After calling Joan, Penelope's next phone call had been to Commissioner Gordon, who was, as she predicted, not pleased. The three met at City Hall and all but demanded a meeting with Mayor Sharp. Penelope almost felt sorry for the mayor's aide as they stormed past him and into Sharp's office. Almost. Then she thought of whatever mental anguish Strange was subjecting Edward to, and her blood turned to ice in her veins. When she, Joan, and Gordon burst into Sharp's office, she'd taken a position off to the side, closest to the door, while her friend and the Commissioner had taken the lead in confronting Sharp. Sitting behind his ostentatious oak desk, glaring up like he was, he looked like a schoolboy facing a teacher's punishment. Or a perp facing police interrogation.

"This is unacceptable, Mayor!" Gordon shouted. "When was I going to be informed that Warden Strange took Nigma into custody!?"

Sharp let out a petulant huff. "Under City Ordinance 352, Strange is not required to inform you of every prisoner taken back into custody-"

"Nigma's not covered under City Ordinance 352 and we all know it," Gordon interrupted. "And even if he was, you would need to inform the police commissioner that you're taking a man of his notoriety into custody! I can think of at least six ways this could have gone badly!"

Sharp narrowed his milky blue eyes. "If you had done as I asked and kept the man under a tight leash, perhaps Professor Strange wouldn't have had to bring him in! The man is a maniac! God only knows what sort of nonsense he'll get up to now that he thinks he's untouchable!"

Hearing the full force of Sharp's contempt for Edward was difficult for Penelope to hear, but she kept her face and body language neutral. "If there was a question about Edward's mental well-being," Joan asked in a cold tone, "Then why wasn't I consulted? I've been Edward's psychiatrist since he recovered from his coma-"

"And a fine job you've done too," Sharp scoffed. "Nigma's just as dangerous as he was when he was a criminal! I've lost track of how many times he's landed himself on the news for some incident or another, and yet no one other than myself and Professor Strange have any interest keeping him in line!"

Penelope almost let out a dry laugh at Sharp's indignation. Over a year later, and the man was still resentful over Edward upstaging him at the first Arkham Memorial. All of the chaos and pain he was willing to inflict on Edward out of petty resentment and entitlement...if he was anyone other then the Mayor or if there were no witnesses, Penelope didn't know that she'd be able to hold herself back from tearing him apart.

Joan spoke again. "Edward comes to sessions and he takes medication. In two years of treating him, I have never seen any indication that he was relapsing, or that he was a danger to himself or others. He's been managing his mental illness without intervention from Arkham."

"And even if he wasn't," Gordon added, "There are ways to manage the situation without escalating it like this. Nigma could very well see this as an attack. That's not good for anyone in this city."

Sharp's mouth opened, then shut. He directed his gaze over to where Penelope stood. "My dear," he said in a way that made her skin crawl. "Surely, you can understand why these measures need to be taken."

As much as she detested Sharp for what he allowed to happen to the man she loved, Penelope knew she couldn't betray her true emotions. Sharp needed to keep seeing her as a surrogate daughter, not as an enemy. "Mayor," she said in a composed tone. "I understand why you of all people can't trust Edward Nigma," Sharp smiled and Penelope clenched her fist before she continued. "But Commissioner Gordon and Dr. Leland are right. This was not the appropriate way to handle the situation." Sharp's face fell and he looked like he was about to say something when Penelope continued. "I'm sure you recall what Nigma's behavior was like in Arkham when he was in a session, don't you?"

Sharp frowned. "I most certainly do! The man was incorrigible! Always making a fuss! Half the time he needed to be removed or sedated!"

Penelope recalled those instances all too well. "Yes, he did." Penelope wet her lip. "Mayor, you trust that Warden Strange would keep you apprised of any mishaps during his session with Nigma?"

Sharp nodded. "Yes. He assured me that he would notify me immediately if there was any problem."

No doubt to get approval to indefinitely commit Edward. "I see. Tell me then: in the past two hours, have you received any reports of a problem from Warden Strange?"

The smug satisfaction on Sharp's face was replaced with a look of uncertainty. "Well...no."

Penelope nodded. "I see. Given Nigma's history with sessions, doesn't the fact that Strange hasn't reported a problem indicate that he's made progress?"

Sharp grimaced. He looked more like a pouting toddler than a civic official. "I suppose it does," he admitted. "But-"

"The point Dr. Young is making, Mayor," Joan cut in. "Is that not only was this an overreach, but it was also entirely unnecessary. If you or Warden Strange had simply asked, Edward may have very well come voluntarily. You antagonized him and potentially set back his treatment for nothing more than a power play. Whatever our personal opinions of the man may be, we can't allow them to override the rule of law."

"No, we can't," Gordon agreed. He fixed Sharp with a steely glare. "I will respect the ordinances the city has passed, even if I don't agree with them, but Mayor, I will not tolerate you or Strange going behind my back like this again."

Sharp's face reddened and he looked ready to argue with Gordon when Penelope felt her purse vibrate. She reached in to pull out her phone and her heart stopped. The number on the screen was Edward's. "Excuse me," she said, turning to the door and leaving the room before anyone said a word. She hurried down the hall until she found an empty corner halfway between Sharp's office and the main waiting room. The phone had stopped ringing, only to buzz again. Penelope looked at the number, screwing up her courage to talk to the man she hadn't spoken to in over a week. The man she now knew she was in love with. Penelope swallowed and flipped open the phone. "Edward?" she asked.

There was a pause before the familiar voice spoke. "Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no tales."

Penelope wanted to sob with relief. "Where are you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm back at my apartment. Bruce Wayne of all people came to pick me up if you can imagine."

Bruce? Penelope didn't know how he found out, but she'd never been more grateful to him. "What did Strange say to you?"

Edward chuckled. "He was trying to get under my skin, telling me everything's gone wrong in my life and I'm wasting my time investigating him, blah, blah, blah." She didn't miss the tremors in his voice, underneath that bravado. "I know he was at your office. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Penelope insisted. His concern for her both warmed and broke her heart. "He was just trying to rattle me. Don't worry about it. What did Strange want? Did he threaten you?"

"The opposite. He proposed that I work with him. He wants me to help him undermine Batman. If I do that and stop investigating him, he said he would help me recover my memories of my time as the Riddler."

Penelope's legs felt weak beneath her. "Oh my God," she breathed. "What you did with Bane threatened him. The timing fits."

"Of course it does." There was another pause before Edward spoke again. "I notice you haven't asked if I agreed to it."

"Because I know you wouldn't," Penelope said fervently. "I know you, Edward. I know you wouldn't throw your life away to work for that man after everything he's done."

Edward chuckled again and his voice came through, thick with emotion. "You still believe in me?"

Penelope felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, but kept her voice level. "Yes," she said. "You know I do."

"I know," Edward said. His voice took on a more business-like tone. "Well, Strange did manage to tip his hand about one thing. Whatever his endgame is, it involves, in his words, 'making Batman redundant.' You picked the right time to walk away from this. It's only going to get more dangerous."

"I knew the risks when I agreed to work with you," Penelope said. She took a breath. "I don't want to stop working against Strange, but I still don't know that I'm quite ready to-"

"I didn't call you to put any undue pressure on you, Penny," Edward assured her. "I merely got your message and wanted to let you know I was still alive. And to make sure Strange didn't rattle you too much."

"I know," Penelope said with a sad smile. "Thank you." There was part of the message that he hadn't heard. Penelope knew at this point, telling him her feelings would do more harm than good, but there was a part of her that wanted to go to him, wanted to tell him that she loved him, that she wanted to be with him more than anything...but she pushed it down. "Are you alone? Do you need me to call anyone?"

"Ellen's with me," he said. The mention of Ellen caused a chill to go down Penelope's spine. In all the chaos, she hadn't even thought about her. "And before you ask," Edward continued, "No, she wasn't taken. Strange's entourage ambushed me when I was out with her. I went through all the trouble to hide her, and the little hellion tried to walk onto Arkham Island to help me. What I did to deserve having a walking heart attack for a child is beyond me."

Perhaps it was inappropriate, but Penelope couldn't help but let out a strangled laugh at the put-upon tone in Edward's voice. "I'm not sure you want to know the answer to that."

"I'm sure I don't," Edward agreed. He then let out a sigh. "Penny, you know I can't let this go unanswered."

Penelope sighed herself. "I know. What are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure yet. I should go. Ellen needs her dinner."

"Of course," Penelope said. "Take care of yourself, Edward. I'll see you soon."

"But of course. You as well, Penny." They hung up at about the same time. Penelope put her phone back in her purse and wiped her eyes. She turned back towards Sharp's office only to see Joan's concerned face.

"Was that Edward?" she asked.

Penelope nodded. "He's home now."

Joan smiled wanly, then inclined her head towards Sharp's office. "Jim and Sharp have been going at it for the last few minutes. I think we can leave now. Are you alright?"

Penelope nodded again. "Joan," she said quietly. "You asked me if my feelings for Edward changed, that I would tell you?"

Joan placed a hand on her shoulder.

Edward raised a hand and ran it through his hair. Being able to talk to Penelope lifted a weight off of him, but now that the call was over, he felt a sense of loss. He shook his head, opened his bedroom door, and walked back into his living room. It was past time to order dinner for himself and Ellen.

His daughter was still sitting on his sofa, a curious look in her eyes. "That was Doc, wasn't it?"

Edward nodded and took a seat next to her. "Strange stopped by her office and told her he brought me in. She's fine," he added when he saw her face darken, "But she wanted to make sure I was still in one piece."

"Is she gonna start working with you again?"

Edward sighed. "No. She still needs more time."

Ellen's face fell a bit, then she narrowed her eyes. "Tell me you're gonna make Strange pay for this."

"That's the idea," Edward said. "I can't make a direct assault on him though, not as long as the Mayor is in his pocket. I'm not risking any backlash on you or anyone else."

Ellen scrunched up her face. "What then?"

Edward patted her head. "Don't worry about it. Let's just get dinner and try to salvage the rest of the evening."

The next day, Edward still had no idea what to do about Strange. He wasn't going to take him up on his offer, that was for certain, but he wasn't sure what his response would be. That wasn't the only thing he had on his mind, however. He felt as if he was at a turning point in his life, but that if he made the wrong choice, he'd fall back into the abyss of his past, and drag Ellen, Penelope, and everyone else he cared about back with him. He wouldn't let that happen, but what was the right choice? How did one navigate this without any kind of moral compass? He couldn't. Not alone. Nina and Deirdre, as much as he loved them, couldn't quite understand what he was grappling with. Oswald...well, his conversation with him was what started this whole mental quandary in the first place. Selina would understand, probably, but he had the sneaking suspicion that she talked about him with Batman more than he'd like. Penelope...she had enough to deal with without him burdening her with this. Ellen was a child, not his emotional support animal. That left only one person.

And so he found himself once again sitting in one of the leather chairs in Dr. Joan Leland's office, baring his innermost thoughts to her. Edward Nigma, willingly going to a psychiatrist. What would Jonathan say? "So that's the story of my session with good Professor Strange," he finished his tale. "I'm not going to take him up on his offer, of course."

"Of course," Dr. Leland said. "Edward, I can't tell you how relieved I am that you came to me today."

"I aim to please," Edward quipped. He steeled himself for what he was about to tell her. "I almost did though."

Dr. Leland's brown eyes widened before she corrected herself. "What?"

"I almost took him up on it," Edward repeated. He got out of his chair and began to pace in front of the chair. "For the past week, before Strange had me brought in...I've been having a lot of thoughts about everything that's happened in the past year." He stopped in front of Dr. Leland and sighed. "I think...I finally realized what an utter bastard I am."

"Edward," Dr. Leland said. "Don't use that language about yourself."

Edward chuckled. "It's true though, Dr. Leland. I'm a thief. I'm a murderer. I spent over a decade of my life coming up with conundrums to outwit Batman, and I didn't care who got hurt when I did it. The consequences never mattered to me before."

"Until they did," Dr. Leland said. "What changed that?"

Edward wet his lip. "I didn't think about the people I hurt because they weren't people to me. Not really. They were chess pieces to be moved about the board as I saw fit. But this year I realized..." he took a shuddering breath. "It wasn't just strangers who got hurt because of what I did. I missed out on the first fifteen years of Ellen's life because I was off committing crimes. I indirectly hurt Penelope when I helped Joker take over Arkham Asylum's security. I..." he paused to collect himself. "I got Jonathan killed because of a stupid scheme I can't even remember. Jonathan's gone, but Ellen and Penelope..." he shook his head. "I can't even think about them without feeling guilty. I hate feeling guilty."

"So you thought that if you went back to being the Riddler, you wouldn't feel that guilt anymore," Dr. Leland said. "Edward, the fact that you feel guilty about your past, even though it's uncomfortable for you...it's a sign of real progress."

Edward rolled his eyes a bit. "Is it? I still entertained the idea of becoming the Riddler again, didn't I?"

"But you didn't," Dr. Leland continued. "Something stopped you. What was it?"

Edward sighed again. "When Wayne picked me up, we saw Ellen on the bridge leading out of Arkham Island." Dr. Leland gasped, but Edward pressed on. "I gave her quite a scolding, of course, but then she said that she didn't want to lose me like she'd lost her mother. And I realized that if I went back to the Riddler..." he trailed off.

"That she would lose you," Dr. Leland finished for him. "And that changed your mind?"

"For now," Edward said darkly. "I was so close though. If Ellen hadn't been there, I might have-"

"But you didn't," Dr. Leland said. "And I'm very proud of you, Edward."

Edward smiled a bit before he sank back into his chair with a huff. "Riddle me this: who is Edward Nigma if he's not the Riddler? Strange said that I didn't know and the galling thing is he's right. I'm not a good person, Dr. Leland. I'm never going to be a good person." Not the kind of good person Ellen and Penelope deserved.

Dr. Leland tapped her finger on her notepad before she spoke. "There's a quote from James Sherman that I think may apply to your situation. 'You can't go back and make a new start, but you can start right now and make a brand new ending.' You can never take back what you did as the Riddler, but you can take steps to become someone different today. You talk a lot about yourself in terms of what you're not, Edward. You're not the Riddler, you're not a good person. If you're not sure just who you are, then what I'd like you to try is thinking in terms of who you want to be."

Edward leaned back. Who did he want to be? Did he want to be the Riddler, or did he just want the certainty and power he'd had when he'd been the Riddler? Did he really want to be a 'good person' though? He thought of Ellen again, and of Penelope, and then he had his answer. "I don't think I can ever be a good person," he said at last. "But...I want to be a decent father for Ellen. I want to repay Penelope's faith in me. I want to try to be better."

Dr. Leland reached over to touch his hand. "That's all I need to hear. I'll be here to help you every step of the way. We all will."

Edward looked up and her and found himself smiling. The feelings of uncertainty, anger, and guilt began to recede, at last, to be replaced by a kind of clarity. He'd prove Penelope right. He'd prove Strange wrong. He'd prove there was a place for himself in this world, without the riddles. Then the proverbial light bulb went off. And he knew just how to start.

One Week Later

Quincy Sharp gave himself an appraising look in the bathroom mirror and adjusted his tie. It had been a good week for him, Gordon and Leland's unwelcome visit notwithstanding. Professor Strange had outlined another list of proposed initiatives that would go to the voters in November. Given how well the city had been doing since his election, he had no doubt those initiatives would pass. He'd even had a press conference scheduled that morning to announce the initiatives. Best of all, he thought with a vindictive smile, there had been no peep out of Edward Nigma since he'd been taken in for his session. Professor Strange assured him that even if he didn't go along with his offer, that the insufferable bastard was cowed for good. Sharp certainly hoped so. Perhaps now the man would slink back into the shadows where he belonged, and Penelope and the rest of Gotham City would forget all about him. With that thought, Sharp finished preening himself and stepped out of the bathroom, turned left and headed towards his office, where his aides and Deputy Mayor Jensen were waiting to review his remarks before the press conference.

When he stepped inside his office, he found that his aides were crowded around a television set in the corner of the room, while the Deputy Mayor stood in front of the desk, looking ashen. He looked up when Sharp entered and visibly cringed. "Mayor, we're going to need to reschedule the press conference."

Sharp felt his temper rise. "I beg your pardon!? I had this scheduled over a week in advance! Why do we need to reschedule!?"

Deputy Mayor Jensen awkwardly shuffled on his feet. "Something's happened that would undermine our message."

"What do you mean, 'something's happened'?" Sharp demanded. Professor Strange surely would have informed him if there had been a breakout at Arkham. Was it another Rogue attack? Something outside of Gotham? What? And why wasn't Jensen meeting his gaze?

Jensen gestured towards the television. "See for yourself." Sharp frowned, then walked over to where his aides were gathered. They made way for him so that he could see the screen and what he saw made his jaw drop.

"This morning on a special edition of Gotham Insider, in his first television appearance since apprehending Victor Goodman last December, Edward Nigma will be sitting down with our own Vicki Vale to break his silence on his involvement with Bane's recapture, as well as his thoughts on the second anniversary of his reformation. That's coming up now, on Gotham Insider."

Sharp stood as still as a statue as he watched the screen. He had scheduled a press conference to unveil the tools he intended to use to save Gotham City from the scum that threatened it, and the absolute fools in the media had given his airtime away to that maniacal, degenerate, freak!? "Get me Hugo Strange on the phone," he seethed to a nervous aide standing next to him. "Immediately!"

Edward took one last look at himself in the dressing room mirror and smirked. Not too shabby at all, if he said so himself. He'd decided on a slightly less ostentatious look for his wardrobe today, opting for a tasteful dark green blazer and a black shirt and slacks. He brought his hands up to his hair, making sure that not a single strand of auburn hair was out of place. He couldn't afford to look anything less than perfect today. He'd adjusted the simple cufflinks Penelope had gotten him for his birthday when he heard a knock on the door. "Mr. Nigma? We're ready for you."

Edward stood back from the mirror and took a sharp breath. Here we go. He walked towards the dressing room door, opened it, and followed the assistant waiting outside to the studio proper. Even with his glasses, the bright lights made his head throb. A small price to pay. Vicki Vale was waiting for him in the interview room, sitting in a chair with a notepad. She looked up at him with an amused smile on her face. She was easily the most personable of Gotham's press corp, as well as the one most critical of Sharp's harsh policies, which made her perfect for his little scheme. He took the seat across from her and waited for the crew to begin rolling. Ellen, Selina, and Oswald knew of what he was going to do and would be watching. He hoped Penelope would see what he had to say. He smirked darkly. After upstaging Sharp, he knew the Mayor and Strange would be watching. Sometimes it paid to have informants in the right places. Finally, the cameraman spoke. "And we're ready in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"

The camera began to roll, and Vicki Vale spoke. "Good morning, Mr. Nigma. Welcome back to Gotham Insider."

Edward leaned back in his seat. propping one leg over the other. "Happy to be back, Ms. Vale. I've got quite a lot to talk about."

"I'm sure," Vale quipped. "Let's start with the most obvious question: you've been keeping a low profile over this past year. Why have you decided to come forward now?"

Edward chuckled. "After the incident with Victor Goodman, I decided perhaps it was best for me to lie low for a bit, recharge and relax."

"And now?"

"Now? I think Gotham's ready to have its premiere Private Investigator return."

"Which brings me to my next question: what can you tell us about the incident with Bane?"

Edward pretended to ponder that question. "Out of respect for Commissioner Gordon and members of GCPD," For you Penny, anything, "I'm afraid I can't comment on the particulars of that case. I will, however, confirm that I did assist Batman in apprehending Bane."

Vale's blue eyes lit up and Edward had to smile. He had her, hook, line, and sinker. "You helped Batman? Even after everything that's happened between you two?"

Edward bit the inside of his cheek to prevent a smart remark. Sharp and Strange needed to believe that he and Batman were willing to ally with each other, even if in actuality, he would always hate the man. "But of course. I'm not saying I'm his new partner or anything like that, but if our interests happen to align, as they did in this case, I see no reason why I wouldn't work with him again."

Across town, in the living room of Wayne Manor, Damian sat on the long leather sofa next to his father and watched the interview with no small amount of disgust. "Tt! Self-aggrandizing showboat! As if you would ever willingly work with him! What did he do to help with Bane, other than getting himself captured in the first place?"

Bruce, on the other hand, understood full well what Edward was doing and why. "This is a performance, Damian," he said calmly. "I doubt he's being completely sincere."

Damian cocked an eyebrow at his father. "A performance? For who?"

"For Strange," Bruce responded. "He's sending him a message." He leaned forward, studying his former adversary intently. He still had no idea what exactly Strange had said to Edward in their session, but a picture was starting to form.

"Not many people would expect that from you," Vicki said. Edward shrugged in response. What he said next stunned Bruce.

"I can't say that I blame them. I'm not exactly known for being a magnanimous person. And contrary to what many people in Gotham City may think, I'm not delusional. I know Batman has no reason to trust me and most likely never will. The consequences of being a Rogue, after all. If I can't take back what I did in my former life, however, I'd like to think I can help tilt the scales just a bit now."

In most of his television appearances, especially the ones he'd done when he first started his new career, Edward had paid lip service to the idea of doing good deeds to make up for his past, but he'd always come across as phony. This though? Bruce could tell that he was being genuine. He was stating once and for all his commitment to reforming. That was the message that Edward was sending Strange. Bruce let a small smile come to his face. That's it, Edward. Prove him wrong.

In his office in the Arkham Mansion, Hugo Strange was also watching the interview unfold, his face a cold mask hiding the rage simmering underneath him. Sharp had called him minutes before, practically throwing a tantrum over his press conference being pre-empted, the blustering fool. The idiot had even dared to question him for the first time, but a sharp reprimand had silenced him. Strange gripped the top of his desk with enough force that if it were made of cheaper material, it would have cracked. "So you have made your choice, Mr. Nigma," he said to the television in front of him. "And now you will suffer for it." He pulled open the top drawer of his desk and withdrew his cell phone. He dialed a number, not looking away from the television and Nigma's smug face for a second. "Detective Schrader," he said as soon as his call was answered. "This is Professor Strange. I trust you are aware of what our mutual friend is up to. Get a copy of his police file and bring it to me. I believe we should add him to our plans for Phase Two." Yes. This was the last time he would be outmaneuvered by him. If Nigma himself would not accommodate him than he would remind Gotham City of who Edward Nigma truly was.

And Edward Nigma would be broken.

At the Iceberg Lounge, Selina and Oswald both sat in front of the television in the latter's office, Selina with an amused expression on her face, Oswald a more guarded one. "You know our roguish brethren won't be happy about this," he said. "Does Edward know what he's doing?"

"You know how he is, Ozzie," Selina said. "Once he gets an idea, he doesn't let it go until he's seen it through until the end. He'll be fine." She watched her friend converse with Vicki Vale, looking better than he had in weeks and smiled with pride. That's it, Eddie. Be the man Ellie and Doc need you to be. "He'll be just fine."

Vale tapped her notepad again, considering her next question. "You've been reformed for two years now," she said finally. "Tell me: what's your take on Mayor Sharp's harsher stance on criminals and Arkham patients?"

Edward forced himself not to smirk. Oh, he hoped that pompous fool was watching this. "Well, the first thing I want to say is that I had impeccable timing in my reform." Vale smiled and shook her head, to keep herself from laughing no doubt. "The second is that I'm a bit surprised. Mayor Sharp did hire me to help him during his mayoral campaign last year. I would have thought that would make him more open to the idea of people like myself reforming. It's almost as if he thinks I'm some kind of mistake, instead of an example." That should be a good mallet for Penelope and her group to use. "However, politics, in general, bore me, so I don't involve myself in them."

Vale nodded. "Reasonable. Going back to your reform, even after two years, it's clear that there is still some hostility being displayed towards you by certain parties in Gotham. Does that ever weigh down on you?"

Edward wet his lower lip. He knew Ellen would be watching this. He hoped Penelope was. "I'd like to say no," he said. "That I don't care what people think about me. Not that long ago, that was true. In the time I've been keeping a lower profile though, I've done some reflecting. There are days when yes, the challenges of my life do get to me. I've wondered if it's all worth it. On the other hand..." He thought of everyone who'd stood by him and supported him over the last two years. Bruce Wayne, Dr. Leland, Oswald, Deirdre, Nina, Selina, Penelope, Ellen. "I have people in my life who seem to believe in me. People who have every reason to not care if I live or die but have still stood by me. People I haven't treated as well as I should. I owe it to them to keep going, to reward their faith in me."

For a long moment, Vale didn't seem to know how to respond. "Well," she said. "I have to say, this doesn't sound at all like the Edward Nigma who used to rob museums. This sounds like you've truly turned a new leaf."

Edward did a mock-eye roll. "Isn't that what I've been saying the last two years?" He hoped Strange and Sharp had seen that. Try to make me relapse now, morons.

Ellen sat on the edge of her Gramma's couch, hugging her knees to her chest and watching her Dad spill his guts to Vicki Vale. She beamed at him, feeling a warm glow of pride in her. "That's my Dad," she said. Gramma was wrong. Everyone who had ever told her that he was nothing but an unfeeling bastard was wrong. "That's my Dad."

Penelope had arrived at GCPD to deliver notes for a recent consultation she'd done when she saw the officers gathered around various screens in the Bull Pen. Curious, she approached Aaron where he was standing next to Renee. "What's going on?"

Aaron moved to the side to allow her in. "Nigma's interviewing with Vicki Vale."

At the mention of Edward's name, Penelope felt her heart clench, but that feeling was replaced with one of shock. "He is? What has he been saying?"

"See for yourself," Aaron said, pointing with his hook towards the screen. Penelope looked up and saw Edward speaking with Vicki Vale about his thoughts on Sharp's policies. When he finished, Aaron let out a sharp bark of laughter. "Man, Sharp's gonna flip when he hears that!"

"Yes, he is," Penelope said almost robotically. It was obvious to her what Edward was doing. Repudiating Strange in the most public way possible. As she watched him, she felt a swirl of emotions fighting for dominance inside of her. The desire to remain objective and in control, the fear she had in Edward doing this, the pride she felt in seeing him do this, the ever-present ache inside of her that she felt when she thought of him, and above all, the desire to see him again. Two weeks on though and her feelings for him hadn't diminished. Could she go back to him and stay objective? She was so consumed by her thoughts that she didn't hear Vale's next question. She did, however, hear Edward's response.

"I'd like to say no, that I don't care what people think about me. Not that long ago, that was true. In the time I've been keeping a lower profile though, I've done some reflecting. There are days when yes, the challenges of my life do get to me. I've wondered if it's all worth it. On the other hand, I have people in my life who seem to believe in me. People who have every reason to not care if I live or die but have still stood by me. People I haven't treated as well as I should. I owe it to them to keep going, to reward their faith in me."

Penelope's heart almost stopped in her chest and she dropped her notes onto the ground. "Doc?" she barely heard Aaron ask. "You ok?"

She snapped out of it. "I'm fine," she said, crouching down to pick up the scattered pieces of paper. "Excuse me, I need to drop these off with Commissioner Gordon." She hurried off to Gordon's office, her heart pounding in her ears. She knew what her decision would be. She'd always known.

12:00 pm

After the interview was concluded, Edward retreated to his office for a much needed day of catching up with his casework. And collecting accolades from his friends and loved ones, of course. "Yes, it was pretty 'awesome', wasn't it Ellen? No, I haven't heard from Nina and Deirdre yet, but I'm sure I will. Selina's coming by in a few minutes, but we'll talk later tonight. Goodbye." He hung up the phone just as he heard a knock on his main office door. Selina? Not only on time but early? This was a good day. "The door's open!" he called out. He got out of his chair and turned to put the case file he'd been reading back into his filing cabinet, not looking at the door as he heard footsteps approach him. "You're early, Lina. Oswald's not too fussy about the interview, is he?"

It was not Selina who answered him. "Hello, Edward."

Edward froze. He hadn't heard that low voice in a week, but it was unmistakably...he slowly turned around to face his visitor, half-afraid he was imagining things. What was in front of him was no hallucination. It was Penelope, standing there with a small smile that radiated the room. Edward felt the wind knocked out of him. "Penny," he whispered. He raised his hand in a weak wave. "Hi."

Penelope nodded. "I saw your interview."

Edward had hoped she would, but he'd never dared to hope that she would come to him. "You did?" he asked. "He quickly cleared his throat. "Ah, good. I imagine it's causing quite the stir."

"You could say that," his friend, his dearest friend said dryly. "You know Strange and Sharp won't be happy about this."

Edward snorted. "Well, good. The day I willingly make either of them happy is the day Hell freezes over." He looked at her, drank her in. "I meant it, you know. What I said at the end."

Penelope's face softened, and his detective's eye caught a small flush. "I know you did. And I want you to know," she said with a softness she very rarely showed anyone. "That you've already rewarded my faith in you."

Edward smiled himself. "I don't think I could ever do that enough with you, Penny."

Penelope's face flushed again. "I also want to let you know," she said. "That I've thought about our partnership." She looked at him with the steely determination that he adored about her. "I'm ready to come back."

There was a large part of Edward that wanted to whoop for joy. "Are you sure?" he found himself asking. "Strange is going to find some way to get back at me for that interview. I don't want him to target you."

"I already am a target," she insisted. "I told the man myself that I'd never stop opposing him, no matter what."

Edward smiled. That was all he needed to know. "Well, my dear doctor," he said in a theatrical tone. "The game's afoot!" There were still things unsaid between the two, but the partners were together again and for now, that was enough.

For now.