I See You | Nygmakins

I See You

"I can't believe you shot that guy," Jim Gordon says. "He had taken you out back to kill you. He was military, Lee. Highly trained, just like Eduardo. How in the world did you ever do it?"

"My life was in danger. I took him out," Lee answers with a shrug as if it's no big deal, still as strong as the Queen of the Narrows she once was.

Ed had never doubted her resolve.

In fact, he'd been pacing in the hallway, wanting to talk to Lee alone, working up the courage to break up Jim and Lee's little tete-a-tete.

"Ed, get in here," Jim commands once he notices him.

"Yeah, um, I need Lee's help to retrieve a file," he says entering the office swiftly, but then he pauses to take a good look at her. It's the first time they've actually locked eyes since they had stabbed each other in The Narrows, months ago. No one else notices it, but he actually trembles under her gaze. He adjusts his glasses and clears his throat to regain some composure before saying, "Sorry to take her away from you, Jim."

"What's this file for?" He growls, displeased with the interruption. He had just been on the verge of finding out what had happened to Lee – how she had overpowered that man, unarmed.

"It's for Lucius," Ed answers him, annoyed. "Now can we just get on with it?"

Lee stands up. "Of course."

Jim starts to protest, begins to stand up himself.

"You stay here, Jim." It almost sounds like she's chastising him. "It's for Lucius. It must be important."

"It is," Ed says with a firm nod. He can't help but remember the last time he truly saw this man - before the fall of Gotham - when he had been terrified, helpless on a cold metal slab, the controls of the hydraulic press that had been pinning him to it in the hands of Gotham's very best villain, The Riddler. For a brief shining moment, he had held Jim Gordon's life in his hands.

But then she had found a way to make him give that up, that formidable Queen of The Narrows he knew all too well - the one her ex didn't know at all. He couldn't see her for who she really was – and he never would.

Lee enters the Records Annex ahead of Ed. She places her hands on one of the tall filing cabinets. "So, what file are we looking for?"

"This one," he growls.

Before she knows it, he has her pressed against that file cabinet, hard. Something sharp is poking up into her ribs just below her breast and his hand is around her neck.

"I take it that's the file then," she says calmly – too calmly. It's a bluff – he can feel her heart race, pressed up against his back.

"Yup. I believe I made this one in Arkham. Kept it as a souvenir." Ed pauses and leans in to breathe upon her neck, draw in her scent. "It has sentimental value, shall we say."

"Really?" she responds breathily. He's not sure if she's afraid – or excited. "Do you always keep knives on you?"

Her only answer is his hot breath pulsing faster upon her skin.

"Oh, I think I feel one in your pocket now," she says cheekily, but her voice is trembling.

He turns her around to face him and swiftly has her pressed against the file cabinets once more, his shank under her chin this time. She's flushed - he's betting it's from excitement.

"I see you, Lee. No one else does."

"What do you mean?"

"Can Jim Gordon get your heart racing like this?" He presses his entire body into her. "Can he make you tremble like this?"

"You're scaring me, Ed."

"Am I?"

"Yes . . ?" she squeaks. He can't tell if that's an affirmative or a question, but he's not sure it matters.

"I can provide you with the danger you desire. Jim always fell short in that department as I recall."

"Could you please remove that knife from my neck?"

"Why?" he asks as he notices Lee take in a breath and flush even hotter.

"Because it -" A weird look crosses her face. "Because you're turning me on, okay? And we just broke up . . . That's kind of weird."

Ed removes the knife from her neck, steps away from her and says 'gotcha' before he pockets it.

"That's it?" Lee asks, astounded.

"Yep," Ed answers. "Let's go back. Oh, wait, we need to select a file that looks convincing for Jim."

As they come back up to Jim's office, Ed hands the file off to Lee. "Here you go."

"Don't you want to come in with me?"

"And watch you and that meat puppet reminisce about the good old days when you were someone else entirely? No thank you."

"Ed, wait." She reaches for him, but he walks off.

"You got the file then?" Jim asks her as she walks in.

"Yup."

"Okay, now I've secured a safe house that you can stay at for the time being - one that should provide you adequate protection. . ."

Lee's not listening, she's pretending to look at the file, all the while keeping an eye out for any sign of Ed. She realizes that Jim really doesn't do it for anymore - not at all. The differences between him and Ed are astounding. She can't believe how much things have changed since she was first here. She had found Jim adorable and irresistible while Ed went virtually unnoticed, right under her nose.

"Ed!" she calls out the second she catches a glimpse of him.

He pokes his head in. "What's up?"

She holds up the file. "I've been looking this over, Ed, and I think we need to find another one."

"Another one?" He looks perplexed – the file had just been a ruse.

"Yep. I can't find what I want here." Unceremoniously, she hands the file to Jim. "Let's go, Ed. Those file cabinets looked promising. Especially the low ones."

"Did they now?" Ed can't help but smile.

Jim gives both of them an odd look as they leave his office. Fortunately for him, he does not see the love of his life grab that villain's hand as they sprint back to the Records Annex together. Giggling.

He'll never be able to see her.

FIN