Mama Gotham

Family Matters

*Eight years ago*

Since Haly's Circus was only in Gotham for a month every year, it was very easy to forget the safe haven it offered. One month of happiness to eleven months of hell hardly seemed a fair trade.

But then Alyssa showed up and everything bad just seemed to fade away. It didn't matter how many men his mother had had in the trailer, it didn't matter what she'd say or how much she had her lovers would hit him – he'd take it all if it meant he'd get to hold her hand a little longer.

Though neither of them spoke up about it, Jerome knew Alyssa was aware of the kind of person his mother was. He saw it in her eyes everytime she saw the bruises on him, everytime she yelled at Lyla when the two crossed paths.

She had tried to take him away once. Her father had found him hiding in her closet and....Jerome didn't like to think about it.

So, he held onto her promise that when she got the big brick house with the really long driveway – or any house at all for that matter – she'd let him stay there, just the two of them.

Not to say that there weren't bad days, even in July. Sometimes Jerome would run out of stories or mess up a magic trick and the wall would just break. She'd always hold him close however, not minding the tears and snot that got on her shirt.

"People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one." she sang softly. "And we've just begun. Think I'm gonna have a son." she traced circles on his back, making him melt into her. "He will be like she and me, as free as a dove. Conceived in love. Sun is gonna shine above. And even though we ain't got money. I'm so in love with ya honey. And everything will bring a chain a' love. And in the morning when I rise, bring a tear of joy to my eyes, and tell me everything is gonna be alright."

The song spoke of such a happy world where families loved each other. Jerome imagined that that was his life and that Alyssa was his mother instead of Lyla. She'd never hurt him and they could be happy in the big brick house in the nice neighborhood. They could take care of each other; he'd never let anything hurt her...

*******

A street bum screamed as he was thrown out the window of an abandoned building.

"Jerome Valeska. The attack on the GCPD. Someone on the streets is talking." Jim said. "Someone knows something."

"Valeska has red hair, crazy laugh." Harvey held up the mug shot. "Might be rollin' with a blonde number."

"I-I don't know anything. Honest!"

"You believe him?" Jim looked at his partner.

"Nope." Harvey pocketed the pictures.

"Me neither." he swung a hard hit at the bum's jaw.

"Its the truth!" he exclaimed. "But hey, I know who would know! That Connors chick, if anyone's saying stuff she knows about it!"

"Connors is a friend of ours. She's in Gotham General because Valeska put a bullet in her stomach!" Harvey snapped.

"Valeska killed a friend of ours, and put another in a coma on life support." Jim said lowly. "Anybody hides him, anybody helps him, they go down too. Got it?" the man nodded nervously. "Now spread the word."

"Wait no -!" he screamed as the detectives threw him out the window.

******

Across town, Selina threw the phone at the wall after calling the hospital for the hundredth time. 'No change.' they said. 'Visiting hours are from ten to three.' they said. 'Immediate family only' they said.