Chapter 34

It was a relief when the day's duties finally ended, and Oswald was able to pocket the profits. Half a million dollars in just over twelve hours? A result of drug trade, robbery, and fraud? Very nice. It was pocket change, but still nice.

As the limoscene glided across the broken streets, destination set in stone, Oswald handed the dense envelope to Zsaz. The man sitting across from him was covered from head to toe in congealing lifeblood, as though he'd taken a bath in the stuff with Elizabeth Bàthory. Oswald had been forced to open all of the automobile's windows just to avoid gagging. Forcing a smile, he shifted in his fine leather seat. "Have fun, Victor?"

"Oh, yeah, boss." Victor grinned. Rolling up his sleeve, he displayed three shiny new cuts on a path of pink, feverish-looking flesh. Pointing at each one, he explained. "This one I got from this homeless old drunk who got my attention when he asked for change. I said he'd just buy more booze with it. So he got mad. Actually whacked me with his cane. So I crushed his head under my boot." Zsaz grinned from ear to ear. "And these two are from his two buddies who tried to help him. I gutted one and stabbed the other one in the privates." He chuckled. "Boy, I love Saturdays."

"Yes." Oswald said cordially. "Murder is like a fine wine: it should be savored down to the last drop." He waved his hand dismissively. "During the week, with our duties on our shoulders, such pleasures become harder to indulge in."

Zsaz pointed at him with a bloody finger. "Amen to that." His dark, frog-like eyes landed on the silver tray loaded with liquors. Oswald remembered buying that set. He hadn't been convinced until Ruby had pointed out that it included not one, but two bottles of his favorite brandy. Reading the assassin's thought, Oswald spoke up. "Help yourself, but do not touch the eighteen-year-old brandy. That is reserved for me."

Zsaz nodded once before attacking the bottles. Rolling his eyes, Oswald rested his chin against his fist. Stared out the window. The crumbling buildings passed him by. People bustled down the sidewalks, their heads bowed and their bags held close. Once or twice he saw a common embezzler run down the road, grabbing someone's suitcase or purse along the way. Heavy, dense clouds spread across the heavens. They looked like gray cotton-balls rolling across a pallid tablecloth. Seagulls shrieked in the distance. A few peaks in an alley revealed combustions of violence.

Just your average day in Gotham.

But not for the King.

Standing a little straighter, Oswald looked down at the gift in his hands. Beneath the wrapping paper and cardboard shell was something that he'd spotted and had instantly seen Ruby wearing. His heart skipped a beat. Beyond the squares of the open windows, the hospital loomed into view.

Twenty minutes later, he was pushing the hallway's doors open. The scent of disinfectant and medicine hit him like a sucker-punch. Oswald limped through the doorway, searching for the right door. As he did, he noticed the sterile surroundings. Everything was white: the ceiling, the walls, and the waiting chairs nailed to the tiled floor. A few trolleys were positioned just outside the doors, loaded with medications that made Oswald's skin crawl. Several I.V machines were huddling in a corner, ready for use. The only evidence that this was still reality and not some alternate dimension were the framed photos of idyllic landscapes. A wheat field in summer here. A bamboo forest in rainfall there. They were the only doses of relief Oswald got.

At last, Ruby's door appeared before him. 112.

Barker's words echoed in his ears. He ignored them.

Taking a deep breath, Oswald tucked the gift into the folds of his coat. Then, he reached out and grabbed the doorknob. It was as cold as a snowball. Twisting it sent the door inward, revealing the softly-lit room. The first thing he saw was Ruby sitting cross-legged on the bed, her nose buried in The Joy Luck Club. At the squeaks she looked up. Surprise quickly melted into happiness. She grinned like a kid on Christmas morning. Oswald let the door close behind him, smiling in return. Folding the page that she'd been reading, Ruby leapt out of the bed. "Oz!" She wrapped her arms around him. Oswald returned the gesture, sighing with contentment. They remained like that for a minute before pulling away. Ruby ran a hand through her curls, pushing them out of her vision. "I...I wasn't sure you'd come. Visiting hours end in an hour."

Oswald shook his head. "I apologize. I intended to visit sooner, but," he shrugged, "business took longer than I anticipated."

"Don't worry." A dark cloud passed behind Ruby's eyes. "I feel so ridiculous. I'm...I'm sorry."

Just for a second, Oswald didn't understand what she meant. When he did, a solemn sensation fell over him. He rested his hands on her shoulders. Ruby's eyes flashed down at them before returning to his stare. "Ruby, listen to me." Oswald instructed firmly. "You have nothing to feel remorseful for. Others do." When Ruby nodded, Oswald felt his heart lighten a bit. He managed a small smile. His hands lowered slightly so that they were positioned on her biceps. A loose embrace. "You do not know how pleased I am to see you. You look marvellous."

Ruby gave a tiny smirk. A familiar spark entered her dark blue orbs. "Oz, at my best, I've only ever looked 'decent'. But points for effort, really." Nevertheless, she brushed some dust from her sweatshirt. Oswald chuckled. "Is it a stupid question if I ask how you are fairing?"

Ruby's smirk widened. "Now that you're here, I'm doing even better." Tears glimmered in her eyes. "I...I never got to tell you how thankful I am for what you did for me back on the roof." She shook her head. "Oz, I felt so scared, and lost, and alone. But when I saw how much you cared, how hard you were trying..." She reached up and wiped the corner of an eye. "You made me feel like I wasn't alone. So, thank you."

Oswald pushed a stray curl out of Ruby's face. "There are others who care for your safety. You are not alone."

Ruby's face lit up. "I know. Bruce Wayne actually came to visit me this morning."

Oswald blinked in surprise. "Truly?"

"Truly." Ruby nodded. "Our conversation got a bit dark, but it was still very nice to see him." She gestured to the table. "We even played some checkers." It was only then, when he got a glance at the room, that Oswald realized that something was wrong. "Wait..." He looked about, but could not find the object of his search. They were not on the nightstand, the table, or even on the floor. Turning back to Ruby, he spoke. "I had a dozen white roses to this room just this morning! Did they not arrive?"

Ruby's gaze relaxed. "Oh, they did. I just gave them away."

"What?!"

"To the other patients. They need them more than me." Ruby pointed. "I kept the largest one, though." Oswald followed her finger and, too, relaxed. Indeed, there was a single white blossom, its petals transparent in the watery light perched in a water bottle near the window. Ruby winked at him. "I'm keeping the balloons, too."

"You'd better." Oswald winked back at her. As he shifted, he felt the square bulge brush against his chest. Straightening, he reached into his folds. "I, er, um...I sort of gave myself the liberty to..." He held out the package, unable to continue. Ruby gasped with delight upon seeing the gift. "Oz..." Taking the gift with one hand, she used the other to trap Oswald into a one-armed hug. Oswald felt his stomach turn itself inside out. It was a strangely pleasant feeling. "But you didn't have to!" Ruby protested.

"I wanted to." Oswald insisted. Grinning like a World Cup Champion, Ruby sat down and made quick work of the wrapping paper. When she lifted the box's lid and peered inside, she gasped a second time. This time, it was a gasp of wonder. Slowly, reverently, she reached inside and lifted the present up. A simple silver chain hung from her fingers. At the end of the chain was a rough, unevenly-cut gem the size of an apricot. Translucent. A vibrant, green-blue that matched the spring sea. It was rough and uneven, but Ruby still looked at it the same way a priest might with the original Ten Commandments.

Oswald beamed at his friend's expression. Unable to hold in the joy bubbling up his throat, he spoke. "It's an acquamarine. The jeweller told me that it hasn't been polished or cut; this is exactly the way it was found. Cleaned, of course, but uncut. The acquamarine-"

"-is the birth stone for March." Ruby spoke. Gently, she traced it with her free hand. She went on. "It was believed to be the treasure of mermaids. Sailors kept them as talismans of good luck, fearlessness, and protection. It's also known as the stone of eternal youth and happiness. The clearness of the stone is due to iron oxidates within the stone's chemistry." She recited this naturally, like a nursery rhythm, and grinned all throughout the description.

Oswald felt a little flabbergasted at his friend's knowledge, but he didn't mind it as much as he might have. He brushed a stray hair of his back into place. "Well, I see this stone requires no introduction from me. I'm so pleased that you like it."

"Like it?" Ruby echoed incredulously. Looked back at him. "Oz, it's..." She shook her head. "I have no idea what to say." A single tear ran down her face. "No one's really given me jewelry before."

Oswald raised his eyebrows. "Not even Father?"

Ruby smiled sadly at the mention. "Master...he gave me his mother's emerald earrings. But only after she said she didn't want them anymore. Not quite the same, but I never expected him to." She sighed. "He'd already given me a new life. All the jewels in the world can't compare to that." Ruby shook her head to clear it. A couple of tears traced her cheeks. She smiled up at Oswald. Held up the acquamarine. "I will treasure this always." Without another word she tied it around her neck. Fingered it as it rested against her sternum.

Oswald chuckled. The ripples it sent along his body had his tired knee screaming. Wincing, he made a beeline for the free chair. Ruby's eyebrows scrunched up. "Sorry, I should've offered you a chair right away!" Oswald all but crashed in the chair, panting and waving her apology away. He gave her a tired smile. "It's-it's alright." Ruby grabbed his hand and squeezed it. The comfort warmed him.

The pain subsided. Oswald leaned back. Gasping. Closing his eyes. The exhaustion that had been building up throughout the day fell on him like a ton of bricks. For a long moment, he wondered if he'd be able to make it back to the limo later. The tread down the hallways suddenly felt miles long. Oh, well. He didn't need to think of that now. For a long, peaceful moment, all was quiet.

Then, Ruby spoke up. "Um, Oz?"

Oswald's sleepy eyes cracked open. Ruby held him a plastic cup of water. Sighing with relief, he accepted it with a word of thanks. As he emptied the cup in one gulp, he felt Ruby's eyes on his knee. He moved it consciously. Ruby bit her lip. When he'd finished hydrating himself, she spoke again. "Would you...um. I mean, remember when I fixed those cuts on your back?"

Oswald nodded. "Yes, I do. Why?"

"Well..." She jerked her nonexistent chin towards his crooked knee. "Maybe I can fix that, too."

Oswald blinked. Stared at her.

Ruby looked down. Raised her hands. "If you want, I mean."

Oswald was still for another moment. Then, he leaned forward and took Ruby's hand. It was a bit calloused from years of labor but well-kept and very warm, like a roll fresh from the oven. He squeezed it in his smooth, cold hand. "Ruby," he said sincerely, "I'm touched by your offer. But this pain is more than it seems. It is brand of Fish Mooney." Ruby didn't miss the subtle twitch in Oswald's eye as he spoke the name. "She did this to me. But this damage made me rise up, stronger and smarter than the rest. It has been a constant reminder of what the world can do to you, should you lack the proper attentiveness." Their fingers intertwined. Icy-blue met indigo. "It's helped me hone my skills and become who I am today. Thus...thank you, but I'm fine as I am."

Ruby slowly nodded. "You're better than fine. You're a king." She reached out and embraced him again. Oswald placed a hand on her back, closing his eyes.

The following hour and a half passed in a flash. Bending one of the lights hanging over her bed, Ruby morphed her hands to make the most realistic shadow puppets ever cast against a wall. Oswald spoke of his concerns regarding Fish Mooney. Where she was, and what she was planning. All of Ruby's comforting words could not break such a barrier. Thus, Ruby tactfully asked after Edward Nygma. Oswald immediately brightened and spoke vividly of him. He spoke of how he'd visited him just the other day, and how he'd had a sweater mailed to Arkham. Ruby offered to make Nygma some biscuits, remembering all too well how unholy the food was.

"When I developed my powers," she shared, "I had to give the cooks regular shows like this one in exchange for proper meals." She winced as her hands morphed, taking on the semblances of animals. But not quite.

Oswald patted her back. "I suppose it was a better alternative to...another nature of favors."

Ruby shuddered. "God, I know. If Barbara had to do any of that when she was there, I can almost excuse her behavior."

"I cannot." Oswald's hardened tone made Ruby look up. "What she put you through cannot stand. If the law does not punish her, I will."

Ruby's hands returned to normal. One of them reached out and pushed a lock out of Oswald's eye. The gesture captured his attention. "Oz, I know Barbara can be a...a..." she paused. "...Not nice. But I at least want to learn why she did it. If I don't like what I hear..." She shrugged.

Oswald smirked. "Spoken like a true criminal."

"You would know." Ruby replied as she mirrored his expression.

Oswald chuckled. The discussion he'd been meaning to bring up all afternoon blossomed on his tongue. "Er, in fact, I-"

A knock on the door startled them both. Spinning around, they saw the same nurse that brought Ruby her meals. She smiled apologetically at the two friends. "I'm sorry, but visiting hours ended ten minutes ago."

Ruby's face fell when she looked at the clock and realized that she was right.

Oswald felt like someone had pulled the rug from under him.

The nurse gestured for Oswald to follow her. "Come, I'll escort you out, sir."

"But-"

"Visiting hours resume tomorrow from ten a.m to five p.m." The nurse gestured again. "Come on." Oswald sighed. Rose from his chair. Ruby rose, too. Placed a hand on his arm. Oswald suddenly got a twinkle in his eye. Giving her another embrace, he whispered in her ear, "I'll be back at midnight." Then, just like that, he was gone.

It took all of Ruby's energy to keep from swooning.

The last trace of daylight faded into the distance. The sky went from deep purple to indigo to black in a matter of minutes. Timid stars began to wink out from their celestial perches.

From the shadows, mismatched eyes watched them emerge. One brown, one blue.

A heart filled with sorrow twisted.

"M-ma'am?" A shy voice called.

The eyes' owner turned her head. Her black mohawk, streaked red, formed an ebony outline against the sky. One of her subjects quivered nervously. One of the 'monsters'. Capable of sprouting gills on a moment's notice. Such a sweet boy, though. "Um. We, uh, we found something. I-in the papers."

"Oh?" A warm female voice, sweet as honey, purred from the shadows.

"Yeah. It's a bit old, but..." Webbed fingers held out the folded newspaper. The woman took them. Held them up to see. A slow smile spread across her face. The boy gulped. "Um, we...we think it's the same woman that was there with the Penguin that night, but-"

"Good." Fish Mooney smiled at the photo displaying the black-haired young man. "I hope to see my little penguin again before I die."

Midnight arrived, and so did Oswald. Ruby spotted him outside her room, right where she'd been nodding off. She hadn't bothered to change out of her attire, and nor had he. When she heard the familiar thumping of his cane against the tiles, her heart began to beat a little faster. Standing, she greeted him with a hug. "Hey," she whispered, "how'd you get passed the alarm?"

Oswald chuckled as though her question were the silliest thing he'd ever heard. "My dear, I wouldn't be the King of Gotham if a locked door challenged me."

Ruby shrugged. "Fair enough."

"If I may, then," Oswald asked, "how did you get out? I was under the impression that the patients' rooms were locked at night."

Ruby gave him a look. "I can turn myself into a puddle, remember?"

Oswald blinked, then nodded. "Oh, yes. I apologize. That will still take some getting used to."

"You will." Ruby promised him. "But what was urgent enough to make you take the risk?"

Oswald inhaled. This was the biggest hole he'd have to jump over, and his legs felt like they were made out of glued-together popsicle sticks. "I...er, perhaps we can discuss this in a more private setting?"

"I-look out!" Ruby shoved him against the wall and threw herself against him. In the span of about a second, her body thinned out and spread until it resembled a bed's sheet. Completely covering Oswald, right down to his well-polished shoes, Ruby concentrated on the wall's sterile white. Tried to copy it. To her distress, it came and went like a faulty light-bulb. Thankfully, the flashlight-weilding old nurse walking down the hallway wasn't looking for ugly walls. She zipped right passed them, her heels clacking against the tiled floor. Once she was out of sight, and her footsteps faded, Ruby sighed. Pulled away. Oswald watched in amazement as Ruby's wide, sheet-like body folded in on itself. Thickening. Regaining the bone, muscle and sinew it had temporarily forsaken. Within seconds, Ruby had returned to normal. Grinning.

Oswald blinked. Swallowed. "Wow. I...that is rather impressive."

"I know." Ruby chuckled, looking down at her hands. "I'm not that great at camouflage. I can turn into anyone, but I can't turn into things, you know? Even the puppets I made earlier looked no more like animals than origami." She shrugged. "I'm fine with it, honestly."

Oswald began walking down the end of the hallway. Ruby followed. At first, she walked three steps behind him. As a servant would do. But when he turned back and looked at her, something flashed in her eyes. "Oh, right." She sped up until they were walking side-by-side. He felt encouraged by this new closeness. Even more so when Ruby shyly reached out and took his hand. Feeling warmed, he spoke up. "So, before we were so bruskly interrupted, where would you suggest we go to talk?"

Ruby grinned. "I'm sure you'll love it, given your nickname."

Oswald gave her an amused look. "Oh, really?"

Ten minutes later, most of which were spent in an elevator listening to a god-awful tinkling that sounded barely better than your average ringtone, they arrived in the basement. Chuckling, Ruby shambled into the darkness. Oswald followed. A faint, familiar scent invaded his nostrils. "Where are we?"

"Someplace with no cameras. And," Ruby turned back to wink at him, "it's a penguin-friendly environment."

Oswald chuckled as they walked in the dimness. The place was cool and humid. "Oh? Is it some sort of underground Arctic exhibit?"

"Nah." Ruby chuckled. She stopped and gestured to...whatever was in front of them. "It's...a...pool!" Her excited words bounced off the walls like tennis balls. Oswald finally realized what this scent was: chlorine. A vague, distant memory of nearly being drowned in a pool by bullies swam into his consciousness. He turned to her. "Are you certain?"

"Yep! I heard some of my neighbours yapping about this place. They do underwater gymnastics in the morning, but other than that it's unused." Ruby sounded so excited Oswald didn't have the heart to turn her down. He wondered when was the last time she'd ever taken a dip in the pool. If she ever had. Ruby spun around and grabbed his arm. "I'm gonna turn the lights on! I wanna see the sharks!"

Oswald chuckled. "Be warned: sharks bite."

"So do I." Ruby snidely replied. Her voice was already drifting away. "Just give me a second..."

Indeed, a second later, there came a loud K-CLUNK, and with it a flash of light. Oswald's eyes widened as the enormous, sapphire rectangle lit up like a bonfire. Beneath the perfect, glassy surface, various lights shone like miniature suns. A pleasant humming noise began to fill the air. Oswald leaned forward, staring into the water. Transfixed. It was so clear and cool, like a mountain spring. Just to satsify his curiousity, he dipped his fingers into the trasparent liquid. Delicious shivers ran up his arm. He giggled in spite of himself. Oh, if his enemies could see him now!

Straightening, Oswald brushed his hand dry on his pants' leg. "All right, Ruby." He called. "You've seen the sharks...or lack thereof. Now, if we could please-"

"COWABUNGA!" A flash whizzed past him. A second later, there came a watery splash. The front of Oswald's coat and pants were dripping. With a cry he stumbled backwards, his hands surveying the damage. The smell of chlorine was already wafting from his clothes. Damnit, he'd just gotten this suit dry-cleaned. Ruby, still fully clothed with the exception of her feet, broke the surface. Her blonde-brown-gray hair was slicked back like a gangster's. Laughing, she hopped up and down in the water. Her face was the very picture of glee. "Oh, yeah!" She cheered. "This is better than the jacuzzi back at home!"

Oswald chuckled. Crossing his arms, he laughed in his palm. It was incredible how much younger he suddenly felt. How much more innocent. He watched Ruby going under and rising back up again, shaking her head like a dog and wiping her eyes. Laughing and spraying water. She was just like a child at bath-time. That was all the conviction he needed that she had, indeed, never dived in a pool before. The thought made him a bit sad. But still glad that he could witness this.

Ruby's cough snapped him out of his thoughts. Getting some water out of her ears, she chuckled again. "Wow. Those guys were right: it's amazing!"

Oswald said nothing. Just shook his head.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Please tell me you're not just gonna stand there."

Oswald quirked a brow. "What are you implying?"

In response, Ruby sprayed him. He yelped as he sidelined the acquatic attack. "Don't you dare!" He roared.

"Come stop me, Pengy!" She jeered.

"Oh, that is it!" Oswald dropped the cane. "You asked for it!"

Ruby stared at Oswald for a second. Something in her expression flitted. Blushing, she looked away. A moment later Oswald, this time draped in only an undershirt and his boxers, gently eased himself in. The icy water quickly numbed his knee. A small relief. Sighing with relief, he quickly leaned back. Closed his eyes in contentment. Ruby watched him, a tender smile on her face. When at last he straightened again, his ears and nose pink from the cold, Ruby chuckled. "Why, look! A penguin and a shark, swimming together! Most unorthodox!"

Oswald smirked. Sinking deeper into the clear water, he began humming JAWS' two, infamous notes. Ruby laughed as she sent a jet of water at him. "Hey, you're the penguin! I'm the shark! Stick to it!"

"I have never been what you would call civilly obedient!" Just to prove his point, he sprayed her with twice the force. The two engaged in an acquatic war, diving beneath the surface to escape the other's attacks, dragging the other down, and sending enough spray flying to make any geyser field weep with jealousy. At last, the laughter and adrenaline died down. Ruby, sopping wet and shaking with excitement, slowly lost her smile. She took a breath and kicked her legs upward. In a minute she was floating. Just by watching Oswald do it once? He was impressed. Oswald copied her. For a moment, they were silent. Starfish on the ocean floor.

At last, Ruby spoke. "I wish the Master was here. He would have loved something as crazy as this. And he really liked swimming."

Oswald gave a gentle, yet pained smile. His father's kind face floated before his eyes like a ghost. "I miss him as well." He hesitated. "Was he a champion swimmer or something?"

"Yeah, when he was around our age." Ruby smiled. "I polished all of his medals, even though he kept them in the sock drawer." Her smile disappeared. "When his health started going downhill, he tried swimming again. Just to have a highlight in his life, you know? But..." She shook her head. Her short hair rippled around her skull like seaweed. Oswald drifted closer to her and grabbed her hand. Still staring up at the ceiling, patterned with glowing blue veins, he spoke. "We gave him justice, Ruby. Those who harmed him can't hurt anyone anymore."

"I know. That's the one thing that keeps me from crying sometimes." Ruby inhaled shakily. "Well that and...and you, basically."

Oswald smiled secretly. The two resumed their standing positions. Swam towards the ledge. They draped their arms across the wet cement block. Ruby's wet hair was still mostly slicked back, but a few stubborn wisps were now framing her round face. Oswald didn't want to imagine how he looked. Probably like a drowned rodent. Hopefully, Ruby didn't notice. He finally spoke. Tried to ease them into the discussion he had been wanting to enter since that afternoon. "You hardly need me as a source of strength. You are already a force of nature."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "More like 'luck of nature'. Anyone could've been injected with that formula."

"But it wasn't anyone." Oswald argued gently. "And...I believe that, we are connected. Because, er, without me, you never would have...fused your strength with another's. Right?"

Ruby blinked. Turned to face him. Her expression was a mixture of fearful and longing. "What're you saying?"

Oswald closed his eyes. "I...met with someone today. Benjamin Barker. An enthusiast in all this abnormal. And he was able to 'see' that you and I had merged."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Really? Wow, good eye."

"Yes." Oswald agreed. "And he said that, should we choose to try amalgamating again, we may contact him. He wishes to study the process, excluding any use of drugs. He was very clear about that part."

Ruby's expression clouded over with thought. She twiddled her fingers together. Bit her lip. The inside of her chest felt like a plant made of both fire and ice was growing within her bones. A part of her wanted to dive into this project. Mingle with Oswald as they had for those few, thrilling, terrible minutes. What had followed had been the darkest period she had endured since Master's death. But did that necessarily mean that it would always be like that? Surely not. Strange had been...well, strange, but he hadn't been sadistic. He never would have added such an ability if he hadn't thought that she could benefit from it. When he'd said that he saw all of his experiments as his children, he'd meant it. In his own unstable, warped way.

Ruby inhaled deeply. Closed her eyes. "I'll only go along with it...if you want to." She opened her eyes to see Oswald's surprise. Ruby pressed on. "Once, right before I met your father, I..." She swallowed. "Someone...did something to me, and never asked my permission." Tears prickled her eyes at the memory. "What we're talking about is way more intense. It...it's all-consuming. So I won't do it unless you're one hundred percent willing." She stared him dead in the eye. "I'd rather die than hurt you."

Oswald's own eyes teared up at the raw sincerity in her words. At her concern for his well-being. No one, with the exception of his mother, had ever shown him this much ardency. He nodded.

Ruby's pupils dialated. She nodded in return. "O-okay. So, uh, here I go." She began to close the distance between their faces. "One...two...three." Their foreheads touched.

There was a flash.

When it faded, there was one figure where there had previously been two. It wore Oswald's undershirt and Ruby's sweatpants.

Cobblair pushed away from the ledge. Blinked hard with their mismatched eyes. One indigo, the other icy-blue. They blinked hard, then looked down. A wobbly, ghostly reflection greeted them. A round, chinless face with thin lips and a beak-like nose. Pale skin with a hint of peach. Pixie-cut hair the color of night was slicked back with water, with a few rebellious curls tickling the ears. Cobblair held their hands out for inspection. They were Oswald's, but the carefully-kept nails were Ruby's. As an afterthought, Cobblair reached around their neck.

The acquamarine necklace was still there. An anchor.

Cobblair's wide-eyed expression slowly broke into a wide grin. Shaky laughter rolled out of their mouth. Tears ran down their cheeks, mixing with the chlorine. Cobblair hugged themselves, rocking from side to side.

"We did it," they whispered in an androgynous voice. "We did it."