Disclaimer: I don't own nothing or nobody but Tara.

A.N: I don't know about anyone else but one of my favorite scenes of S1E20: Under the Knife is the Maroni, Gertrud and Oswald showdown. I kept thinking about those scenes and the aftermath for a couple of days and I came up and OswaldOC idea of young woman being present in those scenes. So this is just a oneshot- 2 chapters of the idea. I hope you all enjoy!

Part 1:

Oswald Cobblepot was having a good day.

The grin on his face told the story as he limped up to Butch. He didn't really notice the worry on the older man's face as his eyes continually flickered to the side.

Oswald smiled wider and began to speak, "Well, Butch, Conner and his crew are on board. They hate Maroni more than I..."

"Shut up!" Butch hissed making Oswald blink at him. Before he had the chance to get angry the man continued lowering his voice, "Maroni and his crew is here. I couldn't turn them away."

Oswald nodded, his voice light, "No of course. No matter." He looked down trying to spot the Don.

There was apology in Butch's voice, "She was already here. And he asked for Tara as well."

Oswald's eyes widen just a fraction as his eyes finally settled on the Don sitting with his mother and Tara.

Tara Maniki was what could be construed as an "family friend". She lived in their building and his mother had taken to her like a daughter. In fact Oswald owed much to Tara for taking care of his mother during his "death". She was an inch or so shorter than him and filled out like a woman should. Oswald didn't want to admit it but he often found himself entranced by her curves. Her red hair was in pixie haircut and her dark eyes conveyed a sense of calm even as she sat next to the Don.

Only Oswald could see the worry in her posture. To anyone else, she looked calm despite the circumstances. At the moment she was wearing a simple knee length black dress. She often came with his mother and sometimes helped him out around the club. Today she was helping out serving drinks when the Don came in, as well as keeping an eye on Oswald's mother when he couldn't.

When Don Maroni captured Gertrud to sit next to him, he quickly ask for a drink. Tara served him quietly and turned to leave when Maroni requested that she sit on the other side of him. Glancing up at Butch who only stood by helplessly she took a seat quietly.

Tara was the first to noticed Oswald's arrival. Don Maroni glanced up and noticed as well, "Is that my buddy Oswald?" His smile was deceptive. "Come here" he beckoned.

His mother having noticed him called out to him. Oswald fought for calm as he turned and looked back at Butch who gave him a helpless shrug. The younger man turned and walked off to join the group.

Upon arriving he stood a moment, before glancing at Tara than to his mother. He tried to hear himself over his heartbeat that had speed up as he asked, "Mother, what are you doing? Tara?" He looked at the younger woman.

His mother only smiled and turned to Don Maroni, leaning in. "I'm having a drink with Mr. Mar..."

"Ahh-hh", the Don chuckled holding up a finger, "I told you- Sal." he rubbed his finger on the older woman's cheek, glancing at Oswald as he did so.

Oswald breathed exhaled once. It wouldn't do to show his hand now, especially with his mother involved.

Gertrud leaned closer, "With Sal", she amended.

"As for this young woman...", Don turned and draped a hand on the back of Tara's chair. Only Oswald noticed the shift the younger woman gave. The only sign of her discomfort.

The Don continued gazing at Tara who stared straight ahead, "I thought she was very cute. The best waitress you have." He smiled up at Oswald, "Please, you have to forgive me for wanting to share a drink with two of the most beautiful women in the place."

Gertud gave a pleased laugh and Tara only looked away once resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

Oswald reached for his mother first, glancing at Tara, "But we really shouldn't impose any longer..."

"Uh-uh-uh..." Maroni sung reaching over to disengage the younger man's grasp from his mother. Tara had gone to move as well but a withering glare from Maroni, over his shoulder, stopped her. She eased back down into her seat.

"No, you aren't taking my Gertrud", he spoke and Oswald pulled back.

Tara noticed a slight look of panic had come across Oswald's face. He tried really hard to act a certain way when he was in his mother's presence and to a big extent hers as well. However, Tara had gotten quite well at reading the man's face.

The secret was his eyes. Tara could see much hiding behind his eyes. The rare time something slipped that he didn't intend around her, Tara allowed it to slide. She knew that he was hiding things but she allowed him to think that she didn't know.

She knew it made him feel better that way.

Not that she minded.

Tara owed a lot to the Cobblepot family...

"His Gertrud", the older woman muttered, breaking Tara's thought, pleased and oblivious as to what was happening.

Tara resisted the urge to sigh. As much as she loved the older woman, sometimes her denseness was astounding to Tara.

She always winced when Gertrud wanted to come to this club. Tara knew that others things went on here though she didn't know details. She knew enough to know that Gertrud shouldn't hanging around here. But Tara often went with Gertrud at her insisting, just to keep an eye on the older woman when Oswald would be otherwise occupied.

A few times she has been able to maneuver Gertrud out the club when Oswald really didn't need her to be there. She saw the gratitude in his eyes and treasured it.

"Sit down", the Don ordered, leaning back to put his arm around Tara's chair again. He looked at her, "And as quiet as this beauty is, I'm not quite ready to relinquish her either."

Gertrud reached out across the table and fanned Tara once, "He called you a beauty. He sees what I see. See, you are beautiful."

Tara smiled once at the older woman, "I heard." Her voice was soft.

Oswald glanced at her.

Don Maroni lifted an eyebrow, "So you aren't a mute? Wonderful. I was beginning to wonder." He then leaned over, close to Tara and smiled. "Speak again, bright angel."

Gertrud giggled like a schoolgirl, "Don't be naughty with my daughter, Sal", she spoke slapping him on the shoulder.

Don Maroni looked surprised, "This is your daughter?" He looked up at Oswald who was trying not to glare at him, "I didn't know you had a sister."

"I don't." came the short reply.

"Oh no. Oh no, Sal." Gertrud rushed to explain, "Tara is a good friend. Good friend to Oswald and to me. I call her my daughter. I do hope that on day that will be really true." She glanced up at Oswald who had closed his eyes briefly. It was futile to hope his mother would be quiet.

"I see." came the mild reply. Don looked up at Oswald who was still standing, "Why are you still standing? Please, sit." he held out his hand.

Oswald glanced around the table.

"Sit", came the firm order.

The younger Cobblepot looked away for a moment before gingerly taking a seat next to his mother. He glared once at Don Maroni before looking across at Tara who sat with her arms folded. She gave him an apologetic look and he returned with it a fleeting weak smile.

"So tell me more about this", Don turned to Gertrud, "You must have a heart of gold to care for someone not of your own blood."

Oswald resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Tara's own eyes shifted once.

Gertrud giggled once, "It wasn't hard. Tara is a piece of gold herself."

"Really?" Maroni looked at her who was now fighting not to blush.

"Of course, no woman has been good enough for my Oswald", the older woman puffed, "None at all." She turned and gave Oswald a loving smile which he returned as she looked at Tara, "Until Tara."

"Mama please", Tara muttered. She couldn't help put place her face in her hand.

"It is nothing to be ashamed of!" Gertrud cried. She turned to Sal who gave an indulging smile, "She's always been a meek little thing. Much like my Oswald. They are made for each other."

"You call her mama." Sal observed, "Interesting."

Oswald opened his mouth hoping to detour this conversation but his mother beat him too it.

"Of course she calls me mama!" Gertrud passionately cried, "I expect nothing less." She lowered her voice and leaned in.

Don Maroni gave a small smirk as he leaned in to hear Gertrud, "You see poor thing, her own parents are...not with us." she spoke delicately. Then she fanned away her statement with her hand as she sat back. Eyeing her drink she picked it up and took a sip.

"They're dead?" the Don asked bluntly glancing at Tara who looked away from him.

Before Gertrud could speak Oswald did, "They are unavailable." His voice was clip hoping the Don would drop that subject. He knew that it was a painful subject for Tara and he hoped that the Don would have a little bit of humanity left to spare her.

But Maroni was out for blood. He turned his dark eyes on her like a hawk eyeing his prey and asked, "What does unavailable mean?" his sweet voice was deceptive to all but Gertrud.

Fire leaped into Tara's eyes then as she turned to him and snapped, "It means un-a-vail-a-ble."

Oswald shut his eyes briefly wincing.

The night club owner knew there were two things in life that could set Tara off. Her parents and her ex-boyfriend. Oswald had never met her parents (and knew very little but basics about them) but he did have the pleasure of meeting her ex. That pleasure really wasn't any pleasure as Oswald hated that man for what he would do to Tara.

Thankfully he was no longer a problem.

Though he supposed he owed the man for it was through him that he met Tara.

Don and Tara glared at each other. Finally the Don chuckled and backed off. "Forgive me. I was just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat" Tara muttered under her breath as she looked away angrily.

Oswald glanced at the Don. He noticed his hand clutching the back of her chair briefly before it relaxed. The only sign of his anger. For once his mother noticed the shift in air and was quiet blinking owlishly.

"I'm happy the two of your found each other", the Don said finally looking at Oswald. "I hope when there is a wedding, I am invited."

Oswald's eyes flashed. How dare he get into their business like this? He glanced at Tara, his eyes softening, who was still looking angrily away trying to nurse herself back to her usual calm. That anger flared again in Oswald again.

As if sensing it, Tara looked back at Oswald. He couldn't hold her gaze for longer than a few moments and turned away as he tried to compose himself. He tried very hard not to drag Tara into his "other life" but there were times that she looked at him as if she knew what was really in his heart. As if she knew his secrets already. But never did she call him out on it and there were times he knew she could have.

Her actions both unnerved and comforted Oswald.

"Oh yes, you must come!" Gertrud cried after taking another drink.

Oswald shoulder's sunk once. He loved his mother dearly but she could be infuriating! But that clueless innocence is what he sought to protect in his mother.

He knew that if she knew about his "other life" she would not be able to handle it. She would fall to pieces. She was so fragile. This was the only way she could exist in life, was to create her own fantasy and bury herself in it.

It was something that Oswald realized that Tara came to understand as well. He knew she tried to keep his mother in that cocoon. Oswald knew that his mother always wanted a daughter too and once she found that in Tara, she was not going to let got willingly.

Gertrud looked up at Sal and proclaimed, "She is going to be my daughter-in-law one day!" She turned to Oswald and asked hopefully, "Isn't she, my son?"

Oswald opened and closed his mouth a few times before he finally answered, "We will see mother."

He glanced at Tara whose dark eyes flittered away from him. They both knew that according his mother's sensibilities they were as good as married. But still the older woman pestered both of them about getting married. Usually it amused the two of them that his mother put them together so often but given the situation, it was not amusing. They considered it a running joke between the three of them (though Gertrud was serious about it) but to have it out there for anyone else especially the Don was discerning.

"You must. You simply must marry this woman. She's your soul mate." Gertrud sniffed once waving her hands.

Don Maroni beady eyes took in everything. He watched this was a fascination one would a TV show. Turning to Tara, morbid curiosity in his eyes he asked, "Do you want to marry Oswald?"

Oswald blinked once at the Don's forwardness.

He didn't seriously ask point blank did he?

Tara was thrown off guard as well as she swung her head to face the Don.

Gertrud just looked at her hopefully.

Tara shut her mouth once she realized it had fallen open. "That is none of your business." she bit out looking away.

A rough hand came under her chin and her head was turned to the Don. Oswald eyes flashed in anger as his hatred of Don Maroni grew. If his gaze could set something afire, he was sure Maroni's hand would have been lit up by now. Oswald felt a strong impulsion to strike Maroni's hand where it touched her. So strong his fingers twitched.

Tara had stiffen at his touch. His mother had fallen silent once again as she blinked. Oswald loved his mother but right now he wondered how she managed to find these situations.

Don Maroni smiled maliciously, leaning into Tara. She tried to move but his grip tightened and his eyes flashed warning. She stilled as he spoke, "I asked a question, Tara. I expect an answer. Especially since the answer is very simple. Do you want to marry Oswald? Yes or no?"

Oswald found himself holding his breath. He never really thought much about marriage but he wondered why he actually was curious about the answer.

A heavy silence hung in the air. The younger man realized that Tara avoided looking in his direction. It took a bit before an answer cut through the tension.

"I haven't been asked. So I couldn't tell you."

Oswald let out a breath he was holding. In all honesty, as curious as he was, he didn't want a forced answer from her. Plus such an question was extremely personal.

Don Maroni gazed at her a long moment searching her eyes. He pulled back and gave a smirk, "I see."

"You see what?" Tara asked confused as to why the Don was looking at her like he knew something.

A lull in the conversation lingered for a brief moment.

Suddenly Gertrud clapped her hands together, "Oh! Oh, I had a thought!"

The Don turned and smiled at her once but Oswald could tell this little game was beginning to get on his nerves. He had removed his arm from the back of Tara's chair.

Oswald checked on Tara. He knew that the Don embarrassed her. He could see it in the tightness of her lips. He knew it didn't help that Maroni was reminding her of her ex. Blinking, he glared once at the Don before looking at Tara trying to will her to look at him.

Still she made a point not to look at him.

Tara felt Oswald's eyes on her but she couldn't look at him just yet. Don Maroni unnerved her. She knew that she and Gertrud were pawns in whatever game the Don had with Oswald and she hated being a pawn. She had that problem with her ex and she didn't ever want to be in that situation again.

Gertrud spoke with a drawl, "Never, never would he play with other children. Even then he was too good for them." She turned and looked at Oswald, puffing up and placing at hand on his forearm, "And now he is an respectable man of business, my Oswald."

Oswald turned and gave a brilliant smile at his mother. He found that his patience was on the verge of snapping and he had stomach about all he could take. He hoped to shut down this chess game before another move was made, "Well, this has been a delight. But it's late..."

The Don moved then and Oswald knew he was winding up for the finale to this sick show. It showed in his eyes, "One thing..." he drawled.

Oswald twitched when the Don put his hands on his mother. "Gertrud my love... "

This made Tara look up at the Don with an raised eyebrow. His mother failed to see the Don's predatory nature as she leaned in. "A question that has been bothering me..." the Don spoke.

"Oh no, oooh no", Gertrud tittered reaching up to stroke his chin.

Don Maroni reached up and grasped her hand before looking at her. Then he asked all earnestly, "Is this an act?"

The question startled everyone. His mother stared at him before a giggle bust from her. Oswald eyes widen slightly and Tara blinked.

"Wha?" she mouthed to herself. She looked at Oswald then who was still in a state of shock.

The Don's eyes rested on the older woman's son, "Are you just pretending he's a nightclub owner?"

Tara saw a look overcoming Oswald's eyes. She knew that he was beginning to lose it. The Don looked back at the dense woman, "Or are you really that stupid?"

Oswald's patience finally snapped, "Stop!"

The older woman began to flounder, her breath quickening, "I...I don't understand."

"Your son..." the Don started.

Oswald slammed his hand on top of the Don's, "Don Maroni, I am warning you."

That warning went unheeded, "...is a cold-blooded psychopath."

Gertrud shook her head vehemently in denial. Tara could only watch as everything went downhill from there.

The Don's eyes glittered as the spoke, "I can't count how many men your son has killed. My own friend, Frankie Carbone, he stabbed him a dozen times. What kind of person plunges a knife into a person over and over."

Tara gasped slightly. Don didn't even spare her a glance, his eyes resting on Oswald as we went for blood. His final attack. He watched as Oswald began to lose some of that innocence air he always puts on around his mother.

Oswald felt himself unraveling and tried to stop it. For his mother's sake he tried to stop it but that anger and indigence was growing. What right did Maroni have to do this to his mother?

His own dark eyes bore into the Don's, "He's a filthy liar mother! He's just angry because I played him for a fool!"

"Oh Oswald." his mother moaned as she began to shake as the walls of her fantasy were coming tumbling down.

Don Maroni reached out and mercilessly turned Gertrud's head to him. "You know don't you?" he asked searching her eyes, "Oh I can see it!"

Oswald reached out to grasp the Don's hand but he proved to be stronger as Oswald's grasp didn't so much as bend a finger. The Don held on as he drove the point home, "Did you catch him one night washing the blood from his hands? When did you realize you had given birth to a monster?"

The older woman let out a high pitch sob as the Don let her go. She fell backwards into her son's arm. Oswald held her close and looked up at the Don with his mouth open. How low could he go to use and abuse his mother in such a way? The Don just looked at him with a satisfied smirk.

Even Tara had a hand to her mouth as she sat in shock at what she just witnessed. He own dark eyes sought the older woman, unraveling in her son's arms.

"You're going to pay for this!" Oswald hissed unable to hold back the threat.

Don Maroni gave a delicate shrug, "Maybe." He stood and reached for his wallet, "Or maybe this ends with me dumping your lifeless body in the river." He thumbed some money and tossed it on the table unperturbed by Gertrud's constant moaning, "But either way you and Momma Gertrud can stop pretending."

Anger sprung forth in Tara then, "How dare you pick on a defenseless old woman? Have you no shame?" she cried standing up from her seat turning to face the Don. The chair stood between them as she glared at him.

"Shame?" Don Maroni beady eyes turned to the shorter woman. He shifted on one foot, "Tell me.." he waved a hand, "...do you believe that Oswald is just a nightclub owner?"

The Don took a step forward into Tara's personal space. He only got so far as there was a chair between them. Regardless, Tara looked up at the ceiling, as she took a step back.

"Leave her alone!" Oswald growled.

Maroni spared him a glance, "Attend to your mommy, Oswald and leave us to grown folks business", he snarled before turning back to Tara. He snaked out and grabbed her arm over the chair between them.

She looked at him then as she tried to twist away from him but he held on, "Tell me, are you as dense as Momma Gertrud? Are you just pretending? Riding along in this depraved act?"

"Do you have any respect for ladies or your elders?" asked Tara instead.

The Don barked a laugh. "Please don't change the subject!" With his free hand he pulled the chair out of the way to jerk her to him making her stumble then placed it on her shoulder. His burly hands were heavy on Tara's shoulders, "You never did answer me", the Don pressed, "Would you marry Oswald? You know he's a psychopath, don't you?"

Oswald growled at this but said nothing.

Unexpectedly the Don released her then and took a step back to assess her. "You are very pretty. Surely you can get a man? I mean you can do better than his ugly mug, unless there is something broken with you."

A loud sound resounded.

It took a moment before everyone realized that Tara had hauled off and slapped the Don. Oswald's mouth fell open at this. Butch who was watching from the balcony, looked on in shock. Tara glared at Maroni who just stared off in the distance in shock.

Part of Oswald loved that she slapped him. A smirk flittered upon his face, as he enjoyed Maroni's stunned look but worry graced his eyes as he thought about Maroni's retaliation. He didn't want her to put herself in Maroni's line of fire. But he knew that Tara had lost it and had taken as much from Don as she could take.

Slowly, the Don turned his face to her, dark eyes boring into her.

Tara spoke softly, her voice wavering slightly, the only sign of her hurt, "I don't appreciate your comments. They are insensitive."

The Don straightened and rubbed his cheek. He smiled at her once, more a baring of teeth, "You are lucky, Tara. Contrary to popular belief, I am a gentleman." He raised a finger at her in warning, "I will let you off this once but the next time you put your hands on me, will be your last."

After a moment he gave a smile before walking out.

"By the way, place is looking good!" he tossed over his shoulder.

The only sound for a few moments were Gertrud's low moaning.

TBC...