p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Gotham had never had a very high opinion of Brucie Wayne, playboy billionaire. At first it had been an excellent cover for Batman. No one would think them the same person. But now, the public disgrace that was his relationship was the grace that allowed him to visit Arkham weekly, uncaring of the tabloids and sneers directed his way. There was no hiding the fact that Bruce was visiting Jonathan, but he hardly felt he had to./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Once a week, Bruce visited Arkham and was led down to his cell. Once a week, Bruce sat on the small bed and listened to Jonathan's madness, his fears falling his lips with abandon. He wanted nothing more than to recreate the antidote for Jonathan, and he confessed this to Jonathan during one of the man's more lucid moments, but Jonathan simply looked at him with surprisingly clear blue eyes and shook his head./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""It's too late, it's too much." Jonathan whispered./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"But Bruce knew Jonathan was fighting it. He may not have the antidote, but Jonathan was fighting his own fears./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"The sixth week Bruce visited, about two months after Jonathan was admitted to Arkham, Jonathan was standing with his back to the door when Bruce entered. Jonathan did not move as the door opened, nor as it clanged shut, not even when Bruce gently called his name. Bruce moved across the small room slowly, taking heavy steps so Jonathan knew where he was./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"When he reached Jonathan, he could finally hear the man muttering beneath his breath. "April eight. Fine vintage."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Bruce's heart caught. Alfred's birthday. When had Jonathan even learned it?/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""February nineteenth." Jonathan's eyes were closed as he spoke, but he slowly opened them to turn his head and look at Bruce./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Bruce's birthday./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Hello, Bruce." Jonathan turned his body towards him./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""You remember our birthdays." Bruce wanted to say so much, but that was all that would come./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""If I focus enough on dates and specifics, I can keep them at bay." Jonathan gave him a wan smile./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Bruce did not have to ask what "them" was. He had heard enough of Jonathan's fears to know. Instead, he gently took Jonathan's hands in his own. "And your birthday?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""November sixteenth." Jonathan murmured. "Though Scarecrow was born another day." His face scrunched up, entirely unlike him. "Why can't I remember-" a cloud overtook his face and Bruce knew his distraction was allowing his nightmares to return./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""April eighth." Bruce said quickly. "He told you?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""I asked." Jonathan shrugged, his face clearing again. "I asked."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""You know, I kept trying to ask and he wouldn't tell me for the longest time." Bruce chuckled./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Jonathan blinked slowly, trying to keep his horrors at bay. "And the great detective couldn't find it?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Bruce gave him a smile but no more response than that. Jonathan's face darkened, going slack as he stumbled back away from Bruce. Bruce went to hold his hands tighter but missed his chance, Jonathan withdrawing and backing away from him. He moved until he couldn't, hitting the wall solidly./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""No, no, no." Jonathan muttered, "Go crow go bat go."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"And like that, their conversation was over. Bruce stayed there with him, listening to his muttered cries and hushed fears, until the guards came down to escort him back out./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"When he arrived back at the manor, he wandered its halls until he found Alfred. Alfred was tucked away in the library, dusting carefully, as he did almost every day./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Master Crane will desire a clean familiarity when he returns." was all Alfred had said when Bruce commented on his attention to the library./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Alfred." Bruce called out as he spied the butler./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""Master Bruce, back so soon?" Alfred lowered the duster in his hand, turning to see the curious look on Bruce's face. "What is on your mind?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""When did you tell Jonathan your birthday?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Alfred stared at him blankly a moment before chuckling. "When I told him yours, of course." A somber look grew on his face. "I take it today was a lucid day?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""He's concentrating on dates to keep him aware." Bruce informed him./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;""You should give him some to remember then." Alfred returned to dusting. "Surely you know every date of everything you have ever done with that young man."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"A small smile crossed Bruce's face. With some work, he could absolutely come up with important dates. "Thank you Alfred." He turned from his butler and exited, already working through this puzzle. Anything he could do for Jonathan, he absolutely would./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" /p
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"He could only hope it would actually help./p