Chapter 39

[1st POV]

Renee wasn't in the room when I returned.

She was in the bathroom, and judging by the sounds, she was crying.

I didn't know what exactly had happened, but my intuition told me it was something personal or maybe she was going through something.

The gift bottle was already lying empty on the floor beside her things.

Leaning my back against the door, I asked through the door, "Why the tears? I promised I'd come back, didn't I? And here I am!"

"Hmph... it's fine… sniff... it's just that the wine was stronger than I thought…"

"That strong it made you finish the whole thing and cry in the bathroom?"

After that, all I heard were quiet sobs and silence.

"Rene, what's going on? I can't promise I'll fix everything, but I can listen. I'm good at that, believe me. And who knows, maybe I can help if I can. We're partners, after all."

I wasn't lying to her because I really did want to help.

+300 relationship with Renee Montoya.

She'd had quite a bit to drink, but maybe this had been building up for a while.

"I don't want to ruin what we have."

She said, voice barely above a whisper, "It's better if you don't know."

"Renee."

I replied, "I'm far from perfect myself or haven't you realized that by now? I'm a bit of a player that many women don't appreciate. There are even specialists who say that I have a death wish. Beyond that, I don't know where I'm going in this world, and my personality could use some serious work. I'm probably the last person to judge anyone. I don't even blame Joker or the rest of our 'freaks' for what they are or what they do. They just annoy me sometimes but not all of them, even."

"So, if you're worried that whatever happened or whatever you think will damage what we have, toss that thought out of your mind. You don't have to tell me anything now. But sooner or later, you'll see I'm right. When that time comes, I'll be here to listen. Just remember that."

[+1 Talk No Jutsu]

[+100 relationship with Renee Montoya]

There was a click as the door opened, and before I knew it, I fell backwards and landed on my back.

Montoya was next to me, crouching with a half-empty bottle of whiskey.

A few unopened and half-finished bottles of beer and other drinks were scattered around.

She's an even bigger drinker than I am.

I'm kind of impressed.

I walked over to her, closing the door behind me. We were now sitting there together in a lotus position.

She leaned against me by the door while I sat with my back to it, just on the opposite side this time.

We sat in silence.

I waited, and she seemed to be gathering her thoughts.

By the fifth minute, I couldn't help myself and I grabbed a bottle of beer and started drinking too.

After a few more minutes, Renee rested her head on my shoulder but she still wasn't saying anything.

Finally, she started to speak.

"I... I joined the police after my husband died."

She started with emotion, "We got married when I was twenty... right after I finished the academy. He was a police officer and always looked up to Gordon, dreamed of turning Gotham from the hellhole into a truly beautiful city, a place where a kid could walk the streets without fearing they'd get beaten up for no reason. Where people wouldn't worry about their money being safe in the banks. He wanted fear to stop ruling this city. He was..."

She sniffed, "A wonderful man. An idealist, maybe even a dreamer, but I think that's why I loved him. And I don't regret it."

She took another swig from her bottle, emptying it entirely before she continued.

"We weren't happy together for long and just a little over three years. Then it all ended. He was killed on a call... just a drunk fight... a knife... and that was it with just one body left behind."

She fell silent, staring down at the empty bottle, lost in a memory that clearly cut deeper than words could express.

"...Then came a month of... well, my own death, if I can call it that. I loved him so much, whatever you might think of me after hearing this."

She hesitated, her voice cracking slightly.

I could tell now she was building up to something deeper, maybe even about her relationships with women.

"During that month after the funeral, I realized that Harry had this incredible dream, but he never got to finish it. I couldn't accept that the bastard who killed him managed to get away. The police couldn't track him down for over six months. Eventually, I solved the case and decided to find him myself. But as a civilian, I didn't have the strength or the resources for that. So, I enrolled in the police academy."

"When I graduated, I had excellent credentials, and could've joined any department in the country. However, I chose Gotham and spent two years tracking that scumbag, and finally brought him to justice for what he did to Harry. But after that... I couldn't go back to a normal life. I couldn't even think of home, only work. Gotham really is the hellhole Harry warned me about, sinking deeper into corruption each year. However, I couldn't walk away, not with everything I'd seen. So I continued."

She cracked open another beer.

I couldn't help but wonder how she managed to down all this without knocking out.

"But that's not all, is it?"

I asked, trying to nudge her toward whatever else was eating at her.

"Yeah."

Renee nodded with sadness deepening in her gaze.

"I've changed too and something inside me shifted. I don't even know if it was because of Harry's death or if it was always there... but I started feeling different. Not like everyone else."

Her hands fidgeted nervously, and she bit her lip, obviously wrestling with something heavy.

"I... I realized I'm not attracted to men at all. Women, but... it started as just a simple attraction, then turned into dreams, fantasies. Then, one night at an old friend's party, I got... close with one of her friends. Her name's Daria. We ended up... together."

She took a deep breath, her voice trembling.

"I came to accept that I'm a lesbian. We started dating, and even though it all happened so fast, I started to love her. A few close friends knew, and so did my younger brother but not my parents. Until today, when Daria called them while she was drunk and told them everything. She was upset that I was keeping things quiet, that I wasn't ready to be open about us. In her frustration, she didn't just call my parents and she called my precinct too."

Rene gritted her teeth, anger and pain flashing across her face.

"She forgot I was on assignment in Los Angeles. Now, everyone at work and my family knows. My mother screamed at me, cursed, even... disowned me. I have no family now, Isaac. I'm an outcast!"

She grabbed the bottle next to her and threw it at the mirror, shattering the glass in a cascade of broken reflections.

"Nerves aren't the best guide."

I said, finishing off my bottle, "I thought you were about to tell me something terrifying, but instead, I just heard my partner coming out. Your gender—it's not a crime against public safety. Sure, you surprised me, but I don't feel any different about you. You're Renee Montoya. It's a shame for me that you are with the other 'team' now, but that doesn't change my opinion of you one bit."

I leaned back, trying to catch her gaze, "The precinct? They're not going to kick you out over this. As for what people will say, don't worry. Of course, people are always going to have opinions, but it doesn't matter if they hate or insult you because you're a lesbian. They're nobodies to you because you'll find people who support you. People like me, for instance."

She looked down, and I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"As for your parents, they've sinned just as much as you, if they're so righteous that they'd disown their own child. I may not be religious, but I'd never turn my back on my own blood. Sure, I'd probably be angry, but I'd never abandon them."

"And Daria... if things are really over, maybe it's time to take a pause, to figure things out with her and yourself. Think about why she did what she did. I'm not telling you what to do, just speaking my mind. Yeah, I'm a guy, and a bit of a flirt, but I'd never judge you for yourself. I might tease you, but that's all. I don't see women as prizes or cattle to keep fenced in. I just don't get that way of thinking, and I never will."

I squeezed her shoulder gently, "So, remember this. I may not understand everything, but I'll always be here to help however I can."

[+1 Talk No Jutsu]

[+100 relationship with Renee Montoya]

Renee broke down, burying her face in my chest, her soul crying out.

I held her, comforting her as best as I could, knowing how much she needed support right now.

After about five minutes, she finally passed out, alcohol or both, I wasn't sure.

I carried her to the bed, wiped her face with a wet wipe, and placed a bucket nearby... that she promptly needed.

It seemed this state would last a while.

To be continued...

...

A/N: PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO DROP SOME POWER STONES... THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

https://www.patreon.com/Sothisq

You can find up to 10 advance chapters on my patreon.