4.0

                                    

                                          
Jerome hurries back to the living room in case it's Daisy who's awake, but unfortunately it's the good doctor who has come back to the land of the living. 
                          
Sighing in annoyance, Jerome meets Lee's confusion with a glare. 
                          
"I'm sure you think you're so self-righteous and yada yada yada... but really, this is all your fault. Though I do thank you for the surgery that has healed my princess, which I assume you are behind, I wouldn't have needed to be so rough with either of you if you and Jimbo hadn't put all those crazy thoughts in her head," he scowls. 
                          
"Before you get all huffy about her right to independence and speaking her mind, stop. I find that to be pretty hot, frankly. It's all this shit about me manipulating her and not really caring about her that I take fault with," Jerome explains. "Just because I kill people for a living doesn't mean I'm incapable of positive emotions related to normal, human stuff. Being with her and having someone to protect was helping me ignore some of the bloodlust."
                          
"So imagine my rage when she is not only stolen away from me by your boyfriend, but brainwashed to think that everything we ever had was a lie," Jerome growls. "Granted, I did lie, but never outright. Sure, I kept stuff like my career, and my name, and Pepper from her, but who wouldn't? None of that is really me, not the me that I am with her, anyway."
                          
Whimpering from behind him draws his attention. Jerome quickly moves to crouch down before Daisy and remove her gag. 
                          
"Sorry about that, Flower. Are you okay otherwise?" He asks gently, mindful of the headache she likely has. 
                          
"What are you doing, Jerome?" Daisy asks tiredly. "This isn't going to fix what you've done. I can't just act like nothing happened."
                          
"What do you mean, babygirl? I'm just making sure you're okay before we go to our new place. That way we can clear the air between us and start over, so things can go back to how they were," Jerome murmurs. "I know I have a lot to explain, and a lot to make up for, but I'll do it all for as long as it takes for you to believe me. To forgive me. To love me the way I know I love you."
                          
He loves me? Really? Mind torn, Daisy chooses to focus on the one blight in the plan literally staring her in the face. "What about Lee?"
                          
Jerome hisses out a breath between his teeth. "See that's where I'm undecided. I know that I can't take her with us or you'll both try to escape. But if I leave her here she and Jim both will keep come looking for you. And I'm not so naive as to think you'll just stay quietly at our new home while I'm finishing up my job, baby. 
                          
I feel like I need to kill her, both for revenge and to keep you from escaping to her, but I also know that you two are close and me killing her will also kill my chances with you, which is less than ideal. I don't want to kill her, but I'll do what I feel I have to in order to keep us safe and to keep you with me."
                          
Daisy panics at this point, knowing now what Jerome is capable of if he feels threatened. She knows that his solution will likely be killing her friend if she doesn't intervene. I couldn't save Pepper, but I can save Lee. 
                          
"Wait. Let's make a deal," she offers. Lee shakes her head frantically and shouts her disapproval through the gag. 
                          
"Shush, Lee, this doesn't involve you. I'm listening, princess," Jerome agrees, eyes sparkling in interest. 
                          
"If you let Lee live and leave her here, I'll come with you, willingly. I won't ever fight, I won't try to struggle or runaway. I can't promise it'll be exactly how it was, but I'll hear you out about everything and start over—as long as you agree to try to stop with crime," Daisy suggests.