A Gotham Trilogy Book 1 :Unbreakable

Author Note:

This story is AU.

Some aspects therefore will be different to the show and the events recognisable from canon will come from various elements of the TV series. If AU fics are not your thing, you may prefer to read something else – if not, enjoy!

In this tale, Gertrude Cobblepot didn't die – she's very much alive and lives in a mansion (Owned by Oswald, as Gertrude lived, he didn't meet his father at her graveside). In this fic, there is an also an explanation for the reason she is so over protective towards Oswald.

Also in this tale, Ed Nygma did meet Oswald for dinner on that fateful night and Oswald did declare his love – and was turned down by Ed, and went on to kill his girlfriend, for which Ed now wants revenge (But expect some romantic moments between them later on in this fic)!

Also in this fic Penguin is king of Gotham and will stay that way! In this story Penguin will be paired mainly with a female OC, he will also be paired with Ed as the plot progresses.

So there's a bit of background to this AU fic. I hope its enjoyed – after this fic I plan to write more Gotham and build a collection of stories!

Romantic pairings in this story are as follows:

Penguin X OC, Penguin X Ed Nygma

Summary:

When Oswald meets a young woman named Rose who is new in town, he is captivated by her as she seems to be a rarity in grimy, crime ridden Gotham – Rose is sweet and innocent to the evils of the world, and is also, at the age of twenty four, still a virgin. Despite hearing the stories about the dangerous Mr Penguin, Rose begins to meet with him and is soon falling hard and fast for the crime king of Gotham.

When Oswald declares his love for her and announces he wants her as his bride, intending her to be the mother of his child – an heir to his empire, his mother Gertrude, who has done much to make Rose feel unwelcome, is furious. Rose is convinced that Gertrude is just a nasty old dragon, possessive of her only son, resenting his chance at happiness. But Rose is unaware of exactly what she meant when she stated that the Cobblepot family is cursed...

Then Ed Nygma, still seeking revenge for the murder of his girlfriend, decides to cause trouble between Rose and Oswald. But it's a plan he will later come to regret, when tragedy strikes and both sides of his split personality force him to face up to the fact that he does indeed love Oswald.

As the tables unexpectedly turn, Nygma sees a second chance is possible – but at the price of much pain and heartache as he too finds out what the Cobblepot family curse truly means, as Oswald is in a desperate situation, one that will see Ed placed in a position of trust, right at the heart of Oswald's new family. But can a psychopath like Edward Nygma ever really be trusted, or will Oswald pay a terrible price for a decision he made in a time of desperate need?

Warnings : Rated M

Strong language, heavy emotional content, scenes of a sexual and intimate nature, some violence, themes of mortality. This is a dark and passionate and highly emotional roller coaster.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I just love this fandom.

Chapter 1

Introduction : Rose Victoria Cobblepot

'The grimy streets below smog filled skies of Gotham is where this story begins, and will eventually end. My name is Rose Cobblepot – I was Rose Victoria Reynolds when I arrived in Gotham, my Dad had just accepted a partnership in a Gotham Steel company. But my father passed away in a car accident two years later, I was now alone in a city that was spiralling more and more into violent crime every day.

And then I met him. I met Oswald Cobblepot, the man feared and respected on the streets and known as Mr Penguin. He had my heart from the moment he smiled, from the first time he said hello.

Our lives were not easy together, but loving him proved time and again that he was right when he said to me, he used to think he would never love again, but eventually, he realised the only thing worth dying for was love – and it was the only reason to keep living, too.

This is my story. This is the story of me and Oswald, and the story of so much more than life as Penguin's wife – it is the story of everything in my heart that I simply know as being the story of us."

It was a Saturday, and Rose was having a rare night out with a woman named Zoey. She had got to know her through the store she opened after her father's death – money wasn't an issue but she had wanted to do something with her time, so opened up a music store that sold rare and vintage vinyl, and Zoey had applied to work there. The two women had soon become friends. Then she had told her a friend of hers had planned a night out but had to cancel but two places for the exclusive club were still booked, so she was going and she wanted Rose to go with her. She wasn't sure at first because Gotham after nightfall could be a dangerous place, but she assured her all would be fine. Rose also felt apprehensive because she knew they would be visiting the Iceberg Lounge – the club was owned by Oswald Cobblepot, known on the streets as Penguin. Stories had got about, nasty stories about bloodshed and gang warfare and how his climb to the top to be known as king of Gotham was a road drenched in blood...

Now they were at a table in the corner of the club and Zoey was sipping a drink through a straw as she looked at Rose. The two women were total opposites, Zoey with her messy, cascading blonde hair and short, clinging yellow dress and Rose with her red hair flowing sleek to her shoulders. She had worn a simple black dress and small diamond ear rings. She looked pretty but if any guys had looked at her, Rose had not noticed as she sipped from her wine glass, then glanced down at the table.

"You don't get out enough," Zoey said.

Finally, Rose looked up and met her gaze across the small table.

"Not at night, not in this city."

Zoey looked about the room, then back at Rose as her eyes sparkled.

"I wonder if Penguin's in the club tonight?"

The mention of his name made her tense as Rose recalled all she had heard about his reputation.

"Let's hope not..." she turned her head, looking to the giant iceberg that ran from floor to ceiling in the middle of the club, "He used to keep a friend of his in there?"

The berg was cracked and had partially crumbled away, now it shone empty and clear and was still an interesting focal point without a frozen man inside it.

"Apparently he was frozen at his own request, or so I heard... I'm not sure when they defrosted him... I know Penguin has a reputation, Rose – but he used to be mayor of Gotham, he can't be as bad as they say!"

"I'd rather not find out," she replied, "I don't know much about him – but I know what I've heard. I've seen his picture in the paper when he was mayor, but there's obviously some truth to the stories about his dark side..."

"If it was true," Zoey said as she paused to finish her drink, "He would be in Blackgate prison, not free to live in Gotham and run this club! He probably does have underworld links, he's wealthy and successful and mixes with a lot of people, and we all know how most of the successful people make their money in Gotham!"

"I'm sure I read in the news that he spent some time in Arkham Asylum," Rose added, "That doesn't exactly make me feel comfortable about running into the guy."

Zoey held her glass in her manicured hand, turning it on the smooth surface of the table as she paused for thought.

"Well, there's plenty of guys in here who are not Penguin. I keep hoping you'll meet someone, get yourself a nice Gotham man and settle down. You spend too much time alone."

Rose gave a sigh. This was, by now, an old discussion and one that Zoey would never win.

"I've dated a few guys," Rose replied, "There's been a couple of almost serious relationships. I just haven't met the right man yet."

"I just don't want you to wind up old and lonely."

Rose laughed, a sparkle came to her dark brown eyes as her mood instantly lifted.

"I've got plenty of time!" she reminded her.

"And we need more drinks," Zoey replied, then she got up and made her way through the busy club towards the bar, leaving Rose alone at the table.

He had been watching her from across the room. Oswald had been standing at the end of the bar, slightly apart from the crowd as his mother had insisted she wanted to sing on stage that night.

"Not tonight, mother," Oswald said with an apologetic smile, "There's no live entertainment – I'd need the very best crowd in to appreciate your wonderful voice, on live music night."

"Oh Oswald, of course it makes perfect sense, my clever son! You are so thoughtful!" Gertrude declared, then flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

Oswald felt slightly embarrassed as she clung to him, tonight his mother was wearing a long, slightly faded gown that still sparkled and reminded her of happy times in her youth. She was over protective and always overflowing with love for him, not caring who was looking when she fussed over him, but she was the only one who had loved and cared for him, and she was his rock, even if that rock was irritating and a little overbearing.

As he let go of her, she smiled proudly at him and he smiled back, then his gaze strayed away from her as he turned his head, looking to a table on the other side of the room where a young woman sat alone. Her hair was dark red, her skin pale and flawless as porcelain, her bone structure delicate. Her black dress clung to and covered most of her slender body, and that face was familiar, too... he had heard of her through news of her father's death – this was Rose Reynolds, her father had been a partner in a big Gotham steel company.

"Oswald!" his mother scolded, patting the sleeve of his dark suit as he looked across the room, "Take your eyes off that cheap floozy! That one would be nothing but trouble!"

He looked back at her, Gertrude's eyes were wide with concern and sincerity. She meant well even if she sounded clinging and possessive to anyone who might have overheard, who didn't know their story...

"No, that's Rose Reynolds, her late father owned half of Gotham Steelworks until his death. I heard the company was in trouble... I'll just go over there and speak to her about it..."

"Oswald!" he heard his mother protest, but he was already heading away towards Rose with a gleam in his eyes and a crafty smile on his face as he leaned heavily on his cane, his sights set on the woman who had captured his attention.

Rose was looking to the bar, where the crowd was thicker and Zoey had blended in with it.

"Excuse me, Miss Reynolds, may I sit down and join you for a moment?"

The man who had asked that question had a voice that was a mix of husky and melodic and she turned her head and looked up to see him standing beside her table, he wasn't very tall but his suit was immaculate and made of the finest fabric. He looked handsome and even the way he leaned on that cane with a silver penguin on its handle to take the weight off an ankle that was either damaged or deformed took nothing away from the charm he gave off. His black hair was spiked and there was a sparkle in his eyes as he smiled warmly.

"Hello!" he said brightly.

She stared at him. This was Penguin? He seemed so different to the images she had seen in the news back when he was mayor. He was so warm, different in person, so...nice?

He stood there looking hopefully at her, still with a sparkle in his eyes and a smile on his face as he waited, almost child like, for her permission to sit.

"Hello Mr Cobblepot," she replied, and gestured to the empty seat.

He sat down eagerly and then rested his cane against the chair and looked at her with interest.

"Firstly, I want to say I'm sorry to hear of your father's death. My condolences, Miss Reynolds. I also hear the steelworks are once again sliding into financial difficulty. It seems such a fine businessman is hard to replace. If the company closes a lot of people will lose their jobs, too."

Sadness briefly shaded her gaze as she nodded in agreement.

"The company was in trouble when he joined the partnership but he turned it around. Since his death I've heard it's in decline. It's sad, something he had such passion for is falling apart. I had no plans to follow him into the business, so I sold out after his death – but only to build my future. I wouldn't have done it if I'd have known what was to come. I still think about that, but I wouldn't know how to do my father's job."

Understanding shone in his eyes as he reached over and patted her hand, then drew back quickly.

"Not your fault," he assured her, "We can't see into the future, Miss Reynolds. But you never know, perhaps someone will come along and invest in the company and all will be well."

He smiled.

She looked at him in surprise.

"You're a very optimistic man, Mr Cobblepot!"

"Thank you," he replied warmly, "I try to be, it's not easy in this dark world, but I certainly try... and please, call me Oswald... May I call you Rose?"

She nodded, then noticed that someone was hovering by the table, as she caught sight of lilac fabric that shimmered under the lights, Rose looked up to see an older woman standing beside Penguin, her hair was long and a mix of faded blonde and grey. Her eyes were wide and expressive and it was clear that once, many years ago, she had been a beauty. But she shot her an icy glare then looked to Penguin.

"Has this conversation about the steelworks concluded?" she asked in broken English.

Penguin tensed beneath his veneer of smiles and charm as he held his temper in check.

"Not yet," he replied, "Mother, meet Rose Reynolds, Rose, meet my mother, Mrs Gertrude Cobblepot."

"Kapelput!" she corrected in annoyance.

"Nice to meet you..." Rose stopped speaking, silenced by an icy glare from Gertrude.

Oswald felt the chill in the air as sure as if they had been sitting right beside Ed Nygma's former frozen trap that now sat cracked and decidedly empty without Ed, but he didn't want to think about him, not at this moment. Meeting Rose had felt as if a new doorway had suddenly opened up. He wasn't quite sure which aspect of her appearance had drawn him so sharply, but looking into her eyes, he saw something rare for one who resided in Gotham:

No malice. There was not a trace of it about her, no matter how long he looked into her eyes, he saw no evil or hatred or greed or corruption. She was different, and that fascinated him.

They talked some more. Zoey headed back towards the table, but by now Rose could only glance over to see her approach with a look of surprise on her face, then as she stood there and Rose introduced her, Oswald turned in his seat and looked sharply at her as he spoke quickly, dismissing her.

"Zoey... nice to meet you. I'm sorry but we're busy right now and there are no more chairs."

Zoey looked to Rose, then smiled, guessing maybe Penguin really liked her a lot and didn't need anyone cutting into the conversation at this moment. For the sake of Rose actually having the chance to get to know a powerful man like Penguin, she was willing to brush off his abrupt attitude.

"See you later," she said, throwing Rose a look that said a silent good luck, then she turned away and headed over to the other side of the room to mix with the crowd.

Rose didn't see her friend for the rest of the night, apart from when she came over to let her know she was leaving. By now it was two am and the club was closing.

"Don't worry about my taxi," Rose told her, "Oswald's calling me a cab later."

"Bye, Zoey!" Oswald had added brightly, the sparkle in his eyes brightening even more as he realised her friend was leaving.

Then as she waked away, Oswald turned his attention back to Rose, becoming lost in conversation as the club grew empty and his mother, who had long since left the table, watched from the bar with a disapproving eye.

It was almost three am before Rose left the club, after Oswald had bid her a fond farewell then cautiously and briefly extended his hand, grasping hers as their eyes met, and feeling a sense of victory as she accepted his offer of meeting for lunch on Friday. Rose went home in a taxi, alone, without as much as a kiss goodnight from the man known as Penguin, but her opinion of him had certainly changed – he was warm, charming, and if she was honest about it, his shy awkwardness was adoringly cute. She wasn't thinking of lunch as a date. But she was looking forward to it, and having inhaled the scent of his cologne as he escorted her to a waiting taxi, she had briefly wondered what it would be like to kiss him. She went home happy, but tired, deciding she had much to tell Zoey about the next day.

Oswald had gone home in a very different mood, his mind filled with plans and his body buzzing with feelings that were too damned good to waste and forget about despite the way his mother had complained all the way back to the Cobblepot mansion, as she constantly criticised his decision to spend hours talking to that Reynolds woman.

By the time they were home and the door was closed and Oswald headed for the stairway, his mother had taken off her coat, then said his name sharply.

He stopped, his hand on the stair rail as he turned his head.

"What now?" he asked, as further down the hall the grandfather clock ticked away time and the old wood and the antique furniture gave off the scent of age and faded grandeur and the kind of class that only his success could have bought, she was looking back at him like his gesture of such a fine house, such a fine home for her to place all her dusty memories, meant nothing at all.

"You should not see that woman again!"

She was walking towards him. He gave a tired sigh as he turned from the stairs, meeting her face to face as her wide eyes regarded him with concern.

"Oswald, please do not look at me like that!" she said, sounding hurt, "You know there would be no point in pursuing this! I can tell you like her, but at what price for you both? Have you forgotten everything that has gone before?" she blinked away tears as she touched his face, "My strong and handsome son, think of the curse on our family!"

He pulled back, freeing himself from a touch that felt stifling and she drew back her hand quickly, seeing hurt in her son's eyes.

"I was always there for you, Oswald," she reminded him, "No one could understand the way I do, no one has shared our pain-"

"Mother, I prefer to think of those days as in the past," he replied, "And so should you."

"But it can never be in the past, it is with you now, it is in your future!"

"It's getting very late," he replied, "I'm off to bed. Please try and get some rest and stop this needless worrying!"

He kissed her cheek and then turned away, leaning harder on his cane as he quickened his pace, keen to reach his bedroom, close the door and lock it. For Oswald, the night was not over yet – Rose Reynolds had lit a fire in him that needed tending to, and while it was too soon to look to Rose for relief, he knew someone who could help, who was just a phone call away...

Now Oswald was on top of the covers of his grand four poster bed, his door was locked and his shoes were off, he was resting his aching, damaged ankle and it was sheer relief to finally lie down. He had taken off his jacket and waist coat, opened up his shirt and as he tugged on his zip and breathed a sigh of relief to feel more comfortable now his hardness had no restriction, he reached down with one hand as he held his phone in the other. It rang briefly and then she answered, her name was Tiffany, she was a call girl, and after being so enamoured by Rose Reynolds, he needed to hear a few words from the talented hooker.

"Penguin!" she said softly down the phone, "What can I do for you tonight?"

He was breathless as he stroked at his aching hardness.

"No questions," he whispered, "Just be filthy. Talk like the whore that you are..."

She laughed softly then she started to speak as he breathed heavily, focussing on her words that would tip him over the edge as he lost himself in the forbidden zone of ladies of the night - and not daring to think about the humiliation he would face if his secret ever became known to those closest to him. It was an escape, and one he had long relied on, it took him away from the memories of his pain at Ed Nygma's rejection.

Rose had lit the fire inside him once more, and he tried to picture her as he breathed harder and headed for the point of no return, but it was the hooker's filthy words that did that job, as he caught his breath and felt a rush shoot through his body as his excitement peaked. Moments later he was perspiring heavily and still breathless as he once again found the gentlemanly tone that was a million miles away from the pornographic conversation that had just come to a good, but messy conclusion.

"Thank you so much, Tiffany. Now I shall bid you goodnight, I am exhausted."

"Goodnight, Penguin, it's always a pleasure."

He ended the call and grabbed a tissue and hastily cleaned himself up, then he laid back, breathing a heavy sigh as he closed his eyes, welcoming the beckon of sleep as thoughts of Rose and a rather clever plan to win her over flickered through his mind, then Gotham's crime king gave into his tiredness and slept deeply, all plans resting with him, at the back of his mind, ready to put into action come morning...