Born to Fly

Bittersweet - ✔

At some point during the most peaceful slumber I've had in years, an alarm sounds to ruin it.

"Sera." Someone nudges my arm before kissing my head. "Sera."

I lean into the warm body, slowly prying open my eyelids to see Oswald. "Hmmm? Hello."

"Good morning." He must've taken a shower. He smells so good.  "If you want to get ready for your mother's funeral, I believe now is the time to do so."

I sit up frantically and throw on one of his old shirts. "I need a ride home like right now."

"Um, Sera." He catches me at the top of the stairs.

"Yeah?"

"Pants?"

"Oh, right."

Butch accompanies me to the house while Cobblepot stays to finish getting ready. He never seems to mind taking me various places. Maybe it's because I am very generous with my food.

"How'd you sleep?"

My cheeks turn bright pink. "Good. Fine. Adequately." I clear my throat. "Why?"

"We all know you slept with him."

"Did he announce it when he was shutting things down?"

"Hey, I'm not complaining. We got a night off."

Embarrassment causes me to go silent, and even though he says he's not complaining, I can see something in his eyes. He's hurting. It's not the same kind of pain from the conditioning. It feels personal.

I hand him the remote. "I'm going to fix myself up. Snacks are in the pantry, as you know."

"Thanks, Mom."

I only have a limited amount of time to put myself together, so I slip on a long, black dress, flats, and my usual accessories. I curl my hair, allowing it to drip just down to my shoulders. I pick up a makeup brush to apply it but give before I even start. I run down the stairs.

"I was just about to tell you that we need to go. Wow, Sera. You clean up nicely."

"Thanks, Butch."

"No, I'm serious," he says as we pull out onto the street. "You're gorgeous."

A weird flurry of butterflies kicks in my stomach. They're not at all the same kind of butterflies I have with Penguin.

"Well, thanks. It's for my mother. She loved dressing me up. What about you, Butch?"

"What about me?"

"What were your parents like?"

He sinks into his chair, clearly uncomfortable. "Yeah, I have them. They're both alive. They live upstate in some old person home, so I don't see them too much. Dad still calls me every day."

"Who pays for it?"

"I do. Being Penguin's lap-dog pays."

"I'm so sorry," I begin. "I want to help you get out of this life."

"Do you? You seem so comfortable as the queen of Gotham. I thought you'd all but forgotten about me."

"I would never. I remember the promise I made to you long before I was with Oswald. Even if we could get you out of town long enough—"

"Penguin would have his men on me by the time I got to Gotham's city line."

"I can distract him. When he realizes you're gone, it'll be too late."

"I'm glad you want to help me, Sera. But there are other things going on that keep me here. If I could get out of the city, I would've done it forever ago."