Happy Palm Sunday!

The New King of Gotham

Leo was holding Sofia's hand as they were walking into the Iceberg Lounge. Leo asked, "Mama, why are we here?"

Then Sofia said, "Because I have to talk to Penguin."

"And he's the King of Gotham?" Leo asks.

Sofia smiles, "That's right sweetie."

Then Victor came out and said, "Miss Falcone." When Victor saw Leo he asked, "Who's the kid?"

Leo was feeling nervous and clung to Sofia. Sofia smiled and put her arm around her son and said, "Sweetheart, it's okay. Victor, this is my son Leo."

Victor nods, "Oh yeah I heard." Victor knew of Carmine's grandson and that his former boss's daughter was once pregnant, but Zsaz never met the young Falcone before. Victor then said, "You two go inside."

Then Sofia said, "Come Leo."

They walked towards the office, Victor went ahead to inform Penguin of their arrival.

Sofia then turned her attention to Leo and said to him, "Now Leo, when we go in there I need you to not say anything and let me talk. Okay?"

Leo nods, "Okay, Mommy."

Sofia smiled, "That's my boy."

When Victor signaled for them to enter, they walked in and Oswald/Penguin stood up, and said, with his arms spread wide in a welcoming gesture, "Ms. Falcone, welcome to Gotham." His dark hair brushed up and his light green eyes shined under the light that came through the window behind them.

When he saw Leo he said, "Oh hello, and you must be Leo."

"Hello, sir," Leo said shyly.

Sofia said, "Mr. Cobblepot, it's a pleasure to meet you." They shook hands.

"Call me Oswald," Oswald said, "Please, have a seat. Both of you"

They both sat down and Oswald said, "Thank you for coming to see me."

After Sofia and Leo both sat down, Sofia said, "I learned from my father, when the king of Gotham summons you, you come and well I thought it might help to see everyone."

Then Oswald said, "And how is Carmine? Can we hope to see him sometime soon?" Sofia knew well that Oswald didn't want Carmine to return to Gotham ever again. He knew there were many people still loyal to the Italian family.

"Shall we just address the elephant in the room?" Sofia asks.

Then Oswald said, "By all means."

Sofia looked at Leo and said, "Ears."

Leo nodded and put his hands over his ears.

"My father's illegal businesses hold no interest for me. I'm here because the Falcone family has a number of charities that need my attention." Sofia explains.

Oswald then asks, "And you can only provide that attention by being here personally... in my city...with your child?"

"I understand your concern..." Sofia started, but Penguin interrupted her.

"Oh do you?" He asked suspiciously.

"But I assure you... it's unfounded." Sofia told him.

Sofia then turns to Leo and taps his shoulder and said, "Okay." Leo then uncovers his ears.

Oswald then said, "You know, your father taught me many things. Among them was to nurture a healthy paranoia. For example, when I took over, some of his old capos went underground. Now, perhaps they've vanished for good, or perhaps they're waiting for a Falcone to return to lead the rebellion. Who knows? But I hear your father's voice whispering in my ear."

Then he whispered, "Be careful. Now... I need to know that you are not on some fool's errand to rebuild your father's empire. Otherwise..."

They turned to Victor and he whispered, "I'm gonna stab you."

Sofia took Leo's hand and got up with him and said, "I was thirteen when my father first sent me away. He said that Gotham was too dangerous. This is my home, I wanted to come home. I wanted my son to grow up and be raised here. That's why I'm here. Is that enough?"

Leo frowned. Why is Mommy lying?

Oswald then walked closer to Sofia and Leo and said, "Gotham. Mother to us all, I think we have nothing to worry about. Give your father my best, will you?" He looked at Leo and said, "It was very nice to meet you".

Leo smiled shyly at Penguin and waved goodbye.

"Come on Leo," Sofia said to her son.

When they were outside, Leo said to Sofia confused, "Mommy, I thought you said lying is bad. Why are we lying?"

Sofia smiled down at Leo and said, "Oh sweetie, you can't lie to me, but we're not lying we're just being smart. Now come on, let's go home."

Later that night, after helping Leo into his navy blue pajamas, Sofia was reading The Wizard of Oz to him. Then there was a knock at the door and Sofia said, "Leo, I'm going to go get that, I'll be right back."

Sofia walked out of Leo's bedroom and walked down the stairs and opened the door to see Falcone's loyalists and she asked, "What are you doing here?"

Then they all walked in and Sofia said, "Excuse me, but you all need to leave, my son is upstairs."

One of them stepped forward and said, "Donna Falcone."

"Do not call me that," Sofia said.

Then another one of the capos said, "You got to hear us out."

"No, I don't," Sofia replies, "I didn't invite you here. We're not having this meeting. Now my six year old son is upstairs, I'm going to ask you please, politely, to leave."

"We served your father for years," said one of the capos, "When Penguin took over, we had to go underground.

"Then we heard a Falcone was back in Gotham. We knew it was time," another capo added.

"Did you ignore my father like you're ignoring me?" Sofia asks rhetorically, "I just told you to leave."

Then Leo, who had heard the commotion, came downstairs carrying his stuffed lion, Romeo, and asked, "Mommy, what's going on?"

Sofia walked over to him and said, "Nothing, go back to bed Leo."

Then one of the capos said, "Just tell us when your father's coming back to put that Penguin in his place."

Sofia put her arm on Leo and said, "Please understand me, my father is not coming back. This is Penguin's city. And I want you to leave before he finds out you're here..."

Penguin then came in with Victor. "Too late, I'm afraid." He asks Victor, "Victor, how many graves did you dig?"

Victor answers, "Two." He then looked at Sofia who put a scared Leo behind her. "But they're roomy."

Oswald looked over at the three men and then he noticed Leo and said, "You might want to look away, it's going to get a little messy."

Sofia bend down to her son, "Leo, honey, I want you to go upstairs and lock the door."

But when Leo was about to run back upstairs to his room Penguin said, "No one is going anywhere."

"Baby, come here." Sofia gestures to her son. Leo ran back to his mother.

A few minutes later, Leo sat on Sofia's lap drinking a glass of water as Sofia covered his ears as the gunshots were heard and Sofia sighed and uncovered Leo's ears and then the last gunshot was heard and Leo out a scream.

Penguin said, "And there we are. My paranoia is put to rest," Oswald took a breath in relief after the third and final shot was fired. "Whew." Oswald chuckles a little.

Sofia looked down at her son, "Leo, I want you to go upstairs to your room."

"But Mom..." Leo started.

"Now!" Sofia orders, and Leo ran back upstairs.

Sofia stared back at the Penguin with her hands intertwined under her chin and a grim expression on her face. "You used us. You had me and my son come to your club. You knew word would get out that my father's loyalists would find us. We were the worms on your hook."

Oswald stood up and limped closer to Sofia. "With one difference my dear. The worms are usually eaten."

"So you trust me now?" Sofia asks Oswald, wanting to make sure things were going as planned.

"You're alive, aren't you?" Oswald pressed his lips in a thin line and was going to leave, but he had one last thing to say. "I would plant roses, they cover up the smell."

Oswald started to leave, but Sofia had one last thing to say too. "My father wouldn't have killed those men."

That caused Oswald to suddenly stop on his tracks and look back at her. "He would have invited us to his club, as you did, but then gone further. He would have invited us to dinners. Had us seen in public. Sent the message that the old order supports me, and those men you killed would have pledged you loyalty. Now they're fertilizer. See, my father, he knew how to build on the strength of others." A tear ran down Sofia's cheek as she spoke. "But it's your city."

Sofia noticed those words had angered the Penguin and he glared at her before sending her a smile, "New times, new methods."

And with that he left, Zsasz and the other two dragged the dead men's bodies to the garden outside where they would bury them. Sofia wiped a tear away before she headed upstairs to check on Leo.