XIII - The Greater Good
"I often don't say things out loud, even when I should. I contain and compartmentalize to a disturbing degree: In my belly-basement are hundreds of bottles of rage, despair, fear, but you'd never guess from looking at me." - Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl
•••
Jim squinted in the early morning sunlight shining through the curtains of the room. In his groggy state it took him a few moments to remember that today was his first official day back with the GCPD.
Throwing his arm out to the side he grabbed up his phone from the nightstand and flipped it open. His eyebrows lowered when he saw it was currently about ten minutes past the time he was sure he set an alarm for.
In fact, he'd double checked the alarm right before he'd fallen asleep. With it being his first day back on the job he didn't want to show up late.
He'd been away from a steady schedule for so long that he was going to have get back into a routine of waking up at a certain time daily once again.
Raising up some he looked past where Bird was sleeping to see her phone also laying on her nightstand, but he hadn't heard her alarms go off either.
It was then that it hit him; she'd must have gotten up at some point and disabled all of their alarms.
No doubt hoping he'd over sleep long enough that it would be pointless to go into work that day.
She'd repeatedly told him she was happy for him that he finally felt like going back to work, but all of her actions seemed to point the other direction.
It was over dinner Friday night that she'd started suggesting they take off the next week on a vacation; as if she'd innocently forgotten he was returning to work on Monday.
Then he'd spent several hours on Saturday searching for his badge, which Bird swore she had no idea where it had gone. He'd finally found it inside a large decorative vase near the mantle.
An impossible spot for it to wind up there on it's own, but Bird wouldn't admit she'd hid it.
Both of those days had been better than Sunday though.
Yesterday Jim had woke up in the house alone. Bird was nowhere to be found and she wouldn't answer a single one of his calls.
She'd didn't return home until much later that night and when he asked where she'd been all she'd tell him was that she'd spent the day with her best friend.
When Jim had pointed out it would have been nice if she'd left a note or maybe answered one of his many phone calls to let him know she was at least okay and hadn't been kidnapped while he was sleeping -Bird shrugged and coldly responded if he was getting his priorities in order then so was she.
She'd pretty much given him the silent treatment the rest of the night.
Mental warfare, he shook his head, she'd done all of that to him on purpose and even though he knew it, the tactic had still worked. He'd considered calling Barnes to tell him he needed another week.
But it wouldn't have mattered if he took another week or another month before returning. He was going back to the GCPD and she wasn't going to be happy about it.
Dropping the phone back on the table, he turned on his side and stared at the back of her head.
Bird was lying perfectly still, breathing slow and even.
Anyone else would have thought she was asleep; but he knew better.
"Bird." Jim said, his voice heavily from sleep still, "We have to get up."
No response.
"You're still mad at me?" He asked but it came out as more of a statement.
When she still didn't answer him, he scooted closer, wrapped an arm around her side and raised up some to lean over and look at her face. She had her eyes closed, still pretending she couldn't hear him.
"I know you're awake." Jim said with a small laugh at how absurd this all was.
Leaning down he kissed the side of her face and repeated, "We have to get up."
"It's too early." She sighed, "The alarms haven't even gone off yet. Go back to sleep."
With that she snuggled her body back against his and said, "Goodnight."
"It's morning." He argued, "And the alarms didn't go off because you shut them off."
"Did not."
"Yes, you did."
"That's ridiculous." She argued.
Leaning back over and pressing another kiss to the side of her face, he pointed out, "You're ridiculous."
She did her best to try and keep pretending she'd fallen back asleep but when he relentlessly peppered the side of her face with kisses, she couldn't keep up the act any longer and a smile spread over her lips.
With a giggle, she tried to shrug him off and complained, "Stop it!"
"Okay, okay." Bird continued laughing as she struggled to squirm out of his grip, "I'll get up -and we can go get breakfast and then we could-"
"I only have time for coffee." Jim pointed out as he got up. Turning he watched as she sat up and brushed her messy hair out of her face.
With a wide hopeful smile she questioned, "From the little cafe over on West 34th?"
"From the kitchen." Jim said with a small sigh, "As I'm running out the door at this point."
Just as he was turning to head for the bathroom he caught sight of her smile turning into a scowl.
"You knew this was happening today." He called over his shoulder.
•••
"Today is Detective Gordon's first day back, isn't it?" Bruce asked as he walked next to his sister down the broken up sidewalk pavement.
"Yep." Bird simply answered.
"How are you handling that?" Bruce questioned.
Slowing to a stop, Bird turned to face her brother and breathed, "I'm worried."
With a nod, he sympathized, "It's a dangerous job-"
"Yeah, but Jim can handle himself." Bird stated confidently, "But… you remember how he used to be? At the beginning? What if going back on the job makes him more like the old Jim?"
"I liked him then too." Bruce shrugged.
"Yeah, well I didn't." She flatly stated with raised brows.
Just thinking about his entire self-righteous, holier than thou attitude angered her all over again.
The way he'd only ever make time for her and Oswald when he wanted something done but didn't want to dirty his hands.
"Yes, you did." Bruce laughed.
"I couldn't stand him." She reminded him.
Still laughing, her brother pointed out, "Maybe, but you still liked him."
Rolling her eyes, Bird continued back on their journey towards the abandoned apartment building Selina had taken up residence in.
After Jim had left for work that morning, Bird had spent an hour or sulking around, debated calling him with a false emergency just to get him back home.
Finally, she accepted she was going to have to deal with the ways their lives were going to change with his return to work.
Then she decided since she'd already taken the day off that she'd make the most of it and spend some time with her little brother.
She'd taken him out to a late breakfast and they were barely half way through eating and catching up when Selina called him. She wouldn't give him many details over the phone, but from what Bruce understood, Ivy Pepper had returned and something seemed to be wrong.
"You know what's kind of funny?" Bird asked, glancing over her shoulder as Bruce caught up with her fast pace.
"What?" He asked.
"You're dating a criminal." She laughed, "And I'm dating a cop." She couldn't help but think of what their parents reactions would have been to that.
The comment did bring out a small laugh from her brother, but he was also quick to defend, "There is more to her than just that." Bruce pointed out, knowing Selina was a good person.
"There usually is more to us." Bird answered, as she opened the door the building and motioned for him to go inside.
He paused before walking over the threshold.
There she went, resigning herself to being identified as a criminal again.
Bruce wondered if that was still just the mindset she had or if she was still heavily involved in Gotham's underworld.
Once they made it up the stairs, Selina let them into the apartment and instead of seeing the Ivy they'd expected, they saw a young woman messily eating canned fruit with a spoon.
Selina filled them in on how the guy who'd been traveling with Fish, named Marv had the ability to age someone up just by touch.
Fish had been having him age their enemies to death, but the night he'd been sicced on Ivy, he'd only had a hold of her a moment before she fell.
Ivy didn't pay much attention to them.
Didn't hardly look up from the can she was devouring as they talked about her like she wasn't even in the same room.
"I should have known." Selina shook her head in disappointment with herself, "I saw what that freak Marv could do and when you told me that the girl wearing her sweater was older… I… I should have realized."
The trio stood in silence watching the redhead open a second can of food and dig right in.
"That's really Ivy?" Bruce asked.
"You're sure?" Bird echoed.
"Trust me." Selina nodded, "She showed up and literally ate all my food. Immediately -ate all my food. It's her."
"Well…" Bird breathed looking at the expensive clothing Ivy was wearing, "She seems to be doing alright for herself."
"Why did she come back here?" Bruce wondered.
Good question, Selina thought to herself. Marching over she hit Ivy's arm.
"Ow!" She cried out holding onto her surely bruised arm, "What was that for?"
"For being alive and not telling me!" Selina hissed.
She was the only one who cared enough to search for her, to worry about her -to miss her.
She'd helped Ivy survive on the streets for years and then her friend just left her to mourn.
"I'm sorry." Ivy said as she stood up, now grown up and wearing heels, she towered over Selina and had to lean down to hug her old friend, "I was just having fun."
When she stood up and turned to look at Bird and Bruce, Bird's eyes widened and she jutted a finger at her, "You!"
"Me?"
"You!" Bird repeated, "I've seen you around the city. The night of Oswald's victory party you were there. I remember you were watching me."
Ivy stared back at her. She'd thought she'd been discrete at the time, but she had been watching Bird. Mimicking her movements. The way she held her glass and sipped on the drink.
It was a few years ago now, but she still remembered the time she and Selina had spent crashing at Barbara Kean's penthouse. How Bird was there a lot and Ivy never admitted it out loud; but she'd always wondered what it would feel like to be them.
The clothes and the money.
It felt like they were from different worlds than she was but she longed to know what it would feel like to be them.
One day Barbara had cleaned out one of her closets, dropped a pile of clothes in the living room and let Ivy and Selina pick through it for anything they wanted.
Ivy remembered how soft the fabrics felt in her hands. How she'd tried on one piece after another but nothing had come close to fitting her.
She'd overheard Barbara tell Selina that beauty is as powerful as any weapon, one just has to know how to use it.
And now she did. All grown up, she filled out the very clothes she'd always longed to wear.
People looked at her and not just through her.
Some of it she was still trying to figure out though.
Her mom had never been one to dress up; they didn't have the money after all and what was the point in trying to put on make-up when her face was bruised up from her husband's fists?
So Ivy had never learned how to style her own hair, trying out make up had been nothing less than trial and error. It was far more difficult than she'd originally imagined.
Everything she'd learned about being an adult; a woman, was from watching and mimicking others.
"I wanted to say hi." Ivy explained, "But then someone tried to shoot Penguin and you were being strangled and…" Giving a shrug that seemed to shrink her down by more than a few inches she added, "I left."
Bruce looked at Ivy and then over this sister before looking back at the tall redhead and questioning, "Why'd you come back?"
"I don't have to answer your questions." She snapped before demanding that Selina to tell her why she'd called billionaire boy Bruce Wayne anyways.
"Because you freaked me out!" Selina exclaimed, "Where have you been anyways? And why are you dressed like that?"
Ivy looked down at the form fitting dress she was in and her eyes grew wide with excitement, "Oh, Selina, it's so crazy; when you look like this guys just come up to you and give you stuff! Half the time you don't even have to steal it."
"Hmm." Selina hummed, her voice and posture stiffening with judgement, "And what do you give them?"
Ivy stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest, "I have ways of getting what I want."
Misunderstanding, Selina grew even angrier and faultfinding as she answered in a mocking tone, "I'll bet."
"Okay, okay." Bird interrupted holding her hands up, "What are you doing here, Ivy?"
"Yeah." Selina arched a brow, "And don't say it's 'cause you missed me."
"It's true!"
When she was met by three sets of disbelieving eyes on her, Ivy admitted, "I might be in some trouble…"
"I knew it!" Selina sighed.
Of course she was in trouble, Selina thought, Ivy had been alive and well and spent months living her new life until she got in trouble and needed someone to clean up her mess.
Bird's phone rang from her jacket pocket. Seeing it was Jim calling her, she announced she had to take the call and went to the back of the room leaving the three of them to talk.
"Hey." Bird turned her back to the group.
"Hey." Jim greeted back. The uncomfortable desk chair creaking some as he leaned back at his desk.
"How's your first day back?"
She absentmindedly picked at some peeling remnants of a once bright floral wallpaper.
"Interesting." Jim admitted, his eyes going to the folder on his desk containing crime scene photos where a man had literally been ripped apart.
It was one of the most gruesome crime scenes he'd ever seen.
Then to make matters stranger, there was a body somewhat dissolved in acid at the scene; who's face had been surgically removed.
"Interesting?" Bird repeated back.
Deciding not to get into that conversation over the phone he said, "What are you up to?"
"Oh…" She glanced back over her shoulder and answered, "Just with some friends."
"Oswald?" He guessed.
"I have other friends, Jim." She flatly stated.
The call fell into silence until Bird finally admitted, "I'm with Bruce and Selina."
Jim let out a low laugh.
"Shut up!"
He could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke.
"And don't think I don't know why you're calling me; you're just wanting to gauge how mad I am after this morning." She pointed out.
"Maybe I just missed you?" Jim said.
It was true, but what she'd said also held a degree of truth as well.
He was endlessly relieved that she at least sounded like she was in a much better mood than she'd been that morning.
"Uh-huh." Bird hummed.
Jim looked over to see Bullock heading up the stairs with some folders in his hand.
"I just wanted to check in." Jim explained, sitting up further in his seat and preparing to get back to work on their current case, "See you later. Hey, say hi to Bruce for me."
"Okay, see you tonight." Bird started to take the phone away from her ear but then quickly said, "Jim?"
"Yeah?" He asked giving a nod to Bullock as his partner dropped the folders on his desk and Lucius Fox found his way over to them to go over more details from the case he'd stumbled upon.
A smirk took over her glossed lips as she knew from the change in his voice that there must be other people around him.
"I love you." Bird bit down on her bottom lip and waited for response; knowing that, especially at work public displays of affection made him squirm.
"Yeah. Me too." Jim answered, glancing sideways at the couple uniformed officers who'd gathered nearby to speak to one another, but were surely within earshot of him.
"Then say it." She pushed.
"Jim?" Bullock questioned.
He wasn't usually the one who had to say they needed to get back to work, but his partner was still on his cellphone.
Knowing she wasn't going to let him off the phone until she got what she wanted, Jim answered, "I love you too."
Bird laughed, she'd gotten that out of him much sooner than she expected.
"I have to go-" Jim started to say but stopped at the realization that she'd already ended the call.
Clearing his throat and trying not to appear near as awkward as he now felt, Jim opened his mouth to ask what new details Lucius had for them, but Bullock snorted, "Crazy eyes hang up on you?"
Still chuckling to herself, Bird closed her phone, slid it back into her pocket and started to walk back to the group, but stopped and looked up when she realized how silent the room was.
Her dark brown eyes widened as she saw all three of them staring back at her.
"Was that Jim Gordon?" Selina immediately started to tease her.
"Shut up!" Bird tried to silence her.
"Aww!" Ivy cooed.
"I said shut it." Bird complained before her gaze stopped on her brother who was trying, but failing to hold back a smile.
"What?" She yelled at him.
"Nothing." Bruce answered, "I was just going to point out no one had to give you truth serum for you to admit it this time."
"Not funny." She pointed a finger in his direction.
"Anyways!" Bird loudly said, focusing her attention on Ivy, "Fill me in; what kind of trouble did you just drag us all into?"
"She stole a necklace from a creep and now-" Selina started to answer for her friend, but Bruce shushed her.
Selina's face contorted with anger and Ivy rolled her eyes, "Rude…"
"No." Bird held her hand up towards them, "Shut up."
It was then that they both heard glass breaking too.
"Neighbors?" Ivy hopefully whispered.
"Fat chance." Selina breathed, " I'm the only one staying here."
Bird started for the door and Selina was right on her heels. When they cracked the door open just enough to look out they got the attention of some men toting crossbows who were searching the building.
Bird cursed under her breath and slammed the door shut, Selina also sprung into action and propped a chair against the doorknob to delay the inevitable as she yelled to everyone else, "We have to go. Someone's here!"
"My car's around the corner." Bird announced as she started towards a window to try and find them a way out danger, but Selina caught her arm in passing and stopped her, "No, this way."
Opening up the double doors of am armoire, she showed them an escape route she'd created for situations just like this. The back of the standing closet had been busted out and through it the wall leading into the apartment next to the one Selina had been crashing in.
"Ivy, in!" Selina pushed the redhead to safety first and then grabbed Bruce to pull him along when he stood in place wanting to see who was coming after them.
Bird scrambled in after them and the four raced down the stairs and out an emergency exit. Seeing them coming, Bird's driver started to get out to open the door for them, but Bird screamed at him to get back in the car.
"Go, go, go!" She shouted as the four of them piled into the back of the luxury town car.
Tires squealed, the scent of burning rubber filled the air as he tore out of where the car had been parked and sped away so fast it left the four in the back in a tangled mess of limbs on the floor.
Ivy scrambled up first, knees in the seat and face pressed against the back window to see if they were save yet.
"Get down!" Selina cried after her friend.
She'd looked up just in time to see an arrow collide with the glass. Gabbling onto her, she pulled Ivy back down in the seat where their heads were out of view and huffed, "What are you? Crazy?"
"Bullet proof glass?" Bruce realized as he sat down next his sister in the back of the spacious car and faced the seas Ivy and Selina were in.
"I have more enemies than friends." Bird nodded before dropping her head back against the leather seat and blowing out a breath.
This was not the direction she'd pictured her day going.
Turning back around to look at the window that had just saved her life, Ivy grinned, "Cool!"
"No! Not cool. Ivy." Selina hissed, "Is that who you stole the necklace from?"
"No… I don't… I don't know." Ivy admitted, "I don't think so. Maybe they work for him?"
"Oh, great, Ivy!" Selina punched her arm in the arm again, "Now my squat is burned and masked weirdos are trying to kill us."
Looking down she brushed her disheveled curls from her face and mumbled, "Soooo glad you came back."
Bird caught the pained look on Ivy's face and internally sighed.
"We'll figure it out." Bird stated and Bruce nodded, feeling like he already knew the right next step to take, "You have to return the necklace."
"No way!" She stubbornly shook her head, "I worked for it and it's super valuable."
"How much?" Bruce asked.
"Bruce, don't…" Selina said.
She knew he was going to offer to buy the necklace from Ivy. And she hadn't called him for his money,
"If I buy it you get paid and we can still return it, those men would have no reason to harm us." Bruce detailed his line of thought, "How much?"
Crossing her arms over her chest, Ivy looked around the interior of the luxury car, "One-thousand dollars."
Bird raised an eyebrow, it was clear Ivy had no real sense of money.
While one-thousand might have sounded like a lot the reality was it wouldn't get you much or very far.
"Psh." Selina laughed, "Idiot."
"Two-thousand?" Ivy guessed, "Five… wait, no… ten."
Looking to her only friend, the redhead quietly asked, "How much should I say?"
"Look." Bird shook her head, "I can get you seven thousand in cash today. Final offer. Take it or good luck avoiding those men on your own out here."
Slowly, she reached into her pocket and produced a pendant with an enormous emerald in the center with diamond not only surrounding the jewel, but also along the entire chain and handed it over.
She gave them the address and Bird passed the information along to her driver.
When they reached they large house, Bruce took the necklace and announced his intent to explain and return it.
Bird knocked on the window separating the back of the car from the front and the driver rolled the electric divider down.
"No!" Bruce protested as soon as he saw Bird had gotten a handgun from her driver.
"Yes." Bird argued as she got out of the car to join Selina and Ivy on the sidewalk.
"There's no need for further violence." Bruce adamantly asserted.
"We hope that's the case." Bird said as she tucked the gun into an interior pocket of her jacket and said, "You returning the necklace is plan A." Patting where the gun was she added, "I've got plan B."
"Starling-" He started to argue.
"She's right." Selina defended Bird, "If something goes wrong we're going to need to a plan B."
"Maybe I shouldn't be here." Ivy's nerves finally started to show, "Kinda hit him over the head with a vase…"
"You're coming with us." Bird's voice took on tone like she was scolding a child, "We're going to return the necklace and you're going to apologize; even if you don't mean it."
With her eyes a little wide, Ivy nodded and begrudgingly followed them up the steps.
Seeing that the door was already open, they all headed inside where they found the body of a man lying on the floor with an arrow poking out of his right eye.
"I did not do that." Ivy quickly told them.
Selina's immediate response was that they needed to go, but Bird and Bruce both moved closer to the body.
"It's the same weapon." Bird stated and her brother nodded, "The same men who came after us."
"I thought they worked for him?" Ivy said.
"Oh, you were wrong again? Imagine that…" Selina rolled her eyes.
"Ivy." Bird walked up to her, "Where was he keeping the necklace. Did he say anything about it? Clearly this is more than some rare piece of jewelry."
"A vault." Ivy answered with a shrug, "After he caught me stealing it, he said something weird… like, 'did they send you?' or something."
"Did who send you?" Bird's brows lowered.
"How am I supposed to know?" Ivy stomped her foot down.
Her childish actions a far contrast to her adult appearance.
Bruce held the necklace out in his hand, thinking out loud, "What is it about this necklace that makes people kill for it?"
"Forget the stupid necklace!" Selina yelled, feeling like the only person in the room with any sense.
There was one dead body on the floor and at least two heavily armed men after them. Now wasn't the time for a conversation.
Snatching it out of his hand she threw it across the room. The chain busted and the jewel was broken from it's setting.
"Are you crazy?" Ivy gasped rushing for the broken necklace, "That's worth seven-thousand dollars!"
Bird shook her head, if the jewels in the necklace were real, which she suspected they were; it was worth far more than that.
"Whoa…" Ivy breathed as she knelt down and picked it up, "It's not a necklace… it's a key."
She handed it to Bruce and they all stood in silence for a moment before Selina softly said, "Bruce, we have to go."
"Oh. My. God." Ivy nearly squealed as she looked between them, "You two are a couple now?"
"Yes." Bruce said at the exact same time Selina answered, "No."
"We aren't?" Bruce seemed genuinely surprised.
"Why not?" Bird asked looking between them.
Throwing her head back in frustration Selina stammered, "I'm not talking about this right now. We have to go somewhere and my place is toast thanks to this dimwit!" She threw her arm in Ivy's general direction.
"We'll go to my house." Bruce offered up a solution.
•••
"Nice…" Ivy breathed as they walked into the living room of Bird's townhouse and she looked around.
"Don't get any ideas." Bird immediately said, "I know where every single thing is in my house so I'll notice if something goes missing."
"Okay, mom." Ivy sighed sarcastically as she shrugged out of her coat and dropped it onto the coffee table.
Bird had attempted to unload Ivy with Selina and Bruce at Wayne Manor but she'd refused to go until she the money she was promised for the necklace.
After that, both Ivy and Selina were going to stay at Wayne Manor for the night and they'd further investigate they key tomorrow.
"I'll get the money." Bird said, not bothering to take off her own coat as she didn't plan on being there long at all.
"Can I at least look around?" Ivy questioned, "Do you have anything to eat?"
With a shrug, Bird started for the stairs and called over her shoulder, "Food and drinks are in the kitchen."
Ivy made her way into the kitchen.
Walking slow as she trailed her fingers over the shiny appliances.
She'd never lived anywhere with such a nice kitchen.
Grabbing a box of cereal up from the counter, she didn't even bother to read the label before she'd opened it and stuffed a palm full of it in her mouth.
She walked over to the fridge and opened it, stared inside until the cold air was too much on her bare legs. Shutting the door with a shiver she found the cabinet containing the glasses and got one down.
She was leaned over the counter drinking a glass of water and munching on more dry cereal when she noticed a plant over to her left.
It was a thriving, bright green bamboo plant.
With a wide smile she drank down the rest of her water and picked the potted plant up.
It was several minutes later that Bird found Ivy wandering around the master bedroom; still carrying the bamboo plant with her.
"That's mine." Bird protested.
"I love it." Ivy complimented as she gently sat the plant down on a decorative table.
"It was a gift." Bird admitted, "From my ex of all people."
She thought back to Harvey's impromptu visit the prior year to her new townhouse under the guise of bringing her a housewarming gift when he'd really been there to question her about her role in breaking Jim out of Blackgate.
"And I'll be damned if it's the only plant I've ever had luck with." She said with a small laugh.
"I've always been good with plants." Ivy sounded proud of herself, "I've always liked them more than people."
"That's nice…" Bird cleared her throat and held out a large purse, "Here's your money. Ready to go?"
But Ivy wasn't listening to her, instead her gaze had focused on a shiny garment bag hanging on one of the closet doors.
"It's so pretty." Ivy cooed as she trailed her fingers over the soft fabric after unzipping the bag and took in the sight of an elegant evening gown, "Did they have it in green?"
Dropping the bag of money on the bed, Bird walked closer, shooed her away from it and zipped the protective bag shut again, "No, I didn't buy it off the rack somewhere. It's a special design."
"Oh…" Ivy's brows raised, not sure entirely sure what that meant.
Ignoring Bird's insistence they get going, Ivy opened the door and walked into the large walk-in closet.
"It looks like a clothing store in here." She commented.
"Ivy-"
"I remember years ago, Selina got invited to some dance with Bruce." Ivy smiled, "She told me over and over again it wasn't a date, they were going to steal something, but she couldn't talk about it without smiling. It was so a date!"
"I remember that too." Bird agreed, "Barbara and I helped her get ready for it."
"She told me." Ivy looked back and the smile on her face turned sad, "She kept complaining to me after how you both kept fussing over her; her hair and her makeup."
"She hated it." Bird recalled.
"She loved it." Ivy corrected, "She'd never had that before."
Looking down she softly added, "Neither have I."
Bird watched her for a bit before asking, "How did you end up on the streets?"
"They said my dad killed your parents and the police killed-" She started.
"No, I know that." Bird cut in, "What about your mom?"
"She was so sad after my dad died." Ivy's gaze cast down to the floor, "She just slept all the time. With dad gone we didn't have any money. One day there was a note on our door that we were being evicted and then a few days later she was dead."
"Your mom?" Bird asked.
"Slit her wrists." Ivy nodded.
"I'm sorry." Bird earnestly answered, "I didn't know."
"It's okay." Ivy looked around, "It's wasn't all bad. Like the time Selina and I lived at Barbara's. You were there a lot the time, remember?"
"I do." She nodded, "Barbara was a really close friend at one point."
Now the blonde just seemed to call and constantly warn her that Jim was going to ruin her.
"Hey!" Ivy exclaimed excitedly as she rushed towards Bird so fast she nearly knocked the both of them down, "Maybe we could be friends now? Me and you!"
Seeing the reluctance on Bird's face she added, "I'm a grown up now."
"I… uh…" Bird tried to choose her words carefully, "I don't have a lot of friends."
"Me either!" Ivy beamed, "See, it's perfect."
"It's really not." Bird attempted to let her down easy, "The people close to me always end up getting hurt. Trust me, you don't want to be my friend."
"Fine." She breathed, before literally stomping her way back out of the closet.
Her feelings were hurt. Bird liked Selina and she couldn't understand why she didn't want to be friends with her too.
Closing her eyes, Bird let out a heavy sigh before turning and walking out into the bedroom, "What are you doing this Friday?"
"I don't know." Ivy crossed her arms over her chest and jutted a single shoulder forward, "Why do you want to know?"
"That dress-" Bird pointed to the garment bag, "Is for an engagement party on Friday. Jim is working a late shift that day and if we're being honest he wasn't really invited; I don't really want to go alone so…"
"You want me to come with you?" Ivy gasped, "Really?"
"Why not?" Bird tossed her arms up with her signature unstable laugh coming through, "We can go tonight and get you a dress and then you can come with me Friday for hair and make up before the party-"
The end of her sentence was cut off as the air was knocked out of her from Ivy running to hug her and squeeze her about as tightly as she could manage.
"We're gonna have so much fun!" Ivy was nearly jumping up and down as she spoke.
Awkwardly patting her back, Bird tried to squirm out of the embrace, "It's going to be interesting…"
Seeing her upset had hurt more than Bird cared to admit; in truth she felt responsible for the hand Ivy had been dealt in life.
Not all of it, of course, but enough. Enough that Bird was starting to feel responsible for her.
After all, had she made a different choice years ago then maybe Ivy's life would have turned out differently.
But she hadn't known who Ivy Pepper was back then; back before she even knew Falcone was her own biological father.
••• flashback •••
"She here?" Fish asked as she walked up to Butch.
"Out there, boss." Butch nodded towards the main sitting area in the dive bar.
With a nod, Fish pulled in a deep breath and started for the table where the young brunette was sitting with her back to them.
She was slouched forward over the table, dark and tangled brunette waves cascading over her shoulders.
Fish's brows lowered with the realization she was pretty sure those were the exact same clothes Bird had been wearing yesterday.
Any other time she'd have pointed it out.
Bird's messy appearance was something she'd gotten after her for more than once.
But not today. The club wouldn't be opening for hours and Bird had already been through hell.
Giving Bird's shoulder a squeeze, Fish walked past her and sat down across the table.
"How are you?" Fish questioned.
Bird looked up at her and her boss took in her appearance. Bloodshot, red-rimmed eyes. The skin on her cheeks was blotchy. It was clear he hair hadn't been brushed in days; it was probably a wonder if she was showering at this point.
"Fine." Bird replied. Her voice was slurred.
Fish's eyes went to the water bottle in Bird's hand, she'd have bet every cent in the bank that the clear liquid in the bottle with torn off label was vodka and not water.
"Really." Fish's voice lowered some and she leaned in, "How are you doing?"
"I'm… I'm fine." Bird repeated, spinning the cap from the bottle loose and taking a long drink before adding, "My parents are dead, but I don't think they liked me all that much anyways. So whatever, right?"
With that she stuck the bottle up in the air like she was toasting something and then took another drink.
Fish's full lips pressed into a thin line.
This was exactly what she'd been worried about when she heard of the Wayne murders; was that Bird would start spiraling down and a part of her was afraid there'd be no stopping it.
"Baby girl, we need to talk." Fish started.
Bird raised her head and stared at her wondering what was coming next.
Her parents were dead, was her boss really about to fire her too?
That would be perfect, she snorted out loud. She was an orphan once again and now she was going to be jobless too.
Her parents estate was still being sorted but that didn't matter. She didn't expect them to leave her anything anyways; she'd already accepted Bruce would more than likely inherit everything.
Now without a job what the hell was she going to do for money?
She'd have to weasel it out of her little brother; but how long until Alfred realized and put a stop to that?
With a loud groan, Bird dropped her head back. Immediately the dizziness left her feeling like she losing her footing.
Spinning; just spinning out of control.
Just like her life was circling the drain.
Fish continued to watch her. She hadn't the slightest idea what was going on inside of the younger woman's head but Bird was acting like she'd just been handed bad news before she'd been told anything.
"Carmine wanted me to speak with you-"
"Don Falcone?" Bird stammered sitting up a little taller in her seat but ended up slouched back down, "If this is about the Arkham deal then I can't help. I know he wanted the same thing my parents did on that but I can't help it. Look at me -no one is going to listen to me."
"This has nothing to do with Arkham." Fish held up a hand to stop what was sure to be a drunken ramble pity party.
"There's no soft way to put this, so I'm just going to give it to you straight." Fish sucked a breath in between her teeth and then admitted, "Someone needs to pay for what happened to your parents."
"I agree-"
"I'm not finished." Fish said as she reached out and laid her hand on top of Bird's, "Your parents' murders are going to plunge the city deep into chaos. We don't know who killed them… but someone needs to pay for what happened."
"Oh…" Bird breathed, finally understanding what she was being told.
Someone, not the actual party responsible, but someone needed to pay for what had happened.
They were going to frame someone for the murders. A patsy.
"Who?"
"Mario Pepper."
Bird tried to search her scrambled mind but she couldn't place the name or put a face with it.
"I don't know him." Bird admitted.
"Low-level thug. Real piece of work. The kind of man no one is going to care about when he's locked up and the keys are thrown away." Fish explained.
"Why are you telling me this?" Bird asked, her voice thick.
"The plan is to smuggle a pearl necklace into his apartment inside a bag of drugs-"
"My mom's necklace…"
"A replica." Fish nodded.
"Why are you bothering to tell me all this?" She asked.
"Don Falcone wanted to bring you in on this. Hear your thoughts before we proceed." Fish said.
"Please." Bird threw her head back. An erratic laugh spilling from her open mouth, "No one is asking for my blessing on this. These sort of things are always decided in meetings that go way above my head. I'm only being brought in on the ground floor for this so I could made an accessory if I ever open my mouth."
Fish slowly blinked, her eyes never leaving Bird's face.
She could lie. Try and tell her how wrong she was, but she didn't.
She couldn't. Despite all of her flaws, Fish loved her too much to do that.
"You're right." Fish conceded, "You're smart, Bird. Too smart sometimes and we have no doubt you'd eventually figure out it wasn't really Pepper who'd killed your mom and dad. We had to bring you in for this; but Falcone also wants to know you're okay with this."
"Maroni's power is starting to expand. If he gets his way with the Arkham Project then he's going to be swiping up more territory. The city is in a panic right now. Absolute unrest. If someone is capable of killing Thomas and Martha Wayne in cold blood, then how could anyone else be safe?"
"They aren't." Bird stated. Even though her head still felt dizzy with a buzzing in her ears, she suddenly felt cold and sober, "It's Gotham. None of us are safe."
"I wouldn't have agreed to bring you in on this if I didn't think you could handle it." Fish explained.
She got up and sat down in the seat right next to Bird and took her face in her hands, "It's a good plan. It's what's best for everyone."
"Best for me?" Bird asked, "For my brother?"
"You are going to come out the other side of this stronger than you have ever been. And your brother can rest easy thinking the man responsible for what happened is behind bars." Fish tried to sway her.
Bird pulled her face from Fish's hands. Her line of sight falling to the table.
Her little brother had seen his parents murdered right in front of him; he'd never rest easy again.
"What do you want me to tell Falcone?" Fish put the ball in her court.
Bird bit back another bitter tasting laugh and for a moment she hated everyone and everything.
Fish for bringing this up to her. Falcone for sending her to do so.
Even Oswald -being Fish's umbrella boy he was always at her side, he must have known this was happening and hadn't said anything to her.
Anger bubbled up to her face. Cheeks burning like someone had poured acid on her skin.
In that moment she could set the city on fire. Razed the earth where they all stood and not blinked twice.
"Bird?"
"Tell Falcone that I don't like it, but I know this is what has happen to happen for the greater good." Bird tilted some as she got to her feet, "Take the message back that I know we can't let Maroni swallow up more territory and sense any weakness from our side. Frame Mario Pepper. Kill him. Whatever has to happen just do it. I'll b a good little soldier and keep my mouth shut just like I always have."
With that she headed for the exit. She had to get out of there before her arsonist fantasies came to life.
Falcone would pay for this, she vowed.
Every day she and Oswald got closer to taking him down and they'd get Fish in the process too.
Usually that thought turned her stomach, she was closer to her boss than she'd been with her own mother, but just like they were asking her to do in this situation; Painful things were going to have to be done for the greater good.
They'd take Fish down. Overthrow Falcone and usurp the throne.
And some day she'd find out who really murdered her parents and when that day came she'd make damn sure it was their last.
••• end of flashback •••
A/N - I was so happy to see many of you are still with me. I was a little worried I'd lost my readers when it had taken me so long to get the last updated posted. Lol.
Thank you to: AGBreads, xxXWolfLullabyXxx, Shadow knight1121, Rasiel Hasu, xenocanaan, Munyue, SmellYourScentForMiles, Iamskittles, Katniss789, Love. Fiction. 2019, Havana, DancingDorisDay and Guests for reviewing since my last update. You all really put a smile on my face!
I'm also super happy I was able to get this chapter out so soon. Haha.
Do I still have my Bim shippers (Bird x Jim) out there?
Bird and Ivy should be interesting, right?
And then it was also so much fun to get back in the mindset of Bird for season 1 with that flashback!
I can't wait to hear your thoughts and I really hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.