Rapunzel <J. Valeska>

2.1

Jerome and Daisy are cuddling on the couch. She was coloring on the floor, but by degrees Jerome coaxed her up onto the sofa with him and persuaded her to discard the coloring book. So now comfortably and silently they relax together, Jerome gently stroking her hair and caressing her scalp as she nestles further into his side.

"Your hair is so long, princess," he murmurs absently. "A true Rapunzel, huh? If it gets cut will it turn brown, or are we okay to give it a little trim? Just to get rid of split ends and make it healthier."

Daisy would giggle at the joke, but as it were she just shakes her head, eyes twinkling with adoration and merriment.

"I'll get stuff to do it when I go out next. I need to get a lot of things to clean you up, actually. I should make a list," Jerome rambles.

Daisy feels much like a cat as she pushes into his hand, heart thudding with delight. She would be purring if she could, she's certain. Jerome chuckles at this and obliges her by scratching exquisitely at her scalp, rubbing her head tenderly.

"What a sweet girl you are. Why don't you come sit in Daddy's lap, princess?" Jerome offers.

Blushing, Daisy obeys and climbs into his lap, straddling him and lacing her arms shyly about his neck. He smiles down at the girl encouragingly and uses his hand to gently guide her head down to his chest. She lets him do this, resting her head on its side as he resumes his careful petting.

Being slowly lulled to sleep, she finds it easy to reciprocate. Daisy rubs her thumbs on the nape of his neck sleepily. She has very nearly fallen asleep when she stops, startled, and sits up. Looking alarmed, she rubs over one spot repeatedly, eyebrows furrowed.

"What's the matter, babygirl?" Jerome wonders in concern.

She takes his hand in hers and leads it around his own neck, showing him the spot she was rubbing. Jerome frowns, recognizing her need for concern as he feels the lump in the back of his neck. It had certainly never been there before.

"Baby, I need you to look at this thing. Is there any kind of scar there?" Jerome presses.

He leans forward, allowing Daisy a view of the back of his neck. She examines the area and does find a small red scar above the lump. As he lifts his head back up, she nods, confirming his suspicions.

Daisy bites her lip in worry, wondering what could be wrong. A sharp glint enters his eye, and for a moment she is almost afraid of him. But then it's like a sheet comes down over his face, washing the dangerous expression away and replacing it with a blank one.

"I've got to go take care of this, princess. Do Daddy a favor and stay in the bedroom until I get back. I'll leave some snacks in there for you in case you get hungry," Jerome says.

Daisy nods, mouth dry. She has no idea what's going on, and that terrifies her. Jerome notices of course, and for a moment his anger cools.

"Hey, hey," he soothes, getting her attention. "Everything is gonna be fine. Daddy's just gonna go get this checked out, get some groceries, and come back home. Alright? I promise. And when I promise something, I never, ever break that promise. Ever."

The small girl allows herself to be talked down from the brink of another panic attack. Nodding her head, she feels Jerome lift her up, carrying her to the bedroom with his hands holding up her thighs. Daisy wraps her arms and legs tighter around him, and he grabs her butt, adjusting his grip. Oddly enough, the touch doesn't feel intimate or sexual, instead making her feel infantile and young. She again rests her head upon his shoulder, parted lips barely brushing his neck.

Jerome lays her down on the mattress, pulling the covers up to her chin as he smiles fondly at her and tucks her in. Daisy closes her eyes for a moment, and in the time it takes her to do so and open them again, Jerome has left and returned with food, which he places on their end table. Watching her eyes flutter as she struggles to stay awake almost makes him chuckle, but instead he leans down and kisses her forehead.

"I'll see you when I get back, princess. Be good," he murmurs into her hair.

Jerome waits until he's left the room and closed the door softly behind him before he allows his murderous rage to resurface. So, Galavan's been tracking me, huh? I wonder where else he's put bugs.

A thought hits him as he climbs into the car. This thing is probably being tracked too. I need to ditch both. But where?

Jerome decides to see where he can get with exchanging the car for a similar one. There are plenty of dealers in Gotham who would trade him a used car of a similar make and model. As long as Galavan couldn't tell the difference, he wouldn't know.

So the ginger drives about until he can find such a place. Bribing the dealer with cash is easy, and the switch is made. Jerome doesn't bother to tell the guy about the tracker. When Galavan finally figures it out, he'll be long gone. After all, he doesn't owe the man any loyalty. They're all paying for the breakout with this whole Maniax operation, but beyond that the fucker can kiss his ass.

Before he ditches the car, he excuses himself to the bathroom so he can use his switchblade to push out the tracking chip in the back of his neck. Wincing at the pain, he wedges the flat of the blade beneath the lump and pushes it up and back through the entry wound, which reopens at the pressure. Grimacing, Jerome is able to grab the bit that sticks out and pulls the chip from his neck. Bringing it into the light, he examines the tracking device with a frown, turning it back and forth.

Jerome makes short work of wiping away the blood, putting a bandaid on the wound and pulling his hood back up. Before he trades in one car for another, he gets his belongings from Galavan's car, leaving the tracking chip in the dashboard.

The dealer is all too happy to take his bribe and make the switch, not asking any questions about why he needs it or what was wrong with the car. Maybe it's because he knows who Jerome is, or maybe he's just greedy. Either way, he does as he's asked and that's all Jerome really cares about.

On his way from the car dealer to a store where he can get the grooming tools he needs, he passes through the same street where he met Daisy. Remembering how small and precious she looked made him smile. But then he remembered Pepper.

Daisy's best friend, basically her mother and sister combined, and Jerome killed her. Sooner or later she's gonna start asking questions again, and what will he say? That she still hasn't reached out, that she thinks Daisy would be better off with her strange new benefactor? Not likely.

Better to tell the truth. But not the whole truth. Lying and saying that he doesn't know or forging a letter would only make Daisy more suspicious. The best way give her an answer she won't question and thereby keep her trust is to tell her that Pepper has died. He can even show her the necklace as proof. Say that he went looking for her and found out she died. That he talked to Sal, who he presumed was her pimp, and he gave him her stuff.

Maybe a little sketchy, but I think she's naive enough to believe it. She'll likely be too devastated to question it for a bit, and that'll give me enough time to solidify my story.

Jerome knows that getting this right is crucial to him keeping a good image with Daisy and securing her as his own. If she doesn't believe his story or somehow finds out the truth, he'll likely lose her forever.
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A/N
Yay consistent updates! Can't promise it'll continue so well, because AP Econ is the worst, but I'm gonna keep trying. If I miss an update just know that it's coming eventually. If you guys are still in it and are enjoying the story, please vote and comment to let me know! I really love and appreciate your patience. Have a good week, guys!
Gingy