In statu nascendi (ch.39 up) - sequel to ATTFABH

[fosforito]

Okay, here´s chapter 15.

Watch for some language!

Enjoy

Chapter 15 (The phone call)


Alexandra had driven home after Falcone had called her into his office after Jonathan´s visit.

„I think we both had enough fun for today, Jane.“, he had told her, again with a big smirk on his face.

`You son of a biatch! You damn son of a biatch! I hate you!!!´, had flashed through Jane´s mind when she said good-bye to Falcone and mounted her motor-bike.

The entire ride she was thinking about what had happened tonight in his office.

How could Falcone do this to them? How could she do that to Jonathan? But what could she have done different? She couldn´t avoid it! If she would have reacted different, if she would have refused to obey Falcone, she would have run the risk to be busted. And she couldn´t take the risk!

But it hurt her so much to see Jonathan so angry and full of pain. She had seen the anger and the hatred in his eyes! How humiliated he had to feel himself!
It was bad enough that she was treated like a piece of meat by Falcone, so why did he have to involve even Jonathan into this?!

`You made a very big mistake, son of a biatch!!´, Alexandra thought when she opened the door of her apartment. `Just one word of my boss and I´ll skin you when you´re still alive! You will repent of what you have done to me and to Jonathan!´

Alexandra had tossed and turned over and over again. Her thoughts on what had happened didn´t let her sleep. She wondered, if Jonathan was doing okay. Alexandra stared at her cell-phone lying on the nightstand.

`I have to know if he´s doing okay.´, she thought while looking at the time on her cell-phone´s display.

If Jonathan was still the same as before, when they were at school together, this would take its toll on him, without any doubt.

It always has been like this!

Every time when he was bullied by their classmates when Alexandra was away, he often returned home, crying and completely down. They had met then in the afternoon and Alexandra had tried to cheer up Jonathan. And every time when someone tried to bully Jonathan when she was next to him, every time she interfered immediately to defend him.

She also had to defend herself frequently against other’s attacks because of her German heritage but Alexandra always could handle it better than Jonathan could. It always has been like this and she was aware of it. She also knew she had been a guardian angel to Jonathan.

`If Jonathan would know, it was his guardian angel who has hurted him so much tonight.´, Alexandra thought, looking at her cell-phone again.

It was 3 a.m.

„Are you nuts?! You can´t call Jonathan now, not at 3 ó clock in the morning!“, she said to herself.

And if she would call him now, she would have to be careful not to mention what happened in Falcone´s office. Jonathan would know at once who the masked person was then.

„You´re not acting like a pro, Alex.“, she said aloud. „You came back to kill Jonathan and now you´re on the way to fall in love with him again.“

She sighed.

`f*ck it!´, she thought when she grabbed her cell-phone and dialed Jonathan´s private number.

She could feel herself trembling when she heard the call signals.

..beep....

`Maybe he´s not at home..´

..beep..

`You´re acting like a stupid school girl!´

...beep...

`Hang up as long as you can!´

..click...

„Crane?“, she could hear Jonathan saying.

It was quiet for a moment because Alexandra couldn´t say anything.

„Hello? Who is there?“, Jonathan said, this time with a hissing tone in his voice and he wanted to hang up the phone again when he noticed a voice on the other end of the line.

„Hello Jon.“, she said, almost whispering. „It´s Alexandra.“

„Alexandra!“, Jonathan shouted and she believed to notice a tone of joy in his voice.

Indeed, he was glad to hear her. He had been awake the entire time and he couldn´t sleep.

„Jon, I´m sorry if I did wake you up, but..“, Alexandra started and she could feel her voice trembling again.

„Alex, is everything okay?“, she could hear Jonathan asking. „You sound so strange... are you drunk?“

„Yes.. yes, I think so...“, she lied. „I´m sorry, I didn´t want to bother you.“

Yes, she had some drinks after getting back at home but it wasn´t enough to get drunk.

„No, it´s okay, don´t worry.“

„Jon?“

„Yeah?“

„Are you doing okay?“

It was silent again and Alexandra could hear Jonathan taking a deep breath.

`He´s NOT doing okay. How could he after this what happened to him?!´, flashed through Alexandra´s mind.

„Yeah...yeah, I´m doing okay.“, he finally said, sighing lightly.

`Why are you lying to her, Jonathan?´

Alexandra cleared her throat.

„Can we see each other? I mean.. I´d like to meet you somewhere.“

„Yes.. yes, of course.“, he said.

`I waited so long to hear something from you, Alex. I can´t tell you what happened to me but I was longing so much to hear your voice again.´, Jonathan thought.

How much did he wish to see her again today, especially after this happened to him in Falcone´s office. But he was sitting at home all alone, with his pain, his rage and his anger. He had wondered what Alexandra would have done if she would have been together with him in the office. Would she have defended him, as she did years ago? Would she have cared at all?

`I´m glad that you were not there, Alex. I wouldn´t have stand it to see you there.´, flashed through Jonathan´s mind when he could hear Alexandra´s voice again.

„Do you know the club „No Limits“ on Park Avenue?“, Alexandra asked.

„Err... yeah.. yeah, I do...“

„Tonight?.. let´s say at 10 p.m.?“

It was silent again.

`Why does she wants to meet me in a club? Does it scare her to be alone with me?´, Jonathan thought and for a split second he had their encounter this afternoon in his mind.

„Okay.“, Jonathan finally said.

In her mind, Alexandra sighed of relief.

She would have liked to see him right now but she knew it would have been more then stupid because of her current condition.

„Okay, then.. see you tonight.“, she said softly.

„Okay.. see you later, Alex.“, Jonathan whispered.

„Yeah, see you later...“

„Good night, Alex. Sleep well.“, Jonathan said in a low voice and she could hear something in it caressing her hurt soul.

„You too, Jon. Good night.“, she whispered, kissing Jonathan in her imagination.

Then Alexandra hung up the phone.

Both were sitting on the edge of their beds for a long time, staring at their phones before going to bed again to fall asleep.

[azina]

As I finished this I had a strange emotion, not joy like I'd expect at them meeting up, but almost sadness. There seems to be a sadness, a sadness at what Alex and Jon cannot say to each other, the secrets they are concealing from each other, the hurts that they feel but have left unsaid. Definitely would like to see what will happen later that evening between them.

[fosforito]

I know, there are a lot of things going on between them, so many things they still can´t tell each other although they´re so bonded to each other.

But don´t worry: it´ll all come up, step by step.

azina said:

As I finished this I had a strange emotion, not joy like I'd expect at them meeting up, but almost sadness. There seems to be a sadness, a sadness at what Alex and Jon cannot say to each other, the secrets they are concealing from each other, the hurts that they feel but have left unsaid. Definitely would like to see what will happen later that evening between them.

[fosforito]

Here´s chapter 16.

I know - definetly a cliffhanger but I hope you like it though

Chapter 16 (Bagel and Coffee)


Alexandra had awakened having a terrible headache.

She moaned when she got out of the bed. She had a hangover, either because of the whiskey last night or because of her worries about Jonathan – or because of both.

It was almost 11 a.m.!

`Oh, my god! Did I really sleep all that long?´, Alexandra thought, touching her head and sighing lightely.

Still 11 hours left until her date with Jonathan! Was it a date at all? What to do with those 11 hours?

She looked around and noticed her weapons still lying on the table. Maybe she should take care of her weapons, cleaning them, checking if everything on the mechanics was okay. Maybe she should do a warming up, doing some martial arts training to refresh her knowledge.

`No!´, Alexandra thought, when she stepped into the bathroom to take a shower. `I won´t be Jane Deveraux today, not if I don´t really have to be!´

She just wanted to be herself today, Alexandra Wentzler, not Jane Deveraux, not an assassin, not a marrionette, not a sex toy of anybody, especially Falcone! She wanted to be herself! She had to worry about what would happen tonight when she would see Jonathan again, what she would say to him.

„I have to think about it!“, she said aloud when she dressed. „And I can´t do it here!“

Alexandra hated this apartment. It was big, but it was dark, cold, without life. To her it was like a cage, like a rat hole! And maybe she wasn´t nothing else. Maybe she was a laboratory rat, being part of a big experiment. Alexandra touched her temples. She still had a headache.

`Alex, get out of here! Go out to get some fresh air! Breakfast, coffee.. maybe go for a walk. You´ll see, after this you´ll feel better.´, she thought, then she hided her weapons in her „secret compartment“, grabbed her coat and left the apartment.

The weather was fine and the sun was shining bright, when Alexandra stepped out of the house. She had to blink her eyes.

`Okay.. what to do now?´, Alexandra thought.

Yeah, breakfast!

`A plain bagel with cream cheese and a coffee - black, without milk and sugar – that´s it!´, she thought when she walked down the street.


***


„Good morning, Dr. Crane.“, Mrs. Nichols said and smiled lightely when she stepped into Jonathan´s office.

It was 11 a.m.!

`He´s that late again!´, Mrs. Nichols thought while putting the patients files for todays appointments on his desk.

Dr. Crane was lost in his mind and he startled lightely when he saw Mrs. Nichols standing in front of him.

„Oh I´m sorry.“, he said. „I didn´t hear you coming in. Thank you for the files, Mrs. Nichols.“

„You´re welcome, Sir.“, Mrs. Nichols said and turned round to leave Dr. Crane´s office again.

„Oh, Mrs. Nichols!“, Dr. Crane said aloud, touching his abdomen. He could hear the rumbling of his stomach.

`But why didn´t you had breakfast before seeing you first patient, Jonathan?´, he thought.

„Yes Sir?“, Mrs. Nichols asked and turned round.

„You could do me a really big favour.“, Dr. Crane sighed while putting off his glasses and rubbing over his eyes with his fingers.

For the first time Mrs. Nichols noticed dark rings under Dr. Crane´s eyes.

„Could you please go downstairs to the employee´s cafeteria to get some food for me?“

„Oh, of course, sir.“, Mrs. Nichols answered, surprised because she was expecting something else – maybe to write a letter to a doctor colleague for him or to call somebody up or something like that – business as usual.

„I´d like to have a bagel. A plain bagel – with some cream cheese.“

Mrs. Nichols was astonished when she heard that but she tried to hide it as far as she could. He never asked her to get a bagel for him in the last 3 years – since she was working for him.

„Do you also want some coffee, sir?“, Mrs. Nichols asked politely.

`Probably with milk and sugar, as always.´, she thought.

„Yes, please.“, Dr. Crane answered. „I´d like to have some coffee – black, without milk and sugar. Just the coffee.“

Mrs. Nichols felt her jaw drop.

„Of course, sir.“, she answered politely and left the office.

`I don´t believe it! He´s coming too late, and now he wants a bagel with cream cheese and black coffee! What the hell is wrong with this guy?!´, Mrs. Nichols thought and shook her head when she left the office to go downstairs to the cafeteria.

[blue]

Aw.. that's just kinda cute that they're both thinking the same thing. Or maybe I'm just strange.

[azina]

blue said:

Aw.. that's just kinda cute that they're both thinking the same thing. Or maybe I'm just strange.

You're not strange. I think Jon is being telepathic again, he's "tuning in" to Alex again and what she's thinking. That or they are tuning in to each other by sharing a mutual experience, both having a late morning, both forgetting breakfast, both having the same thing for breakfast.

[blue-eyed struck]

Wow. Missed 3 chapters! Oh well.. it was nice to read them one after the other!

First off: I loved how you are connecting this story to the BB movie! (even though it doesn't end well for Jonathan) Second: knowing that, I'm happy Jonathan gets his revenge with Falcone in the end! (Falcone ends up at the asylum) Third: I just noticed something; Alex has her own scarecrow: Jane! Maybe it's just me noticing that similarity, but I have to applaud you for it regardless because it's very clever to see that both Jon and Alex have this other, darker personality that sometimes takes control of them. Perhaps because they share this same burden, they will become closer in the future! Finally, again, I really like these telepathic moments between Jon and Alex. Very sweet! Now let's see how their "Date" goes!

[fosforito]

flygirl00 said:

Wow. Missed 3 chapters! Oh well.. it was nice to read them one after the other!

Hey girl!

Good to have you back!! ;D

flygirl00 said:

First off: I loved how you are connecting this story to the BB movie! (even though it doesn't end well for Jonathan)

mm, well I´d say we really don´t know what finally happened to Jonathan in the BB movie. To me it´s really open.

What we can say is the at the end of the movie Scarcrow has the power, without doubt... but who knows if this doesn´t change again???

flygirl00 said:

Second: knowing that, I'm happy Jonathan gets his revenge with Falcone in the end! (Falcone ends up at the asylum)

exactly! So when you think about it Jonathan would have one more reason to gass Falcone - not because of Jane or Alex (as he doesn´t know who the masked person was) but because of his personal pain, that fact that Falcone insulted him so much..

flygirl00 said:

Third: I just noticed something; Alex has her own scarecrow: Jane! Maybe it's just me noticing that similarity, but I have to applaud you for it regardless because it's very clever to see that both Jon and Alex have this other, darker personality that sometimes takes control of them. Perhaps because they share this same burden, they will become closer in the future!

I had to smile when I read that b/c I discussed it with Azina yesterday over AIM.

I really didn´t it on purpose but I realized it yesterday when I re-read the last 3 chapters. But you´re right!

Even Alex has her own scarecrow although in her case it´s a bit different than in Jonathan´s b/c his Scarecrow does his "own life" and Jonathan has to fight not to loose control over him.

flygirl00 said:

Finally, again, I really like these telepathic moments between Jon and Alex. Very sweet! Now let's see how their "Date" goes!

You will know soon

Thank you again for your feedback and I´m glad that you still like the story.

[fosforito]

Well, I know the chapter has more a cliffhanger character.

At first, the intention was/is more to show they both are awaiting their "date" and now they both have to kill time in a way but after re-reading the chapter I realized that it also shows the starting transformation of the characters , especially of Alex´character.

Alex first realized that she really doesn´t have anything to do in Gotham until she doesn´t have the order to kill someone. She also never allowed herself to think about herself, to do things she likes to do, to be just herself - until now..

So it´s kinda "getting back to the basics" for her: who is Alexandra at all? The chapter shows just the beginning of it, you´ll learn more about Alex´past in the next chapter.

Jon is in Arkham anyway, he has to see his patients but in his case you again get the idea how his world is changing little by little because of Alex´presence.

Well, of course we all don´t know what he´s having for breakfast normally but the bagel and the coffee do have more a metaforical function in here and his secretary Mrs. Nichols realizes that Jon´s starting to change somehow.

The mental connection is working as a "transmitter" now, showing that Jonathan is changing his habits (like the coffee thing) but really without knowing why.

azina said:

blue said:

Aw.. that's just kinda cute that they're both thinking the same thing. Or maybe I'm just strange.

You're not strange. I think Jon is being telepathic again, he's "tuning in" to Alex again and what she's thinking. That or they are tuning in to each other by sharing a mutual experience, both having a late morning, both forgetting breakfast, both having the same thing for breakfast.

[beyond_beautiful]

I'm late ... sorry ... been busy with school >.>

*ahem*


I love how Alex and Jonathon are always thinking the same things

[fosforito]

Okay, here´s chapter 17.

Sorry for the waiting but as you have seen I was busy with the video and with the sigi, too.

Enjoy

Chapter 17 (Alexandra´s reminiscences)


Alexandra sipped carefully at the coffee, holding the paper-bag with the bagel in the other hand when she stepped out of the Deli.

The coffee was still too hot to drink and the street was too crowded to stand somewhere in a corner to have breakfast.

Alexandra decided to go to Gotham Central Park. The park was not far away from her anyway and there she could sit somewhere and have breakfast in peace and without a hurry.

`I´ll have my peace as long as Falcone or my boss don´t call me.´, Alexandra thought. `Oh God, I hope they won´t call me tonight!´

For the first time Alexandra realized that since she was back in Gotham she didn´t walked through the streets to pursue or to observe someone. For the first time she walked through the streets because she just wanted to and not because she had to.

It was a feeling she didn´t had for years and it even got stronger when Alexandra arrived at Gotham Central Park.

She sat down under a tree at a place where she had a good overview over the park. She stretched her legs and her upper body leaned against the tree. Alexandra put the cup with the coffee on the ground into the grass which was partially covered with leaves. She pulled the bagel out of the paper-bag and started to eat.

Alexandra watched the happenings around her in the park and again she noticed all these little things she haven´t noticed for such a long time..

She watched little children laughing and running through the park, throwing leaves at each other. She could see an old man sitting on a bench, feeding the pigeons with bread crumbs. She could see a young mother raising her baby out of the baby carriage, rocking it to sleep in her arms and kissing it softly on the cheek.

Alexandra could feel the warmth of the autumnal sun and she could see the huge tree-tops of Gotham Central Park being colored in a mix of red and gold. It was a perfect October day. Golden October!

`There are still so many nice things in the world, Alex. Why didn´t you see them all the time?´, Alexandra thought, sipping at her coffee and she gazed over the park again.

She drank her coffee, lost in her thoughts. She put down the cup slowly when she noticed a young couple sitting down under a tree – and then Alexandra had to think of Jonathan.

Now the couple was doing something, Alexandra and Jonathan always had done when they still were at school together and now, Alexandra could see it so clearly in front of her eyes:

Jonathan leaned against the tree with his upper body, Alexandra was lying in the grass, her head on Jonathan´s legs. Jonathan was holding a book in his hand and he placed his other hand on Alexandra´s hair and sometimes he even stroked it absently. Either, Alexandra had a book too and both were reading without saying anything or they were talking about something and Jonathan was looking down to Alexandra.

To both, it had been the most normal thing of the world to deal with each other that way and it was quite unbelievable that they haven´t been a couple yet at this time.

Of course their classmates made their fun of them when they were sitting like this on the High School campus but Alexandra and Jonathan didn´t care.

Alexandra could remember it as if has been yesterday and sighed.

Nobody could harm them, they had been inseparable.

And now? What had remained of their time together?

Was Jonathan still the same?
No! He couldn´t be the same, not after this, what he had done to her family!

But didn´t she changed, too?

What has she done all over the years?
Alexandra could remember:

Shortly before the war in Germany was over, she had escaped, from one town to the other, from one country to the other. She had started to steal, she had started to lie and to betray. She had dwelled in penury, in dirt and sometimes in the dark for days. She had started to take drugs and to do the dirty work for other people. She had wanted to die and she didn´t care whether she had been half dead or not.

But she could neither aim a weapon against herself nor allow that someone would kill her. And then the day came where Alexandra should kill a human being for the first time who tried to take her life away from her – and for the first time she could feel the rage, the anger and all her hatred against herself, against Jonathan and against the whole world pouring out of her. She had felt like liquid metal being poured into a casting mold to become the blade of a sword. Then she had started to seek for a reason to kill someone, to perfect her skills and she had slept with every man she could learn something of.

When she had been in jail in Asia, she got seriously sick and Alexandra had thought besides of her dead mind her body would also die now. But then a man came into her life how had got her out of jail, who had ensured to get the best medical treatment for her. He had helped her to get rid off the drugs and he had recognized her talent being a fighter – and a assassin.

He had trained her, he had been her mentor – and he had made out of her what she was now. Jane Deveraux.

But it was only a part of her.

`I have changed, but I´m still Alexandra.´, she thought. `I´m still here.´

Alexandra stood up, cleaning her coat from the crumbs of the bagel.

She paused and looked down at herself.

Suddenly she realized she was wearing the same coat as she did last night when she was in Falcone´s office together with Jonathan. Jonathan could recognize it and then he would know who she is!

Alexandra opened her coat looking at her clothes.

`Oh man, what to put on tonight?´, Alexandra thought.

The clothes she has received from her colleagues were indeed the right ones for her purposes but it wasn´t the right dress for a woman to put on when having a date with a man.

Was it a date at all with Jonathan? No, not really!

But then Alexandra had this thought in her mind again she already had in her apartment.

`I won´t be Jane Deveraux today, not if I don´t really have to be!´

Alexandra pulled her wallet out of her coat. Yes, she had money, she had more then enough money.

`Now you will do something for YOU, Alexandra.´, she thought then she grabbed the cup and the paper-bag and walked out of Gotham Central Park.

[blue]

SHOPPING SPREE! Hahah.

[beyond_beautiful]

I liked that chapter .... and I love your sig

[blue]

*watches her sig*

[fosforito]

so girls, what do you think?

do you see that Alex´s changing somehow?

What do you think will happen next?

beyondbeautiful said:

I liked that chapter .... and I love your sig