Born to Fly

The Midnight Hour - ✔

The morning eventually comes, as it always does. I spend most of the night listening to Oswald's soft breathing. I find it's the only thing that can comfort me. Every movement feels painful. Not like when I was trapped under a building, though I would gladly trade that for now.

"I don't want to leave you." Oswald places many kisses on my messy head of hair. "I really don't."

I don't want him to, either. I don't want to be left alone anymore.

"But I understand that you need to. I believe you're going to find your mother today. I can feel it."

"I hope so."

"Are you coming back tonight?"

"Maybe," he answers, distancing himself. "I have to take myself away from all of this. I must appear like my mother is my driving force."

For my own safety, I must not exist.

"I've secured another house upstate. Perhaps all of this is over, you and I can vacation there for a few days. Just us."

"I'd love to."

"Goodbye, Sera. Have Harvey come over today or something. I don't want you to be alone."

I do as he says.

Bullock's mouth is full when he answers the phone. "What's up, sister? How's the hiding going?"

"Horrible. I'm allowed to have visitors today. Want to come over?"

"I'd love to. See you soon."

It only takes thirty minutes for Detective Bullock to show up on my doorstep. I don't know how, but he can immediately tell something's wrong.

"What's wrong? Did Penguin break up with you or something?"

"No, but Butch practically did."

"Uh— what?" He sits in the old rocking chair right beside the raggedy couch.

"Butch told me he loved me, Harvey. He wanted me to leave Gotham with him. I told him I couldn't do it."

"Wow. So where is he now?"

"I have no clue. I don't know what to do about it. All I know is that it hurts and I'm here all by myself. I feel like his condition is my fault."

"Well it's not, so get that through your head. You know everything that's happened to him is entirely Penguin's fault, including him meeting you. I'm just surprised he owned up to it."

He's not helping.

"But now he's gone and you miss your best friend. That's understandable. He's going to need time to get over this one, Sera. People don't fall in and out of love easily. If he's truly your friend, he'll come back to you."

"Do you think I'm cursed?"

"No. Well, I don't know for sure. Sometimes, I think we all are."

"Even Penguin?"

"Maybe," Harvey says. "Gotham is a dark place. People throw that term around so easily these days, but it truly is. Sometimes it doesn't seem like Gotham actually exists in the world. This city is a cesspool of infection and disease."

He's completely right.

Only moments later, there's a knock on the door.

"I invited the Putz over."

Jim walks in with armfuls of assorted Chinese food.

I feel too embarrassed to share my Butch drama, so I opt for the abridged version. I'm reminded of Lee's baby while being around my brother. I wonder if he knows yet. Would he still be protecting Gotham if he did?