A Change of Heart Chapter One

'He was right'

Becky Albright shook her head. He hadn't been right. Hitting back at the world wasn't the way to deal with her past. that was why she had refused his offer. Her mind flashed back to the day.

She lay sprawled out on the rooftop where she'd fallen. one arm raised up to her head in an attempt to defend herself. She curled into herself as the Scarecrow walked towards her. She couldn't see his face through his mask but he seemed menacing to her. He carried a bag. What did he have in there that could make her situation worse.

"What do you want with me? Haven't you done enough? She asked her voice wavering.

"I understand your pain Becky" He'd answered, pulling somthing out of the sack. "And I want to help you."...

The thing in the sack had been a dress. a tight corset. That would reveal rather a lot of her chest. And a skirt that resembled a spray painted garbage bag, she could tell it would be easy to move in. There was a mask much like his. And somhow she'd known it would fit her perfectly

She snapped back to the present and glanced around her apartment. Nothing seemed to have happened in the moment she'd been lost in thought. He'd offered her the chance to be his mistress. To hit back at the world. She'd said no of course. Then Batman had showed up and caught him. She'd been congradulated on standing up to the Scarecrow. Then she'd gone home. Back to an ordinary life with electric bills, work, and no obsessive stalkers.

She'd been tempted. Very tempted. She'd wanted to hit back at the world. But she'd been to afraid to try. Besides, what about her family and her friends. Her life. She couldn't just leave it all. So she'd said no, she was glad she'd said no. It was over. So why couldn't she stop thinking about him.

"Jonathon it's been six months. You'll have to talk about her sometime." sighed Dr Leland, exasperatedly.

Jonathon Crane simply glared at her. "Doctor I have already said I will talk about anything other than that incident with Becky Albright." He replied tersly.

Dr Leland sighed and motioned to the guard to take him back to his cell. "We'll continue this session some other time then Jonathon. But you'll have to talk about her sooner or later."

Jonathan Crane returned to his cell in silence. He lay down on the lumpy matress seething. How dare that second rate psychologist bring up that incident. His great humiliation. Becky Albright. And how dare that GIRL refuse him. He'd offered her the chance to be his Mistress. To hit back at the world. She had every right to. But she'd said no. She'd REJECTED him! HIM! The Master of fear. The Scarecrow. He knew she wanted to hit back at them. He'd seen it in her eyes. She'd wanted to join him. But she was to afraid of what the world would think. To worried about the restraints of society to throw off her shackles and join him. He had some consolation though. He'd shown that she could hit back. That the oppurtunity was there. And that wasn't somthing she could easily forget, and the effects of his fear gas would have left there mark. even if she wouldn't join him. He doubted she'd be able to stop thinking about him. Maybe one day she'd join him.

Even if she didn't at least he had the memory of her screams.

Becky wandered aimlessly through the streets of Gotham. It was her day off and her original plan had been to have a lazy day. But she couldn't stop thinking about the incident six months ago. So she'd gone out. Attempting to rid her thoughts of the Scarecrow. And his far too inticing offer. She shouldn't be this tempted. She knew it was wrong. She knew that she'd done the right thing by moving on from her past. Maybe she needed closure. The Scarecrow was in Arkham. She could try and visit him there. Maybe seeing where his choices got him would make her see she'd made the right one.

Dr Joan Leland surveyed the woman in front of her. Becky Albright stared back. She knew her request to visit the man who kidnapped her was unusual. Most people would simply move on and try to forget. But that hadn't worked. So she was trying somthing else. Dr Leland broke the silence first.

"Are you sure you want to see him, it's very irregular."

Becky nodded determinedly. "I need closure Doctor. I think that seeing the Scarecrow, in a secure enviroment. Will give me that."

Dr Leland sighed, "If that's what you want." She stood and motioned for Becky to follow her.

"He's this way."

The Scarecrow was lying in his cell when the guard came to fetch him.

"Hey Crane. You got a visitor."

Jonathon sat up. Surprised. He had a visiter. He never got visiters, unless it was police or a seemingly endless stream of psychologists.

"Who?" he demanded.

The guard shrugged. "Some girl, now come on" he snapped impatiently. Jonathon followed the guard out of his cell. Curious. What girl would want to visit him. The visiting room was a featureless room. The tables and chairs bolted down. There had been a nondescript painting on the wall. But another patient had smashed it onto a visitors head. There were no more decorations.

Crane barely noticed this. To shocked at the identity of his visitor. Sat in the chair opposite him. Was Becky Albright.