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chapter thirty-four ━ what a good day for a tragedy

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HER HANDS WERE shaking badly, worsening with each step she took. No one looked at her as she walked down the grim hallways of Arkham Asylum. Why would they? They were all so used to seeing her at this point so her sudden appearance did not come as a shock to the workers or the inmates and Skylar would go as far as to say that they were all bored of her by now. Usually one of them would come up to the bars once she would pass the dining hall, their filthy hands trying to reach out to her, grab onto something, anything they could. Instead, they all continued talking to their imaginary friends or yanking on each other's hair. Not a single one of them glanced up, not even with her heavy breathing and her apparent state of distress.

Visiting Barbara was something she told Bruce and Selina that she needed to do on her own. It was something she could not bring them to because she knew that the second she saw her mother's beautiful face, met those soft eyes, took in her luscious dirty-blonde hair, and felt her gentle skin caress her cheeks, she'd fall apart. And she was already losing herself on the way there, traveling through the endless hallways, trying to regulate her breathing before she passed out from shock. But her point was, she didn't want them to see her with tears streaming down her cheeks, sobs rendering her weak and useless. She couldn't let them see her be broken.

Damon would be there at her mother's side, no doubt talking to her, trying to get to know her. He would see her breakdown but she couldn't even begin to care. All she wanted was to see Barbara and wrap her arms around her and just break down. All she wanted was to be a kid reuniting with their mother. She knew was not a kid and she never would be ever again, yet it was the thought that no matter what she did, she could count on her mom to always support her and continue loving her. The same could not be said for Jim.

Good riddance.

Skylar was opening the door before she could stop herself, before she could think it over and brace herself for what was about to happen. The second she did, two pairs of eyes turned to her. And within two heartbeats, she was running, launching herself onto the bed, her arms going around her neck. In the background she heard the click of the door and could vaguely feel that Damon had left to give them privacy, allowing her to finally let all of the tears free. She sobbed into her neck and Barbara hung onto her, rubbing her back, running a hand through her slightly greasy hair.

"Mom, mom."

"It's okay, baby, it's okay, I'm here, I'm here now."

God her voice. Her voice only made her cry harder. Despite the fact that she was completely vulnerable, there was an undeniable feeling of safety. She felt safe. She felt like she was home. Jerome had been her home once and she always told herself that he would be as long as she lived. That was until she lost her mom, lost her only family left. Now that she had her back, she felt so happy, so safe. Her embrace was sweet, warm, motherly. Fuck, she had forgotten what it felt like to feel something like this.

"Please don't leave me again, please," she hiccuped, unable to breathe with how hard she was crying. The tears fell rapidly, soaking the hospital gown that the blonde was wearing. But she didn't care, she didn't care about anything other than her mom finally being awake, alive. She was alive. She didn't die, she pulled through because she was strong, always had been.

Barbara pulled back and cupped her cheeks and Skylar swore she felt her heart stop for a split second because her mom was looking at her, she was here, she was in her arms again. "I'm not going anywhere." More sobs bubbled over, her lungs feeling like they were squeezing her, trying to kill her. "Baby, breathe with me. Close your eyes and take deep breathes, relax."

"No, no," she babbled, refusing to shut her eyes for longer than needed. She felt like if she did, she would vanish and she'd wake up from a dream, Bruce hovering over her with a concerned expression, wondering if she was alright. No. She couldn't risk it. However, she did try to steady her breathing, her sweaty palms clinging to her mother, her chest rising and falling quickly.

"It's okay, shh." Barbara rubbed her back more, offering a teary-eyed smile, and Skylar knew that she was trying to be strong for her, forcing the tears away until she watched as her mom slowly fell apart in her arms, a few tears racing down her slightly sunken cheeks. "I missed you so much." The words came out in a broken whisper, one that shattered every last bit of resolve she had to calm down.

They stayed like that for at least an hour, their cries quietening to nothing but quick, short gasps. She hadn't wanted to pull away, she really didn't. All she wanted to do was fall asleep in her inviting arms and drown in her affection. Alas, she forced herself to untangle their limbs, leaving behind her sleeping mom, stepping out into the hallway.

Damon was sitting at a bench near the door, his foot bouncing, his attention elsewhere. She heard him mutter something and honestly she couldn't really bring herself to care to ask what he was saying or focus on what he was saying. He looked up when he felt her presence, standing up quickly with a soft look in his eyes. It made her relax, all things considered. For some reason, she was struck with a guilty feeling. This entire time she had treated him unfairly when all he had done was try to help her. He stuck by Barbara when he never had to. He did things that no one else would.

"Thank you," she spoke finally, the words uncertain, almost as if she wasn't quite sure whether or not she would be putting even the slightest bit of trust in him. "You took care of her when you didn't have to. So. . .thank you."

He smiled at her, his eyes lighting up with surprise. He hadn't been expecting that and why would he? It wasn't like she was kind to him. In fact, now that she thought about it all she did was shove him away. Damn. Bruce's pure heart was really getting to her. She winced at that, wondering how the hell someone could soften her like this. It felt unnatural and yet she felt lighter, better than she had in a long time.

"You don't have to thank me. Barbara needed someone around for when you were busy and I was happy to be there." He shrugged and let out a tiny laugh. "She told me that she could hear me talking to her."

"You talked to her?"

A blush coated his cheeks. "Yeah, I uh. . .read stories to her, kept her up to date with the latest crime-related things, and other stuff." She arched a brow, now looking curious as to what he was talking about when he said 'other stuff'. Surprisingly, she chose not to pry, settling for the answer he gave her. "All she did when she woke up was ask about you. I told her you were on your way but she got so antsy. She's a good mom."

She snorted. "Jim would say otherwise."

"Who gives a fuck about what he says? He's in jail now, so it doesn't really matter." Skylar stared at him for a long moment and he stared back, clearly trying to decipher what she was asking him silently. Arkham was not exactly an ideal place to be having such an open discussion about certain things like the matter of Jim Gordon's arrest. They both were wisely aware of that. "Yes, I do."

He thought Jim was framed just like she did. But he was right, it didn't matter now because it wasn't her problem, nor was it his. It's her former adoptive father's mess, he got himself into it and now he had to get himself out. Whether he succeeded or not was irrelevant to them. Neither of them was affected by it, so why should they care? As long as they stayed out of the line of fire, they were all good.

For the fifth time since she arrived, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She had been too wrapped up in Barbara's arms to bother checking but now she figured it was probably a good time before she went back inside and did the same thing all over again. The screen came to life and she saw that she had two missed calls, one from Bruce and one from Selina, and then three texts all from Bruce.

Jim showed up
Where are you?
Call me back, you're worrying me

The last one made her stomach do funny flips. Skylar frowned and read the first message again. What? What the hell was Jim doing at Charlotte's place? How did he even know where it was? The only person who could have possibly given him the address was Charlotte unless Jim had somehow followed them. Wait, Jim was supposed to be in jail. He got out. How?

"Can you tell my mom that I'll be back later, something's come up," she told Damon, typing a quick message to Bruce to let him know she was on her way. When she pocketed her phone, she saw the confusion on his face. "Jim got out prison somehow and is now at Char—my place. I shouldn't be gone long."

"Alright, call me if you need anything."

She nodded and turned on her heel, making her way back to the visitor's entrance. Once again no one looked over at her as she was walking down the halls and she truly thought she was going to leave without anyone so much as glancing up at her. As she neared the entrance, she passed by Hugo Strange, the creepy man giving her a smile and a nod. She didn't return it, finding herself unsettled by the look on his face.

Before she could open the door and leave, a hand touched her shoulder. Skylar cringed, glancing back to see the man behind her, peering at her through his maroon-tinted glasses. She tried her best to keep her heart steady but it was damn near impossible to do. Why did he have to look like such a creep?

"Miss Valeska, I was under the impression that you would be staying with us for a bit longer. I heard Miss Kean has woken and I thought that you would want to spend some quality time with her."

"I have something I have to do first, I'm coming back later."

Strange grinned, looking very pleased with her answer. "That's wonderful, I will see you later then. I do hope whatever business you are attending goes well." He released his grip on her and made his way out of the main room, opening the gate, and disappearing from her sight. A breath she didn't know she was holding was let out, followed by a hard shiver. She shook her head and shoved the door open, stepping out into the sunny day.

Truly it was ironic. For once there wasn't a single cloud in the sky, the sun shining down on the usually dark-filled city. It was a perfect day to go swimming or have a picnic even. In other words, it was a beautiful day, a gorgeous day. It's sad that not all bad things happen at night. No. The worst things happen in the broad daylight, where everyone is too busy to care or to help.

What a perfect day it was for a tragedy.

———

Bruce had texted her that they had gone to Wayne Manor instead of staying at Charlotte's place. She was shocked that he so willingly let himself return to the place he left behind in exchange for the dirty, crime-ridden streets. However, even she knew that the manor was most likely the best place to be because from what she heard, Jim had injuries and it wasn't like they had any medical knowledge and Charlotte was nowhere to be found. The only option they had left was to go to Alfred for help.

When she arrived, she saw Jim passed out on the couch in the study, while the butler was cooking breakfast. A frown had passed across her features when she noticed that it was only eleven o'clock. Late breakfast she guessed. She entered the kitchen, smelling the delicious food being made and her stomach instantly called out to her, causing her to press a hand over her shirt where the sound came from.

"Shut up, asshole," she muttered."

"Langauge, Miss."

Skylar's head jerked up to see that Bruce and Alfred were both looking at her. She blushed no matter how hard she tried not to, trying to tear apart her embarrassment but it was no use. Her cheeks turned a crimson hue, leaving her feeling vulnerable. "Um. . .sorry." She knew she was in agreement with Bruce that whenever Alfred called either of them out, it was always nerve-wracking. The scoldings held more power than it should.

"You're looking thin," the butler commented as he set down bowls on a wooden table in the middle of the room.

"I'm fine, family genes," she lied smoothly, not really caring if he caught it or not. The brunette walked over to the table and snatched a plate of bacon, crossing over to the actual table that had chairs. She sat down and sifted through the pieces, grabbing one that looked extremely crispy, and took a bite.

"Good morning."

Jim came into the room wearing a robe she assumed was originally Thomas Wayne's. She narrowed her eyes, noticing the way he was limping. It was blatantly obvious too and she was sure it was difficult to hide. He had some cuts on his face and some bruising. She didn't know if he got shot or what happened and she honestly didn't care all that much. Funny how when she and Damon were practically celebrating his absence, he comes crawling back.

"Detective Gordon, should you be up?" Bruce asked, looking concerned for his wellbeing. Bless him.

"I'm fine." He glanced at Alfred, holding onto the chair next to Skylar for support. "You stitched me up."

"Actually, it was Master Bruce. He called from Selina Kyle's when you passed out, so I thought, bring you here. Safest place for you." Then he paused. "Master Bruce, I wonder if you might go and get the detective his clothes from the laundry room. Please."

The billionaire boy, holding his cup of tea or coffee, whichever one it was, look to Jim and then to her before leaving the room, offering a small smile to her. His silent way of saying hello. She smiled back without even thinking, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Jim sat next to her and she tensed up, her smile falling instantly. Alfred came over and set down a cup of coffee in front of him.

"Would you like anything to drink, Miss?"

"Just milk, please." He nodded, going to get her drink. Meanwhile, the awkward tension between her and her once adoptive father was suffocating her, making it hard for her to enjoy her breakfast in peace. To ease some of the uncomfortable feelings, she got up, getting some scrambled eggs, and then sat back down right as her glass was placed in front of her. "So, what happened to you? Last I heard you were whistling tunes in your jail cell at Blackgate."

He sighed and sipped his coffee. She figured that he was hoping she wouldn't get right to the point and instead take the time to catch up as normal people would do. "It's a long story."

"It's really not. You were framed for murdering a fellow police officer, got sent to jail, escaped jail, and now you are here. Did I miss anything?"

"Yes, you did." She rolled her eyes and scoffed, drinking some of her milk. "Ed's the one who framed me."

Skylar coughed out the milk in her mouth, quickly reaching for a napkin to wipe the mess she had made. She kept hacking up a storm until Alfred came over and started cleaning the mess for her. Jim wisely didn't pat her back to help her, giving her the chance to stop coughing and take an actual sip. She swallowed, took a deep breath, then turned to him. "What?"

"Ed framed me. He killed Kristen Kringle." She waved her hand at that. "You knew about that?" He sounded genuinely surprised and for a moment she wondered why he would be, until she realized that he was hardly around her anymore, so he couldn't have possibly known that she was cozy with a few criminals. Pride filled her chest. "You knew and you didn't say anything."

"This may make your heart stop and tears fall from your eyes but in case you weren't aware, I don't give a—" Alfred gave her a look. "crap about you and you don't give a crap about me. Besides, Ed's a friend and I don't snitch on friends. He trusted that he had a good reason. I do have to give him credit though, he sure as hell gave you a run for your money. He managed to pull all this off without getting caught until now."

"He confessed and was proud of what he did. He's a monster."

Skylar snapped her head over to him, meeting his eyes with a glare that didn't scare him one bit and she really hated that. "You say it like he was always this way. He wasn't. Monsters aren't born, Gordon, they're made. Perhaps if you and the rest of your cop friends didn't treat him disrespectfully, maybe he wouldn't have turned out this way. But really, don't act like your hands aren't dirty!"

The last line slipped out when she hadn't intended for it too. When she snapped out of her rant, she was standing up and Bruce had come back, along with Selina. She sat down quickly and took a brutal bite out of her slice of bacon. "I don't betray the people I care about. . .but Kristen seemed like a nice person. She got caught up with that one gorilla guy and now she's dead."

None of them said anything, none of them moved, or so she thought until Bruce came and sat across from her. He reached across the table and took her free hand, soothing her. "It's okay, but you have to admit that what he did was wrong. If what you said was true and Kristen was a good person, she deserves justice. I know he's your friend but an innocent woman is dead."

She knew he was right and she hated it. Ed would be so angry with her, she knew that. Yet, now that she thought about it, Bruce had a point. Kristen was a good person and what happened to her was unfair. When Ed had told her about it, she remembered how nonchalant she had been. She hadn't even cared. For some reason, she felt guilty for not speaking up, even though the thought had never plagued her before. What was wrong with her?

Slowly, she took her hand back, ignoring the look Alfred and Jim were giving them. Skylar sighed and shrugged, turning her attention back to Jim. "Look, I don't know what I can do for you."

"All I need to know is what he did with her body," he told her.

"I don't know what he did with it," she told him honestly. "He confessed and that was pretty much it. What I do know is that he met Oswald in the woods around the time he created that story about her going off with that gorilla guy." She was reminded of something else. "Oh, and he killed him too, although he deserved it because he abused Kristen."

"Then odds are, he was burying her. Like he wanted to bury me. Our best bet is finding the body, Nygma knows where she is so he can lead me to it."

"And how do you expect to do that?" Alfred questioned. "Touch of the old needle in a haystack, innit? What, and you think he's gonna, what, straight tell you?"

"That's exactly what he's gonna do. I'll need help, but I need someone Barnes knows will betray me."

At first, she had expected them to all look at her because she seemed like a good candidate. Then she realized that she wouldn't be because Barnes didn't know a lot about her and the estranged relationship she had with Jim. But Selina did. Which is why they all turned in her direction where she was peacefully munching on her own piece of bacon near the main table. she sensed them looking at her so she looked up.

"What?" she asked while her mouth was full. They all gave her a knowing look.

Skylar chewed on some of the egg she grabbed, smirking at her best friend who merely groaned in annoyance, tossing her hands up dramatically. She pressed the hand that Bruce had been holding, against her cheek, looking out the window, taking note of how the day only seemed to get more beautiful. A snowstorm was coming through, but it wouldn't arrive for a few more hours. Still, it was breathtaking to see the sun for once.

Shame she would never see it again.

———

While Selina was busy doing what they agreed she would do, Skylar stayed at the manor. She took it upon herself to actually shower, drinking in the warm water on her pale skin. She stood there underneath the spray for a while, staring at her hands. Then once she got out, she stared at her naked body in the mirror. She was skinny, she was weak, it just wasn't something she thought about often or talked about. She neglected her body more than she let on, not eating as much as she should, not keeping up good hygiene. And really, it was something she did unconsciously, so used to being skinny and fragile.

Finally, she managed to get dressed, putting on the clothes she had been wearing earlier since she hadn't brought any new ones. She tried forgetting how she betrayed a friend, clearing her mind to the best of her ability. The only thing keeping her upright was the fact that she was going to see her mom and fall asleep in her arms. It was hard to accept the fact that Barbara was now back. She found herself thinking it was still a dream or maybe she was going insane. But that meant if she was, so was Damon.

Bruce was standing in the study when she entered, putting on her jacket she had left hanging on the sofa. He was facing away from her, holding a book in his hands, making it so she wasn't able to see his expression or the way he was fighting himself internally.

"Alright, I'm going to head to Arkham and spend the night with my mom. Are you and Selina heading back to Charlotte's?" He didn't answer or move at all, making her frown, walking towards him. "Hey, what's wrong?" She pressed her hand against his arm and he turned around. Something was very, very wrong.

"I'm not going back."

That's all? "Okay. . .that's cool," she spoke slowly, not finding that to be much of a problem because she knew he would eventually come back to his home and she wasn't about to get angry at him for that. But her easy acceptance didn't change the look on his face which worried her. Had something gone wrong with their plan? "Bruce, what's wrong?"

"Skylar, you're a really good person—"

"Stop!" she told him, holding up a hand. No. No. Almost instantly her mood crumbled, her hand trembling so she gripped her wrist with her other hand, holding it by her side. She had to admit she hadn't seen this coming, not already at least. She truly thought they'd last maybe a few months at best. And she had told herself not to take the rejection too hard. "Look, I'm sorry for not telling you about Kristen—"

"It's not that," he insisted, sighing deeply, stepping forward. She stayed in place. "I was telling the truth when I said that something was between us, but I think I may have been wrong." She wasn't going to cry, she wasn't. "I think it's best if we part ways, maybe for good."

Skylar couldn't help the break in her voice when she replied to him. "I don't understand where this is coming from. You were fine earlier, we were fine. And now you're changing your mind." She had started whispering and she hadn't realized it. Fuck. Why had she let herself get her hopes up? Why had she let herself fall face-first into this relationship with him when she should have known that it wouldn't last long.

Bruce nodded. "I know it's sudden but I did not want to lead you on."

"Then get with me at all?!" she cried out, causing him to jump and flinch back. "Why bother kissing me back? Why bother putting hope in my head? Why bother making me feel important?" The tears spilled free and god did she hate herself for it. "Did you do this on purpose? You did this on purpose didn't you?"

She laughed humorlessly, shaking her head with disbelief. Wow. She really had let herself get in deep so fast. She let herself entertain the idea of being happy and look where it got her. The one person besides Barbara and Selina that she let into her heart was breaking her, ruining her. Even if they were just teenagers with no real concept of what love was, it didn't change the fact that with him, she felt happy. Now all she felt was betrayed. Karma's a bitch.

"No, no of course not." He stepped towards her again and this time she moved away from him, wiping the tears from her cheeks. No. He wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Not anymore.

"I get, I get," she told him, nodding. "We wouldn't have worked anyway. I mean you're a billionaire and I'm nothing but scum on the streets, right?" She bit the inside of her cheeks, sniffling. "It's fine, don't worry about apologizing. Honestly, it's my fault because I shouldn't have ever trusted you. My mistake but hey, we learn from our mistakes." She forced herself to turn on her heel and walk towards the door, waving her two fingers over her shoulder.

"Skylar!"

He tried going after him but when he did, she spun around and shoved him back. Bruce fell to the ground, eyes wide as he looked up at her. Skylar looked down at him, hiding just how badly she was hurting.

"Have a nice life, Wayne."

She walked away from him, passing by Selina who had watched the interaction with a shocked look on her face. But her feline-friend didn't call out to her or run after her and she didn't suppose she would. Both Bruce and Selina were under the impression that she would make her way to Arkham and spend the rest of the day and night with Barbara. Neither of them thought that anything bad would happen. Nothing worse could happen than what had just occurred.

If only they knew that would be the last time they'd ever see Skylar Valeska.

———

She wasn't sure of anything anymore, except for one thing: Barbara would be laying in the bed in the infirmary, waiting for her. She was so sure of it that she would have put money on it if she had any. One can imagine it was quite a shock when she entered to find the bed empty, the sheets folded, and no sign that anyone had ever been staying in the room. Her face fell and for a moment her feet were frozen. Then she finally felt her feet move, carrying her to where her mom should have been.

Her hands ran over the sheets. Warm. It had been washed. Had they moved her to an actual cell? Was she now a proper inmate of Arkham Asylum? Why would they move her so fast? Had something happened? Skylar couldn't shake the feeling she got in her gut. She felt alone and the bare room wasn't helping at all. She felt like a ghost, wandering around, trying to find a proper home or a place to rest. Right as she went to turn around and leave, a voice spoke up.

"Oh, Miss Valeska, there you are." Strange. He approached her with that same smile he had given her earlier. "I was afraid you got lost in the snow, I'd have to send a search party out to find you." He gave an odd chuckle, one that she couldn't bring herself to follow.

"Where's my mom?"

"She's been discharged," he informed, the humor still dancing in his eyes. What was so funny? "While you were gone, we did a few tests and from what I can tell, she's perfectly sane. I told her that I would let you know that she left with Mr. Cicero."

If that was the case, why didn't Damon text her to tell her that? Why hadn't he called? She frowned deeply but forced a kind look on her face, clearing her throat. "Oh, well, thank you. I'll be on my way then." She moved past him, getting ready to leave, but as she did so, she saw something peeking out of the pocket in his suit jacket.

Damon's phone.

Skylar tensed up, freezing. That had been another mistake on her part. The first one had been to trust Bruce and the second one had been believing that Hugo Strange was nothing but a creepy man and was not capable of doing her harm. She was wrong because the moment her legs moved, preparing to run out of the room, the end of a needle was pressed into the side of her neck. The room went blurry and began to spin. Her body gave way, making her collapse onto the floor. She gasped for air, reaching forward with all the strength she could muster. But she knew there was nothing she could do.

The last thing she saw was a pair of heels and the last thing she heard was Strange's pleased hum.

"Prepare her cell. We have lots of work to do."

———

HERE WE GO, EVERYONE! BE READY FOR THE MADNESS THAT IS ABOUT TO ENSUE. I'm excited, can you tell? I've been waiting for this moment since I started to develop this idea. And I honestly can't wait because this is such a big moment. I hope you guys will love it as much as I do.

I hope you guys have a great day/night and don't forget to vote on this chapter, comment your thoughts, and follow me for updates!

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