Ice Cold Angel

Summary:

Au fic. A year after Gotham burned, life is hard, especially for Ed whose lover Oswald was wounded in battle and spent the next six months in a coma, as distraught Ed gave up all hope. In his despair, he turned to Doctor Lee Thompkins. Now they live together, Lee struggles in an understaffed hospital as Ed sells illegal drugs to earn cash. Lee fears for drug dealing Ed's safety, but five months into his recovery, Oswald and Lee comfort to each other as feelings deepen. But with long term patients being shipped off to overcrowded Arkham where conditions are horrific, Lee is desperate to find Oswald a place to stay.

Then Lee bumps into Barbara Kean and persuades her to help. At first, living with Barbara is hard. Oswald, overcoming a head injury, feels all alone. But then she sees Oswald in a new light, as love blossoms between them and Barbara discovers Oswald can be a very dominant man. She has faith his plans to become mayor again, and to rebuild Gotham... Until she realises Lee and Oswald are having an affair. Then Barbara guns down Ed, to punish Lee. Will Barbara get away with attempted murder, or will that squeeze of the trigger cost her everything - including Oswald?

Chapter 1

Introduction: The Shooting

How had it come to this?

As Barbara Kean sat before her mirror and tied a silk scarf loosely around her neck, she pulled it up, adjusted it, then lowered it again:

Perfect. She couldn't let him see her face, because he knew her.

She zipped up her high heeled boots, then she turned back to the mirror and looked into her own eyes. She didn't hate herself for doing this, but she did feel a brief flicker of guilt. Barbara dismissed it at once, mentally running through all the reasons she felt justified her actions:

I'd be shooting anyone SHE loved, because SHE dared to put her hands on my Oswald...

No, she cancelled that thought:

It was more than laying hands on him. She had watched them together, seen him taking her so hard on the sofa his damaged leg couldn't cope, so they'd ripped a cushion from the seat and done it on the floor. She had come saying his name loudly as he looked right into her eyes, and they had kissed with such need, such hunger for each other...

Barbara had known she was torturing herself by spying on them. But what was she supposed to do after finding those messages on his phone? It was so specific, and she knew him well enough to know that he didn't say those certain things unless it was serious. For Oswald to get involved with anyone, it had to be romantic. It had to be love.

She really had no idea how long Lee had been seeing him in this way, but Barbara didn't blame Oswald. Not her dear sweet man, the one who had convinced her he was not like other men, the one she had believed in and taken a chance on love with, he was her last chance, that was the way she saw it – so much had happened to change her perspective on life, and the perspective of her own heart.

Obviously, she blamed Lee. She could have said no. She could have pushed him away. Barbara knew she could never hold anger in her heart when she thought of Oswald - and this was why she was going to shoot Lee's boyfriend...

As those thoughts played through her mind, she calmly loaded a gun, then she looked into the mirror again, wondered if she saw madness in her eyes and then concluded she didn't care if she was insane. It all made perfect sense to her:

Ed Nygma was dealing drugs down by the river. It was dangerous. She was doing him a favour by shooting him, a few bullet holes might put him off risking his life again. She wasn't planning to kill him. But she would fuck him up. He would take a long time to get over it. Then Lee would be busy looking after him. She would have no more time for Oswald...

It felt like a perfect plan. Barbara felt strangely devoid of emotion as she checked the gun again. The radio was on and as she listened to the words it struck her as quite fitting:

'I can easily understand, How you could easily take my man,
But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene...'

Barbara holstered the weapon and got up. She put on a long coat that almost touched the floor, then an elegant, wide brimmed hat that she pulled low to her eyes. The radio hissed static and the music played on as the checked her appearance in the mirror: He wouldn't know her. This woman with the concealed face would be the last thing he saw before the bullets shattered his body. Ed wouldn't be going home to Lee tonight... But she had no other choice. She could see no other way.

'...You could have your choice of men, But I could never love again
He's the only one for me, Jolene...'

The static hissed and crackled and carried on crackling. Barbara turned off the radio, grabbed her car keys and paused to allow her gaze to linger on the bed she shared with Oswald. The sheets were silken, the pillows were soft and in that moment, she thought again how the very last person she ever would have imagined mattering to her had turned out to be the love of her life. He was there all the long, she just hadn't known it. And now she would do anything to keep him, anything...

She took a drive down to the river, it was a lengthy journey, a detour to avoid debris from burned out buildings that were yet to be cleared away. When Oswald was re-elected mayor of Gotham, he would soon achieve his dream and see this place not only restored, but it would be better and bigger than before... he had such vision! She pushed thoughts of her fiancée aside as she parked the car beneath the shadow of a bridge, then she took a lonely path towards a market where crowds were gathered. Here it was easy to blend in as she pulled up the scarf and headed for the old building where two armed men stood at the door.

They thought she was just another customer. It was always quiet this time of day, she knew this. She knew everything about how to carry this out, because she had been careful. She knew there was back way out of here, too...

"Good afternoon!" Ed said brightly as he sat at a table with a lamp on to banish the gloom, "What's your pleasure?"

He made a sweeping gesture to the array of pills on the table. She avoided his gaze. She couldn't look him in the eye. This was harder than she expected it to be. Barbara knew she was a fine shot and those bullets needed to be precise if she wanted to avoid killing him, but that was going to be difficult without looking at her target. Ed had done nothing to deserve this and she had surprised herself at feeling such guilt. Maybe love had softened her too much. Oh well, she would have to aim and hope for the best. Maybe one of those shots would be fatal, but it was too late to back out now...

"You don't have to be shy," Ed said warmly, "Is it your first time? Just tell me what you want – if I don't have it, I'm sure I can get it for you."

She was still looking down at the table.

Ed leaned back in his seat, the light caught on his green suit as he began to slide a hand beneath the table, reaching for a concealed weapon. He had seen the heels, he was guessing this was probably a lady... a lady who either wouldn't look a dealer in the eye because it was her first time, or she was a hired gun sent by a rival dealer... His hand was a fraction away from the weapon under the table, but he knew he could be wrong and he didn't want to lose a customer.

"I don't have all day...lady? Do you want to buy something or not?"

She raised her head a fraction. She saw his hand move beneath the table, then she pulled her gun from her coat and aimed steady, squeezing the trigger as she fired off round after round, with her head turned away. The first shot hit his shoulder and jerked him back, the second punched through his chest, throwing him from the chair. Two more shots hit him in the stomach. The fifth hit him in the shoulder again as he rolled.

The door burst open and she was turned to face the two armed men and ready for it, firing off first, hitting them both in the chest. Then she shoved the gun back in its holster, dashed a gloved hand across the table, scattering the pills over the man on the floor. His green suit was full of holes. She went around to the other side of the table, reached beneath it and grabbed his stash of pills tied in a bag, then she was about to head for the back way out and she heard him take a weak breath.

"Please... Let me live... Please!" he gasped, then he coughed.

Ed was on his front, barely able to raise his head. Those bullets had not hit as safely as she hoped, her head had been turned away. She doubted he would live for much longer. He was the only innocent party in this mess...

"Sorry," she whispered.

Then she pushed open a rusted metal door, went down the fire escape and crossed a yard to an alley. Coming out the other side, she was close to the river. She dumped the coat and hat and tossed the gun into the water, then she ripped open the bag of pills and watched as they hit the river with a splash and began to float on the choppy surface. Then she dashed for the way back to the car, avoiding the crowds.

At first, the car wouldn't start and she thumped the wheel in panic, glancing around, fearing witnesses, because that would mean more people to kill. Seeing no one, she tried the car again. The engine fired into life and she drove away as in the distance, she heard squad cars approaching. She didn't know if Ed was still alive. It was unlike her to cry at a time like this, but tears stung at her eyes. She blinked them away, kept her gaze on the road ahead and drove on, heading back home, where she would have to pretend nothing was wrong if she wanted to get away with this.

"I did it for you, Oswald..." she whispered, "You can forget her now. No more Lee. Just you and me and our future..."

As she headed for home, she briefly wondered if she was insane. This was supposed to be a new start – the new Barbara Kean. The thought almost made her laugh – she had certainly changed a lot, but perhaps it was impossible to go through life without getting more blood on her hands...

She started to smile as she neared home. She was practising for later when Oswald arrived. He wouldn't know about the shooting yet. She would greet him with a smile and fix him a drink and he would never know she was the one who put five bullets in Ed. But at least Lee would have too much to worry about to bother with Oswald now... Barbara's smile had just got bigger. She was sure she would get away with it...In that moment, she felt unstoppable.

Six months before the shooting:

One year on from the troubles that had seen the city of Gotham devastated, the view from the window of Ed's apartment looked grim with its view of a half devastated city torn apart by war. Even now trouble still stirred up on a regular basis, certain areas were off limits, there were shootings, bombings... the bridges were yet to be rebuilt. Boats had trouble bringing in supplies from the mainland sometimes. Life was hard, it was harder than ever before... Ed's gaze was fixed on the view of the city as he recalled how things used to be. Then he thought of Oswald and how he had taken a bullet on the day the bridges had fallen. Then the woman who had saved the life of the man he loved put a hand on his shoulder and he turned away from the ruined city with his morning coffee in his hand.

"I hate what you do," Lee said softly as she met his gaze, "Every time you go out there I wonder if you're coming home again."

Ed flashed a smile as a hint of Riddler shone in his gaze. These days he was thankful of his other personality, it helped him cope with living in the hell this city had become.

"You like the money it brings in," he reminded her, and for a brief moment she had no answer to that statement.

"I still hate what you do, Ed! It's drugs! You're dealing drugs and I've lost count of how many drug related shootings there have been in the past month alone!"

Ed finished his coffee and brushed off her concerns.

"I manufacture and sell hallucinogenics... they're not even heavy pills, I'm not getting in the way of anyone else in the same business!"

Lee felt her heart sink. Oh god, he was calling it a business now...

She fell silent, thinking back to how this situation had come about. It had never been an ambition to end up in a war torn city living with a drug dealer. But war had changed everything. Back then, he had been with Oswald, and loved him deeply. After Oswald had taken a bullet to the head, Ed had begged her to save him, then after the surgery, to keep him alive. Medical supplies and facilities were stretched to the limit, the hospital was under staffed and that situation had not changed in the past eleven months. But she had used her influence and position to keep Oswald at the hospital, nursing him through a six month coma.

In the time that passed, she had seen Ed broken as he wept at Oswald's bedside. He had turned to her for support. They were both lonely. She couldn't promise Oswald would ever wake up. They both felt guilty about the situation now they were together. Oswald had woken up just over six months after the shooting. Five months into his recovery, he was doing well. He was still regaining his strength, his damaged leg was weak and gave him trouble and he was prone to painful headaches. His speech faltered slightly, too – but that was improving.

He could make a full recovery – if she could keep him out of Arkham, that was where they sent long term patients when they were no longer weak enough to stay at the hospital. Lee had heard horror stories about the filth and overcrowding and sick people being mixed with violent inmates. Oswald wouldn't be going there, Lee was determined. Even if he had to come and stay here with her and Ed and live on the couch... Seeing her and Ed together would break his heart every day, but she would not let him go to Arkham...

Ed had noticed she was ready to leave for work. It was six thirty, her shift started at nine am.

"Why do you always leave so early?" he asked as he opened up a cupboard and took out a stash of pills tied in a transparent bag.

She looked at the drugs as he set them down on the table and gave a sigh, wishing he would start doing the drug related stuff when she was out of the apartment.

"You know we don't have enough staff. I like to do as much as I can to help the patients."

Ed turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, as their gaze met, he ran a hand over her long dark hair.

"You work too hard."

"Someone has to give a shit."

He paused, took his hands off her shoulders, then he shifted away from her and glanced towards the view from the window of the wrecked city.

"How's Oswald?"

He had asked the question quietly, unable to meet her gaze. His heart ached as he recalled all the months he had spent at his bedside, with no response from the one he loved. It had seemed as if nothing would ever change. Now he was with Lee, and he was glad she was here, with her arms around him every night – at least they had a place to stay in this wrecked city where undamaged housing was hard to find.

"He's doing very well. All he needs is a little more time to recover and he will be just fine. This is why we need to think about him coming to stay with us."

Ed tore his gaze from the window, a flicker of guilt showing in his eyes.

"No, no - he can't stay here with us. That would be awkward, painful... for all of us!"

"Not for me," Lee's gaze hardened, "I explained everything to him a month after he woke up. Yes, he was upset but then he said, at least you can take care of Ed! He doesn't hold a grudge. After everything he's been through, he's just glad to be alive, I think what broke his heart the most was looking out the window and seeing the city in ruins! That was the moment he realised everything he ever worked for was gone."

Ed drew in a slow breath, fighting the urge to let Riddler speak because he would say far too much and then Lee would leave him. Yes, he still loved Oswald, but he didn't doubt he believed he had abandoned him – and he was right. Lee saw the guilt in his eyes and stepped closer, as for a moment, even that glimpse of Riddler she saw in his eyes wanted to retreat away from her accusing look.

"I saw him after the coma, when he was awake... he barely looked at me, he couldn't communicate. It was like Oswald wasn't there any more."

"That's because he was in the process of waking up! He's still Oswald, believe me! You should go and see him."

That ache in his heart got sharply deeper.

"I don't think he wants to see me."

Lee glared at him.

"He's always asking about you!"

Ed's heart began to race as emotion threatened to turn him to a weeping, remorseful wreck.

"What does he say?"

"How is Ed, why doesn't he visit me, tell Ed I understand! It would do him so much good to see you, all you have to do is walk in the door and be there for him!"

Ed paused for thought.

"You said he was very upset when he found out about us. You want me to upset him again?"

She shook her head and turned away, opened up the fridge and took out a stack of tupperware bowls, then she put them into a bag. Ed stared at her.

"Why are you taking our food? Everything costs so much money these days, especially food!"

"It's my lunch," Lee replied, "Do you think I work a twelve, sometimes fourteen hour shift and eat nothing?"

He looked to the bag.

"But you do this all the time, Lee! Do you seriously eat all that?" a sudden thought hit him and a flicker of alarm came to his eyes, "Oh shit, you'd better not be pregnant, not at a time like this, when they city's gone to hell and we are barely surviving. Please tell me this horrible theory of mine is untrue!"

She stared at him.

"I wonder how you would react if I was? Of course I'm not, Ed!"

He felt a flicker of annoyance creeping up on him as he smiled but his eyes remained cold.

"Thank goodness for that! But I guess you wouldn't be – I can't remember the last time you touched me!"

"I work long hours! I'm always tired."

"I guess this thing I do," he glanced to the drugs on the table, "Doesn't exactly turn you on. It would turn on some girls, though - just not you."

"Every time you leave, I wonder if I'll see you again, or if you'll get killed because of that shit on the table! No, it doesn't turn me on. And I'm late. I have to get to work!"

She picked up her bag and walked away, closing the door to the apartment with a heavy slam. Ed gave a sigh and shook his head, silently wishing he had not made that huge mistake five months ago. If only he had waited for Oswald, if only he had been able to bear the pain of watching him struggle as he came out of the coma. He cared about Lee, he was thankful for what they had. But his heart still ached for Oswald, and the worst feeling in the world was love mixed with regret... Then he pushed aside personal thoughts and turned to the table on the other side of the room where he had set up some lab equipment. He was going to make a batch of the stronger stuff, just in case a few of last weeks customers returned for more. The regular pills sold okay, but the harder stuff, that was where the real money was made...

As Lee parked her car in the grounds of the hospital, she heard a text message alert, and as she picked up her phone and recognised the number, she smiled. As she read the message, her heart felt warmed with fondness:

My tea is late, Lee! If this had happened when I was king of this city there would have been trouble. No one makes Penguin wait! But as it's you, I shall be forgiving. Good morning my dear, I see your car has arrived. Now please hurry!

"Oswald," she said fondly, then she sent a message back:

Good to know you're out of bed! I'll be with you in five minutes.

She took the bag from her car, hurried into the building and took the elevator to the top floor. From there she went to her office, unlocked it, went inside and made tea and then some toast. She had turned the corner of her office into a mini kitchen area, blaming the need for it on the long hours she worked. In truth, she had done this because the food in this place was lousy and in short supply and she had been making sure Oswald got decent meals every day for the past five months.

She put the toast and the tea on a tray, then left her office and walked up the corridor. Few staff were around at the best of times and this morning, the corridor was empty. She went to the door at the end of the hall, entered the room, then closed and locked the door behind her.

"Good morning, sweetie," she said as she smiled warmly and set the tray down next to his bed.

Oswald was on top of the covers resting easily against soft pillows. He was wrapped in a warm padded dressing gown in a shade of scarlet and looked very comfortable as he returned her smile.

At last!" he said, and sat up with no help and reached for his tea.

Lee pulled up a chair and sat next to his bed.

"How are you this morning?"

"Fine, I..." he tensed, drawing in a breath as he felt the flow of his speech lock up and for a moment, frustration burned in his eyes. He looked at Lee, who sat patiently waiting for him to continue, and then he found the rest of his sentence.

"I'm a little sore...it's my leg again."

"It's still painful when you walk?"

He nodded, then drank some tea and set it down again.

"How far did you walk?" she asked.

He looked across the comfortable room to the short distance to the window.

"Just to the window and back."

"You have to start using that leg more!" she reminded him, "I know it's tough to get back on your feet after so long, but your leg was already damaged. It's going to be difficult."

He looked at her, his eyes were partly shaded by his dark hair, his spikes were almost flat this morning and the soft darkness of his hair made the blueness of his eyes stand out noticeably. Lee was trying not to notice. Oswald had never blamed her for being with Ed, he had never resented any of it. In recent weeks, she had spent more time with Oswald than she had with Ed. She had felt closer to Oswald than her own boyfriend...

"Is Ed still selling drugs?"

She nodded.

"I know times are hard, but I hate him doing it as much as you do. It's so dangerous out there."

Then Lee paused, thinking about her conversation with Ed that morning. Her mind was already made up – Oswald would not be going to Arkham. If she couldn't find him a place to stay, he would have to come and live with her and Ed. She had a few days to find him accommodation, but time was running out...

"You know I can't keep you here much longer."

Oswald had just reached for the plate of toast. On hearing her say that, he put it back, giving a heavy sigh as he cast her a desperate look that told her at once he was getting worked up. It would take a long pause for him to put his words together, because his emotions were stirred up now.

"I won't let you be transferred to Arkham," she promised him, "That is not an option. If I can't find you a place to stay, you can come and stay with me and Ed."

He drew in a sharp breath, speaking quickly before the flow of his speech locked up again.

"And Ed... what does he think about this?"

"He will get used to the idea. I think he feels guilty and he's still upset about the whole situation with me and him, and him not waiting for you."

Oswald felt a deep pain in his heart, but tried not to show it in front of Lee, who had cared for him and nursed him back to health, who was still helping him now. She was doing this because she wanted to, she was even giving him the best food she could find at a time when the city was in crisis. He couldn't blame her for this mess at all. He forced a smile.

"Anywhere is better than Arkham!"

"But as you know, Ed's apartment is small and you would have to take the couch and that's not ideal because of your leg, and because you need space to get on your feet and start walking more. You need proper accommodation with someone who can be there to look after you."

He shot her a look of annoyance.

"I'm not helpless!"

"I know that, but you tire easily, you're still recovering, you need someone there for you. I'm at work all day. Ed's ... doing what he does nine to five, sometimes later. If you fell, and you were alone in the apartment, you could be on the floor for hours and cause your weak leg more damage. I want you to make a full recovery, and to do it quickly. It's going to be very difficult if you stay with us. This is why I'm still trying to find an alternative."

She reached for his hand and held it gently in her grasp.

"But you don't have to worry. You will not be transferred to Arkham. I'd rather break every new rule made for this struggling hospital and lose my job than see that happen to you."

The look in his eyes softened as he gave her hand a squeeze.

"You have done so much for me. I..." he paused, "Appreciate it, Lee."

Their gaze met and Lee found it hard to look away. The last time this had happened, they had kissed. It wasn't planned, it had just happened. And then there was that morning three days ago when she had given him a massage to ease his stiffness and that had turned into something far more intimate... We are friends who care about each other, Oswald had said, and our friendship is very special now... She had tried to push those feelings away, but Oswald was so sweet and surprisingly passionate. She had thought his only love had been Ed, she hadn't even realised he was also attracted to women. But she certainly knew that now...

This was a real mess. She had overstepped the line with a patient, who happened to be her lover's ex boyfriend. Could it get any worse? And to make matters even more complicated, she liked being with Oswald... But the more she thought about it, maybe they had become friends with benefits. They certainly cared about each other and they both knew this thing between them wouldn't go far, because he wanted her to stay with Ed. Oswald didn't want to cause any damage to either of them, least of all to the relationship that had happened in his absence, because he still loved Ed.

"Oswald, about what happened between us – we can't keep getting intimate."

"Of course."

"So we should stop this," she said gently.

Oswald just looked at her with an amused expression in his eyes.

"I mean it!" she said, and as she spoke, she knew her defences were already down. She was aching for him, her underwear was damp and he could see the flush to her face.

"I need some attention, Doctor," he said as he leaned back against the pillows, "Come closer, Lee."

She leaned close, her lips a fraction from his as their eyes met. She could feel herself falling already, when she was with Oswald, she didn't think about Ed or the drugs or the dangers or the worry. In truth, she lived for her early morning visits to his room. As she untied his dressing gown, she saw a flicker of apprehension in his eyes. At first, he had been painfully shy about his body with the many scars that covered it from old fights, but now as she pushed the fabric away from his body and he felt her eyes burning into the sight of him, he gave a sigh, relaxing instantly.

"Are you ready?" she asked in a low voice.

"Yes please, Lee," he said quietly, then he closed his eyes as her hand slid down his body.

As she touched him, Lee was lost in the moment, the city could burn all over again, a bomb could go off right outside the building and she wouldn't care, not while they were locked in this room with only these four walls as their witness. Last time she had done this, it had been after his massage, when he had guided her hand between his legs. She had gone with her instinct as her adherence to moral code to not get involved with a patient drifted away and she started to caress him gently, then desire had taken over and she had pumped his hardness firmly, saying, its okay, Oswald, I know you get lonely... She had then grabbed some tissues, trying to be clean and clinical about his climax, but afterwards, when she looked into his eyes, that look had pulled her like a magnet and they had kissed. Yes, this would be happening again...

In rational moments it hit her sharply: I'm having an affair with Oswald – and he's still my patient! Then she would think about it and change it, I've got this thing going with my friend. It's not heavy, it's just a thing we share...he has his life, I have mine...

Oswald gave a sigh of appreciation as she stroked him. She watched as his lips parted and he moaned again, a flicker of deep satisfaction showed on his face, then he looked down at her, watching as she slid her hand up and down his hardness.

"That... that is... so..." he panted hard, his speech coming apart because the arousal was too strong to think about talking.

He felt solid in her hand, he was well endowed and she ached to know how it felt to have him inside her. Then as he started to tremble, she set aside thoughts of cleaning him up. He wouldn't need it this time...

As she leaned over him and took him in her mouth, his strength surprised her as he slid his fingers into her hair and started pushing her harder on to him as he thrust forward. She caught her breath, then had no more time to breathe as he hit his peak and his climax exploded. She heard every little sound he made as pleasure rushed through his body, and when she came up for air, her face was flushed. Oswald was on his back and breathing hard. He caught her hand firmly, a silent message to wait as he put his thoughts back together.

"Oh Lee, that was... incredible! Come closer..."

She leaned over him. He placed a hand on her shoulder as he held her in his gaze and determination burned bright in his eyes as he summoned the will to speak again and make himself clearly understood:

"Keep looking in my eyes. When you come, say Oswald..."

His hand was up her thigh and then inside her damp underwear, he knew exactly what he was doing as he found the source of her heat and aching need and circled it with a fingertip and then started to rub. Lee's legs trembled as she felt each touch bringing her closer to the edge. It had just hit her that Oswald could be quite a dominant man – but thinking how far he had come before the war, becoming crime king of Gotham, she guessed it really shouldn't have been such a shock.

"Say it..." he whispered as he saw heat spreading through her face.

"Oswald!" she gasped, then as she lost control her legs buckled and he kept his hand there, feeling every throb before he drew it away. Lee was leaning over him, standing on shaking legs. Oswald was smiling with a victorious shine in his eyes.

"This isn't about revenge. But I must say... I bet Ed doesn't do that too often!"

Oswald started to laugh as amusement shone in his eyes, then he pulled her close and claimed her mouth with a deep and tender kiss.

"Thank you for my breakfast, Lee," he added with a satisfied smile.

Lee straightened up, adjusted her clothing and ran her fingers through her hair. Her face was still flushed. She wondered if this room smelled of sex. Right now, she couldn't tell. As she looked at him, she felt an aching longing for everything she couldn't have as she remembered how the situation really was outside of these walls.

"That was wonderful," she told him, "But we have to stop this, Oswald."

"Of course we do," he agreed dismissively, "But there's no harm done. No one will ever know."

"And I still have to try and find you somewhere to stay," she reminded him, "I would love to have you stay with us, but as I said, it's not the best place for you to recover and with you and me together, the temptation would be constant!"

"Maybe not," he replied, "Ed would be there...I still..." he drew in a breath, briefly closing his eyes as he pulled his speech together, "I still love him, I miss him."

And getting Ed to do something as simple as visiting him was impossible, Lee thought to herself as she shook her head.

"I have to be professional about this. Your recovery comes first. I'm going to try and find somewhere for you to stay."

She saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes and she wanted to hug him to make it go away, but she resisted the urge. Oswald tied up his robe and was still looking downward as he spoke again.

"What about my recovery, Lee? My leg still hurts. I still need your help."

She knew there was so much more to that statement. And there was so much more to the reply she gave, too.

"As soon as you're settled somewhere, I'll visit as often as I can. I'll keep your therapy going."

He raised his head and met her gaze. The smile he gave her warmed her heart.

"That would be perfect!"

"You get some rest now," she told him, "I have to start work soon."

Then she left the room and Oswald settled back on his bed, feeling satisfied and comfortable – until he looked out of the window at the view of the wrecked city. Someone had to rebuild it. At the back of his mind, an ambition was already coming to life: If he could make a full recovery, he could make plans to rebuild this city. It would take time, and he would have to take a different approach. This place was too troubled and torn apart, it didn't need another criminal. This time, he would rule Gotham in a different way...

He started to smile. He had just realised, as long as he had ambition, all was not lost. Then his thoughts drifted to Ed as he wished he would just walk back into his life again. But Ed was not an option, because it had not worked out that way... Oswald closed his eyes, relaxing as he slipped into a deep sleep. He slept soundly, while beyond the safety of his four walls, the wrecked city went about another chaotic day.