I had assumed my mother left Gotham. However, she was still trying to call me; I ignored her calls. I just wanted her to disappear again, but this time to never rear her ugly head.
I did not care about the woman. She was the reason for all of my pain growing up. I think it was her karma that killed my father, whom I loved dearly.
Soon the calls ceased and I could breathe again. My life continued on with Oswald and work. I was gunning for the Medical Examiner position at the GCPD, as it had recently opened.
I wanted to concentrate on getting higher up in the ranks with the department to allow Oswald more leg room in his eventual take over. Though there would always be that one person in our way, Gordon, and I feared he knew more than he let on. I knew I needed to put the differences between us aside and get close to him again.
"Edward, you're needed with the Detectives," spoke a receptionist, poking her head into my office.
I glanced up from my work and nodded, putting down my pen and heading out to the atrium. I climbed the stairs to the desks of Gordon and Bullock. Oswald was with them.
"Yes?" I asked.
"Cobblepot's here to report a murder," stated Jim, pushing a pile of photos towards me.
"Oh?" I asked curiously, picking up the photos and looking to Oswald for a quick moment.
I looked through each photograph carefully.
"What do you think?" asked Jim.
"I'm not sure actually," I murmured. "The photos are shoddy. This is why I take my own photos," I mused.
"I took those myself, mind you," chuckled Oswald.
"You need a better camera," I retorted, a smirk tugging at the corners of my lips. "These are horrific, and I don't mean the body."
Bullock just chuckled, trying to suppress it into his coffee mug.
I looked back to Jim who grabbed the photos
"Is there any way we could fix the photos?" Jim asked directly.
"Send them to the tech department," I suggested with a shrug.
"Edward!" called that familiar voice again. I turned to see my mother once more standing at the foot of the stairs.
She was not alone; with her stood a man my height and a young woman.
I walked cautiously to the start of the stairs, looking to her.
Why is she back in town? Apparently, one does not know how to stay the hell away.
"Why are you here?" I asked her quietly.
"I wanted you to meet your new family," Victoria responded while stepping up a couple of the stairs. Her eyes pleaded with me; she looked like she was about to cry.
We don't do favors for the likes of her, growled the voice.
"Edward, it's such a great thing to finally meet you," smiled the man coming up the stairs and shaking my hand firmly. "I'm William, your mother's fiancé."
Poor bloke.
"Hello," I greeted quietly, taking my arm back. I wasn't sure how I felt about all of this. "I'm Edward Nygma."
"Call him Eddie," smiled my mother, looking to her fiancé.
You! Shut your whore mouth.
"Please don't call me Eddie," I told William sternly. "Ed does just fine."
"Got it son," smiled William.
My jaw clenched at the word son. I was not this man's son. He looked genuinely friendly though; he had warm eyes.
"This is my daughter, soon to be your step sister, Leslie," he introduced and beckoned the dark haired girl to come. She was tall like my mother.
She had deep brown eyes and a bright smile as she reached me.
"Edward," I introduced myself, reaching my hand out to shake hers.
"Oh nonsense," she smiled and grabbed me for a big hug.
I blinked as I froze, just leaning over in her embrace. She wasn't letting go though, so I casually wrapped my arms around her midsection to return the hug. She finally pulled away after that.
"Leslie Thompkins," she nodded with a smile.
"Hey," I greeted but was suddenly shoved aside by Detective Bullock.
"Harvey Bullock," he introduced while taking her hand in his own.
"Detective James Gordon," added Jim, approaching as well as moving past Bullock.
I blinked. What the hell was happening just now? Did they have the hots for her? I guess I could see why; she was very beautiful. I just didn't swing that way, and besides she would be my sister.
Look at these horny fools! laughed the voice.
After Leslie had met both detectives and shook their hands, she looked back to me but was eying Oswald over my shoulder.
"Your mother said you had a very sharp looking bo.."
I immediately interrupted her not wanting the word 'boyfriend' to drop in front of Harvey and Jim.
"Ah, that's Oswald Cobblepot. He's just here on a case," I quickly interjected, giving her a look that silenced her immediately.
This is why I hated my mother bringing in people I didn't know to my place of work. I hated the fact she was even here.
OswaldI stepped behind Nygma and placed my hand on his, giving him silent support while the detectives were busy trying to woo his new stepsister.
"What is something you will never see again?" I asked, whispering in Nygma's ear.
"Oswald!" Nygma looked at me shocked.
"What were you thinking, Nygma dear?" I whispered, leaning my face close to his. "I was only trying to tell a riddle...," Though I was tempted to say 'that bitch'.
"I suppose I should also go introduce myself and save her from the two detectives...," I sighed and began my hobbled walk up to Leslie.
I pushed my way through the detectives and grabbed her right hand in mine and kissed the top of it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Leslie. Can I call you Lee?" I quipped at her. "I believe Edward already had introduced us," I bowed at my waist for an added effect. "I am Oswald Cobblepot," I smiled at her. "It's a bit stuffy hanging out with all of the cops and their crime solving business. How about I show you around Gotham while Edward finishes his work?"
She stared at me for second unsure what to make of all of my grandiose formal gestures but she simply smiled warmly and nodded as her reply.
Personally, I didn't want to show any of Nygma's new family around Gotham or even be seen with them, but I could tell that they were disrupting Nygma's work.
I held out my arm to her and she took it as I escorted her out of the precinct; William and Victoria were following behind me. I could feel the glares of both Bullock and Gordon burning a hole in my back. I smiled at the small victory, but that smile didn't last long as I knew that I would also have to put up with the royal bitch for the afternoon by myself.
Oh joy! I'd rather be Fish's umbrella boy again than spend the afternoon with Victoria Nygma...
NygmaI looked after the lot of them, finally leaving me to my work. I turned to Jim's desk to grab the stack of photos and headed to the tech department.
OswaldLeslie walked with me to the car. "You're Edward's boyfriend, aren't you?" she asked.
"Rather forward, aren't you Lee? Or very observant... You could say that, but due to my line of work, I cannot speak about it with other eyes around," I subtlety nodded my head towards the lovebirds behind me. "Edward could lose his job at GCPD for our relationship," I smiled back at her.
"Oh, right, of course," Leslie replied shortly.
"What do you say we try to ditch the parental supervision and have some fun around town? Obviously, Ed will be joining us when he finally gets his work done."
She smiled at the idea and we ran off to explore all of the sites Gotham had to offer, ending at the hottest place in town of course, my club.
I figured after the day he had, Nygma would be stopping by the club for a drink on the way home anyway.
"Gotham seems like a lovely place," Leslie noted as she sat at the bar in Oswald's club. She looked to Oswald for a moment. "I am a psychology major," She told him. "That's why I seem so forward. Looking to get a position as a therapist."
NygmaI was heading out of work. My mother had left me a few voicemails that I needed to go make sure Leslie was okay. I just rolled my eyes at it; Oswald wouldn't do anything to the woman.
I quietly headed out to Oswald's club figuring I would just take the long way and walk.
As Oswald saw me walk in, he waved me over to the table that he and Leslie sat at.
"Hi Leslie," I greeted, taking my seat and smiling to Oswald. "What have the two of you been up to?"
"Oswald has taken me around Gotham and showed me everything," responded Leslie while keeping her eyes on me.
"We gave your mother and stepfather the slip at the precinct," Oswald gave me a big wide grin, "Good thing too, because if I had to spend the whole afternoon with dear old Tori, I would've seriously thought of shooting myself by now..."
"Did you have a good day once I cleared the vermin out of the precinct?" he turned to Leslie, "By vermin, I did not mean you, dear," he turned back to Nygma watching his face as he replied.
"It was busy," I responded not wanting to divulge too much as I wasn't too comfortable with Leslie around.
"You are so quiet and reserved," commented Leslie, "I can tell your relationship with your mother is strained."
"There is no relationship," I responded at that.
"Leslie was just telling me that she is a psychology major and looking to become a therapist. It looks like she's already analyzing you, Neg," Oswald chuckled.
I looked Leslie over at that comment but didn't say anything. I really didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"If you are as good as you think you are, you should realize my mother is the biggest liar in the world."
"Never said I liked her," came Leslie's reply
"Neg, I think that Lee is okay," Oswald simply said before changing the subject. "Did you solve my riddle while at work, Neg?" he smirked at me.
"Actually I didn't," I smirked at that, "Enlighten me Oswald"
Leslie just watched the exchange of words before getting up and moving closer to the stage in the club where someone was singing.
I glanced to her out of the corner of my eye before looking back to Oswald.
"As much as I wanted to answer 'your mother', the true answer is 'yesterday'," he smirked back at me, "So I finally stumped you," he winked at me.
"So how are you really? Now that we don't have any ears listening in?" Oswald asked me quietly.
"You got me love," I chuckled, taking a drink. I then looked to him at his question, "I don't know really."
I glanced to Leslie, "She seems really nice, and so does William. But I can't be too sure yet."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, love. They are both the family you deserve, but that bitch has William wrapped around her finger...," Oswald replied, also taking a sip of his drink. Tonight it was wine.
"You've spent time with her. What's she like?" I asked, gesturing to Leslie who now had gotten Gabe to dance with her.
"Well, other than being a dick magnet, she is a very observant individual as well as very forward. As soon as we were outside the precinct, the first question she asked me was if I was your boyfriend," Oswald paused, taking a sip of his wine.
"At first, I thought that asking that particular question was rude or curiosity with a hidden motive. But when I looked at her face, I could tell that she had asked out of genuine interest. The bit about her wanting to be a therapist could be a problem for you in particular though... If Riddler ever comes out to play...," he took another sip.
"I think you'd be okay gaining a familial relationship with her, as long as you are able to keep a hold of Riddler. Don't deny yourself this happiness, Neg," He took another sip of his wine.
He placed his hand on mine,"Just remember that you only have eyes for me," he winked at me.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I chuckled at his last statement. I kissed the top of his hand, nuzzling his knuckles, "You know my eyes will only be glued to you dear."
I thought about what he said and glanced to Leslie once more. Perhaps I could let her in, and maybe she could help me with Riddler if she didn't think I was batshit crazy.
However at work, Jim was definitely interested in getting to know more about Leslie. I kept telling him she was leaving soon so he needed to get over himself and stop asking me to set him up on a date.
It was getting really irritating.
I realized that it was time he moved on from Barbara, but he could leave me out of it.
"I will come back to see you soon Edward," Leslie smiled as she hugged me goodbye. "Please give my best to Ossie," she whispered into my ear. She had come up with these nicknames for all of us.
"Please leave mother at home if you do," I chuckled.
I looked to my mother silently as she came to hug me. It was quick and simple. William also hugged me and called me son. I could get used to it I suppose.
I sighed watching them walk into the airport. I was actually going to miss someone, so that's what that emotion felt like.
A gross emotion