Epilogue

Jonathan Crane:

Lets get a few things straight before we press on. Lynn, she hasn't been truthful. She sees me as this innocent good guy that swooped in and saved her. I didn't. Yes saving her was a goal, but in the end there was only one thing I wanted. That fuker dead.

Harsh words Jonny Boy.

Another thing Lynn isn't so truthful about, is I'm already crazy. I've been messed up in my own head since I was ten, that was the first time the Bitch threw me into the chapel. You don't come out 'normal' after that. You come out different, and not as whole.

That's putting it lightly, you made me, unless you're going to be like Little Lynn and tell them that you have everything under 'control'?

I'm going to be honest, Crow. Crow has been with me since I was ten, he's more his own person than he is a part of me. I don't have enough training to go any further into detail. It was my plan to go into Psychology to understand how I became this way.

You know other than the Bitch of the South tortured you for all your life.

Yes.

Now there is one more fact I must clear up. And for me it's an important one. Not because Lynn isn't a wonderful person. No, please do not doubt how much I care for her.

We care for her.

Exactly.

Lynn does not see herself in a good light. Sure she calls herself a protector, and she does. I would be dead this summer if she hadn't shown up. But she doesn't see herself as the smart girl she actually is. Also, she doesn't see herself physically. Let me guess. All this time, this whole story, Lynn has said she was 'fat'?

No, She isn't some waife who could pass for a model. Crow looked at her tags at one point and told me she was in large shirts and size ten pants, hardly 'fat'. This should have been a warning sign, but that's for another day I think. I myself was not ready to let Lynn leave my little town. And Crow can attest it took all my strength not to slit my Great Grandmothers throat and follow Lynn up in Gotham.

The Bitch gets her just desserts in the end.

Later Crow. Lets tell them what I was thinking as Lynn left on that hot July morning.

Lynn was dressed for a long car ride, sweat pants, that one blue tank top that really brought out the red in her hair. I had gotten the paper with all her contact information, It was being held onto for dear life. I had found someone who was willing to work it me. Yes I have said some harsh things about her, but in the end, she means well. And that is a fact I cannot forget or let slip through my fingers.

When I had first saw Lynn it was her ranting like a lunatic to the scarecrow near my house. I had put the straw man up over the fall and it was getting to be time to change out the straw when I saw this girl just chewing out my scarecrow. She continued to surprise me with her bull headed determination. She was there for me, I would have lost myself fully she was there not questioning why I had to solve Heather's death.

"This place is going to be dull without you." I said smiling at her. Lynn like Heather was the only person who I felt safe enough to smile around. "You know, no killer for me to… take my vengeance out on." Oh but I had. He got a good dose of that crow repellant I was making. His screams.

Oi, Jonny, keep on track.

"I wish." I started.

Lynn reached up and touched my face. I didn't pull away anymore. Sooner or later she would know all of me. "No you don't."

"I'm not sure how I'm going to survive." And that was the truth. For the last sixteen years of my life I had been in survival mode. Get to the next day, and the day after that, and the week after that. Now I had to get through a year until I was free.

Lynn though, she knew exactly what to say. "You'll think of something." She said nudging me. "I mean, what less than ten months and you'll be in Gotham? Logan and I can take you to get an honest to goodness Gotham style hot dog, and I can show you all the cool parks."

It sounded nice when she said it. I couldn't fathom the idea of actually getting out of here. "It's still going to be hell,"

That's when her Father and Brother walked up. I liked Logan. But I could also read him better than he could himself. He was all talk in a way. Similar to how Bo always puffed out his chest when a pretty girls walked by. Logan had a similar problem, one that he would probably overcome with maturity and a bit more self confidence.

Lynn's Father shook my hand in a painful handshake. I had mixed feelings about the older man. He did leave his kids in the middle of nowhere with a killer on the lose. But after Lynn was taken I saw a small change. Lynn will call it a peace offering between them. But I doubt the distance her father brought on would ever be closed. Sometimes scares don't let the wound fully heal. But I will give Lynn's Father this. He was making up for the shit he had done. Starting with me. See, we had worked out the details of me living with them once I graduated and was waiting for college to begin. I didn't know how I was going to get to Gotham, but even if I had to hitchhike my way there I would be in Gotham soon enough. The first round of acceptance letters came out in september, and with my grades and personal essays, there was no way they would say no to me.

Logan came up with that guilty look. He should feel guilty, it was his fault Lynn was at that party. She had been left alone when she was vulnerable and then was kidnapped. I was fortunate that I had figured out the rest of the profile while I watched those birds disembowel themselves. Crazy thing the new crow repellant did. Did something similar to humans too. That man ended his life for me. I only had to throw the repellant at his face and wait.

"So… I'm sorry about calling you a creep." Logan said. "You've done right. I'll see you in May?"

It was time I started to make friends. If he was going to keep my secret then we may as well put the past behind us. "You can show me more cat pictures."

Logan nodded, good he knew where the line was now. He might tell Lynn, I was fine with that. If she found out and thought me her savior so be it. What could she do? Tell people a scarecrow saved her? No. She would keep our secret if her brother's lips were too loose."You should get going if you're going to be back in Gotham by midnight."

Giving the guy a way out, smart move Jonny Boy. Also I like the idea of Lynn seeing us as her savior, she did give me a rather nice-

Crow.

Got it, still touchy about that.

Once her Father and Logan were looking away I knew I wasn't going to last long. Yes I'm a hateful person, but I did have feelings. Right then I was about to lose the one person who could tolerate Crow and myself for more than a few hours.

And if that ain't the definition of love I don't know what is.

So my tears were reasonable, but for Lynn's sake I tried to hold them back.

Always the gentleman. I would just grab the girl and kiss her. Or we could still run to the house and kill the Bitch and run off to Gotham.

No Crow.

"I'll call you." I said looking back up at her. "Thursday? Around three?"

Lynn smiled, she has this sweet innocent smile. Refreshing like the honeysuckle that grows in Betty's yard. "That would be great. I'll write you."

She would write, by the end of this year she would write me a novel in letters. And because of her honesty to me, her cenerity more likely, I felt like I had to say something.

"Lynn-"

Oh no Johnny boy, if you do that she could make a big scene right here. You ain't doing that.

Crow took over in that moment. Even made sure I sounded like myself too, He was always good at watching my back. I should trust him more often. "If you ever need to talk. I'm here."

That was from me to her, no point in you getting all the goodbye.

Lynn was done with talking. She reached out and pulled me close. That girl has a mighty strength when she wants to. She held me close curling into me. Like that I remembered how she felt with Crow when we saved her. It was a moment of peace before the coming storm.

"Lynn!" Logan shouted from the car.

Now we were both crying. Tears of loss, of sorrow, of miss timed romance.

And that's Jonathan Crane folks for emoting teen in a Fanfic!

Crow. Stop it.

Lynn kissed my cheek, it was a light peck. and like a blue and red bird she backed up to the car where Logan was shooting me the stink eye. Watching her dad drive through Betty's grass gave me a small bit of delight. I made sure to walk over to where our demolished hiding place had been. Only the pole remained. In a few months I would rebuild the scarecrow, but for now I had to wash out the blood stains that were on it.

Watching Lynn's car leave I saw her face turn and from the back of the car she looked at me.

He told her.

She'll talk to me. Sooner or later she'll ask me about you. That's when I'll tell her everything. If she is as strong as we think she is… she'll listen.

Fuck Jonny Boy. We killed that man.

Killed him and saved Lynn. We stopped him from hunting. And the look on his face when he screamed… Crow… I need to look into that. Into fear itself. That's what FDR said right? 'Nothing to fear, but fear itself', seems like I've made raw fear in that gas. I'll keep it as my pet project. Maybe I'll toss a hand full of it in Great Grandmother's face as I leave this shit hole.

And Bo and the other kids.

I couldn't help but smile. "Bo and the others will learn what real fear is. I'll burn this town to the ground so I will never have to come back here. I'll swear to that."

"DEVIL! Get Back in here!"

And she calls. Do you think she'll flog you again?

When she found all the dead crows I think she'll learn that she can't scare me so easily any more.

I have a dream… and it's a nightmare.

Author's Notes: And that's what they call a wrap. This has been a great experience guys. All of you have be just wonderful. My next fanfic is a sequel to this, so far the title is called Second Chance. It's going to be a little over ten years after the events in First Kill and deals with Lynn and Jonathan in a very different situation. I want to give a thanks to all those who reviewed, every time I saw a positive review for this story I would spend the rest of the day dancing around. If anyone is curious about my status about stories I'm more than happy to PM updates to those who ask.

Now until my next story I'll be signing out.