Hestia finished placing her earrings in before giving herself a once over. She paused to touch up her wine red lipstick, her lips curling up into a grin as Zsasz came into view behind her. "Going out?" He asked as he adjusted his sleeves.

"Oswald invited me to the club, and tonight is the only night I have off for a while."

"So you're getting all prettied up for the Penguin?" He questioned with a hint of jealousy to his demeanor.

She turned with a coy smile before stepping towards him slowly. "What if I am? He's a hot-shot nightclub owner now. And you're just Falcone's errand boy." Her fingers gripped onto the lapels of his jacket. Their gazes locked and she gave a tug to his jacket to pull him closer. "Want to come with me?"

Victor gave her a possessive and passionate kiss. His arms snaked around her tightly as his dark eyes bore down into her own. "I have some work to do for Falcone. Errands."

She gave him a playful pout. "How disappointing. I guess Oswald will have to keep me company."

"He'll be a gentleman." Zsasz muttered. "Or I'll cut his hands off."

"You're so romantic, Victor. You really know how to make a girl swoon." She placed a few kisses along his jaw. "I'll be home around midnight."

"Make sure you wear a coat, it's chilly out. And call a taxi if you'll be drinking." He instructed.

Hestia giggled. "Big, bad, Victor Zsasz worrying over some silly girl like me."

He tightened his jaw with a sigh. "Just be careful, Hestia. Maroni is not happy with Penguin either. His club isn't entirely safe."

"Neither are the other bars and clubs under his jurisdiction. At least Falcone's men will be there if Maroni decides to do something rash." She trailed her fingers along his jaw. "Besides, I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

-{X}-

Hestia gave her coat over at the front door for it to be hung up as she paid the cover to enter the building. It was livelier than it had been since Oswald took over, which took her by surprise. She approached the bar and ordered a whiskey. The crowd around her wasn't the typical crowd Fish would have had, but Hestia was glad that Zsasz's work on Butch had led to an incline in Oswald's clientele. Her eyes scanned the crowd, and she noticed Oswald sitting at booth across the club from her.

She wiggled her way through the crowd. The live jazz band played tunes reminiscent of the roaring 20's, and the attire of those in the club reflected that. She approached his booth and that is when she noticed the woman sitting across from him. She had seen her somewhere before, but she had trouble placing where. The other woman's hair was pulled back into half a beehive, and the dress she wore was a little outdated. "Oswald." Hestia greeted with a friendly smile. "It's nice to see the club doing so well."

The woman at the table gave her a dirty look as Oswald scrambled to his feet. "Hestia! It's so nice to see you. Please, have a seat." Oswald gave her a tight hug before gesturing towards the side of the booth he had just been sitting at.

Hestia slid onto the bench with her drink held delicately between her fingers. "You must be Oswald's mother?"

"You are one of the painted whores that kept him from me." His mother snarled lowly.

The doctor blinked her eyes and held up her hand before Oswald could come to her defense. "I assure you, I would never keep Oswald from his own mother. He's a dear friend of mine, and I have simply come to support his nightclub."

His mother looked between her son and the woman across from her, a wary look in her eyes. "It's true mother. She's even the daughter of one of the main investors for my club."

"Investors?" His mother inquired as she seemed to drop some of her initial distaste for Hestia.

"Carmine Falcone." Oswald said with a smile.

Hestia forced a polite smile to her face as she eyed Oswald closely. "He's so proud of your club, Oswald." She didn't appreciate Oswald blatantly lying about her connection to Falcone, however, she knew that his mother wouldn't create any issues.

"I thought Victor might have come with you." He stated as his eyes looked over Hestia's outfit.

"He's busy with work tonight. There's been some issues with security, and a rivaling business man has tried to move in on old businesses." Hestia explained. She knew that Oswald knew of the recent hits on Falcone's businesses led by Maroni. Her attention turned back to Oswald's mother and she extended a hand out towards her. "I am Hestia Zaqar, and I own a medical facility nearby. I'm a doctor."

Oswald's mother slowly offered her hand, and Hestia took it before placing a kiss on the back of it as a sign of respect on her end. "Gertrud Kapelput."

Hestia gave her a warm smile as their hands retracted from each other. "Ah, now I remember. You were a patient of mine a few years ago. I have always wondered what happened to you. At least I know you've been well, Oswald speaks so fondly of you."

Gertrud appeared to take this as a compliment of the highest caliber as she looked towards her son. "Oh, Oswald. You tell your friends about me?"

"Of course he does. He's so proud to be your son." Hestia added.

Oswald gave a pleased glance between the two women at his table. The band kicked into their next song and Gertrud seemed to light up at the familiar tune. "Oh, you must dance with me, my Oswald." She purred, her hands resting upon his arm.

"I have to meet with someone in a few moments, mother, but I promise that we can dance later."

Gertrud pouted, a look of disappointment behind her eyes. "I-I can dance with you, Gertrud. You might have to teach me some of the steps, however." The woman took a moment to size Hestia up before nodding her head decisively.

The older woman eagerly pushed Oswald to get him to move from his spot so that she could slip out of the booth. Hestia gave Oswald an awkward smile before following after his mother. Hestia followed Gertrud's lead, the pair of them giggling endlessly as the later attempted to teach the doctor new dance steps. They continued to dance for a few songs before Oswald returned. "Oswald, Hestia makes the most wondrous dance partner." His mother boasted. "She is light on her feet, like air." Her arm waved over her head as if she were passing it through invisible clouds.

Hestia rubbed the back of her neck and chuckled. "I stepped on your feet half the time."

"Oh nonsense, dear girl." Gertrud patted her shoulder.

"I am pleased to see you two getting on so well. Shall we mother?" He asked, his arm extending out for his mother.

"I am not young anymore, Oswald. I need to rest one moment. Perhaps Hestia can show you her new dance moves." Gertrud spoke with an airiness to her voice before plopping down onto the bench of their booth.

Hestia and Oswald exchanged an uncomfortable chuckle before he held his hand out towards the fiery doctor. She took it gingerly, and the two began to dance. Oswald rested a hand on one of her hips, as her hand rested one on his shoulder. Their other hands linked awkwardly as they extended together. Hestia followed Oswald's lead, and took care to give his lame leg its space for them to move fluidly. "Your mother is very charming." Hestia spoke to break some of the awkwardness between them.

"It seems she's taken a liking to you, as well. I don't blame her. You're a very special person, Hestia." Oswald complimented without a second thought.

The doctor cleared her throat as her eyes glanced down to the floor from the compliment. They continued to dance to the tune, and Gertrud gave a pleased clap before returning to her drink. "I did want to say thank you, however, for contacting Victor when Maroni had me. Even if it was your fault I was there to begin with. It could have ended much differently."

Oswald's gaze dipped from her own in guilt. "I couldn't bear seeing you like that. I just thought Maroni would want to talk to you, you know, to offer a new deal."

She gave a gentle shrug before he spun her away from him to pull her back. "Just remember the people that have been there for you, even before you were Fish's umbrella boy. I could have told Maroni about your involvement in his nephew's death, but I know that sometimes secrets are better kept than shared for personal gain."

"I swear to you, Hestia. I will never betray you like that again." Oswald resolved, his gaze finding hers confidently.

She gave him a gentle smile in return. "You can if there's money involved, and we agree to split it fifty-fifty. But I'll need a heads up. Deal?"

The man before her chuckled. "I'll only do that if it is a substantial amount of money."

They continued to dance to the current song with minimal hiccups from Oswald's leg, or from a misstep from the doctor. As the song came to an end, Hestia prepared to step away, however she felt a pressure against her lips. It took her mind a moment to realize that Oswald had placed his lips against her own. She pushed him away carefully before looking around. "Os.. I'm with Victor." Was all she managed to come up with as she blinked up at him in surprise.

"I got caught up in the moment, I'm sorry." He looked towards the ground as Hestia stepped further back from him. Oswald had a fleeting panic as he grabbed her forearm gently. "Would you? If you weren't with him?"

Hestia gave him a sympathetic look. "I honestly don't know, Os. I do know that I love him." She pulled her arm carefully from his grasp. "I should probably go. I have a lot of appointments in the morning." She turned abruptly to approach his mother. "My apologies, Gertrud, but I have to excuse myself. I have an early morning tomorrow. It was great to see you again. You'll have to stop by for a checkup." She gave Gertrud a brief hug.

Oswald approached her. "Hestia, I."

"Have a good evening, Oswald. I really am glad you turned things around here. I know Carmine will be as well." Hestia cut him off before heading towards the exit. She refrained from glancing back, and stopped only to collect her coat at the entrance. The cool air outside of the club cleared her mind as she crossed her arms over her chest.

As Hestia stepped out onto the sidewalk, she felt the sensation that she was being watched. She slipped a hand into her coat pocket before she was grabbed by her shoulder and turned abruptly. She brought a scalpel up to defend herself. She managed to stop her hand just in time as she realized it was Victor. She moved the scalpel away from his throat slowly. "You startled me."

His dark eyes glared down at her, his jaw tight. "I came by to have at least one dance."

"I was getting tired, so I de-"

"You kissed Penguin." Victor held a deep sense of betrayal in his voice, his jaw tightening from the feeling in his stomach. "Hestia, I told you that I don't like to share."

Hestia slipped her blade back into her pocket as she gave a sharp sigh. "Victor, it wasn't like that."

"It wasn't? You weren't drinking and dancing with him? You didn't kiss him?" He questioned, his lower lip twitching. His voice had risen a bit and it caught the attention of a few passerbys.

She grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from the main sidewalk and towards the entrance of the alleyway nearby. Once they were in a more private area, he yanked his wrist back, his eyes narrowing down on her. Hestia reached a hand up towards his face. "I was dancing with him, Vic, but he kissed me. It was simply a misunderstanding. I told him that I-"

"Do you want him?" Victor snapped as he moved his face from her touch.

"Do you really think that I want anyone but you?" She asked as a few tears welled in her eyes. "It really was a misunderstanding. He acted under the drive of his own emotions, and I reminded him that I am with you. That I love you." She bit her lower lip, and the tears in her eyes spilled over, even if she had been trying her hardest to contain them. "I would never betray you Victor. I can't promise that I will never disappoint or hurt you, because everyone makes mistakes, but I swear that I will always be loyal to you."

Victor wasn't sure why it would even matter if she had betrayed him. The look behind her vivid eyes moved something in him, however, and he rested a hand on either side of her face. "I need you to tell me what Penguin is to. I need to hear it plain and simple."

"Vict-."

"Please. I don't ask for much, and I'll know if you're lying." He lowered his face to be eye level with her. "Tell me." He didn't like the feeling in his stomach, and he definitely didn't enjoy the feeling pulling through his chest and up into his throat.

Hestia's face softened as she took in the conflict hiding behind Zsasz's stare. "Oswald Cobblepot is just a close friend. That's all he's ever been." Their gazes met, and she gave him a gentle smile. "I know you and I didn't start under the most conventional means, but I feel safe when I'm with you. It actually kind of scares me when I think about you getting hurt when you're out on a job." She chewed her lower lip, her hands moving to rest against his. "I mean it everytime that I tell you I love you."

Victor felt relief passing through him at her words. It was much different than the relief he went through whenever he claimed the life of one of his victims. He pressed his forehead against her own before straightening out. "I won't hurt him, out of respect of him being your friend." His hands tightened into fists. "But if he ever tries anything like that again, Hestia. I will kill him."

She shook her head a bit as his normal demeanor returned to him. "I don't believe he will." She glanced up at the sky before holding her hand out to him. "Walk me home?" He took her hand firmly and they started their walk off towards her facility.

Oswald lingered behind the nearby dumpster, his chest rising and falling rapidly from the conversation he had just witnessed. He waited until the couple was exiting from the other side of the alleyway before he kicked over an adjacent trash can with a growl low in his chest. "Idiot." He snapped out loud, but he knew it was meant for him. He paused for a moment to look up towards the sky before heading back into the back entrance of the club, a forced smile plastered to his face as he returned to his mother's table.