Stitches || Scarecrow

Ch.8

It was night when Julia finally located Jonathan's house. It was in the Narrows of Gotham, which she kind of expected. But she wasn't afraid as she walked through the streets. One glance from her sent everybody going the other way. The stitches helped, it probably made her look like a serial killer.

But now as she stood on Jonathon's doorstep, she hesitated with her fist raised. Is this really what she wanted to do?

...

Jonathan meanwhile was trying to work on writing one of his new formulas upstairs in his study, but nothing seemed to be able to make it work.

He sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. He still wore his black suit from earlier, he hadn't bothered to change out of it yet. He wasn't tired, but exhausted.

Jonathan sighed again. But this time in annoyance. He was distracted and he knew why. He couldn't stop thinking about his recent patient. Her mind had intrigued him greatly, and maybe a bit of her beauty. Even locking her up in an asylum for years, didn't make her look like a zombie, like some other unfortunate patients. She was quite something.

Suddenly a ringing sound went throughout the whole house.

"Who would ring the doorbell this late?" Jonathan muttered as he walked down the stairs.

He opened the door, and was surprised to see the woman that he was just thinking about, standing on his doorstep, with stitches trailing down her cheeks. He only blinked in shock as she took him in too. He tried to say something but was absolutely speechless.

...

"Um... Could I come in?" Julia hesitantly asked.

Jonathan nodded after a long second. She gave him a small smile as she went into the living room. It was so much plainer than hers, but actually kind of more homey with worn in furniture.

She turned towards Jonathan as he closed the door. They stared at each other in silence; studying each other. She noticed he wasn't wearing his glasses, which seemed to make him look more... Handsome.

Julia also could see his eyes study her. His eyes lingering on her face for a second longer too. She suddenly felt subconscious of her stitches.

He cleared his throat. "You look different."

"Yeah." she said slowly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

She sat on one side of the brown couch, as he sat opposite her. His hands were folded in his lap. His face looked conflicted.

He reached out a hand to her. "May I?" he asked awkwardly.

Julia hesitantly nodded as his fingers stroked one row of stitches. She leaned into his hand a bit, and he smiled a small smile. But it vanished a second later as he seemed to have an internal conversation with himself. Jonathan withdrew his hand.

"Can I ask why you're here?" his voice turned slightly cold. His eyes now calculated.

"I wanted to see you." She bit her lip, realising how ridiculous that sounded.

"You wanted to see me?" he repeated smirking. But his eyes were puzzled.

"I wanted to make a deal with you."

He tilted his head to the side.

Julia continued, "I found out who I am, but not quite. And I know that sounds confusing, but that's the only way I can explain it. So I thought if we could continue our sessions like we did at Arkham, maybe i'd figure out the missing part of me."

"Then why didn't you just stay at Arkham?" he asked curiously.

"If I hadn't left, I would never have found out about who I was inside. Partially from escaping, helped me figure us out."

"Us?"

"Um... I guess I could call it a voice in my head that was actually my other half that I couldn't accept."

The only word to describe Jonathan at the moment was extremely stumped. He seemed to be struggling for his next words. "Does that voice in your head have a name? Like Ragdoll for instance?"

Julia blinked in surprise, but then remembered their last session together. "Yes... yes it does."

Jonathan nodded slowly. "But what's the point of making a deal if I don't get anything out of it?" he asked simply.

"I will allow you to test on me with your so called medicine."

"Why?" his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You might not know this Crane, but some people want to master their fears. And some will go to extreme measures to do so."

"So your desperate." he stated.

Julia reluctantly nodded. "I am."

"And if I say I'm not interested."

"We both know you are." she smirked.

He smiled back. "Ok then. Are you willing to start tomorrow around midnight?"

"Sure." she said confidently.

"And you do know you can't break off our deal, right? No matter how much it scares you?"

Julia nodded. "I can do this." She said firmly.

They both got up as he led her to the door. She paused once stepping outside and turned around to face him. "Till tomorrow then."

"Yes." he agreed. "But please call me Jonathan. It seems like we're one step up from patient and doctor."

She smiled and nodded. "Jonathan." she said trying it out.

"Julia."

Then she turned away and walked into the night. Black boots clicking against the cement. She breathed in the dirty air as she smiled to herself.

Things were finally going her way. For better or for worse.