Broken | Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow

VII.

Jonathan walked out of the court house, a smug smile on his face. Rachel was probably in there discussing his actions with her boss, the thought just made him even happier.

He hadn't seen Natalie for a week. Well not face to face, but he's seen her around and heard about her business growing even more from his men; something he was sure she would brag about to him when they saw each other.

Remembering the familiar streets his mind could think of, he made his way over to her house; a proposition ready in his head. After a good twenty minutes, he parked in front of the home he recognize from last week.

He slipped off his jacket, leaving himself in work pants and a plain white button up. "Well, here goes nothing." He told himself and his second persona.

Walking up the stairs, he was about to open the door but it seemed as if someone beat him to it. He stepped aside as someone who he guessed was a police offer walked out of the house.

The man straightened out his badge and cleared his throat. "Good evening." He looked about his age and the last person he'd expect to see at Natalie's house.

Jonathan just nodded at the man and unconsciously glared at him as he walked away. "Isn't this a surprise." He turned to look over at Natalie who stood at the door with only a shirt on.

Her red hair was a mess and she had on a full face of makeup, a sight he wasn't used to. He bit the inside of his cheek as he walked in the door, Natalie closing the door behind him.

"You're dating a cop?" He inquired, a bit of distaste in his voice. Natalie raised an eyebrow, amused at the hint of jealousy.

"Would it affect our professional relationship if I was?" She looked took a seat on one of the seats of her kitchen bar and looked over at Jonathan, who stood quiet. "No, I'm not dating a cop."

He walked over to the seat next to her and sat down. "So, why was he at your house?" Jonathan questioned, staring straight ahead.

'Did you come her to interrogate her or to get business done, Johnny?'

He ignored the voice in his head as he waited for her response. Natalie had a smile plastered on her face as she recalled the memory. "Well, two hours before you decided to pay me a surprise visit, I got into a little trouble."

By now, Jonathan was intrigued and let his gaze fall upon her. "Now, who would attend to my business while I'm in jail?" He impatiently waited for her to get to the point. "So I did what any reasonable business woman would in my position."

Already knowing where this story was headed, he decided to drop it; feeling an unfamiliar feeling in his gut at the thought of Natalie sleeping with another man.

Natalie sensed the tension in the air when Jonathan didn't say anything else. "You don't seem like the type to randomly show up at a woman's house because you miss her."

She stood up and headed towards the fridge, retrieving two water battles for Jonathan and herself.

"You're right." He softly said. "I actually have an offer for you." When he said those words, he sparked an interest in her causing her to listen intently to his next ones.

"Go on." She said, handing him his water bottle while drinking from her own. A deal always interested her but one from someone like Jonathan seemed so rare for her.

"I need you to kidnap someone for me, she's getting in the way of my work." Natalie arched an eyebrows but nonetheless nodded her head at his offer.

"What's in it for me?" She stood on the other side of the bar, her arms folded against her chest.

"Nine hundred dollars." Natalie shook her head and for a second, Jonathan thought she was about to reject his offer. He tried to come up with a back up plan as he waited for her to speak.

"How about you take me out on a date instead?" She offered. The question took Jonathan aback at first, wondering why she would decline a good amount of money for a date with him.

He tried to process her question, wondering if she was serious. "You would rather go out somewhere with me than receive money?"

"If I wanted money, I would rob a bank or kill Bruce Wayne." Jonathan nodded, understanding her point. "Just take me out on a date and I'll kidnap the woman."

"Okay." He agreed, not wanting her to change her mind. "Where to?" Dates were not something he was familiar with, he had only ever been on one.

"That's up to you." She told him, finally taking her seat next to him back. "So, who's this woman anyways?"

"Rachel Dawes."