𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑 || jerome valeska

𝐢𝐱. 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃.

    One month ago Barbra Lincoln broke her brother out of Arkham Asylum. Every news station in the area was covering it, talking about it, and showing clips of what her brother has done in the past. She ignored every call she got from her mother, father, friends, other family members, even her beloved Uncle Ed Nygma.

She would clutch her phone to her chest whenever she would decline a call from that clever riddle minded man. She wanted to talk to him so badly that it tore her apart. Eventually the police got involved, she couldn't imagine what Jim Gordon was going through. He knows what type of girl Barbra is, and knew she would confess sometime soon.

But she broke her brother out of Arkham! Plus she's hiding him and she killed four men in the process of doing so. That's nearly three laws she's broken, maybe more. She feels okay with killing people, it's the consequences she's worried about. Thinking about it made her chest and heart burn. She needed time to think about it, she needed someone to make her feel all right again, she didn't want to be around her brother right now.

Nygma. Was the first name that popped into her head. He would be okay with me staying at his place, right? Barbra thought, but her brain confused her.

Barbra takes out her phone and looks at Ed's contact name. Eddie Spaghetti. She clicks the call button and it begins to ring.
    "Barbra," he says happily worried.
    "Eddie, I need your help. I'm sure you've heard, it's been all over the news," she says.
    "Yes, I've been trying to contact you for days, so has your mother and father!"
    "You can't tell anybody, please, Eddie."
    He didn't say anything for a couple of seconds. "You have my word." His voice came out as a mellow whisper.
    "Thank you. Also, when can I come over?"

—

    Barbra packs up her things since Ed is letting her spend the night or as long as she needed. She's excited to get to finally spend some quality time with him even if it meant he went down with her in the process. Packing didn't take long and she turns off the house lights for the last time. The blonde covers herself in a black hood and retrieves her bag full of clothes. She gets in her car and drives to Nygma's apartment building. Hours earlier Barbra calls to tell her brother she's leaving, that she won't know when she'll see him again but to stay hidden and safe—having him on her back made her act up and made her anxious out of her mind. No more trouble.

—

    By the time Barbra makes it to Ed's apartment, it's 10:17am. She caught him just in time, he hadn't left for work yet. Ed greets her in, wraps her in a hug and says, "I'm so glad you're okay." Barbra thanks him and in doing so, she took in the view of his small cozy home.
    "Make yourself at home. Eat something, I'm sure you're famished." He says politely. He takes her coat and bag and sets them both off to the side.
    "There's no need to spoil me, Ed, but thank you." The blonde replies with a smile. He nods.

    "Well, I best be off to work. I'll see you in a while. I will be home around 9 or later. There's leftovers in the fridge if you get hungry." He leaves after giving Barbra a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

    Barbra takes off her shoes and places them next to the door, where Ed's other shoes are. She walks over to the television and kneels down in front of it. She turns the knobs and pushes buttons until she finds the news channel. She wants to see if they were still talking about Owen.

    "Recent events have shown that someone has broken Barbra Kean, Jerome Valeska, and a few other inmates out of Arkham Asylum. Right now, one of the inmates is dropping bodies from the top of Gotham Gazette. All victims have been reported to be in straight jackets and to have red spray paint spelling out words. Here's a clip."

Barbra sits back watching, her face still right in front of the small screen. They play the clip of an inmate dropping and throwing bodies off the building. It indeed spells out words, one word at most: 'MANIAX!' The camera pans up toward the top of the building where the suspects are. The first person she sees is a tall, bald, muscular man in a black and white striped jumpsuit. Then she saw him. His name is too vial to speak, but she finds him so truly fascinating.

Barbra turns the channel, she now has all the information she needs from the news. After a few flips, on came The Breakfast Club, one of her favorite movies. She smiles happily and makes friends with the sofa.

—

    When the many movies that played were over, Barbra's stomach grumbles out of hunger. She gets up and walks over to the fridge full of food.
    "Ed sure does like to stack up on food even if he lives alone." Barbra says aloud to herself as she closes the door. He does enjoy cooking though. She knows he will eventually spoil her with his delightful cooking.

She sat back on the couch and ate away at the left over Chinese. She throws away the box and chopsticks once she's finished. She hits her fist against her chest lightly to release a burp. Her blue eyes avert toward the clock that hangs on the wall, it read: 3:27pm. Barbra stretches out on the couch and yawns. Time sure does fly by.

Ed's bed is out in the open, there was no other room that it could have gone in. Barbra takes the blanket she uses from beforehand while on the couch and lays atop the neatly made bed. The dim lights that came through the wide rectangular windows only made Barbra fall asleep faster.

—

    Barbra could be a light sleeper and she wishes nothing would have disturbed her right then, but something did. Her blue eyes shoot open, something broke in the house. Maybe a lamp? she wonders. The room's dark and her eyes hadn't fully adjusted to it. She looks at the clock, once again, with squinting eyes: 11:43pm.

    "W-Who's there," she finally asks through the eerie darkness. There's no reply. "If your here to kill me, get it over with already."
    "Oh, I'm not here to kill you, Angle Face." A raspy voice calls out.

    The blonde sits quietly, her arms turned to jelly while holding herself up. "Then what the hell do you want?" She asks. She heard foot steps shuffle across the floor.
    "Oh but to take you home, my lovely." The voice is now next to her ear. She shivers and tries to swat the person away but he's no longer there.

The footsteps prance back to where they previously were. Barbra hangs her feet over the side of the bed and takes a stand. She found the edge of Ed's bed and held herself there.

    "You don't mind if I kidnap you...do you?" The dark figure wonders. Barbra can see the smile on his face even through the black. She assumes he's seated in Nygma's favorite arm chair. "I was wondering because...," he clicks on the light. "Because well, it's Gotham."
    "My Uncle would notice." She responds calmly, her body now pressed against the bed frame, arms crossed.

Barbra sees his face now. Her heart races in her chest when she first saw him. The same old fiery red hair, freckles, and those captivating blue-green eyes.
    "Okay good, also... I just want to say, I do remember you from the day you worked at Arkham. I lied that day and well, you remember what I said. But I, in-fact, remember you from the circus. I'm no idiot, Ms. Barbra Lincoln."

Barbra smiles and walks over to the ginger. He sits back when she moves closer. She sits in his lap, her arms now wrapped around his neck.
    "Well, shall we?" She asks.
    "Shall we what," he asks confused. Barbra rolls her eyes. "Only joking, Angel Face."

He laughs maniacally, picks her up bridal style, and walks out the door with no trace behind, only Barbra's suitcase full of clothes remain.

—

AUTHOR'S NOTE!
    i loved writing this. have a wonderful day/night!