newgenog

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Summary:

Sophie and Ryan might not have spoken while Luke was in the hospital, but untied and frayed ends unraveling around them kept Ryan occupied. With secrets revealed, Ryan and Sophie have to figure out what their lives look like now. But Ryan’s secrets aren’t the only left to tell; more revelations are unveiled that become game changers. Ryan refuses to be deterred by everything trying to pull her away from her mission, and planning for the inaugural Wayne-Jett Summer Palooza continues. What will unfold when Ryan’s in charge of the event? And what will be the real impact of everything she’s set in motion for the Hamilton-Kane’s?

Notes:

First, I have a Twitter handle now, just to talk about this fic. I've got to rework my pace and plan for season 2 a bit, but we can keep each other entertained there until I'm back. Follow me @NewGenOGFics

Second, I do love all of your comments. So please share your reactions! Thank you for being loyal and communicative readers! I feel so lucky!

Support strikers. #wgastrike #sagaftrastrike #StopCancellingDiverseShows

Follow #savebatwoman everywhere. Please and thanks!

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: I'm not done guys, but I'm making progress! 😭 So, I'm claiming it. This is the last teaser from chapter seven, dammit. 

If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading chapter one. 

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder had just about everything taken from her when we met her, and she was doing her best to get it back. In this version of the story, that means taking some people down along the way. And, she's definitely no hero.

It's getting really hard to find teasers that won't spoil the fun too much. But, I can't leave you guys hanging. You've been holding me down for too long...I feel like we're really in this together!

So, thanks for the patience and good vibes, and happy teaser reading.

CHAPTER SEVEN SNEAK PEEK

Ryan sees Tommy Elliot standing in front of the chrome elevator doors, waiting for them to open and presumably take him to the same place she's headed. She doubts Kate’s expecting him, because she didn’t mention being double booked. And, even though Kate’s primary purpose in Ryan’s life is to get her access to the people who took her young life from her, to Robyn Wilde, Kate has become a close confidant. So, Tommy will need to quickly clarify if he’s here as friend or foe.

Ryan: “Surprise visit?”

Tommy tries to fight back the unexpectedness of hearing Robyn's voice with a small smirk. 

Tommy: “Kate’s used to my drop-ins…She’s had plenty of visits from me.” 

Ryan: “Because someone tolerates a lack of boundaries doesn’t mean they prefer them.” 

Tommy: “We’ve always had a very candid relationship. I’m sure she’d tell me if she wanted me to do something differently.” 

Ryan: “Fair enough. I have no doubt Kate’s the honest one in your friendship.” 

The doors open, and Jacob Kane is standing inside of the elevator. Neither of them walks into it, right away.

Jacob: “Tommy! It’s been a while…"

Tommy: “Yes, sir. It has been a while. It’s not the same without you around the house.”

Jacob: "Yes, well, hopefully I’ll be back soon… And, Robyn is it?”

Ryan nods, and offers a small smile as he steps out.. 

Jacob: “Do you both have a meeting with Kate?”

Ryan: ”I do, and I have to get back to Luke right after. So, I should head up.”

Tommy: “I was in the area and thought I’d stop in to see my friend.”

Jacob: “Well, if you have a moment, I’d like a word.” 

Tommy: “Sure…” 

Ryan takes the opportunity to get a head start, hitting the button to the top floor, and smirking at Tommy as the doors close in front of him.  

~~~~~

Ryan: “You’ve got company, and it isn’t just me.”

Kate: “Wow! Busy day. Who else is coming up?”

Ryan: “Oh, just your bestie.” 

Kate frowns, and then remembers.

Kate: “You don’t mean Tommy?”

Ryan: “Oh, but I do…”

Kate: “Okaaay…this should be interesting. Did you see him checking in, or something?”

Ryan: “Actually, he was here before me, but your dad wanted to talk to him, so I came up to warn you.”

Kate: “Thanks for that, and while I'm at it, thanks for the connection to Julia. My dad came by to tell me about their meeting, and to check on things with Luke… and apologize.” 

Ryan nods, trying to limit her words in reaction to Jacob Kane’s organization’s part in making Luke unconscious.  

Ryan: “So, are things going to work out with her?”

Kate: “I think so…but I also think he’s about to keep her pretty busy. I hope that’s not going to interfere with anything you needed.” 

Ryan: “So far, my stuff has been pretty easy. Simple contracts. I just wanted someone I knew I could trust involved. I can wait for her.” 

The elevator doors chime, and Tommy walks through them. Ryan glances over her shoulder, briefly and then takes her seat at Kate's desk. He tries not to be ruffled by her presence and smiles wide at Kate.

Tommy: "Kate…I've missed you."

Kate: "What are you doing here, Tommy? Shouldn't you be somewhere worshiping Catherine and trying to fast forward through the corporate ladder?"

Tommy: "I did start my internship yesterday, and it's great so far, thanks for asking."

Kate stares at him, already completely over his audacity. 

Kate: "So you're not here to make amends, but to gloat?"

He glances down at Robyn who hasn't looked back at him. He hates that she's here, and would much rather do this privately. But he made a commitment to Catherine and Evan. So, he decides to make an example out of her presence instead.

Tommy: "You're upset because I wasn't more honest, right? Consider this me turning over a new leaf."

Kate: "Seriously Tommy, as you can see, I'm busy. So, whatever you came for, can you get to it already?"

Tommy: "Okay, I can see your sense of humor is on limited supply, so I’ll cut straight to it. We’ve been friends for a long time, and I don’t want my recent behavior to ruin that. And, in the spirit of being more forthcoming, I’ll add that I was present when you texted Evan. I’m concerned that what’s been going on with us has had an impact on the two of you. I don’t want them caught in the middle, so if there’s anything I can do to improve our situation, let me know."

Kate looks down at Robyn, who she hasn’t shared the full story with, but who has been more supportive lately than her supposed best friend. Robyn looks back as if to say, ‘this choice is all yours.’

Kate: “I have a friend in the hospital, and my family is a wreck. I really don’t need any more drama in my life.” 

Tommy: “I was hoping you’d feel that way.” 

Kate: “Let me finish. If you’re going to be in my life, I’m going to need you to bring something positive to it. From where I stand, you’ve been using us and judging us, all at the same time. And because you’re my friend, I would have helped you if you’d just been honest with me. But because I’m your friend, and it seems you’re going through a hard time right now, which has evidently made you bitter and desperate, I’m going to forgive you. I don’t forget though, and I’m not huge on repeat chances. So this is it. I can’t really handle another thing…” 

Tommy drops his head, because that dig stung, but he’s also not surprised that she’d take the chance to get a lick in. He’s getting his way, and if that means he has to take a small verbal beating for them to move forward, he needs to find a way to do that. When his eyes return to hers, his expression is amicable. 

Tommy: “Understood. I’ll limit the drama. But you know us divas come with a little extra pizzazz.” 

Kate shakes her head, accepting his agreement, knowing that’s probably the best she’ll get from him. 

Kate: “Is there anything else…? I think we’ve kept Robyn waiting long enough.” 

Tommy: “Right. You two have a party to plan?”

Kate: “A fundraiser, but it’ll be a good time.” 

Ryan completely distrusts Tommy. She can tell he’s fishing, but if Kate wants to indulge him as a way to mend their bond, she doesn’t want to be outwardly discouraging. So when Kate smiles down at her, she simply grins back.

Tommy: “You’ve got the best in Gotham helping you with your plans, but if there’s anything I can do…” 

Kate: “I doubt Catherine is going to share two people from her team with us.” 

Tommy: “After all you’ve done for me, I’d figure out how to manage.” 

Kate: “I appreciate the offer.” 

Tommy: “Well, I’ll leave you to it, but maybe we can get a drink or dinner soon?” 

Kate: “We can do that…” 

Tommy nods, and then turns to leave. When they hear the elevator doors close, they give each other exasperated looks. Then Ryan shifts hers to one of sympathy. 

Ryan: “You okay?”

Kate: “Are you? Is okay even within the realm of possibility right now?”

Ryan: “I guess not…which makes me want to say thank you, again, for still wanting to do this right now.” 

Kate: “No, really, I’m grateful. It’s good to do something…good. I think Luke would prefer it too.” 

If only Kate knew how true that was. Luke has committed too much of himself to Ryan for her to squander his time and efforts because he wasn’t in shape enough to help her. If ever there was a time to rise to the occasion, and show how much she valued him, it was now. Kate’s gaze shifts to one of greater concern, and Ryan wonders if she’s shown too many of her cards.

Kate: “Can I ask you something off the cuff?”

~~~~~

To be continued...

What's Kate going to ask Ryan about? 😁 See you next week (ideally with a finished chapter)! 🤞🏽 Support the Writer and Actor strikes. #wgastrike #sagaftrastrike #StopCancellingDiverseShows

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is another teaser from chapter seven. 

If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one. 

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder had just about everything taken from her when we met her, and she was doing her best to get it back. In this version of the story, that means taking some people down along the way. And, she's definitely no hero.

I realize it's Sunday and not Friday. I'm late because everything I'd written by then felt too spoilery. But I think this is a safe (super drafty) teaser. I'm still trying my hardest to post this chapter in full by September 1st (which would make this the last teaser for "season one" if I can power through).

So, you know, writing vibes are appreciated. 

CHAPTER SEVEN SNEAK PEEK

WEDNESDAY, JULY 12TH, 10:00 AM, HAMILTON DYNAMICS

Tommy walks into Catherine’s office with a tray full of caffeinated beverages from the coffee and tea shop that’s accessible through the lobby of the building. Evan is seated across from her, in one of two white leather and chrome office chairs at her porcelain desk. It’s day two of Tommy’s internship, and he was only asked to bring Catherine’s late-morning coffee to her, but he knows he’s on thin ice with Evan, and figures he could afford to make a few romantic deposits. 

He doesn’t intend to interrupt them. He simply plucks each drink out of its secured space on the tray and gently sets it in front of its new owner. He’s a professional, so he prepares to leave as though he was never there, but stops when he hears Even react with a curious tone. They’re looking at their cell phone, and apparently surprised by a notification they just received. Even Catherine is inquisitive when she sees the partial frown on their face. 

Catherine: “Something to share?”

Evan: “It’s Kate…”

Tommy raises an eyebrow, skeptically. His understanding is that Kate hadn’t spoken to either of them since she walked in on Tommy’s admission to Evan during the Independence Day Banquet.

Catherine: “Is everything alright?”

Evan: “It shouldn’t be…” 

Tommy: “What’s that mean?”

Evan: “I was DMing Mary yesterday, and she was telling me about her boyfriend being hit by that car….I know he and Kate are close-” 

Catherine: “Do you mean Luke? Are they actually in a relationship now?!”

Evan: “Oh, yeah…Didn’t realize you didn’t know, yet.”

Catherine: “That would require my daughter to speak to me.” 

Tommy: “I’m sorry. What were you about to say about Kate?”

Evan: “Well, she says she’s planning a big event that she wants to happen before the end of the month, and I’m just surprised she’d push for something so soon, considering.” 

Tommy: “Is this like a Save the Date?”

Evan: “No. She wants to hire me to plan it, like a contract.” 

Evan slowly peers up at Catherine, and Tommy follows their gaze to observe her reaction, as well.

Catherine: “Did she say what kind of event it was?”

Evan: “She said she wants to fill me in later, but…”

Evan shifts their eyes to Tommy.

Tommy: “What? Did she mention me?”

Evan: “Actually, she mentioned Robyn. They're planning it together…”

The room is so silent for a moment that it seems everyone is holding their breath. Suprisingly, Catherine speaks first. 

Catherine: “I think you should do it, that is, if you want to.” 

Evan looks back at her completely shocked.

Evan: “But what about-”

Catherine: “Evan, I know you have goals above and beyond working for me. And I also trust you to be able to juggle, so you can fit this in if it’s important to you.”

Evan wants to demonstrate their appreciation, but is still a little too taken aback, and unsure to adjust their expression or form words to respond.

Tommy: “And, if I may, we could all probably afford to try to repair some of what’s destabilized our bridges.” 

Catherine: “I agree with Tommy. If I’m correct in my assumption, you probably haven’t spent very much time with your friends lately because Kate and Mary are upset with me for one reason or another.” 

Evan only offers a side smile in response. They look at Tommy, doubtfully. 

Tommy: “It’s not just you, Mrs. Hamilton. I’ve also frustrated both of them a couple of times. And, Evan, I don’t want you caught up in all of that. So, if it helps with your decision, I can go talk to Kate.”

Evan: “Really? “You’d do that?”

Tommy: “For the both of you…? Anything.”

Catherine: “So, it’s settled. Evan, you tell Kate you’ll hear her plans, and Tommy, you’ll head over to Kate to clear things up, so that this isn’t an issue when they all meet later.”

Tommy: “Are you suggesting I go now?”

Catherine: “Why save for tomorrow what you can get done today, Tommy? Internship lesson number one: tackle your low hanging fruit first, and don’t put off the things that don’t require figuring out to get done.”

Tommy: “Copy that. I’ll be on my way, then.“

Evan reaches out, and grabs Tommy’s arm before he can leave. They look up, eyes filled with sincerity. 

Evan: “Thank you.” 

Tommy breaks his professionalism for a moment, leans down, and kisses Evan on the cheek. Then, without looking back, he heads for the door to try to make some form of amends with his friend. His opinions on everything haven't changed. Neither have his plans. However, he realizes being at odds with Kate Kane wouldn't make achieving what he's set out to accomplish any easier. Even more, he didn't miss the briefest glint of what looked like competitiveness pass through Catherine's expressions. So, if he could get a little intell that might impress his new boss while he was there, even better.

~~~~~

To be continued…

Random note/update: I don't know what math I was doing when I originally gave Jordan her age but I have since revised it. Jordan is 19. Which means she was seven when Sophie graduated high school. So whatever age you've been imagining her as please update it in your mind. I will be going back to any prior chapter that references her age to try to make the adjustments as well.

And, hopefully you understand that for chapter 7, we went backwards in time. We spent most of the second half of last chapter revolving around Luke. But plenty was happening while he was "resting." We will catch up to present day before the chapter is over.

See you next week!

Support the Writer and Actor strikes. 

#wgastrike #sagaftrastrike #StopCancellingDiverseShows

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is STILL NOT part one of chapter seven. For the foreseeable future, this is a teaser zone.

If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop now, and start by reading chapter one. 

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder had just about everything taken from her when we met her, and she was doing her best to get it back. In this version of the story, that means taking some people down along the way. And, she's definitely no hero.

Okay, so, I was a no show (for the first time ever) last Friday. Please forgive me, but I had an absence letter from Queen Bey. That's right, instead of writing or talking about my beloved fic, I was dancing my ass off at the Renaissance concert. So, thank you in advance for your forgiveness.

I DO have a sneak peek for you this week (which is super duper draft 1, so words might shift here and there by the time it's posted on A03 - bear with me). And, if life allows, I'm working towards posting this chapter in full by September 1st (which would mean only one more week of teasers for "season one.") Per always, please send me all the writing vibes you've got. Words are coming, but not always quickly, so every bit of wishful thinking helps!

CHAPTER SEVEN SNEAK PEEK

TUESDAY, JULY 11TH, 9:00 PM, RUSSEL TAVAROFF’S CAR

Russel has been sitting in his car for two hours, paralyzed by his thoughts. A little more than twelve hours ago, he’d just finished his second cup of coffee when he was called into Jacob Kane’s office. He took his time explaining everything he’d come up with on Luke Fox, his concerns about Sophie Moore’s conflict of interest, and his speculation on why Luke could be after the Kane family, with evidence in hand. The Commander let him do most of the talking, never really looking at the printouts, but asking the occasional follow up question for clarification. When it seemed Tavaroff had covered everything, the Commander sat back in his seat, and then asked him what his career goals were. Of course, Tavaroff said he’d really appreciated the opportunity to learn from him, and that he hoped to continue doing so. He felt it was an honor to be trusted with the responsibility of interim Lieutenant Commander.

Jacob took the folder of files, and thanked Russel for bringing him up to speed. He said that if he was going to continue taking on new assignments, he’d need to make room on his desk, and asked him to start delegating the things he’d been working on to several people he was reassigning, especially with Tyler being out of commission, and them having trading cases before the accident. So, Tavaroff spent the day doing as he was asked. 

By 4PM, there was a 5PM meeting on his calendar, with Jacob Kane’s office as the location. The agenda stated they’d be discussing next steps. The only next step was for Tavaroff to sign an NDA in exchange for a package, which included his salary for the remainder of the year, his vacation payout, and the cash value of his stock in an exit bonus. Should he choose not to sign and leave quietly, an investigation would need to be initiated, and a psych evaluation completed, with potential disciplinary actions taken that could limit his ability to work in law enforcement again in the future.

The Commander did thank him for his commitment to the organization, and dedication to protecting his family. Unfortunately, his decision to pursue Luke Fox without approval, who was too visible as an executive at his daughter’s company, and as the son of the renowned Lucius Fox, did not demonstrate the kind of judgment that the Commander expected from someone at Tavaroff’s level. He felt a mutual separation was the fairest course of action. 

Upon signing, he was asked to hand over his firearm and badge. Then, he was escorted to his desk, where a box was awaiting him to collect any personal items he’d brought to the office, which needed to be approved to take with him. He didn’t make eye contact with anyone still in the building on his way out, let alone speak to them, because he could feel their eyes casting judgment against him. Embarrassed was simply an inept word for how he felt. 

They did take a look around his car, to make sure he didn’t have anything of theirs laying around that they’d need to confiscate, but they really relied on the NDA to protect them. The truth was, they weren’t above more permanent forms of termination if they felt like a prior employee posed a security threat. There were very few examples of anyone taking such a risk that required mitigation, but in the rare occasion, those people managed to have surprisingly coincidental incidents occur that made them a non-issue. 

When Tavaroff arrived home around 6PM, he’d changed out of his suit and tie, taken a shower, drank a beer, and then noticed a folder he’d left on his kitchen table. He walked over to it, and saw a few printed pictures that he’d been meaning to come back to and analyze with more intention, but he’d lost track of the idea. There were two high school yearbook photos: one for Sophie Moore, and one for the girl two grades younger, Angelique Martin. And then there was a third image of Angelique bartending at O’Mally’s during some sort of holiday party. 

He closed the folder, frustrated with himself. He didn’t work for them anymore, so these people's stories shouldn’t matter. He’d dedicated years of his life to a company that turned its back on him when he was trying to protect them. The compulsion to break away led him to put on his shoes, and head out the door, in his basketball shorts and tshirt. 

He’d gotten into his car, and didn’t know where to go. He didn’t know who to call. He didn’t know what he’d say to them if he did call. So he just sat, waiting for an idea to materialize. Instead, the only thoughts he was berated with were rehashings of how these people could ruin life as he knew it. Sure, this wasn’t the only thing he had going, but so much of who he was tied back to his role at The Crows. 

Now, two hours later, he’s tired of sitting. He needs to do something. He needs answers, and to take his control back. He decides to pick up where Tyler left off.

~~~~~

To be continued...

I really appreciate every comment, heart, and reblog. Kudos and comments on A03 too. These words don't always flow easily, and all of it pushes me to write on the hard days. It helps to know y'all are still with me. So THANK YOU, seriously! Follow #SaveBatwoman on all socials please! Support the Writer and Actor strikes. #wgastrike #sagaftrastrike #StopCancellingDiverseShows

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is NOT part one of chapter seven. As a reminder, we've switched to weekly teasers for each chapter.

If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading chapter one. 

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder had just about everything taken from her when we met her, and she was doing her best to get it back. In this version of the story, that means taking some people down along the way. And, she's definitely no hero.

Hopefully you're recovered from chapter 6, and ready for our season finale. I'll try to hold you over with out of sequence and context teasers while I wrap this up. See you next Friday for teaser 2 for chapter 7.

CHAPTER SEVEN SNEAK PEEK

TUESDAY, JULY 10TH, 8:00 PM, THE HOLD UP

Ryan made it through her second day back to work after the holiday that became a regressive spiral into feelings she thought she’d buried, after Angelique put a Crow in a coma, after Luke was attacked by another Crow and hospitalized, and of course after Sophie found out who she was and Ryan crushed her when she admitted she never intended to tell her the truth. In reality, going to work was probably Ryan’s best option, because being left to her own devices at a time like this could result in literal bombs being placed and set everywhere her enemies frequented. But that kind of quick ending wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying as ensuring the plan she’d spent years devising came to fruition, nor would it be fitting enough justice for them. They didn’t deserve quick endings. They needed to experience complete loss and total destruction. They needed to see her thriving in spite of everything they took from her. The only way that would happen was if she got her house in order. 

Fortunately, Sophie did still help, as she'd promised, and at least a couple of Ryan’s obstacles were now less threatening. She hadn’t spoken to Angelique in almost two days, and figured she too was barely keeping it together, wondering when the next Crow would jump out and try to take her down. So, Ryan goes to The Hold Up to give Angelique the news that Sophie had shared with her earlier that morning. She can’t deny that knowing with confidence Sophie won’t be there, because she’s currently on her shift with Luke, has influenced her timing. 

She walks up to the bar and a very worried Jordan greets her. 

Jordan: “Hey, Robyn…how are you holding up?” 

Ryan: “I’ve definitely been a lot better than this, but I’ve also been worse. So…”

Jordan: “I hear that. Well, have you eaten anything?”

Ryan: “A little…earlier…haven’t been super hungry.” 

Jordan: “Not surprising, considering. Why don’t I at least put some of your favorite fries in front of you, and we can see what happens?” 

Ryan: “Look at you, taking care of me…”

Jordan: “I might be concerned about Luke, but you were there…I can’t even imagine what that was like. And, I’m going to guess you’re not leaning on my sister right now… So, yeah, anything I can do.” 

Ryan: “That obvious, huh?” 

Jordan: “Oh yeah…but I’m not worried about you two.”

Jordan winks at Ryan, and she smiles back gingerly, appreciating the hope.

Ryan: “Are you here alone?” 

Jordan: “My mom’s in the kitchen, even though she should probably be heading home soon. But, it’s our TikTok queen’s night off, and with Soph so occupied right now…I mean, it’s hella dead in here, anyway. So it's not like she’s working hard.” 

Ryan: “Wait, who’s your TikTok queen?”

Jordan: “Oh, you didn’t see…?”

Ryan: “I’m not really on socials like that…” 

Jordan grabs her phone, taps it a few times, and then slides it over.

Jordan: “I’m going to go put your order in. Enjoy the show!”

As Jordan walks away, Ryan watches Angelique and another woman feed each other shots, what looks like for the third time based on the empty glasses nearby them. Then she tongues the girl down. As she pulls away, she snatches a panda hat off of her lipstick lover's head, placing it atop her own, and dances away to loud hip-hop music playing throughout the bar. The clip, taken on a customer's phone, has over fifty thousand likes, which is a lot for Gotham. The Hold Up is tagged as the location.

Ryan puts the phone down on the bar, completely furious. What about that was laying low or sticking to her routine? 

Ryan: “Hey, Jordan! Can I get those fries to go? Think I’m just going to head to bed early.” 

Ryan's night is actually about to get a lot longer.

~~~~~

To be continued…

We finish season one and chapter seven in August. Let's do this!

Follow #SaveBatwoman on all socials please! Support the Writer and Actor strikes.

#wgastrike #sagaftrastrike #StopCancellingDiverseShows

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Chapter 6: DURESS

Summary:

Alliances and loyalties are questioned, bonds are tested, and worst nightmares become reality, all in a day.

Notes:

This is the penultimate chapter for our version of Revenge's first season. So, brace yourselves.

We've solidified sneak peek life on Fridays instead of full parts. Hopefully, it's still holding you over until these chapters are updated.

Comments are always appreciated. Support strikes and follow #savebatwoman everywhere. Please and thanks!

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: As was shared last week, we're only doing sneak peeks for chapter six, while I hustle to finish it by next Friday.

If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder had just about everything taken from her when we met her, and she was doing her best to get it back. In this version of the story, that means taking some people down along the way. And, she's definitely no hero.

Here's (hopefully) the last out of sequence and context snippet from chapter 6.

CHAPTER SIX SNEAK PEEK

12 AND A HALF YEARS AGO, KANE COUNTY JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER

Ryan watches the sun slowly shift along the ceiling as she allows the hours to tick by from her bed. It’s late May, her birthday is nearing, and she’s managed to just barely survive two seasons in this youth prison. While nearly everything about her life has changed, some things are exactly the same as they ever were. Hardly anyone knows she exists, and for once in her life, that doesn’t bother her at all. She just needs to make it out of here alive, and that was proving challenging enough to do on her own.

Today would be slightly different than how she spent the average day - waiting for meals, stifling her rage, and trying to hold onto every single happy memory she had from her life before. It helped to remember that she’d had fourteen years that were good, and that the time she was being forced to spend here was just a moment when compared to that. Eighteen months could be a blip in the grand scheme of things, especially when she’d already served more than about a third of them.

This is also what Lucius Fox had asked her to hold onto. Not long after being sentenced, he began visiting her. He said he was a friend of a friend, and when he’d heard her story, he knew she could use something from outside of these gates to ground her, and keep her focused on getting out. He knew too many people who’d given themselves over to the all-consuming nature of being locked up, and he felt a calling to make sure that didn’t happen to Ryan, because he knew in his heart she didn’t belong there in the first place.

He would bring her little things to help with holding on, like her Ghost Kid comics, vegan snacks, a sketchpad and a journal to try to process her feelings with. He’d ask her to share what she’d written or drawn, to encourage her to really try and put anything on the pages, and to help her talk, because at first she struggled to know what to say to him. Over time, it helped him get to know her, and they found things to bond over from the stories she’d create or the memories she’d jot down.

He hardly ever missed a week, and against her initial resistance to hoping, she’d come to look forward to seeing him. He never really expounded upon how exactly he knew she didn't belong there, or about the friend that supposedly knew her mom, and why her future was so important to him. But, she’d begun to trust that he really wasn’t going anywhere, so she figured she’d find out the rest when she was meant to.

Her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a fight just outside of her room. Kids fought all of the time, and she’d stopped paying attention to the commotion. It was just a part of the background noises that existed in this place. This time, though, there was something really familiar about one of the voices. As angry as it was, it reminded her of a time from her past when someone had raised their voice to defend her.

~~~~~

To be continued…

I've got one Friday left… I can do this!

Support the Writer and Actor strikes.

#wgastrike #sagaftrastrike #StopCancellingDiverseShows

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: STILL NOT ready to share part one of chapter six (and am not totally sure that's happening this time around). So, this is another teaser from chapter six.

If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder had just about everything taken from her when we met her, and she was doing her best to get it back. In this version of the story, that means taking some people down along the way. And, she's definitely no hero.

I won't keep you. I'm 35% done w/ this chapter, and have a goal to post it to Ao3 by the last Friday of the month. So, I gotta focus on my focus, and ask for y'all to send me all the positive vibes. Until then, here's another out of sequence and context peek at chapter six.

I appreciate you!

CHAPTER SIX SNEAK PEEK 3

Before retrieving the file they were sent to pick up from Catherine's home office, Evan stops in the kitchen to grab a bottle of Pellegrino for the road. They find Jonathan Cartwright sitting in Tommy's lap, and Beth propped on the table, leaning towards them both. 

Jonathan is playing in Tommy's hair, and Evan feels like they walked in on an intimate moment between the three of them, which is emphasized by the audible gasp heard in reaction to the discovery. Beth, Jonathan, and Tommy had gone out after brunch the day before, and Evan didn't think much of it but passed on joining, with the work week resuming the next day. Apparently, they were still going strong. Not knowing what else to do, Evan quickly turns and walks back out of the room. They want to get what they came for, and to banish all other thoughts from their mind. But, they're stopped by someone tugging their arm. 

Tommy: "Why did you rush off?"

Evan: "I'm in a hurry."

Tommy: "Because of that…?"

Evan: "Look, I know I'm pretty fluid, but poly just isn't my thing. To each their own, but I personally feel like there's plenty of me to go around and prefer someone who sees me as enough."

Tommy: "Babe, I'm all yours. You don't have to worry about that."

Evan: "Being pretty doesn't make me dumb."

Tommy gets close, so he can speak in Evan's ear. 

Tommy: "Of course not. I find your big brain very attractive, but you are also very pretty."

Evan doesn't pull away, but that doesn't mean things are okay.

Evan: "I'm also not easily manipulated. Whatever you're trying to pull on all of them, count me out. I want no parts of it."

Tommy: "I would never-"

Evan: "Wouldn't you though? I find it interesting that you're so suspicious of Robyn, considering. Maybe you've always just been projecting."

Tommy: "Look, I've been honest with you. And I'll continue to be, but neither of us is going to get anywhere if we don't take advantage of our opportunities. I need you to trust me. My success will be yours too. We're in this together, right?"

Evan doesn't know what to say. Kate is important to them, and so is Mary, and Robyn too for that matter. But they can't say they feel an allegiance to the elder Hamilton Kanes, or the evil twin. Moreover, this was only supposed to be a stepping stone, and maybe Tommy was right to remind Evan of that. They might have different tactics for their pursuits, but their goals weren't entirely dissimilar.

Evan: "I don't trust her…"

Evan nods in the direction of the kitchen, indicating Beth.

Tommy: "I'm not asking you to, but she likes to talk, and she doesn't like her parents very much. I'm learning a lot that I can leverage. Proximity to her is advantageous."

Evan sighs, and Tommy places a quick kiss on their cheek as a form of appreciation for the forgiveness. 

Evan: "I do have to go. Just remember what I said. And maybe take a shower? I can name every bar you traipsed through last night by how you smell."

And with that, still not totally thrilled, Evan leaves Tommy to whatever he was plotting and orchestrating before they arrived.

~~~~~

To be continued...

I've got two Fridays to finish this chapter. I believe I can do it. Do you? Lie to me if not. LOL!

Hopefully you've been following the Writer and Actor strikes. If not, now's the time to get informed. I support the people that gave us these characters and this story. They deserve to afford to eat and have health insurance while many of them are still in between jobs since they cancelled our show. #PayWriters #PayActors #StopCancellingDiverseShows

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is STILL NOT part one of chapter six. This is another teaser from chapter six.

If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder had just about everything taken from her when we met her, and she was doing her best to get it back. In this version of the story, that means taking some people down along the way. And, she's definitely no hero.

Y'all know why this is taking so long, so I'll spare you the broken record. I promise to keep trying to get you something more complete by next week. For now, here's another out of sequence and context snippet from part six.

CHAPTER SIX SNEAK PEEK 2

13 YEARS AGO, GOTHAM CITY HIGH SCHOOL

Sophie's sitting by herself with Selly, speculating that the cat's mama must have gotten sick and stayed home from school. She promises to call and check on her when she gets home, and then she shares her plan. If she's still not well enough to return to school, Sophie will go to her classes to collect her homework. She knows Ryan will fuss about having to do schoolwork on her day off, but she'll help her get it done, so she doesn't fall behind. 

It's a Tuesday in December, and it's cold. They'd borrowed a small generator from shop class, and a heat lamp that was used in biology for plants. They'd rigged a heating system to keep their fur baby's cabinet warm while they were away. And, Ryan had hooked her mama's electric heating pad to the generator, and stuffed it under Selly's blankets to recreate the sense of body heat she got from them. Even for Sophie, it feels colder without Ryan nearby. For both of their sakes, she hopes whatever’s keeping Ryan out of school doesn’t last long.

Sophie does as she promised their cat, and tries to call Ryan at home, but no one answers the phone. No one answers the door when Sophie stops by her apartment the next day either. They'd never hung out off campus, but Sophie had made them exchange all their important information, just in case anything ever happened to one of them. She knows Ryan's mom plans to move them to a nicer area, but she hasn't gotten that address yet. By Thursday morning, Sophie starts to regret not asking more questions. Ryan never mentioned the possibility of switching schools, and there was absolutely no way she’d disappear on Sophie without notice, even if her mom wanted to take her out of GHS. So Sophie doesn't let herself get bogged down by that idea. Instead, she stops by the school’s office and chats with her favorite administrative assistant, hoping she'll clue her in. 

What she finds out is a shock, and it’s devastating. Somehow, the story was kept out of the news at first, but Mrs. Johnson's sister works at Gotham General, and when Cora Lewis was brought into the E.R., already deceased, the other Johnson remembered her from church. She knew her daughter Ryan went to Gotham High School, so she told her sister everything. With enough gentle prodding, Sophie hears everything too...most of which she can't make sense of.

Friday morning, Ryan’s case becomes newsworthy, and there's finally some coverage of the trial because of the Kanes' involvement and their status. The officials are rushing through the trial, because they want a decision on this before the Christmas break. On top of that, Ryan doesn’t have much support in the courtroom and her defense lawyer seems like she’s hardly trying to protect her. It's still big news for the school, and all her classmates can talk about. Even her mom discusses it at home over the weekend, highly critical. Her little sister asks questions that her mom gives judgemental answers to. 

Sophie stops watching the news the next week, unable to sit through what her gut tells her is incredibly wrong while feeling so helpless. She wants to defend Ryan - no one knows or understands her better – and to hold her while she mourns the only family she had left. It’s so unfair that she should have to be persecuted when she just lost her mom.  

When Ryan is sentenced, Sophie’s heart shatters. Yes, because her best friend just lost everything, but because she knows that includes Sophie. She asks her mom to take her to visit, and she's forbidden from seeing her. Diane believes a detention center is no place for her daughter, and a delinquent is no one she should be concerned with. Diane also knows her daughter; Sophie is resourceful, and stubborn. So she threatens her with everything under the sun if she ever finds out Sophie disobeyed these rules. She’d raised a good daughter who wouldn’t be influenced by someone like ‘that girl.’ And she wouldn’t have her daughter known for having a friend like that either. 

In an act of rebellion, Sophie brings their cat home, and carries it around with her everywhere, especially whenever her mom is home, both to ensure its safety, but also as the only ounce of comfort she can cling to. The loss is greater than Sophie can comprehend or articulate. She spends most of the Christmas break in her room, sleeping during the day, because she's up all night. Her sister tries to be there for her, but she's too young to really understand everything that's happening. Her mom thinks she’s being dramatic losing sleep over some little girl from school, because she doesn’t keep in touch with any of her friends from her youth. Sophie knows better than to try to explain that Ryan isn’t just some ‘friend…’ 

When Sophie returns to school, everyone has moved on, because they didn't really know Ryan, anyway. She's sad but also somewhat relieved, because she doesn’t need anymore reminders than the ones that flash in her mind. She throws herself into her classwork, goes out for cross country to stay busy in the afternoons, and to keep moving. She finds that running hard and fast for long distances is a good way to feel a different kind of ache, one that’s more productive and tangible. Mostly, she does everything possible to prepare to get far away from Gotham, as soon as she can. All the city has done is let her down. 

The only good thing to come out of the suffering is her mom's decision to open a restaurant and bar in the same place that Cora Lewis meant to. Diane was impressed that a single parent and Black woman, like herself, was doing something so entrepreneurial, and felt inspired to see Cora’s vision through in her honor. She named it The Hold Up as a safe haven for their community to ‘hold up’ and support each other. She’d say she wished she’d been able to know Cora before she’d lost her life from her daughter’s poor decisions, ignoring Sophie anytime she tried to argue with her, saying the evidence was clear from the trial, but that maybe the mothers could have looked out for each other. Her mom’s choice to pursue this goal is as much a gift as it is a curse.

Sophie’s solace is that she has to leave for Point Rock almost immediately after graduating high school. She's spent the last year and a half training herself not to think about Ryan more than she absolutely has to, and she prays that the distance will help with that. She chooses to treat Ryan’s memory like one of a best friend moving to a different state, where they’d simply lost touch, which often happens in those situations. It’s better than the truth: that she was tragically forced to let go of someone she loved, without ever getting to say how she really felt, or goodbye. As a final pursuit of closure, she leaves her closest companion with her sister, asking Jordan and Selina to take care of each other.

~~~~~

To be continued...

I felt like it was important to give a little more background on why and how Sophie could repress so much of Ryan's memory. There's a lot she's repressing, all at once.

Y'all on the new Thread app? SaveBatwoman created an account on there, in case you want to follow!

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is NOT part one of chapter six. This is a teaser from chapter six.

If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder had just about everything taken from her when we met her, and she was doing her best to get it back. In this version of the story, that means taking some people down along the way. And, she's definitely no hero.

Since chapters are now 3x as long, they take a little longer to write. And I'm still working on this one. So, meet me here on Tumblr next Friday for part one of chapter six. Here's an out of sequence and context snippet from that part.

CHAPTER SIX SNEAK PEEK

There was lots of murmuring at The Crows. No one liked that one of their own was hospitalized and unconscious for no apparent reason. Because it wasn’t in their nature to believe in random accidents, several members of the team were looking through camera footage, and anything they could to figure out who could have done this to Tyler.

Most of them had the same disconnected information, which seemed useless. Tyler seemed to spend hours at The Hold Up, and for the last couple of nights, he’d parked his car in a gentrified neighborhood with lots of apartments and condominiums. It didn’t make sense that he wouldn’t go home. They wondered if he had a girlfriend, or had met a woman he was sleeping with, but Tavaroff had another idea.

He tracks the activities of the women that work and live at The Hold Up over the last couple of days, instead. Their mother Diane Moore, seemed to primarily work during the week, and short midday shifts, at that. Sophie Moore had all but moved into the bar over the weekend. So Tyler wasn’t moving around based on her. The building owner, Robyn Wilde, hadn’t left her upstairs loft in several days. The younger sister, Jordan Moore, had come and gone quite a bit, and one of the places she spent time at was the Kanes’ which he made a mental note of, out of curiosity. Still, nothing else about her movements lined up in a way that seemed significant or helped answer the question about why Tyler hadn’t spent the last two nights in his own home. Tavaroff saved Angelique Martin for last, always having a feeling she’d be the key, but wanting to follow through with his process of elimination.

Sure enough, the same round trips Tyler had made over the last two days, Angelique had also made, until he left the condominiums and ended up unconscious in his car, parked under a bridge. There wasn’t any useful footage in the area from street cameras, so all he had was guesses. Angelique’s car was also still parked in its stall, but that didn’t have to mean anything.

It occurred to him that Tyler might have been tailing Angelique because of the file Tavaroff had created on her. Moore was right about Tyler: he really was being a punk about this whole thing. Russell restarts his search on Angelique, and digs back as far as he’d gotten before, all the way to her youth. He looks through records, and photos. Then he starts looking through more recent activities, because the connection to Sophie Moore feels important for some reason. It doesn’t make sense for Sophie to want Angelique to work at her bar, and them having gone to the same high school doesn’t feel like enough of a reason.

Angelique had recently received a check from The Kanes for working a party, and he finds the coincidence of her being at the same place interesting. If Sophie’s philosophy is correct, there’s no such thing. He pulls up the footage from the event Angelique attended, because they’d filmed everything for future use. Besides delivering drinks, she’d only interacted at length with one other person that night, and it wasn’t Sophie Moore. It was Jetirian’s CEO and The Hold Up’s building owner. He didn’t know what to make of that, but it felt important too. He looked through the footage one more time, to see if he’d missed any other encounters, and noticed something else that seemed unusual.

~~~~~

To be continued...

What did he notice? Find out next week.

Follow #SaveBatwoman on all socials, especially Twitter.

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is the entirety of (and conclusion to) chapter five. If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. In this fic, Ryan Wilder leading with her heart means making those responsible for her mother's death pay for their choices, no matter what it costs her.

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is part three of chapter five. If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. In this fic, Ryan Wilder leading with her heart means making those responsible for her mother's death pay for their choices, no matter what it costs her.

This part is smaller than the other two because I want to save the good stuff for the conclusion.

CHAPTER FIVE - CHARADE (Part Three)

Ryan’s double life continues to challenge her as she’s confronted with the realities of her choices, and the potential for everything she’s worked for to slip through her fingers. 

FRIDAY, JULY 7TH, 12:00 PM THE LOFT

Luke: “Hey boss, do you think it’s possible for us to eat today?”

Ryan looks at Luke like he’s being dramatic for implying she was a slave driver. 

Ryan: “Just because I’m not hungry, that doesn’t mean you have to starve. Why don’t you order something or run out?”

Luke: “Ryan, you can’t survive on coffee alone. You should at least try to eat something, and maybe take a nap. The bags under your eyes have bags.” 

Ryan: “Shut up. And I'm drinking water, too. Ever heard of fasting? This isn’t going to kill me.” 

She’d showered and given herself a once over. Her eyes were more sunken than bagged…nothing a few layers of concealer wouldn’t handle if necessary. She would not be moved. 

Luke: “You know, The Hold Up has those fries you love. I bet they’ll make them fresh to order for you.”

She looks at him like he’s lost his mind. 

Ryan: “You want me to go down there, and order some fries…after everything I told you and how we’ve spent the last two days? You’re crazy.” 

Luke: “One, as you’re aware, I’m running this program to break further into the Crow’s servers, and I’m too close to have anything go wrong without me being here to catch it, now. So I can’t just walk away. Two, you can’t avoid her forever, and disappearing out of her life only makes you more suspicious.” 

Ryan: “Luke…I can’t.” 

For every single reason, she knows she’s not ready to come face to face with Sophie, the most immediate being that she suddenly has more information about the last decade of Sophie’s life than she’d ever wanted to consume. Her justification was that if Sophie was going to learn about her, she might as well even out the playing field. 

She did still try to prioritize her focus, though. She spent most of her time on career mentions, accolades, and cases Sophie had worked. She was trying to understand Sophie’s style, to see if she could head her off before she found the right path to Ryan. Still, spending this much effort on researching her, and then facing her…she needed time to compartmentalize before she had to deal with that.

Luke: “You’re assuming she’s even there. She has a life, too, you know. Just go get us some food. Get out of this box. See sunlight from a different angle, and faces besides mine.”

Ryan: “You know she’s there…Ooh! I can ask Jordan to bring my order up to me.”  

Luke: “You have Jordan’s number?” 

Ryan shrugs, nonchalantly. They’d had so many instances with Selina ending up at Ryan’s that Jordan had asked for her number to just verify that’s where the cat was instead of worrying about her, and Ryan didn’t see the harm. She got the feeling Sophie didn’t know that had occurred between them, and decided to go along with it. Ryan picks up her phone, and prepares to text Jordan. 

Ryan: “So, if the fries are for me, what are you eating?”

Luke: “I think I’m in.” 

He starts furiously typing and clicking. He finds Tyler’s shared drive folder, but doesn’t see anything with Sophie’s name on it. He assumes Tyler has been feeding her information, and clicks into it. There are a lot of folders, and he’s bucketed them by year that he started investigating. Luke clicks into 2023, and finds less than 10 folders, each named after a person of interest. He recognizes four names right away. He clicks into each one, and after a minute of scanning, he frowns. 

Luke: “Yeah, this isn’t great.” 

Ryan gets up and walks around to see what he’s looking at. He’s got files open with lots of redacted fields, videos with additional encryption and password protections. They’ve really locked everything down, which is surprising considering that Luke has mimicked Tyler’s credentials. 

Ryan: “What’s happening.” 

Luke: “For one, we do have a problem. They’ve started to put together that Arthur Brown, Roman Sionis, and Candice Long are somehow related. Second, there is a file on Robyn Wilde. And, third, we won’t know exactly what Sophie knows unless I can get that level of clearance, because evidently, that’s not Tyler, and there’s nothing on the Crow’s databases that links back to her. They’re not taking any chances with this.” 

Ryan: “Dammit. What about my folder?”

Luke: “There’s really not much in there. I can see why they asked for Sophie’s help if this guy is second in command. He was never going to get anywhere with what he dug up.” 

She walks back over to her chair and plops down. All of this effort, and she feels no closer than she was. 

Ryan: “So what’s next?”

Luke: “I think you need to start preparing me to be a spy. I was already thinking I might need to do that, but I wanted to at least try this way, first.”

Ryan: “What are you talking about?”

Luke: “I’m going to have to get Jacob Kane’s prints, a retinal scan, and mimic his access from his computer when I’m at their house on Sunday, and I need you to help make sure I don’t get caught.”

~~~~~

FRIDAY, JULY 7TH, 5:00 PM, TYLER'S CAR

Tyler watches as Angelique enters the bar. He remembers her arriving at the same time as Sophie's sister the first day they started working together, but also recalls Sophie mentioning that it was for training. He knew of Angelique because she'd been brought in for questioning on an investigation on Penguin's Ice Lounge, when it was suspected of covering up a drug ring while she was bartending there, but that was his only encounter with her before she'd moved away. He's glad his instincts are right, and that she'd be the scheduled closing bartender for a weekend night. 

He's surprised when she doesn't go straight into work, since it's just after five, and she appears to be flushed, most likely due to being late for work. She notices an unremarkable black car, and walks towards it, opening the door and getting into the passenger seat without hesitation. She's there for less than 5 minutes before she leaves looking defeated.

Then, she walks into The Hold Up, in a rush, and he doesn't see her again for almost five hours. When she steps outside, she's texting someone, with that same beaten expression. Someone calls her phone, and she clearly defends herself with a hushed, but frustrated voice.

The next time he sees her, she's locking up the bar, and heading to her car. While she was working, and after there were no other cars or people in the area, he'd gone to her car and placed both a tracker on the outside of it, and he'd found his way inside to bug it with a mic. If she had even a single conversation with Robyn, he'd catch it. He did still tail her home, by watching the tracker, so he didn't have to get too close. Her apartment building is impressive, given a bartender's earnings.

He settles in for what's going to be a long night. He doesn't want to lose her if she decides to go somewhere besides work. A light flicks on in one of the windows, behind the fire escape, on the top floor. The brunette walks past the window, and he makes a note to find his way up there at some point when she's at work, so he can bug her apartment. Then he props his GoPro up on his dashboard and angles it in that direction, just in case he can catch anything worth documenting. He'd printed the files Tavaroff had saved, and now plans to spend the night looking through all of them. 

He returns to the yearbook page and sees that Angelique attended Gotham City High School. From his phone, he Googles and finds a digital copy of the full yearbook from that year. He flips through the pages and doesn't see any candid or student club shots of Angelique, but he does find one of Sophie Moore, who was in ROTC, and a listing of her with students who'd received top honors in AP classes. He makes a mental note of the fact that they attended the same school. 

Based on Angelique's detention records, she didn't even complete her freshman year. She was sentenced by late spring. Though, that wasn't her first time in trouble. She'd had plenty of absences, been in several fights, and had even been caught for petty theft. Perhaps Sophie hiring her at The Hold Up was a kindness. Something tells him that kindness will end up being a weakness that Angelique uses against her.

~~~~~

SATURDAY, JULY 8TH, 9AM, THE FASHION DISTRICT

Tommy: “I can’t believe you have me out here before breakfast, on a Saturday, shopping.” 

Evan: “Listen, it’s us, or Catherine. And I know she’s your sugar mentor, but trust me when I say playing dress up with her is not actually fun. So, drink your coffee, and be a sweetie, and I promise you’ll be rewarded for playing nice later.”

Mary: “You two are pretty nauseating, so I’m kind of glad we’re doing this on an empty stomach.”

Sophie and Jordan walk through the door of the boutique clothing store Mooney Couture. Sophie’s concealer and foundation aren’t quite covering up the dark circles that have formed under her eyes, suggesting that she’s not super rested. And Jordan seems anxious, fiddling with the pendant looped onto the thin gold chain around her neck. 

Sophie: “Hey gang! This turned into a thing…” 

She looks over at Mary, purposefully.

Mary: “Heeeeyyy… I mean, you know this is something me and Evan do, and now that Tommy’s coming to the brunch too, it just kinda made sense to do it together.” 

She looks mildly remorseful, but is also fighting back a smile that makes it hard for Sophie to pretend to be upset. She finds Mary’s jovialness endearing. Mary sees the forgiveness, and smiles more freely. Then she opens her arms up towards Jordan, expecting her to come in for a hug. Jordan walks over and leans into her, letting Mary wrap her arms around her. 

Jordan: “Thanks for doing this. I guess this is another thing I have in common with my sister. Shopping, especially for fancy clothes, is definitely not my thing.” 

Mary: “Nor should it be when you have me. Sophie stopped worrying about this a while ago. I love it when people just let me do what I do. And, it helps to know what my goals are. Obviously, I know you’re coming to my house tomorrow, which is really cool for me since Kate’s not coming, and that was going to suck, but also a bit strange, because Beth invited you? Like, what’s the story there…?”

Mary releases Jordan to look at her, and Jordan shoots a glance at Sophie who shrugs her shoulders, indicating it was up to her to share or not. 

Jordan: “She invited Tatiana, and Tatiana invited me.” 

Jordan looks sheepishly at Mary, who distinctly recalls telling her how similar she was to her sister when it came to girls. 

Mary: “Wait. So you are a thing?!” 

Sophie: “That’s TBD. So, can you make my sister look amazing so we can have a conclusion to this story?”

Mary: “On it!” 

They all start perusing, and then Tommy realizes what Mary just said. 

Tommy: “Hold on, did you say Kate’s not coming?”

Mary: “Oh, yeah…I guess that wasn’t public knowledge, yet. What's going on with you two? She said something offhanded about you and my mom, and then said she wasn’t going shortly after.” 

Evan grimaces, and then walks over to a clothing wrack to start looking through it with determination. 

Tommy: “Well, she sort of overheard me telling Evan that I accepted an internship with your mom, and I don’t think she’s in love with that idea, or how she learned about it. We haven’t been in the same room together since, and I guess I wasn’t imagining that it’s on purpose.” 

Mary: “Well, I know she’s not exactly in love with my mom right now, but it seems a little silly to take that out on you…” 

Tommy: “Um…she might also be peeved at me for suggesting that Robyn shouldn’t be trusted.” 

All three women stop and stare at him with utter shock. 

Sophie: “Why would you say that?”

Tommy: “No surprise that would piss you off too.”

Sophie: “Excuse me?”

Mary: “All friends here, remember?”

Tommy: “It’s fine. She’s just making my point for me. That woman has you all wrapped around her little finger, and where did she even come from?”

Sophie: “How is that any of your business? I know you’re some long lost friend of Kate’s but that doesn’t give you jurisdiction over who she befriends now, and definitely not over who the rest of us care about.” 

Tommy: “Are you defending Kate, or Robyn, because it’s unclear who you actually care about.” 

Sophie steps a little closer, her chest puffing up, and Mary tries to stand her ground between them.

Mary: “Guys-”

Sophie: “Again, who are you? I don’t know you, and don’t owe you any explanations.” 

Tommy takes a step forward too, not at all intimidated by Sophie's tone of authority. Evan walks over and takes Tommy’s hand. 

Evan: “Babe, I reeeaaally like this store, and want to be welcomed back. Can you come look at these two-piece suits with me, please?”

Mary: “Great idea! Jordan, I see a tangerine dress over there that you absolutely have to try on.” 

She takes both Sophie and Jordan’s hands and drags them in the opposite direction of her other friends. Sophie’s fist is clenched, and Jordan is totally humored staring at her. 

Jordan: “Take a deep breath, sis.”

Sophie: “That guy has always rubbed me the wrong way. No wonder Kate never mentioned him.”

Mary: “I never imagined I’d see you this pissed off on Kate’s behalf.”

Jordan laughs, outloud, and her enjoyment makes her an outlier compared to the entire group.

Jordan: “Oh, all that fire has nothing to do with Kate.” 

Sophie shoots her a warning glare, and she tries to stifle her smile, but fails.

Mary: “Wait, what am I missing? Jesus, why do I feel like I’m the last to know about absolutely everything right now?”

Sophie and Jordan eye each other for a moment, and then Sophie shakes her head, and walks over to a wrack to busy herself, essentially permitting her sister to tell the story.

Jordan: “So…I think you know Sophie finally got Robyn’s number on the 4th of July, and she actually decided to text her to come have a drink with her, and Robyn did show up, and they almost had a moment. But Kate had come to Robyn’s loft drunk, before Sophie had invited her down, and she’d passed out on her couch. Of course she woke up, came down to the bar, and interrupted them. Robyn chased after Kate, and I’m going to guess they haven’t spoken since… Did I miss anything Soph?”

She answers without turning around to face them.

Sophie: “Nope, that about covers it.” 

Mary: “OH. My. GAWD! Sophie?! I don’t know if I’m more geeked that you finally went for it, or hurt that this is how I’m finding out. And I guess I understand a lot more about what’s going on with Kate now too…”

Sophie looks over her shoulder apologetically, but it's also clear she's feeling let down herself.

Jordan: “Yeah…talk about hurt. Robyn’s not looking too great since the whole thing went down, either, if you ask me.” 

That’s enough to make Sophie turn around and focus.

Sophie: “You saw her?”

Jordan: “Uh, yeah…you’ve been in your office a lot lately…She asked me to bring her up an order of food yesterday. Luke was hanging out with her, though.”

Which meant he’d probably heard the story by now too. Sophie feels like the whole world is watching her all of the sudden. 

Mary: “So, how exactly did you guys leave things?”

Sophie looks guilty and frustrated at the same time. She’d wondered if Robyn was beating herself up, and this might have been confirmation of that. She had opened up her phone a couple of times, wanting to text her, but also talking herself out of it for one reason or another. Considering she’d told Robyn she’d go looking for her if she went missing again, she was starting to regret taking so long to reach out.

Sophie: "She texted me saying she was going to call it a night after she ran out. She did apologize for cutting us short, and thanked me…"

Jordan: "SOPHIE! I didn't realize you hadn't said anything to her since then. What are you doing? And after my story…?

She pierces her lips together, letting that thought settle in. Maybe she could have handled this differently. In her defense, she had been really wrapped up in Jacob Kane's case, but she also knew that was a bit of a cop out.

Mary: "Jordan's right. And I'm saying this with love, but if you lose this girl, it's going to be on you. She's probably thinking you hate her for leaving you, and we all know that's not true. She's totally caught up in the middle of you and Kate's drama, just like the rest of us if we're being real, and it's not fair for her to think whatever she's thinking right now because you're, what, ghosting her?"

Sophie: "How am I ghosting her?"

Jordan: "She sent the last text right? And you probably left her on read."

She didn't consider that might be how Robyn would experience her not following up yet… She just throws her hands up in defeat. She accepts that they're probably right, and isn't going to argue anymore.

Mary: "You should probably pull your phone out asap, if it's not already too late." 

She walks away, pulling out her phone, and starts a text. 

Sophie Cell: Hey!! Sorry it's taken me so long to check in. Things got a little crazy around here, but that doesn't mean you haven't crossed my mind. When they settle down, I want a redo. And I'm going to make sure it's in some way where we won't be interrupted again. 😉

She sees the dots that tell you when someone is writing a response. Then they stop, and nothing is sent. She sighs, realizing she might actually be too late. She starts to put her phone away, so she can turn around and face the criticism of her judges, but then it vibrates. She looks, and there's a heart reaction from Robyn. 

~~~~~

SUNDAY, JULY 9TH, 1:00 PM, KANE MANSION

All of Catherine and Jacob’s guests sit at an oblong table. As much as it was intended as a family celebration, their daughters had never obliged their wishes to eat as a family, alone. So, their parents were used to additions at their table, and took it as an opportunity to assess the company their kids kept. Once or twice, they’d been able to sniff out wannabes or leaches, and scare them away with the right set of questions. Sometimes, their guests would realize they weren’t cut out for this life, and would simply fall away. The ones that stayed over time, like Tommy, became welcomed as extended members of the family. 

Tension was higher at this brunch, by default, because Kate’s absence was impossible to ignore. Tatiana and Jordan were also surprise guests that Beth conveniently omitted. Evan was actually included in this meal for a change, and they were antsy, commenting under their breath about how things were being handled without their involvement. And Catherine kept staring at Luke like she was sizing up his eligibility to date her daughter. 

This mixed up bunch doesn't know where to start in terms of conversation, so the salad forks clanking against the plates sound amplified. When entrees are placed in front of everyone, Tommy decides to break the silence and compliment everything.

Tommy: "Mrs. Hamilton, Mr. Kane, I must say this is one of the most delightful brunches I've had the pleasure of dining at. You truly know how to pull together a lovely endeavor."

There were a few quiet agreements and nods around the table, and one obvious eye roll. 

Catherine: "Thank you Tommy. It's certainly wonderful to be able to gather as a family for this occasion, even if not everyone chose to be present today. We appreciate you all for being here, especially some of our newer faces."

Jacob: "Agreed. Now Ms. Moore, I'm very familiar with your older sister - she's quite impressive - but I didn't realize you were friends with my daughter."

Beth: "She came with Tatiana. I'm pretty sure Jordan hates me."

Jacob: "Pardon me? Why would you invite someone who hates you to our anniversary?"

Jordan quickly looks over at Jacob Kane, defensively. 

Jordan: "I don't hate her!"

She turns to Tatiana to clarify. 

Jordan: "Hate is a really strong emotion to feel towards someone I barely know."

Then she looks and speaks directly at Beth. 

Jordan: "But let's not pretend you've ever been kind to me, or my family, or given me any reason to like you."

Beth: "It's okay Daddy. She's not wrong, but I wanted her to come so that she and Tatiana could finally go out on a date. I've been watching Tatiana crush on her for weeks, and Jordan pretend not to know because she's been in denial about having feelings for her too, and I figured they could use a little push. Consider it my good deed for the summer." 

She sips her mimosa, proud of herself, and Tatiana wraps her hand around Jordan's under the table, empathetically. Jordan looks at her, a mix of appreciation and anxiety. Luke sets his shock aside, because he doesn't like Jordan being picked on, and changes the subject.

Luke: "So where is Kate? She didn't mention any conflicting plans to me."

Mary: "She wasn't feeling very well, and decided to do a little self-care today, instead."

Beth: "Yeah, the thought of being around our parents was making her want to hurl, so a little alone time was preferable. And, who could blame her really?"

Jonathan laughs into his drink at everyone's stunned expressions, and Beth smiles, happy to have entertained him. Jordan and Luke look at each other from across the table, grateful to be there together, and Mary looks as exhausted as ever. Catherine takes a deep breath, and decides to ignore Beth, as she often does. 

Catherine: "How are things at Wayne, Luke? Have you been able to step into your father's shoes?"

Luke: "Can't say that was the goal. His would be some very big shoes to fill, but I do think I'm making my own impact."

Catherine: "Well, Kate has certainly become as fond of you as Bruce was of Lucius. So that must be an indication of how well you're doing."

Luke: "Thanks for that…"

He reaches over to grab his glass of water and as he picks it up it slides out of his hand and into his lap. He jumps up startled, and knocks some neighboring glasses over. Mary tries to wipe his pants down with a napkin, but then realizes that she feels awkward doing so, and looks up embarrassed. He addresses her before the rest of the table.

Luke: "It's fine. Forgive me, everyone. I'll just head to the little boys room and try to dry myself off."

Catherine: "Of course! I believe you know where it is."

Luke nods and then quickly disappears behind a wall. He walks all the way to the bathroom, but loops back as soon as he's confident he's alone and out of earshot. He taps the earpiece that was almost buried in his ear, and whispers.

Luke: "Wingman to Ghost Girl do you copy?"

Ryan: "Are these code names really necessary?"

Luke: "Absolutely."

Ryan: "Then can we come up with something better, because these are weak?"

Luke: "I thought you loved Ghost Kid growing up?"

Ryan: "I'm not a kid or a girl. I'm a grown ass woman!"

Luke: "Okay then, Ghost Woman is that better?"

Ryan: "Whatever. Let's get this over with."

Luke: "Okay do you have their surveillance up?" 

Ryan: "Yup, I see you and them. Remember, you typically have about 5 minutes before people start to get anxious, and wonder if you are all right. By the 7th minute, they're going to consider coming to look for you. And, you've already wasted one minute with me. Their house is a bit of a maze, but that's a good thing because it gives you options to get to Jacob's office. You're going to want to go through the backyard door attached to the kitchen. The cook is pretty focused on the stove, and the servers are cleaning up your mess. So, you should be good to slide behind him without notice. Then you can enter his office from his exterior door. You're going to have to move quickly."

He'd been making his way down the hall while she was instructing him, and had already peered into the kitchen, confirming everything she'd explained. The chef doesn't budge when he walks past, and exits, assuming he was just one of the servers shuffling around. Luckily, no one is outside, and he makes it into Jacob's office, undetected.

Luke: "Jackpot."

Jacob's laptop is sitting pretty, with a screensaver of a family portrait up. He'd left a glass of what smelled like Scotch next to it, and there was still a little unmelted ice in the glass. So he'd obviously been pregaming before brunch, and that's also probably why the housekeepers had not cleaned up after him yet. Luke sticks the USB drive with his enhanced mimic program into the computer, pulls gloves out of his inside jacket pocket, puts them on, and then starts working on the glass. 

Ryan: "Don't forget, you want to spray it far enough away that it mists like an aerosol. And when the glass appears to be completely dry, gently slide your fingers over it like you are feeling around for a perforated piece of scotch tape."

He does as she says, and is able to slowly peel a fine piece of gelatin textured film off of the glass. He pulls what looks like a rectangular makeup compact out of his pants pocket, opens it, and lays the film strip onto the mini scanner inside. The tiny screen located where a mirror would be confirms a perfect replica of Jacob Kane's thumb print.

Luke: "Got it GW."

Ryan: "GW?"

Luke: "Ghost Woman."

Ryan: "We've had these names for 5 minutes and you're already abbreviating?"

Luke: "Did you not say that time was of the essence?"

Ryan: "Speaking of, you're at the 5 minute mark, and the servers are done straightening up your mess. It looked like Mary might have asked one of them to go check on you, probably to see if you needed any help."

Luke: "Well, my pants aren't dry, that's for sure."

Luke had just finished peeling off film from the other side of the glass, and now he was verifying he had all 5 prints.

Ryan: "You're out of time Luke. A server is staring into an empty bathroom. When you get outside, go two doors down, instead. You can walk through that room, and there's a small door that's probably a linen closet in the hallway. You can tell them you went searching for towels. Did you get the retinal scans?"

He'd stored the gel prints in a different thin case, and taken the USB out of the computer. He makes his way outside, and speed walks to the door Ryan sent him to, looking around before entering.

Luke: "Yes. I shook his hand before taking my seat at brunch. I'm wearing glasses that have a built-in camera. When I sincerely thanked him for having me in his home, he made direct eye contact, and I was able to get it then. I think I'm in Mary's room. It smells like her perfume."

Ryan: "Okay…first, you're her plus one to this thing, and now you have her scent memorized. Is that who you went on a date with a while back? Also, you've got company, about 15 seconds away."

He walks straight to the closet when he leaves her room and opens the door, looking for a hand towel. He whispers his response to her question.

Luke: "No time…Delete the footage of me, and run the loop."

He taps the earpiece to disconnect from Ryan just as the server walks up and speaks to him.

Server: "Mr. Fox? Are you finding everything okay?"

He closes the door and meets a shorter, older, round woman, who could be the mom of a teenager. He shows her the towel he'd used for less than a second on his pants.

Luke: "Yes! I didn't want to use anything that was intended for decoration in that bathroom."

Server: "Of course. There were towels underneath the sink, though."

Luke: "It probably would have made sense to check there first."

Server: "It's no problem."

Luke has continued to pat himself while standing in front of her. He's made a little progress, and decides it's enough.

Luke: "Well, I think I'm good now. What should I do with this?"

Server: "I can take care of it."

He hands the towel to her. She takes it, and then he puts his hands together like he's about to pray, and leans forward in a bow of thanks. He walks away from her, to return to the least fun brunch he's ever participated in, noting that this was something he might have to learn to get used to.

~~~~~

To be continued...

I made this part small because I intended to put the conclusion on Ao3, and just wasn't quite ready. So, the next time we meet will be there for the conclusion. Would love your thoughts on how everything's moving along. 😉

For #PrideMonth, the #SaveBatwoman campaign has all kinds of fun topics to chat about on Twitter. Join the conversation.

#wmw23 #wildmoore week #wildmoore #batwoman #fanfic #ryan wilder #ryan x sophie #sophie moore #save batwoman #lgbtq #pride month

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is part two of chapter five. If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. In this fic, Ryan Wilder believes she has nothing to lose, and revenge is the only way to get anything back, whish she's willing to do absolutely anything in service to, or so she thinks.

Another hefty chunk of words for part two. A little warning: we're in our angsty season. At least it's not cold outside, though! And I promise to keep it fun when I can.

CHAPTER FIVE - CHARADE (Part Two)

Ryan’s double life continues to challenge her as she’s confronted with the realities of her choices, and the potential for everything she’s worked for to slip through her fingers. 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5TH, 6:00 AM, THE LOFT

Ryan wakes up feeling like hell, because she’s hardly had the equivalent of a nap. She’d succumb to taking the night off, not by choice, and let herself feel for the first time in a long time. She hated every moment of it, but once she’d opened those flood gates, they were hard to seal back up. The past and the present had collided and knocked her back so hard that she couldn’t get up from her bed. Eventually, she passed out, but the sun was rising by then, and she woke up from an internal alarm that reminded her of everything she had on the line. It was more important than ever that she got things back on track. 

Ryan Cell: Luke, we have a problem. How quickly can you get here?

Luke Cell: Will 10:00 work? It’d be tough to be there sooner. 

Ryan Cell: We’ll make it work. I’ll get started in the meantime.

Luke Cell: Copy

She climbs out of bed and does little more than brush her teeth and pull on the same jeans and plaid shirt she’d barely managed to slide out of before collapsing into bed when she walked through the door. She makes coffee, but nothing else, because the idea of food makes her nauseous. And then, she opens up her laptop, as she should have done last night.

A quick search on Tyler and his time with The Crows gives her some comfort. He’d grown up at the organization, starting as an intern, and had basically moved up by outlasting several of his peers and being a sidekick to Jacob Kane. He’d never accomplished anything earth shattering for them, though. So it would be a bit of a leap for him to crack this case.

This might explain why they needed Sophie’s help. Whether it was because Ryan didn’t want to know more than she had to, or because she had too much respect to pry, she had never done a deep dive on Sophie. Even after quick glimpses at her social media pages from moments of weakness and temptation, she’d quickly swipe out when she remembered she was exposing herself to a life she could never entertain. But she couldn’t put it off anymore. She had to prepare. 

Unsurprisingly, Sophie is a real threat. She absolutely was on her way to being the best investigator National City had ever had, until she’d left for Gotham. She’d uncovered some monumental unsolved mysteries, and dismantled criminal organizations that seemed untouchable before she’d decided to take them on. Her instincts and determination were unmatched. 

A part of Ryan is proud and in awe. Nonetheless, allowing herself to even feel that is way too close to what had wrecked her in the first place. Ryan’s reality is that Sophie Moore is definitely going to be even more of a problem than she’d already become. And worse, Ryan’s usual methods of taking people down before they could get to her won’t work this time, because they are in direct conflict with her promise to protect Sophie at all costs. 

~~~~~

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5TH, 7:00 AM, THE CROWS HEADQUARTERS

Tyler walks into Jacob Kane’s office. He’d put a meeting on the calendar at the end of the day on July 3rd, and Jacob had accepted. He didn’t supply much context, but he did use Leak Update as the meeting’s subject.  

It’s been less than a week since he’s been working with Sophie Moore and he’s frustrated, because he doesn’t see the point in being assigned to this case anymore. She has more clearance than him, and he’s basically become her assistant. He’s at her beck and call, searching for whatever she wants him to on The Crows’ database, or retrieving old files from their storage and archives. 

She was able to set up a face ID and fingerprint scans for materials being provided to her. He’d dig them up, and the information would appear to be redacted on his end, but he’d add them to a shared drive that she could access, and when she logged in, she had permission to see what he could not. She’d even sent him on errands to look up old news clippings at the library, and he feels like he’s taken ten steps backwards in his career. 

He’s surprised to see that Russel Tavaroff is already in Jacob’s office when he arrives. It looks like they were just having a laugh, and Tyler feels like he’s interrupting. 

Tyler: “Apologies, sir. I didn’t realize you had a meeting scheduled before mine.” 

Jacob: “I didn’t. Russel and I ran into each other downstairs, and were just finishing up a conversation.” 

Tyler: “Do you need me to reschedule, or is now still a good time?”

Jacob: “No, it’s fine. Tavaroff, find time on my calendar, so we can continue this, alright?” 

The idea that Jacob Kane was plotting or bonding with Russel Tavaroff has Tyler clenching his teeth, as if he needed more reasons to have this conversation with his boss. Tavaroff was a dirty cop, and he took this job because it paid better. He covered his tracks well, so it was hard to pin any of his wrong doings since joining The Crows on him. Tyler doesn’t subscribe to his methods, so he keeps his distance. If doing so was going to become more difficult, The Crows might not be the organization for him anymore. 

~~~~~

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5TH, 8:00 AM, KANE MANSION

Beth: “Why do you look like death, sissy?”

Kate: “Because my outsides match my insides.” 

Kate’s sitting at the kitchen table with her sisters and only a cup of coffee in front of her. She was going to take the day off of work, but would rather keep herself busy. So she’s decided to make her way into the office, even though it’s proving to be a struggle. No one else should be there, because she declared the week a summer holiday. So she’s dressed in her designer distressed black jeans with holes in the thighs and knees, and a boxy black t-shirt. 

Mary: “What happened to you last night? You totally disappeared? I thought maybe you’d passed out in your room, but when I went to check on you, you weren’t there.” 

Beth: “Did you phone a friend girl to create some fireworks of your own?”

Kate: “That probably would have been a better choice than the one that I made.” 

Catherine walks into the kitchen with the exact opposite energy that her daughters have. None of them are demonstrating the tendencies of morning people, or seem thrilled to be up and about the day after a mid-week party. And yet, for one reason or another, they’re all dressed and preparing to start their day. They look at Catherine as though she’s insane. 

Mary: “And why do you look like you got a visit from your fairy godmother last night, mom?”

Catherine: “Because we all have a choice to greet each new day as if there’s endless potential for it to be a perfect one. I’ve decided that everything will go my way today.” 

Beth: “Oh great. That means she’s come in here to give us orders.” 

Catherine: “You’re not wrong, Beth. Sunday is your father’s and my 20th anniversary dinner, and I’ve come to set some ground rules.” 

Mary: “Wait, you’re still going through with that sham of a celebration.” 

Catherine: “I’ll beg your pardon. We are still very much in a marriage, and have raised three grown daughters, while running successful corporations. I’d say that’s plenty of reason to celebrate 20 years of partnership.” 

Beth: “She has a point, Mary. Contractually, they’re still bound together with all of their assets and things. So, why not throw a party to look happy about it and hide all of the internal collusion and corruption?”

Catherine: “And that’s exactly the kind of talk that I’ll have none of at our dinner. I’m expecting you ladies to be on your very best behavior, and I’d really like it to be something intimate. So you’re not entitled to bring more than one plus one, which I need to approve in advance. Kate, I believe yours will be Tommy, so yours is approved. I’ll need the two of you to confirm who you’re bringing by the end of day tomorrow, so we can reach out to them regarding their dietary accommodations.”

Kate: “You sure Tommy’s not your plus one?” 

Kate says that under her breath, but both of her sisters catch it and snap their heads to stare at her in shock. She waves them off, and drinks her coffee, not in the mood to explain. 

Catherine isn’t interested in any discussion around her instructions. So she leaves the kitchen before anyone can argue, as per her customary last-word having exit. 

Mary: “Kate, seriously, what is going on with you?” 

Kate puts her coffee mug down and looks at Mary with the seriousness she's demanding. 

Kate: “I’m done with all of the charades. I’m not going to this dinner, and I’m not going to argue about it. You know I only live here because you two do, and I can barely stand it. I’m going to do my best to steer clear of both of them from now on. I need a break.” 

Mary: “What did my mom do? I know she’s a bit of a bitch, but that’s not new…So, is all of this because she’s not leaving dad, or something?”

Kate looks at Beth for a while, and then back at Mary. 

Kate: “Mar, she’s been hiding a lot more than their shitty marriage. In fact, covering things up in plain sight is kind of her thing. This is a pattern, and I’m done being a part of it by proximity and association.” 

Mary: “What are you talking about?” 

Kate: “You never wondered why they sent Beth away in the middle of the school year our junior year?”

Mary: “I mean…Beth was always getting into stuff. I figured they were just making her someone else’s problem. No offense.” 

Beth shrugs. The facts were the facts. Whether she’d accepted fulfilling everyone’s expectations of her, decided this way of life was more fun, needed more mental health support than she’d received or was receptive to, or was screaming for something that felt like love in the form of attention, she was who she was. 

Kate: “And what about how I was around that time…? What did you think was happening there?”

Mary: “They sent your twin away, and you’d already lost your mom. You being angry and withdrawn kind of made sense.” 

Beth: “ Mar Bear is making some good points, Katie. The Hamilton women are on it this morning. And, you have to admit that you’ve always been kinda broody.” 

Kate looks at her sister with utter exhaustion for being no help at all. 

Kate: “Those things might have been true, but that wasn’t all of it.” 

Mary: “Well, what did I miss?”

Kate sits back in her chair, not sure if she really wants to dig up this really old story. Beth is more detached, and enjoying the morning tea. So, she decides to finally tell on herself. 

Beth: “My friends and I were involved in a very tragic accident, and mommy dearest covered up my part in it. After doing so, they wanted everyone to forget about my existence, so they sent me far far away to a boarding school that must have been inspired by Fort Knox. And, it seems my twin sissy was so disgusted with the whole thing that she went off to military school, to become a better human, just as soon as we turned 18. She also might have been running away from me, since she conveniently left the day before I got back, but we’ll never know the answer to that part, will we Katie?”

Kate rolls her eyes, and then sits forward to lean over her coffee, before taking one last drink. 

Mary: “Wait, I remember this. That was the woman who ran our kitchen. Ms. Lewis? She was shot or something, right? You were there when it happened?” 

Beth: “I was indeed.” 

Mary: “But you didn’t-”

Beth shakes her head no, to interrupt Mary’s thought.

Beth: “I’m more the type to bring a knife to a gun fight. It wasn’t me.” 

Mary: “I can’t believe she did that. What the hell is wrong with our parents?”

Kate: “I don’t know, but like I said, I’m done. If she’s hidden that, and this stuff with my dad, who knows what else she’s capable of. She offered Tommy a job, by the way, without bothering to say anything to me. And I probably wouldn’t care, but I found out he’s been hiding things, too. So, it sounds like they were made for each other. I’m just over all of it.” 

She gets up from the table, and walks out of the room, leaving Mary and Beth to work out the rest on their own. 

~~~~~

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5TH, 9:00 AM, THE HOLD UP

Sophie walks into The Hold Up, and she doesn’t rush to remove her sunglasses. She thought she’d be walking into an empty bar, but her sister is already behind the counter, rolling silverware. Sophie is on her way to the office, but she stops at the bar to inquire. She places her laptop bag in an empty seat, and takes the one right next to it. 

Jordan: “Coffee?”

Sophie: “Please?”

She takes her shades off, and sets them down. She runs her fingers through her loose braids, and rests her eyes in her hands, pressing them back into her head. Her sister returns with a mug filled with blonde coffee, just the way Sophie likes it. Jordan usually teases her about being more into the sugar from the flavored creamer than the caffeine, but she senses today isn’t the day for that. She sets two advil down next to the mug, too.

Jordan: “Assuming you haven’t done that yet?” 

Sophie: “Thank you. Why are you here?” 

Jordan: “Couldn’t sleep. You?” 

Sophie: “That, and I have a meeting.” 

Jordan: “Another undercover Crow convo?”

Sophie: “You know you can’t tell anyone I’m working with them, right?”

Jordan: “Duh sis. I don’t speak on your business.”

Sophie: “Oh, so we’re lying to each other now?”

Jordan: “Huh? What’d I do?”

Sophie: “Told Mary you think I like Robyn.”

Jordan: “Oh, that…”

Sophie: “Yeah, that…” 

Sophie takes the Advil and drinks down about half of the coffee at once. 

Jordan: “I’d say I’m sorry, but then I’d be lying on purpose. I hope Mary told you to get it together before you lose that girl.” 

Sophie: “Oh, she did, and Luke, too. Apparently, you’re all in this together.” 

Jordan smiles, smugly, proud of herself for pushing her sister. Sophie shakes her head ‘no’ in response.

Sophie: “Na-ah. You don’t get to celebrate.”

Jordan: “What? Why not? What happened?”

She leans in, eager for tea. Sophie drinks the rest of her coffee down, and slides the mug back to her sister with a glance that states she’d need a refill if she was going to get into it. Jordan speed walks to the coffee pot, quickly refills the mug, grabs the creamer out of the small fridge under the bar, and does her sister’s heavy pour, rushing back right after. The whole thing takes less than a minute. She puts the cup in front of Sophie and picks back up where she left off.

Jordan: “Spill.” 

Sophie locks her jaw as she exhales, and then grimaces. 

Sophie: “She gave me her number at dinner last night. The dinner was shitty, and she left earlier than everyone else. So, I came back to the bar to invite her to talk, and she actually showed up.” 

Jordan’s leaning in with her forams on the counter and her fingers woven together, really engaged, and smiling brightly. 

Jordan: “Sis! I’m so proud!”

Sophie: “Nope. Remember, I said you couldn’t do that.”

Jordan: “Wait? Did it go bad or something?” 

She frowns, not sure how to answer. 

Sophie: “I don’t know…” 

Her head is back in her hands, and she looks like she might pull out her hair. 

Jordan: “Sophie. Spit. It. Out. What do you mean you don’t know?” 

Sophie doesn’t look up, and talks to the counter she’s not looking at, because her eyes are shut tight in her palms. 

Sophie: “Kate was in her loft. She came to Robyn’s, drunk and unannounced. She fell asleep on her couch, and Robyn decided to come down and talk to me when I invited her. I think we were about to get somewhere, but then Kate came down, and ran off all hurt from finding us together. Robyn ran after her. That was the end.” 

Jordan: “Damn. Talk about crazy timing. But, you think you were getting somewhere…?”

Sophie: “I think? I don’t know. Nothing made sense. Like, she seemed into it, but she also kinda looked like she wanted to run away, too. And then she got the chance to, and didn’t come back. Maybe I’m just forcing this whole thing.” 

Jordan: “Nah, the vibes are definitely there. Trust me.” 

Sophie: “Wait, what do you know?”

Sophie sits up then, to look her sister in her eyes. 

Jordan: “Well, besides the way she looks at you, like there's a halo surrounding you or something, you two just don’t see how you are when you’re in the same room. It’s almost like the rest of us are background noise that you’re tuning in and out of. Like you’re sharing a private moment, even when you haven’t said anything to each other, yet. I just think…she might be the kind of girl you have to fight for.” 

Jordan seems honestly sympathetic, and Sophie inhales deeply and slowly. The door opens, and there’s a different suited white man than she was expecting walking through it. She drinks down the rest of her coffee, and stands up. 

Sophie: “When I come back, I want to hear about why you couldn’t sleep, but I gotta find out why there’s a new Crow in our bar.”

He starts walking towards Sophie, and she nods in the direction of her office, communicating that he should follow her. She grabs her bag, and they continue the short trip together. On the way, she sees a text from Kate come through on her phone. 

Kate Cell: Going into the office today. So, we'll have to find another day for lunch. I'll let you know.

~~~~~

Sophie: “Who are you, and where’s Tyler?”

Tavaroff: “I'm Russell Tavariff. Tyler couldn’t handle working for a woman of your stature. So I’m his replacement.” 

Sophie sits in her chair, and looks up only slightly surprised.

Sophie: “I knew he’d be a punk about it. So, what’s the deal, then? Are you filled in, or do I need to debrief you? Do you have all the things you need to step in where he left off?”

Tavaroff: “My boss filled me in, so I’m good. I’m mainly here to introduce myself, and because you two had a meeting today, though the topic for it was unclear.”

Sophie: “Hm. We were going to set the strategy for the rest of the week. I’ve been stringing together the common denominators between Candice Long, Arthur Brown, and Roman Soionis. Arthur and Roman were actually kind of easy, but Candice is harder. Really, the Kanes seem to be the only thing all 3 of them share.”

Tavaroff: “Hold on, back up a minute. I thought you were brought on to find out who leaked Sionis’s video. How did these other people come into play?”

Sophie: “Because there’s no such thing as a coincidence. My gut says the fact that these three people are friends with the Kanes, and were recently at events with them before something happened to ruin their careers and reputation didn’t happen by accident.” 

Tavaroff: “Okay. Could be a stretch, but also sounds interesting.” 

Sophie: “The good news is, it’s not your job to determine what is and isn’t a stretch. But, it is your job to help me dig up every interaction the 3 of them had with Catherine Hamilton and Jacob Kane since the start of their friendships.”

Tavaroff: “That’s one hell of an ask.” 

Sophie: “Sounds like you have plenty to keep you busy, then. I want email exchanges, pictures from events, text messages, literally anything you can get me. Save everything to the drive in folders with each of their names, and I’ll let you know if I have follow up instructions or questions.” 

He raises his eyebrows, somewhat understanding of how someone like Tyler could struggle with Sophie Moore’s confidence in exerting her authority. He, on the other hand, liked to let people feel powerful, even though he never did anything more than he wanted to do. For now, his curiosity is piqued, so he’s choosing to move forward with her plan. 

Tavaroff: “Aye aye, Captain.”

He salutes her, and then turns to walk out of the door. On his way out, his eyes land on  a brunette behind the bar that he remembers that she’s Angelique Martin almost instantly. He’d thought she was cute when he arrested her for carrying when he was a beat cop. She’s busy drying glasses, and doesn’t notice him. He doesn’t stop or slow down, because he knows they’re trying to limit the people who are aware of this project, but something tells him her presence here isn’t an accident either. He might have to agree with Sophie on her point: there really wasn’t such a thing as a coincidence. 

~~~~~

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5TH, 10:00 AM, THE LOFT

Ryan is rereading the same article that she's been staring at for 10 minutes, because it's taken that much to digest the story. It's as if she's unlearned how to read, because she seems to only catch every third word, making the sentences incomprehensible. In truth, the new information is struggling to overpower the words her mom said to her in her journal. 

Initially, when she'd found this article, she'd closed her laptop, overwhelmed by its existence. She'd pushed herself away from the table and hurried to her mama's box, hoping she'd find something that could wrap her up, and remind her of her mother's hug. Last night, before the visits that led to her coming undone, she was just starting to read a letter that would help her with her decisions. On the way to finding that page again, she came across the name Andy, and stopped. She'd only read this letter once or twice, because she wasn't sure she'd ever experienced a love like the one her mama had lost. Suddenly, she felt like those words deserved more contemplation. 

Dear Daughter, I had so much fun with you tonight. I love when you watch my Denzel Washington and Danny Glover movies with me. You like to tease me and say I like bad boys who look like good guys, and men with a little bit of power, because they always have some sort of badge or official title. I usually just laugh, and defend my favorite characters. I tell you they only do bad things when they believe it's for the right reasons, or that men with that much potential will always be given a second chance to turn over a new leaf, because they're so few and far between.  You're not entirely wrong about your mama, and based on these girls you keep talking about at school, I'm thinking I might have found a way to rub off on you. I know I haven't told you much about my deceased husband, because even after all of these years, thinking too long about him can send me into a tailspin, and I can't really afford to give that much concentration to those feelings, because I have you to take care of. But you should really know more about the man that could have been your father, if the universe had been a bit kinder to us. We both turned eighteen before we graduated (a Taurus and a Gemini), and were married with little more than his older brother present as a witness. He was also in the military, and agreed that this was the right strategy for us.  He shipped off the day after graduation, and even while I knew he was still mine, in every sense of the word, I felt like I'd given him away at the same time. I'd have to learn to live without him, for his safety and for our future, and I'd just have to pray he'd come back to me. He did come back once, for a beautiful three weeks after basic training, and it felt like no time had passed between us. But then he was deployed, and…I didn't see him again after that. I sent him away to protect him and lost him to something worse. In the time he was home with me, we'd conceived a little boy, that I named AJ, Andrew Junior. Sadly, he didn't make it either. They called it failure to thrive.  You see, I'd received the news about Andy, and gone into delivery at 22 weeks. I hadn't even told him we were expecting, because I didn't know how to fit the words into the brief, occasional conversations we'd had when he could call, and when I tried to write, I didn't know what to say, because what could he do from so far away? He was the type to risk everything for me, and it felt selfish to let him come back for me like I just knew he would.  I used to wonder if our baby died from my broken heart. After losing so much at once, I wasn't sure I could ever bear to risk loving someone again. And, I had to find a way to take care of myself… I'd received a little something from the government from being his wife, but not enough to sustain me. So, I began growing my cooking skills, and spent the rest of my time at church, praying for mercy every single day. Eventually, the women who would help out got tired of watching me sit by myself, staring at the paned glass, and said if I was going to be there all the time, I might as well put my hands to good use. They gave me a purpose again, and I threw myself into those two things: cooking and the church.  Andy's brother called me on my birthday the next year, and told me about a woman who was looking for a good mother for her daughter, who'd be born in a couple of weeks. I was angry with him at first. And then I started hurting all over again…But one day, when I was back on my bench praying, one of the women asked me to consider the possibility that every ounce of pain I'd endured was leading me to this moment. To the chance to be this baby girl's mom.  I liked to cuss the lord out for being so dramatic. I could have had you and them. But if you were destined to be mine regardless, how could I not show up for you?

Whether I knew it, or even liked it at first, God had a plan for me to have healing love and for us to save each other, my blessing of a daughter. And so, no matter how frightening it can feel to love you as much as I do, and let you go out into this world filled with risks each day, I walk with faith that this is the love I'm meant to have, for however long I'm meant to have it.

I love you, daughter.

Your mama,

Cora 

Ryan had placed her hand on the page, as if she was resting it on her mama's hand, and closed the journal while it was still there, not wanting to let go of her. Her throat felt swollen with unshed tears. Her mama wouldn't have changed a thing. She'd still have let the love of her life go to protect him. She'd known that away was the safest place for him, even with him being exposed to every other risk she couldn't control. Sometimes loving someone meant you had to let them go.

She'd put the journal away, and returned the box. Then, she'd taken a few minutes to collect herself. Finally, she'd returned to the article, determined to move forward and accept her fate.

Now, Luke knocks on the door, announcing ‘it’s me,’ right on schedule, and Ryan calls out saying ‘it’s open,’ unwilling to break away from the article on her laptop to greet him properly. She hadn’t realized she’d left the door unlocked overnight until just then. She'd really been a mess.

Luke walks in and takes in the scene. It’s been a long time since he’s seen Ryan so un-put together. It wasn’t the ensemble, itself, but there were tells everywhere. Her hair was up in a lopsided bun. She had no makeup on, and remnants of not completely washed off eyeliner darkened her eyes, which were puffy and swollen too. As if the SOS at sun up hadn’t already had him concerned, seeing someone he'd come to think of as his unbreakable little sister look so worn down shot a spark of protectiveness through him that he rarely had to experience with her.

Luke: “You keep the door unlocked now?”

She doesn’t look up from her computer.

Ryan: “Not usually. Guess I forgot to lock it last night.”

Luke: “You forgot to lock your door? And then didn’t realize until now? Where’s Ryan Wilder and who are you.” 

Ryan: “That’s a good question.”

Luke sits at the table in something other than a three piece suit for a change, but not entirely far from it. He still wears a collar in the form of his Polo shirt, and dark blue, structured jeans. He's staring at her, even though she’s yet to look in his direction. 

Luke: “Welp, I’m officially worried. What’s going on?” 

She turns her laptop around, and shows him an article about Sophie Moore apprehending Eve Teschmacher, member of the elite, underground Leviathan Society and spy for the DOD's biggest threat, Lex Luther. 

Ryan: “This is our problem.”

Luke: “Sophie? Did you text me at 6AM with a dating emergency?”

The mix of emotions that cross her face in less than a second tells him he’s not entirely wrong. 

Ryan: “Jacob Kane has her and his number one, Tyler, working together to find out who leaked the Sionis videos.”

She gives him a moment to put that together. They were good at what they did, but they might not be better than Sophie Moore. 

Luke: “Okay. That explains some things… But, we can figure this out, like we do everything else. Am I supposed to believe this is why you resemble post-release Ryan right now?”

It was a little harsh, but it was also accurate, and he needed her to be clear for once. She got up from the table, taking her mug with her, and went to the coffee pot to replenish. 

Ryan: “Want some?”

Luke: “Sure, but I still need an answer.” 

She doesn’t respond immediately. She makes their coffees and returns to the table with them. She sits down, holds her mug with both hands, and takes a drink from it. When she sets it on the table in front of her, she stares into it when she speaks.

Ryan: “I knew Sophie…before.” 

At first, Luke has to say it back to himself, because he heard it like it was spoken in a language he only understands a few words of. Then, he pieces it together, and so many things start clicking into place that he feels inundated with an overwhelming amount of information and questions at the same time. Not to mention frustration for being excluded from this crucial detail.

Luke: “Knew her in what way?”

Ryan takes a deep breath and answers on an exhale. 

Ryan: “In high school...We were really young, but…I think I loved her.” 

Luke: “Wow…okay. Ryan, that's the kinda thing I probably should have known sooner."

She doesn't move, just continues looking lost in her cup, as if she's watching the past replay in the reflection of the black liquid it contained. She doesn't just look tired or worried, but honestly sad. So many moments pass that he starts to feel a little like an insensitive ass, but just a tiny bit.

Luke: "Alright, I see it's not the time for a lecture. So…you loved her. And…she doesn’t remember you?”

Ryan finally looks at him, and offers a small shrug. 

Ryan: “I don’t know. I mean, she hasn’t up until now. It was a long time ago, and kid Ryan and Robyn Wilde don’t have a lot in common on the surface. But…last night…”

Her voice cracks, and she cuts herself off. She clears her throat and drinks from her cup, as if the liquid will wash the threat of falling apart all over again away.

Luke: “But your ruse isn’t working on her.” 

She gives him an unhappy, glassy eyed, side smile. 

Luke: “And now she’s on a mission to find…you, even though she doesn’t know it’s you. Damn, this just got really complicated.” 

Ryan: “Right.”

Luke: “Ryan, level with me here. Would it really be the worst thing if Sophie knew who you were?”

Ryan: “Are you kidding me? She is Miss Law Enforcement. And nothing about what I’m doing is legal.”

Luke: “Is that the real reason you don’t want her to know, though? Because you think she’ll alert the authorities?”

Ryan doesn’t know the answer to that, but she also would never want to put Sophie in the position to have to make that decision. Regardless, she's made up her mind. Sophie isn't meant to be mixed up in this life of Ryan's. The best thing for both of them is still to keep Sophie as far away from this as possible.

Ryan: “Luke, she can’t know.”

Luke: “How can you be okay with hiding so much from someone you feel this way about? And don’t feed me that bull about you trying to protect her, because clearly Sophie is someone who can take care of herself.”

Ryan: “Luke, this isn’t up for discussion. Either help me figure out what the hell to do, or don’t, but we’re not changing the plan. She can’t know.”

Luke shakes his head in clear disagreement. He knows this is going to blow up in their faces, but he also knows his charge is to stand by Ryan’s side, no matter what. So, of course he’s going to help her.

Luke: “Just let the record reflect that I said this was a bad idea.”

Ryan: “Noted. Now, please use that big brain of yours to find out how close they are to figuring me out.”

Luke's watch lights up and vibrates. His eyebrow peaks at what he reads. He taps it with his finger to read the rest of the message, frowns, and then looks like he makes a choice, sighing audibly.

Luke: "Your angels might be looking out for you, because I think we just got a shot at a Hail Mary."

He chuckles at himself for his double entendre, and Ryan scowls at him, in no mood to decode his lame humor.

Ryan: "Luke. What does any of that mean?"

Luke: "Mary just invited me to The Kanes' for her parents' 20th wedding anniversary this Sunday. She said Catherine wants it small and to approve everyone's plus one. She figures I'm likely to get approved."

Ryan squints at him, thinking there was probably more to Mary's choice in company for the night than limited resistance from her mom, but she didn't have the energy to dig for information about an additional set of people at this time. So she decides to table that for now and focus on their mission."

Ryan: "What are you thinking?"

Luke grins the way he does when he's about to nerd out about some new tech he's excited to try out, and Ryan prepares to be inundated with a different explanation than the one she's really asking for.

~~~~~

THURSDAY, JULY 6TH, 9:00 AM, THE CROWS HEADQUARTERS

Tyler sits at his computer, sorting through someone else’s files, and wondering how he got here. After all he’s given to this organization, how did he go from a stint as Sophie Moore’s lackey to being downgraded to Russel Tavaroff’s fill-in? As much as he’d toyed with the idea of giving Jacob Kane an ultimatum - to establish that he was Sophie Moore’s superior and grant him equal access and clearance, or for them to begin discussions about his future with The Crows - he didn’t anticipate that informing his boss that he was dissatisfied with the situation would get him temporarily demoted. Sure, on paper, his role and level hadn’t changed, but he knew that these cases were at least two levels beneath him. 

He was instructed to review Tavaroff’s drive on the server for cases where he might be able to make headway more quickly; since Tyler had more experience, perhaps he could clear some things off of his desk, so that Tavaroff could take on this bigger, stretch project, and help out Sophie in his stead. Of course Tyler could do that, but this was the equivalent of being given admin work after you shot a firearm at someone. It felt like retaliation. 

Russel sorts is folders by last modified. So, when Tyler is finished looking through one file, and decides it’s not the one he wants to start with, he goes back to the main folder and sees a different one at the top of the list than what he remembered being there before, named Martin. He’s supposed to be working Tavaroff’s older cases, but he’s wondering if he just overlooked this one. In transitioning things over to Tyler, maybe Russel added some information to something he’s supposed to handle now. Realistically, it's more likely this is new, because Tyler is really good at keeping track of what he’s seen. 

Tyler’s retention and recall is actually his competitive advantage. He knows some other detectives are skilled at piecing together information, and uncovering hidden details, but to retain all that they’ve collected, and call upon it when it’s most useful - that’s where others tend to drop the ball. He benefits from being nearby when information is learned or needed, and reminding everyone about the right thing at the right time, which is often what it takes to make sense of a case. So he knows in his gut he didn’t miss this folder. 

If Russel is working something new, when he’s supposed to be working the Sionis files and helping Sophie, this might be what Tyler needs to demonstrate he’s not more cut out for the role… And, if this is something Sophie has asked him to work on, then he can’t help but be curious about it. Even though he didn’t want to work for her, he’d always wanted these answers too. Not being a part of this case has the potential to haunt him after all of his contributions towards it. 

He gives in, and opens the folder. He finds records for Angelique Martin, who has had a run in or two with The Crows: a birth certificate, foster care records, different transfers of guardianship, school admittance records, sentencing to Gotham’s juvenile detention center and release paperwork, arrest records for small carrying charges, apartment applications, job applications, I-9s, and termination records, and a folder labeled photos. There aren’t many pictures, but there is a yearbook picture from her freshman year of high school. Russel had also tracked down a few images from facial scans of different news articles from events, where she’d simply been in the background. 

In one picture, she was standing next to a woman he gets the feeling he’s seen before, but she also looks different enough that he’s not sure if he’s wanting to find familiarity in someone where it doesn’t belong. They’re standing in the background, and it’s blurry, but he can tell it’s O’Malley’s bar, and the clipping from the newspaper dates back to 2014. It’s a photo from the police department’s Holiday Happy Hour, where they were also bidding farewell to one of their retiring officers who wasn’t returning in the new year. They’d done a small piece on his contributions to the city. Martin was behind the bar, and the familiar woman was sitting at it. It looked as though they’d turned towards the camera automatically, probably from several bursts of flash occurring in their peripheral. 

Tyler’s retention and recall has never failed him. He stares a little longer, and then remembers a folder he’d started weeks ago and never went back to. Jacob Kane had asked him to look into Robyn Wilde. He wasn’t finding anything very worthwhile, and when things started going south with the Sionis case, he’d let that request fall to the back of his mind, until now. 

He clicks into his folder, opens it up, and finds the badge photo he’d saved that granted her access to Jet Tower. He puts the two photos next to each other on the screen, and sure enough, there were enough similarities between the two women that it’d be hard to argue they weren’t the same person. Wondering what history Angelique, who had also just moved back here from Freeland and now worked at Sophie Moore’s bar, could possibly have with the current CEO of Jetirian, someone who he hadn’t found any records of having lived in Gotham before this image, he decides to look into Angelique himself. 

It’d been a while since he’d had any field time. Stretching his legs, and getting outside of this office might be exactly what he needs to re-energize him about his choice of career. If he can come back with something noteworthy about Robyn Wilde, maybe he’ll even be able to remind Jacob Kane why he is his number one to begin with. 

~~~~~

THURSDAY, JULY 6TH, 10:00 AM, KANE MANSION

Mary is on the back porch, looking for old news articles about Cora Lewis's death. Even while her family was involved, which really should have made this big news, there was minimal coverage. She doesn't know if that's because the deceased was a Black woman with little family to advocate for her, or if it was because her family kept others quiet.

Catherine walks out, happy to find one of her children. She's still floating around as though she's planning for the most joyous occasion, and the overcompensation is nauseating to observe. Mary wants to sympathize for the woman who created her and sacrificed everything in the early years of her life to ensure she had absolutely every opportunity, because she honestly can't imagine what it must feel like to have your husband participate in an affair and have that become Gotham-elite news. Unfortunately, the realities of who her mom is has Mary leaning towards Karma being a bitch instead.

Catherine: "Good morning, Mary!"

Mary: "Hey."

Catherine: "Goodness, it's really turning out to be a lovely summer. We've hardly had a cloud in the sky…"

Mary: "Did you seriously come out here to chat about the weather?"

Catherine: "Partially. I've decided I want Sunday to be a brunch, starting at 11AM. Why waste these beautiful days having dinner inside? And maybe the sobriety and energy will be different if your sisters haven't had a whole day of dramatics to engage with."

Mary: "Sure, like they're the only ones who engage in dramatics."

Catherine: "And that reminds me. Have you decided who your plus one is?"

Mary: "Luke, if he's still available with the new time. Figured he was safe enough." 

Catherine: "Are you two an item?"

Mary: "Are we really going to pretend we're the Gilmore Girls and we share intimate details around our love lives? You try to pretend you and dad are picture perfect with me, just like you do the rest of Gotham."

Mary hasn't made eye contact with her mother. She's continued scrolling through headlines, and trying to decide if she's ready to confront her mother about what she knows. The temptation is strong, but she's not feeling quite informed enough to go toe-to-toe with Catherine Hamilton, a more than formidable opponent in any confrontation.

Catherine: "You're right, but maybe we can change that. You know, I could really use a spa day. Care to join me?"

Mary: "Thanks, but pass."

Talk about way too little too late. Catherine stares at her daughter for a moment and Mary resists the urge to look over at her for equal fear if caving or exploding. The latter seems to have a few more pebbles weighing the scale down, though.

Catherine: "Alright, well, you'll tell your sisters about brunch? 11 o'clock?"

Mary: "Sure."

She pulls up the iMessage app on her Mac and starts typing. Catherine quietly excuses herself. Mary finally glances up, watching her mom leave, and then returns to her keyboard.

Mary Cell: Sunday's dinner is a brunch now. Mom says we're more likely to show up sober if she can get us before we even leave the house. Who cares about all of the people who have to adjust their lives on short notice? 😒🙄

Beth Cell: Brunch is so boring!!! 

Mary Cell: I think that's the point.

Kate Cell: I'm still not going.

Beth Cell: That might make it a touch more interesting, but I'll miss you Katie Kat

Mary Cell: I don't blame you, but I do hate this for me. She's going to be even more of a pain.

Kate Cell: You know you're not required to appease her?

Mary Cell: Easier said than done, but I'm close to following your lead.

Beth Cell: Maybe I'll claim your seat, Kay Kay, since you aren't using it. And they'd be entitled to your plus one, of course.

Kate Cell: Whatever. I won't be there to care.

~~~~~

THURSDAY, JULY 6TH, 11:00 AM, THE HOLD UP

Jordan walks into the office while frowning at her phone. Sophie looks up at her and watches her text someone, looking uncertain. She observes her sister for almost a minute before her curiosity is too strong to continue waiting.

Sophie: "J, did you need something?"

Jordan finally looks up at Sophie, her expression unchanged.

Jordan: "I think I need Sunday off."

Sophie: "Okay…is something wrong? You don't seem thrilled about it."

Jordan walks around to the chair at Sophie's desk and sits down tentatively. She sets her phone on the desk, face up in front of her, and then grimaces. She blinks a few times, but eventually decides to talk.

Jordan: "I was invited to the Kanes' anniversary."

Sophie raises both eyebrows and sits back in her chair, twirling a pen between her fingers.

Sophie: "That's different."

Jordan knows the unsaid question Sophie's awaiting an answer to.

Jordan: "Um…I'll be Beth's guest."

Sophie: "Wow. Did not see that coming."

Jordan: "Well, technically, I'm Tatiana's plus one, and she's Beth's guest, along with Jonathan Cartwright."

Sophie: "Her little boy toy? Wait…am I tripping or…does this sound like-"

Jordan: "A double date?"

Sophie's eyes grow three sizes, and now Jordan's elbows are on the desk in time for her head to collapse into her hands.

Sophie: "What is happening right now? I'm too smart to be this confused. Is this a date, Jordan?"

Jordan: "I don't know…maybe?"

Sophie's eyes tighten, trying hard to follow along, and really needing the details to this story. 

Sophie: "She's who you hung out with last night, right? Is she gay?"

Jordan peers up, presses her lips together, and nods yes. Sophie's confused forehead creases are only becoming more prominent, and it's clear she's not sure if she should ask what she wants to ask.

Jordan: "We just hung out on her cousin Ocean's boat all night, waiting for the fireworks, and talking. We talked a lot more after the fireworks… for hours... We have a few things in common, like overachieving sisters we have a hard time living up to, and familial responsibilities that feel like they're more important than the unserious lives people our age tend to live. And, eventually, she kissed me."

Sophie takes a beat to process everything her sister just shared and manage her own reaction. She leans forward, placing her elbows on her desk, and weaving her fingers together.

Sophie: "What was that like?"

Jordan: "I didn't hate it…Look, I know what you're thinking and yes I still like guys, I just…I don't know, sometimes I like girls too, I guess."

Sophie reaches over to take her sister's hand, and Jordan sits up enough to let her.

Sophie: "You know that's okay right? Why does it sound like you were worried for me to know that about you? Me of all people?"

Jordan: "I don't know, Sophie. Being gay is kinda your thing. Like how ridiculous am I…the world's most literal copycat?"

Sophie: "My thing? You make it sound like a hobby, like reading books versus gardening. And even if that was the case, it's not like only some people can garden or anyone would think less of you for also liking to garden if I liked that too."

Jordan: "Oh, I can think of one person who'll think less of me…"

Sophie squeezes her sister's hand, fully understanding why Jordan would be worried about their mom's reaction to this information.

Sophie: "Mom definitely doesn't make this specific thing easy, but I just try to sit with gratitude that we're both able to find enough middle ground to stay in each other's lives."

Jordan: "And you think that'll be easier if she feels like we're both hellbound?"

Sophie: "Honestly, I think if she has a problem, it'll be with me, for the 'example' I set. But I'm not worried; I've got a lot of practice dealing with her. I just want you to know everything is going to be okay, no matter what…But wait, so this is why you couldn't sleep?"

Jordan was feeling slightly less nauseous before Sophie brought that last part up.

Jordan: "Kind of. I wasn't worrying about mom, or even telling you, I just…"

She inhales deeply and holds onto the breath. She takes her hand back so she can return to cradling her head.

Sophie: "What happened, sis?"

She releases the breath to talk, but doesn't return her eyes to Sophie's.

Jordan: "I did like kissing her. And I just went with it at first, but at some point, I got really hot, and overwhelmed, and I pulled away, and…I um…I guess you weren't the only one who had a girl run away from you..."

Sophie: "Oh, J…" 

Sophie is filled with sympathy, watching her sister torture herself with regret, and it makes her wonder if Robyn is somewhere feeling similarly.

Jordan: "So, I texted her apologizing in the morning, and asked her if we could have a do over or something, and she took until just now to respond with this invite."

Sophie: "And you want to say yes?"

Jordan sits up again, looking at her sister with a bit of pleading in her eyes.

Jordan: "I think so…"

Sophie: "Then I think we need to also make time for a little shopping, because you can't wear just anything to the Kanes', and especially not if you're going to help this girl feel motivated enough to shoot another shot."

Jordan's entire face lights up, not expecting that response from her sister whatsoever. Sophie pushes the phone towards her and looks down at it, encouraging Jordan to accept the invite, and she quickly complies.

Sophie grabs her own phone and texts Mary.

Sophie Cell: I think I'm going to need your help.

~~~~~

To be continued...

Sooo...things are happening. We're learning more... What's on your mind? Tell me your thoughts!

I added this note after the fact last time, and am repeating it in case you missed it: If you pay super close attention and noticed that the season changed in the high school memory with Angelique before, that's the tricky part about posting as you go. Sometimes, things you wrote before fully ironing out what you plan to write don't fit as neatly as you need them to. It was a tiny edit to the text that made a significant difference in the story. But yes, originally, Angelique defended Ryan earlier in the school year and I changed it to closer to Christmas, because it worked better for this part and more that's to come. Thanks for going with it.

Currently, the goal is to put the next part/conclusion on Ao3. I've been writing, so it's entirely possible, but stay tuned to find out.

For #PrideMonth, the #SaveBatwoman campaign has all kinds of fun topics to chat about on Twitter. Join the conversation.

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is part one of chapter five. If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder lost a lot during really formidable years. Our Ryan had faith she could overcome those losses. This Ryan doesn't have that same hope...

Since you've been so patient for the last two weeks, I've given you a nice chunk of words in this chapter, and part one. I'm excited to see how you feel about the direction the story is taking.

Happy reading!

CHAPTER FIVE - CHARADE (Part One)

Ryan’s double life becomes harder to maintain as she’s confronted with the realities of her choices, and the potential for everything she’s worked for to slip through her fingers. 

MONDAY, JULY 10TH, 1:00 AM, THE LOFT

There’s an urgent knock, and Ryan knows it’s time to face whoever is on the other side of that door head on. 

Ryan: “Who is it?”

The person calls back, ‘it’s me,’ and she can’t believe her ears. She walks over to the door, her frown lines creasing deeply between her brows, and opens it with haste. 

Ryan: “Angelique, what are you doing here?” 

Angelique: “I need you.” 

She walks in, without an invitation, and starts pacing in the living room as she tells her story.

~~~~~

ABOUT 5 DAYS EARLIER, TUESDAY, JULY 4TH, 11:00 PM, KANE MANSION YARD - INDEPENDENCE AND WELLNESS DAY BANQUET

Ryan: “Angelique, what the hell are you doing here?”

Angelique was preoccupied, looking at the tablet used to keep track of the drink orders she’d taken and was headed back to the bar to retrieve. The Kanes had servers ordering and delivering them as if their guests were at a restaurant. She initially assumed the person was an agitated employee of Catherine’s who felt entitled to speak to her any kind of way.

Angelique: “I’m on my way to the bar to get these orders in. So you can chill.”

Ryan tries again with a different tone, since Angelique hasn’t connected who is standing in front of her. 

Ryan: “Ange, why aren’t you in Freeland?” 

That catches her up short. She swallows hard when she makes eye contact with Ryan, and immediately stiffens, defensively.

Angelique: “Ryan?”

Ryan looks over her shoulder to make sure they’re still alone.

Ryan: “Robyn.”

Angelique: “Right. Whatever. I’m working.” 

Ryan: “Why are you working here, in Gotham?”  

Angelique:”Because the pay is good. By the way, thanks for telling me you took Candy down.”

Ryan: “It’s still not safe.”

Angelique: “Safe for who?”

There was that question again.

Ryan: “I thought you were good in Freeland. You had everything you needed.” 

Angelique: “How do you know what I need? If you think Freeland has a better shot at keeping me clean than Gotham, then maybe you’re the one on something. Besides, Freeland isn’t home.”

Ryan: “Freeland was a chance at a fresh start. You’re making it sound like Gotham was good to you.”

Angelique: “Didn’t stop you from coming back.”

Ryan: “You know why I’m here. And you could have at least told me.” 

Angelique: “Oh, we talk now? Send good morning, how are you texts?”

Ryan: “Ange, I have always been there if you needed me.”

Angelique: “Actually, you haven’t. I’ve been on my own. You sent me off with a bag of cash and a lease, and thought that’d be enough for me, but it’s not. I wanted to come home, so I came home.”

Ryan: “You work at the Hold Up.”

Angelique: “They were hiring. I needed a job.”

Ryan: “No you didn’t…”

Angelique: “Again, you have no idea what I need. And, unless you want your little frienemies to find out that you know me, you should let me get back to work.” 

She ended the conversation by walking away from Ryan. 

~~~~~

Tommy: “Why don’t you stop pretending you’re not staring at her and just go talk to her?”

Kate: “I don’t want to force myself on her, especially if she’s moving on.” 

The second part was a low ramble, and whether Kate had said it that way because she felt sad or defeated was unclear, but it could have been both.

Tommy: “I knew you should have never trusted Robyn.”

Kate: “What are you talking about?”

Kate sips her drink, annoyed by the sudden accusation and shift in conversation. She wasn’t even aware that Tommy had an issue with Robyn.

Tommy: “Isn’t she supposed to be your friend, but she’s moving in on your girl?”

Kate sighs through her nose. 

Kate: “Regardless to how I feel, Sophie isn’t mine. And neither is Robyn. We all met her at the same time. She doesn’t owe any allegiance to me.” 

Tommy: “Right. What a coincidence. She just drops into all of your lives out of nowhere, and now she’s an integral part of it from every angle? You don’t find that odd?”

Kate: “Are you jealous of my relationship with Robyn? Because she’s been nothing but nice to you, so I don’t understand why you would randomly attack her, especially after you saw what just happened to her tonight.”

Tommy: “Seems pretty convenient to me.” 

Kate: “What the hell is convenient about having your recorded therapy session shared with a bunch of strangers?”

Tommy: “Exactly! Strangers! What do you even know about this woman? Because what I see is that your ex seems to be coincidently falling for her, she’s become besties with both Catherine’s and your most trusted employees, and she’s been in Gotham for 5 minutes and is suddenly included in a video leak of Gotham elites.”

Kate: “She IS a Gotham elite, or whatever, if you insist on using those terms. She’s the CEO at Jetirian. Of course she’d use the top recommended therapist. You know what, Tommy? I was just trying to confide in you about Sophie, and this insane rabbit hole you’re digging feels like you’re questioning my judgment in friends. And maybe you’re right about that, because I thought you, my friend, were supposed to be helping me figure out how to get out of this merry go round of feelings about a woman I still love who can barely tolerate me. But maybe you’ve had so much to drink that you’re becoming delusional.”

Tommy, relatively sober, because he’s been more focused on feeding drinks to Kate than consuming them himself, fights back the urge to follow up on the mysterious selection of Robyn as CEO of Jetirian, because he can tell she’s not going to listen to reason tonight. Tommy doesn’t know exactly what’s going on, but as someone who’s pulled a scam or two of his own, he knows one when he sees one. He throws an arm over Kate’s shoulder, bringing her in for a side hug.

Tommy: “Truce bestie! Maybe you’re right. I’ve missed you, and she gets to do all the fun stuff we used to do together. I’m sure you’re right, and I just need to get to know her as well as you do. So, let’s talk about how we get your girl back.” 

Kate: “I don’t know if that’s on the table. I just don’t want her to hate me anymore.” 

Tommy: “Bro. You’ve done nothing worthy of being hated. You just need to get out of the ex zone.”

Kate: “Funny. That’s what Robyn said.”

Tommy: “Well there you go. Seems we have something in common, after all.”

Kate: “How do I do that, though?”

Tommy: “Standing over here brooding with me all night isn’t going to do it, that’s for sure.”

Kate thinks about that for a second. Robyn did also say she should just talk to her, and clear things up. She slams back the rest of her drink, and passes her cup to Tommy. She steps back and salutes him, before turning to try and not stumble towards her destination. 

Tommy: “Atta-girl.” 

~~~~~

Luke: "Can't believe all that happened in the time I went to the bathroom."

Mary: "Well, when you trekked all the way back to the house and there are bathrooms right over there."

Luke: "I'm sorry that I didn't realize I was at Gotham royalty's Coachella. Anyway, how are you doing?"

Mary: "I don't know. A part of me is just tired of all the drama. It's like my parents are lightning rods asking to be struck repeatedly. And the second hand embarrassment alone feels like getting a shock through osmosis everytime they're electrocuted. But another part of me just…I don't know, sometimes I'd trade all of this for parents that had the capacity to care about something more than their image and this family's reputation."

Luke: "I honestly can't imagine what that's like."

Sophie: "...Me either."

Sophie's timing is off. It takes her too long to add in her agreement, and her voice sounds far away.

Mary: "Earth to Sophie. Are you even listening to us? Or would you rather be listening to someone else relive how embarrassing tonight was for her?"

Sophie: "Huh?"

Mary: "You've been staring at Robyn's back for the last 3 minutes."

Sophie: "Because that's how long she's been talking to Angelique."

Luke: "And that bothers you because…?"

Sophie: "I didn't say it bothered me. Angelique isn't even working for me tonight."

Luke: "So then…?"

Sophie: "I don't know. Do they know each other?"

She sounds confused, because their energy seems familiar but they both just moved here from different places, and different worlds at that. Angelique had just walked off, and it seemed to take Robyn a second to restart her journey to her car. Sophie kept watching her, taking note of her body language.

Mary: "Sophie, are you jealous?"

Sophie: "What? Why would I be jealous."

Luke: "For the most common reason why someone is jealous. You like her."

Sophie: "I just know Robyn is new here, and still getting to know people, and, while I try not to let a person's past dictate their future, I'm still not sure Angelique is the best person to know."

Luke: “Right. Wouldn’t want the wrong woman getting too close to someone you’re interested in.”

That finally gets Sophie’s full attention, and she meets her friends’ prying eyes.

Sophie: “What?!”

Mary: “Luke isn’t wrong.”

Sophie: “Not you too.”

Mary: “And Jordan.” 

Sophie’s eyes widen in shock.

Sophie: “She told you…?!”

Luke: “So, are you going to do something about it?”

Sophie: “Do about what?”

Luke: “Drop the confused act, Sophie. We all have eyes.”

Sophie looks back at her employee and the mysterious but generous woman talking to her, and then returns to her interrogators. 

Sophie: “I don’t know. She’s so hard to read…” 

Mary: “Is Sophie Moore backing down from a challenge?”

Kate walks up to the trio before Sophie can defend herself.

Kate: “Hey, can we talk?”

Sophie raises an eyebrow at Kate, surprised she’s finally speaking to her. She’d sat across the table all night hardly making eye contact. After witnessing Robyn putting her number in Sophie’s phone, she wasn’t sure if they were currently on speaking terms. Kate only really talking with Tommy, who'd never let her find the bottom of her glass, was only reinforcing her hypothesis. But, maybe Kate was coming to get some things off of her chest.

Luke and Mary walk off, answering the question for her.

Sophie: “Look, you guys are going through a lot already, tonight. I don’t want to add to the drama. So, I can just go.”

Kate reaches out to grab Sophie’s hand, and she frowns, narrowing her eyes. Kate quickly releases her, and shoves her hands in her pockets. 

Kate: “That’s not it. I don’t want you to leave.”

Sophie: “Then why are you making it so awkward?”

Sophie’s undertone implies she isn’t just talking about tonight.

Kate: “I know. I’m sorry. And that’s actually what I want to talk with you about. Can we have dinner or something, so I can explain, and try to make all of this up to you.”

Sophie: “I don’t know… I’m not sure that’s a great idea.”

Kate: “Is it because of Robyn?”

Sophie: “Okay, yeah, I’m leaving.”

Sophie turns, and Kate quickly shuffles to block her. She throws her hands up in apology and surrender. She’d been trying hard not to let seeing their moment earlier influence this, but after a lot of old fashions and Tommy bringing Robyn up, it was almost impossible not to go there. 

Kate: “I shouldn’t have said that.”

Sophie: “Kate, what do you want from me?”

Kate: “I miss you.”

Sophie: “How? How can you possibly miss me?”

Kate: “What do you mean? I loved you.”

Sophie: “Yeah, loved, like in the past, where missing me and thinking about me like that should stay. You don’t know anything about me now. And I wish you’d stop trying to act like you have some role in my life. Tyler told me you said not to give me that job, which I actually needed, and I figured you’d at least get that, but once again, you’ve never really been able to see me.”

Sophie had lowered her voice and leaned in closer for the second part, so others wouldn’t get wind that she is working for The Crows. Kate drops her head, ashamed.

Kate: “You’re totally right. I should never have done that - it wasn't my place. And I do miss your friendship, too. Sophie, you knew me better than anyone.”

Sophie: “I must not have known you that well, because I never expected you to try to interfere in my life. I don’t need you, or anyone else for that matter, speaking for me, or making decisions for me.”

Kate: “I know. And that’s why I wanted us to go to dinner, because I do owe you an apology. A huge one. Ever since you got back, I’ve been handling things with you all wrong. I just…at least want us to be able to be friends. Like, a fresh start. So, if you’ll let me take you to dinner, so I can apologize more thoroughly, maybe we’ll have a shot…I mean, at being able to be in the same room without making everyone around us uncomfortable.”

Sophie wants to say no. She’s always trusted her gut, and lately, she’s had equally less trust of Kate’s intentions. Kate's eyes are pleading, seeing the rejection that hadn’t yet been spoken form in Sophie's face. Sophie catches Luke and Mary whispering not far from them, both chancing glances in the exes’ direction as they tried not to be obvious about the fact that they were very curious about what they couldn't hear. She decides Kate might have a point for once, and changes her mind.

Sophie: “I agree that this isn’t fair to everyone else. So we can have lunch, and I’m good with paying for myself.”

Kate’s shoulders relax in relief. 

Kate: “That’s great, really. Tomorrow?”

Getting this over with as soon as possible doesn’t sound like the worst thing to Sophie.

Sophie: “Sure. I’ll meet you at Mary Kate’s at noon.”

Kate: “Perfect. Thank you.”

Sophie: “And maybe get some water? You smell like a walking bottle of Jameson.” 

Sophie gives her a half smile that’s marred by the frown she never really released, and then starts to walk over to Luke and Mary.

~~~~~

Evan: “Gawd, I need to find a new job before Catherine fires me.”

Evan had been in earshot of Kate and Tommy’s conversation. When it ended, they took Tommy’s hand and escorted the two of them to the poolhouse to debrief. Tommy actually seemed fine with everything, but once they were away from all of the people, Evan realized they were probably the one that needed comforting. This summer had begun to feel like one catastrophe after another. Somehow, it seemed like Evan was the common denominator, having planned all events, and they were worried their days working with Catherine were numbered.

Tommy: “Are you crazy? You couldn’t have made out better than working for Catherine! And you’re doing an amazing job. The Kanes just have a target on their backs because of their status. There’s always going to be someone coming for them. Trust me, I know from experience.”

Evan: “While I can admit that the visibility of this job is clutch, all this drama is not good for a girl’s forehead lines. I’m going to end up spending every dollar I make here on Kheil’s line reducer and botox treatments.” 

Tommy: “You’d be buying those things whether you worked here or not.” 

Evan: “Rawr. You’re feisty tonight.  

Tommy takes a calming breath, to ensure his tone is controlled when he replies. And he steps a little closer so he can lower his voice, to reinstate the trust he's gained from Evan. 

Tommy: “I just think you need to refocus your priorities. You’re trying to work your way up the food chain, and it’s not just hard work that’s going to get you where you want to be. You need them to trust you. You’re right there…Get Catherine to see you as more than just her events person. You need to become an insider, her partner. Then you’ll be heading somewhere.”

Evan: “Is that what you’re doing with Kate? Trying to get on the inside?”

Tommy: “Not with Kate. She’s frivolous with her position and power - totally underutilizes it. Even Jacob. He might as well be Catherine’s trophy husband. She’s the key.”

Evan: “How are you going to get close to her? And, why is this so important to you? Doesn’t your family have its own money-made fans in Star City? Why not climb up through Oliver Queen’s people?” 

Tommy: “My dad got greedy and misguided, and lost everything. And Oliver and I haven’t seen things the same way in a long time…So, I’m making my own opportunity. That’s why I accepted the internship Catherine offered me when Kate was doing her fitting.” 

Kate: “So that’s the reason you showed up out of nowhere and have all but moved in?”

Kate had come looking for Tommy, to tell him how the conversation with Sophie went, and that they were having lunch tomorrow. He and Evan had left the pool house door open, and she could hear their conversation before she reached the door. She’d finally heard enough, and decided to call him out.

Tommy: “No. It’s not that simple.” 

Kate: “Sounds pretty straightforward to me. And you what, wanted to distract  me with your made up theories about Robyn. I can’t believe you."

Kate turns and walks out, leaving the door to the pool house open like she'd found it.

~~~~~

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5TH, 12:00 AM, THE LOFT

Ryan’s been home just long enough to wash her makeup off, shower, and throw on some running shorts and a tank. It is a holiday, and it feels too soon to get into bed, but she’s not really sure what to do with herself. She has so much to process, and what feels like decisions to make and yet, she’s also too exhausted to really focus on any of it. She sits on her couch with her mama’s box, and pulls out the journal, thumbing through the pages, searching for a lighter read. Hopefully, she can find something with a touch of advice in it. 

She flips to a page that she remembers helping her through one of her harder decisions, but before she can read more than a few words, she hears a knock at the door. She glances over at the clock to find it’s nearly 1AM, and frowns. So far, every unexpected visitor has been friendly, but this tendency of the people she’s now regularly associated with is definitely taking some getting used to.

She quickly places the journal back in the box, and shuffles to her kitchen to stow it in the cabinet above the stove, where it still resides. Because she hasn’t responded, her visitor knocks again. She throws on a zip up hoodie that was hooked onto the coat wrack hung along a wall near the door. 

Ryan: “Coming.” 

She cracks open the door and peeks her head out, very much shocked by who’s on the other side of it. 

Kate: “Hey.”

She takes in Kate’s appearance, and becomes visibly concerned.

Ryan: “Did you actually drive here?” 

Kate: “Yeah, guess I probably shouldn’t have done that. Can I come in?”

Ryan swiftly opens the door, and Kate walks through it without making eye contact. She looks around, surprised, but then heads straight to the couch, where she plops down and makes herself comfortable, sinking into it. Ryan closes the door, and heads to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. She walks around the couch and places it in front of Kate who takes it without a word, and then Ryan returns to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Kate drinks the water down in several loud gulps, and then clanks the glass onto the coffee table, immediately returning to her previous position. 

Ryan: “Are you okay?”

Kate: "You really haven't changed anything in here..."

Ryan: "That's right. You dated the woman who lived here before me."

Instead of responding to that, she comments on a different ex. 

Kate: “I took your advice and talked to Sophie.” 

Ryan is grateful for the distance between them, and that they're talking to each other's backs while she continues preparing the coffee. It takes effort to manage the expression on her face at the mention of that name, and she's already tired. Controlling her tone and words is much easier.

Ryan: "Should I assume it didn't go well, since you look like you want to hit something?"

Kate: "She's pissed at me for trying to stop my dad and Tyler from hiring her to figure out who sent them all those videos about Circe Sionis that were leaked, but we're having lunch tomorrow. She agreed that it's not fair of us to make our friends so uncomfortable all the time."

Ryan digs deep to not zero in on the fact that Sophie's been hired to track her down. She knows that's not the point of what Kate just unloaded, and asking questions about that could be suspicious. So, she stays on topic.

Ryan: "Okay…that's what you wanted, right?"

Kate: "I want to move forward with the community center."

Kate is all over the place, and while Ryan isn’t slow by any means, keeping up with the rapid shifts in conversation requires work. She'd done a casual pitch during their hike that wet Kate's appetite, and motivated her to want to see the full plan for the community center. Ryan felt Gotham needed a safe place for youth to spend their time outside of school, that would also protect them from predators on the street. They needed people they could trust to come to for guidance and resources if they didn't have that at home. They needed a place to eat dinner if they didn't have that either. Fixing systems took a long time and plenty of politics. This could be immediate support for the most vulnerable, so that they had a chance. It'd be a tax write off, and since the Kanes were already fundraising, this could be promoted along with everything else they were doing.

Ryan walks back over to the couch with coffee. She knows Kate drinks it black with a teaspoon of sugar, since they've eaten out together so many times now. After Kate takes the mug, Ryan sits across from her, folding both legs underneath her.

Ryan: "This is really great news, Kate, honestly, but why did you feel like you needed to come over here to share that after midnight on a holiday? What's going on?"

Kate: "My dad's a cheat. My step mom's manipulative and conniving. My best friend is a scammer. The woman I love is falling for the only other person I've come to trust in years. My twin sister is a ticking time bomb that I have to stay close to, so no one else catches her flames, and I try to keep my step sister at a distance so she isn't tainted by us Kanes, because she's t good for us. This can't be my life. Maybe it's me, and I'm actually the problem. If so, I've gotta do something different, and maybe I can start to offset all of this bad with your help."

Ryan: "Is this because of the counseling videos? And your best friend is a scammer…? Do you mean Tommy?"

Kate: "So much for offsetting the bad. I'm such an ass coming to you with my problems after what happened to you tonight."

Ryan drops her eyes and stares at her hands in her lap. Then, she fixes her face and looks back at Kate.

Ryan: "I'll be fine. I don't know those people or care what they think. And I'm glad you felt like you could trust me enough to come here, even though you should have called an Uber instead of driving."

Kate: "Or called to tell you I was coming."

Kate is speaking in more and more hushed tones, and she seems to be calming down. She's facing the ceiling, with her head rested against the cushion, and her eyes are closed. She hasn't drunk the coffee, so Ryan reaches over and takes the cup from her hands, placing it next to her water glass. Kate is drifting off to sleep, which is probably a good thing. She grabs the blanket that was draped on the arm of the couch behind her, and covers Kate with it. She gets up to grab a waste bin, and places it at her feet, just in case. 

She and Luke need to find out who Tyler is, what he knows, and how much Sophie might already know, too. She heads towards the kitchen to pull out her laptop and get to work, but is stopped in her tracks when her watch vibrates and she sees Sophie's name flash across its screen. It was like she had some kind of sixth sense. Ryan instinctively looks over her shoulder, back at the couch, as if the small sound would have been enough to jolt a very asleep Kate. Ryan pulls out her phone to read the text. 

Sophie's Cell: I know it's late, but I feel like you might be up. So I'm checking on you.

Ryan walks to the kitchen table and takes a seat. She peers over to the couch again, deciding if she should respond now or wait until the morning, or until she could learn how close or far Sophie was from figuring her out. She tells herself it’s always better to prepare, and that she needs more time. Then she looks back at the text, willing herself to close it, but can't bring herself to do so. 

Robyn's Cell: Wide awake. Did you make it home alright?

Sophie's Cell: Not quite.

Ryan frowns, because the first text didn't read like a call for help. Before she can type the words, 'is everything ok,' another text comes in with a picture of two empty glasses and a bottle of tequila on the bar counter top, with the words 'Take 3?'

Could she really take the risk and leave Kate in her loft? She wasn't even dressed. And more, what about keeping a safe distance from the woman who was only getting closer by the day? What would Luke say?

Robyn's Cell: We definitely don't look like we were at the same party tonight. I flew out of that dress when I got home.

Sophie's Cell: That's an image…and I'm sure you look amazing in anything.

Fourteen year old Ryan, the one who still had hope, hobbies, and a safe home is having a crisis of gay panic. She's shouting because it looks like the lean and leggy, caramel toned, golden eyed junior in her gym period who she’d felt a connection with but couldn’t believe would ever want her back is hitting on her. At the same time, this Ryan is reminding herself that her facade is at least in part kept up by all of the makeup and accessories. The young girl who hadn’t started to grow into her adult body and voice, or grown out of her rounder facial features is harder to miss without all of the glam. 

Sophie's Cell: I keep clothes here. We can match at our own party.

Ryan looks over her shoulder again, and takes a deep breath. Being cooped up in her loft, working while Kate slept did not sound better than this option. And this could still be an avenue to uncover something of what she needs to know. But she couldn't go like this. 

Robyn's Cell: Give me 10.

She throws the fastest beat that allows her to feel like she resembles her usual self onto her face. Then she switches into black denim and a black cropped top, with a blue and pink plaid button down, which she leaves open and rolls up the sleeves for. Her loose curls are still bunched high on her head from after her shower. She adds some combat boots and steps up to her full length mirror to assess. The look will have to work.

She walks to the spiral case that will drop her off in The Hold Up, and gives her unexpected guest one last glance before proceeding into the unknown.

~~~~~

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5TH, 1:00 AM, THE HOLD UP

Sophie isn't behind the bar tonight. She's at the same table she sat at with Jordan the morning after Ryan closed the bar up for her. And she seems prepared to stay a while. She has two glasses with large blocks of ice, a tray of sliced limes, two shot glasses, a bottle of tequila, and two tin shakers, which Ryan assumes are filled with her Tequila Sour. There's also a large bowl of chips and a smaller bowl of salsa. The scene makes multiple statements at once. 

And Sophie did change into a pair of blue skinny jeans and a fitted white tank. She even let her braids out of the pinned up style from earlier, so they’re flowing down her back, as is her preferred style. Ryan can only see her from the back at first, which proves to be a mercy, so she can make sure that screaming teenager inside is in check. It's possible Sophie's taking the moment too, because Ryan's combat boots aren't silent against the bar floor, but Sophie hasn't budged to acknowledge her presence. There are four seats at the table, as always, and Ryan has to make the same decision about where to sit as she did when she approached Sophie just hours ago. Besides the chips being in the middle of the table, everything else is placed in front of Sophie, so that’s no help.

Instead of deciding, she walks around to the side of Sophie and greets her. 

Ryan: "Hey."

This time Sophie's relaxed, and happy for her company. 

Sophie: "Hey! How are you?"

Ryan: "I'm good…"

Ryan's expression says 'you don't have to worry about me.’ They linger for a few seconds longer than others might, and then Sophie gestures to the seat next to her, deciding where Ryan should sit for her. Ryan obliges, and places her phone on the table, faced down. 

Ryan: “When you said we were having a party, you meant it.” 

Sophie: “Kinda trying to salvage this holiday for us.”

She pours the two shots that they always start with, and slides one to Ryan. They each grab a lime, throw them back, and then take matching bites, dropping their limes in their shot glasses after. Then Sophie pours some of the drinks out of a shaker into their glasses, and hands one to Ryan. 

Ryan: “I take it you didn’t have the best time after I left.” 

Sophie: “Is it just me, or do you ever find yourself wondering why we keep going to those things?”

Ryan: “They’ve definitely been interesting, but they're not all bad.”

High school Ryan is still out and about, testing the waters, because in a rare moment of freedom, she doesn’t hold back her brightest smile. 

Sophie: “I have to admit, I don’t fight as hard against going as I used to.” 

Ryan takes a chip and nibbles on a corner, literally chewing on a thought. There’s so much she can’t share, and also so much she wants to know. The tequila is warming her up, and she’s probably a little too tired at this hour to be as diligent as she should be. So, she starts a conversation without a full proof plan around where it will lead.

Ryan: “So you and Kate…that's why you were fighting so hard before, right?”

Sophie looks at her glass for a second and takes a sip from it before answering. 

Sophie: “We are exes that apparently have to learn how to be friends, if that’s even a thing. But I'm guessing you knew that."

Ryan brings her glass to her lips and nods yes, and decides to divulge a little before taking her own sip. 

Ryan: “That friendship starts with lunch later today…?”

Sophie: “Wait! How do you know that part?” 

She smirks, because she’s having a little fun trolling Sophie. She puts down her glass, taking her time to answer.

Ryan: “She showed up at my door a little while ago, although she shouldn’t have been driving. She was pretty upset, but she’s asleep on my couch right now.”

Sophie: “Damn. Did she say what she was upset about?” 

Ryan: “She mentioned a few things, like not being in love with her family dynamics, and then…” 

She looks pointedly at Sophie, raising her eyebrow as an answer.

Sophie: “...And then me, or…us?”

It was clear they were both unsure if there was in fact an ‘us,’ as it related to the two of them, but that didn’t change the fact that Kate believed there was one.

Ryan: “Both. She also said she pissed you off.” 

Ryan takes another chip, curious about which part of that Sophie will want to discuss further. Sophie rolls her eyes and takes a drink. She puts her glass down, and shifts with a lot of intention towards Ryan. 

Sophie: “I’m not hers, in any way. That’s a far away past for me. And she can get on board with that or not, but I’m not letting her stand in the way of anything I want or need in my life.” 

Ryan is rethinking her layers in this moment. The air is blasting, and her hands are cold, but her neck feels very hot all of the sudden.

Ryan: “Is that why you’re upset with her, because she's not moving on?”

Sophie sits back in her seat, and traces the rim of her glass while she decides how to answer.

Sophie: "I'm more frustrated than upset. I don't really get it. That was so long ago."

Ryan: "I kind of get it."

Sophie frowns, and looks up, confused. She understands that Robyn and Kate have some things in common, since they've clearly become friends, but the idea that she'd be on Kate's side catches her off guard.

Sophie: "What do you mean?"

Ryan: "I mean, I get how it could be hard to just move on…why she wouldn't want to let go..."

The unspoken ‘of you’ in that sentence makes Sophie's face feel flushed. She’s unaware of just how much Ryan understands why Kate is struggling. Sophie has proven to be the one memory from her past that can take her back to a version of herself she'd thought was long forgotten. After so many years and all that's happened, to discover that even a glimmer of that girl still exists, and that she’s tied up in time she spent with Sophie continues to surprise her. Sophie takes this as an opportunity to shift gears.

Sophie: “So, are you going to tell me how you’re doing, for real?”

Ryan stalls with another chip, and Sophie takes one too, to busy herself while she waits. 

Ryan: “I’m processing a lot, but I’m fine. I’m not easily rattled.”

Sophie: “I’m really sorry that happened to you. I can imagine it took a lot to be so vulnerable, and how something like tonight might make a person want to retreat.” 

Ryan: “Retreat is a good word. Not exactly the audience I would have voluntarily said those things in front of.” 

She quickly pulls her eyes from Sophie to stare at the chip bowl. 

Sophie: “Maybe it’s not the worst thing... Of course, I’d rather learn those kinds of things about you like this, but...” 

Ryan: “You mean learn that I have abandonment issues, that have turned me into a loner, and drove me to therapy.”

Sophie: “I was going to say that, at least now I know if you disappear again, I should probably go looking for you. Robyn, your past doesn’t have to be your future. Not everyone leaves…And, going to therapy is courageous. Hell, I think we should all go, just maybe not to that sociopath.” 

That makes Ryan chuckle, and return her eyes to Sophie. 

Ryan: “You caught that too? She was so cold about everyone’s problems. The way she pretended to care and then judged us all so harshly.”

They both laugh at that. Even though Ryan’s moment of truth being shared so broadly was a sacrifice of her choosing, somehow, Sophie’s been able to comfort her.

Sophie: "Robyn, why do I feel like I know you, and I just met you? Why are you the first person to look at me like you truly know who I am, and…somehow, I believe you might actually? How is it that talking to you feels like we’ve done this a hundred times, and like…I found something I didn’t know I’d lost every time you walk into a room? Am I just crazy…?"

Another surprise from Sophie. Ryan really hopes the first questions are rhetorical. At the same time, she's fighting back her own warm cheeks, hot chest, and every form of panic. She just shakes her head no, so Sophie can at least know she isn't completely imagining things, before taking another sizeable drink. 

Sophie reaches over and places her hand on the one Ryan had left on the table. She lets herself have a moment, flipping her hand around to clasp Sophie's back. Her thumb automatically grazes Sophie's skin, and her touch makes Ryan feel like she’s gone backwards in time to a memory of holding this hand before. 

Ryan’s pacing her breath again - in through her nose, and slowly out through her mouth - trying to compose herself. She stares at Sophie’s hand in hers, reflecting. She puts her glass down, and wraps her other hand around Sophie’s, so that she’s holding her wrist, and Sophie reciprocates, doing the same thing. They’re arched towards each other, so closely that Ryan can smell Sophie’s Cherry Blossom sent on her neck and wrists. 

A really unfamiliar sensation takes over, and her chest starts to ache. She hasn’t cried in so many years, but she feels like she could right now. When was the last time she held someone’s hand? But she didn’t want that - not to hold just anyone’s hand. In fact, she never wanted to care about another person the way she once cared about Sophie...to be that close to someone she could so easily lose. 

Sure, a fourteen year old’s most trusted friend and crush might seem inconsequential to some. What did kids know about love, anyway? But for what Ryan understood at that time, it was the closest she’d come to ever loving someone that wasn’t her mom, in a healthy, unconditional, and what she’d believed to be a mutual way. She wasn’t given the chance to say goodbye, or give Sophie the Christmas present she’d bought and wrapped for her well in advance of the holiday. She was just gone.

Sophie squeezes her hand back, reading the shift in her energy. Then, she mirrors the motion Robyn had just made with her thumb, circling her skin. It’s like she can see the processing Robyn had referred to before happening in real time.

Sophie: “Hey…what’s going on in that head of yours?”

Ryan finally looks up, eyes brimming and pleading. She can’t do this. How can she do this? 

13 YEARS AGO, GOTHAM CITY HIGH SCHOOL

When Ryan arrives on the roof of the gym, Sophie is already there waiting for her, with Selly in her lap, like she is nearly every single day. She sets the cat down in its bed, and quickly jumps up. She almost runs to Ryan, and hugs her.  Sophie: “Everyone on my side of the gym was talking about what happened the period before. Are you okay?” Sophie pulls back, but keeps Ryan’s shoulders in her hands, looking down at her for an honest answer. Ryan smiles wide, appreciating her concern.  Ryan: “Wow. News travels fast. I’m okay, though. I’m sure you also heard that Angelique got involved.” She drops her hands then, seeming slightly more irritated than concerned.  Sophie: “Yeah…I guess I’m glad she was there. I can’t say I would have handled things any differently.”  Ryan grabs her hand, then. Their relationship had grown a lot in the over-four months they’d been meeting up here, and co-parenting this baby cat. They’d overcome a lot with her, and spent so much time together, that they’d become really close. They’d chat about school, life, parents, celebrity crushes, and dreams for the future while bonding with their little one. And, hugging when they first saw each other and before they parted ways was a norm for them.  As it had gotten colder with the change in seasons, they naturally sat closer together on the ground next to their kitten’s bed. Selina would climb between their sets of laps or lay across both of them at the same time. So, it wasn’t uncommon for one of them to rest their head on the other’s shoulder while they’d play with their pet. The whole thing really lended itself to a cuddly kind of relationship for all three of them. Ryan: “I’m sure you wouldn’t have.”  They hear Selly meow for them, and look over at her. Sophie starts walking towards their fur baby, without releasing Ryan’s hand. When they get to her, Sophie picks her back up and fills her in on the tea.  Sophie: “Selly, some meanie heads tried to bully Mama Ry today. And a girl we’re not sure we like stood up for her, thankfully. But mommy Soph is still waiting to hear exactly what happened. Be sure to give her extra snuggles, okay?” Sophie touches noses with the cat before passing it to Ryan to greet. Then she plops onto the ground, crossing her legs, and awaiting the story. Ryan does the same, and skoots in close, so that she’s facing Sophie, and there’s no break between their legs. She sits the cat in her lap, and it stretches across both of their legs, beginning its daily prance between them.  Ryan: “I promise, I’m okay Soph. It was hardly anything. And, honestly, I was more worried that Angelique would get kicked out for trying to defend my honor. I wouldn’t have wanted that for you either, if you were there.”  She rubs Sophie’s knee, to emphasize her point.   Sophie: “I don’t think that girl is worried about getting kicked out. And, even though I’m really glad you had help today, I hope you don’t think you owe her anything…” Ryan: “How don’t I? She didn’t have to do that for me. I think she could make a good friend.”  Sophie: “She’s not the kind of friend you need.” Ryan: “What am I missing? Why do you sound like you hate her?” Sophie: “I don’t hate her. I hardly know her. But what I know of her… I care about you too much to see you get wrapped into what she’s got going on.” 

Ryan: “Sophie, if you want me to stay away from someone who protected me today, I’m going to need a good reason why.” 

Ryan starts playing with Sophie’s fingers on her lap, while Sophie pets Selly’s head. She takes a deep breath, not making eye contact, and prepares to answer. She wasn’t one to gossip. She kind of prided herself in minding her business. High school wasn’t her favorite thing. She’d be around a group of people who seemed to be having a great time, and she’d laugh and smile along, but not really participate, because before Ryan, she’d felt out of place everywhere. She was still figuring a lot of things out, but she didn’t need to think with Ryan. She could just be. 

Sophie: “We get to school around the same time. I’ve seen her get dropped off, and the people she runs with are not known for great things. I’m not sure how or why she’s involved with them, but I just think it’d be safer to keep your distance.”

Ryan squeezes her hand, grateful for her constant concern.

Ryan: “Thank you for worrying about me, but I’m not worried. I’m not going to do anything crazy. But maybe she needs a friend. Maybe I could even be a good influence on her.” 

Sophie: “Ryan, if anything happens to you, I’m kicking both of your asses.” 

Ryan: “You’ll have to catch me first.” 

She snatches their cat, jumps up, and takes off running. Sophie is fast, because her stride is longer, but Ryan is quick too. So, they play one of their favorite games of Steal The Cat, running around the roof, trying to catch and tackle each other. 

Ryan: “Sophie, I…”

Ryan stutters, struggling to figure out how to tell her this will never work. She can’t form the words. It’s what she knows she needs to say. It’s what she has to say. And she just can’t. 

Kate: “Hey…I texted, looking for you. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to find you here, though.”

Both of their heads shoot towards the hallway that the stairway from the loft leads to. Kate is standing there, looking heartbroken. Ryan takes her hands out of Sophie’s, grabbing her phone to read the missed text, and sits back in her chair. Sophie quickly looks at her, left literally empty handed, and the disappointment can’t be missed by anyone in the room. 

Kate: “I’m better now, so I’m going to go. Thanks for…you know...” 

Kate heads to the back exit, where she’d left her car. 

Ryan: “I’m sorry...” 

Ryan jumps up, and runs after Kate. She catches her opening the door to her Maserati MC20.

Ryan: “Wait. Don’t leave like this.” 

Kate: “I knew…”

Ryan: “Nothing has happened with me and Sophie.” 

Kate: “Sure, nothing has happened, yet. Stop pretending you don’t have feelings for her, Robyn.” 

Ryan: “I...I want us to be okay, Kate.” 

Kate: “Look, I meant what I said. Sophie deserves whatever she wants, even if that’s you. I just need some time, okay?” 

Kate gets in the car, starts it, and speeds off. Ryan hasn’t felt this out of control in a long time. She turns around and looks at the bar door. She wonders if Sophie is waiting for her to come back, or if she was too let down to have stayed. She’s not even sure she can face her again, right now. 

She takes her phone out and opens their texts. 

Robyn’s Cell: It’s been a long day, so I’m going to call it. Sorry for the abrupt ending, and thank you for tonight.

She takes the outside stairway back up to her loft, to avoid exposing herself to the scene she’s abandoned. Those tears she didn’t know she could still shed find their way out of her eyes on the walk to her door. She’d broken so many rules, already, what was one more?

~~~~~

To be continued...

How did that feel? Tell me your thoughts!

If you pay super close attention and noticed that the season changed in the high school memory, that's sort of the tricky part about posting as you go. Sometimes, things you wrote before fully ironing out what you plan to write don't fit as neatly as you need them to. It was a tiny edit to the text that made a significant difference in the story. But yes, originally, Angelique defended Ryan earlier in the school year and I changed it to closer to Christmas, because it worked better for this part and more. Thanks for going with it.

Come back next week for part two. There's soooo much more to this chapter!

All #Batwoman things I do now are in the name of #SaveBatwoman. The month of May has so many fun activities planned for the campaign, including some committee members posting live updates from the #Starfury #Ultimates-Apokolips convention. Go follow @savebatwoman on social Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is STILL NOT part one of chapter five. This is a ANOTHER teaser from chapter five. I'm sorry, but real talk, this very layered chapter is taking a lot to unfold, but I'm soooo close.

For now, here's another mid-season, spring hiatus, out of sequence and context snippet from chapter five. And, meet me here on Tumblr next Friday for part one of chapter five (for real this time).

CHAPTER FIVE SNEAK PEEK

Catherine walks into the kitchen with the exact opposite energy that her daughters have. None of them are demonstrating the tendencies of morning people, or seem thrilled to be up and about the day after a mid-week party. And yet, for one reason or another, they’re all dressed and preparing to start their day. They look at Catherine as though she’s insane.

Mary: “And why do you look like you got a visit from your fairy godmother last night, mom?”

Catherine: “Because we all have a choice to greet each new day as if there’s endless potential for it to be a perfect one. I’ve decided that everything will go my way today.”

Beth: “Oh great. That means she’s come in here to give us orders.”

Catherine: “You’re not wrong, Beth. Sunday is your father’s and my 20th anniversary dinner, and I’ve come to set some ground rules.”

Mary: “Wait, you’re still going through with that sham of a celebration.”

Catherine: “I’ll beg your pardon. We are still very much in a marriage, and have raised three grown daughters, while running successful corporations. I’d say that’s plenty of reason to celebrate 20 years of partnership.”

Beth: “She has a point, Mary. Contractually, they’re still bound together with all of their assets and things. So, why not throw a party to look happy about it and hide all of the internal collusion and corruption?”

Catherine: “And that’s exactly the kind of talk that I’ll have none of at our dinner. I’m expecting you ladies to be on your very best behavior, and I’d really like it to be something intimate. So you’re not entitled to bring more than one plus one, which I need to approve in advance. Kate, I believe yours will be Tommy, so yours is approved. I’ll need the two of you to confirm who you’re bringing by the end of day tomorrow, so we can reach out to them regarding their dietary accommodations.”

Kate: “You sure Tommy’s not your plus one?”

Kate says that under her breath, but both of her sisters catch it and snap their heads to stare at her in shock. She waves them off, and drinks her coffee, not in the mood to explain.

Catherine isn’t interested in any discussion around her instructions. So she leaves the kitchen before anyone can argue, as per her customary last-word having exit.

Mary: “Kate, seriously, what is going on with you?”

Kate puts her coffee mug down and looks at Mary with the seriousness she's demanding.

Kate: “I’m done with all of the charades. I’m not going to this dinner, and I’m not going to argue about it. You know I only live here because you two do, and I can barely stand it. I’m going to do my best to steer clear of both of them from now on. I need a break.”

~~~~~

See you next week!

All #Batwoman things I do now are in the name of #SaveBatwoman. The month of May has so many fun activities planned for the campaign, including a raffle to win an autograph from Javicia, Meagan, and Nicole, from the #Starfury #Ultimates-Apokolips convention. Go follow @savebatwoman on social Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is NOT part one of chapter five. This is a teaser from chapter five.

If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder had just about everything taken from her when we met her, and she was doing her best to get it back. In this version of the story, that means taking some people down along the way. And, she's definitely no hero.

Let's just say chapter four was the mid-season finale and this is the spring hiatus trailer. And with that, I'll give you a game plan for this entire story.

We're going to finish this story by end of year.

In my story, season two of the tv series Batwoman parallels season one of the tv series Revenge, which will end with chapter 7.

I'm more or less skipping season two of Revenge, and will parallel season three for both shows.

I'll conclude with that season, too, ending on chapter 12. We're almost posting month for month with 2023, so that feels like a nice timeline.

Meet me here on Tumblr next Friday for part one of chapter five. Here's an out of sequence and context snippet from that part.

CHAPTER FIVE SNEAK PEEK

Tommy: “I knew you should have never trusted Robyn.”

Kate: “What are you talking about?”

Kate sips her drink, annoyed by the sudden accusation and shift in conversation. She wasn’t even aware that Tommy had an issue with Robyn.

Tommy: “Isn’t she supposed to be your friend, but she’s moving in on your girl?”

Kate sighs through her nose. 

Kate: “Regardless to how I feel, Sophie isn’t mine. And neither is Robyn. We all met her at the same time. She doesn’t owe any allegiance to me.” 

Tommy: “Right. What a coincidence. She just drops into all of your lives out of nowhere, and now she’s an integral part of it from every angle? You don’t find that odd?”

Kate: “Are you jealous of my relationship with Robyn? Because she’s been nothing but nice to you, so I don’t understand why you would randomly attack her, especially after you saw what just happened to her tonight.”

Tommy: “Seems pretty convenient to me.” 

Kate: “What the hell is convenient about having your recorded therapy session shared with a bunch of strangers?”

Tommy: “Exactly! Strangers! What do you even know about this woman? Because what I see is that your ex seems to be coincidently falling for her, she’s become besties with both Catherine’s and your most trusted employees, and she’s been in Gotham for 5 minutes and is suddenly included in a video leak of Gotham elites.”

Kate: “She IS a Gotham elite, or whatever, if you insist on using those terms. She’s the CEO at Jetirian. Of course she’d use the top recommended therapist. You know what, Tommy? I was just trying to confide in you about Sophie, and this insane rabbit hole you’re digging feels like you’re questioning my judgment in friends. And maybe you’re right about that, because I thought you, my friend, were supposed to be helping me figure out how to get out of this merry go round of feelings about a woman I still love who can barely tolerate me. But maybe you’ve had so much to drink that you’re becoming delusional.”

Tommy, relatively sober, because he’s been more focused on feeding drinks to Kate than consuming them himself, fights back the urge to follow up on the mysterious selection of Robyn as CEO of Jetirian, because he can tell she’s not going to listen to reason tonight. Tommy doesn’t know exactly what’s going on, but as someone who’s pulled a scam or two of his own, he knows one when he sees one. He throws an arm over Kate’s shoulder, bringing her in for a side hug.

Tommy: “Truce bestie! Maybe you’re right. I’ve missed you, and she gets to do all the fun stuff we used to do together. I’m sure you’re right, and I just need to get to know her as well as you do. So, let’s talk about how we get your girl back.” 

~~~~~

See you next week!

All #Batwoman things I do now are in the name of #SaveBatwoman. The month of May has so many fun activities planned for the campaign, including some committee members posting live updates from the #Starfury #Ultimates-Apokolips convention. Go follow @savebatwoman on social Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is part five and the conclusion of chapter four. If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge.

CHAPTER FOUR - DUPLICITY (Final Part)

Ryan goes after the psychologist who evaluated her after her mom’s death, and determined that she should serve out her time in a youth correctional facility.

I'll be back next Friday with something from chapter 5 (even if it's just a little something).

All #Batwoman things I do now are in the name of #SaveBatwoman. The month of May has so many fun activities planned for the campaign, including some committee members posting live updates from the #Starfury #Ultimates-Apokolips convention. Go follow @savebatwoman on social Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.