Olivia parked her car and headed up to Ed's apartment. She had her small overnight bag with her, knowing that she was running out of clothes and would soon have to do more washing. She stood outside of his apartment and knocked on the door. Ed didn't take long to make his presence known, pulling the door open to see her stood there. She looked up to him, a smile moving onto her face as he also seemed to smirk down to her. He stood back from the door.

"Hey," he greeted her as she walked in, dropping her bag and satchel onto the ground as Ed closed the door and then wrapped his arms around her waist underneath the red coat she wore. She moved to dangle her arms over his shoulders.

"Hey," she responded and he bent down, his lips pressing to hers. He pulled away reluctantly, forehead brushing against hers as she moved a hand to his cheek. "How are you?"

He pecked her lips quickly once more before pulling away, taking her by the hand and dragging her further into his apartment. She followed him as he walked backwards towards the sofa, their arms stretched between them.

"Good," Ed said to her. "Better now that you're here. How were drinks with your brother?"

"Nice," Olivia said as Ed remained stood and she perched on the arm of the sofa, her hands going to hold onto his hips. "Jim is busy at work. He told me that he has agreed to spend more time at Lee's place. She gave him a key, but it doesn't mean they have moved in."

"So he is still technically living at yours?"

Olivia shrugged. "Since Barbara and him broke up he has nowhere else to go," she said. "I mean, I don't mind him living with me, but it seems that neither of us spend that much time in my apartment."

"We can always go to your tomorrow evening," Ed suggested and Olivia nodded once.

"Sounds good," she said. "Anyway, what are we doing this evening?"

"I hope you don't mind but I ordered pizza," Ed said to her. "I didn't know if you were going to eat while you were with Jim."

"I had one cocktail and then drank diet coke," Olivia said to him. "But we didn't eat."

"Good job I ordered an extra large then," Ed said and Olivia's grip on him increased as he bent down, threatening to make her topple over the arm and onto the cushions of the sofa.

"And that is why I love you," Olivia said as his lips hovered over hers.

"Because I know that the way to your heart is through food?" Ed asked from her.

"Exactly that," she said and kissed him.

She let her legs wrap around his waist until he was flush against her, slightly awkwardly bending down as he moved his hands to her thighs, pushing her dress upwards. Olivia threatened to give in as his fingers worked over her bare skin, but she pulled back. Moving a hand to pat his chest once, she pulled her lips back from his.

"If you ordered pizza then I'd rather not get into something we can't finish," she said to him. He chuckled but nodded. Reluctantly, he pulled away and stood up straight as Olivia slipped down to sit on the sofa, kicking her shoes off in the process before curling her legs underneath her body.

"Can I get you a drink?" Ed asked her.

"I'd love a tea if you have one," she said.

"Anything for you," Ed said and went to start putting the kettle onto the stove. Filling it with water, he listened as Olivia spoke from the sofa.

"Did you managed to give Kristen her glasses back, by the way?" Olivia enquired from him. "You never said and I never asked."

"Yes," Ed said, the lie rolling easily off of his tongue as he placed the kettle down and began to heat the stove. "I gave them to her when I saw her on Tuesday."

Olivia frowned. Tuesday. Jim said that she had been off from work all week. Had she come in and then gone home? Maybe she had just popped in for a few hours? Olivia bit down on her tongue, but curiosity got the better of her.

"How did she seem?" Olivia wondered while Ed placed the teabags into the mug.

He turned back to her, arms folding over his chest. He leant back against the worktop and shrugged. Crossing one leg over the other, he watched as Olivia draped an arm over the back of the sofa, her chin resting in her hand as she continued to watch him.

"Fine," Ed said and Olivia did her best not to doubt him. "She was still annoyed, but she was mostly fine. I got the feeling she wanted to act…well…nonchalant."

Olivia scoffed. "Don't we all in front of our exes?" she asked from him.

"Whatever she feels, it doesn't matter, she is gone now," Ed said, knowing the hidden meaning.

"I guess," Olivia agreed. "I don't know. I never really liked her for how she treated you, but I did feel guilty about being the one who caused you guys to split up."

"Hey," Ed said, moving back to the sofa, perching on the edge of it and resting his hand on her knee. "You have nothing to feel guilty about. We all have relationships that don't work out, but we got here, Olivia. We made it in the end and that is the main thing."

"It is," Olivia smiled.

It was then when there was a buzz on the intercom. Ed jumped up. "Can you keep an eye on the kettle? I assume that is the pizza."

"I assume so," Olivia agreed with him, nodding her head and also moving to stand. She watched the back of his head as he made certain that he had his wallet with him to pay for the pizza. Chewing down on her bottom lip, she wondered what was going on.

…

Olivia finished work early on the Monday evening. She had intended to go back to Ed's apartment that evening, but she had been asked to work late. Apparently there was a parent who wanted to talk to her after school and could only make it after five. She had text Ed to tell him that she was going to be late and he had told her that he would hold off making dinner.

She was about to give up after this parent was half an hour late. Standing up, she began to pack her satchel. Shrugging into her red coat, she draped her bag over the door before she heard a knock on the door. She looked down onto her books, calling out: "Come in."

The door opened and Olivia peered to the side, her eyes widening at the woman stood there. She was dressed in a figure fitting green dress, black heels on her feet and a long grey coat on her body. Her blonde hair was neatly coiffed and she had a tantalising glint in her eye.

"Long time no see, Liv," she said.

"Barbara," Olivia whispered her name as the woman closed the door and walked into the classroom, moving around the desks, her hand trailing over them. Olivia backed away from her, moving in the opposite direction that she stalked. "What are you doing here?"

"I've got an invite for you," Barbara said. "I want to invite you to mine and Jim's wedding."

Olivia's eyes widened. "What?" Olivia asked from her. "Barbara, I have no idea what has happened to you, but honestly you need help."

"You know, everyone says that," Barbara said with a sigh. "But I feel just fine. I know exactly what I am doing."

Olivia began moving towards the door, needing to get out. She reached for the door handle, but it didn't budge. The door was locked. Olivia turned around to see Barbara holding the key in her fingers. She tossed it over her shoulder. "Now we can either do this the easy way or the hard way," she said.

Olivia began banging on the door, shouting for someone to come. She hoped the janitor was still around, or maybe the cleaners. She needed anyone to get her away from Barbara. Looking on as the young teacher begged for help, Barbara shrugged. "Have it your way," she said and stepped forwards, pulling the syringe from her pocket and coming up behind Olivia. Forcing the needle into her neck, she pressed down as Olivia winced in pain and slowly felt herself slip down the door to the ground.

…..

"Liv," Jim kept trying to call to his sister as he came around and saw her tied to a chair next to his in the grand church. She was groggy, groaning lowly with her head bowed. Slowly, she managed to peel her eyes open, wincing as she blinked. "Liv, hey, Liv, it's me."

She followed his voice, her eyes going to her brother as she tried to move. She failed in her motion and looked down, seeing that she was tied down to the chair. Panic began to rise inside of her then as she tried to tug on the ropes that bound her.

"Jim, what the hell is going on?" she asked from her brother, noting the priest tied to another chair in front of them. "Barbara…"

"I know," Jim said to her. "Don't worry, I'm thinking of a plan to get us out of here."

"What is that psychotic bitch doing?" Olivia demanded.

It was then when the noise of the wedding march began to play in the church. The two siblings looked to each other before they dared to turn their heads over their shoulders. Both of them looked horrified as Barbara moved down the aisle, dressed in a wedding dress complete with veil and a small gun in her fingertips. She glided down the aisle and came to stand in front of Jim.

"I know," she said, arms stretched, "I cannot believe that it still fits."

"Jesus Christ," Olivia mumbled.

"I'll let you into a little secret, Liv," Barbara said, looking to Olivia. "I was so excited when we found this place and we agreed to get married. I was going to ask you to be my bridesmaid before everything happened."

"How long do you think you have before the GCPD come here?" Jim asked, wanting to take Barbara's attention away from Olivia.

It worked and Barbara began circling Jim's chair. Bending down, she looked him in the eye after a moment of pacing. "That is so typical of you. I'm talking about us, but all you care about is work."

"Barbara, there is no us," Jim said to her. "What are you doing?"

"Well, this," she said, motioning to herself, "is my wedding dress. And this, is Father Callahan. I assume you remember him. Of course, your sister is here…I mean, she is your only family and she is a witness. We need a witness if we are going to get married, that is all the law."

"Barbara," Jim whispered her name.

"Oh Jim, you knew that this would be a trap when I walked into the precinct and told you I would help you this morning," she said and moved towards him, holding onto the arms of the chair and bending down until her face was close to his. She grabbed hold of his chin, holding onto it lightly. "I know that it is me who you want…this life…Lee…she bores you…"

"I love Lee," Jim said, looking Barbara straight in the eye.

"But you lie to her…you lie to her that this isn't you…the man who wants danger."

"I don't lie to Lee," Jim said.

"Don't you?" Barbara asked and stood up straight. "Then let's ask her."

Nodding down the aisle, both Jim and Olivia turned around to follow Barbara's direction. Olivia's eyes widened in horror as she began fighting against her restraints again. Jim looked horrified as Lee was wheeled down the aisle, her mouth gagged and her wrists also bound behind her.

"Lee!" Olivia shouted her name.

"You see, you never cared for me like you do her," Barbara said, pointing to Olivia as the woman who had wheeled Lee down the aisle left. "But me and Lee have some things to talk about…like your brother. You never did speak ill of him."

"I defended you!" Olivia sniped at Barbara and Jim wished his sister wouldn't goad Barbara. "I never got on with you that well, Barbara, but I helped you…I was kind to you."

"And do you know that Jim said about you?" Barbara asked.

"Barbara, stop it," Jim demanded from her.

She moved closer to Olivia and bent down, kneeling on the floor and looking her in the eye. "He thought that you were weak…when he found out that your boyfriend had hit you, he wanted you to come and live with us because he thought that you were too fragile to be on your own. He thought that you needed him and he is right, isn't he? You are weak on your own. You always rely on him. You see, I used to be like that, but I wised up."

"Barbara!" Jim shouted at her and she held her hands up in defence before standing up.

"Just being honest, Jim," she said to him and then looked to Lee. "So what do you think, Lee? How is your relationship with Jim going? Is Olivia getting in the way? You know, I wondered if the two of them were too close at one stage…"

"I love Jim. My relationship with Jim is none of your concern. I know him."

"How could you know him when he doesn't know who he is?" Barbara wondered from her. "He can never be honest with himself, despite anyone else."

"And what about you?" Jim demanded and she looked to him one more time. "This entire day was a lie. You never intended to give up Galavan."

"Who?" Barbara asked. "Oh, so you want honesty. Mayor James is alive and well. There you go, Jim, honesty."

Barbara began pacing one more time. "You know, Jim is just an act," Barbara said. "He enjoys dabbling in darkness, but the Jim you know is just an act."

"We all put on an act," Lee said, chin held high as she refused to acknowledge Barbara's taunts.

"Did he tell you how he got reinstated at the GCPD?" Barbara wondered.

"He killed a man for Penguin," Lee said and Olivia's eyes widened as Jim looked over to his sister and Barbara picked up on the look. He had killed someone? He hadn't told her that. He had kept that secret.

"Ooh," Barbara drawled, "so he told his girlfriend, but not his sister."

"You had enough on your plate," Jim said and Olivia almost wanted to snap at him for keeping that from her, but then she remembered her own secret. How could she be mad at him. "Olivia, I didn't want to tell you."

"Yeah," Olivia whispered.

"We have no secrets between us," Lee said, wanting to do the same as Jim and stop Barbara from looking at Olivia. Moving back to Lee, Barbara took hold of her chin.

"You love him, huh?" Barbara checked. "You love a murdering insomniac?"

"He has done things he is not proud of, but that is not Jim," Lee said confidently.

It was then when Barbara reached behind her back, pulling out a knife she had hid in her dress. Moving the knife to Lee's throat, Jim threw a look to his sister, urging for her to keep quiet as Barbara taunted Lee. Jim was trying to break free from his restraints as Olivia saw him pulling on them against the metal of the chair. He suddenly broke free, reaching for the gun Barbara had placed down on Lee's chair. He held it in the air, pointing it at Barbara as she stepped back.

"There he is," she said, "my little monster."

"Don't make me kill you, Barbara," Jim warned her.

"Do it," Barbara taunted him. "Do it."

She stepped closer to him as sirens began wailing in the distance. Barbara took off then, running away as other figures began moving through the church, shooting at Jim. Olivia bent over, ducking down as Jim fired back, killing the men who took aim at them. Police stormed the church and Olivia sighed in relief as Jim began to untie Lee.

"Jim!" Lee snapped, noting Barbara running along the balcony of the church.

"On it," Jim said and took off after Barbara.

Looking to Olivia, Lee grew concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Olivia nodded her head. "What the hell just happened?"

"I think…Barbara…she needs help."

"Can say that again," Lee agreed.

The two women remained seated until two officers came and untied them. Olivia stood up, slightly shaky on her feet as another office ran in and asked Lee for medical help. Barbara had fallen from the window. Lee walked out as Olivia remained in the church, looking around before Jim came for her.

"Liv," he said to her and she moved towards him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding onto her. "I am so sorry."

"It isn't your fault your ex is deranged," she promised her brother.

"Not just about that," Jim said.

"I know," Olivia said. "And we will talk about that, but not tonight."

"Okay," Jim said, bending down and kissing her on the forehead. "Come on, I'll get an officer to drive you home…back to Ed's…wherever you want to go."

Olivia nodded, noting that Barbara had had the decency to bring her satchel with her when she had knocked her out. Olivia picked her bag up and slung it over her shoulder as Jim wrapped his arm around Olivia's shoulders and led her outside.

Lee had finished looking over Barbara and the blonde woman was being wheeled into an ambulance. Olivia urged her brother to go and speak to Lee as she hung back. She saw the two of them have a tense discussion before Lee walked over to Olivia.

"Hey," Lee said, "I'm coming with you. We'll drop you off and then me."

"Sure," Olivia said as an officer introduced himself and said that he would drive them home. Lee and Olivia spoke briefly, making certain they were each okay, but clearly neither one of them was in the mood for discussion.

"I meant to ask," Olivia said as they pulled up to Ed's apartment. "Jim said that Kristen hasn't been at work all week."

"She hasn't been," Lee nodded. "I mean, I haven't seen her and she hasn't clocked in. Why?"

"Just…after tonight…I kind of wanted to apologise," Olivia lied to her. "Life's too short to hold grudges and I want to make things right."

"Fair enough," Lee said as the car stopped.

Olivia embraced Lee and said her goodnights before climbing from the car and moving towards Ed's apartment. Lee told the officer to wait, needing to make sure that Olivia got in the building safely. Ringing up to Ed's flat, Olivia waited for a few moments before he answered.

"Olivia, what are you doing here?" he asked her.

She frowned, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "What do you mean? I was supposed to come over tonight."

"Well, yes, but I text you to say that I was ill and it would be best to stay away," his voice crackled down.

Olivia sighed. "Ed, I haven't had a chance to check my cell," she said. "Things have been crazy tonight, okay? Can I just come up? I'll explain everything, but I kind of need you right now…I just need you."

There was a moment of silence and Olivia wondered what was going on. "Liv," his voice sighed her name, "honestly…it's just…I am really sick."

Olivia felt her cheeks begin to warm up then. "Ed, I don't give a fuck," she said, unable to hold her tongue. "I'll keep my distance…look after you…anything you want, but I don't want to be alone. I've just been tied to a chair by Jim's crazy ex-girlfriend who was going to kill Lee and maybe me, I don't know, and now all I want is to come and see you and you won't even let me up. Are you serious?"

"I'll come down and get you a cab-"

"-What are you hiding?" Olivia interrupted him, knowing that if anyone passed by they would think her slightly deranged for having an argument with Ed through his intercom. "And do not say you are sick because I know you are lying."

"Liv, I will come and get you a cab and then we can talk-"

"-I don't want to talk," Olivia interrupted again. "I want the truth, Ed, because we both know you haven't exactly been honest."

"What do you mean?"

"You never even saw Kristen this week. She hasn't clocked in at work so I know you are lying to me about that and now you won't even let me into your apartment. Are you still seeing her, is that it?"

Olivia finally blurted out what she had been thinking.

"No! Olivia, no, that is not it," Ed said. "I promise you. I love you."

"Yeah, you love me so much you are essentially telling me to get lost as I stand on your doorstep and beg you to let me in after I've just been kidnapped. What a great boyfriend you are."

"Olivia, I am coming down, okay."

"Don't bother," Olivia snapped and turned on her heel.

She walked down the steps of the apartment building and looked to the street, almost relieved to see that Lee was still there in the police car. Olivia moved to it and opened the door, sliding back in as she looked to Lee, cheeks red and tears in her eyes. "Can I stay at yours?"

"Liv, what happened?" Lee asked from her, reaching out and holding her arm.

"He…I think he is still seeing Kristen," Olivia admitted. "He said he was sick and that I couldn't come up…and I told him what had just happened and he didn't even seem to care."

"Okay," Lee said as Olivia finally began to cry. "Okay, let's go back to mine."

Olivia nodded as she heard his voice then.

"Olivia!" he shouted her name loudly.

Lee looked to him as Olivia remained passive in the car. Placing her hand on the front seat, Lee spoke to the officer. "Can you drive, please?"

Nodding, he began to set off just as Ed almost reached the car. "Olivia, wait! Please!"

Olivia ignored him completely, looking straight ahead as Lee caught his eye and glowered, turning away a moment later. They left Ed in the street, hands behind his head as he watched the car drive off. He groaned to himself and threw his head back, looking to the sky. Why could she not have checked her phone before she came? Why did it have to be tonight when Barbara had decided to make a move? Why did it have to be tonight when Ed had found Penguin and brought him back to his apartment? There was no way that Ed could have let her in, not without her seeing Penguin and then she would have lost it. She would have asked him what he was doing and how he had found him. Ed couldn't tell her it had been while he was burying Kristen's body, but he couldn't let her think that he was still seeing Kristen.

Ed trudged back to his apartment, realising that he now had a problem on his hands.

…..

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