When Alaska Met Jerome

A Year Gone

It's been a week since he left. I can't say the 'D' word, it doesn't fit the kind of person he was, to be gone. Initially his passing sparked a what some would call the laugh heard around the world. There were murders and heists galore, but it's calmed down a bit. As much as it can with this being Gotham.

I plan to hold true with the promise I made Theo Galavan. I want him to suffer as I have, to feel pain deep in your being, but I don't know if I'm ready to to take that step. I don't know if I can become the darkness I've been running from my whole life.

In the end I decided to run into him, in a dark alley, while he was alone. I had thought about ending him, but it was to easy for him, to nice. I grabbed the nearest hard object - an old baseball bat- and waited for him to come my way.

The traitor walked down the alley that Jerome and I had once walked down. A shortcut away from prying eyes, perfect for those like me who wanted to even a score.

I followed him up to his empty apartment. I assumed Tabitha and Barbara were both out, I guess luck was on my side.

"Hello Galavan," I called to his back swinging the bat between my hands. "Fancy seeing you here. Tell me Theo, how's it feel being a murderer?"

He turned to look at me, his eyes falling to the metal but returning to my deranged smile-just like my J.

"Now Miss. Alaska, don't go making enemies you don't want." He held out his hands in a form of surrender, but I disregarded it.

"I told you not to mess with me. I told you what would happen if he got hurt, but you didn't listen." The tears were threatening to spill over, "I never did trust you Mr. Galavan."

The next thing I knew I was swinging the bat at him. I wasn't here to kill him, only hurt him. I knew he wouldn't say anything because that'd run the risk of me telling the cops about his nefarious deeds. So I let myself sink into the rhythm of revenge.

"I'd kill you, make you beg for death but then I'd be no better than you," I told the man that had killed my Joker. "Besides, one day this city will see you for what you really are, and on that day you'll burn. Only no one will come to avenge you. Now that's what I call funny." I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving Theo Galavan bleeding in his own apartment, and as I reached the exit I let out a sadistic laugh that would make Jerome proud.

•*•*•*•

"Potter he won't even get a funeral, they cremated him. I know it's selfish, but I won't get to say goodbye." The rush of ruining Galavan left me and the realization of how alone he'd be hit me. It'd been almost two weeks and apart from the Theo incident I hadn't left the apartment.

"Maybe not, but what if they released his ashes to you? His only living family is Jeremiah and some uncle, and I'm sure neither of them would have a problem with it. Why don't you get the ashes and take a little get away to spread them someplace nice? Somewhere that'd make him laugh." Her suggestion made me smile a little, bit a sadistic smile like the other week, but a true smile at the thought of Jerome's laugh.

"Okay." That was all I said.

The next week I went to get his ashes which they released to me with almost no hesitation. I guess people didn't feel too comfortable with his ashes laying around. I took them up to a mountain resort where a small circus was in town and let them go into the air.

•*•*•*•

Months had gone by. Gotham was going to hell and it was only getting worse. Galavan has died, then died again. It was all very complicated. I was still in a state of depression and today didn't make things any better. It was Jerome's birthday.

I looked at the gift box in my lap. It contained the one thing Jerome had always wanted. I tore my eyes away from it to stare blankly at the wall in front of me.

"Today would be his birthday, but I guess you already knew that because you're dating his twin. When we were still together I bought him a gift. It was way in advance, but I wanted to make sure it was perfect." I looked up to Potter to see the tears and pity in her eyes.

"What'd you get him Laskie?" She reached out to the medium sized box that held the gift.

"He has said he'd always wanted one of his own. Not the one that he'd been borrowing from Galavan," the name was like acid in my mouth, "it's a gun. I know what he'd of done with it, but he would've been so happy. Now it'll never be his."

She picked up the striking silver gun and turned it over in her hands. After inspecting it for a while she gave it back to me. The coolness of the gun mixed with the weight was almost too much. I ran my finger over the inscription on the side

To my Joker. Love your Queen of Hearts.
I had planned on telling him I loved him before his birthday, but those plans are gone. Along with him.

"Alaska he'd of loved it, just like he loved you. I may have only met him once, but it was clear he loved you." She grabbed my hands over the gun and looked into my eyes. "He'd want you to live even if it's not with him." I gave her a halfhearted nod.

"Which is why I wanted to ask you to come over to Jeremiah's tomorrow, for dinner. He's been asking about you and I think it'd help a lot."

"Okay."

•*•*•*•

"So Alaska, how have you been doing?" The seemingly innocent question from Jeremiah made my blood boil. Just seeing him made my blood boil.

"Well, as good as one who's lost the love of their life can be doing." I cut him a glare and he looked down at his hands and then to Potter.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend. I know it's hard but I believe you should try to look towards the future." Potter nodded him on, but I just stared blankly at the boy.

"Your sister tells me you're an engineer. We've got plenty of projects that could use a brain like yours." My interest was grabbed at this. I'd been looking for a distraction an this might suffice.

"I would love the opportunity to work on anything. Perhaps it would help me cope, throwing myself into something that's bigger than me." I received an approving look from the both of them.

"Now that that's all settled...drinks!" Potter laughed and brought over some wine. "Laskie, I know you don't really drink, but maybe just this once?"

I took the glass and sipped in it to Potter's delight. The night went smoothly, I could tell they were being careful around me like I was a bomb that could take out the entire place. Jeremiah kept talking to me about various projects that were without a doubt intriguing, but then he'd ruin it by talking about how Jerome would want me to get out there. He sounded just like Potter.

I left soon after and went home, where I slept and slept and slept.

•*•*•*•

The months went by and then the months turned to a year. I got better, the projects I worked on with Jeremiah helped and soon I was able to lead a normal life, but I always thought back to Jerome. He'd creep into my thoughts when I was alone, or sad. When I'd smile or see something funny I'd here his laugh. The worst thing though, is that I remembered him most when I saw blood.