Alyssa fumbled with her keys as she pushed Edward against the door. She could taste the alchol on his breath, or maybe it was just her own. Either way Edward was a lot more handsy once he had a few in him.

Even then, Alyssa was the one who had to drive. He was far too much of a gentleman to do anything on his own, so he just went off the cues she gave him.

They both stumbled back as Alyssa managed to get the door open. She kicked it shut behind her, pulling away to catch her breath.

"Wow..." Edward pulled off his glasses to wipe away the fog that had clouded them.

She chuckled. "You have lipstick on your face." He blushed slightly, going to wipe it off, but she caught his hand. "Don't bother, Eddie. Wipe it off, its bound to be replaced." she smirked.

His blush only intensified. "Alyssa...I was wondering..."

"Yes?"

"Are we – I mean, could we be considered a couple?"

"Well I certainly hope so, otherwise I have no idea what you're doing here."

Edward chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry, I just, this is all new to me..."

"Don't worry, Eddie." she stepped up, taking both his hands and lacing their fingers together. "I'm right here with you."

"H-have you ever had a relationship before?" he asked her, realizing that he didn't know.

"A couple." Alyssa admitted. "Never anything serious though."

"And this is serious?"

"Do you want it to be?"

Edward took a moment, not wanting to give her a rushed answer. Alyssa was his opposite in every sense of the word, yet he was drawn to her like a magnet. He'd taken a chance to see if the feelings he had for her were stronger than friendship, and by god they were.

She was captivating. She always had been, but now he got to add kissing him and touching him to the ways she could make his mind foggy.

"Yes."

Ring ring!

"Claire, you need to share the toys! David, leave Hunter alone! And has anyone seen Alexis?"

Ring ring!

Fumbling to push two fighting boys off each other, Alyssa was finally able to reach her phone. "Yes, hello!"

"Alyssa, I was beginning to worry."

She stood up abruptly, making the boys pushing against her stumble into the ground. "Don Falcone! I-I'm sorry, what can I do for you?"

"My dear you have experience in running businesses, yes?"

"Yes sir!"

"Well I was hoping you could come down to Fish's old place, give the new management a few pointers."

"Of course, I can do that. May I ask who I'd be working with?"

"Oswald Cobblepot."

After smacking him for disappearing on her again, Alyssa only got to help Oswald plan the redesign of the bar for a few hours before Jim called her into the GCPD.

"The man from the support group, what do you know about him?" Jim demanded with a supior attitude.

"I told you already. Look, I dug this out to prove it." she pulled a Gotham High yearbook from the bag at her hip. Flipping it open, she found the page she was looking for and held it out to him. "There see? Gerald Crane, biology teacher at Gotham High."

Jim frowned, looking down at the picture and the description that matched what Alyssa was saying. "Harvey!" he ran over to his partner, leaving Alyssa to follow. "This the guy?" he handed him the yearbook.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's him." Harvey nodded. "So you finally decided to listen to Alyssa huh?"

"You were telling the truth." Jim sighed.

"I do that very often, and yet you're always surprised." Alyssa clapped. "Right! Now that we're all on the same page, lets get some work done shall we?"

Alyssa loved when she got to come on cases. She liked taking down the bad guys without all the obligation to follow cop rules.

But she hated Gotham High and everything in it. Namely...

"Connors?"

She gave a very fake smile. "Hello Dondelinger."

"What the hell are you doing here? You're not here to try and get those rats of yours into my school again are you?"

Her smile fell. "No, today I'm here on a police investigation."

"What?"

"Detective James Gordon." Jim held up his badge. "GCPD."

The old man laughed. "What's all this then?"

"We need to ask you a few questions about one of your teachers; Gerald Crane."

Dondelinger went pale and Alyssa's smile returned, real this time. "So much for this years's bonus."

"Gerald hasn't come into work for a few weeks." Dondelinger walked around his desk while the detective's took the seats in front of it. Alyssa stood, shifting slightly. It felt odd to be back in here. "He's a good teacher, focused, stern, never tried to make friends with the children. He did sign Ms. Connors' petition, but that was only because his son asked him to."

Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Your hatred of me since I was fourteen aside, we need to find him and Jonathan. Like, yesterday."

"Did Crane ever talk about fear?" Harvey asked. "Phobia?"

"Why?" the principal was suddenly far mare interested. "Is someone targeting phobics? Killing them?"

"Yeah." Jim nodded.

"These victims...we're they missing their adrenal glands?"

"How'd you know that?" Alyssa raised an eyebrow.

Once again looking pale, Dondelinger turned and looked through a stack of things on his desk until he found a booklet. "This is an academic paper that Gerald wrote a few months ago. He asked me to proof it for him." he handed the booklet to Jim, but Alyssa snatched it quickly, opening it to read through. "Now, I can't make heads or tales of the science of it, but I'll never forget what he wrote about; the man had a theory that fear was an evolutionary flaw in humans. War, rape, theft, it was all caused by fear. He was obsessed with it."

"So he killed all these people and took their glands to test a theory?" Jim asked, trying and failing to take the booklet back from Alyssa.

"No." she shook her head. "He wasn't trying to prove he was right about fear. According to this he was trying to cure himself of it."

Back at the GCPD, Edward flipped through the booklet while Alyssa read over his shoulder.

"Crane's idea of curing fear was to inoculate himself against it."

"Like a disease?" Jim asked.

"Exactly, but in order to do so, he needed a condensed source of the hormones that caused fear."

"Phobics." Harvey realized.

"Crane's praying on them? Spiking their fear and then killing them in order to harvest the hormones?" Jim worked out.

"Damn. That's actually pretty smart." Alyssa said, getting her a look from both detectives. "Well it is!"

"How much of this stuff does he need?" Jim asked Edward.

"What do you mean?" he said absently, too interested in the booklet.

"How many more people is he gonna kill?" Harvey said, annoyed.

"Oh. Of course, good question." he thought slightly. "Depends on how scared he is, I guess. What's he scared of?"

"In Scotty's phobia support group, he said he was afraid of failure." Harvey said, sniffing something in a beaker, making Edward come up and snatch it from him.

"Who isn't?" Jim sighed. "Its gotta be somethin' else."

"Did you hear?" Edward asked Harvey.

"Hear what?"

"That we got a new medical examiner? Much better than the old one. And she smells nice..."

Alyssa smacked his arm. "Ahem, girlfriend present."

"Girlfriend?" Harvey asked while Edward blushed. "Since when?"

"Um, about a month and half now..." Edward said.

"And you neglected to tell me this why?" Harvey looked at Alyssa.

"Because its none of your damn business." she glared at him, leaning her head on Edward's shoulder. His arm went around her waist automatically. "Besides, we've known each other since we were kids."

"It was bound to happen eventually." Edward nodded and kissed her cheek.

Harvey scoffed. "Unbelievable! You two have nothing in common; how are you so close?"

"He/She keeps me centered." they said at the same time.

"Look at this." Jim spoke up, tapping the booklet. "Crane developed protocols, for two inoculations. Himself, and somebody else. Subject B."

"Oooo, I wonder who that is." Edward stepped up and took the booklet back from him.

"I have a hunch." Alyssa said, looking slightly pale. "I just hope I'm wrong."

"Come onnnn, pick up, pick up, pick up..." Alyssa muttered, tapping impatiently on the desk in her office.

"Y-You've reached Jonathan Crane, l-leave a message."

She huffed. "This is the 30th call you haven't answered, I'm startin' to get homicidal. Call me back Johnathan. I'm worried about you." she hung up and threw the phone at the cushiony chair in front of her desk. Sighing, Alyssa ran her hands through her hair, trying to convince herself that he was fine; that he was smart enough not to be involved in his dad's plans.

A sharp knock on her door made her look up.

"What?"

"Its Oswald. May I come in?"

"...Yeah, sure..."

The door opened and Oswald closed it behind him. "I just wanted the pleasure of delivering this myself." he held out the black invitation with silver writing with a proud smile. "Hot off the press! VIP status; the least I could do with all you did to help me open the place."

Alyssa sighed. "Ozzy, you know I love when you spoil me, but I'm just not sure I'm up for a party."

The smile fell from his face. "What's wrong?" he stepped closer to her. "Have you been crying?"

She bit her lip. "Uh, one of my kids is missing. And, the case Jimbo is working is tracking down his dad for murder. So now, he could get hurt, or-or her could be involved in it, and I don't –" her voice cracked and she held a hand over her mouth.

"Alyssa..." Oswald limped up to her and wrapped his arms around her. "It'll be okay. The kids you raise are some of the most remarkable people I've ever met. You taught them to get out of anything; to always return home."

"I-I know, I'm just, I'm just worried about him..."

"Tell me his name." he pulled back just enough to look at her. "I'll put some men out on him and his father."

"Y-You don't have to –"

"I want to." he cut her off. "If not that, then what? How can I help you, please I want to help you."

Unfortunately, Alyssa's could not go on hold simply because she was worried. She still had kids to take care of, reporters to fend off, and apparently a party to attend.

Why the hell had she gone into business again?

As if to remind her, her phone rang. Thinking it was Johnathan, she was quick to pull it out of her pocket. She huffed in annoyance however when she saw the caller ID.

"I'm busy Dent, this had better be important."

"Oh, its the most important thing in the world. Stanley Turnable has gone missing."

"So?" Alyssa frowned. Stanley Turnable was the Chief Judge in Gotham and had single handedly kept her from winning custody of Jerome for the last four years. Both she and Harvey couldn't stand the man.

"So, your case has been moved to the next judge available. Namely; Melanie Martinez."

"You're kidding." the district attorney suddenly had her full attention. Melanie Martinez was one of the few Gotham officials who was actually a decent person. She had been the one to sign off on making Alyssa's 'Mama Gotham' project an official charity, and had saved more than one of her kids from juvy.

"Nope! When Haly's Circus returns to Gotham this weekend, we will finally be able to get your boy away from there."

"Ha! Thank you, finally something goes right today!" Alyssa cheered.

Harvey chuckled. "I'll draw up the paperwork, you get Jerome to the court house. Say, ten o'clock on Saturday?"

"Yes, yes absolutely! Thank you! Harvey Dent, you're a saint and I love you!"

"Happy to help."

Close to hyperventilating, Johnathan tore from the house. He hated doing this, he hated having to see the scarecrow everywhere he went.

Running his fingers though his hair he tried to focus on something else. The Safe Haven Hotel. The kids who pouted and threw their pencils when he tried to teach them math and they didn't understand it. Alyssa; the woman who managed to stay so level-headed and in control no matter what was thrown at her.

She wouldn't be afraid. Johnathan was certain Alyssa Connors wasn't afraid of anything.

Alyssa...He had turned off his phone hours ago to stop the constant buzzing. He hated not being able to answer her calls, knowing she was probably worried sick. God, what would she say? If she knew what he was involved in now, she'd probably never want to see him again.

"Johnny!" his dad's voice called after him. "We've started the protocol, it must be completed, it will be harmful for you otherwise!"

"I c-can't I can't do it again." he shook his head. His stuttering was coming back, this wasn't a good sign.

"Think of it Johnny! No more fear."

"I-I'm not I'm not even afraid like you!"

"We're all afraid!" he exclaimed. "Every man and woman on the planet! We're all standing at the edge of the abyss, paralyzed by fear!"

Johnathan stumbled back for every step his father took forward.

'I-It doesn't scare you?'

'There's no reason to be scared when you've got people to protect you.'

Her voice echoed in his head, making him bend over and rub at his temples. His dad laid a hand on his back.

"Come on son, trust me. I just want to help you. And mankind." he pulled up back up to a standing position. "Mankind, Johnny. Now you must be brave, hmm?"

'Y-You're very brave, Ms. Connors.'

'So are you.'

"Come on son, are you with me? Lets go back to the house, it'll all be over before you know it. I promise! Come on..." he wrapped an arm around his shoulders and lead him back inside.

The party wasn't exactly raving, and the lone man with a spiked mohawk rocking out to the band was just sad.

But Alyssa kept her mouth shut, sipping her second glass of champagne and standing next to the club owner.

"You can say it." Oswald huffed.

"Say what?" she looked at him with an innocent expression.

He rolled his eyes. "Even when you stay quiet for my sake, you're still the bluntest person I know. You just say it with your eyes."

She bit her lip. "If it makes you feel any better, place looked worse when Fish first opened."

"It does." he nodded with a small smile, clinking his glass with her's.

"Penguin." a familiar voice made them look up. "And the infamous Mama Gotham, right?" Eyes wide, Oswald quickly tried to run for it, but was cut off. "Where you goin'?"

"Don Maroni." Alyssa gave the man a fake smile.

"Such a pleasure to see you." Oswald said.

"Look at you. From the trunk of my car, to running your own club. The place looks good Penguin." he looked around with a small chuckle. "Hell of a turn out. Though I'm not quite sure why Falcone's chairty case is here." his eyes went to Alyssa.

"Business venture." she said curtly.

"How 'bout a table?" Oswald asked, not liking the way Maroni was looking at his friend. "Drinks? My, complements of course."

"Expensive stuff." Maroni said, looking at the bottle on the table the pair had been leaning against. "Lemme see." he picked it up. "I had a little chat with Falcone. I came here to let you know that all is coshire between us." he smacked Oswald lightly, making him flinch. "Long as you don't go telling Falcone anymore of my secrets."

"No. Nothing like that."

"Course not. Grab a glass."

Oswald turned and picked up a fresh glass of champagne for the Don. He was about to hand it to him when the hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"You better hope that old man Falcone lives a long life." Maroni said darkly, pouring into the glass until it overflowed. "Cuz the second, he's outta the picture, so are you." he patted Oswald on the back and left with his men.

Alyssa reached for a bar rag and offered it to him. Nodding in thanks, he set the glass down and wiped the alchol off his hand.

"If I get floated down another river because of you, just know that I'll stop being your friend then." she said in a half-joking manner.

"Fair enough." Oswald smiled slightly.

They both knew nothing could split them up.

Alyssa ran down the hall of the hospital as fast as her legs could carry her. Too fast infact, as when she reached her destination she stumbled and nearly fell, only to be caught by the man she was slowly beginning to resent.

"Boyscout, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"I'm here for Johnathan, Harvey called and said you found him."

"Yeah, well..." he nodded to the room's window.

Johnathan was there, in a hospital gown, strapped to the bed convulsing like he was having a non-stop seizure.

"Oh my god, what happened?" she demanded.

"Well, the boy received a massive dose of condensed hormones." the doctor said. "Cortazone, adrenaline. And another compound we're still trying to identify. Combination nearly killed him."

"But he's gonna live, right?"

"Yes...But we ran a cat scan in order to determine if he suffered any brain damage, the results well, we've never seen anything like them before. The hormones have long since worn off, but the effects, they seem to be lingering?"

"Yeah, its called being scared outta your mind." Alyssa said bluntly. "He just needs to be somewhere he feels safe. Even if it doesn't fix everything, its bound to help."

"And where exactly would safe be?" Jim gave her a look.

"My hotel. He used to come down when his dad was 'working late.'"

"You knew him personally and you didn't think to tell me during the case?!"

"Name one troubled child in this city I don't know personally." she glared at him. "I asked him a couple times why he kept coming and he said he felt safe there." she turned to the doctor. "What do I have to sign for you to let me take him home?"

"You must be joking, the boy is in need of sever medical attention, he can't be moved."

"I told you, what he needs is safety! What part of being strapped to a hospital bed do you think makes him feel safe?" she walked around him and the detective, into the hospital room.

"Ms. Connors/Alyssa!" they both called after her, but they were ignored.

"Johnathan?" she stepped up to the bed and laid her hand over his. His eyes snapped to her's. Much to the surprise of those around him, he stopped convulsing, but he did twitch slightly. "Hey, its okay. You're safe now. Everything's gonna be okay."