Welcome to Gotham
John was not impressed with New Jersey. Granted, he was rarely impressed with anything - not with his mother's behavior or Allison's stubbornness to not stay off her foot until it healed properly over the last few months or his permanent migraine. Thankfully Allison's foot was healed and he didn't feel like the very air he was breathing was going to drive him to jump out of a window or anything but, still.
John was not impressed with New Jersey.
At least he wasn't angry anymore. The anger had given away to this quiet agitation while he tried to plan and plot around and against his mother in his head, working through the distraction of the never-ending headache. He was, at least, managing to get some of that down. Managing to treat Allison like a person and not like some expendable object. Sometimes that made the headache worse; hell, it made it worse all of the time but John wasn't willing to just revert to what he had been. Everything since January had been such a wreck that he wasn't willing to give up on the one reason he was managing to deal with all this still.
However, he still withdrew sometimes. John was careful; he never went further than the fire escape and he always told Allison when he was going out or took her with him and watched to make sure his mother wasn't on the warpath when she couldn't find him. Things got worse for Allison, for both of them, when Sarah was half-convinced John was running away. And, well. She was half-right. He was planning to. Just not alone.
Today he's on the fire escape again. Looking at grey November East Coast skies and frowning, a bit. Not enough sun for someone born in the desert.
She did not like the cold. Not even a little bit. It was cold and biting and it made her think of Sarah all the time. And still, she practically had to be forced into a winter jacket. By John, more than by Sarah.
She was fairly certain that Sarah would rather she go out in the chill and freeze. Die. Rust or whatever.
So when she saw John on the fire escape, she wasn't exactly thrilled. Then again, when was she ever? Time to go outside. Without a jacket. Again. "John?"
"Hey." Frowning at the lack of jacket. "Ff, Allison." Did he even need to repeat it? Probably not. Oh, well, Sarah had gone out anyway so they could duck back inside. "Come on then Miss I'll Freeze To Death Beyond All Common and Uncommon Sense."
"I'm not cold." Which is either a lie, or she's just not cold yet. "Why are you out here? Are you looking for Batman?" To Sarah's annoyance, Allison had become overly interested in this town's bizarre style of criminal.
"You have a perfectly good coat that you refuse to wear and I don't want to be sick here." John shakes his head and climbs back into the apartment. "No, just thinking."
"What're you thinking about?" Ignoring about the coat, apparently
"Places we can hide. Ways to get us out."
"It's a big city." This? Is true.
"It's a big city that is crazy and we're unfamiliar with." Sighing and getting a soda.
"A big city that's crazy that she's unfamiliar with." Is it easier to talk like this when Sarah's not around? Not particularly. But.
John glances at Allison. "I know. I don't know why we're here." Or why the hell his mother gets to vanish for nearly a week and they're expected to stay put.
Then again, Sarah keeps popping in randomly during while she's 'gone', so.
She certainly has no idea. "I like it here." Shrug. "Maybe she's dead." Nice.
John snorts. "We've never been so lucky." Hunting for ibuprofin, hello headache.
"We could go to Canada." Shrug.
"We could." John glances at her. "First time you've brought that up."
She's surprised at that. "Is it?"
"Usually I bring it up and you just...kind of stare and tell me that it's up to me while not actually managing to keep eye contact." The Joys of Programming, Chapter 20.
"Oh. Maybe I'm glitching." Is it weird that doesn't both her. Yes.
So very weird. John outright stares for a moment. "Well. Guess we already know how I feel about that."
"Yes. I guess we know that." So at least the repeating's the same. Yay? "You don't mind glitching."
"I mind when it upsets you. Otherwise, I don't think resetting is a good idea." Oh, the fit he'd pitched the first time Sarah reset Allison in front him. Putting someone into shock is never a good thing.
That would've been a treat, to be sure. "It always upsets me." Wait. No. "It doesn't. I mean."
"It doesn't always upset you?"
"It doesn't upset me. I don't get upset." Like hell.
"...Okay that I don't believe. You appear upset, okay? Usually. Not right now."
"I'm not appearing upset right now. What am I appearing?"
"Stable. Slightly annoyed."
"Annoyed?" Stable, she thinks not.
Well, more stable than what she normally does. "Yeah, annoyed."
True. "I'm not annoyed."
"What are you then?" Sipping his soda.
"Bored. Lonely." Slight smirk, and that's weird too. "But not annoyed."
John, stop raising your eyebrows. "That's...different." Small sigh. "Sorry you're lonely. And bored."
"Yes. That's different. Are you?"
"Sorry or lonely and bored?"
"Yes." All of the above, apparently.
"Yes." Again with that.
"That's unfortunate. We should fix that."
John shrugs. "What do you wanna do? Not watching soap operas, though, God."
"There's nothing wrong with soap operas." There's nothing right about them either, really. "I like Passions. Also Days of Our Lives. We could have sex. Oh, and the Young and the Restless. Everyone goes to prison. It's very interesting."
John...chokes on his soda. Good going Allison.
"You should be more careful. Don't choke."
It takes him a moment. Give him a moment, please? Thank you. "...What?!"
"They have a perfume company and a fitness center." Yeah, he was totally asking about Young and the Restless.
"I'm not..." John takes a deep breath. "The fourth thing you said. About sex."
"Oh. Nothing. Nevermind. It was just an idea." Riiiight.
"...No, you can't just never mind me about that."
Was that a smirk? Nooo. "I can't?"
"...You're doing this on purpose." John looks a little flabbergasted. And embarrassed. And blushing. "Are you even serious?"
"On purpose? No. Maybe." She tilts her head, because that's an interesting reaction. "Yes."
"Maybe." John covers his mouth and just looks at her for a moment. "If you want to," is what he finally manages.
She blinks at him. "Why would I say it if I didn't want to?"
He shrugs and shakes his head. Congratulations, Allison, you've rendered him pink and speechless. For the moment.
She'll just marvel at that as best as she can for now, then shrug. "Well, if you don't want to. I can think of other things."
"What, no." Well that was quick. "I didn't say I don't want to, I do want to." Sighing and running a hand through his hair before standing up. "Al right."
"Really? Are you sure?" Slight smirk, again.
John chuckles a little before looking at the floor and looking at Allison again. Holding his hand out to her. "I'm sure."
She smiles at him, slightly. Which? Also weird, and takes his hand. "Okay."
Weird. Good weird that makes his chest feel odd because he rarely sees Allison smile anymore.
Before they go anywhere though he's going to kiss her. Somewhat shyly. Interesting how different his reactions are depending on his state of mind.
Very interesting. It's the same for her. When she kisses him back, she really seems a bit surprised that he wants to.
Which means that when it ends he's left blinking at her and trying to catch his breath. "You okay?" He can tell she's surprised he's just not sure why.
"Yeah. I'm okay. Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Another kiss. "Yeah." So now they should probably not be making out in the kitchen, huh?
"Good." Another kiss. "Okay." Probably. That way lies Sarah coming home early and flipping her shit. So: someone's bedroom. Not hers.
Not Sarah's either, which leaves John's. Which...he's surprisingly all right with. Closing the door, locking it, and kissing her again. That's all good, right?
Of course it is. And it's probably good that she backs them towards the bed, right?
Right. Of course it is. Because somehow John can walk, somewhat, and kiss her at the same. Until one or both of them collapses onto the bed.
Which will be her, as she's more efficient at falling apparently. Falling and kissing him again. Harder, this time. Just a bit.
Climbing over her and making the most interesting noise when she kisses him. Kissing her back, harder, a bit. Catching her lip between his teeth a bit too.
That? She doesn't mind at all. Not a bit. The noise or the biting. She presses a kiss against his throat, his jaw. Fingers tracing his cheek. Trying to get another noise, maybe.
Another noise is definitely going to happen. With a few to follow the more they kiss, the more John runs his hands over her shirt, under her shirt, over her skin. A kiss to her ear, her throat, her collar, the inside of her arm.
A few noises of her own will happen with all of that, thank you, John. Noises and threading her fingers in his hair. A hell of a lot more kissing, meandering to pulse points. It's possible that she's been doing some reading when she sneaks out to go to the library. Oh, Allison.
The things that would never occur to John. Not in a million years. Right now? He's not worrying about how she came to learn about that, all he knows is that he's more than happy for the attention. Right now he just wants this to be as fun as possible, as nice as possible. Take as long as possible.
Which means that when he pushes the hem of her shirt up so he kiss more skin, he's also not letting her take the shirt off. Not yet.
Top of the list of things that are currently driving her nuts: that. But it's in a good way, so she really can't complain. Instead of complaining, she'll get her hands under his shirt. Over his heart and tracing the scars. Kissing his wrist and humming, just a bit.
It's driving them both nuts but John can be amazingly stubborn too. There's a catch in his breathing when her hands are against his skin, when she kisses his wrist, and John groans. "God, Allison." More kissing. More skin.
"Hmm?" Kissing him again, the other wrist. His throat. "John." More of that. More of all of that.
"You're..." Sighing, kissing her again. "God. Driving me nuts." And they still have their clothes on, fancy that.
"Good." More kissing. Tugging at his shirt, because fancy that.
"Yes." A pause and then he lets her dispose of the shirt, stretching out next to her and kissing her all over again. Everywhere he can. "I want this to last a while." A kiss to her throat, speaking against her skin. "All right?"
"A while? Yeah. Yes. Okay." Because who knows when they'll do this again, right?
Exactly. So while John's shirt has gone the way of unneeded articles of clothing, everything else remains. For now. "Good." More kissing. Harsh and insistent. More curious touching. Over scars and curves. Where his fingers go his lips eventually follow. That's fun.
That is fun. A hell of a lot of fun. Hitched breathing, insane-making, noise inducing fun. Eventually, there will be a lot of that type of touching on her end. Scars and pulse points. Fingers tangled in his hair. "Oh...okay. "
John laughs somewhere near the base of her ribcage. "I hope so." Humming as they both shift into each other. All right, finally, goodbye Allison's shirt. And bra. But pausing there, for the moment, to kiss her again. Lean against her, hold her, smile at her. "You're beautiful." And that's cliched. John doesn't give a damn.
And she smiles back at him, which is so rare she's surprised that it doesn't hurt to make that face. Smiles at him and kisses him again. "You too. I love you." And for once, for once that doesn't make her head hurt. Not as much.
Some small...startled, surprised, wondrous sound escapes John's throat as she kisses him. "God. I love you." She's never said that before he does, he thinks, unless she was scared. Unless she was hurt. Which makes all of this even more of a miracle in his mind.
She's certainly not hurt at this point, is she? Or scared. "I know. I know you do." She does. At this moment, she knows.
No, thank God. More kissing is never a bad idea. Especially right now. Kissing her wrist, her palm, her fingers. Her lips. Her throat. Meandering with it. Traveling down as far as she'll let him.
Which is fairly far. Because he wants this to last a while. As far as he can go while still letting it last a while. Breathing hitching and closing her eyes for a moment. Just a moment.
Eventually the skirt is going to have to go too. But John takes his time with that, too, because he can. Because she's letting him. Because some silly little part of his brain is half certain he's dreaming all this anyway. That part? Gets smaller by the second.
Goodbye, skirt. Underwear. All that.
All that. When he's finished getting rid of all of that, she pulls him right back down to kiss him again. Kissing him, hard, and working on getting rid of those pants. Because they are annoying her.
Is he going to stop her? No. He'll kiss her and watch her, rather bemused the entire way and possibly helpful (or possibly not, considering how distracting he's trying to be) while smiling and laughing and touching her.
If he's not going to help her, this will take her more than a few minutes. Mostly, because she's rather inefficiently distracted by smiling and laughing and touching. Mostly, because she's really needed that sort of thing for a very long time.
They both have. Needed smiles and laughter and contact and wanting each other and being able to say something about it. Do something about it. Needed a reason to keep going and stop trying to die. Eventually John will stop being as distracting and help her with that. Followed by being more distracting.
This is a hell of a lot better than trying to die. Trying to run. Screaming and yelling at each other and Sarah. It's just better. "I love you. So much. Okay?" Always asking.
"It's always okay." Somehow. Tracing patters on her skin with his fingertips. Taking refuge in just being close, for a moment, before moving again. Shifting again. Getting closer. "Always. I love you."
Closing her eyes as they move, closer, so much so until they can't possibly be closer. Tilting her head back, a bit, and then tracing his scars, kissing him. His lips, his throat. Biting, a little. Trying to be distracting, because even now she wants this to last.
Distracting is good. John, overall, wants this to last too. Still. Because it's wonderful and he wants to hold on to it as long as possible. Humming, gasping, sighing when she kisses him. Bites him. Doing the same to her. Not caring about what is or isn't visible.
He'll care later. Somewhat.
They'll both care later. But now is not later.
Gasping a little when he bites her back, moving her hand from his hair to the back of neck. Her other hand over his heart. "A while? Still? Yeah?"
"A while?" His brain has no idea what she's asking him. "I don't understand." Kissing the pulse in her neck again. Biting, there. It's going to leave a mark, just watch. Moving his hands up and down her skin.
Well, if he's going to mark her. She'll just have to respond in kind, won't she? "You wanted it to last a while..." Hand moving from the back of his neck to just his back. Tracing his spine. Scars.
John whines. Damn, but that's an interesting feeling isn't it? "Yes, I do." Which is definitely more difficult now but there is an awful lot to distract each other with at the moment.
They'll just have to be slower then, right? "All right." Kissing. "How?"
They will. Which means, apparently, kissing and trying to be still while still moving. A bit. "How? I don't know."
Smirking, slightly. "Try our best?" Be their best? Oh, Allison. Trying to be still. Stopping completely at one point. "John."
He laughs which prompts some moving on his part, again. "Sure." Shaking his head and kissing her throat again. Her chin. Behind her ear. But the stopping completely brings him up short, catching his breath, looking at her. "Allison?"
Smiling at him, oh so brightly. "John." Moving again. Slow and still at times. Kissing him again.
Smiling in return. "Allison." Kissing her again. Moving again, pausing when she does sometimes. Moving anyway, sometimes. Resting his forehead on hers, on her shoulder, when he's not kissing her.
Moving with him. Against him. Going breathless and shaky when she pauses and he doesn't. Kissing him. Kissing his ear when his head is on her shoulder. "John. Oh..."
"Do you like it?" Slightly silly question, possibly, but no one ever said John didn't ask silly questions at odd times. Moving his arms around her back to hold her tight. "I like it, I like this." Going just a bit faster.
Because that is a silly question, she laughs a bit. Which is an altogether different type of movement. "Yeah. I like it. I like you."
Judging by the way John stills, gasping, it's a very different type of movement. A very nice one too. "Hmm." Kissing her chin and nibbling on it a bit. "I like you too."
She'll have to remember that. As long as she can. "Good. That's good." Closing her eyes for a moment and threading her fingers back in his hair. Moving just a little faster. More than a little harder. "I like you a lot. I love you. Oh."
"Oh is good." John laughs a little too. Tilts his head in the direction of her hand. "I know. I love you too." Matching her, a bit. Pausing in moments, to see what it does. How it feels. He won't be able to keep doing that after a bit. Kissing her throat again. "You smell like sugar." Still.
Well, you bake for years and years, it gets ingrained. "You smell like gun oil." Which she likes, judging by the way she kisses him and pulls back only when she needs air. "And something else. I don't know. I like this a lot."
"Tell me when you..." Small pause, small gasp, but he keeps moving. "When you figure it out." He moves his fingers up and down her spine, across her ribcage, down her hips. Lets his fingers get tangled in her hair.
Moving her hand to rest on his side, and pressing her forhead against his shoulder. Against the side of his neck and kissing his throat. Humming, a little. "I will. Oh. I will...John. " Shifting, just a little, enough to be different. Distracting. "John."
"Ah." Very distracting. He keeps losing and catching his breath again. Against her skin, apparently. "...Allison." Shifting with her, against her. Changing where his weight is centered.
And that's also very distracting. Very. She shuts her eyes for a moment, just a moment and makes a noise against his ear. Against his shoulder. Moves her leg, slightly. Foot tracing down the back of his leg. More distractions. "God..."
"I know." He does, because every distraction is just that much more for his senses to take in and it's maddening at this point. Not that he wants her to stop or has any intention of stopping with the distracting behaviors. Kissing her ear, again. Running his fingers down her leg before he moves just that much faster. Harder. More insistent. "I love you."
Harder is good. Great, even. Harder, more insistent makes it that much more difficult to talk. To breathe in an unshaky way. And that's good too. "I...god." She would very much like more of that, she thinks. Her eyes widen, slightly, and she kisses him again. Harder. Not pulling back until she absolutely has to.
John shakes his head and laughs. Doesn't stop moving, doesn't let up on the kissing, the biting, the touching. Watches her eyes go wide and grins. "More?" He's going to, either way, but right now he wants to hear her. Hear her talk and fail, it doesn't matter. "I love you."
Trying and failing to catch her breath, at talking. Brushing fingers down his spine, against his jaw. "Hm. Yeah. Yes. More. God..." Trying to move faster. Trying to still. Failing at both. "Love you. I love..."
The sound of her voice sends a shudder down his spine, chasing after his fingers. He laughs again, the sound brushing over her skin, her lips. "The way you sound." Laughing again, moving again, because this feels right and amazing and he'd do this all the time with her if he could. If he can. Putting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes as his vision threatens to double. "God."
Shifting again. Moving again, against him and with him. "More?" Repeating back at him, but not a call and response way. Because this is good, and right and great and she couldn't form coherent sentences if she tried. "John. Oh. God..."
He nods and his nose brushes against hers as he ducks his head for another kiss. "More, please." Faster again, harder again and a million little sounds that might have been words; her name, a plea, something but coherence isn't staying for either of them.
It really is not. Coherence. The ability to breathe an unhitched, gasping breath. None of that. She bites her lip, bites his lip and kisses him. Rests her forhead against his, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. Two moments and then kissing him again. Harder. Moving faster, and moving her foot against his leg again. "Oh. God. John. Please..." Please what, she doesn't even know. Something. Something amazing, she's sure.
He grins, eyes still closed. Kisses her back, bites her back, puts both hands on either side of her face. Brushes his thumbs across her cheeks and gasps a bit. "I know, I know." Letting the control slip, bit by bit, as he comes unraveled. So she can tell what's happening, what he's doing to her, what he wants and is giving and everything. Kissing her again and putting his head next to hers. The sound he makes is nowhere even approaching quiet.
Hand over his heart as soon as his control starts to slip, as soon as he starts unraveling. When that happens, she moves faster. Less steady. Kisses him, and leans her head against his when it's next to hers. "God. Oh. God..." She's not even remotely quiet as she starts to fall apart. Starts to unravel as well. "John?" She doesn't even have a question. Not really.
Nodding and kissing her ear is the best he can do by way of an answer by now. Much too far gone for words that make any sort of sense and everything in his mind is getting completely lost in her. The sounds she makes and the way she feels. The fact that he can feel his pulse all over his skin, against hers, into her palm. It doesn't take much to push him over from that point. Not much at all.
And when he goes over, when he's over that point she'll follow right after. Making a noise in his ear and kissing him. Never moving her hand, not until they're both well over.
Deep breaths first and then John presses his forehead to the mattress. Kisses Allison and smiles. Brushes his fingers over the small bruises on her throat with a slightly bemused expression. Sarah will notice, he knows it. But he's not sorry.
She smiles at him, and touches his cheek. Sarah will notice, but she can't manage to care. Not a bit. "Still lonely?" she manages, eventually.
John shakes his head and smiles too. "Nope. Not even a little. Still bored?" Smirk.
Pretending to think about it for a moment. "Noooo. Not even a little." Smirking back.
Kissing her again and then shifting to the side, a bit. "I love you." Like it's the easiest thing ever. "We should eat something."
"I love you too." And saying it doesn't hurt at all that time. Not a bit. And that's interesting, isn't it? How long will that last? "Yeah. Yes. What?"
"I don't know, whatever we've got." It will last until the train breaks, hopefully. John shrugs. "I don't have a preference."
"Burgers? I could make burgers." Hopefully until then. That's not that far off.
"Okay." Another kiss. And hunting down his clothes, some of which have migrated entirely across the room.
And hunting down her own, getting dressed quickly so she can get started on those burgers. But not before kissing him again before heading out.
That makes John laugh and smile. Which lasts all though helping and alternatively staying out of Allison's way while she makes burgers. They're just about done by the time Sarah comes in and the kitchen goes quiet.
"What have you been up to today?"
"We stayed in." Not open hostility, not yet. At least not from John.
None from Allison yet either, oddly enough. Or maybe not so oddly. "We watched television. Soap operas."
Was Sarah buying that? Did Sarah buy that at all? Was she even paying attention to Allison? Ha.
"You stayed in. Why?"
"Why not?" John shakes his head.
"What is that?" Reaching for his neck and frowning when John ducks out of reach.
Because that wasn't suspicious at all. "Do you want a burger?" Allison didn't manage to duck out of reach in time, what with being up to her wrists in hamburger meat, practically.
"What happened?" Really, Sarah?
Slight, slight smirk on Allison's face. "I fell." Oh, Allison.
"Into what?" Glaring at John who raises his eyebrows at his mother.
"Is there a reason you're looking at me like that?"
"What the hell is wrong with the two of you?"
"Nothing. Strangely enough."
Sarah looked like she was five seconds away from a stroke. "She's a machine."
Allison frowned, slight. "I think you're a liar."
"Excuse me?" Grabbing Allison by the arm.
And getting grabbed in return by John. "Don't fucking touch her."
"She's glitching."
"Like hell. We're not doing this bullshit today."
"Everything I do, I do for you. To keep you safe. This? This is sick. It's not safe, John. She's a machine."
"You're a liar," Allison repeated, softly and went back to the burgers.
"Touch her and you'll regret it," John repeated. "She's not a machine. Sorry to burst your bubble."
Sarah frowned. And slapped him.
Well. Isn't that a bad thing to do in front of the girl you've basically brainwashed to protect your only son? Yeah. It really is. So that switch got flipped. And Allison dropped the burger patty she was flipping and without thinking swatted Sarah in the arm with it. Ow, hot greasy metal.
And before Sarah can react, before she can pull a gun or swing a punch John is in the way. One hand around Allison's wrist and the other at his side. "Don't. Fucking. Touch. Her."
"Do you see what she's doing to you? To us?"
"Whatever she's doing can't be any worse than what you did to Riley. Neither of us are dead." Which was the first time John flat-out accused Sarah of that.
"She's glitching."
"And you're gonna fix her? You couldn't set a fucking alarm clock."
"You have no idea what I'll do to keep you safe."
Allison winced at that. Twitched a little at that. "I know." In oh so many different ways. She wants to hit Sarah again. Hit her or kill her and run. But John is holding her. And that calms her, a little bit.
John closed his eyes briefly when Allison twitched. "I don't trust you. Killing a girl? That keeps me safe? Right." Shaking his head and not letting go of Allison's arm. "No more programming. No more resetting. Or you'll regret it."
"...Are you threatening me?"
"No we're playing fucking poker, what the hell is wrong with you?"
"You'll regret it. Keeping her like this. She'll kill you. She was sent to kill you."
"Keeping her? She's not a fucking pet, what is wrong..." John took a deep breath. "Really. Funny. Then why didn't she? I don't believe you. I'm not going to start tonight."
"She didn't because I stopped her. I reprogrammed her for you. Not for this." To Allison. "Go to your room. Wait for me."
"No. She won't be going to her room or waiting for whatever the hell you do to her that you don't want me to see. Do you think I'm stupid?" John's grip on Allison's wrist doesn't slack at all. "She stays with me."
Allison wanted to go to her room. But she didn't. She didn't, so she fought it. Because she wanted to stay with John. It made her head hurt, just a bit. More than a bit later. "I stay with him." And was that hard to say? A little.
"You'll regret it, John. I swear you will."
"Sit down or get out. I won't say it again."
Sarah blinked. "What?"
John just pointed at the door.
"What're you saying?"
Allison smirked, a bit more than before. "He's saying: sit down or get out." Duh.
She glared at the both of them. "So, what you're going to gang up on me now?"
"If we were ganging up on you, you'd be bleeding. Sit the fuck down or get the hell out."
Oddly, or at least in Allison's mind, Sarah sat the fuck down. Later, she'd realise that Sarah was just planning a new tactic. But for now, she'd just make them all dinner.
Later, John would realize that giving her a choice was probably a bad idea but he didn't want to be like her. At all. So. Dinner. Which was obviously a silent affair.
John wasn't surprised when Sarah left nearly immediately after.
Allison was glad when Sarah left. Part of her, most of her, hoped that she'd never come back. The rest of her knew that was so terribly unlikely. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Standing up and giving Allison a hug. "How are you?"
Smiling. Again. Still. "I'm all right." Which was weird. And confusing.
John smiles back. "How's your head?"
"It doesn't hurt." Maybe a little buzzing. But no pain. Which was interesting. Different. She touched his cheek. "I'm sorry she hit you."
Covering her hand with his own. "It's fine. I wanted her to." Well, he wanted her to shift her attention from Allison to him. Same difference. "You okay with staying in my room? With me?" From now until the train wreck changes everyone's plans.
"Yes. I'm okay with staying in your room." Kissing him. "Are you?"
John nods, grins. "Yeah. More than okay. It's easier to sleep when you're there." And he doesn't trust his mother at all, now.
"All right. I'll stay." Grinning back.
"Thank you." Another hug and helping to clean up dinner.
And two weeks passed by. Fairly quickly in some matters, not so quickly in others. Allison stayed in John's room, resting and sleeping and sleeping with John. Going out when John felt the need. Watching Sarah glower on the rare occasion that she was actually home.
Sarah spent her time plotting. Thinking. Replanning what to do now that John had thrown this wrench into her ideas. She'd have to leave Allison behind. She knew that. She'd known that when she'd brought them to Gotham. She hadn't anticipated this. Not any of this.
Neither had John but he wasn't complaining. Like his mother he was planning. Plotting. Ways for them to get away from her, to stop her if she chose to follow them. Ways to find Allison if Sarah managed to separate them. Which he thought had a snowball's chance in hell of happening, but he never made a plan without a backup plan. Or three.
It was Monday. December first, though John kept thinking it was November and that would stick with him for months after the fact. The three of them on one of the Eastbound trains running an errand. Guns. They needed to replenish ammo, because John has been hoarding it from his mother. So the stock they had was low.
He stood closer to Allison, closer to the engine car, because it was crowded. Because there were a lot of people and that always made it hard to focus. Because he was half tempted to lose his mother at the next station, double back to where their things were kept, and get the hell out.
He noticed the lights before the collision and then it was like dominoes. Crashing his shoulder into something, hearing Allison scream, losing his grip on her. By the time the rescue workers found John he was wedged between a support and one of upended seats. They were surprised that he was even conscious but that surprise faded to worry when his pupils wouldn't dilate, when he waved off their questions and his bleeding collar scanning the crowd for Allison.
John Davis got halfway through the checklist, answering questions while craning and looking for Allison before the pain he didn't even register knocked him out.
She'd seen the clown, or whatever he was. Not enough of him to know what he was doing. Why he was there. But enough. Enough to know that something bad was happening. Enough to make her stick closer to John. Grip onto his hand, try to keep him safe.
A heck of a lot of good that did when the collision came. When everything fell. When she fell and people fell into her. People and objects. Pulling her away from John. Out of his grip, and she screamed because she hurt and she could see him hurt. Until she couldn't see anything else at all.
John was not impressed with New Jersey.
At least he wasn't angry anymore. The anger had given away to this quiet agitation while he tried to plan and plot around and against his mother in his head, working through the distraction of the never-ending headache. He was, at least, managing to get some of that down. Managing to treat Allison like a person and not like some expendable object. Sometimes that made the headache worse; hell, it made it worse all of the time but John wasn't willing to just revert to what he had been. Everything since January had been such a wreck that he wasn't willing to give up on the one reason he was managing to deal with all this still.
However, he still withdrew sometimes. John was careful; he never went further than the fire escape and he always told Allison when he was going out or took her with him and watched to make sure his mother wasn't on the warpath when she couldn't find him. Things got worse for Allison, for both of them, when Sarah was half-convinced John was running away. And, well. She was half-right. He was planning to. Just not alone.
Today he's on the fire escape again. Looking at grey November East Coast skies and frowning, a bit. Not enough sun for someone born in the desert.
She did not like the cold. Not even a little bit. It was cold and biting and it made her think of Sarah all the time. And still, she practically had to be forced into a winter jacket. By John, more than by Sarah.
She was fairly certain that Sarah would rather she go out in the chill and freeze. Die. Rust or whatever.
So when she saw John on the fire escape, she wasn't exactly thrilled. Then again, when was she ever? Time to go outside. Without a jacket. Again. "John?"
"Hey." Frowning at the lack of jacket. "Ff, Allison." Did he even need to repeat it? Probably not. Oh, well, Sarah had gone out anyway so they could duck back inside. "Come on then Miss I'll Freeze To Death Beyond All Common and Uncommon Sense."
"I'm not cold." Which is either a lie, or she's just not cold yet. "Why are you out here? Are you looking for Batman?" To Sarah's annoyance, Allison had become overly interested in this town's bizarre style of criminal.
"You have a perfectly good coat that you refuse to wear and I don't want to be sick here." John shakes his head and climbs back into the apartment. "No, just thinking."
"What're you thinking about?" Ignoring about the coat, apparently
"Places we can hide. Ways to get us out."
"It's a big city." This? Is true.
"It's a big city that is crazy and we're unfamiliar with." Sighing and getting a soda.
"A big city that's crazy that she's unfamiliar with." Is it easier to talk like this when Sarah's not around? Not particularly. But.
John glances at Allison. "I know. I don't know why we're here." Or why the hell his mother gets to vanish for nearly a week and they're expected to stay put.
Then again, Sarah keeps popping in randomly during while she's 'gone', so.
She certainly has no idea. "I like it here." Shrug. "Maybe she's dead." Nice.
John snorts. "We've never been so lucky." Hunting for ibuprofin, hello headache.
"We could go to Canada." Shrug.
"We could." John glances at her. "First time you've brought that up."
She's surprised at that. "Is it?"
"Usually I bring it up and you just...kind of stare and tell me that it's up to me while not actually managing to keep eye contact." The Joys of Programming, Chapter 20.
"Oh. Maybe I'm glitching." Is it weird that doesn't both her. Yes.
So very weird. John outright stares for a moment. "Well. Guess we already know how I feel about that."
"Yes. I guess we know that." So at least the repeating's the same. Yay? "You don't mind glitching."
"I mind when it upsets you. Otherwise, I don't think resetting is a good idea." Oh, the fit he'd pitched the first time Sarah reset Allison in front him. Putting someone into shock is never a good thing.
That would've been a treat, to be sure. "It always upsets me." Wait. No. "It doesn't. I mean."
"It doesn't always upset you?"
"It doesn't upset me. I don't get upset." Like hell.
"...Okay that I don't believe. You appear upset, okay? Usually. Not right now."
"I'm not appearing upset right now. What am I appearing?"
"Stable. Slightly annoyed."
"Annoyed?" Stable, she thinks not.
Well, more stable than what she normally does. "Yeah, annoyed."
True. "I'm not annoyed."
"What are you then?" Sipping his soda.
"Bored. Lonely." Slight smirk, and that's weird too. "But not annoyed."
John, stop raising your eyebrows. "That's...different." Small sigh. "Sorry you're lonely. And bored."
"Yes. That's different. Are you?"
"Sorry or lonely and bored?"
"Yes." All of the above, apparently.
"Yes." Again with that.
"That's unfortunate. We should fix that."
John shrugs. "What do you wanna do? Not watching soap operas, though, God."
"There's nothing wrong with soap operas." There's nothing right about them either, really. "I like Passions. Also Days of Our Lives. We could have sex. Oh, and the Young and the Restless. Everyone goes to prison. It's very interesting."
John...chokes on his soda. Good going Allison.
"You should be more careful. Don't choke."
It takes him a moment. Give him a moment, please? Thank you. "...What?!"
"They have a perfume company and a fitness center." Yeah, he was totally asking about Young and the Restless.
"I'm not..." John takes a deep breath. "The fourth thing you said. About sex."
"Oh. Nothing. Nevermind. It was just an idea." Riiiight.
"...No, you can't just never mind me about that."
Was that a smirk? Nooo. "I can't?"
"...You're doing this on purpose." John looks a little flabbergasted. And embarrassed. And blushing. "Are you even serious?"
"On purpose? No. Maybe." She tilts her head, because that's an interesting reaction. "Yes."
"Maybe." John covers his mouth and just looks at her for a moment. "If you want to," is what he finally manages.
She blinks at him. "Why would I say it if I didn't want to?"
He shrugs and shakes his head. Congratulations, Allison, you've rendered him pink and speechless. For the moment.
She'll just marvel at that as best as she can for now, then shrug. "Well, if you don't want to. I can think of other things."
"What, no." Well that was quick. "I didn't say I don't want to, I do want to." Sighing and running a hand through his hair before standing up. "Al right."
"Really? Are you sure?" Slight smirk, again.
John chuckles a little before looking at the floor and looking at Allison again. Holding his hand out to her. "I'm sure."
She smiles at him, slightly. Which? Also weird, and takes his hand. "Okay."
Weird. Good weird that makes his chest feel odd because he rarely sees Allison smile anymore.
Before they go anywhere though he's going to kiss her. Somewhat shyly. Interesting how different his reactions are depending on his state of mind.
Very interesting. It's the same for her. When she kisses him back, she really seems a bit surprised that he wants to.
Which means that when it ends he's left blinking at her and trying to catch his breath. "You okay?" He can tell she's surprised he's just not sure why.
"Yeah. I'm okay. Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Another kiss. "Yeah." So now they should probably not be making out in the kitchen, huh?
"Good." Another kiss. "Okay." Probably. That way lies Sarah coming home early and flipping her shit. So: someone's bedroom. Not hers.
Not Sarah's either, which leaves John's. Which...he's surprisingly all right with. Closing the door, locking it, and kissing her again. That's all good, right?
Of course it is. And it's probably good that she backs them towards the bed, right?
Right. Of course it is. Because somehow John can walk, somewhat, and kiss her at the same. Until one or both of them collapses onto the bed.
Which will be her, as she's more efficient at falling apparently. Falling and kissing him again. Harder, this time. Just a bit.
Climbing over her and making the most interesting noise when she kisses him. Kissing her back, harder, a bit. Catching her lip between his teeth a bit too.
That? She doesn't mind at all. Not a bit. The noise or the biting. She presses a kiss against his throat, his jaw. Fingers tracing his cheek. Trying to get another noise, maybe.
Another noise is definitely going to happen. With a few to follow the more they kiss, the more John runs his hands over her shirt, under her shirt, over her skin. A kiss to her ear, her throat, her collar, the inside of her arm.
A few noises of her own will happen with all of that, thank you, John. Noises and threading her fingers in his hair. A hell of a lot more kissing, meandering to pulse points. It's possible that she's been doing some reading when she sneaks out to go to the library. Oh, Allison.
The things that would never occur to John. Not in a million years. Right now? He's not worrying about how she came to learn about that, all he knows is that he's more than happy for the attention. Right now he just wants this to be as fun as possible, as nice as possible. Take as long as possible.
Which means that when he pushes the hem of her shirt up so he kiss more skin, he's also not letting her take the shirt off. Not yet.
Top of the list of things that are currently driving her nuts: that. But it's in a good way, so she really can't complain. Instead of complaining, she'll get her hands under his shirt. Over his heart and tracing the scars. Kissing his wrist and humming, just a bit.
It's driving them both nuts but John can be amazingly stubborn too. There's a catch in his breathing when her hands are against his skin, when she kisses his wrist, and John groans. "God, Allison." More kissing. More skin.
"Hmm?" Kissing him again, the other wrist. His throat. "John." More of that. More of all of that.
"You're..." Sighing, kissing her again. "God. Driving me nuts." And they still have their clothes on, fancy that.
"Good." More kissing. Tugging at his shirt, because fancy that.
"Yes." A pause and then he lets her dispose of the shirt, stretching out next to her and kissing her all over again. Everywhere he can. "I want this to last a while." A kiss to her throat, speaking against her skin. "All right?"
"A while? Yeah. Yes. Okay." Because who knows when they'll do this again, right?
Exactly. So while John's shirt has gone the way of unneeded articles of clothing, everything else remains. For now. "Good." More kissing. Harsh and insistent. More curious touching. Over scars and curves. Where his fingers go his lips eventually follow. That's fun.
That is fun. A hell of a lot of fun. Hitched breathing, insane-making, noise inducing fun. Eventually, there will be a lot of that type of touching on her end. Scars and pulse points. Fingers tangled in his hair. "Oh...okay. "
John laughs somewhere near the base of her ribcage. "I hope so." Humming as they both shift into each other. All right, finally, goodbye Allison's shirt. And bra. But pausing there, for the moment, to kiss her again. Lean against her, hold her, smile at her. "You're beautiful." And that's cliched. John doesn't give a damn.
And she smiles back at him, which is so rare she's surprised that it doesn't hurt to make that face. Smiles at him and kisses him again. "You too. I love you." And for once, for once that doesn't make her head hurt. Not as much.
Some small...startled, surprised, wondrous sound escapes John's throat as she kisses him. "God. I love you." She's never said that before he does, he thinks, unless she was scared. Unless she was hurt. Which makes all of this even more of a miracle in his mind.
She's certainly not hurt at this point, is she? Or scared. "I know. I know you do." She does. At this moment, she knows.
No, thank God. More kissing is never a bad idea. Especially right now. Kissing her wrist, her palm, her fingers. Her lips. Her throat. Meandering with it. Traveling down as far as she'll let him.
Which is fairly far. Because he wants this to last a while. As far as he can go while still letting it last a while. Breathing hitching and closing her eyes for a moment. Just a moment.
Eventually the skirt is going to have to go too. But John takes his time with that, too, because he can. Because she's letting him. Because some silly little part of his brain is half certain he's dreaming all this anyway. That part? Gets smaller by the second.
Goodbye, skirt. Underwear. All that.
All that. When he's finished getting rid of all of that, she pulls him right back down to kiss him again. Kissing him, hard, and working on getting rid of those pants. Because they are annoying her.
Is he going to stop her? No. He'll kiss her and watch her, rather bemused the entire way and possibly helpful (or possibly not, considering how distracting he's trying to be) while smiling and laughing and touching her.
If he's not going to help her, this will take her more than a few minutes. Mostly, because she's rather inefficiently distracted by smiling and laughing and touching. Mostly, because she's really needed that sort of thing for a very long time.
They both have. Needed smiles and laughter and contact and wanting each other and being able to say something about it. Do something about it. Needed a reason to keep going and stop trying to die. Eventually John will stop being as distracting and help her with that. Followed by being more distracting.
This is a hell of a lot better than trying to die. Trying to run. Screaming and yelling at each other and Sarah. It's just better. "I love you. So much. Okay?" Always asking.
"It's always okay." Somehow. Tracing patters on her skin with his fingertips. Taking refuge in just being close, for a moment, before moving again. Shifting again. Getting closer. "Always. I love you."
Closing her eyes as they move, closer, so much so until they can't possibly be closer. Tilting her head back, a bit, and then tracing his scars, kissing him. His lips, his throat. Biting, a little. Trying to be distracting, because even now she wants this to last.
Distracting is good. John, overall, wants this to last too. Still. Because it's wonderful and he wants to hold on to it as long as possible. Humming, gasping, sighing when she kisses him. Bites him. Doing the same to her. Not caring about what is or isn't visible.
He'll care later. Somewhat.
They'll both care later. But now is not later.
Gasping a little when he bites her back, moving her hand from his hair to the back of neck. Her other hand over his heart. "A while? Still? Yeah?"
"A while?" His brain has no idea what she's asking him. "I don't understand." Kissing the pulse in her neck again. Biting, there. It's going to leave a mark, just watch. Moving his hands up and down her skin.
Well, if he's going to mark her. She'll just have to respond in kind, won't she? "You wanted it to last a while..." Hand moving from the back of his neck to just his back. Tracing his spine. Scars.
John whines. Damn, but that's an interesting feeling isn't it? "Yes, I do." Which is definitely more difficult now but there is an awful lot to distract each other with at the moment.
They'll just have to be slower then, right? "All right." Kissing. "How?"
They will. Which means, apparently, kissing and trying to be still while still moving. A bit. "How? I don't know."
Smirking, slightly. "Try our best?" Be their best? Oh, Allison. Trying to be still. Stopping completely at one point. "John."
He laughs which prompts some moving on his part, again. "Sure." Shaking his head and kissing her throat again. Her chin. Behind her ear. But the stopping completely brings him up short, catching his breath, looking at her. "Allison?"
Smiling at him, oh so brightly. "John." Moving again. Slow and still at times. Kissing him again.
Smiling in return. "Allison." Kissing her again. Moving again, pausing when she does sometimes. Moving anyway, sometimes. Resting his forehead on hers, on her shoulder, when he's not kissing her.
Moving with him. Against him. Going breathless and shaky when she pauses and he doesn't. Kissing him. Kissing his ear when his head is on her shoulder. "John. Oh..."
"Do you like it?" Slightly silly question, possibly, but no one ever said John didn't ask silly questions at odd times. Moving his arms around her back to hold her tight. "I like it, I like this." Going just a bit faster.
Because that is a silly question, she laughs a bit. Which is an altogether different type of movement. "Yeah. I like it. I like you."
Judging by the way John stills, gasping, it's a very different type of movement. A very nice one too. "Hmm." Kissing her chin and nibbling on it a bit. "I like you too."
She'll have to remember that. As long as she can. "Good. That's good." Closing her eyes for a moment and threading her fingers back in his hair. Moving just a little faster. More than a little harder. "I like you a lot. I love you. Oh."
"Oh is good." John laughs a little too. Tilts his head in the direction of her hand. "I know. I love you too." Matching her, a bit. Pausing in moments, to see what it does. How it feels. He won't be able to keep doing that after a bit. Kissing her throat again. "You smell like sugar." Still.
Well, you bake for years and years, it gets ingrained. "You smell like gun oil." Which she likes, judging by the way she kisses him and pulls back only when she needs air. "And something else. I don't know. I like this a lot."
"Tell me when you..." Small pause, small gasp, but he keeps moving. "When you figure it out." He moves his fingers up and down her spine, across her ribcage, down her hips. Lets his fingers get tangled in her hair.
Moving her hand to rest on his side, and pressing her forhead against his shoulder. Against the side of his neck and kissing his throat. Humming, a little. "I will. Oh. I will...John. " Shifting, just a little, enough to be different. Distracting. "John."
"Ah." Very distracting. He keeps losing and catching his breath again. Against her skin, apparently. "...Allison." Shifting with her, against her. Changing where his weight is centered.
And that's also very distracting. Very. She shuts her eyes for a moment, just a moment and makes a noise against his ear. Against his shoulder. Moves her leg, slightly. Foot tracing down the back of his leg. More distractions. "God..."
"I know." He does, because every distraction is just that much more for his senses to take in and it's maddening at this point. Not that he wants her to stop or has any intention of stopping with the distracting behaviors. Kissing her ear, again. Running his fingers down her leg before he moves just that much faster. Harder. More insistent. "I love you."
Harder is good. Great, even. Harder, more insistent makes it that much more difficult to talk. To breathe in an unshaky way. And that's good too. "I...god." She would very much like more of that, she thinks. Her eyes widen, slightly, and she kisses him again. Harder. Not pulling back until she absolutely has to.
John shakes his head and laughs. Doesn't stop moving, doesn't let up on the kissing, the biting, the touching. Watches her eyes go wide and grins. "More?" He's going to, either way, but right now he wants to hear her. Hear her talk and fail, it doesn't matter. "I love you."
Trying and failing to catch her breath, at talking. Brushing fingers down his spine, against his jaw. "Hm. Yeah. Yes. More. God..." Trying to move faster. Trying to still. Failing at both. "Love you. I love..."
The sound of her voice sends a shudder down his spine, chasing after his fingers. He laughs again, the sound brushing over her skin, her lips. "The way you sound." Laughing again, moving again, because this feels right and amazing and he'd do this all the time with her if he could. If he can. Putting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes as his vision threatens to double. "God."
Shifting again. Moving again, against him and with him. "More?" Repeating back at him, but not a call and response way. Because this is good, and right and great and she couldn't form coherent sentences if she tried. "John. Oh. God..."
He nods and his nose brushes against hers as he ducks his head for another kiss. "More, please." Faster again, harder again and a million little sounds that might have been words; her name, a plea, something but coherence isn't staying for either of them.
It really is not. Coherence. The ability to breathe an unhitched, gasping breath. None of that. She bites her lip, bites his lip and kisses him. Rests her forhead against his, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. Two moments and then kissing him again. Harder. Moving faster, and moving her foot against his leg again. "Oh. God. John. Please..." Please what, she doesn't even know. Something. Something amazing, she's sure.
He grins, eyes still closed. Kisses her back, bites her back, puts both hands on either side of her face. Brushes his thumbs across her cheeks and gasps a bit. "I know, I know." Letting the control slip, bit by bit, as he comes unraveled. So she can tell what's happening, what he's doing to her, what he wants and is giving and everything. Kissing her again and putting his head next to hers. The sound he makes is nowhere even approaching quiet.
Hand over his heart as soon as his control starts to slip, as soon as he starts unraveling. When that happens, she moves faster. Less steady. Kisses him, and leans her head against his when it's next to hers. "God. Oh. God..." She's not even remotely quiet as she starts to fall apart. Starts to unravel as well. "John?" She doesn't even have a question. Not really.
Nodding and kissing her ear is the best he can do by way of an answer by now. Much too far gone for words that make any sort of sense and everything in his mind is getting completely lost in her. The sounds she makes and the way she feels. The fact that he can feel his pulse all over his skin, against hers, into her palm. It doesn't take much to push him over from that point. Not much at all.
And when he goes over, when he's over that point she'll follow right after. Making a noise in his ear and kissing him. Never moving her hand, not until they're both well over.
Deep breaths first and then John presses his forehead to the mattress. Kisses Allison and smiles. Brushes his fingers over the small bruises on her throat with a slightly bemused expression. Sarah will notice, he knows it. But he's not sorry.
She smiles at him, and touches his cheek. Sarah will notice, but she can't manage to care. Not a bit. "Still lonely?" she manages, eventually.
John shakes his head and smiles too. "Nope. Not even a little. Still bored?" Smirk.
Pretending to think about it for a moment. "Noooo. Not even a little." Smirking back.
Kissing her again and then shifting to the side, a bit. "I love you." Like it's the easiest thing ever. "We should eat something."
"I love you too." And saying it doesn't hurt at all that time. Not a bit. And that's interesting, isn't it? How long will that last? "Yeah. Yes. What?"
"I don't know, whatever we've got." It will last until the train breaks, hopefully. John shrugs. "I don't have a preference."
"Burgers? I could make burgers." Hopefully until then. That's not that far off.
"Okay." Another kiss. And hunting down his clothes, some of which have migrated entirely across the room.
And hunting down her own, getting dressed quickly so she can get started on those burgers. But not before kissing him again before heading out.
That makes John laugh and smile. Which lasts all though helping and alternatively staying out of Allison's way while she makes burgers. They're just about done by the time Sarah comes in and the kitchen goes quiet.
"What have you been up to today?"
"We stayed in." Not open hostility, not yet. At least not from John.
None from Allison yet either, oddly enough. Or maybe not so oddly. "We watched television. Soap operas."
Was Sarah buying that? Did Sarah buy that at all? Was she even paying attention to Allison? Ha.
"You stayed in. Why?"
"Why not?" John shakes his head.
"What is that?" Reaching for his neck and frowning when John ducks out of reach.
Because that wasn't suspicious at all. "Do you want a burger?" Allison didn't manage to duck out of reach in time, what with being up to her wrists in hamburger meat, practically.
"What happened?" Really, Sarah?
Slight, slight smirk on Allison's face. "I fell." Oh, Allison.
"Into what?" Glaring at John who raises his eyebrows at his mother.
"Is there a reason you're looking at me like that?"
"What the hell is wrong with the two of you?"
"Nothing. Strangely enough."
Sarah looked like she was five seconds away from a stroke. "She's a machine."
Allison frowned, slight. "I think you're a liar."
"Excuse me?" Grabbing Allison by the arm.
And getting grabbed in return by John. "Don't fucking touch her."
"She's glitching."
"Like hell. We're not doing this bullshit today."
"Everything I do, I do for you. To keep you safe. This? This is sick. It's not safe, John. She's a machine."
"You're a liar," Allison repeated, softly and went back to the burgers.
"Touch her and you'll regret it," John repeated. "She's not a machine. Sorry to burst your bubble."
Sarah frowned. And slapped him.
Well. Isn't that a bad thing to do in front of the girl you've basically brainwashed to protect your only son? Yeah. It really is. So that switch got flipped. And Allison dropped the burger patty she was flipping and without thinking swatted Sarah in the arm with it. Ow, hot greasy metal.
And before Sarah can react, before she can pull a gun or swing a punch John is in the way. One hand around Allison's wrist and the other at his side. "Don't. Fucking. Touch. Her."
"Do you see what she's doing to you? To us?"
"Whatever she's doing can't be any worse than what you did to Riley. Neither of us are dead." Which was the first time John flat-out accused Sarah of that.
"She's glitching."
"And you're gonna fix her? You couldn't set a fucking alarm clock."
"You have no idea what I'll do to keep you safe."
Allison winced at that. Twitched a little at that. "I know." In oh so many different ways. She wants to hit Sarah again. Hit her or kill her and run. But John is holding her. And that calms her, a little bit.
John closed his eyes briefly when Allison twitched. "I don't trust you. Killing a girl? That keeps me safe? Right." Shaking his head and not letting go of Allison's arm. "No more programming. No more resetting. Or you'll regret it."
"...Are you threatening me?"
"No we're playing fucking poker, what the hell is wrong with you?"
"You'll regret it. Keeping her like this. She'll kill you. She was sent to kill you."
"Keeping her? She's not a fucking pet, what is wrong..." John took a deep breath. "Really. Funny. Then why didn't she? I don't believe you. I'm not going to start tonight."
"She didn't because I stopped her. I reprogrammed her for you. Not for this." To Allison. "Go to your room. Wait for me."
"No. She won't be going to her room or waiting for whatever the hell you do to her that you don't want me to see. Do you think I'm stupid?" John's grip on Allison's wrist doesn't slack at all. "She stays with me."
Allison wanted to go to her room. But she didn't. She didn't, so she fought it. Because she wanted to stay with John. It made her head hurt, just a bit. More than a bit later. "I stay with him." And was that hard to say? A little.
"You'll regret it, John. I swear you will."
"Sit down or get out. I won't say it again."
Sarah blinked. "What?"
John just pointed at the door.
"What're you saying?"
Allison smirked, a bit more than before. "He's saying: sit down or get out." Duh.
She glared at the both of them. "So, what you're going to gang up on me now?"
"If we were ganging up on you, you'd be bleeding. Sit the fuck down or get the hell out."
Oddly, or at least in Allison's mind, Sarah sat the fuck down. Later, she'd realise that Sarah was just planning a new tactic. But for now, she'd just make them all dinner.
Later, John would realize that giving her a choice was probably a bad idea but he didn't want to be like her. At all. So. Dinner. Which was obviously a silent affair.
John wasn't surprised when Sarah left nearly immediately after.
Allison was glad when Sarah left. Part of her, most of her, hoped that she'd never come back. The rest of her knew that was so terribly unlikely. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Standing up and giving Allison a hug. "How are you?"
Smiling. Again. Still. "I'm all right." Which was weird. And confusing.
John smiles back. "How's your head?"
"It doesn't hurt." Maybe a little buzzing. But no pain. Which was interesting. Different. She touched his cheek. "I'm sorry she hit you."
Covering her hand with his own. "It's fine. I wanted her to." Well, he wanted her to shift her attention from Allison to him. Same difference. "You okay with staying in my room? With me?" From now until the train wreck changes everyone's plans.
"Yes. I'm okay with staying in your room." Kissing him. "Are you?"
John nods, grins. "Yeah. More than okay. It's easier to sleep when you're there." And he doesn't trust his mother at all, now.
"All right. I'll stay." Grinning back.
"Thank you." Another hug and helping to clean up dinner.
And two weeks passed by. Fairly quickly in some matters, not so quickly in others. Allison stayed in John's room, resting and sleeping and sleeping with John. Going out when John felt the need. Watching Sarah glower on the rare occasion that she was actually home.
Sarah spent her time plotting. Thinking. Replanning what to do now that John had thrown this wrench into her ideas. She'd have to leave Allison behind. She knew that. She'd known that when she'd brought them to Gotham. She hadn't anticipated this. Not any of this.
Neither had John but he wasn't complaining. Like his mother he was planning. Plotting. Ways for them to get away from her, to stop her if she chose to follow them. Ways to find Allison if Sarah managed to separate them. Which he thought had a snowball's chance in hell of happening, but he never made a plan without a backup plan. Or three.
It was Monday. December first, though John kept thinking it was November and that would stick with him for months after the fact. The three of them on one of the Eastbound trains running an errand. Guns. They needed to replenish ammo, because John has been hoarding it from his mother. So the stock they had was low.
He stood closer to Allison, closer to the engine car, because it was crowded. Because there were a lot of people and that always made it hard to focus. Because he was half tempted to lose his mother at the next station, double back to where their things were kept, and get the hell out.
He noticed the lights before the collision and then it was like dominoes. Crashing his shoulder into something, hearing Allison scream, losing his grip on her. By the time the rescue workers found John he was wedged between a support and one of upended seats. They were surprised that he was even conscious but that surprise faded to worry when his pupils wouldn't dilate, when he waved off their questions and his bleeding collar scanning the crowd for Allison.
John Davis got halfway through the checklist, answering questions while craning and looking for Allison before the pain he didn't even register knocked him out.
She'd seen the clown, or whatever he was. Not enough of him to know what he was doing. Why he was there. But enough. Enough to know that something bad was happening. Enough to make her stick closer to John. Grip onto his hand, try to keep him safe.
A heck of a lot of good that did when the collision came. When everything fell. When she fell and people fell into her. People and objects. Pulling her away from John. Out of his grip, and she screamed because she hurt and she could see him hurt. Until she couldn't see anything else at all.