Such A Joker (Jerome x reader) ~ (Jeremiah x reader)

My father is back in Gotham.

Jim Gordon is back in his favorite place to ruin lives.

His own home.

I toss another plucked petal of the rose onto the grave of my lost love. "When are you going to pick a different flower? We're sick of roses." Little J says sitting next to me. "Fucking deal with it kid." He giggles and continues to nag. "Just think if older me and you had a kid... That would literally be me!" "Ha! Yeah right! My child would be so much better!" "BUT IT WOULD BE HALF OF ME!" "And then 50% of me to make you not suck. Can't you go play with the dead birds or something? I'm trying to think." Little J huffs and fades away leaving me alone.

Quite. Finally.

"(y/n)!" I huff and look over to the right seeing Barbra walking towards me with a frown. "Hey. What are you doing?" I look at the grave with my lovers named engraved in stone. "Nothing. Just didn't know where else to go." She smiles sadly at me. "It's alright. I just wanted to warn you about Jim. I've moved all your stuff into the apartment and here is your key. I'm going to miss you." I smile at Babs and hug her tightly. "Me too Barbra. Maybe things will get better." She holds my cheeks and smiles. "They are getting better. You can do this." I nod start to descend down the hill away from the grave.

--

I hang the framed photo of Jerome and I up on my wall letting a tear roll down my face. "Aw, would you look at that! I grow up to be very handsome!" I look down at little J laughing. "Yeah. That's the love of my life right there. Now he's gone." J shrugs. "I mean only one of is." I furrow my eyebrows confused. "There is only one of you." J shakes his head giggling. "He never told you! He never told you! He never told you!" "Told me what?"

Knock, knock, knock.

I open my door to reveal the face of Jim Gordon. "Jim- Dad! Hi! When did you get back?" He hugs me laughing and holding me tightly to him. "Aw (Y/n). I missed you." "Yeah me too Dad. Mind letting me breathe?" I laugh as he releases me and smiles at me warmly. "Where did you find me?" "Harvey. Said you moved here this week." He walks around my apartment and stops at the hanging picture.

"You... You remember this boy?" I smirk and stare at the fear in his eyes. I walk over and touch the glass. "Kinda. It's foggy. No name, no recognition of personal memories with him, but I know I loved him."

If he knew I had remembered he would find some way to make me forget again. Jim looks at me and sighs. "You did. Very much." "I understand he's not around anymore. I figured if he was here he'd be with me." "He ran away. It broke your heart when he told you he found someone new. I'm sorry you don't remember."

Liar.

"Oh, well then. I guess I should... take this down?" Jim nods and takes the photo down quickly.

"How about some dinner? I'll buy." I smile and nod grabbing my coat. "Let's go, Jim-Bo!" He stops in his tracks and looks at me. "What dad?" "Nothing. You just don't call me that a lot."

Yep. Jerome always did.

------- Time Skip -------

I walk down a path in the woods feeling the cool Gotham wind hit my face. Hiking never has been a thing of mine, but it's the only thing that feels right at the moment. Knowing Jerome will never come back has numbed me completely. I always had hope, but that light has died. He's driving me insane.

At night the only rest I truely get is when I dope myself with sleeping pills, but even then my mind becomes a prison I cannot escape. His face as his neck is swiftly stabbed into replays in my mind. He's intoxicated my every thought once more.

I walk further into the wilderness and soon hear leafs crunching under someone's feet. I still my own feet allowing myself to pinpoint the sound. "I'm not even supposed to leave, and now I have. Do you know how dangerous this is for me? Next time we have to be more careful. No, no I'm not yelling uncle. I understand... I'm sorry. It's just scary... I am not!" " I see a ginger-haired man on the phone walking quickly.

Jerome?

He turns his face, catching my eyes and he stills completely. "J? I-is that you?" His breath hitches as I draw closer. "You're okay." I place my hand on his cheek and let a tear fall. "You're safe." I cling to him and pull him close. "I- who-" I cut him off by pressing my lips to his. He panics for a moment but soon rests his hands on my waist.

I deepen the kiss and hold onto him even closer. "Meet me later. Go to the place we first met at 11. It's not safe out here." I pull away and run quickly leting my mind wander. He's back! Jerome's back. I knew he wasn't dead!

-------

"Jerimiah? Kid, you there? Are you there-" "I have to go." Jerimiah says and hangs up the line watching the wild girl trot off with a skip in her step. "Who are you?" Jerimiah whispers to himself as he watches the beauty walk away with the memory of his lips in her mind.

------

That night (y/n) drives to the old grounds where the big tents and lights use to sit. She sits and she waits and gets stood up by her dead boyfriend once again. She waits for hours upon hours with no show of who she thought was Jerome.

The insane girl lays on her back looking up at her car roof when she sees lights pull up behind her car.

"Jerome?" She calls out.

Jim Gordon stood in the dark shadows watching his own daughter crumble before him. She cried and throws her body to the seats. "STOP!" She screams at the space in front of her. "Leave me alone! All you fucking do is whine and piss me off. You're not him! YOU'RE NOT JEROME!"

Jim covers his mouth and steps to her once more. "(y/n)?" He asks opening her car door and crouching next to her. "STOP!" She screams and tries to push Jim away, but he catches her hands and fights her struggling. "(y/n)? Look at me please." She cries and collapses into her father. "Help me, Dad, please. I see him everywhere, and now I don't think he's breathing, but he's here. He's in here." She points to her head with tears lining her cheeks.

"Who?"

"Jerome. I see him everywhere. I know everything. I remember it all. The longer I go the harder it is to live. I've been trying to push past it and all I see is him." Jim Gordon holds his little girl close as she cries. "Shh honey. It's okay." Jim finally did something he thought he would never do. He lets his daughter's past become true.

"I know (y/n). I know you loved him so much. You changed your life for him and he took care of you... in his own way. I know you hate it, but he's gone. He is gone and I promise I will do everything to help you. You have to allow me to help. You need to accept his death." She nods battling with her mind and the feel of the lips of the man she kissed in the woods.