AN: Before we continue…
SPOILERS. SPOILERS. SPOILERS FOR 'A LITTLE BIRD TOLD HIM'. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
There. I hate people that can't put one little word before ruining things for everyone. *rolls eyes* Talk about tacky…anyway. Not sure if he did, but Oswald probably should have gone to the hospital after…everything. For safety's sake and all. As for the 'Present' arc…we're not discussing that right now. AT ALL.
Olivia Cobblepot-He certainly thinks so. But don't they all? Egotism is a requirement for Rogue-dom. And a healthy dose of childhood angst. Gotta blame the homicidal impulses on somebody.
Apollo Holmes-Really old porcelain dolls are creepy. Especially when their eyes get yellow. And nope, Dove is alive and well. Scarred for life, with no desire to go near Crane again, but breathing.
Christine-Thank you! And for a while I wondered if he gave the kid a Glasgow grin and had done with it, but figured nah, he's liking the whole 'murder' thing.
She'd been watching TV-some electric nut had caused damage at the GCPD, what was this city coming to?-when her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Miss Marquis? This is Jim Gordon."
Wait…how did he get her number?
"Hi?"
"Your number was in Cobblepot's phone."
How did HE get her number? What the hell?
"Huh?"
"You need to come and get him."
"From?"
"The GCPD."
Wait, what? Oh, no…
"He's not dead, is he?"
"No. Just come and pick him up."
Good. She wouldn't have been sorry, but she did like getting a paycheck every week.
She flipped off the TV, wondered what in the world he'd been doing down there in the first place, and decided she didn't really care. If he wasn't calling her, though, he was probably unconscious. Maybe she should bring a pillow. If he made too much noise, she could always smother him with it.
Sure enough, he was out cold, his face bloody and his hair sticking up in odd directions. Somebody had dragged him out of the way, but that was all. He looked a mess. She should take pictures!
"Hi, Detective."
"Hello."
"What happened?"
"He was electrocuted. Twice."
God, what a resilient little…well, never mind.
"Okay."
"Do you have a car?"
"Yeah."
"Come on, then."
He picked Cobblepot up far more gently than she deemed necessary. If it had been up to her, she'd have grabbed an ankle and started pulling. Maybe she'd try not to bang him into too many desks on the way out.
"You've got a big goose egg on your head."
"Yes."
"So? Is it true? You took down the psycho?"
"Yes."
"You have your job back, then?"
"For now."
"I'm glad." And she was. He may have been an idiot-would it kill him to take a bribe and shut up?-but his heart was in the right place. "Stick him in the front. If he's in the back he might rise up with a knife."
It took a bit of manoeuvring to get him buckled in-she wouldn't have bothered, but it was the law to wear seatbelts. Whatever.
"Thanks, Detective."
"Maybe take him to a clinic."
"Why?"
"He has a big mouth." he said cryptically. "Good night."
Oh, god, what had he done? If he'd screwed her over-somehow-she was taking him down with her. Maybe she'd break the other leg and go from there.
She'd been sitting there, jumping at small noises, for about an hour. They'd taken his knives away when she checked him in, as well as his phone, which looked rather the worse for wear. She supposed it had taken a shock. She was surprised they'd managed to get anything out of it, frankly.
"Oww."
"Hi, boss."
"M-Miss Marquis." He sounded raspy. "Where are we?"
"Crappy clinic downtown. You got shocked."
"Don Falcone…"
"Huh?"
"He'll have been expecting me. Help me up."
"I don't think you're allowed."
He tried to sit up, was moderately successful…but had the bad timing to be seen by a nurse.
"YOUNG MAN! LAY YOUR ARSE BACK DOWN BEFORE YOU HURT YOURSELF!"
Dove covered her mouth to try and muffle her laughter. Cobblepot blinked and went back down without a word.
"Thank you." the nurse said primly. "Now stay there, sweetie, while I fetch the doctor."
"I tried to tell you, boss."
"Kindly shut up, Miss Marquis."
She shut up, but she would treasure this moment forever.
The scary nurse returned with a doctor in tow a few minutes later.
"Thanks, Nurse."
"Sure. Now, you do as you're told, is that quite clear?"
Cobblepot nodded.
"Good."
The doctor shook his head.
"Nurse Richardson* tells me you were trying to get up."
"I have an urgent appointment, I'm terribly late…"
"We'll just see about that."
Dove took the opportunity to step out for a cup of coffee.
One way or another-hopefully a non-murderous way-he got out of there and collapsed into the passenger's seat.
"Don Falcone's house."
"Are you sure? Maybe you should go home, take a nap…"
"No. No, I have to be there. Drive. You have permission to speed a little, if you must."
His voice was shaking with either excitement or nerves and for once she didn't even try to turn on the radio.
"Thank you, Miss Marquis. For, um…yes. Well."
"Sure, boss."
And that was the end of the conversation.
THE END
* Yes, that Nurse (Mary) Richardson. Nobody is safe.