A/N: Picture is Alyssa's painting.
Alyssa hadn't heard from her sister since their original confrontation. She was not about to be the one to seek her out, but she still kept the bodyguards on her in spite of herself. She may not be very happy with Jamie, but that didn't mean she wanted her to fall victim to the city of sins.
All of her friends were worried about her, but they didn't say a word. To her credit, Alyssa was still functioning perfectly. It was just when the word 'Jamie' was mentioned that she threw whatever she had in hand at the speaker.
Right now she was attending the memorial service Falcone was having for Fish. She would have much rather been celebrating with Oswald and Maroni.
"Now Alyssa, I know you and Fish didn't get along." Falcone said, handing her a drink.
"She tried to kill me. More than once."
"I know." he chuckled as though talking about attempted murder was a normal thing. Then again, look who's talking. "But hear me out; I'd like you to take her place."
Alyssa choked on her drink. "E-excuse me?"
"You are a remarkable woman, Alyssa. Powerful, ambitious. You're a good person, but you know how to work this city. I admire that about you."
"Thank you, Don Falcone...."
He nodded. "That's why I want you to take Fish's place as my second. You'll be good for Gotham, Alyssa. Put enough elbow grease into it, you just might change this city for the better."
*******
*nine months ago*
Knock knock knock!
The young boy looked up from the desk he was doing his homework at. The woman in the doorway smiled at him.
"Hello, I'm looking for Gerald Crane?"
"I-I'm his son, Jonathan." he stood. "Who are you?"
"My name's Alyssa Connors." she stepped forward and held out her hand to shake. Jonathan hesitated to do so, but if she noticed she didn't comment on it.
"W-why are you looking f-for my dad?" Jonathan asked, cursing himself for stuttering. But oddly enough, she didn't seem bothered by it like everyone else. She didn't even roll her eyes.
"I'm trying to get teachers to sign this." she pulled a clipboard from under her arm and showed him the petition on it. "Dondilinger's been running out of reasons to keep street kids out of the school. His most recent one is that teachers wouldn't want them in their classes, so I'm trying to prove him wrong."
The petition only had about three signatures, which made Jonathan feel kind of bad for her.
"W-why are you trying to get the street kids into school?"
Alyssa raised an eyebrow. "Taking care of street kids is kinda my MO. Haven't you seen the news lately kid?"
He shook his head. "Dad doesn't like it. S-says there's t-too much bad news."
"Well I like to think of myself as good news. The reporters like to call me 'Mama Gotham.' I've been taking in street kids around the city for over a year now. I put them to work at the businesses I own in exchange for food and a warm bed, but I want more for my kids than to spend their whole lives mopping the floors and busing tables. And the way to do that, is to get them an education." she tapped her clipboard.
Jonathan was fascinated. "So you help them get a better life?"
"Not just them; my corner of the city is open to anyone who needs a safe place to go. As long you pay your dues and don't mess with anything I care about, there's a spot for you at the table."
******
With Mama Gotham's responsibilities rising, it was a wonder Alyssa Connors had any free time to spend annoying the GCPD.
Yet still she found herself on the roof where a dead body had been found, once again, arguing with Harvey Bullock.
"You're gonna get yourself killed!"
"Well I can't exactly pull out! When Don Falcone offers you a position of power, you say yes!"
"Harvey, Alyssa." Essen came up to them, bringing their argument to a halt.
"Captain." they both nodded.
"What do we got?" she asked, used to their love-hate relationship.
"Sometime last night Mr. Lucky there got tied to that chair, noose was dropped over his neck, he was heaved over the side. Some suits comin' up for a smoke this morning found him."
"How'd he get back up to the roof?"
"See that pulley there?" Alyssa pointed behind her. "My guess, it was the killer."
"Guy went to a lot of trouble to get him back up. Why not just leave him hanging?"
Edward came up behind her and Alyssa smiled at him. "Good morning Captain." he said, his eyes flickering to his girlfriend.
"Morning Ed."
"The more you cut me, the bigger I grow. What am I?" he said with a grin.
"We're on a rooftop, Nygma." Harvey said. "Don't tempt me."
That earned him a sharp slap on the arm. "Don't even joke about a thing like that." she glared at him, but her gaze softened when she turned it to Edward. "You're a hole."
"Correct!" he praised.
"Okay, relevance?" Essen asked.
"Well there's a hole, a surgical incision, in our victim's abdomen. Certainly post-mortam. My guess, killer was looking for something. But I'll have to examine the body more fully back at the lab."
"You mean the medical examiner will."
"Well but –"
"You handle forensics, Ed. The bodies belong to Dr. Guerra. And he's madeformal complaints, I can't cover for you anymore."
"With all due respect Cap, your medical examiner is a putz." Alyssa informed, drawing their attention to her. "I've seen his work, its sloppy at best. Guy wouldn't know know a clue if it knocked his glasses off."
"And Ed would?" Harvey raised an eyebrow, looking between Alyssa and the genius in question.
"Stay outta this Harvey." she held up a hand to shut him up.
"Never the less, he is the medical examiner. Its his job."
"....You're the Captain." Alyssa shrugged.
******
*Three years ago*
"Oh this is the greatest day of my life!"
Lex turned away from the moving men he was directing to the young woman walking into his study.
"How'd you get in here?"
"I told you, your security sucks." she waved him off. "What's more important is this." she held up the tabloid picture with his face on it. "Boy billionaire sent to live in the sticks!" she made a title gesture with her free hand. "I love it!"
"Gimme that!" Lex tried to make a grab for the picture, but it was held from his reach.
"Now way! I'm puttin' this in a scrapbook!"
"Did you just come to make fun of me?" he raised an eyebrow.
"No, I also came to welcome you to the neighborhood." Alyssa smiled. "You wanna get some coffee? There's great cafe in town."
"Don't you have a teenager to watch?"
"He's out with friends, come on!" she pulled on his arm.
"Fine, fine!" he chuckled.
******
Working with teenagers was a task that never failed to be interesting. Annoying, occasionally grating, but interesting nonetheless. Alyssa prided herself on knowing what was going on with all her kids – not an easy task when there were over two hundred of them.
Sure, Alyssa wouldn't say she knew everything about them. One of her rules was respecting their secrets, as long as they showed up for their shifts and didn't cause too much trouble, she loved them all the same.
But she'd like to think she at least knew Selina like the back of her hand. After all, the girl was practically her daughter.
Which is why she was surprised when she walked into her apartment to find Selina slumped on the couch with her head in her hands.
"Kitten, what's wrong?"
Her head snapped up, clearly not having heard the door. This was bad; she usually had perfect hearing.
"Hey Alyssa..." Selina tried to smile at her but failed.
"Kitten..." Alyssa sat next to her.
She tried to say something else, but her voice cracked. Alyssa threw her arms around the younger girl and the embrace was returned fully. Then she felt a wet spot on her shoulder and was certain hell had frozen over.
Selina Kyle was crying.
Alyssa pulled back just enough to look at her. The wet spots on her cheeks confirmed it. She took her face in her hands and wiped the tears away with her thumbs.
"Kitten, what happened?" She asked in a soft voice, though she was having trouble reining in her anger; someone had made her daughter cry, that someone had better be hiding.
"Bruce he uh, he came back from Switzerland. He brought me snowglobe and offered to fund a 'Mama Gotham' charity project. I-I know how that sounds, but the way he put it...He said we'd be helping each other out...I'd help find who killed his parents and he'd help get me a better life...."
Alyssa sighed. "Kitten, I know its not the ideal situation –"
"No, that's not it." Selina shook her head. "I just didn't want him to see me as a charity case." she sniffed. "I like it here. I like having a place to go at night, I like working at the restaurants, I like having you as a mom, I like taking care of the little kids, and I like annoying the GCPD." she ended with a small smile.
Alyssa on the other hand was frozen with her eyes wide. "....Say that again...."
"Which part?" Selina raised an eyebrow.
"The part where you called me your mom."
The smile slipped off her face and her eyes went wide. "I-I didn't, I mean, I didn't mean –"
"Its okay Kitten." Alyssa smiled, cutting off her nervous rambling. "You don't have to say it if you don't want to. But I'm honored. I couldn't ask for a better daughter."
The tears returned to Selina's eyes but this time they were accompanied by a smile. ".....M-mom...."
Alyssa's smile widened and she pulled Selina back into her arms.
******
*Three years ago*
Lex liked Alyssa. With her, he was always able to see the bright side of things. With her, it was easy to forget his drinking problem, his father, and why he had been sent to the town she lived in the first place.
Which was why, speeding along in the silver porche as she rambled about the things to do in Smallville, he did not see the fallen truck muffler until the last second.
The pair both remembered the wide eyes of a teenage boy, crashing off the bridge, then everything was black.
Alyssa's eyes shot open as she coughed up water and gasped for breath. She frowned at the worried face above her. "Clark?"
He smiled. "Hey Alyssa. You okay?" he helped her sit up.
******
"How 'bout gettin' it right the fist time, so we don't have to keep doing this?" Harvey was yelling at someone. Alyssa wasn't listening, too busy looking over the statement from Gotham High's principal with her feet up on his desk.
"Detective Bullock?" a woman walked up to him.
"That's my name, don't wear it out." he said as he turned to look at her.
"I'm Scotty Mullins, you called me about Adam Judoski?"
"Oh y- Oh Ms. Mullins, yes, thank you for stopping by. Uh, Ms? Mrs?"
"Ms."
"Good, good. Please." he lead her up the stairs towards his desk. "So, how did you know Mr. Judoski?"
"I was his sponsor." Scotty informed. "Sort of, we're, we're in a support group together. He's dead isn't he?"
"Why would you say that?"
"This is a homicide division, you're a homicide detective." she pointed out.
"Yeah you're also talkin' about the guy in past tense; dead giveaway." Alyssa looked up from her papers to give him a sarcastic smile.
"Get outta my chair." Harvey glared at her, shooing her away.
Chuckling, Alyssa stood and tucked her papers under her arm. "Alyssa Connors, nice to meet you."
"You're Mama Gotham. I've seen you on the news." Scotty said. "What are you doing here?"
"Well when I'm not taking care of the kids I like to lend a hand around the precinct."
"Translation; she's a giant pain in my ass." Harvey said, taking his seat back. "Case and point, please?"
"Right, sorry." Scotty shook her head.
"So what kinda support group we talkin here? Booze? Pills?"
"Its for people suffering from phobias."
"You're joking." Harvey said with a slight smile.
"Fear can be debilitating, it helps to talk to someone about it. Don't be an ass."
"Excuse me?"
"You were about to make fun. Don't be an ass."
Alyssa snickered. "I like you, Scotty Mullins."
Harvey threw her a glare but surrendered. "You're right. I'm sorry, I was. No fun making." he held up his hands. "Um, what was Mr. Judoski's phobia?"
"Heights." Scotty informed.
"Oh boy." Alyssa bit her lip. "So if he was found dangling from the top of a tall building...."
"Oh my god, is that how he-"
"We're gonna need the names of in the support group."
"Its, completely anonymous, Adam was the only one I knew personally. You don't think someone from the group could've did this?"
"Could be. Killer certainly seemed to know of his phobia." he leaned back in his chair. "....Are you Irish? You seem like you could be Irish?"
"What's it to you?" Scotty asked while Alyssa looked between them with a raised eyebrow.
"Nothin'. I'm just curious. When's the next meeting?"
"Tonight. Six o'clock."
"And these things they usually run, what an hour?"
"Mmhmm." Scotty nodded.
"So, you could, maybe go to dinner, afterwards.Hypothetically."
"Hypothetically."
"Okay. Well, I'm gonna keep working the case, and I'm gonna call you if I feel the need to go to this meeting." he stood and faced her. "We're gonna find who did this. I promise, Ms. Mullins."
"Okay." she nodded before walking away.
"Harvey's got a girlfriend." Alyssa sang once she was gone.
"Shut up Connors." he glared at her before turning back to look the way Scotty had gone. "....You think she liked me?"
"I think you liked her. Otherwise I wouldn't have said 'Harvey's got a girlfriend.'"
"Do you have to be on all the time?" he rounded on her with an angry look.
"Well no, its just more fun that way." she shrugged.
******
*Three years ago*
Admittedly, Alyssa had always thought there was something off about Clark Kent.
Every now and then something odd would happen that would have to be brushed off. Alyssa didn't pry, she respected secrets and was too busy with Jerome to look into it very much anyway.
Speaking of Jerome....
"Let me through! Let me through!" he pushed through the crowd around the bridge. "Alyssa!"
"Jerome!" she jumped up, ignoring the protest of the person examining her.
The redhead was quick to throw his arms around her before stepping back to look her over. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"I'm find J, thanks to Clark. He saved me and Lex."
Jerome's eyes went to the farm boy that was his age. They had met a few times, but they weren't exactly friends. But that didn't stop Jerome from running over to him.
"Thank you." he said, drawing the boy's attention. "You saved her, thank you."
******
"Ozzy, fourth message." Alyssa said bitterly into the answering machine. "You better not have dropped off the face of the earth again. Call me back."
Clicking the end button on her phone, Alyssa finally gave up on trying to get ahold on her partner in crime. She hadn't heard from him in days, and she was worried.
As she always did when she had to get her emotions out, she picked up a brush.
The painting was just starting to take shape when there was a knock on her door. Dropping her brush in the water cup, Alyssa brushed her hands on her smock and went to open it.
"Eddie." she smiled.
"Hello Alyssa." his smile seemed slightly forced before his eyes fell on her attire. "Have you been painting?"
"Oh, yeah." Alyssa said, glancing down at her smock.
"May I see your work?"
"Uh, if you want." she nodded and stepped aside. "Not sure if its done though."
"I'm sure it'll be wonderful." he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. His eyes were immediately drawn to the canvas sitting on the easel across the room. "Is that....me?" he frowned, stepping towards it.
Alyssa turned to look, seeming just as surprised as he was. "Uh....yeah, I suppose it is...." she looked down, blushing.
"Its amazing...." he trailed, his fingers ghosting across it, not really touching it for fear of the wet paint.
"...Thanks. Eddie, not that I'm complaining, but why are you here?"
Edward looked up and had to take a moment to recall. "Oh yes." he straightened and stepped away from the wet canvas. "I came to tell you that I've been suspended from the GCPD until further notice."
"What? Why? What happened?" Alyssa frowned.
"I uh, reached my limit of warnings with the medical examiner it would seem."
"That clown?" she huffed. "Ugh, I've told Essen a thousand times to just boot him and give you the job –"
"You have? You never told me that."
"What's to tell?" she shrugged. "You and I both know he's not fit for his job, heck if anything he holds the cases back."
He chuckled. "...Just when I think you've stopped surprising me, Alyssa Connors."
"An outcome even Edward Nygma can't predict. I am good." she smirked.
"Yes you are...." he stepped up and laid his hand on her cheek. "I-is this okay?"
"You think too much poindexter." Alyssa pulled on his tie and bought his lips to hers. Edward was surprised, but returned the kiss fully.
******
*Five months ago*
"Lights out people, come on, you know when curfew is!"
"M-Ms. Connors?"
"What?" Alyssa turned as she came down the stairs of her hotel and frowned. "Johnathan? What are you doing her?"
"M-My dad, he's uh, he's working late tonight. I-I don't wanna be by myself, so I was....wondering i-if there might be a-a place for me here?"
She smiled softly. "Always room for anyone who needs it." she stepped forward and reached for his hand. "Come on, I'll find ya a bed."
******
"Remind me again, why you're dragging me to this thing?" Alyssa complained as Harvey pulled her towards the building by her wrist.
"I told you, its part of the case."
"Okay, since when do you willingly let me be part of a case?" she raised an eyebrow. Harvey didn't answer, making Alyssa dig her heels into the pavement and bring them to a stop. "Harvey. What's going on?" he opened his mouth. "The truth."
He sighed. "Honestly? Thought it might be good for you."
"Good how?" Alyssa's voice instantly became guarded.
"Good how you've been different since you came back to Gotham. Good how Iknow there's things you're not telling me, and I respect that, I just...."
"Just what?"
".....I'm worried about you."
"What?"
"Don't make me say it again, Connors."
Alyssa was silent, but she smiled. She wasn't too keen on sharing her story – let alone with Harvey in the room, but she could admit a few things just for the sake of easing the old detective's mind.
Besides, she wanted to see if he said anything.
And say things he did.
"I'm afraid every day. I'm afraid I'm gonna die, in alley, bleedin' out while some scumbag goes through my pockets, and laughs at me. And I try to speak, but nothin' comes out. And I just lie there, starin' at a small space a sky between the buildings, thinkin' about all the stupid things I did, all the stupid things Ididn't do." he glanced at Alyssa in the chair next to him. "And then I die. Alone. I don't wanna die alone in some gutter, having a million regrets. I wanna die in a warm, cozy bed, in the arms of a beautiful woman. And I want die knowin' I've got people to show up at my funeral."
".....Thank you for sharing Harvey." Scotty said, and everyone in the circle clapped. "And now, I believe Ms. Connors, wanted to share?"
Alyssa took a breath. "Okay, this is somethin' I'm doinn', fine. Honestly, not much scares me. I grew up in Gotham, and that doesn't really kindle a kid's innocence....But uh...I guess its not really me I'm scared for." she chose her words carefully. "I mean those kids have got no place else to go, they need me. Without them, what am I?" she shrugged. "I mean, I was like them once. I was alone...nobody cared about me, even the people who were supposed to left me to rot." she scoffed. "If I'm honest, I guess that's what I'm scared of. I don't wanna put myself out there and get attached just to be left out to dry. I wanna have people I can depend on, who I can just show up, and they'll be there to help me." she glanced at Harvey. "Cuz that's what family is."
"....Thank you for that, Alyssa." Scotty smiled, everyone clapped again. "Would, anyone else like to share?"
A man sitting across from her stood up and Alyssa frowned when she recognized him as Gerald Crane. She barely knew him, but she had come to know his son rather well. Johnathan had developed a habit of coming by the hotel when his father was 'working late.' He had even convinced his father to sign her petition to get the kids into Gotham High.
"My name is Tod. And, I've never spoken here before, but, I have a horrible terror of failure. I torment myself, and those around me I'd crawl upon broken glass to avoid failing. About anything. I inherited this illness from my father but,I'm afraid I'm passing it on to my son...." he stuttered over whatever it was he tried to say next, making Scotty offer support.
"We're here for you Tod."
He nodded and continued. "When I came home from work yesterday, my precious son was crying and, he said to me that he –....." he shook his head, tears pooling behind his glasses. "I'm sorry." he grabbed his coat from the back of his chair and ran out of the room. Scotty ran after him, calling his name.
Alyssa gave it about ten minutes before she smacked Harvey on the arm. "We gotta go." she said standing and grabbing her coat.
"Why?" he frowned.
"I just solved another one of your cases, now move your ass." she ran for the door. "See ya phobic people!"
******
*Five months ago*
The working late excuse was wearing thin. Johnathan showed up too often, and no teacher works that late. Alyssa half expected the over paranoid man she had only met a few times to burst through her door and demand she stay away from his son.
But he didn't, which left her to worry. She gave it two weeks, in which Johnathan showed up six out of the fourteen days, before she started asking.
"Johnathan, you trust me right?"
"Yeah, of course." he nodded. His stuttering had been getting better lately.
"So, you'd tell me if something was wrong, if anything was going on at your house?"
"W-What do you mean?"
She gave him a look. "Johnny. I offer a safe home for people who need it; you wouldn't be here unless you needed it."
"Well t-that's just it." he said. "Its safe here. I feel safe. I-I don't get a lot of that."
******
They ran as fast as they could, but they weren't fast enough. They came outside just as the car was speeding away.
Despite Alyssa being the one who had figured out that 'Tod' had taken Scotty, the Boyscout wasn't listening to her when she told him who he really was.
"Other members say our abductor's been coming the last month. Said his name was Tod, but group protocol requires they remain anonymous." Gordon was telling Essen. "No real ID."
"For the fifth time Boyscout, his name's Gerald Crane. He's a science teacher at Gotham High."
"And why the hell should I believe anything you say?" he turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "Hm?"
Alyssa scoffed. "Name, a single time, I have ever been wrong about anything."
"How would you know him?"
"I've been going down to the high school for ages, trying to convince the principal to let my kids enroll. But that's beside the point. Run the goddamn records if you have to; Dr. Gerald Crane."
"Listen to the girl Gordon." Essen said.
"Why the hell is she always involved in my cases anyway?"
"Listen, to the girl." Essen said more sternly.
Gordon huffed and went to run the name.
"Ya know Cap, when he arrested Flass a lot of people made bets on who'd do him in. And six people have their money on me."
"You hated Flass." she frowned.
"Startin' to hate the boyscout more."
******
*Four moths ago*
Johnathan had been coming to the hotel enough that he now had to start pulling his weight. He helped make dinner, he helped make sure the younger kids stayed in bed, he even helped make sure the books were straight, because as it turned out Johnathan Crane was very smart.
Alyssa and the others got used to having him around. He had become part of the family, and you could tell he loved that.
When he wasn't in his bed at night, he stuck to Alyssa mostly. He'd liked watching her work; there was something amazing about seeing someone completely in their element.
"How do you do it?" he asked her one night when she was looking over the hotel book to make sure everyone had signed in to show they'd made it back.
"Do what?"
"This. E-Everything. You're taking care of over t-two hundred kids and I've never seen you forget any of their names."
She shrugged. "They're family. Sure, its a big family, but that just makes it better."
"But, y-you're doing it all on your own."
"Not really. Some of the kids that've grown up have stuck around to help, and those that haven't have gotten rich and send checks every month." she smiled. "My kids are amazing. They're smart, they're resourceful, they just need someone to teach them how to use that. Preferably for good."
".....M-Ms. Connors?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"J-Just for taking me in. For having my back. I-I mean, you barely know me and you did it without a second thought."
Alyssa smiled at him. "Don't be silly Johnathan; you're part of the family now. That means we take care of you, damn your life outside of us."
******
"Ugh, I never get to go on any of the busts!" Alyssa huffed, flopping back in Harvey's chair as he and his partner ran off.
"Boss?" one of the cops came up towards Essen's office holding a severed arm.
"Uh, not now Joe." she tried to wave him off before the arm caught her eye. "Wait. Tell me that's not what I think it is?"
"Can I come on this bust?" Alyssa asked her, looking like an eager child.
Essen sighed. "Sure."
"Yay!"
There was something very satisfying about getting to lock someone you've never liked in handcuffs and read him his rights.
Well, sort of....
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You've also got the right to an attorney. If you can't afford an attorney, tough luck asshat! You're screwed!"
"Is she allowed to do this?!" The former medical examiner demanded.
"Eh, she's been askin' to do it for years." Essen shrugged. "I figure, let her have her fun."
Alyssa laughed with a big grin, pushing the man forward. "Thanks Cap! You're the best!"
They past a very confused Edward on their way to the holding cell, who watched as Alyssa threw him in and slammed the barred door shut.
"I just wanted the pleasure of doing that myself." she said with a satisfied grin.
"Ed, you're reinstated." Essen said, looking rather exhausted as she walked past them.
"Thank you Captain!" Edward called after her.
"Come on! Lets go celebrate!" Alyssa grabbed his wrist and pulled him along.
A/N: This is a trailer I made for this story. I kept forgetting to post it here, so here you go.