Alyssa Connors liked to believe she was a good person. Not a hero, or a saint by any means, but a good person.

But first and foremost she was a loyal person. You'd never find anyone who loved their family and friends more.

Which was why recent developments posed a difficult situation for her. One one hand, Jerome had killed someone. Going by the marks on the body, he'd kept swinging long after the damage was done. Alyssa could understand many things in the city of Gotham, but she'd never believed in killing in cold blood.

Except that hadn't been the case. Lyla Valeska was a horrible woman who had abused and tormented her son for god knows how long. And she had attacked Alyssa, which was what had been the final straw for Jerome.

That was the most unsettling thing; that he had killed her after she'd attacked her. That he had killed his own mother for Alyssa Connors.

Still, she knew there was more to him. All the things they had been through, the affection and devotion he had shown to her and Selina – he couldn't fake that.

Could he?

Alyssa threw her glass at the wall, and it shattered upon impact, spilling the wine all over the floor. She took a deep breath to steady herself. Now was not the time to let her emotions get the better of her.

"Mom?"

She turned around. "Kitten. What are you still doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep..." she looked down.

"You thinking about him too?" Selina nodded, tears coming to her eyes. "Oh, kitten, come're..." she held out her arms for the girl, who was quick to run into them.

"I just don't get it..." she cried into her shoulder. "He's a good person, I know he is. He loves us!"

"Oh honey..." Alyssa pulled back to look at her. "Of course he does. He's just been through a lot of hard stuff. You know how that is, it messes with your head."

"He's not crazy!"

"I know, I know..." she sighed. "His therapist called the other day. Said he's been asking to see us."

"A-Are we gonna go?"

"I don't want you anywhere near that place." she rubbed at Selina's arms. "Its not safe. The guards they –" she shook her head. "They aren't exactly good at their jobs."

"You go down there all the time." she pointed out.

"Because the patients know me. They don't hurt you when they think you're their friend." she sighed. "I'll go myself. Maybe, if it goes well, I'll arrange for you to visit. Okay?"

She nodded. "...Okay."

Alyssa had always been fascinated by Arkham Asylum. Growing up in Gotham, she had developed a strong understanding of human nature and why people did bad things, and Arkham was the epi-center of unusual human nature. Every patient had motive for their criminal acts, reasons why they were the people they were. And admittedly, 9/10 were justified in it. Alyssa had never believed in killing in cold blood, but those who deserved it...meh.

The facility itself however was hardly a place for any of its residents to get 'better.' The rules were loose, the doctors mostly believed in pills and shock therapy, and the guards liked to beat the patients they thought stepped out of line.

Which was why it had been her sort of pet project since it had re-opened. With a little smooth talking to Falcone, he had given her many freedoms in the place. She could fire guards, forbid harsher treatments to her favorite patients, even bring in home-cooked meals – the food they served was disgusting.

"That lasagna looks delicious." the guard leading her though the building said with a smirk.

"None for you." Alyssa glared at him. "Creep..."

The sound of her voice made the inmates in the recreation room look up. Several who recognized her jumped up, but Jarvis Tetch was the one who got there first.

"My Queen! You've returned!" he said with a wide grin, trying to reach for her through the chain-link fence.

"Hello Hatter." Alyssa said with a small smile.

"You didn't come for tea yesterday..." his overly happy look was replaced with one just as sad.

"I'm very sorry, something came up." she said with a regretful look. "The Tweedles were causing trouble again." she tapped the side of her nose.

"Oh those boys." he shook his head.

"I'm afraid I'm not here for a social visit either. I'm looking for one of the newer inmates; Jerome Valeska?"

"Cheshire!" Jarvis lit up. "Yes of course! Chess!" he yelled over his shoulder.

The ginger in question looked over his shoulder. "What now?" his eyes lit up when he saw who Jarvis was talking to. "Alyssa. I knew you'd come..."

"Hiya J." she turned to the guard beside her. "Well? You gonna stand there like an idiot, or are you gonna open the gate?"

"Ms. Connors –"

"Open the gate." she glared at him. The heavy-set man fumbled with his keys, a buzzer sounding as the gate swung open. "Thank you." she stepped in, letting the door swing closed behind her. She set the pile of food – lasagna, baked potatoes, cookies, muffins – on one of the empty tables. "Alright, you all know the rules; line up and play nice."

It was fascinating to see her command a room of people who usually never listened to anyone. They formed a perfect line in front of the table, peering over each other's shoulders and bouncing on their heels like children. They each took their share of the food, Alyssa monitoring to make sure they didn't take more than they should.

"So alpha." Jerome came to stand beside her. "Just when I thought you'd run out of ways to amaze me."

"Always a good idea to make friends with people willing and able to kill." she said simply. "Speaking of..." she turned to face him. "Thanks."

"For what?" he looked at her with wide innocent eyes.

"For protecting me."

A wide grin lit up his face. "Don't worry about it, doll! Nobody hurts my family." the mad smile was gone as quickly as it had come. "How's Cat?"

Alyssa sighed. "Shaken, to say the least. You being sent here didn't exactly fit the perfect family she imagined us being."

"Yeah, I admit it didn't go according to plan." he sighed. "But no worries! I'll be out in no time, and we can be together again!" Alyssa forced a smile, but Jerome didn't seem to notice. "Come on! I want you to meet my friends!" he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards one of the tables.

Alyssa had already met Jerome's friends, if they could be called that. Frankly they seemed scared of him, flinching whenever he got too close. Except Greenwood, but he was far too arrogant to keep his mouth shut.

When he said she looked 'beautiful as ever, good enough to eat' Alyssa shifted her chair away from him, closer to Jerome. The ginger was quick to move his arm around her waist.

"Greenwood, you so much as breathe a way my Alyssa doesn't like, I'll cut you into little pieces and make you eat yourself." he said this as though talking about the weather, but it made the burly man go pale.

Oh boy, what she gotten herself into?

Having such close relationships with patients at an asylum had to say something for her own sanity as well. The fact that she knew what they had done and why, yet still spoke to them like anyone else had to be bad.

But for some reason – what it was, Alyssa would never know – they were all civil back to her. And it wasn't just because Jerome had scared them, they had liked her well before they'd met the ginger.

The opinions of the inmates however, did not match up to the opinion of Jerome's therapist who'd asked to see Alyssa.

"Ms. Connors, how long have you know Jerome Valeska?" she asked in a hard, professional tone that Alyssa doubted made patients trust her.

"Going on ten years now."

"How did you meet?"

"My family visited the circus. I found him crying, so I bought him some cotton candy."

Dr. Harris gave a judging 'hmm.' "And what is the nature of your relationship with the patient?'

"I'm his legal guardian." the woman looked up from her clipboard in surprise. "Oh you didn't know that?"

"No..." she said, clearly bothered by this new information.

"Well I'm sure you're aware that Lyla Valeska was hardly mother material. As soon as I was able, I hired a lawyer to get him away from her. Judge signed the papers same day Lyla was found dead."

Dr. Harris shifted in her seat. "Ms. Connors, Jerome has been resisting my help. He only ever talks about killing his mother – going into extreme detail – and how much he cares for you and your daughter. I'd say he's obsessed with you both."

Alyssa scoffed. "Come on Doc, with the life he's lead its only natural he'd latch onto the only people to show him kindness. We're...an anchor."

"What you are, Ms. Connors, is a trigger. Jerome killed his own mother for you, he's told me this personally."

"She attacked me." she frowned. "Hit me over the head with a bottle – I got nine stitches and a concussion!"

"And in return he sliced her to pieces with a hatchet. Ms. Connors I think its best if you don't come back to visit him."

"You're joking right? On of the only people in the world he cares about and you think keeping me from him is going to make him better?"

"Yes."

"No. I'm not doing that. I'm not abandoning him."

Despite Alyssa's hectic family life, her businesses still needed her attention. And apparently, so did her business partner.

"Well, I can set up a few auditions with some of the older kids that want to go into showbiz, but booze is gonna be tougher." she and Oswald slid into a booth at his bar. "I get mine from an old friend in Metropolis. I've got some extra stock that could hold you over for a while, but not forever."

Oswald smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you, Alyssa. I owe you one."

"You owe about sixty." Alyssa sipped her drink with a wry smile.

He chuckled. "Well, that's true." he conceded. In all the years he'd known her, Alyssa had been there for him every time he'd asked; even when she was mad at him for disappearing, she welcomed him back with open arms. "But not to worry dove, when my plans pan out, you'll be treated like a queen." he promised.

She chuckled. "Don't worry about it Ozzy. What are friends for?"

"Play nice you two!" Alyssa called to a pair of younger kids. "Hey booze bag." she nudged a dozing drunk with the toe of her boot. "I don't care where you go, but ya can't sleep here."

"Thought this was an open home to all who needed it?" he said, coughing like he had been smoking.

"I offer a roof and warm meals for those who earn their keep. I ain't a homeless shelter. Out!"

Groaning, the man stood and left. "Bitch..."

"I heard that!" she called after him. Not long after the door closed, it opened again, making Alyssa look up. "Barbara. What are you doing here?"

The blonde held up the box in her arms with a smile. "I realized I don't wear half the things in my closet anymore. Though some of it might fit your kids."

"That's very kind of you." Alyssa smiled. "I haven't seen you since the art gallery." she said as Barbara set the box next to the hotel front desk. "How have you been?"

"Uh, I've been better. I'm sure you've heard that Jim and I broke up."

"Yeah...Though to be honest, I don't particularly care for Lee." she admitted.

"Oh?"

"She's nice enough." she shrugged. "But she keeps trying to psychoanalyze me."

Barbara chuckled. "I've seen your paintings Alyssa, you're certainly a very complex person." her smile faded. "I um, I don't suppose you need any extra help around here? I've been sitting in my apartment so much I memorized the number of ceiling tiles." she chuckled again, but this time it was nervous and sheepish.

"Well, if you don't mind changing diapers, no one ever wants to be on baby duty."

"I love babies." Barbara lit up.

"Right this way then, Ms. Kean."

"Mooney's man or not..." Alyssa said, watching the workers cart in Maroni's booze. "You gotta admit, he's good."

"Thanks Alyssa." the large man came up to her. Alyssa resisted the urge to wince at the scarred 'V' on his forehead. Despite his fondness of her, she knew that that was the only thing stopping him from killing her in the name of Fish Mooney. "Nice to see the place is stayin' afloat eh?"

"I'm still amazed you got that smell out." she shook her head.

Butch chuckled. "Come on, I'll pour ya a drink."

What cheap alchol tasted like, Alyssa may never know. Between working for Fish, being friends with Lex, and running her own bar, she had only tasted the good stuff.

"You remember your first drink in this place?" Butch asked, swirling his liquor in the glass.

"Course." Alyssa nodded. "You gave it to me. Said it would calm my nerves as I recall."

"Well you did kill a man."

"You pointed a gun at my head." she mimed the action. "Offered me an ultimatum. I choose to keep breathing."

"I had to startle you into pulling the trigger." he countered, gulping down his shot.

"I didn't want to..." Alyssa turned her drink in her hand slightly. "I never wanted anything to do with this place, or this city. And yet look at me now; one of Falcone's highest."

"All because I found you in a dumpster." Butch chuckled, pouring himself a refill. He held it up. "To unplanned victories."

"Here here." she clicked her glass with his and they both drank.

"Its not just Falcone you know. Penguin's got a shine on ya too."

Alyssa shrugged. "We go back. And apparently, I'm worth killing for."

"No kidding. I almost felt bad for Sammy."

"Sammy?" she frowned at the name of the man who'd nearly killed her on Fish's orders.

"He's dead." Butch informed. "Second he was in control, Penguin tied him up and killed him real slow like."

"He never told me that..."

He shrugged. "Well like you said sweetheart, you're worth killing for."

"...Y-Yeah...Yeah, it would seem so." Alyssa poured herself a refill and gulped it quickly.

This time it did nothing for her nerves.