Labyrinth: A Jeremiah Valeska Story *COMPLETED*

Chapter 46: The Return

I waited for hours upon hours, dreading my husband's return. After seeing the clock tower fall, I couldn't bring myself to continue watching Jeremiah's destruction. I instead decided to wander around the new house to get my mind off of it all. It was spacious yet far simpler than our old home. There was a large main room at the entrance that lead into the kitchen. There was then a large staircase leading up to a penthouse-like view. The bedroom was so large that there was space for a bed and also for a couch and living area. The bathroom was equip with a walk-in shower and a jacuzzi style bathtub. Gone were the mazes and trap doors that were intended to confuse Jerome. Jeremiah no longer had a reason to hide and therefore he had no use for his old gimmicks. The space was completely furnished and decorated, further indicating that he had been planning this "move" for a while now. I wondered if he had bought this place before his transition. His words echoed in my head, carved into my skull. "You promised you wouldn't run."  My eyes drifted down to the ring on my finger. The diamonds still shined just as beautifully as they had the day he proposed to me. I couldn't help but smile at the memory, there is such giddiness and excitement when tying yourself to someone else. One never predicts that the person that they love will change, especially not as much as Jeremiah has. From Xander, to Jeremiah, and now someone else. He was the master of metamorphosis, and I always found myself trying to catch up to the new version of himself before me. But I was far behind now, left in the dust and ruins of the love of my life. Those scorching green eyes, the way they dismiss and demean me. My husband would have never done that. I was his equal, his partner in life. Yet now I was his prisoner. There were no windows downstairs and I couldn't help but wonder why since there was such a big view upstairs. I couldn't tell where the house was located, but I knew it was far enough from the city to see all of Gotham. I thought that perhaps the front yard would give me some clue to where I was. I tried the front door, finding that it was locked from the outside. Typical. I searched around the kitchen for the key, but I knew that I would have little luck. Jeremiah was always very good at hiding things, and I was not used to being out of the loop. I decided that I would have to wait for his return. He had underestimated me before, I was not weak minded. I would coax him into revealing the key to me, no matter the cost. I just knew I needed to get away from him, I had spent too long in hiding to be trapped again. But Jeremiah did not return until the next night. By that time I had mapped every inch of the house searching for the key and a way out. Something must have not gone the way he had planned as Gotham was still standing and I hadn't seen any bombs had go off since the one in the clock tower. I wondered if perhaps he had been caught by the cops, and I was unsure how I would get myself out of this house in the case that he didn't return. It seemed like torture to think that perhaps I would be stuck here without any hope of escape, but I tried to remain hopeful. I was fixing up the area on the couch I had slept on, folding the red blanket as I looked out into the city. The calm before the storm. There was suddenly a horrible splitting noise, and my eyes quickly found the source as the bridges of Gotham collapsed in flames. My entire body froze, my stomach churning. There had been hundreds of people on those bridges... Gotham was now completely isolated from the outside world, a dark island controlled by a mad man. I couldn't will myself to keep watching so I busied myself by going downstairs and preparing dinner, knowing I didn't have the appetite to eat right now. I set my plate down at the table, ready for the struggle of convincing myself that food was necessary to keep me strong despite my emotions. Then I heard the key twist the lock to the front door open an in came Jeremiah. His face was badly bruised and beaten and he had a bandage around his shoulder. "Oh my God! What happened?" I said hurriedly, forgetting my dinner and rushing to him to assess his injuries. I helped him get to a chair at the table, my eyes scrutinizing his wounds. "Im fine Lilly... Just a couple injuries on the job." He said calmly but I was anything but calm. My first priority was the bandage with blood seeping through it and as I went to lift it to see the wound underneath, he stopped me. "It's okay, Ecco already took care of that one." He said and I couldn't help that, despite everything, the thought of her mending him made my blood boil. "It was a bullet wound." He further explained and I felt a little better, knowing I wouldn't have known what to do. I went and grabbed some frozen peas out of the freezer and hesitantly placed it to his face. His left eye was swollen shut, his lip was busted, and there were various dark bruises on his face. Who had done this to him? The police? Or perhaps another criminal? I could feel his intense gaze on me and I remained focused on the task at hand. "You're trembling..." Jeremiah pointed out, but it wasn't a jab but rather an observation. I took a deep breath. "Yeah that happens when you're husband turns into a murdering psychopath." I said bluntly and I expected him to lash out at my choice of words, but he didn't. He just continued to look at me, and I found myself meeting his gaze. "I assure you Lilly that I do feel empathy... For Gotham, and for you." He voiced as his hand covered mine that was holding the ice pack to his face. No matter how much I didn't want it to, his touch steadied me. "How can that be possible after what you've done?" I asked, feeling my eyes water even though I was so tired of crying. God this was so hard. "Because I still love you Lilly... I'll never stop loving you. But love makes me weak, and that's why I've hidden you away, for your own safety. I have made many enemies in Gotham over the past two days... And I don't want you getting dragged into any of it." Jeremiah said sincerely and I shook my head. "It's too late for that, Jeremiah. I am an accomplice to murder now. How am I supposed to return to school? How am I supposed to show my face when everyone knows that I am the wife of a killer?" I cried out, my worst fears on display and I found it incredibly difficult to be vulnerable with someone I wasn't sure would appreciate my honesty. He thought for a moment before he responded. "You will stay here for now, eventually we will come up with a plan but perhaps it is best if you don't return to St. Ignatius." He concluded and then I pulled away from him, removing the ice and creating some much needed space between us. "No Jeremiah! You may be able to lock me up in this house and keep me out of Gotham's eyes for now, but you will not prevent me from completing my education. I won't let you do that to me. Understand?" I said firmly, surprising both him and myself at how I was suddenly ordering him around. He seemed to appreciate it though and a smirk spread across his lips. "As you wish." Jeremiah began. "I am impressed with you Lilith, I shouldn't have said what I did before. You have a very strong will and mind, and I'll be damned if anyone were to take that away from you." He continued and I felt a bit of pride swell in my chest. Maybe I had more control over him that I had initially thought. "And what about the key to the house? I refuse to be a prisoner to anyone and I would like to see my surroundings, get some fresh air and sunlight every once and a while." I tried, maintaining my authoritative voice. Jeremiah chuckled in return. "Nice try Lilly, but I know you aren't ready for that. The second I give you the key, you'll leave. And we've established that you are going to keep your promise to me." He said before standing up. "But to aid your curiosity I'll open it just this once for you." He revealed as he went over to the door, taking the key from the inner pocket in his blazer. He twisted it unlocked and then opened the door. My heart sank at the sight. The exit to the house led to an elaborate stone maze, tall enough to not be able to climb above it and long enough to keep people from entering or escaping. I should have known better than to believe that Jeremiah's fascination with these puzzles died along with his soul when he was sprayed by Jerome's insanity gas. Instead, it was as if every personality trait was heightened. His darkness, his love for me, and his capacity to build very complex things. I was truly stuck, even if I managed to escape I would then have to make my way out of the maze without getting lost or him catching me. I couldn't run.
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Hey guys I am so sorry I have been MIA lately, I have been very busy and in the process I lost inspiration and was desperately trying to find it again but no worries I found it but I am still writing so I'll publish the chapters each when I complete them! Sorry for the wait! Enjoy!
-m