.

"It's not awful," I said, "it's opera."

"Well, why are you watching opera of all things?"

"Ridley as I were watching it," I said, "and I decided it was better to watch it up here because the TV downstairs is still broken."

"Yes," Jon said with disdain, a disapproving look almost too fast for me to catch, flashed across his face.

Silence fell between us, only occupied by the sound from the movie.

Eye of gold, true is false

"Where'd you run off too?" I asked, standing up, careful to not disturb Ridley in the process.

"How'd you even know I was gone?" Jon said, giving me an appraising look as I approached.

"You weren't exactly covert," I said with a shrug. "I saw it on one of the surveillance cameras surrounding the area. So what were you up to?"

"Does it matter?" Jon asked with an equal shrug. "It was nothing."

Masquerade, seething shadows breathing lies

"If it was nothing then," I paused, "never mind. I don't know why I have to police you."

Masquerade, you can fool any friend who ever knew you

"I could ask the same thing," Jon said, "it's a very good question. I think your problem is that you need to know everything so it makes you an annoying, pushy, and quite nosy, person."

"It least I know that those are my worst qualities," I said, "you have too many to count."

"You don't know everything though," Jon said, "nor will you ever."

"I know enough," I said, crossing my arms.

"Is it though?" Jon tilted his head.

"I don't have time for this," I said with a slight scowl.

"I don't either," Jon said in a bored voice.

"Then why'd you come up here?"

"I ran into Harley while I was," Jon hesitated, "out. She wanted me to give this to Ridley."

He withdrew a singular playing card, and handed it over to me. Flipping it over, I scanned the back of it.

"She's invited Ridley and Selina for a girls night out with Ivy and her two nights from now."

"Thank you," I said, "I can read."

"I still thought I'd tell you."

"Well, you don't have to."

"Are you going to let her go?" Jon asked, annoyed.

"I'm not the one that makes her decisions," I said, pocketing the invitation. "I'll tell her about it and leave her to make the choice to go or not. I'm sure that Harley will arrive either way."

"You're right in that," Jon said with a nod.

"Of course I am," I said smugly. "I'm the smartest person in the world."

"Keep telling yourself that," Jon said, patting my shoulder, "we both know that's not true. It if was, you'd know where I had gone." He smirked at me before leaving.

What was this world coming to? Minor arguments, no insults, was Jon feeling ok? He was acting like he had been last time he'd left unannounced; cheerful. Now obviously Jon was entitled to feel cheerful, but it still was a bit odd, especially since his general attitude had been deteriorating since Ridley arrived.

What raging fire

shall flood the soul?

What rich desire

unlocks its door?

What sweet seduction

lies before us?

Past the point of no return...