Sitting in the small café, Olivia wondered what was going on, but she suspected that there was something wrong. She could sense that something was wrong from Barbara's tone when she had called her. She didn't sound right. She sounded scared and Olivia wondered why she had called her and not Jim. She had finished work at gone five and agreed to meet Barbara in the café in the higher end of Gotham.

Usually, it was a place where Olivia would rarely go to. She didn't eat in expensive places. She didn't do pricey. But Barbara was from money. She was so very different to Jim and Olivia that Olivia wondered how she had met her brother in the first place. She let her thoughts consume her for a few moments, but she soon was snapped from them when she saw Barbara enter the small, quaint café, sunglasses on her eyes. She pulled them up, placing them on the top of her head and Olivia noted the suitcase she wheeled behind her.

Gracefully, she dragged it behind her, her heels clicking on the floor as she came to sit across from Olivia, managing a small smile in her direction.

"Hi, Olivia," Barbara said, removing her gloves from her hands and placing them on the wooden surface. "Thank you for meeting me."

"It's fine," Olivia responded. "Are you going somewhere, Barbara?"

Barbara managed a small smile. "I need to get away for a couple of days…weeks…maybe," Barbara said to her. "I haven't been the same since the incident with Zsaz and Falcone. I wake up scared…and Jim…I don't want to speak badly of him, Olivia. He is your brother and he is my fiancé. I love him. Honestly, I do love him, but he…he just hasn't been the Jim I fell in love with."

Olivia gulped as a waitress came to take their coffee order. Olivia opted for a herbal tea instead, while Barbara asked for an espresso. Olivia peeled her long, red coat from her body, draping it over the back of the chair as she finally warmed up.

"I don't want to get involved in your relationship, Barbara," Olivia said to her. "I don't want to take sides because…well…I can't do it. What I can tell you is that I am certain…positive…that Jim loves you. He cares about you. He adores you. I just don't think he knows how to show it all the time. He doesn't know how to show compassion. He is used to being tough and strong. The things that scare him would probably terrify us. I don't know what to say, Barbara."

Barbara shook her head, holding a hand up and smiling softly. "I don't want you to say anything," she said to her. "I don't want you to pick sides or feel that you have to. Besides, Jim is your brother. He is family. I just want you to tell him that I needed to do this. I left him a letter, but I couldn't talk to him myself. I just couldn't face it."

Olivia nodded her head. "Okay," she said, not entirely feeling comfortable with what was happening.

"I don't like getting you involved," Barbara said. "But I just wanted you to look out for him. He isn't exactly…well…I don't know what he feels anymore, but I'm worried."

"You'll be back though, right?" Olivia checked, feeling slightly uneasy. "Barbara, you're not ending this with him, are you?"

Barbara placed a hand over her mouth as she shrugged, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. It was then when their drinks were delivered and Olivia felt a sense of dread take over her at seeing Barbara. She moved to her feet, unable to remain silent as Barbara sobbed. She moved to wrap an arm around her shoulders, holding her tightly as Barbara reached up to hold her arms. She tried not to create a scene, but anyone who dared to stare at them received a strong and harsh stare from Olivia.

"I'm sorry," Barbara said with a sniff as she held a hand up to apologise to Olivia. "I am so sorry."

"You don't need to apologise," Olivia promised her.

"I just don't know if it is working, Olivia," Barbara choked out. "I don't know if it is working, but I don't want to hurt him."

"Barbara, listen to me," Olivia urged from her, crouching down in front of her and holding one of her long, spindly hands in hers. "I know how you feel, okay? I know what it is like to be in a relationship and not be certain if it is the right one. Only you can make that decision. Only you can be the one to decide and if you need time away to make your mind up, then you need time. That is all there is to it."

"And Jim?" Barbara wondered.

"Jim is Jim," Olivia responded. "I will talk to him. I will try to get him to understand. He asked you to marry him, Barbara. He loves you. I am sure of it."

"I'm not anymore," Barbara replied, but then shook her head. "But I'll be fine. I will get through it."

"I don't doubt it," Olivia said, squeezing her hand. "You're strong, Barbara. You're stronger than you know."

"I just don't remember how to be."

"You will," Olivia promised her.

She went back to sit in her chair, the two women drinking their drinks as Barbara asked Olivia about work and made small talk. Barbara finally checked the time on the watch she wore on her left wrist. Nodding once, she moved to her feet. "I should call a cab and head to the train station."

"No need," Olivia said, "I'll give you a ride."

"You sure?" she enquired.

"Of course," Olivia replied.

Driving Barbara to the station, Olivia helped her get her case out of the trunk before handing it over to her. The older woman looked at her with an intrigued stare before she dared to move and hug her.

"Thank you," Barbara said. "Thank you for everything."

"You are more than welcome," Olivia said and moved to run her hands up and down Barbara's back. "Take care, Barbara."

"You too, Olivia."

Watching Barbara walk away, Olivia bit down on her lip as she saw her enter the train station. It was another moment before she reached for her cell and called her brother, knowing that she had to talk to him sooner rather than later.

…

Ed found that he couldn't stop thinking about Olivia. She was constantly on his mind, just as Kristen Kringle was on his mind. But Kristen Kringle was constantly angry with him. He had heard her gossip about how she found his riddles annoying. She had even said that she found him creepy. Ed had to admit that he was becoming slightly dejected, and so he had gone to Olivia. He had text her as he sat at his desk, wondering if she wanted to meet up with him.

She had replied almost instantly, telling him to come around to her apartment that evening. It had been over a week and a half since they had eaten brunch together and Olivia had called him during the week, telling him exactly what had been going on. And he noticed it. He noticed a change in Jim Gordon when he worked with him.

Jim's fiancée had gone off, leaving him alone and he had been spending more time in Olivia's apartment, not feeling that it was right to be in Barbara's penthouse when she wasn't there. Edward had said nothing to Jim, knowing that Olivia told him these things in confidence.

But Ed was more concerned about Olivia. She seemed to be upset for her brother, caring more for his relationship than any of her own. But then again, Ed knew that was Olivia. She put other people before herself. He had seen it happen plenty of times before. She thought of Jim first, herself second. She thought of Ed first, herself second. She liked helping people. Ed knew she was a people pleaser, but he also knew that he himself was similar. Perhaps not as similar, but he wanted to make people happy. But the way he did that was through impressing them with his knowledge. He wouldn't say that he liked to show off, but he enjoyed people being amazed by what he told them.

Driving to the address Olivia had given him, Ed had picked up a bottle of white wine on his way. He parked his car on the side of the road before he climbed out, locking the vehicle and then moving up the steps to the foyer of her apartment. He buzzed her number and she let him in. He followed the numbers until he came to hers, knocking on the door. She opened it after a moment, a smile on her face. Ed noticed she wore a dark red dress that clung to her body and came down to her knees. An apron was over the dress, stopping her from dirtying the material.

"Hi, Ed," she greeted him, bringing him into a hug. "It's good to see you. Come in."

"Are you busy?" he wondered from her. "I don't want to intrude if you if you have plans."

"Don't be silly," Olivia said. "I invited you here, Ed. I'm making us dinner."

"I didn't want you to go to any trouble, I-"

"-Ed, after what you did for me the other week, it is fine," she said to him, closing the door and locking it as she ushered Ed into her open spaced apartment. "I'm making lasagne, is that alright? I have homemade garlic bread too. I should have brought some wine…I only have rose."

"Good job I brought more wine," Ed commented, holding the bottle up as Olivia laughed and took hold of the bottle, looking at it.

"Excellent," she said. "I'll crack it open then."

Moving into the kitchen, Ed followed her and stood in the kitchen, pulling his coat off and placing it over the back of the chair as Olivia poured them a glass of wine. Handing a glass over to Ed, she took a sip of her own as Ed held the stem of the glass in his fingertips, swirling the liquid for a couple of moments.

"That is delicious," she commented.

"Glad you like it. I didn't know what you drank really," he said to her.

"This is perfect," she said with a smile, placing the glass down on the surface and then returning to making the lasagne. "If you wanted to go and sit down then I can handle this, Ed."

"No, I like cooking," Ed responded. "I can help."

"There is no need."

"I insist," he said, rolling the sleeves of the blue shirt he wore up to his elbow and dropping his hands to his hips. "So how can I help?"

"Well, I am making a vegetable lasagne, so you can start with the red peppers if you wouldn't mind?"

"Got it," he said and moved to take hold of the knife from the knife rack as she pushed over the chopping board and red peppers to him. He began to cut as Olivia continued making the pasta, the two of them lapsing into an easy silence before Ed spoke, looking over to her for a brief moment before going back to cutting.

"Miss Kringle is still dating that oaf," he said and Olivia bit down on her tongue.

"Is she?" she wondered from him, not wanting to tell him what she thought of Kristen Kringle.

"I confess, I do not know what she sees in him, but I keep hearing her talk about me," Ed said. "She thinks that my riddles are annoying and that I am well…slightly strange."

"She said to you?" Olivia demanded, her tone one of disgust.

"No," Ed said with a shake of his head. "She was talking to Jenny from archives. She didn't know that I was there. I mean, perhaps she is right? Perhaps I am a bit odd?"

"Ed, there is nothing wrong with you," Olivia told him. "Ignore her. She…Ed…I know you say that she is perfect and that she is the one you want to date, but maybe you should reconsider that? Maybe there is someone better for you out there?"

Ed nodded his head, gulping once and coughing into his fist. "Perhaps so," he agreed with a nod of his head. "That is why I have been-"

"-I mean, I know that I am not the best authority on dating," Olivia told him in a gentle voice. "And I know that I said I was working on myself, but sometimes when you meet someone…well…you wonder if you should just try again."

"Exactly," Ed said with haste. "And that-"

"-I met someone," Olivia interrupted him before he could continue, a sense of fear taking over her at what he might have said if she had let him continue to talk. "It was random. Really, it was weird…he was at the train station when I dropped Barbara off. He just bumped into me as I was getting ready to go and asked me for my number."

"I see," Ed said.

"Sorry," Olivia said. "Was there something you wanted to say? I just thought that I should tell you before we got settled. Besides, you're my only friend I can tell."

"No, it was nothing," Ed said, his eyes downcast and he knew exactly what he was thinking now. Kristen Kringle was the only one for him. It was fate. It had to be. What he felt for Olivia was purely platonic. Why did he think it would be something deeper? Why did he think it could be? She would never go for someone like him. She was only his friend because she pitied him.

"You sure?" Olivia double-checked. Strangely, a part of her wondered if he was thinking what she was thinking. Did he not feel a sense of something else? Did he not feel something more than friendship? Or was it in her head? Was all of it in her head?

"Positive," Ed said, a forced smile on his face as she finished making the pasta, rolling it thinly out. "So, you are dating again?"

"I wouldn't say I am dating again," Olivia responded. "He just asked me for a drink and I said maybe. I don't know if I am going to go really."

"You should," Edward responded, placing the knife down and reaching to sip on his wine. "You should just say yes and see what happens."

"I guess," Olivia said. "But after Jack I don't know if I want to dive straight back in."

"You don't have to," he said to her. "Why not go for a drink and just see how you feel? No one is forcing you to do anything you feel uncomfortable with. Besides, you can't live in fear, Olivia. You can't live in fear of someone else turning out like Jack."

"I know," Olivia said. "Sometimes these things are easier said than done, though."

"You have Jim, Olivia," Ed said. "Do you think that he would let anyone hurt you like Jack did? He would be there to stop him in an instant…just as I would do."

Olivia finished what she was doing then, her gaze turning to look to Ed as he stared back at her. Their gazes held for a few moments before Olivia turned her head away and Ed watched the back of her head, wondering what was going through her mind as she grabbed her glass of wine and took a sip.

"I don't know what to say," Olivia admitted to him. "I mean…thank you."

"You don't need to thank me," he said to her. "It's what friends do, Olivia. Friends stick with each other and look out for each other. They support each other."

"I mean, I don't feel as though I have been very supportive over your pursuing of Kristen Kringle," Olivia admitted to Ed. "And I am sorry about that, Ed. I just don't want to see you hurt by her, okay? I don't want you to get your heart broken by her."

Edward chuckled and held a finger up. "Don't worry," he said to her in a soft voice. "I am careful. I know that I have to be careful with Kristen Kringle, but everything will be fine. I am certain of it. Besides, what does everyone need, want, and ask for but never take?"

Olivia wrinkled her nose. "Again, you best me."

"Advice," Edward spoke. "And I appreciate yours."

Olivia's lips arched. "But you're not going to take it, are you?"

"I know that Miss Kringle would like me if she just gave me a chance," Ed said.

"I'll take that as a no then," Olivia said. "All I can do is be for you throughout this and I will be. You're a good friend, Ed…. you've done more for me than any of my other friends. Just promise me you will be careful, okay?"

"I promise," Ed said to her.

"Good," Olivia said.

"You never told me his name."

"Whose?" Olivia asked.

"The man who asked you out."

"Oh," Olivia said, finishing assembling the lasagne and placing it into the oven. "He's called Jason. Jason Lennon."

"And he was nice?"

"From the five minute conversation I had with him, yeah," Olivia shrugged. "Anyway, I'll text him tomorrow. Tonight, I was thinking we could catch up and maybe not think about being held hostage or kidnapped."

Edward nodded once as he saw her take hold of her glass of wine once more. "Sounds good to me," he said, watching her remove her apron as he contemplated just what he was thinking about the young teacher from Gotham.

…

A/N: Do let me know what you think!