Paralyzer [Gotham]

25

[10 years later]

When I walked through the door of my home, my ears were pierced by high decible screams, equally loud laughter soon following. Entering the livingroom, I found Andy wrestling her uncle on the floor, my brother trapped within a fairly decent hog tie. "I see someone listened to bubby," I chuckled, smiling when her dark eyes met mine.

"Mommy!" Carefully untangling her limbs from her namesake, Andromeda bounced into my arms with a hug, soon turning back to her captive. "Uncle Andy was teaching me how to interrogate!" My eyes widened several fractions as I diverted my stare from my child's unruly waves to my brother. Gagged and with his hands tied to his ankles, all he could do was shrug.

"I know we all agreed to home school her but come on," I sighed. "Let your uncle go," I then instructed to the smallest redhead in the room. With a sigh, she grabbed a tail of rope in both hands, giving it a strong tug before Andy's limbs went snapping back into resting positions with a prolonged groan. I didn't get to scold her before the front door was opening again, her firey waves flying past me.

"Daddy!" I turned with a smile as Victor hoisted Andromeda up to sit on his hip, a wide smile on his face.

"Hello, my little galaxy," he greeted, dark eyes scanning over me before closing the distance.

"Ew, guys, that's gross," Andy huffed when Victor briefly met my lips. Intending to tease her, he locked his arm around my waist, chuckling against his lips when she huffed and let herself down. "Come on, Uncle Andy. Let's go play in my room." I took a deep breath as his now spare hand tangled in the hair at the base of my head, forcing my eyes to meet his.

"I missed you, too, Victor," I hummed, meeting his lips again. He kept himself busy with work most days, the times we did get to see him were few and far between. If not for Andrew's support, I would've crumbled under the weight of single parenthood long ago. I flashed Andrew an appreciative smile as he passed, getting a small smile in return before turning back to Victor. "You've been busy," I breathed, taking note of the tallies climbing out of his collar.

"You wouldn't believe how hard it is to work with the new guy in town," he scoffed, pulling me further into the house than the entryway. "Dresses like a friggin' bat, can you believe it?"

"Only in Gotham," I chuckled. After sitting on the couch, Zsasz pulled me into his lap, easily relaxing into the way he buried his face in my neck and his fingers traced over my sides. "You're being careful, aren't you?"

"Of course, Lucian." I took a deep breath and leaned my head into his. "Not everyone can be reinstated into the limelight like you." I sighed and shook my head. His skills spoke reputation enough for Victor, even after seventeen years, he was still as sharp as the day I met him, still as menacing as the day I was trapped under his fire. Despite that, Penguin had done a splendid job defacing him and it had been a rough climb back for Victor, especially without Carmine to keep him on the straight and narrow.

We lost bubby a few years back, Andromeda loved her farm even more than Victor had imagined she would, what with all the animals and freedom to explore. But after she passed he had me sell the land, I sold it to a farmer who I knew would make good use of it, but Victor'd been worse for wear after that and that's when we started seeing less of him. As soon as Andy was through mourning, he spent days, even weeks, at a time away to grieve in his own twisted way. "Please talk to me."

"Woman, last I checked they had you working in the ER, and you still do everything but shrink," he pointed out, irritation hidden well within his humor. "Don't make me Patient Zero." I sighed but didn't get to argue, Andy's little feet stomping through the house at a quick speed.