Chapter 14

Oswald and Ivy's wedding was a truly happy day. After so much sadness the family had gone through, it felt like a new era had begun on the day Ivy became the second Mrs Cobblepot. After the wedding, they went on honeymoon, taking a luxury three week cruise, and Ed went with them. This was a three way marriage and from now on, the three of them would do everything together - and they were all in agreement that they would never want that to change.

They returned home and life went on. Spring turned to summer and already little Cayden was calling Ozzie Dada. Lilly was still designing the traps for the Jigsaw, who was now actively a combination of Ed, Ivan and Johnny. Lilly didn't miss her old role because after all the worry about her son, she was just relieved he could now look forward to a healthy future - and she wanted to spend every single moment with him. The three of them stayed mostly at Ivy's place, just their little family, safe and closed away from the world.

But they knew it couldn't last forever. Eventually, they would have to resolve this problem. When someone came up with a solution, it didn't come from Oswald or Ed or any of the family. It came from Johnny Velaska...

"I needed to talk to you first," Johnny said as he took a seat in the front room. He was at the mansion, Lilly and Ozzie didn't even know he had turned up yet.

The doors to the garden were open and early summer breeze came in, carrying with it the scent of flowers that made Ivy turn her head and smile as she thought about her plants and how they loved the sunshine. She was sitting on the sofa next to Oswald, and Ed was sat the other side of her. They all looked at Johnny, and as he said, "I have a way to help Lilly and Ozzie," Oswald looked at him intently.

"If you can help them we would be most grateful, but Johnny, it's not an easy situation."

Johnny smiled. His eyes were shining as if he knew a great secret they were yet to uncover. As he explained, they understood at once.

"My husband has a very high up, very powerful job in government security. It takes him all over the world. He gives people new identities, new lives. He also does work unofficially, especially for people I care about. He can make up new IDs for Ozzie, Lilly and Cayden and those IDs will stand up to any scrutiny. But... before I go ahead with it, they would have to be willing to leave Gotham. I'm aware that Lilly's only friend is me, that's fine – and Ozzie lost his friends when he faked his own death, understandable. That makes it even easier. But my only concern is, I know Ozzie didn't fake driving his car into a wall. You have to be honest with me, is he likely to be a risk to himself or a risk to blowing his family's cover if he loses it? Because if he can't live away from home without the support of his family constantly around, we can't do this."

Oswald answered without hesitation.

"My son crashed his car because he couldn't bear to live without Lilly and his child. As long as he's with her, I am confident he will be just fine."

Ivy nodded in agreement.

"My husband is right," she said, "Together, they will be okay."

Ed frowned as he thought about the plan.

"Will they have to fake their deaths?"

"No," Johnny replied, "There's no need to do that. They're not on the run, they just want to start a new life together. Lilly and Ozzie are both young, wealthy people who can do as they please. They could be any where. They don't have to prove their location to anyone because no one is looking for them. And there's nothing stopping them from visiting you or you seeing them – as long as you're sure no one else outside of the family will find out what's going on if they return for a visit. This is a very different situation to what this kind of stuff is usually about – they're not in witness protection. Those rules don't apply. And I have to ask this, are you sure there's no more genetic health issues?"

"I am very sure," Oswald replied, "Lilly's clear of the condition, so is Cayden, Ozzie is a carrier but that won't affect him, and he's had a vasectomy so there won't be any more sick kids born into the family."

Johnny nodded.

"That all sounds okay... Oswald, are you certain your son can cope away from home, just him, Lilly and the baby?"

Oswald smiled.

"Lilly will be running that family," he said, "You can be sure of that!"

Ivy laughed.

"Lilly's always run Ozzie's life!"

As they carried on talking, Ed listened as the conversation became more light hearted, and it brought a smile to his face. Finally, there was a solution for Lilly and Ozzie – and even the subject of them being together was no longer a source of anger or pain. Everything was working out for the best.

It was the middle of summer when Ozzie and Lilly and their son left Gotham. The whole family were there to say goodbye on the morning they left in a car driven by Johnny, who had told them nothing about their new home – he said it was all going to be a big surprise. Lilly had hugged her parents and her Uncle Ed, and Ivan had shook hands with Ozzie, then pulled him into a hug and whispered, Look after Lilly. Ozzie had said a tearful farewell to his family, hugging his parents and then his grandmother tightly.

"I will make sure this works," he promised his father, "I won't mess up. No fights, no trouble, no unsuitable friends -"

"If you do have unsuitable friends," Oswald promised him, "I will personally see to that they disappear without a trace! Now go and start your new life. We will visit when we can."

Oswald hugged his son again, then Ozzie got into the back of the car with Lilly and the baby, and they drove away.

As the rest of the family stood there on the driveway, Ivy watched as the car drove through the gateway and hit the open road, then she blinked away tears.

"This place is going to be so quiet without Ozzie and Lilly."

Oswald stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her as he embraced her, protectively covering her already visible pregnancy.

"It won't be quiet for long, not with these two on the way!" he replied with a smile, and Ed saw the proud look in his eyes and he smiled too. Oswald was thrilled – that fertility drug she had created had certainly worked - Ivy was pregnant with twins...

It was a long drive to their new home. While the baby slept, Lilly and Ozzie were sat together in the back of the car, embracing and both filled with excitement at the thought of the new start that awaited them. Then as they turned off the main highway and hit another road that led towards a direction they had never been before, Lilly turned her head and smiled as her gaze locked with Ozzie's.

"I think we're far away enough from home to do this now. I love you, Ozzie!"

"I love you too!" he said excitedly, and they kissed to celebrate.

Johnny glanced back at them, then as he watched the road as he drove along, he chuckled.

"Hey Lilly!"

She broke off from her kiss with Ozzie.

"What?"

"I have a new name for you!"

Ozzie started to laugh.

"Last time it was Miss Pointy Penguin Nose!"

She was still in Ozzie's arms as she looked to the front of the car.

"What is it, Johnny?"

He chuckled again, then as he laughed out loud again, he sounded just like his late uncle.

"No, I can't say. It's a bad one this time!"

"Just tell us!" Lilly started to laugh too.

"No!"

"Tell us, Johnny!" Ozzie exclaimed, "It can't be that bad, I've heard all your insults!"

Johnny was laughing so hard his shoulders were shaking.

"You can't slap me for it because I'm driving - I will tell you... wait..."

He was still laughing.

"What is it?" Lilly demanded.

"Brotherfucker!" Johnny exclaimed, then he laughed again.

Lilly glared at him, then as Ozzie looked away and tried and failed not to laugh, she started to smile.

"You're right - I can't slap you while we're driving. I'll slap you when we get out of the car!"

"We're almost there now," Johnny added, "Almost home, Lilly!"

She and Ozzie looked out the window as the car turned again, into a small, quiet area at the back of a small town. There was nothing remarkable about the place, it was just... ordinary. They drove through the back roads, then through the heart of town, then on towards down a road that led to more residential streets. As he stopped the car outside a small house with a wide driveway, he turned off the engine.

"Welcome home! Ozzie, you get the baby, I want to take Lilly around the back. I have something to show her."

Lilly got out of the car, leaned on her cane, feeling stiff from sitting for so long on the journey, then she followed him around the side of the house to a tall gate.

"I've got a surprise for you," he said, "Close your eyes."

Lily closed her eyes. She heard him open the gate, then he put a hand on her back and stood beside her.

"Walk forward, I'll tell you when to stop."

She began to walk with him, one step at a time down the path that led to the back garden.

"Now look," said Johnny.

As Lilly opened her eyes, what she saw was very ordinary, but to her, so special. It was that garden. The one she had dreamed of when she had been pregnant and wishing she could have that ordinary life with Ozzie and the baby in an ordinary house, with an ordinary garden... the lawn was exactly as she had described it, and in the middle of it, a sprinkler was turning. She started to laugh as tears filled her eyes.

"Oh Johnny thank you!" she said, and then turned around and hugged him tightly.

"I thought you'd like the garden," he replied, "You don't have to thank me, Lilly. That's what best friends are for."

As he let go of her, Ozzie had joined them with Cayden in his arms.

"Oh, I like the garden... it's perfect for the baby!"

"This is exactly what I wanted!" Lilly told him as she wiped a tear from her eye.

Johnny handed Ozzie the house keys.

"It's decorated, furnished, and it's all yours!" he said, "Let's go inside and sit down, I'm shattered from that long drive. Ozzie, there are beers in the fridge!"

"Perfect!" replied Ozzie, and he handed Cayden to Lilly, unlocked the door and they went inside.

While Johnny and Ozzie went inside, Lilly stood there on the patio with the baby in her arms, looking to the garden. Then she leaned her cane against the wall and kicked off her shoes and made her way over to the lawn. She took her phone from her pocket, switched to front facing camera and framed herself and Cayden as she smiled brightly. Joy was sparkling in her eyes as she took the picture, then sent it to her father with a message:

"We're home at last and we love it – we are going to be SO happy here!"

Months later, long after Lilly and Ozzie had settled into their new life, Ivy gave birth to twin boys. They were strong and healthy and both resembled their father. Ed was so happy to see such joy in Oswald's eyes. As for Ivy, she couldn't stop smiling. They named the twins Oswald and Oliver. On the day they brought the babies home, it was snowing. Oswald thought of Rose and felt sure she would have been happy for them.

It was warm in the mansion with the fires glowing and the lights burning brightly, and as Ivy got settled into bed with a baby in each arm and Ed sat one side of the bed and Oswald sat on the other, Ivy was radiant with joy. Then Ed exchanged a glance with Oswald and said, "You should ask her that question now!"

Both men laughed.

Ivy looked from Ed to her husband.

"What question?"

Ed chuckled.

"He's been waiting to say this to you for months!"

"What is it, Pengie?" she asked.

Oswald looked to Ed, then to Ivy as his eyes sparkled playfully.

"Ivy," he said, "Do you now have enough little baby penguins?"

She looked to the babies in her arms and as she smiled and joy filled her eyes, Oswald was sure he had never seen her look so beautiful.

"Yes," she said, "Oh yes, I have enough little penguins now!"

Oswald leaned closer and they shared a kiss.

"I feel like I'm holding two future kings in my arms," she added softly.

"Perhaps they will be," Oswald replied, feeling so proud as he looked at Ivy, the woman who had started him on this road to building his dynasty so long ago. It had started with her and Lilly, and then Rose had come along and he had married her and then Ozzie and Karina had been born... To see Ivy, now his wife, holding their newborn sons all these years later, gave him a wonderful sense of completion – his ambition had been realised.

"As I look at our sons, I can see them ruling Gotham one day," he added.

"They're going to be smart like you," Ivy told him.

"And with enhanced genetics," Ed reminded them, "Like Lilly."

Oswald and Ivy exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing: Lilly, the Gotham Jigsaw, who had been a powerful genius...in all the wrong ways.

"No," Oswald said softly as he gazed down at his sons, "Not like Lilly. These two will be underworld men. I shall make sure of that."

As she met his gaze, Ivy smiled again.

"Two kings of Gotham," she replied, recalling her dream. She felt it in her heart, these boys were destined for greatness...

Rose's Ghost:

'Ivy was right. Oswald and Oliver would grow up to be kings. One day the Cobblepot twins would rule the entire Gotham underworld. Eventually, Oliver Cobblepot would marry a Valeska and that union would solidify the two biggest crime families into one.

My Oswald had certainly built his dynasty. Karina would grow up to be a fine business woman and eventually run Cobblepot Oil. Eddie, son of Edward Nygma, would follow his father into forensics. Later, he would prove invaluable in helping to confuse the various investigations that would go into the Gotham Jigsaw killings. Those killings would go on. Ed and Ivan and Johnny worked together to do their part to rid the streets of scum, and they enjoyed it, too.

As for the rest of the family, Gertrude would live to a very old age, and she was always the wise old matriarch of the family. Ed and Ivy and Oswald would live together for the rest of their lives, and they would stay happy in their three way marriage.

As for Lilly and Ozzie? They got to live happily ever after, in their ordinary house in an ordinary town where no one knew the truth about their identity. Cayden would stay healthy and their family would expand eventually when he was a little bit older – under their new identity, they adopted a daughter.

I know you are wondering two things:

The first is, where IS Lilly Kapelput, the Gotham Jigsaw? Well, I can't tell you her location. But her and Ozzie and their kids could be anywhere. They might be the parents that stand next to you at the school gates waiting for the kids at the end of the day. Lilly could be walking past you in the supermarket. She still wears black, still carries a parasol and sometimes her hands are marked with lead smudges from all those pencil drawings she makes, those plans for the deadly devices and traps that she still designs. For all you know, Lilly Kapelput could be in your neighbourhood, living across the street – or even in the house next door...

The other question you have is, how can the dead speak?

My answer is simple. I once said, at the start of my tale, that my story begins and ends under the grey skies of Gotham. And it does. It ended in life when that truck slammed into my car.

But that wasn't the end of me.

I'm always there, just beyond the veil of life and death at the place where it divides, watching over my Oswald. I'm the love he feels when the snow falls and he thinks of me. I'm the cause of that moment when the pain in his leg suddenly eases off and he feels okay again. I know you're wondering, did I help Cayden survive? Maybe I did. But I won't say yes, because Ed has his own scientific theory and likes to be right. I'll let him keep that theory.

I'm waiting somewhere beyond life for the day when they join me again, but I'm glad to say I have a long wait. Oswald and Ed will live long and happy lives with Ivy. Sometimes they visit my grave. I always know when Oswald lays flowers, and when he feels the breeze kiss his cheek, I hope he knows that kiss is from me.

Nothing ever really dies.

Oswald once said, love was all that mattered for us. He was right – even when death divides us, the ties that live on are made of love and those ties, they live forever...'

End