Lovely Little Riddles (A Nygmobblepot fanfic)

Chapter 2: Faded Warmth in a Home Not Lived In

After the two said their good byes in the GCPD with iron bars separating them and Edward watched as Oswald was carted off to Arkham Asylum, Edward assumed that was the last time they would meet. He wished he had summoned the strength to tell Oswald of his feelings for him but he just couldn't.

Life went on as it usually does. After Oswald's extensive treatment at Arkham he became a lot calmer and honestly sort of child-like so he became very open with Professor Hugo Strange. "So Oswald, in our last session you were telling me about the interesting relationship you had with Fish Mooney before you betrayed her." Said Hugo as Oswald nodded.
"Well it's no secret that I betrayed Miss Mooney, she treated me like her son and I betrayed and killed her. I feel just terrible about that but um I've been thinking a lot about her lately about how even though I hurt her so much she never gave up my one secret that I trusted her with." Said Oswald as he smiled.
"And what secret was that?" Asked Hugo as Oswald fiddled with his hands in his lap for a moment like he was nervous.
"I'm gay." He said as he stared into his lap with a small smile.
"Really that's your big secret?" Asked Hugo as Oswald nodded rapidly.
"Oh yes, this town is not very nice to people like me so I had to keep it a secret even from my own mother." Said Oswald as he lost his smile.
"Why is that?" Asked Hugo as Oswald sighed a very shaky sigh.
"I didn't want her to hate me or be disappointed in me just because of who I am so I never told her but now I wish I did." Said Oswald as a single tear fell from his eye.
"Thank you, Oswald. This has been a very lovely session, I thank you for being so honest." Said Hugo as Oswald nodded and then was shown out of the room.

Days passed and Oswald was released from Arkham so he wandered Gotham trying to find those who he was still hoping were friends that could help him but he didn't get that far into the conversation with Butch and Tabitha because he left the interaction tar and feathered. Though it was intended to torture him Butch and Tabitha were unamused by his lack of a reaction, they realized he was no longer the Penguin, not anymore.

As Edward was preparing a master plan to catch Jim Gordon when suddenly there was a knock at his door, it was Oswald but he was wildly different. As he and Edward chatted Edward's altar screamed in his head that Oswald was no longer able to be trusted that he would turn them in if he knew what Edward was planning so Edward kindly turned Oswald away. As Edward continued his work he felt a deep feeling in his heart like it was breaking.

As Oswald visited his mother's grave he met an unlikely character, his father; Elijah Van Dahl. Elijah invited Oswald back to his home and explained the dreary tale that was the reason he wasn't in Oswald's life. As the days grew on and Oswald got to know his father more he realized that his father needed to know him too. He shared with him his past and the horrible things he had done but then one day Grace his step mother showed off a newspaper of Oswald's old life and where he thought he would lose everything his father was actually impressed with Oswald. "Father you're not angry?" Asked Oswald softly as Elijah smiled softly placing his hand on Oswald's shoulder.
"Of course not my boy, I'm actually quite impressed! Oswald Cobblepot, the notorious king pin of Gotham! I'm curious why do they call you the Penguin?" Asked Elijah as Oswald looked down his lap remembering how he gained his infamous limp that got his name. The memories burned in his mind but Elijah sat next to him and looked at him with a worried look. "What's wrong, my boy, did I upset you?" Asked Elijah as Oswald sighed.
"No, it's the memories of my old life." Said Oswald as he took a breath. "They call me Penguin because of my limp and I got my limp from the first crime I ever committed." Said Oswald as his father nodded.
"I see, if you don't want to tell me you don't have to." Said Elijah as Oswald nodded.
"Thank you." Said Oswald softly.

After Oswald's father died and he found out that Grace had murdered him he snapped back into his old self and murdered her children, Charles and Sasha, then promptly fed them to the wretched witch Grace and slit her throat. After the thrill of the kill was over Oswald set down the knife, grabbed a cloth napkin and wiped the blood from his face. He took a breath and then walked out of the room into the television room and pushed the television into the dining room. Oswald sat next to Grace's fresh corpse and smiled. "Let's see what's on television, shall we Grace?" Asked Oswald with a chuckle as he clicked on the television. He sat there for a moment watching the news until suddenly a familiar mug shot was shown on screen. "Ed got caught..." Said Oswald as he watched the broadcast of Edward's crimes. As the reporter told the tale of Edward's murder of Officer Dougherty, Kristen Kringle, Officer Pinkney, the distraction of the art heist, the bombing at the train station, and the framing of Jim Gordon, Oswald smiled and chuckled. "Edward, Edward, Edward. You clever little amateur! I think he's coming along nicely, don't you Grace?" Asked Oswald as he chuckled and took the glass of wine that Grace had next to her plate. "You're not going to drink this are you?" He asked as he laughed. "Of course not you're dead!" He said as his insane remarks towards her comforted him in a way sort of gave him a sense of hold on his own personality making him very certain that Hugo Strange's "therapy" held no power over him.