The Madness Within- Jeremiah Valeska

A Little Push

Darling. He had called her darling and then continued the suddenly awkwardly tense meal as if nothing had happened. As if he couldn't see the whirlwind of emotions screaming across her face. Clarissa had tried to keep her face neutral, but it wasn't working. The voice that wasn't Jerome's was hissing and whispering in her head and she couldn't shut it out. 

I told you not to deny it. It's there, it's all true. Jerome was nothing compared to Jeremiah.

''Shut up,'' Clarissa said under her breath, too quiet for Jeremiah to hear. She bit down on the spoon in her mouth until her teeth hurt, then shut her eyes. 

You're in love with him, and you know that to be with him you'll have to be who you were always meant to be. Who you were scared to be because you're sick.

''Not sick.''

Sick, mentally deranged, you have it and you know you have it. Jerome knew you had it, so did your parents. So why doesn't Jeremiah?

Clarissa pushed her bowl away from her, biting her lip as she dabbed a napkin at the corner of her mouth. Across from her, Jeremiah was sipping at a glass of whiskey, his eyes on the liquid in his glass. 

All hail Jeremiah.

She got to her feet, and Jeremiah smiled darkly up at her, setting his drink down on the table. 

''Tired?'' he asked.

''Um, yeah. I'm gonna go to bed now.''

He raised an eyebrow, and she corrected herself ''If that's ok.''

''We have work to do tomorrow. I'd like it if you were there to help.''

''If you want. Of course.''

''Also pack your things.''

She paused on her way to the door, turning to look at him.

''What?''

''We're no longer safe here, darling. So pack your things.''

''Yes, ok, I'll go do that.''

She hurried out of the room, her head spinning as she took the stairs faster than she intended. Her heart was beating faster, and she didn't know why. Was it because she had a bad feeling? Or because he's called her darling again? So casually it was like he didn't even think about it. It made seeing him so close to Ecco seem like hell. Ecco was in such a desirable position it was infuriating. She slammed the door behind her and flew around her room, grabbing things and throwing them into her suitcase before zipping it shut and throwing it next to the door. As she turned to crawl into bed, she noticed one of Jerome's shirts laying across the bedside table. She'd been wearing it last night. Picking it up, she breathed in the faint scent of Jerome and closed her eyes against the flash of memories. 

Long Live Jeremiah.

''Rest in Peace, Jerome.''

--------

As Jeremiah walked up the stairs to Clarissa's room, a voice in the back of his mind asked him if he was following the plan exactly as he'd set it out. Not exactly, but he'd made the calculations and now knew how it would play out. The smallest spray, the smallest amount to give that little push that Clarissa needed. She was his and had always been his, even when he'd made the biggest mistake of his life and left her with Jerome. The one thing in Jeremiah's life that he regretted more than anything. He opened the door and slipped inside as quiet as a ghost. She had fallen for his weak brother, loved him, served him. That was over, and Jeremiah was going to set her free. Well, at least help to set her free. This was the beginning. The beginning of setting Clarissa Halliwell free from the restraints of her broken sanity. Stepping closer to the bed, Jeremiah leaned over Clarissa's sleeping figure. She looked peaceful. Silently, Jeremiah pulled out a small perfume dispenser, that held onto a few drops of a purple gas in it. It would be enough. Enough for a little push. He sprayed the gas and left the room as Clarissa stirred, her face contorting as she breathed in the tiny cloud of Insanity Gas. A smile flickered over her face, and Jeremiah held back the laugh until he'd left the room. 

Author's Note

A bit of a filler chapter, because the beginning of the end is approaching for Gotham city. Plus I have exams in like two weeks and I'm studying like crazy for ATAR (I'm Australian).

Love you guys, and thank you for voting on my story!

StoryBat129