Mama Gotham

Charms And Guns

A/N: Pictures are the charms on Alyssa's charm bracelet. She gets the star one to represent Jerome herself, but everyone gives her the others.

"Happy birthday!"

The teenage boys grinned as Oswald set a small, wrapped box on the beside table.

"What are you idiots doing here so early?" Alyssa groaned.

"Its noon." Oswald informed.

"Is it?" she lifted her head to read the clock.

Edward frowned. Alyssa had been sleeping at odd hours quite a lot lately. She seemed nervous and disoriented, and it was beginning to worry him.

He brushed the thoughts off. It was her birthday, it was a day of celebration.

"Oswald and I pooled our money together to get you something." Edward smiled.

"You didn't have to do that." Alyssa said, sitting up.

"We know, But we wanted to."

"Open it!" Oswald said excitedly.

Grabbing the box, she pulled at the ribbon and tore off the paper. Sitting comfortably inside a little white box was a silver charm bracelet with two charms: a dove and a question mark.

"We figured you could add to it as time goes on." Edward said. "Keep the memory of what's important close to you..."

"Thank you." she smiled. "That's really sweet you guys."

*******

Working for Fish Mooney kept odd hours, sometimes Fish couldn't ask her to come in for weeks.

It was just Alyssa's luck that she had to come in on her birthday.

"Connors?"

She looked up. "Detective Bullock. How's it hanging?"

"You two know each other?" Butch looked between them.

"This one's been dropping by the prenict a little too much." Harvey informed.

"You'd miss me if I stayed away." Alyssa grinned.

Since her parent's case, she had developed quite the odd relationship with the detective. Spend five minutes with them and you'd assume they hated each other, but take a closer look and you could see the friendship – hear the almost fatherly tone to the Irish man's voice.

"Tell Fish I'm here, would you?" Harvey asked Butch, who nodded and went to retrieve the boss. "Yo Connors, catch."

Alyssa jumped and fumbled to catch the small plastic bag thrown at her. She looked down at it to see a small police badge charm.

"Your boys told me what they had planned. Figure I'm important enough to be represented too."

She smiled. "Aww, you do care."

He rolled his eyes. "Happy birthday kid."

"I didn't know it was your birthday Alyssa." they both turned as Fish entered the room. "How old are you dear?"

"Seventeen."

"Aw, they grow up so fast, don't they Harvey?"

"Ah, she's annoying now as she was when she was a sprite."

"Love you too!" Alyssa chuckled. She still didn't feel comfortable around Fish, but Harvey contradicted that, making for an interesting internal battle.

Fish chuckled. "Why don't you and I do business in the back while Butch takes Alyssa out for her training?"

Alyssa shifted slightly, but still followed Butch out to the alley. Despite being Fish's right hand man, Butch was nicer to her than any of the other men. 'Training' with him usually consisted of learning how to fight, how to spot weakness, subtle manipulation, and how to fire a gun. 'Tricks of trade' he always said.

Alyssa had always fired at cans though, which is why she was so put off when they came out to the alley and there was a man who was bound, gagged, and bloody waiting for them.

"Uh...should I ask?" she looked at Butch with wide eyes.

"Boss thought it was time you upgraded from cans."

Alyssa gulped. "No thank you."

"Kid, you knew what you signed up for."

"I was held at gun point." she reminded.

"True." Butch nodded. "But you're in the game now. No turning back." he handed her a gun.

Alyssa's hands shook, making the metal rattle. If she had fired then, she certainly would've missed – and that was saying something at this range.

"I-I don't wanna...."

Butch sighed. "Look, if it was up to me, you wouldn't have to. But Fish has her ways. Don't worry, first one's always the hardest."

The man – who's name Alyssa still didn't know – screamed against his gag and looked at her with pleading eyes.

"No. Nononono...." she shook her head violently.

Butch banged on the steel door behind him, and the sound made Alyssa jump.

Bang!

The man slumped to the floor, blood spilling out a hole in his forehead. The still warm gun clattered to the ground and Alyssa backed up against the way, breathing heavily and looking terrified.

"Easy Alyssa..." Butch pulled her into his side, rubbing her arm.