Gabriella was excited.

Charlize had promised to take her to the City Museum, and she was brimming with delight, eager to go to the beautiful old building she had only ever seen from the outside earlier.

That Monday afternoon, Charlize took the young girl with her to work, and when she got done with her daily sessions, she took an early off. Robert was supposed to pick Gabriella up by night so they had the day to themselves.

They went to Freddie's Diner for lunch and then headed to the museum.

The little girl's eager brown eyes lit up as they crossed through the security checkpoint, her head turning around in fascination to see everything. Charlize held her hand but did not hold her back, knowing she wanted to explore everything.

"It's even more beautiful up close," Ella breathed, looking up at the vaulted roof that rendered a cavernous effect to the entrance hall.

"Just wait till you see the inside then," she remarked, taking her to the board displaying the locations and types of exhibit areas on every floor.

As they stepped into the atrium, Gabriella let out a soft gasp. The soaring ceilings were adorned with elaborate frescoes, and the warm, golden light filtering in through the tall windows cast a gentle glow over the polished floors.

"Where should we start?" Charlize asked, smiling to see her so entranced.

"Everywhere!" Gabriella exclaimed, already itching to explore. 

Charlize laughed and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Alright, let's start with the ancient civilizations exhibit. I think you'll find that particularly fascinating."

Ella followed her mother through the halls, carefully avoiding the people who were scattered here and there around the exhibits. The spring in her step and the enthusiasm in her voice indicated that she was indeed happy to come to the museum.

"Have you been here before?" She asked, noticing that Charlize was good at navigating her way through the spaces.

"Yes, a few times, very long ago," she replied, a soft nostalgic smile creasing her features, "I came here on an educational visit with my school. Then, as they added new exhibits, I kept visiting with my friends."

"Mommy, you lived in Gotham before too, then? I thought you had always lived in Metropolis."

A slight pause followed that remark but she answered eventually, "Well, before I met your father, I lived in Gotham with my parents. Then we shifted to Metropolis while I was in college."

"And then you met Dad and got married?"

"Yes." 

She looked down at the girl to judge her expression but found her absorbed in reading the silver plate next to an ancient tablet. A soft sigh escaped her, relieved that there was no implied meaning behind that question, that Gabriella was only asking because she was curious.

Sometimes, she couldn't help but wonder what her daughter really thought about her decision to leave Metropolis and come to Gotham. She knew Ella wasn't aware of the full extent of her separation from Robert but she wondered whether the young girl ever thought why her mother lived a whole city apart and couldn't see her often.

"Look, a dinosaur!" Ella pointed to the prehistoric section, catching a glimpse of the colossal dinosaur skeleton inside. "Mommy, can we go there?"

"Of course, dear," shaken out of her thoughts, she followed, her hand gripping Ella's tightly.

Time seemed to slip away as they explored one exhibit to the other, Gabriella's excitement only growing with each artifact. However, Charlize was slightly distracted, seemingly operating on an autopilot mode.

Still, she was acutely aware of her daughter's condition and even though she wasn't as overbearing as Robert, she made sure that Gabriella didn't overexert herself. Throughout their exploration of the City Museum, she insisted her to take breaks and slow down.

Deep down, she knew that if Robert found out that she had brought her outside and made her explore the museum, he would get extremely concerned and agitated. But she also knew how much her daughter craved to live a normal life without all those restraints. So she wanted to give her a chance to experience everything kids her age usually did.

That trip to the museum meant a lot to Gabriella and Charlize didn't want her to feel smothered. Still, her health was a priority that she couldn't compromise on.

"Ella, we should go to the café first, okay?" She told her, gently ruffling her head, "You'll love it. They have your favorite cupcakes too."

"Really? But we haven't explored the War section and there are so many levels left," she paused, looking at the signage that indicated they were on the fourth level.

"Yes, sweetie, but let's grab something to drink and refresh ourselves. It won't take long."

"Okay. But promise we won't go back home so soon," she gave in, resting her head against her arm, "I am so excited to see the rest of the levels."

"That depends," Charlize's eyes flickered slightly, noticing that Ella looked tired and somewhat pale. "Tell me, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

Seeing her smile at her was a slight relief but Charlize's mind drifted on another track. She took her to the museum's café which was located on the same floor and made her sit down.

"I will be right back, okay? What do you want to eat?"

"I'm not hungry but I will have a cupcake," Ella replied, feeling the exhaustion kick in and she rested her head on top of her arms folded over the table.

Charlize returned with an orange juice for her and cupcakes but she was perturbed to see Gabriella like that. Placing the food on the table, she bent down, checking her forehead, "Ella, are you okay?"

"Of course... Just tired..." Her voice was also low and she seemed to be slipping away, her forehead also felt burning up.

When she tried to sit up, she found it hard to move her body off the tabletop. Concerned, Charlize helped her sit, making her drink some of the orange juice but she had gone rather limp and unresponsive.

"Ella, sweetie, look at me," she rubbed her hands, trying to revive her but failing. 

Her face drained of color as well and she knew she somehow had to get her to the hospital. Perhaps all those breaks hadn't been enough and Robert was right in saying that even the slightest exertion could be a risk to her. 

Panicking would get her nowhere and she had to act fast. Her hands were cold from worry but she took out her phone, dialing the first number who she knew would help.

On the second ring, the call connected and she spoke hurriedly, "Jonathan, where are you?"

"At the research center... What happened?"

"Can you come to the City Museum, fourth floor, at the café?" She tried to keep Ella conscious, helping her take small sips of the orange juice. "I came here with Ella but she's not well and I need to take her to the hospital... You're the closest person I can reach..."

"I'm on my way," he hung up and she put her phone aside, rubbing Ella's hands to maintain the blood circulation. 

A few people stopped to ask her what happened but she was focused on keeping Gabriella conscious. The research center was close to the City Museum so it wouldn't take Jonathan long to reach them.

Soon enough, he showed up and parting the crowds, he approached the table. Charlize was anxious so he didn't ask for any explanation. Instead, he scooped Gabriella up in his arms, supporting her limp form as the two of them hastily descended the stairs to take Ella to the hospital.

***