Well I've just been a really bad author, ditching this story for a couple of months! I've been working on a couple of other projects (one of which is a Gotham story recently published, if anyone is interested) and have been struggling with serious writer's block for the next chapter! Hopefully in posting this chapter I'll find the kind of inspiration I need!

Three days so far they'd been hiding out in that shabby Chinatown motel, and Octavia was certainly getting antsy; being holed up like this was something difficult she quickly realized, and she was admittedly struggling. She'd hardly been out of this room, and when she did leave, she had to be incredibly cautious. Even if the GCPD was caught up with the Joker nonsense, that didn't mean people weren't on the lookout for her and Crane.

The thought led Octavia to realize that perhaps this was how Jonathan felt sometimesㄧafter all, he'd been living in hiding for so long now. It made her sit up and turn her attention to the man sat at the dining table, who was currently watching one of the national news channels.

"Do you not feel just a little out of touch from the world?" She questioned, and when Jonathan gave her a confused look she continued, "I mean, you didn't have a TV or computer at that boathouse, did you not feel cut off from everything else?"

"I always had ways of getting the important informationㄧI wasn't so concerned with it feeling as if I was cut off." Jonathan stood from his seat, "And that was only the boathouse. I do have access to the outside world and technology. When we get to the new apartment, you'll see."

"But it seems like you always have the news on now that we're hereㄧare you just making up for your time without easy access to news reports? And why not ever get a laptop? There's a million ways to protect from any kind of hack or trace."

Jonathan shrugged, "You're curious today." He came to sit on his side of the bed, "Going a little crazy being confined to a room like this?"

Octavia sighed deeply, "You have no idea." She gave a slight pout, causing Jonathan to smirk at the irony.

"Don't be a brat, it doesn't suit you." He teased, causing Octavia to return his grin.

"I'm rather fond of it." Jonathan's eyes became deadpan, amusing the woman.

After a moment of staring at each other, Octavia stood, grabbing hold of her burner phone, pocket knife, and cigarettes from the bedside table. Jonathan gave her a curious look as she made for the door.

"Don't get yourself arrested out there." He joked as she stepped outside.

"If I am, I'll scream loud enough for you to hear me." Octavia gave a smile before closing the door. She walked down the open hall, turning the corner near the staircase and stopping just before it, where one of the lights happened to be burnt out. This late in the evening, she was sure to be fine to step out for a cigarette without trouble.

After lighting one up, she pulled out the prepaid phone, deciding to call Erozㄧthe news station was only so reliable for information, after all, and Eroz' crew had eyes everywhere, always getting the latest word on the street.

"Hello?" The man's voice was curious, as he didn't recognize the number used.

"It's Octavia." she said simply, taking a large drag from her cigarette, "I need some intel."

"Shit, girl, ya really are in the middle of a big mess." Eroz replied, his tone nearly entertained, "I mean, you working with the Scarecrow? That shit's crazy."

"And it's a fucking problem, now I can't even go outside most of the time." Her tone was annoyed, "But Eroz, I need to hear what's been happenin' the last few daysㄧnot the crap that's on the news, I need to know what's been circling around the mobs."

Eroz laughed, "Ya called at just the right time, you're never gonna believe what just happened." Octavia's curiosity was immediately peaked, "Gambol was found dead just a couple hours ago."

The young woman paused in surprise, thoughts briefly drifting to Jonathan, though she knew there was no way he had anything to do with it.

"Gambol? Who would go after a guy like him?"

"Word is it's that Joker guyㄧGambol had a price put on him a couple days ago. I don't know much about it, but that's a serious fucking move. The mobs' been going crazy over this guy since that last bank robbery. Now's probably a good time for ya to get outta town while they're still distracted."

"I can't," she stomped out the cigarette, "Jonathan has plans, and I gotta stick around for 'em."

"Jonathan?" Eroz sounded amused, "You're on first name basis with hardly anyoneㄧit took you, what, a year before ya felt like ya could trust me enough. You two must be close."

Octavia rolled her eyes, "Don't think about it too much."

There was a brief pause between them, "Everyone says you're fuckin' him, that that's why you lied to the mob and all."

"They're just tryin' to discredit me," The young woman couldn't help but shake her head at the expected speculation, "They can't imagine another reason for a chick to do somethin' so risky."

"So, you're not, then?" Eroz pushed.

"Well… not yet…" Octavia couldn't help the subtle grin that crossed her lips.

"Charming," Eroz laughed lightly, "Look unless there's anything else, I gotta get goin', I have my own business to deal with."

"I owe you one."

"I think by now you owe me more than one." The two shared a laugh before finally they both hung up.

When Octavia returned to the room to inform Jonathan about Gambol, the criminal was surprisedㄧsomeone else was moving in on the mob, getting to them before he had the chance. Jonathan didn't like it one bit.

"Rumor is its the Joker." Octavia watched her partner's face carefully to read his reaction, "Whoever the hell this guy is, he's goin' fucking big."

"So it would seem…" Jonathan's brow furrowed, obviously a little upset by this new issue.

"Maybe we could use this," Octavia picked up with an idea, "You let this guy distract everyone while you finish what you intend to."

"Octavia, a part of doing this is so the mob knows it was all meㄧnow it'll look as if I'm just riding on this Joker's coattails." His clenched jaw caused Octavia to shake her head.

"Yeah, but you're also opportunisticㄧif you sneak in while they're distracted, and it'll still make just as much of an impact. You'll still make 'em feel inferior, isn't that part of the goal?"

She's not wrong, Johnny…

He stared at Octavia for a few moments longer before rising to his feet, "Then it's better we not idly sit on our hands."

The young woman gave Jonathan a slight smirk, "Let's get back to it, then."

As the lights got switched on, Octavia groaned, pulling the sheets over her head in an attempted to block the annoyance out. She wasn't sure what time it actually was, but it was certainly too early for her to want to roll out of bed.

"Octavia, it's time to go." She heard Jonathan as he walked through the room. He was moving things around the room as Octavia stayed under the covers, practically falling asleep again.

Then the sheets were pulled back from her face, and again she groaned. When she opened her eyes, Jonathan was there just a few inches from her face, eyes amused as he looked down at her.

"Come on, I took a car, we're going to my new place tonight."

"What do you mean you took a car?" Octavia questioned Jonathan, who had just returned from who knows whereㄧshe heard him get up in the middle of the night, but hadn't assumed he went out to steal a car.

"I mean exactly that." Jonathan answered casually, "If we go out on that motorcycle, we'll get caught."

"I know that," the woman rolled her eyes as she finally sat up, letting out a yawn, "I just didn't think a car is what you disappeared in the night for. What are you gonna do when someone reports their car stolen?"

"I assure you it won't be missed." The answer made Octavia raise an eyebrow, but she chose not to push the subject, "We're moving tonight."

With that, Octavia slowly started to get ready, dressing and collecting her things and soon they were out the door.

Their first stop was the boathouse, and, as they suspected, it was rather bare. Bits and pieces of Jonathan's work could still be found, but not much that was of use, to his annoyance. They both knew there wouldn't be much left, but they grabbed what they could and were soon back on the road.

As they began the drive to her apartment, Octavia realized that, for the last four days in that motel, Octavia had her personal phone offㄧthere was hardly use for it now that she was a wanted criminal, but for whatever reason she had yet to get rid of it. As Jonathan made the drive to Gotham Heights, she decided it was time to turn it back on and see how many messages and calls she actually missed before she got rid of it.

She watched the screen as notifications began to show upㄧmore calls from Brea and her parents, texts from a handful of informants, including Eroz. As she deleted each of their messages, the most recent few from her mother caused her to pause.

"Maroni came to the house tonight asking about you. Stay safe out there. Will keep in touch."

"Maroni has eyes on your apartment, be careful if you go back."

She couldn't help the smile that grew on her lipsㄧshe was sure her mother was upset with her, but that didn't stop the older woman from still having her daughter's safety in mind. Octavia wanted to call her mother back, but decided it might not be the timeㄧit was better not to try anything risky for the time being, right? And it being four in the morning didn't help either. But she knew she needed a way to contact Anita, at least to acknowledge that her messages were received and so that the older woman knew her daughter was okay.

"Jonathan, pullover." Octavia spoke up as they were nearly to her apartmentㄧher mother's most recent text obviously had her worried. There was a good chance there were still eyes on her apartment, and she had to decide whether or not the risk was worth it. Jonathan gave her a questioning look once they were parked, "Maroni has eyes on the apartment."

"I don't doubt itㄧI take it we aren't going there after all?"

"Haven't decided yet." She replied thoughtfully. Anyone walking in at 4AM would look suspicious; and if there were eyes on the apartment, then climbing any fire escapes would be noticed as well. And she didn't necessarily need anything else immediately, "... Let's just goㄧI'll come back when the situation isn't so fresh."

So, they continued back on the road, heading for the northernmost end of the Narrows.

By 4:30AM, they had finally reached one of the well-worn apartment buildings adorning the Narrows, though this one was certainly not as hard on the eyes as others. It even looked to have other occupants, Octavia noted as they walked up. Jonathan began to lead her up to the sixth floor, halting at a door just around the corner from the stairwell.

As the pair entered the new rundown apartment, Octavia let her eyes wanderㄧit wasn't quite as nice as the motel they'd been in the last four evenings, though it was certainly better than many other abandoned buildings in the Narrows. Jonathan switched on the lights, giving the young woman a better glimpse at the space.

"Ooh, a building that already has electricity, you've really stepped it up." The young woman joked, a cheeky grin on her face as she turned to her companion. Jonathan's expression, in turn, was flat, "Really, Jonathan, I'm so flattered you let me in on your super secret hideout."

"I didn't have much choice in the matter." Jonathan responded simply with a challenging smirk as he walked past her. Octavia's eyes followed him, watching as he began to unpack belongings before she closed the door.

The young woman continued to take in the appearance of the small apartment as she walked back toward the bedroom, wondering briefly how and why Jonathan had this place. There was probably some explanation of secret accounts or perhaps blackmail that got him the apartment, but the fact that he'd had it just waiting for an emergency took her by surprise. She knew the man was smart, but he certainly thought further ahead than her in this regard.

Octavia still felt slightly sluggish, knowing that she needed to get some more sleep; Jonathan was lucky she was in such a decent mood, as usually she would've been rather rude about being woken up at an odd hour.

She dropped her belongings at the foot of the bed, shrugging off her jacket and sliding out of her jeans once more to be down to just the large shirt she'd had on for bed earlier. Octavia had begun to pull back the sheets, fully prepared for sleep, but stopped, peering back over her shoulder out the doorway. Jonathan was still on his feet, too focused on organizing his belongings to know what the young woman was up to. She stopped what she was doing, walking out into the living room and halting to lean against the dining table. Her eyes followed Jonathan for a few long moments as she crossed her arms.

"Jonathan, you need to sleep." She spoke, causing the man to halt and turn his gaze on her. His eyes gave her a quick up-down before meeting her stare.

"I'm fine." He went back to sifting through files.

"You've been up all night." She pushed off the table to walk up behind him, "Come on, don't you wanna be in bed with me?" Octavia's suggestive tone caused him to grin just slightly, pausing again to peer at her. Upon meeting his eyes again, she smiled, "You do, so come on."

"Octaviaㄧ" Jonathan started, but the young woman moved to wrap her arms up around his neck, shaking her head.

"No, you're coming with me." She pressed close to him, her mouth grazing over his chest just slightly. She looked back up to his eyes while taking firm steps backwards, tugging him along with her. Jonathan couldn't help but roll his eyes a little at her persistence.

"Gotham isn't going to wait for us to sleep, not with how fast the Joker is moving."

Octavia briefly waved her hand dismissively, "Forget about the Joker."

Quickly, she moved across the room to switch off the lights, and as Jonathan's eyes adjusted to the dark, her arms were snaking back around him from behind.

"Are you sure you plan to sleep?" His tone was suggestive as he quirked an eyebrow, and in response Octavia briefly bit his shoulder.

"As soon as my head hits those pillows, I'll be out like a light." She spoke into his shirt, "But until then…"

Once more, Octavia began guiding him toward the bedroom.

For a few minutes now, Octavia watched as Jonathan sat over his work, obviously a little frustrated by whatever he was trying to figure out. All morning, he'd been rather immersed in trying to piece his project back togetherㄧevidently, it was a little difficult without his some former resources that were now in police custody. The irritation wasn't quite getting to Jonathan, though Octavia nonetheless felt as if maybe he needed to step back from his work for a short while to regain his focus.

"Do you think maybe you should take a break from that?" She spoke up, causing Jonathan to pause and give a look over his shoulder.

"Weren't you the one to suggest I keep working while that Joker has everyone distracted?" He questioned, though his tone wasn't interrogative.

Octavia shrugged, "Well, yeah, but maybe you still need some time to relax, maybe now's not the right time for you to see your plan through."

"Then when is the right time?" His tone hinted something akin to condescension, causing the young woman to almost roll her eyes.

"I say just waitㄧwith the way the Joker's fucking with this city, you might need to hold off for a bit. If you try anything now while he's at it, I don't imagine things'll go as you plan."

For a few long moments, Jonathan silently considered her words, setting aside the paperwork he had out as they held eye contact.

"Well… you're smarter than you look." He smirked, and Octavia almost wished she had something to throw to wipe the look off his face.

"You're a charmer." She countered, a playful glare in her eyes as Jonathan stood, his smirk still in place. The woman shook her head in amusement before turning her gaze out the window, staring at the blue sky for a few long moments. Soon, Jonathan dropped down onto the couch next to her, and her eyes returned to him.

Then, an almost random thought crossed Octavia's mindㄧthe messages from her mother these last few days. After all, she did want to give her mother some confirmation that she was alright, and thank her for helping even though she was sure Maroni would be pissed if he found out.

"You still have that burner phone I gave you?" She questioned, to which Jonathan gave a curious. But, nonetheless, he fished the item out from an inner pocket on his jacket and handed it over. Octavia thought for a brief moment while staring at the phone before dialing the familiar number.

"Hello?" Her mother answered after only a few rings.

"Hi, am I speaking to Mrs. Anita Baresi?" Octavia put on a chipper, almost saleswoman voice. Her mother still recognized her, however.

"Yes…" She sounded nearly worried.

"Hello, Mrs. Baresi, my name is Catherine, I'm a representative for the Endangered Reptile Association in regards to your recent donation."

"Oh, yes, of course." Anita caught onto the act quickly, and put on a similar, friendly voice, "I wasn't sure if those last few donations were received, I never got a confirmation."

"Our apologies, we were having some technical malfunctions." Jonathan gave an amused look toward his companion, "We just wanted to do a follow-up to confirm them and thank you for your contribution."

"Oh, yes, I try to help in any way I can."

"We do hope that you continue to give contribution to our organization, all help is very appreciated. Now, you have a good day, Mrs. Baresi, and thank you for your time." Once she hung up, her gaze turned back to the grin on Jonathan's face.

"And what was that about?" He questioned.

"My mom's been sending messages about Maroni, trying to help me." Octavia answered fondly.

"So that's where you get the rebellious streak." Jonathan's words caused his partner to grin as she bumped his shoulder before swiftly throwing her leg over to straddle him.

This chapter was a bit of a filler, I apologize for that, but I feel like it was necessary for the pacing. On that note, I'd like to hear opinions on what you all think Jonathan would do during all this Joker businessㄧI've been going back and forth on ideas, which may explain my recent writer's block. Leave a review, let me know, and I'll try to update soon!