Checkmate Crane Chapter Nine:Epilogue

"Jonathan!" I yelled up the stairs. I checked my watch anxiously and was about to race up the stairs to drag him out, kicking and screaming, when he finally appeared from the darkened bedroom. His deft fingers fixing his cuff links. I took in the image a few stairs above as he descended towards me.

I heard you the first 6 times you yelled at me dear." He remarked, but then a sly smirk appeared on his face as he reached me.
"If you responded any of the times I did yell, I wouldn't have kept doing it." I straightened his lapels as he stood in front of me. He did look good in a suit. Really, really good.

"Are you nervous?" He asked as I kept fidgeting with various things. His suit, my necklace, the keys. Anything that could be fidgeted with, was fidgeted.
"No." I lied, and apparently very badly as Jonathan chuckled at me.
"Obviously, silly of me to think so."

"Don't do anything weird." I warned him as I began to drag him towards the door.
"I never do anything weird." I took a second to stop and turn about around to give him an incredulous look.
"I'll behave." He conceded as I raised an eyebrow at him. I resumed my march to the front door before I carried on.
"I just want to make a good impression on the judge." We were finally out of the door and I turned to lock it behind us with only slightly shaking hands.

"It'll be fine." Jonathan assured me, laying a steady hand on my shaking ones as I struggled to slide the key into the lock. He took over and did it without a problem. Taking the keys off me completely. Guess I'm not driving either then?
"What if they don't think we're good enough?" I asked, my worries bubbling up to the surface.
"We are." Jonathan answered plainly.

"I know that, but we need them to think that." I tried again, following Jonathan to the car.
"If they don't let us adopt Tommy, we'll just kidnap him and skip town." Jonathan said with a deadpan expression.
"Very funny." I tried but Jonathan didn't smile and his only response was to slide into the drivers seat. "You are kidding right?" I asked as I followed him in and buckled my belt.

"Sure." He shrugged and I sighed as I realised he was serious.
"You just got pardoned for your past crimes, you really want to start a new list?" I asked with only a smirk from Jonathan as we headed to the adoption hearing.

After Batman had saved the city by flying the bomb out towards to horizon, the city had been in shambles. It took close to a year for the city to finally become close to what it had been. When outside help could finally enter the city they immediately began arresting anyone going berserk in the streets. Probably removing a third of the population and shipping them off to Black gate or other nearby prisons.

Then there was the setting up of soup kitchens, hostels, medical centres as a stand in while buildings were fixed, made hospitable again or just rebuilt. Some were past saving and were knocked down. Many people decided to leave Gotham altogether and I didn't blame them. The city was still on shaking legs even now, a year on.

The only people who stayed were the die hard Gothamites. We were here till death do us part. This was our city, our home. We weren't about to leave just because it had been destroyed and nearly annihilated off the map. Even though we probably should.

Everyone who stayed did their best helping to rebuild the city. There was a lot of loss to deal with though. The loss of businesses, homes, schools, family, friends, loved ones. It seemed the grief was everywhere. No one was unaffected from the past weeks. No one was that lucky.

But there was some hope in the darkness. Families finding each other again, friends reuniting, some buildings nearly unscathed. A lot of people were still displaced but we were rebuilding, our city and our life.

Jonathan and I had refused to let the other out of our sight. Still worried we may lose each other again. I was worried he would be thrown back in Arkham because, technically, he was still on the run and had never officially carried out his sentence…

But with his helping Batman get to Bane and saving the children he seemed to be pardoned. Maybe the city realised they had bigger problems to deal with than trying to punish a reformed criminal helping little orphans escape certain death.
I hadn't realised just how true my words from years ago had been.

"Ma, the only way he would get parole is if he saved a Buss load of adorable orphans from certain death."

The accuracy of that statement still gave me goosebumps. Of course he wasn't let off scot-free. He was still on parole and if he so much as went near even a child's science kit, they would throw him back in Arkham. He also had to do community service and check in with his parole officer every week. Which he just loved.

I had went back to the hospital before it was reopened and functioning. I couldn't stay away. A very relieved Dr. Stiller had given me my job back without a moments hesitation and also wouldn't release me from his death grip hug for a good five minutes. For am older gentleman he sure had a strong grip.

He had thought for sure I had died the day I took his place in the court and he hadn't been able to forgive himself for not doing more. But I assured him it had all worked out in the end, and I was still all intact. All ten fingers and toes still attached and functioning as well as before.

So this was where Jonathan and I had found ourselves. Both free and back with one another. We had moved in together without even discussing it. We had nearly died with each other, we weren't about to miss a moment together by doing this whole dating thing traditionally We would never be a normal couple so why go through the motions of one?

And only a month later we were on our way to the final hearing of whether we were about to become official parents. After the tunnel, neither Jonathan nor I could forget Tommy. He had no family before the invasion of Bane and his chaos. There was no one waiting for him, except us. We could give him a home with us. Were we the best candidates? Not by a long shot. But we would try.

I never thought we would find ourselves here. When I first met Jonathan I thought I would be lucky to even be civil with each other, but look at us now. Dating and possibly becoming legal parents in the next few hours.

It was crazy and unexpected but I wouldn't trade it for the whole world. Not one second of it.

I leaned over in the car and gave Jonathan a kiss on the cheek.
"What was that for?" He asked as a blush began to creep over his cheeks.
"I'm just happy." I admitted, returning to my own seat.

"I love you Jonathan." I smiled as his blush began to darken and spread to his ears.
"I love you too." He replied, only a hint of embarrassment still in his voice.

Now the real adventure begins.

Domestic bliss. How thrilling…

The end.

A/N

Haven't wrote one of these in a while! Hello all!

So yeah, the ending. I'm not sure I did it justice but this was the only ending I could imagine for these two and crazier things have happened in Gotham so, why not?

Thanks for reading this far! I really hoped you enjoyed it and if you did, let me know in the reviews if you have a spare second. And check out my other stories if you liked this one. This is the only one with Jonathan Crane at present, but I plan to write more with him. He is too adorable.

But yes, keep an eye out for more...