Shattered windows and the sound of drums...[for knowthenbreak]

[gothams_dent]

[immediately follows the last post.]Just as Harvey approaches Nadine's apartment building, a police car can be heard in the distance, coming closer. Shit. He fades back into the shadows of an alleyway, wondering if someone's seen him, wondering if someone would recognize him if they had seen him. He wants to know if Gordon is looking for him, if

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[knowthenbreak]

For the third time, Nadine deletes the number she just typed in. Why is it so hard to remember? She knows Jonathan's number. She knows it by heart. However, her hands are shaking, her vision blurred by tears she's still fighting. The phone isn't hers. Well, it is, but it's new. A prepaid cell, almost identical to the one registered to her name. She and Jonathan agreed- it's best now if the police think she hasn't had contact with him. She can't call him on her good phone anymore

[gothams_dent]

He creeps out of the shadows, hat still pulled down over the bad side of his face, coat collar still up. Though neither the coat or hat were originally his, he's in his own burned, tattered suit - the same one she saw him wearing at the press conference days ago. He's not a ghost, but he's definitely not who he was then - that much is obvious.

"Hi." His voice is much more cocksure than he actually feels - breezy almost, like he's merely been away on a vacation.

[knowthenbreak]

She stares at him, and her expression changes. For a brief moment, she's back in the hospital, alone and frightened, and then he comes, warm and protective. The feeling fades fast, and the cold reality of the present sets in. She's still not sure she isn't seeing things, isn't imagining everything.

"Harvey," she says again, a little more sure of herself, even if she isn't sure of the situation. "What are you-- Why are you--" She doesn't finish either question. It takes all she has not to start crying. "I thought you were dead."

[gothams_dent]

"Surprise." It's all he can think of to say as he gets a little caught up in looking at her. "I--I'm alive."

[knowthenbreak]

She manages a quiet laugh, though it may have hidden a sob. Now, though, she's somewhat composed. She stoops down, picking up her phone where it fell, closing it a moment later, leaving the number she'd been calling unfinished.

One thought does occur to her- they can't stand out here all night. She's either talking to someone who is supposed to be dead or she's talking to herself. Without a word, Nadine turns, walking to the door of the building and glancing in. No one at the front desk, and a straight, short shot to the elevator.

She looks over her shoulder, a bit surprised to still see him there. "Come in, please."

[gothams_dent]

Harvey follows her silently, head down as to avoid drawing attention to himself, even though there's no one in the lobby.

[knowthenbreak]

The elevator is waiting, doors opening the moment the button's pressed, and she presses the button to close them as soon as they're both inside. Nadine doesn't say anything, bracing herself against the elevator wall.

[gothams_dent]

"They're saying I'm dead because they don't know where the hell I am," Harvey offered. "...they don't want to know where I am. I-I've done some things I probably shouldn't have." He frowns. "I'm no one's White Knight any more, that's for sure."

[knowthenbreak]

She doesn't say anything for a few moments, looking at the numbers on the top of the elevator as they light up, not looking at him. "The security camera on the main floor's busted. Has been for months. There's no way for anyone to know who comes or goes." A pause. A long pause. "You don't have to tell me what you've done. I-- I hope you will... eventually. But I'm not going to ask." Right now, she doesn't want to know. She can only imagine what it can be if Gordon either thinks Harvey's dead or would prefer to say he was.

She doesn't dare look at him, doesn't dare reach for his arm, doesn't dare try to reassure him. She doesn't know how to reassure him right now. There's time for that later, time to think, and there's a lot to think about.

[gothams_dent]

"I killed Wuertz," he said flatly. "It was him and Ramirez--they--they were on the Joker's payroll. There were others--people who deserved it, people who--" As the elevator went up, he continued. "I almost killed Jimmy Gordon."

[knowthenbreak]

She listened, shutting her eyes as she tried to process everything she was hearing. Wuertz and Ramirez. She opened her mouth, covering it with her hand at the mention of Jimmy Gordon. She couldn't focus on that. She couldn't handle thinking about that right now.

She knew she should be careful how she phrased her question. She needed to sound concerned, relieved even. But her tone was flat, perhaps slightly disappointed even. "You couldn't get to Ramirez?" She'd seen the female officer at the memorial. It felt... almost surreal now.

[gothams_dent]

"I got to her," he said, voice raspy with anger. "But...I couldn't--" He took out the coin and showed her both sides of it. "Heads she lived, tails she died." He gave a grunt. "It was heads."

[knowthenbreak]

Again, she knew she should have at least sounded disappointed, angry. However, looking at that coin, looking at him, all she could do was whisper, more concerned than shocked or outraged, "Harvey..." She started to reach out, to touch his hand, but she stopped herself when the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Probably best, she decided, if she didn't touch him.

[gothams_dent]

"She helped kill Rachel," is all that he said, his voice flat again. "They all did."

[knowthenbreak]

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, leading the way out into the hall once she was sure it was empty. The words did nothing, she knew that, but there wasn't anything else she could say or do. She unlocked her apartment door and led the way in, shutting the door once he was in. She didn't know what to say, what to offer. When she spoke, her voice was quiet, uncertain. "Would you like something to eat? Drink? Or would you like to get rest?"

[gothams_dent]

"Some water would be good," he said. He coughed a couple of times. "I'm kind of parched, actually." He looked around the apartment, trying for a moment to pretend it was just a regular visit.