I paced the length of the parlor room waiting for Jonathan to arrive. Bruce and Alfred had somehow managed to talk me into meeting with him to "give him closure." I didn't really think that he deserved that much, but after some thought, it would be good for the both of us. Bruce sat in a chair watching me pace. "Could you stop please," I asked.

"You look like a nervous wreck." He replied.

"I am."

Standing, he caught me and held me to him, "We can call him and tell him you've changed your mind. We can reschedule to when you're more ready-"

"I am ready…. I am."

He frowned, "I'm right here, Bethy… I've got you. You're safe." He pressed his forehead against mine, and I let out a shaky breath.

"I know. Thank you, Bruce."

"Always."

The doorbell rang and I jumped. Bruce gave me a tight hug and a kiss on the top of my head before pulling away, his warmth suddenly very missed. We both turned to the front doors of the parlor room and Alfred came in with Jonathan behind him. My whole being stopped dead when I saw him, only to come back to life with the strongest sensation to feel him next to me. I longed to go to him, but I had to restrain myself. How can I still be in love with this man after he hid himself from me?

"Bethany," he said with a smile, "You… look amazing."

Alfred left the room and Bruce moved forward, "Crane… thank you for coming." He offered out his hand, which Jonathan took. "I'm going to be in the next room over." Turning to me he added, "If you need anything, just call out, okay?"

I nodded, "Thank you."

Bruce walked past me, reaching out to give my hand a gentle squeeze before leaving. I stared at the floor for a moment, then finally lifted my gaze to Jonathan. His smile had vanished as he said, "I didn't come here so you could flaunt your new relationship in front of me."

I shook my head, "I'm not in a relationship with Bruce."

"Are you still sleeping with him?"

I shook my head, "No."

He started in surprise, "Oh."

I nodded in response.

Taking a step forward, he held out a small bouquet of purple flowers I hadn't noticed before. "I um… saw these at the open air market by the river and um… I thought of you. I don't know why, but I just… thought they looked pretty, and… you look pretty all of the time…."

Reaching out I took the bouquet from him and I looked up at him. "Thank you."

We were quiet for a moment then Jonathan said, "You promised me. You promised me you wouldn't judge me on… on who I was in my past. You promised you wouldn't run away." Coming closer he took the flowers from me, setting them down on a nearby end table, then he took my hands in his, "Do you know who painful it felt watching you back away from me in fear? I don't want to be that man anymore, Bethany. I'm ashamed of that man. I've worked… so hard… to leave that man behind me, to stop being… the Scarecrow… and start being just Jonathan Crane."

I flinched when he said Scarecrow.

He sighed, "You broke my heart when you ran from me, Bethany. I trusted you at your word and you broke it. Though," he let go of me and took a step back, "I can't blame you. I understand that my past is less than perfect and that… the Scarecrow is hard to forgive."

Tears pricked the back of my eyes painfully, and I blinked a few times to rid myself of the pain, "I'm… sorry… that I caused you pain. I… admit that I didn't handle that situation well. It's just… after all that happened, I…. You…." The tears lined my eyes as I struggled to find the right words. Finally in a whisper, I managed, "I was so scared."

Coming to me, Jonathan pulled me into a hug, holding me to his chest as I began to cry. His hands stayed at my back, not moving. "I'm so sorry, Bethany. Not telling you about my past, my true past, has been the biggest regret I've had since meeting you. You deserved better than my lies, but I was… selfish. I didn't want to risk driving you away… I didn't want you to look at me like how everyone in Gotham looked at me. I never wanted to scare you, Bethany." Pulling away, he cupped my head in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away tears, "I'm so sorry I scared you."

Looking into his icy blue eyes, I found myself nodding. He gave me a smile, then pulled me in for a kiss. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him to me, my body aching to feel his firmly against me. He ran his hands through my hair, gently gripping it to hold me in place, and I sighed into the kiss. He pulled away, and took a step back, "We should stop."

My breath was heavy, but I nodded, "Yes."

"I um… want to start over."

I frowned, "Start over?"

"Yes. I would… like to ask you out on a date. To… get to know one another…. I want to be completely honest with you this time. No secrets. Just me - the me you already know - finally acknowledging the ugly past that I have to bare, and sharing that with the woman I love, hoping that she'll be able to look past it, and be able to love me in return."

I shook my head, "I don't know, Jonathan."

"Just one date. That's all I want is one date. Then if after that you don't… want to be with me anymore…. I will understand."

I thought about it for a moment, then nodded, "Okay… one date."

He let out a breath that he was holding, and he gave a smile, "Thank you, Bethany."

"We can do it tomorrow."

"Ten in the morning okay with you?"

I frowned, "So early?"

He nodded, "I've got one shot at this, I'm going to make it count."

I nodded in response, "Okay. Ten in the morning."

Smiling wider, he backed away from me, "Then I'll see you tomorrow." Turning, he left the room, and then the Manor.

I stood there for a moment, then Bruce came in. "How did it go?"

"I'm… going on a date with him tomorrow."

"What? I thought you were going to find closure with him! To make him feel better about you two breaking up."

I shrugged, "I don't know what happened, Bruce! I looked at him, and I wanted to hate him, but… I don't know part of me still… wants to be with him, and that part just… took over."

Bruce spotted the flowers on the table and picked them up, "These are pretty."

I nodded, "They're from him."

Bruce gave them a whiff then frowned, "They smell funny."

"No they don't."

"You sure?" Holding them out I took a step forward to smell them myself, "They don't smell weird to you?"

"No. They smell wonderful. Like flowers."

Bruce frowned harder, "Hm… must be me then."

Taking the flowers from him, I replied, "Must be."

"You're really going to go on this date with him?"

I nodded, "Yes."

"Do you want me to follow behind you guys? At a safe-but-not-noticable distance?"

I gave him a small smile, "No. I don't think that'll be necessary."

"Do you think it's safe going into the city with the Joker still around?"

I paused for a moment then said, "He… hasn't been active in a while. And he never seems to do anything during the day… I think we'll be fine."

Bruce was quiet for a moment, then he said, "Okay. I just want you to be safe."

I smiled, "Always."