"In the garden of memory,
In the palace of dreams,
That is where you and I shall meet."
Alice Through The Looking Glass
Oswald woke up with visions of monsters and loss, betrayal and blood, spinning through his head like horses on a merry-go-round. As his vision slowly cleared, his mind adjusted to the new reality. He was not at home. He was not in his warm, soft bed. He was in an abandoned clinic, protected by Fish Mooney and Hugo Strange, with Ruby always closeby. Oswald had tried to speak to the love of his life, but had wound up shot in the belly and dumped into the river like filth.
His fingers traced the bandages on his abdomen.
A gasp resounded. Oswald turned his head.
Ruby stood there, eyes huge and jaw dropped. As Oswald watched, those indigo eyes grew glassy.
Without another word she tackled him in a bear hug, burying her face in his neck.
Oswald laughed. "Easy, easy!" He returned the embrace all too willingly, breathing in her scent of rosemary and lemon. Ruby ignored him completely, holding him as tightly as she could without hurting him. They stayed like that for a while, holding each other and saying nothing. Then, at last, they pulled back. Icy blue met indigo.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ruby cupped Oswald's cheeks and pulled their faces close. She graced his lips with hers, salty and wet with her tears. He kissed her back, placing a hand on her waist.
Two months passed.
Ruby and Oswald returned to their beloved mansion, which they repaired and rebuilt until it was as pristine as an antique's dollhouse. With the help of Firefly, Ivy, and Mr. Freeze, and the kindness that Ruby had once shown them, Gotham's crown once again sat atop Oswald's raven hair. While he initially forgot to repay his minions for their services, Ruby did not. Mr. Freeze disappeared soon afterward, a hundred thousand dollars in his pocket. Ivy and Firefly stayed as Oswald's reinforcers.
Ruby recollected Beryl and offered Mercury a job. Small, but obscure; that way, Oswald's enemies wouldn't take an interest in the young man.
That night, the two celebrated Beryl's return with champagne and a tiny scoop of ice cream for the baby.
It was then that Oswald asked Ruby a question. Four little words that would change three lives.
The two of them were married in secret three weeks later. Everything was done in secret, with a pastor suffering from Alzeimer's so that, given some time, he would forget about the ceremony altogether. Just to be safe, the documents were hidden away and the newspapers were paid to avoid mentioning it.
That night was the most memorable in the newlywed's lives.
Seeing her new husband's shyness, Ruby had offered to wait until he was ready. He, in response, had begun to kiss her. Lost in the throes of passion, they had undone each other's clothing until they were both in a less than modest state. There had been a few seconds' worth of embarressment. Then, they had shared a gentle laugh.
Their lovemaking went on for the rest of the night. It was sweet and tender, yet filled with bliss. They barely slept a wink, barely noticing the ticking clock, until the eastern sky began to lighten.
As they watched the sunrise, wrapped in blankets and each other, Ruby kissed Oswald's temple and said, "I love you."
Oswald replied, "I think...I love you, too."
The years passed.
Clayface Point Two and the Penguin worked as an excellent team, but more often than not operated separately so as to hide their marriage. Their adoptive daughter, Beryl, grew into the school and college princess. With a spotless record and excellent grades, she soon chased after a career in both law and modeling. But above all, her surname was changed to 'Gordon'. In that way, with no legal document tying her to the Cobblepots, Beryl was able to strive on her own merits.
When she eventually graduated, her parents watched from afar. Holding hands gently...
Oswald woked with a gasp. He sat in the dark, blinking like a newborn. It took a few minutes for the fog of sleep to fade, leaving only reality.
Shifting in his empty bed, Oswald consulted the time. 4:15 a.m. He sighed, crashing back in the mound of pillows. It had been twenty years after that fateful day at the docks, and his subconscious still refused to grant him peace. To be entirely honest with himself, Oswald would have preferred to recall what had happened. Ruby's farewell video, and his leaving baby Beryl to be adopted by Jim Gordon, a man he'd known would take care of her. It had all been painful. But better that than have hope dangled in his face.
As much as he wanted to stay asleep, stay in the dream, Oswald knew that he had to face the facts.
Ruby wasn't coming back. She was gone, just like so many other people in Oswald's life. Mother. Father. Edward. All of them gone.
Tears prickled in Oswald's eyes. They slid down his nose and hit the already damp cloth of his pillow.
But as the sorrow grew inside him, he felt something else. A gentle sense of comfort. A warmth beneath his skin.
Sniffling, he looked at the window. There was a faint reflection of himself. And, cuddling near him, Ruby. Twenty years older, but just as kind and sweet as she had ever been. Hugging his middle and stroking his hair.
Oswald cracked a faint smile. Closed his eyes. "Goodnight, Ruby."
Something less than an echo whispered in his ear.
"Goodnight, Oz."