Mama Gotham

Through Dark And Light, I Fight To Be

A/N: Double update so everyone can be happy!

Despite Jerome turning himself in before the big finale, he had still done a considerable amount of damage, and the people of Gotham were not eager to forgive and forget. Their shouts and protest fell on deaf ears however, because as his legal guardian, Alyssa got the major say in what to do with him.

Several pay outs to the families of those who'd been killed later, Jerome was back in Arkham with a threat to the warden that is she heard he was being mistreated it would be his head.

As for the other members of the Maniax!, Theo seemed to have caught on to where Jerome had disappeared to long before it hit the news, for his apartment was spotless. Apparently, the word of one 'maniac' was not enough reason to arrest him or question him further.

"With all due respect detective, I found it surprising that Jerome would turn himself in. You don't, think he might be up to something, do you?"

"You leave those worries to me." Alyssa rolled herself into the room on her wheelchair – her muscles had not yet recovered enough to support her walking. "Hello. We haven't been formally introduced; Alyssa Connors."

"I've heard the name." he shook her hand, looking slightly surprised. "I also heard that you were in a comma at Gotham General."

"Well there's been several developments you see. I woke up." she gave him an innocent smile. "As for Jerome, as his legal guardian, he's under my jurisdiction. Rest assured, he'll be getting the care he needs."

"He shot you."

"I'm aware. Its what drove him to turn himself in actually – he cares for me very much, couldn't stand that he was the reason I nearly met with death."

"Ms. Connors knows how to handle Valeska." Jim said with a sigh. "And if he's willing to get better for her sake, I say its a winning solution."

"Well then." Theo looked between them. "Let us hope that Ms. Connors will always be around to save the day." he smiled.

"Oh don't worry. I will be."

******

There was quite a lot of damage control to be done. Oswald was trying to rebuild a kingdom that had taken a heavy hit with the weeks of chaos, several news channels were accusing Alyssa and the law for letting Jerome off easy, and Edward hadn't stopped fussing over her since she'd returned home form the hospital.

Alyssa had upgraded from a wheelchair to crutches, but she still found them to be a pain. She didn't like being handicapped, it made her feel weak.

It didn't help that her boyfriend was trying to do everything for her. She had snapped at him more than once, and the kicked puppy look he had gotten broke her heart.

Alyssa sighed and pulled her shirt over her head; changing was the only thing Edward had left the room for. He had blushed and stuttered, but he had gone to wait in the living room.

As she buttoned up a clean shirt, her reflection in the mirror on her closet door caught her eye. Grabbing her crutches from the side of the bed, she hobbled over to it. Eyes fixed on the reflective surface, she pushed up the hem of her half-buttoned shirt.

A lifetime of poor company had left its marks. There were very few places on Alyssa that didn't have some kind of scar. Some were big, some were small, quite a few were well faded. But the scare of the bullet wound on her stomach was still red and ugly.

Each scar had its story; her father, a drunkard she had pissed off, the man who had tortured her on Fish's orders. It was as though she were a piano, and each scar played a different note as she brushed her fingers over it.