Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He shouldn’t be surprised, not really. You live in Gotham long enough, and you think you’d seen it all. Corrupt cops, crime bosses running the city, an art heist clued with riddles, magic blood turning people into the worst version of themselves. Jim thought he had seen it all. That was until there was a little redhead lying on the table where Jerome Valeska should be.

He was small… and skinny- couldn’t have been more than ten years old. His skin was unnaturally pale, almost a light shade of blue, and he was as still as a rock. Jim would have thought him dead if it wasn’t for the faint pulse he felt under his fingers. “He’s alive but barely. We need to get him to a hospital. Help me get these wires off him.”

Harvey moved to help him; his eyes never leaving the kid’s pale face. “Jim, you don’t think that’s… that’s Jer-”

“I don’t know, Harvey.” Truth be told, Jim had a pretty good idea on who this boy is, but he’s not going to think about it until he makes sure that the kid isn’t about to die.

Harvey unclipped the last wire as Jim picked the child up off the table. “I’m just saying,” Harvey started, following Jim out of the room. “There’s been some crazy stuff that's happened I would have thought impossible a few years ago. This isn’t entirely impossible.”

“I know.”

“And look at him! He looks just like him!” He waved his hands at the kid.

“I know, Harvey, but let’s stay a little skeptical until we can confirm it’s really him.” Harvey was uncharacteristically silent after that.

Jim called Lucius once they made it back to the car. If there was any knowledgeable person in Gotham Jim could trust, it was Lucius. “Jim? Did you find Jerome?” He peered down at the limp body cradled in his lap. “Uhh… maybe.”

“What?”

Jim blinked trying to clear his head. “Lucius, I need you to go to the site. Turn two doors left and there’s a room with the equipment. I think…”

“You think what? Jim, what happened?”

“I think they turned him back to a kid.” Man, it sounds even crazier now that he’d said it out loud.

Lucius didn’t answer for a moment. “... a child? Interesting… I’ll go to the site and look at the machines.”

“Thank you, Lucius.”

“No problem. I would like to take a look at the machines myself. I would also like to see him, if I get the chance.”

“We are taking him to the hospital right now. I’ll call you when I get any more news.”

“Okay.” The call ended.

Jim repositioned the kid’s head on his shoulder. He still can’t get himself to call him Jerome, even though he knows that’s whose sitting in his lap right now. Who else could it be? If the bright red hair wasn’t enough to go by, his face looks just like Jerome albeit a little younger. Seeing him now makes Jim think of the first time he’d met Jerome. He mistakenly took Jerome for a young kid who had just lost his mother, an innocent victim. But isn’t he though? Deep down in Jim’s mind he had always felt sorry for Jerome. In some twisted way, Jerome Valeska was a victim. A kid who endured years and years of abuse and finally snapped.

Then Jim had sent him to Arkham. Another bad guy caught, another case closed, but that was the problem. Jerome needed real help, not some phony asylum. But what was Jim supposed to do? Send him to Black Gate? There was a knot in his stomach Jim hadn’t noticed before.

They finally got to the hospital. Jim has to give the nurses some credit; as soon as they saw the kid in Jim’s arms they rushed to take him. “I need to speak to who’s in charge.” He gently laid the boy down on the gurney and watched until he disappeared behind closed doors with the nurses.

Harvey put a hand on his shoulder. “Jim, maybe you should go with him. I’ll talk to the doctors. We need to make sure no crazy psychos are going to try and take him.”

Jim nodded. “You’re right, this could be part of Dwight’s plan for all we know. I’ll come back soon.”

He half ran- half jogged after them, turning a corner just in time to see them go into a room. He started for the door when a nurse stopped him. “I’m sorry sir, but we can’t allow visitors in the room while they are working on him. Are you family?”

“What? No, G.C.P.D.” Jim showed her his badge. “This is a police matter. He’s under police custody.”

Something like recognition flickered in her eyes. “Is this a social service matter? Just from the short time I was with him, I noticed multiple bruises on him. He’s been physically abused.” The knot in Jim’s stomach got tighter. How had he not seen that?

“It’s… complicated. It’s confidential, I just need to be with him.”

The nurse looked at him quizzically. “I still can’t allow you to come in right now, but you can stand by the door. I will come back out as soon as we know he’s stable enough.” She closed the door on her way in.

—————————

It’s only been fifteen minutes, but it felt like an hour. Harvey came a few moments ago with the head doctor. He said his name was John Walker. It took a little explaining, but all he knows is that the kid is in police custody and they need a fingerprint match with Jerome Valeska. It was Harvey’s idea to keep Jerome’s current state a secret. If this wasn’t part of the plan, how will Jerome’s followers react? They could take him and Jim may never find him.

The nurse eventually let them in the room. He watched as they took the kid’s fingerprint. The boy looked so peaceful, and lifeless. It was unnerving to see someone so young to lay like that. The doctor said his pulse was gradually getting stronger; they expected him to wake up in a few hours. Jim hopes the kid wakes up soon. He’s got so many questions. How can someone raise a person from the dead and also change them back to a child? Was Jerome always evil? A murderer who laughs at the sight of violence? Even if that violence is directed at him? Jim liked to think the answer is no.

Harvey took a seat at the bedside as Jim remained standing at the foot of the bed. A few officers came at Harvey’s orders to guard the room. “So what do we do if he really is Jerome? Lock him up?” Harvey took his hat off and began rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

“We can’t lock him up.” Jim crossed his arms. “Even if he is Jerome, right now he’s just a kid.”

“All killers were just a kid once.” Harvey muttered. “Why can’t there just be one normal case, just one.”

“You know why,” Jim replied. He almost laughed. “This is Gotham. Nothing is ever normal.”

“You’re right.” Harvey stretched as he stood up. “I’m getting some coffee.”

Jim waited until Harvey shut the door before taking his seat. The light in the room shone brightly on the kid’s face, but he didn’t look so unnaturally pale anymore. Now that he was looking, Jim could see bruises on the kid’s arm and face. Some of them looked new and some were in the stages of healing. If anything Jerome said about his mother was true, then he had a pretty good guess on who made them. That revelation made him sick.

He needs to figure out what to do with the boy once he wakes up. The nurse said that he should be okay to leave the hospital after a couple of days once he wakes up. The grim bruises aside, he seems healthy. No reason to keep a healthy person in the hospital unless they’ve been turned back to what? Ten, nine years younger? How old would Jerome be now? Maybe nineteen? Twenty? He was only about 17 when he got arrested.

He was so young.

Harvey got back before the doctor. They discussed what they would do when he wakes up. It was decided they would take him back to the station, but that’s as far as they got before the doctor came. He held out some papers as Jim stood up to see.

“This,” the doctor pointed to a fingerprint on the top paper. “Is the child’s fingerprint.” He pointed to another paper. “And this is Jerome Valeska’s fingerprint.”

“So… is it a match?” Harvey asked.

Jim is actually hoping it is Jerome that he found and brought here. If it isn't then it’ll only lead to more problems. Jerome’s body will still be out there somewhere and an unknown, abused child will be involved in this mess. The doctor’s next words brought Jim out of his thoughts.

“Our experts say that the prints match.” The doctor motioned to the sleeping child on the bed. “This is Jerome Valeska.”

Chapter Text

The hospital room was silent save for the monitor’s steady beeping. Jim sat at the kid’s- Jerome’s bedside. He should start calling him by his name now. Harvey already left. They caught Dwight. He’s probably questioning him now as Jim sits here. Jim would have liked to speak to the crazy lunatic who did this, but someone had to stay with the k- Jerome.

He was starting to wake up, slowly. He saw Jerome’s hand twitch and pressed the help button on the wall for the doctor. The doctor examined the boy and said he was gradually waking up. Jim should expect to see more little movements like that again.

It took quite a few minutes, but the doctor was right. Jerome’s foot moved. Then his eyes fluttered open. Jim unconsciously leaned in closer. He watched as Jerome looked around the room. When he saw Jim, Jerome struggled to sit up. He looked terrified. It was an automatic reaction for Jim to reach out and try to calm the kid down, but when Jim touched Jerome’s arm he flinched. Jerome moved as far away on the bed as he could from Jim.

He held his hands up for Jerome to see, but he must have held them up a little too high because Jerome’s eyes got bigger. He looked like he was about to bolt off the bed. Jim lowered his hands. “I’m not going to hurt you. It’s okay.”

Jerome didn’t look like he believed him. “Who- who are you? Where am I? Why am I wearing a gown?”

“You’re in the hospital. My name’s Jim.”

Jerome frantically looked around. “What happened? Why am I here?”

Jim hadn’t thought about Jerome’s reaction when he woke up, which was stupid of him. Anyone who wakes up in an unknown place beside a stranger is going to panic, especially a little kid. Jim has no idea what to say. You’re a resurrected serial killer that also happened to turn back into a child? For some reason he doesn’t think Jerome would take that well. The doctor walks in with two nurses following. What was his name? Washer? Watkins? Walks maybe. Jim can’t remember. It’s been a long day, long week actually.

Jerome is as far back as possible on the bed now. He kept looking from Jim to the doctor to the nurses. There was a look on Jerome’s face. He was scared of course, but Jim could tell he was trying not to show it. The doctor knelt beside the bed slowly. Jerome stared at him. “ My name is John Walker. I am a doctor here at the hospital. Can you tell me your name?”

Jerome shook his head. “No. Not until you tell me why I’m here.”

Walker gestured to Jim. “Mr. Gordon had found you alone in a building and brought you here.”

Jerome’s small face etched into confusion. His hands are gripping the sheet over him. He is still pale and there are dark circles under the kid’s eyes. He looked sick and exhausted and it broke Jim’s heart to see a child like this.

“But I wasn’t in a building. I was at the trailer and- oh.” He looked like he just realized something. Glancing down to his hands, he sniffed. “Uncle Zach must have taken me away too. They really do think I’m crazy.”

Took him away? Too? Whose Uncle Zach? Crazy? Jerome couldn’t have been crazy all his life. Jim’s pretty sure that this Uncle Zach isn’t a nice guy. Who else did he take? Jim was confused, but all thoughts disappeared when Jerome looked at Jim. The scared look on the kid’s battered face made Jim sick again. His words were worse.

“What’s going to happen to me now?” Jim didn’t know what to say. Thankfully, he didn’t have to. The doctor answered. “You’re going to stay here for awhile to make sure you’re healthy.” Walker smiled kindly at him, but Jerome looked more confused than comforted by it.

The doctor went on. Jim noticed the nurses have left. “I’m sure you’re feeling very overwhelmed and scared. So I won’t come near you.” He pulled a chair to him and took out a notepad and pen from his jacket. “I would like to ask you a few questions and any questions you have I will do my best to answer. Sound good?”

Jerome relaxed a little. “I guess…”

The doctor’s pen clicked as he opened it. “Great. First can you tell me your name?”

“Jerome.”

Hearing him say that made Jim realize that this was real. He had been sort of going through the motions before like this was all a dream, but now Jim suddenly realized that this was real. The seventeen- eighteen year old Jim sent to Arkham and then watched die is sitting here in front of him.

The doctor wrote something down. “Okay, what’s the last thing you remember.”

“I just got done cleaning the elephant cages. I was walking back to my trailer.” Jerome eyed the two of them suspiciously. “What are you going to do?”

“We aren’t going to harm you in any way, Jerome, I promise. No one will do anything without telling you first. I just want to make sure that you are okay. I’m sure Mr. Gordon here will tell you the same thing.”

“Yes,” Jim cleared his throat. “I just want to make sure that nothing is wrong.”

Jerome looked angrily at them and a little bit defensive. “Nothing is wrong with me. I’m not crazy.”

Jim was quick to reassure him. He needs to say his words carefully. “I don’t think you are crazy. I meant that-”

Jerome stared at Jim like he was in awe. “You don’t?”

Jim could see in the corner of his eye the doctor writing something down. He searched for words to say. “No, I think you’re a normal kid. We just want to make sure that nothing is seriously wrong with your health.”

“But… why?”

“Because it’s important.” Does Jim really have to tell him this?

“Jerome, I’d like to ask you another question?” Jim was slightly relieved when Jerome’s attention fell back on the doctor.

“Okay?”

“Are you in any pain? Hurting anywhere?”
“No.”

The doctor kept asking Jerome questions. It wasn’t any of the questions Jim has like what Jerome meant by taking him away, but he’ll just have to wait. The doctor mentioned to Jim before the kid woke up that he was going check Jerome’s health and examine his injuries before asking about how he got them.

The doctor didn’t waste any time after he was done with the questions. He asked Jerome if he could check his heart beat and Jerome agreed. This went on throughout the whole check up. The doctor would ask before he came close to Jerome who would tense up after agreeing. Jim couldn’t help but think how cute Jerome looked when he rubbed his eyes after the doctor flashed a light at his face.

The doctor started asking about how Jerome got the bruises on his arms, and it was hard for Jim to hear. Uncle Zach was Lisa Valeska’s brother. As Jim predicted, Jerome’s uncle was not a nice man. According to Jerome, “uncle Zach hits harder than my mom does.” It made Jim want to find Zach and throw him in jail, punch him a few times too. It was the only time in his law abiding life that Jim ever had the brief thought about hiring Zsaz.

The doctor left with his notepad soon after. Jim was alone with Jerome again except now Jerome’s awake and he’s staring at Jim. He never considered himself to be good with kids. Sure he knows Bruce, but he’s only ever talked to him in a formal setting or a tragedy. He wonders how Bruce would react to this younger Jerome now.

“Are you a cop?”

Jim’s eyebrows raised in surprise at the question. “Yes, I am.”

Jerome tilted his head to the side. “I think I’ve seen you before, but I don’t know where…” Jerome crossed his arms, continuing to stare at Jim.

The statement sent Jim into a quiet panic. How could a kid Jerome have seen him before. The first time they met was when he had found Jerome’s mother dead. He’ll have to ask the doctor about it. Jim still can’t remember his name. He feels a little guilty about it, but there are more important things to worry about now like how can Jerome know him if he hasn’t really met him yet. Maybe some of the older Jerome’s memories are coming back. What if whatever happened to Jerome is wearing off? It’s going to be a whole other headache if Jerome grows back to his actual age.
“Are you one of my mom’s lovers?”

Jim’s eyes felt like they were going to pop out. “What? No… I’m…” Jim didn’t know what to say. What happened to the scared little kid? He was still sickly pale, but apparently not scared anymore. The mood swings Jim encountered when he dealt with the older Jerome must not be new.

Jerome shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know then.” He started to seem worried now. “Are you going to take me back to the circus?”

“No. You aren’t going back there.” It’s not even possible.

Chapter Text

Jerome is pretty sure he is going to live in the hospital now. He’s been here for days, but he’s not complaining. It’s nice to live in the hospital. You don’t have to steal food because they bring it to you for free. No more cleaning up after the animals either which is a lot less smelly. Mom and Uncle Zach aren’t around. Jerome can sleep a little better now. He hopes this isn’t a dream.

The cop is still here. He said his name is Jim. Jerome thinks he’s weird. He’s never met anyone who doesn’t believe he’s crazy. The doctors don’t say he’s crazy either. They probably just haven’t been around him long enough. Jeremiah even said that he was crazy after he lied to mom about him. That one was probably the one that hurt the most. Just wait, soon enough everyone will hate him like they always do. Jerome gulped. Jim looks a lot stronger then his uncle.

He slid off the bed as quietly as possible. Jim was asleep in a chair. He didn’t look comfortable. His head was at a weird angle, but Jerome wasn’t going to wake him up. He wanted to explore the hospital. He’s been sitting in bed for days. He’s getting bored. He’s glad he doesn’t have to wear that baggy gown anymore. Another guy, Harvey, had brought Jerome some clothes a few days ago.

Jerome took the red jello he had hid under his pillow. Last time he didn’t hide it and they took it away before he could eat it. Jerome was going to make sure that didn’t happen again. He grabbed the plastic spoon he also hid and slipped out the door. It was the middle of the night, so the halls were empty save for a few nurses Jerome had to hide from. He can’t remember ever being in a hospital. It was very colorless compared to the circus. Maybe this is where Jeremiah came to when he left. Jerome walked faster and checked every door he saw that wasn’t locked. He’ll have to find a key for those.

The morning after Jeremiah left, Jerome searched everywhere for him. He thought they killed him until weeks later when his mom finally admitted she sent his brother away. She said Jeremiah wanted to leave him because he was crazy and Jeremiah wasn’t safe with him. He’d never hurt his brother. He misses him.

The third door he opened was empty. He was about to move on when he heard footsteps coming. He hid in the room silently eating the last of his jello and listening for the footsteps to fade away. The room was like his just rearranged differently. It took a few seconds for Jerome’s eyes to adjust to the dark room. The window and bed was on another wall then his was. Jerome threw away the empty jello container. There were tools on a table that looked cool. He saw a few weird shaped knives, scissors, and tweezers. He picked one of the knives up when the door swung open.

“What are you doing?” Jerome turned to see a woman standing in the doorway. The bright light coming from the hallway into the dark room made Jerome squint his eyes. “You’re not supposed to be in here. Where are your parents?”

Jerome was like a deer in headlights. The woman turned on the lights making Jerome squint more. As she walked towards him, he saw a cleaning cart in the hallway. “Why do you have that knife? She held out her hand. “Hand it to me.” Jerome didn’t know what to do. He could run, but all that did was delay the beatings. If he handed it to her, she might use it on him to teach him a lesson. Uncle Zach would do that. If he didn’t do anything then things would only get worse.

The woman raised her eyebrow when Jerome did nothing.“Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to play with knives? You could hurt yourself.” She took a step toward him and Jerome took two steps back, bumping into the table. The woman’s stern expression turned into a worried one which confused Jerome. Why hasn’t she screamed at him yet?

“Hey, kid, it’s alright. Just put the knife back on the table please.” Jerome obliged, but he didn’t turn away from the woman. “Good. Thank you. Now come with me. We’ll find your parents or whoever is in charge of you…”

“My parents aren’t here.” Jerome said meekly. He dreaded telling her about Jim. Harvey and the doctors come around him many times during the week, but Jim has been the main one who stayed with him. He doesn’t want to make Jim angry at him.

“Well then who are you supposed to be with?” Jerome just shrugged. “Well you have to be with somebody. How old are you?”

Jerome debated on telling her, but what harm could it do? “I’m nine.”

“Nine years old is a little young to be wandering around a hospital.”

Jerome got defensive. “I can take care of myself.”

The woman hummed and stretched out her hand. “Well, you shouldn’t have to. Come with me and we’ll find your guardian.”

Guardian? Did that mean Jim was his guardian? He is always at the hospital with Jerome. Sometimes he leaves at night and Harvey stays, but he is always back in new clothes when Jerome wakes up. He likes Jim. Jerome hopes Jim doesn’t get mad at him when he finds out Jerome snuck out.

He flinched when the woman put her hand on his shoulder. She gave him another worried look. “It’s alright. Let’s go to the front desk and see if they can help.” Jerome sluggishly followed her out. It’s better to get it over with.

———————————————

Jerome’s gone. Jim is panicking. He had only fallen asleep once he had thought Jerome was asleep. He woke up to use the bathroom and realized Jerome wasn’t in the bed when he got back. He searched everywhere. He went back to the bathroom, under the bed, in the closet. He wasn’t in the room. There is no sign of struggle anywhere. He doesn’t know if he was taken or if he just left.

He’s searching the hallways right now. After the sixth hallway, Jim called Harvey. “What?!” Jim yanked his phone away from his ear. If he wasn’t awake before, he is now. “Where is he? I’m coming right now.” Jim heard some movement. “Can’t never get no sleep in this city…”

“Don’t send a squad, Harvey.”

“Why not? We have to find him!”

“I know, but sending a bunch of cops to a hospital is going to cause a scene. We don’t need Jerome’s followers here if they aren’t already.”

“You know what… that makes sense. Never mind. I’ll be there soon.”

Jim hung up. He’s pretty sure he’s been running in circles with no sign of Jerome. He started following the signs towards the front of the hospital. He needs to look at the security cameras. He wished he’d have thought of that sooner.

After a few confusing turns, he’d finally made it to the front entrance. Jim was pacing as he impatiently waited for the automatic door to open. There was a line of people at the desk, but Jim didn’t care. He pushed his way to the front. Someone started cursing at him, but he didn’t pay them any attention.

The two women at the desk jumped out of their seats at his appearance. Jim flashed his badge at them-he’s really glad he hadn’t taken it off- and explained he needed to see the security footage.

One of the ladies brought him to a room. There was a security guard there. It took Jim awhile to remember the room number, but once he did the guard started to find the right video.

“Stop.” Jim pointed to the little head popping out of the doorway on the screen. “That’s him.”

“Looks like he snuck out.” The guard chuckled. Jim glared at him.

“He did. Keep playing.” The guard unpaused the video. Jim could see as Jerome checked both ways before stepping out. The kid was casually eating something while walking down the hallway. Jim hung his head down. He’d almost had a heart attack thinking Jerome got kidnapped.

The guard chuckled again. “Your son looks like a handful.”

Jim closed his eyes. He needed a break. “He’s not my-”

“Mr. Gordon?” Jim recognized the woman as the other lady at the desk. He stood up straighter, maybe they found Jerome.

“Yes?”

“I think one of the janitors found him. She’s over there with him right now.”

Jim burst out the door when Jerome saw him. He was staring at him fearfully. That made Jim stop in his tracks. He doesn’t need Jerome freaking out on him right now. He’s guessing that Jerome probably thinks Jim is going to get angry with him. While he’s certainly not happy right now, he’s not angry at Jerome either. He just needs to be calm.

He walks up to the two. The woman looks at him skeptically. Jim shows his badge again. He’s been doing that a lot lately. “I’m Jim Gordon, a detective.”

The woman squinted at him. “I see. I’m guessing he’s under your care?”

Jim nodded. “Yes, he is.”

“Be careful with him. He is scared.” The woman said sternly.

Jim nodded again. “I know, I am doing my best to make sure he’s safe.”

“Good.” The woman stepped away. “I guess this is goodbye.” She told Jerome. He waved at her and stared at Jim when she walked away.

He knelt in front of Jerome so that he wouldn’t look so much like a giant to him. What was he going to say? He didn’t really know. He needs to say something because Jerome is looking at him like he’s seeing a monster. “Jerome, I’m… not mad at you. Okay?”

Jerome didn’t say anything. “I was just worried. You scared me. I thought you got taken.”

“I scared you?” Jerome’s gentle voice was almost a whisper.

“Yeah you did. I didn’t know where you were. How about you not go anywhere without me or Harvey from now on, okay?”

Jerome smiled. “Okay.”

Jim stood up. He offered Jerome his hand. The boy studied it quizzically before finally taking it with his own. “How about we go back to our room.” Jim said. He’ll have to call Harvey soon.

Chapter Text

What do kids like to do? Play, scream, run, talk, sneak out of hospital rooms eating jello… Jim doesn’t know what to get. Harvey stayed overnight at the hospital with Jerome. Today is the day the doctors release him. The problem is... where do they take him next? He can’t stay at the station all day, but that’s where they are going until he and Harvey can come up with a better plan. Right now, Jim was at a store trying to find something to occupy Jerome with. After the whole situation at the hospital, he realized Jerome needed something to keep him busy. He did not want Jerome escaping him again while he’s at the station.

He found himself in the art supplies aisle. He was at the toy aisle at first. Then he watched as a kid very, very loudly played with a toy and decided to try something else. Besides, Jim wasn’t sure if Jerome would’ve even liked any of the toys. He feels a little guilty about it though. If he ever takes Jerome to the store then he’ll buy him one.

Jim strolls down a few more aisles and finds the perfect, quiet thing... coloring books. All kids like to color, right? He hopes Jerome does. Jim started to get a circus themed one, but anytime the older Jerome talked about his past it was usually with a sneer or maniacal laugh so he decided against it. He got one about animals and one with random things like robots instead. He picked up a box of markers on his way out too.

————————————

“Where’s Jim?”

Harvey peered over the newspaper he was reading. “Well you’re up early.”

Jerome shrugged his shoulders. “Eh.” He jumped off the bed nearly giving Harvey a heart attack. He could have broken his leg. “What are you reading? Where’s Jim? He’s usually here already.”

“Newspaper, and don’t jump off the bed. You could get hurt.” Harvey closed the newspaper to find Jerome staring at him. “We’ll meet him in about an hour.”

Jerome went to stare out the window. He leaned against the frame resting his chin in hands. “So… where are we going?”

Harvey watched Jerome. After Jerome wandered off he became paranoid. Right now he’s making sure the kid doesn’t try to climb out the window. “To the GCPD station.”

Jerome twirled around jumping. “What’s that?”

“Stands for Gotham City Police Department. It’s where I work. We have to wait for the doctor to do some paperwork before you can leave.

“Sounds boring.” Jerome was rolling on the bed now. He laid on his stomach watching T.V. like that until the doctor got there. The kid’s legs were moving so fast in the air that Harvey thought they were going to fly off.

“Is there anymore jello?”

The kid liked jello that’s for sure. “I don’t know.”

Jerome let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ll get you some once we get this stuff figured out, alright?”

Jerome cheered up quickly.

———————————————

“Okay, kid, are you ready?” Jerome shook his head yes. Harvey picked up a plastic bag filled with Jerome’s clothes he got him earlier in the week. “Now hold my hand cause you’re not running away from me.”

Jerome frowned at that, but hesitantly took Harvey’s hand. “I won’t, I promise.” He muttered.

Now he feels guilty for saying that. “Hey,” Harvey tugged at their joined hands to get Jerome to look back at him. He really is a cute kid. “I was joking. I’ll tell Jim to get you some jello before he meets us at the station.” Jerome grinned.

Once they got outside, Harvey realized Jerome was barefoot. He forgot to get the kid some shoes. Great, he’s been walking on that hospital floor for a week. How hadn’t he or Jim noticed? If it hadn’t been for the hospital showers, Jerome’s feet would probably be as black as a bat. “I totally forgot you didn’t have any shoes. I’ll carry you.”

Jerome stepped back. He looked nervous. “Why? I walk with no shoes all the time.”

“You could step on glass or something. You’ll get cut.” Jerome gave him that look he always gives anytime someone is helping him. He looks confused and hopeful at the same time. “Look, I’m not going to hurt you. I just wanna help.”

Jerome looked anywhere but at him. “I’m just not used to people being nice to me…”

Harvey knelt down, giving Jerome a sad smile. “You don’t gotta worry about me hurting you kid. I’m only wanting to help you.”

Jerome bit his lip. It’s not that he doesn’t trust Harvey. Nobody has been angry or hurt him yet, but the last time he’d been picked up by someone was not fun at all. He hurt his ankle once when he fell out of a tree. It hurt so much Jerome could hardly walk, so he crawled back to the trailer. He was supposed to clean the animals' cages that day, but he couldn’t stand. Jerome could still hear his mother’s angry screaming at him when someone had told her that her ‘rebellious son’ hasn’t done his job. He tried to tell her he couldn’t stand, but his mother didn’t care. She must’ve not been too drunk yet because Jerome twisted and turned to escape her grasp, but she was stronger. She stumbled and wobbled while carrying him to the smelly animal cages. His head was slammed against the fence as she struggled to open it. When she finally did, Jerome was thrown head first into a pile of elephant poop. “Get it done you lazy little-”

Jerome didn’t hear what she said after she threw a shovel at him. The shovel hit his hurt ankle and he was too busy trying not to cry. He didn’t want anyone to see or hear him.

Harvey watched as Jerome tensed up even more than he already was. If the kid didn’t want to be carried then he wouldn't make him. Harvey will just watch where he’s going.

————————————

Jerome skipped the mazes in the coloring books. He thought of Jeremiah every time he saw one. Maybe, if he ever sees broski again, he can give the puzzles to him. He saves the word games too. Instead, he’s coloring an elephant playing a guitar. Elephants are always gray, so he colored it green. He put a purple blanket on it’s back like he’d seen at the circus. The elephant was standing and it looked more like a cape than a blanket, but Jerome didn’t care. He thought it looked cool. He drew a tall, black hat on its head. He took another color, brown, to write with.

music music music

music playing

“How do you spell elephant?”

Jim and Harvey looked up from the pile of papers they were reading across from him. “E-L-E-P-H-A-N-T.”

Jerome said each letter as he wrote it. “What goes after P?”

“H,” Jim answered. As Jerome concentrated on writing, he didn’t see the affectionate smile Jim wore. “A…N...T”

Jerome stood on his chair and dramatically showed them his work. “I’m finished!”

Harvey studied the page. “How come he’s green?”

Jerome put the coloring book down. He made a pouting face as he jumped off the chair. “‘Cause elephants are always grey.”

Jim was glad Jerome liked the coloring books. Let the kid be creative. He was just happy Jerome wasn’t wandering around the building. “It’s good.” Jim picked the book up. It was the third page Jerome showed them. “I really like the hat you’ve drawn. It’s very creative.” The kid was beaming after that.

“What are you looking at?” Jerome plopped down on the desk. Jim pulled out one of the papers he just sat on. It was a mix of maps and reports about Jerome’s followers. They’ve been making more riots ever since the resurrection incident. The GCPD has been trying to contain them, but to no avail. With all these deranged people being arrested, the station has become utter chaos. Which is making Jim uncomfortable because the last two days have been very quiet. It’s why Harvey brought Jerome here, because it’s not been a madhouse lately. Dwight was interrogated one final time, but neither Jim nor Harvey got anything out of him so they sent him to Arkham. Jim has a hard time believing Jerome’s followers just simply stopped.

“Some police reports…” Jim intentionally leaves out that the reports involve Jerome’s older self. He notices Jerome’s dirty feet now that the boy is sitting right in front of him. He’ll have to buy him a pair.

Screaming started outside Harvey’s office. “What is that?” Both were running out the room to see what’s happening. Mad men and women with feral haircuts and clothes swarmed the station shouting “We are Jerome!” Officers were doing their best to stop the madness, but they were outnumbered. Jim knew the quiet was too good to be true. Jerome’s followers were becoming surprisingly more organized with their crimes. He saw something flash. A guy with a red Mohawk pulled out a machete as he ran towards an officer.“Hey! Stop him!”

Jerome was unintentionally left alone on the lower balcony as they fought off the mob. The balustrade was taller than him so he gripped the pillars and watched through them. People at the circus would fight sometimes, but he’d never seen anything like this. Why were these people doing this? They’re not angry like most fights. They look like they’re having fun. Some were fighting while others were dancing and shouting. One jumped on a desk and kicked a guy in the head. Another person jugged a bottle of something down as he waved a gun in the air. Jerome scowled at that. He can take a good guess as to what the guy was drinking. Alcohol never meant good things for Jerome until his mother passed out or got tired of hitting him.

Who are these people screaming about? Who was Jerome? They can’t be talking about him, right? He’d never seen these people before. Jerome never saw Jim before either though, and he still seems familiar. There goes another guy jumping on a desk, kicking a whole computer to the floor. A woman jumped on a cop’s back, choking him. Another cop pulled her off of him. Did they just wake up today and were in the mood to attack the cops? Funny… He’s glad Jeremiah isn’t here. He would’ve been so scared. Jerome’s not scared. He’s curious, confused and has a good idea on what hairstyle to draw on the zebra in his coloring book, but he’s not afraid.

At least he thought he wasn’t until Jim got hit and Jerome saw red. “Jim!” He dodged a swinging axe as he ran down the stairs. He was scared and angry at the same time. Scared for Jim and angry at the man that was attacking him. Jim was laying on the floor stopping the man from stabbing him with a knife. The knife was inches away from Jim and Jerome knew he had to do something. He really wishes he had a knife or something, but all he has is some markers. So with all the strength he could muster, he tried to push the guy off Jim. It didn’t turn out as planned, but it worked. The man shoved him away, making Jerome fall back. That was enough distraction for Jim as he yanked the knife to the side and kicked the guy off of him. Jerome can see a cut through Jim’s upper sleeve. He must have gotten cut when he yanked the knife away. He rushed to Jim’s side. “Are you okay? You’re bleeding.” Jerome pointed to his arm.

Jim sat up. “You need to stay in the office.”

Jerome opened his mouth to speak, but Jim cut him off. It was hard to hear in all the chaos so Jim had to scream. “Thanks for helping, but I need you to stay away from these people. Go back in the-” A man ran towards them with a baseball bat, swinging it at Jerome. Jim pulled Jerome to him just in time. He could feel a rush of air as the pipe moved right beside his head. Okay, now he might be a little scared. The man fell at their feet from the force of the swing and Jim kicked him in the face before he kicked the bat away.

For a second, Jerome couldn’t see anything because his face was pressed against Jim’s shoulder as the man stood up and held him. Jim ran half way up the stairs before turning around, eyes scanning over the chaos. Jerome twisted around in arms. “Stop.” Jerome stilled. He usually doesn’t like to be told what to do, but the seriousness in Jim’s tone made him stay still.

“Who are these people?” Jim glanced at Jerome. “Whose Jerome? He has the same name as me.” Jim didn’t answer.

He was looking for Harvey. They were sorely outnumbered and there was no way that they could stop all these people. They have to leave or they’ll die. “Harvey!”

He saw Jerome put his hands over his ears. He couldn’t blame him, Jim just screamed in his face. He didn’t mean to, but he couldn’t whisper to get Harvey’s attention. His partner was beside the jail cells and just hit a man with the back of a chainsaw. Harvey looked around until he found Jim.

“Jim!?”

“There’s too many of them! We have to fall back!” Jim saw Harvey’s mouth move like he was talking to himself before hearing “Fall back!”

The wave of people began moving to the back of the building as they retreated. Jim would usually stay until he was sure everyone was out, but he’s got Jerome right now and he has to keep him safe. “What about my coloring books! Markers!” Jerome might be a afraid but he’s never had anything as nice as that and he doesn’t want to give it up.

Well he knows now that Jerome was never bothered by violence like a normal child. Was that trait something he was born with or was he just used to violence and chaos? Jim didn’t know. “I’ll get you new ones.” Jim said as he raced down the stairs.

Their escape was stopped short when Jim tripped. Someone grabbed his foot as he ran. He landed right on Jerome who let out a big ‘oof.’ “Jim… you’re… squishing… me.”

Jim rolled off of him, trying to get out of the hold of the lunatic that grabbed him. It was a man, younger than Jim, dressed up as a mime. His nose was bleeding and his teeth were bloody, but the guy was laughing. He stared at Jerome like a predator would its prey and pounced. Jim caught him in choke hold as the guy struggled against him. The mime snarled at Jerome and reached out for his feet. The kid was terrified. He was frozen in fear. Jim saw blood trickling down from his nose. He must have twisted forward when they fell and landed on his face. He tightened his grip on the madman. Luckily, Harvey came around the corner to them. He motioned Jerome to get back before he knocked the guy out with the butt of his gun. He went slack in Jim’s hold and Jim dropped him.

He took a few seconds to breathe before getting up. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Harvey put his gun away. “We need to leave before any more of these goons catch up.” Jim nodded in agreement. Both turned to see Jerome still sitting and holding his head.

Harvey bent down to tap his shoulder. “Hey, kid, you okay?”

Jerome’s words were mumbled and slurred. “My head…hurts.”

Harvey and Jim glanced at each other before Jim crouched in front of him. “You hit your head pretty hard and I bet me falling on top of you didn’t help. Harvey, you got a napkin or something for his nose?”

He felt around in his pockets before declining. The roar of a chainsaw started and it sounded dangerously close. Jim picked Jerome up despite the kid’s protest. They quickly ran out of the building into Harvey’s car. “Was everybody out?” Jim asked, closing the passenger door. Jerome was curled up in Jim’s side. Jim hopes he doesn’t have a concussion. He put his arm protectively around him.

Harvey turned the car on and drove out of the parking lot. “I think so.”

Jim laid his head back on the seat. He needed to get Jerome to a doctor in case he does have a concussion. Doctor… Lee. He scrambled through his pockets for his phone. Jerome whined in protest at the sudden movement so close to him. He apologized to him as he hurriedly found Lee’s number. She could’ve been in there. She might still be in there.

Jim went still as the phone rang. The only movement from him was bobbing his knee. “What was that all about?” Harvey asked.

“He’s calling somebody.” Jerome answered for him.

“Who?”

“I don’t know… Does he have a girlfriend?”

“He’s got a few exes.” Jim glared at Harvey. Harvey put his hand up in surrender.

It felt like eternity for her to answer. “Jim?”

Jim let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. “I…” He didn’t know what to say.

Lee’s tone turned harsher. “What do you want?”

“I…” wanted to make sure you’re okay “need your help with something.”

“I’m sure there are others that can help.”

“No, not with this. I have this kid with me.”

“A kid?”

“Yes, I can’t take him anywhere public right now, but he needs to see a doctor. He might have a concussion. It’s just complicated...”

“Complicated? Everything is with you.” Jim grimaced as she sighed. He could tell she was annoyed. “Fine. I’ll come. Where are you at?”

Jim let out another breath he didn’t know he was holding in. “We’ll be at my house in a few minutes.”

“We?”

“Harvey’s with me.”

“I’m only doing this for the kid.” With that she hung up.

——————————————————

Jerome squirmed around as Lee checked over him. He didn’t like it when the doctors at the hospital examined him either. Jim stayed by his side throughout the whole process. Jerome kept glancing at him as if to ask if they’re done yet. Harvey’s pacing wasn’t helping keep Jerome calm either. What was really difficult was when Lee shined a light in his eyes to check for a concussion. Thankfully, he didn’t have one and Jim was told to keep him awake for a few hours just in case.

Jim walked Lee to the door as she left. He wanted to say thanks for helping, but he didn’t get a chance. Lee turned to face him. “Who is this kid? I find it oddly weird that Jerome’s Valeska corpse went missing and now you suddenly have a child called Jerome? What’s going on?”

How should he answer this… “It’s complicated. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

Jim sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I can’t.” His voice was embarrassingly rough and weak. He wants to, really he does, but he can’t risk it. There are too many people who already know. He wishes the doctors never had to know. The only reason he told Lucius was because he wanted someone to find out how it’s possible. If Jerome’s followers find out that their leader is a child, who knows what they’ll do to him. If they hadn’t found out already. They could worship him or kill him, either way they would come after him. If something happens to Jerome under Jim’s watch, he’ll never forgive himself. He really hopes he’s not getting attached. He would feel the same way for any child, not just one he’s getting attached to.

Jim wearily glanced at Jerome to escape Lee’s gaze. He was going through the fridge with Harvey. Jerome saw him watching and looked at him with as much disapproval a nine year old can muster. “You don’t have any jello.” The corner of Jim’s mouth slightly lifted into a semi half-sad smile

Harvey nudged Jerome in the arm to get his attention. “He ain’t got nothing in there at all. Never does.”

When Jim turned back around he was met with the exact glare he wanted to escape. “It’s for his protection, Lee. I can’t.”

“Well then I hope you don’t mess it up.” Lee left without saying anything else.

The rest of the day went quickly after that. Harvey went back to the station with reinforcements trying to get back in control. He stayed with Jerome in the apartment. He couldn’t just leave him there alone even if he wanted to help out. Jim offered to switch roles, Harvey said no. “Sorry Jim, but I’d take a crazy psycho gang any day then to watch a hungry, energetic kid cooped up in an apartment.”

He found some cereal in his cabinet to feed Jerome. He wasn’t very hungry himself. Jerome ate it quickly, but Jim could tell his head was still hurting even when the pills Lee gave him should have already kicked in. He and Jerome watched T.V. afterwards. In a few hours, Jim thought it was safe enough to let Jerome fall asleep. Jim draped a blanket over him when he laid down. It was dark outside now. He started nodding off himself when someone knocked on his door.

Groaning, he picked Jerome’s feet off his lap and stood up. He really doesn’t have the energy for this tonight. He got his gun off the shelf and prepared for a fight. He really hopes this isn’t a fight. Jerome just went to sleep and he needed to go to sleep. He didn’t fight though. The knock on the door was his uncle

Chapter Text

“Thanks Harvey.”

“Hey, like I said, it’s overdue, but are you sure about taking Jerome? Lucius has been driving me up the wall about some serial killer of smart people. Let him watch Jerome while you’re gone so I can get him off my back.”

“Serial killer? I can wait on the trip if you need me.”

Harvey cursed. “Forget I said anything. Maybe it’ll be safer for Jerome outside of Gotham for a while anyways. Alright? See you when you get back.”

A serial killer? This could be an addition to the mountain of excuses Jim could use to not go. Besides the fact that he had a nine year old with him, Jim also had his duties at the GCPD. He wasn’t very fond of the idea of going to a cabin with his uncle. He didn’t trust him. He disappeared right after his father’s death years ago. Why would he come knocking on his door in the middle of the night, inviting Jim to a trip in the woods? That’s the only reason why he agreed to go. He wants to know why his uncle is here.

He couldn’t use the excuse of hiding Jerome from him anyway. The night his uncle visited him, he saw Jerome sleeping on the couch despite Jim keeping the door closed as much as he could. He should move his couch somewhere not in front of the door. It’s a stupid place to put a couch for safety reasons.

Jim tossed his phone to the side and finished packing. He was expected to arrive tomorrow at the cabin. He packed Jerome’s small amount of clothes with his. He’s really glad Harvey left them in his car that day instead of taking them into his office or else Jerome wouldn’t have any. He still needed to get him some shoes though. Actually, he had a whole list of things he needed to get for Jerome. Kids are expensive. Shoes, more clothes- especially a jacket, food because he has to keep his fridge stocked up now, and things to keep him entertained. Harvey had brought the coloring books back the next day after the attack. Jerome was thrilled. Surprisingly, they weren’t ruined with the exception of a few bent pages. The markers, however, were scattered across the building and Harvey only found three.

He folded one of Jerome’s shirts just as the kid walked in his room. He rubbed his eye with a fist while he yawned. It was adorable and it made Jim slightly cheer up. “Good morning.”

Jerome muttered a half awake ‘morning’ back to him and climbed on the bed. He sat next to the pile of clothes Jim was packing. “What are you doing?”

“Packing. We’re going on a trip for a few days.”

That seemed to fully wake Jerome up. “Where?”

He folded a pair of shorts next and neatly put them in his bag. “A cabin in the woods. My-”

“Are you going to get rid of me?”

Jim’s eyes went wide at the blunt question. Jerome’s always been blunt. “No, I’m not… Why would I?”

His small, sad voice made Jim’s heart sink.“Because you don’t want to deal with me anymore.” He said matter of factly. What’s worse is that the boy looked resigned. It was weird to see it on a kid’s face. Weird to see it on Jerome’s face. The only time Jim ever saw him look so dejected was when he faked it about his mother’s death.

He doesn’t think Jerome is faking it this time. He’s having a hard time connecting the laughing, bloodthirsty killer to the sad, little boy he’s been watching over.

“That’s not true, Jerome. It never will be.” Jerome didn’t look like he believed it and he doesn’t blame the kid. Jim can’t imagine the horrors Jerome went through that he hasn’t even told him about. He started to move towards him, but stopped himself. Jerome is always weary when people touch him or are even around him sometimes. He doesn’t want to make him scared; this is a very vulnerable moment right now. He motioned to a spot next to Jerome. “Can I sit?”

It was Jerome’s turn to look surprised. “It’s your bed.” He started bouncing where he still sat. “It’s very comfortable. Very nice.”

Jim couldn’t help not to smile at the boy’s antics as he sat down. He doesn’t know what to say. He’s really just winging this, but he needs Jerome to trust him so he needs to do this right. He needs to let the boy know that no matter how dark and scary the world can be, there will be light. He clasps his hands together to keep from fidgeting. “Jerome… I know that the adults you’ve been with are not very nice people. They’ve done horrible things from what you’ve said.”

“Are you talking about my mother and uncle?” Jerome rolled his eyes dramatically. “Always screaming, always yelling. Always hitting. If you aren’t fast enough then they’ll catch you.” Jerome wasn’t rolling his eyes anymore and he didn’t look annoyed like he had been at first. His tone turned sad and he was staring at his hand like it was a ghost. “One time my uncle caught me stealing a cookie. He put my whole hand in a boiling pot of soup. It really hurt.” Jim’s jaw dropped. He saw tears brimming Jerome’s eyes. “I was hungry and the only thing in our fridge was mom’s beer.” A tear rolled down his cheek and Jerome started getting angry. He clenched the small, pale hand he was staring at. “Mom didn’t care… She said I deserved it. I always deserve it.” Jerome started furiously wiping away the tears as they fell. “No matter what I do.”

Jim’s sorrow for Jerome ruled out the fierce hatred he had for Jerome’s guardians. If you could call them that; they’re more like torturers. He hated what this kid went through. He hated that no one helped him and never showed an ounce of kindness to him. He hated that this is probably the reason why Jerome became what he was. All the lives he murdered, the families he destroyed… They could still be here today if Jerome hadn’t been driven insane by his own family.

Jerome Valeska the sadistic, heartless killer was once an innocent, scared child. Jim’s stomach twisted so much he wanted to puke, but he controlled it. “Hey,” Jim lightly touched Jerome’s shoulder.

Jerome flinched a little, but he didn’t move farther away. “What?” He was still wiping his face.

“I’m going to give you a hug, alright?”

Jerome looked skeptical. “Why?”

“I just want to. Can I?” He held his arm out.

“If you want to…” He was surprised Jerome let him. He expected him not to.

Jerome was stiff at first. Neither of them said anything. The only noise was Jerome sniffing from his runny nose. Jim just rested his chin on the top of the kid’s head and held him. Finally, Jerome relaxed against him and wrapped his arms around Jim. He was sure that his shirt now had snot and tear stains on it, but he couldn’t care less. He gently rubbed the kid’s back as he started talking.

“What they did to you was horrible and wrong. They should be locked up in a prison.” Jim’s voice unintentionally got higher and Jim had to once again squash his anger down. He didn’t want to take any chance of Jerome thinking he was mad at him. “I would throw away the keys myself.” Jim felt Jerome peek his head up under his chin. He met the kid’s tear filled eyes. “Nobody should ever do that to someone. Okay?” He needs to get that through to Jerome. He’s scared that the kid in his arms is going to once again grow up and become the same criminal Jim put behind bars. He really has gotten attached.

“Okay.” Jerome repeated. Jim wiped away the remaining tears with his thumb before Jerome buried his face in Jim’s side. “Nobody’s ever hugged me before. What’s wrong with you?”

Jim laughed sadly. “Nothing. You just looked like you needed one.”

They stayed like that until Jim felt Jerome’s arms loosen around him. He had fallen asleep. Jim positioned Jerome in a more comfortable position on his bed. He draped a blanket over him before going back to packing. He’d have to wake Jerome up eventually to go to the store, but he still needed to pack his own clothes. He quietly packed his belongings and wrote down a list of things for Jerome so he wouldn’t forget anything. He’ll let the kid sleep for as long as he can.

———————————————————

“Are we there yet?”

“Not yet.” Jerome frowned. It felt like they’ve been driving forever. He doesn’t know what to do! He’s bored of coloring, had tied his shoes about 5 times, ate some jello, stared at Jim until he noticed, snuck some more jello because Jim said he didn’t need anymore right now but it was too tasty to resist, wondered what Jim’s uncle was like, and now he’s run out of ideas. He always hated the long road trips at the circus. It could be worse though, he could be with his mom and one of her lovers. At least he’s with Jim.

“Um…” Jim got Jerome’s attention. “Before we get there I need to talk about a rule.” He spared a glance at Jerome before watching the road again. Jerome was nervous now. Rules never meant anything good. He’d always end up breaking them one way or another and that never ended well. He quickly stopped that train of thought and scolded himself. No, this is Jim. Jim’s different. Jim’s not like them.

“We’re going to be in the middle of the woods so you can’t wander around.” Jerome thought back to the time at the hospital. “You could get lost. I don’t mean you have to stay by my side all the time, but just stay where I can see you, sound good?”

“No wandering. Got it. What’s next?”

“That’s it.”

“Really? No be quiet? Stay out of my way? Do your chores?”

“No, that’s all.”

“Huh.”

Jerome stared out the window the rest of the way there. He’s always been a rule breaker. He doesn’t like following them, but he’s really going to try to keep this one. It’s only one rule and it doesn’t seem that hard to do. He likes being around Jim. He feels safer with him.

The cabin was small, or maybe he’s just used to big circus tents and elephants. Jim parked beside another car in the driveway as Jerome hurriedly put his stuff back in his backpack, ready to get out. He got the bag yesterday when Jim said he could barely fit both of their clothes in his bag. There was no way to fit his other stuff like his markers or secret stashes of jello in Jim’s bag so he needed to get his own.

The cold air pierced his face when he opened the door. The harsh contrast between the car’s heat and the freezing air made Jerome’s teeth chatter. Jim kept a hand on his back as they walked to the door. Jerome’s attention landed on the sleeves of his jacket as they walked. The sleeves were longer than his arms and it made him think of noodles. He waved them around as they walked to the door. Noodle arms, hahaha. He laughed at himself.

A man opened the door to greet them. This must be Jim’s uncle. “Jim. I’m glad you made it.” He peered down at Jerome. The redhead could see a slight resemblance to Jim. “I see you’ve brought your friend here too.”

Jim pulled Jerome closer to him. “Where he goes, I go.” Why did he sound so harsh? He must have liked his uncle about as much as Jerome did his.

“Of course.” The man, Jim hadn’t told Jerome his name, stepped aside to let them in. Jerome shivered against the cold breeze that flew in when the man closed the door. Jim noticed. He put his own bag down and zipped Jerome’s jacket up. “Go sit by the fire.” He whispered. “Your blanket will help just don’t sit too close to the flames.”

“What about you? Aren’t you cold?” Jerome whispered also, all though he was a little louder.

Jim patted his arm. “I’ll be fine. I’ll just be on the other side of the room.”

“Okay.” He sat down in front of the fire and pulled the blanket out of his backpack. The blanket was actually Jim’s, but Jerome’s been using it a lot. It was the softest thing Jerome ever touched. He wrapped it around him. Jim was right; he’s getting warmer already.

He tried to eavesdrop on them, but there wasn’t any juicy information. Jim’s uncle just told him to get settled first before they talk. Jerome rubbed the warm blanket across his face. It helped his nose from being so cold. He turned his head to see the man watching him. Jerome stared at him back. The man eventually stopped and they both turned their backs to one another. That was weird, but Jerome shrugged it off. There’s been weirder things that have happened to him.

Jim and his uncle sat on the couches behind Jerome when Jim came back. He twisted around to face them, resting his chin on his covered hands. Nobody spoke at first and Jerome kept looking from Jim to his uncle and back again. Both of them looked visibly uncomfortable. The tension in the room was so thick Jerome could almost feel it.

The man spoke first. “I was hoping to talk a little more privately.” He nods his head to Jerome.

“No, he’s fine where he is. I’m not making him move away from the fire. It’s too cold. Why am I here, Uncle Frank?” So his name is Frank. There’s a guy at the circus named Frank. He swallows knives. “Maybe you wanna tell me where the hell you've been since I was a kid? Or what happened between you and my dad.”

Frank twirled his glass in his hands and sighed. “Yes. Yes I do. But I need to know that you trust me.”

“You’re family, of course I trust you.” Jim took a sip of his drink.

“Did you ever do something you thought was right at the time, but now give your life to do over?” Jerome was surprised. This sounded like a serious conversation. He couldn’t believe they were having this right in front of him, even if the cabin is so cold.

Jim looked intrigued. “Yes.”

“Looking back I’ve done too many terrible things like that. But the worst was to break from your father.”

This is some juicy stuff, Jerome thought. He hasn’t even noticed that he hadn't talked in the last five minutes. Jim made a face of approval. “Keep talking.”

“I loved my brother Peter dearly. And you are my brother’s son. I came back to Gotham because of you, Jim.” Jim tilted his head. “I wanna make things right between us.” Talking about brothers made him think of Jeremiah. He’d be willing to make things right between them. Jerome never understood why he lied to mom about him, but he’d like to find out

Jim wasn’t expecting his uncle’s words if his facial expression had anything to say. “And how do you plan to do that?”

“I’d like to go out hunting with you, tomorrow of course. I know you’re probably tired and hungry from the long drive.” Hunting? He’d never gone hunting, but Jerome bets it’s exciting.

Jim didn’t speak for a moment, thinking. “I’ll go.”

————————————————

He was trembling from both the cold and fear, but he didn’t make a sound. When you have a nightmare, you don’t wake up screaming. He couldn’t in order to keep his mother’s fits of rage away. She gets angry when anyone wakes her up. Jerome is actually surprised he could ever disturb her when she was passed out from drinking. His mother isn’t her though and that eases his fear just a little bit. He’s in a cabin far away from the circus. A really, really cold cabin. No matter how tight Jerome wraps his blanket around him he still freezes. Everytime Jerome wiped the tears off his face more cold air would come through the blanket so he stopped moving all together.

He didn’t even know what he was crying for. He had had worse dreams than that. He should be used to this one by now. He had dreamt it multiple times and even knew what was going to happen while he was still dreaming. It started out with his mother chasing him as she threw empty beer bottles at him. He knew every turn he was going to make before he did until she caught him. They were in front of Mr. Cicero’s trailer and he was outside. Jerome cried out for him to help, but the fortune teller said “nobody cares about you.” He was dragged to his uncle next. The dream ends when the first punch comes.

Jim didn’t wake up when Jerome sprang out of his nightmare, but Jerome wished he did. If he had, then maybe he could make another fire for him since the old one had gone out long ago. Jim maybe could keep him from imagining his uncle jumping out of the shadows, dragging him back to the circus. He couldn’t stop glancing at the closet every few seconds. Jerome wrapped the blanket around him tighter as he turned to see Jim. How was he not cold? They were in the same room sharing the only bed in the room and Jim was even closer to the window! Maybe Jim just doesn’t get cold. Jerome had a lot more blankets than he does, but Jim wasn’t even shivering.

He wants Jim to hug him again. Nobody ever hugged him before. He tried to hug Jeremiah when he was scared once, but his brother cringed away. The only comfort he would ever allow Jerome to give was the pressing of their shoulders as they sat side by side. Now he really wishes Jim would have woken up, because he really wants a hug.

A violent shiver went through him and it made his teeth clatter. He can’t take this anymore. If Jim isn’t going to wake up and hug him then he’s going to do it himself. Glancing at the closet again before he crawled to Jim, Jerome was as quiet as possible. He didn’t want to embarrass himself and wake Jim up. He nudged his head under the man’s arm until he was curled up at his side. He thought Jim woke up when he started moving, but he stayed asleep and just moved his arm protectively around Jerome. He wasn’t so cold anymore nor was he scared. He always felt safe with Jim, so much so that Jerome didn’t look back again at the closet for his uncle. He went to sleep soon after.

Chapter Text

He’s never seen a gun that big before. The circus usually doesn’t use guns, just mainly knives and whips. He wanted to try it out, but Jim said no. He wouldn’t even let him touch it. Jerome pouted and sulked, but he didn’t ask again or sneak around. Jim didn’t sound like he was joking when he told Jerome he couldn’t use it. Anytime Jim gets real serious like that, Jerome always listens to him which is really weird. He usually isn’t that great at listening to people. Actually he just ignores them most of the time, but Jim’s different. He doesn’t want to make Jim mad at him.

He’s starting to get used to the cold weather outside. His nose is running and he’s sure it’s bright red like a clown’s nose, but at least he’s not shivering so much. Jim’s uncle leads the way through the woods. He has a big gun too. Jerome doesn’t look at either of the weapons to avoid the temptation. Instead, he focuses on kicking a bunch of leaves as he walks. He accidentally kicked a twig at Jim’s foot. Jerome looked up at him to see his reaction; Jim didn’t notice.

Frank held up a hand to stop them. He shifted to Jim and pointed in the distance. Jerome squinted his eyes to see what they were pointing at. It was a deer. They watched as the deer lowered it’s head to eat. Jerome admired the large, pointy antlers on top of its head. Those things look as sharp as a knife.

“Would you like to take the first shot?” Jim eyed his uncle in response and moved behind a nearby fallen branch. “Stay there.” He whispered to Jerome before kneeling down behind the branch. He aimed his gun at the deer as his uncle stood beside him. Nothing happened for a moment. Jerome stood on his toes to get a better look at Jim’s prey since he couldn’t get closer.

The bullet shot out of the gun loudly and Jim missed. Jerome became a little disappointed as all three watched the deer run through the trees out of sight. Frank put a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “Close. Better luck next time.”

Jim cocked the gun. “I missed on purpose.” What? Did Jerome hear him correctly? Why in the circus would he do that?

“Oh?” Frank questioned.

Jerome couldn’t stand still any more. He ran up to Jim. “Why did you do that?” In all his frantic questioning, he didn’t notice Jim aiming the gun in the air, opposite of Jerome. Jim nudged Jerome away from it.

“I wanted to make sure my gun works.”

“Oh, come on, Jim.” His uncle exclaimed before Jerome could say anything else. “What do you take me for?”

“I have no idea. You say you’ve done terrible things, you bring me out here, you promise to tell me the truth, and I’m still waiting. If this is a trust-building exercise, it’s not working. What happened between you and my father?”

Frank didn’t look like he wanted to answer that and Jim looked mad. Jerome looked between them with interest. He noted that this was like their conservation when Jim and him first arrived at the cabin. He’s ready to hear some more good gossip and practice his listening skills.

“Can we talk somewhere more private?” Frank glanced at Jerome who gave him the darkest scowl he could muster.

“No, we do this now.” Jerome grinned triumphantly to Frank at Jim’s words.

The man sighed, but started talking- ignoring the kid’s taunt. “Have you ever heard the old Gotham tales about the Court of Owls?” What’s that, Jerome thought.

“Pretend I haven’t.”

The man stepped closer to Jim, partly with his back to Jerome. Jerome stepped closer to them for spite. “The Court is a secret society. That has lasted for centuries. Started by its oldest, wealthiest, most influential families. The Court was once a mechanism devoted to maintaining the balancing in Gotham. But time and power have corrupted them.”

“If it’s so secret then how do you know about them?” Jim asked.

“Your father and I were both members.” Well, Jerome wasn’t expecting that and from the look on Jim’s face he wasn’t either. “I still am a member.”

Jim made a face as if to say he knew it. He backed away from his uncle, pulling Jerome behind his back as he withdrew. Repositioning the gun in his grip, he said “Is that so?”

Frank didn’t flinch. Jerome stretched his head to see past Jim’s arm. “The Court doesn’t mean you any harm. They have the highest regard for you. In fact they want you to become a member.”

They went back to the cabin before finishing their conversation. Jim wasn’t really happy about his dad being a part of the society Frank was in. Especially when Frank told him the society is who killed his dad. Jerome got a tad bit scared when Jim yelled at his uncle once, but he felt bad for Jim. He wants to help Jim like Jim does for him, but he looks like he doesn’t want to be around anybody right now so he left him alone. But it’s not just that, he left Jim alone also because Jerome doesn’t know what to do. He hasn’t felt this feeling very often- the feeling of wanting to help- and now that he does want to help, Jerome can’t think of any ideas to make Jim feel better. He was coloring in front of the fire, trying to think of a plan to help, while Jim was getting some wood outside. Jerome didn’t even hear Frank leaving. He must have gone out the back. Frank left Jim a picture with writing on it, but Jim put it away before Jerome could see it. They left the same day.

—————————————

Jim waited until Jerome was settled before starting the car, but he didn’t leave. He stared out the window in silence. The picture of him with his uncle and father sat under the windshield. The rustle of paper broke the silence as Jerome picked it up. “Help me honor his… his…”

“His memory.” Jim finished for him. He stopped gazing out the window to look at Jerome. Putting the picture back, he looked a little hesitant.

“I’m sorry your dad was a part of that owl court and they killed him.”

After he got over the initial surprise, it was touching that Jerome would say anything. This boy was nothing like the older Jerome he had arrested. Jim shrugged his shoulders. “Bad things happen, nothing you can do.” He put a hand on Jerome’s shoulder affectionately, half smiling at him. “But thanks.”

Jerome didn’t say anything for a while, fiddling with his hands. He blinked when Jerome talked again, a lot quieter this time. “My dad died too.”

Jim froze. He thought about Paul Cicero and the bloody corpse Jim found that day. Jerome killed him, mercilessly. He stabbed him in the eye. Although Cicero wasn’t exactly father of the year, he didn’t deserve to die, not like that especially. Jim didn’t mourn for him though. Then he started to wonder about all the abuse Jerome went through. Someone at that circus had to have noticed it, especially Cicero. The man may have been blind, but he got around easily in the police station when they interrogated him for Lila Valeska’s murder. He would have noticed his own son being hurt. Jim never agreed with Jerome’s way of revenge, but a few of his more personal victims really had it coming. He stopped in his own thoughts when the realization dawned on him. How does Jerome know his father is dead? He should still be alive in the younger Jerome’s timeline. Jim really hopes the kid doesn’t remember that he killed his own father and hopes even more that the kid doesn’t laugh about it.

“He was a sea captain.” Oh, now he remembers. Jerome’s mother had told him that his father had died at sea before the kid ever met him. Jim was the one to break the news to him in the interrogation room. Jerome denied the revelation before he laughed at it.

“His name was Sven Carlson. He died on a ship.”

Jim wasn’t about to correct the boy on his actual lineage. The captain was probably the only good role model Jerome ever had now that he thinks about it, which is sad considering he never met him. The man wasn’t even real. “I’m sorry.”

Jerome huffed. “Well that didn’t work. I wanted to make you feel better, not sadder.”

Jim couldn’t help it- he laughed. “Thank you then, because you did make me feel better.”

Jerome sat straighter, visibly brightening up. “Really?”

“Yeah, good job kid.”

——————————————————

They were back at the police station in Harvey’s office. Jerome sat in the corner trying to read some book. He forgot his markers, so no coloring which was a bummer when he had to be quiet. Well, Jim didn’t exactly say to be quiet, just no screaming but it’s basically the same thing. The book was big with a lot of words. It was also really smelly. The dust made his nose itch. He was having a hard time reading it, but he’ll figure it out. Him and Jeremiah used to steal magazines and try to read them all the time. It’s how he learnt to read, but this book is nothing like a magazine. A particular word was very big and Jerome didn’t have a clue as to what it was. He kept reading the sentence out loud and stopping at the word.

“The suspect was-was… am-ambi-dex… he was… ambi-dext-rous. Ambidextrous!” Jerome dragged the heavy book to Jim and had to literally swing it in his caretaker’s lap because it was so heavy. “I got it! The guy was ambi...dextrous.” The word was a little hard to say. “Took me forever to figure it out. I think I’ve heard it before… maybe I don’t know.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Anyways, what’s that mean?”

He rocked back and forth on his heels waiting for Jim to answer. Jim reached for a paper across the desk that flew away when Jerome swung the book. “Ambidextrous? It means you can do things with both of your hands. You don’t favor one over the other.”

Jerome wiggled all ten of his fingers, grinning. “I want to be ambidextrous.” It’d be really cool if he was. He could color with his left hand when his right one cramps up.

Jim closed the book, but kept his hand on the page Jerome was reading. “Gotham’s Unsolved Cases- is it interesting?”

Jerome shrugged his shoulders again. “Eh.” He took the book back and swung it to the floor before he took its place on Jim’s lap. Scanning the folder of papers Jim was reading, he leaned on the desk. “Watcha reading?”

Jim reached around him to mess with the papers. “Just some stuff about my father.” He closed the folder as he checked his watch for the time. Jerome visibly deflated when he couldn’t look in it, but didn’t say anything. Jim shifted Jerome around to face him more. “Things are going to be a little different for awhile, alright?”

Jerome’s starting to get a little nervous. He doesn’t want today to be different. He likes how things are right now. He’s already used to the routine they’ve made ever since returning back from the cabin. Jim makes breakfast- usually cereal and then they do nothing until Jim cooks again. It’s nice to do nothing. Sometimes Harvey calls and Jerome always gets to talk to him. The last time they talked Harvey promised to bring him some candy called ‘Sour Patch kids.’ Jerome’s never heard of it before but it sounds weird- he can’t wait to try it.

This is the first time they’ve been to the police station ever since that attack happened. Today has already been different, but he thought that was because Jim just had to go back to work which is fine with Jerome. But from Jim’s words, he’s beginning to think he’s not going to like this difference. He cautiously let’s out an answer, “sure.”

“I’m going to be back working cases for a few hours on most days like Harvey. You can’t go with me and you can’t go with him. It’s too dangerous so Harvey and I decided on someone to be with you while we’re gone.”

This really is different. He’s used to being with Jim all the time, and if not Jim then Harvey. Jerome just hopes that whoever this person is, they're as nice as them. “Who is it? Have I met them? I bet I haven’t.”

Jim shook his head. “No, you haven’t.”

Jerome whooped in celebration that he was right. He saw Jim smile at him. “You’re going to be staying with him today until I get back. His name’s Lucius. He’s one of our criminal specialists.”

Jerome cupped a hand over his chin in contemplation. “Lucius, hmm. He sounds like a serious guy.” Jerome really didn’t want to stay with Lucius because what if Jim doesn’t come back? But Jim will come back, he’s sure of it.

They both thought the knock on the door would be this new Lucius, but it was just Harvey. There was something in his hand. Jerome made a beeline for it, jumping off of Jim’s lap. “Harvey! What’s that?”

Harvey took his hat off before he gave the bag to Jerome. “Hello to you too. This is the candy I was telling you about,” Harvey pulled the bag back to him, “but I don’t know if you can handle it.”

Jerome glowered at him. “What are you talking about? I can handle anything.” He started ripping the bag open to no avail once Harvey let him have it. If only I could open this. This was a pretty tough, bright bag.

“I don’t know, kid.” Harvey remarked. “This candy is pretty sour.”

“I’ve had sour stuff before.” Jerome muttered, now trying to open the bag with his teeth.

Jim stood up from his seat. “Harvey, he shouldn’t be eating a lot of sugar right now. He’ll be too hyped up when we take him to Lucius.” Jerome decided to ignore Jim just this once. He didn’t exactly say that Jerome couldn’t have it, just that he shouldn’t. Plus, the temptation was just too great. He’s been waiting to try this sour stuff and now he has to show Harvey that he can handle it.

“Oh come on, Jim, let the kid have some fun. It’s not like he’s eating an entire cake.” He took the bag from Jerome. “You see that dent on the top sides? That’s where you rip it at.”

Jerome grabbed a piece once Harvey gave the bag back. It was yellow. He studied it a bit more before tossing it into his mouth. He made a show of chewing while staring at Harvey. It wasn’t even that sour; they’re very tasty. “See I can handle it.” Jerome ate another one. He’d like to think Harvey looked impressed.

“Just wait till I get some warheads.” Harvey was serious. “Now those are sour.” Jerome didn’t believe him, but he was up for the challenge. He heard Jim sigh loudly.

“Don’t eat the whole bag in one day. You’ll get sick.”

“Don’t worry, Jim, I’m not.”

He ate half the bag before he met Lucius. He’s guessing the man that answered the door was him, seems like a nice guy. He talked with Jim and Harvey as they said their goodbyes. Jerome watched them walk down the hallway until he was ushered into Lucius' office. The room was smaller than Harvey’s, but it had a lot more books. These books don’t look dusty and old like the ones Harvey had. His desk looked a lot more organized too from what Jerome could see. “So…” Jerome stared at him, waiting for him to say something. “My name is Lucius. I’m a friend of Jim’s.”

“I know. Jim told me you’re watching me for a few days.” He scrunched his nose up. “But I don’t know why. I don’t need a babysitter. I can stay by myself.”

Lucius wasn’t taken back by the statement. He walked to the other side of his desk. There was a folder open, a picture with some sort of machine that Jerome’s never seen before. Lucius closed the folder and placed it in the drawer of his desk. Why’s everybody so secretive?

“Then let’s not think of me as your babysitter, but more as a friend?”

Jerome’s never had a friend before. Usually people stayed away from him, even other kids. But Jim says he trusts Lucius, and if Jim trusts Lucius then so does he. He plopped in a chair and ripped open the bag of sour candy. “Okay.”

Chapter Text

Lucius was nice, but he’s glad he’s back with Jim. He doesn’t know why they’re standing in a graveyard though. Jim just said that he had to meet his uncle again before they went home. He’s beginning to think Jim likes standing in the cold. The low temperature must not bother him because he is just standing beside Jerome, staring at a headstone.

Peter Gordon
Beloved Husband and Father

It’s his dad’s headstone, so that might be why he’s staring at it. Jerome grips Jim’s hand a little tighter when his Uncle comes to them. It was hard enough to get Jim to glance at him with a questioning look. Jerome doesn’t like Frank very much. He tries to keep Jerome out of their interesting conversations and he just left Jim at the cabin, which was pretty rude if you asked Jerome. He doesn’t know why Jim even bothers with his uncle. Jerome would be just fine never seeing his own uncle again, wouldn’t even care if he were dead. Something tells him that Jim would care though.

Frank comes to stand beside them, making Jerome positioned in between both adults. He didn’t try to hide how he recoiled away from Frank and into Jim’s side. Both of the men just ignored him if they noticed.

“Thank you for meeting me. I see you are still acting as a caretaker.” Frank said and Jerome scowled at him.

“That’s none of your concern. Why are we here?” Jim responded.

“It’s public, open. Easy to spot if anyone is watching us.” Jerome wondered why anyone would be watching them.

“The driver who hit my father wasn’t drunk. I think someone framed him.”

“Easy enough for the court.”

Jerome zoned out. He began watching a bird making a nest in a nearby tree. It wasn’t like they were going to say anything he didn’t already know. They were still jumping around the plain fact that the court with owls or the Court of Owls, as Frank put it, had killed Jim’s dad. The bird was flying around now. He watched it find a stick on the ground. The bird just landed back on the nest when he heard something about a bomb. Now this is interesting.

“Why would the Court of Owls want to destroy Gotham?” Jim asked harshly. He gripped Jerome’s hand tighter but not enough to hurt.

“It’s only a small, high ranking group wanting to do this.”

“You really think they will?”

“They’ve done it before, twice.”

“So how do we stop it?”

Frank shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t even know what the weapon is, but I intend to find out.”

Jim moved to face his uncle, accidentally stepping on Jerome’s toes in the process. He mumbled an apology before going back to the conversation. “Let me help.” He said, as Jerome wiggled his toes to see if any were broken. They weren’t, just hurt, but Jerome’s never shied away from pain so he shrugs it off. He’s more interested in the bomb than his injured feet.

“No, the court knows I reached out to you, but nothing more. We need to keep it that way, in case I’m discovered.”

Jim looks worried from Jerome’s angle and the hand he’s holding Jerome’s own in is getting tighter. His earlier assumption was right; he knew Jim still cared about his uncle. “Be careful, Uncle Frank.” Jerome never thought about how it could be the last time he saw Jim’s uncle as they walked away.

Jim mumbled something about home and started down a small hill towards his car. Jerome struggled to keep up with him even though he was still holding his hand. He’s realizing that Jim has a lot of family drama he’s witnessed in the past few days. A long lost uncle comes back telling him that his dad was killed by a secret society, and not only that, but they want to destroy Gotham. This is as crazy as the circus! “Is Gotham going to be blown up?” He asked, trying not to trip over a rock or maybe that was a headstone. “Are we going to die?” Jim stopped in his tracks. Jerome had to admit, he was a little winded. Jim was a lot faster than him.

He sharply stared at Jerome before kneeling to his level. “No, we aren’t.” His voice was surprisingly gentle which was a big contrast to how he talked to Frank. “I didn’t expect him to say that, but you don’t need to worry. He could’ve been lying for all we know.”

“He didn’t sound like he was lying.” Jerome replied, he knew Jim was just saying that so he wouldn’t get scared. “You don’t have to lie. I’m not scared.” He doesn’t get scared easily. The bomb may not scare him, but it only proved what Mr. Cicero said to him on his 9th birthday after his mother and some snake guy beat him. This world doesn’t care about you or anyone else in it. It’s better you realize that now. Worst. Birthday. Ever.

“I’m glad you’re not scared.” Jim let go of his hand to put both of his on Jerome’s shoulders. “But it’s okay to be scared sometimes.”

Jerome thought for a moment. He made it sound like he was never scared, but that’s a lie and he doesn’t want to lie to Jim. “Sometimes I get scared when I’m around Uncle Zach and my mom.”

Jim started looking sad after he said that. “You don’t have to be afraid of them any more. You’ll never have to be with them again.”

That made Jerome grin like a madman. “I know.” His spontaneous happiness must have spread to Jim because he smiled too. “You’re a whole lot better than them.” Jerome stated.

“I hope I am…” Jim’s gaze landed somewhere over Jerome’s shoulder. Jerome turned his own head to see what had made Jim lose his focus. It wasn’t a what, but a she. A few graves down, there was a woman. It was that woman that looked over him for any injuries after the attack at the station. She seemed nice to him, but Jerome couldn’t help but notice Jim looking a little uptight around her. Harvey did say that she was his ex girlfriend.

Jim grabbed Jerome’s hand as he stood up. They were a few feet away just staring at her. Jerome was appalled. “You gotta say something, Jim.” He whispered, but his efforts to be quiet were no good. The woman saw them. Jim ducked his head, glanced at Jerome and made his way to her. Jerome sighed like an exasperated parent, and smacked his forehead as Jim pulled him along. If Jim doesn’t stop acting so weird then he’s never going to get her back! He clearly still likes her.

“I’m sorry for interrupting you. I didn’t know you were here.” Jim finally let out. At least this is a start, Jerome thought. The woman stared questionably at the two, but especially at Jim. It was only now that Jerome read the headstone she was standing at and he wondered who Mario Falcone is, well was.

“I saw you over the hill.” The woman motioned to Jerome. “If keeping him is so secret then why are you taking him everywhere? Who was that man you were with?”

Okay, hold up. What is she talking about ‘keeping him is so secret’? Why does Jerome have to be secret and what does that even mean? He looked to Jim for an answer, but Jim avoided his gaze. “What is she talking about?” Jerome asked him, like the woman wasn’t standing right in front of him. “I’m not a secret, am I?”

Jim cleared his throat. “No, it’s just-”

“He’s not?” The woman scoffed. Jerome watched her as she got angry at Jim.

“Lee…” So that’s her name, Jerome noted.

“What’s his name, then?” Lee raised her eyebrow at Jim with a harsh glare. Why’s she getting so angry? “You’re hiding something, Jim. I’m not going to let you destroy and just move on like you do. I know you’re hiding something and I’m going to find out.”

Jim looked hurt at her words and it made Jerome angry. “What are you talking about?” He asked as he stepped in between them. She was wrong. “Jim doesn’t destroy anything. He’s the nicest person in the world! How could you say that? Do you even know Jim?”

Lee blinked in surprise. “Who are you?”

Jim turned to leave. He looked distressed. “We should go.”

“Jim, what is this? What are you hiding?” Lee stepped closer to them. “Who is he?” She whispered harshly to Jim.

“My name’s Jerome.” Jerome countered. He was getting tired of people talking about him like he wasn’t there. He was getting even more tired of this woman. He hopes Jim never gets back with her again. “Who are you?”

Lee ignored his question, instead she replied with another. “Jerome?”

“Are you stupid?” He laughed. Why was his name such a surprise? He stared at the woman as Jim pulled him away. She stared back at him until Jerome couldn’t see her over a hill.

Chapter Text

Jim cringed as he watched Jerome sneeze onto his pillow, for the fifth time. He’s sick, but Jim takes comfort in the fact that it’s not life-threatening. He shouldn’t have continually dragged the kid out with the temperatures so low and he mentally berates his past self. Now he’s unfortunately resigned to watch as a miserable Jerome paints Jim’s pillow with snot. 

He needs to call Harvey to let him know he’s not coming in today. He also needs to dig out that can of chicken noodle soup he saw in the back of his pantry a few weeks ago. He needs to do many things, but every time he gets up to leave, Jerome calls him back. 

“You might feel better once you eat.” 

Jerome wrapped his blue blanket tighter around him as mumbled into the cover. “Not hungry.” 

Jim didn’t try to stop the sigh going past his lips. It’s too early in the morning. He’s tired and sore and he never did fully mourn his Uncle. He immediately went from saving Gotham from the Court of Owls ‘bomb’ and picking Jerome up from Lucius’ place only to find that the kid was sick. 

“I can’t breathe!” Jerome flopped around to a more comfortable position. His blanket twisted around him and Jerome fought to fix it. From the sneezing and stuffy nose, it’s clear he has caught a cold. 

“Let me see if I have some medicine,” Jim mumbled as he made his way to the bathroom. He’d made it to the door just before Jerome called. It’s the farthest Jim’s made it so far. 

“Where are you going?” Jerome sounded a little pitiful now. 

“Seeing if I can find you some medicine. I’ll be right back.” He turned to go when he heard a loud thump. Jerome was laying on the floor still trapped in his blanket. He had rolled out of bed. 

“I’ll come with you.” Jim watched Jerome roll around trying to untangle himself from the blanket. “Wait on me!” Jerome exclaimed as he twisted around. He sounded congested. 

Jim helped him after Jerome hit his head on the bed frame. He picked him up as he tugs the tangled blanket off the kid. Now free, Jerome patted Jim’s head as the man put him down. “Thanks, Jimbo.” 

Jim rolled his eyes at the nickname, but his annoyance faltered as Jerome slipped his small hand into his. “Your welcome.” He ruffled Jerome’s hair with his free hand. 

Once Jim found the medicine and gave some to Jerome, he went to dig around in the pantry. He might have found the can of soup sooner if Jerome had not attached himself to Jim’s hip. He couldn’t move. He’ll have to change shirts now because Jerome wiped his face on it. He tried not to show too much distaste at the snot. Jerome looked miserable and it was clear that the boy was taking comfort in being near Jim. 

Jerome’s sickness is what Jim believes is the reason for Jerome’s sudden clinginess. The kid was hardly ever clingy. He never turned down food either. 

“I’m not hungry.”

“You have to eat. You don’t even have to eat all of it, just a few spoonfuls.”

Jerome wrapped his arms around Jim and buried his face into his shirt, rubbing more snot on it. “I don’t wanna eat.” 

Jim sighed, leaving the can on the counter for now. He’ll try again later. Hopefully, the medicine will help Jerome feel better soon. 

“Let’s get you back to bed then. You need to rest.” 

Jerome peaked up at him. “Where are you going to go?”

Jim rubbed the kid’s back as a comforting gesture. “I’ll just be doing some chores, maybe some cleaning.”

Jerome hugged Jim tighter and buried his face again. “I want to stay with you.” 

“I’ll just be in the next room. We’ll leave the door open so you can see.”

Jim both saw and felt Jerome shake his head. 

“Hey,” he nudged Jerome back just enough so he could kneel in front of him. “I know you’re tired. You need to rest so you can get better. I will-” 

Jerome cut him off when he wrapped his arms around Jim’s neck and refused to let go. Jim sighed, again, and stood up taking Jerome with him. “You win.”

Jerome didn’t reply. Another testament to Jerome not feeling well. Ever since the kid has been staying here, he’s always talking or causing a ruckus. Jim went to pick up the blue blanket left in the bedroom before sitting on the couch. He wrapped the blanket around Jerome, who still hasn’t relinquished his hold on Jim. 

They stayed there for a while. Jim mindlessly flipping through channels on the T.V. until they both drift off to sleep. 

It was Jim who woke first. His neck and back are sore from staying in the uncomfortable position for too long. Jerome is still sleeping on his lap and Jim didn’t have the heart to move him. So, he digs in his pocket for his phone, careful not to wake Jerome, to call Harvey. He stayed there until eventually, Jerome woke up.

He was still clingy, but Jim managed to get him to eat the soup. The medicine was working and Jerome started talking more. Jim noticed that Jerome had been gaining some weight. He was a lot heavier when Jim carried him than he was the first time in that abandoned building. 

The day went by swiftly and soon Jerome fell back asleep against Jim’s side.  At least, he thought that Jerome was sleeping until he noticed that the kid was staring at him. Jerome didn’t stop staring when he saw Jim notice. He still stared as he ask, “why are you so nice to me?”

Jim didn’t know what to say. He stuttered for a moment as Jerome silently watched. The kid’s face looked so puzzled and Jim hated the people for causing Jerome to feel like this. 

“I… I don’t know what you mean.” 

Jerome shrugged. “You know,  you’re not like other people. You never scream at me and you make me soup when I’m sick. Harvey gives me candy all the time. Lucious is teaching me how to play chess. Why are you guys so nice?”

Now Jim really doesn’t know what to say. He straightens up to face Jerome more and manages to find something to say. “When other people do those things… it um- means they care. Harvey and Lucius both care. I care about you.”

The smile on Jerome’s face lets Jim know he said the right thing. “Really?”

Jim smiled too. “Really.”

Chapter Text

Just a little farther… almost there… come on… gotchya!

The brown marker rolled just enough for Jerome to reach it. He yanked it out from under the bed, jumping up in victory. Now, where is his orange marker? He didn’t see it under the bed, but he double-checks to make sure. Nope, not there. 

He sighs, placing his hands on his hips. Where is it? Jerome glances around the bedroom and spins in circles until he’s dizzy and falls down. Still no sign of the orange marker. He eyes Jim still asleep in the bed. Does he have it?

No. Jim doesn’t steal, Jerome reminds himself, but maybe he’s seen it… 

“Jim!” Jerome shakes Jim’s shoulder with all his might. “Wake up! Have you seen my orange marker?”

Their heads nearly collide as Jim jolts awake. “Wha–?”

Jerome holds up the brown marker. “Have you seen it? It looks just like this but it’s orange, not brown.” 

Jim groans, propping up on his elbow while pushing Jerome’s hand away from right in his face. “No.”

Jerome mimics his groan.

“I see you’re feeling better,” Jims mutters, still half asleep. 

“I was doing amazing until I lost all of my markers!”

Jim rubs the sleep from his eyes. “I’m sure they’re here somewhere,” he says. 

“I’ve been searching forever!”

“Have you looked in the living room?”

Jerome sprints to the living room, feet thudding on carpet then wooden floor. He finds the marker under the table and sprints back to show Jim only to run into him in the hall. Jerome falls back from the collision, but his grin never wavers as he shows Jim his marker. His grin widens once he sees Jim smiling too.

Chapter Text

It’s been a year now. One year ago today, Jim went on a hunt for a missing evil sociopath’s corpse and found a little boy instead. He never thought he’d get attached, but now he can’t imagine a day going by without Jerome. 

His apartment looks drastically different now since he started sharing it with a nine-year-old. Coloring books were scattered everywhere. Jim slipped on a marker three nights ago that’d been left in the hallway. Drawings decorated the bottom half of his fridge- the highest Jerome could reach- which stayed stocked with Jello now more often than not. 

Lucius bought Jerome a chess game. It’s set out on the coffee table now. All the hours he’s spent with Jerome when Jim or Harvey couldn’t must be paying off because the kid’s gotten pretty good at chess. He beat Harvey once. 

Now that he thought of it, when’s Jerome’s birthday? He could be ten now for all he knew. He’ll have to find out. 

Jim was worried about how Jerome deaging back to his kid self would work, but it seems that changing ages was it. The doctor said he was a normal, healthy kid expected to grow like any other kid who hadn’t drastically changed. It seems that Jerome’s just going to get a second childhood even if he doesn’t remember half of his first. 

Jim is going to make sure that it’s a better one. 

“Hey, hey.” Harvey waved a hand in his face. “Earth to Jim! Hello?”

He slapped Harvey’s hand away. 

“You good?” Harvey asked. 

“Yea, I’m just thinking.”

Harvey took a bite out of his cheeseburger, dripping mustard on the steering wheel. “Oh yeah. What about?”

Jim looked out the car window. There’s a school on the other side of the street. He can see the kids playing on the playground, hearing their excited shouts. 

“We can’t keep doing this,” Jim said. 

Harvey sighed over his mouthful of cheeseburger, rolling his eyes. “There is nothing wrong with taking a lunch break in the middle of a daytime stake-out. It’ll probably take our guy hours before we can spot him.”

“No,” Jim shook his head as he rubbed between his brows with his thumb. “I’m not talking about your cheeseburger. I’m talking about Jerome.”

Harvey stopped eating then, watching Jim. “What about him?”

“I don’t know…” Jim sighed. He peered over at the school again. “He isn’t living a normal life. Kids don’t spend half their day with a forensic scientist at the police department. They go to school or daycare.”

Harvey chuckled. “You’re talking about Jerome Valeska, Jim. Nothing about that kid is normal.”

“It could be.” Jim snapped. 

Harvey’s eyebrows rose as he lifted his hand in surrender. “Alright, fine, so what do you wanna do? Change his name and enroll him somewhere? What if something happens?”

Jim stared out the window, wishing he’d never brought the subject up. “Just forget it.”

“Hey,” Harvey told him. “I’m just being realistic here. Whose not to say he doesn’t get recognized? I mean, with our luck Jerome could’ve terrorized the same kids he’d be going to school with. Remember the kidnapped school bus?”

“That isn’t the same Jerome, Harvey. He’s just a kid with a much better life than he had before.” 

“And I know that. I care about him too, but I just don’t see it as a good idea.” He shifted around in his seat, facing Jim. “Look, when we put him in the real world then we can’t hide him from it.” He gestured with his cheeseburger before taking a bite. 

“It can only take the wrong person to notice him before someone gets hurt.”

++++++++++++++++++++

“Is that a human skull?”

“Yes.”

“… You always look at some creepy stuff, Lucius. Why?”

“Well,” Lucius replied, putting down the measurement tool he was using to measure the eye socket. “That’s just part of my job.” 

“Is it another victim?” 

“Too early to tell…” He put the skull away for further examination, covering it up. 

Jerome stayed by his side as he did. It’s clear he was bored of the jigsaw puzzle Lucius had stowed away in his office. 

“What are we doing now?” Jerome asked, looking up at him expectantly. 

“Hmm,” Lucius hummed. He checked his watch as he thought about what to do next. It was almost thirty minutes until five. Jim and Harvey should be back soon, so he doesn’t want to start anything that would take too long. “Do you want to learn how to use a microscope?”

“Sure!” 

Lucius smiled. He enjoyed having Jerome’s ever-curious mind around, even during the times when he was trying to concentrate on his work and Jerome kept asking him questions about what he was doing. “Alright.”

By the time Jim and Harvey arrived, Jerome was looking through a few old samples he had. Lucius made sure they were a bit more kid-friendly and hid the bloody ones. He started packing up his things as Jerome barreled into Jim when he walked in the door. 

“Hey, kid, look what I got,” Harvey said, holding out a bag of candy. Lucius noticed how Harvey seemed to bring the kid candy once a week. Jim wasn’t very fond of giving an energetic child such as Jerome anything with sugar, but he never tried to stop it. Every Friday would be a different type. Last week was Jolly Ranchers. 

“Oooooohhh, sour patch kids. Those things are good.” Jerome said excitedly. 

“Yeah,” Harvey laughed and ripped open the bag. “If you can get past the sourness.”

“But they're not even sour!”

“What?” Harvey gasped. “Are you kidding me? It’s in the name.” 

Jerome shrugged. “They aren’t that sour to me.” 

“Alright then.” He gave the bag to Jerome. “But I’ll find something that is sour, just wait tough guy.”

Chapter Text

“I found a tutor.”

Harvey looked surprised and a little hurt. “I didn’t know you were still in school. You never tell me these things.”

“What?” Now Jim was confused. “No, it isn’t for me. She’s for Jerome.”

“Ooohhh,” Harvey drawled, turning around in his desk chair, allowing sunlight to shine through the blinds and at Jim’s eyes. He squinted, stepping to the other end of Harvey’s desk. “Now that makes more sense.”

Jim sighed but continued on. “I kept thinking about it. He’s been with us for over a year now. He needs to go to school or get some sort of education.”

“Alright, who is she?” 

“Her name is Ms. Peabody. She’s a private tutor for kids that are behind others their age.”

“Peabody…” Harvey murmured. “Seems like I’ve heard that name before.”

“Where?” Jim asked, dread pouring in his gut as if Harvey’s about to tell him this woman was an evil villain they haven’t caught yet. 

She couldn’t be though. Jim stressed and stressed about picking the right person for Jerome. He checked any potential candidate's credentials over and over again. Ms. Peabody was the best one. 

Harvey didn’t speak for a moment until eventually, he shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably the name of a waitress at some diner.”

Jim sighed a bit in relief. 

“Speaking of Jerome.” Harvey opened a drawer, plopping a bright yellow can labeled ‘ TOXIC WASTE’ on his desk. He grinned triumphantly. “I think I finally found something he can’t handle.”

“You still haven’t given that up?” Jim laughed. “This is the fourth sour candy you’ve had him try.”

“The kid can eat warheads like they’re a pack of skittles, Jim. Warheads. ” Harvey picked up the can, “but this,” he shook it, “has to beat him. It’s in the name.” 

~~~~~~~~~~

The sun had set long before Jim and Harvey were done for the day. Well, it was winter, and night came much faster than the other half of the year, but still, it’d been a long day. Chasing after criminals and an intense conflict with Zsasz left the both of them exhausted, but Jim’s day wasn’t over yet. 

Lucius was still waiting for them at the station with Jerome who Jim had yet to tell about the new tutor he’d hired. He didn’t know why he felt so tense about telling Jerome, but he was. Maybe by telling Jerome about her, the reality of it will settle in Jim’s mind, and he’ll realize that the kid will be even more exposed to the outside, cold world.

 Jim promised himself though that he’d tell him tonight, and that’s what he’s going to do. Once they get back to his apartment first, of course. He has to tell him tonight anyways, or else Jerome will walk into the GCPD station tomorrow morning with no idea who the woman that will greet him was. 

Bright yellow flashed in the corner of Jim’s eye as he and Harvey walked into Lucius’ office. It was the can of candy, he realized as Harvey waved it in the air as a greeting. Jim saw Jerome’s face scrunch up in confusion, looking at it. 

“There is no way you won’t think this is sour,” Harvey told him. 

Jerome slid down the stool, rolling his eyes dramatically and grinning. “Oh please!” 

Jim and Lucius watched as the other two tried the candy. Jerome, as usual, didn’t seem affected at all by it. He only tapped his finger on his chin like he was in deep thought as he tried it. 

Harvey, on the other hand, mumbled a few swears as he turned around to hide his face. Jim’s pretty sure he heard him gag too. 

“Warheads are sourer than this,” Jerome said. “But they are pretty tasty.”

“Unbelievable.” Harvey sighed. 

Jim told Lucius about the tutor he’d hired before they left. Soon, Jim found himself at home, sitting by Jerome on the couch.

“A tutor?” Jerome asked. He didn’t seem to hate the idea. 

“Yeah,” Jim told him. “You’ll go to the station with me like always, but instead of staying with Lucius, you’ll be with a woman. Her name is Ms. Peabody.”

“Hmm.” Jerome shrugged. “Okay.”

Chapter Text

Jim was tense this morning, and Jerome wondered if it had something to do with this tutor he was supposed to meet today. But why would Jim worry about Jerome’s teacher? Did Jim think that Jerome would scare her away?

That’s what mom always thought. She used to scream at him when she thought he was bothering visitors at the circus or when Jeremiah would lie about him. He wished he could figure out why Jeremiah had said those things. Jerome didn’t know where his brother was or where Uncle Zach took him, but he hoped he will see him again. 

His thoughts drifted once he entered the police station, and he saw Lucius and Harvey by the windows. He ran towards them, leaving Jim at the entrance doors. Today already felt weird because he wasn’t going with Lucius today. 

“Hey kid,” Harvey ruffled his hair. “Ready to meet your teacher?”

Jerome shrugged, “sure.” He pointed his thumb behind him at Jim coming this way. “I don’t think Jim is though.”

“Don’t think I’m what?” Jim asked, suddenly appearing by them. He kept glancing around the room until he looked down at Jerome for an answer. 

“Why are you acting worried?” Jerome asked him. 

“I’m not.”

Jerome gave him a suspicious look but didn’t say anything further. Lucius and Harvey went to their offices while he and Jim stayed by the door waiting for his teacher. Still, Jerome didn’t say anything about Jim’s apparent uneasiness. 

“Your shoe is untied,” he said instead. 

When Jim glanced down at his shoes Jerome grinned and yelled, “gotcha!”

Jim blinked a few times before his brain caught up and stopped staring at his tied shoes. He huffed out something between a sigh and a laugh. “You did.”

“Ha!” Jerome jumped on a nearby bench. He was nearly as tall as Jim now, just up to his shoulders. He shaped his hands like binoculars and pressed them around his eyes, spying over the sea of officers and suits. “When is this woman supposed to be here? And what does she look like?”

“She just walked in actually,” Jim told him as he watched a woman walking toward them. He motioned for Jerome to get down, not expecting Jerome to jump on him. He stumbled back a bit as Jerome clung to his neck. 

“Good catch.” Jerome laughed. 

“We’ve talked about this,” Jim said exasperatedly. “Warn before you jump.”

Jerome winced, “sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Jim smiled and Jerome knew he wasn’t mad. “But I can’t promise I’ll catch you the next time. Look, here she comes.”

A darker-skinned woman came up to them, wearing cat-eyed glasses and purple lipstick. The tote bag she carried seemed stuffed with books and folders. She wore a turtleneck and skirt, and the necklaces glittering around her neck looked expensive.

She held her free hand out for Jim to shake. He had to shift to holding Jerome with one arm before he could accept. “Jim Gordon?”

“Yes,” he answered. “And you must be Ms. Peabody.”

“I am. And you must be Jerome.” 

“That’s me!” Jerome shook her hand too.

Jim lead them to a spare room with desks and chairs. Jerome eyed Lucius' door on the way. He was a little bummed that he wouldn’t be spending the day with him like usual. Once they got there, Ms. Peabody laid out some folders and books on a table as Jim finally let Jerome go so he could sit down to see what Ms. Peabody had. 

He flipped through the pages of one book while she and Jim talked, grimacing as he saw what was inside. All of it seemed boring. Then he heard Ms. Peabody say something about a test! Jerome’s never been to a school before, but he still holds the same disgust for tests as if he had gone. 

Ms. Peabody and Jim stopped talking, and Jerome noticed how awkward it suddenly got in the room. She watched Jim like she was waiting for him to do something, but he just stood there. She finally nodded at the door. 

“Oh right…” Jim rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t want to leave and as he started for the door he realized this was the first time he was leaving Jerome with someone other than Harvey or Lucius. The stress nearly made him sick in the stomach. 

But no matter how much it made him worry, Jim knew Jerome needed this. He needed an education and the start of a semi-normal life. Besides, he couldn’t keep an eye on Jerome forever. He’s going to have to let go at some point. 

Jim doesn’t know when he started to accept this. That Jerome is his responsibility now. The chances of Jerome growing back to his actual age are low now, and Jim’s realized that a child is going to be under his care permanently.

He had thought, a few months ago, that maybe it would be best to find someone else better suited to take care of him, but now, Jim couldn’t imagine how he’d ever go through with that- to give him up to someone else. He cares for Jerome like… 

Well, like a father would a son. 

“I’ll be back in a few hours to check how everything is going,” he told them, looking at Jerome one final time before he left. 

The door closed with a click, and Ms. Peabody turned to Jerome, a little smile on her purple lips. “Well, let’s get started, shall we?”

Chapter Text

Jerome couldn’t take this anymore. He tried, he really did. He didn’t want to disappoint Jim, but… He. Had. To. Get. Out. He lasted for two days before he gave up. Two days of ‘placement tests,’ as Ms. Peabody called them, and so, so many math problems were driving him insane. 

Jerome was going to escape this place if it was the last thing he did. He eyed Ms. Peabody grading a worksheet he did yesterday as he plotted his escape. He couldn’t just run away. She was right in front of the door! 

“I have to use the bathroom,” he plainly stated. 

She looked up from the paper, adjusting her glasses on her nose. “Okay,” she nodded. “I spotted a bathroom two doors down the hall.”

Jerome jumped down from his chair. “Perfect.”

He shut the door behind him, making his escape. He really did need to use the bathroom, so he took his time in there, wasting as much time as possible. But no matter how long it took, he had to finish eventually. What can he do next? 

The answer was definitely not going back in there with his teacher. 

He wandered the hallways, hiding when he heard anyone walk near him and stopped at Lucius’ door. He missed it when he was just with Lucius. Now half of the day he had to spend with Ms. Peabody before his day was normal again. 

He wiggled the doorknob. It wasn’t locked, and Jerome walked in. Lucius was sitting, curled over something, and poking it with a pair of tweezers. He didn’t notice Jerome until after the door shut. 

“Jerome?”

“Lucius!” Jerome didn’t give the man a chance to reply. He barreled into his side, clutching at his shirt. “You have to help me!”

“What? What’s wrong?” He gently pulled Jerome away from him and knelt down to his level. 

“It’s this woman!” He whispered, and Lucius watched him worriedly. “She’s going to kill me!”

“Who?”

“My teacher! She’s boring me to death!”

Lucius sighed and stood up, looking relieved, but Jerome spied a small smile on his face. “I’m sure you’ll be fine, Jerome. I’ve never heard of any death cases caused by boredom.”

“I might be the first one if I go back in there.”

Lucius glanced at his watch. “You only have one more hour to go and then you’ll be done for the day. I think you can manage it.”

Jerome’s face twisted in defeat. “But I miss you.”

Lucius smiled. “You know, I miss you too, but education is important. How about this? You go back and when you finish I’ll let you help me with those tools you’ve been wanting to use.”

“Really?!”

“Yeah.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Today was Friday, and Jerome loved Fridays because after Friday was the weekend which meant he didn’t have to do any school stuff. He just has to survive this day and then he’ll have a whole weekend with Jim. He cannot wait for his lessons to be over today. 

He sat in his chair across from Mrs. Peabody, waiting for the inevitable boring worksheet she was about to give him. He got about halfway through the questions when she spoke.

“Jerome.”

Jerome stopped and looked at her, waiting for her to tell him what he’d done wrong. 

“I think we’re going to do something different today.” She slid the math paper out from under his hands to the side. “Do you know anything about psychology?”

Jerome tapped a pencil to his chin in thought. “Uhm… no, never heard of it.” Jeremiah probably knows, he thought to himself. “What is it?”

“It’s the study of the mind and behavior. Would you be interested in learning about it? I’m sure you’re ready to burn these math problems by now.”

“Yes! Math is horrible. It’s almost as bad as grammar!”

Mrs. Peabody smiled. “Perfect. Let’s talk about memory then.” She took out a folder from her bag, but she didn’t open it. “Memory is a recollection of our experiences and information we’ve collected around us. There is short-term memory and long-term memory.”

“Okay…”

“I, myself, am more intrigued by long-term memory. Did you know there are four types of memory?”

“Nope,” Jerome answered. He isn’t exactly enjoying this, but at least he doesn’t have to do any multiplication. “What are they?”

“Well, there’s semantic memory. This memory helps you know the meaning of words or objects. Like… you know that a pencil is used for writing and you use a chair to sit in, and prospective memory recognizes important dates or events like the date of your birthday.”

Jerome doesn’t much care for his birthday. His last one wasn’t fun for him, but he lets her continue. 

“Your working memory is more short-term than long-term. You’re brain stores information but only for short periods of time. You’ll soon forget it. And the last is episodic memory.  Episodic memory is our memories from past events that we’ve experienced- recent or distant. These memories can cause us to feel emotions.”

“That makes sense, I guess,” Jerome said, and the woman looked pleased. 

“Can you tell me one of your memories?” She asked.

“Hmm…” Jerome shifted through all the things he remembered. The times when his mother was drunk, the morning he woke up and his twin was gone, and the other kids at the circus he fought with. “I remember the first time I met Jim. I was in the hospital, and he was sitting beside my bed when I woke up. I was scared of him at first.”

“And when you think of this, what do you feel?”

“Well,” Jerome answered bluntly. “Stupid.”

“Stupid?” She hadn’t expected that answer.

“Yea! Jim isn’t like my uncle, so why should I have been scared? I don’t know!” He shrugged his arms up over his head and laughed.

Mrs. Peabody chuckled too, opening her folder. “Okay. Let’s do a little activity. I’m going to show you a series of pictures and then you can tell me what you think of them.”

“Uh, okay.” He couldn’t figure out how this relates to memory, but oh well.

She holds up the first picture of a fat, greasy man and Jerome immediately recoils away in his seat. “This is your uncle?” She asked him. 

“Yea…” Jerome wondered where she got that picture from.

She laid the photo face down on the table. “Alright, let’s move on.”

The next picture is of a blonde woman. Jerome squinks at it, thinking that these pictures were going to be of people he knew, but Jerome doesn’t know her at all. “Whose that?”

“I’m assuming you have no recollection of her?”

“Nope.”

“Her name is Barbra Kean.” 

“Uh,” Jerome shook his head. “Nothing. Am I supposed to?”

“Some of them you may not know. It’s part of the activity.” She laid the photo face down on top of Uncle Zach’s picture. “What about him?” A man with long hair and an even longer top hat stared at him through the picture. “This is Jarvis Tech.”

He rested his head on the palm of his hand, leaning on the table. “He’s got a nice hat.”

She laid the picture down and lifted the next one. A darker-skinned woman with black hair. “Sarah Essen.”

“Uhhh… nah. Never seen her.”

“Okay, and what about him?” This one was a kid, who looked a little older than him. “Do you know Bruce Wayne?” 

“Bruce Wayne…” He seems familiar, maybe. Jerome can’t remember him, but his stomach felt heavy now like- like the way it does when he thinks about the time he threw a rock at a stray cat because he was bored or when he pushed a girl into a pile of broken glass. 

Jerome rubbed at his throat. 

He used to like doing those things because they’d made him laugh, but he doesn’t think they’re funny anymore. Not after he did something like that in front of Jim who did not think it was funny. He could still vividly remember that day. 

They were walking home from the police department, and he’d been kicking a rock as they walked. It’d only been a few days after he first met Jim and Harvey. He had spotted a girl ahead of them. Then, without much thought, he picked up the rock and threw it at her head. He chuckled once it hit her. 

The loud cry she made was what got Jim’s attention who’d been watching for cars before they crossed the street. Jerome was picking up another rock and aimed to throw it when Jim yanked his arm down.

“Hey!” He snapped. “What the?! Why would you do that?”

Jerome couldn’t have answered him. He saw the angry look on Jim’s face and felt the tight grip Jim had on his arm, and he couldn’t move. He waited for the smack or punch, but it never came. Instead, Jim yanked his arm, causing Jerome to stumble a bit. 

“Jerome,” he demanded in a low, scary voice. “Why?” 

He swallowed, trying to find his voice. “I don’t… I don’t know.” Jerome had enough sense not to tell that he thought it would be funny.

He had watched Jim stare at him. For a moment, he had a funny look on his face like he saw something scary, but it was gone quickly. Jim scowled. “Come on.” He dragged Jerome over to the crying girl. “It’s wrong to hurt people. In any way. Now apologize.” 

He nudged Jerome closer to the girl as she stared wide-eyed at the both of them. He mumbled out a sheepish apology and the girl ran back to her house. He was still waiting for that blow to hit, so he tried to steel himself for it. Now that no one was around, he was sure Jim was going to strike. 

He flinched hard when Jim sighed loudly. The man had noticed it and froze. He sighed again but quieter this time. “Jerome, I’m not going to hit you. Alright?”

Jerome gawked at him. 

“But what you did was wrong,” Jim stated. “Why would you want to hurt someone?”

Jerome didn’t know the answer but after that, he thought twice about throwing rocks at people. 

“Do you know Bruce?”

Jerome snapped back to the present, out of his memories. He eyed the picture of the older, dark-headed boy shown in front of him. His stomach still felt queasy, but he couldn’t figure out why. Why did this boy make him feel… What was the word Jim explained to him? Guilty. 

Why does he feel like he did something bad?

Chapter Text

Once his lessons were over and Lucius let him help with those lab tools, Jerome had forgotten all about the pictures Mrs. Peabody had shown him. It wasn’t until the next morning that he remembered Mrs. Peabody’s memory activity and how he felt when he saw Bruce Wayne. 

He didn’t tell Jim about it. Anytime Jim caught him doing something wrong or mean, he’d talk to Jerome very seriously and very sternly, and it made Jerome’s stomach twist into knots. It’s the same feeling when he thinks about Bruce Wayne even though he couldn’t remember why. 

He wasn’t going to just admit to Jim that he feels guilty when he doesn’t even know why he did. He hated the serious conversations with Jim when he messed up. He didn’t want to go through that if he didn’t have to, and so a week went by as Bruce Wayne stayed in his head with that guilty feeling.

Mrs. Peabody canceled his lessons today for the first time since they started. He would’ve been with Lucius except Lucius wasn’t here, which left Jerome to stay in Harvey’s office. He doesn’t mind staying in there alone while Jim worked on cases and talked to cops, but sometimes he just got bored by himself. 

It’s why he snuck out of the office, up the stairs, and sat against the railing of the top balcony, half hidden behind the clock. No one else paid attention to him; they were all used to having him around. He scanned the big room full of desks and people. Jim was talking with a cop, holding some papers up to see. 

But then Jerome saw him. The boy in the picture. 

Bruce Wayne.

He walked up to Jim with a smile on his face. Jim smiled too after he finished talking with the cop. Jerome felt sick. The guilty feeling had come back stronger now that he saw Bruce in person and not just his photo. He really wished he knew why he felt like this. He thought long and hard, trying to remember him, but Jerome had never seen Bruce Wayne before Mrs. Peabody showed him his picture! His stomach twisted so much it hurt.

He wondered how Jim met him and why hadn’t Jim told him about Bruce before. They act like they’re friends, but Jerome’s met all Jim’s friends he thought. Did Jim not want him to meet Bruce? 

“How do I know him?” Jerome said to himself.

He watched them talk until Bruce shook Jim’s hand and left, completely unaware Jerome was spying on them. Jim talked with another cop as Jerome decided he’d better get back to the office, but when he turned around he froze. Harvey stood by, gaping at him and then gaping at where Bruce just left. 

Oh no,  Jerome thought, rubbing at his hurting stomach nervously. He’d been caught. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Jim had watched Jerome hysterically laugh as he admitted to murdering his mother and sent him to Arkham Asylum for the criminally insane. He knew Jerome nearly lit a school bus full of teenagers on fire, and he just barely stopped him from killing young Bruce. But he also knew that this kid in front of him now who had his arms crossed over his stomach was not the same Jerome.

But still, he was afraid. 

He wasn’t afraid of the boy he’d come to care for over the year. No. He trusted Jerome like he would trust his own son because that’s what Jerome’s become to him now. His son. Jerome wasn’t a normal child though, no matter how much he and Harvey tried to treat him like one. 

It didn’t erase all the crimes and hurt his past, older self had caused. Jim believed that’s not who Jerome was now and he genuinely knew in his heart that the child he’s watched over recently wouldn’t do those things. But sometimes Jim wondered where those memories went. 

Jerome hadn’t remembered Jim and Harvey, but they still worried that one day his memories would return or whatever that caused Jerome to deage would be reversed. They both agreed to keep him away from anyone he might remember from the past. 

This was why Harvey came over to Jim in a quiet panic whispering that Jerome had seen Bruce. Obviously, the situation wasn’t ideal, but Jim didn’t think that Jerome simply seeing Bruce should have caused such an alarmed reaction until Harvey told him what he heard Jerome say. 

“How do I know him?”

Now he’s trying to act calm and not show any panic about Jerome’s memories returning. After all, the last thing Jerome Valeska did before he died was nearly kill Bruce Wayne. Harvey paced behind his desk. Jim shot a warning glance at him, hoping to convey what he wanted to say but not while Jerome stood right in front of him. Calm down. It didn’t work. 

Jerome sniffed.

Jim stopped thinking about all the worse possible situations of Jerome’s memories returning once he realized his kid looked like he was about to cry. Jerome hardly ever cried, even the time he fell and hit his head hard on the ground. He had laughed instead. Jim knelt down to his level. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

Jerome rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean?”

Jerome sighed heavily, sniffing again. “I give up.”

“Huh?”

“Huh?” Harvey copied. 

“Who were you talking to?” Jim knew Jerome well enough now to know when he started rambling. “I feel like I did something wrong to him, but I don’t know why! I’ve never seen him before and it’s making my stomach hurt. I’m sorry if did, Jim. I really am. I just wish I knew what I did wrong. I didn’t mean to.”

Jim felt his mouth hang open, shocked. Harvey looked about the same. Jerome wiped his face just as Jim reached out and pulled the kid to him, holding him in his arms tightly, and Jerome buried his face in Jim’s shoulder. 

“Did I do something wrong?”

Jim swallowed because he didn’t how to answer that. Jerome did try to kill Bruce and that has to be why he felt so guilty after seeing him, but Jim couldn’t tell him that. Besides, it wasn’t his Jerome that did that. The Jerome he’s holding right now was completely different from the Jerome Jim had expected to find in that abandoned warehouse so long ago.  

“No, kid.” Harvey cut in, stepping closer. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Jerome pulled away just enough to see Harvey. “Why do I feel so bad then?” 

Harvey eyed Jim for the answer, but what could he say? Jerome turned to him for an answer Jim couldn’t give. “Well,” he cleared his throat. “If you’ve never met him then you couldn’t have wronged him, could you?”

Jerome thought about it. “I guess not. So, you aren’t mad?”

The corners of Jim’s mouth lifted. “Of course not.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The next day Jerome asked Mrs. Peabody why he felt so guilty. He didn’t understand how he could feel like he did something wrong to someone he’d never met before. His teacher thought for a moment, not answering. She hummed as she looked off to the side. 

“That is interesting.” She said. “And you’re sure you’ve never known Bruce Wayne before?”

“No! I’ve tried to remember, but I can’t.”

“Would you like to?”

Jerome blinked and then scowled at such a ridiculous question. “Of course! I hate feeling this way, especially since I don’t know why.”

She started to pack her things away in her bag. “Let’s go then, quickly.”

“Huh? Where?” Jerome asked, but he got up anyways, eager to leave no matter where they went. 

“I’m going to take you where you can remember. My friend Hugo Strange can help you.”

“Cool!” He smiled. “Shouldn’t we tell Jim first that we’re leaving or Harvey?”

“Unfortunately, they’ve told me they’ll be away for a while, but don’t worry. We’ll be back before they will.”

“Okay.”

Jerome had no idea that she was lying right through her teeth. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Lucius wasn’t at the station today, so Jim had to be there once Jerome finished his lessons. He arrived at the station just in time before Jerome should be finished. Minutes pass as he sat in Harvey’s office waiting for his teacher to come over with Jerome, but they never came. He went up to their makeshift classroom and knocked on the door. 

“Hello?” 

No answer. Jim stopped himself from getting worried and opened the door. Tendrils of ice traveled down his spine. It was empty.

Chapter Text

“Are we there yet?”

Mrs. Peabody sighed, looking down at Jerome pointedly. The more Jerome asked the more annoyed she seemed to get, but Jerome just couldn’t help himself. He was ready to remember Bruce Wayne! He really hoped that this Hugo Strange person could help him. 

“No, and we won’t get there any faster by your pestering.” 

It was Jerome’s turn to sigh now. He rested his head against the car window, watching the outside world zoom by them. It felt like the car was going just a little faster than Jim or Harvey ever drive. Mrs. Peabody was a lot ruder ever since they left. He swung his feet, kicking the back of the seat as he did. It was starting to rain outside, and Jerome watched the small, clear droplets of water race down the window until they disappeared. 

The car lurched to a stop. Jerome jolted forward, smacking his face in the back of the front seat. 

“That’s why we wear our seatbelts.” Mrs. Peabody patronized him. 

Jerome scowled, rubbing his nose. 

“We’re here. Thank you, driver.” Mrs. Peabody stepped out of the car and Jerome followed. He jumped once he was standing. His excitement to finally remember Bruce Wayne made him restless. He’ll finally know why he feels so bad, but… Does he really wanna know? 

Jerome’s jumping stopped. The churning in his stomach came back but worse this time. He must’ve done something horrible to Bruce Wayne if he feels like this. What if it was really, really bad? So bad that Jerome completely forgot what he did. 

Jim didn’t know why Jerome felt so bad and guilty. Harvey didn’t know either. They said that he didn’t do anything bad, but Jerome wasn’t sure if he believed them. He didn’t think that they were lying. They just don’t know. 

Maybe they weren’t there when Jerome did this bad thing to Bruce Wayne that he feels guilty for? But when this man helps him remember what he did, Jerome will know what happened. Could he keep that from Jim? Harvey or Lucius? 

Jerome doesn’t want to keep secrets. He never liked keeping them. They were too complicated, and what if they found out anyway, without Jerome telling them? This was all too much, and Jerome rubbed his stomach. He felt like he was going to puke. 

He doesn’t want Jim or anyone to be mad at him over what he did. Or worse, they could hate him. They could hate him like his mom or Uncle Zach did and Jerome wouldn’t have anyone left. 

“Well.” Jerome jerked his attention towards Mrs. Peabody, a little bit ahead of him. “Are you coming?”

He swallowed and walked. “Arkham Asylum,” he read on the huge, spikey gate entrance. 

“Have you been here before?” Mrs. Peabody asked him as the gate opened. 

Jerome followed Mrs. Peabody. “Uhm…” He looked around at the sidewalks and brick buildings. “Nope.”

“Hmm,” she hummed with a little smile on her face. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Jim had every cop in the G.C.P.D. looking for Jerome. A thousand scenarios ran through his head as he and Harvey split up the search on the streets. Jerome’s teacher left him in the room, and he wandered off somewhere, or they both were taken by some criminal. Maybe they moved to a different room, but that wasn’t possible because Jim had searched the entire building. 

The worse scenario that Jim could think of was Mrs. Peabody taking Jerome. That was what had happened. Cops and those on the street had all told him that they saw Jerome leave with his teacher. She just walked out, went around the block, and got in a car. 

Jim had called her multiple times, but there wasn’t an answer. She must have thrown away the cheap phone when she left because Jim heard the ring from a street trashcan. He slammed the disposable phone on the ground, shattering it.

She could’ve taken Jerome anywhere by now, and Jim has no idea where to start. This was all his fault. He should have just listened to Harvey and kept him away from the outside world. Instead, Jim had brought this woman right to Jerome and left him alone with her for hours. He felt like such an idiot.

They looked until the sunset and then looked some more. No one knows where they went, and Jim was scared to think about why she took him. What did she want with him? Kidnappers were everywhere in Gotham, but Jim had a gut feeling that she knew who Jerome really was. 

If something happens to him, Jim could never forgive himself. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Harvey has a sick feeling in his gut. Anything could happen to Jerome, and Harvey won’t be able to stop it. Rain poured down onto the windshield of his car, sending the wipers back and forth across of it. It was starting to rain so hard, Harvey could hardly see, especially as it got darker and darker. 

He talked with multiple people about seeing Jerome and his teacher hop in a car and leave, but that was it. They don’t know where they were going or why she decided to take him. He really hoped that this woman doesn’t know who Jerome actually was, but he knew she did. 

He was afraid of this, but thinking about the past and what he could have done differently wasn’t going to fix anything right now. He turned back to the police station. Any lead he had turned into a dead end. He had to find Jim and figure out a plan B. Maybe he found something? 

Harvey hoped he did. He hoped that Jerome was okay.

Chapter Text

Chills rattled over him as he walked through the giant door. Inside the building was even colder than outside. Cement walls, dark corners, and faint shrieking heard every few moments. Jerome wrung his hands. 

He felt really small right now. So small, that he wanted to tell Mrs. Peabody that he changed his mind. He didn’t care about why he felt so guilty about Bruce Wayne anymore. He just wanted to go back home. 

“Well, come on,” Mrs. Peabody urged. “We haven’t got all day. There is someone I want you to meet.” 

Jerome nearly ran to catch up with her. “Who is it?”

The slightest of smiles crossed her lips. Jerome barely noticed it. 

“A colleague of mine.”

They stopped at an elevator and Jerome was urged in. It creaked and shuddered as it took them far down until eventually, it stopped. Mrs. Peabody led him through winding hallways. 

“Ah, here we are.”

She nudged him through a door, closing it behind her. The dirty, white walls of the room loomed over him. It was empty except for a funny-looking gurney in the middle of it surrounded by wires and machines. There was a man also. 

He felt Mrs. Peabody lightly grabbed onto his shoulders. “Jerome, meet Dr. Strange.”

He was bald and wore big, round glasses. Jerome noticed his nice suit. The man grinned, clasping his hands behind his back. 

“Hello,” Strange said.

“Hi,” he mumbled. Something was funny about this guy. Strange made him more nervous than this place did. 

“I cannot say how delighted I am to finally get to meet you, Jerome.” 

“Okay…” 

Weird. 

“You, child, are a scientific breakthrough.” 

Huh? “I am?”

“Yes!” He motioned towards the gurney. “Have a seat.”

Jerome swiped his eyes to the cot then back to Strange. Something about this felt off. He just didn’t know what. “I’m fine with standing.”

“Jerome,” Mrs. Peabody started but the man interrupted.

“No, no.” He said with a smile. “I understand. This machine doesn’t look very comfortable, does it?”

Jerome stared, not replying. 

“Mrs. Peabody has told me you’re having some trouble. You can’t remember some things.” He patted the gurney. “I can help with that.”

“How is that going to help me remember anything?” He scoffed. 

“I designed this myself- with Mrs. Peabody’s help of course. Guided by the work of a man named Dwight Pollard.” 

The scientist squinted, gazing far off. “Brilliant work from such a deranged mind. His motives to build such a machine,” Strange turned his gaze to Jerome, looking oddly. “…were unusual.” 

Jerome had no idea what he was talking about, but he didn’t like the way he sounded. This guy was giving him the creeps!

“You have no need to worry, Jerome. This treatment will help you remember.”

“Really?” Jerome laughed in disbelief. 

“Yes.” Strange nodded. “In fact, just a few days ago this treatment proved successful. I ran the test myself. The outcome was just as I suspected.”

“It helped them remember?”

“Something like that, yes. The opposite.”

He eyed the machine suspiciously. “And once I remember you’ll take me back to the station?” He asked Mrs. Peabody, looking up at her. 

“Of course.” 

He wanted to believe Jim and Harvey. They said he hadn’t done anything wrong to Bruce, but the pit in his belly told him otherwise, and this might be the one chance he’s got to ever find out. He just gotta put on his big-boy pants and ignore how nervous this place made him feel. 

“Okay, I‘ll do it.”

~~~~~~~~~~

No, no, stop it. 

He wiped off the wetness building in his eyes. He didn’t have time for it. Jerome was still out there while Jim was stuck here, at the station. There weren’t any more leads that they hadn’t already searched through twice. Every time stopping at a dead end. 

All he could do now that seemed useful was look over the file that woman had sent during her interview. The woman that he hired. 

Jim shoved the file to the floor. Nothing in it would help anyways. It was all lies. Lies that Jim fell for. He had led Jerome right into the trap. 

Jim scrubbed his hands through his hair. Bright red flashed in the corner of his eye. A coloring book. His breath quivered as he pulled the book closer. He thumbed through the pages, chuckling at the messy coloring and silly captions Jerome had added in each one. 

There was a stack of papers tucked in the back of the book. Five staples scattered the right corner. Jerome must’ve stabled groups of them at different times. These pages weren’t colored or drawn in. Two or three were word searches, but most were mazes. 

Jim wondered why Jerome was saving these but tucked the stack back where he found it. He’s terrified of never getting the chance of asking him about them, so he closed the book before any drops of tears could stain the pages. 

He’s pushing the book away just as Lucius barges through the door. 

“Jim.” 

Lucius breathed heavily as he hung onto the door. His excitement spurred Jim’s, and he jumped out of the seat. Hope and dread lifted inside his chest, squeezing his heart, as he waited for the good or bad news Lucius had. 

“I found her- Mrs. Peabody.” Lucius went on. “Back in college, one of my professors had a few colleagues. I thought she looked familiar, but I hadn’t thought until now. Her name really is Peabody, Jim. I know she’s close to Hugo Strange. I think I might know where he’s at.”

Jim could’ve held on to the fact that he was an utter idiot. That he couldn’t believe he’d been tricked so easily, and he could’ve allowed the guilt to take over his mind, but he didn’t. He knew where Jerome was now, or at least, he had a good guess. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Mrs. Peabody handed him a pair of black and white striped pajamas and pulled a curtain from a corner Jerome hadn’t noticed before. The pajamas were way too big for him, but his teacher said that it was fine even if Jerome was tripping on them. 

The dirty pajama shirt had a patch on one side of the chest.

C-193

He wondered what that meant and asked why he had to change, but she shrugged like she was annoyed and answered, “Tradition? Hurry up.” 

Lights blinked beside his head as the machine whirred to life. He tried to calm himself down before he panicked. Dr. Strange had put something on his head and poked him with wires on his arms and legs. Jerome couldn’t see them, but he heard the two adults talking somewhere near. 

He wanted to sit up and see, but bright lights were shining in his eyes and he was strapped to the gurney, stuck. It’s fine, he told himself. This is how you’ll get your memories back. Maybe more memories. Who knows?

More beeping started, and Jerome felt a little funny. 

“He seems to be having the same reaction as the first subject, Sir,” Mrs. Peabody spoke from his side somewhere. 

“As expected,” Strange answered. “They do share the same DNA. This is a reversal operation, however. I imagined we see a bit more of a difference.”

He wanted to hear more, trying to figure out what they were talking about, but he couldn’t seem to concentrate. Bright blurring flashes filled his sight as he started feeling dizzy. He felt more than dizzy. Aches and sharp pains throbbed nearly everywhere as something squeezed and poked his brain.

Memories flashed in his mind. An axe covered in blood. Blood was everywhere. On his face, across his teeth, on the bodies of cops and others. He was with a man and a group of people. They were on a rooftop and he was laughing. He saw Bruce Wayne. Jerome was taller than him, telling him to come up on stage. 

He saw Jim. Harvey was there too, but something was different. They looked and sounded different. He heard Jim shout hatefully at him then Jerome’s mind slipped away. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Jim ran through the hallways. Harvey was right behind him. His gun felt heavy in his grip as he turned corners and busted through doors, hoping to find Jerome but dreading the possibility that he might be too late. 

Strange must have found out about the age reversal. It’s the only reason Jim could think of why he was doing this. He was scared, scared for Jerome. Who knows what sort of tests or experiments the kid will go through? 

He ran down another hallway. Each room was empty, and Jim started to feel his patience slipping away. Then shouts came from somewhere in another hall. A cop yelled out, waving at them to follow. Hugo Strange was pushed against the wall, handcuffed. His assistant was in the same position beside him. 

“Sir,” an officer stood between them and the open door. 

It was the last room in the corridor. The officer looked at him and Harvey like he’d just seen a ghost. 

Jim’s heart plummeted. 

He was too late. 

“What?” Harvey asked with a crack in his voice. The man didn’t have time to answer. Harvey pushed passed him to the room. Jim followed, nearly tripping on Harvey’s heels. 

Jim didn’t dare breathe. He couldn’t. A machine just like the one Jim had picked a lifeless, little Jerome up from a year ago was here, but the body on it wasn’t little anymore. 

“Oh, God.” Harvey gasped. 

Jim didn’t register walking forward, but suddenly he was there, standing over the bed. Bright lights shining above only made him look more lifeless, and the striped patient uniform pushed Jim back in the past. Memories of seeing Jerome in these exact clothes weren’t good ones. 

There was a scar on his neck. Jim swallowed, remembering how he got it. Jerome had nearly killed Bruce that day. The day he died. Jim had hated him then with the rest of his criminal gang. He never would have thought how much Jerome would eventually mean to him. 

Harvey’s hands rested on the other side of the bed, inches from a striped-covered arm. Their gazes met, and he looked just like Jim felt- terrified, confused, hurt. His little boy was gone. 

Jim’s hand stretched out, trembling. Fingers ghosted over Jerome’s neck. There, he felt a faint pulse, and Jim jerked his hand back, sucking in a breath as if he’d just been underwater. 

“He’s alive.”