When Penelope and Edward emerged from the service entrance, they spotted Commissioner Gordon in animated conversation with Batman. "...I've got SWAT waiting out in front to take Bane into custody. I just want to wait until-" Gordon's eyes drifted behind Batman to Edward and Penelope. "Dr. Young!" He rushed towards her, his eyes wide with worry. "Are you alright?" he asked. "What in God's name happened here?"

Penelope nodded. "I'm fine, Commissioner." The guilt she had felt when she'd lied to him days earlier returned in full force. "I can explain-"

"I take full responsibility for what happened tonight, Commissioner," Edward interrupted, stepping forward.

Gordon's eyes narrowed a bit as he seemed to notice Edward for the first time. "I was wondering when I'd see you again," he grumbled. "Alright, Nigma. Explain." Edward took a breath, then began to recount the events of the last few days, starting when Penelope had told him about the break-in at her apartment. All the while, she watched Gordon's face. He schooled his expression to neutral, but she could see the shock when Edward mentioned his suspicions about Schrader. Gordon's posture stiffened as Edward continued, detailing his attempt to confirm Bane's location while leaving out Aaron's involvement and the incident with Harley Quinn.

"...And I'm sure the Caped Crusader has filled you in on what happened after Bane so rudely locked me up," Edward finished. "Which brings us to now." He gestured to the service door behind them. "Bane is there waiting to be taken into custody, thanks to yours truly with no small help from Dr. Young."

Gordon took a deep breath, removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. Penelope stepped forward. "Commissioner," she said in a small voice. "Jim. I'm so sorry-"

"It's alright," Gordon said gently, putting his glasses back on. "We'll talk about this tomorrow morning. My office."

It wasn't a request. Penelope nodded. "Of course."

Gordon then turned back to Edward. "As for you, Nigma, I don't think I need to tell you just how much of a jackass stunt you pulled." Edward rolled his eyes but said nothing. Gordon sighed. "But thank you for all of your help." He turned around, only for all three of them to realize that at some point during Edward's explanation, Batman had left. Gordon shook his head. "Let's get the two of you out of here."

Edward and Penelope followed Gordon around the corner to the front of the building, where a SWAT team and a score of uniformed officers were waiting, guns drawn. A few of the officers' eyes widened when they caught sight of Edward. Gordon raised a hand. "At ease," he said. He gave a short nod to the SWAT commander. "Bane's inside and he's been neutralized. You're clear to take him."

The SWAT Commander snapped his fingers and directed his team to follow him towards the back of the toy factory. The uniformed officers stayed where they were, and Penelope could catch pick up a few snatches of gossip from them. "Is that-did Riddler-No way, he couldn't have-Batman took down Bane-but did Riddler help?"

"Doc!"

Penelope's attention was immediately caught by Aaron running up to her. "Aaron!"

Aaron stopped in front of her and took her in. "You ok? I never heard back from you and then Gordon said-" then Aaron made eye contact with Edward and his face turned stony. "What in the Hell did you do, Nigma!?"

Edward was about to say something nasty when Penelope stepped between the two men. "It doesn't matter," she said. "Bane's in custody and the TITAN's been destroyed. I'm going home."

Edward and Aaron both looked at her. "You sure, Doc?" Aaron asked.

"I'm sure," Penelope answered. It was late now, and after everything that had happened over the past twenty-four hours, she was exhausted. She needed time alone to recuperate, and to think about what she would say to Gordon, as well as-She turned back to Edward. "I'll be by tomorrow to get my things," she said. "And we need to talk about everything that happened today, Edward."

Edward's shoulders slumped a bit, but he nodded. "Alright."

Aaron shook his head. "You know what? I'm not sure I want to know," he muttered. "I'll walk you to your car, Doc."

Penelope walked towards where her car was parked without another word, through the whispering police officers and resisted every urge she had to look back at Edward. If she looked back, she wouldn't want to leave him.

Edward watched her go, ignoring the gossip growing around him. He'd come so close to losing her, and he still had no idea how to tell her what he'd learned without losing her anyway. Then his jaw set. That could wait. For now, he had an overdue visit to make.

"Breaking news tonight in Gotham City, notorious assassin Bane was apprehended by Batman in North Gotham's industrial district. Also, GCNN has learned that another famous Gotham resident played a role in Bane's capture. According to anonymous sources in GCPD, Edward Nigma was at the scene and assisted Batman in apprehending Bane. Nigma has been keeping a low profile since his involvement in the arrest of serial killer Victor Goodman last December, but it seems he's made a return to the spotlight in a big way. We'll continue to update you as soon as we receive more information. This is Summer Gleeson, with GCNN."

Ward took another sip of brandy and watched the newscast. As he lowered the glass back onto the coffee table, he became aware that it was shaking. His hand was shaking. Jesus Christ. He continued to watch, though Gleeson's reporting soon became a drone background noise. His attention was caught by the picture of Nigma GCNN had chosen to display. It was a picture of him during his press conference last year when he'd been after Goodman. His face was smug with a smirk that seemed to accentuate his angular features. It was an expression he'd seen at Blackgate and Arkham countless times, but it had never truly frightened him until now. Jesus Christ. Bane being captured by Batman had always been the endgame, regardless of whether he'd killed Young or not. Nigma helping Batman though? That had never been part of the plan. That had never even been considered as a worst-case scenario. This was the nightmare scenario. If Nigma had gotten involved in the first place, then he had to know about the plot against Young. Evidently, he cared for her more than Schrader believed. And if Nigma cared enough about her to put aside his old rivalry with Batman for one night to protect her, what else was he ready to do? Jesus Christ.

He took another shaking sip of brandy and considered his options. He'd called Schrader the minute the broadcast made the air but hadn't heard back from him. No doubt the detective was already well aware of what happened. That left Strange to inform. Ward gulped. This could potentially derail everything that they were working for. Perhaps, Ward considered, it may be time to cut his losses and bow out. He'd put in a good quarter-century in corrections. Perhaps it was time to retire, leave Gotham, join his son in Central City and live out the rest of his life in peace-

"I see that my exploits have already made the news."

Ward turned around sharply and his stomach dropped. Standing behind the sofa, with his arms crossed and a cold smirk on his face, was Edward Nigma. He raised a hand to tip his hat. "Good evening, Warden, or rather, good morning."

Ward got to his feet. "You! How did you-" He creased his brow and tried to calm down. "Get out before I have you arrested for trespassing, Nigma!"

An almost scandalized look came across Nigma's face and he put a hand against his chest. "Oh, Warden! I'm hurt! Is that any way to speak to the man who helped save your life tonight?"

Ward's eyes narrowed. "What the Hell are you talking about?"

Nigma raised his cane and pointed it towards Ward's television. "No doubt you're aware of the part I played in Bane's capture tonight. While I was spending quality time with the man, he informed me that you were next on his list. He hasn't forgotten the part you played in the creation of the TITAN." Ward's blood ran cold. Then he became aware of Nigma chuckling. "You didn't think this little scheme of yours through, did you?"

Ward nervously licked his lip. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Nigma let out an impatient sigh. "Of course you don't." Nigma then turned towards the bookshelf a few feet from the sofa. He walked towards it and Ward watched him like a hawk. The Hell was he up to? Then he froze. Nigma had picked up a picture of his son at his college graduation. "Gotham University, 2002. What a lovely photo. Your son Geoffrey's done quite well for himself, hasn't he? A promising young DA in Central City, a quaint two-bedroom house on 652 Marigold Lane-"

"Put that down!" Ward bellowed. "How dare you threaten my son!?"

Nigma turned to face him and cocked his head innocently. "Threaten? Now when did I do that? I'm merely stating facts, Warden." He put the photo down and began to laugh. The hairs on the back of Ward's neck stood up. This wasn't the cocky persona of a PI Nigma had been presenting to the world for the past two years. This was something worse, something he'd hoped he'd never see again. This was the Riddler. Was this an intimidation tactic, or was the old crook beginning to wake up? "Now," Nigma's cold, smooth voice cut in. "To come to the point of my visit. I know it was you who brought about Bane's return to our fair city. And I also know that it was Detective Schrader who stole the TITAN and trashed Penelope Young's apartment."

Ward shook his head. "You have no proof-"

"No," Nigma interrupted. "But when has that ever stopped me?" His smirk disappeared and his face became angry. "Consider this your first and final warning. She's off-limits. If Penelope Young is even slightly inconvenienced by you, Schrader, or anyone connected to Professor Strange, there will be consequences."

Ward felt both hands shake in anger and fear. "You come into my home, make these wild accusations, threaten the life of me and my son-"

Nigma raised a finger. "Now, now, Warden. Give me some credit. There are all sorts of ways to undo a person's life that doesn't involve violence." Nigma smirked again. "Ask Lyle Bolton." Another chill went through Ward. "So no, this isn't a threat. It's a friendly reminder. I may be reformed, but that doesn't make me a good person." Nigma tipped his hat. "Well then. Good morning, Ward." Nigma walked past him and out the front door where he'd entered. Ward stood frozen in his living room. Jesus. Jesus. Even if he left Gotham, he'd never be safe from Nigma's vengeance. Now, what the Hell did he do?

Driving away from Ward's home in the upper East End, Edward felt more relaxed then he had in days. The closer he came to his apartment though, the more his thoughts turned to Penny, and his stomach tied up in knots. What could he say to her? How did he make this right? Yes, Bane was in custody, but he'd put her life in danger to make that happen. If she hadn't found that bug in her car...would she have handed herself over to Bane to save him? How could he have put her in that position? What had he been thinking? Had he been thinking? He pulled into his parking lot and dragged himself out of the car and up the stairs. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, his legs felt like lead weights and he could feel his eyes drooping. As soon as he was inside, he'd collapse on the sofa. He couldn't go into his room, not with her things still there.

When he opened his door, however, he felt a draft from a window he knew neither of them had left open. He saw a dark mass by his kitchen table, shut the door behind him and let out a long groan. "Oh God," he said. "Really? Now?"

Batman stalked towards him. "Do you have," he growled. "Any idea what you almost did tonight?"

Edward's eyes narrowed. "If I hadn't been there, Bane would have snapped you in half!"

"If you hadn't acted in such a selfish, reckless manner, none of us would have been in that position tonight!" Batman shouted. He was a foot away from Edward, maybe less, and he was angry. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Edward could see hundreds of replays of this scenario in hideouts, in alleys, even in Arkham. The more things changed, the more they remained the same. "You almost got Dr. Young killed!"

"Oh, don't act as if you care about her welfare," Edward snarled. "Did you or did you not put a bug in her car!? How long have you been spying on her!? Who else have you been keeping an eye on? Me? My daughter? Do I need to do a bug sweep of her home too!?"

Batman's eyes narrowed through the cowl. "I know that you've been working with her to investigate Hugo Strange," he said. Of course, he knew. Edward had expected that. "You made a mistake getting her involved."

"I didn't," Edward hissed. "She's been a willing participant. She was the one who approached me!"

"You could have said no," Batman answered. "You should have. She's not like us, Edward. The more involved she is with you, the more danger she's in."

Edward clenched his fists. "I've done everything in my power to keep her safe," he said, as much to himself as to Batman. "I kept her hidden here to protect her, I went after Bane for her!"

"Did you do it for her?" Batman asked. "Or did you do it for yourself?" Edward opened his mouth in outrage but found that he had no reply. Had this been about him, all along? "You could have let her leave Gotham," Batman said. "But you kept her here because you didn't want her to leave you, even if by staying she was put at even more risk."

Edward shut his eyes. No, he didn't, he...he did. "I didn't know about Bane-"

"Would it have made a difference?"

Yes, it-no-yes. I'm not in love with her, I'm not- Edward opened his eyes and glared. "Do you think," he said in a voice that startled him with how raw it was. "That I am not painfully aware of what an awful human being I am? Do you think I need you to come in to remind me of everything I'm not?"

Something in his voice made Batman's posture soften. "Edward," the vigilante said, all anger gone. "You're in over your head with Hugo Strange. Let me handle it. Stay out of this. Not just for Dr. Young, or your daughter. For your own sake too." He turned back towards the open window. "Thank you for your help," he said gently, without turning back. He then jumped out of the window.

Edward dragged himself to his sofa and curled up. The last thing he thought before sleep finally overcame him was Penny. I'm sorry. For everything.

Gordon had said nothing while Penelope had recounted in detail the events that had led up to last night. Well, not in complete detail. She left out the encounter with Harley Quinn, the nightmare she'd had, the fact that Edward had almost kissed her. Gordon had listened and waited until Penelope was done speaking before he began to ask questions.

"Why didn't you tell me this when you stopped by my office?" he asked.

Penelope wet her lip. "I didn't know who in GCPD was involved, I didn't want to risk of them finding out the truth."

"Penelope," Gordon said with a strained voice. "You could have trusted me. I would've kept your secret."

"I know," she said, her hands bunched in her lap. She could barely look at the man in the eye. "I should have told you. I'm sorry."

Gordon sighed, then got out of his chair to pace around his desk. "I can't charge or even discipline Schrader without solid proof," he said at last. "If I take a former Rogue's word against a decorated cop's I'll have a mutiny on my hands. But I can put him on an information diet, starting today. And I'll keep you separated from him as much as I can."

Penelope nodded. Under the circumstances, it was the best she could hope for. "What about the TITAN?"

"Well, we narrowed it down to a uniformed officer named Alvarez, but it seems he's skipped town. And there's no obvious connection between him and Schrader. We'll keep looking into it though."

"Of course." Penelope took a breath. She should have done this months ago, but better late than never. "Jim, there's something else you need to know. Edward-Nigma and I have been investigating-

Gordon raised a hand. "I know what you're going to say," he said. "And I don't want to hear it."

Penelope looked at him in surprise. "You already knew-"

"No," he said with a wry look. "But I've suspected. The less I know, the better. Plausible deniability and all that." His face grew serious. "Do you trust Nigma?"

After everything that had happened, that was a loaded question, but Penelope still had the same answer. "Yes."

Gordon nodded. "That's all I need to know. Penelope, I won't ask or expect you to inform on him, but if you ever reach a point where you think he may be a danger to himself and others, tell me."

"I will," Penelope said. She got up from her chair. "Was there anything else you needed from me?"

"No. Go home and get some rest. You need it." Gordon opened the door for her. "See you soon, Penelope."

"Thank you again, Jim. For everything." Penelope walked out of the office and into the bullpen. The officers were still buzzing with excitement over Bane's capture. Luckily, they were too preoccupied with Edward's involvement to notice that she had played a part too. Aaron was waiting for her near the front entrance. He'd agreed to take her to Edward's to help her with her things, and, in his words, to provide support. Penelope steeled herself. The talk she would have with Edward would be one of the most difficult she'd ever had to make. She needed to stay firm though and do what was best for both of them.

"Ready, Doc?" Aaron asked as soon as he saw her.

"As I'll ever be," she admitted. Her gaze narrowed when she caught sight of another person by the front entrance. "Schrader."

Detective Schrader had just walked through the doors and his grey gaze widened when he saw her. "Dr. Young," he said. He shook his head slightly. "I didn't expect to see you back so soon."

So Schrader was going to be coy. That was fine with her. An outright accusation wouldn't do her any good. "It's going to take a lot more to get rid of me then Bane returning," she said. "Goodbye, Detective." She walked past him through the doors, Aaron following closely behind.

Schrader watched the bitch go. "So that's how it's going to be," he muttered. "Alright then. I guess I'm just going to have to kill you."

It was 12:01 and six seconds. Where was she?

Edward sat on his couch, drumming his fingers in a staccato pattern on his knees. He'd woken up at half-past ten, showered, changed, then went straight to his couch and waited for Penny to come. He still had no idea what to say to her. What could he say to her? He sighed. The truth. That was what he could say. The truth about his connection to the Arkham riot, the truth of why he'd gone after Bane, the truth about what he felt for her. Everything. Even she hated him for it, the truth was what she deserved. A knocking at his front door brought his fidgeting to an end. "Come in!" he called out. He took a deep breath. Now for the final reckoning.

The door opened, and someone who was very much not Penelope came rushing in. "Dad!"

Edward stood up in surprise. "Ellen?"

Ellen made a mad dash to where he was and threw her arms around his midsection. "I saw the news! Are you ok? How the fuck did you manage to take down Bane!?"

"Ellen, language!" Edward scolded. He returned her hug though. It was the second time in six months he'd almost made her an orphan after all. "And I didn't take him down, I merely helped Batman do so."

Ellen rolled her eyes. "Yeah, 'merely'. Jesus Christ, Dad, you're so freakin' stupid sometimes it's unbelievable."

Edward huffed. "What a sweet, affectionate child it is!"

Ellen took a step back, then her green eyes bulged out when she saw his face. "Did Bane do that?"

Edward pressed his fingers gingerly against the bruise. It had faded but was still noticeable. "No. That's...that's a long story."

Ellen looked like she wanted to say more when a throat cleared. Edward looked past his daughter and his heart dropped when he saw Penny and Cash in the doorway. "We're not interrupting, are we?" Penny asked.

"No," Edward said, shaking his head. "Come on in."

Ellen's nose wrinkled when she and Cash made eye contact. "Thought I smelled bacon."

"Cute," Cash grunted. He looked at Ellen with amusement. "This your kid, Nigma? Thought she'd be younger."

"Who wants to know?" Ellen asked.

"Ellen," Penny said. "This is Officer Aaron Cash. He's a friend of mine. Aaron, this is Ellen."

"Hi, Ellen," Cash waved. He glanced back over at Edward and nodded. "Nigma."

"Cash," Edward said. Did Penny have to bring him? He'd started this whole damn mess. Edward turned his head towards his room. "Your things are still there," he addressed Penny. "And I have your books on my dining room table."

"Alright. I'll go pack." Penny walked down the hallway towards his bedroom, leaving Cash waiting awkwardly by the door and Ellen staring at Edward with her eyes even more bugged out.

"Her things?" she puzzled. "Wait was she-holy shit. I knew it!"

"Ellen," Edward said half-heartedly. "Language." Five minutes passed before Penny came back down the hall, with her bags and suitcase. "Do you have everything?"

"Yes," she answered. She wet her lip and handed her suitcase to Cash. "Aaron, could you take this down for me? I need a few minutes."

Cash took the suitcase. "Sure thing." Then he gave Ellen a nod. "Come help me with those other cases, Ellen. Think Doc and your Dad need some time alone."

"Fuck off!" Ellen said. "You can't tell me what to do!"

"Ellen," Edward said firmly. "Go help Cash. Make sure he doesn't drop anything."

Ellen cocked her head, then glanced at Penny and back to him. She seemed to understand. "Okay. See you in a bit, Dad." She took Penny's briefcase from her and followed Cash out, giving her father one last glance before shutting the door behind her.

And now they were alone. Penny stood by the dining room table, not coming any closer to where Edward was in front of his couch. He decided against coming into her space. "Well," he said. "You have the floor. I imagine you must have quite a few questions for me."

"I do," Penny said, her husky voice hard as diamonds. "I most certainly do. Before I ask anything though, I wanted to tell you that there is a part of me that is still absolutely furious with you."

Edward cringed. "I know."

Penny took a deep breath, then continued. "I thought that after Goodman, after Waylon Jones, we were at a point where we could be open and honest with each other." She glared at him. "Clearly, that isn't the case. You've been keeping things from me, important things that I need to know. You're not being honest with me about how you feel. And even after everything's that happened, you still ran off and risked your life without telling me or anyone what you were doing or why! How could you have gone after Bane by yourself like that? Did you think about me at all before you did that? Did you ever stop to think about Ellen? Or was this about your ego? Was the need to prove yourself more important to you than making sure you came back to me and your daughter alive?"

"It wasn't like that," Edward said. He sighed. "But no. I wasn't thinking. There was nothing rational about it. It was something I had to do."

Penny's brow furrowed. "Had to?" She repeated. "Why? Was it because I saw you with Harley Quinn? Did you feel like you needed to make up for that?"

"Yes and no," Edward answered. Now or never. He took her in one last time before he began to speak. "I was meeting with Harley to get information about Bane. The conversation turned to the TITAN experiment and Arkham, and...and..." Edward gulped. More than anything, he wished he could lie, that he didn't have to tell her the truth. For you, Penelope, anything. "Penny, I was involved."

Penny's eyes widened. "What? What are you talking about? You were in a coma."

"During the actual riot, yes, but...Harley told me that before I escaped Arkham the final time, I helped her and Joker break the security encryption. What I did helped them take over the Asylum." Penny's expression became guarded and she closed her eyes. "I don't remember it, any of it," Edward continued. "I wish more than anything I could take it back, but when she told me, and I remembered how you were the previous night, how much you blamed yourself for what happened, now much you were hurt, and the thought that I played any kind of part in that, Penny, I couldn't take it." He ran a hand through his hair. "And then you saw us together and you were angry, rightfully so I'll add. I went back to my office and I didn't know what to do, how to make it up to you, and then I heard from an informant about where Bane was. I thought that if I was the one to lead GCPD to Bane, that I could make up for helping destroy your life." Penny opened her eyes again, and what Edward saw in them wasn't anger, but a resigned sadness. "It's not an excuse," he said. "It's not a justification. It's not even a good explanation. It was stupid, and selfish, and reckless, and insane, but you need to know the truth." He sighed and looked down at his feet. "I wouldn't blame you if you walked out and never wanted to see me again. I'll accept that and leave you alone, but I just want you to know how sorry I am for everything."

There was a long period of silence before Penny finally spoke. "Edward," she said. "Eddie." Edward looked up with a start. She'd never called him that before. She shook her head. "Why didn't you just come back and tell me that? We could have talked about it, worked through it. You didn't need to risk your life to make up for it to me."

Something occurred to Edward about how she was behaving. When he told her about his involvement with the riot, as tangential as it was, she hadn't been angry. Or shocked. Or even surprised. Then the pin dropped. "You knew," he murmured. "From the moment you wanted to work with me in GCPD on the Barnes case last year, you knew that I was involved in the riot!"

"I suspected," Penny admitted. "We all did. There aren't many people who are capable of cracking WayneTech security, and the system had shown long term signs of being tampered with. It wasn't hard to imagine that you were somehow involved."

Edward felt faint. He ran through every interaction he could ever remember having with her, starting last May. It did explain how hostile she was to him at first, even beyond his infamous reputation. "You knew all along," he said, almost dazed. "But you still helped me. You still trusted me."

"Yes," she said. "What I said to you outside GCPD last year...I meant all of it. I'm not going to stand here and pretend that you aren't a very flawed human being, Edward Nigma. Your behavior over the last few days is proof enough of that. But in the past year, you saved my life twice. You've gone out of your way to protect me. You tried to save Kimberly Bierko from Tetch, even though he used to be your friend. You saved Eric Brewer when you didn't have to. You've taken the first steps to be a father for Ellen. After everything that's happened between you two, you still saved Batman. And..." She took a tentative step towards him and had a small smile on her face. "When I needed it the most, you held my hand and told me that I was better than what I thought I was. No matter what happens, I'll always be grateful to you for that." Her smile fell. "I wasn't so angry just because of Harley. I was angry because I've seen for myself that you can do and be better."

Edward didn't know what to say. He didn't think he could say anything. He'd barely heard her over the pounding of his own heart. He wasn't in love with her, he wasn't, he wasn't...but oh God, he wanted to be, more than anything. Then he remembered all the reasons why he couldn't be. He finally let out a shaky chuckle. "Well," he said. "I don't have a retort for that." Then he sighed. "I'm not good at this, bear with me. But I truly am sorry for everything that happened over the last few days. I haven't handled this situation well."

"I believe you," Penny nodded. "But I have questions that I need you to answer."

Edward took a breath and nodded. "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no tales."

"How long have you been in contact with Harley Quinn?"

"Since February. She came to my apartment after my run-in with Croc." Penny's face darkened. "She wanted to try to make amends with me as Selina did. I agreed to hear her out and try to re-connect with her. I should have told you-"

"Yes, you should have," Penny interrupted the edge back in her voice. She crossed her arms and huffed. "I know that your relationship with Harley predates ours, and I know that I don't have the right to tell you who you can and can't be friends with." Her shoulders sagged. "Intellectually, I know that since she was released, even though I don't agree with it, that she has the same right to reform as you do, but I will never be comfortable around her."

"And you'll never have to be," Edward assured her. "Harley's on a three-strike basis with me. How she behaved towards you yesterday was strike one and two. She will also never be privy to our investigation." He'd talk to Selina to ensure that. "I promise, she will never see you again."

Penny visibly relaxed. "I heard your argument yesterday." So she'd heard that too, had she? God, how much danger could he have avoided if he had just come back to talk with her last night? Why had he been so damn stupid? "There's one last thing we need to talk about, Edward."

Right. The elephant in the room. "I assume you mean our close encounter," he sighed. "I was being honest when I said that I was trying to comfort you and my wires got crossed. My past relationships with Jonathan and Selina aside, I've never been very good at handling these sorts of situations. I never had any intention of going further, or taking advantage of you in any way."

"I know," Penny said softly. "I'm glad you pulled away before either of us did something we regretted. I know there's more to it though."

"Right," Edward answered. "When I went to your apartment and met with Cash, he asked me, point-blank, if we were dating."

Penny's face flushed. "He did what?" She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I can't believe him."

"I denied it, of course. He also accused me of...well, maybe accusing's the wrong word, but he said that even if we weren't dating, it didn't mean that I wasn't in love with you." Edward leaned his head back. "It got in my head a bit. It might have influenced me to make choices that otherwise, I wouldn't have made."

Penny nodded, then worried her lip. Then, at last, the $64,000 question. "Are you in love with me?"

More than anything, Edward wished he could lie. He'd never been a good liar though, certainly not good enough to fool her. So he did the only thing he could do. He told the truth. "I don't know," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. "I care about you, of course. Other than Ellen, I care about you more than anyone else alive. I don't know if I could call that love though. And I don't know that I'm ready to go down that road again. You deserve better than ambiguity."

Penny's facial expression didn't change, but Edward thought he could detect a sigh. "I understand," she said. "I care about you too. But given everything that's happened, everything that's ahead of us...I think it's for the best that we don't pursue anything past friendship. Not now."

"I agree," Edward said, though the words tasted bitter in his mouth. "Well, he said with a brisk sigh. "What happens now? The ball's in your court, Penny."

"I'm going home," she said. "Gordon said that for now, he'll keep Schrader as far away from me as he can. I think..." she sighed. "I think I need to take a step back from this."

Something inside of Edward broke a bit. "I see," he said dully. "I see. How long?"

"I don't know," Penny admitted. "For a few weeks, maybe more. I need time to process everything. It's nothing against you, I just-"

"I get it," Edward said, raising his hands. "I get it." He wanted to yell, to beg her to reconsider, but he remembered how much trouble he'd caused the last time he wanted her to stay with him. If she felt it was in her best interest to walk away, who was he to stop her? "Will I see you again?"

Penny's eyes softened, her ice-blue eyes like Jon's, but larger and more expressive than his had ever been. "Yes. When I'm ready, I'll reach out to you. Until then," she looked as if she was about to reach out to him, to touch his face, but she didn't. "Take care of yourself, Eddie."

He thought about going to her, to hold her hand one last time, but he stayed put. Instead, he gave her a shallow bow. "Until we meet again. dear doctor."

Penny gave a small smile, then she walked out the door, taking her books with her. When the door shut behind her, Edward sat back down on his sofa, feeling as though he'd lost a part of himself when she walked out that door. "Well," he said to no one in particular. "It's not as if it's goodbye forever. It's not as if we were together anyway. I've lost nothing." He wanted to curl up and cry. He was about to when he heard the front door open again. Ellen stood tentatively in his doorway, looking sorry for him. "Do you have anywhere you need to be?" he found himself asking.

"Nah," Ellen said. "Do you want me to get lost?"

"No," Edward admitted, patting the cushion beside him. "I think I could use the company."

Ellen shut the door behind her and made her way to the sofa. Once she was seated, she reached over and hugged him. "I don't know what just happened," she said. "But I'm sorry, Dad."

Edward squeezed her shoulder. "I'll live," he said. "Don't worry too much about me." He picked up the remote. "Let's see how many news channels I got on." So he would stay, entertain his daughter and pretend he was alright.

Joan said nothing, instead listening to her friend tell her everything that had happened since they'd spoken last. She'd come over the minute Penelope had called her and was shocked when she saw how red her usually composed friend's eyes were. When Penelope finished speaking, Joan cleared her throat. "Well," she said. "For what it's worth, I think you're doing the right thing walking away for a bit. You need to take care of yourself after what you've been through."

Penelope idly rubbed her finger around the rim of her cup. "That wasn't the only reason I left him, Joan."

'Left him'? Joan wouldn't have used those words exactly, but she put them out of mind. "Are you still angry about what he did? Even with his apologies, you have the right to be."

"It's not that either," Penelope said listlessly. She shut her eyes. "When I got home last night, I kept thinking about what would have happened if I hadn't found that audio bug, what I would have done. And I realized that I would have..." she couldn't continue.

Joan thought she understood. She reached a hand out to gently touch her friend on the shoulder. "Edward wouldn't have wanted you to risk your safety for his. He'd understand that you wouldn't have come for him."

Penelope opened her eyes then, and Joan saw the unshed tears for herself. "No Joan," she said. "I would have. If I hadn't found that bug, I would have handed myself over to Bane, I would have done anything I needed to do to keep him safe."

Joan dropped her hand in shock. This wasn't guilt. This was heartbreak. "Penelope," she said cautiously. "Are you telling me that you love him?"

Penelope said nothing, but the look on her face told Joan everything she needed to know. "There must have been a moment, where I could have stopped this. But I missed it..." She shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she said brusquely, wiping her eyes. "We can't be together. We can't allow ourselves to be compromised or used against each other again. I need to get this under control. When I do, when it's safe, I'll reach out to him again."

Joan said nothing, but she knew that if Penelope was only now thinking this, that it was far too late. All she could do was stand back and hope for the best.

CASE CLOSED