Chapter 75

The next day, the newspapers announced that Mayor Cobblepot would be giving an author, Kyle Davis, an award that only the mayor could. This would take place in the public library, where no doubt the press would be waiting.

Good. Ruby could hide in the crowd while still get close to him.

She stared at her reflection critically, carefully, as she dressed. Her velvet dress, a rich forest-green, spilled over her form and puddled to the ground. A satin sash around the waist gave the gown a more defined form. Around her neck sat a gathering of emeralds, all ranging from pea-green to tea-green to almost teal. Each gem, connected to each other with delicate silver wires, shone like a cat's eye. With the slightest dash of eyeliner and lip gloss, Ruby stepped back. Took a breath.

Beyond the walls of her bedroom she heard noises. Mercury's sweet voice, playfully cooing. Beryl's gurgles of delight. A toy piano clinking cheerfully. Ruby didn't move, lest she somehow disrupt. She listened to Mercury play with her little girl, laughing and applauding her every little accomplishment. Tears filled indigo-blue eyes. Ran down her face when thoughts of yesterday flashed by. Of poor Beryl, hanging fifty feet in the polluted air, held up by an uncaring hand.

Ruby never should have let that monster through the front door.

Wiping her eyes, she tried to think of her goal. Of her love, lest he meet a far more dire feet.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the living room. The sight waiting for her twisted her heart. Mercury was sitting on the couch, little Beryl on his lap. Cheek to cheek, they both played the small piano that he'd found in his baby box. The song was tuneless and jangled. It was the loveliest melody that Ruby had ever heard.

Mercury, sensing her presence, looked up. Their eyes met, and a thousand words flitted between them. Setting the piano down, the young man carried the infant towards her guardian. "She's actually a pretty nifty player." Mercury winked playfully at Ruby. "I betcha she's gonna pick it up one day."

"I hope so." Ruby smiled solemnly. She looked down at the baby and felt a rush of both sorrow and love. She had not separated herself from the child since she'd first brought her home. But beyond that, she imagined Edward borrowing some of Oswald's men. Coming here once he realized that the baby was vulnerable. Ruby reached out and hugged the baby close. Beryl nuzzled into Ruby's neck, making a string of incomprehensible noises. Ruby kissed the child's fuzzy forehead, breathed in her clean scent, before facing Mercury. He looked at her with concern. "You don't hafta do this."

Ruby nodded sadly. "Yes, I do."

"Do you really think he'd do the same for you?" Mercury was unable to keep the bitterness completely out of his voice.

Ruby thought about Oswald dragging her to the hospital following the fight with Galavan. His stopping her on the roof. His defending her honor in front of the press and appointing her first deputy mayor. But above all, Ruby remembered all of the little moments that solidify their bond. Her heart lurched.

At last, she found her voice. "It doesn't matter whether he'd do the same for me. Oswald and I may have fused, but we go back to being individuals the second we split up." When Mercury bit his lip, Ruby's hand found his thin hair. Tugging it gently. The young man cracked a smile despite his inner shell of concern. Ruby simpered back, hoping that she looked reassuring. "I'll be back for lunch. Are you sure you don't mind keeping her?"

Mercury rolled his eyes playfully at her. "Babe, I told ya already. I noodled it out, and it's fine. If anything else, it'll give me and this baby doll some time to bond." He peered down at the child, beaming from ear to ear. "Ain't that right?"

In response, Beryl chirped and seized his long nose. The sight made Ruby giggle. Suddenly filled with affection for this young man, she trapped him in a quick hug. Mercury gasped at the unexpected gesture. His eyes grew to the size of plates. "Thank you." Ruby whispered. "I...really need a friend right now. And you more than fit the bill."

Mercury closed his eyes. Gave a dim smile as she pulled away. "No sweat."

Ruby examined her wristwatch. "I'd better go, or I'll miss it." She blew him a friendly kiss as she grabbed her bag. "See you later! Thanks again!"

Mercury watched her go until the closing door blocked her from view. A conflicted look flickered across his face. One that crossed between desire and conflict. He sighed, hugging the child close. Instinctively feeling that Beryl was growing hungry, he brought her into the kitchen where a warmed bottle of milk awaited.

The library was just as Ruby remembered it.

Spacious as a small village with dozens of bookshelves acting as houses, the ambiance was one of knowledge and wonder. Stepping into the familiar scents of old paper and wood polisher, Ruby found herself admiring what she had once taken almost for granted. The chandelier above her head, glittering like a jar of new pennies. Portraits of the library's founders hung proudly on the walls. The shelves were of deep chestnut wood, no doubt decades old, and the floors were soft with age-old carpets.

Against her better judgement, Ruby found herself remembering the happy afternoons that she'd spent here. First as a servant desperate to escape her Master's horrible wife. Then, as a friend eager to share a treasure.

Ruby swallowed hard. But the lump in her throat only grew larger. One memory in particular blossomed before her mind's eye, taking up her vision.

It had been thirteen months ago, but the weather had been just as it was today. Gloomy. Promising rain. Damp. But none of that had stopped Oswald from shrugging off his coat as he'd marched inside like he owned the place. Ruby had tagged along, her own jeans jacket in her uncertain hands. Laughing good-naturedly at her friend's hobble, she'd asked in a low voice, "What're you doing? I thought I was taking the lead here."

"Oh, you shall." Oswald had flashed her a devilish smirk that had turned her knees to jelly. "But first, if you wish, I would like to play a little game."

Ruby had cocked a brow.

Oswald had made his way towards the stairs. But before he could take the first step, Ruby had taken his hand. Bashfully smiling his thanks, the kingpin had allowed himself to be helped. They had soon made their way to the upper floor, where the center had been cut away to provide a wonderous view of below. Bookshelves planted there reached out to the second floor, connecting the two like ladders. Up here, one could fully grasp how large and wondrous the library was. Ruby had vaguely remembered spotting the bratty Charles here once, then had proceeded to fling spit-balls at him. He had been none the wiser, and Ruby had risked being kicked out for laughing.

Smiling, Ruby had asked, "So, what now?"

To answer, Oswald had summoned two pairs of binoculars from his jacket's inner pockets. Smirking at his friend's stunned expression, he had explained. "Fine people walk in and out of these door each day. Wealthy Gothamites in search of projects to fund, hence their examinations of the papers. Younglings seeking jobs, thusly using the available free WiFi. Even a newbie criminal looking for a guide. The list goes on. Thus, I would like us to weed out the unneeded and find a few candidates."

Ruby had accepted the outstretched binoculars with a shrug. But before long, she had found herself chuckling.

Oswald had turned to her with a quirked eyebrow. "What's funny?"

Ruby had gestured for him to come closer. When he had, she'd pointed to a father and young son. The father, rather than read, had been amusing himself with his lighter. Staring into it as he summoned the flame, only to let it die out. The boy had been too absorbed in his comic book to care. When Oswald had only looked confused, Ruby had deepened her voice to comical degrees. "And the lord saideth: thou shalt make a burnt offering of your first-born son."

Oswald had sniggered, encouraging Ruby to continue. Making her voice break and shake a pubescent boy's, she had asked, "Whatcha talkin' 'bout, Dad?"

Deepening her voice again, she had answered the question. "Oh, nothing Billy. But see the flame here? See how the colors change? Lean in a little. Closer. Closer!"

Oswald had snorted, covering his mouth with his hand. His original intentions already fading, he had countered her joke by mimicking what a girl with a laptop may have said: "The Wi-Fi here is as stuffy as the air!"

The two had gone on like that for a good portion of the afternoon, putting comical words into people's mouth while no one suspected a thing.

Ruby wiped her eyes dry of the tears she hadn't realized had arrived. Clearing her throat, she kept to the shadows. No doubt Edward would be there. And Ruby didn't trust herself enough to be in his presence. Peering at the gathering from behind a shelf of books, she soon found the right spot. Surrounded by the flashing of cameras, like halos in a holy spot, a calm voice reverberated across the hall. It reached into Ruby's heart and squeezed hard. She watched, careful, collected.

Oswald looked divine, as always, as he held the gold-plated award. Robed all in black, from his coat to his leather gloves, he was like a drop of petrol: ebony at first glance, but in reality shimmering with muted colors. His face was pale and thinner than she'd last seen it, and his eyes shone like Christmas ornaments. Yet there was something off about his expression. A falsehood in that smile, a stiffness to his posture.

Edward was only a few feet away. His expression was as dark as an eclipse.

Ruby stayed on alert. Listening. Watching.

"It is with great pleasure that I present this award to Mr. Kyle Davis," Oswald turned the man standing beside him without really seeing him, "for his magnificent book. Gotham Sewers: An Oral History." While his words were politically corrected and properly slathered in flattery, the delivery was wooden. Ruby immediately sensed that something was amiss. It was possible that Oswald could've been distracted by his sheer love for Edward, but he had never permitted it to distract him in the past. No. It had to be something else.

Swallowing hard, Ruby slipped on a new face the same way one would put on a pair of sunglasses. Then, she hid her necklace beneath her dress's collar lest the jewels reveal her to Edward. As the crowd broke into applause, she acted quickly. Weaving her way past the flashing cameras and stalling, clapping by-standers, she soon found Oswald. He was already turning to look at - who else? - Edward.

But before he could make his way towards the Chief of Staff, he felt a hand grasp his sleeve. His emotions prickling like a clump of urchins, he spun around to face the intruder. It was a woman he didn't recognize, somewhere between thirty and thirty-five. Her hair was brown. Her skin was brown. Her eyes were amber-hued, and they were focused on his neck. One of her manicured hands found the zircon acting as a knot for his tie. Smiling with a touch of sorrow, she traced the stone fondly. "You're still wearing it."

For a moment Oswald was confused. Then, his heart leapt. His hand found the woman's. "Ruby?"

The woman smiled. Her irises churned and shivered like melting icicles as they shed the illusion. In a moment, amber had darkened and frozen into indigo. "Hey, Oz."

Oswald's mouth suddenly felt as though he'd gargled bleach. Sucking in an urgent breath he looked about. Then, stepping a little closer to his friend, he whispered, "What're you doing here?"

Ruby's smile vanished. Her eyes - that familiar, lovely indigo - rested on something behind Oswald. "Not here." Grabbing his hand she pulled him out of view. The crowd, which had only truly shown up for Kyle Davis, did not seem to notice. Edward, in turn, was just staring out the window with an unreadable expression.

Now safe behind piles of unregistered books, Ruby shed her disguise. Seeing her filled Oswald's heart with joy, and all of a sudden the three months of their separation melted away like butter on a skillet. "Ruby." He said again, simply for the sake of it.

"Oswald." Ruby replied for the same reason. They embraced tightly, with her letting out a string of gasps. She hadn't allowed herself to think of how much she'd missed him. His essence. The solid form engulfing her, the sweet cologne tickling her nose. The warmth. Ruby wanted to hold onto all of this and never let go. Despite everything he'd done, all that had happened...Ruby still loved him. She knew that with the same certainty that the moon would come out at night.

When they finally broke apart Oswald's eyes were watery. "I never gave up on you. I had them send you a letter each day." He smiled. "Each day! For-"

"Ninety-three days." Ruby smiled. "I have them all." She laughed a little. "I'm still amazed you don't have a fan club, with the things you can write."

"But why did you not respond?" Oswald asked, more hurt than accusing. "Were you that angry with me?"

"I was until Day 42." Ruby admitted. "Then, I wanted to. But time kind of slipped away." Smirking at Oswald's puzzled expression, she reached into her pocket and held out a photo. Oswald's eyes widened. In it showed Ruby, her shirt and face smeared with cookie dough, as she laughingly held up a baby for the photographer to capture. The child was small and a little too thin, but her (Oswald assumed it was a girl from the pink bib) skin was glowing with nourishment. Her hair was frizzy and the color of fire. Those eyes, big and green, sparkled like seawater.

Oswald turned back to Ruby, who was eyeing the picture with a sad longing. "How did-?"

"Opal." Ruby rolled her eyes as she pocketed the photo once more. "She had another child, this time with her cousin."

Oswald shuddered.

"My thoughts exactly." Ruby nodded. "So I blackmailed her into giving me the baby. She was already starving the poor dear. Who knows what else she'd have done?" She shook her head. "But that's not why I'm here."

Taking his hands, Ruby told Oswald what had happened. She told him of Edward visiting her house, asking her to come home, and then after stalling with some small-talk, had demanded to know whether or not she'd partaken in Isabella's demise. With barely-suppressed rage she told of how, with his patience running low, Edward had grabbed the baby and dangled her out the window with nothing but fifty feet of empty air below. She told of her punching Edward's jaw, and threatening to kill him should he ever lay a hand on the child again.

She told this all without ever breaking eye contact. Begging him to believe her.

When at last she finished, Ruby found that she was almost crying from the memory. Both at having lost a friend and almost losing a surrogate daughter. Oswald reached out and gently wiped her ears away with his sleeve. "I am so sorry." He whispered earnestly. "Edward was completely out of line. Had I known, I'd have whipped him for such insubordination."

"You may have to whip him for real." Ruby caught the hand near her face. Clasped it between both her own. "Oswald, Edward knows. He knows what you did. You're not safe. Please." She swallowed. "Please...let me at him."

Oswald's eyes widened at the implication.

Ruby continued. "It'll be over in seconds. He won't suffer."

Oswald tore his hand out of hers. "How can you suggest such a thing?!" It took all of his effort to keep his voice down. "Ruby, I - I love Edward!"

"And he knows you killed his girlfriend!" Ruby countered. "So I seriously doubt he loves you back. Please!" She was borderline begging now. "I lost your father. I can't lose you, too!" Oswald stopped, pinned into place like a butterfly on display. He could only look into those weeping eyes, that desperate expression, and understood. Ruby had cared about Ed too, until recently. She had only offered to end his life as a means of protecting them all. And Oswald knew that she was more than able to perform the deed. Oswald sighed. Then, he held his arms out to her. She walked into them, spent from emotion. He held her, stroking her wild curls even as they tickled his nose and got into his eyes.

"Ruby...thank you. Thank you for telling me." He pulled away. "But worry not. I have a bloodless solution to all of this."

Ruby raised her eyebrows.

Oswald smiled. "During your, er, departure, I enlisted a gang of drug-dealers. Forty percent of their dealings are directly wired into my bank account. And they specialize in cerebral substances."

Ruby nodded as she pieced the puzzle together. "So you could get some kind of amnesia-inducing product from them, and maybe slip them in Edward's food or drink..."

"...And Edward would forget all about this unhappy discovery." Oswald smiled, already pleased at the prospect. "He would forget what he'd learned, and recall only that his bookish vixen died in an accident. He would definitely forget your encounter, and my involvelment. All would be as it had been." He smiled, eager. "You could come home."

"Home." The word tasted bittersweet on Ruby's lips. She thought of the vegetable garden that had filled their bellies no matter the season. Of the well-worn banister that provided support during the laborious walk between floors. The multiple dining halls, sitting rooms, saloons, and bathrooms; each one imprinted with one memory or another. The rose bushes guarding the front entrance, their blossoms flashing red and white like cards. The armchair that her Master - and now, Oswald - had loved to sit in during chilly evenings, cup of tea in hand.

Her attic bedroom.

A lump formed in Ruby's throat. But she was determined not to let her wavering show. Oswald's hands found her shoulders. "Please, Ruby. Once Edward forgets, nor you nor the child would be in any danger." His eyes were absurdly large. "Please. I...truly miss you."

"I miss you, too." Ruby admitted. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "Okay. But on two conditions."

"Anything."

Love me. The words were right there, lodged in her heart. Unable to escape from the shackles of doubt. Instead, she said, "There's this guy I work with. Mercury. He's been a great friend, and he's acted sort of like a father figure for the kid. So if I'm to return, I want you to find him a place in your ranks. Ideally, one that doesn't put him at risk of being shot or stabbed."

Oswald nodded. "Done. And the second one?"

Ruby straightened. "I'm not coming back until after he's been affected by the drugs, and forgotten everything." She cocked a brow. "Do we have a deal?"

Oswald cupped her face. Brought it close to his. Ruby froze with baited breath. Oswald's cool lips found her forehead, gentle yet firm. Ruby closed her eyes, savoring the sensation, until the connection died. Oswald met her eyes with a smirk. "Sealed with a kiss." Ruby smiled back, grateful for the dark.

Little did they know that the dark had concealed something else, too. Someone. A tall, thin man with large glasses and green clothes. A man who slipped out of earshot, silent as a shadow, with a scowl on his face and a plan forming in his head.