"Good evening, Edward," Matthiessen said as he reentered the room after fetching Nigma's file.

Edward sat with his arms folded across his chest, slouched low in the chair, and his eyes focused forward as he stared through his doctor. A moment of silence, and then a smile broke out over the Riddler's stern expression. A chuckle escaped before he could catch it.

"Care to share your amusing thought?"

Looking up at the other man, he grinned from ear to ear. "A pair of shoes, for you, my friend. They gyp some, but not you!"

Matthiessen said nothing, even after he understood the cryptic sentence. After a long silence, the doctor asked, "Anything you want to talk about, Edward?"

"The fog hides much, but one thing is clear, she's nearer," he said.

"She?"

"Seagulls."

"Seagulls?" the doctor asked, curiously. "What about seagulls?"

"Screaming..."

"The seagulls? What are they screaming?"

Nigma looked up at Matthiessen and smiled, humming quietly.

Dr. Matthiessen raised an eyebrow. It was the same tune Dee had been humming. "So you've got another one, hm, Edward? I'm wondering when you will realize that they're all the same. All after the same things from you."

Edward stopped his humming and his body became more rigid as he sat a little straighter. Now what was this man up to? What did he know? Edward knew Dee was still in the asylum. Knew exactly what was happening to her and how she was being treated. Edward Nigma was not a happy man! Every meal he pocketed his bread and took it to the rec room in case she was there. With her metabolism and the scanty meals, as well as being gypped on her snacks, he was certain she must have a gnawing pain in her belly. Certainly he could've slipped out to see her, but he had a reputation to keep up! He couldn't appear too worried about her. Besides, he didn't know if she wanted to see him or not.

"Money, Edward. She's after your money," he said as if speaking to a child. "You're just a walking bank to her. And you're well known. Just being around you for the short time has gotten her in print. Everyone has read about her. Think she's really going to stick around you when she can write her own ticket?"

Though he tried to keep the emotion off his face, a look and feeling of sadness washed over him, betraying his feelings.

A chuckle came from the doctor. "You're so gullible when it comes to women, Edward! How could you possibly believe someone who looks like she does would really want anything to do with you? If you think about it, why would any woman want to be with someone who gets locked up for being obsessed with puzzles? Face it, Edward. Women look at you and see a dollar sign, a way to fame, and a fool who will fall for their charms, giving them anything they want. If you weren't the Riddler, no woman would give you a second look."

But... The carnival, he thought. I wasn't the Riddler then. She was interested, wasn't she?

"Has she even asked about me?" Shit! He hadn't meant for that to come out! Matthiessen did not need any more fodder to harass him with!

Matthiessen's grin grew to rival the Joker's.

That's all he is. The Joker in doctor's clothing. I wonder what Jack would say to that if I told him.

"My dear boy, the girl has said nothing about you other than your poor treatment of her. What does it matter? You got a few good nights in the sack with her. That's got to be more than you bargained for. How did she put it? 'Worst nights of my life,' I believe."

He's lying his ass off! He's got to be! But he doesn't know that we haven't slept together.

If he thought about it, he was nervous about that, if he still had a chance with her. Had she really complained about how he treated her? There wasn't anything wrong with how he acted! Ok, so maybe he had surprised both of them a couple of times with his aggressiveness. But there was something about her that made him feel comfortable enough to act on his impulse. Hell, he was certain that if he hadn't worked up the courage to kiss her that first night, to make the first move, he still would only be wondering what her lips felt and tasted like. It wasn't like him to be so bold at times, but he felt a connection to Dee in some ways. They had enjoyed many long talks since she had joined him. Topics went from current events to their childhoods. It was talk of the latter, he thought, which had brought them a little closer.

"You're lying."

"Am I? Or are you finding the truth to be a painful mistress? You're an obsessed maniac, Edward. A violent man who has committed murder for money. I'd say that, right there, is a good enough reason for her not to want you. You have nothing to offer a woman at any rate."

The Riddler's expression turned petulant. Nothing to offer? He had plenty to offer! Sure he did! He was smart, he was friendly when he wanted to be, she thought he was funny, he um... Wasn't much to look at, was he? Girls liked men who had more muscle than he did. He was in good shape. He had to be in his line of work. But there were others who were obviously stronger than him. No, all he really was, after everything boiled down, was a brain.

She's inches close, but out of reach. His mind grumbled at the irony.

"Edward? Edward, are you listening to me? I asked you how long you thought she would stay with you. You seem more active when you have a woman working for you. They cost you more, don't they? The costumes, the special weapons, the jewelry, all the undergarments..."

It was true. Whenever he employed women, he had to pull more jobs. While they got their share of the money, they cost him more. They always insisted on him buying them baubles. Should he ever refuse, they found ways of either seducing him, or forcing it out of him. He lost count of how many times he had paid up to keep the women from ratting him out, or physically harming him. If it wasn't sex, it was violence. Dee was a self confessed murderer. What would she do to him if he refused her more than her share?

Dr. Matthiessen waved his hand in front of his patient's face. There was no reaction. He sighed. Why was it so easy to make them shut up when you wanted them to talk? It was maddening, is what it was! Still, he had successfully hit that nerve of self-doubt. In Matthiessen's opinion, he felt that if he could prove to the patient that most of the benefits they had now came from the money and status of being a criminal, he could make some progress. His opinion was that deep down most of the inmates at Arkham wanted nothing more than to be recognized for themselves. The costumes and gimmicks were just the platform they used to get the spotlight they craved.

~ ~ ~

He remained in a daze as he was escorted back to his cell. Edward's mind was now focused on all that he wasn't. The more he thought about it, the more he was certain that he really wasn't worth much to anyone. Dr. Matthiessen was right. He had nothing to offer. There was no doubt that he was a fool when it came to the opposite sex. One wink left him feeling embarrassed and as uncertain as a schoolboy. He always found himself tongue-tied and clumsy.

But not with Dee. Certainly he found her beautiful, even if she didn't believe him, or think she herself was. Perhaps it was because he found her so easy to talk to that he felt comfortable around her? He shuddered in longing at the ghostly feeling of her near him. Unlike the other women, he realized that part of his attraction to her was her plain manner. She didn't get dressed up unless they went out. The only jewelry she constantly wore was her ring and a jade coin on a red string. She used make up sparingly, if she used it at all. Wash and wear. That was Dee Lemma.

"So why couldn't I have her?" he mumbled. Blinking, he became aware that he was back in his cell and lying on his bed. Grunting in disapproval at himself, he sat up.

Matthiessen liked to plant seeds of doubt in his patients. Knowing this, Edward frowned beginning to wonder just what Matthiessen had told Dee. Knowing his methods, Eddie was positive whatever had been said was not helping his case.

A guard came by and announced dinner before shoving the tray through the meal slot. Absently he picked the tray up. He sliced up part of his meat and sandwiched it in his dinner roll. Setting that aside, he slowly ate the rest of his meal before replacing the tray for collection. The rec room was out of the question for the rest of the night. He took his shirt and pants off, leaving himself in boxers and an undershirt. For now he would rest and read his book. Once it was safe, he would go see Dee.

~ ~ ~

The pathetic little sandwich was safely tucked in his shirt pocket as the Riddler snuck down the hall toward Dee's cell. For the sake of answering the riddle of if she still wanted him around, he had decided to forget his reputation for now. After all, most everyone else forgot it, if they knew of it at all.

Her cell wasn't hard to find. She was in the same wing as he was, but at the opposite end of the T-junction hallway. Tapping on the glass, he tried to wake her before entering and startling her. There was no response from the balled up form in the bed. With care, he picked the lock on her door and slipped in. He was quite aware of the security camera in the cell, but he knew the lax attitude of those on observation duty, especially at night.

"Q?" he whispered, nudging her.

Still no response. He gave her shoulder a shake. Nothing. Curious now, he turned her onto her back. Drugged! Dee hardly seemed to be breathing. He gently laid his head to her chest to make certain her heart was still beating. In the dim light he could see a faint trail of drool streaking across her cheek. He sighed and wiped her face clean with the corner of her sheet. Before he made his next move, he looked around, despite the insufficient lighting. Tucking her blankets snuggly around her, he lightly stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. Her eyes stared up at nothing. Shaking his head, he slipped out and headed back to his cell.

Damn doctors. Wonder what happened that they would have sedated her like that.

"Nice night for a stroll, huh, Riddler?"
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