Chapter 2
The next few days passed by quietly for Oswald, as Ed tended to his every need, becoming deeply apologetic for his actions and desperate to make amends. The bruises were fading along with the pain, Ed was making an effort not to lose his temper. Sometimes Oswald saw desperation in his eyes and he knew so much more than Ed realised, he didn't have to speak to convey his regrets, he felt it all in a glance. His thoughts had strayed to Jim several times, even while Ed was down on him and he was close to climax. Then as Ed held him close and told him he loved him, he had pushed those thoughts away. He had to let go of that fight, or they would never move on from it...
"It's about time I showed my face at the club," Oswald announced after dinner as they sat in the majestic dining room, the candles were glowing, there were flowers on the table. Oswald had tried to make this evening as romantic as he could. It made him think back to the day he had decided to tell him he was in love with him, it had not gone to plan back then, but later on, things had changed. He had worked so hard to gain Ed's love, and he was desperate to keep it. When they fought it felt like everything he lived for was slipping through his fingers and it scared him far more than Ed realised.
"Are you sure you feel up to that?" Ed asked, "You still look...sore. And I know I'm responsible. Maybe you should stay here for a while longer, I can take care of business for you."
Oswald smiled warmly at his lover as behind him, the firelight flickered with a warm glow.
"You're so thoughtful, Ed. But I need to get back out there. I have a business to run and next Monday I also have a meeting here at the house, it's the monthly gang leaders meeting. The head of Gotham underworld can't be absent."
Ed stiffened in his seat as he looked across the table.
"You should postpone that meeting. You're still covered in bruises. It doesn't look good."
"I think that's more to do with your conscience, Ed!" snapped Oswald, feeling a spike of anger as he glared at him. After what he had done, he had no right to dictate any aspect of his life – especially not business.
"Sorry, Ed – this is nothing to do with you."
He glared back at him.
"You just want to humiliate me! You want everyone to see what I did to you! What's the plan, Oswald, are you hoping some other guy might take pity on you like I did?"
Oswald rose sharply from his seat, his jaw dropped as he stared at Ed.
"Pity?"
Ed was glaring at him, he was cold, angry, as if some kind of crazy switch had just been hit, but as he leaned on the table and anger started to rise, Oswald didn't care how much rage Ed had inside him, if he wanted a fight, he could have one... He made a mental note that his cane was resting against the chair. He would not pull that blade on Ed...
"What other reason would anyone want to be with you?" Ed said coldly, unable to fight his rising urge for violence, "Look at you, Oswald – you can barely walk without that cane. It's not exactly sexy, is it?" hatred burned in his eyes, it was sudden, now he was not Ed and at that moment, he didn't even seem like Riddler, "Half your business means nothing to me when you insist on running everything! It's hardly compensation for killing my girlfriend, is it! You just think you can walk all over me and then play the victim! And what the fuck are crying for? You're just a weak man, Oswald!"
He blinked back tears, his rage was dampening down now Ed's words had cut to the bone.
"I'm going to the club -"
"To get fucked!" Ed raged, and slammed a fist across the table, sending the vase flying and the flower petals scattering as a wine glass shattered and a fragment stung Oswald's face. The sight of a trickle of blood running down from the cut above his eye stunned Ed, whose expression changed at once. He stared at the sight of his lover, cut by flying glass, then he looked down at the mess on the table and wondered why the hell he had done it.
"Oh no... not again...I'm sorry!"
Oswald snatched up his cane and leaned on it heavily as he wiped away the blood and glared at Ed.
"I don't know if you're going full blown crazy or if you just hated me all the long and now it's starting to show. But I have a club to run, and I'm going there right now! Don't wait up, Ed. Maybe I will get fucked!"
"Oswald!" he called, but he was already heading for the door.
Ed's temper had melted away as fast as it had risen. He blinked away tears and then carefully started to clean up the mess as he wondered if Oswald was right – maybe he was going crazy, so crazy that he was losing himself. He had never intended to do any of the things he had done, and his impulses seemed to have a life of their own. Even Riddler didn't understand it, calling it an unsolvable mystery as he looked back at him from the mirror. Ed heard the front door slam and he gave up on cleaning up the mess, sinking back into his seat as he covered his face with his hands and wept.
Oswald arrived at the Iceberg Lounge just after nine thirty that evening, Victor had looked alarmed to see the fresh cut to his face, and Oswald had told him it was nothing to worry about, then hurried up to his office, where he gone through a doorway at the back, down a narrow passage and then into his private bathroom, where he had washed his face and cleaned away the blood. He had spent a couple of hours in his office, just sitting in the gloom with only a lamp on as he cradled a drink in his hand and thought about Ed. He was starting to wonder if this was the real Edward Nygma, maybe the brief shows of affection had all been an act. He felt like a fool for trying to offer such incentive to win his love; this was how it had turned out and he felt like all of a sudden, he was living with a stranger.
Now and then his thoughts would go back to that pier and the day Ed had shot him. He had given a second chance to a man who had tried to kill him. He had begged for his love, believing that in the end, it would work out. He still didn't know if Ed had ever loved him and his heart was already breaking. He left his desk and went back downstairs, entering a busy bar where most people were already halfway to drunk. He made himself a cocktail and sat down alone in a corner and started to drink. Half an hour later, Jim Gordon walked in...
Jim had not been able to stop thinking about Oswald. He had been in his thoughts since that rainy night, they were the kind of thoughts that made him hard one minute and the next, filled with concern for his welfare. He had stopped off at the club several times over the past few days and Oswald had not been about, which had worried him even more. He didn't want to turn up at the house in case it made the problems with Ed worse, so he had been patient, and kept on calling in late at the club.
Tonight his patience had paid off, and one look at Oswald sitting alone in the corner looking into his cocktail glass made his heart skip a beat. As he walked over to him, he felt eyes on the back of his head as if lasers were boring through his skull and he turned his head, saw Victor Zsasz watching from a distance and politely nodded, then carried on across the club, weaving his way around the busy room until he reached Oswald's table.
"Hi."
He looked up from his drink.
"Jim!" he said, and the warmth in his voice made him smile as Oswald invited him to take a seat.
He sat down and Oswald waved at the bar staff, indicating they bring over a drink for his companion, then he smiled warmly.
"It is so good to see you!"
Oswald's eyes looked slightly glazed, possibly from crying and definitely from a few drinks.
"It's good to see you too," Jim replied, "I've been meaning to catch up with you for days, I wanted to know if everything was okay – has he hurt you again?"
Jim was looking at the small cut above his eye, it was no longer bleeding but still glistened red under the lighting in the club. Oswald was thinking up a lie to cover it, but as he looked into his eyes he wanted to confess, and so he did.
"Ed isn't himself these days. I don't know what's wrong with him. I can't do or say anything right, he just snaps...He said some really hurtful things today. He smashed everything on the dinner table, too. I don't know if that's the real Ed or if I've already lost the real Edward Nygma..."
Tears filled his eyes as he briefly brought his hand to his mouth to stifle a sob. He blinked rapidly, fighting back tears. Jim shifted his chair closer, leaned across the small table and as Oswald lowered his hand, he caught it in a gentle grip. Oswald looked down at their joined hands, then made no attempt to let go.
"I don't know why he's changed so much so quickly," Jim replied, "But I do know you deserve so much better."
"But I love Ed."
Jim let go of his hand as a drink was set down in front of him, then he waited for the woman who had served it to walk away, and he leaned closer to Oswald again.
"And I wish I could help," Jim added.
They talked until the bar closed. By then Oswald had drank two more cocktails and Jim was close to feeling mildly drunk, but that served to relax his mood. It made talking to Oswald so much easier, about life, about how much violence he had seen, how he wished this city could be a better place. He had listened as Oswald had told him about his hopes and dreams of a bright future with Ed, every now and then he would get tearful as he recalled the sharp change in him recently, it seemed over the past couple of months Ed's aggression towards his lover had risen sharply and far more frequently than Jim had first imagined. Then Oswald had thought way back and looked at him fondly.
"Remember that day you was supposed to kill me and instead you faked shooting me, pushed me into the river and told me never to come back to Gotham? I knew I'd come back because my destiny lies here. Maybe destiny is a complicated thing and perhaps you're a part of it."
Jim blinked, he looked as surprised as he felt as he stared at Oswald, who gave him a little smile, it was just a look and a brief smile, but Jim had caught it. Then as he recovered from that unexpected look, Victor came over.
"Boss, are you leaving now?" he asked.
Oswald looked up at him.
"No, Victor. You can go home. Be sure to lock the door behind you, I have my own set of keys. I'm in a meeting with Jim and I'm going to be very late."
Victor glanced at Jim and back to Oswald.
"Are you sure?" he said quietly.
"Very sure," Oswald replied, "That will be all, Victor. Goodnight."
"'Nite boss," Victor replied, then he left the club.
Now the place was empty, it was just him and Oswald, just like Jim had imagined when Oswald had stayed the night and he had been secretly fantasising in the privacy of his bathroom...
"Would you like to come up to the office?" Oswald asked, and there it was again, that flash of something in his eyes, and it gave him the stirrings of an erection as his heart raced and he hoped he had read the signs right...
"Yes," Jim said as Oswald rose from his seat and he did the same, "Sounds like a good idea... we can talk upstairs..."
Oswald led the way, Jim was surprised how steady he was on those stairs and leaning on his cane, he had been drinking but still had excellent balance. They reached the office and Jim followed him inside and Oswald closed the door and turned on the lights. The shade was drawn at the window but the lighting was soft and easy on the eye after the glare of the club – and Oswald was very easy on the eye too as he turned in a fluid movement and smiled at Jim.
"I'll be honest – I've always liked you, Jim. And I'm really grateful for your friendship at this difficult time. Thank you."
They looked at each other. Jim saw gratitude in his eyes and warmth, perhaps a hint of an invitation – but he was hesitant as Oswald gave him a brief hug.
"It means a lot," Oswald said softly, then as he let go, his lips grazed his cheek. It was the smallest gesture, so quickly done and it was the tiniest kiss, but as he looked at Oswald, who was standing there with a hopeful look in his eyes, he knew he had just been given all the encouragement this shy guy could manage. Now Oswald was blushing and standing there awkwardly. He raised his hand, toying with his spiked hair, avoiding his gaze.
"Maybe we should have another drink..."
"I'm done with drinking," Jim said softly, and as his heart raced and he could almost physically feel the line he was about to cross, he stepped closer, wrapped his arms around Oswald and held him tightly. He gasped, looking up at him with a stunned expression.
"Jim...do... do you mean it?"
He smiled as he tenderly brushed a lock of hair from Oswald's eyes.
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't care," he said softly, and then he pulled him closer, kissing him gently, then with passion as he felt him tremble in his arms.
As their kisses grew harder and more passionate, Oswald suddenly pulled away, he was breathless and his face was flushed.
"There's condoms and lube in the desk..."
As Jim went around to the desk, he opened up a drawer and found the items at the back behind paperwork. He heard the tug of a zip and then Oswald breathed a relieved sigh, thankful to be free of the restriction of his clothing. He had cast off his jacket and his shirt, his pants were already down.
"Slow down," Jim said, not daring to glance at him because one look that lingered would cancel out his patience - and he wasn't about to lose all control and just take him roughly.
Oswald was still breathing hard as he stepped out of his clothing, then leaned against the desk and he took off his shoes, struggling as his crippled leg made him sway.
"I've done it in here before... Ed bends me over the desk. You don't have to be gentle, I like it rough. That's how Ed does it."
It had just occurred to Jim that shy and awkward Oswald had little experience. Before Ed, there had been his services to Fish Mooney, and that was probably all he had ever experienced...
He took off his coat and laid it on the floor, then he undressed, taking care to neatly drape his clothing over the chair behind Oswald's desk, then he grabbed a cushion from the couch and placed it on top of his coat.
"It doesn't have to be rough," he said, taking him by the hand and then drawing him down to the floor.
As Oswald struggled with his bad leg, Jim helped him to lie down, he laid back on his coat with a bewildered look in his eyes as Jim took hold of his crippled leg and gently raised it on to the cushion, then as he positioned himself between his legs as he parted them wider, he looked down at the sight of Oswald naked on the floor, already hard and breathless with anticipation as he slid on the condom and then covered it with lube. Just a few strokes was all he allowed himself, he wanted to last, he wanted Oswald to have a whole new experience, a better experience...
Sliding two lubricated fingers inside him made him gasp, and Jim's hardness was aching as he saw the look on his face. He drew his fingers out again, then as he raised Oswald's hips, he looked into his eyes and felt sure he had never known such a powerful tug on his heart.
"I've never done it like this before," Oswald said, "Maybe I should turn over."
"No, I want to look at you," Jim told him, "I want to see the look on your pretty face as I make love to you."
Oswald looked bewildered at his reply.
"I'm not pretty," he whispered.
"Yes, you are," Jim promised, then entered him with a firm, careful movement and Oswald gave a sharp gasp as a moment of pain registered on his face then he broke into a sweat and began to pant softly, now pleasure was all he felt as Jim thrust into him slowly and gently.
"It's okay to make some noise," Jim told him, "I want to hear you, Oswald..."
"Yes..." he whispered.
"More!"
"Yes!" Oswald cried out, and it was as if Jim's words had suddenly set him free as he began to moan and gasp loudly with every movement. It was hard to hold back, but Jim knew Oswald wouldn't last long, he was already rock solid and his hand was moving in a blur up and down his hardness.
"Not yet..."
"I want to come!"
"Not yet, slow down..."
He separated from him, caught his hands by the wrists and pinned them at his sides as he covered his mouth with a smothering kiss that stole his breath.
"Your eyes are pretty," he whispered, "You're beautiful, Oswald..."
"Oh Jim..." Oswald's eyes filled with tears as he gave a sob. No one had ever said that to him before, no one who mattered, no one he had been intimate with...
Jim held him tightly, kissing him again as he clung to him. His heart was bursting with new emotions for Oswald, along with an ache for all he had been through, it was clear he had never been loved in this way before.
He pulled away from his grasp, raising his hips as he pulled his body closer, sliding back into him with force. This time Oswald cried out with no hesitation, and Jim thrust harder.
"Now come..." he panted, slamming against him in a bruising rhythm.
Oswald was gasping and making noise now as he grabbed at his own hardness and started to rub desperately. He came suddenly and sharply, yelling out as his back arched and Jim buried deep inside him, finally letting go, allowing his own climax to explode. Then as he lay on his back against the softness of Jim's coat, Oswald reached for him, and Jim separated from him gently, then laid beside him, pulling him into a tender embrace.
They laid together on the floor for a long while after they had recovered their breath, then Jim got up first, he helped his lover up and put the cushion back and told Oswald to lie down on the sofa. He let him lie at the back, then he laid on the edge, with his coat draped over Oswald. Holding him tight would be the only warmth Jim needed, but he felt that Oswald needed the extra warmth, he had felt the cold and shivered as they got up from the floor.
As they embraced on the sofa, Oswald was on his side, looking into Jim's eyes.
"No one ever said those things to me before," Oswald said quietly, "No one ever made me feel like that, like I'm special. And I've never been loud, never made so much noise before... I guess it was all those years living with my mother, I had to be quiet. Obviously, I didn't want her to know I jacked off."
Jim smiled fondly, knowing to laugh at his honest admission would have been hurtful. Oswald was just being open, and what he had just said only drove him deeper into his heart.
"It's crazy to think someone as sweet as you could be so tangled up with the darkness of this city," Jim said, looking into his eyes, "We're from different sides, I'm a cop and you're running the underworld... but it makes no difference to me. I can't deny what I feel."
Oswald's eyes misted up and as he replied, emotion choked his voice.
"Neither can I...Jim, I want to see you again. Please tell me you feel the same way."
Jim replied with a kiss.
"Of course I do," he said, and Oswald smiled as he closed his eyes, then he fell asleep on the sofa, wrapped in Jim's arms.
They woke late the next morning, it was gone eight thirty and as Jim checked his watch, Oswald pulled him closer for a kiss. Jim obliged, then got up, and as he reached for his clothing, his arms felt achingly empty now he had let go.
"I'm sorry, Oz," he said, "I have to be at work by nine..."
He dressed quickly, then turned to grab his coat. Oswald clung to it playfully.
"No, come back to bed!"
Jim laughed and tugged again on his coat, as it slid away from Oswald's body, Jim felt an ache in his chest. At that moment he would have happily handed in his notice to quit and and thrown away his career just be with Oswald and never leave his side again, but morning had come with the harsh light of day and the harsh reminder of reality: They had to go back to their separate lives.
As he put on his coat he noticed there was a stain on the lining – that was from Oswald, from the moment he had let loose his inhibitions and come loudly for the first time in his life. His coat carried the scent of his lovers body. Jim wanted to wear it every day and never wash it again, just to remember it all in vivid detail.
Oswald got dressed a little slower than Jim, he was stiff from sleeping on the couch and his leg was giving him pain, but he refused his offer of help and soon he was dressed again.
"Need a ride home?" Jim asked.
"I have a car out the back," Oswald replied, "We usually use Ed's car, so mine is always at the club. I'll get home safely."
"I won't call you," Jim told him, "Give it a few days, then you call me. I don't want to risk calling you when Ed could overhear us. And yes, I meant what I said last night, I do very much want to see you again."
Oswald reached for his cane stood up, then paused to brush down his jacket before smiling brightly. There was a shine to his eyes and a glow to his face as if last night had just brought him back to life, back from a dark and lonely place. Jim gave Oswald a kiss that lingered far longer than time ought to have allowed. By the time he left the club and headed off in yesterday's clothing, he was ten minutes late for work...
Ten Years Later:
After that brief conversation with Barbara, Jim had put work on hold and called Harvey. By now he was retired, but he still kept an ear to the ground and if anyone knew what was going on with Oswald, it would him, he was bound to have heard something. So he had called him, as anxiety knotted his guts and he recalled what Barbara had said. Harvey answered the phone after a few rings, and greeted him warmly.
"Jim!" he exclaimed, "I'm barely up yet, and aren't you supposed to be working?"
"I am supposed to be working...but I need to know something," he said, keeping his voice low even though the office door was closed, "Have you heard anything about Oswald lately?"
There was a pause. Jim was holding his breath as he waited for him to speak, silently praying his fears were unfounded. Then Harvey spoke up, and all Jim could do was listen as he took a deep breath and kept a tight hold on his emotions.
"I thought you knew?"
"Knew what? Tell me what's happened to Oswald, I need to know."
Harvey gave a sigh.
"I don't know much at all. He's still the owner of the Iceberg Lounge, but as you know, he cut his ties with the underworld after all the stuff with Ed..."
The reminder of all that had happened sent an ache through his heart.
"I remember that too, please don't remind me."
"You're not chasing after that guy again, are you?"
"No, I just want to know if he's okay," Jim said quickly, recalling the day Harvey had found out who his lover was – that had been a day he would never forget... then Harvey spoke up again.
"Unless it's police business, it's hard to find out much at all. It's been kept quiet, but from what I did hear, it sounds pretty bad. Oswald collapsed at the Lounge a few months back – twice. Apparently he'd just got over some surgery and he thought he was okay but then he wasn't... I heard the first time it happened, he was in pain. The second time was a couple of months later, he fainted, he was out for about five minutes, then he came around and Ed took him home."
"What else do you know?"
"I know he had surgery at Arkham Hospital – not the psychiatric building, the hospital at the back – they have very advanced equipment there, it must have been serious. There's also rumour he later went to Hugo Strange for some experimental treatment and it made him very sick. He's not been seen at the club for a long time, he's doing all his business from home now. That's all I've heard and I don't know how much of it is right – Strange stopped his monster making years back, he's got a lot of wealthy patients now and he does a lot of experimental stuff – trying new cures and treatments - but he doesn't have to disclose anything because it's not a police matter. He won't say a word to you because you don't have a warrant. He won't break confidentiality."
"But rumours do get around fast in this city and we don't know if any of it is true," Jim pointed out.
Harvey paused for thought.
"My advice to you is either talk to Oswald or leave him alone," he replied, "If he is sick, he might not want to be reminded of the past."
"But I need to know," Jim replied, speaking low into the phone as the ache in his heart weighed heavy, "Oswald's not exactly someone I can ever forget."
"You could try his friends," Harvey suggested, "He used to be very close to Ivy Pepper."
"That's a name I haven't heard for a long time."
"Neither have I, but you could try her," Harvey replied.
"Thanks, I will," said Jim, then he glanced at the time and reluctantly told Harvey he needed to get back to work.
After ending the call he ran a search on Ivy but could only find an old address from years back; she had moved on, and as there were no police records updated, would be hard to find...
Much later, when work was over and the day was drawing to a close as night began to fall, Jim was at home in his apartment, on the sofa and watching TV, but his thoughts were still with Oswald. He couldn't just turn up at the house and ask what was going on, it didn't seem right after so many years had gone by... Then he suddenly got an idea and grabbed his phone, then searched to see if Ivy had a social media account. Over the years, he had searched more than once out of curiosity to see if Oswald was online, but he had found no Ed Nygma or Oswald Cobblepot. He didn't doubt they used aliases, considering their once notorious criminal pasts. The search for Ivy turned up nothing on profiles, but then he noticed a local business called Ivy's Green Creations. He followed the link and there she was, standing in a huge greenhouse beside a majestic looking plant that trailed upwards. Apparently she had started up a business making rare plant hybrids. He sent her a message, keeping it brief:
Ivy, it's Jim Gordon. This isn't a police matter – more a personal one. I was just wondering how Oswald is doing these days, I heard he's had a rough time lately. I hope he's okay now.
He sent the message quickly before he changed his mind, then he put the phone on the table. The reply came back faster than expected and he snatched up the phone, sitting up as he accessed the message.
Jim, she had written, this is unexpected. I know, by the way – about you and him. Ozzy told me a long time ago. I guess you would be worried. As you know, poor Oz has been through hell this past eleven months. I didn't know you were back in touch with him.
"I'm not," Jim murmured as he hoped he could keep the conversation going, then he replied:
Well, we haven't spoken for a while and I guessed it would be a bad time to get in touch with how sick he's been. I was wondering if you could put me in touch with Ed, so I could ask him how things are going?
There was a pause.
So... message him?
I can't find his ID, Jim replied.
Has he hidden it again? Ivy wrote, He's very careful with his profile... no wait, he hasn't. I can see it - Eddie Riddles.
Thanks Ivy, Jim wrote back, Ever since I heard about Oswald I've been so worried. I know it's been a few years, but I just want to know he's okay.
Ivy wrote back immediately:
Wait – you haven't spoken to him for years? You really should stay away, Ozzy has been through a lot. He's got a very tight circle of friends. If you're not in that circle, I can't help you.
"Please don't shut me out," Jim said, sending another reply:
I just want to know if he's okay. I've heard rumours he's been very sick. I never stopped caring about him and I just want answers, as a friend.
Ivy sent him a smile and a hug and a heart made of twisting vines, then she sent a final reply:
That's very sweet. Bless your kind heart. I wish I could explain but I won't break my promise to stay quiet, it's a private matter. He's been through a lot, but all you need to know is he's safe and he's very loved. You don't need to worry about him. He really doesn't need any stress at this time. If he didn't tell you what was going on, he didn't want you to know, it's as simple as that. It's just been him and Ed getting through this together. They don't need you or anyone else at this time. Don't contact me about this again, please.
Jim thanked her for her time, and then closed down the message box.
Then he searched the name Eddie Riddles and found Ed's profile. There was very little on it that he could see, it was locked down tightly apart from two pictures, the first was his profile picture which showed a toned upper arm and a tattoo that said Oz, in the capital O the words eternal love had been written in elegant lettering. It surprised Jim to see that, so Ed was into tattoos now? Above the picture he had written, My latest tattoo - for my Ozzy. The date on the picture was six months ago.
But it was the other picture that made Jim's heart ache: It was a photo of Oswald, he was wearing an elegant suit and his hair was spiked just as he remembered it, he was smiling playfully for the picture as he rested on a couch in the front room of the mansion, but he had a pillow behind him and he looked pale and tired. Beside the picture Ed has written, 'My brave and beautiful Oswald – I'm in awe of your courage every day. I'm so glad I married you!'
Jim felt a hard emotional jolt on reading those words; obviously after all that had happened ten years back, everything had changed for the better. He didn't know they were married, they had lived very quietly behind the gates of that mansion after Oswald had made the surprising decision to step away from the Gotham underworld. It made Jim happy to know that Ed called him beautiful, in the old days Ed had been so cold and often distant towards him, clearly that had changed and to know Oswald was so deeply loved helped ease the pain in his heart. Then he noticed there were comments on the picture, and he read them:
Are you sure you don't regret it now?
No regrets! Ed had replied, I'm crazy in love you with you, I live for you! He had added a heart and two kisses to that comment.
I couldn't get through this without you, Ed, the reply said, You keep me strong.
I'll always keep you strong, Ozzy, Ed had replied, We will get through this together.
That conversation had happened almost a year ago, on the day the picture had been posted. There was nothing else to see, but as he looked at the replies on the post, he had already caught sight of what he needed to find: there was Oswald's online name – this had been the reason Jim had never been able to find him before, he wasn't Oswald Cobblepot any more, he simply went by his married name of Ozzy Nygma... he had taken Ed's name? That was another surprise, for some reason Jim had assumed Ed would have become Cobblepot...
He went straight to Oswald's profile seeing nothing but a picture of him and Ed in a darkened room next to the dim glow of a lamp at the mansion, they were sitting close together, Ed with his arm protectively around Oswald. That picture had been taken around a year ago...His profile was locked down as heavy as Ed's and there was no option to message either of them.
Jim gave a sigh and left the page and put the phone back on the table. He thought of all he had learned and blinked away tears, it didn't look at all good that neither of them had updated publicly in a year, maybe Oswald was too sick now and didn't want any new pictures taken... for Ed to have had that tattoo done, it seemed more like a tribute to his dying love than a simple show of affection...
He sat there lost in his thoughts as the night darkened, then his mind strayed back ten years to the day he had been caught by Harvey, what a day that had been... It was the day he had thought for split second, that his career as a cop was over... Jim stayed up late that night, as memories of the past flickered through his mind. He had never felt so close to the past as he did now...
