*Seven years ago*
Alyssa liked rich people parties. Not that she had many friends at them – the only person who really enjoyed her company was Lex – but the Queen family always showed up, and that meant she got to drool over Oliver.
Oliver Queen probably didn't know she existed, and that was okay, she just liked to admire him from afar.
Alyssa had never actually had a romantic relationship before. She had spent most of her adolescence hung up on Edward, and even they most boys had found her...abrasive.
Lex and Jerome both appreciated her blunt nature however, even supported it. That was really all that mattered to her, but still, it might be nice to explore a relationship.
In her head, Oliver Queen was the perfect lover. He would spoil her, showering her with gifts and kisses 24/7.
In reality however, the guy was kind of a jerk. At least that was what Lex said, Alyssa had never actually spoken to him herself.
That is until her little ginger took matters into his own hands.
"Where are we going?" she demanded as he dragged her through the mansion.
"Its a surprise."
"You know I don't like surprises."
He stopped and gave her a puppy dog look over his shoulder. "Please just go with it? For me?"
"...You're really lucky you're cute." Alyssa grumbled.
Grinning smugly, Jerome resumed his pulling until he came to one of the many bedrooms. The only thing different about this mahogany door was that it was shaking slightly from someone banging on the other side of it.
"Good luck!" Jerome said, unlocking the door and throwing her inside.
"Hey!" she stumbled and paled slightly when she heard the lock click. "J!"
"Who the hell are you?"
Alyssa turned and her eyes went wide when she saw the gorgeous boy billionaire that had disappeared from the party about ten minutes ago. "Ohhhh. Now it makes sense..." she said to herself. Oliver raised an eyebrow at her, clearly expecting an answer. "Sorry." she shook her head and held out a hand. "Alyssa Connors. The boy who trapped us in here was a friend of mine; Jerome."
Still looking confused, he took her hand and kissed the back, like Lex had said all elite gentlemen were taught to do. Alyssa fought the urge to blush.
"Oliver Queen. I wish we could have met under better circumstances." he gave her a flirty smirk that she had seen on every idiot who just wanted a pretty thing on their arm or...ya know.
"Yeah, well." she pulled her hand away. This was why she'd never wanted to meet him. "Sadly I can't control my kid."
"You look a little young to have children."
"What can I say, I have a natural mothering complex."
Haly's circus arrived in Gotham on Friday, and Alyssa was there waiting for them.
By now they'd all come to expect her to be in the field while they set up. She had even made friends with some of the nicer people, not that there were many.
"You're really gonna let some stupid feud keep you away from her?" she asked the acrobat as he handed her two cotton candies, which she always showed up at Jerome's door with.
"Graysons don't get along with the Lylods, that's the way its always been." John shrugged.
"Not how it sounded when Mary was promising to make me the godmother of your child."
"What?"
"See ya Johnny boy!" she chuckled, heading back to where the trailers were parked. Shifting the puffy treats to one hand, she knocked on the metal door.
"Go away!"
"Open the damn door, ginger!" she called back. It was tradition, perhaps an odd one, but tradition nonetheless.
The door swung open instantly, and there stood the ginger with a wide grin on his face.
"I brought cotton candy." she held one out for him. "And good news."
"Good news?" Jerome asked, tearing bits off his cotton candy while stepping down the stairs to his trailer.
"Mmhm! That old ass of a judge went missing, so his cases got passed along. Harvey says all we need to do is show up in court on Saturday and its bye-bye Haly's Circus."
His eyes went wide. "Really?"
"Really really." she smiled.
He threw his arms around her, dropping his cotton candy in the process. "Oh, thank you thank you thank you!"
"I told you, a promise is a promise J." she held him close. "I may not be the nicest person in the world, but I always keep my promises."
He pulled back and smiled at her. "How'd I ever get lucky enough to have you in my life?"
"I got lost in the hall of mirrors; lucks got nothin' to do with it."
He laughed. "Still...thanks. I owe you."
"No you don't." she said, putting an arm around his shoulder as they walked into the circus set up. "Friends help friends. Not to get something out of it, but just because they want to."
"Its sound so simple when you say it like that..."
"Jerome!" a familiar drunken slur made them freeze, smiles quickly fading.
"Just ignore her." Alyssa whispered. "She's somebody else's problem now."
"Not till Saturday." Jerome whispered back sadly.
They both turned to face the woman who smelled a sickening mix of booze and cigarettes. The bottle in her hand was still mostly full, which explained why she wasn't stumbling just yet.
"You!" Lyla exclaimed when she saw Alyssa. "I thought I told you not to come back here!"
"Ha!" she scoffed. "You been sayin' that since I was thirteen years old!"
She tried to make a grab for Jerome's arm, but Alyssa pushed him behind her.
"You little bitch, I'm gettin' sick a you tryin' to steal my kid!" she exclaimed and cracked her liquor bottle over her head with surprising force.
Her pipe dream about Oliver Queen shattered, Alyssa found herself against romantic feelings. It wasn't like she spent a large amount of time with eligible bachelors anyway, and she wasn't exactly a catch herself.
Or at least, that was the idea before she met Benjamin Wyatt.
She'd run into him at the supermarket. Literally. She had been racing shopping carts with Jerome and had crashed into him.
"Oh my god, are you okay?" she ran to help him up.
"I think so..." he rubbed at his head. "Ugh, I think I banged into a tower of apples..."
"Ya did."
"Oh..." he looked around at the bruised fruits on the floor. "What were you doing going that fast anyway?"
"Racing."
"Aren't you a little old for that?"
She frowned, "M-Maybe..."
"Alyssa!" Jerome ran up to her. "That was amazing! Mrs. Mariss is gonna freak!" he laughed but stopped short when he saw the boy she had plowed over. "Who are you?"
"Benjamin Wyatt, nice ta meet ya kid."
"I'm not a kid." he glared at him.
"J, how about we get outta here before Mrs. Mariss chases us away with a broom again, huh?" Alyssa put a hand on the boy's back and turned to lead him away.
"Wait!" Ben called after her. "I don't even know your name!"
She smiled at him over her shoulder. "Alyssa. Alyssa Connors."
Alyssa groaned as she opened her eyes.
"Where am I?"
"Easy." a doctor stopped her from sitting up. "You're in the hospital. The ambulance brought you in with a mild concussion."
"Okay..." she blinked until her vision was clear. "I'm Alyssa Connors, who the hell are you?"
"Dr. Wellis."
"Nice ta meet ya doc, any chance you've seen a ginger boy by the name of Jerome?"
"He was the one that called the ambulance." he nodded. "Seemed very upset when we told him he couldn't stay with you; I imagine he went home."
She nodded, biting her lip worriedly. "What do I need to do to get outta here?"
For someone who didn't know she existed until a week ago, Ben started showing up in Alyssa's life quite a bit.
He would 'happen' to be the one delivering her newspaper. 'Happen' to run into her on the street.
'Happen' to offer to buy her coffee.
"So how come I've never seen you in school?" he asked, blowing on his coffee to cool it.
"Oh, I don't go to school. Dropped out before I even moved here." Alyssa informed.
"Why?" he frowned.
She shrugged. "Family matters. I was never any good in school anyway; more of a street smart kinda girl."
He chuckled. "Not much street to be smart about in this town."
"That's what I like about it. Its...peaceful. I can have an actual life here."
"I hereby award custody of the child to Ms. Connors."
The bang of the gavel set off a round of cheers. Alyssa threw her arms around Harvey, the man who had worked so hard to bring them here. Selina threw her arms around Jerome, who laughed and tried to steady himself.
He was free. He was finally free. All he had to do was stop by his trailer to gather his things and he'd never have to return.
His family had other plans however.
"Come on! Lets go celebrate!" Alyssa beamed. "I know a place we can drink for free."
"You do realize that two out of our party are underage." Harvey chuckled.
"I won't tell if you won't."
The more time Alyssa spent with Ben, the more Jerome hated him. He was a nice enough guy, sure, it was Alyssa. He was turning her into something...something Jerome didn't like.
It was subtle; comments about how she 'couldn't expect to go anywhere if she never finished school.' About how weird it was that she lived in an old house on the edge of town, alone with him. About how the games they played together were childish and stupid.
The worst part was that Alyssa listened to him. She got all smiley and giggly and it made him sick.
But it was a happy smiley and giggly. She was happy, he knew that. So he kept his mouth shut – after everything she had done for him, he owed her at least that.
But he couldn't help but ask, just to be sure...
"Are you happy?" he leaned against the stair banister after she had closed the door, saying goodnight to Ben. "Because, I-I want you to be happy. You deserve it."
She smiled, stepping up to him and wrapping her arm around him. He leaned into her touch, his eyes closing as she ran her finger though his hair.
"Yes J, I'm very happy."
"You love Ben?" he opened his eyes and looked at her with an innocent little kid expression.
Alyssa looked up in thought for a moment, then gave him a smirk. "I like how he smells."
They both bust into laughter.
The place Alyssa knew was a bar called Oswald's. Harvey Dent had agreed to look the other way for him and Selina, but only if they kept their drinking to a minimum. That was fine, Jerome didn't need alchol to be happy tonight.
The place certainly needed some happy however. Everyone had bored expressions, excepted for the freckled man who's eyes were locked on the old woman singing on stage.
Clearly the old woman was someone important, because Alyssa and Selina had stopped laughing the second they saw her, clapping hands over the boy's mouths to ensure they did the same.
But they had already made enough noise to catch the man's attention, and his smile widened when he saw them.
"Alyssa, Selina. What a wonderful surprise." he stood and walked, well hobbled really, over to them. "Who are your friends?"
"Jerome Valeska and Harvey Dent." Alyssa nodded to each of them in turn. "We wanted to celebrate and thought that we might be able to get some free drinks here. Didn't mean to interrupt your mom's performance."
"Not at all. I'm sure mother will be overjoyed to see you."
"No, every time she sees me she pinches my cheeks way to hard." Selina complained, hiding slightly behind Jerome.
He chuckled slightly and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I'll protect you, sis."
The celebration wasn't as rowdy as he would have liked, but Jerome was content to just be with his family.
Family. The word still sounded odd. He had stopped thinking of Lyla as his mother a long time ago, but these were people who cared about him, people he could trust.
Alyssa had fought tooth and nail to save him – the only reason she ended up doing it legally was Harvey Dent. The guy was a bit of a goody-two-shoes, but a good man nonetheless.
And Selina...When he first learned that Alyssa had taken in another kid, his first instinct was to hate them. They got what he had always wanted; a safe home with Alyssa.
But she had been overjoyed at the prospect of him coming to live with them. She had been the one to steal him away from the circus when it came to Gotham, only to get arrested later.
Jerome was an only child – at least as far as he knew. He wouldn't be surprised if the bitch had some other kid out there he knew nothing about. But Selina was here, she got into trouble with him, she never once ratted him out; even to Alyssa. She was what Jerome imagined a sibling should be, which was why he lit up everytime she called him her brother.
The man who ran the bar, Oswald, seemed far too familiar with Alyssa. It occurred to him that this was the Oswald he'd been told about when he was younger; Oswald and...what was it? Oh yes, Edward.
The man's mother seemed familiar with both Alyssa and Selina. The two conversed in fluent German, and he hadn't been able to stop the old woman from pinching on Selina's cheeks – she'd pinched on his too once he'd been introduced.
"Owww..." they both muttered at the same time, rubbing at the red marks.
Fourth of July. Jerome's all time favorite holiday.
Since she could never be there for his birthday or Christmas, Alyssa had always made a big deal out the of fourth of July. She'd bring every firework she could get her hands on, and they'd take turns setting them off. Then at the end, they'd light whatever was left and let it explode.
They'd set the field by the circus on fire about a dozen times, but it had been worth it.
Since he'd come to live with her, they'd been able to celebrate the other holidays, but fourth of July was still his favorite.
But then Ben had to show up...
"Don't you think that's a little much?" he asked as they cleared off the shelf of fireworks into the shopping cart.
"Everything we can get our hands on, its tradition." she informed.
"You guys are gonna blow your heads off."
"Stay outta this pretty boy!" Jerome snapped at him. Ben could screw up whatever he wanted – as long as he kept Alyssa happy – but he was notallowed to screw up fourth of July.
"Watch your tone, kid." Ben gave him the look of a disapproving father.
"Make me!"
"Boys!" Alyssa pushed her way between them. "Please..."
She gave Jerome a pleasing look – damn those eyes of her's! – and he sighed and backed down.
Ben was really lucky Jerome loved Alyssa.
After Harvey had cut them off, they'd hit the town. Alyssa delighted in showing off the rather impressive empire she'd built, and Jerome was proud of her. She had gone from keeping her drunken parents out of trouble and caring for her sister to one of the highest name's in Gotham. It had gotten dark before they remembered they still had to go to the circus to pack his things.
"Jay?" he looked up to see Alyssa holding the small sliver snowglobe with a scene of Gotham City. "You kept this?"
"Of course." he smiled softly. "You gave it to me the first month we met. It reminded me I had something to look forward to."
She smiled and wrapped her arm around his shoulders, mussing up his hair, which made him laugh and shove her off. As he attempted to fix his hair, there was a knock at the trailer door. Being the closest to it, Selina went to open it.
"Selina? What are you doing here?" a familiar voice said.
"Helping my brother pack, what are you doing here?"
"We need to speak with Lyla."
Sharing a look with Alyssa, Jerome stepped forward. "She's not here. Why? What's happened?"
"Where is she?" Jim asked.
"I don't know. She was supposed to be home ages ago."
"Its also none of our business." Alyssa stepped out of the trailer, Jerome's suitcase hanging from her arm.
"Alyssa." Jim gave a very fake smile.
"Boyscout." she nodded.
"Why is it that whenever something happens in this city, I always find you at the scene?"
She shrugged. "Connections?"
He rolled his eyes. "Are you a retaliative?" he turned back to Jerome.
"Uh, I'm her son, Jerome."
"Jerome, when did you last she her?"
"Uh, this morning. She was here when I left for the courthouse."
"Courthouse?" Jim frowned.
"Relax Jerome, this gentleman is just here because Owen and Al had a disagreement." the circus ring leader said. "Your mother's fine. Gone on a spree no doubt, you know how she is."
Jerome's jaw tensed and Alyssa took his hand. He didn't look at her, but he squeezed her fingers slightly.
"A spree? Without her hat? Her coat? Her purse?" he turned to look at the snake in the cage outside the trailer. "Oh, look at Sheba. She's distraught, she knows something's wrong."
"The snake does seem to be agitated." Jim sighed.
"Sir." the ring leader leaned into him like he didn't want Alyssa and the kids to hear what he was saying, but they could hear it clear as day. "She's what you call a party girl. Back in the morning with her knickers in her handbag, sure as eggs." Jerome's hold on Alyssa's hand tightened.
"But she didn't take her handbag, did she? How fast does an animal like that move?" he asked Jerome.
"Uh, fast walking pace. They rely on surprise mainly."
"Let her out."
"...I'm sorry?"
"Let her out."
He glanced back at Alyssa, who sighed and shook her head. Releasing his tight grip on her hand, he turned and opened the cage.
The group followed Sheba's slithering path until they were lead to a wagon in the back of the circus. The snake slithered under a tarp, and detective Gordon was quick to pull it off.
Alyssa had hated Lyla Valeska since the day she'd met her, but the slight of her mutilated body was still a shock. It was sickening, but she couldn't take her eyes off it as she held Jerome tightly while he cried into her shoulder.
Lyla Valeska was one of the worst people she had ever met – no doubt she got what was coming to her.
But the question was; who was it that she had pissed off enough to do this?
The more time that passed, the more Alyssa spent with Ben. Jerome could respect her having a relationship, but he have to steal her away every god damn second?!
Alyssa was his. What exactly she was, he wasn't sure, and to be honest he didn't want to push the topic for fear of ruining a good thing. But she was hisdamn it!
He wanted Benjamin Wyatt gone. The final straw was when he'd over heard him talking to Alyssa about getting their own place. About settling down, getting married and raising a family together.
No! He was Alyssa's family, and he'd be damned if he let this bastard take her from him.
He needed some way to get rid of him. He couldn't kill him, Alyssa would hate him. He needed something to snap her out of it; make her see what he was doing to her.
As it turned out, one would be provided for him.
Alyssa seemed very familiar with the people of the GCPD, but knowing her, that made sense.
She had told him to just be honest with the detective, that there was nothing he could do now that she had custody of him. Come to think of it, she didn't seem to fond of the 'boyscout' as she had called him...
"Tell me about your mother, Jerome." Jim said, pulling out a chair to sit down.
"She hated me." Jerome shrugged like it was no big deal.
"What makes you think that?"
"The yelling, the abuse, the neglect. Alyssa was more of a mother to me than her."
Jim shifted in his seat to lean against the table. "Uh, yes, what's your relationship with Ms. Connors?"
"She's been my best friend since I was eight. I only get to see her when the circus is in town, but she's always been there for me."
"Hmm. What about Ms. Connor's daughter? What's your relationship with her?"
"Selina?" he cocked his head. "Oh, we get along great. She actually introduces me to the courts as her big brother." he said with a small smile.
"Yes, you mentioned that before, going to the courthouse earlier today. Why?"
"Alyssa's been trying to win custody of me for a while. Judge signed the papers this morning."
Jerome screamed as the police officer tried to put the handcuffs on him. He tore away from the man that was easily twice his size and ran back to Alyssa, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.
If he hadn't been in the process of hyperventilating, he would have begged her not to let them take him. He couldn't go back to his mother, he didn't want to, he wanted to stay with her...
"Shh, its okay J, its okay, I'm gonna fix this. I promise." she said, rubbing his back and kissing the top of his head.
"I can't believe you Alyssa!" Ben was shouting, running his hand through his hair. "I always thought something was off about you and that kid, butkidnapping?! You're worse than I thought!"
If it weren't for the situation at hand, Jerome would have been furious. As it was, he was more focused on clinging to Alyssa for dear life.
Alyssa was furious though. She looked up from the ginger, but kept a firm hand on his back.
"You listen to me you son of a bitch." she said lowly, barely restrained anger clear in her voice. "This boy is family to me. And he was in trouble, so yeah, I took him in. Don't you dare, think that I'm worse off because of him."
"...Are you threatening me?" Ben asked in a surprised whisper.
"Yeah. Little bit."
Alyssa hated being on the other side of a police investigation – and it happened more than her being the one that got to put on the cuffs.
Still, the flood of people in their circus clothes all over the precinct was an interesting sight. She could do without the handcuffs, but Harvey was quick to let her out of those.
But being in the GCPD didn't stop the Graysons and the Loyds from fighting. Namely; Al vs Owen and John vs Mary.
"Enough!" she finally snapped. "Al, Lyla was never going to settle down with you; even you're smart enough to know that! Owen, the stupid horse was stolen a million years ago; get over it!" she turned to John and Mary. "John, Mary's mad at you because you hid your relationship just because of her last name. Mary, he loves you, quit being a child! Now everybody apologize to everybody else!"
"...Sorry..."
"...Sorry..."
"You seem very familiar with everyone here, Ms. Connors."
Alyssa turned to see Jim with Jerome standing next to him. "Circus comes to town every July. Been going since I was a kid."
"So I hear. If you'd step into the interrogation room with me please."
She scoffed. "Really boyscout? Are we gonna do this little song and dance?"
He shrugged. "Everyone says you and Lyla didn't get along."
"I didn't kill her." she said lowly.
"You had motive. That makes you a suspect." he looked a little too please with himself.
"Why? Because the world is short a woman like Lyla Valeska?"
"Connors, what did I tell you about messing with police cases?" Harvey Bullock came up behind Jim, making his partner and the ginger beside him turn to look.
"That I should only do it with cold cases and public service murders."
"That's true, you did tell her that."
Alyssa jumped, turning on her heel to see her boyfriend standing behind her. "I've told you to stop doing that!" she hit his chest.
"So what? You expect me to just let the murder drop?" Jim asked her.
"Expect you to? No. I've met you, you're far too stubborn for that. Be nice if you did though."
"You know I can't."
Alyssa chuckled slightly. "Hey, guy comes in here –" she held out her wrists. "hold out his hands, go ahead and arrest him. I'll be sure to send a fruit basket." her smile dropped. "Come on J, we're going home." he stepped forward and took her hand. "And I will see you later." she kissed Edward's cheek before they left the GCPD.
Jerome had his own room in Alyssa's apartment, but after she had gone to bed, he found himself in Selina's.
"Cat. Wake up!" he shook her shoulder.
"Hmm? What?" she said tiredly.
"I need you to catch me up on what's going on." He sat on her bed. "Alyssa kissed a guy at the precinct today."
"Tall, brown hair, glasses?" he nodded. "That's her boyfriend."
Jerome paled. Last time she had had a boyfriend, it had nearly ruined her. This guy better not be like Ben...
"What's the verdict?" he asked.
Selina sighed as she sat up. "On Edward and Alyssa? I think they love each other." Jerome bit his lip and looked down. "That's not all that's bothering you. What's wrong?"
"Its nothing..."
"Jerome, I think you know that you can always trust me, with anything."
He looked up, studying her. "...You swear you'll never tell?"
"I swear." she nodded without hesitation.
"It was me. I killed my mother."