Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1

New joy had entered the Cobblepot household.

After the threat Velaska's son had held over the family, after all the worry of Lucy being kidnapped and later rescued, life had settled down, the family had put the past behind them – and now, as summer ended and a chill whispered into the air as the leaves began to turn, Julian had discovered the birthing implant had finally worked. He was carrying Oswald's baby. Molly had been overjoyed at the news – not just because a new baby was coming into their lives, a baby Julian had desperately wanted to have by Ozzie – but because now perhaps, after the past had been painfully brought up by the mysterious messenger, Oswald could lay to rest the sad memory of the loss of Rebecca.

Molly hadn't asked him about her.

Neither had Julian.

They wanted to leave the past alone...

Oswald had been getting on with business as usual, and spending time with her and Julian, and time too with the kids, as much time as the head of the underworld could spare. And now with the good news that the baby was on the way, it seemed like nothing could go wrong.

Oswald was sitting alone in his study as beyond the window, leaves shimmered in changing shades as a cool breeze blew about the garden. His thoughts were drifting much like the first leaves to be tugged from their boughs as he watched them flutter on the wind, then looked thoughtfully to the flickering fire as low flames glowed warmly. He paused to take a sip of whisky, put down the glass and then reached for a pen and a sheet of paper, and then, while the kids were at school and Molly was upstairs with Julian, while the door to the study was firmly locked, Oswald Cobblepot did something he had done many times before in secret – he wrote a letter to his daughter:

“Dearest Rebecca,

Here I am again, writing to you to say all the things I can not voice aloud. I love you with all my heart. There isn't a day gone by since you were torn from my arms as a small child that I haven't thought of you. Back then I was just the poor son of an immigrant single parent with big dreams to become somebody, someday in Gotham City. It was so long ago, Becky. And your mother...”

He paused, drawing in a breath as he composed his thoughts, then he carried on:

'At first, I loved her. I did not know what she would become. Or what she was capable of. And when I say that, there is so much more to that statement. But you were pure and innocent and all I wanted to do was keep you safe from the monster she had become. I didn't know they would take you from me. But your mother is so dangerous, they couldn't risk her ever breaking out and hunting you down, or me. But know that I never wanted to be parted from you. As the years have gone by, I've married and become a father several times over. But it doesn't make me love you any less than the children I have at my side, or the one that is yet to be born.

You are my baby, Becky. My little girl. And every time I've held one of my newborns in my arms or read my kids bed time stories, I think of the little girl I didn't get to raise. You're always there in my heart. And I could come and find you if I wanted to, I'm the head of the underworld, I know everything – even where you are! I accessed those documents after the city fell. And I've thought about it so many times, turning up on your doorstep and saying, I'm your father...

But I love you too much to put you through that, Becky.

To know your mother was a monster.

To know that your father is the head of the underworld... a man who has remained silent all these years.

The past isn't a place where anything can rest easily, most of all, the truth.

My heart longs to reveal that truth.

But I also fear the truth may destroy you and what hurts you, will break my heart also. Just know that I love you and I always will – Daddy.'

Then Oswald folded the letter, got up from his desk and did the same to this letter that he had done to all the others he had written over the years. He dropped it into the fire and watched as it burned as the flames reflected in his sad gaze.

“But it's better this way, better for you, my dear,” he said quietly and then he limped over to the door, unlocked it and left the study as the last of the letter was consumed by amber flame.

A short while later with all trace of tears dried, Oswald went upstairs. Julian was on the bed with his shirt off, Molly was sitting beside him and she laughed as he took her hand, placed it under his ribcage and pressed down.

“Can you feel it yet?” he asked excitedly, “Molly, can you feel that little hard lump?”

“I can feel something, it's so tiny...”

He let go of her hand, then pressed his fingers against it.

“That's the implant, it's harder and bigger now... if you poke it -”

“Don't poke it, you'll squash the baby's nose!” Molly said as she grabbed his hand, pulling it away from the place where the implant was buried deep in his body.

”It's okay to press it, the nurse poked it before I had the scan,” he reminded her.

Oswald limped over to the bed, then he smiled down at Julian, who looked up at him and as their eyes met, Oswald felt a glow of love and pride as he looked down at Julian Lambrick, young and handsome and carrying his child inside a birthing implant. The swelling wasn't visible yet, and not likely to be for a while, because Julian's body was muscular and toned thanks to his fitness routine that kept his damaged pathways working as they should. Oswald couldn't resist running a hand down perfect, toned abs as his gaze stayed locked with Julian's.

“Did you have a hard morning at the office, Mr Mayor?” he said with a fond smile.

“I had a great time!” Julian told him, “I did two interviews about male pregnancy, and I'm still getting cards congratulating us, the office is full of them!”

Oswald sat down on the edge of the bed.

“I don't doubt you'll be getting those all the way through the pregnancy, and beyond!” he said proudly, glancing from Julian to Molly, “The media doesn't call us the most powerful triad in the Gotham underworld for nothing - Oswald Cobblepot, king of Gotham, his wife Molly, daughter of Kane MacQueen the Irish Godfather – and Julian Lambrick, Mayor of Gotham. I think it's safe to say the people adore us far more than they will ever love the city authorities or the GCPD!”

“It's a good feeling,” Molly said with a smile, “I think everyone knows the city is safe in your hands, Oswald.”

“They should by now!” he said with a sparkle in his eyes, then he looked down at Julian as he lovingly ran his hand over the implant as Julian looked up at him as his hand closed over Oswald's.

“So many good things have happened since the three of us got together,” he said, “But this is the best, this is so exciting.”
“And a little scary?” Oswald asked, remembering how nervous Julian had been before the scan.

Julian laughed.

“A little, but I'm getting over that now. It's the most incredible thing that's ever happened to me – apart from Lucy's birth,” he added as he looked to Molly.

She leaned over him as her long dark hair brushed against his bare shoulder.

“And speaking of Lucy, I have to pick the kids up from school soon.”

She kissed him fondly, then as she glanced at Oswald and saw his eyes darken with desire, they kissed again.

“What a shame my wife hasn't time to fuck you this afternoon,” Oswald said as Molly drew back, “We must definitely make time tonight for some shared enjoyment...But first, I insist you rest, Julian.”

“I have to do at least three miles on the treadmill,” he reminded him.

Oswald got up from the bed.

“Nonsense! River said you can cut your exercise routine by half and you'll still be doing enough to keep your mobility stabilised. You push yourself too hard.”

Molly saw a flicker of worry in Oswald's eyes as she got up and left the room.

She lingered outside the door, heard Oswald speak softly again to Julian, then he kissed him fondly, reminded him to rest and left the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

As he turned and saw Molly standing there, Oswald's eyes reflected surprise.

“Come with me, Ozzie,” she said, and led the way to the stairs.

Once in the lower hall of the mansion, Molly looked intently at her husband.

“Please don't worry about Julian. He's fine, Oswald! If you start getting anxious about the baby, so will he, and you know what a worrier he can be!”

“I took care of you when you were pregnant, Molly.”

Understanding reflected in her green gaze as she looked fondly at her husband.

“And you'll always be a loving, caring husband and father,” she said, “But please, Oswald – don't give him any reason to worry,” as she said that she kept her voice low, reminding him of facts she had learned about male birthing units, “This is a relatively new technology -”

“And a wonderful scientific advancement!” Oswald added excitedly.

“Yes, love, but... the implants can respond adversely to extreme levels of stress and in some cases the unit can miscarry -”

“And in most cases of unit rejection, the baby inside is still alive and able to grow full term in laboratory conditions! Those units are not like an organic womb, Molly! I'm not thinking about Julian having those kind of problems, I'm more concerned he's not resting enough!”

She put her arms around his broad waist as she looked into his eyes.

”Ozzie,” she said fondly, “He's almost three months pregnant, love! It won't start to show until he's over four months, the hardest part for him will be when he's over the first six months, that's when the baby might get heavy and he could have mobility issues. He could also get bruised or cracked ribs if the baby kicks too hard in the wrong position! Until then, he's absolutely fine. He doesn't even get morning sickness! Let him be excited and do this his way.”

Oswald paused for a moment.

“I'm being over protective?”

“Yes, you are,” she replied, “And I know it's hard not to be, because he's Julian and he's been through a lot in life and we know about his emotional scars, but this is a happy time.”

Worry reflected in Oswald's gaze.

“They say male birth is far more painful than natural maternal delivery. I did remind him of that, but it didn't change his mind, he was determined to go ahead with this.”

“And he will cope!” Molly reminded him, “Julian is excited about this baby, he's loving every minute of it! Don't remind him of anything that could spoil that, okay?”

“And what do we do when he goes into labour and the pain is too great to bear?”

Oswald had suddenly become emotional.

Molly hugged him a little tighter.

“We will both help him through it. You've got to stop this worrying, Oswald. We're all so happy about this baby, don't worry about situations that may never happen.”

Oswald gave a heavy sigh, then he nodded.

“You're right,” he agreed, “Yes my dear, we will both be there for him. I'm determined to do everything I can to see him through this and keep him positive - and I do need to stop making much a fuss.”

Molly leaned in and kissed him softly.

“I'm off to pick the kids up from school,” she said, and as she drew back, they heard the sound of Julian's treadmill starting up on the floor above.

“Don't!” she reminded him, “Let him do this his way, Ozzie!”

Oswald smiled.

“I won't say word,” he promised, then Molly hurried out the door, snatching up her car keys on the way.

As the end of school approached, as Molly got out of the car, she saw Selina heading towards the gate and waved, and Selina waved back. Molly went over to her and the two of them talked as Selina held baby Nathan in her arms and smiled radiantly.

“He's getting bigger already!” Molly said with a smile, “And he looks so like your Josh!”

“He does,” Selina replied as she smiled down at the baby in her arms, and then she looked at Molly as she spoke again.

“How's Julian doing? I was thrilled when I heard the news! Josh said he knows of a couple of guys he works with sometimes who have had time off to have kids, but I've never actually known anyone who has used an implant. Is he okay?”

“Yeah, he's just fine,” Molly replied, “Ozzie's so happy, too. It's nice to be the one looking in from the outside, it's usually me having the babies and him getting excited and it's all about me and the baby, but this time, we can both get excited for Julian, it's an amazing experience.”

“I saw Julian give an interview about birthing units,” Selina replied, “He's very enthusiastic!”

Molly laughed.

“Once you get started on that subject he won't shut up, he's always talking about how much he loves carrying a baby! He wants to do as much publicity as he can with the pregnancy, to make more people aware of how easy it can be for guys to use implants.”

Selina cradled her son as her eyes sparkled warmly.

“Another Cobblepot doing some good for this city, I like that,” she said.

While Molly and Selina talked as they waited for school to end, another car had pulled up. And as they sat there waiting for school to end the car filled with the smell of boiled egg sandwiches as Penguin Cobblepot took another bite and a small flipper leaned in from the back, snatching a sandwich as he offered it to their son. Iris slid down the window. Penguin took another bite and looked at his wife and chuckled.

“Why open the window, the food smells great!”

“We were leaving the sandwiches for the park?” she reminded him.

Penguin shrugged.

“The boy wanted to stop off on the way and say Hi to Maria, what's the harm in that?”

The smell of the eggs was still overwhelming as the breeze blew into the car, against Penguin's closed window and straight back at Iris.

“It smells like farts!” she said under her breath.

Penguin chuckled and shifted on the seat as he let a muffled one go.

“That was a fart!”

“Penguin!”

She playfully slapped his arm and shook her head, then leaned over and slid his window down too. In the back, Little Penguin was sitting in his car seat as he bounced excitedly.

“Penguin wants to see Maria!”

“In a minute, son, schools not over yet,” his Dad replied.

Little Penguin looked at the remains of his sandwich, then stuffed it into the pocket of his coat.

“Penguin wants to get out!”

“Okay, just a minute,” Iris told him, then she left her husband to finish the rest of the bag of sandwiches as she opened up the back door and released Little Penguin from his seat. He jumped down from the car and looked to the school with a smile on his round face.

“If Penguin goes to school, Penguin can play with Maria every day!”

Iris smiled kindly at her son.

“You're not quite ready for school yet,” she told him.

Then as school ended and the children started to leave, Little Penguin turned to the gates, touching the tips of his flippers together. As he caught sight of Maria he ran over to her, ignoring Iris, who called to him, looking dismayed as he ran fast, his little shoes thumping on the ground as he pushed past the sea of kids to reach his best friend. Then they stood talking together as Molly and Selina came over, Selina had called to Maria, who glanced over at her mother, then quickly spoke to Little Penguin, and pointed to a group of boys who had just left the school building.

“That one!” she told him.

“Okay, Penguin handle this!” said Little Penguin, and he waddled at speed towards the group of kids, his flipper out, it connected with a slap to the face of a stunned kid who staggered back, then stared at the small, round boy with flipper hands.

“No call Maria names!” Little Penguin said angrily.

Iris had just run over, she saw the boy rubbing his slapped face as his mother hurried over too, and she grabbed her son's flipper quickly.

“I'm so sorry, he's never like this, it won't happen again!” she said to the stunned parent, and then quickly led Little Penguin away, back towards the car as Selina glared at Maria, who stood before her looking apologetic.

“What was that about?” Selina demanded.

“A boy was mean to me and Little Penguin wanted to tell him off.”

Selina glanced over at the tearful boy, who was being led to the car by his mother as he rubbed at his face.

“What did the boy do to you?”

“He said mean things.”

“What mean things?” Selina asked in alarm.

Maria looked over at the car where Penguin and Iris were talking sternly to Little Penguin before he got back into the vehicle.

“I don't remember,” she said, giving a shrug.

“You remembered enough to point the boy out to Little Penguin! Talk to me, Maria – what's going on?”

“I don't know,” Maria replied, and she glanced over her shoulder, seeing the car drive away as Little Penguin pressed a flipper to the window and looked at her sadly.

“I didn't want to get him into trouble. I didn't think he would hit the other boy.”

Felix and Lucy had just joined them, and Felix looked up at Molly.

“Little Penguin slapped Oliver,” he said, “I'm glad, Oliver is a mean boy. He says mean things.”

“What kind of things?”

He gave a shrug.

“I don't know, Mom,” he told her with a smile, “I don't get bullied. Oliver thinks if he bullies me, my Daddy will take him to the docks and shoot him.”

Molly's eyes widened in horror.

“Why would he think that?”

Felix chuckled.

“Because I told him so!”

“Felix always says stuff like that!” Lucy added, shaking her head, “You shouldn't do that,” she added as she looked at Felix.

“You don't ever say that again!” Molly scolded him as she led him back towards the car and Lucy followed, as Luna joined them, a surprised look on her face as she waited for the younger kids to get in the car first.

”Mom, did I just see Little Penguin slap some kid from Maria's class?”

“Unfortunately, yes you did!” Molly replied, “Get in the car, we're going home.”

Selina looked on as Molly and the kids drove away, then she looked down at her daughter once more.

“If someone is bullying you, tell me and Daddy – or tell the teacher! And I need to know what he said to you, Maria!”

“I don't remember,” she stated, as Selina looked at her doubtfully.

”Come on,” she said, turning back towards her parked car, “Let's go home, we can talk about this later...”

Later that evening, Molly had called Penguin and Iris to see if they knew what was going on – Felix had refused to say any more about the mean things Oliver had said. All Iris could get from her son was that Maria had been upset by the mean boy. Molly had called Josh and Selina. Maria was claiming she couldn't remember what Oliver had said to her, only that he was being mean, and Little Penguin had been very angry about it.

“It's sweet that Little Penguin is so protective,” Josh had said, “He's very fond of Maria. But we've told her, if Oliver bullies her, she has to tell a teacher, and tell us.”

“I would love to know what it was about!” Molly exclaimed.

“We feel the same,” Josh agreed, “But Maria won't tell us. Selina's going to speak to the teacher tomorrow.”

“I spoke to Penguin and Iris,” Molly replied, “Iris got hold of the boy's number and called the parents. The Dad said his perfect little angel doesn't bully anyone – typical – and then he told her to keep her freak son away from Oliver.”

“What happened then?” Josh asked.

“Penguin took the phone from Iris and told him to fuck off!” she said, unable to hide the laugh that escaped as she thought of his gruff voice telling Oliver's father exactly what he thought of him for calling Little Penguin a freak, “I can't say they didn't deserve it, not after saying that about little Penguin. As for Oliver, when the kid's a little sod you only have to look to the parents to see why.”

“So as far as Penguin Cobblepot is concerned, it's resolved with an f bomb?”

“Yes, Josh, it seems that way,” Molly replied, “Oh, these kids – you can't get through the playground years without some kind of trouble – and you'll have it all to come with Nathan too, in a few years. Cain was terrible for getting into fights when he was a boy. And Felix, he uses his wits to avoid trouble – but says the wrong bloody things! He only went and told Oliver if he bullied him, my Oswald would take him down the docks and shoot him!”

Josh tried to hide his amusement, but Molly could tell he was smiling as he spoke again.

”Oh, that was so wrong of him, Molly!”

“At least Alicia never gets in trouble,” Molly added, “Jax and Carol's little girl is so well behaved.”

”Well, she is Jax Sterling's daughter,” Josh agreed, and they carried on talking about the kids as dusk settled to nightfall.

As Molly sat in the kitchen talking on the house phone, upstairs, Luna was getting ready for bed, Felix had already gone to sleep and Julian had just finished reading Lucy a bedtime story. Oswald had just had a long soak in a hot bath, and now he was on the bed, on top of the covers in a bathrobe. He smiled as Julian entered the room, and shifted over on the bed as he sat down and started to get undressed.

“What a day!” Julian remarked, “I never thought Little Penguin would slap another kid! I'm so glad Lucy doesn't behave like that!”

He stripped down to his underwear and as he got on the bed, Oswald put his arm around him, pulling him close as he looked into his eyes.

“I'm sure it will be okay. Kids fight sometimes, but they get over it....” he fell silent, now lost in the moment as he ran his hand down Julian's body and let it rest just below his ribcage.

“Our little miracle,” he said with a smile, “I know I'm older than you, but I swear, I'll be around to be a very old man, Julian. I want to see this baby grow up, I want to be there for you and our child. I sometimes think, I'm getting older and maybe I should slow down – but then I look at Molly and the kids and you and I think of this baby, and I feel like a young man again.”

Julian looked up at him.

“I want you to live forever, Ozzie,” he said softly.

Oswald leaned closer as Julian reached for him, catching the scent of his cologne. Ozzie's scent always made his head swim as their lips touched, and the kiss they shared was deep and lasting, only broken by Molly opening the door to join them in the bedroom.

“You two look so happy,” she said with a smile as she paused to lock the door behind her, “Don't stop, I'd hate to ruin a perfect moment.”

Julian tugged down his underwear and took it off as his eyes darkened with desire.

“Fuck me, Oswald!”

“Not tonight, Julian,” Oswald said softly, despite the fact he had just felt his cock start to harden the minute Julian had begged for it.

“Why not?” Julian laid back and stroked his own hardening erection, turning his head and looking to Oswald, who felt sorely tempted.

“You could take me through to the play room. Fist me, Doctor Cobblepot, fist me and fuck me -”

Oswald put a finger to his lips.

“No, because the kids are all asleep and we can't go sneaking off to your sex room unless the house is empty. And also no, because you're pregnant and you like it rough. I'm not being rough with you at this time!”

Julian gave a sigh of frustration as he lay on his back, naked and hard.

“Maybe you could be slightly less rough?”

Molly had got undressed by now, and she smiled as she climbed on to the bed between Oswald and Julian.

“Maybe I should sort this argument, boys!” she said softly, and she slid down between them, one hand on Julian's hip and then Oswald's as both men turned on their sides as Molly knelt there, leaning over two hard cocks that she started to jerk off at the same time.

“Oh yes!” Julian gasped as he looked down, watching her hand on his own cock and then on Oswald's, as Oswald gave a murmur of approval and closed his eyes.

They were both breathing soft and fast as she worked on them, then paused to first suck Ozzie and then Julian, then she shifted position and pushed them closer together, watching as Oswald's big cock rubbed against the head of Julian's hard and leaking erection. Molly leaned down close, her head swimming with the scent of both men on the brink of orgasm as she licked at the shiny cock heads, teasing them both with her tongue. Julian gave a low moan and cum spurted out, covering Oswald's groin. As the hot white heat spattered his cock he trembled, reaching for Molly and Julian as he gave a gasp and semen pumped out in a fast spurt, then another, then all that could be heard was the soft breathing of both men as they recovered.

“Somebody clean me up!” Julian said, then he laughed.

“My cock loving wife will be more than happy to do so!” Oswald said, giving Molly a wink.

She tossed her long dark hair off her shoulders and looked down at them both.

“If you think I'm licking up all that lot, you've got another thing coming!” she said as amusement danced in her eyes, then she grabbed a pack of wet wipes and took out a handful and dropped them on to the bed between Oswald and Julian.

Molly watched as they cleaned each other up, laughing softly as their gaze met, then Oswald kissed him tenderly.

“Tomorrow we shall have fun, my sweet Julian,” he said as he pulled him closer, “But no rough stuff, not while you have that implant inside you.”

Molly had joined them once more, laying beside Oswald as she put her arm around him, reaching for Julian's hand.

“Shall we restrain him tomorrow, Oswald?” she said in a low voice, and Julian turned his head, looking excitedly at both of them, loving the way they were discussing this in front of him.

“Yes, I think we should do that,” Oswald agreed with a smile, “Tie him down and then we can both give him a firm but gentle finger fuck.”

“Can we do it now?” Julian's eyes had gone wide with excitement.

Oswald chuckled.

”No!” he said, pulling him closer, “Go to sleep, Julian, it's getting late!”

Molly reached for the lamp and turned it off. There was silence for a moment, then it was broken as Julian spoke again.

“Please, someone do me again, I'm so turned on!”

Molly giggled, hugging Oswald as he laughed too.

”Sleep – that's an order!”

“Oh no Ozzie, don't start with orders, I'll get even harder!”

“Go to sleep, Julian!” Oswald said with a smile as he rested against the softness of his pillow and closed his eyes.

Julian shifted closer to Oswald's embrace, feeling warm and safe in his arms as Ozzie turned on his back, with an arm around Julian and the other around his wife, and then they slipped into a restful sleep, unaware that something was about to happen. Something terrible that would change everything, utterly shattering their new found sense of happiness and safety...

The lights began to stutter at Arkham Asylum just after midnight.

As security staff checked monitors, they didn't yet know the source of the massive power disturbance was coming from within, behind the reinforced door to the basement level cell with the name J Inka set into it. That door was so thick it could withstand a nuclear blast, it was the kind that was used in underground bunkers, but it would soon buckle...

She stood there in the cell that had been designed to contain her, to contain her abilities – and she knew it would take everything she had to destroy it. The light was dim, her white dress almost transparent over a shapely body as she tossed back her honey coloured hair and drew in a slow breath, drawing up power long restrained.

Her eyes rolled over black.

The lights stuttered again as the ground shook and the door buckled and bent and folded like paper as the corridor beyond became a sea of panic with guards running as they pulled their weapons and the door exploded, sending shards of metal skewering bodies as flesh and bone shattered and blood splashed the walls.

As she stepped out of the cell, guards ran from the other end carrying heavy weapons. She heard the shouts and turned around, raising a hand as the advancing guard yelled in terror, levitating off the floor. A twist of her hand saw his neck snap mid air, his body fell to the ground as the alarm screamed and flashed red, lighting up the blood that marked the walls further up the corridor.

The lights began to blow.

She melted into shadow, shifting back into view far up the other end of the corridor, right in front of the armed men who looked on in horror. A shot rang past her and she tilted her head, watching as her mind willed them onward as three guards struggled and failed to stop their own weapons from going into their mouths. They pulled the triggers simultaneously as blood and brains spattered the walls then she turned away, walking slowly up towards a locked door that sprang open. Every door leading to the entrance opened up as lights flashed and more bulbs began to explode. She threw her head back and drew in the darkness as atoms collided.

Up on the next level, security staff had realised the prisoner was free.

They also realised the basement level had just disappeared, swallowed by a black hole. The whole place was shrinking, dragging everything with it as she slaughtered everyone who stood in her path...

She left the asylum and headed for the gate.

The wind was blowing hard as clouds chased past the moon at speed. The men on the gate drew their guns and she snarled as black eyes met their gaze and the men screamed as skin peeled from their bones and they fell, a bloody mess crumbled to a mush of gore. She raised a hand, turning her head to see another armed man take aim. As she opened up her hand, the force of the blow that hit him was invisible but heavy as a speeding train as he was slammed against a wall, exploding on impact. She looked around the entrance as behind her the gates opened up, then she took a breath, fixing her devils gaze on the place that had been her prison for too many long years as she let go of her hold on the basement level.

Everything rushed back, atoms shifting as the building shook and the basement level returned, slamming back into place, along with walls that were a jigsaw of blood, bone and body parts set into the walls and fused with the floor. Bodies and remains of corpses littered the entrance. The gates opened up and she walked out taking slow steps, as blood ran from her eyes and nose and the blackness faltered in her gaze as she looked up at the moon:

It had been years, too many years.

All it had taken was to strike up the right friendship, with the woman who had placed her hand on the glass that separated them, the woman she had used as messenger to reach Oswald's wife, to open her eyes to his secrets.

One crack in that glass, and she had got under the messenger's skin...

And that link had led to this, the outside word. She was free now, to find Oswald, that bastard who betrayed her - and to track down her daughter...

Where was Rebecca?
She gave a scream of rage as she looked to the moon, then as weakness over came her, she staggered into shadow, where she became a part of it, sliding off to darkness to rest and recover from the drain on her power. She would have to rest a while to recover from this night. She had always known it would have taken everything she had to form an outside link and then destroy the containment field that kept her prisoner. But she had succeeded, she held on to that thought as she became as shadow, resting in the darkness and sliding further away, shifted into another form where she was one with the shadows, and it closed over her like a blanket, as darkness rippled and she became it, and it became her...

The first person to hear the news was Ed Nygma, current governor of Arkham. He was woken by the call, and so was Lee, who sat up in bed listening as he admitted he had little contact with the prisoners and mainly ran the admin side of things. He was told to call Jim Gordon, and as his face paled and he put down the phone, Lee asked him what was going on.

“Apparently there was an explosion in the basement level of the asylum,” he said as he blinked away sleep, “I've been told to inform the GCPD at the highest level and then step back.”

Lee looked at him in confusion.

”Step back? No one can tell you to do that!”

“This was a military request, it's a situation that requires handling by combined efforts inside of the city and outside,” he replied, and he reached for his glasses and put them on, “I don't understand this. But, if that's the arrangement, I don't have to. There's a lot of dangerous prisoners in the asylum, some have committed crimes in and out of the city and I know nothing about the one that got loose last night.”

Lee stared at him.

“Doesn't sound like the average criminal to me.”

“And my job is to run the place, and tomorrow morning I'm going to be there when they clear away the debris,” he replied, “I've been told it's in the hands of higher authority. That's good enough for me, I'm not Riddler any more, I'm not Edward Nygma game show host either – I'm governor of Arkham at the request of the underworld – at the specific request of Oswald. And I need to call Jim.”

He got out of bed and left the room as Lee sat there feeling confused about the whole situation. If someone had escaped, why was her husband not allowed to become involved? She reached for the remote and turned on the TV, and then grew even more confused and suspicious as she saw nothing but a brief news flash about an apparent explosion at Arkham. Then the news shifted to a report on new landscaping at the place beside the monolith memorial, and as the subject was turned to gardening, she thought about all Ed had just said as she wondered why there was not more coverage on the Arkham bombing.

“What the hell is going on?” she murmured.

Jim Gordon took Ed's phone call as the headed to his car.

He tried to sound shocked at the news of the explosion, but he wasn't shocked.

He already knew.

As police commissioner, he had been informed as soon as the city's most dangerous prisoner had escaped, thanks to the agreement long ago made between the GCPD and outside authorities. A call from Ed was just procedure, because Ed knew nothing, and it had to stay that way...

“Yes,” Jim said, “In the morning, Ed... tonight the place is being cleared, you'll be able to survey the damage tomorrow.”

“I know nothing about the escaped prisoner, only that she was kept in maximum security, I assumed she was a so called Gotham monster from the old days.”

“It seems she's been held in Arkham for many years,” Jim replied, “She was incarcerated before I ever worked for the GCPD.”

“Wait...” Ed paused, then he sounded confused, “Jim, I'm trying to access her records and ... this is crazy...”

“What is?” Jim asked.

Ed spoke again.

“It says, file not found... but every patient has a file... I have the prisoner number and the name J Inka...”

“Maybe hers was lost,” Jim replied, “Don't worry, Ed. Leave it to us, this is a police matter now.”

As he ended the call, Jim had a heavy heart. He thought of the story handed down to him on the day he became commissioner, the tale of a scientist whose experiments had turned her into a monster, the kind of monster capable of destroying this city and maybe much beyond it, too... She had been lured into a trap by her former lover – Oswald Cobblepot, a young man who was also the father of their two year old daughter Rebecca. Back then Oswald had signed an agreement stating if Inka ever escaped, he would disappear. At the time he had not known he had no chance of raising Rebecca, but the child's identity had to be changed, she had to disappear into the system and start a new life, somewhere anonymous where there was no risk of Inka ever finding her...

To this day, Rebecca didn't know about her past or her parents.

She was safer that way.

And his heart ached for Oswald, who had made an agreement long ago when he was a young man with nothing to lose – now the years had flown by and he was king of Gotham and married to Molly and Julian and they had a big family... Oswald was bound by the agreement he had signed all those years before. He would have to disappear. A plan was already in place, and it seemed so cruel, but it was necessary – a least, until she was captured again.

He started up his car and drove away, heading towards the route that would lead to the carnage at the asylum, but his thoughts were still on Oswald.

Jim was dreading what had to be done in the morning:
He would have to speak with Oswald, and remind him the agreement he made years ago had to be honoured for the safety of the city and his own family.

There was no way around this.

The Shadow Lady was loose.

Professor Janine Inka was out there, and had the power to make Gotham fall with a single thought...

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

When morning came Molly was up first, as the kids started to wake. She left Oswald and Julian to sleep and put on her dressing gown and left the bedroom, then hurried to catch Lucy as she chased Felix towards the stairs.

“Slow down!” she said, “It's not quite breakfast time yet!”

Then as the kids went down the stairs slowly, she turned back to see Cain was up and dressed and ready to go out.

“When did you get back?” she asked in surprise.

Cain looked so much like his father in his younger years as he ran his fingers through hair spiked with gel and as he smiled, she was reminded of her own father, he definitely had the jawline of Kane MacQueen, and his smile reflected her own – but the rest was all Oswald.

“I was at Ronny's until midnight,” he replied, “Then I saw the sky light up, it was crazy... you know about the explosion at Arkham?”

Molly blinked.

“What explosion?”

“It's probably none of our business – it can't be linked to anyone with underworld ties or Ed or the GCPD would have called Dad by now. But it was huge, Mom. I came back to see if Dad was going to get a call, but you were all sleeping, so I went to bed.”

“Why would your Dad be involved?” Molly asked.

He shrugged.

”Someone escaped, they're not saying much about it, there was more emphasis on the explosion. Apparently thirty security staff died last night. They said the prisoner was not expected to get far, would soon be back in detention and there was no reason for the public to be alarmed, and more would be discussed at a later date. Maybe that's already resolved, I don't know. There's been nothing more on the news, I was watching TV at six am.”

“Thirty deaths? Bloody hell...” said Molly, and as she and her eldest son carried on talking, Felix had run off to the kitchen while Lucy, who had just reached the bottom of the stairs, turned to the front door, sensing something strange.

She looked up to see Mommy was still talking to Cain, then she walked down the hallway a short distance and stopped sharply as her powerful senses tuned into something cold, something nasty.

She blinked and it all rushed at her:

A lady in a white dress with fair hair and black eyes stood in a shadowy place, as clouds ran past the moon at speed and the word shrunk and expanded once more as people screamed and then everything collided as the lady in white roared so hard her mouth yawned wider and wider, opening up until there was nothing left of her face...

Lucy screamed.

Molly and Cain looked around sharply. They both hurried down the stairs as Lucy screamed again, standing rigid with her back turned as she faced the front door.

“Lucy!”

She felt hands on her shoulders and blinked again, the vision was gone and now she was looking into the green, kind and very worried eyes of her Mommy, and her big brother Cain was standing beside her.

“Lucy, what's the screaming about?” she asked.

“I don't like the scary lady,” Lucy whispered, and then she hugged Molly tightly as she looked at Cain in alarm.

“What lady?”

“She's a monster, she was there, outside with the moon and the darkness.”

Molly was used to threats descending on her powerful underworld family – but she also trusted her sixth sense, it had been powerful enough to warn her when Lucy was in danger – and so far, there had been no nightmares or visions...

“I think you just remembered a bad dream,” Molly said as she placed a hand on the top of her head, stroking fair hair the same shade as Julian's.

“But I saw her!” Lucy insisted.

“What's going on?”

Julian's voice sounded panicked as he ran down the stairs. Oswald was limping after him in a dressing gown.

“Lucy had a bad dream, she just remembered it,” Molly said, “She's okay now.”

Worry still reflected in Julian's gaze.

“Was it a dream, Lucy?”

She looked up at her Daddy and shook her head.

“The scary lady had black eyes! She roared like a monster and her face vanished! She's a witch!”

Julian exchanged a glance with Oswald and Molly.

“Maybe I should be careful what stories I read you before bed,” Julian told her, “There was a scary witch in the book last night, I think you had a bad dream.”

“Daddy, she was real!” Lucy insisted.

“No, she's not real. And it's breakfast time, let's hurry before Felix eats all the cereal!” he took her by the hand, leading her off towards the kitchen.

“I'm grabbing breakfast too!” Cain called out as he hurried after them, “I'll race you, Lucy!”

Then Lucy let go of her father's hand as she hurried to catch up with Cain, forgetting her vision as she raced her big brother to get to the kitchen first.

Molly turned to Oswald.

“I don't know why Lucy behaved like that. Maybe she suddenly remembered a bad dream. I'm sure it's nothing more.”

“And now I'm up too early,” Oswald replied, “Oh well, I'd better join you for breakfast before I get ready to start my day.”

Then he put his arm around her and they headed towards the kitchen together.

As Luna joined the family at the table, she asked what the screaming had been about.

“Nothing, just a nightmare Lucy had, it's over with now,” Molly told her, then the conversation over breakfast was switched to the explosion at Arkham.

Cain asked his father if Ronny was needed in work today, and Oswald had sounded distracted as he shook his head and told his son that Ronny had the day off, and to enjoy some time with his girlfriend, then he made a call to Ed, and listened as he related all that had happened.

“It was a prisoner escape and a huge explosion,” he told him, “I'm looking at a wrecked basement and busted locks, they said thirty staff died last night.... I can't even find the prisoner's patient records, it's crazy... but the cops are handling it, I've been told it's not an underworld matter.”

“I see,” Oswald replied, “Just do your job, Ed – I'll call James Gordon after breakfast and see if his people have located the prisoner...And I shall also make it clear if the escaped individual is a threat to the public, the underworld will most certainly insist on playing a role in eliminating this threat!”

“I've been told outside authorities are involved.”

As Ed said that, Oswald briefly closed his eyes, giving a weary sigh.

“Then it must be related to crimes committed long ago on their soil and ours,” he concluded, shaking his head, “I detest these multi authority cases... if the prisoner is wanted out of Gotham, maybe outside authorities should take them off our map! Who is this prisoner?”

Just then Felix and Lucy reached across the table at the same time as a glass of milk toppled and spilled and Oswald shifted back sharply.

“Be more careful, please!” he said.

“Sorry, what?” Ed sounded as confused as he was tired, he had not slept since the news of the bombing had reached him the night before.

“I'll call you back,” Oswald replied, “I'm having breakfast with the family... Give me an hour, Ed.”

He ended the call, still unaware of the identity of the escaped prisoner.

Lucy had just finished breakfast.

“I know I saw a witch!” she insisted, “She felt bad... and she was scary!”

“Stop that talk about witches. They're not real!” Luna said to her younger sister.

“Then maybe she was a monster.”

“Monsters don't exist either!” Luna said firmly, giving her a look that reminded Oswald of Fish Mooney.

“Then maybe she was a Gotham monster!”

“We don't use that term in this house, Lucy, it's unkind,” Oswald said gently.

“But there are Gotham monsters, Daddy Oz!” Lucy insisted.

“There are no monsters, only people,” Julian added, “And years ago some people had bad things happen and it changed them, but that doesn't mean they were monsters.”

“Lucy,” Molly said as she looked across the table, “I realise you've heard this phrase from your friends, but later on at school when you learn history, you'll see it differently. People who were used for experiments by scientists in the old days were called monsters, but they're not, they're victims of experimentation, from a time when the world was a very different place.”

Julian had smiled as he looked down at the table, then he glanced to Molly and Oswald before speaking up again.

“And not all people who have been through experiments turned out badly, some were good guys,” he said, as Molly met his gaze and smiled too, recalling how all he had been through in Ashecliffe had led to the healing powers he used to possess.

“That's true,” she agreed, her gaze lingering on his, then she looked to her daughter, “Some people who were altered because of experiments were kind and helpful. Some had wonderful abilities, too. But we don't call anyone a monster, Lucy, it's not very nice.”

Lucy nodded.

“If I was born years ago, I would have found all the people who were called monsters and made them better,” she said.

“I don't doubt that for a moment, I know you would,” Molly agreed. Then she left the table and started to make tea for Oswald.

Jim Gordon was parked in his car on the side of the road. He was a mile from the mansion where Oswald lived with his family, and a short few minutes away from making a call that would shatter Oswald's life. As he sat there, he didn't think about the carnage he had seen at Arkham, because if he thought about that, he would throw up his coffee – body parts mixed in with the walls and the floors, exploded remains of people, outside the asylum two guards had been stripped of their skin, their bones and organs left in a mushy heap. It was like a scene straight from Hell. And if he didn't keep his coffee down, he was sure he would fall asleep here, parked at the roadside. It had been a long night - and one he would never forget, as much as he wished that he could...

He was thinking instead about Oswald, who was about to find out who had escaped and what that meant for his future.

He would have to leave his family, at least until this was over.

And they couldn't know the truth, because they were all at terrible risk...

Jax Sterling had been up early that morning, business was quiet and he wouldn't need to go in unless Oswald called him. He had told Carol he would take Alicia to school that morning, and then as his daughter had breakfast, he made breakfast for Carol and took it upstairs it her.

“Have a nice easy start to the morning, dear,” he said with a smile, “Josh handled the paperwork with Ronny this week and so far, there's nothing else pending. Let's hope it stays that way.”

Then Alicia ran in, ready for school and with her bag in her hand.

“I'm ready to go!” she said brightly.

Jax smiled at his daughter, silently thankful he was able to do the simple things, like take his daughter to school. He was thankful to be alive, and had never stopped feeling grateful that he had a future to look forward to with his family. Just then, the phone rang and Jax went over to the table by the window and answered the call.

“Hi,” said Iris, “I was wondering if Little Penguin could come over after school to play with Alicia?”

Jax looked fondly at his wife.

“We have a visitor this afternoon, Carol. A certain little flipper handed friend wants to come over and play with Alicia?”

“That's a lovely idea!” Carol agreed.

“Yay!” Alicia said, “Penguin's coming over!”

“I would love to stop and chat, but I'm doing the school run today,” Jax added, “Bring Penguin over around four, he can stay for dinner,” then he said goodbye to Iris and ended the call.

“Is Maria coming too?” Alicia asked.

“I don't know,” Carol replied, then she glanced at Jax.

“Maybe you should call Josh and Selina, see if Maria can come over, the three of them get along so well.”

“I shall call Josh right after I take Alicia to school,” Jax told her, then he went over to the bed as Carol set her tea aside, and he kissed her fondly.

“I'll be back soon,” he told her, then as Alicia hurried out the door he left the room, looking forward to a day spent with his wife, then after school hours with the house filled with kids. He loved family times, there was nothing better, as far as Jax was concerned...

Josh had heard all about the bomb at Arkham. There had been a brief report on the news earlier that morning, which had stated the matter was being handled by the GCPD. Josh had checked his phone. No message from Oswald meant it was not an underworld matter. Not that he had much time to think about it as Selina had rolled on top of him with a giggle, her hand sliding lower as she pressed a lubed finger against his ass. It had been just after six am, the house was silent, and she lowered her voice to a whisper as she leaned close to his ear:
“I can't wait for Ivy to get back from the greenhouse at the weekend – I'm planning for the three of us to have some fun, Josh! Does that feel tight?”

He gave a gasp as she slid the dildo in, wickedly, teasingly fucking him with it, in and out quickly, then slowly drawing it back, making him groan as he longed for more.

“Harder?”

“Yes please!”

“Like this?”

The sound of her whispered voice made every nerve in his body tingle as she angled the toy and pushed it in and out in a steadily increasing rhythm as she looked down, watching the expression of pure uncontrolled pleasure on his face as she hit the right spot over and over... He had pressed his face against the pillow as he came hard, his ass gripping the dildo as semen soaked the sheets beneath him. Then Selina had drawn out the toy, and as he turned over, she giggled as he realised he was lying in the wet patch.

“Stay there!” she said playfully, and then he pulled her closer and they shared a kiss.

“I'm so glad I have a kinky wife,” Josh said with a smile, “I always knew you were kinky, back when we first met... Well, I didn't know, but I really hoped you were, it was the leather cat suit that did it!”

“And your dreams came true,” she said softly, and he pulled her close and they kissed again, then lay together until six thirty, when they grabbed a shower together before Maria woke up. And it was an ordinary day. Just like Jax, Josh had no clue something was about to happen that would shatter Oswald Cobblepot's world...

Oswald was about to start what he expected to be a peaceful day. Breakfast was over, and by the time he had gone upstairs to get changed and put on a dark suit and spike his hair and prepare to start his day, it was almost time to take the kids to school. As he drove away from the house, he didn't know Jim was parked at a distance away, feeling genuinely sad, regretting the fact that he had to break such bad news to Ozzie.

They had not always seen eye to eye over the years, but as time had passed by, he had put the past behind them, respecting Oswald as much as their opposite sides in the power balance often frustrated him – but when all was said and done Oswald was the finest king the underworld could ever wish for. He kept the peace, there were no turf wars going on with Oswald running the criminal world. And now he was about to break the worst news he could imagine hearing. Not that he expected Oswald had ever thought it possible that this day would come...

But a plan was in place and now, all he had to do was make a call. Jim checked his watch. Oswald would be back from the school run in around twenty minutes if the traffic was good. Then he would give him another ten minutes to go home and see Molly and Julian, ten more minutes for Oswald to still hold on to his life as he knew it to be... Then he had no choice, because he couldn't hold it off any longer.

He knew he would have to make the call, and tell him he was on the way over to speak about a confidential matter...

When his phone rang Oswald had answered it right away, he was planning to spend the morning with Molly and Julian, the smile he had seen on Julian's face as he walked in had made him feel excitement start to stir as he thought about him and Molly taking Julian upstairs, and what a wild time they would have...

Then Jim had called, and everything changed.

“Why do you need to see me?” Oswald had asked as Molly and Julian looked on.

“It's regarding an escape at Arkham last night,” replied Jim.

Oswald felt confused.

“Ed told me it was strictly a matter for the police.”

“What else did he say?” As Jim asked that question, he had tried to hide his concern, but Oswald had not detected the hint of worry as he gave his reply.

“Not much, I was having breakfast with my family, I understand there was an explosion – but Ed told me it wasn't an underworld concern, so I'm afraid its entirely in your hands, Jim! Have fun hunting down your suspect!”

Oswald chuckled as he said that, and as he sat nearby lounging on the sofa, Julian smirked. He loved it when Ozzie joyfully reminded the GCPD of their responsibilities... Molly was standing beside Oswald looking on, and as he spoke again, she found the matter confusing:

Jim was asking for his help when he had already said it was strictly nothing to do with the underworld?

“...So why do you need to speak with me, Jim?” he asked, “It's not my concern.”

“This is confidential, Oswald,” Jim replied, “I'm in your driveway right now. I need you to come with me. We have some important business to clear up.”

“Fine, I'll be out in a minute.”

Oswald ended the call.

”I have no clue what this is about, but Jim needs to speak with me about the explosion at Arkham, maybe he thinks I can offer some insight... I'll tell him he should be speaking to Ed, he knows more about explosives than I do! I'll be back soon,” Oswald glanced to Molly and then Julian, “This won't take long,” he added, then he limped out of the room and headed for the front door, pausing to grab his coat.

Molly exchanged a glance with Julian.

“Why would Jim want his help with this?”

“Maybe he can't handle it on his own,” he suggested, and then he rested comfortably in the armchair, “Don't worry, Molly - Ozzie will be back soon, like he said, it's a police matter, it's nothing to do with the underworld.”

“I hope you're right,” Molly replied, but even as she said that, she had her doubts...

“I was told this is not an underworld matter! What's this about, Jim?”

As Oswald asked that, he had taken a seat beside Jim and closed the car door with a slam as he turned his head, glaring at him as Jim looked back at Oswald, he saw anger in his eyes but he didn't want to quarrel. His heart was aching for him as he thought about the impact the bad news would have – this was going to hit him hard, and it was best not said until they were back at the GCPD, in his office, with the door firmly locked...

“I'll explain soon enough, but not here,” Jim said, then he started up the engine and they drove away as Oswald sat there silently fuming, unaware that there was so much more to this than the GCPD demanding an unexpected favour...

Jim said nothing as they dove into the city. When they reached the headquarters of the GCPD, he took the car around the back, parked it and turned off the engine, then he got out of the car and Oswald did the same, closing the passenger door firmly and then leaning on his cane as he glared at Jim.

“I should be at home today, spending time with Molly and Julian – I run the underworld in such a way that trouble rarely happens, and you're dragging me here over a police matter that is none of my concern?”

“I know your time with your family is precious,” Jim replied, “Please, come with me, Oswald. We need to talk.”

There was a serious look in Jim's eyes. Oswald gave a heavy sigh.

“Make it quick, Jim. I said I'd be home soon.”

Jim said nothing in reply as he led him inside, and they took the back way on a quiet route down an empty corridor, that would soon lead to his office. His heart still felt heavy. This was the very last thing he had ever wanted to do, but the news was better coming from him than outside agencies, it was the least Jim could do for him after all these years...

They reached the office and went inside. Oswald took a seat and glared at Jim as he sat down on the other side of the desk. Jim didn't glare back. It was just the two of them and better this way, Jim was sure of it - this way, hearing it from him, maybe it would soften the blow... if that was possible.

“I'm sorry, Oswald,” he said, opening up a file and sliding it across the table, “But Janine Inka escaped last night.”

Oswald's jaw dropped as his face paled. His eyes were wide with shock as he took in his words, and as he opened up the file and saw the papers he had signed years before, his hands shook. Memories hit him of the girl who used to live downstairs in the same apartment block as him, back in the days when he was a young man, living with his mother:

Shy and quiet Miss Janine Inka, who had be friended him, then offered to pay him to help her catalogue her notes and arrange her lab room she had created in her apartment.

“A scientist, how interesting!” his mother had said, and when he had brought Janine over for dinner, Gertrud Kapelput had adored her.

“So sweet, such a charming young lady – and so clever, too!” she had told her son...

He had never really understood Janine's work. Only that she was trying to harness some kind of atomic energy. All of her work was in reams of notes, and the stuff she had laid out on the lab table was nothing he understood, either. But she had bright green eyes and her fair hair framed a face that smiled and blushed when his hand brushed hers. Oswald had started to feel drawn to her, perhaps it was a crush, or maybe he was just flattered. When they shared a kiss, he had let his heart fly straight into her hands.

That was when working late meant kisses on her couch as her hands wandered over him, but young Oswald hadn't quite felt ready, as much as he was sure he loved her...

She was kind and gentle Janine, and he brought her flowers.

She told him all about her plans for humans to one day be able to shape shift into shadows and harness the power of controlling atoms. It all sounded exciting to Oswald.

Janine wanted to take him to her bed.

She was much older than him at thirty five and he had told her, maybe soon but for now, he just wanted to hold her and be romantic.

Then Janine had got him drunk and the next thing he knew, he was on the sofa while she masturbated him, saying that a guy of twenty-one ought to know how to get excited...

He didn't remember sleeping with her.

When he woke up he felt drugged.

Drugged and used...

And that was when he recoiled from her.

He had not told his mother.

Oswald had simply stopped visiting Janine Inka.

And then she had contacted him and told him she was pregnant.

“I can't keep this baby, it will get in the way of my career,” she had said bluntly.

Oswald had begged.

She had refused to listen.

That was when he had gone home and sunk to his knees and sobbed with his head on his mother's lap as she stroked his hair and told him:

“Keep away from women, my son. They will hurt you like she did! They are all selfish hussies, who only want to use my beautiful boy for their pleasure!”

But all the same, Gertrud had wept as she handed money to Oswald and told him to be a gentleman and pay for the abortion.

But Janine was already gone. She had left without a trace...

Two years later, as strange disturbances were reported in the city, after Janine had experimented on herself and become the Shadow Lady with ambition to rule over Gotham, Oswald had found her – and the baby, too. Janine had lied, their daughter Becky was two years old and sitting in a dark basement, afraid of the monster her mother had become.

He had taken her away and gone straight to the GCPD and told them everything.

Well, almost everything.

When the detective interviewing him had said he could be charged with the same crimes as Professor Inka, because he was her lover and the father of her child and perhaps involved in her crimes, Oswald had said nothing about how that child had come about. The situation was terrible enough without admitting Janine had drugged him in order to have sex with him...

And so he had agreed to trap her, telling her he knew the whereabouts of her child. They had met in semi darkness in an underground parking area, and Janine had pulled back on her devastating powers, becoming human long enough to embrace him.

Long enough for a marksman to shoot her with a powerful sedative.

Janine had woken up in a specially constructed cell, designed to contain her abilities.

And Oswald had signed an agreement that if Inka ever escaped, he would disappear. He had readily signed it, he had signed everything in his haste to get back to his daughter – not realising half of what he had agreed to... His reward had been to have Becky torn from his arms as he was told he could never see his child again, her mother was too dangerous – if she ever escaped, she would take the city apart looking for both of them...

Those memories burned as sharp as the tears he blinked away as he looked down at the faded, yellowed by time paperwork he had signed on the day Becky had been taken from him.

“I'm sorry,” Jim was saying, “But she's out there and this agreement still stands, Oswald. It's not just between you and this city – beyond the city, too. Janine Inka is a deadly threat to millions.”

Oswald was thinking of Molly and Julian and the kids as he took in a sharp breath and tore his gaze from the paperwork and looked Jim in the eye.

“And you think if I vanish, you've solved your problem? She will do everything in her power to assert dominance over this city!”

“And Wayne Enterprises have their best people working to strengthen and repair the containment field in her holding cell at Arkham, they also have a team creating a portable trap to hold her, so if she can be captured, we can transport her back to the asylum with no threat to the public. We have a window of time before she recovers from her escape. It took everything she had to break out and it could be three months or more before she surfaces again. We have time to prepare – and so do you!”

Oswald's gaze was pure steel as he glared at Jim and shoved the paperwork back across the table.

“I have two spouses and a large family! My husband is pregnant! I have no intention of abiding by this agreement, something I signed years before the city fell! We have the unity pact now, you and I are on the same side!”

Oswald sounded desperate. Jim didn't blame him for that. But he had to spell it out as it stood.

“The agreement still stands because its crosses the Gotham border too. I have managed to persuade outside military and law enforcement that I can handle your honouring of this agreement. If you don't do this, you will be forced to do it against your will. And if you vanish overnight, that could spark rumours and ultimately an underworld war – which could destroy the city!”

The fire and fight had faded from Oswald's gaze. He was thinking of Molly and Julian and the children.

“But I'm not the person I was back then – I have a family now, Jim!”

“And you can go back to your family, you can explain it all after Inka is captured. But until then, starting from today, you have to start preparing the way for your disappearance - and that has been decided to be played out as an apparent suicide.”

Oswald's jaw dropped. He was still in shock and anger didn't even come to the fore, there was no room for that as all he could do was shake his head as he blinked away tears.

“No one would ever believe that! Most certainly, my family know that is the last thing I want to do! We are happy together, and we have a new baby on the way, Jim! As for the underworld, it's peaceful out there and the city is thriving! There's no reason for me to take my own life, this is crazy!”

Jim paused for a moment, hating to be the one to do this to Oswald, but it was still better coming from him than a stranger, better than coming from outside authorities who might be more aggressive about it...

“If this was done any other way, people would start to talk and make accusations, because you're the head of the underworld – and then we would have a war out there, Oswald. This is why we have to play it out like this.”

Jim took a bottle of pills from his pocket and placed them on the table.

“Seven and a half years ago, you had cromine poisoning. You were cured by Fish when she still had healing ability, but no one else knows that. As you know, since the time when you were sick, a drug has been developed to cure victims of the toxin. And that's what the city assumed saved you. But sometimes cromine toxicity can recur. You will tell your family the poisoning has resurfaced, and you will make the same announcement to the underworld. This gives you time with your family before you leave your car by the docks with a suicide note and from there, you will be taken to a safe house to wait this out. Once Inka has been captured, you can go home to your family and tell them everything – and the official story for the city will be, you were away having treatment, which has been successful, the suicide note was a hoax and your apparent disappearance was due to a breakdown in communications.”

Oswald slowly shook his head.

“Even if I was sick again, my wife knows I would never give up!”

Jim looked to the bottle of pills on the table.

“That's why you need to start taking those,” he said, pushing the bottle closer to Oswald, “It's a harmless but carefully combined dose of meds that will mimic the symptoms of cromine poisoning, fatigue and pain. But it won't cause you any harm and the symptoms will stop within forty eight hours of the last dose. You could tell just your spouses that you're sick, don't tell the kids, then when you go missing, it will take a while for Molly and Julian to accept that you're dead and they will probably tell the kids not to give up hope. Assuming it goes that way, it will minimise the trauma to your family, especially the kids.”

Oswald got up sharply as he glared at Jim.

“I WON'T DO THIS TO MY FAMILY!”

He slammed a fist on to the table as the pill bottle jumped and rattled.

Jim got up too, leaning on the table as he met Oswald's gaze and lowered his voice.

“Once this is over, it's easily undone, you can explain to your family when Inka's back in custody!”

“And if I won't do this?” Oswald said icily, “What happens then, if I tell them everything you just said?”

“Then you will be in breach of our agreement and your family could be in danger. They will all be in danger without this safeguard in place, Oswald! If you stayed out there - visible, and Inka wanted to get to you, what if she used someone else to do it? What if she got under Molly's skin, or took control of Julian – or one of your children?”

Oswald closed his eyes as the room briefly span. He felt like he was caught in a nightmare – but there was no escaping, this was no bad dream, it was real...

He slowly met Jim's gaze as he looked up, sadness reflecting in his pale eyes.

“I hate this, I don't want to believe it, but I know it's true,” he said as tears choked his voice, “And these pills... they hurt just like the cromine did?”

Oswald was terrified. Jim could see it at a glance.

“Because I recall that pain,” Oswald added as his voice shook, “I never want to experience it again!”

As he gave a sob, Jim walked around to the other side of the desk, snatched up the pills and put an arm around his shoulder.

“It won't be as severe as the real thing, and now I'm driving you home,” he said, “We can stop off on the way, you can take one of these pills and we can talk some more.”

“I don't want to do this!”

“There's no choice here, the city will have to believe you're dead, so Inka believes it too - just remember it's not forever,” Jim reminded him as he helped him from the room and down the corridor that led to the back way out of the building.

It seemed like a very long walk, Oswald limped hard and trembled as he leaned on his cane, he was tearful and thankful for Jim's support at that moment, and all Jim could do now was lead him out of the building and over to his car, where they got in and then Jim started up the engine, and they drove away from the GCPD, heading back towards the mansion.

They took the long way around, Jim had chosen a quiet route around the wooded land that led close to the mansion, then he turned off and drove down a long, narrow lane until they reached a lake, where he stopped the car and turned off the engine. All around the trees were starting to turn in shades of brown and gold woven in with green, and the sun had cut through cloud to shine down on the flat surface of the lake.

“You're going to be late home. You will tell Molly after you saw me about the incident at Arkham, you went out of town for an appointment with a doctor. You didn't want to worry your family, so you said nothing until now, and you've just found out the cromine wasn't completely eliminated, you're sick again.”

“River will see through that. She's my daughter, she will insist on treating me.”

“She won't,” Jim said, “Because you don't want your daughter getting involved this time, you're putting your faith in the only medication proven to destroy cromine poisoning. You're already taking it, and you don't want her to go through the upset of handling your treatment for a second time. If she wants to see medical records, all she has to do is contact the doctor who issued the pills – it's on the bottle. And she will be sent very convincing medical reports to prove everything you've told her.”

As he said that, he handed the bottle to Oswald.

“So this has been very well thought out,” Oswald said with a trace of bitterness in his voice, “And it really doesn't matter that I signed that agreement many years ago? How can it still be binding now!”

“It is binding,” Jim told him, “If this was a city only matter, maybe we could have played this differently – that's what I would have preferred to do! But it's not just up to me, and I can't refuse a multi agency agreement where the GCPD is legally bound to comply.”

“This is why I put a stop to outside influence when we became an independent nation!” Oswald said sharply, “We should never have to obey the will of outside authorities ever again!”

“But sometimes multi agency cases do come up - and I'm sorry this has happened.”

“So am I.”

Oswald reached for a bottle of mineral water beside Jim's seat and opened it, glanced at the instructions on the pill bottle and then took a pill.

Jim breathed a relieved sigh.

“I know this is going to be tough, Oswald – but Inka has to believe you're dead. That way, your family is safe and so are you. Just keep remembering , all this can be turned around once she's back in Arkham – you can go home, tell your family the truth and resume your role as head of the underworld. It's all planned out. Just don't break and tell anyone close the truth – because this has to stay secret. Anyone you tell could be in danger. Please remember that when you go home. I know it's going to be hard, lying to your family – but you have a few weeks yet, you don't have to leave them tomorrow. And as soon as Inka is captured, you're free to go home.”

Oswald had listened to all Jim had said as he looked to the flat, sunlit lake as all around, autumnal leaves shivered on trees kissed by a cold breeze. He paused for thought then turned his head, meeting Jim's gaze with a glare that was a pale blue swirl of pain and anger.

“I will do this, Jim. I will comply with every demand. On one condition only – I don't want the risk of this ever happening again, not to me or my family or the threat she could pose to this city! You will arrange for Inka to be shot dead. If she's in her flesh and blood form she can be killed as easy as any other person! So either you, or one of your loyal contacts in the GCPD, will do the deed and it will be recorded that she was killed during an attempt at capture. Do this or I will not comply with your wishes, I will not go home and tell the cruellest of lies to the ones I love and I will NOT go along with my apparent suicide, causing them further pain! I won't do this, Jim, not if you don't give me your word!”

The two men looked at each other.

Jim knew that look in Oswald's eyes, it was a look of a desperate man who was determined to finish this once and for all. He slowly nodded.

“Deal,” he said quietly, and held out his hand as they shook on it.

Oswald and Jim stayed by the lake for an hour as they talked. Jim kept reminding him this wasn't forever, and maybe wouldn't have to go as far as the staged suicide if Inka was caught sooner. But it could be up to three months before she recovered from the massive surge of power it had taken to escape, and even if he did have to see through the fake death plot, at least he would have time with him family before he left, and all the time in the world to explain the truth when it was over...

But it was little comfort to Oswald.

Halfway through their conversation, Oswald's phone rang. It was Molly, and Jim told him not to answer it, and then his own phone rang and he spoke to Molly instead, saying Oswald had left more than an hour ago because he said he had to be somewhere, and when Molly replied that she knew nothing of this, Jim had said she had best ask her husband, because he didn't know where he had gone...

Oswald was sitting there listening to Jim speak to Molly as he silently tried to compose words to start this terrible deception. He had to go home and tell Molly and Julian he had cromine poisoning again. Recurring poisoning was incurable. It would break both their hearts, and it would break his too, knowing he had no choice in this. But it was better to hurt his family for a brief time and explain much later, instead of refusing to comply with the agreement and possibly spending the rest of his life in jail for breaching it...

Ozzie looked tearful as Jim started up the car.

”This is only temporary,” Jim reminded him, and Oswald nodded, then as he felt a vague pain flicker through his bones that brought back horrible memories of the time when he really was sick with cromine poisoning, he took a deep breath, blinking away more tears as he felt as if those painful memories of the worst time in his life had just come back to haunt him.

Jim drove Oswald close to home, then said goodbye and Oswald said nothing as he got out of the door, closed it heavily and started to limp off in the direction of the gates that led to the mansion. Jim's heart was still heavy with regret as he wished he could do more to help, but in his role as commissioner, his task was ensure the hunt for Inka was successful – and the sooner, the better. If the cops could track her down before her energy had replenished, Oswald wouldn't have to go through faking his death and disappearing, putting him through a painful separation and his family through the terrible experience of believing him to be dead. But while she was weak, she wasn't even solid. Janine would be resting, recovering somewhere dark as she melted in with the shadows. It was going to be tough case to crack. Jim focused on that thought as he headed back to the GCPD, determined to find Janine Inka sooner rather than later, to eliminate the threat she posed, and to end Oswald's nightmare, too...

Oswald stepped through the front door, then he closed it quietly behind him. He heard voices and giggles drifting up from the front room as Molly and Julian talked about the new baby and discussed names:

“Obviously if it's a boy I won't be naming him fuckin' Shepard!” Julian said with a chuckle.

“And I certainly won't be suggesting Beth!” Molly exclaimed.

“Oh Molly, Beth Crane's dead, stop it!”

“You're still laughing!”

“I'm not!” Julian protested.

“You are!” Molly said with a giggle, “Why shouldn't I speak ill of her? Dirty old slag slept with my Oswald while he was in jail – her jail! And he was sick at the time! Oh god, I remember how bad that was, when he had the cromine poisoning... I'm so glad he's okay now. I'll never forget how scared I was for him.”

“I was scared too,” Julian reminded her.

“I think you've always loved him,” Molly added as her voice softened.

“I have,” Julian agreed.

This was the worst time to walk in and start this terrible deception. Molly had just said how she had worried for him over the poisoning seven years ago, and now he had to force her to relive that...

It wasn't right.

It wasn't fair.

But he had to comply with the agreement.

And as Jim said, it wasn't forever...

He could feel his own heart breaking as he took a deep, composed his thoughts and then limped towards the front room, about to make an announcement that would shatter the two people he loved most in this world...

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

As Oswald entered the front room, Molly turned away from Julian, who was still lounging on the sofa, and she looked at him with confusion in her gaze.

“Where have you been? I called you and got no reply, then I called Jim and he said you left ages ago!”

Julian sat up on the chair, briefly placing a hand below his ribcage, over their unborn child as he looked at Oswald.

“I was starting to worry. What's going on, Oz?”

He took in a deep breath as he looked to Molly then Julian. This would hit them both hard, and he didn't want to do it.

But Jim was right. Janine had to believe he was dead.

Even his family would have to believe it when the time came.

And Jim had said, this wasn't forever. He could explain later, when it was over...

He didn't have to try to sound convincing as he felt his heart ache sharply, knowing what he was about to do would devastate their lives. Tears filled his eyes as he began to speak.

“There's no easy way to say this. I don't want to hurt either of you...”

Molly's expression had changed to one of alarm. Julian had got up from the chair, and he was looking very worried now. And it was too late to turn this situation back, he had no choice but to carry on with the plan...

“I went to see a doctor. I've recently been having symptoms and I needed to know...” as he said that, Molly and Julian had both gone over to join him, and he couldn't look at them as he kept his gaze on the low flickering fireplace, speaking the words he had been ordered to say.

“It seems that while Fish cured me six years back, that cure wasn't complete. There was still a trace of cromine in my body and I'm suffering with toxicity again. It's back and I didn't think it can be cured a second time.”

Molly put her hand on his shoulder. Tears blurred her eyes as she met his gaze. Inside she wanted to scream and cry, but all she could think was, No, not again, not my Oswald...

“Ozzie, it's going to be okay. There's a treatment for it now, you can try that, love! There's still a chance.”

“I've already started it,” Oswald replied, “I have medication - but recurring poisoning is always, eventually fatal. I'm so sorry!”

He gave a sob and Molly drew him tightly into her arms as she said again that it was going to be okay. Julian just stood there, his eyes wide with shock as tears filled them. He took in a shaky breath and then gave a quiet sob.

“No, you can't die!” he sobbed, then he reached for Molly and Oswald and held on tightly as the three of them wept together, Molly and Julian out of fear for Oswald, and Oswald for the pain he had just caused his family, knowing worse would come if he had to go through with the faked suicide. He pulled back and looked to his tearful partners.

“Please don't tell the kids – not yet!”

Molly nodded.

“Why cause them pain before they need to know,” she agreed.

Julian had stepped out of their embrace as he paused to wipe his eyes.

“Why now? Why did his have to happen? I'm carrying your kid! You can't just die on me, I love you!”

His words were choked off by another sob as Molly looked at her husband as she let go of him, it was a wordless glance that simply conveyed, Go to him. Julian was fragile, he was also carrying a baby, too. It had just occurred to Molly that Julian would need as much care as Ozzie, but in a different way. Oswald was hugging him now, Julian was clinging to him tightly as he sobbed inconsolably. Molly had tears in her eyes as she looked on.

“Maybe the medication will work, Ozzie,” she said, knowing she was desperate for a shred of hope, “Fish cured you when she had healing powers. That's different to using medication, and these days that toxin can be completely wiped out, maybe you do stand a chance of recovery.”

Julian was now crying quietly as he held him, his face pressed against his shoulder.

“Maybe,” Oswald replied, deciding if he had to go along with this terrible lie, he would at least play it out his way and cause his family as little distress as possible, “Maybe there is hope. I haven't given up.”

“And we won't give up either.” Molly vowed.

Later, after Molly left the house to pick the kids up from school, Oswald was resting in the bedroom. He had put the pills away in a locked drawer and left them there. He didn't need to put chemicals into his body to fake the symptoms, he remembered what that pain was like and he would simply leave the pills alone, and claim he was feeling well at this time, just very, very tired. No one could force him to take them to make it look convincing - as long as he went along with the plan, he couldn't be accused of breaking his agreement... And he didn't want to relive that pain, even though the pills only caused a mild imitation of it. He would do this his way, and if he saw a way out of this, his family would be the first to know because he would drop this horrible act at the first opportunity... Now the worst was done – lying to the ones he loved – he was ready to deal with this situation in his own way:

Fuck the agreement, he could find ways to make this easier on his family. He didn't have to tell them there was no hope...

The door opened. Seeing the look on Julian's face made his heart ache. Oswald sat up and held his arms out to him as Julian tearfully climbed on to the bed, hugging him tightly as he stifled another sob.

“You can't die, Oswald! Not now, not with the baby coming! You said you wanted to live to be a very old man, maybe you still can!”

“Yes,” Oswald agreed as he placed a hand on Julian's tear stained cheek, “Maybe I can,” he promised with a smile, “I wasn't treated with these meds the first time around. My case is unique. Maybe I will get through this. I think that's what we should all hope for. And I have much to live for, I have you and the baby and Molly and the kids! I haven't given up hope.”

“What did the doctor say to you?” Julian asked.

”Only that it had come back and it was serious and recurring toxicity is eventually fatal. But, I haven't been treated with the new drug before. So that could keep me alive for a very long time.”

“Did the doctor really say that?”

The desperation he saw in his eyes broke his heart.

“I was told not to give up hope,” he replied, and then he drew Julian close into his arms, holding him as he stroked his hair.

“Please don't cry, my sweet Julian. I'm sure I will get through this, I haven't given up hope, I love you all so very much.”

As he said those words, he thought at about Jim's hopes of tracking down Janine Inka. If she was caught tomorrow, this horrible deception could end.

“I don't want to live without you,” Julian said quietly as he curled up beside him with his head on his shoulder.

“It's okay,” Oswald told him softly, “I'm going nowhere, Julian. For now I'm coping, and I intend to be with you for as long as I can, and that could be a very long time - I certainly hope it turns out that way. Please don't cry, the kids are home soon. They can't know about this, not yet, it's not fair on them.”

“I won't tell them,” Julian said quietly, and Oswald held him a little tighter as they lay together, as he desperately hoped there was a way out of this situation. It was causing pain to his family, and that was the worst part about it.

When Molly returned, while Oswald was resting and comforting Julian, and the kids were busy with TV and homework, Molly was tearfully talking on the phone to River, who was equally upset to hear the news.

“I'm coming over to see Dad tonight, I want to handle his treatment,” she said, “I don't know why he didn't come to me in the first place!”

“He didn't want to worry you, love,” Molly said as she wiped her eyes, “I think he decided to do this alone – and he wasn't expecting this diagnosis, not after he beat it last time. He thought that was over with.”

“I'll talk to him,” River said again, “I'll stop by on my way home after work.”

“Thanks,” Molly replied, then she ended the call.

She looked to the kitchen door, saw and heard no one and guessed Oswald was still upstairs with Julian – and she didn't doubt that sensitive Julian needed more comfort than Ozzie at this moment. She had seen the look of devastation on his face when Oswald broke the bad news, and now it was clear she had Ozzie and Julian to worry about for different reasons. Losing Ozzie would break her heart, but if Julian lost him, it would break him completely... She had hid her sadness in front of the kids, keeping to the agreement not to tell them until they had to know, and it was hard to stay silent about such a painful truth... Then Cain walked in and he saw the look on her face, and Molly knew she couldn't keep this from their eldest son. Cain was grown up now, he needed to know the truth. A few short months from now, if they lost Ozzie, Cain would be expected to take his place as head of the underworld...

“Mom?” Cain said as he hurried over to join her, “What's wrong?”

“Your Dad's ill, love,” she said, and then as she quietly sobbed, Cain hugged her as he felt a deep flicker of fear, knowing the news had to be the worst for his Mom to be weeping like this.

Molly let go of him and wiped her eyes, glancing to the doorway, thankful none of the younger kids had run into the kitchen asking for a drink or a snack as she broke down.

“What's wrong with Dad?” Cain asked.

“The cromine toxin wasn't completely removed from his body... it's still there and it's making him sick again!” she said tearfully.

Cain recalled years back, when he had watched his Dad suffer pain and exhaustion. He recalled how his parents had told him that Daddy might die, but that hadn't happened. His father had been cured... and now it was back? There was a flicker of fear in his eyes, Molly saw it again, that same look she had seen years before, as in that moment he reminded her of his younger self, a little boy afraid of losing his Dad. Then the moment was gone.

“I'll go and talk to Dad,” Cain said, “The kids don't know yet?”

Molly shook her head.

“Your Dad doesn't want them upset until they have to be.”

“Wise decision,” Cain replied, “I'll go and talk to Dad now... is he upstairs?”

“Yes, with Julian.”

“Okay,” Cain said quietly, and then he left the room. Then Felix ran in asking for cookies, and Molly forced a smile as she hid her pain from their six year old son.

Cain went upstairs, and as he approached the main bedroom he saw the door was open. Oswald was sitting on top of the covers, Julian was curled up on the bed beside him with his head on his chest, and his eyes looked red from crying.

“Dad,” Cain said softly, “Mom told me... Is there anything I can do?”

Oswald shook his head as his heart felt heavy with guilt. He wanted to tell his eldest son everything, but it was simply too dangerous...

“Just understand that for now, I'm fine,” Oswald replied in a hushed voice, “I'm tired and I ache all over sometimes, but it's not like it was before. And you don't have to worry about me, son.”

“Of course I do, you're my Dad!”

“Just try not to worry too much,” he added, glancing down at Julian, who was still beside him with his head on his shoulder. He was so tearful he hadn't even acknowledged Cain had entered the room.

“Is he... okay?” Cain asked quietly.

“Just leave us to talk, son,” Oswald told him, and as he said that he stroked Julian's hair.

“I don't want you to die,” Julian whispered, pressing his face against his shoulder.

“It's going to be fine,” Oswald said softly.

Cain exchanged a glance with his Dad and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him. Only then did he let his tears start to show as he walked quickly towards his room to cry in private, away from the rest of the family. His father was being so brave about this, and poor Julian was having a breakdown. His Mom had way too much to handle, and he wished he could do more to help...

In the main bedroom, Oswald was talking softly to Julian.

“I promise you, in the end, this will not end badly,” he assured him.

Julian raised his head from his shoulder looking utterly confused.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Ozzie? You're going to die, I'm going to lose you, this baby won't know his father -”

“And you can bring this child up with Molly, and with the other children if I'm not around – but I very much intend to be here!”

As he said that, Oswald felt as if his heart was breaking.

“But you won't be here,” Julian said sadly.

“I could live for a very long time. Things are not always how they seem.”

Julian blinked.

“What?”

Oswald realised he had just said way too much – but he didn't want to take it back, either. He resented the lies he had been forced to tell and if he could slip something in that would lean towards the truth, he would do so...He spoke carefully, choosing his words with caution.

“I'm just saying, maybe things are not as bad as they seem.”

Hope shone in Julian's gaze.

“You think the meds will work, that you'll get better?”

“I hope so. And at this moment, I feel okay,” Oswald said, then he pulled him closer, giving him tight, strong hug, and as he drew back he managed a smile.

“All is not lost, just remember that,” Oswald assured him. And as he said that, he felt entirely alone with his secret. It was too much to carry, he had to tell someone...

Jax Sterling was unaware of Oswald's situation as he watched the children playing in the garden. Maria was collecting fallen leaves and Alicia was helping her. In the kitchen, the table was covered with a plastic tablecloth and paints were set out beside paper, and as Carol finished laying it out, she heard the fast tap-tap of Little Penguin's shoes as he ran in from outside, he was carrying Cindy and there was a sparkle in his small, round eyes.

“Look, look!” he said, and stroked the cat as she snuggled in his arms purring loudly, “She rumbles! Penguin keep Cindy the rumble cat? Cat all for Penguin?”

Carol smiled down at him.

“No, you can't keep her, she lives here!”

“But Penguin will feed and cuddle her,” he said, his small flipper stroking her fur again as the cat carried on purring.

“She's our cat, we would miss her!”

“Penguin bring her to see you,” he said with a smile.

“No, she lives here. Put her on the floor now, let me show you what we're going to do,” Carol told him.

Little Penguin put Cindy carefully on the floor and she padded out of the kitchen, off to seek a favourite spot on the armchair in the front room where the fire glowed warmly.

“We're going to paint some big fallen leaves and print them and make pretty pictures,” Carol said as she set out the paint brushes and pots.

Little Penguin excitedly climbed on to a chair and touched the tips of his flippers together.

“We paint leaves and...” he thumped a flipper on the table, “And leaf goes on to picture?”

“Yes, that's right!”

“Penguin done it before, it's good!” he said, clapping his flippers, then as Carol carried on setting up the table, he got down from the chair and waddled across the kitchen, reaching up to grab at a large plate of muffins baked for the children.

“You'll enjoy this, Little Penguin,” Carol was saying as she finished up with the table, setting paints aside and leaving space for the leaves to be put on paper plates when they were finished with to avoid mess, and as she did that she carried on talking, explaining what went where, just so he wasn't messy.

Little Penguin wasn't listening. While her back was turned, he reached for a second muffin, then a third, then a fourth....

“...And we put the used leaves over here so we don't make a mess,” Carol concluded.

She heard a small belch in reply and turned around to see Little Penguin standing next to an empty plate, with chocolate cake around his mouth and all over the tips of his flippers. He gave a broad smile.

“Cake is good, Carol!”

“Oh Penguin, you messy boy! Now I'll have to make some more!” she exclaimed as Little Penguin stood there smiling and opening up a cake covered flipper.

Just then Jax came in with the girls, Alicia set the leaves down on a plate on the table and then stared at messy Little Penguin.

“Penguin, no!” she gasped.

“Did you eat all the cakes?” Jax asked him.

Penguin shook his head.

“I think you did,” Jax replied, “The plate is empty.”

Penguin reached into his pocket and pulled out a muffin, waddled over to Maria and put it in her hand.

“Penguin not eat them all. Penguin save one for Maria!”

Maria laughed as she looked down at the squashed muffin.

“It's got fluff from your pocket.”

“Fluff is tasty!” he said with a wide smile, then he looked in dismay at his cake covered flippers.

“Carol, help me with sticky flippers?”

“Of course I will!” she said, taking him by a cake covered, tapered hand and leading him over to the sink as the girls started playing with the paint. Then the phone rang and Jax saw it was Oswald on the line.

“Excuse me, Carol, this is work,” he said, and then he left the kitchen and went into the hallway to take the call.

“I need to speak with you, Jax.”

All thoughts of a happy afternoon with his family and Alicia's friends had just slipped away in an instant. Oswald sounded ...tearful?

“Sir, is this an official matter? Has something happened? I can be with you in fifteen minutes -”

“No, come over to the house tomorrow morning, I need to speak with you alone. This is a personal matter, Jax.”

“What's this about, Oswald?” he asked, feeling concerned for his closest, oldest friend as formalities slipped away.

Oswald took a deep breath.

“I'm telling you – only you. It's confidential.”

“But what is this about?”

“Tomorrow, just be here tomorrow,” Oswald told him quickly, and he ended the call.

Carol was calling from the kitchen as the children laughed, then Little Penguin yelled Penguin go SPLAT!

“Stop it, Penguin!” Carol said, “The paint goes on the paper not the fridge! Jax, can you get in here, we need some help, there's paint everywhere!”

He looked down at his phone. Oswald wasn't calling back. This would have to wait until tomorrow.

“Yes dear, I'm coming!” He called back, then he went through to the paint spattered kitchen to help Carol clean up the mess, as Little Penguin sat there laughing with bright blue paint dripping from his flippers.

For Oswald, the evening was tough. River had stopped by and tried to insist on taking over his treatment. He had assured her that he was in good hands and didn't want to put her through the worry of his care for a second time, then she had hugged him and cried and reminded him it was okay to change his mind about that, because she wanted to do all she could to help.

After she went home, Julian was upset all over again. Oswald had sat with him for a while and then left him to sleep and gone downstairs to exchange a glance with Molly that made the crack in his heart go deeper as she tried to get on and look after the kids, and not break down and cry. Seeing her so upset was killing him:

Molly was heartbroken.

She thought he was dying.

And it wasn't true.

He could cancel this pain by speaking up.

He could tell Molly and Julian everything.

But if he did that, they would lose him any way.

He would go to jail for breaking the agreement – something outside authorities would love to see happen, putting away The Penguin for what they saw as crimes in war time...

But one man's terrorist was another man's freedom fighter.

Here, he was a war hero.

To the world outside Gotham, he was a criminal and no more.

The outside world didn't understand the complicated politics of the nation of Gotham City. They never would, they didn't have minds open enough to understand how from rough beginnings, a workable alliance had been formed. And Jim Gordon could do nothing but comply, siding with the enemy under duress. He was sure that was how he felt about it, he had never doubted his loyalty to the unity pact....

This would be the very last time outside agencies got involved in legal matters. When this was over with, he would have all old cases tied to the outside torn up, even if it meant releasing prisoners. And the outside world could take them back, too. It was time this city looked after its own with no historical ties to the days when Gotham had fallen and the world beyond the bridge abandoned them, only to return to first side with Bane and then try and demand reunification.

Fuck all that.

The past was gone.

When this was over, he would make some changes to sever old ties, and that would be his revenge for what outsiders were forcing on him right now...

As Oswald sat alone in his study, he thought on those plans and it helped, he felt stronger now. He thought about the pills and decided, yes, he would take them every other day, purely to make this upcoming suicide look believable, because for now, he had to play along.

But later, revenge would be sweet...

He was about to pour a drink when the door opened and Julian came in, and he still looked devastated.

“Ozzie, I need to hold you,” he said quietly.

Oswald got up from his seat and as he reached for him, Julian hugged him tightly.

“Please don't cry,” Oswald whispered as he stroked his hair, “Seeing you like this hurts me so much. I'm going to be strong. I think you can be strong too.”

As he said that, Julian drew back and looked at him in dismay.

“Strong? You're going to die and leave me and Molly – and the baby, and the other kids... we all have to live without you! Do you think I can ever be okay with that?”

“You have to try,” Oswald said as he fought back tears, “Please, remember this situation could change for the better – we don't know what the future holds.”

Oswald's words confused him as he shook his head.

“I think we know what's going to happen. You can't say anything to make that easier on me, or Molly!”

“And right now, we're still together.”

As Molly said that, she stood there in the doorway looking on as Oswald tried to comfort Julian.

“That's true,” Julian agreed as he wiped his eyes, “We are still together, that's not changed yet.”

“And maybe it won't for a very long time,” Molly added, and she went over to join them, then the three of them hugged tightly as finally, Julian's tears ceased as he found strength in those words.

If Jax Sterling had hoped for a quiet day off work, he had been very much mistaken when playful Little Penguin had spattered the kitchen with paint. But he had settled down soon after as Alicia and Maria made pictures and then helped him to copy their painting without making a mess. It had been a long afternoon, a busy one, too – and after the kids had gone home and Alicia had gone off to bed, Jax had felt tired. Ever since his recovery, he had tired a little faster than he used to, and so he and Carol had taken an early night.

When he woke up next morning, the first thing he thought about was the phone call from Oswald the day before. Jax had got up, showered and dressed, made breakfast for Carol and left it next to the bed, along with a note, morning tea and a late blooming rose from the garden, and then he had left the house, it was not yet eight am and he was on his way over to the mansion and still not sure what was going on, but he knew it had to be something very serious for Oswald to be in tears over it...

When Jax arrived at the house, he had considered calling Oswald before knocking, because it was early – but he guessed the kids would up, so it was likely he would be up too. He was right. Oswald answered he door, he opened it up and stood there in a dark pinstripe suit as he leaned on his cane, and his hair was spiked and the only difference Jax noticed was the look in his eyes. It was not tearful now, but certainly intense with worry.

“Not here,” Oswald said, joining him outside and closing the front door, and as he limped down the pathway that led to the back of the house, Jax followed.

“What's going on, Oswald?” he asked as they stopped by an overhanging tree as leaves began to scatter on the breeze.

“Soon you will hear the news that I am sick with cromine poising for a second time,” Oswald stated, “And a few weeks from now, you will then be informed of my suicide. Rest assured, none of this is true! I am bound by an agreement made by the city and outside authorities, it states I have to disappear presumed dead if a certain dangerous threat to the wider world ever escapes from Arkham. And guess what, Jax, she's escaped, after all these years!” Oswald's eyes were flashing with panic and anger all mixed together as he continued, “I have to lie to my family! Molly's heartbroken and Julian...” he shook his head as he fought back tears, “Julian will never get over this! Even when she's captured and I can undo all of this damage, I know there's going to be fall out from it, my family will not forgive me for this!”

Jax was shocked by all he had just heard.

“You are subject a multi agency agreement?”

“Ironic, isn't it,” Oswald said bitterly, limping slowly away from the shedding leaves above as Jax walked beside him, “I'm the man who led the way to independence for this city and now I have to obey outsiders!”

Jax paused briefly as the two men stopped on the path together and Oswald turned to him.

“You said she escaped? Who are you referring to?” Jax asked.

“Janine Inka,” Oswald said, “She was a brilliant scientist...and the mother of my daughter Rebecca. Years ago, when Inka became dangerous, I helped the authorities to capture her, but they made me sign the agreement as a deal to avoid prosecution – they were trying to say I was working with her, but I wasn't! Jax, I didn't even know Becky was alive until I found her, she was the reason I went to the cops! I was young, I just wanted to save my daughter, her mother had gone insane – but they took Becky away, they said she had to have a new identity, there was nothing I could do!”

Oswald's eyes had glazed heavy with tears. Jax placed a steadying hand on his arm.

“Talk to me, tell me everything,” he said calmly, “You need never doubt my loyalty.”

“That's why I'm telling you!” Oswald admitted as apology reflected in his gaze, “It's so dangerous to speak about this... She has to believe I'm dead, if Inka finds out I'm alive – and she will if she regains her strength sooner than expected – I'm in danger and so is my family. Ultimately, the entire city and beyond it is at risk if she's not captured!”

Jax slowly nodded.

“I understand,” he assured him, “And what is being asked of you is terrible, as you know I am as opposed to multi agency agreements as you are! But what about your daughter? Is there anything she can do to help, do you know where she is?”

There was a flicker of alarm in his gaze, then as he spoke all distress was gone from his voice as Oswald became fiercely protective.

“No, Jax!” he limped closer, looking up at his General, “Becky knows nothing of her past and it must stay that way, forever! She can't know her mother was a monster and her father was The Penguin!”

Jax looked at him in confusion.

”Oswald,” he said carefully, “Any loyal citizen of this fine nation well versed in our history would be honoured to know Oswald Cobblepot was their father! You're the man who reshaped Gotham, you took us to war with Bane twice – and won, you formed the unity pact and helped to make us independent, you are a hero and a living legend to the people of this city!”

But he saw nothing but sorrow reflected in Oswald's gaze.

”No,” he said in a hushed voice, “No, my old friend, she can never know the truth. Her life is settled and the past is best left alone.”

As the breeze picked up, it ruffled Jax Sterling's hair as Oswald's spikes stayed rigid.

“The truth would destroy her!” he added.

“Understood, sir. I stand here as your friend and your loyal servant, loyal to you and our nation. But at this moment, I am thinking as a friend. Your secret is safe with me. I'm glad you chose me to confide in. Tell me everything, and it will go no further. I shall be the shoulder you need to lean on, and later, when this is over, I shall stand at your side while you find a way to punish the outside agencies for forcing you into this tight spot. I take it there will be retribution?”

There was a brief sparkle to Oswald's gaze.

“There most certainly will be, Jax!”

“And I look forward to that moment,” Jax said, as the two men exchanged a look that said revenge would be a shared pleasure.

“Tell me everything, from the start,” Jax added, “And then tell me all about Rebecca. Leave no weight to drag you down, Oswald. Your burden is mine also.”

Oswald breathed a relieved sigh, then began to walk slowly across the lawn as Jax walked beside him, and now feeling calmer he began to speak, relating a tale from a time long before he became king of Gotham...

By the time Oswald had finished explaining everything, Jax understood all he need to know to fully grasp the situation:

Oswald was in an awful, unfair predicament.

Janine Inka was insane and had to be stopped.

And as for Rebecca, she could never know - because the truth really would destroy her...

By the time Oswald and Jax had returned to the house, Molly had taken the kids to school. A short while later, a car pulled up outside in the driveway, Josh had arrived for work. Ronny would be along soon too, most likely with Cain. And Jax had agreed to go along with the deception, even lying to colleagues, because he had to lie to everyone now he knew - but no sacrifice was too great when loyalty demanded it. This was temporary, when it was over, the family and everyone else close to Oswald would know the truth. Until then, a trouble shared was a trouble halved, that was how Jax saw it.

He stood beside Oswald as he broke the news to Josh, explaining the cromine poisoning was back, and his future was uncertain. Then Ronny's car rolled up and she got out, and Cain was with her. By the look in her eyes, his son had already told her – but it made it no easier for Oswald, who repeated all he had just said to Josh.

“She knows, Dad, I told her,” Cain said, and then he went into the house, while Ronny remained outside, standing next to Josh, who was shocked to hear Oswald was so sick. He had seemed fine, he still did – looking at him, it was hard to believe this could be true...

“Is there anything I can do, sir?” Josh asked.

Oswald shook his head.

“No, Josh. Just carry on doing your job, please don't concern yourself with health.”

“I'll go and pick up the paperwork,” Josh said, still looking as worried as he sounded, and then he turned away as Ronny walked off with him, saying she would help.

Oswald knew it didn't take two of them to fetch the paperwork from the study, they were both shocked by the news and wanted a moment away from him to process it all and regain composure. Again, Oswald felt guilty and hated the deception. Jax saw the pain in his eyes and briefly placed a hand on his shoulder.

“When this is over, you can explain everything,” he reminded him.

“Jim told me that too, but it's of little comfort to me,” Oswald replied bitterly as they began to head back towards the house, “I can't undo the pain I'm causing to those closest to me!”

“But least you're not alone with this now.” Jax reminded him, and Oswald nodded, feeling thankful for the support of his oldest friend.

Upstairs, Julian was resting. He felt completely overwhelmed by the terrible news about Ozzie. Molly had told him to rest and he was trying to do that, but his anxiety was building along with his stress levels and as he felt a stabbing pain come and go below his ribcage as he placed a hand over the ache, he was now filled with a different kind of fear:

Stress in the extreme could cause the unit to detach.

“Please don't do this,” he whispered as he kept his hand over the pain that turned to a flickering ache and then faded out as he sat up.

He waited for a moment, anxiously wondering if there was a problem with the implant, but the pain was gone now. Julian breathed a relieved sigh, then laid back and took a deep breath, trying to relax his body even if his mind would not follow. He decided he would call River about this, just to be sure everything was okay. But not yet. He was too scared to move, he wanted to stay very still for a long time to be sure that pain was gone... The worry over the pain did nothing to ease his stress levels as he lay there blinking away tears:

This was too much to handle.

He couldn't lose Ozzie and the baby.

He didn't want to lose either of them...

But the pain started up again, this time sharply as Julian gave a cry of alarm, his hand pressing harder against the implant.

Molly was up the stairs first, and she flung the door open to see Julian on the bed, weeping as he kept a hand pressed below his ribcage as fear shone in his gaze.

“Help me, Molly - I think I'm losing the baby!” he said in alarm.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

River was looking intently at the monitor as she stood in the examination room in the clinic, moving the scanner carefully over the spot below his ribcage as Julian lay there trying to contain his panic as Oswald and Molly stood either side of him, both supporting him. Oswald patted his hand as they waited in silence as River studied the image on the screen.

“The baby is just fine,” she said, as she heard all three of them breathe audibly in sheer relief, “I've looked at both the casing of the implant and the inner sac, and both are fine and the baby is very much okay, very lively in there... See, Julian? See the baby moving?”

He blinked away tears and started to smile as the image, partly blurred due the artificial shell, moved on the screen.

She removed the scanner and reached for tissues to wipe away the contact gel, but Oswald got there first, with a big smile on his face as he started to wipe it off Julian's skin.

“I think I can do this well enough,” he said, “I've done it enough times for Molly...”

“You certainly have,” Molly agreed, she was smiling too, they were both overjoyed to know the baby was fine, but no one was happier than Julian, who wiped away tears as he looked up at River.

“My baby is okay, you're sure about that?”

Her damaged eye looked magnified behind her monocle as her expression changed to one of surprise.

“You should know by now that I don't make mistakes!” she exclaimed, “Yes, Julian, the baby is fine! But you need to try and stay calm. That pain you felt was the unit reacting to your high stress levels. I understand why you're worried, but you have to think about yourself and the baby.”

As Julian sat up and started to close his shirt, Molly was listening intently as Oswald briefly looked away, feeling a stab of guilt all over again: Julian had been in pain because he was worried, and it was all his fault... He wanted to speak up, to tell them everything he had told Jax. But then he remembered the consequences and stayed silent, as guilt weighed heavy and River carried on talking.

“...And you need to remember that emotional upset in the extreme can cause implant units to detach. The majority of implant miscarriages see the baby survive because what you're carrying is an artificial birthing unit. As long as the unit is intact, the baby can survive six hours independently, which allows enough time to set up artificial laboratory support for the unit, meaning the implant can still function and the baby can be removed at full term. That's in the cases where the unit miscarries without damage. I'm not saying that will happen, Julian, but you need to start cutting down the risk of it by trying to stay calm, and definitely, have lots of rest.”

Julian climbed off the table and Molly put an arm around him as he looked sharply at River.

“I need to exercise. I'll lose my mobility if I don't stay active!”

”You will have to cut your exercise right down. Use the treadmill, walk twice a day but definitely no running. You can't put any exertion on your body while you're so worried, it's affecting the implant.”

Oswald gave a heavy sigh.

“This is all my fault.”

“It's not your fault, you can't help being sick!” Julian said defensively, and Oswald felt an ache in his heart as he wished he could just speak up and tell then the truth.

“It's not your fault, Dad,” River added.

“Too right it's not, Ozzie,” Molly agreed.

In that moment, Oswald had never felt so terrible. The people he loved the most were giving him nothing but love and kindness - and he had lied repeatedly, and he felt sure the pain of this was something he would carry forever.

“Are we done here?” he asked quietly.

The sadness he saw in River's eyes made him want to weep.

“Yes we are, but Dad, I still want to talk to you about taking over your treatment. I'd just be happier about this if I could help -”

“No, that's really not necessary,” Oswald assured her, forcing a smile as he blinked away tears, “Right now, I'm absolutely fine. What matters is keeping Julian and the baby well.”

River nodded slowly.

“If you change your mind, let me know.”

Oswald limped closer and hugged his daughter tightly. He didn't want to let go, wishing he could sob on her shoulder and confess everything, but instead he stepped back.

“Do not worry about me,” he reminded her, “Julian and our baby are priority, at this moment I am coping. I'm sure it will stay that way for a long time...”

The days passed, turning to weeks.

Julian rested. He worried about Oswald and nothing could ease that, and Oswald hated himself for the pain he was causing to both the people he loved so dearly. His guilt grew heavier with every passing day. By now Julian was over four months pregnant and the baby bump was starting to show, as every morning Oswald woke to Julian placing his hand below his ribcage as he felt a flicker of movement. And what should have been a time of joy was breaking Oswald's heart. He had wanted to tell the truth so many times. But he had stayed silent - and thankful for the hand on his shoulder or the strong drink passed to him by Jax whenever he saw the look on his face that he had come to recognise.

By now, the shock of his news had settled uneasily with Molly. She remained watchful of her husband, but it seemed this time, there was no outward sign of the terrible pain he had suffered last time the toxin had affected his life. It almost made her wonder if that diagnosis had been wrong, but then Ozzie would say he was tired and limp slowly upstairs to lie down with Julian, whose frequent rest was now taking its toll as he struggled to walk far on the treadmill because his lack of exercise was already causing his weakened pathways to collapse once more. As soon as the baby had got a little bigger, he had been forced to cut down on his already restricted fitness routine, and with rest needed to protect the implant, he was spending more time off his feet than walking around. He went into the mayor's office twice a week to handle work that couldn't wait, and was slowly delegating tasks to his staff as he felt the strain of carrying the child and the start of the temporary loss of his mobility. Molly knew Julian was going through hell emotionally as he worried for Ozzie, and she did her best to hide her own worry, especially from the younger kids. Cain was always around, offering to help his Dad, but Oswald insisted on business as usual, as Jax and Josh handled his paperwork and when there was little to do, Ronny stepped in and did the admin from the office in the city. The underworld was peaceful, with no trouble to cloud the horizon. And that made Oswald feel even worse about the next step of this plan he was forced to comply with:

He fully understood why he couldn't simply vanish for a while.

Nor could it look as if he had been kidnapped.

A missing presumed dead scenario involving anything other than apparent suicide would lead to a gang war. Rival leaders would accuse each other of murdering The Penguin, and then the city would burn, there would be another war and all the years he had worked for peace and unity would be pulled apart in an instant...

That morning Oswald was alone in his study, he had told Molly and Julian he had paperwork to handle, but actually, he just needed some time alone to try and figure this out. He still kept hoping his brilliant mind would come up with something – he had not become king of Gotham easily, it had taken more than a little genius and if anyone could find a way out of this, he could – if only there was another way out, but he was coming up with nothing.

Those thoughts were still on his mind as he sat at his desk with an old wooden box in front of him, and he took off the lid and reached inside, smiling as he remembered happier times – if they could be called that – back in wartime, when Gotham had fallen and he and Ed had been working on a plan to escape the city, a plan that had never come to pass... He reached into the box and began to look through old photographs, looking fondly at the sight of Ed Nygma posing beside the submarine stood on the docks beside the river. Then he saw an image of him and Ed, in the picture Ed had his arm around his waist. Oswald briefly recalled how much he had enjoyed posing for that picture, as they made their plans to escape the city together.

He looked at the next picture and his gaze lingered on it, as the sight of her face after all these years made his heart miss a beat as he wondered what she was doing now : Magpie. With her platinum hair and her wicked smile... He had almost killed her on the day he found her rifling through his stash of stolen treasure... In the end, they had made a deal. Magpie would steal for him – if there was anything left in the city worth taking. Magpie had proved to be very talented at helping to find parts Ed needed to finish making the submarine seaworthy. And while he was building the sub, Magpie had come on to him, and Oswald had been weak enough to give in to her. Not that Ed would have noticed, in those days he was too busy with the sub to think about the fact that Oswald was getting lonely at night...

Ed had been furious when he found out.

And what he had said had ended their relationship.

Ed had walked in to find him sitting in a chair by the fire, and Magpie was on her knees at the time, giving him a blow job. To be fair, at least Ed didn't make his presence known until Oswald had finished, then he had cleared his throat and walked over to them as he and Magpie got up, both alarmed to be caught out like this.

“It's never happened before -” he had stammered, “Please, Ed, understand -”

His words had been halted right there as Ed's angry glare had faded out and he had given a shrug.

“Thought I was fucking her,” he remarked, “To be specific, I was fucking her last week, Oswald... it's okay, you can have my ex if you want her, I'm charitable like that...”

His jaw had dropped as he stared at Magpie, who smiled apologetically.

”Oopsie,” she said, looking from him to Ed, “Guess I just cant keep my hands off nice things! Later, guys, gotta fly!”

And she had walked quickly away, broken into a run, somersaulted through the open doorway and ran off, then Oswald had heard the door slam as she made her exit. And he and Ed had stood there, looking at one another as Oswald silently fumed and Ed smirked.

“She played us both,” he said as he put his hands on his shoulders, “I'm sorry for cheating on you, but you now what I'm like. And I don't blame you for letting her have her way with you, Oswald. But understand my head will always be turned by pretty girls. And by the way, last time I checked, the Russifer diamond was missing.”

Oswald could still recall the anger he had felt on checking his treasure sash and finding that huge diamond missing. Al the time she had been playing them both, and she had stolen the diamond, too!

But that had been years ago.

Oswald was smiling fondly as he looked at the old picture of Magpie, laughing as she sat on a treasure chest filled with gold coins...

The door opened and Molly entered the room. The sight of his wife brought him sharply back to reality – a place he didn't want to be at this moment in time, not whilst being forced to comply with orders that were hurting his family.

“I don't think I've seen these pictures before,” Molly said as she stood beside his seat and put an arm around his shoulder.

“I was just remembering old times...”

Molly looked down at the photos on the table.

“That's the sub you built with Ed?”

“No, that's the sub Ed built while I did little to help!” he said with a chuckle.

Then Molly picked up the photograph of Magpie.

“Who's this?”

“Her name was Magpie. A street thief, we were... close, but only for a short while. I was going through a rough patch with Ed and she was there – but, it turned out she had been there for both of us. And when I realised what had happened, I knew Ed could never be faithful to me, just as I had cheated on him. At least I was remorseful, Ed seemed to think I ought to accept he couldn't keep away from beautiful women, and never would. But for some reason I shall never understand, Magpie still holds fond memories for me.”

Molly looked into the eyes of the young woman in the picture and inexplicably felt a sting of jealousy. There was something about her painted face and her bright blonde hair that made her think of Beth Crane.

“Why are they always blonde!” she exclaimed, and she put the picture back in the box as Oswald gathered up the rest, wishing he could pack away all of his past as easily as putting photos back into storage.

“She was too young for me,” Oswald added, “She was nineteen years old, a highly accomplished thief and when she left, she took one of my diamonds with her!”

“Resourceful girl!” Molly remarked.

Oswald looked up at her and smiled as he shook his head.

“But that long and difficult road eventually led to you, and then to Julian. I can't complain about finding happiness later in life, the wait was worth it.”

Molly had been smiling too, but her smile faded and as she reached for him and hugged him tightly, Oswald wanted to start talking, to tell her everything about Janine Inka. And then Molly drew back and asked a question that made him feel far worse.

“Was Magpie Becky's mother?”

“No,” he said, and it came as a relief to be able to answer at least one question with honesty, “No, Magpie was not her mother. If only she had been, how different the situation would have been!”

He fell silent, knowing to say more would be too dangerous.

“You can tell me about her if you want to,” Molly said as she leaned on the desk, standing beside him and within reach of a comforting embrace, “If you ever want to talk about Rebecca or her mother I'll listen. And if you want to find her, especially now you're not well, I fully understand, I'll help you trace her, there has to be a way -”

“No!”

Molly blinked, then she stared at her husband, who was sitting there looking up at her like he had just fiercely laid the law down to an unruly underworld boss. His eyes were blazing, and that reply had sounded more like an order...

“Oswald,” Molly said as suspicion crept into her voice, “What's going on?”

“Nothing, I just don't want to contact her.”

He looked away.

She was still staring at him.

“Who is she, Oswald? Her name was Rebecca, but she was taken away from you and given a new life – and a new identity? You know where she is, don't you! What are you hiding?”

For a moment the view of his polished desk looked blurred as Oswald looked down at it, furiously blinking away tears. Then he reached for his cane, got up from his seat and turned to Molly.

“She must never know the truth. Just understand that she has a happy life and she's never known about her parents and it needs to stay that way. Sometimes the past is best left alone for many, many reasons. Most of all, I want to protect my daughter. The truth would break her heart.”

The compassion he saw in Molly's eyes just added to his pain. She didn't know the whole story, she didn't understand...

“Ozzie,” she said softly, “You're sick, you don't know how long you've got – maybe you should think about seeing her.”

“No,” he said quietly, “No, Molly. It wouldn't be fair on her.”

“Why not?” Molly asked.

Oswald just shook his head.

“No,” he said again in a hushed voice, and then he turned away and limped out of the room as Molly stood there watching him leave, her heart aching as she longed to help her husband, knowing he would never allow it - clearly he missed Rebecca deeply and had done for many years, but for some reason, he would never agree to contact her...

As Oswald limped away from the study his phone rang. Seeing the caller was Ed, he smiled, thinking it a happy coincidence that he had called him now, right after he had been lost in thoughts of the past.

“Ed, what can I do for you?” he said, and he was aware his voice had softened fondly.

“Oswald, I just wanted to call to see how you're doing. It's all over the city after the announcement you made at the last gang leaders meeting... I can't believe you're sick again! Is there anything I can do to help?”

Ed sounded so worried. Oswald tried to put his mind at ease.

“I'm on medication and doing just fine,” he assured him, “Please don't worry about me, Ed. I'll try and make some time in my schedule later this week, maybe we can meet up. It would be good to talk about the old days, I'm feeling rather nostalgic. I was just looking at some old pictures of you and the submarine.”

Ed chuckled, and knowing his old friend was smiling again lifted the pain from his heart.

“The sub I built that sank!” he exclaimed.

“And how I miss those days,” Oswald added, “The city was in chaos but I like to think in the middle of all that, we found some kind of peace, even for a short while. It wasn't all bad, was it.”

“You're right,” Ed agreed, “I have some fond memories too...”

While he was standing there in the hallway talking to Ed on the phone, Molly heard a knock at the door and went to answer it. Josh and Selina came in, and Selina had their baby son in her arms. Molly led them into the front room as Oswald ended the call to Ed, promising to see him later that week, and then he limped through to the front room to join the others.

Selina gave Oswald a big hug as Josh sat there with his baby son in his arms. He watched as he saw concern in his wife's eyes as she told Oswald they were both there for him, and that she wanted to help if she could. He had reminded her before they left to come here that it was best not to give him sympathy, because Oswald hated that. But as he sat there looking across at Selina who was on the sofa next to Josh, he smiled warmly.

“Your concern is much appreciated,” he told her, “But honestly, I'm fine. This is not like last time, the circumstances are different. I really don't want anyone to worry about me.”

“But we're here if you need us,” Selina reminded him.

“And I appreciate that,” Oswald told her, and then he turned the conversation to their son as baby Nathan laughed and squealed as Josh bounced him on his lap. The little boy smiled and stretched out a hand towards Oswald, then Josh got up and placed the baby in his arms. Selina struggled to hold back tears as she watched her baby son smile up at Oswald, who spoke to him in a fatherly tone. She had heard all about his health being bad a few years before, but he had recovered. Now, he had a large family who loved him and it was so unfair that he was sick again... Josh saw Selina looked upset and he reached for her hand, briefly squeezing it.

As he held the baby, Oswald looked over at Josh.

“I just want you to know that if the worst happens, your job is safe, Josh. In the event of my death, should it occur, you and Jax retain your roles and Cain will take my place under Jax Sterling's guidance.”

Josh nodded.

“Understood, sir,” he replied.

“And we don't want to think about worst outcomes,” Molly reminded them, “I think I'll put the kettle on now.”

As she left the room, Oswald spoke again.

“I'll take this opportunity to say that in the event of my demise, your main duty will be to support both my spouses in their time of need. Jax will be required to help Cain with the daily running of the underworld. Josh, I need you to look after my wife and my husband, just help them through it, if I don't beat this thing.”

Josh looked at his boss and felt both honoured and deeply moved to think Oswald had chosen him to take on such a responsibility.

“You can rely on me, sir,” he said quietly, “I'd be proud to help them – assuming the worst happens - but there's still hope you could recover?”

Oswald hesitated.

“Who knows? Maybe,” he said, and forced a smile, wanting to say no more on the matter. He knew worse would come, that he would be forced to carry out the next stage of the plan – eventually. Because so far, Janine Inka was proving impossible to find, and the longer it went on, the more likely it became that he would have to fake his death – he just hoped that wouldn't be for a long while yet. He just wanted more time with his family...

But time wasn't a luxury Oswald was allowed to have.

Later that afternoon, he received a call from Jim Gordon.

“They want to play this safe,” he told him, “You have to drive alone to the end of the Gotham Bridge tonight and abandon the car. I don't have any further instructions because too much knowledge can get us all killed – be there by nightfall.”

The call ended.

Oswald glared down at the phone, then he limped quickly towards the front door.

“Ozzie, where are you going?”

He paused, reaching for his coat then turning back to see Julian leaning heavily on the stair rail as he made his way down. It wouldn't be long before Julian would need a cane to get about, and by the way he was pressing a hand to that baby bump, the child was getting heavier by the day, Julian was struggling already. By now they knew the baby was a girl. Julian was five months pregnant. And Oswald knew he wouldn't be around to see this baby at all, not if the plan to capture Inka failed...

Today was his last day with his family.

That thought hit him hard as he put on his coat, then went over to Julian, putting an arm around him to help him down the final step as he joined him on the ground floor.

“I'm off to visit Jax, it's just business,” Oswald told him, “I won't be gone long.”

Then he fondly kissed his cheek and turned away, worry clouding his pale gaze as he left the house and closed the door behind him.

A short while later as Jax Sterling opened the door, surprise registered on his face. Oswald was on the doorstep, and looking worried.

“Oswald – what's wrong?” he asked as he stepped back and Oswald joined him inside.

“I need to speak with you alone,” he said urgently, looking about the hallway as Cindy mewed as she padded past them, brushing against Jax as the cat made her way towards the kitchen.

“Carol's out shopping and Alicia is at school, we are quite alone,” Jax assured him, and then he led him into the front room, just as an old clock melodically chimed the hour.

The two men stood by a window covered by white lace net as Oswald spoke and Jax listened.

“It's happening today, I've had orders leave today, Jax! I don't want to go!”

In all his years knowing Oswald, Jax had never seen him so distraught.

“What are you required to do?” he asked.

Oswald paused to take a breath, then he shook his head.

”If I tell you -”

“Oswald, I already know most of this!” Jax reminded him, “There's no harm in telling me the rest.”

Worry reflecting in his gaze deepened as Oswald gave his reply in a hushed voice.

“But Janine Inka can read minds. She wouldn't hesitate to tear you apart to force the truth from you!”

“Only if she sensed that,” Jax replied calmly, “If the Shadow Lady comes for me, you can be sure I will not let her see into my mind.”

Oswald felt on the brink of panic.

“I never should have told you! I may have put your life in danger, Jax!”

“I disagree,” Jax replied, “No matter how fearsome Inka is, I'm confident I can shield the truth from her. I've seen too much and been through too much over the years to fear another human being simply because they used science to turn them into something no longer defined as organic as the rest of us. So tell me, what have you been ordered to do?”

Despair shone in Oswald's gaze.

“I have to leave at nightfall, drive out of the city and cross the bridge, there I'll be met by people who will take me to an undisclosed location. That's all Jim Gordon knows, because he's at risk too, for being a part of this. I just hope for his sake that Inka doesn't work out the GCPD are part of the plot – everyone has to believe I'm dead so she believes it, or she'll kill my family and then she will kill me! She was crazy before she experimented on herself... but afterwards, after she lost Becky – she got much worse! And she hates me, Jax! She blames me for everything because I'm the one who set her up for capture. It's my blood she wants!”

“And she won't find you,” Jax reminded him, “You have no choice but to do this. And be sure to find a way to reach me if you need my help.”

Oswald smiled fondly.

“My dear old friend, my loyal General... I could not put you in such a dangerous position. You have Carol and Alicia to consider – and your health.”

“And I wouldn't be so loyal if I let you go off into the unknown with no means of reaching me,” Jax replied, “But I think I have a solution to that dilemma...”

He went over to a bureau of polished wood that looked as old as the rest of the furniture in this room – no doubt anther heirloom left by his late father – and Oswald watched as he drew out a small black object almost as thin and smaller than a credit card, then he handed it to him.

“Wear your fur trim coat tonight. The one with the double lining,” he said, “And take this - it's got enough battery to last about eight hours and I charged it fully and checked it still works.”

Oswald turned it over and looked at him in confusion.

“What is it?”

Jax chucked.

”It's a very old, very tiny cell phone, Oswald. But it works for calls and messages. And it's small enough to conceal when you go missing. If you need to get out of the situation, if you need help, call me.”

Oswald had just realised the tiny flat device flipped open. He looked at the darkened screen and nodded.

“Thank you, Jax. I will take that suggestion,” he replied, and slipped the phone into his pocket.

Jax paused for a moment.

“I took the liberty of putting my number on it, and your spouses numbers – all on speed dial, just in case the situation changes and you are able, or need to make a call without having to take time to put entire numbers in,” he added.

“A good idea,” Oswald said quietly, “I appreciate it, Jax.”

“You're not alone with this,” Jax reminded him.

Then the front door opened.

“I'm home!” Carol called out as Cindy ran to greet her.

Jax and Oswald exchanged a glance.

“In here, dear!” Jax called back, and as Carol walked in, he smiled.

“Oswald just stopped by to talk business.”

“And I'll make some tea for us all – unless you need to speak in private?” she replied.

“No, I was just leaving, but some other time would be lovely, Carol. Thank you for the kind offer,” Oswald said fondly, then he glanced at Jax, “I'll be heading home now. Thank you for your time.”

“My pleasure, sir,” Jax said replied, and as Oswald turned away and headed for the door, he did not follow. Instead he stood there, looking to the window as he took a deep breath. It had just occurred to him that he did not know if or when he would see his closest friend again...

Josh had not been in the mood for fun after visiting Oswald and thinking about the future, and worrying that his boss could be dying. But Selina had been very positive about the whole thing, saying Oswald looked well and that had to be a good sign... Alicia wasn't home that afternoon. Iris had took her home instead, to have dinner with Little Penguin. And now Selina had put their son in the nursery for his nap, they had all afternoon to enjoy, just the three of them, because Ivy was home, too.

“I've been waiting for this!” Ivy exclaimed as she tossed her red hair off her shoulder and stood at the top of the stairs in a sheer, shimmering dress that clung to her curves like a second skin.

Selina wrapped her arms around Josh as she stood behind him and spoke softly in his ear.

“Come on, Josh, don't worry about Oswald – he's okay, I've never seen him look so well, this is nothing like last time. I think he's going to be okay. Please don't worry!”

He gave a sigh as he took off his jacket and hung it up, then he looked up the stairs at Ivy, as the light from the window shone through her dress. He could make out the softness of her thighs beneath it and even the parting of her slit as she stood there with her legs apart smiling down at him.

“Come up here!” she said, playfully beckoning to him.

Josh loosened his tie and took it off, then began to button his shirt until Selina's hands raised up to take over as she stood behind him, pulling him closer.

“Okay, you both win!” Josh called up to Ivy, “But if I get a call, if my boss needs me -”

“Pengy's doing just fine,” Ivy reminded him, “Now stop worrying and get up here!”

She slipped off her dress and flung it down the stairs and Josh laughed as the sheer, soft fabric hit his face and fell to the stairs, where it lay hanging over the second step as sunlight caught on its fabric as it shimmered like green sparkles and spun silver mixed as one.

“Up. The. Stairs!” Selina whispered in his ear, giving him a playful shove, then a slap to his ass as he laughed, having no choice but to comply.

Being sandwiched between Selina and Ivy as Ivy's hands wandered over his body and he kissed his wife, was like heaven. The three of them were in the bedroom, Selina's clothes had come off as fast as Ivy had helped Josh to strip, and now as they kissed and embraced standing there naked with Josh in the middle, his erection was being jerked by Ivy as Selina's hand slid down to his ass.

“Oh no, not yet...”

“Yes, now, get ready for it!” Selina giggled.

Ivy jerked him harder.

Selina slid one, then two fingers into his ass and they went in warm and slick and as she drew them out, then plunged them in again, Ivy sank to her knees.

“I'm trying to hold back!” Josh gasped.

But the finger fucking from behind, combined with Ivy on her knees alternating between jerking and sucking, was too much.

“Try harder, little cock!” Selina teased.

“I'm coming!” Josh gasped as his legs felt like jelly and he came in a sharp spurt into Ivy's mouth as Selina pushed her fingers in deep. He felt every throb, every last drop of his orgasm shake his body as his ass gripped at Selina's fingers. Then he went weak, breathing hard.

“We want more,” Ivy told him as her eyes sparkled devilishly.

“We do,”Selina confirmed, and then they both giggled as Selina pulled Josh down to the bed and Ivy joined them.

Josh lay there for a moment recovering his breath, then he embraced them both, turning his head to first kiss Selina and then Ivy. It was going to be one hell of an afternoon, but at the back of his mind he was still ready for his phone to ring, he was still ready to answer the call if his boss needed any help...

For Oswald, the time was ticking down as he checked his watch and then went upstairs, deciding if he had to do this, he would at least leave something behind to give his family hope... He couldn't let them think he was missing presumed dead and there was no other explanation. But he also had to be careful how he did it...

He couldn't tell them what was happening.

They just needed to know that maybe, he was still alive.

That was all he dared to do under the circumstances, because Janine Inka could read minds. So it was a maybe he needed leave behind, Maybe, he was still alive...

He went into the bathroom and took out the bottle of pills, the pills that were intended to cause symptoms to make his sickness more believable. He had only ever taken two of them, and that had been enough... He left the bathroom and went downstairs, stuffing the bottle into his pocket. By the time he reached the study, Molly was about to leave to pick the kids up from school. He limped quickly to the study, locking the door behind him as she headed out to the car. Then Oswald sat down at his desk and began to write a note:

'Dear Molly, tell no one about this. You might want to give my pills to River, because we can't have unused medication lying around, that would be most irresponsible. So just give it to River. And remember I love you and the kids and I love my sweet Julian. I'm thinking of him and the baby as I write this, as much as I'm thinking of you. Do not fear the worst – Oswald.'

Then he wrapped the note around the bottle and left it in a locked drawer in his desk, then he left the key in the lock – something he never usually did – and went to the front room to sit with Julian, who enjoyed his embrace as they waited for Molly to bring the kids home from school.

The next hours had been the longest of his life as he waited for nightfall. Oswald didn't think too much on leaving, just that this had to be done, because there was no other way – but eventually, there would be a way out of this situation.

He would see his family again.

Oswald clung to that thought as the skies darkened, then he told Molly he would be late for dinner because he had just remembered he had left some paperwork at the office, and it was confidential – something only he could handle. Then he had put on his long coat with the double lining and slipped the second, concealed phone inside it, snatched up his cane and walked away from the house, as Edward the bulldog trotted after him and Oswald quietly slipped on his leash. He was leaving, but not alone...

The drive through the city as the skies darkened was painful. Oswald tried not to think about all he was leaving behind, or about what might happen in his absence if Inka came looking for him. But Janine Inka would believe him to be dead and so would the rest of the city...

But, she could read minds.

She could tear information from people if she wanted to..

And Jax knew everything.

He didn't want to think about that either as he crossed the bridge, leaving the city far behind and then saw a car begin to tail him. It flashed its lights and he pulled over at the side of the road a short distance from the bridge, as another car pulled up, two men got out and he tried to hide his disgust and resentment as he glanced at their suits and dark glasses and knew, of course these were agents from outside the city...

The car behind had been Jim's. He got out too and walked over to Oswald with a look of apology on his face.

“No need to apologise,” Oswald told him as he tried to hold back his anger and resentment, “It seems we are both victims of outside influence, old friend.”

Then Oswald got out of the car and paused to open up the back. He lifted Edward out and set him down beside him, holding tightly to his leash.

“The dog come with me!” he said firmly, flashing a death stare at the two agents who waited by the other vehicle.

Jim nodded in agreement.

“He's taking the dog with him,” he said to the men who stood by the car, then he turned back to Oswald.

“I don't know where you're going, but I know it's a safe house. Once Inka is captured, you will be allowed to leave. If you want me to come with you to explain to your family, I'll do it.”

“There's no need,” Oswald replied frostily, “There's nothing you can say to make amends to my family for the pain I've already caused them!”

“I'll need your phone,” Jim added.

Oswald reached into his pocket, paused to light up the screen of his iPhone as he took a last look at a picture of him and Molly and Julian, then he handed the phone to Jim.

“Is it unlocked?”

“It is.”

“Do you have any other communication devices? Sorry but I have to ask.”

Oswald gave a sigh.

“Obviously I do not, James!”

Jim nodded, then as Oswald was about to turn around and head for the other car, he quietly said his name. Oswald turned back to him.

“You won't be alone in the safe house,” Jim said, “I arranged for an old friend to keep you company – someone who left the city many years ago. I thought you could use the company.”

Oswald's look of sorrow had been replaced with one of confusion.

“Who are you talking about?”

“You'll understand, I'll let them explain the rest when you reach your destination. Good luck, Oswald. But I don't think you'll need it – you can rely on my people to track down Janine Inka. As soon as she becomes active, we have the tech to locate her.”

“And I hope you do it soon.”

“We will,” Jim vowed, “Then you can go home.”

Oswald turned away, limping off towards the car as Edward trotted beside him. Jim watched as he got into the car, then one of the agents paused to blindfold him – a precaution to ensure Inka could not find him, because if he didn't know where he was going, neither would she – and then the door was closed and the other man got into the passenger side as the agent at the wheel started up the engine. The car drove off into the night as Jim stood alone by the bridge beside Oswald's empty car. Then he took Oswald's phone from his pocket, sending a message that he hoped would cover his disappearance enough to fool everyone, but although he was following instructions, he was also ensuring the family didn't lose all hope, and that Oswald's words could be interpreted in more than one way to allow for a smooth return:

I'm sorry, he wrote , I know this is sudden but I am in terrible pain and there is only one way to solve this now. Forgive me. I love you, I love Julian and I love the kids. If there was any other way, I wouldn't have done this. Oswald.

Then he breathed a heavy sigh, as his finger hovered on send. He hit the button, sending the message to Molly's phone, then he put Oswald's phone back in his pocket and got into his own car and drove away, leaving Oswald's vehicle abandoned at the roadside with the driver's door wide open...

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

Oswald's blindfold didn't come off for more than two hours. When it did, he blinked and looked out at the wooded view of countryside in darkness lit only by the full moon. He got out of the car and Edward padded after him. Then he stood looking up at the old house in the middle of the woods. This was not a place he knew. He didn't doubt he was somewhere far from the city, most likely pretty close to the place where Ivy used to live with her forest of wonders before the authorities had burned her plants – but he couldn't be sure about that. The armed men led him to the door, it was unlocked, and he went inside. The door closed behind him, and it was locked from the outside. As the car drove away he watched from the window, seeing armed men moving about cast in the shadow of the trees. No doubt this place was surrounded, for his protection.

But he still resented this.

His family would be told he was believed to be dead.

And this would end, this would be over and then he could go home. Until then, he just had to get through it... The hidden phone was in the lining of his coat. He thought no more on home and loved ones to save himself more heartache as a steely look came to his gaze. There was a light on in the front room, glowing softly. He had seen no lights from the outside because thick drapes were closed at the windows blocking out all trace, but now he was inside, he could see that glow coming from a lamp, and he limped towards it, still holding on to Edward's leash.

Oswald entered the room. A fire was flickering warmly. An old Tiffany style lamp was on in the corner of the room, this place looked like it had once been a fine house, left to decay, but it was liveable with its faded grandeur. And someone was sitting on a chair facing the fireplace...

He took off Edward's leash and the dog padded over to the fire, as the person in the chair reached out with a slender hand with painted nails and stroked him. Edward looked up at her and would have smiled if he could, but then he trotted off and chose a spot on the soft rug, where he circled three times then flopped down to rest comfortably.

Oswald leaned heavily on his cane as he limped closer as for a moment, no sound could be heard but the crackle of the firelight.

“Who are you?” was all he said.

She got up and turned around, her dress was black and clung to her curves. She was older but the years had been good to her, as she smiled her platinum hair framed a face that still seemed youthful, and even without the heavy make-up that used to partly cover it, he recognised her instantly as he stared in disbelief and his jaw dropped.

“Magpie?”

“Hello again Oswald,” she said.

Edward was snoring softly by the fire. That was the only sound that filled the room as she looked at Oswald and he looked back at her, still shocked: Magpie? He had not seen or heard of her for many, many years...

He limped closer.

“What are you doing here?”

“That is a long story, Penguin,” she said in her melodic voice as she eyed him with a bright gaze, “Funny story about a diamond I once stole from you. Chopped it up and hid it away, carried on being Magpie, left town, got on with life, stole more shiny things!” she stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with excitement, and as she carried on speaking, she gave a shrug.

“Then got robbed! Cops got involved, found the rest of chopped up Charlotte... your Russfier diamond, they said it was stolen property, so I said, Penguin gave it to me!”

Oswald glared at her.

“And that is I why I'm here, hiding because the law put me in a safe house while they handle my statement and decide on adding it to the enquiry by outside authority into undisclosed events – crimes – in wartime Gotham.”

All fondness he had felt for Magpie whilst looking at old photographs had just evaporated on hearing this. Anger flashed in his icy gaze.

“You implicated me in the theft? All pre and post war crimes involving me were wiped off official record when I helped form the unity pact! Outside authorities have no right to bring up the past!”

“I had to protect myself,” Magpie added, “I have a family now. Husband, two kids, boys, sixteen and fourteen. So I said, you gave me the diamond. I figured the great Penguin could easily talk his way out of it! That's why Jim Gordon put you here, with me, so we could... bury the hatchet.”

“Bury the hatchet?” Oswald fumed, “I'll bury the hatchet in your head for this!”

Oswald was enraged. She could almost feel the anger flowing from him like an erupting volcano spewing lava as she stepped back.

“He also thought we could be good company, get to know each other again.”

She gave a brief, hopeful smile that vanished as Oswald's glare intensified.

“No!” Oswald snapped, then he turned sharply for the door.

“Come with Daddy, Edward!”

He reached the door and looked back to see Edward sitting up, still by the fire and making no attempt to move from his cosy spot.

“Fine, stay by the fire!” he muttered in annoyance, then he limped off towards the stairs.

“Your bedroom is the biggest, I let you have the best room!” Magpie called out, but all she heard in reply was the heavy sound of his cane as he went up the stairs, giving no answer as he thought of her betrayal over the diamond and his anger silently simmered.

Molly had put the kids to bed and Julian had been resting on the sofa watching TV. He had looked to the clock a few times and started to wonder why Ozzie was so late, then when Molly rejoined him, she had checked her phone. That was when she saw the message, and she stood there, reading it over and over as she slowly shook her head.

“What the fuck, Oswald?” she said as stared at the message, then she looked sharply to Julian.

“This has to be a twisted, evil joke! Ozzie's lost his phone, someone's found it and sent a sick message... This can't be right...”

Then as Julian leaned hard on the chair and got up to join her, she showed him the text message. He snatched the phone from her, reading it as his eyes went wide, then filled with tears.

“ I am in terrible pain and there is only one way to solve this now? Molly, we have to find him!”

She took the phone back and called her husband. It rang without answer. She tried again and again. Still nothing. As she tried yet again, Julian sank down to the sofa where he wept quietly.

“Cromine poisoning causes terrible pain. What if he was in more pain than we realised, Molly? He can't do this... He can't leave us – he can't leave me now, I'm pregnant!”

Tears streaked his face.

“Julian, please stay calm, I'm trying to get through to him!” Molly said, then she walked to the window and redialled the number.

Nothing.

Her heart was hammered as fear gripped at it as she broke into a cold sweat: No, Ozzy would never do such a thing, he wouldn't kill himself, he wouldn't leave her and Julian, he couldn't leave the kids... he definitely wouldn't give up now, when he knew how loved he was and they had a new baby to look forward to...he just wouldn't do that!

“Ozzy,” Molly said quickly as she left a message, “What the hell was that text about? I don't know if you've lost your phone and someone's playing a sick joke...I hope that's all it is. But if not, just come home. Everything will be okay. We love you!”

She ended the message and looked at Julian, who sat there in tearful silence.

“He's got to come to his senses and call us – but this message might not even be from Oswald! We can't think the worst!”

“What if he's dead?” Julian could barely speak for the tears that choked his voice.

Then the call came from Jim.

As Molly answered the phone, she hoped for a desperate moment that it was Ozzy, calling to say he was just fine – but that hope was soon dashed.

“Molly,” Jim said, “I'm on my way over, I need to speak to you and Julian. I'm afraid the news isn't good...Oswald's car was just found abandoned close to the bridge...”

That night was the worst.

Jim came over and told them the car had been found. Oswald's phone was on the seat. Molly confirmed the message she had received was identical to the one on her husband's phone. That was when she had sank to the sofa, weeping as she clung to Julian, who yelled Ozzie's name against her shoulder as he sobbed. The kids had woken up. Cain was the first to hear the news, and as he wept for his Dad, the younger children were swept into a hug by Molly and Julian as she told them, Dad's gone missing, that's all we know for now...

Jim promised they would do everything to find him.

Searching the river seemed to be the first choice.

“You don't know he's dead! My Oswald wouldn't do something like this!” Molly said fiercely, but Jim could only to promise they would do all they could to find him. For now, he was missing, presumed dead...

Molly had taken charge quickly.

She had talked to the kids, reminding them that Oswald was missing, and it didn't mean that he wasn't alive. They had to keep hoping for the best, that Daddy would turn up and be okay. They made a promise to each other not to give up hope.

All this time, Julian was on the couch sobbing.

Then Cain took him upstairs, gave him some medication and sat with him for a while. When he came back downstairs, Molly was ready to take the kids back up, assuring them there was no need to think the worst until the worst happened. She had reminded Cain that Jax Sterling needed to be aware of the situation, and as she looked at her son, suddenly he wasn't her eighteen year old boy any more. He was man, a capable man with tearful eyes but a gaze that shone with strength.

“I already did it, Mom,” he said, “I called Jax, told him the facts, he's passing the news on to Josh, I've also called Ronny, and Jax will be speaking in response to the press tomorrow when the story breaks. I want Dad to be alive as much as you do. But if he's not, I'm ready to step in - and where ever he is now, I hope he knows I'm going to make him proud...”

“I should call River, and Iris and Penguin need to know too,” she said.

“I'll do it. You take care of the kids, Mom. And don't worry about Julian. I gave him his meds and he's sleeping soundly.”

“Thanks Cain,” she said quietly, feeling sure that Oswald certainly would be proud of their eldest son at this moment, pushing aside his own grief to take charge.

It was painful night, one they would never forget.

And after the kids had gone back to bed worried about Oswald, after Molly had taken a call from tearful River and then spoken to Victor who had assured her that he would do all he could to search for Ozzie, she had gone to the bedroom where Julian was sleeping soundly as tears dried on his pillow and lay beside him, turning out the light, sleeping in the space beside him that carried the scent of Oswald's hair as she held it firmly in her heart, the belief that he had to be alive:

As long as there was hope, she would not give up believing that her Oswald would never have taken his own life...

Oswald had woken early to birdsong in the trees. He turned his head, saw he was lying on top of a bed that was not his own, and looked to the window, where morning air was escaping in as coffee filled the room in a reviving aroma as Magpie set the cup down close to the bed.

“I made you coffee.”

“So I see.”

Oswald sat up, his heart feeling heavy. He couldn't bear to think about the pain inflicted back home when his family learned of his apparent suicide...

“I fed the dog,” Magpie added, “We didn't have any dog food, so I asked one of the guards outside to fetch some, and he did. Took him about an hour...”

“Do you know where we are?” Oswald asked as he got up stiffly and brushed creases from his suit.

“No,” Magpie replied, “I only know this is a safe house...” she walked across the floor, her shoes soft on the rug then the heels hitting the polished boards solidly as she reached the window as she looked out and then back at him.

“Why are you here, Ozzie? I was only told you would be joining me, but I wasn't told why. What did you do, it must have been bad if the Penguin has to hide away!”

“I have not committed a crime, and that's all you need to know!” he replied, and then he turned away, limping over to a closed door that led to the bathroom. As he opened it she hurried over, right behind him as if a little bird had just fluttered across the room to sit on his shoulder.

“I've been away a long time. But I kept an ear to the ground. I heard Rebecca is doing okay.”

Oswald's hand was on the door knob as he gave a weary sigh.

“I have nothing to say to you, Magpie – apart from, it should be fun when I get out of here and see how far you try to go with the accusation that I stole the Russifer diamond back in wartime!”

She took a step back.

“I had to cover myself!”

“You won't do that by dragging my name though the mud after all these years, my city protects its leader!”

As he said that, Oswald had stiffened, not looking back at her as he heard her take small, quick steps in her heels towards him again.

“You didn't answer my question.”

“You didn't ask one!”

“I said, I hear Becky's doing okay. So have you seen her, or not? Have you told her, or doesn't she know who her father is even after all these years?”

Oswald briefly closed his eyes as he gave a weary sigh, then he turned around, face to face with Magpie, who was once again right behind him.

“Leave me alone, Magpie,” he said as his temper began to fray.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because I need to pee!” Oswald snapped, and as she stepped back he turned away, went into the bathroom and locked the door firmly behind him.

For the Cobblepot family, that morning was difficult. Josh and Jax turned up and both offered condolences as Molly defiantly reminded them, Oswald's body had not been found. He could still be alive... The kids had all been quiet and Lucy was tearful as she hugged Felix, who looked sadly at her, saying, I want Daddy to come home!

Josh looked on feeling devastated for the family. It seemed impossible to believe that Oswald was gone...

“Molly, what can I do to be of service this morning?” he asked, “I'm here for all of you.”

“And that is just what Oswald would have wanted,” Jax agreed as he returned from the study with paperwork, then handed it to Ronny.

“We're going to the office together,” Cain added as he joined her.

“Cain's going to run through daily tasks, so I can be useful on the admin side,” Ronny added.

Molly nodded.

“Yes fine, that's a great idea.”

“And I need to speak to the GCPD,” Jax added, “I want to observe their search to be sure no stone is left unturned. Like you, I still hold on to hope that Oswald is very much alive.”

“Thank you,” Molly said, Jax had just spoken to her with such conviction in his voice, as if he too truly believed there was a glimmer of hope that Oswald was still alive. It was what she needed to hear as Cain and Ronny left the house to drive over to the office, then Jax spoke briefly to Josh.

“I would like you to stay here and help Molly. I will be speaking to the press later this morning from the GCPD headquarters alongside James Gordon, but I really do feel Oswald would have wanted you to say here with his spouses.”

Josh recalled that conversation with Oswald and nodded, knowing this was exactly what Oswald would have wanted.

“Yes sir, I'll be here for Molly and Julian and the kids.”

“I'll be in touch later,” Jax said, then he bid a polite farewell to Molly and walked away, heading for the door.

“Could you watch the kids for me, Josh?” Molly asked, “I need to call my Dad.”

“Of course,” he replied, and then as Molly walked off towards Oswald's study, Josh looked down at the kids who were gathered in the hallway – Lucy, Felix and Luna, all with sad eyes as they looked up at him, missing their father.

“Let's go through to the front room,” Josh said, “And maybe we can call Maria, she's at home with her Mommy right now – I know she would love to chat to you all on video call!”

The kids exchanged a glance. Felix shrugged and Luna nodded and said, Okay, and then as they followed him into the front room, a small hand reached up and tugged at the sleeve of his jacket. Josh looked down to see Lucy looking up at him.

“Can we call Little Penguin too?”

“We most certainly can,” Josh said, and then he took his phone from his pocket and made a video call home, telling Selina to bring Maria to the phone, because the kids wanted to say Hi.

While Josh kept the kids busy, Molly was in Oswald's study. Tears had stung at her eyes from the moment she locked the door behind her, looking to his desk and his empty chair. There was a glass next to a whiskey bottle and although the ash tray was empty and looked clean, the smell hung in the air from the sneaky secret cigarettes he smoked in here when the door was closed. She walked over to his desk, then went around to his chair and lovingly ran her hand across the back of the padded leather.

“Ozzie...” she whispered as her heart ached.

Molly was unable to imagine for a single moment that he was dead. Certainly, her Oswald was not floating somewhere in the river. No, that was too much to bear, to imagine him like that, dead and cold and bloated by water...

“Stop it Molly!” she said aloud, and then she pulled out the chair, sat down at his desk, poured his whiskey into his favourite glass and drank from it.

“You're missing,” she murmured, “That doesn't mean you're dead...”

Voicing that reminder aloud leant her strength as she picked up the phone and called her father in Ireland. She had already spoken to Kane MacQueen early that morning, while the kids were still sleeping, crying quietly as she broke the news. Then Julian had woken up and said her name and then got tearful all over again, and she had to cut the call short. Julian was still in pieces over Ozzy's disappearance.

The phone rang twice and Kane answered.

”Oh Molly, love, this is such bad news! Tell me again, what happened, and have the police turned up anything new yet?”

Molly gave a heavy sigh.

“No Dad, they started searching the river at first light this morning. Jax is out there with Jim Gordon right now. Dad, he can't be dead! My Oswald -”

“Molly,” Kane said softly, “Please love, listen to me! Oswald was very sick. You know what he went through last time he had the cromine poisoning, in the rare cases where it's cured and it comes back, the pain is terrible! He must have been hiding it from you and the kids, and Julian. He wouldn't have wanted any of you to know how much he was suffering!”

Molly was able to hold back her tears as she sat there on the phone to her father, cushioned by Oswald's chair as she drank his whiskey.

“But Dad, I don't feel like he's dead. And the message he sent me – all I got was a text and it didn't sound like Oswald, it just didn't sound like he wrote it!”

“And how much of your Ozzie do you think was still there inside him when he reached that lowest point and decided to take his own life, Molly? If he was feeling like his usual self he never would have done it in the first place.”

“But he said I love you and I love Julian, he wouldn't have said that, he would have said, my sweet Julian – and he would have called me dear Molly. Ozzie didn't write it!”

Kane paused for a moment.

”I loved Oswald like a brother, Molly. I'm truly sorry he's gone. I wish I could say none of this is true, and that he's alive – but I can't lie to you like that! I'm going to book a flight and come over and see you and the kids, it's going to be a few days until I can get there because I've got some business to tie up here – the kind that can't wait because they don't call me a Godfather for nothing! Then I'm across the pond and with you and the family and I'll stay as long as you need me. And Molly, promise me you'll look after Julian.”

“Of course I will!”

“He's been though enough,” Kane reminded her, “And now he's got that implant inside him, you've got to make sure he gets through this okay. I know it's a terrible shock to all of us, but we've got to think about Julian and that little baby he's carrying.”

“Oswald's baby,” Molly said as she felt warm in her broken heart.

”Yes, Ozzie's child,” Kane agreed, “You and Julian have each other and you have the kids to keep you going no matter what. Just keep remembering that.”

Molly spoke to her father for a short while longer, then he said he would let her know when the flight was booked, and ended the call. He had sounded as sad as she felt. Kane had always thought a lot of Ozzie, and it pained him greatly to think he was gone – but he just didn't get what Molly was trying to explain, she was almost certain that farewell message had not been sent by her husband... Then she reached down to open up the drawer to take out his cigarettes, and that was when she saw it:

In the drawer beneath, was a key set into the lock. That was the place where Ozzie kept a loaded gun and he never left the key in it...

Instinct made her reach for it. She turned the key and opened up the drawer and took out the pill bottle wrapped in a folded note.

“What's this about?” Molly murmured, then she placed the bottle on the desk and opened up the note and read it:

'Dear Molly, tell no one about this. You might want to give my pills to River, because we can't have unused medication lying around, that would be most irresponsible. So just give it to River. And remember I love you and the kids and I love my sweet Julian. I'm thinking of him and the baby as I write this, as much as I'm thinking of you. Do not fear the worst – Oswald.'

Molly drew in a sharp breath as she read the note again, then as her phone rang she pulled it from her jeans pocket and answered quickly.

“We're on our way over soon,” River said, “Victor's driving, I'm to upset to drive... have they found him yet, Molly? Have the cops found my Dad's body?”

River sounded broken, but Molly didn't feel so broken any more as determination shone bright in her green gaze.

“Change of plan, River,” Molly said, “Meet me at the clinic. Your Dad left a note and the pills he was supposed to be taking – and I don't think he's dead!”

“He's alive?” River sounded choked by tears.

“I don't know,” Molly replied, lowering her voice, “Just meet me at the clinic, River. I'm leaving now!”

She ended the call and got up, wrapping the note around the bottle and then pushing it into her pocket out of sight. If this was the ray of hope she had been searching for, maybe she was right: Maybe Oswald was still alive – but if he had faked his death, why? Who was so powerful that Oswald Cobblepot had to be missing presumed dead?

Molly hurried into the front room, to find the kids talking to Maria on the phone as Josh looked on.

“Can you watch the kids for me? I need to go out, it's important.”

“Yes, of course,” Josh replied, “And by the way, Selina said I could take the kids over to spend the day with Maria, if that would be okay?”

“That would be great!” Molly assured him, “Thanks, Josh. You and Selina have the kids for the day, Julian's upstairs resting, just let him know before you leave, he can phone me if he needs anything. I won't be gone long.”

Then Molly hurried off, grabbing her car keys as she headed for the front door.

Back in the front room, while Lucy and Luna talked on video call to Maria, Felix had left the room, and now he was back and looked worried.

“I can't find Edward,” he said, “Our dog is missing!”

Josh looked about the front room. Edward was not in his usual spot by the fire. The door was open to the next room, where his cosy basket was empty.

“He's probably out in the garden somewhere,” Josh replied, ”Don't worry, I'm sure he's okay. Now, say goodbye to Maria, we are leaving soon.”

On the screen, Maria smiled brightly.

“Is everyone coming over, Daddy?”

“Yes. Princess, everyone.”

“And Little Penguin, and Alicia?”

“I'll call them before we leave,” Josh promised her, and then he ended the call and told the kids to put on their coats, and while Luna ran upstairs to get her jacket, Felix and Lucy went off to grab their coats as Josh paused to call Penguin and Iris, to ask if Little Penguin wanted to come over to play. Iris said she would bring him over. He mentioned Alicia was invited to, and Iris said she would call Carol and if they had no plans, she would pick Alicia up on he way over. Josh then called out Julian to say they were leaving. Despite the worry over Oswald's disappearance, Josh couldn't help but smile as he led the Cobblepot children out of the house:

Selina had been expecting three kids coming over, not five. Now they would have seven kids all under one roof for the afternoon, and one of them was little Penguin – as much work as seven kids on his own... He guessed he would have to take over the care of their baby son while Selina was kept busy with the other children. But at least it would take both their minds off the sadness they felt at knowing Oswald was probably gone forever... On the way out, he spoke to security and asked them to take a look around the grounds for Edward, then he drove away, heading for home.

Molly arrived at the clinic just after River's car pulled up. She got out of the passenger side as Victor turned off the engine, then he joined them as River led Molly over to the exit and opened up the back way into the building.

”What's this about, Molly?” she asked and as she looked at her, Molly saw her eyes were red from crying. Victor looked pretty close to tears, too.

“I have to leave soon to meet Jim,” he said, “I need to know how the search is coming along. River said you think Oswald might still be alive? I want to think so too, Molly – but be ready for the fact that he's probably gone. Let's not cling to false hope.”

As they entered the building and began to walk up a corridor towards River's office, Molly spoke up.

“I read the text message Ozzie sent me. I'm telling you Victor, it just didn't sound like Ozzie!”

“You think someone else wrote it?” now suspicion was creeping into Victor's voice as he turned over all possibilities.

“Maybe,” Molly said, and as they entered the office she went over to the desk, took the pill bottle from her pocket and set it down on the desk, then she opened up the note and handed it to River.

“Read it,” was all she said.

River did read it, then she showed it to Victor, and they exchanged a look that said maybe, there was still hope...

“He's worded this in such a way that he's telling me to give the meds to you. These are the meds he says he was prescribed – but he hasn't been taking them, River! And why would he ask you to dispose of them?”

“He wants you to analyse them,” Victor said as he started to smile, “I was hoping for this, that sly old dog, he's not dead!”

Molly looked to the bottle, then to River in utter confusion.

“So he faked the return of the cromine poisoning to give him a valid reason for apparently killing himself? It fits, if only he had a reason!”

“The boss would have to fake his death as apparent suicide if he wanted to go missing and make it look like he was dead,” Victor replied, “He couldn't do it any other way. Anything other than, apparently dead by his own hand, would spark a gang war.”

“So who is he running from?” Molly asked in alarm, “He's Oswald Cobblepot, he fears no one!”

“I thought all his enemies were dead!” Victor replied.

River picked up the pill bottle.

“I'm going to take this through to my lab and analyse it. This could take a couple of hours.”

Victor checked his watch.

“I should be meeting up with Jim Gordon, he's down by the river organising the search.”

“Don't trust him,” Molly said sharply as she cast him a warning glance.

There was a spark of glee in Victor's eyes as he heard those words.

“Oh... is Jim involved? You think he might have something to do with this? Want me to interrogate him, that could be fun!”

“No!” Molly said firmly, “For fucks sake, don't let on that we know anything.”

“Why don't you trust Jim?” River asked as she turned the pill bottle over in her hand.

That was a tough question to answer.

Molly ran her fingers through her hair and gave a heavy sigh, then she remembered Ozzie was missing, and she was confiding in his daughter, who loved him, and her husband, who was Victor Zsasz – of course she could tell them everything...

“I don't know that Jim's involved. But a few months back, a woman came up to me, and she said Oswald had a daughter called Rebecca, she was born years before he became king of Gotham. But Ozzie got upset when I asked him about it, so we – me and Julian – we left it, we didn't want to upset him. And when I asked Jim about it, I could tell he was hiding something. Maybe it's not linked, or maybe it is. I don't know yet. But I saw that woman again, and she was terrified. It sounds crazy but she looked like she was running form something I couldn't see. She was in shadow, I was probably wrong about this, but it looked like a hand was on her throat, just for a moment. I don't know what happened to her, she ran off. But she told me she was working for someone who wanted me to know Oswald had a daughter.”

River and Victor exchanged a glance.

“I have a sister somewhere?” she asked in surprise.

“I'd say there's a good chance it is linked. Are you sure you don't want me to interrogate Jim?” Victor asked hopefully.

“No!” Molly insisted, “Play it safe for now... this must be something huge, if Ozzie had to fake his death.”

“And we don't know that he did fake it,” Victor reminded her cautiously, “But I want you to be right about this.”

“I'm going to analyse these pills,” River said, and quickly left the room.

Just then Molly's phone rang. It was Josh.

“Hi Molly, I'm just calling to let you know the kids are over at my place, Little Penguin's here too and Alicia... we'll keep the kids here all day, if it helps. And by the way – Edward's gone missing. I did tell head of security and they swept the grounds, but there's no sign of him.”

“Edward's missing?” Molly said in confusion, “Okay, Josh – just watch the kids, if he's at the house I'm sure security will find him. I'll call you later.”

As she ended the call she looked in confusion at Victor.

“Edward's gone missing!”

“Nygma?” Victor guessed with a smirk, “I hate to be crude about this Molly, but knowing Ed, he's probably gone AWOL again, found a warm vagina to hibernate in now the weather's turning cold... Lee will be so pissed when she finds out! I don't know why she puts up with him!”

“Not Nygma, the dog, our dog!” Molly exclaimed, and then she thought about it, “Ozzie's missing... if he faked his death he's lying low somewhere...”

Anger flashed in her green gaze as the penny dropped. She knew she ought to feel relieved that now, it was most likely her husband was alive and well, but she was so angry, too..

“He set this up so well he lied to his own family? He let us think he was sick, and then let us think he committed suicide because of it?”

“Molly, calm down,” Victor told her, “Maybe he was protecting you all.”

“Protecting us?” she fumed, “Victor, my husband lied to his family, faked his own death and then... as if it couldn't get any worse, he didn't take me or Julian with him when he vanished...he took the feckin' dog instead!”

Now the pieces were falling into place, it did seem very likely that Oswald was alive.

“In his defence, he does think a lot of that dog,” Victor reminded her.

Molly's eyes narrowed.

Victor playfully held his hands up.

“Okay, back off Molly, that was a joke! I'll get over to the river and see what's happening with Jim and the search.”

“He won't find him in the river,” Molly replied, feeling sure about it.

“Let's hope you're right about that,” Victor replied, then he left the room and Molly stood alone in River's office, waiting for her return as her heart filled with a swirl of hope, and at the same time, anger at the thought that her Oswald had done this, causing so much pain to their family...

Julian had been resting in bed. He recalled Josh calling up to say he was taking the kids over to the house to spend the day with Maria, then he had gone back to sleep. Because the implant was an artificial device, it didn't absorb any traces of his meds, so thankfully he had been able to use his medication to help cope with the shock of the news about Ozzie. But now he was awake, it all flooded back to him as his eyes filled with tears:
Oswald was missing. He had sent a message to Molly to say goodbye...

“You promised you would never leave me!” he said tearfully as he sat up, feeling the impact of grief hit him all over again.

And suddenly something else hit him as pain ripped through his lower body. There was a weight pressing downward as fluid gushed from beneath him, soaking the mattress as he gave a sharp cry and turned on his side, drawing his knees close to his chest as he tried to fight the pain. Julian's shaking hand reached for his cell phone as he breathed hard, feeing scared and fighting panic as all he could think was he was in labour and it shouldn't be happening yet – he was five months pregnant, he needed to call for help.

He grabbed the phone and the first number that came up was Molly's. As a pain dull and deep cut through his lower body, he gave a gasp then hit her number on speed dial as he lay in discharged birthing fluid.

“Molly answer, hurry up!” he gasped as his heart raced in panic.

The baby was coming.

It was too soon, but it was coming...

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

River had finished analysing the pills a lot faster than she had expected. It was a simple combination of drugs, harmless in the long run, but mixed together as they were, it was clear what their effect would be...

“Molly,” River said as they stood together in the lab and River put the printed analysis back on the desk, “This is not a medication to treat cromine poisoning! I think this is a combination of drugs that, although harmless, together, can mimic the effects of cromine toxicity. These pills would cause pain and stiffness and tiredness... and Dad took two, maybe three of them and then decided against their use. I think he was given these pills to make his symptoms believable.”

Molly's hopes were rising as sure as all trace of grief was leaving River's gaze.

“I don't think he's dead, Molly!” River said, “I have no clue why he had to fake his death – but he wanted everyone to think the poisoning was back, and that he'd decided to end his life because of the pain. That's a very intricate plan. And he told us nothing. Why, Molly?”

As she met her gaze, Molly slowly shook her head.

“Who the fuck is my Oswald running from?” she murmured as her gaze fell on the analysis of the medication. Then her phone rang. She was still looking down at that print out on the desk as she answered the call.

“Molly, help me!” Julian gasped, “I think the baby's coming!”

“Okay Julian, I'm with River right now, we're on our way,” Molly said, “Try and stay calm!”

Then she looked sharply to River.

“Julian thinks he's in labour!”

River reached for the phone and she began to speak as she hurried from the lab and back to her office as Molly followed.

“You discharged fluid?” she said as she reached for her medical bag, “Okay Julian, I'm on my way. I'm calling for an ambulance and requesting a support unit for the implant, if it does miscarry it's very likely the baby will survive, remember that and try and stay calm.”

“I can't have my baby yet!” Julian wept, “I'm five months pregnant!”

“I'm heading for the car now, I'll give the phone to Molly,” River said quickly, then as she grabbed her bag and they headed for the door.

On the way out, as Molly spoke to Julian and tried to keep him calm, River stopped at the main desk, asking a nurse to send an ambulance over to the Cobblepot mansion, and to ensure they had an implant support unit on board, then she and Molly hurried out to their cars. River started her engine as Molly did the same, and Molly was the first out of the parking area as River followed, and then as Molly stuck to the speed limit whilst talking hands free to Julian, who was in considerable pain, River turned on her siren and cut through the traffic.

By the time Molly reached the house, River was there first and security, who had been alerted, had let her in. Molly parked the car sharply as gravel flew about the driveway, then she got out of the car and hurried into the house. Her call to Julian had ended moments before as he had said, River's here... and now as she hurried into the house and dashed up the stairs, Molly felt sick with worry. The ambulance wasn't here yet. She couldn't even hear the siren, and Julian was crying out in pain and the sound of his cries got louder as she reached the top of the stairs.

“Molly!” he yelled, “Help me!”

As she raced into the room Julian was on his side, his knees drawn close to his chest as he lay on the wet mattress, birthing fluid had already run from his body and as she saw River's gloved hand reach down, she realised why Julian was in so much pain – the implant was crowning against his ass, his opening was stretching but only so far as the silvery skin of the unit became visible.

“I need to push!” he gasped.

“No, you can't do that yet,” River said as she placed her bag next to the bed and opened it up, “The unit has expanded anticipating birth to protect the baby – it's locked inside the shell, but all that's come away is the fluid that helps transition down the artificial birth canal. The unit is larger and solid and it's retained its other fluids because of early detachment, you won't stretch sufficiently to deliver,” she glanced at Molly, “Sit with him and hold his hand.”

Molly nodded and sat beside Julian, as he shifted closer and put his head on her lap, weeping as she took his shaking hand in her grip.

“I don't want to lose the baby!” he wept, then he breathed hard, fighting the urge to push as more pain felt low and heavy.

“Hurry up River, I can't do this... I need to push!”

“Hold back, love,” Molly said softly as she stroked his hair, “You can't push yet.”

But he did push, and then screamed as pain put a stop to it.

River kept one hand on his thigh as she held him steady.

“Tell me when the next contraction comes.”

She didn't need to wait.

“Now...”

Julian gave a cry of pain, and as the contraction hit, River quickly injected him twice, Molly's eyes went wide in alarm as she wondered if he was about to start screaming louder because he had just been injected twice in his stretched opening, but he didn't seem to notice the extra pain as he tried to breathe and the pain wore off as he waited for the next wave to hit.

“Can you feel that?” River asked as she carefully felt around the injected area.

”Feel what? I can only feel pain like my guts are gonna explode!” he gasped, then he drew in a sharp breath as another contraction ripped low through his body.

Molly kept hold of his hand as his head rested on her lap and she stroked his sweat soaked hair.

“This won't take long, Julian,” River said, and Molly looked up to see her reached for small, sharp scissors.

”Oh no...” she whispered, and looked away as River slipped the blade between stretched skin and the silver sac that was crowning, and made a cut.

“Almost over,” River said reassuringly, as outside they heard sirens as the ambulance came to a stop in the driveway, “I want you to push on the next contraction,” she told him, and as she said that, Julian gripped Molly's hand tightly, yelling as he pushed hard and his body shook.

The small, silver unit slithered out along with the partially developed artificial birth canal, and River scooped up the unit, placed it on a towel and clamped off the narrow silver neck of the device, before pausing to place a blood stained glove on the unit, feeling for the baby's position, and then she took a syringe and began to draw off excess fluid. Molly watched as she discharged it, then repeated the procedure, before casting aside the syringe and sealing the pin hole with a gel that dried instantly. Now the unit was smaller and softer, and as she watched it, she saw a little shape darting about inside it.

“She's a lively little girl!” River said with a smile, “Your baby is okay, Julian.”

“Let me see her!”

He turned on to his back and Molly put an arm around his shoulders so he could look down at the small shape inside the implant.

“She made it?”

”Yes she did, and she's fine, just a little agitated, she doesn't know what just happened, but she's very keen to try and find out!”

As she said that, River held the unit in both hands, briefly placing it on Julian's chest as he put a hand over the silver skin, feeling his child move beneath its surface.

“I'm so sorry I couldn't keep you inside me,” he said as tears filled his eyes, “I love you so much, I'm so glad you're okay!”

The baby moved again as if fully aware of her birth father's presence, then as the paramedics came in, River lifted the baby from his chest and took the unit over to them, so they could safely place it in a container suitable for transport to the hospital.

“No, don't take her away!” Julian said tearfully.

“They have to take her back to the hospital, where she will carry on growing in the implant until she's full term,” River reminded him, “You can go and visit her as soon as you're recovered, you will be allowed to touch the implant and talk to her and you can see her everyday, but she has to go now, they need to do this quickly to be sure she's safe,” River reminded him.

“I want to go with her!”

As he said that, Julian was aware his thighs felt sticky, and as he looked down at the blood that had soaked through the sheets, his face paled.

“Shit, I'm bleeding!”

“That's because I had to make a cut to allow the implant to deliver, lie back and I'll stitch it while you're still numb,” River told him, and Molly helped him to lie back as he gave no reply, instead he was watching anxiously as the implant containing his child was taken out of the room and down to the waiting ambulance.

Molly sat beside Julian holding his hand as she talked to him reassuringly. River carefully stitched the wound as she explained the stitches would dissolve and would not need to be removed, then she said it would be a few hours before the pain kicked in, and she was going to prescribe some pills for that. Julian needed bed rest for the next few days, but the implant had come away intact and now all he needed to do was recover at home. Julian had wanted to sleep, but first River helped Molly to change the sheets and then, when he was comfortable, River left the number of the lab with Molly so Julian could call later to be reassured that the baby was doing just fine inside the birthing unit.

“If you need me, if he has any problems, call me,” she said, handing Molly the prescription for his pain relief, “And watch him closely Molly. He might feel traumatised about losing the implant, it doesn't matter that the baby is okay – he will still feel the loss of it because its no longer inside him, he might even feel guilty or depressed, some men do when they miscarry, even when the baby survives and is thriving in the implant. Just be supportive.”

“What about Oswald? What about those pills, River? We know he must have faked it! We need to find him!”

“Of course we do,” River replied, “But Molly, Julian had been through a traumatic experience. Give me a couple of days to look into the places that manufacture the ingredients – I might be able to join the dots and trace back to who ever ordered that fake medication.”

Molly nodded.

“And not a word to anyone,”she reminded her.

“Of course not,” River agreed, “We don't know who to trust, Molly – Dad wouldn't have done this unless he was hiding something big, he must have been protecting all of us to say nothing about the real reason why he had to vanish. All we know for sure is, he had to fake his death and make it look convincing, and he couldn't even tell you and Julian about it. That says, it has to be something major. Dad's not afraid of anyone.”

“Maybe he was more afraid of what they might do to us, his family,” she replied as worry clouded her gaze and her heart ached. She also felt angry too, because Julian would not have lost the implant if not for the stress he had been through over Ozzie's disappearance. But the baby was fine, she was thriving inside the unit – and because of that, Molly wasn't in a rage at Oswald. She just wanted to find him - and then she wanted answers.

“I'll be in touch,” River said, and then she and Molly hugged.

“Look after Julian,” River reminded her.

“Of course I will,” Molly assured her, then River headed back to her car and Molly closed the front door and went back upstairs to find Julian sleeping peacefully, the ordeal of the implants early arrival far from his thoughts as he rested comfortably, now recovering and out of pain.

Life had been hard for Ed Nygma since learning of Oswald's disappearance. He had called the house, spoken to Molly, then spoken to Cain, who was the same age as his middle son, and Cain had sounded defiant in the face of his grief as he vowed to fulfil the role he had born to take on – he was ready to run the underworld for his Dad... And Ed refused to believe Oswald was dead. It had been painful enough to learn the cromine poisoning had returned, but to then find out that Oswald had apparently killed himself, that was too much to take:

He had lost count how many tears he had shed over that.

And he still couldn't believe it. Ozzie just wasn't the type to do that.

But he was gone, those were the facts as they stood.

And he had accepted that as he nursed a broken heart for the man he once loved.

Until he heard a rumour Jim Gordon was seen driving back across the Gotham bridge shortly after Oswald's disappearance. Now Ed had a theory of his own...

He thought about that theory as he worked on the bench at the back of his garage:

It had been years since he had built an explosive device, but it was funny how you just didn't forget some things...

Then Lee knocked on the back door.

“Ed?” she called out, “What are you doing in there? I tried to get in the front way but the garage door was locked!”

There was a manic gleam in Ed's eyes as he worked by lamp light to wire the bomb.

“I'm just working on a little project, Lee, I'll be out soon. I'm heading into work before one pm.”

“I brought you some coffee.”

“Leave it outside, I'm in the middle of something...”

There was pause.

“Okay, don't let it get cold!” she called back, and then as she set down the mug by the back door and walked off, the need for revenge burned in the eyes of the man the city had once feared as Riddler:

So what if he got caught?

So what if he was put back in Arkham again?

Oh, the irony – first he was forced to run the damned place and soon, he would probably be an inmate once more...

Ed looked down at the partly built device.

“This is for you, Oswald,” he said in a low voice, “I knew it, I knew one day the cops would put a bullet in you! Well, they won't get away with it. I'm blowing up the GCPD...”

Over at Josh and Selina's house, Ivy had departed to seek solace in the company of her plants. She had been hit hard by the news of Oswald's death, she had cried inconsolably as Selina held her, then Josh had answered the door to Iris and Penguin, and Penguin had waddled over to Ivy and hugged her tightly, before announcing he would spend some time in the green house with her, helping her tend to the plants.

“I won't be gone long,” he added as he glanced at Iris, and then he had left with Ivy, and Iris had briefly taken over, making coffee while Josh and Selina sat down for a while.

Then the baby had cried and Josh had gone upstairs to his son. By the time he came back down, Iris had gone home and Little Penguin was busy running about in the garden with the other kids, they were playing and laughing and yet to grasp the fact that Oswald was gone. He and Selina had decided on holding off before telling Maria about Oswald, Jax was doing likewise with Alicia – Molly had told the kids, as long as there was hope, they had to keep on hoping Daddy Oz was alive. Now was not the time to tell the children he was gone. Maybe tomorrow or the next day, when his body washed up – but not today. For now, there was still hope, and Josh wanted it to stay that way.

As the kids played in the garden, Selina finished getting lunch ready and then she left the kitchen and went through to the front room, where she kept her voice low as she spoke softly to him and sadness reflected in her gaze.

“Do you think Oswald is dead? Because I can't believe it! I just can't believe he would kill himself, not after all he went through a few years back when he was sick! And he's always been so tough, and he has so much to live for. It just doesn't make sense.”

Seeing such sorrow in her eyes made his heart ache. Selina had known Oswald for many years, going way back to when she was a street kid in the days before Gotham had fallen. She had witnessed the rise of Oswald Cobblepot, and he felt sure it seemed as impossible to her as it did to him to believe he could be gone.

“I know it doesn't make sense,” Josh agreed, “He sent a message to Molly saying he was in pain. But he's the guy who became king of Gotham, his road to glory was built on pain and broken bones! I know everyone gets older and weaker but not Oswald. He was always strong. And I can't imagine him doing anything to take him away from Molly and Julian and the kids. He loves his family!”

“But he is gone.”

He heard pain in her voice as she said that. Her soft curls framed her pretty face as her green eyes reflected sadness. For all her reputation as tough Selina Kyle, when it came to those she cared about, her heart was entirely open and right now, it was bleeding for the loss of Oswald. Josh put his arms around her and pulled her closer.

“I hope he's not gone. But it looks like he is, I think he was planning it -”

”Then why didn't you say something?” she exclaimed.

“I only realised with hindsight,” Josh replied, “He said if the worst happened, he wanted Jax to help Cain take over, and he wanted me to help with his family, while they got over his death. And here I am, his kids are in the garden running around and laughing, I'm doing what he asked, Selina. I just hope I can always serve the underworld as well as I have in the past, I'm always going to give my best to the organisation he built, I just hope my best is good enough.”

Selina nodded.

“It will be,” she assured him, “Oswald was always so proud to call you his General. Just like I'm proud to call you my husband.”

He leaned in, sharing a tender kiss, then he stepped out of her embrace and reached for his coat.

“I'll go outside and watch the kids.”

She managed a smile.

“Thanks,” she said, and Josh headed for the back door that led to the garden, where the kids were laughing as they tossed about leaves that had once been carefully raked into a neat pile.

Selina went back through to the kitchen where she stopped, her eyes wide:

The fridge was open. Half the food was missing, or out on the floor, strewn about. There was a discarded empty can of beans and some food wrappers, and banana skins and half a chocolate cake was on the floor and in the middle of this chaos sat Little Penguin, who wiped chocolate flippers on his coat before reaching for an open bottle of cola and tipping it back, chugging it down and then belching loudly.

“Selina got good food!” he said, smiling broadly.

“I had good food!” she exclaimed as she remembered there was a rule everyone had to stick to when babysitting little Penguin:

Never give him cola, and never give him beans...

“Let's get this mess cleared up, starting with you, Penguin, let's wash your flippers!” she said.

He jumped up, on a sugar high.

“No, Penguin go play!” he laughed as he waddled fast for the open door, waving chocolate smeared flippers in the air.

“Get back here!” Selina said firmly.

He laughed again as he waddled, leaving a chocolate smear on the back door as he jumped down the step.

“Little Penguin's covered in food!” Luna said in alarm.

“Oh no, Penguin!” Maria said as she dropped a handful of leaves.

Felix ran to fetch the rake as he started to try and rake up the leaves on the lawn, looking busy so he didn't get the blame for letting him sneak off.

“Don't come near me with chocolate flippers!” Alicia warned him.

“Penguin chase Alicia!” he yelled, and then he ran across the lawn as Alicia ran to escape the mess on his flippers.

“You went through the kitchen and didn't see him eating the food?”

As Selina said that, Josh turned to her, he had been watching the scene unfold, wondering how the little Penguin boy had got so messy so fast...

“I just walked out the door and... I didn't look around the kitchen!” he protested.

“He's raided the fridge!” Selina told him, and then she looked across the lawn,

“Penguin, get back here now!”

Little Penguin stopped running, standing on the lawn as he looked down at his flippers, then he opened and closed them.

”Penguin got sticky flippers!”

”Yeah, I wonder why!” Selina said in annoyance, “Come inside, let's get you cleaned up and then you can help me clean up the mess!”

Penguin touched the tips of his small flippers together, and they were still sticky.

“Okay!” he called out, and waddled across the lawn to meet her.

Josh watched as she led him back inside, and then he turned to the other kids.

“Let's get these leaves cleared up, then dinner will be ready.”

“It wasn't me,” Felix said as he raked the leaves.

“It was,” Alicia said quietly to Josh, “Felix said let's throw the leaves and then when the grown ups come out we can tidy them, but then he took the rake!”

Josh couldn't help but smile at Felix and his plans to duck out of trouble.

“He's a lot like his Dad, that's what his Mom always says,” he replied, and then he led the kids over to the corner of the garden, and started to help them clear up the mess. Just then, his phone rang.

Selina had taken Little Penguin into the kitchen, where she washed his flippers and then helped him to pick up all the mess he had made. He finished throwing away the last of the empty wrappers, and then she watched as he climbed on to a chair, stood at the sink and washed his flipper hands again.

“Mommy says always wash your hands after touching garbage,” he informed her.

“Mommy's right,” Selina agreed, “And you did a great job cleaning up. But it would have been better if you asked instead of taking the food, Little Penguin.”

He nodded, then scrambled down from the chair and stood there looking up at her.

“Penguin is sorry!”

One look at his chubby face and his small dark eyes made her heart melt.

“I know and it's okay!” she told him with a smile, then as he reached up with his flippers open he said Up, up, and Selina lifted him into her arms.

“So, what are we doing about lunch?” she asked, “You've already eaten!”

“But Penguin is still hungry!” he said with a smile, then he farted loudly and tipped his head back and laughed.

“Penguin!” Selina said, “Don't do that, sweetie!”

“It's a fart!” he declared as she set him on the floor, and to make his point, he farted again.

Just then Josh came in from the garden.

“Go outside and play, Little Penguin,” he said, and Penguin didn't need telling twice.

“Okay!” he said loudly, and waddled off, heading for the door.

Selina had seen the worried look on her husband's face as soon as he entered the room and now she was worried too.

”What's wrong?” she asked.

“Molly just called. She said Julian miscarried the implant, but the baby is fine, the unit is intact and the implant is being supported to carry on growing in the hospital, and Julian's resting at home. Apparently he had a rough time with the delivery.”

“I've heard premature unit discharge can be rough,” Selina replied, “But at least he's okay and the baby made it.”

“Molly said she wants me to bring the kids back as late as possible, maybe ten pm, Julian's in pain and needs to rest, and she asked that we explain to the kids about what's happened.”

Selina nodded.

“Okay,” she said, “Let's call them in and we'll both explain.”

Back at the mansion, Molly spoke in a low voice to her visitor as she stood with her outside Julian's room.

“He's sleeping but he was in pain when he woke up,” Molly said, “The number for the implant care facility is next to the bed, Julian's already called and they told him the baby is doing just fine, the implant is stable and thriving, but he's very emotional about it. Just reassure him if he wakes – and he can't have any more pain relief for anther three hours.”

Carol nodded.

“Understood, I'll take care of him, Molly.”

“Thanks,” Molly said, “And I won't be gone long... I just need to go out and see someone, about Oswald going missing.”

“Of course,” Carol agreed, saying no more at this painful time, knowing Molly had a great deal to handle now her husband was missing presumed dead. And if all she could do to help while Alicia was over at Josh and Selina's place was sit with Julian while he rested, that was what she would do.

Molly thanked her again and Carol said it was no trouble at all, and then she went quietly into the bedroom to sit beside Julian as he lay sleeping deeply. Then Molly turned away and hurried for the stairs, breaking into a run as she dashed to the bottom then made for the door, snatching up her jacket and her car keys on the way. She didn't know if Ed would be at work yet – he often kept odd hours – but she was thinking back to that call from Jim, about the escape at Arkham a while back. She couldn't be sure it was linked, but she knew she needed to rule it out, and that was why she left the mansion at speed, taking the car on a route that would eventually lead to the asylum, because she had to start somewhere...

Josh and Selina had sat down in the front room, and while Luna and Felix sat on the other sofa, Alicia, Lucy, Maria and Little Penguin sat on the carpet together. Josh explained carefully that Julian's baby had been born too early, but was in the implant, safe and sound, and would carry on growing until the baby was ready to be born.

“And your Dad's okay, Lucy,” Josh added, “He's resting, he will need a lot of rest, but he's going to be fine. It's important that you kids are quiet when you go home later, because he needs a lot of sleep at this time.”

Lucy paused for thought as she sensed something distantly: yes, Daddy was okay. He was sad he couldn't carry the baby, but he knew she was okay, she was safe inside the implant...

And there was something else.

“Daddy Oz is alive,” she said.

Selina blinked.

“What did you say, Lucy?”

“Daddy Oz is alive. I don't know where he is. He doesn't know either, but he's safe. He's just sad and missing us a lot.”

“I hope you're right,” Josh said.

“So do I,” Selina added.

Then Little Penguin spoke up.

“When guys have babies, they come out of the butt?”

“Yes, they do,” Selina told him.

Little Penguin paused for thought as his eyes went wide.

“Oh no poor Julian! Molly should give him a cushion for his butt!”

Josh chuckled as he looked at the small Penguin boy.

“Why is that, Little Penguin?”

“Because if the baby comes out the butt it's like the time Penguin did the big poopy and cried!” he exclaimed as he opened up a flipper dramatically, “And then Mommy gave Penguin a cushion to sit on!”

Selina smiled kindly.

“I'll be sure to remind Molly to give Julian a cushion,” she said, “It was very kind of you to suggest that, Little Penguin.”

While Josh was carrying out Oswald's wishes and helping to care for his family, Molly was on her way over to the asylum. And while this was happening, there was a press conference being held outside City Hall, as the media waited for the underworld response to Oswald's apparent death. The media had gathered and behind them, a vast crowd. Jax Sterling spoke up first, holding back all trace of emotion to honour Oswald's passing with dignity. He didn't want to think about how Cain was holding up, he was waiting behind the solid wall of security as Oswald's men stood guard and he waited to say his piece.

“We are presuming Oswald Cobblepot is gone,” Jax announced as he stood there, an imposing figure in his dark suit and black tie as he paused to regard the media stood before him, “The man who built our great nation and fought for its independence is gone, after bravely bearing pain that he could no longer live with, he decided to put an end to his own suffering. That is all we can conclude, considering the evidence before us. But the underworld is in safe hands. There will be no fighting over leadership because this was decided long ago and all leaders are in agreement that the underworld stays in the hands of the Cobblepot family. I now hand you over to Mr Cain Cobblepot.”

Cain stepped forward to meet a hushed crowd still reeling from the news of Oswald's death. Now they saw before them a young man of just eighteen, who cut a dashing figure in a dark pinstripe suit that he had found at the back of his father's wardrobe, from the days when he had been Mayor of Gotham. He also spiked his dark hair like his father, and had his icy gaze, too, but somewhere in there, he also resembled his mother, although he was sure today the people of the city were seeing the hair and the Cobblepot nose more than anything else as he began to speak:

“My father fought for the freedom of this city and for Gotham's right to stand against reunification and unify our own people to a state of independence,” he said, sounding strong and confident as fire in his gaze reminded those watching of a young Oswald, “And while you all miss the king of the underworld, be assured no one misses him more than his own very large family,” Cain added, “And as his eldest son, the task falls to me to take over from my father. And be assured of this, of my promise to you, a promise that I will never break: On my father's side, I am a Cobblepot. On my mother's side, I am an Irishman. But most of all, I am a son of Gotham City and I will serve you well!”

His words were met with thunderous applause. Jax felt immensely proud of young Cain as he stood before the people, and as she stood beside Jax, Ronny applauded too as she blinked away tears. She had never been more proud of Cain than at that moment, but she also knew it meant that from this moment on, everything changed. She wasn't dating Oswald's son, she was now the partner of the new king of Gotham, and for Cain, business would come first, maybe for a very long time... The people were still cheering as Cain looked on, staying strong on the outside while his heart ached for the loss of his father.

Molly had entered the head office at Arkham right after thundering applause for her son faded out as Ed sat there at his desk, watching the end of the speech on a small TV.

“Molly,” he said as he switched it off, “It's good to see you. I just caught the speech. Cain did well.”

“I knew he would,” Molly replied as she took a seat, “But I'm not here to talk about Cain taking over from his father. It's not a permanent arrangement. I don't believe Ozzy's dead.”

Ed blinked, then stared across the desk at her. Then he thought about that bomb he was building at home secretly – he had only left it alone because he had to go into work this afternoon, and for now, he wanted to keep his plans quiet.

“Oswald is dead,” he replied, and the words felt like glass in his throat as he spoke them aloud, “I know you want to think he's alive but I heard Jim Gordon was seen driving away from the bridge around the time Oswald is thought to have vanished. I think the GCPD are involved. And you can be sure if I find out they are, there will be hell to pay.”

There was an icy gleam in his eyes. Molly looked at him before she replied, looking past the fact that clearly, Ed was still as crazy as he had been years before in his Riddler days, it was just that he was good at hiding it, and Ozzy's apparent death had brought it to the fore again...

“I'm trying to put the pieces together,” she said to him, “It's about the prisoner who escaped, Oswald was called into Jim's office about it...this was shortly before he fell ill. I know it sounds crazy but I need to know if there's a link.”

Ed paused for thought.

“I know nothing about the prisoner in the basement level,” he admitted, “I'm here to do the admin, medical staff and others who work here have more authority than me even though my job title is governor. I didn't want this job, Molly. Oswald gave it to me to keep me out of trouble – and that is nothing to do with any of this! All I know is her name was Janine Inka. And she was middle aged when she was incarcerated and now, she would be an old woman. Clearly, someone must have built a bomb for her, she wouldn't have had access to anything like the kind of alleged weapon that caused the carnage here...”

“Alleged?” Molly asked.

Ed shrugged.

“We don't actually know what was used to kill the security staff. But she's still out there somewhere, and I was told to keep out of it.”

“By who?” Molly said.

Ed leaned on the desk, dropping his voice to a whisper.

“Outside authorities. And Jim was tangled up in it! Some kind of multi agency agreement – outside authorities and the city, bound to an agreement over the prisoner. They only do that with those who are extremely dangerous, and those who have committed crimes in and outside of our borders. Multi agreements like this don't happen any more. This is a very old case from the days when Gotham was part of the mainland, and it was upheld after independence.”

“And that's all you know?”

Ed paused for thought and then got up.

“I need to show you something,” he said, and he led her over to a locked cabinet and opened it up.

As the door swung open, Molly gave a gasp as two eyes stared back at her, then she realised she was looking at a doll. But not just any doll. This was a lifelike, beautifully made doll that looked like a child aged around two and half, she wore a blue dress with a matching bow in her fair hair, and her face and those eyes looked so real... Molly tilted her head a little, taking in the features of the doll. It was odd, but it gave her the shivers... That doll looked so alive...

“It was made by a woman who specialised in reborns – dolls that look so realistic they can be mistaken for the real thing, for a real baby. She also made young children too, for those who had lost kids, or who just wanted to remember their grown up kids as babies again...” Ed paused sit the doll on the edge of the shelf, and as it moved, its eyes blinked.

“Apparently Inka had this doll made for her by a reborn artist. That artist was since found dead, and I wish I still worked for forensics... they say she had strangulation marks on the inside of her neck. Not the outside, just... inside...”

Ed took a file from his desk and flipped it open and passed it to her.

“Thankfully my curiosity was indulged by a former colleague who slipped me a copy of the autopsy, it makes for fascinating reading!”

Molly didn't read anything in the report. Instead as she looked at the face of the dead woman she gave a gasp, recognising the messenger who had told her Oswald had secrets...

“I've seen her before!” she passed the document back to Ed, “And she made this doll for Janine Inka? Why, why would Inka want a lifelike doll?”

Ed indicated to the small gold chain around the doll's neck that bore her name.

“She wanted a reminder of the daughter she lost years ago, when she was arrested,” Ed told her, “Apparently the kid's name was Rebecca.”

“What else do you know?”

Ed stared at Molly, who had got up sharply, leaning on the desk as her question sounded more like an urgent demand.

“Nothing,” he said honesty, “Jim Gordon told me to step back, and I figured maybe it was nothing to do with the underworld, so I carried on doing my job that Oswald paid me to do – the admin, in this shit hole!”

Molly stepped back from the desk, turned to the doll and looked at it for a moment, then she shook her head, unable to figure out why that doll gave her goosebumps...

“I really don't need a doll stuck in my office,” Ed told her, “And as the prisoners still out there somewhere and this thing is considered a privilege, she won't be getting it back when she's recaptured. The doll will go in the trash unless you could think of a good home for it?”

Molly looked at the life like doll and shook her head.

“Luna's not into dolls. She used to be, but she's getting older, and Lucy's a collector of plushies and Felix loves cars. I think Jax Sterling's little girl has a dolls house, but that's all miniature stuff... And Little Penguin would break it! Maybe Maria might like it? Josh said she likes dolls.”

“Could you take it with you?” he asked her.

Molly shook her head, guessing that after learning all she had, things might get a bit rough with Jim and she didn't want the doll getting broken.

“Sorry, I can't right now. Maybe you could take it over to Maria when you finish work?”

“Well I could -”

“Thanks for your help. Now I must go!”

Molly had reached the door.

“When are you seeing Jim?” Ed asked suddenly, remembering his plans to bomb the police HQ.

“Right now, why?”

Ed forced a tight smile.

“I was just wondering, Molly. If you turn up anything new, be sure to let me know.”

“I will,” she replied, and then she left the room.

As the door closed behind her, Ed sank back into his seat giving a heavy sigh, feeling the loss of Oswald sharply, all over again. Then he remembered his partly built bomb at home in the garage and smiled a sly smile. As he did so, he felt the eyes of that creepy doll looking blankly back at him as it sat there perched on the shelf space in the open cabinet.

“What are you looking at, Annabelle?” he said accusingly, “If I want to blow up the GCPD I'm going to do it, who's going to stop me, you?”

The doll looked blankly ahead.

“Didn't think so!” Ed added, and he playfully poked out his tongue at the doll, who stared back blankly with glass eyes as the light caught on her necklace, lighting up the name Rebecca...

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

Molly had stormed into the GCPD, asked for Jim as anger flashed in her eyes and a cop on a desk had pointed to his office as Molly walked off, the heels of her boots sounding heavy on the floor as she headed for the Commissioner's room. A few other cops exchanged glances but none spoke, everyone knew she was Oswald Cobblepot's widow, also married to Mayor Lambrick in what had been a three way marriage and the most powerful ruling triad in the city's underworld. And whatever had put her in a rage was between her and Commissioner Gordon...

The door opened and Jim got up from his desk.

“Molly, what brings you here -”

The words were knocked from his lungs as Molly came at him in a blur of rage as green eyes and a curtain of raven black hair loomed close as she grabbed him by the lapels and slammed him up against a wall.

“I want the fucking truth from you!” she hissed as Jim blinked, looking into her eyes, remembering Molly was not the average grieving widow believing her husband to be dead. Oh shit, she had realised... She knew the truth... at least, she had worked out Cobblepot was still alive...

“Let go of me!”

She saw the threat in his eyes and roughly let go, stepping back as Jim paused to adjust his tie and take in a breath.

“Okay, let's do this,” he said, and walked to the door, closed it, locked it and then turned back to Molly.

“If Oswald faked his death, know he had a good reason. Know your life and the lives of your family depend on believing he is dead. I shouldn't even say that much!”

She shook her head as her eyes narrowed and she stepped closer.

“We went through weeks of shit believing he was sick! Then he went missing, but I knew Ozzie didn't send that goodbye text! And then I found the pills and I know they were supposed to make his sickness look believable. I know what's going on here, he was forced to vanish and it had to look like suicide because if he had apparently died any other way, there would be a fucking all out war in this city by now! So why, Jim? Why was he forced to do this? And who the fuck is Janine Inka?”

“Molly, I can't say more. Every person who knows the truth is in danger!”

“I need the truth!” she said angrily, “And I'm not leaving until I get it! Julian miscarried the implant today because of all the stress he's been through! That little baby only survived because she was inside a birthing unit! So start talking!”

Jim's expression changed to one of regret.

“Julian miscarried the unit?”

“I just feckin' said so!”

“I'm sorry, Molly. Is he doing okay?”

“What do you think, Jim?” Molly demanded, “Julian has been through enough over the years - this is the last thing he needed! He's not strong, he could have a breakdown over this, he could get post birth depression, River said he's at serious risk for it! And this happened because Oswald was forced to lie to us and fake his death! So you're going to tell me everything. It's the least you can do!”

She pulled out a chair and sat down, glaring at Jim. He gave a heavy sigh as he leaned against his desk, looking into green eyes that burned with anger.

“Okay,” he said, “I'll tell you. But you can't tell anyone else. Janine Inka was a scientist. She experimented on herself and gained vastly destructive powers. She's been held in Arkham in a specially contained cell for decades. And she's the mother of Oswald's daughter Rebecca.”

Molly stared at him.

“I knew you were lying that first time I mentioned her, I could see it on your face!”

“Rebecca grew up in Gotham knowing nothing of her past, or who her parents were. She was safer that way. Oswald helped to trap Inka, in exchange for his association with her being absolved from any blame for crimes she committed. He had to agree that if she ever escaped, he would go missing, presumed dead until she was captured. She can read minds, Molly! She can tear people apart with a single thought! She can become at one with shadow and travel through it. She could destroy this entire city and beyond it if she chose to. It took everything she had to break out of her prison. And soon, she will be strong again and the first thing she will do is look for Oswald! Then she will look for her daughter!”

“Oh my god...” Molly whispered as she realised why this secrecy and deception had been played out, “Where's Oswald?”

“He's in a safe house,” Jim replied, “But I don't know where. It was safer for me not to know. I just have to hope if Inka comes for me, I can look into her eyes and hold the thought that Oswald is dead. You will have to do the same. Please, tell no one else the truth. They will be in grave danger if you breathe a word of this!”

She gave heavy sigh.

“I can't tell Julian, he needs to know he's alive, but he's in such a bad state over all this...”

“Tell no one,” Jim reminded her, “It's all you can do to protect your family. If they don't know, she has nothing to tear from their minds.”

Molly nodded, saying nothing for a moment as she got up from her seat, thinking about the terrible mess this situation had become.

“At least I know the truth, thank you, Jim,” she said, “Now I need to get home, I'm worried about Julian. And you'd better find Inka fast, because if you don't, I'm hunting her down, and that's a promise!”

“You don't know what she's capable of!” Jim warned her.

Molly had reached the door. She paused to unlock it and glanced back at him.

“I don't give a fuck what tricks she's got up her sleeve,” she replied, “She fucks with my family, I'm taking her out. I'll find a way, I'll do it!”

Then she left the room and walked off as Jim stood there alone, looking to the doorway as he wondered if perhaps this time, Molly Cobblepot had seriously underestimated the threat that she faced...

Out in the woods at the safe house, the day had been stark and empty and the heartache didn't go away. Oswald wanted to go home, he wanted to use his hidden phone and call Molly or Julian, just to say, I'm alive and well, none of it was true, I was forced to do this to fake my death, please forgive me... But instead the phone stayed hidden in his coat, which was hung up in the wardrobe in his room. And all day Oswald had tried to avoid Magpie, but she kept on finding him.

She had walked Edward. The dog liked her too, and that was annoying at the least because when ever he called to his dog, Edward just sat down with a smile on his wrinkled face as he looked up at Magpie, adoring her as she scratched his ear.

Oswald had not eaten that day. He wanted a drink, but knew if he started on the generous amount of booze downstairs in the front room, he would empty the drinks cabinet. He missed his home and his family and he had hated this deception right from the start. He wished he had done this another way. But there had been no other way, not even for the king of Gotham, not under these circumstances...

And now the sun was sinking to set as he wondered how many more sunsets he would see trapped here, without his family. The thought that they were mourning his death broke his heart and made him fear for a future when this was over and he would have to face them, explain it all and hope forgiveness could still exist after such a terrible deception.

“Oswald.”

He gave a sigh and turned from his window to see Magpie standing in the doorway. She walked over to the table and set down a tray.

“I made you tea.”

“I didn't ask you to do that.”

“It's the thought that counts,” she flashed a smile, then pulled out a chair and sat down.

“Tell me about Rebecca.”

“There's nothing to tell!” he said sharply as he leaned hard on his cane, walking stiffly over as he glared at her in anger.

She gave a small shrug and looked up at him, regarding him patiently.

“You never did tell me everything.”

Oswald pulled out a chair sharply and sat down.

“You don't need to know.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“Think back, Ozzie. I knew you well enough. You cried in my arms over Rebecca's mother! You told me so much about the past! Why cry for her when you said you hated her?”

“I did hate her!” Oswald's eyes reflected rage, then he pulled back on it, drawing in a slow breath as he kept long closed off memories firmly in the dark, reluctant to drag them out now, “And I haven't forgotten you stole the diamond from me and years later, tried to drag my name through the mud for your theft!”

She rolled her eyes.

“All in the past. Tonight it's you and me and this tea party... I'll pour. I remember how you like it.”

Oswald said nothing as she poured the tea, then as he thought back to old memories, he looked into her eyes and thought about the years that had flown by. So much had changed, yet so much old pain still remained sharp as ever.

“I loved Janine Inka,” he said in a hushed voice, “When I was young and naive... I loved her until -”

“Until she lied about the abortion and stole your daughter!” Magpie cut in, pausing to sip her tea before setting it down on the saucer once more, “I know that story, Oswald. She broke your heart.”

“No,” Oswald said, and suddenly, it was easy to say it, “No, Magpie. I hated her long before that. I hated her when I woke up in her bed with no memory of consenting to sex with her! I was young and innocent and she drugged me!”

As he said those words, Magpie's eyes got wider.

“She used you?”

“I used to tell myself, she must have wanted me so desperately, I must have been so irresistible! But I knew deep down, I knew what she did!”

“Oh no Oswald, I'm so sorry!”

Magpie reached across the table and grasped his hands.

“I didn't know that part. You never said a word.”

“Why would I tell anyone the king of Gotham was drugged and forced into sex as a young man?” he replied, “I have my pride!”

“But at least the one good thing that came out of this was Rebecca,” Magpie said with a smile as she let go of his hands, “You must be so proud of her, Oswald!”

All trace of sorrow left his gaze.

“I am,” he agreed, “But how could I ever approach her and tell her she was conceived through sex I did not consent to, how can I tell her that her mother is the Shadow Lady? If she found out I was her father...” he shook his head, “No, she can never know. She's got this far and made a life for herself remembering nothing of her early days. It should stay that way, it's better that way.”

“Better for her, but not for you?”

Oswald shrugged.

“As long as she is okay, I'm happy.”

“She might be even happier if she knew who her father is?”

“No,” Oswald replied firmly, “No, Magpie. It can't be done.”

Then he sipped his tea and said no more as outside, the sun sank to dusk.

By now Molly was home, Carol had sat with Julian in her absence, but he had not woken, and now Carol had gone home. Now Molly watched over him as he slept deeply. The kids would be back soon, and she had to keep them out of his room and make sure he wasn't disturbed until morning. She still didn't know how he was feeling, or how he would feel in the coming days. Miscarrying the unit had been more than physically painful, she knew after the stitches healed, the emotional trauma would take a far deeper toll. He had been through too much in life to go through losing Oswald, then losing the implant. River had advised her to focus on the baby, reminding him the child would be just fine. But Molly didn't know what good that would do now. She wanted to tell him the truth about Oswald, to give him that ray of hope that he desperately needed, but Jim was right – truth at a time like this was a dangerous thing, and Julian was not strong enough to stand up to Inka, this shadow monster who could read minds...

The sky outside was dark now and it wouldn't be long before the kids were home. Molly turned her gaze from the window, looking down at Julian as she sat next to the bed and he opened his eyes and looked up at her.

“How do you feel?”

“Sore, tired, and... why did this have to happen?” Julian became tearful, “I wouldn't have lost the baby if Oswald was still here! This is his fault, because he killed himself and the shock made me miscarry! I hate him for that!”

“And the baby is fine, still in the unit, she's going to be okay,” Molly reminded him as she brushed a tear from his cheek, but her words made little difference as pain and anger burned in Julian's tearful gaze.

“He promised me he would NEVER leave us!”

Molly was starting to get something of an insight into how Oswald must have felt, hiding his secret from the family, trying to protect them from something that even the king of Gotham couldn't handle alone... Now it was her turn, to protect Julian from the truth – a truth that could end his misery, but possibly cost him his life... She knew she couldn't tell him and it tore at her heart, but there was no other choice but to stay silent.

“Oswald wouldn't have left if he had another way,” Molly said softly, “And as I said, until a body turns up, we still have hope.”

“Molly, he's dead,” Julian said bitterly as he turned on his side and pain briefly registered on his face, “He's dead, and I couldn't even carry my baby full term! That little girl needs a better father than me, I've let her down already, and so has Oswald!”

“No, don't think like that!” Molly told him, “No sweetheart, you're wrong! Implant miscarriage isn't unusual, and we don't know if Ozzie is dead, so please don't start thinking like that! Your little girl needs you, Julian!”

“And Oswald's not here for us, he won't be here to help me raise her!”

“But I will,” Molly reminded him, “I love you so much, as much as Ozzie loves you, never think you'll be alone with this!”

Julian blinked back tears.

“I want to go back to sleep.”

“You do that,” Molly told him softly, “Everything will be okay, I promise. Just get some rest...”

She heard a car on the driveway and got up and looked out the window to see Josh had pulled up outside, with Luna, Felix and Lucy in the back.

“The kids are home,” she said, “I'll tell them not to disturb you.”

He gave no reply. She looked back, saw him sleeping soundly and left the room to go downstairs and meet the kids and remind them to be quiet, because Julian needed to rest.

Next day, Molly's time was taken up with looking after Julian, who was distressed about losing the implant as much as he was in pain with his stitches. The kids had all wanted to see him, Cain had taken time out of what was a now busy schedule to speak with him and remind him the baby would be just fine, and Felix and Luna had been kind too as they reminded him that everything would be okay. But he had cried all over again, and Molly had asked the kids to leave the room. Then Lucy had walked in, and she had patted her Daddy's hand, talking softly to him as she said, Don't worry about the baby, she's fine, Daddy. And please don't cry about Daddy Oz. He's not dead, I know it...

Molly's eyes had widened in alarm as she recalled Jim's warning – but how the hell could she stop a child with Lucy's ability from telling the truth?

“We don't know that for sure, Lucy,” Molly had said quickly, but Julian had sat up awkwardly, for a moment forgetting about the stitches until he felt the pain, then he shifted on his side and breathed out slowly, thankful for the medication that was taking the edge off the worst of it.

“What do you mean, Oz is alive? Are you sure, Lucy?”

Molly heard such desperation in Julian's voice as he looked pleadingly at his daughter.

Lucy nodded.

“Yes, Daddy,” she said, and then as she stood there she turned her head and looked up at Molly.

“Why don't you want me to say that, Mommy?”

“Because until we know he's alive, until we have proof, we shouldn't get our hopes too high, Lucy. We just have to hope that he will show up alive and well. But we don't know that he will.”

“I do,” she replied knowingly, “Daddy Oz is safe. He doesn't know where he is, but he is safe, Mommy,” she looked back at Julian, “I'm sure about it, Daddy. I can feel it.”

“I hope you're right,” Julian told her.

“Lucy, can you go and sit with Felix and watch some TV?” Molly said.

“But I want to talk about Daddy Oz -”

“Now,” Molly added, and Lucy gave a sigh and turned away, walking reluctantly out of the room.

Now she was gone and the door was closed Molly turned back to Julian.

“Don't get your hopes up. We have to assume there's a chance he's alive. But we don't know for sure. He's probably not.”

Tears filled Julian's eyes all over again, along with anger.

“Before I lost the implant I was grieving for him. I would have given anything to see him walk through the door just so I could hold him again. Now I just want to tell him what I think of him for what he did, he fucking did this, Molly! He put me through so much stress I could have lost our child over this! Thanks to him I won't give birth at nine months, I'll have to watch the baby cut out of the implant instead, how is that supposed to make me feel like a birth parent?”

“But you are,” Molly reminded him.

Julian looked away.

“Leave me alone, I want to go back to sleep.”

Molly had paused for a moment, wanting to talk to him, to reason with him, but Julian was in one of his moods and when he was this down, nothing could get through to him.

“Okay, you rest my love,”she said softly, and then she left the room and closed the door behind her, and as she turned away, she gave a gasp.

“I thought you went downstairs!” she said, still feeling that jolt she had felt as she turned to see Lucy standing right in front of her, looking up at her with those sometimes spooky all seeing, all knowing eyes.

“Uncle Ed gave Maria a doll,” she said, “It came from Arkham.”

“Yes, he did,” she replied, recalling how Ed had said he would drop off the doll at Josh and Selina's house, “I know Maria spoke to you about it on the phone this morning.”

“It's called Rebecca,” she added.

“Yes I know that too, now go downstairs and sit with your brother.”

“But I want to talk about the doll!”

As she said that, in her mind, Lucy saw the back of the doll, a seam that ran down its back that had been neatly stitched closed.

”There's something inside it,” she added, “I didn't tell Maria but I thought I should tell you. It's about Rebecca.”

“About the doll?”

“No Mommy, I think Rebecca is a person!”

Molly took a deep breath as not for the first time, something her daughter said had made a chill run down her spine.

“And you don't need to worry about that,” she replied.

“And something else,” Lucy added, and now she was smiling, “Grandpa will be here by lunchtime. He got the early flight.”

“Did he call you?” Molly asked in surprise.

“No,” Lucy told her, “I just know it, Grandpa's on the way!”

Molly started to smile. This was good news, she hadn't expected her Dad until the middle of next week, and now her daughter had sensed his early arrival.

“Lets not tell the others until he gets here,” she said, “It's going to be a great surprise!”

Then they went downstairs together as Lucy said no more on the things that she sensed. But there was a lot more, she knew it – but now wasn't the time to tell Mommy, because she would be worried, and it was nice to see her smiling again...

Over at Josh and Selina's house, their morning had started off good, with Selina waking Josh with slow kisses on his shoulder, moving up to the back of his neck as he lay on his side and her hand slid lower, but family life had soon interrupted them.

“Selina, I have to get up, the kids will be awake soon...”

“Five minutes,” she purred in his ear.

Then Josh had opened his eyes and seen that fucking creepy doll sat on a chair on the other side of the room and he gasped, tensing as Selina drew back, then she saw it too, and they both sat up at the same time, staring at the doll as it stared back at them.

“What the hell?” Selina whispered.

“It was in Maria's room last night!” Josh exclaimed.

Just then the door handle was turned and Maria ran in without knocking as Selina pulled the covers up higher.

“There you are!” she said, and grabbed the doll and carried her out again. Josh and Selina exchanged a glance and both laughed.

“For a second, I thought that doll had got there by herself!” Selina chuckled.

“Maybe she did, Maria sounded like she was looking for her!” Josh exclaimed, and Selina laughed harder.

“Stop it! That doll gives me the creeps!”

“I know what you mean, it's too realistic!”

From the nursery, their son woke with a hungry cry.

“I'll go,” Selina said, and she got out of bed, paused to kiss Josh, slipped on a dressing gown and left the room.

Jut then, Josh heard his phone ring. On answering he smiled, recalling how Molly's father had called the day before, to say he would be arriving early to surprise his daughter.

“I'll be at the airport to meet you, Mr MacQueen,” Josh told him, and then he ended the call, got out of bed and headed for the shower.

Lucy had called Maria again before breakfast. Selina had to tell her twice to put the phone down and come to the table, and then she had retrieved her phone, setting it aside as she carried on with a normal family morning. But something Lucy had said was on Maria's mind as she sat at the table having breakfast. Mommy was feeding her baby brother, and Daddy had just hurried downstairs in his suit, ready to go to work early.

”I'm off to meet Kane at the airport,” Josh said as he looked into the kitchen and baby Nathan smiled at his Daddy, who smiled back as the little boy reached out towards him.

“Daddy's got to go!” Josh told him, and Selina smiled too as she glanced at him.

“This is going to be a great surprise for Molly, just what she needs.”

“I think so too. I'll see you later on,” Josh replied, and then he headed for the door.

“Mommy, can I call Lucy back?” Maria asked.

“No!” Selina insisted “Finish your breakfast first. And Ivy's coming over soon, she loves to spend time with you, Maria – you can talk to Lucy another time.”

Maria thought about what Lucy had said and gave a sigh, but her mother gave her that look that said, behave, and so she carried on eating breakfast.

A short while later, Ivy arrived.

Maria watched as she took baby Nathan through to the front room as she cooed and smiled and he smiled up at her.

And Maria was still thinking about something Lucy had said...

“Mommy?”

Selina was clearing the table as she looked at Maria, who stood beside her.

“What is it, honey?”

“You know how Kane is coming to see Molly and he's surprising her? Well that's why Lucy told me and not her Mommy. Because Molly has been sad, and her Dad coming over early will make her happy, so she told me a secret instead.”

Selina had just reached for a plate, but her hand drew back as she turned around and faced her daughter with a look of curiosity in her eyes.

“What do you mean, Maria?” she asked.

“Lucy knows things, she can do magic.”

“Yes, I know about that,” Selina replied, “So what did she tell you about?”

What she said next was a huge shock.

“Lucy said, she can hear a tick tock sound. She said Ed Nygma is making something for Jim Gordon, and it ticks because it has a clock in it.”

Selina blinked. She was used to Lucy sensing events around her, and surprising people with her sixth sense. But that mention of ticking had just given her a crazy thought:

No, surely not... Ed wouldn't be building bombs again after all these years... Or would he?

Selina spoke again, trying to stay calm as she looked into the eyes of her young daughter.

“What else did Lucy say to you, Maria?”

“She said it's a clock but it has wires too and Ed is mad at Jim because of Uncle Ozzy going missing. So I'm not sure why he's making him a funny clock, but Lucy said she thinks he will give it to him today, at work... I asked her what else she knew but she said she had to go, because her Mom just got a call to say Kane was on the way over.”

Selina's heart was racing as she tried to hide her shock:

Shit, was Ed planning to bomb the GCPD?

“And Lucy didn't want to say this to her Mommy because Molly's happy to see her Dad?”

Maria nodded.

”But she said she thought she ought to tell me, so maybe you or Daddy could help out because she thinks Jim won't like his surprise very much.”

Selina drew in a slow breath.

“Thanks for sharing that, Maria. Now I want you to go and sit with Ivy and your brother. I have to go out for a while!”

Selina hurried from the room, went upstairs and wrenched open the wardrobe door, taking off her casual clothing and stepping into her leather cat suit, then she put on her claw glove and hurried back downstairs.

”Ivy, watch the kids!” she called out, “I have to go!”

“What's happening?” Ivy stepped out of the living room with the baby in her arms as Maria stood beside her looking confused.

“Something, or nothing...hopefully nothing. I'll explain later!”

Selina snatched up her car keys and left the house in a hurry as Ivy looked on, confused by her hasty exit.

As she drove towards the heart of the city, Selina had tried to call Josh several times. But there was no answer – he had probably put it on silent while he chatted to Kane MacQueen on the way back from the airport. Oswald had always insisted if he or Jax pick up family or close associates, never to interrupt conversation by taking phone calls, because people who mattered needed undivided attention...

“Josh, it's me,” Selina said urgently, leaving a message as she took a sharp turn and tires screeched as she headed towards the road that led to the GCPD, “Maria said Lucy said... Never mind, just help me out here, I'm on my way over to the GCPD... I might be wrong, but maybe not... I think Ed Nygma's planning to bomb the building!”

Selina took the car around the back, heading towards the parking area and it was then she slowed her speed, recognising Ed's car just up ahead, he was pulled over close to the other side of the road, right next to an old building that used to be a factory, but had been closed down long ago and now stood empty awaiting renovation. She watched from a distance as Ed got out of his car, then he opened up the back door and leaned inside. She saw him pause to glance over at the building, then he reached into the car again, as she got out and then with cat like stealth, began to creep slowly and carefully towards him...

On the way back to the mansion, Josh had talked with Kane, who was tired after the long flight but keen to see Molly and saddened too at the news of Oswald's apparent death.

“I never would have thought he would be the type to do that,” Kane remarked as the car drove through the gateway of the Cobblepot residence, “But, who is the type? I guess there's no answer to that question. It's not always those who say they're struggling. Sometimes it's the ones who seem strong, the ones who say nothing... Oswald must have been suffering in silence. I remember what he went through a few years back, when he first fell ill. He went through hell, Josh. It's understandable he wouldn't want to go through it again. But it's still a shock to think Oswald would give up on life...”

“We're all shocked, Mr MacQueen,” Josh replied, and then he parked the car outside the house and as Kane got out, the front door opened and Molly hurried out, followed by the children. Molly hugged her Dad and he drew back and looked at her sadly.

“I got an early flight. Thought I'd surprise you – not that I'm going to lighten the mood much. I'm so sorry about Oswald, love.”

Molly blinked back tears as she longed to tell him everything, but again remembered it was simply too risky...

“Let's go inside,” she said.

As they walked back into the house Felix and Luna hurried after them as Lucy paused for thought, worrying about all she had sensed. Maybe she should tell Mommy... but she wasn't sure. She sensed that clock with the wires was still ticking, but then Molly called to her and she turned back and hurried inside, keen to see Grandpa again.

Then as he was about to start up the car and drive back home, Josh paused to take his phone off silent. He saw he had a message, and as he listened to it, his eyes went wide... He looked to the house. Molly and the kids were inside now, and Molly was having a much needed reunion with her father. There were armed guards all over this estate, all he had to do was give the word and they would head straight over to the GCPD:

But Selina had said she wasn't sure if Ed had a bomb.

If he raised the alarm, Nygma would be shot on sight...

Cain was at a gang leaders meeting with Jax.

Molly didn't need to be disturbed right now, and if Oswald was here, he would have said the same thing as Jax would recommend:

If in doubt, don't send in the firing squad...

Josh was decided, he would have to handle this alone and if Nygma did have a bomb, he would have to stop him. He drove off at speed, out of the gates and on to the open road, as he made a call to the GCPD telling the startled cop who picked up the phone that the building needed to be evacuated immediately, because there was a rumour of explosives on the premises...

Back at the house, Ivy had just put the baby down for a nap in the nursery. Maria was sitting in the front room, the TV was on but she wasn't watching it. Instead, she had a very lifelike doll perched on the armchair as she set out a tea set.

“This is my friend Rebecca,” she informed her, and Ivy forced a smile as she silently worried for Selina, who had taken off in a hell of a hurry...

And then the TV went off. It just blinked off and the screen sat dark as in the hallway, a shadow loomed...

“What's that, Ivy?” Maria sounded scared as she pointed to the creeping mass of darkness that loomed in the hallway, spilling around the doorway as it seemed to swallow up all sight of everything beyond it.

And the shadow twisted, as out of it, a slender hand shaped in nothing but darkness rested on the open door as the frame creaked as if this mass of energy was putting pressure on the entire house...

Ivy gave a gasp.

“What the...” she was unable to speak at the sight of the mass as it loomed dark into the room. She reached for Maria and pulled her closer as the shadow loomed in, then she turned Maria towards the door that led to the garden.

“Run!” she yelled, and Maria darted across the room.

Inside the mass of darkness, Janine Inka's mind was a swirl of confusion as her face covered in darkness leaned out from the mass towards the doll, then she turned as the shadows loomed like storm clouds all around her as she slammed Ivy against the wall as a shadow hand reached out with icy tendrils that passed through flesh and bone and into her mind.

Where is Oswald?

The voice cut into her head as Ivy screamed, part smothered by the mass as its face loomed closer.

“He's dead!” she yelled, and the shadow shifted back.

As it let go, Ivy's body sagged for a moment, then she saw the door was open and ran for it, out into the garden and towards the shady spot where the vines grew tall. Upstairs Nathan was crying, sensing danger lurking on the floor below.

Ivy reached the shade of the tall tree and saw Maria cowering as the shadow raced across the lawn, momentarily blocking the sun.

”Hold on!” she said, grabbing her tightly as dirt whirled up around them and they sunk deep as if a cyclone had just hit, the wind swirled as the dark mass shuddered, kept back by the force of nature itself as Ivy and Maria went down into the ground and the vines snaked around, then over them.

It was dark below ground and stank of damp earth. Maria looked up and clung to Ivy as above, the vine ceiling that protected them in their pit shook as the shadow passed over it.

“LEAVE US ALONE!” Ivy yelled, “Oswald's dead!”

And the shadow lifted.

As fast as it had appeared, it was gone. Ivy breathed a relieved sigh, and held on to Maria as the vines parted and the earth began to raise upward again, leaving them standing in the garden beneath the shade of a tree, the only reminder of their ordeal was the patch of disturbed earth where they stood.

”What was that?” Maria wept as she looked up at her with dirt marking her cheek, “Was it a monster?”

Ivy still had her arms around her protectively as she looked about the garden, but now all she saw was sunlight, the creature had gone.

“I don't know, Maria,” she said as her voice trembled, “But it's gone now...”

Then she led her back towards the house as the baby cried upstairs and she felt a wave of relief to know he was okay. She was still shaking as they went inside, Ivy Pepper had never known the likes of what had just attacked them, and her temple was throbbing painfully from where it had reached in, poking at her mind. She didn't know what it wanted with Oswald, but as soon as she had told it he was dead, it had gone... and she needed to call Josh, as soon as Maria stopped crying...

Josh was speeding through the city, unaware that an unknown force had just entered his home and attacked Ivy Pepper. And while Josh was racing to the GCPD, the building was being evacuated by the front doors as the alarm sounded. The alarm made Ed look over in dismay as he held a box in his hands, the lid loose as the bomb ticked.

“That's right ass hole, they know about the bomb!”

He turned sharply to see Selina standing there, in her cat suit and wielding her claw glove as she glared at him.

“Get out of my way!” Ed yelled, “Jim killed Oswald – he's going to pay for this and so will the rest of the GCPD!”

“I won't let you do it!” Selina told him as she stood there ready to lash out.

Ed was breathing hard as he held the device in his shaking hands.

“I will avenge Oswald, Selina. Don't make me hurt you!”

She stepped closer, defiance flashing in her gaze.

“Don't make me hurt you, Ed!” she warned him darkly, “Jim wouldn't have done anything to Oswald! Turn that thing off!”

Ed looked back at her, still holding the bomb and with a manic gleam in his eyes as she refused to back down and the clock ticked, taking the countdown closer to zero...

Chapter Text

Chapter 8

Josh slammed on the brakes as the car screeched to a halt sharply. Around the other side of the building, he had seen the place being swiftly evacuated but here, around the back, there was just Edward Nygma, holding an explosive device in his hands... and standing in front of him was Selina.

“Shit!” he said under his breath as he drew his gun, but it was too late.

Selina lunged and for a moment, she and Nygma both tugged at the device.

“Give it to me!” she demanded.

“No!” he yelled, tugging it back towards himself, then as it started to make short, sharp buzzing sounds as a light blinked red, a look of panic came to Ed's face.

Selina ripped the device from Ed's hands and hurled it over the high brick wall that surrounded the factory then turned away. As she ran, she grabbed at Ed's jacket and tugged as he stumbled alongside her. There was a boom as dust and bricks burst out on to the pavement, showering the road as they dived for cover. Josh had stopped running as the explosion hit and the road had shook like a quake had just hit. Then he stood there with his gun in his hand, looking on in horror as the dust began to settle... Where was Selina? Finally, he breathed a relieved sigh as he saw his wife get up and shake dust from her hair and kick aside brick fragments, then as Ed staggered to his feet, she grabbed him by the lapels of his suit – his green suit – with question marks – was he turning into Riddler again? And then she slammed him against the remains of a crumbled wall.

“YOU IDIOT!” she yelled.

Josh ran over to join them, Selina turned her head as he holstered his gun. “You could have been killed!” he exclaimed.

“THIS prick almost killed Jim Gordon, for nothing!” she fumed as she glared at Ed.

“Oswald was murdered by the GCPD!” Ed raged as fury burned in his eyes.

“No, he wasn't!” Selina slammed him against the wall again as a slow smile spread across Ed's face.

“Didn't know you liked to play rough. Though I have heard the rumours, Selina... Never forget who I am!”

She let go of him, stepping back as a look of alarm registered on her face.

“No, shit, no, NO!”

“What's this about?” Josh demanded.

“He's Riddler,” Selina said in despair, gesturing to Ed who briefly took off his shades to clean off the dust, then he slipped them back on again.

“I'm usually good at riddles. But I can't break through this one. So enlighten me, because I see no other possible answer to who killed Oswald!” he snapped.

Josh stepped closer.

“Until a body is found, there's every chance Oswald is still alive - and do you really think the GCPD would kill him now, after all these years - and destroy the unity pact? Do you think they would want reunification with the mainland? Think about the politics, Ed!”

As he said that it was starting to dawn on Josh that Ed really wasn't Ed Nygma at this moment. It was there in every way – how he looked at him, how he stood, how he smiled coldly as he regarded him with an evil gleam in his eyes... Josh had only ever seen the aftermath of Riddler's actions, when Ed had been weeping over the fact that his alter ego had taken over and killed Beth Crane. But now he could see, where Ed wasn't an evil genius, there was certainly something about his other personality coming to the fore that said yes, Riddler could certainly be a deadly force to be reckoned with...

“I'm sure Ed would love to chat about the politics of this city all day, Josh,” he replied, “But I am Riddler and I have better things to do, like find out who killed Oswald! If it wasn't Jim, who did it? Who killed him?”

“Maybe he's not dead,” Josh said cautiously, “Without a body, we don't have absolute proof he's gone. I suggest you – and Ed – go home and calm the fuck down! If you must avenge his death, at least wait until you know for sure!”

He paused for thought.

“Are you saying that just to keep me out of the picture? Revenge isn't the sole right of Oswald's Generals! I was his friend, I was once more than a friend-”

Riddler was growing tearful.

“And this is the last thing he would have wanted,” Selina reminded him.

“I know that!”

Selina placed a hand on his arm.

“Come on, stupid,” she said fondly, leading him towards his car, “Get out of here before the cops come running...”

Josh watched as she hurried him over to the car, Ed got back inside, then he started up the engine and drove off at speed away from the scene of the explosion. Selina ran back over to join her husband.

“We need to get out of here too,” she said.

“What about him?” Josh demanded as Ed's car hurtled off into the distance, tires screeching as he turned a corner.

“Just leave him alone, Josh. I've known Ed for years, this Riddler thing is temporary, he needs to go home and take his meds and then he'll be fine.”

Josh stared at her.

“He tried to attack the police headquarters whilst employed by the underworld, that's a potential breach of the pact! I have to tell Cain, I need to call Jax -”

“No.”

Selina placed her hand on his arm as he reached for his phone.

“No?” he questioned, looking into her green eyes.

“Let's do this my way, Josh. Just this once, let's handle it how I would have handled it in the old days. Leave Nygma to come to his senses. Please, I know him better than you do, he's upset about Oswald and he doesn't deserve to be shot for it!”

But you don't know he also killed Beth Crane a few years back, he's still dangerous, Josh thought silently, but Selina leaned in and kissed him, then as she heard sirens, she drew back quickly.

“We need to get out of here!”

She dashed back towards her car. Josh headed for his own vehicle, in his haste to get away from the scene he ignored the call that came through on his phone as it vibrated in his pocket. He would be far from the scene of the blast by the time he got the call from Ivy to say that something she could only describe as a monster had burst in and attacked her while the kids were in the house...

Oswald knew nothing of the chaos Ed had almost unleashed in the city. But he had walked into the front room was Magpie sat watching a small TV with an old fashioned antenna, the picture was poor but the volume was clear and as he heard the report state that Mayor Lambrick had miscarried his implant but the baby had survived, Magpie turned and looked at him sharply.

“I'm sorry, Oswald.”

“Shh!” he said, limping closer to the screen as he blinked away tears, then he heard the closing words that the Mayor was resting at home and the baby was thriving inside the unit. Mayor Lambrick would not be back at work for the next few weeks, leaving duties to his colleagues while he recovered. Then he turned off the TV and looked at Magpie in despair.

“This is my fault!”

She got up from the sofa and joined him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

“This is not your fault, Ozzie! These implants do carry a risk of miscarriage – and in most cases, the baby survives, you just heard it, the baby is in the unit and thriving and Julian's recovering, everything is okay!”

“No it is not!” he blinked away more tears, “This is my fault, Julian went through too much stress because of me, he lost the implant because of ME!”

Magpie slowly shook her head.

“Don't do this to yourself. I'm not stupid, Oswald. I know why you're here.”

He blinked.

“What did Jim Gordon say to you?”

“Nothing,” she replied, “But I heard a dangerous prisoner escaped from Arkham – and suddenly the powerful Mr Penguin is in hiding? It can only be Janine Inka!”

“Don't even think her name!” Oswald said in alarm, “You know what she's capable of!”

“I only know what you told me, when you told me about Rebecca's mother,” Magpie reminded him, “I know you're here to protect your family and the city. You can't go back until Inka's captured.”

“Or killed,” he said hopefully, “I have spoken to Jim about that. I know he prefers to do things by the book, but I do believe in this case, he may make an exception. She's too powerful and far too crazy for this to be allowed to happen again.”

“And knowing Jim, he will probably still want her alive, Mr Must Do Good will show mercy. Let's hope someone else gets to her first!”

Oswald nodded in agreement.

“I sincerely hope that is the case,” he replied, “I won't ever feel safe again until I know she's dead.”

And then something dawned on him, something that left him feeling stunned as he stared at Magpie.

“You suspected I was hiding from Inka, but you still agreed to share this safe house with me? Magpie, if she tracks me down, if she finds us here, we're both dead! Why would you take such a chance?”

Magpie shrugged.

“Times change. I know I dropped your name in the shit over the diamond thing, but I still wanted to see you again.”

”Why?”

Magpie turned away, smiling as she thought about her little secret, something Oswald was not aware of – yet.

“Why not?” she replied, then she glanced back, flashed him a smile and walked out of the room, leaving him with no clear answer to his question...

Ed's heart was racing and he was sweating so hard his shirt felt damp. As he pulled into the driveway and the car came to a sharp stop, he clutched at the wheel, breathing hard as his mind raced.

“Maybe Jim didn't do it... SHUT UP!” he ranted as at the back of his mind, Riddler was very much present and trying to claw his way back to the surface. It would be easy to let him step in, but Ed was pushing him back, trying to cling to control as he drove the car into the garage where Lee wouldn't see the dust from the explosion.

As he got out of the car, Riddler's thoughts were bleeding with his own as Ed gave a heavy sigh.

“No, I can't do that!”

“But you've already fucked up!” Riddler said sharply, “So let me take over, or I tell her everything!”

Ed shook his head, wishing he could shake his alter ego the hell out of his mind before he gained control forever.

“You won't tell her – I will!” Ed snapped, and then he paused to brush brick dust from his shoulders, and went into the house.

“Honey, I'm home!” he announced with flair, realising Riddler had said that as he came face to face with Lee, who walked out into the hallway and stared at her husband, in his Riddler suit, and... Was that dust on his suit? Thick dust, the kind she would expect to see if a building had half come down?

“What the hell is going on?” she demanded.

Ed met her gaze, looked her up and down as she stood there in a white blouse and a pencil skirt that hugged her hips as in that moment, he felt so much love and lust for her – and regret.

Oh, how he had fucked up. Riddler was right...

“Sorry,” he said, and as he drew in a breath and met her gaze, he felt his dark half retreat. Ed had won this time – but only because he refused to give into blackmail, and now he would have to pay the price for it...

“What have you done?” Lee demanded as she felt a flicker of alarm, knowing he only wore that suit when Riddler was in control...

“Too much,” Ed confessed as he looked at her slowly, and then his voice shook, “It's like this, Lee... I thought Jim Gordon had murdered Oswald, so I made a bomb and I was going to blow up the GCPD but Selina stopped me. And Riddler was trying to take me over and he said if I stopped him, he was going to tell you something you don't know, so I said, fuck it, I'll tell you! Now he's retreated and I need my meds -”

“Wait!”

Lee grabbed his arm as he turned away. He turned back sharply, looked down at her heavy grip on his arm, then met her gaze as she refused to let go. Her eyes were burning with the kind of steel he had not seen since she was queen of the Narrows. She still had that toughness deep down, and all he could do now was hope this wouldn't go too badly...

“Let go of me!”

“Tell me, Ed, what is it that I don't know about?”

Her voice was as cold as her gaze now. As she let go of him, she stood there in front of him, barring his way to the stairs that led to the bathroom, that led to the cabinet where he kept his meds. Ed needed to take them to be sure Riddler didn't return, but Lee was going nowhere...

“Start talking!” she said darkly.

Ed blinked away tears. Riddler had driven a hard bargain this time – he had actually thought nothing would ever persuade Ed to give up his secret, he had gambled on that to take him over completely. And now Ed knew he had to confess, if he was to keep his sanity...

“Once I tell you this, he's got nothing on me, Lee. I killed her – no, Riddler killed her. He killed her because she was a risk to us but that doesn't make him the better man!”

All trace of anger had gone from Lee's gaze, replaced by a sense of dread. She knew he had killed Kristen Kringle accidentally years before, and the fact that they had once killed each other after a bitter quarrel only to be revived by Hugo Strange many years back, didn't make this any easier to hear:

Ed had killed again?

Riddler had got loose because Ed had been lazy with his meds and he had gone crazy and killed, again?

“Who did you kill?” she said in a hushed voice.

Ed looked at her pleadingly.

“It wasn't me, it was Riddler!”

“WHO WAS IT, ED?”

He looked into the eyes of his wife, he thought of their years of marriage and their sons they had raised together. They were still raising their family. The boys were older now, but they still needed both of their parents. Oh shit, this was going to be rough...

Ed drew in a slow breath, pausing for a moment to gather strength, then he made his confession.

“I killed Beth Crane. Not exactly me... Riddler did it. He had to get rid of her, she was becoming a problem!”

A brief moment of confusion registered on her face as she stared at her husband, her crazy husband with a dual personality who had done so many bad things, many more than she had ever done in her days as Narrows queen... He was still crazy? She had been married to him all these years and only ever seen the Riddler side when he was fooling around and horny, a mild echo of his dangerous past persona... and all the time, he had still been insane?

“You didn't kill Beth,” she said slowly as she shook her head, “Her death is one of the biggest events to happen in post war Gotham – she was a very public figure, she was a champion of the rights of prisoners... in Blackgate and Arkham! Everyone knows she committed suicide, she hung herself, Ed. How are you - or Riddler - to blame for that?”

Ed was tearful as he looked at his wife.

“No, Lee – Riddler strangled her! Those conspiracy theories about her being murdered are true! Her death was covered up by the underworld because if I got the blame, as an underworld man, the pact could have been on shaky ground! She was hung from a noose in her own home by two of Oswald's men, but she was already dead because Riddler had strangled her!”

Lee's jaw dropped, she stared at Ed as she felt the impact of his words. And then pieces began to fall into place, and it was his turn to look stunned as she stepped closer as understanding shone in her gaze.

“Oh Ed,” she said kindly, “I get it now. I'm so sorry you got dragged into it...I understand.”

“I don't think you do,” Ed replied cautiously as she placed a hand on his shoulder and he stepped back a little.

“I do understand!” Lee exclaimed, “I've worked it out – I guess the rumours were true!”

Ed looked at her in confusion.

“Rumours?”

“About her being linked romantically to Oswald while he was in Blackgate accused of that car bombing a few years back. I guess Beth wanted the king of Gotham all to herself and Oswald had second thoughts. It must be a lot for him to live with, I know he's made a happy life with Molly and Julian since then, and they have the kids, too, but he must have loved Beth at some point to start an affair with her. He's not like you, Ed. He doesn't get easily led by his cock, his heart must have been involved at some point, but being the mistress of a man as powerful as Oswald is a dangerous game to play. What happened, did she threaten to talk and destroy his marriage?”

Ed looked at her, saying nothing.

“You may as well tell me the rest.”

“It wasn't like that,” Ed replied quietly, and that was when she saw the guilt in his eyes. He drew in a deep breath.

“It's like this, Lee - Riddler killed Beth Crane because she was threatening to tell the city about her affair – but not with Oswald. With me.”

For a moment, Lee's expression was blank as the words hit hard. Then as the truth settled, rage blazed in her eyes as her voice choked with tears.

“You bastard! I've forgiven you so many times, Ed! I've played kinky games, I've done everything to satisfy your need to fuck and be fucked... and you fucked her? That slut who had half the men in this city, after you promised me you were through with cheating on me, you went off and slept with her?”

Ed looked back at her, feeling useless and heartbroken. He wanted to say something, but Sorry just wasn't enough, not this time...

“I was weak,” he replied as he blinked back tears, “And you can't blame Oswald for any of this! He told me to end it with her and I couldn't do it, so Riddler killed her!”

Lee felt nothing but anger as she looked at Ed – but none of that anger rested with Oswald's actions in this mess.

“I don't blame Oswald,” she said coldly, “He told you to end it, because the scandal could have damaged the pact! He also knew the damage it would have done to our family! And when Riddler killed Beth, Oswald wasn't helping you out, Ed, he was cleaning up after your mess to protect his city and the unity pact! Now I know why he forced you into that job at Arkham, he knows you hate the place...” she shook her head, “It's no more than you deserve, you could have destroyed the trust between the cops and the underworld over this! But you don't have to worry about that now, because it's over with. It's done, it's finished. Just like our marriage!”

Then she walked away. As the door slammed Ed's fears for his marriage were only shoved aside by his fear that Riddler could still take over while he was so emotionally shattered, and purely because he wanted to hold on to his sanity – if that was possible – he turned and ran for the stairs, needing his meds more than ever.

At the Cobblepot house, Little Penguin ran in little shoes that tapped heavy and fast on the polished floor as he waddled quickly into the hallway, eyes wide and flippers open as he looked at the ringing phone.

“Penguin get phone!” he said, and hurried over, picking up the call.

“Hello, hello! Penguin is here! Is that my Mommy?”

His round face took on a look of confusion as he heard a sharp intake of breath.

“I...I...”

The caller stopped.

“Is that my Daddy?”

Silence.

“Hello, hello!” he said again hopefully, “Hellllloooo?”

Molly took the phone from his small flipper.

“Hello, Cobblepot residence. Sorry about that, one of the kids picked up, who is this?”

There was nothing but silence on the end of the line.

Molly just knew. It was an instinct so strong she couldn't fight it.

“Oswald?” she whispered, “Fucks sake, SAY something, man!”

The caller hung up sharply.

Little Penguin, who was over to play with Felix and Lucy, looked up at her.

“Is the call for Penguin?” he asked.

“No, sweetheart, not for you,” she said quietly as she looked at the phone, then put it down, convinced it had been her Oswald trying to get in touch, then she looked down at Little Penguin again.

“Did the caller say anything?”

He tapped the tips of his flippers together.

“They go...” he did a big gasp, “Then say, I, I... and then, no more talk to Penguin.”

He gave a shrug. Then Lucy called to him and he smiled broadly and waddled off to play. Molly stood there looking down at the phone, feeling more certain than ever about her theory:

It was Oswald, it had to be her husband! He had tried to call and lost his nerve – or come to his senses, remembering the danger she could be in if she know the truth. Not that it mattered now, because she did know, and that, to Molly was the first step towards finding Inka, and then, her husband could come home... She hoped he would call back. In the front room, the kids were playing noisily as her Dad told them to be quiet. She walked off to check on the kids, and then planned to have a quiet word with her father about the phone call. It had to be Oswald, there was no other explanation...

Molly wasn't the only one who had got a call that day. When it came through Fish Mooney was in the bar, it wasn't yet open for business and she was running over some paperwork in the office. Then her phone had rung and she had looked at the number, not recognising it. Then she wondered how anyone she didn't know could have possibly got her private number, and she answered it.

“Who the hell is this?” she demanded as she stood at her desk, turned towards the window and a view of the city as the sunlight made her eyes of blue and brown contrast sharply.

The reply left her momentarily too stunned to speak.

“It's not your fault,” said Oswald as his voice trembled, “Fish, you did everything you could to cure me, and it did work. I'm not sick. And obviously, the suicide was faked. There's a very good reason for this and for the sake of the safety of my family, do NOT say a word about this call! You're safe, you're on the outside – it's Molly or Julian or the kids who could be at risk if she found out, if they knew the truth and she found out -”

“Oswald!” she cut in, “Tell me who forced you into this situation, I'll have their head for this!”

“I'd have her head if I could!” Oswald said tearfully, “But it's not that simple, Fish. Just know that I'm doing this for the safety of my family until a certain situation is under control. I had to reach someone, and it had to be you because she won't search for you, you're not my wife!”

“What's Molly done?”

“Nothing, and Julian is innocent too! But she - the threat to my family - will harm them if she senses they know I'm still alive - which they do not – apart from Molly. I left her a clue. She's starting to think that maybe, I'm alive. As long as she doesn't know where I am, she's safe too. Say nothing. I'll be in touch when it's over.”

“Oswald, wait -”

The call ended. Fish poured a stiff drink, pausing to draw a deep breath before she tasted it, as her emotions began to settle:

Oswald was alive. It was a relief to know that, she had called the house, she had told Molly she was sorry for her loss and said if there was anything she could do, she would do it, but all the time, she had felt empty knowing Oswald was gone.

But he wasn't gone.

And she didn't know why he had been forced into such an elaborate situation to fake his death, but knowing he was alive was all she needed to feel hopeful that soon, this situation would be resolved and he would be back – because knowing Oswald, who ever had done this to him would soon be made to pay for it in blood...

Josh had planned to head back to work until Selina had called him and told him she had arrived home to the news of something attacking the family home. He had turned his car around, speeding off back towards home, and he had parked outside and then run up to the front door just as Ivy had opened it and as she hugged him, he felt her tremble. Not much in this world had the power to make Poison Ivy Pepper tremble, but when he heard her relate the tale of the dark force with its humanoid shape shifting within, his blood had run cold. She had wept as she apologised for fleeing the house with Maria, leaving his baby son alone upstairs.

“I left him!” she wept, “Thant thing could have gone back and -”

“But it didn't, it wasn't after the kids, it asked you about Oswald,” Josh reminded her, “And then it left you alone. You kept the kids safe, you drove it away, Ivy.”

She nodded, then let go of him as she wiped her eyes. Maria looked out from the front room.

“Daddy the monster was scary!” she said, and as they went inside and he closed the door behind them, Selina came downstairs after feeding the baby, and her face was pale and she looked shaken.

“That thing that attacked Ivy said it wanted Oswald. What the fuck is going on? Why did it come here, Josh?”

“I don't know,” he replied, as Maria stood there, looking up at him as she clutched at the doll called Rebecca.

“It's going to be okay,” he promised his daughter, “Daddy will fix this.”

Then he looked to Selina and Ivy.

“I'm going to go over to the mansion and speak to Molly. A creature like this... full of energy, or whatever it is, needs to be reported, it's a potential threat to the city. I can't do more until Molly speaks with Cain and Jax and then makes a decision. I think they will want to inform the GCPD, too.”

As Selina looked at him, she felt a rising sense of dread. Ivy had told her all about this shadow creature, and it wasn't human. It wasn't like anything she had ever encountered in all her years in Gotham with all of its strangeness, and the thought that her husband might be ordered to hunt to down filled her with fear.

“Please be careful, Josh.”

“Don't worry about me. I want you to stay here with Ivy and the kids, that thing won't come back, it didn't find what it was looking for, you'll be safe here now.”

Selina hugged him again, and this time she clung on tightly.

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” he told her, and then he kissed her and shot a glance to Ivy.

“And you, too, Ivy!” he added, “Don't worry, everything will be fine.”

“No, no, Daddy, stay here!”

Maria tugged at his jacket. Josh leaned closer to his daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Don't worry about me, Maria. Daddy's going to get rid of the monster and I won't be doing it alone.”

“Be careful, Daddy!” she said.

“I will be very careful, and I'll see you soon,” Josh told her, then he turned away and left the house, closing the door behind him.

As he hurried back to the car, Selina was putting on her cat claw. Ivy looked at her in horror.

“What the hell are you doing? You haven't seen that thing, you don't know what it's capable of!”

As Selina looked at Ivy, she saw the deep bruising to her temple where that shadow creature had tried to physically drag information from her head.

“There's always a way,” she reminded her as she turned for the door, “Look after the kids, I'm going to follow Josh, just in case he needs help with this.”

Ivy's face paled as she hurried over to her, catching up as Selina opened the front door.

“You can't, that thing could kill you!”

Determination burned in Selina's eyes.

“I'm not letting Josh face this without me,” she vowed, and then she left the house and closed the door behind her.

Josh had drove away heading for the mansion as he made a call to Jax Sterling, and Jax had said he would be on his way over to the mansion after calling Molly. Josh made no more calls, knowing the older General would do the rest – all he had to do now was show up and await orders. And as he drove over to the mansion, he had no clue that his wife was following...

Molly had felt a sense of shock after she got the call from Jax. That black mass of energy had to be Janine Inka...

“No, no don't call Cain!” she had said urgently, “You have to leave my son out of this, Jax!”

“But he's head of the underworld now -”

Molly felt a sense of dread as she took in a deep breath, knowing she had some terrible choices to make:

Who ever knew the truth about Oswald's disappearance would be in grave danger. Ignorance was safety right now, and she had to make the kind of difficult choices her husband had made in times of war, when choosing men for the front line: Who ever she chose to take with her in this battle would have to know the truth, and everyone who knew, stood a high risk of not coming out of this situation alive...

“My husband's not dead,” she said in a low voice as she stood alone in Oswald's study with the door locked, “He's being hunted by a former partner – if you can call her that. Janine Inka... Also known as the Shadow Lady. She's the result of her own experiments, and she blames him for -”

“The loss of their daughter. Molly I know everything, he confided in me before he was forced to fake his death. What do you want me to do? Give me orders and I'll follow them.”

She breathed a relieved sigh. Before she had known the facts she would have been in a rage to think that Jax had known the truth all the long, but now it was different.

“Don't tell Cain. Inka can read minds, anyone who knows the truth is in serious danger.”

“So it's just you and me, then,” Jax replied, “But we will need more than two of us – and someone has to call the GCPD and speak to James Gordon. This is also a police matter.”

“I know that. Make the call to Jim, tell them there's been an incident, but don't tell Cain anything!”

“Understood, Molly. I shall tell Cain he is needed over at the Iceberg Lounge, I'll make up a lie about Fish needing to meet with him to talk business. Fish will go along with it when she knows it's a matter of life and death. Then I shall call the GCPD - and I suggest you get the children out of the house, just in case Inka shows up there – it could be her next logical port of call, just to be certain Oswald is really dead.”

Molly felt thankful for Jax and his quick thinking.

“Yes that's the next thing to do. I''ll tell my Dad to take the kids over to visit my brother Connor. They can stay there until this is over.”

“And I'll call Jim, then I'll call Fish and finally your son,” Jax assured her, “Don't worry about the family, Molly, I have this under control.”

“Thank you Jax,” she replied, and then she ended the call.

For a moment Molly sat there in Oswald's study with a heavy heart as she thought about her choices. Then she guessed now was not a time for sentiment, she would have to think like Oswald, and so she did, deciding who would be gathered in this room to learn the truth, because everyone who knew the truth would be dragged into the fight, and right now, she needed his finest people.

So it would be Jax, Josh and Victor who would join her, she decided, and then she made a call to Victor, leaving a message on his phone that he was to tell no one, but there was incident, and he was needed over at the house. Then she left the study to tell her Dad to take the kids to Connor's and wait there because there was a situation. That was all she would tell him, her father was getting old and didn't need to come up against the likes of Janine Inka. As she headed for the front room, she could hear the children laughing. Little Penguin came running towards her as the doorbell rang.

”Mommy is here to fetch me!” he declared joyfully.

Molly paused for thought. Taking all the kids over to Connor''s would be a lot for her Dad to handle in an emergency, and Connor wasn't back from work until late, but her Dad had a spare key.

“Penguin, go and choose someone to take home for a sleep over,” she said, smiling as he looked up at her excitedly.

”Oh yay sleepover!” he yelled, and waddled back towards the front room.

Molly hurried to the door and opened it, and Iris had a smile on her face, but it soon vanished as she saw Molly's worried expression.

“What's wrong?” she asked as she entered the house.

“There's been an incident, a serious one,” Molly said in a low voice, “I need to get the kids out as a precaution – I just found out from Jax. I need you to take one of the kids to sleep over with you tonight.”

“Sure, it's no problem. What's happened?” Iris asked as they quickened their pace and hurried towards the front room.

“Underworld matter, a serious one,” Molly told her quickly, and as they entered the room, Little Penguin stood before Felix, Lucy and Luna as he raised a flipper.

“Penguin choose someone for the sleep over!” he declared, pointing to each of them in turn as he started to chant.

“Ip, dip, dog, shit...”

“Penguin!” Iris exclaimed, “We don't say that, we don't say dog shit, we say poopy!”

Penguin looked up at her.

“Poopy shit?”

Despite the seriousness of the moment, Molly smiled as she looked away.

“No Penguin, we don't say shit!” Iris told him, “Who taught you that rhyme?”

“Daddy!” Penguin said as he threw his head back and laughed.

“Why am I not surprised!” she said in annoyance, “Just choose a friend, Penguin, and hurry up, we have to leave!”

”Um... I choose... Felix!” he declared, “And Luna, and Lucy!”

“Just one!”

“Everyone!” Penguin said.

“It's okay, I'll take all of them,” Iris offered.

Molly felt a flicker of panic. She wanted her Dad out of this situation, he had just left the room to make tea and had no clue of the incident she had just told Iris about.

“No, just one of them, that's fine,” she said quickly.

“But Penguin wants all friends!” he protested.

Iris chose for him, looking to the nearest child.

“No, just one...Felix, you're coming with us!”

“Okay, I'll grab my stuff!”

“Hurry up you have to be quick,” Molly reminded him, and Felix ran out of the room to go upstairs and grab his overnight stuff.

Iris was already leading little Penguin to the car, just as Lucy ran from the kitchen to see them leaving.

“Wait, I'm coming with you too!” she called out.

Kane had just left the kitchen as Felix hurried down the stairs with his bag.

“What's going on, Molly?” he asked.

She paused to say goodbye to her son, then as he ran out to the car to join Iris and little Penguin, she gave a heavy sigh.

“There's been some kind of incident, and I've been advised to get the kids out in case of trouble. You need to take Luna and Lucy over to Connor's place.”

“But Connor's working until late with Alex!”

“And you have a spare key. Just let yourself in with the kids and wait for them, Dad. Please, I need you to do this for me.”

There was a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.

“What's going on, Molly?”

“I don't know, I need to speak to Jax Sterling, he's on his way over. Just look after the kids for me, Dad, please?”

“Okay, I'll take them over to Connor's,” he said, and by now Luna had already grabbed her coat.

“I can't find my sister,” she said with a frown, “But I heard her say wait for me when Little Penguin was leaving.”

Molly called out her name and there was no reply.

”I heard her tell Penguin to wait for her too,” Kane said, “She's gone with Iris.”

“Then you just need to take Luna over to Connor's,” she replied, and she turned to her daughter.

“Don't worry, this is just a precaution. I'm quite safe, Luna.”

“You'd better be, Mom,” Luna said, and then she hugged her as Kane went to fetch his coat.

Moments later, he was leaving the house with Luna, and Molly watched as they got into the car, feeling relieved that her children would be safe. Cain sent her a text as she closed the door to say he had been told to go over to the Lounge to wait for Fish, apparently she needed a meeting and it was urgent... More relief flooded through her, Cain would be kept out of this. And soon Josh would arrive, Jax was on his way, too, and Victor would follow. And then she would have to share a deadly secret, but they had to know the truth to know the nature of the enemy they were about to face...

And while this was happening, Lucy had quietly left Daddy's room. Julian was sleeping deeply, still resting and recovering and drowsy due to his pain meds. He knew nothing of what was unfolding downstairs, and he certainly didn't know Lucy was still in the house. And neither did Molly. Lucy had deliberately hidden, sensing danger looming closer by the minute as if a storm was heading for the house. And she knew when the time came, Mommy would need her... She looked out of the window towards the clear skies, but that sense of dread remained.

“It's okay Mommy,” whispered Lucy as she thought of the monster headed their way, “I know I'm only little, but I can handle this better than you can...”

Chapter Text

Chapter 9

The bar was empty. As Cain crossed the floor of the Iceberg Lounge he looked about but saw no sign of Fish. He was still wondering why she had asked to meet him so urgently, and as he stood there at the bar and waited, his phone rang. It was Ronnie. He smiled as he thought of his girlfriend, slim with short dark hair and the prettiest eyes he had ever seen – to this day he never understood how he had not seen through her disguise when she had joined Oswald's team claiming to be a man. She still wore the same dark suit and tie of Penguin's men, but she was pretty with it now she could be herself and Oswald knew the truth about her identity. And Cain loved her, and if Fish was running late, he could think of nothing better to do than kill some time on the phone to Ronnie. Since taking over from his father as king of Gotham, life had been filed with interviews and business meetings. But he had still found time for her. She was the one thing in his life that made him smile, even after losing his father, he still had Ronnie...

“Hey babe,” he said as he leaned against the bar, “I'm over at the Lounge, want to join me?”

“I thought the Lounge was closed?”

“It is, but Fish wanted to meet me here about business and she's not here yet.”

“I did have some paperwork to take over to Molly, I said I'd leave it in the study.”

“And who does my father's paperwork now?”

“You or Molly.”

“So stop by the bar, have some drinks with me... no one is here! I'll have to pour the drinks myself. It could be fun!”

Ronnie gave a sigh.

“Cain, I want to, but I have to leave these papers in the office.”

He smiled playfully.

“But the king of Gotham needs you here, honey!”

“And if we get drunk and I have sensitive underworld documents lying around in the bar, Fish will say something to Molly about that!”

“I just want to see you.”

“You can see me tonight,” she reminded him.

“And every night - but I miss you right now!”

Ronnie paused.

“What do you want me to do, Cain?”

He considered all she had said, knowing she was right about those documents. Underworld business dealings, on paper, had to be handled by certain staff only – and definitely, should be taken from the office and straight to the Cobblepot mansion...

“Okay, go to the house, leave the documents, tell Molly I gave you the rest of the day off, and then come over here.”

“That's an order I can't refuse!” she said warmly, “Ill see you soon, Cain.”

“Hurry up, I love you!”

As Cain put his phone back in his pocket, a drink was placed in front of him. He turned to see Fish standing there dressed in a shimmering, figure hugging gown that sparkled under the lights. She looked him up and down in approval, taking in the sight of his black spiked hair and that fine cut of his suit, as it struck her again how much he looked like a young Oswald Cobblepot... and he was yet to find out his father was still alive. That was something she had to say nothing about, because whatever mess Oswald was in, was his business, and she respected that.

“You look so much like your father in his younger days,” she said, pausing to sip from a glass with a long, slim stem, “But tell me, Cain – I know it won't happen, but how would you, the new king of Gotham feel, if Oswald turned up alive and wanted his kingdom back?”

Cain didn't have to think about his answer.

“I'd gladly give back the kingdom to see my Dad again, I'd give anything, Fish.”

She smiled as warmth filled her gaze.

”And that is why Oswald raised you right and made a fine choice for the next ruler of this city,” she told him as she stood beside him, “And this is going to be a fascinating conversation.”

Cain sipped his drink and put it on the bar.

”What did you need to see me about? Why the urgency?”

“There's no urgent matter at hand,” Fish assured him, “I just wanted to talk to you about your plans for running the underworld. So tell me, will things stay the same as they were when Oswald was in charge? Because I'm really hoping the answer to that question is yes.”

“You don't need to worry, Fish,” Cain assured her, “I want to keep everything the way Dad did it. I don't want this city falling apart, I want to keep things running the way he would have approved...”

And he carried on talking as she listened, determined to have more questions ready when he finished speaking. He didn't know it, but he was in for a very long meeting, because she was going to keep him here, talking and drinking until Molly called back to say he was safe to leave...

At the mansion, Josh had arrived first, then Jax, who had sat down in the study, pausing to rub at his shoulder as it ached, then paused to adjust the connection to his artificial arm before straightening his jacket and then looking to Molly.

“I think we should wait until the others get here before you explain everything.”

Molly nodded. She paused to drink a shot of whisky from Oswald's favourite glass as she leaned against his desk, then Josh spoke up as he stood beside Jax.

“I certainly hope this explanation will cover everything. That dark mass entered my home and attacked Ivy! My kids were home at the time!”

“And I will explain, and I'm sorry, Josh,” Molly said sincerely, “But this thing... it's not after your family, it's looking for Oswald.”

Molly paused and then as a sudden thought struck her, she stared at Josh.

“Why would it hit your family home? I would have thought the first place, the first logical place to look for Ozzy, would be here?”

Josh shook his head.

“I have no clue, Molly.”

She thought about it.

“The doll?” as she said that, she looked to Jax, “Ed Nygma said Janine Inka had a doll made for her, a life like replica of her daughter Rebecca when she was two years old. He asked me if the kids wanted it because he was going to throw it out after Inka's escape, but I said Maria might like it...”

Josh had just realised as Jax nodded, that he had known a great deal more than he had shared about this matter, because none of his was new to him.

“And is there anything significant about the doll?” Jax asked.

“Maybe,” Molly replied, “Lucy's been saying strange things lately – she said there was something in the back of it... I'm thinking maybe it's something personal, maybe Inka left a note for her daughter, perhaps it was some kind of plan to try and contact her eventually... it couldn't have been significant to her escape, she left it behind.”

“I'll call Ivy and ask her to take a look,” Josh replied.

“And as soon as Victor gets here I promise, I'll tell you both everything,” Molly assured him.

Josh nodded and then took out his phone, stepping out of the room to call Ivy as he paused to say Hi to Victor Zsasz, who had just received Molly's message and hurried over. As Victor went into the study, Josh stayed in the hallway as he made his call.

“Hello?”

Ivy sounded jumpy. That alone was enough to put him on edge, a sharp reminder that what ever had attacked the house had managed to scare Ivy so deeply...

“It's me,” Josh said, “I need you to do something... take a look at Maria's doll, the one Ed left at the house. Molly said she thinks there could be something in the back of it.”

“Want me to look now?”

“Yes please, do it right now, Ivy.”

In the background, he heard his son cry.

“Nathan's crying, I have to go, Josh!”

“Okay, but just take a look at the doll as soon as you've settled my son... and call me back, we need to know what's inside that doll.”

“Okay, I'll call you back soon.”

Ivy ended the call. Josh took a deep breath and returned to the study to join Molly, Jax and Victor, needing answers, but most of all, wanting to know why that creature had attacked his family home...

Now they were gathered in the study, Molly finished her drink and stepped away from the desk, looking to each of them before speaking up.

“Jax already knows everything. It's time to tell you both the truth. Oswald is alive...”

Victor and Josh both looked equally stunned at this news, and both were silent as Molly related everything as Jax sat there, listening to all that he already knew. Molly explained it all, from Oswald's history with Janine Inka, to the tale of how she became a shadow creature with a need for vengeance. And Victor listened as he inwardly felt a huge sense of relief to know Oswald was still alive. For Josh, that news had been a shock in a good way, but after being so close to Oswald in a position of trust, he guessed he should have seen that coming – Oswald Cobblepot was always full of surprises, and now it made perfect sense that everything had been set up. Molly explained the dangers of knowing the truth, explaining Janine Inka could read minds, and physically tear out information.

“So everyone who knows the truth is at risk,” she added, “That's why I had to call you here today – and I'm so sorry I had to do it. I don't know if any of us are coming back from this. But it's logical that soon, she will be here, she believed Ivy when she said Oswald was dead, because Ivy still believes that to be true – but she's going to look for proof. And I need Oswald's best people here to handle her when she does come calling.”

Victor nodded in agreement.

“I wouldn't be anywhere else,” he told her, “And I'm glad the boss is alive. I'm not saying Cain won't be a great leader – but he is only eighteen, and I think the underworld needs Oswald around for a long time to come. I'm also glad my father in law isn't dead.”

As he smiled, so did Molly.

“You're not the only one to be glad,” she assured him, “I had my suspicions from the start – I knew my Oswald would never have killed himself. He's too strong, he never gives up when he has a fight on his hands.”

“So none of it was true? He wasn't sick?”

As Josh asked that question, Molly felt a huge sense of relief as she gave her reply.

“Oswald suffers with arthritis that keeps coming back – mainly in his hip. His leg will always be damaged, but thanks to Lucy, he can still walk. And he drinks and he smokes and he loves his food and I do worry about him because he's getting older, but he's not sick, Josh. That was all part of the set up to make his disappearance look like suicide. Oswald was sick with the cromine poisoning before Felix was born, and he was cured and he's been fine ever since.”

“I'm glad,” Josh said, “I can't wait for this to be over and Selina to find out, she was so upset when she heard he was missing. Ivy was cut up about it, too.”

“And no one can know anything until this is over,” Molly reminded him, “Because the truth can get any one of us killed. When we confront Janine Inka, we have to keep our minds closed to her.”

Jax spoke up.

“I would suggest, having nothing at the front of your thoughts, nothing but her face as she looks at you, as if your mind is a mirror,” he said, “Clear out all other thoughts. Don't let her get to the facts.”

Victor was next to speak. He had been listening and thinking and now only had one question.

“How do we kill her?” he asked.

Jax rose from his seat.

“If I may cut in, I have a suggestion. In her energy form, she is a considerable force to be reckoned with. But in her human form she can be injured, or even killed.”

“So we have to find a way to draw her back into a human form?” Molly asked as she paused to check her weapon and then holstered it again.

“We need something to distract her,” Josh suggested, “You said she will target Oswald if she can find him, and then look for her daughter? She doesn't want to kill her daughter, she just wants to be reunited. Maybe we could bring Rebecca here and -”

“We will not use an innocent young woman as bait!” Jax reminded him firmly.

“But she would be safe, here we all are, Penguin's finest men and Molly Cobblepot – that's all the back up anyone needs!” Josh replied.

As they debated the plan in the study, they were unaware Selina had slipped into the house and was making her way towards the open door. She had listened to all that had been said, and it had come as a huge relief to know Oswald was still alive – somehow, she just couldn't imagine him being gone from this city, not forever. It just wouldn't be the same without him... And she was about to walk into the front room when she stopped abruptly, not seeing little Lucy Lambrick shifting out of sight from her hiding place at the top of the stairs, where she had been standing as she listened to the grown ups. Her back was turned as Lucy ducked out of sight, because Selina was looking the other way.

“What are you doing here?” she said.

Ronnie moved out of the shadows to join her in the hallway.

“I suspect, the same as you. I came here to drop off some paperwork and I heard Molly talking with Jax and Josh and Victor.”

“I heard it all too.”

Ronnie smiled.

“I know, I saw you.”

“I didn't see you,” Selina said in surprise.

“I thought cats could see in the dark?” Ronnie joked.

”Not this time!” Selina replied, “I was too busy listening to what Molly said – and now we both know, it's only fair we join the fight. I came here for my husband – but I'm also here for Oswald.”

“And I vowed to protect the Penguin just as my mother did before me,” Ronnie added, “Let's do this together.”

The two women walked into the study as Molly and the others looked at them in surprise.

“We both heard everything,” said Selina, exchanging a glance with Ronnie, “We're with you in this fight.”

Josh walked over to his wife. In that moment it didn't matter that she was Selina Kyle, who could more than handle most situations. This was not most situations and she was also his wife, and the mother of his children...

“No, you're not doing this - you heard it from Ivy, you know what we're up against!”

Selina met his gaze with determination as she shook her head.

“As much as I love you Josh,” she told him, “This is not negotiable. That creature has already come into our home and hurt Ivy – it could have hurt the kids too. Inka's a threat to everyone we love – and all that aside, after what she did, I want a piece of this bitch!”

Just then his phone rang. Josh drew it from his pocket, saw it was Ivy and had to cut the conversation short with his wife, because maybe, Ivy had found something significant.

“Ivy, did you find anything?” he asked.

“Yes I did,” Ivy replied, and she paused for a moment, “In the back of the doll...it's a note to Rebecca...”

“What does it say?” Josh asked urgently.

“It's just a note to her daughter, about how much she wants to see her again... Maybe she was hoping to get a message to her some how.”

Josh glanced over at Molly.

“Ivy says she found a note hidden in the doll, just saying how much she wants to see Rebecca again.”

“Give me the phone,” Molly replied, and Josh handed it to her.

”Ivy, it's Molly, can you read it out to me?” she asked.

“I can try,” Ivy replied, “The writing is a little faded... here goes: Dear Rebecca, I have never stopped thinking about you and wanting to see you again. When we do meet, you will know me as your mother and realise that I love you as much as ever. I never wanted to be parted from you. And you also need to know...” she trailed off into silence.

”What does the rest say?” Molly asked her.

“I... I can't see it, Molly. It's scribbled on a piece of paper that was folded up many times to fit into this tiny space inside the doll and the writing is faded, it was in pencil and ...no. I can't see the rest.”

Molly gave a sigh.

“Well, at least we know she's not planning to harm her daughter, that's something. Thanks, Ivy.”

She ended the call and looked to the others.

“Jax, I want you to call Jim Gordon and tell him he needs to get over here if his people have plans on trapping her – I don't get why she didn't come here first...unless she sensed that doll of hers was with your family, Josh?”

Josh shook his head.

“I don't know why she did that either,” he told her, “The doll has to be more significant than we think – maybe we should bring it here, you said it was a replica of her daughter when she was a child, maybe she's got a deep emotional attachment to it?”

“No,” Molly said, shaking her head, “There has to be more... the doll reminded her of her daughter back when she was a small kid, it was a comfort to her while she was in Arkham... but now she's out of there, she's more than capable of finding the real Rebecca.”

“But you said her name was changed,” Ronnie pointed out, “Rebecca doesn't know Inka's her mother. And if she relies on mind reading, she won't be able to find her, because the daughter won't recall her past that far back.”

”Good point,” Molly agreed, “So that means we have nothing left to bargain with to persuade her to turn into a human, killable form because even if Rebecca could be traced, and could be brought here and kept safe, she wouldn't remember anything about her past because she was too young at the time?”

“It looks that way,” Victor said, and then he suddenly remembered something.

“By the way, I left a bag of meds for Julian, it's on the table in the hallway – River asked me to bring them over.”

“He's sleeping right now, best leave him to rest,” Molly replied, “He knows nothing about this, he still thinks Oswald's dead, so at least she won't harm him if she shows up here...”

As Molly carried on talking, Lucy, who had heard the conversation, crept quietly back up the stairs and hurried along the hallway, going back into her Daddy's room. He was in bed and sleeping soundly, and she went over to the wardrobe and opened it up on the side where Mommy kept her clothing, reaching up and tugging down a dark red dress from its hanger. Then she grabbed Molly's flat black shoes and hurried into the bathroom and closed the door.

“I can help with this, I know how to beat the monster,” she said as she turned towards the mirror on the bathroom door and studied her own reflection, “Time to be a grown up, Lucy!”

Janine Inka had spent so long in her shadow form that time and memories had all blurred, exhaustion was creeping in and now, so was anger as the black mass shifted about the cemetery in search of proof that Oswald was really gone. Darkness fell as the shadow stretched and the ground shook as old graves subsided and headstones cracked as she passed through like a dark tornado, leaves on trees already made weak by the icy breath of the season were torn from branches as they whipped about and marble shattered and stone splintered as she thundered through the place in a rush, then the shadow mass headed into dense woodland, tearing limbs from trees as she moved on, sliding back into shadow, shrinking from the light as anger seethed within her:

Ivy Pepper had lied. There were many graves here, but Oswald's name was not among the monuments.

Her next stop would be the Cobblepot mansion...

Oswald's day had been quiet. The safe house was solidly guarded, he could see the armed gun men walking about in the shadow of the trees and the more he thought about how he had been forced into this, the more his anger quietly simmered. The only thought that was stopping him from picking a fight with the guards over this, was knowing that when this was over, and he was out of this place and back home, he would have his revenge. Outside authorities had forced this on him. They would never have a say his life again – or have the answers they craved to crimes pre and during war time. The outside world could mind their own fucking business, he would tear up the paperwork in front of the Gotham press...

He drew the hidden phone from his pocket and thought again about calling someone. He knew he should not have called home, or called Fish – but she seemed the safest person to talk to, because she didn't live at the mansion, and Janine Inka would have no interest in his relationship with her, not when it had been over so long ago... The thought crossed his mind that he ought to tell Molly he had called and spoken to Fish, because if she found out from her, Molly wouldn't be too happy about the fact that calling his own wife had seen him hang up, yet he had told Fish everything...

Another mess to clear up.

But that would have to wait.

He was still deep in thought as she tapped him on the shoulder and he turned sharply, eyes wide as he saw Magpie standing close to him, she had crept up behind him again and now, she had seen the phone.

“Give me that!” she said, and snatched it from him, turning like a dancer as she spun around, then hurried across the room, tapping in a number as she turned back, eyes shining with glee as she looked at Oswald.

“Hello? Honey, it's me!” she said joyfully, “Can you track me from this number?”

She paused.

“Well try! And once you have the location, get in your car and fetch us... Yes, I said us, Oswald too!”

She listened and then smiled.

“See you soon!”

She kept a tight hold on the phone as she looked over at Oswald.

“What the hell are you doing?” he demanded.

“Getting us the hell out of here! I just needed a phone, Ozzie! My husband's on his way now, and he's taking you back to the city!”

Oswald limped closer and she drew the phone back, keeping a tight hold on it in case he tried to snatch it.

“Give it back!” Oswald said sharply, “You don't understand, Magpie! I am subject to a very serious multi agency agreement, I can't leave!”

“We can both leave,” Magpie informed him, and then, she handed his phone back.

“Call Jim Gordon. Tell him the safe house location is no longer secure, and you need his permission to release you. Say you want to help find Janine Inka. Say you're the only person who can talk to her. Do it, Oswald!”

He looked down at the phone, then shook his head.

“This could be a bad decision.”

“And since when did that ever stop you?” Magpie replied playfully.

Oswald smiled, her words had woken a thousand memories.

“Never!” he said as he felt his fire and determination come creeping back, and then he called Jim's number and waited for a reply.

He didn't have to wait long.

“Who is this?” he heard Jim say.

“Its me, old friend!” Oswald said sharply, “The safe house location has been compromised – deliberately, by myself and Magpie! Let me out, I'm the only one who stands a chance of talking sense into Janine Inka! It's me she wants, Jim!”

“You may regret doing that. We've just had reports of a disturbance at the cemetery, a black mass passing through it like whirlwind. And a short while ago, Ivy Pepper was attacked by the same creature over at your General's family home – Josh was out at the time, but it got Ivy and it was asking for you! She said you were dead and thankfully, it left the family unharmed. We don't know where it's headed next, but your mansion seems to be the logical location because maybe she was looking for proof of your death and found nothing... And I've had a call from Jax Sterling. Molly's got a few of your people together at the house, they're ready for trouble – as ready as they can be, considering the risk.”

Oswald felt a flicker of fear. Even Molly couldn't take this on, bullets alone would not stop the Shadow Lady...

“Have your people take the portable trap up to the house,” he said.

“Were getting it ready now,” Jim replied, “It's going to take a while, but we're getting it set up for transportation.”

“And call the authorities outside the city and inform them you've authorised my release – and Magpie's. Say it's for security reasons.”

Jim gave a heavy sigh.

“This will be awkward -”

”Do it, Jim!” Oswald urged, “You have the power to do this! I will use the underworld pact to protect you from outside prosecution when this is over.”

There was a pause, then Jim spoke again.

“What use is my loyalty to the pact if I can't use my authority to enable the underworld and the police to work together in a time of crisis? Okay, Oswald, you win. I'll call them.”

Jim hung up. Oswald looked to Magpie as his old fight and fire came rushing back to him.

“Jim's freeing us!”

“Yes!” she squealed, and as she hugged him, a flood of memories came back, all of them old and very fond, and he was still smiling as she let go again.

“Now we just have to wait for Jim to make the calls, by then my husband should be here!” she said excitedly, “He can't wait to see you again!”

Oswald stared at her, getting the rising, suspicious notion that maybe, this was a trap... Why had Magpie insisted on sharing this safe house with him? She had never explained that part...

“I know him?”

Magpie's eyes glittered mysteriously as she smiled.

“You're in for a big surprise, Oswald!”

He wasn't sure how to take that remark, but then she left the room, leaving him alone with Edward the dog, who was cosy in front of the fire and quite happy to stay there as Oswald looked to the door, a flicker of worry reflecting in his gaze:

There was something he didn't know, and maybe, it wasn't going to be good news when he found out the truth. He was fully aware he had made enemies over the years, an inevitable consequence of being king of Gotham. And maybe someone was about to catch up with him...But who?

Back at the mansion, the clock ticked measuring the hour as the house stood in silence, the occupants saying nothing as they waited. There were still several hours of daylight left and outside, the clouds had not blocked the weakened sunlight as the chilly breeze tugged dying leaves from the trees. At a glance, it seemed like an ordinary day – but something dark and terrible was rising, Molly could feel it as sure as she knew it was only a matter of time before she came face to face with the creature that had once been Janine Inka...

“We just wait?”

As he said that, Victor was the first to break the silence.

Molly nodded and turned from the window as she looked to the others – Josh was beside his wife, Selina had a look of determination in her eyes. Josh had wished she had stayed home, wanting to keep her safe from this threat, but he had accepted now that Selina's mind was made up and he knew he couldn't talk her out of it. Jax Sterling was stood by the door, he was on the phone, forcing himself to sound like this was almost a regular day in his life as General.

“...Yes dear,” he said to Carol, “There's no need to worry, there's been a bit of bother at the mansion and I'm here purely to ensure everything runs smoothly should our people need to be coordinated... I'll call you again later. And Carol... I love you.”

As she said she loved him too, there was a flicker of worry in his eyes, then he said he would be home later, and as he ended the call, that look of concern was gone. Jax had considered the risk he faced today, and made the call home as he thought of Carol and Alicia. But now his thoughts were back on the job – they had work to do.

Molly glanced at Victor.

“What?” he said.

“Did you want to call River?”

“No!” he exclaimed, “I've been in many tight spots over the years, Molly. If I start calling home before the action I'll lose my edge. I'm not dying today.”

“Neither am I,” Jax added as he turned to him, “But I thought it only right I call my wife. Just in case.”

“I don't think about the margin for error,” Victor said with a shrug, then he started to check his guns, “I've worked for Oswald too many years to think about what could go wrong.”

Ronnie glanced at Selina.

“I can't call Cain. Fish is keeping him distracted to keep him out of danger.”

Selina nodded.

“That's the best way. Even though Oswald's still alive, we still have to protect the future of the underworld and Cain is that future – one day.”

“Which is a huge fuckin' relief!” Molly muttered as she ran her fingers through her hair.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

As Josh picked up on that remark, Molly met his gaze and shook her head.

“I'm just glad Ozzie's still around,” was all she said in reply, as she silently thought about Cain, barely eighteen and not ready to take on such responsibility no matter how great he was at giving speeches – Cain was an emotional guy, sensitive under the surface and, she suspected, the throne to the underworld wasn't all Cain had inherited from his father – he was prone to dark moods sometimes, perhaps a warning sign that he had also inherited something else from his Dad – the darkness Ozzie's father Elijah had once warned him about that ran in their family, or to put it less dramatically, the depression that had hung over her Oswald's life on more than one occasion. Cain wasn't ready to take on the pressure of ruling the underworld. Another reason to be glad her husband was still alive. And he was needed here, she felt sure of it. She could only imagine his rage at outside authorities when this was over, for keeping him separated from her and the rest of the family at a time like this... Molly was jolted from her thoughts by her phone ringing. She answered it, not bothering to look at the number, assuming it was Jim calling to say they were in the process of loading up the energy trap to catch Inka. They had to get here soon, or it would be too late.

But it wasn't Jim.

“Molly? Are you there? Listen to me, I've got Jim to make some calls, he's getting me out today, as soon as possible – I could be with you very soon!”

“Ozzie?”

The others looked at her in surprise. Victor smiled on hearing the name of his boss. Penguin was back. Everything would work out now, he was sure of it.

Moll had no time to waste on all her heart needed to say, more pressing matters were at hand.

“Oswald, Jim said they have a trap device to secure Inka. They're loading it up now, its complicated and takes time to set up – I don't know how much time we have. She's been to Josh and Selina's place, she attacked Ivy – and she's been to the cemetery, she hit it like a cyclone. She's looking for proof you're dead and she hasn't found it. I think she could be heading this way next.”

“She travels in shadow,” Oswald reminded her, “It's still daylight, she will have to creep her way over to the house. And she might need to rest before she attacks. That shadow mode of hers always did drain the life from her.”

“So she should be tired when she gets here?”

“Maybe,” Oswald replied, “I don't know for sure. Is Ivy okay?”

“She's shaken up, but she's unharmed.”

There was a pause. As Oswald spoke again, his voice trembled.

“How is Julian, and how is my baby?”

“Julian is resting. The baby's doing well, still in the implant, she's unharmed.”

“But how does Julian feel, about...me?”

Molly gave a heavy sigh. This wasn't a conversation she wanted to have in front of the others, but under the circumstances, there was little choice as they needed to stay together, waiting for trouble to arrive.

“Understandably, he blames you for the stress he went through, it made him lose the implant,” she said, “And I know at the time there seemed like no other way, I know you tried to let me know you were alive, but you don't know what you've put him through - and now isn't the time for that, Oswald.”

“Of course. I'll see you soon,” he replied, and then he ended the call.

That had not been how she imagined her first call to Ozzie to go, after learning his death had been faked. She had hoped it would have been a joyful reunion, but under the circumstances, it was all difficult. She reached for the bottle on Oswald's desk and poured another shot.

“Anyone else want one?” she asked as she looked to the others.

Oswald had heard a knock on the door, opened it up and a guard had informed him that under the authority of James Gordon calling an article of the pact, he was free to go. Oswald had allowed himself a moment of victory

as he glared at the guard.

“Thank you!” he said sharply, and shut the door abruptly, to see Magpie standing behind him, right behind him, which gave him something of a jolt.

“Do you never stop sneaking up on people?” he fumed.

“Never!” she confirmed with a smile.

And then he heard a car pull up outside.

“My husband has found us!” she said joyfully, and pushed past Oswald and wrenched the door open and ran out to meet the car as it came to a stop.

The driver got out. Magpie leapt into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist as they shared a kiss, and then he asked her if she was okay and she nodded and then he set her down again and they began to walk back towards the open door. The guards were doing nothing now, their orders to stand down...

All Oswald could do was stare in disbelief as the past came rushing back with horrible clarity. Then he staggered back down the hallway, his hip aching as he realised he was too heavy and too old to try to make a quick break for it. This was why Magpie had not said much about her husband.

And this had to be a set up...

They entered the house and Magpie closed the door. His back hit the wall and Oswald was still staring at Magpie's husband as he walked towards him. The thought ran through his mind that the last time he had seen him, he had shot him.

Oh wait, he had shot him and left him with Hugo Strange... who clearly, had revived him. And surely, he now carried a grudge...

And now he stood before him Oswald felt trapped, looking up into the eyes of a man he had long believed to be dead, who clearly wasn't, and he didn't know what would happen next.

“Hi Oswald, it's been a long time.” Said Butch Gilzean...

Chapter Text

Chapter 10

Oswald stared at Butch.

And Butch and Magpie looked back at him as he stood there, against the wall, mouth open like a fish as he looked up at the man who could easily take him out, now he was older and heavier and his hip wasn't what it used to be. Oswald's whole life flashed before his eyes as he regretted so much. He had never wanted to pull the trigger and shoot Butch, but he had been driven by hatred for Tabitha, who had killed his mother. At the time, taking the one she loved from her seemed like sweet revenge. But not as sweet as plunging a knife into Tabitha's heart after the city had fallen...

And did Butch know about that?

“I see what is happening here,” Oswald stated, “She was planted here to wait for you, to bring you to me so you could finally exact your revenge! I won't go down without a fight, Butch!” As he said that, Oswald missed his cane, the one with the dagger in the handle, he wasn't carrying any weapons. He stood little chance of getting out of this alive...

“Go ahead, kill me if you must!” Oswald said bitterly, “But remember you will be taking a father away from his children, a husband away from his two spouses and my unborn daughter will never know me! Do you really want to do that?”

Butch leaned closer and placed a hand on Oswald's shoulder.

“Oswald, listen to me. I'm not here to kill you.”

“And you would be depriving Edward of his Daddy, too! That dog loves me!” Oswald ranted.

Butch and Magpie exchanged a glance, then Butch spoke again, patiently as he looked down at the very agitated Oswald Cobblepot.

“I'm not here to hurt you, Oswald.”

“No?” Oswald's gaze reflected confusion as he shifted his weight where he stood as his hip ached and his damaged leg began to throb.

“But you should hate me... what's going on?”

Butch smiled as he glanced at his wife, then he put a careful arm around Oswald and led him towards the front room.

“Sit down, Oswald, you look a bit shaken up.”

Oswald looked at him sharply.

“Because you came here to kill me!”

”No, it's not like that. Careful Oswald, you're a bit unsteady...” he said that as he helped him to sit, realising in the days since they had last met Oswald had gained weight, and limped heavily now.

“I do recall you shooting me,” Butch told him as he stood there and Oswald sat in an armchair and looked up at him as Magpie stood beside her husband, “But you actually did me a favour!”

Magpie nodded in agreement as Oswald looked up at Butch in utter confusion.

“A favour?”

“Yes, you did!” Butch insisted, “After you shot me, you left me with Hugo Strange – who brought me back. Thankfully by then, Tabitha had left, believing me to be dead and gone. It's the best thing that ever happened to me!”

He smiled warmly.

Oswald looked back at him in confusion.

“But I murdered you, Butch!”

“And you also did me a huge favour,” Butch told him, “That bullet was easy to repair thanks to Strange – and that shooting gave me back something I'd been missing for a long time – my conscience! I could see everything so clearly. And I'll never understand why I ever stayed loyal to Tabitha, who killed your mother in cold blood, she killed a defenceless old lady and I stuck by her? I just don't know why I did that, but I after I woke up, I realised – I'd been wrong. I should have killed Tabby myself. After the way she killed Gertrud, and even the cops didn't do a thing about it, I can only imagine the trauma that caused you!”

Oswald was still staring at Butch, but now he was staring in surprise, feeling stunned that Butch had changed so much.

“The death of my mother shattered my heart,” Oswald replied, his voice trembling at the memory, “It is a day I can never forget.”

“But at least you killed Tabitha for it!” Magpie reminded him.

”Yes, I did,” said Oswald.

“And I don't blame you,” Butch replied, “She killed your mother. She got what she deserved... and as for me, I left the city, and a few years later, I met this wonderful person!”

He smiled warmly as he glanced at Magpie, who smiled too as he put his arm around her.

“We've been married for many years!” Butch told him, “We have three sons... I've got some pictures in my wallet -”

“Butch,” Magpie reminded him, “Oswald needs to get home.”

“Yes, of course you do! The car is outside.”

As Oswald leaned against the arm rest of the chair, Butch helped him up, then Oswald paused to call to Edward, who trotted over to his side as they left the house.

“I'm sorry about the business with the diamond,” Butch added, “Magpie panicked and said too much to the authorities.”

Oswald's gaze had grown warm now, and had only briefly cooled on the reminder of her mess caused by the remains of the chopped up Russifer diamond.

“It's like this,” Oswald explained, “After the formation of the unity pact, my crimes were written off. It was decided that all valuables in my possession in the time of conflict would be considered under my protection on behalf of the city, meaning I am not guilty of theft. But you, Magpie, admitted to stealing from me – and therefore the city – and so you've created a problem for yourself in that respect.”

Magpie's eyes grew wide.

”I tried to put the blame on you and it's bounced back to me?”

“Like a rubber ball!” Oswald replied, and he was tempted to gloat, just a little – but then he remembered she was married to Butch, who had clearly forgiven the past, and decided to do likewise over what could potentially turn into a sticky situation once the matter of Janine Inka was resolved and questions were asked about the story of the diamond.

“I have no plans to work with outside agencies to answer any questions regarding that which is long past, including former crimes,” Oswald told her, “I have no obligation to do so – they did want transparency on wartime and pre war activities that went on in this city, not just crimes committed by me, but others – and now, it won't happen, purely because they forced me into this situation – taking me from my family at a time when they needed me most.”

“So you can clear this up for me?” Magpie asked cautiously.

“For both of you,” Oswald assured them, then as they reached the car he got in the back and Edward followed, then Magpie and Butch got in the front of the vehicle and Butch started up the engine.

As they drove away from the safe house and headed for the road, the car began to gather speed. Oswald thought of home. The daylight still had a few hours left, it wasn't yet dusk, and somehow, the thought of confronting Janine Inka – at least, the creature she had now become – seemed less daunting by the light of day, but only a little. The thought of seeing her again still terrified him, even though he was determined not to show it...

Back at the Iceberg Lounge, Cain was on his fourth very generous shot of scotch. And he was already getting tipsy and laughing and joking as the conversation had turned away from work. Fish was playing the perfect hostess, listening, pouring drinks, laughing with him, then listening as he talked about fond memories. It was all keeping him away from the house, away from danger. And she could keep this up as long as Molly needed her to, in order to keep safe the future king of Gotham...

“And we always have such laughs when we stay with Grandpa Kane,” Cain told her as he helped himself to another drink, “I was named after my Grandpa... He's always telling me funny jokes and rhymes, especially when we go to the pub! Last time I was drinking with him, he told me a funny one... let me see...yes, yes I remember it, and I can do his accent too...”

Fish gave a sigh as she stood there, watching young Cain Cobblepot, barely eighteen and too young to be trusted with the contents of the bar, let alone hold the keys to the kingdom, as he began to speak, imitating his grandfather's Irish accent, “My Uncle Billy had a ten foot willy, he showed it to the lady next door. She thought it was a snake, so she hit it with a rake, and now it's only five foot four!”

As he laughed, Fish glanced away as she rolled her eyes. Clearly, Cain was very different to his father, the polite and well mannered Oswald, who she had never heard crack a filthy joke or recite a dirty rhyme. And he was laughing like a school boy, too...

“I say stuff like that all the time! Ronnie says I'm funny! But can you just imagine that, a ten foot cock?” then he drank some more and laughed, adding, “Wait, you're River and Luna's mother, you know all about big cocks, you've had my Dad! His cock is legend in this city!”

And now Fish couldn't help but smile as she shook her head.

“I do hope you don't intend to be like this in gang leader meetings?”

“Oh no Fish, I'm very professional!”

“That's a relief,” she said, and then as Cain started to talk about how much he loved Ireland and planned to take Ronnie there to his Dad's second home this coming Christmas, Fish discreetly glanced at her watch: She had kept him talking for over an hour. But she had to keep him here much longer, because Molly had not yet called her back. She carried on listening to his tales of Grandpa Kane's dirty limericks, hoping Molly would call soon, because she wasn't going to take the blame for her son turning up at the mansion drunk...

At the mansion, they waited. Selina had walked up the hallway, lingering in the shadows, watching as Josh and Jax stood close together while Jax checked his weapon and reminded Josh to clear his mind of all thoughts if the creature seized him. Selina felt a flicker of worry, but knowing her husband was not facing this without her eased her tension a little. She was in a rage at the thought that Janine Inka had dared to break into her home, hurt Ivy and scare the kids... and now, she was going to get what she deserved. She didn't care if Inka wasn't human, she would find a way to kick her ass...

Ronny was standing in the hallway by the front door. She had took out her phone more than once, checking it for messages from Cain, but there were none. She hoped it stayed that way, and if he called to ask her to hurry up and join him, she had planned to say she was delayed because Oswald had sent her back to the office on an errand. Cain had to be kept out of this mess, he didn't realise just how keen everyone was to shield him from danger, as the heir to the underworld throne.

Molly felt every muscle in her body tense as she waited in the quiet study, thinking about Oswald as she wondered exactly how life would work out – assuming they survived this – she understood he had been backed into a corner, he had been left with no say in this, for all his power and authority, he had been forced to fake his death and disappear, but while she could understand that, she wasn't the one who had believed him to be dead, and felt heartbreak and gone through all the stress that went with it. She had not miscarried a fertility implant with an unborn child inside it. She understood why Oswald had been forced to deceive his family, but she didn't blame Julian for feeling hurt because of Oswald's actions, and what had happened with his pregnancy because of it. This was a fucking mess, it would take a lot of time to sort out...assuming Julian could forgive him when he found out the truth...

Victor was outside, watching and waiting. Either Jim and the cops would show up with the energy trap, or Inka would get there first. And he was ready to take her on, assuming she could be killed with bullets. If not, if the situation got out of hand, his next task would be to ensure Molly's safety, for Oswald's sake and for the kids, too. He didn't doubt Molly wouldn't expect him to back her up, this was meant to be a concentrated effort against a single enemy and no more, but he felt he ought to protect her, even if she didn't have to know about that, because if they couldn't destroy Inka, simply staying alive was the next strategy...

As they stood together further down the hallway, Jax and Josh were in deep conversation.

“I want you to remember something,” Jax said to him, “You serve Oswald, but you are also a husband and a father. If we can't kill Inka, we have to hope the energy trap can contain her when the cops arrive. I mean it, Josh – no heroics!”

Josh glanced up the hallway and caught sight of Selina, but she was pacing about like a cat, her green gaze shifting left and right as she listened for the first sound that hinted at trouble, and as he looked back at Jax, he shook his head.

“I also have to look out for her. I know Selina can handle most things – but this, is something else entirely. My biggest fear is I have to back you or one of the others up in a crisis and then my wife is in danger and... I have choose.”

“No, that won't happen,” Jax assured him, “We all have a common goal and all of us are highly trained and experienced. There is no weak link in our chain, Josh. Just do your duty, as shall I.”

Josh nodded, and paused to check his weapon again, feeling uneasy as he waited for the moment when the Shadow Lady arrived. He had seen enough fear in Ivy's eyes after her encounter with Inka to know this would not be easy...

And then there came a sound like the rush of wind, but without a breath of breeze. Outside, the trees shook and leaves tore away as a shadow loomed over the mansion and then it descended, bringing hell with it.

As it rushed towards him, Victor Zsasz saw a face in the midst of the swirling darkness, and forgot about his guns as he dived for the doorway, knowing at once this was too much to take on. That thing could not be killed with a bullet... he slammed the door shut as the others ran out to the hallway, Selina stood beside Molly as they looked to the closed door.

“Read for you, bitch!” she said as she flexed her hand covered by her razor sharp glove.

Molly's hand was beside her holstered weapon as she watched the door, they were at a short distance from it, and as wood began to groan, they all instinctively backed away, expecting it to be shattered.

But it didn't happen.

Outside, it looked as if night had swallowed up daylight as the windows showed nothing but a view of suffocating, all consuming darkness. Then there was a single crack that snaked across a window pane.

“Get down!” Molly yelled, and as they all ducked and shielded their faces, the windows shattered.

The darkness poured in, swallowing up the entrance to the house as if the place itself had just shrunk...

“She's just distorted our reality!” Jax gasped.

The shadows twisted, shrinking into a form that was almost human as a face emerged, it had brought with it a chill and a wind that that seemed to blow through the house as if coming off the force of Inka's energy. And that face suddenly extended on a long neck, looking to Jax as it slammed him against a wall. Victor drew his guns and Molly grabbed his arm.

“Don't!” she yelled above the storm like howling, “You'll hit Jax!”

Victor's eyes went wide as he lowered his guns, Molly was right – that shadow wasn't solid, not physically, and all he could make out in front of it was Jax, pinned to the wall as pain registered on his face and a shadow hand reached out, ghostly fingers settling on his temple, invading his thoughts.

Where is Oswald? Ran through his mind.

Jax looked back at the face, thinking of nothing but its black, almost demonic gaze as he saw his own terror reflected there. Then he screamed as the misty hand pushed deeper, as if trying to physically tear out his thoughts.

“Stop it, you bitch!” Selina yelled, and lunged at the shadow form, stumbling through it and landing against Jax with a thump as he yelled in pain and the shadow hand drew back roughly, then Inka turned in a swirl to glare at Selina, whose claw was raised.

Josh could see a way clear now. Jax had just sunk to his knees and rolled clear of Inka, he was clutching at his head and clearly in pain, but he would live... and there was nothing stopping him now, the pathway was clear.

“Fire!” he said as he took aim, squeezing the trigger first as Victor joined him, letting fly a hail of bullets as Selina slashed at the misty face and then ducked and rolled as the shots rang out. Her cat claw had proven useless,it had passed straight through the whole of the shadow form...

For a moment, the misty figure hovered, looking intently at Selina as anger blazed in Inka's gaze, then she turned back sharply towards the direction of the shots.

“Cease fire!” Molly said firmly, and as she stepped closer, Josh lowered his weapon.

“Molly, stop!” Ronny yelled as she lowered her weapon, “Don't do this, bullets are useless against her!”

“I know that. Put your weapons away,” Molly ordered, and as the wind dropped to silence the others stood there, looking on in horror as Molly took another step closer to the shadow creature as its face became visible, eyes dark and burning with malice as it glared back at her.

Molly knew she was afraid, but she was also angry, knowing this thing had once drugged her Oswald back in the days of his innocent youth and used him so cruelly. It was also Inka's fault he had lost his daughter. She wanted to grab hold of that ghostly neck and snap it, but she pulled back in that thought, keeping in mind only what she wanted to say, because someone had to lure her out of shadow form, or they would all die at Inka's hands...

Molly drew in a deep breath, holding her thoughts back as firmly as her fears as she spoke up, looking into the eyes of the creature, like staring into black mirrors reflecting nothing but darkness within.

“I'm sorry you lost your daughter,” she said, “As a mother, I get that you want to kill Oswald and probably wreck this city too for all the years they held you in Arkham. Nothing comes between a mother and her love for her child! But it's not Oswald's fault, Janine. Oswald's not dead but I don't know where he is. And if he could, he would be here now to explain everything to you.”

The swirling mass had started to solidify. Suddenly it evaporated, and standing before them was a woman whose youthful appearance defied age as she stood there in a white dress, her fair hair framing a soft face as she looked at her with very human eyes. But there was darkness sparking in her gaze, somewhere deep in her pupils. She looked to the others.

“No tricks!” Janine Inka ordered bitterly and raised her hand, grasping at thin air. Victor and Ronny were drawn up into the air as they both fought in vain against the invisible force that had rose them up towards the high ceiling.

“If you trick me, everyone dies. Like this!” Inka added.

Molly looked on in horror as Selina screamed and Josh watched in utter shock as Ronnie gave a cry of pain as her body levitated, then spun around sharply as her face smacked against the wall, leaving a spatter of blood. The body turned the other way, slammed against the wall again, then again and again with savage force and her back arched and snapped as blood flowed from her bloodied face and neck. She was a mess of blood and broken bone as the final blow sounded with a bone shattering crack as the body was hurled up the hallway, where it landed with a crunch.

“He's next if you try anything,” stated Inka, indicating to Victor, who was levitated off the ground with eyes wide with terror as he was held trapped there.

Josh and Jax exchanged a glance. Jax was leaning against the wall where he sat a distance away, his temple was showing bruising, his cheek was bruised too and his head was throbbing as he painfully adjusted his artificial arm and gave a small shake of his head, warning Josh to do nothing. This was beyond their control. All they could hope now was that energy trap would work, when the cops showed up...

Selina was standing closer to Josh now, looking on in terror as she watched Molly step even closer to the Shadow Lady, who now looked human and deceptively youthful save for the dark shimmer deep in her eyes.

Molly was shaking inside, but didn't show it as she glared at Inka. Ronny had just been smashed to bits and dumped to the ground like a broken doll in a pool of blood. She was probably dead, this thing had most likely killed her – but she couldn't let that affect her at this moment, not when she was so close to the enemy, who was almost completely out of shadow form now...

“I can take you to Rebecca,” Molly stated.

Janine Inka's eyes widened, as in that moment, deep sorrow filled her gaze.

“She is here! Tell me she is here, I can feel her presence!”

Then Inka looked about the room but saw only the people accompanying Molly, and confusion and exhaustion took over as her vision blurred and for a moment, she weakened. But that moment was not enough for the others to step in and open fire. The darkness still sparked in her pupils and Victor was still above the ground, held by an invisible force, the same one that had just battered Ronnie to death...

They all stayed silent.

Molly was in control of this situation now, but as they didn't know where Rebecca was, it seemed like a hollow victory that certainly would not last... Inka looked about the room again, shaking her head in a blur as confusion filled her gaze.

“Where is Rebecca?” she demanded.

Jax had weakly climbed up from the floor, clinging to his arm as Josh leant support.

”She's exhausted and confused,” Jax whispered, “But we can't do a thing while she has Victor trapped.”

Just then Oswald limped into the house, as Edward the dog trotted off quickly past the gathering, sensing danger and seeking a place of safety.

Molly had heard what Jax had said, but as they all looked over at Oswald, who approached Janine Inka without fear as anger burned in his gaze, Molly's heart ached to go to her husband's side – but she also had the feeling that maybe, Oswald could have a hand in turning this situation round...

“Leave my family alone!” he said sharply, “Rebecca is not here, Janine!”

She glared at him as her voice trembled and rage shone in human eyes that glittered unearthly.

“You don't know what it's like to lose a child!”

Tears of deep loss and anger filled his eyes.

“YES I DO!” he yelled, “THEY TOOK HER FROM ME BEAUSE OF YOU AND I NEVER SAW HER AGAIN!”

“Liar!” she hissed, and then she sensed something as he gaze shifted towards the stairs as she sensed a child had been up there... no... that was not quite right...

“An unborn child. There is a man who grieves for a baby. Lost but not lost...”

“My husband Julian miscarried his implant. The baby lives, inside the implant, but he could no longer carry her.”

Janine's gaze filled with tears.

“He mourns as if she is dead.. the loss of a child, I know that pain...”

Oswald and Molly exchanged a glance. They were about to make a move, perhaps now she was weakened enough not to be immune to bullets...

But she snapped her head sharply around, glaring at Molly.

“You lied to me, I shall kill you for that!”

“NO!” Oswald yelled, but as Molly gave a cry of alarm and began to raise up into the air, that same look was in Inka's eyes as it had been at the moment she had slaughtered Ronnie. Victor was still suspended in the air, unable to move. Jax was weakened from his fight with Inka, Josh was supporting him as he leaned against him and Selina was beside Josh, determined that if her husband was next, she would fight to the death to see him spared.

“Let her go!” Oswald shouted.

Molly felt as if invisible bindings had wrapped around her body as she rose, and they were becoming tighter and tighter as she fought to draw in air.

“No, Mommy, stop! Don't be mean!”

Molly's eyes widened in horror but she could not speak for the invisible bonds that choked her. Oswald's jaw dropped as he stared at the sight of Lucy, in her adult form, she had just waked down the stairs and she glanced at Ronnie's body, then looked away quickly. She had seen it all unfold and been the terrified six year old that she was, even though she had taken on her grown up form now, realising Inka was confused and looking for her daughter. That was all she needed to do, to make her think she had found her and just for a while, all her evil powers would fade away and then... maybe Daddy Oz could get her!

“No!” Oswald mouthed silently, looking on in alarm as Lucy in her adult form and wearing her mother's dress, walked across the hallway and joined the Shadow Lady.

Lucy was scared. She looked back at Oswald, then to his Generals, a knowing look in her eyes that went beyond her true tender years as something about that glance said, be ready, and then she looked into the eyes of Janine Inka.

“Mommy, it's me, it's Rebecca!” she said, her voice trembling as she forced a smile, “Hug me, Mommy!”

Jax was still weak as he leaned against Josh, who was slowly drawing his weapon. Jax did the same, limited in his movement by the fact that being thrown against the wall had dislodged his artificial arm from its connection. And in her exhausted, confused state, Janine Inka's gaze softened, the dark shimmer melted from her eyes and she put her arms around Lucy and hugged her.

“Becky, Oh Becky my child...”

Her expression changed at once as she sharply drew back.

“YOU ARE NOT MY DAUGHTER!”

Lucy's adult form was strong enough to cling on to Inka in that moment, as she pulled her closer, fingertips digging into her shoulders as she glared at her.

“You're a mean lady! You want to hurt people! You don't deserve all this power, or to look so young and pretty when you're ugly on the inside!”

And as she dug her fingertips into Janine's shoulders, her body went rigid, the bonds that held Molly and Victor loosened, then melted away as they dropped to the floor, and as Molly rolled and sat up quickly, reaching for her weapon, she looked on in horror to see Lucy still in adult form, grasping Janine Inka as she drained all energy from the Shadow Woman, her once smooth skin grew blue as veins snaked through a decayed complexion, her body was shaking and Lucy's eyes burned with determination.

“You're a bad monster!” Lucy yelled, “Bad monster, go away forever!”

As she let go of her, Janine's body fell rigid to the floor. She was still breathing but her flesh looked like cracked china as flesh began to turn grey, skin splitting and crumbling. She raised her head and screamed.

Molly raised her gun and squeezed the trigger, and Inka's head shattered. Lucy ran over to Ronnie's body and sank to her knees in a dress that was now too big for her as she shrank back to her child form once more. She placed her small hands on Ronnie's shoulder.

“Come on Ronnie, Please wake up! Wake up, don't be dead, no no, please!” she wept.

Jax had managed to regain his balance. Josh looked to the stairs to see Julian standing there wrapped in a dressing gown.

“What the hell is going on?” he asked, sounding shocked, and then his gaze fell on Oswald, who blinked away tears.

“Go upstairs and rest, Julian. There's been an incident. It's under control now. I will explain everything later.”

Julian stared at him, as his body ached and his stitches hurt and he kept on looking at Oswald, who had been missing presumed dead, now standing there in the downstairs hallway amid broken glass as somewhere further up the hall, a body lay bleeding on the floor, and that body looked like Ronnie...

“What the fuck happened?” he said as panic rose and confusion filled his eyes.

“I'll go with him,” Selina said to Josh, and she went over to the stairs, joined Julian and put an arm around him, talking softy to him as she led him back up the stairs, and had to stop several times as he looked back at Oswald, it was just sinking in, even going past the shock of the chaos and carnage he had witnessed, hitting at a much deeper level to be something he could not yet process: Oswald was back, he was still alive...

Molly had no time to discuss anything with her husband as she put her gun away and went over to join Lucy, placing her hands on her little girls' shoulders as she turned her head, pale and shaken as tears streaked her face.

“Mommy, I can't help Ronnie because she is dead,” she said, and then she turned to her mother and hugged her tightly, sobbing hard as Molly looked down at Ronnie's body. She thought about her brother and his husband Alex, both healers who had saved many lives in the city during major incidents. But Connor had once told her, while they could save almost anyone, they couldn't revive a person once the last trace of breath had left the body, and Ronnie was most certainly dead...

Vehicles screeched to a halt outside. Oswald limped quickly to the door to see Butch and Magpie standing back, looking on in alarm.

“What the hell happened in there?” Butch asked.

“We stayed in the car, we didn't move when we saw that shadow come down on the house!” Magpie added, and her face was pale and her eyes were wide.

“You two had best get out of here, the cops are here now,” Oswald told them, “And don't worry about the diamond, Magpie. I have that matter in hand.”

As cops began to leave vehicles and then a larger vehicle opened up as an energy trap was about to be unloaded, Butch put his arm around his wife.

“We should go. Take care, Oswald,” he said, and then he led Magpie across the driveway and back towards their car.

Jim had glanced twice at the departing couple as the thought hit him, he was sure that guy was Butch Gilzean... but as he entered the mansion, he saw the shattered glass and the looks on the faces of those within. Janine Inka was dead on the floor, half her head blown away by a single shot from a powerful gun.

“You're too late, Jim. Forget the trap, just send in a body bag, Molly handled her,” Oswald told him.

It was then Jim took in the sight of the mess inside the entrance to the mansion. There was blood on the walls, and Ronnie was on the floor in a twisted heap as Molly led her young daughter away from the scene of carnage, heading for the stairs. Jim stepped outside again, into fresh air that didn't carry the stench of blood and death.

“Forget the trap, we just need a body bag for Inka!” he called out, then he went back inside and met with Oswald, who looked at him sadly.

“This will be listed as an underworld matter, have the body cremated and all record of Inka wiped from ours and outside authority records,” he advised, “It's over, Jim.”

“What about Ronnie?” Jim asked quietly.

“Leave her to me, this is a family matter,” Oswald instructed, “And by the way, Jim – not a word about my return yet. I need a few peaceful days with my family before I speak to the people of the city. Let them mourn my loss a while longer.”

The cops worked fast, once they knew an underworld article had been invoked, they removed Janine Inka's body and left, because there would be no need to gather evidence when the whole matter had been wrapped up by the head of the underworld under his own authority.

While Molly was upstairs comforting Lucy, Selina was keeping Julian company as he lay back on his bed, upset by the sights he had seen downstairs, Ronnie dead, Jax bruised and unsteady, Josh looking as shocked as Oswald as Molly had lowered that gun. He knew Lucy was okay, he could hear Molly talking to her just down the hallway as she sat with her in her room, telling her everything was alright now.

“And I know I promised not be a grown up again, Mommy,” Lucy was saying, “But I had to stop the monster!”

“And you did, Lucy, you helped to save us all,” Molly assured her.

As he heard their voices drift by the open door, Julian laid back, giving a sigh. Selina had just given him his pain meds, and the were kicking in fast.

“Thanks, Selina,” he said, closing his eyes once more. He was still thinking about Oswald. He was glad to know he was alive, but so angry with him. Whatever the reason he had vanished like that, he had been responsible for the pain and the worry that had led to the loss of the implant. Julian wasn't sure if he could ever forgive him for that, and he was still thinking on that as he slipped into a deep sleep.

Downstairs, now the cops had left and Inka's body was gone, Jax grabbed at his false arm through the fabric of his jacket, gave it a push and briefly winced as it snapped painfully back into place, and then he turned to Oswald, who blinked back tears as he looked down at Ronnie's body.

“I await your instruction, sir,” he said.

Oswald turned his head, looked at Jax, whose bruises were already visible from his encounter with Inka when she had tried to rip out his thoughts.

“Are you injured, Jax?”

“Bruised, but in once piece, sir.”

Oswald glanced over at Victor, who was brushing dust from his clothing.

“Victor, I need my Generals to follow protocol for one of the fallen – Ronnie was signed up to the possibility of repair by robotic or cyborg means in the event of dire injury, and also to the chance of revival from death should it be possible, if such an event occurred - I'm not sure this can be done, due to the damage to her body, but she fought hard to work for me, and she was determined to follow in her mother''s footsteps. She is also the partner of my eldest son, we must try to save her if it can be done. After they have finished here, please drive Mr Sterling home, he needs to recover from his injuries.”

Josh looked to Oswald, speaking in a hushed voice.

”Sir, I don't think Ronnie would fit criteria for revival. She's too damaged. Strange can't bring back heavily damaged people, he has to stick to strict guidelines laid out by the pact to avoid human suffering -”

“Leave it to Strange to decide,” Oswald replied, “I want the pictures sent over to him now.”

Then he limped off with Victor towards the study as he began to speak with him about his plans for the next few days – it was important no one outside the family knew he had returned, at least, not yet.

Josh was pale and shaken as he stood over Ronnie's body. Half her face had been ripped off exposing bone, there was a gouge in her broken neck where blood oozed out, her eyes were staring off towards the wall. Her back was snapped in half, the body at a grotesque angle. He had seen many sights since the days when he had started working as a high ranking officer for Oswald, but this, seeing one of their own, someone he had personally trained and thought of as a friend, was too painful...

“Oswald is going to put the question of revival to Strange,” Jax reminded him, “What do we do when one of our own is fallen, with the chance to be brought back?”

Josh took in a deep breath, recalling what ad to be done.

“Photos of the deceased... I have to take pictures and send them to Strange to catalogue the worst of the damage.”

“Try forget this is Ronnie and just do your job,” he reminded him, then Jax leaned over the corpse, twisting the head a little to the side, exposing flesh and blood and bone as Josh held up his phone, switched to camera and hesitated as his hand shook, then he began to take pictures, one after the other, the facial damage, the neck, the throat, the angle of the body. He added the standard message, Agent down, fatal injuries, visual record enclosed. Mr Penguin requests evaluation for possibility of revival. Then he sent the message to Hugo Strange and finally put his phone away, then turned from the sight of the corpse. Jax was rubbing at the bruises to his aching head.

“Oswald was right, I do need to go home.”

Victor had just left the study after a talk with the boss.

“I'll drive you home, General Sterling,” he said, and Jax thanked him, paused to pat Josh on the shoulder, a gesture to say he had handled a difficult job well, then he walked off with Victor, leaving the scene of the broken glass and the body behind as they went outside and headed over to the waiting car.

Selina came downstairs quietly, and her face was pale. She blinked away tears, then looked away from the sight of Ronnie's corpse on the floor.

“We should go home now,” she said, “Poor Ronnie... all she ever wanted to do was protect Oswald, just like her mother did...”

“Oswald hopes to revive her,” Josh added.

Selina just shook her head.

“She's too destroyed, there's no chance,” she told him sadly.

Oswald had just limped out of the study after taking a stiff drink to ease his shattered nerves. As his phone rang, he answered it quickly.

“Strange, I need your help urgently -”

”And I have a strict agreement with the unity pact to cause no suffering,” Strange stated, “Or my ass will be thrown in jail for life, and I'm sure you can appreciate I am keen to avoid that happening. I'm sorry, Oswald. Ronnie's injuries are too severe. The damage I can see in the images are merely the tip of the iceberg. Her body had been shattered inside and out. If I could revive her, she would have a poor quality of life and the blame for that would fall to me.”

Oswald gripped his phone harder.

“But Cain loves her! My son will be heartbroken! You MUST do this!”

“I'm sorry, Oswald,” Strange replied, “I serve the underworld and the city for the common goal of doing good with my science, not evil. Reviving Ronnie in her damaged state would not be considered acceptable. Now I must go, I have work to attend to.”

The call ended.

Oswald silently fumed as rage burned in his eyes, and then as Molly came downstairs and joined him she was about to say, Lucy's okay, she's asleep now – but she said nothing, instead looking in alarm at her furious husband as he made a call to his daughter.

“River?” he demanded, “Strange won't help but you must! Ronnie lost her life today. Revive her!”

“Dad, what are you taking about? Ronnie's dead? Oh no...”

Oswald glanced at Josh.

“Send the pictures to River,” he ordered, and Josh sent them right away.

“You have them now?” Oswald demanded as his patience wore thin.

“Yes, I do but Dad, if Hugo refused, she's too damaged to bring back.”

Oswald's eyes filled with tears.

“That girl gave her life for this family, just like her mother before her! You will help her, River! You must, Cain will be heartbroken, he loves her, bring her back!”

River made a quick decision.

“I can't promise anything at all, Dad. But I'll have a vehicle up to the house in thirty minutes, I'll have the body removed and brought back here and I'll keep it on ice while I look into all possibilities - but the chance of this happening, of her coming back, are slim to none!”

“Thank you River, just do what you can,” Oswald said, and as he ended the call he wiped away tears, then he looked to Josh and Selina.

“Than you for being here today, both of you – now please, go home and get some rest. Take the rest of the week off. I shall be telling Jax to do the same. But I will need both my Generals with me when I speak to the press on Monday. Until then, go home and rest.”

Josh nodded.

“Thank you sir,” he replied, and then Selina grabbed his hand as she led him out of the house, feeling sure Oswald needed this time alone with his family as he turned to his wife, embraced her and wept.

As they stood alone in the shattered hallway, with the floor marked with Ronnie's blood as she lay there lifeless, Oswald let go of Molly and met her gaze with sorrow in his eyes.

“River has to bring her back, Molly,” he said as tears choked his voice, “He can't lose her now! Cain's not strong, this will shatter him.”

Molly nodded, saying nothing in reply as she hugged Oswald again, thankful for his return but wishing everything could have turned out differently. And Oswald was right, too – losing Ronnie would break Cain. But no matter what happened next, she knew they would see their son together to break the bad news, they would both be there for him when he returned home...

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

Cain was still in the Iceberg Lounge and as he checked his watch, he realised it had been two hours now:

Where was Ronnie?

“Listen Fish, I've had a great time but I should be going. I need to find Ronnie, she was at the mansion...” he pulled his phone from his pocket and tried her number, but it rang without answer.

“I'm going over there,” Cain said, and he turned away from the bar, but spun back sharply once more as Fish slammed her hand on top of his, grasping at his wrist. Suddenly all her pleasant demeanour was gone as she glared at him.

“You're not going anywhere until I'm told it's safe!” she said sharply, “I was told to keep you here, there's some kind of incident out there – and you may think you're king of Gotham, but you're little more than a boy! You're Oswald's son, his first born son and you need to be protected from this!”

“From what?” he demanded as the shock of her words rapidly started to sober him up.

“From whatever is out there, a threat to your life!” she said, and as she let go of him, he drew his hand back sharply.

“Ronnie!” he said in panic, “I have to find her!”

“Cain, wait!”

But it too late, as she called his name again Cain was dashing for the door, ripping his car keys from his pocket, he didn't even care that he was about to drive across town after drinking, he had to know Ronnie was safe...

Fish reached the door just as Cain got into the car and started up the engine.

“Get back here!” she yelled, but Cain didn't glance back once as the engine fired up and tires spun and the vehicle hurtled out of the parking area at speed. Fish raised her phone, hitting Molly's number on speed dial, but it rang with no reply.

“I'm sorry,” Fish murmured as she stood there in the doorway, “I tried, Molly...”

Back at the mansion security had been busy, cleaning up the shattered glass, and someone had covered Ronnie's body with a blanket while Molly and Oswald waited downstairs for transportation to arrive to take the body to River's clinic. Tomorrow the glass would be replaced, and when the kids came home, there would be no trace of the blood that marked the walls and soaked into the floor.

Julian was sleeping soundly thanks to his pain meds. Lucy was exhausted and fast asleep in her room, Molly had checked on her twice, not wanting their daughter to come back downstairs to see the aftermath of all that had happened. The door was open, ready for River's staff to come in and collect Ronnie. Molly's back was turned and Oswald was looking intently at her as they talked about Julian as Molly explained the hell he had been through, adding that it would take much more than a simple apology for Julian to forgive him.

They didn't hear Cain come in, or go over to the body on the floor and as he lifted back the blanket and saw Ronnie's bloody remains, he screamed. Molly and Oswald turned in horror to see Cain on his knees, holding Ronnie in his arms as he wept and her blood stained his suit.

“NO!” he yelled, “NO, COME BACK TO ME!”

They hurried over to him, Molly got there first as Oswald limped quickly behind, and Cain was still cradling Ronnie as her blood soaked his clothing, as he pressed his cheek against her damaged face her blood was on his skin, in his hair, on his hands as he clutched her, sobbing against her corpse.

“Cain...” Molly reached for him, and as her hand connected with his shoulder he looked up sharply, tears of rage and grief in his eyes as her blood shone cold on his cheek.

“Why did you let her die? I LOVED her!” he wept.

Just then, staff from the clinic arrived to remove the body.

Oswald did his best to speak to his distraught son, who had to be gently pulled away from Ronnie's corpse, as Molly reminded him there was nothing he could do for her, and then Oswald had told him maybe River could help – but it was doubtful.

“You have to save her, bring her back, I want her back!” Cain sobbed as Ronnie's body was taken from the house.

Oswald put his arm around his son and led him off to the study to give him strong drinks and speak soft words as he grieved for Ronnie, and Cain was still demanding Ronnie be revived as Oswald led him away, as Molly stood there looking to the bloodstain on the floor that still shone wet and soaked into the ground. She had decided to clean it up herself as she looked to the bloody wall and then the floor once more, but then security staff came along and she was politely told Mr Cobblepot had asked them to clean up the hallway, and she thanked them, then walked off towards the study, where she hoped she and Oswald could calm their son, together.

Oswald sat with Cain until gone midnight. He gave him plenty of drinks, knowing at a time like this, there was no other way Cain would manage any sleep. Molly reminded him that the kids would be back tomorrow, and he had to be in control. It was okay to grieve for Ronnie, but it wouldn't be fair to put the kids through his shouting and weeping and loss of control, she had reminded him that, told him to remember the kids were only young and didn't need to see that. They would be upset to know Ronnie had been killed, and she reminded him River was not hopeful of reviving her. Oswald made it clear to Cain that Hugo Strange had rejected the idea, just to be sure Cain understood if Ronnie ever could be revived, it would take time, and if she was it would be River's work – but he was not to pressure his sister over this, because all they could do was hope that eventually, it would become possible, and right now, River doubted that...

Cain finally fell into bed at one am and slept deeply thanks to the booze. Oswald knew when he woke the next day it would hit him all over again, but he planned to be there for him.

Molly and Oswald had finally gone to bed when it was very late, and on opening the door to the master bedroom, as she went in, Oswald stood there for a moment, his gaze resting on the sight of his sweet Julian, lying on his side, wrapped in a dressing gown and sleeping heavily. Oswald blinked away tears and limped into the room, then over to the bed.

“Ozzie, leave him be,” Molly whispered, “Talk to him tomorrow!”

Oswald was sick of talking. He had just spent hours telling Cain everything, as his distraught eldest son drank himself into a stupor to try and kill the pain of losing Ronnie. He didn't have the strength to explain everything all over again, he just wanted to speak to Julian, to say he loved him, and that was what he did.

“Julian...” he said softly.

“Ozzie, don't!” Molly whispered as she stood on the other side of the bed getting undressed, “Leave him for tonight, you need to talk it over in the morning -”

“No, I need to talk to him now!” Oswald insisted as a rush of regret and heart ache filled his eyes with tears.

“Julian,” he said again, running a hand over his hair, “It's Oswald...”

Julian slowly opened his eyes, then he blinked away sleep as he lay there with the room looking soft by the glow of the lamp light. Then he looked up and saw Oswald beside him, and he drew in a sharp breath as he fought back tears.

“I am so sorry!” Oswald's voice trembled as he reached for him, “I was forced to comply with an old agreement to vanish if a criminal named Janine Inka ever escaped from Arkham – I signed that agreement many, many years ago and I was still bound by it when she escaped! I couldn't tell anyone the truth, your lives would have been in danger!”

Julian was glaring up at him, struggling to hold back his anger as he shrugged off Oswald's touch and shifted away from him, then he slowly sat up, mindful of the stitches that caused him so much pain.

“I lost the implant because of you!” he said bitterly, “It's your fault, Oswald! Our daughter could have died – because of what you did and the effect it had on me! But she's okay, she's thriving inside that unit – it's just not inside me any more! And THAT is your fucking fault!”

“And I'm sorry and I can explain everything -”

“Fuck off!” Julian said tearfully, “Get out, Oswald!”

Hurt registered in Oswald's gaze.

“I love you, Julian!”

Molly stood on the other side of the bed they usually shared together, missing the harmony and joy their togetherness usually brought with it as Julian glared at his tearful husband.

“It's too late to say that,” Julian told him, “Because of you, what you put me through, our baby was born early, it wasn't beautiful, it was agony! It was horrible, Oswald! Blood and pain and stitches and no baby to hold because she's still in the implant, at the hospital, growing inside that unit away from me because I lost the implant! You don't know what I've been through. I don't want to hear you say sorry, fuck you!”

“Julian,” Molly said gently, “I know you're upset, but if you let Ozzie explain -”

”No,” he said, looking from Molly to Oswald, “I don't want to hear it, Ozzie. You promised me you would be here, always. Then you fucking lied to me and faked your death...I'm done with you! It's over!”

Oswald looked heartbroken as his eyes filled with tears.

“You don't mean that,” Molly said quickly.

“Yes I do!” Julian said as he looked at her with eyes filled with anger and pain, “And if you love me as much as you say you do, you'll choose.”

Molly stared at him. Surely, he didn't mean that...

“What?”

“Choose, between me or him,” Julian stated, “Because I'm moving out of this room tonight and back into my old room down the hall. So decide, Molly. Choose which one of us deserves your love after what he's done!”

“The three of us have kids together! You can't expect either of us to just walk away, Julian!” Molly exclaimed.

He got out of bed, pushing Oswald's hand away as he reached for him.

“Leave me alone, just talk it out and make your choice!” he said bitterly, and then he grabbed his pain meds and stiffly left the room, still feeling weak, still hurting from the complications of the birth, but determined to put a distance between himself and Oswald.

As the door closed Molly looked across the empty bed at her husband.

“What can I do about this?” Oswald said tearfully, “Why doesn't he understand?”

“He's been through hell, I tried to tell you!”

Oswald blinked away tears. He had never expected anything good to come of this, not after knowing Janine Inka was back to tear his life apart but now, it seemed she had succeeded, in death. First they had lost Ronnie, shattering Cain's life, and now his three way marriage was in ruins.

“Go to Julian,” Oswald said quietly.

Molly stared at him.

“I'm not leaving you, Ozzie -”

“Just for tonight my dear, please go to him. I can see he's distraught.”

“And what about you?” Molly demanded.

“I'll be fine. Julian is upset, we both know how sensitive he is – I'll try and talk to him tomorrow. Please take good care of him for me, don't leave him alone tonight.”

Molly's heart ached as she walked around to the other side of the bed, hugging Oswald tightly.

“Oh, love you so much, my chubby Penguin! My Ozzie...”

Oswald still looked tearful as she drew back and he pulled her close again as they shared a brief kiss.

“Go to Julian,” he repeated, “look after him for me. I will be up early and be there for Cain, I can handle our son. Just take care of Julian for me, please.”

Molly nodded.

“I love you, Ozzie.”

“I love you too, my dear,” he assured her, and her gaze lingered with his, then she left the room as Oswald sat down heavily on the bed, his heart full of pain and regret as he longed to hold the two people he loved the most, hold them all night until daybreak now he had returned, but he knew for tonight, he didn't have that luxury...

The days passed by. For Molly, it was like walking a tightrope between the tension caused by Julian and Oswald, she didn't want to slip and fall either way, she loved them both, and they had the kids to think about. Julian was hurt over all that had happened, of course she understood that – but the kids would be affected by this, Julian needed to see that, and she didn't know where to begin on that. In the day time, he was up more now he was healing, and now he had paid a visit to the hospital to see his daughter, placing his hand on the silvery unit and smiling as she moved within it and he spoke to her softly. Molly had looked on, hoping in that moment his eyes had shone with love that maybe as he looked at Oswald, his gaze would reflect the same – but she was wrong. Julian had stepped back away from the unit, allowing Oswald to make contact with their unborn child separately. In the car on the way home as Molly drove, Julian sat beside her, Oswald sat in the back, and neither man shared a single word.

They smiled at home for the kids, trying to keep the mood light and close to normal, but both Felix and Luna had asked why Julian had moved back into his old room. He had said, because he needed plenty of rest, and they had accepted that. But Lucy, with her exceptional senses, had known everything, feeling the pain felt by Daddy Oz and the hurt and anger felt by her father, as Mommy felt caught in the middle over it all.

As for Cain, he was deeply stuck in a mire of grief that seemed to be threatening to pull him under like quicksand. He was sinking deeper every day, and there was nothing anyone could do or say – even Oswald couldn't help his son, because all he wanted was to have Ronnie back. Molly reminded him to be patient, saying maybe, eventually something could be done. But in reality, she knew all this had really achieved was to keep Ronnie's body on ice and delay the funeral. Strange said she was too damaged to revive. River said she couldn't yet think of a way to do it. Maybe she never would. And that left Cain stuck, mourning and desperately hoping for an out of reach miracle...

These were difficult days.

And soon it would be Monday, when news of Oswald's return would be broken and he would speak to the press – and carry out his plan to tear up all documents he had agreed to share with outside authorities in connection with crimes dated pre city independence. Molly struggled on, taking no side, making no choice between the two men she loved as she stepped back from their disagreement, and focused on the kids instead.

Molly also wanted more time with her Dad, but now the immediate threat was gone, business was calling Kane MacQueen back to Ireland, and he was soon to catch his flight home.

“I'm sure Julian will think differently once the baby is here,” he told her, and then he hugged her, reminding her that the three of them had something good and strong and surely, this one upset would not be all it took to break it... Molly hoped he was right about that. She had once thought nothing would ever come between them, but now it had, she feared life would never be the same again...

Over at the clinic, Victor rarely ventured into any of the rooms where his wife worked, unless he had caught a bullet or some other injury if trouble had stirred up and Oswald had called on him for help. But today he stood in the mortuary in the basement level, beside the body of Ronnie, as River blinked away tears and covered her remains once again with a sheet, hiding the terrible damage done to her by the creature that had shattered her body.

“I see why Hugo Strange said no,” Victor told her, “And really, you should also say no - in my opinion - but I'm not trained to save lives, I don't know what's for the best in these circumstances, so I'm sorry if I shouldn't have said that, River.”

She turned her head and met his gaze sadly.

“You're right, so is Hugo,” she agreed, “but Cain is desperate, he loves her, he wants me to bring her back. And I know Hugo rightly said there was no point, there was no hope left - but I said that about Julian after Bane almost killed him, and I was wrong. Look at Julian now, he's Mayor of Gotham, he's married to Molly and my father and they're welcoming another baby to the family. And that is why I have decided not to give up on Ronnie – not yet, not until I'm sure I can't find a way to revive her and give her a decent quality of life.”

“You're not giving up?” asked Victor.

”No, I'm not,” River replied, and then she slid the drawer closed, sealing the body back in cold storage.

“I won't give up on her. It will take time, but if there's a way, I'll find it and I'll bring her back,” she told him.

They turned away and began to head for the door.

“What if you can't find a way?” Victor asked.

River opened up the door and they stepped out of the dimly lit mortuary and into the corridor.

“If I can't bring her back, I will be the one to break that news to Cain,” River replied, “And I will explain everything to him, so he knows I tried, that's all we have to do – try. It doesn't mean we can revive her, but at least Cain will know I didn't give up easily, and he needs that, he needs to know someone is on his side in this.”

”I couldn't agree more,” Victor told her, and then they walked off together, heading for the elevator.

Monday morning came along with grey skies typical of the City of Gotham, but the rain held off. By the time Kane MacQueen was on a plane heading out of the city and cutting through clear skies on a flight path that would lead back to Ireland, Oswald stood before a sea of stunned reporters outside City Hall as he announced his return, flanked by several of his men who heavily guarded him as his Generals stood either side of him.

“It appears there has been some confusion over my absence,” Oswald said, “I left the city for treatment for cromine poisoning – which was successful – and now I am back. I was most dismayed to learn of the rumours of my apparent death, as you can see that was a huge misunderstanding! In my absence my son Cain has been working on my behalf to kept this city running as it should and I'm sure Cain will be glad to know I have decided that from this day, he will run the underworld alongside me. Some day my son will make a fantastic king of Gotham, and with that fact in mind, I see no reason why father and son can't rule the underworld together. As for my health, be advised I am very well and intend to be around for a very long time to come...” Oswald paused as he stood there, looking immaculate in his dark suit and top hat as he leaned on a silver topped cane and looked about the sea of faces. Further away, the public had gathered. Screens had been put up around the city so that everyone could catch Oswald's speech. But at the edge of the front of the gathering, stood Jim Gordon, feeling sure Oswald wasn't about to say any warm words regarding former plans he had made to discuss old crimes pre war, for historical clarification with outside agencies, not now, not after what they had forced him to do over Inka's escape... And he had had a gleam in his eyes, Jim had already spotted it – that gleam was one of revenge... This would be a real shock wave to outsiders. He braced himself.

“I have nothing more to add,” said Oswald, “Apart from this...” the look in his eyes had gone cold, “For many years outside authorities have made requests for enquiries into certain crimes pre, and during the fall of the city. While our borders remain open to those who wish to explore the long and noble history of our city in its independent status, I have made the decision the door is now firmly closed on the past. My only regret in this matter is that evidence given regarding mistreatment of prisoners at Arkham – which would have also included testimony from my husband Julian about the torture of inmates at Ashecliffe asylum, in the hope to open up a broader enquiry at some point in the future to this matter, will now be taken off the board. As for prisoners linked to agreements across borders, I say to the outside world, have them back, they are your responsibility now, this city is for the people of Gotham - we do not answer to others and the past will not dictate our futures!”

With that, Oswald raised a handful of papers set to be submitted for the enquiry, and tore them in half with a gleam of victory in his eyes.

There was a flurry of questions from the press, all silenced as Jax sterling stepped forward and raised a gloved hand.

“Mr Penguin will now be returning home to his family, to enjoy the reunion he has long awaited. While he rests and spends this valuable time with his spouses and children, Cain Cobblepot will be stepping in to continue running the city until our leader is ready to join him again. Family comes first, as always. And for now we do not expect Mayor Lambrick to be returning to his duties until at least next month, as you are aware, he is recovering from the loss of a fertility unit, but happily the child is thriving within the implant. The Cobblepot family ask for privacy at this time. Thank you, that will be all.”

Once again voices rose up with questions, flashbulbs went off too, but Oswald had turned away as Jax and Josh ushered him away from the microphone, away from the crowds, flanked by armed guards, and into his waiting car.

Molly was at home with Julian, they had seen it all unfold on TV. Julian's gaze reflected hurt and anger as he sat beside Molly on the sofa.

“He's just made matters even worse!” he said bitterly, “I wanted to speak to the wider press, I wanted to speak at the enquiry into mistreatment of prisoners in badly regulated institutions, like Arkham and Ashecliffe used to be! He's just destroyed that chance, and he says he fucking loves me?”

“You can still talk to the press,” Molly reminded him.

Julian shook his head.

“The Gotham press. The media branches who support the pact, the biased press! I wanted to break out of that, Molly, I wanted to tell the world what was done to me – now they'll always think I'm Julian Lambrick, rapist! They'll never know what happened, the experiments with the Tetch virus -”

“But as long as the people of this city know the truth – and you and Ozzie have told them all about that many times, it's all that matters.” Molly reminded him.

Julian leaned back against the sofa in angry silence as he thought about the consequence of Oswald's actions. As he sat there, despite his anger, he looked so much better now. He was up and dressed and on a lower dose of pain relief, his injuries were healing and she was sure Julian would be back at work much sooner than Oswald had predicted. But he still looked hurt and angry, as if Oswald's choice of tactic for revenge had just driven his personal hurt even deeper.

“I was hoping to open their minds and their eyes to what happened,” Julian replied, “Thanks to Oswald, I wont get a credible chance to do that now!”

Molly fell silent, knowing this was yet another reason for Julian to feel resentful. In time, maybe he would think about the whole situation and understand why Oswald had made such a controversial decision, maybe in time, he would forgive everything and understand too that Ozzie had no say when he was forced to disappear. But for now, everything hung in the balance, the long term outcome unknown...

After Oswald had gone home, Jax returned home to Carol and after hugging her fondly, said he would surprise Alicia and meet her from school that afternoon.

“And we have visitors later on,” Carol informed him with a smile as she stepped out of his embrace.

“We do?”

“Yes, Jax! Maria and Little Penguin are coming over! I'm baking apple pie for the kids.”

”That explains the delicious smell!” Jax said enthusiastically, “I take it this is a big pie, as we have the Penguin boy coming over?”

Carol smiled back at him as the scent of apple pie filled the kitchen.

“It's big enough for all the kids – and you!”

“Oh good, Little Penguin's not the only one around here who loves to eat!” he reminded her, then he left the room, took off his coat and went upstairs to change out of his formal work suit, and to take off his artificial arm, because his shoulder was still bruised from the encounter with Janine Inka. As he went up the stairs Cindy padded after him, purring with joy to see him returned home once more.

For Josh, once Oswald's speech was done and he was back at the mansion, after finishing up some paperwork, his work was over for the day. Josh drove home to find Selina had just left to pick up Maria from school and then drive her over to Jax and Carol's place, and she had taken their baby son with her, too. So it was just him and that lovely living version of mother nature herself, Ivy Pepper, together in the house. After the incident was over with Janine Inka at first, the sense of relief that it was over was marred by the fact that Ronnie was dead. They were all upset over Ronnie, she had worked so hard to become a part of Oswald's team and now, to think she was gone, was tragic. They would all miss her as much as the Cobblepot family did – but none would miss her as sharply as Cain, who was grieving deeply.

But at least Selina was safe, Josh reminded himself. He and his wife had come out of this unharmed, and they were still together. Ivy's bruises had faded, and she had stopped jumping at every sound or watching for creeping shadows when she stayed over at the house.

They still had each other, and that was something to take joy in, at a time when the aftermath of the clash with Inka had seemed so dark and terrible. Josh had got back into the routine of nights with both his women, domination by Selina, being fucked and sucked and used like a sex toy, having wild nights when the kids were asleep and the door to the bedroom was firmly locked. And it had seemed life was back to normal – but for one thing:

Ivy was strangely quiet, she had moments where she would wander off into the garden and be at one with nature, seeking solace in the company of her plants and the other plants that grew there, who equally recognised her as kindred. When she and Josh and Selina were together, her body pressed up against his as she and Selina teased him to orgasm, it seemed like life was how it used to be. But out of the bedroom, Josh kept on noticing signs that Ivy was rather withdrawn, quiet, lost in her own thoughts. And now with Selina out of the house and no distractions from the kids, it seemed like a good time to talk to her about it...

Josh met up with Ivy as she came in from a garden that was growing increasingly wintry, the leaves were scattered about the lawn and the flowers had long since stopped blooming, ready for their annual sleep through the coldest season. And she had walked into the kitchen and closed the door behind her, wearing just a thin dress of shimmering green, yet her bare flesh exposed by it didn't carry a hint of the chill outside. She smiled as she met his gaze.

“Josh,” she tossed back her long mane of red hair as fallen leaves caught in it scattered to the kitchen floor, “What's on your mind?”

She was intuitive. There was no hiding this from her now he had spotted it. Josh knew he had to ask, because there would never be a better time – Selina had not noticed Ivy's quiet moments, she had seemed determined to keep them to herself, but Josh missed nothing, and that was why he had to talk to her about this...

“I was going to ask, what's on your mind? I know something's up.”

Ivy's gaze reflected sorrow as she looked at him.

“Too much, that's what's on my mind, Josh.”

“Is this about Ronnie's death? We're all upset about that-”

“No.”

She sounded very sure about that as she looked back at him.

“Then what's wrong?” Josh asked her, “We both love you and maybe Selina hasn't noticed, but I have, I know there's something wrong and I want to help.”

As she looked back at him, a thought struck Josh that made his eyes go wide as he thought about how many times she had climbed on top of him while Selina dirty talked him into losing control...

“Oh god... you're not pregnant, are you? Because if you are, I'm happy and I'm sure Selina wouldn't object, we both love you and this is unexpected, but not unwelcome, Ivy!”

Ivy briefly smiled as she shook her head.

“I'm not pregnant, Josh!”

“Then what is it?” he asked.

Ivy paused to gather her thoughts, then her green gaze clouded with worry as she started to speak.

“If you knew something – if you heard something, about someone, and you knew it had potential to cause trouble or upset, would you say something or stay quiet?”

Now it was his turned to feel confused as he looked back at Ivy.

“If you're trying to protect someone, it's better if we talk about it. You can't keep secrets that have the potential to cause trouble, we need to discuss this. What is it about, who is it about?”

She hesitated.

“This is major. It could cause a lot of trouble, a lot of upset, Josh!”

“Just talk to me!”

The front door opened and Selina returned with Maria.

“Not now, I don't want to spoil the day, our family's home.”

Ivy turned away and headed back outside.

Then it dawned on Josh that Maria was home – wasn't she supposed to be going over to Alicia's to play with her and Little Penguin after school?

Josh hurried through to the hallway, where Selina had just closed the front door. She had their son in her arms.

“I'm putting Nathan down for his nap. And then,” she said angrily, “Maria can explain to me WHY she asked Little Penguin to hit that kid outside school again!”

Before he could say another word, she took the baby upstairs. Josh looked down at Maria, who looked up at him apologetically.

”Has that bully been mean to you again, Maria?”

She nodded.

“Little Penguin was meeting me from school with his Daddy. He saw the mean boy calling me names, so he ran up to him and slapped him with his flipper!”

Josh couldn't help but smile as he briefly looked away. Sweet Little Penguin, determined to be gallant and defend Maria... But he couldn't encourage this.

“Did the boy's parents see it happen?”

“Yes, Maria replied, “And his Dad told him off and said, Don't call girls mean names! I think he was okay about Little Penguin, he looked at him like he kind of felt sorry for him. People do that sometimes because he is different.”

“But there's no excuse for fighting,” Josh reminded her, “What he say to you to make Little Penguin hit him?”

Maria suddenly looked very upset.

“Mommy said I can't go over to Alicia's to play until I tell her what happened!”

Josh glanced up the stairs.

“Selina, I'm taking Maria over to the Sterling's house – she'll tell me what happened on the way.”

“She'd better!” Selina called back, and Maria's face lit up in a big smile as she looked up gratefully.

“Thank you, Daddy!”

“I still want to know what this fight was about,” he replied, and then he led her out of the house, hoping that by the time they had made the drive over to Jax Sterling's place, Maria would have told him everything...

Little Penguin waddled fast out to the car, today his Daddy was driving, and he had just left him with Alicia, and now he turned in surprise to see the back passenger door open up once more.

”What are you doing, son?” he asked, opening up a large flipper hand as he asked that question.

Cindy mewed as she was placed on the back seat.

“All for Penguin, keep Cindy!” he said with a wide smile.

Carol hurried out to join them.

“No, Little Penguin, you can't keep him!” she reminded him, and lifted Cindy from the car and then closed the door as Little Penguin stood there looking up at her pleadingly.

In the car, Penguin Cobblepot chuckled.

“That kid's always trying to steal your cat! I'll be back for him at eight thirty.”

“See you then,” Carol replied with a smile, and he gave a wave of his flipper and then drove off.

“Penguin love Cindy!” Little Penguin said as he looked up at Carol, “She is a rumble cat! Penguin wants rumble cat!”

“But not this rumble cat!” Carol reminded him fondly, “She lives here, with me and Jax and Alicia.”

Just then, a car pulled up.

“Maria!”

Little Penguin gave a small jump for joy as Josh got out, followed by his daughter. As they met outside the house, Carol took Cindy back inside, in case Little Penguin was tempted to run off with her again.

“I want to go inside now!” Maria said impatiently as Alicia called her name and waved from the open front door.

“Not until you tell me, Maria,” Josh reminded her, “What did that boy say to you, to make Little Penguin so angry?”

She paused for thought.

“He said I was ugly.”

Those words stunned him, Maria was a pretty little girl. He was almost glad Little Penguin had flipper slapped him now!

“He was very mean to say that, and it's not true!” Josh reminded her, “Now go and play, I'll be back to fetch you tonight.”

“Bye, Daddy!” she said, paused to hug him and then she grabbed Little Penguin by the flipper as she hurried and he waddled as together they made their way back to the open door where Alicia was waiting for her friends.

Josh got into the car, started up the engine and began on the drive back home. He was sure once Selina heard how nasty that kid had been towards Maria, she wouldn't be at all angry with Maria or little Penguin. But still it was there, at the back of his mind:

What had Ivy been about to tell him before Selina and the kids had come in, and the moment was gone?

He tried calling her on the way home, but got no reply. Then he called his wife, who told him Ivy was gone now, she had said she had some urgent stuff to do at the greenhouse, and needed to leave suddenly.

Now Josh was feeling very suspicious indeed:

Why had Ivy left in such a hurry?

What was she trying to hide?

Chapter Text

Chapter 12

Time moved on. Molly had hoped that as the time grew closer for the baby to be born, the frosty atmosphere between Oswald and Julian would start to thaw, but it didn't happen. Julian stayed in his old room and Molly divided her time between the two of them, loving both men equally and staying determined not to take a side – how could she? Molly had loved them both deeply, a forever kind of love that had been something that could never be repeated again in her lifetime, there could never be any love as great or strong as that which the three of them had shared, yet ever since Oswald had been forced to leave the family for a short while, everything had gone wrong. Sometimes she felt as if Julian would never forgive him, and she would always be forced to stand in the middle of it all, there to remind them that the kids needed them both, and she loved them both, too.

Her Dad had told her several times, it would be okay when the baby was born. He had said it as if the new baby would change everything, but Molly doubted it. Julian was angry with Oswald over putting him through hell, he blamed him for the miscarriage of the implant, and he also hadn't forgotten those papers Oswald had torn up, which had been sweet revenge on outside authorities – but it had also meant he would not get speak to a wider world about the mistreatment of prisoners in Ashecliffe years before.

Molly didn't want to think about the future too deeply. It seemed nothing would ever be the same again. Sometimes she felt like grabbing both of them and taking them down to the clinic, forcing them to look at Ronnie's frozen body as she reminded them life could be fucking short and it was better to make the most of it than piss it away up the wall. Life was supposed to be lived and appreciated, it certainly wasn't meant to be lived like this...

By now it was late December, Christmas was three days away. The sight of the tree up in the front room while her holly and ivy draped about the fireplace reminded Molly of the Christmas she would never forget when she had showed Oswald his present – a scan of the baby she was carrying, not their baby, but his, that frozen embryo that had almost run out of time... that baby had been Luna, now big sister to Felix and starting to wear make up and looking more like Fish every day. Where did the time go?

Molly had called her Dad that morning, sent him pictures of the decorations and said she wished she was over in Ireland with him and her Mam – but Kane had reminded her that the baby was due soon, ready to pop out of that implant, and they all needed to be there for that happy day.

“But I still don't think this will bring Ozzy and Julian back together,” Molly had told him.

“Nonsense, Molly – you wait till that baby arrives, then you'll see the difference!” Kane assured her.

But Molly still very much doubted that would happen...

And now they sat together in the bedroom, Molly, Ozzy and Julian. Molly was sitting on a chair next to the bed, Oswald was on the other side of the bed, sitting on the edge of it as Julian sat on top of the covers. He had taken off his shirt so the baby could be placed on his chest because she would know the heartbeat of her birth father, even though she had been separated from him for four months. The house was silent, because Luna was staying overnight with Fish, and Felix and Lucy were sleeping over at Little Penguin's. The children would meet the new baby tomorrow. Down the hall, Cain was in his room, and Molly hoped when his baby sister arrived, at least knowing she was here at last would put a smile on his face, even though he was still deeply mourning Ronnie's loss.

This was how they had decided the baby would be born, removed from the tank of fluid where the implant had been growing, and the unit would be brought to the house, where the midwife would open it up, and place the baby in Julian's arms. It seemed like the next best thing to how she should have arrived, he had wanted a home birth before the loss of the implant.

Oswald reached for Julian's hand as they watched the midwife place the large swollen unit on the bed with padding beneath it to soak up what would have been birthing fluid. The silvery sac was quickly sliced open and the midwife reached in and drew out the baby, she was wide awake and as she cried, so did Oswald. Julian had tears streaming down his face as he looked at her with joy shining in his gaze as he held his new born daughter for the first time. Molly was smiling as she looked on, Julian had pulled away from Oswald when he he had reached for his hand, but now as Julian held his daughter for the first time and she looked up at him, Molly got up from her seat and sat on the edge of the bed, as Julian turned his head and looked at her.

“She's beautiful!” he said as he laughed and cried at the same time, then he gazed down at the child in his arms.

“Oh my precious little one, I'm so sorry I couldn't carry you full term... but look at you now, you're so beautiful!”

“She's perfect,” Molly told him.

“She is,” Julian agreed as he looked down at the little girl with fair hair and ice blue eyes who looked up at him.

“She's got your hair, and Ozzie's eyes,” Molly said softly.

Oswald was sitting the other side of Julian, tearful and relieved his child was here safely, but he was yet to hold her. Julian had not even looked at him...

“Yes, she does...” Julian said quietly, and then finally, he looked at Oswald.

“She's got your eyes, Ozzy...”

“And unfortunately, she has the Cobblepot nose!” Oswald said as emotion choked his voice and he started to smile.

“She looks like her father,” Julian agreed, and for a moment he and Oswald looked at each other as Molly hoped for a miracle.

The moment was broken because the midwife checked the baby over and weighed her, then she said usually, she would stop by tomorrow, but there was no need unless they wanted her to – she usually helped with deliveries, and as Julian had given birth four months previously, there was no need to check up on him, but she could be contacted if they needed any advice for the baby. Oswald paused to fondly run his hand over the silvery skin that had once been the birthing unit, that strong and incredible implant that had kept their daughter alive and kept her growing to full term after the miscarriage, and then the midwife had cleaned everything up - and by the time she was ready to leave, Molly was making some formula milk up in the kitchen.

Now they were alone, as Julian held his baby daughter and she settled close to his chest, soothed by the sound of his heartbeat, he looked at Oswald.

“I never thought when the baby arrived, I'd be sitting here in my jeans with just my shirt off, looking and feeling great with no labour or childbirth to make me feel wrecked! But there's an advantage to this – I got over the birth four months ago. I've got my strength back, I can easily cope with looking after her.”

“And I am here too, so is Molly,” Oswald reminded him, as his arms ached to hold his daughter.

Julian paused for thought, then he looked down at the baby in his arms before meeting Oswald's gaze once more.

“I've had a lot of time to think since you came home, Oswald. I know you had no choice when you had to go missing. And me losing the implant is something we couldn't have stopped. But she's here and she's okay and...” he blinked away tears as he stared to smile, “She looks so much like you! I love you so much, Ozzie!”

“I love you too!” Oswald had managed to get those words out as tears choked his voice, then he reached for Julian and put his arm around him as they shared a kiss.

Molly opened the door and walked in to see Ozzy and Julian both tearful, both declaring love for one another as Julian held the baby and the two of them tenderly kissed. She felt tears sting her eyes as she started to smile as the thought ran through her head: Bloody hell, me Dad was right! The baby really has got them back together! Then she went over to the bed and handed Julian the milk, and as he started to feed his new born, he glanced at Oswald, and now love shone in his gaze.

”Would you like to feed her?” he asked.

Oswald smiled proudly. He reached for the baby, and Julian placed her in his arms, and it was Ozzie who gave her the rest of her first feed.

Molly made herself busy, shifting the cot closer to the bed, then sorting out the nursery, making a few last minute adjustments as she ensured everything was in its place and ready – not that she would be in there yet, the baby would stay in the main bedroom for the first few days, it was the way they had done it with the arrival of every baby in this family.

When she returned to the bedroom, their very sleepy and well fed baby girl was comfortable in her cot, and as she approached the bed, Molly smiled.

“I take it you two are okay now?” she asked.

Julian was sitting on the bed beside Oswald, and their hands were linked as they exchanged a glance that reflected deepest love.

“Yes, we are, we're just fine,” Oswald said warmly.

“I love you both so much,” Julian added with a smile.

Molly joined them, sitting beside Julian as he rested his head on Oswald's shoulder and the three of them talked. It was a huge relief to knew the past had been forgiven and they would be a happy family again. And that fact was set in stone by the conversation that followed as Molly lay beside them and Julian and Ozzie talked softly, deciding on a name for their daughter:

They decided to name her Gertie, after Oswald's late mother.

It was a quiet Christmas, but a happy one.

The kids had been thrilled to meet the new baby. Even Cain had smiled as he held his youngest sibling for the first time. Christmas dinner was a big family occasion, as River and Victor and Connor and Alex and Fish joined them, and so did Iris and Penguin and Little Penguin, and Molly had to make the excuse of clearing the table to get out of the room to laugh out loud in the kitchen after too many sprouts had led to a farting competition between Penguin Cobblepot, his little son and Edward the dog, who Little Penguin had been feeding under the table.

“It smells like blocked drains!” Fish had exclaimed as she waved her hand in front of her face to waft away the smell.

Little Penguin farted again, and laughed.

“Really, that's not necessary at the dinner table!” Oswald said, looking over at Penguin and his son who were both chuckling, “Really, Penguin – your son is like like a small fart machine! I thought I said, no sprouts this year?”

The kids spent several hours together before Iris and Penguin took a very tired and very well fed Little Penguin home, Felix had crashed out on the couch and Lucy had fallen asleep by the fire and Julian carried her upstairs and put her to bed. Cain had been quiet for most of the day. He hugged Fish before she left, then Luna said she would help clear up the mess Little Penguin had made with wrapping paper in the front room. Cain had told her to enjoy herself, swiped a bottle of scotch from the drinks cabinet and gone upstairs to drink some more behind his locked door, while he looked at old pictures and shed tears over Ronnie. River and Victor had stayed until it got dark, then they had left, and soon after, Molly's brother and his husband went home too, and by now, all the kids were sleep and the house was silent until Gertie woke up and Julian went off to give her a feed.

“I'm so glad we're still together, the three of us,” Molly said as she stood alone with Oswald beside the Christmas tree as its lights sparkled. Oswald smiled warmly.

“Yes, we are together, forever,” he assured her, “I have all my family close to me once more...”And he stopped, lost in his thoughts as Molly realised what was going through his mind:
Yes, his family were all together – almost all of them...

“You miss Rebecca?”

“Of course I do, every day. But there are some things in life we just have to accept, Molly. I'm thankful for the family I have close to me.” He leaned in and they shared a kiss, and he said no more on his daughter.

For the next few days, life went by slowly as they enjoyed family time together. Gertie was settling in and was now in the nursery and Oswald was tired frequently, getting up to feed her in the night, but he insisted on doing it, letting Julian rest, because he said, he had been through enough four months ago – the least he could do now was make up for that and help out as much as he could.

“You don't need to do that, don't wear yourself out, I can take care of her, so can Molly,” Julian reminded him.

“But I want to do this,” Oswald assured him.

By now, they had celebrated their reunion. There wasn't a part of Julian's body Oswald hadn't kissed, before slowly and carefully making love to him, something that had given Molly an explosive climax, to see the two of them so passionate once more. Julian's stitches had healed very well, and Oswald had joked he would never have any trouble with that anyway, not after all the fisting and fucking he had planned for him... Life was working out well. Everything that had once seemed to be on course for disaster had turned around,at last everything was going right once more.

They had planned for a quiet New Year's Eve that year, because of the new baby in the house. Fish had decided to celebrate in her own way and help the family at the same time – closing her club to adults on New Year and instead, having a kid's party for Luna and the rest of the children. This amusingly included her grown up daughter River, who agreed to show up with Victor, who had exchanged a glance with his wife as they walked in as he said, “Apart from Fish, we are the only adults here?”

River had giggled.

“It's for her kids as well as the rest of the family,” she reminded him, “Just because I'm the oldest, I'm still her little girl!”

And then Little Penguin had noisily ran past with cake covered flippers as he chased Alicia, and they had exchanged another glance and laughed.

While the kids had fun at the club, back at the Cobblepot mansion, baby Gertie was fast asleep in the nursery. And Oswald had not forgotten his closest staff members – tonight, Jax and Carol and Josh and Selina, along with Ivy, had stopped by. Carol had knitted a soft yellow blanket for the new baby, a gift that Julian very much appreciated, and Josh and Selina had bought a night light that played soft tunes and projected stars about the nursery. Ivy's gift had been intricate, a beautiful mobile to hang over the cot, with glittering leaves and shimmering fairies in shades of every season.

They sat around the fire together as they talked and shared drinks, but once again, Ivy grew silent. Josh had noticed it, but Selina had not as she chatted with Molly about the kids. Tonight their young son had come along to the gathering with them, because he was too young for the party at the club, and Nathan was happy to crawl about on the floor, smiling as he patted Edward, who sat there, content to be the centre of attention as he rested on the soft rug.

Josh had caught Ivy's eye and she had looked away, realising he had seen that look of worry as she had drifted off into her own thoughts, and then she got up from her seat and knelt on the floor, watching the baby as he happily crawled about the rug. Ivy had done a good job of avoiding his question for a while now, and still Josh didn't know what was troubling her. But now was not the time to ask, because this was happy gathering at Oswald's house, and they planned to see the New Year in together.

Then Oswald's phone had rung, and he answered it right away.

“Hi Oswald,” said Ed Nygma, “I just wanted to thank you, it's the best gift I could have wished for – my old job back.”

“I'm sure you won't let me down,” Oswald said fondly as he sat in his favourite chair with a drink in his hand, “I'm told the new governor of Arkham has been approved by the entire city council - Julian checked through his record and told me the council have made a good choice. As have I, giving you back the job of handling the press on my behalf. It certainly frees up time for Jax and Josh who have far more important things to be doing.”

“It means a lot to get away from Arkham. Thank you, Oswald.”

“I hear you're back with Lee?” Oswald enquired.

“Yes,” Ed breathed an audible sigh of relief, “We spent Christmas together and its not perfect yet but I'm working on it.”

“That's good to know. Keep working on it, Ed. Your family comes first, remember that.”

“I'll never forget that. Happy New Year, Oswald.”

“The same to you, my dear friend,” he replied, and then he ended the call.

Molly smiled as she looked at her Ozzie, feeling glad he had decided to give Ed his old job back at last. It seemed he had finally decided Ed had been punished enough for his mistakes, now he was once again working for the underworld, handling the press for Oswald again.

“I think Ed will do well,” he concluded.

“Here's to a peaceful and successful new year!” said Jax, raising his glass.

As the evening went on, Cain briefly joined them, stayed for a couple of drinks and then said he was having an early night. Everyone understood, he was still grieving and right now for Cain, it felt as if life had just stopped without Ronnie. When Gertie cried a short while later, Molly went upstairs to her while Julian sat with Oswald on the sofa, enjoying the company of their guests. After she settled the baby she looked in on Cain, and found her eldest son sleeping deeply, and she turned out the light and closed the door softly, hoping this coming new year would see better times for him.

Downstairs, music was playing softly. Before she had left the room, Jax and Carol had been standing by the tree, slow dancing together. Josh and Selina had been sitting close and talking softly. As Molly walked towards the stairs to go back down, Oswald came up.

“Cain's sleeping,” she told him quietly as she joined him, “I think to expect him to be happy at this time of year is too much to hope for after losing Ronnie.”

Oswald nodded, sadness shading his gaze.

“I plan to speak to him about loss, about how I felt after losing Mother. I don't know if it will help. He's so hard to get through to these days.”

“Maybe you should talk to him about Rebecca, too,” she suggested, “Different kind of loss I know, but it could help, learning to live without her.”

“I haven't.” Oswald said quietly.

He looked away, as Molly looked intently at him. There was something about the way he had just said that, it suggested, maybe there was something she didn't know.

“You haven't what, Ozzie? Got used to her loss, or...”

There it was, she saw it in his eyes as he looked at her:

There was something she didn't know...

“Ozzie, what's going on? Tell me!”

Oswald briefly closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before looking to his wife once more.

“She's never been gone,” he said, and then he turned away and began to limp towards the stairs as Molly hurried to catch up with him.

“What do you mean?” she demanded.

“She's never been far from me,” Oswald replied, and then he made his way stiffly down the stairs as Molly went with him, then walked down the hallway, towards the open door of the front room where the lights were shining on the tree and Ivy was laughing as she played with baby Nathan on the carpet as Edward sat on the rug nearby, close to the warmth of the glowing fire. Carol and Jax were embracing as they slow danced by the window, Josh and Selina were off the couch now, Josh was pouring his wife a drink as they spoke together and Josh said something funny and Selina laughed. And Oswald had turned towards that doorway as he stood there with Molly as he blinked away tears.

“Ozzie?” she said again.

He met her gaze once more.

“I planned to leave when the city fell all those years ago,” he said as his voice trembled, “But I changed my mind, even after having Ed build the submarine, I changed my mind and decided to stay - but I didn't just stay to fight for the city, Molly - I stayed to fight beside my daughter.”

Molly stared at him.

“Rebecca fought for the city?”

He nodded, then he gave a shrug as he thought on the hopelessness of the situation.

“But too much had happened over the years for me to tell Rebecca I was her father, but I'd known since the city fell, I knew Rebecca's name had been changed when she was two years old and as soon as I realised who she was, I wasn't going to leave her in a city that had fallen to burn. I decided to stay and fight her fight, and if we fell, we would fall together. She just didn't know it! She's never known...” he had turned his head towards the front room, speaking softly as he looked inside.

“She only ever came and went from my life, never knowing I was her Dad.”

He looked back at Molly as he blinked away tears.

“She came and went over the years, jut as she pleased. Just like a...cat.”

Molly's jaw dropped.

“Selina is Rebecca?”

Oswald placed a hand on her shoulder as his tone edged with panic.

“And she must never know! There was too much rivalry and bad choices made back in those days... she tried to betray me, revenge for Tabitha's murder!”

“Tabby killed your mother – her grandmother – and she doesn't know!”

“Exactly!”

Molly thought fast.

“No, Ozzie, you have to tell her! She needs to know the truth! And you deserve to know your daughter as a father! All of that, everything that happened, it's been and gone – what matters is here and now! For fucks sake, tell her the truth!”

There was a brief look of panic in Oswald's eyes.
"I can't!”

“Then I will!”

“Someone has to do it!”

They turned to see Julian standing there. He had just been to the kitchen to make up a feed for Gertie, and he had just heard everything.

“I can't do this!” Oswald protested.

“You should,” Molly said softly as she placed a hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes, “All these years you've missed her – and she's never known the truth! Tell her, Oswald!”

“We'll come with you,” added Julian.

Oswald looked to the two people he loved most in this word, and took a deep breath.

“This could end badly.”

”It won't,” Molly promised him, “It won't, Ozzie!”

Oswald still had his doubts, but now he was walking into the room with Molly and Julian, whose optimism gave him strength to see this through.

“I need to talk to you, Selina, it's a private matter,” he said.

Jax exchanged a glance with Carol.

“Let's go through to the kitchen, I'm rather hungry!” he said with a polite smile, and understanding this was a private conversation, as he and Carol left the room. Ivy got up from the rug, with baby Nathan in her arms.

“I think I know what this is about.”

Josh saw guilt in her eyes.

“The note in the back of the doll... there were parts I left out, I'm sorry I didn't know how best to handle this... I'll wait with Jax and Carol.”

She walked out of the room as Josh looked to Oswald in confusion.

“What does that doll have to do with us?” he asked.

Oswald gave a heavy sigh.

“Janine Inka had it made as a life like replica of her young daughter, the child she was separated from many years ago – my daughter, Rebecca. Inka was a monster, never believe Rebecca was conceived out of love – she was conceived out of Inka's selfishness after she drugged me. I was a young man, inexperienced... she used me.”

Josh was speechless as Oswald went on and Selina stared at him, wondering why this involved her.

“The authorities lied to me to gain my compliance in Inka's capture,” he said, “And I loved my daughter, I need you to understand that, Selina! I loved her and I wanted to raise her, but they took her from me fearing if Janine Inka ever escaped, both our lives would be in danger. But I found out where she was after Gotham fell. I accessed old records and I found out my daughter Rebecca was still in the city. She had been placed in an orphanage but ran away at the age of ten and became a street kid... and her name was Selina Kyle.”

Silence.

Selina stared at him, then tears filled her eyes.

She gave a gasp.

“No, oh no, this isn't happening!” she said with a sob, and she ran from the room.

Josh looked sharply at Oswald. He had so many questions, and not all of them about why Oswald had kept this secret for so long... He hurried out of the room after his wife, who was in the hallway sobbing.

“You should go to her and talk,” Julian said.

Molly nodded.

“Yes, talk to her, explain everything again if you have to,” she urged.

“But so much happened years ago – she once betrayed me! She didn't know Gertrud was her grandmother, she sided with Tabitha!”

“That's in the past, Ozzie. Talk to her!” Molly urged again.

Oswald limped off towards the hallway, where Selina was weeping as Josh tried to comfort her.

Selina was still sobbing as Josh held her. As he saw Oswald had joined them, he drew back as she turned around and looked at him with tears still welling up in her eyes.

“My mother was that... that thing that killed Ronnie?”

“She was not a monster when you were born, that came later, after she made the mistake of using herself for experimentation,” Oswald said as he limped closer, “There is nothing of your mother in you Selina! You're a good person, a wonderful mother and you have a beautiful family.”

“But I... I betrayed you over Tabby's death! Oh god... Tabby killed my grandmother?”

She gave another sob. Oswald stepped closer and suddenly, he didn't need to hesitate as he put his arms around her and hugged her.

“No, don't.” Selina wept.

”I love you,” Oswald said as tears ran down his face and he carried on holding his weeping daughter, “I love you so much and I'm so proud of you! I wrote so many letters to you and I burned them every time because I feared you would be devastated to know the truth! But the past doesn't matter, you're still my little girl!”

As Selina drew back, she was still hugging him, and as she looked into his eyes, something dawned on her.

“You were planning to leave in the old days... in the sub. But you stayed to fight instead...”

Oswald smiled through his tears as pride shone in his gaze.

“I chose to stay to fight for this city alongside my daughter!”

“Oh, Oswald, all the things I did back then, wanting revenge over Tabby... how could I have done that?”

“You were very young,” Oswald reminded her, “and you didn't know the facts, Selina. All of that is in the past. I have never stopped loving you and I never will. I've missed you all these years, missed you being where you should be - as a part of this family!”

They looked at each other. Selina started to smile.

“It's just dawned on me that all my life I thought I had no family, but I actually have a very big family!”

“Yes you do!” Oswald said joyfully.

Selina laughed through her tears.

“Your kids, Cain and Felix, Luna, Lucy...and Penguin Cobblepot...And Little Penguin with his cute flippers! I love that kid so much, he eats too much and he farts too much but he's adorable!”

“And he's family too,” Oswald reminded her with a smile.

She laughed as she hugged him again.

“Oswald..” she drew back, “As strange as this sounds, it doesn't feel weird to call you Dad!”

As he hugged her again, Molly and Julian exchanged a glance and a smile as Julian put his arm around Molly. They walked back into the front room together leaving Selina and Oswald to their reunion.

In the hallway, as Josh stood back watching Oswald hug Selina, he guessed it would take a while to get used to his wife calling his boss Dad. Then he started to smile.

“Now I know why you came over each time our kids were born, you wanted to hold your grandchildren.”

Oswald smiled warmly.

“And I cherished every moment, Josh.”

But there was a question Josh needed to ask now he knew the facts, and it really couldn't wait...

“Oswald, I need to know something,” he said, “It's important.”

Oswald turned from Selina.

“You have my attention, Josh.”

He didn't hold back, asking the question directly, because he needed to know the answer, urgently.

“When you gave me this job, did it have anything to do with me being with your daughter?”

“No, it did not,” Oswald replied honestly, “I know the qualities I require in a General and you were perfect for the job. As for all the questions I asked before giving you the job and the house and the salary that went with it, when I asked about your future intentions for Selina, understand those are standard questions I ask of all future employees who have a partner, as I like to encourage committed relationships and, if future plans seem to allow for it, I try and encourage marriage and family values too. I speak this way to all my staff equally. But it is a happy coincidence that you were perfect for the job, and perfect for my daughter. If there's anything else you would like to know, please go ahead and ask. You are also family to me.”

Josh smiled.

“You just answered everything I'll ever need to know, Oswald, “ he said.

Selina was still thinking about how she had gone from having no family to now coming from a large one, and as the front door opened and the children ran in after the party, as Selina looked at them, it felt like the best gift ever.

“My family!” she said as tears of joy filled her eyes, and as the kids ran in, she held out her arms and caught Little Penguin, who laughed saying Up, Up! As she lifted him into her arms, and then he belched loudly.

“Party food was good!” he said excitedly.

“Josh...”

On hearing her voice, Josh turned away from Selina and Oswald and the kids to see Ivy standing close by. He walked over to her, seeing worry set in her gaze.

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you. There was so much more I found in that note hidden inside the doll. Inka told Rebecca her name had been changed to Selina Kyle, and she said she wanted to find her again...”

“Do you still have the note?” asked Selina as she joined them, carrying Little Penguin who leaned over her shoulder, waving a small flipper at Maria who had followed him over.

“Yes I do,” said Ivy.

“I don't want to read it. I want nothing from her, I want you to destroy it,” she replied, and then she smiled, “Oswald's my Dad. And I'm actually really happy about that!”

She laughed and then turned away, looking down at Maria.

”Go and give your Grandpa a hug!”

Maria looked up at her in confusion.

“I don't have a grandpa.”

“Yes you do, Oswald is your Grandpa!”

“I never knew that!” she said in surprise, and then Maria ran to Oswald and gave him a hug as his eyes shone with joy.

As Ivy took baby Nathan back to the front room, Molly and Julian walked hand in hand close behind, joining them just as Jax and Carol came back from the kitchen, and now Jax had placed a huge plate of sandwiches on the table.

“Did we miss much?” he asked as he reached for another sandwich.

”Yes, you did,” Molly replied, and then she and Julian sat down with the Sterlings and explained everything.

A short while later, Oswald returned to the room with Selina, and Little Penguin and Maria hurried after them.

“I have just solved a mystery,” Selina announced, looking to her daughter, “Tell Daddy want the mean boy at school said.”

“The one Little Penguin slapped?” asked Josh.

“Penguin hit him hard with flipper!” confirmed Little Penguin.

Maria looked to her parents, and then Oswald, who now stood beside them.

“The mean boy was calling me ugly, and he called me beaky bird.”

Josh looked at his daughter in confusion.

”I don't understand why he would call you that, Maria!”

Selina giggled. Now so much made sense...

“Turn to the side, Maria!” she said, and as Maria turned, Josh noticed it, for the first time ever: It was was very sight, just a hint of it, but from the side, Maria definitely had a small point on the end of her nose, a little of the Cobblepot genes, and that was why the boy at school had picked on her, and Little Penguin had slapped him for it...

“I never saw that before!” Josh exclaimed.

“That's because we didn't look for it!” Selina said as she laughed.

Then Little Penguin grabbed Maria's hand.

“Come and see big Christmas tree, it's bright!” he said with shiny, excited eyes.

They hurried off together as Josh and Selina stood with Oswald, who smiled at his daughter.

“Shall we join the rest of the family, my dear?” he asked, feeling as if the missing piece of his heart had finally fallen into place.

”Let's do that,” Selina agreed, and they walked off together to join Molly and Julian and the rest of the family as the hour approached midnight. It certainly was a New Year to remember, and for Oswald, it was the first year his whole family had been together, with no one missing from his life...

Upstairs, Cain Cobblepot had woken after a deep sleep, he went to the door that led to the balcony and opened it up, not caring about the rush of cold air that hit him sharply as he stood there shirtless and looked out at the dark night sky and thought of Ronnie, far from him, gone from this world...He reached into his pocket, took out a couple of pills that his Uncle Ed had given him a few days back after he had gone to see the Nygma family to wish them merry Christmas.

Ed had not wanted to give them to him, mainly, he said, Because Lee doesn't know I do this shit any more. But all the same, after Cain had asked, Ed had given him the pills, saying it was only to help ease his grief. The same pills Ed used to take to see hallucinations of Oswald after he had shot him back in the bad old days...

Cain swallowed down the pills with water, and as midnight came and in the distance, fireworks exploded in a riot of colour over the night skies that covered Gotham, he looked to the misty form that now stood beside him, Ronnie in a dark suit, with no trace of blood or injury.

“My father said I can carry on helping him run the city,” he said as he looked at her with a spark of manic enthusiasm burning in his eyes, “But I think things have got a little too quiet these days. The city needs to be reminded it has two kings now, and this one wants a return to the old days. The Cobblepots should rule with a fist of iron, rivals should shake and fall to their knees before us, don't you think, Ronnie?”

Ronnie's hallucination smiled as she nodded, seeming to agree completely.

“Remember now you rule with Oswald you are also king,” she said.

Pain and anger at her loss reflected in his gaze as he climbed up on to the edge of the balcony and glanced back at her.

“What good is a king without his queen? I shall be a king without a heart, my heart died the day yours stopped beating!”

“But you are still a king,” the hallucination said.

Cain stood there in dark jeans with his shirt off, thinking on her words as he balanced on the edge of the balcony. Then as fireworks filled the sky again he looked skyward, his words drowned out by the celebrations as the New year began and more colours exploded in the sky.

“I'm the king of Gotham!” he yelled, and then he swayed, mesmerised by the exploding lights in the distant sky as they reflected in his glazed eyes.

“And you will fear me,” he added darkly as he looked to the city skyline, “You will all fear me...”

End

This is the end of Part 8. I hope it was enjoyed.

I will be back with Part 9 of the Irish Angel serial very soon, I have a couple of other fics to write first, but soon, Part 9 will be on the way! Love, Davina X