"And then I looked at the stars and considered how awful it would be for a man, to turn his face up to them as he froze to death and see no help or pity in the glittering multitude," Bruce spoke as he looked down at the book on his lap. As the young boy's voice echoed off into the distance, Holly could feel her eyelids grow heavier and heavier. She had been feigning sleep for almost 23 hours now, and it wouldn't be long before she finally caved in.

"That's cheerful," A voice commented from the door. Bruce gasped and quickly slammed the book shut as he turned around. Leaning against the doorframe, was none other than Selina. What the- how did she find us? Holly wondered, slowly sitting up on the couch coated with white and the ugliest shade of green. "What are you doing here?" Bruce asked, taking the words right out of her mouth. "Ivy sneaks in a few times a week and steals food from the sickies," Selina shrugs before taking a bite from her apple. "She spotted you two. He okay?" Selina asked, gesturing to the hospital bed.

But Bruce didn't speak a word, his gaze turning back to Alfred, still asleep and snoring lightly. We're keeping an eye on him. Trying to hope for the best," Holly answered. Selina slightly nodded, acknowledging Holly's words before she leaned in and hugged Bruce, a soft "I'm sorry," escaping her lips. "Thanks," Bruce replied as they pulled away. "Alfred was stabbed. It was a friend of his from the army," "Wow, that sucks," Selina quietly sighed. "I think he was there because of me," Bruce admitted.

"What are you talking about?" Selina questioned. "Yeah, what do you mean?" Holly joined in, Bruce had yet to tell her about his speculations behind the attack, with good reason of course, given his panic and already fragile mindset. "I had a meeting with the board of Wayne Enterprises to tell them I was investigating them, so they sent someone we'd trust to spy on us," Bruce explained. "What was he looking for?" Selina inquired. "Some of my files were missing. I think the other things he stole were cover. If I find him," the young boy answered. "I could find out who hired him. He's the key to everything,"

"You're gonna track him down?" Selina scoffed. "Really? You? And I'm guessing you're gonna drag her into this?" Selina pointed to Holly. "I have to know! This... this is my fault!" Bruce insisted. "Kid, you're out of your mind! Look at him, is that where you want to end up?" But rather than answering her simple question, Bruce picked up the book resting on the chair and sat back down. "I don't expect either of you to understand," he mumbled. "Bruce, we understand perfectly. But Selina has a point. This is a dangerous game you're playing," Holly admitted.

"I'll help," Selina offered. "No! I can't risk anyone else getting hurt on account of me," Bruce shook his head. With a slight eye roll and one last look at the two kids, Selina stepped out of the room, telling them they knew where to find her. The door closed behind her harshly, making Holly slightly jump at the noise. "When did you meet with the board?" She questioned after a brief moment of silence. "A few days ago," Bruce answered, flipping through the pages as he recovered his last stopping point. "And?" Holly asked, having a faint idea already of what went down.

"They denied everything. Even after I recounted and detailed their corruption, bribery, racketeering, and unethical medical research," Bruce explained. "Did you provide them any proof? That could explain a potential motive?" Holly reasoned. But Bruce exhaled sharply, briefing stopping.  "No disrespect, Holly. But I'd rather get back to reading this than answer your endless questions," He spoke, his voice containing just a hint of frustration.

"I'm just trying to understand. I'm-" Holly tried to protest. "Well, you don't have to worry about me, okay? I don't want any help! Not from you, not from Selina, and not from your dad! I can handle this on my own!" The tone of Bruce's voice made Holly flinch. As she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, Bruce's eyes softened, and the change in her demeanor only confirmed he frightened her. "I'm sorry," He whispered. "Maybe I should go..." Holly reached for her coat hanging off one of the couch arms. "Holly, please," Bruce pleaded. "You said it yourself! You can handle Reggie on your own. Clearly, you don't need me!" She reminded, her voice trembling.

"That's not what I meant!" Bruce clarified. "Then how else did you mean it?" Holly questioned. Bruce stuttered, trying to gather the right words, but none of them were conveying themselves the way he wanted them to. "You know, there's going to come a time where you're going to need help, and you're not going to get it if you keep pushing people away," Holly advised. "Especially the ones who care about you," Slipping on the other arm of her coat, Holly walked back into the bright hallway, reaching for her phone.

As she walked down the hall towards the elevator, the line trilled on and on as Holly pressed the down arrow, waiting for the doors to open. And on the fourth ring, the other end finally picked up.

"Mom, I changed my mind. I'm ready to come home,"

~~~~~~~~~

As Jim and Dent walked into Xi Lu's Chinese restaurant, the feeling that this was a trap continued to linger in the pit of Jim's stomach. But Dent continued to look determined to corner the Commissioner and confront him with the dark misdeeds of his past. The two men walked past the tables towards the kitchen. One of the chefs looked up at them, and though he didn't speak a word, he gestured towards the corner stairwell leading into the basement. With a nod of acknowledgment, Jim and Dent walked deeper down the metallic stairwell, and with every step, it felt like the walls were closing in on them.

Turning left, another chef stood at a metallic table, chopping up bundles of spring onions, and as Gordon and Dent walked past, the young man eyed them carefully before returning to his work. Through a propped open metal door and past the tanks containing koi fish, the sounds of typing and rustling of papers gained their interest. Poking their heads out from behind the tanks, ten men varying between ages sat together at a round table, deep in their work. One of the men towered above the rest, eyeing them carefully as if he were waiting for one of them to make a mistake and call them out on it.

"Xi Lu?" Jim called. In an instant, everyone sitting at the table stopped and turned towards them, Xi Lu included. Seated right behind an open briefcase full of money, the man presumably by the same name stood up, smoothing out the end of his tie, walking behind the other chairs towards the men. "Detective Gordon, GCPD," Jim introduced, pulling his blazer to the side to reveal his badge. "We have a few questions we'd like to ask you. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?"

"Ask your questions, Detective," Xi Lu gestured, a smile playing on the edge of his lips. "It's about Commissioner Loeb. We understand you two have a business relationship?" Jim continued. "I do not know Commissioner Loeb," Lu claimed, not breaking eye contact with the detective. "Listen, old man. We can have a dozen ADAs and cops in here in ten minutes. They'll confiscate every dollar in this place, and you will go to jail," Dent warned. Before Lu could respond to this threat, his phone started ringing. "Hmm?" He spoke into the phone. And while Jim and Dent couldn't hear the person on the other end, he glanced at Dent with an unsettling look as Lu walked back to the table, chuckling under his breath.

"Your name is Gordon," Lu spoke, closing his flip phone as he glared back at the detective. "That's right," Jim nodded. "And you are Dent," Lu looked at Harvey. "Yes," the lawyer spoke slowly. Walking towards the back of the room, Xi Lu opened the metal door, telling the gentlemen to wait there. Looking back to his employees, Xi spoke to them in Chinese, and the men stood up as they pulled out knives. "Okay, that's not good," Dent's eyes widened with realization. "GCPD!" Jim yelled, reaching for his gun. But none of the men dropped their weapons, only continuing to stare at them menacingly.

"Gordon..." Dent warned. "Yeah, run!" Jim agreed, pulling down a stack of nearby chairs and bolting out of the basement and through the kitchen as the men came charging toward them. "Go! Go! Go!" Jim shouted as Dent burst through the restaurant's back door. They bolted down the stairs quicker than bunnies as they hurried to close the gate behind them. And just as the knife-wielding men ran outside after them, Jim grabbed the closest wooden slab and shoved it through the handles. While the gate wouldn't be locked forever, it did give the detective and district attorney enough time to run through the alleyway, but once again, they were met with another gate, this time it was locked.

On the other side of the gate, the other restaurant employees came charging towards the gate, also carrying knives. It felt like there was no escape; danger awaited them at every angle. But a loud screech of tires filled the air, and a car broke through one of the barricaded gates. "Get in!" Bullock shouted, and without a second thought, the men jumped inside just as the blocked gate gave way, and Bullock slammed his foot on the gas, and they sped away from the incoming danger.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Even after narrowly escaping death for what felt like the one-millionth time, Jim kept looking over his shoulder, fearing that somebody was following them, but as he turned back to the road behind him, all he saw was the snow-covered sidewalks and iced-over roads. Soon, Harvey pulled underneath a bridged railway, the three occupants eager to catch their breath. "We got to go back there. You've got to call for backup!" Dent insisted. "Forget it! The place will be cleaned out in five minutes!" Bullock replied. "Thanks for stopping by," Jim spoke with a hint of bitterness, but he was genuinely grateful that his partner arrived, even if they weren't on the best of terms.

"I've got enough on my guilty conscience," Harvey stated. "Griggs set us up. Now Loeb knows we're after his evidence cache," Jim realized. "Griggs sent you? The guy would turn on anyone to save his own skin. You just got to scare him enough!" Harvey explained. "Well, we tried that already, and look where it got us!" Dent reminded. "Let me. Counselor, trust me. You're going to sit to want to sit this one out," Bullock advised. "You don't have to tell me twice," Dent spoke, having heard of Bullock's bad cop reputation when it came to interrogations.

After dropping Dent back at his office, Jim and Bullock began their pursuit of Griggs, and as Jim waited in the car back at the precinct, Harvey walked out of the precinct with an unsuspecting Griggs. But as the cold-hearted snake hopped into the backseat and met with the icy stares of both men, Grigg's eyes widened to the size of saucers, and he desperately tried to escape, but Jim had already locked the car doors. As it sped off back down the icy roads, Jim floored the accelerator. With a small nod from Harvey, he unlocked the doors, and Harvey grabbed Griggs, pulling his body halfway out of the vehicle, inches away from the icy asphalt. 

"I WANT A NAME!" Harvey demanded, his voice echoing through the loud and whipping winds. "Falcone!" Griggs almost immediately caved, not even bothering to put up a fight. Harvey was right, he would do anything to save his own skin. "What?" Harvey said, inching his head slightly closer to the ground. "The only person who knows where Loeb keeps his stash! Falcone! The two of them are in it together! Loeb and Falcone!" Griggs repeated.

Finally, with a step in the right direction, Harvey pulled Griggs back into the vehicle. As they pulled off to the side of the road, back underneath the railway, they all got out, Griggs still shaking with fear and relief, but also anger. "You are dead men!" Griggs quivered. "You're going against Loeb and Falcone? You're dead!" "GO! Before I lose my good cheer!" Harvey warned, letting go of Griggs coat. But as Griggs stumbled off into the cold afternoon, Bullock turned back to his partner, admitting that Griggs had a point.

"So, what next?" He questioned. "Assume Loeb and Falcone are the only ones who know where the stash is. We need someone close to them, someone who'll talk," Jim answered. To that, Harvey could only shake his head. "That person doesn't exist," He claimed. "Yeah, he does," Jim assured, knowing exactly who to visit next. 

~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm glad you've decided to come back. Things truly weren't the same without you," Barbara adjusted the car mirror, peering into the backseat back at her daughter. It's not like I had much of a choice. Holly bit her tongue, plastering a fake smile. Out of everyone Holly could've called, she called her. But with her father chasing another criminal, and Cara and Florence having returned to the mansion in the countryside, this seemed like the only safe option. Or was it? "I am too. It's not easy being away from home," Holly sighed, turning towards the window.

Barbara could see in her daughter's eyes that something was off. But with the looming separation between her and Jim, she figured Holly was just struggling to cope. "You don't have to lie to me, Hols. I know you're upset about all of this. You may not understand it now, but eventually, you'll come to accept it," Barbara reasoned. "I get it, mom. You deserve to be happy, and Dad deserves to be happy, but why can't you just agree on 50/50? Why are you going for full custody?" Holly asked. 

"We'll talk about this when we get home," Barbara sighed. "No, I want to know!" Holly pressed. "Please..." For a moment, Barbara glanced back at Holly before turning back to the road and stopping at a red light. "This isn't because I want to keep you away from him. But you had to have noticed your father has been dragging us into his messes quite a lot lately," Barbara reminded. Holly grew quiet upon remembering when her father had a target the size of Gotham painted on his back when Oswald Cobblepot was found alive, not to mention how their apartment was broken into while Holly was at school.

But as she remembered running away from the assassins that were chasing after her, Selina, and Bruce, Holly slowly started to consider her mother's point. "Okay, maybe we did underestimate how dangerous Gotham is, but... that's still my dad. This is still our home," Holly said. "This isn't what I signed up for, Holly. If Jim wants to play the hero and thinks he can save this city, he can go ahead. But I don't want you or me to be a part of it," Barbara clarified.

That's what YOU signed up for when you had me and agreed to marry him! I didn't ask to be here! Holly wanted to scream. "I don't understand why you're so against this. Besides, I already told you. He'll get visitation if he agrees to the arrangement, so I'm not saying you're never going to see him again. But I'll be damned if he brings that woman over," Barbara huffed. First, Lee's a whore, and now you acknowledge her as a woman. Interesting... "When did you decide to go through with this? A few days ago? Yesterday? While you drunk and yelling at me over voicemail?"

"I shouldn't have sent those," Barbara's voice grew quiet. "And no, Holly. I didn't come to this decision recently. I've thought about it a lot while I was away. I even looked at a couple of nice homes in Bludhaven. One of them even has a garden similar to that painting you did!" "You mean Mrs. Constantine's garden?" Holly raised a brow. "Yes! It can be ours; you won't have to look over your shoulder and worry about someone pointing a gun at your head. You'll be safe, we'll both be safe," Barbara persuaded.

"It does sound nice," Holly admitted. "See? I knew you'd come around. Just focus on the rest of school, and I'll talk with Jim about the agreement," As the tense subject finally came to a close, Holly and Barbara pulled outside of the penthouse, and as she walked back through the doors, she saw the clothes that were all over the floor. "Selina and Ivy were here earlier. I gave them some of my old clothes," Barbara explained. "You hungry? I can make you a salad?"

"No thanks, Mom. I've got to get some homework done," Holly declined. As Barbara started making a salad for herself, Holly looked over her shoulder to make sure her mother was busy. And as she shut the bedroom door behind her, Holly pulled out her phone. This pending separation raised a lot of questions for the young girl, and while Holly's mother was so sure she'd win this battle, Holly was full of her own determination. If she couldn't convince her mom to agree on 50/50 custody, at the very least, Holly'd make sure her voice was heard in that courtroom.

And she knew just the person to call who could help with that.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jim swore to himself that every time he visited Oswald Cobblepot, it would be the last time he would ask for a favor from him. But no matter how hard he tried to stay away, paying him a visit was becoming a pastime. "Jim! So nice to see you!" Oswald greeted, looking up from the large green bottle he held in his hands. Setting the glass down, Oswald limped towards the detectives. "What can I do for you?" Oswald asked.

As Jim sat at a table with Oswald, Harvey leaned against the wall, listening carefully alongside Oswald as Jim described their latest in a series of predicaments. "You do realize what you're asking me to do?" Cobblepot questioned. "If Don Falcone is working with Commissioner Loeb to keep this trove of secrets hidden, and I help you uncover them, I'd be betraying my patron,"

"That's right," Jim nodded. "If he found out, he'd... well, he'd be very angry, to say the least," Oswald warned. "Enough with the hemming and hawing. Are you going to help us or not?" Harvey grew impatient. Oswald briefly looked at Bullock with irritation but blinked it away as he turned back to Jim. "Let's say, for argument's sake, I could help you. What's in for me?" Oswald inquired. "I'll owe you a favor," Jim responded, and a small smile formed on Cobblepot's face.

"No questions asked?" He double-checked. "Jim..." Harvey looked at his partner warningly. "Yes," Jim assured. Oswald's hand moved to the green bottle, and he pointed at it, asking both detectives if they knew what it contained. And when neither Jim nor Harvey answered, Oswald proceeded with its long yet intriguing past. "Madre Di Dios, a hundred bottles made once a year by monks in the Italian countryside. It's Don Maroni's favorite,"

"What's your point?" Jim asked. "It's just a piece of information that might be useful one day. I like information," Oswald chuckled before returning to the favor at hand. "If I help you find where Loeb keeps his files, you give me ten minutes alone with them. I take what I want," Cobblepot wagered. "This is not a good idea, Jim. To go after Loeb is one thing, but-" Before Harvey could finish his sentence, Jim cut in, adjusting the terms. "Five minutes, and you don't touch anything that has to do with the cops," He offered.

"Five minutes with the files and a favor from Jim Gordon? Done!" Oswald agreed, his chuckles on the verge of turning maniacal. "So, who's up for a road trip?"

A/n: After a long and busy summer and stressful first semester at college, we're back in Gotham City, ready to continue Bruce and Holly's story! God, it feels so good to be back! I've missed these characters so much, and you guys too! While I may not have been updating, I have been eagerly working on the last episodes of Season 1, and I may or may not have a few tricks up my sleeve for Season 2! Both of which I hope to get to within the coming weeks and into the new year! So, strap in ladies and gents, this is going to be a wild ride from here on out!

With love,

Dusk Marie 🦇💖