I haven't gotten ANY reviews for this story. I really am okay with guest ones if not other authors, so please, don't be shy. Just no flaming; it breaks my heart.

The cover image has a blue rose with water droplets amid a gray background - the symbolism of it as well as the rose itself was perfect the moment I laid my eyes on it, setting the foundation for the whole story.

As I'm sure a lot of you know, blue roses do not grow naturally as other colors; they represent mystery, love, enchantment, new opportunities and possibilities, and excitement, all of which worked themselves into the summary of the entire story. :) The blue rose has a certain charm and unique mystery that does not reveal itself freely, as quoted in one particular online article called "The Meanings of Blue Roses".

Chapter Five

Dirty Desks and Dirty Secrets

He was always happy to see her, any time during their sessions which were always the best days of Edward's life in this bright yet dreary place. He would always plop down in that chair in front of her as she looked up from the last patient's file - sometimes his own, sometimes another - and give a small smile as she did to all her patients. Joan Leland was compassionate the same way Iris DeLaine was, but she was one to never make an exception with allowing her patients to have their way in sessions - except himself, her boyfriend from teenage years that reconnected after college and she returned from Harvard.

"Did you wear that color just for me?" he asked her upon seeing the partially opened green blouse, his favorite color, which she rarely placed on except for special occasions...or whenever she wanted to have today be about them and less talking, which made him burn inside for her. Their relationship had reached this peak on a higher level ever since Batman brought him in here not long after Jonathan and the Joker, and the others to follow. But the medical examiner fired him for "tampering with a corpse" without his permission. All because he found something helpful and interesting! Had Edward been stable in his thinking now that he thought of it sometimes, he would have done something to get the son of a bitch fired and his job back. But his hate clouded his judgment at the time. Even Joan had done the best she could with him until he took matters into his own hands, kidnapped his former boss, and would have finished him off if Batman hadn't come along.

Batman was still wanted after the death of Harvey Dent, so why was he still out there doing his job? Edward would bet money he would one day be caught and answered for; how he'd love to see that day come.

"Maybe it's because you and I need to get serious today, put the games aside for now, Edward," she answered calmly, coolly, and professionally. "We've had you here for barely a year, and you insist on playing riddles and quizzes with me that they keep you behind bars."

"And the fact that I am busy on top of the desk or in the broom closet with my psychiatrist?"

She drew back and held herself rigid. "That's not appropriate, Mr. Nygma."

He laughed at her shell he enjoyed playing with until it cracked down, and the fun was shared. "On a formal basis again, Joan, really. You insist on being hard on me, letting me do all the work."

Joan sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose between her eyes. "Eddie..." Bingo, now he got her to say the nickname only she had been allowed to call him. "...you want to start back at square one with your childhood again? Be my guest. But we need to get serious with getting you out of Arkham -"

Just like he knew Iris herself was still doing with Jon. "Like the little head doctor herself is doing with my best friend at this very moment? It would be nice if both of us were out on the same day, don't you think?" Edward asked with a smirk, slowly standing and walking over in front of her desk, which was not much different from Iris' though soft rosewood which you did not find anywhere else. "I'm sure you could find an excuse to give as Iris will - without spilling the beans about what we are up to behind the closed doors of this office and the broom closet..."

She growled and jerked forward from her seat, smashing her mouth against his. The doors were locked, and no one was coming in for another hour. He had gotten her riled up yet again; games were so fun. They never did this or any other physical activity related in high school since it was she who set the grounds to avoid unplanned pregnancy, but after reconnecting upon her return, the barriers fell altogether as they were adults now. Lips parting, their tongues heatedly knotted together around each other and intertwined like the never-ending knots of the United Kingdom. Her hands grasped the front of his orange suit and pulled him closer so they nearly fell on top of her desk; she was the first to come to, panting wildly and coming around to be in front of him, shoving the paperwork aside and her khaki-colored jacket off.

"You're such a pain, you know?" she hissed. "You're still the same smartass from high school, and you're never going to change, are you?"

Edward grinned and chuckled. "Some things never change, Joan dear. You know me better than anyone." He had been in the middle of unbuttoning her green blouse and finally revealed the necklace she always wore. It was her favorite color of purple, matching the legendary eyes of the Hollywood beauty herself who was known for all her crowned jewels, set in rose-gold and surrounded with blinding diamonds. From their second date, the ring on the third finger of her right hand was from after they resumed their relationship, that exquisite heart-shaped amethyst on a yellow-gold band. "Remember you said duty came first, then love?"

She scoffed at his turn of her words onto her. "You're not turning this on me, Edward Nygma. The job always comes first, but here I am mixing it with my personal life." He looked back up and raised an eyebrow at her; she was talking as if it was a bad thing. He himself always put both her and his old career on his plate, but it was always her who put hers above him. That was one of their struggles with making their love work - and now it was within the walls of her workplace, the dreaded Arkham Asylum.

"Can we not let that ruin right now?" he asked, almost whining to his ears. By now he'd had her bust exposed to him, covered with a sexy leopard print with little pops of lime green. "Why, you surprise me with being a naughty girl under the guise of a cool girl!"

"Edward!" She struck him across the face, but not hard enough. Still, it made his erection harder than before that he hastily worked on his belt, button, and zipper, freeing himself before her eyes. Her laugh was brief and a little offensive; it was always wrong to laugh at a man's pride. He grunted and shoved her onto the desk, helping her push up her khaki skirt to feel her smooth brown legs, then hiked higher to find her matching underwear, pulling it down. He was about to ask if she wanted to use the refreshing spearmint balm she kept in her drawer this time, but his erection against her made him forget altogether - and she did, too.

"OH, Edward!" she yelped when he thrust into her; anyone outside the office could hear the noise from down the hall that she forced herself to keep quiet. Edward chuckled and continued to thrust into her. She shoved his pants from his hips so they slid to his ankles, maybe to his knees; he was too focused on the tight heat that was his Joan to even care about anything anymore.

"Still want that spearmint balm?" he grunted while they were halfway through, his senses nearly an overload of hot power when his memory came to, and he looked down at her to see her skin was shining with sweat as much as he was. She was gasping and panting, as overwhelmed as he was, to answer before she finally did.

"I don't...think so."

~o~

Jonathan was surprised at the surprise visit from Iris when their next appointment wasn't until next week, but then it shouldn't be. Here he was at rec time during the day when Eddie had gone away less than twenty minutes ago for his appointment with Dr. Leland.

It was more than just talking about his life and future going on in there. There were no secrets between him and Jonathan about this. He and Joan knew each other since high school, counting the five-year gap between them. Joan did not deny she missed them together physically before his arrest, but she was also struggling with loving Edward and having him as her patient at the same time. He had the gall one time to compare them to Jonathan and Iris.

"Iris and I aren't even together that way!" he'd exclaimed, offended. "She's brighter than me taking her over the desk that used to be mine!"

Edward had laughed then before getting serious. Somber. "You haven't even told her about your dreams, have you?"

He stiffened and leaned back against the wall where his bed was. The dreams were his privacy and his alone. Edward was the only one to know about them; if he told Iris, as much as he trusted her, she would ask him to elaborate. He had wanted to tell her, however, but if she knew the whole truth behind his nightmares, she might not...

Ever since college, he had not mustered it up to find a woman; even when Iris became a woman herself and came to work for him at Arkham, he'd been worried he would ruin it all. Now he was fearful she wouldn't want to be with him in that way, find him disgusting as his grandmother called him all those years ago.

The longer he kept his dirtiest secret in, the more it ate him away.

All he wanted was to take a suppressant to keep himself from having these dreams, but his psychologist's instincts reminded him he would die if he didn't dream as he and Iris talked about. Eddie might always be in his business, but he was right about no dreaming and death. He didn't want to do this to himself and Iris, and himself. So, he told Iris about his nightmare...but he could not tell her WHO was involved.

There she was in a tight as hell silk black dress that hugged almost every curve on her body and stopped at the knees, with a long teal blue cardigan flawlessly and effortlessly slung over her frame. Black-heeled boots heightened her average five-foot-six to five-foot-ten and seductively graced her feet. Her long hair fell in waves that resembled the work of a curling iron, one side swept off to show one ear studded with her favorite pearl-and-black-diamond earrings. He felt his breath hitch as he looked her up and down, which Pamela Isley and Harleen Quinzelle noticed themselves from the couch across from him and giggled to each other, and if Iris noticed, she did not give anyone the sign she did.

She sat down beside him. "I've decided not to give you the meds you want to keep you from dreaming," she whispered softly. "I had to tell you now instead of next week, so I did not leave you wondering about it."

Jonathan nodded. "I appreciate it...but that means the nightmares will still come." The one thing left between himself and the road to leaving this place for good.

He'd seen how she reacted when he told her what happened to him before he awoke in the end. Horror - pure, unadulterated horror and disgust. He tried to tell himself disgust at the man responsible, but it was easier said than done...if only he could find the right time to tell her the truth...

~o~

14 years ago...

When Jonathan first met Dr. Victor Warner, he thought the man was very revered, like a god, when the older man who looked like he was in his mid-fifties spoke of the subject of psychology with a passion no different than his own. Warner had been dedicated since a very young age, and he was the most celebrated professor of psychology to date.

This was why Jonathan wanted more than ever to be mentored by this man, if only there was a way to talk to him without becoming overwhelmed.

But when had Jonathan ever been overwhelmed by a teacher? His grandmother and the others at school made him feel that way; the past was behind him. At least, that was why he was here: to put it behind him. He just arrived here with Edward in tow just as he was the first one here. And when they walked through the opened doors, a voice proudly called to them.

"Gentlemen, welcome."

"Dr. Warner, I presume," Edward answered with a smile that seemed forced, however. From the corner of his eye, Jonathan saw that his eye was critical. He was a good judge of character, he would give his roommate that. The last few days spent with him had been very interesting, getting to know him and sharing his dark past with him. Edward had a mother who left him, not that different from his own and at the same age Jonathan had been. But while Jonathan never knew his father, Edward's father had drunk and abused his son as his grandmother had done to him.

But while they were in school, perhaps this man would help them both understand why their families did what they did. Jonathan Crane would not become a psychiatrist himself for nothing; his purpose would be to understand.

"That I am. I've been told about you two and your high school records of achievement," the man answered with a warm smile. "Especially you, Mr. Crane. Fascination with phobias and the use of drugs on the mind...psychopharmacology. Very impressive. Have you ever experimented?"

He could not let him know he'd done a toxin that could render the individual helpless in their terrors, which his grandmother had a taste of, because no one would understand. He could not tell Edward, either, yet. He might be his roommate, and possibly his new...friend, as hesitant as he was to call him that, but he could not trust him right now. "I have done some in school, yes, sir," Jonathan answered proudly. "The human mind is a fascinating complex that nothing is ever as it seems, and it deserves credit to be understood."

Victor Warner looked like he'd be physically appealing despite his age, Jonathan noted without labeling himself or feeling like a homosexual. His dark hair was in a soft fringe over his right eye, not holding one trace of gray, and his face had few wrinkles, notably on his neck and the sides of his mouth. His nose was very small and nearly feminine. And his smile was very friendly. "Indeed it does, Jonathan, my boy." He reached over and put his hand on Jonathan's shoulder, squeezing it - and the pressure sent a little shiver through his body. "I see greatness in you already. Perhaps you might make it out of here in four years instead of five or six. If you try your hardest, as we all tell our students."

Then his attention shifted to Edward, whom he had not focused on until now and who never said a word to him. Jonathan looked over and saw Edward still eyeing the professor in a way he didn't like. It was like Dr. Warner was a puzzle he was trying to solve, a puzzle he did not like in the slightest.

This was going to be an interesting semester, to start with.

~o~

Today

When Iris returned home, she was trying so hard not to think about what she had accidentally stumbled across when she was just leaving for the night - and Joan's shift had not ended yet. Iris had been leaving with her classy and stylish black leather handbag slung over her shoulder when she stopped before the broom closet on her way out the door and just had to peek inside through the crack - only to find Edward pounding hard and fast into Dr. Leland. Before she'd turned away and gone to her car, she'd heard Eddie panting in spite of himself that someone could walk in on them, but they had continued nevertheless. Iris was still blushing hot after it all even though she hadn't been caught by them.

How many times ANY day did they have for each other? If not her, someone else amongst the staff could find out about them and report to her, forcing her to try and save her good friend and Edward's lover.

"Iris!" Alice was right in front of her in a split second, and she jumped, having not acknowledged her presence first thing. "Iris, at the office, I was on the phone all day, and you will never believe this, but I knew you'd say yes to this…"

"Please do tell," Iris spoke tiredly as she headed for the elevator for her room, wanting to soak into a hot bath and then simply grab some soup before going straight to sleep. For some odd reason, the day had been longer than she thought, but maybe it was also because of what she saw in the broom closet and failed to report as the head director.

"We should get Dr. Crane's room prepared for when he's released!"

Iris stopped in her tracks and stared at her sister in surprise, suddenly awake and aware. Alice was beaming expectantly, still in her navy blue military-style suit jacket and matching A-line dress. "You seriously want Jonathan's room prepared for him? As much as I would love that, his 'recovery' is still a long way to go, and I have yet to break this to him..."

"Oh, tush!" Alice interrupted, pressing the UP button for them. "We know he'll get out in due time. I called them anyway, and they said they'd be here Thursday morning."

"Three days!" She could only imagine the renovation people arriving just as she was awaking to begin her routine, or perhaps accidentally damaging precious antiques when she wasn't around.

"But they'll begin after you leave," Alice promised as if she heard what she was thinking. "And I don't go in until later than you anyways."

"Makes me feel a lot better."

Now she was alone in her room. Breathing a sigh of relief, Iris threw her bag onto the bed before sitting at the foot to slip off her boots. She owned a few black leather handbags before, except they had mostly been Maria's and a ridiculously large amount, so after Maria died, Iris had to pawn many of them away to the Goodwill. Iris then walked over to the dresser to slip off her jewelry. First went the pearl-and-diamond studs, then the ring, and finally the pendant. She stared at the stone of her birth and remembered the birthday just days after her first experiment that he gave this to her.

~o~

8 years ago...

"Iris, if you could come here, please."

Jonathan noticed how she strode more confidently now, now that her handling of Mina Rosenberg had been taken care of. Right afterwards, the creature had been dropped off on the side of the street as a sign that she had been drinking, and most likely to get arrested for it. And most of all, he noticed how lovely she looked today in her teal shirt with the round neckline to display her femininity if not to draw so much attention - and hemmed at the waist to beautifully define and flatter her curves - and her slim black jeans with the black patent pumps. Fifteen years old…fifteen she was now, and no longer the child he met two years ago, but a beautiful teen on the brink of womanhood. But she did not look happy in her expression.

"You're not happy," he noted, "and it's your birthday," he added with a little smile. He anxiously fingered the present he bought her in his pants pocket.

She nodded and sat down at the edge of his desk, something he would not have tolerated if it had been class, but everyone else had piled out. "Today's my birthday, and it's Halloween, but Mother is hosting my party at home. I'm really frightened."

Of course, he knew about it all, and he had been invited "as Iris' teacher", according to the personal invitation from Maria DeLaine. He scowled and looked down at the file he'd personally drawn on the world-famous model. As a teenager, she had been diagnosed with severe narcissistic and bipolar disorders - a rather lethal combination, indeed, to make her an unbearable person to tolerate. Which gave him an explanation as to why she would lay a hand on her poor, defenseless daughter - and another as to why her husband had left her. It was an open secret that Marcus DeLaine had abandoned her and taken a mistress before he tired of her and returned to his wife, which bore Iris, but even that didn't stop the great scandal: he had a daughter born before Iris with his mistress. Marcus DeLaine died of HIV when Iris was only four years old, and that was when the trouble with Maria began.

"I won't let her frighten you," he promised her as he took her hand into his. "I've had to deal with my grandmother when she was alive, and I survived."

"I wish my mother died when I got here," she whispered. "Like your grandmother did."

He tightened his hold on her hand, but not hard enough to catch a bruise or broken bone. "It doesn't always happen that way. Life is as it is, but we have our ways to make it through. Now…" He reached into his pocket. "…I have a present for the birthday girl."

She gasped at the pendant dangling from the smooth black chord as inky as her hair, that teardrop-shaped opal - her birthstone - outlined with sterling silver and overlapped with a single vine and a few leaves to shimmer and almost blend with the ivory of her skin. "It's beautiful," she whispered as she pushed her hair aside to let him clasp it around her neck. It rested against her chest, just above her heart.

He smiled and shook his head. "No, correction, my cherished pupil…" He took her chin into his hand and looked into her eyes. "…you are beautiful."

~o~

Today

Steam was clouding the mirrors as Iris turned the water onto the hottest setting she could, and moisture began to pour from her flesh, first under her clothes, which she revealed to the air as she exposed herself to the humidity of the room. The teal cardigan was off and thrown over a chair before the tight silk black dress was gone and she was left in her underwear again. The bra - silk ruched cups overtopped with lace - was tossed away, soon followed by the thong, which was low rising with a sheer floral lace pattern. She stepped into the water, hissing as she sustained scorching heat from the water, then submerged herself under it and recalled the events that began and ended with Mina Rosenberg.

Edward Nygma's backstory involving how Batman took his life from him as well stems from both the animated series of the 90s as well as the TV show Gotham. Add in that his and Joan Leland's relationship is as complicated as Iris and Jonathan's. Complicated is always the best way to put it, as well as devious. They're words Vytina would use for them, too.

Now I finally bring you the original male character I mentioned when we started, who WILL become major much later. My favorite actor Jeffrey Combs is Dr. Victor Warner, Jon and Eddie's psych professor from college days. I've been a HUGE fan of Jeffrey Combs for a long while now. He is known as Herbert West in the Re-Animator movie franchise, Weyoun in Star Trek: Deep Space 9, voicing the Scarecrow in The New Batman Adventures - and Herbert West and Weyoun, I have done fics of them, too. :D Combs is one of those actors who has a wonderful, unique voice that can do both good and evil while remaining very creepy.

In "The Boundaries of Friendship", Bruce Wayne was the protective one who saw their psychology professor as a menace to an oblivious Jonathan Crane, and as a result of physically defending him, he gets expelled from Princeton. However, this time, Edward Nygma does that job although won't get physical and stays with his friend and roommate the whole time of the suffering. As well, he will witness what Jonathan does as revenge in the end.