Mama Gotham

Grown Up

Alyssa's face was pale and her eyes were glassy. Her voice shook as she spoke. "What are you doing here?"

"I was practically dragged." Jamie threw an angry look at Harvey. "Your friend said you had something to say to me. If its sorry, my response is 'too little too late.'"

"H-Harvey...." Alyssa looked at him. "I asked you not to do this, why would you do this?!"

"Because its making you miserable, and I can't stand to see that!"

Jamie scoffed. "Of course she's miserable; she had our parents thrown in jail just because they wouldn't let her see her little circus freak."

"His name's Jerome." Alyssa informed.

"Don't care." Jamie shook her head and huffed. "Well, I'm here now. Might as well give me an explanation."

"You still owe me a reason. You broke apart our family, I'd like to know why."

"No you don't...." she shook her head.

"It was the circus freak wasn't it? God, I was hoping you'd have a better reason."

"Okay, I'm gonna need you to start calling him Jerome." Alyssa said, her voice sounding more firm. Jamie being here was bringing up a lot of unpleasant things that Alyssa had imagined she'd be devastated over. But she wasn't devastated, she was just angry.

"Why should I? What do you care? Clearly he's more important to you than me–"

"I was protecting you, you ungrateful brat!" Alyssa finally snapped, making both other people in the room flinch.

"....What are you talking about?" Jamie asked once she'd recovered. "Protecting me from what?"

"Open your eyes, Jamie." she said lowly, stepping closer to her. "What the hell did you think was going on in that house? The screaming, locking the bedroom door every night. I mean, how many times did you play doctor on me, and you still haven't figured it out?!" she shook her head. "I was fine when you were a kid, but do you know what? Time to grow up sis."

******

*ten years ago*

"Are those bruises?"

The then ten year old Jerome pulled his sleeve down, cursing it for slipping up to show the purple mark on his arm.

"J...." Alyssa took his arm and pushed the sleeve back up. Her eyes went wide with concern. "What happened?"

Jerome could tell by the look in her eyes that she already knew – or at least had a pretty good idea. She just wanted him to say she was wrong.

For the first time since he had met her, Jerome pulled away from the older girl and shyed into himself.

She sighed. "Alright. You don't have to tell me. Just....remember I'm your friend."

"I know." Jerome said in a small voice.

"And you can always trust me, always come to me for anything."

Jerome looked up at her and saw what he had always wanted to see in Alyssa's eyes; sincerity. She was worried, she wanted him safe, but she wasn't going to pressure him into anything he didn't want.

As he always did when Alyssa Connors overwhelmed him with emotions he didn't understand, he threw his arms around and held her tightly, as though she'd disappear if he let go.

And she might. It was getting late and she'd have to go home. And the circus wasn't going to be in Gotham for much longer.

"Promise you'll come back next July?" he asked, his face buried into her shoulder. She always did, but it was still nice to have something to hold onto.