Labyrinth: A Jeremiah Valeska Story *COMPLETED*

Chapter 39: The Protocal

"Ecco is there to pick you up, she will take you to the safe haven." He said tightly before hanging up. Fear filled my chest as his car pulled up in front of me in a minutes time and I quickly got inside. We had practiced this plenty of times but the fact that it was really happening scared the shit out of me. Ecco drove me to the suite Jeremiah had bought in case the house was no longer safe. The suite was comfortable but small enough so that I would notice if someone broke in. The chances of that were unlikely however because Jeremiah purchased the suite through Ecco, and he made sure to leave no trace that he had any ties to it. Jerome would have no reason to come here, which was Jeremiah's intention. To further throw Jerome off, Jeremiah bought a decoy apartment in another complex building, providing clues to the location so that Jerome would find it. Ecco would then capture Jerome and take him to Jeremiah because Arkham was unable to hold him. He was determined to end his brother's torment and would kill him humanely so that we, as well as the rest of Gotham, could be free of his madness. Ecco made sure I was secure, activating the security system and reminding me to lock the various locks on the door when she left. I was compliant, understanding exactly how this worked and I knew that she had to be with Jeremiah to make sure Jerome didn't kill him first. Once I was alone, I double checked all of the locks and then waited anxiously for Jeremiah's call. It wasn't until 8:00pm that my phone finally rang. I picked my cell up immediately, not even checking who had called. "Baby?" I asked panicked into the phone. "It's okay... I'm here." Jeremiah said and I audibly sighed in relief. "The police visited earlier, they wanted to know why Jerome was looking for me. Somehow Jerome's accomplices were able to sneak in through my labyrinth, Jerome had remembered the layout from my obsession with mazes as a kid... They were able to escape with him." He said defeatedly. Jerome was once again out in Gotham scheming up a plan to take down his twin. The thought alone sent chills down my spine but what truly scared me is that we hadn't expected Jerome to escape. "It will be okay Jeremiah... We'll just have to come up with a new way to catch him." I comforted, knowing he would figure out a back up plan quickly, as he was determined to ensure our safety. "I'm working on that... You just stay where you are. Don't leave for anything. The fridge should be stocked with food and anything else you may need Ecco can get for you. I need to make sure you are safe..." His voice was strained and I knew he was stressed. "Hey... I love you. Hold on to that, okay?" I soothed him and I wished so badly to be at his side, helping to ease his worry. "I love you too... I'll call you tomorrow. Don't answer the door if it's not Ecco's knock." He reminded me. "I know, goodnight my husband." I said and I pictured him smiling on the other line, miles and miles away from me. "Goodnight, my wife." He responded and I beamed, feeling less alone as we ended the call. The promise of a future with someone could make the waiting more bearable and as I spent the night in the safe haven I slept knowing that Jeremiah and I would be safe soon. Once Jerome was dead we could finally live.