Lee had not been bothered when Selina Kyle had broken into her apartment and held her at gunpoint. She had heard about this kid and she knew that she had links to Jim. Lee had simply sat at the dining table and waited for Jim to come back, making small talk with Selina and wondering what the girl wanted. Apparently Jim had promised to find her friend and bring her home safely. She was wanted in connection with the burning down of Wayne Enterprise buildings. But Jim had walked back in with bad news. He had been forced to tell Selina that her friend, Bridgit, had not come quietly. She had not made it out alive.

"Tough day, huh?" Lee checked with him after Selina had stormed out and Jim had grabbed a beer from the fridge. She moved to stand in front of him, hands going to his shoulders. He scoffed and pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment.

"Yeah," he said to her. "The case is getting deeper. It feels like a tunnel we cannot see the end of."

"You will," Lee said confidently. "You will get there, Jim. I know you. You won't give up until you do."

"I guess so," Jim responded and the two of them went to sit on the sofa. "So how was your day?"

"I bumped into Ed," Lee said. "It was inevitable, really, we work next door to each other. I told him that I knew what had happened and he…well…he looked awkward and said that he was going to sort things out. He still hasn't told Kristen. She was with me today and she said she wished that Ed would do something to spice up their relationship."

Jim snorted then. "Well, she's going to get a shock then. What do you think he intends to do? How does he intend to sort it?"

"My best guess would be that he is going to break things off with Kristen," Lee shrugged. "He didn't really elaborate and I didn't push him. He is an adult and he can make his own mind up."

"Do you think he will?" Jim wondered. "I mean, break up with Kristen and then be with Olivia?"

"I think that is what he wants," Lee shrugged. "If he didn't want that then he wouldn't have spent our double date with your sister in the guest room. He is besotted with her. I've seen the way he looks at her and compared it to how he looks at Kristen. It is clear as day."

"I guess," Jim said, not bothering to deny that Lee had a point on that front. "I guess I am just worried, Lee. Olivia pushed Ed away for so long and it took her seeing him with someone else to get jealous and realise how she felt. Is that the basis to form a stable a relationship?"

Lee rolled her eyes and folded one leg over the other, her arm going over the back of the sofa. Shaking her head, she let her lips quirk. "Jim, we cannot talk about having stable relationships. Look at how we got together," she reminded him. "I know that you two had an argument, but Olivia is your sister, Jim. If I know her like I think I know her then it will be killing her inside thinking you are mad with her or don't want to talk to her."

"I know," Jim said. "It's all I've been thinking about, Lee. I know that I should go and see her, but she…I was angry with her and she said some-"

"-She told the truth," Lee shrugged at Jim, interrupting him. "We both know that we developed feelings for each other before you had a chance to break things off properly with Barbara. She knew that and eventually accepted it."

"She was angry to begin with."

"Then maybe you have both been hypocritical," Lee said again. "But I know that you need to go to her, Jim. She needs you just like you need her."

"Tomorrow," Jim said. "I'll go and see her tomorrow."

…

Olivia had barely slept in two days. She had napped on and off, waking and remembering what Ed had told her. She had hoped that it had all been just a dream, but she remembered it wasn't. Ed had killed someone. He had murdered someone and had admitted it to her. She had drunk numerous cups of tea during the day, pacing up and down as she tried to figure out what to do. She knew what she should do. She should tell Jim. She should explain that it had been a mistake. Ed had been acting in self-defence. Of course, Ed had not told her that the first stab had been the accident. The subsequent blows had been because it made him feel good.

But then Ed would lose everything. There would be no way he would be able to work at the GCPD again. He might avoid jail time, depending on if there was a trial. It was a gamble. She had Ed's secret in the palm of her hands and she was gambling with his life. This was Ed's life at stake.

"What good would telling Jim do?" she had asked herself as she stared in the mirror brushing her teeth on the second day after the revelation. "One life has been taken. If you told Jim then Ed's freedom would be taken…his life would change…all because he killed an abusive cop. Is Dougherty worth Ed?"

Spitting into the sink, Olivia straightened herself up, tugging on the black dress she wore before moving into her living room. She reached for her white and black checked jacket and shrugged into it, slipping her heels onto her feet. Grabbing her satchel and keys from the coffee table, she left the apartment for work. There was a meeting going on before the kids returned from break that she had to attend.

Her cell began to buzz as she neared her car. Picking it out of her bag as she stood by her vehicle, she saw it was Ed.

"Ed," she greeted him.

"I need to see you tonight," Ed said, voice slightly frantic.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," he responded. "I just need to see you, Olivia. Please."

"I have an all day meeting. I'll come to your apartment after work."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

"Bye, Ed."

…

Ed had been pacing up and down the length of his apartment waiting for Olivia. He had laced his hands together, fingers drumming nervously against themselves. He needed to know that this was it. Nothing was going to happen to them now. He had spoken with Kristen and told her exactly what he felt. She had not been happy. In fact, she had accused him of toying with her.

"Can you believe her, huh? You toying with her after all these months."

He had only said how sorry he was. She had snapped at him and told him that he was nothing but a freak and she hoped that he would be happy with Olivia because she was damaged goods. Ed had told her not to speak about Olivia like that and Kristen had quietened down. She had demanded to know if Ed had been sneaking around behind her back with Gordon's little sister. Ed had promised her that he hadn't, but she didn't believe him. He didn't care. He had told her that he would gather the things she had left at his apartment for her to collect one evening and he had walked off.

Ed felt his stomach churn as he heard a knock on his door. He rushed over and opened it, revealing Olivia. She had her bag on her shoulder and wore a smart black dress and jacket. Her heels were quite high, but not high enough to put her at the same height as Ed. Her hair was neatly tucked behind her ears, but she didn't look happy. She looked anxious.

"Olivia," Ed whispered her name.

"Ed," she responded, sensing the awkwardness between them.

"Come in," Ed urged from her, stepping back to let her enter the apartment.

Closing the door behind her, he turned around as he heard the voice in his head.

"Look at her wearing that tight dress that shows everything off. It's going to be fine. She wants you, but you have to be confident if you want to keep her. She's more experienced than you…but I bet pleasing her will be an art…an art we need to master."

"Can I get you some tea?" Ed asked her.

"Yes, please," she nodded and Ed went to the stove, pouring the hot water into a mug and dropping in a herbal tea bag. He let it brew before turning to look at her. She held onto one of his chairs and placed her bag on top of it before stepping out of her heels.

"So," Ed said, trying to begin conversation, "I broke things off with Kristen."

"How did she take it?" Olivia wondered, removing her jacket and placing it on top of her bag. Her arms were bare then, but Ed could note a small bit of her black bra strap poking out from under her dress.

"Not well," Ed admitted to her, scratching the back of his neck before handing her the mug of tea. His hand brushed hers as she took it from him, holding onto it with both of her hands. Ed stood still then, barely a few inches from her as she let her eyes focus on the knot in his tie instead of looking up to him. "I told her that I was sorry for messing her around, but I realised that it was not fair for us to continue with our relationship, not when I had feelings for you."

"I see," was all that Olivia said and Ed let out a deep breath, almost in frustration.

"She sees? What is that supposed to mean? You've waited around for her and now she can't even give you anything else. She stands there and acts impassive. Who does she think she is?"

"I've thought long and hard about this," Olivia said and Ed continued to look down to her as she held the mug of warm tea. "I've done nothing else but think about it to be honest, Ed, and I…I won't tell Jim."

Saying the words out loud made it sound real now, especially because she was talking to Ed. Finally she dared to peer up at him and he felt his hands twitch by his side. He wanted to grab hold of her and keep her against him. He wanted to feel her body against his and know that this was real. She was really his now.

"You won't?" he checked with her.

"What you did was an accident," Olivia said. "And Dougherty sounded like a horrible man. That doesn't mean that he deserved to die, but what you did was to protect Kristen. Anyone would see that and the police would too if you told them…maybe…I don't know…and I don't want to gamble with your life, Ed. The thought of you going to jail over this isn't fair. Dougherty is gone. He ruined enough lives. Why should he ruin anymore?"

Taking the mug from her hands, Ed set it down on his table. He was unable to contain himself, looking at her with wide eyes and a concerned expression on his face. Bending down at his knees, he moved a hand to her cheek.

"Thank you," he said to her.

"Don't thank me," she whispered.

"You're looking out for me, Olivia. No one…no one has done that in a long time," he admitted to her.

"You don't deserve to suffer," Olivia responded simply.

"I…I don't know what else to say," Ed informed her, a hand going to push his glasses further up his nose as he sniffed and Olivia finally moved to hold onto his neck, her touch causing him to shudder.

"Nothing," she said. "You don't need to say anything about this again. We move on, okay? Dougherty is gone and I have made my decision, regardless of what happens. I…I chose to stand by you…because…because I care for you…because I think after everything that has happened…I'm falling in love with you."

She had finally admitted it. She had finally told him the truth. Ed managed a smile at that, his teeth bared as he continued to watch her. She looked so self-conscious. It was almost as though she had no idea which direction to look in. Taking the initiative, Ed bent down, his lips pressing against hers as she closed her eyes and his hands moved to cup her waist, drawing her tightly against him. Pulling back, he kissed down the side of her neck, feeling her shiver and hearing her moan as he nipped at her skin. He reached a hand around her, his fingers curling into her hair and pulling her head back. She let out a small gasp before feeling his warm breath by her ear.

"I love you, Olivia," he decided on saying. He hadn't fallen in love with her. He was definitely in love with her. "I love you and want you…I want you to be mine…my Olivia."

She felt butterflies in her stomach at hearing him as he went back to kissing her neck and she moved her shaky hands down his body, feeling his flat and taut stomach as she finally reached his belt buckle. He pulled back from her then, leaning slightly away. Looking down to her, she wondered if she had done something wrong before he took hold of her hands and pulled them from his body.

"I…did you not want me to?" Olivia asked him.

"I do," he assured her, "more than you know, but not before I have exactly what I want from you, Olivia."

"What?" Olivia asked, wondering what he was on about. Was this even the same Ed she knew? He was acting odd. He was overly confident, like he knew just what effect he was having on her.

Chuckling, he reached for the belt around her dress. Unclasping it, he tossed it to the side before letting his hands reach down for the bottom of her dress. He tugged it upwards, his fingers tickling along her bare skin as he ran his hands up her thighs, finally having her dress bunched up at her waist. He kept her dress there and he leaned in to kiss her squarely on the lips.

"I want you writhing in pleasure and screaming my name before I take anything from you," he said hotly and she blushed crimson red as Ed kissed his way down her clothed stomach, finally kneeling in front of her. She collapsed back against the table as he kissed the inside of her thigh and gave in to him completely.

….

Olivia had no idea Ed had a confident streak inside of him. But after they had spent the night together, she was hardly complaining. She had slept soundly in Ed's bed as he rested next to her. Waking up the following morning, he had greeted her with a cup of tea and had prepared waffles for breakfast. She had tugged on one of his plain white tops and sat at the kitchen table with him, eating breakfast and talking about everything and nothing. He was in his pyjamas and had watched her intently the entire time they ate.

Leaving for work, Ed had kissed her as she stood by her car, trying to think of excuses to call in sick so he could take her back up to his apartment and spend the day with her. She was intoxicating him.

Olivia had told Ed to come by to her apartment that night and she would cook them dinner, but her mind was elsewhere completely. It had been a long time since she had been intimate with anyone else, but no one had ever made her feel as Ed had done the previous night. She had wondered about his previous experience. He had told her that he did not date much. He had never had a serious relationship. So where had he learned half of the things he knew? She didn't know, but she definitely did not complain.

Pulling up outside of her apartment block, Olivia looked to the sidewalk and saw a familiar figure standing there. Frowning as Jim remained perched on the wall, she stopped her car and climbed out. She knew that she looked a mess. She had washed her hair and let it dry naturally. Her clothes were the same as the day before and it was eight in the morning. Why would she be pulling up to her house at eight in the morning?

"Jim," Olivia said, looking to her brother.

"Liv, I have been trying to call you," Jim complained to his sister. "I thought that I would drive by on my way to work. I went in, but you weren't there…so I called someone who might know where you were."

"And he told you I was on my way home?"

"Did you…well…you know…"

"Yeah," she said, "I spent the night at Ed's."

"So you two are official, huh?"

"We didn't exactly put a label on it last night, but I guess so," Olivia responded.

Jim frowned. "Then what were you doing if not talking?"

Olivia blushed again and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "Do you really want to know?"

"Not really," Jim said. "It was a stupid question. Anyway, I just came round because I wanted to see how you were and to apologise about the other night. I was angry and hypocritical. I see that now. I don't want to fight, Liv."

Olivia let out a sigh of relief and nodded her head. "I'm sorry too," she admitted to him. "I didn't want to fight, Jim, and I am sorry for what I said. I didn't mean any of it."

"I know," Jim said. "We were just caught in the moment, Liv. Can we move on?"

"I want to," Olivia said and moved to hold her brother. Wrapping his arms around her, Jim squeezed her tightly before pulling back and tugging on a lock of her hair as she smiled at him.

"I should get going," Jim said. "I have some cases I need to look into. Hey, while I'm here, Ed hasn't mentioned anything about Officer Dougherty, has he?"

Olivia tried not to freeze. Folding her arms, she shrugged. "Was he the guy Kristen was dating? Ed said that he was abusive. Apparently he skipped town?"

"Yeah, but his bank cards haven't been used since he sent that note," Jim said to his sister. "He's maybe gone off grid, but I need to close the case before the boss gets on at me. Just wondered if Ed had said anything to you."

Did Jim know? Olivia doubted it. How could he? She shook her head. "Only what Kristen told him."

"I'll see if she knows anything else," Jim said and moved to his car, unlocking it. "I'll call you later, Liv. Lee wants you to come round for dinner this weekend…if you're up for it?"

"Sounds good," Olivia said to her brother and he smiled as he climbed into his car.

Olivia waved him off before letting out the breath she had been holding in and moving into her apartment, a sense of dread running through her alongside a large amount of guilt.

….

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