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

A Ruse

I soon found out that Jerome had been driving since midnight, and I insisted that he take a break and let me drive for a while. He really didn't want to stop, and I would have let him have his way but once I saw his eyes wanting to close I put my foot down.

"Okay ginger that's enough driving. Pull over."

"Baby I'm-"

"Jerome Valeska if you do not pull over this truck this very second you can just forget about tonight."

Jerome turns to look at me and I know he's not taking me seriously by the way his eyes are looking at me. I frown at him, folding my arms across my chest. He raises a red eyebrow at my irritated face, and it's then that I feel the truck slow down. Jerome pulls the truck over, putting it in park.

I hop out of the truck before he can change his mind. I walk over and open the driver's door and tug at Jerome.

"Come on Jerome out!"

He lets out a huff of irritation, as he comes down. I'm about to hop into the driver's seat when his arm comes around my waist and he pulls me in for a kiss.

"Nice try baby, but it's not going to work. You need rest."

Jerome is rubbing his forehead along mine when he says, "That's fine. But tell me something. How are you going to see over the steering wheel, ya know being kind of short and all?"

Jerome lets out a laugh as I push him away. He is still laughing as he walks over to the other side of the truck. I stick my tongue out at him when he isn't looking. He can be such an ass sometimes.

I climb into the driver's seat and begin to adjust the seat and my side mirrors. I'm adjusting the rearview mirror, feeling Jerome's eyes on me. When I look over at him, he is leaning against the door, just watching me.

I give him a small smile as I put the truck back in drive and make my way back on the highway. I love the way he looks at me. I can see all his love and devotion to me in those blue eyes of his. It's something I never thought I would find, well at least this soon in my life.

I know the way back to my small town. My mother and I used to go to Gotham City sometimes for little mother and daughter outings that we used to do.

"Ya know the way baby girl?" Jerome asks, yawning in the process.

"Mhmm hmmm. So why don't you try to rest Jerome? Please?"

I look at him, and I notice something. Something odd. I can see the exhaustion in Jerome's face, but he's fighting it. I can tell. I see his eyes wanting to close, but it's almost like he realizes he's falling asleep and he wakes himself back up. He is pinching the ends of his fingertips, and I can see this struggle on his face.

He's worried about something; I can see it all over his face. It's looks like a fearful kind of worry. That's weird. What could Jerome possibly be afraid of? I'm about to ask him about it, but I'm surprised when asks me, "Rhiannon, can you sing for me?"

"Why?"

"I don't know. Can you just do it for me? Please baby girl?"

I look over at him, and when I look at him he almost looks like a frightened child. In that instant I see a vulnerable Jerome. A scared Jerome.

Does he want me to sing him to sleep? Why is he scared of falling asleep?

"Uh sure J. What do you want me to sing?"

Jerome settles himself in his seat, leaning against the window. He closes his eyes as he says, "Anything baby. Just sing."

With my eyes on the road in front of me, I begin to sing a song that my mother used to sing to me when I would run to her bedroom because I'd had a nightmare. I do my best to let my voice come out as I sing the soothing lyrics.