"When you're a jet, you're a jet all the way, from your first cigarette to your last dyin' day," Riff sings. Naturally, me and Barbara can't help but sing along. What? Just 'cause I'm a rough tough street kid does not mean I can't love musicals, and let me just say that West Side Story is the greatest ever.

"I can't believe you love musicals!" Barbara exclaims when the song ends. "I figured you'd like stuff like ACDC and Metallica." I laugh.

"Have you not seen half of my closet?" I ask her. "I do love stuff like that! I can have multiple interests, can't I?" She smiles.

"What's your favorite band?" I think about it.

"ACDC." She nods as the door opens and Jim walks in. I reach over to the coffee table and pause the movie.

"Hey, Jim," Barbara says. "You're home earlier than we thought." He nods as I look backwards over the back of the couch.

"Yeah," he says. "Got out a little sooner than I thought I would." I smile.

"Wanna watch the movie with us?" I ask. I may act a little clueless, but I'm not clueless enough to not notice how tired Jim looks. He looks at the TV and smiles.

"What're you watching?" I look at Barbara, then back at him.

"West Side Story." He tilts his head in confusion.

"You like musicals?" Barbara laughs as I sigh.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? Yes, for Christ's sake. I like musicals!" He laughs tiredly.

"I would love to," Jim says "but I think right now I really just wanna go on a walk, then go to bed." I nod as he walks over, kisses Barbara, kisses me on the head, and leaves again. I look at Barbara.

"Continue?" I ask. She smiles and nods as I press play.

~~~

Barbara's P.O.V.

I walk up the stairs to Jim's desk, hoping to see him sitting there working on a case, but I have no such luck.

"Detective Bullock?" I ask as I walk up. He looks up at me.

"Miss Kean," he says with a smile.

"James went for a walk last night," I say, "and he never came back. He and Cassie are supposed to go running later. She's really looking forward to it. Have you heard from him? I'm really worried about him."

"She's excited to go running?" he asks. I nod. "Weird kid. He's on a stake out. His phone probably ran out of juice is all." Do I believe it? While I really want to, I do not.

"Oh. Right, well, that's a relief," I say, lying through my teeth. "Thank you." He smiles.

"No problem."

Cassie's P.O.V.

I walk down the stairs from the platform above the room Jim is being held in. Honestly, it's kind of funny how he looks. I mean, come on, guys. He's hanging upside down in a row of dead pigs. How is that not hilarious?

Yeah, I knew about Jim getting kidnapped. I know everything Fish does. I even know they're planning on killing him. Sure, I don't exactly want to get thrown out of the streets again, but this plan was perfect until he showed up and messed with things. It's his own fault, really.

I walk over to Butch, who's standing by Jim, and he looks over at me, nodding in greeting. I nod back and look at Jim. He's just barely managing to stay conscious.

"Over here," Butch tells the guy with a camera. "You'll get a better angle."

"What?" the guy asks. "You're a director now?" Butch frowns.

"Don't get fresh. I'm just saying."

"Hey, Butch!" we hear. We look over to see Harvey walking up.

"Harvey," Butch says. "Who told you we'd be here?" I cock my head to the side, not taking my eyes off Harvey.

"Everybody knows this is where you take your problems," Harvey says. "That's my partner you got there."

"Ex-partner."

"Oh," Harvey says, nodding. "Let me talk to Fish." Butch narrows his eyes at Harvey but pulls out his phone. I only hear bits of the conversation.

"Bullock showed up at the plant...Wants to talk to you." He walks over to Jim, who is now standing by Jim.

"Give me a moment, kid," I hear Harvey say. "You're doing good. Fish...Don't be like that. Listen, you gotta let my boy go. How long we been friends?...The kid's not your problem. He was hipped to the frame by Major Crimes, they'll be coming after you...The usual way, I guess. Somebody talked...That's what everybody says." I would pay real money that probably wouldn't be mine to know the rest of this conversation. "Listen, you gotta let my boy go. Hmm? You kill my partner, I gotta come after you. I don't wanna do it, but how am I gonna look you kill my partner, I don't make a move?...I promise...Cool." He gives the phone back to Butch, then walks back over to Jim. Butch walks over to me, and we walk far enough away so Jim and Harvey won't be able to hear us before putting the phone on speaker.

"Yeah, boss," Butch says.

"That son-of-a-bitch just threatened me," Fish says. "You hang him up with his partner." Butch smiles. I don't.

"You got it." I walk back over to Jim and Harvey, who barely look up at me.

"Are we rolling?" Butch asks the camera dude after we hang Harvey up. He nods.

"How you doing?" Harvey asks Jim.

"Been better," he says. "Thanks for trying to help." Harvey scoffs.

"Wish I hadn't." I shake my head at them. "Hey, Butch!"

"Save your breath," Butch says. "If it was up to me, you'd get a bullet in the head and a decent funeral." He looks at me, and I shake my head. "But Fish has her ways." He looks back at the camera dude. "Yo, Franky! Showtime." Oh, so his name's Franky. Good to know. I look up as none other than Carmine Falcone walks in. "Don Falcone." Falcone looks at Butch.

"Forgive me, young man, I forget what your name is," he says. "Or perhaps I never knew it." Butch nods.

"Gilzean, sir." Falcone nods.

"Gilzean. Tell Miss Mooney she's too impetuous. If she wants to kill policemen, she has to ask permission." Butch gulps, but nods.

"Yes, sir."

"There are rules. Cut them down."

"That's right," Harvey says as he stands up. "There are rules!" Falcone walks up to Jim.

"It's good to meet you at last, James," he says. "I knew your father very well. The best DA this city ever had. He and I understood each other. There was respect. Friendship, even."

"Friendship?" Jim asks. I tilt my head in confusion.

"Trust me," Falcone says, "that's the only reason you're alive now. Blood doesn't lie. I know that when you leave here, you'll do the right thing." Jim nods.

"I will," he says. "I'll tell what I know." I have to hold back a groan. He's gonna get himself killed.

"Which is what?" Falcone asks.

"I know that you own the police department, probably the mayor too. And I was sure that you had the Waynes killed. But if you did, you wouldn't risk letting me live, would you? Then again, how did Fish Mooney come to have Martha Wayne's necklace? A replica?" Falcone nods.

"Yes."

"But if you didn't have them killed, why frame Mario Pepper? Or are you covering up for somebody else?"

"Who knows who killed the Waynes? Some lowlife. We needed a culprit before the funeral. Pepper was sacrificed so that the people of Gotham would see swift justice done. So they can feel safe and secure."

"And that matters so much to you."

"Of course. I'm a businessman. You can't have organized crime without law and order. I love this city, and I see it going to hell. But I won't let it fall apart without a fight."

"You make a life of crime sound very noble."

"You have a hard head, James, just like your father." I'm honestly surprised they haven't noticed that I'm still here. "Don't be self-righteous. Don't be arrogant." Jim nods.

"You want me to keep quiet about all this."

"Gotham is on a knife edge. What do you suppose bringing down city hall and the police force will do? Even if you could. Would it make things better?" He walks away from Jim and notices me.

"Are you the young girl Fish has told me about?" he asks me. I nod, glance at Jim and Harvey, who are too busy talking to notice me, and then look back at Falcone.

"Cassie Gordon, sir," I say. He nods.

"Gordon. James' girl." I hesitate but nod. "According to Fish, however, you agreed to help us before he found you. Can we hold you to that?" I nod.

"Wholeheartedly," I say. "Don Falcone? How do I know what's right and what's wrong? I've never really had to question myself before." He nods.

"My dear," he says, putting an arm around my shoulders and walking away, "no one but you can tell you what is right and what is wrong. All they can do is tell you what they want. You have to decide what you're willing to do for them. Do you understand that?" I look up at him and nod. "What are you willing to do to help us?" I think about it.

"Fish was the first person that thought I was worth anything," I tell him. "I will do anything for her." He smiles and holds out a hand.

"Then I look forward to working with you." I smile and shake his hand.

~~~

"Cassie!" Barbara exclaims as I walk into the apartment. She looks between me and Jim, who was already there. "Oh, my god, you two!" She wraps her arms around both of us. "I was so worried." I sigh and smile as I hug her back. "You, little miss, left school today! I get that you don't like it, but that doesn't mean you can just skip it whenever you want!" I look down, pretending to be ashamed.

"I know," I say. "I'm sorry."

"Where were you?" Jim asks. I sigh.

"I went back to my roof," I tell him. He doesn't say anything and instead looks surprised. "This whole...family thing is weird for me. I just wanted to get back to where I've felt safe for years. Just for a little while." Jim sighs and nods, but Barbara is still angry.

"That doesn't give you an excuse to scare us like that!" Jim places a hand on her shoulder, and, after we calm down Barbara, walks over to me quietly.

"Hey," he says. "I'm gonna head over to Wayne Manor. There are some things I need to talk to Bruce about. Would you mind coming along? He seems comfortable around you." I nod.

As we pull up to the house, I see Alfred standing outside, looking up. I get out of the car, and my face pales. Bruce is standing on top of the house.

"Hey!" Alfred yells. "Master Bruce, get your bloody ass down off there! How many times have I told you?" Bruce hesitates but eventually steps down, and we go inside to meet him.

"Why were you up on the roof?" Jim asks him. Bruce sighs.

"I'm learning to conquer fear," he tells us. I tilt my head. I gotta say, I feel sorry for the kid. I mean, I lost my parents too, but I never knew them. He did.

"Fear doesn't need conquering," Jim tells Bruce. "Fear tells you where the edge is. Fear is a good thing." Alfred scoffs.

"And you think I haven't told him that, do you?" he asks. Bruce rolls his eyes.

"You came here for a reason, I imagine." Jim nods.

"Yes. Mario Pepper didn't kill your parents. He was framed by the police department and the mob working together. We killed an innocent man." As it sinks in, Alfred nods.

"Right," he says. "So who did it, then?" Jim sighs.

"I don't know."

"I see. Well, sterling work there, then, mate." Jim nods.

"Yes, I'm sorry." Bruce stands up.

"Don't be," he says. "I'm glad he's still alive. I wanna see him again."

"Bruce," Jim says. "I'm asking you to give me a second chance. I'm going to find out who killed your parents and why. And I'm gonna clean up the damn police department if I can. But I can only do that from the inside. So I'm asking you to stay silent about what I've told you. Your call." Alfred sighs.

"Right," he says. "Well, that's sort of convenient, isn't it?" Bruce looks up at him. "Alfred!" he exclaims, shutting him up. He looks back at me and Jim. "Thank you."

I don't own Gotham or its characters. I only own my characters and their plot. So don't steal. It's not nice.