When Alaska Met Jerome

Break Outs and Break Ins

I was walking down the streets of Gotham, the city slightly warmer than usual for a change. I had just gone to the coffee shop that Potter was always at and was now making my way to Arkham Asylum. I hadn't been to see Jerome in over a week and due to the recent uproar surrounding the building I was a bit worried for him.

Over the past few months we had become closer than I initially thought we'd get. I made a habit of going to see him at least once a week, sometimes more. He'd tell me about his day and what had happened since my last visit, and I would tell him about the world outside of the asylum.

The sudden darkening of the sky pulled me from my thoughts as I scrambled to pull my hood over my head to deflect the rain. As I was attempting all this my phone decided it would be a brilliant time to start ringing.

"Hello?" I asked into the phone.

"Hi, is this Alaska Roum?" The gruff voice on the other end questioned.

"Yes, this is she." I started to get a little weirded out, but decided to hold out and see what this was about.

"This is Detective Jim Gordon, I'm calling about your boyfriend Jerome Valeska." My breath caught in my throat as I heard my boy's name.

"Um-yes um what about him?" I mentally cursed myself for stuttering when I should have been acting cool.

"We're going to need you down at the station to answer a few questions."

"Yes of course, I'll be right there." And with that I hung up the phone and switched my path for the GCPD.

•*•*•*•

I walked through the glass doors of the GCPD where I was met with the gawking stares of Gotham's finest. I assumed they all knew who I was to a certain Arkham inmate.

"Miss. Roum, if you'd follow me to the interrogation room," A man with sandy hair requested. "I'm Detective Gordon by the way. My partner and I have got a few questions regarding your boyfriend's whereabouts."

The detective's statement took me by surprise so much so that I nearly fell trying to sit in my seat. I believed Jerome to be in an asylum, but here was this man telling me they weren't sure where he is.

"I'm sorry, I thought he was at Arkham? I was actually on my way to visit him when I got your call." I switched my gaze to meet the cold stare of Jim Gordon, which conveyed only mistrust.

"And you have no idea where he is?"

"No sir. I didn't even know he had escaped until this conversation. What happened?" He must have believed me because his eyes softened and he began to give me details.

"Earlier this morning there was a break in at the asylum. Six inmates escaped, including Jerome." He looked at me in the way a father would his child, "Do you have any idea of where he could be?"

"No I don't. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help. I've been visiting him for a few months and I was hoping he'd been getting help." I knew that was a lie, Jerome wasn't getting help but at this point I didn't really care.

"Alright, well Detective Bullock will see you out. Thanks for your time."

•*•*•*•

Gotham city was never a safe place, and knowing that Jerome was on the loose didn't make anything any better. Despite knowing that he'd never hurt me I couldn't vouch for the other escapees. That's why my fast walking pace developed into a near sprint on my way home.

When I reached my building I was close to being out of breath which explained the wary looks I received from the people on the ground floor. I hopped into the elevator and pressed the pent house floor, finally able to catch a breath. I knew Potter wouldn't be home, seeing as she was nearly always at Jeremiah's, so I'd have an empty apartment during a time when nobody wanted an empty apartment.

Walking from the elevator to my door I jumped at every little noise and it took me longer than it should've to get into my home. The lights were all out, giving the place a horror movie vibe, but there were no monsters hiding in the shadows when the lights came on. I was all alone with the sickening thought that I wanted my psycho to be waiting for me. I wanted to be where he went when he broke out, but maybe I wasn't that important.

I tried not to dwell on my thoughts for too long, Potter says it's not good for me to let myself get me down, but sometimes it happens. I went around and fixed a cup of chocolate milk and grabbed the nearest bag of chips. I couldn't keep from staring at my phone the entire time I was munching away on my snack. I didn't want to be alone tonight, but I didn't want just anyone's company. I wanted him.

•*•*•*•

I woke up with crumbs in my hair and half a bag of chips on my lap. The sunlight was streaming in from the balcony windows, but something was causing a shadow to appear on the floor. My first thought was Potter, but then I remembered that she was off with her boy toy. I looked over in the direction of where the shadow had been only to discover it was gone. I scanned the room, looking for the source of the mystery but was left only with more questions. A breeze was coming from the aforementioned balcony windows which I only just noticed were slightly ajar.

Wrapping the blanket, that had somehow made its way over me in the middle of the night, around myself I began to investigate. I searched the entirety of the first floor of the apartment before moving onto the upstairs. The only open door was mine, which was disturbing seeing as I had closed it the other day.

I pushed the door open a little wider and gasped at the sight that met my eyes. There, standing over my book collection, was my ginger headed mystery. He looked to be thoroughly interested in whatever book had caught his eye, so much so that he didn't register my being there.

"Hey there ginger." My voice caused him to jump a little and then turn to me with a chuckle and a smile.

"Hiya Laskie, I was just looking over your reading stuff and I gotta say, it's pretty impressive."

"Is it now?" I raised an eyebrow to him before asking the obvious question, "Why'd ya break in to my apartment Jerome?"

"Well ya see, you were sleeping and I felt like this would be sorta romantic or whatever." He gave me that Jerome look that said he didn't really care what I thought, he would just do what he felt like.

"You thought breaking into my house would be romantic?" I rolled my eyes at him before tackling him in a hug,"why didn't you tell me you were breaking out?"

"I didn't know until it happened honestly. Babe I think ya bruised me. Kiss it better?" He smirked down at me before gently shoving me off of him and helping me to stand up.

"Alright whatever, where are ya staying now?"

"I can't tell ya. If I did they'd kill ya and I really don't want that to happen. The person that broke us out though, he said I'm gonna be a star, aren't ya proud gorgeous!" His excitement was palpable and the childish happiness in his voice made me overly happy.

"Of course Jerome, just tell me what this guy is making you do." I looked up at him with a bit of caution, bracing myself for his next words.

"Did ya not see it? Of course you didn't you were asleep half the day. I guess you'll just have to watch the news, but it was great really amazing!" He was jumping up and down at this point, but my curiously was overtaking everything.

"Jerome, handsome, did you kill anybody?" The words felt weird on my tongue, and it worried me that I had to ask him this.

"I mean sort of. Does it really count if I didn't exactly throw them off the building? I mean it was my idea so-" He cut himself off with a fit of laughter which only left me more worried.

"Sorry doll, I've gotta cut this short but I'm taking you out for dinner tonight. Be ready at seven on the fire escape." Then he kissed me, just like in the police station, and left.

•*•*•*•