Prince of Darkness ~ Gotham

~ Chapter Forty Nine: Whatever It Takes ~

Rain pitter-pattered against the car window as Holly stared at the passing buildings and streetlights. The further they got from her mom's apartment, the more her heart sank. "You still alive back there?" Harvey looked through the mirror into the backseat, seeing the sadness etched on the young girl's face. But Holly's only response was her sniffing and wiping at her tears. The car ride continued in silence. Taking her eyes away from the window, Holly looked down at her phone; the lock screen of her and her parents together only added to the flow of sadness. The only life she had ever known was crumbling before her eyes, and no matter how hard she tried to hold onto the past, she knew there was no coming back.

"Does mom still love me?" She quivered. "Of course she does, sweetheart," Jim assured. "She always will. This is just another rough patch we have to get through," He reached into the back, resting his hand on her shoulder. "But this time, you're not together anymore," Holly pointed out. "What's going to happen now?" she couldn't help but ask, needing to get the question off her chest. "I don't know, Hols. But whatever happens, your mom and I will figure it out," Jim answered. While the answer Holly was looking for wasn't quite clear, she could feel the knot in her stomach start to loosen. "How far is this place?" Harvey asked, taking another turn onto the countryside road.

"Just another turn, and up this hill," Holly pointed to her left. While part of her did want to take part in another investigation, the family drama had sucked every ounce of interest out of her. She didn't feel comfortable being alone, so staying the night with Cara seemed like the only reasonable and less dangerous option. As they went through the main gates and pulled into the driveway, Holly muttered a soft "Thank you," to Harvey before leaning into the front seat to hug her dad. "I'm sorry, Hols," Jim whispered. "It's fine, Dad," Holly assured, shutting the car door.

Jim sighed as he watched Holly drag herself up the steps to the front door. "You have no idea what's coming, do you?" Harvey broke the silence, making Jim turn his head. "What are you talking about?" He quirked a brow. But as Harvey tried to open his mouth and elaborate, he backed out at the last second. "I'll tell you later. We gotta get back to work,"

~~~~~~~~~

Thunder and lightning boomed outside of Wayne Manor as darkness filled the sky. The downpour of the evening rain followed soon after. All was quiet in Wayne Manor as Bruce and Alfred settled in for the night. But not long after dinner, a loud and hurried knock came from downstairs. Alfred slowly approached the staircase, reaching for his loaded revolver. After the last unexpected visitors, he was not taking any more chances. The knocking continued as he reached the end of the staircase and as he opened the back door, he saw an older man, completely drenched, shivering from the bitter cold. "Yes, sir. How can I help you?" Alfred asked him.

Slowly, the man lifted his head, and as Alfred met his gaze, his jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Re-Reggie?" Alfred stammered, surprised to see him after so many years. "Sorry for calling so late.  Forgive me," Reggie muttered. "Oh my god, mate. How long's it been?" Alfred asked, tucking his revolver back into his belt. "20 years," Reggie answered. "C-can I come in? It's freezing," "Yes, of course. Come on in," Alfred opened the door and led Reggie into the living room, handing him a dry towel and a warm blanket.

"How did you find me?" Alfred sat down in the seat opposite of him. "I got picked up by the GCPD last night for trying to sleep under the Westbury Bridge," Reggie explained. He took a sip from the drink Alfred poured for him, and in the dim lighting, Alfred could see the years had not been very kind to his old friend. "One of the officers was a Marine back in the day. So, we got to talking. I told him I was with Her Majesty's Special Air Service back in the day," Reggie continued. "So, he took pity on me. He says: "Why don't you look up some of your old regiment? You know, see if one of the guys can help you out."