News about the Joker's escape didn't come up until a few weeks after the fact. Guards were fired due to their lack of observation. Security footage was viewed, but there was nothing of the Joker on any of it. No one knew what happened. Bruce's visit to the asylum never came up, so him being a suspect never entered anyone's mind. The Joker vanished and was hopefully gone for good.

Bruce and the Joker were now somewhere in the Caribbean. They had been living there for a few months. Bruce owned a lot of land, so they were secluded. And completely alone. The Joker had expected Bruce to bring his servants and everyone down, but he hadn't. There had been a few phone calls to Alfred. Apparently the old coot had went to see his family and would probably live there until Bruce needed him. Joker couldn't tell if not having Alfred around bothered Bruce, but he seemed happy with his decision a few months ago.

Which the Joker was constantly pondering.

The Joker turned his head and saw Bruce sitting out on the balcony, watching the sunset on the water. The Joker didn't really want a part of that romantic crap, but he needed to talk to Bruce. They had been putting off this conversation because Bruce didn't want to do anything that would send the Joker running. If he was worried that much it must be bad, but the Joker just couldn't take it anymore.

He stood and walked out onto the balcony, looking out at the water for a moment before he turned and sat down beside Bruce, sitting on the edge of the chair to better face the other. "You still want Jack back," he said.

Bruce didn't look at him. "Yep."

"You broke the law because you want it that badly," the Joker said. "And getting away with it."

"Yep."

That one word was starting to annoy him. "But all we've been doing since we got here is relax," the Joker said. He gestured around them. "Back in Gotham you had a book! Here, we're just on a fuckin' vacation!"

"Really think about it for a moment," Bruce said, looking over at the Joker. "In Arkham, you told me you loved me. Said you were broken without me." He pointed at the Joker. "I've already gotten Jack back." He lowered his hand then looked back forward, taking a drink from a glass of wine.

"How have you gotten Jack back?"

"The ocean air really clears your head," Bruce said, taking a deep breath and adding a satisfied sigh. He looked over at the Joker. "This is something you've never had."

The Joker looked around slowly, trying to understand just what Bruce was getting at. "My own beach?" he asked with a slight tilt of his head as he looked back at Bruce.

"Peace."

"Duh," the Joker said. "You live my life and there's nothing about peace."

Bruce just nodded his head.

"This doesn't cure me," the Joker said. "You don't have-"

Bruce leaned forward, looking at him. "I fell in love with a boy who was already broken," he said. "During a very hard time in his life. Who was on meds, but he didn't need them when he was with me."

"So you're my cure?"

"As I've said before, you do need help," Bruce said. "Professional help. You need to talk. But I needed to get you into a state where you didn't want to murder the first thing you get your hands on."

"Not everything I get my hands on..."

"You're the boy I fell in love with."

The Joker gave a smile, trying to relieve the sappiness. "Aw, how sweet!" he exclaimed. "Maybe now you should buy me roses. Go to my father and beg for my hand in marriage. But since he's dead-"

"You're ruining the moment."

"You're making it uncomfortable."

"Why?" Bruce asked. "Because it's the truth?"

"Because I don't want to accept it," the Joker said. Bruce looked offended by that. "I love you, I mean that, but no matter what happens, I'll never be that boy you fell in love with. Too much has happened. I've changed dramatically. You might get me as a sane, normal person, but that Jack's gone." That was the hard truth and it looked like Bruce was just realizing it.

"I'll take what I can get," Bruce said. "As long as it's with you."

"I wish I could be that person," the Joker said then ran his tongue over the scars at the corners of his mouth, remembering the moment he had done it to himself. The moment he had snapped and flipped.

And all of a sudden, the heavy weight of all those years pressed down on him and he felt like breaking down like he had that time in the alley with Bruce years ago. He ended up off the chair and onto the floor with Bruce kneeling down in front of him, a concerned expression on his face. The Joker just leaned into him and Bruce got the silent message. He just wanted to be held. Bruce's arms surrounded him and he was home.

The clock on the wall read 2:45. It was almost time for the Joker's first visit to the doctor Bruce had found. He was supposed to be really good. The Joker sat hunkered down in the chair in the waiting room, a magazine held up and hiding his face. Not because of his scars. He just didn't want to give the other people sitting around the idea to talk to him. But, they all seemed quiet and kept to themselves, lost in their own little worlds. But, this was a psychiatric hospital. These people were going to be everywhere.

It wasn't really part of the main hospital. The patients that were "cured" came here for sessions after their release. The Joker technically wasn't supposed to come here, but Bruce knew ways of getting around things. He was obviously making up for the fact that he hadn't done that all those years ago at the other hospital. He probably wouldn't let that go until the Joker said so and even then he highly doubted it. If Bruce let it go, he might lose his reasons for helping the Joker. The Joker doubted that would happen also.

He focused on an article in the magazine, wondering why Bruce wasn't here with him. He just felt awkward sitting there. Everyone else in the waiting room were the same, but he just felt out of place. He shifted in his seat, stretching his legs out and crossing them at the ankles. He glanced around the magazine at the clock, letting out a loud sigh when he saw: 2:46. His exasperated sigh got the attention of others and he quickly hid behind the magazine once again.

After what seemed like an eternity, his name was finally called. He just dropped the magazine and got to his feet like he had been shot and followed the doctor's assistant. She led him to the office then just left him there alone. He looked around, studying the diplomas perched on the walls. There were even a couple of trophies on the shelves. He stepped over to the chair and sat down.

A few minutes later, the door opened and the doctor walked in. Along with Bruce, who stepped off to the other side of the room and sat down, staying out of it, but how could the Joker think with him there?

"So," the doctor said, setting a file down on his desk as he looked at the Joker. "What would you prefer? Jack or Joker?"

"Jack." The name came spilling out of his mouth before he could even think about what the doctor had asked. "What would you prefer? Doc or Dick?" The doctor didn't look offended, but did give Bruce a knowing look. Jack looked over his shoulder at Bruce. "You had a session first, didn't you?"

"A friendly chat," Bruce said. "He wasn't being paid to talk to me."

"I'm not paying him either."

"Jack," the doctor said. Jack reluctantly turned his head back forward. "He told me a lot about you. Now you get to fill in the blanks."

"That's called invasion of privacy."

"That's what I'm here for." The doctor sat down and leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. Jack was starting to understand why Bruce had picked him. He understood people like Jack. If there were more people out there like him. "Let's start with your mother."

"Oh, you mean watching as my father drained the life out of her then made my life a complete living hell?" Jack asked. His life was a touchy subject for him. "The doc I was seeing then was probably on my dad's side."

"Who were you seeing back then?"

Jack tried think of the doctor's name, but it wouldn't come to him. "I only saw him in person once or twice," he said. "He gave me pills for depression. I was on those up until I met Bruce." He gestured behind him.

"Living in that part of town," the doctor said. He leaned forward, propping his arms on the desk with his hands clasped in front of him. "I wouldn't be surprised if he gave you something other than an antidepressant."

"So I'm even more fucked up than anyone thought." That really wasn't news to Jack. He should have gotten the feeling a long time ago that there was more to his problems than his dad.

"Are you sure you stopped taking them when you met Bruce?"

Jack nodded his head. "You think I've been going through some weird withdrawal symptoms?" he asked.

"It's a possibility," the doc said. "You were reliant on that drug until Bruce took it's place. Your body was used to those drugs so, yes, you could have gone through withdrawal symptoms that may have had an affect on your brain."

"And when Bruce left?" Jack asked, not knowing just how much Bruce had told this doctor.

"Your body went through withdrawal symptoms of that drug," the doc said. "You're a very broken person, Jack, but I'm going to do my best to put you back together again."

"So more meds?"

"We'll just see how these sessions go," the doc said. "You'll be here every day at three, right?"

Jack looked over his shoulder at Bruce, who just stared at him. This was his decision. He looked back at the doctor and nodded his head. "Yeah, I'll be here every day at three," he said

"Good," the doc said. "See you tomorrow."

"Now you want to start complaining about it?" Bruce asked before Jack had even been able to say anything. They had just gotten back to the house and Jack had been quiet the entire drive home.

"I just want to forget it ever happened," Jack said, sitting down on the couch. "But, since I'll have a repeat tomorrow..."

"We can call and cancel."

Jack looked at Bruce and knew that Bruce was serious about that. He shook his head and looked away, glancing down at his hands. "Going through this is going to be hard," he said. "After everything I've done..."

Bruce sat down beside him. "We're gonna be okay," he said. "You're gonna be okay." He placed his hand on Jack's leg and Jack looked at him. "If you want me to be there with you every day-"

"No offense," Jack said. "But it might be easier to talk without you there. Most of the stuff you already know anyway." During the start of their relationship, talking had been a big thing and Jack had opened up about everything. Back then there wasn't a thing about him that Bruce didn't know. But, as he had said before, he had changed dramatically since then. He wasn't that kid anymore.

"I'm just glad you're still going through with it," Bruce said, giving Jack's thigh a quick squeeze. He stood up and went to the kitchen for a drink.

Jack sat there for a while just thinking. He still wasn't sure he was going to get the happy ending Bruce expected for them, but he wanted that so badly. In order to get that, he had to get better.

He wasn't looking forward to it, but it had to happen.

Author's Note: I feel like I'm getting to the end of the story. Feels like I should be saying "Finally!" since it's been over a year since I started this, but I don't really want to get to the end because this story just holds so much importance to me that I really can't explain. Hopefully I can give it the ending that it deserves.