The Black Rose (a Batman fanfic)

Chapter Thirteen: Plan and Scheme

This chapter is dedicated to 1cefire for being the coolest person on earth. And for liking my story, even when I was not so sure about it.

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Prison food tastes horrible. Kind of like rancid socks that have been buried in garbage and then unearthed, only to be peed on by a demon dog. Yeah, it's that bad. Well, at least at Arkham Asylum. But despite its nastiness, it kept Rose alive.

To add to the sucky things that happened to Rose while at Arkham, Joker wouldn't let Ivy come see her anymore. So, Rose's only company was Jonathan most of the time. And that was only because he worked down there. Most of her time was spent staring at Jonathan while he wrote things down or he was trying to perfect his latest formula. She began noticing small things about him, like, when he was frustrated he would sit back and rub his temples, then suddenly he would just let out a frustrated yell. Or like, when he was happy, which was very rare, he would simply smirk to himself.

Occasionally, Jonathan would catch Rose staring at him. He would simply smirk, which, consequently, caused Rose to grow extremely pink and look away. He almost enjoyed the attention.

He hardly spoke a word to her, but when he did, it was soft and almost kind. Which, of course, surprised Rose very much. She had always thought of Jonathan to be cold, but he obviously had a soft spot for her.

On this occasion, he brought lunch down to the lab while he worked. As he ate small bites of his sandwich, he would steal a glance at Rose. At that point, she was eyeing the sandwich and not him. As aforementioned, prison food really sucks, and Rose really liked sandwiches.

He rose to his feet and walked to her cell, carrying half of his sandwich.

"Here," he said, sticking it through the bars.

Rose quickly grabbed the sandwich and stuck half of it in her mouth. She was ravenous since she only ate as much food to keep herself alive.

"Whoa, slow down," Jonathan tutted, a smile playing at his lips, "You'll make yourself sick,"

"Well, Jonathan, when you have nothing to eat but cold mush that smells like feet, you too may engulf a sandwich very quickly," she said as she took another, slightly smaller, bite, "thanks, by the way,"

"It's my pleasure, Rose," he answered. Hearing him use her name sent shivers down her spine. She could get used to that.

"Wow, Jonathan. You know my first name," she feigned surprise.

"Yes, Rose and I find it quite lovely," he added. He takes her hand through the bars and pulls it out to plant a small kiss on it.

Rose turns bright pink and her stomach is full of butterflies. She's not sure why he's being so nice, but she sure is enjoying it.

"Why, Jonathan. If I didn't know you, I'd think you were being flirtatious." She giggled.

"Maybe I am." At this point, he sounded completely serious. His eyes portrayed a look of wanting. His eyes pleaded for love. He just wanted to be loved.

'Please cut the crap, Johnny. You're killin' me,' Scarecrow complained.

'I guess you'll have to suffer through,' Jonathan answered defiantly. For once, he felt in control.

"Jonathan, are you being serious?" Rose questioned, hoping not to have her heart broken. She was indeed in love with him, but did he feel the same?

"Yes, very much so," he answered, his eyes boring into hers.

Slowly they both drifted closer until their lips met through the bars. Unlike their first kiss, this was soft and sweet. It sent a jolt of lightning through them both. They parted lips and rested their foreheads together, savoring the moment.

Jonathan looked, could it be, happy?

"I've gotta get outta here, Jonathan," Rose whispered.

"I know, but Joker keeps the keys with him at all times," Jonathan said, lifting his forehead off hers to make eye contact.

"We've gotta come up with a plan. I'm going to die if I don't get out soon. Unless you plan on sharing all your sandwiches." She joked.

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Joker stood in the doorway, just in the shadows. He could see everything going on. His lips curled up into a smile. Everything was going according to plan.

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"Master Wayne, I insist you get out of the house. Get some fresh air, go to dinner, just please, you can't sit here any longer." Alfred pleaded.

Bruce lifted the glass up to his lips again, taking a large swig.

"I've told you, Alfred. There's no reason to go out anymore." Bruce answered. He set the glass on the side table. He laid his head back on the armchair. This was Rose's favorite chair. She would sit for hours and just read. Alfred would even bring her lunch while she read.

"Bruce, you can't just stay holed up here forever. Life is passing you by!" Alfred said.

"She was my life! And just like Rachel, she's gone! I should've killed the Joker when I had the chance," Bruce's change of tone frightened Alfred.

"Fine, Master Wayne. But just know, you still have friends, people who care for you. Don't waste that." He said exiting the room.

Bruce knew, deep down, that Alfred was right. But he still couldn't do it, he missed her too much.

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I have been inspired, people! I actually like this chapter. Hope you do too! Please comment/vote!!!!

I love you all bb's,Someone who loves to write ♡