Labyrinth: A Jeremiah Valeska Story *COMPLETED*

Chapter 20: The New Start

The following summer was quite eventful. Jeremiah began working as a building engineer for Meyer & Hayes, the top construction company in Gotham. He hired a proxy, I still hadn't met whoever it was yet, but he used them to work with the company without revealing himself in public regularly. On his first project, Jeremiah made enough money to buy himself a house in which he began his own renovations. He told me he was taking "precautionary measures" to ensure that Jerome could never penetrate it if he were to find him. He never failed to amaze me at how much he could accomplish in such a short amount of time. That fall, I roomed with Ella again, the familiar campus seeming incomplete without seeing Jeremiah everyday. He was instead far across town and I would miss him so much I would go spend the night at his house the first couple of weeks of school. I felt guilty after the third week and I decided I would pretend to be okay to give Jeremiah a break. This strategy backfired and I ended up calling him one night in tears because I had held it in for too long. "Lilly?" Jeremiah answered and when it took too long for me to respond he spoke again, this time with more concern. "Is everything okay?" He asked and I held my breath to keep the sob from bursting out. "Yeah. I'm fine..." I forced, trying to hide the wavering emotion in my voice. He didn't miss it though. "Baby, I know you're not fine." He said and I broke. "I miss you..." I sobbed into the phone, having pretended all week that I was feeling better and when he checked up I would tell him how great things were going. But the truth was, classes were a lot harder this year and it was hard not having him there alongside me to support me. "Lilly, listen to me, okay? You can always talk to me on the phone or come and visit me anytime you would like. I've been busy with work lately but I will always make time for you." He comforted and I sniffled. "O-Okay... I love you." I said, wiping my tears and willing myself to not be so destroyed over our physical separation. "I love you too." Jeremiah said and I could tell he was still worried. "I'll be okay, it's just been hard without you here." I admitted. "I know baby... I'm just a call away." He answered and I smiled at how sweet he was about everything. Most boyfriends would get annoyed with their girlfriend when they're upset but Jeremiah was always caring and understanding. We ended up talking all night until we both fell asleep, neither of us having hung up. The next morning Ella gave me a strict talking to. "I'm sick of seeing you mope around, yes I miss Xander too but it's not the end of the world! You need to get some of your independence back I think you've spent a little too much time with him this summer!" Ella called me out and I sat there stunned at first. "Your right, I haven't been myself lately and I'm sorry. I'm working on it, I don't want to be sad all the time, I just- I feel like a part of me is missing." I said dramatically. Ella rolled her eyes. "Okay, you and I are going on an Xander cleanse. You are too attached to him and these stupid rules he put in place for what purpose?" She asked incredulously, not understanding why I rarely went out with her anymore. "It's for my own protection." Was all I told her and she did not look convinced in the slightest. "I just don't understand when he became so controlling over you, we need to break those chains girl! You and I are going to go do something fun everyday this week until you start acting like my best friend again!" Ella declared and I knew I had little say in the matter. I suppose it would be nice to do something besides school, which was all that I had been doing considering I never left campus. I knew that I would be putting myself in danger, and Jeremiah would not be happy about Ella's "detox" plan. But I had felt lost for the past month and I really needed to get out of St. Ignatius and find myself again. I practically signed my death sentence as I looked at Ella. "Okay, fine I'll try." I caved and she smiled victorious. "I'll have you good as new in no time!" She proclaimed and I hoped she was right. I needed the fiery girl who picked fights with her classmates on the first day of school back. That girl would not let herself get bent out of shape because her boyfriend was no longer going to the same school as her. I was determined to bring her back.

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Okay guys can we talk about how great the last episode of Gotham was?! Jeremiah was hot as fuck and Ecco was Harley and I am LIVING for it! I'm so excited to write Jeremiah when he becomes the joker in this story! What did you guys think?
-m