Fearful and the Fearless- A Jonathan Crane Fan Fiction

Chapter Eighteen

The days went fast for Shannon inside of the Wayne Manor, partially due to the fact each night she was injected with a relaxer medicine and partially because she was kept very busy. When Alfred wasn't escorting her around the manor in a wheelchair, the two of them chatting endlessly about many different things, she was with Bruce answering questions ranging from her early life to the fake baby she was supposed to be having. She had had to admit it was fake when it was so obvious she wasn't with child. She had gone ahead and told him the truth about the experiments, though he hadn't been very surprised.. She guessed her father might have told him something since she had mentioned it to him when she had been on the bridge…

The days slowly dissolved into weeks, then to months, and before Shannon knew it she had been in the Wayne Manor two months- all without her husband, who she asked for more than once a day.

"We can't keep her here forever," Alfred had told Bruce sternly on the two month mark, only to receive silence. He knew Bruce was growing close to Shannon, and he didn't want her to get hurt by her husband, but it seemed that he had never hurt her without her condolences.

Shannon was quickly growing restless within the manor without her husband, however. She would have mood swings that her medication should have prevented her from having. She would snap at Bruce if she felt he asked her too many questions, and even at Alfred if he made suggestions she should try to rest or if he attempted to help her move in her wheelchair. Night terrors and paranoia were also coming back to her, and screams pierced the silence of sleep. During the day, she would sit peeking out of the window, mumbling nonsense and frightened of the slightest movement.

"This isn't supposed to be happening," Bruce sighed, watching Shannon in the next room after three months, "I don't understand, the medication should be keeping her relaxed."

"Maybe her body is adapting to it, Master Bruce," Alfred said in a hushed voice, "She isn't meant to be this far from her husband for so long, you know what he was doing to her."

"He was making her stronger by making her dependent..." Bruce muttered, shaking his head, "But, what are we supposed to do with her? Everyone believes her to be dead, there are two unstable men looking for her-"

"One of which is her husband, Master Bruce," Alfred reminded quietly, "The man she asks for persistently.. Perhaps we should be searching for him so he can finally calm her."

"I'm not handing that girl over to a criminal," Bruce huffed, "She needs professional help…"

"He is a doctor.." Alfred went on, but at the look Bruce sent him went on, "Or we could send her out of Gotham for a while, to a nice hospital." This one Bruce nodded to.

"Yeah, that might work.. A private establishment somewhere far away.. Get to work on research, Alfred.. I need to make her some paperwork," Bruce instructed.

"What kind of paperwork, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked curiously.

"We can't send a girl who is known to be dead," Bruce shrugged, going into the room where Shannon sat, "We can send my troubled sister, though." Smiling to Alfred, he went over to Shannon and patted her shoulder. She looked up at him, her dark eyes worried.

"Where is Jonathan?"

-~-~-~-~-~-

"Today's the day," Jonathan Crane grinned. He had waited long enough, and sure enough another inmate had broken out. The police had finally toned down the hunt for Jonathan and had gone on to look for the more rowdy criminal who kept kidnapping girls of the street. However, he did return them so it was only a matter of time before someone caught the man who matched the description perfected by five victims.

"From what I've read, there have been killings a few cities over, all described to be exactly like Zsasz's," Edward relayed, opening the door to the garage and ushering a disguised Jonathan in, "That's our best bet… Is the wig really necessary?"

"Just until we get out of Gotham," Jonathan nodded, "I am not taking any chances of being found out until I have Zsasz screaming for death."

"Are you sure this is what Shannon would want, Jonathan?" Edward questioned for what would probably be the last time, "After this, you could go back to Arkham.. or be killed. Wouldn't it be better just to settle somewhere?"

"After this, I want to die," Jonathan told his friend, his good humor suddenly gone from him, "Once Zsasz is gone, it doesn't matter anymore. If I live, I'll go after the Joker and Harley next. If not, I'll be with Shannon again."

"I guess that is one way to look at it," Edward mumbled, deciding not to fight his friend's decisions any further. It was obvious he would be doing as he pleased, and if that was getting himself killed, that is what he'd do.

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Very short, so sorry about that! Only one more chapter guys! But don't worry- there will be a sequel out in due time!

Anyway, do you think Jonathan will find Zsasz? Or will he get himself killed?

Jonathan- YOU STAY QUIET BACK THERE!

Edward- JONATHAN STOP SCREAMING- I'M DRIVING!

Me- WATCH THE ROAD!