A/N: This chapter contains a song by P!nk. True Love, ft. Lily Allen. I DO NOT OWN THIS SONG. I am merely using it for creative purposes, all rights and credits go to the owners of said song.
And I'm back! We are finally near the end of season one, which is awesome. Let's face it, that season tended to drag on at times.
And to answer a comment left by a guest: Yes. Yes, she does ;).
Now, onto the next chapter. After this, we have one left until season one ends, and then it's on to season two! I'm so excited!
Sometimes I hate every
Single stupid word you say
Sometimes I wanna slap you and your whole face (wuh-oh-oh)
There's no one quite like you
You push all my buttons and
I know life would suck without you (wuh-oh-oh)
Cassie's head bobbed to the loud beats coming from the stereo in the corner, her hand moving quickly across the page.
She was currently scribbling out the outline for next week's lesson plan. Bruce had breezed straight through the last one, so she was left with the task of finding more challenging material. Not that she minded, of course; Bruce's intelligence was something she planned on nurturing as much as physically possible. That kid had so much potential in him it was hard to look at him without getting mildly jealous.
She had turned on some music to drown out any of Alfred's chores, (the guy had been going at the carpet with a vacuum cleaner for a while after she and Bruce had accidentally broken a vase) and was currently half-dancing along to a few of her favorite song's she'd found on the radio.
At the same time, I wanna hug you
I wanna wrap my hands around your neck
You're an asshole, but I love you
And you make me so mad I ask myself
Why I'm still here
Oh, where could I go?
You're the only love I've ever known
But I hate you, I really hate you
So much I think it must be-
"Cassie!"
Bruce's panicked voice broke through the blaring speakers, causing the blonde to momentarily freeze and then lunge for the stereo, switching it off and leaping to her feet in one swift movement. Barefoot, she bolted down the hall and towards the stairs as Bruce's voice continued, growing more and more frantic.
"Cassie! Cassie, hurry!"
Finally, she burst into the study to find Bruce at Alfred's side. A closer inspection showed the older man was bent over at an awkward angle and leaning against the desk for support. He was clutching his left side, and Cas's heart dropped when she saw red coating his hand and beginning to stain his shirt.
"Shit." She muttered, then threw Alfred's arm over her shoulders. "Bruce, go get the keys. He tore his sutures, I need to take him back to the ER."
As Bruce ran off to do as instructed, Alfred scoffed, his voice catching slightly at the end. "Oh, bloody hell. I figured a former EMT of all people would know suture tear is minor."
"Yeah, on one of your limbs. Bleeding from the abdomen isn't minor, Alfred." Cassie rolled her eyes, helping the man out to the garage while awkwardly jamming her feet into her sneakers and grabbing her bag.
As they neared the car, Bruce came bursting from the door on the other side of the garage, keys clutched in one hand. Cassie took them and instructed him to help Alfred into the back seat, giving the boy a clean rag she'd snatched off the mechanics cart to press over the wound.
"Alright, keep an eye on him, Bruce." She told the boy firmly as she started the car, "It's only ten minutes to the hospital."
Luckily for Alfred, the tear wasn't severe. He'd only ripped six of his fourteen sutures, but it was in the deepest and least-healed parts of the wound. The doctor was forced to remove the rest and completely re-do the former work, including irrigating the wound in case the opening had caused any bacteria growth or entry.
After a few hours, he was finished. But despite the doctors wanting to keep him for observation overnight, the stubborn old man outright refused and demanded the paperwork to go home. Upon seeing that no amount of persuading was going to change his mind, Cassie and Bruce got the instructions from the doctor of the best way to take care of him.
So, with the sun now much lower in the sky, the trio staggered back into the manner. Bruce helped Cassie lay Alfred comfortably onto the couch, the pain medicine they'd given him now in full swing. Of course, the butler had a much higher pain tolerance than most, but morphine knocked out just about anyone.
"How long until he wakes up?" Bruce asked, and Cassie sighed as she threw a blanket over the man's slumbering form.
"A few hours, maybe just a little more. Honestly, sleep is the best thing for him. You saw how just a little bit of activity affected him; he really shouldn't be up and moving a lot."
The boy went quiet, and Cas looked up from where she'd finished positioning the pillow under Alfred's head. The look on Bruce's face didn't sit well with her; as clever as he was, the twelve-year-old was an awful liar. Standing up straight, Cassie walked over to the boy and stood in front of him, arms folded.
"Bruce."
He looked up at the sound of his name, and Cassie raised an eyebrow at him, staring hard into his own brown eyes.
"What was Alfred doing when his sutures tore?"
He was silent for a moment, then looked down, shrugging. Cas's suspicion grew and she stepped forward, putting her hands on his shoulders.
"Bruce," her voice grew more solemn, "you need to be completely honest with me. What was Alfred doing?"
This time, the silence was shorter. Bruce looked up into her eyes, voice strong.
"I don't know."
They stood there for another thirty seconds, staring at each other. Cassie searched the boy's expression for any sign of dishonesty, but there was none. With the nagging feeling still in her gut, she sighed. He wasn't going to tell her right now.
"Ok. Look, it's getting late. Go finish the homework I had laid out for you last night; it needs to be finished before we can start on the next lesson plan. Go on."
The boy followed his instructions silently. But if Cassie had watched him leave instead of going towards the kitchen to grab Alfred's prescriptions, she would have noticed the slip of paper he grabbed from the desk and his coat before leaving the room.
It was almost three hours later, and time for Alfred's next dose of meds. The doctor had prescribed a mild pain killer as well as a low-dose antibiotic to ensure no infection had set in, since the edges of the wound had been red and warm upon closer inspection.
"Alfred," the blonde nudged his arm gently, "Alfred, come on, it's time for your meds."
The older man stirred, a low groan sounding from his throat, and finally opened his eyes. Cassie rattled a few pills into her hand as he sat up slowly, wincing.
"To think I hired you as a nanny for the boy and now you're a nurse; looks like I'll have to increase your pay."
The blonde snorted as she handed him the pills and a glass of water, "You know I wouldn't say no to a bigger paycheck. Maybe a few more vacation days."
He chuckled, the winced again. Cassie put her hands on his shoulders.
"Don't push yourself. Just rest, ok?"
The butler allowed himself to eased back onto the couch, settling in comfortably. Soon, he was asleep.
With her friend now taken care of for a good while, Cas moved on to cleaning up the study. There were some ornaments and books on the desk that had been knocked off when Alfred tore his stitches, and she shifted to clean them up. But as she reached for the phone book that had fallen, she slowed.
Why was Alfred looking up gun ranges?
A few had been circled; there were only about four total within the city. Gotham wasn't exactly known for law-abiding gun owners, so those that had guns were either trained cops with access to the police training range or criminals that practiced on people. Or regular people that didn't have the time or luxury of going through the legal process.
"Reggie…"
Alfred's voice made her nearly jump out her skin, and she whipped around. He was shifting on the couch, sweating.
"Reg, how could you do this…"
Crouching beside him, Cas reached up to put a hand on his shoulder, "Alfred. Alfred, what-?"
"I'll get you for this, Reg, I won't let you get away from it like this…"
His words made her freeze, and a thought occurred to her.
Alfred and Bruce refused to say who the killer was. Jim suspected they knew him…
A stressor had caused Alfred to tear his sutures. And Bruce hadn't wanted to say what. A cold feeling settled in Cassie's bones, and she realized with a start how quiet the house was. Bruce hadn't even asked for help on his homework once.
"No, no, no…"
Cassie began to chant to herself as she turned and ran up the stairs, dead set on Bruce's room. Stopping the door, she knocked loudly.
"Bruce?"
No answer.
She tried the doorknob, then cursed. Locked. She pounded on the door.
"Bruce! Bruce, I'm not kidding, open this door right now!"
Only silence. Again.
Now panicking, Cassie dropped to a crouch and whipped out two paper clips. Only a few minutes later, the lock clicked and the doorknob twisted. Pushing hard, she stepped into the room, lapis lazuli eyes darting over the large bedroom.
Empty.
"Damn it."
After scribbling a note for Alfred that she and Bruce were out and not to worry, the nanny found herself driving to the very first gun range listed, her heart in her throat. She'd picked the least conspicuous car that was in the garage, but even the brand-new Camry drew some looks on this side of town. Her car was currently in for repairs, so she'd been borrowing it for the time being. The first two gun ranges had yielded no results. No one had wanted to speak to her. Whether it was because they didn't know who Bruce was or because she was driving the nicer car, she couldn't be too sure.
Jogging up to the entrance, she rang the buzzer. A few minutes later, the door opened.
"Yeah?"
A large, fairly overweight man answered the door, rock music and muffled gunfire behind him. He looked bored out of his mind, yet she didn't miss the way his eyes went over her chest.
Ew.
"I'm looking for a kid; he's about this tall, twelve, brown hair and brown eyes. Might have come by here asking for a guy named Reggie."
The man looked her up and down again, then shrugged and folded his arms. "Might have come by here. Why?"
I'm so not in the mood for this. "Because he's a kid, and he's missing, and I need to find him."
"You his mother or somethin'?"
"That's not your business. Now I'm gonna ask again, have you seen him?"
This time, however, the man stepped closer. Cas took a step back, feeling alarm bells start to go off in her head.
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Question is, how are you gonna make it worth my while, gorgeous?"
Not worth it. Cassie couldn't be looking for Bruce if she was raped and murdered. Stepping back further, she shook her head, her heart starting to beat faster and faster.
"Forget it. I'll check somewhere else."
She turned for her car, but a large hand wrapped around her bicep in a bruising grip. Her muscles tightened as the man leered at her.
"Not so fast, toots-"
But Cas didn't bother to listen anymore. Reaching up, she grabbed the man's thumb and yanked it back with as much force as she was capable of. There was a loud popping sound, and the man shrieked, yanking his hand back and cradling his thumb. Cassie turned tail and bolted towards her car, but she didn't get more than a few feet before a hand tangled in her hair.
"You're gonna pay for that you little bitch!"
He reared his fist back, but it didn't hit her.
Cas watched in disbelief as another large hand clamped down on the mans, squeezing it. Both froze at the sight of the large, older man holding the guy's fist, his face set like stone.
"That any way to treat a lady, my friend?"
The man's thick, Bronx accent broke the guy from his shock, and he let go of her to shove the stranger off of him. "How about your mind your own fucking business, gramps?"
"Ahem."
A clearing throat behind the trio caused them to turn, and Cassie could barely suppress her groan at the man who was standing there.
You've got to be kidding me.
Oswald Cobblepot smirked at the blonde before turning back to the two men, the tip of his umbrella on the ground and his hands folded over the crook on the end. "Gabe, why don't you inform this man what happens to those who hurt my friends."
Cassie opened her mouth to tell this man she wouldn't be his friend even if she was at gunpoint, but the man who had grabbed her beat her to the punch. "And just who the hell are you, you little freak?"
Cobblepot's face dropped, and the older man reached into his coat, pulling out a gun. Cas tensed at the sight of the magnum, but not as much as her attacker. He threw up his hands, backing towards the range's open front door.
"Alright, man, alright! No need to pull your piece, we're cool!"
He scurried back into the range, and the door slammed behind him.
"Well," Cobblepot tapped the end of his umbrella on the ground twice, "I think that went rather well, no?"
Cassie scowled and him and turned, heading back towards her car.
"And just where are you going?"
"It's not your business, Cobblepot. Now leave me alone."
She opened the door, but a large hand slammed onto it and shut it. The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she realized Penguin and his bodyguard now had her cornered up against the car.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire.
"Now, now, there's no need to be rude, Cassandra. I was simply returning a favor."
"That's great." Cassie's eyes flitted over to the man holding her door closed, "Now can you tell your dog to back off so I can go about my business?"
"Does this business have to do with Bruce Wayne, perhaps?"
Cas froze, her gaze hardening and shifting on the spot. "Why would it?"
"Oh, please. Just about everyone knows you're his nanny."
"Really?"
"Well, no, but I have my sources." He looked amused. "Has the curious lad run off somewhere?"
"Again, I'm not sure how that's anyone's business."
He chuckled. "And here I was, thinking you'd like to hear about how he visited a shooting gallery over on the docks."
Her ears perked, and she looked at his face, searching for deception. But she only saw a devious smirk and eyes glinting with dark intentions, just like always. How much credibility could she really give him?
"How would you know that?"
"I just said, I have my resources."
"And why are you helping me?"
Cobblepot shrugged. "Detective Gordon is my good friend. And he cares deeply for his younger sister. It only seems natural that I would assist her, as well."
He nodded to Gabe, and the man lifted his hand off the door only to open it for her. Cassie's gaze flitted between the two.
"What's the catch?"
"Catch? Who said there was a catch?"
"It's always something with you."
This time, Cobblepot laughed out loud, shaking his finger at her. "Ah, now I see why Zsaz is so interested in you. You've got a mind as sharp as a tack, don't you?"
At the mention of the deranged serial killer that had drugged her and kept her captive, she tensed, eyes flitting around on instinct. A part of her worried he was nearby.
But Penguin noticed this. "No worries, Cassandra. He's not here, not right now. But you're correct. I just want you to tell that beloved older brother of yours about this little encounter. No need to make it a big deal, just make sure he knows the details." His gaze darkened. "And who saved you."
Something about the way he spoke about her brother caused Cassie's temper to flare, and she stepped towards him, getting right in his space. She heard Gabe shift behind her, but Cobblepot merely held up his hand, eyes on her own.
"You listen to me, you little freak. Jim and Harvey put up with you because they think you're useful, but there's something weird about you. You can't be trusted, like a snake in the grass. And sooner or later, they'll see that. And when they do," she lowered her voice, stepping closer, "it'll be me that puts a bullet in your head, a real one this time."
The two stood there, glaring at each other, before Penguin finally spoke without taking his eyes off her own. "I think it's time you left, Cassandra. Sunset is not a safe time for beautiful, young blondes on these streets."
Cassie sneered at him one final time and got into her car, slamming the door especially hard. She kept her eyes on Penguin as she drove off.
And he did the same.
As the Camry grew smaller and then turned onto another street, Gabe spoke. "Boss, why did you let her talk to you like that? She's just some chick."
"Oh, she looks that way. But don't let her looks fool you, Gabe. She wasn't lying when she said Detective Gordon and I are currently ally's and I need to keep it that way. If I were to hurt his sister, every cop in this city would tear down what I've built. No, I've got to be smarter than that. But trust me." Cobbelpot narrowed his eyes.
"That girl is far from harmless."
The sun was almost completely set by the time Cassie pulled up to the shooting gallery, and what was even worse was that it was crawling with cops. They were already setting up yellow tape, and Cassie stepped out of her car, jogging over to the familiar face standing with his hands on his hips.
"Alvarez!"
The detective turned, his eyes going wide at the sight of the blonde. "Cassie-!"
"What the hell happened?"
"Cas, your brother and Bullock have been looking for you everywhere, they're about to file a missing persons case! Where the hell have you been?"
"My phone died," she gestured back towards the car, "but Jim knows I'm working, so why-?"
"Cas, they're going after a serial killer. This guy murders the loved ones of the cops investigating him. Jim's been losing his mind trying to find you."
Cassie stared at him, her eyes wide.
I really need to carry a phone charger.
"Can I use your phone?"
After calling her brother to reassure him she wasn't dead, a deal had been struck. Cassie's apartment had been raided that day; a close call. Clearly, someone had been looking for her. That meant she'd be staying at the manor until it was safe. Same with Lee, staying under protective watch whenever she wasn't working at the precinct.
But another thing had disturbed Cassie. Alvarez told her about the body lying five stories under an open window, bleeding onto the pavement. A bag of drugs were on a ledge beneath said window, so most had surmised he'd fallen while reaching for it, or possibly thrown himself out. Maybe drunk or high, (or both) and took an unfortunate stumble.
But what got to her was the fact that many had seen two children, around twelve or thirteen, a boy and girl, leaving the scene only a few minutes after he fell.
After another hour of searching, Cas's luck finally kicked in. As she drove down another street on the verge of tears, she saw a familiar figure clad in some hand-me-down winter clothes. Her car screeched to a halt, and she leapt out, barley managing to look both ways before running towards the figure.
"Bruce!"
The boy stopped, whirling around to see the blonde jogging towards him. She stopped in front of him, her breath fogging up the air as she grabbed his shoulders and frantically looked him over.
"Oh my gosh, Bruce, are you hurt?! Let me look at you-"
"Cassie, I'm fine." Bruce assured her, shrugging off her hands, his cheeks and nose bright red from the cold. "I-I just got lost, that's all."
Cas stared at the boy, feeling her stomach clench. He looked… off. Not like himself. He was fidgeting, his eyes never staying on her own as he spoke. Normally, Bruce kept enough eye contact to make a normal person uncomfortable. Now, he couldn't.
"Bruce." Cas put one hand back on his shoulder, "I just came from some random drug hole. Some guy died; they say he fell out of a five-story window."
Bruce didn't answer. She continued.
"They say they saw two kids, a boy and a girl, leaving the scene not too long before he fell." She tried to catch his gaze, but he kept it on the ground. "Bruce? Did you and Selina go looking for the guy that hurt Alfred? Do you know what happened?"
The boy was silent for the longest time, and Cassie's heart only sank deeper. Finally, he looked back up at her, brown eyes right into the blue.
"No. I have no idea what you're talking about."
It had been a few days, and Cassie stood at the window to Wayne Manor, looking onto the large property and feeling sick.
The Ogre, or Jason, had taken Barbara. The woman had been missing for several days now, and Jim hadn't been able to find anything despite his constant leads and searching.
It had been upsetting news. Despite not being each other's biggest fans, Barbara and Cassie had still spoken and interacted on Jim's behalf multiple times. And just because Cassie hadn't particularly cared for her brother's ex-fiancée doesn't mean she wanted her hurt. Be held captive and tortured by a sociopath wasn't something she'd wish on anyone, even Barbara.
Since The Ogre was still out there, she was still confined to the manor. She spent the days reading, swimming in the pool, reading some more, and watching after Bruce. Occasionally, to keep herself from going insane, she'd help Alfred cook dinner. The butler claimed to appreciate the help, but she was sure he liked cooking alone better-
Her thoughts were cut short by a familiar ring tone, and she whipped around, lunging for her phone on the kitchen table. Flipping it open, she knew who was calling with just a glance at the screen.
"Jim?"
"Yeah, Cas, it's me."
"Did you find her? Is she ok?"
Jim sighed on the other end, and she could hear how exhausted he was. "Yeah. The Ogre is dead, Harvey shot him in the head."
Cassie sighed, sinking down into a chair. "Well, I've never been shy about saying 'good riddance'."
"Cas, there's more. We tracked them to Barbara's parent's home, we- we found them with their throats slit. The Ogre killed them in front of her."
Cas raised a hand to her mouth, horror in her gut. "Oh, my gosh…" The thought of watching her own parents be killed made her feel sick, and she jumped to her feet. "Where are you guys?"
"We're back at the station. Barbara's being checked out."
"Ok. Now that it's safe, I'm coming over there-"
"It's not safe, Cas."
She stopped at the door at his words, her coat and bag clutched in her hands. "What?"
"There was an attempted murder. Word on the street is that Falcone put a hit on Maroni. It went south, but now Maroni is out for blood." He paused, then continued in a low voice.
"That war everyone was talking about? It's here, Cas. And I don't know if we can stop it."
DUN DUN DUUUUNNNN...