Chapter One:

Beatrice looked up into the sky, the winter morning sky looked over cast and dreary. She placed her hand on her ID badge, as she did every morning, 'Please let today be good.' Shaking off the feelings of apprehension and gripping her coffee a little tighter she opened the doors to Arkham.

"Good Morning Richard," She said cheerfully. "Mmm, I don't know about all that" Richard replied. "What do you mean?" Beatrice half laughed. "Well," he said leaning forward from his desk "I heard The Joker is back." Beatrice leaned in "So? What does that have to do with OUR mornings?" she said gesturing between them "Because I also heard: that you, Dr. Morning, are going to be his new psychiatrist."

"Really?" disbelief spread across her face. "Well yeah, I mean you are who they send the tough ones to. You're their last resort, and this is what? His 50th time here?" Richard relaxed back in his chair once more. "I think it's his third actually, and I didn't think they would be serious about his rehabilitation to be honest."

"I'm sure THEY don't. Probably for PR or something." "That makes more sense. Guess I better go and face this then, huh?" "Knock em' dead girl!" Richard smiled and buzzed her into the main entrance.

Sure enough, there stood Director Sims waiting for her at Beatrice's office door. She put on her brightest smile she could muster and continued forward. She loved her job for the most part; she liked to help and having special connections with her patients. True they were often the most broken and violent, but they were still human when you broke through to them. Those were the parts Beatrice had learned to savor. When the two of them could have honest and heartfelt conversations. To really help in a way no one else could.

But, The Joker… he was different. She had heard the stories and rumors. He was twice as smart and twice as manipulative than most. He knew this and liked it. Beatrice had followed the news, read the papers and had come up with her own diagnoses. To sit down face to face with this man and actually talk that would be something else entirely.

Beatrice unlocked her door as Director Sims watched. He was a short quiet man with thinning blonde hair. He always looked put together and was always thinking, hardly ever talking. He was an odd choice for a director Beatrice thought, but who was she to judge, 'Maybe not talking was the best way to go?'

A thick file was placed on Dr. Beatrice Morning's desk. She looked up at Director Sims, "well good morning to you too sir." she smiled. "Sorry Beatrice, good morning. Did they tell you were getting him today?" Sims asked. "Yeahhh Richard told me and gave me some of the little details, but I figured it would be tomorrow not today. You know what maybe it'll be fine. I'll be the one to cure him" Beatrice leaned back in her chair. "That's a good attitude to have Beatrice. Look you're the best doctor we have, which is why we give you the harder ones. Truth be told if anyone could help this guy it would be you."

"Thank you for that. Now if you'll excuse me; I have a crazy person to help" "Good luck!" Director Sims said as he strolled out of her office. 'yeah right' Beatrice smirked and turned her attention back to the task at hand. A relatively short rap sheet but all very intense. Clearly a master manipulator, deeply disturbed, fixation on clowns (want to be funny…), and all sorts of things going on.

Patient number: 87041

Patient Name: unknown.

Patient preferred name: The Joker

Her readings and note-taking took up most of her Monday morning. She poured herself into the case file and any other sort of information she could find on The Joker. He was interesting to say the very least. Beatrice thought of her past patients, all hard cases indeed but none to this extent. For a moment fear spread across her; a feeling she had not really felt since she started her career at Arkham. Pushing these thoughts to the back of her head, she checked her schedule and decided to start the day that lay before her.

Policy was to have the doctor's specific patients close to them, so Beatrice found his room very easily. And there he was. Laying on his bed looking bored with his surroundings. "Good afternoon," Rose said stepping close to the glass wall that separated them. He immediately sat upright in the bed and smile widely at her. "Hello there gorgeous," he said smoothing out his hair. "And who pray tell are you?" He asked as he walked toward the glass. "My name is Doctor Beatrice Morning. I will be your psychiatrist during your stay here at Arkham. We will have bi-weekly secessions and I will also be the lead in your group therapy as well." She smiled trying to look as pleasant as possible. "Oh goody," Joker said looking at her up and down really sizing her up. "I am aware of your… um… history here at Arkham, but I'm hoping you and I can make this time different." "oh, do you now? Think you can cure me?!" He laughed. "May I be frank?" "I wouldn't want you any other way doll." "I don't think you can be cured. I also don't think you will take any of this seriously. But here is what I do know: I am willing to try anything and everything to help you. That's why they sent you to me." Beatrice looked him dead in the eyes. Trying to maintain the same eye contact he was making. "I'll be looking forward to it then," he said leaning against the stark white wall. "Great! Are you a morning person or more of an afternoon kind of guy?" "Let's say morning. I'd love to wake up and see your smiling face" he winked. "Right. Ok, so we can start tomorrow at 9:30. Group is at 5 Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Any questions?" Beatrice wrote down a rough schedule for him and sent it through his mail slot. "I'll see ya' then" She smiled as warmly as she could muster. He nodded his head and waved her off. 'For once I think I'm looking forward to therapy' he thought making himself chuckle.