Rapunzel <J. Valeska>

3.7

Finally a break has come in Pepper's case, though Daisy barely has the strength to deal with it.

The girl's body was finally discovered, and in such a place it was a wonder it wasn't found sooner. Daisy couldn't bring herself to look at Pepper much longer than it took to identify the corpse as her dear friend and sister of the streets. Lee promptly escorted her out and the girl has been sitting back and letting the doctor and the GCPD do the work ever since.

Daisy has been resting the most she ever has since the discovery of the body, staying home with Lee most of the time to avoid the truth and suffering ahead of her. She already knows from Lee that Pepper's time of death was the same night that she met Jerome. That is too large of a coincidence to rule out, especially since Jerome had her necklace and Sal clearly said he never had it nor gave it to anyone else, and definitely not Jerome Valeska.

But rather than deal with the horrible facts stating her in the face, Daisy hides away in her borrowed room, thinking back on better times. Strange as it seems, she really doesn't want to believe that Pepper's death was premeditated murder on Jerome's part, despite his motivation in wanting to keep Daisy with him.

The man just seemed so genuinely regretful and sympathetic on her behalf—which makes sense in light of the facts, especially since Jerome is a known liar and manipulator, but Daisy cannot believe that he would harm her outright like that. And from the time of death that Lee estimated, Pepper was killed right around the time Jerome ran into Daisy, which means it is much more likely that he killed the girl randomly beforehand rather than after. After all, it took he and Daisy a while to get back to his building that night and then to get settled. And Jerome didn't even know about Pepper until the next morning!

There's no way it was a planned kidnapping (the word makes her cringe) either, because then Jerome would already have known both of their names and that she herself is mute and prepared himself accordingly. Sad and pitiful as an excuse it may be, the idea that Jerome didn't know who he was killing is all that Daisy has to cling to when the GCPD finally draws the inevitable conclusion that Pepper was indeed murdered by Jerome the night that they met.

Of course support and comfort is bounteous from Lee and even Jim, the pair telling her that Pepper is in a better place now and would want her to be happy. This Daisy can agree with, but when the couple proclaim Jerome's evil and that the GCPD will surely bring him in and force him to pay for his crimes, she retreats a little within herself.

The poor girl is torn in two by her emotions. One—and, if she's honest, a saner—part of her is distraught at Pepper's loss and upset with Jerome, never wanting to see him again. But it does not speak over the half of her that still longs for the happiness and ease she experienced in his care. Jerome was her whole world, despite the brevity and fabricated aspects of their time together.

She can't help but think that he only lied to her about how he got the necklace; Jerome never did anything more than omit the other rough parts of his life, thereby allowing her to fill in the blanks as she saw fit.

It has always been clear that Jerome is another lost child from a broken home. His peculiar mannerisms and insecurity (not to mention the huge, glaring daddy kink) highlight the boy's troubled past. Their relationship, while not necessarily based on the truth, was mutually beneficial, and Jerome had been steadily getting more comfortable and natural the more time they spent together.

And, while no one should ever assume they can—nor try to—'fix' another person, because the only person that can change them is themself, Daisy wonders if Jerome was beginning to reorient his priorities and world views due to his desire for and relationship with her.

The lack of a proper chance or ending between the two of them will not let Daisy live in peace. Her mind won't let her forget him or his kindness, nor of his deadly habits and actions. The sheer dichotomy and inconsistency is enough to make her head spin. She wonders if she'll ever be able to move on without talking to Jerome again. The possibility is enough to terrify and excite her all at once.

That's another reason Daisy has been hibernating. She wants desperately to avoid the GCPD should Jerome be caught because she is not at all ready to deal with the fallout.

Unluckily for her, Lee is not letting her stay inside another day. There's apparently been some headway made in her own case, and Jim wants them both to come down to the station to see what he's found. According to Lee, Jim thinks he's found her birth certificate, which could tell her a vast quantity of vital information about herself that is currently unknown.

Lee is particularly excited about learning her birthday and true age so she can make up for lost time and plan ahead for the next one. The woman will not cease looking for opportunities to spoil Daisy rotten. It's because of Lee's own excitement that the girl relents and returns to the GCPD only a few days after the news about Pepper was broken.

Jim is waiting for them at his desk when they arrive and waves the pair over when he spots them.

"Good afternoon ladies," he greets warmly, pecking Lee on the cheek. "How are you feeling, Daisy, any better?"

The girl flushes and looks down in shame, nodding just barely.

"Well that's alright, you certainly don't have to be," Jim replies. "Hopefully what Mr. Nygma has found will brighten your day at least a little."

Daisy's brows furrow slightly at the unfamiliar name, but she ignores it easily enough to focus on the information on Jim's desk. She skims through the lines on the paper, thoughtlessly absorbing it alongside Lee.

"Aw, you are eighteen as of two months ago. I would have liked to throw you a big party," Lee pouts slightly.

Daisy doesn't even know she's crying until a teardrop lands on the birth certificate. Concerned, Lee rubs her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her, but the girl is not upset. She is happier than she can recall being any time in the last week.

Sniffling, she wipes her tears with the tissue Jim provides and smiles reassuringly. The detective nods in understanding before suggesting that the girls go sit in Lee's office for a bit until his lunch break and they can all go eat together.

Lee has been working on things she's missed for a bit when they begin hearing the screams.

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A/N
Hehe this is another cliffhanger. I meant for this to be the big one but then I realized I was forgetting about Pepper and Daisy's identity and yada yada. Also wanted to give even more time for her voice to try and heal up (we all gotta hope for the best for the innocent bean). Let me know what you think about the precarious situation of Jerome, Daisy, and Pepper and her death. I wanna know how you think Daisy should be navigating her feelings rn and potentially how she should respond to Jerome in the future. That's all I have for now, so see ya later you guys!
Gingy