Alyssa had always visited the precinct more than a private citizen should, but now she was mostly there for Edward. They were slowly but surely rebuilding their relationship – stablely this time. Alyssa didn't keep secrets from him anymore; she was completely honest no matter how harsh the truth was. Vise versa, Edward was doing his best to be more understanding – Gotham was a hard city to get and keep power in, but Alyssa was a good person.
They were talking about the gallery showing coming up – mostly Edward calming Alyssa's worries about seeing Jamie again – when the smile fell off Edward's face.
"Uh oh. Usually when people get that look, Mayor James is behind me." Alyssa turned around. "Oh, officer Flass. Ugh, that's even worse."
"Lovely to see you too, Ms. Connors." the man said sarcastically before looking over his shoulder. "Ed, Gordon and Bullock want you in the front questioning room. Witness is dead."
"Oh dear." Edward said, pushing his glasses up. "I-I had better get over there." his comfort with Alyssa had faded and he was back to his awkward self.
"I'll go with you." Alyssa said, grimacing at the looks officer Flass was giving her. Why were so many of the cops here pigs?
Alyssa had been coming here since she was a kid, and not many of the employees approved of her existence, let alone her being in the precinct without police business. But it certainly didn't stop them from staring as she...ahem...grew up.
"How the hell did this happen?" Jim exclaimed, clearly upset.
"Security cameras in and outside the room were turned off." Harvey informed.
"Ed, you got any thoughts on the weapon?"
He grinned. "What's strong enough to smash ships, but still fears the sun?"
"Can it with the riddles, Ed!" Harvey yelled. "I don't have the patience, today, or any day."
"Ice." Alyssa informed. "That was an easy one; maybe you should get that patience Harv." the detective glared at her.
"Correct." Edward smiled at her. "Judging by the circumference of the wounds, I believe the weapon is an ice pick. Carbon steel six inches long. Driven in deep enough that it marked the surrounding tissue with distinctive hexagonal handle. Its not your standard kitchen fair. Fun fact gentlemen – and lady." he threw Alyssa another smile. "Mr. Wankler's wounds here are the exact same as the wounds on the victim from this morning."
"The drug dealer? Littlefield?" Jim frowned.
"Him." Edward nodded. "Same weapon. Same killer, one would suppose."
Ring ring!
"Hello?"
"Ms. Connors?"
"Bruce. How are you?" Alyssa asked. She hadn't spoken to the young boy or his butler since they had been attacked by assassins.
"I'm well. I was actually calling to check up on you and Selina; I haven't heard from you in a while."
"Other than the usual trouble, we're fine." she smiled, touched that he was worried about them. Though she had a feeling his concerns were pointed more towards her daughter than herself.
"Good, that's good..." Bruce trailed off.
Alyssa chuckled. "If you want Selina to come see you, all you have to do is ask Brucie."
She could practically hear him blushing. "Y-yes please. That would be nice."
"Alright. Well, you know what? She's messed with me a lot lately, Imma mess with her. There's an art gallery opening on the 15th, we're going with a few friends. You're going to be her date."
"I am?"
"Yup. See ya Brucie." she hung up before he could protest.
Jim Gordon, despite his attempts to knock down 'Mama Gotham', had earned Alyssa's respect. It seemed he was shaking up the city more than she had, and anyone who spat in the face of Gotham etiquette was certainly on her good side.
The party she had been invited to was by no means lively, but Alyssa was there because Oswald had asked her to be. He was showing off to his mother more than anything. Still, it was interesting to be in Fish's bar and have no worry of being shot. Take away Fish and her boys, the place was actually quite nice.
"You sure you're okay?" Oswald asked while his mother was dancing with Gabe. "I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable; I know your history with this place."
"I'm good." Alyssa took a gulp from her champagne. "Trust me, my drinking tonight has nothing to do with the venue."
"Whats it to do with then?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Couple a things." she leaned against the bar. "Number one being the art gallery on the 15th. Harvey invited my sister."
Oswald's eyes went wide. "Jamie?" he had never met the younger Connors girl, but he knew the story well. Jamie Connors had always been an uncomfortable topic for Alyssa, the thought of actually seeing her again had to be devastating.
"Yup." Alyssa said, popping the 'p.' "Add that to the fact that my work which I barely let anyone see is going to be on display, I'm not really looking forward to the evening. Oh, and Selina and I both have dates."
"Oh?"
"Mmm. Selina's taking Bruce Wayne. But she doesn't know that yet."
Oswald chuckled. "And you?"
"Uh..." Alyssa rubbed at the back of her neck. "Edward Nygma."
"Ed? Our Ed?"
"Uh-huh. He's got a job at the GCPD in forensics."
"And you neglected to tell me this?"
"Well between Selina inviting him over without telling me, and him accusing me of being a mobster, yeah it slipped my mind."
"You are a mobster."
"I know!" Alyssa gulped the last of her drink. "I also kissed him."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Felt good. Till he tried to write me off..." she shook her head. "But don't worry, we worked it out."
"Wow." Oswald chuckled and shook his head. "I need to start keeping a closer eye on you."
"Well I'm sure you'll be able to once Falcone gives you this place." Alyssa looked around the bar. "I never liked this design."
That got her a full on laugh. "Well I can't wait to see your ideas to fix it up, my dove."
When Jim came in asking for help on the Flass case, Alyssa was slightly unsettled. Arnold Flass was one of the biggest drug dealers in Gotham; had been for quite some time. He liked to torment her over her father's past in the business, and Oswald knew this. Which was why she was certain Jim's 'no one gets hurt' rule would be broken.
Still, she very much wanted to see the man get what was coming to him, so she excused herself from the party to go to the GCPD. To pass the time until the event, she went to find Edward.
She found him crying in the corner, just as he had been when Kristen Kringle had called him odd.
"Eddie?" she was quick to come up and kneel in front of him.
"Alyssa..." he lifted his head and wiped under his glasses. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see Flass get busted, but I stopped caring about that the second I found you in here."
"I'm fine."
"No you're not. Its Kristen, isn't it?"
"W-what makes you say that?"
"Ed. You think I don't know you better than anybody?" she gave him a look. "This is the same reaction you used to have when Mary-Alice rejected your advances. Its also how I found you after Ms. Kringle called you odd." she sat down next to him against the wall. "You wanna tell me what happened?"
Edward sighed and released his knees from his chest, letting his legs fall out onto the floor. "I wrote her a poem. I walked in on Arnold Flass and several other officers reading it and laughing about it..."
"Eddie..." she took his hand. "I'm sorry..."
He huffed and shook his head, a fresh wave of tears pooling in his eyes. "I might as well except it; Ms. Kringle and I are not to be. She is simply out of my league."
"On the contrary." Alyssa countered. "You are out of her's."
"You really believe that?" he looked at her.
"I do. Ed, you're extraordinary. Any girl would be lucky to have you." she looked down. "Of course, you already know my feelings on the matter."
Edward stared at her for what felt like forever. In reality, it was only half a minute at best.
"...Alyssa?"
"Hm?"
"If I try something...will you promise not to slap me?"
"No." Alyssa said bluntly.
He huffed. "Well, you always encouraged me to take risks."
And the he kissed her.
Alyssa returned to the bar with a giggly expression. It faded however when she realized what she'd walked in on.
But only slightly.
"I do believe you need to project more. Just to create a bit more, excitementfor the audience. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome...to Fish Mooney's. Like that." Fish tapped her bat into her free hand, making a metallic cling against her rings.
"How's this?" Alyssa called, bringing the attention of all three people to her. "Ladies and gentlemen! Good, evening." she finished off with a smirk and a flourish.
"Ooo." Fish shook her head. "You made a mistake coming here, bottle girl."
"Nope." Alyssa shook her head, walking right past them and stepping up onto the stage with Oswald. "I think, I'm exactly –" she put her arm around his shoulders. "where I need to be."
"The two of you?" Fish looked between them. "Really?"
"One must stand by old friends, wouldn't you agree?" she raised an eyebrow. "You wanted a weapon Fish. But I imagine you didn't expect it to be used against you." she moved to stand in front of Oswald. "You want him, you're gonna have to go through me."
That actually made the woman laugh. "So confident. You really have grown up, haven't you girl?" she stepped forward. "But there's something you're forgetting. I found you. I madeyou. When you walked in here you were a sad little wanna be – remember that Butch? You were so afraid..."
"Shook like a leaf in fall." Butch agreed.
"You're a servant." she stepped closer to the stage. "A bottle girl protecting anumbrella boy."
"That's the best part." Alyssa said, her voice cold. "You have no idea, what I'm capable of."
She scoffed. "What are you gonna do? You're a pair of nobodies."
"These nobodies still out-foxed you at every turn!" Oswald exclaimed, stepping out from behind Alyssa. She was protecting him, and he felt the need to do the same for her. He couldn't let her get hurt. "Alyssa rose higher than you everdid in less than half the time." he spat. "And I was working for Falcone the whole time! And you didn't have the sense to see it!"
Fish's hand clenched tightly around her bat and she looked ready to attack. But a gun shot stopped her.
"Hello." Victor Zasz – who Alyssa had met a few times at the Falcone mansion – was holding his gun towards the ceiling. "Seems like Mooney's is the place to be tonight."
He and the girls behind him went for Butch and Fish, who were quick to run out the back door, leaving Oswald and Alyssa standing there.
Oswald let out a relived breath. "Thanks for protecting me."
"You too." Alyssa nodded. "Hell of a night, huh?"
"Hell of a night." he nodded.