Together, Like the Swans…
by Sunflare2k5

Author's Note: This is based on "Love Bird" from Batman Annual 11, but with a different ending. I thought it a pity that Penguin finally found someone to love him – and that she'd disappear after only one appearance.

Batman had finished testifying to the parole board about the Penguin's case. Penguin was indeed trying to reform, and had helped a number of ex-cons to find honest work in his umbrella factory. Batman had been pleasantly surprised by this, but while the Penguin's heart was in the right place, his methods… weren't.

"Mr. Cobblepot… we are ready to give our judgment about your parole," stated the head of the board. "The law has stated that any association with other ex-convicts is automatically a violation of parole."

The Penguin was actually looking rather greenish at that statement.

"However," the man continued, "we have also found that applying this rule to the workplace means that there is virtually no chance for an ex-convict to find gainful employment. And therefore that situation is excepted. So then… in light of the tremendous effort that you have made to stop recidivism – we believe you have paid your debt to society in full, Mr. Cobblepot!"

"I… I'm free?" The Penguin wasn't sure he believed what he'd heard.

"Yes. And I hope we hear nothing but good about you, Mr. Cobblepot."

Batman pulled a small vial from his belt and offered it to the Penguin. He gave an apologetic look to the parole board. "Smelling salts… it looks like he might need them."

"Erm, yes… thank you." the Penguin said, as another of the board nodded. "Quite understandable, Batman."

Later, at Dovina's apartment, Oswald appeared with a bouquet of roses. "My dearest, may I come in?"

"Of course, Oswald… are you all right?" She took the flowers and set them in a vase.

"Better than all right – I'm a free man!" He smiled widely. "The board's seen the wisdom of my plan… so work will resume as usual. There's only one thing that can make me happier?"

Dovina looked surprised. "Why – whatever could that be?"

Oswald went to one knee before her, and pulled a small box from his pocket. He opened it, to show her a dazzling ring. "Knowing that like the swans, we will be together for life. Dovina Partridge… will you marry me?"

"Oh! Of course I will, Oswald!" He slipped the ring on her finger, then he guided her down into his embrace. As much as he might have wanted more, Dovina had already made it clear she'd give no more than kisses until they were properly wed.

And she was worth the wait…

The wedding was a simple civil ceremony, though the couple had to travel quite some distance from Gotham City before they could find a place that would take them. Oswald was not going to let this day become fodder for the tabloids! A few of Dovina's other friends from the Ornithological News served as witnesses, not to mention their providing a cozy lakeside cabin for the honeymoon.

But as much as they enjoyed their time alone in the woods, business called and the couple reluctantly returned to Gotham.

Dovina was still lounging on the couch in her bathrobe when he got home. Oswald frowned. "I was hoping you'd feel better by now, my pen?"

She smiled up at him; Dovina found it adorable that he called her a female swan. "I'm fine, my cob…" she replied, returning the swan name. Then she caressed her belly. "And our little cygnet will be fine too!"

"…cygnet?" Oswald squeaked, and he crumpled in a dead faint.

"Oh dear… Oswald? Wake up?"

Oswald had nearly bitten his tongue again. He'd given up smoking once he realized he was going to be a father, and while the sugarless gum was better for him it wasn't helping his nervousness. The doctors said they'd need to perform a C-section, so he'd been sent back to the waiting room. They had returned to the place they'd married at, since he was afraid that no hospital in Gotham would allow him?

He was about to start on another stick when a doctor interrupted him. "Sir, you might want to unwrap that first?" Oswald belatedly noticed that he was about to chew through the foil. "Is she – are they – all right?" Oswald asked.

"Yes… your wife and your son are doing fine." The doctor smiled.

Oswald slumped back into a chair, fanning himself with a magazine. "Oh, thank you… thank you…"

Finally he was allowed to see his wife. "My pen, you've made me so happy…" Oswald whispered to her with a kiss on her cheek.

"Isn't our little cygnet handsome?" she smiled up at him.

"Fortunately, he got your nose." Oswald chuckled.

Oswald returned from his day supervising the factory, whistling as he approached the door. To his surprise, it was unlocked. He stopped whistling, and checked it more carefully – there were scratches on the door, showing it had been forced. Carefully, he opened it, to see…

The living room was a disaster area. Furniture overturned, all the decorations broken… and the blood and feathers of what had been their collection of birds strewn everywhere. Heedless of his own safety, he rushed for the bedroom looking for his family!

Dovina was tied up in a chair, terribly bruised and her clothes torn. She whimpered through the duct tape over her mouth, until he worked it free. "They've taken our cygnet!" she wailed.

"WHAT?"

"Harrier… he said it was payback. A-and if we called the police or Batman, that he'd…" Dovina couldn't continue.

Oswald snarled. "That honorless - he won't get away with this!" Quickly he untied his wife, then he started rooting around in the closet. "They have to be here somewhere… ah, here!" A panel in the back popped open, revealing a storage space with a collection of umbrellas.

"Please, I can't lose you too?" Dovina pleaded.

Oswald returned to her, embracing her. "I know him too well… if we summon the authorities he will make good on his threat. I'll get our son back – no matter the cost!" He pressed a gentle kiss upon an unbruised portion of her cheek, then went back to readying his weapons. "Don't let anyone in… he's got some of the police bribed to do his dirty work." he warned as he secured the last of the umbrellas in a modified golf bag and filled its pockets with reloads of gas capsules. Then he left; when Harrier had tried to force Oswald's workers into returning to their criminal ways, Oswald had the man thrown out. But he was wise enough to research this new foe, and had a good idea of where Harrier was based.

Batman started out on patrol; tonight, he was going to check on the Cobblepots. He still had a faint suspicion that Oswald hadn't entirely shed all his criminal ways – and while he wasn't there to see Oswald leave, he did see the damage done to their apartment. Batman slipped inside through a window, surprising Dovina who was vainly trying to undo the damage. "What has he done?"

Dovina shrieked, swatting at Batman with the cleaning rags. "Don't hurt me!"

"I'm not here to hurt you – I just want information." Batman stated.

She shook her head. "No, I can't speak to you… please, just leave?"

He wasn't accepting that answer. Even through the cowl, his glare burned into her. "Tell me." he commanded, voice cold.

She was already fragile, and she finally broke. Dovina fell to her knees, weeping as she confessed to the events of Harrier's attack and Oswald's plan.

I understand why he's doing this… but he's just going to get his son and himself killed! Batman thought. To Dovina, he said, "I'm going to find Harrier, and bring back your family."

It had been over a year since he'd last wielded the umbrellas, but Oswald hadn't forgotten anything. He concentrated on using the non-lethal types like gas-shooters and flash grenades; not that he cared about the welfare of Harrier's henchmen but he wasn't going to risk a stray bullet striking his son!

By the time Batman reached Harrier's lair, Oswald had almost gotten through the last line of defenses. The last few men that weren't completely subdued by Oswald quickly fell to Batman's attacks. He headed up into the rafters and made his way to Harrier, only to see…

"So…" Harrier smirked. "Thought you'd save the little butterball?" He had a machine pistol in hand, and was idly pointing it toward the improvised crib. "Give it up, Penguin… you're old, feeble. I'll take your empire for myself!"

"I don't have an empire… I gladly gave that up for my wife and son!" Oswald dropped the last umbrella. "Spare him – he doesn't deserve to die for my past crimes?"

"Let me think about – no!" Harrier began to aim at the crib – and Oswald charged at him screeching in a berserk rage! Harrier instinctively aimed and fired at the closer threat, sending a spray of bullets into Oswald's chest – and a second too late, a Batarang smashed the pistol out of Harrier's hand!

Batman leapt down, landing on Harrier and knocking the criminal out. Then he hurried to Oswald's side, checking him… though it was clear the wounds were fatal, Batman sent an emergency signal to the nearest hospital anyway.

"My son…" Oswald gasped, trying to reach toward the crib.

Batman got him and showed the baby to Oswald. "He's safe… see?"

"Then it's worth it…" With that, Oswald shuddered and fell back.

Batman waited till the authorities arrived. "I'll take him back to his mother…" he explained to Montoya.

"Of course…" She wasn't going to argue with him.

This time, Batman knocked at the front door of the Cobblepot apartment. Dovina let him in, gasping as she saw her son cradled in the vigilante's arms. "Please..?" Batman gently handed him over to her.

"You'd better sit down…" Batman warned her, regret clear in his voice. She suspected what he was going to say, and sat on a still-blood-stained chair.

"Harrier was about to shoot the child…" Batman admitted. "Oswald charged him, forced Harrier to shoot him instead. I – wasn't fast enough to save them both." He paused. "I showed Oswald his son was safe; he said 'Then it's worth it.' Those… were his last words."

Dovina nodded slowly. "From the moment he left, I believed I wouldn't see my dear cob again… swans aren't meant to live apart, you know?"

"You aren't alone." Batman reminded her. "And for your son's sake, you can't give up."

"You're right." She cradled her son against her bosom. "When you're old enough to understand, I'll tell you about your father… how he was such a brave man. Such a good man…"

And young Oswald, in later years, found a way to live up to his father's sacrifice…

(The End)