"Mary, have you heard from your dad?"

"No, why?"

Great, now she had to bring more bad news. "When I called him he ended the call out of the blue. Somebody put a bounty on my head and I'm afraid it's the same with your father. I can't reach him and he can't reach me as I'm using a burner phone. Mary, you have to be careful, I have no idea who wants us dead, it must have something to do with the cover-up of the Crows."

"I was afraid something like this happens when you showed up with Julia. You know, Kate introduced her to me as her assistant, I wonder why she didn't tell me Julia is her ex."

"Well, you have to ask her."

"You know, when I came into the clinic and saw you and her, half naked, I thought I was interrupting something."

"She saved my life."

"And you are both Kate's ex. I wonder what she says about the fact Julia saved your life."

"I have no idea. And I wonder where Batwoman was." There had been a time when she had trusted that Batwomen took care of her. Now, that they had decided to go separate ways, she couldn't hope for her anymore.

"She might have a few things on her own plate."

"Yeah. And…we broke up so there is no reason for her to look after me."

"I'm sure she cares for you."

Sophie wasn't sure anymore. She wished she could talk to Batwoman, ask her, if she could help them with their problems at the Crows.

"Can you make sure you are safe?" Sophie asked.

"I will be careful."

"Good. And stay away from Tyler."

"Your ex? Why?"

"Because when I called him, told him somebody shot at me and might be after him, all he cared about was where I was. It didn't sound like he was worried about me, more like he was annoyed I was still alive."

"Shit. You didn't tell him, did you?"

"No."

"Good. I see if I can reach my father and Kate. Or have you talked to her?"

"Not yet, no."

"Give her a call and I try to reach Jacob. Are you save, Sophie?"

"I am, yes. Julia and I found a safe place to stay, although she left to be with Luke. Apparently his father was her godfather."

"He'll be glad to have her around. Stay safe and call me when you need anything."

"I will. Be safe yourself." Sophie ended the call. Mary was warned and would contact Jacob Kane. Would Kate answer the phone when she called her? When she had tried to call her earlier Kate hadn't answered. Something worried Kate, something big and Sophie was sure Alice was the reason for this.

"At least she is not the one who wants Commander Kane and me dead." Alice might have killed her stepmother and made her own father go to prison for it, yet she hadn't tried to kill Sophie. Thanks to Kate. When it was so important to Alice to keep Sophie alive she must believe Kate still cared deeply for her. Was that possible? Was Kate still in love with her?

"I better call her and stop thinking about something, that…I can't answer." She dialed Kate's number and waited. With every beep her hope that Kate picked up vanished. Voicemail.

"Shit. Kate, when you hear this, be careful, call your father. Somebody tried to kill him and me. I'm safe but I have no idea how he is." Should she tell her that Julia knew where she was? No, it was better to leave this information. When Julia was with Luke she was likely to see Kate too and Julia could tell her.

Was Julia here because of Kate? She had said she was here because she found out about the bounty on Sophie, had recognized Sophie as Kate's ex. Why did Julia care about the ex of her ex? You did not protect the ex of your ex. British Intelligence. What was a British agent doing in Gotham City? And when Julia's godfather had been Lucious Fox, how much did Julia know about Gotham?

Sophie most definitely had a couple of questions for the blonde agent.

Being caught in a motel room was not exactly what Sophie had pictured when she returned to work. She had tried to get some sleep, had watched TV and then watch the night slowly give way to the morning light. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't hide in here forever and she couldn't walk around town as somebody wanted her dead. How was she supposed to find out who was after this when she sat in this room? She had nothing to work with, nothing that helped her solve any problems and she still had no idea how Commander Kane was doing.

A knock on the door made sat up and take her gun.

"It's me."

The British accent was obvious. Sophie unlocked the door and Julia stepped inside, a paper bag in her hand.

"Good morning, I brought breakfast."

"How are Kate and her father?"

"Alive."

"Alive and well or alive and hurt?" Alive was an important point, yet Sophie wanted to know more.

"Kate locked Alice into Arkham today." Julia took the coffee out of the bag and gave it to Sophie.

"What?" Alice, the actual Alice, was locked away? She was off the streets? And Kate locked her up? "How?"

"Alice asked Kate to help her to free Mouse, Kate agreed and they broke into Arkham. When they found Mouse and Alice went into the cell to free him, Kate closed the door, locked it. Her father was there too. Alice is off the roads for now."

"For now?"

"It's Alice, I'd not bet that she stays in Arkham. There are always ways."

"How is Kate?" The coffee helped, it warmed her and woke her up. She really needed this one.

"Disappointed that she betrayed her sister, it hadn't been an easy decision, yet it was the right decision. Meanwhile, Jacob Kane was shot at and killed whoever tried to kill him. He and Kate got the message you gave to Mary. I'm sorry your ex husband is part of this."

"Me too."

"It's good he is your ex."

So was Kate and she hadn't tried to kill her. "Why are you here? I mean, what is British Intelligence doing in the USA?"

"As I said, I heard about the bounty on your head."

"And you came here to safe me? Why?"

"Because that's what Kate wants. She wants you safe and I know she couldn't handle losing you, too." Julia handed Sophie a bagel.

She came here because of Kate, because Kate needed her alive? Like Kate had come back to Gotham when Sophie had been abducted. There were the words, Kate saying she couldn't move on from her, and there were the actions, Kate's actions, actions others took because of Kate, that made Sophie swallow. Kate and her, it had been special and it still was.

"We're not a couple."

"This doesn't mean she doesn't care for you anymore, Sophie. She does. A lot."

"Is she at a safe place?"

"Yes. We need to focus on how to stop these people, who want you and Commander Kane dead."

"Maybe Batwoman can help."

Julia smiled. "Maybe."

"I wonder where she was. She…somehow she seemed to be around when I worked with the Crows and last night, she was not there. Or has she saved the Commander?" It wouldn't be the first time and yet her Commander still believed Batwoman was a problem rather than a solution. This is bigger than two different opinions. Oh hell it was.

"No, I don't think Batwoman was anywhere near last night."

"I wonder why." Where was Batwoman? She missed her. When she closed her eyes, she could still feel her lips on her own, could still remember every second of every kiss.

"Gotham has many crime scenes. With Alice off the streets Batwoman's life might become quieter. Although, Gotham never had a problem in producing more criminals. Sometimes this city feels like the playground of the psychopaths and serial killers."

"Add corrupt agents." Her own colleagues. First Dodgson and now there were more.

"See, as I said, there is always work to do."

"Tell me about it, I want to know who wants me dead." Besides Tyler.

"You telling us Tyler is involved makes things easier, we will check with whom he had close contact the last weeks. How he got involved in this, as he hadn't been a Crow when Lucious Fox was killed. He either has a connection to an agent, who was on the case back then or he joined them recently. If it's the latter one, I want to know what made him change sides."

His wife leaving him? Her not feeling for him what he feels for her, not having the same dreams he has. Or he had been in this from the beginning and it had nothing to do with them breaking up.

"Me too. I can't believe I was so wrong, that he had fooled me all the time."

"How long have you been together?"

"Four years." Four years of lying to herself, the world, ignoring her feelings and pretending to be somebody, she was not.

"A long time."

"How long have you been with Kate?"

"Not long, a few weeks. Kate was a little bit mad when she found out her cousin Bruce wanted me to look after her. When she found out I was not only a material art teacher she ended it - but the main reason was because she was not over you. I doubt she ever will."

Sophie swallowed. Okay, she hadn't expected this. At least not that Kate's ex said these words.

"I think you regret as much as she does that you didn't leave Point Rock with her."

"Yes. Back then I was…deep in the closet and didn't want to ruin my chances to get the job I had always dreamed of. Lately I had to learn that the job is not as great as I thought it was."

"Back then you were in the closet? You are not anymore?"

"No."

"Right, Mary knows about you and Kate."

"She did before I came out. To my mother. Who did not take it well." Or hadn't called at all since then.

"I'm sorry she is not supportive."

"Yeah, me too." And she would be sorry for a long time. If not forever. Sophie was not sure if her mother would forgive her.

"Oh, this reminds me: Kate mentioned you have a puppy? Where is it?"

"Kodah is with my neighbors. They know about the bounty and look after her until I can come back home. Whenever that might be." She had no idea how long she could stay here, it was not the resolution to stay here and wait for a while. The people, who wanted her dead, wouldn't leave.

"We will figure something out."

They had to. These people had to be stopped and taken into prison. How were the people of Gotham supposed to trust the Crows when criminals worked in their agency. Killed innocent civilians and tampered evidence so murders were free and innocent people in prison or have been killed. No, the Crows weren't an institution people could trust at the moment and Sophie would be damned when she accepted this without a fight.