Olivia had dropped Ed off at his apartment before returning to her own apartment. She had begun cooking dinner when Jim walked in, sniffing the air. His face was free from blood, but it revealed the bruises and his cut lip. Olivia frowned at the sight of him as he tossed his keys onto the coffee table and moved into the kitchen, tugging his tie free from his collar. He tossed it down onto the sofa on his way.

"You look terrible," Olivia said to her brother.

"I feel terrible," he said. "Lee dropped me off early."

"I'm glad," Olivia said to him as he reached into the fridge and pulled a bottle of beer from it. "Jim, last week everything was…well…as normal as we have seen it and now it feels like everything is topsy turvy again."

"Because it is," Jim said to his sister, taking a swig of his beer. "Did you see the news? They're playing the tape of Jermoe Valeska on loop. I can't stand to hear it one more time."

"I heard it on the news," Olivia said to her brother. "I drove Ed home and they played it. He sounds psychotic and he is still on the loose."

"Not for much longer if I have anything to say about it," Jim said. "He killed Commissioner Essen. He won't get away with that."

"Just be careful, okay?" she urged from him, stirring the vegetables and checking on the noodles in the pan next to it. "I mean it, Jim. I don't like the idea of all these criminals being loose, particular Barbara."

"I don't know what is going on with her," Jim complained as he closed his eyes for a moment and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I mean, I know how to choose them right?"

"Hey, I think we both know how to pick them," Olivia said, looking at her brother as she continued stirring. "I mean, between us we have a collection of deranged exes. I think I am slightly ahead of you though, I mean, I had an abusive ex and my date kidnapped. You just have one ex trying to kill you."

Jim's lips quirked at the morbid situation as his sister's did the same. He moved to stand next to her then, placing his bottle down on the worktop counter before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He squeezed her tightly as she moved closer to him, her head dropping to sit on his shoulders. Closing her eyes as she continued stirring the dinner, she let out a shallow breath.

"Perhaps we might have some normalcy now, huh?"

"Well, Lee seems quite normal."

"So is Ed," Jim said and Olivia rolled her eyes. "Well, not entirely normal with his riddles, but he isn't some deranged killer."

"True," Olivia said to her brother.

"So what is going on with you two?"

"Nothing," Olivia said to her brother, standing up straight again as Jim dropped his arm from around her and turned around, the backs of his legs pressed against the worktop so he could watch her. "I told him that I am happy just being friends. I don't want him to wait for me, Jim. I don't know if I will be ready anytime soon for a relationship."

"Perhaps a relationship is what you need, Liv," Jim said. "Perhaps you need someone who will treat you well?"

"One day, but first I need to work on what I want," she said. "And I know that Ed claims that he cares, but in the back of his mind there is always Kristen Kringle. Do you know that she was talking to Ed earlier and didn't even notice my presence? She just came across as…I don't know…I just don't trust her."

"Kristen Kringle is harmless," Jim informed his sister.

"She might be harmless, but she still treated Ed like crap for a long time," Olivia said. "It was almost like she heard that he had been shot saving me and she came to swoon over him, telling him how brave he was. It was just complete over the top and I swear she is only interested because her boyfriend did a runner because of Ed…like he is her knight in shining armour."

"I think he reserves those duties for you," Jim teased and Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Ha, ha," she said to him.

"I mean it," Jim said. "You know when you went missing Ed spent hours making and handing out leaflets? He just pushed you out of the way of a bullet today."

"So I guess Ed has helped me out quiet a few times," Olivia said to him.

"If you think that he cares for Kristen Kringle as much as he cares for you then I really question your judgment, Liv," Jim said with a shake of his head.

"That's not the point," Olivia said. "The point is that Kristen Kringle still occupies his mind and I don't want a relationship yet. I just want to be me for a while and not jump into another relationship."

"Fine," Jim said, holding his hands up in defence so that his sister didn't continue snapping at him. "I just want you to be happy and I think that Ed can make you happy."

"He does," Olivia said, "as my friend."

"I'll drop it," Jim said.

"Thank you," Olivia said gratefully to her brother and began to dish up dinner. "Anyway, we need to talk about what we are going to do about Barbara because honestly, she has gone from me pitying her to me being terrified of her."

"Join the club."

…

Ed sat on the park bench. He had agreed to meet Olivia for lunch. School had finished for the term and she was no longer teaching during the days. She spent her days working from home and leisurely doing errands. She had decided to go for a run around the park before meeting Ed. He waited for her, sitting down on the bench with two salads. He was early and kept checking his cell to make sure she hadn't cancelled. He saw her approaching, maintaining a steady jog as she neared him. She wore long leggings and a short sleeved top. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her phone was in her hand with her keys, earphones in her ears.

"Hey," Olivia said, tugging the earphone out and letting them hang over her shoulders. "How are you, Ed?"

"Good," Ed said. "So you went for a run?"

"I needed to do something," Olivia said to him, plonking herself down on the bench next to him. "I used to go running a lot before everything got crazy. I enjoy it."

"Well, here you go," Ed said, passing her the salad. "Nutritious salad to keep you going."

"Why thank you," Olivia said, popping open the lid and picking out the fork from inside of it as Ed did the same. "So how is work going?"

"Good," Ed said to her, realising that this was the first time he had seen her since he had tried to kiss her. "We've been pretty busy since Essen…well…died. Your brother has been working hard to try and find the escaped Arkham inmates."

"I know," Olivia said. "He is gone before I wake up and usually comes home just before I go to bed."

"He is a really taskmaster," Ed said.

Olivia scoffed. "You're telling me," she said. "I grew up with him."

Ed smiled at hearing that and she crossed one leg over the other as another jogger went by them and she let her head fall back slightly, feeling the sun on her face.

"So…I have a date with Kristen next week," Ed said, watching for Olivia's reaction. She seemed slightly impassive, but Ed knew that she could do well at hiding her emotions. She was able to do that when Ed just wanted to know what she was thinking. "I was wondering if I should cook for her or take her out for dinner."

"It depends," Olivia said, wondering if she could hold her tongue from saying something mean. "You are a very good cook, but maybe that might feel too intimate for a first date?"

"Intimate is good, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah, I guess," Olivia said, picking at the lettuce on her fork and then pushing it into her mouth. She chewed down on it and then looked back over to Ed. "You should do whatever you think is right, Ed. I mean, when it comes to dating there is always etiquette, but I think the main thing is being able to have conversation and just be comfortable with each other…but not too comfortable that you don't feel like you can completely relax…like there are butterflies in your stomach."

"I see," he responded, pursing his lips for a moment. Was that what she felt when she was with him? How did he know? He knew that he felt that when he was with her. It was exactly how he felt. It was like he was comfortable to discuss anything with her, but he also felt anxious, wanting her to want him back.

"You'll be fine," Olivia promised Ed.

"Yes, I hope so," Ed said and ate a tomato. "I was going to ask if you fancied going to see a film at the weekend anyway?"

"Sure," Olivia shrugged her shoulders in agreement with him. "What did you have in mind?"

Ed began talking to her about the latest film he wanted to see and she listened to him, her mind completely on how his date with Kristen would go.

….

Ed let Kristen into his apartment and she pushed her glasses further onto her nose as she watched him. Her eyes widened and her lips quirked only slightly.

"I didn't know that we would be dining at your house," Kristen commented.

"Well, I am a good cook," Ed told her. "So I thought that would be nice instead of going out to some noisy bar or restaurant."

"Yes," Kristen said.

"Well, come in," Ed said, stepping back and allowing her further in. He closed the door behind her and took her coat from her, placing it on the back of the chair.

"So," Kristen said as she walked around Ed's apartment, hands clasped in front of her as Ed moved to the kitchen. "This is your place."

"Yes," Ed said. "It isn't much, but I like it."

"It's different," Kristen said and looked to Ed. "I mean, it's like you, Ed. It's unique."

"Thank you," Ed said, blushing slightly. "Can I get you a drink? I have wine in the fridge."

"Lovely, thank you," Kristen said and Ed went to pull the bottle out. He poured her a glass and handed it to her as she remained stood, seeming slightly awkward and out of place.

"Take a seat," Ed urged her and she sat down in the chair at the table. "Dinner is just in the oven. It shouldn't be too long before it is ready."

"It smells delicious," Kristen promised him and he went to sit down next to her. "Anyway, I have to say that I was surprised you agreed to dinner. I thought that you had been dating Gordon's sister."

"Olivia," Jim said her name again. She was not just Jim Gordon's sister. She was her own person. "And…well…we are very close friends."

"I can tell," Kristen said. "Did you ever want to be anything more with her?"

Ed looked down at the table for a moment, his glasses slipping down his nose as he completed the motion. He gathered his thoughts for a moment before he heard the voice in his head again. It was like he was stood behind him and talking over his shoulder.

"Just tell her the truth. Tell her how you'd rather have little Olivia here at your table…tell her how you'd rather have Olivia looking at you with those big eyes of hers, hanging off your every word."

"I…when I first met her I thought that maybe there might be something," Ed said. "But we are both just good friends. She is a really good friend."

"You know," Kristen drawled, "some might find that disconcerting…I mean…having her as a really close friend, well, some people might feel insecure."

"I don't understand," Ed said, brows knitting together.

"You know," Kristen shrugged nonchalantly. "The idea of your best friend being someone you clearly had a thing for."

"She's jealous. She has good reason to be though, doesn't she? She's second best to Olivia. We both know that."

"Well," Ed said, coughing into his fist. "I mean, Olivia and I never dated so there isn't really any history. I should check on the beef," Ed changed topics and moved to his feet, quickly going to open the oven and gather his thoughts and try to stop the voice in the back of his mind.

….

Olivia had been spending more and more time with Lee as the weeks progressed and she found Ed pulling back from her as he spent more time with Kristen. Lee had been a good friend, especially when Olivia needed advice. Jim was still working all hours and even Lee was feeling slightly neglected by him. He was running around the streets and constantly risking his life.

"Here," Lee said, handing Olivia the glass of wine as they sat on Lee's sofa. "So, how are things?"

"Good," Olivia said with a nod of her head. "I'm fine. I mean, constantly worrying about Jim, but what is new about that? I mean, he is out there trying to find escaped convicts."

"I know," Lee said. "And from today he has now been tasked with trying to find the Penguin."

"Jeez," Olivia complained, sipping on her wine. "Is he still in the office?"

"Of course he is," Lee mumbled back to her. "I asked him to the charity gala and he didn't come to that. He doesn't even managed to come home for dinner anymore."

"Do we need to stage an intervention?"

"Would it help?"

"Probably not," Olivia admitted. "Jim does what he wants and when he gets his mind set on something then he goes after it."

"Well, it is nice that we can spend time together," Lee said. "Usually you're always with Nygma."

Olivia scoffed and shook her head. "I don't think I will be seeing him that much anymore. He's more concerned with dating Kristen Kringle than hanging out with me at this moment in time."

"I've seen them together at work. I take it they are getting serious."

"Apparently so," Olivia muttered and drank more of the wine. "I am fine with him dating Kristen, even though I find what she did to him and how she treated him abhorrent, but he is dropping me as if I am not his friend."

"Do you want me to have words with him?" Lee wondered. "I get on with him and I know that he cares about you, Olivia."

"No, it is fine," Olivia said. "I guess it is inevitable in relationships, isn't it? I am probably overreacting. I'm just used to seeing him more often than I do."

Lee agreed with her, but she could see the sadness in her gaze. She wanted him. She wanted Ed to be with her, but she would not admit it to herself. She was denying it. Perhaps she did need time, but Lee only wondered if after that time she would be alone.

….

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