My Deadly Mistake (Jerome Valeska/Gotham FanFiction) [Book 1]

Prologue

The young mother stood with her little girl, waiting for the train. She glanced around nervously. It was a busy day, which was good. A crowd meant that it would be harder for him to find them if he figured out what she was doing. She held herself against the cold wind that blew on a bleak, gray, winter day. She glanced down at her little girl. The little one was oblivious to the cold air, all of her attention focused on the doll she held. A doll that her father had given her. The young mother sighed. She realized what she was doing was dangerous, but it was a risk that she was willing to take.

It was a risk that she knew if she took, it would mean a better life for both her and her little girl. She had to get away from him, she had to take her little girl away from her father. He was no ordinary man. He was insane, psychotic, he was a criminal. He had done things that were by no means rational. He was a scary man, he could kill a man without so much as blinking an eye. He was a man that all women would fear. Yet, she had not. She had found herself attracted to him the moment they had met. There was something about his rogue charm, his charisma, and his looks that had drawn her to him. The beginning of their relationship had been passionate with always that hint of danger, which she had grown addicted too. Early on, she realized that he would be the death of her, but she didn't care. The only thing that mattered to her was him. She felt that nothing could change that.

Until she had her little girl. She glanced down at her daughter, who was now singing a song of her own composing. From the moment she first held her daughter after giving birth, she realized that she had been blessed with something special. At that moment, she made a promise to herself that she would raise this special girl to the best of her abilities, willing to make any sacrifice in order to do what was best for her.

As her little girl grew, she didn't know what that sacrifice would be, if it would even be necessary. But then it became apparent. At first she didn't want to accept it. She had fought with herself, trying to find another way, but it became clear that there was no other way. She realized that the life she was living was by no means the life that her little girl deserved to be raised in. She couldn't stay with him. One day he would walk out the door and not come back, whether that would be because he was sent to prison, or because he had been killed by his criminal rivals. She herself could lose her life just by being associated with him, being that she was sent to prison or killed. Or even if that didn't happen, what would he possibly teach her? How to hold a knife? How to kill someone with a gun? How to kill without the slightest bit of remorse? No. She couldn't let that happen.

As much as it pained her to leave what she would call the "love of her life", she knew she would have to do it. So she had prepared to run away. It was risky. If he had the slightest idea of what she was planning, there was no telling what he would do. She glanced at her wrist watch, the train would be there any minute. She wanted it to hurry up and arrive, she just wanted to board it and get away from him.

"Mama?"

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Where are we going? And why isn't Daddy with us?" Her little girl looked up at her, her brown eyes wide.

Before she could answer, she heard the blaring horn from the train. Her little girl heard it too, and she forgot about her question as she was overwhelmed with excitement at seeing the train. She was soon hopping up and down, pulling her mother behind her. At least she could avoid answering that question for now.

They soon boarded the train, much to her mother's relief. Her little girl sat across from her, smiling at the idea of riding a "really big train".

"Sweetheart I want you to promise me something. Promise me that you will never fall in love with a boy who does bad things." It was stupid promise to be asking of a little girl who still had no concept of what love could be between a man and a woman. But she wanted to hear it. She just wanted something that would tell her that her little girl would not grow up and make the same mistake she made.

"Yes Mama I promise! I will fall in love with someone like...like...the princes in the stories you read to me! No bad men for me Mama! I promise!"

~ This is my first time writing anything ever so I would love to hear what people think of this! Don't worry, Jerome will be around very soon! I'm busy with college but I'm going to try to update as much as I can! :D ~