Professor Fear (the sequel) - Jonathan Crane

Chapter 27

Jonathan was as careful as possible with Daria on the way back and once in back in the house.

He didn't want to say or do anything that would hurt her again.

Daria could sense this.

When she was getting changed in the bedroom, Jonathan gave her privacy. He knocked on the door when he wanted to come and change into a clean suit.

When he entered the room, Daria was there holding his briefcase which she extended to him. Their hands brushed during the exchange.

"Sorry I didn't mean to touch-" Jonathan began, moving his hand and briefcase away from her. Daria interrupted his apology by grabbing the briefcase from him again, putting it down on the floor and wrapping her arms around him.

"I love you Daria, I'm so sorry,"

She didn't reply. She just wanted to melt into his embrace and stay like that for hours. She wanted to listen to his heartbeat and breath.
She wanted to feel that she was loved.

"How do we know where The Joker will be?" She forced herself to break the hug and get back to business. She sorted through her black bag to find an outfit which would allow good mobility. Then, much to Jonathan's gratefulness, she placed her clothes back in the drawers they had spent the past few months in.

"I'll call Ivy; she keeps tabs on where Harley is," Jonathan began dialling. It went straight to voicemail. "Hi, could you come over soon, need to talk," He put his phone on the dresser. "It took us ages to convince her to carry a phone in her coat, she usually doesn't carry anything on her."
Not even clothes. Daria thought to herself.

If the overhanging of the earlier misery was not present in the house, it would have seemed that everything had gone back to normal. Every physical item in the house was as it normally was.
Jonathan got changed into his suit. When he dropped his tie. He crouched down to pick it up, noticing a large bottle in Daria's bag.
She was day-drinking again.
Daria had a long on and off history with alcohol. As her professor, he had seen her come into class and hand in assignments with breath that could commercially promote vodka.
Jonathan felt the well in his stomach becoming deeper by the thought that he had triggered her to get drunk in the middle of the day. Thankfully she didn't seem completely out of her depth drunk at this time.

Jonathan swore he would willingly stick to being 'goody-two-shoes' for Daria. He went downstairs to where she was in the kitchen, slowly eating a sandwich. His speaking of her name was interrupted by a melodic tapping on the door.

Daria left her last bites of sandwich and checked the peephole to see who was there.
The door was un-latched, and Poison Ivy walked in looking extremely satisfied with herself.
"So, I hear you two had a bit of drama this morning and that it's given me an excuse to mess with the Joker," She extended her arms, letting sharp thorny vines grow and dance around her. "Where do we begin?"