Closer Than Your Shadow

The Old And The Wise

November 25th 2:47 a.m.
Gotham

His eyes were closed and he was snoring, so I figured I could sneak past him. My sneakers splashed in a small puddle as I reached into a mounted light next to the door. The spare key was still there despite yesterday's break-in. I thought Sal would have done more to avoid another one. But I knew Robin didn't need a key to break in.

"What the fuck are you doing out here?" Lenny whispered and I jumped back.

"Shit Len," I sighed. "I forgot my charger. You want to come in?" I asked breathlessly. I unlocked the door while Lenny grabbed his backpack. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom really quick," I said as I pushed my hands in my pockets.

Don't see it. Don't see it.

"Claire! What the fuck happened to your face? What happened to you?" Lenny exhaled in one long breath.

"I-I don't know," I reached up and blood was stained on my cheek. I scratched it off and red was under my nail.

I ran to the bathroom with Lenny behind me, and I almost passed out when I saw the blood splattered on my cheeks. How did it even get there? I didn't have any blood stains on my jeans. My sweater had big blotches of red though. I took some napkins out to wet them under the sink. The crusted blood came off after a few good wipes, but my sweatshirt was ruined.

"I can't believe you," Lenny said as he left me in the bathroom.

I stared at the red napkins on the counter.

I was beginning to regret not making sure Alex and Jacob were okay. I shouldn't have left but I ran off as soon as I could. That didn't sit right with me.

I let my hair out of its ponytail. By time I came into the kitchen Lenny had already stared making himself a pot of coffee.

"What did you do?" He asked over his shoulder while he messed with the buttons on the machine. We did this often. At least once a week honestly. It was our little secret. We'd come and eat. Lenny would make coffee and everything in the world was right for once. No lying to Lindsay about where I'd really been. No Dom and his whole entourage of a family. No strings attached to anything bad. Lenny was just good.

Now I might have to tamper that.

"Please." I walked to the fridge, and I tried my best to avoid his judgmental glare. "My nose started to bleed on the way over here."

"Mmhm and the bruises you got on your neck?" He poured creamer into the mugs like he had a thousand times before. I made him a peanut butter sandwich and I cut it into triangles.

I pushed the plate towards him and said, "Len, just leave this alone. There's a reason I haven't said anything."

"Claire," he said while he walked to his plate, "I knew they'd drag you into some dark shit, but I never thought they'd do this. It's them, isn't it?"

I motioned with my hands up to my neck, "That's not what this is. The Maroni's have nothing to do with this. They don't know. They can't know," I said. I reached for my mug and my throat started to swell up. I took a sip to stop the ache.

"Then who did?" Lenny asked. He crossed his arms then his eyes met mine. He was waiting for an explanation. It made me feel like I was a kid again. Like I was in trouble for what Robin did.

"I'm fine Lenny, isn't that enough?"

"What kind of bullshit answer is that? Absolutely not, you think I'm just gonna sit by while you're walking around like that? You got bruises and blood on you. What happened?" His voice didn't grow any louder, but his tone shifted. It was his dad voice.