After being left alone at the construction site, Bruce couldn't leave without finding the bodies of the construction crew. He found them out back, lying side by side. Each of them, their faces carved into a permanent smile. Bruce grimaced, thinking to himself: Jack, what have you become? He didn't touch the bodies and called the police.

When the police arrived, they wanted a statement from him, but all he could provide was that he had found them that way. He didn't mention the Joker at all. There was no evidence that Bruce and the Joker had been here at the same time. The bodies were taken away and messages were taken to the families, delivered personally by Gordon. Bruce was taken down to the station to answer a few questions and waited there for hours before Gordon came back and just let him go.

A long and tiring day. Bruce walked into his penthouse and collapsed onto the couch, exhausted. He knew he'd have to go out as Batman in a few hours to try and find Rachel, but he just didn't feel like it right now. He closed his eyes, deciding he should get some rest before he headed out tonight.

He hadn't realized the TV was on until a news report woke him up. He pushed himself up, cursing under his breath when he saw that it was the next morning. But, that was forgotten when his attention focused on the news report. Rachel's body had been found last night in an abandoned warehouse. Tied up to a chair with her throat slit. Bruce was unable to move and unable to listen to the report.

Jack killed Rachel.

No!

The Joker killed Rachel. Jack wouldn't do something like this.

Would he?

"Master Bruce?"

Bruce pulled himself out of his thoughts, turning his head and looking over at Alfred standing there holding a tray which contained his breakfast. "I was too late," he said, standing up. "Rachel's dead."

"I'm sorry, sir."

Bruce nodded, but couldn't find it in himself to hate the Joker for what had been done. He knew he should. Rachel had been one of the closest friends he had had. Though, that friendship kind of flopped when Bruce disappeared. First with finding Jack and then later trying to just escape his life. Doing so had brought him back here.

"Does this mean you'll be going after the Joker?"

"I was doing that before this happened, Alfred," Bruce said, heading past Alfred to go upstairs to get a shower and a clean set of clothes. He stopped at the stairs, one hand resting on the handrail. "But he might come after me first." Was now the best time to break this sort of news? It was now or never. Alfred would find out sometime.

Alfred had set the tray down on the coffee table and turned toward Bruce. "What do you mean?"

Bruce didn't say anything for a moment then looked over at Alfred. "The Joker is Jack," he said. He took a deep, silent breath. "I don't know the entire reason for him coming back here, but he will do something about me." He turned and headed upstairs without another word, knowing Alfred would talk him out of doing this.

He took a quick shower and dressed then headed out, driving over to Wayne Tower first. He went inside to let people know he was going to be out all day. He hadn't thought about just calling and no one said anything about it. He turned and left, getting back into his car and starting it up.

And stopped when a blade of a knife was suddenly against his throat. He hadn't pulled out of the parking space.

"Miss me?" Bruce could feel the Joker's warm breath against his ear.

"Have you been following me?" Bruce asked, glancing at the rearview mirror, but couldn't see the Joker's reflection.

"I haven't," the Joker said. "But, I've had you followed. Gotta keep an eye on Gotham's Millionaire. Never know when he might cause problems."

Bruce lifted his hands off the steering wheel in submission. "There's nothing I've done to you-"

"You had a different opinion yesterday about that," the Joker said. He moved the knife away, sitting back. "Drive."

Bruce looked in the rear view mirror, the Joker's eyes meeting his own. He looked forward when the Joker smiled. He pulled out of the parking space and pulled out onto the street and drove off. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"You're the one that decided to take the day off," the Joker said. "Where are you going?"

"We could always go by Arkham,"' Bruce said, glancing in the mirror but the Joker offered no reaction to that.

"Wasn't Arkham shut down?" the Joker asked. "I may not be a regular in Gotham, but I keep track of some things."

"It wasn't technically shut down," Bruce said. "They're still trying to get people in there. But, after what happened, the police don't want anyone in there."

"If you want to go by there, go ahead," the Joker said. "One boring trip, though."

Bruce focused on his driving, his grip on the steering wheel tightened a bit. "Rachel was on the news this morning," he said.

"I know!" the Joker said. "And did you hear Dent say a few words? It was beautiful!"

"I missed that part."

The Joker gave a small laugh then scooted forward in his seat. "Does it bother you?" he asked. "I know you two weren't close, but-"

"How do you know so much about me if you're not Jack?"

"I never said I was and I never said I wasn't," the Joker said. "Turn right two blocks ahead."

"Now we're going somewhere?"

"I don't want to be dropped off miles away from home."

"Where are you holed up?"

"You wanna come home with me?"

"I need to send a tip to the police."

The Joker laughed. "Even if I did tell you where I'm staying," he said. "I'll be gone and set up somewhere else by the time the police get near the place." Bruce took the turn. "And if I am who you think I am, I don't think you'll be sending a tip to the police."

Bruce stopped the car when the Joker told him to. "What makes you say that?" he asked. "What I did-"

"OK, let's play you're little game," the Joker said, climbing into the front seat. He looked at Bruce, seriousness in his eyes, but that smirk still on his scarred face. "You regret what you did then. You'd do anything to take it back because of the way Jack turned out. Now you'll do your best to help him. And that isn't calling the cops on him. It'd just make things worse."

"It would get you locked up and the people of Gotham would be safe."

"If Jack and I were the same person," the Joker said. "Did the possibility ever occur to you that Jack and I might be working together? That he's just the man behind the scenes, calling the shots?" Bruce didn't want to admit that that hadn't occurred to him. And he was a bit surprised it never had.

"Then take me to him."

"If we're the same person," the Joker said, opening the car door. "Kinda hard to take you to him, huh?" He smiled as he got out of the car.

Bruce got out and looked over the car at the Joker. "Jack can be forgiven for all of this," he said, making the Joker stop and turn back. "You can get help-"

"That's what brought us here," the Joker said, clearly not bothering with pretending he and Jack weren't the same person. "Do you want this to go on forever? It'll just get worse from here."

"This time I won't walk out," Bruce said. "I'll make sure-"

"I'm free!" the Joker said, spreading his arms out from his sides. He smiled, those dark eyes staring at Bruce. "I don't need help, I don't want help." He lowered his arms to his sides. "No one's got a clue on how to catch me. That tip from you won't help." He turned and walked off as if tempting Bruce to follow after him.

Bruce closed the car door and followed after the Joker, not bothering with trying to hide his presence. He knew the Joker knew he was there. The Joker probably planned for this to happen. A way to trap Bruce and he would later end up like Rachel.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, the Joker sat down on a bench. The street was empty. Bruce stopped walking and looked around, wondering if anyone saw them and was calling the cops on the Joker right now. He looked around some more, but didn't see any ruffling curtains or faces in the windows.

"Jack is gone," the Joker said, breaking the silence finally. Bruce looked at him. "Whether or not we are the same person, Jack's still gone. And there's nothing you can do to bring him back."

"Did he become..." Bruce gestured to the Joker. "...this because of me?"

"This has always been festering inside me," the Joker said. "Long before I met you."

"Your father," Bruce said. "The abuse-"

"I'm done sharing," the Joker said, standing up.

"Why did you come back?"

"To destroy Jack," the Joker said. "Everything else just fell into place when I got here."

"What's left over of Jack?"

"Do you really have to ask that question?"

Bruce felt relieved that he was getting through to the Joker. It wasn't enough, but at least it was something. "I'm sorry," he said. "I can't say it enough and you know I won't stop-"

"Just stop now!" the Joker said. "I don't want to hear anything else out of you." He turned and started walking once again.

Bruce took a step forward then stopped, hesitating. Fuck it, he thought then followed after the Joker once again. The Joker didn't stop or even acknowledge his presence. They just kept on walking for a long time.