While Jim returned to the GCPD, Harvey was called out to another lead. As Jim sat at his desk investigating further, his phone rang, and Harvey was on the other end. The Goat had snatched his next victim. "Ember Copley was supposed to meet her parents tonight at 9:00 at the marina. When she didn't show, they came back, found the maid out cold, Ember gone," Harvey explained. "You think it's our guy?" Jim asked. "It's our guy," Harvey confirmed. "He slips in, chloroforms the maid, grabs Ember, no sign of B and E, nothing. Like a ghost,"

Jim's gaze shifted to the list he had been consulting for the past hour that contained all the people who worked for the maintenance. "He had to have keys, like he did with Amanda Hastings!" He noted. "Randall Milkie had a ritual. He'd dress the victims, kill them, and do his little coin trick. The whole thing took about eight hours. If our copy-Goat's doing the same thing, we're running out of time," Harvey warned. "I pulled the employee list from the agencies that do maintenance on Ember Copley's building. Looking for an employee that had access to both victims' apartments," Jim said, scanning past the employees he cleared.

"That's a hell of a lot of people!" Harvey inhaled sharply. "Yeah, but our guy's been real busy. He had to have called in sick the last couple of days," Jim mentioned. "Get Nygma in there. He's freaking good with puzzles," Harvey suggested. With not a lot of time left, Jim rushed over to where Nygma was working and asked for his help.

~~~~~~~~~

With school ending two hours earlier than usual, everyone at Anders Prep had quickly gotten into their parent's car or in some other cases, limos before going back to their homes. Holly's little speech in the auditorium may have helped ease some of their nerves, but everyone still had a right to be scared. As Holly got into the car where her mother was waiting for her, Holly asked to borrow her phone so she could call Cara and make sure she was alright. She lived by her words. They had to look out for one another.

The phone conversation lasted until Cara had reached her home about an hour away from the campus, and once Cara confirmed she arrived home safely, the girls hung up, and Holly got started on her homework. Sitting at the kitchen counter where Barbara had started making dinner, Holly tapped her pencil against the polished marble, her brain searching for the right answer to her science sheet. "How do you feel about homemade pizzas tonight? That sound alright with you?" Barbara looked over her shoulder.

"Yeah, that's fine! You know I can't say no to pizza," Holly answered. "I know you can't. You and your dad," Barbara playfully rolled her eyes. "Speaking of Dad, did you and him work it out?" Holly questioned. Barbara paused in rolling the dough, setting down the pin. "We're still working on it, Hols. But we're not fighting anymore," She answered. Holly nodded her head in approval before looking back at her homework. If there were two things in this life Holly wanted more than anything, it was to have her family be as close together as possible and bring positivity and change to the world around her. But especially to Gotham.

What felt like hours went by as Holly completed piece after piece of homework. I knew Anders Prep didn't play around when it came to education, but I didn't think they'd give out this much work! Holly thought as she focused on her last assignment, the first three chapters summarizing The Giver for her English class. By the time she had finished writing the last sentence in her summary, the oven started beeping. As she and her mother sat on the couch, flipping through the movies and programs, Barbara got an alert from her phone and checked it while Holly kept searching.

Barbara's heart almost dropped into her stomach as she discovered there was another victim of the Goat. While there was no reported death, there was an active search. I hope they find her soon... Be safe out there, Jim. She silently prayed. "Is everything alright?" Holly asked, taking notice of her prolonged silence. "Mhmm, everything's fine," Barbara nodded. "Any luck yet?" "Harry Potter's on if you want to watch that," Holly suggested. "I think the fourth one,"

"Isn't that the one where that bald guy... Vold something comes back?" Barbara asked. "Don't say his name, Mom!" Holly insisted, cracking a small smile to indicate she was joking. "But yeah, he comes back in this one," Barbara nodded as the film did look quite interesting, and the mother-daughter duo finished their slices of pizza and indulged in their mini party.

A few hours later, about a quarter of the way through Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Holly had fallen fast asleep on the sofa, her head resting on the pillow right next to Barbara's lap, snuggling into the pillow like she was back in her comfy bed. As Barbara watched the bathroom wand scene between Harry and Draco, Barbara couldn't help but feel another ache in her. It wasn't just the fear of another child being snatched, it was something way deeper than that.

That ache continued to make its presence known as she grabbed her coat and silently locked the front doors behind her. She hoped in the off-chance Holly did wake up, she wouldn't be gone for very long. Maybe twenty minutes at the most. She stopped in front of the MCU building, held together by long white and chiseled columns, and watched as Montoya walked down the steps to her vehicle. Getting out of her car, Barbara followed and called out to her, finally getting her attention as she reached the final concrete step.

"Renee, we have to talk," Barbara spoke. Montoya was caught off-guard by this sudden and desperate visit, but she knew deep down Barbara was going to plead for her fiancé's freedom. "What are you doing here?" Renee questioned. "Look, I know you think that he's done terrible things, but I also know you care about the truth," Barbara tried to speak calmly, but even she could hear her desperation.

"You shouldn't be here. Barbara, you shouldn't be seen here," Montoya whispered insistently. As she turned around and started walking back to her vehicle, Barbara grabbed her wrist and pulled her close. "Damn it, Renee! Will you listen to me? Look, I'll work with you, okay? I will tell you anything I know, whatever I can find out. I need you to keep an open mind, okay?" Barbara pleaded. "It's too late for that," Renee shook her head. "Whatever's happening, you've got it wrong, Renee. You can't tell me, I know that, but it isn't what you think. He's trying to protect me and Holly! He won't tell us who's out there, who he's afraid of,"

Renee and Barbara's gaze remained connected, and Barbara could only hope that she had broken down Montoya's stone barriers and that she would finally let it go. But unfortunately for her, Barbara didn't even make a dent. "He's right not to," Renee finally spoke, jerking her hand free. "Wait. Why?!" Barbara inquired. "Because it'll get you killed, okay?! You understand what he knows. Who he knows will kill you and Holly! We got a judge issuing a warrant tonight. Barbara, you know how much I care about you. And even though I barely know your daughter, I care about her too. When Gordon gets arrested, you two have to get out of here,"

"If Jim gets arrested, then this is exactly where we have to be: by his side," Barbara held firm on her decision despite Montoya's disappointment. "Please, just leave. Get out of Gotham, just till this is over. And don't come to me again," Montoya warned before walking away for the final time, leaving behind a worried and desperate Barbara. Plan A failed, she just had to come up with a Plan B that could save the three of them. But what?

~~~~~~~~~~~

When Harvey finally returned to the precinct, he was greeted by Jim and Ed, who just discovered who was the man who was behind these attacks on Gotham's next wealthy generation. "Okay, so four guys have called in sick since last week," Jim spoke, nodding to the nearby Ed. "The two suspects from the outer boroughs are cleared. Another is out of state, but it's unconfirmed," "So that leaves one last guy," Jim added. "Raymond Earl," Ed grinned as he handed Jim the second Spirit of The Goat file. "His shift supervisor says he's been squatting near Cannery Park, somewhere around the 1100 block," Jim explained.

Without hesitation, Harvey insisted that Earl was their man. Jim and Ed looked skeptical by the other detective's quick response. "You sure?" Jim asked. "Yeah, I'm sure. I'm 100% sure," Harvey insisted. And as Jim followed Harvey down the steps and to where their suspect was hiding out, Ed with the gleeful smile still painted on his face, raised his question mark coffee cup in a single toast before returning to his work.

Jim and Harvey soon reached the abandoned and dilapidated building that had been fenced off with only a small opening to crawl through. It must've been abandoned for decades, maybe even longer the longer Jim looked at it. But for Harvey, returning to this building brought back a lot of flashbacks from the night he and Dix captured the first goat killer. "Deja vu all day long," Harvey shook his head, never imagining he'd return here ten years later. "This is where we got Randall Milkie ten years ago. This is where Dix fell," Harvey commented.

"Bullock, we got to go in, come on," Jim patted his shoulder, pulling him out of his recounting of that dark night. Bullock nodded, and they stepped inside the dimly lit building, reaching for their flashlights with one hand and their guns in the other. Entering the abandoned theater, they found Ember Copley on the wooded platform center stage, chained to the white archway. Fortunately, she was still alive, but groggy from all the drugs she had been given. Every little creak and fluttering of a bird's wings made them both shine their lights all around the room. And Jim and Harvey climbed the staircase over to Ember, a loud creak came from the second floor. In the pale light of the moon stood the Goat, his figure entirely engulfed in black, including the mask that had two small antlers on either side.

"Go get her," Harvey spoke to Jim before he ran off to end this nightmare once and for all. Jim climbed the rest of the wooded steps and carefully cut Ember down, her tired body collapsing into his arms. "You're safe, are you alright?" Jim asked her. Ember slowly nodded, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier as Jim led her to one of the nearby seats. He told her to wait there, and then ran off to assist his partner. Meanwhile Bullock and the Goat had been pushing and pulling each other until they both fell down the stairs. Harvey crashed into one of the hanging drapes as the Spirit of the Goat towered above him, grinning behind his mask. 

"You'll never stop the Goat. I will always come back," His gruff voice echoed throughout the darkened theater. "Quit saying that!" Harvey shouted before regaining enough of his strength to send them toppling down the rest of the stairs. The battered and bruised Harvey was determined through all the pain to put a stop to Earl's madness, but the detective was beginning to reach his limit. As Earl was about to make his next move, Jim ran down the staircase and tackled Earl to the ground. But Earl tightly clutched the small axe in his right hand. Jim knocked it away, and start landing blow after blow of punches to Earl's face and gut. Finally, Earl collapsed onto the ground, passing out from exhaustion.

Harvey sighed with relief as he sat on the staircase, his heart still pounding as he tried to catch his breath. "Raymond Earl, you're under arrest," Jim spoke to the unconscious body. "Not bad," Harvey half-smiled, patting Jim on the back as he joined him on the steps.

~~~~~~~~~~

With Raymond Earl now in the hands of the GCPD, Jim, Harvey, and Essen looked into the interrogation room, where Earl sat cuffed and unmasked. He seemingly stared into nothingness, but behind the thick glass, it felt like he was staring directly into their souls. "Raymond Earl, 33 years old, janitor in the city. Works with an agency that services the buildings of both victims. And he's not talking," Jim looked over to Essen. "History of mental illness, misdemeanor arrests for lewd and lascivious, public disturbance," Harvey added.

"Thank you, Jesus. You got him. Good work, detectives. I've got a lot of phone calls to make," Essen smiled before she noticed the rather down look etched on Harvey's face. As she left, Jim also noticed Harvey staring back at Earl, something seemed off. "Randall Milkie worked for a maintenance company that serviced the buildings of his victims, same as Raymond here. Milkie was mentally ill, no violent crimes in his history, same as him. Ten years apart, they never meet, then one day, out of the blue, they both decide to become the Goat?" Harvey recalled. "It's like something found them, changed them,"

"You talking about Dix and his conspiracy theory?" Jim questioned. "No. It just doesn't add up. How'd he know about the coin? I know that we're missing something, and if we keep missing it, I'm afraid we're never gonna stop this," Harvey answered. Jim suggested they could go back to Milkie's old files and possibly look for accomplices and connections. But Harvey brushed it off, saying they could do it tomorrow. "I just... I need some time to think," Harvey explained. "Why don't you get some rest? Go back to your girls,"

Jim nodded, wishing him a good night before he returned to the apartment.

~~~~~~~~ 

"Holly! Holly, wake up!" Barbara shook her daughter desperately as the sun's morning rays reflected through the open living room windows. "Mom? What's going on? It's not even 7:30 yet," Holly yawned, her vision clearing to see the panic in her eyes. "Go get some clothes and things packed. Quickly!" Barbara instructed. About a dozen questions and thoughts must've run through the young girl's head as she walked to her bedroom. But without question, she grabbed her suitcase and started packing as many clothes and personal belongings as she could.

Just as she stuffed her sketchbook and colored pencils inside, the apartment door opened, and Holly looked out to see her father had returned home. "Holly? Barbara?" He called out. "I'm in here, Dad!" Holly poked her head out, grabbing her suitcase. When Holly set it against the entrance hall's wall, Jim looked confused as to why she had her suitcase. "Did Mom plan another impulsive vacation again?" He asked. "Eh, maybe? I don't know," Holly shrugged. When Barbara entered the hall with a suitcase of her stuff, Jim looked even more perplexed.

"Jim, look. I don't know everything, but I know enough. You have to listen to me now," Barbara insisted. "Baby, I can barely stand," Jim told her. "Montoya has a witness! They really believe you killed this Cobblepot person," Barbara continued. Suddenly, it all clicked with Holly. This wasn't an impulsive vacation, this was an impulsive escape. "I didn't kill him," Jim insisted. "It doesn't matter anymore. They've got a warrant for your arrest. What aren't you telling me? For weeks now, it's like you've been a different person. Something happened not long after you started the job. There has to be something you don't feel right about,"

"Somehow they've cornered me, tied my hands," Jim ran his fingers through his hair. This lie had spread so far, and it was all out of his control. He only meant to protect his fiancée and daughter, but now it felt like everything and everyone was working against him. "Come with me now, I don't care what we leave behind, as long as we leave it as a family," Barbara grabbed his hand and gestured for Holly to join them. Holly hugged both her parents, her fear and paranoia creeping back in with every passing second.

Just then, loud knocks came from the door, and both Barbara and Holly were terrified of what to do. "Dad, they can't take you away! I don't want to lose you!" Holly muffled into his chest. "Girls, I can't run. I'm sorry," Jim stroked Holly's hair and locked eyes with Barbara. "I have to do the right thing," Holly felt tears forming in her eyes as she looked up at him, wishing this whole situation never existed in the first place. "Be a good girl for your mom, okay?" Jim requested. Holly nodded, and as Jim walked towards the front door, Holly held onto her mom tightly and for their sake, tried keeping it together.

As Jim opened the door, there stood Montoya and Allen both holding their badges, and Montoya reached for her handcuffs. "James Gordon, you're under arrest for the murder of Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law," Holly watched powerlessly as her father was perp-walked down the hallway. As Barbara led her back inside the apartment, the air that was lodged in Holly's throat finally became unstuck, and with it, came a cry of anguish and the repeated phrase of "He didn't do it!"

~~~~~~~~~~

"We're on the same side, do you understand? We're fighting the same war! And damn it, I'm getting somewhere!" Jim protested as Montoya and Allen led him into the GCPD, stirring the attention of all his coworkers, including Harvey and Captain Essen. "Getting into a six-by-eight in the Blackgate Pen, that's what you're getting!" Montoya bit back. "What is this?" Montoya looked shocked. "MCU's taking Detective James Gordon into custody," Montoya responded. "Your boy here murdered Oswald Cobblepot and dumped him in the river," Allen added.

"That's a damn lie!" Harvey fought back. But little did he and everyone in the precinct know the whole truth was about to come out. "He's right! It was a lie. I didn't shoot Oswald Cobblepot. I lied! I didn't shoot him, Bullock!" Jim admitted. Harvey didn't quite catch the hint and still acted like Jim didn't kill Oswald in front of the MCU detectives. "Harvey Bullock, you're under arrest," Montoya turned her wrath onto Harvey and reached for another set of handcuffs. "For what?! I didn't do anything!" Harvey shouted. "Accomplice in the murder of Oswald Cobblepot. Our witness places you at the scene," Allen answered.

Captain Essen was enraged by the sight of her best detectives being taken into MCU's custody, and as their captain, she was determined to fight for them. "You think you can walk in here and take my people like that?!" She scoffed. "We're not here to take down the GCPD. We just want these two," Montoya's face remained cold and emotionless. "Well, they're GCPD, so the MCU's got a problem!" Essen shook her head. As Harvey was about to back up his boss, everyone looked towards the entrance, surprised to find who had just arrived.

Oswald Cobblepot.

"Hello! I am Oswald Cobblepot," He grinned, limping into the building and meeting the haze of everyone who was watching him. It was then that Harvey realized Jim was being serious in his earlier statement. His face contorted with anger and deceit, and still in the grasp of Montoya, he tried to charge towards Jim, but she quickly pulled him back.

"You son of a bitch!" Harvey growled.