Devil's Playground • Gotham Fanfiction •

XIV - Soirée

"There was a small part of me that was still childish, stubborn in her hope, thinking I could somehow have everything. That I could be all the versions of me, stacked inside one another, and find someone who would want them all. But that's childhood. Before you realize that every step is a choice. That something must be given up for something to be gained. Everything on a scale, a weighing of desires, an ordering of which you want more-and what you'd be willing to give for it." - Megan Miranda, All the Missing Girls

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"Who is he?" Ivy asked, gesturing to where Mario was starting to get the crowds attention at the engagement party.

"My brother." Bird answered as she swooped up a glass of champagne from the waiter's tray near them.

"I thought Bruce was your brother." Ivy's face twisted.

Turning to face her companion for the remainder of the party Bird blew out a sigh, "I'm his adopted sister. I'm Mario's half-sister, by blood."

"But I thought you were really a Wayne, like... by blood too..."

"I am." Bird nodded, "My biological mother was a Wayne."

"But-" Ivy started to say until Bird cut her off, "Ivy. I know how incredibly confusing my lineage is-"

"Confusing? How about awesome!" Ivy exclaimed, her eyes wide, "You're a Wayne and Falcone. You know you could be like running this city, right? And-and I could help you."

"Help me do what?" Bird was only half-listening to her at this point.

"Be a queen." Ivy's voice was buzzing with excitement, "We could make people give us money and wait on us and do whatever we wanted to them to do and-"

"Ivy." Bird began, "I'm just trying to live my life, okay? Not start an empire."

"But-" The younger woman started with a whine in her tone.

"Power isn't everything." Bird practically shushed her, "I had the chance to take over once. Falcone was prepping me to fill his shoes but I didn't want it then and I don't want it now, okay?"

Ivy's brows furrowed. Power isn't everything?
Bird's words played over in her head and sounded just as ridiculous the second time around.

Then it occurred to her that of course Bird felt that way. Her last name alone gave her power. Her wealth did too.
She was born with it, so it naturally didn't seem that big of a deal to her.

Ivy's train of thought was interrupted by the clinking of metal against glass and the crowd of voices turned into whispers and murmurs.

"Excuse me." Bird quietly said to Ivy when she saw Don Falcone motioning for her to join them at the front of the room, "I'm being summoned."

Plastering a smile on her face, Bird nodded and shook a few hands on her way to where Falcone was standing.

"My father and I haven't always seen eye-to-eye." Mario began his speech and the room erupted in laughter, "But I think, dad, you'll agree." He continued, "That marrying Lee is the best decision I've ever made."

"Without a doubt." Falcone chuckled.

Lee glanced back at the former crime boss with a wide smile on her face, then her eyes fell to where Bird was standing beside him and watching her intently.

"Lee." Mario got his fiance's attention, "You're a doctor, a member of our city's police department. You're funny, compassionate and brilliant. Despite insisting all dogs are boys and all cats are girls-"