Mama Gotham

Its Not Your Fault

Alyssa tossed the switchblade up in a circle in the air catching the handle as it came down with a practiced precision.

'You're a good kid Alyssa, but this is not a good city. I hope that changes one day, but until then better safe than sorry.'

Nicholas Gordon had always been a remarkable man to Alyssa. He'd always seemed happy and content with himself, which was saying something as he was a DA in Gotham. She'd never thought to ask him how he did it – how he kept such a hold on his life with everything the city put him through.

Catching the knife once more, Alyssa paused to watch it gleam in the light. Turning her wrist slightly, the light also caught the faded sliver lines there; scars of the people she'd done wrong. Or hadn't.

'You little bitch!'

'Daddy no! Please!'

Her hand jerked violently and she dropped the switchblade, which dug itself into the wood floor. Sighing, Alyssa bent down and pulled it out. She had a job to do. She had to focus.

Her predecessor had been found exactly where Barbara said he would be, and this had given Jim Gordon viable reason to arrest Theo Galavan, who was now in Blackgate awaiting trial. There was a rumor going around that James was going to fight to get his position as mayor back, but there was also a rumor that after he spoke at the trial he was moving to Florida, and option B sounded more like the man she knew.

The sound of the apartment window opening brought her back to reality. She felt the breeze before she looked to see Selina climbing inside.

"What do you have against doors?"

"Leeme alone." she muttered, attempting to go to her room. Keyword being attempting, she was cut off by Alyssa quickly moving to stand in front of her.

"Hey..." she blocked her attempt to side-step her. "Kitten, what's wrong?"

"What do you care?" she snapped. "You're the mayor now! Don't you have work to do?"

"Selina Kyle, don't you dare think that I'd ever put my job ahead of your wellbeing. I told you from the beginning: I'm a mother first and forever."

Selina scoffed. "As if! You've been so busy lately you barely have time for the kids at the hotel – let alone me!"

"And that's an issue I've apologized for a hundred times – I've been trying to make a balance, but I'm still new at this!"

"Whatever. Don't know why I ever bothered to have faith in people." she tried to walk around her, but Alyssa caught her arm.

"Selina please. Tell me what's wrong."

She looked down with a stiff expression. "What do you do when a boy has a crush on someone that's no good?"

"Are we talking about Bruce?"

"No. Yes. Maybe."

"What did that little brat do? I'll break his rich boy nose, I don't care how tough his butler is!"

"He didn't –" Selina sighed. "Well he did, but I don't want you to break his nose. He's just being really stupid and can't tell that this girl is bad news. When I tried to tell him, he just got mad at me..."

"He's a boy, sweetie." Alyssa led her daughter to sit down on the couch. "Its what they do; they see a pretty face and build this ideal in their head before they even meet the real person."

Selina huffed. "Why are boys such idiots?"

"Because the world has spent all its time coddling them." Alyssa patted her arm. "The same thing happened when Ed got his first crush; the girl was the exact opposite of what he built up in his head. Don't worry too much kitten, they eventually realize who the good people are."