"𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬"

𝟔𝟐. "𝐏𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐬𝐬"

"Do you have a jumper I could borrow?" I asked Jeremiah. He smiled softly and nodded.

He quickly walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out a long navy cardigan. He came back to me and lifted it. I got what he wanted and turned my back to him. He carefully helped me put it on. 

Then he wrapped his arm around my waist and started kissing my neck. I shut my eyes tightly and inhaled deeply. I immediately regretted it. Jeremiah's scent entered my nose and it painfully reminded me that it's not Jerome kissing me. He smells like cologne and coffee. I held back the tears of sorrow. 

Jeremiah finally pulled away and stepped in front of me. He sent me a small smile. I quickly returned it. Fuck. I have to touch him by myself or he'll never believe me that I changed my mind about him. 

I carefully cupped his face, boosted myself up and placed a soft kiss on his red lips. He grinned down at me. I matched it in an instant. He abruptly stepped away, grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers.

"It's time." He grinned and pulled me to the exit.

***

The door before us opened, revealing Jeremiah's followers standing in two straight rows. There was an empty pathway between them. It reminded me of when Jerome proposed to me the first time.

I smiled at the memory. Suddenly Jeremiah wrapped his arm around my waist and grinned down at me. Oh. If only he knew what I'd been thinking about. 

Oooh. He would've lost it. It itches me to tell him, but then my whole flimsy plan would have come to naught. Better to just keep completely quiet around him.

"Jeremiah! Jeremiah!" His followers chanted in unison.

I rolled my eyes at it. He really is a pompous ass. He took his arm away from me, pulled out his detonator, activated it and began pacing forward. I followed by his side.

"All my life I spent by myself..." He began, while looking around the room at his sane-loonies.

"...Hidden away..." He whispered dramatically, as if it was a loss for the mankind that he hasn't graced it with his presence. 

I did my all not to laugh at his blown out of proportion sense of self-importance. That gas really did a number on the once shy ginger. 

"...I am so glad to be sharing this happy moment with all of you..." He grabbed my hand abruptly and intertwined our fingers. I stroked his pale skin with my thumb. Keeping up appearances, right?

"...Today marks a dawning of a new Gotham city. One, where, we will all be free." He smiled and nodded merrily.

"Now..." He turned serious again and raised his hand with the detonator.

"...Shall I do the honours?" He asked with a grin.

"We interrupt this-" I heard from behind me and swiftly turned towards the tv. My eyes widened with shock.

"That's Jim Gordon." One of the woman in the room noted.

"He's not dead." A guy added. Jeremiah lowered his hand and looked at the screen too.

"This is a message to the followers of Jeremiah Valeska. Jeremiah claims to have killed me. Well, bad news. I'm alive." Jim declared. 

Jeremiah let go off my hand. I looked up at him. He was gawking at Gordon. Then he quickly glanced at his followers.

"No. No, no. It's a trick. I killed him." He muttered, not sounding very sure of himself.

"So just know..." Jimbo continued.