AN: Thanks again for all the awesome reviews! You guys rock and definitely know how to put a smile on my face! LOL! Hopefully you all will enjoy this chapter as well. And I'm shutting up now to let you begin reading, just don't forget to review please :)

As I sat in the darkened basement once more, I was still ticked off with that little kid for stabbing me in the foot. Not like I had done anything to hurt him…yet. And if the rug rat couldn't behave without me inflicting damage, then I could adjust my methods to be more suitable.

I stopped myself then. I shouldn't be mad at the boy. He was just trying to show me that he really did have potential. I could use this to my advantage. I may have lost Mel (although I planned to get her back little did she know), but she had given me a replacement. And a perfect one at that because he was young enough to be trained in the ways of madness properly and he would never doubt me, never betray me.

I smiled evilly at this thought as I rubbed my hands together in anticipation. Now all I needed was to set up a so-called plan. I wasn't one for planning things, but this situation seemed to require a bit of premeditation at least…

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Bruce led me out the front door and headed in the direction of the park. As we walked along the sidewalk, Bruce took my hand in his. Anyone who would pass us would probably wonder why the billionaire Bruce Wayne would be holding hands with a seemingly normal girl like me, but neither one of us cared about appearances.

I waited for him to speak, but he didn't. Instead we just kept walking and holding hands. He kept shooting me sideways glances and smiling at me when I looked back at him. The way the sun gleamed off his hair made my heart flutter. I couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't taken a chance at befriending or dating him when I first met him on my first day out in Gotham. Oh, probably because that was the same day you met The Joker and he started to follow me and try to impress me.

"So," I said.

"So," he repeated with a sly smile.

"Are you not going to tell me about what Alfred said?"

"I will," he said.

"When? Twenty years from now?" I teased.

He gave a dry laugh before his features turned stony in seriousness. "No, now."

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I could still hear the boy wailing upstairs, but I chose to ignore him. I needed to figure out what I was supposed to do with him before I went trying to care for him. I was definitely not what you'd consider father material and I had no intention of becoming that. Would I be as cold as my father? I didn't think so, but this boy wasn't about to be babied by me either. I shuttered at the thought of that.

No, what I needed was a woman's touch. But the woman I had, the very woman who had presented me with Benjamin (I cringed at the thought of using his name), had run out on me. Leaving me here to figure out how to deal with a three year old. The woman who had actually brought this boy into the world was now gone from it, thanks to her own stupid desires. Cynthia always managed to leave me with her messes, I thought bitterly.

I frowned trying to figure out what to do. I needed to be able to ask someone about this kid. Someone who might have an idea in child rearing. And someone who may have some sort of knowledge or understanding about this particular child…

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"I'll just hit the highlights for you, ok?" Bruce said before beginning his story.

"Ok, that works," I said, not wanting to make him uncomfortable by asking for the whole story.

"The Joker's original demand and intention was to get Batman to take off his mask and turn himself in. Most of the people in Gotham wanted that to happen too. The Joker was going to kill people every night until that happened. Finally, I had enough and planned to turn myself in."

"But?"

He smiled, "I'm getting there. I asked Alfred what he thought and he pretty much gave me the same lines he gave you this morning. Of course he added that Batman could be the outcast. Then at the press conference Dent tried to convince them that we shouldn't be giving in to the demands of a madman. Then he told them that he was Batman."

"You let him do that?"

"Sort of. When they were transporting him, The Joker attacked and I showed up to battle him. Of course, I couldn't completely save Harvey in the end."

"Yeah, I heard about that," I said.

"Well, did you hear how it was my fault he ended up with half his face gone? Or how it was my fault The Joker won by turning Dent mad? Or that it was partially my fault for Rachel's death?"

"No," I said, slowly.

"Well, it was. I went to the building Joker told me Rachel was in and it was actually Harvey there. Gordon and his guys didn't get inside soon enough to save Rachel. And," he couldn't go on. His hand tightened its grip on mine and his eyes swam in pain.

"I understand," I said, softly. I just wanted him to know he didn't have to finish because clearly it was still a rather soft spot for him.

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I remained pondering whom I could talk to about this boy. I knew he had potential, he had proven that already. I needed someone who could tell me more about how he worked though. And I had to be careful of who I asked because I didn't need to get caught on a technicality like that.

Suddenly I remembered Mel's words, 'Most likely The Riddler,' when I had asked who Benjamin's father was. If The Riddler really was this boy's father, he would probably be able to give me an idea about what this kid might do. Sure, there was part of my sister in him. And what she could do was no mystery to me. But I needed to know more about what he had contributed.

I decided that since The Riddler was currently locked up in Arkham, the only way I would get this information would be to pay him a visit. Best to go at night and sneak in. Best to come up with an appropriate disguise just in case someone noticed me in there. Didn't need to get caught breaking into the place that I would be locked up in if caught.

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The walk home was a quiet one. Bruce didn't say anything more about Rachel or Harvey Dent or anything that happened before I arrived in Gotham. And I didn't dare press him for more information. I figured if he ever felt the need to tell me more, he would. Or if I was ever compelled to find out more, I could do that too.

Yet, the silence on this walk was killing me. So I decided to break it. "I've been thinking," I started.

Bruce turned and looked at me, "About?"

"I want to see my dad. I want to reconnect with him. Do you think he'll want me back?"

"Melanie, he's your father of course he'll want you back. And of course he'll forgive you. He probably already has."

"Maybe," I said, "But my dad's not exactly like that. You betray his trust and it takes a lot to get it back if you ever get it back. I saw what Mom's betrayal did."

"You're not your mother and you didn't cheat on him."

"No, but I nearly got him killed."

"Believe me, he's over that. He understands it wasn't completely your fault. He blames Joker much more than you for that incident."

"Great, that doesn't help."

"Sure it does. He hates The Joker but loves you, so he'll forgive you in a heartbeat if you just go to him."

"I hope you're right after all I've done recently."

"Just don't tell him that The Joker almost became his son-in-law. That one might piss him off too much," Bruce smirked.

I rolled my eyes, "Gee, ya think?"

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As I sat with a map of Arkham (more like a copy of the blueprints that I had stolen so long ago) plotting the safest route in and out, my mind began to wander to Mel.

Where is she right now? What is she doing? Who is she with? Ok, so I could probably answer the first and last questions. She was likely with Bruce Wayne and his mansion. But what is she doing? my mind persisted to ask.

"I don't care," I answered.

Yes you do. What do you think she's doing?

"It's none of my business anymore. If she really wants me, she'll come back. And she does really want me, so she will come back. She always does."

How can you be certain? You really pissed her off this time. What if she's happier with Bruce and doesn't want to come back to you?

"Ha ha ha. She's not happier with Brucie. I showed her the more exotic side of life, the side without rules. What can he possibly show her other than money that would make her want to stay with him? I made her life interesting."

You never know…Bruce might have some secrets of his own. Such as the one you suspect…

"Oh please, she wouldn't pick Batman over me. Not after what he did to her, making her go back to her father when we got caught the last time. Oh no, she is mine and she will be back, just you wait and see."

Yeah, I'll wait and see. But you'll find that I'm right. You're gonna be waiting a long time if you think she's coming back.

"SHUT UP! You don't know what you're talking about!"

The voice in my head didn't answer. "Good, 'bout time you listened to me," I said, turning back to my work.

Then I began to wonder if The Riddler would really be able to help me. If he didn't know he was the boy's father, how much could he offer me? I would need the help of someone else. Someone who knew how to read people, to study them, to figure them out. A person like that would most definitely be able to over me something if The Riddler couldn't. Or even if The Riddler could, this person could offer me more. And I knew exactly which person in Gotham City I was going to ask, for only one name came to mind…Andrew Staples.